Geelong Riding the Wave of Growth Opportunities in Australia

The current trend that is transforming not just Geelong’s infrastructure, but also the entire regions outlook has resulted in the region spinning off on a positive growth tangent that is expected to last for decades.

Moving on from the successfully completed projects such as the waterfront and regional rail projects towards urban renewal, housing and as well as sporting, social and cultural development projects, it is only a matter of time before Geelong rises to the rank of cities such as Melbourne.

Geelong’s population is currently experiencing a gradual boom that has led to, developers and councils focusing on residential developments like never before. Most of the current development and infrastructure projects is directly attributed to the nearly $400 million Geelong City Deal which is almost complete leaving stakeholders including politicians to think about what follows next.

With both state and federal budgets ready and available, the coming Victorian election will be inevitably used as an opportunity to kick-start other major infrastructure projects that for the most part will leave civil construction firms and other supply chain components of Geelong’s construction sphere with their plates full. As demand for heavy machinery climbs alongside this pipeline of projects, excavator rental in Geelong is expected to remain a key resource for firms looking to scale up site works without overcommitting to equipment purchases.

The completion of eight projects such as the Geelong Waterfront Safe Harbour Precinct and the Queens-cliff Ferry Terminal from the thirteen leaves five big ones that are still taxing the supply chain quite significantly.

Of the 13 funded projects, eight are complete, and five projects are still underway and the biggest project among the five is the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre which is nearing completion.

The Lorne’s Point Grey precinct and the Twelve Apostles precinct along with three other sub-projects are also expected to be wrapped up soon enough to make way for the new projects that are still being discussed by decision makers.

Chief executive Michael Johnston of the Committee for Geelong indicated that funding for projects that are not within the sphere of the City Deal still flows like mud and has been so over the past four federal budgets and only commitment professed by the state government will change things and make room for federal funding as well.

It is due to this fact that the state election is going to play a very significant role for roping in big-ticket infrastructure items.

He further added that if the state government does not take the initiative makes to get things rolling, funding from the federal government will not find its way into Geelong’s economic sphere simply because funding from the Feds requires a certain amount of co-contribution from the state and even from the council level as well which was what happened for the City Deal to come through.

Even the mayor, Stretch Kontelj stated that it was the partnership between these entities that delivered the Geelong City Deal the way that it was without much hiccups. The mayor further implied that the Nyaal Banyul facility will indeed impact the region positively from an economic perspective as it will undoubtedly attract more visitors and even investments.

Despite the volume of on-going projects, civil construction firms and independent civil and even concrete contractors are hoping that new projects will trickle in as the current projects are eventually completed. Most are expecting a new ‘City Deal’ to come to the table and if at all a new deal does come through, Kontelj implied that Geelong would try to obtain funding for an indoor sports and events centre with a “Geelong Gallery’ in tow and also the redevelopment of both the Bellarine Arts Centre and Geelong Railway Station. If this happens, construction industry players can be rest assured that they will have sufficient business to keep their construction companies ‘well oiled’ financially for the next decade.

According to Tony Phelps who the deputy mayor of Surf Coast Shire, such projects will bring benefits to the entire region as more capital is invested into the region by both the state and federal governments along with commercial investments that will have a ‘spill-over’ effect on other industry spheres. He also pointed out the fact that similar to the Geelong City Deal, any new projects will also be strategically aligned to a visitor-based economy and be connected to the sequence of major destinations across not just the region, but the entire country.

In essence, it would be a matter of perspective on how funders see the projects, for instance, from the perspective of Surf Coast Shire council they see such projects as a complementary project that would spice up cultural attractions and supplement the ‘destination network’ for example if the Australian National Surfing Museum in Torquay received a thorough upgrade, the area would certainly experience a boom during surf season provided the infrastructure is able to support the influx of visitors.

The fact is – infrastructure, services, well planned transportation networks and employment opportunities underpins a good life or rather quality lifestyle. In essence, the investment target is not really as important as the investment itself. Be it investment into infrastructure, health services, education or skills and employment or even enforcement, what is truly important is that an environment where people would prefer to live and work is created.

Geelong is inevitably headed towards becoming a major metropolitan within the next decade or so and be recognised globally at which point, the current investments into the region will bear fruit as it is supposed to and benefit not just those living in Geelong, but benefit the entire country due to the economic output of the region.