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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
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CALL BY YAN YEAN MLA
● Lauren Kathage MLA
At West Wollert
■ Construction of the West Wollert Community Centre is progressing well, City of Whittlesea CEO Craig Llloyd told the latest Council meeting. Wall and roof framing is now underway following the installation of inground services. Set to open in late 2026, the Jardin Rd centre will be one of four new community hubs in Wollert, offering kindergarten rooms and a mini-branch library. Other features include Maternal and Child Health Services consulting spaces, community hall, kitchen, meeting rooms, gardens and outdoor areas. The community centre will be built with sustainability in mind and features include solar panels, rainwater harvesting and permeable paving.
■ Yan Yean MLA Lauren Kathage says working from home should be a right. “Working from home works for families. I know that the communities that I represent know that family balance, that work–life balance, being able to take their kids to netball training, being able to prepare healthy meals for their family, all of that is improved by having the option to work from home,” Ms Kathage told State Parliament last week. “That is why we are reaching out to ask people what they want to see in what we have committed to: making working from home a right. “Some may say, ‘Why do we need to make it a right? Why can’t we leave it to employers?’ “Well, I will tell you about the people that I have met doorknocking. I met a woman with a young child who has permission to work from home until the end of the year, but that is it, and she is worried about next year. “How will she make life work travelling in with a young baby? “Making working from home a right two days a week for those who can absolutely makes sense for families, and I encourage my community to get involved in the community engagement to give their view on how it will work best for them, what they want to see under the legislation and how it can improve life for us, not just at home but on the roads as well. “We have got the Yan Yean Road upgrade stage 2 kicking off in November. The community will be patient with roadworks. “Working from home will make life easier through that as well. Working from home is so important for my community,” Ms Kathage told the Legislative Assembly.
MORE BUSES TO MERNDA STATION
■ There will be 140 extra services on a vital local bus route connecting locals with stations on the Metro and V/Line networks. Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Public and Active Transport, announced Route 390 Mernda Station – Craigieburn Station via Wollert services will run more frequently on weekdays and Saturdays, and later into the evening. The improvements will extend weekday services until midnight and will run every 20 minutes on average between 6 am and 7 pm – connecting passengers to the Mernda or Craigieburn lines on the Metro train network, or V/Line services on the Seymour or Shepparton lines that stop at Craigieburn Station. Saturday services will also be extended two hours later until midnight giving more opportunities to get home from a night out in the city or enjoying the footy – while the route will continue to operate from 7.30am until 10pm on Sundays. The new timetable will continue to provide students access to Gilson College (Mernda Campus), Mernda Central P-12 College and Wollert Secondary College.
● Gabrielle Williams, State Minister
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