Bendigo education jobs cut
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.”
Anthony Radford | Bendigo Weekly | 21-Sep-2012
UP to 100 jobs and vital literacy and numeracy programs are expected to be lost from Bendigo during the restructure of Victoria’s Education Department.
The Bendigo-based Loddon Mallee regional office will merge with the Coburg-based Northern Metropolitan region headquarters.
The Community and Public Sector Union has confirmed at least 41 jobs will go from the Bendigo office, with department sources quoting figures close to 100.
The proposed statewide restructure will see nine regions merged into four.
CPSU organiser Nick Church said the job cuts would hit the department, schools and the general community.
“We are hearing numbers of a similar nature,” he said.
“We have at least 41 on a list. When you include that with what we are hearing on the ground, then that number of people, 100, could be true.”
Mr Church said staff could know their fate as early as next week.
“They are merging Loddon Mallee Region with Northern Metropolitan Region. We don’t know where people will end up and who will lose their jobs. We just don’t know.
“The government will confirm nothing until the end of the consultation period, which is September 28.
“We are talking about a significant amount of people.”
Mr Church said positions had already been announced to go from local literacy and numeracy programs, reading recovery, drug education
programs, and refugee support programs.
“The government is claiming it is doing this to be more efficient. We reject all of that,” he said.
“Our concern is of the effect on the Victorian community, especially in the regions, as a result of these cuts.
“It will have a negative effect. Front line people will now be doing back-office roles as well which takes them off the front line.”
The Weekly also understands there is a fear teacher and principal support services, such as mentoring and coaching, would go under the cuts.
A spokesman for Education Minister Martin Dixon was unavailable for comment.
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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