An application by Willow Creek Winery to, among other things, increase its patron numbers to 282 from the Green Wedge Zone rules maximum of 150, easily passed at council after shire planners explained that the…
Those of us following with fascinated interest the zany stump-jump zealotry of Barnaby Joyce, Australia’s own Trumpery spruiker, felt moved to stand and applaud his response to suggestions of a sugar tax to deter fizzy…
This further table of shire councillor expenditure figures has been taken from the past two shire annual reports, starting at the date from which the state government made it compulsory for councils to make the…
Cr Antonella Celi claimed more than $15,000 for child care over the 2012-16 council term, shire records reveal. At the minimum hourly charge of $31 an hour for a weekday, that totals nearly 485 hours…
1. VCAT refuse to grant permit for a 99-lot subdivision in Tootgarook Swamp On 14 November 2016 VCAT affirmed the Council’s decision not to grant a permit for a 99-lot subdivision in the Tootgarook Wetland…
A tremor of considerable Richter force set the wine glasses dancing at the Besgrove St bunker last week, within days of our new council being sworn in on 14 November – perhaps a portent of…
Welcome to our newbies, politely applauded by the gallery as they file into the Besgrove St council chamber. It is just gone 6pm on 14 November 2016 and council is reconvening. Among the 11 councillors,…
Bandicoot has just read Canadian activist and writer Naomi Klein’s wise-after-the-event article in The Guardian* about how Donald Trump “stole” (Bandicoot’s word) the US Presidency from Hillary Clinton. Klein begins her analysis: “They will blame…
An interesting planning application has been lodged for reuse of a large empty mechanics garage behind the Red Hill service station in Arthurs Seat Rd. The aim is to transform it into a restaurant –…
It’s the big local government prize, the mayoralty. It comes with a $90,000-odd salary and a car, plus bounteous allowances, expenses and opportunities. As well as these prizes come endless functions in and out of…