Horse groups have grounds for complaint over planning schemozzle
Updated: 17 hours ago
THE Bendigo Showgrounds – home of the Victorian Agricultural Shows Saddle Horse Championships and many other state and national equestrian events – is to have the size of its arena cut significantly under a Victorian Government redevelopment of the site.
The project was opened for public consultation for what appears to be the first time on March 6 but stakeholders were told during a webinar run by Engage Victoria on Tuesday evening that the project had already been put out to tender, tenderers had been shortlisted and an application for planning approval under clause 52.3 of the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme had already been submitted.
Asked during the webinar whether changes to the arena were up for negotiation, a project manager from Development Victoria replied, “no – the scope of works is currently set, which includes repositioning the fence”.
There is no right to object to or appeal under clause 52.3 so there are strict conditions around community consultation in the application process.
However, it was clear from comments made by stakeholders representing major user groups on Tuesday that this was the first time they had seen a consultation advertised.
“There hasn’t been, as far as I am aware, any consultation,” one stakeholder told the presenters.
“It’s probably why you are getting some of these questions here.”
The project proponents, which in this case is the Department of Sport and Recreation in partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo and the Bendigo Agricultural Society, are responsible for undertaking consultation and submitting a consultation report as part of the planning application process.
The requirements of the clause 52.3 consultation process (explained here) closely resemble the process now being undertaken by Engage Victoria, but it was clear from comments made on Tuesday by Development Victoria project director Amanda Harris that the main consultation work was considered complete and this engagement was about "tweaking and refinement".
Sports infrastructure grant
The showgrounds redevelopment was among 16 projects the State Government allocated funding for under the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program in 2023.
There was no application process, with a State Government spokesman explaining that the projects were chosen on the basis of having been previously identified as priorities for regional Victoria before 2023.
In the case of the showgrounds project, the City of Greater Bendigo had presented the case for funding in its 2019 Bendigo Showgrounds Redevelopment Master Plan and Business Case.
For this work it received a $50,000 State Government grant from the Minister for Regional Development, Jaclyn Symes, for work that included community consultation.
“The City of Greater Bendigo, which will lead the project, and the Bendigo Agriculture Show Society Inc will also contribute $25,000 each towards the project,” a media release announcing the funding said in March 2019.
“The grant will enable the City of Greater Bendigo to undertake extensive community consultation with diverse user groups, so that the future vision meets their needs."
The City of Greater Bendigo has this week refused to release a copy of the showgrounds master plan, which is not available on its website.
The Victorian Government was also asked for a copy, but directed the inquiry to the developer of the plan, the City of Greater Bendigo.
Without the document it is impossible to know what consultation has informed the allocation of the yet-undisclosed amount money the showgrounds redevelopment is costing and the work that will be undertaken.
The only information available online about the contents of the plan comes from Victorian Government Hansard when Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell was lobbying just over two years ago for $4 million of $8.6 million in regional development funding for the first stages of the Bendigo Showgrounds redevelopment project, which included a “market shed”.
The market shed was described as a multi-purpose pavilion “incorporating an indoor market hall, a market event space, storage areas and catering facilities”.
The current Bendigo showgrounds redevelopment also includes a new “multi-purpose” pavilion but is being paid for by money that – according to Ms Harris – is for “community sport and active recreation infrastructure”.
The State Government spokesman yesterday dodged a question on why the new pavilion is eligible for sports infrastructure funding.
He did say that “the Bendigo Agricultural Show Society, as the venue operator and representative for their user groups, has been fully engaged in the design process for the Bendigo Showgrounds upgrades”.
Horses
As the main sporting user group of the showgrounds, the equestrian community has got the rough end of the stick.
Equestrian recreation is among 11 horse industry activities that the City of Greater Bendigo in conjunction with the Institute of Economic and Industry Research has identified as contributing $52 million annually to Bendigo’s economy annually.
As well as reduction in the arena, which the Bendigo Agricultural Society boasts on its website as being the largest in the state including Melbourne, Development Victoria also confirmed during the webinar that upgrades to the ageing stables “do not form part of these scope of works”.
Under the plan, the arena fence line will be moved inside the current sand track used to warm up before events, marshalling and to access rings. The track area will be levelled and three quarters put under bitumen, with the main aim of increasing space for car parking.
When one of the spokeswomen suggested that this could “still be ridden on” she was quickly informed by stakeholders how dangerous this would be.
While exhibitors have been coping with the dilapidated state of the stables for years, it is the reduction in the usable space available in the arena that will have the greatest impact and jeopardise the show society’s ability to attract and retain big events at the grounds.
“The sand track is currently used to access individual rings at events,” Sue Foley, a former pony club zone representative who has organised events at the showgrounds for more than 15 years, said.
“By bringing the fence in they are making the arena functionality less workable.
“There is no way we could run the (Pony Club Victoria) team championships there with reduced arena size.
"I want to know why they have left it this late to consult with horse people.”
The Engage Victoria Bendigo Showgrounds Redevelopment consultation will remain open until April 6 and submissions are invited.
There will be a drop-in session at the showgrounds on Sunday, March 23, at the exhibition building from 11am to 12.30pm.
“We’ve definitely open to getting feedback,” Ms Harris said.
“That’s why this community consultation is really important to ensure we are delivering something that is needed by the community.”
Further information on the project can be found on the Development Victoria website.
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UPDATE: A Freedom of Information request has been lodged with the City of Greater Bendigo for a copy of the 2019 Bendigo Showgrounds Masterplan, any documents related to its development, including but not limited to, any documents referencing/demonstrating community consultation on proposed works before the tender process for the Sport and Recreation Victoria-funded redevelopment started in September 2024.
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