The City of Greater Geelong is now inviting community members and stakeholders to have their say on the draft Concept Plan for the Bay Trail Revitalisation project.

The Bay Trail Revitalisation project is a proposed vision that will create nine kilometres of enhanced trail from North Shore through to Western Beach Foreshore along the Geelong Waterfront. The existing Bay Trail is one of the premier trails within the shared trail network across Geelong, connecting central Geelong and the Waterfront with communities, businesses and attractions northwest along Corio Bay through to Lara.

The Bay Trail Revitalisation is integral to connecting communities and growing tourism within the City of Greater Geelong. As identified in the City's endorsed Shared Trails Master Plan, the Bay Trail was the number one priority to address trail gap and deficiency issues, making it the highest priority for revitalisation. The aim of this project is to develop a Plan that sets out the necessary program and resources for creating a high quality off-road shared trail experience, resolving key issues along the existing trail, revitalising this significant community asset, and creating a cohesive and iconic trail, enhancing Geelong's reputation.

Key features of the draft Concept Plan include:

• Improving the trail surface along the alignment to resolve deficiencies
• Resolution of alignment and trail gap issues
• Widening the trail to accommodate a variety of users and meet future demand
• Improving connection and access to the Bay Trail
• Placement of rest stops and other trail related infrastructure such as seating to improve the overall experience of the Bay Trail as a Waterfront destination
• Raising the trail to an appropriate level to mitigate coastal hazards along Corio Bay such as inundation
• Improve surrounding environment through re-vegetation of native indigenous species, including sea grass rehabilitation within the water and the opportunity to consider eco-reefs or living seawalls

There are key considerations and challenges to take into account which are highlighted in our Interactive Map, including limited space within existing road reserves and embankments, prioritising user safety, lessening impacts to Corio Bay and collaboration with and approval of the draft Concept Plan by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). Therefore, the draft Concept Plan considers the Marine and Coastal Act 2018 and Marine and Coastal Policy which outlines the directions for planning and managing Victoria’s coastlines and marine environment. For more detail please visit our Frequently Asked Questions section.

Feedback closed on Sunday 22 October 2023.

Your feedback is a vital part of our planning. It helps us ensure the Bay Trail meets the needs of the local community.

We encourage you to read the draft Bay Trail Revitalisation Concept Plan, and let us know:

• Have we captured your ideas from Stage 1 engagement?
• Have we missed anything?

Please provide your feedback via one or more of the options below:

• Quick Poll to show your level of support for the draft Concept Plan;
• Online survey to provide more detailed feedback. Request a hard copy by contacting the officer listed in the 'Contact Us' section of this page; and/or
• Come and chat to our team at a onsite drop-in session. For more details follow the link below.

We are taking feedback from Monday 25 September 2023 until Sunday 22 October 2023.

An engagement report detailing the feedback received will be shared with the community in late 2023.

There are a range of projects happening across Corio Bay, including the Geelong Waterfront Master Plan and Moorpanyal Park Master Plan. These projects are currently closed for feedback, however, stay up to date with our Have Your Say page to follow their progress and for any opportunities to provide your input.

Project Partners

The Bay Trail Revitalisation, Feasibility Study and Concept Plan is supported by the Victorian Government.