Geelong council has detailed its priority projects going forward, with a view toward advocacy ahead of next year’s state election.
Councillors endorsed a draft Priority Projects 2025-2026 document at their September meeting, outlining 19 hallmark regional priorities, seven regional advocacy priorities and eight areas of policy reform it wishes to see from the next state government.
Hallmark regional priorities, which are “transformational projects of regional significance”, include four projects investing in the Avalon precinct and a range of transport projects including the Bellarine Link, the Armstrong Creek Rail Spur and the re-establishment of the Geelong-Werribee rail service.
Also outlined in the document are seven central Geelong projects such as a regional infrastructure fund, the future of Market Square, the redevelopment of the Geelong Gallery, a CBD truck bypass.
Sport infrastructure priority projects include a Regional Indoor Sport and Events Centre, an upgrade of the Geelong Baseball Centre and a regional soccer facility.
Regional advocacy projects, those to be delivered by key stakeholders but supported by City advocacy, include a Northern Suburbs Mental Health Hub, Geelong Renewables Terminal, Wathaurong Cowies Creek Precinct and a secondary school in Mount Duneed.
Councillor Trent Sullivan, who introduced the document, said it was not a wish list of “nice-to-haves”, but an outline of “what we need”.
“This is our priority list; it’s not all of our projects… but here’s our spearhead, here’s what we’ll be moving forward with,” Cr Sullivan said.
“We have a population greater than Hobart, a population greater than Darwin and, by 2041 targets, we’ll have a population that is as large as both currently combined.
“We need serious investment in our growing community… We’re not just a small rural town anymore, we’re not just a regional city, we are a city in our own right and we deserve the equal attention of that.”
Cr Anthony Aitken said the list reflected the diverse makeup of the council group.
“If you go through all of these projects, each councillor has had an opportunity to influence the outcome of what’s being presented before us tonight,” he said.
“These (projects) are an opportunity to partner with the business community, the broader community, the state government and the federal government to deliver and be the livable and caring community that we want in the City of Greater Geelong.”
