Hotel added to Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre project

THE long-awaited Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCEC) will be even bigger when it is finally built, with the project getting an extra $120 million to include a luxury 200-room hotel, retail and commercial outlets.

The new funding from the Victorian government, announced today (Thursday, December 23), will be added to the existing $141 million commitment from the Victorian government, $30 million from the federal government and $3 million from the City of Greater Geelong, bringing the total project value to $294 million.

The GCEC precinct will also include a 1,000-seat plenary venue which will be developed with 3,700 square metres of flexible multipurpose space to allow large and small events to run simultaneously.

The Victorian government will soon release an expression of interest for architects, designers and builders, ahead of a stakeholder engagement process.

Details of commercial opportunities to activate the precinct and create better connections to the CBD and Western Beach, such as the hotel, will be determined through the EOI process.

The Victorian government and Deakin University have finally agreed on a sale process to enable the transfer of ownership of the Deakin Waterfront campus car park site to the state, subject to approvals.

This will allow the GCEC to be built on the car park site, paving the way for works to start on the precinct in 2022.

Deakin University will separately construct a replacement car park facility at a nearby site.

The project is being funded by all three levels of government through the Geelong City Deal. Now valued at more than $500 million, the City-Deal is a 10 year plan to revitalise Geelong through the delivery of critical infrastructure.

The GCEC will support 600 jobs during construction and another 270 ongoing jobs once complete.

Victorian Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas and Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson announced the new scope of the GCEC at the Deakin Waterfront campus car park this morning.

“Our significant additional funding expands the City Deal and is a wonderful Christmas present for the people of Geelong,” Ms Thomas said.

“This is an exciting step forward for the Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which will deliver hundreds of jobs and bring bigger and better events to Geelong.”

Senator Henderson said GCEC would deliver a very significant boost to the local economy, both during construction and once operational.

“It will also provide our magnificent waterfront and city by the bay with an incredible asset to drive tourism and our visitor economy.”

City of Greater Geelong mayor (and Liberal candidate for Corangamite) Stephanie Asher said she welcomed the outcome for Geelong and was pleased to hear the project is moving forward as planned.

“Geelong is Victoria’s second biggest city and offers some of the best hospitality and tourism opportunities in Australia, with a waterfront precinct that rivals any in the country, so has deserved a convention centre precinct that will enable even more people to come and explore all we have to offer.”

The Victorian government also announced today it will invest $400,000 through the $10 million Regional Recovery Fund to support Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine (TGGB) and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism to implement a Business Events Attraction platform.

It is designed to promote the region as a business events destination outside the summer peak season.

The project features an online platform, $50 per delegate rebate and promotion to attract business conferences, trade exhibitions and other business events to the region.

“Geelong and the Bellarine is increasingly becoming a destination of choice for business events and initiatives like our Business Events Attraction platform will only boost this further,” TGGB executive director Brett Ince said.

He said the inclusion of a luxury hotel in GCEC would be a significant boost to the region’s tourism market beyond the support it would provide to the centre.