Ocean Grove Golf Club has a new bridge making it easier for golfers to travel around the course thanks to funding from the state government.

The bridge at the seaside club replaced the original old wooden decking with secure concrete and was unveiled on Wednesday morning, July 12.

Club president Sandy Cresswell said the new bridge links the middle fairways and makes it easier for people of all abilities to access both sites of the course.

Its been six years in the making, he said.

It will also enable a greater use of carts going forwards too.

Mr Cresswell said it felt sensational to have the bridge ready to use and thanked everyone for coming to its opening ceremony.

It was a reasonable turnout and there was probably close to 30 people there, he said.

The engineering has exceeded all the limitations and the bridge will be there for 100 plus years that we believe the golf course will be in existence.

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said the bridge was made possible through the $38,000 state governments Golf Infrastructure Fund and would help more people get involved in the sport.

Victorians love their golf, and we want them to keep enjoying the sport and thats why projects like this are so important, she said.

Were building the sporting facilities our communities deserve, so everyone has the opportunity to get out there and get active.

Ocean Grove Golf Club is one of 18 golf infrastructure projects to receive funding support, with golf generating $883 million for the states economy and supporting 6900 jobs.

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Guest columnist Paul Gleeson moved to Ocean Grove 25 years ago and every day he is thankful for it. Read on to see why Paul thinks this place is so special.

Ocean Grove is a rare family find.

Im not trying to take anything away from its closest neighbours, such as the sea change of Barwon Heads or the acreage of Wallington. Both are fine if you have the cash. However, after living here for the last 25 years, OG has provided me with an exorbitant amount of good times. Way back,

American Methodists predicted the same.

In the 1880s, the Methodists, having already successfully set up a camp in New Jersey and calling it Ocean Grove, wanted to take the Lord abroad.

They found a charming seaside resort, on the eastern side of the Barwon River mouth along the Bellarine Peninsula. Here, they secured 222 hectares at 5 to 20 per lot, with a steadfast proviso and a ban on, the Manufacture or Sale of Malted Spirituous or in local lingo, no brew with your burger. This went on for, surprisingly, 140 years.

Traders tried to gain a liquor licence, but they lost the Supreme Court battles. Finally, the Victorian Civil Administration Tribunal intervened in 2014, and it was quashed.

I knew nothing of this when, in the winter of 1998, we decided to move here. To be honest, Ocean Grove was an easy pick with an affordable beach lifestyle. Even back then, $91,000 seemed like Id missed somethingthis is for the land and the house, right?

My friends and family werent sold though because this entailed leaving behind my childhood roots, the leafy Geelong suburb of Highton, and a long haul to work that would now be over 30 minutes. But off we went, buying and renovating a three-bedroom house. Within five months, the renovations were over, and it was summertime.

Ocean Grove beach has the perfect waves for learning how to surf. When the winds are northerly its a squeal fest. Theres freedom in failing and falling off the waves.

Dont worry, theres no judgement here, as the surfers that are all about the performance are around the corner at the Titanic 13th Beach.

Before, or preferably after the beach, the main street is a must. Recently, I overheard a young couple saying it had vibes. On the main street, youll walk past wetsuits, suits, beanies, bell-bottom jeans, and of course dripping boardies. All shopping needs are catered for, with eateries and coffee shops galore. See for yourself as you meander down one way and back up the other, or cruise through in your car.

Just dont enter the traffic from Orton Street (I saw a guy in a Chevy do this, that day his antics morphed locals into seagulls, and they jumped out as if in a musical, flapping in front of his rig).

As mentioned I have so many of my own Ocean Grove beach memories, heres one of them.

My son, who was eight at the time, went out on his G Board with me as his surfing sherpa in mid-Janua...

Ocean Grove held on for a thrilling one-goal win against fierce rivals Barwon Heads in round 13 on Saturday July 8.

The win kept Ocean Grove in second spot on the ladder while the loss saw Barwon Heads slip out of the top five, albeit only by a small amount of percentage.

The Grubbers jumped out to a seven-goal lead at quarter time and increased that by one at the half.

The Seagulls then launched a serious comeback with a 13 goal to eight third term to cut the deficit back to three, but Ocean Grove held on in the dying stages to run out 45 to 44 winners.

I think we just lost our way a little bit in the second half, we just werent playing our game, co-coach Candice Parker said.

We probably got sucked in a little bit to their style of game that they were playing and that ultimately cost us errors during the game.

While we did have plenty of turnovers, we just werent converting off those turnovers either.

Captain Emily Moroney was best at wing attack while Gemma Bell relished her promotion to A Grade with a fine game in defence. Goal attack Ashton OBrien was also a standout player.

Shes (Bell) been playing really well in B Grade so weve given her a couple of opportunities to come up and help out in A and she did a really good job and started a bit of drive coming out of defence, Parker said.

The Grubbers have been slow starters this season before eventually overpowering most opponents in the second half, but last Saturday was the opposite.

Weve been trying some combinations so while it might look like were not having great starts, that just might be the combinations were putting out there and making sure everyone gets experience on the court within the starting line up, Parker said.

But then also coming off the bench and starting too, so just trying to get experience into people and seeing how they respond.

Were a pretty versatile team so just trying to work out the best combinations is tricky as well.

Ocean Grove faces a tough run home before the finals starting with Torquay (3rd) tomorrow, then Geelong Amateur (1st), Modewarre (10th), Anglesea (5th) and Queenscliff (4th).

Youre going to have to play these teams in the finals so to be playing them in the lead up, if youre not winning you can then go back to the drawing board and go well do we need to do to improve to make sure we beat them in the finals, Parker said.

ROUND 13

A Grade: Ocean Grove 45 def Barwon Heads 44. Best: Emily Moroney, Ashton OBrien, Gemma Bell.

B Grade: Ocean Grove 52 def Barwon Heads 27. Best: Amelia Cunningham, Shelby Hackett, Dannie Hoiles.

C Grade: Ocean Grove 30 def Barwon Heads 16. Best: Emily Quinten, Heidi Bennett, Matilda Kelly.

D Grade: Ocean Grove 24 def Barwon Heads 18. Best: Danielle Baker, Paula Birch, Terri-Anne Finch.

E Grade: Ocean Grove 18 def by Barwon Heads 21. Best: Anabelle Sargeant...

Ocean Grove Primary School Year 6 student Sadie Dallman has started up a dog toy library in her home town.

The library, at Blue Waters Lake park in Ocean Grove, is stocked with toys that pooches can play with and are returned so that other canines have fun.

The idea came about through 11-year-old Sadies Rotary Community Project and the toys, such as balls, tug toys, frisbees and throw sticks, were donated by Petstock Ocean Grove.

The mantra of the dog toy library is Borrow, play, return.

I came up with this idea because as a dog owner myself I know the struggles of forgetting to bring a toy or ball to the park, Sadie said.

My dog Goldie always wants to play ball, now we can go there anytime and she loves it. This library is full of fun toys that both you and your dog can play with together.

Id seen one down at the beach and I know that lots of dog owners come down to Blue Waters Park.

The dog toy library has had a fantastic response with locals flooding social media with compliments for the resourceful youngster.

I did not expect that, I thought Id put it up on Facebook and then it would just be up there for people to see, Sadie said.

I saw a girl go grab a toy and play with it with her dog and the the toys have been used, theres a bit of mud on them and stuff

It makes me feel really good because its quite hidden away so its good that people have noticed it.

Even Goldie gets to play with the toys.

Weve taken her there basically every day and she knows where were going and shes very excited about it, Sadie said.

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Police are appealing for information about a suspicious fire at a historic Queenscliff shed.

Victoria Police said they were investigating after a fire started in Queenscliff on Friday, July 7.

Investigators believe that a historic shed on Queenscliff Pier caught fire sometime after midnight, a spokesperson told the Voice.

No one was inside at the time, and the shed received minor damage. At this stage, the fire is being treated as suspicious.

Parks Victoria acting regional director Jodi Heath said the damage had occurred at the historic Waiting Shed on the Queenscliff Pier.

Weve been very disappointed to find vandalism damage to the historic Waiting Shed and Queenscliff Pier twice in the last three weeks and have reported the incidents to the police, she said.

Some decking boards have been burnt, sections of seating removed, holes kicked in timber lining of the Waiting Shed, and some smaller damage to the gate.

We estimate the cost of repair will be around $10,000. Wed really appreciate the local community staying vigilant and reporting any suspicious behaviour around the pier to the police.

A concerned local, who did not want their name published, said they hoped those responsible for the damage would eventually be named and shamed.

It should be called vandalism as that is what it is, they said.

The shed had some of its cladding removed and ripped up, and saw the destruction and removal of its seating, with a fair amount thrown off into the bay.

They also said the alleged vandalism had spread from Queenscliff to Point Lonsdale and that they were concerned about the regions safety.

Why dont the authorities put some form of security out at the sites of heritage buildings, they said.

Anyone with information, CCTV or dash cam footage of the Queenscliff fire is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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A new pilot program to recycle medical blister packs kicks off today at pharmacies around the Geelong area.

Spearheaded by Rotary in partnership with Australian company Pharmacycle and local pharmacists, the pilot will place bins in 10 pharmacies in Geelong, Portarlington, Ocean Grove and elsewhere around the region.

Each pharmacy has received six bins, which are available for the public to drop in used blister packs.

Rotary district chair of environment and pharmacist Barb Sheehan, who conceived the idea for the program and has seen it come to fruition, said she was hopeful the community would get behind the initiative.

Im thrilled, absolutely thrilled; the pharmacies have all been really keen to participate and hopefully the public are really enthusiastic and will get plenty of packs back, she said.

The waste (from blister packs) is enormous, I know how much of it goes out from the pharmacies I work in, let alone whats sold in supermarkets and health food stores, and at the moment it all goes to landfill.

Its a big issue (but) theres a solution. There are people who want to recycle them but its the funding, whos going to pay for it, thats the issue, so hopefully well get enough data that we can seek further funding.

The pilot program is being funded by the City of Greater Geelong through a $10,000 environmental sustainability grant.

Id like to thank the City of Greater Geelong for supporting programs like this with their grants, Ms Sheehan said.

I think its wonderful. Its all about stopping plastic pollution going into landfill, getting something out of the plastic and foil that can contribute to a circular economy and make it a better place for us all to live.

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Geelong has had its first greyhound racing death for the year, marking 17 Victorian fatalities according to the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG).    

Two-year-old Zipping Vienna died during Geelong Greyhound Racing Clubs (GGRC) July 8 meeting when she collided with another dog during race sixs first turn, resulting in a spinal fracture.  

CPG Victorian director Joanne Lee said Zipping Vienna was the third Victorian greyhound this year to die from a broken back while racing.  

The race video shows her falling on her neck and tumbling over at more than 60km/h. This is appalling abuse of these beautiful, gentle dogs, she said.  

The racing industry knows curved tracks are lethal but refuses to transfer racing to safer straight tracks because they put dollars before greyhound welfare.  

GGRC general manager Ray Bartolo said any greyhound injury or loss was tragic and distressing for the owners, trainers and staff.  

Geelong GRC provides assistance to owners and trainers if a greyhound is injured, he said.  

The connections of a greyhound are often distressed, and the club has in the past assisted trainers in transporting greyhounds to a vet clinic.  

Greyhounds are very important to me as I have seven pet greyhounds that all raced and are now living happily in retirement.  

Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) also provides funding to the owner or trainer of any greyhound that suffers a serious injury during racing to ensure the greyhound has immediate access to emergency veterinary care.  

GRV said it was upset about Zipping Viennas death after an on-track veterinarian pronounced the dog dead.  

The serious injury or loss of any greyhound is both tragic and distressing for our industry and particularly for the owners, breeders and trainers, a spokesperson said.  

As with any incident that leads to a fatality on track, the circumstances will be formally reviewed by the Greyhound Racing Integrity Unit.  

The incidence of greyhound racing fatalities in Victoria have more than halved over the past five years.  

According to CPG data, there have been 67 greyhound track deaths and 5865 injuries in Australia this year.

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An Ocean Grove short film and Point Lonsdale podcast series have received funding thanks to Regional Arts Victoria.

Four state art projects shared the $98,518 regional artists and communities funding that was delivered by Regional Arts Victoria through the Australian Governments Regional Arts Fund.

Ocean Groves Isabella Giovinazzo received $27,412 for her short film FINN exploring a diverse range of people living with autism.

Point Lonsdales Mark Lang received $24,562 for his filmed podcast series Out to Sea, exploring the elements and business of how to make a sustainable art career.

Regional Arts Victoria Strategic Initiatives director Susie Lyons said the Regional Arts Fund received its largest round of applications for this round of funding.

At Regional Arts Victoria, we are proud to deliver this vital Australian Government funding program to communities in Victoria, she said.

Now more than ever, we are seeing more artists and communities engaging in this important and highly competitive program.

We want to thank the members of the independent assessment panel for their time and commitment in supporting exceptional and diverse arts practice in regional Victoria.

Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said the story of Australias art scene couldnt be told without the voices of remote and regional artists.

A key pillar of Revive, Australias new National Cultural Policy is to ensure theres a place for every story, and a story for every place, and this funding helps ensure that, he said.

Thats why the Albanese Government is increasing its support for the Regional Arts Fund by an additional $8.5 million over the next four years, promoting a thriving arts scene across the country.

Ballarat International Foto Biennale and Swan Hills Fairfax Youth Initiative also received more than $20,000 in project funding.

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Club Italia Geelong caters to the wide community of Geelong where everyone is welcome.

Club Italia has a large venue which can cater to a variety of functions such as weddings, trivia nights, senior citizen lunches, birthday parties, Christmas parties and so much more.

There is a fully equipped bar and kitchen that offers many types of food to suit any function whether it be a sit down meal or finger foodthey do it all.

As well as a large dance floor Club Italia has ample parking and an outdoor grassed area.

They host many events such as tribute shows, family discos, New Years Eve celebrations, markets and bingo.

The bistro is open every Friday from 5.30pm, offering delicious pub style meals.

Pop along to the Devonshire teas every Sunday from 1.30pm.

The cook has a great reputation for the best scones in Geelong.

Enjoy a tasty scone and a variety of teas and coffee at Club Italia.

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A feature event of the annual Wine Geelong Winter Shiraz Festival, back by popular demand is a very special annual dinner on Friday, August 4.

The Local Heroes degustation dinner will be hosted at iconic Jack Rabbit Vineyard Restaurant. Featuring five delicious courses with the option of perfectly matched wines, the dinner is a culinary tribute to the array of wonderful local producers in and around our region.

Jack Rabbit Restaurant head chef Callan Crigan said Local Heroes was a way to pay homage to fresh and sustainable local produce.

This produce and the people behind it forms a fundamental part of the Jack Rabbit restaurant. Its who we are and what we do, he said.

The matching wines are all lovingly grown and crafted on the Bellarine.

Heres the Local Heroes Menu cast your eyes upon it and get excited. Theres also a vegetarian/vegan degustation on offer as well patrons can easily note their preference in the dietary box when booking.

Local Heroes Menu

Venison carpaccio, baby beets, beet foam, citrus, horseradish, pine mushroom, Smoked Kossies Egg Yolk (gf)

Matching wine: Jack Rabbit Rose 2022

Braised wallaby shank, mountain pepper jus, warrigal greens, Davidson plum relish (gf,df)

Matching wine: Yes said the Seal Pinot Noir 2020

Smoked Leura lamb loin, parsnip, Fasties Honey roast apple, pine nut gremolata, Flying Brick Cider glaze (gf, df)

Matching wine: Jack Rabbit Merlot 2018

Bellarine Beef eye fillet, glazed Bellarine Beef shortrib, red pepper puree, sweet and sour eggplant, Jack Rabbit Vineyard Red wine jus (gf)

Matching wine: Jack Rabbit Reserve Shiraz 2018

Lard Ass crme fraiche parfait, Jack Rabbit Vineyard red wine poached pear, gingerbread, macadamia crumble, red wine granita (gf)

Matching wine: Jack Rabbit Fine Aged Muscat

Friday, August 4

7pm arrival for 7.30pm dinner

$110 per person or $145 with perfectly matched wines

Bookings essential via jackrabbitvineyard.com.au

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Barwon Waters former Bellarine Basin is another step closer to being transformed into 30 hectares of public open space.

The state government has granted Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) nearly $450,000 for works at the former basin, called Murrk Ngubitj Yarram Yaluk, on the corner of Grubb and Swan Bay Roads.

WTOAC interim CEO Liam Murphy said the organisation was thrilled to receive funding for the important project that would go toward improving the local environment in line with Wadawurrung values.

Mr Murphy said the funding would be put towards pest and weed control, the formation and running of a friends group for the area that will help care for Country on site, and towards a car park and walkways (towards which the majority of the funding will go) so people can safely access the site without damaging the native environment.

I am so pleased with the strong partnership between Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Barwon Water, he said.

Truly working together has meant that there has been significant input from Wadawurrung in the design process and in working towards an operational space for our Natural Resource Management team, which is very exciting and an example that other organisations can follow.

The new friends group, which is being coordinated by Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN), has held two weeding days at the site.

Friends of Murrk Ngubitj Yarram Yaluk will meet on the first Wednesday of the month, with the wider community welcome to attend and be an exciting part of the bush regeneration process from that beginning.

BCNs Matt Crawley said he was excited by the formation of the group, which had already got to work removing invasive plant species from the site to support aims of the project to care for Country.

The turnout for the friends group has been really strong, which shows how passionate local people are about this project and protecting and enhancing the Bellarines natural values, he said.

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An early learning centre will be built in Portarlington the state government has announced.

In the recent Victorian State Budget, the treasurer confirmed that 50 new government-owned and affordable early learning centres will be built across Victoria in locations with the greatest need.

These centres will offer affordable childcare and free kinder to local families.

One of the centres will be established in the Portarlington Statistical Area 2 region, which includes the growing suburb of St Leonards.

To determine the best location for the centre, which is being delivered as part of the states Best Start, Best Life reforms, the state is working closely with local government and other stakeholders to understand where the greatest need for childcare is.

Having access to affordable childcare for families on the Bellarine is so important giving parents, particularly mothers, more options to get back to work while giving their children the best possible start in life, Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said.

With the growth we have seen in the Portarlington and St Leonards area, it is vital we have services such as childcare. We know the Bellarine its a great place to raise a family and this new childcare service will ensure local families are supported.

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The Barwon South West region now benefits from six new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that could help people with cardiac arrest.

The 24-hour publicly accessible life-saving machines were installed in Anglesea and Aireys Inlet thanks to the Anglesea Lions Club and Anglesea Community Banks fundraising efforts.

Ambulance Victorias Anglesea Branch team manager Matthew Van Der Ploeg said he was grateful for the generous donations of AEDs from the local groups.

Every day, around 20 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest and only one in 10 survive, he said.

Minutes matter and the sooner a person receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation from an AED, the better their chances of survival.

Mr Van Der Ploeg said the device meant the possibility of returning more patients suffering from a medical emergency where a persons heart suddenly stops beating their loved ones.

A defibrillator is a lightweight, battery-operated, portable device used to shock the heart back into rhythm, he said.

Simply open it and follow the instructions. They are safe and easy to use and will not deliver a shock unless necessary.

Not only will it potentially save a life, but if it is used, Ambulance Victoria will replace the pads for free to ensure its ready to go again.

The new AEDs in Anglesea include the Anglesea Community Bank and Anglesea Pizza and Pasta at 63 Great Ocean Road, Go Ride a Wave and Four Kings Coffee and Food at 143B Great Ocean Road, and Anglesea Tennis Club at 19 Cameron Road.

Airey Inlet received AEDs at Strapper Surf on 83 Great Ocean Road, Aireys Inlet Community Garden at 2 Fraser Drive, and Aireys Inlet Community Hall at 6 Great Ocean Road.

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The Bellarines Community Red-capped Plover Monitoring and Engagement program is helping further raise sustainable beach behaviour awareness thanks to a state government Coastcare grant.

The program started in 2017 and will share more than $350,000 in funding from the 2022-23 Coastcare Victoria Community Grant to educate people about red-capped plover breeding sites.

Bellarine Bayside coastal projects officer Jane Shearer said she was thrilled that they could continue helping the birds that relied on the beach to incubate their eggs and raise their chicks.

Red-capped plovers spend their entire lives on the beach, and they breed and raise their young during the busy spring and summer period when we humans like to flock to the beaches too, she said.

It can be difficult for them to have success in fledging their chicks. Programs like the Coastcare help us to support these lovely little creatures continue to thrive on our coasts.

Ms Shearer said the grant would help Bellarine Bayside support Birdlife Australia to educate the community on the local beach-nesting birds and red-capped plovers in particular.

The grant will help support the incredible work our passionate and committed community volunteers undertake, she said.

They collect invaluable data on the local colonies that helps Birdlife Australia obtain a clearer picture of the red-capped plover conservation status.

Ms Shearer said people should walk along the waters edge, put their dogs on a lead and move through the area quickly in temporary beach fencing areas to protect the birds while breeding.

The Coastcare Victoria program is in its 29th year of supporting coastal community groups and volunteers, funded by the $16.9-million VicCoasts program.

Bellarine Bayside can be contacted through social media or contactus@bellarinebayside.com.au for more information or to be involved in the red-capped plover protection program.

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The sun will shine on Queenscliffs Cottage By the Sea following the installation of a solar system and an electric vehicle (EV) charging unit which will together reduce its energy bills by almost a third.

Global low carbon energy and services company, ENGIE commissioned the fitting of the solar system and EV charger to the Queenscliff based charity using its subsidiary, Simply Energy.

The 22.4kW rooftop solar system will generate enough power to meet approximately 30 per cent per cent of Cottage by the Seas annual energy needs. An EV charging unit has also been installed, in anticipation of the organisation switching some of its vehicles to EVs in the near future.

Cottage by the Sea is an Australian childrens charity that aims to give more children more opportunities to have fun, be inspired and broaden their horizons. Founded in 1890 in Queenscliff, it provides tailored programs within a holiday environment.

The responsibility lies with us all as individuals and organisations to do what we can to reduce our impact on our beautiful planet, Cottage by the Sea chief executive Adam Wake said.

This is more than just funding, it has provided the impetus to help Cottage by the Sea move into this space, to use our large roof, and to create a carbon free facility with confidence. This all has a significant educational benefit for the children on our programs.

Simply Energy chief executive Shannon Hyde said while there were significant short-term cost advantages arising from the installation, environmental and educational benefits would also flow in the longer term.

Cottage by the Sea do incredible work with children to keep them engaged in education and community and most importantly have some fun, he said.

Were hoping the solar system and EV charging infrastructure can help to reduce their energy bills and free up some funding for future projects that benefit the families they support.

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Aireys Inlet firefighter Andrew Wilson is doing more than fighting fires to help the community by making his first-ever blood donation.

Mr Wilson took part in the 2023 Red Cross Lifeblood Emergency Services Blood Drive by donating his blood to the program that runs from June 1 to August 31.

He said the process was quicker than he thought it would be and that the donation was another way for him to help others.

I was inspired by my wife, who is a regular blood donor, Mr Wilson said.

Ive wanted to do it for a long time, so I thought it was time to step up and do it myself and take part in the drive.

Aside from the interview beforehand to determine your suitability, the actual blood draw took me less than 15 minutes.

Mr Wilson said giving blood was like volunteering with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) as it allowed him to give back and help people.

Its easy, just do it plus, you get all the treats at the end, he said.

Its an extension of what we do at CFA. While it might not be in our direct community, its still helping others.

Its pretty neat, you get a text message a few days after your donation, and it tells you where your blood has gone, and mine was sent to the Mornington Peninsula.

You get a milkshake at the end, which is something to look forward to, but its super easy and probably sounds a lot scarier than it actually is, so pull together and join in the cause.

More information on the Red Cross Emergency Services Blood Drive and how to donate blood is available at www.lifeblood.com.au.

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