The Melbourne Snap⚡- Tuesday 4 February
Neo-nazi podcast row, fresh food market 'bigger than MCG' , new flight sales for Melbourne and the cool change is coming.
G’day and welcome back to The Melbourne Snap. Sharing The Snap really helps it grow. If you’re new here or have stumbled across the Snap, please consider subscribing by hitting the “subscribe” button below. Here’s Tuesday’s edition.
⚡Thousands in Melbourne and Geelong were still without power yesterday after Sunday’s severe storm (covered in yesterday’s Snap) brought half a million lightning strikes overnight, one of which ignited a fire at a Taylors Lakes home in the city’s north-west. The home was struck by one of 50,000 lightning bolts that hit the ground. - Nine News
🗣️Controversial AFL personality Sam Newman is facing heavy criticism after appearing in a photo with neo-Nazi figures Blair Cottrell and Thomas Sewell, promoting an upcoming podcast episode with the pair.
➡️Despite the backlash, Newman defended his decision to host the duo on his show, claiming it was an opportunity to hear "people of interest" while insisting he does not condone their views. - Sam Newman/Instagram
➡️ The podcast announcement has drawn widespread condemnation, with many questioning the former footballer’s role in providing a platform to individuals associated with extremist ideologies. - news.com.au
⛅ Tuesday weather
Crime Watch
This section is dedicated to crime news. Scroll on if you want to skip to lighter news.
🔪Two more people, a 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, have been charged with murder over the fatal brawl in Kurunjang on 20 December 2024. Police allege the incident in the western suburb, which claimed the life of an 18-year-old man, was targeted and involved individuals known to each other. - Victoria Police
👊 A fight involving around 10 teens at Casey RACE in Cranbourne East on Sunday has sparked renewed safety concerns, following a similar incident at Casey ARC two weeks earlier. Police are investigating both altercations, with calls from community leaders to address youth crime and improve security at Casey’s aquatic centres. - Cranbourne News
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🚓 Police are investigating after a stolen car deliberately rammed two motorcycles in Doncaster on Saturday, injuring a 22-year-old rider. The driver fled the scene, and the vehicle was later found abandoned on J J Tully Drive. - Victoria Police
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🏰 A beachside clifftop mansion in Frankston has hit the market and could shatter the town’s price record. The six-bedroom ‘Villa Ulibarri’ is listed for $16-17 million. - Sarah Petty, realestate.com.au
📻KIIS 1001 host Kyle Sandilands revealed he will undergo brain surgery for an aneurysm, attributing it to years of partying and cocaine abuse. The outspoken radio host, who expects to be off air for eight weeks, shared the news yesterday with listeners and his co-host Jackie O, describing its emotional toll on his family. After years of success in Sydney The Kyle and Jackie O show has been struggling to crack the Melbourne breakfast market. - Nathan Jolly, Mumbrella
🚧A man has been left with minor injuries after his car was smashed with debris on the Western Freeway over the weekend. Extraordinary footage of two metal panels flying off the back of a ute and smashing into his windscreen near Ravenhall in the city’s west was shared with 3AW. - 3AW
🎸 Melbourne metal-core band Alpha Wolf attended the Grammy Awards after being nominated for the little-known 'Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package' category. Guitarist Sabian Lynch said the nomination wasn’t on their bucket list, but the band was thrilled to be there. - ABC News
📱Brimbank councillor Daniel Kruk took to the area’s Facebook group last night to praise the facilities at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre. All well and good, but his timing was terrible. Less than two hours before there had been reports of a carjacking in the very carpark of the Keilor Downs centre where he stood for a selfie. - Facebook
✈️ Another week, another flight sale. Virgin Australia has put short-haul international flights to destinations like Bali, Fiji, and New Zealand on sale. Fares start at $269 from Melbourne. The sale runs until midnight on February 7, 2025, or until sold out. - Virgin Australia
🍅 Australia’s first fresh food market, tipped to be ‘bigger than the MCG’, is set to open in Chadstone. The Market Pavillion fresh food precinct in the city’s south-east will feature gourmet food stalls, florists, and an AI “food concierge”. - Emma Breheny, The Age
🚴 Melbourne's cyclists have raised concerns about the city’s new bike lanes saying that there are daily risks from drivers, taxis, and pedestrians moving into the lanes. Bicycle groups and experts are calling for clearer road rules and better protections to address the confusion and reduce the risks for vulnerable road users. - Sarah Swain, Nine News
🛒 If you shop at Coles you might soon find it harder to find your favourite products. The nation’s second-largest supermarket chain is cutting product variety to boost profits. While analysts expect cost savings and increased efficiency, critics warn of reduced consumer choice and potential impacts on smaller producers. - Tamika Seeto, Yahoo Finance
➡️ Aldi has been chipping away at both Coles (and Woolies) market share in recent years and this move from Coles is seen as following in the German discounter’s footsteps.
🍺The price of beer in Melbourne’s pubs just got a little bit more expensive. Pub beer prices rose yesterday as the federal government’s biannual alcohol excise increase, tied to inflation, took. The latest hike raises the excise on beer and spirits by 2 to 3 per cent. - Australian Taxation Office
🤡After weeks of work the scaffolding covering the Luna Park entrance in St Kilda has gone. It seems like the restoration work on the entranceway of the 112-year old theme park is complete. - RiSK (Facebook)
🥂Melbourne distillery Marionette is hosting an 11-day pop-up in Fitzroy from February 13–23. The event features creative icy alcoholic drinks and appearances by local food vendors offering treats like affogatos, pastries, and savoury scones. - Instagram
🎷Melbourne's Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returns to South Melbourne Market this March for its tenth anniversary, serving six tonnes of mussels alongside live jazz. The event features an expanded vendor lineup, including Claypots, Simply Spanish, and pop-ups like Squid & Things, plus live seafood cooking demonstrations. - Beat
🏆Nominations are now open for the 2025 Victorian Honour Roll of Women, celebrating outstanding contributions by women across four categories: Local Champion, Change Agent, Emerging Leader, and Trailblazer. - Vic Gov
📢Community Noticeboard📢
📌”The Glen Eira Community Grants are now open! The 2025–26 Community Grants Program supports local groups and organisations in delivering projects, activities, and events that benefit our community.” - More details
📌” Help shape the future of our beautiful Mornington Peninsula by joining our Community Conversations in February and March. Share your insights and help guide our next Council Plan.” - More details
Get your news, event, gathering, new business or community update here. Fill in this form.
And finally…Dramatic footage from Sunday’s lighting storms has emerged of Newport Power Station getting stuck by lightning. - Instagram
Thank you for reading edition 55 of The Melbourne Snap. If you missed Monday’s edition you can read it again here. This newsletter is 100% independent and free for all. It’s written in the early hours every weekday morning. I look at over 100 sources of news so you don’t have to. Thank you for your continued support. See you tomorrow.