Tennis car park plan urged
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 | 20-Aug-2012 Council election latest
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The theatre plan has reignited discussions about a car park on the nearby tennis courts.
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A CITY of Greater Bendigo councillor has called for action on a plan to build a multi-storey car park on the city’s lawn tennis courts, to ease pressure in the precinct.
North West Plains Ward councillor Bruce Phillips has advocated for the plan for a number of years, and said with the new theatre plan for the former Bendigo jail, a plan he supports, the need was now urgent.
“I’m the first to admit that we may have done better in terms of car parking in this precinct,” he said.
“In the fullness of time, I believe, that we will have to provide increased and more accessible car parking in this very popular and used precinct.
“I may, or not, have been the first to advocate the use of the, already, excavated area of the lawn tennis courts to provide, say, 400 car parking spaces, with reinstatement of the tennis courts on top, but over the eight years of such pushing and promotion, I’ve not been able to get much traction.
“It, until now, has may not been urgent, it will cost about $6 million, including accommodation of the tennis fraternity, and council has been consumed with other pressing funding priorities.”
Cr Phillips, who will run in the Lockwood Ward at the October election, said the theatre plan was too important to stall.
“There appears to be very strong, an encouraging, public support for the development of the major theatre at the jail site with a few individuals dissenting,” he said.
“This is an issue which will not be solved by a ‘head in the sand’ philosophy. It is not a reason to refuse a unique opportunity to build the theatre that Bendigo needs and deserves, but it is strong motivation to continue to advocate, and work toward, provision of the car parking space needed to serve the precinct with minimal effects on the other essential functions .
“This is not a sentence but a pardon from our constraints and a statement of progress.
“The deal on table is a mere basic cost of $3m for a $23m facility.
“Council may be criticised for being opportunistic but, equally, has been commended for taking such a rare opportunity.”
Cr Phillips said a car park on the tennis courts was vital to accommodate the theatre and the other uses of the precinct, including parking for hospital staff.
“There are some who can’t appreciate the potential of the theatre scheme, some who don’t care, and some who believe that parking is not needed because people will come to the precinct by bus, taxi, on foot or bicycle,” he said.
“In reality, this a precinct used, for various reasons, by the whole municipality and the region.
“Very few will come other than by car. If council could manage conflicts for demand of parking spaces within time frames - it might all work, but I cannot accept that council has control of everything that might happen at any given time.
“There is also the issue of shift change of staff at the hospital which has the propensity to double the parking requirement over a short time period.
“Council has committed to a new study to cater for all parking needs in the precinct with financial support of Bendigo Health and the State Government.
“Council also needs to pull the Rosalind Park Master Plan out of the bottom drawer and revise it to take account of recent proposals.”
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.”
goers at night.