City of Ballarat

02/09/2026

🎨 Create your own screen-printed tea towel!

Join local artist Jessica Schroeter for a hands-on creative workshop where you’ll transform an original artwork into a vibrant, lasting print on high-quality fabric. Each tea towel is individually hand-printed, making every piece completely unique.

Bring along your own sketches for inspiration or choose from one of the facilitator’s designs.

Please bring an apron and wear closed-toe shoes.

📍Vickers Street Community
📅 Friday 4 September, 10am
Cost: $15 per person

🎫 Bookings:
https://events.humanitix.com/screen-printing-vickers-street-community-hub

01/09/2026

🚫 MYTH: Bagging your recycling is the right thing to do.
✅ FACT: Recycling should always go into your yellow-lid bin loose.

While it might seem like a good way to keep things tidy, placing recyclables in plastic bags can stop them from being sorted correctly. When this happens, valuable recyclable materials can end up in landfill instead.

Help give your recycling the best chance of a second life by keeping items loose and placing them directly into your yellow-lid bin.

♻️ Small changes make a big difference.

01/09/2026

🥧🏆 Emma's Bakery crowned Ballarat’s People’s Choice Pie winner!

After a month of tasting, voting and celebrating all things pastry, Emma’s Bakery has taken out the 2026 Ballarat’s Best Pie People’s Choice Award with its Meredith Dairy Goat Deluxe Pie.

Joining Emma’s Bakery on the podium were...
🥈 Mrs Browne Bakes with its Banana and Honey Miso Caramel Gold Fever Hand Pie
🥉 Sovereign Hill with its Slow-Cooked Blade Steak Pepper Pie

This year’s competition was the biggest in the event’s history, with more than 23,000 pies enjoyed across Ballarat throughout August as locals and visitors got behind the month-long celebration of pastry.

With 30 venues taking part, Ballarat’s Best Pie once again showcased the creativity, craftsmanship and local flavours that continue to make Ballarat a standout food destination.

Congratulations to all participating venues for helping make 2026 a record-breaking year for Ballarat’s Best Pie.

01/09/2026

Help make Ballarat safer by sharing your experiences. 💬

The Safer Ballarat Mapping Tool is an ongoing opportunity to tell us where you feel safe or unsafe in public spaces and why.

Recent feedback has highlighted concerns about pedestrian crossings and driver behaviour, while Lake Wendouree continues to be identified as a safe and welcoming place thanks to its lighting, activity and community atmosphere.

Your feedback helps us better understand how people experience public spaces across Ballarat and can help inform future improvements.

📍 Share your thoughts and add your local knowledge: https://mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au/safer-ballarat

31/08/2026

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Ballarat Seniors Awards! 🌟

We're shining a spotlight on Helen, recipient of the 2025 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Award.

For more than 40 years, Helen has made an outstanding contribution to Ballarat's Italian community, helping bring people together through events, educational opportunities, celebrations and multicultural programs. Her dedication has helped foster connection, inclusion and a sense of belonging for many community members.

Helen is also actively involved with Ballarat's Heartbeat Walking Group and Vintage and Classic Car Club, continuing to make a positive impact across our community.

🏆 Know an inspiring volunteer who deserves recognition? Nominate them for the 2026 Ballarat Seniors Awards.

🔗 Submit a nomination online: https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/community/ageing-well-ballarat/ballarat-seniors-awards

📝 Hard copy nomination forms are available from Customer Service at The Phoenix or any Ballarat Library. Alternatively, call Ageing Well Services on 5320 5500 to request a form by mail.

📅 Nominations close at 5pm on Thursday 10 September.

31/08/2026

Voting closes at 11.59pm TONIGHT for People's Choice Pie!

So, which Ballarat's Best Pie contender was a standout for you this August?!

Show some love for your fave at bit.ly/4bq1bmX for the chance to win a Ballarat staycation worth over $1200.

31/08/2026

🚧 TRAFFIC UPDATE 🚧

Dyson Drive will be closed to traffic from Tuesday 1 September for asphalt resurfacing works.

The road will be closed between Ballarat-Carngham Road and Cuthberts Road throughout the project.

The resurfacing is expected to take up to two weeks to complete.

Local access to properties will remain for the duration of works, however detours will be in place for all other traffic.

Please follow VMS and traffic management signage.

🫧 The car wash at the corner of Ballarat-Carngham Road will remain accessible from the Ballarat-Carngham Road entrance.

31/08/2026

🗳️ Final days to have your say on the name of the redeveloped Eastwood facility.

As works continue on this major community project, we're inviting the community to help choose the preferred name for the redeveloped facility.

Choose from:
✅ Eastwood Community Hub
✅ Eastwood Leisure Centre
✅ Eastwood Leisure Complex

The consultation closes this Sunday, so don't miss your chance to have your say.

Vote now via the MySay page: https://mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au/eastwood-naming

30/08/2026

👷 Construction begins on Brown Hill Kindergarten expansion!

Construction is now underway on the $2.65 million expansion of Brown Hill Kindergarten, delivering additional kindergarten places and upgraded facilities for local families.

The project is jointly funded by the City of Ballarat and the Victorian Government, with a $750,000 Building Blocks Grant from the Victorian School Building Authority. The City of Ballarat has contributed $1.9 million to this important project.

Located near Brown Hill Reserve in Reid Court, the expansion will deliver a new 33-place kindergarten room, increasing the centre's total capacity to 99 places and helping meet growing demand for early years services in the area.

The project will also upgrade existing indoor and outdoor spaces, ensuring the kindergarten continues to provide inclusive and welcoming learning environments for local children and families well into the future.

Member for Eureka, Michaela Settle, representing Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn, visited the site last week week alongside City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves to mark the commencement of works.

📸 Pictured: Member for Eureka, Michaela Settle and City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves mark the commencement of works at Brown Hill Kindergarten

28/08/2026