North Geelong Urban Forest Alliance is working to protect and preserve the more than 44 hectares of urban forest formerly known as the Geelong Golf Course.
This green wedge is one of the oldest continuous open spaces in urban Geelong and has been a treed parkland since the golf club was founded in 1892. Since the closure of the golf course in 2003 there has been significant naturally occurring reforestation with its added biodiversity. The area, with its mature trees and abundant wildlife, is important from an ecological perspective but also as the northern suburbs’ only substantial carbon sink. Its large trees enhance air quality and provide significant carbon sequestration.
This green wedge in Geelong’s residential/industrial north is facing devastation by the proposed Links Living Limited “development”. Links Living’s hastily cobbled master plan fails to address the significant carbon release this land grab will deliver. It decimates North Geelong’s only substantial green lung and delivers only profound and irrevocable environmental degradation. For humans and wildlife alike, Links Living’s new proposed “master plan” is a disaster, resulting in loss of open space, habitat and visual amenity. And on Ballarat Road and Thompson Road there will be massive increase in traffic volume.
In an era when governments and councils are addressing environmental issues and daily announcing new initiatives, we urge both state and federal governments to work together to prevent the destruction of North Geelong’s unique and precious “urban forest” and further alienation of open space.
We urge the Minister for Planning and the Premier of Victoria to call a halt to Links Living’s flow of plans and proposals. We urge the state and federal governments to act together immediately to save a significant historic open space, its mature trees, wildlife, waterways and habitat. The people of Geelong and future generations can thus benefit from what was bequeathed to them. Geelong can be a leader in urban environmental responsibility.
