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proudly serving Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay
16 APRIL, 2025
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Egg-citing Easter fun The Easter Bunny will hop into town on Sunday, bringing chocolatey treats for kids across the west. Alara, 2, and Ari, 3 (pictured) are already getting into the spirit of Easter and are eagerly counting down the days until the Easter Bunny arrives. Easter-themed activities will be held across the west in the lead up to Easter Sunday, with egg hunts, story times and festivals taking place. Maribyrnong council is hosting an Easter EGGStravaganza for young people aged 12-17 on Thursday, April 17, from 10am-2pm at the Phoenix Youth Centre, 72 Buckley Street, Footscray. Younger kids can go on an egg-citing hunt through Bacchus Marsh’s Lederberg Library and listen to Easter songs and tales also on April 17, from 10am-11am. Maddingley Park will host the Bacchus Marsh EasterFest on Good Friday, from 9.30am-4pm, featuring egg hunts, an Easter bonnet parage and local performers. Wyndham Harbour Marina will host its Easter Festival from April 18-20, featuring a circus workshop and performance by the Werribee Concert Band on April 19 and an Easter market, egg hunt, petting zoo and face painting on April 20. ALARA, 2, AND ARI, 3
Horne resignation push By Cade Lucas Opponents of the controversial Champion Road Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) are calling on Williamstown MP Melissa Horne to resign as they launch a last ditch attempt to stop the projec t with early works now underway. On April 9, The Keep Champion Road Open campaign group launched a petition demanding the project be stopped, arguing the state government was going ahead without transparency, community consultation or releasing the full designs. The Change.org petition directed at Ms Horne, Transport Infrastructure Minister
Gabrielle Williams and Premier Jacinta Allan, argues there is no evidence to justify the closure of Champion Road, which they believe will cause traffic congestion, risk public safety and damage the local environment and economy. In addition, Keep Champion Road Open spokesperson and Newport resident Damian Costin said the campaign group wanted local member and Roads Minister Melissa Horne to resign, saying residents needed better representation on the issue. “She has failed on her only role to serve her constituents,” said Mr Costin in correspondence with Star Weekly. “She’s got to go. She’s got to resign. She has
lost the faith of the entire community.” In response, Ms Horne said she would not be resigning and that she had represented her constituents on the Champion Road issue. “I know there are a large number of people in the community who are opposed to this project,” Ms Horne said. “And over the past two years, I have had countless conversations with the premier, treasurer and transport infrastructure minister to give voice to these concerns. “However with the project now underway, I am focusing on working with the community to minimise construction disruption, support traders, and get the best
possible outcomes for our community.“ A state government spokesperson said with the Metro Tunnel about to open, the Newport LXRP was especially important. “With even more trains set to run on the Werribee Line in the future, not removing these crossings and building a new link road will result in more boom gate downtime,“ the spokesperson said. On April 8, the day before the petition was launched, the LXRP authority announced that early works on the removal of the Champion and Maddox Road level crossings had begun and warned motorists to expect road and lane closures on Maddox Road for up to four weeks from April 28.
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