The Melbourne Snap⚡- Tuesday 25 February
Four teens in brazen home invasion, strikes at Queen Vic Market, warehouse rave and push to make Yarra River swimmable.
G’day and welcome back to The Melbourne Snap. Do you see something I could be doing better? Let me know! Leave a comment or, if you’re reading the email version of this, hit ‘Reply’ and send me your thoughts. Now on to Tuesday’s edition.
🍒Queen Victoria Market fruit and vegetable traders are going on strike for the first time in 147 years, preparing to close their stalls on today. The traders have accused the City of Melbourne and its market management company, QVM Pty Ltd, of financial mismanagement, shifting costs onto traders and customers to cover budget shortfalls. - Cara Waters, The Age
🚔Four teens (aged from 15 to 17) from Dandenong have been charged after allegedly breaking into a Kew home at 4am yesterday. Once in they confronted the terrified residents and demanded Porsche keys before stealing valuables and fleeing, only to be tracked down by police using the Dog Squad and Air Wing. - Nine News
☀️ Tuesday weather
Crime Watch
This section is dedicated to crime news. Scroll on if you want to skip to lighter news.
⚠️Melbourne police have warned the Mandarin-speaking community about an ongoing phone and social media scam, which has already cost victims in Victoria over $7 million this year. Scammers impersonate officials to extort money and even coerce victims into staging fake hostage situations. - Victoria Police
🔪A man and woman have been charged over a violent crime spree across Melbourne’s south-east (reported in yesterday’s edition) including home invasions, armed robberies and machete attacks, before being arrested at Ringwood railway station after a police search. - Victoria Police
🚨A 20-year-old has been charged after allegedly hitting a cyclist on Nepean Highway in Seaford and fleeing the scene, with a court appearance set for April 3. The cyclist had non-life-threatening injuries. - Victoria Police
➡️ You can watch a video of the incident below. The cyclist is lucky to be alive.
🥷🏼Thieves smashed into Grace boutique in Armadale at 4:45am on Monday, stealing about $400,000 in designer fashion before fleeing in a silver car. It’s the store’s second burglary this year. - Eleanor Wilson, Nine News
👮Four teenagers were arrested after a stabbing in Broadmeadows last night, following a confrontation related to stolen AirPods. Two victims, a 40-year-old man and an 18-year-old boy, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and police have charged one 19-year-old with serious injury and robbery. - Victoria Police
🔪A 13-year-old boy was arrested in Cranbourne for aggravated carjacking after allegedly threatening two young women with a knife in a carpark and demanding their vehicle early this morning. - Victoria Police
❓ If you have a community event, news, announcement or new business you want to share, please fill in this form here. If it’s suitable it’ll go in the noticeboard section.
🕺🏻There’s a warehouse rave happening in Collingwood this weekend. South London-based producer and DJ Mia Koden is playing at Second Story Studios this Saturday. - Beat Magazine
🧸The parents of baby Remy Shomali, who died just short of 11 months old waiting for a heart transplant at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital in October, are advocating for organ donation as new figures show a decline in transplants and family consent across Australia. - Samantha Landy, Herald Sun
It’s a heart-rending story so I’d encourage readers to consider taking one minute to register at donatelife.gov.au
🎆Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour will hit Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena for four nights on June 7, 12, 13, and 14, with tickets on sale starting at $109.90, and a presale begins on February 24. - Time Out
🚚Private landowners appear to have destroyed about 40 hectares of protected native grassland near Melton that is earmarked for state purchase as part of a reserve for critically endangered plants and animals. - Adam Carey, The Age
🏠Melbourne singles are struggling to buy homes, with only four suburbs remaining affordable for an average solo-income earner. These are Melton, Melton South, Notting Hill, and Carlton. If you’re shocked to see Carlton there it’s because the median price is typically kept low due to a high prevalence of student accommodation. - Nathan Mawby, realestate.com.au
🏊🏻♂️Campaigners are pushing to make Melbourne’s Yarra River swimmable, but experts warn major water quality improvements are needed before it’s safe. The City of Yarra has already signed up to the Swimmable Cities charter, and there are hopes the City of Melbourne will be next before the Netherlands hosts the world-first Swimmable Cities summit. - Nine News
🎶Brand-new music festival ROAR FEST is coming to St Kilda on 8 and 9 March, coinciding with International Women's Day. - What’s On St Kilda
🏗️A $70m shopping centre is set to open in Tarneit by 2027. The Grange in the western suburb will feature Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse, Anytime Fitness, and 20 specialty stores. - realcommercial.com.au
📢Community Noticeboard📢
📌”Balam Balam Place will be open for business next week! We’re thrilled to announce that Balam Balam Place will open for business on Monday 3 March 2025! The significant $30 million redevelopment to create a state-of-the-art cultural, creative, and accessible hub, features welcoming and affordable spaces for creatives, artists, and the Brunswick community.” - more details
📌”Wyndham City’s free light festival, LIT will make its spectacular return to Werribee this Autumn, over 14 magical nights from Thursday – Sunday, 27 March to 13 April.” - more details
Have your news, event, gathering, new business or community update featured here. Fill in this form.
And finally…A runaway water tank went on a rampage near the town of Bonnie Doon, 160km north-west of the city, yesterday. It went barrelling down a hill, smashing through a fence before eventually coming to a stop. - Jacqui Felgate/Insta
Thank you for reading edition 70 of The Melbourne Snap.
If you missed yesterday’s edition you can read it here.
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