My vision and priority for Geelong is to have cruise ships, a conference centre and 21stcentury transport links. This is a golden opportunity to give Corio Bay Foreshore a radical makeover now that the funding for the Waterfront Safe Harbour Precinct Redevelopment has been green lit. 

It shouldn’t just stop there. I believe that we can kill three birds with one stone; the redevelopment should also include the creation of a new public pier and our long-awaited conference centre.

This would result in a spectacular metamorphosis of the Waterfront, one of Geelong’s greatest assets and is something that I will vigorously lobby for if elected.

This transformation will attract the cruise ship industry and help Geelong to reinvent itself as a 21stCentury tourism city that is innovative and a lifestyle destination. 

This will be further aided by a high-speed rail network between Geelong and Melbourne as well as a rail link to Avalon that could make Geelong the premiere tourism centre in Victoria having been named a UNESCO City of Design and our links to the Great Ocean Road, Avalon and Melbourne.

Geelong is no longer just a manufacturing city; there are new business start–ups as well as the emergence of a high-tech industry. For Geelong to stay competitive we need to think differently and secure the future for our families.

The most appropriate site is on the foreshore between a new pier at the end of Yarra Street with magnificent views across the bay. 

Geelong must advocate to snare a share of the cruise ship market and this will be excellent for our city, attracting millions of tourism dollars annually. 

The cruise industry in Australia contributes billions to the Australian economy and it is estimated that Geelong and Victoria would benefit from 522 new jobs and $80 million in the first decade and Geelong should pursue the boom.