Changes to a proposed OTR service station in Corio bring it one step closer to reality

A raft of changes have been made to plans for a proposed 24-hour service station on a busy road in north Geelong.

Aerial view of where the OTR would be built at 42-46 Cox Rd. Picture: Supplied.

A raft of changes have been made to plans for a proposed 24-hour service station on a busy road in north Geelong.

The application is for an OTR outlet at 42-46 Cox Rd in Corio and the amendments include the removal of two manual car wash bays and the relocation of the electric vehicle charging bays, as well as the two-way vehicle crossovers.

It means the convenience store drive-through would sit on the southwest corner of the site, where Cox Rd and Nevada Ave intersect.

Viva Energy, which owns the OTR chain, claim these changes resolve concerns raised by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).

They included potential traffic hazards posed by the two-way traffic in and out of the service station.

Public consultation is open until January 16 and if approved, it would be the first OTR outlet in the region.

Images depicting the OTR outlet from the corner of Cox Rd and Nevade Ave. Picture: Supplied.

An OTR spokesman said the company was confident the application would be successful.

“It will make a significant positive contribution to the amenity of the area by activating a longstanding vacant and disused site which has been poorly maintained over many years,” he said.

“The proposed service station is located in an area that is under-serviced by retail options and will provide a convenient way to meet the day-to-day grocery, convenience and fuel needs of the local community.

“We are sure Geelong is going to love OTR, which will introduce a new level of sophistication to the local convenience offering.”

It is the second community consultation period for the application, the first occurring in October last year.

There are plans for an OTR outlet on Cox Rd in Corio. Picture: Supplied.

However, the theft of a notification sign put a spanner in the works.

“Following … consultation with council, it was decided that the proposal would be renotified in January 2025,” the spokesman said.

Geelong council executive director of placemaking Tennille Bradley said the additional public notice was needed to meet the required period of time and to keep locals informed.

OTR is owned by Viva Energy, which operates the Geelong refinery.

Originally published as Changes to a proposed OTR service station in Corio bring it one step closer to reality