Bendigo’s only locally owned newspaper
ISSUE NO. 590 – Friday, January 9, 2009
Crisis for CBD plans By ANTHONY RADFORD and ANNIKA SMETHURST THE City of Greater Bendigo council’s major CBD projects have been dealt two serious blows. Former mayor David Jones has labelled the new Hargreaves Mall a disgrace and a lemon, and the Bendigo Traders’ Association has dropped its support of the multimillion dollar Walk Bendigo project. Mr Jones criticised the previous council for not listening to residents and redeveloping the mall, and for bowing to pressure from CBD property owners. “The state government wisely guessed it would be a lemon,” he said. “I urge the current councillors not to blindly throw more money at the mall.” The BTA has dropped its support for Walk Bendigo, claiming it is no benefit to the CBD. “Has Walk Bendigo worked? I don’t think it has,” BTA president Neil Athorn said. “There is a large amount of concern about the style of parking.”
“Disgrace” “Lemon” - David Jones
OUTSPOKEN: David Jones has attacked the new mall design.
n CBD in the firing line Pages 8 and 9
Photos: ANDREW PERRYMAN.
the money pit
By ANTHONY RADFORD
BENDIGO Health is expecting to spend more than $200 million on maintaining its existing hospital while it waits for a new one to be built. That figure comes on top of the revised redevelopment costs, put at more than $700 million. The revelations come as more details about Bendigo Health’s state budget submission come to light. Bendigo Health is expected to only receive about $3 million in the May budget towards the redevelopment of the hospital.
Hospital fix will swallow cash
That is believed to cover the costs of a detailed feasibility study on the Anne Caudle proposal, and answer some Department of Human Services questions about rebuilding on the existing Arnold Street site. Overall, Bendigo Health has asked for about $30 million on top of its operational budget for next financial year, most of which will go to maintaining the existing hospital. Top of the list is the ur-
R IT’S OU
TURN
116 days to go gent upgrade of the hospital’s fire safety systems, which have been described as substandard. The maintenance work is
also believed to include urgent plumbing and air conditioning repairs and upgrades, as some staff and patients swelter through summer without any cooling. One hospital source said the figure was expected to remain at $30 million each year until the new hospital was built. Bendigo Health’s hospital redevelopment business case puts that at 2016, almost eight years away. The May budget is also
> inside
tipped to deliver some more funding for the hospital’s new emergency department upgrade, on top of the $9.5 million already delivered. That money will go towards equipment and facilities for the extra beds. It is unsure whether or not any of that money will be used for improved ambulance access. n Continued Page 15
5
salvos swamped
6
winning ways
21
painted words
n More on the hospital Page 5
Out of order – Push continues for new court precinct – Page 3
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