You don’t know what you don’t know

THE three big Rs – roads, rates and rubbish – are Council’s core basics because they are among the most visible and impactful services on our community.

But with more than 130 services on our books, there is bound to be plenty of things that residents are simply unaware we do.

Some of our most innovative work is not even on the 1.247 square kilometres of land in Greater Geelong.

Along the northern Bellarine, there are two offshore semi-submersible reefs that are doing wonders for our fragile foreshores and impacted marine habitats.

These amazing nature-based coastal protection initiatives are great examples of the Clever and Creative and Design-focused work we are being increasingly recognised for.

The first of these, near Ramblers Road in Portarlington, is reducing wave energy and erosion along a stretch of coast that had previously been inundated following severe storms.

The award-winning project has been followed by the Dell Eco Reef, which is providing similar benefits at The Dell in Clifton Springs.

If you aren’t visiting the area at low tide – when the 46 sculptural units appear above the waterline – you would not even know they’re in there.

Installed last year, the undulating eco reef has multiple benefits.

Using a design informed by inter-tidal knowledge, it is perfectly placed to provide a much-needed wave break, reducing wave energy and sand erosion.

Its intricate cavities are also home to a diverse range of native species.

This is helping to restore shellfish numbers, which have suffered due to decades of over-fishing in Port Phillip Bay.

Importantly, the eco reef has been built using green or recycled materials, meaning it has no additional carbon footprint and is diverting waste from landfill.

The system, which was led by Alex Goad from Reef Design Lab, is winning plaudits for its innovative design.

It won a number of Australian Good Design Awards this year and was cited as a key reason for the City of Greater Geelong’s recent recognition on the Australian Financial Review BOSS Most Innovative Companies list.

The Dell Eco Reef reflects the creativity and drive that exists to find better ways to care for our people and our environment.

The project will be showcased as part of a diverse range of events for Geelong Design Week, which starts on October 19.

The 11-day program exhibitions, talks, film premieres, walking tours, and unique experiences that will delight and inform participants.

Geelong Design Week is a great way to celebrate our local design talent, and the best of Geelong as a UNESCO City of Design.

For last year’s annual festival, more than 6,300 people attended a Geelong Design Week event.

About eight per cent of the total number of attendees had travelled from Melbourne, with a further 6.3 per cent from regional Victoria.

You can find the full Geelong Design Week program at geelongdesignweek.com.au

Cr Jim Mason

Bellarine Ward,

City of Greater Geelong