Liberal Senator, MP moving into Geelong

The Liberal party is returning to Geelong after losing its last seat in the region at November’s federal election.
Federal Senator for Victoria Michael Ronaldson is setting up an office at Belmont, while state Upper House MP David Koch will move into a new home at Mount Duneed before the end of the month.
Mr Koch also hopes to open an office in Geelong later this year.
The party’s deployment of the two politicians to Geelong heralds the start of a campaign to win back former stronghold seats lost to Labor in recent state and federal elections.
The Liberals have lost the state seats of Geelong, South Barwon and Bellarine along with an Upper House seat since the fall of the Kennett Government in 1999. The last Liberal standing, former federal MP Stewart McArthur, lost Corangamite to Labor’s Darren Cheeseman in November.
Mr Ronaldson, the Liberals appointed patron Senator for Corangamite and Corio, said Geelong was “very important” to his party.
His party was particularly focussed on winning back the former blue-ribbon seat of Corangamite at the next federal election.
“Corangamite was a loss we felt very much and we’re determined to win it back,” Mr Ronaldson said.
“We will do whatever is required to do so.”
Mr Ronaldson said he would divide his time away from Canberra between Belmont and his existing Melbourne office.
The Belmont office would be “fully-manned with a full-time presence”, he said.
He accused Labor of failing Corangamite since the election.
“We do not believe Corangamite is being well-served by the new member,” Mr Ronaldson said.
Mr Cheeseman “welcomed” Mr Ronaldson to Geelong.
He said his arrival in Geelong was “more about an internal Liberal party struggle for control within the region between the Costello and Kennett factions”.
“Mr Ronaldson needs to be thinking and talking about projects and policy rather than petty personal abuse, which only demeans him,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“There have been more projects won in this region in the past six months since I was elected than the last six years.”
Mr Koch said he and his wife were looking forward to living at Mt Duneed in a new home on land they had owned “for a few years”.
His application for a Geelong office was waiting for approval from Victorian Parliamentary Services.
Mr Koch said he hoped to open the office before the end of the year.