🟠 Monorail memories and batteries included

Also: Why a non-profit is calling for diesel rebates to be capped

Author

Matthew Sims
June 19, 2026

⏱️ The 145th edition of our newsletter is a seven-minute read.

Hi there 👋 

Matthew Sims here, your reporter at the Eastern Melburnian.

🎡 I continued sharing stories from Melbourne’s past this week, with a look at the history of Wobbies World.

📹 Although I don’t remember it clearly, I visited the transport-themed amusement park in Melbourne’s east as a child. There are even home videos of me looking uncertain on one of the helicopter monorail rides.

📺 A couple of readers also shared their memories of Wobbies World. One said they were surprised by “how small it was, especially compared with how it looked in television advertisements”.

😬 Another said the helicopter ride was the scariest they had ever been on because it felt “poorly made” and looked as though it could fall off the track.

📞 Researching stories like the one above keeps me in touch with local communities, which is one of the pillars on which the Eastern Melburnian is built. If you'd like to support our work, please jump on the link below.

Click this banner to donate!

Today, we’re covering:

  • How the Monbulk community has used a large-scale battery to create an off-grid emergency relief hub;

  • The rise and fall of the “international-style play park” Wobbies World; and

  • Why a non-profit is calling for diesel rebates to be capped.

“Most people wouldn’t have had a clue that we were running off backup power.”

A recent awards night at the Monbulk Sporting Pavilion saw a power outage, but “most people wouldn’t have had a clue that we were running off backup power” from the Monbulk Microgrid, according to Monbulk and District Community Working Group (MADCOW) vice president Paul Utting.

WHAT’S COMING UP 🎟️

📰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES

The Monbulk Microgrid has kept power running at two Monbulk community buildings through outages over the past 12 months.

The microgrid has been providing backup power for Monbulk Sporting Pavilion and Monbulk Living and Learning Centre to keep the lights on when outages hit.

Stephanie Bashir from energy policy consultants Nexa Advisory said batteries of all scales play an important role in strengthening the electricity network.

“Household batteries protect individual homes, neighbourhood batteries help manage local solar and peak demand and large-scale batteries support the broader grid,” Bashir told the Eastern Melburnian.

“For a community [like Monbulk] facing a multi-day outage, the biggest difference comes from a resilience hub — solar, batteries, islanding equipment and backup generation at a trusted local facility.”

An energy backup system combines solar, battery storage and generators to maintain power during outages.

The State Government has provided funding towards energy backup systems at community hubs in 27 towns, including Healesville, Monbulk, Mount Dandenong, Olinda, Sassafras and Warburton.

A microgrid is a small-scale electricity network using local generation and battery storage. Some can operate independently from the main grid during outages — known as “islanding” — helping communities remain connected when the power goes out for lengthy periods.

If a microgrid produces more power than is required, it can feed that electricity back into the main grid, earning feed-in tariffs for the microgrid operator.

Following storms in June 2021 that saw a maximum of about 530,000 homes and businesses without power across the state, including in Monbulk, Yarra Ranges Council secured a $10 million Federal Government grant for a $13.4 million disaster resilience program.

Operational since June 2025, the Monbulk Microgrid consists of a shipping container housing a battery capable of storing enough electricity - generated by 265 solar panels - to power the Monbulk Sporting Pavilion and Monbulk Living and Learning Centre for 24 hours.

Founded in the early 2000s, MADCOW is a not-for-profit organisation representing 47 local community groups in advocating for development, such as co-ordinating emergency response programs, spearheading township beautification and infrastructure projects and representing residents in town planning and development.

Vice president Paul Utting said the microgrid system provides a community-based backup during widespread outages, storm events or bushfires.

In those situations, the two buildings can operate as refuge centres where residents can shower, charge devices and access facilities.

“We basically want to be self-reliant for three days,” Utting said.

Inside the Monbulk microgrid keeping the lights on

“Most people wouldn’t have had a clue that we were running off backup power.”

Who remembers Wobbies World?

Check out our video uncovering the 19-year history of the theme park below.

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👀 DID YOU SEE?

The 15 biggest mining companies get a $2.2 billion rebate from the government for using diesel each year. Should we change that?

Australians will refund the 15 largest mining companies more than $2.2 billion in diesel tax this year. Now, a non-profit is proposing a cap to the rebate, saying it will incentivise mining operators to reduce pollution and get on with electrification.

The Fuel Tax Credit Scheme refunds businesses on tax they pay for fuel used in vehicles or machinery that never touch public roads. This includes mining trucks, farming machinery and construction vehicles.

In 2025-26, this tax is estimated to cost Australians $10.8 billion. Forty-seven percent of that is taken up by mining.

The non-profit Energy Futures Foundation wants the refund capped at $50 million per corporate group.

Archie Milligan from the National Account took a look into who is backing the proposal and where recouped revenue could go.

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🥳 As winter starts to settle in, it can be easy to fall back into old habits and stay inside with a warm tea and binge your favourite show. However, there is always something new to discover in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

🗓️ We’re preparing our events and live music lists for July. Is there something that we can’t miss? Let us know by reaching out via [email protected].

Cheers,

Matthew