Liberals planning election commitments to Geelong

Geelong’s growth areas would get a considerable push along if the opposition wins this year’s state election, with new measures to be introduced to get homes built sooner.

The Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas (NGGA and WGGA, respectively) are collectively the state’s largest urban growth project in regional Victoria and will eventually have more than 110,000 residents.

The City of Greater Geelong has started preparing Precinct Structure Plans for Creamery Road in the WGGA and Elcho Road East and Elcho Road West in the NGGA but the PSPs are not yet complete.

The city has earmarked two other PSPs as medium-term projects: Batesford North (WGGA) and Heales Road West (NGGA).

Under Labor’s Plan for Victoria, Greater Geelong has a housing target of 128,600 new dwellings by 2051, which would more than double the number of existing dwellings in 2023.

Just under 40 per cent (51,000) of the new homes to be built in Geelong would be in greenfield areas such as the WGGA and NGGA.

The Liberals say the land west of the Geelong Ring Road has not contributed a single dwelling in the 12 years since it was rezoned as an urban growth area, and these delays and the lack of local housing options are holding back the region’s potential.

To address this, opposition leader Jess Wilson announced last week that the Liberals and Nationals, if they formed government, would fast-track the approval and delivery of all existing PSPs across the Geelong region, and accelerate new land and housing supply through the reintroduction of developer-led PSPs to bring forward additional growth areas.

The new policy would also ensure essential infrastructure, including roads, schools and community services, is delivered alongside new housing “so communities have what they need from day one and not years later”, and the Liberals and Nationals would work closely with local councils to identify new housing opportunities and support sustainable growth across Geelong and regional Victoria.

“My team has a plan to get more homes built, sooner, and deliver greater housing choice for Geelong residents,” Wilson said.

“This region can no longer afford to have new developments tied up in red tape, empty paddocks for years, or communities waiting too long for the roads, schools and services they need

“Only my Liberal and Nationals team deliver more homes, more choice and greater housing affordability by fast-tracking Geelong housing developments.”

Labor has an overall target of 2.24 million new homes across the state over the next 30 years, and has previously said it “will intervene and unlock space for more homes, including through rezoning” if councils do not work together with government and industry to unlock capacity.