Good for the ‘Bool

THIS is good news for the ‘Bool.

Not Warrnambool — Moorabool St.

We talk of course about GMHBA’s decision to keep its base on one of our city’s main thoroughfares.

Moorabool St should be a lot more vibrant than it is.

Between the catenary lights, the views of the bay and the looming California-style palms, it has plenty of distinctive charm that sorts us from ‘generic regional city’.

What is really holding Moorabool St back is trade and social amenity — and the two are likely linked.

There are things that can be controlled and should be controlled — like the vacant shopfronts dotted along the path and the anti-social behaviour of some of the denizens of the mall and bus stop.

And then there’s additional bad luck for the strip — like Belchers Corner slowly being sucked into its own subterranean vacuum.

The last thing the inner city needs is for additional businesses to exit the strip, leaving behind the depressing site of vacant shopfronts.

Which is why a nervous ripple moved through Geelong amid speculation homegrown members insurance company GMHBA was looking to move out of its current location.

Now it seems the company, which grew out of a hospital benefits scheme established by Fyansford cement workers in the late 1920s, will return to its Moorabool St base bigger and better — after an eight-storey rebuild.

It is heartening that there will also be a retail space and cafe to keep street level trade active on the strip.

It all means still more cranes on our skyline, which is a heartening sight for any regional city.

It will continue to be a key challenge for policy makers going forward to ensure that while broader Geelong thrives we don’t end up with booming retail zones on Pakington St and in Waurn Ponds but a dilapidated city centre.

GMHBA not leaving Moorabool St is a good start.