VIC: Ballarat Bits – Istanbul, cycling loss, and tram tracks discovery

News

While Greater Geelong recently denied a proposed overseas trip for its mayor, Ballarat City Council has endorsed Council representatives to travel to Turkiye to attend the UNESCO annual general meeting.

Mayor Cr Des Hudson, City of Ballarat

Ballarat is one of four UNESCO Creative Cities in Victoria, along with Geelong, Bendigo and Melbourne.

A councillor and a council officer will head to Istanbul in September, at an estimated cost of $10.5K.

There’s disappointment in Ballarat at the news that the Road Nationals cycling event will have a new host following next year’s event, after 18 straight years in the regional Victorian city.

From 2025, the host location will be rotated through other parts of Australia.

Mayor Des Hudson said the council is hopeful the event will return in the not too distant future.

Meanwhile, the council says the discovery of remnant sections of tram tracks dating back to 1905 during its Bridge Mall redevelopment project is expected and has been planned for.

The council is working with an archaeologist on the recording and removal of the track sections, which are in poor condition and discontinuous.

Most of the track was removed when the tram network was decommissioned in the 1970s due to reduced patronage.