1. GEELONGADVERTISER.COM.AU FRIDAY OCTOBER 9 2015 NEWS 07
V1 - GATE01Z01MA
BARWON Health staff have
been asked whether they ident-
ify as gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, intersex or queer
as the organisation strives to
improve inclusiveness.
The question was part of a
staff engagement survey.
It found 3.8 per cent of re-
spondents identified as a mem-
ber of the GLBTIQ
community.
Almost two-thirds of the or-
ganisation’s 6000-plus staff
completed the survey.
It comes as Barwon Health
ramps up its GLBTIQ commit-
tee with the aim of developing
cafes, and (there is) easy access
to the freeway so it’s just a
good spot.”
It is believed the apartments
will go on the market with a
price tag close to $400,000,
while the townhouses would
start from $500,000.
Award-winning architects
Rothe Lowman were commis-
sioned to design the project,
which Mr Fabretto said would
be of the highest standard.
“They’ve done an extremely
great job with the architectural
Survey boosts gay inclusion
a culture of inclusion in the
workplace.
Barwon Health mental
health clinician and longstand-
ing committee member Aaron
Gore said by asking the ques-
tion it allowed the organisation
to celebrate its diversity.
“It allows me and others to
be open and confident when
reflecting on the key moments
in my life and be assured that
staff and people around me are
going to be supportive,” Mr
Gore said.
“It will help all staff who
identify as part of this com-
munity to feel culturally safe
and be who they are.”
Workforce and culture ad-
viser Christine Shaw said in-
cluding the question for the
first time was a significant step
towards a fully diverse and in-
clusive workforce that reflect-
ed the community Barwon
Health served.
She called for more staff
and consumers to get involved
in the committee.
“To effect the kind of
change we are looking for, we
need our staff and consumers
to work together to make sure
we reflect the needs of all those
who look to us for health care
and also for future employ-
ment,” Ms Shaw said.
Sunday’s National Coming
Out Day aims to raise aware-
ness of the issues faced by the
GLBTIQ community.
NICOLE MILLS
PLANS for a development
costing more than $20 million
on the former site of the Gee-
long West Bowls Club have
been submitted to council.
The Geelong Advertiser can
reveal the 12 Bowlers Ave site
will include a three-storey
building of 32 apartments and
a cafe and 32 townhouses of
two, three and four bedrooms.
While the plans are open to
the public and subject to sub-
missions, the City of Greater
Geelong cleared the way for
developers in August last year
by lifting a 28-year covenant
that stipulated the land could
be used only for lawn bowls.
That decision paved the
way for Brocon — the develop-
ment group that bought the
7945sq m site soon afterwards
— to apply for the necessary
permits to proceed with the de-
velopment.
Brocon director Ben
Fabretto said he was excited by
the bold plans.
“I think it will be good for
the area and bring lots of em-
ployment to Geelong in re-
gards to construction,” Mr
Fabretto said. “With property
prices going up and things like
that, it attracts affordable liv-
ing options for people as well.
“It’s the perfect location for
it — you’ve got amenities, the
train station is within walking
distance, beautiful Pakington
St with all its restaurants and
LACHIE YOUNG
Cleared
of deadly
flooding
ONE of Queensland’s most
powerful men has been
absolved of any blame for a
devastating flood that claimed
12 lives.
The $2.5 million Grantham
Floods Commission of In-
quiry’s report handed down
yesterday found a quarry
owned by multi-millionaire
businessman Denis Wagner
did not significantly contribute
to the flooding that hit the
small southeastern Queens-
land town on January 10, 2011.
In fact, Commissioner
Walter Sofronoff QC said the
quarry’s pit slightly slowed
flooding into Grantham as
water flowed into it. Mr Wag-
ner, whose family’s building
empire includes an airport out-
side Toowoomba, says he
hopes the finding will put to
bed once and for all claims that
the quarry worsened the flood.
Mr Wagner is considering
legal action against shock jock
Alan Jones, who was instru-
mental in pushing the theory
that the quarry was to blame.
design of the development,” he
said. “It’s not a cheaply
designed project.
“It’s more upper end and
they’re award-winning archi-
tects, so we want to create
something special for Geelong
West.
“I think it will be a land-
mark.”
Construction is expected to
start in the middle of next year,
with the development likely to
be completed in the latter part
of 2017.
$20m plans for bowls
club site go to council
LOCATION: An
artist’s impression
of the $20 million
development on
the former
bowls club site.
Inset: The
Bowlers Ave site
in Geelong West
and a working
bee at the bowls
club in 1923.
Dog bets
up despite
bait shame
GAMBLING revenue from
Victorian greyhound races
has grown strongly despite
the live-baiting scandal.
Wagering revenue rose
13 per cent to $83.8 million in
2014-15, including a rise of al-
most 40 per cent with corpor-
ate bookmakers. It made up
almost 95 per cent of Grey-
hound Racing Victoria’s total
revenue.
The 2014-15 annual report
is the first since the entire
GRV board quit in disgrace in
March. It followed publicat-
ion of video that showed some
leading greyhound trainers
using live animals as bait.
Profit in 2014-15 dropped
by a third to $5.1 million, part-
ly because of the cost of renov-
ations at the state’s two main
track at Sandown and The
Meadows, and extra spending
on integrity and welfare.
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