Geelong goes for growth with ‘99% permit approval rate’

City Hall is rejecting only one per cent of planning applications in a “balancing act” between development and community impacts, according to a council administrator.
Kathy Alexander said the City was “pleased with our progress to date” as new figures showed the value of greater Geelong building permits at a record $1.3 billion in 2016.
The result was a 21.4 per cent increase on 2015, the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) reported.
The value of domestic construction permits was up 16.6 per cent to $884 million, with commercial and retail rising 30 and 45 per cent respectively.
Geelong posted the state’s fifth-highest value of building permits, as Victoria posted a statewide record $32 billion.
The only category to fall in Geelong during 2016 was residential, including apartments, which was down 63 per cent to a value of $21 million, the VBA said.
The figures emerged as Geelong recorded “phenomenal” population growth over the past year, Dr Alexander said.
“Our rate of growth has more than doubled since 2011-’12,” she said.
“Geelong’s population grew by 5621 to 235,343 in 2015-16, an annual population growth rate of 2.4 per cent. This is up from 3396 new residents the previous year and equal to the growth rate of Melbourne for the same period – Australia’s fastest growing capital city.”
City Hall’s planning department was performing a “balancing act” to manage the impact of growth on social and environmental concerns, Dr Alexander said.
“The City deals with the third highest number of planning applications across the state and issued close to 1700 permits in the 2015-’16 financial year.
“In 2015-’16 only one per cent of planning applications were refused.”
Dr Alexander and co-administrators Peter Dorline and Laurinda Gardner are developing an Our Future long-term planning strategy for Geelong.
The have said the strategy would guide Geelong’s planning for the next 30 years.
The administrators’ term ends in October with the election of a new greater Geelong Council.
The Andrews Government appointed the administrators last year after sacking the previous council, largely over allegations of a bullying culture at City Hall.