A medical centre in Melbourne's north-west was extensively damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack early today. Police say offenders smashed a front window of the Shuter Street clinic in Moonee Ponds before using an accelerant and setting it alight just after 2am. About an hour earlier, two cars were set alight outside a Brighton home on Manor Street in what police describe as a suspected targeted attack. Police will investigate whether the two incidents are linked. An arson chemist will attend both scenes today, and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact CrimeStoppers.
A large former Toyota site at 200-214 Blackshaws Rd, Altona North, has been listed for sale, with a possible $40 million price. The 5.3-hectare property was sold by Toyota in 2020. A Victorian government masterplan has earmarked the site for a future town centre with a supermarket, shops and up to 395 homes. No development plans are yet in place. Expressions of interest close at 3pm on November 11.
A Kensington resident, Steve Martinuzzo, has prepared an advocacy paper urging the State Government to investigate removing the Kensington Station level crossing on Macaulay Rd. He says the issue should at least be discussed rather than dismissed. Residents have previously raised concerns about heritage, traffic and trucks, and the City of Melbourne says it would consider those factors. A Victorian Government spokesperson said there are no current plans to remove the crossing, though it may be considered in future.
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West Footscray residents are preparing for Halloween this Saturday, with almost a dozen streets decorated with elaborate displays. Trick-or-treating is encouraged across the suburb. Khartoum Street, visited by thousands each year, is among those taking part. Other highlights include the House of Abandoned and Dismembered Dolls on Blandford Street and the West Footscray Halloween Hell House at Barkly Street, run by The Op Shop. Entry to the hell house is by gold coin donation. Maribyrnong councillor Pradeep Tiwari, who will volunteer there on Saturday night, says the community comes together for the event.
The Rotary Club of Keilor is preparing its annual 100 Christmas Bags project for isolated patients in the Moonee Valley and Brimbank areas. Bolton Clarke community nurses will deliver the gift bags, which contain basic food, toiletries, personal care items and seasonal treats. The club says many recipients have no family, friends or wider community, and the bags aim to bring them comfort at Christmas. Recipient Anica said the gift brought her to tears, while Kent said he was looking forward to the day.
Sunshine artist Ken McKean is walking 260 kilometres across Victoria to raise $10,000 for UNICEF Australia. He set off from Warrnambool on 17 October and aims to finish back in Melbourne's north-west by 1 November. Mr McKean said his main purpose is to help children wherever they live, and he hopes to spread a message of peace. He has raised more than $2,200 so far and says he wants to raise even more. UNICEF Australia chief executive Tony Stuart praised the challenge.
NextDC chief executive Craig Scroggie has agreed to give up annual bonuses worth up to $7.5 million. The data centre operator's board directors will also take a 10 per cent voluntary fee cut, and a proposed pay rise has been withdrawn. The move follows a delay to expansion of its M3 data centre in West Footscray, which led to earnings guidance being slashed by $140 million. Shares fell last week, wiping $3 billion off market value.
A new Australian play, Fall, will have its world premiere in Melbourne's west in December. Written by Michele Lee and directed by Beng Oh, it opens at The Bowery Theatre in St Albans on 5 December. The production then moves to Bluestone Church Arts Space in Footscray for four shows from 9 to 12 December. Set in northern Laos in 1975, the three-character play follows an Australian teacher and a former Hmong student facing the end of the Secret War. The 75-minute show is recommended for audiences aged 15 and over, and Wit Incorporated Theatre Company presents it.
Coburg West Primary School has won first prize in the primary school category at the 14th Greek Student Film Festival. The school's Greek language program entry was also voted Best Film by the audience. Students, working with teacher Betty Koklanis, made the short film The Replacement, which explores artificial intelligence. The pupils used their Greek skills throughout the film. The festival, now in its 14th year, gives young people a platform to show their creativity and growing Greek language ability.
Moonee Valley City Council is working to make swimming in local rivers and waterways a reality by 2050. The goal includes safe swimming in the Maribyrnong River and after-work dips in the Yarra River, also known as Birrarung.
A triple-brick home in Northcote, with a separate apartment, passed in at auction on a vendor bid of $1.7 million, below its $1.8 million reserve. The property is now listed for private sale at $1.775 million. Meanwhile, a fully renovated art deco home in Fitzroy sold for $1.531 million, above its $1.35 million reserve, to a first-home buyer. In Essendon, a four-bedroom home sold for $2.285 million, above its $1.95 million reserve, to a young family.
The Meeniyan Marty Gras drew crowds to South Gippsland for its drag and rainbow-themed events under the theme Rainbow Country. The main night at the Meeniyan Town Hall was briefly disrupted by a hailstorm and a power cut, but a live band kept the party going. The festival raises funds for Opportunities of Development thru Art in Cambodia and the Gippsland Pride Initiative. Organisers say the event has grown since it began in 2018 and that close to 180 guests attended this year's main event.
Workers at eight Victorian councils have rejected a pay offer, continuing protected industrial action that has disrupted services. The councils, including Hume and Merri-bek, are in multi-employer bargaining with unions. The rejected offer included wage increases tied to the rate cap and a $1200 transition payment. The Australian Services Union reported a 98 per cent rejection rate among its members, leading to strike action and service disruptions.
Victoria's Labor government has promised 45 extra beds and 145 nurses for Werribee Mercy Hospital as part of a $1.5 billion election commitment. The plan would expand emergency departments at 12 Victorian hospitals by an average of 25 per cent and reduce waiting times at those hospitals by up to 20 per cent. Labor says the expansion depends on winning re-election. The government has not yet released construction timetables or explained how the waiting time reduction was calculated.
