Jeff Kennett: Where we need to invest to boost Victoria’s growth and reputation

The Allan government’s failure to act on Victoria’s growing debt is making a bad situation worse for our community, businesses and reputation. Here’s how simple investments could give the state a lift.

I am so concerned about Victoria’s growing debt, and the increasing negative impact it is having on our community, businesses and reputation, and the state government’s failure to do anything more than every day make it worse.

Today I offer two suggestions and one comment.

1. Invest in making Station Pier a welcoming arrival point for our visitors who come to Victoria by ship

The conditions of Station Pier are a disgrace. Old, unattractive, unwelcoming and sadly the cause of delays when tourists arriving in Victoria want to disembark to visit our city and regions.

So, too, is the co-ordination of transport to and from the pier to destinations the tourists will have decided to visit while in Victoria.

The conditions of Station Pier are a disgrace. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Many of those destinations they have paid for in advance and they the tourists are absolutely entitled to a wonderful experience.

For those who still read newspapers like me, but I am sure it applies to other media such as social media, the number of advertisements offering holidays by one form of shipping, or another ranks second only to Harvey Norman advertisements.

Clearly demand is growing for such travel, which not only has the advantage of visiting places of interest, but the added attraction of not having to move your luggage from hotel to hotel.

Therefore, if Victoria is going to be competitive in attracting shipping lines to include Melbourne and Victoria as a destination for their ships, we need to make sure the experience for not only the ship’s crew, but their passengers is a good one.

The management of Station Pier is clearly not working. Picture: AAP Image

The management of Station Pier is clearly not working, or it has not been given the priority by government that it deserves.

That includes the experience beyond the wharf when tourists try to get to their booked or unbooked transport to take them to their chosen destination.

As many only have a day in Victoria, their experience should be a smooth and uplifting one.

After all, word of mouth is still the cheapest and best form of promotion of any product or destination.

The quality of the reception for tourists and the experience they have here in Victoria should be first class.

I would recommend a body be established of private sector personnel to undertake a six-month review of existing conditions, including working with the shipping lines, then another three months to complete a plan for government and the public to make Station Pier and services to and from the pier a welcoming asset for the next 20 years.

Victoria should put its hand up to stage the Australian Fashion Festival as an annual showcase of the fashion industry. Picture: David Caird

2. Build an International Fashion Festival of merit

IMG has pulled out of staging the Australian Fashion Festival in Sydney so yes, Victoria should put its hand up to stage the event as an annual showcase of the fashion industry.

But not in isolation.

When we introduced the Melbourne Fashion Festival in the 1990s we appointed Craig Kimberley, the Just Jeans founder and a wonderfully creative fellow, to head up a private sector Board. They did a fantastic job.

We should create a year-long priority for fashion, working with industry but also closely with our major sporting and arts community.

Culminating in a most stunning Fashion Festival over a week to showcase Australia’s best in design and manufacturing.

Bringing to Victoria designers, educators and influencers to build an international reputation for fashion that is uniquely Australian, but which has worldwide appeal.

We don’t want to just secure the Australia Fashion Festival because Sydney may have lost it.

We need to create our own. Do so much more.

Give it a name, create some real dash. It needs to be an annual event, and probably include using the very best of our arts sector as well.

It will take time to build an international reputation, but it can be done.

Victoria’s roads are increasingly unsafe and causing costly damage to vehicles.

3. Roads before white elephants

I like the idea from the federal opposition of directing the $2.2bn the federal government has said it might allocate to the Suburban Rail Loop to repairing and maintaining our roads.

Of course, the feds have not handed over any money because the state government has not until recently handed over the business plan that has taken two years to prepare, that might have justified such expenditure.

Victoria’s roads are increasingly unsafe and causing costly damage to vehicles.

The Great White Elephant called the Suburban Rail Loop will only be used by a few but paid for by all but is massively increasing our debt.

Roads exist throughout the state. All Victorians use them.

The Great White Elephant called the Suburban Rail Loop will only be used by a few but paid for by all but is massively increasing our debt.

With the state election not due for 25 months, using the federal election to support the opposition’s plans is a very good way we Victorians can send a message to the tone-deaf Labor government in Spring St.

I hope you will see this as a constructive column.

Have a good day.

Jeff Kennett is a former Premier of Victoria

Originally published as Jeff Kennett: Where we need to invest to boost Victoria’s growth and reputation