Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last year I reported to this House about my vision for a walking and cycling trail around Corio Bay. This trail would link the path along the waterfront between the eastern and western beaches with the northern reaches of Corio Bay, finishing at Limeburners Bay near Geelong Grammar. This is a long-term plan which will take a long time to realise, but it will be wonderful if we can. This path would take walkers and cyclists along some of the most scenic stretches of our waterfront, offering lovely glimpses across Corio Bay to the city centre and the Bellarine. It would be unique.

In some parts of north Geelong and the north shore the path is already there, such as at Moorpanyal Park where it sits snugly beside the water's edge providing a stunning view across the bay of Geelong city. At this spot is provided a tantalising glimpse of what could be a major tourist drawcard as well as a popular recreation and commuter track for people cycling or walking to work from the northern suburbs. I consider this to be a long-term project because the path would need to pass through some of Geelong's most heavily industrialised areas, including the Port of Geelong, one of our state's busiest ports. Public safety, the conduct of business and, indeed, national security around our ports are major priorities.

As I previously reported, in 2009 and 2010 I held a series of meetings with the relevant property owners and stakeholders, including Shell, Terminals, Geelong Port, Midway and GrainCorp, to map out this idea and how it might work. We have discussed the issues that each of these companies would need to have addressed in order for the path to be a viable option adjacent to their operations. Their issues are legitimate and need to be resolved. This is a working area which must be able to go about its business unimpeded. As I have said before, we may need to consider pedestrian bridges, stairs, covered walkways and boardwalks to traverse that section of the waterfront where industry is heaviest. But I have been heartened by the willingness to consider and support the idea in principle. It is clear that with the right engineering solutions each of the issues raised is solvable.

With this response at an individual level, it is time to give this initiative another push. And so yesterday, through my office, I approached the City of Greater Geelong again to bring together the property owners with other stakeholders in a meeting to resolve to take the next step. This meeting will take place on 24 June. That step is to undertake a feasibility study of the path with all its engineering solutions and put a cost on the project. The feasibility study itself will cost tens of thousands. The project will cost millions. Who foots each bill will obviously be the big question, and it will not be answered in one meeting. But as we better articulate the project with greater detail I am confident the support will come one day. And we have time. After all, we have been on the shores of Corio Bay for 160 years without a path. What is another decade to make it happen?

The fact is that Corio Bay defines our city. It is why we are where we are. It is our most beautiful asset. For too long as a city we had our back to the bay. But the city waterfront changed all that, turning our heads towards the bay and making us realise just how stunning it is. There would be no greater way to bring to life Corio Bay for a large proportion of Geelong's population than to provide a way to walk around it, view it and enjoy it. In my view, that is a vision worth paying for.