About the City of Ballarat:

The City of Ballarat, 100km west of Melbourne’s CBD, is one of Australia’s largest inland regional cities. Ballarat is uniquely located with easy access to Melbourne, Geelong and Bendigo.

The City of Ballarat has a growing economy that attracts and retains innovative businesses, employs a highly skilled workforce and attracts new residents whilst promoting the city’s unique heritage and vibrant cultural life. It has all the services, retail and entertainment opportunities you'd find in a capital city but with a relaxed country attitude. With affordable housing at a fraction of Melbourne prices and a progressive leadership team, now is a great time to join the City of Ballarat.

The Role:

Reporting to the Manager, Statutory Planning, this role forms a key part of the Statutory Planning team. The Report Writer will provide ‘back-of-house’ services to Statutory Planners drafting reports for a variety of planning permit application types, formal and informal amendment requests, extensions of time and in response to requests for written advice. Being back-of-house the position holder will not interact with external stakeholders and will work to finalise the assessment process at the direction of the relevant Statutory Planning Officer with consideration given to referral responses.

About You:

The City of Ballarat is seeking an experienced technical officer with extensive report writing experience, preferably in a state or local government setting. You will ideally have rural/regional experience and an understanding of the suite of planning controls typical of such environments. You should also bring a positive attitude and willingness to work in a fast-paced environment. Whilst previous experience in a similar position is desired, this is not essential. Candidates will be judged as much upon fit and attitude as their technical capabilities.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Tertiary qualification in town planning or closely related discipline and several years' experience working in the statutory planning field, preferably in the state or local government sector;

• Advanced understanding of the Victorian planning system and related statutory controls/legislation with demonstrated knowledge of statutory planning principles and processes;

• Highly-developed written communication skills and extensive experience drafting statutory planning reports;

• Demonstrated ability in developing and implementing process improvement initiatives and

• Knowledge and understanding of health and safety issues relevant to work activities and work area.

To Apply

This position closes Sunday 3rd August 2025. Please ensure that you provide a cover letter, current resume, address the key selection criteria as well as complete an application cover sheet.

The successful applicant will be required to undergo a full employment medical and police check.

Contact

For any additional questions, please contact Connor Perrott, Manager Statutory Planning on 0419 108 257.

At the City of Ballarat, we celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive, flexible workplace where everyone feels welcome. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities to apply. If you need any support during the recruitment process, reach out to us at [email protected]

We’re proud to be a child-safe organisation, committed to protecting children and young people from harm. Our culture promotes their safety and wellbeing, and we require all successful candidates to undergo relevant screening, including a Working with Children Check and criminal history check.