Bakery Hill Urban Renewal brief City Partnerships Challenge Global Compact Cities Programme 12 November, 2018

1. Partnership Initiative
Bakery Hill Urban Renewal
Opportunity Statement
The renewal of Bakery Hill will be the most significant strategic redevelopment undertaken in this section of the
Ballarat CBD since the installation of the Bridge Mall in 1981. It will require private sector partnerships to
redevelop major Council and privately-owned land, to stimulate retail and business services sectors, unlock
under-utilised sites, restore and reuse historic buildings and sites, improve community safety and sustain the role
and function of the CBD as the high-end retail and entertainment precinct of Ballarat. Bakery Hill also offers a
significant opportunity for medium and higher density housing. The intent of the renewal of Bakery Hill is to make
the precinct an attractive place not only for commercial, retail, recreation and entertainment uses but also as an
attractive, inclusive and equitable place to live and work.
Preparation of the Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Project is a key initiative of the Ballarat City Council. It is intended
that the renewal plan will be implemented progressively building on the significant capital projects in the Ballarat
CBD and the general and specific directives of the Ballarat Strategy: Our Vision for 2040.
Key Challenges
• Unlocking key sites within the precinct for future development
• Lack of clear identity and recent investment
• Movement networks through Bakery Hill and the CBD precinct
• Rediscovering natural assets such as the Yarrowee River within the precinct
• Creating a shared vision for the precinct with the community
Key Solutions
• Identify new and innovative funding models, and public/private partnerships that we can explore as part
of the renewal
• Establish concepts on how we can rediscover and celebrate the history of the precinct in accordance with
UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, which includes unlocking and attracting investment
for new development, both private development and community urban design projects
• Identify data sources and technology to measure the impact of the precinct, and measure against key
objectives in the Ballarat Strategy and international benchmarks (I.e. United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals)
• How we can build adaptability and future proofing into the renewal of the precinct.
• Innovative approaches to future proof transport, parking, housing and environmental impacts that will
allow adaptive re-use in the future as technology changes (i.e. potential changes to the public realm and
car parking facilities should driverless cars become prevalent and reliance on private vehicles reduce, or
an approach to incorporating decentralised energy supply to the precinct).
• How economic impacts over time can be manipulated into fostering investment potential into the
precinct as well as exploring the role of the circular economy.
Existing Partners
• City of Ballarat (project lead)
• Victorian Planning Authority
• Mesh Planning (project consultants)
• Bridge Mall Traders Association

2. Potential Partners
• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
• Central Highlands Water
• Country Fire Authority
• Public Transport Victoria
• Corangamite Catchment Management Authority
• Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Heritage Victoria
• VicRoads
• Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation (trading as Wadawurrung) representing Traditional Owner interests
• Office of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria
• Powercor