LABOR has fired the first major funding pledge salvo with marginal bayside seats set to become a major battleground at this year’s state election. Opposition education spokesman for education James Merlino joined Mordialloc Labor candidate Tim Richardson at Mordialloc College last Thursday to announce a $4.5 million commitment to build an indoor basketball facility and performing arts centre at the school if the party wins government. Mr Richardson said local children deserved the best possible educational facilities. “The basketball facility and performing arts centre will also benefit the Mordialloc community,” he said. Patterson River Secondary College in Carrum will also…
Author: Neil Walker
THE only way is up for an apartment complex set to be built at Mentone Junction despite Kingston Council objections to the proposal amid claims of a planning error that left neighbouring residents in the dark. VCAT has ruled Pace Developments can go ahead and build a nine-storey tower containing 87 apartments at the site of the former iconic Mentone Tenpin Bowl complex at 1-9 Balcombe Rd. Councillors had unanimously decided to oppose the development after council refused a planning permit on the grounds the building’s excessive height would be out of context with the area. Cr Rosemary West said…
COUNCIL plans to investigate the possibility of rezoning 53 hectares of green wedge land within the boundary of Braeside Park, Southern Golf Club, Springvale and Governor Rds for residential development have been labelled a waste of time and taxpayers’ money. Kingston councillors voted five-four earlier this month to consult with land owners, consulting firm Planisphere and council officers on the proposal before the matter would be referred to state planning minister Matthew Guy (‘Wedge opened’, The News, 12/3/14). However, Mr Guy told state parliament on 12 March that he had no intention of “approving anything” on land near Southern Golf…
CHELSEA SES volunteer Phil Wall well remembers the moment he and his wife Maryann were told by a doctor that their first-born child, a girl, would have Down syndrome. It was mid-December 1989 and Kimba was due to be born later that month. “It felt like the worst possible news at the time, but looking back we got the best Christmas present ever,” Mr Wall said. His memory of that day is vividly described in a new book entitled Now I See, compiled by Carolyn McDiarmid and Angela Blakston. Mr Wall’s family story called Surprise, Surprise is one of 50…
FIREYS are turning up the heat on the state government in an election year with a high-profile campaign highlighting union concerns about fire brigade staffing levels. The United Firefighters Union has launched an aggressive campaign directly targeting Premier Denis Napthine over the number of professional firefighters employed by the Country Fire Authority. Union banners with the slogan ‘Napthine slashes. You burn’ are on prominent display at several locations, including Frankston and Patterson River fire stations. The union told The News it had not organised the erection of the banners and said the actions taken by firefighters at local stations must…