Geelong Advertiser
Epworth dismissal upheld
A theatre technician photographed drinking while on duty at Epworth Geelong has lost his unfair dismissal claim after being sacked over the workplace incident. Tony Bitton was dismissed last year after photos circulated among staff showing he and two...
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Cat’s nasty glass mishap
James Worpel says he is lucky to have all 10 fingers with which to win the ball after a seemingly innocuous kitchen mishap turned ugly. A dropped glass a week before the former Hawk’s Geelong debut snowballed into a hospital stint and surgery a...
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BOTTLE SHOP BOOTLEG BOOZE
Bootleg alcohol is being openly sold in Geelong bottle shops, with researchers warning many legitimate retailers may be unknowingly stocking illicit spirits linked to tax evasion and organised crime.
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JUSTICE IN THE SLOW LANE
Two years. That’s how long the Rossiter family waited for an admission of guilt after a crash claimed their 12-year-old daughter Mia. But they aren’t alone – multiple grieving local families are being trapped in a legal “slow lane” that prolongs their...
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Quality hunt heats up
The rush to quality is evident in Geelong’s property market as homes that ticked all the boxes bring buyers out willing to trade in quick time. Properties in South Geelong and Belmont were snapped up as hopeful buyers traded offers to secure these...
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DEAKIN UNI ‘TOXIC’ CLAIMS
A damning union parliamentary submission claims Deakin University’s relentless pursuit of profit has created a dangerous, toxic workplace marked by systemic wage theft and extreme workloads, pushing staff to breaking point. Deakin has “categorically”...
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BAD FOR OUR HEALTH
The delivery of a new ambulance station for Geelong’s surging south has been pushed back by at least two years, while there are serious doubts about a promised community hospital in Torquay. Victorian Treasurer Jaclyn Symes tabled the budget in...
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Planned fire station site up for sale
The future of a 24-hour fire station promised by the state government eight years ago following the tragic death of a woman in Armstrong Creek remains uncertain as land purchased for the facility is put up for sale. An almost 6000 sqm parcel of land...
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OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE
Top doctors have warned the future of Australian children is at a critical crossroads and in dire need of worldleading medical research to reverse a situation where an entire generation’s health is now, for the first time, worse than their parents...
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Cricketer’s brutal attack
A star cricketer who tracked down a former partner using an online Uber receipt before confronting her and attacking another man as they slept has been jailed. Brett Rory Venables, 36, had pleaded guilty after he logged onto a laptop to obtain Uber...
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Teen terrorising shopping centre
Grovedale Central traders say they are living in fear of a teenage boy who has terrorised the centre, with footage showing him threatening staff with a knife and using an aerosol can as a flame thrower. The 15-year-old was arrested this week after...
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BUS ARRESTS DRAMA
Dramatic scenes unfolded outside Waurn Ponds railway station on Wednesday when police pepper-sprayed and arrested two Colac men, one accused of sexually assaulting a young woman on a V/Line bus.
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DANGEROUS SPIKE
Hundreds of discarded syringes are being found in Geelong’s playgrounds, streets and shopping centres, including more than 100 discovered on a single suburban road. New Freedom of Information data obtained by the Geelong Advertiser reveals the problem...
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Aus Day battle cash bid
Surf Coast councillor Paul Barker is asking for help from the public in his legal fight against the shire he represents after being suspended for questioning the crowd numbers at a truthtelling event and criticising the handling of a meeting in which a...
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Woman’s plea amid ‘war zone’ treatment
When doctors told Taryn Elder she had leukaemia, the first question she asked was “am I dying?” Now, six weeks into an aggressive chemotherapy regime at Barwon Health, the 39-yearold is using her diagnosis to advocate for more young Australians to...
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‘It’s foul’: Geelong CBD’s grim reality
Geelong’s top cops have fronted a fired-up community forum, conceding the region’s toughest issues aren’t going away anytime soon. About 40 people, from business owners to community leaders, attended the Geelong Neighbourhood Policing Forum on...
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HOSPITAL MURDER CHARGE
A Breakwater man has been charged with murder following the death of a patient inside a Geelong psychiatric hospital. Joel Steinbock, 31, appeared in the dock at Geelong Magistrates Court charged with the murder of a Highton man at the Swanston Centre...
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Pedestrian killed in city’s north
A man has been killed after being hit by a truck in North Geelong, with shocked witnesses describing his tragic last moments. Emergency services were called to Mackey St, near the Federal Mills, about 4pm on Wednesday.
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$60M GIANT SHOP SHIFT
A more than $60m shake-up of the supermarket scene in Geelong’s inner south is coming, with the country’s two dominant players embarking on redevelopments that will significantly change the local landscape.
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TRADIE HORROR
Shocking details and images have emerged from a barbaric attack that reportedly resulted from a conflict at a Lara construction site. Two men suffered horrific lacerations too graphic to show after up to six offenders set upon them.
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CITY TOILET BLOCK SHOCK
A major brawl near a public toilet involving a group of rough sleepers in the Geelong CBD is the latest violent incident sparking renewed calls to move The Outpost homeless support centre. The conflict caused damage to the toilets and to the exterior...
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TEN GOALS FOR A FLAT-OUT LEGEND
Jeremy Cameron celebrates one of his 10 goals in the Cats’ demolition of the Dogs at GMHBA Stadium last night, the win a fitting celebration for milestone teammates Mark Blicavs and Jake Kolodjashnij, who played their 300th and 200th games, respectively.
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PUSH FOR $1 BUS RIDES
A flat $1 bus fare could be on the cards for Geelong, as councillors push for cheaper, more direct public transport, including better school bus services and an overhaul of the troubled Moorabool St interchange.
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Toddler hit by car in yard
A toddler has been flown to hospital after being hit by a car at a property on a quiet Bellarine Peninsula street. It’s understood crews were called to Dawn Place in Wallington about 4.15pm on Monday following reports a two-year-old girl was struck by...
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TEENAGE RAMPAGE CLAIM
A 14-year-old boy has been charged over an alleged month-long crime spree across Geelong that included a frightening home invasion and multiple construction site burglaries, including one at Iona College that caused more than $1m In damage.
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COAST CAMPS IN CRISIS
School camps along the Great Ocean Road are under “more stress and pressure than ever before”, with operators citing rising fuel costs and time-in-lieu requirements for school teachers as major stressors. The decrease in booking lengths has become so...
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Church windows smashed
A woman has been arrested after allegedly using a bin to smash her way into a Geelong church before taking car keys from the minister’s office and attacking a stranger in a brazen road rage clash. Geelong Senior Sergeant Aaron Riches said officers...
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WE NEED ANSWERS
The grief-stricken children of the woman who died in a suspicious Norlane fire last week are searching for answers and believe foul play was involved. Rebecca Newton, 44, died when fire tore through a unit on Thompson Rd.
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HORROR ON THE STREET
Guy Burr brutally stabbed a complete stranger who was walking home from the supermarket in Whittington, leaving the victim with horrific injuries that almost killed him. Burr (right) faced the Supreme Court on Tuesday over the shocking crime that left...
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Cops close in on thugs
Police say they know the teens involved in a “cowardly” attack in Geelong’s CBD and will bring them to justice. Inspector Clare Murphy fronted the media on Monday, after the Addy published footage of the laneway assault. The footage shows five...
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Father faces terminal cancer after all clear
A year after beating bowel cancer, Hayden Kelly received the diagnosis every survivor dreads – the disease had returned and this time, the father-of-three was told it was terminal. Hayden, who was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2024, said his...
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NORTH IS BURNING
Geelong’s northern suburbs are under siege from arsonists – and firefighters are battling the crisis with trucks that breakdown midfirefight. Since the end of January, fire crews based in Corio have responded to 30 house fires – many of them...
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Avalon boss in quest for Qantas
Avalon boss Ari Suss wants Qantas to run flights out of the state’s second airport, with New Zealand looming as the next international destination. Speaking at the Geelong Advertiser’s recent Future Geelong event, Mr Suss said: “We do want to have a...
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HE WILL, HE WILL, ROCK YOU
Roger Field (below) brought Harry Styles, Pink, Adele and Bruno Mars to Australia in his former role. Now he’s joined the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust to help turn the Cattery into a “plug and play” live entertainment venue that will bring major shows...
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DEZI FREEMAN SHOT DEAD
Double cop killer Dezi Freeman has been killed by police after a three-hour standoff at a remote property in Victoria’s northeast that ended when he opened fire on heavily armed officers.
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RYRIE ST ‘UNBEARABLE’
Fed-up business owners say trading in Geelong’s once flourishing Ryrie St has become impossible – with empty stores and drug-affected people terrorising staff and customers. Greenhouse Interiors owner Julia Green will shut the brand’s flagship Ryrie...
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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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