"They're not listening to us": Bendigo residents demand say in housing future

When the Bendigo City Council announced proposed zoning changes for suburbs including Kangaroo Flat and Golden Square earlier this month, the response from residents was swift and vocal. Now, as the consultation period continues, locals are raising serious concerns about whether their voices will actually shape the outcome.

The planning proposal would allow increased residential density across several suburbs, potentially opening the way for multi-unit developments in areas currently zoned for single dwellings. While council has framed the changes as necessary to address housing shortages, residents say the conversation has been one-sided.

"I've lived on View Street for eighteen years," one long-term Kangaroo Flat resident told The Daily Bendigo. "We weren't properly consulted about this. The council held one evening session at the community hall—one evening—and half the people who care about what happens here couldn't make it."

The timing is particularly fraught. Bendigo's median house price has climbed to $595,000, according to recent data, pricing out many young families and first-home buyers who grew up in the city. Yet residents worry that developer-led density solutions won't necessarily translate into affordable housing for locals.

At the Bendigo Community Activation Network hub near Rosalind Park, volunteers have been gathering feedback. They describe frustrated residents concerned about heritage overlays being softened, parking strain, and the loss of green space in established neighbourhoods.

"No one's asking: what do Bendigo people actually need?" one volunteer explained. "Is it affordable rentals? Is it medium-density housing that respects our streetscapes? Or are we just rubber-stamping whatever developers want to build?"

The council has committed to extending the consultation period by two weeks, now concluding mid-July. A series of drop-in sessions are planned at the Bendigo Library and across suburban venues. However, some residents argue this doesn't go far enough.

City councillors are expected to vote on the planning framework in August. Several have indicated they want stronger community input before proceeding. "The balance between housing supply and neighbourhood character is delicate," one councillor told this newsroom. "We need to get it right."

Whether Bendigo's housing policy ultimately reflects community values or development priorities may depend on how many residents show up—and whether council members truly listen to what they hear.

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