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Smile Squad on the road Pupils at Albion North primary school were among the first beneficiaries of free dental check-ups, with Smile Squad vans back on the road after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state government recently announced an expansion of the free Smile Squad dental program, with 161 more primary and secondary schools invited to take part in term two. Smile Squad vans visit schools providing free check-ups and treatment, including teeth cleaning, fluoride application, fissure sealants, fillings, root canals and other non-cosmetic treatments. The program is delivered by cohealth. Oral health lead Julia McLellan said it was exciting to be taking the Smile Squad vans back to school. “Access to high quality healthcare and good oral health … can have a positive impact on their quality of life and social interactions,” she said. “But due to financial barriers and low health literacy, children from disadvantaged backgrounds often don’t get the dental care they need.” Goya Dmytryshchak
Grade 6 pupil Sunday with oral health therapist Renae. (Joe Mastroianni) 235653_01
Fix Sunshine ‘mess’ plea By Tara Murray Sunshine is a “mess” and a “victim of raised expectations, poor planning, and undelivered promises”, according to a transport action group. In response to the release of concept plans for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Victorian Transport Action group has released its own report, Bringing Sunshine out of the Shadows. Action group secretary Mike Reece said the report intended to put a spotlight on transport and land use planning concerns surrounding the development of Sunshine/Albion and see options to achieve “optimal outcomes”. “Bearing in mind that decisions made today willimpact for years to come,” he said.
The action group shares the concerns of Brimbank council and residents that the rail link plans lack information around the redevelopment of Sunshine and Albion. The group, which consists of transport professionals, said drastic action was needed to upgrade both Sunshine and Albion. “Recent transport planning has hyped a transformation of Sunshine as a super hub for seven separate rail services,” the group’s report states. “Sunshine has been designated a National Employment and Innovation Cluster (NEIC) – one of just seven in Plan Melbourne 2051. [But] A draft framework plan produced by the Victorian Planning Authority has not triggered any major commitments or funding
to implement its findings. “In 2018 Sunshine was also designated by the state as a Priority Precinct. The precinct has since been transferred to the Department of Transport, and the focus narrowed to Sunshine station as a ‘Transport Super Hub’ rather than integrated land use and transport planning for the whole precinct. “Now it seems recent decisions have even shelved any significant upgrade of Sunshine or Albion stations, and [there are] no plan to integrate it with the business districts and the heritage residential communities on each side.” The report states there are planning problems in both Sunshine and Albion and each area’s role needed to be defined with
other growth areas in the west. The group wants a dedicated development board in the area, to drive integrated planning and implementation of land use and transport planning opportunities. It states in the short term there should be a focus on increasing train frequency and reviewing bus routes in Brimbank. Medium term upgrades include scraping the planned two-kilometre rail flyer over at Albion, committing to building a new Albion station, setting a clear timeframe for electrification of the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines, extra platforms at Sunshine station, a new station at Sunshine North and considering the development of network of trams in the west.
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