Council recognises MP’s service for Greater Geelong region

LAST week’s Council’s meeting was significant for a number of reasons.

One of those was that we endorsed the establishment of a civic City of Greater Geelong State and Federal Elected Parliamentary Service Recognition Program, to recognise those from the Greater Geelong region who serve at least 10 years in the state and/or federal Parliament.

It was fitting that the first recipient of this program was John Eren, who was in the Council Chambers as we paid tribute to his 20 years of service in the Victorian Parliament.

John has been a champion of the north since the first day he moved to live in Bell Post Hill with his family.

He has played a crucial role in the area as a local member and as a Minister promoting education, sport, especially women’s participation and the World Game (congratulations Argentina), and the health and wellbeing of those of us living in the north.

To finish 2022, Council also completed some other major decisions.

As our region grows and as the urban sprawl increases, ensuring we maintain a sense of separation between ourselves, and metropolitan Melbourne, is really important. The Geelong community has said it is not part of the metropolis of Melbourne.

That is why Council’s decision to adopt the Avalon Corridor Strategy was one of the most significant we have made.

In effect, we have requested that the Minister for Planning implement the final strategy into the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme, setting out how the 30,000 hectares of land between Geelong and Melbourne should be used.

It will guide planning decisions to 2050 for individual sites and across the surrounding region, having been developed in partnership with Wyndham City Council and in collaboration with the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

The final strategy was shaped by feedback from the community, landowners and major stakeholders such as the Victorian Government, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and Avalon Airport.

This consultation process raised several themes, such as green break safeguards, employment, biodiversity, and townships.

The Avalon corridor features environmentally and culturally important landscapes encompassing Little River and parts of Lara, and, crucially, includes major assets such as Avalon Airport and the Melbourne Water Western Treatment Plant.

The green break between Geelong in regional Victoria and Werribee in metropolitan Melbourne will be maintained, as part of the Avalon Corridor Strategy, which is important for several reasons.

The area’s significant views, grasslands and wetland habitat areas and Wadawurrung cultural values will be protected, while important economic and transport connections between the two regions will be retained.

The strategy will protect Western Treatment Plant operations and will limit residential growth, support expanded airport operations and foster new land use, development and employment opportunities as appropriate.

We welcome living next to Melbourne, as it is conveniently close, easily accessible and provides us with the ability to feel a sense of connection to the heart of the state, where so many major decisions are made.

But it is also imperative that Council ensures our region maintains its own identity.

Geelong is a unique city, and the Greater Geelong region is one of the most sought-after places to live in the country.

We must protect that, and this strategy provides measures for us to do so.

This project has been around for some time and to get it to this point there has been a significant amount of work, but I think the results justify the effort.

If approved by the Minister for Planning, the Avalon Corridor Strategy will be the engine room of job growth for our region for the next 30 years, with a future Bay West Port and Avalon Airport being the jewels in this employment precinct.

I look forward to the soil being turned when these projects commence.

Finally, I just want to take this opportunity to wish everybody across the Greater Geelong region a safe and Merry Christmas.

I look forward to rolling up my sleeves as Deputy Mayor, promoting and working for all Geelong once again in 2023, and maybe another Cats premiership.

Cr Anthony Aitken

Windermere Ward, City of Greater Geelong