Bendigo City Council Advances Campus Funding and Heritage Reviews This Week

Bendigo City Council voted 8-3 on July 8 to allocate $2.4 million toward infrastructure works at the La Trobe University regional campus on Edwards Road.

The vote follows months of submissions from residents concerned about access and parking as student numbers climb. Regional universities anchor local employment, and the funding arrives as Bendigo Health prepares its own capital expansion on Barnard Street, creating overlapping demand for transport links and services in the northern suburbs.

Works will focus on footpath widening and bus shelter upgrades along Edwards Road and adjacent sections of Drought Street. The council also endorsed a heritage review covering properties in the View Street precinct near the Bendigo Art Gallery, tying into broader Aboriginal cultural heritage protection efforts already underway with local Traditional Owner groups.

Council records show 312 written submissions received before the meeting, with 68 percent supporting the La Trobe allocation. The $2.4 million figure sits within the 2026-27 budget line item that projects a 4.1 percent rate rise across rateable properties. Completion of the Edwards Road works is listed for March 2027.

Heritage and Water Items

Separate discussion covered proposed updates to the municipal heritage overlay that would apply to 14 additional sites in the central business district. Councillors referred the matter to the planning committee for further mapping before any public exhibition. A separate briefing note on Campaspe River water quality monitoring was tabled, noting ongoing coordination with Murray River catchment authorities on salinity targets.

Public Input and Timelines

Residents can review the full minutes on the council website from July 15. Written feedback on the heritage overlay closes August 12, with a further council vote scheduled for September. Property owners along View Street and nearby laneways can request individual site assessments by contacting the planning department at the Bendigo Town Hall offices.