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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025
Local News School misses out
■ South Melbourne Park Primary School has again missed out on State Budget funding, Southern Metropolitan MLC Katherine copsey has told Parliament. “The school community is appalled that while a third of a billion dollars is being gifted to the Grand Prix, an overseas private corporation, the primary school that shares Albert Park is left in the slow lane begging for essential funds. “One of those upgrades is simply a pedestrian crossing that will let their children safely cross the road to school. School council president Katrina Walker has outlined how seven years of campaigning for modest funding has yielded nothing, saying:’The recent announcement of $350 million to be spent on redeveloping the Albert Park Pit Lane complex is galling and worse is the fact that the state government secretly ripped $2.4 billion from state schools. “Minister, when will you provide essential funding for upgrades at South Melbourne Park Primary School?” Ms Copsey asked.
No authorisations
■ “Over the last 18–24 months the Minister for Planning has not authorised any of Glen Eira’s heritage protections (amendments),” said a Council representative. “Without authorisation, amendments cannot progress to the public exhibition phase. “Other councils are in a similar situation with their heritage amendments,” Glen Eira Council’s representative said.
MP’s SALUTE TO MARLENE McKAY
■ State Government Minister Harriet Shing has paid tribute in Parliament to South Melbourne champion, the late Marlene McKay. “I am pleased to take this opportunity to pay tribute to an incredibly valued and loved member of the community in South Melbourne, Marlene McKay,” said Ms Shing. “Marlene sadly passed away on May 21 after a battle with cancer. Her friends have told me that she had lived in public housing since 1987 and was key to the close-knit community in South Melbourne. “She was a fierce community advocate and an integral part of the Park Towers Housing Tenants Association for more than 25 years, giving many years of her life serving in roles, including chair. “Throughout this time she championed the rights and interests of tenants on the Park Towers estate in South Melbourne, even leading the development and upgrade of the estate’s community facility. “The work she did not only helped to serve her community but will continue to set the standard for how public housing renters are treated for years to come. “Marlene also invested countless hours of her time in training and mentoring. Those volunteers who were the beneficiaries of her wisdom continue to do their work with the benefit of her expertise, and she worked to develop infor-
● Harriet Shing, State Minister mation in the languages spoken by local renters. Anyone who knows our rich and diverse communities across our high-rise estates knows that the communication of information in language is absolutely critical, and Marlene’s huge volume of work did not go unrecognised. “In 2016 she won the Frances Penington Award, which celebrates social housing renters who have made an outstanding voluntary contribution to their community – a much-deserved commemoration of a lifetime of service. “And last week I met with the South Yarra Public Tenants Association, who spoke very highly of Marlene’s life and work. “ It is clear that her loss is and will continue to be felt keenly by the community that surrounded her. She was loved by her family, her friends and her community. She will be forever missed, and her legacy will go on.”
SEPHARDI JEWS SUPPORTED ● Ryan Batchelor MLC ■ Southern Metropolitan MLC Ryan Batchelor says Sephardi Jews are being supported by the State Government. “ I had the pleasure of visiting the Sephardi Synagogue in Balaclava. Sephardi Jews are those predominantly from the Middle East and Africa, originating from the Iberian Peninsula,” Mr Batchelor said. “The Sephardi synagogue received $126,000 last year from the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund, and the money was used to make important upgrades to the synagogue, including to their outdoor and kitchen facilities. “It also enabled a museum space to be created to showcase, for the first time, some of the rich history of the Sephardi community here in Melbourne. “This is the only Sephardic synagogue in Melbourne, and it was a pleasure to visit, talk to the president and see the joy that the small contribution from the Allan Labor government has brought in recognising and preserving the culture and the heritage .”
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