Harmonious events
Melton residents are being encouraged to celebrate cultural diversity at two free Harmony Day events. International food, photo exhibitions and cultural performances will be at Caroline Springs Leisure Centre on March 23, from 10am-5pm. An event at the Diggers Rest family services centre, 10am-2pm on March 25, will feature cultural performances, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and Indian cooking demonstration. Mayor Kathy Majdlik said: “We welcome everyone and value the positive contributions people from more than 100 different cultural backgrounds make to our community.”
Mayoral panel role
Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik has been chosen as one of nine members of a ministerial mayors advisory panel, providing opportunities for communication between local and state governments. “It’s the first time that a mayor from Melton has been chosen. I look forward to advocating on the important issues for our growing municipality,” she said. The panel’s first meeting is mid-March.
Groundwater review
A small area of groundwater near a dam at the CFA’s Fiskville training centre contained residues of suppression foams used in fire training. That’s one of the early findings from an independent review of the water system by environment investigators Cardno Lane Piper, with a full report expected to be delivered mid-year. One of Australia’s leading toxicologists also found two small areas with minor soil contamination after intense examination of the site. To date, the review has found no contamination of groundwater, no buried drums in any of the suspected areas, and no risks associated with landfill. United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall said the early results were alarming. “This foam is now internationally banned because these chemicals are carcinogens and associated with birth defects and a range of cancers.” A CFA spokesman said upgrades to the water supply and treatment system would minimise off-site flows from Lake Fiskville and prepare for the installation of new water treatment facilities and the remediation of dams on the site.
Officeworks for Springs
Officeworks last week announced a $50 million investment in a new development opposite Bunnings warehouse on the Western Highway in Caroline Springs. The development is a 1775-square-metre showroom with onsite parking, two access points and exposure to the highway.
