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May 8, 2026
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Clubs unite for important cause
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The second annual Shaka Cup between two Geelong & District Football Netball League clubs raised awareness for The Shaka Project and mental health and suicide prevention. Geelong West Giants hosted Corio Devils on Saturday 2 May with a good crowd watching on and an entertaining match unfolded at West Oval, Geelong West. Corio withstood a last-quarter Giants’ comeback to win 11.14(80) to 10.11(71). Pictured are The Shaka Project’s Adam Looker and Devils captain Jack Hall with the Shaka Cup after the game. “We love playing for the Shaka Cup – it definitely means a lot,” Devils’ co-coach Adam Bell said. “Being inside the football club, you’re dealing, as a coach, with players and lots of mental health stuff and stuff going on in their lives. “So having a round dedicated to looking after your mate and talking about how you’re feeling is so important.” See pages 26 and 27 for more pictures and our full report.
Neither joy nor anger By Matt Hewson State treasurer Jaclyn Symes’ new budget, released on Tuesday, has drawn lukewarm responses from local leaders. The budget, which avoids any major pitfalls but fails to deliver any serious changes, is an example of what Geelong Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jeremy Crawford called “a classic pre-election budget”. “In terms of Geelong, there seems to be at least some regional investment across infrastructure…in terms of some TAFE and skills initiatives, some railway line connectivity work,” he said. “There are no major concerns for the business community, but there’s also nothing enabling either.
“The conditions that Victorian businesses, including Geelong businesses, need to operate under are very, very challenging, and there’s been nothing done (in the budget) to either mitigate that or to try to improve it, whether that’s investment incentives or any other policy settings or reform. “The concern we have from a budget perspective is that there’s really no wiggle room to be able to deal with any potential economic shock.” Mr Crawford said such an approach was understandable from an incumbent government in an election year, but the Chamber had hoped for a “clear approach on how investment in Geelong can help drive state economic growth”. “We have some pretty key strategic assets
in terms of the Avalon precinct and the CBD that we’ve spoken to the government about,” he said. “I think being a little targeted for the region that is quite literally providing the most upside in terms of growth for the state would have been really good. “We’ll obviously continue to advocate for those changes we think might be able to help.” Committee for Geelong chief executive Michael Johnston quoted Premier Jacinta Allan, saying “budgets are about choices”. “The choices made through this year’s election campaign will…affect the future of our city,” he said. “The Victorian government has leaned into budget initiatives aimed at easing cost of living pressures and promoting health
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and safety. “Government infrastructure investment will continue to reduce, down from the forecast $21.4b in 2027 to $15.3b by 2030. While this is in line with the Government’s COVID debt recovery plan, it raises questions about Geelong’s ability to tap into a reducing infrastructure spend; something that is critical in attracting federal funding.” Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said while the budget contained “welcome new spending for some key projects in Geelong” there was “still a lot of work for the government to do to ensure funding keeps pace with the region’s growth and service demands”. Continued: Page 3.
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