This week, the City of Greater Geelong awarded GMC Supporting Partner Godfrey Hirst a Clean Economy grant to advance research into transforming carpet waste into durable composite materials. Working with the City, Deakin University and the Advanced Fibre Cluster, the project is testing how advanced materials technologies – including 3D printing and composite fibres – can be used to recreate the bollards using circular economy principles.
It was great to see Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj champion local manufacturing and innovation in his recent Geelong Advertiser opinion piece (Wednesday 28 January), particularly in relation to addressing the long‑term maintenance challenges and durability of Geelong’s iconic waterfront bollards.
As the existing timber bollards continue to age, this work is uncovering new ways to re-make them from recycled materials, ensuring they remain a defining feature of the waterfront. By combining Geelong’s manufacturing capability with sustainable, innovative design, the project demonstrates how local industry can preserve an important part of the city’s identity while creating cleaner, smarter solutions for the future.
