The national-award winning Grand Lakes Estate, Lara showcases the best of country and city living.
The prestigious 800 lot Grand Lakes Estate was built from late 2008 until 2015 and is now a vibrant community of more than 2000 residents.
The main entry to Grand Lakes Estate Lara is off Buckingham Street, Lara, with the estate bounded by Buckingham Street, O'Hallorans Road and Canterbury Road West.
In 2016, Grand Lakes Estate set the benchmark around the country when it won the urban development industry’s national award for environmental excellence.
Grand Lakes became the first residential estate in the Geelong region to win this award.
The national award followed the estate taking top honours at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s annual Victorian awards for excellence in 2015. Grand Lakes was judged the best residential estate and also won the award for environmental excellence.
The largest estate developed at the time in Lara, Grand Lakes Estate was built round a stunning 18 hectare expanse of lakes, wetlands and parkland laced by a network of boardwalks and walking and cycling trails.
Grand Lakes Estate retains the rural atmosphere of Lara while providing its residents with easy access to transport links, shopping centres, schools, recreation facilities and community services. It also provides splendid views of the You Yangs.
The estate is home to modern amenities such as a community centre and a state-of-the-art community playground and barbecue area. As of 2018, a childcare centre is under construction. Grand Lakes Estate was also the first estate in the northern region of Geelong to offer high speed optical fibre connection to the properties.
Another highlight of Grand Lakes Estate is Millars Café, built right next to the popular playground.
Millars is a magnet for Lara locals and those in the know who flock there for quality coffee and gourmet produce including delicious breakfasts and sweet treats.
A showcase for environmental design, in 2015, Grand Lakes Estate took top honours at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s annual Victorian awards for excellence.
In a first for the Geelong region in the 20 year history of the UDIA Victoria awards, Grand Lakes Estate was judged the best residential estate and also won the award for environmental excellence.
In March the following year, Grand Lakes Estate beat some of the biggest development companies in Australia to receive the urban development industry’s national award for environmental excellence.
The national award was the first win by a local Geelong developer in the 20 year history of the awards.
Grand Lakes Estate was successful against entries from some of the biggest development companies in Australia.
Commenced in late 2008 and completed in 2015, Grand Lakes Estate is now a vibrant community of more than 2000 residents.
The award was presented to the company’s Development Manager, Richard Bisinella, at a gala dinner in March 2016, at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The dinner was part of the Urban Development Industry of Australia’s annual conference.
At the time, Mr Bisinella said the award was a great tribute to his father, Lino Bisinella, who started the family business as a plasterer 52 years ago and moved into industrial and then residential development.
Mr Bisinella told about 500 guests from around Australia that the success of a regional estate in the national awards highlighted the fact that “Geelong is transforming”.
The judges said: “This project has turned a major constraint into the primary feature of the development. The low-lying, flood-prone and degraded nature of the land prior to development has been transformed through the introduction of a series of ornamental lakes, wetlands, water treatment initiative and flood management techniques.”
They added that “the attractive environment provides extensive passive and active recreation opportunities for the surrounding population”.
The estate was built around 18 hectares of open space including three ornamental lakes and expansive areas of densely-planted wetlands and landscaped parkland.
In engineering and environmental terms, Grand Lakes Estate has been a landmark development for Lara and Geelong. The leading edge techniques used to resolve the engineering and environmental challenges involved in developing Grand Lakes demonstrated that it was possible to facilitate orderly residential development of land previously considered to be floodprone.
This urban floodway is now criss-crossed by an extensive network of walking and cycling trails and is home to increasing varieties of birdlife and native fauna.
The lakes, wetlands and parkland take up about 20 per cent of the total land area. A total of 1205 trees, 147,000 groundcover plants, 268,000 wetland plants and nearly 60,000 square metres of lawn were planted.
Bisinella Developments’ vision for the site was not only to create a high quality residential community but also to contribute significantly to the lifestyle and wellbeing of Lara which now has a population of more than16,000 residents.
The company invested more than $12 million, or approximately $15,000 per lot, in the parklands features and other public infrastructure at Grand Lakes including:
• Millars Café
• The Bisinella Community Centre
• Two state-of-the-art playgrounds, one either side of the lakes
• Childcare centre under construction in 2018
Other public facilities include a barbecue area, a rotunda and six drinking fountains.
Mr Bisinella said the state and national awards were great recognition for all the Geelong-based consultants and contractors who worked on the project including planning and engineering consultants TGM Group, drainage consultants WBM, geotech consultants Cardno Lane Piper, landscape architects Mexted Rimmer, landscaping contractors Ausscapes, and civil contractors Wellam Constructions.
Leading land developer Bisinella Developments is pleased to announce the Bisinella Community Centre has reopened, after a new lease agreement was signed with the Cloverdale Community Centre.
The Bisinella Community Centre first opened in 2010 as part of the national award-winning Grand Lakes Estate in Lara and has accommodated hundreds of
Looking for a fun family outing this weekend?
Bisinella’s Grand Lakes Estate will play host to a free community event, Neighbour Connect – Family Fun Day, this Sunday, April 3, 2022.
The family fun day is an initiative of Neighbourhood Watch, supported by a partnership with RACV.
The event will run from 11am
A 15.3kW solar system installed on Bisinella’s Community Centre will dramatically reduce energy costs and have a positive impact on the environment.
Local solar company, Go Solar Go Green, has installed a 15.3kW solar system on the roof of the community centre in Lara.
The Bisinella Community Centre opened in 2010 in
Bisinella works closely with the City of Greater Geelong on all aspects of planning and construction. The company was pleased to recently provide feedback on Council’s Public
Street Lighting Policy, which is currently being reviewed.
Street lighting is a shared responsibility between Council and Powercor. Developers such as Bisinella currently pay a
