title: “Community & Recreation Infrastructure Plans” council: ballarat state: vic category: strategy status: active last_compiled: 2026-04-13 source_docs:
- community-infrastructure-plan_2024.txt
- community-infrastructure-plan_final.txt
- community-infrastructure-planning-policy-adopted-sep-16-2020-d-20-101834.txt
- recreation-infrastructure-plan-2024-2039.txt
Community & Recreation Infrastructure Plans
The Community Infrastructure Plan 2022–2037 and the Recreation Infrastructure Plan 2024–2039 together provide the framework for planning community facilities and active open space across the municipality.
Community Infrastructure Plan 2022–2037
The CIP provides a strategic, evidence-based framework for investment decisions on community facilities — the places and spaces where communities connect, learn, stay active, and access services. It was updated in 2024 with revised timelines and additional projects.
Scope: Libraries, community hubs, early years facilities, and other Council-provided community spaces. Council is not responsible for schools, hospitals, or emergency facilities but plays an advocacy role.
Planning principles:
- Quality and well-distributed facilities across the municipality
- Equitable access based on evidence of need
- Transparent, accountable decision-making
- Flexibility to respond to evolving community needs
Key capital projects delivered (by 2024):
- Rowan View Early Learning Centre refurbishment
- Ballarat Library redevelopment
- Djilia-Tjarriu Community Hub
- Lucas Community Hub Expansion (commenced 2024)
- Sebastopol Community Hub (commenced 2024)
BNIF advocacy projects:
- Wendouree Library & Learning Centre (Feb 2026)
- Eastwood Community Hub
Planning areas: The plan divides the municipality into planning areas with community profile snapshots and area-specific findings to guide infrastructure location.
Recreation Infrastructure Plan 2024–2039
A 15-year plan adopted 2024, aligned with the CIP. It focuses on active open space — land set aside for formal outdoor sports on Council-owned or managed land.
Vision: Recreation infrastructure will equitably support everyone in the community to participate in sport and recreation today and into the future.
Key objectives:
- Maximise residents’ participation in sport and recreation
- Fair and equitable access across all community sections
- Consolidate Recreation Services capital program
- Provide facility provision standards and hierarchy
- Plan for new recreation infrastructure in growth areas
The plan provides a pipeline of recreation capital projects for 15 years and informs long-term financial planning and external funding advocacy.
Planning Relevance
- Directly relevant to growth area planning: the CIP and Recreation Infrastructure Plan inform the provision of community facilities and active open space in the growth-areas-framework-plan and PSPs
- Informs DCP levy calculations for community infrastructure contributions in the ballarat-west-dcp
- Related to the open-space-strategy for passive open space provision
- The Victoria Park Major Events Precinct BNIF (Feb 2026) is a related advocacy project for a regionally significant recreation facility
Current Status
| Document | Status |
|---|---|
| Community Infrastructure Plan 2022–2037 | Active (updated 2024) |
| Community Infrastructure Planning Policy (2020) | Active |
| Recreation Infrastructure Plan 2024–2039 | Active |