Deadline for submissions to Council 5pm, Friday 14 March 2014

Now the City of Ballarat has lodged its application for demolition of the Civic Hall the community only has until 14 March to make its objections.

Tell Council what the Civic Hall means to YOU and YOUR COMMUNITY.

SCH Demolition Application Flyer

Council’s application is to demolish our 1956 modernist /late Deco Civic Hall, the carpark, skateboard park and all the trees.

This is Ballarat’s largest hall, seating 1500 in the main hall, 400 in the Lower Hall. It was ideal for large scale events such as rock concerts, trade shows, home shows, festivals, balls etc. It would be GREAT for Ballarat International Foto Biennale, great for the Rockabilly festival, Diwali Festival of Light etc, and we know the building is structurally sound.

Council has no plans for what is to replace it (despite that is one of their own requirements). It is not planning to build a park, or another large hall to replace it. Their application does not mention the social significance of the Civic Hall. Its only “vision” for community use has been a suggestion for an outdoor, standing-only space for 3,000 people (in Ballarat!!!). This is the so called “Fed Square” solution. 

The focus of both the application and the developers who’ve supported it is on commercial development – more shops & offices.

Environmentally it’s a disaster, with the loss of embodied energy and loss of a significant pocket park and its 60 native plants, birds and butterflies, many protected species. And we know that the greenest building is the one that already exists.

You can read the application on Council’s website 

Submissions can be one sentence or longer, or on Council forms, or submitted online.