City of Greater Geelong

The City of Greater Geelong is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of Template:Convert and, had a population of 271,057 as of the 2021 Australian census.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is primarily urban with the vast majority of its population living in the Greater Geelong urban area, while other significant settlements within the LGA include Anakie, Balliang, Barwon Heads, Batesford, Ceres, Clifton Springs, Drysdale, Lara, Ocean Grove, Portarlington and St Leonards. It was formed in 1993 from the amalgamation of the Rural City of Bellarine, Shire of Corio, City of Geelong, City of Geelong West, City of Newtown, City of South Barwon, and parts of Shire of Barrabool and Shire of Bannockburn.<ref name=Gazette />

The city is governed and administered by the Greater Geelong City Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Geelong, it also has service centres located in Drysdale, Ocean Grove and several other locations within Geelong. It is headed by the mayor of Greater Geelong. The city is named after the main urban settlement located in the centre-west of the LGA, that is Geelong, which is also the LGA's most populous urban centre with a population of 211,986.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019, City of Greater Geelong announced a new headquarters across the road from WorkSafe Victoria. This project, known as the Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct, was completed in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History of former municipalities

File:Victoria LGAs pre- vs post-amalgamation Greater Geelong.png

Greater Geelong's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1992

• 1838 – Geelong (from the Indigenous Wadawurrung word "djillong", meaning "tongue of land")<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> declared a town
• 1849 – Geelong incorporated as a Town
• 1853 – Barrabool road district proclaimed
• 1853 – Portarlington Road District proclaimed
• 1856 – Connewarre Road District proclaimed
• 1857 – South Barwon Municipal District proclaimed
• 1857 – South Barwon Road District proclaimed
• 1858 – Newtown and Chilwell borough proclaimed
• 1860 – Portarlington Road District renamed as Indented Head Road District
• 1861 – Corio Road District proclaimed
• 1862 – Bannockburn Road District proclaimed
• 1863 – Meredith Road District proclaimed
• 1863 – Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale separated from Indented Head Road District to form Queenscliffe Municipal District. Redesignated as Queenscliffe Borough October 1963.
• 1863 – South Barwon Borough created by amalgamating South Barwon Municipal District and South Barwon Road District
• 1864 – Bannockburn Road District redesignated as Shire
• 1864 – Corio Road District redesignated as Shire
• 1865 – Indented Head Road District redesignated and renamed as Bellarine Shire
• 1874 – South Barwon Shire created by amalgamating Connewarre Road District and South Barwon Borough
• 1875 – Geelong West Borough proclaimed
• 1910 – Geelong proclaimed a City
• 1915 – Meredith Shire added to Bannockburn Shire
• 1922 – Geelong West proclaimed a Town
• 1924 – Newtown and Chilwell proclaimed a Town
• 1929 – Geelong West proclaimed a City
• 1959 – Newtown and Chilwell proclaimed a City
• 1967 – Newtown and Chilwell City renamed as Newtown City
• 1974 – South Barwon proclaimed a City
• 1989 – Bellarine proclaimed a Rural City
• 1993 (18 May) – The City of Greater Geelong was formed by amalgamating part of Bannockburn Shire, part of Barrabool Shire, Bellarine Rural City, Corio Shire, Geelong City, Newtown City and South Barwon City. The City's original boundaries included Torquay and Jan Juc.
• 1994 (March) – The Torquay district was transferred to Surf Coast Shire upon its creation.

Sourced from Appendix V, A Journey to Destiny 1890–1990 – 100 Years of Cement Manufacturing at Fyansford by Australian Cement Limited .<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Council

Council composition (as of 2023)

Due to conflicts in the previous council a new electoral structure was established for Geelong in 2017. The number of wards was reduced to 4 with 3 councillors for each (except Windermere having 2) elected by proportional representation. Residents were also no longer able to directly elect a mayor. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The current councillors, in order of election at the 2020 election, are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ward	Party		Councillor	Notes
Bellarine	Template:Australian party style|	Put Climate First	Elise Wilkinson	Elected on a countback to replace Stephanie Asher
	Template:Australian party style|	Independent Liberal	Trent Sullivan	Mayor
	Template:Australian party style|	Independent Labor	Jim Mason
Brownbill	Template:Australian party style|	Independent Labor	Melissa Cadwell	Elected on a countback to replace Sarah Mansfield
	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Eddy Kontelj
	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Peter Murrihy
Kardinia	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Bruce Harwood
	Template:Australian party style|	Independent Liberal	Ron Nelson
	Template:Australian party style|	Put Climate First	Belinda Moloney
Windermere	Template:Australian party style|	Independent	Anthony Aitken
	Template:Australian party style|	Socialist Alliance	Sarah Hathway	Elected on a countback to replace Kylie Grzybek<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Administrators

In December 2015, the Minister for Local Government Natalie Hutchins appointed a Commission of Inquiry into the Greater Geelong City Council in response to concerns about the workplace culture and adequacy of governance structures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Inquiry found that the council is riven with conflict, unable to manage Geelong's economic challenges, has dysfunctional leadership and has a culture of bullying.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On the recommendation of the commission, the Victoria State Government dismissed the entire Greater Geelong City Council on 16 April 2016<ref>Template:Cite Legislation AU</ref> and appointed Yehudi Blacher as interim administrator.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 25 May 2016, Dr Kathy Alexander (chairperson), Peter Dorling and Laurinda Gardner were sworn in as administrators, replacing Yehudi Blacher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Under the Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016, the panel of administrators constitutes the Greater Geelong City Council, and has the same functions, powers and duties as the Greater Geelong City Council and its councillors. Likewise, the chairperson of the panel of administrators has the same functions, powers and duties as the mayor of the council.<ref>Template:Cite Legislation AU</ref>

The council was run by administrators until fresh council elections were held on 27 October 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Australia Victoria Greater Geelong City location map.svg

City of Greater Geelong and urban areas including Geelong

Former and current Mayors

• Gerry Smith (1995–1998)
• Ken Jarvis (1998–2000)
• Michael Crutchfield (2000–2001)
• Stretch Kontelj (2001–2002)
• Barbara Abley (2002–2004)
• Ed Coppe (2004)
• Shane Dowling (2004–2005)
• Peter McMullin (2005–2006)
• Bruce Harwood (2006–2008)
• John Mitchell (2008–2012)
• Keith Fagg (2012–2013)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Darryn Lyons (2013–2016)<ref name="Stu">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Bruce Harwood (2017–2019)
• Stephanie Asher (2019–2022)
• Peter Murrihy (2022–2022)
• Trent Sullivan (2022–2024)
• Stretch Kontelj (2024-incumbent)

Former and current Deputy Mayors

• Tony Ansett (2003–2004)
• John Mitchell (2007–2008)
• Rod Macdonald (2008–2009)
• Bruce Harwood (2009–2010)
• Cameron Granger (2010–2012)
• Stretch Kontelj (2012–2013)
• Bruce Harwood (2013–2014)
• Michelle Heagney (2014–2016)
• Peter Murrihy (2017–2019)
• Kylie Grzybek (2019–2020)
• Trent Sullivan (2020–2022)
• Anthony Aitken (2022–2024)
• Ron Nelson (2024-incumbent)

Administration and governance

The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Geelong City Hall Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. Council customer service centres are located in Belmont, Corio, Drysdale, Geelong West, Ocean Grove, Waurn Ponds and at Brougham St in Geelong.

Townships and localities

The 2021 census, the city had a population of 271,057 up from 233,429 in the 2016 census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Population
Locality	2016	2021
Template:VICcity^	690	734
Template:VICcity	4,247	11,247
Template:VICcity	293	255
Template:VICcity^	290	254
Template:VICcity	3,875	4,353
Template:VICcity^	952	1,141
Template:VICcity	5,009	5,602
Template:VICcity	4,919	5,083
Template:VICcity	169	169
Template:VICcity	14,054	15,066
Template:VICcity	1,014	1,060
Template:VICcity^	162	151
Template:VICcity	254	266
Template:VICcity	364	2,612
Template:VICcity	7,519	7,646

Population
Locality	2016	2021
Template:VICcity^	788	953
Template:VICcity	15,296	15,497
Template:VICcity	1,551	4,175
Template:VICcity	560	571
Template:VICcity	4,275	4,976
Template:VICcity	3,862	4,012
Template:VICcity	196	1,206
Template:VICcity	5,210	5,811
Template:VICcity	6,966	7,345
Template:VICcity	14,308	14,869
Template:VICcity	6,293	6,518
Template:VICcity	3,413	3,507
Template:VICcity	18,953	20,736
Template:VICcity	1,133	1,391
Template:VICcity	16,355	19,014

Population
Locality	2016	2021
Template:VICcity	12,814	13,272
Template:VICcity^	1,322	1,353
Template:VICcity	2,301	2,782
Template:VICcity	2,649	2,681
Template:VICcity	88	108
Template:VICcity	159	164
Template:VICcity	1,885	2,299
Template:VICcity	1,373	1,825
Template:VICcity	90	94
Template:VICcity^	1,578	6,182
Template:VICcity	4,500	4,704
Template:VICcity	122	189
Template:VICcity	8,306	8,682
Template:VICcity	2,966	3,225
Template:VICcity	357	325

Population
Locality	2016	2021
Template:VICcity	14,165	17,714
Template:VICcity^	2,684	3,788
Template:VICcity	0	0
Template:VICcity	3,619	4,436
Template:VICcity	875	994
Template:VICcity	993	1,014
Template:VICcity	4,843	4,942
Template:VICcity	2,480	3,542
Template:VICcity	98	105
Template:VICcity	59	103
Template:VICcity	0	0
Template:VICcity	1,364	1,515
Template:VICcity	2,037	2,195
Template:VICcity	5,046	4,956
Template:VICcity	3,879	3,990

Template:Columns-end ^ – Territory divided with another LGA

Sister cities

Geelong has sister city relations with the following cities:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Template:Flagicon Izumiōtsu, Japan (established 1992)
• Template:Flagicon Lianyungang, China (established 1994)

See also

• List of mayors of Geelong
• List of Geelong suburbs
• List of localities in Victoria

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Greater Geelong City Council official website
• Geelong Region Alliance Website
• Metlink local public transport map
• Link to Land Victoria interactive maps Template:Webarchive
• Template:Victorian local government areas pre-1994 vs present map link