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G'day Ballarat! What a weekend we had. The marathon dust has barely settled, and what a result. A record $153k raised for charity. Fantastic outcome! Spudfest is on this weekend just up the road in Trentham, so if you're looking for things to do, it's hard to beat.

For those of you wondering about Ballarat Life's Dinner Club, I haven't had the chance to pencil it in yet. I'm also looking at other in-person events that might be a bit easier to organise but still deliver the same level of fun and opportunities to mingle, so stay tuned.

– Luciano Devoto

The first ever Ballarat Craft and Design Week kicks off Friday 1 May, running ten days at the Mining Exchange and venues around town. The central Bound exhibition is free, with five rooms of collaborations between local artists, designers and makers. Worth a wander if you've ever been curious about what's being made in your own backyard.

Past the finish-line photos, this year's Ballarat Marathon raised $153k across 251 charities, beating its $150k target. More than 2,500 runners set up their own fundraising pages. Anyone who raised $500+ for Ballarat Health Services Foundation can claim their entry fee back until 3 May. Not a bad return on a weekend of sore legs.

Two North Ward villages have opened upgraded community spaces, backed by the Victorian Government's Tiny Towns Fund. Burrumbeet Soldiers Memorial Hall has a new storage extension and accessible rear path. Cardigan Village Reserve has had a $600,000 makeover, with an all-abilities playground, fitness stations and sensory garden joining the BMX pump track from December.

The Victorian Government has confirmed a one-off 20 per cent rebate on vehicle registration, worth up to $186 per car and capped at two vehicles per person. It covers cars, utes, motorbikes and other light vehicles under 4.5 tonnes used for personal purposes. Applications open Monday 1 June and close Friday 31 July through the Service Victoria app or website.

Two competition-standard netball courts officially opened at Buninyong Recreation Reserve, replacing a single court that had reached end of life. The upgrade also brought new lighting, fencing, accessible ramps, player shelters and a netball scoreboard, plus a new $130,000 oval scoreboard for footy and cricket.

Just up the road, Trentham hosts The Great Trentham Spudfest this Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May, with food trucks, makers and live music filling the streets on day one and farm, garden and studio tours opening up across the region on day two. Trentham picked up Australia's Top Tiny Tourism Town in 2025, so the day-trip pedigree is there.

Council has kicked off the process to consider selling eight parcels of surplus land across the city, identified as no longer needed for community use. The list spans Wendouree, Wendouree West, Ballarat North, Buninyong, Smythes Creek, Black Hill, Cardigan and Invermay Park. Proceeds would head into the Land Reserves Fund to buy land Council needs down the track.

Eight of the city's biggest organisations have launched a joint campaign for investment as Ballarat heads from 121,000 residents to a forecast 164,000 by 2046. The wishlist covers the new Wendouree Library, key road upgrades, a Circular Economy Precinct, a University Town push, and Sovereign Hill's Gold Vault.

Here’s the cheapest petrol and diesel around town:

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Until next Thursday!

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