Latest news with #Chadstone
ABC News
6 days ago
- ABC News
Woman charged with attempted murder after Chadstone fire left three people in critical condition
A woman has been charged with two counts of attempted murder following a house fire in Melbourne's south-east that left a woman and two children in critical condition. Police today arrested and charged a 37-year-old Chadstone woman over the May 21 blaze at a two-storey property in Terrigal Street in Chadstone. The woman is due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday. Emergency services were called to reports of the blaze at around 9:40pm, with a 37-year-old woman and two girls, aged eight and 10, taken to the hospital in a critical condition after firefighters forced entry to rescue the trio. A fourth occupant, a 36-year-old man, was not home during the fire. At the time of the incident, Detective Inspector Chris Murray from the Arson and Explosives Squad said a gas cylinder had exploded inside the home. "We believe [the fire] was from a gas cylinder … how that's come to explode is a matter for the investigation proper to unpack," he said. "Such an incident, where we have [an] explosion and fire, can be absolutely devastating. "One can only hope and pray that certainly the children get through this [and] the mother." Shocked neighbours described the ferocity of the blaze, saying they saw a "fireball" and heavy smoke billowing from the property.
News.com.au
27-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Not the main problem': Unexpected response to the ‘Robin Hood of renters'
Few figures are more synonymous with Australia's ongoing housing crisis – or more polarising – than Jordan van der Lamb. A fierce critic of the real estate industry, the so-called 'Robin Hood of renters' and socialist politician has attracted a hundreds-of-thousands-strong audience across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok under the moniker PurplePingers. Unlike the heroic outlaw after whom he's been nicknamed, Mr van der Lamb does not advocate for anyone to steal from the rich. He does, however, encourage those in need of shelter to squat in their 'vacant' properties. He has created an entire database of such homes across the country. 'Are you sick of rich people hoarding empty houses during a housing crisis? Because I am. Here's what you can do about it,' he told his followers in a video this week, before taking them on a tour of a seemingly-abandoned property in Melbourne's Chadstone. 'Fun fact: squatting in Australia is not necessarily illegal – which is the best type of illegal. Especially if the front door doesn't actually lock. So yeah, here's a free house if you want it … Homes are for people to live in, not for rich people to make money off.' Mr van der Lamb's methods have, unsurprisingly, proven controversial – drawing sharp criticism from social media users and those in the real estate industry to Anthony Albanese. Yet his relentless coverage of the current state of our property market cannot be ignored. 'Australia is experiencing more than a housing crisis; we are in the grips of a housing disaster,' acting executive director of independent think tank Per Capita, Sarah McKenzie, told 'In 2024, demand for new dwellings outpaced supply by 68,000 compounding a severe supply shortfall that has been building for years. Severe rental stress is at a decade high, public housing waitlists are near breaking point, and homelessness services are overwhelmed.' 'They're not the main problem' 'In that context, it's no surprise that people are frustrated,' Ms McKenzie said. A Prosper Australia report released last July and frequently cited by Mr van den Lamb showed that Melbourne has close to 100,000 vacant homes – more than enough to, hypothetically, shelter the 30,000 Victorians experiencing homelessness (per the latest census). 'Jordan van der Lamb's tactics aren't the solution, but they're not the main problem either,' Ms McKenzie said. 'They reflect a growing anger at a housing system that leaves homes empty while people sleep on the streets. At CEH we don't endorse squatting or public shaming of property owners, but nor should the national debate be sidetracked by it.' Earlier this year, the consequences of Mr van den Lamb's activism were laid bare – and ignited the fury of the Prime Minister – when a Melbourne woman arrived at her vacant investment property to find security cameras installed, the locks changed, squatters inside and the home's address online. The woman, who inherited the home from her late father, also discovered that most of his possessions were missing. She went on to tell the ABC she did not believe it was a coincidence that the break-in happened after the address was shared on social media. Mr van den Lamb confirmed he had posted the home's address but noted it was unclear if the squatters had moved in prior to him doing so, telling The Project the home 'was empty for 17 years'. Though he felt 'very sorry that (her) belongings were taken … I also think about the fact that every four days a young person experiencing homelessness dies in this country, even though there are hundreds of thousands of homes available to them', Mr van den Lamb said. 'They might be good for clickbait, but they won't help' Like Ms McKenzie, Macquarie Law School Professor and Executive Member of Smart Green Cities, Cathy Sherry, said 'the younger generation has every right to be very angry about the mess that older Australians have created in our housing market'. 'It is the result of muddled thinking that has encouraged everyone to view residential property as an asset class to build wealth, as opposed to a basic human necessity,' Professor Sherry, a leading international expert in land law, told 'If that basic necessity is not met – or if people have to spend too much time and money securing it – they cannot contribute fully to society. That is harming us all.' Yet Mr van den Lamb's ideas are neither 'realistic or practical', she said. 'They might be good for clickbait, but they won't help young people,' Professor Sherry, a leading international expert in land law, said. 'The answer is not for people to squat, as that means they have none of the protections that apply to residential tenants. 'He runs the risk of encouraging people to do things that might make them civilly or even criminally liable.' Jacob Caine is the interim CEO of the peak professional association for the Victorian real estate industry, Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV). '(We) remain acutely aware of the significant impacts that the state's ongoing housing and rental market crisis is having on Victorians, and the urgent need to address it,' Mr Caine told 'But we strongly reject any attempts, including by Mr van den Lamb, to encourage squatting as a means of achieving this. This is a highly dangerous practice, that risks the safety of all involved. 'It is completely at odds with Victoria's high-functioning real estate sector and the fundamental rights of home ownership that have long been a hallmark of Australian society.' Mr van den Lamb's rhetoric 'also plays to a false and inflammatory narrative around all rental providers being rich', Mr Caine noted, 'a perception which ignores the fact that almost nine-in-ten rental providers are private investors, with the majority owning just one rental property'. 'We need to be a bit more grown up' The 'answer' is not in headline-grabbing antics, Prof Sherry argued, but in fixing the tax policies that have 'encouraged older people to buy residential property as an investment'. 'Just as we would not allow some people to stockpile food when other people are hungry, we should not allow some people to stockpile homes when other people are homeless or experiencing housing stress,' she said. Owners who don't intend to use the property themselves, renovate or sell it in the near future – and are instead 'land banking for an extended period or allowing their property to fall into serious disrepair … should be penalised by the tax system'. That Australia doesn't already do so, Prof Sherry said, is 'exceptionally dumb tax policy that is shooting the nation in the foot'. 'Tax policy is not as interesting as squatting, but if we want real solutions, we need to be a bit more grown up about the issue.' At the end of the day, 'governments, not individuals, are responsible for the state of housing in this country', Ms McKenzie said. 'We have a housing system that fails to deliver enough homes, especially for those on low incomes,' she said. Though the Federal Government's $43 billion Homes for Australia plan is a 'good start', structural factors like skilled worker shortages, low construction productivity, outdated planning rules and 'tax settings that make it easier to profit from housing than to build it' hold it back. 'Housing isn't just where we live – it's the foundation of health, safety, and opportunity,' Ms McKenzie said. 'We won't solve this crisis through distraction or division. We'll solve it by building more homes, and ensuring those homes are delivered at a price people can actually afford.'
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
World's first Barbie Cafe outside the US opens in Melbourne for limited time
Australia has become home to the first ever Malibu Barbie Cafe outside the United States, but the venue is only here to stay for a limited time. Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre is hosting the venue, which is expected to remain open until next summer. 'Only at Chadstone for a limited time, this two-storey pink paradise brings Barbie's world to life – with retro glam, all-day dining, dreamy desserts, signature cocktails at the Ken Kabana, exclusive merch, insta-worthy photo ops and a groovy skate rink,' a spokesman from Malibu Barbie Cafe said. Mattel Asia-Pacific managing director Paul Faulkner said the time had come for Barbie to re-enter the national consciousness. 'Fans responded so well to the Barbie Movie back in 2023 that we thought it was time to give them another dose of Barbie,' he told 7News. 'We're really looking forward to bringing Barbie in a new way to consumers, not just through the toy but through immersive experiences,' he said. 'Barbie is 65 years old, and for a brand to resonate like that for so long with so many different demographics, it's really incredible.' Mushroom Group Marketing Manager Brii Jamieson called the cafe a 'labour of love'. 'As you can see, it's come to life in the most amazing way.' Prior to establishing itself in Melbourne, the Malibu Barbie cafe has popped up in cities across the United States including New York, San Diego, Miami, Chicago, Houston and Austin.
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Alert for Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre as two more locally acquired cases of measles are confirmed
Melbourne's largest shopping centre has been rocked by measles after Victoria recorded two more locally acquired cases of the highly contagious disease. The new cases visited Chadstone Shopping Centre, hospitals, universities and a number of smaller shopping centres in greater Melbourne while potentially infectious, according to an alert issued by Victoria's Department of Health on Friday. It is believed one of the infected people may have been working at beauty store MECCA, with shoppers who visited the Chadstone MECCA on Thursday and Friday last week asked to monitor for symptoms. The Chadstone Kmart and lower level food court have also been listed as exposure sites, bringing the total number of exposure sites across greater Melbourne close to 30. The list includes Dandenong Hospital, Frankston Hospital, Monash University's Caulfield and Peninsula campuses, metro trains, Wellington Village Shopping Centre, The Glen Shopping Centre and Stud Park Shopping Centre. Both of the new infections are linked to another recently confirmed case, and the department is warning that there is now an increased risk of measles in greater Melbourne. 'A significant number of recent measles cases have acquired their infection locally in Victoria,' the alert said. 'There is also an ongoing risk of measles being imported into Victoria by travellers returning from overseas or interstate.' Measles, which can be avoided with a vaccine, is a contagious viral illness that causes rash and fever. In some cases, it can also cause serious health complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. The disease is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes, and a person with measles is infectious from about 24 before the onset of symptoms until four days after the rash appears. Symptoms can develop between seven to 18 days after exposure and include fever, cough, sore or red eyes, runny nose, and feeling generally unwell, followed by a red maculopapular rash. The rash usually starts on the face before spreading down the body. Young infants and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to suffering serious complications if they contract the virus. The local cases are taking place as global case numbers are also rising, potentially exposing Australian travellers to the virus, the department said. 'There are currently outbreaks reported in multiple countries and regions, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Africa, Europe and the UK, the Middle East, and North America,' the alert stated. A full exposure site list has been posted to the health department's website. 'Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others,' the department stated. 'Anyone who has attended a listed exposure site during the specified date and time or spent time in greater Melbourne from late April should monitor for symptoms and seek medical care if symptoms develop for up to 18 days after the exposure. 'Anyone who attended a listed exposure site and is not fully vaccinated for measles may be eligible to receive the MMR vaccine if they present within 72 hours of exposure. 'Anyone who is immunocompromised or pregnant and not fully vaccinated for measles should seek medical review if within six days of exposure to a measles case. 'Anyone who develops symptoms of measles should seek medical care and testing for measles. 'Call the health service beforehand to advise that you may have been exposed to measles and wear a face mask.'
ABC News
22-05-2025
- ABC News
Mum remains critical, kids stable following 'suspicious' Melbourne house fire
A mother remains in a critical condition in hospital while her two girls are in a stable condition following a suspicious house fire in Melbourne's south-east. The woman in her 30s and her primary school-aged children were critically injured on Wednesday night when a gas cylinder at the Terrigal Street, Chadstone property exploded. Police deemed the fire suspicious on Thursday and are investigating the cause. On Friday morning, the Royal Children's Hospital confirmed the two children were in a "stable condition" and the Alfred Hospital confirmed the mother's condition remained critical. Police said on Thursday a male occupant of the house was not under arrest and was not at home at the time of the fire. Fire Rescue Victoria commander Paul Eckholdt said rescuing the mother and children from the home was challenging because firefighters had to force entry and wear breathing apparatus.
