Editorial Comment

AS we enter the last two weeks before Greater Bendigo council’s 2013-14 Draft Budget is handed down, we are again faced with the age-old Bendigo dilemma. Councillors, who have still not settled on a rates rise, are also at odds about what to spend the money on. What we will see over ..

HISTORY and Bendigo go hand in hand, and another chapter was written this week. The Bendigo Weekly was proud to deliver the news online at lunchtime Tuesday that the sale of the historic Fortuna Villa had fallen through, and another buyer was in the wings. Fortuna is a vital thread in Ben..

At a pivotal time in this city’s growth and development, maybe the independent review of Greater Bendigo council’s operations should be engaged to closely examine the impacts of a much talked about capped four per cent rate rise on the city’s budget. At a time when highly anticip..

The case of Veronica Hudson, who killed her abusive partner Edward Heron at the Bendigo Showgrounds on Boxing Day in December 2011, is, without doubt, tragic. When Supreme Court judge Betty King heard the case last month, she made headlines by using the terrible history of a woman, now 43, as an e..

Has the Anzac legend become Australia’s new religion? It’s a point worth considering as more and more of us flock to memorial services on one of the most important and solemn days on the national calendar. From emotion-charged dawn services where the Last Post echoes through the stil..

With Greg Bickley Bendigo is one of Australia’s great regional capitals where we create our own opportunities to achieve and grow. Our history as a city and a region contains many examples of getting things done to give our children a better future. We flourish on hope, reward and ..

Bendigo can be proud of the outstanding job of our school principals and teachers. While the teachers, staff and school community are all working hard to ensure their students receive a quality education, I have visited and spoken to too many Bendigo schools that are struggling with budget pressu..

“The issue isn’t public opinion… it’s leadership”. This was the reaction on twitter yesterday morning from Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome to the New Zealand parliament’s decision on Wednesday to support marriage equality. Our Kiw..

At high noon yesterday, Planning Minister Matthew Guy launched the G21 Geelong Regional Plan deep in the heart of the fast-growing Barwon region. G21 is a pioneer among regions looking to have a greater say in their own future. It’s a high-powered collaboration of local government, busine..

FOR the third week in a row, the Bendigo Weekly’s front page has been dominated by the future of Fortuna Villa. The Weekly makes no apologies for putting this issue front and centre. The history of Bendigo is worth fighting for. Too many times in the city’s past, our leaders have ..

OF the hundreds of calls, letters, comments, tweets and posts the Bendigo Weekly received this week about Fortuna Villa, one stood out. It was a call from a lady from Gladstone Park in Melbourne. Her name is Elaine Brogan, and she was incensed. “I am so angry,” she said. “I..

BENDIGO is at its best at Easter time. The weather has turned for the better, the gardens are greening up and the city comes alive. Drive, cycle, walk or jog through the streets of Bendigo at the moment and you will be hard pressed to not be impressed at how good the city looks as the biggest w..

THIS week’s release of the federal and state election priorities booklet by the City of Greater Bendigo would have raised a few eyebrows for some of the initiatives included in the comprehensive wishlist for the region. Amid the predictable words of support and interest in projects such as t..

THE metaphor of the boy pushing the wheelbarrow is apt to describe Lockwood Ward councillor Elise Chapman’s campaign to fix our rubbish woes. For both, the job is in front of them. Bendigo has a poor record when it comes to waste. We throw way too much out, and, at times, almost a fifth of..

While federal politicians continued to play politics this week, one rather important milestone was actually achieved in the background, but it has failed to garner the support and reporting it so thoroughly deserves. The House of Representatives yesterday passed amendments to the National Disabili..

With Peter Kennedy There have been some disgraceful scenes in our nation’s capital this week where a lack of respect for the office of Prime Minister, and the person who is our Prime Minister, overflowed in a very unsavoury and public way. Julia Gillard is Prime Minister of the count..

With Marika McMahon ON Sunday, the skies over Bendigo were a magnificent blue. The heat has been unrelenting this summer, at times the humidity something more like Townsville than Central Victoria. There was a slight breeze, but nothing compared to the buzz in the air. Sunday was the ..

It has been a tough year for professional sport, and it is only March. Between AFL, swimming, cycling, rugby league soccer et al, the headlines have not been great. However, for locals, it is the exact opposite. Bendigo has been swept up in the Spirit. It is pleasing at the best of..

Towards the end of this week’s City of Greater Bendigo council meeting I tweeted an acknowledgement of the strong campaign by those who want to save the Golden Square pool. As one who publicly stated their belief that the pool should shut for the sake of every other and the broader cou..

Next weekend, Bendigo will play host to two major sporting events in the grand final of the Women’s National Basketball League and the Bendigo International Madison. The Bendigo Spirit’s journey to hosting the grand final of the nation’s premier female basketball competition has ..