It’s council’s last ordinary meeting before voters go to the polls on October 22. There’s been opportunity for reflection, and debate about planning applications.

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10.24pm: And we’re done! Thank you for following. 

10.18pm: Cr Rod Fyffe is upstanding to make his report. Five people – who are not councillors, council staff, or media - have remained until the very end. 

10.02pm: Still with us? Councillors are just making their reports. Sadly my phone has decided it’s time to end live streaming. Apologies. 

Cr Chapman is a bit teary as she reiterates the admiration council has for Cr Campbell’s wife Alison and her support.

9.18pm: NDIS will impact disability inclusion funding for council. Cr Campbell is discussing. Now Cr Cox. “Nearly a quarter of our population have a disability so we need to follow through that we are an inclusive city, and this is what it’s all about.”

8.55pm: Series of annual reports being discussed. 

8.47pm: The outdoor seasonal pools end of season report is being floated. Cr Williams said pools use is up and has deemed it a very positive report. Cr Leach is speaking on the matter presently. Motion has been carried.

8.44pm: Cr Leach “thoroughly supports” the memorial. Cr Lyons isn’t happy it’s being done outside of process, but will vote for it. “It needs to be stated this is the first start of the process,” he said.

8:37pm: Cr Chapman is now speaking on the history of Daryl McClure.

8.30pm: Now on to the proposal for a memorial to Daryl McClure, which Cr Cox is talking about presently.

8.29pm: “At the end of the day what’s happened has happened,” Cr Chapman said. She said it was really important the people had their say, and that’s what the recommendation was about. 

“I encourage everybody out there to have their say,” Cr Chapman. The motion has been carried. 

8.28pm: Cr Helen Leach is speaking against the recommendation, saying it should have been done years ago. 

8.25pm: The recommendation is for the Greater Bendigo City Council to resolve to release the draft Strathfieldsaye Town Centre UDF for community comment for a period of eight weeks, from October 24 to December 16. Cr Weragoda is speaking on the topic presently.

8:23pm: Motion has been carried. Now we’re onto community consultation for the Strathfieldsaye Town Centre Urban Design Framework. Cr Campbell is supportive of this, especially considering the predicted population growth. 

8.19pm: Cr Lyons sees the benefits of the development, but also the challenges. “Unfortunately I’m going to agree with this motion,” he said. 

8.17pm: Cr Weragoda reserves his right. Cr Leach is in favour of the application and believes it should be approved.

8.11pm: Another covenant-related matter, this time at Alexander Road, Junortoun. The applicant is seeking approval of a development plan that would involve removing the covenant and subdividing the land into eight lots. The recommendation in the agenda is to refuse to approve the development plan and refuse to grant the planning permit. Cr Campbell is speaking. “I don’t think it’s an appropriate development,” he said.

8.08pm: Cr Cox has drawn the council’s attention to page 52 and the agreement the property owners had made. The matter at hand is agenda item 5.4, regarding a proposed variation to a single dwelling restriction covenant at Forbes Court, North Bendigo. The proposal was to construct two dwellings and two lot subdivision. The recommendation not to issue a permit was adopted. And we’re on to the next one.

8.05pm: Looks like the property has been salvaged, though a division was called.

8.03pm: Cr Cox: “The key point is retaining the streetscape, that’s what it’s all about.” 

8pm: Cr Lyons went and had a look at the property this morning. “I agree, if it had been in much better condition I’d support keeping it, but I don’t.”

7.58pm: Cr Campbell: “I hear what everyone’s saying and yes, it’s a delicate matter.” He said he has to go on the information he has available in the report, which says the structure could be successfully restored. Cr Campbell believes this is a key piece of information. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he said of discourse about whether the cottage should be salvaged on the merit of its beauty. “It predates the road, it’s in this heritage overlay, it’s part of a precinct and I’d like to see it kept.”

7.56pm: “How can you save this? You cannot save this,” Cr Ruffell. The interjection of the gallery member has made Cr Ruffell question whether it’s just to be voting on the issue tonight, given there might be more information to be considered. 

7:54pm: Cr Weragoda said he can’t support demolishing the building.

7.53pm: “I think it’s just completely unviable,” Cr Chapman said. She believes the building is too far gone to be restored.

7.49pm: “With respect to the owner, it should be demolished,” Cr Leach. She does not believe the building does Hall Street any credit. “God knows it will just fall into greater disrepair and fall down.” 

7.47pm: Cr Williams supports Cr Cox’s argument and is speaking about his appreciation for heritage overlays, which apply in this case. “To demolish is not an appropriate action,” he said. The recommendation in the agenda is to refuse the application for demolition.

7.42pm: There’s a bit of controversy about the accuracy of a report concerning the application for the demolition of dwellings and outbuildings at Hall Street, Eaglehawk. Cr Cox has recommended council refuse the application for demolition. Here’s a little more about the property, while Cr Cox is making his case.

7.36pm: Council has moved the motion about the subdivision application. Cr Campbell is making a further motion about developers and water. Cr Lyons fully supports the motion, as does Cr Weragoda. It’s been carried.

7.28pm: Cr Chapman has raised the potential for a double-storey dwelling to be built on the property. The directors are providing information about the technicalities of such proposals. “We could have double storey homes on all of them and we wouldn’t have any permits needed,” Cr Chapman said. 

7.23pm: Cr Cox said the area was zoned residential and “would make a whole lot of sense to approve it.” Cr Lisa Ruffell has concurred with Cr Leach and described the development as “dog boxes.” Cr Campbell has deemed “dog boxes” an unfair characterisation of the application. Cr Ruffell has changed her description of the proposed dwellings, but reiterates that there is no need to create such small housing.

7.19pm: Cr Leach is against the application. She believes the impact on neighbours would be unacceptable.

Her concerns have warranted an extension of her talking time. 

7.14pm: We’re on to agenda item 5.2, which regards an application to subdivide a block at Marshall Crescent, Heathcote, into three lots and create common property. Cr Campbell is speaking in support of the application, though he notes there have been objections. Cr Weragoda noted the four objections, though he too believes the application would be an acceptable outcome. “This application offers really diverse housing as well,” Cr Weragoda said. 

7.11pm: Cr Campbell has made comments on amendments to the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme, about which council has voted favourably.

7.07pm: The Elmore community’s petition about Campaspe Street has been received.

7.04pm: Cr Campbell’s wife, Alison, has been thanked both by council and by her husband for her support. Cr Lisa Ruffell has also been thanked, in brief, having requested not to be formally recognised.

7pm: Being a councillor is about finding the balance, Cr Campbell said. He’s just spoken on some of the challenges councils, in particular this council, has faced. He’s just voiced his confidence in Bendigo’s future.

6.57pm: Cr Campbell is reflecting on how the municipality has changed throughout the year. He believes one of the reasons the city is so special is because people love it.

6.52pm: Cr Lyons is speaking about Cr Campbell, and has wished him all the best for the future. Cr Campbell is now responding.

6.47pm: Cr Cox, Cr Williams, Cr Weragoda, Cr Campbell and Cr Lyons have thanked Cr Fyffe for his time as mayor. Cr Weragoda mentioned Cr Fyffe’s hairstyle as having contributed to his public profile. We’re now on to the recognition of retiring councillors. Rod Campbell has been recognised.

6.45pm: Cr Fyffe has closed his mayor’s report by thanking his family for their support.

6.39pm: Discussion about the annual report has ended and was favourably received. Cr Rod Fyffe is delivering the mayor’s report.

6.28pm: Cr Mark Weragoda and Cr James Williams have taken the opportunity to run through some of the highlights in the report. Cr Helen Leach has used her time to ask council to keep in mind “the customer’s wants.”

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6.23pm: Cr Rod Fyffe has recommended everybody take a look at the annual report. Cr Campbell has described the document as a “very interesting read.” 

6.13pm: City of Greater Bendigo chief executive officer Craig Niemann is speaking about the annual report and running through some of the highlights of the 2015-16 financial year.

6.09pm: Councillor Helen Leach has just provided her report to council.

6pm: And we’re off. Eight minutes in and public question time has been and gone.