Experts predict our population will grow by about 50,000 in the next 25 years, and no one expects this growth not to present myriad challenges for us all.

The new community plan will reflect important feedback from students, residents, stakeholder groups and industry, who continue to be consulted about what Bendigo might look like in the future.

The challenges are indeed significant.

Bendigo residents consume about 6.20 billion litres of water each year.

We need to have access to an additional 50 per cent, or about 9.45 billion litres of water a year by 2035.

An extra 610 hectares of industrial land will be needed, and more than 2000 hectares of residential land.

But perhaps the biggest challenge rests in our ageing population.

In 25 years Bendigo will need access to about 2400 aged care beds, or triple the number of beds we have now.

The importance of this review cannot be overstated. Once completed, the revised plan must also be forwarded to the state and federal governments to ensure they understand the journey that lies ahead of us, and what must be done along the way to ensure our city remains a thriving, vibrant and attractive place to live and work.