Ballarat Heritage Watch Inc.
It has been a nostalgic exercise to write this report, my last as President, after a term that commenced in 2002, when we were still called Ballarat Citizens for Thoughtful Development, an organisation formed on 31 March 1998 to fight to protect Ballarat’s heritage, in the light of rapid unsightly residential developments taking place in the city. Liz Sheedy was the founding President, and became our heritage champion. Her great achievement was to lobby for an Urban Character Study, which was adopted into the Planning Scheme in 1999, giving some protection to areas designated of special significance.
I might add that we worked closely with the City’s Heritage Advisor in 1998, one Lorraine Huddle, who retained that position until 2002.
In August 1999 it was announced that the State Government had allocated $50,000 for stage 2 of Ballarat Heritage Study
In April 2000, Liz Sheedy, President of BCfTD, was elected to the City Council as the representative of Central Ward, and she became chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee. Work on the Ballarat Heritage Study Stage 2, conducted by Hansen Partners, assisted by Wendy Jacobs and Jan Pennay, began in September 2000.
By the end of 2002 the Heritage Study had defined 19 heritage precincts in the City of Ballarat, including the historic townships of Learmonth and Buninyong. These precincts went on public exhibition in December 2002. Reaction was mostly very positive. Ballarat Citizens for Thoughtful Development made a submission seeking extension of some of the precincts, especially in the Ballarat East area.
I was elected President in 2002 and made my first appearance at VCAT in 2003, representing BCFTD. There would be many more to follow, most memorably the Commonwealth Bank hearing in 2006, when we came very close to winning, thanks to our pro bono expert witnesses, Lorraine Huddle and Miles Lewis, but after a long delay of more than six months, the Panel found in favour of the Bank.
At the November 2004 Council election Liz Sheedy was defeated by Herman Ruyg, who, incredibly, was made chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee, along with the newly elected developer on Council, Gary Anderson. Heritage was in for a bad time under this regime.
In 2006 Council finally adopted the Heritage Study as Amendment C58 with 19 Heritage Precincts, and requested the Minister to approve an amendment to the Ballarat Planning Scheme which protects precincts identified as having high heritage value. This was a great moment for our organisation, which changed its name to Ballarat Heritage Watch Inc.
In November 2006 Council hosted a meeting of the World League of Historical Cities, which was a public relations exercise to promote Ballarat and its heritage. However behind the scenes things were difficult, with the position of Heritage Advisor, and the Heritage Advisory Committee, to which I had just been elected in 2006, being scrapped for a period.
After a State Government report into governance issues at the City, the position of Heritage Advisor was re-instated in 2009, with the appointment of Brian Benson, an excellent officer with whom I worked closely over the next seven years.
Since 2016, we have been concerned about the often tenuous nature of the role of Heritage Advisor, and I have made a number of representations to Council on the importance of a full-time, architecturally qualified officer, including this year. The position was advertised earlier this year, and we are waiting an announcement of the result.
I have been a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee since 2006, and have valued working with Cr. Samantha Macintosh as Chair. She always evinces a deep interest and understanding of heritage issues.
During the last year a number of issues have loomed large which we have lobbied for – the Ballarat Railway Station and the restoration of the Lydiard St gates; opposition to the proposal to put light towers around Lake Wendouree, opposition to mountain bike paths in the historic Creswick State Forest; concern about large digital advertising signs, bike paths down Sturt St, height limits for CBD buildings and the growth of the hospital precinct.
We also made submissions against a Council proposal to restrict the opportunity to ask questions at Council meetings.
I acknowledge with sadness the death this year of June Johnson, a long serving member and devoted guardian of Ballarat’s heritage.
Finally I would like to thank our band of active members. Vice-President Stuart Kelly has been very active in the media, and on social media, in promoting our cause. Stuart and Lorraine Huddle have contributed much to our very effective Facebook page, a very important medium for raising heritage issues, and communicating with our many followers. Dinah McCance has capably handled our finances, and been an ever vigilant watcher for potential demolitions around the city. Our Secretary, Penny Greenslade, has very capably administered meetings and minutes, and campaigned strongly for environmental issues. My thanks also to Barbara Cytowicz, Bernadette Cheesman , Mary Debrett and Jenny Sorrell for their regular input into submissions and meetings.
In stepping down as President after almost 20 years, I will continue to do my best to serve Ballarat Heritage Watch, especially through the Heritage Advisory Committee.
Dr Anne Beggs-Sunter,
9 November 2021
Ballarat Heritage Watch 