Geelong collective says major projects will speed up COVID-19 recovery

A COLLECTIVE of six leading organisations representing the Geelong region have agreed on a list of projects that need immediate state and federal funding to “support the region through economic and social recovery”.

The Geelong COVID Recovery Collective – comprising the Committee for Geelong, G21, the Geelong Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine, the Geelong Manufacturing Council and the City of Greater Geelong council – are calling for a joint approach on several high-profile projects that will address the challenges the region faces during the coronavirus pandemic.

The list includes:

• Expediting the $370 million City Deal and all of its projects
• Immediately bringing funding forward to start the $700 million duplication of the rail line between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds
• Investment and support for a region-wide integrated transport plan, including public transport, roads, connections to Geelong Port and to Avalon
• Prosperity through health and wellbeing through the proposed Northern ARC Health and Wellbeing Hub at Norlane and the Vital Communities program, which has initiatives to improve the prosperity of communities in Corio, Norlane and Whittington
• Stimulus for the visitor economy, through measures such as the establishment of a product innovation fund to focus on supporting new or changed visitor experience products, or linking government incentives with private investment opportunities
• A focus on local procurement, with funding contracts to have strong local content provisions that should target and support regional suppliers
• Timely payments to small to medium suppliers (SMEs) in the supply chain, and
• Support for Deakin University, such as “safe passage’ quarantine pathways for Geelong’s international students.

Committee for Geelong chief executive offcier Jennifer Cromarty said the committee for Geelong had worked hard with the other five organisations in the collective to develop the list, which aimed “to provide a pathway for our recovery – both socially and economically”.

“As a collective, we have written to Prime Minister Morrison and Premier Andrews to meet with us and discuss the priority list.

“We are in extremely challenging times as we face the COVID-19 pandemic and we are committed to ensuring Geelong is well placed to recover and continue building on the significant growth and resilience our community has shown in recent times.”