Hundreds attended the Hampton Park Progress Association’s ANZAC Day Dawn service Hampton Park Progress Association president Luke Delutis said they hosted the dawn service to not only honour those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation but also for their families and the survivors who forever wore the scars that the horror of war brought “People whose lives will never be the same again,” he said “Let us learn from the devastation of war that this day reminds us of and let us find better ways towards peace in our world to avoid such devastation again This is the least we can do to honour the fallen The dawn service was moved indoors this year due to likely rain Master of Ceremonies Damien Rosario led the proceedings Special guests included incumbent Holt MP Cassandra Fernando City of Casey Councillors Lynette Pereira and Shane Taylor Detectives from the Southern Metro Region Crime Squad have arrested two teenage boys following an aggravated carjacking in Hampton Park on 9 April It is alleged offenders threatened a ride share driver on Elpara Way Hampton Park about 1.20am before pulling him out of the vehicle and stealing his keys The allegedly stolen Toyota was located by police on Wren Road in Hampton Park later that morning Detectives executed search warrants in Hampton Park yesterday arresting a 15-year-old Casey boy and a 17-year-old Casey boy at about 7am The 17-year-old has been charged with aggravated carjacking The 15-year-old has been charged with aggravated carjacking theft of motor vehicle and commit indictable offence whilst on bail They have both been remanded to appear at a children's court at a later date Ballina Shire Council is inviting the community to provide feedback on the Draft Master Plan for Hampton Park Reserve Council consulted widely to identify key user groups and gather insights about community use Some of the key messages expressed during community consultation included: a Draft Master Planning Report was presented to the 28 November 2024 Ordinary Council Meeting Council resolved to prepare an amended draft master plan for public exhibition.   The draft master plan report presents a preferred design to the community for feedback This proposed design formalises on-street carparking provides a new vehicle access point off Moon Street and closure of the Burnet Street driveway access There are competing demands for space at Hampton Park This draft master plan balances general open space amenity and functionality with active recreation while building on existing infrastructure capacity for tennis Council invites you to complete an online feedback form. Please read the Draft Master Plan in full before completing the form at yoursayballina.com.au/Hampton-park-reserve-master-plan There is currently no funding allocated for implementation of works once finalised the Hampton Park Reserve Master Plan will inform the management framework for the reserve planning and implementation of improvement works More Contact Information We Want Your Feedback Report an Issue events and project updates straight to your inbox Subscribe to eNews Ballina Shire Council acknowledges that we are here on the land of the Bundjalung people The Bundjalung are the traditional owners of this land and are part of the oldest surviving continuous culture in the world The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council to the granting of planning permit application PA23/0694 for Veolia Recycling & Recovery Pty Ltd (Veolia) by the City of Casey The planning permit application is to construct a waste transfer station at 290 Hallam Road Planning permission was granted before Councilors had been elected and sworn in before the rezoning has been approved by the Minister for Planning and while there is current litigation by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) against Veolia for serious breaches The proposed facility is within 250 metres of family homes and in the middle of densely populated areas Residents of surrounding suburbs have not been properly informed and those who have are extremely concerned about the serious adverse environmental and social impacts that will result from processing 550,000 tones of putrescible and inert waste per annum Over 1,000 objections were received but largely ignored by Casey Council and Administrators the EPA introduced new buffer and separation distance guidelines to protect the health and safety of residents which the City of Casey override with permit conditions.The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to ensure that a waste transfer station is not constructed in the South-Eastern Metropolitan region by overturning approval of planning permit application PA23/0694 rejecting development license application APP032219 and investigating the processes which have led to the planning permit application being approved by the City of Casey Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has refused the Development Licence application for the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station The decision is subject to appeal by the applicant Veolia but it means the waste transfer station cannot be constructed EPA states that it undertook a “comprehensive science-based assessment” of the Development Licence application The assessment was informed by input from the local community and considered best practice standards the Charter of Human Rights And Responsibilities Act 2006 we determined the proposed waste transfer station does not meet the requirements of the Environment Protection Act 2017,” a statement of EPA says “There are unacceptable risks to human health from the proposal “Due to the close proximity of the proposed waste transfer station to residential homes and other sensitive receptors we have determined these risks cannot be reduced to acceptable levels.” Given the decision to refuse the application a conference of interested persons is no longer required Veolia brought the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria to the state tribunal VCAT in February this year claiming the state environment watchdog didn’t make a timely decision on its development licence application for the proposed Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station EPA notes in its statement that the VCAT hearing is still ongoing and they have provided all relevant documentation about this decision to VCAT Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association vice president Anthony Tassone said the rejection was the only sensible conclusion the EPA could reach based on the scientific evidence the “appalling” compliance record of Veolia at Hampton Park Hill and in the interests of public health and protection of the environment “Local residents can breathe a sigh of relief that this ridiculous proposal so close to people’s homes isn’t proceeding as they’ve had to battle poor odour management from the landfill for many years,” he said “We expect Veolia to appeal the rejection of the application but rather than fight and undermine our environmental regulator’s considered decision based on the evidence and community feedback we call on Veolia to work with the community to find a suitable alternative location for the waste transfer station.” Mr Tassone wanted to thank all the residents who made a submission to the EPA consultation and attended the community forum co-hosted with Lynbrook Residents Association and Hampton Park Progress Association last month “This shows people power works and how critical it is that the community’s voice is heard,” he said Lynbrook Residents Association (LRA) welcomed the EPA’s decision “This is a significant win for the health and well-being of our local community,” LRA spokesperson Vernadette Dickson said our community has voiced strong opposition to this proposal concerned about the proximity of the waste site to schools “This outcome is a testament to the power of collective action and local advocates worked tirelessly to raise awareness and demand accountability.” Five CFA units alongside Fire Rescue Victoria responded to a house fire on Kerrison Drive in Hampton Park at around 4:03pm on Sunday Units from Hampton Park and Narre Warren arrived at the scene where a 15 by 15 garage attached to a house was fully engulfed in flames CFA reported that the fire was caused due to unattended cooking as well as the relevant power and gas company A warning was issued to the community for smoke in the area The incident was deemed under control at $:42pm and safe at 5:20pm and more details will be added once available Three CFA units alongside FRV responded to reports of a fire on Warana Drive in Hampton Park at around 8.39am on Thursday 13 March Relevant gas company was notified to attend the scene which is a brick veneer structure approximately 10 x 25m The incident was deemed under control at 9.10am and safe at 9.40am A fire investigator has been arranged to attend the scene Hampton Park Progress Association held its annual family-friendly fun day on Australia Day The event saw an attendance of over 300 people Australian Air League marched with the flag Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Children’s Choir proudly sang the Australian National Anthem State Emergency Services Narre Warren Unit Australian Air League – Berwick Squadron Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Children’s Choir “Following a long-held tradition of our 102-year-old Association we brought our community together in harmony on Australia Day at our Free Family Friendly event,” said Luke DeLutis president of Hampton Park Progress Association “We fundraise throughout the year to afford to host a free event where families individuals and our wider community can enjoy the day without needing to break their budgets “We recognise that these are challenging economic times and so this is our way of supporting our community “We were very pleased to see so many people enjoying the day with us and we hope that even more people will join us again in 2026.” Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has confirmed it will hold a consultation conference for the assessment of the Development Licence of the proposed Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station The Conference of Interested Parties is a further consultation after the state’s environment watchdog’s consultation in the community late last year The conference will have an independent facilitator to gather the views and make recommendations to EPA The recommendations will be considered alongside the written submissions from the community According to an email to the local community the state organisation had received more than 600 submissions on the day of the closing of last year’s consultation “EPA continues to assess the Development Application from Veolia Recycling and Recovery Pty Ltd to develop a Waste and Resource Recovery Plant in Hampton Park,” a spokesperson of EPA Victoria said “Several community information sessions have already been held and EPA plans on holding a further Conference of Interested Parties in the near future “Details will be provided to the community as soon as they are finalised EPA recognises the strong level of interest from the community regarding this project which is reflected in the high volume of submissions which we are still working through.” Community organisations Lynbrook Residents Association and Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association have written to EPA and requested a minimum of four weeks of notice before the conference to allow residents time to prepare an appropriate time after work hours or on a weekend to enable maximum attendance formal invitations to local councillors and council planners particularly those with decision-making powers and translated materials to make the consultation accessible to all residents Hallam Road landfill operator Veolia proposed to build a $27m commercial waste transfer station on the land adjacent to the landfill Casey Council approved the planning permit in November last year EPA is currently assessing a Development Licence application The family whose home has been left in ruins after a harrowing crash has called for increased safety in Hallam Road Situated on the corner of Ivan Crescent in Hampton Park parents to two young children thought that installing metallic fencing and laying the foundations with bricks would provide ample protection While they were aware of the dangers of corner-home living they never expected an upturned vehicle to be a mere foot away from their feet at 4.30 in the morning Despite the speed limit being 60 kilometres per hour and 40 kilometres per hour on school hours the family said that “many people don’t go 60 kilometres” it should be slower because there’s a school right there,” both parents said The family had moved from Springvale a few years prior thinking they had experienced the worst that the suburb’s traffic They are thankful that no one was seriously injured during the accident but both Ravinder and Neha both live under the guile of fear and with the noise of the crash still fresh have found it difficult to think about sleeping much less spending time in their beloved home The driver of the vehicle was a 25-year-old Narre Warren man and the passenger was a 26-year-old man from Dandenong North “We don’t know what happened with those men (in the vehicle) who has recently been enrolled at the neighbouring St Kevin’s Primary School said the 40 kilometres per hour limit should be constant at least until Hampton Park Shopping Centre “It should be 40 kilometres here all the time Gary Maas is thankful that there were no serious injuries or deaths in light of the incident Maas added that when incidents like these occur no one wants traffic flow to be reduced along our road networks due to a few selfish idiots who do not follow the speed limit,” Maas said Maas said laws and road rules were there to be abided by “but our outstanding police can only do so much when road rules are flagrantly disregarded by drivers who excessively speed” Lynette Pereira is adamant that more action should be taken when it comes to deterrence of dangerous driving but also on working together with authorities to make a lasting change While the road itself isn’t a hot spot for severe accidents or crashes she collates that it is indeed a stretch where drivers like to test not only their vehicles’ limits “So when you think of a small car that loses control can you imagine a bigger truck losing control?” Lynette said “We’ve got a lot of problems with unsafe drivers at the moment and you’ll see it online on Casey Crime Page where it is evident that crime is growing in Casey “This is a worry for us and we need to stick our heads together and work with the police While she understands that the residents are calling for more safety measures where a certain balance must be met when implementing these considering the arterial nature of Hallam Road added that he and the council are aware of the community’s concerns regarding speeding along Hallam Road and that they are “committed to improving road safety and will continue to advocate to the State Government for safety improvements” it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure they get to and from school safely,” Koomen said “Council urges all drivers to take care be alert and abide by the rules when behind the wheel.” Star News understands that the speed of 60 kilometres on the road is considered an acceptable limit under the state and the Department of Transport and Planning and that traffic calming devices such as speed humps would not be suitable for carrying such high volumes of traffic building on the stress the accident has caused we’ve been trying to make the home nicer and nicer but then all of a sudden someone comes along and does this,” he said “Now we are the people that have to do something about it this is our house and we’re missing our home.” Neha lamented that the family frequented the front yard in their free time the kids on bikes and other small activities the family is currently living away from home and while waiting for the repairs to finish they make frequent trips to and from the home to gather their belongings They are hoping that something can be done to both quell the numbers of dangerous driving and increase the safety of those living near main roads A Hampton Park gambling addict has been jailed for growing a commercial quantity of cannabis and theft of electricity was sentenced at the County Court of Victoria to two years and six months on 2 December for cultivating a hydroponic crop of 164 cannabis plants and stealing $13,000 of electricity using a bypass a day after police confirmed the irregular electricity usage at his address in Hampton Park He was seen wearing outfits relevant to cultivation when arrested Police later discovered the plants at various stages of maturity inside the house Judge Pradeep Tiwana noted that Vu engaged in “substantial investment in equipment that enabled cultivation to occur” Vu admitted that he attended Bunnings to purchase the “plant ties” for the cultivation and the cultivation was for financial gain The court did not hear any evidence of him or of the cultivation being connected to a broader crime network In regard to the charge of theft of electricity Judge Tiwana found that the electricity bypass was operational for about 76 days and showed a “high degree of sophistication” Vu admitted in court that he sought to pay off his gambling and associated debts by cultivating cannabis plants He first engaged in gambling after the breakdown of his marriage He was previously convicted of cultivating prohibited plants in a commercial quantity in 2008 in New South Wales The previous offending was also an attempt to work off gambling debts A witness expert diagnosed Vu with a gambling disorder “The underlying tenor of your counsel’s submission is that your inability to adequately deal with psychological stress led to the development of your gambling disorder which in turn precipitated your offending behaviour,” Judge Tiwana said The judge also considered other mitigating factors the “greater burden of imprisonment knowing that he was unable to care for his son” and the positive prospects of rehabilitation Vu’s son moved to Australia in early 2023 after his grandparents in Vietnam were no longer able to appropriately care for him Vu stated that his son was adjusting well to living in Australia but was also experiencing a number of challenges including learning and concentration difficulties “I accept that your son’s living arrangements will make your time in custody more burdensome on you,” Judge Tiwana said “He plainly needs your support but thankfully he is living with a friend of yours who is supporting him as well as her own children.” Vu’s jaile term includes a non-parole period of 19 months He had already served 452 days of pre-sentence detention Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is consulting with the local community about the Development Licence application for the proposed waste transfer station next to the Hallam Road landfill Hallam Road landfill operator Veolia Recycling and Recovery Pty Ltd has applied to EPA Victoria for a Development Licence The application is for a waste resource recovery facility at 290 Hallam Road EPA will consider all community feedback on the proposal and any submissions from other stakeholders and relevant government bodies “EPA also considers the impact of the activity on human health and the environment best available techniques and technologies whether the activity is consistent with the law and regulations whether the applicant is a fit and proper person and other Acts and legislative frameworks like Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 and the Climate Change Act 2017,” they said EPA will hold three information sessions for the community Community can give feedback and get details about the sessions at Engage Victoria Feedback is open until 11.59pm Tuesday 10 December 2024 A Development Licence allows for design and construction it will also need to apply for an EPA operating licence EPA licences include strict conditions to prevent harm to the community and the environment To view more information and submit your feedback visit: engage.vic.gov.au/veolia-recycling-recovery-pty-ltd-app032219 Two teenagers have been arrested as part of a homicide investigation into shots fired in Hampton Park in April Among the incidents was the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Aaron Toth in his parked car – in what police believe to be a case of mistaken identity A 17-year-old Doveton boy and a 15-year-old Narre Warren boy were arrested and interviewed by police on 3 September in relation to arson incidents connected to the shootings At this time police do not believe the pair were directly involved in the fatal shooting The Doveton boy was charged with two counts of arson relating to the allegedly deliberate burning of a stolen Ford Ranger utility on 27 April in Berwick as well as the burning of a Mazda 3 believed to be connected to the matters Police say the Ford Ranger was used by the offenders during the fatal shooting That vehicle was set alight a short time later and police allege that several people left the scene in the Mazda 3 The Doveton boy has also been charged by Southern Metropolitan Crime Team detectives with unrelated offences including home invasion (x2) He was set to appear at a children’s court on 3 September The Narre Warren boy was released pending further enquiries Homicide Squad detectives were recently joined by Toth’s family in appealing for information about the series of incidents in Hampton Park earlier this year a black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback and a white Toyota Camry sedan are captured on CCTV driving at a fast rate of speed along the Parkway in Hampton Park at 9.21pm on Friday The black Volkswagen drives onto the grassland at which point the sound of two gunshots can be heard before all three vehicles speed away from the area a stolen white Mitsubishi Outlander SUV is captured on CCTV chasing a stolen black Audi Q7 through Andrew Street David Street and Jeffrey Street in Hampton Park As the vehicles travel at high speeds on Jeffrey Street a person can be seen on CCTV leaning out of the passenger side window of the white Mitsubishi Outlander and firing a shot as it drives behind the black Audi Q7 The sound of 14 gunshots can subsequently be heard the black Audi Q7 is driven into the driveway of a residential premises on Grammar Way in Hampton Park both wearing light coloured pants and hooded tops Both men empty the jerry cans onto the Audi before setting it alight and fleeing the scene in a dark coloured sedan waiting nearby the 30-year-old Toth was fatally shot inside his vehicle parked outside a residential address on Bride Avenue in Hampton Park Investigators have established he had travelled alone from Melbourne CBD and only arrived at the address a minute earlier Toth had no involvement in the earlier incidents in the Hampton Park area and his death is being treated as a case of mistaken identity CCTV has captured a stolen grey Ford Ranger utility turning left from Pound Road into Bride Avenue Occupants from the vehicle discharge shots into his vehicle as they drive past A 21-year-old Cranbourne North man was charged with murder on Saturday 29 June and is currently remanded in custody the white Mitsubishi Outlander and the grey Ford Ranger utility drove in convoy to Sweeney Reserve the grey Ford Ranger utility is set alight the white Mitsubishi Outlander flees the scene Investigators are of the belief that all of these incidents are linked and that there are still people involved who have not yet been identified The only vehicle not yet recovered is the black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback The investigation into the series remains ongoing Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au The tragic loss of 19-year-old Noah Peacock has left a void in his family and community the man whose actions led to the fiery crash after his sentencing on Wednesday 23 October pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and failing to render assistance crossed into the opposite lane of South Gippsland Highway near Jeetho resulting in a fiery crash that tragically ended Noah’s life witnessed him pass her in his 2004 Ford Falcon wagon “like a rocket” while she had been traveling around 100km/h She saw the horrific aftermath of the incident after a bend with Colverd’s vehicle having crossed to the wrong side of the road and colliding head-on with Noah’s car The force of the impact pushed Noah’s 2005 Ford Falcon sedan off the road Witnesses attempted to help but the intense heat prevented them from approaching the burning vehicle was able to escape his vehicle with a witness’s help fled the scene to a grassy area and down an embankment His Noah’s body was found inside the car once the fire was put out by CFA members Collision reconstruction experts revealed that Colverd’s vehicle was approximately 1.47 metres into the opposite lane They were not able to determine why the vehicle crossed the lines as there was no evidence of pre-impact braking from either vehicle Driving without a license after it was canceled in 2022 for refusing a breath test Colverd’s blood sample in hospital revealed cannabis and a blood-alcohol level between 0.037 and 0.064 at the time of the crash Noah’s death had a heavy toll on his family as described in their victim impact statements Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis also considered Covlerd’s diagnosed PTSD and undiagnosed ADHD Judge Karapanagiotidis added that the sentencing could never measure the depth of the loss felt by Noah’s family and the wider community adding that “the sentence I am about to impose is not a measure of Noah’s life” “Nor is it a measure of the deep profound grief of those who knew and loved him it is a reflection of a range of factors that by law I am required to take into account and balance who was 25 years old at the time of the incident was jailed for four years with a 33-month non-parole period He has served 798 days in pre-sentencing detention making him eligible for parole by May next year Colverd’s driver license was also disqualified for four years marking that the offence was committed under the influence of drugs or alcohol Services at a women’s health clinic in Hampton Park were partially closed in 2024 following a Casey woman’s death after an abortion surgery Narre Warren South woman and mother of two Harjit Kaur died shortly after a pregnancy termination surgery in Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic in January 2024 Victoria Police confirmed in March that there would be no criminal investigation A coroner investigation into Miss Kaur’s death is still ongoing An initial autopsy revealed in June found “no significant natural disease contributing to the death no evidence of any complication after surgery and ruled out adverse effects of anesthesia The pathologist raised the “possibility of a heart rhythm abnormality” The Department of Health suspended the clinic’s registration as a day procedure centre on 29 February following two days of inspection The Department of Health stated that the clinic’s day procedure service was operating in a way that posed serious risks to patient health or safety and the clinic had also failed to comply with the relevant regulations The clinic was found to fail to assess the credentials of medical practitioners appropriately according to a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) report later that year apparently hired by others when the director Dr Michelle Kenney was away had a condition on his registration that only allowed him to practise at Knox Hospital Other non-compliance included infection control failure to ensure adequate training of staff involved in surgery and anesthesia and inadequate review of events the Medical Board of Australia suspended the registration of obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Rudolph Lopes who performed the abortion surgery on Miss Kaur The reason behind the suspension has not been revealed The controversy over Dr Lopes centred on his prior professional misconduct He was reprimanded over alleged lewd remarks to a patient and long-term sexual harassment of a midwife director Dr Kenney defended Dr Lopes and claimed that regardless of his history he was still a highly experienced registered specialist she was granted a stay with conditions by the court The court noted that before the suspension of the day procedure in the clinic Dr Kenney had contacted the Department of Health in November 2023 to report the compliance issues she discovered on her return from health and personal reasons It appeared she had begun to take steps to address issues but the department’s inspection recorded some issues had not been rectified The court did not find Dr Kenney would pose a serious risk to the safety of patients in the medical practice and considered the evidence that refusing the stay would potentially harm Dr Kenney personally and the continued operation of the clinic as a general practice the court stated that Dr Kenney was not involved clinically with Miss Kaur’s death The board confirmed that it did not suggest there was a link between Miss Kaur’s death and Dr Kenney’s suspension *Star News is not suggesting Dr Michelle Kenney or any other doctor or staff member at the clinic are responsible for the death of Ms Kaur A coroner’s investigation is underway into the cause Among the incidents was the fatal shooting of 30-year-old carpenter Aaron Toth in his parked car – in what police believe to be a case of mistaken identity The devastated parents of Mr Toth have lashed out against his killers who had been parked outside his friend’s home was looking forward to becoming a father with his partner said on Monday that “there’s got to be somebody out there who knows something Mrs Toth said that those responsible for killing her son should be “locked away forever” “They knew exactly what they were doing; they went there with intentions to kill somebody why would they be there in a car with a gun?” she said Community organisations across Casey banded together and held a public forum on the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station to inform the residents of critical information before the upcoming EPA conference and Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association (CRRA) held an information-orientated public forum in Hampton Park on Sunday 23 March The forum featured presentations on the status of the Hallam Road landfill the magnitude and scale of the proposed waste transfer station the analysis of the scientific parts of the application and what could be done to make the voices heard “The initial purpose was to get the community together in the lead0up to the EPA forum which is coming up and just to get more information out there,” LRA president Scott Watson said As a parliamentary debate on the proposed Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station will be expected in the coming months Mr Watson said the community had been happy that they were finally getting attention after two years of fighting “We’ll continue to ask the State Government Ministers to reject the proposal And we will continue to assist the EPA on the consultation,” he said CRRA vice president Anthony Tassone said it was fantastic to see the turnout and the engagement and passion in the room “We’ll be happy with an outcome when there’s an alternative site found for a waste transfer station,” he said “It has no right to be so close to people’s homes.” Opposition MP for South-Eastern Metropolitan Region Ann-Marie Hermans South Eastern Metropolitan MP Rachel Payne Greens Senator for Victoria Steph Hodgins-May Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas could not make it to the day which was met with a wave of laughs among the crowd In his Facebook video post on Friday 21 March he said that he was strongly against the proposed waste transfer station “I’ve written to and I’ve met with the Minister for Environment to express the concerns I’ve heard from my community,” he said I have conveyed that Veolia should not be granted the license to operate the waste transfer station by the EPA.” who tabled two petitions in parliament last month to stop the construction of the proposed waste transfer station said at the forum that the real issue here was that a waste transfer facility of this magnitude could not be built in a residential area “Nowhere in a first-world country do you have a situation like this in a residential zone “It is completely and utterly unacceptable.” She also pointed out there were underground springs all through the area “We do not know the impact on the waterways in these underground springs and the toxin levels that are there,” she said “We have not been able to get that information yet.” who spoke on behalf of herself as a councillor said the community was getting stronger and they would continue to fight go to the Hampton Park Progress Association Facebook page EPA hasn’t pinned down the date for its consultation conference Star News will share the date as soon as it is announced The old site of the Hampton Park Food Market may finally see a new development after sitting empty for over 5 years the landowner says the development is now being held up by a “minor” amendment approval As the owner of the block of land at 65 Hallam Road next to the Hampton Park Shopping Centre Ms Le has been waiting for five months for the outcome of a planning amendment The council sent an email to her town planner to inform her that the allocated planning officer went on leave in November last year and ever since then she didn’t know who was looking at the application She was only told this week that a new planning officer was assigned to look at the application Ms Le said it was a Section 72 application to amend a planning permit and she had support from the council in a pre-meeting she believed it shouldn’t take the council this long to process “Everything is dependent on this permit to move forward,” she said “I’m waiting for the amendment to be approved because we’re ready to proceed “I was hoping I would have the amendment approved before Christmas only to hear a new officer has just been allocated.” Ms Le said she simply wanted to build something there “I have been associated with the site for over 20 years and I’m doing everything I can to build something there for the people of Hampton Park,” she said “It doesn’t give me any joy to leave it empty because the land tax and holding costs are very costly.” the current planning permit has one level of basement parking She was granted the planning permit in 2019 and the subsequent planning endorsement in late 2022 The project was then paused for a year because of the astronomical increase in construction costs and Ms Le eventually submitted the planning amendment in August 2024 she is waiting for this final step before everything else can move on Casey Council stated that they could not advise a specific timeline for a decision for an active application until the review had been completed Hallam Road landfill operator Veolia brought the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria to the state tribunal claiming the state environment watchdog didn’t make a timely decision on its development licence application for the proposed Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station Veolia claimed that a timely decision was important as the proposed Hampton Park Transfer Station would be a vital part of South East Melbourne’s waste infrastructure “It is central to modern waste management systems that will transition the region away from landfills and deliver waste to facilities that recycle or effectively dispose of different waste streams,” it stated The landfill operator applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on Thursday 13 February to seek a decision on the development licence application for the Hampton Park Transfer Station that was being assessed by the EPA “This is because the timeframe for the EPA to make a decision on our proposal expired on January 23 and we want to have clarity on the outcome both for the community and ourselves,” it stated Veolia stated the action was commonly undertaken to ensure projects continue along the decision-making path EPA requested more information from Veolia after receiving more than 700 community submissions The request has paused EPA’s assessment and decision-making process until the applicant provides a satisfactory response to the matters raised in the submissions EPA is also preparing a consultation conference in the community Veolia stated that the community feedback already shared with the EPA about the project would also be shared with VCAT and community consultation would proceed as normal “The Tribunal will consider all of this feedback in its final determination we are still preparing a detailed response to those community submissions and these will be made publicly available by the EPA in due course,” it stated Several community organisations have publicly called out Veolia’s latest move Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association vice president Anthony Tassone said the court action was big business trying to ride roughshod over the clearly outlined processes by EPA Victoria and deprive the community of having their say at the upcoming ’conference of interested persons’ that the EPA would be hosting “Rather than pulling these stunts and trying to sidestep our independent environment protection regulator Veolia should focus on addressing the request for further information by the EPA with their development licence application and to respond to the community’s concerns as outlined in the 751 submissions to EPA’s consultation last year,” he said “Given Veolia’s appalling compliance record at the landfill at Hampton Park Hill and not abiding by EPA’s distance separation guidelines from neighbourhood for their proposed waste transfer station they must be properly scrutinised by our environment regulator.” A spokesperson of the Lynbrook Resident Association said Veolia had just crossed the line “Instead of proving they can operate responsibly they’re trying to bully their way through the system,” they said “This isn’t just about a waste transfer station anymore This is about a corporation trying to silence the very processes meant to protect us.” Veolia said they were now waiting for the initial orders from VCAT we will have more information about the Tribunal’s requirements which we will share where appropriate,” it stated “It is important to note that the EPA may still reach a decision about the proposal “We will keep the community updated on all possible developments “It is our hope that a timely decision will be made about this vital facility which will give every Casey resident clarity about the future of the site.” EPA started civil proceedings against Veolia in the Supreme Court alleging a range of serious non-compliances with the State’s environmental protection laws Shrewd captaincy from Keysborough captain Christo Otto has Hampton Park in a world of trouble at stumps on day one of the Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 3 contest at Rowley Allan Reserve Otto declared the Knights’ innings closed in order to make early inroads with the ball with form bowler James Wright in his arsenal raring to go who ensured the declaration and 11 overs with the ball paid dividends He struck with just his second delivery after Mohammed Rizan was caught by Jackson O’Brien and removed the dangerous Gurpreet Singh in his second over They’ll resume next week needing to do something they have not done at all this summer Needing to rebound after last week’s horror loss to Narre North Keysborough flew out of the gates in the first innings on the back of a rapid opening partnership Chanaka Kahandawala and O’Brien raced to 70 after 10 overs with boundaries coming thick and fast Kahandawala‘s onslaught came to an end in the 13th over but O’Brien continued the charge having finally found some much-needed form after not passing 50 all summer Shanaka Perumpuli then played a steadying role with a patient 76 batting through the remainder of the innings from number three the Knights’ run rate was still above four when Otto called Perumpuli and Anant Singh in from the middle Fazir Faththar and Mohamed Nisthar both took three wickets for Hampton Park but is less of a chance to force its way in than the Lions Lynbrook had one of its best batting days of the summer with two 50-run stands and a third worth 45 pushing the Lakers to 9/231 Harjinder Sohal shook off the drama of losing opening partner Adithya Naron early for one by playing the innings’ anchor role reaching 65 and adding 75 with James Kellett at number three for the second wicket Jacob Stephens’ stability ensured the Lakers passed the 200 mark He made 46 and played a key role in a 51-run eighth wicket partnership with coach and former Wookey Medal winner Silverton has an immaculate opportunity to put further pressure on last week’s conqueror in Fountain Gate in a push for the top spot on the table The Bakers have a 60-run lead over Doveton which failed to reach triple figures for the seventh time this season with Silverton racing to 5/154 in 21 overs later in the day Anmol Zakhmi and Rob North leading the charge with an outright victory beckoning on day two Should they collect 10 points and Fountain Gate six the margin will close to just two points between first and second and give the Bakers a four-point gap over Keysborough A local Boonwurrung culture organisation is opposing the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station and is urging the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to reject its Development Licence application Casey Council approved its planning permits with conditions on Monday 4 November and Veolia is now seeking a Development Licence application from EPA Boonwurrung culture organisation Biik Bundjil submitted its opposition to EPA on 7 December where it stated its concerns for the cultural and community impacts as the Traditional Custodians of the land Director Jaeden Williams stated that the proposed waste transfer station risked severe environmental damage to Boonwurrung Country “This project introduces significant risks It undermines the promise to rehabilitate the regional tip into parkland a commitment made to the community when the tip was extended,” he said “This rehabilitation was more than a practical solution It symbolised an opportunity to restore balance and respect to the land The introduction of a waste transfer station dishonours this promise further compounding the harm done to the Country Local communities talked to Star News earlier this year and said they had been promised for years by Casey Council that the landfill would be reverted to a public green park after the rehabilitation Mr Williams also pointed out in the submission that there was no proper consultation with the Aboriginal community “The land upon which this proposal is planned is part of Boonwurrung Country unceded and deeply significant to the Traditional Custodians Boonwurrung Elders and their communities must be central to any discussions about developments of this nature,” he said there is no evidence that proper consultation has occurred a glaring omission that disrespects their custodianship and fails to uphold the principles of truth-telling and reconciliation “Developments like waste transfer stations threaten this connection by potentially causing irreparable damage to the environment which is an intrinsic part of Boonwurrung cultural identity and spirituality “To proceed without consulting Elders is to dismiss their enduring wisdom and understanding of how best to care for Country.” Community organisation Lynbrook Residents Association stated on its Facebook that it stood in solidarity with the Biik Bundjil and the Boonwurrung Traditional Custodians “This submission is not just a statement,” it stated resonating from the Traditional Custodians of this land It shines a spotlight on the urgent cultural and community threats posed by this proposal.” City of Casey Manager Planning and Building said: “When considering the permit application council officers established that there was no statutory requirement to prepare a cultural heritage management plan or consult with Traditional Land Owners as part of their assessment “We understand that the local community are disappointed at the proposed waste transfer station Council’s role as the local planning authority is to consider applications in line with relevant State policies a Veolia spokesperson said: “The Hallam Road site which includes the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station “Veolia continues to rehabilitate the severely disturbed site and will maintain our commitment to return it to the community as parkland “The proposed transfer station is a vital piece of infrastructure for Victoria’s future waste needs which will occupy a relatively small area of the existing site Veolia has engaged with the local community and will continue to do so.” This is probably not the page you’re looking for and frustration in Cranbourne areaDavid Bonaddio Lenti Lenko and his sons Christian and Dominic are battling the same stench they tried to escape years ago after it moved into their new neighbourhood Melbourne’s Lenko family have been left vomiting and suffocating in the horrific stench of their local tip for more than a decade The family spent years living downwind of the Hampton Park landfill which Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) data shows has prompted more than 1200 odour complaints in two years from residents of Cranbourne and Narre Warren South Lenti and Rachel Lenko bought a home in Hampton Park in 2009 after the real estate agent assured them that landfill was “not an issue” RELATED: ‘Rock star’ Melb home with seven-car garage in major sale ‘Bulletproof’: where Melb home price has risen 1300% Foreign buyer ban just ‘political theatre’ in Melb “They told us we might get a faint smell late at night but nothing that would go inside the house,” he said Mr Lenko said he called the EPA to question the foul odours but was told it was temporary — while the landfill’s operators said there was “no problem” The Lenko family lost $150,000 trying to escape the unbearable landfill odour only to face it again years later and the smell was so bad it made her vomit,” Mr Lenko said “It was like being trapped inside a rotting rubbish tip.” The EPA later confirmed the landfill had breached environmental regulations Lenti Lenko said his wife was left vomiting from the smell while pregnant yet authorities assured them it was ‘not an issue’ the family cut their losses and sold their home before buying into Narre Warren South in 2016 “We lost $150,000 moving to escape,” Mr Lenko said the nightmare returned — after they had moved to their new home and suddenly it hit me — that same disgusting smell only to be told the issue was being monitored Hampton Park residents have endured years of suffocating landfill stench with more than 1,200 odour complaints lodged in just two years Mr Lenko said he feared the issue would grow worse and lose their sanity before someone does something?” “This landfill shouldn’t even exist in 2025 Apollo Auctions Victorian head Andy Reid warns that bad smells could slash home values and potentially leave homeowners unable to sell the EPA fined SBI Landfill in Cranbourne nearly $20,000 after drone flights detected breaches But Mr Lenko said the fines were “a drop in the ocean” compared to the damage done to their properties and quality of life Apollo Auctions Victorian head Andy Reid warned that bad smells could slash home values “Bad smells create bad emotional responses and that translates into lower property values.” Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox MORE: Bayswater North auction action sparks warning to other sellers RCA: AFL legend Rex Hunt’s D’Lish Fish to reel in new landlord Insane tax amount Vic pays on new homes exposed third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Dramatic footage captured moments before an innocent man was shot to death in a suspected drive-by shooting has been released by detectives Father-to-be and tradie Aaron Toth, 30, was found with a fatal gunshot wound inside a Volkswagen Golf on Bride Avenue at Hampton Park, in Melbourne's south-east, just after midnight on Saturday, April 27. On Monday, his parents faced the media to brand his killers cowards.  'They left him the cowards, they left him to die on the side of the road,' Mr Toth's mum Kim said. 'There’s got to be someone out there that knows something. He didn’t deserve to die like this, nobody does.' Detectives believe the carpenter's death was a tragic case of mistaken identity. He had just returned home from Melbourne's CBD when he was gunned down inside his car. His killers fled in a stolen Ford Ranger ute, which was found burnt out at Sweeny Reserve in Berwick, about 9km from the scene of the shooting, at 2.30am. Homicide Squad detectives have released CCTV of a number of incidents where shots were fired in Hampton Park leading up to the tragedy.  In the first incident, a stolen black Audi Q7 SUV, a black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback and a white Toyota Camry sedan were captured speeding along the Parkway in Hampton Park at 9.21pm on Friday, April 26. The black Volkswagen was seen driving onto the grassland, at which point the sound of two gunshots could be heard, before all three vehicles sped away from the area. At 10.50pm, a stolen white Mitsubishi Outlander SUV was captured on CCTV chasing a stolen black Audi Q7 through Andrew Street, David Street and Jeffrey Street in Hampton Park. As the vehicles travelled at high speeds on Jeffrey Street, a person could be seen on CCTV leaning out of the passenger side window of the white Mitsubishi Outlander and firing a shot as it drove behind the black Audi Q7. At 11.36pm, the black Audi Q7 was driven into the driveway of a residential premises on Grammar Way in Hampton Park. Two men, both wearing light coloured pants and hooded tops, exited the vehicle carrying jerry cans. Both men emptied the jerry cans onto the Audi before setting it alight and fleeing the scene in a dark coloured sedan waiting nearby. Mr Toth was shot at 12.24am on Saturday in his vehicle, which was parked outside a home on Bride Avenue, in Hampton Park. Investigators have established he had travelled alone from Melbourne's CBD and only arrived at the address a minute earlier. He had no involvement in the earlier incidents in the Hampton Park area and his death is being treated as a case of mistaken identity. CCTV has captured a stolen grey Ford Ranger utility turning left from Pound Road into Bride Avenue, before travelling south on Bride Avenue. Occupants from the vehicle fired shots into his vehicle as they drove past, fatally wounding him. A 21-year-old Cranbourne North man was charged with his murder in June. At 2.27am, the white Mitsubishi Outlander and the grey Ford Ranger utility drove in convoy to Sweeney Reserve, Berwick. The Ford Ranger utility was set alight, with the Mitsubishi Outlander used to flee from the scene. Investigators believe all of the incidents are linked and that there are still people involved who have not yet been identified. The only vehicle not yet recovered is the black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback. Police are urging anyone with any knowledge of those involved or the whereabouts of the black Golf to come forward and speak to police or submit an anonymous report via Crime Stoppers. Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... Victim of acid attack 'plotted by his ex-partner who teamed up with a gang' dies in hospital six... We are trapped in unsellable newbuild homes after a £52m dual carriageway was built on our... Horror as $4.5M influencer-laden yacht SINKS off Miami... after glam women made a rookie maritime... How Meghan's biggest cheerleader brokered Harry's disastrous BBC interview - three months after... Woman dead and three others including a child injured after car ploughed into pedestrians: Man, 49,... Pub is forced to pay family £75,000 after wrongly accusing them of 'dine and dash' over £150... Woman who was missing for more than 60 years is found 'alive and well' decades after vanishing... American tourist suffers horrific fate while attempting to capture selfie at Rome's Colosseum 'It's a rather giant f*** you.' Royal insider's furious reaction to Meghan's Instagram salvo as... Revealed: The reason behind Fred & Rose West kids' bitter family rift as siblings have 'nothing to... The towns being ruined by day-tripper invasions. Selfie-loving tourists cause traffic hell and the... Hamas hostage, 23, 'raped by personal trainer influencer in her own home after being released' Where 'soft-touch' Britain's asylum seekers are REALLY coming from M&S cyber attack could take 'months' to fully recover from as 'paranoid' staff resort to sleeping in... Husband of British mother, 65, who was knifed to death in French village says her affair is a... Shocking new footage reveals moments before terrifying drive byCommenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} science-based assessment of Veolia's Development Licence application for a waste transfer station at its site in 290 Hallam Road EPA Victoria has decided to refuse the proposal While EPA's decision is subject to appeal by Veolia it means that the waste transfer station cannot be constructed EPA made the decision after it determined the proposed waste transfer station does not meet the requirements of the Environment Protection Act 2017 There are unacceptable risks to human health and the environment from the proposal Due to the close proximity of the proposed waste transfer station to residential homes and other sensitive receptors EPA has determined that these risks cannot be reduced to acceptable levels Local community feedback was considered during the assessment of the application The Hampton Park Netball Club has grown from a “basket case” in 2021 to a vibrant squad of 84 players across eight teams in 2024 with most participants being veterans looking to rebuild the club after the club was unable to field a side in 2021 including 18 juniors as the club was not only succeeding for the present but had a constant feed of players to sustain itself into the medium term something rarely seen in the netball club’s 22-year existence the success-starved netball club won two senior premierships in 2023 I had only played in three finals and have been here for more than 20 years,” said veteran Donna Kellett “You drive that culture because you want to be part of success and you know what it’s like without having had it “You want the netball club to have the names of premiership players alongside the footy premiers “The ultimate is to win a flag and see it hanging up in the room knowing you were part of it.” The club has taken another leap forward in 2024 with 84 participants across five senior and three junior teams Conversations with those within the club revealed five key factors which have precipitated the growing success The arrival of under-17s coach Simon Kaye and under-15s coach Nicole Van Brakel in 2023 both with leadership experience at representative level the sophisticated knowledge of the coaches allows the next generation to thrive giving the club the best opportunity of experiencing success Highly regarded junior Sienna Wilson praised the role of Van Brakel in her growth and she is one of several young players skilled enough to fit into seniors training seamlessly “There’s a lot of quality netballers here,” said A-Grade coach Vanessa San Jose “Some are still developing their skills I got to see the talent of these girls up close and I was blown away by the players who are the future of this club.” Long time player Donna Kellett also notes the significance of San Jose in the development of the emerging talent “We’ve had some great coaches come through over the years and they all have the same quality of not only being good with the seniors “When you have good leadership at the top of the grades San Jose’s vocal and encouraging leadership has also assisted the senior netballers “I used to be a really negative player and get down on myself but Vanessa gives me the confidence to turn something bad into motivation which brings the best of me onto the court,” A-Grade player Chloe Crouch said Melinda Wilson took charge of netball club a boom of volunteers wanting to assist has eased the work load It has allowed the club to ensure off-court matters such as sponsorship advocacy and training equipment are taken care of Melinda Wilson has been the driving force behind the culture which has sparked the organic growth Given her decades long involvement with local netball she has both an understanding of what a successful local netball club needs and the network to bring it to life “It was simply picking up the phone and making some phone calls and they trusted that I would do what was best for the club,” Wilson said “To get a lot of people i know and trust together in one club has been really cool.” Players spend as much time watching and supporting other Redbacks teams as they do on the court The energy that the junior netballers bring is palpable across the whole club “The success of the netball is adding coffee vans egg and bacons in the morning,” said president Craig Seers “We haven’t got junior footballers so we’re reliant on this sort of stuff to give us culture.” which encourages members to assist in off-court matters “It’s such a tight-knit family-oriented group who welcome absolutely anybody with open arms,” she said Club president Craig Seers defers most netball-specific questions to Melinda Wilson and others knowing they are better equipped to answer such questions But the netballers are acutely aware that when something is asked of Seers or people involved in the football side of the club everything will be done to accommodate them “The netball club was a basket case coming off Covid-19 and now the coaching is phenomenal and everyone is buying in,” Seers said Club volunteer and player Chloe Gilland has seen the increasing unity between the football and netball club “We always do fundraising together as a club even if the money is just going towards the netball,” Gilland said Football players are also regularly watching and supporting the netballers which has been enabled this season by a change to the South East Premier League for all but one senior team meaning sides play at Robert Booth Reserve they would not have even know you existed,” said one person involved in the club.” The willingness of everyone to progress the club ensures that juniors are not only playing in senior teams but also express themselves on and off the court “Having the juniors and seeing how hard they work – they deserve to have a thriving club when they’re older which motivates us,” Gilland said who understand their status as role models for juniors helping establish relationships and increasing their rate of improvement and joy the juniors are probably the most important members of the club and we’re dedicating a lot of time into them,” Wilson said Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Ask the students at St Leonard’s College their favourite thing about school and they will probably tell you it’s Lennie’s Van The compact blue and white van with yellow racing stripes and retractable side awning travels around the public housing estates in the suburbs surrounding the school’s East Brighton campus Students in years 10 to 12 volunteer to deliver fruit and bread as well as make breakfast are booked out within an hour of being released each term “It’s like getting tickets to a concert,” year 12 student Emily Conheady says of the thrill of securing a spot aboard the van which has been doing the rounds since 2018 “When I get asked about what I do at school I don’t talk about the classes or the camps St Leonard’s College principal Peter Clague with student volunteers who rode in Lennie’s Van to prepare breakfast for residents at a local council estate.Credit: Penny Stephens For proud 10-time Lennie’s veteran and IB student Richie Huong “You get to do it with your friends and meet people Lennie’s Van is so popular that middle-year students started a vegetable garden to grow fresh produce for delivery to public housing residents “This college has a heart for social action,” Clague says co-educational school in Melbourne’s south-east apart Clague appointed a full-time social responsibility coordinator the school – which offers both VCE and the International Baccalaureate – got rid of academic and cultural scholarships in favour of scholarships for students from Indigenous “It’s not hurt us in terms of academic or sporting success,” Clague says St Leonard’s College has just been awarded The Age’s 2024 Schools that Excel independent school winner for Melbourne’s south for the improvement its VCE results have shown over the past decade The annual series celebrates schools that achieve outstanding advancement in their VCE results You can explore a decade of VCE results data for your high school and view the full list of winning schools using this year’s Schools that Excel dashboard: The school’s students recorded a decade-high median VCE study score of 35 last year more than 20 per cent of its VCE study scores were 40 or above its best performance in 20 years on this metric and up from 2014 when 12.4 per cent of its study scores were 40 or above Clague said that among International Baccalaureate students with 83 per cent of students getting an ATAR of 90 or above compared with a decade earlier when the median ATAR was 95.5 with 80 per cent of International Baccalaureate students getting an ATAR of 90 or above Hampton Park Secondary College Principal Wayne Haworth with assistant principals Andrea Bellgrove and the school and house captains.Credit: Chris Hopkins raffle tickets have been the secret to boosting student engagement and attendance Students who arrive before roll-call go in the running to win anything from books to sports equipment Those with an attendance record of 98 per cent and higher also receive certificates at assembly certificates have been given to 900 students out of the school population of 1200 Principal Wayne Haworth says rewarding attendance is just as important as recognising the most improved students or the high achievers “It builds engagement and if you’re engaged you’re more likely to want to learn,” he says It’s a core belief echoed by assistant principal Kelly Krieg “Coming to school is a road to success,” she says Year 12 student Josh Chhean admits one of the best things about coming to school is the chance to use the 3D laser printers Improved student attendance and engagement are reflected in the school’s improved academic results which have seen it named The Age’s 2024 Schools that Excel government school winner for Melbourne’s south The school’s median VCE study score has risen steadily over the past decade lifting from a 10-year low of 24 in 2014 to its best result of 29 last year 2.1 per cent of study scores were 40 or above compared to 1.5 per cent in 2014 Every student can,” Haworth says before heading out to do yard duty Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter Ask the students at St Leonard\\u2019s College their favourite thing about school and they will probably tell you it\\u2019s Lennie\\u2019s Van The compact blue and white van with yellow racing stripes and retractable side awning travels around the public housing estates in the suburbs surrounding the school\\u2019s East Brighton campus \\u201CIt\\u2019s like getting tickets to a concert,\\u201D year 12 student Emily Conheady says of the thrill of securing a spot aboard the van \\u201CWhen I get asked about what I do at school I don\\u2019t talk about the classes or the camps For proud 10-time Lennie\\u2019s veteran and IB student Richie Huong \\u201CYou get to do it with your friends and meet people Lennie\\u2019s Van is so popular that middle-year students started a vegetable garden to grow fresh produce for delivery to public housing residents \\u201CThis college has a heart for social action,\\u201D Clague says co-educational school in Melbourne\\u2019s south-east apart the school \\u2013 which offers both VCE and the International Baccalaureate \\u2013 got rid of academic and cultural scholarships in favour of scholarships for students from Indigenous \\u201CIt\\u2019s not hurt us in terms of academic or sporting success,\\u201D Clague says St Leonard\\u2019s College has just been awarded The Age\\u2019s 2024 Schools that Excel independent school winner for Melbourne\\u2019s south for the improvement its VCE results have shown over the past decade You can explore a decade of VCE results data for your high school and view the full list of winning schools using this year\\u2019s Schools that Excel dashboard: The school\\u2019s students recorded a decade-high median VCE study score of 35 last year \\u201CIt builds engagement and if you\\u2019re engaged you\\u2019re more likely to want to learn,\\u201D he says It\\u2019s a core belief echoed by assistant principal Kelly Krieg \\u201CComing to school is a road to success,\\u201D she says Improved student attendance and engagement are reflected in the school\\u2019s improved academic results which have seen it named The Age\\u2019s 2024 Schools that Excel government school winner for Melbourne\\u2019s south The school\\u2019s median VCE study score has risen steadily over the past decade \\u201COften in low socioeconomic communities there is a feeling that \\u2018you can\\u2019t\\u2019 Every student can,\\u201D Haworth says before heading out to do yard duty Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories A 23-year-old Hampton Park man was charged with the theft of a motor vehicle three times and unlicensed driving after being one of four youths followed by police in two allegedly stolen cars Geelong Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged four youths after a Mercedes SUV was allegedly stolen from a car park of a gym in Bradfield Road in Werribee shortly before 10am on Monday 13 January The Air Wing was called in and the SUV was spotted travelling in convoy with an allegedly stolen Nissan Patrol through Corio Officers successfully deployed stop sticks as both vehicles travelled along Sandy Creek road The two occupants of the Nissan Patrol allegedly dumped the vehicle and got into the Mercedes which continued through Corio and North Geelong before coming to a stop on Cabernet Road in Corio All four occupants of the car were arrested at the scene The Hampton Park suspect was bailed to appear at Geelong Magistrate’s Court on 14 March a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy from the Geelong area were both charged with multiple counts of the theft of a motor vehicle Both were remanded in custody to appear at a children’s court at a later date a 15-year-old girl from the Melton area was charged with multiple counts of burglary She was bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date and the types of homes that could be a bargainNathan Mawby Safety Beach is home to Melbourne’s biggest sale price discounts for houses with 60 Coveside Ave listed for sale at $1.099m this year Melbourne homebuyers can get discounts as high as 13 per cent as they pursue homes in key suburbs this spring Houses in Safety Beach are selling for as much as $160,000 below their initial asking price with discounts also possible in Roxburgh Park and Hampton Park SuburbData analysis shows the three suburbs are home to average discounts from 13.4 per cent to 9.2 per cent from what sellers want for their home and what a buyer eventually pays RELATED: Celebrity home sell off: Sports, TV and music stars offload luxury homes Melbourne spring selling: Suburbs where homes are selling faster than last year | PropTrack ‘Poison chalice’: The Block serial buyer issues stark warning on negative gearing debate The figures suggest those looking for a unit should head to Malvern East Clayton and Hadfield where the price can drop more than 10 per cent from the price being sought initially And the research indicates there are four suburbs where owners of houses are selling for an at least 8 per cent cut and another six where the same is possible for units Prominent buyer’s advocate Cate Bakos said the reasons sellers were getting less than they’d hoped for varied Houses in Safety Beach were probably easier to negotiate for as a result of prices falling away from overheated levels reached during and just after the pandemic — as well as having high numbers for sale as holiday home owners looked to exit in response to increased land tax was listed for $739,000 and sold for $725,000 this year went to market with a $800,000-$880,000 price guide and sold at the bottom of the range for $800,000 But areas like Hampton Park and Roxburgh Park were likely having results compressed as the primary buyer groups were families who couldn’t afford to pay more due to interest rates reducing their borrowing capacity Ms Bakos said with negative gearing discussions in the federal parliament potentially putting investors off families could do well to negotiate for older homes in the two suburbs that were currently not in demand — but could be slowly improved to make them more valuable While Hadfield and Clayton’s unit markets could be facing issues with oversupply making it more likely sellers would have to accept less for their homes Ms Bakos said Malvern East was an anomaly and an area that could be wise to invest in while vendors were struggling with sales had hopes of a $639,000 sale but secured just $620,000 another of Melbourne’s suburbs where homes are selling at a discount 4/146 Maidstone St sold for $605,000 this year after initially being listed for $650,000-$670,000 “It’s a well-supported area and in a good central location with beautiful character homes around the units and I’d jump on it,” she said Digital Finance Analytics director Martin North said there was evidence of a “deeper drops” in asking prices as listings began to rise “We are also seeing more ‘forced’ sales due to mortgage pain or arrears where vendors have to sell,” Mr North said He added that while demand was still strong enough to “mop up supply” for now there could be more discounting in the new year “I expect vendors to hang out for extended prices in these states for a bit longer but despite the expectation of lower interest rates I suspect we will see vendor discounts rising after the summer selling season,” Mr North said Not all homes in Safety Beach are selling for a loss with 46 Spinnaker Terrace notching $1.15m under the hammer after being listed for $1.1m-$1.2m also sold just above the bottom of its $675,000-$715,000 price guide for $680,000 earlier this year Barry Plant Dromana director Craig Leo said unsold homes that were part of the Martha Cove development as well as owners looking to sell their beach house or investment were likely behind the results showing the discounts “Some are withdrawing their home from sale but you do see others adjust their price,” he said Mr Leo said buyers shouldn’t be expecting to get a house on the beachside with land for a discount with demand for those properties as high as it had ever been Ray White Oakleigh’s Leigh Kelepouris said discounts on Malvern East units were most likely for apartments with townhouses and villas still reasonably well sought Mr Kelepouris said buyers targeting new builds were also doing well in the suburb as homes that had sold off-the-plan when the market was at its peak two or so years ago had dropped in value some now being sold by international investors for less than they paid is up for sale at the moment and gives an idea of where home sellers are meeting the market with its $475,000-$520,000 asking price was listed for $600,000-$625,000 — but sold for $580,000 and that’s because there’s a bit of an oversupply,” Mr Kelepouris said With many of them bought in the past by investors there were higher numbers for sale today as a result of higher land tax and interest rate costs — and reduced prices were more likely where a seller had been “overly ambitious” “If you price a unit too high at the start you might not get the competition for a sale and buyers will start to lowball it *Percentage indicates average reduction from initial listing price to sale price MORE: Ben Reid: Collingwood Premiership player puts sprawling property up for sale Point Cook: See Dubai-inspired house featuring Swarovski crystal mural and blue crystal bar Footscray: Historic haunted 1900s-era house with its own ballroom is set to smash record Hampton Park Secondary College student Mahdia Qasimi was among the 12 students across Victoria selected for an international study tour in Türkiye as part of the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize Students had a 10-day tour during which they learned the courage service and sacrifice of the Anzacs who fought in the Gallipoli Campaign They explored significant sites from the Gallipoli Campaign and participated in an educational program They also learned from historians at sites across the Gallipoli peninsula including Anzac Cove the beaches of Cape Helles and a newly discovered Australian trench system at Silt Spur Mahdia said she felt such an honour to represent her school and represent Australia “It’s really different when you just read something and then you go and visit it and learn more about it,” she said Mahdia looked back at the time when she submitted her application “My submission was about women’s role during the war like how women have such an important role doing the war but they will always be ignored,” she said Mahdia also wrote about how she and her family came to Australia about three years ago “The Australian army helped us when the government changed in Afghanistan three years ago so we had to move because it was not safe to live there,” she said “The Australian Air Force helped us to leave Afghanistan then they took us to Dubai and then we stayed at a refugee camp in Dubai for 10 or 12 days.” Mahdia said when she started the application it was pretty hard for her to research ANZAC Day and they knew everything about the wars,” she said disappointed and angered after Casey Council approved the proposed waste transfer station next to the Hallam Road landfill just before a newly elected council Casey Council approved the planning permit on Monday 4 November The proposed facility will be located approximately 250 metres from the nearest residential dwelling and it is set to accept about 550,000 tonnes of municipal residual waste and commercial and industrial waste from Melbourne’s south-east Star News reported in January this year that the surrounding community rejected the proposed facility with concerns about fire risks Holt MP Cassandra Fernando brought the issue to the parliament on Thursday 7 November and called on the Casey Council to “recommit to the original development plan for the Hampton Park Landfill site and to defer any further decision making until a democratically elected council can take office” She said the decision to approve the proposed facility notably just before a newly elected council had left the community feeling frustrated and ignored “Residents are understandably frustrated by the proposal to extend the life of this site for waste processing beyond the promised closure date of 2040 as outlined in the site’s initial draft development plan When people moved into the surrounding suburbs they were assured that the landfill would close in 2040 and be converted into a public park,” she said “Since my election as the Federal Member for Holt I have heard from countless residents who are deeply concerned about the proposed Hampton Park Waste Transfer Station “Residents already contend with the impacts of the existing Hampton Park landfill more than 1,500 complaints were lodged regarding odours from the site The landfill has also been accused of exceeding safe methane levels on at least 22 occasions “When major utilities are built in a community with the community accepting some sacrifice to local amenity for the broader benefit of the state Such projects require community support and trust in the promises made.” The newly elected River Gum Ward councillor Lynette Pereira said she was disappointed that there was no community consultation for such a major development in the area She said the newly elected councillors were robbed of the opportunity to make a decision themselves to represent the community “That’s a really bad thing to do [to approve the waste transfer station before the newly elected council] And council did that on purpose,” she said the application was assessed against the Hampton Park Hill Development Plan According to the State Government planning process the application was exempt from public exhibition or public submissions City of Casey chief executive officer Glenn Patterson said Hampton Park Hill was recognised as a hub of state significance for waste management and resource recovery by the Victorian Government and would play a crucial role in supporting Victoria’s sustainability goals “The decision to maintain this site for waste and resource recovery aligns with broader strategic objectives to ensure efficient waste management while balancing community needs,” he said “We understand that the local community may be disappointed by this decision Council’s role is to consider planning permit applications against relevant policies and to ensure local amenity is protected for the community “Conditions have been included on the permit that will require the applicant to undertake several assessments prior to the operation of this site “The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) will also consider an application by Veolia for a Development Licence This is a separate process to the planning permit application and will involve public exhibition in coming weeks where the community can have their say.” The planning permit for the waste transfer station is subject to 57 conditions A Landfill Gas Risk Assessment is required before operation that will identify safety measures needed for the transfer station to manage landfill gas risks An Air Quality and Noise Assessment is required before operation and will explain how the design of the transfer station will manage noise and air quality This includes handling all open waste inside a closed building and creating an exhaust system to help reduce odours in the air An updated noise assessment is required before the operation of this permit and Veolia must follow the recommendations from this report a truck wheel wash must be installed and maintained to the satisfaction of the council The condition also requires that vehicles departing the site must not deposit mud and other materials on the roadways a determining referral authority for this application Council must refuse any application for a planning permit if a determining referral authority objects to the planning application It is confirmed that the EPA did not object to the planning permit the referral for a planning permit and an assessment for a development licence are separate approvals needed for the proposal to progress “The planning permit allows a certain use for a specific piece of land (location) whereas the EPA development licence assessment considers the proposed design and construction in detail including best available technologies community consultation and environment protection laws and regulations,” they said “EPA did not object to the granting of a planning permit as there was no basis for an objection on planning-related grounds.” A Veolia spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm that the City of Casey council Planning Permit required for our Hampton Park Transfer Station has been approved “This is an important and positive outcome for Victoria’s growing waste management needs and brings us a step closer to addressing the critical waste transfer challenges of the state “We are continuing to seek a development licence from EPA there will be a formal community consultation process and opportunities for the public to seek further information and provide their feedback on the proposal to the EPA The details surrounding this consultation are being finalised by the EPA and will be made publicly available in due course “Veolia is committed to ensuring the community is fully informed throughout the entire process.” EPA is consulting the community in relation to the Development Licence until 10 December Casey Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for information as their concern grows for missing woman Debbra McKenzie The 41-year-old was reported missing to police on New Years Eve and it was initially believed she was last seen on Christmas Eve at a property on Springfield Crescent in Hampton Park It has now been established the last confirmed sighting of Debbra was at the same property on Tuesday 17 December about 3.30pm Police have been told Debbra does not own a phone and left the address without any belongings Detectives are concerned for her welfare as ongoing enquiries have confirmed Debbra hasn’t attended an appointment for regular medication and hasn’t accessed money from her bank account At this stage there is nothing to suggest Debbra has met with foul play however as the number of days she has been missing As part of the investigation detectives and police have spoken with the family and last known associates of Debbra however these enquiries have not been able to establish a clear motive or reason for her disappearance Although Debbra has been known to frequent the suburbs of Doveton Dandenong and Hampton Park and is known to have associates in New South Wales it is unclear where she might have been headed Missing Persons Squad detectives are providing assistance to Casey detectives as part of the investigation She was last seen wearing black leggings and a white striped top Anyone who sights Debbra is urged to call Triple Zero (000) or with information about her whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 Images and CCTV of Debbra has been released in the hope it will assist the investigation The vision released shows Debbra walking along Springfield Crescent in Hampton Park on Tuesday 17 December and walking in the vicinity of Dandenong Plaza on Monday 16 December about 5.10pm – the day before she was last seen Victoria’s environmental watchdog has accused a global waste giant of allowing methane gas emissions from a Hampton Park landfill to reach potentially unhealthy levels for nearby residents on 22 occasions The Veolia site on Hallam Road has been at the centre of repeated community complaints about smell with several hundred homes sitting within a 500-metre buffer zone of the tip Veolia’s Hallam Road landfill is situated close to homes The company is alleged to have failed to safely manage methane gas emissions The Environment Protection Authority has this week taken Veolia to the Supreme Court alleging it breached conditions of its licence to operate by failing to safely manage the site and curb methane gas emissions It is alleged Veolia also failed to cover its rubbish cells properly or to adequately control leachate (contaminated liquid) letting it flood the landfill’s gas extraction wells The EPA’s civil action is significant because it is one of the first times the authority has used powers it gained in 2021 to pursue a person or business for breaching their “general environmental duty” to minimise risks to the environment and human health The watchdog received more than 1500 reports from the community about odour emanating from the site between January 2022 and December 2023 has often smelled methane gas emissions from the nearby landfill Many of the homes that stand within the landfill’s 500-metre buffer zone were built in the 1990s on land owned by state government agency VicUrban in the belief the landfill would eventually be rehabilitated into a large public park after the state Labor government declared the landfill an ongoing waste site of state significance Veolia has since applied to operate a new waste transfer station there The application will require the EPA’s approval The statement of claim alleges that between July 2022 and September 2023 landfill gas breached allowable levels when measured on 22 separate occasions On each of those occasions Veolia failed to take all measures to avoid exceeding set levels of methane gas emissions and failed to put a risk management and monitoring program in place Veolia is alleged by Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority to have breached its licence conditions at the Hallam Road landfill.Credit: Eddie Jim that there was a risk of harm to human health or the environment from odour pollution from the Landfill at the Hallam Road Landfill if leachate levels and landfill gas was not managed appropriately,” the writ states Methane gas is harmless at low concentrations who lives within the 500-metre buffer area said gas emissions from the landfill had been so potent on occasions that he could smell it inside his house He described the smell of methane gas as like rotten eggs “There were times when it was that strong I used to actually panic I thought we weren’t going to wake up in the morning we were going to be pretty much asphyxiated because it would just remove all of the oxygen out of the air.” Dalli said the odour had been less noticeable of late because he lived on the western side of the landfill and Veolia’s active waste cells were in the eastern section the EPA’s southern metropolitan Melbourne regional manager said the EPA had been acting for the landfill’s neighbouring community for several years requiring Veolia to better manage the source of odours we believe Veolia has failed to comply so far as reasonably practicable and odour remains an ongoing issue,” Sigismundi said “EPA will always use all its regulatory powers to address non-compliance that can impact human health and the environment.” The company would also have to put up prominent signage at the Hallam Road landfill detailing its breaches and publish a notice in a major Melbourne newspaper Veolia would also be required to set up a compliance program and hire an independent expert to revise its practices A Veolia spokesperson said the company was reviewing the EPA’s statement of claim and would respond via the proceedings in due course “The development licence application for a waste transfer station at the Hallam Road site to replace the landfill and allow upgrading of technology and delivery of the circular economy for waste as a useful resource is still undergoing the relevant approvals processes,” the spokesperson said Get to the heart of what’s happening with climate change and the environment. Sign up for our fortnightly Environment newsletter. Victoria\\u2019s environmental watchdog has accused a global waste giant of allowing methane gas emissions from a Hampton Park landfill to reach potentially unhealthy levels for nearby residents on 22 occasions. The Veolia site on Hallam Road has been at the centre of repeated community complaints about smell, with several hundred homes sitting within a 500-metre buffer zone of the tip. The Environment Protection Authority has this week taken Veolia to the Supreme Court alleging it breached conditions of its licence to operate by failing to safely manage the site and curb methane gas emissions, despite knowing they were a problem. It is alleged Veolia also failed to cover its rubbish cells properly or to adequately control leachate (contaminated liquid), letting it flood the landfill\\u2019s gas extraction wells, which exacerbated odour problems. The EPA\\u2019s civil action is significant because it is one of the first times the authority has used powers it gained in 2021 to pursue a person or business for breaching their \\u201Cgeneral environmental duty\\u201D to minimise risks to the environment and human health. The watchdog received more than 1500 reports from the community about odour emanating from the site between January 2022 and December 2023, a statement of claim says. Many of the homes that stand within the landfill\\u2019s 500-metre buffer zone were built in the 1990s, on land owned by state government agency VicUrban, in the belief the landfill would eventually be rehabilitated into a large public park. But the plan was scrapped in 2022, after the state Labor government declared the landfill an ongoing waste site of state significance. Veolia has since applied to operate a new waste transfer station there, once the landfill closes. The application will require the EPA\\u2019s approval. The statement of claim alleges that between July 2022 and September 2023 landfill gas breached allowable levels when measured on 22 separate occasions. On each of those occasions Veolia failed to take all measures to avoid exceeding set levels of methane gas emissions, and failed to put a risk management and monitoring program in place, the EPA alleges. \\u201CVeolia knew, or ought to have reasonably known, that there was a risk of harm to human health or the environment from odour pollution from the Landfill at the Hallam Road Landfill if leachate levels and landfill gas was not managed appropriately,\\u201D the writ states. Methane gas is harmless at low concentrations, but displaces oxygen at high levels, potentially causing headaches, nausea, palpitations and dizziness. Longtime Lynbrook resident Ray Dalli, who lives within the 500-metre buffer area, said gas emissions from the landfill had been so potent on occasions that he could smell it inside his house, and feared for his and his wife\\u2019s safety. He described the smell of methane gas as like rotten eggs. \\u201CIt\\u2019s a unique smell,\\u201D Dalli said. \\u201CThere were times when it was that strong I used to actually panic. I thought we weren\\u2019t going to wake up in the morning, we were going to be pretty much asphyxiated because it would just remove all of the oxygen out of the air.\\u201D Dalli said the odour had been less noticeable of late because he lived on the western side of the landfill, and Veolia\\u2019s active waste cells were in the eastern section. Bianca Sigismundi, the EPA\\u2019s southern metropolitan Melbourne regional manager, said the EPA had been acting for the landfill\\u2019s neighbouring community for several years, requiring Veolia to better manage the source of odours. \\u201CDespite that, we believe Veolia has failed to comply so far as reasonably practicable, and odour remains an ongoing issue,\\u201D Sigismundi said. \\u201CEPA will always use all its regulatory powers to address non-compliance that can impact human health and the environment.\\u201D The EPA is pursuing penalties, with the sum to be set by the court. The company would also have to put up prominent signage at the Hallam Road landfill detailing its breaches, and publish a notice in a major Melbourne newspaper. Veolia would also be required to set up a compliance program, including education for its staff, and hire an independent expert to revise its practices. A Veolia spokesperson said the company was reviewing the EPA\\u2019s statement of claim and would respond via the proceedings in due course. \\u201CThe development licence application for a waste transfer station at the Hallam Road site, to replace the landfill and allow upgrading of technology and delivery of the circular economy for waste as a useful resource, is still undergoing the relevant approvals processes,\\u201D the spokesperson said. Get to the heart of what\\u2019s happening with climate change and the environment. Australia's BIGGEST New Car WebsiteAustralia's BIGGEST New Car WebsiteNews Reviews Research Buy SellGuest User A City of Casey resident in Melbourne’s outer southeast has unloaded on the council for allegedly impounding his unregistered vehicles – but the local government tells a very different story In a post on Facebook City of Casey resident ‘Rodney JT’ claimed the council had impounded a Holden Commodore ute and BMW 3 Series which were located on his property because he did not have the required permits to store unregistered vehicles The City of Casey, Victoria’s most populous municipality with a population of about 400,000, requires residents to apply for a private land use permit if they plan to store more than two unregistered vehicles for up to 90 days which takes in more than 400 square kilometres must provide a site plan that illustrates where the activity will take place when filing for a permit Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now Rodney claims “Casey Council came onto our property in our backyard and impounded some of our cars” and added that the vehicles weren’t stolen or used for illegal activities State MP Jeff Bourman also weighed in on the issue a City of Casey spokesperson told CarExpert the council had contacted Rodney multiple times over a three-month period to resolve the matter claiming the vehicles – and other items requiring permits – were not on his land “Council received community complaints relating to a property in Hampton Park of illegal sheds and multiple shipping containers,” the City of Casey told CarExpert “Officers attended and found the occupants of the property had been storing six unregistered vehicles jet skis and trailers on land adjoining their property “Council officers engaged with the occupants of the Hampton Park property and owners of the adjacent land to amicably resolve the situation “After three months of no action by either party to engage with council and remove the requested items notices to comply were issued to both the occupants and the adjacent landowner to arrange for removal of the items “The owners of the adjacent land are responsible for the condition and amenity of their property three unregistered vehicles were removed from the adjacent property “The owner of the vehicle can reclaim the vehicles by attending [the] council’s impound provider and paying the release fees.” the City of Casey council says it has impounded vehicles from 10 private properties applying for a permit costs $150 (a non-refundable sum which the City of Casey retains even if the application is unsuccessful) while the permit fee for storing three or more unregistered vehicles is $250 The council’s original wording about the land use permits on its website was unclear and included the requirement for a permit if residents wanted to dismantle repair or service vehicles on private land “in circumstances where the activity or use is detrimental to the amenity of the area in which the private land is located” It has subsequently clarified this doesn’t extend to “completing minor repairs on your car on your private property The City of Casey requires permit applications to be received 14 days before the date for which the permit is needed it says it may contact residents if it requires more information or inspect their property and that if the application is successful a permit will be issued within seven business days Jordan has worked as a full-time automotive journalist since 2021 being one of the most-published automotive news writers in Australia before joining CarExpert in 2024 A disqualified driver with an “appalling” and “despicable” record of offences has been sentenced to seven years and 10 months' jail for the hit-and-run death of a bike rider in 2022 of Hampton Park was struck at the intersection of Pound Road and Hallam Road in Hampton Park in January 2022 on his way to work in the early morning and his body was flung more than 40 metres after he was hit by a stolen vehicle being driven by Peter Koutsogiannakis that sped through a red light at more than 80 km/h He handed himself into police after video footage emerged of him running from the scene of the fire he made no admissions of involvement in the crash during a committal hearing and 10-day trial Judge Frances Hogan said Koutsogiannakis had “a truly appalling record for repeatedly committing offences of dishonesty disregarding the authority of police who try to ensure safety on the roads and flagrantly disobeying the law which requires you to have a licence to drive” “Within a short time of having caused the death of Mr Manapori whilst driving a stolen car bearing stolen registration plates disobeying road rules and being disqualified from driving you again offended with more dishonesty offences involving thefts of cars and registration plates dangerous driving and careless driving causing collisions “This would be likely to shock the conscience of members of the community in that it demonstrates a grave affront to the standards of reasonable “Your offending prior and subsequent to the serious offending for which I must sentence you involves a total of eight thefts of motor vehicles six occasions of driving whilst authorisation was suspended eight occasions of driving whilst disqualified dangerous/negligent driving whilst being pursued by police failing a blood test for drugs within three hours of driving failing to stop after an accident and failing to stop on police direction “You have shown yourself to have a sense of entitlement devoid of any moral qualms when it comes to the property of others and the safety of others on the road.” Her Honour described Koutsogiannakis’ failures to stop and render assistance after the collision as “despicable” Koutsogiannakis was disqualified from obtaining a licence for 10 years BICYCLE NETWORK COMMENT:Too often we learn that drivers convicted of serious offences involving people riding bikes are repeat offenders Her Honour’s comments on this case should be required reading in the nation’s law enforcement and court communities The full sentencing remarks are available here. Become a Member and help fund our advocacy work Or become our friend and subscribe to receive our fortnightly newsletter The Great Victorian Bike Ride is set to return in 2025 on 24–28 November offering an exciting new format while keeping the spirit of this beloved event alive Bicycle Network Memberships offer benefits to all kinds of riders The Peaks Challenge Ride2School fundraiser is on again for this year's epic event on Sunday 9 March The City of Adelaide will undertake a speed limit review to understand the need for reducing speeds to support business and residents and create a safer city environment Work on the much-anticipated $38.9 million Sydney Harbour Bridge ramp upgrade has begun the bike lane will link the country's most famous bridge to the bike network in Milsons Point we launched our Affiliate Membership program specially designed for cycling groups and clubs Orange in New South Wales is in line for a nice new stretch of bike path one that will expand the off-road network and improve access to schools Work has kicked off on a key Canberra bike route setting the wheels in motion for safer and more pleasant journeys through the city’s northern suburbs In a submission to the federal government’s draft National Urban Policy Bicycle Network and seven other Australian bicycle organisations have called for active transport infrastructure funding to be increased to 10% of federal transport investment Many of our best bike journeys are along coastlines or up and down the creeks and rivers that meet the sea But with rising sea levels some of this vital infrastructure is at threat of inundation erosion and from changes in groundwater chemistry.