Designing a better Ballarat | ourballarat summer 2023-24
You may not have heard of them, but the City of Ballarat Survey and Design team are the brains behind the city’s civil infrastructure. From roads and roundabouts to drainage and streetlights to speed humps and car parking, the Survey and Design team are responsible for coming up with innovative design solutions for the civil infrastructure that Ballarat residents use every day.
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Led by Karen Matthews, the Survey and Design team are instrumental in ensuring Ballarat’s civil infrastructure is renewed or replaced when it reaches the end of its useful life. This ensures that Ballarat's civil infrastructure can meet the needs of a growing population.
Survey and Design forms part of the broader Infrastructure team delivering the City of Ballarat’s civil and capital works programs. Karen and her team are behind-the-scenes designing solutions for the future including bike paths, footpaths, roads, car parks and drainage.
“We feel privileged to be able to contribute to the changing face of our streets and infrastructure,” Karen says.
The Survey and Design team is comprised of surveyors and engineers.
Surveyors are responsible for measuring land features and mapmaking ahead of construction projects. Engineers then use the information provided by the surveyors to create detailed designs that create the blueprint for construction of infrastructure projects.
Balancing heritage with innovation
With it's lovely bluestone gutters and historic buildings, Ballarat's rich heritage is an asset to the city and presents a unique opportunity for the Survey and Design team.
“We look to come up with innovative solutions that will cater for Ballarat’s growing population with the constraints that living in a heritage town can present,” Karen says.
“We must work within existing infrastructure that was planned and built for a much smaller population, while also respecting and preserving our wonderful heritage.”
Karen and her team are constantly seeking new ways to incorporate sustainability into their work.
“We are always on the lookout for new and exciting design innovations, including the use of recycled materials in roads and footpaths for a long-term sustainable environment,” she says.