City cash set for ‘icon prize boost’

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Geelong’s council will be asked to contribute $20,000 toward the prize for the city’s competition to develop an icon, according to deputy mayor Cameron Granger.
And organisers have revealed Premier Ted Baillieu has been invited to be a guest judge.
Cr Granger said he’d take the funding proposal to councillors at next week’s meeting.
“With the council’s involvement, we’d hope to generate more national exposure and a bit more competition,” Cr Granger said.
City Hall would also provide administration services for the competition, he said.
He would also ask council to seek support from other levels of government.
“We have to remain conscious that we aren’t promising to fund the building of the icon but, depending on what wins, we’d certainly seek State Government to be involved.
“This has the potential to put Geelong on the map to add to the natural icons we already enjoy, like the waterfront.”
The council cash would add to existing commitments to create a $30,000 prize pool.
Competition founder Andrew Senia said he was receiving “entry after entry” even though the competition had yet to officially begin.
“This will have lots of positive benefits for the region,” he said.
“It will bring in jobs and increase tourism while providing branding for the city and region.
“Everyone’s keen but we now need people to roll their sleeves up and get to work.”
Mr Senia expected Deakin University Architecture and Building school head Professor Hisham Elkadi to finish the competition design brief soon.
Mr Senia hoped Premier Baillieu would join Prof Elkadi, Mayor John Mitchell, Geelong Otway Tourism boss head Roger Grant and himself on the judging panel.
The Independent is a supporter of the Icon for Geelong competition.