GEELONGADVERTISER.COM.AU FRIDAY OCTOBER 9 2015 NEWS 07

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BARWON Health staff havebeen asked whether they ident-ify as gay, lesbian, bisexual,transgender, intersex or queeras the organisation strives toimprove inclusiveness.

The question was part of astaff engagement survey.

It found 3.8 per cent of re-spondents identified as a mem-ber of the GLBTIQcommunity.

Almost two-thirds of the or-ganisation’s 6000-plus staffcompleted the survey.

It comes as Barwon Healthramps up its GLBTIQ commit-tee with the aim of developing

cafes, and (there is) easy accessto the freeway so it’s just agood spot.”

It is believed the apartmentswill go on the market with aprice tag close to $400,000,while the townhouses wouldstart from $500,000.

Award-winning architectsRothe Lowman were commis-sioned to design the project,which Mr Fabretto said wouldbe of the highest standard.

“They’ve done an extremelygreat job with the architectural

Survey boosts gay inclusiona culture of inclusion in theworkplace.

Barwon Health mentalhealth clinician and longstand-ing committee member AaronGore said by asking the ques-tion it allowed the organisationto celebrate its diversity.

“It allows me and others tobe open and confident whenreflecting on the key momentsin my life and be assured thatstaff and people around me aregoing to be supportive,” MrGore said.

“It will help all staff whoidentify as part of this com-munity to feel culturally safeand be who they are.”

Workforce and culture ad-viser Christine Shaw said in-

cluding the question for thefirst time was a significant steptowards a fully diverse and in-clusive workforce that reflect-ed the community BarwonHealth served.

She called for more staffand consumers to get involvedin the committee.

“To effect the kind ofchange we are looking for, weneed our staff and consumersto work together to make surewe reflect the needs of all thosewho look to us for health careand also for future employ-ment,” Ms Shaw said.

Sunday’s National ComingOut Day aims to raise aware-ness of the issues faced by theGLBTIQ community.

NICOLE MILLS

PLANS for a developmentcosting more than $20 millionon the former site of the Gee-long West Bowls Club havebeen submitted to council.

The Geelong Advertiser canreveal the 12 Bowlers Ave sitewill include a three-storeybuilding of 32 apartments anda cafe and 32 townhouses oftwo, three and four bedrooms.

While the plans are open to

the public and subject to sub-missions, the City of GreaterGeelong cleared the way fordevelopers in August last yearby lifting a 28-year covenantthat stipulated the land couldbe used only for lawn bowls.

That decision paved theway for Brocon — the develop-ment group that bought the7945sq m site soon afterwards— to apply for the necessarypermits to proceed with the de-velopment.

Brocon director Ben

Fabretto said he was excited bythe bold plans.

“I think it will be good forthe area and bring lots of em-ployment to Geelong in re-gards to construction,” MrFabretto said. “With propertyprices going up and things likethat, it attracts affordable liv-ing options for people as well.

“It’s the perfect location forit — you’ve got amenities, thetrain station is within walkingdistance, beautiful PakingtonSt with all its restaurants and

LACHIE YOUNG

Cleared of deadly floodingONE of Queensland’s mostpowerful men has beenabsolved of any blame for adevastating flood that claimed12 lives.

The $2.5 million GranthamFloods Commission of In-quiry’s report handed downyesterday found a quarryowned by multi-millionairebusinessman Denis Wagnerdid not significantly contributeto the flooding that hit thesmall southeastern Queens-land town on January 10, 2011.

In fact, CommissionerWalter Sofronoff QC said thequarry’s pit slightly slowedflooding into Grantham aswater flowed into it. Mr Wag-ner, whose family’s buildingempire includes an airport out-side Toowoomba, says hehopes the finding will put tobed once and for all claims thatthe quarry worsened the flood.

Mr Wagner is consideringlegal action against shock jockAlan Jones, who was instru-mental in pushing the theorythat the quarry was to blame.

design of the development,” hesaid. “It’s not a cheaplydesigned project.

“It’s more upper end andthey’re award-winning archi-tects, so we want to createsomething special for GeelongWest.

“I think it will be a land-mark.”

Construction is expected tostart in the middle of next year,with the development likely tobe completed in the latter partof 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 shameGAMBLING revenue fromVictorian greyhound raceshas grown strongly despitethe live-baiting scandal.

Wagering revenue rose13 per cent to $83.8 million in2014-15, including a rise of al-most 40 per cent with corpor-ate bookmakers. It made upalmost 95 per cent of Grey-hound Racing Victoria’s totalrevenue.

The 2014-15 annual reportis the first since the entireGRV board quit in disgrace inMarch. It followed publicat-ion of video that showed someleading greyhound trainersusing live animals as bait.

Profit in 2014-15 droppedby a third to $5.1 million, part-ly because of the cost of renov-ations at the state’s two maintrack at Sandown and TheMeadows, and extra spendingon integrity and welfare.

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