Giulia Baggio appointed as G21 CEO

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G21 – Geelong Region Alliance today announced the appointment of Ms Giulia Baggio as its new Chief Executive Officer.

G21 Chair Cr Stephanie Asher said the G21 Board was thrilled with the appointment which heralded a new era for G21.

“Giulia’s breadth of experience in the media, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and political advisory roles in both the private and public sectors make her eminently qualified for this role,” Cr Asher said.

“G21 region is embarking on a new era of unprecedented growth and opportunity.  Giulia comes to G21 at an exciting time.  The G21 Board is confident that Giulia’s skills, energy and experience is the right combination to help take the region forward.

“Giulia knows this region well.  Her father and grandparents lived at the foot of the You Yangs and she attended school in Geelong.  Since then she has been a regular visitor to the region.

“As the newly elected Chair of G21, I am looking forward to working with Giulia to bring a new fresh direction to G21’s important work for the region,” Cr Asher said.

Ms Baggio said she was looking forward to taking up the role.

“I am so excited to have the opportunity to work on behalf of Australia’s most beautiful and liveable region,” Ms Baggio said.

“The next decade will require careful planning to create good quality jobs and prosperity for our communities while also preserving the exquisite natural beauty of our coast, forests and plains. By working closely with our community, I am confident we can create the best of all worlds.

“I would like to acknowledge the exceptional work already accomplished by G21 under the leadership of Elaine Carbines. From a strong foundation, we’re ready to go forward.”

Ms Baggio replaces Elaine Carbines who is retiring after 10 years in the role.

Ms Baggio officially begins as CEO on 1 February.  There will be a short handover between the outgoing and incoming chief executives prior to then.

BIO – Giulia Baggio

Giulia’s most recent role was Chief of Staff to the Lord Mayor Sally Capp at the City of Melbourne.

Prior to this she worked as an executive in a number of organisations covering a range of public policy areas including financial services and superannuation, climate change and sustainability, OHS and workplace relations.

Giulia has also worked for the Commonwealth Government as a policy and media adviser in a variety of ministerial portfolios.

Giulia’s career began at the ABC where she enjoyed 15 years as a TV news and current affairs journalist, primarily reporting on politics in Spring Street and Canberra.

G21 welcomes Geelong region’s ‘BIG battery’

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One of the world’s largest lithium-ion batteries will be built in the G21 region at the Moorabool Terminal Station, boosting the state’s energy reliability, driving down electricity prices and supporting Victoria’s transition to renewable energy.

The State’s Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio announced recently that she had directed the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to sign a contract with renewable energy specialist Neoen to deliver a new Tesla battery to transform Victoria’s energy system and improve reliability.

The Victorian Big Battery will create more than 85 local jobs and deliver over $200 million in investment into Geelong and the G21 region.

With climate change resulting in hotter summers, demand for electricity is rising at peak times.  At the same time, Victoria’s ageing coal-fired generators are becoming increasingly unreliable, creating a need for additional capacity to safeguard the state’s power supply.

To address these issues, the state government said it had secured the Victorian Big Battery. The 300-megawatt battery will be ready by the 2021-22 summer.

The battery would help reduce wholesale prices by storing cheap renewable energy when it’s plentiful and discharging it into the grid when it is needed most, the Minister said.

Neoen will pay for construction of the battery, as well its ongoing operation and maintenance.

G21 CEO Elaine Carbines welcomed the project saying it would bring jobs to the region and was a major step towards the state’s transition to renewable energy and would boost the reliability of the state’s power supply.

“The Victorian Big Battery is aligned with G21’s vision for the region. Our strategic plan acknowledges the need for new alternative energy opportunities to service the region’s expected rapid growth through to 2050,” Ms Carbines said.

“The battery is expected to create more than 85 local jobs and deliver over $200 million in investment into the Geelong region.

“G21 through our Economic Development and Environment pillars has over many months been supporting the prospect of the battery coming to the region.

“It is a logical fit given the huge investment in wind power in the region and our proximity to the power lines necessary to connect to the state and national power grids.”

The government said consumers will pay indirectly for use of the battery through their power bills, but said the reduction in wholesale energy prices delivered by the battery would mean Victorians will pay less for their power.  It said an independent analysis showed that every $1 invested in the battery will deliver more than $2 in benefits to Victorian households and businesses.

The state government said Victoria was on track to meet its renewable energy target of 25 per cent by the end of 2020 and the battery will make an important contribution to its targets of 40 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030.

For more details on the Victorian Big Battery, click here.

Source: Based on state government and Neoen media releases

FEATURE FILM SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON GEELONG LOCATIONS

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The G21 region has lit up the screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) this month, with several Geelong locations featuring in the world premiere of local production Paper Champions.

The uplifting comedy follows the story of a young man who wants to find love despite having lost his ‘Mana’, which refers to strength and confidence in Polynesian cultures.

Scenes were shot locally at Geelong West Town Hall, McDonald Reserve in Belmont, Eastern Beach and on local roads.

Paper Champions is the first feature film of Geelong creatives Erin and Luke Saliba, who both produced and starred in the movie.

Film productions provide a number of significant economic benefits to the community.

The production process supports local people and businesses. Cast and crew stay in accommodation, dine out and engage local services and materials when building sets. They also offer employment opportunities for local actors and support behind the scenes.

It also projects our beautiful region on screens across Australia and the world, putting us on the bucket lists of many thousands of future tourists.

Catch Paper Champions at the Melbourne International Film Festival (stream until August 23).