Find Geelong 2022 - December Edition

About the Find Geelong

By Warren Strybosch

The Find Geelong is a community paper that aims to support all things Geelong. We want to provide a place where all NotFor-Profits (NFP), schools, sporting groups and other like organisations can share their news in one place. For instance, submitting up-and-coming events in the Find Geelong for Free.

We do not proclaim to be another newspaper and we will not be aiming to compete with other news outlets. You can obtain your news from other sources. We feel you get enough of this already. We will keep our news topics to a minimum and only provide what we feel is most relevant topics to you each month.

We invite local council and the current council members to participate by submitting information each month so as to keep us informed of any changes that may be of relevance to us, their local constituents.

We will also try and showcase different organisations throughout the year so you, the reader, can learn more about what is on offer in your local area.

To help support the paper, we invite local businesses owners to sponsor the paper and in return we will provide exclusive advertising and opportunities to submit articles about their businesses. As a community we encourage you to support these businesses/columnists. Without their support, we would not be able to provide this community paper to you.

Lastly, we want to ask you, the local community, to support the fundraising initiatives that we will be developing

and rolling out over the coming years. Our aim is to help as many NFP and other like organisations to raise much needed funds to help them to keep operating. Our fundraising initiatives will never simply ask for money from you. We will also aim to provide something of worth to you before you part with your hard-earned money. The first initiative is the Find Cards and Find Coupons – similar to the Entertainment Book but cheaper and more localised. Any NFP and similar organisations e.g., schools, sporting clubs, can participate.

Follow us on facebook (https://www. facebook.com/findgeelong) so you keep up to date with what we are doing.

We value your support, The Find Geelong Team.

ALL THINGS GEELONG

Readers are advised that the Find Geelong

responsibility

financial, health

other

published in advertising or in articles written in this newspaper. All comments are of a general nature and do not take into account your personal financial situation, health and/or wellbeing. We recommend you seek professional advice before acting on anything written herein.

floating Christmas tree

Geelong’s stunning floating Christmas Tree has generated a lot of controversies right from the original concept of the project. The tree was chosen from a selection of proposals from designers and architects. Standing at 25 metres the tree is covered with 11,000 reflective metallic discs that look stunning in daylight and at night when it is lit with an array of colours from large light projectors situated at the base of the structure. The tree also contains huge stars that are backlit with some LED technology.

Originally budgeted to cost around a million dollars to build, erect and maintain over five years. The plan also included making the structure taller each year but severe cost blowouts, council infighting and problems with contracts nearly threatened its 2015 display and kept the tree at the original 25 metres, at least for the 2015 season, budgeted at $330,000.

The tree is moored on a special barge in the middle of Steampacket Quay. Every

night a synchronized music and light show delights thousands of visitors.

The programable lighting effects were even modified to show blue, white and red as a tribute to Paris after their terrorist attacks, making for a stunning and moving sight.

The tree is also the focal point for Geelong’s New Year’s Eve fireworks, where thousands flock to see it in front of a spectacular backdrop of colour.

We’ve also received worldwide attention, appearing in many news and current affairs stories around the world... but how lucky are we, it’s at our doorstep!

Like last year, you can visit the tree nightly from 8.30pm til midnight and enjoy the amazing Sound and Light Shows. The shows are approximately 6 minutes in length and play every 15 minutes.

And for those who don’t want to be out after dark, there’s a new weekly early evening show.

The family-friendly show can be viewed throughout December, every Saturday, up to Christmas Day. Running from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

Article adapted from ‘Intown’ and COGG information

What a wonderful year it has been for Geelong.

The highlight for me was seeing the Cats win the 2022 AFL grand final – a fine achievement from a team which has been so close to accomplishing the ultimate prize in football for so long and yet never lost sight of its goal.

It was wonderful to see so many people across the city boosted by that result.

At Council, we have achieved so much, and still have much to accomplish.

We have begun work on multiple major projects, including the Northern Aquatic Community Hub, a development that is set to transform the lives of tens of thousands of people in our northern suburbs.

This is part of our $206.5 million capital works program that will encourage further private investment and deliver the infrastructure that the region’s growing population needs.

Geelong Column

To my fellow Councillors, I say thank you for your shared vision of what we can achieve in our region in the coming years.

I look forward to leading the City into 2023 and beyond as we continue with our mission to make Geelong the best it can possibly be.

I want to take this opportunity to pay special tribute to the staff at the City of Greater Geelong for the tireless ongoing work in managing our flood recovery efforts.

The City has prioritised the repair of flood-damaged roads, footpaths and shared paths, with more than 1200 potholes filled since mid-October and repairs carried out to severely damaged unsealed roads.

It is an incredible effort, and I am so grateful for your dedication to the job.

And finally to you, the residents of Greater Geelong.

This has been one of the most challenging periods.

Following two years of Covid-related restrictions, we have bounced back with stunning resilience.

Our visitor economy is back to pre-COVID levels, and there is a real buzz with our events calendar again full of quality and quantity.

I want to thank you for your patience and understanding while our team continues to do everything it can to return flood-affected areas to normal.

I am so proud of the strength the people of this city have shown during this difficult time.

Enjoy the coming weeks spent with family and friends and have a very Merry Christmas.

Stay safe, and I look forward to seeing you all and speaking to you again in 2023.

by Mayor Trent Sullivan

Guide Dog Pups the Paw-fect Christmas Gift

A few lucky Victorians could help give people with low vision and blindness a life-changing Christmas gift by becoming volunteer puppy raisers.

Guide Dogs Victoria is on the hunt for up to 20 people across the state – including in Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Geelong – to sign up to care for the young dogs ahead of the new year.

Volunteers get to watch their pups grow over 12 months as they start going through training with full support from Guide Dogs Victoria.

Puppy raisers need to have a fully fenced yard and access to a car, and be able to go to training days in their local area.

They must be away from home for no more than four hours at a time, puppy development team leader Naomi Wallace said.

“We are looking for people that are home most of the time, who are interested in putting effort into training and socialising the dog,” she said.

“What you will get in return is a fantastic experience.”

Volunteers will have a dedicated puppy development adviser on-hand and Guide Dogs Victoria will also supply food, veterinary care, and flea and tick prevention for the dogs.

Guide Dogs provides people with low vision and blindness the service animals at no cost.

It takes more than two years and $50,000 to breed, raise, and train each dog.

Cassandra Morgan (Australian Associated Press)

Tuning into our senses is an important way to disconnect from the fast pace of modern life

NATURE

By Kayte Kitchen

Over 5 publications we will be running a series of sensory experiences in nature.

Each experience will take about 10 mins and you are encouraged to read through the instructions before you commence your time in nature to maximise your experience.

Find a spot outside where you can sit or lie down comfortably. This could be in your backyard, your local reserve or in a national park.

Take a few moments to regulate your breathing and settle into your position.

Notice the pathway of your breath into and out of your body.

Can you feel the air passing over your tongue, through your nostrils, down into your lungs.

Can you feel your chest rising and falling, your diaphragm expanding or your abdomen moving? Notice the pathway in and then follow the pathway back out again. Choose one place to focus on and continue to breathe naturally as you focus on that part of your body.

Hold your focus on your breath for a few minutes.

If you are comfortable, shut your eyes. If not, focus on a spot down in front of you.

• For the next 5 mins, tune in to what you can feel with your body.

• Feel where and how your body makes contact with the ground.

• Is it evenly placed on both sides of your body?

• Can you feel a breeze on your skin? Where?

• What direction is it coming from?

• Can you feel the warmth of the sunshine on your body? Where?

• What direction is it coming from? How does your skin feel in response to it?

• Where do you feel the material of your clothes making contact with your body?

• Can you feel moisture in the air?

If your mind gets distracted, just draw your thoughts and attention back to what you are feeling.

Try to stay focused on the exercise and enjoy the experience of tuning into your sense of feeling.

When you choose to complete your experience, you may wish to take a moment of gratitude for nature and for the experience you have just had.

Kayte Kitchen is the founder of Admirari Nature Therapy who provide nature experiences for schools, business and individuals. For more information visit admirari.com.au

Tips for Meaningful Christmas Experiences With Family and Friends 5

Christmas is a well-loved holiday people look forward to, but it’s also a time when there seem to be endless to-do lists, presents to buy, and parties to attend. In the end, most of us are left feeling worn out and even relieved that Christmas is finally over. Do you feel the same?

Well, you’ll be glad to learn that Christmas doesn’t have to be this way.

So, take a time to sit down and read about these five simple ideas to make meaningful Christmas experiences with your family and friends before you get carried away by holiday to-do lists and activities.

1. Be selective about events. Plan your Christmas get-togethers with family and friends thoughtfully and ahead, accounting for both the horrifying traffic and the nauseating crowds of mall-goers (if gift-giving is involved).

Say no to invites that aren’t required and attend only those events that will deepen the meaning of the season for you and your loved ones.

2. Start new family traditions. Making Christmas more special for your

family can be done by establishing family traditions – especially if you don’t have any. Traditions don’t have to be difficult and can be quite simple.

Here are a few examples of wonderful yet easy-to-keep Christmas traditions:

• Decorate your Christmas tree together as a family.

• Spend a night sleeping together as a family next to the Christmas tree.

• Tell stories while waiting to fall asleep near the Christmas tree.

• Make cookies or brownies and distribute them to friends, family, and neighbours.

• Volunteer together and assist in a soup kitchen distributing food during the holiday season.

3. Put a lot of thought into your gifts. Shop for meaningful presents for your loved ones. Remember that haste makes waste, so start early to avoid any lastminute shopping.

If you have time and the skills needed, you can make thoughtfully crafted gifts by hand for your friends and family. Another great and convenient option would be to buy gifts from charities or

NGOs like animal shelters, orphanages, etc.

4. Reconnect with loved ones you haven’t been in touch with.

Contact someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Send a letter to a relative from whom you have been estranged. Talk to a friend you miss yet have lost touch or had a falling out with.

Remember, Christmas is a great time to make amends and renew old, precious connections.

5. Make movie night meaningful. Watching Christmas-themed comedies or inspirational films with friends and family will help you get into the holiday spirit.

Make this an annual Christmas tradition and let it be a time to get you all inspired to do some good in the world.

There’s a long list of things you can do to have a meaningful Christmas, but these five are a great way to start. Happy Christmas!

Tips to Save Money this Christmas

5 Tips to Save Money This Christmas

Christmas always brings with it a certain warmth and cheer, and yet these days, a lot of people are feeling the pinch financially. As Christmas approaches, people consider all the items they need to buy for friends and family. Because of the current economic climate, many people now have less money to spend on the gifts they’re used to giving.

However, if you think about the true spirit of Christmas, you shouldn’t even worry at all. Christmas is a day meant to commemorate Jesus’s birth. It’s also a time to reflect on life, cherish relationships with family and friends, and show gratitude.

This is not to imply that Christmas should not involve giving gifts, decorating your home, and celebrating. All these things help make the holidays enjoyable. Here are some tips to help you save money this Christmas.

1. Budget for everything and commit to it

Planning is key to budgeting, whether it’s for Christmas or every day. Know exactly what you can and can’t afford, so allocate what’s reasonable for gifts, Christmas dinner, etc. As much as possible, avoid getting into debt by insisting on doing what you’ve always done every Christmas: overspending.

2. Send personalised messages instead of gifts

A personalised message or Christmas card can often mean more to someone than a store-bought present since it demonstrates how much thought you put into writing them.

In this age of e-greetings and SMS, sending a Christmas message or card can also mean so much to the recipient. If you can, buy cards in bulk to get even bigger discounts. Just make sure you add a personalised note to each card by hand.

3. Limit gift-giving to the little ones

If you’re used to giving everyone in the family Christmas presents, start a new tradition this year by limiting it to the children in the family. You can hardly be faulted for not giving everyone gifts whilst you keep the kids happy. And what’s family for, right?

4. Have a Kris Kringle or exchange gifts

Rather than purchasing gifts for your entire family or all your friends, opt to hold a Kris Kringle or Secret Santa where everyone can take part. This way, all you need to do is pick one name at random and adopt that person as your Secret Santa. You can then focus your energy and budget on getting that one person

a gift instead of worrying about how much you’ll have to spend on gifts for so many people.

5. Reduce, reuse and recycle

You can reduce your holiday spending by making a conscious choice to reduce spending where you can. For example, instead of buying gift wrapping paper, use old newspapers or paper bags and just tape them up or tie them with ribbons or jute. After all, it’s what’s inside that matters.

Also, there’s no need to have new Christmas décor every year. Feel free to reuse last year’s and have a festivelooking home.

Christmas is not about who spends and gives the most. It’s a season for love, gratitude, and genuine happiness.

Save yourself some money and keep the spirit of the season alive by following the above tips.

If this article has inspired you to think about your own unique situation and, more importantly, what you and your family are going through right now, please contact your advice professional.

(Feedsy Exclusive)

SMSF Funds face Crypto issues in the face of the FTX collapse

By Warren Strybosch

The FTX collapse is creating significant issues for SMSF trustees as they try to obtain valuations for lost assets and calculate the CGT payable on previously held Crypto.

FTX was a Crypto exchange platform founded by Sam Bankman-Fried. Most of his wealth, which peaked at an estimated $26.5 billion, was tied up in ownership of about half of FTX and a share of its FTT tokens.

In November 2022, FTX faced a liquidity crises. Rival exchange Binance considered buying portions of the company but after some due diligence, quickly pulled out of the purchase.

Soon after Binance pulled out there followed some tweets regarding FTX and questions about some missing billions that had disappeared from the exchange – keep in mind the exchange was to manage other people’s money and was not meant to be used to prop up other companies. Apparently, this is what happened. Funds were taken from FTX and used to prop up a fund manager that had lost millions and was looking to collapse. Unfortunately, even with the funds taken from FTX the fund manager collapse and the funds taken from FTX disappeared overnight. Millions of investors lost their crypto investments overnight; the whole exchanged just closed. It is estimated that 30,000 Australians have been impacted by the closure of FTX.

A key accusation leveled against Bankman-Fried is that he used customer funds from his crypto exchange to fund risky bets at affiliate trading arm Alameda Research.

With the closure of FTX many SMSF investors who had money invested in Crypto on the FTX can longer download any data or transactions from the FTX exchange. The site is blocked and any trustees trying to obtain information regarding their Crypto assets that were previously held on the FTX exchange are going to find it rather difficult.

We’re currently in the middle of the financial year and we have already spoken to client’s whom we know have been using FTX to try and see if they can obtain any information regarding their trading prior to the closure. It is a responsibility of SMSF Trustees to keep accurate records of all investments held in a SMSF so, if they cannot obtain these records then they could be facing a potential breach and at this point in time we are not sure what the auditors or ATO are going to do about it.

We are hoping some clients were using software that tracked their individual trades up until the FTX collapse. Alternatively, those clients who did not use external tracking software might have to go through individual emails and try to recreate their record – basically, it is going to be a mess for accountants and auditors where FTX is involved.

For funds or investors that have lost assets or who currently have crypto assets frozen, the ATO has given some

limited guidance on their community pages.

That ATO has stated that Cryptocurrency is a capital gains tax (CGT) asset and if it looks like a C2 event which effectively means that as long as there’s no chance of reclaiming that asset, that it is really lost, then you can potentially claim it as a capital loss. So you may be able to write off those losses as a capital loss. It is likely we are going to see a lot of losses across several SMSF for the 2023 financial year.

There is some discussion on ATO Community Forums that it would not be considered a G3 event which relates to liquidation of shares and where you generally have to wait for the liquidation notice. Which, if this is the case, will be a relief for investors, trustees, accountants and auditors alike.

If you are going to invest in Crypto,we strongly suggest using external software outside of the exchange that captures each trade and to run these reports regularly throughout the year.

You can call them on 1300 88 38 30 or email info@findaccountant.com.au www.findaccountant.com.au

ACCOUNTANT

Warren Strybosch

LEADERS RESILIENCE COACH

By Sally Higoe

Have you ever noticed how some people tend to cause pin-drop silence when entering a room? These people seem to “own the room” even without having to say anything; everyone senses that it is a leader.

In a leadership role, you want to exhume that type of confidence in people around you and earn their respect. But let us face it. You will not always feel confident. Some days you are at the top of the world; others, you hide behind curtains.

Taking on the leadership position in any job appears to be the simplest part of the job. Well, it is not. Every leader needs to appear confident and communicative, all without having to stamp their authority on their subjects.

It is an understatement to say that most leaders’ experiences can be bruising. It can be anything, from responses of disgruntled staff, unruly subjects, or complicated conflicts to solve, all of which lead to a downward mental spiral and consequently to a blow in confidence.

Leadership success correlates much more closely to high confidence than competence.

A concrete place to start, especially when you’ve just gotten into a leadership role, is by exercising the “imposter syndrome.” Although it is not the best name for something relating to a leader, it is an effective measure. Walk and talk with confidence until you feel confident. Start by emulating someone you think oozes confidence. Act like you deserve to be in that role, and own it. Unless you are terrible at faking, your actions and body language will sell you out as a confident leader. You will eventually start believing in yourself and become it.

Be More Self-Aware

While at it, become more aware of your body language.

For example, when your body releases stress hormones, they lower your mood and sour interactions with those around you. Even when emotions are slightly slumped or you feel at ease, your body sends an external message of a knock in confidence. By understanding your body language, you can balance out your internal chemistry with how it affects your confidence.

Confidence does not only come from wanting to be it. Part of it is from the satisfaction of getting things done. Confidence is built on accomplishment. The secret is to make priority lists and manage time properly. You can do that in these ways.

• Give your team the guidance they need.

• Set achievable targets.

• Avoid procrastination.

• Follow a system.

• Own your responsibilities.

• Focus on your strengths when executing plans.

• Deal with one activity at a time.

Your to-do list will never be blank. But if you ever find yourself wishing for more hours in a day, that’s a good sign that you got lost in your planning... time to readjust. Better planning reflects on the quality of the execution, and that will consequently build on your confidence.

Just like a yawn, confidence is infectious. This is a scientific fact enabled by mirror neurons in the brain. According to neuroscientist Margaret Steward, the brain likens self-efficacy to selfconfidence. Confidence does affect not only your behaviour, but also that of the people around you. The behaviour of the people around you can also bring doubt.

Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

Surround yourself with confident people. Your cheerleaders are a positive influence but sometimes also unhealthy, as they support your poor and good decisions. People with confident personalities can be people you trust, fellow leaders, or mentors. Limit relations with people who bring down your confidence but learn to discern the difference between healthy critics and negative people.

However, your confidence will not always be at a hundred, even as a great leader. Learn how to balance out your dull days with some laughter and playfulness. In challenging situations, this helps put things into perspective.

However, your confidence will not always be at a hundred, even as a great leader. Learn how to balance out your dull days with some laughter and playfulness.

In challenging situations, this helps put things into perspective.

With a clean and healthy perspective, you can diffuse things easily, develop creative and collaborative solutions, and keep difficult situations under control. This fuels positive relationships with your team as they feed off the positive energy, impacting your confidence.

A leader’s self-confidence will mostly impact their instincts, communication abilities, and motivation before they do others.

Remember, your team relies on your confidence to take on risks and carve a path for your staff to follow.

I work with clients to help them become Emotionally Fit. In a nutshell, this helps

leaders to deal better with uncertainty, allowing them to be more confident and clear in both themselves and the direction they’ll take. If this is something that you’d like to know more about, please email me and we’ll make time to chat.

Financial Reports for Not for Profits

A larger group such as a Surf Life Saving Club will shop multiple areas of Revenue; expenses related to the Revenue will show as Cost of Sales rather than expenses. They will have large Fixed Assets registers cataloguing all their equipment that will be depreciated from year to year.

Above I mentioned cash and cheques. In today’s post COVID world we see a lot less cash changing hands and cheques were well and truly losing favour with the ability to move funds around via internet banking.

By Mary-Clare Switz

Not for Profits (NFP) come in a range of types, sizes and purposes including, sporting groups, scouts, environmental protection societies, churches, surf lifesaving clubs. All will have money flowing in and out requiring good financial record keeping. Requirements to lodge income tax returns, lodgement of financials, lodgement of Business Activity Statements, or requirement to be audited will depend on the type of NFP, the status of the NFP and the size of the NFP. Follow this link for the ATO’s Tax basics for non-profit organisations.

In general, no matter the size or format of the NFP, they will need to keep up to date financial records that may be accessed by their membership, reported to their Committee of Management and potentially lodged with a relevant body. In the dim dark past financials were commonly kept in handwritten ledger books, receipts were written by hand and cash & cheques were the only way to receive or pay out money.

Today we have easy access to good online accounting software such as Xero or Quickbooks Online. These make it easy for a NFP to keep their financials up to date as well as prepare current financial reports. We strongly recommend that if a NFP is looking to move their bookkeeping online that they seek the assistance of a Registered Bookkeeper/BAS Agent to guide them through the setup process.

It is generally accepted that at a Committee Meeting the Treasurer presents a set of financial reports. If the Committee meets monthly, the reporting period is monthly. If the Committee meets quarterly, then the reporting period is quarterly.

The basic reports to include are:

• Profit & Loss – which represents the income and expenses for the reporting period (ie the previous month or quarter) and for the period beginning at NFP’s financial year to the end of the reporting period

• Balance Sheets – which represents the value of assets and liabilities on the last day of the reporting period

• Bank Account Statements – covering the period and showing the ending balance for the period

• Bank Account Reconciliations –showing that the bookkeeping ledger has been reconciled to the bank statement at the end of the reporting period. This will also show any deposits that have not yet made it into the bank, or any payments that have not yet left the bank (usually checks that have not cleared)

• Transaction Ledger – a report showing ALL transactions that have occurred in the reporting period

• Cash Flow Statement – a report that summarises the flow of cash in and out of the bank accounts for the reporting period

For simple and small NFPs, the Profit & Loss and Balance Sheets will be relatively simple and will be unlikely to show much in the way of fixed assets or loan liabilities. Larger and more complicated NFPs will have detailed financials.

For example, a small arts group that has incorporated to benefit its members will be unlikely to own any major equipment or borrow funds to purchase large expenses. Their Profit & Loss will simply show the Revenue in and the Expenses out, and the Balance Sheet showing the balance of the bank accounts, accounts payable & accounts receivable.

Removing cash from NFPs helps to prevent fraud as well as save enormous amount of time. We recommend sporting clubs to take on a service such as Square for their face-to-face sales needs (canteen, uniform, events). The initial equipment cost is affordable, and the benefits include not having cash lying around the club rooms, or in someone’s car, or in their house; quick receipt of funds into the bank account rather than waiting for someone to deposit the cash; reduced volunteer time investment (no counting of cash, preparing deposit slips, driving to the bank, changing notes for coins, etc.).

In a recent example we assisted a Pony Club to move to be cashless late last year. An iPad, Square® stand and terminal were bought for just over $1,000. The canteen now runs cashless; all uniforms are purchased via the Square® terminal as well. The benefits have included not worrying about a money float and having the right change; no money to count at the end of the day; and one of the best benefits has been the sales reporting and the ability to see what food items sell best. One of the other interesting effects is that now customers can tap to pay they end up spending more!

One final word about financial reporting. As seen at the Pony Club, the Sales reporting has informed what the club chooses to sell at their canteen, rather than just winging it like they used to do pre-Square. Financials are incredibly important for Committees of Management to be able to truly track their financial performance, manage the highs and lows (remember COVID times?) and understand where their money is going, be able to budget ahead as well as set annual membership fees that cover the budget.

BOOKKEEPER

How can not having a social media or website presence impact or hurt your business?

- How video can help!

VIDEO PRODUCTION

By Allison Groot

Coming into the new year it is a really good idea to be thinking about your business and how it looks to the outside world. If you have little to no online presence this should be at the top of your list to focus on.

Here are some hard truths….

The world is changing rapidly and if you do not have a social media or website presence these days you are losing out on a lot of potential clients and business.

Hootsuite recently put out some facts and figures to help us understand what the current usage for social media and online viewing is:

• 4.62 billion people use social media every day

• The average time spent on social media platforms daily is 2.5hrs (up1.4% from last year)

• 94% of Internet use is for social media

These are staggering numbers and they are just getting bigger.

One of the biggest downfalls of not having a social or online presence is negative feedback. Your business will suffer bad comments and criticism even if you have the best products or services.

The most common way for people in the digital world to leave feedback is by doing a google review or leaving a Facebook comment. These comments can be responded to quickly with positive results if you have an online presence.

If you don’t have social media or a website negative feedback will be discussed publicly through word-ofmouth. This can be more harmful to your business than anything else.

As social media platforms become part of our everyday lives this should also be the approach we take for our businesses. There are some amazing tools and software programs out there that can help you set up your website and social pages plus there are talented people who can help you do all that if you are time-poor. Also, If you are not tech-savvy then hire a contractor or freelancer to do it all for you.

This is where video can help…

You are the subject matter expert, so start to film yourself talking about your products or services. Offer advice or tips, and even do some “how to use” videos for people to connect with. They don’t need to be salesy, just informative.

Film them on your phone or hire a videographer to come into your business and film a bulk amount of videos. These can then be scheduled through Meta Business Suite (Facebook) once or twice a week.

By implementing a social media or an online presence and making video content you will start to see better engagement with your products and services, higher return on investment (ROI), and greater visibility for your business, plus you will gain a direct connection to your customers which in turn will increase your income. This is a win-win for your business.

For all, your video and social media needs including website builds and setting up your social media platforms or film of content call Allison on 0403899697 or visit yestodaymedia.com.au and fill in the contact form.

How To Increase Traffic Flow To Your Business

3. STAFF

By Deb Fribbins

In Australia today there is a mentality of store owners that customers or clients will only buy good that have a discount on the purchase.

There is a growing number of customers that believe if there is a big discount, then that is a result of 1 of 2 scenario’s

1. There is stock left over and they want to get rid of it because it is not very good.

2. The original price was horrendously overstated.

Either way the offer is not value for money. The internet has given access to us all to check prices readily.

Answer this question are you an entrepreneur or a manager

Training and industry knowledge is important that they can support the consumers’ needs where applicable offer a substitute that will see increased basket size for you.

4. BUNDLES

Addons to give added value can be in the form of after sales service, set up in home, dressmaking changes as applicable to your business.

5. EVOLUTION

of display, both within the store and with your online presence. Make your products make a statement that cannot be refused Not a bigger discount but a better assortment of associated goods, to enable you to become the major destination for your product offer.

Trial new products regularly to keep them coming back to your differentiators form your competitors.

To attract online business offer products exclusive to online This can be a great way to trial new products and keep your offer fresh, effective and inviting.

2. EXCLUSIVITY

Of product from the supplier to give you something your competitors don’t have. This could be a new product to the markets. A Gift with purchase, a bundle of goods showing a saving at a higher initial cost.

With the product offer right you need to let the customer know, who you are and what you offer. Not through reducing prices but by creating the right environment for them to shop on

Create Theatre in the store and on your web site. This will create a level of interest that will draw consumers back to see what is new and different in your business regularly.

Decorating your windows with amazing themes adds to the theatre and curiosity. Follow this through with your marketing and instore displays. Constantly changing your windows, your online presence and your displays will engage your customers to look for new initiatives that will evoke an interest to discover more and continue to come back for the next instalment.

Setting stream of draw cards to the back of the store will entice them to look at other items you have on offer. Put your markdown rack / table at the back of the3 store not up front.

Where possible a lost leader is a great way to capture the attention of customers to explore others in your store and online. Looking for more bargains.

Keep your marketing signage and advertising emotive to pull on your client’s heart strings where possible. Recurring customers do not like to be manipulated: they love to be inspired to want the best intown. Up with the latest trends

Alvin Toffler was way ahead of his time when he said:

It is time to look at what you have learned – what you need to let go of(unlearn) –and what you can learn from today’s discerning customers

1. Be first to market

2. Know what is on trend

3. Have profitable lost leaders

4. Have an irresistible offer they can’t go past

5. A store and window display that entices customers through the door so they don’t miss out.

If you are not sure how to do that in your business ring Deb Fribbins on 05400524451 or make an appointment at https://calendly.com/deb-fribbins/ strategy-session and let us explore your options together.

BUSINESS COACH

What Things Can You Salary Package?

By Dan Nicholls

One of the questions we are most frequently asked is “What Can I Salary Package” and happily, the answer is most of your daily expenditures. This does depend on the tax status of your employer. Salary packaging is designed to help you save money when paying bills and expenses, and allows you to enjoy more of your after-tax income.

While there are caps and limitations, the best way to understand how much you can salary package is to talk to your employer or salary packaging provider.

What are the five most common things that are salary packaged?

1. Cars

Irrespective of your employer’s tax status, you can Salary Package a car by having a novated lease, whether it is for a new, demo or used car (even if you currently own one). The lease is an agreement between you, your employer and a selected finance company to cover the repayments and costs of running the car with pre-tax income.

It is a win-win for employees and employers because your lease payments are based on the GST exclusive price of the car. Also, any GST paid on the car running costs during your novated lease is able to be claimed by your employer and credited back to your lease account. They are also hassle-free finance arrangements as most of the paperwork is completed by your nominated salary packaging company and employer.

2. Superannuation

Super is one of the first things employees consider with salary packaging. It can boost your retirement fund with pre-tax income and you pay less tax on your take-home pay. The only applicable tax is the 15% contributions tax, payable by your Super fund, as it is considered another employer contribution.

In addition, you may be able to receive 12.5% super contributions in your aftertax salary but these contributions may be slightly less because your taxable

3. Meals and Entertainment

If you enjoy nights out, nice dinners at restaurants and holidays, you’ll love salary packaging. Depending on your employer’s tax status, you can claim up to $2650 each Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) year for meals, entertainment and travel.

There are two ways you can claim meals and entertainment:

• Using a Salary Packaging Meal and Entertainment Card that is preloaded with funds.

• Manually claiming it from your salary packaging provider using itemised receipts and tax invoices.

This process applies to every legitimate salary packaging provider, so we recommend making the most out of this benefit.

4. Remote Area Housing Benefits

If you are lucky enough to live and work in one of Australia’s remote areas, you may be entitled to some benefits that those who live and/or work in capital cities and large towns are not.

Some of the things you can salary package include 50% of your mortgage interest or 50% of your private rent, 50% of your fuel costs (Gas, Electricity, Firewood, etc.), relocation expenses, travel expenses to and from a capital city in Australia and property purchase expenses.

Your salary packaging provider should be able to provide you with all the relevant information on this topic.

5. Your Mortgage, Personal Loans or Credit Cards

If you have access to salary packaging and depending on your employer’s tax status, you can choose to use it towards your mortgage or personal loans or credit card repayments.

There are many benefits in choosing to pay your loans with salary packaging. You may be able to afford higher repayment amounts and therefore reduce the loan term. This alone could save you lots of interest. To learn more about salary packaging your mortgage, check out our article

Please remember that with all Salary Packaging arrangements, before you proceed you should obtain your own financial advice independent of your salary packaging provider.

How do I get started with Salary Packaging?

If you are considering salary packaging or want to know more about how it works, fell free to call us here at The Salary Packaging People and speak with one of our friendly team members on 03 5229 4200 or send us a message online

Dan Nicholls

Salary Packaging Services

03 5229 4200

dan@salarypackagingpeople.com.au

6 paint touch-up jobs for summer

By Steve Dahllof

Christmas will soon be upon us and who wants to spend valuable holiday time with household chores? December is a great time to refresh your home. With the weather getting warmer, you can spruce up your home for outdoor entertaining or resale with a few quick and easy paint jobs over the following weekends.

1. Engaging entryway

If you have a timber front door, give it a refresh with a new coat or go wild with a completely new look. Red, cobalt blue and emerald green tones make definite statements and are colours that invite guests inside. Don’t forget the doorframes. These need a coat of paint for protection as well as aesthetics.

With primer, paint, brushes and sandpaper, you could have this done and dried in a few hours.

2. Good-looking garage door

If your garage door faces the street, it accounts for a large area of the appearance of your home. Does it look clean or a bit rundown? Both timber and metal garage doors can benefit from a lick of paint. Elegant and minimal or bold and beautiful, a new coat of paint on the door will add to the street appeal of your home.

3. Gorgeous garden

How many timber and metal surfaces do you see around your garden? A splash of colour is a great way to keep your garden bright and colourful in the months where plants aren’t flowering or the weather is overcast.

Planter boxes, fences, retaining walls and wall hangings are available for your creative flair. Imagine how a splash of yellow or orange could brighten up a dark corner or a dull brick wall. The vegetables may look boring but the box they’re planted in could make this the most attractive part of the garden if it were painted in festive green or red.

This is a fun project that can be done in stages anytime, each part taking no more than half-an-hour.

4. Desirable decking

Oiling your decking is something that should be done at least once a year to protect the timber from rain and consequent water rot. If your decking is painted, the paint will have started to shred after a year so painting it annually is also a must.

Choose a dry day with no wind. Cover and tape down surrounding surfaces like paths and walls with plastic sheeting. Sweep and soap the deck surfaces. Pour the oil or paint into a tray and spread evenly across the decks with a roller. If painting, choose a brand that is suitable for high traffic areas and outdoors. Make sure you oil and paint in a direction that leaves you room to get indoors without stepping on the wet surface.

5. Wonderful windows

For beauty and protection, exterior window frames need painting at least once every seven years. But the windows can be thought of as the eyes of a house. Repainting your window frames can give the appearance of your home a lift, along with other window features such as shutters. Try matching the colour of your doorframes and garage door, or a contrasting shade that

will give a subtle distinction to your home. Choosing to paint everything in the same tones can also produce a great effect.

6. Fabulous outdoor furniture

Oil and paint your outdoor timber furniture for the same reasons as you do your decking. However, with garden furniture you can have much more fun with colours. Benches can be decorated in one colour, striped, with motifs. Let your imagination run wild or paint it in greens and browns to blend in with the surround foliage.

Put each item of furniture on a sheet outside, sand back, paint with primer and off you go. This is an activity which your kids can do with your guidance, lightening your workload, teaching them a new skill and at the same time giving them something fun and practical to do.

These six small jobs can make a difference to your home and lift your spirits.

For all painting and colour advice, contact Dahllof Painting Services at sjd67@bigpond.net.au. We will be happy to answer all your inquiries.

Steve Dahllof

HEATING AND COOLING

By Stacey Dalton

We are very excited to be working as a preferred installer with The Victorian Government to help Victorian households improve their thermal comfort.

By offering rebates to upgrade gas, electric, and wood heaters with energyefficient reverse-cycle air conditioners, low-income, and vulnerable households can also benefit from the advances in AC technology and thermal comfort.

While we naturally regulate our body temperature, thermal comfort depends on several environmental factors. For most people the recommended temperature to achieve thermal comfort varies from 20 ºC to 26 ºC.

A reverse-cycle air conditioner is one of the most cost-effective and energyefficient ways to provide heating and cooling for your home in one system, for year-round thermal comfort.

The are 3 Major Upgrade Programs.

• Upgrades for Owner Occupiers

• Upgrades for Rental Properties

• Upgrades for Community Housing

Don’t worry if you don’t know which systems are the most cost-effective, energy efficient. We have a list of units the government has approved for the programs and we have highlighted them for you on our website. If you want to investigate the different systems, we have brochures attached for your convenience.

https://splitsystemgeelong.com.au/

Precision Split System

2.5KW - starting from $2050.00 exc GST. Fully Delivered & Installed - Govt Rebate applicable!

splitsystemgeelong.com.au

All YOU need to do is find out if you’re eligible for the $1,000 rebate. It’s very easy to apply and generally can receive a token within an hour of the application process. Once you have your token, simply call or email as:

Heating and Cooling

Precision Plumbing, Heating and Cooling 52210052 info@precisionac.com.au www.precisionplumbing.com

Stacey Dalton

DO YOU HAVE A VALID WILL?

then contact our compassionate team at Van Beveren Lawyers.

By John Van Beveren

As difficult as it is to think about, we don’t want to leave the hard decisions to our families when they are grieving or suffering with our passing. Having a valid and accurate Will in place will alleviate a lot of the unnecessary concerns for the loved ones that we leave behind.

A valid and effective Will is one that is tailored completely to you and your family needs that ensures the protection of your assets so that they pass to the beneficiaries that you intend.

If you do not have a Will, you have not activated your right to say who receives your property after you die and your assets may end up with those people (such as an ex-spouse) that you did not want to receive a benefit.

The absence of a Will may cause expensive and time-consuming court proceedings and creates the serious potential for family disputes; all of which could have been avoided with a valid Will.

At Van Beveren Lawyers we can help determine when and whether your Will should be updated. If you need to review your Will and want professional advice,

The risks of using the Do-it-yourself Will Kits

An invalid Will can cause significant legal headaches, potentially costing your estate thousands of dollars.

Many people choose do-it-yourself Will kits to make their Wills at a fraction of the cost of engaging a lawyer. Often, they believe it’s a simple task of filling in the blanks and signing on the dotted line. But Victorian testamentary laws require that even the smallest details are correct, otherwise there’s a risk that the Will is invalid.

A recent Queensland Supreme Court case is a perfect example. In this case, a husband a wife had both made Wills using Post Office Will Kits. The Court refused to recognise these documents as valid Wills because the document was not properly signed and witnessed, and it was unclear as to what property was to be gifted to whom. Even though the Court was satisfied that there was an intention to make a Will, the terms of the document was too unclear to determine the testator’s intentions.

To ensure your intentions are properly reflected, you should resist the temptation to opt for a Will Kit and have your Will drafted by an experienced Solicitor.

In the recent words

“there is no question but that engaging the services of a properly qualified and experienced lawyer to draft a Will is money well spent”.

Circumstances that invalidate a Will

Some of the difference ways where an invalid Will can happen are:

• It was not the last will made by the deceased

• The will presented to the court had been revoked

• The deceased lacked the mental capacity to make a will

• The deceased did not understand the will (for example, the testator did not understand English

• Someone else used undue influence or pressure to force the testator to make the will

• The signature on the will has been forged or there has been some other fraud - you must make it of your own free choice.

• It’s not clear what property the willmaker intended to give away

• The will is not correctly signed or witnessed

A Will may also become invalid based on major life events that occur during or after completing a Will:

of Judge Sanderson of the Supreme Court of Western Australia,

LAWYERS

Marriage

If you make a Will and then get married, your marriage can invalidate your Will. However, some specific drafting can avoid this issue. You will need to seek help from a Wills and Estates lawyer if you wish to make a Will before your marriage.

Divorce

If you divorce after making your Will, any terms of your Will that refer to your former spouse may be invalid.

Beneficiaries

If you ask one of your beneficiaries to prepare your Will, it could be invalid if the Court may assume the Will was made in suspicious circumstances.

Or if the beneficiaries listed predecease you and you did not update your Will, your new wishes will not be properly reflected.

Incapacity

If a Will-maker suffers from a cognitive issue, they may not have the testamentary capacity to make the Will. This means they do not understand what they’re doing or fully understand the effect of making the Will.

If there’s no proof of the Will maker’s capacity to make a Will (such as a lawyer’s file notes and a doctor’s report), it may be invalid.

In a landmark 1870 legal case, a Court was asked to decide whether the Willmaker lacked the capacity to make his Will. It was argued that he was insane and that he made his Will because he believed evil spirits were haunting him. However, the Court found that it was rational for him to leave his estate to his

niece as his only surviving relative. This case laid the foundation for the test of testamentary capacity. The Will-maker must:

• Understand the effect of the Will

• Understand what they are giving away under the Will

• Understand who they may have a responsibility to provide for under the Will

• Not have any cognitive issue which would create a testamentary incapacity.

Assets

If you give away assets in your Will that don’t belong to you; or are jointly held with someone else; or cannot be given in a Will according to Victorian laws, your Will may be invalid.

The way in which assets are held can significantly impact the way a Will should be drafted. A thorough analysis of circumstances is necessary. It may be determined that a particular asset can’t be given under a Will because of the type of interest the Will-maker has in it. Examples include an asset held by a family trust, superannuation, or a family home jointly owned by the Willmaker and another person. This issue commonly arises when a Will-maker has made a do-it-yourself Will rather than seeking legal help.

What happens to a deceased estate if the Will is invalid?

If you have an invalid Will, it doesn’t legally exist according to Victorian laws. This means that your estate will be treated as if there was no Will (in other words, as if you died intestate). Intestacy laws will then dictate how your estate is distributed to particular beneficiaries. Your wishes about how the estate should be divided could be ignored.

How do I avoid invalidity issues?

The easiest and most effective way to avoid invalidity issues is to seek legal help from an experienced Wills and Estates lawyer. While a Will kit will initially save you a few hundred dollars, making a Will without proper legal advice could ultimately cost your estate thousands of dollars. It could also cause disputes and significant stress to your loved ones. For example, they may be forced to apply to a Court to make decisions about how to interpret your Will; or decide whether any parts of the Will are valid; or try and protect their rights.

When would I need to review and change my Will?

You should review your Will every 2-3 years and change it after any major life event occurring. After a major life event your Will may become invalid or it may no longer reflect your wishes. Life events include getting married or divorced, having children, buying or selling property, starting a business or the death of a named executor or beneficiary.

At Van Beveren Lawyers we can help determine when and whether your Will should be updated. If you need to review your Will and want professional advice, then contact our compassionate team at Van Beveren Lawyers.

We understand that dealing with the estate of a loved one is one of the most difficult challenges in life. We can help you in ensuring that their intentions are carried out so that they are remembered the way they intended. We can assist in a full range of Probate legal matters, including advising and executing a Will, applying for Probate and Letters of Administration, as well as distributing and managing the Estate. Contact us for an initial consultation.

JOHN VAN BEVEREN

Emotional Connections are Built through Branding and Signage

• A monument sign is a perfect solution when you are looking to attract passing motorists. They are made using quality materials making them resistant to termites, moisture, and up to 180mph winds.

• Does your company offer delivery? We can design and create your company’s car top signs, magnetic signs or vehicle wraps for signage on the go.

• Attract attention day or night with a custom made illuminated sign, neon letters or channel letters.

Our experts are able to create outdoor signage options that will not only make your business stand out from the rest but will ensure that they comply with all local and state ordinances, making branding your company easy and successful.

Indoor Signage

Indoor signage is just as important as outdoor signage when it comes to successful branding. Informing customers of products and services at the point of sale is crucial, and something business owners should not take lightly.

• Promote specials, products and upcoming events with free standing banner stands, or utilize durable fabric banners.

SIGNWRITER

By Tim Knott

Sixty-four percent of consumers build relationships with brands based on shared values. We have gathered some tips on how to improve your branding and communicate your company’s brand values with indoor and outdoor signage. Properly branding your company means clearly explaining your purpose, goals and the unique qualities that set your brand apart from your competition. Emotionally connecting to your target audience is also an important component of branding, as well as creating customer loyalty. Branding your company properly comes down to communicating information regarding your products and services well and

consistently. One way to accomplish this is by incorporating outdoor and indoor signage.

Outdoor Signage

Outdoor signage is crucial to the success of branding any business. Whether it be creating street visibility or informing passers-by of products and services, outdoor signs are designed to establish brand recognition and credibility for countless industries: restaurants, auto repair shops, property management companies, banks, beauty salons, real estate offices, dry cleaners, shopping centers, convenience stores, and countless other varied corporations.

• Strengthen your corporate identity and vastly improve your company’s exposure with the professional presence of a building sign or an engraved sign.

• Digital menu boards are a perfect indoor signage solution for restaurants, cafés or bars who want to be able to update their menu options and make featured products stand out to patrons.

• Don’t waste any opportunity to utilize space creatively. We can help with our custom-made floor mats and floor decals featuring your logo and colors.

Showcasing your business professionally and communicating your brand values is easy to do with the help of the sign experts at Signarama. We offer our clients unlimited custom designs from our large variety of finishes, colors, textures and sizes, and can even design them to match any building style or color.

Easy DIY remedies this summer

NATUROPATH

By Kathryn Messenger

Sunburn, scrapes, bites and stings often go hand in hand with enjoying being out in nature over the summer break. Below are some natural remedies that are supported by research, that you can prepare yourself this summer.

Calendula is part of the marigold family of flowers, and the flowering head can be used medicinally both internally and externally. Externally, both current research and traditional use, show it to aid in wound healing for ulcers, burns (including sunburn), incisions, and insect bites, reducing inflammation and healing time. The best way to prepare calendula is to soak the flower heads in an oil - nut oils are best as they are high in vitamin E which also improves skin healing. After a couple of months, strain the oil and apply it to burns and wounds, this can be used throughout the year. A cooled strong tea made from the flower heads and water can also be used

topically on skin conditions if you have run out of time. If you keep it in the fridge, it will last for a couple of days.

Chamomile is another herb that can be used on the skin, and is more readily available. Once again, the flowering head is used and excellent results are seen when taken internally and externally. When consumed as a tea, it is calming to the digestive system, and externally for wound healing, eye inflammation, as well as for muscular and nerve pain. As with calendula it can be infused into an oil or used topically as a strong tea. For use as an eye bath, only use a cooled tea.

Aloe vera can also be used on skin conditions, and it is so easy to use. Simply break of part of the leaf and squeeze the gel onto wounds, bites, or burns (including sunburn). The gel contains vitamin C and E, as well as zinc, which have all been shown to improve wound healing.

If you suffer from travel sickness, don’t forget ginger. It has antinausea and antiemetic properties, and a recent study specifically on travel sickness found it to greatly improve both nausea

and vomiting. Ginger can be consumed in a number of ways: from a tea, to a slice of fresh ginger, crystalised, glazed, or as a tablet.

A homeopathic first aid kit is an effective way to treat ailments yourself. My kit covers issues from digestion, skin, headaches, respiratory and more. For more details on my kit, go to my website

This advice is general in nature and not intended to be prescriptive. For individualised prescriptive advice, please see a naturopath or other health care practitioner.

BHSc (Naturopathy)

kathryn@wholenaturopathy.com.au

time to spring CLEAN

YOUR FINANCES?

decide to change card companies, you might find one that will give you an interest rate holiday for the first 3–6 months as a reward for switching.

A recent Choice survey found 82% of Australians are concerned about health costs, making it the main household cost concern.ii Your current health insurance plan may be worth reviewing because your family circumstances might have changed since you took out the plan, or the market may have newer, more flexible options providing better value. There are many sites that allow you compare plans, including a Government comparison website www.privatehealth.gov.au.

FINANCIAL PLANNER

By Warren Strybosch

Spring is a time of renewal and regrowth, a time to dust off the cobwebs and let the sunshine in, and it’s also a good time of year to take a look at your finances.

It’s been a challenging year on many fronts and spending a day getting on top of the state of your finances, putting some measures in place to make some savings, could be time well spent.

Try to arrange your financial spring clean on a weekday so you have scope to call banks, credit card issuers, health insurers, and other financial services providers who are easier to contact during office hours. And you will also need all your tools — financial records, current tax return, mortgage, credit card and bank statements — close at hand. Internet access is also important as there are many things you can do on line.

Hitting the target

So, what are your objectives? Well, there are two sides to this coin. The first objective is to put more $$ in your pocket by saving a little more of and spending a little less of your income, without making your life a penny-pinching misery in the process. The second is to discover some cheaper ways, if they exist, to pay for some of life’s essentials.

Start at the beginning by reviewing your monthly budget — or constructing one, if necessary — so you can pinpoint the big expenses before trying to pare them back. Take your power bills, for example. Some power companies will not only reward you with a discount for combining your gas and electricity, they will also allow you to pay them with a

pre-set monthly direct debit, avoiding the shock of that big quarterly hit and smoothing your cash flow.

Monthly payments or saving targets can be an excellent budgeting tactic. In fact, you can even create your own monthly debit system for major expenses such as school fees, annual holidays and Christmas by estimating the cost and transferring monthly instalments to a separate savings account. You’ll most likely be able to setup automatic transfers with your bank so your savings build over time, without a second thought.

If you can manage it painlessly by cutting one or two unnecessary expenses, one good outcome of a budget review would be to save an extra 1 per cent of your salary — just $1 out of every $100 you earn — for a major objective like a renovation or even pumping up your rainy day fund. The best budgets can be ruined by unexpected emergencies, whether it is a burst water heater or a change in your financial circumstances.

Smart moves

Once you have your budget review completed and have set up new direct debits and/or opened one or two new dedicated savings accounts, you should still have a few hours of your Financial Spring cleaning day left to look for some significant savings on financial services. Credit cards are a black hole in many budgets. Could you save by switching to a cheaper card? Are you paying off your card within the interest-free period? What about rewards programs — if you are paying for them, are you using them? Some supermarket reward programs now offer a “double reward” so it may pay to investigate your options. You can compare cards on line at several sites such as www.creditcards.com.i And if you do

Planning ahead

And finally, have a think about your goals and dreams and make sure that any decisions you are making in the present are not at the expense of your future financial security.

All done? Congratulations on a day well spent!

Warren Strybosch

1300 88 38 30 | warren@findwealth.com.au www.findwealth.com.au

Financial Planning is offered via Find Wealth Pty Ltd ACN 140 585 075 t/a Find Wealth.

Find Wealth is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No 468091) of Alliance Wealth Pty Ltd ABN 93 161 647 007 (AFSL No. 449221). Part of the Centrepoint Alliance group https://www.centrepointalliance.com.au/

Warren Strybosch is Authorised representative (No. 236815) of Alliance Wealth Pty Ltd.

This information has been provided as general advice. We have not considered your financial circumstances, needs or objectives. You should consider the appropriateness of the advice. You should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and seek the assistance of an authorised financial adviser before making any decision regarding any products or strategies mentioned in this communication.

Whilst all care has been taken in the preparation of this material, it is based on our understanding of current regulatory requirements and laws at the publication date. As these laws are subject to change you should talk to an authorised adviser for the most up-to-date information. No warranty is given in respect of the information provided and accordingly neither Alliance Wealth nor its related entities, employees or representatives accepts responsibility for any loss suffered by any person arising from reliance on this information.

2022 TAX

Sharing economy reporting system to be implemented

Individuals may soon have the ability to claim a higher deduction for self-education expenses from the 2022–23 income year. New legislation has been tabled into parliament following the original announcement by the former government in the 2021 Federal Budget.

Currently, a self-education deduction is limited to costs above $250 each income year. This limitation, known as the s 82A limitation, will be repealed from the tax laws. This requires legislative approval.

The announcement is somewhat related to a Treasury discussion paper released in December 2020. However, other matters addressed in the paper, such as deductions for expenses unrelated to current employment, have not been taken further at this stage.

Sharing economy reporting system to be implemented

Starting from 1 July 2023, operators of sharing economy platforms will be required to report transactional information to the ATO. The Taxable Payments Reporting System already applies to some businesses in industries where non-compliance is deemed to be high risk. By adding operators of sharing economy platforms to the regime, taxpayers who hold or use assets for short-term lease or contract work will have their information collected. The identification of users of sharing economy platforms means that, as an adviser, you should be informing taxpayers who earn income off these platforms of their tax obligations. This includes short-term accommodation, ride-sharing transport and food delivery platforms. Also, other task or time-based service platforms will be required to report for income years beginning on 1 July 2024. The start date of the proposed changes have been delayed after the former Bill was prorogued at the last federal election.

Announcement(11-May-2021)

Consultation

Introduced(3-Aug-2022)

Passed Royal Assent Date of effect(1-Jul-2022)

Announcement(25-Aug-2021) Consultation

Introduced(3-Aug-2022)

Passed Royal Assent Date of effect(1-Jul-2023)

ATO to have power to make small businesses undertake tax education course

The Commissioner of Taxation will be given new powers to direct a taxpayer to undertake a record-keeping education course in lieu of an administrative penalty. The new directive will be initially limited to small business owners in order to assist them in keeping up to date with tax obligations. The individual must then provide the Commissioner with evidence of completion of the course in order to avoid financial penalty. The new directive will be available after the Bill receives Royal Assent.

Small business technology investment boost

A business with aggregated turnover of less than $50 million will be entitled to a 20% bonus deduction for expenditure relating to a digital business adoption.

The bonus deduction will be available for expenditure incurred from 7:30pm (AEDT) on 29 March 2022 (2022 Federal Budget night) until 30 June 2023. There is a limit of $100,000 of eligible deductions able to be claimed by a business each income year but can be claimed on both business expenses and depreciating assets.

Small business skills and training boost

Small businesses will get a bonus tax deduction on top of the allowable deduction for training their employees.Businesses with aggregated turnover of less than $50 million will be entitled to claim a 120% deduction for eligible expenditure. Eligible expenditure refers to external training courses delivered to a business’s employees by a registered training organisation in Australia. The skills and training boost is available from 7:30pm (AEDT) on 29 March 2022 until 30 June 2024.

Announcement(3-Aug-2022) Consultation Introduced(3-Aug-2022)

Passed Royal Assent Date of effect

Announcement(29-Mar-2022) Consultation(29-Aug-2022)

Introduced Passed Royal Assent Date of effect

Announcement(29-Mar-2022) Consultation(29-Aug-2022)

Introduced

Passed Royal Assent Date of effect

TAX UPDATES

Non-commercial losses and the Commissioner’s safe harbour

Sole traders and partners in a partnership may be able to utilise a safe harbour to deduct non-commercial losses against other assessable income. The PCG bypasses the Commissioner’s discretion under the noncommercial loss rules, where a business has been directly affected by floods, bushfires or the COVID-19 pandemic. The business will be required to show necessary evidence to support using the safe harbour. The safe harbour applies for the 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22 income years.

Announcement(11-May-2022) Consultation period(21-Jun-2022) Released(14-Sep-2022)

Crypto assets to be specifically excluded as foreign currency

Crypto assets are to be specifically excluded as a foreign currency with the release of exposure draft legislation. The proposed legislation maintains the current tax treatment of crypto assets such as Bitcoin and removes uncertainty following the decision of the Government of El Salvador to adopt Bitcoin as a legal tender. If the legislation receives royal assent, the new laws will be in effect from income years that include 1 July 2021.

Queensland land tax to include interstate landholdings

Note: On 30 September 2022, reports have emerged that the Queensland government intends to scrap the newly legislated measure that would include interstate landholdings in land tax assessments. We will provide further explanations in due course once they are announced by the state government.

Queensland has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to change land tax rules relating to taxable landholdings. Under the proposed changes, a landholder will have their land tax calculated based on their total Australian landholdings. The calculation will then be pro-rated to reflect a taxpayer’s Queenslandonly taxable landholdings. The new legislation will commence from 1 January 2023, meaning that the first calculation under the new rules will take place for 30 June 2023 assessments.

Image rights to be taxed in individual returns only

A draft determination from the ATO has stated that earnings from an individual’s “image rights” or “fame” can only be included in that individual’s assessable income. This position from the ATO has changed from previous draft practical guidance which stated that professional sportspersons could use a safe harbour approach to alienate income to a related entity. If individuals already entered into an arrangement in good faith on the basis of PCG 2017/D11, the ATO will not devote compliance resources up to the 2022–23 income year. Also, the draft determination distinguishes “image rights” and “fame” from an individual providing services to a third party.

Incentivising pensioners back into the workforce

Pensioners and those on Veterans’ entitlements will be enticed back into the workforce with an increase to their work bonus concession balance.

This measure is being supplemented with an increase to the time limit for the suspension of pension entitlement from 12 weeks to 2 years. This means if a pensioner earns too much income over a period of time, their pension will be suspended instead of cancelled.

Further changes will also apply to an individual’s entitlement to the Commonwealth

Seniors

Announcement(6-Sep-2022) Consultation(6-Sep-2022)

Introduced

Passed Royal Assent

Date of effect

Announcement(21-Jun-2022) Consultation Introduced(21-Jun-2022) Passed(24-Jun-2022 Royal Assent(30-Jun-2022) Date of effect(30-Jun-2023)

Announcement(5-Oct-2022) Consultation period(4-Nov-2022) Released

Announced: 25-Oct-2022 Updated: 26-Oct-2022

Health Card.

Geelong Food Relief Centre is committed to providing the delivery of food aid services to disadvantaged members of the community throughout the Geelong region in a dignified and compassionate manner.

We continue to provide grocery supplies through the use of two mini-marts located in Geelong CBD and North Geelong to individuals and families who are facing financial hardship. Our mini-marts replicate a small supermarket where shoppers can choose the products they require for their families.

We also have a bulk distribution service present in North Geelong, which allows the GFRC to provide bulk foods to 40 agencies and schools that are present within the G21 region which includes Greater Geelong Region, Bellarine, Surf Coast, and Winchelsea to meet the demand of families in crisis.

GFRC also work in conjunction with welfare officers at schools located within this region to help school families that are facing crisis by providing them with Emergency Food and also provide schools with food for their breakfast clubs.

A day in the life of Geelong Food relief begins at 6.30 am when the drivers arrive.

We have a small truck and 4 vans that go out and pick up rescue food from Aldi, Coles and other food distributors before returning through the morning to unload for our volunteers to sort. How it is sorted is that if we wouldn’t eat something then we don’t expect our customers to.

With the food we put aside, we have a farmer who arrives 3 or 4 times a week and picks up this food to feed his cattle so nothing is wasted or going to landfill.

The volunteers then re-stock the shelves in the mini marts or repackage food that has arrived in bulk.

The kitchen by this time is also a hype of activity with the girls cooking some nutritious meals so that all the customer has to do is take it home and reheat it.

We then open the mini-marts between 9.30-10.00 am to welcome our customers.

We operate on a points voucher system that the customer obtains from an agency. The reason for this is the agency will conduct a quick assessment to find out if the client requires any other support such as financial support, somewhere to live, and many more reasons.

The amount of voucher points is usually based on the size of the family but a 20-point voucher is approximately equal to $80- $90 if they went to a supermarket.

We have coloured dots on each product so they can see how many points they have left.

Eg a Green dot equals 1 point, a Blue dot equals 2 points, etc. For example, a supermarket bag of fruit and vegetables equals 1 green dot. The most nutritious items are a Green dot.

The afternoon is spent cleaning such as sweeping, mopping, etc etc.

We have approximately 84 volunteers who work extremely hard but they are always chatting and laughing which is very important. They are worth their weight in gold.

Kindness

Do you have a favourite kindness story – for you personally or about something you’ve heard? Share it with your children. Talk it up.

Here’s one of mine: When I was 9 years old my family moved house which meant I had to move to a new school at the beginning of Grade 5. Mr. Gray was my new teacher. My first day didn’t go well. Parts of that day are permanently woven into the fabric of my brain.

Mr. Gray set a math’s activity that I had no understanding of. Although he tried his best to explain to me how to complete the task, I was unable to make any sense of it. I went to pieces. I distinctly remember finding myself sitting on the classroom floor bawling my eyes out, feeling foolish and defeated.

What happened next, I can only describe as practical kindness. Gary Connally (real namenever to be forgotten) came and sat on the floor next to me and said, ‘Don’t worry Rob. We can’t do it either.’

Gary’s actions and words, although not sophisticated or profound, provided a degree of comfort and support which helped me get through a difficult day.

Kindness continues to be a key value at LPS. It’s taught at each level of the school. Skye Cook and the Kindness Kids Club continue to champion it very well.

Good things happen when we reach out in kindness to those around us:

• We momentarily forget about ourselves

• We experience fulfillment

• A sense of purpose develops that adds quality to our lives

• Kindness comes back to us - we get back as we give out - we reap what we sow

• Everyone benefits

• Our hurts (often caused by unkindness) gradually become unravelled and healed

It’s important that our children see us modelling kindness, particularly at difficult times and to people who aren’t necessarily our friends. Our children will ultimately follow the example we set.

All the best everyone, Rob Hunter Chaplain LPS

Robert.Hunter@education.vic.gov.au

‘ Tis the season to be jolly ’

is nearly upon us and there will be lots of Ho Ho Ho Ho heard over the next month. Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha heard at the Geelong Laughter Club every Saturday at Eastern Beach in front of the swimming enclosure at 9:00am will be a terrific way to get ready for the festivities.

A weekly bout of laughter is the easiest way to boost your energy while having fun. The good news is Laughter Club will be there every Saturday over the summer months and you are guaranteed to have a smile on your face when you join in for the half hour.

Saturday 24 December you are encouraged to come along in your best Christmas outfit. Saturday 31 December, just as in previous new year’s eve, people are invited to wear their favourite party hat!

The weekly Geelong Laughter Club Zoom will run each Tuesday morning at 8:00am and everyone, from anywhere in the world, is welcome to share some laughter. We have regulars join as from Geelong, Mackay, London and Switzerland. Please feel free to pass on the link to all your family and friends and invite them to share the joy … Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77368437028?pwd=luIlt0O9RXabh-946S7xa4a-6kCFtn.1

Tara Franciosa, Mirabella McCoy-Debeen, Barbie McNaughton, Claudia Gray and Stephanie Beizel prepare gifts for kids in need. (Ivan Kemp) 311516_04

LEOPOLD SPORTSMANS CLUB BOWLS

In 1971 a couple of locals, Len Lewis and Kevin Ash had an idea for a bowls club in Leopold. The idea took hold, a committee formed and money raised. A location was needed that would have enough space for two bowling greens and a clubhouse. Finally this was located in Kensington Road, our current location and 5 acres purchased for $8500.

In May 1975 the club was officially opened as a family friendly sporting club by Brian Dixon, the then Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation.

You can see the results for yourself on visiting our club.

There are so many people to thank over many years for their support, encouragement and voluntary help along with the the original crew that helped established the club.

Leopold Sporties, located in Leopold, Victoria, is a club based on sports. We offer Bowls, both social and Pennant, Golf, Racquet Ball and Squash.

GOLF

RACQUET

FC LEOPOLD

FC Leopold was established in 2016 by Jared Larkins and Mitchell Vials. The club is based in Leopold, Victoria and played its first competitive games in 2017. In our first season we had over 100 registered players and expect those numbers to grow in 2018 and continue to grow into the future as the club continues to develop.

The club aims to provide a positive family friendly enviroment for our members to develop their skills off the field and to also become great people off the field.The club is run solely by volunteers and we are always looking to get members involved in helping the club grow and develop.

We are aiming to become a huge part of the Leopold community and look forward to growing the sport of football (soccer) in our beautiful town.

FC Leopold is a community club that fields senior mens teams, a senior womens team and multiple miniroos and junior teams in Geelong competitions.

FC Leopold are looking for enthusiastic members of the community who would like to contribute to the clubs ethos and family friendly feel - whether that is through being a committee member, volunteer, coach or player.

Like the page to keep up to date with the clubs progress as exciting things are happening with lights and a massive COGG funded pavilion project.

R EAL E STATE

council news

Grants fund special Christmas festivities

Nine Neighbourhood Houses will host special Christmas celebrations this December after receiving a Christmas in the Community Grant from the City of Greater Geelong.

The DHHS-recognised Neighbourhood Houses were awarded up to $4,000 to deliver festive programs, events and initiatives for the community, such as catering for functions, hampers and purchase of decorations:

• Cloverdale Community Centre;

• Geelong West Neighbourhood House;

• Leopold Community & Learning Centre;

• Norlane Community Centre

• Portarlington Neighbourhood House

• Rosewall Community Centre

• South Barwon Community Centre

• Springdale Community Centre and

• Vines Road Community Centre.

The grants are being used in a range of clever and creative ways, with Corio’s Rosewall Community Centre putting on a free Christmas Family Movie Night at Hendy Street Hall on Saturday 10 December from 6:00pm. Bookings are essential - book online now.

The Vines Road Community Centre in Hamlyn Heights is welcoming community members to a free Christmas Morning Tea on Wednesday 14 December at 10:00am.

For more information on the Christmas events and programs running in Neighbourhood Houses, please visit Events Geelong or contact your local Neighbourhood House.

“The Christmas in the Community Grants provide greater equity and inclusion for festive celebrations across the municipality.

This grant program was introduced to reflect the diversity of Geelong and that not all communities celebrate Christmas.

Our local Neighbourhood Houses have embraced this concept and these grants have developed a way for everyone to participate in Christmas celebrations if they want to, regardless of their postcode and personal beliefs.

During this festive time, Council wants to help Neighbourhood Houses bring together local community members of all backgrounds, including seniors, refugees, new parents and members of multicultural communities to share peace, love and joy.”

Councillor Peter Murrihy

“Neighbourhood Houses do vital work in Greater Geelong.

Neighbourhood Houses offer a wide range of learning opportunities and initiatives, help to prevent isolation and address disadvantage.

We know that for some, Christmas can be a challenging time, so we hope that these Council-funded activities will bring joy and make people feel special and included.”

Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken, chair of Council’s Finance portfolio

Memorable Christmas ahead for Geelong’s youngest residents

Keeping the kids entertained and in a festive mood this December has never been easier with the City of Greater Geelong’s Christmas in Geelong program.

We are hosting a range of craft activities using recycled materials at Santa’s Craft Workshop in Little Malop Street on select days until 22 December 2022. Children can create Santa searcher binoculars, Snowman plate faces, yarn wrapped Reindeer heads and more.

Families are invited to our Christmas Nights at The Carousel, where children can enjoy a ride on The Carousel, ice cream, face painting, entertainment and craft sessions from 5:30pm to 8:30pm on 10 and 17 December 2022.

Children can post a letter to Santa Claus in our special mailboxes at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre (The Dome), Waurn Ponds Library, Leopold Library and Corio Library, The Carousel and Wurriki Nyal (the City’s new civic precinct at 137-149 Mercer Street, Geelong).

There are 26 locations across the region to choose from when taking the ultimate festive snap as part of our Giant Selfie Trail. Kids can jump into a snow globe, feed Rudolph, become an angel and swim with Santa.

Take the kids to Johnstone Park and Little Malop Central to wander the 30 Christmas trees individually decorated by local primary schools, which are gaining a lot of attention from passers-by.

This year we have early evening Sound and Light Shows at our iconic Floating Christmas Tree every Saturday from 5:30pm until Christmas Eve to accommodate families. Our traditional Sound and Light Shows from 8:30pm continue every night.

Adventure Park in Wallington is holding a Christmas Festival of Lights – Victoria’s largest Christmas lights festival – with three million lights, new rides, live

Mayor Trent Sullivan

performances and over a thousand dazzling light installations.

Community members are encouraged to share their ideas and views after visiting our Christmas in Geelong activities and experiences.

We want to hear what you think of the program and your favourite thing about Christmas. You could go in the draw to win one of three $100 gift cards.

“Council has expanded the number of activities for children to make Christmas extra special this year, with most of them being free.

It’s well worth checking out Council’s unique Christmas in Geelong program of events and activities that will help our youngest residents feel the magic of Christmas.

We want kids to have a lot of fun and be engaged during the most exciting time of the year, and make entertaining the family a bit easier for local parents.”

Councillor Peter Murrihy

“Council is offering a range of virtual activities this year, in addition to our inperson initiatives.

We have online shows and tutorials to keep the kids busy if a day at home is in order, such as the Mik Maks Christmas Show, Nature Play tutorials and Granny Lee Music and Storytelling.

There are festive activities and events for all ages in the Christmas in Geelong program, such as Santa Pet Photos, Christmas Masterclasses and Christmas Day Morning Yoga.”

They have already removed debris from site, conducted herbicide and weed control, installed rabbit proof fencing, and jute matting, topsoil, and tree guarding.

Wandana Gully functions as a drainage reserve between Valencay Avenue, Nedlands Avenue, Stoneleigh Crescent and Cholet Court in Highton.

Mayor Trent Sullivan

We want to create a connection between the top and bottom sections of the gully, linking walking trails, and creating a vibrant open space with additional tree and shrub plantings. The Gully spans more than nine hectares so we want to make sure it’s an open space that everyone can enjoy.

PLANTING UNDERWAY IN HIGHTON

The City of Greater Geelong is planting more than 52,000 trees, grasses, and shrubs in Wandana Gully as it reaches the final stages of a project to improve the drainage reserve in Highton.

The City has invested $1.5 million in the project to turn Wandana Gully into an open space the whole community can enjoy.

The project will help protect and enhance the environment and biodiversity while also creating a site that is easier and safer to manage and access.

Crews are planting 86 trees such as Eucalypts and Acacia, 80 shrubs such as bottlebrushes, and more than 52,000 ground covers including, tussock grass, inland pigface, saltbush, and broadleaf hopbush.

Councillor Ron Nelson

Planting shrubs and trees will support biodiversity and help protect the Barwon River from the impacts of urban stormwater runoff.

STAY SAFE ON BIKES THIS SUMMER

Summer is a great time for cycling and we have some wonderful places to ride bikes across our region.There’s the everpopular Waterfront and the Bellarine Rail Trail, but how about discovering the Ted Wilson Trail or the Waurn Ponds Trail for a change?

Bike riding has so many benefits, from environment, health, economic and social – there are so many reasons to get cycling in the great outdoors!

Before hopping on your bike this summer, make sure you consider safety and our tips include: obey the road rules, ride predictably, wear a helmet, cover up, maintain your bike, and stay hydrated. If you’re on a shared path, remember to ring your bell or call out to alert other path users that you are approaching.

You can check out our active travel maps to help plan your route and remember to take the time to stop off along the way

and enjoy the local attractions. You might find there’s a park, a playground, a waterfall, a café, or even an amazing view to enjoy!

To view our active travel maps visit geelongaustralia.com.au/activetravel

For more information about cycling in our region visit geelongaustralia.com. au/cycling

Kardinia Ward

www.findgeelong.com.au

Australian photographers shine at Wildlife Photographer of The Year Awards, London

I highly recommend community members get along to this exhibition, as they’re guaranteed to learn more about unique animal behaviour and be left in awe of our beautiful natural world.”

The National Wool Museum is excited to be the exclusive Victorian home of the much-loved Wildlife Photographer of the Year 58 from the Natural History Museum London.

The world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will be on display at the National Wool Museum from 9 December 2022.

This much-anticipated annual exhibition features exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world. Using photography’s unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the images shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourage a future of advocating for the planet.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights for over 55 years.

Launched in 1965 and attracting 361 entries, today the competition receives over 50,000 entries from all over the world, highlighting its enduring appeal. This year’s award-winning images will embark on an international tour that will allow them to be seen by well over a million people.

Four Australian photographers have been recognised in this year’s top 100 photographers for Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) from the Natural History

Museum London. The photographers have been recognised in a field of over 50,000 entries receiving highly commended awards in the categories of Animal Portraits, Photojournalism, Behaviour Amphibians and Reptiles.

Victorian photojournalist, Doug Gimesy has again been recognised for his photographs that highlight Australian conservation issues.

Calumn Hockey, finalist in the category of Photojournalism, will be the Museum’s Guest at the Opening.

Calumn will be available for interview leading up to the opening and photos with his award-winning image prior to the opening at 4:30pm on 8 December 2022. Contact Andrea Bruce to confirm your interest or to arrange an interview by calling 0468 572 889 or emailing abruce@geelongcity.vic.gov.au.

“One of the most important things about competitions like Wildlife Photographer of the Year, is that it provides an opportunity to start shining a spotlight on wildlife issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.”

“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition showcases the best of the best in nature and wildlife photojournalism from around the globe.

The National Wool Museum’s ongoing partnership with the world-renowned Natural History Museum in London and this internationally recognised competition elevates Geelong as a cultural tourism destination.

“The competition inspires photographers to see the world with new eyes.

Photographers come up with their own unique skills that pushes the quality of nature and wildlife photography further and further that surprises the judges. This is where the wow factor comes in.

Since the competition exhibition travels around the world, thousands of new or seasoned nature and photo enthusiasts are inspired to go out to see the world with new eyes. This may even bring positive change to environmental challenges. It also drives photographers to aspire to win in this competition in the next or future WPY!”

Mayor Trent Sullivan - Chair of the Creative Communities and Culture portfolio

Doug Gimesy - Victorian photojournalist

Juergen Freund - Photographer based in Northern Queensland

Double interest by Scott Portelli (Australia), Highly Commended Animal Portraits

Three inspiring members of the local community have been recognised for their achievements through the 2022 Geelong Awards for People with Disability.

Presented by the City of Greater Geelong in partnership with genU and supported by the Barwon Disability Resource Council, the award winners were announced during the City’s International Day of People with Disability event on Friday 2 December.

Spread across three categories, this year’s recipients are:

Achievement Award: Ashley McDowell

A long-time genU employee who suffers from anxiety, depression and an auditory processing delay, Ashley has progressed from a supported position to a role as a delivery driver in open employment.

Having overcome his own challenges to make a successful transition into open employment within the organisation, he has now become a role model to other supported employees who are inspired by his achievements.

He has gone on to gain his Medium Rigid License and is continuing to break down barriers and support all employees to reach their goals.

Volunteering Award: Mackenzie Sinclair

Mackenzie is a committed volunteer with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, where she has assisted in running the adolescent program whilst dealing with her own disability and mental health challenges.

Geelong Awards for People with Disability winners announced

More recently, she has been volunteering with Bravery Buddies, assisting in the formation of the ‘Tour for Megan’. The event is in honour of one of Mackenzie’s friends, Megan, who passed away recently (at the age of just 18) to an aggressive form of cancer.

Mackenzie also holds a leadership position at her school and was a student ambassador for The Push Up Challenge, implementing the initiative at the school for the first time.

Leadership and Advocacy Award: Priscila Pettiford

Working in the Employment and Recruitment field, Priscila is an instigator and organiser of change, advocating and campaigning for positive outcomes within the workplace for people with disability.

Living with a hearing impairment and parenting children with disability, Priscila is a positive advocate for inclusive employment, tirelessly fostering the rights for people living with disabilities to be recognised in the community.

For Priscila, the future of an inclusive workplace lies with the realisation and importance of connection. Priscila takes every opportunity to promote a mindset of growth utilising each person’s strengths and values.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken, chair of the Council’s Volunteering and Disability portfolio, presented the awards to each of the winners during Friday’s event at the City’s administrative building Wurriki Nyal.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken:

“The calibre of this year’s nominations was extremely high and we were thrilled to recognise and celebrate their achievements.

Congratulations to all award nominees on the contribution they’ve made to our local community, for being community champions for people living with a disability and special shout out to Ashley, Mackenzie and Priscila.”

Cruise passengers cycle the region and enjoy the sights

Community advisory panel for new Aquatic Centre

local events

your events to editor@findgeelong.com.au and we will place it in the Paper for FREE.

In Lead Us Up: Stories of Resilience, Sally Higoe writes about the various situations she has been in, countries she visited, and experiences she had, and how all these honed her to be the leader she’s meant to be. What kept her thriving? Resilience.

This and many other stories will inspire you in this lovely book. If you’re slacking off, giving up at life, or think you just can’t make it, reading this book might just be the best decision you’ll ever make.

Forest Therapy Walks in Geelong Botanic Gardens

You are invited to a guided “Shinrin Yoku” Forest Therapy walk through the beautiful Geelong Botanic Gardens.

What is Forest Therapy?

The practice translates literally from Japanese “Shinrin Yoku” as “Forest Bathing” - immersing ourselves in the atmosphere of the forest.

“Forest Therapy” is now considered nature’s remedy to stress and a pathway to a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. The practice is backed by thorough medical and scientific research – and the plethora of health benefits are widereaching for all age groups.

What happens on a guided Forest Therapy session?

With a focus on slowing down, the session involves a series of guided place-based activities on easy trails, to help relax, become present and connect with nature through the senses.

The experience invites room for listening, healing and reflection, for quiet and accepting presence and for inquiry through all the senses.

The Geelong Botanic Gardens provide a rich tapestry of sensory experiences that invite us into the present moment. Over the two hours you will spend some time

walking slowly, stopping and sitting. Usually you would be in shade, however sometimes we may sit in an open space.

There is no right or wrong way to participate in the activities, simply follow your intuition and curiosity to explore the forest.

In every walk with nature, one receives far more then he seeks

- John Muir.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Booking

You must book your spot and adhere to the booking conditions below. Please confirm your participation by booking online now

When 17 December 2022, 10:00 AM - 01:00 PM

Contact Susan Joachim

Email: info@foresttherapy.life

Phone: +61 425 495 684

Associated organisation: In My Nature

Website: http://www.inmynature.life

Follow us: http://www.facebook.com/inmynature.life http://www.instagram.com/forest. therapy.australasia

Geelong’s Floating Christmas Tree Sound and Light Show

Our spectacular Floating Christmas Tree will return to the bay for Christmas In Geelong 2022 soon with Sound and Light Shows being staged nightly from 8:30pm...!

Similar to last year, you will be able to choose to visit the tree and witness the spectacular sound and light show inperson. You can also choose other viewing options to enjoy the tree.

Don’t miss our popular Opening Night - Christmas in Geelong event on Saturday 12 November where we turn on our iconic Floating Christmas Tree.

One lucky child will have the chance to turn on Geelong’s Floating Christmas Tree as well. Enter the City’s Christmas Flick the Switch competition for your chance to win. (Open to children aged 12 and under). Enter here!

This year, we have introduced a new weekly early evening Family-Friendly Sound and Light Show on our Floating Christmas Tree in December for young families and those not wanting to be out after dark. On every Saturday in December up to Christmas Day. Enjoy the same great show in a special earlier timeslot, running from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

Until our iconic tree returns, enjoy watching last year’s show.

Shows

Our spectacular Floating Christmas Tree sound and light show will be staged each night between 8.30pm and midnight. The shows are approximately 6 minute in length and plays every 15 minutes.

Interactive website: When visiting the tree between 8.30pm and midnight, in between shows try out the interactive website to change the light colours of the tree and star on top! Try out the website

For Christmas in Geelong 2022, there will be three different shows to experience.

Dates will be announced soon!

Make sure you make plans to see them all. Each has a different light show and music production worth catching!

About the tree

This is the ninth installation of Geelong’s Floating Christmas Tree! The tree is 25 metres tall and is moored at Steampacket Quay, Waterfront Geelong, near the Carousel.

The tree will be a prominent feature of the Waterfront throughout the festive season.

Much thanks goes to our Floating Christmas Tree sponsors, Geelong Port. The team at Geelong Port provides safe

storage and assembly space every year. As you can imagine the space required is rather large and the assistance of Geelong Port is essential.

When Daily from 12 November 2022 to 08 January 2023, 09:00 PM - 11:59 PM

Contact

Email: marketing@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Phone: +61 3 5272 5272

Associated organisation: City of Greater Geelong

Our amazing headliner for our final show of 2022 is the incredible Dave Thornton.

Dave has built a global reputation for his honest, engaging, whip-smart and damn funny comedy. He is also a regular on our radios and TVs. Joining him is the irrepressible Nick Capper, Ethan Cavanagh, Lisa Gatenby, Luke Massey and your MC for the night Tim Young

As always Luke Biscan will be playing live music from 6pm while you enjoy amazing food from cafe PALAT and icecold drinks from the bar.

Book your tickets now to see out 2022 in style...!

Buy Tickets

When 17 December 2022, 06:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Contact Tim Young Email: youngy6@hotmail.com

Phone: +61 418 265 043

Associated organisation: LGF Comedy Website: https://lgfcomedy.com/ Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/lgfcomedy https://www.instagram.com/lgfcomedy/

Festive Wreath Making Buy Tickets

Embrace the festive season and celebrate with us by creating your own enchanting wreath to adorn your home over the Christmas period.

When 17 December 2022, 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM

Where Wadawurrung Country, Geelong West, VIC

Cost Admit one: $285.00

Contact Email: centralgeelong@geelongcity.vic.gov.au Website: http://www.centralgeelong.com.au/ Follow us: http://www.facebook.com/lovecentralgeelong http://www.instagram.com/lovecentralgeelong/

2022 Christmas Projections

Stunning Christmas-themed projections will again light up City Hall this festive season as part of Christmas In Geelong.

Our 2022 Christmas projections on Geelong’s City Hall this year will feature a specially commissioned contemporary festive celebration of visual splendour.

Taking inspiration from the tradition Christmas giving and the gesture of wrapping and unwrapping, the projections will reveal designs and musical compositions inspired by our rich and diverse community.

Credits: Artist: Georgie Pinn with contributions by Ian De Gruchy and Olaf Meyer Produced by Multimedia Events

In addition to seeing the projections live in-person, you will also have the opportunity to watch the full show here soon.

Geelong Street Orienteering Summer Series

Enjoy a stroll or a more strenuous challenge - Walk, jog or run and be as competitive or as casual as you like while getting to know your parklands and suburbs.

The Geelong Street Orienteering Summer Series is in full swing. It’s a great way to spend a Thursday evening exploring a new neighbourhood.

Courses for runners and walkers.

Are you looking for new training options or just a fun way to exercise...? Park Street Orienteering caters for all and all ages and abilities welcome.

When: Various dates from 3 November 2022 to 1 December 2022, 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

Contact: Jenny Chapman

Email: geelongstreeto@gmail.com

Website: https://www.vicorienteering.asn.au/go-orienteering/park-streetorienteering/geelong-wrap/

Wildlife Photographer of theYear from the Natural History Museum London

Book tickets via Eventbrite Ticket includes entry to all galleries | Museum closed Christmas, Boxing Day and Good Friday

The world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will be on display at the National Wool Museum from 9 December 2022. Featuring exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breath-taking diversity of the natural world.

Using photography’s unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the images shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourage a future of advocating for the planet.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights for over 55 years.

Launching in 1965 and attracting 361 entries, today the competition receives over 50,000 entries from all over the world, highlighting its enduring appeal. This year’s award-winning images will embark on an international tour that will allow them to be seen by well over a million people.

Four Australian Photographs have Highly Commended photographs in this year’s competition:

• Double interest by Scott Portelli, Highly Commended Animal Portraits

• Wombat lockdown by Douglas Gimesy, Highly Commended Photojournalism

• The snake tree by Juergen Freund, Highly Commended, Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles

• Up a gum tree by Calumn Hockey, Highly Commended, Photojournalism

Partners and supporters

• City of Greater Geelong

• Visit Geelong & The Bellarine

The National Wool Museum is excited to be the exclusive Victorian home of the much-loved Wildlife Photographer of the Year 58 from the Natural History Museum, London When

• Geelong City of Design

• Provincial Media

Images:

1. Double interest by Scott Portelli (Australia), Highly Commended Animal Portraits

2. Polar frame by Dmitry Kokh (Russia), Highly Commended Animal Portraits

3. Treefrog pool party by Brandon Güell (Costa Rica/ USA), Highly Commended Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles

from 09 December 2022 to 07 May 2023, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Where National Wool Museum Wadawurrung Country, 26-32 Moorabool Street, Geelong VIC 3220 Contact National Wool Museum Email: nwminfo@geelongcity.vic.gov.au Phone: 03 5272 4701

Double interest by Scott Portelli, Highly Commended Animal Portraits

Polar frame by Dmitry Kokh (Russia), Highly Commended Animal Portraits

Treefrog pool party by Brandon Güell (Costa Rica/USA), Highly Commended Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles

Christmas at Balyang Par

Get your friends and family together and play a special afternoon round of golf at Balyang Par 3 Golf Course.

Enjoy discounted entry (50% off for a family, including equipment), carols while you play and a complimentary Christmas gift for all playing participants.

When Daily from 19 December 2022 to 23 December 2022

Where Wadawurrung Country, 19-33 Marnock Road, Newtown VIC 3220

Contact Email: marketing@geelongcity.vic. gov.au Phone: +61 3 5272 5272

Associated organisation: City of Greater Geelong Website: http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au

The Victorian Country Track & Field Championships is a celebration of athletics, offering events in all age groups from U14 up to 60+.

Both Metro and Country athletes can compete and enjoy the festivities that the Victorian country regions have to offer.

When Daily from 26 January 2023 to 28 January 2023

Where John Landy Athletics Field Wadawurrung Country, 230 Swanston Street, South Geelong VIC 3220

Contact Geelong Athletics

Associated organisation: Geelong Athletics and Athletics Victoria Website: www.geelongathletics.com

• Free sausage sizzle before the carols start

• Traditional carols with the words on display

• Family friendly

• Band and local choir

• Children will be supplied with free batteryoperated candles.

No booking required, just turn up on the day and help spread the magic of Christmas.

When 18 December 2022, 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM

Where

Geelong West Presbyterian Church Wadawurrung Country, 105-107 Pakington Street, Geelong West VIC 3218

Contact Amy

Phone: +61 402 752 886

Associated organisation: Geelong West Presbyterian Church Website: http://geelongwestpc.com.au/ Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/ gwpressychurch/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCXJVFA6ttC6sBzGXQeBGayQ

Get ready to sing along to your favourite traditional carols...! Come along and enjoy singing Christmas carols and reflecting on the birth of Jesus. More details on this free event include:

Start Christmas 2022 feeling amazing inside and out by participating in a special Christmas day class that is designed to support your holiday well-being.

Ticketing

These are ticketed classes hosted by Wonder Yoga. To book you will need to download the app, create an account and book the Christmas Day class via the app.

Download From APP Store

When 25 December 2022, 08:30 AM

Contact Email: info@wonderyoga.com.au

Carols on Pako Christmas Yoga Day morning

Phone: +61 474 805 647

Associated organisation: Wonder Yoga Website: http://www.wonderyoga.com.au

Follow us: http://www.facebook.com/wonderyoga.au http://www.instagram.com/wonderyoga.au

Christmas Festival of Lights

See Victoria’s largest Christmas lights festival, with 3 million lights, new rides, live performances and over a thousand dazzling light installations. Your light filled adventure includes with:

• 4 hours of Christmas entertainment and activities for the whole family with new rides and live performances each night.

• Visit the elves workshop where children can write a letter to Santa and post it at the North Pole post office, create a souvenir in the Christmas craft bauble decorating station and have their faces painted.

• Meet the jolly man Santa himself and capture a magic memory with professional photos this Christmas.

• See Jingle and Bells who will be performing their amazing interactive and circus acrobatics show every night.

• Immerse yourself in 1000 stunning light installations including the new 8-metre mega snowman, the new 3-metre Swan Queen, the towering Nutcracker toy soldiers and more.

• It’s a glowing wonderland full of enchanting trails, glistening paths, magical glittering bridges and dazzling displays over 50 acres. • The new Air Balloons ride will be running along with the Tea Cups, Crazy Coaster, Carousel, Red Baron, Little Buggy Speedway Cars, Wave Swinger and Ferris Wheel and Mini-Golf.

Rather party like a VIP...?

Then purchase our VIP tickets which include Premium viewing area for both stage.

Drinks package consisting of beer, wine and basic spirits from 3pm - 10pm. Delectable finger food served 4-9pm from the 1915 talented chefs. Drinks at bar prices 10pm - 11.30pm Grab your tickets now and come celebrate 2023 the best way possible and we’ll see you on the dance floor Geelong...!

Buy Tickets

* Once early bird tickets are sold out, the next round of tickets will be available for sale at a higher rate so save and purchase tickets now.

This is an 18+ event When 01 January 2023, 03:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Where 1915 Geelong Wadawurrung Country, 33 Mackey Street, North Geelong, VIC 3215

Cost

New Year’s Day with The Mills

There are two types of people. Those that go out on New Year’s Eve and those that party at New Year’s Day. If you’re the latter, then prepare to party at Geelong’s inaugural New Year’s Day Party happening at The Mills.

Presented by the amazing team at 1915 Restaurant and Bar there’s only one place to be this NYD at this mini festival. What better way to celebrate New Year’s Day than with some delicious food, epic music, pop up bars, and everything you need to have an incredible time at the 1915 premises. From our VIP lounge, beer

main room, there’s something for everyone providing a premier food and beverage option for all that attend.

As if that wasn’t enticing enough, we’ve gone ahead and locked in some of the best local and national super stars. Our headline acts include Groove Terminator, Dexter, Jolyon Petch and the Stafford Brothers will all be bringing the huge, so get ready for it. On support duties we’ve hand picked some of the best local talent around so it’s nothing, but party tunes and big room sounds all afternoon and into the evening.

Associated

Follow us: http://www.instagram. com/1915geelong http://www.facebook. com/1915Geelong

De Koning Commits To The Cats

By Troy Daniel

Sam De Koning has inked a two year contract extension with Geelong, a deal that will see him remain at GMHBA Stadium until at least the end of the 2025 season.

The emerging key defender’s current contract was due to expire at the end of 2023, itself an extension on the deal signed after he was taken with the 19th pick of the 2019 national draft. The latest agreement will take him into a sixth season with the Club.

After registering the one appearance in his first two seasons at the Club, the 202cm De Koning had a breakout season in 2022, playing 23 of a possible 25 games, including three finals.

Sweet 16: Cats Power Past Port

A revelation in the Club’s backline, De Koning became one of the competition’s most exciting young key position players, quelling the influence of the opposition’s best tall forward each week.

The astonishing climax to the 21-yearold’s Premiership-winning season was punctuated with a second-place finish in the NAB AFL Rising Star award and his first ever AFL goal in the dying stages of the Grand Final.

“I love the Club and I’m excited to sign a new deal and continue to play for Geelong. The Club is filled with great people and it’s just a great organisation to be part of,” De Koning said.

“We have a lot of good young players coming through and a great group of senior players who continue to teach us a lot. The Club has got a great culture and I want to be part of it.

“It’s been a whirlwind 12 months and my focus is to now get back to work, come into training with the same attitude and be hungry to improve.

“I know there’s areas I can improve on to take my game to another level and I’m excited to come in every day and work on those things to become the player I know I can be and reach my full potential.”

Geelong’s Head of List Management Andrew Mackie said De Koning was an important part of Geelong’s future.

“Sam has worked extremely hard in his three seasons at the Club to give himself the best chance to be the best he can be.

“He played an important role for the team in 2022 and I have no doubt he has the hunger to continue to work on his craft, which is an exciting prospect for all of us at the Geelong Football Club, and for Sam himself.

“Sam is a great young man and a popular teammate, and we can’t wait to see him continue to grow as a player and person over the next couple of years.”

The Cats improved to a 6-4 record, having gone win-loss-win-loss-win-losswin across their past seven games with the 11.16 (82) to 7.5. (47) triumph to stay in touch with the top four, while the Power slip to 4-6.

CATS V POWER Full match details and stats

Port Adelaide led by one point at halftime before Geelong kicked away with five goals to one in the third quarter led by Tyson Stengle with two majors.

was brilliant in the backline with 27 disposals, eight marks and a game-high 13 intercepts.

Stengle finished with three goals along with Jeremy Cameron, who booted a sensational set shot barrel from 55m after the three-quarter time siren.

Geelong was wasteful in front of goal having dominated the inside 50s 57-43, including 17-5 in a lopsided third term.

Read more Geelong returned to the winner’s list against Port Adelaide in Round 10 at GMHBA Stadium, the first of 16 glorious games on the way to September. Here’s what we said at the time

By Ben Somerford

GEELONG has continued its upand-down season and ended Port Adelaide’s four-game winning run with a 35-point victory at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Patrick Dangerfield was subbed out of the game in the fourth quarter with calf tightness, having battled illness during the week but didn’t seem too concerned post-game.

Cameron Guthrie was exceptional for the Cats with a game-high 37 disposals including 15 contested possessions and 12 score involvement, while Tom Stewart

Sam De Koning has signed a contract extension, keeping him at the Cats until at least the end of 2025

Geelong

Located in the heart of the city, Westfield Geelong is your one-stop hub for shopping, food, fun and relaxation. Geelong’s premier shopping destination for fashion and beauty.

Home to some of Australia’s best-known retailers including Myer, Big W, Target and Coles as well more than 160 specialty stores.

A great range of cafes, restaurants and lunch options.

A friendly Concierge team is available to help with: Westfield gift cards, personal styling sessions, hiring mobility equipment, Kiddy cars, mobile phone charging station, and parking information and more.

There are plenty of amenities, a parent’s room on each level and an adult change facility; Changing Places.

Located two blocks back from the water front, between Malop Street and Brougham Street.

Eat Shop

What’s Happening...

Get a bonus digital Santa photo with Westfield Plus

Court 12 Nov - 24 Dec

Get more value this year as a Westfield Plus member with your Santa photography package.

Purchase the Santa’s gift pack at your Santa photography session and you’ll receive a free digital photo, valued at $8.95. To redeem, simply ask a team member about the offer and present your Westfield Plus member card at the Santa photography set prior to having your photo taken.

In addition to these exclusive offers, you’ll also receive many more member offers throughout the festive season. Download our free Westfield Plus App now to stay tuned.

Not a Westfield Plus member? Join now by downloading the free Westfield Plus App > By downloading the free Westfield Plus App you will also receive these year-round member exclusive benefits.

• Exclusive member offers and events

• Be the first to know about the latest promotions and news happening in your local centre when you subscribe to our newsletter or open the app

• Add a Westfield Digital Gift Card to your wallet or Apple Pay and check your balance

• Explore the centre map and browse store directories

• As a Westfield Plus member unlock the following benefits when you shop online with Westfield Direct: Earn reward credit when you Click & Collect, free delivery on eligible orders* and free and easy returns

• Check your parking time and set a 30-minute reminder

The Westfield Plus App is free and easy to download and use, with great features being added regularly. For more information on Westfield Plus, including how to download the app, visit: [www.westfield.com.au/westfieldplus] (www.westfield.com.au/westfield-plus)

Terms and conditions

All promotions listed are valid for the respective promotion period. Customers must enrol in Westfield Plus membership program by downloading the app to qualify. By joining Westfield Plus, you agree to the terms and conditions and privacy statement.

gettoknowgeelong

A visit to Geelong is not complete if you haven’t seen our spectacular waterfront.

The Geelong Waterfront is one of Australia’s most stunning waterfronts. Having started from humble beginnings when Geelong was founded as a port in 1836, the Waterfront has now attracted a series of prestigious awards.

geelong waterfront

This cosmopolitan and vibrant area is a hive of activity with restaurants and cafes, beautiful landscaped gardens, attractions and public art, all with amazing views of Corio Bay. It also provides a full events calendar, tourism, education and accommodation services: Our historic Carousel, Poppy Kettle playground and youth activities area is great for kids of all ages. See Geelong’s famous bollards.

There are plenty of possibilities to explore and view the Waterfront: take a ride on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, ride the trackless train if you prefer a more leisurely look around, check out the view from the air in a helicopter or take a boat cruise along Geelong’s spectacular Waterfront.

poppy kettle Playground

This is one of the most perfectly positioned playgrounds for so many reasons. Situated on the Geelong waterfront, this park is jam-packed with awesome play elements, has beautiful sea views, has picnic facilities, and is a short walk away from cafes and other Geelong attractions. It makes for a beautiful day out for all ages, and is certainly a must-do in summer.

The interactive play equipment include a multi-coloured tubular slide that winds down the hill, a dragon emerging from the ground, a timber tower, swing, boat (atop the sand pit), bouncers, and a unique pyramid climbing net.

The playground is also well known for the interactive Poppy Kettle water fountains and miniature statues, situated amongst a rock area, which seem to be the main attraction for little ones. In fact, this feature was inspired by a children’s book written by local author, Robert Ingpen, and gives the park a magical quality. During the summer months the slide area has additional water play features.

A trip to this playground can be combined with a walk or bike ride along Geelong’s famous Bollard walk or a visit to The Carousel. Geelong’s Youth Activity Precinct is located a stones’ throw away from the playground, and features basketball ring, seating areas, open multipurpose area, and skate ramps.

skate parks in geelong

We have more skate parks per capita than any other municipality in Australia.

Skate parks in Geelong have a variety of facilities available for skate boarders, bladers and BMX bike riders including quarter pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, and stairsets.

We strongly advise the wearing of helmets and padding when using our Skate Parks, and enforce compulsory wearing of helmets at all skate events.

Looking to get into skating or want to know more about skating in Geelong?

Young people interested in joining in activities can call the Skate Program Worker on 03 5272 5272.

the old paper mills

Hubcaps To Creative Hubs is the title for a series of short films about creative Geelong. Hubcaps are a reminder of Ford as a major employer before pulling out in 2016. Vacant industrial spaces such as factories and wool mills have become creative villages.

I stayed in a Vrbo in the Old Paper Mills (1878). In Victorian times, this bluestone mill pulped rags to make paper. The dramatic waterfall setting reminded me of the cover of George Eliot’s novel The Mill and the Floss. The present owner, Alex Robins, has lovingly restored what he refers to as an Industrial Cathedral.

The old mill is a labyrinth of galleries, studios, workshops, and boutique shops with handmade goods. Enjoy a coffee at The Door Gallery Cafe surrounded by antique Indian doors.

Provenance Wines has a cellar door and restaurant in the main building. Enjoy tastings matched with bite-sized food pairings. Rone painted one of his famous esoteric faces on the back wall. As street art is so transient, it’s great to see a lasting testament to his work.

cunningham pier geelong

Cunningham Pier is one of the most recognisable structures on the Geelong Waterfront.

Opening in the mid-1850s it was originally known as Railway Pier. It was an important part of the Geelong Port and you can still see the train lines that were used to transport cargo to the end of the pier.

The pier stretches 250 metres out over Corio Bay and its bright white building is a standout feature of the foreshore.

The two-storey weatherboard building houses the Wah Bar and Asian food restaurant (bao buns!), Wah Wah Gee. The Pier Geelong function centre is also located here.

A large part of this Geelong pier is dedicated to car parking and a convenient covered walkway provides shelter as you walk along the train tracks.

Cunningham Pier fishing has always been popular and in keeping with tradition, local anglers continue to use it.

geelong arts and cultural precinct

The area between Johnstone Park and Ryrie Street to the west of the shopping and business district of Geelong is known as the Geelong Arts Precinct. This area is also home to the Geelong Town Hall, which is the main council offices of the City of Greater Geelong.

The city is currently seeking funds for a radical overhaul of the precinct where the current facilities will receive a substantial redevelopment. There are also plans for some pretty innovative landscaping and street works which will bring the area into line with the rest of our recently rejuvenated city. This massive renovation will make the precinct one of the best arts and cultural precincts in the state. The scale of the project put the cost of the whole redevelopment in the vicinity of over 130 million dollars.

The Geelong Art Gallery is attached to the Geelong Town Hall, and it houses a magnificent and varied collection of artworks. Two paintings in particular are extremely special to our Gallery, first being the “View of Geelong” which was painted by Eugene von Guerad in 1856. This painting was bought recently by the museum from legendary English musical creator Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. “A Bush Burial” by Fredrick McCubbin, painted in 1890 is another of the gallery’s most precious works.

Geelong western beach

People have been swimming, boating, fishing, and playing at Western Beach Geelong since the 1840s.

In those days there was an unwritten rule designating Western Beach for men’s bathing and Eastern Beach for women. But some ‘dastardly gentlemen’ would disregard the agreement scaring respectable women away.

Today the area is rarely used for swimming, but it’s still a popular stretch of foreshore connecting Rippleside to the rest of the Waterfront.

Here you’ll find the Boat House restaurant (Geelong’s best spot for fish and chips), the Poppykettle Playground, a designated fishing area, and the marvelous Western Beach Boardwalk.

Curving out over the water the boardwalk has well-placed seats where you can sit back and watch the sea birds duck dive for fish. In the early morning, it’s perfect for watching the sun come up over the bay.

geelong rippleside park

Located on the western edge of the Waterfront, Rippleside Park Geelong is a pretty grass-covered foreshore reserve.

Popular with locals, Rippleside is less well-known to tourists who drive past en-route to more popular areas.

The park has magnificent bay views and is particularly appealing to families with young children who love the adventure playground.

The huge wooden structure has ramps, walkways, steps, and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.

When the kids tire of the playground the reserve has wide-open spaces to run around in. Don’t forget to bring your footy!

Tucked in next to the reserve is tiny Rippleside Beach where you can bask in the sunshine or splash around in the water.

Overlooking the whole area is the bright and spacious Ripples On The Bay cafe. This stunning cafe serves excellent coffee and has huge windows with to-die-for water views.

Other amenities include picnic and barbecue facilities, toilets, and plenty of car parking spaces.

geelong Steampacket gardens

Located right beside the water Steampacket Gardens Geelong is a big rectangle of lush lawn that’s perfect for a relaxing picnic or a game of frisbee.

A path on the northern edge connecting the gardens to the bay has seats where you can enjoy the sea breeze and watch the nearby helicopter toing and froing.

On the eastern side you’ll find the Wharfshed Cafe serving yummy meals and to the west sits the delightful historic carousel.

There are some interesting art sculptures dotted around the park. Be sure to check out the Volunteer Rifle Band bollards and The Buoys sculpture, a group of former channel buoys that have been turned into a powerful piece of artwork.

The Geelong Waterfront Makers and Growers market (Steampacket Market) is held here on the first Sunday of each month. This popular market offers local produce, beautiful art and handicrafts, and lots of tasty treats.

geelong the carousel

The Carousel Geelong is a rare 1892 Armitage-Herschell hand-carved wooden carousel. One of only a few in the world this beautifully restored carousel is considered by many to be the best that’s still in use today.

Housed in a modern steel and glass enclosure the pavilion has an old-world carnival atmosphere that’s enhanced by a pipe organ playing Dixieland melodies.

A ride on this enchanting carousel is a magical experience for children of all ages and abilities, with a mobility lift that assists wheelchairs onto the attraction.

Entry into the pavilion is free. Tickets to ride the Carousel are $5.00.

The Carousel Pavilion can be booked for wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions, photo shoots, and private or corporate functions.

Housing a beautifully restored Carousel, this competitively priced, exclusive all-weather venue is available for private hire seven days a week from 3:00pm.

old geelong gaol

The Geelong Gaol Museum is housed in the 170-year-old Geelong Gaol, the third oldest prison in Victoria. Opening in 1853 and closing in 1991 it housed male and female prisoners.

Over its history, it has been used as an industrial school for young girls, a hospital gaol and a military detention barracks. It was the site of 6 executions.

Today it houses display illustrating not only the history of the Geelong Gaol but the history of the corrections of Victoria.

It features displays on the Hulks, Colonial Prisons, Executions and Saga Behind the Armour along with some of the prisoner stories who have spent time behind the bluestone walls. The Geelong Gaol Museum is open on weekends, school holidays and public holidays.

RETIREMENT

RETIREMENT

By Warren Strybosch

If the thought of retirement gives you mixed feeling you’re not alone. For those who have spent most of their lives at work and derived a lot of their sense of self from what they did for a living, it can be a challenge to contemplate stepping away from work. At the same time, for many there is a sense of anticipation of greater freedom in terms of how you choose to spend your time.

The good news is that retirement is no longer an abrupt departure with the gold watch. These days, retirement is far more fluid.

You might simply want to wind back your working hours to give your mind and body room to breathe. Or you may want to leave your full-time job but keep your career ticking over with part-time or consulting work. Others may dream of leaving the nine to five to run a B&B or buy a hobby farm.

Changing retirement patterns

There are already signs that people’s retirement plans are changing. In 2019, the average retirement age for current retirees was 55 (59 for men and 52 for womeni), but the age that people currently aged 45 intend to retire has increased to 64 for women and 65 for men.

There are many reasons for this gap between intentions and reality. Only 46 per cent of recent retirees said they left their last job because they reached retirement age or were eligible to access their super. Substantial numbers retired due to illness, injury or disability (21 per cent) while others were retrenched or unable to find work (11 per cent).

Retired women were also more likely than men to retire to care for others. But for people who can choose the timing of their retirement, there can be good reasons for delay.

Reasons for delaying retirement

As the Age Pension age increases gradually from 65 to 67, anyone who expects to rely on a full or part pension needs to work a little longer than previous generations.

Easing into retirement

We’re also living longer. A man aged 65 today can expect to live another 20 years on average while a woman can expect to live another 22 years.

iv So the longer we can keep working and building a nest egg the further our retirement savings will stretch.

If you plan to retire this year, you will need to be 66 and six months and pass assets and income tests to apply for the Age Pension. If your birthdate is on or after 1 January 1957, you’ll have to wait until you turn 67. This will be the Age Pension age from 1 July 2023. But you don’t have to wait that long to access your super.

Generally, you can tap into your super once you reach your preservation age (between age 55 and 60 depending on the year you were born) and meet a condition of release such as retirement. From age 65 you can withdraw your super even if you continue working full time. But super can also help you transition into retirement, without giving up work entirely.

Preservation age

Transition to retirement

If you’re unsure whether you will enjoy retirement or find enough to do to fill your days, it can make sense to ease into it by cutting back your working hours. One way of making this work financially is to start a transition to retirement (TTR) pension with some of your super.

Case study

Ellie, a teacher, has just turned 60. She wants to reduce her workload to

three days a week so she can explore other interests and gradually ease into retirement. Her salary will drop but if she starts a TTR pension she can top up her income with regular monthly withdrawals.

Most super funds offer TTR pensions, or you can start one from your selfmanaged super fund (SMSF). You decide how much to transfer into a TTR pension account, but there are some rules:

• You must have reached your preservation age

• Money can only be withdrawn as an income stream, not a lump sum

• There is a minimum annual withdrawal amount, the federal government temporarily reduced this minimum to 2% (for those aged under 65) for the 2020/1, 2021/22, and 2022/23 financial years. At the time of publication, the rate was expected to return to a 4% minimum from 1 July 2023. The amount changes according to age group.

• The maximum annual withdrawal is 10 per cent of your TTR account balance

• I ncome is tax-free if you are aged 60 or older; if you’re 55-59 you may pay tax on the TTR income, but you receive a tax offset of 15 per cent.

One of the benefits of this strategy is that while you continue working you will receive compulsory Super Guarantee payments from your employer. A downside is that you will potentially have less super in total when you finally retire.

Retirement is no longer a fixed date in time, with far more flexibility to mix work and play as you make the transition. If you would like to discuss your retirement options and how to finance them, give us a call.

TRADIES - FREE ADVERTISING

Email your artwork to editor@findgeelong.com.au. If you wish us to create your ad, we will do this for a minimal cost.

Go to www.findgeelong.com.au/graphic-design to upload your details and we will create this for you.

The Dimensions of the Ads are:

53 x 98 mm - 1/8 Small Size

139 x 96 mm - 1/4 Page Portrait

If you have any questions, contact the editor on 1300 88 38 30 or Email warren@findnetwork.com.au

TRADIES - FREE ADVERTISING

Email your artwork to editor@findgeelong.com.au. If you wish us to create your ad, we will do this for a minimal cost.

Go to www.findgeelong.com.au/graphic-design to upload your details and we will create this for you.

The Dimensions of the Ads are:

53 x 98 mm - 1/8 Small Size

139 x 96 mm - 1/4 Page Portrait

If you have any questions, contact the editor on 1300 88 38 30 or Email warren@findnetwork.com.au

Advertise Here

(198 x 138mm)

TRADIES - FREE ADVERTISING

Email your artwork to editor@findgeelong.com.au. If you wish us to create your ad, we will do this for a minimal cost.

Go to www.findgeelong.com.au/graphic-design to upload your details and we will create this for you.

The Dimensions of the Ads are:

139 x 96 mm - 1/4 Page Portrait

TRADIES - FREE ADVERTISING

Email your artwork to editor@findgeelong.com.au. If you wish us to create your ad, we will do this for a minimal cost.

Email your artwork to editor@findgeelong.com.au. If you wish us to create your ad, we will do this for a minimal cost.

Go to www.findgeelong.com.au/graphic-design to upload your details and we will create this for you.

The Dimensions of the Ads are:

53 x 98 mm - 1/8 Small Size

139 x 96 mm - 1/4 Page Portrait

TRADIES - FREE ADVERTISING

If you have any questions, contact the editor on 1300 88 38 30 or Email warren@findnetwork.com.au

Go to www.findgeelong.com.au/graphic-design to upload your details and we will create this for you.

The Dimensions of the Ads are:

53 x 98 mm - 1/8 Small Size 139 x 96 mm - 1/4 Page Portrait

If you have any questions, contact the editor on 1300 88 38 30 or Email warren@findnetwork.com.au 53 x 98 mm - 1/8 Small Size

If you have any questions, contact the editor on 1300 88 38 30 or Email warren@findnetwork.com.au

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