Planning changes raise concerns
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 | 15-Oct-2012
Greater Bendigo council is concerned that proposed planning zone changes by the State Government may inadvertently reduce commercial investment in Bendigo’s CBD and other key activity centres.
In a submission to Planning Minister Matthew Guy, council said it supports many of the changes to provide more flexible planning zones. However some of the suggested changes will likely detract greatly from Bendigo’s look and feel.
The submission calls on Mr Guy to allow for more time to fully consider the implications of the proposed changes.
Council Planning and Development Director Prue Mansfield said the council had worked hard to retain the viability of Bendigo’s commercial centres, including village centres such as Eaglehawk, Strathdale and Kangaroo Flat, as well as the CBD.
Ms Mansfield said that allowing commercial developments, including supermarkets, outside these areas could threaten 150 years of town planning.
“Our centres are very well planned and have built on the significant legacy that our city’s founders left us when they laid out our city around 150 years ago,” she said.
“These proposed changes will encourage investors to look outside our commercial centres for development opportunities and this has the potential to impact on the long-term viability of these centres and the look and feel of our city as a whole.
“The council is also concerned about the proposed changes to industrial zones. The availability of industrial land is very important to our economic success. It is expensive to provide as it needs significant infrastructure to meet business needs.
“We are concerned about the risk of reducing industrial investor confidence and security in established areas, as well as putting even more pressure on industrial land supply in Bendigo.”
Ms Mansfield said the council was concerned with the ‘one size fits all’ approach being taken by the government and encouraged Mr Guy to make sure the changes did not have negative outcomes for regional centres such as Bendigo, which have very different issues than metropolitan areas.
Copies of the submission are included in the council agenda for Wednesday’s meeting which is available online at
www.bendigo.vic.gov.au
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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