It was a key plank in the 150-page Making Ballarat Central: the CBD strategy released by the City of Ballarat in 2010.
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Historic Camp Street, site of the police troopers’ first vision of the rebellion in 1854, had:
“the potential to become the arts and culture hub of the CBD and one of its most vibrant street spaces.”
Within its Precincts: Camp Street plan pages was this proposal:
“The surface car park on the eastern side of Camp Street provides an opportunity for a new public space that has a view across central Ballarat to Mt Warrenheip and Mt Buninyong. As part of the former miner’s camp area, the site could be used as an opportunity to convey an aspect of Ballarat’s heritage.
“Creation of a new public space with views over the historic Bridge Street area and Bakery Hill to the countryside beyond will add to this streetscape.”
The view is indeed impressive. Or rather, it was. It would have encompassed Black Hill, out to the mountains and beyond. But council’s plan for the public viewing park never came to fruition. The park is dead.
This week, the tilt slab walls of a new, architect-designed building are going up. It’s an impressive building, and incorporates the now-restored Australian Natives Association (ANA) hall. It references the theatre inside, with a stainless-steel curtain partly drawn across its facade.
Developer Garry Goyne says his Morton Dunn-designed commercial development aims to give a view through to the vista beyond its glass walls.
He purchased the site in 2013 from the Tracy family. As far as he is aware, no-one ever approached them offering to purchase the land for a park; it was not ever brought up during planning for the current building.
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So where did the CBD strategy go wrong? How did the city lose a new park, one with an important connection to its mining past and offering unrestricted views across the city and towards Melbourne?
And what does it mean for businesses in Camp Street that made decisions based on what was proposed in the plan?
The 2010 strategy was clear:
1.8.18 Investigate opportunities to acquire this site for creation of a new space that includes trees or a pergola on the northern side for summer shade, seating and grassed areas and a viewing deck/stage at the apex of the view corridor.
1.8.19 Activate adjoining buildings with outdoor dining.
1.8.20 Create a staircase or ramp link down to Cattan Street and Grenville Street.
1.8.21 Include heritage themes or interpretive signage to tell the story of this part of the CBD.
Interestingly, the planned open space remains in the 2017-2021 revision of the strategy, pictured below:
For Lost Ones Gallery and Basement Bar owner Tara Kareena Poole, the proposed viewing park was part of the consideration she and partner Stephen Pigott had in buying the former masonic lodge in Camp Street.
“That view, and that idea for a park, was very important to us,” says Poole.
“It was about bringing more foot traffic into Camp Street, and we saw the park as being part of that. We understood that the plan was ratified by council, and it was part of our business strategy.”
Poole says she is no opponent of development. She sees it as a vital part of rejuvenating the city. But the wall of the new building is hard up against the boundary of Lost Ones, eliminating light to the gallery – a vital part of their business.
“It almost makes me cry, to see how close it is.
Its proximity led to negotiations with Garry Goyne and mediation sessions with Ballarat City Council, who told the gallery owners that while residents may have a right to be free from shadowing, there was:
“no commercial right to light.”
During mediation two light wells were agreed to by Goyne. Ballarat city councillors were engaged in the mediation process.
“Council never once mentioned the CBD strategy plan during the mediation,” Poole says.
Poole said another fear she and Pigott had was damage to their own building’s foundations during excavation for the construction.
Their historic lodge was constructed long before the concept of modern foundations, and she feared subsidence could see the building slide into Sturt Street below it.
It’s a concern shared by Garry Goyne. He says he has offered to undertake clean up works on the escarpment, giving access to the pathway there and removing sucker trees.
“It’s amazing how many discarded wallets I find down there,” he says, referring to the proclivity of those accessing the site to be discarding the proceeds of crime.
Ballarat City Council mayor Samantha McIntosh says there are many council masterplans put forward, and while it would be ideal to be able to implement their proposals, they are essentially ‘visionary’ documents.
“There are many parcels of privately-owned land the council would dearly love to purchase for the city,” Ms McIntosh said.
“There are approaches made by developers that we disagree with, but we don’t have a bottomless pot of money to buy land. This outcome is one that attempts to maximise the view while providing for jobs growth in Camp Street.”
Councillor Belinda Coates says the failure of the park plan is disappointing.
“There were parts of the 2010 plan that were far too ambitious, and set expectations too high,” she says.
“There were many successes too, but this outcome is disappointing. Without enforceable action plans, these strategies will often fail. Public trust is lost, and it’s hard to recover that trust.”
Ballarat City Council provided the following statement regarding the viewing park.
“The current Camp St carpark site is privately owned and, while the CBD Strategy (2010) recommended looking into acquiring the site for a new outdoor area, it was not considered fiscally responsible to ratepayers to go ahead with this option.
“The building development now planned for the site was approved after careful consideration of its contribution to the heritage streetscape and includes a range of design measures to maximise views through the site, including a glass atrium, and ensuring it complements the adjacent heritage buildings.
“The new building will be connected to the ANA building through a glass connection and the majority of the new build will enable view lines through the site as it is mostly constructed of glass, with some metal mesh.
“Council believes the redevelopment of the site, currently a private car park, has the potential to create more jobs and activity in the Camp Street area, and further improve this vibrant creative hub.
“The City of Ballarat has recently started development of an Arts and Culture Strategy to accelerate Ballarat’s evolution as a creative city, and further build on the amazing heritage and creative elements in and around Camp Street, the Art Gallery of Ballarat and other key creative industries along Lydiard Street.
“Redevelopment of key undeveloped sites, such as this carpark, can play an important part in bringing new people to the area, and generating activity and life.”
It remains now to be seen if other green spaces and public plazas, such as the proposed Yarrowee River Park, within the council’s multiple strategies for renewal are as diaphanous.
The Courier contacted Jeff Pulford, chair of the steering committee for Making Ballarat Central: the CBD strategy and director of city growth and economy in 2010 regarding the strategy. He declined to comment.
The cost of the Making Ballarat Central: the CBD strategy to ratepayers is being sought.