New ideas needed for old north sites

THE City of Greater Geelong is calling for public help on how land at the old saleyards and former Target head office in North Geelong can be developed.

The Geelong Saleyards closed in August 2017 after 148 years, while Target left its Thompson Rd office in 2018, ending a 92-year history in Geelong.

The department store moved into its new purposebuilt high-rise headquarters in Williams Landing in December 2018.

Workshops will be held next month where experts in traffic, planning, heritage and urban design will discuss opportunities and constraints in the North Geelong precinct.

Mayor Bruce Harwood said the community was invited to provide their own ideas as the council considered the future use of the area.

“The saleyards and Target head office are well located for residential use given their proximity to the North Geelong station, Pakington St and the CBD,” he said.

“We have a great opportunity to pursue a clever and creative infill development in an area within walking distance of major public transport hubs and a premier shopping strip.

“I encourage people to contribute their own ideas to help us determine the future uses of these key sites.”

The workshops will inform the creation of a draft Geelong Saleyards Precinct Plan.

The plan will provide strategic direction for the land bound by Victoria St, Weddell Rd, Thompson Rd and the Geelong Golf Club.

The council is supportive of a mix of land uses in the area, including housing, open space and potentially some smallscale offices or shops.

Cr Jim Mason, who chairs the Arts, Culture and Heritage portfolio, said the council had resolved to respect the history of the Geelong Saleyards with the future site layout to retain heritage elements and include interpretative signage where possible.

“We are committed to ensuring the rich history of the saleyards will live on in the redevelopment,” he said.

“The precinct plan allows for us to explore how this area should transform into a place where residents can live, work and socialise.”

Following the workshops and public consultation, a draft precinct plan is expected to be presented to the council in early 2020.

The workshops will be held on September 3 from 10am to 3pm at the Geelong West Town Hall and from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at the Geelong West Library.

Registrations are essential and close on August 28 at 5pm.

To register for a workshop visit geelongaustralia.com.au/ yoursay, call 5272 5170, or email planningstrategy@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

If you are unable to attend a workshop, you can provide input into the project by completing a survey at geelongaustralia.com.au/yoursay.

I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR OWN IDEAS TO HELP US DETERMINE THE FUTURE USES OF THESE KEY SITES.

GEELONG MAYOR BRUCE HARWOOD