Welcome to the 2015-2016 Update of City Plan 2013-2017

CITY PLAN

2013-2017

2015-2016 Update

Welcome to the 2015-2016 update of City Plan 2013-2017

Vision

Greater Geelong: building our community through enterprise, opportunity and innovation in a quality environment

Councilacknowledges Wadawurrung Traditional Owners of this land and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Greater Geelong community today.

Vision 1

A Word from our Mayor3

Live Love Geelong5

Facts and Figures7

About City Plan8

Community Input into City Plan9

Planning Framework10

Organisation Structure11

Our Mission12

Our Values and Behaviours12

Council Information 13

Our Councillors 14

Strategic Directions and

Annual Action Plan 17

Community Wellbeing18

Growing Our Economy29

Sustainable Built and Natural

Environment39

How We Do Business46

Budget 2015-201655

2015-2016 Budget at a Glance 56

Strategic Resource Plan62

Contact Us71

A word from our Mayor

City Plan 2013-2017 was developed on the back of major community input. Your City, Your Say presented a significant opportunity for community members to share their ideas in shaping our municipality for the future.

Now two years into this four-year plan, I am pleased to say that we are delivering on our key priorities.

Each year we set ourselves an ambitious program of works towards realising the priorities set in City Plan. Of the 490 actions we have planned in the first two years, 90 per cent of these have been completed or are on schedule to be completed. This is a fine achievement and a result of the hard work of all staff at the City.

We opened the doors to six new incredible community buildings: Boorai Centre in Ocean Grove; Grovedale Community Hub; Bop Bop Karrong Early Learning Centre in Barwon Heads; Leopold Community Hub; Norlane Child and Family Centre; and the Ocean Grove Community Hub.

We have also made a good start on reinvigorating Central Geelong, releasing an Action Plan that commits us to making a difference. There was the unveiling of the Christmas Tree, accompanied by six weeks of celebration bringing an economic impact of $18 million. Free parking on weekends and a heavy vehicle restriction trial in Malop Street have also been a huge success.

Viva Energy took ownership of Shell’s Geelong refinery and have committed to growing this facility. Accensi is setting up in the Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct, the National Disability Insurance Agency head office opened in Geelong, Deakin University opened its Carbon Nexus research facility and stage one of the Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre expansion opened.

Our event calendar continues to grow from the time-honoured Carols by Candlelight in Johnstone Park, the ever growing Australian International Airshow to the new Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Not only do these events bring millions of dollars in economic benefit to our community, they also provide great enjoyment for our residents and visitors alike. Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine was also established.

Growth area expansion projects are progressing, Future Proofing Geelong has helped local industries and businesses secure more than $1 million in funding for sustainability initiatives, a number of new landfill constructions and old landfill rehabilitations are being undertaken. Also, waste and climate change initiatives are all contributing to an environmentally sustainable future.

We adopted the Kareenga Aboriginal Action Plan, Disability Action Plan, Municipal Early Years Plan and established the Women in Community Life Advisory Committee.

Leisure centre visitation has increased, youth programs and events are growing and the popular Senior Citizens Week events have enjoyed record attendances. Recreation facilities also continue to be upgraded and well over 300 local community groups have received grants, highlighting our commitment to health and wellbeing for Greater Geelong.

In continuing to deliver City Plan 2013-2017, it was really important that we focus on:

Stimulating economic growth – it’s all about jobs.
Making Central Geelong vibrant again.
Continuing to invest to provide current and future generations with great community facilities.
Ensuring a sustainable environmental future.
Being financially sustainable.

There are the challenges – Alcoa closing; Ford on the way out; the impacts on other businesses in their supply chains; the tightening of both State and Federal Governments’ financial belts and what that means for the funding of some of our projects and programs.

We will however continue to lobby for Geelong. The Land 400 defence project, a convention and exhibition centre, a new Yarra Street Pier, East West traffic movement projects and the Northern ARC are just some of the key projects that will bring jobs and excitement to our region.

These are exciting times and this Council is committed 100 per cent to doing all it can to make sure we take full advantage.

Year three of City Plan 2013-2017 contains the following highlights:

The completion of the new Geelong Library and Heritage Centre.
Hendy Street Children’s Hub construction.
Leopold Community Hub library construction.
Developing or upgrading recreation facilities and reserves across the city.
Funding to pursue defence contracts for Geelong.
Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct land development for sale.
Funding Enterprise Geelong’s activities to create jobs and stimulate the economy.
Funding a number of projects in the Central Geelong Action Plan to enliven our city centre, including lighting and decorating Geelong.
Arts and cultural projects and event funding.
Landfill works and waste initiatives.
Structure plan reviews and future growth area investigations.
Supporting tourism businesses including marketing Geelong as a conference destination.
Digital Strategy implementation.
Coastal, conservation and environmental reserve maintenance.
Maintaining infrastructure for a growing Geelong.

You said you wanted action and we will continue to work hard to deliver the promises set out in City Plan.

There are exciting times ahead for our great city, Geelong is going places, and I’ll work as hard as I can to get us there.

LIVE LOVE GEELONG!

Mayor Darryn Lyons

City of Greater Geelong

Live Love Geelong

With a population of over 224,000 people, the City of Greater Geelong is Victoria’s largest provincial city.

Where is Geelong

Located some 75 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, the municipality covers 1,247km2, comprising country, coastal and suburban areas. Greater Geelong is bounded by the Moorabool Shire in the north, Wyndham City and the Borough of Queenscliffe in the east, Surf Coast Shire and Golden Plains Shire in the west and Bass Strait in the south.

The region is characterised by the multi-award winning Waterfront overlooking Corio Bay, the picturesque Bellarine Peninsula, the Barwon River, You Yangs Regional Park, wetlands, beautiful parklands and wildlife sanctuaries. Geelong is also the gateway to the world renowned coastline of south-west Victoria via the Great Ocean Road.

Community profile

The City of Greater Geelong’s population has grown from 201,495 in 2006 to an estimated 224,926 as at 30 June 2014, an increase of 11.6 per cent.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2011 Census of Population and Housing, 18.5 per cent of the City of Greater Geelong’s population was aged between zero and 15, with16.8 per cent aged 65 and over, with this age group also having the largest change in age structure since 2005.

The biggest change in age structure was in the empty nesters and retirees, and older workers and pre-retirees, with babies and pre-schoolers, primary schoolers and secondary schoolers amongst the lowest age structure growth areas.

79.5 per cent of the community were Australian born, with the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Italy the main birthplaces outside of Australia.

Couples with children made up 28.3 per cent of households, with a further 26 per cent being made up of couples without children. Lone person households made up 26.4 per cent and one parent families making up 11.5 per cent.

With more than 50 suburbs and townships, the region is experiencing a period of rapid growth with the population expected to exceed 290,000 in the next 20 years. A high proportion of this will come from new ‘greenfield’ growth areas identified for development, most notably Armstrong Creek, as well as other suburban expansions.

Work and investment

Geelong has a diverse economy with over 16,000 businesses and a labour force of over 101,000 people.

Geelong’s economy has been diversifying over many years and now has a much broader industry base. Traditional manufacturing industries have been in decline and have resulted in the closure of Alcoa’s Point Henry Aluminium Smelter (August 2014) and the impending closure of Ford’s manufacturing plant in 2016. Both these businesses have been a major part of the economic landscape in Geelong with Ford being established in Geelong in 1925 and Alcoa in 1963.

Despite this, key economic indicators show that Geelong has a strong local economy with an investment pipeline that will provide job opportunities into the future, particularly in emerging growth sectors. Geelong’s major industry strengths include: health; education and research; advanced manufacturing; defence; information and communications technology; tourism; and food and agriculture.

Major industry sectors include health care and social assistance (16 per cent of the workforce), retail trade (14 per cent), manufacturing (13 per cent) and education and training (11 per cent). Manufacturing remains the biggest value-added contributor to the regions Gross Regional Product at $1.8 billion annually (18.6 per cent of total value add). Trade through the Geelong Port also continues to increase, now at 13.6 million tonnes, a 15 per cent increase in the four years to 2013-2014. 661 vessels entered the port in 2013-2014.

Investment in the region continues to grow with $1.2 billion in major construction and redevelopment underway in Geelong and a further $1.9 billion awaiting commencement or in planning stages.

Where we learn

Geelong provides a broad range of pathways from primary to tertiary education. There is a wide choice of public or private schooling, and multiple tertiary education options - all with strong links to industry.

There are over 50 kindergartens, just over 60 primary schools and over 20 secondary schools all offering high level teaching. Deakin University which was established in 1974 is a world-class university with cutting-edge facilities and is internationally renowned for its research and teaching. The Gordon opened in 1887 and has been offering technical and further education (TAFE) courses for over 125 years, helping people gain real skills for real jobs. Marcus Oldham College has been offering students a unique education experience in agriculture and equine management since 1962. There are also over 35 community based or privately operated Registered Training Organisations offering a diverse range of short and long courses – something for everyone!

So much to do

The Geelong region offers a diverse and exceptional lifestyle.

A leisurely stroll or ride along the award-winning Waterfront or the more challenging Bellarine Rail Trail is popular on weekends all year round. Sailing on Corio Bay, skiing on the Barwon River or just enjoying our region’s beautiful beaches are also favoured pastimes.

There are sport and recreation activities for everyone. From joining a crowd of thousands to watch the Geelong Cats play at Simonds Stadium in the Australian Football League competition, or taking part in the many local sporting opportunities offered to all ages. There are facilities for all seasonal sports from top class golf courses and equestrian facilities, quality cycling facilities, an international standard baseball centre, all-weather thoroughbred racing facilities at the Geelong Racing Club, high standard infrastructure at the Landy Field athletics track and state-of-the-art leisure and aquatic facilities.

Geelong is a city with great cultural energy. We are proud of our artistic traditions, local culture and rich natural and built heritage. The National Wool Museum and the Geelong Gallery are popular destinations for locals and visitors with a number of exciting contemporary exhibitions staged throughout the year. Theatrical and musical productions are also regularly held at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre and the Potato Shed on the Bellarine.

Multicultural diversity is celebrated throughout the year through events such as the Pako Festa and the National Celtic Festival. Each weekend you can visit one of a number of markets held in the region, and during the summer months night markets are proving a hit with locals and visitors alike.

Major events play a key role in providing social connections and economic benefits to the region. The Australian International Airshow, Festival of Sails, national and international cycling events, and triathlons are just some of the high profile major events on our doorstep.

Add to this our wonderful wineries and fine dining options, there really is something for everyone!

Geelong’s lifestyle is hard to beat. With quality living, wide-ranging recreational choices, a strong and growing economy and a cosmopolitan, vibrant community, there is real reason to Live Love Geelong.

Statistics referred to in this section have been taken from the City of Greater Geelong Enterprise Geelong Fast Facts 2015

Facts and Figures

About City Plan

City Plan 2013-2017 is the key document that will guide the City of Greater Geelong’s activities during the term of our current Council. It translates our communities’ needs and expectations into action. The plan sets out our city’s vision and identifies the strategic directions, priorities, and strategies we will pursue to ensure the Geelong region remains the best place to live, not only today, but into the future.

City Plan 2013-2017 provides the framework for us to prioritise our work commitments each financial year. This includes an ambitious program of actions that work towards realising our strategic directions and priorities, and Council’s key funding projects. An annual City Plan action plan is produced in conjunction with our Annual Budget and this document has been updated to contain the 2015-2016 actions.

We undertake a quarterly review of our progress to monitor the delivery of our annual action plan. These reports are presented to Council and are available to the public through the Council minutes on our website.

At the end of each financial year we prepare a thorough Annual Report on the highlights, achievements and progress towards achieving City Plan 2013-2017, and address any setbacks experienced through the year. This report is available from 30 September on our website, and at all Customer Service Centres.

In accordance with Section 125(7) of the Local Government Act 1989, Council reviews City Plan annually and considers whether any adjustment is required in respect of the remaining period of the current plan.

City Plan 2013-2017 is the Council Plan for the City of Greater Geelong as per the Local Government Act 1989, Section 125.

Our Planning Process

Community Input into City Plan

The City of Greater Geelong community played a major role in developing the vision and priorities for City Plan 2013-2017. ‘Your City Your Say’ was an extensive engagement process undertaken from October 2012 to February 2013, which presented a significant opportunity for community members and stakeholders to actively contribute to shaping our municipality for the future.

There were a range of opportunities for people to participate at a level appropriate to their interests: from digesting online material to understand the project and the process, through to active participation in workshops to provide direct input into the development of City Plan’s strategic directions and priorities .

City Plan engagement included:

A review of current and relevant strategies including: the Bellarine Peninsula Strategic Plan 2006-2016; Corio Norlane Structure Plan; G21 Regional Growth Plan; Geeyoung Project; Grovedale Oberon 3216 Community Plan; Multicultural Action Plan; Vision 2; and the Whittington Action Plan. Results from the Springdale Neighbourhood Summit were also considered.
Workshops with the newly elected Council.
Six community workshops at Belmont, Drysdale, Central Geelong, Hamlyn Heights, Lara and Norlane.
Tailored workshops with Indigenous, disabled and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
A dedicated website including online forum.
A hardcopy and online survey.
Workshops involving City of Greater Geelong managers and coordinators.

In total 561 people were involved in the engagement, and nearly 10,000 individual comments were received. A number of consistent issues and themes were identified, and this feedback has been used extensively in the development of the key priorities of City Plan 2013-2017.

We appreciate the time people have taken to have their say on the future of our municipality, and thank them for their input.

Planning Framework

As the closest level of government to the community, local government is best placed to respond to community needs, concerns and aspirations. Following the extensive ‘Your City Your Say’ engagement process with community members, councillors and the management team, City Plan 2013-2017 was developed using a planning framework of four strategic directions, which allow us to address the major concerns and issues raised in the engagement.

The four strategic directions are: Community Wellbeing, Growing OurEconomy, Sustainable Built and Natural Environment and How We Do Business.