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31 AUGUST, 2022
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Cold comfort A safe and fun way to boost physical and mental health is on offer at Williamstown Beach. The Melbourne Open Water Swimming Club is hosting cold water immersion therapy sessions every Tuesday and Friday at 6.30am and 9.30am. Coach Amy Paterson said as long as cold water immersion therapy is practised safely, the benefits outweigh any risks. “Port Phillip Bay has some of the coldest coastal waters in Australia,” she said. “It is a cold-water swimming mecca.” Ms Paterson said on top of the physical and mental benefits of boosting one’s focus, mood and energy levels, it is also a welcoming social activity. “Cold water swimmers are very welcoming and friendly,” she said. Ms Paterson said with Williamstown’s waters currently at nine degrees, it is important to take the appropriate precautions and only stay in the water for a short period of time. “For every one degree Celsius, stay in for a minute,” she said. Details:williamstownopenwaterswimco aching.com Matthew Sims
Front to back: Emm Carew-Reid, Amy Paterson and Linda Kopans are enjoying taking part in cold water immersion therapy sessions twice a week at Williamstown Beach. (Damjan Janevski) 296044_01
Rail plan gaining traction By Matthew Sims Discussions have ramped up around a proposal for a new railway which would connect the western suburbs with the CBD. As reported by Star Weekly, the Rail Futures Institute [RFI] has put forward the Melbourne East-West Rail proposal, which would combine the first stage of MM2 with the Western Rail Plan. The proposed rail system would provide access points between the CBD, Spotswood and Melton, as well as a connection to Wyndham Vale. Hobsons Bay mayor Peter Hemphill said the council has been part of a number of
discussions with other councils about the proposal, including Wyndham, Brimbank, Melton, Port Phillip and Melbourne. “There’s increased interest in that for us,” he said. The proposal has also outlined the construction of a key underground interchange station at Spotswood, which would be constructed beneath the current Spotswood station, and connections to Laverton, Werribee with Deer Park and Melton. Cr Hemphill said with Hobsons Bay’s population set to increase due to the upcoming Precinct 15 development in Altona North, the need for effective public transport in the area was urgent. “If we don’t do something in the next 10 to
15 years, you won’t be able to get on a train in Newport,” he said. “We believe that the government should defer the Suburban Rail Loop.” Cr Hemphill said ongoing discussions within local governments was a “good first step” to implementing the plan. “The municipalities of Melton, Wyndham and Brimbank are going to grow so fast,” he said. “The government needs to plan for it and plan very quickly.” RFI president John Hearsch said discussions were under way to build support for the plan ahead of the state election in November. “This is a project that’s badly needed,” he
said.“We’re suggesting they should slow it (the Suburban Rail Loop project) down. “We think it’s got a lot of potential flaws.” Mr Hearsch said the East-West Rail proposal aimed to reduce the “enormous” disparity between public transport in the west and the east of Melbourne. A state government spokesperson said the planned Metro Tunnel, Suburban Rail Loop and Western Rail Plan developments were continuing and satisfied the aims of the proposal. “The government’s current solutions provide the benefits that this plan purports to achieve and it is happening right now,” the spokesperson said.
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