EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
A community at a critical planning crossroads
Maiden Gully is undergoing rapid transformation. Since the adoption of the 2020 Precinct Structure Plan (PSP), the township's commercial centre, population distribution, bushfire risk profile, and community infrastructure needs have changed dramatically in recent years.
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Updated evidence from the Terramatrix 2023 Bushfire Assessment, combined with the recent experience of the 2026 Harcourt fires, demonstrates that the 2020 PSP no longer provides a safe, equitable, or realistic framework for the township's future.
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A central recreation precinct — accessible via the Bendigo city bus network — is essential to support community sport, provide daily access for Maiden Gully Primary School's 560+ students, and function as a township scale fire refuge.
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This Executive Report outlines the unified strategic case for a full PSP and DCP reset, culminating in a revised Maiden Gully PSP 2026.
THREE STRATEGIC CONCLUSIONS
1
The northern PSP town centre and growth area are unsafe, indefensible, and non-compliant with State policy.
2
The central precinct is the only viable, inclusive, accessible, and community supported location for the Maiden Gully town centre.
3
The western corridor is the only safe and strategically sound direction for future population growth.
KEY INFRASTRUCTURE FINDING
A central recreation precinct is essential to the township's future
Accessible via the Bendigo city bus network, a central recreation precinct would support community sport, provide daily access for Maiden Gully Primary School students, and function as a township-scale fire refuge — addressing three critical community needs in a single strategic location.