- Published:
- Monday 29 February 2016
Thousands of people in the City of Ballarat are unaware that they are sitting on an unexpected windfall of unclaimed money.
Over $1.6 million is waiting to be claimed, ranging from $20 all the way up to Ballarat’s single biggest entitlement of over $46,000, followed by almost $15,000 for a man in Lucas, and over $8500 for a woman in Bakery Hill.
The State Revenue Office holds records of money that remain unclaimed after 12 months.
This includes share dividends, salaries and wages, rents and bonds, debentures and interest, and proceeds from sales.
As at 31 January 2016, in the City of Ballarat this equalled 23,885 individual entitlements for 46 suburbs including Magpie, Cardigan, Invermay, Wattle Flat and Newington. Across Victoria, there are over 1.5 million entitlements waiting to be claimed.
Ballarat Central leads with $645,379.16 (7572 entitlements), followed by Wendouree ($173,843.80 for 3591 entitlements) and Sebastopol ($121,535.57 for 2135 entitlements).
To search for your unclaimed money, visit sro.vic.gov.au/unclaimedmoney
Quotes attributable to Treasurer Tim Pallas
“I encourage all Ballarat residents, businesses and community groups to visit the State Revenue Office online database and search for any amount recorded under their name.”
“You just need to type your name and if we’re holding unclaimed money for you, you’ll know within seconds. If you find an unexpected windfall, just follow the prompts to start the recovery process.”
“The database is a quick and easy online search tool, so there is no need to involve a third party to track down your money.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard
“While you may never find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a pot of unclaimed money could be the next best thing.”
“With $1.6 million waiting to be claimed in this community, thousands of people in Ballarat may soon have smiles on their faces thanks to some extra cash to pay a few bills or for a fun day out.”
Top 10 total amounts
| Suburb | Total amount* |
| Ballarat Central | $645,379.16 |
| Wendouree | $173,843.80 |
| Sebastopol | $121,535.57 |
| Lake Wendouree | $75,553.08 |
| Alfredton | $66,904.02 |
| Delacombe | $54,145.46 |
| Redan | $47,474.99 |
| Soldiers Hill | $44,174.06 |
| Buninyong | $35,956.24 |
| Bakery Hill | $35,333.97 |
*The amount is the total of all unclaimed money lodged for the suburb
Top 10 entitlement areas
| Suburb | Entitlements |
| Ballarat Central | 7572 |
| Wendouree | 3591 |
| Sebastopol | 2135 |
| Alfredton | 1201 |
| Delacombe | 964 |
| Lake Wendouree | 863 |
| Soldiers Hill | 786 |
| Redan | 777 |
| Buninyong | 641 |
| Golden Point | 554 |