The Ballarat Prosperity Framework has now been adopted by Council (March 2020).

In late 2019, the Ballarat is Open project asked you to share with us how you see Ballarat now, your vision for Ballarat in the future, and ideas on how you think we might get there. Approximately 650 residents engaged in this co-design process.

From this, we developed the Ballarat Prosperity Framework. This document will give us a blueprint for developing segmented but specific marketing campaigns, future strategies, Council plans, projects and activities with a deliberate focus on economic and community development inclusive of tourism and the visitor economy. These will be shared with everyone so we can work collaboratively to promote our beautiful city with one voice.

The Ballarat Prosperity Framework provides an outline for the next chapter in Ballarat’s story – a chapter that we, the people of Ballarat, have the opportunity to all play a hand in writing. It is OUR story.

We envisaged Ballarat as a City of Possibilities. We want a future Ballarat with an embedded culture of innovative thinking and entrepreneurialism; where the spark of creativity is nurtured everywhere. A Ballarat that celebrates is unique identity and heritage; that demonstrates leadership in sustainability; and a Ballarat that is a compassionate city – with a strong, caring community.

We spoke about our history and identity. Our stories run through the streets, creeks and between us – some jubilant and some heartbreaking. We agreed that what unites us is the power of our individuality. Together, we wish to acknowledge past wrongs, to address inequalities, welcome diversity, and continue to meet the changing needs of our community and businesses. We agreed that to achieve the Ballarat we want, we also need to change some things – we want to be less conservative and resistant to change, and more innovative, courageous and inspiring.

We described Ballarat as a city of golden threads, weaving together our rich but complex past into the fabric of a prosperous future. In steering the city towards the future we want, the Ballarat Prosperity Framework suggests we’ll be guided by these golden threads, which are built on our people, our culture, our character and our strengths. They are our appetite for innovation, entrepreneurship and technology; our innate creativity; our heritage; our future sustainability; and our resilient and supportive community.

Finally, members of the community used this thinking to come up with hundreds of ideas for how Ballarat could position itself as a great place to live, visit and do business. These ideas are all presented in the Framework.

We invite you to read the story presented in the Ballarat Prosperity Framework and think about what part you might play in making Ballarat a better place for all.