Community group denied land by Geelong council

A NOT-FOR-PROFIT community group has been left disheartened after council knocked back their plans to establish a miniature railway in Geelong.

Geelong Family Park and Miniature Railway Association pitched the idea to the City of Greater Geelong (COGG) in March 2018 and again this year, suggesting potential locations including the Eastern Park and unoccupied land near Anakie Road.

But the COGG has since notified the group their project does not fit council’s social infrastructure planning and cannot be supported.

“The city acknowledges the efforts of community members who have a vision and invest their time and effort into achieving that vision for the betterment of the community. For this, the city does thank you for your work to date and your enthusiasm to achieve your goal,” a letter from Travis Kirwood, COGG’s manager property and procurement, read.

The letter claimed the city does not have any land that meets the requirement for the group’s proposal.

It also said if the city did have land that met the proposal’s needs, the use would not be supported or offered because the miniature rail is not a “strategic option”.

“The City will not be providing land for the use of miniature rail in the foreseeable future,” Mr Kirwood said.

Geelong Family Park and Miniature Railway Association president Brian Gray said the lack of support from council has meant members within the group have been forced to leave.

“It’s really sad and we’re losing members and business support because of it. Things seem to be getting dragged out,” he said.

Mr Gray said the closure of Alcoa and Ford in Geelong has left many skilful people out of work, a driving force in the group’s proposal.

“The whole idea of this project is to reach out to the community and provide jobs to lots of people who can’t find work,” he said.

Mr Gray said the group has garnered community support, scoring 36,000 likes and comments across posts on their Facebook page and receiving signatures on a petition to build the miniature railway.

He also said the group will now approach the Surf Coast Shire.

“We are definitely not going to give in. We are a group of community-minded people who want to give people who aren’t currently working a sense of self-worth,” he said.

To learn more about the group, search “Geelong Family Park Miniature Railway Association INC” on Facebook.