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14 DECEMBER, 2022
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Festive fun at Seaworks
Seaworks executive officer Glenn Jones is feeling extra festive ahead of the Twilight Christmas Market. (Joe Mastroianni) 310560_01
Williamstown residents are encouraged to don their Santa hats and head down to Seaworks for the final Bizarre Bazaar Twilight Market for the year. Tinsel, baubles and classic Christmas tunes will be taking over Seaworks on Friday, December 16, from 5pm to 9pm as part of the free event. Attractions on show will include face painting and gifts for young visitors, as well as a special visit from Santa Claus himself. Williamstown North’s LFK Dance & Gym will be putting on a special dance performance during the event, while the Sun Theatre will be showing movie previews on the big screen along with egg nog choc tops. Community members searching for a last-minute deal on a Christmas gift or two can search across a number of stalls on site, while food vans will also be on site. Event co-organiser Anna Henderson said they are keen to close out 2022 with a big event. “We’re looking forward to welcoming the community to the final market for the year,” she said.
Brewery plan not so ‘megalo’ By Matthew Sims Footscray resident Sophie Vassallo has launched a campaign to oppose Moon Dog Craft Brewery’s proposal to transform Franco Cozzo’s iconic Footscray store into a three-storey brewery and bar. Maribyrnong council released a planning application last week, which included a DJ booth, rooftop bar and a fountain. Ms Vassallo, who lives 200 metres from the site, launched the campaign on Monday, December 5. “It’s really in its infancy,” she said. “My problem is that the disadvantages or negative impacts of the brewery aren’t
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outweighed by any benefits.” The proposal has outlined that the brewery and bar will be trading from 11am to 1am for seven days a week, with no more than 900 patrons permitted on site and no more than 850 patrons after midnight. Ms Vassallo said one of her major concerns with the proposal was that it sought to have car parking requirements waived. “The proposal has issues of noise and disturbances at night,” she said. Ms Vassallo said while a number of patrons would likely be commuting to the nearby Footscray train station, she was concerned there was no planning for a designated pick-up or drop-off spot for those using Uber or other
ride sharing services. “Hopkins Street is already congested,” she said. Ms Vassallo said the site would be better suited to house services which were lacking within Footscray. “If this was going to bring some benefits in terms of services and infrastructure, then I would be able to cop the impacts,” she said. “If it was a childcare centre or a doctor’s clinic, I’d be willing to support it. “We should be speaking up about the things that we deserve.” Ms Vassallo said she had created a Facebook page in support of the campaign and she was aiming to invite all Maribyrnong councillors to
a community meeting at Fordham Reserve on Sunday, December 18 from 10.30am. BikeWest president John Symons said the organisation supported Moon Dog’s proposal, citing its inclusion of 20 on-site bicycle spaces for employees and visitors as favourable for bike users. “We think it’s a good idea to have more people riding bikes and using public transport,” he said. Mr Symons said the group was also advocating to introduce cycling infrastructure connecting Dynon Road with Footscray via Hopkins Street. ■
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