title: Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall Precinct — Urban Renewal Analysis council: ballarat state: vic category: precinct classification: MAJOR status: active last_compiled: 2026-04-16 source_docs:
- bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt
- bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-3-4-and-5.txt
- ballarat-cbd-draft-urban-design-framework-2021.txt
- ballarat-cbd-precinct-fact-sheet.txt
- making-ballarat-central-the-cbd-strategy-2011.txt
- making-ballarat-central-cbd-action-plan-2017-21.txt
- ballarat-heritage-plan-2017-30.txt
- 15-may-2019-ordinary-council-meeting-minutes.txt
- 24-june-2020-ordinary-council-meeting-agenda-with-attachments.txt
- 28-february-2024-council-meeting-agenda-with-attachments.txt
- 27-march-2024-council-meeting-agenda-with-attachments.txt
- 30-april-2025-council-meeting-agenda-with-attachments.txt
- 3-december-2025-planning-delegated-committee-meeting-agenda-part-1.txt
- city-of-ballarat-annual-report-19_20.txt
- housing-strategy-2041.txt
Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall Precinct — Urban Renewal Analysis
The Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall precinct is the single most important urban renewal initiative in Ballarat’s planning system. It sits at the intersection of three critical planning imperatives which are now procedurally entangled: (1) the housing-strategy-2041’s requirement to shift housing delivery from the current 70/30 greenfield/infill pattern to 60/40 by 2041 and aspirationally 50/50, with the CBD Substantial Change Area expected to absorb approximately 4,000 of the municipality’s ~8,643 dwelling urban renewal capacity; (2) the introduction of statutory built form controls for the precinct through a Design and Development Overlay (DDO1) proposed by Amendment C243ball Part 2; and (3) a comprehensive update to flood overlays via Amendment C217ball, covering 11 waterway systems on the most conservative 1% AEP under 2100 RCP 8.5 climate scenario (representing an 18.4% rainfall intensity increase). The $23.3 million Bridge Mall rejuvenation — the largest single public realm investment in Ballarat’s history — is complete and delivering measurable outcomes (vacancy reduction from approximately 30 shops to 10), but the statutory planning framework that would unlock the next phase of renewal (private investment in residential and mixed-use development) remains blocked pending resolution of a procedural dependency chain running from C217ball through C243ball Part 2 to planning permits to the Housing Strategy’s infill delivery targets. Fifteen years of successive urban design work — the Making Ballarat Central CBD Strategy (2010), the Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan (2019), the Hodyl & Co Draft CBD Urban Design Framework (2021, never adopted), the Urbis Bridge Mall Built Form Framework (2023, deferred), and now the Urban Renewal Program’s new CBD UDF (2025, Discussion Paper stage) — have not yet produced a gazetted statutory built form instrument for the precinct. That regulatory vacuum is the binding constraint on the precinct’s ability to deliver its targets of 600 new jobs, 5,000 new residents, 5% affordable housing, a vacancy rate below 7%, and zero net emissions by 2050.
Background
The Precinct in Context
Bakery Hill is a 70-hectare precinct within the Ballarat CBD, centred on the Bridge Mall — a 250-metre pedestrianised retail strip with a consistent street width of 20 metres between Grenville Street and Peel Street. The precinct is bounded (indicatively) by the Ballarat Railway Station to the north, Humffray Street to the east, the Yarrowee River / Little Bridge Street corridor to the south, and Grenville Street to the west. The Bridge Mall “core” area itself is 17.8 hectares and contains a mix of small-scale heritage shopfronts with narrow frontages and access laneways, large-format convenience retailers (Coles, Big W, Woolworths, Cheap as Chips), surface car parks, and the Yarrowee River corridor — a watercourse that was re-routed, concreted and built over during the gold rush and the 1960s, and is largely culverted and concealed beneath the precinct today. (Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt; ballarat-cbd-draft-urban-design-framework-2021.txt)
The precinct is the site where the Eureka Flag was first unfurled in 1854, and the precinct’s heritage significance is recognised through multiple Heritage Overlays: HO59 (Ballarat Railway Complex), HO171 (Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct, adjoining Bakery Hill to the west), HO172 (Creeks and River Channels Heritage Precinct — the Yarrowee corridor), HO176 (Bridge Mall / Bakery Hill Heritage Precinct), HO177 and HO178 (smaller heritage precincts within the core), and HO188 (further east). The HO171 Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct is of state-level architectural and aesthetic significance as “an outstanding example of a 19th century provincial city centre”; HO176 is locally significant primarily for its historic value as “the oldest commercial area in Ballarat, formerly serving as the main thoroughfare between the mines at Ballarat Flat and the Ballarat township.” (Source: ballarat-cbd-draft-urban-design-framework-2021.txt; bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
The precinct has experienced commercial decline relative to the broader Ballarat CBD since at least the early 2010s. The Urban Renewal Plan (2019) documents the symptoms: high vacancy rates, loss of foot traffic, and a retail offer dominated by convenience rather than destination shopping. The pedestrianised mall format — introduced in 1981 as “an outdoor shopping centre, applying an urban design model used by other cities to address increasing traffic and competition from suburban shopping centres” — contributed to the decline by eliminating passing trade, creating concealed spaces, and reducing accessibility for an ageing population. The Precinct’s decline is inseparable from its history: from a bustling thoroughfare until the 1960s, through tram decommissioning (1972), through large-format retail consolidation that “removed fine-grained residential blocks to make way for big box retail and their car parks,” through the 1981 pedestrianisation, to the structural vacancy crisis documented in 2018. (Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
Strategic Policy Framework
The Urban Renewal Plan was prepared within a nested policy framework whose genealogy is critical for understanding current planning decisions:
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Making Ballarat Central: The CBD Strategy (May 2010) — the foundation document. It identified Bakery Hill as a “gateway destination” and called for preparation of “a comprehensive Master Plan for the Precinct which addresses all issues of land use, built form, car parking, access and pedestrian amenity in a holistic manner.” This was the action the 2019 Urban Renewal Plan was explicitly prepared to deliver. The CBD Strategy was underpinned by five city-wide themes: Commercial and Cultural Capital, Connections, Places for People, Building Quality, and Strong Leadership and Governance. (Source: making-ballarat-central-the-cbd-strategy-2011.txt; bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
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CBD Action Plan 2017–21 — the implementation arm of the CBD Strategy, which identified flood management (Action C15) and building quality as CBD priorities. The fact that flood management was already identified as a CBD Action Plan priority in 2017 is critical: the current C217ball flood overlay amendment is the culmination of a 9-year implementation path that has only now reached the authorisation stage. (Source: making-ballarat-central-cbd-action-plan-2017-21.txt)
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**The Ballara
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Analysis
The 2018 Economic Baseline: Why Urban Renewal Was Necessary
The Urban Renewal Plan’s Economic Background Report (Essential Economics, 2019) documents a precinct in structural decline. The key quantified findings establish the baseline against which all subsequent outcomes must be measured:
Vacancy rate trajectory: Bridge Mall’s vacancy rates “almost tripled from 5.8% in January 2012 to 17.6% in January 2018.” This compares against a Knight Frank (2011) benchmark that “vacancy rates of less than 7% can still maintain a thriving economic Precinct.” In other words, by 2018 the Precinct’s vacancy rate was 2.5× the threshold below which a retail district can remain economically viable. This is a structural indicator of failure, not a cyclical dip. (Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
Retail land-use breakdown (Bridge Mall Precinct, September 2019):
- 114 retail sites representing the total retail count
- 45% services (32 sites)
- 13% apparel (31 sites)
- 13% vacant shopfront / office / development sites (14% of total; ~32 sites)
- 10% homewares
- 10% leisure / general (services 32 sites)
- 9% cafes & restaurants (33 sites by count)
- 5% office dedicated
- 3% bulky merchandise
- 3% showroom
- 2% office public sector
- 2% takeaway food
- 2% F&G supermarket
- 2% light industrial
- <1% each: community, F&G specialty, health, liquor, office shopfront
This composition reveals the core economic problem: the Precinct is heavily dominated by services (45%) and apparel (13%), sectors vulnerable to both online competition and suburban shopping centre consolidation (Stockland Wendouree, Central Square). Cafes & restaurants at 9% is below the threshold needed to generate a genuine night-time economy or dining destination. (Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
Consumer expenditure: $188 million in total consumer expenditure within the Bakery Hill study area, distributed across:
- Food retailing (grocery / supermarkets): $46M
- Specialised food retailing: $42M
- Hospitality: $36M
- Department stores: $36M
- Discount department stores & clothing: $11M
- Specialised & luxury goods: $7M
- Furniture & household goods: $4M
- Bulky goods: $2M
- Other: $1M
- Professional, Scientific & Technical Services: $1M
(Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
The concentration of spend in food retailing and hospitality is revealing: the precinct is effectively functioning as a convenience food district rather than a destination retail centre. The $188M figure is a baseline against which any successful urban renewal must show measurable improvement.
Employment: 1,747 people employed in Bakery Hill according to the 2016 Census. Top employing industries in the study area: Retail Trade, Health Care, Hospitality, Other Services, Manufacturing, Professional/Scientific/Technical Services, Financial & Insurance Services, Construction, and Professional Services. The Plan targets 600 additional jobs by 2050 — a 34% increase. (Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
Built form and land use (Bridge Mall area, 17.8 ha):
- Approximately 32,000 m² of floor area
- 58 retail sites in the Bridge Mall core
- 54 retail sites listed in another measurement
- 4 residential sites
- 238 total retail + residential sites (wider precinct)
- 285 trees across the Bakery Hill area
- 0.95 ha of green open space (within Bridge Mall precinct)
- 3.5 ha of open space in the wider Bakery Hill study area
(Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt)
The 0.95 ha of green open space is extraordinarily thin for a 17.8 ha precinct (5.3% green coverage). The Plan targets “1 ha of green space across the Precinct” — a trivial increase — which suggests either a conservative ambition or a target defined before the Yarrowee Parkland aspirations crystallised. The target for canopy cover is 40% across the Precinct, against a baseline of significantly less (the Hodyl & Co UDF identifies a municipality-wide canopy cover of 17%, with an ambition to reach 40%). (Source: bakery-hill-urban-renewal-plan-adopted_parts-1-and-2.txt; ballarat-cbd-draft-urban-design-framework-2021.txt)
Residential baseline: The Bridge Mall area contained only 4 residential sites comprising single-storey and double-storey attached dwellings at the time of the Plan’s preparation. The Hodyl & Co UDF (2021) identifies the entire CBD study area as having
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Current Status
As of April 2026:
- Bridge Mall rejuvenation: Complete and open (April 2025). $23.3M invested. Vacancy reduction from ~30 to 10 shops (~8.8% of ~114 tenancies). Norwich Plaza private redevelopment underway. New businesses opened include Timezone, Darrell Lea Ballarat Chocolate Experience Store, Flying Chillies, C Store Asian Grocery, Duffs Jewellers, JM Leech Jewellers.
- C217ball (flood overlays): Authorisation sought from Minister (5–4 vote, 3 December 2025). Not yet authorised. Exhibition timing unknown.
- C243ball Part 1 (heritage): Referred to Panel for HO176 updates (boundary, citation, contemporary gradings). Hearing timing TBC.
- C243ball Part 2 (DDO1 — built form): Deferred (14 August 2024) pending C217ball exhibition. No published timeline for re-activation.
- CBD Urban Design Framework: Hodyl & Co draft (February 2021) never formally adopted. New UDF commissioned under the Urban Renewal Program (2025) — in early Discussion Paper stage (Community Engagement Stage 1).
- Housing Strategy 2041 implementation: Residential zones review not commenced. Structure plan for CBD / Bakery Hill urban renewal area not commenced. Planning scheme amendment to implement Housing Strategy not commenced.
- Urban Renewal Program: Fact sheets published for CBD, La Trobe Street Saleyards, and Ballarat West precincts. Community engagement Stage 1 (Discussion Paper) in progress.
- Victoria Street Landmark Entry: Not commenced.
- Yarrowee Parkland: Not commenced (constrained by C217ball outcome).
- Peel Street residential demonstration project: Not commenced.
- Big W / Dan Murphy’s site: Short-term streetscape works not delivered. No redevelopment anticipated (current uses remain).
- Affordable Housing Strategy for Bakery Hill: Not prepared (Action T3.2a).
- Investment Prospectus: Not published (Action T2.2b).
- Bakery Hill Implementation Action Group: Not documented in extracted corpus.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event | Category |
|---|---|---|
| May 2010 | Making Ballarat Central: The CBD Strategy adopted | Strategy |
| July 2015 | Ballarat Strategy 2040 adopted | Strategy |
| 2017–2021 | Council Plan period in force | Governance |
| 2017 | CBD Action Plan 2017–21 published; Ballarat Heritage Plan 2017–30 | Strategy |
| Nov 2018 | First phase of Bakery Hill community consultation | Engagement |
| 2018 (Jan) | Bridge Mall vacancy rate at 17.6% (Essential Economics baseline) | Economic |
| April 2019 | Second phase of Bakery Hill community consultation | Engagement |
| 15 May 2019 | Council adopts Urban Renewal Plan; allocates $15M over 2019/20–2021/22 | Funding |
| October 2019 | Plan formally adopted | Strategy |
| October 2019 | LiDAR baseline captured (informs Water Technology flood model) | Technical |
| June 2020 | Hassell appointed as lead designer (with PLOT LA, Cardno TGM) | Procurement |
| July 2020 | Yarrowee River Masterplan published | Plan |
| December 2020 / February 2021 | Hodyl & Co Draft CBD UDF issued (Version D) | Strategy |
| April 2023 | Construction tender awarded to 2Construct | Procurement |
| August 2023 | Physical construction of Bridge Mall commences | Construction |
| 2023 | Urbis Bridge Mall Built Form Framework prepared | Strategy |
| December 2023 | Mid-year budget review: Bridge Mall cost revised to $23.3M | Funding |
| 14 August 2024 | Council splits C243ball; defers Part 2 pending C217ball | Amendment |
| 28 February 2024 | Quarterly financial report notes $4.70M increase | Reporting |
| 27 March 2024 | Seven-month construction milestone | Construction |
| 2025 | Ballarat 11 Waterways Flood Study (Water Technology) completed | Technical |
| 2025 | Urban Renewal Program launched; CBD Precinct Fact Sheet published | Program |
| April 2025 | Bridge Mall officially opens | Delivery |
| 3 December 2025 | Planning Delegated Committee votes 5–4 to seek Minister’s authorisation for C217ball | Amendment |
| April 2026 | C217ball authorisation pending; C243ball Part 2 deferred | Current |
Dependencies
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Blocks:
- Significant private residential / mixed-use development in the precinct (no DDO means no built form certainty for applicants)
- Housing Strategy 2041 infill target delivery in the CBD Substantial Change Area (~4,000 dwellings)
- Plan for Victoria 46,900-dwelling-by-2051 accommodation for Ballarat
- Yarrowee Parkland delivery (dependent on flood modelling outcomes)
-
Blocked by:
- C217ball flood overlays — must be exhibited before C243ball Part 2 can proceed
- Minister for Planning authorisation of C217ball (not received as of April 2026)
- Completion of the new CBD Urban Design Framework (Urban Renewal Program, 2025)
- Central Highlands Water sewer capacity assessment for CBD infill (not in corpus)
- State Government public transport investment (tram / trackless tram not funded)
- Affordable Housing delivery mechanism (Action T3.2a not delivered)
-
Informed by:
- Ballarat 11 Waterways Flood Study 2025 (Water Technology)
- Bridge Mall Built Form Framework (Urbis, 2023) — not in corpus
- Draft CBD UDF (Hodyl & Co, 2021)
- Yarrowee River Masterplan (July 2020)
- Ballarat Heritage Plan 2017–30 (UNESCO HUL framework)
- Tract Municipal Housing Capacity Assessment (2022) — referenced in Housing Strategy
- SGS Housing Needs Analysis (2023) — referenced in Housing Strategy
- SGS Infill Uptake Analysis (2024) — in corpus
- Essential Economics Background Paper 1: Economic Report (2019)
- Mesh Planning / Capire consultancy work (2018–19)
- i2c Architects / TTM Group / Navire / Conceptus Property technical inputs
- Ballarat Skyline and Views Study
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Implements:
- housing-strategy-2041 (Substantial Change Area — CBD infill target of ~4,000 dwellings)
- ballarat-strategy-2040 (50/50 infill/greenfield aspiration; 10 Minute City / Complete Neighbourhoods)
- Making Ballarat Central CBD Strategy 2010 (CBD revitalisation framework)
- CBD Action Plan 2017–21 (Action C15 flood management)
- Ballarat Heritage Plan 2017–30 (UNESCO HUL)
- Plan for Victoria (regional housing targets 46,900 by 2051)
- Council Plan 2017–2021 (Prosperity, Liveability goals)
- Victorian Floodplain Management Strategy (C217ball implementation)
-
Conflicts with:
- The narrow 5–4 vote on C217ball reflects political tension between flood risk management (which constrains development potential) and economic development aspirations (which require development certainty). This tension will intensify as the flood overlays interact with the DDO and housing targets.
- The Yarrowee Parkland daylighting vision conflicts with flood risk management — daylighting exposes development to flood risk currently managed by the culvert.
- The 5,000 new residents target conflicts with current car parking requirements (Clause 52.06) that make dense infill economically challenging without parking reductions through a future DDO.
- Heritage conservation imperatives (HO171, HO176 et al.) conflict with height intensification required to deliver housing targets.
Cross-Jurisdictional Links
- Victorian Planning Authority (VPA): Co-funded preparation of the Urban Renewal Plan (2019). Retains strategic interest through the Infrastructure Growth Alignment Framework (IGAF) prepared for Ballarat’s growth areas.
- Corangamite CMA: The floodplain management authority for the Yarrowee River system. Referral authority for development in flood-affected areas. Their concurrence is required for C217ball overlay mapping.
- Central Highlands Water: Sewer capacity in the CBD will constrain the pace of residential infill — the Urban Renewal Plan’s target of 5,000 new residents implies significant wastewater load on what is currently a commercially-oriented sewer network. CHW servicing strategy not in corpus.
- Department of Transport and Planning (DTP): Midland Highway declared road passes through the CBD; intersection works require concurrence. Public transport (tram / trackless tram) funding depends on DTP decisions.
- VicTrack: Owns the railway corridor and Ballarat Station land. Action c3.1a (Master Plan for south side of railway) requires VicTrack cooperation.
- Federation University / ACU / Notre Dame: Higher education partners for student accommodation (Action T3.1b). ~13,000 tertiary students in or near the CBD.
- Sovereign Hill: Tourism partner (Actions c2.3, D4.3a) — heritage trail and pedestrian / cycle connection.
- Creative Victoria / Ballarat Evolve: Arts and creative industries partners.
- UNESCO: Ballarat is in an international HUL pilot program. Central Victorian Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage Listing bid ongoing.
- Commerce Ballarat: Local business / trader representative body.
- Central Highlands Regional Partnership: Regional digital plan alignment.
Gaps in This Analysis
- Bridge Mall Built Form Framework (Urbis, 2023) — the document that underpins C243ball Part 2 (DDO1). Not in corpus. This is a CRITICAL gap: without it, the specific height limits, setback requirements, and design quality standards proposed for the precinct cannot be analysed. Required to confirm whether the framework addresses view corridors, heritage grading, affordable housing requirements, and flood-layered controls.
- C217ball detailed overlay maps for the CBD / Bakery Hill area — 47 map sheets were attached to the 3 December 2025 agenda but not fully extracted. The exact extent of LSIO / FO / SBO within the precinct, and the specific AHD flood levels for key sites, are unknown. This is a CRITICAL gap for assessing the DDO1 interaction.
- New CBD Urban Design Framework (2025 Urban Renewal Program) — only the fact sheet has been published. The Discussion Paper and draft UDF are not yet available.
- Yarrowee River Parkland feasibility study / Landscape Master Plan — the Urban Renewal Plan’s key medium-term project. No progress report or feasibility study has been identified.
- Adopted Hodyl & Co UDF (Final Report with Implementation Plan) — the final report was never located. Whether the work has been formally abandoned or incorporated into the 2025 UDF process is unclear.
- Central Highlands Water servicing assessment for CBD infill — critical for understanding whether sewer capacity constrains the pace of residential development. Not in corpus. See _gaps.
- HO176 contemporary gradings system (C243ball Part 1) — the specific grading rubric and individual property gradings are not in corpus.
- Affordable Housing Strategy for Bakery Hill (Action T3.2a) — if prepared, not in corpus; most likely not prepared.
- Bakery Hill Investment Prospectus (Action T2.2b) — not in corpus.
- Peel Street residential demonstration project feasibility — no documentation of progress.
- Land availability / capability assessment (Action T2.2a) — not in corpus.
- Bakery Hill Urban Design Guidelines (Action d1.2a) — Bridge Mall Built Form Framework covers part of this; precinct-wide guidelines not identified.
- Structure Plan for Bakery Hill (Action T2.1a) — not prepared.
- Skyline Study for Bakery Hill (Action T2.1a) — the Hodyl & Co UDF’s view analysis is the closest equivalent but not a standalone statutory document.
- Background Paper 1: Economic Report (Essential Economics, 2019) — full report not extracted; summary statistics present in Plan.
- Background Paper 2: Re-Discovering the Bakery Hill Legacy — not in corpus.
- Background Paper 3: Movement and Access Report — not in corpus; critical for transport analysis.
- Background Paper 4: Community Engagement Report — not in corpus; would show specific community feedback quantification.
- Book of Maps — not in corpus.
- Ballarat Integrated Transport Plan — referenced in Plan’s action linkages; not extracted.
- Corangamite CMA position on Yarrowee Parkland daylighting — not in corpus.
- Post-2019 update on vacancy rates with geographic specificity — the 30-to-10 figure is published but the denominator and methodology are not precisely specified.
- Traders Association and landowner submissions to C243ball — not in corpus.
- Panel Reports for C243ball Part 1 — hearing has not concluded.
- VPA post-2019 engagement with the precinct — unclear whether VPA retains active involvement post the Plan’s adoption.
See _gaps for full gap inventory and priority rankings.
Appendix A: Full Action-Level Traceability
The Urban Renewal Plan identifies actions at three levels of granularity: Objectives, Initiatives (T1–T4, C1–C4, D1–D4), and individual Actions (e.g., T1.1a, c2.1b, d3.2c). For ongoing monitoring, the traceability from headline target → initiative → action → action owner → delivery status is critical. The Plan allocates each action to a primary category (Partnerships + Advocacy, Physical Works, Planning + Policy, Economic Development, Research) and to one or more action owners (Council, State Government, Landowners, Business Owners, Investors, Wadawurrung, Everyone, Research partners).
THRIVING (T) Action Matrix
T1 — Bakery Hill’s renewal will be an ongoing community led process
| Action | Description | Category | Owner | Status (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1.1a | Establish Bakery Hill Implementation Action Group | Partnerships + Advocacy | Council / Everyone | Not documented |
| T1.1b | Promote Plan through Government and Peak Body networks | Partnerships + Advocacy | Council / State Government | Unknown |
| T1.1c | Seek external funding for initiatives | Partnerships + Advocacy | Businesses / Institutions / Council | VPA co-funding of Plan preparation only |
| T1.1d | Funding program to assist traders | Economic Development | Council / State Government | Unknown |
| T1.2 | Use digital technologies in engagement | — | — | Partial (Clever City initiatives) |
T2 — Bakery Hill will be reinvigorated with diverse land uses
| Action | Description | Category | Owner | Status (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2.1a | Prepare Structure Plan, Urban Design Guidelines, Skyline Study | Planning + Policy | Council / State Government | Partial (Urbis BFF 2023 covers part) |
| T2.2a | Land availability / capability assessment | Economic Development | Council / Landowners / Business Owners | Not delivered |
| T2.2b | Investment Prospectus for PPPs | Economic Development | Council / Landowners | Not delivered |
| T2.2c | Co-investment for streetscapes / facades | Physical Works | Investors | Partial |
| T2.2d | Consult community on preferred development outcomes at key sites (Yarrowee, Big W, Peel, Railway South, Bridge Mall) | Economic Development | Everyone | Partial (Bridge Mall only) |
| T2.3a | Subsidies for preferred industries / lower rent | Economic Development | Council / Landowners | Not delivered |
| T2.3b | Vacant site activation for creative / traditional industries | Economic Development | Landowners / Private Sector | Unknown |
| T2.3c | Strategic acquisitions by Council | Economic Development | Council | Unknown |
| T2.4a | Night-time activation with trader groups | Economic Development | Council / Landowners / Investors / Business Owners | Partial |
| T2.4b | Business case for upper floor conversion | Economic Development | — | Not delivered |
| T2.5a | Place Management approach | Partnerships + Advocacy | Council | Partial (implicit in Strategic Planning / Economic Development function) |
| T2.5b | Creative and innovative concepts for key sites | Physical Works | Council | Partial |
| T2.5c | Short / medium / long-term building activation | Partnerships + Advocacy | Council / Landowners | Unknown |
| T2.5d | Performance monitoring system | Physical Works | Council | Not documented (no Precinct Dashboard) |
T3 — Bakery Hill will be promoted as a great place to live
| Action | Description | Category | Owner | Status (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T3.1a | Developer incentives for housing density / diversity | Planning + Policy | State Government / Council / Institutions / Investors | Not delivered |
| T3.1b | Strategic alliance with Federation University / ACU / Notre Dame | Partnerships + Advocacy | Institutions / Council / Investors | Unknown |
| T3.1c | State Government funding for non-market housing or education | Partnerships + Advocacy | State Government | Not known |
| T3.1d | Audit of existing floorspace for housing conversion | Partnerships + Advocacy | Council / Landowners | Not delivered |
| T3.2a | Affordable Housing Strategy for Bakery Hill (5% target) | Planning + Policy | Council / Investors / Landowners | Not delivered |
| T3.2b | Work with Housing Associations | Planning + Policy | Affordable Housing Providers | Unknown |
| T3.3a | Pilot project for adaptive reuse addressing fire and access | Physical Works | Counci |
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Appendix B: Quantitative Targets vs Current Status — Scorecard
| Target (2050) | Baseline | Current (2026) | Progress | On Track? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate < 7% | 17.6% (2018) | ~8.8% (10 of ~114 sites) | Substantial | Not yet at target but trending well |
| 600 new jobs | 1,747 jobs (2016) | Not measured | Unknown | Unknown |
| 5,000 new residents | 465 CBD residents (2020) | Minor (Norwich Plaza, some shop-top) | Very early | Requires DDO + CHW + public transport |
| 5% affordable housing | 0% | 0% | None | No delivery mechanism exists |
| Zero net emissions | Not measured | Not measured | Unknown | No precinct-specific framework |
| 100% renewable energy | Municipal target only | Partial municipal progress | Unknown | No precinct-specific framework |
| Walkability score 80% | Not measured | Improved (Mall opening) | Incremental | Depends on CBD-wide network |
| 20% modal shift from cars | Not measured | Unknown | Unknown | Requires PT investment |
| New buildings demonstrating architectural excellence | N/A | Limited (Bridge Mall works are public realm, not buildings) | Minimal | Requires DDO |
| 1 ha green space across Precinct | 0.95 ha (2019) | Marginal increase via Mall planting | Minor | Requires Yarrowee Parkland |
| Local park within 400m of all houses | Not mapped | Not mapped | Unknown | Requires residential base |
| 40% canopy tree cover | ~17% (municipal) | Improved (Bridge Mall planting) | Incremental | Long-term trajectory |
The scorecard reveals a stark pattern: the Bridge Mall rejuvenation has delivered measurable early progress on physical / economic indicators (vacancy, some planting). But the residential, affordable housing, employment, and environmental targets require the statutory framework (DDO), the infrastructure (public transport, sewer), and the delivery mechanisms (affordable housing contributions) that are not in place.
Appendix C: Procedural Chronology — The C217ball → C243ball Sequence
A day-by-day procedural chronology of the statutory instrument dependencies:
2017 — CBD Action Plan 2017–21 Action C15 identifies flood management as a CBD priority. This is the earliest formal statement of the need for updated flood controls that would, eight years later, become C217ball.
2017–19 — Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan preparation. The Plan explicitly calls for “prepare planning controls to give effect to this plan” (Initiative T2.1) — the precursor to DDO1.
October 2019 — Plan adopted. Plan now imposes a policy obligation on Council to prepare planning controls.
October 2019 — LiDAR data capture. This becomes the topographic baseline for the future flood study.
2020–2022 — Flood study commissioning and preparation (Water Technology). Full timeline not in corpus; study completed 2025.
2023 — Urbis Bridge Mall Built Form Framework prepared. Technical evidence for DDO1.
Pre-August 2024 — C243ball authorisation sought from Minister. Details of authorisation timing not in corpus.
14 August 2024 — Council splits C243ball. Part 1 (HO176 updates) proceeds to Panel; Part 2 (DDO1) deferred pending C217ball.
Late 2024 / early 2025 — Water Technology finalises Ballarat 11 Waterways Flood Study.
3 December 2025 — Planning Delegated Committee votes 5–4 to:
- Adopt the Ballarat 11 Waterways Flood Study 2025
- Seek authorisation from Minister for Planning for C217ball
- Exhibit the amendment following authorisation
2025 — Urban Renewal Program launches, including new CBD UDF preparation.
2025–26 — Awaiting Ministerial authorisation. The current limbo.
Projected forward pathway (typical Victorian amendment timelines):
- Ministerial authorisation: 2–6 months from request (April–October 2026 estimated)
- Exhibition: 4–6 weeks minimum (Q4 2026 estimated)
- Panel (if required): 3–9 months from submission close (2027 estimated)
- Council adoption: 2–4 months post-Panel
- Ministerial approval and gazettal: 2–6 months post-adoption
- Earliest likely C217ball gazettal: late 2027 / early 2028
Once C217ball is gazetted, C243ball Part 2 (DDO1) can re-commence:
- DDO1 refinement to incorporate flood overlay logic: 3–6 months
- Authorisation + Exhibition + Panel + Adoption: 12–24 months
- Earliest likely DDO1 gazettal: late 2029 / 2030
This means that under a typical timeline, Bakery Hill will not have a statutory built form framework in place until approximately a decade after the Urban Renewal Plan was adopted. The practical implication: private sector investment decisions made in 2025–2029 will be made without clear built form controls.
Appendix D: Regional Context — Ballarat CBD in the Central Highlands
The Ballarat CBD is the largest city centre in the Central Highlands Region, which spans the east-west transport corridor connecting Melbourne to western Victoria. The Central Highlands Region includes six municipalities:
- Ararat Rural City
- City of Ballarat (54% of regional population)
- Golden Plains Shire
- Hepburn Shire
- Moorabool Shire
- Pyrenees Shire
Total regional population: 203,600. The region has the fastest-growing population of any regional city region in Victoria. Historical economic focus on manufacturing and agriculture; growing sectors include health, retail, education, tourism, property, financial services, and construction. (Source: ballarat-cbd-draft-urban-design-framework-2021.txt)
Relevance to Bakery Hill. The CBD serves as the regional commercial and cultural capital, drawing workers, students, and visitors from the surrounding shires. The Plan’s targets for Bakery Hill (600 new jobs, creative industries attraction, tourism economy strengthening) are predicated on this regional catchment. Population growth in surrounding shires (e.g., Moorabool, which has experienced strong commuter-belt growth) provides the demand base for CBD services.
Adjacent CBD-relevant nodes:
- Ballarat West Employment Zone — redevelopment of surplus Crown Land for industrial, wholesale, logistics, construction, commercial and residential uses
- Ballarat Health and Knowledge Precinct — immediately west of the CBD, focused on health and education sector growth
- Sovereign Hill and the Central Victorian Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage Listing bid
These form a regional economic ecology in which Bakery Hill’s renewal is one (central) element.
Appendix E: The 1981 Pedestrianisation — Lessons for Urban Renewal Policy
The 1981 pedestrianisation of Bridge Street is a key historical reference point for the Plan’s reversal strategy. The pedestrianisation was part of a broader wave of 1970s–80s urban design experimentation in Australian regional centres seeking to emulate European pedestrian zones and compete with emerging suburban shopping centres.
The outcomes of the 1981 intervention, as documented in the Plan:
- Traffic excluded; passing trade reduced
- Retail activity declined progressively
- “Bridge Mall seems hidden — it lacks exposure to passing trade, and often visitors are unaware of it”
- “Pedestrian and cycle linkages to the mall and other destinations are either unclear, indirect, missing”
- Anti-social behaviour concerns (particularly around the Little Bridge Street bus stop)
- Vacancy rates rose to structural levels (17.6% by 2018)
The 2019 Plan diagnosed the pedestrianisation as a principal cause of decline, and the 2019–2025 Bridge Mall rejuvenation reversed it by reintroducing low-speed vehicular access. This is a significant planning reversal — undoing a 1980s planning intervention that was considered best practice at the time. The outcome (vacancy rate falling from ~30 to 10 shops post-reopening) validates the diagnosis. The planning lesson is generalisable: pedestrianisation of main streets in smaller centres without strong pedestrian generators (university, transit node, dense residential) is vulnerable to retail decline.
This analytical finding has implications beyond Bakery Hill. Other Victorian regional CBDs with pedestrian malls (for example, Mitchell Street in Bendigo, or comparable streets) may face similar structural challenges. The Bakery Hill reversal is a model that could be replicated.
Appendix F: The Yarrowee River as Cultural-Hydrological Infrastructure
The Yarrowee River’s treatment is a recurring theme across the Plan, the Hodyl & Co UDF, and the Ballarat Heritage Plan. The river’s historical status is paradoxical:
Pre-contact: The Yarrowee was central Wadawurrung cultural infrastructure. “Prior to European settlement, this river was an important place for the Boro gundidj, a tribe of the Wadawurrung people, as they were based in this area.” The name “Ballarat” itself originates from Wadawurrung words “ballaw” (elbow / reclining on the elbow) and “arat” (place), suggesting a river-based rest / gathering place. (Source: ballarat-cbd-draft-urban-design-framework-2021.txt)
1850s–1960s: Gold rush engineering caused progressive degradation. The river was channelled, diverted, and eventually (in the 1960s) culverted and built over through the CBD.
1970s–2010s: The culverted state was maintained; the river became invisible except at occasional daylighted segments upstream and downstream of the CBD.
2019 Plan vision: The Yarrowee “will provide the missing link in an important north-south trail through the city.” The Plan envisages the Yarrowee Parkland as a cultural-heritage-hydrological restoration where Wadawurrung cultural meaning is re-surfaced.
2021 Hodyl & Co UDF vision (2050): “The Yarrowee River is healed, and its cultural significance is remembered.”
2025 Flood Study reality: The river’s hydrology under 2100 climate conditions imposes a hard constraint on how much “healing” / daylighting is physically safe.
Analytical synthesis. The Yarrowee is simultaneously:
- Sacred Wadawurrung site
- Historical gold rush infrastructure (heavily degraded)
- Culverted stormwater drainage
- Flood risk hazard
- Cultural landscape element
- Aesthetic / tourism asset
- Biodiversity corridor (when daylighted)
Reconciling these roles in Bakery Hill’s renewal requires cross-disciplinary coordination: hydrological engineering (flood conveyance), Wadawurrung cultural authority (meaning-making), heritage authority (HO172 Creeks and River Channels), urban design (aesthetic and functional integration), and ecology (biodiversity). No single instrument — Plan, UDF, DDO, or flood overlay — can resolve this alone. The Plan’s vision of a coordinated Yarrowee Parkland Master Plan (Action D2.1b) is the mechanism, but it has not been commissioned.
Appendix G: How Bakery Hill Compares to Comparable Victorian Regional CBDs
Bendigo CBD. Also UNESCO World Heritage bid territory (Central Victorian Goldfields). Pall Mall / Hargreaves Mall pedestrianisation has similar vintage and similar vacancy challenges. Bendigo has recently reviewed its Heritage Design Guidelines and introduced a CBD Structure Plan. No direct comparative data in corpus.
Geelong CBD. Substantially larger centre (regional capital) with aggressive CBD residential intensification through the Central Geelong Framework Plan (2022). Geelong has progressed from concept through Structure Plan to gazetted planning controls — a trajectory that Ballarat is now attempting to emulate through the Urban Renewal Program UDF.
Shepparton CBD. Smaller centre with similar pedestrianised main street challenges. No direct comparative data.
Warrnambool CBD. Similar scale to Ballarat. Has undertaken recent CBD revitalisation with Liebig Street upgrades.
These cross-CBD comparisons are currently gap-filled by general industry knowledge rather than corpus evidence. A structured comparison would improve the analytical value of the Bakery Hill wiki by showing:
- Which mechanisms (DDO, DCP, Inclusionary Zoning) have been successfully deployed in comparable centres
- What density / height outcomes have been achieved post-DDO gazettal
- What delivery timelines have been typical (Plan adoption to first major private redevelopment)
This is a USEFUL gap for future analysis.
Appendix H: Submission Analysis Framework (for when submissions are available)
When public submissions on C217ball and C243ball become available, the analytical framework for categorising them should follow this structure (per Schema Example 5):
C217ball submission categorisation (anticipated):
- Flood footprint extent — whether mapping is too conservative (e.g., using RCP 8.5 rather than a midrange scenario) or correct
- Economic / property value impact — newly flood-affected properties contesting the impact on values and insurance
- Development potential impact — developers / landowners contesting constraints on intensification
- Technical modelling adequacy — challenges to the Water Technology modelling methodology (grid resolution, rainfall inputs, climate scenario selection)
- Insurance and financial implications — existing property owners raising lender / insurer concerns
- Community safety / risk management — community safety advocates supporting conservative mapping
C243ball Part 1 submission categorisation (anticipated):
- HO176 boundary change — properties newly brought into the Heritage Overlay (or removed) contesting the boundary
- Statement of Significance revision — heritage professionals and community contesting the specific heritage values identified
- Contemporary gradings system (A/B/C) — individual property owners contesting their property’s specific grading
- Consequential development implications — landowners contesting the development constraints implied by the gradings
C243ball Part 2 submission categorisation (anticipated when re-activated):
- Height and setback controls — applicants seeking greater or lesser flexibility
- Sub-precinct structure — debate on whether boundaries are correctly drawn
- Affordable housing requirements — debate on quantum, mechanism, and applicability
- Parking reductions — traders concerned about customer parking; developers seeking greater reductions
- View corridor protections — debate on whether specific view protections are necessary / appropriate
- Heritage interface controls — debate on height / setback requirements adjacent to HO buildings
- Flood-layered controls — interaction with C217ball floor level requirements
The submission count and profile will be an important early indicator of the amendment’s political viability.
Appendix I: Information Technology / Clever City Opportunities
The Plan’s Clever City framework (Initiative T1.2, c4.2–c4.6) is a cross-cutting theme worth analysing in its own right. The opportunities identified:
Digital Infrastructure opportunities:
- Access to fixed and mobile communication networks (NBN, 4G / 5G)
- Business-grade fixed / wireless communications (100+ Mbps)
- EduRoam WiFi partnership with Federation University
- Free Public WiFi at Council facilities in the Precinct
- 5G early adoption advocacy
- Low-powered community-accessible sensor networks
Data & Measurements opportunities:
- Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall live data dashboard
- Open licensing of precinct data
- Data points: energy creation / usage, traffic / transport, active transport, economic spend data, housing / planning / building permits, jobs breakdown, urban forest / heat / sustainability metrics
Digital Engagement opportunities:
- Augmented Reality for heritage interpretation
- Digital Wayfinding
- Smart Retail application for Bridge Mall businesses
- Smart Parking (alignment with Ballarat’s Smarter Parking Plan)
- Co-working spaces for early-stage creatives and entrepreneurs
Implementation reality. The Bridge Mall works have delivered smart lighting (Action d1.3a). Other Clever City opportunities are largely not delivered. The “Precinct Dashboard” (Action c4.3) has not been produced. This is a missed opportunity: a live dashboard would provide transparent evidence of the Plan’s progress (or lack thereof) against its nine 2050 targets.
Appendix J: Making Ballarat Central — The 2010 Foundation
The Making Ballarat Central CBD Strategy (May 2010) is the foundational document. Understanding its approach is essential to understanding why Bakery Hill planning has taken the shape it has.
The 2010 Strategy is organised around five city-wide themes:
- Commercial and Cultural Capital — positioning Ballarat as the regional capital
- Connections — movement, access, and network integration
- Places for People — public realm, open space, streetscape
- Building Quality — heritage, urban design, architectural excellence
- Strong Leadership and Governance — implementation, partnerships, monitoring
The Strategy identified sub-precincts within the CBD, with Bakery Hill nominated as a “gateway destination.” The 2019 Urban Renewal Plan explicitly modifies these sub-precincts “to strengthen the core to become a mixed use Activity Hub that not only offers retail, but also residential, commercial and community uses.” The evolution is significant: the 2010 Strategy positioned Bakery Hill primarily as a retail / tourism node; the 2019 Plan repositioned it as a mixed-use precinct with substantial residential. This shift aligns with the Ballarat Strategy 2040’s 50/50 infill target and the Housing Strategy 2041’s Substantial Change Area framework.
The 2010 Strategy’s most consequential recommendation for Bakery Hill was the call for “a comprehensive Master Plan for the Precinct which addresses all issues of land use, built form, car parking, access and pedestrian amenity in a holistic manner.” This was the action the 2019 Urban Renewal Plan was prepared to fulfil — demonstrating a nine-year lag between strategy recommendation and strategy delivery. This pattern (strategy → action plan → master plan → implementation plan → statutory instrument → gazettal) is characteristic of complex planning reforms and explains why major renewal initiatives can take 15+ years to move from concept to buildable framework.
The CBD Action Plan 2017–21 was the implementation arm of the 2010 Strategy over a narrower horizon. Action C15 identified flood management — reflecting a planning awareness that later crystallised into the C217ball project nearly a decade later.
Size Contract Note
This page was compacted for UI and Obsidian readability. The underlying source documents and extracted text remain in the evidence corpus.