APRIL 14, 2015 \ MACEDONRANGES.STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Hammer to fall on cubby
(Joe Mastroianni)
A cubby house that has given countless Kyneton school children hours of fun will soon get a new home for itself. Kyneton Primary School’s cubby, a feature of the Baynton Street playground for several decades, will go under the hammer at a community auction this Saturday. The school council has decided to sell the popular playground feature because it needs work and cannot be relocated to the new school, which will be built in Edgecombe Street. Money raised at the auction will help the school buy a ‘playpod’ – a playground project including a shipping container filled with reclaimed objects, ranging from furniture to tractor tyres. Acting principal Sue White says the playpod will enable children to construct rocket ships, stages, ships, cars, beds, swings and slides. ‘‘The possibilities are endless,’’ she says. Saturday’s auction, which starts at 10am, is open to the whole community. Ms White says the cubby needs some general repairs but should provide years of enjoyment yet. ‘‘We encourage anyone interested in buying a piece of Kyneton history to come along and join the bidding.’’ SARAH, HAMISH, JAMES AND ALEC
Matt Crossman
Councillor suspended A Hume councillor plans to appeal a one-month suspension handed down last week after a probe into a heated meeting last year about Sunbury’s separation from Hume. As reported by Star Weekly online, Sunbury-based councillor Jack Medcraft will be barred from all council meetings, briefings and events until the suspension, which started on Sunday, is complete. Fellow Sunbury councillor Jack Ogilvie was reprimanded. Last week’s Municipal Association of
Victoria (MAV) hearing, which followed an independent inquiry held earlier this year, followed complaints made after a meeting at Broadmeadows Town Hall last September. It was alleged Cr Medcraft tussled with a Broadmeadows Progress Association supporter over a sign and yelled at a number of people. Cr Ogilvie was accused of intimidating behaviour during the brief confrontation that ensued. Cr Medcraft said he would appeal the 30-day ban at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He said the Sunbury councillors had not been
given a fair hearing. Cr Medcraft, who stood as an independent candidate at last November’s state election, claimed the initial investigation was politically motivated. He said those present for the latest hearing were not required to give evidence under oath. ‘‘I’ll be challenging the judgement and the sentence,’’ Cr Medcraft said. ‘‘The [MAV] panel was given the same report as the previous inquiry which cleared everybody.’’ Cr Medcraft described the two-person panel as ‘‘a kangaroo court’’. ‘‘None of the witnesses were questioned as part of the hearing,’’ he said.
‘‘I feel we’ve been shafted here.’’ Hume council’s city governance and information director, Daryl Whitford, would confirm only that a report from a recently completed conduct panel would be tabled at Monday night’s council meeting, after Star Weekly went to press. ‘‘All parties have been notified of the outcome,’’ he said.
Web updates: www.sunbury.starweekly.com.au
MMP13306-01-a1Oct©FCNVIC
By Matt Crossman
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