They are passionate about Ballarat, and they have shared their hopes and dreams for a city we can be proud of for the next decade.

Over the next 40 days you can read their stories. Here's a snapshot of what they had to say, and how we compiled this list.

Ferndale Foods Australia chief executive

"The growth that we've seen in the last 10 years is quite unbelievable."

"I remember driving to Ferndale through Cherry Flat Road and Delacombe and it was sheep and cow paddocks, and now it's a thriving metropolis."

"That will continue to happen ... a growing city is a great city because it gives opportunity for commercial development."

"It gives a good pool of staff for manufacturers and gives the government reasons to invest in health, schools and infrastructure."

Flying Chilies owner

"I want to see the city have more vibes."

"When people are thinking about Ballarat it's a retirement place."

"I really want it to be for all ages, enjoying local businesses and foods."

"I want there to be different cultures and different types of food we can experience."

Revolution Print owner and print geek

"I know there's a lot of young leaders that are taking big steps and big risks here."

"They'll take over a lot of these businesses in the next 10 years, and they'll be the next generation of leaders."

Fitness instructor and Ballarat market manager

"I would like to see a similar, beautiful, lively city that's really connected."

"I'd love to be able to hop on a train, a tram or a bus and get to places that we need to get to."

"We're going in a good direction."

Ex-professional cyclist, event commentator and BridgeLane womens team manager

"I'd love to see Ballarat being more accessible by foot and bike."

"The quicker that we do that, if we do it early, we will reap the benefits as a community not only environmentally, but also I think we'll see a far greater representation of people in town in an evening."

Little Stroke Warriors co-founder and Grampian's Health regional manager

"I want the city to be accessible for people with disabilities."

"I feel like that is the biggest gap that we have in our town at the moment."

"I want inclusion and I want to see more diversity when I go out every day."

Black Cat Truffles director head chef

"I would like to see more growth and I'd love to see people stay."

"Especially in hospitality I would love to see them train under our chefs we have here, grow, open their own restaurants and keep this movement in the food scene really evolving."

The Little Issue editor

"I think there are a lot of younger people now who will be making a difference, so that'll change a lot."

"Hopefully climate change will be better as well as other issues around the world."

McGrath director

"I'm just excited to see the evolution of Ballarat again."

"We're seeing it at the moment with the growth in Ballarat West."

"Over the next little period, we're going to see Ballarat almost split into two and have a couple of centres."

"Council at the moment are looking into opening the north on the other side of the freeway, and that'll be the next Lucas in my opinion."

Gathered Events owner

"My hopes and goals for the city are to continue developing the event industry and make it a leader in Victoria."

"There are so many amazing quality suppliers, food and wine producers and venues in Ballarat and hopefully, we can continue to collaborate and lift everyone up."

Sebastopol football playing-coach

"I would love to see a Victorian Football League team back in Ballarat and see Ballarat push for those elite sporting pathways for all sports."

"This is something we can strive for as a town. The benefits of this are tenfold, it can attract great people who set up their lives in Ballarat."

"The city is going to grow and develop and I want it to maintain that accessible feel where you can drive across the city in 20 minutes."

United Nations Youth Australia First Nations reconciliation chairperson

"I'm now a mother myself, so I would like to continue this feeling of having a village to raise your children and having everyone interconnected, and that connection to the country."

"I would also love to see how cultural awareness adapts in all different spaces."

"It's progressing in the education sector, my kids going to school and in Aboriginal studies, it's just everyday practice."

Business owner, podcaster

"Ballarat has a lot going for it - all the restaurants are opening up."

"In the next 10 years, I don't want it to be too busy - the same sort of thing with a few more things to do."

The Turret owner

"I feel like we are heading in the right direction, if Ballarat can get even bigger and better in everything we are doing."

"We have a lot of great events and weekends, like the Begonia Festival."

Cook and former Masterchef contestant

"The city is just going to grow and grow ... but we're not going to lose our sense of community I don't think."

"As a Ballarat community, we feel like we're all in this together and we all try and work together for the common goal, to make Ballarat the best town it can be."

Ceramic artist

"I hope there are more independent art galleries like my space."

"There'll be more artists in Ballarat as well as other creative industries."

"That's the great thing about Ballarat - even if you aren't in the arts, we all connect really well."

The Y chief executive

"I'm seeing a lot of really positive infrastructure coming through now."

"It's really about opportunities and making sure that what we're developing in Ballarat is preparing for those young people now and preparing for the future that provides those opportunities."

Mrs Browne Bakes owner

"I'm hoping that Ballarat will be more environmentally friendly, use less packaging and be more conscious of rubbish and how we dispose of it."

RAD Center owner

"The actual city I don't want to change too much."

"I like the old feel of it and the heritage buildings."

"But the growth on the outer side of things is really exciting and particularly from a sporting side of things, it just enables mass participation."

FECRI post doctoral researcher

"My hopes are that despite it growing as a city."

"I hope that it still has that community aspect because I think that's what makes it so unique."

Hygge Property director

"Ballarat should be an enhanced city of villages with a focus on housing diversity, opportunities and restoration of the CBD."

"I would like to see a population base living in Bakery Hill again and a national sporting team."

"We're very good at food and fibre and we have some solid manufacturing industries and opportunities."

"They need to be enhanced, protected and improved."

Diversity and inclusion advocate

"There's a lot of passionate people doing good things in Ballarat as individuals."

"I'd love more networking and more sharing of information. We don't have to reinvent the wheel with a lot of the stuff we're doing."

Volta venue programmer

"It's on the right path, I feel like multiculturalism is an amazing thing in this town and I think it's growing."

"I want to see people fall in love with this town the way I fell in love with it."

"It is a happy town and everyone's just trying to make it a little bit better."

Victorian Farmers Federation horticulture vice president

"I'm hoping that Ballarat continues to grow in its importance."

"It's an incredibly rich and important region, both for food and fibre production, but also for education and other community resources."

"I'm really hoping we continue to see Ballarat shine as a real heart in Victoria."

Mr Perfect Ballarat BBQ for men's mental health, 99.9 Voice FM and Blakes Army board member

"Ballarat is known as quite a traditional town and there are some really good things as far as the landscape and heritage look."

"It has a really good feel about it and so we want to continue to be a place where people can raise their kids and move here from different locations."

Women's Big Bash League cricketer

"I would like to see female sport growing and growing."

"There's a senior women's competition, which is growing already. I want to see that getting bigger and better."

Horse racing trainer

"If we can speed up the train line to get to Melbourne, it'd be a great addition."

"The way the city has grown from the first time I was here, 14 or 15 years ago, if you continue to make the progress that it's made in that time, you're going to be living in a very exciting place."

Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation project officer

"Growing up, there was a bit of a narrative in Ballarat of the old, gold and cold."

"It was all about the gold rush."

"I'm very excited to see that's starting to change and we're looking at all different perspectives, not just the typical European colonists' narrative."

"There's so much history in this town and we've only just scratched the surface."

"I'm really excited to see what else comes out of it."

BallaRat Pack artistic director

"I would like to see Ballarat's support for the performing arts grow even more."

"There's quite a bit of support already, but I would like to see the local performing arts organisations embraced by the community and the city as a whole."

"I would love to see the community grow and become even more open, accepting and inclusive."

"It already is and I know that it will grow and be so much more than where it is now in ten years time."

St Alipius Parish School principal

"The city is growing so much, which is fantastic."

"Hopefully, the connection to Melbourne is stronger and the rail network is faster in terms of getting to Melbourne."

"We've got so many young people now being brought up in Ballarat and that growth is huge."

"So hopefully, in 10 years' time there will be more schooling options for families."

Victoria Park Football Club president

"I hope it keeps encouraging its diversity and equality."

"I hope it continues to strive to be better ... infrastructure-wise while also paying homage to traditional architecture."

"We see a lot of development which is great but we also want to continue to upkeep and restore so the city doesn't lose its charm."

The Minority Co owner

"I would love for it to be more multicultural, really advocating for the different cultures that we have here in Ballarat."

"I know it's getting a lot better but it would be cool to see different carnivals or groups getting together and celebrating different cultures."

Regional Development Victoria Grampians manager

"I expect it to be a city that is able to maintain its community feel whilst also managing the population growth that it will experience."

"There's a lot of infrastructure that will occur and we know there's more and more people wanting to make Ballarat their home."

"We need to make sure that they are welcomed, that the city can cope and that we maintain this special community."

LJ Griffin Retraining horse trainer

"Ballarat is quite a big place now but there is a lot of community involved."

"In 10 years time, hopefully those things all become better and bigger."

"There's a lot of people that live their country sort of lifestyle, as well as the city sort of lifestyle in Ballarat, so it's got a great variety."

Buxton sales agent and SJD Foundation director

"The trajectory we're on is going to be really good for the next ten years."

"The growth, especially in that western district, there's a lot planned. With the infrastructure, if the City of Ballarat can make sure those roads and everything is keeping up with it, then it's going to work really well."

Dairy farmer and Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society Show Committee chair

"There's exciting opportunities for the region and I hope that agriculture remains very strong."

"We really need to make sure that we are providing what our growing community needs."

Nevetts Lawyers director

"I hope it continues to grow, it's got so much on offer."

"I hope we retain that sense of community."

"We're a long way off being four million people like Melbourne is now but I think the bigger we get the harder that will be to maintain."

"I'm sure whatever it is, it'll be good."

Workforce Australia local jobs program support officer, Ballarat Businesswomen's Network member

"In 10 years' time I'm hoping that we will see so many more industries attracted here."

"We're starting to slowly see them in BWEZ and I'm hoping we see that buzzing and that the airport and transport links connect us to the rest of Australia."

Cobbs Cafe owner

"I think you want to encourage ... more hospitality venues and more retail opened by younger people."

"It's a new generation of people who are doing great things and I hope that that really continues over the next 10 years."

Ivory Haus owner, Rotarian, author

"I hope it continues growing, evolving and becoming that trendy little town where people like to come and spend the day, the weekend or the week here because we've got so much to see and do."