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.
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 renovated three-bedroom bungalow on Maribyrnong Road in Moonee Ponds sold at auction on Saturday for $1,375,000. The home sold $25,000 above its reserve after two bidders competed. The vendors bought it in early 2023 for $880,000. In Clifton Hill, a Victorian terrace house sold for $1,451,000 at auction, with five bidders pushing the price more than $160,000 above its $1.29 million reserve. Agents said buyer interest picked up in recent weeks.
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A renovated three-bedroom bungalow on Maribyrnong Road in Moonee Ponds sold at auction on Saturday for $1,375,000. The home sold $25,000 above its reserve after two bidders competed. The vendors bought it in early 2023 for $880,000. In Clifton Hill, a Victorian terrace house sold for $1,451,000 at auction, with five bidders pushing the price more than $160,000 above its $1.29 million reserve. Agents said buyer interest picked up in recent weeks.
A former RMIT technical services coordinator, Mathew James Cosgrove, has pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to obtaining financial advantage by deception. Prosecutors say he spent about $172,000 on a university-issued Commonwealth Bank credit card over three months in 2024, largely through gaming and digital gift card transactions. Cosgrove told the court he was depressed and had turned to online gambling during financial hardship, and he claimed weak internal processes around the card. He acknowledged knowing what he was doing.
A woman who built a beauty clinic from scratch fears she may have to move interstate after a suspicious overnight fire gutted her Moonee Ponds salon. Firefighters were called to Rejuvenate Hair and Skin on Shuter Street about 12.50am on Wednesday. Police believe two jerry cans were thrown inside before the business was set alight. Offenders fled in a light coloured vehicle towards Puckle Street. The owner, Hamidah Dildar, said the salon had been targeted by vandals three times in six months.
Police are investigating two suspicious fires in neighbouring Melbourne suburbs overnight. An unoccupied house on Deakin Street in Essendon was alight just before midnight on Tuesday. Firefighters brought it under control within an hour. Less than an hour later, a hair and skin clinic on Shuter Street in Moonee Ponds was set alight. Police allege unknown offenders threw jerry cans into the business before igniting it, then fled in a light-coloured vehicle. Police say there is no information linking the fires, but the investigation is at an early stage.
Moonee Valley City Council, with Essendon RSL Sub-branch, will hold a Remembrance Day commemoration ceremony at the Cenotaph in Queens Park, Moonee Ponds. The ceremony is set for Wednesday 11 November at 10.30am.
Another 12 Victorian towns have graduated as Heart Safe Communities, bringing the state total to 66. The 12-month program, run by Ambulance Victoria and the Heart Foundation, teaches people to recognise cardiac arrest, give CPR and use an automated external defibrillator. Off-duty paramedic Tom Cleaver helped save Adrian Auld in Noojee in May after a public defibrillator at the local hotel was used. Ambulance Victoria director Dr Ziad Nehme urged people to call Triple Zero, push hard and fast on the chest, and shock with a defibrillator.
A renovated five-bedroom home in Moonee Ponds sold for $2,817,500 after it passed in at auction on Saturday. The vendors, who are moving to Queensland, cut their price hopes. In Yarraville, a converted shopfront home sold for $1,265,000 after drawing three bidders. In Kingsville, a renovated cottage sold for $1.34 million in post-auction negotiations. Agents say renovated homes in good locations are still transacting well, while unrenovated stock is struggling more.
Victoria's state budget may suffer if Melbourne's property market stays weak, according to economists. Clearance rates have been poor, and about 42 per cent fewer homes were scheduled for auction than last year. Ahead of new auction laws requiring sellers to disclose reserve prices seven days in advance, only 551 homes are set for auction next weekend. REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty says lower stamp duty revenue next year is almost certain. The state budget is due in May 2027.
A luxury home in Melbourne’s north-west with a pool, teppanyaki grill and lift is on the market for $3.95m-$4.3m. The four-bedroom house at 30 Grammar St, Strathmore, was extended and renovated in 2022. It is a short walk to Napier Park, the Napier St shops, the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail and Lebanon Reserve. The property features a stone-topped island bench, Miele appliances, a walk-in pantry, and a rumpus room with a fireplace. Expressions of interest close at 12pm on Wednesday October 21.
