Among the increasingly disparate crowd at Geelong’s annual celebration of multiculturalism on Saturday, one group of not-all-smiling faces stood out.
It wasn’t for their costumes, which were simple work wear.
And it wasn’t for their parading, which amounted to a steady plod.
It was for the question of just why Barwon Water was part of the Pako Festa parade in the first place.
The debut seemed incongruous with the usual chore of delivering water and taking away sewage.
Hopefully the participants were workday crew volunteering their time on a weekend. Although they clearly weren’t a flash-mob either, so someone must have spent ratepayers’ time putting together the parade contingent.
Anyway, clearly new CEO Tracey Slatter is vigorously pursuing one of her stated priorities for Barwon Water: greater diversity.
Well, okay, but just as long as it doesn’t apply to the product’s flavour!
The region lost a character – and a fierce advocate – when Barwon Heads’ Randall Bell died suddenly on Sunday, aged 72.
A witty lawyer with a keen turn of phrase and no time for fools, Randall regularly applied his tongue and talents to the defence of local heritage assets.
He was active with the National Trust’s Geelong branch but performed possibly his most outspoken work as president of Victorian Landscape Guardians.
Among many achievements, Randall led the successful fight against a 2008 push to expand Barwon Heads’ town boundaries. Locals might like to remember his legacy as developers continue circling paddocks to the west.
He was also prominent in arguments over wind power, opposing turbines as a blight on the landscape and an unreliable source of electricity.
And he took on both sides of the argument with equal gusto.
“I’ll break his arms,” he warned then-incoming Premier Denis Napthine in 2013 about any thoughts of reneging on a policy banning turbines in scenic areas.
Vale, Randall Bell – our landscapes will be more vulnerable without you.
In America they call it ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ – and the infection’s seemingly spread to Geelong.
According to American ‘Deplorables’, the singular symptom is abandonment of rationality, sanity even, in efforts to attack any initiative, idea or suggestion by the controversial new US President.
And so the fever reached Avalon’s airshow this week when a local executive addressing a corporate gathering scoffed at The Donald’s plan to “only fight wars the US can win”.
Err, Double Take’s no defence expert but it seems like a sensible strategy.
Much better than the alternative, at the very least!
