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5 MAY, 2026
Sunday is mum’s day Burnside mother Harshini Beekanahalli Kumarswamy will celebrate her very first Mother’s Day on Sunday 10 May after she and her husband, Suman Moolemane, welcomed their baby boy into the world last week. The happy couple’s son Amay Harshini Moolemane was born on Thursday 30 April at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s at Sunshine Hospital. He arrived about three weeks earlier than expected, weighing 2375 grams. Harshini said becoming a mother for the first time was a “very happy moment”. “I know it comes with a lot of responsibility, but you don’t consider it as a responsibility when it’s your own child,” Harshini said. “That’s what my mum has done for me and my sister, and what all mothers do for their child.” Harshini said her mother, who lives in India, is coming to Melbourne for about four months to help them care for baby Amay. Harshini said she thought of her own mother during Amay’s birth: “I was thinking ’my mum could do it, so I can do it too’.” Harshini Beekanahalli Kumarswamy with son Amay. (Supplied)
A record budget By Laura Michell
and $6.1 million on the Rockbank East Community and Children’s Centre. The draft budget also includes $4.48 million to begin upgrades to Taylors Road, including duplication between City Vista Court and Westwood Drive. Other roads projects include $2.65 million to upgrade Boundary Road between The Mall and Hopkins Road in Mount Cottrell and $1.8 million for a roundabout at Leakes Road and Westcott Parade in Rockbank. Mt Atkinson East Sports Reserve ($5.61 million), Blackwood Drive Recreation Reserve ($4.33 million) and two tennis courts at Melton South Recreation Reserve ($1.61 million) have also been included in the draft budget, alongside
$1.27 million for Boathouse Reserve in Caroline Springs. “The budget is a strong vision of our community’s vision and priorities” Cr Abboushi said. “Th is is about keeping pace with growth and delivering the facilities or community needs and deserves.” Cr Bob Turner said the draft budget included projects across the entire municipality. “Th is budget doesn’t only just look after the new areas that are expanding, which is important, but is it also services the whole of the community,” he said. Council will consider the adoption of its fi nal 2026-27 budget on 22 June.
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A record $255.2 million will be spent on capital works in Melton as part council’s proposed 2026-27 budget. The draft budget was endorsed by councillors on Monday 27 April and will be available for community feedback for two weeks. Council proposes to increase rates by 2.75 per cent, which it said would result in an average weekly increase of $1. The rate rise is in line with the state government cap on rates rises. The draft budget also proposes to increase the cost of kerbside waste services by $72 per year.
Cr Steve Abboushi said the capital works program was one of the most significant highlights of the draft budget, noting the proposed $255.2 million spend was the largest capital works program in council’s history. Council said it received 214 community submissions on projects to include in the budget. It proposed to fully or partially funded 64 of them. Included in the proposed capital works program is $101.59 million for an aquatic and leisure centre at Fraser Rise. Council also plans to spend $9.61 million to complete the community services hub at Cobblebank, $6.46 million on the Diggers Rest Community Centre
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