Community consultation meeting in Drysdale 28 May 2009

On Thursday 28 May, around thirty Drysdale residents attended a community consultation meeting at the Springdale Centre in Drysdale, conducted by officers from the City of Greater Geelong's Department of Community and Recreation. Discussions centred on two items: proposals to redevelop central Drysdale; and a recent study of the 'walkability' of Drysdale.

The redevelopment proposals centred on the future size and location of community facilities such as the library, the kindergarten, the Elderly Citizens Centre, the Neighbourhood House and the council's Customer Service Centre. The meeting discussed three broad options: retain these facilities as they are, move them all to the Potato Shed site south of Drysdale or create new facilities in central Drysdale at council-owned sites.

The Drysdale 'walkability' study had found that various factors deter local people from walking to their destinations, including lack of direct routes and good quality pathways. However, several residents emphasised that the study had failed to address two critical factors: the sheer distances between the town's centre and its outer edges; and the lack of reliable public transport travelling appropriate routes.

Several people suggested that the potential role of public transport should be central to any further discussions about Drysdale's future and were surprised that neither the development proposals nor the 'walkability' study had considered the issue. Surprise was also expressed that neither the proposals to redevelop central Drysdale nor the 'walkability' study took any account of the current draft Structure Plan for Drysdale/Clifton Springs. The draft Structure Plan is allegedly a guide to developments in the town, yet major developments were being proposed without any account being taken of it.

The next step in this process of consultation is the establishment of several Project Steering Groups where local people will work with council officers to create further, more detailed options for discussion by the community.

(This was part of a larger article, 'Drysdale's direction all in the planning', published in the Bellarine Times on 9 June 2009.)