The Local Paper

Council News

CASEY: Police guard for Councillors

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Last week’s Casey Council meeting had to be adjourned after crowd responses were deemed to be unsafe for Councillors.Police were called to the Council headquarters to escort Councillors safely from the premises.Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen (pictured) said: “I want to say that I am incredibly disappointed with the behaviour displayed at the Council Meeting last…

Emergency Services

MURRINDINDI: Camp fire ‘contained’

The Cassinia Camp fire at Murrindindi Scenic Reserve was described as “contained” by Vic Emergency at 8.57pm on Saturday (Feb. 22). Three units attended the fire which affrected 0.1 fectares. The Local Paper supports the factual reporting of emergency events, without panicked hyperbole.

Emergency Services

MITCHELL: Donnybrook, Kilmore fires – stay informed

Saturday’s grass fires at Donnyrbook and Kilmore, on a day of Total Fire Ban, saw contingents of volunteer fire fighters turn out. Vic Emergency rated the fires with a ‘Stay Informed’ ranking. The Donnybrook fire was around Langley Park Drive. Warnings for thre Kilmore district fire took in Willowmavin, Forbes, Springfield, Bylands, Kilmore East and…

Community News

MORNINGTON PENINSULA: Safety at back beaches

Greater safeguards are needed at Morn-ington Peninsula back beaches, according to a petition presented to Parliament by Nepean MLA Sam Groth.“In 2023–2024, Victoria had its highest summer drowning total on record with 26 lives lost,” the petition says.“The back beaches of the Mornington Peninsula can be dangerous and are generally unpatrolled.”The petition calls on the…

Police News

MAROONDAH: Arrests after Ringwood burglary

Protective Service Officers have arrested two men following an aggravated burglary in Ringwood on Saturday morning (Feb. 22).Police were first alerted to the pair after a woman woke to the sound of glass shattering at her Hobart St property about 1am.The victim locked herself in her bedroom after she heard voices and called police.It is…

Local People

PEOPLE: It’s curtains for family business

The doors will shut this weekend at Curtain City – a landmark in Waterdale Rd, Heidelberg Heights.Curtain City’s leader Linda Jenkins (pictured) is still working at 81.Linda reflects back to Melbourne in 1965, when new homes, with bigger windows, were being built.The previously popular venetian blinds were lacking in insulation and aesthetics. Lined drapes were…

Letters

LETTERS: Heath Minister writes to us

Sir,I want to be frank with readers in your community.Our government will not force the merger of any health service in Victoria, and we will not make cuts to frontline staff.We are getting on with expanding access to the frontline care that all Victorians deserve.The time has come to call out Brad Battin and his…

Letters

WHITTLESEA: What is the Mayor really like?

Sir,What is Whittlesea Mayor Aidan McLindon really like?There has been a lot of adverse publicity raised against our new Mayor of Whittlesea City Council , Aidan McLindon.I met Aidan several months before the local elections when we both ran as candidates for Whittlesea Council last year. We both held similar values and what we wanted…

Observer

OBSERVER: Arts Column with Peter Kemp

Image Economics.In a visual landscape where images proliferate and morph in virtual growth capable of swaying elections, mobilising mass movements and influencing identities and social norms, Image Economics offers a timely reappraisal of how the digital, networked world permeates our offline lives.The digital tools and systems that generate, store or process data – along with…

Emergency Services

YARRA RANGES: House fire at Kilsyth

Fire Rescue Victoria crews responded to a house fire in Mt Dandenong Rd, Kilsyth on Friday morning (Feb. 21) after multiple calls to Triple Zero (000) around 2.08am. Crews arrived on scene within seven minutes to find smoke and flames issuing from the roof of the single storey brick house, so the response was escalated….