Big fat Greek revamp

THE Opposition’s plan to remake Geelong’s foreshore in the image of the Greek coastal city of Thessaloniki is an intriguing one.

There may be some political sandbagging going on with the Thessaloniki-on-Corio-Bay plan.

The announcement comes amid a populist revolt against our pollies’ perks and junkets.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy, South Barwon MP Andrew Katos and others recently took a publicly funded trip to Israel and Greece that went on the public tab to the tune of $25,000.

So while that grates, a further revamp of our waterfront could still be a boon for Geelong.

We are blessed to be a city based on a marvellous bay that is a rarity in that it is northfacing.

There is no denying it is a much more accessible and picturesque waterfront than it was before Jeff Kennett drove changes that opened it up to the public and integrated it with the CBD.

There are still opportunities to open up closed off sections along the 5km from the Botanic Gardens to Rippleside and make the stretch hang together as a whole.

For instance, the NSW city of Newcastle — which is similar in many ways to Geelong: postindustrial, heavily populated but with a different pace and aesthetic to the capital — has created a coastal walkway that could be replicated successfully here.

The Greek plan comes with a blast from the past too: Mr Guy has indicated the Minister for Geelong – likely Mr Katos – may have Kennett-style planning powers over the waterfront. This could certainly fast track any necessary approvals.

But talk is cheap, and there is that saying about Greeks and gifts. If the Coalition manages to form government in Victoria it must act on its big ticket items for Geelong.

This is particularly so as Mr Guy, in the same speech at last night’s Committee for Geelong dinner, mooted an up to 200day ‘infrastructure audit’ before committing to projects such as the Convention Centre.