Civic Hall Opinion

By: Melita Knight

The old civic hall has been sitting vacant since 2002, waiting for someone to come along and return it to its former glory. It has a lot of potential, and there are a myriad of possibilities as to what it could be transformed into.

The council have finally decided to demolish it and create an ultra-modern administrative base for the City of Ballarat. Not everyone is happy with this decision however, and the estimated price tag of $40 million is doing nothing to swing public favour.

Yet why should the public be in favour of the council's plan? The old civic hall was the community's. It was there for them to use whenever they needed. And now it is going to be replaced by office space; office space which the council already has. There are many other buildings the council could use if they need more space, so why not use the old civic hall for what it was originally intended: a place for the community.

Whilst there is a need for more parking spaces, there is enough room to build them on the existing site without having to demolish anything. If we renovate and refurbish the existing civic hall, the price can be reduced while keeping the charm and integrity of the original building.

Instead of relocating from the Town Hall, and giving that space to the community, why not simply stay in the Town Hall and let the community use the old civic hall? It could be so much more than another corporate space. It could be a creative, multi-purpose, community hub.

After renovation, it would be the ideal place for performances. Bands, theatre groups, dancing troupes, and the like, could all use this space to showcase their talents. Artists could use it to display their work and it could be used for meetings and functions by community groups, and as a place to hold various markets.

There would also be enough space to turn part of it into a place for parents and their children. Put in some cute tables and chairs, maybe some bean bags, and you would have a great place for children to do arts and crafts, or for a place to go read after visiting the library. Incorporate a coffee shop and it will be transformed into a haven for adults and children alike.

If we renovate rather than demolish the existing building, we will also be able to keep the skate park intact. Though Ballarat has a new one, the one near the old civic hall is still used, particularly by younger skaters, and allows more people to skate at the one time.

Renovating and refurbishing the old civic hall makes much more sense than spending $40 million on a misplaced building which a majority of the community doesn't even want. Rather than an unnecessary, ultra-modern, corporate space, let us instead renovate, refurbish and reinvigorate the hall. Let us transform it into a space which the whole community can use and enjoy.