Christmas is coming to Geelong

Geelong is once again set be the centre of attention across the country as we launch our 2022 Christmas program, highlighted by the world-famous floating Christmas tree.

Christmas is an important time for people in our region and I am proud of Council’s efforts to be known as the Christmas capital of Australia.

The lights on the floating Christmas tree are set to be switched on with a free community celebration on Saturday, 12 November.

The light show on the tree will run with different themes in three blocks: from opening night until 2 December, from 3 December to 25 December and finally from Boxing Day to 8 January.

Local products Taylor Henderson and Denis Walter will headline the launch, while Angie Hilton and dancers will bring a special Christmas groove.

Kate Daley and Steve Hobbs will perform some all-time favourite Christmas tunes and Geelong’s own ‘piano man’, Andy Pobjoy, will accompany Shandelle Cooke to get people into the festive spirit.

I am delighted as well that this year’s program will see a return of additional in-person activities, be more accessible, and held across more venues.

Family favourites such as the projections on City Hall and letters to Santa will be back, while our Giant Selfie Trail, with 26 locations, and the school Christmas trees in Johnstone Park and Little Malop Street, will also return.

In addition to this we have exciting new Christmas events and activities for people of all ages.

These include free Santa pet photos, Christmas golf and Christmas by the Pool, and there will be masterclasses, a shopping night, music and storytelling events for kids throughout the lead up to the big day.

I would encourage everyone in the position to do so to shop locally when buying gifts, and if you can, pop into a restaurant or café to support small businesses who have been doing it tough during the past two years.

Most importantly though, enjoy the company of friends and family and stay safe.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

For a full list of events and activities, visit www.geelongaustralia.com.au/christmas

Council commits to swim safety measures

A recent national lifesaving report found there were 294 drowning deaths in 2021 across Australia’s coastline, inland waterways and pools.

While alarming in its own right, this represents a 20 per cent rise from 2020. The report noted that rivers remain the leading location for drowning deaths, and people born overseas are at an increased risk of drowning.

It is shocking to read, and as someone with a background in lifesaving, it concerns me that kids in our region could one day become a statistic.

For these reasons and many more, Council has committed to providing swimming lessons for the whole community and are subsidising the cost of training for new swim teachers.

We have recruited more than 120 new swim teachers during the past 12 months to help try to meet the demand for swimming lessons from school groups and the wider community.

This is inclusive of 100 new swim teachers who received subsidised training and clocked up their Life Saving Victoria training hours at Council-operated Swim Sport and Leisure facilities.

In addition to this we have also employed an extra 37 lifeguards this year to meet the increased demand.

The coming years will see the number of pools in our region increase dramatically, thanks to commitments from all tiers of government.

Just last week the Victorian government announced that a purpose-built swimming centre will be constructed in Armstrong Creek for the Commonwealth Games.

That comes on top of a significant upgrade to Leisurelink in Waurn Ponds, the construction of the North Bellarine Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Drysdale, and what will become the jewel in the crown of the northern suburbs, our $61 million Northern Aquatic and Community Hub in Norlane.

It is one thing to have new swimming facilities across our region, but we have to ensure the community is positioned to use them in a safe manner.

By providing subsidised lessons and recruiting more lifeguards, Council is playing its role in keeping the community safe.

Mayor,

Peter Murrihy