Council let it run down.  Council closed it. Now Council wants to demolish it!

Council has at last submitted its application (to itself!) to demolish our Civic Hall. View the documents on Council’s website http://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au.

We have six weeks to prepare submissions to Council opposing demolition. Then Council will vote on whether to demolish or not. So, if  you care, read their application and have your say. Tell them that the Civic Hall was built for the community and should remain a community space. That community assets should not be sold off to developers.

Does Council have an alternative “vision” for the site? If so, it’s not telling anyone. Their emphasis is on making a bomb site available for developers. So don’t hold your breath for a central parkland, or any other form of community space.

Unbelievably, Council is applying for demolition with no plans for what’s to replace it. This breaks their own planning processes! We believe VCAT has never supported demolition of a building without knowing what is to replace it in similar disputes – especially where there is also a heritage overlay, as here.

It’s hard to believe that any Council would demolish a perfectly sound building that could be  being used for and by the community. Especially when all their own polls of the community show a majority vote for retention of the Civic Hall.

The Save Civic Hall group has been busy over the past few months, preparing legal, environmental, heritage, and social significance cases for opposing Council through VCAT and other channels.

With this is mind, we have been fundraising – a very successful and enjoyable Art Auction was held recently, and a Garden Party will be held at Buninyong Brewery Saturday 22 February, 6 – 9pm with live music and food. You are invited!

SCH has also run events to activate the Civic Hall, such as the popular Rock the Civic, held on the front steps. An updated Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at the Trades Hall Theatre on Valentines Day, 14 February.

This website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterist are there for you to have your say, add your pictures, memories and ideas for the Civic Hall.
 Check out Save Ballarat Civic Hall on Facebook for more information.

The story of a community successfully fighting to save something it regards as special is not unique.

A public meeting at Ballarat Library at 3pm Sunday 10 November will hear how the community of Crossley, near Port Fairy, combined forces to save St Brigid’s Church.

The community was outraged when the church hierarchy decided to sell its church and hall. The battle for St Brigid’s went all the way to Rome, with support from human rights lawyer Frank Brennan and indigenous elders Archie Roach and the late Ruby Hunter.

Conservation officer and writer, Regina Lane, will speak on Sunday about what inspired her local community to take action and what the Friends of St Brigid’s learned along their journey.

Lane is now publishing a book about the church, which was built and paid by children of the Irish famine. She said, “It was to uphold their legacy that I decided to stand up alongside my community and fight to protect it.”

This meeting is also an opportunity for supporters of retention of the Ballarat Civic Hall to hear an update from the new overarching community body, Save Civic Hall.

A number of working groups have been formed in the areas of activation of the Civic Hall, adaptive reuse and other alternatives, tourism, heritage, governance, communications /media, fundraising, indigenous and youth involvement.

Around 200 people spilled out of the Ballarat Library meeting room on Sunday, forming a group to save the Civic Hall from demolition as currently proposed by the City of Ballarat.

Participants agreed on the beginnings of an alternative vision for Ballarat Civic Hall, which was unanimously decided should remain primarily for the use and benefit of the community.

The meeting was chaired by Jon Stanger. Speakers included historians, planners, academics, professionals and writers. Anne Beggs-Sunter talked about the heritage value of the Civic Hall and the long history of Council’s various decisions, commissioned plans and reports on the Civic Hall.

Michael Wilson, President of the Ballarat Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc informed the meeting that BRRA is willing to auspice the new group. Mr Wilson outlined the major concerns of BRRA, including the failure of Council to listen to the community.

Ailsa Brackley du Bois reported on a recent forum Heritage Conservation as Environmental Conservation sponsored by University of Melbourne & the Heritage Council of Victoria.

“The most contemporary, cutting edge and common sense approach is to make the most of the existing building stock we already have,” said Ms Brackley du Bois. “Environmentally and economically this is the smartest thing to do.”

Ms Brackley du Bois said adaptive re-use was the popular approach around the world and the key message was to find “new tricks with old bricks”.

Former senior officer at Ballarat City Council Ron Egeberg encouraged people to sign the petition at savecivichall.com and urged more people to become involved.

The group was reminded by Jonathan Halls that Council’s actions over the Civic Hall are not compatible with democratic or local government principles.

At the 2 ½ hour meeting many sub-groups were formed to discuss and plan further action in the areas of activation of the Civic Hall, adaptive reuse and alternatives, tourism, governance, communications /media, fundraising, indigenous and youth involvement.

A committee was formed to coordinate ongoing activities, including leaders of the various sub-groups. The committee will meet again this week and all residents are encouraged to get involved by signing the petition at savecivichall.com