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City of Greater Geelong

(Redirected from Geelong City Council)

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 1,248 square kilometres (482 mi2) and, had a population of 271,057 as of the 2021 Australian census.[3] 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.[2]

City of Greater Geelong
Local government area
Geelong Town Hall, 2007
Geelong Town Hall, 2007
Official logo of City of Greater Geelong
CountryAustralia
StateVictoria
RegionBarwon South West
Established1993
Council seatGeelong city centre
Government
 • MayorStretch Kontelj
 • State electorates
 • Federal divisions
Area
[1]
 • Total
1,248 km2 (482 sq mi)
Population
 • Total271,057 (2021) (12th)
 • Density217.19/km2 (562.53/sq mi)
Gazetted18 May 1993[2]
WebsiteCity of Greater Geelong
LGAs around City of Greater Geelong
Golden Plains Moorabool Wyndham
Golden Plains City of Greater Geelong Port Phillip Bay
Surf Coast Bass Strait Queenscliffe

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.[4]

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.[5]

History of former municipalities

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Greater Geelong's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1992
  • 1838 – Geelong (from the Indigenous Wadawurrung word "djillong", meaning "tongue of land")[6] 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 .[7]

Council

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Council composition (as of 2025)

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Since 2024, councillors of Greater Geelong have been elected from eleven single-member wards.[8]

WardPartyCouncillorNotes
Barrabool Hills Independent Liberal [9][10] Ron Nelson
Charlemont Independent Emma Sinclair
Cheetham Independent Labor Melissa Cadwell
Connewarre Independent Elise Wilkinson
Corio Independent Anthony Aitken
Deakin Independent Liberal Andrew Katos
Hamlyn Heights Independent Eddy Kontelj Deputy Mayor
Kardinia Independent Liberal Stretch Kontelj Mayor
Leopold Independent Liberal Trent Sullivan
Murradoc Independent Liberal Rowan Story
You Yangs Independent Chris Burson

Election results

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2024

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 Victorian local elections in Barwon South West § Greater Geelong results.[edit]
2024 Victorian local elections: Greater Geelong[11]
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Independents 76,564 46.17 +10.65 6 Increase 2
  Independent Liberal 49,653 29.94 +3.48 4 Steady
  Independent Labor 19,238 11.60 −3.97 1 Steady
  Greens 13,890 8.38 −1.99 0 Decrease 1
  Socialist Alliance 6,500 3.92 +1.31 0 Steady
 Formal votes 165,845 96.92 +1.26
 Informal votes 5,276 3.08 −1.26
 Total 171,121 100.00 11 Steady
 Registered voters / turnout 205,894 83.11 −1.26

2020

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This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2020 Victorian local elections in Barwon South West § Greater Geelong results.[edit]
2020 Victorian local elections: Greater Geelong[12]
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Independent 58,513 35.52 4
  Independent Liberal 43,263 26.46 4
  Independent Labor 25,648 15.57 1
  Greens 17,081 10.37 1
  Put Climate First 12,518 7.60 +7.60 1 Increase 1
  Socialist Alliance 4,292 2.61 0 Steady
  Animal Justice 3,408 2.07 0 Steady
 Formal votes 164,723
 Informal votes 7,474
 Total 172,197 100.00 11
 Registered voters / turnout 204,092 84.37

Administrators

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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.[13]

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.[14]

On the recommendation of the commission, the Victoria State Government dismissed the entire Greater Geelong City Council on 16 April 2016[15] and appointed Yehudi Blacher as interim administrator.[16] On 25 May 2016, Dr Kathy Alexander (chairperson), Peter Dorling and Laurinda Gardner were sworn in as administrators, replacing Yehudi Blacher.[17]

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.[18]

The council was run by administrators until fresh council elections were held on 27 October 2017.[19]

City of Greater Geelong and urban areas including Geelong

Former and current Mayors

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Former and current Deputy Mayors

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  • 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 (2024-2026)
  • Eddy Kontelj (2026-incumbent)[22][23]

Administration and governance

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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

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The 2021 census, the city had a population of 271,057 up from 233,429 in the 2016 census[24]

Population
Locality2006201120162021
Anakie^676603690734
Armstrong Creek##4,24711,247
Avalon#306293255
Balliang^232241290254
Barwon Heads2,9973,5363,8754,353
Batesford^8797409521,141
Bell Park4,6505,2875,0095,602
Bell Post Hill4,9195,0094,9195,083
Bellarine##169169
Belmont13,64513,61714,05415,066
Breakwater1,0491,0601,0141,060
Breamlea^242444162151
Ceres#237254266
Charlemont##3642,612
Clifton Springs7,0657,1547,5197,646
Connewarre^75351788953
Corio14,91915,07415,29615,497
Curlewis3962251,5514,175
Drumcondra601614560571
Drysdale3,7384,3174,2754,976
East Geelong3,8293,8623,8624,012
Fyansford1721881961,206
Geelong4,3594,6995,2105,811
Geelong West6,3026,6816,9667,345
Grovedale13,18414,15314,30814,869
Hamlyn Heights5,8426,0746,2936,518
Herne Hill3,2683,3223,4133,507
Highton14,49216,65618,95320,736
Indented Head5909201,1331,391
Lara12,85313,84416,35519,014
Leopold8,74810,11212,81413,272
Little River^1,7501,3951,3221,353
Lovely Banks1,0072,2192,3012,782
Manifold Heights2,5502,6052,6492,681
Mannerim#18888108
Marcus Hill277181159164
Marshall8411,7981,8852,299
Moolap6921,1081,3731,825
Moorabool#1849094
Mount Duneed^9836231,5786,182
Newcomb4,5034,5204,5004,704
Newtown9,5789,68010,14810,445
Norlane7,9338,0148,3068,682
North Geelong2,6702,3942,9663,225
North Shore321354357325
Ocean Grove11,27612,55614,16517,714
Point Lonsdale^2,4772,4662,6843,788
Point Wilson##00
Portarlington3,0203,5813,6194,436
Rippleside353439875994
South Geelong8529069931,014
St Albans Park4,6964,9234,8434,942
St Leonards1,6232,0012,4803,542
Staughton Vale##98105
Swan Bay##59103
Thomson1,6101,5331,6071,606
Wallington1,3511,2941,3641,515
Wandana Heights1,8311,9582,0372,195
Waurn Ponds2,3283,9935,0464,956
Whittington4,0534,1573,8793,990

^ - Territory divided with another LGA
# - Not noted in Census

Sister cities

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Geelong has sister city relations with the following cities:[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017–18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "Order estg the City of Greater Geelong: S27 of 1993". State Library Victoria (published 18 May 1993). pp. 1–3. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "2021 Greater Geelong, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "2021 Geelong, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "City of Greater Geelong - Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct". The Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE). Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "Djillong Timeline" (PDF). Djillong. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  7. ↑ John, McNeil (1990). A Journey to Destiny 1890–1990 – 100 Years of Cement Manufacturing at Fyansford by Australian Cement Limited. Australian Cement Limited.
  8. ↑ "Greater Geelong City Council". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Nelson quits deputy mayor post, remains on council". Geelong Times. Times News Group. 24 February 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Griffiths, Luke (1 June 2026). "Why voters should be 'absolutely livid' at MP". Geelong Advertiser (Opinion). p. 33.
  11. ↑ "Greater Geelong City Council election candidates". VEC. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "Greater Geelong City Council election results 2020". Victorian Electoral Commission.
  13. ↑ "Commission of Inquiry Appointed To Geelong". Premier of Victoria. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Greater Geelong City Council". State Government of Victoria. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  15. ↑ Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016 (Vic) s 2
  16. ↑ "Dismissal of Greater Geelong City Council". Premier of Victoria. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Administrators assume the role of Mayor and Councillors". City of Greater Geelong. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  18. ↑ Local Government (Greater Geelong City Council) Act 2016 (Vic) s 7
  19. ↑ "Geelong Council officially sacked, elections to be held in 2017, as bill passes Parliament". Australia: ABC News. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Paul, Margaret (16 August 2013). "Geelong Mayor Keith Fagg quits because of health problems". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  21. ↑ Heritage, Stuart (26 November 2013). "Darryn Lyons: what reality TV has taught us about Geelong's new mayor". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  22. ↑ "Kontelj takeover: brothers to lead Geelong council". Geelong Times. Times News Group. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Councillor Eddy Kontelj, Deputy Mayor". City of Greater Geelong. Archived from the original on 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 11 January 2023.
  25. ↑ "About Geelong". Intown Geelong. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009.
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