Centre cause of hold up

State, feds row over contributions in city deal

A DISPUTE over funding for Geelong’s long-awaited convention centre is the major issue delaying talks to clinch a city deal for the region, the State Government says.

Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes said at the weekend the $30 million promised for the project by the Federal Government would not be enough to have it built.

Although a business case for the convention and exhibition project is being prepared, the agreed estimated cost is $170 million.

The state is pushing for that cost to be split 50:50 with Canberra at $85 million each.

But federal Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson said the state should pay more.

“It was always intended the state would be the majority funder,” Ms Henderson said.

The governments have promised $153 million for the city deal, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirming $30 million of the federal share would go towards the convention centre.

This commitment was outlined in a letter from federal Cities Minister Alan Tudge to Ms Symes last month.

She said the federal commitment was $55 million short.

“This letter shows that the Morrison minority Government is walking away from the Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre project,” she said.

“The Geelong community deserve Federal Government investment in important infrastructure and are now depending on Sarah Henderson to pick up the phone to Scott Morrison and demand he come down to Geelong and ensure they get a fair share.”

The G21 Alliance has previously called on the warring parties to get the deal signed by putting aside different views on how much money should go to specific projects.

Ms Henderson called on the state to detail its commitments.

She said contradictory statements and the lack of detail on how it planned to spend its $153 million had caused the delay.

She said her government aimed to distribute funds fairly throughout the Geelong and the Shipwreck Coast, and if the state wanted to pour most of its money into the convention centre it would need to explain to Corangamite residents what projects would miss out.

“Labor still refuses to detail how all of its money will be spent,” Ms Henderson said.

“Labor needs to come clean with its funding proposal.

“Labor short-changed the Corangamite electorate by excluding it from the city deal … which is why we have delivered nearly $40 million for Corangamite projects, including the upgrade of the Apollo Bay harbour.”