WHAT THEY’VE SAID OVER THE YEARS

JULY 2016: PREMIER DANIEL ANDREWS “Our government will provide $1 million, well ahead of next year’s budget, for the full business case for a Geelong Convention Centre at the waterfront car park site.”

JULY 2016: DEAKIN VICE-CHANCELLOR JANE DEN HOLLANDER “We acknowledge there has been strong community interest in this site and have always said we would support a proposal that would deliver strong return for the Deakin community, the wider Geelong region and Victoria.”

MARCH 2016: TOURISM CHIEF ROGER GRANT “The conference centre is about knowledge exchange, about the community and emerging and established industries. When you think about where Geelong is heading as an education, a health and a specialist manufacturing hub, we can’t continue to miss out. “Not only do we get the economic benefit (if we had the centre) from those attending the conference, and that is a high yielding sector, with the pre- and post(spend) as well as the delegate spend, but the real benefit is from the increased exposure to the best speakers, where we hear from the best people, which will have a real multiplier effect.”

JUNE 2016: KEITH FAGG “Geelong must be on the front foot with this opportunity and get cracking with the already funded business case and promulgate our case. The project has been high on CoGG and G21 priority lists for years and should enjoy bipartisan support. We cannot afford to miss the boat again.”

JUNE 2016: G21 CEO ELAINE CARBINES “It is very important that the State Government gets its act together. This needs to be a top priority.”

NOVEMBER 2014: FORMER PREMIER DENIS NAPTHINE “The development of a convention and exhibition centre has the potential to create hundreds of jobs for the Geelong region.”

SEPTEMBER 2014, DARRYN LYONS “The pier and convention centre will be a major economic driver for the region, delivering jobs and direct economic benefit to local businesses.”