By TOM HAYES   MOE’S infamous roundabout, that bridges over the railway line, has been the centre of concern for locals, who are fed up with the lack of safety on offer. The roundabout intersects High Street, Lloyd St, Anzac St, and Narracan Drive,…

By AIDAN KNIGHT   LATROBE City councillors voted against introducing glass bins at last month’s council meeting. The debate around glass recycling services is currently taking place across many councils in Victoria. Yallourn Ward Councillor Steph Morgan agreed with the officers recommendation to not implement a separate kerbside collection service for recycling glass, opting to instead introduce a drop-off service at transfer stations, which would be established before July 2027 to meet state government requirements. These same requirements have seen much discussion in council chambers across the state, with many municipalities, including neighbouring Baw Baw Shire Council distributing a purple-lidded bin specifically for glass collection. Latrobe City Council put it out for community consultation, and saw a total of 1940 responses. “We received an incredible amount of feedback from the community,” Cr Morgan said. “Alongside a thorough waste audit across 128 households within 12 townships.” The Yallourn Ward councillor described the move not to adopt the purple-lid bins as a low risk, evidence-based approach that would save ratepayers a substantial amount. Such a service would set council back $3.7million in the first year of rollout, with an ongoing annual cost of half-a-million dollars every year after. Cr Morgan summed it up as “a bit mad” to charge for a community asking for a different option. The officers recommendation included a staged approach, that would have council re-evaluate if the transfer station method was meeting community needs and accessibility requirements. Moe Ward Cr Adele Pugsley said a glass bin would not be a good use of ratepayers’ funds. “When we already have a system that works really really well,” she said, referring to the usual yellow lid recycle bin, which Cr Pugsley added already meets the mandated requirements. “I don’t see that it would be sustainable if we’ve got a separate bin truck following our other bin trucks, (…) to pick up my three jam jars per year.” The Moe Ward representative saw that not proceeding with the new bin was the only practical and responsible decision. The motion passed unanimously, making Latrobe City one of more than 50 Councils across Victoria to say no the purple bin.

By AIDAN KNIGHT   MOE’S Community Hub in High Street is becoming increasingly concerned as the lack of income is causing the hub to close. The Life Skills Victoria-affiliated community venue provides versatile spaces for community and commercial use, including training sessions, business meetings, seminars, and creative performances. Last month, the High Street Community Hub issued an online update that, from Monday, May 18, no community groups will be operating from the space, and no bookings will be taken for the space by any interested groups either. Those affected say the announcement blindsided them, ending what they describe as a thriving, inclusive hub built up over the past 12 months. Regular participant Trish Ainsworth, who had previously drafted a detailed statement about the hub’s situation, said the shutdown came after a year of strong growth in community use. “It’s an all-age community hub that has had, under the Teagan (hub coordinator Teagan Brooks) stewardship, gone from practically nothing 12 months ago to now this really vibrant community that we’re all incredibly invested in and absolutely love,” Ms Ainsworth said. Groups using the hub include a dog-walkers group, a three-to-five kilometre Wednesday walk, chair-based exercise, playgroup, a coffee and chat group, a craft group, and a multicultural community garden. “There was a $15,000 grant for a community, multicultural community garden”, Ms Ainsworth said. “We’ve built this garden, we’ve donated a lot of our own time and money, and we’re going to be basically locked out of it, told to find somewhere else.” She said the hub had become a place that supported social connection, mental health and physical wellbeing. “In a world where we’re talking about loneliness in old age, disconnection, poor mental health, poor physical health … this place has been building this big web of connections,” Ms Ainsworth said. Another regular at the hub, Marlene Mitchell, said volunteers had not only created new spaces on the premises, such as the garden, but also improved existing ones. People say the hub’s activities sit alongside NDIS-funded life skills programs run by Life Skills Victoria for people with cognitive and some physical disabilities, using a long-term grant intended to create an “intentional community” at the site. Several people told the Express they had only recently learned, at a public question-and-answer session a month before the announcement of closure, that Life Skills Victoria had been losing substantial amounts of money over multiple years. One attendee said the Q&A night was the first time they had heard of significant losses, and claimed there had been no clear visibility of the organisation’s finances to stakeholders. “We don’t have any evidence of dodgy behaviour because we can’t get the evidence,” one speaker told the meeting. “That Q&A evening was the first we knew of the money being lost.” Others questioned what had been tried to keep the community side of the operation running. “We did ask the question, what’s been tried to save the community half of the hub, and there was no satisfactory answer to that,” Ms Ainsworth added. “It was basically, ‘Oh, we’re looking for somebody to merge with us.’ Who’s going to take something like this on?” Some participants said they would have been willing to pay modest annual subscriptions, help with revenue-raising initiatives or formally volunteer to support NDIS programs, but felt those offers had not been taken up. Local resident Tony Zimora also raised questions about specific grant-funded activities, such as exercise programs, and the lack of clarity about how those funds had been used. “We won’t go quietly,” Ms Mitchell said. “We’re not just little old grannies – and we want them to know that,” Ms Ainsworth added. Latrobe City Council Moe Ward Councillor, Adele Pugsley, attended the Q&A meeting after the community hub reached out for help – only to learn there wasn’t much council could do. “It was also a bit of a shock because the deadline was made so quick,” she told the Express. “I feel like there wasn’t a lot of time for community groups to absorb the impact that this was going to have.” Cr Pugsley became focused within council to help find new homes for as many groups within the hub’s programming as possible. “The gardening club has found a new home in the (Latrobe Valley) Beekeepers Association, and that looks like it’s going to be a rather beneficial collaboration between the two,” she said. “They may end up with something better, but for the others, I hope that we can find something as good as (what was previously had).” One of the groups still struggling to find a new collaborator and space is the chair Zumba group. Cr Pugsley is also conscious that “it just won’t feel the same”, citing how beneficial the existing program was for many demographics to engage with and support each other, and to take that away and “return to a society where everybody’s segregated, it feels like a real step back”. As hub organisers scramble to relocate programs and preserve the connections built inside the High Street space, many fear the closure of the hub represents more than the loss of a venue. To them, it will be the dismantling of a rare community network in Moe. While some groups may survive in new locations, regulars say the sense of belonging fostered under one roof will be difficult to replace, with uncertainty still hanging over what future, if any, remains for the Community Hub itself.

By AIDAN KNIGHT   A SECOND candidate has emerged for the Morwell River Ward by-election, with Guss Lambden confirming he will contest the August poll. Mr Lambden, a V/Line authorised officer and former navy radar operator, said concerns about safety in Morwell’s CBD and a desire to see greater progress across Latrobe City motivated his decision to run. Drawing on his day job working on the rail network, including at Morwell station and the bus interchange, Mr Lambden said stamping out antisocial behaviour in the CBD and mall would be his number one priority if elected. He described witnessing and reporting regular incidents at the interchange and along Commercial Road, and said the current environment was deterring business and making residents feel unsafe. “I would not start a business in Commercial Road,” he said. “You can have the best business in the world, but you’re not going to run it down there with people screaming and yelling and drinking, and drug-taking day and night.” The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former councillor Tracie Lund and, so far, only two prospective candidates have publicly emerged. Mr Lambden is the first to formally confirm his candidacy, while fellow hopeful John Ellingham has publicly indicated he is considering contesting the seat. “It’ll be the friendliest by-election ever,” Mr Lambden told the Express, if it comes down to a choice between the two. The pair have known each other for years through their involvement in local football umpiring, and despite potentially being opposed at the ballot paper, both have informed the Express of a strong mutual respect for each other. While Mr Ellingham resides within the Morwell Ward, Mr Lambden was born and raised in Moe. He returned to his hometown following a hospitality stint in Cairns after leaving the navy. He ran at the last council election, securing 38.23 per cent of the vote for Moe Ward, losing to Adele Pugsley. Prior to that, he ran against Ms Lund in the former West Ward in 2016, and stood as an independent candidate at the 2018 state election for the seat of Narracan. His 2024 council campaign was complicated by a series of Facebook advertisements originating from accounts based in the United States, which used his likeness and promoted his candidacy without his involvement. Similar material featuring other local candidates drew criticism during the campaign, with some posts incorrectly describing Mr Lambden as a sitting councillor. No source for the advertisements was ever publicly identified. “I guess I was worried no one was going to put their hand up, but then I did see John, and I thought, ‘Oh well, I’ll still put my hand up anyway.’ It’s nice knowing that you’re going into something with someone with friendly competition,” Mr Lambden said. “It hasn’t been an easy decision. There’s pros and cons, but if we can get some improvement in the town and in the region as a whole, that’s what it’s all about.” “It just feels like it’s very unsafe at the moment,” he said of the Morwell area, adding that he had “lost count” of how many times he had called Victoria Police as a commuter himself. Mr Lambden said he wanted council to use its convening power more actively to support Victoria Police and PSOs, and push for better resourcing. His comments came days after Latrobe City Council voted to pursue a CBD outreach program aimed at addressing antisocial behaviour in Morwell. “If there’s anything we can do at a council level to improve resourcing for police, we definitely [should],” he said, elaborating further that he would not be scared to use existing contacts he’s developed throughout his career to facilitate “getting them all in the same room together” and start a discussion for the municipality’s best interests. “I don’t see the word ‘councillor’ as a real glossy position,” he said, having spent roughly a decade around both local and state politics, volunteering on campaigns within his Liberal membership. Mr Lambden spoke candidly of factional and political dynamics already existing within Latrobe City Council, which he was ready to navigate after observing the landscape from the outside for a number of years. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to vote for what’s best for your town – if I’ve got to (hypothetically) vote opposite to a Dale (Harriman) or Joanne Campbell – so be it,” he said. On basic infrastructure, Mr Lambden said roads and CBD lighting around Morwell were overdue for attention, and linked these safety and amenity concerns to economic revitalisation. “Council should be doing everything possible,” he said to attract businesses as well as events to Latrobe City. “There’s too much of a focus on your Moe, your Churchill. “We’re not Moe, Traralgon or Morwell in isolation, we need to be a whole Latrobe City.” It is Mr Lambden’s opinion that what should remain a “healthy and fun sporting rivalry” between towns should not spill any further into capital works and budget decisions, stressing that smaller towns also need to be more recognised as “part of the equation”. Mr Lambden says he is not fond of the idea of “career councillors”, and also expressed support for younger representation in local government, pointing to the election of Yallourn Ward’s Steph Morgan as a positive example. “You don’t want an entire table dominated by over 55s,” he said. Becoming stagnant is the Latrobe Valley’s worst enemy in his view, on multiple levels. He said seeing limited change across the region after some years away was one of the factors that first inspired him to seek elected office. “That’s basically why I ran for council the first time,” he said. Despite the contest ahead, Mr Lambden said the by-election should remain focused on securing strong representation for residents. “We just need a strong candidate, whether it’s myself or John,” he said. The Morwell River by-election will be held via post on Saturday, August 1. Candidate nominations close at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 23. Further information can be found via https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/current-elections/latrobe-city-council-morwell-river-ward-by-election

By AIDAN KNIGHT   THE table lit up like Christmas at February’s Latrobe City council meeting, when discussing allocation of funds towards holiday decorations. Each year, an agreed amount is put aside for council to spend on Christmas decorations of various descriptions in each town across Latrobe City. It was discussed within the 2025/26 midyear budget review, via a motion from Councillor Adele Pugsley (Moe), that Latrobe City set aside $200,000 for Christmas decorations this year. Also included within the budget, but receiving next-to-no airtime in the discussion, was the following additional allocations: * Data collection at Mathison Park, Churchill (following the recent opening of the disc golf course) – $12,000; * Copyright agency agreement (standard Victorian local government charge for marketing) – $11,000, and; * Leisure and aquatic facilities strategic review (for maintenance and assessment of the centres) – $100,000. These amounts, allocated first, came out of the forecast surplus 2025/26, and totalled $123,000 of the $586,000 estimated for the surplus. This left the updated surplus at $463,000, half of which Cr Pugsley proposed, via an alternate motion, to go to uplifting the face of the towns, big and small, across the municipality over the Christmas period. This was seconded by Boola Boola Ward’s Cr David Barnes, who then rushed to speak too early – only to be halted by mayor Sharon Gibson for due procedure, allowing Yallourn Ward Councillor Steph Morgan to form opposition. When speaking to the motion, Cr Pugsley referenced resident feedback on budget spending, seeing an “overwhelming community response that they wanted more Christmas decorations”. “By allocating more money to Christmas decorations, I feel it would bring more connectivity to all of our towns, but also have the effect of increasing joy of our community at Christmas time,” she said. The Moe Ward councillor also went on to describe the somewhat dilapidated state of current decorations at council’s disposal. Cr Barnes opened his support by stating that “I think Christmas is a great thing”. “It’s about all them (sic) ratepayers and giving stuff back to people and make their towns fantastic,” he said. “Why wouldn’t you do something like that? I think it’s a great idea.” Cr Morgan then asked Latrobe City chief executive, Steve Piasente, if council was expected to have a report on Christmas decorations presented soon. Mr Piasante directed this to the city general manager, James Rouse, who clarified that there was currently no such scheduled report, simply a briefing for council on the matter. Cr Morgan then made a second inquiry, as to whether the timeline of the funding implementation would shift if it was to be looked at as part of “the actual council budget or the midyear budget reviews”. Mr Piasante said the two have a slight difference, as logically deciding something earlier allows for greater preparation time. Questions then materialised from Budgeree Ward’s Leanne Potter, who inquired if the $200,000 was “as well as, or instead of?” any existing money within the proposed budget. The mayor informed her this would depend on the outcome of the budgets. Jeeralang Ward’s Joanne Campbell asked if council usually buys decorations, under the impression they were a product of a specific grant from the state government. Mr Pisente redirected once again to Mr Rouse, who replied, revealing the major towns own decorations, while the smaller towns do not, and are often instead provided a small grant to organise their own, annually. His words hung in the air momentarily, before the mayor said cheerily, “well I’ll have a question too”, asking how much is allocated to each town. Mr Rouse told her it varied from $700 to $4000 per town association, but to all decorations, not specific to Christmas. Mr Piasente then returned to Cr Potter’s question, and informed council that there is, in fact, an outstanding budget allocation which he recalled to be a total around $45,000, “not a significant amount”, which he took on notice to provide council a more exact amount to operate from. With this cleared up, Cr Potter asked to put forward an amendment, to which the mayor asked, “are you moving an amendment?”. Cr Potter said yes, and mayor Gibson then asked what the amendment was. Cr Potter explained that the amount allocated would be in excess of $200,000, noting Mr Piasente’s clarification, and asked to reduce the proposed amount to $100,000, “in lieu of the fact that there’s already $45,000 that the CEO spoke about”. “Which would make the total $145,000,” she concluded. Cr Morgan seconded Cr Potter’s amended motion, while Cr Barnes opposed. Cr Potter spoke on her amendment, stating that she agreed with the first three points of the motion, specifically voicing her support for the disc golf course (which has attracted more than 1000 new visitors to the park since January), but saw it as irresponsible for council to allocate so much to Christmas decorations when there was other, more pressing, issues within the municipality. “It’s great to renew and update decorations, to keep that vibrancy and the towns looking festive,” she divulged. “We know that’s an economic stimulus to towns, to have those decorations out over the December period,” before citing infrastructure and capital projects as a higher priority, singing out for funds within the council agenda. The mayor was seen to whisper to the chief executive, doing so as Cr Potter emphasised the importance of maintaining a strong investment in categories that “residents actually expect from us all year round, that actually make a big impact on their life, every day”. “We can always add some more next year,” Cr Potter reasoned, “let’s see if we can spread it out across budgets.” Cr Morgan agreed that “$200,00 – a lot to spend. It’s also above what we have been told what is needed (…) in the report we received.” This amount mentioned was set at $100,000-$150,000 – meaning it has nearly doubled the maximum estimate, something Cr Morgan viewed as unreasonable, asking for “a sensible investment into our community, as opposed to an all-out splurge”. Mr Piasente in this time had located documents for the specific amount from the previous outstanding allocation. This turned out to be $34,000, not $45,000. Cr Barnes then spoke to the amendment, however somewhat out of order. The Boola Boola Ward councillor was asked to properly address his colleagues after referring to Cr Potter and Cr Morgan as “the girls”. “We’re not infant children,” Cr Morgan reasoned to the mayor when she appeared somewhat exasperated that it was being called out. Cr Barnes then resumed his opposition, getting under Cr Morgan’s skin by referring to her as if she was two separate people, “Okay Councillor Steph and Councillor Morgan”, although the Yallourn representative did not bite. “What I really worry about,” he said, “is it’s about the ‘big four’.” “I think a lot of the money goes into bigger towns – Churchill, Traralgon, Morwell, Moe. It’s about time they start to give a bit to the little people, you know, they get a little bit forgotten, and I’m surprised councillor Steph hasn’t said anything about that.” It was at this point that mayor Gibson called out Cr Barnes off her own accord, asking him to refer to councillors properly. “The way it’s all going it’s not right,” he went on to say. “You need to make it right for people what live in little towns (sic)”. Mayor Gibson interrupted a second time, asking Cr Barnes to speak more directly on the amendment motion of $100,000 being allocated. “If it’s $200,000, how much of that money would go to Churchill, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon?” he asked. “Fair comment,” Mayor Gibson replied. Cr Pugsley joined Cr Barnes in opposition, noting the excess amount the chief executive informed was to be carried over, but saw that the existing decorations were not fit-for-use. “I don’t think $100,000 is enough to get any benefit for the smaller communities who are missing out already,” and wanted for a Latrobe City where all communities benefit. In a surprise turn, Tyers Ward Councillor Darren Howe joined the pile-on against his usual allies, despite, in his own words, “a list a mile-high of unfunded projects”. “I’m happy to go ahead with the $200,000, because it doesn’t mean we spend $200,000,” thinking of reducing process if it turned out to be more costly. Cr Potter retorted to the extensive opposition with disagreement. “The small towns do have Christmas decorations, we have some beautiful ones popping up in Boolarra, that have been made by the community – we’ve got fantastic ones across Yinnar. I don’t believe that every town is going to need to totally refresh,” she said. Cr Potter went on to speak about the community togetherness of small towns coming together each year to make their own decorations, involving schools and craft groups. She remained staunch in her argument that $200,000 was too large an amount for such a cause. The amendment went to a vote, and was lost 6-2, with everyone bar Crs Potter and Morgan – leaving the latter visibly dejected. The original motion was then brought back to the table. Cr Morgan was then granted the ability to speak on her original opposition. ‘I’m not against Christmas decorations – I love it, in fact”, she said, but warned it was an unwise use of the surplus, and leaving it at least to the main council budget a few months later would “ensure transparency and deep community consultation”. Cr Morgan wanted to hear the public’s thoughts, on a municipality-wide scale, but was assured by other councillors that residents have made vocal outcry for new decorations. Cr Howe made a persuasive argument that “every year it comes up that we’ve let our community down with Christmas decorations, so I’m happy for this (motion) to be in there (the draft budget)”. This was echoed by deputy mayor Dale Harriman (Loy Yang Ward), saying “for the last six years we’ve been inundated with community members saying our Christmas decorations look tired, dated, tatty, when are we going to renew them”. Cr Harriman hinged the room on the fact that they as a council must represent the people’s best interests, and the people are interested in freshening the festivities in Latrobe City. Ultimately, Crs Potter and Morgan conceded defeat, although not before calling it a “rash decision in a cost-of-living crisis”, and accepted council’s decision to move the motion to allocate $200,000 on Christmas decorations. The votes passed identically to the amendment earlier.

HORSE RACING By LIAM DURKIN   WHAT’S in a name. Six-year-old gelding Howlin’ Rain carried a somewhat facetious undertone on the way to winning this year’s Moe Cup. The historic meeting, held on a Sunday for the first time, saw Logan Bates steer home the winner for Cranbourne-based trainer Cindy Anderson in commanding fashion by nearly three lengths. Howlin’ Rain jumped well and led from start to finish across 2050 metres in the eight-horse race. Star Vega and Ghetto Superstar had to make do with podium finishes, while Red On Red, trained by Moe’s John Pascoe and carrying local optimism at $14.00, came sixth. Fifth-placed Staunched looked beaten as horses turned into the final straight, and as racecaller Adam Oslanski wonderfully put, the finish was a “one act affair, Howlin’ Rain in the howling wind,” once the gelding put on the afterburners. The win returned no great surprises, with Howlin’ Rain the pre-race favourite at $3.60. Traralgon jockey Thomas Stockdale rode in the cup, coming seventh on board Glentaneous. Clearly proud to be riding in the race, he held his hand over his heart as the national anthem was sung by Gippslander Mick Harrington (of The Voice fame) before taking to the track. Embrace: Winning trainers celebrate in the mounting yard. Photographs: Liam Durkin ELSEWHERE, the meeting was highlighted by a track record being set for a 1000m sprint on the club’s StrathAyr surface, after Speir won the Race 4 Bidfood Handicap in 58 seconds. Remember Poppy won the Race 2 Ian Grants Caravans Maiden Plate (1100m), and Stockdale rode the winner of the Race 3 Clearview Radiology Maiden Plate (1600m) on board Taxing. Real Alliance won the Race 6 TRFM Handicap (1600m), Peacon the Race 7 Nextra Moe Sprint (1200m) and Fridge Monster the Race 9 Bottlemart Moe Handicap (1600m). The meeting started with the track rated a Soft 5, upgraded to a Good 4 by Race 3.   MOE Racing Club staff would have slept well last Sunday night. And deservedly so. All hands on deck ensured another successful Moe Cup, showcasing the best that country racing has to offer. If the move to a Sunday meeting was seen as dangerous in the eyes of even the staunchest traditionalists, such fears were surely quelled by meeting’s end. Thousands gathered for what could have been termed a ‘pleasant Sunday afternoon’, that started in typically subdued fashion and ended with great frivolity after the last race. Early showers threatened a tired Moe Cup weather cliché, yet from Race 1 onwards, hardly a drop of water fell. There was still rain on Moe Cup day – it’s just that it only came right at the very start and right at the very end, at which time racing had finished anyway (mind you, it absolutely pelted down around 8pm). If ever there was a sign of a new era for Moe cups – that may well have been it. Rain bookending the meeting, but never putting it in jeopardy. The Sunday turnout would have undoubtedly pleased organisers, who also undoubtedly received no shortage of advice when the decision was made to hold a weekend Moe Cup for the first time ever. The timing however was not without careful planning. Not only did a Sunday meeting allow more families the chance to attend, but a construction RDO the following day also ensured people from various industries could let their hair down. Speaking of hair, Fashions on the Field attracted a strong crowd and plenty of colour, as locals and out-of-towners vied for sashes. Formalities: Moe Racing Club committee members gather with winning connections at the post-race presentation. Elis Crewes travelled from Montrose and won best dressed lady, while Richmond’s Michael McAlpine took home best dressed male. Dignitaries gathered for the chairman’s luncheon in the upstairs function room, including Member for Monash Mary Aldred, sporting a horseshoe necklace, Member for Morwell Martin Cameron, and Latrobe City councillors Sharon Gibson and Adele Pugsley. Moe Racing Club Chairman Mike Vanderfeen wished to thank all who made this year’s Moe Cup a resounding success. “The organisation for this cup, I’ve never seen the team work so harmoniously, led by Cassandra (Moe Racing Club Chief Executive Cassandra Rendell), was a fantastic job,” he said. “The crowd is up to our expectations, we had well over 1000 bookings before it started. Because the rain held off we were able to get those walk-ins. “We believe it’s something we can build on now for the families, the people have enjoyed the Sunday, they are quite happy about it.” The crowd packed Turfside for the afterparty, so much so even this writer couldn’t use his media powers to get straight in. “One in, one out,” came the blunt reply. Turns out you can’t get into absolutely everywhere with a camera. Now onto the Traralgon Cup, which will be held Sunday, November 30.

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT LOCAL residents have been left perplexed by the potential removal of carpark spaces in exchange for more street tree canopies as part of Latrobe City Council’s Streetscape Strategy. The proposal focuses on the enhancement of the visual, functional and environmental quality of streetscapes across the municipality, which would ultimately sacrifice select carparks within Traralgon, Morwell and Moe central business areas (CBD). From the strategy’s draft, Traralgon will lose a total of 52 carparks in its CBD, with Morwell (13) and Moe (11) also succumbing some spaces in favour of a significant increase of trees along the main streets. Council opened the proposed strategy for feedback from the community via a public survey following the September council meeting. “Council understands there is some concern regarding the implications of the draft strategy,” a council spokesperson said. “The final Streetscape Strategy has not been endorsed, and all community feedback will be considered when the Streetscapes Strategy is completed and presented to council for endorsement.” Comments ran riot on a Facebook post from Traralgon’s community group page, with the consensus being Traralgon’s CBD specifically is already subjected to parking issues a majority of the time. The still-in-development five-storey carpark on Grey Street will eventually alleviate that issue, however as stated by some online, not everyone is visiting the CBD for many hours, with some just looking to drop in and out. Following an initial assessment of each town’s main streets and CBD area, key long-term cost saving opportunities were identified. Tailored recommendations were then penned to improve the overall quality and appearance of public spaces, such as: Increasing tree canopy; Beautification of streetscapes; Enhancing pedestrian and cyclist mobility; Rationalisation of infrastructure; Providing a consistent suite of street amenities across Latrobe City, and; Efficient ongoing maintenance requirements. The ongoing project is estimated to cost anywhere between $8.98 million and $9.73 million to revitalise all Latrobe City towns, according to the strategy’s draft. Prior to the 1994 amalgamation of local governments to create Latrobe City Council, each town had already formed its own identity and unique design through its streetscapes. The strategy argues that this has since created a lack of visual cohesion throughout the municipality, with that inconsistency requiring street maintenance teams to source and manage a wide variety of replacement parts and materials, thus increasing cost. Outdated benches, bins, bollards and paving will be replaced with new, consistent street furniture, materials and paving types through the Streetscapes Strategy. The attempt to beautify the region’s townships through environmental and presentational means modifying the existing line markings for parking bays, retaining all access to properties and side streets, and minimising modifications to existing kerbs to reduce construction costs. Additionally, the strategy also presents an opportunity to enhance roundabouts across Latrobe City to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, proposing a hierarchy for roundabout designs to ensure a balanced approach between good urban design and manageable maintenance requirements. The motion was carried unanimously at the September council meeting, with councillors Darren Howe (Tyers Ward), Adele Pugsley (Moe), Sharon Gibson (Newborough) and Tracie Lund (Morwell River) all vocal in their support of the strategy.  

By AIDAN KNIGHT LATROBE City Mayor Dale Harriman will travel to Spain next month for a conference headed by the International Urban and Regional Corporation Program (IURC), run by the European Union. The Mayor plans to represent Latrobe City and the Gippsland region at the Global Thematic Networking Workshops, held as part of the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 from November 4 to 6. An unscheduled council meeting was called on Friday, October 10, to be held Tuesday October 14, to discuss the attendance of the mayor in Barcelona. Councillors unanimously agreed to send the mayor overseas. Mayor Harriman will travel alongside South Gippsland Shire Councillor and One Gippsland Chair Nathan Hersey. One Gippsland has been asked to lead the region’s participation in the program. The invitation was open to all mayors across Gippsland. Mayor Harriman is the only mayor from Gippsland’s six LGAs (Latrobe City, Bass, South Gippsland, Baw Baw, East Gippsland and Wellington) attending. The announcement of the unscheduled meeting drew some kneejerk criticism online, with the comments on Latrobe City Council’s Facebook page, such as “get your priorities right let’s fix here before spending money overseas”. This is the second instance mayor Harriman has made moves to stamp his passport in the name of council, after a similar unscheduled motion was held in April this year to pass a motion for the mayor to accompany the Traralgon City Band on their European Tour. A similarly toned backlash saw the mayor switch his approach to pay for the trip himself ($10,000), after council’s approved motion for ratepayers to foot the bill a month earlier earned outcry from residents. This time, he proposes that need only pay for “incidental expenses” outlying the trip, such as meals and parking, an estimated $1000 covered by council’s Support and Expenses Policy. Any flight transfers would also fall under this category. Travel, accommodation and conference costs will be paid for by the IURC. At the meeting, which was held entirely virtually, Latrobe City Chief Executive Steve Piasente was present, alongside all councillors except Boola Boola Ward Councillor David Barnes, who was an apology. As required from his conflict of interest due to the motion involving himself, once the meeting was launched, the mayor left sitting council for it to be chaired by his deputy, Newborough Ward Cr Sharon Gibson. The motion was moved by Moe Ward Cr Adele Pugsley, who proposed an alternative which was required to include details of the flight departing a day earlier than initially planned. Budgeree Ward Cr Leanne Potter seconded, and no opposition was heard. “I feel that this is a good opportunity – and value for money – for the mayor to go on this trip,” Cr Pugsley said of her support. “The expenses will be very minimal, in fact less than going interstate on some of the other trips we’ve had.” Cr Pugsley saw it as a great opportunity for council to further Latrobe Valley and learn how other countries operate in similar cities. “I would like to note that a majority of the costs are actually worn by IURC, and not Latrobe City Council, which will make it excellent value for us,” she continued, obviously addressing the outcry online. Cr Potter was quite pleased to endorse the motion as well, citing long-lasting effects to not just Latrobe City but the greater Gippsland region. She was inspired by the collaborative nature of the program “that helps cities around the world work together to solve challenges and build a better future for all of us”. “This year it’s quite exciting that Gippsland has been invited,” she went on to say, “to participate as part of the Smart Cities Expo World Congress in Barcelona, with workshops bringing together city leaders from right across the globe to exchange ideas and solutions like clean energy and sustainability, all very relevant for our region at the moment.” Cr Potter expressed her eagerness to see what the mayor’s report details upon his return, “the things he’s heard, the things he’s seen, the people he’s talked to”. Jeerlang Ward Cr Joanne Campbell pointed to the importance of mayor Harriman’s presence ensuring there are two representatives from Gippsland attending, and he can focus on topics more relevant to the Latrobe Valley (such as clean energy), while the South Gippsland Shire mayor focuses on the agricultural aspects. Yallourn Ward Cr Steph Morgan saw it as expanding council’s network in some really knowledgeable circles. “It also connects closely with the United Nations 2030 sustainability goals, which are really important,” she added. “I understand that community members may be concerned about the mayor undertaking international travel for an event that is of unknown or no benefits to Latrobe City, but with our councillor’s Support and Expenses Policy, we have good foundations for ensuring transparency in situations like this. “A written report will have to be presented at a future council meeting about what was experienced and taken from the events, and I think that allows an opportunity to share a wealth of knowledge with the community”. “I also trust that the mayor will make the most of the program to strengthen Latrobe City’s global connections,” Morwell River Ward Cr Tracie Lund said.  

By AIDAN KNIGHT   IN what experts are calling a “speedrun of democracy,” Latrobe City Council clocked its shortest meeting in living memory on Monday, October 6. Running for an excruciating seven minutes total, it was almost a miracle the Express team managed to stay awake for the duration. A special meeting, taking place purely for the sake of a single motion pertaining to the finance report. All councillors were present except Morwell River Ward’s Tracie Lund, who perhaps trusted her colleagues to handle this high-stakes 420-second saga without her. Also absent was Boola Boola’s David Barnes, who apparently missed the event because it took less time than finding a park. The editorial team noted so few were in attendance in the gallery that there was actually an entourage of one security guard per person, ensuring that everyone received their own personal bodyguard experience. The paperwork for the authorisation and certification of the 2024/25 finance report and performance statement was not entirely assembled in time for the previous regular meeting, on September 23. Council is bound by legality to move the motion as soon as the groundwork to do so is completed, calling for the shortest of short special meetings, of which nature had not been seen since the emergency meeting held in June, opposing the ESVF tax. With no public participation, no acknowledgements, and no questions, councillors found themselves already three-quarters done after approving the previous minutes. Newborough Ward Councillor Sharon Gibson moved the motion on the finance statement, and it was seconded by Moe Ward’s Adele Pugsley before being carried unanimously. Cr Gibson spoke on the efforts of councillors Joanne Campbell (Jeeralang) and Leanne Potter (Budgeree) on the draft. “These two councillors are on our audit committee, which is one of the most important we have on council,” Cr Gibson said. “There’s over 200 million (dollars in revenue) that council actually oversees with our budget, and these two (councillors) are part of the audit and risk committee, going through everything that is coming through council. “They’re very wise in what the risks and proceedings are, and it’s very important that they get it right so VAGO (Victorian Auditor-General’s Office) isn’t after all – and rightfully so. “I am so so happy to support this so those two councillors who are in this room can sign off on the paperwork”, Cr Gibson concluded, and that they did. Before proceedings to scribble their signatures like bureaucratic rock stars, Cr Campbell noted the honour she felt to serve on the committee, as well as the work done by the executive team in the space, summing it up with, “I’m pretty happy with this and we’re moving in the right direction”. Mayor Dale Harriman (Loy Yang Ward) closed the seven-minute meeting wryly, by turning to the two Express reporters and two residents in attendance and informing them “there’s biscuits available for the long trip home from the short meeting”. This is handy, as the meeting did not run long enough to even microwave a frozen lasagne for the civic spectacle. And with that, the curtains closed on Latrobe’s fastest council meeting ever, proving once again that politics doesn’t have to be slow … just well-catered.

By AIDAN KNIGHT   MORWELL River Ward Councillor, Tracie Lund moved a motion proposing a new Signage Strategy be implemented in Latrobe City at the September council meeting. This strategy has been drafted, and sets out to provide clear outlines for local businesses to abide in terms of signage requirements, which comes due to ongoing challenges in the processing of signage permits. Tyers Ward Cr Darren Howe seconded. Affecting businesses, developers and landowners alike, Cr Lund said the rules in place were “unclear, especially when a sign triggers a permit”. Cr Lund also believed that a clear signing strategy would improve the quality of consistency across Latrobe City through an easier permit application process, and “clear practical guidance”. Cr Lund asked that the proposal be put out on exhibition, giving the community an opportunity to provide feedback. “This is about providing clarity, cutting red tape, and improving outcomes for both businesses and the community,” she said. Newborough Ward Cr Sharon Gibson agreed with Cr Lund’s overall approach, but felt that specifics of the plan went too far, citing the “painting or fixed signage on windows” section of the strategy was far too restricting on local businesses. “If I had a business,” Cr Gibson argued to her colleagues, “and I wished to display what I’m actually selling in the shop, well I would want to be able to put on my window what I want.” Cr Gibson saw fit that provided the signage and/or displays avoided anything of an offensive nature, Latrobe City had no right to dictate whether or not it is acceptable on a place of business. “I get the intent, but I feel that we are going too far, when we’re telling businesses that they cannot do certain things on their own premises, we are going too far,” she said. “I understand there are certain quality standards we should accept, but it’s how far we are going that I disagree with.” Cr Gibson said once it’s put out to the community and if businesses agree with it, “that’s fine”, but felt she was speaking for the crowd when she said it is an unnecessary depth to which council are imposing restrictions on local business, who are already doing it tough. Moe Ward Councillor Adele Pugsley spoke up to voice her support of the “basic idea” of the proposal, and that she believed council officers developed it in hopes to simply make it easier and simpler for businesses to know when a permit is triggered. “When you’re trying to set up a business, lets face it, not all of us are great at paperwork, so if you have a guide to tell you the scenarios to ‘go for’ you won’t trigger a permit scenario,” she said. “I imagine when you set up a business it’s very daunting, and there is so much paperwork. I want for red tape to be cut back, I want for it to be easy, and good to do business in Latrobe City, or should I say, the best it can be. The best we can make it. I’m a fan of it”. Cr Pugsley also claimed to hear Cr Gibson’s perspective on the matter, and emphasised her encouragement for experienced businesses to give feedback on the strategy, and give honest opinions if they think the restrictions are too much for council to adopt. “We will take it on board, and that is the best way. It’s collaborative. Anything to make it easier to run a business and thrive in Latrobe City.” The floor then moved to Yallourn Ward Councillor Steph Morgan, also in favour, saying this strategy has been caused by existing issues, and should be heeded as such. “Through this, we are trying to implement a city-wide signage strategy that makers sense for everyone across the board,” she said. Cr Morgan said she supported calls for greater guidance to businesses, and improved efficiency in applications, but also pointed out how it could create a more accessible Latrobe City for shoppers. “You will be able to look into shops and get a better understanding of what is inside, and feel safer through the increased passive surveillance looking in and out of shops under these guidelines,” she said. “To make a better, more amenable CBD across all of Latrobe City, there are a lot of benefits to come out of this, and cutting the red tape is just one of them.” Cr Howe addressed Cr Gibson’s concerns, saying that putting it out to businesses and shoppers helps drive strong engagement. “I know I will be visiting all the businesses I know, and I want to encourage them to put in their submission, because once we adopt whatever our final (draft) looks like, it’s too late for them to change it,” he said. When put to a vote, the motion passed with all but Crs Gibson and Joanne Campbell (Jeeralang Ward) in favour. The strategy will now be put to ministerial approval to go to the community, which takes a period of six to eight weeks, meaning Latrobe City residents will have the opportunity to have their say in mid November.

By AIDAN KNIGHT   LATROBE City Council has once again circled the block on the question of how best to tackle antisocial behaviour in Morwell’s central business district, this time debating a new iteration of the Community Connectors Program under the banner of the CBD Community Outreach program. The issue, first raised in the February meeting, has now been deferred twice, with councillors split between immediate investment in outreach and waiting on assurances from the state government. The program, described by Councillor Steph Morgan as a “bespoke tailored outline for our community,” would allocate $30,000 from Council reserves to design a localised outreach model. Officers propose placing trained workers at hotspots such as the Morwell Transit Hub to connect people with housing, health and social services, addressing the root causes of poor behaviour rather than relying solely on policing. The model is based on programs trialed successfully in Frankston and Dandenong, where outreach reduced antisocial behaviour and improved perceptions of safety. Council officers argued the same could help Morwell, which has seen a 15 per cent rise in crimes against the person and property offences, and a 38 per cent increase in drug-related offences since 2019-20. May’s meeting saw the pushing back of the Connectors Program, with Cr Sharon Gibson the most vocal that policing is the best option, deferring the then proposed $50,000 (also pushed by Cr Morgan) to resource research for the program. Cr Gibson herself had met with the Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines, with Mayor Dale Harriman and Latrobe City chief executive Steve Piasante. During last week’s meeting, Council remained divided on the issue, as Cr Morgan emphasised, “We can’t attack this problem just through policing alone, we need a community-minded approach to really address a multifaceted issue. There is no one answer.” Cr Morgan said Council risked alienating residents and businesses who already felt “ignored” by repeated delays, warning Morwell could be left a “ghost town” if inaction continued. Cr Pugsley raised the point at the September meeting, on the outcome of the talks with the minister, to which Mr Piasante clarified that no promise was made. While the minister had indicated he was keen to visit Latrobe City for assessment, alongside the Police Commissioner, the recent events surrounding the manhunt in Porpunkah prevented discussion from going any further in that time. There was no exact date or definite confirmation they would indeed visit, meaning there is no promise Latrobe City Council can call on the government to uphold, and no ballpark of when and if it will come to fruition. “These things can take a number of months,” Mr Piasante stated when pressed for a timeframe for usual circumstances. The CEO also admitted that external organisations such as Anglicare also had not replied to Council on the matter. There had been anecdotal observations in the CBD that the behaviour in question had been quieter in the winter months, although Council admitted the happenings seem to have just shifted from outside to inside, such as Morwell Library. In fact, data released Thursday from the Crime Statistics Agency shows criminal incidents in Latrobe rose by 10.3 per cent in the 12 months to June 2025 compared with the previous year. Moe recorded the sharpest increase, with offences climbing 26 per cent, following the Allan Labor Government’s decision to cut back operating hours at the town’s police station. Cr Gibson foreshadowed an amended motion should it be voted down, and mentioned her push for the deferral of any ground-level action, that was carried at the July meeting. “I was after the deferral because we want him (Minister Carbines) to look at what he will do for us. He has the ability and the knowledge on a whole host of different recommendations that could help our area”, she explained, but failed to show any strong argument on why council shouldn’t do something in the meantime, as the officers had flagged that no action would mean a decline in business in the Morwell CBD. “I really hope that my fellow councilors can see the wisdom in actually deferring because we actually might get a better outcome for our community,” she continued, providing no supporting evidence as to why. Cr Tracie Lund said the community had already waited too long. “Our residents have raised genuine concerns about safety in our CBDs,” she said. “This isn’t about policing; it’s about council leading the work to support social cohesion. Valuable work from the minister’s office can come at any time – it shouldn’t stop us starting.” Cr Potter saw the same light, pushing to ensure the work being done is designed for the area, rather than a cut-and-paste method from the police that may not even occur, focusing on “lived experience”. “Wait for the minister for police? Yeah, he’s got a great idea for the whole of Victoria”, she said, “but he doesn’t know what it’s like to live in the Latrobe Valley”. Cr Potter continued to argue that using the existing methods from Frankston and Dandenong in conjunction with a tailored approach would be the most effective option for Latrobe City. “Launch the initiatives to show what we’re doing locally, that’s what the minister wants to see, he doesn’t want to see us sitting here saying ‘please tell us what the answer is’, because he doesn’t have it,” she said. Mayor Harriman posed a question to the CEO on a recent program based on antisocial behaviour in Moe, ran by state Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing and the now-defunct Latrobe Health Assembly, and what had come of it. “The short answer is no,” Mr Piasante clarified, showing up for the third time that Latrobe City did not have any strong reliance on agencies other than Victoria Police. Cr Morgan closed by reiterating that in contrary to Cr Darren Howe’s statement of May, tackling this issue has been in discussion for a further three months, back in February. “Do we wait until Morwell businesses have been driven out? The CBD becomes a ghost town? “That is how our community members are feeling this is going, that they are continuously being abandoned and forgotten about by us, the council, because we have other agendas at play,” Cr Morgan said. Cr Morgan also made a strong point to the current lack of police presence due to the events in Porpunkah “makes it really clear that we need to look at other approaches”. She finished with a smirk, saying, “I never thought so many of my colleagues would put so much weight into the opinion of a Victorian labor minister, and I find that very interesting. “We need to do something for ourselves. It’s not that much, it’s not that hard, let’s do it,” Cr Morgan said. The original motion failed, with only Crs Morgan, Lund, and Potter in support. Cr Gibson’s foreshadowed amendment then swooped in: defer the decision until November, pending a ministerial visit, but provisionally set aside $30,000 in reserves. This second part came in the form of an amendment from Cr Potter, trying to make the best out of an unsatisfactory outcome. Cr Morgan then spoke against the motion, visibly unenthused by the turn of events within the meeting. “I am again disappointed that we are once again delaying some real, real community impact,” she said. The Yallourn councillor expressed her frustration in making no progress in an issue that has persisted, since the start of the year, before dropping the most dramatic pop culture reference Latrobe City Council has seen in 2025. “To paraphrase Star Wars: Episode IV, Minister Carbines, you’re Morwell’s only hope,” Cr Morgan said. “I hope he plans a visit to Morwell very soon, and I hope it’s a good one, because our community is being abandoned and let down by those they have elected to be here and support.” Cr Gibson retorted that she has “quite a bit of faith in the police minister”, regardless of his party, based on the progress he has given Frankston and Dandenong, and sees no reason why it wouldn’t work in Latrobe. “I believe whether he lives here or not, he has got the ability and experience to know what can and can’t work,” she said. Cr Lund tightened up the debate hesitantly, looking Cr Gibson in the eye while telling council they were waiting for a silver bullet, in the form of a state minister who hasn’t even booked a time to visit, which she doubts will occur before November. Cr Adele Puglsey emphasised what council was asking of the minister was the very thing he specialised in, and saw it better to wait it out to get it right rather than wasting resources and officers’ time in something else that may not work. “We don’t have a lot of money to throw in the wrong direction,” Cr Pugsley said. The direction may appear to be limbo until November arrives. Council carried the (convoluted) amended foreshadowed motion as it became the next best option, in the words of Cr Potter, who jumped ship to support the promise of at least doing something two months down the track over nothing at all. This left only Crs Morgan and Lund in opposition, much like the rebel alliance, searching for that sense of hope and waiting for the minister to strike back.

By AIDAN KNIGHT ONE of the more interesting debates from the August Latrobe City Council meeting centred around keeping things holy. Specifically, the old Methodist church in Traralgon. At the August 25 meeting at GPAC, Budgeree Ward Councillor, Leanne Potter put forward a motion to consult the community one last time on whether council should renew the lease for the historic building at 41 Princes Street. The consultation would seek written submissions from the public about the building’s future use or relocation, and importantly, whether anyone can help foot the bill. This also includes funding options for the church if it were to continue to renew its lease. Cr Potter presented this, with the purpose of providing council with an update on negotiations with VicTrack and options available for the address (located opposite the train station), which she understands serves a lot of sentimental and historical value in the hearts of many Traralgon residents. Sentimentality doesn’t pay the bills, however, and this is reflected in the $844,000 (plus GST) it has been calculated to cost Latrobe City to upgrade the building to meet current safety standards for public use. Much like the building itself and the figure it was previously dedicated to, this is a debate that refuses to die, and has been haunting council agendas for years like a heritage-listed ghost: -By November 2021, council voted to demolish the church after salvageable items were removed; -By December that same year, demolition was dramatically halted in favour of more community consultation; -In May 2023, an Expression of Interest campaign was launched, essentially a call for anyone with a workable idea to step forward; -The following November, council received those outcomes and resolved to negotiate a new lease with VicTrack, the site’s actual owner, and; -By April 2025, a draft 10-year lease, with the option for another 10, was put on the table. And yet, despite all the twists and turns, council officers now say the building has reached the end of its useful life. With too many upgrades required to run for public use, and no funding to back it, their recommendation is demolition. Still, as Cr Potter reminded her colleagues, plenty of Traralgon residents remain attached to the church, and officers now recommend one last round of community engagement to see if anyone can conjure up the ideas (or cash) to save it. “It’s important we hear from the people who know and love, and not just decide what happens to it, but also allow the community to have their say on it,” she pleaded. “Help us make a decision that honours the past and helps us move forward, making the process as meaningful as it possibly can be.” Cr Pugsley, who seconded the ultimately unanimous motion, emphasised the officers findings were a direct result of moving the information centre previously housed in the 146-year-old church to a new address, making it of little use in its current state. “I’m interested to see what the community would like to do with it,” she said in relation to the public submissions. In council’s first year of discussion around the church, calls were made simply to relocate the building to a more central Traralgon location, as a heritage building, rather than upgrading it for any commercial use. Regional historian (and former Wellington Shire Councillor) Linda Barraclough said at the time that it was one of only five pre-1880 timber churches left in Gippsland. Tyers Ward Councillor, Darren Howe also supported the notion of letting the people speak, despite the exorbitant cost council is faced with. “We heard in 2021 the community’s angst,” he said, “it’s time to go back to them and give them the opportunity to save it.” For now, the old Methodist church remains in limbo, somewhere between salvation and the bulldozer, waiting for the next sermon to arrive in the form of a written submission. Written submissions from the public as to the future use and/or location of the building (including funding options) are required by no later than 5pm, October 31, 2025.  

By LIAM DURKIN   LATROBE City Council passed a notice of motion at an unscheduled council meeting on Monday, March 31 to send mayor Dale Harriman overseas with the Traralgon City Band. Cr Harriman (pictured) will however cover the $9500 fee himself, after a huge amount of public backlash followed council’s decision to fund the mayor’s trip at ratepayers’ expense at council’s monthly meeting on March 24. Morwell River Ward Councillor, Tracie Lund put up an alternative motion at the unscheduled meeting, requesting the city’s mayoral chains not be included as part of the tour. The mayoral chains are largely symbolic, and Cr Lund went on the attack raising concerns about further costs should they be damaged or stolen. Tyers Ward Councillor, Darren Howe, Yallourn Ward Councillor, Steph Morgan and Budgeree Ward Councillor, Leanne Potter voted in favour of the alternative motion. Jeeralang Ward’s Joanne Campbell, Moe Ward Councillor, Adele Puglsey, Boola Boola Ward Councillor, David Barnes and Newborough Ward and deputy mayor Sharon Gibson voted against. Cr Harriman (who represents Loy Yang Ward) left council chambers at the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre while discussions took place. Assuming the chair, Cr Gibson used her casting vote, meaning the mayoral chains will accompany the mayor. With the alternative motion defeated after a half-hour debate, council then deliberated on the original. All councillors except Cr Potter voted for the motion. The mayoral chains heading overseas are not actually Latrobe City chains, but chains from the old Traralgon Shire. Adding confusion to the saga, some councillors have not actually seen the Latrobe chains in person. It has been suggested the Latrobe chains should be on display at Latrobe Regional Gallery. The gallery itself has had a change of leadership in the last six months, after senior curator and Yarram-born David Kerr left following an exhibition depicting the work of colleague and queer Indigenous artist Clinton Hayden and its subsequent fallout last year. The gallery has since apologised to the artist, where it is alleged cultural protocols were not adhered to, while Mr Kerr has taken up a posting as Head of Art with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Amazingly, news of Cr Harriman’s trip made it all the way to an Adelaide masthead a fortnight ago. Local councils would have provided adequate fodder for the tabloids in recent weeks. The Warragul & Drouin Gazette reported last week that Baw Baw Shire Mayor, Danny Goss apologised to former mayor Annemarie McCabe for a verbal outburst at a council meeting last year. The April 2024 meeting descended into farce, with yelling, finger pointing, and even violin hand playing gestures on display during discussions surrounding place naming policy.

By LIAM DURKIN   “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2   LATROBE City Councillors may have inadvertently borrowed from the titular character of Shakespeare’s greatest work, when voting on whether or not to spend $9500 to send mayor Dale Harriman to the country where the famous play is set. Not that is matters now, for Cr Harriman has confirmed he is paying his own way. “I’m quite happy to pay for it myself and hopefully that puts the matter to rest,” he told the Express last Friday. Councillors were split 4-all at council’s monthly meeting on Monday, March 24, after an urgent business motion was put forward to allocate $9500 for the mayor to travel overseas and attend the Traralgon City Band’s Tour of Remembrance. Cr Harriman removed himself while the motion was discussed, which ultimately saw deputy mayor Sharon Gibson use her casting vote to give the motion the go-ahead. Crs Gibson, Adele Pugsley, Joanne Campbell and David Barnes voted in favour. Crs Tracie Lund, Darren Howe, Leanne Potter and Steph Morgan voted against. However, the court of public opinion came down hard on the decision, calling it a junket with no tangible benefits to the Latrobe Valley. Speaking against the motion, Cr Howe questioned the purpose of sending the mayor on what he termed a “European vacation”. “This trip is said to promote good will and strength in community ties, which is great, but it offers no economic benefit to our city whatsoever,” he said. “This doesn’t align with our council plan, transition plan or to the expectation that our community has of us. It simply doesn’t pass the pub test – at least not any pub I’ve been to.” Latrobe City Council held an unscheduled council meeting last Monday (March 31) to consider the personal offer from the mayor to pay for the trip. The meeting took place after the Express went to press. Nonetheless, Cr Harriman maintained the journey was worthwhile, especially given plans are in place to speak to coal county towns in northern England undergoing transition similar to what will likely be experienced in the Valley. “If we can get some ideas from the northern English or Welsh towns and council as to what worked over there, what didn’t, what’s been successful, what options there are to move forward, we know that the coal industry here, as much as I hate to say it, under the current political environment, is being demonised and a lot of our workers are suffering from that, I want to know what we can do to help move forward with them and find like-for-like jobs and have a future for our kids here,” he said. “We’ve had some interest in discussions with companies that are looking to invest in the area from Europe, or they’ve already invested in the area, they’ve wanted to meet up, we’ll negotiate that.” The Traralgon City Band has raised more than half-a-million dollars for the remembrance tour, which will coincide with the 110th anniversary of Gallipoli. The band had been in talks with Danish officials, who Cr Harriman said would include an invitation to the Royal Family on the proviso the Latrobe City Mayor was also in attendance. “The indications coming back from Denmark were that the band said if our mayor attends Denmark and the Royals attend, what are the chances of the Royal Family coming back (to Australia)? And there’s been a positive response that they will look at Queen Mary on her next visit to Australia providing a reciprocal visit, but that part of the tour is basically one-and-a-half days that they’ll be in Denmark, the majority of the two weeks will be spent on the Western Front,” Cr Harriman said. “The reason they wanted the mayor to attend is, over there the mayors are held in probably the same regard as the Premier or Prime Minister… so the treatment changes, (it) takes it to a higher level.” In something that is sure to excite local royalists, Cr Harriman said he “will be offering an invitation directly to the Danish government and to the royal family to make a visit here” back to the Latrobe Valley, which includes Australian-born Queen Mary. Addressing the junket connotations, Cr Harriman said he certainly wouldn’t have time to visit Legoland or enjoy too many Danish savouries while he was overseas. “I know the band’s itinerary, most mornings are a 6-6.30am start, and most of the time it is getting back to your two-star, three-star accommodation at 10-10.30 at night. The offer to go is also based on sharing a room with a band member to help reduce costs, so I don’t think you’d call that a junket,” he said. “Of the 12 or 13 days that the band’s away they only have one potential day off. I know there was some comments about a holiday – it’s a full on commemoration of the lost lives of local diggers and nurses from World War 1. “That’s the focus of it, what’s come out with some offers either side of that is incidental. The whole purpose of the tour is to pay our respects to those fallen diggers that didn’t make it home. A number of the graves we will be visiting are those of soldiers whose names are etched onto the cenotaphs around Latrobe City.” Cr Harriman also has a personal connection to wartime, as his great uncles served in WW1, one on the Western Front. “Personally it is very emotional for me,” he said. “It’s just disappointing it got personal but that’s fine, that’s the rough and tumble of local politics, we dust off and move on. “I’m quite disappointed in the blowback that’s come on the band, for asking council to pay my way, and I know they are really, really disappointed and really upset. The band members have paid their own way, they’ve fundraised, they’ve gone out and putting money in their pocket, and I think it’s really disappointing there’s been such a negative impact on them.” Cr Howe attracted some criticism after his attempt at humour fell flat during the council meeting. The former mayor played the song Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham into the microphone, made famous in the National Lampoon films. It is understood Latrobe City received a number of complaints in the days following, although one hopes time spent dealing with them did not take time away from more urgent matters given it was clearly a tongue-in-cheek gesture. The tour will see the band play in places of significance to Australia’s wartime history in the UK, Belgium, France and Denmark from June 11 to June 25. When asked if he would be packing a triangle to assist the band, Cr Harriman said he knew his limitations. “I’m edging for the drum major role leading the band in their processions, but I don’t think I’m musically talented enough to be anywhere near even a triangle,” he said. “I’ll leave the music to the qualified musicians and play the role of dutiful mayor as best I can.” The full name of Shakespeare’s play is: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Latrobe City version could well be: The Tale of Harriman, placed in Denmark.

By TOM HAYES, KATRINA BRANDON and LIAM DURKIN   LATROBE City locals gathered at Australia Day services across the region at the weekend. Flag raising ceremonies, music and general patriotism permeated, as people took stock to acknowledge and reflect…

By LIAM DURKIN   WRONG place, wrong time. Traralgon Golf Club may be able to breathe a little easier, now that it appears it definitely won’t have to relocate. The club became unwillingly tangled up in a development plan overlay as part of the…

Council Beat with Liam Durkin   THE last Latrobe City Council meeting for 2024 was held Monday, December 16. Naturally, with 2024 being a council election year and this the first meeting of the new council right before Christmas, a lengthy agenda…

By LIAM DURKIN   GUESS who’s back, back again. Latrobe City Councillor Dale Harriman will sit in the big boy’s chair at council meetings for the next 12 months, after winning the mayoral election from incumbent Cr Darren Howe. Cr Harriman won five…