Program progress

THE NAMING of Greater Geelong’s new Civic Precinct and a range of other projects and achievements have been completed as part of the council’s Transformation Program.

City councillors have received an update on the Transformation Program 2.0 which has detailed the completion or nearing completion of 18 of the 28 planned projects.

The program was originally developed in response to the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and Halliday Report which saw the city placed in administration in 2016 for four years.

Key projects in the program fall under the six identified areas of change including civic precinct; digital modernisation; asset management; advocacy and stakeholder management; people and culture; and service planning and review.

The name of the new Civic Precinct ‘Wurriki Nyal’ was announced in May and was among the 18 projects included in the report.

Wurriki Nyal comes from Wadawurrung words meaning “speak and talk together”, and was decided through engagement with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners.

The city has also confirmed precinct changes which will ensure 100-per-cent accessibility across meeting spaces; international health and wellbeing standards within the precinct’s current design; and completion of significant construction stages at the Mercer Street site.

Securing $8.5 million in government funding for the Northern Aquatic and Community Hub, aligning of advocacy priorities to government funding opportunities and completion of a governance framework review, along with digital and administrative progress, were also among the project achievements.

The latest Transformation Program 2.0 Progress Report can be viewed on the city’s website.