Pool policy makes a splash – City of Greater Bendigo council meeting briefs

CITY of Greater Bendigo councillors adopted a draft community aquatic facilities strategy at their regular meeting on Monday.

The document includes assessments on the condition and viability of the municipality’s 12 public pools and one splash park in relation to plans and funding.

The strategy seeks to limit spending on centres catering mostly to the fitness and training market, change those most sustainable and best located to better suit the community’s needs, and end funding to those deemed unsustainable.

According to the strategy document, five aquatic centres were classed as being in ‘poor’ condition: Elmore, Golden Square, Peter Krenz, Raywood, and White Hills.

Six were listed as being ‘good’ condition: Long Gully Splash Park, Faith Leech Aquatic Centre, Goornong, Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre, Heathcote, and Marong.

The others were said to be ‘fair’.

The strategy proposes funding in new or refurbished facilities that meet the needs of underserviced users with a focus on health and therapy.

As part of the strategy, granted a community committee of management is to be formed for the facilities, Bendigo East Swimming Pool will remain due to an upgrade of the Brennan Park Pool, and will become a non-heated seasonal pool.

“The strategy contains a range of key recommendations and site-specific actions and guides the planning and decision making for the City’s swimming pools and splash parks,” said mayor Cr Metcalf.

“While Greater Bendigo has the most pools by number, it is the urban catchment duplication of services that is highlighted in the strategy.

“The strategy acknowledges that Greater Bendigo aquatic facilities have served the community well for many decades but are now in need of modernisation to comply with current community standards and cater for current and future residents.”

Many of these pools were made post-war following the 1956 Olympics and would need funding for maintenance should they remain open.

 

Tip top

A change to the rules governing the management of Eaglehawk Landfill was approved by council and an outstanding issue will be put up for review by an independent panel through the State Minister for Planning.

The change would mean the landfill would be designated as a “waste and resource recovery hub of state significance” and that would have flow-on affects to land use nearby the site.

Now the amendment has been adopted, land from the zone GRZ will be rezoned to neighbourhood residential limited use due to being so close to the tip.

In 2019, the City of Greater Bendigo undertook technical assessments to see if there was gas migration, odour, noise, and dust impacting the area surrounding the Eaglehawk Landfill and reviewed by an Environmental Protection Authority, EPA, accredited auditor.

The audit showed the risk of gas migration was low and should be monitored regularly, and while there was odour present near the transfer station, dust and noise were not significant risks to properties in the 500-metre buffer zone.

 

Doctor is in

Councillors approved a development permit for a medical centre at the site of Goldfields Urology at 38 Myers Street in Bendigo.

The development of the centre was deemed appropriate due to a need for more medical services in the region.

A municipal heritage advisor voiced concerns that the proposed building alterations could be more like the current building and those in the immediate vicinity.

A consultation meeting was held in May which considered nine submissions against the development which did not solve any of the issues outlined by objectors.

 

Seniors chosen

The Positive Ageing Advisory Committee, PAAC, will see several new members as the past term closed at the end of June.

The committee represents the interests of the municipality’s older residents and is made up of community members appointed by council.

From the 17 applications received, six people were chosen for the next two-year term.

The outgoing committee members are Tan See Tuang, David McRae, Anne Fahey, Ian Burdett, Jennifer Jones, Neil Drummond, Geraldine Stills, and Ruth Hosking.

The new committee members are Andrew Rimington, Carol McCabe, Carmel Williams, Kerrin Beecher, Stephen Mooney, and Kerry Parry.

 

Site to be sold

Councillors agreed to sell a portion of land to the Community Safety Building Authority, or CSBA, as it is not in use or believed to be needed for future projects.

The property is bisected by a residential development but is on one title at 26 Herriott Street at Heathcote.

The CSBA have put in a formal request to purchase part or all of the property for the construction of the Heathcote Emergency Services Facility.

The State Government will conduct an independent valuation to decide on a sale price.

 

New name

La Trobe University Bendigo Athletics Complex will be renamed Lar Birpa Athletics Complex.

The new name will be sent to Geographic Names Victoria for consideration and registration.

Of the 74 submissions received on the renaming, 51 were in support of the change while 23 were against it, although valid reasons for how the name did not comply with the naming rules were not provided.

Objectors can appeal to Geographic Names Victoria should they wish.

 

People included

Councillor appointed 15 new members to the Disability Inclusion Reference Committee.

The new members will serve on the committee from 31 August to June 2025 and are Bernadette Wright, Stephanie Sayer, Mark Boyed, Pamela Scherger, Gabrielle Ashman, Claire Opie, Alex Reimers, Michael Taylor, Jessica Symes, Jennifer Pinchbeck, Ben Van Zeyl, Kym Hart, Jasmine Noske, Rebecca Rosman, and Justin Marshall.

Outgoing committee members are Liz March, Liz Wright, Adam English, Lord John Drake Cooper, and Sara McQueenie.

 

Contracts awarded

Allied Print was granted up to $155,000 for printing the Greater Bendigo Magazine for a two-to-four-year period.

North State Security will get up to $390,000 for the provision of security services for municipal owned and managed building sites for three to five years.