Priority projects: Geelong council reveals advocacy plans for the 2026 Victorian election
From large-scale developments, million-dollar upgrades and revamped rail to social housing and policy reform, these are the projects Geelong council proposes to advocate for ahead of the 2026 Victorian state election. GET THE DETAILS
City Hall has revealed the projects it will lobby for in next year’s state election, with Avalon Airport, a new arena and a special economic zone for the CBD among the highlighted projects.
At Tuesday’s September council meeting, Geelong councillors will vote on whether to endorse projects selected in its draft priority projects report for 2025-26.
Two “tiers” of projects will be put before council, in the draft report – “Hallmark Regional Projects” and “Regional Advocacy Projects”.
City Hall will also press for a number of policy reforms set out in the report.
Hallmark regional projects
Hallmark projects are “transformational projects of regional significance, leading to job creation, increased investment, improved transport options and improved social outcomes”.
High on this list is Avalon, which gets its own category and selected projects including the Avalon Airport Attraction Fund, a joint-lobbying effort with Wyndham City Council.
City Hall has also picked out the Avalon employment precinct, Beach Rd upgrades and better public transport between Lara train station and the airport, as well as a future rail link, as projects for advocacy.
Transport is also its own category in the list, with highlighted projects including an extension of the Geelong Ring Road to the Bellarine, a Geelong-Werribee rail service, and rail links to Armstrong Creek and Bannockburn.
Category three is Central Geelong – under this banner, City Hall would advocate for the CBD to become a “special economic zone” with “three levels of government delivering attractive taxation, levy and rates concessions, and reduced regulation” to incentivise development.
City Hall would also throw its weight behind a broader push for a dedicated $1bn Regional Infrastructure Fund to fund regional infrastructure statewide.
A “critical” redevelopment of the Geelong Gallery will also be on the table, with City Hall set to advocate for the state government to “fund the time-crucial project management and design phase”.
The embattled Market Square also made the list, as did other key CBD revitalisation projects, including an upgrade of Gheringhap St, an extension of the Green Spine, upgrades to other streets and a CBD truck bypass.
City Hall would also ask the state government to prioritise the redevelopment of the Geelong Railway Station precinct.
Sport and recreation infrastructure is another category, with projects that made the list including a new 5000 seat indoor sports centre at the site of the Arena in North Geelong.
According to the draft report, development of such a stadium, dubbed the Regional Indoor Sport and Events Centre or RISEC, is estimated to generate 354 jobs and inject $110m into the economy during construction and operations over 20 years.
An upgrade to Geelong baseball centre and planning for a regional soccer facility at Armstrong Creek West were also floated, as was a cycling path between Geelong and Torquay.
Regional Advocacy Projects
Regional Advocacy Projects, meanwhile, “include major non-council infrastructure projects which will provide key infrastructure benefits for community and the economy, improve accessibility and connectivity, and deliver improved liveability for residents”.
These projects included Barwon Health’s Northern Suburbs Mental Health Hub, Geelong Port’s renewables terminal, Barwon Water’s sustainable water network and Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative’s Cowies Creek precinct.
It also included Victorian government projects such as Mount Duneed Secondary School and regional level crossing upgrades, as well as the state and federally funded Outer metropolitan ring project in Melbourne’s northwest.
Policy reforms
City Hall will also advocate for policy reforms ahead of the state election, including the scrapping of the emergency services and volunteers fund, as well as policies around library funding, school crossings and the state taking over council run kindergartens.
Geelong council will ask the state government to set a social housing target and commit to a mandatory 10 per cent social housing on all new developments.
Other touted policies involve glass recycling opportunities, transferring stormwater management from City Hall to Barwon Water, establishing a Bellarine coastline management authority similar to the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA).
More Coverage
Originally published as Priority projects: Geelong council reveals advocacy plans for the 2026 Victorian election
Town to farewell beloved ‘vagabond’ and his kelpie
