Centre in cash budget ‘boost’

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN AND KIM WATERS
The Baillieu Government has included $15 million in its first budget to upgrade Geelong’s library and heritage centre, according to council.
Mayor John Mitchell said council would formally apply for a further $15 million from Federal Government to complete the project funding jigsaw.
“The State Government allocation…combined with council’s own commitment of $20 million to the project makes a strong case for subsequent federal funding,” Cr Mitchell said.
“A new Geelong Library and Heritage Centre is council’s top funding priority and in addition to serving as a foundation project within Geelong’s cultural precinct it will further activate the broader central city area.”
Other city leaders gave the budget’s allocations to the Geelong region a pass mark.
Infrastructure and feasibility studies were the big winners, with water, transport and education all earning funding allocations.
Geelong Chamber of Commerce executive officer Bernadette Uzelac called the budget “conservative”.
“We’d like to see more action on the (proposed) regional rail link because delaying its roll-out is a big issue for Geelong,” she said.
“We want to see more action sooner rather than later instead of dragging the chain with feasibility studies on Geelong priority projects. While we understand that debt is increasing, Geelong is a special case in terms of growth, taking the overload from the metropolitan area.
“The Government has to put the infrastructure in place now rather than play catch-up.”
Elaine Carbines, the head of regional councils group G21-Geelong Region Alliance, welcomed the Government’s commitment to develop Geelong as an international aerospace, defence and aviation hub.
“We’re pleased with the allocation of funding and in-principle support toward several of our region’s priority projects,” she said.
But Labor Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville said the budget was “disappointing and the lowest spend for Geelong in many years”.
“It has no plan about future job creation or further economic growth,” Ms Neville said.
Major funding commitments for the region included feasibility studies into the duplication of the Princes Highway from Colac to Winchelsea, development of a rail link to Avalon Airport and shifting Melbourne’s car shipping facilities to Geelong.
The budget also honoured funding commitments with funding for projects including: a Breakwater Road upgrade, $26 million; Skilled Stadium stage three redevelopment, $25 million; and Geelong ring road section 4b and 4c, $23 million.