Applications are open as part of the process to recruit six people to represent the community on the committee.

Committee for Ballarat is a membership organisation that has a strategic long-term focus for development of the region, involving advocacy and lobbying for key projects to government and stakeholders.

Community members are appointed for a two-year term to the committee and can work on project teams or in mentoring roles.

Sarah Myers, owner of business Myers Strategic Marketing, has served as a community member of Committee for Ballarat for the past two years.

She said she applied to join because she supported the causes Committee had advocated for in the 10 years she had lived in Ballarat, particularly fast rail to Melbourne.

Her husband has commuted to Melbourne for work for 10 years and she is passionate about improving public transport and active transport opportunities within the city, so joined the connectivity sub-committee.

Ms Myers said she had brought her communication and strategic thinking skills to the committee and had been able to provide advice to chief executive Michael Poulton.

"The main focus for the connectivity committee has been around the Melbourne airport rail link and all of us have been advocating strongly for the tunnel which will open up train capacity for regional Victoria," she said.

"We have met with the City of Ballarat and talked about their Integrated Transport Plan to make sure we are all aligned on where we want to go with that."

Sovereign Hill head of marketing and design Mark Hemetsberger said he joined Committee as a community member when he was commuting to Melbourne for work and had a desire to contribute more to community.

He joined the liveability sub-committee which has helped decide future direction for advocacy to ensure Ballarat remains liveable as population grows.

"I know a lot of people think it is just discussion and chatter but words mean stuff and ideas mean stuff and when you talk as a group and you start to steer a direction about the future, I think that is really powerful," he said.

"I think the group has started to embrace big, bold, thinking, especially around the idea of sustainable energy production."

Mr Poulton revealed in June the organisation would work to drive disruptive change in the energy sector in Ballarat as a strategic priority.

READ MORE: Malcolm Turnbull supports plan for 100 per cent renewable energy in Ballarat

He said the organisation was looking at renewable energy, innovation and new enterprise as a critical part of addressing population growth and liveability.

Mr Hemetsberger said he had used his belief in using heritage to build the future and the opportunity to position Ballarat as a leading Australian centre as the basis for his contributions to the group.

"I have tried to encourage the group to understand we need to be forward-thinking all the time," he said.

"You have to be proactive in thinking about what the future is going to be like and how you fit into it."

Mr Hemetsberger said community members with big ideas and big visions could make valuable contributions to Committee for Ballarat.

"When I was commuting it struck me that the amount of talent travelling to Melbourne from Ballarat every day is enormous," he said.

Residents of Ballarat or surrounding shires can apply to be a community member until November 30.

Visit committeeforballarat.com to apply.

This writer, Rochelle Kirkham, is also a current Committee for Ballarat community member.