Submitters object to Point Grey redevelopment

THE Surf Coast Shire council has heard submissions regarding the proposed Point Grey redevelopment in Lorne.

The Point Grey redevelopment will cover 1.7 hectares. The construction stage of the project is expected to cost $10 million, with $8 million coming from the Geelong City Deal and $2 million from the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC).

The plan involves demolishing the existing restaurant, fish co-op, Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club (LAAC), public toilets and picnic facilities and replacing them with new facilities, which will also include a new lookout, boardwalks and a public shelter.

GORCC applied for the planning permit to the council as the project takes place on the Crown land they manage.

However, the council’s hearing on June 9 showed the project is not unanimously popular with the community.

The plan went on public exhibition in late 2019 and received 14 submissions – 12 of these were objections, and two offered conditional support.

Six of the 14 submitters chose to give presentations at the hearing.

LAAC treasurer and secretary David Worth spoke at the hearing on behalf of the club. He said they supported the new clubhouse, albeit subject to certain changes.

“Although we are very supportive of the specific redevelopment of our club building, we do have major concerns around the supporting infrastructure, which will impact on our club.”

Mr Worth said one of the main concerns of LAAC was parking, which was an issue raised by multiple presenters at the hearing.

“We do not believe there is adequate parking in close proximity to our club, especially disabled parking.

“Our patronage has continued to grow in recent years, and by reducing the number of car parks in the immediate vicinity of the club, this may discourage use by existing patrons and is likely to discourage future growth and patronage.”

Penny Hawe spoke on behalf of Friends of Lorne, which has Point Grey on its logo, and raised the issue of the extra lighting to be installed for the new development.

“At night time now, all we see are the lights on the pier. But the GORRC plan is to light this area all night like a beacon… on the only piece of undeveloped land on our foreshore.

“At night, we want no light, no beacon, nothing to distract from the stars and the moon.”

Ms Hawe also said renovation was preferable to redevelopment.

“The co-op building is our heritage and it should be rescued and repurposed.

“We know it has seen better days, but that doesn’t mean something wonderful could not be done with it.”

Ms Hawe said while they were asked to engage in a new vision, the option of repurposing the existing building was never tabled.

GORCC chair Ken Northwood spoke at the end of the hearing and refuted the claim repurposing the existing building had never been presented.

He said early in the process GORCC presented “a number of scenarios, ranging from the retention and a facelift of the existing buildings to the replacement of these with the development. These were tested in January 2013 in a consultation process that was run in partnership with Surf Coast Shire and Regional Development Victoria”.

Mr Northwood said the overall process of forming the masterplan had been very thorough.

“The masterplan process was engaging, it was sensitive, it was balanced, and it went over a period of 10 years.”

He noted despite the objections voiced at the hearing, GORCC had plenty of support in their advocacy of the redevelopment.

“Our submission is ultimately in support of the Point Grey Project Steering Group, who endorsed the final masterplan and the design for Surf Coast Shire planning approval.”

The issues raised at the hearing will be presented to the council in a report ahead of their June 23 meeting.