🟠 Courts in crisis and politicians join quarry protest

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

• THURSDAY 20/11/25, 8PM & SUNDAY 30/11/25, 5PM | Kitty Flanagan - Gladgame

• SUNDAY 23/11/25, 7AM-1PM | Run for the Young Marathon

• SUNDAY 23/11/25, 10AM-4PM | Kilsyth Festival

• COLDSTREAM — 07/11/25 to 24/12/25; WANDIN — 24/11/25 to 04/01/26, EXCLUDING CHRISTMAS DAY | Cherry Picking @ Cherry Hill Orchards

• EVERY SUNDAY, 8AM-1PM | Mulgrave Farmers’ Market @ Mulgrave Primary School

📰 RECENT LOCAL HEADLINES

12 months out from election, Victorian Liberals vote in new leader

Jess Wilson, the state Liberal member for Kew, has been elected as the leader of the Victorian Liberal party and will be the party’s first-ever female leader.

Wilson will take over from Berwick MP Brad Battin, who himself only became party leader in December last year.

The news of the leadership spill began with a delegation of Liberal MPs visiting Battin on Monday afternoon, notifying him he had lost the support of the party room.

The vote for a new leader took place early on Tuesday morning.

The Victorian Liberal leadership change was the fifth shift in the top job over the past 10 years, and the fourth new face – with Matthew Guy serving across two separate terms.

Speaking to the media after the spill, Battin said the Victorian Liberal party had “a very clear path” to contest the election next November.

“We need to see genuine change,” said Battin. “We can’t just wait for it to happen.”

Addressing reporters, Wilson thanked Battin for his work over the past 11 months.

“Brad is a tireless supporter and worker for the Liberal Party,” said Wilson.

Wilson said her priorities over the next 12 months included proposing a rework of the state’s budget and future investments, tackling crime, improving access to healthcare services and increased home ownership.

“I will work every day for Victorians to make sure at the next election, they have a clear and credible alternative to vote for that gives them hope for the future of Victoria,” said Wilson.

93-year-old tennis club “deleted”: Eastern suburbs sport groups push back against plans for $17 million redevelopment of Walker Park

After 93 years of helping build local tennis talent, the Mitcham Tennis Club has been met with a shocking blow, with Whitehorse Council recommending it either call it quits or merge with another club to make way for a multi-million dollar redevelopment of Nunawading’s Walker Park.

Whitehorse Council’s draft master plan for a multi-million dollar redevelopment of Nunawading’s Walker Park was met with a tepid response from local sporting clubs at a recent council meeting.

Endorsed at last week’s council meeting, the draft plan outlines 25 projects, including replacing the existing Indoor Sports Complex with a brand-new, two-storey gymnastics and sports centre, as well as re-purposing the existing tennis court space for other community benefits.

Council officers projected the total cost of the project would be $17.4 million, excluding GST.

The cost to remove the existing tennis courts and public toilets and construct the new gymnastics and sports centre was estimated to be $13 million, but works would not begin until July 2031 at the earliest.

Funding would have to come from council’s budget and reserves, grants from the State and Federal Government and potential partnerships with tenant clubs and sporting groups.

Council officers recommended the Mitcham Tennis Club either amalgamate with another club or disband, citing “a trend of low and declining membership”.

However, club president Douglas Evans said despite seeing low membership numbers during Covid, the 93-year-old club’s membership had doubled from 42 to 84 players since welcoming a “new and energetic” committee in 2024.

Evans said the committee was surprised to learn the club was “deleted” from the draft plan only four days before it went before council.

A major concern raised by other club representatives was that the completion of the proposed works would be too far away to respond to growing participation numbers, especially in women’s sport.

Nunawading Gymnastics and Sports Club pathways and development manager, Rachel McNally, said the club has outgrown its current site.

Nunawading Gymnastics and Sports Club currently has 558 members with 33 on the waitlist.

“We continue to grow and meet the needs of the community and we need a facility that will support us in that growth,” said McNally. “Without this ongoing support, I fear that the club will need to restrict member numbers and cancel classes.”

To have your say on the draft plan, visit www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/about-council/have-your-say

“I fully support the local community”: Monbulk MP pushes for impact assessment of proposed Montrose quarry expansion

A local MP has added her name and influence to the push for an impact assessment of the proposed extension of Boral’s Montrose Quarry.

In October, Boral announced the expansion plans for its Montrose quarry, which would increase the boundary by about 30 acres – providing access to about 26 million tonnes of additional material over about 32 years.

State Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino attended a meeting convened by the STOP Montrose Quarry Expansion group earlier this month to hear the community’s qualms with the plans.

De Martino has since told the Eastern Melburnian she has raised these concerns and her own reservations with the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, as well as indicated her support for an Environment Effects Statement (EES) to be prepared before any works are approved.

Due to changed provisions within the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme and the Victoria Planning Provisions, the Planning Minister has sole oversight of the planning scheme amendment.

Kilkenny could even fast-track the process via the State Government’s Significant Economic Development program, removing red tape and delays around projects that significantly contribute to Victoria's economy.

An EES often includes issues raised during public and stakeholder consultation, predictions of significant environmental impacts, as well as proposed measures to avoid, minimise or manage negative effects.

Boral has submitted a referral for the Planning Minister to consider if an EES would be required before plans could be approved.

Online, a petition has attracted more than 2,300 signatures, calling for site owner and operator Boral to consider other supply sites, with De Martino since launching her own petition.

Monbulk MP De Martino said that she shared a number of the community’s anxieties around the plans.

“I have concerns regarding the incredibly close proximity of the proposed expansion to local primary schools and early childhood learning centres and the environmental impacts of the proposed removal of bushland,” said De Martino. “I fully support the local community and will use my voice to advocate for their interests.”

Quarry pushback goes postal: Yarra Ranges Council joins call for impact assessment

Yarra Ranges Council has thrown its weight behind Montrose locals opposed to the expansion of the Montrose Quarry, sending a letter to the Planning Minister calling for investigation into environmental impacts before any approvals are made.

Speaking to the Eastern Melburnian, Yarra Ranges councillor, Len Cox, said he hoped the council would “receive a positive response soon”.

“Hopefully, it’s not just rubber-stamped,” said Cox.

Cox was part of the push for the council to refuse a permit to extend the quarry in 2004.

In 2008, then-Planning Minister Justin Madden decided to let the council’s decision stand despite an appeal from Boral Limited, essentially squashing that proposal.

Cox said on top of an EES, he hoped the final decision would come before a public meeting of council and could be sent out for public comment via council’s consultation channels.

“We’re supposed to have a democracy here in Victoria and the people need to have their say on important things like this,” said Cox. “I don’t know how many millions and millions [the rock is] worth…but then people’s lives – how much are they worth?”

SEEN THIS WEEK 🤓

“Fool’s journey”: Liberal Senator slams his own party for ditching Net Zero

Liberal Senator Andrew McLachlan has described his federal colleagues as “outliers” who “don’t aspire to a better world”, in an interview with the National Account.

The rogue senator, who represents South Australia, said the Liberal Party’s decision to ditch a Net Zero by 2050 goal had left “the investment community … reeling in horror” and signified to voters that “you’re not going to aspire to a better world”.

“You're basically saying, ‘Well, we're just going to keep on polluting’. And I don't accept that,” McLachlan said.

He said dumping a firm target to reduce pollution was a “fool’s journey”.

Finding the spiciest food in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs

I’ve been wanting to expand my culinary horizons a little and dive into some really spicy dishes and cuisines.

I kicked off my journey to find the spiciest dish in the area with a lamb vindaloo at 24 Spices Indian Restaurant in Bayswater.

While it didn’t come out of the gate packing a deadly punch, it definitely crept up on me a little. But there’s still a little bit more to go before I reach my pain threshold.

Let me know where I should check out next!