Taxi drivers identified

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 | 23-Nov-2011 4.42pm

Taxi passengers outside metropolitan Melbourne will soon be greeted by a photo of their driver when they jump into a cab, with in-cab photo identification set to be rolled out across the state.

Announcing the rollout, Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said in-cab photo ID was a ‘big win’ for passengers and the industry in Victoria.

“Photo ID has significant benefits for customers and the industry, increasing passenger safety, combating fraud and building confidence in taxi services,” Mr Mulder said.

“It’s a big win for anyone catching a cab in regional Victoria and it’s a big win for country drivers and the industry.

“It has been mandatory for drivers in metropolitan Melbourne to display photo identification in their taxis for years now, and this project will see that requirement extended to every cabbie in the state.”

Mr Mulder said the rollout would begin in Geelong, Dandenong and Frankston in December and January, and continue across Victoria next year.

“The biggest stage in the project is taking photos of the nearly 2,000 drivers who service areas outside Melbourne,” Mr Mulder said.

“The Victorian Taxi Directorate will be doing the hard yards out at depots across the state taking of photos of taxi drivers.

“It’s a big job but it’s worth it for the benefits it brings to the industry and the community.”

Mr Mulder said the rollout of photo identification in non-metropolitan areas was yet another example of the government getting on with the job while the Taxi Industry Inquiry undertook its comprehensive review of taxi services in Victoria.

“The Coalition Government has always said that the Inquiry would not be a barrier to concrete improvements to taxi services,” Mr Mulder said.

“With criminal data checking of drivers, quality assurance testing for new applicants, new guidelines for training providers and now photo ID in non-metropolitan taxis, the government is building better taxi services through stronger driver standards.”