 | "Geelong is an international waterfront City. It has world class facilities and is a highly desirable place to be" |
Geelong is Victoria's largest regional city, at its heart is Central Geelong.
Where is Central Geelong - Map showing boundary
The City of Greater Geelong is preparing a suite of documents that set out for residents, businesses and potential investors how this vision will be achieved. They are being published under the banner Central Geelong: Looking Forward.
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For further assistance email enquiries@geelongcity.vic.gov.au or call 03 5227 0270.
Central Geelong Subject Area
Vision for Central Geelong 2025
"Geelong is an international waterfront City. It has world class facilities and is a highly desirable place to be"
By 2025 Central Geelong will be:
A Better Place to Live
- Central Geelong will be a sought after residential address with a mixture of housing and accommodation attracting a diverse community.
A Better Place to Work and Invest
- Central Geelong will be a bustling, diverse and vibrant economic centre, busy at all hours, encouraging people to stay on after work to socialise, shop and enjoy entertainment, and providing a safe and accessible environment.
- Workers will prefer a Central Geelong location for the networking, meeting, conversation and training opportunities it provides and for the easy access to shops, eating and drinking places and entertainment.
- IT and communications infrastructure in the Central Geelong will be highly advanced, it will lead in wireless internet communication and mobile telephony.
- Many organisations operating nationally and internationally will have recognised the business cost and life-style advantages of operating from Central Geelong and will have chosen to locate in Central Geelong.
- Central Geelong will offer a range of office and commercial workspaces, sufficient to meet the demands for growth and adaptable to meet the changing needs of business.
- The access to and connection with the water will make it easy for workers to quickly wind down.
- Fifteen years of private sector investment will have created a high quality built environment with a number of new iconic buildings and structures.
A Better Place to Study
- Students locally and from regional Victoria, interstate and overseas will be attracted to the range of education opportunities offered in Central Geelong and recognize Central Geelong as an excellent place for study with a strong character and identity as a 'university City'.
- Well-developed support services, and a good supply of student accommodation, will ensure that students are well integrated into the life of the City. The influx of students will have made the City more vibrant, adding to the cultural mix and supporting specialist businesses catering to their needs.
A Better Place to Visit
- Visitors will find their way in, out and around Central Geelong easily, will feel secure and comfortable and will find vitality and interest throughout Central Geelong's streets and public spaces by day and night.
- The waterfront will offer a fantastic range of opportunities to interact with the bay whether on, over or alongside the water.
- Central Geelong will be a strong regional focus for civic and cultural activity, shopping, leisure, events and entertainment attracting growing numbers of daily visitors. As the main centre for specialist health, community support, legal, financial and business services, Central Geelong will draw visitors from throughout the Region.
- Central Geelong will provide a destination of choice for short breaks from Melbourne and regional Victoria and increasingly interstate travellers.
- Convention visitors and tourists from inter-state and overseas will find Central Geelong a showcase for the attractions of the Region and will be encouraged to stay longer or return.
- Access to and from the City will be easy by public and private transport with a balance of public transport and parking improvements meeting travel needs.
- In the main areas of activity pedestrians and cyclists will be given priority.
- Central Geelong will be internationally recognized as a leader in hosting events.
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Central Geelong Structure Plan
The Central Geelong Structure Plan has been prepared to provide a planning framework for the city for the next 20 years. It is intended to provide the foundation for a significant urban revitalisation project of Central Geelong in line with Council objectives and State Government policy and supporting initiatives including the Transit City program.
The Structure Plan is intended to be a catalyst for urban growth and renewal by defining the preferred direction of future growth and articulating how this change will be facilitated and managed.
The Structure Plan has been informed by a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions, opportunities and constraints. It responds to these by setting a vision and strategic directions that will see Central Geelong reach its potential as a Waterfront city of international renown.
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Central Geelong Urban Design Guidelines
The Urban Design Guidelines direct the future form and height of buildings within Central Geelong. They guide the location and appearance of development, facilitating buildings that are more sustainable and improve the pedestrian environment. They encourage and guide future growth, in a way that respects and enhances Geelong's unique character and natural assets.
- The draft guidelines aim to provide an appropriate balance between encouraging growth whilst protecting the essential qualities of Central Geelong. While new design guidelines can generate significant debate, there is value in directing growth that delivers an attractive and welcoming city while improving services, investment and jobs that make Geelong a prosperous city.
- By guiding and encouraging growth, the guidelines will further enhance Geelong as a place to invest, work, visit and live. Demand for businesses and residential development has been accommodated within the guidelines, as has the identified targets for residents, workers, visitors, overnight stays and use of the Geelong Train Station.
- Change to our urban environment needs to be managed, and the guidelines inform developers what is important to Geelong's identity and how they can positively contribute to the city. By clearly identifying expectations, it is intended that a streamlined decision making process will assist individual development proposals.
Draft - Central Geelong Urban Design Guidelines April 2008 (PDF-1636KB)
- Draft - Central Geelong Urban Design Summary (PDF-643KB)
- Draft - Central Geelong Design and Development Overlay April 2008 (PDF-1307KB)
- Online submission form
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Central Geelong Place Management Plan
A Central Geelong Place Management Plan has been prepared to provide a strategic direction for the Place Management team and associated bodies for the city for the next 4 years (document can be downloaded below):
- To maintain Central Geelong as the primary regional business activity / regional commercial centre – that is the vibrant, dynamic and the focus for regional business growth
- To achieve the goals of increased workers, residents, students and visitors to Central Geelong
- To manage the place as an entity - holistic approach
- To coordinate focus / energy in a common and agreed direction.
- Central Geelong Place Management Plan (PDF-622KB)
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Background Document
Central Geelong is a diverse centre that has a wide range of facilities and services reflecting its regional function. It offers a very attractive lifestyle for residents with its north-facing waterfront setting, quality housing, cosmopolitan retail and dining sector, and comprehensive healthcare facilities.
Central Geelong is the largest retail centre in the region and, with approximately 117,000 square metres of floor space, it accounts for about 27 per cent of all retail space in the City of Greater Geelong. It is recognised as a vibrant and successful retail precinct dominated by Market Square, Westfield Bay City Plaza and the traditional shopping strips on Ryrie and Moorabool Streets.
It is estimated that Central Geelong supports approximately 75,500 square metres of office space in about 65 commercial buildings. The proposed relocation of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) to a site in Central Geelong will add significantly to the city's commercial building stock.
Central Geelong contains major health and education facilities, including the Geelong Hospital, St John of God Hospital, Geelong Private, Deakin University and the Gordon Institute of TAFE. There is also a range of arts and civic facilities including City Hall, the Geelong Art Gallery and Performing Arts Centre.
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Parking Precinct Plan
This is the recommended tool for developing appropriate local parking provision rates. The schedule lists the range of anticipated land uses in Central Geelong together with the locally determined provision rates. Where the developer cannot (or does not wish) to provide this number of parking spaces a cash rate has been calculated to be paid "in lieu". Once incorporated into the local planning scheme these rates will be non-negotiable.
It is anticipated that this will be fully incorporated in the second half of 2008.
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