Call an optometrist – Geelong’s suffering double vision!
That’s Double Take’s diagnosis after a lobby group this week unveiled plans for a “united vision” of Geelong’s future.
Committee for Geelong’s “proposed second city policy framework” outlined “practical and tangible changes” to make Geelong “world-class”.
A “widely recognised city brand” and an “innovation fund” for emerging industries were among the big ideas, the development of which apparently required four years of work and travel.
But how many visions does a city need? After all, only last year City Hall unveiled its 30-year Our Future vision following months of consultations and over $500,000 in expenditures.
And let’s not forget that local councils alliance body G21 has an “agreed vision” for the region until 2050, with alternative priorities and plans.
Seems like Geelong has more visions than a cult guru on magic mushrooms.
However, and unlike the experience of some gurus, visions fade with time.
For instance, the committee’s new vision follows an earlier 2011 version. And that was Vision 2, which obviously followed Vision 1.
The committee was established in 2001 and is already up to vision three, so that’s a vision every 5.7 years on average.
And considering that work on this year’s vision began in 2014, Vision 2 lasted only three years before its replacement began taking shape.
So say what you like about the committee but nobody can argue it isn’t visionary!
As her leader waded from the right into Victoria’s Sudanese crime debate this week, local Liberal MP Sarah Henderson thought it timely to fly the flag for national pride.
And the Member for Corangamite certainly got off to an early start, encouraging locals to celebrate National Flag Day on 3 September.
The 117th birthday of the Australian flag would be, she said, “an opportunity to promote one of our most-important cultural symbols” while encouraging the next generation to “fly it with pride”.
Hmm.
Double Take can’t recall Sarah promoting previous years’ flag days but notes her suddenly overt patriotism.
