Rail changes add to journey times
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.”
Joel Peterson | Bendigo Weekly | 19-Oct-2012
Bendigo V/Line travellers will face longer journey times to Melbourne as of November 18, when Metro train services start running to Sunbury.
The Sunbury Electrification Project is almost complete, and the line will be handed over to Metro in November, but it will come at a price for regional passengers.
A new timetable will come into effect on the day of the handover for the V/Line Bendigo corridor.
As a consequence, 24 of the current 46 weekday services to Melbourne will take longer to reach their destination.
Included in the 24 services are 11 that will face increases of at least five minutes to their travel time, with seven of those trains falling in peak periods.
Trains on the Bendigo line will no longer stop at Diggers Rest due to it being serviced by Metro trains.
Only three weekday trains will stop at the suburban Watergardens station, the current terminus of the Sydenham Metro line.
A spokesperson for Public Transport Victoria said the journey times will again increase when the Regional Rail Link project is completed in 2016.
“Prior to the introduction of Regional Rail Link in 2016, the new timetable will result in increased journey times on some V/Line services, particularly the Bendigo corridor,” the spokesperson said.
“These changes were necessary to deliver these improvements for the Sunbury corridor now, rather than wait until RRL is delivered.
“Many of the services with extended running times are during peak periods when there is a greater number of Metro services on the network.”
Due to the Metro trains servicing Sunbury, dedicated V/Line services that formerly terminated at Sunbury will be scrapped, allowing V/Line to bump up capacity of other services with the extra carriages.
“To ease overcrowding on the Bendigo line, Sunbury passengers will be encouraged to board Metro trains, which provide a far more frequent service,” PTV’s spokesperson said.
“Consistent with V/Line services around the network, Bendigo services will be designated as ‘pick-up only’ at Sunbury in the Bendigo direction and ‘drop-off only’ at Sunbury in the Melbourne direction.“
“With the vast majority of Sunbury passengers expected to catch Metro services, additional capacity will be created on V/Line services.”
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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