By REBECCA CASSON, COMMITTEE FOR GEELONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
It is increasingly clear to people both within and outside the Geelong community that Victoria’s second city has shifted gears.
Attitudes in Geelong are progressively positive and the commentary about Geelong’s transformation is not hearsay or rumour – it is real, vibrant and it is growing.
Over the past few years, the Committee for Geelong has been researching second cities and advocating for the development of a specific policy and shared vision to transform Geelong.
We believe cities that are not state capitals need to be considered strategically within future policy parameters and decisions. These cities play a more significant role when compared to other regional cities and townships, and therefore should be treated differently in terms of funding and policies.
With no intention of replicating what already exists, our research is specific to urban Geelong and complements other strategic work such as the Geelong Region Plan, G21 Regional Growth Plan, Central Geelong Action Plan and many of the more localised strategies.
The committee supports the City of Greater Geelong in its development of a new shared long-term strategic vision for Geelong. Through this, there is an opportunity for our city to lead the way nationally and provide strategic and policy directions on the future planning, funding and governance arrangements for second cities across Australia.
Geelong’s emerging economic and strategic strengths include being a corporate and government headquarters hub; a knowledge, innovation and research centre of excellence; a health and allied services hub; a transport and logistics hub; and a lifestyle and tourism destination.
The Committee for Geelong remains dedicated to supporting the long-term growth and prosperity of our region, and we look forward to Geelong strengthening its position as Victoria’s second largest city.
