Push on for national second city policy

ADVOCATES for Geelong’s status as a “second city” have called on the federal government to create specific policy that reflects the importance of such cities across Australia.

Representatives from the Committee for Geelong (CfG), the City of Greater Geelong, G21 and the Geelong Chamber of Commerce spoke at the public hearing for the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities in Geelong on Monday.

The committee is holding an inquiry into the Australian government’s role in the development of cities, and is examining city planning and sustainable urban development, focusing on how to transition existing capital cities, and how to develop new and existing regional centres.

The Geelong submitters called for the introduction of policy that crossed multiple government portfolios for “second cities” as well as locking in a City Deal that included both Geelong and the Great Ocean Road.

CfG chair Dan Simmonds said it was clear that population growth was putting big cities across Australia under pressure.

“If people are voting with their feet to move somewhere (away from capital cities), there should be government policy that supports that.”

CfG chief executive officer Rebecca Casson said Geelong’s status and growth needed to be recognised.

“Geelong is no longer a regional city; it hasn’t been for years.

“We’re not suggesting Geelong is better than anywhere else, but we’ve already got that investment there, and the next group of cities down from that, or across from that, will benefit.”

G21 chair Bill Mithen said his organisation had been advocating strongly for a City Deal based on the visitor economy

“We’ve also identified that it needs to prosper the whole region, so areas of disadvantage would need to be improved.

“We’re looking at a City Deal very much like that: as a deal, it’s an all-encompassing deal, a strategic deal.

“It’s not just about trying to get our hands on pots of money, it’s about integrating it across the region, looking at where our competitive advantages are within the visitor economy and ensuring the whole region prospers.”