City can light the way
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.”
Ben Cameron | Bendigo Weekly | 18-Nov-2011 9.41am
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CALL: Cr Keith Reynard stands beside the outlet for the burnt gas produced at the Eaglehawk Tip. Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
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Bendigo can be a national leader in the changing world of energy production, green-conscious City if Greater Bendigo councillor Keith Reynard said this week.
Cr Reynard, also the chairman of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, said energy production would change significantly in the future and Bendigo was in a good place to embrace it.
He said it was simply a case of more support from business, organisations and the community.
“I would like to see Bendigo as a leader and an example of what can be done when we all embrace the need to change together,” he said.
“Broadly, we still see that our energy system is someone else’s responsibility and as long as the lights come on it is OK.”
With the carbon tax becoming law in July, Cr Reynard said it would provide opportunities for Central Victoria, with up to $10 billion available for renewable energy programs
“Central Victoria is in a good position to take advantage of these funds.”
Cr Reynard’s comments came after a Community Power conference held at The Capital earlier this week
This follows a number of recent council green initiatives, such as replacing its 7411 street lights with lower energy bulbs.
Council also unanimously supported a plan to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2020.
Council has been proactive in the past with cutting emissions.
Late in 2006, it announced a plan to cut carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2010. That target ultimately failed.
Cr Reynard said council didn’t recognise the urgency of the issue at the time, and that this is something many businesses are guilty of today.
“I believe there are many local businesses who have little understanding of their energy use, despite a number of community- based energy efficiency programs and greater availability of information,”
Cr Reynard said.
“A recent REMPLAN study has determined that it is quite feasible for most businesses to reduce their energy costs by 30 per cent through greater energy efficiency measures.”
Cr Reynard said a confirmed carbon price had triggered more businesses and organisations to take energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies more seriously, resulting in an increase in new local jobs and opportunities in emerging green industries.
He said it was an exciting time for the council as it began searching for ways to reach its 2020 goal.
“We are at the point where we can investigate options around solar on rooftops, co-generation, waste-to-energy, improved building heating and cooling systems,” Cr Reynard said.
“When you also realise that the economic viability of our business community is essentially underpinned by two major resources – that is security of water supply and the security of energy supply – you begin to realise how urgent it is to plan and prepare for the energy systems that will take us into the future.
“The need to act decisively to plan and prepare for a whole-of-Bendigo future energy plan is becoming more and more urgent.
“I urge business and manufacturing industries to become actively involved in driving this.”
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.”
held up as an example of success by promoters of green job fantasies. It has discovered however that for every so-called ‘green job’ created, most of which are temporary, 2.2 permanent real jobs were destroyed forever. Spain’s government admits it cost a million
Euros to subsidise each new ‘green job’. In Britain the figures are even worse with every job created in so-called 'renewable energy', 3.7 jobs are permanently lost to the mainstream economy. And now a new report confirms that Europe’s ‘carbon trading’ scheme
is collapsing with Europeans paying nearly $300 billion into the scheme for no reduction in their carbon dioxide emissions. All they have achieved is soaring electricity prices, energy poverty for their poor and the very real threat that their electricity
generation capacity will be insufficient for this winter’s harsh weather. To top off their dissatisfaction with wind and solar power, not only has it failed to deliver cheap reliable power, but now their once beautiful countryside and coastal views are ruined
by thousands of inefficient, bird and bat killing windmills twisting and roaring their perpetual noise.