Sea levels and a new project for the saltworks

from w
Okay, we live very close to the saltworks and some people say it's an eyesore. I don't worry too much about it - the old Cheetham Salt works.  Now someone has a plan to turn it into another kind of suburb, but what about sea -levels? All houses would have to be on stilts surely!  Dream on!  Maybe they could build resort style Fijian bures over water!

GEELONG & REGION NEWS

$4b waterside suburb planned for former Cheetham Saltworks

·         ALISON APRHYS   GEELONG ADVERTISEr   JUNE 14, 2014 10:00AM

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A proposed $4 billion development is set to transform Moolap’s former Cheetham Saltworks. Source:Supplied

A MASSIVE $4 billion development proposal is set to transform Moolap’s former Cheetham Saltworks into a modern waterfront suburb.

The ‘’game-changing’’ project has the potential to support more than 1200 full-time jobs annually for the next 25 years, according to the proponents.

Landowner Ridley Corporation has announced a partnership with Sanctuary Living for the development of the 465ha property.They propose to create 155ha of mixed-density residential land, 80ha of employment land, a 75ha conservation reserve and leave 20ha of open foreshore.That would link with Geelong’s Botanic Gardens and Eastern Beach, enabling the city’s publicly accessible coastline to extend much further east.

Sanctuary Living’s project officer Stephen Head said the development would need the backing of all three tiers of government.“The design and approval process could take quite some time, however if it proves viable, the project would be a game changer for Geelong,” he said. “It would support all the good work being done to reposition the town as a vibrant, modern city with growth industries, great amenity and highly desirable, world-class areas to live.”

Sanctuary Living is the developer behind the Geelong Golf Club estate in North Geelong.

Ridley’s CEO Tim Hart said the two companies were planning a world-class, environmentally responsible, mixed-use land project.

City of Greater Geelong planning manager Peter Bettess said the State Government was in talks with Ridley and no rezoning or planning permit application had yet been lodged.

Geelong Field Naturalists Club spokesman Bruce Lindsay said the Moolap wetlands remained an important habitat for shorebirds“There’s still a long way for the project to go in terms of environmental considerations,” he said.

“We feel the infill on the entire site obviously remains the proponent’s intent and this is a poor outcome for Geelong and has international ramifications.”Dr Lindsay said large-scale residential and industrial development was unnecessary.“When you weigh up the outcomes, there are plenty of other development sites elsewhere in Geelong,” he said.

The former Saltworks site borders the bay on the Geelong-Portarlington Rd, between CSIRO’s Animal Health Laboratory facility and Point Henry..