Geelong Miniature Railway (GMR) president Brian Gray has called on the council to not “shut the door” on the charitable initiative.
GMR is seeking a “peppercorn rental”, a site of 10 to 15 acres from the City of Greater Geelong with a favourable rental agreement.
After granting GMR $50,000 last year to conduct a feasibility study, Mr Gray says the City of Greater Geelong has shut down communication with him.
“We submitting everything to council in February, had a meeting with them in March and they told us ‘we’ll get back to you’,” Mr Gray said.
“After several months… I sent (the City) an email. (The response was) there’s a miniature railway in Portarlington, council doesn’t think they need another one in the Geelong region.
“We’re a registered charity of ex-servicemen and the general public who are planning to build a workshop to teach local youth, corrections kids and anyone else we can support with regards to engineering and fabricating all the components of the railway.”
“We’ve had nothing. It’s $50,000 of taxpayers’ money.”
GMR received considerable flak last March when Geelong council granted the not-for-profit organisation funds for the feasibility study, which Mr Gray said had affected his health significantly.
“All the hoo-ha that happened in the paper when they gave us the money, it put me in hospital,” he said.
“I was getting death threats, stuff like that. And now nothing?
“We’re busting our arse to build a tourist hub in the Geelong region to raise money for the local community and to pass on our skills to local youth and anyone else who’s interested.
“In Melbourne there are seven miniature railways. The one that makes the least (raises) $65,000 a year, running one day a month through the summer period. They gave, from memory, $22,000 to the fire brigade, that sort of stuff. That’s what we want to do.
“Council’s got that much land but they can’t give us 15 acres. It’s just disgusting, really.”
Geelong City’s acting executive director of customer, community and economy Tennille Bradley said council’s next move on the miniature railway was subject to the findings of the feasibility study.
“The feasibility study has been completed by the independent consultant and provided to the City for viewing,” she said.
“The next step is for the City to provide its feedback to the Geelong Miniature Railway group.”
