The City of Greater Bendigo is delighted to present the 2025/2026 Budget, reflecting projects and initiatives that respond to our community's priorities.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the community engagement process to inform this Budget and the new Council Plan Mir wimbul 2025-2029.
For the first time, the City has prepared the Budget and a new Council Plan at the same time, which ensures alignment between the goals of the Council Plan and the projects and initiatives funded in the Budget.
In November 2024, 180 people contributed to a community survey via the City's Let's Talk Greater Bendigo community engagement platform, which identified roads (including active and public transport infrastructure), waste, parks and trails as the top priorities.
As such, these priorities are reflected in the kinds of projects and initiatives funded in this Budget and also the goals and actions in the new Council Plan. Community engagement can also take other forms throughout the year, including various engagement sessions Councillors have held in the community, ongoing discussions community groups have with City staff, and direct advocacy from community groups via presentations to Council.
A range of large-scale infrastructure projects lead the City's investment on behalf of the community.
Construction will start on the $45M stage one Bendigo Art Gallery redevelopment - a transformational project designed to cement the Gallery's reputation as a cultural and economic success for Greater Bendigo and the state of Victoria. This will be the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the City and Council's investment of $9M has helped secure more than $34M in external funding to date, including $21M from the State Government, $4M from the Gallery Board and more than $9M in philanthropic funding.
The City will project manage the State Government's investment in redeveloped Bendigo Bowls and Croquet Clubs facilities, which will provide the bowls club with two synthetic greens and two grass greens, two widened croquet greens and an upgraded clubhouse.
A mix of funding from the Federal Government ($500,000) and the City ($1.85M) will deliver the Golden Square Recreation Reserve Pavilion upgrade and renewal, including improved player amenities for football, netball and cricket user groups, and spectators. And all three levels of government have invested $3.2M ($1.2M from the City) in stage 1 pavilion works at North Bendigo Recreation Reserve.
It will be easier to travel through the city centre by bike and on foot with the innovative 4.4km Low Line Walking and Cycling Trail to take shape within the Bendigo Creek, between Golden Square and White Hills, and the shared cycle path along Mundy Street, from McCrae Street out to Back Creek.
Recent Federal election commitments relating to the Kangaroo Flat Skate Park, stage 2 of the North Bendigo Recreation Reserve redevelopment (pavilion construction) and new female-friendly facilities at Truscott Reserve will be delivered over coming financial years.
The $4.3M Heathcote Civic Precinct will also get underway, delivering a much-needed contemporary community hub and customer service centre for City services.
Accessibility is important in this Budget, with The Capital theatre to receive an upgrade to make the stage accessible to all performers, including purchase of a Mobilift, and installation of a heating and cooling system for the Bendigo Town Hall to make it a more inviting and usable community space.
Following the floods of 2024, $4.3M will fund drainage, stormwater and flood mitigation improvement works.
