Hello and welcome to this week’s Sunbury.
A Sunbury bakery is opening its doors to the community Saturday 31 May in a heartfelt fundraiser to support brain cancer research, a cause that hits close to home for Ottimo Bakery owner Rebecca Bremner.
She’s hoping to raise $500 to help research a cure by giving visitors a tour of the bakery for a donation.
Detectives are investigating armed robberies believed to be carried out by two people who targeted a fast-food restaurant on Vineyard Rd, Sunbury.
They stole a till and left in a stolen white Volvo V60 driven by a third member of the gang. The car was found dumped in Berwick.
Robbers are also said by police to have targeted a service station on Hume Highway, Craigieburn. They jumped over the counter, one armed with a machete, and stole cigarettes and cash.
Contractors working for Melbourne Airport are due to start altering Sunbury Rd, Bulla, in the coming months as part of the airport’s plan to build a third runway.
As part of the preparatory work, a temporary intersection will be built between Wildwood Rd and Oaklands Rd roundabouts for construction vehicles entering and leaving the airport grounds.
The new runway was approved by government last year, works will start this year, and it is expected to be completed in 2031. The project is expected to create 51,000 jobs.
Sunbury councillor Kate Hamley has raised the alarm over the Victorian Government’s newly legislated Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) levy, warning it will place an “unfair financial burden” on Hume’s rural communities, farmers, and already struggling households.
She says that if ratepayers protest by withholding fire levy payments, the council could still be required to pay the full amount to the state – leaving the council with a black hole in its budget.
– 234 farm properties, 79 of them are in Sunbury.
– 1,122 rural properties, 272 in Sunbury.
A proposal to sell public land at a discount and underwrite parts of a $60m private development in the heart of Broadmeadows was stopped by Hume City councillors this week, six votes to five.
Councillor Sam Misho was the first to raise concerns about the deal, with much of the fine detail being kept from the public.
Sunbury councillors Jarrod Bell and Kate Hamley were among those in favour of the scheme.
Now the proposal is dead in the water Sunbury Life has approached council to obtain the secret documents.
Labor led Hume City has voted against a new kerbside glass recycling service, taking a stand against a Victorian government mandate that councillors say places an unnecessary financial burden on the community.
The decision, made at the Monday 26 May council meeting, marks a rare but significant pushback against the so-called circular economy.
The council’s decision sets the stage for a broader showdown between local government and state policymakers over how best to manage Victoria’s waste future.
And the council has seen funding for local infrastructure projects stripped back as a result of Tuesday 20 May’s state budget announcement.
The budget includes cuts to the state’s Growing Suburbs Fund which has been used by the council to part fund projects across the city.
A council spokesperson says in a statement that Hume is one of Melbourne’s fastest growing outer Melbourne municipalities and the fund has been “important in ensuring our infrastructure meets this growth”.
Nominations for the 2025 Hume Young Leaders Awards are open to celebrate the leadership and contributions young people living in the city are making to their communities.
The annual celebration invites nominations aged 12-24 who are advocating for, and leading change within their communities and across Hume.
Finally, keep an eye on our what’s on page that not only lists community events but council meetings and surveys.
If you know of a community event not already listed then feel free to send use the details.
And that’s it, you’re up to date on the week’s news for Sunbury. And if you have news to share then let us know, because if it matters to Sunbury, it matters to us.
