As another year ticks over for Brimbank residents, Star Weekly looks back on a year of community gains as well frustration and growing pains.
Some of the wins for the municipality include confirmation of funding for the Melbourne Airport Rail, the EPA announcing it would revoke the Barro Group’s licence at the Kealba landfill, as well as the arrival of long-awaited gambling reforms to help address record losses.
But with COVID-19 well and truly in the rear view mirror, residents grappled with the cost of living crisis, infrastructure cuts, transportation pains, and council tension.
Brimbank council hit the front page with its decision to no longer hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26, in acknowledgement that the date represents a day of ‘mourning and sadness’.
Council dealt with a number of community concerns, with frequent demands to take action against a Sunshine West gym allegedly associated with Fascist activity, and calls to address rising concerns of youth crime in the municipality.
The state government made its own impact on Brimbank, with its refusal to confirm whether its $50 million investment for Calder Freeway upgrades will go ahead after the federal government backflipped on its own $50 million promise.
Despite these events, residents rallied to support each other with two Ravenhall dance group’s, Phoenix Dance Company and Dance Effects joining a dozen dance schools from across the north-west for a charity gala to raise money for Exford Primary School following its school bus crash in May.
Residents continued to bat for better health outcomes in Brimbank, with locals rejoicing in AkzoNobel’s decision to close the resin plant in Sunshine North, as well as continuing their advocacy against Melbourne Airport’s proposed third runway.
The transport woes of the western suburbs continued to dominate the news in Brimbank, with residents coming together to rally for an improved bus network in the west.
The stories of local struggles crossed borders this year, when a mother of three from St Albans led the march of 22 refugee women, many from Brimbank, who each took on a gruelling 640 kilometre walk from Melbourne to Canberra, calling on the federal government to grant permanent protection visas for 10,000 refugees who have been living in limbo in Australia for 10 years.
Looking ahead this year, Following the electoral structure review, Brimbank residents will prepare to vote with the next council election to be held in 2024.
