Editing Geelong (section)

==Governance==
[[File:Geelong Department of Human Services.jpg|thumb|left|Geelong Department of Human Services]]
In [[Local government in Australia|local government]], the Geelong region is covered by the [[City of Greater Geelong]]. The council was created in 1993 as an amalgamation of a number of other [[municipality|municipalities]] in the region,<ref name="coggcreation">{{cite web|url=http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports_mp_psa/psa0105_hard.html |title=Sale of Harding Park, Geelong |work=Victorian Auditor-General's Office |access-date=2007-07-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903102449/http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports_mp_psa/psa0105_hard.html |archive-date=3 September 2007 }}</ref> with the council chambers located at the [[Geelong Town Hall|Geelong City Hall]] in central Geelong. The City is made up of four [[Ward (country subdivision)|wards]] - Brownbill (central Geelong and inner suburbs), Bellarine, Kardinia (southern Geelong, south of the Barwon River) and Windermere (northern suburbs). Brownbill, Kardinia and Bellarine are each represented by three councillors, whereas Windermere is represented by two.<ref name="coggofficial">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/Accessing_Council/Elections/Who_can_be_a_Councillor/ 
 |title=Who can be a Councillor 
 |work=City of Greater Geelong website 
 |access-date=2007-07-01 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902121122/http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/Accessing_Council/Elections/Who_can_be_a_Councillor/ 
 |archive-date=2 September 2007 
 |url-status=live 
 |df=dmy 
}}</ref>

From 2012 to 2016, the [[Mayor of Geelong]] was directly elected by the public to a four-year term.<ref name="coggofficial" /> Entrepreneur and former [[paparazzo]] [[Darryn Lyons]] held this position from 2013 to 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons pumps up brilliant Bellarine|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/geelong-mayor-darryn-lyons-pumps-up-brilliant-bellarine/story-fnjuhovy-1226775203655|access-date=6 December 2013|newspaper=[[Geelong Advertiser]]|date=4 December 2013|author=Grant Payne}}</ref>

On 16 April 2016,<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Vic|act|lggcca2016430|Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016|2}}</ref> the [[Victorian Government]] dismissed the Mayor and Councillors of the [[City of Greater Geelong#Council|Greater Geelong City Council]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Dismissal of Greater Geelong City Council|url=http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/dismissal-of-greater-geelong-city-council/|website=Premier of Victoria|access-date=28 April 2016|date=12 April 2016|archive-date=15 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415182632/http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/dismissal-of-greater-geelong-city-council/|url-status=dead}}</ref> following a Commission of Inquiry which 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>{{cite web|website=State Government of Victoria|title=Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Greater Geelong City Council|url=http://www.vic.gov.au/news/report-of-the-commission-of-inquiry-into-greater-geelong-city-council.html|access-date=28 April 2016|date=12 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629235606/http://www.vic.gov.au/news/report-of-the-commission-of-inquiry-into-greater-geelong-city-council.html|archive-date=29 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The government appointed administrators to run the council until council elections were held in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geelong Council officially sacked, elections to be held in 2017, as bill passes Parliament|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/geelong-council-elections-could-be-held-as-early-as-next-year/7326368|website=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=28 April 2016|date=14 April 2016}}</ref> In 2023, the Victorian Government announced that it would appoint monitors to oversee the appointment of a new CEO.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monitors To Oversee CEO Appointment At Geelong Council {{!}} Premier of Victoria |url=http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/site-4/monitors-oversee-ceo-appointment-geelong-council |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.premier.vic.gov.au |language=en}}</ref>

In [[Politics of Victoria|state politics]], the [[Victorian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] districts of [[Electoral district of Geelong|Geelong]], [[Electoral district of South Barwon|South Barwon]], [[Electoral district of Lara|Lara]], and [[Electoral district of Bellarine|Bellarine]] cover the Geelong area. After the 2022 Victorian Election, all four of these electorates are held by the [[Australian Labor Party]].<ref>{{cite web |title=State Election 2006 Results: Electorate swings |url=http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/electorateswing.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130000929/http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/electorateswing.html |archive-date=30 November 2007 |access-date=2007-12-16 |work=Victorian Electoral Commission website |df=dmy}}</ref>  Lara and Geelong are currently safe Labor seats with South Barwon increasing its margin and Bellarine more marginal.

On 12 February 2020, Minister for Planning [[Richard Wynne|Richard Wynn]] established Geelong Authority to advise on strategies to attract investment to central Geelong and on major planning applications to help create jobs and drive growth in Geelong.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Geelong Authority To Boost Investment And Drive Jobs {{!}} Premier of Victoria|url=http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/geelong-authority-boost-investment-and-drive-jobs|access-date=2020-09-20|website=www.premier.vic.gov.au|language=en}}</ref> The committee is chaired by Diana Taylor (lawyer) and consists of Mark Edmonds (former Chairman of Geelong Chamber of Commerce), Aamir Qutub (CEO of Enterprise Monkey), Jill Smith (former General Manager of [[Geelong Arts Centre]]) and Rory Costelloe (Executive Director of Villawood Properties)<ref>{{Cite web|last=Geelong|first=Revitalising Central|date=2020-04-29|title=Geelong Authority|url=https://www.revitalisingcentralgeelong.vic.gov.au/about-us/geelong-authority|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Revitalising Central Geelong|language=en}}</ref> and Dr Sarah Leach.

In [[Politics of Australia|federal politics]], the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] seats - the [[Division of Corio]] and [[Division of Corangamite]] cover the Geelong region. Corio roughly covers the northern half of Geelong and has been a safe [[Australian Labor Party]] seat since the 1970s, but was previously the seat of [[Richard Casey, Baron Casey|Richard Casey]], a leading conservative Cabinet member in the 1930s and later [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]], as well as [[Hubert Opperman]], a former cycling champion and a prominent minister in the 1960s.  It was also the seat of [[Gordon Scholes]], who was [[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives|Speaker]] during the [[Gough Whitlam|Whitlam]] government. Corio is currently held by Deputy Prime Minister [[Richard Marles]].

Corangamite, which roughly includes the southern half of Geelong as well as the Bellarine Peninsula, has traditionally been safe for the Liberal Party, but become more marginal in recent years due to demographic changes and redistributions.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/c/Corio.htm
|title=Divisional Profiles: Corio
|work=Australian Electoral Commission website
|access-date=2007-12-16}}</ref> Corangamite had been a safe seat for the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] and its predecessors from the 1930s through the 2000s. Future [[Prime Minister of Australia]] [[James Scullin]] served one term in this seat in the 1910s.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/c/Corangamite.htm
|title=Divisional Profiles: Corangamite
|work=Australian Electoral Commission website
|access-date=2007-12-16}}</ref> It was won by the Australian Labor Party at the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]] and again in 2022 by [[Libby Coker]] where the margin was increased.