City sures up industrial, preservable land

THE City of Greater Bendigo council has voted to adopt a group of strategy and planning revisions and amendments that will provide direction around the use of existing industrial land in the City and supply a thirty-year pipeline of equivalent acreage going forward.

The documents are the revised Greater Bendigo Industrial Land Development Strategy (2025), the Greater Bendigo Industrial Development Guidelines (2025) and Planning Scheme Amendment C282gben.

Planning Scheme Amendment C282gben helps to implement the revised Greater Bendigo Industrial Land Development Strategy by making changes to the Municipal Planning Strategy and the Planning Policy Framework of the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme.

The Amendment also supports the proposed Bendigo Regional Employment Precinct and rezones land at 1029 Calder Highway Maiden Gully, just over 10 kilometres from the CBD, from Industrial 1 Zone to Public Conservation and Resource Zone.

This rezoning reflects the 21.27 hectare property’s environmental/conservation value and serves to protect it from future industrial development.

Established native vegetation across the site, including vulnerable species Acacia ausfeldii and threatened flora community eucalyptus microcarp, is considered to have high offset credit values, warranting its preservation.

The City’s acting manager strategic planning Lauren Watt said adoption of the amendment follows public exhibition and submissions.

“Amendment C282gben was publicly exhibited from 31 October to 5 December 2024 with 13 submissions received,” she said.

“A Panel Hearing was held on 20 May 2025 (where) the Panel considered all the submissions and three parties also presented to the Panel.

“The Panel concluded that most changes proposed by City officers in response to submissions were appropriate, with two minor changes recommended.

“We’ll now submit Amendment C282gben to the Minister for Planning for approval.”