EDITORIAL

City Deal’s focus must not go wide of the Arc

IN April last year, a collection of this city’s leaders gathered together in a very public show of support for a key public infrastructure project.

Leaders from 11 local organisations – including the City of Greater Geelong, Committee for Geelong, G21 Region Alliance, Give Where you Live, Northern Futures and Viva Energy – posed for the Geelong Advertiser on the site of the proposed Northern Arc health and wellbeing hub project in the hope of sending a united message in the days leading up to the federal election.

Notably absent that day were any of our political representatives — an absence that would be replicated in any election promises for the hub, either before or after the Morrison government’s election victory.

The Northern Arc project has been high on the wishlist of the regional advocacy groups for several years. It includes a 25m pool, gymnasium, rehabilitation services, multipurpose community spaces and maternal and child health suites, and is designed to integrate with the neighbouring Barwon Health North facility. It is seen as a crucial social infrastructure boost to addressing the significant health problems prevalent in Geelong’s northern suburbs.

The City of Greater Geelong has already pledged $20.5m to the project, and it is hoped both the federal and state governments would match the funding.

So it must have been music to the ears of those advocating for the Northern Arc when Geelong-based Senator Sarah Henderson last week said there was opportunity to fund further city-shaping projects through the $370m City Deal.

The Geelong City Deal brings together funding from the state, federal and local governments to produce important infrastructure projects. Senator Henderson has expressed her frustration at the slow pace of the rollout of current projects — which include the Malop Street Green Spine and Geelong Convention Centre — and said there was opportunity to include further projects in the future.

What better example of a project that would improve liveability and needs buy-in from all three levels of government than the Northern Arc? There is proven community demand and a business plan in place, ready to go. It would bring jobs, public health benefits and much-needed investment to Geelong’s troubled north.

It seems like a no-brainer. It’s not too late for our political leaders to finally get on board.