This week, local councils met in Geelong to set the agenda on growth across Australia’s regional cities.
The annual Regional Capitals Australia planning day held in the City of Greater Geelong’s Town Hall and was attended by representatives from Ballarat, Geraldton, Coffs Harbour, Geelong, Latrobe, Shepparton and Griffith.
Members were also able to present an overview of each of their cities to the board and discuss the ‘number 1’ priority project for their municipality, before breaking into groups for a range of workshops covering strategic direction and regional development.
Regional Capitals Australia Chair, Mayor of the City of Greater Geraldton Shane Van Styn greatly enjoyed learning from his fellow mayors and discussing RCA’s future plans at the annual event.
“This was a fantastic way for council mayors and CEOs from across the country to meet one another, hear about the concerns of other councils and provide valuable discussions on regional infrastructure and strategic development,” said Mayor Van Styn.
“I know that everyone found the update we received on the City of Greater Geelong’s City Deal to be particularly exciting,” added Mayor Van Styn.
The City of Greater Geelong, like 29 other regional councils, is a member of Regional Capitals Australia.
Representatives from regional cities both large and small were able to have their voices heard on the planning day – it was clear to all that the City Deals are the key area of interest for all members. We need to continue to push for clarity, as a City Deal framework will be key to the success of the initiative.
