A coalition of Ballarat’s biggest organisations is preparing to pitch six of the city’s major projects to politicians in Melbourne this week ahead of the state election.
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The coalition of Australian Catholic University, Ballarat Health Services, City of Ballarat, Commerce Ballarat, Committee for Ballarat, Federation University, Sovereign Hill and Visit Ballarat will present proposals on the Parliament House steps on Wednesday.
The six projects under the ‘Ballarat Now and Into Future’ banner – with a combined worth of $228 million – include the repair of Her Majesty’s Theatre, money to complete the next stage of the Ballarat Link Road to the Glenelg Freeway, and Warrenheip Station.
A $43 million ask has been made for Sovereign Hill’s ‘Beyond Fifty’ upgrade, with the Aviation Emergency Services Innovation Hub also on Ballarat’s funding wish list.
The proposed first stage of the Ballarat Innovation and Research Collaborative for Health (BIRCH) facility would require $20 million to be built, with construction on the BHS Drummond Street site planned for late 2019 if funded this year.
Regional development minister Jaala Pulford, Western Victorian MP Joshua Morris, Buninyong MP Geoff Howard and Ripon MP Louise Staley will be among the Victorian politicians presented with Ballarat’s cash pitch, before the state election on November 24.
Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh said in a statement the city will need appropriate transport infrastructure to deal with population growth, while other funding bids would secure the region’s status as a tourist destination
“We can’t sit and wait for the money to come to us – we need to put Ballarat’s needs right in front of the people who make the funding decisions,” she said.
