COGG settles on Drysdale tip future

THE City of Greater Geelong (COGG) has settled on a preferred final landscape plan for the ageing Drysdale Landfill site after five years of extensive consultation with the community and key stakeholders.

Originally opening in 1983, COGG has planning for the pending closure of the facility in eight years’ time and put out three post landscape options of the site for feedback last year.

The first option focused on community access and use, the second environmental restoration and the third restoring the landfill and quarry via a “simplistic cost-effective rehabilitation” according to COGG.

Option one and two received overwhelming and near unanimous support at over 40 per cent, option three had nine per cent.

The city has resolved to develop a final plan with elements from each but a guiding focus on environmental restoration and improved community access.

The project is estimated to cost $9 million over approximately six years, with significant works planned to begin in 2024/25.

COGG plans to offset the overall cost via an estimated $7.91 million in revenue associated with clean filling the former quarry over a similar time period, resulting in a net cost of $1.213 million the city proposes to fund from the Drysdale landfill rehabilitation provision.

A total of 51 surveys were submitted along with three detailed written responses from community organisations including Geelong Environment Council (GEC) and Bellarine Landcare Group (BLG).

The GEC strongly supported option two, Environmental Restoration, but rejection options one and three.

“It is a once-only chance to increase biodiversity, make an identifiable tourist destination on the Bellarine and create a very significant indigenous parkland in the heart of the Bellarine,” GEC’s submission stated.

The BLG expressed concern over potential ‘clean’ fill that may end up in the former quarry, asking if it would be monitored in the same way as the landfill site.

“Contaminating the creek and Swan Bay via the quarry’s water table is a major concern, as ‘clean fill’ is difficult to monitor,” BLG’s submission stated.