SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
(Shawn Smits)
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Cats get the cream Macedon has finally claimed the Riddell District Netball League A-grade premiership. Having lost just two games in the past two seasons, the Cats were red-hot favourites heading into the grand final against Romsey. After grabbing a match-winning lead in the second quarter, Macedon went on to claim the flag with a 56-44 scoreline. Goal shooter Chloe Wilson was named best on court. ■ For more on the Cats’ win and Diggers Rest’s win in the senior football, turn to sport.
Hume rejects Sunbury bid By Laura Michell Hume council is opposing the Liberal Party’s plan to create a stand-alone Sunbury council if it wins November’s state election, saying it has been kept in the dark about the proposal. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy announced in January that a Coalition government would separate Sunbury from Hume, with a Sunbury council to be created as soon as possible. But the plan has drawn the ire of Hume councillors, who say they have been given no information about the planned separation, despite repeated requests to meet Mr Guy.
The council has also written to Liberal candidate for Sunbury, Cassandra Marr, and Liberal candidate for Yuroke, Jim Overend, asking for more information. Councillors are concerned the Coalition is rushing the process and that removing Sunbury from Hume in the next few years would disadvantage residents and council staff and would result in Hume being asked to pay a multi-million dollar subsidy to the new Sunbury council. Ms Marr last month told Star Weekly the new council would be created using similar financial modelling to that used in 2014 when
the Napthine government gave the go-ahead for Sunbury to split from Hume. Under the previous modelling, Hume council was required to pay $24 million in subsidies to Sunbury council for the first 10 years of its existence. At last week’s council meeting, councillors spoke of their concerns that Hume residents were being asked to vote on a policy about which they had been given no information. “If you are an average ratepayer and you are coming to an election in which your representation at one level of government is put at risk, you would want to know what you are
voting in,” Cr Drew Jessop said. “It is a leading issue … it is reasonable for people to want to understand what they are voting on. “There is even greater awareness required and greater implications beyond creating a new council.” Cr Jack Medcraft said that while he was certain Sunbury would have its own council in the future, he felt now was not the time to implement such a policy. “At the moment, with 40,000 people and growing, I just don’t know why we are going down this track when there are a lot more important issues,” he said.