In response to receiving up to 2,000 complaints a year about hooning, Ballarat council will develop a plan to target those who Councillor Jay Morrison says treat “public streets as their own personal racetrack”.
What happened? City of Ballarat councillors voted unanimously on September 23 to develop a road safety strategy and action plan.
“Unlike other councils across Victoria, we currently don’t have a standalone policy,” Morrison told the chamber.
Councillor Des Hudson, an ex-police officer, said hooning was a “growing issue” and “more people think they can drive recklessly and get away with it - until the inevitable happens”.
Acting Mayor Ben Taylor said that infrastructure alone won't fix the problem.
“If human behaviour wants to happen, it will happen and it doesn’t matter where it is,” he said.
Blitz: Earlier this month, 28 drivers were arrested by police in a crackdown on “mainies” through Ballarat's central Sturt Street dubbed Operation Talladega.
One of the “alleged speedsters”, aged 19, was caught driving almost double the limit, clocking just under 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. He told police he was simply “keen to get home”. His car was impounded for 30 days.
What next? The council will work to develop a future road safety strategy and action plan, and outlined their commitment to partnerships with Victoria Police and education programs.
Funding will be sourced in the 2027/28 budget.