The Bellarine Peninsula
Friday, 13 December, 2013
JOEYS PAIR TAKE PUNT ON NFL - P2
Connecting people and communities
BUCKETS & BOUQUETS PAGE 14
Little birdie tells GC all about Alex HIGHTON’S Alex Hecker is more than just a pretty face. The Miss Universe Australia state finalist and Spring Racing Carnival ambassador, pictured, is also smart, preparing to begin a masters in cultural heritage at Deakin University next year. Alex tells the summer edition of Geelong Coast magazine (GC) she plans to eventually shun the catwalk for a career in archaeology or museums. “I’m really fascinated in Aboriginal and Australian history in general but the Westernisation of cultures around the world also fascinates me,” she says. Alex features in GC’s eightpage fashion spread, wearing the latest designs from Geelong’s top women’s clothing retailers. “It was lots of fun,” she says. “I felt really elegant in some of the gowns. It was good preparation for Miss Universe.” GC is available at all good local newsagents. PICTURE: REG RYAN
BODIES OF WORK GEELONG’S HOTTEST GYM JUNKIES
GREASE IS THE WORD RISING STAR STEFANIE DE CASTRO
WATCH THIS
FACE THE BRAINS AND BEAUTY OF ALEX HECKER
LOCAL
LOVE JAMES AND LAURA TIE THE KNOT
IN FOCUS DARREN CLARK’S IMAGES OF AUSTRALIA
SUMMER 2013 AUS $5.50 (inc GST)
OUT NOW: The summer edition of GC.
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ROCKING ON WITH FINALLY FRIDAY - P17 ‘Meddling’ blamed
City Hall pulls out of lobby By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN GEELONG’S council has split with Committee for Geelong, finally ending a meddling and fractious relationship, according to former mayor Barbara Abley. Council decided this week to allow its membership of the committee to lapse, citing the committee’s new corporate structure as a public company. City Hall was a foundation member of the lobby group in 2001 at an annual cost of around $20,000. The membership lapsed on 14 November. The financial membership was a long-running contentious issue, with a number of councillors opposed to paying the annual fee. Ms Abley as a councillor unsuccessfully raised several notices of motion seeking immediate termination of the membership on grounds the committee interfered in council processes. In September last year, during her final term on council, she asked City Hall to seek urgent legal advice on alleged misuse of a committee database in the mayoral election and urged the council to resign immediately. Ms Abley this week still “firmly believed” spending ratepayers’ money on membership of an organisation that lobbied council over developments and investments linked to other committee members created a “real conflict of interest”. “In my view, and in the view of
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members of our wider community, the line was often crossed by this organisation, using its power and influence to actively involve itself in council matters, conflicting with its stated brief,” she said. “The committee made a conscious decision to involve itself in the politics of local elections by publicly backing certain candidates. “Over the years, the committee has publicly used its power to often and unfairly denigrate council and City of Greater Geelong when it suited its own purposes.” The committee’s new structure proposes a local government member category available to City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast and Golden Plains shires and Borough of Queenscliffe at a cost of $12,100. The committee announced a new chairperson the morning after council formally wound up its membership on Tuesday night, with lawyer Dan Simmonds replacing accountant Michael Betts. Committee executive officer Rebecca Casson said the organisation respected the City’s decision. She said the committee developed a “robust model of advocacy” and had a “strong record of working collaboratively” with the City. Ms Casson said the Committee was not defined by one single member and would continue to have “direct engagement” on key issues with the City.