Check out the early designs for a $50 million upgrade to Ballarat Station to improve accessibility. The new plans include installing a pedestrian overpass with a passenger lift and stairs to both platforms.
The upgrades will make it easier for people with a disability, as well as passengers with prams and luggage, to get around the station and use public transport, while also respecting the heritage of the station precinct. The project is set to be completed by 2026.
What do you think? You can have your say on the designs by visiting https://engage.vic.gov.au/ballarat-station-upgrade
Those proposed changes are not going to be liked by everyone. This heritage station deserves a better plan with an underpass a real opportunity to achieve the same and not damage this historical landmark.
The Bus parking area has added pollution in the way of diesel fumes which now fill the station platforms together with the droning sounds of buses idling for hours.
Juliana Addison MP you need to take the station redevelopment survey results, shove them up the clacker of the Major Projects/Planning Minister and INSIST that the completely INAPPROPRIATE DESIGN of the station be changed to reflect its 157 year old heritage.
I’m pretty sick of the state government bullying us and disrespecting Ballarat’s heritage – as was done with the Gov Hub monstrosity (a disgraceful building in Ballarat’s heart), and demolition of the 1857 shops and stables for the hospital redevelopment (when there were sound and viable alternatives).
As our elected MP you need to listen to the people of Ballarat and stand up for our wishes – not just tow the party line and regurgitate Labor media releases. That’s what MP’s do for their electorates!
What an absolute disgrace, this design is horrible like the gov hub. It’s completely destroying the beautiful historic station. Horrible and disgusting Ballarat will have no heritage left. It’s amazing people that live in the Ballarat central area restricted on what colours they can paint the outside of the house they buy but the state government can build this crap.
I agree there needs to be access for all at the station.
What I don’t agree with is making changes to a heritage building yet I am required to remove my solar panels due to a heritage overlay on our house. Especially when there are two other houses on our street with solar panels in the same location.
I find there seems to be a case of double standards in regards to what everyday rate payers can do and what the council are allowed to do. What applies to one should apply to all.
I will complete the above to voice my concerns however I find social media seems to gain a wider and more publicised voice of opinion.
Don’t destroy the beautiful heritage appearance of this icon for the sake of accessibility. You can do both. You don’t need to make an eyesore in order to have accessibility. The heritage aspect of Ballarat needs to be preserved. These plans need to be thrown out, and the whole thing should be reconsidered with heritage in mind.
I don’t see how a closed rectangular box is in sympathy with the heritage values. Surely take some cues from the roof lines and existing steel/iron lattice over pass etc.
No Juliana, many of us are horrified at this development. You will destroy the architectural integrity of one of Ballarat’s most important heritage sites.
Why does an elevator have to go up? they can go down as well.
A tunnel underneath the tracks would work and keep the heritage value
Understand the urgent need to relieve accessibility issues, but we must do better than that, to tack that on to that beautiful heritage building would be terrible. Hoping that Juliana Addison will be strong and the government get this done inline with the stunning architecture that is there. Furthermore I trust the council will finally allow the development of the southern side of the site between the staton and Mair st. It is screaming for tidy up beautification and appropriate development.
No No No, not in a heritage precinct. Come up with something that doesn’t wreck the view of the building. There is already a bridge, make something the suit the existing bridge.
Notice Juliana Addison is monitoring this page, but only commenting on posts she agrees with. Please do your job Juliana and explain to Ballarat’s residents why you’re turning our railway station into white Legoland.
It must be possible to design an upgrade in step with the historical and heritage aspects of the station.
What is proposed is stupid with usual VicTrack or vline stupidity.
Correct me if I am wrong, but this looks funny…. old and modern features it seems to clash……
If disability access is the key why can’t the designed it to blend in with the older historical part of of the station, surely with the currently technology, if pressed ceiling of older BE car and reproduced in newer materials why can the reproduce the older historical features….if they still got the plan and blue prints of the older historical designs why can they use that? As for lift that is necessity and I agree with disability access.
One more serious issue, why not focus on the maintenance of the services so there’s less sudden bus transfers due to newer train having intermittent faults on route or at ground zero? this spending is very lavish for state that broke…..
As for proposed bus shelter this one looks terribly exposed to the weather…..looks good on paper, but is good in a practical sense? It looks like designed for the tropics and not for colder conditions climate of Victoria travelling conditions. It seems to indicate that some of the designers do not travel around very much on our rail transport system or out of the city very often!!!
Ballarat is known to get extremely cold and windy in winter and very hot in summers, being temperate climate the weather changes can very harsh on commuters standing in those very open shelters very little seats and with the windblown rain the seats will be wet and unusable!