Big plans, bigger price tag: Avalon tops election wish list

A $1 billion funding push to unlock thousands of jobs around Avalon Airport is at the centre of a united election pitch from the region’s councils ahead of November’s state election.

The proposal calls from a Regional Infrastructure Fund to help open up the Avalon Employment Precinct through new roads, planning scheme changes, direct rail services between Geelong and Melbourne through Wyndham, and the potential for a rail station at Avalon Airport.

The campaign is being led by advocacy group G21, with mayors from across the region joining forces to secure the funding commitment.

G21 chair and Colac Otway Shire mayor Jason Schram said the investment would create significant opportunities for regional Victoria.

“It’s much-needed infrastructure so it’s not always borne by a developer and having to wait for that,” he said.

“If the state government can invest in the region and in regional Victoria, it’ll open up so many jobs and opportunities down here.”

G21 deputy chair and Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj described the employment precinct as “the engine room of Victoria” and said it had the potential to become one of the state’s most significant industrial and employment hubs.

“One of the things this region has that Melbourne no longer has is access to land,” he said.

“We’ve got thousands of hectares here that needs to be unlocked for industrial development. There’ll be tens of thousands of jobs.”

Borough of Queenscliffe mayor Donnie Grigau said the Regional Infrastructure Fund would also support an expansion in air freight.

“Freight is a very important part of that economic modelling and it’s part of the growth we need to see, and that will flow down to not only us [in Queenscliffe] as a small council but also the other G21 councils,” he said.

Alongside the infrastructure proposal, G21 is also backing Avalon Airport’s bid for a $15 million Airline Attraction Fund, to be jointly funded by the airport and the Victorian government.

The fund would be used to attract and retain airline services, increase passenger and freight movements and accelerate investment in the surrounding employment precinct.

Avalon Airport chief executive Ari Suss said the proposal would help the airport compete with other Australian destinations for new airline services.

“Avalon, like any other airport, is contesting for those big international carriers,” he said. “We want to attract, whether it’s Australian carriers or others, to come here and fly through Avalon.

“We know we’ve got about six million visitors a year to the Great Ocean Road, and about two million of those visitors also get up to the 12 Apostles. We see ourselves as the gateway to those experiences.

“More flights here means more economic value and outcomes for the community.”

Cr Kontelj said the election campaign was the ideal time to secure commitments for projects that would deliver long-term benefits for the region.

“We’ll be playing off all the parties, absolutely, and playing to our strengths,” he said.