ON a chilly Monday morning on Hargreaves Mall – among the smattering of shoppers and empty shopfronts – the upcoming state election was not exactly front of mind for most.
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But that did not stop some from offering their advice to our local politicians, telling the Bendigo Advertiser that more needed to be done to revitalise the CBD, support the vulnerable and protect Bendigo’s country town feel.
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Virginia Tulloch said there was a shortage of recreation options for Bendigo’s youth, leading to an increase in antisocial behaviour.
She hoped politicians would consider funding more community projects.
“We put so much money into gardens and parks – which is great, they are beautiful – but the youth don’t really want to just sit in a park all day,” Ms Tulloch said.
“They need to look at somewhere like Castlemaine where there are a lot of community projects going on and the youth always seem to have something to do.
“It’s hard to think of many community projects that are going on around here.”
Annette Burghard recently moved to Bendigo from Croydon in Melbourne’s east to escape the endless residential construction occurring all around her.
She loves the relaxed lifestyle in Bendigo, and encouraged politicians to make sure future development does not lead the city down the same path as parts of Melbourne.
“We had seven houses being built on our street. It would take 10 minutes just to get out onto a main road,” Mrs Burghard said.
“They were going to turn the golf course into 462 houses, so we decided we needed to get out.
“I know you need more housing because everywhere is getting bigger, but you have beautiful big houses in Bendigo and you’d hate to see them gone.
“You always need progress, but you don’t want to lose the spirit of a place.”
One shopper believed home and community care should be a priority, and the state government should provide funding to ensure councils could continue to deliver the service.
He said older residents often felt “left out” by decisions made by politicians, and “there are some things that profit can’t make better”.
One woman, who recently moved to Bendigo, said there was a shortage of appropriate bike paths, and the city’s roads were dangerous for cyclists.
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Adam Holmes
From Adelaide to south-west Victoria, Bendigo to Tasmania, I've provided in-depth stories in politics, environmental affairs, issues facing disadvantaged communities, legal affairs and much more. Contact me at adam.holmes@examiner.com.au or on Twitter at @adamholmes010
From Adelaide to south-west Victoria, Bendigo to Tasmania, I've provided in-depth stories in politics, environmental affairs, issues facing disadvantaged communities, legal affairs and much more. Contact me at adam.holmes@examiner.com.au or on Twitter at @adamholmes010
