Geraldton’s Yellow Submarine location debated at council agenda forum as committee prefers different site

One week before the City of Greater Geraldton council are to vote on the final location of the Yellow Submarine, its restoration committee members have called for a different site to be chosen.

In a site selection document released by the city last week, executive staff recommended to place the submarine at the Francis Street carpark on the roundabout.

The Francis Street location has existing CCTV and lighting, ample tourism traffic and is close to the Eastern Break Water Jetty — another location requested by the Rotary Club of the Batavia Coast, the submarine’s current owners.

Other locations were also investigated during a site selection study, inducing the 440 Roadhouse and two locations near Stow Gardens, one of which would place the submarine on the water’s edge.

The waterfront site became known as site four.

Committee members Peter Teakle and Greg Eastman raised the site four location during the council agenda forum on Tuesday night as their preferred berth for the submarine.

The city’s site selection study document lists pros for site four as the existing CCTV, lighting, a consolidated tourist area with good visibility and “Instagrammable” activation, as well as being on the existing foreshore footpath.

One con is listed as being the disruption of the ocean view, which Mr Eastman said was already covered by sand dunes and scrubland.

Direct exposure to marine corrosion is listed as another deterrent, but is also listed under site two, which is the city’s preferred site.

Cr Jenna Denton questioned city executives on whether fencing around the submarine had been factored into the $80,000 installation budget.

Cr Denton’s main concerns were public safety, and children climbing the submarine.

The city’s director of infrastructure services Chris Lee said fencing had been factored into the budget in a “soft form”.

Councillors will vote on the location of the Yellow Submarine — which has been restored to the tune of $30,000 thanks to the Rotary Club of the Batavia Coast — at next week’s ordinary meeting on Tuesday evening.