NEWS DESK
Citizenship ceremony goes online longer to be able to call themselves an Aussie”, she said. “These families were due to take part in a ceremony in March but due to the COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately we had to postpone all ceremonies. It’s fantastic that the Department of Home Affairs has given us and these families the option to take part in an online ceremony.” The twelve new citizens, from India, China, USA, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom, have had to wait since November to have their ceremony.
KINGSTON Council hosted its first ever online citizenship ceremony last week. On 18 June, the mayor Georgina Oxley held one on one ceremonies with twelve new citizens from six different countries. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the process online, Cr Oxley said it was still a “special moment”. “Becoming an Australian citizen is such an important and special moment for these families and we want to make sure they don’t have to wait any
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They will receive their citizenship certificates in the mail. New citizens who wish to wait until they can attend their ceremony in person can wait if they choose. Anyone awaiting citizenship can speak to the Department of Home Affairs on 131 880 for more information.
THE mayor Georgina Oxley hosting a citizenship ceremony last week. Picture: Supplied
Facilities reopening COUNCIL owned facilities have begun to reopen following the COVID-19 shutdown. Libraries, recreation centres, and community sporting grounds will be included in the next phase of reopening. The Chelsea, Clarinda and Westall libraries reopened for booked visits last week. On 22 June, Parkdale, Cheltenham, Dingley Village, and Patterson Lakes libraries reopened. The pool at Waves Leisure Centre has reopened for pre-booked lap swimming and exercise rehabilitation, although the gym remains closed. Kingston’s customer care centre in Cheltenham has also reopened. The mayor Georgina Oxley said “we are really excited to be able to open up our community facilities again to residents and visitors to Kingston, but safety is our main priority and we want to make sure we reopen in a staged way that allows people some access but doesn’t create any additional risks.” “I know the community has missed being able to take their children to their local library, go for a swim at our wonderful Waves Leisure Centre or play sport on our netball courts and sporting fields, I have too, but we can’t rush into this we need to work together to keep the community and our staff safe,” she said. “It’s really important that when the community visit our libraries, recreation centres and other facilities or meet friends at our skateparks and playgrounds, they continue to follow physical distancing guidelines and keep up the hygiene practices we have all become so good at.” To book a visit to a local library
call 1300 135 668. To book a swim at Waves Leisure Centre visit kingstonactive.com.au
Road works create ‘chaos’ THE state opposition has slammed works which have closed the Thompsons Road and Frankston-Dandenong Road intersection for five weeks. South Eastern Metropolitan region Liberal member Gordon Rich-Phillips said the works have “created an absolute nightmare for over 58,000 daily road users”. “The road detours put in place as a result of this closure are now blocking lanes on surrounding key intersections causing traffic chaos. These roads include McCormicks Road where it intersects with Thompsons Road, Wedge Road where it intersects with Frankston-Dandenong Road, Hall Road and FrankstonDandenong Road, Ballarto Road and Frankston-Dandenong Road. “With COVID-19 restrictions starting to be lifted, we are seeing traffic volumes starting to increase and return to normal. Priority should have been given to complete this project earlier to take advantage of the significantly reduced volumes of traffic. “The Andrews Government’s botched detours around Thompsons Road are causing traffic chaos. It needs to immediately fix the lane closures and traffic light sequences to get traffic moving again”. The intersection closed on 5 June and is scheduled to reopen on 13 July (“Roundabout to go”, The News, 3/6/20).
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
24 June 2020
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