Geelong Advertiser
STRONGER GEELONG
Some of the top leaders in the nation and state turned their focus to Geelong on Friday, joining pacesetters from across business and the community for the Addy’s Future Geelong summit. The event, which focused on liveability, explored the city’s...
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Man injured in Norlane shooting
A man was taken to hospital after a late-night shooting in Geelong’s north, with police now investigating the alleged attack. The man allegedly suffered a gunshot wound to the lower body in an incident at units near the corner of Iris St and Wisteria...
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I CAN’T SEE AN END TO GRIEF
The loved ones of Clover Butler (right) have told a court of their lasting grief after she was killed in a crash caused by a dangerous driver.
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$10M POULTRY PROPOSAL
Classrooms across Greater Geelong closed on Tuesday as thousands of public school teachers across the state walked off the job, demanding better pay and conditions. Australian Education Union members, including teachers, support staff, and principals,...
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New way to name our places
Indigenous names, women and gender diverse people will be at the front of the queue when City Hall is needing to name places it is responsible for, such as roads and open spaces. Geelong councillors will on Tuesday night vote on whether to put its...
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FIRE BUG TARGETS SUBURBS
Geelong police investigating a spate of fires in the northern suburbs say they’ve been “blindsided” by a recent spike in the area, with three homes catching fire on Friday morning. Senior CIU Detective Mark Guthrie said two homes in Norlane and one...
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Work hub’s CBD home
An ASX-listed company that provides flexible workspace across Australian has taken out a lease for an entire floor in one of central Geelong’s most prominent buildings. In its first foray into regional Victoria and its 39th offering across Australia...
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Jail for cruel kidnappers
A pair of hardened criminals have been jailed after humiliating and torturing another man they held captive in a cruel and degrading ordeal. Dale Collins, 34, and Sean Phipps, 35, appeared in the County Court at Geelong via videolink on Wednesday and...
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CLICKBAIT CRUELTY
Disgusted parents have lashed out after a serial youth offender, who is currently on bail, posted an online video allegedly bashing another teen with his genitalia exposed. The young offender, who cannot be named, was arrested last week on unrelated...
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THERE’S KIDS HERE
Residents of an affluent Belmont street have been left furious after an alleged “undercover brothel” suddenly opened among million-dollar homes and near a primary school. “We don’t feel comfortable for our grandkids to come and visit,”
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‘Unmatched’: Why families are swapping the cities for life in Geelong
Geelong’s population has just hit 300,000 – a milestone that cements its transformation from industrial outpost to one of Australia’s fastest-growing regional cities. But the question many are asking is - can infrastructure keep pace? Demographer...
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TO THE MAXX
A major American retailer with more than 600 stores globally will be the anchor tenant in the Bright and Hitchcocks building that is being redeveloped by the Hamilton Group. In what is a strong vote of confidence in the much-maligned CBD precinct, TK...
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TRADERS AT BREAKING POINT
The Moorabool St bus stop, in central Geelong, has turned into a “perfect place to sell drugs”, nearby shopkeepers say, as yet more arrests take place on the troubled strip. Two people were seen waiting in handcuffs at the public transport hub this...
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LEOPOLD SCISSORS TERROR
A grade three student allegedly chased a classmate with scissors and threatened to kill students and staff at Leopold Primary School, prompting a father to withdraw his daughter from the school over safety fears. The parent, who declined to be named,...
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LEADING THE WORLD
A world-leading Geelong treatment for life-threatening lung clots is saving lives at unprecedented rates and being adopted around the world – and Lara woman Jackie Sawyer is living proof. Barwon Health’s Pulmonary Embolism Response Team has achieved a...
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WRONG FORMULA
Two alleged thieves linked to a major baby formula theft syndicate were caught in Drysdale after a quick-thinking local spotted their suspicious behaviour. Police allege the men are connected to an organised supermarket theft network responsible for...
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WFH a ‘kick in the guts’, Geelong says
Local business groups are up in arms over the state government’s plans to enshrine working from home two days a week in law, labelling the move as a “kick in the guts”. Both the Geelong Manufacturing Council and Geelong Chamber of Commerce have...
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SPORTING SQUEEZE
Geelong and Surf Coast parents are being forced to spend thousands of dollars just to have their kids enrolled in sport. A Geelong Advertiser analysis of sporting fees across the region has revealed which sports are costing families the most. One...
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Comms fail let sex offender keep working
Questions remain about how a man who pleaded guilty to sexual penetration of a child under 16 in the Geelong region was allowed to keep his job as a lifeguard for years after being charged with the sickening crime. Toowoomba man Jaiden Fidge, 24,...
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NO LAUGHING MATTER
Potentially deadly nitrous oxide canisters known as “nangs” can be hand-delivered to Geelong youths in less than an hour, according to a brazen website at the centre of a coronial investigation into a man’s death.
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EGREGIOUS INJUSTICE
Cats coach Chris Scott has declared Tanner Bruhn faced an “egregious injustice” last season when he was stood down as he fought serious sexual assault charges that were ultimately dropped.
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FAMILY’S GAPING WOUND
Harrowing details about the death of a young man crushed in a conveyor belt at a Lethbridge chicken farm have been heard in court, with his employer admitting fault over the tragedy. Liam Harrington, 34, was working with the conveyor belt guard removed...
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Melbourne’s escape valve
A typical house in Geelong is worth more than $800,000 now, as the region’s property market enters a new growth phase. New figures from PropTrack’s Home Price Index reveal the median value of a house in the Geelong region jumped more than $5000 in...
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MUMS TAKE ON CITY HALL
A council proposal to shut down Geelong’s gym creches has united devastated mums and “blindsided” staff members. City of Greater Geelong has announced a proposal to discontinue its creche services at the council-operated leisure centres.
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SHAME ON THE SIDELINES
A “disturbing number of behavioural issues” at junior games following an “unprecedented” year of concerning incidents in 2025 has led local footy’s governing body AFL Barwon to commit to stamping out bad behaviour. The governing body’s commission...
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SHOCK COLLEGE CLOSURE
More than 100 “devastated” students face an uncertain future after being told their central Geelong education provider is abruptly shutting its doors after more than 25 years in operation. Management from private provider VFA Learning caught students...
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HE NEEDS A CIRCUIT BREAKER
Images of an alleged Geelong stabbing that left a teen fighting for life were deemed so “horrendous” court staff had to be protected from seeing them, a children’s court has been told. Flanked by two police officers, a 16-year-old boy appeared in...
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HOSPITAL KILLING
A man has been killed at a Geelong psychiatric unit with homicide detectives holding another patient in custody. Emergency services discovered a man dead inside a room at the Swanston Centre on Monday.
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Man admits stabbing that left trail of blood
A North Geelong man has admitted responsibility for a stabbing that left the victim “screaming” and covered in blood when he sought help from a stranger. Guy Burr, 31, fronted the Supreme Court on Friday for arraignment and a directions...
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SICK OF THE WAIT
Most patients who present to Geelong hospital’s emergency department are forced to wait almost 2.5 hours to see a doctor or nurse, new figures show. And once admitted, the average patient spends seven hours and 22 minutes in the emergency
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BLOODY TRAIL
One boy in blood-soaked clothes taken to hospital. Teens in different school uniforms arguing as police tried to separate them. And a blood trail that reportedly stretched throughout Market Square. Little Malop St and the shopping centre transformed...
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Spirit forced to turn back
A passenger is in custody after allegedly going on a rampage on the Spirit of Tasmania, forcing it to return to dock after only travelling 50m. The Tasmanian man is accused of making threats to kill and destroying property.
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HIT-RUN COWARD LEFT MUM SHATTERED
Jesse Reynolds was driving at 125km/h moments before he slammed head-on into the car of a Geelong school teacher and mother, leaving her with devastating injuries. Reynolds (pictured below) then walked calmly from the scene, leaving twisted metal and...
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MAKE IT SAFER FOR OUR GIRLS
A group of Ocean Grove parents is rallying for a school bus from Clonard College to the Bellarine, calling the current public transport options “dangerous”, with one girl reportedly followed and verbally abused. Ocean Grove mum and former police...
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CHURCH WANTS TO PACK PEWSmega
A cult-like Christian church that regularly finds itself at the centre of controversy wants to almost double the maximum capacity at its Geelong base so it can hold large-scale events featuring international speakers and guests.
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COP TO FIGHT SEX CALL CLAIMS
Former policeman Manase Holani (below) has rejected allegations he made anonymous sexual phone calls to a woman, slamming the arresting officers for entering his room while he was “nude” and “without a warrant”.
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PLEASE COME FORWARD
Former students and staff of a nowclosed all-boys school in Geelong’s north are being urged to come forward with information dating back almost half a century, including details relating to a pair of former Christian Brothers. Melbourne-based law firm...
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ROW COACH PLEADS GUILTY
Former Geelong College and Geelong Grammar sports coach Andrew Cleary pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 10 charges relating to child sexual offences in 2007 and 2008. But the next step in proceedings may be delayed because a legal representative from the...
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TINY FRONT SEAT MIRACLE
was the most stressful and joyous 15 minutes of Shubham Dhawan’s life. And the 31-year-old Mount Duneed resident wasn’t the one giving birth to a baby girl in the passenger seat of a Toyota Camry hurriedly making its way up Moorabool St, so you could...
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BRING COSTCO HERE
Golden Plains mayor Owen Sharkey believes his shire holds the key to Costco’s Geelong expansion, and a retail expert thinks the US chain should pay attention to his ambitious pitch. As Costco continues to eye Geelong as the next location for one of...
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MISSING GUN WAS ‘LEFT IN PARK’
The unknown whereabouts of a gun allegedly “buried” at an Armstrong Creek park has thrown a spanner in a man’s bail application – despite him leading a search with police to look for it.
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FLIPPING AWESOME NEWS, JAKARA
Barwon Heads moguls champ to carry the flag at Winter Olympics
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NURSES HURT AS TANK ERUPTS
Nurses who responded to a fire that caused chaos within the intensive care unit at the Epworth Geelong hospital have been lauded for their “heroic” actions, as Victoria’s workplace safety watchdog seeks answers on how it all unfolded.
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Market MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
A bold vision to turn the ailing Market Square into a shining city centre arena is making waves in Geelong and has caught the eye of senior sporting figures. Basketballer and real estate agent James Osborne has proposed transforming the shopping centre...
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ALLEGED CHASE DRIVER SORRY
A man who allegedly crashed a stolen car into a school bus before he was shot in the arm by police has apologised to the courtroom for the chaotic incident. Joshua Clark, 37, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday facing a string of...
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PEDAL POWER
From messages of support scrawled in chalk on the asphalt, to cheering fans lining the roads, the people of Geelong and the Surf Coast were out in force to watch the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road race cycling action across the weekend.
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MURDER ACCUSED A TEACHER
A man accused of slaying a Melbourne woman near a picturesque Geelong beach is a former secondary school teacher who was onbail at the time of the alleged murder. Simon Macaulay, 53, appeared in the dock at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday...
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SHOTS FIRED IN WILD CHASE
School students cowered on their bus as it was rammed and shots were fired just metres away in a wild police chase across Geelong. Two people were arrested at the scene on Latrobe Tce, one with a gunshot wound, as cars were smashed and the city went...
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COUNTING THE COST
Otways residents return to survey the damage as threat eases.
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Sisters’ cancer shock
Emmy Perez spent 16 months watching her little sister Alyssa fight leukaemia. Now the six-year-old is battling the same rare cancer herself. The Perez family, from Lara, had high hopes for 2026 – Alyssa would return to kindergarten after being placed...
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I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE AUSTRALIAN
New citizens take their oaths Councillor speaks at protest Stefanovic tells of love for our country Roo hops into town
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Bushfire within 1km of Otways town
The Carlisle River fire remained within a kilometre of Gellibrand in the Otways on Sunday, after it tore through containment lines during Saturday’s scorching heat. As of Sunday afternoon, the fire had burned through about 8500ha. The threat for...
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EGG-HEADS TARGET TORQUAY
A number of homes, moving cars and people have allegedly been hit by a group of mysterious egg and water bomb throwing bandits in Torquay. One woman claims both she and her house have been “hit with eggs” while another said egg splatter almost caused...
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CAN I GET A LIFT?
Helicopters moved in to lift the twisted remains of multiple cars from the sea on Thursday in a major operation that revealed the true destructive force of last week’s Great Ocean Road floods as locals and campers continued to clean up and count the...
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BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE MALOP
There are hopes a major overhaul of Geelong’s bus network could finally address the Moorabool St bus exchange as the trouble spot was again at the centre of a violent clash on Wednesday. A group of teen boys tangled with a man in Little Malop St, with...
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Trial begins for alleged rape doctor
A former Ocean Grove doctor accused of raping a woman during a pap smear has told a jury the alleged victim is “mistaken”. Shafiul Milky, 62, is standing trial in Melbourne charged with a single count of rape. The prosecution case alleges Dr Milky...
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Comedian back after controversy
Controversial comedian Marty Sheargold is set to perform at Geelong Arts Centre (GAC) in February, marking his return almost a year after losing his radio job over derogatory comments about the Matildas. The former host parted ways with Triple M in...
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Ex-mayor throws his hat in ring
Former mayor and current Geelong councillor Trent Sullivan has become the second City Hall figure to confirm a bid for Liberal Party pre-selection ahead of the November state election. The Leopold ward councillor submitted all required documentation...
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TOO MANY FIRE
Authorities have issued more than 1000 fireprevention notices across the Geelong region in just over two months – an average of 15 a day – in a push to protect communities from the threat of bushfires.
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NOT GOING anywhere
Our ideas on new bollard characters Colin Mockett on materials we could use
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I’ll save them: Mayor
Geelong’s mayor Stretch Kontelj says the council is committed to saving each of the region’s famous bollards, after the launch of the Addy’s Save Our Bollards campaign. But as former mayor Darryn Lyons says, there is no clear, publicly articulated plan...
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HE SCREAMED IN MY FACE
A Geelong lifeguard was left shaking and in tears after a parent screamed in her face when his child was denied access to a water slide in one of the weekly violent incidents reported at the city’s pools last year. Patronage across the City of Greater...
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Woman pleads in shoot case
A woman will avoid a trial over her involvement in a non-fatal shooting in Beeac last year after striking a plea deal. Samantha Rochford, 35, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to a single count of intentionally...
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BATHTUB BABY FIGHTS FOR LIFE
An infant boy has been transferred to a hospital in Melbourne in a critical condition after being found unresponsive in a bathtub in Geelong’s north on Saturday. Emergency services attended a property on Rosemary Ave in Corio just before 9.30am, with...
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HOMICIDE SQUAD CALLED IN AFTER BODY DISCOVERED
Homicide police were called in after a man was found dead inside his Norlane home on Thursday. The victim, described as a “decent bloke”, had earlier checked himself out of hospital, where he had been admitted with assaultrelated injuries.
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Holiday sea rescue drama
The volunteers of Queenscliff’s Coast Guard have had a busy holiday season, helping numerous stranded mariners in the days after Christmas, including two people clinging to a capsized boat.
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COAST BUSH DOOF SHUT DOWN
A planned three-day rave near Aireys Inlet, linked to an Olympian’s birthday, has been shut down, with all patrons ordered off the site by New Year’s Eve. Officials said permit issues and safety concerns were behind the move. But marathoner Jack...
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GOODBYE 2025
Geelong is preparing to party as the region farewells 2025 and welcomes 2026. Public firework displays are planned at multiple sites in Geelong and on the Bellarine Peninsula and many local venues will be hosting specialty events. But it won’t all be...
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Footy fans on warpath: poll
Footy fans have delivered a wishlist to the AFL, urging league boss Andrew Dillon to stick with tradition and stop tinkering with the game they love. A poll by the AFL Fans Association found strong opposition to “opening round’’ in the northern...
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SWEPT AWAY OVER BAY
The family of a woman and teenage boy who were rescued after being swept across Port Phillip Bay from Portarlington to Werribee during a Christmas Day paddle gone wrong said they were exhausted, shaken and grateful. The pair clung to one another in...
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Busy road reopens
Traffic has returned to a key Armstrong Creek intersection after crews completed the first major milestone of the Barwon Heads Rd upgrade project. Boundary Rd between Barwon Heads Rd and Pythias Way has reopened, following the completion of major...
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Joeys exodus as nine leave club
St Joseph’s co-coach Ron Watt admits the Joeys were “surprised” to lose nine senior players after their grand final loss but he remains confident they can make the finals in 2026. The mass exodus deepened this week after Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree...
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