Established in 1875 as the
proudly serving Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay
2 APRIL, 2025
Natalie’s big shave Williamstown North Primary student Natalie Gray is slowly getting used to her new haircut after having her long blonde hair shaved off in front of the whole school at a special assembly on Friday. The year 6 student was taking part in the World’s Greatest Shave fundraiser for leukaemia research and certainly lived up to the name, with her locks – described by friends as ‘luscious’ and ‘gorgeous’, – replaced by a buzz cut that wouldn’t look out of place in the army. Any regrets Natalie might have will be tempered by the amount of money she’s raised, with the 11-year-old attracting more that $12,000 in donations, well above her initial target of $10,000. All proceeds will go towards cancer research, a cause especially close to Natalie’s heart following the death of her father, Daniel, to brain cancer in 2021. And now that the big shave is out of the way, Natalie is also realising some of the benefits too. “Yeah, not having to wait 20 minutes to dry my hair,” she laughed. Cade Lucas Williamstown North Primary student Natalie Gray after having her head shaved at a school assembly on Friday to raise money for cancer research. (Damjan Janevski) 467747_03
Blackshaws Rd ‘not safe’ While the end of summer roadworks on the West Gate Freeway might ease traffic congestion on Blackshaws Road, residents living near the major inner-west thoroughfare fear the start of 2025 could just be a taste of what’s to come. With freeway ramps at Millers Road, Grieve Parade and Williamstown Road closed due works on the West Gate Tunnel project, traffic has been diverted along Blackshaws Road, connecting Altona North to Newport, for the first three months of this year. The result has been traffic conditions that were described at last month’s Hobsons Bay
council meeting as “extremely dangerous“. Councillors Kristin Bishop and Rayane Hawli, whose wards cover the area, told the meeting that residents were telling them they were too scared to walk or ride along Blackshaws Road due to the traffic. Local resident Dominque Hes concurred. “I’ve seen people rush up to the temporary crossing too and ignore the lollypop person,” said Ms Hes who lives on a street adjoining Blackshaws Road which she regularly crosses to get to the nearby Newport Lakes Reserve. “It’s not very safe at the moment and there’s so many children I’ve seen on their bikes crossing that road, mothers with prams and
people with dogs and the dogs sometimes don’t want to cross the road.” A West Gate Tunnel Authority spokesperson said road safety was the number one priority and extensive planning was undertaken before the recent road closures which ended last weekend. “We thank the community for their patience as we get on delivering the West Gate Tunnel which will create a vital alternative to the West Gate Bridge and remove 9000 trucks off local roads,“ the spokesperson said. Ms Hes said that with as many as 7000 more residents set to move into the area near Blackshaws Road as part of a housing
development on the former Don Smallgoods site in Altona North, she feared this summer’s traffic could become the norm. “It’s a foretelling of the future because there are so many more houses that are going to built.” A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said long term solutions for Blackshaws Road were being explored. “We’re working alongside Hobsons Bay City Council to investigate potential upgrades and treatments in the area on council managed roads,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve recently introduced a lower speed limit on Blackshaws Road to make the road environment safer for everyone.”
JAZZ JAMMERS COLLECTIVE Sunday, 13 April 2025 - 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Felix Blatt-piano, Ken Collins-trumpet, David Gardner–clarinet and sax, Paul Ingle-trombone and vocal, Rob Gador-bass, Wayne McKay–drums, Bryan Davies - guitar
Venue : Chirnside Park (Werribee Bowls Club), Watton Street, Werribee
Enquiries/Bookings : 0428 544 943 or 0419 558 481 VISITORS WELCOME
12744561-RV14-25
By Cade Lucas