Region must handle big challenges, says G21

terns the G21 region will have about 500,000 people by the mid-2040s,” she said.

“Even at existing levels of growth, the region faces big challenges.”

Ms Carbines said governments needed to consider Geelong’s ability to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, particularly for utility services such as water, gas and power.

“All too often essential infrastructure comes much later than the growth — if we get the infrastructure and services at all,” she said. “That frustration would be multiplied many times over by faster population growth.

“Population growth for Geelong and our region is inevitable. How we manage that growth is crucial.”

Ms Carbines said the G21 Regional Growth Plan laid out a comprehensive land-use and infrastructure strategy until 2050 to cope with realistic population growth.

“The plan is clear about where urban growth can occur and where it cannot,” she said. “There are already clearly designated growth areas within our region.

“We as a region are better positioned to manage growth than many others.”

Geelong’s three growth areas — Armstrong Creek, Northern Geelong and Western Geelong — have the potential to welcome 175,000 new residents to the City.

The Geelong Council’s Bellarine Localised Planning Statement designed with the Borough of Queenscliffe includes the importance of preserving rural uses and the rural landscape, maintaining non-urban breaks, enhancing township character and identity, protecting environmentally sensitive areas, and facilitating growth consistent with structure plans.

However, G21 said the challenge was to manage population growth in a way that protected the natural assets and lifestyle that made our