Tuesday, 21 July, 2026
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Trapped refugees
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Cool in a cat crisis Noble Park cat rescuer Cheryl Ingram says she’s going where councils and animal welfare agencies refuse to tread. In response to Greater Dandenong’s stray and feral cat crisis, she has bought 10 cat traps to capture, treat and hopefully rehome the dozens of roaming, semi-owned cats at a public housing flats. Meanwhile, Star Journal readers say the council’s cat curfew is not working, and are voting for alternative solutions. More on the story, turn to page 4 (Stewart Chambers: 566142)
Cost of living bites once, and more than a quarter needed it regularly.” Last week, GSEM and Greater Dandenong Council launched their advocacy campaigns ahead of this year’s state election. Both gave focus to poverty. Mr McKeon said many felt that infrastructure wasn’t keeping pace with population growth, he said. The bus network was “vitally important to
young people and many multicultural communities in the (South East) region”. “Our election platform directly responds to these priorities, with targeted investment in better buses, improved road networks and critical infrastructure to support growing communities.” Greater Dandenong Council agreed with GSEM that practical projects that improve quality of life were needed. These included better bus services and con-
nections, safer public spaces, stronger community services, local jobs and modern facilities. The council also called for funding anti-poverty measures and social and affordable housing. Other priorities were crime prevention, gambling reform, strengthening its state-significant industrial precinct, sports and parks, bus services and a Djerring Trail extension to Dandenong. More on the story, turn to pages 3 and 8
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Nearly half of South East households were struggling to make ends meet, according to a recent advocacy group survey. The Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) survey highlighted many people were borrowing from family and friends to pay for groceries. “This is not a one-off hit,” chief executive Simon McKeon said. “Almost 70 per cent of people who needed financial help in the past year needed it more than