Albanese pitches a better deal for Geelong

LABOR says it will not throw out Geelong’s City Deal if it wins the next federal election, but will “enhance” any commitments that have been signed through its City Partnerships policy.

Shadow Minister for infrastructure, transport, cities and regional development Anthony Albanese met with City of Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood last week, along with Corio federal member Richard Marles and Labor candidate for Corangamite Libby Coker.

The Coalition federal government signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government for a City Deal for Geelong seven months ago but is not expected to finalise the deal until September or October.

The Geelong Convention Centre is frequently mentioned as a key part of the Geelong City Deal, along with revitalising central Geelong and funding the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan, but the federal government is remaining tight-lipped about what will or will not be in the final package.

Mr Albanese said a City Partnership would be “bottom-up, one which genuinely partners with local government and with state government and with the community to meet their needs as they see it”.

“The City Deal approach is that councils have been asked to sign up often to commitments that they don’t know what is in the deal until it’s announced by the federal government without consultation with them about their priorities.”

He said the centrepiece of Western Sydney’s City Deal – a rail line through Badgerys Creek – had not been allocated any construction funding by the state or federal governments.

“We need to do much better than that… we can do better not by sitting in Canberra and determining how we do better; we can do better by going here, Launceston, Western Sydney and hearing from them what their priorities are and how we can do better.”

He said Labor would establish a Major Cities Unit inside Infrastructure Australia to provide oversight.

Mr Harwood welcomed the assurance that there would some kind of local-state-federal initiative, regardless of who won the election.

“It’s good to hear that this commitment is going to be realised in some way shape or form. So from Geelong’s perspective, it’s great news, and we look forward to the future with great optimism,” he said.