City Hall chief quits
Police warning over burnouts at Limeburners Point
KELVIN Spiller says his decision to to step down as City Hall CEO has nothing to do with the new Geelong council’s power to decide his fate.
While he had a year remaining on his three-year contract, Mr Spiller, pictured, used the first day of the new councillor-led era to announce he would finish eight months early.
A CEO review committee — including new Mayor Bruce Harwood, deputy mayor Peter Murrihy and three other councillors — was due to be created shortly.
HOON drivers are trashing Geelong’s Limeburners Point — tearing up and down the popular strip and leaving rubbish and broken glass strewn all over the site.
Police are increasing patrols to keep tabs on the hoons who gather in groups of up to 30 people at Limeburners Rd carpark from 10pm until the early hours of the morning most nights.
Highway Patrol Sergeant Jason Van Doren said police regularly received calls from distressed residents who could hear drivers doing burnouts along the strip.
Geelong resident Bruce Shingles is one of many locals fed up at being woken by speeding hoons and finding smashed bottles and burnt tyres strewn throughout the carpark.
“The behaviour is just disgusting,” Mr Shingles said. “We get a hell of a lot of tourist operators coming here and look at the mess they see.”
Police recently arrested a 26-year-old Moolap man who allegedly completed a series of doughnuts in his white Holden Commodore in front of a group of people at Limeburners Point carpark.
The man’s car was immediately impounded and he was charged with careless driving and improper use of a vehicle and will appear before Geelong Magistrates’ Court.
Sgt Van Doren said police would not tolerate anti-social behaviour that put lives at risk.
“There are some legitimate people who like to look at nice cars on a warm night and go for a cruise (at Limeburners Point). But there is also an element who go there and decide to act like a clown by doing burnouts,” he said.
Sgt Van Doren said police were monitoring the area and would continue to arrest and charge those who committed offences.
“Don’t think that just because you go to somewhere dark you are anonymous. We have various means to identify who you are,” he said.
“You might have got away on the night, but don’t be too shocked if police knock on your door and charge you the next day.”
Tough anti-hoon laws give police powers to impound, immobilise or permanently confiscate vehicles.
A person found guilty of a hoon driving offence could be fined up to $34,000 and serve up to two years in prison.
Mr Shingles has called on the City of Greater Geelong to take action and consider locking the gate to the park- ing lot after hours to prevent carpark access.
“Every weekend there are mountains of rubbish and tyre remnants strewn everywhere,” Mr Shingles said.
“Lately, they are smashing bottles leaving glass scattered.
“Why wouldn’t the council lock the gate between dusk and dawn, as no boats use the ramp overnight?”
Council’s director of city services Guy Wilson-Brown said Limeburners Point was used for both recreational and commercial fishing and the city would not support restricting access to the site at night.
“In the event of an emergency, access needs to be maintained to enable marine rescues and evacuations,” Mr Wilson-Brown said.
“Don’t think that just because you go to somewhere dark you are anonymous. We have various means to identify who you are.” SERGEANT JASON VAN DOREN