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Pink Day ticks all the boxes Ocean Grove Football Netball Club held another successful Pink Day on Saturday, May 13. Netballers wore pink uniforms and the footy players pulled on pink socks for their clashes against Queenscliff. The Pink Day function at the Shell Road Pavilion was sold out and everyone had a ball. The under-111 and under-13 netballers ran stall at the courts and offered cupcake decorating, tattoos, hair spray and face painting. All proceeds from the event went to the McGrath Foundation. ■ More pictures: page 25
Jo Brown, Leanne Quinten, Tania Collins and Donna Hunt enjoyed the Pink Day. (Ivan Kemp) 334548_10
Library battle on again By Justin Flynn A second battle to save Barwon Heads Library from permanent closure has begun, just five years after people power won the day. The library was slated for closure, along with libraries at Highton and Chilwell, in 2018, but a public backlash resulted in council reversing its decision, allowing it to stay in operation. However, Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) said it could close Barwon Heads, Geelong West and Highton
libraries by September this year after the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) suggested it find $1.118 million in response to its draft budget. GRLC said it asked for a two per cent increase to funding in council’s draft budget, and while that has been met, it does not include funds to operate two new libraries – Boronggook Drysdale Library (opened in April) and Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library (opening 2024) – leaving a gap in GRLC funding of $1.118 million in 2023-24. In order to find the extra $1.118 million,
GRLC said it may close Barwon Heads, Geelong West and Highton libraries, transition Chilwell Library to an unstaffed model and Corio and Boronggook Drysdale libraries would close on Sundays, while eight local libraries would close earlier on Saturdays. Friends of Barwon Heads Library’s Karen Firth said the group was optimistic that their library would stay open. “It’s completely different this time,” she said. “It hasn’t come out of a service model review, this is a funding issue so it’s
completely different. “I don’t see the library closing, but the money needs to arrive and I think it will. “I think the two CEOs need to sort it out and work it out and I think they will.” Ms Firth said a study revealed for every dollar spent on the library, it gets $4.30 back and was “money well spent”. She said the library, which is open for 16 hours per week, had 11,000 visits per year. ■ Continued: Page 3.
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