City of Greater Bendigo had proposed rezoning parts of Bridge Street to fit with their plan for the precinct, which spans 165 hectares surrounding the new hospital.

Currently, Bridge Street is in a commercial-only zone, but council hopes to alter this to include both residential homes and businesses.

City Planning and Development director Prue Mansfield said the plan was to make Bridge Street a destination for shopping, offices, cafes, restaurants, medical centres and apartment-style housing.

“Some rezonings as well as policies related to achieving high quality design and more efficient parking are proposed to help achieve this,” Ms Mansfield said.

“Policies for new medical centres and the design of new development are proposed. The plan also seeks to minimise any impact on surrounding residential streets, many of which are of important heritage value.”

Strategy manager Trevor Budge said the plan was to build three to four levels of apartments above ground-floor businesses, to cater for an anticipated 1000 extra hospital employees when the $630 million redevelopment is complete.

He said other steps – such as reducing road width and creating a wide pedestrian crossing for patients using wheelchairs and walking frames – were part of the proposal. 

“A lot of people might want to go and walk in the park as part of their recovery,” Mr Budge said. 

City of Greater Bendigo is calling on feedback from the public before changes to the planning scheme can be made. 

Only once planning changes are approved can the precinct plan be rolled out. 

Bendigo Health CEO John Mulder welcomed the plans by council to implement the hospital precinct plan and said key staff had been consulted. 

“Key staff were involved in early discussions with the council about this proposal and Bendigo Health agrees that any move to encourage co-location of private health practices will benefit both patients and clinicians,” he said in a statement.

“One of the exciting aspects of the plan is the creation and utilisation of active spaces to support community health and wellbeing such as extended exercise loops around the precinct.”

The plan amendment aims to improve certainty for businesses, investors and the community, as well as help decision-making by Greater Bendigo City Council.

Written submissions can be made to council before September 10, and the changes to the planning scheme will be on public exhibition at the Bendigo Library on August 3 and 11. 

Submissions should be addressed to: City of Greater Bendigo, PO Box 733, Bendigo VIC 3552 or email strategyunit@bendigo.vic.gov.au.