GEELONGADVERTISER.COM.AU MONDAY DECEMBER 21 2015 NEWS 03

V1 - GATE01Z01MA

TAKE A DIP: The existing waterfront at Rippleside and (top) an artist’s impression of the proposed new beach. Picture: GLENN FERGUSON

TWO new inner-city publicbeaches will be built under a$5 million transformationannounced for Rippleside andSt Helen’s.

Creating beaches at eitherend of the city, the addition of5000 cubic metres of sand ishoped to create two beaches atthe western end of Geelong.

In a big win for locals, theupgrade of stormwater drainswill make it possible to swim atthe under-used beaches, whichwill flank the $80 million Bal-moral Quay developmentannounced by the GeelongAdvertiser last year.

Delta Group, one of Austra-lia’s most experienced civilcontractors, has been appoin-ted as the civil and marine con-tractor for the beachdevelopment.

As part of the works, legacystormwater drains will be up-graded, buried and extended75m into the bay to support

quality environmental bench-marks, a new rock revetmentwall will be created and a pierrefurbished.

The resulting beach will beconsistent with the grassheight in Rippleside Park,extending 20m out hori-zontally and then graduatingto the natural seabed level.

Balmoral Quay develop-ment director Scott Miller saidthe delivery of another innercity beach would change theface of Geelong’s waterfrontforever.

“Both St Helen’s and Ripple-side beaches will berenourished with 5000cubic metres of new sand and

the equivalent of three Olym-pic size swimming pools, cre-ating two new 20m-widebeaches for the enjoyment ofthe whole community,” MrMiller said.

“Local and state authoritiesare working diligently with usto green-light constructionand enable delivery of this

community asset in the firstquarter of 2017 while theweather is still warm forbeachgoers.”

The State Government willcontribute $500,000 to theproject, which will also seeinfrastructure connecting thetwo beaches.

Environment, Climate

New inner-city beaches set to transform bay

LACHIE YOUNG Change and Water Ministerand Bellarine MP Lisa Nevillesaid the Rippleside redevelop-ment would benefit the com-munity.

“The Balmoral Quay pro-ject delivers significant eco-nomic, social andenvironmental benefits forGeelong,” Ms Neville said.

“It means 680 new directand 680 indirect jobs over thenext four years.

“The end result is more jobs,better beaches and a linkedwalkway and bike path fromwhich to enjoy our beautifulGeelong coast.”

Another element of the Bal-moral Quay development dueto start, after strong pre-saleregistrations, is the release ofthe first 30 berths in the state-of-the-art floating marina.

The first 20 townhouses,including three and four-bedroom homes with views ofthe bay, the Geelong CBD andRippleside Park, went on salein July, with most of them al-ready sold.

Medical event, then car crashAN Anglesea man, 35, wastaken to Geelong hospital aftercrashing his car into a tree onthe Great Ocean Road aboutnoon yesterday.

A spokesman for Ambu-lance Victoria, John Mullen,said the man had suffered a“medical episode” before thecrash. He said the man was in aserious but stable condition.

Study finds there's no one number for hitting the jackpotimprove their lives forever.

But those living south ofthe Murray crave less thanSydneysiders, believing that$670,000 is enough to drasti-cally improve their lifestylecompared with $850,000from those in NSW.

The NAB research foundmen think they need$814,000 to turn things

around, while women require$703,000.

But those living in regionalcities think they require morethan people in Melbourne.

Regional city dwellers say$835,000 will help their life-style while capital city resi-dents think $794,000 will do.

Those from the land orsmall rural towns say

$530,000 would transformtheir lives.

NAB’s Financial Freedomreport asked more 2000 Aus-tralians how much moneythey thought would improvetheir lives.

With more than a milliontipped to buy a ticket in theJanuary 2 $30 million Super-draw Tattslotto, the study

found West Australians need$828,000 to significantlychange their lives foreverwhile Tasmanians cravearound $170,000.

Very high income earners,who are accustomed togreater spending, requirealmost $1.5 million, whilelower income earners needconsiderably less.

ROB HARRIS

VICTORIANS are less greedythan average Australianswhen it comes to dreaming ofa life-changing windfall.

A new study has foundAustralians believe inheritingor winning $760,000 is themagic number to significantly

$5m Rippleside project