A look back at some top stories of the year including…
Brimbank roared back to life in 2022 after two years of COVID lockdowns.
Community events, stage shows and school art shows were held across the municipality for the first time since 2020, as the pandemic slowly began to fade from the headlines.
But the year was not without its troubles with as residents rallied against Melbourne Airport’s planned third runway and shared their disappoint that spot fires at the Kealba landfill were still burning.
We look back at how 2022 unfolded in Brimbank.
As we welcomed 2022, several businesses and council services had to shut their doors for a number of days as the state’s latest COVID-19 wave left thousands of people in isolation.
But by early February it was all a distant memory as people hit the streets to watch as Lunar New Year festivals lit up St Albans and Sunshine.
Also in February, Melbourne Airport released its plan for its third runway plan. The runway plan continued to make headlines throughout the year.
While the plan would have many benefits for the airport and the area, the impact to residents, especially in the Keilor area, had many worried.
Community groups and Brimbank council were up in arms, with more flights set to fly over houses in the area.
The council launched a campaign in September calling for an independent investigation into the potential health impacts by the proposed third runway. The council stated that the plans for the runway posed “unreasonable and unacceptable health risks” to the community.
The council’s frustrations continued with the federal government’s decision to approve the master plan. Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said while she approved the master plan, she has concerns regarding some aspects of the proposal, including changes to the existing runways and noise sharing and mitigation arrangements.
The third runway wasn’t the only airport issue getting people talking in Brimbank, with the Melbourne Airport rail and Sunshine station master plan continuing to attract attention.
Many residents were up in arms about the masterplan and the plans for a flyer over at Albion.
A new station in Keilor East was announced in September as part of the project, with the station which is set to be built by 2029.
The following month, it was announced that Albion station would get a much needed upgrade as part of the works.
The masterplan for Sunshine station was revealed later in October. The announcement, which was welcomed by the council, will include a new bus interchange and station entrance, shared user paths, open spaces and upgrades around the area.
Burning in the background throughout 2022 was one of Brimbank’s biggest issues of the last couple of years – the underground fires at the Barro Group’s Kealba site.
In June, the Barro Group admitted that the future of the site was uncertain, while in October residents said they wanted it shut down.
The Environmental Protection Authority took legal action in October, with charges laid against the group and its directors later in the month as the fires still burn.
