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…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
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…
VICTORIA will finally exit its extended lockdown on Friday, with the state set to mark 70 per cent of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Premier Daniel Andrews announced the end date for lockdown during a weekend press conference. He also announced that some of the restrictions expected to still be in place at the 70 per cent fully vaccinated milestone had been loosened. From 11.59pm on 21 October, up to 10 people per day will be able to visit homes. The curfew and 15 kilometer travel limit will be removed, with the permitted reasons to leave home also set to…
PLANS to build rail over road in Parkdale and Mentone have left some residents disappointed. Earlier this year the state government announced plans to remove level crossings at Parkers Road in Parkdale and Warrigal Road in Mentone. Its preferred solution for the project is to build rail bridges, while building a new station at Parkdale. Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said that an online survey found that “the community was overwhelmingly against an elevated rail solution at Parkers Road and Warrigal Road, with more than 76 per cent of respondents supporting a rail under road solution instead.” “We had a huge…
THE state government will have more power over planning decisions in areas surrounding suburban rail loop sites after the passage of a bill last week. The Suburban Rail Loop Bill has passed through parliament. It has cleared the path for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority to make decisions and act on behalf of the government. The new law hands the SRLA planning authority powers in designated SRL areas. In a media release, the state government stated that the passage of the bill would “ensure a consistent approach is applied to planning and decision-making to achieve the best outcomes across all…