Pathways forward for Geelong
In October, the Regional Australia Institute and the Business Council of Australia visited Geelong to host an open forum on unlocking economic prosperity in the region.
The open forum was the fourth in a series of community conversations being held across Australia, working with regions to focus on their competitive advantages and future pathways to success. By merging with work of the RAI and the BCA with local knowledge and experience, these forums are also creating a platform for regional voices to be heard at a federal level.
The Geelong consultation, held at Simonds Stadium on Tuesday 29 October, brought together representatives from business, community, research and government sectors. It focused on what makes the region work well at present, what has made it work well in the past, and what needs to be in place for the region to be at its very best in the future.
Participants identified the potential for Geelong to position itself as Melbourne’s ‘second city’, particularly through the development of the port and Avalon airport according to a national agenda. Investment in the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sector was seen as a top priority, as well as encouraging entrepreneurship. The forum also looked at the potential for Geelong to strengthen its research capacity, in harmony with industry presence. A greater sense of social inclusion across community, business and government sectors was also seen as an important future focus for the region.
The RAI and the BCA would like to thank all those who made the Geelong consultation. The input gained will be invaluable to developing the future agenda of the RAI and the BCA, to reflect regional knowledge, concerns and aspirations. As part of our ongoing commitment to the community, we have developed a report of the outcomes of the open forum. We hope that this resource becomes a useful asset in the pathways forward for the region.
Click here to download a full record of the days ideas.
You can also check out our video on the forum, or have a look through the photos from the day.
If you’re interested in the Community Conversations series, and would like to have us visit your area, head over to ‘Have Your Say‘ to get in touch!
