News briefs: Cats, ocean road rocks, new town

Allen Christensen

Cats moves
Two more star Cats could be on the move from Geelong following the club shopping around fleet-footed premiership player Travis Varcoe.
The club confirmed this week that midfielder Allen Christensen wanted to join a Queensland side for “personal reasons”, while the Bulldogs had offered defender Tom Lonergan a three-year deal worth $500,000 annually.

Rocks roll
Workers will abseil with crowbars down cliffs to dislodge loose “large rocks” hanging over the Great Ocean Road, according to Vicroads.
A spokesperson said the work would begin next week, “weather permitting”, as part of upgrade works on the iconic road.

Link jobs
Staff from Ford’s Geelong factory will be able to compete for 150 jobs reserved for automotive workers on the Coalition Government’s East Wes Link project, Premier Denis Napthine has announced.
He said Holden and Toyota staff would also be eligible for the “exciting new career” in construction.

Centre approved
A town centre for Armstrong Creek has won planning approval from State Government.
Mayor Darryn Lyons said the “vibrant main street-based shopping environment” would include supermarkets, discount department stores, specialty shops and public amenities including an aquatic centre with integrated residential dwellings.

Highway delay
“Excessive rain” has helped delay duplication of the Princes Hwy between Waurn Ponds and Winchelsea by up to five months, Polwarth MP Terry Mulder has revealed.
He said a “discovery” that some sections would also have to be rebuilt rather than only resealed had also set back the completion date to mid-2015.

Export award
Geelong’s Deakin University has won a 2014 Governor of Victoria Export Awards for its work with international students.
Vice-Chancellor Jan den Hollander said Deakin was “eager to stay at the forefront of innovative international partnerships and digital learning tools that can bring the world to our doorstep”.