Plans for the housing estate at Edwards Road in Maiden Gully would see a subdivision, complete with a community hub and recreation centre, across 180 hectares of land.

The development of the Forest Park estate has been put to the City of Greater Bendigo, which will vote tomorrow whether to put it forward for approval by the Minister for Planning.

Birchgrove Property, which developed estates around Bendigo, including Evergreen Lakes in Jackass Flat, planned to develop the Forest Park estate across six parcels of land.

Managing director Damien Tangey said the estate would cater for 1200 to 1400 new dwellings, with construction to be completed by 2030. 

He said the expansion was part of the long-term growth of Maiden Gully that was identified in 2004 as part of the Residential Development Strategy.

“It’s a logical sequence of growth for Bendigo,” he said. “There’s very little land supply at the moment in Maiden Gully. This estate would help address those long-term targets,” he said.

City of Greater Bendigo director of planning and development Prue Mansfield said there had been a number of meetings and discussion already.

“There’s been quite an amount of work to start the formal proceses,” she said. “We don’t know yet whether this will be supported, but Maiden Gully is certainly identified as an area for growth.”

The council will consider a number of issues relating to the amendment including bushfire risk, timing of the development and impacts on residential growth areas. Mr Tangey said the Forest Park estate would look at “best practice” urban design and would offset its environmental impacts.

He said the project would have huge economic flow-on effects and would generate employment.

“Up until completion in 2030, assessors have projected an $800 million injection into Bendigo’s Gross Regional Product as a direct result of Forest Park,” he said.

“We will significantly invest in local assets such as a community hub, open space networks which address major recreation requirements, public transport links and greatly improved cycling and walking thoroughfares,” he said.

Mr Tangey said Birchgrove were now waiting on the council decision to see whether the proposal could be placed on public exhibition.