Praise as city opens estate

Hamish Heard
Geelong Chamber of Commerce has welcomed a new City Hall plan to let small industry move in on a massive northern suburbs industrial estate.
Council has adopted a new framework plan to allow a wider range of industry types access to a 500hectare estate in Heales Road, Lara.
The estate was previously restricted to heavy industry.
The move paves the way for a rezoning of 85 hectares of the site to industrial one, with minimum lot sizes of 4000 square metres.
Council planning portfolio holder Rod Macdonald said the Heales Road Framework Plan would provide muchneeded land for emerging industry sectors.
“Demand for high quality industrial land has outstripped supply to the point where Geelong is at risk of being hampered by a shortage of wellserviced industrial allotments that cater to neweconomy industries such as advanced manufacturing and assembly and logistics,” Cr Macdonald said.
“The new plan will permit a wider range and a greater number of industries and will ensure the Heales Road estate maximises its very large economic potential.”
Cr Macdonald said the new plan would provide for a more attractive interface between the estate and Geelong’s bypass.
“In addition to the zoning changes, the plan prescribes improved infrastructure, landscaping, subdivision requirements and urban design,” he said.
“One of the particular aims is to ensure that the southern edge of the estate presents an attractive frontage to the Geelong bypass.”
Geelong Chamber of Commerce executive director Lawrie Miller heaped praise on the Heales Road framework plan.
“There’s no doubt it’s the best industrial land on the north side of Geelong because it gives closer access to other markets and that’s why Heales Road will play such an important role in the city’s industrial development into the future,” he said.
“It’s going to be a very attractive industrial estate and we’re delighted council is moving on it.”