Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM has written to the Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Minister for Public and Active Transport, the Hon Gabrielle Williams MP to request the release of the Bellarine Link business case, calling for bipartisan support of the Geelong Ring Road Extension.
The extension or "Bellarine Link" would connect Baanip Boulevard at the Surf Coast Highway to Barwon Heads Road, delivering a critical road link that is safer, faster, and more direct between Melbourne, Geelong, and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Travel times between the Geelong Ring Road and some of the furthest points on the Bellarine Peninsula would be cut by as much as 15 minutes and alleviate congestion, especially during peak times. The new infrastructure would also reduce truck movement in central Geelong.
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.
The business case, which examines the potential future road extension to help inform government decision-making, was completed in 2022. The City has requested this detailed examination on a number of occasions.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
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.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.
