Established in 1981 as the
proudly serving Sunbury and Macedon Ranges
12 MARCH, 2024
A library full of fun
Julie Smart and her son Jerimiah, 2, and Danelle Scicluna from the Sunbury Toy Library. (Damjan Janevski) 391840_02
On a humble day in August 1990, local mums Nancy Prewer and Marliese Tammes founded the Sunbury Toy Library. Fast forward 34 years and the library has moved to three different locations and now operates out of Sunbury Neighborhood House, offering quality toys for less than $2 per week. Nancy is pleased that the toy library is still operating, and loves hearing updates from her daughter-in-law Georgina Prewer who is the current treasurer. Georgina said the library was recently awareded a $10,000 grant from the state government. “The funding will allow us to purchase new toys and resources, enhancing the experience for our local community, and enabling us to achieve our vision,“ she said. “All we need now is the members and volunteers to help our toy library thrive.” At the moment, the library is run solely by four part-time working parents and they need more hands on deck to help run open sessions. The tasks involved include greeting members, offering assistance, returning and checking out toys and ensuring the space is kept clean. They could also use help to catalogue donations and new toys, for adhoc repair work and for content creation. Details: members@sunburytoylibrary. com.au
Nothing to ‘stop the creep’ By Zoe Moffatt The Green Wedges Coalition and local residents are calling on Hume council to implement a Green Wedge Management Plan, with action continuing to lag behind that of other councils. Green wedges are defined as non-urban areas of metropolitan Melbourne that lie outside the urban growth boundary. There are 12 green wedge areas across 17 municipalities which form a ring around the city. Green Wedges Coalition coordinator Rosemary West said they would welcome Hume council finally adopting a management
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plan, being the only council with its own green wedge yet to make such a plan. “While other councils have been making Green Wedge Management Plans in line with state government planning objectives, Hume embarked on a policy to manage its green wedge in its own way,” she said. “It sees its green wedge as only existing to support a curfew-free airport, rather than to support agriculture near to city markets and to provide relief from urban sprawl.” Hume council’s 2022 Rural Strategy recognised this with the introduction acknowledging “the significant role the rural
areas play in protecting the curfew free status of Melbourne Airport distinguishes Hume’s green wedge.” Ms West said Hume is a growing urban area and its rural and natural areas have been neglected by the council. “Our coalition and local rural residents are dismayed that the council has supported more and more urban uses in its green wedge.” A Hume council spokesperson said the state government planning system reform regarding Green Wedge Management Plans is not yet complete. “In the meantime, council is working to
implement the Rural Strategy, including many of the same actions included in other council’s Green Wedge Management Plans,” they said. “Council adopted Hume’s Rural Strategy in April 2022, which provides direction and certainty to the community about the future planning and council support for the rural areas. “Council intends to translate the strategy into a Green Wedge Management Plan once we have the final advice from the state government on any system changes.” ■ Continued: Page 4.