Ballarat aerodrome

[Marty_d]

I escaped the family yesterday and spent a very pleasant hour exploring Ballarat airfield and doing some plane watching.

Unfortunately the aviation museum is only open weekends and public holidays, neither of which coincide with our visit, but there were a gaggle of C172's doing circuits, several Air Tractors, a nice little RANS taildragger, Foxbat, Skyfox, Beech V35 and others.  A very sad looking De Havilland Dove sans tail sits behind the aviation museum (hopefully being restored?)

In one hangar I could see a bloke polishing a very nice looking Ryan with enclosed cabin and radial engine, but I didn't have my phone with me at that point so missed the picture.

A C206 on floats landed at one point, swapped passengers then took off again.

Seemed like a very nice airfield.  There's a bunch of what looks like WWII wooden barracks nearby, all with different signs - the Morris Minor club, woodworking club, etc... so much nicer than being surrounded by concrete factory outlets - but given the road and construction work going on nearby, that too is inevitable. 

 

Edited April 11 by Marty_d

[facthunter]

Ballarat Airfield has Historic  Classification. Should remain forever..  Nev

[facthunter]

That was the intention. I did get involved with erecting a largish Hanger under the new rules  and it LETs say Time consuming  in the extreme in respect of the Permits required. Don't quote me with in the "HISTORIC" term  but it's something similar. It relates to the wartime activities. Nev

[Area-51]

I always thought casa's ECHO was a fictitious aircraft!! 😂😂🤔

Edited April 12 by Area-51

[turboplanner]

On 12/04/2024 at 1:00 PM, facthunter said:

Ballarat Airfield has Historic  Classification. Should remain forever..  Nev

It has a Heritage Overlay but bits of it have gone already; not a good look for tourism for a City the size and importance of Ballarat.

It looks as if everyone has been assuming everyone else is protecting it.

 

This list shows the Planning Applications on the airport since 2018 Planning Applications are not required for repairs to existing hangars such as fixing what's there now but are required for changes and proposed changes in Uses, (such as for boat sales etc)

 

If you go by the recent survey of City Airports which handle about the same aircraft movements per day as they did in the sixties, this list of major modifications to hangars is either showing a huge growth in aircraft use at Ballarat Airport or it's possible that most of the hangar applications spelt "Hanger" may not be for aircraft.  That still leaves a lot of unusual growth.

 

The list to me looks transformative - transforming from an Airport to an Industrial Use.  If a Use is Transformative, that's possibly a Ground for rejecting it by Council or in VCAT.

 

The newest application for a Solar Park, could be a concern because it could be a developed area where everyone has to use solar power in their factories or it could be a large array of Solar Panels in which case if you happen to make a forced landing you'll be shorting out a serious amount of current with sparks flying all over the place just s you start to crush fuel tanks etc.

 

What there wasn't time to do was find out the status of each Application (where objections were still open, whether anyone could appear at VCAT, whether the application had been approved, whether the Application had been built etc.)

 

However, if you want to fly at Ballarat I'd recommend getting out of the starting blocks.

 

Public Planning Applications, Ballarat Airport from 2018 to 2024

 

Zoning:            SUZ     (Special Use Zone) SUZ6. SUZ14

                        HO       (Heritage Overlay) HO190

 

Abbreviated list of Applications (starting from 2018 to 2024)

·       Use and development for land as Solar Park.

·       Use of land for purpose of office, development of a new building, aircraft area and associated works.

·       Major promotion signage.

·       Use of land for a Transfer Station (Green Waste Interchange facility).

·       Development of an Industrial Building and dispensation of car parking requirements.

·       Development of a Store.

·       Development of aircraft hanger (sic).

·       Use and development of trade supplies, business identification sign, and reduction of car parking.

·       Development of Aircraft Hangar.

·       Development of an aircraft hanger (sic) and display of business signage.

·       Building & works to an existing airport hanger (sic).

·       Development of an aircraft hanger (sic) and display of business identification signage.

·       Development of an aircraft hanger (sic).

·       Use and development of an airport hanger (sic) used as a transport terminal.

·       Changes to colour scheme as per approved plans from Heritage Victoria.

·       Remove native vegetation for the extension of Liberator Drive as part of the Ballarat. West Employment Zone project.

·       Use and development of transport terminal and hangar.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Fairly grim view of it's situation and prospects. Not like your normal outlook. .Funny that I did say "DON'T quote me with the Historic term". It LOOKS like ME saying something guarantees you will bag it . Have you put money into an airport to help preserve it.Turbs? I've also supported Pt Cook and I never have had money to spare. TALK is cheap.  Nev

[turboplanner]

5 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Fairly grim view of it's situation and prospects. Not like your normal outlook. .Funny that I did say "DON'T quote me with the Historic term". It LOOKS like ME saying something guarantees you will bag it . Have you put money into an airport to help preserve it.Turbs? I've also supported Pt Cook and I never have had money to spare. TALK is cheap.  Nev

What's all that attack about?

I just read this: "Ballarat Airfield has Historic  Classification. Should remain forever..  Nev" and thought I'd check the planning Register to see if it was being kept safe.  The result is alarming.

 

If you want me to buy it, sorry but no.

[facthunter]

NEVER answer a direct question do you? That and quoting out of context continually  PLUS  outrageous Labelling makes FAIR Dinkum Dialogue impossible with you. You keep doing it and I'll keep pointing it out. I have the right to defend myself and I will. Nev