The Greater Geelong Council has voted to withdraw its membership of the G21 Geelong Region Alliance, effective April 2024.
The City’s membership of G21 costs over $500,000 per year, while there are additional costs associated with investment in G21 projects and staff attendance at G21 meetings.
As part of its Memorandum of Understanding with G21, the City is required to provide 12 months’ notice of its withdrawal.
The notice period will give G21 time to modify its business plan and budget, and the City will assist the alliance through the transition.
The City will look to a range of alternative measures to maximise its ability to attract government and other external funding into the region, and advocate for policy change to meet the needs of the community.
This will include maintaining and strengthening direct relationships with neighbouring councils.
Acting Director Customer and Corporate Services Bryce Prosser:
We understand that Geelong has a lead role to play in advocating for the collective interests of our broader region, which we will continue to take very seriously.
We’ll be putting in place low-cost and no-cost mechanisms to collaborate with our neighbouring councils so that we have strong relationships and can work together to achieve our shared interests.
We’ll also look at strengthening the organisation’s own advocacy and government relations function, and fully harnessing memberships of bodies that represent regional cities.
We are members of both Regional Capitals Australia and Regional Cities Victoria, which are alliances of cities that have similar challenges and opportunities to Geelong.
Through groups such as these, we will be well positioned to bring awareness to issues in a united fashion, and attract funding to Geelong at both a state and federal level.
We sincerely thank G21’s employees, members and pillar groups for the substantial role they have played in shaping the region over many years.
The matter was put to a Council vote during the confidential section of Wednesday night’s meeting at Geelong West Town Hall.
Mayor Trent Sullivan and Acting CEO Kaarina Phyland have both resigned from their positions on the G21 board.
