It’s big deal for city

THE TV game show Deal Or No Deal might have been pulled from the small screen a few years ago, but it seems Geelong now has its own adaptation.

City Deal Or No City Deal could easily be the title of this pilot. It’s certainly a game, but it’s nowhere near as fun as the TV show.

As we report on page 4, the Geelong City Deal is at an impasse.

There was clearly tension in the air when Malcolm Turnbull, at that time our Prime Minister, and acting-Premier James Merlino met in Geelong in January last year. But the purpose of their meeting suggested a new spirit of cooperation might be upon us.

They were here to sign a memorandum of understanding for a Geelong City Deal, an arrangement both parties assured us would be a “gamechanger” for this region.

Thirteen months on the city deal is yet to be signed.

Funding has been promised — $153 million from each of the federal and state governments and a further $15 million from the City of Greater Geelong — but games are being played.

The G21 Alliance tells us the major players are at loggerheads, seemingly at one in regards to how much money should be poured in but split about the finer details of where it should be spent.

The State Government was the first to commit its cash, identifying a few key projects it wanted to back but refusing to specify the split of its budget allocation.

Caught up in leadership turmoil, the Federal Government took a little longer to cough up a cash promise. New Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a detailed announcement in October, outlining exactly how the Coalition wanted to spend the cash if the Australian people were kind enough to re-elect it.

While the word “deal” suggests the arrangement was fair and mutually agreed upon, it appears neither party bothered much to consult the other before making their respective announcements.

As G21 says, it’s time for the game-playing to end.