Port Report by Cr Jim Mason – 1 May 2021
Greater Geelong is a pretty unique municipality with our beaches and seaside villages, a growing CBD, tranquil bush and north-facing bay.
Made up of four diverse wards, our Bellarine Ward and the north Bellarine area within that are as diverse as they come.
I’m excited to say that our Proposed 2021-22 Budget overwhelmingly reflects that great diversity after months of negotiation and compromise between councillors, and I feel the north Bellarine gets its fair share of funding.
For example, we’re proposing $1.157 million over the next two years for upgrades to the Portarlington Recreation Reserve.
While the St Leonards Cricket Club is potentially in line for upgrades to its pavilion, nets and ground with $350,000 in 2022-23 and $1 million forecast for 2023-24.
Give the Draft Budget a good read at geelong.link/our-plan and see what’s proposed for your area, with submissions being accepted until the 25th of May.
A 50-metre outdoor pool for the north Bellarine is becoming a reality, after council endorsed concept plans for the facility last month.
The $10 million provided by the federal government is an opportunity that must be taken, which is why we’ve allocated a further $4.25 million over 2021-23 in the Draft Budget.
We’ll now work with all levels of government to pursue additional funding for a future stage two of the project, in response to community feedback.
The Bellarine ward councillors’ strong advocacy for this facility will continue.
