A major housing development is in the works for Maiden Gully which could see the construction of 71 homes and removal of more than a hectare of remnant patches of vegetation. 

Development applications for the subdivision of a 6.7-hectare block of land on 830 Calder Highway and the incorporation of two neighbouring properties have been lodged at the City of Greater Bendigo’s planning department. 

The roughly-triangular shaped block of land has a 427-metre frontage on the Calder Highway, a 329m frontage on Hermitage Road and a 262m boundary with properties to west. 

There is currently a house, plantation of trees, a dam and scattered remnant patches of bush on the otherwise vacant land which is surrounded by housing developments on three sides and by the Balgownie Estate to the north. 

The application lies within the urban growth boundary and is zoned general residential. 

Under a previous development overlay the minimum lot-sizes for the area was 1500 square meters – however this condition was removed by Amendment C215 to the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme which was approved by council in March. 

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Under the current proposal before the city – which is yet to be approved or put on public notice – 57 of the 71 allotments would be between 600 and 800sq m. 

Seven lots would be smaller than that while one lot would be up to 2500sq m. 

The applicant has cited its proximity to the Maiden Gully Primary School and township – both within 550m – and a bus route as arguments in favour of its approval. 

It says almost 1.4 hectares of remnant patches of native vegetation will be have to be removed, along with eight scattered trees. However the applicant claims the majority of vegetation to the south side of Hermitage Road will be protected. 

A 2,879sq m patch of the block has already been sub-divided and an application submitted to convert the land into a wetland, to mitigate the impact of run-off into Myers Creek. 

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Works would include the construction of a first stage sedimentation pond which would then drain into a constucted ‘Rain Garden’. From there storm water would flow from the site through an underground pipeline to be built under Hermitage Road and the Calder Highway and into the creek. 

The properties of 1 Higgins Hill Drive and 19 Hermitage Road would be merged into the project, if approved. 

Bendigo’s population is expected to grow by nearly a third over the next 15 years and the city is encouraging urban infill and housing development in areas such as Marong and Maiden Gully. 

Greater Bendigo’s current population is 110,446 – by 2031 it will be 144,632, according to a Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning report. 

Property consultants Spiire lodged the applications on behalf of Hermitage Projects.

Spiire declined to comment for this article.