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May 17, 2024
Autumn enters its final stretch
(Ivan Kemp) 406627_11
Winter hasn’t really begun to surface early even as we approach the final two weeks of autumn. Mild days into the high teens after some cool nights have greeted greater Geelong residents for much of this week. The nights and early morning have been chilly, though, before giving in to an afternoon of sunshine and light winds. Things will take a turn on Saturday with a top temperature of 14 forecast with four days of scattered showers and maximums of 16 to round off the weekend and into next week. On Monday, Darci Muir, Piper Needham and Mikala Martin (pictured) took the opportunity to take some sailing lessons on Corio Bay. ■ For more out and about photographs,
see page 35.
More court space ‘critical’ By Jena Carr Bellarine Peninsula Basketball Association has called for more facilities following the allocation of funding for an Armstrong Creek stadium in the federal budget. Treasurer Jim Chalmers released his third federal budget on Tuesday, May 14. While there weren’t many Greater Geelong-specific announcements, $6 million in federal funding was allocated to the proposed Geelong sports stadium. Bellarine Peninsula Basketball Association’s Mark Brunger said he would have liked to see more in the budget for regional sporting venues across the Bellarine as there was a “critical need for more court space”. “Whilst we applaud any additional court space being added to the region, the Bellarine Peninsula needs new court space as soon as
possible,” he said “We have had plans and a business case in place for a number of years now for a new three-court facility in Drysdale. However, funding is naturally the hurdle to this happening. “(This would help) continue to grow the game and provide a sporting outlet for young people across the area, with basketball numbers rising on the peninsula as the population increases. “Over the last two domestic seasons, our female numbers alone have doubled from around 500 to 1000. “This highlights the level of growth we are experiencing in the game across the Bellarine Peninsula...as many young families are coming to the area.” City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said he was pleased that the federal
government re-confirmed its previous funding commitment to the proposed Armstrong Creek Stadium. “We know there is a desperate need for more indoor courts for sports such as basketball and netball, and this facility will help meet the demand,” he said. “However, this is a local-level venue and is not the Regional Indoor Sports and Events Centre we have been advocating for as part of the state government’s Commonwealth Games legacy facilities. “Financial Assistance Grants are another key source of support from the federal government to local governments. “The total value of these grants will increase to 0.51 per cent of the total Commonwealth Tax Revenue in 2024-25. This is up from 0.49 per cent in 2023-24. “The increase is very welcome, but to assist
with the long-term financial sustainability of local governments around Australia, we would like to see the proportion lifted to closer to one per cent.” The federal government will increase funding from $617 million this financial year to $1 billion in 2027-28 for its Roads to Recovery program, allowing local councils to address problem areas on their roads. The Black Spot Program will also increase from $130 million to $150 million during the same period to fund works in places where serious crashes are likely to or have occurred. “Local governments are responsible for maintaining around 87 per cent of Victoria’s roads so the federal assistance to councils is crucial,” Mayor Sullivan said. ■ Continued: Page 2.
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