Revitalising land for sustainable living space

To date sustainable planning has largely focused on new developments, but there is also a need to revitalise land that has suffered in the industrial process. Three adjoining development sites on the outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, are being revitalised to facilitate a major residential based redevelopment comprising in excess of 1950 residential lots. The combined sites consist of the former Geelong Cement Works, a former bluestone quarry and non-viable rural land. When combined, the three sites will form a new residential community covering more than 200ha and located just 4km from the City of Geelong's CBD.

Working collaboratively, GHD has been commissioned by two clients, the Moltoni Corporation and the Riverlee Corporation, to effect the re-zoning for all three properties. This is being done on an integrated basis with sustainable development principles at the core of the decision-making process. Tasks have included undertaking specialist engineering and environmental studies, as well as the preparation of amendment and master plan documentation, which seeks to restore a degraded waterway.

The development of the disused parcels of land posed significant environmental challenges. The re-zoning applications and initial master planning for the cement works site required detailed pre-feasibility submissions on decontamination, demolition, reduction of flood effects, the use of water sensitive urban design principles for drainage, the potential for grey water recycling and protection of fauna and flora. The quarry site required detailed planning that included floodway and waterway management, flora and fauna studies, water sensitive urban design and extensive geotechnical investigations.

GHD has prepared traffic management plans, land capability assessments and responded to heritage and landscape issues, as well as taking a broad scale urban design approach in planning for the sites. The integration of extensive pedestrian networks and open space linkages has been central to the achievement of successful design outcomes.

The project also involved significant community liaison, the management of individual exhibition processes and the provision of planning advocacy and evidence to independent panel hearings.