Wurriki Nyal to open up on open day

THE community is being invited to take a look inside the City of Greater Geelong’s new administrative heart at an open day for Wurriki Nyal next month.

The civic precinct’s state of the art building at 137-149 Mercer Street, Geelong features 2,550 sqm of new public space and a centrally located customer service area to help residents and businesses get access to city services.

To be held on February 18, the day will begin with a smoking ceremony by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners at 9.30am to welcome people, with the city to run free half-hourly tours from 10am to 1.30pm.

The 45-minute guided tours will cover the building’s links to the region’s Wadawurrung culture and its sustainability attributes, and include a visit to the end-of-trip facilities.

Tour bookings are on a first-come first-serve basis, so register now to get the time slot of your choice and a free goodie bag.

Bookings are not required to get access to the building’s ground floor and the open day’s outdoor activations, which will showcase the city’s services and activities, entertainment and food offerings.

Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said the city’s new headquarters delivered on the aspirations of the community.

“I encourage community members to book a guided tour to learn about Wurriki Nyal’s cultural and sustainability features and how the community and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners helped shape the building.

“Wurriki Nyal is a significant council investment in Greater Geelong and will serve the community for decades to come.”

Construction on the building began in mid-2020 and was completed in August 2022, with the customer service area opening to the public in September last year and more than 850 employees moving in.

The name Wurriki Nyal (pronounced WUU-ruh-kih nee-YAHL) comes from Wadawurrung words meaning “speak and talk together”, and was decided through close engagement with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners.

A culturally significant scarred tree, believed to predate European settlement of the Geelong region, has been carefully restored and relocated to Wurriki Nyal.

City of Greater Geelong acting chief executive officer Bryce Prosser said the community had watched this fit-for-purpose building take shape over the past few years and has shown a lot of interest in visiting the space.

“This is your chance to have a look around and learn more about the Civic Precinct on Mercer Street, which was shaped by the community for the community.

“Wurriki Nyal is helping city employees to work together in a more collaborative and sustainable way to meet community need, including a redesigned approach to customer service.”

For more information about the Wurriki Nyal open day or to book a place on the tours, head to geelong.link/wurriki-nyal-open-day