Mount Buninyong reopens to the public

Public access to Mount Buninyong has been restored after a bushfire impacted the landscape in March 2025.

Full road access to the top of the mountain was restored on Friday 29 August, while all walking tracks have also been reopened.

The 5 March fire burned more than 56 hectares of land, mainly impacting the northeast, southeast, and southwest sides of the mountain.

The blaze caused considerable damage to the natural environment and infrastructure.

Once the fire was deemed safe, City of Ballarat crews worked closely with the relevant agencies to monitor the conditions of Mount Buninyong and start transitioning from immediate incident response to the longer-term recovery phase.

Public safety remained the ultimate priority during the significant recovery process, with multiple safety issues requiring the full closure of the mountain for the lengthy period.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves thanked the community for their patience while vital recovery works took place on the mountain.

“We know how much people love Mount Buninyong, both for its stunning views and beautiful environment, so we are thrilled to reopen to the public,” she said.

“It was an extensive effort to restore the infrastructure on the mountain, while also maintaining the highest levels of public safety.

“We thank everybody for their patience while we undertook this vital work.”

The fire caused extensive damage to trees on the mountain, with all trees assessed along the walking tracks and roadside. It was also critical that natural resources and wildlife habitats were protected as much as possible when the hazardous trees were assessed.

Road infrastructure also needed repair, with damage to a large area of asphalt, traffic signs and guideposts. These repairs have now been completed.

Due to the extensive dry period in the months following the bushfire, it was not known what consequences sustained rainfall would have on the area, including potential landslips and debris flows onto roadways or into waterways.

However, above average rainfall in June and July helped alleviate concerns, while also stabilising the ground surface and aiding in natural revegetation.

Most of the burnt area is showing early signs of regrowth, although the south side of the mountain is regenerating more slowly, which is to be expected.

If people do have any safety issues to report, please use the Snap, Send, Solve app to report them, or call our Customer Service team on 5320 5500.