DECEMBER 4, 2019 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Wyndham’s Jurassic Park A $1.5 million dinosaur-themed park will be built in Truganina next year. Residents of Stockland’s Grandview estate, 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 3.2m long.” He said the broader park would also include a 50 metre x 50 metre open grass kick-about area, open grassed areas for picnicking and exercising and a large picnic shelter area 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. Alesha Capone
Artist impression of a new Dinosaur Park coming to Truganina. (Pictures: Supplied)
Rates bungle angers Technical difficulties have been blamed for delays in the dispatch of council rates notices, meaning Wyndham ratepayers have until the end of the month to pay their second instalment. Hundreds of ratepayers received notices in the mail last week, with payment due in as little as three days later on November 30. The notices were issued on November 12. Wyndham council has said payments would be accepted until December 30 with no penalties.
Close to 400 residents took to social media last week dismayed about the short notice. “When I rang them, I was told that rates are still due by November 30 but if paid late, it won’t go into arrears,” a resident wrote. “It was [council’s] mistake that they had to reprint all of them, so we should get more time to pay.” “We got ours a couple of days before the due date, which we thought was strange,” another posted to a Wyndham community page. Wyndham resident Bro Sheffield-Brotherton called for improved communication from the
council. “While I am grateful to those councillors endeavouring to keep ratepayers informed, this is bureaucratic mismanagement and putting up a notice on the council website or dealing with people when they ring up with concerns is inadequate,” Mr Sheffield-Brotherton said. “I hope that due to this ‘technical issue’ with the printers, all ratepayers will be getting a notice from council … in as urgent a fashion as can be organised.” Council chief financial officer Binda Gokhale said residents had been notified about the delays
on council’s website and had been sent letters. “Due to a technical issue faced by our printing contractors, some of you may have received your second instalment rates notice later than usual,” a letter sent to ratepayers last week said. “We apologise for the delay and we are currently addressing the issue with the contractor.” Ms Gokhale advised that payment could be made by the end of this month without incurring any interest penalties. For information, contact Wyndham council rates department on 9742-0777.
12434858-NG50-19
By Esther Lauaki