ALCOA’S
14 DECEMBER 2015, 7:15PM - 8:30PM
GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE, GEELONG
On 14 December 2015 Alcoa held its last Community Advisory Board (CAB) meeting for the year. Alcoa holds CAB
meetings with interested members of the community every quarter.
There were 14 attendees at the 14 December 2015 CAB meeting: 5 representatives from Alcoa, 2 representatives from
Bastion S&GO (Alcoa’s community engagement consultants) and 7 members of the public.
A facilitated workshop was run with this group for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Alcoa and the CAB have a long history of twoway engagement (as acknowledged by a participant in the workshop) and Alcoa wished to honor this long relationship
by holding its first facilitated workshop with this group for the Point Henry 575 project.
The purpose of the workshop was to inform the CAB about the Point Henry 575 community engagement program,
answer initial questions from the group and seek feedback on their aspirations and visions for the future use of the Point
Henry site. The CAB attendees were asked to provide input centered on the shared vision themes: embrace the coastal
landscape, build upon the strengths of the existing community, create a diverse and inclusive place, honor the various
histories of the site and focus on the future of the Geelong region.
The workshop was facilitated by Bastion S&GO. The agenda for the facilitated workshop was as follows:
Time
Activity
Who
7.15pm – 7.25pm
Introduction:
• Overview and purpose of the
workshop
• Point Henry 575 presentation
Phil Martin (Facilitator)
Warren Sharp (Alcoa)
7.25pm – 7.35pm
Questions and Answers
Phil Martin & Warren Sharp
7.35pm – 8.20pm
The future of Point Henry 575
What does success look like you
to?
All of group discussion, utilising
post it notes
8.20pm – 8.30pm
Thank you and next steps
Phil Martin
WHAT DID PEOPLE SAY?
Q&A
Following Warren Sharp’s presentation on the site, the masterplanning process and the community engagement process,
there were two questions from the group. The first question was whether any masterplan will go the Geelong Authority
and whether the Geelong Authority will have the authority to say yes or no to the plan. It was advised that ultimate
authority lies with the Minister for Planning, however Geelong Authority has a role to play. It was advised that Alcoa’s
processes will feed into the Moolap Coastal Strategic Framework processes.
The second question was whether the City of Greater Geelong (COGG) will play a role in the development of Alcoa’s
draft masterplan and why no representatives from COGG were present at the CAB meeting. It was advised that COGG is
invited to the CAB meetings and receives a copy of the minutes. A COGG representative is also a member of the Moolap
Strategic Coastal Framework Plan steering committee.
© Bastion S&GO Pty Ltd
FEEDBACK
People held a range of views about how the land at Point
Henry could be utilized and provided clear and helpful
feedback on the draft shared vision themes.
Embrace the coastal landscape
It was suggested that protecting the coastal landscape
should be focus of this theme and that it is important
to protect the landscape in its natural state as well as
enhancing the degraded or neglected areas. It was
suggested that a park could be created. This feedback
was in relation to the Point Henry “site as an entity, not
as little pieces”.
Participants expressed a preference for the protection of
public access to the coast.
Build upon the strengths of the existing community
The need to ensure that any development takes into
account the interests of the local community and does
not prohibit public access to the site was discussed by
the group. A ‘gated-community’ style of development
was deemed undesirable by at least one participant.
One participant observed that it should not be forgotten
that Point Henry is a unique location as heavy industry
can operate there without affecting residential areas. This
participant expressed a view that Geelong is expanding
and people need to be employed.
WHAT’S NEXT?
In order to continue drawing on feedback from members
of the public, Alcoa will:
•
Continue to hold its quarterly CAB meetings in
2016. If you are interested in attending a future
CAB meeting, please email point.henry@alcoa.
com.au.
•
Hold community workshops with various
stakeholder groups
•
Host a community Listening Post in February
2016 (check website for further details)
•
Host engagement activities on the Point
Henry 575 website. The website provides
information and engagement opportunities for
the community.
Create a diverse and inclusive place
Participants provided feedback that if residential land use
forms part of the draft master-plan, it is important that
the housing options are appropriate for the needs of the
Geelong community.
Honor the various histories of the site
There was significant discussion around the various
histories of Point Henry and how these could be
acknowledged in the draft masterplan. It was noted by
several participants that many of the settlers of Geelong
disembarked at Point Henry. Participants noted that
there were tearooms on the site and these were deemed
a significant space by participants, who said it would be
a pity to lose that history. A participant told the group
that he would be interested in research into whether
there is a very old jetty on the west side of Point Henry.
Another participant observed that Alcoa’s history at Point
Henry should not be neglected and that it would be good
to have something in the future that directs peoples’
attention to the fact that Alcoa was there for 51 years.
Focus on the future of the Geelong region.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
POINT HENRY 575 AND JOIN THE
CONVERSATION PLEASE VISIT:
Website
www.alcoa.com.au/pointhenry
Email
[email protected]
Recording feedback
The workshop participants’ feedback was carefully transcribed by
representatives of Bastion S&GO, however we cannot guarantee the
verbatim accuracy of these notes.
There was significant discussion around the potential of
this site to create something “unique” and “iconic” for the
Geelong region, and something for Geelong to be proud
of.
Privacy
Two participants offered their idea that the 75h industrial
site could be turned into a Green Power Station, with
the potential for wind turbines, solar and clean energy
industry. It was felt by these two participants that this
would be “something bold that makes sense” for Geelong.
is disposed of securely at the close of the community engagement
Bastion S&GO records personal information from participants in the
Point Henry 575 community engagement activities. We are committed
to securing the personal information collected remains private and
program.
© Bastion S&GO Pty Ltd