Future Geelong 2024: Most liveable city in country aspirations revealed

Geelong is not just aspiring to become the most liveable city in Australia, it is achieving.

Nadja Fleet facilitates the Future Geelong workshop at Wurriki Nyal on Wednesday. Picture: Alan Barber

Geelong has risen from the ashes of its industrial past since that gut-wrenching moment when Alcoa announced its closure about a decade ago.

For years now we have worn our revival as a badge of honour.

We have acknowledged the shift from soot-covered gears of industry to the green gardens of innovation.

Today, Geelong is no longer a sleepy hollow, nor is it defined by the roar of a stadium on game day alone. But what is it really that we are today?

And what is it that we want to be for the decades to come?

Last Wednesday, the city’s trailblazers gathered for the Future Geelong workshop with a simple mission – to redefine the city.

The atmosphere inside the new boardroom at Geelong’s civic centre was less about the charged particles of grand ambition and more about the grounded discussions of a shared vision.

Trent Sullivan and Geno Hubay are in discussions at the Future Geelong workshop at Wurriki Nyal on Wednesday. Picture: Alan Barber

On a whiteboard under the headline “What do you want Geelong to be”, one objective stood out amid a colourful array of post-it notes: “Most liveable city in Australia”.

The pursuit of the title is not a sprint; it’s a marathon with various checkpoints. Clean air, affordable housing, and seamless transportation form the bedrock of such an aspiration.

Add access to quality education, healthcare and job opportunities, and a city begins to distinguish itself. But the crown jewel in this urban tiara is a vibrant cultural scene that celebrates diversity and fosters a sense of community.

Cities such as Vienna, Helsinki and Vancouver have set urban standards worldwide.

Vienna marries its musical heritage with contemporary living.

Helsinki is lauded for its design and innovation, seamlessly blending work-life balance with urban development.

Vancouver pairs its panoramic vistas with a green conscience.

But there’s no need to borrow from others when our own narrative is rich.

Geelong is not aspiring; it’s achieving. Our coastline rivals any canvas, our sense of community is the envy of metropolises.

We’re a sanctuary for thinkers and doers.

The real task at hand is to showcase our city’s charm and capacity. It’s about marketing Geelong’s heart – the lifestyle, the opportunities, the future.

Our growth must also mirror the intentionality of those post-its from the workshop.

Future Geelong, in its second instalment this year, extends an invitation to the world not just to visit but to be part of our story.

And when they arrive, we must ensure they recognise we are blazing a trail that redefines what it means to live, to belong, to be Geelong.

Originally published as Future Geelong 2024: Most liveable city in country aspirations revealed