Holiday buzz
THERE is something special about this time of year in our region.
No doubt it’s partly thanks to the return of the footy.
The Cats have jumped out of the blocks and, despite a GWS hiccup, sit on top of the ladder at 3-1, and are already setting themselves up for another run to September.
It’s great for the overall mood of our town to see them playing an exciting and winning brand of football with contributions from several new faces.
They’re not the only Geelong sporting team doing well either.
If you haven’t gotten along to a Supercats basketball game at the Arena in recent times, do yourself a favour.
The women’s side in particular has put together a formidable lineup, including Ezi Magbegor, pictured, who has just been drafted to the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. What an opportunity to see Ezi playing here at the Arena alongside a cast of fellow stars before she heads off to test herself in the world’s best league.
Whether it’s watching our top flight teams or playing and supporting at grassroots level, sport is a weekly ritual for many people during our colder months.
It’s a great chance to socialise and plays a big role in building our sense of togetherness and community.
Beyond the sporting fields there are many other things grabbing our attention at the moment that offer reason to feel optimistic.
It’s the school holidays and this too creates a real buzz around the place as families hit the swings of their local playgrounds or take part in school holiday activities.
At these times, the true importance of council’s investment in playgrounds and other community infrastructure becomes clear. We have a vibrant community full of young families, and it’s vital we give them places to be entertained and to socialise.
On this, it’s very exciting that council has agreed to partner with charity organisations Touched By Olivia and Variety to develop a new inclusive play space in Rippleside Park.
These playgrounds look like any other, but with clever and creative engineering, they include features that give children of all abilities the chance to have fun side-by-side.
Our libraries are also busy during the holiday period, offering a range of excellent programs, while cultural venues such as the National Wool Museum have fantastic exhibitions for all ages and our leisure centres are full of happy young swimmers.
Counc i l ’s investment in community hubs such as the $15 million centre just opened in Armstrong Creek provide more spaces for groups to offer services and activities that strengthen their local communities.
From a social perspective, the Little Malop St mall has been a hot issue this year and it’s promising to see some signs of progress in recent times concerning homelessness in the area.
The NEAMI organisation’s Towards Home program has had a positive impact by providing intensive case management and support to people who are sleeping rough. Geelong must be a place where everyone can have a roof over their head and access to the support they need.
Business-wise, the ongoing construction activity in our CBD gives us strong confidence that Geelong’s momentum is showing no sign of slowing. The cranes in the sky have been kept busy.
The Mercer and Miramar residential developments are both rising up out of the ground, along with the 180-bed Holiday Inn at 144 Ryrie St. With Avalon Airport now international and our long-awaited conference and convention centre fully funded, this hotel will be essential to supporting the continued growth of our tourism market. And while tourists are flocking, so too are new residents. Over the past couple of years, people from Melbourne and other regions have recognised what we’ve always known — that Geelong is a great place to live. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures indicate that Greater Geelong’s population has now topped 250,000. Our rate of growth is in line with forecasts and council is planning very carefully to accommodate it so we retain everything we enjoy about our lifestyle. In the coming days our Bellarine towns and caravan parks will come alive with visitors here for the Easter weekend, giving local businesses an important spike in trade ahead of the quieter winter period. So get in the surf, get on your bike, throw a line in the water, visit a gallery or two or just simply relax with family and friends. To everyone taking a short break over Easter, enjoy yourselves and stay safe. Bruce Harwood is the Geelong mayor