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The City of Greater Bendigo is preparing to adopt what it is billing as “one of the largest and most comprehensive urban flood studies ever undertaken”.
Councillors will vote on whether to use the study to update the city’s flood preparedness at this Wednesday night’s meeting along with discussing a range of other measures, including slashing the amount they receive in travel rebates and how the Works Unit went more than half a million dollars over budget.
Below is a wrap of some of the major items, with the full agenda at the bottom of the article.
Urban flood study
Related: Urban flood study released
Councillors will be asked to endorse a motion to forward the Bendigo Urban Flood Study 2013 to the minister for planning for final approval.
The city’s report argues the Land Subject to Overland Flooding overlays in Bendigo’s planning scheme are out of date and inaccurate.
As a result the North Central Catchment Management Authority and the city commissioned a study to ensure that new development in or near floodplains was “designed appropriately to protect assets, life and the floodplain, it is critical that this new flood information is introduced to the planning scheme”.
The proposed amendment would affect approximately 5,500 properties in total across the municipality by either adding or removing an overlay.
“It is one of the largest and most comprehensive urban flood studies ever undertaken and its implementation will provide a consistent set of flooding planning controls across the Bendigo Urban area for the first time,” the report reads.
“The consultants believe that the study is the largest of its type ever undertaken in Victoria and possibly Australia.”
Works Unit $702,886 over budget
The Works Unit will table an overview of its performance of the during the 2014/15 financial year in which it went $702,886.
Despite budgeting $10.4 million for the 2014/15 financial year, the Works Unit’s actual expenditure was higher than $11 million.
This follows two previous years in which unit was significantly under budget, and the report argues the budget blow out was a result of “drought-like conditions”.
“The unfavourable result was due to additional contract services for water supply for grading, due to drought-like conditions and emergency works for drainage and events,” it reads.
It outlines a plan to “find reliable sources of water at cost effective locations to continue maintaining councils 1,400 kilometre of gravel roads to an appropriate standard”.
Cutting councillor fuel reimbursement
Councillors will vote on whether to reduce their own fuel reimbursement rates.
“Recent reporting on the Local Government Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF) showed that the cost per councillor at the City of Greater Bendigo [$76,118] is higher than the state average of $47,565 and also the average of $55,195 for like councils,” the report reads.
“There are a number of factors that may contribute to this cost which are beyond Council’s control, including allowances at the highest level (Category 3), travel reimbursements, having regard for 3000 square km of the municipality and a councillor having child care requirements.
“It appears there may also be different costs included by various councils.”
It recommends a reduction in fuel reimbursement from $1.27 for a six-cylinder vehicle and $1.04 for a four-cylinder vehicle to the Australian Tax Office rate of $0.77 for a six-cylinder vehicle and $0.76 for a four-cylinder vehicle.
White Hills Landfill’s future, Redesdale community hub proposal, community grants
Councillors will vote on a proposal which would see the Economic Development Unit prepare a report by the 31 March 2016 on long-term future uses of the former White Hills Landfill site and ask councillors to make a decision on the long-term future use of the site by the end of next April.
They will also discuss the Redesdale Community Hub Feasibility Study (Feasibility Study) and appoint the the members of the Community Grants Community Assessment Panel.