Drysdale & Clifton Springs
North Bellarine's Independent Newspaper
October 2015
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Jetty's just the job LUKE VOOGT Local angling club president Andrew Johnson welcomed a recent State Government grant, which will see a new fishing jetty constructed in Clifton Springs. “I think it’s a fantastic idea,” he said. “It gives a lot of people – especially older people – a chance to get out and fish.” The funds will help Geelong Council design the jetty and build it off an existing rock wall, out into Port Phillip Bay. Mr Johnson, who is president of the Bellarine Pirates Angling Club, said the rock wall was already a popular fishing spot. “I know quite a few people who fish there,” he said. “They get some quality flathead there sometimes – they get some big ones!” Mr Johnson understands
Local fishermen Rick Paradise, Andrew Johnson, Mike Windsor and Neil McGuiness
the jetty will be about 40 metres long but will be built so it can be increased. Bellarine MP Lisa Neville announced the $250,000 grant last week. “It is great to be delivering this election commitment which was one of the key priorities of the local community leading in to the election,” said Mrs Neville. The grant is part of Labor government’s Target One Million plan which aims to boost recreational fishing to one million anglers by 2020. Construction is expected to commence by autumn next year, to be completed in winter. Clifton Springs is a popular recreational fishing spot with boating anglers who chase snapper, flathead, King George whiting and calamari.
Schools get funding shares BELLARINE Secondary College (BSC) will benefit from $335,413 in funding announced by the state Government this month. The recentlyannounced funding is not
new, but rather previously un-allocated money from the 2015-16 State Budget. “It’s good to see that funding coming to Bellarine Secondary College,” said College Principal Wayne
Johannesen. Mr Johannesen said the college was planning how to use the money. “It’s so early in the process ¬– we only found out how much money we would be getting this
week,” he told the Voice two weeks ago. Mr Johannesen said the equity funding was based on NAPLAN results and the levels of education in the local community. “What the government
is aiming for is a base level of equity across the state,” he said. “For me that makes sense.” The money is on top of a $1.1m election commitment by State
Government, which the college received this year. Mr Johannesen said that the money would be used to bring school facilities up to “21st Century teaching standards”. The State Government
announced $473,521 in funding for three schools in Drysdale and Clifton Springs on September 14, from a total $962,169 for Bellarine schools. Continued on page 3