What the major parties are offering Corio and Corangamite

WITH the nation preparing to head to the polls tomorrow (Saturday, May 3), Labor and the Coalition have outlined most of the election pledges they hope will win over voters.

Here is a round-up of the promises made for the region, at the time of writing, by the major parties during their campaigns.

In Corangamite, incumbent Labor MP Libby Coker has made four commitments affecting Geelong residents, the most significant being $68.2 million in additional funding for the second stage of the Barwon Heads Road upgrade.

According to the latest YouGov data, Ms Coker, who has held Corangamite since 2019, looks poised to retain the seat over Liberal candidate Darcy Dunstan and is leading the polls 55-45 per cent in a two-party preferred vote.

Ms Coker has also committed to establishing a Medicare Mental Health Centre and a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Torquay, both of which aim to ease pressure on existing healthcare services, and has matched a Liberal promise to upgrade the courts used by the Grovedale Football Netball Club at Burdoo Reserve.

Both Ms Coker and Mr Dunstan pledged close to a million dollars toward the upgrades at the sporting facility.

Richard Marles’ $5 million feasibility study commitment from Labor will allow the City of Greater Geelong to explore options to upgrade Beach Road, improve access to the airport and help transform the precinct into a transport and logistics hub. Photo: SUPPLIED

Among Mr Dunstan’s commitments are a $3.5 million funding boost to help foodshare service Feed Me build a new distribution centre, $1.3 million for mobile tower upgrades across the electorate, $2.7 million for the final stage of upgrades at Anam Cara House Geelong and $2 million for a dedicated bike path linking Torquay and Armstrong Creek.

It has been a far more conservative campaign for both incumbent Labor MP Richard Marles and Liberal candidate Darren Buller in Corio.

Mr Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister, is expected to retain the seat on Saturday, with YouGov poll data placing him firmly ahead of Buller 57.5-42.5 per cent in a two-party preferred vote.

Mr Marles has pledged $5 million for a feasibility study to explore options to upgrade Beach Road in Avalon, improve access to the airport and transform to precinct into a transport and logistics hub, as well as $4 million for sporting upgrades to Windsor Park in Norlane.

Meanwhile, Mr Buller has made only one election commitment: a $40,000 pledge to upgrade the CCTV cameras along Pakington Street in Geelong West.