WEDNESDAY, 14 JANUARY, 2026
Sweet ways to keep cool As temperatures soared above 40 degrees on Friday 9 January, locals did everything they could to keep cool, calm and collected. In Tarneit, locals stuck to a tried and tested way of beating the heat. From cups and cones to shakes and scoops, Sprinkles Ice Creamery was a sanctuary of sweetness throughout the heatwave. Ice cream was flying out the door at the popular business, which is the passion of brothers Zane and Kouda Assaad who grew up in a family-run milkbar and wanted to offer local children a similar experience. Other popular spots to cool off were beaches across the west, libraries and aquatic centres like AquaPulse and Wyndham Waters Leisure Centre. Werribee Racing club postponed its Kids Day Out race meet scheduled for Friday until Monday because of the extreme heat.
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Turn to page 5 for pictures of locals keeping cool in the blistering heatwave
Ibrahim, 9, and Amelia, 8, (Ljubica Vrankovic). 527634_03
Pool site settled By Jaidyn Kennedy Wyndham council has settled on Tarneit as the location for the municipality’s third aquatic centre. The decision came following Cr Mia Shaw’s notice of motion at the 16 December council meeting. Cr Shaw’s motion called for a report entailing concept designs, cost estimates and a construction timeline to be provided at the March council meeting. She said the area’s growing population would eventually overwhelm the existing AquaPulse in Hoppers Crossing and Werribee Outdoor Pool.
“Wyndham’s population has now exceeded 330,000 residents and continues to grow. Currently, we have only one aquatic facility for every 150,000 residents,” Cr Shaw said. “In comparison, the City of Greater Geelong has one facility for every 75,000 residents. This gap highlights the clear and pressing need for additional aquatic infrastructure in Wyndham.” Cr Shaw said the proposed facility is estimated to cost $120 million and committing to a plan early would put council in the best possible position to get help funding the venture. “While this is a significant investment, it
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is not one we can shoulder alone,” she said. “Early planning puts us in the strongest position to advocate to sand federal governments, particularly in the lead-up to the November 2026 state election, and to work with our local members of parliament to secure the partnerships and funding required.” Cr Peter Maynard voted against Cr Shaw’s motion, claiming he felt a report involving designs would be premature as an exact location had not been decided upon. “To me it’s putting the cart before the horse on this occasion,” Cr Maynard said. Cr Maynard said he still firmly supports
the third aquatic centre. “We do need additional facilities, that’s a done deal, AquaPulse was basically full by the day it opened.“ Cr Shaw said that deciding on a specific location after the first report comes back would allow for better flexibility before advancing the project any further. “At this early stage, it is important that we maintain flexibility around location in Tarneit to ensure the best possible outcome for our community,” she said. “Keeping the reference broad for the March report allows us to consider all viable options once assessments are completed.”
SAT, JAN 24 from 12pm in our Backyard
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SUN, JAN 25 12pm on our MEGA SCREEN
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