UTE BEAUT: Geelong’s plan to follow “Big Thing” tourism novelty

NORLANE’S former Ford factory could become home to a “big ute” tourism drawcard and motoring museum under a City of Greater Geelong proposal.

COGG has completed a feasibility study into a new Geelong Museum of Motoring and Industry and a Big Ford Ute project, which councillors first floated in November 2021.

Councillors said the plan aimed to acknowledge the importance of motoring to Geelong and especially its northern suburbs, provide a permanent home for the presently nomadic museum collection and provide much-needed short-term visitor opportunities for the region.

The proposal would build a big ute in the mould of iconic Australian tourism attractions like the Big Pineapple, Big Banana and Big Koala, alongside an exhibition of motoring artefacts in a nod to the city’s proud manufacturing history.

Cr Anthony Aitken endorsed the idea at this week’s council meeting.

“The big thing was came from an idea that we should be celebrating our engineering history.

“The common ute that we now see that is around the world in so many different forms actually came from a Geelong-based engineer at the Ford Australia site.

“The big thing was an opportunity to celebrate that unique history as a city of makers and it’s pleasing to see that this some feasibility report endorses that there is an opportunity for us.”

Fellow Windermere Ward councillor Sarah Hathway said the project would help “acknowledge the importance of the motor industry and car manufacturing to the northern suburbs and Geelong more broadly.

“It certainly seems like every other person I speak to in the Windermere Ward had a family member or two who worked at Ford at one point or another.

“I believe it’s important to preserve this history rather than lose it.”

Cr Aitken also called on the factory’s current owners Pelligra to be “a good corporate citizen” and negotiate in good faith with the city.

The Ford site is the city’s preferred location, subject to a commercial agreement with the site’s developer landowner.

The nearby Seagull Paddock is also on the city’s radar.

But the project’s cost remains unclear; a city report tabled at this week’s council meeting indicated the GMOM&I could cost between $8 million and $15 million, while the big thing was priced at $3 million.

The city will advocate for external funding to bring the idea to life and investigate governance models such as community advisory panels to manage the facility.

The combined proposal would also bring economic benefits to the city and address a need for single-day tourism opportunities in the city, which is of increasing need with the recent influx of Spirit of Tasmania travellers.

A permanent home for the motoring museum is also a priority, after the facility has been ousted from multiple homes in recent years and amid fears the collection could be lost without a long-term tenure.