JULY 26, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
(Damjan Janevski)
Krown-ing glory Musician and poet, Wol Riak, is using his experiences from South Sudan to fight a war of words. The 19 year old from Tarneit, who arrived in Australia eight years ago, will next month compete in the Hobsons Bay heat of the Australian Poetry Slam. “I do music and I write a lot of lyrics and I just thought I would do it to portray some of my lyrics that I have not put to music,” said Riak, who performs as Krown. “I try to portray ghetto stories in my own sort of way. “I mix what I’ve seen in my background with modern imagery.” Performing writers will have two minutes at the mic and five random audience members are chosen as judges. There are 50 heats Australia-wide, with the best poet from each state going to the national finals for a chance to win an $11,000 prize pack. Hobsons Bay hasn’t hosted a heat in eight years. It will be held at Newport Community Hub on August 11 from 6-8.45pm. No bookings are necessary and people are encouraged to just turn up. Goya Dmytryshchak
Childcare plan blow out By Benjamin Millar The cost of redeveloping a demolished West Footscray childcare centre has blown out to almost $6 million – close to three times the initial project budget. The redeveloped Church Street Children’s Centre was originally due to be operating by the start of this year at a cost of less than $2 million, until builders discovered “serious structural design issues” in mid-2016 that halted works.
A concept plan has now been developed for Maribyrnong council by Four18 Architecture, detailing a new two-storey, 87-space centre to be built on the site. Plans include one 33-place room, one 22-place room and two 16-place rooms. A cost estimate for the plans indicates a total sum of close to $5 million (excluding GST) to design, construct and fit-out the new facility, on top of more than $450,000 already spent on design, technical advice, demolition and early site works.
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The project would be partly funded from the sale of the now-closed Empire Street Early Learning Centre property. An officer’s report due to be considered at last night’s council meeting notes costs could yet blow out by a further $700,000, as the builder appointed to the original project is still under contract. “The option of seeking a ministerial exemption from having to re-tender the works is being fully explored,” the report notes.
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A report to the council in February had indicated a new centre could be built on the site for between $3.8 and $4.4 million. Councillors were on Tuesday night asked to endorse the concept plan and the development of a detailed design that would then be subject to a planning permit application. “If the application is approved it is anticipated that the design will be completed by December, 2017, and construction and fit-out completed in readiness for opening in 2019,” the report states.