National outlook
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 | 16-Dec-2011 11.27am
IT is unimaginable that the Bendigo Spirit could lose its fight to keep its head above water.
There are many options open to it, and the city, to help it stay afloat.The first, and most obvious option, is for current sponsors to come forward to help the franchise meet its $50,000 deficit in time for the end of June.
That includes the City of Greater Bendigo council which, when compared to some other councils who have a WNBL side in their area, can tip more in.
After all, the Spirit arguably sits second to the Bendigo Bank in taking the city’s name to the rest of Australia.
Bendigo Art Gallery (which operates at a loss each year) does a pretty good job of that, too.
The Spirit is Bendigo’s only national sporting team. Geelong Cats aside, no other rural Victorian centre has a national sporting team.
With that in mind, there is little doubt the community will rally after Christmas and help the Spirit make ends meet.
But, is that the best option? The Spirit needs to be sustainable in the long term.
On-court success (and there has been plenty of it) has not resulted in off-court success, and there needs to be accountability for why not.
It is unclear whether a premiership – and all the goodwill and publicity that would create – would be enough to get the Spirit out of the financial doldrums this year.
Sustainability is hard to achieve in a city the size of Bendigo.
To this day, if you walk into the Bendigo Stadium to watch a Spirit match, there is a fair chance you will be able see it for free, such is the lack of infrastructure, and possible care, that exists.
Mind you, with recent crowd numbers, letting people in free might be a good idea.
What this points to is a lack of support from the wider Bendigo basketball community.
While the Bendigo Basketball Association and Bendigo Stadium Ltd are doing more now than they ever have to support the Spirit, they need to do more.
This can only be achieved by bringing the Spirit in under the BBA structure, to have them as, like the Braves and Lady Braves, part of the BBA.
While basketball in Bendigo is, at times, incestuous and cliquey, that is only because those involved are passionate.
The BBA has had great success. Basketball is one of the few sports in Bendigo that is self-sufficient and receives little, if any, government grant money. The Spirit would benefit greatly in being under the BBA umbrella.
There would be a clearer pathway for women, from the Lady Braves to the Spirit, and the WNBL side would benefit from the BBA’s promotion and infrastructure strengths.
It would allow the BBA to run a national team, a desire it has always held, and would make basketball in Bendigo a superpower.
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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