G'day Ballarat!

This week, Ballarat’s four-bin system gets its first report card, two promising trials are making life a little easier, and Council has plans for our potholes and wandering swans.

Delacombe Village has finally stopped being coy and given us an opening date. The Farmers Market is heading back outdoors, evening train passengers are getting coaches instead, and a Brown Hill home takes entertaining very seriously.

Enjoy the read :)

– Luciano Devoto

If you have opinions about which bin fills first, now is your chance to put them to use. Council is reviewing Ballarat’s four-bin system and wants feedback on what is working and how often each bin should be collected.

The system only arrived last November, so this is its first report card. Any changes could affect the waste charge on your rates notice, making this worth five minutes. The survey closes Wednesday 30 September, with findings going to Council in December.

About 60 children at Vickers Street Kindergarten and Girrabanya Children’s Centre are trialling Think Equal, using stories to build confidence, resilience and emotional skills.

Teachers have noticed improvements, particularly among children facing behavioural challenges or parental separation. Families are even asking for the books at home, which suggests the lesson survived pickup time.

Here’s another trial, but this one could make Ballarat easier to navigate for Deaf and hard-of-hearing locals. Ballarat City Council is among the organisations testing Convo, an on-demand video service connecting users with human Auslan interpreters.

That human part matters. It is not AI captions trying their best. It is qualified interpreters available when people need them.

From better communication to preparing for when communication goes down, Ballarat Library is hosting a free emergency session on Tuesday 15 September.

Starting at 12.30 pm, it will cover severe weather, bushfires, floods, outages and the crucial first 48 hours. No booking is required, and tea and coffee are included. Emergency biscuit planning remains your responsibility.

After three winter markets at the Showgrounds, the Ballarat Farmers Market is heading home to North Gardens this Saturday, 12 September.

From 9 am to 1 pm, Zoo Drive will again fill with seasonal produce, bread, cheese, meat, plants, handmade goods and, importantly, coffee. If the pantry is looking bleak, this is better timing than most vegetables manage.

Speaking of weather causing trouble, Ballarat’s wettest winter since 1981 left our roads needing attention. Council plans to begin more than 60 maintenance projects in early October, once warmer and drier conditions arrive.

The $6 million blitz will cover resealing, resurfacing and major patching across the city. Until then, keep practising the traditional Ballarat slalom around the potholes.

The roads aren’t the only thing getting attention. A 240-metre permanent fence will soon replace the temporary barrier beside South Gardens.

Running from the Tramway Museum towards the Prisoner of War Memorial, it will protect the gardens, prevent vehicle access and discourage swans from wandering into traffic. Construction should finish by early October, weather permitting.

If you’re catching an evening train between Sunday 13 and Tuesday 15 September, allow extra time. Coaches will replace Ballarat-line trains for the entire journey, not just part of it.

Check Journey Planner before leaving and pack some patience. It weighs less than most luggage and may be more useful.

After plenty of “coming soon”, Delacombe Village has finally put a date on things. Coles and Bakers Delight open Wednesday 16 September, with Coles trading 7 am to 10 pm daily.

Aldi is also confirmed for the centre, but there’s still no official opening date for it. The full grand opening celebration is on Saturday 10 October.

4🛏️ 2🛁 2🚗 | House | 735m²

Behind the tidy façade, this Brown Hill home was designed for someone who treats entertaining as a competitive sport. There’s a stone kitchen, three living zones, landscaped gardens and a heated pool, but the real show-off is the alfresco area with its own kitchen, barbecue, heating, speakers and electric blinds.

What’s your guess?

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Until next Thursday!

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