Ballarat Council Eyes 85-Hectare Redan Rezoning for Medium-Density Housing

Ballarat City Council will vote on 12 August on a planning scheme amendment that would rezone land west of Rubicon Street in Redan from rural living to residential growth zone.

The move follows a March 2026 state government direction that requires regional councils to identify new supply within existing urban boundaries before greenfield sites are released further out. Redan sits between the established Alfredton growth corridor and the CBD, giving it direct access to existing roads and services that newer estates still lack.

Heritage streets and local anchors

Redan’s older grid of miners’ cottages runs south from Sturt Street toward the former Ballarat East railway workshops site. Blocks along Rubicon Street and nearby Carlton Street sit within 800 metres of Federation University’s SMB campus, where student housing demand has lifted rents 12 per cent since 2024. The Ballarat Showgrounds on Creswick Road provides another fixed point, drawing weekend traffic and supporting small retail strips that remain viable even when larger centres expand.

Prices remain below the Ballarat median of $510,000. CoreLogic data for the June quarter recorded a Redan median of $472,000, with three-bedroom weatherboard homes on 500-square-metre lots selling between $435,000 and $465,000. Melbourne buyers, priced out of Alfredton’s newer estates, have accounted for 34 per cent of Redan sales so far this year.

Next steps for buyers and owners

Landowners inside the proposed rezoning area can lodge submissions until 29 July through the council’s planning portal. Prospective buyers should confirm whether individual titles fall within the amendment boundary before signing contracts, as the final gazettal date is expected no earlier than October 2026. Local agents recommend checking title documents at the Ballarat Land Registry office on Lydiard Street for any overlay restrictions that may survive the rezoning.