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5 OCTOBER, 2022
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SIG N U P N O W!
Apology to Dean Hurlston
HMAS Castlemaine committee secretary Richard Budzienny is excited to welcome the public onboard the vessel to celebrate the 80th annivesary of her commissioning.(Damjan Janevski) 301208_05
The Star Weekly recently published material relating to the proposed Hobsons Bay council plans regarding sister city visits to Japan and two Australian councils. It was a divisive issue in the council debate. We also published comments by Mr Dean Hurlston, the vice president of Ratepayers Victoria, who was critical of the council and the apparent lack of transparency as to costs and expenditure. We were then requested to publish a response from the council which criticised Mr Hurlston. That response has been suggested to assert that Mr Hurlston may have held racist views due to his opposition to expenditure on relations by the council with a Japanese city and an Aboriginal council. We did not intend any such suggestion to be made against Mr Hurlston and accept that any assertions to that effect would be baseless in relation to him. We regret if any reader inferred such things and sincerely apologise to Mr Hurlston for any embarrassment our article may have caused him.
Remembering HMAS Castlemaine’s 80 years The Williamstown community is encouraged to come on down to the Gem pier to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the commissioning of the Bathurst-class corvette HMAS Castlemaine. Celebrations will kick off from 10.30am on Sunday, October 9, with the vessel’s museum open for visitors until 3.30pm. The Royal Australian Navy band will be performing from 1pm to 5pm, with
aircraft and helicopter displays also on during the afternoon. The event will conclude with a ceremonial sunset, consisting of a band performance and a volley of blank rifle shots. Commissioned in 1942, HMAS Castlemaine operated during World War II in the waters of Australia, New Guinea, and Timor.
She remained in service until 1945 and then along with other corvettes and ‘River’ class frigates, HMAS Castlemaine became part of the Reserve Fleet kept at Geelong. HMAS Castlemaine returned to Gem Pier on March 1, 1994 after repairs were completed and has made it her home ever since. Matthew Sims
Lib election cash splash By Matthew Sims Two key projects for the Altona Meadows community have received commitments totalling $8.9 million from the state Liberal-National coalition. Opposition leader Matthew Guy visited Altona Meadows on Friday to announce a $3.4 million funding commitment towards the construction of a new 60-metre shared bike and pedestrian bridge along Queen Street and a $5.5 million commitment towards the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre if the coalition wins November’s state election. He said the centre would be a tourism attraction for the Altona Meadows community
and would include immersive teaching and learning opportunities for all ages across dedicated classrooms and research facilities. “An integral part of the wetlands centre is its capacity to host school children and teach them about the natural habitats and native species,” Mr Guy said. “Thousands of species call the wetlands home, and with the construction of this important centre, they will be able to do so for years to come.” Hobsons Bay mayor Peter Hemphill said the project would still require a federal government commitment. “The $16 million Hobsons Bay Wetlands
Centre is a key advocacy priority for council, which has committed $5 million to the project and is seeking the remaining $11 million from the state and federal governments,” he said. Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre development leader Gordon Lescinsky said the new hub would contribute to tourism, economic development, sustainability and education. Mr Guy said the new 60-metre shared bike and pedestrian bridge across Laverton Creek along Queen Street would allow for a “quicker and safer commute for pedestrians and cyclists”. “This bridge is critically important for all locals, and it’s essential for us to invest in the western suburbs as they experience continued
population growth.” Cr Hemphill said the council had been advocating for state government funding since 2018, as well as during the delivery of the state government’s Queen Street Bridge Strengthening project in 2020. “At present, pedestrians and cyclists travelling along Queen Street risk their safety crossing the existing bridge, which is used by more than 19,000 vehicles each day,” he said. Liberal candidate for Williamstown Daria Kellander said the bridge was “completely unsafe” in its current state. “Our community has pleaded for this upgrade for years, and these pleas have been ignored by Labor,” she said.
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