Thursday, 27 August, 2026
Phone: (03) 5945 0666 Trades & Classifieds: 1300 666 808
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Landfill end date
Young trek for charity
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Pleasure and pain for Eagles
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Lions and tigers and books, oh my! Devon Meadows Primary School celebrated Book Week with colourful costumes, a community book swap and a visit from 50 children from the neighbouring kindergarten. Full story page 10
Maggie as the lion from The Wizard of Oz. (Stewart Chambers: 573410)
Workers struggle More working households are struggling to pay their bills, as revealed at a cost-of-living support event in Hampton Park. More than 800 people attended South East Community Links’ Bring Your Bills event on Tuesday 25 August, where about 1500 people and families received assistance. Organisers said more than $2.2 million in community debt was addressed, including $40,000 waived and almost $100,000 in grants
and concessions accessed. More than half of attendees sought help with gas and electricity bills, while mortgages and personal loans also accounted for significant financial pressure. SECL advocacy and engagement lead Jonathan Elias said the turnout reflected the level of unmet need across Hampton Park and the wider City of Casey.
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“Importantly, it demonstrates that financial hardship is not necessarily confined to people on very low incomes,” he said. “It is affecting working households who are actively looking for ways to reduce bills, access concessions, negotiate debt and make their household budgets stretch further.” One local resident said debt accumulated after mental and physical health problems cost her job
and left her without income for 13 weeks. She sought help with credit-card debt, fines, phone expenses and ambulance bills. “I’m hoping I can just get a few things taken care of so I can just concentrate on my own mental health and not have to worry so much about everybody calling and demanding money that I don’t have,” she said. Full story page 2
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