INSIDE THIS EDITION…
GREAT BARWON RIVER DUCK RACE, PAGE 3
BELLARINE’S NUMBER ONE NEWSPAPER
3 - 16 APRIL, 2026
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Give that they may grow
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The Geelong region raised more than $580,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Good Friday appeal last and the call has gone out to beat that amount this year. Generous locals and organisations tipped with the Tin Shed in Barwon Heads raising $90,000. Drysdale and Ocean Grove raised a combined $76,300. The Good Friday Appeal raises funds to enable The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne to provide world class care to our children. Pictured at University Hospital in Geelong is August and Ruby, who were paid a visit by the Easter Bunny (aka Zoe Gill). Funds raised also go to regional healthcare and since 2024, more than $8.5 million has been committed to regional health services across Barwon South West, Gippsland, Hume, Grampians and Loddon Mallee, funding vital paediatric equipment, specialist training, scholarships and innovative care programs.
NEPT crisis claims By Matt Hewson The local branch of St John Ambulance (SJA) Victoria has come under fire from a group of employees. In a statement emailed to the Independent, a collective of anonymous employees claiming to be frontline medical, operational and administrative staff raised what they call “grave concerns” about the viability of SJA’s non-emergency patient transport (NEPT) service. SJA’s NEPT service provides clinical transport for patients who require medical supervision, monitoring or assistance but do not need emergency ambulance services, transporting patients between hospitals, from home to hospital and to outpatient or
specialist appointments. Staff members claimed the NEPT section’s alleged financial situation impacted workers and contractors. Staff said they feared SJA would close its Ballarat and Geelong branches, causing significant lay-offs. However, an SJA spokesperson denied the claims saying the organisation was not considering closing any branches and remained focused on “strengthening and expanding our services, including growing our presence in regional Victoria as part of our mission to lead the state in first aid and medical response”. In the statement received by the Independent, signed by “ambulance insiders“, the authors claim that NEPT is
“allegedly in severe financial difficulty and is reportedly seeking a government bailout to remain operational“. They also claim “widespread“ instances of employees being underpaid and that payments to several mechanical contractors have been delayed. The staff members emphasised they were “frontline workers, not professional agitators” who had received “minimal answers” from management about their concerns and were worried the “current trajectory of St John NEPT is unsustainable”. The SJA spokesperson said that the “the NEPT arm of St John Ambulance has not sought a government bailout to remain operational.“ “We’re currently undertaking a
comprehensive payroll review within NEPT, which was proactively initiated by St John as part of our commitment to ensuring accuracy and compliance,“ they said. “We have maintained open communication with affected employees throughout the process and will address any findings as appropriate once the review is finalised.” Staff also referred to an alleged incident where an NEPT crew struck a group of kangaroos. “It was revealed that SJA appears to hold only basic roadside assistance rather than comprehensive insurance or towing,” the statement claimed. The SJA spokesperson could not confirm the specific incident, but said all NEPT vehicles were comprehensively insured.
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