HOBSONS Bay Council last week voted unanimously to write to Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder and all state MPs to demand the restoration of train services to Altona.
Mayor Tony Briffa moved the notice of motion calling for train services to be restored to and from Altona, Seaholme and Westona stations, and for an independent feasibility study into reopening a train station in Altona North.
“I can certainly say that it affects Altona and Seaholme people when they’re trying to get home and they’re dumped at Laverton instead,” he said.
Altona Meadows ward councillor and Rail, Tram and Bus Union organiser Luba Grigorovitch said it didn’t help when Metro was financially rewarded for meeting its timetable targets by bypassing the Altona Loop. “Metro did cut a lot of our services from Altona, Westona and Seaholme and obviously that’s having a big effect on our residents,” she said.
Seabrook ward councillor John Hogg said it could take more than one or two decades to fix the west’s transport woes.
“I’m reminded of some of the issues we’ve got at Laverton [station] with sometimes up to 1400 vehicles parking there every day; people taking advantage of zone one.”
Cr Hogg said infrastructure had been “left to languish” with three Hobsons Bay railway stations closed down.
No lions or elephants, please
Circuses using animals including lions and elephants have been banned on Hobsons Bay Council land. Last week’s council meeting heard numerous complaints were received after Lennon Bros Circus performed in Apex Park, Altona, last February. Lennon Bros did not return calls for comment.
Newport stalwarts honoured
Two memorial plaques will be placed on a park bench overlooking Greenwich Bay at Newport in honour of Maxwell and Vera Robertson and Lionel and Kath Burgoyne. The plaques will be placed on a bench in the Strand, opposite where the four lived from 1956. Mr Robertson and Mr Burgoyne were past Williamstown councillors and mayors; the former was also a long-time president of Williamstown RSL. All four were members of local service clubs, including Apex, Lions and All Aboard.
