Buninyong town centre $1.2m boost

According to Ballarat Councillor Peter Innes, no stone has been left unturned.

The investment has funded a transformed community meeting space for the town with seating and covered areas and a redeveloped streetscape enabling traders to extend their outdoor dining spaces. 

Cr Innes said the entrance to the town hall and access to the RSL have been improved through the installation of traffic roundabout installed to slow vehicles down and to improve pedestrian safety. 

He said there are also now better vantage points for the highly successful Road Nationals cycling event which attracts people to Buninyong each January. 

The opening of the redeveloped town centre marks the completion of the 14th and final project under the ‘Making Buninyong’ initiative, which is part of the City of Ballarat’s wider Engaging Communities Program.

Councillor Innes said the new look township it wouldn’t have been possible without input from residents.

The local community contributing $15,000 in-kind and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to raise money to contribute to the project including holding fundraisers and community barbecues. 

“We are very proud of the community without a doubt,” Cr Innes said.

“Over the years Buninyong got to a stage where there was not a lot of potential development and what needed to be done had to be carefully managed to ensure the character of the town was kept.”

Other major projects completed have seen a new youth space that includes a BMX Pump Track as well as skate and basketball area.Walking trails have also been mapped, new signage erected, the Avenue of Honour restored and improvements made to local parks. 

The City of Ballarat will officially unveil the revamped township’s town centre with traders at 9.30am on Wednesday morning. At the council meeting on Wednesday evening, councillors will review the program and investigate the application of the model to other areas in the municipality with Sebastopol next on the agenda.

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