THE City of Greater Bendigo is working on plans that will seek to guide the development of two country towns in the municipality for the next twenty years.<\/p>\n
Known as township plans, and being worked on concurrently, the result will be two documents setting out a list of priorities and ideas to make the towns more \u201cliveable and connected\u201d in Elmore and Goornong.<\/p>\n
City senior strategic planner Andrew Cockerall said the growth of Bendigo and surrounding areas during the pandemic triggered the need for the plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know there might be people who want to live close to Bendigo so they\u2019ve got that regional city, but they don\u2019t want to live in the city, so it\u2019s that convenience of the location,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the township plan is about is looking at how Elmore and Goornong can grow into the future and what services, infrastructure and facilities are needed to support that growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Cockerall said both towns present different opportunities, with Elmore a slightly more established town and Goornong\u2019s recent growth signified with the opening of its new train station.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing they have in common is the locals love their town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are quite different in that Elmore is a larger centre and has more services like shops and those type of things, whereas with Goornong it\u2019s more about what the future opportunities are for that town to develop and to get the population in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Surveys to inform the township plans close on Monday, and Mr Cockerall said the planning team will aim to keep the community as informed as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to understand what the community likes about where they live, what they think can be improved, what they think is missing and what it is about their town they love and want protect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Elmore it might be the proximity to Campaspe River, the heritage in the town, that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
State Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan said she is \u201clooking forward\u201d to working with the municipality as it develops the plans.<\/p>\n
At the opening of the new Goornong train station on Sunday, she said the growth in that town will be different to a town like Huntly, where the focus is mainly on housing developments.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoornong is more of a country town and I think the community will want to look at how you can maintain those country town characteristics,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time there is the opportunity in the township to have some of that housing development, there\u2019s a lovely school here, there\u2019s now a train station,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got great amenities for people wanting to have a bit of a country lifestyle, but still be in close proximity to the services they need.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re already having conversations with the Goornong Recreation Reserve committee about what is the opportunity there. That\u2019s another great facility in Goornong that probably needs a bit more attention and support.\u201d<\/p>\n