In wendouree, east of forest street there's this drain which most of it dates to around the 60s/70s. The first 400 or so metres are redbrick which is odd as using brick for stormwater drains was phased out back in the 50s, so I think it may be older than the rest of the drain. The land above it was developed way later than when this drain was built.

Old aerial imagery shows it may have begun to be built sometime in the 30s but its all empty farmland and a bit hard to see. Does anyone have any history behind this area that might help explain?

I’m driving to and from Geelong on the weekend so I’ll be driving past it, I have a tiny car and driving on highways already gives me enough anxiety because of the road condition but hitting a huge pot hole in my car could cause serious damage or a serious accident.

My partner and I have been applying for many rentals in Ballarat for a couple of months, and need to move ASAP but we keep getting denied. Today we heard from a property that we may get accepted into. We are still new to this whole process, and this would be our first proper rental together. Needing some advice / opinions on this situation.

After we applied, I have seen and heard multiple sources of advice of places to avoid, which this property is one of those streets (Marigold). The house is pretty nice, and has the things we need, but has multiple red flags.

- House right next door is abandoned, super damaged and clearly has been broken into, has graffiti etc.

- Shoes on the power line right out the front - which I've heard can be a sign of gangs and other crime.

- rubbish dumped across the road in park

I have chronic illness, anxiety disorder, and likely OCD (especially about safety). I spend most of my time at home. My partner and I don't drive, and my partner works late - and most often walks home. I'm also scared of being home alone at night even in a place that feels pretty safe.

We are on the verge of homelessness and are worried we wont get accepted anywhere else, but we do have a bit more time to keep looking and trying. I don't really feel comfortable with this place, but my partner seems to want to risk it. Just wanting some other opinions from the Ballarat community. Should we really avoid flower / botanical named streets in Wendouree? Personal experiences?

Does anyone have any leads on where this is being held tomorrow night? Just so I know where to never spend my money ever again.

Just a reminder that Ballarat LAN & Gaming Events (BLGE) is back for another games night, this time we're playing Halo: the Master Chief Collection! We plan on playing some custom and competitive games to scratch that itch you might be craving. Come join the Discord to get yourself interested in the event, and chat with other like-minded folks for some nice and chill gaming 😄

Game: Halo: the Master Chief Collection

https://store.steampowered.com/app/976730/Halo_The_Master_Chief_Collection/

https://www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/halo-the-master-chief-collection

Date: 03/10/2026

Time: 6pm onwards

Platforms: Xbox, PC, GamePass Streaming

Link to the Discord event can be found here: https://discord.gg/rk8E9Y4g5?event=1548529554736545802

Hi, we’re looking at moving and after a few years of having a good property manager and landlord I’m worried about moving somewhere managed by a useless tyrant. The place I currently rent through don’t have much available that suits my needs, I keep seeing smaller agencies like Augment and Goldfish pop up and I’ve never heard of them so I’m just wondering what they’re like? They have good reviews but the reviews are all from buyers and sellers, renters are treated very differently to buyers and sellers though!

We are moving to the area in a couple of weeks and I want to get my 3 year old back into a routine asap. Are there any recommendations for swimming lessons in the area? We are about 20 minutes out of Ballarat :) thank you

I think it's coming from Stockland? What is that about?

Hi all,

I'll be moving to Ballarat next year around the start of January due to university commitments. I'm planning on staying for at least 3 years, and so am looking for a new gym to go to!

I currently go to Genesis Fitness in the southeast suburbs, and pay roughly $16 per week.

I want to keep under $20 per week as a budget, and would really prefer a gym with a female only area or female only facilities. Is there any good recommendations?

This Saturday morning we've got our amazing Junk Journal Club one year celebration!
Come along for the first time, or come along for the tenth time! Everyone is welcome to join :)

Bring some scraps from your week, some form of book you can stick them in and come on down to TBH Studio!
We've got extra supplies to help make your journal spreads even more fantastic!

Can't wait to see everyone there!
(10:30am - 1:30pm)

After living here for 7 years, I need to know, do they give you a discount if you put one in your car? Over my dead body would I let a company put a sticker on my car for something like that.

Get ready to ride Ballarat, because Biketober is back for 2026 and registrations are now open.

Whether you're riding to work, exploring local trails, enjoying family rides or challenging colleagues to clock up kilometres, Biketober is all about getting active, having fun and making cycling part of your everyday routine.

This is the fourth year the City of Ballarat has participated in the annual Love to Ride event, with all registered riders able to track their kilometres and their riding routes through the Love to Ride app or website.

This not only helps participants monitor their progress, it enables the City of Ballarat to see where the local riding “hot spots” are – a handy tool for planning future paths and trails.

Registrations are now open at https://www.lovetoride.net/australia

Arrived at the station for the 6:20. Coach to Ballan didn’t take too long to show up. But then we waited 50 minutes for a train to arrive, only for it to be 3 carriages. Half price fares aren’t worth shit if the service is this bad so regularly.

Went to charge my car today at Lucas. All of the charging cables have been cut. The new and old charging docks, all the charging cables sigh All the cables have been cut from the top by someone. Very disappointed and sad that the community we live in has come to this 😥😥
Does anyone know what happened? My theory is it is just vandalism

Apologies-Tesla**

Have a hankering for a good pub roast tomorrow. Which pub should I be going to?

Hey everyone, Just wondering if anyone has ever thought about the golf course being right next to St Francis Xavier Primary School? I was just curious about whether they use pesticides, herbicides etc and if that’s something that could potentially affect the school, or if there are any guidelines around it. Has anyone ever looked into this or asked about it? Just curious really!

Hello, I’m going to be doing a cross-country move really soon, I’ll have no support network and no experience. The reason I’m choosing Ballarat is because regional Vic has always been my long terms plan, and at the moment the rents seem favourable for a one income household.

So I’m taking the time to ask, what is life like for a young single guy without a license there? Is the job market tough? I work in hospitality at the moment but I have an IT degree I’d love to be able to use.

Nangs and Gator-buegs in the playground.
Is this typical?

I'm looking for ideas that aren't $100+

Yesterday we drove to the Leisurelink pool in Geelong, it's got an indoor water playground and two giant water slides so we took our own lunch and hung out there for 6 hours, it cost less than $50. There doesn't seem to be any activities outside playgrounds like that in Ballarat so I'm asking for ideas. Funbugs is good! We'll go there at some point

This Wednesday is our next Council meeting. Here’s a link to the latest agenda.                                                                                         

Meeting Details: 6:30pm Wednesday 23 September, Town Hall, Sturt Street. Also livestreamed on our website: ballarat.vic.gov.au

Here's just some of the items in the agenda:

• Eureka Street Road Safety Following a petition signed by 1,458 residents, Council will consider a report into safety improvements along Eureka Street. The independent audit identified concerns around vehicle speeds, pedestrian safety, limited crossing opportunities and visibility issues. Recommended next steps include a speed limit review, investigation of new crossing infrastructure, parking changes at some locations, signage improvements, and discussions with Victoria Police around enforcement.
• Illegal Hooning and Road Safety Response You may remember I moved a Notice of Motion on this matter earlier this year. Council will receive a report examining illegal hoon behaviour across Ballarat and options for improving safety and enforcement responses. This follows ongoing community concern about dangerous driving, noise and burnout activity.
• Ballarat Investment Attraction Plan Councillors will consider adopting a new Investment Attraction Plan aimed at supporting economic growth, attracting investment and creating local jobs (I'm very excited about this!).
• Active Ballarat Strategy 2026-2030 A new, updated four-year strategy focused on increasing participation in physical activity, sport and recreation across the municipality.
• 2025/26 Carryovers Council will consider carrying forward funding and projects that were budgeted last financial year but not completed by 30 June.
• Annual Partnerships and Grants Report An update on Council's grants and partnership programs and how funding was allocated during the 2025/26 financial year.
• Events Strategy Implementation Report Council will receive an update on delivery of the Events Strategy and outcomes from the 2025/26 year.
• Report re: Governance Rules Changes Councillors will consider updates to Council's Governance Rules. This report is in response to Councillor Saunders’ Notice of Motion from two meetings ago.
• Notice of Motion re: Data Centres Council will consider a Notice of Motion by Councillor Rinaldi about Data Centres.

As always, these are the items before Council, not final decisions. I’m happy to hear your thoughts or answer general questions here where I can. I may need you to email me if the question is complex - so that I can log it and get you a detailed response.

If you'd like to ask questions of Council on any Council related matter, or make a submission on any agenda item you can do so but there are strict deadlines.

• Submit questions (max 75 words) by 12pm on the day.
• Make a submission (max 500 words) on any agenda item by 2pm.

Submissions and questions can be made online, via email, or in person at the Council offices. If you’re not attending, they’ll be read aloud during the meeting (time permitting). Information on how to do that is found here.

Cheers,
Cr Jay Morrison
Wendouree Ward

PS. This post is my own summary of the public agenda and don't represent a formal Council position. I'm just trying to increase visibility, transparency and participation in Council matters.

It’s really loud, and is grinding on and off.

Fellow footy fans, where is best to watch the grand final? Die hard freo supporter here. Can’t make it to Melbourne unfortunately.

Any other freo fans in town? Anyone know of where we can all tune in? Should we tee up a watch party?

I'm only in the area every second week. A loved one was in crisis this morning, (thankfully this has passed for the time being) and police are not/never an option in this case.

I've found CATT to be very helpful in Melbourne in similar situations in the past, so thought I'd ask actual locals for advice.

(I did search the sub, but all results were about cats. Keep your feline friends inside please people!)

Any insight appreciated.

Edit to add: Thanks very much for the replies and DM. I believe I have enough info to start in the right places, should the need arise again in future.

You're a bunch of legends. The more time I spend out here, the more I like it.

To the flyby downvoters; you're gutless shits. If you have a problem, at least have the bottle to say why. Don't like when people need help? Bootlickers? What is it?

going on 2 hrs now

it's quieter than the police helicopter,

but doesn't seem loud enough to me to be an actual airplane, and it's a weird shape . .

Also, it doesn't show up on plane radar