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5 JULY, 2022
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SIG N U P N O W!
Harry Potter fans rejoice
Librarians Sophie Kuypers, Tiffany Vanderlinden and Stevie Fisher getting into the Potter-ific magic.
(Damjan Janevski). 287642_03
Grab your wands and brooms, with an exciting school holiday program in Moorabool this month that will celebrate the magic of the wizarding world. Moorabool council is hosting Harry Potter Month in July, with activities at the Lerderderg and Ballan libraries for families to enjoy. The Ballan library will host Harry Potter themed crafter-noons each Friday from July 15 from 3.30pm to encourage residents to cast a spell of creativity. The Lerderderg library will hold various magical activities from July 12, including a potions class, wand-making workshop and a Three Broomsticks butterbeer making. To celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday, there will also be a trivia and games day on July 30 from 10am. On the day, young wizards will be able to discover their Hogwarts House with the sorting hat, be matched to their own special magic wand, taste Bertie Bots every flavour beans or have their Azkaban mugshot photo taken by library staff. Bookings for Ballan library aren’t required but are essential for Lerderderg library activities. To book in for trivia call 5366 7100 or for other activities use Eventbrite.
Sound wall budget blow By Olivia Condous Melton council has withdrawn funding for a project committed four years ago, following a heated debate during a meeting last week. In 2018, the council approved $2.1 million in its budget to fund a sound wall at Silverdale estate in Brookfield. However, further scoping works revealed the cost of the sound wall project would actually amount to $6.3 million in order to comply with Department of Transport standards. At a meeting on June 20, Melton councillors engaged in a debate on what should be done
with the insufficient funds allocated to the project. While a motion on the issue provided three options on what to do with the money, including adding an additional $4.2 million to fully fund the project or removing the budgeted funds completely, Cr Sophie Ramsey moved to hold the funds in reserve to contribute to possible future Department of Transport funding. Cr Ramsey moved the motion on the basis that council should not set a precedent of breaking promises made to residents. “We, as a council for the 21 years that I’ve been on, have never budgeted an item and then
when there’s been a change in council come along and taken that money out of the budget. We’ve never done that,” Cr Ramsey said. “I think it’s a low blow for our community that has been waiting since December 2018 for this soundwall.” Crs Lara Carli, Moira Deeming, Steve Abboushi and mayor Goran Kesic voted against the motion to hold the budgeted funds in reserve. Cr Carli argued it was “irresponsible” to hold onto the money and that the responsibility of the sound wall should be left entirely up to the state government to provide. “By leaving these funds in the budget, I
believe that we are giving the residents of Silverdale estate false hope,” she said. “It’s not only Silverdale estate that is in need of a sound wall along the freeway, there’s also also need in Diggers Rest, Punjil Drive and Rockbank, “Are we going to also pay for sound walls for those residents who are also suffering?” A recommended motion to remove the remaining funding for the sound wall and continue to advocate for government investment for the provision of sound walls along freeway corridors was carried, with Crs Carli, Deeming, Kesic, Abboushi and Julie Shannon voting in favour.
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