The year Geelong got back its voice

IN many ways, 2017 was the year Geelong residents regained their voice.

When reflecting on all the news that made headlines in the Geelong Advertiser this year, victories for people power was a common theme that kept arising.

This year was the year democracy returned to local government in Geelong. It was the year the voice of the people was heard loud and proud on issues as varied as marriage equality, local libraries and our city’s 30-year future.

While many lamented the lack of elected city leadership, the masses showed they still held power when widespread dissent got the City of Greater Geelong to overturn its plan to close public libraries in Highton, Chilwell and Barwon Heads.

Constant criticism from commuters led to the announcement of extra rail services for Geelong; Geelong voters had one of the country’s highest percentage of “yes” votes in November’s postal marriage survey; and the return to council elections saw a mix of old and new faces take office.

It was another successful year for the city’s beloved Cats both onfield and off — winning their way through to their second successive AFL preliminary final and unveiling the latest stage in the stadium’s state-of-the-art redevelopment.

And it was the year when Geelong’s favourite son came home — the Cats securing the return of one of the club’s all-time great footballers in Gary Ablett.

For all the good news this year, it has ended on a more sour note, with a glut of serious accidents on our roads — many involving tourists to our region. It is a timely reminder of the importance of road safety awareness and how lives can change in a split-second.

We hope you enjoy revisiting some of the year’s biggest stories as much as we did while compiling today’s special Weekend Extra report. It has been an honour to tell Geelong’s stories this year and to have been on the frontline through this era of people power and positive change.

We wish all of our readers — and our region — a happy and prosperous 2018. And above all, please stay safe.