Ballarat City Council has put the draft law, which gives staff more power to force owners of vacant, dilapidated properties to act, on display for public comment.

Although council already had some power where there were significant overlays, the new laws will cover all historic buildings.

Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh said the community had made it clear it wanted vacant buildings restored.

“Heritage is imperative to us as a city – in the Ballarat Imagine project there were more than 6000 conversations – at the top were heritage and gardens,” she said.

“There has not been in the past the appropriate local laws for us to ensure protection of our built form.”

A resident who spoke at an ordinary council meeting in May identified the former Ballarat orphanage and Damascus College site as a major concern.

The Victoria Street building, which has broken windows and graffiti, sits at the eastern entrance to Ballarat.

Cr McIntosh said the ratepayers sometimes identified building they thought needed attention.

“Sometimes with a bit of information and guidance, the building owners bring it up to satisfactory standards, and often up to a brilliant one,” she said.

“We have certainly heard that from the community in regards to the orphanage.”

Under the law owners and occupiers of buildings or other structures must not permit them to become dilapidated, or further dilapidated.

They must also take reasonable steps to secure the building for unauthorised access, maintain it in good repair, remove graffiti and avoid neglect.

Ratepayers can comment on the new laws at four sessions from 4pm to 7pm at;