VICTORIA has exited its sixth lockdown, with more restrictions expected to be eased soon. Visitors are allowed into homes, indoor dining has returned, and the curfew and travel limit have both been abolished. People can now leave home for any reason. Once Victoria reaches its target of 80 per cent of residents fully vaccinated, more rules are expected to change. The revised restrictions will allow for people to travel freely between rural and metropolitan Melbourne. Retail, gyms, pools, and entertainment venues like cinemas will also reopen. Students at schools and universities will all return to campus. Masks will no longer…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
AN Ombudsman investigation has found that Kingston Council’s decisions regarding the Endeavour Cove site were “poor” and lacked transparency, but did not substantiate allegations of corruption. The planning decisions made by Kingston Council in relation to the Patterson Lakes precinct have been heavily scrutinised. Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass had been investigating allegations of collusion between property developers and Kingston Council officials, and released her final report into the matter last week. The report read that “it was difficult to form a view on whether decisions were improper, non-compliant or simply deficient.” The Endeavour Cove issue goes back to 1988, when…
THE creation of more open space has been cited by the Level Crossing Removal Project team as one of the reasons behind divisive plans to build a rail bridge in Mentone and Parkdale. The state government plans to remove the level crossings at Warrigal Road, Mentone and Parkers Road, Parkdale by building a rail bridge over the road. The plans were slammed by Kingston Council last week, who wrote to the LXRP urging it to consider rail under road instead. LXRP program director Adam Maguire said that the addition of more open space was a big reason behind the decision…
RESIDENTS living by the proposed site of suburban rail loop stabling in Heatherton say that its proposed layout is the “worst possible outcome.” A statement from resident group Move The Train Yard read that “the most high-impact, industrial aspects of the site have been placed as close as possible to the local residents who live adjacent to the site, with the train maintenance, train wash, shelter and workshop all being placed at the western side of the site adjacent to residential housing.” Suburban Rail Loop’s executive general manager of rail and infrastructure delivery, Nicole Stoddart, told The News that the…
TEACHERS at St Jude’s in Langwarrin have a big job ahead of them as students return to campus this month, but they will have an extra set of paws on hand to help. Maisie, a 12-week-old Cavoodle puppy, will begin her important role as a wellbeing dog at the school this week. She will meet the prep students first before being introduced to the grade one and two kids. Maisie was bought recently by St Jude’s Principal Marita O’Sullivan. She said that the dog will be “a really happy thing to bring to the kids” as they transition back to…