Facing community
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 | 07-Oct-2011 12.00pm
By Megan Spencer
When Hugh Waller begins talking about Bend Arts, the new arts group he started in Bendigo only weeks ago, his answer to my first question startles me...
“How many members does the group have?” I ask, pen poised.
“One hundred and twenty-two,” he answers. Then thinking aloud, he adds “On Friday we had 43, and by Sunday we had 122”.
“It trebled within three days?”
“Yep”.
If we were talking real world group membership, such as a ye olde monthly members meeting in a hall somewhere – and back a few decades too – of course such a membership spike would be phenomenal. Eighty newbies showing up out of the blue, over one weekend to participate in a fledgling regional arts group? Not likely.
But we’re not. We’re talking about a Facebook group, which Hugh started a month ago, as a result of a deficit he saw in the artistic landscape of Bendigo.
A digital artist of 10 years, the last time we spoke for this column, it was about an exhibition Hugh held with two friends at Dudley House. At the tail end he told me he wanted to start a social group for local artists, to meet and swap information.
Et voila, Bend Arts is born.
“Oh it had to be done,” he says, with the courage of his convictions.
“There are still many artists – or creative people – in Bendigo who exist at a kind of subterranean level. With Bend Arts I want to bring them into the light – both the general public and artists at large.
“At the moment it’s a starting point. I want to get the ball rolling for creative people within our community to get connected, and provide a Central Information Hub, with local and interstate opportunities.
“It’s also a space where people can show their work, promote events or for random thought,” he laughs.
“The idea is for people to get involved and post [content] – not just leave it to the same people all the time”.
So far the Bend Arts Facebook group is made up of a “broad spectrum” of members aged 18 to 55, being professional and amateur writers, visual artists, cartoonists, crafters, musicians, venue owners, sculptors and photographers, and – just as importantly – their audience.
“You don’t have to be an artist to join,” says Hugh.
“There’s an expectation too that others should be taking care of the arts for us. I think we’ve got to help ourselves.”
For now Hugh is happy to volunteer his time. But it’s a numbers game. “Statistically we should be able to support this,” he says of Bendigo, with maths on his side.
“If the Bureau of Statistics says that 15 per cent of the population support art events other than cinema, then in a city of 92,000 we should be able to get at least 1000 members.
“Once that happens I should be able to get some local [financial] interest, to help support hosting the website and contribute”.
I ask Hugh to time travel forward a year. Where would he like things to be for Bend Arts?
“The Facebook group is only a part of it,” he answers before I even finish the question. “The website is up – with a mobile website too – there are Bend Arts social events, pub nights, functions, members’ exhibitions, gigs, writing events – who knows, we might even have a festival
“Realistically it could take three to four years years”, he adds. “But I never thought we’d have this level of interest so early either”.
With a bit more help from Facebook, it might be a lot quicker than he thinks.
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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