Geelong council told to clean up ‘absolutely horrific’ city centre

A concerned resident has used council’s first meeting of 2024 to voice her anger over the state of the city centre. HAVE YOUR SAY.

Police and Public Transport Victoria officers conducted Operation BANDIT at the Geelong bus exchange last year, targeting anti-social behaviour and fare evasion. Picture: Brad Fleet.

Geelong council has been confronted at its first meeting of the year by an angry resident who slammed City Hall for the “absolutely horrific” state of the CBD.

Trish Gant said the Moorabool St bus exchange was a hub of anti-social activity and that a proposed overhaul of Market Square shopping centre would do nothing to fix the problem.

Emphasising her point, Ms Gant, a CBD resident, said a “full can of Coke” narrowly missed her head while she was walking in the area recently.

She said it was “time to stop talking and start doing”.

“I’m not going to stop walking through the (Little Malop St) mall and I’m not going to stop walking around the area, but I want this to stop,” Ms Gant told council.

“Our town is disgusting.”

Her concerns were backed by a Geelong Advertiser poll of more than 400 readers that showed 66 per cent actively avoided the city centre because of safety fears. Only 7 per cent thought the problems in the CBD were overstated.

A large number of retailers have departed Market Square shopping centre in recent years. Picture: Mark Wilson.

Ms Gant also took aim at the unisex toilet block on the corner of Moorabool and Malop streets, which she said created several safety issues.

“All the toilets are unisex now, don’t get me started with that,” she said to applause from the public gallery on Tuesday night.

“I can’t walk my little three-year-old grandchildren in because I don’t want to sit them on the (toilet) seat, it stinks because men are using the toilet blocks.

“I am also frightened that I have to walk in and face a man … I’m frightened of being trapped in a toilet near a man.”

The toilet block opened in 2022, replacing underground toilets that were closed by council following years of concerns surrounding safety, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Following an awkward exchange with Mayor Trent Sullivan, Ms Gant was invited by council’s recently installed executive director of placemaking Tennille Bradley to make a time to discuss the issues in more depth.

The draft Market Square masterplan, which is out for public consultation until February 11, recommended the Moorabool St bus exchange be moved to the centre of the street, similar to tram stops in central Melbourne.

This outcome could only occur if the northern part of Moorabool St was closed to cars.

“Upgrades to the bus stop and surrounds is a priority give anti-social behaviour, and can happen independently from the other upgrades, depending on input from the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP),” the draft plan states.

Ms Bradley said City Hall and the DTP regularly spoke about the issue.

“We are looking to work proactively with all the stakeholders in the precinct,” she said.

Councillor Peter Murrihy said crime in the area had fallen in the past four years.

“The public probably thinks it’s greater than it ever was, but it’s not, it’s actually decreasing,” he told Ms Gant.

“It’s still at unacceptable levels and everyone on this council acknowledges that.

“We’re trying our best, there’s certain hurdles, and the matter you raise about the buses is one of those.”

Market Square management confirmed one entry point from Little Malop St has been closed due to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

“The safety of our tenants, customers and staff is paramount,” a spokeswoman said.

“It has already proved to be an effective measure against external factors, not coming from genuine patrons of the centre.”

Originally published as Geelong council told to clean up ‘absolutely horrific’ city centre