Newport has signed Altona midfielder Tate Ferguson for next year's Western Football League division 1 season. Ferguson played 13 senior games for Altona this season and three games for the Western Jets in the Talent League. The Panthers describe him as a fit, dynamic midfielder who uses the ball well. His father, Joe, was a senior coach of Newport in 1997 and 1998 and won the club's best and fairest award. The club has also re-signed Jackson Fullerton, Malek El-Hassan, Fawzi Eldanawi, Khaled Jawad, Jawad Jawad, Mustafa Mesto and Bill Chehade.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia will close its Altona, Williamstown and Altona North branches on 20 November. The bank plans to open a new branch at Altona Gate Shopping Centre later. Together with earlier closures in Newport and Spotswood, local resident Brian Haynes estimates more than 100,000 people in Hobsons Bay will be affected. He says many elderly residents do not use internet banking and rely on in-branch services. Customers have not been formally told of the closures, according to residents. A local traders group has encouraged people to bank with Bendigo Bank's Community Bank Altona instead.
Victoria Police will patrol Altona and Williamstown beaches this summer under a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe and antisocial behaviour. Operations begin on 1 November, with Water Police, the Public Order Response Team and other units supporting local officers. Acting Deputy Commissioner Chris Gilbert warned that alcohol, drugs and waterways can be a deadly mix. Jet ski riders will face speed and restricted-area checks, drug and alcohol testing, and possible vessel seizure. Patrols will also cover St Kilda, Half Moon Bay, the Surf Coast, Bass Coast and Mornington Peninsula.
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Victoria Police will deploy officers across beaches, waterways, shopping centres, nightlife areas and transport hubs this summer. Several operations will run at once, including Operation Summersafe from 1 November, which targets beaches from St Kilda to the Mornington Peninsula. Water Police will check jet skis and may seize vessels. Officers will also patrol Chapel Street on Friday and Saturday nights. Proactive patrols will begin in Mordialloc after recent disorderly behaviour, with acting Deputy Commissioner Chris Gilbert saying such conduct will not be tolerated.
A run of community theatre productions across Melbourne's south-east and surrounds is listed through to early 2027. Shows include Cock at the Shirley Burke Theatre in Parkdale until October 31, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Malvern Theatre until November 7. Titanic the Musical is staged at the Geoffrey McComas Theatre, Scotch College, Hawthorn, from December 3 to 12. Several groups are also holding auditions, including Essendon Theatre Company's Seventeen and The Basin Theatre's Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall. Tickets and bookings are handled by each individual company.
Hobsons Bay council workers rallied in Altona on Tuesday as part of an ongoing industrial campaign led by the Australian Services Union. Members walked off the job from 11.30am to 12.30pm outside the Altona Civic Centre and marched down Pier Street, closing its south bound lane. Another rally is expected on 22 October. The union is in negotiations with eight inner-city councils over a multi-employer enterprise bargaining agreement. It rejects a 2.75 per cent pay offer and is demanding 22 per cent over four years.
Father Michael Kalka was farewelled with a mass at Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church in Altona on Sunday 11 October. He is retiring after nine years as Archpriest and 45 years of service in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Speaking to Star Weekly, the 69-year-old said he remains a priest but will be less involved in public ministry. He plans to support priests across Melbourne's west from a new base in Werribee, citing the ageing priesthood and growing workloads.
House prices in Hobsons Bay dropped sharply over the September quarter, according to Real Estate Institute of Victoria data. Williamstown led the fall, with average prices down 24.8 per cent to $1.3 million, their lowest since the Covid-19 pandemic. Newport fell 13.4 per cent to $1.1 million, and Altona dropped 10 per cent to the same average. Seaholme and Altona North were the only suburbs to record noticeable rises, of 9.8 and 8.1 per cent. Seaholme now matches Williamstown as the highest-priced suburb in the inner west.
Adam Yates has played his 200th first XI Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association game, joining the association's 200 game club. Yates moved from Tasmania and began at Yarraville before joining Altona for the 2016-17 season, where he has played since. He has also served as a VSDCA selector for three seasons and was named in the VSDCA team of the year last season. Yates said his career is now played year by year, and he and his Altona teammates are hoping to win a premiership this season.
Altona police are seeking witnesses to a multi-car collision in Altona North on Sunday night. It is believed a green Toyota Corolla and four other vehicles crashed on the inbound Westgate Freeway, just before the Westgate Bridge, at about 6.50pm on 18 October. A 19-year-old Broadmeadows man, a passenger in the Toyota, suffered critical injuries. The Corolla's 18-year-old driver and a 22-year-old passenger, both from Broadmeadows, suffered serious injuries. All lanes were closed for several hours. Anyone with information or camera footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Sporting facilities across Hobsons Bay are receiving millions of dollars in funding ahead of next month's state election. On Tuesday 13 October, Point Cook MP Mat Hilakari announced $5 million to redevelop the pavilion at Bruce Comben Reserve in Altona Meadows. Combined with $2 million from Hobsons Bay council, the new pavilion will serve tenant clubs including Altona Roosters Rugby League Club, Seabrook Cricket Club and Westside Touch.
Altona Meadows entrepreneur Amanuel Bayu has developed RaeyLink, AI software that detects possible retail theft. The product uses existing CCTV cameras and alerts staff when it spots items being removed from shelves and hidden in bags or pockets. Bayu said the idea followed his own experience of having a prototype product stolen from his home. The software has been rolled out at several retailers across Melbourne's west, including IGA Saltwater in Point Cook. Co-owner Amanjot Kaur said it had quickly helped staff deal with suspected thefts.
Children spent their school holidays helping a not-for-profit prepare for its annual Christmas festival. Australian Solo Mothers by Choice is holding its 13th festival in Port Melbourne on 22 November, with more than 150 families expected. A similar event will follow in Sydney on 5 December. The children wrapped more than 600 presents and filled gift bags at the Altona home of founder and chair Michelle Galea. Galea is now seeking sponsors to support the festival and the group's year-round programs.
