Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today the Geelong Advertiser reports that the state government is providing $4 million towards the Geelong waterfront safe harbour project. Our waterfront is going to be a source of recreation and tourism going forward, which will provide an enormous economic boost to Geelong. This project is at the heart of that. The Geelong Council has contributed $3 million to the project and the Royal Geelong Yacht Club another $3 million, bringing it to a total of $10 million. Now what remains is for $9 million to be contributed through the National Stronger Regions Fund by the federal government. We need to see the federal government act. We need to see the Liberal Party do something for the people of Geelong. But do not hold your breath on this, Mr Deputy Speaker.

In today's paper, the member for Corangamite is reported as saying that she 'sensed' the project was 'ready to be funded' but stressed she was not involved in choosing the successful project. We need better than that. We need an advocate who is going to do something about bringing money to our town so that we can have a critical development occur. What we have seen from this government is nothing other than taking money out of Geelong, from cutting half a million dollars to the upgrade of the Leopold Sportsmans Club for facilities which would have provided greater female access to toilet facilities and change rooms, to the much bigger issue of not even having a cent come to Geelong after the failure of Alcoa. What this government has done for Geelong pales into insignificance compared to what Labor did in office. This is an opportunity for the Liberal Party to act, and they have to do it.