Colac’s Jim Ryan has welcomed a community reference group’s decision to abandon short-term options for a Colac alternate truck route.

A COMMUNITY reference group has ruled out a short-term truck route through Colac’s residential streets.

Colac Otway Shire Council released a list of 10 possible heavy vehicle routes last month, sparking outrage from residents about sending trucks through residential areas.

The community reference group – comprising 10 Colac and district residents, councillors, transport operators and council staff – met this week and recommended ditching the short-term options through Colac’s residential area.

They recommended five long-term routes for further investigation but the council has withheld the locations.

Mayor Stephen Hart said councillors would discuss the issue at next Wednesday’s council meeting.

Cr Hart said he expected a report about the long-term options to go to the council in June.

“The reference group has further suggested that council should consider mitigation measures to reduce the impact of trucks using Murray Street, such as lowering speed limits, improving pedestrian crossings or extending the 50-kilometre speed zone,” he said.

“At the June meeting, councillors will have an opportunity to consider a report about the five suggested long-term alternative heavy vehicle transport routes, and will consider a motion to release these options for community comment.”

The council had previously identified Wilson and Pollack streets as possible short-term routes.

The community reference group also suggested routes across Lake Colac, north of the lake and south of the lake, going as far south as Forans Road, Barongarook.

Community group Residents for a Liveable Community formed to protest routes that would send trucks into residential streets, collecting about 650 signatures in a petition.

More than 100 residents gathered at the corner of Wilson and Armstrong streets earlier this month to voice their concerns.

RLC spokesman Jim Ryan said he felt uneasy despite the council’s assurances.

“I would still be a bit concerned about what the long-term options are, if any of those would in fact include residential areas,” Mr Ryan said.

“We’ll see what the long-term options are; certainly from the present time it’s great news,” he said.

Wilson Street resident Lucy Washington said the council’s announcement was a “temporary” relief.

“I’ve heard on the grapevine that Wilson Street is still on the long-term,” Mrs Washington said.

“What we need is something more permanent to say none of the residential streets are on the short-term or long-term options,” she said.

“I’d like confirmation any residential street isn’t on the long-term proposal at all.”

Colac Specialist School principal Suzanne Armstrong welcomed the reference group’s decision.

“My opinion is no truck route should be in a residential street,” she said.

Kenyan runner and 2011 Great Ocean Road Marathon champion James Kipkelwon.

KENYAN runner James Kipkelwon is ready to eclipse his Great Ocean Road Marathon course record this weekend.

Kipkelwon set a new course record last year when he clocked two hours, 27 minutes and 42 seconds in his first GORM attempt.

The defending champion arrived in Melbourne earlier this week with fellow Kenyan’s Daniel Mwelu and Charles Mutari.

Kipkelwon said was ready to run faster than he did last year.

“Last year there was rain and a lot of wind; this year, the weather is better,” he said.

“I can go under the course record by more than three minutes.”

Mwelu said Kipkelwon was the man to beat in Sunday’s marathon.

“Everyone’s coming to win but there is always one who is the strongest,” he said.

“Hopefully we can finish first, second and third again.”

Race director John Craven said he wouldn’t be surprised if Kipkelwon managed to set a new course mark.

“He looks super fit, even fitter than last year and he was certainly pretty fit last year,” he said.

More than 4300 people have entered the GORM events which include tomorrow’s six-kilometre Apollo Bay to Marengo run and the 14-kilometre Apollo Bay to Paradise run.

This year’s festival also features the 1.5-kilometre Kids Gallop with all entry-fee proceeds going to the Apollo Bay hospital.

The 45-kilometre Great Ocean Road Marathon and 23-kilometre half marathon kicks off on Sunday.

Craven said this year’s record-breaking 4340 entries showed how popular the GORM had become.

“Entry response has been fantastic, by the time you take in the Kids Gallop we should have over 4500 competitors for the weekend and that’s just amazing,” he said.

“It’s become a real family weekend, Apollo Bay is absolutely booked out, there’s no accommodation anywhere.

“The weather I hope will be in our favour and I think it will be; everything is in place for a marvellous weekend.”

Colac Tigers skipper Dan Jeffreys says his team must take collective responsibility for its poor form.

COLAC captain Dan Jeffreys says the Tigers’ playing group is positioned to reverse a campaign quickly losing relevance.

Consecutive heavy defeats to South Barwon and Lara have put the Tigers on the back foot ahead of a must-win clash against St Marys at Central Reserve tomorrow.

The South Barwon loss was unsurprising, but the defeat to Lara – and the ease with which the Cats unravelled Colac – came as a major shock.

Jeffreys opted against pointing fingers at under-performing players, insisting the Tigers had to take collective responsibility for their poor form

He said the adoption of a Leading Teams program – popular at AFL clubs – provided a platform for the side to emerge from one of its darkest days in years.

“The idea of Leading Teams and the leadership group we’ve got going is to get that player feedback,” he said.

“After a game we’ve had a chat about what we need to do and where we’re at. It’s a continuous thing we’ve been doing the last couple of years, and this year as well.

“We want that player input to make them take charge, to keep driving and working on the things they need to.

“It gives you a bit of structure and guidance on what you’re trying to do, something to refer back to.”

Eighth-placed Colac has a 2-3 record but a percentage of just 68.7, a whopping 40 per cent behind seventh-placed Newtown and Chilwell, which has one more victory.

Jeffreys said the Tigers were “poor in a lot of areas” against Lara, but “it’s not through a lack of trying”.

He said the improvement of the Geelong Football League had exposed how important it was to have a bulletproof game plan.

“Some of the sides that are out there now, if you’re a few per cent off or if your standard drops away with pressure, skill and intensity you get found out pretty quick,” he said.

“You’ve got to make sure each week you’re hitting targets and getting the basics right.

“It’s not one person or an area of the field, it’s a whole team approach.”

Former Colac policeman Peter Goonan.

FORMER Colac policeman Peter Goonan says he feels vindicated after an inquest into Hugh Wilson’s death acknowledged claims of police corruption.

Mr Goonan has stood by claims that at least one of his former colleagues was involved in the 1976 hit-run death of Colac man Hugh Wilson, despite a coronial inquest finding there was not enough evidence to prove his allegations.

Coroner Kim Parkinson delivered her findings this month at Melbourne Coroner’s Court but Mr Goonan was unable to attend.

He said he had expected the finding of insufficient evidence, but was pleased the coroner referred to a lack of police integrity in her closing statements.

Mystery still shrouds the death of Colac hermit Hugh Wilson.

Rumours circulated Colac after Mr Wilson’s death, including claims that a police car had hit Mr Wilson and the car had secret repairs at the city’s Laneway Panels.

Ms Parkinson said while witness statements showed that someone had repaired a police car at the panel shop “on the quiet”, the repairs were inconsistent with Mr Wilson’s injuries.

But she criticised the close relationship between a group of Colac police officers and Laneway Panels, claiming “the culture which appeared to prevail at the Colac Police Station at the time did a disservice to the Victoria Police and to the confidence the local community was able to have in the integrity of its policing”.

Mr Goonan, who was initially a suspect in Mr Wilson’s death, said Ms Parkinson’s criticism proved his allegations of police corruption.

“There were statements in her findings that backed up my submission to the inquest, which detailed the cultural corruption which was taking place at Colac Police Station at the time, which other police officers like myself had to put up with,” he said.

“Due to the passage of time, there are key records like the station rosters that are missing, not deliberately, but that has allowed whoever was driving the police car the night of Hughie’s death to remain undercover.

“So there’s no sense of relief with this outcome, but I’m very pleased to be cleared without a shadow of a doubt and for the coroner to use a lot of what I’ve said as part of her findings.”

Mr Goonan was among the first on the scene after Mr Wilson died on the Colac-Lavers Hill Road in September 1976.

He said he was writing a book about the case, including the 30 years of innuendo he endured as a rumoured suspect.

Marion Boyd is fighting her second cancer battle and wants a Breast Cancer Network Australia pink netball and football day to be an annual event.

COLAC’S Marion Boyd is fighting her second cancer battle and knows the importance of raising awareness of the disease.

Mrs Boyd says last weekend’s Breast Cancer Network Australia pink netball and football day should be an annual event.

The Western Eagles Football and Netball Club charity day raised almost $3000 for the network.

Mrs Boyd said the event was also important in building awareness about the disease.

“I’m going to try and make this an annual thing for the Western Eagles,” she said.

“It was just so good to see young netballers racing to buy the shoelaces and put them straight in their shoes and put the pink armbands on,” she said.

“It was great, it was fantastic just to see that and not to have to push to sell them, they came and bought them.”

Mrs Boyd, who cares for her son Jackson who suffers from cerebal palsy, said cancer had claimed the lives of her father, aunt and two uncles.

Doctors first diagnosed Mrs Boyd in 2009 and she thought she had beaten the disease after successful rounds of hormone therapy.

But the cancer returned earlier this year and doctors are treating Mrs Boyd at Geelong’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre.

“Even though mine’s not a critical one, there are lots down there and there are lots that are Colac people down there,” Mrs Boyd said.

“It’s a real eye opener when you get there.”

Mrs Boyd said raising money for breast cancer research was crucial to ease the pressure on families affected by the disease.

“I know people who come from Camperdown to go to Geelong and it’s a whole day it’s not just one hour and you’re done, it’s a whole day that you have to go there,” she said.

“You have to have parking, there’s petrol, there’s food and in my case I’ve got to find somebody to pick me up or babysit or whatever.

“So it’s a lot of stress, if we can cut that stress out a little bit by raising money then that’s a good thing.”

“There are a lot of sufferers out there,” Mrs Boyd

said.

“It’s mums that have got newborns or mums that are pregnant and to see little ones that haven’t even had a life yet get it; it’s hard.

“There was someone on Sunrise last week who left a three-year old, she lost her battle with cancer.

“There’s Jim Stynes – there’s just so many and it’s not just women it’s men as well.”

Mrs Boyd will contact clubs about her plans for an annual fundraiser.

Brothers Warwick, left, and Brad Millard before their transformation.

BROTHERLY love is helping win a battle with diabetes.

Birregurra’s Warwick Millard has served as a motivator and mentor to help his older brother Brad control his type two diabetes which, until 15 months ago, controlled his life.

Warwick, 21, shed a whopping 25 kilograms during a 12-week gym challenge in 2009 and has since lost another 20 kilos.

He has since completed a personal training course at Victorian Fitness Academy and works to help others enjoy the life change that he has.

It was his younger brother’s dramatic lifestyle change that motivated 27-year-old Brad to get in shape and maintain his diabetes.

Birregurra’s Millard brothers Brad, front, and Warwick have lost a combined 65 kilograms over the past four years.

“When I was 19 I hit the booze pretty hard and ended up putting on 20 kilos in about three months, that was when I got diagnosed with type two diabetes,” Brad said.

“I sort of managed the diabetes for a few years but I actually got to the point where I had to be on medication for it, that was a low point, I bawled my eyes out when the doctors told me that,” he said.

“If it’s unmanaged it can be life threatening, it could have put me in a bad place that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

“Warwick was pretty much the reason I got pulled out of it and turned my life around.”

Brad, a former qualified diesel mechanic, has followed in his younger brother’s footsteps and is a week away from becoming a qualified personal trainer.

Brad said he now hoped to help people the way Warwick had helped him.

The brothers have organised a six-week boot camp training course at 7.30am Saturday mornings at Colac’s Botanic Gardens.

Brad said the information provided in the course, combined with his fitter and healthier lifestyle, meant he had his diabetes under control.

“Because I’ve lost all the weight, my goal and aim is to bulk up and put on muscle, the more muscle I have the better my diabetes is managed,” Brad said.

“I tell people my diabetes is sleeping, so I don’t need medication just diet and exercise,” he said.

Colac’s Lachlan Ryan, left, and Jarrod Theodore with their Houston International Film Festival Gold Remi Award for best student film, which they received in Texas.

A COLAC filmmaker has joined the likes of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Ridley Scott after winning an international film festival award.

Lachlan Ryan’s short film, Andrew and Bec’s Skydiving Video, won a Gold Remi Award for best student film at the 45th annual Houston International Film Festival.

Ryan said he organised a last-minute trip to Texas with the film’s cinematographer, Colac’s Jarrod Theodore, after finding out about the nomination.

“I entered earlier in the year and was stoked to find out that I’d been accepted,” he said.

“They received over 5000 films from around the world and narrowed the field down to 100.

“We didn’t want to miss such an amazing opportunity.”

Ryan said the award was an honour and it was inspiring to see the other entries at the film festival.

“It was a real honour and made even sweeter since it’s the very same award that Spielberg won,” he said.

“Jarrod and myself had VIP passes, which allowed us to attend the masterclasses and all of the other films.

“The Saturday night awards gala was the highlight, it included a full three-course meal and plenty of live entertainment.”

Andrew and Bec’s Skydiving Video is about a man who surprises his girlfriend with a tandem skydive for their three-year anniversary, but his plans go awry.

The short film starred Rebecca Lavindi and Andrew Faulkner in the lead roles, and also involved Forrest’s Lachlan Harris as the sound designer.

Colac Tigers recruit Emma Hillman is relishing the switch from district netball to GFL netball.

COLAC Tigers defender Emma Hillman is enjoying the challenge of playing against taller and stronger attacking players this season.

Hillman made the switch from CDFLNA side Irrewarra-Beeac to GFL club Colac Tigers this year and has had to work against taller opposition players.

Losses to Geelong West-St Peters, Bell Park and South Barwon have left Hillman in unfamiliar territory considering Irrewarra-Beeac’s winning history, which included an 81-game winning streak.

But the hardworking defender said testing herself at GFL level was rewarding.

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far we’ve had some really tough matches and played some of the better teams,” she said.

“We’ve played quite well and only lost by small margins each time so we’re getting there.”

Hillman said the quality and height of opposition players in GFL teams was

the most obvious difference from playing in the Colac district league.

“The height is the main thing, every girl I’ve lined up on is maybe a head taller than me,” she said.

“I’m the tallest player in our team and I’m not really that tall.

“Playing in front a lot and trying to force the ball high, Sara Hay and I have been trying split-ring defence and we try different things.”

The Tigers take on third-placed St Marys at Colac’s Central Reserve tomorrow and a win would have Colac closer to securing a top-five spot.

Hillman said Colac wanted to improve each week and work towards winning more games as the season progressed.

“I’ve enjoyed the challenge and every game is going to be really tough but hopefully we can play well enough to win,” she said.

Meanwhile, Bell Park hosts Newtown and Chilwell, Geelong West-St Peters plays Lara and Grovedale is after its first win of the season against St Albans.

Reigning premier South Barwon takes on Leopold and St Josephs battles North Shore.

But Cressy District Action Group president Bev Jacobs, who has pushed for a police officer in the town for two years, said residents refused to accept that their town didn’t need a police presence.

The town, north of Colac, has been without police since its sole officer Ted Ivermee retired two years ago and a Beeac police officer has divided their time to patrol the area in short intervals each week.

The State Government built a new police station and residence in Cressy five years ago, which has been abandoned since Mr Ivermee retired.

Victoria Police says it is still investigating whether the town, which has a population of 122 including surrounding districts, needed a police officer.

“A review on demand for service in the Cressy response zone is being conducted – the town receives 24-hour police service from Beeac,” a Victoria Police media spokesperson said.

Ms Jacobs said Victoria Police told residents when Mr Ivermee retired that Cressy no longer warranted a police officer because the town had no businesses.

“We have got a shop open now – and as much as we might not have businesses, we have got a bowling club and a recreation reserve that have liquor licenses and functions,” she said.

“A lot of people are feeling vulnerable because there is no police here.”

Ms Jacobs said Cressy residents were at the point of giving up.

“It would be lovely for us to have one, I think it would give people a sense of security,” she said.

“But we have gotten used to the fact that we were told we wouldn’t be getting one, because we have to,” Ms Jacobs said.

“We were basically told we wouldn’t be getting one so we learn to live with it – you go with the flow because that’s what we have to do in life,” she said.

Police Minister Peter Ryan said the State Government was “committed to the maintenance of one-member stations”.

“The priority is that all communities, irrelevant of where they are located, have appropriate levels of policing available to them,” Mr Ryan said.

“Resourcing our police force at appropriate levels and providing a police presence in all communities across our state is a fundamental component of our government’s policy,” he said.

Colac’s Geoff Hunter wants road across Lake Colac.

A COLAC Yacht Club member says a causeway across Lake Colac could be civic leaders’ “only chance” of saving the lake.

Geoff Hunter, a long-time causeway advocate, will push his case for a heavy vehicle route across Lake Colac when he speaks at the yacht club’s annual meeting tonight.

Mr Hunter said the “barrage” should have sheet piling on each side, with sluice gates at the bottom of the lake.

“Any time you’d like to drain the lake, you’d drain the lake and in the process move the soil from the Colac side to the north side,” he said.

“The barrage would become a flood-control mechanism.”

A bridge or causeway across the lake is among 10 truck route options Colac Otway Shire Council released to gauge community feedback.

Opponents of a bridge or causeway say it would create traffic noise for lakeside residents, affect birdlife and ruin views of the lake.

Mr Hunter said a causeway could rejuvenate the lake by transferring sludge from one side of the route to the other.

But he said the route should travel west from Irrewarra, which would ease the concerns of Colac foreshore residents.

“This problem has been on the council’s plate for 60 years and every time they make a suggestion of where the road’s got to go, people are revolting against it,” he said.

“My prediction is the councillors are still attending school and it’s our duty now to educate them on the best and most cost-effective way.

“This will take the lake back to his former glory.”

The yacht club’s meeting will start at 8pm tonight.