By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Calls to disband a state authority for progressing central Geelong developments have escalated.
Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson called the Geelong Authority “powerless” during a debate with Labor’s Libby Coker on Wednesday.
“The authority either needs to be given proper powers to do its job or it needs to be disbanded because, at the moment, it’s just a halfway house and it’s not doing the job,” she said during the Geelong Business Network event.
“The Geelong Authority, established by the State Government, is, regrettably, an authority without any power.
“It’s nothing more than an advisory committee to the Minister for Planning.”
The Indy last week reported the first call to disband the authority after it failed to deliver any projects or a business plan for Geelong’s proposed convention centre.
Ms Henderson raised the business plan failure, saying it wrecked any hope of the centre proposal securing a pre-election funding commitment.
Geelong’s award-winning waterfront was developed “properly” in the 1990s under then-premier Jeff Kennett, she said.
“When Jeff Kennett did it he set up the Steampacket board and with a chair and powers and the ability to get things done.
“If we want to get things done in this town we’ve got to get serious.
“One of the reasons I’ve been pushing for a city deal where the Federal Government sits at the table with state and local government is that we won’t sit back and act as an ATM.
“We have seen a hotchpotch approach and as the Commonwealth is not responsible for planning we’re saying this isn’t good enough.
“We need the political will and it’s not good enough to muck around at the edges.”
Ms Coker defended the Geelong Authority as playing a “vital role” that could help deliver the convention centre.
“Federal Labor will liaise with the State Government and the Geelong Authority on a business case,” she said.
“We want the authority to come up with a plan as a priority. It’s essential to bring the business case forward – it’s a no-brainer.”
