Liam McNally
Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik said she was “disappointed” at Melton being the subject of a video on Melbourne’s “most notorious suburbs” by controversial internet celebrity Spanian, although she acknowledged “some of the challenges raised are a reality”.
Spanian, whose real name is Anthony Lees, is a musician and Youtuber who grew up in Sydney.
After spending 13 years in prison, Spanian has spent the last five years building fame online for Youtube videos that span rap songs, food reviews, vlogs and stories about his life.
Lately, he released a series called ‘Into the Hood’ which explores areas he considers dangerous, from Sydney to Barcelona, Bulgaria, Outback Australia, and now Melton.
The 50-minute video featuring Melton was released on March 11 and has amassed almost one million views.
The video begins with Spanian saying Melton is “sort of a barren town, left to rot”.
He briefly points out some of the socio-economic challenges and public transport issues the area faces before spending the majority of the video walking the streets of Melton and Melton South with hundreds of fans who turned out to see him.
As he walks he’s accompanied by locals sharing stories of their experiences growing up in the area, often including their own or rumored crimes.
The roads in the video are filled with smoke as cars and motorbikes doing burnouts to vye for his attention.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said they’re investigating a “large hoon event” in Melton on Saturday 2 March, the day of Spanian’s Melton visit.
“Approximately 100 people were present with several dirt bikes and vehicles performing burnouts on Scott Street about 2.50pm,” they said.
“Officers set up roadblocks to limit vehicles coming in and out of the street to manage the incident.
“The group then fled the area and were last seen on Swan Street.”
Cr Majdlik said council was disappointed by the video and acknowledges some of the challenges raised are a reality for many suburbs and towns around Australia.
“The City of Melton is a diverse, talented and connected community with a range of education and work opportunities, making it a great place to live,” she said.
“Significant landmark projects like the Melton Hospital, Cobblebank Community Services Hub and the Western Intermodal Freight Terminal will bring thousands of jobs and massive investment into our region.
“Melton City Council will continue to work with state and federal governments in facilitating important infrastructure like public transport, major roads and community services.”
