‘Burglars’ busted
Police have retrieved almost $50,000 cash along with jewellery from a burgled Lara household after checking three “known male persons” at Geelong Railway Station.
The officers arrested the three on Thursday, with one bailed and the other two remanded in custody to appear in court over the Evergreen Court heist, police said.
Rubbish strategy
Rubbish will stop going to local tips “altogether” under a proposed council strategy for greater Geelong.
The “ambitious” plan would require households to “take individual responsibility” for their rubbish as council provided leadership on reducing waste, Mayor Bruce Harwood said.
Pair wanted
Geelong police are hunting two people with a combined 16 warrants for arrest.
Shannon Hart, 39, and Janice Brown, 26, were on the run separately with eight warrants each, police posted on social media this week alongside a call for reports of their whereabouts to Crime Stoppers.
Office sale
Geelong’s historic former post office cost $27,000 more than it made in rent when last fully occupied and needs a $3.7 million upgrade to meet “modern standards”, council has revealed.
Councillors are seeking public feedback on selling the building as the last remaining City Hall tenants prepare to move out, with the proceeds earmarked for other heritage properties such as North Geelong’s Osborne House.
Diabetes assessments
A pharmacy will offer free type-two diabetes risk assessments at Bell Park Football Club this Saturday.
Participants deemed at risk would then be offered a “simple” blood test to determine whether a GP referral was necessary, said pharmacist Glenn Bennett-Hullin.
Limit cut
VicRoads has cut the speed limit through one of the region’s most dangerous intersections.
The limit was down from 100km/h to 80km/h for 700 metres either side of the intersection of Granite and Geelong-Bacchus Marsh roads after three serious smashes between 2012 and 2017, VicRoads said.
HQ ‘narrowed’
Geelong’s council is “narrowing” its options to central Geelong for a new headquarters to consolidate its numerous offices, according to Mayor Bruce Harwood.
He said councillors were “noting” two City-owned sites in Gheringhap and Mercer streets while seeking expressions of interest to develop the building, although their predecessor administrators favoured the latter as the only option.
Architecture finalists
Kardinia Park’s football stadium and Barwon Water’s new headquarters have been shortlisted for state architecture awards.
Organisers announced on Thursday that both buildings were among 108 contenders across 14 categories in the 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards, with winners announced at a presentation dinner on 29 June.
Bridge closes
Highton’s Queen’s Park bridge will close to vehicles over the next two weekends for “essential maintenance”, according to VicRoads.
Pedestrians and cyclists would still be able to use the bridge during the work to replace 40-plus-year-old timber kerbing, the roads authority said.
