Geelong City Deal renewed for second decade with $580 million in new commitments

The Geelong City Deal has been renewed for a second decade, with the Commonwealth, Victorian government, and Greater Geelong City Council committing a combined $580 million in new investments focused on the region's transition from traditional manufacturing to knowledge-economy employment, housing supply acceleration, and cultural and community infrastructure in the city's growth areas.

The first decade of the deal, launched in 2016, invested approximately $370 million and delivered the NDIS national headquarters, the new Geelong Convention and Events Centre, the waterfront hotel precinct, and transport improvements that have collectively repositioned Geelong as one of Australia's most economically dynamic regional cities.

Federal Minister for Regional Development Julie Collins said the City Deal renewal was a recognition that Geelong's transformation was not complete and that the partnership model had proven its value in accelerating outcomes that no single level of government could have achieved alone. "Geelong has shown what city deals can do. We're doubling down because the model works," she said.

The second decade's investment priorities were informed by extensive community consultation that identified affordable housing, access to higher education, and green space in growth areas as the most pressing needs for Geelong's expanding population. The deal includes $120 million for a new social and affordable housing precinct in the Armstrong Creek growth corridor, $85 million for a Deakin University expansion of its Geelong Waterfront campus, and $65 million for parks and community facilities in the Lara and Corio growth precincts.

Greater Geelong City Council mayor Trent Sullivan called the renewal a "city-defining" commitment. A formal signing ceremony attended by the three leaders is expected within the month.

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