APRIL 22, 2015 \ MARIBYRNONG.STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
A tribute in fields of red
(Joe Mastroianni)
From a distance, Altona’s Logan Reserve seems to be blooming with poppies. But a closer look reveals thousands of poppies that have been crocheted, knitted and cut from felt. The project commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing and is a labour of love by the Country Women’s Association’s Altona Evening branch. Sharon Walsh, a driving force behind the Pier Street Poppy Project, said it was a flow-on from the 5000 Poppies initiative that had crafters from around Australia sending poppies to be “planted” at Federation Square on Anzac Day. “The general consensus was that we should honour our soldiers in our hometown,” Ms Walsh said. “Our CWA ladies started knitting and crocheting. A call was sent out to our community and mums, nans, neighbours and friends began contributing to our project. “Red wool became scarce, but over lots of cups of tea, 2000 poppies were made. The installation on Logan Reserve has been admired by many; photos have been sent to the USA, Japan and Germany.” The project was also entered in Hobsons Bay’s Art in Public Places program and is on display all month. Goya Dmytryshchak CWA MEMBER TRUDY OSBORN
■ Turn
to pages 8 and 9 for Star Weekly’s Anzac Day coverage
Rates fund big-ticket plans By Benjamin Millar Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay councils have each flagged rate rises on residential properties of less than four per cent. A new Footscray community hub, redeveloping Little Saigon, a makeover for Nicholson Street Mall and rejuvenating the Maribyrnong River foreshore are all on the agenda for Maribyrnong council’s 2015-16 budget, which was voted on last night. A proposed $140 million budget would use funds from a 3.7 per cent rate rise – down from the 4.7 per cent rise last year and inclusive of a two per cent infrastructure levy – to carry out
some of the $55 million of city works which have been backlogged for several years. The rise would help collect $87.7 million in rates and charges towards a $48.7 million spend on capital works and infrastructure, including $8.6 million on open space and parks, $7.5 million on roads and $3.3 million on footpath and bicycle networks. Meanwhile, Hobsons Bay council has flagged a 3.8 per cent residential rate rise as part of its rating strategy, ahead of releasing its draft 2015-16 budget next week. (Last year’s rates averaged 4.8 per cent.) Also proposed are rate rises of 6.8 per cent on residential vacant land, 3.61 per cent
on commercial properties, 4.29 per cent on industrial properties, 6.8 per cent on industrial premises, and 4.48 per cent for cultural and recreational uses. These figures could change. Charges for garbage, recycling, garden waste and hard waste in Hobsons Bay have been decreased 17 per cent as a result of waste contract negotiations and the refunding to ratepayers of $650,000 collected by the scrapped carbon tax. In Maribyrnong, the biggest single spend is $5.4 million towards a new multi-deck carpark, retail and open space in Footscray’s Little Saigon. Other big-ticket items include $1.5 million on a new Footscray Community Hub incorporating Footscray library and
$1.4 million on improving the Nicholson Street mall. The council has allocated $800,000 for the Maribyrnong Rivers Edge project, $500,000 for Pipemakers Park and $300,000 towards an East Meets West welcoming archway in Footscray. Maribyrnong council also earmarks $530,000 for festivals, $500,000 for tree planting, $350,000 each for two early learning centres, and $200,000 for town hall refurbishments. A budget information session will be held at Maribyrnong Town Hall from 6.30pm, April 29. The budget is open for comment for 28 days. - with Goya Dmytryshchak
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