Sex charges
A Perth man faces charges of sexually assaulting two boys aged 11 and 12 at Lovely Banks in 1986.
A Melbourne magistrate granted Mark Barnett bail on Tuesday after Sexual Crimes Squad detectives arrested him in Western Australia before charging the 59-year-old with five counts of gross indecency and three of indecent assault.
‘Two-way’ support
Building a new two-way bridge at Queen’s Park is the preferred option of 66.7 per cent of respondents to a survey on its future, according to state MP Bev McArthur.
The two-thirds majority also wanted the existing single-lane bridge retained for pedestrians, cyclists and “heritage value”, said the Member for Western Victoria.
Poles down
A crash at North Geelong has blacked out parts of Thompson Rd after bringing down power lines, according to police.
The smash outside an APCO service station in the middle of Tuesday afternoon closed the road in both directions until “late in the evening” and required the attendance of an ambulance, police said.
Storages down
Geelong’s water storages have fallen to 34.2 per cent capacity in the seven days to Tuesday after failing to record any rain.
Official measurements this week revealed that weekly consumption of 823 million litres had drained 1.1 per cent of the total storage capacity as the region remained on the lowest level of restrictions.
Tourism boss
Geelong has a new tourism boss after 25 years, City Hall has announced.
Parks Victoria’s Brett Ince would take over as executive director of Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine when Roger Grant departed for retirement in July, City Hall said.
Water power
Barwon Water has signed up to a renewable energy deal to “slash greenhouse gas emissions”, State Government has announced.
Barwon Water’s Tracey Slatter said the “innovative deal” with 12 other Victorian water authorities would buy electricity from a solar farm in north-western Victoria, saving the Geelong authority between $50,000 and $100,000 a year.
Girl missing
The “out of character” disappearance of a 14-year-old girl from a Herne Hill bus stop on Wednesday morning has prompted police to seek public help finding her.
Police issued an image of Tiana Freeman on Thursday morning and asked anyone with information about her whereabouts to phone the Geelong station on 5225 3100.
