Volunteering is very important in our community. You can join hundreds of local volunteers who regularly give their time and energy to help others.
Volunteer with us
Become a Ballarat Ambassador
Our Ballarat Ambassadors provide information on Ballarat to a large number of visitors each year. Their love and knowledge of the city and its rich history adds to Ballarat's reputation as a friendly, welcoming and culturally vibrant city.
Visit our Current Vacancies page to find out how to apply.
Youth Volunteer Opportunities
The City of Ballarat’s Youth Services business unit believes in the vision, voices and creativity of young people and offers an exciting and innovative range of programs for young people aged 12 -25.
These programs and initiatives are aligned to the City of Ballarat’s Youth Strategy and are designed to upskill, engage, inspire, and provide new opportunities to develop personal skills and interests for young people while creating change in the Ballarat community.
Youth Services are currently looking for dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic young people, aged 12 – 25 years to join our 2024 volunteer programs.
Youth volunteer positions are currently closed but if you would like further information email youth@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Youth Ambassadors
The Youth Ambassador Program is made up of young people who are passionate about being involved in their community and representing the views, ideas and needs of young people in the Ballarat area.
Youth Ambassadors are involved in community events, advocate for young people in the Ballarat region, inform Council and community planning in consultations, and develop a joint ‘youth led’ community impact project or campaign. Youth Ambassadors will develop skills in areas such as project management, cultural competency and media and communication, and have other unique opportunities to develop their leadership skills and community networks.
Youth Ambassador Volunteer Role Statement
If you have any questions, please contact:
Susan Larmer susanlarmer@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Phone or SMS: 0438 553 478
Young Eventsters
Young Eventsters is made up of young people who are passionate about being involved in their community and celebrating the achievements, creativity and leadership demonstrated by our youth. The Young Eventsters is in a unique position to innovate and shine a light on opportunities that promote positive outcomes for young people in Ballarat.
Young Eventsters is a youth led initiative, working on a variety of projects including the highly respected City of Ballarat Youth Awards. Other initiatives focus on celebrating and recognising key calendar events or days of significance. These may include Harmony Fest, IDAHOBIT Day, NAIDOC Week, R U OK Day, Mental Health Week and International Day of People with Disability. Participants will develop skills in areas such as project management, cultural competency, media and communication skills, and have other unique opportunities to develop their teamwork and leadership skills.
Young Eventsters Volunteer Role Statement
If you have any questions, please contact:
Chloe Thomas chloethomas@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Phone or SMS: 0409 760 209
FReeZA - SONIKA
Passionate about music & events? Dream of working in the music industry but not sure where to start? SONIKA is for you!
FReeZA is a Victorian State Government funded initiative that gives young people aged 12-25 all around the state the opportunity to lead the planning and staging of live music and cultural events for other young people. SONIKA is Ballarat’s FReeZA committee!
Become a part of SONIKA to build skills and self-confidence, create and develop professional relationships, and explore various education and employment opportunities and pathways in the music industry!
Participants are provided hands on experience and training in event management, marketing and promotion, sound and lighting production, as well as mentoring and networking opportunities.
Example events and programs Sonika have run include the youth stage at Ballarat Begonia Festival, gigs with local and interstate bands, professional music recording programs, PopCon – Ballarat’s Pop Culture Convention, and more!
Join SONIKA and start planning your dream event!
Follow freezasonika on Facebook and Instagram for updates on local all-ages events & performance and development opportunities for artists and musicians.
FReeZA Volunteer Role Statement
If you have any questions, please contact:
Lucy Timms lucytimms@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Phone or SMS: 0417 305 576
The City of Ballarat has a zero tolerance for child abuse and promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children, including Aboriginal children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and children with disability. We take allegations and concerns very seriously and respond to them consistently in line with our policies and procedures.
Parent Place Volunteer Opportunity
Parent Place helps families with young children to thrive, providing useful information and community links in an inclusive and safe space.
Families can visit Parent Place to feed and change their babies, find information, participate in an activity and have a play!
It is staffed and open to the public from 9:30am-2:30pm Monday to Friday.
Families can also access various services, including Maternal and Child Health, lactation consultant services, violence and family law advice. All the services are free and everyone is welcome.
Parent Place is currently looking for volunteers to join our supportive and welcoming team.
Volunteers are an integral part of our team and play an important role in welcoming and assisting families. If you have special interests or skills (such as craft, musical instrument, or more) or just a passion for helping families, we would love to hear from you.
We welcome applications from volunteers from all walks of life.
Apply to volunteer at Parent Place
If you have any questions, please contact us at via parentplace@ballarat.vic.gov.au, phone 5320 5165 or pop into Parent Place for a chat.
Page topics
Registering your pet is a mandatory requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. Apart from being a state legislated, pet registration helps us reunite you with your pet if they are picked up or get out unexpectedly and assists with data collection and how to increase responsible pet ownership throughout our community. All pets must be microchipped to be registered. If your pet is not microchipped- please get in contact with your local vet.
How do I register my pet?
You can register or renew your animal registration on our eServices platform or visit our Customer Service centre.
Lifetime tags are supplied with registration and should be placed on your pet's collar. If the tag is lost, contact us to organise a replacement.
All animal registrations must be renewed by 10 April each year.
How do I change the details on my pets registration?
Registering your pet is a mandatory requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. Apart from being a state legislated, pet registration helps us reunite you with your pet if they are picked up or get out unexpectedly and assists with data collection and how to increase responsible pet ownership throughout our community.
All pets must be microchipped to be registered. If your pet is not microchipped- please get in contact with your local vet.
To change the owner details of your cat or dog:
- complete the change of ownership form
- email the form to info@ballarat.vic.gov.au or visit our Customer Service centre.
Microchipping
A microchip is different to animal registration. It provides a permanent form of identification regardless of which municipality you live in. It helps to quickly reunite you with lost or injured pets if they are found outside of Ballarat.
All cats and dogs being registered with us for the first time must also be microchipped. Your vet can help with a microchip if your pet does not have one.
Changes to Bin Collection are coming
Ballarat is getting a new system for kerbside bin collection.
What bins do I have?
All residential properties will have a 140L rubbish bin and a 240L recycling bin.
Properties that are rated as a detached home and between 250m2 and 4000m2 will also receive a 240L green waste bin.
Rubbish bins are collected weekly and recycling and green waste bins are collected on alternate fortnights.
How do I put my bins out?
Please have your bins placed correctly by 6am on collection days.
Correct placement:
- bin handle and wheels facing your house and the bin opening facing the road
- bins 50cm apart from each other
- do not place bins behind parked cars, near trees or other obstructions
- do not overfill or place anything on top of your bins
When is your next collection?
Find out when your next bin collection is
How do I get my bin?
We supply bins to the property as part of our waste collection service. You should have bins at your home when you move into an existing property. If you don’t, contact our Customer Service team on 5320 5500.
If you have built a new house and are ready to move in, call our Customer Service team to arrange bins for your new house.
Available bins:
- 140L with a red lid for general waste
- 240L with a yellow lid for recycling
- 240L with a light green lid for green waste
We don’t deliver bins unless someone is living at the property to help stop bins being stolen.
The bins we provide must stay at the property when you move house.
Fixing or replacing my bin
We repair or replace damaged bins for free.
We don’t recommend making temporary repairs to your bins. Contact our Customer Service team on 5320 5500 to arrange to have your bin repaired or replaced. You bin will usually be repaired or replaced on your next collection day after you call us. You can use your bin as usual and place it out for collection as you usually would as your bin needs to be empty and on your kerbside for repair or replacement.
When you call us, you will need to tell us:
- Your name, address and contact number.
- What type or size of bin needs to be repaired. Is it your general waste, green waste, or recycling bin?
- What part of the bin is damaged? Is it a wheel, the lid, handle, pins, axles, or joins?
- How damaged is your bin? Is it unusable?
What do I do if my bin didn’t get collected?
There are some reasons your bin may have not been collected on bin day:
- It wasn’t out on time for collection.
- It was too heavy for our trucks to pick up (max 70kg).
- It was overfull (i.e. there were items that were higher than the bin and they wouldn’t have been able to fit into the trucks collection area).
- The bin was not where our truck could reach it (i.e. it was behind a car).
If your bin has not been emptied, you can contact our Customer Service team on 5320 5500 or you can report a missed bin via eServices.
My bin only got half emptied
If your bin didn’t get completely emptied, it may be because some items got stuck. To stop this from happening, make sure not to cram as much into your bin as you can and place heavier items at the bottom so they don’t jam lighter items in the bin.
If you find that lawn clippings in your green waste bin are getting stuck, place drier material at the bottom such as sticks and leaves. This helps with air flow so the lawn clippings don’t get stuck at the bottom.
What can I do about a bin spill?
If it’s a small spill and you can quickly, easily, and safely pick things up, please do.
Our drivers try to get to larger spills if they can, however please call Customer Service so we can ask for the street cleaning team to attend.
Some spills are caused by not having the bin lid closed and wind blowing the rubbish out. Sometimes birds and other creatures can get into the bin and drag rubbish out if the bin lid is not closed. To stop this from happening, don’t overfill your bin and make sure the lid can close. If your lid is broken, you can call our Customer Service team on 5320 5500 to arrange to have your bin fixed.
Skip bins and permits
If you're a resident and need a skip bin delivered to your property, you will need to contact a skip bin company who will apply to us on your behalf to arrange a permit.
- Payment for the permit will be incorporated in the cost the skip bin company will charge you.
- The skip bin company must be registered with us before they can apply for a permit.
- The City of Ballarat does not provide skip bins for hire.
Want to know more?
Call our Customer Service team on 5320 5500 or submit an enquiry using eServices.
Sustainability Victoria have more information on how to recycle and reduce what goes into landfill.
Are you a skip bin provider and want to register with us?
Call our Compliance team on 5320 5500.