Set and achieve environmental targets and preserve our natural environments Celebrate our local Wadawurrung culture and protect our heritage spaces Invest in our modern culture, creative industries and public art Redevelop our vacant buildings and under-utilised precincts World-class internet infrastructure, coverage and access for everybody Better connected local, regional and international transport options Connect residents with employment, education, retail precincts and each other Strengthen our identity as a tourist destination Education that is linked to employment opportunities Support the most vulnerable members of our community Multi-purpose community infrastructure Balance our built and natural environments Develop safe community environments Provide green spaces within and between urban areas The next stage of the Our Future project, Time to Decide, involved our community choosing its priorities from the ideas it has generated. Through listening to our community’s ideas about what is important to the future of Greater Geelong, we also explored and developed different scenarios that will consider possible futures for Greater Geelong in 30 years’ time. The most appropriate future for the Greater Geelong region was determined by Greater Geelong community members through discussion and voting at the Our Future Assembly, on Saturday 6 May 2017. 1. Introduction The purpose of Our Future is to describe a 30-year community vision for Greater Geelong. By thinking forward to develop a picture of what Greater Geelong should be in 30 years, Our Future will address our current challenges and highlight future opportunities. The Our Future vision will be the key resource for the incoming City of Greater Geelong Council when it formulates its next four year Council Plan, and for all other stakeholders planning initiatives for our region. Forming the vision has involved, and will continue to involve, significant community engagement to harness the collective ideas and strength of the Geelong community. During the initial engagement stage 10,097 members of our community have had their say about the aspects of Greater Geelong that are important to them and how they would like to see our region grow.
‘More things for our youth to help eliminate the drugs. Safe thriving community for my children.’ ‘Geelong should be a clean, safe and fun environment for everyone to be able to leave their house and have fun without all the trouble.’ ‘I hope to see a lot more police and less crime, drugs etc.’ A revitalised and activated Central Business District (6.0%) Visions were linked to the need to revitalise the CBD through different activations of empty shop fronts and resolving perceived parking and traffic issues. ‘CBD. Revitalisation all around central Geelong - not competing with other shopping spaces.’ ‘Re-do CBD. It's shocking. Parking and Moorabool St is an eye sore. Start filling shops. Bring the town back to life.’ ‘I'd like to see our CBD more alive, with no empty shops lining the main streets.’ ‘For the city centre to be more vibrant, too many empty shops.’ ‘Inner city living will increase business in empty shops.’ ‘Empty shops filled. More vibrant CBD. Parking addressed, prohibitive as it currently stands.’ ‘A town with good transport, parking and shopping.’ ‘A CBD which is accessible, calming, a pleasure to explore the variety of shopping facilities and ample, affordable parking.’ ‘No trucks through the city centre.’ ‘Vibrant city - No trucks in CBD during business hours!’ ‘More parking in Geelong CBD.’ ‘Better shopping and more free parking.’ ‘City centre has affordable car parking.’ ‘More cafes and shops in the CBD not just in Westfield or Market Square. Make a mall between Malop and Ryrie St. Trucks out of Ryrie St. More welcoming atmosphere.’ ‘A CBD that is highly populated with a fine grain of business including grocers, hospitality, arts, entertainment and commerce. Public transport to reduce the reliance on cars, with the CBD being car free.’ ‘Close off CBD to cars and redirect trucks away from CBD.’ Social equity and participation (6.0%)
Social equity for the Geelong region referred to fairness and impartiality, and related to social and economic opportunity. In the case of urban planning, people told us social equity can take the form of participation in decision-making activities, especially those that involve allocating public resources. Through participation, stakeholders will have greater influence on outcomes that are in their collective interest. ‘Planning and design with community involvement in decision making processes.’ ‘Community involvement in all planning.’ ‘Drive community involvement in all aspects of community.’ ‘Community input in decision making and planning.’ ‘The vision for Geelong must be for the inclusion of all residents in the social and economic prosperity of our ever increasing region.’ ‘More concentration and money spent on suburban and outer Geelong, e.g. Norlane, Corio, Newcomb, Whittington.’ ‘More money for northern part of Geelong.’ ‘A place where the gap between rich and poor is much reduced.’ ‘A community where no one is left behind.’ ‘To have an equitable population with no big gaps between rich and poor.’ ‘Quelling stigma between rich and poor (e.g. between northern suburbs and other parts of Geelong).’ ‘Strategic planning with community input.’ ‘The inner suburbs such as Corio, Norlane etc. stigma had disappeared.’ ‘Less poverty and disadvantage in lower socioeconomic suburbs of Geelong.’ Good civic leadership (6.0%) Visions of good civic leadership focused on a cohesive and collaborative council that provided a high standard of services and followed sound and transparent processes. Inclusive and references to preferred governance models were also a part of our community’s vision. ‘I want Geelong to be led by people who are visionary, inclusive, socially intelligent and forward thinking - both elected representatives and Council officers.’ ‘An efficient, effective managed Council where the citizens and Council work cohesively together, constantly achieving benchmark results in all key functions of local government (services, planning, strategy, environment, community and performance).’ ‘A Council and City Administration that works in partnership with people and business.’
‘An inclusive, diverse community and local council, that reflects the community it serves.’ ‘My vision is to have a mixture of both young and old people on the council as councillors.’ ‘Council transparency.’ ‘Councillors communicate better and make themselves available to residents.’ ‘A council that runs the city for its residents not to be like some other city.’ ‘A Greater Geelong with a functional council, free of bureaucrats, that knows and understands the needs of the community to enable business and homeowners to achieve their goals.’ ‘Geelong needs to be the community leader with a strong group of councillors that are working for the community not for themselves. They need to have a vision about how to achieve this too.’ ‘Accountability at Govt level. Continue to have leaders with a vision. Do things for the good.’ ‘A council that has Geelong's best interest at heart.’ ‘A modern council that puts Geelong and people FIRST.’ ‘A council with vision and ability to bring people with them.’ ’All areas of the City of Greater Geelong support by council not just central Geelong.’ ‘Productive council with a long term vision.’ ‘Shared vision- everyone has a voice.’ ‘Strong leadership in bringing community together in vision and strategies.’ ‘A local government with elected councillors working for the community for the right reasons.’ ‘A democratically elected council electing a mayor who demonstrates common sense and leadership.’ ‘Councillors for the people by the people a Mayor elected by the people for the people.’ Developing outdoor community places and spaces (5.1%) Some visions focused on developing our natural assets (including the waterfront, bay and Eastern Beach and Barwon River), our open spaces and parks and the development of new outdoor recreation opportunities such as theme parks and water parks. ‘We need to play to our strengths and build on what we already have. Things like the bay and river - we need to utilise them more.’ ‘Utilise the waterfront with a fun park.’ ‘A blow up floating water park at Eastern Beach.’ ‘Make a theme park at Eastern Beach.’
5 Nov 2016 Grovedale Narana Festival 17 36 14 67 7 Nov 2016 Norlane Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YAC VIC) - Youth Forum 0 20 35 55 Date Location Event Surveys Ideas Photos / drawing Total engaged 10 Nov 2016 Little River Avalon Corridor Strategy Consultation 6 25 0 31 11 Nov 2016 Geelong Light Up Geelong 34 105 0 139 12 Nov 2016 Central Geelong Gala Day Festival 46 60 0 106 16 Nov 2016 Highton Raising Confident and Respectful Sons - Andrew Fuller Talk 11 22 0 33 17 Nov 2016 North Geelong Geelong Chamber of Commerce 'After 5' 15 20 0 35 18 Nov 2016 Central Geelong Word for Word Festival 21 8 0 29 26 Nov 2016 Geelong Geelong Revival 102 68 0 170 27 Nov 2016 Corio SKAART Festival 21 171 78 270 29 Nov 2016 Portarlington National Trust 7 25 0 32 30 Nov 2016 Central Geelong Central Geelong Marketing Networking 18 11 0 29 2 Dec 2016 Geelong Back to Future outdoor movie screening 14 0 0 14
6 Jan 2017 School Holiday Program School Holiday Program (Belmont) 45 12 Jan 2017 School Holiday Program School Holiday Program (Leopold) 30 12 Jan 2017 School Holiday Program School Holiday Program (Norlane) 17 16 Jan 2017 School Holiday Program School Holiday Program (Boorai) 24 19 Jan 2017 Victoria Police Central Geelong Police 17 Date Company host Workshop Participants 24 Jan 2017 Barwon South West Homelessness Network Barwon South West Homelessness Network 23 25 Jan 2017 Barwon Water Barwon Water staff and stakeholders 39 31 Jan 2017 City of Greater Geelong City of Greater Geelong Boorai staff 34 1 Feb 2017 Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) GPAC staff 12 15 Feb 2017 Geelong Sustainability Geelong Sustainability 41 4 May 2017 Mountain to Mouth Lara Primary School 24 4 May 2017 Mountain to Mouth Lara Youth 16