Central Geelong Framework Plan: Daniel Andrews refuses to reveal release date
A delay in finalising development height and density limits in Geelong CBD is holding up city investment, leaders say. But the state government is in no rush to make a decision on the plan.
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The decision to set development height and density limits in the Geelong CBD will be made by the environment minister to ward off any perceived conflict of interest and a “lawyer’s picnic”, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
A year after the state government asked the community for its input about CBD development density and height limits, and nine months after the government was given recommendations by an advisory committee, it is not clear when the Central Geelong Framework Plan (CGFP) will be released.
Community leaders say the delay is holding up CBD investment.
Geelong council wants to grow the CBD population from about 2000 to 10,000 people by 2026. The CBD residential population grew 5.2 per cent in the year to June 2021.
A draft CGFP developed by the Victorian planning department sets height limits for development near the Geelong train station starting from 28m and up to 60m on Mercer St; between 28m and 42m around Deakin University and the bay end of Moorabool St; and between 21m and 42m in the area bordered by Mercer St, Ryrie St, Bellarine St and Brougham St.
A 15-storey Holiday Inn hotel on Ryrie St is being built and Melbourne developer Gurner has partnered with Geelong property identity Dean Montgomery to propose a $300m, 12-storey residential, retail and hospitality facility at 20-28 Brougham St.
Premier Daniel Andrews, at North Geelong on Thursday to open a mental health facility, said to ward off any “perceived conflict” of interest the planning minister Lizzie Blandthorn wouldn’t make the final decision on the framework.
“It’s not uncommon for the planning minister of the day, through a formal process, to have another minister make a decision. Very rarely would there be an actual conflict but it’s about if there’s a perceived conflict,” Mr Andrews said.
“You wouldn’t want somebody, who was perhaps say a very large developer for instance, who wasn’t very happy with the planning decision that a planning minister made in support of the community using that perceived conflict of interest to run off to court to turn the whole thing into a lawyer’s picnic.”
Ms Blandthorn’s brother, John-Paul Blandthorn, is a director of the Labor-linked lobbying firm Hawker Britton.
Environment minister Lily D’Ambrosio will make the final call on the framework plan.
Asked if the government would follow the recommendations of the advisory committee, Mr Andrews said it was a decision for the minister.
“The minister will look at the advice of the independent panel. They’re not matters that come to cabinet and we all sit around and have a chat about whether we should do this or that, whether it should be 10 storeys or 14 storey, there’s a clear process.”
This year to keep an election promise, the state government ignored independent planning advice that recommended an area around Spring Creek at Torquay be developed. A developer is now contesting that decision in the Supreme Court.
Mr Andrews said when Richard Wynne was housing and planning minister, planning decisions in the housing portfolio were made by the environment minister.
Last week outgoing Committee for Geelong chief executive Jen Cromarty said the state government’s failure to release the CGFP was “holding back investment.”
“It’s been almost a year since the independent planning panel heard our submissions. The plan is just one piece of the puzzle,” Ms Cromarty said.
“We are very hopeful that the government will release that before the election.
“I know that there is a lot of people who are waiting for the plan because it’s holding back investment.
“I have high hopes that we will see the state government put some strong thinking and resources into long-term planning for Geelong. Geelong is growing faster than any other city in Victoria.”
By 2052 central Geelong is expected to have a population of more than 12,000 people and provide employment and services for more than 35,000 people, according to the state government.
Premier opens new mental health facility
Pressure will be taken off Geelong hospital’s emergency department by a 16-bed critical-care mental health facility opened at North Geelong on Thursday, the state government says.
Likened to ICU for mental health, the $74m facility at Barwon Health’s McKellar Centre is likely to primarily treat people aged 50 and above.
The inpatient facility is expected to have seven nursing staff for each shift, care for about 350 people a year and respond to recommendations of the Mental Health Royal Commission released last year.
Prior to the construction of the facility, the Barwon region was identified as having some of the lowest per capita rates of mental health beds in the state.
If elected in November, the state opposition has promised to boost the number of psychologists in Victoria to create up to 2 million more appointments.
The Liberals and Nationals will fund an additional 750 psychology supervisors and create a matching service to help psychology graduates find the right supervisor.
Commenting on the North Geelong mental health beds, Premier Daniel Andrews said the beds were among the first in the state to be delivered in response to the mental health royal commission.
“These 16 beds here will provide treatment and care to at least an extra 350 patients each and every year, something like 6000 hours of extra care each and every year,” Mr Andrews said.
“The old system was defined by ‘you had to be incredibly unwell’ otherwise there was no option for you.
“(Now) it’s about keeping people well, keeping people safe, and not simply responding to those who are the most acutely unwell.”
Clinical director of Barwon Health’s mental health, drug and alcohol services program, Steve Moylan, said: “Buildings like this serve as a symbol of what is actually possible if you really lean into the problem of how we can improve mental health services across our communities and for us it gives us a toolkit that we can use to not only think we can do better, but really actually do better.”
Meanwhile Mr Andrews said the government was committed to spend $450m to build a women’s and children’s hospital, near Geelong hospital, in stages.
Budget papers show the government has not allocated annual funding allotments to the project.
“There’s a thing called unallocated capital, you may not have a cash flow yet because we haven’t done a tender yet for the full balance of the works.
“There’s still some processes to go through and we won’t know the exact cash flow (now). That’s the usual way these things are done. It’s going to be built and it’s going to be absolutely fantastic.
“I’ve just been talking with (Barwon Health) CEO (Frances Diver) about … very significant demolition works that I think are taking place in just the next few days, if not this weekend and early next week.”
Under the first stage of the government promise, women’s and children’s facilities at Geelong hospital would be expanded, including more operating theatres and birth suites, a bigger outpatients area to support paediatric clinics, and a revamp of maternity assessment and short stay areas. A women’s and children’s hospital tower would be built under a second stage.
Early works would begin before the end of the year, construction of stage 1 would be completed in 2025 and stage 2 in 2029.
Asked if a 2029 opening for the women’s and children’s hospital was adequate given the growing demand in the region, Mr Andrews said: “ It takes time to build really big, significant pieces of infrastructure. If we can build it and open it up before 2029, we absolutely will. We’ll do everything we possibly can to get it done as fast as possible.”
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Originally published as Central Geelong Framework Plan: Daniel Andrews refuses to reveal release date
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