Geelong must avoid “complacency” despite its steady growth, a lobby group leader has told its annual meeting.
The city “can’t afford” to overlook the importance of industry and new business, chair Dan Simmons told the Committee for Geelong gathering.
He urged local business and community representatives to “not become complacent in the face of local successes, like Avalon Airport”.
“We need to continue to call for support and encourage new industries and businesses to come to Geelong to drive future growth and stability,” Mr Simmonds said.
Mr Simmonds’ raised Avalon Airport’s new partnership with AirAsia while stressing the importance of supporting established local industries such as the city’s port.
“We have Avalon Airport just at our doorstep, which we will continue to advocate for, but the Port of Geelong also has important opportunities for growth,” he said.
“As outlined in (the committee’s) proposed Second City Policy Framework, stronger freight connections, including rail, road and channel upgrades are required to underpin long-term growth in Victoria’s second city.”
GeelongPort manages $7 billion of trade annually but the figure is set to grow as freight volumes reach 18 million tonnes a year by 2025, according to the committee.
The growth forecast would put the port 10 years ahead of the Victorian Regional Channels Authority’s economic forecast from 2015.
Guest speaker GeelongPort chief Brett Winter backed the committee’s proposed Second City Policy Framework as vital to the port’s and Geelong’s success.
“With approximately 12 million tonnes handled in this past financial year, and with Boral, Bass Island Line and Vestas projects underway, we have a strong pipeline of future projects to drive growth in Geelong,” Mr Winter told the meeting.
“We need to strengthen road and rail links in our city-region so that the Port of Geelong can continue to facilitate growth in trade and economic development,” he said.
