Objectors dash permanent skywheel hopes but…‘I’ll give you an icon’

Andrew Mathieson
A FERRIS wheel operator wants to turn his visiting 50-metre high skywheel into a Geelong icon.
But Bradley Verfurth, whose family ran a Geelong amusement park for three decades, said objections from nearby residents had quashed his plans to permanently return to the city’s waterfront.
The state’s planning tribunal last month approved Mr Verfurth’s skywheel to operate on the waterfront after residents challenged the wheel on concerns over public safety, traffic and visual impact and its potential to attract anti-social behaviour.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with residents but they don’t want it there, full stop, so staying would be pointless,” he said.
“Their main thing is they don’t want it in their backyard.
“I’d love to be permanent in Geelong but that’s not going to happen with the residents.”
Council has issued a permit to operate the tourist attraction for the next three years.
Mr Veruth can operate the skywheel from September until April next year and for five months between 2011 and 2013.
The giant wheel has been operating in a Melbourne inner-city park after a stint on the Mornington Peninsula where locals dubbed the attraction the “Rye Eye”.
Mr Verfurth said he planned to continue running the wheel during winter at Melbourne’s Birrarung Marr and in Geelong for summer.
Mr Verfurth applied for a permit for 12 months but had to scale back plans twice to satisfy council.
Conditions require him to submit a report assessing light emissions and impacts on “sensitive” land use or traffic movement. He must obtain written consent to play “loud music” at the skywheel.
Mr Verfurth predicted visitors would embrace the wheel, which attracted 60,000 over a three-month trial on the city’s waterfront in 2007.
“It will become iconic, like it has in Melbourne,” he said.
“It’s on just about every TV ad for the city and I’d like it to get more coverage than the football.
“From what I can gather, council wants to use the wheel as a major centre like an under-the-wheel sort of meeting place.”
Mr Verfurth said he intended to “promote the skywheel a bit more around the state” to bring visitors to Geelong.