City approves land sale to Wathaurong

THE City of Greater Geelong will proceed with the sale of a city-owned plot of land in Norlane to the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative to assist the organisation with its plans for expansion and centralisation of services.

At its meeting on Tuesday this week, the council voted unanimously in support of the sale of about 5550sq/m of land at 43 The Boulevard, Norlane.

The land abuts the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative’s existing site in Morgan Street, North Geelong.

The sale is subject to the organisation obtaining a planning permit for the redevelopment of the site and the land being rezoned.

The block of land at 43 The Boulevard is now public open space and includes a shared pathway.

The sale will see the site subdivided, with the remaining land to be retained by the city.

Deputy mayor Anthony Aitken said the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative had an incredible vision for the future of the site.

“They actually have a $50 million redevelopment project proposed for that site location, with $40 million set aside to build a new community hub and administrative headquarters and $10 million for a future early (childhood) space for young children,” Cr Aitken said.

“This land that the council is selling to them, with the existing land that they have, (the Wathaurong) wish to create a culturally safe space…and importantly, they actually wish to return what is currently industrial heartland in the northern suburbs back into Indigenous heartland for the community that they represent.”

Cr Aitken said the city was doing what it could to assist the Wathaurong with these plans.

“We have worked in strong partnership with the co-operative to ensure that their vision can actually be achieved on that site location,” he said.

“It will become a showcase – not just for the northern suburbs. It will become a showcase for the rest of Australia in terms of how you work with your local Indigenous community to actually celebrate their past and ensure their future.”

Cr Sarah Hathway said there was already a “real buzz” in the community about the redevelopment.

“It’s going to be huge for the community and not just local mob,” she said.

“That space is in the middle of this industrial wasteland area, but it’s a really beautiful space and there’s a lot of people in the northern suburbs that regularly go down there, walk around that creek and over the bridge, so it’ll be great for the whole northern suburbs to see this area redeveloped.”