The vacant Ballarat saleyards would be too expensive to be the new home for a major new electrical substation, after concerns were raised about a proposed site at York Street in Ballarat East.
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The new $30 million substation, which power company Powercor says is critical as Ballarat grows, is currently planned to be built at 203 York Street, and has faced resistance from neighbours who say the development would increase fire risks and lower property values.
Powercor has owned the land for decades, and has always intended to eventually build on the site.
After a petition was submitted to council and several community consultation sessions, during which council suggested a potential land swap arrangement, Powercor has revealed two possible alternative sites, but has stated the proposed sites are too expensive.
The two sites are Yarramie Court in Mitchell Park, which would cost an extra $22 million, or the La Trobe Street saleyards site, which would cost an extra $16 million.
The Mitchell Park site would require 22 kilometres of new powerlines, affecting 900 properties across Ballarat, while the saleyards site would need another 30km of powerlines.
According to a Powercor media release, the two sites had been assessed as unsuitable by the company's network planning team - the team's head, Andrew Dinning, said "the team was progressing work to build the zone substation at York Street".
"Both sites proposed would be significantly more expensive than York Street due to the need to build long distances of new powerline through other residential areas to integrate the sites into our existing network and provide the capacity to meet the needs of Ballarat," he said in a statement.
"We know that some community members will be disappointed that the council's proposed alternative sites are not suitable. However, as an essential service we must ensure we are getting the best value for all customers within our network and we can't justify the additional costs associated with the other sites."
Other locations were also investigated across the city, Powercor added.
The proposed community legacy fund, a $2 million community benefits package to be invested into Ballarat East, will continue.
More community consultation sessions will be held on Thursday, February 22 from 4pm to 6pm, and Saturday, February 24 from 10am to 12pm at the York Conference Room at Sovereign Park Motor Inn on Main Road.
The former Ballarat saleyards had previously been put forward as the site for the 2026 Commonwealth Games athletes' village, but this plan was abandoned when the games were cancelled in 2023.
