Labor pitches stronger partnership

GEELONG’S Mayor has met federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese to discuss an overhaul of Geelong’s City Deal.

The Opposition spokesman for cities travelled to Geelong yesterday to announce the City Deal would be replaced by a City Partnership to allow for independent oversight and greater input from the state and local governments.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came to Geelong in January to sign the Geelong City Deal MOU — an agree- ment between all three levels of governments to work together to deliver a series of major projects for the city.

Mr Albanese yesterday criticised a lack of City Deal funding from the Federal Government since signing the announcement.

“There’s been some discussion about a city deal for Geelong, but now, more than seven months after the memorandum of understanding was signed, we still don’t have any actual dollars on the table from the Federal Government,” Mr Albanese said at the front of City Hall yesterday.

Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson hit back at criticism from Mr Albanese, stating he had six years to establish a City Deal for Geelong when he was in government, but didn’t.

“By contrast, in less than three years the Turnbull Government has concluded three city deals — Townsville, Launceston and Western Sydney — and there are active negotiations under way concerning four more: Darwin, Geelong, Hobart and Perth,” she said.

“All federal Labor has managed to do is find a thesaurus. What practical difference will be made by Labor’s bold d new policy cy announceement of changanging the title e from ‘City Deal’ to ‘City Partnership’? ’? None.”

The Federal deral Government has not yet revealed its City Deal commitments for Geelong, with a spokeswoman for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Minister Paul Fletcher saying the Commonwealth was expected to announce City Deal commitments around October, just weeks before the state election.