Australia's largest datacentre operator, NextDC, has faced a major setback in plans to double the size of its west Melbourne facility. The expansion requires more electricity, and the planned upgrade by Jemena to taller concrete poles has been delayed. Delays stem from safety concerns, limited site access due to community and stakeholder opposition, and the local council not approving 22-metre poles. NextDC's share price fell from more than $9 to $5.69 last week. The companies are now considering alternative pole locations through industrial zones or underground connections.
The Victorian Coalition plans to sell the Melbourne wholesale fruit and vegetable market if it wins the November state election. Shadow Agriculture Minister Emma Kealy says the sale would raise around $600 million to help pay down state debt and return the market to wholesalers or industry. Labor has ruled out a sale, so the election will decide the market's future. Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle says the sale would make groceries more expensive. Fresh State chief executive Jason Cooper has cautiously welcomed the idea of industry ownership.
Dylan Wight MP, the member for Tarneit, joined the Bengali community at the West Melbourne Durga Utsav 2026 festival in Hoppers Crossing on 10 and 11 October. The two-day event, organised by Bongosathi, featured religious ceremonies, music, dance and cultural performances. It coincided with Maha Ashtami, a significant day of Durga Puja marked by prayer and community gatherings. Wight thanked Bongosathi for the warm welcome and said the visit recognised the contribution of multicultural communities in Melbourne's western suburbs.
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The fifth annual Queensberry Cup billycart race will take place on Saturday, October 17, in North and West Melbourne. Sixty carts will race down Errol Street for the trophy and $1000 in spending money at local businesses. Races are held across three age groups, plus a celebrity category headlined by Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece and ABC presenter Charlie Pickering. The street festival includes a dog show, fashion parade, dance and music performances, and food stalls. Proceeds from the event go to the neighbourhood centre that stages it, which is marking its 50th anniversary.
North Melbourne's Queensberry Cup billycart race returns for its fifth year on Saturday, October 17, with a street festival along Errol Street. About 60 competitors aged seven to 70 will race homemade carts for the perpetual trophy and prizes. Lord Mayor Nick Reece and comedian Charlie Pickering will take part in the celebrity race at 3.45pm. The festival runs from 1pm to 7pm at the corner of Errol and Queensberry streets, and entry is free, with donations encouraged.
West Melbourne pub The Drunken Poet celebrated its 20th birthday last month with a packed crowd and a line-up of bands. Owner Siobhan Dooley said the venue meant a lot to many people who had been coming for years. The pub has no televisions, with about 100 portraits of writers and musicians on its walls instead. It was named one of the top 10 Irish pubs outside Ireland in 2015, and regulars describe it as welcoming to everyone.
Melton City Council is exploring a public-private partnership to build two train stations in Melbourne's outer west. The stations at Mt Atkinson and Thornhill Park have been demanded by residents for years. The council voted to discuss the idea with the state government, which could generate revenue through parking fees. The area is growing rapidly, with the population expected to reach 32,000 by 2051.
