Geelong Advertiser
MAYOR CLEANS UP OUR STREETS
Geelong’s mayor rolled up his sleeves to clean up a mess in Pakington St, after it took council two days to clear syringes, broken glass and a supermarket trolley next to a busy bus stop. A resident who complained about the junk said Mr Kontelj was...
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STAR CATS ON SPEED DIAL
Phone records examined by investigators in a $10m fraud case involving a former Crown VIP and Cats sponsor have laid bare the tight connections Sy Giang Nyugen cultivated with Geelong officials and champion players. Across a four-week period during...
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‘NOT A LOT’ CATS WOULD CHANGE
Geelong will hold an emergency board meeting on Monday to work through the concussion crisis as chief executive Steve Hocking made clear there was “not a lot” the club would do differently if it had its time over. The Cats will reply to the AFL’s...
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PLEASE EXPLAIN
The Geelong Cats have been issued with a “please explain” letter from the AFL as the player at the centre of the club’s secret concussion deal outed himself, saying he’s “healthy, feeling good and focused on playing my role for the team for the...
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Geelong revealed as side behind secret player concussion deal
Geelong can be revealed as the AFL club that struck a secret deal requiring a current player who has suffered multiple concussions to assume all legal responsibility for any further on-field brain trauma. In a bombshell escalation of footy’s...
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TRADERS HUNTING IN PAK
SHOPPING STRIP ‘SO BAD’ Pakington St retailers in Geelong West are banding together to tackle crime plaguing the strip, with one fed-up trader saying it was so common he had given up reporting it to police.
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AFLW SEASON PREVIEW INSIDE
Geelong star Mikayla Bowen has brought magic moves and big goals to Cattery ... and she’s only just getting started P22-23
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CITY’S SHARP DIVIDE
Renewed calls for a medically supervised injecting room have divided the Geelong community, with residents and politicians split over whether the city needs the controversial health service. The Geelong Advertiser spoke with 50 people across the...
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GEELONG INJECTING ROOM PUSH
Geelong is in the grip of a drug crisis after recording its highest number of fatal overdoses on record. The alarming figures have seen local community organisations, harmreduction advocates, academics and the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association...
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COURT F SHAME
Thugs who put a player in hospital after a violent brawl and a player who threw a ball at another’s head are among more than a dozen offenders being publicly named and shamed on big screens at Geelong basketball games.
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CATS GRAB HUGE WIN
Geelong’s Ollie Dempsey takes a screamer at the MCG on Thursday night, where the Cats held off a fighting Collingwood in an intense, high-stakes clash with big ramifications for the ladder as the finals draw nearer.
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MIA’S KILLER COULD BE OUT IN 10
A drug-addled parolee who killed a 12-year-old girl in a highway crash could be out of jail in just 10 years. Mia Rossiter’s family waited until Jordan Kenyon was being escorted out of the courtroom before launching a barrage of expletives at him.
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SCHOOLBOY HIT BY CAR
The family of an eight-year-old boy hit by a car in Armstrong Creek have called for stronger safety measures on busy Warralily Blvd as the child remained in hospital overnight. Young Heath was struck after moving rubbish bins about 8.40am on Tuesday.
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WHEELIE DANGEROUS
More than a month after a young rider was seriously injured at a set of illegal makeshift mountain bike jumps, Geelong council has yet to remove them. Now, friends of the boy have posted a TikTok tutorial showing how to tackle the stunts.
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NO CENTS IN ‘NIMBY’ MINDSET
A key player in Geelong housing projects worth many millions of dollars says his company will not invest in the region again until councillors are stripped of their ability to rule on developments. Tom Roe, a senior executive at Gersh Investment...
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HELP US TAKE IT BACK
City Hall has again run out of patience with the overseas owners of Market Square as it seeks the backing of state MPs for a compulsory acquisition of the beleaguered CBD site. Mayor Stretch Kontelj (pictured) has reached out to both sides of politics...
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Shock death driver video
Shocking footage has been shown of a killer driver’s terrifying recklessness behind the wheel in the weeks leading up to the collision that caused the death of a schoolgirl on the Hamilton Highway. Jordan Blake Kenyon, 31, has pleaded guilty to...
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COVER-UP WILL STAY ’TIL 2027
Hoarding covering a heritagelisted mural in Geelong’s state government offices will remain into 2027, as emails reveal a council committee asked if there were “concerns around the art itself”. Officials say ongoing works are to blame but others claim...
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SPEED THRILLS
If one thing captures attention in global sport it’s when the fastest man or woman in history steps up to perform, and when it comes to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, that alpha dog is Australian swimming sprint king Cameron McEvoy. He is the No.1...
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BEERS TO FLOW IN THE CREEK
Construction of what will be the first pub in Geelong’s fast-growing southern suburbs will begin in the coming months after Australia’s second-biggest operator was given the green light by City Hall. The Armstrong Creek Hotel, located on the corner of...
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EASTERN BEACH TRAGEDY
A man has died after his car slammed into a wall on Geelong’s waterfront early Sunday morning. It’s understood the car hit the wall on Eastern Beach Rd about 6.30am. “The yet-to-be-identified man died at the scene,” a police spokesperson said.
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‘ROLLING SHRINE TO HITLER’
A Jewish woman was left shaken after finding a car plastered with antisemitic stickers and whitesupremacist words in a Geelong shopping centre carpark. The vehicle was spotted at Newcomb Central on Friday morning, prompting a fierce response from the...
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SCREAMS AS SHARK HITS
A female surfer screamed as a shark repeatedly bumped her in Torquay on Thursday while witnesses described the creature toss her board around. The encounter unfolded about 8.30am at Torquay Point, with the victim warning others of a dark shadow...
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CITY SEES RED OVER PURPLE
The fight over a compulsory purple bin for Geelong households is heating up again, with Mayor Stretch Kontelj and frustrated residents united in opposing the state government mandate that City Hall says would cost ratepayers millions.
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TRADERS UNITE IN CARPARK BATTLE
Geelong traders have formed a new retailer group after the council’s removal of free twohour CBD parking sparked community backlash. Artsy Crafty Lounge owner Bec Lamont created the Geelong Retailers Association after an overwhelming response to an...
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FREEWAY ZOOM CALL
Princes Freeway motorists would have their travel time shortened under a Coalition plan to increase the speed limit to 110km/h, bringing it in line with other major Victorian roads. The change from the current 100km/h limit to 110km/h would apply for...
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MUDDY DISGRACE
Geelong’s soccer clubs are cancelling matches en masse and cramming dozens of junior players on to basketball courts as drainage failures plague more than half the region’s pitches. Football Victoria confirmed more than 50 per cent of local pitches in...
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Permanent police push for our CBD
Geelong’s mayor has called on the state government to station police officers in the CBD permanently, citing violence around the troubled Moorabool St bus interchange as a key concern. Stretch Kontelj made the plea for permanent protective service...
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BAKERY BOSS OWES SO MUCH DOUGH
A well-known Geelong businessman has admitted owing about $100,000 in unpaid superannuation to dozens of former employees, conceding he can’t guarantee they will ever receive the money. Bellarine Bakehouse and The Break Artisan Bakery owner Paul Field...
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‘MONUMENTAL STUFF-UP’
The Geelong line was thrown into chaos once again on Wednesday as the nationwide Telstra outage brought all V/Line train services to a halt. Morning commuters in the city were furious and frustrated as their travel plans came undone and they were told...
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CATS ASK FACEBOOK TO STOP THE SLOP
The Cats have asked Facebook to take action against pages that are repeatedly posting false and malicious AI-generated content about the club and its players, including fake deaths, births, crimes, illnesses, trade news and scandals.
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H CREEK
Armstrong Creek residents are taking crime fighting into their own hands, with reports of car bait scenarios and community patrols following breakins in the area despite police assuring offences had dropped.
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Dream hub build begins
Rose de Jong grew up on Wiradjuri country in central-west NSW but it is on Wathaurong country that she is helping turn a decades-long community dream into reality. The 33-year-old moved to Melbourne in 2016, where she held roles with Corrections...
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LET THERE BE LIGHT … SORT OF
The last steps to switch on traffic lights that have sat inactive at a major Geelong intersection for months have finally been green-lit. The hold-up has caused major delays, disruptions, detours and sparked safety concerns among frustrated local...
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SHIRE COPS A SPRAY
A Torquay father is demanding answers after council workers sprayed glyphosate around a playground frequented by toddlers and left no signage to warn barefoot children or their parents. Matthew Hardie said his partner and their two children, aged one...
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STUCK AT LIGHTS
North Geelong residents claim a busy Melbourne Rd intersection has been left without functioning traffic lights for more than a year, creating a dangerous situation for pedestrians and motorists alike. The lights are understood to have been out of...
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WOOD YOU LOOK AT THAT! JUMPING CASTLE COLLAPSE CLAIMS
Five children were trapped inside a collapsed jumping castle at a North Geelong play centre after management allegedly overruled staff who refused to pump up the damaged inflatable. “The children were screaming, then you had parents shouting, and...
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OCEAN ROAD BIRD FLU FEAR
A birdwatcher has slammed the state government for what she describes as a “shambolic” response to reports of a dead giant petrel southwest of Geelong – the same species at the centre of confirmed H5 bird flu cases across Australia. Helen Erskine-Behr...
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NOT GUILTY OVER WILD POLICE RUN-IN
A Wandana Heights man who woke in the middle of the night to find a police officer inside his house has been acquitted of assaulting officers after a tense confrontation that saw a police car run over his foot. Lewan Federico appeared in Geelong...
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WE ARE TAKING OVER
The state government has slammed Geelong council for a years-long delay in unlocking land earmarked for 23,000 new homes in the region, announcing it will seize control of the process. Premier Jacinta Allan (pictured) revealed the move in Norlane on...
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HURT NAN ON FLOOR FOR HOURS
Kay Rowse, 81, is treated by paramedics after more than two hours waiting in pain for an ambulance.
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ALLEGED KILL TRIO IN COURT
Three people accused of murdering a man in broad daylight in Norlane faced court for the first time on Tuesday. Bosko Kitevski, 39, of Lovely Banks, Norlane’s Adam Marlyn, 34, and Corio woman Shakeena Boutkan-Hill, 28, appeared one by one in the dock...
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SECOND CRIME SCENE DISCOVERED AFTER NORLANE STABBING P5
GEELONG’S VOICE FOR 185 YEARS Tuesday, June 23, 2026 $3.50
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NO FREE PARKING
Free two-hour parking in the CBD will be axed by Geelong council as it looks to balance its budget amid spiralling costs while also exploring the potential of partnering with the private sector to build a new multistorey carpark. The free parking...
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WILD AXE CHASE ON ROAD
A man who allegedly fled being bashed with a baseball bat was chased around a busy Geelong intersection in broad daylight by a gang of young men, one armed with an axe, a court has heard.
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UNI JOB CUTS SCRAPPED
Deakin University has binned its planned restructure that would have seen up to 150 jobs lost and 620 staff forced to reapply for their jobs. But there will still be “change” to come, an email to staff warned.
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Big player swoops on mega site
One of Australia’s largest property developers has entered Geelong, acquiring a Charlemont landholding that’s double the size of an inner-city suburb. Frasers Property has acquired the 60ha Torquay Rd site – the mixed-use development would comprise...
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ALLEGED SHOOTER IN COURT
A butcher accused of shooting another man after a neighbourhood dispute over parking in Point Lonsdale will face a contested committal hearing later this year, with his alleged victim still in treatment. Neil Harrington (below) appeared in Geelong...
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Barrabool plans back on
A three-storey inner-suburban apartment project that was struck down by Geelong council in controversial circumstances is back on the agenda, with the $8m proposal almost certain to get the green light second time around. Prominent local developer...
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SCHOOL RUN SHOCK
Two secondary students on their way to school were taken to hospital following a terrifying incident in East Geelong on Friday morning. Emergency services were called to the intersection of Ormond Rd and Humble St shortly after 8am after receiving...
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YARD BLADE SHOCK
Hours after his attacker fronted court, the victim of a vicious stabbing found a large sharpened knife had been left outside his home in the dead of night. CCTV captured two unknown men spending almost half an hour on the Whittington property at...
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Kindy sexual touching investigation
A Torquay kindergarten is under investigation after parents say repeated incidents of alleged sexual touching and talking went unreported to families. A Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority investigation was launched at Torquay Early...
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Saints fight off Swans
South Barwon coach Mark Neeld says there was a lack of belief among his playing group that they could knock off a dominant St Mary’s side before the Swans fell just short in a spirited final-quarter comeback.
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‘Hijacker’ planned to flee: court
A teenager accused of attempting to hijack a Jetstar flight allegedly told a psychiatrist he was attempting to flee the country, a court has been told. The young man, who cannot be named, was arrested on March 6 last year after allegedly boarding a...
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TIK-TOXIC TROLLS
Geelong teachers are being targeted by anonymous TikTok accounts, with one account using artificial intelligence to make two male teachers “kiss”. Some videos seen by the Geelong Advertiser also used AI to make teachers appear to dance, while others...
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FEARS FOR UNI JOBS
Staff at Deakin University are bracing for mass job losses and a major shake-up, with the academic behind La Trobe University’s cuts summoning “affected staff” to a 2.30pm briefing on Thursday.
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THEY SHOULD BE SAFE
Two midwives from Geelong hospital were assaulted while returning to their cars during a horrific late night attack on Little Myers St. The incident has sparked fresh calls for more steps to be taken to protect medical workers.
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BUSH MATTERS
The largest conversation between the bush and powerbrokers starts today, as News Corp Australia launches its 2026 Bush Summit campaign. Regional Australians can have their say on issues that matter most in a new poll, which will help frame debate at...
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CBD CRIME CRACKDOWN
Geelong shoppers can expect to see more police alongside them with the force launching a new operation within the city. Operation Pulse will expand from Melbourne to Geelong, with teams of police deployed across key retail hubs.
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DEATH DRIVER JAILED
The mother of a young woman killed in a horror crash in Meredith says her “real grieving” will now begin after the fatigued driver responsible was jailed. Judge Gerard Mullaly sentenced Cohen Merz, 27, to three years behind bars with a non-parole...
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Accused awaits fate
A jury is deliberating the fate of a man accused of sexually abusing three young girls. Darren John Kent, 59, has been standing trial in the County Court at Geelong charged with 14 child sex offences allegedly committed against three victims.
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Kinder sex touch claims
Allegations of inappropriate sexual touching between children at two Torquay kindergartens are being investigated. In the first incident, a probe was launched after children were allegedly discovered touching each other’s genitalia. Police received...
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$450k for Moorabool St artwork
Ratepayers are set to shell out $450,000 to fund a colourful artwork and lighting overhaul as part of a makeover of Moorabool St in the CBD, the Addy can reveal. Geelong council last week released an artist’s impression of the artwork and lighting...
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SIMPLY A LEGEND
Footy legend Neale Daniher has died, aged 65, after a courageous and public 13-year battle with motor neurone disease. Daniher transcended football to become one of the nation’s most popular and iconic figures as he led the charge to find a cure for...
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SCHOOLBOY SONGS OF FEAR
Students at a Geelong technical school sang warning songs about predatory priests while systematic abuse occurred unchecked, an alleged abuse survivor claims. Matt, who did not want his full name published, said he was in year 7 when he was repeatedly...
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Wrong turn over 30kmh speed trial
Geelong Council’s controversial plan to slash local speed limits to 30km/h has come under fire after analysis revealed the scheme would fail to target the area’s most hazardous roads. Three streets – Pier and Harding streets and The Esplanade in...
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Corio school abuse claim court fight
A former student at Corio West Primary School is suing the state of Victoria over alleged physical and sexual abuse at school in the 1980s. The ex-pupil, now 52, attended the school from 197784. He was about 10 when allegedly abused by a teacher in...
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Trio charged over assault
Three girls have been charged, and police are searching for a fourth, after a 13-year-old boy was kicked in the face multiple times at Geelong’s notorious Moorabool Street bus stop. One witness, who declined to be named, said a group of girls wearing...
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SUITE TREAT FOR CATS COACHES
Geelong coach Chris Scott and football boss Andrew Mackie enjoyed a boutique Sydney stay with a club sponsor who has since been accused of masterminding a $14.5m fraud, with complimentary hotel upgrades requested for the trio by a former Crown casino...
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THUG’S RIGHTS ‘VIOLATED’
A notorious Geelong criminal with a history of guns, drugs, assaults, extortion, bribery and kidnapping is taking prison officers to court, claiming his six-day stay in solitary confinement infringed his human rights.
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TODDLER FOUND ON STREET
A coronial investigation into the death of an elderly woman at a Geelong aged care facility has exposed major gaps in the emergency care protocols of the region’s public healthcare provider. Cornelia Groot died on April 11 last year from complications...
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Super chill Cat ready to freeze
Cats star Tanner Bruhn is set to take the plunge alongside fellow club legends in the fight against MND after being selected to slide at the fifth Big Freeze Geelong. Bruhn was chosen by Big Freeze Geelong ambassador Sam Moorfoot and will ride the...
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Council in ‘chest feeding’ controversy
Traditional breastfeeding rooms have been rebranded with genderneutral terminology at Geelong council’s civic headquarters as part of a push towards greater inclusivity, but critics view the changes as overreach. The council’s new enterprise agreement...
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Pair jailed over shooting
A man and woman have been locked up for their part in a vigilante-style shooting a judge described as “totally wrong and dangerous”. Samantha Rochford, 35 and Shaun Kennedy, 32, were both jailed when they faced the County Court in Geelong on Wednesday...
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