Shaping Benalla’s Future: 7 Big Ideas to Transform Our Town
We had a fantastic turnout of 26 people at our first event for 2025, including non-members, which was great to see as the community joined us for the evening.
Raelene Stratton, from Benalla, leads Movement and Place in Victoria, ensuring streets and public spaces are designed to support thriving communities, local businesses, and active transport.
Raelene presented inspiring ideas from around the world—practical innovations and creative approaches that could help shape Benalla's future and support businesses.
She introduced seven ideas for the CBD, all based on Movement and Place, putting people at the centre.
Disclaimer: The ideas in this presentation and article are concepts shared during a Benalla Business Network presentation to inspire discussion and encourage public input into the Council Plan. They are not confirmed projects but are intended to spark conversation and community engagement in shaping Benalla’s future.
What is Movement and Place?
A road or street serves as a movement corridor, but it is also a place—a destination in its own right. Movement aims to minimise commute time, while Place seeks to extend dwell time. These objectives can sometimes conflict, as they often work against each other.
Movement and Place puts people at the centre, considering roads and streets as Open Spaces. Open Space is the foundation of liveable communities, referring to land—including natural areas and those with minimal built structures—that is available for recreation, leisure, and enjoyment. In Victoria, 80% of open space consists of roads and streets!
A key challenge is overcoming the unconscious bias that prioritises cars and vehicles, as people have been brought up to idolise them. The transportation hierarchy prioritises as follows:
Pedestrians
Bicycles
Public transport
Trucks, taxis, and commercial vehicles
High-occupancy vehicles
Single-occupancy vehicles
When applying Movement and Place, we must design for a wide range of users, considering different ages (8-80), genders, and abilities.
Idea 1 – CBD Revitalisation
“A thriving town centre is crucial for a community’s economic, social, and cultural well-being. It serves as a hub for commerce, employment, and events, while also acting as a catalyst for revitalisation, attracting both businesses and residents.”
Outdoor Dining
What generates better business—two car parking spaces or outdoor dining? Let’s extend opportunities beyond bakeries and allow more hospitality venues to offer pop-up outdoor dining.
Reimagining Bridge Street
Reduce to one lane and create a shared zone with a 10 km/h speed limit.
Provide disability parking and loading bays.
Increase space for outdoor dining, events, gathering areas, and children's play.
Improve landscaping, including shade, shelter, and seating.
Idea 2 – Turn the Town Around
Lake Benalla is one of our greatest assets. Built in 1973 (52 years ago), very few buildings take full advantage of the stunning vista.
How can we better utilise our natural surroundings?
Encourage building redevelopments that engage both Bridge Street and Lake Benalla, improving access and views.
Strengthen connections between Bridge Street’s commercial area and public spaces, including the lake foreshore and the library.
Make better use of Faulkner Drive—an incredible, wide, flat space with untapped potential.
Activate the foreshore with more public events to attract investment and increase vibrancy.
Idea 3 – Activate Our Community
Walking and cycling were key themes in the discussion. The benefits include:
Health – Regular cycling keeps people active and improves well-being.
Economic – Cycling saves money and encourages more frequent local spending.
Environment – Bicycles are clean and emission-free.
Social – Cyclists help build inclusive, connected communities.
Transport – More bicycles on the road reduce congestion and parking issues.
Benalla’s wide streets provide excellent opportunities to:
Plan key routes (especially around schools).
Improve bike paths.
Implement safer road crossings.
Lower speeds in certain areas.
Promote bike and bus usage.
We also discovered that Benalla’s two bus routes—West and East—force some passengers to transfer after only one or two stops. A single-loop route would eliminate the need to switch buses in the town centre while carrying heavy shopping bags.
Idea 4 – Make a Grand Entrance
A strong first impression enhances the visitor experience and makes places more memorable.
Ideas to improve Benalla’s entry points:
Utilise wide streets to create a boulevard along Bridge Street.
Reduce to one lane in each direction for better safety.
Enhance intersections for pedestrian safety.
Plant trees along the centre median.
Add bike lanes and indented parking bays.
Idea 5 – Town of Tiny Tours
Benalla is an underrated region with incredible attractions that visitors often miss. We have:
Benalla Art Gallery
Visitor Information Centre
Costume and Kelly Museum
Street Art Walking Tours
Heritage Walking Tours
Migrant Camp and Aviation Museum
How do we connect these attractions?
Link them via cycling paths with wayfinding signage.
Promote cross-advertising of tours on each venue’s website.
Create a Super Pass offering discounts and hospitality deals, encouraging people to explore more.
Idea 6 – Stay, Play, Splash & Stroll
Benalla already offers fantastic recreational spaces, including:
A free splash park
Diverse playgrounds
The Rose and Botanical Gardens
The Lake Walk
A skate park and pump track
3x3 basketball courts
What can we do next?
Link green spaces with cycling tracks.
Create a map (connected to the Tiny Tours initiative).
Market Benalla as a family-friendly, green, active town!
Idea 7 – Benalla: The Centre of the Universe
Benalla is perfectly positioned as a hub for visitors. Nearby destinations include:
Mansfield – 42 min
Avenel – 56 min
Nagambie – 62 min
Shepparton – 46 min
Yarrawonga – 43 min
Rutherglen – 52 min
Glenrowan – 18 min
Milawa – 31 min
Beechworth – 51 min
Bright – 79 min
King Valley – 53 min
Q&A Discussion
There was a lively discussion on how the community and local businesses can get involved in shaping Benalla’s future. Have your say on council decisions and projects:
This was a timely event, as the next Council Plan 2025-2029 is being developed. Now is the time for community feedback, the survey is still open!
BBN’s Feedback on the Council Plan 2025-2029
Develop a CBD Masterplan, linking the Benalla region’s economic and liveability goals.
Create a campaign to attract workers, from trades and hospitality to professional roles.
Improve community consultation and visibility on progress and achievements.
A key question that got people thinking about the ideas from the night:
“What is the cheapest idea with the biggest impact?”
Answer:
Pedestrian crossings—improving accessibility, encouraging walking and cycling, and making streets safer for all ages (8-80).
Poll
Let us know which of Raelene’s ideas you’d like to see implemented!