Greater Bendigo City Council will next week consider the Bendigo City Centre Plan for adoption, following community consultation during 2019.
A report recommending that the Plan, and the associated Parking Futures Action Plan, be adopted and a process started to add the documents to the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme, will go before Council on May 6.
City Director Strategy and Growth Bernie O’Sullivan said the Plan provided a vision and clear direction to manage the growth of the Bendigo city centre.
“The Plan aims to facilitate high quality development through design principles and integrating car parking,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“As the City is responsible for managing public areas and is not a property investor, additional work was included to provide direction to ensure high quality design outcomes.”
The Council report summarises the feedback from community consultation completed last year, which focused on infrastructure needed for development in the centre of Bendigo (in particular water, pressure and electricity voltage), as well as heritage and car parking.
“A total of 26 submissions were received as part of the consultation process and most were supportive of the Plan.
“An area raised for consideration by some community members was the protection of Bendigo’s heritage. A Bendigo City Centre Heritage Study – Individually Significant Places has also been completed and will be considered at the same council meeting. This work supports specific heritage issues that some community members raised.
“We made some changes to reflect feedback from the community and have refined the Plan so we are now confident it considers and provides direction on all the relevant challenges and opportunities presented by the Bendigo city centre.”
The planning scheme amendment process will provide the community with further opportunity to provide feedback on the Bendigo City Centre Plan.
