April 5, 2024
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SIG N U P N O W!
100 years and counting
Geoff Ross. (Ivan Kemp) 398260_03
Geoff Ross may not be well known in the Geelong and Bellarine area, but many people will have seen him driving his iconic 1924 Alvis ’Ducksback’ around the region. But Alvis, as the car is known, is no mere museum piece. Attired in helmet, goggles and scarf - appropriate to the 1920s style of motoring, but also a necessity with the top down - Mr Ross (also known as Biggles) drives Alvis across the Bellarine on a weekly basis and also participates in overnight rallies with the Alvis Club. He has personally maintained the vehicle, which is the proper racing version of the 1924 SA 12/50 model. Local motoring community group the Bellarine Car Group held a special celebration for Mr Ross to commemorate Alvis’s centenary last week, displaying their vehicles for passers-by to enjoy at Indented Head’s Taylor Reserve. ■ Turn to page 3 to find out more about
Mr Ross and Alvis.
Former soldier eyes seat By Justin Flynn A former SAS soldier will contest the seat of Corangamite for the Liberal Party at the next federal election. Bellbrae resident Darcy Dunstan will run against Labor’s Libby Coker for the seat. A general election must happen before September next year. Mr Dunstan joined the Australian Defence Force at the age of 21, finished his carpentry apprenticeship, worked as a chippy, and built his own house in his spare time. Mr Dunstan worked as a diver in the army before being selected to join the elite Special Air Services Regiment. He received a commendation for distinguished service for
outstanding commitment and actions taken while deployed to Iraq in 2021 with the SAS. “I joined the ADF to serve my nation,” he said. “Now I’m stepping forward for parliament because I want to serve my community. My commitment is simple. If I am elected, I will listen, I will work hard and I will focus on what matters most to you. I will never stop until our community is heard. “Having been a tradie, I stand with hardworking, aspirational Australians. They are the backbone of this nation. The people of Corangamite are hurting while the cost-of-living continues to increase. People are going out less and making sacrifices to pay bills. If elected, I will work every day to deliver real cost-of-living relief and make home ownership
a reality for all.” Mr Dunstan faces an 8.26 percent swing against the Liberals at the 2019 election in which Ms Coker won after Sarah Henderson held the seat for the Coalition from 2013 to 2019. “Darcy is a highly-credentialed representative for the Liberal Party with an exceptional track record of service to his country and community,” Ms Henderson said. “From acute cost-of-living pressures to the axing of $4 billion for faster rail to the failure to invest in new local infrastructure projects, Labor has consistently turned its back on the needs of Corangamite residents.” Mr Dunstan is raising his 14-month-old daughter with his fiancée, a local GP, while
running his own small business. He currently volunteers with the local CFA and plays football for Modewarre and is a member of his local RSL. When asked for comment, Ms Coker pointed to a recent speech in the House of Representatives where she outlined Labor’s tax cuts. “Did you know that under the Albanese government’s new tax plan 13.6 million Australians, including 70,000 taxpayers in my electorate of Corangamite, are about to get a tax cut?,” she said in parliament. “It’s all part of our mission to help you and your family with cost-of-living pressures. Under our tax plan, to kick in on 1 July, a worker in my electorate earning less than $45,000 will get a tax cut of $804.”
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