How to build a future

THE politicians know how good the narrative is.

The most instantly recognisable site and signifier of Geelong’s traditional manufacturing past — the Ford factory in North Geelong — is about to house an operation manufacturing the very epitome of future industry: renewable energy.

The pairing ticks a lot of boxes.

Twenty new jobs to be set up in a key site mere weeks after the announcement that Ford would be cutting more staff in the near future.

The return of manufacturing — albeit of a different nature to the motor industry — in the home of what was once Geelong’s manufacturing home.

Regeneration of a Geelong landmark that has been looking lost and abandoned for quite some time.

Investment in renewable energy at a time when the price and reliability of power consumption is front and centre in most people’s minds.

So it was no surprise that the Premier himself came to town to make the announcement and that many people were quick to add their plaudits to the plan.

Given the 20 local jobs with international wind turbine leader Vestas had been announced previously and was not new information, our questions were more concerned with how this deal would affect the recently announced sale of the Ford complex.

Ford has confirmed that the lease should be solid no matter who the plant owners are, meaning the wind turbine operations should continue at the Ford site long after any prospective sale goes through.

What’s more, Marand has expanded its facility lease by 3000sq m to accommodate the new operation, so any new buyer of the site will have to take that big slice of the plant into consideration.

Hopefully this arrangement stays firm through the uncertainty to come. It would be terrible to think that this deal adversely affects the sale of such an important Geelong landmark or, worse still, the operation finds its home sold out from under them in two years’ time.