The Mayor of Geelong is calling for the release of the Bellarine Link business case, asking for bipartisan support of the Geelong Ring Road Extension.
The Bellarine Link project would connect Baanip Boulevard at the Surf Coast Highway to Barwon Heads Road, which Mayor Stretch Kontelj said will make a huge difference to how we travel around Geelong.
Mr Kontelj said it was important to get this project on the radar as we approached the federal election, with the Mayor reaching out to Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams.
“With the 2025 Federal Election imminent, we respectfully ask that the Minister respond with urgency to our request to release the Bellarine Link business case,” he said.
“A Bellarine Link is one of our local and regional priorities that require investment from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments.
“Without the business case being made public, it’s not only difficult to get a full picture of what’s possible, but it’s challenging to advocate for funding.
“With the extension identified as a key infrastructure project in the state’s Big Build, we ask that the business case is made public so we can get on with advocating for our community’s needs.”
The business case was first completed in 2022, and the City of Greater Geelong has requested this detailed examination on a number of occasions.
The state government has undertaken community consultation, traffic modelling, social studies and environmental investigations to understand environmental and social impacts, develop design options, and confirm scope and costs of different options.
Mr Kontelj said he’d be after bipartisan support for the project ahead of next months federal election.
