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Creating the world’s
most liveable community
City of Greater Bendigo priority projects for the Australian
Government
Greater Bendigo – creating the world’s most liveable community.The City of Greater Bendigo is pleased to present this investment prospectus.
The City would welcome the opportunity to further partner with the Australian Government to help achieve its vision for Greater Bendigo to be the world’s most liveable community.
Greater Bendigo’s population is growing and diversifying because it can offer residents everything they need in one place – world-class health care, access to domestic and international flights, quality education providers, affordable housing and great employment, recreation and cultural opportunities.
This prospectus highlights a range of projects that demonstrate the City’s strength to plan long-term and recognise what is needed now and into the future to remain a successful community.
Delivering the projects in this prospectus will drive future economic growth and job creation for Greater Bendigo and the wider region, enhance the health of our community and improve our overall liveability.
The projects represent an investment in the future of Greater Bendigo and we respectfully seek your support for our vibrant community.
Welcome to Greater Bendigo
Acknowledgement of Country City of Greater Bendigo is on Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung Country. The City acknowledges and extends its appreciation to the Traditional Owners of the land, and pays its respects to leaders and Elder’s past, present and emerging for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and the hopes of all Aboriginal people. The City expresses its gratitude in the sharing of this land, sorrow for the personal, spiritual and cultural costs of that sharing, and hopes that the community may walk forward together in harmony and in the spirit of healing.
Greater Bendigo is one of Australia’s largest inland cities, supporting a local population of approximately 113,6001 and regional population of close to 240,0002. These numbers are forecast to reach about 200,0003 and 350,0004 respectively by 2050.
The City wants Greater Bendigo to be a place of excellence for all citizens. Our population is becoming increasingly culturally, religiously and ethnically diverse. We strive to be an inclusive community that is accessible for all, celebrates multiculturalism, and acknowledges and respects its Traditional Owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Gurai-illam Wurrung language groups of the Central Kulin nation.
Bendigo has a fascinating history and was once one of the richest cities in the world after gold was discovered here in 1851. The impact of the gold rush is still evident today, particularly through our beautiful streetscapes and historic buildings.
Greater Bendigo consists of an urban area and many rural small towns and villages, all of which contribute to our strong sense of community and provide residents with great lifestyle alternatives. Inner-city living, family homes, or hobby or large-scale farms can all be found here.
We are also a service and infrastructure centre surrounded by Mount Alexander, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Macedon Ranges, Loddon, Mitchell and Strathbogie shires, which see Bendigo as a viable alternative to travelling to Melbourne to access the services they need.
Our location in the geographic centre of Victoria is two hours from Melbourne by road or train and a 90-minute drive from Melbourne Airport. Although easily accessible, this distance has seen Greater Bendigo develop into a largely self-contained regional centre, where more than 90 per cent of the workforce lives locally. Our main industries are healthcare and social assistance, retail, manufacturing, construction, and education and training.
Greater Bendigo’s economy is valued at $7.07B5 per annum. Large employers range from major institutional organisations to private
business, including Bendigo Health, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Hazeldene’s Chicken Farm, Thales Australia, Australian Defence Apparel, La Trobe University, Keech Australia, SERCO, Parmalat, MSD Animal Health, Fosterville and Mandalay Resources mines, Industrial Conveyancing, Hofmann Engineering, various Victorian Government departments and more than 7,500 businesses.
1,2. ABS 2016; 3,4. Based on Victoria in Future 2016; 5. REMPLAN, 2017
Who are we?
Melbourne
HeathcoteMaryborough
Maldon
To Mildura
To Mildura
To Swan Hill
To Deniliquin
CastlemaineCastlemaine
Bendigo
Wedderburn
Echuca
To Shepparton
To Wangaratta
Broadford
Nagambie
Euroa
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The City has a proud history of working with all levels of government and private industry to deliver essential services and infrastructure to residents.
The projects in this prospectus demonstrate the City’s ability to plan for the future, setting a benchmark in the Local Government sector as a forward thinking, creative and adaptable organisation.
Our guiding documents include the Community Plan 2017-2021, Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2017-2021, Greater Bendigo Residential Strategy, the award-winning Connecting Greater Bendigo: Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy, Commercial Land and Activity Centre Strategy, Economic Development Strategy, Environment Strategy and Plan Greater Bendigo.
Increasingly, Greater Bendigo is acting as a solution for families and businesses that find living and operating in capital cities unsustainable. The advent of high speed internet has meant that people do not have to be in the same city or even the same country to do business, so this has allowed them to choose liveability over accessibility.
To ensure Greater Bendigo can support an expected population of 200,000, there will need to be approximately 40,000 more jobs created. One of our highest growth demographics is 25-34 year olds. To ensure these people can transition through their careers locally, it will be important to develop ongoing employment opportunities from entry level through to senior positions.
The City is also working to establish Greater Bendigo as a ‘smart city’ and believes technology will be able to help improve liveability and solve some of our local challenges. We are working with La Trobe University to make data capture easy and cost effective, so it can then be available for the community to use and create products or services from.
Our many attributes, such as award-winning restaurants and cafes, a celebrated arts and culture scene, a range of festivals and major events, Qantas flights to Sydney and beyond, quality recreation facilities, and beautiful heritage and natural surrounds also contribute to our brand as a liveable community.
Greater Bendigo has the vision and capability to continue to drive the development of a strong, diverse economy
and vibrant community life, and looks forward to building on its successful history in partnership with others.
The answer: Greater Bendigo
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Greater Bendigo’s reputation as a leader in the provision of arts and cultural experiences has been firmly established over the past decade. The City proudly celebrates its gold rush past and the people who contributed to shaping our history. We are continually looking for opportunities to attract people to our region to share in a range of experiences that tell our unique story.
Central Deborah Gold Mine
Bendigo is a city built on gold, with more gold found in the region between 1850 and 1900 than anywhere else in the world. Today, the poppet heads, grand avenues and historic buildings serve as a visual reminder of the richness of the Bendigo goldfield.
The Central Deborah Gold Mine is an authentic interpretation of the historic operations of quartz mining in Bendigo, Victoria’s highest producing goldfield, because it is the only mine left with the fabric of its historic operation intact. It offers three different underground tours and a self-guided surface mine tour.
The Central Deborah Gold Mine is in need of a ‘game changer’ project that will lift admissions and improve future operations, complementing the tourism offer in Bendigo and central Victoria.
A contemporary function centre is proposed that can cater for events, weddings and offer a museum and exhibition space, improved retail space and visitor hub for all Bendigo Heritage Attractions experiences, including evening tram services through the CBD area. It will also have the capacity to host new activities, including jewellery making workshops, gold panning, a play space, performance space and gold miner cage ride.
The cost breakdown is as follows:
Total project cost – $6M Australian Government – $2M
Victorian Government – $3M
City of Greater Bendigo – $1M
Vibrancy and culture
Artist impression: Central Deborah Gold Mine
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Left and above: Artist impression of Central Deborah Gold Mine
National Chinese Museum of Australia
The Golden Dragon Museum has a vision to transform Bendigo’s Chinese precinct into Bendigo’s Chinatown.
At the heart of the new Chinatown will be the re-brand and expansion of the Golden Dragon Museum, to be known as the National Chinese Museum of Australia.
To complement the museum is the planned development of a 180-room, 4.5 star hotel.
The Golden Dragon Museum is a renowned tourist attraction in Bendigo that houses a superb collection of antiquities that are rarely seen outside of China and is home to many parading dragons, including Imperial Dragons Loong, Sun Loong and Dai Gum Loong. It is surrounded by the Yi Yuan Gardens, Guan Yin Temple, and a public gathering and event space.
The museum attracts approximately 35,000 paying visitors a year and a further 45,000 visitors to the precinct to attend events.
Development of Bendigo Chinatown is seen as an investment in enhancing cultural relations and further promoting the diversity of our community. Chinatowns the world over are considered significant tourism drivers and increasingly have become a reflection of improving strategic connections with China.
Construction details
There are a significant number of opportunities for the Chinese precinct to transition to a Chinatown. A three-stage development is proposed:
Extend current museum building Visitation – projected visitation to reach 64,000 by year three
Economic benefits – 94 full time jobs during construction, 13 full time jobs during operation
Total project cost – $16M Australian Government – $5M
Victorian Government – $10M
City of Greater Bendigo – $1M
Attract and build a high-end hotel Cost – $54M, private sector funding supported by land incentives
Economic benefits – 316 full time jobs during construction, 105 full time jobs during operation
Other – fill an identified gap in Bendigo’s accommodation offering, provide increased visitation to the National Chinese Museum of Australia, provide package accommodation options and attract higher spending markets
Demolish current museum building and replace it with a building attached to the new extension (Hibernia Hotel and Elders Room are retained) Cost – $22.6M, private sector investment
Economic benefits – 104 full time jobs
Other – sustaining visitation to the National Chinese Museum of Australia and increasing the precinct’s vibrancy
Bendigo has a proud Chinese history that stretches back to the gold rush in 1851. By 1854, there were approximately 4,000 Chinese on the goldfields who had come in search of riches. The Chinese that migrated to Bendigo contributed greatly to the development of the city.
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By road, rail and air Greater Bendigo is open for business, however improved infrastructure is critical to enhance connectivity for residents and improve the visitor experience.
Bendigo Airport Terminal
Bendigo Airport is ready to reach out to the world and from March 2019 Qantas will offer a Bendigo to Sydney return service six-days-a-week.
To enable the airline’s expansion to Bendigo and growth in the local market, a new terminal building is required to meet current aviation and safety standards.
The project will deliver new passenger facilities, including:
• Arrivals hall
• Baggage pick up
• Check in counters
• Public concourse
• Departure lounge
• Retail and food business opportunities
• Administration office
• Business hub/conference room
• Car parking
• Extension of utilities, which will also support the development of a future business park onsite
• Essential security requirements, including 3D checked baggage and carry-on baggage screening
The project is estimated to generate up to 40 direct and indirect local jobs during construction, and 53 jobs throughout the local economy once operating.
When the Qantas service is operating and the terminal upgrade is complete, a range of economic benefits are expected through:
• Increased income by growth in fee revenue supporting local employment
• Increased visitor expenditure resulting from additional visitation to the region
• Time saved not having to travel to Melbourne airports for business and leisure passengers
Total project cost – $9.895MAustralian Government – $4.395M
Victorian Government – $4.5M
City of Greater Bendigo – $1M
Airport rail and fast rail
It is essential that Australian and Victorian governments invest in fast rail and that the proposed airport rail link benefits regional Victoria.
Decentralisation is favoured by Australian and Victorian governments, and investment in infrastructure of this scale would support these plans.
It is critical that Bendigo is considered as part of any future upgrades for fast rail and that regional Victoria can access Melbourne Airport, without first having to travel into the city centre.
Fast rail ensures that our people, state-wide services and business can thrive with ready access to a reliable service.
Rail line duplication between Bendigo and Kyneton will be critical to support the growth of Bendigo and central Victoria, together with any future fast rail or airport link plans.
Connecting Greater Bendigo
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The success of a community can largely be attributed to how healthy it is. The City has identified a range of projects that will enhance the health and wellbeing of residents, which includes how we will manage our waste into the future.
Aged care funding
The City is seeking a commitment from the Australian Government regarding reform to the aged care sector and future expectations of Local Government to deliver aged care services.
Over the last few years, due to increasing costs and changing Australian and Victorian Government policy directions, the City has divested the following services: non-funded transport services, Community Aged Care packages, Veterans Home Care service, brokerage service, NDIS and HACCPYP clients, as well as stopping the delivery of weekend services.
Councils’ funding agreements with the Australian Government will expire by July 2020, however there are indications that this deadline may be pushed back. This is creating some anxiety for clients and staff.
Overall policy directions indicate a shift to a consumer-directed system of care, a nationally-consistent model and a competitive market-based model where Local Government will not be able to subsidise the service.
Should this occur, Local Government may not be in a financial position to provide the service. Under a market-based model, private or not-for-profit providers are unlikely to want to operate in rural areas due to the distances that would need to be travelled to service clients and their resultant costs.
The City is concerned that a lack of clear direction regarding future service models may have the potential to increase existing inequities in human service access for rural communities, leading to poorer health outcomes for already identified vulnerable clients.
For the Australian Government to confirm its future plans for aged care sector reform and expectations of Local Government, and outline expectations for consistent, adequate service delivery, particularly in rural areas.
Regional Resource Recovery Centre
A healthy, sustainable community requires a long term waste management solution.
The City operates the Eaglehawk Landfill, the last remaining licenced landfill in the municipality, and the Heathcote, Strathfieldsaye and Goornong transfer stations.
The Eaglehawk Landfill is due to reach capacity and close by 2021/2022, so alternative facilities need to be planned for, constructed and operational prior to this date, and the site for a new transfer station also needs to be identified.
Bendigo is the major generator of waste in the Loddon Mallee region. The City has more than 30 historical landfills, ranging from industrial-scale to makeshift backyard tips, which will need to be rehabilitated over the coming years and meet community expectations and Environment Protection Authority standards.
The cost breakdown is as follows:
Eaglehawk Landfill rehabilitation – $7.8M
Development of a new transfer station site – $9.5M
Separately, in August 2017 the Victorian Government Environment Minister approved the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan. This plan identified the need for a regional-scale waste facility within the southern area of the region, likely a waste-to-energy option to maximise resource recovery for municipal, commercial and industrial waste.
Total project cost – $30M (approximately) Australian Government – $12.5M
Victorian Government – $12.5M
Local Government – $5M
Healthy heart of Victoria
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Greater Bendigo includes many productive agricultural areas and small towns and villages, such as Heathcote, Axedale, Huntly, Marong, Elmore, Kamarooka, Lockwood, Neilborough, Sebastian, Raywood, Mia Mia and Redesdale. They are renowned for their lifestyle, strong sense of community and the opportunities they provide for residents, visitors and businesses.
Industrial land development
The City is working with the Victorian Planning Authority to develop a new Industrial Land Development Strategy.
The need for industrial land is essential and urgent to support central Victoria’s growing advanced manufacturing sector. The local industry is valued at $2.2B per annum and is particularly innovative and specialised, exporting products to 50 countries around the world.
The new strategy will build on the significant amount of work completed over the last 16 years planning for industrial land development.
It is challenging to find appropriate sites, particularly for heavy industry looking to either expand or relocate to Greater Bendigo.
The strategy will provide direction for the next 10, 20 and 30 years, and its implementation will help secure jobs for a growing regional population, retain important skills, reduce land use conflicts and take freight movements out of central Bendigo.
The new Industrial Land Development Strategy will also allow the City to take more of a regional approach to the provision of industrial land.
For the Australian Government to assist with the timely implementation of the Industrial Land Development Strategy to secure employment for a growing population.
Heathcote Dementia Village business case
Dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in older Australians. There are currently no dementia-only care facilities in Victoria. Heathcote is considered to be an ideal location to develop the village due to its proximity to natural and built attractions and a major capital city and regional city, and ideal climate.
A state-of-the-art dementia village would maximise the quality of life of dementia sufferers by providing a safe and stimulating environment. At the same time the village would also serve as a research centre into medical breakthroughs to prevent future generations suffering from the disease. A business case would investigate the provision of a 150-place dementia village, including a teaching/research/workforce development centre in Heathcote.
The Heathcote Dementia Village Steering Committee has appointed a consultant to complete the first half of the feasibility study, which considers stakeholder identification, market analysis, concept and masterplan development, financial assessment, construction costs and risk analysis.
Additional funds would investigate Heathcote functioning as a dementia-friendly community, the green care model and university research functions.
Total project cost – $330,000 Australian Government – $150,000
Victorian Government – $150,000
City of Greater Bendigo – $10,000
Other – $20,000
Thriving regional communities
= confirmed funding 17
The pace of change today is the fastest it has ever been and the slowest it will ever be again. As a result of this change, it is a necessity for great cities to be constantly innovating.
Bendigo has been a host for innovation since the gold rush began in 1851, with institutions like the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank leading the way. We need to be coming up with innovative solutions to issues like water, energy, transport and civic engagement into the future to realise our vision of liveability.
A City Deal for Bendigo
A City Deal for Bendigo and the wider region will ensure that the heart of Victoria continues to develop as a place where people want to live, work, visit and invest because the pipeline of infrastructure needed for a growing regional city will be built in a timely manner.
Our City Deal proposition offers something unprecedented – it encompasses the only current City Deal bid backed by a local consortia model of governance, with strong local financial and intellectual investment. The proposal takes full advantage of the collaboration happening in Bendigo. The City Deal model for Bendigo and the wider region is also focussed on sharing the benefits of a stronger economy across the Bendigo population by strengthening skills, enhancing job prospects and reducing unemployment. Discussions with Australian and Victorian Governments to date have been encouraging and constructive.
For the Australian Government to work with the City and its partners to negotiate and fund a City Deal that will secure the future of the Greater Bendigo region for decades to come.
Continued investment in regional Australia
The City appreciates the financial support provided by the Australian Government through the Financial Assistance Grants, Roads to Recovery and the Building Better Regions Fund (and its predecessors).
These funding streams provide regional councils with the funds to deliver important, large-scale infrastructure projects and services that are both necessary and welcomed. Councils are generally best placed to do this but need the financial support to do so.
Recently, projects that have benefitted from such funding include the Echuca Moama Bridge, Ravenswood Interchange, Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre, the new Bendigo Airport runway and Bendigo Tennis Centre redevelopment.
Innovation
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