The Melbourne Snap⚡- Friday 31 January, weekend edition
Police industrial action is over, 'Pam The Bird' graffiti suspect charged, huge factory fire and 5 things to do this weekend.
G’day and welcome to The Melbourne Snap. I’ll keep the intro short and sweet today. Here’s Friday’s extended weekend edition.
⚰️Murdered gangland figure Sam Abdulrahim has been farewelled in a golden casket at a Melbourne mosque. Abdulrahim’s parents and siblings were supported by about 200 mourners at the ceremony at the Alawi Islamic Association of Victoria Centre in Epping on Thursday morning. - Marta Pascual Juanola, Cameron Houston, Lachlan Abbott and Hannah Hammoud, The Age
🔥 Residents have been told it’s “too late to leave” as an out-of-control bushfire threatens “homes and lives” in Victoria’s southwest. A bushfire is raging in the Grampians National Park from the Victoria Range in Bullawin. - Clareese Packer, news.com.au
👮A Victoria Police Association spokesperson has confirmed it has ended its long-running protest campaign. Victoria’s police union will stop its industrial action as its long-running pay dispute with the state government nears conclusion. - Sky News
⛅☀️⛅Weekend weather
Crime Watch
This section is dedicated to crime news. Scroll on if you want to skip to lighter news.
🚨A Ferrari worth half a million dollars has been stolen from a home in Truganina while three other cars were also stolen following a string of break-ins in the western suburb. - Victoria Police
🔥Detectives are investigating a suspicious fire at a Port Melbourne business on 4 January, seeking information about a woman seen near the scene carrying a white bucket. - Victoria Police
📢 Share your local news and events by filling in this form here. I’d love to share upcoming community events.
🐦A man suspected of being involved in the ‘Pam the Bird’ graffiti you may have seen on Melbourne landmarks was arrested and charged with over 50 offences yesterday. Cops claimed he had caused over $100,000 in damage. - Victoria Police
➡️The 21-year-old Yarravile man is alleged to have defaced sites such as Flinders Street Station’s clock tower, the CityLink 'Cheese Stick,' a Novotel and various other sites. A 39-year-old Abbotsford man has also been charged with over 20 offences linked to graffiti.
➡️Pam has Melbourne divided with many calling it vandalism and others calling it art in line with the city’s tradition of street art. The Instagram account associated with the graffiti has nearly 70,000 followers…but the police are definitely calling it vandalism.
🚒 Dozens of firefighters battled a large blaze at a lithium battery factory in Melbourne's south-east yesterday morning. Emergency services arrived at the Chesterville Road site in Cheltenham at 8:38am . Nearly six hours later the massive blaze had been brought under control. Around 25 fire trucks and 70 firefighters were involved. - FRV
💊Victoria’s mobile pill testing service will be coming at four more festivals this season, including Hardmission (8 Feb) and Pitch Music and Arts (7-11 March), following a trial at Beyond the Valley. The government said more than 700 young Victorians had drugs tested at the anonymous service offered at Beyond The Valley. - Vic Gov
🏗️B1M, the world’s largest, most subscribed-to video channel for construction projects, has filmed a new video on Port Melbourne’s recent upgrades. - B1M
💅🏻Online retailer Adore Beauty has opened up its first-ever physical store, in Southland Shopping Centre in Cheltenham. It’s right next to rivals Mecca and Sephora. - Gitika Garag, Broadsheet
🎤Drake has arrived in Melbourne ahead of his 'Anita Max Win' tour, with four shows at Rod Laver Arena starting February 9. The superstar rapper shared a glimpse of his lavish lifestyle on Instagram, including a stay at Crown Towers’ $25,000-per-night Presidential Villa and a Nobu dinner with his entourage. - Instagram/@champagnepapi
🏉Melbourne has been announced as a host city for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The tournament, running from 1 October to 13 November 2027, is expected to draw over 140,000 visitors to the city. - Vic Gov
✈️Who doesn’t like a flight sale? Jetstar is offering free return flights back to Melbourne on journeys to South Korea or Japan. The sale ends tonight and is only for travel from 8 May to 5 July. - Jetstar
⚡ A massive generator will be transported on a 125-metre oversized vehicle (longer than a soccer pitch) that will depart from the Port of Melbourne at 10pm on Monday. It will travel at night over four days to Loy Yang A Power Station in eastern Victoria passing through Clayton, Berwick, Yarragon and everything in between. Road users are advised to plan and avoid delays, with Transport Victoria urging caution along the route. - Transport Victoria (includes route map)
🐈The Victorian Government has launched a statewide Cat Management Strategy. The paws-itive (sorry) strategy focuses on responsible ownership, increased desexing, expanded containment, and better management of feral and unowned cats. - Animal Welfare Victoria
🎉5 things to do this weekend🎉
Celebrate the Lunar New Year (often known as Chinese New Year) at the heart of the action by visiting the festival in Melbourne’s Chinatown. Expect vibrant parades, dragon dances, and live performances. Enjoy delicious street food, a lively beer garden, and family-friendly activities as the festival takes over Lonsdale and Bourke Streets. It’s free too. - More details
➡️ If you want some more options Time Out compiled a handy list of Lunar New Year activities across the city. - Jade Solomon, Time OutRelive the adventure of Raiders of the Lost Ark as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performs John Williams’ iconic score live while the famous movie plays on a big screen. If you’re interested there are shows on Friday and Saturday. Grab your fedora and whip and get down to the Plenary Theatre. - More details
Werribee Open Range Zoo’s Sunset Safari returned for its seventh season this month. With the summer holidays over, this weekend could be a great time to check it out before it ends on February 22. Ride through the open range at dusk to see zebras, giraffes, and lions at their most active and meet baby rhino Jabulani. - More details
Mr West’s annual block party, Good Fest, returns for its fourth year, taking over Nicholson Street Mall with live music, DJs, and top-tier drinks on February 10 from the Footscray bottle shop. Enjoy free entry, street food from Bar Spontana, and a killer lineup featuring Niasha, Immy Owusu, and DJ Oreku from 2pm to 10pm. - Mr West/Instagram (via Broadsheet)
Looking for love, friendship, or just a fun night out? Match & Mingle at The Play Zone is the perfect chance for adults to meet new people while enjoying games like pool, basketball, and a mechanical bull - plus a complimentary “icebreaker shot” on arrival. It’s on tonight from 7:30pm. - More details
📢Community Noticeboard📢
📌”Sandy Street Art Project Inc presents pop-up street entertainment throughout the warmer months to enliven the Sandringham Village activity centre. February sees an eclectic mix of world music, beats, funk, with a focus on fun!“ - More details
📌”The streets and laneways of Richmond will come alive this SUMMER as a line-up of incredible venues each transform into an Urban Cellar Door and host a winemaker for you to visit on a self-guided wine trail!” - More details
📌”FREE Beginner Running course in Mambourin starting Wednesday 5 February, sponsored by Frasers Property Group! Follow our structured running program that starts with 60-second jogs, increasing a little each week to achieve 25 minutes of running by week 9.” - More details
Editor’s note: Get your news, event, gathering, new business or community update here. Fill in this form, don’t be shy.
🎆And finally…The most frequently asked question on suburb Facebook groups is “did anyone hear that loud bang/gunshots”. It’s nearly always fireworks and this is a gentle reminder that this weekend it’s even more likely to be fireworks. Tens of thousands in the city will celebrate the Lunar New Year. There will be a lot of fireworks and you might want to consider keeping pets indoors for the evening. RSPCA Victoria has several tips on how to keep your animal relaxed during fireworks.
Thank you for reading edition 53 of The Melbourne Snap. I write this newsletter in the early hours every weekday morning between 4am - 6:30am in my free time. If you can afford to support the newsletter you can do so for as little as $10 a month. Have a great weekend, see you on Monday.