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30 SEPTEMBER, 2025
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Kangaroo great Anthony Stevens writes exclusively for Star Weekly
Bowls club funding calls The Mount Cottrell Bowls Club is calling for funding for a host of upgrades to improve the accessibility of its facilities. Secretary Kaye Matthews said the club is in need of an accessible bathroom block. Other upgrades needed are a new playing surface, lighting to host night games, improved heating and cooling in the clubhouse viewing room, and road signage. Ms Matthews said the club is at risk of having to suspend its pennant games due to the state of the playing surface. She contacted Melton council requesting signage at the intersection of Greigs and Mount Cottrell roads that also marked the club’s location, but the request was not successful. Melton director of city delivery Neil Whiteside said there are state government guidelines around street name signs at intersections and main roads, and the intersection did not meet the requirements for additional signage.
Mt Cottrell Bowls Club is hoping to get funding for facility improvements, including accessible toilets, signage, and a new playing surface. (Damjan Janevski) 504051_01
Cr feels ‘unsafe’ meeting online. “Due to events around my safety brought on by a false and defamatory official [mayoral] statement published through [the] official [Melton] account and website … last week I sought council to provide me a link to participate in tonight’s [Monday’s] meeting for my personal safety,” she wrote. “Council has denied me this request despite being knowledgeable of the current circumstances and participating in them. “I am not an apology, nor am I unwell to participate in tonight’s meeting. I am being denied access to represent my ward and community due to the actions of our local government.” A Melton council spokesperson confirmed that Cr Vandenberg had
requested a meeting link to remotely attend the meeting. “[Melton’s] council chamber does not have the audio and visual technology for hybrid meetings. Council’s chamber has never had this technology for a councillor to attend an in-person meeting online,” the spokesperson said. “During [Covid], council held its council meetings with all councillors online. After [this], council returned to in-person meetings. “The September 2025 council meeting was advertised as an in-person meeting with members of the public in attendance. Additional security measures were offered to Cr Vandenberg to accommodate her in-person attendance.”
Star Weekly observed two security guards at the meeting, with one stationed either side of the doors to the council chamber. On September 18, Melton mayor Steve Abboushi released a statement confirming that Cr Vandenberg has been referred to the local government minister and Local Government Inspectorate over a series of social media posts. “Cr Vandenberg has made various unsubstantiated accusations of bullying, harassment and vilification. While council takes such accusations seriously, Cr Vandenberg has failed to provide any information or evidence to support them, despite repeated requests,“ his statement read.
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A Melton councillor says she feels ’unsafe’ attending council meetings in person. Councillor Ashleigh Vandenberg didn’t attend last week’s council meeting, apologising to residents on social media and accusing the council of denying her online access to the meeting. Cr Vandenberg, who was listed as ’not attending’, was one of four councillors absent from Monday’s meeting. Councillors Phillip Zada and John Verdon were listed as apologies, and councillor Sophie Ramsey was on an approved leave of absence. In a statement published on her Facebook page, Cr Vandenberg said that she contacted Melton the week prior to the meeting, requesting a link to join the