Geelong
Friday, 27 March, 2015
Connecting people and communities
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Hat’s off to lord of ring
Sea change blows ill wind at St Leonards By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
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THE SEA change blown in by the ABC TV series of the same name has finally reached one of its quaint settings, with the character of St Leonards to transform under a new growth plan. The township was one of the two main locations for the late-1990s series, with locals happily giving up their main
street on filming days. But City Hall’s major amendment to St Leonards’ structure plan will change the seaside village’s character as population growth spreads out over the Bellarine Peninsula. It’s part of the changing character of Geelong’s coastal communities, with Surf Coast Shire approving another major housing development at north Torquay
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this week. A independent panel reviewing the St Leonards plan accepted that the character of the town would change as it grew and activity increased. The panel’s report said new subdivisions and contemporary housing contrast the existing character of the long-established seaside town.
The new plan gives approval for the development of two residential housing estates. The sea change swamped the other local setting for the ABC show years ago, with Barwon Heads’ property prices mirroring the population boom. Regional councils alliance body G21 identified the new St Leonards growth area in 2013 as part of an overall plan to cope
with the region’s population rising from 228,000 to 298,000 by 2031. Phil Walters of the St Leonards Progress Association’s said residents were reluctantly accepting the changes to their town. “I’m sorry to see it happen,“ Mr Walters said. Continued page 2
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RINGMASTER Simon Tait doffs his top hat to launch Silversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Circus at Geelong Showgrounds. Almost four decades old, the Australian circus institution is in town throughout the school holidays. Picture: REG RYAN