Retail eyes on old Ford land

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
ZONING changes have revived plans for a bulky goods retail centre on a former Ford site in North Geelong, according to Beacon Lighting chief Ian Robinson.
Mr Robinson said he would move his Beacon Lighting store to the other side of Melbourne Rd as part of any retail redevelopment of the Ford land.
State Government’s changes to zoning rules for bulky goods retail created an opportunity to “revisit” plans for retailing on the site.
The previous government scuttled plans for a retail centre, HomeTown, with a 2008 ruling the land might be needed for industrial expansion.
But the changes include allowing retailing in industrial zones, extending the list of business able to operate under the bulky goods rules and lowering the minimum store size.
“The changes will encourage developers to go ahead with further developments because they’ll have a bigger pool of potential tenants to draw from,” Mr Robinson said.
“It’s still up to council and the local community to decide but it’s a chance for people to revisit the idea. It was discouraged because it was on light-industrial land but that’s a silly restriction.”
Bulky Goods Retailers Association head Phillipa Kelly said the changes would stimulate “millions of dollars” of investment in Victoria.
The former Market Square Shopping Centre manager said a significant proportion of the investment would be in the Geelong region.
Super Retail group director Peter Birtles said the changes could help his company open new stores here.
The group, including Super Cheap Auto, BCF, Rays Outdoors and Gold Cross Cycles, planned two more stores in the region.
“This opens up sites not under previous consideration, especially for our Gold Cross brand which wasn’t really viable under the restrictions.
“It means developments can have a number of retailers apart from just the big box stores and will make them into seven day a week centres instead of shoppers mainly coming out on weekends.”
Geelong councillor Rod Macdonald, who holds council’s planning and economic development portfolios, welcomed the changes.
“A number of organisations are looking for sites in the region and were facing issues around whether their proposal constituted a legitimate use,” he said.