Bay ‘polluted’
Incitec Pivot faces $1.5 million in fines for allegedly polluting Corio Bay with chemicals, the state’s environmental watchdog has revealed.
The Environmental Protection Authority said it laid four charges against the fertiliser manufacturer over two discharges of acidic wastewater from its North Shore premises in May and June last year.
‘Bomb’ crash
The bomb squad has detonated a suspicious object inside a sedan involved in head-on crash at Bell Park.
The squad attended the scene after the blue Honda collided with a Hyundai sedan on Wednesday, forcing the closure of Thomson Rd and hospitalising the driver of the first vehicle and a passenger in the second.
Snake ‘bite’
A suspected snake bite has hospitalised a primary school-aged girl from Anakie.
Paramedics ferried the girl to University Hospital Geelong in a stable condition on Wednesday evening with what they believed was a bite to her arm.
‘Renewables’ review
State Government will review plans for a $200 million renewable energy hub near Inverleigh amid opposition from residents fearing adverse lifestyle impacts.
Planning Minister Richard Wynne this week called in an application to build a solar plant that would share a substation with a controversially proposed 16-turbine wind farm already under his consideration for approval.
‘Significant’ arrests
Two Newcomb teenagers will front court on a combined 167 offences ranging from burglary and arson through to endangering life.
Police laid the “significant” arrests earlier this week before the 19-year-olds were remanded in custody to appear in Geelong Magistrates Court at a later date.
Storages down
The region’s water storages have failed to rise after recording 13mm of rain in the seven days to Wednesday, according to official measurements.
Barwon Water recorded the storages one per cent lower on Wednesday, with levels at 63.2 per cent of overall capacity as run-off from this week’s rain continued flowing toward the dams.
Store ‘closing’
Westfield Geelong’s Roger David store is set to close after the chain retailer went into administration this week.
The 70-year-old company released a statement blaming an influx of international competitors and online shopping for its demise, while administrator KordaMentha announced a national closing-down sale to raise money for staff and creditors.
‘Icon’ headliner
An “iconic” rock musician whose last hits were in the 1970s will headline musical entertainment at this summer’s Festival of Sails, organisers have announced.
Russell Morris would join “formidable duo” Vicka & Linda on the bill for the three-day Geelong sailing regatta during the Australia Day long weekend, the organisers said.
