More housing needed – City of Greater Bendigo council briefs

A PLAN outlining the municipality’s role in providing affordable housing was adopted by councillors at the ordinary City of Greater Bendigo council meeting on Monday.

The Affordable Housing Action Plan recognises that current housing supply in the municipality is not meeting demand.

According to a report more than 60,000 people across the state are waiting for social housing, with 2626 of those people in Greater Bendigo. Currently there are 2404 occupied homes in the region.

The action plan outlines the four key roles the City will take on to provide support to organisations and help deliver affordable housing.

These include being a leader and “establishing a clear position” on the issue, being an advocate and campaigning across community, industry and governments “to improve outcomes” and being a facilitator and partner with key stakeholders involved in the issue.

Cr Andrea Metcalf said she would like to see the City advocate for rent to buy schemes, “as many tenants have an established pattern of paying rent, but find it difficult to save for a deposit and pay rent at the same time.”

 

Subdivision rejected

Councillors again voted to not grant a permit for a two-lot subdivision at 84 Rowan Street.

The application was first heard at the City’s August council meeting and was refused on the grounds it did not keep with the character of the neighbourhood, will affect the heritage significance of the area and is an overdevelopment of the site.

Councillors refused the application on the same grounds a second time, despite changes made to the size of the development.

The application involves the construction of a second, double storey property on the site.

A main concern for councillors was that the site would have too much “visual bulk” and not fit in with the neighbourhood and streetscape.

 

Homes on the rise

Four houses will be built at 7 Winterbone Rise in Kennington.

Councillors voted to approve a permit for the development, which includes the front and rear properties to be double storey and the two middle dwellings single storey.

Eight objections to the proposal were received, with main concerns being the development could dominate the area, have adverse effects on pedestrian safety and increase traffic flow, particularly during school pick up times.

Councillors agreed the development’s height is acceptable and the proposal complies with the general residential zone requirements.

Cr Margaret O’Rourke said under the City’s Planning Scheme, Winterbone Rise is classed as an “access place” capable of carrying 300-1000 vehicles a day.

“There are 10 existing dwellings here, and assuming 10 vehicle movements per day it equates to around 140 vehicle movements generated by the dwellings on the street,” she said.

 

Pet plan drafted

The City’s draft Domestic Animal Management Plan has been released for public consultation.

The plan outlines ways to encourage responsible pet ownership and evaluates whether animal control services are acceptable.

The draft was developed after a survey was conducted, with 1131 responses.

Of the responses, 71 per cent felt public spaces are safe from nuisance pets, 87 per cent feel animals should be desexed unless being used for breeding, and 80 per cent are in favour of a “24/7 cat containment law”.

The plan also includes a continuation of the City’s discounted desexing service for registered animals.

 

City finances audited

The City has adopted its financial and performance statements for the 2020/21 financial year, following review by the Audit and Risk Committee.

The statements outline the City’s income of $213.5 million and operating expenses of $201.7 million, resulting in a surplus of $11.8 million, $3 million higher than the budgeted surplus.

Over the financial year, $40.6 million of capital works were delivered, however $11.9 million worth of projects will require carried forward funding.

Cr Matthew Evans said the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a lower ticket income for the City, compared to last year.

The ticket income, from sales through Ulumbarra Theatre, the Capital Theatre, Bendigo Art Gallery and the Visitor Information Centre, was $1.44 million this financial year, down from $2.99 million last financial year.

“We know that that has a broader impact in terms of the local economy because our local hospitality industry depend on that activity and those ticket sales coming through,” Cr Evans said.

 

Changes to engagement

Municipal customer service provision has seen an increase in engagement compared to last year.

A performance review presented to councillors stated over 110,000 phone calls were received, compared to just over 90,000 last year.

More than 6000 emails and just over 500 webchats were also received.

Results from the community satisfaction survey showed a slight increase from 69 last year to 70 this year for customer service.

Numerous changes have been made to the City’s customer service delivery during the pandemic, including call back requests, SMS reminders for rates and animal registrations and mailed out disabled parking permits.

Further opportunities for improvement have been identified, including an improved system for phone, email and webchat contacts, and more online payment options.

Cr O’Rourke said it is important for municipal staff to find ways to improve operation before moving into the new GovHub next year.

 

Rate fixed on stadium loan

Bendigo Bank has offered a five-year fixed interest rate loan period to the board of Bendigo Stadium Limited.

The current loan is for $13 million with a payback period of 12 years, with the amount owing after five years calculated to be $7.4 million. A variable interest rate will apply for the remainder of the loan.

At the August council meeting, councillors voted for the City to be a guarantor of the loan, as COVID-19 has severely affected BSL’s cash flow and it may not have the “financial capacity” to pay the current loan.

Cr Evans said the stadium has suffered from closures of its bistro and cancellation of community sport, however remains “one of the best” stadiums in regional Australia, capable of attracting 12,000 patrons a week.

Cr David Fagg said while he is in favour of the five-year fixed interest rate, he’s “not a fan of council guaranteeing a loan for an entity that profits from pokie machine revenue.”

“[I’ve] argued for the need for the stadium to create a roadmap out of pokie operations,” he said.