CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms COKER (Corangamite) (09:49): Well, it's finally open. After years of planning, investment and construction, the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre is now welcoming visitors. While it's on Geelong's waterfront, the benefits won't stop there.

Every conference or major event will bring people looking for somewhere to stay, somewhere to eat and somewhere to explore. Whether it's a tourism showcase, a technology summit or a manufacturing expo, the convention centre is a dynamic piece in the puzzle that will put the wider Geelong region on the map. That means more visitors discovering the Bellarine wineries, restaurants and pubs; more people extending their stay on the Surf Coast; and more customers for local cafes, retailers and tourism operators from Torquay to Ocean Grove, from Barwon Heads to Portarlington, right here in my electorate of Corangamite.

That's what makes this project so important. It's an investment that strengthens Geelong as the gateway to everything my part of Victoria has to offer, and it's already delivered 1,400 jobs, with more to come. It builds on the work we're doing across the Bellarine and Surf Coast to support growing communities.

We will soon open a headspace and a four-court sports stadium in Armstrong Creek, aquatic facilities in Torquay and Drysdale, and new and upgraded sporting facilities in Ocean Grove and Grovedale. At Leopold Memorial Reserve, we've just delivered a major $3.5 million upgrade for local sports clubs and community groups. It means change rooms that meet the needs of both men's and women's sporting teams, more parking, better lights, a new scoreboard and so much more.

We're also delivering stage 2 of the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, improving safety and connectivity for one of the fastest growing parts of Victoria. These projects work together. Better roads connect communities.

Better sporting facilities bring people together, and a world-class convention centre brings more visitors who will experience everything the Bellarine and Surf Coast have to offer. That's good for local business. It's good for local jobs, and it's another example of what can happen when governments invest in a long-term future.

I'm proud to be part of a government that's backing this part of Victoria, creating opportunity today while building confidence for the future.