Briefs
Police have ruled out foul play in the death of a home-based prostitute at Norlane.
Victoria Police said she was “located deceased” in her Robin Avenue house after a man used a nearby phone box to report her death.
Rental rates
Geelong offers increasingly affordable rent for minimum-wage couples but “other low-income households” are battling, according to a new report.
The Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot listed 544 affordable homes for the couples but only 162 for counterparts on income support, such as single age pensioners in shared accommodation.
Discharges penalty
Illegal discharges of a “red liquid” has cost a Geelong fertiliser company $15,000 in fines, according to Victoria’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
A bund caught one of the flows from Corio’s Ameropa Australia site but the first possibly reached Corio Bay, the EPA said.
Burns cut
New burn-off rules have led to a “dramatic drop” in the number of fires escaping from properties around Geelong, according to City Hall.
The requirement to obtain a permit to burn in the open air or use an incinerator meant council officers had to inspect properties to sign off on approval, said City of Greater Geelong chief Kevin Spiller.
‘Lifers’ named
Geelong welfare agency Bethany has added 13 individuals to its roll of life members for their “outstanding contribution”.
The agency used the launch of its 19th annual Bethany Arthouse Film Festival to name the life members as June Bennett, Barbara Donovan, Jan Dooley, Brian Edward, Marilyn Funston, Jenny Heath, Pauline Hyland, Ian Knox, Sarah Leach, Vaughan Lamb, Gerard Mullaly, Tibby Peterson and Kas Szakiel
Storages fall
Geelong’s water storages have continued falling more than a week after authorities turned on a pump to bring top-up supplies from Melbourne.
Barwon Water measured the storages at 33.2 per cent capacity on Wednesday, down almost 1 per cent on the previous week.
School boost
A $2.5 million funding injection will help upgrade ageing buildings at a Geelong school for children with special needs, Lara MP John Eren has announced.
The improvements will give students at Nelson Park School “the modern classrooms and spaces they need to learn”, Mr Eren said.
