Geelong council to vote on exploring sale of Ocean Grove properties

City Hall is looking at offloading a pair of Ocean Grove properties that could become the latest council-owned assets to land on the chopping block.

Geelong council will vote on whether to explore selling a pair of Ocean Grove properties, including the carpark at 89-91 The Terrace.

City Hall will again turn its gaze to selling off council-owned land, with neighbouring Ocean Grove properties the latest to face the chopping block.

Geelong council will on Tuesday night vote on whether to seek community feedback relating to the sale of 94 The Parade and 89-91 The Terrace.

The land includes a small 381 sqm park and 1623 sqm carpark that offers about 50 parking spots.

According to a report by council officers, the sale comes long after the adoption of the 2014 Ocean Grove Urban Design Framework (UDF).

The decade-old report recommended City Hall consider the site as suitable for sale and redevelopment, “subject to off-set or replacement of carparking spaces”.

The funds raised by the sale would go back into Ocean Grove, the report stated.

“The proposed sale of land will ensure the market value of the land is reinvested back into uplifting the public realm and in accordance with the UDF objectives,” city officers wrote.

The UDF also recommended the intersection of The Parade and Hodgson St be squared up, which would enable a further 1000 sqm of road reserve to be available for development.

The proposed sale would be subject to a planning permit being issued for the redevelopment of the southeast corner of the intersection.

Officers recommend the council move forward with community consultation and for council to appoint a submission review panel to hear submissions before a further report is presented to council.

The impending vote comes after Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj floated the idea of selling properties to slash its debt – forecast to be $175m – and pushed for a review of the city’s 850 properties.

Mr Kontelj backtracked after appearing to suggest, Wurriki Nyal, the city’s $102m HQ build in 2022, was on the chopping block.

Mr Kontelj said City Hall had to “explore” possible futures for the building, including whether “to own it, or to sell and rent back”.

He later said selling Wurriki Nyal was not a “likely outcome”.

Selling off properties has increasingly become a strategy of the region’s cash-strapped councils since the pandemic.

In May 2020, councillors approved the sale of three large properties; a former childcare facility on Purnell Rd in Corio, a 5000 sqm block on Esperence Cres in Highton and a drainage reserve in Corio.

In August 2022, City Hall announced the sale of the Civic Centre carpark for $22.6m and the ten-pin bowling centre on Reynolds Rd in Belmont for $5.5m.

City Hall has also looked at selling the Busport Carpark.

In August last year, Geelong council approved the sale of land to Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative.

In March 2023, the Borough of Queenscliffe sold a 9509 sqm parcel of land on Murray Rd for $3.5m to a developer, paving the way for a new estate called The Cove, Queenscliff.

That site has become mired in controversy, after the discovery it was riddled with asbestos.

Originally published as Geelong council to vote on exploring sale of Ocean Grove properties