In Brief

FIGHTER: Elvio and Alex Surdich with a mako shark.

Man hunted

Police are hunting a man who fled a fire in an Armstrong Creek house where police later retrieved a crop of marijuana.

The man of Asian appearance was bleeding form a hand when he left the Silky Oak Ln property around 7.30am last Friday, police said.

Trains apology

V/Line’s acting chief has apologised to passengers for service delays last month.

Faults and stops at stations longer than scheduled were behind the May result of 86.1 per cent of trains arriving on time, Carol-Anne Nelson said.

Festival focus

Geelong’s largest sailing regatta will focus on increasing its interstate and international profile under a new chair next year, Royal Geelong Yacht Club has announced.

Stuart Dixon would bring a “fresh perspective” to the Festival of Sails’ leadership after taking over from Peter Alexander, the club said.

Sisters honoured

A street-renaming has honoured two Geelong sisters who served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, according to City Hall.

Changing East Geelong’s McNeill Crt to Chapman Cres, after Mildred and Beryl Chapman, would also help address confusion with the street’s adjoining McNeill Ave, City Hall said.

Cameras installed

Seventeen new surveillance cameras are keeping tabs on Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove after a federal funding injection of $120,000.

The cameras would make a “big difference” to security in the town’s business centres, said Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson.

Shark win

Local anglers have won a battle again size restrictions on a shark prized for its aggressive fighting ability.

Victorian Fisheries Authority announced on Thursday that it had shelved a proposed 120cm minimum on mako sharks after fielding nearly 200 submissions during public consultations.

Tracks closed

Some forest roads and tracks southwest of Geelong have closed until spring to avoid “damage” from vehicles using them while wet, authorities have announced.

Various routes through the Great Otway National and Otway Forest parks were subject to the closures from this week until spring, said Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Tim Gazzard.

Debt advice

Geelong consumers should choose free debt management advice and credit-repair services over companies offering “high cost” alternatives, Consumer Affairs Victoria has advised.

Many consumers unaware the free services were available ended up “worse off” after paying the companies high fees, said Consumer Affairs’ Simon Cohen.