Legal advice obtained as part of future land use planning for the City of Ballarat’s former Latrobe Street saleyards has provided clarity on the process and timeframes to allow alternative future uses at the site.
Legal restrictions mean the land currently cannot be used for anything other than a municipal saleyards.
City of Ballarat Director Development and Growth, Natalie Robertson said the City of Ballarat was working with the Victorian Government on the legal process to unlock the site.
“The advice we’ve received is that this process is likely to take some time and will need an Act of Parliament to remove the current restrictions,” said Ms Robertson.
“The former saleyards and surrounding precinct remains a focal point for Ballarat’s growth and we will work through this process so it can be available for use in the future.”
She said the City of Ballarat would continue to facilitate works to ready the site for use.
In recent months, the saleyards have been fenced and slashed, with slashing works to continue as part of an ongoing maintenance schedule.
Subject to the outcomes of targeted soil testing, in coming weeks the City of Ballarat will call for tenders for surface rehabilitation works.
This will include the removal of concrete, bluestone, truck-washes and other ground level infrastructure from the site.
Buildings and fixtures protected by a heritage overlay, including the original selling pavilion, administration building and livestock pens will be unaffected by these works.
From this week, the closed section of Gillies Street at the site will be used as a staging area for contractors working on the Regional Roads Victoria upgrade to the intersection of Latrobe Street and Wiltshire Lane.
