Halls of Residence site gets redevelopment nod

THE formerly proposed local site of the Athletes Village for the now-defunct 2026 Regional Victorian Commonwealth Games in Osborne Street Flora Hill will finally be redeveloped.

The old location of the Bendigo Teachers’ College and La Trobe University Halls of Residence, is slated for around 160 new homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent of those to be confidered affordable.

The site’s heritage-overlayed Eumana House, which was built in 1904, will be retained and incorporated into the new residences.

Penny Forrest, the group head of Housing at Development Victoria, said in addition to increasing housing availability in Bendigo, the project will also boost the availability of affordable homes in the municipality.

“Flora Hill will provide a range of lot sizes and housing types to meet current housing demands, including some social and affordable homes,” she said.

Premier Jacinta Allan said her government had previously promised it would give more people in Bendigo the opportunity to find an affordable place to live.

“We are unlocking more sites to provide much-needed homes, including social and affordable homes, to Victorians living and working in our regions,” she said.

To be delivered by Development Victoria, early works are expected to begin by mid-2025, once the finalisation of the purchase of the site is agreed on by La Trobe University.