A $5.2 BILLION marina-style residential estate could be a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for Geelong’s economy, according to a boating industry leader.
The proposed 4000-berth Nelson Cove promised to help make Geelong a “magnet city” for boat-owners, said Boating Industry Association of Victoria’s Steven Potts.
He was speaking at a Geelong boating and tourism forum this week, where industry figures called for State Government to establish a “Blue Infrastructure Fund”.
The fund would help provide boating infrastructure to encourage private investment in projects like Nelson Cover, earmarked for disused salt pans at Moolap.
“The proposed Nelson Cove marina residential lifestyle and sporting precinct is forecast by MacroplanDimasi, one of Australia’s leading property economists, to add $20 billion of economic activity over 19 years to Geelong,” Mr Potts said.
“This should be recognised as a major generational once in a lifetime opportunity to boost the Geelong economy, create a major boating tourism destination facility and, more importantly, thousands of jobs over the lifetime of the project and beyond.“
The forum heard that boating would double in the central coastal area of Victoria over the next 35 years.
Mr Potts said 95 per cent of Victoria’s 172,000 registered recreational vessels were “trailered”, with a 2015 Roy Morgan poll finding that 86 per cent of their owners planned a trip to the Geelong region in 2015.
Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine’s Roger Grant said tourism/lifestyle developments based around waterfront locations were “always popular”.
Greater coordination of tourism and boating activities such as fishing, water skiing, sailing and scuba diving, could “maximise employment and investment opportunities”, he said.
“Major tourism lifestyle development with waterfront locations are always popular and boating activities through local clubs such as the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, who organise the Festival of Sails which attracts thousands of visitors to Geelong.“
The tourism body and industry association plan “regular discussions on relevant issues to boost investment in boating related tourism“.
Nelson Cove faces a competing proposal from Geelong Environment Council for the salt pans to become a haven for wading birds.
