The clock above Bendigo Bank's Mitchell Street branch could be replaced by a large electronic advertising billboard under a plan lodged with the city's council.
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The new sign would become the latest iteration of the time and temperature feature that has long adorned the second storey of the building at the corner of Mitchell Street and Lyttleton Terrace.
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The new sign would be much larger at 6.84 metres wide and 3.5 metres high to showcase digital adverts, similar to what is already featured on the building over the road where Mitchell Street meets Wills Street.
The company behind the bid is confident two signs so close to each other would not "upset the commercial and built form qualities of the area", it has told the City of Greater Bendigo.
It is too early to tell whether the council will try to fight the change.
If it does, the bank building sign would become the latest battleground in disputes over electronic signs in the city centre.
The council has tried and failed multiple times in recent years to stop advertisers sticking up billboards along Mitchell Street at the intersections of both Wills and Queen Street.
It lost cases on both billboards in front of state planning umpire the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2021 and 2022, before losing another battle over a sign at Kangaroo Flat's High Street and Lockwood Road intersection.
The council has opposed electronic signs for a number of reasons, including over the risk of a cluttered streetscape, potentially dominated intersections and perceived clashes with nearby buildings' heritage values.
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The planning umpire disagreed and allowed all three signs to be erected.
Bendigo's council signalled it would need to review its signage stances after the last tribunal loss in August 2022.
The council plans to launch its main review at a later date.
The latest billboard application has only just been lodged with city planners and they are yet to make any assessments.
Its backers have told the council the new sign would fit in well, "promote a particular dynamic core retail environment" and would not impact heritage values.
"There will be no clutter," they said.
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"The sign will not compromise any important views from the public realm. The site is well distanced from recreational facilities or areas of high visual amenity."
The company behind the bid has billboards across regional Victoria. The signs cycle through adverts every 30 seconds or so and feature a range of companies' and governments' messages.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
