MESSAGE FROM CHAIR AND CEO
THIS year, 2021, is the 20th anniversary of the Committee for Geelong and it has been wonderful to join with past Chairs and members to reflect on the work of the committee.
We are reminded that our task is to bring the ideas of the world to Geelong as we advocate for economic and social prosperity for the region.
In 2020 we delivered the report ‘Resilient Geelong’ and used it as background in our advocacy to government to respond to the changing external environment and to help plan for the growth in Geelong over the next 30 years.
The current political cycle has both state and federal elections occurring within 12 months, which coincides with the culmination of the committee’s current strategic framework.
It has been important for us to align our priorities in this cycle to manage growth and for Geelong to be a clever and creative community.
We have continued our collaboration with other local stakeholder groups to identify and promote priority projects and ideas to all levels of government.
We have expanded our reach with the alliance of the cities of Geelong, Newcastle and Wollongong, to which the Committee for Geelong provides secretarial support.
It also provides an important seat at the table during discussions on key issues facing these regions – port, airport, transport, communications and population.
We look forward to the opportunity to celebrate our 20th anniversary amongst our Committee for Geelong friends and colleagues on December 7 at GMHBA Stadium after two years of a pandemic that has tested our resilience and prevented the important task of coming together to continue our storytelling.
As we move into 2022, the Committee for Geelong will continue to maintain and build on advocacy work for our region with well-planned and collaborative research and strategies to use our collective voice to design our best future for Geelong for all its people.
Clive Pugh, Chair, Committee for Geelong, and Jennifer Cromarty, chief executive, Committee for Geelong