How many cans of beer is it alleged that cricketer David Boon

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Day @ The Port set to light up Sale

THE inaugural Day @ The Port event is coming to Sale on Saturday, February 4, bringing with it a jam-packed program of free, family-friendly entertainment. The festival-like event will welcome visitors of all ages and abilities for a huge day of entertainment, culminating in a free performance from popular Melbourne funk band Vaudeville Smash, and The Middle of Everywhere fireworks display at 9.30pm. Day @ The Port is primed to be a massive drawcard for Wellington and expected to bring thousands of visitors from all throughout Gippsland to the Port of Sale precinct. The event will include free carnival rides, live music, theatre performances of the popular Wind in the Willows stage show, 15 food trucks, and the popular Art Bar is making a comeback. There will also be interactive play spaces and games, a makers’ market, face painting, movie screenings, and kids’ crafts and activities. Day @ The Port will begin at 10.30am with the first free performance of Wind in the Willows and wrapping up at 9.30pm after 11 hours of wallto-wall action. All activities and entertainment will take place at the Port of Sale precinct in Sale. Temporary road closures will be in place along Grand Canal Drive in Sale on the day before, and for the duration of the event. Wellington Shire Council Mayor Ian Bye said he couldn’t be happier with the community support that has been received for Day @ The Port. “Events like Day @ The Port offer a fantastic community atmosphere and it is also so wonderful to see people coming together to support our fantastic community facilities,” Cr Bye said. “This event is a great example of what can be achieved with the community at the forefront of the work we do. The Wedge, Sale library, Gippsland Art Gallery and The Middle of Everywhere have worked hard to plan and launch Day @ The Port. “It is an event that I hope to see grow from year to year right in the heart of The Middle of Everywhere.” Visitors will be spoilt for choice with live music from local artists Matt Peter Fry, Erin Billings and Cara Shaefer, Ryan Lestrange, The Soultanas, and Danny Spencer, as well as Melbourne’s Vaudeville Smash. Festival highlights will include:  Art Bar (10.30am to 9.30pm) - A pop-up licensed bar located on Grand Canal Drive.  Amusement rides (midday to 9.30pm)

The Port of Sale is expected to come alive for the inaugural ‘Day @ The Port’ event.

Photo: John Morgan

- Dodgem cars, giant slide, flying wild chair and jumping castles.  Sale Library (10.30am – 9.30pm) - Craft activities, table-top games, wooden boat-making and more.  Lawn games and face painting (10.30am – 9.30pm) - Located on the Borun Tuk Walk between the Port of Sale and The Wedge Performing Arts Centre.  Port of Sale (2.30pm – 9.30pm) - Indoor family and kids movie screenings on the bleachers.  Free theatre production (10.30am and 3.00pm) - The Australian Shakespeare Company will perform their critically acclaimed theatre show The Wind in the Willows, a show not to be missed.  Gippsland Art Gallery (10.30am – 9.30pm) - The Gallery will be open all day featuring an artist talk, ‘Talking Kevin Lincoln: a conversation’ at 10.30am.  Food Trucks (10.30am – 9.30pm) - Slinky Spuds, Duarts Catering, Dypsy Gypsy Ice Creams, Grab & Go, Rosedale Thai, Big Bear Donuts, Stay Grounded Coffee, Wun hung lo dumpling, Charlie’s Barbecue, Lalulalang Indonesian street food, 5ive Canarys, Gippsland Jersey, The Mystery Ice Cream Machine and much more.  Makers Market (10.30am – 8.00pm) Windsong Farm, Lotje McDonald Photography, Chris Guthleben, Float for Body & Soul, Soul Stories, Sticks & Stones, Kate Billingsley, Chloe Hollonds, Debbie May, Jordan Elliott -You and Your Bar, Love in a Jar - Rosalie, Sol Sisters Aishah, Sue Towers, Night Babe - Elle and more still to be announced. The community is encouraged to come along and enjoy a great day out which promises something for everyone. Further information is available via The Wedge website at www.thewedge.com.au. To stay up to date with all that’s happening at Day @ The Port, visit Wellington Shire Council’s Facebook page (facebook.com/wellingtonshirecouncil) and view the event page. Day @ The Port is proudly presented by The Wedge Performing Arts Centre, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale library and The Middle of Everywhere.

During the current COVID climate, you can help keep our patients and staff safe this holiday period by minimising your visits to our health services. Remember, only two visitors per patient at any one time. All visitors will be issued a N95 mask upon entry. If you are experiencing any COVID or flu like symptoms, please stay home until you are well again.

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Leading public health organisations back AMA’s call for sugary drinks levy

THE leading public health organisations engaged with Rethink Sugary Drink are standing in solidarity with the Australian Medical Association (AMA), who has renewed its call for Australia to introduce a health levy on sugary drinks in a new report. AMA’s Why tax sugary drinks? report highlights that Australia is lagging behind 85 countries and jurisdictions across the globe that already have a health levy in place, as well as the evidence which shows the policy can effectively reduce demand for and consumption of sugary drinks. Craig Sinclair, director of prevention at Cancer Council Victoria, said that introducing a levy on sugary drinks can help improve Australian’s oral health and reduce obesity - a major risk factor for chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. “Australians drink more than 2.4 billion litres of sugary drinks every year. A health levy on sugary drinks could hit two birds with one stone - it sends a price signal to consumers that the product is unhealthy while encouraging manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar packed into their products,” Mr Sinclair said. “Australian research estimates that a 20 per cent health levy on sugary drinks would result in 16,000 fewer cases of Type 2 diabetes, 4400 fewer cases of heart disease and 1100 fewer cases of stroke over a 25-year period.” In addition to helping prevent chronic disease and promote better oral health, evidence shows that a health levy on sugary drinks would also be supported widely by the community. “Year on year, we see the processed food companies spend millions pushing these sugary drinks onto consumers. They prioritise their profits above the community’s health,” Mr Sinclair said. “Yet we know more than three in four people (77 per cent) would support a sugary drink levy if funds raised were reinvested into obesity prevention efforts.” Countries that have successfully implemented the levy abroad include Mexico, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. In Mexico, a levy introduced in 2014 led to a 37 per cent reduction in the number of sugar sweetened beverages purchased in 2016. A levy introduced in the UK in 2018 led to many brands reformulating the amount of added sugar in their products. Mr Sinclair said that in the Australian context, a levy would particularly benefit teenagers and young adults, especially men, who are currently the biggest cohort of sugary drink consumers. “Some young people consume as much as 1.5 litres of sugary drinks per day. This price-sensitive audience would be especially responsive to a levy and their health will be better off in the long-run because of it,” he said. “With estimates suggesting that a 20 per cent health levy could generate $814 million annually, there are clear health and economic benefits that we can no longer ignore. “It’s a win-win. Government must take action now to protect the health of all Australians.” Rethink Sugary Drink is a partnership between 20 leading public health organisations across Australia, including Cancer Council Victoria and the Australian Medical Association, who are all committed to tackling the overconsumption of sugary drinks. Visit www.rethinksugarydrink.org.au for more information, as well as facts, tips and resources to help you or someone you know cut back on their sugar consumption.