Have your say on how the city moves forward
http://www.bendigoweekly.com/articles/6265/1/Have-your-say-on-how-the-city-moves-forward/Page1.html
By Anthony Radford
Published on 04/17/2008
THE Bendigo community will be asked to shape the future of their city over the coming months in one of the largest consultation processes the region has ever seen
THE Bendigo community will be asked to shape the future of their city over the coming months in one of the largest consultation processes the region has ever seen
Residents to help build Bendigo’s future
By ANTHONY RADFORD
THE Bendigo community will be asked to shape the future of their city over the coming months in one of the largest consultation processes the region has ever seen.
The Bendigo +25 Reference Group will release the top priorities of its six action groups over the next month, most of them long-term major infrastructure projects.
The projects will be in the areas of water and environment, transport, industry and innovation, art and culture, education and healthy living.
Once the projects are revealed in the coming weeks, residents will be asked for their opinions, and to submit their ideas and comments.
The feedback will then be used to lobby local, state and federal governments for project funding and commitments.
The Bendigo Weekly can this week unveil five of the priority projects that will be up for discussion.
In the transport area, funding for planning of the city’s road network, including a link road to take traffic out of the CBD, is a priority.
In the health sector, the group will push state and federal governments to redevelop the Bendigo hospital.
In the arts, the group will push for the redevelopment and extension of The Capital and the Bendigo Art Gallery.
Finding a home to display Bendigo’s history and heritage will be another of the group’s priorities.
One controversial idea already set to be put on the table for that is creating a museum at the old Bendigo jail in Rosalind Park.
The committee will also unveil more detailed plans surrounding the establishment of a technical education centre of excellence, using funding earmarked for the city’s secondary and technical colleges.
Bendigo + 25 was set up to give the city one voice when moving forward with major projects and planning, to make it easier to attract interest and funding.
More than 100 selected delegates from across the city joined together in April 2005 for a Future Search conference, in what was described as a landmark event to develop a shared vision and values for the region
The conference created the action groups, and the reference group was set up to oversee and run the agenda.
Reference group chairman Don Erskine said there had never been a more important time to start planning for the future needs of the community, and allowing every Bendigonian to be a part of it.
“Funding for long-term planning is required so development and growth of the city progresses in an orderly manner,” he said.
“A masterplan is required in several key infrastructure areas to cater for the next 20 to 100 years, by which time the population will grow to a quarter of a million people.
Mr Erskine said the rest of the projects, and the details of them, would start to be released in the next month.
“The detailed priorities of the action groups will be published for the community to comment on and add to,” he said.
“We are going out to the community and work out what they think, what they want.”
TRANSPORT
Bendigo + 25 Reference Group chairman Don Erskine said transport was one of the group’s major priority issues.
“Funding is required for a long-term road map for the city and for future development so town planning can evolve around that plan,” he said.
“Everything that is going on at the moment in this area is short term.
“The inner box was great, but it took 15 years. I don’t think we can wait another 15 years for some of the other road infrastructure that will be required.
“Planning needs to happen now. Funds need to be allocated to VicRoads and the council so this can take place.”
HEALTH
Mr Erskine said the improvement and expansion of the Bendigo hospital was also high on the reference group’s list.
“Funding is also required for planning the redevelopment of the hospital and associated support facilities,” he said.
“Decisions on location, logistics and future expansion require funding to be allocated now so they can be progressed in an orderly manner and not dictated by crisis in the future.”
EDUCATION
Mr Erskine said the group was also behind the push for a revolution in skills training across the region.
“The development of a technical centre of excellence based around the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE, using state and federal funding is also on the list.
“We need state funding (believed to be about $11 million) to expand BRIT’s Charleston Road complex to house it, and we want to combine federal school funding for technical training in schools.
“We will combine this and the Australian Technical College into this complex, which will give the region a technical training facility equal to the best there is.
“This would then become the engine to drive the development of industry in the region.”
To comment on these ideas and the others that will be released in the coming weeks, or to come up with an idea of your own, visit www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/bendigoplus25, write to Bendigo +25, PO Box 733, Bendigo, , 3552 or email r.laan@bendigo.vic.gov.au
To add to the debate, or to have your ideas nd suggestions published, let the Bendigo Weekly know by visiting www.bendigoweekly.com.au, email plus25@bendigoweekly.com.au, write to us at PO Box 324, Bendigo, 3552, or call our news room on 5442 5448.
Please attach your contact details for verification if you want tour comments published.
THE Bendigo community will be asked to shape the future of their city over the coming months in one of the largest consultation processes the region has ever seen.
The Bendigo +25 Reference Group will release the top priorities of its six action groups over the next month, most of them long-term major infrastructure projects.
The projects will be in the areas of water and environment, transport, industry and innovation, art and culture, education and healthy living.
Once the projects are revealed in the coming weeks, residents will be asked for their opinions, and to submit their ideas and comments.
The feedback will then be used to lobby local, state and federal governments for project funding and commitments.
The Bendigo Weekly can this week unveil five of the priority projects that will be up for discussion.
In the transport area, funding for planning of the city’s road network, including a link road to take traffic out of the CBD, is a priority.
In the health sector, the group will push state and federal governments to redevelop the Bendigo hospital.
In the arts, the group will push for the redevelopment and extension of The Capital and the Bendigo Art Gallery.
Finding a home to display Bendigo’s history and heritage will be another of the group’s priorities.
One controversial idea already set to be put on the table for that is creating a museum at the old Bendigo jail in Rosalind Park.
The committee will also unveil more detailed plans surrounding the establishment of a technical education centre of excellence, using funding earmarked for the city’s secondary and technical colleges.
Bendigo + 25 was set up to give the city one voice when moving forward with major projects and planning, to make it easier to attract interest and funding.
More than 100 selected delegates from across the city joined together in April 2005 for a Future Search conference, in what was described as a landmark event to develop a shared vision and values for the region
The conference created the action groups, and the reference group was set up to oversee and run the agenda.
Reference group chairman Don Erskine said there had never been a more important time to start planning for the future needs of the community, and allowing every Bendigonian to be a part of it.
“Funding for long-term planning is required so development and growth of the city progresses in an orderly manner,” he said.
“A masterplan is required in several key infrastructure areas to cater for the next 20 to 100 years, by which time the population will grow to a quarter of a million people.
Mr Erskine said the rest of the projects, and the details of them, would start to be released in the next month.
“The detailed priorities of the action groups will be published for the community to comment on and add to,” he said.
“We are going out to the community and work out what they think, what they want.”
TRANSPORT
Bendigo + 25 Reference Group chairman Don Erskine said transport was one of the group’s major priority issues.
“Funding is required for a long-term road map for the city and for future development so town planning can evolve around that plan,” he said.
“Everything that is going on at the moment in this area is short term.
“The inner box was great, but it took 15 years. I don’t think we can wait another 15 years for some of the other road infrastructure that will be required.
“Planning needs to happen now. Funds need to be allocated to VicRoads and the council so this can take place.”
HEALTH
Mr Erskine said the improvement and expansion of the Bendigo hospital was also high on the reference group’s list.
“Funding is also required for planning the redevelopment of the hospital and associated support facilities,” he said.
“Decisions on location, logistics and future expansion require funding to be allocated now so they can be progressed in an orderly manner and not dictated by crisis in the future.”
EDUCATION
Mr Erskine said the group was also behind the push for a revolution in skills training across the region.
“The development of a technical centre of excellence based around the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE, using state and federal funding is also on the list.
“We need state funding (believed to be about $11 million) to expand BRIT’s Charleston Road complex to house it, and we want to combine federal school funding for technical training in schools.
“We will combine this and the Australian Technical College into this complex, which will give the region a technical training facility equal to the best there is.
“This would then become the engine to drive the development of industry in the region.”
To comment on these ideas and the others that will be released in the coming weeks, or to come up with an idea of your own, visit www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/bendigoplus25, write to Bendigo +25, PO Box 733, Bendigo, , 3552 or email r.laan@bendigo.vic.gov.au
To add to the debate, or to have your ideas nd suggestions published, let the Bendigo Weekly know by visiting www.bendigoweekly.com.au, email plus25@bendigoweekly.com.au, write to us at PO Box 324, Bendigo, 3552, or call our news room on 5442 5448.
Please attach your contact details for verification if you want tour comments published.