Established in 1924 as the
proudly serving Brimbank and the North West
11 JANUARY, 2022
12496404-AV22-21
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A year interrupted YEAR IN REVIEW ... STORY OF THE YEAR
2021 was meant to be the year that life returned to normal. Instead we found ourselves bouncing in and out of lockdowns as a new COVID-19 variant made its way to Australia. As the Delta variant took hold in Victoria, Melbourne earned the title as the most locked-down city in the world, notching up 267 days in lockdown since March 2020. Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs once again bore the brunt of Victoria’s COVID infections as the state’s third wave surged through households in Wyndham, Hobsons Bay, Brimbank, Hume, Melton, Whittlesea and Maribyrnong that were not yet eligible for vaccination. At the peak of the third wave, Hume, Wyndham, Brimbank, Melton and Whittlesea were the five most-infected local government areas in Victoria. But as more vaccinations became available, residents of Melbourne’s north and west turned out in record numbers to be jabbed, helping to halt Delta’s spread and enabling the city to reopen in time for Christmas. We look back at how 2021 unfolded across the western suburbs. As the state emerged from its first lockdown of the year, a five-day “circuit breaker” lockdown which ended on February 17, it was revealed that Brimbank’s aged care residents would need to wait to access COVID-19 vaccines, with the municipality’s facilities left left out of the week one vaccination schedule. It came as aged care homes with no recorded cases of the virus were prioritised. The last week of February was a busy time for Western Health’s Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which broke its own record for the most babies born in a day – twice in one week. Twenty-nine babies were born at the hospital n February 23, with another 30 babies born two days later. The hospital said there was an overall trend of increasing numbers of births, mostly likely because of the pandemic and lockdowns. In March, Brimbank council launched a
Jonathan Sorbello after his vaccination.
(Damjan Janevski) 249857_03
campaign to msecure funding to upgrade the Calder Freeway, calling on the state government to at least match the federal government’s commitment of $50 million. Also in March, the state and federal governments revealed concept designs for Melbourne Airport Rail, which left council concerned the Sunshine Super Transport Hub had been overlooked. The council said it was concerned that “airport rail is being treated and considered as largely a transport infrastructure-led project”, with no mention of the Sunshine Super Transport Hub in the designs. As the state entered its second lockdown for 2021 in late May, Brimbank residents turned out in force to COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites and local businesses were “on the brink” as the continued restrictions took a toll. An Environmental Protection Authority
report released in July revealed the Kealba Landfill hotspot fires have had a ‘high’ impact on the wellbeing of neighbouring residents. The report stated the risk of impacts to human health from air emissions released by the hotspots has been found to be low, based on air quality monitoring. However the impact to residents’ wellbeing was considered ‘high’. Melbourne was placed back into lockdown for 12 days on July 15. But the freedom was short-lived, with the city re-entering lockdown just nine days later. A vaccine blitz was launched in six Brimbank postcodes in September, with the municipality’s vaccination rates lagging behind the rest of the state. Brimbank was awash with red, white and blue in later that month as the west showed its support for the Western Bulldogs ahead of the AFL Grand Final despite fans being unable to travel to Western Australia for the big game.
3 NEW DENTURES ARE GST FREE 3 QUALITY DENTURE CARE 3 HEALTH FUND REBATES 3 PROMPT APPOINTMENTS • New Full and Partial Dentures • Implant Retained Over Dentures • Metal Framed Dentures • Sports Mouthguards • Repairs • Relines • HICAPS Available • Veteran Affairs • Victorian Denture Scheme Accepted
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On October 26, Brimbank businesses, including the Derrimut Hotel, celebrated Melbourne’s reopening after the sixth lockdown. Hospitality venues and gyms were able to welcome back patrons while the wedding industry also swung back into action. In December, the community rallied around the owners of a food truck company whose business was destroyed by fire. Fire tore through Happy Camper Pizza’s factory in Braybrook on December 15, destroying a 1960 era food truck and severely damaging two others. One of the owners, Sonia Lear, said the fire was the latest blow after an exhausting two years and not being able to operate the catering businesses through successive lockdowns. She said support from the local community had made the owners and staff vow to continue on and find ways to give back.
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Kathy Danoucaras, Nick Danoucaras and Sam Robertson KND Denture Clinic, 192 Main Road East, St Albans 9364 3677 Also at: Suite 8, 242 Caroline Springs Boulevard, Caroline Springs. 8361 9722 & 491-495 King Street, West Melbourne, 9329 7077
Australian Dental Prosthetists Association (Victoria)
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