The Miners Rest Township Plan

Project status and next steps

At its meeting on 3rd April 2019, Council decided to defer consideration of the plan until a number of interrelated issues are determined and further community and stakeholder consultation is undertaken. Council resolved to:

1. That Council defer consideration of the Miners Rest Township Plan and defer any referral to the Minister until the following has been provided:

a) The completion of the review of the planning controls masterplan for the Dowling Forest Equine Precinct

b) The examination of the draft proposal for the future use and rezoning of the former Boral quarry at Miners Rest

c) The impact of any current or future options for the Ballarat Airport on surrounding land; and

d) The impact of any proposed Northern Growth Area as part of the current Growth Area Planning investigations being undertaken in conjunction with the Victoria Planning Authority (VPA).

2. That a progress report be provided on these matters to Council when major timeframes have been reached and by the end of June 2019.

A Council and the community will be updated on the project when major timeframes have been reached.

About the Miners Rest Township Plan

The Miners Rest Township Plan has been prepared following extensive community consultation and seeks to:

• Establish a long-term community vision for Miners Rest
• Develop a prioritised action plan and responsibilities for implementation
• Guide the City of Ballarat and other authorities to prioritise investment in the town
• Provide a sound basis for community and the City of Ballarat to apply for grants or lobby for funding
• Identify potential changes to the Ballarat Planning Scheme to implement land use planning actions to achieve the vision.

The Township Plan includes a vision statement – In 2040 Miners Rest will be:

• A family-orientated rural township with a friendly and inclusive community spirit
• A compact and contained township functioning as a separate ‘satellite’ settlement to Ballarat
• A rural township character which is positively influenced by the surrounding open rural landscape
• A township with ample commercial uses and activities to meet the day-to-day needs of the local community and businesses
• A vibrant, inviting and attractive township with well-designed, tree-lined streetscapes and pedestrian/cycling connections linking major community hubs
• A township recognised and celebrated for its significant equine industry
• A township with ample public transport options and the safe management of vehicle traffic.

Please find links on the right hand side of this page to the final Miners Rest Plan (March 2019) and a number of additional studies which have been undertaken and used to inform the plan.
These reports include:

1. The Miners Rest Plan Township Plan Final (March 2019)
2. Miners Rest Township Plan - Background Information and Analysis Report Final (March 2019)
3. Draft Miners Rest Local Policy, Framework Plan, GRZ2 (potential changes to the Ballarat Planning Scheme) (March 2019)
4. Miners Rest Community Infrastructure Assessment Final (June 2018)
5. Miners Rest – 'What you said' report (May 2017)
6. Miners Rest Township Plan Issues and Opportunities Paper (Sept 2017)
7. Ballarat Airport Safeguarding Study (July 2018)
8. Ballarat Aerodrome Noise Modelling Report (June 2018)
9. Draft Dowling Forest Property Market Review and Options Analysis (Feb 2019)
10. Summary response to feedback on draft Township Plan (updated March 2019)
11. Miners Rest Township Plan - Priority Action Plan Final (March 2019).

Further information

If you have any questions about the final plan or process, or would like to register your interest to be kept up-to-date with the plan, please contact the Strategic Planning team on 5320 7420 or strategicplanning@ballarat.vic.gov.au.