A force for good
BENDIGO’S residential Strategy will be reviewed because of greater than expected growth.
The State Government has announced a grant of $50,000 to carry out the review.
The review is needed because, according to the State Government, 40 per cent of the forecast growth between 2006 and 2031 had already been realised.
Regional Development Parliamentary Secretary Damian Drum made the announcement this morning.
Mr Drum said the Bendigo Residential Strategy Review would deliver greater community and investor certainty, helping the region grow.
“The Bendigo Residential Development Strategy was adopted in 2004 and is currently being audited because of the faster than anticipated growth that has occurred in Bendigo in recent years,” he said.
“Strong residential growth has many flow-on economic benefits and having a clear framework for future development will position Greater Bendigo City Council to undertake more detailed, place-based planning in the future.”
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan said about 40 per cent of the forecast growth between 2006 and 2031 had already been realised.
The Residential Strategy impacts directly on where and how property developments use “infill” parcels of land, range of housing styles and also on housing affordability.
“This project will review the strategy, assess current and estimated land supply and demand and consider various legislative and policy changes,” Mr Ryan said,
“It will also consider the latest demographic data and establish a new strategic framework to guide the long-term residential growth of Greater Bendigo.
“The project will result in a revised residential strategy that will give developers, the community and service providers greater surety and confidence about where land can be developed for residential purposes, and that sufficient land is available to accommodate the City of Greater Bendigo’s future growth.”
Mr Ryan said a contemporary strategic planning framework was essential to the economic development of a large regional centre like Bendigo.
“Clearly identifying future growth options and supporting infrastructure needs will enable the Greater Bendigo City Council and other infrastructure providers to plan their capital works programs well in advance,” he said.
“Identifying long-term growth areas will enable the council and other service authorities to start planning for the delivery of services, thereby minimising the lag time between when residential development occurs and when the services need to be in place.”
Bendigo Weekly | Bendigo Weekly | 20-Jan-2012
NEWSPAPERS are often criticised for being too negative. It’s an easy criticism, but it’s also an easy target.
News services follow the story, simple as that. They follow it no matter where it goes, no matter who it annoys and no matter what happens next.
To a person on the wrong end of a news story, that can often be hard to fathom, but it is the real world and those who don’t get it shouldn’t be involved in public life.
What is always missed in these arguments is the positive things news companies regularly do.
What has been seen as “negative” angles on stories in the past few years have resulted in such things as saving Bendigo from running out of water – twice. Following the story and sticking to it has also assisted in the achievement for Bendigo of a bigger, better hospital.
People seem to not read positive stories. It seems, too, that positive contributions made by news outlets to communities are also often forgotten.
This week, the Bendigo Weekly is proud to introduce two major positives for the city.
The first is the Better Health Club. Instead of just reporting the story that 56.2 per cent of the city are obese or overweight, we chose, like the hospital and the water crisis, to do something about it.
We have started the club to deliver all the information and stories people need to
lose weight and live healthier lifestyles in the most-read publication in Bendigo – the Weekly.
We want to make it as easy as possible for people, if they choose, to lose weight.
We will unveil, over the next few weeks, more detail that will allow locals to join in, have fun and live better.
We welcome community input in this most important initiative for a better life in Bendigo.
The second major positive in this week’s Weekly is the announcement that Bendigo will have its own writers’ festival.
Bendigo’s cultural heart is strong, thanks mainly to the city’s galleries and theatres. We have an excellent library system, which will get even better when the redevelopment is completed.
All capital cities, and many regional towns, have writers’ festivals but, until now,
Bendigo has not had one of our own.
Many newcomers, impressed by the city’s infrastructure and also how much cultural activity is going on here and in the region, wonder why we haven’t yet started up a writers’ festival to add to the city’s attractions.
Weekly journalist Rosemary Sorensen was one of those newcomers, coming to us after many years as an arts and literary journalist. She saw that Bendigo is, right now, perfectly placed to create just such a festival. We have the expertise, the enthusiasm and the venues to make it work.
For us at the Weekly it’s a perfect fit too. We will back the city and all those who have already put up their hands to be involved, and help make our writers’ festival a success.
It is another way to show people visiting Bendigo that this is a city with (good) attitude.
BENDIGO’S residential Strategy will be reviewed because of greater than expected growth.
The State Government has announced a grant of $50,000 to carry out the review.
The review is needed because, according to the State Government, 40 per cent of the forecast growth between 2006 and 2031 had already been realised.
Regional Development Parliamentary Secretary Damian Drum made the announcement this morning.
Mr Drum said the Bendigo Residential Strategy Review would deliver greater community and investor certainty, helping the region grow.
“The Bendigo Residential Development Strategy was adopted in 2004 and is currently being audited because of the faster than anticipated growth that has occurred in Bendigo in recent years,” he said.
“Strong residential growth has many flow-on economic benefits and having a clear framework for future development will position Greater Bendigo City Council to undertake more detailed, place-based planning in the future.”
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan said about 40 per cent of the forecast growth between 2006 and 2031 had already been realised.
The Residential Strategy impacts directly on where and how property developments use “infill” parcels of land, range of housing styles and also on housing affordability.
“This project will review the strategy, assess current and estimated land supply and demand and consider various legislative and policy changes,” Mr Ryan said,
“It will also consider the latest demographic data and establish a new strategic framework to guide the long-term residential growth of Greater Bendigo.
“The project will result in a revised residential strategy that will give developers, the community and service providers greater surety and confidence about where land can be developed for residential purposes, and that sufficient land is available to accommodate the City of Greater Bendigo’s future growth.”
Mr Ryan said a contemporary strategic planning framework was essential to the economic development of a large regional centre like Bendigo.
“Clearly identifying future growth options and supporting infrastructure needs will enable the Greater Bendigo City Council and other infrastructure providers to plan their capital works programs well in advance,” he said.
“Identifying long-term growth areas will enable the council and other service authorities to start planning for the delivery of services, thereby minimising the lag time between when residential development occurs and when the services need to be in place.”
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