Geelong council has put its stamp on a plan that would allow for more than 1550 new homes in one of the region’s high-growth areas.
The City of Greater Geelong Council voted to adopt the Marshall Precinct Structure Plan which will allow the homes to be built for 3000 to 4000 residents in the Armstrong Creek area.
The plan covers 123ha and was first drafted by the council in 2019 to overcome the fragmented ownership of the land. It was then released for community consultation.
The precinct is the final residential precinct to be developed in the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Area under the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Plan 2015.
Moving forward with the plan means amending the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme. The council voted to prepare Amendment C278ggee and to request that Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny prepare to exhibit it.
Once the amendment is exhibited, the determining authority will rest with the minister.
The Marshall Precinct Structure Plan design also includes a public and active transport precinct around the Marshall Train Station with green spaces and some medium and high-density residential development.
There is also some provision for commercial development fronting Barwon Heads Road and on land near the Barwon River floodplain and the North East Industrial Precinct.
The Victorian government is upgrading the Marshall Train Station as part of its Big Build project.
Upgrades to transport connections, predicted increases in tourist numbers and a demand for housing make Geelong an interesting prospective location for developers.