DECEMBER 10, 2019 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
West’s own Jurassic Park A $1.5 million dinosaur-themed park will be built in the west next year. Residents of Stockland’s Grandview estate, in Truganina, which will eventually become home to more than 1600 properties, will soon be able to see the one hectare park being constructed on Altezze Drive between Healey Drive and Bratan Way. The park is set to feature a climbable dinosaur head sculpture; a multi-storey play tower with dual-level slide arms landing on pads framed with featured claws, a climbable sculptural tail, dinosaur eggs with baby dinosaurs popping out, a flying fox, swings, a matrix climber and seesaws. Stockland project director Ed Krushka said: “This dinosaur-inspired park will be the largest prehistoric-themed residential park space in Victoria, with the custom commissioned dinosaur head sculpture alone being 3.2metres long.” He said the broader park would also include a 50 metre x 50 metre open lawn kick-about area, open lawn areas for picnicking and exercising and a large picnic shelter with barbecue facilities, drinking fountain and banquet-style settings. Mr Krushka said the park had been inspired by the history of the site and the nearby Mt Atkinson Conservation Reserve being a dormant volcano. Artist impression of a new Dinosaur Park. (Pictures: Supplied)
Record $1b drug bust By Ewen McRae More than $1 billion of illicit drugs have been seized after a series of raids across the western suburbs uncovered Australia’s largest ever onshore methamphetamine haul. Three people have been charged after Australian Federal Police executed warrants at properties in Darley, Sunshine West, Brooklyn, Elwood and Murrumbeena on December 4. IT worker Stephen Francis Mizzi, 37, from Elwood, and couple Rachel Annette Cachia, 37, and Donovan Mark Rodrigues, 38 – both
customs brokers from Darley – were charged on Thursday in relation to the record haul. The AFP alleges all three were involved in the importation of more than 1.6 tonnes of illicit drugs – equal to almost 16 million drug deals – in stereo speakers originating from Bangkok, Thailand. In total, 1.596 tonnes of methamphetamine and 37 kilograms of heroin (a total of 1633 kgs) were detected with an estimated street value of $1.197 billion and $18.5 million, respectively. Police say it is the largest seizure of heroin in Australia since 2017.
AFP Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan praised the work of officers in keeping the drugs from reaching the community, and said the seizure was a warning to those seeking to import illicit drugs into Australia. “Australian law enforcement agencies are committed to combating the hold organised crime has on Australia to keep dangerous drugs off our streets and out of our homes,” he said. “Australia is a lucrative market for drug traffickers only due to the amount of drugs consumed by the public and the price paid for those drugs.
“This is a social problem that is the responsibility of everyone to address. “Police will continue to protect our communities and borders against exploitation by sophisticated criminal networks.” Border Force officers detected the drugs in vacuum-sealed bags after x-ray technology detected anomalies inside the speakers. The three people have each been charged with numerous counts of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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