1 March 2007

The Geelong Eastern Park & Botanic Gardens Strategic Plan commenced with an inception meeting held between the lead consultant - Hansen Partnership - and the Project Control Group, an advisory group comprising City of Greater Geelong Councillors, representatives of the Geelong Environment Council, the Friends of the Geelong Botanic Gardens, the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, Heritage Victoria and the Local Member for State Parliament, Ian Trezise.

Following that meeting, the Project Launch, a public event, was held in the Geelong Botanic Gardens on the evening of Monday 19 February 2007, which was attended by approximately 50 interested people.
Work has now commenced on all three phases of the project, namely the Conservation Analysis, the Master Plan and the Management Plan.

Works currently underway include an archaeological review, historical analysis, landscape analysis, traffic analysis, leisure and recreation analysis, preparation of a survey questionnaire for community input and the preparation of a detailed inventory of every one of over 4,000 existing trees within the park and gardens.

Upcoming events include a Stakeholder Workshop on Monday 2nd April 2007 and a series of listening posts on Saturday 31 March 2007.

The ''listening posts'' will involve members of the consultant team being located in Eastern Park and the Geelong Botanic Gardens all day, at Bay City Plaza from 10.00am to 1.00pm and on the Geelong Waterfront (Steampacket Gardens) from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. The consultants will be hoping to speak to as many interested people as possible, in an effort to find out what it is that makes Eastern Park and the Geelong Botanic Gardens special, and what can be done to make them even better. Come along and have your say, and help shape the future of your park.