Established in 1902 as the
proudly serving Wyndham
28 MAY, 2025
Help care for the coast
Susie Inglis, Julie Connell, James Hutchinson want you to come along to Coastcare Point Cook (Ljubica Vrankovic) 477759_03
Anyone with a passion for environmental care and local history is invited to volunteer with Coastcare Point Cook. The group meets on the third Sunday of each month at the Point Cook Homestead to tidy the historic building and tend to the neighbouring coastal Park. Work on the park’s wetlands include gardening, weeding, mulching and pruning the array of Indigenous plants that grow in the park. Julie Connell, who lives in the area and helps co-ordinate the activities, said she finds the work immensely rewarding. “I personally consider the Homestead and coastal park here as part of my backyard, so I just love being here and looking after my local environment,” Ms Connell said. The volunteer work is vital in supporting the work that Parks Victoria already does to preserve the ecological health of the area. “Point Cook has grown so rapidly and urban development has spread into this environment, so if we don’t care and appreciate it, we might lose it,” Ms Connell said. The group meets between 9-11am. Details: https://www.wyndham.vic.gov. au/whats-on/coastcare-point-cook
Growth fund fear By Jaidyn Kennedy A state gvernment decision to kill off the growing suburbs fund (GSF) will affect the liveability of newer areas, Wyndham mayor Mia Shaw has claimed. The GSF, a pool of money that seven growth councils, including Wyndham, could apply to access to help fund their infrastructure projects, was established in 2015. It was left out of the latest state budget. Cr Shaw said the fund, which has provided more than $440 million across Melbourne in its lifetime, has been instrumental in Wyndham.
“The fund has played a key role in funding crucial projects in Wyndham, including the build of the Truganina Community Centre, the redevelopment of Wyndham Park and many sporting and community facility upgrades,” she said. “We are acutely aware of the need for trade-offs during these difficult financial times, but this trade-off directly impacts the liveability of our community and all communities in outer Melbourne.” Cr Shaw said council’s prediction that the population of the municipality will exceed 500,000 people by 2040 makes the continuation of the funding increasingly urgent.
“There is a critical need for more community centres, parks, transport links, and recreational facilities in growth areas like Tarneit, Truganina, and Wyndham Vale,” she said. “This rapid growth places an enormous pressure on our infrastructure and services.” Cr Shaw said the last injection into the fund, $5 million in 2024-25, was not enough and has called on the state government to not only revive the fund but increase it to $50 million per year. “By turning off the GSF tap, council has been left to make some difficult decisions around services and infrastructure,” she
said. “We simply need more support to fund our exponential growth.” Cr Shaw said if and when the funding is reinstated, it should be a permanent fixture in the state’s cheque book. “The fund should then be rolled over into subsequent years, providing long-term funding certainty to allow for strategic infrastructure planning,” she said. Wyndham is one of 10 councils that form the Outer Melbourne Councils (OMC) group that is collectively calling for the fund to be returned. The Department of Transport and Planning was contacted.
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