Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

Back in April, VCAT approved a giant digital billboard on the corner of Yarra and Malop Streets. It is twice the size of a similar digital billboard installed on the corner of Moorabool and Ryrie Streets. The City of Greater Geelong had refused to grant a permit for the 'sky sign', citing that it did not suit the location, was oversized and shared no objective with the Central Geelong Urban Design Guidelines.

The council was right. This sort of large electronic advertising sign in the heart of our CBD distracts from the very things that Geelong should be emphasising: our history, our architecture and our heritage. Geelong is one of the most historic towns in Australia, although we do not often think of ourselves in this way. Indeed, the Geelong CBD has one of the best collections of heritage buildings adjacent to water anywhere in the country. The woolsheds, the factories, the shopfronts and the Customs House—these are what make Geelong special, not electronic billboards, and we will never compete on the basis of neon signs with our large neighbour up the road.

I firmly believe that the secret to reinvigorating our CBD does not lie in flashy lights. Just like Ballarat and Bendigo, but potentially on a much bigger scale, it lies in developing our heritage. It is important we show off who we are as a city and do not allow our beautiful architecture and streets to fall into the background. Let us show off the art gallery, the telegraph station, the Gordon, the boardwalk and the old Geelong post office, because they tell our story; they tell Geelong's deeply historic story.

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