John Donovan and son Chad were reunited in February with their beloved pooch Adam after he disappeared for six months.If there’s news Greater Dandenong residents need to know, they can find it in Star.
Over the past 12 months, Greater Dandenong’s newest source of local information has broken news that reflects the Greater Dandenong community, its people, its sporting life, its council and its business focus.
Here’s a recap of some of the stories that appeared in Star during its first year:
@BT Sub Sport News:
May
SPECIALIST doctors are deserting practices around the South Eastern Private Hospital because of uncertainty surrounding its future. The hospital’s future is up in the air because of an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry and proposed Eastlink Freeway set to run through the development.
June
THE PROPOSED $1.5 million redevelopment of the Dandenong Market and new ALDI Supermarket at the site has split the community. The Dandenong Residents’ and Ratepayers Association has taken the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal claiming the development is a waste of ratepayers’ money and the ALDI store would impact on market trade.
@BT Sub Sport News:
July
DANDENONG glass manufacturer Pilkington has been fined $310,000 over the death of a worker crushed by eight tonnes of glass that toppled from a forklift. Hung Nguyen Huu had worked for the company for 17 years, and was directing a forklift driver in a warehouse at the Greens Rd factory when the incident occurred on 10 November, 2001.
@BT Sub Sport News:
August
THE fight to save the Springvale Junior Football Club (SJFC) continues, with the club enlisting the help of a City of Greater Dandenong councillor to drum up more players. Springvale Central councillor Youhorn Chea said he wanted to help encourage players from the Asian community to take up the game in a new bid to save the ailing club. The 45-year-old club is on the verge of closure as it only has four players.
@BT Sub Sport News:
September
STRONG winds have scattered mattresses and debris sitting for weeks in Keysborough and Springvale South streets as the Greater Dandenong’s hard waste collection debacle continues. Keysborough South Ward councillor Peter Brown will call on Greater Dandenong mayor Maria Sampey to make a public apology on behalf of the council for the collection delays. In an email sent to council staff, which was also sent to local newspapers, Cr Brown said the council was now facing public liability risks after Tuesday and Wednesday’s winds threw the rubbish across the roads and worsened an already dire situation.
October
A PREPAY system could be the next step for Dandenong petrol stations as they bid to curb night ‘drive-offs’. Petrol stations in the region have declared their interest in switching to a prepay system, but fear they will lose business in the sale of shop items such as food and drinks. State projects manager for the Prepay for Petrol Strategy, Senior Constable Dale Johnston, said drive-offs were costing the petrol station industry $12 million in Victoria and $64 million in Australia per year.
November
A QUEEN’S Counsel’s investigation has this week renewed concerns that a tip operator is wrongfully dumping hazardous waste in Lyndhurst. The City of Greater Dandenong this week received a letter of legal opinion from Victorian bar member Mark Dreyfus QC which was written after he investigated Lyndhurst Landfill operator SITA’s waste dumping. The legal opinion was the result of a presentation made to council in November 2004 by anti-waste group Residents Against Toxic Waste in the South East (RATWISE) under its belief that prescribed waste going into the SITA landfill was hazardous.
December
A GREATER Dandenong councillor has been labelled a racist and religious bigot after he said Islam had no place in Australian society. The comment came after Cleeland Ward councillor Paul Donovan, a practising Christian, said a major ward issue expressed by residents was the funding of multicultural-specific programs at all levels of government. Cr Donovan said he wanted to see the funding abolished because it was dividing the community and that state and federal MPs were ‘playing politics with multiculturalism’ and funding programs to buy votes from ethnic communities.
January
AUTHORITIES who raided a Springvale home found computer hardware with the capacity to copy more than $3.7 million worth of pirated DVD movies, including hardcore pornography and Hollywood blockbusters. The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) this week said the raid was a catalyst in the fight against movie piracy, which costs the Australian film industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year in potential revenue. Dandenong Regional Response Unit police officers assisted in the raid, seizing five computers and 17 DVD-R (recordable) burners.
@BT Sub Sport News:
February
DANDENONG’S Drum Theatre and Town Hall opened to an estimated crowd of about 500 people. The gala opening was highlighted by performances from Silvie Paladino – a late replacement for Julie Anthony, who fell ill – and James Morrison. The audience included dignitaries such as Premier Steve Bracks, local MPs, councillors, members of the press and Greater Dandenong community figureheads. Legendary entertainer Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell hosted the night, which kicked off with an outstanding array of drum players, followed by formalities and then performances by graduates of the National Institute of Circus Arts.
March
A NEW logo and slogan to replace Greater Dandenong’s ‘Second City’ image are leaked to Star and unveiled to the public amid concern from a ratepayers’ group that there has been no consultation with residents. Greater Dandenong is set to become known as the City of Opportunity and its former logo replaced with a colourful, modern design.
April
DANDENONG’s Country Women’s Association fears a move by Greater Dandenong council to evict it from a hall is a cost-cutting exercise and could spell the end of the 73-year-old branch. But Greater Dandenong council has rejected claims the move is to raise revenue, instead it says it will allow more community groups access to the city’s halls. Dandenong CWA treasurer Marilyn Hester this week said the group would fight any attempt to boot the organisation from the Palm Plaza Meeting Room where it has met for 40 years.
May
A WHOPPING $197 million State Government funding injection to further revitalise central Dandenong over 20 years has transformed the undertaking into one of Australia’s largest urban renewal projects. The funds will be used for several major projects, including converting Lonsdale Street’s traffic conditions and making the strip less of a dividing line between the two sides of the trade precinct; creating the City Walk – a direct link from Dandenong station to the heart of Dandenong; and beautifying the district with small parks and improved public spaces.
