Casino inquiries are the main game â make them count
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May 10, 2021 â 9.12pm
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The built structures of Crownâs casino businesses loom large on the skylines of Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The Victorian capital was the scene of much of the misconduct identified in this mastheadâs reporting from 2019 onwards; WA is in the early stages of its own royal commission into the Perth casino; and looming above them all is the casino at Sydneyâs Barangaroo, which the regulator recently declared has âa way to goâ before winning back its suspended licence and admitting its first gamblers.
Meeting to preserve the pier
The pier was built in the mid-19th century and substantially reconstructed about 100 years later.
A new concrete section was built in late 2011, and there is growing pressure for the remaining wooden section to be kept for pedestrians.
News that the wooden section was under threat came in July 2020, when the Ports and Freight Minister Melissa Horne issued a media release headed Upgrading piers and jetties that included “the demolition of the inner section of the old Flinders Jetty in Western Port” (“Heritage pier faces partial demolition” The News 23/3/21).
Ms Horne was quoted as saying “We understand how important these piers are to their local communities so it’s vital for us to address the needs of residents and pier users”.
Goya Dmytryshchak
Hobsons Bay council has moved to prevent the state government’s planned removal of railway heritage groups from the heritage-listed Newport Railway Workshops.
The government recently indicated it wanted the heritage railway groups, who have run Steamrail Victoria and the 707 Operations volunteer groups restoring heritage trains at the workshops for nearly 30 years, moved off the heritage site, Cr Peter Hemphill told last week’s council meeting.
“Those that know me know that I am very passionate about preserving history and heritage,“ he said.
“A few weeks ago, the government released that document, ’Preserving our rail history – a blueprint for the future’, and it has a lot of detail in it but not enough to some degree.
VIC Premier
The Andrews Labor Government is supporting local jobs and the economy by improving facilities at the Local Port of Portland Bay, where up to 40 per cent of fresh fish are caught in Victoria.
Minister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne said works will start in the coming days at the Trawler Wharf to install a new purpose-built pontoon and walkway extension that will increase space for more vessels to berth and improve safety at this important commercial fishing facility.
The Portland Trawler Wharf will remain open for use by commercial fishers during the works that are set to be complete by June 2021.