Theatre finally gets go-ahead
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 | 08-Oct-2012
Planning Minister Matthew Guy has given the green light for the Bendigo Gaol Theatre Project to proceed by approving an amendment to the Greater Bendigo planning scheme, which will be gazetted this week.
The amendment will pave the way for construction of Bendigo’s new $25.8 million, 1,000 seat community theatre project.
“This project has strong local support, particularly from the City of Greater Bendigo, will create 121 construction jobs and be an important community asset upon completion,” Mr Guy said.
“Along with the construction of the $600 million new Bendigo Hospital, this facility will represent new investment in Victoria’s fourth largest city that adds to the confidence and social capital befitting one of the largest inland cities in Australia.
“This project has strong support from the Greater Bendigo community and will provide state of the art cultural and educational facilities that will further put Bendigo on the cultural map and add to Bendigo’s reputation as our most trendy regional city.”
“Further, the historical importance of the site has not been underestimated and the project will pay respect to the heritage significance of the Bendigo Gaol site."
Mr Guy called in the project after an appeal lead by former mayor Daryl McClure, to the Victorian Civil and Adminsitrative Tribunal.
The $25.8 million project is being funded by the Victorian Coalition Government, Australian Government and the City of Greater Bendigo and was given planning certainty through the Planning Minister, incorporating the theatre plans in to the city’s planning scheme," Mr Guy said.
“It was vitally important for Greater Bendigo that this project receive planning certainty and proceed and as such an incorporated planning document was necessary to give confidence that it would go ahead."
Nationals Member for Northern Victoria Region, Damian Drum, today welcomed move, calling it "swift" and "positive".
“It is now possible for this long-needed project to happen without being threatened by unnecessary and potentially expensive delays through objections,” he said.
“The Coalition State Government has taken on the theatre-in-the-gaol as a project of major importance to Bendigo’s development.
“A small number of people have expressed concerns at the Government’s decision to remove this important work from the usual objection process, but it is this Government’s belief – and mine – that the tiny number of objectors, and the peripheral issues they raised should not be allowed to jeopardise a project which has the overwhelming support of the community, Bendigo Senior Secondary College, the council, the Federal Government and the State Government.
“All of the issues mentioned by the objectors have already been addressed in the strategic work done by council, or are dealt with in the design phase.
“The Baillieu/Ryan Government said it would do what was needed to get this job done – and that’s what we’ve done,” Mr Drum said.
Mr Drum said it was time to stop nit-picking and to get on with the project.
“This is one case where it could really be said that the show must go on," he said.
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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