Bring the prosperity

AN ENVIRONMENTAL and culturally sensitive plan to attract billions of dollars in investment to Avalon and create thousands of jobs has been described as “the engine room to bring the prosperity”.

The draft Avalon Corridor Strategy aims to guide the development of land adjoining Avalon Airport, making way for tens of thousands of jobs across an industrial and commercial hub and the Bay West port, while protecting the green wedge between Geelong and Melbourne.

The strategy has been a collaboration between the City of Greater Geelong and Wyndham City Council, with Geelong councillors endorsing the release of draft document for public feedback and Wyndham expected to do the same on August 10.

Councillor Kylie Grzybek urged the community to have its say on the draft strategy, which could impact flight paths, noise, and would decide “our future employment precincts”.

“We need to get this right,” she said.

Cr Aitken said council needed to activate the process which would respect the environment from the You Yangs to the Ramsar coastal wetlands, support a rail link between Geelong and Avalon, and fast track the employment precinct.

He said Geelong’s and Werribee’s populations were projected to grow by more than 317,000 over the next 20 years, requiring 148,000 jobs to support that growth, and 50 per cent of the jobs would be in the Avalon growth corridor.

Cr Aitken said council’s decision to endorse the strategy to go out for public consultation was an unparalleled precedent and “putting out a blue print out” for that job creation.

Cr Bruce Harwood said “this vision and progress had started when Alan Joyce and Lindsay Fox spruiked Avalon in the 90s”, emphasising the significance of the strategy and council’s role.

The draft strategy’s key recommendations are:

· Protecting significant cultural, landscape and environmental values and maintaining a green break between Werribee and Geelong while also retaining important economic transport connections between the two regions

· Safeguarding of state significant infrastructure and the long-term role of Avalon Airport from urban encroachment

· Creation of a Structure Plan for the proposed Avalon Employment Precinct, to guide development of land located immediately adjacent to Avalon Airport.

Community consultation is proposed to start on August 11 for six weeks in conjunction with Wyndham City Council.

The proposal recommends that the Victorian Planning Authority leads the development of the structure plan for the Avalon Employment Precinct, given the state significance of the area and the involvement of multiple state agencies.