Car crash led to fine for âKronicâ MICHELLE HERBISON POLICE believe Geelong has recorded possibly its first charge for possession of synthetic cannabis Kronic since it became illegal last year. Magistrate Stephen Myall gave Bradley McCooke, of Alsop St, Belmont, a 12-month good behaviour bond for possession of synthetic cannabinoids after police found the drug in his abandoned car after a crash. The court heard police initially believed the drugs in McCookeâs car were cannabis but a spot test identified them as Kronic. McCooke accepted responsibility, telling police âif itâs Kronic it might be mineâ. McCooke had crashed his car into a fence while driving a friend home about 5.45am on September 12. McCookeâs defence said the prosecution had no evidence McCooke was speeding but the road was wet. He was relying on his passengerâs directions and turned âtoo lateâ, the court heard. McCooke appeared in court clean-shaven and wearing a suit. Mr Myall fined him $850 and suspended his driverâs licence for one month.
âReposâ on waterfront âBuyersâ marketâ as properties seized
Opportunities: NMD Dataâs John Kovacs.
GEELONGâS waterfront was among residential areas to record rising mortgagee repossessions last year, according to a property data company. Geelong-based National Mortgagee Deceased Data (NMD Data) also recorded increasing repossessions at Grovedale, Belmont, Waurn Ponds, Leopold, Hamlyn Heights, Corio and Norlane. Coastal towns in the region to record increases were Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Queenscliff, Anglesea, Apollo Bay and Lorne. NMD Data also noted rising repossessions at Lara, Bannockburn and Meredith. Company owner and operator John Kovacs said NMD Data listed over 9000 mortgagee repossessions nationally, with 130 in the greater
Geelong area. The properties covered all types, including residential and commercial buildings and vacant land, he said. Mr Kovacs, who worked in real estate for 30 years before establishing NMD Data, said repossessed property presented opportunities in Australiaâs âbuyerâs marketâ. Repossessed properties could be bought âwell-below market valueâ, he said. âIn todayâs market 10 to 30 per cent is achievableâ Mr Kovacs said repossessed properties also presented a âmore-affordableâ option for first-time buyers. He noted that Geelong and Surf Coast properties in general were reflecting national price âinstabilitiesâ. âStatistics from RP Data show
that median house prices across Geelong, the peninsula and Surf Coast have fallen between four and 22 per cent in the March quarter,â Mr Kovacs said. âNationally, only 373,000 sales were recorded last year, down 25 per cent from the decade average and sitting at a 16-year low. âThis year is expected to be no better, with interest rates scaring off most buyers.â Mr Kovacs said house prices were falling at a âsteady rateâ in the Geelong region, commercial property was also down but units were up. âVacant land in Geelong has seen positive growth because Melburnians consider Geelong as a stronger, more-affordable option to build their dream home.â
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Bernadette Uzelac and Mark Davis.
âNew leadershipâ for city chamber GEELONG Chamber of Commerce has a new management team after âthe recent stepping downâ of former director Mark Davis after less than a month as president. The chamber said Jim Walsh, who Mr Davis had replaced as president, would continue serving on the management team with executive officer Bernadette Uzelac. Ms Uzelac said Mr Davis left due to âpersonal reasonsâ. The Independent reported his appointments on May 11. The chamber said new management team members included architect Mark Sanders, public relations and marketing professional Kylie Warne and banker John Fitzgerald. Mr Sanders said leading the chamber as its new president was an âhonourâ. âThe chamber is committed to supporting member businesses and corporate partners,â he said. âThis in turn will ensure that Geelong is regarded as a vibrant and innovative region in which to operate a business and to reside. âGeelong, like other local and international economies, is facing future challenges but also significant opportunities. The chamber will play an increasingly crucial role as the voice of small and medium business for the region.â The chamber revealed the management team announcement with plans for a âbusiness super conferenceâ on August 23. The chamber said international fashion designer Alex Perry and Australian futurist Peter Ellyard would address the conference in âone of the first major initiativesâ under the new executive team. More information about the August 23 conference would be released âin coming daysâ, the chamber said.
The National Broadband Network is already delivering fast, reliable broadband to remote Australia
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now means we can go forward with our business.â
The NBN will include a range of technologies: optic fibre, fixed wireless and next-generation satellite services.
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Connecting to the NBN is simple.
but the new satellite connection is very quick. The NBN
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12
The Independent, Friday June 1, 2012
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