APRIL 25, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Dorothy’s secret life
(Damjan Janevski)
Dorothy Goudge was only 16 years old when she signed on to be a telephonist at England’s Bletchley Park the day World War II broke out. She had no idea at the time she would play an instrumental role in relaying intelligence from the Germans to the Allied forces’ top-secret code breakers. Bletchley Park played a major role in World War II, and housed English mathematician Alan Turing, who was in part responsible for breaking the Nazi Enigma code. “We managed to collect everything that Germany sent across the airwaves. They didn’t know that we had a method of collecting all that they put out to air,” Mrs Goudge, now 94, said. “They [the code breakers] were able to decipher it all and find out what the Germans were doing. “Sometimes I was in charge of about 30 girls … I can truthfully say the four years I spent in the women’s service were the best years of my life.” Mrs Goudge lived on base during her service, and was promoted to corporal. However, due to the secret nature of her work her role wasn’t formally recognised until decades later. Mrs Goudge moved to Australia in 1962 with her husband Reg, who served in the air force. She now lives at Manor Court Werribee Aged Care. Charlene Macaulay
Roads big budget winner By Charlene Macaulay A record $37.1 million funding to ease traffic congestion across Wyndham is the jewel in the crown of a $145.9 million council capital works program over the next financial year. Wyndham council, which released its 2018-19 draft budget last week, will use the funding to start a number of major road projects, including duplicating Forsyth Road between Old Geelong Road and Sayers Road, construction of Ison Road between the Princes Freeway and Melbourne-Geelong rail line, and duplicating
Tarneit Road between Sayers and Leakes roads. The roads funding will also go towards road surfacings, traffic light installations – including at Dunnings Road and Lennon Boulevard, and Boardwalk and Mile Franklin Boulevard – and intersection safety improvement works. Other big ticket items include: • $9.9 million to complete the Wyndham Aboriginal Community Centre and Integrated Family Learning Centre; • $7.5 million for the Werribee catalyst sites project; • $7.2 million for a sports field and netball
pavilion at Mossfiel Reserve; • $5.9 million to commence construction on the Wyndham Park redevelopment; and • $3.6 million for a tennis pavilion, sporting fields and a carpark at Galvin Park. Ratepayers can expect a 2.25 per cent rate rise for 2018-19, in line with the state government rate cap, but property revaluations mean some homeowners may see higher increases on their rates bill due to an increase in their property’s value. Councillor John Gibbons said it was a fiscally responsible budget that recognised the
importance of both asset renewal and building new infrastructure to meet the growing population. “It delivers key projects and services whilst maintaining rates at CPI. In a growth area, this is a significant challenge, but I believe the draft plan and budget delivers what the community needs, now and in the future.” The draft budget is out for public viewing at the council civic centre, Wyndham’s libraries, a number of community centres, and online at www.wyndham.vic.gov.au Submissions can be lodged until May 15.