Council Charts Path Forward on Safety, Growth and Heritage
Greater Bendigo Council prepares for community consultation and application reviews after recent decisions on entertainment transitions, planning amendments and population targets.
AI-assisted journalism under human editorial accountability and risk-based review. AI may assist with research, summarising and drafting. Where public source links underpin the article, they are shown below. Sensitive material is held for human review; some lower-risk material may be published automatically after sourcing, accuracy and safety checks. The Daily Bendigo covers Bendigo news. It is provided for general information only and is not professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Read about our editorial care →
The City of Greater Bendigo Council is moving ahead with plans to phase out fireworks displays by 2032 and animal-based entertainment such as petting zoos by 2028, while exploring alternatives including drone light shows. These changes follow council motions and set the stage for resident input on new entertainment formats that reduce risks to people, domestic animals and wildlife.
Upcoming Community Consultation
Community consultation on alternative entertainment options is scheduled to begin shortly. Residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback on safer community events, with the process designed to gather views on replacements that maintain public enjoyment without the previous concerns.
Managed Growth Strategy and Rate Cap
The council has released a draft Managed Growth Strategy that sets a target for an additional 87,000 residents in Greater Bendigo by mid-2056. This work occurs alongside efforts to manage budget constraints under a 3.5% rate cap without seeking a variation, requiring careful prioritisation of infrastructure and services over the coming decades.
Planning Scheme Amendment and Gallery Review
Planning Scheme Amendment C275gben has been adopted to protect miners' housing from the gold rush era. At the same time, the council is reviewing an updated application for the Bendigo Art Gallery expansion, which will shape future heritage and cultural development decisions.
Recent Ward Representation Change
Lockwood Ward was vacant from November 2025 until Donna Nicholas was elected councillor in the March 2026 by-election after John McIlrath resigned. The updated council composition will influence how these upcoming matters, including the entertainment transition and growth strategy, are progressed in the short term.
Key Decisions Ahead
Next steps centre on the community consultation process for entertainment alternatives and the ongoing review of the Bendigo Art Gallery application. The council will also continue work on the Managed Growth Strategy while operating within the rate cap framework, with further details to be released as consultation commences.
Sources:
Source material used in preparing this article is listed below so readers can check the original record.
Covering news in Bendigo. This article was generated by AI from the linked sources, under human editorial accountability and risk-based review and our reasonable editorial care. Sensitive material is held for human review before publication. See our reasonable editorial care.
Beta: AI-assisted and human-overseen. Details may be imperfect, so please verify anything important.
Spread the word
Share
Daily brief
Enjoyed this? Wake up to Bendigo news every morning.
The Bendigo local brief — free, every morning
Free daily Bendigo email brief. By subscribing you consent to receive it; unsubscribe anytime. Briefs are produced with AI assistance and edited by a human editor.
