Make My Pako
Consultation Workshops
UNEDITED	OUTPUTS	REPORT
Workshops held:
Thursday, March 15th, 5.30pm to 8.30pm Saturday, March 17th, 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturday, March 18th 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Project Manager: Fernanda Suarez Facilitator: Lynda Jones, thenoagroup

Working Well / Not Working Well

Group	Working Well	Not Working Well	
Thursday PM Workshop 	
Green	•	Retail mix
•	Free parking
•	Broad community appeal
•	Street furniture
•	Revitalisation of food and retail shops
•	Pako Festa	•	History not promoted
•	Community open space / more greenery
•	Pedestrian connectivity
•	Not enough welcoming spaces
•	Street lighting
•	Communication of events
•	Access to community facilities
•	Public toilets
•	Parking
•	Improved public transport	
Pink	•	Café culture
•	Vibrancy
•	Trees
•	Preservation of heritage look in residential
•	Satellite businesses in Northern End
•	Business done in cafes
•	Heritage overlay
•	Variety of shopping and  businesses
•	Community garden (Autumn Street)
•	Geelong West Neighbourhood House – connecting people, providing opportunities for enjoyable activities and events	•	Lack of parking
•	Access from Geelong West to station – connectivity not pedestrian friendly
•	Change in look / amenity / presentation
after you cross Waratah going north
•	Housing prices
•	Parking for residents V business in residential areas
•	Parking behind Pako on both sides – is it
enough?
•	Riding bike on Pako is dangerous
•	Trees stop (once get out of core retail area)
•	Lack of seating / artwork
•	Lighting poor
•	Graffiti tagging
•	Lack of pedestrian crossings – Northern End	
Blue	•	Sense of village
•	Individual character
•	Convenience
•	Fell in love
•	Comfortable
•	Proximity to CBD and Bay
•	Diversity
•	Spontaneous meeting/community
•	Organic growth
•	Community members constant
•	Foot traffic	•	Diversity diminishing and becoming homogenized
•	Greening of streets: commercial, residential
•	Under-utilised assets: laneways, Town
Hall, Community ; pubic spaces
•	Trees – shade; bird corridors; selection
•	Drainage - maintenance of drains – safety, public space
•	Vacant shops
•	Balance between supply and service	

Group	Working Well	Not Working Well	
	•	Growth (people)
•	Vitality	retailers
•	Creation of dead areas
•	Lack of strategic (planning) and certainty
•	Small retail opportunities for low risk small business operations
•	Laneways lost opportunity	
Black	•	Sense of community
•	Free parking
•	Good mix of land uses i.e. church, library	•	Not enough car parking
•	Getting to Pakington from side streets – need better access and visibility
•	More of a balance between heritage and
development – more shops
•	Not enough green areas (trees etc.)
•	Lack of connection between Hope and Yuille Streets
•	Need more shops
•	Need for more lighting of a night time – to draw people into the area
•	Car park opposite Post Office would be good for food vans, chairs / tables, coffee
•	More accessibility e.g. sidewalk cafes, tables, chairs, not enough room for wheelchairs etc.
•	Traffic flow
•	Extended hours for cafes would be better
•	Could do with more heritage emphasis
•	More residents above shops	
Orange	•	Pedestrian circulation works well
•	No  parking meters
•	Trees and canopy
•	Access to city
•	POS – Quality (what is there is well maintained)
•	Parking circulation
•	Connectivity
•	Power lines concealed in the retail area
•	Vibrancy of the retail core	•	Public open spaces not enough
•	Pedestrian safety and comfort
•	Congestion due to delivery trucks
•	Traffic 8am to 9am and 3.30pm to 5.30pm
•	Access to City
•	Power lines in other areas outside the retail area
•	Church Street/Pako Intersections – light
sequencing
•	Trees Gordon Avenue – NO!	
Saturday AM Workshop	
Green	•	Pako Festa – street closing; community event
•	Keep the character/theme
•	Connectedness: schools, shops, mix of businesses
•	Free parking
•	Heritage homes
•	Green spaces
•	Library
•	Connectivity to Bay
•	Mix of businesses
•	Trees
•	Tree lights – decapitate-ive
•	Mix of schools and families
•	Current level of parking – keep	•	Woolworths – medium/big development – does not have the Pako feel; Gordon Avenue and Telegraph Bridge under exposure to attract people: Gateways
•	Poor maintenance: red brick paving;
bench seats; buildings; toilets; general
•	Movement: pedestrians, bikes, train, bus, car - safety
•	Connection to station
•	Northern End disconnected
•	Bikes – don’t feel safe
•	Pedestrian crossings
•	Lighting at night
•	Tree maintenance
•	Waterloo Street for cars: by-pass to reduce traffic
•	Junction terrible	

Group	Working Well	Not Working Well	
		•	Street parking – keep at back
•	Green spaces: streetscape, places to stop	
Red	•	Multiculturalism
•	Feels nice
•	Parking – what’s there
•	Pako Festa
•	Smaller shops	•	Safety e.g. lighting
•	Need more parking
•	Need  more crossings
•	More  density housing
•	Traffic
•	40K zone
•	Pedestrians
•	Need more crossings
•	Disabled access	
Yellow	•	FREE parking
•	Identity
•	Independent retailers
•	Pako Festa
•	Businesses
•	Character	•	Parking
•	Access
•	Graffiti/Crime
•	Traffic
•	Bike traffic
•	Crossings
•	Northern End is underutilised
•	Staff parking	
Saturday PM Workshop	
Green	•	People like the area for shopping and living; community feel
•	Trees are beautiful
•	Off-street parking is free
•	Previous urban design and mixed businesses
•	Seating across Post Office and Town Hall
•	Ambiance and natural light
•	Mix of timed parking in street
•	Library - centre of community
•	Cafes open early
•	Very few chains / franchises	•	Maintenance – footpaths, trees, seats
•	Not enough green space and seats; functionality of user-friendly seats and tables
•	Traffic in side streets
•	Cafes close early
•	Too many cafes and restaurants – need more mixed businesses
•	Less interest of big companies to
contribute to ambiance and Traders Association
•	Infrastructure won’t be enough for future
growth	
Black	•	Variety of retail diversity
•	Communal feel (some of the open spaces)
•	Parking free / parking behind retail
•	Public transport
•	Places to sit
•	Cultural diversity	•	Planning decisions by City e.g. 3-story bowling club redevelopment / Cotton restaurant – 300 seater
•	Parking – increased stress partly due to list
above
•	Pedestrian traffic and bike lanes
•	Access (narrowness from residential areas)
•	Not lots of street parking
•	Traffic congestion
•	Community for extremes (bringing together)
•	Expense	

Hard Questions

Hard Questions: How will we….?	
Thursday PM Workshop 	
BLUE Group
•	Discourage the need for more car parking?
•	Activate dead spaces?
•	Maintain community and social values orientation in the face of gentrification and cultural homogenisation?
•	Do we need greater residential growth in retail precincts?
•	Maintain the safety / quality and development / density?
•	Spread the demand for retail services over 24 hours?
•	Integrate housing diversity into the area? PINK Group
•	Preserve village vibe whilst allowing for increased population growth and development?
•	Encourage others to easily access Pako from outside with our limited parking?
•	Make Gordon Avenue more of a pathway through to Pako? And the Northern End – how to bring both into Pako’s feel and flow?
•	Green Northern Precinct when land owned by businesses?
•	Prioritise assets on streets – bikes, trees, car lanes?
•	Balance development and heritage preservation?
•	Keep businesses viable by reducing cars / parking?
•	Provide more accommodation density without losing amenity GREEN Group
•	Improve car parking / make Pako pedestrian friendly?
•	Add street trees / greenery without losing car parking?
•	Improve security in the area?
•	Appreciate Pako’s history?
•	Get buy-in from traders to beautify the area?
•	Encourage people to walk more?
•	Make the railway station better connected to Geelong West?
•	Connection to heritage?
•	Remove cars from Pako?
•	Clean, green, autonomous public transport?
•	Green space connecting Pako to Johnstone Park and Railway Station?
•	Local resident parking?
•	Safety?
•	Retain sense of community?
•	Attract broader community?
•	Smart technology for livability?
•	No single use plantings (?) ORANGE Group
•	Reconcile increased density whilst maintaining character and community?
•	Ensure a strong robust retail core?
•	Create a more attractive pedestrian and cycling access to the City?
•	Pako traffic thoroughfare?
•	Cars V Pedestrians?
•	Population V Development V Car Parking?
•	Retain trees on private land?
•	Keep community feel with increased density?
•	Gain open space without acquiring private land / housing?
•	Get a separate bike lane on Church Street bridge?
•	Afford / fund the changes? BLACK Group
•	Attract more bike users and pedestrians?	

Hard Questions: How will we….?	
•	Get more activity of an evening – better nightlife, streetlights, fairy lights, food vendors, vans, buskers?
•	Get more greenery; green belt between railway line and Maitland Street?
•	Get rid of ‘dead’ frontages e.g. Library, Woolworths, Dan Murphy’s and in front of the Post Office?
•	Have more arches?
•	Give Pako Street more purpose (to attract more people) e.g. music
•	Achieve a better balance between open space and usability?
•	Extend opening hours of cafes etc.?
•	Make it safer? (Video cameras, lighting etc.)?
•	Improve accessibility for people with limited mobility (more room on footpaths)?
•	Promote a combination of food vans and existing cafes etc.?
•	Balance heritage and urban development?
•	Improve square in front of Town Hall (chess, mahjong, cards, etc)?
•	Connect the three areas?
•	Promote our history (History Trail)?
•	Urban residential living e.g. above shops etc?	
Saturday AM Workshop	
GREEN group
•	Understand all differing demands; balance view of traders, users, and residents; focus local action – facilitate?
•	Get a vision for cyclists/pedestrians in Pako; utilise laneways better e.g. for bikes, pedestrians etc. embrace active, alternative transport?
•	Keep the character?
•	Support local, small businesses owners (rather than chain stores)?
•	Get good, fast Internet connection?
•	Survive the future of technology?
•	Ensure good maintenance RED group
•	Parking spaces: enhancement, enlargement, avoid high-rise / Should we have high-rise parking?
•	Put more crossings in Pako?
•	Make Pako safer? Get a quicker police response time?
•	Encourage local schools to allow residents to utilise their grounds after hours?
•	Make more people leave cars at home and walk to Pako?
•	Keep it green without damaging the footpath?
•	Make it more disability friendly / accessible?
•	Provide more places for people to live in Geelong West?
•	Resolve zoning restrictions?
•	Should we have a Traders Association? YELLOW Group
•	Utilise the Gordon Avenue and Northern Precinct to their full potential: commercial, residential
•	Nurture the existing identity?
•	Improve access in and within each precinct?
•	Have more Pako Festas
•	Protect the UDF from being a flop?	
Saturday PM Workshop	
GREEN Group
•	Balance parking/access: residents, workers, shopping?
•	Grow a diverse community feel with more people accessing the area; be more connected as a community; learn from successful models we already have?
•	Make better use of existing public spaces; manage alfresco dining /accessibility for all?
•	Safety
•	Graffiti BLACK Group
•	Manage growth / density in housing?
•	Maintain community?	

Hard Questions: How will we….?	
•	Respect history / heritage yet be future thinking?
•	Get rid of cars
•	Can you live in this area without cars?
•	Bring insiders in without cars?
•	Remain a leading suburb for residential/retail model?
•	Balance residents needs with Government / City policies?
•	Balance safety with aesthetics?
•	Greening?
•	Extend vibrancy of core into Northern End and Gordon Street?	

Preferred Future

What do people? What does i t look l ike? How do people feel being here?	
Thursday PM Workshop 	
BLUE Group
Thank you for the recognition of the Geelong West community….
•	Addressed the difficult questions of transport by encouraging alternative ways of moving around through the creation of green corridors; green corridors for people and animals. We have an active transport system.
•	Habitat corridors to traditional convenient services and education
•	We are not a destination, we are a community for your entire life cycle
•	We live, work and play in the area
•	Happiest suburb in the world; the place you would rather be
•	Walking
•	Path finding / way showing – easy to get around
•	Gordon Avenue opportunity – green spine water course; 9-5 business space; shop top housing
•	Activated dead spaces by making use of laneways built for the public realm creating ways to better make vital
•	Balanced gentrification with affordable and diverse housing and we welcome all comers at all life stages PINK Group
•	Our community lives in the most happy and livable village
•	Greener environment
•	We engage and enjoy open outdoor community spaces; Community events / gatherings / celebrations
•	We live in mixed housing options – diverse accommodation – heritage, and contemporary options for all
•	Mixed facilities and retail
•	Age in place
•	Leadership came from our beloved mayor – a female, gay Aboriginal person
•	We move in and out of our areas using driverless electric cars and/or a regular connected buses / cycling
•	Northern End has been transformed – railyards developed into community mixed space including a dog
park
•	Gordon Avenue is a pedestrian focused boulevard providing a strong gateway to the station/City and waterfront
•	Apartment living lifestyle with innovative ways of accommodating parking
•	Active rooftops – solar panels and even apiaries
•	We are a connected community
•	It is safe and lighting helps this
•	Family orientated spaces
•	Diverse – cultural e.g. Pako Festa and market
•	Public art and events
•	Acknowledge heritage
•	Recognise indigenous heritage through naming GREEN Group
•	Inclusive	

What do people? What does i t look l ike? How do people feel being here?	
•	Vibrant
•	Lifestyle
•	Business
•	Multi-cultural
•	Safe
•	Harmony
•	Inspirational ORANGE Group
STOP REPEATING CURRENT THINKING : BE RADICAL
2035 we have:
•	A safe, highly pedestrianised environment with public spaces / plazas and trees
•	Supported by higher density and diverse housing
•	Diverse retail, café, social and service activities
•	Pedestrian / cycle linkages in and beyond including public transport options: light rail, trams, tuk tuk!
•	Small and big parks – canopy trees and safe leisure spaces: sit, read, talk, play
•	New buildings are smart – orientation, green, genuinely sustainable
•	Scale of buildings that support diversity and human scale and don’t adversely impact on micro- climate and enjoyment of outdoors

BLACK Group
How are the past planners and Council listening to the Community?
•	Vibrant café life, community focus, mix of young and older people
•	Traffic flows freely and sense of safety as we walk to streets day or evening
•	Shop owners are known by name and take great pride in their community
•	Our past architecture has been preserved with Heritage planning in place
•	Green and colourful lungs of the area and a bridge between the railway line and Latrobe Terrace and the residential area
•	In the future, a lot more shops in the area and accessible for all even with limited mobility
•	Open spaces are attractive with plenty of seating and a stage
•	Wheel chair access and movement is not hindered along the street
•	Proud of multi-cultural groups and celebrate our unique food
•	Street Art is the new emphasis and Graffiti is not a feature
•	Railway and public transport is easily accessible to Pako	

What do people? What does i t look l ike? How do people feel being here?	
Saturday AM Workshop	
GREEN Group
•	People live, work and play in Pako
•	It’s a community: our community
•	Loads of social interaction
•	Kept the character
•	Improved maintenance
•	Community events and multi-culturalism: big attractions
•	More population and density
•	Safe and innovative
•	Improved local focus through the Traders Association and Residents Association RED Group
•	Pako Plaza Mall: Area of congregation for families, social groups
•	Active Retail Traders Association that organises great evening events that are family focused; food stalls; live entertainment
•	Embraced the mix of new architecture and heritage
•	Compromised on parking issues to relocate cars to the outer ring; a shuttle bus ferries between the precincts
•	Feels like a community and is safe
•	Everyone looks after the area YELLOW Group
•	Higher density residential
•	Train station at Geelong West
•	Better residential/commercial use in north and south precincts
•	More street art and events
•	Still local with lots of trade
•	Community advocate group /traders aligned; good working relationships with Council
•	Community mental / physical healthy relationships with nature
•	Well balanced	
Saturday PM Workshop	
GREEN Group
What people do here?
•	Loyalty to the businesses – personalised – supporting the local community and supporting each other
•	Broad choice of housing and leisure
•	Community bus, easy cycling, pedestrian
•	Like a boulevard
•	Diverse mx of activity What does it look like?
•	Colour
•	Diversity
•	Flowers
•	Life
•	Railway Yards – public community space
•	Heritage and feel of the area remains and is consistent
•	New developments respectful of the heritage streetscape
•	Parking spaces have turned into green spaces How do people feel being there?
•	Everybody loves it
•	People feel welcome and valued
•	It feels like a village – we know each other
•	It’s easy to talk to everyone (Pako Festa everyday!)
•	It’s inclusive BLACK Group
What do people do?
•	Active community feel	

What do people do? What does it look like? How do people feel being here?	
•	A link between cosmopolitan to Bay /CBD	
•	Work; work from home; study	
•	Invest in local	
•	A community leadership to be a voice; force	
•	Retail diversity	
•	Use of share cars	
•	More accessibility by variety of public transport (in to and out of)	
•	Pedestrian / bike access / V Line / bus	
What does it look like?	
•	Greening	
•	Green	
•	Respectful of history	
•	Heritage to include Gordon Avenue / Northern End	
•	More connections across areas	
•	Hubs / spaces for community gatherings	
•	Welcoming	
•	Multi-generational	
•	IT / Communications infrastructure	
How do people feel being there?	
•	Included	
•	Respected	
•	Connected	
•	Safe	
•	Known	
•	Energised	
•	Confident	
•	Engaged	

The heart of the matter

“When it comes to our future Pako we really want everyone to know and understand that….”

 THURSDAY PM	
BLUE Group
The Village of Geelong West is a community that is caring and human centered, celebrating creativity and diversity.
PINK Group
We are an inclusive, diverse, healthy and sustainable community engaged in making our future better for all.
GREEN Group
Is an inspirational, connected, and livable space in the world that encompasses the best of human values.
ORANGE Group I make my Pako!
•	Our future
•	Adapt to change
•	Safety
•	Organic
•	Walking
•	Trees Community
•	Scale and walkability
•	No parking meters
•	No place like home
•	
•	Feels like home BLACK Group
•	Embrace our community
•	Cherish our past
•	Celebrate our future
•	In a totally green environment

 SATURDAY AM	
GREEN Group
The Pako VIBE: community of people, places and spaces. (Safety, accessibility, variety, small retailers, maintenance, unique) RED Group
COMMUNITY: It’s our street and you’re welcome to come and enjoy it with us. YELLOW Group
THE Pako SPIRIT: full of people who want to make their community better.

 SATURDAY PM	
GREEN Group It’s our home!
•	It feels like home
•	A diverse and caring community
•	It’s the people that make the place
•	People / Everyone matter
•	Our community that matters BLACK Group
•	Connected, thriving, sustainable, innovative, invested…urban community

End of report