Public art, alfresco dining, street furniture and a community-focused drop-in centre are part of a revamped Labuan Square that Simon Reeves believes will revitalise the region.

“It’s been the heartbeat of the Norlane community in terms of the economic and social community space in the past, so it will be critical for the community of Norlane to have this upgrade completed,” Mr Reeves said.

“To have this development and investment really shows the people of Norlane that the City of Greater Geelong and Victorian Government really care about its future and the people who live here.”

We have worked with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Norlane Community Initiatives and our local community to create the designs for the public space which will showcase features of nearby Cowies Creek.

With the physical appearance and functionality of the precinct to be transformed, Mr Reeves welcomes the prospect of Labuan Square supporting strong economic growth in the community.

“There’s no doubt we want to see the investment that the City and state government are putting in attract new businesses, social enterprises and anything that can benefit the local community,” he said.

“We’re really hoping to see 100 percent of the shops operating over the next year or so through this project, so there’s a lot of excitement around town with people checking on the progress.”

It’s expected the planned alfresco dining will be a source of attraction while the development of a drop-in space will encourage all community members to contribute to the conversation.

"We're really hoping people of diverse backgrounds can come together over a cup of tea, get to know each other and enjoy the community spaces that are built," Mr Reeves said. 

“In recent times community events at Labuan Square have been a feature of the neighbourhood and there is potential to reactivate that space and see more gathering opportunities and different events pop up.”