STATEMENT: Action Speaks Louder Than Words

Click on the image above to read the GSEM Mayors response to City Deal delay in PDF format.

On 15 May 2019, in the run-up to the last Federal election, the Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge MP wrote to the Mayors of the Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) committing the Morrison Government to the development of a City Deal for the GSEM region.

As with other City Deals, the Government acknowledged that the City Deal would:

·       Focus on infrastructure, jobs and connectivity to support population growth, and

·       provide the unique opportunity for all levels of government to work together to unlock the region’s full potential.

In the period since this announcement, GSEM councils have done an extraordinary amount of work to develop a credible, united plan to create jobs, address skills shortages, deliver significant regional infrastructure and importantly, address social and environmental needs.

The GSEM region represents 1.5 million people in communities across the shires of Cardinia and Mornington Peninsula, and the cities of Casey, Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Knox and Monash and the need for a City Deal is even more acute as we strive to guide the economic recovery of the region from the impacts of the COVID pandemic.

Despite this work, and GSEMs continued willingness to engage, the City Deal has not progressed beyond the initial commitment made by the federal government in 2019.

The most recent correspondence from the Federal Government (Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, 26 November 2021) indicated that the City Deal with South East Melbourne will not proceed until the North West City Deal has been delivered.

GSEM is disappointed and angered that the 1.5 million residents of south east Melbourne have been overlooked again. Furthermore, we are frustrated that an election commitment we advocated so diligently for on behalf of our residents, business and organisations in south east Melbourne is unlikely to be delivered prior to the next federal election.

We note that other City Deals across Australia have already received hundreds of millions of dollars. The leveraged value of many of these City Deals, as described by the Federal Government itself, often exceeds $1 billion. Unless the Federal Coalition acts to prioritise a GSEM City Deal, the total loss of value for south east Melbourne is likely to exceed $1 billion.  

During 2022, GSEM will continue to collectively advocate for delivery of the City Deal we were promised noting that action speaks louder than words.

For further details on the GSEM City Deal

Signed by:

Cr. Steve Staikos
Mayor, City of Kingston

Cr. Jeff Springfield
Mayor, Cardinia Shire Council

Cr. Susan Laukens
Mayor, Knox City Council

Cr. Jim Memeti
Mayor, City of Greater Dandenong

Cr. Stuart James
Mayor, City of Monash

Cr. Anthony Marsh
Mayor, Mornington Peninsula Shire

Noelene Duff
Chair of Administrators, City of Casey

Cr. Nathan Conroy
Mayor, Frankston City Council