Pool a poll win
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 | 10-Feb-2012
THOSE campaigning for the pool at the planned aquatic centre at Kangaroo Flat to be 50 metres instead of 25 have walked into the perfect storm.
For years, council staff have been trying to convince councillors, members of the public and media, that a 25 metre pool was the way to go.
At council on Wednesday night, three councillors supported that view, and it is hard to work out why.
It is, however, not hard to work out why four – the majority on the night –rejected that push and voted for the larger option.
Money seemed to be the main reason councillors Peter Cox, James Reade and Rod Campbell voted against the 50 metre option.
However, the financial side of things, it would seem, was a good reason to vote for it.
The council report highlighted it would cost a little over 10 per cent more to double the size of the pool – $25 million to $28 million.
It sounds like good economic sense to make it bigger now, rather than in the future.
What also makes good economic sense is planning for future growth.
Pool campaigner and former City of Greater Bendigo councillor Alan Besley used to preface most of his council reports by describing Kangaroo Flat as the ever-growing southern gateway of the city.
He was right, both geographically and demographically. Kangaroo Flat is almost full. There are new housing estates popping up everywhere.
Like the rest of Bendigo, residential growth is booming.
It is therefore odd some councillors would vote for a $12 million, four-storey residential and commercial development in Wills Street one minute, citing the need for such projects in our ever-growing city, and vote against the pool, which will help cater for such growth, the next.
On top of that there is the city’s obesity crisis, with Bendigo being home to the second-largest (pun intended) percentage of overweight or obese people in Victoria.
Surely a 50m pool would encourage more people to get out and start swimming, rather than a cramped 25m facility.
There is also the political reality of the project, which is where
the perfect storm comes to life.
With a retiring federal member, issues like a Kangaroo Flat pool become important in the electorate.
Both sides of federal politics should be keen to throw money at the plan, at some stage along the journey.
Perhaps more significant is state politics. The Labor Party took a big hit in Bendigo West, which includes Kangaroo Flat, at the 2010 election.
Maree Edwards is vulnerable and the Nationals know it, which is why their candidate, Stephen Oliver, campaigned strongly on the pool plan.
However, there are also council politics that come into play.
While there is no questioning the legitimacy of their reasons, three, not one, of the four councillors who voted for the 50m option, may face voters from Kangaroo Flat at the election due later this year.
Under the new structure a large part of the wards of Barry Lyons (Kangaroo Flat Ward), Rod Fyffe (Golden Square) and Bruce Phillips (North West Plains) will now be in one ward – the Lockwood Ward.
That ward, which will have three representatives, includes the entirety of Kangaroo Flat. A good example of all politics being local.
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.”
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