The projects transforming Ballarat and when they’re expected to be finished
A dozen major projects are currently being built – some are delayed, some stuck in planning hell and others nearly complete. See the details about some of the largest developments set to transform the city.
Ballarat is the third largest city in Victoria by population and is estimated to grow by tens of thousands in coming years.
As the number of residents grow, so too does the need for the city’s infrastructure – from major events venues, to the city’s historic railway station, to one of the biggest regional hospitals in the state.
Several large projects are underway across the city, with some just started and others near completion.
There are also those that are meant to be nearing completion but for one reason or another, have been delayed.
The City of Ballarat has budgeted $98.2m for capital works in the current financial year, including $27m for roads, $6m for art gallery upgrades, $2.8 million on a Glenelg Highway shared path, $2.5m on improving Little Bridge Street, and $2.3m at the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre.
City of Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said Ballarat’s population was expected to grow from around 124,000 today to more than 160,000 in 2046.
“So it is vital that we continue to invest in capital projects to ensure our city keeps pace with demand,” she said.
“Investing in our city is about creating a Ballarat where people feel proud to live and where our community can continue to flourish.
“By investing in our infrastructure and community spaces now, we’re laying the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable and more vibrant city for generations to come.”
Ballarat Heritage Watch president Stuart Kelly said many large projects in Ballarat were not controversial, but that generally, developments needed to be consider the city’s history.
In fact, the original name of the group Mr Kelly leads was ‘Citizens for Thoughtful Development’.
“Whilst development is to be commended, it needs to be done in a way that is sympathetic to the heritage of the city, especially since Ballarat council refers to Ballarat as Victoria’s heritage city,” he said.
“That hospital development is obviously very badly needed in Ballarat, and from a heritage point of view we didn’t take any objection to the development itself, but only to the demolition of some shops on Sturt St for an entry drive.
“But the hospital development itself, even though it’s going to be seven-plus storeys, is not a problem for me.”
Below are some of the major developments set to leave a mark on Ballarat – and when they should be finished.
Ballarat Base Hospital
The state government’s $655m redevelopment of Ballarat Base Hospital is set to transform one of Ballarat’s largest industries.
The new hospital will have a main entrance off Sturt St, a multi-level tower, new emergency department and helipad, a new women and children’s hub, 100 more inpatient beds, an expanded critical care floor for an extra 4000 surgeries a year.
Overall, the upgrades will facilitate at least 18,000 more emergency patients and 14,500 inpatients every year.
Stage 2 construction was finished in October, with the final stage on track for completion in 2027.
Ballarat Major Events Precinct (Eureka/Mars Stadium)
The Ballarat Major Events Precinct, part of state commitments made to accommodate the cancelled 2026 Commonwealth Games, will shape Ballarat’s ability to host large-scale sport and entertainment events.
It will boast 5000 new seats, better amenities, accessibility improvements, and a new athletics centre.
Demolition works began in mid-2024 and construction, headed up by Kane Nicholson Joint Venture, began in early 2025.
Diggers can still be seen working during the day at the old showgrounds site where the Ballarat Regional Athletics Centre will be located.
The work is expected to be finished in late 2026.
Ballarat Railway Station
The state government is spending $50m on Ballarat’s train station to improve accessibility.
The additions will include a pedestrian overpass and lift, new ramp and stairs, and lighting improvements to address issues about wheelchair access across the tracks.
Many locals were opposed to the controversial designs.
Major construction at the station is supposed to be finished in 2026.
Separately, 145-year-old level crossing gates that were smashed by a runaway train in 2020 are set to be turned into a static display and permanently replaced by boom gates, disregarding many objections on heritage grounds.
Ballarat Sports and Events Centre (Selkirk Stadium)
Upgrades to the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre will provide local sports teams with better, more modern facilities, with works split into three packages.
In May 2025, the first of those phases was advertised for tender by the City of Ballarat, and Matthew Walsh Electrical is now working on upgrades to speakers and scoreboards, the installation of more CCTV, roof solar panels, and more.
The second and third packages include lighting, accessibility, and broadcast improvements, as well as roof and pedestrian access works.
Everything is expected to be complete in 2026, with work on the second stage meant to begin before the end of the year and procurement for the third underway.
Ballarat Regional Animal Facility
The Ballarat Regional Animal Facility was announced in 2022 and is meant to supersede the current shelter, which is at a former abattoir in Alfredton.
The $14.5 million shelter in Mitchell Park will take care of pets in Ballarat and beyond, including those from the Hepburn, Moorabool, Golden Plains, Pyrenees, Ararat, and Central Goldfields areas.
It will have better holding pens, space for an additional 100 animals, improved infection control, and crisis accommodation for pets in dangerous situations, such as violent households.
The City of Ballarat allocated $200,000 to planning for the new shelter in its 2021/22 budget, and the $11.5 million for construction was included in the state government’s recent 2022/23 budget.
First renders of the new facility were revealed in 2024.
But now the council – which is working with the state government on the project – expects to have a tender organised in early 2026, with construction to take between 12 and 18 months, meaning a 2027 completion at the earliest.
George Weston Foods flour mill
George Weston Foods’ $139.2m Mauri flour mill in Ballarat will replace the company’s North Melbourne mill.
It is expected to create 174 Victorian jobs, with 46 flour mill staff to transfer from Melbourne.
So far, more than 4200m³ of concrete has been poured for the seven-storey state-of-the art plant at the Ballarat West Employment Zone in Mitchell Park.
The fully automated mill will have a solar system and could be expanded in the future to accommodate parking, roads, and train infrastructure.
The project, announced in 2022, is slated to be in operation by the end of 2026.
Delacombe Town Centre
Delacombe Town Centre is a major shopping centre for a rapidly growing part of Ballarat.
It opened in 2017 across some 17,000 sqm with a Woolworths, Kmart, Dan Murphy’s, and more, worth $112m.
Stage 2 works in 2024 added 10,000 sqm with additions including Hungry Jack’s, Rebel Sport, and Supercheap Auto.
Construction of the third stage, called Delacombe Village, started in April 2025.
Recent advertisements for leases show off renders of the new 7000 sqm of retail space taking in a Coles and Aldi.
Delacombe Village is expected to open in 2026.
Norwich Plaza
Architects Forum designed a new look for the landmark Norwich Plaza at the bottom of Sturt St, and builder Plan Group has been working on the site since 2023 to help revitalise the Bridge Mall area.
Historical parts of the formerly neglected building have been restored, including the removal of cladding and repairs of the original facade.
More space has been created for tenants, and demolition and asbestos removal has been completed, with base build works completed in November.
Scaffolding and fences still surround the site, but some tenants expected to be open in time for Christmas 2025.
Businesses locked in for the new Norwich Plaza include Revo Fitness, Betty’s Burgers, Augustus Gelatery, Coffee Club, and a national service provider.
Bed Bath N’ Table will return to its previous spot.
Plan Group has also been appointed to complete works, due mid-2026, on Ballarat’s historic City Oval grandstand.
Brown Hill Splash Park
At the site of the former Brown Hill pool will soon be a splash park featuring an ‘adventure zone’, ‘exploration zone’, and toddler area to help residents keep cool in summer.
The earlier pool was decommissioned in 2023 and demolished in 2024, as the council’s Brown Hill Recreation Reserve Master Plan pointed to the community’s preference for a splash park in its place.
Although there have been delays in the park’s construction, works are now in their final stages.
The City of Ballarat expects the splash park to open in early December.
102-108 Humffray St Sth, Bakery Hill
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny approved an eight-storey residential building and a seven-storey commercial building at 102-108 Humffray St in November 2024 – plans which were first revealed the previous year.
The original application contained a 74-flat residential building, a separate office building, and a public walkway between them.
The proposal by Hygge Property was first ticked off by the City of Ballarat, then challenged by objectors at VCAT, before finally getting ‘called in’ by Ms Kilkenny and assessed favourably by the government.
Calling in an application allows the Planning Minister to intervene and make her own decision about a permit.
A permit was issued by Ms Kilkenny on January 9 this year, but the City of Ballarat is yet to receive amended plans that satisfy certain conditions.
The council cannot issue a building permit until a planning permit and endorsed plans are approved.
However, Hygge Property confirmed to the Herald Sun it had paused the project due to economic conditions in Victoria and is now considering its future prospects.
Elsewhere, the first residents have moved in at Hygge Property’s Lyons Place in Ballarat Central.
222 Mair St, Ballarat Central
Plans for a $10.1m office building on Mair St, opposite Ballarat’s GovHub and by the same architects, were first revealed in 2023.
The proposal ended up at VCAT in 2024 when Ballarat Heritage Watch crowd-funded money - to use alongside member donations and pro bono legal work - to challenge the City of Ballarat’s approval of the six-storey building.
Heritage advocates found partial success, with a section of the building to be reduced from five to four storeys, to be less conspicuously taller than surrounding structures.
A rear section was also to be lowered by 1.75m.
The City of Ballarat issued a planning permit on August 12, 2024.
Amended plans to satisfy conditions of the permit have been submitted and remain under consideration by the council.
Ballarat Gateway
Development application documents in 2023 unveiled a proposal for a seven-storey hotel and gym, and a five-storey building comprising offices and childcare and retail areas covering 116-122 Lydiard St and 8-10 Mair St in Ballarat Central.
The ‘Ballarat Gateway’ plans included paths for pedestrians and a possible bridge leading to the nearby plaza of Ballarat Railway Station.
The works would require demolition of a building at 8 Mair St.
Some heritage advocates objected to the size of the proposal, particularly given the street’s view of Ballarat’s train station clock tower.
The plans, according to the City of Ballarat, have not got much further since August 2023: the council is still waiting on advice from Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny following a request to ‘call in’ the application, as well as a decision on the connecting bridge component.
