AUGUST 4, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Act of generosity
(Damjan Janevski) 212180_01
Face masks are now mandatory across Victoria and one Darley woman is doing her bit to help the community stay safe. Karen Pinder started making a few masks for friends and family who wanted them, and has now made nearly 400 masks for those in need in recent weeks. She said it was an easy way of making a difference. “When I saw people advertising masks and making a proit out of it I thought that was wrong, so I started with a few and just kept going,” Ms Pinder said. “People are struggling, and I had material here and I’m a basic sewer so I thought ‘why not’?” “They’re pretty easy to make, but people have been very thankful for them. A lot of people can afford to buy them, but there’s a wait now so this works well for them.” Ms Pinder has donated all the masks she has made, with some in the community giving her material and elastic to help keep up with demand. She has also provided a number of masks to local charities providing hot meals for those in need. “Making a mask is a small way of helping and hopefully it makes a difference in the community.” Ewen McRae
Millions for virus recovery By Jessica Micallef A recovery fund to support the community and local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has been approved as part of the Hume and Macedon Ranges’ 2020-21 budgets. Hume councillors endorsed the inal budget last week, which includes an $11.5 million stimulus package to assist businesses, sporting clubs, community groups and ratepayers recover from coronavirus. he package includes a rate waiver of $50 for residential and rural properties, funding for food parcels and essential items for families
in inancial hardship, grants for small and medium businesses, rent relief for tenants occupying council facilities and fee waivers and grants for local sporting clubs. Cr Karen Sherry said the economic efects of the virus were going to progress longer than the pandemic. “Now more than ever, we are required to balance the iscal responsibility with making provisions for our city’s future needs,” she said. “he COVID-19 epidemic will continue to be felt in Hume ater the health crisis is gone [and] we are ready to meet the challenges. “here has never been a more important
time for council to invest in critical projects, our community’s needs and to create jobs for our local people.” More than $10 million has been allocated towards car parking across the municipality, including building a multi-deck carpark at the corner of Station and Evans streets in Sunbury, new indented parking bays on narrow streets and resurfacing of existing carparks across the city. Cr Jana Taylor said the council had demonstrated its ability to utilise the budget in a “reactive way” in a time of crisis. “At a very base level, these works will endeavor to make our footpaths walkable, our
bike paths rideable, our bridges crossable and our open spaces fun and engaging,” she said. he Macedon Ranges 2020-21 budget has allocated $1.1 million to a COVID-19 recovery fund which includes the deferral of late fees on animal registrations, waiver of footpath permit renewals and additional funding to the council’s existing grant programs. Key projects funded in the budget include stage two of the Romsey Ecotherapy Park and the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct. Hume and Macedon Ranges’ 2020-21 budgets include a rate increase of two per cent, in line with the state-imposed rate cap.
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