CITY AWARDS DESIGN TENDERS FOR AIRPORT REDEVELOPMENT


“The redevelopment of Bendigo Airport is necessary to continue to support the emergency services including Air Ambulance and Department of Sustainability and Environment Airbase as well as elevate the airport to a regional status in keeping with a City the size and stature of Bendigo,” said Cr Fyffe following the announcement today of the design tenders for the Bendigo airport redevelopment.
The redevelopment of Bendigo Airport has moved another step forward with the City of Greater Bendigo awarding two separate tenders for the engineering design of a proposed new runway and a proposed Airport Business Park.
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Rod Fyffe said the awarding of both design tenders is important because it will provide the detail necessary to enable the physical upgrade of the airport.
“Local firm Tomkinson Group will undertake the Airport Business Park layout and engineering design in tandem with Aurecon Australia who have been appointed to prepare the proposed parallel runway and associated infrastructure design.
“The Business Park design includes a review of the present layout inline with the adopted Master Plan to cater for aviation and other airport compatible business,” said Cr Fyffe.
“Both firms will work closely with the City to establish accurate project costs and an appropriate staged development plan for the works to be undertaken in association with the Victorian Government and potentially the Australian Government.”

Knowledge is Power lecture at La Trobe…

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY ARTS & PLANNING
BEHIND THE CURTAIN SEMINAR SERIES
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Larry Galbraith to conduct a lecture at 121 View Street tomorrow night, 18th May, at 6pm.
LARRY GALBRAITH, senior policy advisor to the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, comes to Bendigo to talk about the challenges faced by local government in the 21st Century, particularly in maintaining local democracy. With more than 30 years experience in frontline politics and the media, Galbraith is promising to provide an illuminating look at the ever-widening gulf between the electorates’ right to make “informed” choices, and state governments’ increasing demands that local governments be run as if private corporations.
Larry Galbraith began working with Clover Moore shortly after she was elected as an independent member of parliament for the seat of Bligh (now Sydney) in 1988. He was a key player in the team which supported Moore’s successful run for the Lord Mayorship in 2004 after a cynical manipulation of the city’s electoral boundaries by the NSW Government went awry. Galbraith was also editor and lead writer for various influential local newspapers and magazines in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Is a city council a quasi-parliament, or a corporation charged with the most efficient delivery of services? What does this mean for maintaining local democracy? Galbraith will speak on these questions and others at La Trobe University Visual Arts Centre, 121 View Street, Bendigo on Wednesday May 18 at 6pm.
The event is the second in a program of seminars organised by La Trobe University, Bendigo titled BEHIND THE CURTAIN. One of the coordinators of the program, Dr Sofia Ahlberg, said that the series is “responding to the massive revolt against the conspiracy of silence and the proliferation of spin in recent times”. Speakers, both countercultural and establishment, are being invited to explore the collapse of boundaries between private and public influences in the circulation of knowledge, and how it can no longer be contained by official channels in the digital age.
For further information on the up and coming seminar and program please contact:
Trevor Budge
T: 03 5444 7230
E: t.budge@latrobe.edu.au

VICTORIA POLICE MEMBER, born in Eaglehawk, Bendigo, was HONOURED AT BENDIGO HEALTH

The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation dedicated a police memorial to honour Constable William George Benbow at Bendigo Health yesterday.
Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe unveiled a commemorative plaque to officially dedicate Bendigo Health’s short stay unit as a permanent police memorial in memory of Constable Benbow.
The ceremony was held in the presence of senior police, representatives from both Bendigo Health and the Blue Ribbon Foundation and members of Constable Benbow’s family.
Blue Ribbon Foundation chief executive officer Neil Soullier said Constable Benbow paid the ultimate price in dying while trying to evacuate members of the public from a dangerous situation.
“Members who have fallen in the line of duty shall forever remain on duty and now, through this emergency facility, Constable Benbow will continue to serve the people of Bendigo.
“I congratulate and thank the Bendigo community and Blue Ribbon Foundation’s Bendigo branch who have contributed so generously by donating funds for this project,” said Mr Soullier.
Bendigo Health chief executive officer John Mulder said that he is extremely grateful for the support of the Blue Ribbon Foundation.
“We have had a long and successful association with the Blue Ribbon Foundation and the opening of the short stay unit is the culmination of the redevelopment of our emergency department. 
“The naming of the short stay unit after Constable William Benbow is a fitting tribute to his memory.
“I would like to thank the local members of the police force and the many other community supporters for the wonderful contribution they have made to this fantastic project.  Many thousands of people will benefit from this generosity over the years to come,” said Mr Mulder
The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation is a community-based organisation that perpetuates the memory of fallen police officers through the support of worthwhile community projects within Victoria.
The Foundation’s Bendigo branch has provided $135,000 for the establishment of the short stay unit at Bendigo Health in memory of Constable Benbow.
This memorial joins 23 other hospital projects funded by the Foundation including two other emergency facilities at Bendigo, the Tynan-Eyre trauma unit and the Norm Curson intensive care room.

(Photo kindly supplied by Bendigo Health.)
William Benbow was born in Eaglehawk on 22 May, 1948. After leaving school he worked as a labourer before being accepted as a Recruit with Victoria Police. He graduated number 14 from a squad of 24 recruits with comments that he worked to his capacity throughout the entire course, had very good attitude and conduct and possessed the Elementary and Proficiency certificate, Intermediate Star and Bronze Medallion. He passed his Retention Exam on 24 September, 1969.

William Benbow completed his training at the Police Depot and was sworn in as a Constable of Police on 8 April 1969. After performing beat duties at Russell Street he was transferred to general duties at Richmond in 1970.
On the morning of Saturday 17 April, 1971 Constable Benbow and his partner, Constable Barry Prendergast, were dispatched to the intersection of Swan and Lennox Streets in Richmond.
Several weeks earlier a multi-story furniture warehouse located on the North-East side of the street had been totally gutted by fire and passers by had reported that one of the walls looked unstable. Sergeant Bill Horman from Richmond Police had initially inspected the scene and evacuated a nearby TAB before calling for additional officers to cordon off the area.
Constable Benbow and Constable Prendergast arrived at about 9.50am in a divisional van and proceeded to usher pedestrians and vehicle traffic away from the scene. At 9.51am and without warning the wall collapsed, crushing Constable Benbow and several cars. Constable Benbow was killed instantly along with three members of the public including a man and his 8-year old daughter. Constable Prendergast received minor injuries but was severely traumatised by the event and spent several months on sick leave. He later returned to active duty with Victoria Police.
Constable Benbow aged 22 and was married with a young daughter.
In a postscript to the death of Constable Benbow another semi-related tragedy occurred in October 1971.
On Saturday 9 October, 1971 Constable Robert Worland of Richmond Police was driving along Eltrick Road, Heywood when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed. Both Worland and his passengers were critically injured and all died some time later at the Portland Hospital.
The other deceased persons were Worland’s wife and Mrs Sue Benbow, the widow of Constable William Benbow.
Worland had been off duty at the time and the country trip was one of numerous welfare outings that Richmond Police had organised for Mrs Benbow after her husband’s death.
A posthumous Victoria Police Star has been awarded to Constable Benbow’s family.
Constable William Benbow had three brothers and one sister – Steven, Trevor, Sam and Judy. His daughter, Tracey-Ann, lives in New Zealand.