Geelong Advertiser
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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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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