The former Carriers Arms Hotel is a step closer to being granted heritage protection.
The three-storey site on Creswick Road also includes a kitchen wing, along with brick stables from the 1860’s and a 1930’s men’s toilet block and women’s water closet.
After the council was made aware that the hotel was earmarked as a potential development site, a heritage assessment was undertaken last year.
The site was then-identified to be of local historical and architectural significance to Ballarat.
Last night, local councillors supported a request to the Minister for Planning to grant the former hotel site a heritage overlay, 7 votes to 2.
Councillor Samantha McIntosh says we need to understand how to protect our authenticity as Ballarat grows.
“There’s a significant difference between us and other municipalities, so let’s protect what others don’t have [and] what we do have,” she said.
“It’s our personality, it’s our history and it’s our future.”
