JUNE 6, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Challenge stacks up It’s game-on for punter versus burger. Altona Sports Club this week introduced the “Alpha and omega burger and shake challenge”. Anyone who can polish off a 20-centimetre burger and chocolate brownie shake in 20 minutes gets their $50 back. The club’s John Dawson said this was no ordinary burger. “It’s a toasted milk bun with three 150-gram beef patties – I’m choking already – 120 grams of smoked pulled pork, 150-gram mac-and-cheese disk, 120 grams grilled bacon, four slices of jack cheddar cheese, some cos lettuce, sliced tomatoes, housemade pickles and alpha omega sauce,” he said. “That is served with a bowl of onion rings with barbecue sauce, a bowl of chips, a bowl of salad and a chocolate brownie shake.” Mr Dawson said he wasn’t sure how many calories were in the meal. “I put weight on just looking at it,” he said. There are seven commandments for the challenge, including not dropping food on the floor. The challenge is held every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at lunch and dinner. Goya Dmytryshchak
Frank Pace and Glenn Maxwell take on the challenge. (Damjan Janevski)
Footscray footpath fight By Benjamin Millar A treasured Footscray tradition could vanish following a crackdown on footpath traders. Elderly Vietnamese-Australian traders have for years spent Saturdays plying their wares on Leeds Street in Footscray’s Little Saigon, selling items including home-grown herbs, chillies and pot plants. But Maribyrnong council is warning traders they risk $500 fines and having their goods impounded for trading without a permit. The flashpoint for the footpath fight is just a stone’s throw from where the bustling Little Saigon markets burnt down almost 18 months ago.
The council’s move has sparked a backlash in a community still mourning the market’s fiery end. Footscray resident Felicity Watson said the traders should be left alone, describing them as part of the area’s social fabric, showing the suburb at its best. “The vibrant character of our area is already being eroded by generic new residential development,” she said. “We need to hang on to the traditions that bring life to our neighbourhood and provide places for communities to connect.” Long-term customer Mark Chu, who lives nearby, said the traders brought a unique colour and flair to Footscray.
“They actually bring curious outsiders to the area, which desperately needs the pedestrian traffic,” he said. “The council should be focusing resources to areas in Footscray that actually need action.” Maribyrnong planning services director Nigel Higgins said the area had become a popular spot for itinerant traders who did not have permits. He said the crackdown followed complaints from nearby businesses and breaches of local laws covering food safety and access. “It is common knowledge that food can carry contaminants or viruses that can be damaging, if not fatal, to a person’s health,” he said. “To allow itinerant trading to operate without
a permit, council carries the burden of that responsibility.” Mr Higgins said council officers, accompanied by a Vietnamese interpreter, recently advised the traders of the need for permits and erected signs in Vietnamese and English. He said the council would happily work with traders on gaining permits, which cost about $30 a day. Councillor Mia McGregor said on Facebook that decisions had been made by council staff without councillors being briefed. She said she was in discussions with chief executive Stephen Wall over the matter and encouraged people to email feedback on the crackdown to the council.