Ideas from regional centres to help deliver projects
A group of 12 councillors, senior council officers and board members from Wangaratta Unlimited toured Bendigo, Warrnambool and Geelong to witness first-hand how other local governments have handled major planning issues.
The group spent the majority of its time in Warrnambool, where the local council has recently undertaken extensive planning for the redevelopment of its CBD, foreshore and bulky goods district.
Warrnambool is also home to a Deakin University Medical Centre of Excellence campus, which rural city mayor, Roberto Paino, said was an example of the kind of facility council would like to attract to Wangaratta.
"It is still very early in the process," he said.
"It is very complicated and would involve partnerships, funding and a number of other issues.
"But after our discussions in Warrnambool, we will be able to press on with the next level."
The recent establishment of Warrnambool’s beach promenade and planned $2.3 million harbor pavilion development also piqued the interest of council as it looks to re-invigorate the Faithfull Street/Ovens River precinct.
"Obviously the areas are different as we have a river and they have the ocean," Cr Paino said.
"But there is a lot we can learn from the way they’ve gone about their waterfront treatment."
Warrnambool’ s local council has recently undergone extensive public consultation ahead of redeveloping its CBD.
"You don’t get many opportunities to plan (the development of a city)," Cr Paino said.
"So it is important you get it right the first time.
"We were able to look at what they have done successfully and also discussed other areas where it hasn’t been so successful.
"We also looked at their handling of a bulky goods centre as that was one of the things suggested we look at in our recent retail audit."
The group also viewed the streetscape of Bendigo and recent foreshore redevelopment at Geelong.
posted by Greg Naylor at
4:07 PM
1 Comments:
Back on the 24 July, The King Valley Watchdog criticised the RCoW for dreaming of turning the bank of the Ovens River into a 'seaside foreshore' redevelopment.
As had been suggested, the RCoW has spent a fair whack of the $40,000 grant on a junket of south west Victoria for 12 of their councillors and officials. The Chronicle doesn't say how long the fact finding mission took but it would have to have been three or four days.
Maybe the RCow will be able to outdo Warrnambool’s beach promenade and planned $2.3 million harbor pavilion development by using the abandoned market pavillion as it looks to re-invigorate the Faithfull Street/Ovens River precinct
Dream on!
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