The $370 million City Deal is driving very substantial investment into our region’s visitor economy including $183 million from the Morrison Government.
While the Coronavirus pandemic has placed considerable pressure on all levels of government, I am concerned about the pace of the rollout.
As I conveyed in my Committee for Geelong presentation, most City Deal projects are dependent on planning and design which is controlled by the state government or local council. Â Â Some projects, such as the Geelong waterfront upgrade and the Queenscliff ferry terminal, are progressing well.
However, the plan for central Geelong, for instance, is lagging. We have been waiting two years for the State Government to re-route Malop St buses to allow further construction of the Green Spine, and there’s still no agreement between the State and Deakin University over the proposed convention centre site.
The City Deal agreement allows the Morrison Government to bring forward payments where milestones have been reached early.Â
There is certainly the opportunity to include further City Deal projects in the future but our focus is on expediting the current projects.
17 July 2020