By NOEL MURPHY
GEELONG’S bid for a $10 billion combat vehicle contract will go to Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office and senior cabinet ministers after securing the formal backing of Premier Denis Napthine this week.
Mayor Darryn Lyons said he would spearhead the Canberra campaign next Thursday, at Mr Abbott’s behest, to secure the world’s largest armoured combat vehicle manufacturing project.
The Land 400 Sentinel Military Vehicle job is a $10 billion design-and-manufacturing program with funding from the Australian Government’s Defence Capability Plan.
Geelong is arguing its credentials on the grounds of its vehicle manufacturing expertise, its leadership in advanced composite manufacture, through Deakin University’s Carbon Nexus, and the imperative to aid the transition of Ford workers set to lose their local jobs by 2016.
The Land 400 program will require high technology manufacturing, advanced composite production, software development and maintenance, vehicle system integration and logistics skills.
“This is a long, long-term project for the future of the city but it’s the biggest procurement in the world and the mayor wants it in Geelong,” Cr Lyons told the Independent.
“That’s why I’m going to extraordinary lengths to lobby for this and nail this for the city.
“For the first time in a long time, everyone in Geelong, from the mayor, the Committee for Geelong and G21 to the chamber of commerce, is speaking with the one voice. That has to set the tone for the future of Geelong.”
Cr Lyons said Dr Napthine had offered the formal support of the Victorian Government to the Geelong bid.
City Hall’s Enterprise Geelong unit is drafting a document outlining Geelong’s case and including Dr Napthine’s statement of support.
Mr Abbott invited Geelong to put its case to his office.
Cr Lyons said the delegation expected to also meet Defence Minister David Johnston, assistant minister for Defence Stuart Robert, senior prime ministerial advisors, Geelong MPs Sarah Henderson and Richard Marles and some of federal opposition colleagues.
