With Ballarat election promises converted into state budget cash on Monday, more capital works are being brought forward to compliment the government's plans.
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The city's council confirmed on Monday afternoon they would likely be making changes to its draft budget, released only last week, in the wake of the state government's cash splash.
But not everyone in Ballarat was delighted, with miners in Ballarat shocked by a new gold royalty in the Victorian government's 2019/2020 budget.
City of Ballarat CEO Justine Linley told The Courier said they were particularly pleased that upgrades to intersections in Delacombe would be funded and completed quickly, as it is a "high use, high growth" area.
She said they were considering what works should be included in council's budget for "community infrastructure" and additional roads funding, now there's commitments being made to revitalising Sebastopol and for Delacombe.
"For some of those street networks that those communities have been talking about for some time, we're looking to see if there's a way - in our our own budget - we can bring some of those works forward to actually match community sentiment," Ms Linley said.
She said as soon as money was released they would look to start construction on the project to light up running tracks at Lake Wendouree and Victoria Park, with works likely to start in the coming financial year. But the council will continue campaigning for an additional $5 million for Her Majesty's Theatre before additional works begin.
The announcement of the 2.75 per cent gold royalty has placed an unexpected cloud over the Ballarat gold mine's operations. The mine underneath the city currently employs about 160 direct employees and a further 70-80 contractors full-time. It will come into effect on January 1.
"I don't know how we're going to survive," said Stephen Jeffers, boss of the Ballarat gold mine owner by Castlemaine Goldfields.
It's honestly a very real and present threat to our viability.
- Stephen Jeffers
Committee for Ballarat's chairman Nick Beale said it was clear Ballarat's message was cutting through on both sides of the political aisle, with significant elections promises now flowing in from the budget.
"The spend over the last few budgets towards Ballarat has been big in dollar terms, probably the biggest we've ever had," he said.
He noted Ballarat would get a share in an additional 18 VLocity trains to be built for busy regional lines, at a price of $340 million.
"Once the current works are complete on the Ballarat Line Upgrade, there is going to be extra services which are going to be put on to the system, these are going to help that," Mr Beale said.
They may be able to replace some of the older VLocity engines and carriages coming to the end of their life, but main thing is it leads to all the promises with regard to services need to be be fulfilled.
- Nick Beale
Mr Beale said they would "hope to see between connection for buses" and would advocate for improved public transport timetables in future budgets, after the final money for the Ballarat Regional Bus Interchange was announced today.
Nine road upgrades - including fixes for six problem intersections in growth zones - was announced as funded in the budget on Monday morning by Roads Minister Jaala Pulford.
More than $9 million will be released in the upcoming financial year to start preparing for the three-year-long works, with construction to begin on the ground in 2020.
The upgrades include the intersections Wiltshire Lane and Latrobe Street and Wiltshire Lane and Glenelg Highway both in Delacombe
"Ballarat is changing and the population is growing which is creating congestion points and placing pressures on our transport network," Ms Pulford said.
"This program is about whether or not you live in Delacombe, or Sebastopol, or to the west of the city, you will be able to get a smooth ride..."
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