Nature Festival highlights local wonders

Last week saw the launch of the Geelong Nature Festival.

As chair of Council’s Environment and Circular Economy portfolio this is an event that I am passionate about encouraging the broader community to attend.

The Geelong Nature Festival is a joint initiative organised and supported by the City, the Geelong Field Naturalists Club, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Deakin University, the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, as well as many community groups.

It is an exciting, multi-dimensional event, that showcases Geelong’s natural wonders, of which there are many.

That is why Council is committed to ensuring we enhance and protect the range of natural assets we have in our region.

Our Environment Strategy 2020-2030 details Council’s goals and how we will act to protect the region’s environment and reduce our environmental footprint.

The focus of the strategy is simple: to improve the health of our local environment, while simultaneously striving to protect the lifestyle we all enjoy.

I think that is something everybody can get behind and support.

I encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy some time in our shared backyard throughout the coming months and during the festival, which runs for six weeks through until Sunday, October 29, which includes the school holidays.

It will feature more than 80 events, including nature-based activities, workshops, guest speakers, presentations and displays.

This year the festival locations will be shared across the region, with a week six unique landscape locations: Central Geelong, Armstrong Creek, Highton/Waurn Ponds, Portarlington, North Geelong and Anakie.

So get along and see what it is all about, because there is something for everybody no matter how old you might be and no matter where you live.

Bay trail engagement

The City will soon begin engaging with the community on draft plans for how we can best revitalise the infrastructure of the Bay Trail.

The Bay Trail runs for nine kilometres from North Shore to Western Beach Foreshore and along the Geelong Waterfront and is vital to connecting communities and increasing tourism opportunities.

It is one of our premier trails within Greater Geelong’s shared trail network, and Council’s Shared Trails Master Plan identified the Bay Trail as the number one priority to address trail gap and deficiency issues.

Our draft concept plan aims to resolve some of the key issues along the existing trail, create a cohesive trail for all users and enhance what is a significant community asset.

Feedback received from the community late last year helped to inform the proposed plan’s objectives, such as improving movement and access, upgrading visibility and safety, better connecting the trail to nearby locations and mitigating coastal hazards.

Key features of the plan include:

• Improving trail alignment and fixing gaps
• Widening the trail to accommodate a variety of users and meet future demand
• Improving the trail surface
• Improving connection and access to the Bay Trail, including from North Shore Station
• Placement of rest stops and other trail related infrastructure such as seating to improve user experience
• Raising the trail to mitigate coastal hazards along Corio Bay such as water inundation, and
• Revegetation of native indigenous species, including seagrass rehabilitation in the water and the opportunity to consider eco-reefs or living seawalls.

The engagement will open on Monday, September 25 via our Have Your Say page and will run until Sunday, October 15 and all feedback is welcome.

I encourage everyone with an interest in this important stretch of Geelong to participate in the process.

Cr Peter Murrihy

Brownbill Ward

City of Greater Geelong