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18 OCTOBER, 2022
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The time for spooky fun Halloween is just around the corner on October 31, which means so is this year’s Craigieburn Haunted House. Husband and wife Rob and Adriana Pugliese started the event in 2015 as a way to do something for the community. “We both do it together, I do the electronics and she does the production value, all the props, the way they all look, all that sort of stuff,” Mr Pugliese said. “Our most popular was the clown theme, that one was great to set up, there was a lot of good feedback and good footage from that.” Now in their seventh year (excluding COVID-19 lockdown), they’ve planned a better than ever ’Stranger Things’ themed haunted house this year. Mr Pugliese said this year fit out with demogorgons, Vecna, The Upside Down, Hawkins Lab, the ominous clock from season four and various other surprises. The event has always been free for the public and Mr Pugliese said they don’t want to know exactly what it costs but estimate every year they’re spending about $3000 to $4000 to set up. “A lot of people ask why it’s free, but when you’re in there and you see a 34 year old adult on the floor petrified, it’s so worth it,” he said.
Siblings Daniela and Roberto Pugliese inside their event the Craigieburn Haunted House. (Damjan Janevski) 302725_01
Youth crisis facility moves Hume will continue steps towards establishing a youth crisis facility in the municipality, following a council study which showed a “strong need”. At a meeting on Monday, October 10, councillors spoke to a report which said Hume lacked any form of youth crisis accommodation despite 2016 Census data showing 255 young people in the municipality were homeless on Census night. Councillor Karen Sherry, a strong advocate for addressing homelessness in Hume, said it
was important to focus on young people to stem the cycle. “Officers’ research found that 28 per cent of the homeless population in Hume are comprised of young people, which is much higher than the national average … entering into homelessness is not a decision a young person makes lightly,” Cr Shelly said. As part of the study, a survey of local service providers and secondary colleges showed emergency or crisis accommodation was among their top five pressing needs in the region. “The growth areas, like Hume, is where
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3 and 4 year old kindergarten at the Y Visit childrensprograms.whittlesea.ymca.org.au
most of the young people live, so we need a facility … This report asks our council to commit $50,000 for a study that will choose the best location for this accommodation,” Cr Sherry said. “[As well as] the best methodology to make it happen because it’s actually a state government responsibility, not our responsibility.” The report said since commencement of the first stage of the study, council had been approached by three housing providers, Kids Under Cover, Launch Housing and Evolve, exploring options for a community housing facility on council-owned land.
A stage two feasibility study will now be undertaken, to validate the need for the facility, include best practice case studies, provide alternative infrastructure delivery options, and finalise the preferred option. Cr Jarrod Bell said progressing to stage two was about “getting the right people around the table to have the conversation”. “We’re not going to just be a passive partner here, we’re going to step up and do the work,” Cr Bell said. “We’ve done the research, now we’re going to do that important background work so that we have a shovel ready project.”
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By Elsie Lange