🟠 Hotpot hell
Also: Are you a content creator?
Matthew Sims
July 22, 2026
⏱️ The 154th edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.
Hi there 👋
Matthew Sims here, your reporter at the Eastern Melburnian.
How quickly are the months racing past for you? I swear it was just Christmas.
I’ve put together a few quick guides on what to do next month before tickets start selling out, so check out our events, live music and kids’ activities listings here.
In other news: I walked along some local streets to explain the situation surrounding the incoming rental standards, including a chat with housing expert and RMIT associate professor Trivess Moore. Check it out here.
✍️ Researching, writing and editing stories like these is time consuming. If you'd like to support our work, please jump on the link below.
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Today, we’re covering:
My trip to Dragon Hot Pot in Glen Waverley as part of my search for the spiciest dish in Melbourne’s east; and
A callout for content creators.
WHAT’S COMING UP 🎟️
FRIDAY 24/07/26, 7.30PM | Beccy Cole
FRIDAY 24/07/26, 8-11PM | Lior
SATURDAY 25/07/26, 11AM-10PM | The Big LAN
EVERY DAY TO SUNDAY 26/06/26 | Immerse
📰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES
Box Hill Brickworks site cleared for high-rise buildings taller than 10 storeys, ignoring council and resident opposition
Victoria’s Planning Minister has approved plans for 95 percent of the seven-hectare Box Hill Brickworks to be used for housing of 10 storeys or higher.
The decision has drawn criticism from residents, Whitehorse Council and local MPs, who argue the land should be used as passive open space.
The Box Hill site operated as a brickworks from 1884 and, between 1988 and 1999, the former quarry was filled with construction and demolition waste, excavated soil, rock, green waste and inert industrial and household waste.
In 2001, a clay cap was installed to contain contamination.
The land was identified in 2025 as a future mixed-use neighbourhood under the Suburban Rail Loop East plans.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenney approved the final structure plan in June, as well as planning scheme amendments for the precinct
Under the approved plans, buildings of up to 10 storeys can be built around the site's edge, with taller buildings possible in the centre. Only five percent of the land must remain open space.
Developers can now prepare a master plan under the amended planning scheme, with the Planning Minister, rather than Whitehorse Council, acting as the decision-maker.
There’s more to come on this story, as I wait on a response from the EPA about the site’s past as a landfill.
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🥵 THE SEARCH FOR SPICE
WATCH: Searching for the hottest food in eastern Melbourne: Dragon Hot Pot
We checked out Dragon Hot Pot in Glen Waverley on our search for the spiciest meals across Melbourne's east.
I tried their signature malatang with their hottest broth — “Dragon Hot’’ — and it definitely packed a punch.
Where should I go next?
Finally: Are you a content creator in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs?
If so, we want to hear your ideas. Whether it’s highlighting a local character or your go-to cafe, please email us via [email protected]
That’s all from me this time.
Cheers,
Matthew