On Friday, October 30, G21 representatives formally presented the G21 Priority Projects for the consideration of the State Government Interdepartmental Committee (IDC). Stephen Griffin, CEO of the City of Greater Geelong, Rob Small, CEO of Colac Otway Shire, Andrew Scott, CEO of G21 and Ed Coppe, G21 Chairperson presented the sixteen projects on behalf of the G21 region.

The IDC is chaired by Professor Peter Dawkins, Secretary of the Dept of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and includes senior representatives from Victorian Government agencies including Regional Development Victoria (RDV), the Dept of Planning & Community Development (DPCD), the Dept of Primary Industries (DPI), the Dept of Sustainability & Environment (DSE), the Dept of Transport (DOT), the Dept of Premier & Cabinet (DPC), the Dept of Justice (DOJ) and Skills Victoria.

The presentation started with a short background on G21 and the comprehensive, soundly based and well supported process that had been followed in developing the projects. This overview was followed by a short review of the outcomes from the 2008 Priority Projects and a presentation on each of this year's 16 Priority Projects, highlighting their significance to the region and the State.

Initial feedback at the meeting was very positive with several IDC members commending the project development process and level of collaboration in the Geelong region. Peter Dawkins undertook to get back to G21 as quickly as possible with a contact person and specific feedback for each project and noted that funding requests would be subject to the Estimate Review Committee (ERC) and Strategic Regional Planning Initiative (SRPI) processes. In closing, he noted that the IDC had been something of an experiment and there was a proposal connected to the SPRI to extend its coverage in future to all regions.

The development of the Priority Projects has occurred over recent months with all of the pillars and stakeholders contributing their evidence and strategies. The 2010 set of Priority Projects has been presented to local members of Parliaments at state and federal level prior to this meeting. G21 will monitor and support the implementation of these priority projects with a variety of activities in 2010.

Click here for the G21 Priority Projects document that was presented to the IDC on Friday, October 30.