After two federal Labor budgets which failed to fund one new project in the Geelong region, Corangamite MP Libby Coker and Corio MP Richard Marles must start to stand up for Geelong, the Surf Coast and Bellarine.
Since being elected almost two years ago, the Albanese Government has axed $2 billion of federal funding from Geelong Fast Rail and cut billions from the Land 400 and Howitzer defence projects based at Avalon.
Mr Marles and Ms Coker have completely failed our region, presiding over the most savage local funding cuts in history.
Ms Coker is also misleading local residents by taking credit for major Coalition investments such as $750 million for the Waurn Ponds rail upgrade, $292 million for the Barwon Heads Rd duplication and $183 million for the Geelong City Deal.
Now, documents uncovered by the Coalition show that a $6 million Labor election commitment to a new regional high ball indoor stadium at Armstrong Creek has been shelved. Under the cover of darkness, the government has removed the project from the Priority Community Infrastructure Program.
Council is strongly backing the need for a regional indoor sports and events centre at Armstrong Creek to cater for the Geelong region’s 10,000 netballers and 8,000 basketballers, so why has Libby Coker dropped the ball?
This is another broken promise by the Albanese Government and Corangamite residents deserve a full explanation from Libby Coker.
Documents also show Labor is putting the go-slow on an election commitment to help fund Stage 2 of the Barwon Heads Rd upgrade, with $5.5 million in this year’s budget pushed back to 2026-27.
In contrast to the massive investment delivered for Geelong by the former Coalition government, Labor is demonstrating a paltry disregard for our region’s transport and community infrastructure needs.
Background
Inclusion of the Armstrong Creek Stadium funded under the PCIP was removed in the list of funded projects as tabled in Senate estimates in February 2024.
See first document tabled: October 2023 estimates
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_estimates/rrat/2023-24_Supplementary_budget_estimates/Infrastructure_Regional_Development
See first document tabled: February 2024 estimates
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_estimates/rrat/2023-24_Additional_estimates/Infrastructure_Regional_Development