Mentor at hand
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 | 01-Jul-2011 4.45
«
Alice Pickles, Krista Harbatiuk, Emily Boehm and Emily Richards-Jones.
»
Mentoring is having a bit of a resurgence.
You often hear in the news of cultural, sporting or professional development programs, where ‘profile’ mentors are enlisted to give folk opportunities which otherwise wouldn’t come a-knocking…
Here’s another definition of mentoring I found that I like: “A mentor is an individual, usually older, always more experienced, who helps and guides another individual’s development. This guidance is not done for personal gain”. (About.com)
The key is at the end: mentoring is a shared relationship where an exchange occurs. It’s not simply ‘teaching’ or a one-way street, where one imparts information to another.
The ‘x-factor’ is experience. Mentoring requires someone to share not just what they have learned within a particular field; it asks them to give the context in which they learned it.
Mistakes and secrets. That kind of knowledge – giving someone the benefit of experience – is liquid gold.
It gives people insight and thus, a chance to evolve.
And the mentee too shares new perspectives with the mentor.
The ‘old dog’ gets to learn new tricks!
I was really happy to hear about the Next On Now “young artists mentoring program”, which aims to assist 30 artists in our region, aged 17 to 25.
Krista Horbatiuk is the coordinator of the project, funded by the Australia Council and other arts agencies, via local arts incubator, Punctum.
A Castlemaine transplant (via Sydney and Canada), Krista has kept her ear to the ground, discovering the needs of local emerging artists, studying at BRIT, BSSC and La Trobe Uni, and/or beyond.
The aim is to develop a comprehensive mentoring program pairing 5 practising artists (in their 20s), with 30 young artists, then produce 10 distinct projects.
This will culminate in a weekend-long festival and exhibition called Art Blast, February 25 to 26, 2012. The plan is (fingers crossed) for it to occupy Bendigo’s Beehive Mining Exchange, above Allan’s Walk.
My head’s buzzing already with possibilities…
The idea is for artists to create work in each room under the guidance of a mentor. “Each project will take around three months to develop, with around 40 hours of mentorship involved,” Krista tells me.
“Young artists – let alone young regional artists – don’t always get professional practise opportunities.
“Next On Now and Art Blast is an opportunity to get a public presentation and learn from professionals who practise all the time. You don’t always get that in school.”
Krista is also offering further networking opportunities to the participating artists through Punctum’s evolving network of regional artists.
While most of the mentors are confirmed – including ex-BSSC graduate Brett Ludemman – so far only three young Bendigo artists have signed on.
“Everything!” Krista beams at me when I ask what kind of artists are eligible to apply.
“Performance, visual arts, music, sound art, multimedia, writing – we want to get them involved in all aspects of the production too, not just the work.”
A blog is being set up for artists to contribute to, and more male mentors are being sought.
While I’ve always valued the idea of mentoring – and have mentored plenty of times myself – it’s an opportunity that ultimately eluded me when I was ‘coming up’. One that might have saved me some hard yards, had I found the right person.
Next On Now sounds like a pretty good deal to me. One you’d have to fight tooth and nail for, if you lived in the city..
Next information session and workshop for Next On Now: Thursday 18 August, 5pm, Old Fire Station on View Street. Contact Krista on 0401 167 756 or krista@punctum.com.au.
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.”
Comment