PRESS RELEASE

26th May 1998

The City of Greater Geelong has recently approved the development of an International Watersports Complex on Belmont Common, allocating $1.3 million dollars of ratepayers money and $8.7 million dollars of tax payers money to the project. Yet recent surveys have confirmed that only a small percentage of people are in favour of the development while the rest of the community is either unaware of the development, undecided about its value or opposed to it.

In the interests of educating the public on the proposed development the Geelong Community Forum will be facilitating a public meeting in conjunction with Trades Hall and the Friends of the Belmont Common. The speakers include Leon McNamara (Friends of the Belmont Common); Joan Lindros (Geelong Environment Council Inc.); John Krantz (Geelong Trades Hall); Gordon Scholes (Former Speaker of the House of Representatives) and Trevor Pescott (Geelong Field Naturalists Association Inc.). We will be providing a public forum in which the community can be informed and have the opportunity to question all speakers.

The public forum will be held on Wednesday, 3rd June, 1998, Geelong West Town Hall, 7:30pm. For futher information contact Leon McNamara, Friends of the Belmont Common ph. 52438913, or Serena O'Meley, Geelong Community Forum on 52413752.