Our Bellbridge

'Our Bellbridge' began as a community project in 2011, and was adopted by Council in 2015. Local residents and other Bellbridge stakeholders were consulted extensively to make sure the project addressed the needs of both visitors and the community.

The project resulted in the Our Bellbridge Masterplan. This plan, which has a 15 year horizon, provides a blueprint for future development while ensuring the township enjoys prosperity and sustainable growth.

About the plan

The masterplan was developed to ensure Bellbridge is a place:

• where people of all ages want to live
• that supports the community with a range of community services
• that celebrates its unique lakeside location
• where people can be part of a vibrant community
• that can continue to grow and attract tourism and investment
• that offers attractive residential options to new residents.

Addressing community priorities

During the consultation phase, most residents expressed their desire to maintain what's special about Bellbridge, and ensure any future development complemented the active and friendly town environment.

Some residents wanted to see more shops and cafes, a growth in business opportunities and better services, while others were keen to see environmentally sustainable beautification of the lake foreshore.

Residents raised several concerns during consultation, including:

• Loss of park and green space resulting from the division and sale of the Roy Williams Memorial Park. This was addressed in the final plan.
• The location and potential impact of recreation facilities on the foreshore.
• The need to make sure all age groups had recreational opportunities.
• The impact of noise, water views and traffic on existing residents from proposed development.
• The importance of maintaining a ‘village’ atmosphere.
• Ensuring that any residential development was staged to complement and support the increase in community infrastructure.
• The need to upgrade children's services delivery as soon as possible.
• Ensuring a ‘partnership’ approach is taken to development and implementation of the master plan.

This feedback was incorporated into the final masterplan.