Geelong council gives the all clear to release ‘green spine’ draft masterplan

As a draft “green spine” masterplan goes out for public feedback, one Geelong councillor says it will benefit businesses, while another says it could become a “noose around the neck” of City Hall.

There are plans to expand the “green spine” works that are currently occurring in Malop St in Geelong’s CBD. Photo: Alan Barber.

Extending “green spine” works in central Geelong will benefit local businesses because people will be more likely to spend an extended amount of time in the CBD, one councillor has told her colleagues.

Belinda Moloney’s comments on the controversial issue come after business owners impacted by the current Malop St works recently reported a 50 per cent drop in trade.

At Tuesday night’s council meeting, Ms Moloney supported an ultimately successful motion to release a draft masterplan to beautify Gheringhap and Mercer streets for public feedback.

Ms Moloney said the area in question was reminiscent of “an older time in Geelong where it was quite rugged and manufacturing-orientated”.

“I think we’ve got a real chance to make it a bit hipster, if we want to, and certainly very lush and green, and to change the way that we interface with the streetscape,” she said.

“Currently, if you’re scooting around Geelong, you probably just want to get in and get out, but I think that this masterplan goes a way towards creating a space you want to hang out in … for the local businesses that’s good because people want to hang out and spend a bit of money.”

The masterplan proposes to transform Gheringhap and Mercer streets, as well as Bayley St which runs between the two, from expansive asphalt, car-dominated thoroughfares to “civilised green spines”.

As it stands, the plan would see a 400 per cent increase in the number of trees lining the streets, 180 upgraded or new streetlights, 7400sq metres of additional footpaths, 260 new seats, bins, drinking fountains and other street furniture.

A masterplan has been developed to beautify Gheringhap and Mercer streets in Geelong’s CBD.

Deputy mayor Anthony Aitken voted against the masterplan’s release.

The Windermere ward councillor said there was a lack of accompanying strategies and the focus was skewed too far in favour of beautification, rather than functionality.

“There’s no public transport plan for the CBD of Geelong, there’s no traffic management plan for the CBD of Geelong, there’s no carparking plan for the CBD of Geelong, but what we’re doing, we’re now going to go out to the public with a design masterplan without actually having all of that strategic work undertaken,” he said.

Kardinia ward councillor Bruce Harwood supported Mr Aitken’s position, saying the masterplan could become “a noose around the neck” of council.

“We need to be very cognisant of existing owners and their future plans and that they are also around the table when we’re having discussions about where we’re going to be putting footpaths, bicycle paths,” he said.

Malop St business owners have said turnover has halved since “green spine” works commenced.

Bellarine ward councillor Jim Mason said the masterplan was needed to provide guidance to developers and ensure “rational development”.

“Without the guidelines of this masterplan, we’re not going to have rational and optimum development,” he said.

“We’ve been having this discussion for some years, it’s the chicken and the egg, it goes on and on.”

The public can have their say until January 23.

Originally published as Geelong council gives the all clear to release ‘green spine’ draft masterplan