Long-awaited park nears
The construction of Officer District Park has reached a new milestone, with Cardinia Shire councillors announcing the appointment of a building developer for the project.
Warrandale Industries will take on stage one of the project, it was announced at a council meeting on Monday 18 September.
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Road trauma to the fore
A program working to address and prevent reckless driving has had such an effect on a Pakenham local that he is now calling for its expansion.
Amber Community, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to addressing road trauma, conducts road trauma awareness seminars in conjunction with the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria to deliver education on the impact of road trauma to those with traffic offences. It brings together those with driving offences to hear the stories of those people affected by road trauma.
John Bronson Van Der Merwe, a Pakenham local, who once found himself with an offence and in this very seminar, is on a mission to see this program expanded to young drivers after being so profoundly changed by the experience.
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Fiery finals
Footy finals heated up on the weekend, as a fire broke out at Kooweerup Recreation Reserve just before three-quarter time of the reserves grand final in the West Gippsland Football Netball League Competition. Brigades from Kooweerup, Bayles and Lang Lang weaved through the crowd to promptly put the fire out.
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Done and dusted
By Eleanor Wilson
Hundreds of dirt roads earmarked for sealing have officially been taken off the council’s Sealing the Hills program, after the Federal Government curtailed $109 million in funding for the project.
Cardinia Shire Council officially announced the discontinuation of nine special charge scheme projects within the program at a council meeting on Monday 18 September.
Sealing the Hills was originally engaged for a $150 million investment by the Federal Government to prioritise sealing 164 roads
in Gembrook, Emerald, Cockatoo and surrounds.
But in January it was revealed that funding had been slashed to $41 million.
At a council meeting on Monday 18 September, councillors declared that nine declared special charge catchments, which had
commenced community consultation but were yet to receive a cost commitment, would not go ahead.
This included 51 roads across Cockatoo, Emerald, Gembrook, Upper Beaconsfield and Guys Hill.
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Kooweerup CFA Captain Michael Huxtable fights the grass fire at Kooweerup Recreation Reserve on Saturday. 361273
Picture: ROB CAREW
