Ballarat's 40 under 40

Hygge Director Joseph has featured in local newspaper The Courier’s 40 Under 40, a series of print and video interviews with Ballarat’s future leaders. Journalist Nieve Walton spoke with a diverse range of young leaders in the community who offer unique insights into the city of Ballarat.

The series looks at what these young leaders believe it will take to create and implement a plan for Ballarat that residents can be proud of.

In Meet the Leader Trying to get Alternative Housing Options to our CBD Joseph shared his excitement for Ballarat’s future, with its healthy population growth, which includes a changing demographic. He sees this shift as an exciting opportunity to bring back young people who have sought employment and educational opportunities elsewhere. For Joseph, and these young people, Ballarat offers a country feel with the opportunities and amenities of a major city.

"You can go out for a nice dinner, go shopping in Myer if you want … and you can ride for 10 minutes and you're out in the middle of the country."

Catering for the changing population in terms of their housing needs will be a major part of his focus. At the moment, development typically caters to young families, but there are people who want different things.

 "We understand that people want to live near the city, they want sustainability, they want alternative forms of transport that don't need car parking and they want energy efficient homes."

Joseph also shared his excitement about his role with the Ballarat International Foto Biennale and the tourism potential it offers the city.

Image Credit: Lachlan Bence