Mr MARLES (Corio—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:58): A city is defined in many respects, but one of its most prominent features is its skyline. Geelong has embraced high-rise buildings—that's good as an indicator of a strong economy—punctuated by cranes in the sky. But we need to ensure that with this growth there is the construction of quality buildings which complement the existing structures in our city and do not come at any cost. Right now, we are seeing a scourge of large concrete walls starting to diminish our city. This is often a result of a cost cutting. While a high-rise may be cheaper to build with cement walls adorning the sides, they are ugly and a blight on the character of our beautiful city. Planning authorities simply have to stop allowing buildings with large concrete walls with no discernible features to keep going up in a way which is so detrimental to the beautiful character of Geelong. I think of the Geelong Telegraph Station and the time ball at the top that used to provide a daily time stamp for the people of Geelong. Looking west along Ryrie Street, this beautiful building is now swamped by a large, black, concrete wall. For me, a site which always evoked a curious wonder about times past and the reliance on this time ball is now a painful eyesore. To be honest, it makes me sad. While we do not want more of these concrete walls in the future, there is an option to deal with those which have now infected our city. In Little Malop Street at Dennys Place, a mural of King Billy stands two storeys high in tribute to the well-respected spokesperson of the Wadawurrung People. This art is embraced by Geelong. I call upon planning authorities to stop approving big buildings with concrete walls. I also call upon the Geelong council to embrace public art. The way Geelong looks matters; those responsible for rewriting its skyline need to be invested in making this new story beautiful. House adjourned at 17:00 Thursday, 12 September 2019 The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Vamvakinou) took the chair at 10:09.