title: Greater Bendigo City Planning Signals council: greater-bendigo state: vic category: signals classification: MAJOR status: active last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:

  • city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf
  • City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-Agenda-December-15-2025.pdf
  • agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-april-20-2026-agenda.pdf
  • agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-minutes-nov-17-2025.pdf

Greater Bendigo City Planning Signals

The manifest signal summary is amendment-heavy: Planning Scheme Amendment, rezone/rezoning/rezoned, C263gben and C285gben are among the largest recurring signals, while servicing, wastewater, sewer, structure-plan, greenfield, land-supply, growth-area, DPO, VPO and heritage-overlay terms show the main cross-cutting themes. The primary council sources below show where those signals are active, progressing or recently resolved.

MAJOR Signals

BREP rezoning and VPA consultation

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: ACTIVE
  • Current position: BREP is on consultation, with Council preparing an organisational submission to the Victorian Planning Authority after background reports and a rezoning amendment were prepared. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.205)
  • Signal summary connection: This corresponds to the manifest’s high-frequency rezoning, Planning Scheme Amendment, urban growth and land-supply terms.
  • Planning implication: This is the clearest employment-land supply signal in the corpus, but the missing VPA amendment package prevents land-area, infrastructure and staging analysis. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.205)
DateEventSource
16 February 2026Council reported BREP background reports, rezoning amendment work, consultation and preparation of an organisational submission.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.205

Settlement and bushfire review of growth amendment

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: ACTIVE
  • Current position: The amendment to implement the Managed Growth Strategy and Housing and Neighbourhood Character Strategy was 45% progressed and subject to a Minister-appointed advisory committee review of settlement and bushfire risk. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, pp.209-210)
  • Signal summary connection: This corresponds to the manifest’s structure-plan, growth-area, greenfield, future residential and amendment signals.
  • Planning implication: Settlement policy, infill direction and bushfire risk are now procedurally linked before the amendment can progress. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.210)
DateEventSource
30 December 2025City received advice of the Minister’s decision to appoint an advisory committee.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.210
16 February 2026Q2 report recorded the amendment as in progress at 45%.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.210

Elmore, Goornong and Huntly structure-plan program

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: PROGRESSING
  • Current position: Council Plan action CP 3.2.3 was 50% complete, with Elmore post-consultation, Huntly starting through CoFutures, and Goornong waiting on flood and wastewater work. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207)
  • Signal summary connection: This corresponds to the manifest’s structure-plan, growth-area, wastewater, sewer and servicing terms.
  • Planning implication: The three-township program is not moving uniformly; Elmore is policy-refinement work, Huntly is consultant-led project commencement, and Goornong is technical evidence gating. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, pp.207,216)
DateEventSource
4 January 2026Huntly Structure Plan Project contract signed with CoFutures Pty Ltd for $148,580 ex GST.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.216
16 February 2026CP 3.2.3 reported 50% complete and due 30 June 2026.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207

Goornong flood and wastewater constraints

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: ACTIVE
  • Current position: The Goornong Flood Study and Wastewater Servicing Report were underway as inputs to Goornong structure planning. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207)
  • Signal summary connection: This corresponds to the manifest’s enabling-infrastructure signals for servicing, wastewater, sewer, infrastructure delivery and water treatment.
  • Planning implication: Flood behaviour and wastewater servicing are the binding evidence signals for whether Goornong can support additional settlement growth and where that growth could safely occur. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, pp.137,207)
DateEventSource
16 February 2026Goornong flood and wastewater studies reported as underway.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207
16 February 2026Goornong Flood Study and Waterway Flood Mitigation Management Plans identified with Disaster Ready Fund Round 2 co-funding.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.137

C285gben Panel pathway

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: ACTIVE
  • Current position: Council requested a Planning Panel and referred all submissions after C285gben received nine submissions and two remained unresolved. (Source: agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-april-20-2026-agenda.pdf, pp.32-37; Source: agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-minutes-april-20-2026.pdf, pp.18-20)
  • Signal summary connection: This corresponds to the manifest’s C285gben, VPO2, Heritage Overlay, DPO, EAO and rezoning terms.
  • Planning implication: Zoning corrections, heritage corrections, public-land rationalisation, VPO2 deletion and the 31 Ayres Street residential rezoning remain unresolved until the Panel and subsequent adoption/approval steps are complete. (Source: agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-april-20-2026-agenda.pdf, pp.101-111)
DateEventSource
23 October-22 December 2025C285gben was exhibited after an administrative notification issue extended exhibition.agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-april-20-2026-agenda.pdf, p.37
20 April 2026Council resolved to seek a Panel and refer submissions.agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-minutes-april-20-2026.pdf, pp.18-20

Bendigo bus network review

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: ACTIVE
  • Current position: Council reported advocacy for a full review of Bendigo’s bus network and services, with the review funded in the Victorian Government 2025/26 budget and a review process expected to commence in 2026. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207)
  • Planning implication: The review may affect structure-plan implementation and activity-centre access, particularly for northern corridor settlements such as Epsom/Huntly where shopping and service relationships are already identified. (Source: city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, pp.71,207)
DateEventSource
2025/26 State BudgetBus network review funded.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207
2026Review process expected to commence with further council and community input.city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-february-16-2026.pdf, p.207

Recently Resolved Signals

Surplus public land decisions

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: RESOLVED FOR DECISION, IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVE
  • Current position: Council declared seven of nine assessed parcels surplus, retained 6 The Strand and 3 Lona Close, and required quarterly updates for declared-surplus parcels. (Source: agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-minutes-nov-17-2025.pdf, pp.23-30)
  • Planning implication: The decision confirms Council’s use of public-space and asset-consolidation logic at parcel level, but implementation still depends on valuation, site preparation, statutory sale steps and reinvestment pathways. (Source: agendas-and-meeting-minutes-city-greater-bendigo-council-meeting-agenda-november-17-2025.pdf, pp.116-120)

VC267 and VC289 local implementation

  • Classification: MAJOR
  • Status: RESOLVED STATEWIDE, LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVE
  • Current position: VC267 and VC289 are already affecting Greater Bendigo permit assessment through the Townhouse and Low-Rise Code and canopy-tree controls. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-Agenda-December-15-2025.pdf, pp.46,76-86)
  • Planning implication: The early signal is not whether the amendments exist, but how they change local discretion, objector review rights, canopy retention and replacement planting in actual permit decisions. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-Agenda-December-15-2025.pdf, pp.76-86)