Assembly to update community next month

PEOPLE living and working in the Barwon region are encouraged to register to attend this year’s Regional Assembly, being held in Wallington next month.

Regional assemblies began in 2016, and are the cornerstone of the Victorian Government’s year-round consultation with regional Victorians through its nine Regional Partnerships.

In 2017, more than 2,000 people attended regional assemblies, helping identify and refine their region’s priorities.

Following last year’s Barwon assembly in Geelong, the partnership took the region’s key priorities, including revitalising central Geelong, improving transport networks in the region, growing industry and jobs, and raising educational aspiration, directly to the Victorian Government.

“We are looking forward to updating the community at our 2018 assembly on what the partnership is up to, and has achieved, as well as continuing to consult with those living and working in Barwon,” partnership Chair Kylie Warne said.

She said the government responded in this year’s Victorian Budget with $153.2 million for the Geelong City Deal, including the development of the Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre and the revitalisation of central Geelong, $1.6 million for Skilling the Bay to raise educational attainment levels in the Geelong area, and $1.3 million for Runway Geelong to grow industry and jobs and support scale-ups, innovation and research.

The budget also included $50 million for detailed investigations of a high-speed rail link between Geelong and Melbourne, while the government has also recently backed the construction of an international terminal at Avalon Airport.

Ms Warne added that the Partnership’s achievements went beyond securing budget outcomes, with the partnership being effective in bringing different groups and levels of government together in the region and ensuring people were working together for the benefit of Barwon.

This year’s assembly is on Thursday July 19 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm and will give residents, community organisations and businesses a chance to hear what the partnership has achieved to date, and to help further shape its priorities.

To register to attend or to have your say visit engage.vic.gov.au/barwon.