Geelong council releases plan to boost high-density development in South Geelong for public feedback
A mega development plan designed to send inner-Geelong into the stratosphere to house a booming population is now open to feedback, and some councillors are already bracing for backlash.
Geelong
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A plan to transform South Geelong with residential and commercial developments of up to 10 storeys has been released for public feedback.
Geelong Council on Tuesday voted to release the city’s draft South Geelong Urban Design Framework for an eight week community consultation period.
The framework proposal nominates the Moorabool Street and South Geelong station precincts as “key development areas”, where buildings of up to 10 storeys could be built to increase housing supply.
Councillor Pat Murnane noted the framework represented the city’s efforts to address infill opportunities, to allow the city to best cope with it’s population boom.
“We know that our city has got planned population growth of very substantial numbers in the next 30, 40, 50 years, and we’ll need to have the ideas and the planning to cope with that,” Cr Murnane said.
“We also know that the answer to that growth will be a combination of newly created suburban areas, but also infill. And that infill in existing suburbs is obviously one of the more difficult things to do.
“I think getting that right is going to have a major effect on both the past and future character of our city and character of those suburbs.”
The move to medium and high density development in the area had the potential to create opposition in the community some councillors noted, with deputy mayor Kylie Grzybeck revealing she was “a little concerned” about some proposed building heights.
The council called on residents to actively take part in the community consultation.
“How we go about it is the important thing,” Cr Sarah Mansfield said.
“We have to respect the existing communities and residents in those spaces.”
Residents can provide their feedback on the draft UDF at yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au before 21 September.
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Originally published as Geelong council releases plan to boost high-density development in South Geelong for public feedback