Retailer alarm at bus shelters plan

Jessica Benton
Plans for bus shelters on Geelong’s Moorabool Street have confused traders.
Deane Etheredge, who owns Banjo’s Bakehouse on the corner of Moorabool and Little Malop streets, said the proposed shelter locations outside his business would wipe out his outdoor dining.
“I’m really worried,” he said.
“We provide one of only a couple of alfresco options on Moorabool Street. Council encouraged alfresco dining when they redeveloped the area and now they want to take it away.”
Mr Etheredge expected council would order him to move his outdoor dining space around the corner to Little Malop Street’s mall.
“But I don’t want to do that. There’s no shade and you have all the riff-raff hanging out, who they can’t police.”
Mr Etheredge suggested moving the shelters closer to Malop Street.
State Government’s Department of Transport and City of Greater Geelong released to the Independent images of concept plans for the bus shelters.
The images showed 10 bays on the east side of Moorabool Street between Malop and Little Malop streets. Five bays were pictured on the west side of Moorabool Street between Ryrie and Little Malop streets.
Geelong Traders Association’s Hayden Spurling said the bus shelters would increase pedestrian and traffic congestion on Moorabool Street.
“It’s very difficult to put shelters on a footpath without obstructing the shopfronts, while the openness of the structures allows for people to move around them, causing a free flow of pedestrian traffic and people leaning up against shop windows,” Mr Spurling said.
The Independent reported last year that Geelong’s council planned to build a bus “interchange” on Moorabool Street.
Mr Spurling, a former Geelong mayor, said the bus shelter plan appeared to be a short-term solution. He favoured an underground facility, “maybe with parks on top”.
A spokesperson said the City had carried out “consultation” with Moorabool Street traders.
Several of the traders might have to modify their “footpath-based activities” to make way for the shelters, the spokesperson said.