VISION FOR ARC REVEALED

A VISION of Geelong’s $60 million northern suburbs health precinct has been released ahead of the weekend’s state election.

The City of Greater Geelong is pushing for the state and federal governments to each match the $20.6 million it has pledged for the project at the corner of the Princes Hwy and Cox Rd, Norlane.

The first stage of the precinct - the $33 million Barwon Health North facility - is presently under construction, but a cash injection from Spring St and Canberra is needed to start stage two.

Despite the project’s absence from the Geelong City Deal, and the looming election, Windermere ward councillor Anthony Aitken remained confident the council’s lobbying would pay off.

“Irrespective of who wins the state election next Saturday, I think the merits of this project are such that it will get funded,” he said.

“It’s a tiring process lobbying in safe seats, but I am more optimistic today than any time in the past few months that we are envisaged as a place for markets, meetings and art displays, while the aquatic centre will feature four pools with water slides and learn-to-swim areas.

Cr Aitken said, in addition to improving health in the north, it was intended that the Northern ARC would help address issues of social for the community to see the facility we intend to build once the state and federal governments provide funding,” Cr Harwood said.

“Geelong’s northern suburbs deserve a world class, modern health and wellbeing hub.

“The City has shown our commitment by allocating $20.6 million to the project, our largest ever spend on a capital works project.”

Cr Aitken predicted it would become “a place of civic pride for the people of the northern suburbs”, and the one-stop shop of health and wellbeing services could be a model used elsewhere.

“I think it will become an example of how you can address issues in areas of significant social disadvantage,” he said.

CoGG has pledged to develop more detailed designs of the project and continue its push for cash.