June 28, 2024
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Over 55s boutique homes for sale, move-in ready from $680K 722-736 Barwon Heads Road, Armstrong Creek - Opposite the Warralily Shopping Centre.
Together we thrive
(Louisa Jones) 415075_03
The Geelong Independent is shining a light on local issues facing the Greater Geelong area. Over the next 12 months, our ‘We are Geelong: together we thrive’ campaign will focus on the achievements and challenges facing local women, Indigenous people and the LGBTQIA+ community. Our region encompasses a diverse population, including Indigenous Australians, LGBTQIA+ community members and women who are striving for equality. Despite their significance, their stories, concerns and achievements are often underrepresented in mainstream media. Included in the campaign will be stories of resilience highlighting personal accounts of Indigenous locals, women and LGBTQIA+ members. This week we feature Lily Shields (pictured) from Drysdale. Lily is a black belt in karate and has launched a free self-defence program for women in Greater Geelong. See page 10 for Lily’s story and more. We also want to hear from you about your individual experiences. If you have a story you would like to share, please get in touch via editorial@ geelongindependent.com.au
$2.7m boost for budget By Matt Hewson Geelong council finalised its 2024-25 budget at its monthly meeting this week, incorporating a raft of changes in response to community feedback gathered since the draft version went out in April. The changes, worth more than $2.7 million, include $650,000 for netball facilities at Richmond Reserve, $1.5 million for Hamlyn Park female change facilities, $432,000 to keep North Bellarine Aquatic Centre open during winter months and an extra $50,000 for Neighbourhood Houses. During the discussion at the meeting,
councillors emphasised projects that were receiving much-needed funding after missing out in previous years, such as drainage works at Kyema Park in Lara, funding for veterans’ memorials and the Geelong Youth Hub. Councillor Sarah Hathway also introduced an amendment asking City chief executive Ali Wastie to review pricing and operational models for the Norlane Aquatic Recreation Centre to ensure affordability, usage and access. Cr Hathway said the council had taken note of the furore around last year’s budget when approaching this one. “We really heard the message loud and clear last year around libraries, around pools and
around those core services that the community expects from council,” she said. “We’ve listened and I think we’ve responded with this budget. And I think all residents who were part of that campaign last year, who’ve engaged with us on the listening posts this year, who came to the budget submissions process, should be really proud of the work that they’ve done. “I genuinely feel that as a councillor group we have squeezed every last dollar that we could out of this budget to meet community need.” Mayor Trent Sullivan emphasised the importance of careful spending given the 2.75 per cent rate rise cap, well below the rising cost
of expenses. “Having caps such as that, under CPI, does make it difficult to make those dollars go further,” he said. “But this is a budget that I believe shows that this is what the council group, the executive, the officers have focused on: How can we do what we do better? How can we get the most value out of the ratepayers’ dollar? “There’s something in this budget for absolutely everybody… No one’s getting left behind. We’re not just focusing on one area, this is a well-balanced, well-spread out budget.” Go to geelongaustralia.com.au/budget to view the full budget.
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