Hotel gets okay, height lowered – City of Greater Bendigo council meeting briefs

A NEW residential hotel has been approved for the corner of Williamson and Mollison streets, next to the heritage site of Bush’s Produce Stores.

Approval has been given by Heritage Victoria for the hotel, however with the condition that the buildings maximum height be changed from the proposed 23.15 to 12 metres, to not overshadow the nearby buildings.

Cr Margaret O’Rourke voted in favour of the development, saying it is a positive sign for growth in the region.

However, Cr David Fagg said the conditions for the hotel to be built, including dramatically adjusting the building’s height and constructing an underground carpark are worrying.

“I’m concerned excavation works for the two-storey underground carpark could disturb heritage buildings,” he said.

Cr Fagg also wanted to see more done to satisfy the conditions around building near heritage sites.

“It’s an odd approval where the approval requires that the height be almost halved,” he said.

The motion to grant a permit passed, with deputy-mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf, and Crs Fagg and Vaughan Williams opposed.

 

Roof for beef

A review is underway at the Bendigo Livestock Exchange that could potentially see a new roof installed.

Council will consider the feasibility and cost of the roof over the next 12 months.

Cr Andrea Metcalf said she would greatly support the project, citing the environmental benefits of captured rainfall and implementation of solar panels.

“I believe this needs to be one of the major projects for this council,” she said.

Cr Julie Sloan also supported the potential roof and said a similar project at the Horsham Livestock Exchange has been successful in reducing temperature in summer conditions.

“There’s a great scope and potential to enhance the capacity of the Bendigo Livestock Exchange not only for the livestock animals and their welfare but also for the facility users and staff,” she said.

 

No new 7-11, for now

Council rejected a proposal for a permit to build a service station on the corner of Bridge and Arnold streets.

The plan was for a site that had previously been marked for development as part of the Bridge Street Activity Area and Bendigo Hospital Precinct Plan.

Cr Metcalf said there are five landmark sites listed as part of the precinct plan.

“It’s envisaged that these landmark sites will be prominent and provide a point of difference in the precinct,” she said. “It’s difficult to see how this applicant has considered the Hospital Precinct Plan.”

Cr Fagg agreed and said a lot of work has gone into council’s planning, and “the project contravenes the strategic work.”

The applicant has appealed to VCAT with a hearing to take place in August, and the motion to not grant a permit was unanimously carried.

 

Friendship group goes it alone

The Bendigo Maubisse Friendship Committee will become independent to council, after the approval of a one-off grant to support the group.

BMFC works closely with the people of Maubisse in Timor Leste providing support and friendship to assist in developing region.

“Now more than ever they need our support as they face the increasing impact of the recent floods and the second wave of the pandemic,” said Cr Margaret O’Rourke.

Cr Metcalf voiced her concern at a one-off grant and said a better course of action would be for BMFC to apply for a budgeted community grant, which they requested last year.

“That’s the appropriate forum for this request,” she said. “However, upon reviewing this request council officers made the recommendation for the one off $25,000 grant for the 2021/22 financial year.”

Cr O’Rourke said the grant should be considered an emergency grant, which would not have the same process as community grants.

The move to separate the group from municipality comes after State Government legislation pushing that subdivisions of a council must become independent entities.

 

Funds plated up

Bendigo Foodshare will receive reallocated funding from the City for the development of its new site.

Originally, $140,000 was delegated for Foodshare’s FoodHub at Belle Vue in Golden Square, but that will now go towards the new main site on Garsed Street.

“Bendigo Foodshare will continue to play a key role in coordinating food relief across the region, promoting healthy eating and raising awareness of the needs of our region,” Cr Fagg said.

“Foodshare’s current tiny factory space has been around the corner of my residence in Long Gully for many years and it’s been too small for most of that time.”

Cr Matthew Evans agreed the reallocation of funding will assist Foodshare in their work to provide food relief across the region.

“The move will allow them to double their capacity, provide cold and cool storage for food where appropriate, and operate a social supermarket,” he said.

 

Calls for more state cash

Council is calling on the Victorian Government to increase its contribution to services and programs undertaken jointly with local government.

Cr Rod Fyffe said it is “frustrating” that the State Government is providing less funding to municipalities, and said the higher rates reflect this.

“What we do find now is that over a very quick amount of time we seem to be picking up more and more cost and also we seem to be picking up more and more of the flack if anything goes wrong,” he said.

Cr Metcalf said all councils should call on State Government to increase their contributions.

She said the Bendigo Library was once shared evenly between State and the City, however now council must contribute 83 per cent of the funding.

“It’s a service that our community values, we’re not going to withdraw it but we have to pick up the cost,” she said.

Council will make its proposal at the Municipal Association of Victoria State Council meeting in May.