REPORT: Back to drawing board for two developments

REPORT: Rosalind car park to be investigated

THE Rosalind Park Master Plan will help rectify past plundering of the site and provide a greener space for residents, says several City of Greater Bendigo councillors.

The plan, which was unanimously released for public comment, was among many significant items debated by councillors at Wednesday's meeting.

Most agreed the expansive vision for the park would help alleviate past issues and strike a good balance between carparking, user-friendly options and green spaces.

It involves removing a lot of the carparking and sporting facilities at the site, opening up space for recreational use.

Cr Peter Cox said the park was a landmark site which must treated appropriately.

"The reserve has been constantly plundered for other uses, including car parking and school bus drop offs and this is not what it is meant for," he said.

"Our forefathers had a real vision for this area and we have let them down badly."

Cr Helen Leach agreed there had been a gross injustice to the park by creating a larger surface area for carparking. She said councillors must now rectify that.

Noting the proposed removal of carparking and sporting facilities, Cr James Williams said while there were controversial aspects in the plan, "residents must be assured that no services (will be removed) until council could accommodate residents' needs."

He said the plan was not about the nitty gritty of where to put a carpark - it was about painting a picture for the area well into the future.

The Hospital Precinct Structure Plan, which details a 20-year plan for the area, was also adopted by councillors.

The majority of councillors threw their support behind the vision, which will work in conjunction with the Rosalind Park plan.

But Cr Leach and Elise Chapman shared concerns about the cost of plan, traffic impact and the possibility of development taking away from CBD.

Councillors also knocked back two significant developments in the region, going against council officer recommendations.

A proposal to build six group accommodation units at a winery in Ravenswood and a sub-division at Kangaroo Flat were both refused in tight votes.

Full stories online at www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au and in Friday's edition.