Latrobe Valley Express Wednesday 22 January 2025 by lvexpress.com

Uncontained benefits

LOCKED OUT

OPAL is currently engaged in Enterprise Agreement discussions with more than 300 Maryvale Mill production team members and the CFMEU.

The current productionagreement expired at the end of December 2024.

Opalsenta release on Thursday stating: “We continue to negotiate in good faithwith the CFMEU and our production team members”.

“We are foc used on reach ing an Enterprise Agreement with our team members and the union that is fair and allows us to supply our customers with quality paper in an extremely competitive and evolving market.

“Unfortunately, given the protected industrial action takenand upcoming notified actionbythe CFMEU, which includes planned rolling shutdowns of the mill’s infrastructure, we cannot operate our paper production facilities.

“We are disappointed to announce that we have been forced to make thedecision under the Fair Work Act to undertake alegal lockout of our production team

member sc overed by the CFMEU Agreement.”

Not long after, the CFMEU sent out arelease sharing that the action was in response to seven workers taking asix-hourwork stoppage as part of a protectedindustrialaction -the first by production workers in over two decades.

They also stated that the industrialpartieshave been bargaining since October.

“Opal have ahistory of poor management of the mill; lackofforesight and planning to ensurethe longterm success of the business,” the CFMEU said in a statement.

“This lack of planningsees the mill overtime bill top out at $5.4 million per annum by their own admission.”

Pulp and PaperDistrict Secretary, Denis Campbell Burns believed not enough was being done to help workers.

“Opal claim to want a‘fair outcome’ but this seems to mean workers must start by giving up their current conditions,”

she said.

“Opal want to increase employees

ordinary working hours; reclassify their roles again; treat them like casual emp loyees and remov echecks and balances around rostering; crewing numbers and career progression.”

Throughout Opal’s release, the team has expressed that they have given the commitment to good faith bargaining and the ultimate success of the Maryvale Mill, they remain confident that the Enterprise Agreement negotiations will be successfully resolved so that people can return to work.

It said:“As has beenwell documented, the Maryvale Mill’s operations have beenseverely impacted by theloss of wood supply from VicForests and the subsequent end to white paper manufacturing”.

“As aresult, the site haslostalmost half of its production volumes and suffered significant and continued financial impacts and the new Enterprise Agreement obviouslyneeds to reflect these significant changes.

“The terms and conditions that were

appropriate many years ago in previous Enterprise Agreements are not relevant to the mill’s operations today, nor do they reflectthe way Australianpaper mills operate in 2025.

“As aresult of these challenges and changes to our operating conditions, Opal is seeking to make fair and reasonable changes to its operations and to embody these in asimpler, fair and competitive Enterprise Agreement.

“Our mill has been in operation since 1937. It is partofthe fabric of the Latrobe Valley, employing generations of locals and driving economic activity for local industries and thousands of Victorians.

“Opal is motivated to ensure the mill continues for generations to come, but to do so we mustchallenge ourselves, our valued team members andour stakeholders to adapt to the reality of themarketinwhich we now compete.”

Photograph: Tom Hayes

5174 2156 Cnr GwaliaSt, &LiddiardRd, Traralgon

Retirement village residents seeking fairer rate treatment

SIXhundred permanent residents of four over-50 Lifestyle Retirement Villages in the Latrobe City Council area are seeking equitable treatment in theirforward municipal rating plan.

Owners andresidentsofhomes in each of the four local villages are rated for services like basic maintenance of footpaths,roads, street lighting, nature strips, gardens,and similar services, which village managers already provideand bills their owners for separately each month.

Dalkeith Heights Village Traralgon Resident Committeeco-ordinator, Ben Guzzardi believes there should be areduction.

“We have provided all nine newly-elected councillors with aprofessionally prepared submission seeking areduction as adifferential municipal rate in the annual rate bills which the local village residents receive for their properties," he said.

"We have made our case for an equitable rating treatment because quite simply we are charged for standard services to our homes and properties whichcouncil is not required to provide or does not deliver."

Mr Guzzardi said residents were being unreasonably charged.

"Itisreally acase of Latrobe City Council chargingvillage owners and residents for services they are not required to provide or fund," he said.

"The only council service delivered to the local residential villages is waste management and garbage services each week."

The DalkeithHeights Resident Committee engaged professional helptoprepare its submission to all Latrobe City councillors.

Petitions were also circulated to all Latrobe residential lifestyle villages, and avirtual 100 per cent endorsement was received from residents requesting fairer treatment.

On investi gati on, the Dalk eith Res ident Committee found anumberofcouncils in the Melbourne metropolitan area and major regional centres like Latrobe already offer municipal rate reductions or 'DifferentialRating' between 10 and 25 percent.

This is on topofthe aged pension concession to

thestandard residential rateinrecognition that councils have only reduced or limited-service obligations to these types of estates.

"We are confident that most local residential living developments come within this situation and thus should be treated fairly," Mr Guzzardi said.

"As an example, the small Greenside Villa Residential Village in Yinnar has 11 residential living units each separately rated at the struck residential rate.

"If instead this was aresidential development, it would have only three rateable house properties, but council delivers 11 rate notices to the residents in the units, so it is somethingofawindfallinterms of the rate income for our council."

Dalkeith Resident Committee is requesting councillors formulate the addendum to the council’s revenue and rating plan and rates income plan for the next five years, and thatamoderate reduction in the rate applicable to residential living projects occurs at atimelyopportunity.

“We are looking to the newly inducted nine councillors for fair treatment when they make this important decision at the February meeting of Latrobe City Council,” Mr Guzzardi said.

Thesubmission to Latrobeisbeing made with full support of petitioning residents from Dalkeith Heights Retirement Village Traralgon, Latrobe Valley Retirement Village Morwell, The Range Retirement Village Moe and Greenside Villa Retirement Complex Yinnar.

Latrobe City Council conducts an annual budget process that includesareview of all differential rates,includingthose pertaining to retirement villages.

Additionally, council maintains aRevenue and Rating Plan that must be reviewed every four years, with the next review scheduled for completion by June 30, 2025.

"As part of the annual budget process, council will again evaluate differential rates for retirement villages," acouncil spokesperson told the Express The draft budget is expected to be presented at the council meeting in April 2025.

Region bracesfor more erratic weather as conditions get warm andstormy

By KATRINA BRANDON

SCATTEREDshowers last Wednesday (January 15) brought on acooler change from aweek of constant 30 degree temperatures.

Latrobe Valley saw heavy scattered showers and some thunder.

Prior to Wednesday, the Bureau of Meteorology predicted awidespread rainfallof20to40millilitres acrossVictoria,with Latrobe receiving anywhere up to eight millilitres throughout the day.

In amedia report, meteorologist Miriam Bradbury reported "damaging wind gusts and large hail are arisk withseverestorms(on Wednesday) with heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding is the primary concern" throughout the state.

"That risk of rainfall is really going to ramp up with acold front that will be crossing through the south-east from tomorrow. Rainfall willstart to push across Victoria eastwards and the rainfall totals ramp up through eastern Victoria."

On Tuesday,January 14, VicEmergency warned the community to be careful of rising rivers or creeks, and falling trees. They mentioned for campers to also stay clear of low-lying areas just

in case water levels rise around them and not to travel during thedurationofthe storm if possible.

Agrassfire burnt around Flynn/Rosedale on Friday, January 10, but was declared under controlled by 6.43pm that night.

The Rosedale-Flynns Creek Road was closed between the Princes Highway and Colliers Lane. Access was however available for local residents.

Thirty-three fires across Gippsland that were sparkedbydry lightning strikesbetweenSaturday, January 11 and Sunday, January 12 were contained as of last Wednesday.

ForestFire Management Victoria Regional Agency Commander, Peter Brick said Forest Fire Management Victoria and local CFA had deployed crews to the fires across the Gippsland region.

“All fires have been contained, with some of the firesdeclared safe, thanks to the hard work by our crews over the last few days,” Mr Brick said. Eight aircraft including fixed wing bombers, large air tankers andhelicopters, and contract bulldozers and excavatorssupported firefighters on the groundtocontain these fires in some very remote parts of the region

Fatal Jacob Creek motorbike crash

ON Saturday, January 18, emergency services were called to Tyers-Walhalla Road, where it is believed a4WD and agroup of six motorcycles collided around 11.30an.

Amalerider died at the scene and one other male rider was taken to hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries.

The occupants of the 4WD were also taken to hospital for assessment.

During the investigation by the Baw Baw Patrol officers, the road was closed for several hours between Bluff Rd and Cowwarr Rd.

Anyone with informationisurged to contact Cri me Stop per so n1 800 33 30 00 or www. crimestoppersvic.com.au

Failed proof

EPA Victoria has fined aFerntree Gully man more than $1000over aleak from an old service station’s underground petrol tank in Traralgon.

The $1185 fine is for failingtoprovide documented proof that there had been progress on dealing with the leak.

EPA issued the man with an Environmental ActionNotice (EAN) after an investigationinto unexpectedcracks in the driveway of thepremises at 180 Argyle Street, Traralgon.

The old Underground Petrol Storage System (UPSS) had been shifting in the ground after heavy rain, causing the cracks and leading to apparent contamination of the soil.

EPA officers inspecting the site found water with arainbow sheen seeping out from the ground between concrete joints.

The official notice required the man to produce proof that the UPSS had been safely decommissioned. It also ordered him to engage aqualified consultant who would test soil and groundwater, map the contamination, and advise on how to fix the problem.

Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Infringements Act 2006, the man has the right to have the infringement notice reviewed or be considered by acourt.

The public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/ reporting-pollution

Inferno information

DETECTIVES from Latrobe Crime Investigation Unit are currently investigating adeliberately lit grassfire on Mountain Glen Drive, Moe on January 13 around 5pm.

It is alleged an unknown person lit afire on the nature strip on Mountain Glen Dr, Moe, before leaving in ablueHolden Commodore. The fire spread towards the highway.

Investigators are appealing for anyone who was travelling on Mountain Glen Rd who may have dash cam footage of this offending vehicle. Investigators are further appealing for anyone who was travelling east on the Princes Freeway between Kenny’s Road, Trafalgar East, and the Moe exit ramp at McDonald’s Moe on January 13 between 5pm-5.10pm who may have dash cam footage of this offending vehicle. Anyone withdash camfootage or informationis urged to contact Latrobe Crime Investigation Unit on 51315000, or CrimeStopperson1800333 000 or submit an online report at www.crimestoppersvic com.au

Chargesfollowing shooting

TWO men havebeen charged by police after aman was shot in Wonthaggi.

A28-year-old Wonthaggi man was arrested

PoliceBeat with TomHayes

on January 13, interviewed by investigators the following morning before being charged with conduct endangering life, recklessly causing serious injury, intentionally cause injury, reckless causing of injury, beinga prohibited personpossessing firearm, criminal damage, possessinganammunition round, cannabis and firework, and driving while disqualified.

A24-year-old Leongathaman wasarrested in Wonthaggi on January14after attempting to evade police.

Police were called to asuspicious vehicle on Quarry St when the driver attempted to flee just after 3am. The vehicle got bogged and the driver attemptedtorun from thescene before he was subsequently arrested.

Police seized what was believed to be an improvised explosive device and homemade firearms from the vehicle. The Bomb Response Unit then attended the scene and deemed the device safe.

The driver was interviewed in relation to the non-fatal shooting but has not been charged in connection withthe incident. He wascharged with unlicensed driving, negligently dealing with proceeds of crime, two counts of trafficking adrug of dependence, two counts of possessing aprohibited weapon, possessing ammunition without licence, possessing cannabis, and being aprohibited person in possession of firearm and an imitation firearm in relation to aseries of separate matters.

Both me na ppe ared at La trob eV al le y Magistrates' Court last Wednesday.

Thecharges followed an incident where emergencyservices were called to reports aman had been shot in the upper body following an altercation on Fahey St, Wonthaggi around 2am on January 12. The 42-year-oldman wasconveyed to hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police believed the partiesinvolved wereknown to each other.

Duck harvest report

THE Game Management Authority (GMA) has released the Estimates of duck and Stubble Quail harvest in Victoria 2024 report.

Results show an estimated 391,900 game ducks were harvested in 2024, which is 22 per cent above the long-termaverage of 320,000. Of the 21,383 licensed duck hunters, 60 per cent actively hunted in 2024.

On average,active duckhunters harvested an estimated 30.3 ducks duringthe season overan average of 8.9 days.

The three most commonly harvested species were the Pacific Black Duck (39 per cent of the total harvest), Grey Teal (25 per cent of the total harvest) and Australian Wood Duck (24 percent of the total harvest).

Sale was one of the mostpopular hunting areas, along with Kerang, Boort, Horsham and Shepparton

Results also show an estimated 457,400 Stubble Quail were harvested in 2024. This is almost triple the long-term average of 159,000 and is the second largest Stubble Quail harvest since telephone surveys began in 2009. Of the 25,788 hunters licenced to hunt Stubble Quail, 22 per cent actively hunted in 2024.

On average, active quail hunters harvested an estimated 79.4 Stubble Quail for the season over 8.5 days.The most popular quail huntingareas were around the townsofShepparton,Echuca, Rochester, Ballarat and Colac

The highest number of quail harvested were around Shepparton, Ballarat, Echuca, Rochester and Wangaratta.

GMA Director of Strategy and Research, Simon Toop said the research was based on information gatheredfrom randomly selected licenced game bird hunters who voluntarily participated in the surveys.

“Favourable environmentaland breeding conditions and more active hunters likely

resulted in an increase in the number of ducks and quail harvested,” he said.

“The information hunters provide helps build astrongerunderstanding of gamebird harvest trends and hunting activity in Victoria and I’d like to thank all hunterswho participatedin the surveys.”

Throughout2024, around 3458 licenced game bird hunters were surveyed to collect information about their hunting activity, including how many game birds were harvested, where hunting occurred, hunting methods used, and the species of game birds harvested.

The report provides estimates of the total harvests of ducks and Stubble Quail by Victorian Game License holders and provides insights on hunting activity during the seasons.

The report is produced annually by the GMA in collaboration with an independent telephone survey company and the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research.

For afull copy of the Estimates of duck and Stubble Quail harvest in Victoria 2024 report, visit gma.vic.gov.au/research/duck-research

Gippsland Transmission Community Roundtable

The Gippsland Transmission Community Roundtable is a community-led initiativetoenable the Gippsland community to shareinsights,raise issues and exploresolutions as VicGrid develops the shared transmission line to connect offshorewind energy to the grid.

Led by an independent facilitator, the roundtable includes representatives from local councils and other stakeholderswith interests in theproject. VicGrid is providing supportfor this initiative.

If you’re passionateabout representing your community’s interests and helping shape Gippsland’senergy future, we encourage youto express your interestnow Thereare fourplaces available

close 5pmonMonday 10 February

Flames: Investigatorsare appealing for information regardingadeliberatelylit grassfire in Moe

Photo:iStock

Faulty fencing at the centre of drowning incident

Warning: the following story deals with the death of achild Reader discretion is advised.

By KATRINA BRANDON

AFTER 11 days in an inducedcoma,four-year-old Ivy Bella Roze passed away after drowning in a pool on Spring Court, Morwell.

On December1 7, 2024, mother Rhiannon Egan-Lee went to boil the kettle while Ivy and her niece were playing less than 10 metres away, when Ivy moved apanel off their fence to go into the neighbour’s pool.

The next minute, disaster struck.

Ivy was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital, where after many days of unsuccessful efforts to revive Ivy, sadly, doctors were unable to save her.

According to Ivy’s aunt, Jade Collis, the tragedy was completely avoidable.

For 10 years, the co-op board who owns Ms EganLee's house and the previous neighbours have argued over who is responsible for the boundary fence.

“The guy nextdoor with the pool ownsthe house. He bought it last year (2024), and he was told by the real estate companythat they had acopy of the pool compliancecertificate, so he was told that

house Photograph supplied

Gaps everywhere: Temporar yfencing hasbeenadded to both sides of the pool and fenceatthe Spring Cour t, Morwell proper ty Photograph: Katrina

thefencing had met all of the requirements,” Ms Collis said.

“It doesn’t meet one of them, but he was told it did. The co-op who owns the house that Rhiannon is renting had told Rhiannon upon collecting the keys when she first moved in that the fence needed replacing.

“The fence was also talked about at several of the monthly co-op meetings, and there were other people in co-op properties at thosemeetings saying they were having the same issue with fencing, and the manager said that it was amassive problem with all of the co-op properties in the area.”

According to Ms Collis, the fence should never havebeen deemed“okay” because of uneven plank heights, holes and loose panelling.

“The height just initially jumps out at you," she said.

“It’s just outrageous. Ithink it adds to the hurt of the incident because this isn’t atragic accident thatcouldn’thavebeenprevented.This is atragic accident that was completely preventable. It was

acknowledged by the co-op that there was aproblem with the fence.”

Pool regulations state that pools mustberegistered with the local council and have adequate fencing thatisclear from anyclimbable objects by children.

According to pool regulations, officials should never have ticked off the Spring St property pool.

On the poolsideofthe fence,there was no barrier on the property to prevent anyone from getting into the pool, and agarden bed about ametre away from the fence and the pool.

Acouncilspokesperson told the Express that the property with the pool was inspected on February 18, 2024, and the inspector issued acertificate of compliance on February 28.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the family of Ivy, who passed away in such tragic circumstances,” the spokesperson told the Express.

“Community members who own or live at a property with apool or spa are encouraged to check their barriers regularly and, if in any doubt,

Tragedy: Four-year-old IvyBella Roze drowned at apropertyonSpring Cour t, Morwell

arrangeaninspection to ensure they remain in a safe and compliant condition.”

Councildoes not inspect pools to register their safety compliance. Property owners and occupiers areresponsible for ensuring that their swimming pools complywith stategovernment poolsafety barrier regulations. Registered building surveyors or registered pool inspectors inspect swimming pool barrier compliance.

Once apool inspection has been completed, it is arequirement for the property owner to register thepool safety certification withthe councilasthe authority responsible for administering records of pool safety compliance certification.

More than amonth after the incident, Ivy’s family hasn’t heard from the co-op, not even for condolences.

After the incident, the new neighbour brought in contractorstoreplace the fence. According to Ms Collis, the fence took less than five minutes to remove.

Local health networks forged, services won’t be compromised

By LIAM DURKIN

LATROBE Regional Health Chief Executive, Don McRae has moved to reassure health services will not be compromisedfollowingthe stategovernment’s announcement of local health service networks.

The networks are grouped together by geographic regions, which the state governmentsayswill support improved cooperation between local services, ensure doctors and specialists are available to care for patients closer to where they live, deliver clearer pathways in and out of hospital, and support better waitlist management across aregion.

The governance of each health service, including its board and chiefexecutive, identity and connection to community, will remain unchanged

“It’s about making sure we are all on the same page, pulling in the same directionworking for people in our community,”MrMcRae told the Express

“The (Gippsland) network will be tasked by government to take on acertain role within the region and that willbetofacilitateaccess and flow across the region and apply some quality improvement

initiatives and opportunities, and to develop a workforce plan for the region to make sure we are bringing theright people into the region to be able to provide care for our communities, and to look at opportunities to share services.”

“At the centre of our health system reform is Victorianpatients andstaff -this is about expanding access to frontlineservices, particularly in regional and rural Victoria,” Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas added.

The network groupings were determined following extensive consultation with health services, withconsideration giventopopulation growth, community need, clinical capability and distance between services.

Mr McRae spentconsiderable time late last year talking to healthcare partners andtravelling the region to get agreater understanding of communities.

He said patients can expect greater cooperation between services, and more integrated and smooth clinical pathways.

“If they are sitting in Orbost and they need care at Bairnsdale or Latrobe, then those pathways will be very well structured,” he said.

“For the patient,thatwill be seamless, so that means less waiting, more access and abroader range of services.”

Mr McRae also wished to clarify the misconception that the networks were ‘mergers’ -the tag given by the opposition.

State Nationals leader and Memberfor Gippsland South, DannyO’BrienhoweversaidGippslanders should be very concerned about the impact the new health networks will have on local services.

“We have been warning for some timethat Labor wanted to merge Victoria's health services into a handful of organisations. We've seen it today now with anew Gippsland network combining eight different services into one network,” he said.

“While we are always keen to see efficienciesand sharing of resources across our health services, Iamvery concerned that this will actually lead to diminished local decision making in our rural andregional hospitals and ultimately areduction in services.”

The Nationals have alsoraised concerns over LRH mental health services.

Recentperformance reports releasedbythe Department of Health showed LRH was failing

to meet mental health-based government service targets.

Member for Morwell,Martin Cameronsaiditwas extremely disappointing to see LRH continuing to fail to meet servicetargetsdespite the recent establishment of a$10 million emergency department mental health hub.

“This report shows LRH as the worst performing publichospital in the state in terms of meeting mental health community service hours targets,” he said.

“While it was promising to see financial investment in LRH through the establishment of the mentalhealthhub,this is onlybeneficial if we are actually abletostaff and properly resource the facility.”

Mr McRaeacknowledged the issue, saying work was underway to help remedy the situation.

“Certainly, like any other mental health service across the state, we are having challenges with workforce, but we’re well on track to recruiting areally strong and vibrant mental health team to deliver services to our communities,” he said.

Beggarsbelief: Theneighbour’spoolsits alongsidethe

last December Photograph supplied

Brandon

Deposit schemedepot expands to Moe

By TOMHAYES

LATROBE Valley Enterprises(LVE)officially opened its newest Container Deposit Scheme depot in Moe earlier this week.

Locatedat40Bell Street, Moe, the initiative is set to bring apositive impact to the community,fostering sustainable employment opportunities and promoting acircular economy through recycling.

"Latrobe Valley Enterprises and Return It have been collaborating for nearly ayear to bring this opportunity to fruition," LVE Chief Executive, Suzanne Lewis said.

"There has beenalot of work involved,but we're excited that we've achieved our goal for the community."

LVE has partnered with Return It to launch the Moedepot,which is set to serve as avitalresource for residents looking to recycletheir containers responsibly.

According to LVE, the opening of this facility not only supports environmental sustainability,but also creates purposeful job opportunities for individuals in the community, living with disabilities.

"This initiative will generateuptosix job

opportunities for individuals living with disabilities It aligns perfectly with our goals of providing sustainable and meaningful employment, promoting inclusivity within the community and enhancing environmental sustainability," Ms Lewis said.

As asocial enterprise, LVE is dedicated to providingmeaningfuland sustainable employment, ensuring that everyone has achance to thrive.

The Moe Container Deposit Scheme depot will operate Monday to Fridayfrom 8.30amto 4.30pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 3.30pm. The depot will be closed on all public holidays.

In addition to the ContainerDepositScheme DepotinMoe, LVE offers the container deposit scheme drive through depot in Morwell (547 Princes Drive) as well as adiverse range of services, including sign making, commercial grounds maintenance, recycling, secure document destruction, and business support services.

"The Morwell Container Deposit Scheme initiative has been very successful. Since we began operationsonNovember 1, 2023, the team has processed 13 million containers," Ms Lewis said.

"This initiative has proven to be agreat fitwith

LVE's mission of providing meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities, promoting social inclusion, and makingapositive impact on the community and the environment. "I believewecan all agree theseinitiatives

Firstinline: Thefirst customerstouse the Container Deposit Schemeatthe Moe depot on Monday,Januar y20. Photographs:Tom Hayes

Friendlyfaces: Latrobe ValleyEnter prises Container Deposit Scheme Operator,SallyTurner, and LVECDS Super visor,Brendan Carney

Locals band together to clean creek

By KATRINA BRANDON

COOPERS Creek locals have been left disgusted after campers left atrail of destruction.

Photos emerged online in the days following the new yearofcampfiresbeing lit on aTotal Fire Ban day, rubbish,including nappies, discarded, and people even washing cars in the creek.

Unfortunately, this was as all-too-familiar sight for the old gold mining town, but now, the final straw may well have been broken.

Wanting to revive the local gem,volunteers travelled to Coopers Creek on January 12 to clean up what they could.

Gippsland Adventure Tours’ Kelly Van Den Berg and Paddy Mc Howlett helped organise the clean-up in the river, and the Lions Club of Erica helped on land.

One local (who wished to remain anonymous) said the community’s frustration has grown throughout the years.

“It’s the worst it has been. All the localsare enraged that they have come out to camp out in our bush, and they have just littered it and treated it like it doesn’t matter to anyone when it matters alot to everyone. It’s our bush, our land,” they said.

“Onthe public holiday weekends it is packed. We get hundreds upon hundreds of people here. They camp on every square inch of the place. About four individuals have pulled out about atrailer-load of rubbish aday;Ithinksomeonedid two.Just massive.”

On Sunday, January 12, the Express visited the site to see what was happening.

Upon arrival, visitors were camped out in the no-camping zone, washing dishes in the river and leaving rubbish in surrounding areas.

After local police turned up to askthe visitors to vacate the no-camping area, they stayed put.

Looking further down the river, the Express found that campsite visitors had also ventured onto the neighbouring property, where they had broken the gatetoaccess the water and created their own site.

Anearby shed also had tarps, paddles and other rubbish left inside by campers.

After the clean-up, the volunteers shared that they had collected chairs, clothing (mainly socks), plastics and water toys.

According to an anonymoussource, campers leave aregular mess, and DEECA (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) workers collected up to four trailer loads of rubbish during busy periods at the campsite.

“I worked for DEECA about four years ago as acrewmember assigned to clean up the Coopers CreekCampsite. Ifeel Ineed to speak up about this, as it hasbeen an issue for years thathas never beenfixed or spoken aboutuntil now. We were mostly sent to cover it up,” the person said.

“We witnessed cars parked in the creek leaking God knows what and evenwashing their carsright into the creek. Those in charge never did athing about it. It’s gone under the radar because it was largely one specific community from Melbourne. It was never discussed, and I’m not surprised it’s still going on. Ican’t say what community specifically. None of us could, as it fell under diversity policy.”

In response to the issue, aDEECA representative told the Express: “We understandconcerns raised by residents regarding recent incidents at CoopersCreek, including littering and disrespectful behaviour fromsome visitors and that these behaviours can impact the enjoyment and safety of the site for others”.

“We urge allvisitors to CoopersCreekand similar recreational sites to respect the environment and the shared facilities.

“It is vital that all users take responsibility for their actions and leave the site as they found it, ensuringthey taketheir rubbish home. This includes not only general waste but also items like food wrappers and used nappies.”

Currently, some of the local DEECA workers are on strike for aliveable wage. Many of them work on aseasonal basis.

Another anonymous source said: “Notonlydo these staff fight fires, but they are boots on the ground looking after theforest. Whennot fighting fires, AWU (Australian Workers Union) staff maintain campgrounds, walking tracks, and the forest road network”.

“This (peopleleaving campsites in amess)has become particularlynoticeable at major campgroundsofCoopers Creek and Bruntons Bridge, as visitor numbers peaked over the summer holidays andthe sites were left in devastation. While AWU staff have no right to fine individuals for their actions at these recreation sites, they playamajor role in rubbish removal and camper education, and the lack of staff has shown its impact.

“AWU staff are incredibly passionate about the environment and localcommunity, andithurts them just as much as therest of us to seethese campgroundsinthe state they are in. However, drasticactionsmustbetaken to ensure these firefighters can make aliveable wage.”

Memb er for East ern Victo ria and Shado w Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath weighed into discussion,sayingthe onuswas on campers to do the right thing.

“The state governmentmust continue to allow traditionalrecreational activities such as camping in our state forests, and campers must play their role in leavingnothingbut footprints behind when they depart,” she said.

“Overwhelmingly, visitorsdothe ‘right thing’, but it is highly disappointing that negligent campers left Coopers Creek campgroundina disgraceful state and highly commendable that locals volunteered to remove rubbish left behind.

“Successive budget cuts to DEECA and the loss of enforcement officers embolden the reckless and selfish behaviour of aminority of visitors, which degrades our environment.

“Clearly, insufficientactive patrols are being conductedtopolice recalcitrant behaviourand issue penalties. Iamheartened by the incredible efforts of local volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to clean up Coopers Creek.

“I sincerelythank and congratulatethem on their selfless acts.Thesebushusers are passionate about preservingthe health of ourpublic land, and Iwish the state government would be so.”

Teamwork: Volunteersonfoot and by paddle travelled to CoopersCreek Campgrounds to help remove rubbishfromthe river.

Leader: PaddyMcHowlett from Gippsland AdventureTours helped organise theclean-upofthe riverbypaddle

Crew: Nine paddlersmadetheir waythroughthe Thomson River, picking up ever ything from socks,plastic and even chairs.

Hardwork: From Januar y5 to Januar y12, up to four to six trailer loadsofrubbish were collectedfromCoopersCreek campgrounds Photographs: Katrina Brandon

Wreck: From thecampsite to privateproperty, locals saythat visitorstothe sites have leftmess ever ywhere, including ahut which is on privateproperty.

Hidden dangers: Campground visitors have entered the crossroads withCoopersCreek localsafter leaving rubbish around camp,washingdishes in theriver,and not adhering to watersafetyrules

Pool open after near year-long rebuild

By KATRINABRANDON

NEARLY ayear after the horrific storm, the Mirboo North Swimming Pool is finally open again.

On February 13, 2024,Mirboo North’sstorm plummeted trees around the local pool, leaving the waters murky, and damaging fences and other pool amenities.

The Friends of the Mirboo North Swimming Pool Inc. (MNSP) Secretary, Mary Baker, told the Express:“After the storm, my oldest son said that he would go down and clean it up and thought they should be right for the following Thursday.

“When he came home, unsure how much time had lapsed, he showed me avideo. Ijust couldn’t

believe the damage after such avery short time.

The trees, the shade sails, the blankets were just horrendous. We have spent 20-plus years trying to rebuild this pool, and in 60 seconds, we were at square one”.

Over the years, the MNSP has had awealth of community support.

In 2011, the South GippslandShire Council held ameeting at the Mirboo North Hall to discuss the possible closure of the pool, but locals were quick to voice their disapproval.

“They put out about 27 chairs, and one of my friends said thatthey were going to need more chairs than that for this meeting,”MNSPcommittee member, Carmel Quirk said.

“It wasn’t 27 people.Itwas more like 600 people. They were inundated. People brought their own chairs.

“They couldn’t closethe poolafterthe public’s support, and we just had to change their thinking to the fact that this pool is more than just apool,” Ms Baker added.

After the decision to keep the poolopen, the Mirboo North community raised money to improve its facilities.

Fundraising effor ts inclu ded engagi ng the primary school with afive-cent challenge to pool mascot Riley, as well as online help.

The once natural spring had been transformed into alap pool,anall-abilities pool, abarbecue

hotspot, and avenue for events until the storm.

“We had only been open for two seasons before the storm,” Ms Baker said.

“Looking through the trees now, you can see all the houses. Alot of the treesbroke the cyclone fence, which has all been replaced.”

Amovie night is planned at the pool (featuring Sonic3)for Friday,January 31. There willalso be awooden carving to representthe town and recent events. Afestival is also scheduled to be held on February 15 next month,commemorating one year since the storm.

The ‘Storm Proof Soiree’ will feature games, activities, and afreebarbecuefrom4.30pm.

Recovery: Lots of determination and work has gone intogetting theMirboo Nor th poolbackup and running forsummer afterthe Februar y2024superstorm. Photograph: KatrinaBrandon

Devastation: TheMirboo Nor th Pool in the aftermath of the Februar y2024 storm. Photograph supplied

All FirstNations line-up to rock Gippsland/Gunaikurnai

Treaty Day Out is acelebration of First Nations music and cultureand themessage of Treaty to Gippsland/Gunaikurnai CountryinSouth- East Victoria, Thereare craft stalls, activities, food trucks and more!

Held at the Gippsland Sports and Entertainment Park in Morwell on Saturday,8February2025.

Treaty Day Out is organised by the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, agroup of elected Traditional Owners from across Victoria who arenegotiating Treaty between First Peoples and the Victorian Government.

Negotiations on astatewide Treaty began last month and will continue into 2025.

Treaty DayOut Gippsland an all FirstNations line up.

n A.B. ORIGINAL

n TROY CASSAR-DALEY

n ELECTRIC FIELDS

n BLAK COLLECTIVE 3%

n EMILYWURRAMARA

n UNCLE KUTCHA EDWARDS

n MPATHSOUL

n UNCLEDAVEARDEN

n CANISHA

n PLUS MORE DEADLYLOCAL ACTS

First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Members will be attending and community members will have the opportunity to have ayarnand ask any questions about Treatyatour informationstall.

First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Co-Chair and First Nations woman, Ngarra Murray,said TreatyDay OutGippsland will not only be adeadly afternoon of First Nations music and culture, but also achance for mob and allies alike to learnmoreabout Treaty andshow their supportfor theTreatyprocess.

“Treatyisall about empowering our communities and celebrating our cultures. We want to see local knowledge being used to come up with practical solutions at acommunity level, so it’sgreat to have events like this to bring people together.Ifyou’re mob, help get Treatydone –enrol with the Assembly and enjoy TreatyDay Out Gippsland,” said Ngarra.

“Previous Treaty Day Out concerts have sold out -bringing visitors to regional centres, boosting local economies, and bringing communities together

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who areenrolled with the Assembly will get free entry. Eligible people can enrol online at www firstpeoplesvic/org/enrol

Allies and people not enrolled will be able to purchase tickets for $75.

Concession and companion tickets areavailable for concession cardholdersand kids who are15 years and under get free entry.

Tickets on sale now at www.TreatyDayOut.com

Treaty Day Out Gippsland has been made possible with the supportofour eventpartners.

1. What

2. WhichAmericanstate is

3. Whichisthe largestoceanonear

4. What wasthe birthname of boxing legend MuhammadAli?

TWOPOINTERS

5. Howmany wivesdid Henr yVIII have?

6. In America/Canada,whatiscelebratedonFebruar y2 and is alsoa film?

7. What is thelongest runningAmericananimated TV show?

8. Whereinthe human body is thesmallest bone located?

THREE

9. What arethe threewater signsofthe zodiac?

10 What wasPrincessDiana’s maidenname?

11 What dish featuringmincedmeat, onions,and oatmeal is the national dish of Scotland?

12 What is thelargest living structureonEar th? FOUR POINTER

13 Whoreleased the albumBlood on theTracks?

14 What is thesmallest countr yinthe world? FIVE POINTER

15.I’llgiveyou five zodiac signsand yougivemethe icon associatedwiththem. Onepoint foreach answer. 1. Aries 2. Pisces 3. Capricorn4.Sagit tarius 5. Libra

Howdid youfare?

37: Topofthe class; 30-36: Outstanding; 22-29: Well done; 15-21: Solid effort; 9-14: Room for improvement; 0-8: Hit the books.

Target Time No. 0247

Celebrating Australia Day 26 JANUARY 2025

Reflect. Respect. Celebrate. We’reall partofthe story.

FROM the original celebration of the landing at Sydney Cove in 1788, Australia Day and what it represents has changed over time. In modern times Australia Day is aday to celebrate and reflect on what we love about Australia; asense of fair go, our lifestyle, our freedom, democracy,our land and the people of Australia. Our families, neighbours, friends, workmates and our communities.

Australia Day is aday we cancelebrate the deep connection to CountrythatFirst Nations people have and reflectonhow we areall shaped by the land on which we live, work and play –fromthe freshwater to the saltwater,the rainforest to the desert.

It is aday to acknowledge the past, respect and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ survival, resilience and enduring culture.

Australia Day celebrations continue to be hugely popular,with 4in5Australians believing it has abigger meaning beyond being just a day off.

The message that this day portrays has been carried from generation to generation-a day to reflect and show recognitionofwhat Australia Day means to each of us.

The celebrations of this day take many

forms, from the Aussie barbeque in the backyard, to heading out for apicnic, or attendingthe many local community events across our region to recognisethose who have made adifference.

Australia Day is also the chosen day when we welcome new Australians who choose to become citizens of this great country.

Australia Day gives us time to connect with family,friends and community –aday to celebrate the freedoms we shareand the values and beliefs we hold.

What Australia Day means to each of us depends on who we are, wherewecomefrom, and how we came to be Australian.

Australia Day is aday to reflect and respect that we areall shaped by our own experiences, and to celebrate living in anation where everyone’sviews, beliefs and contributions are valued.

It is our day –but can be marked your way

Australia Day is about so much morethan the events of one day it is about who we are as anationand what we aspiretobe.

So,whether it’sasnag on the BBQ with family and friends, alocal council or community event, it is aday to celebrate ‘Australia’.

LIVEMUSIC

KIDS CORNER

CARSHOW

MARKET STALLS

GROOVE to thebeats of PirottaBrothersthrough the day.

FREE games, movies,and crafts to keep thelittle ones entertained.

REV Up your excitement with astunningdisplayof classicand modern vehicles

DISCOVER uniquetreasures andhandmadegoodies at ourmarketstalls.

Sunday 26 Januar y11.30am -3.30pm

Bringyourmates,grab your Aussie gear, and let'screatememoriestogether. Admission is free,and thevibes are priceless!

BY RENEE HEATH MP

MODERN Australia has an Aboriginal heritage, aBritish foundation and amulticultural character.These three elements arewhathave made the Australian identity unique. When we arefreetorecognise and celebrate them equally,wecontinue building on the strengths of this great nation.

For along time, Australia has enjoyed incredible freedom, peace and prosperity.We areknown as the lucky countryowing to the rich natural resources beneath our land and sea. We aredescribed as one of the most successful multicultural countries on earth, successfully uniting many races, cultures and traditions through shared values.

Thereisnodoubt our generation of Australians have lived through an unparalleled arcofhistory, but we can’ttake this for granted. The freedoms, peace and prosperity we have today came at agreat price, and it is now our job to preserve that for futuregenerations. Ibelieve we must continue to uphold our shared Australian values in order to protect the nation-building ideals that have made us the envy of the world.

Being Australian is something to be proud of. Whether you werebornlocally or overseas, the beauty of this nation is that we can all call ourselves Australians and celebrate the strength of this incredible country.

HappyAustralia Day!

Trafalgar Holden Museum

TRAFALGAR’S Holden Museum is again saluting Aussie-built cars on Australia Day, Sunday 26 January.

Owners arebeing asked to saddle up their iconic Australian built vehicle for this special annual milestone event for an Australia Day celebration of local automotive engineering to make you proud to be an Aussie!

Whether they drive aHolden, Ford,BMC or Chrysler or whatever,all Australian built cars arewelcome.

The awardwinning Museum tells the complete Holden storythrough thousands of exhibits that celebrate Australia’sHolden Heritage.

Visitors can enjoy afreeBBQ

If you love Australian built cars, Trafalgar is the place to be this Australia day Open from 10am -5pm. Entryisjust$15 per adult, $10Senior,$5Child and $35 Family

Change not easy, but often needed

COMMENT

BY JOHN DE SOUZA-DAW

SINCE1994, January 26 has been recognised nationwide as AustraliaDay -apublicholiday meant to commemorate thelanding of Captain Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove in 1788, marking the beginning of British colonisation.

For some Australians, this day represents barbecues, fireworks, and acelebration of national pride.But formany others, it is aday of mourning, symbolising the violent dispossession, suffering, and cultural erasure experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Australia Day’s origins reveal atroubling history.The day celebrates the establishment of a penal colony on land that was already occupied by thriving Indigenous nations. These nations had lived sustainably for tens of thousands of years. The arrival of the First Fleet marked the beginning of asystematic invasion, bringing disease, displacement, massacres, and the destruction of cultures that had existed since time immemorial.

To understand the contention surrounding Australia Day, we need to look at the facts.

Aboriginal leaders first declared January 26 a "Day of Mourning" in 1938 -decades before the date became anational holiday. The day was observed nationally only in 1994, and its history of inconsistent dates underscores its lack of intrinsic meaning. For example, the first "Australia Day" was celebrated on July 30, 1915, to raise money for World War 1. Over the years, the dateshifted across states and territoriesbefore settling on January 26. Clearly, the date itself holds no immutable significance.

For In digen ous Au st ral ian s, Jan ua ry 26 is astark reminder of invasion and genocide. Consider the Gunaikurnai people of Gippsland, whose population was decimated from several thousand to just 200 within two decades due to violent massacres between 1840 and 1860. This is just one of many stories of brutality and loss. The historical trauma reverberates today, with ongoing social disparities faced by communities.

The parallels with historical atrocities hard to ignore.

Woul dP olan d celebrate the date of the Nazi invasionin1939? Of course not. Su ch ad ay would be seen as an insult to those who suff ere d and died. Yet, in Australia, we’re asked to celebrate aday that marks the beg inni ng of similar destruction on our own soil.Genocide happened here too. happened here too.

One of the most contra dictio ns in our nati onal consciousnessisthis:most Australian students can recount details of the Holocaust by the timethey leave high school. Few however, can tell you about the FrontierWarsorthe massacres thatoccurred during Australia’s colonisation. Why do we prioritise European

history over the history of our own land?

Acknowledging the past is notabout guilt; it’s about respect, understanding, and the healing required to move forward together.

Opposition to changing the date is oftenfuelled by misinformation and fearmongering. Media outlets like Sky Newsand Murdoch-owned publications perpetuate the idea that altering the date threatens national identity. These narratives are designed nottoinformbut to incite angerand manipulate publicopinion. Let’s not forget,RupertMurdoch, one of the most powerful figures in global media, wields enormous influence overelections and publicdiscourse. Shouldn’t we question why amedia empire would stoke division over something as symbolic as adate?

Critics argue that changing the date won’t solve deeper issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Whilethis is true, it’salso aflawed argument. Often, the first steps toward progress are symbolic but significant. Changing thedate is asimple,achievable act of respect and inclusivity.After all, we regularly adjust other significantdates. Easter, for instance, shifts every year basedonthe lunar calendar, and few people object.

Adatechangealone isn’tenough, but it’s a starting point. It’s away to say: we acknowledge the pain this day causes. From there, we can focus on larger systemic changes, such as addressing inequality and ensuring Indigenous voices are heard in national decision-making.

As anation, we cannot celebrate together until we fully acknowledge our past. Recognition of history, both its triumphs and its tragedies, is essentialfor genuine reconciliation.Imaginea future where Australia Day is acelebration of unity, marked on adatethat all Australians can embrace. This isn’t about erasing history; it’s about creating aday that reflects va lu es and aspirations.

choice is ours. Will we cling to a date tied to pain and division, or willwetake the opportunity to build something better?

Change is never easy, but sometimes, it’s necessary.

Let ’s mak e Australia Day ad ay wo rth celebrating for all Australians.

John de SouzaaT raral gon with adegree in history, politics, Englishand sociology.

Perspective: Traralgon’s John de Souza-Daw at theAboriginalTent Embassy, Canberra on Australia Day, 2015 Photograph supplied

Keep Australia Day date as is: Chester

COMMENT BY DARREN CHESTER

THE annual campaign to ‘change the date’ of Australia Day is an attempt to divide our country, deny our history, and shame everyday Australians to feel some level of collective guilt for the actions of past generations.

Isupport Australia Day remaining as apublic holiday on January 26 each year and reject the attempts by politically motivated activists and some corporations to undermine the significance of the day.

For those of us who are proud of our country butmindful of the challengeswestill face, the constant lecturing about Australia Day is tiresome and counterproductive to avision of amore united and respectful nation.

In contrast,wecommemorate Anzac Day on April 25 each year because that’sthe day Australian troops actuallystarted their ill-fated mission on the Gallipolipeninsula. It’s not acelebration of war and we don’t sugarcoat the failures of the campaign and the heavy losses sustained on both sides.

We don’t try to change the dateofAnzacDay, but we do tell the full storyofAustralians at war across several conflicts and the freedom they secured.

The challengeistotake exactly the same approachtoAustralia Day and tell the entire story of European settlement in our nation. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

We should not ignore the sensitivities and the impacts on the longest-livingculture on the planet, but we should also celebrate the extraordinary successes and countless positive changes over the past 240 years. And we should commit ourselvesto workingtogether to help all vulnerable Australians, both black and white.

At atimewhenmuch of the political and media commentary focuses on what’s wrong with Australia, we should try to count our blessings more often and be proud of our incredible achievements as anation.

As we cast oureyesaround the world and witness

stories of armed conflicts, religious intolerance and minority groupsbeing persecuted, we should be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy and the largely safe, secure communities we share.

We should be mindful of the threats we face today from people who seek to divide our nation.

Of course, we can’t ignore our colonial past, and it’s asimple fact that the lives of Indigenous people were changed forever when European settlement started on January 26, 1788.

Subsequent generations have built the civilisation we enjoy today, and by any comparison around the world, we have brought together diverse cultures to live largely harmoniously.

That’s not to say there aren’t genuine problems and unfinished business we would all like to fix, but changing the date of Australia Day isn’t the answer.

Rather than lookbackwards as anation, we need to understandthat now is ourtime to write our chapter of the great Australian story. It should be astory of unity, hope, optimism and confidence as we instil passion and beliefinthe future of our regions in our younger generations. It should be astory of innovation and resilience. By working together, we can address challenges likepoverty,homelessness, Indigenous disadvantage, mental illness, illicit drugs, family violence and any shortcomings in our government services

We have to believe in ourselves and each other as we keep writing our chapter of the amazing Australian story.

Our time would be much better spent focusing on how we can all play our part every day to make sure Gippsland andAustralia are just alittle bit better and cement our place as one of the greatest nations in the world.

Australia Day is acelebration of our nation and its people from all cultural backgrounds and an opportunity to reflect on things we can do better in the future.

Darren Chester is the Federal Member for Gippsland.

Aussies push for climate pollution acknowledgement

AHOST of well-known Australians have signed an open letter written by four youngpeople includingAnjaliSharma, urging the federal government to legislate aDutyofCaretoyoung people and future generations.

In the letter sent to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Ministers Anne Aly, Chris Bowen and Tanya Plibersek, more than 50 individuals and organisations have called urgently on the federal government to acknowledge the disproportionate impact that climate pollution will haveonfuture generations, and to reflect this in legislation.

Theseindividuals include Lucy Turnbull AO, businesswoman and wife of former Prime Minister

Malcolm Turnbull, John Hewson, Craig Foster, Peter Doherty, Emma McKeon and Grace Tame. It comes after Copernicus (Earth Observation component of the European Union's space programme), confirmed that 2024 is the firstyear to exceed 1.5°Cabove pre-industrial levels.

Theseprominent Australians join the group of young people who have been calling for this DutyofCare, resultinginaprivate Senator’s bill being tabled to this effect by Senator David Pocock in 2023.

Agovernment-chaired SenateCommittee recommended this bill not pass.

The letter, written by Anjali Sharma, Jess Travers-Wolf, Hannah Vardy and Daisy Jeffrey,

emphasises that there is no domestic legislation mandating the protection of the health and wellbeing of current and future generations in theface of climate change. This is despite the knowledge that climate pollution is already harming Australians, and will cause further harm with the escalating frequency and severity of climate disasters.

Anjali Sharma, an author of the letter, said: “The lack of legislation ackn owledging the disproportionate impact of climate change on future generations, despite widespread knowledge of thisfact, is abetrayal of the young people of today andtomorrow".

"Wemustlegislate againstashort-term view and legislate for aworld where the health and

wellbeing of youngpeople is aparamount consideration in the face of climate change.”

The Pacific Elders Voice, asignatory to theletter, added: "The significant effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, especially children, have been extensively reported by organisations such as the IPCC, WHO, and UNICEF, among others”.

"Thisissue is partic ularly pronounced in impoverished communities, including Indigenous populations, small island nations, and developing countries. It is the responsibility of national leaderstoenact appropriate legislation that safeguards the interests of future generations." Letters to the Editor: Pages 30-31

Muchtobeproud of: FederalMember forGippsland, Darren ChestersaysAustralia Dayisa celebrationofthe nation. File photograph

FREAWA RE NE SS

Include your r pets in your bushfire survival plans

HAVING bedding, food, and water readytogofor your furryfriend could save valuable time in the event of afire.

CFAChief Officer Jason Heffernan emphasised the importance of being readytoleave early on high-risk bushfiredays.

“While you should always prioritise your own safety ahead of your pets, your bushfireplan isn’t fully complete unless it accounts for them,” Jason said.

“When creating aplan, consider what your pets will eat and drink, how you will transportthem, and whereyou aretaking them.

“Once you have your kit prepared, keep it somewherethat’seasily accessible.

“Keep towels and woollen blankets on hand to protect pets during the journey and to keep them as cool as possible.

“Another valuable step is microchipping pets for easy identification and ensuring your phone number is visible on their collar

For horses and livestock, aseparate plan is required.

“If you’reunable to evacuate livestock, the safest place is alarge,well-grazed, and fenced area away from roadswhere they can move freely with access to water,” Jason said.

“Make sureyou’reprepared; late evacuation will put you and your animals at risk.”

RSPCA Victoria CEO Dr Liz Walker reiterated the

importance of including pets in bushfire survival plans

“Planning for emergencies is such a crucial part of life in Victoria particularly during the summer months,” Dr Walker said

Many people across the state already have a Fire Ready plan in place and we’re urging everyone to make sure their pets are included too

“An emergency kit with medication, updated contact details on microchips and collars photos or scans on your phone of important documents like vaccination certifications, are just some of the items to prepare in advance

“Our pets are such an important part of our lives, including them in your Fire Ready plans increases the chances of you and your pet making it to safety in an emergency situation ”

For more information and tips on how to keep your pets and livestock safe during high bushfire risk days, visit www cfa vic gov au/pets

Take your pet’s needs into consideration when making your fire plan

Photo: iStock

FREAWA RE NE SS

fleetisreadytorespond

VICTORIA’s aerial firefighting fleet is readyto respond to what is forecast to be one of the most high-risk fireseasons in recent years for much of the state this summer,according to the Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes.

Ms Symes last month unveiled the fleet at Avalon Airportalongside Emergency Management Commissioner,RickNugentand emergency services personnel.

This year’scorefleet features 54 dedicated aircraft strategically positioned across the state to supportefforts on the ground and gather crucial intelligence from the air to help faster tactical decision making.

Returning this year aretwo Large Air Tankers based at Avalon which can also be deployed from smaller regional airports, making them moreagile to move around the state.

The fleet also includes aBlack Hawk, other Type 1helicopters, and aSuper Puma which has a capacity of 4000 litres.

The Super Puma is supported by an Air Attack Supervision aircraft for detection and observation at night.

An important addition to the fleet this year is a Bell 214ST helicopter,which has the ability to pick up salt water -giving responders moreoptions to help put fires out faster

TwoAircranes will join the fleet after their service period ends in North America. Victoria will have three additional aircraft on short-termcontracts until the Aircranes arrive, bringing the total contracted aircraft this summer to 57. Victoria can also access a‘call when needed’ fleet of morethan 100 aircraft and can request extra aircraft from the national fleet.

The AFAC summer outlook, which was released in November,madeitclear that large parts of Victoria arefacing their highest firerisk since the summer of 2019/20. It indicates most of westernVictoria, as well as south-west Gippsland, Mornington Peninsula, greater Melbourne and north-east Victoria areatanincreased risk of fire activity

The risk for the rest of the state is forecast to be normal for summer -which means fires arestill possible and everyone must do their parttobe prepared.

For moreinformation on how to preparefor emergencies, download the VicEmergency

Fighting fires from the skies

Ready: Minister forEmergencySer vices, Jaclyn Symes says theaerial fleet is readyfor high-risk fire season. Photo: File

app. People can also create afireplan online customised to their needs and sharable with family and friends via fireplanner.vic.gov.au

Ms Symes said the government was ready for the season.

“I’m excited to see the return of twoLarge Air Tankers to Victoria this year.Fromits base in Avalon it can reach Mildura in the north to Horsham in the west or Benambra in the north east,” she said.

Mr Nugent, said: “Weare well prepared for this higher risk weather season, with excellent support from our aerial firefighting fleet and thousands of dedicated emergency services personnel. Preparedness is ashared responsibility.Sit down with your household to talk about your emergency plan and what you will do in case of afireor other emergency.”

An aerial firefighting

to firesacrossthe state.Photo: iStock

50 years ago

The Express, January 22, 1975

WelfareGroups Back SEC

AMEETING of Morwell welfare organisations, service clubs and SEC and union representatives has pledged full support to any project involving the resettlement of Darwin evacuees* in Yallourn. The meeting was attended by representatives of the SEC, Gippsland Trades and Labor Council, St Vincent De Paul, Department of Social Security, Save Yallourn Committee, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Rotary, Apex and Lions Clubs and aDarwin evacuee. Social Welfare Department Regional Superintendent, Mr John Noble, said all these bodies would be involved in any resettlement projects projects to arise from the SEC’s offer of houses to Darwin evacuees.

“With this offer came the promise from Moe Rotary to furnish and equip some of these houses if needed. Organisations at the meeting said they would assist with this large task which would involve furnishing the shell of houses from top to bottom.” said Mr Noble. He said at this stage neither the Federal nor State Governments had made any decision about Yallourn, although he doubts if the town will be used in any large scale project. “We are presently awaiting final decisions from the 15 families from Darwin who are staying in the area with family and friends.

*Cyclone Tracy struck Christmas Day 1974.

Australia Day celebrations

TRARALGON CentrePlaza is excited to announce avibrant and inclusive Australia Day weekend celebrationfor this weekend. The plaza will be supporting local RSL, and bring together adiverse community for aweekend of events, unity and festivity.

TCP's landlord and owner, Fawkner Property believethat while we come frommany cultures and holdmany beliefs, we are unitedasone Australia.

"At Fawkner Prop erty, we are proud to celebrate the rich diversity of our community. Australia Day is a perfect opportunity to come together and appreciate the many cultures and backgrounds that make us oneunited Australia," Fawkner Property CIO and founder, Chris Garnaut said.

On Satu rday ,J an ua ry 25, the Traralgon RSL will be raising money for veterans. Foragold coin donation, peoplecan come along and enjoy a sausagesizzleand drink to support agreat cause.

The centre will also be hosting an animal and reptile farm,kids craft station,adventure fun with the 1st Traralgon Scouts and GirlGuidesand astilt walker.

Baker’s Delightwill offer free cheesy mite scrolls from 10am.

On Sunday,there will be pony rides, Mumsupialand Sons Educational Wildlife experience and kids craft. Join the team at Traralgon Centre Plazafor aday filledwith joy and community spirit.

From the

HOROSCOPES

by Joanne Madeline Moore

January20-January26, 2025

time to fix things around the house, clean, declutter, detox, renovate and/or reboot a troub ed family re ationship Make sure you eat we l, exercise regularly, get p enty of sleep and do a l you can to conserve energy and boost vitality Be nspired by fe low Aries, designer Will am Morris: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautifu ”

Uranus (in Taurus) mot vates you to be more adventurous w th the way you look and the personal projects you take on, as you widen your perspective, experiment and explore But Uranus is only transiting through Taurus until Ju y 7, and it won’t be back n your sign unti 2102 So get moving, changing and updating ASAP! Draw insp rat on from actress and producer Geena Davis (who was born on January 21): “ f you risk nothing, then you risk everything ”

The Sun/Pluto hook-up favours broadening your horizons via travel, adventure and education With Jup ter jumping through your sign, t’s time to be positive and confident as you social ze and fraternize, sparkle and shine Lucky opportunities and fortuitous connections wil take you places Your motto for the week is from b rthday great, fashion des gner Christian Dior: “Zest is the secret of a l beauty There is no beauty that is attractive without zest ”

Proactive Mars is reversing through your career zone unt l February 24 So a profess onal relationsh p could end up n a confusing mess if you m sread each other’s words, act ons or motives Avoid ump ng to conclusions and (when in doubt) don’t hesitate to ask for clar fication Venus (your rul ng p anet) is transiting through your daily routine zone which favours soc asing w th co leagues and enjoying the simple things in ife, l ke a walk in the park

The week starts with a domestic drama (or two!) as Pluto (your patron planet) inks up with the fiery Sun Expect family fiascos, intense fee ings, power p ays and/or passionate outbursts Mars is reversing through your travel and education zones (until February 24) so make sure you double-check your business trip itinerary, ho iday booking or study plans And avoid gett ng drawn into a heated discussion/argument about the b g two - politics and religion

Sociab e, generous Jupiter (your patron planet) is transiting through your re ationship zone, so you’re at your chatty charming best But are you worried about your bank balance? Avoid going on a spontaneous spend ng spree or lend ng money to dubious peop e You’re liable to make impuls ve decisions based purely on your fiery emotions, which are fluctuating wildly, courtesy of retrograde Mars It is a good week to read, reflect, research and revise

On Tuesday, the Sun and Pluto link up in your ‘money-from-others’ zone Which s good news for financial matters nvolving nvestments, superannuation, inheritance, taxes and joint ventures – as long as you are respons ble, resourcefu and adopt a patient, ongterm strategy But with dynamic Mars reversing through your sign (until February 24) you may feel t red and lack motivation Clever Crabs wi l slow down conserve energy and think th ngs through

The week starts with the Sun and Pluto pair ng up in your partnersh p zone, so expect close relationships to be intense and conversations to be complicated There could a so be something secretive or mysterious going on involv ng a loved one Don’t accept things at face value ask questions and dig deeper! Attached Cats this week emotions run high, and passions run deep Singles you cou d be attracted to someone with a powerfully magnetic persona ity

Venusgis visiting your relationship zone until February 4, wh ch encourages you to hold out the olive branch of peace to a friend or family member as you crank up your diplomatic skil s, sympath se and comprom se Creative communication and smart negotiation are the secrets to smooth partnerships as you take the time to talk things through You could also make plans to travel overseas, learn another language or take on voluntary work in 2025

Th s week Mercury is vis t ng Capr corn, and the Sun and P uto ink up in your self-esteem zone, so there is the tendency to be very intense, self-critical, and take yourse f way too ser ous y But Jupiter s vis ting your health zone, so it’s time to relax, let your hair down and have some fun – for the sake of your mental and physical wel being! Be insp red by poet (and birthday great) Lord Byron: “A ways laugh when you can It is cheap medicine ”

On Monday morning (EDT time) the Sun trans ts into your sign, and then t links up with Pluto So prepare for a week full of strong feel ngs, intense encounters and powerful insights, as you start a new cycle of growth and transformation Plus – w th proactive Mars reversing through your job and wel being zone – it’s time to review your work habits, da ly diet and exerc se program Small tweaks, revis ons and reboots cou d make al the difference

The planets highl ght your human tar an and helping zones, as you concentrate on the needs of those around you You’re keen to get nvo ved with a project from beh nd-the-scenes but be carefu you don’t get ost in a fantasy wor d With earthy, practical Saturn sti l transiting through your sign, keep your feet firmly planted on the ground Your motto for the moment is from birthday great, writer V rgin a Woo f: “You cannot find peace by avoiding l fe ”

Hobby newGippsland

PHN board director

GIPPSLAND PrimaryHealth Network(Gippsland PHN) have announced the appointment of Andrew Hobby as aboard director.

Having held roles at Google and Cisco, Mr Hobby brings auniqueblend of technological expertise, healthcare experience, leadership skills,and corporate governance knowledge to the Gippsland PHN Board.

Withmore than 30 years in the technology industry, he began his career as an IT engineer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (later Melbourne Health and North Western Health), where he played a pivotal role in integrating early-stage internet technologies to improve clinical environments for staff, patients, and the community.

During an eight-year tenure in Singapore, Mr Hobby held leadership positions at Cisco and Google, leading large, customer-focused technology teams across the Asia Pacific region, helping enterprises and governments leverage advanced technologies.

Hisexpertise spans Networking,Cyber Security, AI, Cloud, and Analytics, with aparticularemphasis on their application in healthcare, education, and manufacturing sectors.

My Hobby is agraduateand active member of the AustralianInstitute of Company Directors, further strengthening his capacity to contribute to leadership and governance initiatives.

GippslandPHN acting Chief Executive, Angela JacobsaidGippsland PHN would benefit from Mr Hobby’s unique expertise and experience.

“We are excited to haveMrHobbyjoinour organisation. Hisblend of experience in leadership, technology and healthcare is unique and we are lookingforward to working with Mr Hobby as we continuetoinnovate and worktowards a measurably healthier Gippsland,” Ms Jacob said.

On accepting his appointment to Gippsland PHN’s Board, Mr Hobbyexpressedhis passion for the Gippsland region.

“Inthe last 12 months Ihave relocatedwith my wife back to Melbourne and have been living part time in Foster,” he said.

“We’re passionateaboutthe Gippslandcommunity and are keen to form deeper connections with the community, learn and leverage ourskills to make contributions.”

COPYR GHT Joanne Madel ne Moore 2024

THE state government is stepping in to fill gaps in the primary care system, with the next round of agenerous programtorecruitmore GPs and improve health outcomes for Victoriansnow open Minister for Health, Mary-AnneThomas announced the first400 grants,worth up to $40,000, whichhavenow been awarded to medical graduates who take up acareer in general practice.

“Supporting more graduates to pursue acareer in general practiceand improving access to primary care will help to ease pressure on our busyemergencydepartments and prevent delayed care,” she said.

Afurther 400 grants are available in 2025for those commencing aGPtraining program in Victoria. Doctors who commenced their training this year and who had applied, enrolled and were accepted on or after November 27, 2022 are also eligible.

This $32 million program addresses some of the disincentives that stop young doctorsfrom pursuing acareer in general practice, such as the higher remuneration typically on offer in other medical specialties.

The grants are already making adifference to primary care in Victoria, with asurvey of applicants showing:

 59 per cent of recipients are now doing their placement in regional Victoria;  13 per cent said they moved to Victoria from overseas or interstate because of the program;  64 per cent said it had some influence on their decision to enrol in GP training in Victoria, and;

44 per cent said they would have pursued adifferent career path in medicine if they program did not exist.

Graduates can apply for agrant directly through the AustralianCollege of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) or the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) oncethey have been successfully accepted andenrolledinto one of the relevantGPtrainingprograms.

Applicants are assessed against an eligibility framework and preference is given to applicants who are Australianmedicalgraduates and doctors training in rural locations and areas of workforce need.

It comes as 2023/2024

Incoming: NewGippsland PrimaryHealth NetworkBoardDirector,Andrew Hobby

Photograph supplied

TheGuide

AUSTRALIA DAYLIVE

ABC TV,Sunday, 7.30pm

GUY MONTGOMERY’S GUY MONT SPELLING BEE(

ABC Entertains, Saturday, 8

Loosely based on aclassic spellin and wholly an excusefor Kiwi sta Guy Montgomery(pictured) to r and infuriate his comedian pals o the Australian edition of this com showcreated quitethe buzzfor when it premiered last year.How what some might not know is th plenty morewherethatcame fro red-letterday forfans: Montgom homegrown seasons of theSpel Beeare here,where he’s assisted by the delightfully deadpan Sanja Patel. Saturday’spremieresees HayleySproull,AbbyHowells, MattHeath and JoshThomson prove theirspelling prowess (orlackthereof).

Wednesday, January 22

ABC TV (2) SBS (3)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News

Mornings. 10.00 The WayWeWore. (PG, R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow.(R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 ChangingEnds.(PG,R)

2.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R)

3.00 BackRoads. (PG, R)

3.30 Grand Designs. (R)

4.15 Long Lost Family (PG,R)

5.00 ABite To EatWithAlice. (R)

5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6.30 HardQuiz. (PG, R)

7.00 ABC News.

7.30 7.30

8.00 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) Hosted by Adam Hills.

8.30 LiveAtThe Malthouse. (Mal) Astand-up comedy performance.

9.40 Planet America. (Return) Alook at American politics.

10.10 Utopia. (PG, R)

11.05 ABC Late News.

11.20 Aftertaste. (Mls, R)

12.25 Grand Designs. (R) 1.10 Long Lost Family.(PG,R) 1.55 Rage.(MA15+adhlnsv)

3.25 Parkinson In Australia. (PG, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30.(R)

6am Morning Programs. 10.10 Confucius Was AFoodie.(PG,R) 11.05 Great CanalJourneys. (PGav,R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBSNews. 2.00 Great Australian Railway Journeys. (PGa, R) 3.05 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.10 Destination Flavour China. (PGa, R) 3.40 The Cook Up.(R) 4.10 Britain By Beach. (PGn, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)

6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 TheReal Crown: Inside The House Of Windsor:Intruders. (PG, R) 8.30 MichaelPalin: Into Iraq. (Ms, R) Michael Palin exploresIraq. 9.25 TheNight Manager (Masv) Roper and his team return to Cairo 10.35 SBS World News Late. 11.05 Pagan Peak. (Mav) 11.55 Rogue Heroes. (Malv,R) 1.00 Soldiers. (Malv,R) 2.50 Home Is Where The Art Is. (R) 3.40 MakeMeADealer.(R) 4.30 Peer To Peer.(R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe World Tonight.

(NZ) 8pm ngbee format and-up ib,taunt ontelevision medy panel the ABC wever at there’s om. It’s s a mery ’ s ling d ay y t

Hot on the heelsofthe dazzling display that lit up SydneyHarbour and Circular Quay forNew Year’s Eve, this unmissable spectacle bringsthe magic of the Australianspirit back to the iconic locale with lights, music and fireworks as we reflect on our shared historyand the bright futureofthe nation. H by Jeremy Fernandez, Burslem and National A DayCouncil Chair John an all-star concert on t OperaHouse forecour the talents of Dragon Sheppard, William Bart James Morrison, Sync NSW Public Schools Ch

osted Megan Australia n Foreman, the Sydney rtwelcomes Ben Lee, ton, Paulini, or Swim, the hoir and more.

SEVEN (7,6)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 TheMorning Show. (PG) 12.00 SevenNoonNews. 1.00 MOVIE: Morning Show Mysteries: AMurder In TheMind. (2019,PGav) HollyRobinson Peete. 3.00 TheChase. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChaseAustralia. Hosted by LarryEmdur

6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Home And Away (PG) Rose is overruled 7.30 Cricket. Big Bash League.The Knockout. 11.00 Big Bash League Post-Game. Post-matchcoverage of TheKnockout. 11.30 UnbelievableMoments Caught On Camera. (PGa, R) Footage of headline-grabbing moments.

12.30 Cycling Santos Tour Down Under.Men’s.Stage 2. Highlights. 1.30 Black-ish. (PGa, R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBCToday 5.00 Sunrise 5am News. 5.30 Sunrise.

PICK OF TH

HE WEEK

MARRIEDATFIR Nine, Monday, 7.

RST SIGHT 30pm

As the dulcettones fade away,the chim country. Yes, it’s M promisingbombs outset in this 12th MelSchillingand romantic” Laure before thefi standards a maid of h a couple is

softhe summer’s tennisand cricket commentators me of wedding bellsringsinlivingroomsacrossthe MAFStime again.The mostpolarisingshowonTVisback, shells, instant sparks and explosivemoments from the hseason. Having been matched by experts John Aiken, AlessandraRampolla, the cast, including“old-school en (pictured), celebrate their buck’sand hens’parties, rstceremonies takeplace.One groom’s uncompromising could jeopardisehis marriage before it’sevenbegun, honour from hell causes chaos, andinsweet scenes, sgiven asecond chance at love

CLUB

THE1% Seven, T 7.30pm

Tuesday, m

NINE (9,8)

No fro Jim as Au wal from Grafto Strait to T The1%C State sp not aste setsabo Australi Territory tradema Whichst the most which pl

owhereissafe om acerbic host mJefferies’barbs 100 everyday ssies from all ks of life,hailing Geraldton to on and Torres Tassie, take on Club’s State v pecial. There’s ereotype left unturned as comedian Jefferies (pictured) out roasting Townsville couple Erryn and Dave,Western an tradie Zac and “Crocodile”Kate from the Northern ywhilethey attempt to answer thegame show’s ark brain teasers and avoid falling forany trick questions. tate or territory’sbrainiacs areeasily misled? Who knows tabout Aussie supermodels (hint: it’sJefferies)? And ayer will takeashot at the$100,000 prize?

TEN (10, 5)

6.00 Today. The latest in news and current affairs. 10.00 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show. Reviews, previews, interviews, highlights and opinions from the Australian OpenatMelbournePark. 11.00 Tennis. Australian Open. Day11. 4.00 Tennis. Australian Open. Afternoon 11. From Melbourne Park. Hosted by Roz Kellyand James Bracey 6.00 Drew Barrymore.(PGas) 7.00 Neighbours.

6.00 9News. 7.00 Tennis. Australian Open.Night 11. 11.00 Tennis Australian Open. Late night 11 12.00 New Amsterdam (MA15+am, R) Helen Sharpe returns to New York.

1.00 Hello SA (PG, R) The team pays avisit to avery specialfarm.

1.30 TV Shop:HomeShopping (R)

2.30 Global Shop (R) Home shopping.

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s VoiceOfVictory (PGa) Religious program.

4.30 GolfBarons. (PG) The team reviews aGPS golf watch.

5.00 TodayEarly News.

5.30 Today.

6.00 Deal Or No Deal.

6.30 TheProject Alook at the day’snews.

Thursday, January 23

Invaders.(PG, R) 10.30 Back Roads. (PG, R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow.(R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Kumi’sJapan. (R) 2.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 3.00 Back

8.00 Back Roads: Theodore, Queensland. (PG) Guest presented by Anna Daniels

8.30 Long Lost Family (PG) Davina McCall and NickyCampbell takealook at two stories that takeusacross the globe. 9.20 Grand Designs: Canterbury (R) Hosted by Kevin McCloud.

10.05 Dr Karl’s HowThings Work: Ginger Beer (R) Dr Karl Kruszelnicki looks at ginger beer

10 35 ABC Late News.

10.55 Escaping Utopia. (R)

11.55 Grand Designs. (PG, R)

12.45 Long Lost Family.(R) 1.30 Rage (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.40 Parkinson In Australia. (PG, R) 4.25 Gardening Australia.(R) 5.30 7.30.(R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)

6.30 SBS WorldNews.

7.35 Outback Adventures In Western Australia. Takes alookatWestern Australia.

8.30 Silk Road From Above (R) The aerial journey continuesfrom China’s heartland to the country’swestern border

9.30 TheDarkness (Malv) Elena is kidnapped by Katya’skiller. Her son tells Hulda and Lukashesaw abig red man when his mum wastaken.

10.25 SBS World NewsLate.

10.55 Divided We Stand. (Premiere, Mal)

12.45 Blanca. (Madlv,R)

2.45 Home Is Where TheArt Is.(R) 3.35 MakeMeADealer.(R) 4.25 Peer To Peer (PG,R) 4.55 Destination FlavourDown Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe World Tonight.

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 5.45pm Hey Duggee. 5.55 Paddington. 6.05 KiyaAnd The Kimoja Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts: Above And Beyond. 6.35 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 The Deep. 7.20 Bluey 7.30 Shaun The Sheep 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators. 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.20 72 Cutest Animals. 9.45 DoctorWho 10.45 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22)

6am Morning Programs. 2pm Faboriginal. 2.30 The Cook Up 3.00 Waabiny Time. 3.25 Little JAnd BigCuz. 3.35 Spartakus. 4.05 Cities Of Gold. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.15 Harlem Globetrotters. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 News. 6.40 Colombia’s Wild Coast. 7.30 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. 8.30 MOVIE: Sweet As. (2022, PG) 9.55 MOVIE: Putuparri And The Rainmakers. (2015, M) 11.35 Late Programs. NITV (34)

6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Home And Away (PG)

7.30 Cricket. The Women’s Ashes. Twenty20 International Series. Australia vEngland.Game 2. From ManukaOval, Canberra. 10.30 Seven’sCricket: TheSpin. An expert panel tackles all the big news and issueswitha deep dive into the wild worldofcricket.

11.15 Pam&Tommy. (MA15+adls) Tommy confronts Rand in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.

12.15 Cycling Santos Tour Down Under.Men’s.Stage 3. Highlights

1.15 Black-ish. (PGa, R) Bowlets Diane takeaday off 2.00 Home Shopping (R) 4.00 NBCToday News and current affairs.

5.00 Sunrise 5am News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6am Shopping. 6.30 Escape To The Country. 7.30 Harry’sPractice

6.00 9News

7.00Tennis. Australian Open. Night 12. From MelbournePark.Hosted by James Bracey 11.00 Tennis. Australian Open. Latenight 12 12.00 New Amsterdam. (MA15+am, R) Max and Wilder face adilemma over approvals for arevolutionary cancer drug.

1.00 FirstOn Scene. (MA15+) Documents stories behind the headlines.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

2.30 Global Shop. (R) Home shopping.

3.00 TV Shop:HomeShopping. (R)

4.00 Believer’sVoice OfVictory. (PGa) Religious program. 4.30 GolfBarons. (PG, R) Apanel of experts discussesgolf. 5.00 TodayEarly News. Alookatthe latest news, sport and weather

5.30 Today. Thelatestinnews and current affairs.

6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by Grant Denyer

6.30 TheProject. Alookatthe day’snews. 7.30 I’mA Celebrity… Get Me OutOf Here! (PGals) The celebritiescontinue to compete in atest of survival in the junglefor thechance to claim the title. 9.00 TheGraham Norton Show. (Mls) Graham Norton is joined on the couch by guests Daniel Craig, Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin and Nicola Coughlan. 10.10 10’s LateNews. Comprehensive coverage of local,national and international news, as well as the latest sport and weather 10.35 TheProject (R) Alook at theday’snews. 11.35 TheLateShowWith Stephen Colbert. (PG)Hosted by Stephen Colbert 12.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBSMornings. 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 Front Up 12.15pm WorldWatch. 12.45 The GigIsUp. 2.20 Overlooked. (Final) 2.50 Insight 3.50 WorldWatch. 5.50 Alone 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 The Curse Of Oak Island. 10.10 Homicide: LifeOnThe Street. 12.55am MOVIE: All TheBeautyAnd The Bloodshed. (2022, MA15+) 3.10 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

6am The

Importance Of Being Earnest. (1952) 6.45 TheWild Duck. (1983,PG) 8.35 ICapture TheCastle. (2003, PG) 10.40 The Furnace.(2020,M) 12.50pm I’m Gilda. (2016, M, Spanish) 3.00 Oliver! (1968,PG) 5.40 The Man Who KnewInfinity.(2015, PG) 7.40 Infinite Storm. (2022, M) 9.30 Haywire.(2011, M) 11.10 The Adopters. (2019,MA15+, Spanish) 1.10am SoundOfMetal. (2019,M) 3.25 Late Programs.

Friday, January24

ABC TV (2) SBS (3)

Bewitched. 5.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 6.00 The Golden Girls. 6.30 TheNanny 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Shallow Hal.(2001,M) 11.00 Seinfeld. Midnight TheNanny 1.00 LoveAfter Lockup 2.30

SEVEN (7,6)

NINE (9,8) 6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Planet America. (R) 10.30 Take 5WithZan Rowe.(PG,R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow.(R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 The Newsreader.(Mal, R) 3.00 Forever Summer With Nigella. (R) 3.25 Grand Designs (R) 4.15 Long Lost Family:What Happened Next. (PG, R) 5.00 ABite To Eat With Alice.(R) 5.25 AntiquesRoadshow. (R)

6.30 Hard Quiz (PG, R) Presented by TomGleeson.

7.00 ABCNews. Alook at the top stories of the day 7.30 Monty Don’sHistoryOfThe British Garden: The19th Century (R) Presented by Monty Don 8.30 SilentWitness. (Return, Mal) Nikki andJackinvestigate amurder bearingall thehallmarks of anotorious serial killer

10.20 LiveAtThe Malthouse. (Mal, R) Astand-up comedy performance.

11.25 ABC Late News. Coverage of theday’sevents.

11.40 Grand Designs:Wyre Forest. (R)

12.30 Long Lost Family:What Happened Next. (PG,R)

1.15 Rage New Music (MA15+adhlnsv) 5.00 Rage.(PG)

6am MorningPrograms. 10.10 Confucius WasAFoodie.(Ma, R) 11.05 GreatCanal Journeys. (R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Great Australian RailwayJourneys.(R) 3.05 Destination Flavour China. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up.(PG,R) 4.05 EndOfThe World: The Mayans. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy!(R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 TheMorning Show. (PG) 12.00 SevenNoon News. 1.00 MOVIE: Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design. (2019,PGav) Holly Robinson Peete 3.00 TheChase. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChase Australia. 6.00 Today. The latest in news and current affairs. 9.00 TodayExtra (PG) Amix of topicalissues. 11.00 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show. Hosted by Tony Jones. 12.00 Tennis. Australian

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) Presented by Marc Fennell.

6.30 SBS WorldNews.

7.30 MOVIE: TheGoldfinch. (2019, Madlv, R) Ayoung boy stealsa paintingfrom amuseum. AnselElgort, Nicole Kidman. 10.10 TheDay TheRockStar Died: Michael Hutchence. (Ma) Takesa look at Michael Hutchence. 10.40 SBSWorld News Late. 11.10 De Gaulle (PG) 12.10 Kin. (MA15+l, R) 2.55 Home Is WhereThe ArtIs. (PG,R)

3.45 Peer To Peer (PG, R)

4.45 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe World Tonight.

6.00 SevenNews.

7.00 Cricket. Big BashLeague TheChallenger

10.30 Big Bash League Post-Game Post-match coverage of TheChallenger 11.00 BetterHomes And Gardens Summer. (R) Johanna Griggs learns pickling. Adam Dovile and Melissa King explore Singapore’s greenery

12.30 Cycling. Santos Tour Down Under.Men’s.Stage 4. Highlights.

1.30 Travel Oz. (PG, R) Greg Grainger continues his exploration of Australia with afocus on iconic bush ballads.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R)Hosted by GrantDenyer

5.00 NBCToday. News and current affairs.

6.00 9News

7.00 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show. Reviews, previews, interviews, highlights and opinions from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

7.30 Tennis. Australian Open. Night 13.From Melbourne Park.Hosted by James Bracey

11.00 MOVIE: ThoseWho WishMe Dead (2021, MA15+lv,R)A survival expert tries to saveateenage boy. Angelina Jolie,Nicholas Hoult.

1.00 Customs. (PG, R) Follows customs officers at work

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 SkippyThe Bush Kangaroo (R) Mark ridesinahorse race.

4.30 Global Shop (R)

5.00 TV Shop:HomeShopping. (R)

5.30 Drive TV (R)

TEN (10, 5)

6.00 Deal OrNo Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer

6.30 TheProject. Thehosts and guest panellists takealookatthe day’snews, events and hot topics. 7.30 MOVIE: CatchMeIfYou Can. (2002, Mls, R) An FBI agent spends years chasing ayoungcon man whoamasses millions in fraudulent cheques. Leonardo DiCaprio,Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken. 10.20 10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage of local, nationaland international news, as well as the latest sport and weather 10.45 TheProject. (R)A look at theday’s news. 11.50 TheLateShowWith Stephen Colbert. (PG) Hosted by Stephen Colbert. 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 Front Up 12.20pm WorldWatch. 12.50 Hunters. 1.40 Question Team. 2.35 Scandinavian Star 3.45 Uncovering Incels.(Final) 3.55 WorldWatch. 5.50 Alone 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats DoesCountdown. 8.30 LoveAnd SexInChina. 9.40 Secrets Of Penthouse. 10.30 Homeland. 1.15am MOVIE: SubjectsOfDesire. (2021, MA15+) 3.10 Late Programs. SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 6.20pm Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts:Above And Beyond. 6.35 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 Supertato 7.05 GardeningAustralia Junior 7.20 Bluey 7.30 Shaun The Sheep 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 Teen Titans Go! 8.00 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? 8.25 Mythbusters “There’s Your Problem!” 8.50 Robot Wars. 9.50 Doctor Who 10.40 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22)

6am The Man WhoKnewInfinity.(2015,PG) 8.00 TheCup (2011, PG) 10.00 The Glorias. (2020,M) 12.40pm DownWithLove.(2003,M) 2.40 The Importance Of Being Earnest.(1952)

Saturday, Januar y 25

ABC TV (2) SBS (3)

6.00 Rage Charts. (PG) 7.00 Wknd Breaky 9.00 Rage.(PG) 12.00 News. 12.30 Beyond Paradise.(R) 1.25 Miriam Margolyes In New Zealand. (Final, Ml, R) 2.25 Extraordinary Escapes. (PG,R) 3.10 Croc Watch. (PG, R) 3.55 Lucy Worsley:Agatha Christie Mystery Queen. (Final, PG, R) 4.55 Eat The Invaders.(PG, R) 5.30 Dr Karl’s HowThings Work. (R) 5.55 Hear Me Out: Australia Day. (Ml,R)

6.30 Back Roads: Theodore, Queensland. (PG, R) Guest presented by Anna Daniels

7.00 ABCNews. Alook at the top stories of the day

7.30 Australian Of TheYear 2025 (PG) LeighSalesisjoinedbyPrime Minister Anthony Albanese to recognise the achievements of Australians.

8.45 Beyond Paradise. (PG)Humphrey investigatesthe death of an unidentified man found in thecentre of acrop circle.

9.45 Vera (Mv,R)Verainvestigates adaring robbery, but uncovers aweb of intrigue when it turns out to be an inside job

11.15 Miniseries: Until IKill You. (Malv,R)Delia lies in a critical condition in hospital.

12.50 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

6am MorningPrograms. 9.05 The World From Above.(R) 10.10 Love Your Garden. (R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Sailing. Grand Prix. Round2.Highlights. 3.00 Women’s Weekly Football. 4.00 Railway Journeys UK. (PG, R) 4.35 Forgotten Frontlines. (PGav,R) 5.35 Auschwitz: Countdown To Liberation. (PG)

6.30 SBS WorldNews.

7.30 Magical Train Journeys In Switzerland: With TheVoralpenExpress From St GallenTo Lucerne. Followsthe Voralpen-Express 8.30 Cotswolds And Beyond With PamAyres: Highgrove Gardens. (PGa, R) PamAyres visitsHighgrove Gardens and meets HRH The PrinceofWales. 9.20 Great Australian Walks With Julia Zemiro:LakeBurleyGriffin (PGa, R) Julia Zemiro heads to Canberrafor a11.5kmwalk around LakeBurley Griffin.

10.15 Ruby Wax: Castaway. (Mal, R) 11.10 Ralph And Katie. (PGal, R) 2.30 Home Is Where The Art Is. (PG, R) 3.25 Love Your Garden. (PGa, R) 4.20 PeerToPeer (R) 4.50 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe World Tonight

6.00 NBCToday 7.00 WeekendSunrise. 10.00 TheMorning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Horse Racing. Carrington Stakes Day,Caulfield Australia Day andSunshine Coast Cup Day. 5.00 SevenNews At 5. 5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG,

6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Cricket. The Women’s Ashes. Twenty20 International Series. Australia vEngland. Game 3. From Adelaide Oval. 10.30 MOVIE: Dracula Untold. (2014,Mh, R) After hiskingdom is threatened by invaders, ayoungprince becomesa monster to protecthis people. LukeEvans, Dominic Cooper,Sarah Gadon.

12.30 Cycling. Santos Tour Down Under.Men’s.Stage5.Highlights.

1.30 Travel Oz (PG, R) Presenter Greg Grainger explores the scenery,unique culture and wildlife of Canberra.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 It’sAcademic. (R) HostedbySimon Reeve

5.00 My Greek Odyssey. (PG, R) HostedbyPeter Maneas.

6.00 9News Saturday.

6.30 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show. Pre-game coverage of the Australian Open tennis tournament, featuring reviews, previews, interviews, highlights, opinions andtopical storiesfrom Melbourne Park. Hosted by Tony Jones.

7.30 Tennis. Australian Open. Night 14.From Melbourne Park. Hosted by James Bracey

12.00 MOVIE: RedDog. (2011, PGals, R) Adog manages to unite aremote outback community while searching for its master Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor,Rohan Nichol.

2.00 TheIncredible Journey Presents. (PG) Religious program.

2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

4.30 Global Shop (R)Homeshopping.

5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

5.30 Helping Hands Summer Series (PG, R) Acelebration of people and organisations.

6.30 TheDog House Australia. (PGa, R) Follow the staff at the Animal Welfare League as it tries to find the right fit fora Tibetanspaniel mix.

8.30 TheDog House. (PGa, R) Follows ateamofmatchmakers as they pair homeless dogswith hopeful companions. Aspaniel may havefounds its soul sister An excitablelurcher puppy meets ahusky. AJack Russell chases after aboy 9.30 Ambulance Australia. (Ma, R) Follows NSW Ambulance on the longest night of theyear,the endofdaylight saving, as they deal with adiabetic coma, arescue from aburning car,achildinanaphylaxis and an explosion in Chinatown. 10.30 Ambulance UK. (Ma, R) Ambulance crews attend anumber of emotionally charged categoryone emergencies. 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power. Religious program. 6am WorldWatch.

7TWO (72, 62)

(34) 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Escape To The Country 1pm TheYorkshire Vet. 2.00 Escape To The Country 5.00 Horse Racing. Carrington Stakes Day,CaulfieldAustralia Dayand SunshineCoast Cup Day. 5.30 Surf Patrol. 6.00 DogPatrol. 6.30 Bondi Vet. 7.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 8.30 Escape To TheCountry 9.30 I Escaped To The Country 10.30 Australia’s Amazing Homes. 11.30 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs.

11.35 MOVIE: EmuRunner. (2018,PG) 1.15pm InsideThe Pack. 2.05 Emily In Japan. 3.05 Making AMark. 4.05 Teach Tiwi Proper Way. 4.35 Strait To ThePlate. 5.05 Spirit Talker 5.30 Ice Cowboys. 6.20 News. 6.30 Lagau Danalaig:AnIslandLife 7.30 Gulpilil: One RedBlood. 8.30 MOVIE: The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith. (1978, M) 10.40 Late Programs.

10.00 Front Up 12.10pm MOVIE: TheFarewell. (2019,PG) 2.00 Beyond OakIsland. 2.50 Celebrity Mastermind. 3.55 BBC News At Ten. 4.25 ABC World News Tonight. 4.55 PBS News. 5.55 The Food That BuiltThe World 7.35 Impossible Engineering. 8.30 Icons Unearthed: Spider-Man. 10.20 Hudson &Rex Midnight The X-Files. 3.40 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al JazeeraNewshour

6am I Capture The Castle.(2003,PG) 7.05 All Roads Lead To Rome. (2015,PG) 8.45 The Importance Of Being Earnest.(2002) 10.25 Haywire. (2011, M) 12.05pm Infinite Storm. (2022, M) 1.55 TheMan WhoKnew Infinity.(2015,PG) 3.55 The Cup.(2011,PG) 5.55 The Scarlet And The Black. (1983,PG) 8.30 Harry Brown. (2009,MA15+) 10.25 The Handmaiden (2016,MA15+, Korean) 1.05am Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81)

6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Helping Hands Summer Series. 10.30 MOVIE: Chase ACrooked Shadow.(1958,PG) 12.20pm MOVIE: Scott Of The Antarctic. (1948) 2.35 MOVIE: The WinslowBoy.(1948) 5.00 MOVIE: The Unforgiven. (1960,PG) 7.30 MOVIE: The Magnificent Seven. (1960,PG) 10.10 MOVIE: Guns Of The Magnificent Seven. (1969, M) 12.15am Late Programs.

6am Children’s Programs.

3.20 MOVIE: The Choice.(2016,PG) 5.30 MOVIE: 17 Again. (2009, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore. (2022, M) 10.35 MOVIE: The Mechanic. (2011, MA15+) 12.30am The Originals. 2.30 Surfing Aust. 3.00 Teen Titans Go! 3.30 Beyblade X. 4.00 Transformers:Prime. 4.30 Pokémon: XYZ. 4.50 Late Programs. 6am Morning Programs. 9.00 America’s Game. 10.00 Timbersports. 10.30 TheFood Dude 11.00

1pm MOVIE: The RedShoes: Next Step.(2023,PG)

Sunday, Januar y26

ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7,6)

NINE (9,8) 6am Morning Programs. 10.15 Wknd Breaky 11.00 Compass. (PG, R) 11.30 Praise.(R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Landline.(R) 1.00 New Leash On Life. (R) 1.30 GardeningAust (R) 2.15 Monty Don’s HistoryOfThe British Garden. (R) 3.15 Long Lost Family.(PG, R) 4.05 ExtraordinaryEscapes. (PG,R) 4.50 Magda’s BigNational Health Check. (Final, PG, R) 5.55 Antiques Roadshow.(R)

6am MorningPrograms. 10.55 Elder In Residence Oration 2024.(PG, R) 12.15 France 24 EnglishNews. 12.35 PBS Washington Week. 1.00 Speedweek. 2.55 NITVNews Special. (R) 3.00 Grand Tours Of Scotland’s Rivers. (R) 3.30 NITVNews Special. 3.35 Black Anzac. (PG, R) 4.30 NITVNews Special. 4.35 Auschwitz:CountdownToLiberation. (Final, PG) 5.30 NITVNews Special:Day 26

6.30 SBS WorldNews

7.30 MOVIE: Bran Nue Dae. (2009,PGlsv, R) An Aboriginal teenager embarks on aroadtrip.Deborah Mailman, Rocky McKenzie

9.05 TheLostCity Of Melbourne. (Md, R) Takesalook at the past architectural landscape of Melbourne, much of which waslost during the’50s.

10.40 Betta ny Hughes:Treasures Of Jordan. (PGa, R) Bettany Hughes explores Jordan.

11.15 To Be Advised.

12.40 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

3.10 Australia Remastered: Great Barrier Reef (R)

4.05 Gardening Australia. (R)

5.05 TheGreatAcceleration (PG, R)

FAMILY (22)

11.35 Splice Here:A Projec ted Odyssey.

2.00 Home Is Where TheArt Is. (R)

2.55 Love Your Garden. (PGa, R)

3.50 MakeMeADealer. (R) 4.40 Bamay.(R)

5.00 NHK World EnglishNewsMorning. 5.15 France 24 Feature 5.30 Al JazeeraNews.

6.00 NBCToday 7.00 WeekendSunrise. 10.00 The MorningShow: Weekend.(PG) 12.00 Cycling. Santos Tour Down Under Women’s One-Day Classic. 2.00 Cycling. Santos Tour Down Under.Men’s.Stage 6. Adelaide to Adelaide. 90km. From Adelaide. 4.30 Border Security:International. (PG, R) 5.00 SevenNewsAt5 5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG, R)

6.00 SevenNews.

7.00 Border Security:Australia’s Front Line. (PG) Apassenger tries negotiating adeal.

7.30 John Farnham: Finding TheVoice. (Mal, R) Acelebration of John Farnham.

9.30 An Audience With Kylie Minogue. (PG, R) Popicon Kylie Minogue takes centre stage in her very ownmusical extravaganza.

10.45 TheBritish AirwaysKiller (Mav,R)A mother of twogoesmissing 12.50 Cycling. Santos Tour Down Under.Men’s.Stage 6. Highlights.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R)

3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 4.00 NBCToday 5.00 Sunrise 5am News. 5.30 Sunrise.

TEN (10, 5)

6.00 Hello SA.(PG,R) 6.30 ExploreTV: Trade Routes Of The Middle Ages. (R) 7.00 Weekend Today 10.00 Surfing Aust 10.30 TBA 11.30 Maritime Masters: Expedition Antarctica. (PG, R) 12.30 DavidAttenborough’s Green Planet. (R) 1.30 The Road To The Open: A New Chapter 2.00 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show 3.00 Tennis.AustralianOpen. Afternoon 15 5.00 News. 5.30 RBT. (PG, R) 6am MorningPrograms. 9.30

6.00 9News Sunday.

6.30 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show. Reviews, previews, interviews, highlights and opinions from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

7.30 Tennis. Australian Open. Night 15.From Melbourne Park. Hosted by James Bracey

12.00 TheFirst48: InsideThe Tape Special#9. (MA15+a) Abody is discovered in abridge 1.00 Customs. (PG, R) Follows customs officers at work 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’sVoice Of Vic tor y. (PGa) Religious program. 4.30 TheRoad To TheOpen: ANew Chapter (R)Hosted by Dylan Alcott. 5.00 TodayEarlyNews. 5.30 Today.

6.00 TheSundayProjec t Alookatthe day’snews. 7.00 I’mACelebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! (PGals) Hosted by Julia Morris and Robert Irwin. 8.30 MOVIE: Will Smith’s Gemini Man. (2019,Mlv,R)After an aging assassin finds himself being chased by someone with the ability to predict his moves, he discovers that the mysterious man pursuing

Monday, January 27

ABC TV (2) SBS (3)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News

Mornings. 10.00 McCar tney 3, 2, 1. (PG, R)

10.30 Vera (Mv,R)

12.00 ABCNewsAtNoon.

1.00 Australia DayLive. (R)

3.00 TheLastMusician Of Auschwitz. 4.30 To Be Advised. 5.25 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6.25 Hard Quiz. (PG,R) Presented by TomGleeson.

7.00 ABC News Alook at the top stories of the day.

7.30 7.30 Presented by Sarah Ferguson.

8.00 Escaping Utopia. (Final, PG) Ashocking secret is exposed.

9.05 MOVIE: Stric tly Ballroom. (1992, PG, R) Aballroom dancer incurs the wrath of the establishment for hisunorthodoxstyle Paul Mercurio,TaraMorice.

10.35 ABC Late News.

10.50 TheBusiness. (R)

11.10 PlanetAmerica. (R)

11.40 Julia Zemiro’sHome Delivery: RebeccaGibney. (PG, R)

12.10 To Be Advised

2.25 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

3.20 Parkinson In Australia. (PG, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30.(R)

6am MorningPrograms. 12.10 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBS News Weekend. 1.30 Al JazeeraNews Hour. 2.00 SuchWas Life.(R) 2.10 Amazing Railway Adventures. (R) 3.00 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.05 Destination FlavourChina. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up.(PG,R) 4.05 Who TheBloodyHellAre We?(PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters AndNumbers. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (PG, R)

6.30 SBS WorldNews.

7.30 Hunt ForTruth:Tasmanian Tiger. (Final, Ml,R)Tim Noonan investigatesthe Tasmanian Tiger.

8.35 Jimmy Carr’sILiterally JustTold You. (M) Jimmy Carr hosts acomedic game showwhere paying attention pays off

9.30 Inside Sydney Airpor t: VIPs. (PGal,R)Withthe PM of Singaporedue to arrive, security at the airportisonhigh alert.

10.30 SBS World NewsLate. 11.00 Clean Sweep (MA15+s) 11.55 Wisting (Madlv,R)

12.50 YouShall Not Lie. (MA15+als, R)

2.45 Home Is Where TheArt Is.(R) 3.35 Make Me ADealer.(R) 4.25 Peer To Peer.(R) 4.55 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World EnglishNewsMorning 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe WorldTonight.

6am WorldWatch.

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The MorningShow. (PG) 12.00 Seven’sNational News At Noon. 1.00 MOVIE: Morning Show Mysteries: MurderEverAfter (2021, PGav,R)Holly Robinson Peete. 3.00 TheChase. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChase Australia.

6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Cricket Big Bash League. Final. 10 30 Big Bash League Post-Game Post-match coverage of theBig Bash League Final.

11.00 Motorway Patrol. (Ma) Agood samaritan helps out at acrash and ends up regretting it, and bikers are behavingbadly by lane-splitting.

11.30 HighwayCops (PGa) Atruckie’sseatbelt and safedriving savehis neck when atyreblows.

12.00 Friday Night Lights. (Madsv, R) ATexas high-school gridiron team holds the hopesofthe town, as the players prepare for the seasonopener

2.00 Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 NBCToday News and current affairs.

5.00 Sunrise 5am News. Thelatest news,sportand weather. 5.30 Sunrise. News, sport and weather

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Children’s Programs. 5.45pm HeyDuggee. 5.55 Paddington 6.05 KiyaAnd The Kimoja Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts. 6.35 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 The Deep. 7.20 Bluey 7.30 Shaun TheSheep 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators 8.05 Dr Karl’sHow Things Work 8.35 Hard Quiz Kids. 9.05 The Wonderful World Of Puppies. 9.50 Doctor Who 10.40 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22)

9.30 Small Business Secrets. 10.05 Front Up 1998 12.10pm WorldWatch. 12.40 Most Expensivest. 1.35 48 Hours In Wales. 2.30 Transnational. 3.00 The Feed. 3.30 WorldWatch. 5.45 Alone: The Skills Challenge. 6.10 Loot: Blood Treasure. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8Out Of 10 Cats 8.30 Forged In Fire. 10.10 The Weekly Football Wrap 10.40 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Black As. 1.40 First Sounds. 2.00 Faboriginal. 2.30 TheCook Up 3.00 Jarjums. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.15 Harlem Globetrotters. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 News. 6.40 TalesFromZambia 7.30 Who Do YouThink YouAre? 8.30 KarlaGrant Presents. 9.00 MalcolmX:Justice By AnyMeans 10.00 MOVIE: Bullet. (1996,MA15+) 11.45 Late Programs.

(9, 8)

6.00 Today 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Infamously In Love. (2022, PGa) Jennifer Freeman, Sydney Agudong. 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 [VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30 [VIC] WIN News.

6.00 9News.

7.00 ACurrent Affair.

7.30 MarriedAtFirstSight. (Return, Mls) Australia’s most controversial social experiment begins with plentyoflove and drama.

9.30 To Be Advised.

10.30 9News Late.

11.00 Chicago Med (MA15+amv) Crockett receives shocking news.

11.50 Casualty24/7 (Mm, R) Theteam gets into the Christmas spirit.

12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R) Hosted by BenShephard.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

2.30 Global Shop (R)

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 Believer’sVoice Of Vic tor y. (PGa)

4.30 ACurrent Affair (R)

5.00 TodayEarly News 5.30 Today.

9GEM (92,81)

6am MorningPrograms. 9.00 Animal Rescue 9.30 NBC Today 10.30 Better Homes And Gardens Summer Noon Better Homes. 1.00 DVine Living. 1.30 TheGreat Australian Doorstep 2.00 Weekender 2.30 The YorkshireVet. 3.30 Harry’sPractice. 4.00 Better Homes. 5.00 EscapeToThe Country 6.00 BargainHunt. 7.00 Home AndAway. 7.30 Doc Martin. 8.30 Inspector Morse. 10.50 Late Programs. 6am MorningPrograms. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of OurLives. 12.55 TheYoung And TheRestless. 1.50 World’s Greatest Myths And Mysteries. (Premiere) 3.00 Antiques Roadshow 3.30 MOVIE: Josephine And Men. (1955) 5.30 Escape To The Farm With Kate Humble 6.30 AntiquesRoadshow 7.30 Death In Paradise 8.40 The Good Karma Hospital. 9.40 Agatha Raisin. 10.40 Late Programs.

6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by GrantDenyer.

6.30 TheProjec t. Alook at the day’s news. 7.30 I’mA Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! (PGals) Hosted by Julia Morris and Robert Irwin. 9.00 NCIS:Sydney. (Mv,R)When aNavy Compliance Officer is found dead in awaterhole,the team’s investigation uncovers acomplex trafficking ring. 10.00 48 Hours: ThePuzzling Death Of SusannSills. (Ma) Awoman dies in afall. 11.00 10’s Late News. Coverage of news, sportand weather. 11.25 TheProjec t. (R) Alook at the day’snews. 12.30 TheLateShowWith Stephen Colber t. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBSMornings.

9GO! (93, 82) 6am

The Importance Of Being Earnest. (2002) 7.40 Emu Runner.(2018, PG) 9.30 AHandful Of Dust. (1988,PG) 11.35 Zama. (2017, M, Spanish) 1.50pm The Scarlet AndThe Black. (1983, PG) 4.25 Minari. (2020, PG, Korean) 6.35 Where Is Anne Frank. (2021, PG) 8.30 Drunken TaiChi.(1984 M, Cantonese) 10.10 Broker.(2022, M, Korean) 12.30am Late Programs.

7MATE (73,64)

6am Morning Programs. 7.00 NFL.NFL.Championship Game. 10.30 NFL NFL.Championship Game. 2pm Armchair Experts: NFL Edition. 3.00 Billy The Exterminator 3.30 Counting Cars 4.30 Storage Wars 5.00 American Resto. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Outback Opal Hunters. 8.30 Adventure Gold Diggers. 9.30 Tougher In Alaska. 10.30 Frozen Gold. 11.30 Late Programs.

6am Children’s Programs. Noon MOVIE: How To TrainYour Dragon2.(2014, PG) 2.00 Bewitched. 2.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 3.00 The Golden Girls. 3.30 The Nanny. 4.30 The Addams Family 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 6.00 The Golden Girls. 6.30 TheNanny 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Swordfish. (2001, MA15+) 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.30 The O.C 12.30am TheNanny 1.30 Late Programs.

canmakethat happen! Advertise with a trusted community voice! Formoreinformation talk to your localLatrobe ValleyExpress representative or call theoffice on 5135 4444 to speaktoone of our friendly and helpful consultants.

Tuesday, Januar y28

ABC TV (2) SBS (3)

SEVEN (7,6)

NINE (9,8) 6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News

Mornings. 10.00 OurBrain.(Final, PG, R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow.(R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Call TheMidwife.(PGa, R) 2.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 3.00 Forever Summer With Nigella. (R) 3.25 Grand Designs (R) 4.15 Long Lost Family:What Happened Next. (PG, R) 5.00 ABite To Eat With Alice. (R) 5.30 AntiquesRoadshow. (R)

6.30 Hard Quiz (PG, R)

7.00 ABC News

7.30 7.30

8.00 Dr Karl’sHow Thing s Work: CricketBalls.

8.30 EatThe Invaders:Camel. (PG) Hosted by Tony Armstrong. 9.00 Croc Watch With Steve Backshall. (Final, PG, R) Hosted by Steve Backshall. 9.50 Ningaloo Nyinggulu: Collisions. (R) 10.45 ABC Late News. 11.00 TheBusiness. (R) 11.20 Prosecuting Evil. (Ma, R) 12.45 GrandDesigns.(R) 1.30 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. (PG, R) 2.20 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.40 Parkinson In Australia. (PGa, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30.(R)

6am MorningPrograms. 9.25 Confucius Was AFoodie.(PG, R) 11.05 China On Stage 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 SuchWas Life. (R) 2.05 Amazing Railway Adventures. (PGas, R) 3.00 The Weekly Football Wrap.(R) 3.30 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.35 The Cook Up.(R) 4.05 Who The Bloody Hell Are We?(PGav,R) 5.05 Jeopardy!(R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)

6.30 SBS WorldNews

7.30 Who Do YouThink You Are? WayneBlair (PGa, R) Wayne Blair discovers his roots.

8.35 Stock Aitken Waterman: Legends Of Pop. (Final, Ml, R) Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman reflect on the success they had in 1987.

9.50 Video Killed TheRadio Star (Mlns, R) Takesalook at Duran Duran music videos.

10.20 SBS WorldNewsLate 10.50 Beyond Signs (MA15+a) 11.50 Christian. (Malv,R)

2.50 Home Is Where The ArtIs. (PG, R) 3.40 21 Kids And Counting. (PGal, R) 4.35 Bamay (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe WorldTonight.

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show.(PG) 12.00 Seven’sNational News At Noon. 1.00 MOVIE: Murder,She Baked: APlumPudding Myster y. (2015,PGav) Alison Sweeney 3.00 TheChase. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChase Australia.

6.00 SevenNews.

7.00 Home AndAway. (PG) Kirby receives support in her fight.

7.30 The1%Club (PGls) JimJefferies hostsa game show wherecontestants must answer increasingly obscure questions.

8.35 MOVIE: TheEqualizer 2. (2018,MA15+v,R)A retired CIA black ops operativeisforced back into action when his friend is murdered. Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders. 11.05 MOVIE: Skyscraper (2018, lv,R)A security assessor battles terrorists. Dwayne Johnson

1.00 FridayNightLights. (Madsv, R)

2.00 Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 NBCToday 5.00 Sunrise 5am News. 5.30 Sunrise

Country

8.00

TEN (10, 5)

(R) 9.00

6.00 Today. 9.00 TodayExtra.(PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Love At First Like.(2023,PGa) Gina Vitori, Nate Crnkovich. 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 TippingPoint. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 [VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30 [VIC] WIN News. 6am Morning Programs. 7.30

6.00 9News

7.00 ACurrent Affair

7.30 MarriedAtFirstSight (Mls) The socialexperiment continues. 9.15 Barbie Uncovered:ADream House Divided. (Ma)Explores thestorybehind Barbie, one of the world’smost iconic brands.

11.15 9News Late.

11.45 TheEqualizer. (MA15+av,R) 12.35 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Our State On APlate. (PG,R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer ’s Voice Of Vic tor y. (PGa)

ACurrent Affair (R)

6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by GrantDenyer. 6.30 TheProjec t. Alook at the day’s news. 7.30 I’mACelebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! (PGals) Hosted by Julia Morris and Robert Irwin. 9.00 TheEx-Wife (Ml) As Jen remains on the peripheryofJack and Tasha’s

5.35pm Peter Rabbit 5.45 Hey Duggee. 5.55 Paddington. 6.05 KiyaAnd The Kimoja Heroes. 6.20 Bluey 6.25 Octonauts. 6.35 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 The Deep. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 TheInbestigators. 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 Deadly Predators. 9.05 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.45 Doctor Who 10.45 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children’s Programs. Noon Hart Of Dixie. 1.00 Bewitched. 1.30 IDream Of Jeannie 2.00 The Golden Girls. 2.30 TheNanny 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 TheAddams Family 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 6.00 The Golden Girls. 6.30 TheNanny 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Encino Man. (1992, PG) 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.30 TheO.C 12.30am

DollarMinute 9.00 Surf Patrol 9.30 NBC Today Noon BetterHomes. 1.00 Escape To The Country 2.00 Creek To Coast. 2.30 My GreekOdyssey 3.30 Harry’sPractice. 4.00 SurfPatrol. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt 7.30 Call The Midwife. 8.30 Inspector George Gently 10.30 Air CrashInv 11.30 Late Programs. 6am MorningPrograms. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 TheYoung AndThe Restless. 1.50 World’s Greatest Myths And Mysteries. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: The Face Of Fu Manchu (1965,PG) 5.30 Escape To The Farm With Kate Humble. 6.30 AntiquesRoadshow

Folk festival back in town

THE multi-award winningBoolarra Folk Festival will once again host aline-up of fabulous musicians, food vendors,and abustling arts and craft market featuring more than 100 stalls. This event is afree, all-day folk festival, staged in one of the most beautiful parks in Gippsland. Thisyear’sprogramheadlines The Soultanas, alocal seven-piece band who will entertain with party favourites from thepast 50 years of souland pop songs. Riflebirds willbringareputation for an electrifyingliverockact honed from12years of

The Boolarra Folk Festivalalways presents avariety of musical genres. Amore lyrical performance willcome fromAllyRow, alocal indie pop-folk rock duo, who blend velvet harmonies and memorable originals. TheBriagolongband have been at the forefront of Australian folk for 45 years and perform their own original songs, and blistering trad fiddle sets. It’s free, and it’s in Boolarra. The festival willopen at 7pm on Friday,February 28 at theBoolarraMemorial Hall withanother

There will be acover charge of $10 for this event. Moneyraised will go toward the restorationofthe Old Boolarra Post Office, afuture venue for more exciting and memorable performances.

Checkout the Boolarra Folk Festivalwebsiteor Facebook page for the full line-up.

The BoolarraFolkFestivalisgratefulfor the sponsorship of the Latrobe City Council, Loy Yang B, The Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal, Bendigo Bank Mirboo North Community

Free camping, tourism boost

THE state government is helpingbusyfamilies and boosting regional tourismbymaking camping freeinevery national park and state forest in Victoria.

Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos recently announced the start of free camping season across all of Park Victoria’s 131 paid camping grounds -which has already put $2.1 million back into Victorian families’ pockets. Since the announcement, there has been a 115per cent increase in Parks Victoria campsitebookings, as Victorianstakeadvantage of the chance to stay and explore some of the state’s most iconic destinations from Wilsons Promontory to Lake Eildon.

Free camping runs until June 30, 2025.

“We’re making camping accessible to every Victorian -it’sgreat forfamilies, great for regional towns, great for businessesand great for local jobs,” Mr Dimopoulos said.

The stategovernment’s $9 million investment means free camping is now available at every national park and state forest, which is expected to attract newvisitors to towns all over regional Victoria.

As part of freecamping,the state government has invested $1.7 million for additional maintenance, repairs and operating costs to ensure campgrounds are kept clean and safe for every visitor.

More than 50 million people visit Victoria’s iconic state forests and national parks every year, for camping, hiking, fishing and hunting, four-wheel driving, trail bike riding, horse riding, birdwatching and many more outdoor activities.

In ad dit ion to fre ecam pi ng, the stat e government’s $106.6 million investment in Victoria’s Great Outdoors has delivered 31 new and 60 upgraded campgrounds, as well as 155 upgraded four-wheel drive tracks and 16 walking tracks, totalling 31 kilometres. To book afreecamping site visit: parks.vic. gov.au

The Latrobe alle Express has brought together local employers and employees for generations and it is no different today

People prefer to ork close to home, to save on transport costs, the frustration of travel and to be close to family

Both our printed and digital ne spapers have a highly engaged local audience looking for ne s, sport, local information and jobs every week!

Great times: TheBoolarraFolk Festival has proven to be apopular local event.

Shortage prompts dam interest

By CLEM STURMFELS

SEASONAL conditions have led to ashortage of stockwateracross most of Victoria which has renewedinterest in constructing farm dams, and the addition of pumps,bores, tanks,troughs and piping.

Farmers are advised to ask some important questionsbefore constructing anew dam or adding water infrastructure or equipmenttotheir property

Before engaging an earthmoving contractorfor a new dam, investigate answerstoimportant questions like: How much water do Ineed? Will the dam hold water? Will it fillmost years?How big should it be? Is there agood site for aspillway?DoI need apermit or license? And whatwillitcost?

Longer, hottersummersand decreased cool season rainfall has meant many smaller dams built in previousyears are drying up. Lackofrunoff, increased waterconsumption and evaporation contribute to this issue.

Manynew damsbuilt across Victoria are also failing within the first few years due to inappropriate materials or poor construction techniques. As aresult, farmersneed abigger catchment area to improve the chances of filling dams regularly. At least 10 hectares of catchment for every megalitre of water stored in adam is recommended. Runoff fromnearby roads and tracksisaneffective way of getting water, especially in adry year. Alivestock dam should be as deep as your site will allow and have aminimal surface area to reduce evaporation. Consideration should be given to planning akey largedam to use for reticulating water to troughs across the property, via gravity or pumps. Allow aminimum spillway width of five metres. The spillway should end with alevel spreader to ensure water leaves the dam in athin wide sheet. Agently sloping, well grassed area is essential for asafe and stable spillway.

The spillway should have little or no slope with aflat cross-section.

The addition of atrickle flow pipe set below the spillway level will minimise ongoing maintenance.

Purchasing appropriately sized pumps, tanks, troughsand pipesisessentialfor providing the flow of water needed on ahot day.

Ensure the constructionand design of troughs are not vulnerabletolivestock damage and are easy to maintain.

Asingleinferior fitting in afarm pipeline could result in total system failure and loss of valuable water.

Reputable products will be marked with the manufacturer's details, date of manufacture, a relevant description and appropriate industry markings.

For example,the markings on good qualityrural polyethylene pipe will include PE80 or PE100, indicating the long-term strength of the materials.

When purchasing pipeline equipment and fittings, dealwith areputablesupplierwitha good track record, spare parts and after-sales service. Selecting an experienced and reliable contractor, plus afew basic soil tests, will minimise the risk of failure.

Ensureyour contractor has the appropriate skills, agood reputation and up-to-date equipment.

Ask the contractor for examples of theirwork and aguarantee

Apermit or licensemay be required to build, extend or repair afarmdam in Victoria.

Contact your local rural water authority before commencing works.

For further information, visitthe Agriculture Victoria website.

As part of the state government's $13.53 million drought supportpackage,eligible south westfarmers can apply for on-farm drought infrastructure grants of up to $5000toupgrade farm water systems.

ClemSturmfels is Agriculture Victoria's Land Management Extension Officer

Feed test vital to meet needs of livestock

FARMERSlooking to buy in feed due to poor pasture growth are encouraged to do afeed test to ensure fodder meets their livestock’s needs.

Agriculture Victoria Livestock Industry Development Officer, Dr Hannah Manning said comparingthe quality and price of different fodder can be confusing.

"Feed tests done properly are the only way to knowwhatyou’re gettingand if it will meet your livestock requirements,"she said

"A feed test provides information on the energy and protein levels of feed. These are important values to understand for the maintenance, production and growth of different classes of livestock.

"A feed test can seem daunting but if you break it down and work your way through the major components,you’ll gainanimportantunderstanding of thefeedquality and know if that meets your animals' demands.

"Along with energy and protein, fibre is an important factor to understand because thatcan limit how muchananimal can eat.

"When livest oc kovereat fibre, the ir digestion rate slowsdown, causing them to leave supplementaryfeed in the paddock and miss out on getting enough nutrients, leading to weight loss.

"A feed test also allows for accurate comparison of different feed costs.

"Feed testing requires working out the cost per kilogram of dry matterand then calculatingthe costper unit of energy. Further advice can be found on the Feeding Livestock Victoria website, including the Drought Feed Calculatorwhich can help calculate the numbers for you."

Agriculture Victoria recently held a webinar on buying, sellingand feedingout fodder. To watch the webinar, visit: youtube. com/watch?v=4NClirPw8-M

Dam straight: Farmersmight be considering constructing damsdue to ashor tage of stockwater, howeverthere areafew factorstoconsider Photograph: iStock

Bit of akick: Manybullridersb out of the boxatthe Traralgon Rodeo. Chantelletook on

Rockin’ Traralgon Rodeo

By KATRINA BRANDON

STOPPING at no cost, the 2025 Traralgon Rodeo went ahead at Glenview Park, despite a thunderstorm and heavy rain falling at the start of the event

Around 1000 people attended the Sunday, January 12 event, with patrons enjoying classic country fun and entertainment

Music blared and people slid in the mud heading from one end of the grounds to the other to get view of the show and to visit stalls that featured around the arena

Right out of the shoot, broncos and bulls came ready to throw cowboys and cowgirls around,

adding further challenge to the alread wet ride and course

Junior barrel racers flew through th barrel racing courses, some with crow encouragement such as local Glengar girl Joe McGennisken, who also g inner-arena assistance from her mu Chantelle to motivate her pony

The commentator bellowing that “ pony wanted to make mum run!” Dodgem cars and twirly teacup r were also a fixture throughout the a noon, alongside many food and pro holders

Local Wellington/Latrobe artists Thr Chain Road closed the show on stage

Drenched: Traralgon Rodeoattendees braved thunder andlightningtosee the showgoon. Photographs: Katrina Brandon and Bianca McDonough TraralgonRodeo ement.

imeatthe Traralgon Rodeo

Further work into women’shealth

FOR decades, research into health has left women out -because women were seen as too unreliable to participate due to menstruation and hormonal fluctuations.

Now, the state government is bridging this gap, with anew grants program to advance the understanding of how disease and other health issues effect women -alsofurther cementing Victoria’s reputation as aglobal leader in medical research.

The dedicated women’s medical researchgrants program sees the $1.5 million Women’s Health Research Catalyst Grants open to the sector’s best and brightest to apply.

Grants between $50,000 and $150,000 will be awarded for one-year researchinitiativesspecificallyfocused on sex and gender comparisons and underfunded or under-researched conditions impacting women.

While all areas of health andmedicalresearch will be considered, some target areashave been identified as requiring greaterunderstandingof the influence sex and gender have on these conditions -acknowledging that for women they can be experienced very differently to men.

These key areas include sexual and reproductive health, cardiovascular health,oncology, orthopaedics, and chronic pain, among others.

Eligible applicants willneed to be fromaVictorian Administering Institution and undertaking research in ahealth and medical field, including discovery, pre-clinical, clinical or lived experience.

The grants programispartofthe state government’s landmark $153 million investment to improve women’shealth outcomes, and builds on current work to develop abusiness case for aWomen’s Health Research Initiative.

This transformation to women’shealth is also delivering 20 new women’s health clinics, expanding the state’s sexual and reproductive health hubs network, doublingthe numberoflaparoscopies for endo and associated conditions and providing scholarshipsfor more than 100 women’s specialists. Victoria hasaproudtrack record of working to improve women’s health outcomes -fromestablishing Victoria’s first clinic for women’s heart health and launchingthe state’s first ever sexualand reproductive health phoneline.

For more information, visit: health.vic.gov.au/ catalyst-grants-womens-health-research-priorities

State upskilling future tradies

THE state government is delivering the skilled workersVictorianeeds to meet its housing targets, with more than 20,000 carpenters, electricians and plumbers getting theirTrade Papers since 2019.

Minister for Skills and TAFE, Gayle Tierney welcomed the news, and encouraged newly qualified tradies to display their Trade Papers with pride.

“Carpenters, electricians andplumbersare vital for our community,economy, and for building the homes we need -sowe’re focusing our training investment to make trade apprenticeships fairer, safer and even more worthwhile,” she said.

“There has never been abetter time to consider acareer in the trades -it’sa rewarding, secure and well-paidcareer.Gainingyour qualifications through an apprenticeship sets you up to earn while you learn on the job.”

ATrade Paper is acertificate awarded to those who successfully complete arecognised apprenticeship in Victoria, along with relevant formal training through aTAFE, trade schoolor registered training organisation (RTO).

Sincethe stategovernment reintroduced Trade Papers in 2019, 7388 carpenters, 7027 electricians and 5641 plumbers have gained their qualifications.

More than 11,000 people completed atrade apprenticeship in 2023/24, an increase of 24.5 per cent comparedto2019/20 and 20,400people startedatrade apprenticeship in Victoria in the sameperiod -anincrease of 22.4per cent

Across the state,there are more than54,800 trades apprenticescurrently gainingtheir qualifications -anincrease of almost 19 per cent.

Many of the plumberswho have recently qualified are choosingtocompletefurther training short coursestomeet licensing or regulatory requirements in their field, so they can get into work sooner.

The state government is adding seven new short courses in plumbing to FreeTAFEin2025. These shortcourses will mean plumbers can undertake the specific units they need to start work, easing the skills shortages the industry is facing.

Victorians can access Free TAFE courses without the cost of tuition fees, even if they already hold aVET qualification or degree. There are no limits on the number of plumbing licensing short courses aperson can complete in ayear.

For more information about Trade Papers, visit: vrqa.vic.gov.au

Federation soars in ratings

FEDERATION University Australia has once again demonstrated its commitment to excellence in higher education, after achieving top ratings in anumberoffields in the 2025 Good Universities Guide ratings.

Federation maintainsits positionasthe top university nationally for first in family enrolments, while also leading numerous higher education categories both nationally and across the state in validation of Federation’spositionasaleading institution in Australia in supportingnew graduates to be job-ready through itsCo-operative Education Model.

For the seventh consecutive year, Federation has beenratedthe number one university in Australia forFirst-Generation Student Enrolments, with 50 percentofthe university’scohort being the first in theirfamilytotakethe step into higher education.

Last year,Federation Universityalsoscored the

highest five-star ranking for Skills Development, with83per cent of undergraduatespositively rating theirskills development while studying at Federation.

Federation University Australia Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Duncan Bentleysaid there was much to be proud of.

“Federation University’sexcellent results in the latest Good Universities Guideistestament to our ongoing commitment to delivering graduates that are bothworld and work ready through ourunique approach to education through our Co-operative Education Model,” he said.

“Our focus on transforming lives and enhancing communities emphasises better access to education, particularly to regional and rural students, and has helped our university foster an environment that supports and empowers students from diversebackgrounds.”

With acore purpose of transforming lives and enhancing communities, Federation also maintained its number one ranking in Victoria for social equity for students, as well as student to teacher ratio.

The results also highligh ted Federati on’s strength in certain disciplines, with the university ranked number one in Australia for Overall EducationExperiencefor undergraduates in Science and Mathematics, Social Work, Creative Arts, and Law &Paralegal Studies.

The achievements in the 2025Good Universities Guide follow significant improvement in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (released at the endoflastyear), where Federation was just one of four Australian universities to improveits rating, movingupinto the top 401-500 universities globally.

New phase fornextwaveofstudents

THOUSANDS of VictorianYear 12 graduates are set to begin their journeys towards rewarding careers through university and TAFE, as more young Victorians received offers for post-secondary courses last week.

DeputyPremier and Ministerfor Education, Ben Carroll congratulatedthe Victorian graduates who received an offer from the VictorianTertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) for their preferred TAFE or university course.

“Congratulations to all the VictorianYear 12 graduates who received offers, you should be proud of your achievements, and Iwish you well as you embark on your studies,” he said.

“Our world-class universities and TAFEs provide so many promising education pathways, and I encourageVictorians startinga new training journey or looking to switch careers to consider alltheir options before making adecision.”

VTACissued12,938 offers to studentsfor undergraduate and vocational courses.

This was the second round of offers, with four more rounds to come.

Incl uding offers made in Novemb er and December, atotalof64,780 domestic study offers have been issued for courses starting in 2025.This represents a5.2 per cent increase compared to the 61,576 domestic offers released by the same time last year.

There are many education and trainingpathway options whichdeliver the skills and qualifications Victorians need to achieve their career goals.

TAFEs offer career pathways in awide range of study areas, from carpentry and electricaltrades to health and social care, as well as covering emerging areas to support transition to acarbon free economy -such as electric vehicles and hydrogen technology.

Victorians can access awide rangeofTAFE courses without the cost of tuition fees, through Victoria’s Free TAFE program.

More than 187,900 students have benefitted from Free TAFE since it was introduced in 2019, saving them more than $550 million in tuition fees and providing them withstrongemployment opportunities upon completion.

There are now also more Free TAFE places available in construction qualificationsand short courses, thanks to the federal and state governments, who are together providing 5200 more places in FreeTAFEconstruction-related courses, including up to 1300 pre-apprenticeship places. Students that haven’t received an offer yet can either wait for further rounds of VTAC offers, or change their VTAC preference if they meet course requirements. Theycan also apply directlyto TAFEs without aVTAC offer.

More funding to The Gathering Place

KOORIE community centre The Gathering Place has beenawarded further state government funding.

The Morwell centre, operating out of Berry Street,runscommunity led programs which strengthen and support the wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander community of the Latrobe Valley.

Minister for Youth, Natalie Suleyman announced The Gathering Place as one of 134 recipients of the Engage!and FReeZA grant programsfor 2025-2027 which will fund activities for young Victorians aged 12 to 25.

Engage! grants, which range from $60,000 to

$180,000, and FReeZA grants, which provide $45,000to$120,000,are three-year funding streams that support community organisations, local governments, and social enterprises.

FromMildura to YarraRanges, to Greater Shepparton or Monash, bothgrant programs will support awide spread of organisations in Victoria -creating engagement, support and leadership opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds and communities.

The Engage! 2025-2027 program will empower young people to co-design and deliver activities that build skills, confidence, and encourage creativity. This includes supporting programs

that strengthen and assist the wellbeing of young people, with afocus on fostering leadership and youth empowerment through education and cultural activities.

FReeZA 2025-2027supports access to opportunities and career pathways for emerging musicians, artists and aspiring events management professionals, amplifying the future of Victoria’s music and creative industries. FReeZA will also continue to be delivered in partnership with The Push, a leading Australian youth music organisation, which supports young people with access to expert industry advice, training and guidance. For moreinformation on the programs, visit: vic.gov.au/engage-2025-2027

Innovative: Federation University, which hasacampusinChurchill,is experiencing outstanding results throughit’sco-opmodel. File photograph

Thrills and skills

TRARALGON South Primary School was abuzz with excitement as students, families and the wider community welcomedstudentsfrom Toongabbie PrimarySchool for their annual billy cart race. The event, held late last year and proudly sponsoredbythe Latrobe Health Assembly, celebrated hands-on learning, intergenerational collaboration, and the spirit of community connectedness.

In the lead-up to the race, students worked closely with members of the Traralgon South Men’s Shed and Toongabbie Men’s Shedtodesign, build,and decorate their billy carts. This collaboration fostered valuable intergenerational connections, as the men’sshed volunteers shared their knowledge and skills with the younger generation. The students, in turn, brought creativity and enthusiasm to the project, showcasing teamwork and innovative design thinking.

The billy cart project offered ahands-on learning experience that extended beyondthe classroom. Students applied principles of design, engineering, and problem-solving to bring their ideas to life. The process not only sparked curiosity but also instilled asense of pride and accomplishment in their creations.

The eventhighlighted the importance of community collaboration, with parents, teachers, and local volunteers rallying together to support the students’efforts. From cheering alongthe racetrack to sharing race times over acommunity barbecue, the raceday reinforced the strong bonds that make Traralgon South and Toongabbiethriving and connected communities.

As the event sponso r, the Latrobe Health Assembly was delighted to support this initiative, seeing the joy on the students’ faces and the camaraderie among participantsreaffirmed the importance of investing in local projects that bring people together.

Latrobe Health Assembly Board member, Ange Gordonsummed up the event statingthat “The Billy Cart Race is more than just afun day for the students, it’s acelebration of learning, community, and the relationships that strengthen our regional towns. Supporting events such as this help bring about meaningful connectionswithin townships and is of course great fun to be apart of.”

The raceday concludedwithenthusiastic cheers, proud smiles, and plenty of laughter as students raced their colourful creationstothe finish line. Awards were presentedfor the fastestracers,

the most creative decoration, and the best team costume,ensuring that every participant was celebrated for their efforts.

Traralgon South Primary School Principal, Joel Blythman said the event was ahuge success.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of both the Traralgon South and Toongabbie Men’s Shed,alongside eventsponsorship from the Latrobe Health Assembly, that enabled this annual event to again come to life,” he said.

“The laughter, fun,and connections with the wider community highlight the importance of aproject such as this, and as afurther measure of success, it has been lovely watching our students continue to use their Billy Carts aroundthe Traralgon South township since the derby concluded.”

Toongabbie Primary School Principal, Alison Stewart was equal in her praise.

“This project has been ahighlight of the Grade 5/6 year and awonderful opportunity for the community and the schooltowork closelytogether,” shesaid.

“The cart building night when the children attended the men’s shed along with their parents was ajoy to see. Everyone having agoatusing the tools, reading the instructions and seeking clarification as needed wasfabulous.Our children didreally well bringing home several of the prizes on the day of the derby.

“A big thanks to the Traralgon South Men’s Shed for bringing the initiative to Toongabbie and the Traralgon South Primary School for hosting the derby.”

Traralgon South Men’s Shed President, Brian Jenkins said of the club’s involvement: “This annual event is highly anticipated by our men’s shed members as it brings our community together.”

“The excitement on the students faces during build night and race day, when they unveil their decorated carts and costumes, is truly rewarding.

“Weare grateful forthe support from both the school and the broadercommunity. With the collaboration of Latrobe Health Assembly and Toongabbie, we are already planning for an even bigger event next (this) year.

“Hearing younger students eagerly expresstheir excitement for their turn on race day is especially thrilling.”

School upgrades

MOREschools acrossVictoriahave beenable to make the most of their outdoor areas and get students learning outside more often.

AFREE autism assessment service for children, a virtual alliedhealth clinic, a“small practice with a big heart” and an Aboriginal cardiac care program won the 2024 Gippsland Primary Health Awards.

Chief Allied Health Officer of Victoria,Briana Baassannounced the four winners from 34 award finalists, who were celebrated at the Primary Health Awards late last year.

The Gippsland Primary Health Awards celebrate excellence in primary healthcare across Gippsland, recognising outstanding contributionsbyhealth professionals and organisations.

Presented by the GippslandPrimary Health Network(Gippsland PHN), therewere four award categories in 2024:

 Transforming practice through multidisciplinary care;

 Transforming workplace culture;

 Transforming care through digital solutions, and;

 Transforming access to care through inclusive practice.

Gip ps land PHN Chief Executive, Amanda Proposch congratulated the winners, who received a$2000 voucherfor professional development or wellbeing activities.

“We had an outstanding calibre of applicants in this (last) year’s awards,” Ms Proposch said.

“Thisyear, we focused on ‘transformation’ as our theme.Asa community,weare navigating rapid and significant growthand change within primary care.

“At the heart of these changes are people and organisationswho are leadingwithresilience, creativity and acommitment to healthier future forGippsland.”

Latrobe Community Health Service won the Transforming practice through multidisciplinary care category.

Latrobe Community HealthService’s Autism

Assessment Clinic offers free support to children under seven from vulnerable backgrounds.

Working with Latrobe Regional Health, the clinic providesassessments, diagnosis, and familysupport with ateam of specialists, including paediatricians, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists.

Federation University Virtual Care Clinic won the Transforming care through digital solutions category.

Federation University Virtual Care Clinic supports people livingwithchronic health conditions, at anoorlow-cost service. The clinic is designed to use telehealth while educating physiotherapy students as adigitally capable future workforce.

Other awardwinners were Atticus Health Jindivick (Transforming Workplace Culture) and Bairnsdale Regional Health Service’s ‘Culture at theHeart’(Transforming access to care through inclusive practice).

The School Shade Sails Fund program has reached amilestone of more than 1200 projects rolled out across the state. All governmentschools and low-feenongovernment schools have been eligible to apply for agrant up to $25,000 per campus. Atotalof1259projects are now complete, providing new outdoorlearningareas for thousands of students.

The grants program began in 2021 to fund new shade sails over outdoor learningspaces to make them more comfortable and sun-safe for more than 457,000 students.

They also help in covering small food gardens tendedtobystudents andare an open space for reading and yarning circles.

Thestate government has investedalmost $17 billion over the past decade to build new schools and deliver more than 2000 school upgrades -supportingmore than 26,000jobs in construction and associated industries.

Roll up: Billycar ts constructed by Traralgon South and Toongabbie primary schools,with the assistance of local men’s shedmembers.

Go: Time to test one of thebillycar ts Photographs supplied

Questions still remain over nuclear

DAVID Littelproud was quotedinlastweek’sissue of this newspaper saying that country people were overwhelmingly in favour of hosting nuclear reactors in their municipalities, and that they didn’t want more wind andsolar near them (‘Coalition focusedonemissions reduction’, LVE 15/01/25).

From my estimation, only about athird of the people Iknow would possibly consider having them here in the Latrobe Valley, and only about half of these would be fully supportive.

Most people that Iknow think it is laughable to be locking us into the mostexpensive formof electricity production, when the National Electricity Market (NEM) is now over 40 per cent generated by thecheapest energy source -renewableenergy.

Mr Littleproud also said that we need more baseload electricity in the system, which actually does nothingtoimprove thesecurity of the system andprevent blackouts

Major blackouts have been averted in the last few years by the emergence of big batteries that kick in within amillisecond of aunit tripping offline.

South Australia is acase in point. With 75 per cent renewable electricity, they have no baseload power in their electricitynetworknow, but they have plenty of storage capacity, which has on two occasions in the last 18 months prevented major blackouts when transmission lines were brought down in storms.

In nuclear, we get baseload which cannot be wound down -ithas to go flat out all the time to be economic. So each day, when the sun comes up and rooftop solar starts to flood the grid with electrons, it will have to be the solar and wind farms that have to stop supplying the grid and thus become less profitable.

Nuclear willnot integrate withrenewable power. It will replace it.

As far as jobs go, there will be alot less than the present coal-fired generators because of automation. Afew hundred maybe will be needed for operation after they are commissioned in 2045 or evenafter that,based on overseasexperienceof construction delays.

Iwould also like to question Mr Littleproud’s assertion that countrypeopledon’t want in his words “a future litteredwith solar panels, wind turbines and transmission lines”.

Maybe this is something to do with he and Barnaby Joyce travellingaroundthe country last year roiling up the locals and setting up “Community Alliance” groups to fight renewable energy infrastructure developments.

Hosting wind, solar and transmission lines on farmland is quitelucrative and bringswealth into isolatedrural communities. This was backed up by astory in The Weekly Times (27/11/24) titled ‘Quietmajorityofrural Australia backs clean energy: survey’.

This surveywas conducted by an independent research organisation called ‘89 Degrees East’ and found that70per cent supportedclean energy projects on their farms,while 17 per cent were opposed.

David Littleproudshould instead get to know his rural constituents better rather than just do the Minerals Council’s bidding in trying to delay the exit of fossil fuels from our energy supply for another generation, because this is what going nuclear will do.

Dan Caffrey Traralgon

Moreiswell

AS Iwas walking around the Kernot Lake Imet Ron, alovely man who came from Ireland. It occurred to me that despite what many, not all,locals in Morwell think, it really is alovely place to live.

Some peopleblame the freeway bypass for its woes. Ithinkthe bypass shifted all the heavy trafficaway. Driving in andabout Morwell is a pleasure, especially when compared to the traffic in Melbourne.

Others blame the state government’s edict that clear-felling of the natural forest is no longer allowed. Iamsorry fellow Morwellians, but often the future of the worldismore important than local issues.

Icould go on, but Iwon’t.

Karen Drake Morwell

Purposeless pies

Iamvery cognisant of the need for diverse representation within council. Support needstobe provided where it is required.

However,Iagree with Rosemary Race (LVE Opinion,‘Community over perks’, 15/01/25) and Phil Edwards (08/01/25, ‘Piesinthe sky’) that takingonthe role of councillor should not take the place of regular paid employment. Councillor roles should also be undertaken with a sense of giving to and giving back to the community. There are many withinthe communitywho put in far more hours to their organisations with the return of, if they are fortunate, aChristmas lunch

as thanks, or alife membership (very gratefully received) in the latter partoftheir lives. Mr Edwards gave many excellent examples. The notion that it is necessary to meet aconstituent outside council office for some obscure privacy reason suggests alackoftransparency. If that is the case,why would it be enhancedbymeeting at acafé/restaurant rather than apark bench? Or an online meeting? Cafes and restaurants are very public places. Requesting acomparison of allowances with the other -Ithink -78councils in Victoria is irrelevant, as suggested by both Ms Race and Mr Edwards. Latrobe Cityis, Iunderstand,aTier 2council, and different from other Tier 2councils. For example, distance should not be an issue for the Latrobe City Council regarding internal council business. Let your councillor know that as aratepayer you do not want the ‘Party Pies Allowance’ or the beginnings of a‘Pigs at the Trough’ facility to be adopted by Latrobe City Council.

Wendy Castles Traralgon

Missing in action

IT was great to see our normally politically reclusive local federal government member’s detailed summary of the current, lamentable state of Victoria’s native timber industry (‘Literally walkingover the issue’, LVE, 15/01/25).

Australia is indeed importing much more timber than ever from interstateand overseassources (such as the fragile Amazon rainforests and south east Asia), where sadly, their industry environmentalstandardsare not as stringent as our own

Those points aside, Iwould really have liked to have heard more of his passionatearguments before our native timber industry wasshut down by Dan Andrews, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs andrevenue in Gippsland/Victoria.Unfortunately our federal member’s comments now really are a case of ‘too much, too late’ and would be of little comfort for thoseinplaces such as Orbost who put theirfaith in him at the last election to look after the timber industry.

It would be more appropriate at the moment to hear his similarly well considered and forceful arguments in regard to the imminent closure of Gippsland’s coal-based electricity industry, which willsimilarly seethe lossofhundreds of local jobs and income, and further drive up the cost of electricity.

Where are his protests as our local farming industry faces escalatingpressure fromthe Greens’ hypocritical environmental policies andtheir obsession with net zero/climate change, which are driving up their production costs?

This is ‘soft serve’ politics by our local member. It’s fareasier to protestabout what could havebeen whilst sidestepping the tough issues.

It’s time for afederal member who listens and acts,rather than just talks.

Greg Hansford Newborough

Heed this warning

COULD aLos Angeles type fire disaster occur in Victoria or anywhere else in Australia?

The answerisclearly yes and it has already happened many times.

Recent examples in Victoria are February 2024 at Pomonal near the Grampians where 45 houses were lost and Mallacoota in 2019/20 where128 houses were lost.

While thesewereona smaller scalethan LA, and no lives were lost, the key factors leading up to the disasters were similar -long unburnt fuels,dry conditions and residences close to the bush. Then

whenadverse weather conditionsincluding strong winds occurred, this ensured long distance spotting ahead of the main front and into the buildings in the towns, which were largely unoccupied as residents had already evacuated.

Of course, Victoria can go back to Black Saturday 2009 where 173 people died, including 120 in the Kinglake area and 46 in Marysville, and where more than 2000 houses were destroyed. In terms of loss of life, those fires were afar worse disaster than the current LA fires. Other Australian states have similar stories.

There is an important saying that “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.

Fire disasters are the result of the combination of meteorological conditions, topographical conditions, and fueltype and quantity. It is not possibleto change the topography of an area, meteorological conditions are outside our control, and so the only thing that can help mitigate the intensity of fires is to reduce fuel loads.

No fuel equals no fire, less fuel equals less intense fire.

Broad scale fuel reduction programs are the proven way to reduce fuels over extensive areas.

The Royal Commission after the 2009 fires recommendedaminimum of fiveper cent of forests should be treated annually. The successful program in Western Australia targets six to eight per cent annually. Victoria achieves about 1.3 per cent.

It is important thatlandmanagerslearn from history and actively manageacomprehensivefuel management programacross the forests of Victoria as part of mitigationagainst another fire disaster.

GarrySquires

Secretary, The Howitt Society

Moderatemoderator

AS we embarkon2025, I’ve noticedacurious pattern forming on the Opinion page.

It seems that aselect group of regular correspondents -our very own quasi-journalists -have taken it upon themselves to dominate the conversation, presenting their strong views on the environment, power supplies, renewables,and, most delightfully, sniping at each other.

While their passionateexchanges have provided ample entertainment and asteady supply of metaphorical popcorn moments, Ican’t help but feel that the diversity of voices in our community is being overshadowed.

In the interest of fostering amore inclusive and dynamic dialogue,Ihumbly proposea solution: apublic debate, orchestrated by none other than the editor himself.

Imagine the scene: our intrepid correspondents, armed with their fervent opinions, facingoff in aspiriteddebate.The audience,comprised of everyday citizens, would have the chance to pose questions,offer counterpoints,and evenjoin the fray.Itwould be agrand spectacleofwit, wisdom, and perhaps atouch of theatrical flair.

Such an event wouldnot only provide aplatform for awider range of perspectives, but also serve as areminderthatour community thrives on diverse viewpoints and spirited discourse.

Itrust theeditorwill consider this proposalwith thegravity andhumour it deserves.

After all, what better way to start the year than with abit of good-natured intellectual sparring?

Peter Hopkins Moe

Overstepping the mark

THE offering from Joseph Lis, ‘The greatest evil’ (LVEOpinion,15/01/25), identifyingAnthony Albanese and Chris Bowen with Nazis, surely crossesthe lineofdecency, and represents the most

disgusting and contemptible opinion published in the Express.

This is from one who has previously condemned John Pesutto for his similar description of Moira Deeming, (‘Nothing to see here’,LVE 08/01/25), yet seesnohypocrisy in aligning two current Australian politicians, including the PM, with monsters who perpetrated the Holocaust.

Andapparentlyonly Mr Lis and Nicholas Tan found it “obvious”that John Pesuttowas “racist and sexist” regarding Ms Deeming. The court judgment certainly didn’t. Neither did Newscorp journalists. Is my defence of Mr Pesutto the trigger for your “hypocritical and outrageouslydeluded” accusation?How so?

As Ihave previously asserted, absolutistssuch as Mr Lis have no boundariesofdecency towards those who may threaten theiragendas.

You have gone too far this time Mr Lis, and have embarrassed yourself, but absolutists don’t apologise do they?

And now to another absolutist, the Shadow Minister for Dandenong, atitle for which sadly Ican claimnocredit, butthank you Ian Whitehead (‘No impeccable letters from Camelot’, LVE 20/11/24). For one who has an extended history of narcissistic opinionstoour newspaper, (not his), not once has the Shadow Minister ever failed to comment on my opinions, despite the fact he finds them of “no value” andofnoconcern. Time after time, without fail,heproves my assertion that Icontinue to live in his head, rent free. Go figure!

Finally, to the redoubtable Patricia Correa. Iactually did say Three Mile Island closed down because it was “uneconomic”, (‘Views not news’, LVE 23/12/24),and of course we experienced extreme heat waves in our youth,but I’ll take today’s science, such as “2024 was our planet’s hottest ever year”, overour anecdotal evidence well over 50 years ago anytime. And of course controlling climate is difficult, but stating “climate change is amyth” impliesyou don’t know and you don’t want to know.

Furthermore, the 2023 referendum dealt with a specific Indigenous issue, with no reference to the Australian flag, and therefore was not astatement by Australians regarding its future, nor possible constitutional change.

Finally, recently Ms Correa amusingly suggested compulsory military training for 18-year-olds may help in solving society’s ills by providing “discipline and respect”.

May Irespectfully suggest such training for much older generations may be more appropriate, though if letters on this page are any guide, it’s surely a lost cause.

John Duck

Trafalgar

Heartfelt

AS Heart Awareness Month approachesthis February, Heart Research Australia is urging all Australians to come together and take action to safeguard both their heart and brain health.

This year, we are shedding light on the crucial link between cardiovascular health and cognitive function and sharing effective day-to-day strategies to support both.

It’s crucial to understand that what supports the heart also benefits the brain.

Heart disease remains the leadingcause of death in Australia, and its effects reach far beyond our hearts.

Conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol can not only cause damage to the heart, but can also increase the risk of cognitive decline, and the development of dementia.

By 2054, the number of Australians living with dementia is expected to double, so protecting our heart and brain healthnow is more vital than ever, not only for our own health and wellbeing, buttoreduce the pressure on our health system as it braces for the impact of an ageing population.

In our communities, the impact of heart disease and dementia are deeply felt. We see it in our families, friends, and neighbours.

The pathforward beginswithsimple,actionable steps. Heart Research Australia’s4-M Approach -Meals, Movement, Measurement, and Mental Wellness, guides us to take small, meaningful actions today, which can protect both our hearts and our minds.

At Heart Research Australia, we are committed to reducing the devastating impact heart disease has on families and the community. We are asking Australians to come together to wear red,raise awareness, and contribute to the vital research that will change lives.

By takingaction today, we can reduce the devastating effects of heart disease tomorrow.

Together as one community, we can make a difference for our future.

Nicci Dent ChiefExecutive,Heart ResearchAustralia Useless

What to believe: David Littleproud’sstatement regardingnuclear support from country people has been questioned. File photograph

support from regional communities

Morwell was an eye opener (‘What’s the alternative’, LVE 15/01/25).

Slow Easy and Comfortable camebacktoMorwell but not to the benefit of workers, only for consultants paid $1.3 million and for what? Acouple of employees.

Brad Battin has alist of issues that need to be dealt with. Hopefully the voters will allow him to make it happen.

The letter by Oliver Bergens left me speechless (‘Happy new year’, LVE 15/01/25).

He covered the year of 2024 quite well: climate, pig swill trough and the destroyer of Victoria (on the edge of Alzheimer’s).

Oliver makes agood Shadow Minister. Sadly, there should be some in Parliament. Ialsobelieve that our greatest treasure is freedom of speech.

With reference to Ian Campbell (‘Cost of living crisis traced back to privatisation’, LVE 15/01/25), history shows that when aLabor government is elected, their debt is small, but by the time anew government is elected that debt has tripled. When the Liberalsare electedthatdebthas been whittled down, but it grows againunder Labor, thus the selling off of assets.

We need to get back to becoming self-sufficient and look further than China for exports. Hopefully there is achange coming.

Patricia Correa Traralgon

Nothing healthyabout atan

THISsummer, we reflectonamilestone in our state’s fight against skin cancer.

January marks adecade since Victoria banned commercial solariums -a landmark decision that has undoubtedly saved countless lives.

Beforethe ban, solariumswere linked to an estimated2800skin cancer cases across Australia everyyear.

But while we’ve come so far, recent events remind us there’s still more to do.

TikTok is floodedwithworrying videos glorifying tan lines and evenencouraging Australians to use the UV index as atanning tool rather than awarning.

There’s been controversy recently about access to shade at the beach, with the space cabanas occupy sparking national debate. And adding to the concern, nearly 300 Victorians,including many children, presented to emergency departments in public hospitals last year with sunburn.

Meanwhile, skin cancer remains Victoria’s fifth-most common cancer, with more than 3000 Victorians diagnosed with melanoma in 2023.

AndUVexposure -beitfrom the sun, the few remaining illegal backyard solariums, or even misleadingly rebranded solariums marketed as “collarium” or “collagen beds” -isthe biggest risk factor.

The good news? Skin cancer is almost entirely preventable and it’snever too late to start protectingyour skin

When the UV index hits three or above, remember to sliponprotective clothing, slop on SPF 50 or 50+ sunscreen, slap on awide-brim hat, slide on sunglasses, and seek shade.

Enjoying the outdoors is acherished part of Victorians’ lives, but it shouldn’t have to come at the cost of your health.

Our message to all Victorians is to make SunSmart practices part of your daily routine this year to protect yourselves and for the sake of the people you love.

Emma Glassenbury

Head

of SunSmart, Cancer Council Victoria

Opposition out of touch

IHAD the privilege to participate in the weekly pro-Palestine rally in Traralgon.

With the ethnic cleansing continuing in Gaza and Sudan, it is aterrible burden on us all to hear of hospitals being destroyed and doctors being arbitrarily detained for doing their job, while women and children are suffering.There is alsothe suffering of the men, who are disproportionately being singled out for arbitrary detention and torture.

We meet in peace and we come from diverse backgrounds and religions. We represent Christians, Muslims, Jewish faith and Agnostics all united in our desire to see the world act against genocide regardless of race and religion. We are thankful

thatinTraralgon ourlaw enforcement officers have recognised our democraticright to protest and have trusted us to keep our protests safe and respectful. This Ibelieve we have done.

It is therefore with great concern that as our Attorney General heads overtoIsraelto‘repair’ our relationshipwith the country perpetuating the most brazen genocide in Gaza, our federal opposition leader has further flagged that it is his intention to criminalise our protests and apologise to the Prime Minister of Israel should he become our next leader.

It should concern all Australians that our federal opposition leader should be somehow proud of his resume as aformerpolice officer,yet seem to represent ideas most in opposition to the ideals of thisprofession.Not only would thisaspiring Prime Minister wish to conflate peaceful opposition to the genocidal actions of Israel with the hate crime of antisemitism, he would hope to make his firstactionasPrime Minister one of defying the worldcourts of justicetoexpress solidarity with an alleged war criminal.

It is hard to reconcilethisformer police officer with the supposed noble profession he once performed. As apolice officer, his one single duty was to support justice and uphold the authority of our courts. His only imaginable communication he could have everhad withanalleged criminal wouldhave been to advise him of his rights and make sure that whether by force or persuasion, allegedcriminals were brought before the authority of our courts. In his intentions of grovelling before an alleged war criminal, this opposition leader is demonstratingacontemptfor justice that is in total oppositiontohis trainingand oaths he would have sworn to as apolice officer.

Most Australians deplore antisemitism and rightly are horrified by the spate of attacks against synagogues. However, Australians are not mugs, we know the difference between antisemitismand criticisms of Israel. We will not be fooled into allowing agenocide to continue withoutcensurebecause we are afraid of being falsely labelled ‘antisemites’.

The opposition leadermay think he can fool voters with this pathetic sleight of hand, but he is certainly out of touch with most Australians.

Whatever our national faults, us Australians are generally canny discerners of character and have little time for politicians who would sell out our values.

Gordon Rouse Yinnar South

Losing what we have

ACCO RDING to noted local his tori an, Ivan Maddern(1906-1980), and founder (in 1962) of the Morwell Historical Society -Morwell derives its name fromthe historicporttown in Devon, England, named Morwellham Quay.

Morwellhamisstrategically situated at the centre of the Tamar Valley mining district and was at its peakduring the time the Devon GreatConsols was in production.

Just like Morwell, Morwellham was developed to supportlocal mines and became known as “the richest copper port in Queen Victoria’s Empire”, and the Queen visited in 1856 just as Queen Elizabeth II visited Yallourn Power Station on March 3, 1954. However, by 1903 the Consolswealthwas exhausted and the mines closed.

Mutatis mutandis, Labor’s obsession with a renewables-only future hasforced the closure of the open cut et al, even though there is enough coal there to power Victoria for another 800 years. And just like Morwell will be in 2050 (the fabled

year of net zero Nirvana), the once thriving river port of Morwellham thatonce linked the towns of WestDevon and EastCornwall andsurrounds to the rest of the world was reduced to ghost-town status alamodern-day Walhalla.

People like me see an eerie correlation between the fateofMorwellham and Morwell via the economy-wrecking and grossly premature closures of Morwell Power Station in 2014 and Hazelwood Power Station in 2017, soon to be followed by the closure of Yallourn Power Station in 2028, and thereafter Loy Yang APower Station in 2030, and then LoyYang Bafew years later.

Thus, for more than 100 years the very heartbeat and circulatinglifeblood of the Latrobe Valleyis about to be lost

The replacement? Ahighly unaffordable, unreliable, and unproven experiment(“at scale”) no country on Earth has been economically-reckless enough -apart from Australia, that is -totry runninganeconomy only and exclusively on intermittent/part time powerprovided by wind and solar energy.

We are about to forever losewhatonce made the Latrobe Valley so unique, so vibrant,and so attractively inexpensive aplacetolive and call home.

Joseph Lis

Morwell

THE Latrobe Valley Express welcomes letters to the editor.

Preference will be given to brief, concise letters which address local issues.

The editor Liam Durkin, reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space and clarity, and may refuse to publish any letter without explanation.

The Express doesnot publish lettersfrom anonymous contributors.

Letters must include ap hone numb er, email address and the author’s hometown for purposes of substantiating authenticity. Readers are entitled to aright of replyto a letter directed at them.

While healthy debate is encouraged, the editor will stamp out any that cross the line to defamation.

The views expressed in letters to the editor are thoseofthe writers, and do not necessarily reflect the viewsofLatrobe Valley Express management or staff.

Readers should be equally aware that facts presented in letters are selected to support a person’s point of view.

As such, statistics can quite oftenbefabricated depending on the pool of data used or people involved in surveys. The letterssection is designedtoallowpeople to have their say, and not be hijacked for political agendas.

Letters regarding religion will not be published, nor religion presented as historical. Email letters to news@lvexpress.com.auand include ‘Letter to the Editor’inthe subject line. Deadline for letters is Thursday 3pm. Have

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 22 January, 2025

Sun smart: Australians have been reminded to stay vigilant this summer.

Photo: iStock

HIREa Hubby Latrobe Valleyare your local professional proper ty maintenance exper ts

Since joining the HireaHubby net work in 2015,HireaHubby Latrobe Valleyhas grownand emerged to become one of the largest franchisees in the HireaHubby net work

Hire aHubby offers acomprehensive range of services to meet the needs of itsdiverse clientele; from essentialaged careand disabilityaccess modifications to revitalising clients bathrooms and kitchens,this has earnt the company a reputation forexcellence and reliability.

At the coreofHirea Hubby Latrobe Valley’ssuccess is its team of highly skilled professionals, including carpenters,cabinetmakers, plasterers, and metal fabricators. In addition to their collective exper tise,HireaHubby Latrobe Valley has acomprehensive, triedand tested backingoflicensed trades supporting the team on projects.This ensures that everyproject is completedwithprecision and attentiontodetail

David, the business owner,isguided by acommitment to qualityand customer satisfaction. With abackground in industrial maintenance and engineering,David bringsawealth of experience to the table, driving the company’scontinued growth and success

HIRE AHUBBY

OneofHirea Hubby Latrobe Valley’s key strengths lies in its thorough understanding of regulator yrequirements, including the National Construction Code, DisabilityStandards A.S.1428and the Residential TenancyAct. This ensures that ever yproject is completed to the highest standard, with afocus on safety and compliance

Whether it’sinstalling safeaccess ramps,managing maintenance on rental properties or upgrading your privatehome, HireaHubby Latrobe Valleyofferstailored

solutions to meet the unique needs of its clients.AtHirea Hubby Latrobe Valley, their commitment to clientsatisfaction extends to comprehensiveinsurance coverage,rigorous police background checks fortheir staff, and adherence to Working With Children requirements HireaHubby Latrobe Valley’steam is made up of local guysand gals with a commitment to thecommunity. The team is largeenough to tackle volume jobs and smallenough to ensure high standards with apersonal touch.

Forthose seeking reliable proper ty maintenance ser vices and exceptional customer service,HireaHubby Latrobe Valleyisthe name to trust. Phone them todayon0473311 990 to lear nmoreorcheckthem out on Facebook.

Retriever

HAY

30 small squares, $10ea. Hazelwood North. Phone 0447 040 447.

M&S BURKE

KOONWARRA -POUND

POUND CREEK

Recliner

Light blue material, good condition. $250. Phone Heather on 0428 843 722.

$6 each or 2for $11 (GST incl).

at the Latrobe Valley Express Office 21

GUITAR LESSONS

Gippsland Guitar School, all ages, 8-80, beginners to advanced, banjo and ukulele lessons also available. 0439 111 610.

Self Storage

Newsagents:

31st January 2025, at 10:30am Farm Equipment and Building Supplies: New Holland 2004 TL90 Tractor with FE loader and forks; Burder FE loader bucket; Hydraulic bale spinner; Husqvarna ride-on; Toro ride-on; Silvan spray tank; 2.5 tonne flat bed tandem trailer (reg. 16/6/25); small trailer suit ride on; Brushcutter; grass seed spreader; Gen tech elec. start generator; Jetfire gas heater; Stihl 85/103 chainsaw; Makita jack hammer (only used once); Stihl post auger (2 man); Ryobi drill press; Lock Motiver &Lockface templer; Subaru concrete vibrator; Karcher Steam cleaner; Bromic pump; Rato petrol water pump with hose; Makita drop saw for cutting steel; elec. planer; Honda push mower; Crommelins pump with hose attachment; assort. oil drums; 2013 Holden Commodore Station Wagon, 280k (reg. 11/5/25); Ford F250, not reg., not running; mag rims; galv steel racks; galv. steel rafters; assort. steel lengths; LVL timber planks; wall panelling, mdf &cement sheet; assort. timber planks; rolls wire mesh; timber steps; aluminium Aframe trestles; shelving; filing cabinets; assort. tiles; doors; galv. acrow props assort. lengths; assort. building sundry supplies; laser light panels; foam waffle pods 225mm; Kingspain air-cell insulation blanket; expansion rubber set up 100mm; pink bats; forma tube; tie downs; Kingcrome trolley; extension leads; tool boxes; builders quick set concrete; concrete trowels and screeds; bunting; nail gun; marking paint; ass hand tools; Makita grinding disc; jerry cans; saw stools; skirting boards; sink; assort. ladders; assort. brooms; rakes; star pickets and caps; gates; shipping container; wire and wire spinning; porta loos; temp fencing with blocks; IBC shuttles; mesh wire; elec. fence energiser; barb wire; ass fencing materials; assort. poly fittings; solar panel fence energiser; rio bars; sundry items too numerous to mention.

CHURCH ILL, 2/32

Auchterlonie Cst. Sat 25th, 9am-4pm, awnings, chairs, tables, generator, portable BBQ, bric-a-brac and more. All items 1st class condition.

Household Items: Chest freezer; assort. Eskies; golf clubs; recliner lounge suite; Zeigler Brown BBQ (brand new); Webber bbq; plastic chairs; Simpson washing machine; wine barrel; exercise equip; Hark upright Smoker. Outside Vendors: Super Spreader; carry all; calf crate; Cosmo articulated 300ltr cone spreader; Gallagher calf scales-as new.

Terms: Cash, Cheque or Eftpos on day of sale. GST applicable. Number system and Photo ID for registration. www.nutrienagsolutions.com.au/clearingsales

For further details contact: Kev Clark 0419 193 592

MORWELL 31 Holmes Rd, Trash &Treasure Market. Open 6days, 10am-4pm. Permanent stalls $20 p/w, casual $10 aday. For info or bookings, call Jo 0437 981 388.

NEWBOROUGH, 155 McGrath's Track. Moving sale! Heaps of things to go. Bric-a-brac, all items must go. No early callers please.

WHEN YOU GO LOCAL,YOU GROW LOCAL!

Help support our local Tradies while they service, build and repair in our local communities - check out our Business Guide Pages and Home Maintenance Section in the Classifieds every Wednesday for your local Tradies

NOTICE TO ALL LIFE, FINANCIAL, SERVICE AND AFFILIATE MEMEBERS. GENERAL MEETING NOTIFICATION.

You are hereby notified that the General Meeting will held in the function room on WEDNESDAY, 25th September 2024 commencing at 5:30pm with light refreshments following the meeting. We trust you will attend as part of your responsibility to the successful running of the venue.

Social members may attend as observers. All agenda items should be submitted to the secretary no later than (7) days prior to the GM (COB 18th August 2024). Sue Hall (Secretary RSL Moe Sub-Branch)

classification, you may be eligible for arebate on your rates for your principal place ofresidence. Toensure the concession appears onyour next year's notice, please submit your application forms now. For more information and to complete your application, visit: www.latrobe.vic.gov.au/ratesconcession or contact Council on 1300 367 700.

FORM

DELIVERERS WTD

BATHROOM

Security Doors

ADVERTISERS

PLEASE NOTE:

Much hardship and difficulty is caused to job seekers by misleading advertising placed in the employment columns. Our Situations Vacant columns are reserved for advertisements which carry aspecific and genuine offer of employment. Ads for `Business Opportunities' and `Training Courses' and `Employment Services' should be submitted under those headings. Placing misleading ads is an offence against the Trades Practices Act and state/territory fair trading acts and all advertisements are subject to the publisher's approval. For further advice, contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on 1300 302 502 or your state consumer affairs agency.

Would you liketodeliver the Latrobe Valley Express newspaper to individual homes on Tuesday and /or Wednesday afternoons in Traralgon and Moe.

Please apply to: The Circulation Manager0456000 541

Please note: Children must be 11 years or over as we will need to apply for agovernment Child Employment Permit. Children younger than 11 cannot or will not be accepted. Adult deliverers also welcome

LEGAL RECEPTIONIST

About us

bdlegal is aboutique law firm with offices in Traralgon and Warragul, specialising in Commercial Law, Conveyancing, Wills &Estate Planning, Deceased Estates and Commercial Debt Recovery.

About the Role

Based at our Traralgon office, we are seeking a motivated individual with excellent customer service and time-management skills looking to start or enhance their career in the legal sector.

Reporting to the Partners and Practice Manager, you will be responsible for general reception duties including but not limited to:

● Client and stakeholder interaction via phone, email and in person

● Appointment scheduling

The Latrobe Valley Express welcomes photos of your newest arrival Parents are welcome to email a copy of your newborn photos for publication to our editorial staff - news@lvexpress com au with the subject line baby photo’ Please include the following details:

first and middle name/s

● File opening, data-entry, document creation

● Document filing, digitising, and recording

● Mail and banking

● General administrative support to all areas of the practice as required

Competent computer literacy is necessary including Microsoft Office Suite.

Prior experience with LEAP Legal Software or similar is desirable, with excellent verbal and written communication skills being mandatory.

The successful candidate must also possess:

● Strong attention to detail

● Working knowledge of privacy constraints

● Demonstrated work ethic

● Reliability and punctuality

● Access to reliable transport

Experience within alaw practice or similar professional environment would be an advantage, however any necessary training will be provided for the right candidate.

The role is full-time -Monday to Friday 8.20am to 5pm with a9-day fortnight, and is subject to a 6-month probationary period. Please forward your CV, including 2referees, to: fiona.diaz@bdlegal.com.au

will be considered as received.

BOYES, Ian Michael. In loving Memory Passed away Thursday, 9 January 2025. Dearly loved brother-in-law of Phillip and Kaylene Mustoe and respected uncle of Craig, Brett and Shane. Sadly Missed Deaths •

CARRODUS, Philip Raymond (Phil). Passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on 5 January 2025. Loved husband of Lois. Father of Shane, Nicky, Kylie and Troy. Grandfather of 14. Great grandfather of 3. So dearly loved Peacefully sleeping APrayer Service was held 14 January 2025.

MOE-MORWELL-TRARALGON

TRARALGON 5174 2258 Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

HESLOP, Belinda Kate. 25/8/1981 -3/1/2025. Very much loved daughter of Jenny and Brian (dec.). Loved sister of Joanne, Rebecca and Jessica.

Loved aunty. You are the most beautiful memory we will keep locked inside our hearts. Love you forever Mum, we cannot stop the hands of time, nor live again the past, but we shall love and think of you, as long as time shall last.

Your loving daughter Eva Winter and lifelong friend Scott Winter.

Privately Cremated NIELSEN FUNERALS 5623 2771

LINDSAY, Gwen.

27/11/1929 -16/1/2025

Aged 95 years Loving wife to Bob (dec.). Lovi ng moth er and mother-in-law of Allan, Neville, Lynette (Polly), Jenny, Pauline and Dennis. Much loved nanna to Rebecca, Steven, Kim, Kate, Stacy, Sally and Ben. Great nanna to 13 grandchildren.

Will be deeply missed and loved in our hearts forever

LOVISON, David Steven. Passed away peacefully 15 January 2025, aged 71 years, at Maryvale Private Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.

Beloved and devoted husband of Margaret for 50 wonderful years.

Adored father of Brian, Scott, and Glenn (dec.) and cherished father-inlaw of Jane and Jen.

Treasured Pa of William, Ava, Isaac, Ellie, Myles, Charlise, Millie, and stepPa of Brylie and Shayla.

Belov ed brother of Robert, John, Michael, and Christopher (dec.).

Eldest son of Ann and Steve Lovison and muchloved son-in-law of Dot Richardson.

David and Margaret shared abeautiful life together, raising their family and facing life's challenges, including David's 19-year battle with Parkinson's disease, with strength and love.

"You will always be there for everyone. Iwill love and miss you always. Margaret"

MAINWARRING (formerly Chitty), (nee Van der Pol), Jennifer Shirley. Passed away peacefully in Hervey Bay, Qld, on Tuesday, 14 January 2025.

Aged 64 years

Loved and loving wife of Ian.

Loved and adored mother and mother-in-law of Arleah and Ashleigh, Zakariah and Julia, Chantelle and Tyler James.

Cherished grandmother (Mimi) of Theodore.

Loved daughter of Nichlaas and Clazina (Teena) Van der Pol (both dec.).

Loved youngest sister of Johanna and Elizabeth.

Sister-in-law, aunt and friend to many.

Loved byall

You will be in our thoughts every day. We will love and miss you always

MAINWARRING-CHITTY, (nee Van der Pol), Jenni. Passed away in Harvey Bay Qld 14/1/2025. Loved daughter of Niek and Teena Van der Pol (both dec.). Sister of Johanna Rough and Elizabeth Harris, sister-in-law of Norman and Andrew. Loved aunt and great aunt.

MILLER, Thomas Clive. 1928 -2025. Son of Clive and Vera Miller, Bentleigh. Brother of Jack and Gwyn.

Uncle of Kevin and Davina, Alle na nd Sally Ann, Christine and Thys and Jenny and Garry. Ajourney well spent

RAYMOND, Beris Myra. 22/1/1932 -2/1/2025. Aged 92 years Beloved wife of Terrence James Raymond (dec.). Loved mother of Danny, Michael, Terry, and Chris and their partners. Treasured grandmother and great-grandmother.

AGraveside Service will be held on THURSDAY (23 January 2025) commencing at 10.30am, at Clarence Lawn Cemetery, 704 Armidale Road, South Grafton NSW 2460. Riverview Funerals Grafton (02) 6642 4406

SEWELL, Sally. 28/5/1958 -15/1/2025. Passed away after ashort battle with cancer. Much loved wife of 40 years to Bruce. Devoted mother to Laura and Louisa. Mother-in-law to Cameron and Dan.

Special Grammy Sally to Harry.

Daughter of Geoffrey and Beryl Sewell (both dec). Sister to Phillip, David (dec.), Lisa and Christine.

Dearly loved by family and friends

WELLS, Ian Charles. 20/12/1954 -18/01/2025

My beautiful husband, my big E, Ilove you today, Iwill love you forever, Kat XX

Loved and missed by your most loving daughter Hali, Brendan and your gorgeous grandsons Oliver and Archer.

Loved and missed by your new sons, Conor, Aidan and Darcy. For service details, please visit: latrobevalley funerals.com.au

WELLS, Ian. All members of the Moe/ Newborough Keen-Agers Tennis Club Inc. are saddened by the tragic accident that took the life of Ian. He will be sadly missed. Deepest sympathy to his family.

HAYES. The Funeral Service for Peter and Connie Hayes will be held at the Rose Chapel, Gippsland Memorial Park Crematorium, Cemetery Rd Traralgon, THURSDAY (23 January 2025) commencing at 1.30pm.

LINDSAY. The Funeral of Mrs Gwen Lindsay will be held at the Gippsland Memorial Park Crematori um Chapel, Cemetery Dr. Traralgon TUESDAY (28th January, 2025) commencing at 1pm. This service will be livestreamed. Please visit our web site for details: www.latrobevalley funerals.com.au

MOE-MORWELL-TRARALGON TRARALGON 5174 2258 Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

LOVISON. The funeral service for Mr David Steven Lovison will be held at Latrobe Valley Funeral Services Chapel, 6Ollerton Avenue Moe Friday 24th January, 2025, commencing at 1.30pm The funeral will leave at the conclusion of the service for the Yallourn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to Parkinsons Victoria would be appreciated. David's service will also be live streamed. To view the live str eam pleas ev isit : latrobevalley funerals.com.au and click on livestreaming.

MOE-MORWELL-TRARALGON MOE 5126 1111

Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

MAINWARRING.

AMemorial Service to celebrate the life of Mrs Jennifer Shirley Mainwarring will be held in the Latrobe Valley Funeral Services Morwell Chapel, 437A Princes Drive, Morwell on SATURDAY (1 February 2025) commencing at 2pm. Jennifer's Service will also be livestreamed. To view the livestream visit: latrobevalley funerals.com.au

MOE-MORWELL-TRARALGON MORWELL 5134 4937 Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

SEWELL. The Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Sally Sewell will be held at the Nielsen Funeral Chapel, Korumburra Rd, Warragul on WEDNESDAY (22 January 2025) at 10.30am. The Service will also be livestreamed. To view Sally's Service please visit: www.nielsenfunerals.com.au

Privately Cremated

BRADSHAW, Peter. 23/1/2015.

It's been 10 years since you left us, each day is still as hard as the first. We know you are with us as we see you on the wings on your eagle. Forever in our hearts, Love Debbie and Gary. Dad, 10 years means; 10 birthdays, 10 Christmases, 10 father's days without you. 10 years of abroken heart that can never heal. Not able to make new memories, but we will forever cherish the memories we made. We speak of you often, so everyone can know what an amazing Dad and poppy you were and no doubt you would have been an amazing great poppy. Love and miss you every single day, Stacie, Jezika, Charlee-K, Steele, Rebekah and Tyson and your beautiful greatgranddaughter, Emily.

DOWNES, Ian. 11/9/1947 -23/1/2023.

Two years have passed since we lost you, and yet the love and memories we hold in our hearts remain as vivid as ever. Though time has moved forward, your absence is deeply felt every day. We find comfort in knowing that your love surrounds us, and your presence remains in the things we cherish most. Forever loved, forever missed, and neverforgotten Your loving family.

JAMES, David Wayne. 26/1/1966 -4/8/2016. Abig piece of my heart lives in heaven with you, David. Happy birthday on Australia Day. Your loving Mum, Paul and your siblings, Joanne and Andrew XX

PEARCE, Riley (Chop).

27/3/2003 -24/1/2021

Lots of stories and laughter we share of our Chop! Love and prayers always, the Walsh families.

SIMMONS, Corey. 17/4/1985 -15/1/2013.

Corka, you were awinner in our eyes, scoring gold in the 'sport' of storytelling and dreaming. Your zest for life was infectious and everyone talks about your sense of humour and pranks. Remember how you had to make awish at school and yours was for apacket of Tim Tams that never ran out! We miss you more than you could ever know. I'm sure you look out for your little nephews Charlie (your double) and Angus. What alegend, gone way too young All our love forever Mum, Dad, Emma, Des and the boys.

Respectful, dignified,simple and affordable FuneralsMoe, Morwell and Traralgon FuneralServices at the Rose Chapel, Church and Graveside -a specialty

Family owned and locally based Funeral Directors

We bring 35 yearsexperience to familiesin Traralgon, Morwell, Churchill, Moe, Trafalgar, Korumburraand surrounding areas. THE CHOICE IS YOURS Practical, sensible and affordable. We offerboth at-need and pre-paid funerals. All female funeralsare available. Dignityand respect ,always CREMATION PACKAGES FROM $3300

www.h arwood fun erals.c om.a u For24/7 support 0405 669 532

When you lose someone close to you, it can be hard to put your thoughts and feelings into words All notices placed in print also go in our digital edition Place yourpersonal message in the LatrobeValley Express and share your memories Forfriendly advice on how to place your message contact

MATHESON, Carol. Thinking of you not only today, your 52nd Birthday, but every day.

BOUNDS, John. 19/1/2022. We think about you always, we talk about you still, You have never been forgotten and never will. Love you always Your wife Vicky.

BROWN, Catherine. The family of the late Catherine Brown would like to thank everyone for their kind words and thoughts. Special thanks to the Yinnar Bowling Club and Mitchell House for your care.

John Galbraith

Galbraith-Evans

Siddle signs on, Stars to play finals

Going again: PeterSiddle signedaone-year extension with Melbourne Starslast Sunday. The news meanshewill still be playing professionalcricketatage 41

Photograph: James Ross/AAP

CRICKET

BBL EXPORTS BY TOM HAYES

MORWELL’SPeter Siddlehas made aU-turn on his retirementplans, inking anew one-year extension with the Melbourne Stars.

The announcement was made hours before the Stars’all-importantBig Bash League fixture against Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday, needing to win for afinals berth.

Against all odds at the MCG, the Stars knocked off the top-of-the-table Hurricanes, recording their fifth-straight win of the season, after starting the campaign 0-5.

After being thrown into the crease by Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis, the Stars were on song from theget-go

Despite losing acouple of wickets in the first five-or-so overs, their run rate remained steady with hopes of abig total still possible.

Once the opening pair of Sam Harper (23 runs) and Thomas Rogers (nine) were dismissed, Beau Webster and Marcus Stoinis kept the runsflowing. Stoinis raced to 32 from 19 balls before his dismissal, which brought GlennMaxwell to the crease. Maxwell came into the match in blistering form, scoring 90 from 52 deliveries in the Stars’ previous match.

Webster and Maxwell added 70 runs in afiveover period, which boosted the Stars’ hopes, before Webster was caught shortly after bringing up his half-century.

Maxwellcontinued to press on as the Stars reached amassive total of 5/219from their 20-over allotment.

Maxwell went on to score another 76 from 32 balls, including five fours and six sixes.

Needing to put the pressure on the Hurricanes right away, the Stars lived up to the hype, picking up two wicketsinthe secondover, bowled by Mark Steketee,toset the tone.

Although wickets were falling, the Hurricanes weren’t going down without afight, as other Hurricanes’ opener Mitchell Owen pushed more and more across the boundary.

Steketee claimed his third during his second over, with the score reading 3/45 at that time, at the start of the fourth over. Owen would have to walkjusttwo overs later, after making 38 runs which included six boundaries.

At this stagethe Hurricanes began to look shaky with only six wickets left in the sheds, 166 runs to chase, and still around 15 overs remaining.

Nikhil Chaudhary and Matthew Wade steadied the Hurricanes’ innings with admirable knocks in the 20s each,asdid Tim David who replaced Wade in the 10th over.

Regardless of their efforts, the Hurricanes still

fell short, needing 120 to win from 57 balls with just four wickets remaining after Chaudhary was dismissed.

Avaliant effort was made by Ellis,who smashed 40 from 22 balls at number 10, but the total was well out of reach before his wicketended the innings.

The Starsgot home by 40 runs in the end, qualifying for the finals forthe firsttimesince the 2019/20 BBL season where they finished first on the ladder for the second time, but finished the season runner-up for athird time Siddle struggledwith the ball, recording figures of 0/44 from just three overs, going for as much as 21 runs in his first over.

Despite this outing, Siddle finished the regular season withthe second-mostwicketsfor the Stars. Qualifyingfor the BBL finalswerethe Hurricanes (first) and Sydney Sixers (second),who faced off in theQualifier on Tuesday, January 21. The winner progresses straight into the Final. Results were unknown at the time of print.

The Stars,who finishedfourth, are tasked with Sydney Thunderinthe Knockout tonight (Wednesday, January 22). The winner of this fixture plays the loser of the Qualifier in the Challenger. The winner of the ChallengeronFriday, January 24 will be the second team in the Final, which is set for Monday, January 27.

Harriers take on five-kilometre bike course

Glengarry Rail Trail course starting from the old Glengarry Station.

To find out more, visit: traralgonharriers.org. au, or visit the Harriers Facebook page: Traralgon Harriers Athletics Club.

LAST week’s (Thursday, January 16) Harriers Thursdaynight run was along the Traralgon to Morwell Bike Path, starting from the Traralgon Lutheran Church.

Agreat turnout saw atotal of 77 runners take part in perfect conditions.

The five kilometre course is apleasant run along atree linedgravel surface, with the turnaround point at Airfield Road. The course is surprisingly undulating with atotal ascent of 44 metres.

Great running by Miles Verschuur saw him first home in avery impressive time of 19:51, with Andrew Greenhill next in 19:55 followed by Ian Cornthwaite (20:05).

Great running by new member Rachel O’Brien saw her first lady home in 22:57, followed by Yani Cornthwaite (23:11) and Kylie Murray (24:26). With the warmer weather upon us it’s agreat time to have arun

Prospective members will find the club welcoming and inclusive, and the club invites interested runners to join on afew Thursday nights to have a(free trial) run or walk.

Next Thursdaynight’s run (23/01/25) is the

Full race results(16/01/25): Miles Verschuur 19:51, Andrew Greenhill19:55, Ian Cornthwaite 20:05, DempseyPodmore20:23, Damien Rober tson 21:20, David Barr 21:25, Glenn Graham 22:24, Trent Kooyman 22:27,Clinton Jolly22:27, Rachel Obrien 22:57,JohnnyRoscoe 23:00, Yani Cornthwaite23:11, Adrian Sutcliffe 23:12, Warren Shields 23:57,Jason Odlum 24:07,Geoffrey Francis 24:09, Chris VanUnen 24:19, ScottSyme 24:21, Adam Riddle 24:24, Kylie Murray 24:26, RonVerschuur 24:29, Andrew Broberg24:34, KarenGraham 24:58, GaryFox 25:09, Belkey Podmore25:18, PeterSanders25:29,Stephen Renehan 25:41, Dave Mann 25:41, NickWang 26:03, David Hood 26:03, Andrew Panayiotou 26:23, SavMavrofridis 27:11, Samantha Riddle 27:43, Giuseppe Marino 27:46, Rebecca Anderson 28:06, Toby Grzmil 28:42, Liz Kenney28:48, Emma Marino 28:54, MarkLansdown 28:55, Lee Graham 28:57,MariekaReilly30:00,DesleyGray

30:20, CatherineLeonard 31:49, Adam vanbaalen 32:18, Phillip Mayer32:22,Ben Wilkinson 32:39, TaniaWhitehead 33:48, Angeline Snell 34:15,

Callie Cook 34:49, Mandy Ellis 35:20, ReeGraham 35:36, Ian Heafield 39:09, Ann Bomers39:50, Cassidy Francis 40:15, Alfie Warner 41:13, Barry Higgins 42:23, KatKent43:25, Danelle Wright 44:24, Andrew Legge 45:00, Amelie Dalton 45:22, Kristina Creighton 46:46, TimothyGraham 47:00, LukeWitham 47:11, Des Dalton 48:41, PeterGrixti

49:00, Darrel Cross 49:38, KyleeEarl54:05, Kaye Livingstone 54:38, Helen Whitby 54:38, Belinda Heafield 54:38, Nicky Semmler 54:47,Sarah Mckie 54:57, NickHodson 55:05, MarkFairbairnNTR, PeterFairbairnNTR,Megan ScottNTR, Paul Smith NTR.

Youngsters shine at Country Championships

JUNIOR COUNTRYCHAMPIONSHIP

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

THE AustraliaCountry Junior Basketball Cup (ACJBC) came and went last week, with arange of local young guns hitting the court.

Hosted in Albury-Wodonga, junior players from across the country arrived with upwards of 60 teams and 700 players acrossthe week-long annual event.

While the tournament features some of the best basketballersineach of the fourage groups in both boys and girls, its primary purpose is to develop this next generation into confident and hopefully formidable senior players.

ATraralgoncontingentofKelseyReed (Under 14 Girls) Fletcher Adams (U16Boys) and Will Hamilton (U18 Boys)all represented Victoria Country in its Bushrangers outfit.

Morwell was also representedstrongly,with under 16 girls Marley Alimpic, Olvia Ouchirenko (both Bushrangers) and Virginia Daley (Goldminers) holding their own.

Long-time Latrobe Valley basketball constituentGailMacfarlane wasalsocoach for theU14 GirlsGoldminers, which featured Moe’s Payton Buhagiar while Seth Fozard(also Moe) wason the Goldminers Under 16 boys squad.

Traralgon hadvictors in three grades across the boys and girlsdivisions with Reed, Adams and Hamilton featuring on eachofthe winning Bushrangers squads.

The U14 Girls Bushrangers defeated rival Victoria Country Goldminers in the semi-final by anarrow six points after going undefeated in all prior rounds before taking the big one comfortably over New South Wales Waratahs by 17 points.

Ada ms was pro mine nt for the U1 6B oy s Bushrangers, compiling 37 points across competition as they went on to win the Grand Final over the Goldminers by 22 points.

Local phenomenon Hamiltonbeganimpressively in the under 18s with multiple double digit performances,before sustaininganinjury that kept him out of the Bushrangers next two games through the finals series.

However, Hamilton returned for the Grand Final

where his team trampled the Goldminers by 15 points and was again afactor with 10 points in the decider.

 OVERLAPPING the ACJBC was the Southern Cross Challenge held at the State Basketball Centre, which additionally gives elite juniors the opportunity in development squads.

Victoria, New South Wales,South Australiaand Western Australia each enter country and metro

teams, while ACT competes with asingular side. Traralgon hadthree representativesinGoy Deng (U14 Boys Bushrangers), Will Jones (U15 Boys Goldminers) and Jack Scurrah (U15Boys Bushrangers), whileMorwell’s Aaliyah Judilla featured for the U15 Girls Bushrangers.

The Southern Cross Challenge ran from Friday, January 17 to Monday, January 20 -with final results playing out after the Express’deadline.

Active: HappyHarriersenjoying their run.

Photograph supplied

Pass: Morwell’sOlivia Ouchirenk in action at the championships

Photographs: Tony Long

Champs: Traralgon’s Fletcher Adams(left) with the Under 16sBoystrophyfromthe Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup.

Options: Moe’s Seth Fozardassesses his next move

Warr earnstop-10 selection in Over 30s

TABLE TENNIS

By KATRINA BRANDON

TABLETennis Victoria's top 10 rankingsfor 2024 are out, and Traralgon Table Tennis player

Stephen(Steve) Warr has taken one of the top spots in his age group.

In the Over 30s Men's Singles, Warr is number nine, beating out Coburg and Sunshine and District Table Tennis Association's Mark DGlynn

While hitting it up in the big leagues, Warr visits the TraralgonTable Tennis Association to play in the senior pennantcontinuingtochallenge Section 1.

According to the Table Tennis Victoria website, an athlete cannot be rankedunless they satisfy the eligibility requirements for selectioninthe state team (or where such requirements have been waived by the board of Table Tennis Victoria) for the relevant playing category.

Whilecurrently there are no other local table tennis players on the 2024 list, local players are continuing to improve.

Examples of local strength and determination will be shown later in the year at the Victorian Table Tennis Championships (on April 5and 6) and the Victorian Country Table Tennis Championships (during the King's Birthday weekend) held at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium.

Local: Traininghas paid offfor Traralgon Table TennisAssociation playerStephen Warr,who hasclimbedintothe top10onthe TableTennis Victoria’sOver30s Singles rankings Photograph: Katrina Brandon

Golf croquet tournament goes down to the wire

CROQUET

LATROBE Valley players had success at Sale Croquet Club’s annual golf croquet singles tournament at the weekend.

ShaneDownie (Traralgon) won ahotlycontested Section 1for the second time by the narrowest of margins.

He wonsix games, the same as runner-up John Carr (Mornington), but had aone hoop advantage on countback.

Just behind them on five wins were three players, Paul Manwaring, from RyeBlairgowrie, three-time Sale winner Richard Parks (Williamstown) and Clare Keating (Williamstown).

Manwaring was on track to win the section, butinthe final game of the tournament, lostin an upsettoMorwell's Penny Morrison-McGill.

After accepting histrophy,Downiewho is current statecaptain, announcedthat Sale was his final singles tournament.

In Section 2, Graeme Bennett (Bairnsdale) won with seven winsfromrunner-up Bob Quayle (Drouin) and Mike Butterfield(Wonthaggi), with five wins.

Section3was won by KevinYoung (Morwell), with sevenwinsfromrunner-up Mick Crawford

Victory: Sale CroquetClubgolfcroquet singles tournament winners KevinYoung, from Morwell, Graeme Bennett (Bairnsdale), and ShaneDownie(Traralgon) displaying their miniaturemallets Photograph supplied

(Drouin), Lynette Taylor (Traralgon) and Sue Downie (Traralgon) all on five wins.

Winners were awarded covetedminiature croquet mallets made by Sale player Norm Hyde, as well as the normalcash prizes awarded to them and runners-up.

Morwell Club knock over league leaders in Midweek Pennant

BOWLS STRZELECKI NORTH

MIDWEEK PENNANT BY

MICHAEL HOLROYD

MIDWEEK pennant bowls resumed on Tuesday, January 14 after the Christmas break.

In Division 1, Traralgon, with only the rink of Kathy Smiles, Dick Glossop, Rosie Lorenzand ShanePriestley up by 31 shots, defeated near neighbour Traralgon RSL by five shots.

In aclose game at MorwellClub, the home team had aone-shot win over ladder leaders Trafalgar, with the best home rink David Broadbent along with Jo Leslie, Leanne

ATHLETICS

GIPPSLAND

Round 11 of Gippsland Athletics Club trackand field season washeld Tuesday 14th January 2025.

ROUND 11 RESULTS:

200M

Women: U/14–Brooklyn Wyatt 31.75; U/16–Zaria Dalton 26.63

Men: Open –JackDoderico 23.20, Aaron Saltmarsh-Milne 25.59, Cameron Hughes 27.07; Masters–Jude Fernando 28.43 HIGH JUMP

Women: U/18–Michaella Rosato1.50

Men: Open –Cameron Hughes 1.45

DISCUS

Women: U/14–Brooklyn Wyatt 27.56; U16 –Zaria Dalton 17.02; Open –Brandy Forget 25.50; Masters–Fiona Saltmarsh15.79

Men: Open –Aaron Saltmarsh-Milne 31.32, Cameron Hughes N.T;Masters–Wayne Seear27.40, StuartDalton 26.41 1500M

Men: Open -JackDoderico 4:58.45, Cameron Hughes 6:01.72

SHOTPUT

Women: U/14–Brooklyn Wyatt 7.35; U16 –Zaria Dalton 7.05; Open –Brandy Forget 6.74; Masters–Fiona Saltmarsh7.93

Men: Open –Aaron Saltmarsh-Milne 8.56, Cameron Hughes 8.01; Masters–Stuart Dalton 8.55, Wayne Seear 6.93

100M

Women: U/14–Brooklyn Wyatt 14.75; U16–Zaria Dalton 12.63

Men: Open –Aaron Saltmarsh-Milne 11.88; Masters–Wayne Seear 17.16

Round 12 is Tuesday 21st January, 6pm at the Joe Carmody Track, Newborough Events: 800m, Hammer,Triple Jump, 2000m/2000m Walk,Shot Put, 100m GOLF

CHURCHILL &MONASH

ParSaturday11th January 2025.

Broadbent and Beryl Noblett winning their rinkbythreeshots.

Newborough won all three rinks against Warragul. Sheryl Atkinson and her rink of Maureen Leighton, ScottJones and Alan Ryan won by 12 shots.

Drouin hadagood win at home against Moe, withDennis Throup and his rinkofElaineThorpe, Dini Hone and Denise Hamilton winning 26-11.

 IN Division 2, Newborough (2) won all three rinks at Trafalgar (2), with Julie Jackson and her rink of Colin Croot, Carmel Goss and Jeff Wetzel winning 22-13.

Drouin (2) won all rinks at Morwell Club (2), with Col Jeffrey and his rink of Lyn Jeffrey, Mary Andrews and Andre de Waele winning 22-8.

AGrade Winner: Adam West +5

BGrade Winner: C. Waring +3

CGrade Winner: P. Flanigan +6

DGrade Winner: B. Rowley+6

DTL: 1. D. Burridge +5, 2. R. Sands +5, 3. P. Kearns +4, 4. M. Hutchison +4 5. R. King +3, 6. J. Jeffrey +3, 7. W. Sutton+3, 8.

S. Martinac +3,9.L.Chessum +3, 10.C Thompson +3.

N.T.P: 3rdR.Sands (Pro Pin), 5th D. Ellwood, 12th D. Byers, 14th R. Sands

Target Hole: M. Smith Birdies: 3rdP.Kearns,5th G. Corponi, 12th

D. Byers, I. Fortune

StablefordTuesday14th January2025. Winner: L. Brent 38pts

DTL: 1. C. Barnes 37,2.I.Heppleston

N.T.P: 3rdM.Soppe,5th V. Reid, 12th M. Soppe, 14th L. Brent

MIRBOO NORTH

Tuesday14th January Stableford.

AGrade: CHogbin (12) 40pts

BGrade: SBeitz (18) 38pts

DTL: PWoodall39, MPayne,NBaker,A Collins38. NTP: 4th CHogbin 6th PWoodall, 13th A Collins16th WGervasi. Birdies,4th CHogbin, 16th WGervasi.

Saturday18th January,Stableford.

AGrade: PSmart,(9) 39pts

BGrade: Jcoleman (15) 35pts c/b

DTL: DJerram, GShandley, SWoodall35, SHill-Smith, TomTraill34c/b NTP: 4th JColeman, 6th PSmart, 13th B Bradshaw 16th SHill-Smith. Birdies: 6th RJenkins,N Whichello

Tuesday7th Janruary Stableford

AGrade: RFelmingham (8) 38pts

BGrade: JSands (16) 41pts,

CGrade: RThompson (25) 40pts

DTL: DJerram ,S mcKenzie 40, SWoodall, Aliebe38, SBeitz 37 c/b

NTP: 4th MWoodall, 6th DJerram 13th A

Liebe, 16th DChessum

Birdies: 4th SWoodall, 6th DJerram R Felmingham

Saturday11th January Stableford

—The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 22 January, 2025

Traralgon (2) only hadthe rink of May Cross together withElaine Swan, JanisKirbyand Barry Roscholler up 32-14 as they defeated Morwell by four shots.

Yinnar had anarrow two-shot win at home over NeerimDistrictdespite the visiting rink of Pat Fraser-Aurisch together with TerryGriffin, Gerry Englestadand John Rochford winning 23-12.

 DIVISION 3 had Morwell (2) winning at Traralgon against Yarragon, with Jill White and her rink of Lou Edge, Denise Pigdon and Palma McNeill winning 23-11.

Traralgon (3) won by 14 shots againstDrouin (3) with Bill Bishop and his rink of Nadia Cornick, Robert Mabiliaand MikReynolds winning 30-8 despite Margaret Owens winning 29-10 for Drouin.

SCOREBOARD

AGrade: MSnell (7) 41pts

BGrade: SMills (12) 34pts

CGrade: NBracecamp (19) 37pts

DTL: JWoodall40, PSmart39, SBickerton

37,R Jenkins,SBeitz 36 c/b NTP: 4th JWoodall 6th SWoodall, 13th B

Bradshaw, 16th TomTraill Birdies: 4th JWoodall, GRenwick, 6th N Bracecamp,N Rutledge,13th BBradshaw, 16th SBickerton

MOE

Sunday, 12 January 2025 OPEN Sunday9 hole Stableford

Grade AWinners: Shaw, Karen(21) 21 Place Getters: Gooding,Colin 20

Sunday, 12 January 2025 OPEN Sunday

Medley

Grade AWinners:Spence,Dylan (1) 39 C/B

Grade BWinners: Mead, Barry(18)39

Place Getters: O'Mara, Paul 39 C/B Heafield, Aaron 39

Wednesday, 15 January 2025 Twilight

Stableford

Winner: A. Bassman 19

Thursday, 16 January 2025 OPEN Medley

Stableford

Grade AWinners: Wilson, Graeme (9) 39

Grade BWinners: Eastaway,Karl(11)37

C/B

Grade CWinners: Beveridge,Thomas (16) 39

Grade DWinners: Matheson, David (21)

38 C/B

Place Getters: De Virgilio,Anthony38 Ray, Michael 37 C/B Cunningham, Steve

37 C/B Stanlake, Peter37Hibbs,Steven36 Wallis,Elizabeth 36 C/B Jenkins,Brian 36

C/B Shaw, Karen36C/B Condon, Jeff 36

C/B Tsebelis,Peter 36 C/B Cropley, Mike 36

C/B Veenman, Laurie 36 Sleswick, Paddy

35 C/B Jenkins,Andrew 35 C/B Winters, Jamie 35 Great Score:Tony Johnson (Eagle) @3 RobKing (Birdie) @4 Dave Boad (Birdie) @14Phil Backman (Birdie) @14

Michael Ray(Birdie)@14AnthonyGauci (Birdie) @4 Rohan Berkhout (Birdie) @14

AnthonyColvin (Birdie) @8 Paddy Sleswick (Birdie) @8 AnthonyGauci (Birdie) @8

Newborough (3) despite only having one rink up, defeated Churchill at home as Iain Preston and his rink of Kevin Myrteza, Michael Weatheralland Heather Mooney won 26-11.

 IN Division 4, Traralgon RSL (2), with Ron Osler winning 31-6 and Godon Bayley 31-7 had amassive win at home against Morwell (3). Longwarry defeated Warragul (2) by three shots and Garfield defeated Moe (2) by 21 shots.

Division 5saw somebig wins, with Yallourn North defeating Trafalgar (3) by 27 shots, Newborough (4) defeated Drouin (4) by 12 shots and Traralgon (4) defeated Yinnar (2) by 29 shots.

In Division 6, Warragul (3) defeated Morwell (4), Traralgon RSL (3) defeated Traralgon (5) and Neerim District (2) defeated Churchill (2).

KarenShaw(Birdie) @4 Thomas Beveridge (Birdie) @14 Nearest to Pin: 4th RobKing 8th KarenShaw 14th Thomas Beveridge

Saturday, 18 January 2025 MENS RED TEE

Stableford

Grade AWinners:Geisler,Graham (6) 37

Grade BWinners: Keenan, Peter(12)43

Grade CWinners: Scullin, Aaron (21) 36 C/B

Place Getters: Harland, Bob 38 Boyce, John 37 Thomson, Bruce 36 C/B Borg, Manny 36 Hancock, Chris 35 C/B Wilson, Graeme 35 Wilson, Robert35C/B Wilkinson, Wally35Brien, Kevin 34 C/B Buckman, Peter34C/B Great Score:Tony Johnson (Eagle) @3 Andrew Pickard (Eagle)@12Graham Geisler (Birdie) @4 Paul Spiteri(Birdie) @ 8Peter Grant (Birdie) @4 John Harber (Birdie) @14Peter Buckman (Birdie) @8 AndrewPickard (Birdie) @8 Nearest to Pin: 4th PeterGrant 8th PeterBuckman 14th Bruce Savige

Saturday,18January 2025 WOMEN'S SATURDAY Stableford

GradeA Winners: Donaldson, Leanne (21) 36 C/B

Sunday, 19 January 2025 TopDog

Winner: Tony Johnson

TRAFALGAR

Tuesday 14/01/2025 -Stableford

Winner: Chris Moody (23)

Runner Up: PeterGriffin (19c/b)

DTL: Wayne Dunn (19), Anthony Cunningham (19), Al Gray (19), GeoffFallon (19), MickBennett(19)

NTP: Wayne Dunn (5)

Thursday:16/01/2025 -Strokeand Putting

Women’s Winner: Cheryl Toyne (30 nett)

Runner Up: KarenMacGregor (33 c/b)

DTL: Cheryl Deppeler (33), Olwyn Balfour (34), Sue Klemke(34), SandraBalfour (34)

Putting: Cheryl Toyne,Karen MacGregor

Cheryl Deppeler,Sue Klemke(14)

NTP: Sue Klemke(13)

Men’s Winner: SteveGould (31 nett)

Runner Up: PatO'Connell (32 c/b)

DTL: RodBrisbane (32), MickBennett(33), Chris Griffin(34), RichardGould (35), David Rose (35), Vic Hill (35), RobCusworthWarner (35)

Putting: GlennDoolan (13)

NTP: -(13)

Friday,January 17th 2024,Open Men’s& Ladies Stableford

AGrade Winner: Kevin Ayton41pts

BGrade Winner: Dane Ellwood 39 pts

CGrade Winner: Chris Moody 35 pts

Women Winner: Angela Bayley39pts

DTL's: Noel Cornish 40, Dwayne Jenkins 37,RyanMortimer 37,Patty McGrath 36, PeterBurghardt 36, Bill Williams 36, Peter Heathcote36, JamieWinters35, Zac Brown 34, GarryJansen 34, James Pryde34C/B Birdies: 2nd: KaiMcDonald 5th: Shane Woodall, James Pryde, Max Woodall, Kevin Ayton11th: Paul Woodall, Ross Borland, Noel Cornish, Tony Bickley13th: Peter Burghardt, KaiMcDonald, Paul Woodall 15th:Uwe Tomski, RowWhatmough, JamieWinters, SteveMcDonald, Anthony Schembri

Saturday, January18th 2024, Stableford

AGrade Winner: Stu Marriott35pts

BGrade Winner: KenStreet 37 pts nett

CGrade Winner: RonPyke40 pts

DTL’s: Chris Moody 38, Akos Kerekes38, PeterGriffin 36, Russ Balfour 36, Brian Fox 36, Phil James35, RobCusworth-Warner 35, Di Moody 35, RonDavey 34, Tony Bickley34 C/B

NTP’s: 2nd: Hank Fiddelaers5th:Tony Bickley11th: ParisChristian

Wind and swing as bowls resumes

BOWLS SATURDAYPENNANT

STRZELECKI NORTH

BY MICHAEL HOLROYD

ROUND 11 of weekend pennant was played in windy weather, making bowling quite tricky as the gusts blew in for the first round after the Christmas break.

In Division 1, results were the opposite of their earlier meetings in the season.Drouin travelled to Longwarry for anight match on Friday, and the home team won by 29 shots.

Ian Petersonand his rink of Grant Pask, Natalie Cousin and Trevor Kitchin won 30 to 7. Glenn Pask won 27-14,and for the visitors, SteveBarrwon 19-18 and Graeme Aubrey 23-17.

Newborough had abig winathome over Morwell, winning by 27 shots, with Kevin Lovett and his rink of Tony Knipping, Steve Gibcus and Jo-Anne Michaels winning 26-11.Ryan Marstonwon 23-12, SherylAtkinson 23-22and Scott Jones drew 15-all with Kevin Pigdon.

Warragul came home from Traralgon RSL with athrilling one shot victory, with BillClappersand hisrink of Bruce Thompson, Russell Carrick and Pat Hammond winning 28-20. Robert Renn won 24-22 and for the home team, Ross Sizeland won 21-13 and Dave Hodson 18-17.

Trafalgar won at home by nine shots against Traralgon, with Nathan Cook and his rink of Peter Rosenboom, Wayne Hurst and David Cook winning 19-12.ChrisBortignon won 20-16 and Matt Schreyer 18-17 and for the visitors,Matt Ferrari won 19-16.

 DIVISION 2

MORWELL Club had a25-shot win at home against the previously unbeaten Moe.

Tara Harle and her rink of Jo Leslie, Vaughan Reimers and Roger Rejmer won 33-13.

Traralgon (2) was the only team in the top three divisions to have arepeat win, with their threeshot victory at Thorpdale seeing Trevor James and his rink of Dick Glossop,CaryLocke and Greg McRonald winning32-15.KevinEnguell won 23-16. For the home team, Graeme Edwards won 31-16 and David Ferguson 25-19.

Neerim District had amassive 70-shot victory at home against TraralgonRSL (2), with PeterThroup

and his rink of Ray Throup, Terry Griffin and Pat Fraser-Aurisch winning33-10. Neil Adams won 29-11, Peter Brooks 28-11 and to make it aclean sweep, Shane Hogan won 23-11.

Garfield and Traralgon (3) drew 70 shots all at Traralgon.

 DIVISION 3

YINNARupset ladder leadersBoolarrawitha 13-shot win, with Tim Roche and his rink of Francis Cassar, Peter Bramley and Gavin Osborne winning 28-16.

Moe (2) turned the tables on Morwell (2) with awin. Ian Caines and his rink of Joseph Balzan, Emanuel Vassallo and John Woods won 26-11. Newborough(3) won all fourrinksathome against Trafalgar (2) with Ed Whelan and hisrink of Stuart Gemmill, Heather Mooney and Michael Weatherall winning 33-11.

Drouin (2) had athree shot win over Newborough (3) despite Robbert Cook and his rink of Graham

Smith,Phil Marstonand Barry Daley winning 32-11 for the visitors.

DIVISION 4



YARRAGON won by seven shots against Longwarry, with Richard Polmear and his rink of RhettGalley, Gary Green and Kevin Arnold winning 31-10.

Yallourn North, with Rod Dixon and his rink of Michelle Hibbert, Rick Galea and John Smith, won 26-8 against Morwell (3) by five shots.

Traralgon (4) defeated Churchill, with Norbert Schroeter and his rink of RossSmith, Shane Priestley and Barry Roscholler winning28-13. Warragul (2) won all rinks against Neerim District (2), with Paul Simmons and his rink of Brian Kennedy,Linda McCoy and LyndaMorrison winning 24-12.



DIVISION 5

MORWELLClub(2) wonbytwo shotsatBoolarra (2), with Bob Pelchen and his rinkofIyoko

Yoshimura, Anita Woischuk and Margaret McColl winning 31-12.

Traralgon (5) won by two shots againstDrouin (3), with Joyce Hales and her rink of Megan Harrison, Ingrid Snell and Carolyn Roscholler winning 21-15. Garfield (2) had abig winagainst Trafalgar (3), withJasmine O’Shea and her rink of FrankPrins, Trevor Leonard and Leonard Preece winning 31-11. Warragul (3)defeated Morwell (4), withBrent Grigg and his rink of Heather Baker, Adrian Helmuth and Sharon Bull winning 38-11.

Traralgon RSL (3) defeated Yallourn North (2), with Margaret Gibbins and her rink of Don Wight, Eric Warfe and Ross McKenzie winning 35-10.

 DIVISION 6

TRAFALGAR (4) defeated Newborough(4), Traralgon (6) defeated Drouin (4) and Neerim District (3) forfeited to Moe (3). Longwarry (3) had the bye. In Division 7, Moe (4) had abig winagainst Thorpdale (2), Traralgon (7) defeated Churchill (2) and Warragul (4) forfeited to Traralgon RSL (4). 

STATEPLAYOFFS

THEState event playoffs were held on Sunday at Tarwin Lower.

Trafalgar's DCook defeatedMirboo North's Hudson Kerr 25-27 in the Men’s Champion of Champions Singles, while Leongatha's AHackett defeated Boolarra's Joelene Laukenswiththe same score in the ladies.

The men's state fours was won by JScullin, S Chapman, MHiggins (all Traralgon) and CWard (Boolarra), over Longwarry's Ken Towt, TKitchin, KWhite and CCousin 17-8.

The ladies state pairs saw Newborough's S Atkinson andJ Gibcus beat Tarwin Lower'sJ Suttie and Wonthaggi's DSilver 17-13. State mixed pairs waswon by Warragul's DSmith and LThomas over Wonthaggi's FSeaton and J Jeeves 14-12.

Men's state fours saw JScullin (Traralgon) and W McIlwain (Trafalgar)defeat Wonthaggi's FSeaton and MRaman 14-4.

Ladies state fours was won by RDennis (Phillip Island), CDonohue, JJeeves and JPhillips (all Wonthaggi) over LArnold (Newborough), Joelene Laukens (Boolarra), STwite and NCousin (both Longwarry) 20-10.

Familiar name back on the pairs honour board

BOWLS

MOE CLASSIC PAIRS

BY LIAM DURKIN

PRACTICE makes perfect.

Actually, that is not entirely correct- as the great Ron Barassi said: “only perfect practice makes perfect.”

Pakenham’s Neville Brown and Heathmont’s Nick Daweshowcased as closetobowling perfection as possible to win the Moe Bowling Club Classic Pairs title.

The out-of-towners took an early lead in last Friday’s final, and were rarely challenged against Trafalgar’s Ian Miles and Peter Rosenboom.

Despite a6-2 final score, there was certainly no shame for the local pair considering they were up against Brown, currently the Number 1ranked bowler in the state and in the top 10 nationally. While it tookacombined effort with Dawe,Brown demonstrated his class at each end, consistently drawinginch-perfect bowls with precision. He did it his way too, deliveringwith asomewhat

unorthodox action that saw bowls start extremely wide, only to curl back into play dramatically.

The Jasprit Bumrah of lawn bowls perhaps? Brown’s accuracy was exceptional, although not all that unsurprising given he reportedlyenters every single bowls event there is and practices fastidiously.

Even after winning in Moe, Brown was straight in the car on the way to play pennant for his home club that night.

The Trafalgar pair competed honestly, but were undone by finishing quality that often saw their last bowl run long.

If thewinners borrowedfromBarassi,the plight of the losers might well have been summed up by Jack Dyer and one his many ‘Dyerisms’:

“We made too many wrong mistakes”.

Tight margins played some part as well, none more so when Rosenboom lookedtohave drawn perfectly and dissected acluster around the jack, only for his bowl to brush all comers and end up in the ditch.

Frustration was showing by the third end for the Trafalgar duo, who weretrying to keep the Moe

Pairstitle in their clubrooms for the second year running after clubmate Matt Schreyer saluted last year.

Schreyer again paired with Webconnen’s Gary Johnson, but they endued atough run defending their title, failing to progress past sectional play.

Miles and Rosenboom trailed 6-2 at the end of the fourth, and with one end to play, knew avirtual miracle was needed.

Thescoreboard did not change from there. Miles was forced to go for broke and killanend to try and keep the contest alive, but his shot missed, signing the win for Browne and Dawe.

The victorious pair were gracious in victory, saying their early led allowed them to control the match.

“If you get alead you’ve just got to play it smart, bit like chess, you can’t just put them (bowls) there and hope they’ll stay there,” Brown said.

Brown has agreat affinity with Moe, and has now won the club’s classic pairs five times.

The winnerswere also glowing in their praise of the event itself, noting the work of coordinator Sandy Caines.

“Couldn’t speak more highly of the jobSandy does, one of the best going around,” Dawe said. Cainesknows the classicpairs better than anyone, having been involved in all 49 instalments. While next year is sure to be even bigger for the 50-year celebration, the 49th saw afull field of 24 pairs entered.

“Very pleased, everything’s gone off well, good field, good weather, been very good,” Caines said.

“This is our prestige event in Moe, we get alot of good teams here, good players, some top bowlers from all over the place.”

Formal presentations were made in the clubrooms, with Moe Racing Club officials on hand to congratulate winners and place getters.

Theracing club put on complimentary breakfast forplayers, and have been amajor support for the club, with whom it facility neighbours.

Moe Racing Club has its first meeting for 2025 on Australia Day this Sunday.

Spectators were treated to high class bowls, and easy-listening from Roy Orbison playing over the PA, making for aserene Friday afternoon.

Highlight: Threegenerations of Smogavec’s, Michael, Hailee and Rudy played forMoe Bowling Club at the weekend. Photograph supplied

Finalists: Moe BowlingClubClassic Pairsrunners-upIan Miles and PeterRosenboom (from Trafalgar) and winners Neville Brown(Pakenham)and NickDawe(Heathmont).

Photographs: Liam Durkin

Bowls community: Moe BowlingClubPresident, Michael Muccillo,Moe Racing Club Chairman, MikeVanderfeen, event winners Neville Brownand NickDawe, Moe Racing Club Chief Executive, Cass Rendelland Moe Racing Club General Manager Venues,Paul Demaria.

Batsmen sent down snick street

CRICKET

CLVPREMIER A

BY LIAM DURKIN

IN an age where the bat seems to have made bowlers almost nothing more than mechanical deliverers of acricket ball, low scores made for somewhat perplexingreading in Round 10 of CricketLatrobe Valley Premier A.

Justone of the four games sawthe teambatting first post more than three figures, as wickets tumbled across the competition in the penultimate one-day round.

 TOONGABBIE might have just saved themselves from relegation.

The Rams had no trouble defeating CATS, taking just 15.2 overs to do so at Roger Ries Oval.

The home side elected to bowl first, and did it well, with all six bowlers taking wicketstosee CATS rolled for just 87.

Gayashan Munasinghe gavehis side adream start, dismissing key CAT OwenPalmer for a second-ball globe.

The visitorsrecoveredsomewhat,getting to 1/33 before losing 6/30.

Afew players got to double figures, but it was only Tinashe Panyangara with 25 who was able to make much of an impression.

Cricketreallydoes have away of comingfull circle.

This time10yearsago Panyangara was knocking over Hashim Amla in aWorld Cup.

Matt Whitechurch can add Panyangara to his claims to fame, being one his two scalps last Saturday. Whitechurch finished with 2/33, while

Kevin Stoddart (2/7), Sam Moran (2/21) and Matt Barry (2/17) all chipped in.

The Rams had the worst possible start to the reply, with arun out in the first over,but recovered from there to cruise over the line.

Amal Athulathmudali played the situation correctly, smacking 41 off 24 balls with three sixes to ensure CATS were never in the contest.

 MORWELL won their third game in arow.

The Tigers also reversed their earlier season result against Centrals, winning by three wickets on this occasion.

Bowling first at Keegan Street, the home side saw their opponents close at 6/190.

Such atotal appeared some way off after the Lions were reduced to 2/3, but arescue effort from Tye Hourigan(63 off 129), Jaxon Murdoch (58) and JakeLittleton (26)got them somewhere near parity MarkCukier and Tim Ford were multiple wicket takers for Morwell.

Ford was called upon to have similar output with the bat, and guided his side home with an unbeaten 77.

The Tigers were in some danger at 3/31, before an 81-run partnership between Jordan Campbell and Ford took the score to 112.

Campbell,not for the firsttimethis season,had to stabilise the innings, and made 29 off 72 cherries.

Ford has proven to be one of the finds of the last two seasons, seemingly appearing from nowhere to now be arguablyMorwell’s most reliable player

Despite winningwithmore thanfour oversto spare, Centrals will surely be kicking themselves after registering 31 extras.

Tyron Gamage took 2/27, but sentdown an

Marvellous Meredith’sman of the match performance

CRICKET

VETERANS BY GORDON

COWLING

GIPPSLAND Goannas Over 60 cricket team ventured to Mt Evelyn to take on the Ringwood/ Mountain District Over 60s last Sunday.

The Ringwood captain won the toss and batted on the synthetic wicket at the Mt Evelyn Recreation Reserve.

Bernie Symons and Murray Moore openedthe bowling for the Goannas, with Symons striking in his second over.

National Over 70 opening bat, Leigh Hardham, batted wellasNeil Meredith replaced Moore in the eighth over.

Meredith had wickets in his fourth and fifth overs to have Ringwood 3/107 at the20over drinksbreak.

Symons had bowled seven overs for 1/25 and was replaced by Barrie Nunn.

Nunnbowled sixovers for 22, which was economical given the good bats and the synthetic wicket. Meredith took anotherwicket in his finalover

and there was arun outasRingwood was 5/114 after 22 overs.

Meredith finished with3/42 from his eight overs

Moore returned to the attack and was joined by Rino Metlikovec as the Ringwood batsmen hit out to reach 6/160 after 30 overs.

Andy Slevinand Ray Floyd then bowled two overs each as Ringwood reached 9/229 from 40 overs.

The first three Goannas batsmen all retired after facing 30 balls; Metlikovec on 16 and Rob Taylor and Col Carmody both on 24.

The Goannas reached 1/68 in the 15th over and then 4/102 in the 26th, but slumped to 7/147 after 33 overs.

Meanwhile, Player of the Match, Meredith, had made 40 from 46 balls.

The retirees then recycled, with Taylor again retiringfor 40 from 44 balls and Carmody 40 from 48 balls.

The Goannas finished on 7/182 after 39.1 overs, with Metlikovec unable to resume his innings.

The Goannas 60s next play the Australian Cricket Society Over 60s in afortnight.

uncharacteristic seven wides, while Marc Fenech claimed 2/44.

Elsewhere, loyalMorwell player Shane Gnielhad reasontocelebrateatthe weekend,after taking his 400th club wicket.

Afixture in the traditional codes during summer and winter over the years, Gniel has given great service to both clubs within the Keegan Street complex-Morwell Cricket Club and Morwell Football-Netball Club, holding life membership at the latter.



THEY might try and do this one again.

The day/night match between Ex Students and Moe endedbefore thenight component had achance to take effect at Terry Hunter Oval.

Batting first, the Lions were bowled out for just 75 inside 40 overs, which Ex Students chased in 25.

As the Sharks alwaysdo, they hunted as one, and wickets were shared among five bowlers.

Lee Stockdale took 3/15 off 10 overs, along with Adam Brady who nabbed 2/17 off just as many.

Jimmy Pryde took the new ball, and returned figures of 2/14.

Moe sent ahugescare through the Ex Students camp, reducing the Sharks to 4/18.

In reality though, the home side gave anew top order the chancetohavea hit, although when regularnumberfour Jackson McMahonwas trapped in front for ablob, the game was well and truly on.

However,the insurancepolicyofRickBattista then noodled the required runs.

How often has he done it?

Keenan Hughes and Clinton Taylor took apair of wickets each for Moe.

SATURDAY,JANUARY18

Premier B(Round 12): Glengarry6/161 (P Henry51, CDunn35, WKennedy 35,HBroad 3/19, MCooper 2/22) def Toongabbie 160 (M Stoddart62, GWaack-Hawkins 3/26, PHenry 2/16, WKennedy 2/17, JSands 2/27), Ex Students 5/117 (R Johnson 2/28) def Churchill 8/116 (P VanRossum 38, MBentley 3/15, JZappulla2/7), CATS 6/243 (M Anthofer 72*, CBeaver53, RHare39, JMotta 34, J Wus3/46) def Jeeralang-Boolarra 176 (J Brierley 58, BMcCormack 47, JBellingham 5/53, JMotta 2/19), Thorpdale 0/103 (M Graeme 59*, KO’Connell 35*) def Traralgon West 97(CGlynn 53, MPowell 5/10,KO’Connell 2/24, LMorphett 2/26), Morwell240 (R Semmler 91, CSeymour 52, ZCheffers 36, KAnthony4/32,CLePage 2/53) def Mirboo North 115 (C Le Page 51, SGniel 3/28, NDay 2/3, C Bailey 2/15, CSeymour 2/36). BGrade (Round14): Centrals 5/139 (A Slimmon 58*, DRode 44, AMoss3/36)def Imperials 138 (R Williams 34*, LRickwood 29,C Perera 3/12, DDoble 2/27, BOuld2/38), Moe9/115(AWilkes2/16, JCoombs2/19,N Wheildon2/23, PGrima 2/24) tied WillowGrove 115(HPhoenix 32, JCoombs 25, AJohnstone 4/13, JPickering 2/17, BMcCartney 2/20), Latrobe 5/162 (DMcdougall71, IKenney 48)def Gormandale 161 (F White41, PShrubb 32, JScurlock 28, KHebbard4/49, DMcdougall2/7,T Allen 2/39), Raiders 5/129 (R Sidhu 47, ADodd 3/29) def Rovers 127(AVan Zuyden 30, OGrant 29, NSandhu 3/14,J Berryman-Lambert3/25, RWebber 2/20). PremierC (Round 11): Ex Students7/165 (P Hennessy 41, S Thomson35, DBiggins 3/31, SPalmer 2/35) def Moe150 (D Biggins 46, GEdwards 39, JRobertson 5/21, AFerguson 2/25), Mirboo North 7/230 (G Vanderzalm111*, SAnderson 75,S Bonacci 4/27, TMiller-Mowat 2/25) def Glengarry 8/124(J Ponnattu John 51, ADegennaro3/16, DCalder 2/20),Morwell 6/194 (C Monds 40, CJohnson36, RFrancis35, RStanyer29, B Williamson 2/17) defCentrals 9/193 (A Foley54, JPoursanidis

CRICKETLATROBEVALLEY

AAthulathmudali bG Munasinghe 0 NHarrup cD BarrybS Moran. 8 EPorigneaux cG Munasinghe bSMoran.............................................. 18

TDerham lbwM Whitechurch 0 JCochrane cM WhitechurchbK Stoddart. 3 JMooreb KStoddart. .1

(39.2 overs) 87

TOONGABBIE BOWLING

SMoran 10-3-21-2, KStoddart8-3-7-2, MWhitechurch 10-2-33-2, M Barry5-1-17-2,G Munasinghe 5-2-5-1,

RWheildon not out 8

TDunn not out 3 Sundries (0b 3lb 7w 0nb). 10

TOTAL15.2overs). 4/89

CATS BOWLING

JMoore 4-0-16-0, EPass2-0-15-1,

Keegan Street

CENTRALS INNINGS

BWilliamson bT Ford 0

JLittleton bDDay 26

SGrayc MCukier bBBrincat 0

THourigan cB Mills bMCukier 63

JMurdoch bT Ford 58

CPollardc&b MCukier 12 TGamage not out 9

HBerry not out 6 Sundries (4b 11lb 1w0nb) 16 TOTAL (50 overs) 6/190

MORWELL BOWLING

TFord10-3-24-2, DDay 10-0-36-1, FHomyoon 8-0-25-0, BBrincat 6-1-24-1, BClymo 3-0-14-0, MCukier10-0-34-2, TDixon3-0-18-0

MORWELL INNINGS

MCukierlbw MFenech. 13 FHomyoon cB Williamsonb TGamage 9

BClymo lbwM Fenech 0

JCampbell cJMurdoch bT Gamage 29

TFordnot out 77

BMills bHRajapakse 7

BBrincat lbwCPollard..................................................................................

The match had astart time of 3pm, and was intended to be aday/nighter underlights.

 MEET the gap between top and bottom.

Raiders capitulated for just 66 against ladder leaders Glengarry, which the Magpies took just 15.4 overs to finish off.

Just four bowlers were needed for Glengarry, and all shared in the spoils.

Al Jenkin took 3/2, Cam Graham 3/23, Brandon Mayberry 2/9 and Max Merton 2/31.

The Magpies lost afew poles on the run going for the bonus point, but got there in an early finish. Harri McColl and Darryn Stares had some joy, taking three wickets each for Raiders.

Opponents mayhave adegree of sympathyfor the team from Yinnar, who are clearly in atransition period.

The retirements of BradKnowles,Mick Higgins, Tim Darby, Chris Stanlake and Jason McFarlane in the last few seasons has left ahugevoid, with an estimated 1000 combined games of AGrade, Gippsland CricketLeague, and evenSheffield Shield experience gone.

Add to that fellow veteran Rob Webber’s body can no longer play in the top grade, it has meant the loss of another genuine AGrader.

Macfarlane, the current club president, helped out by suiting up for the ones at the weekend.

 PREMIER ALADDER: Glengarry 45 points, Ex Students 40, Morwell 31, Centrals 21, Moe 19, Toongabbie 17, CATS 15, Raiders 8 (note: top four qualify, bottom two relegated).

44, SRajapakse 44, CMonds3/21, KAlam 3/23), Imperials 5/101 (J Jones 33*, BHood2/17, DVeale 2/24) def Toongabbie 100 (J Bruce42, DElms 32, RMartin3/28, PDunstan 2/10, DMorris 2/37), Rovers -bye

CGrade (Round 11): Churchill 7/129 (J Hutchinson 43, BJones 33, JCecil 3/21) def Jeeralang-Boolarra 9/126 (E Stanton 36, NCameron 25, DHart2/11) ,Imperials 6/95 (H Owen 28*, R Lawson Pepper 2/24) def Latrobe 89 (R Borlase 45, LSykes 3/12, JBuhagiar 3/23, HOwen2/14) Raiders 4/149 (N Beecher 70*) def Gormandale 9/148 (B Peavey 33,HGriffiths 26, MSmallwood 26, BMahoney 4/8, BBeecher 2/20), Rawson 0/73 (M Williams 40*, J Wiseman 31*) def WillowGrove 72 (J Redman 43,JCargill 6/17, J Wiseman 3/17), Traralgon West -bye THURSDAY,JANUARY16

Women’s Championship (Round 11): Mirboo North 6/86 (K Collins 34, JChristie 2/9) tied WillowGrove 5/86 (C Christie 22, N Savige 17*, JChristie14, CRainbow2/11),Raiders 3/92 (J Witney 31*, THunt 16) defMorwell 7/66 (N Freeman 22*, RPidikiti 5/10) Ex Students

Areyou talking about the west side?

CRICKET

CLVAGRADE

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

IT’S gettinghardtosee anything changingthis season.

One day after securing theCricketLatrobeValley Twenty20 title, Churchill extended its lead in the AGrade competition, defeating second-place Imperials.

The Cobras are now three games clear with four roundstogobefore finals.

Ahandfulofsides are now playing for second on theladder, with Imperials dropping three of their last four matchesand appearing vulnerable.

At Catterick Crescent for Round 10, the Cobras managed quite comfortably despite Imperials mounting 4/205-the job wascomplete in just over 39 overs.

Imperials had astrongstart from Ryan Morley (37) andTom Starkey (94) but it was Matt Harvey who dealt the blow, getting Starkey six-shy and exiting Dilshan Thilakaranthe on 26.

Imperials pushed on,with James Skingle(19)

and Nick Bullock (15 not out) making it to the end of the first innings.

Harvey took 2/40 across eight overs.

It was simply amatter of more for your worth, with Churchill producing from Brae Kelly (82 off 59), Ric Velardi (40 not out) and Brendan Mason (41) as they rolled past the target in reasonable time.

 TRARALGON WEST secured amuch needed win at Duncan Cameron over Rovers, as they attempt to jump from the bottom of the ladder.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rovers were eyeing to keep themselves in the hunt to leapfrog Imperials into second place.

The higher seed however was maintained early, as Will Coad and Simon Duff exited with little to show for it.

Rovers highest run-getter in captainEwan Williams was run out for 30, with Jordan Pearce (17) next best as they finished on ameasly 88.

ReeceFalla wowed, taking 4/11 across 4.1 overs, along with Hayden Kimtpon (2/19) and Jack Cooke (2/31).

Matt Griffiths set the tone all the way through as

Traralgon West sensed and ceased on their chances to add just their second win of the season.

The opener finished with 37 not out, followed by Kimpton (16) and Freddie Bowser (14) as the Eagles walked past the mark in 27.2 overs.

Despite the loss, Williams was arguably Man of the Match, as he also took 3/15.

 CONTINUING to be the most unpredictable side in it, Willow Grove was undeterred against Latrobe at Peter Siddle Oval.

The Sharks won the toss and elected to bowl, which may have been the wrongdecision from the outset.

The Wolves ran rampant in the first innings, with Ben Edebohls (65), captain Josh Hammond (62) and young Liam Cumiskey finishing the job with 33 not out, making asafe 242 all up.

Steven Hanning took 4/42 for Latrobe.

Despite the efforts of Sam Wilson (60) and others chipping in like Jacob Bloomfield (29) and Jamie Coltman (23), it wasn’t to be for the Sharks.

Hammond took 3/38, Robert Fiddelaers 2/43 and Luke Payton 2/27.

 IN aTigers showdown, Gormandale held on. At Mirboo North Recreation Reserve, the home

Cobras claim inaugural T20 crown

BY LIAM DURKIN

JOHN Keighran channelled asmallerdose of Glenn Maxwell to deliver for Churchill Cricket Club.

The man knownasthe ‘King Cobra’rode to Terry Hunter Oval last Friday, and returned to Churchill Castle (moated by asnake pit)with the Italian AustralianClubCricket Latrobe Valley Twenty20 premiership.

Battling cramps and barely able to walk between wicketsonoccasion, Keighranfinished unbeaten on 22, to go withfiguresof3/14 in aMan of the Match performanceinFriday night’s decider against Ex Students.

The Sharks decided to bat first, making the seemingly sensible decision to bat while the light was still natural.

Unfortunatelytheir innings lasted just 14 overs, andtheywere shot out for just 66.

Somecalamitousrun outsstifled any hopes of posting adecent total, with Rick Battista and Mitch Harris the only players to reach double figures.

FourofChurchill’sfive bowlerstook wickets. Assisting Keighranwas Ross Whelpdale (2/1), Chris Williams (1/17) and Ryan Harvey (1/27).

While chasing 67 would be easy enough in normal circumstances, a7pm start meant the Cobras had to contend with the unfamiliar challenge of batting under lights.

The SharkscertainlymadeChurchill work for the runs, and it took until the last over for the match to reach aresult.

Keighran saw aflurry of wickets fall around him, although in fairness to the departed batsmen, the ball was almost impossible to pick up as the night got darker.

Even Keighran himself, anoted big hitter, managed just two boundaries.

Brendan Mason made the most of what was left of some natural light, planting amonstrous six overbackwardsquareleg into the construction site early in the innings.

Similar to Churchill, wickets were shared in the Ex Students camp, although 11 extras to three in a gamedecided in thelastoverarguably had amajor bearing on the result.

Harris gave his side an early look, taking 2/15.

As well as victory, the Cobras pocketed afew hundred dollars from the Italian Australian Club for winning the tournament.

League officials reported asuccessfulT20 campaign, and thanked clubs for entering close to fullstrength teams for the most part during the Tuesday night qualifying rounds.

Agreat crowd came to Traralgon for the final, in what was just about the perfect timeslot to enjoy some short form cricket after the working week.

The winning team was: Ryan Ayres, John Keighran, Matt Harvey, Ryan Harvey, Brae Kelly, Brendan Mason, Joel Mason, Kurt Holt,Ashton Ceeney, Ross Johnson, Ross Whelpdale,Chris ‘Willow’ Williams and Deb Brighton (scorer).

CRICKETLATROBEVALLEY

DWalsh 9-1-30-0, Dvan der Stoep 0.4-0-3-1, LPayton8-1-27-2, J Hammond 10-2-38-3, BEdebohls 7-1-25-1, RFiddelaers 10-3-43-2, LCumiskey 2-1-1-1

MIRBOO NORTHVGORMANDALE at Mirboo North Turf

GORMANDALE INNINGS

CPolo cZHollis bW Lawrey 12

MHibbs cDBanks bW Lawrey.................................................................. 15

YSoyza cC Anders bA Thomas 10

NSoyza cC Anders bA Thomas 6

CPeaveycBHeath bDMathews. 56 NScammell lbwDMathews. 6

DKeyhoe cP Woodall bDMathews. 7 PBrooks not out 12

TReynolds cLChila bDBanks 0 NHeard lbwD Banks 16

side couldn’t climb back, falling just three runs short.

Gormandale saw healthy contribution all around, but especially from Campbell Peavey with 56. Darien Mathews took 3/43 and Dale Banks 3/28 for Mirboo North.

Chasing 155, it was agood startfromMirboo North with Brett Pedlow (69), Zach Hollis (39) and Mathews (18) answering the call.

Two of the three weredismissed by Tyler Reynolds, which practicallyended Mirboo North’s chancesasnoone else mademore than six. Reynolds finished up taking5/29 acrosseight overs in amatch-winning feat.

The Mirboo North community is currently in the process of building apicket fence at the‘bottom oval’ at Walter Tuck Reserve.

Donationsare being sought to help with the project.

Those who donate can havetheir name inscribed on apicket. Pickets are available to purchase via: https://pitchinforapicket.com.au/

Goannas face must-win

CRICKET VETERANS

GRAEME RANKIN

LASTSundaysaw the GippslandGoannas Over 50smakethe westerly trek down the Princes Highway to Newcomb Cricket Club’s Grinter Reserve Turftotake on ladder leaders Geelong, in Round 6ofthe Veterans Cricket Victoria 50s Division 1Saxon Sports Shield. Geelong won the tossand had no hesitation sending Gippsland in on asoft wicket, which had been overwatered the evening before. Gippsland was in trouble early at 3/17 in the fifth over, before Moe’s Pat Spiteri showed some positive resistance with 29.

Gippsland further slumped to 7/57, yet Churchill’s Simon Forbes (22) and CATS curator Steve Webley (29), combined for a50-run partnership to see Gippsland register 123 After tea, the wicket dried out and quickened up alittle.

In the third over, Mirboo North’s Steve Rogers had Victorian Over 50s opening batsman, Adnan Khawaja (no relation)cleverly caught by Yinnar’s John Daddofor 12,taking ablinder in the gully.

The remaining Geelong batsmen werenever too troubled, and overhauled Gippsland’s score three down in the 23rd over.

Forbes rounded out agood game, taking 2/28 from seven overs.

Nextgameisscheduled for Sunday, February2 against Sunbury MacedonRanges at home.

Awin here will almost certainlysee Gippsland participateinfinals the weekafter.

JBloomfield 5-0-33-0, RDuncan 4-0-22-0,J Hayes 4-1-18-1

LATROBE INNINGS RChokununga cunknown bBEdebohls 2 JColtmanb

Dvan der Stoep bLPayton.

AAntonycS Dawson bJHammond. 0

TCranwell bDvan der Stoep 16

RDuncanc unknown bLPayton. 0 MLawrencecJHammond bLCumiskey 12

JHayes notout 0 Sundries (0b 0lb 13w0nb). 13 TOTAL (46.4 overs) 167

DGanegodage stC Anders bDBanks 5 Sundries (0b 2lb 8w 0nb). 10

TOTAL(43.5 overs) 155

MIRBOO NORTH BOWLING

DBanks 7.5-0-28-3, AThomas 10-1-32-2, IAllan 7-2-19-0, WLawrey 7-1-27-2, ZHollis 2-0-4-0,D Mathews10-1-43-3

MIRBOO NORTH INNINGS

BPedlowc DKeyhoe bT Reynolds 69

DMathewsbD Ganegodage 18

ZHolliscMHibbs bT Reynolds 39

IAllan lbwT Reynolds 6

BHeath bT Reynolds 3

LChila cMHibbs bT Reynolds 4

CAnders bDGanegodage 3

BAitken run out (C Peavey,DKeyhoe) 1

PWoodall lbwNHeard

DBanks not out

Officially the best sloggers in theleague: Churchill wonthe CricketLatrobeValleyTwenty20 Final on Fridaynight.

Latest Traralgon International comes to aclose

TENNIS TRARALGON JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL

BY TOM HAYES

ONCE again, the Traralgon Junior International has lived up to the hype it brings to the region, with yet another enthralling week of competition.

Hundredsofteenage sensations, along with their coaches and families, and localspectators walked through the gates of the Traralgon Tennis Association to be apartofthe 32nd AGL Loy Yang Traralgon Junior International.

Competition ran from Wednesday, January8, beginning with two days of qualifiers, ahead of the main draw’s commencement on Friday, January 10.

On the sixth and final day of main draw competition, everything came down to four finals -boys’ and girls’ singles, and boys’ and girls’ doubles.

Eventually, just six of the hundreds of budding tennis stars finished their Traralgon travels with the famous Akubra,for winning theirrespective tournament.

Within just the firstweekalone,action was prominent from the get-go, with top seeds falling in both the boys’ and girls’ singles tournament, paving the way for an underdog to write their own story. Even withoutwinning the tournament,the exposure and learnings they mightgain fromsuch experience will only be of benefit to them.

Take alook at Russian star Mirra Andreeva for example. At just 15-years-oldin2023, she came runner-up in the girls’ singles, before winning the girls’ doubles event hours later. Fast forward two years, and nothing has stopped her.

She’scurrentlyranked inside thetop 20 women in

the world, and wasthe 14th seed at the Australian Open, at just 17-years-old.

So far in her short professional career, she has already shown she has what it takestocompete with the best, and potentially be the best one day, only going to show that there are far more storylines yet to be written.

Even last year’s girls’ champion, Australia’s Emerson Jones earnt awildcard entry into the 2025 Australian Open, aged just 16.

Fashionably, the weatherwas an issueyet again, and despitethe tournamentbeingplayed in the middle of the Australian summer, you can never discount adownpour or two during the week-long event.

On the day of the finals, Wednesday, January 15, play was originally set to start at 4.30pm, but due to incoming rain, the start was shifted to midday.

Despitebest effortstonavigate the incoming rain,delayswere still in course, as the finals didn’t properly start until after 2pm.

Nonetheless, the Traralgon Tennis Association was able to crown their champions at an appropriate hour, unlike year’s gone past where weather postponedgames that finished closer to midnight.

Alas, the Traralgon Tennis Association put on another fantastic show, this year adding more for players and the community to do.

AFamily Fun Fest was introduced on Friday, January 10, which involved stalls of all kinds, an animal show, inflatable tennis, and apickleball come-and-try.

The following day,cricket legend, and tennis and golf enthusiast, Lord Ian Botham graced the Traralgon Tennis Association for its corporate dinner,whichsaw the function roomfilled to the brim.

▶ Westend Supermarket Grubb Avenue

▶ Kats Fish &Chips 31 BarkerCrescent

▶ HazelbankFish &Chips 2Hazelwood Road

▶ Foodworks 13 Hyland Street

▶ Foodworks 63 HenryStreet ▶ Traralgon Bowls Club Cnr Gwalia Street and LiddiardRoad ▶ Traralgon News &Lotto 51-53 Franklin Street

Manny’s Market 39 Post Office Pl, Traralgon

Montague’s Pharmacy 19 Rintoull Street

IGA Morwell 61 Bridle Road ▶ Latrobe ValleyExpress Office 21 GeorgeStreet ▶ CardAlleyMidValley

and Princes Way

Bright future: KseniaEfremova(France, 15)and girls’singles championJelineVandromme (Belgium, 17)following their final.

Doubles delight: Winnersand runners-up of the TraralgonJuniorInternational boys’and girls’ doubles tournaments gather with theball kids. Photographs: TMB Photography

Onwardsand upwards: Egor Pleshivtsev(Russia, 17)and boys’singles championHenry Bernet (Switzerland, 17)celebratetheirachievements

Smooth-moving Swiss dominates

TENNIS TRARALGON JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL

BY TOM HAYES

SWISS, one-handed backhand, winnerofthe Traralgon Junior International. Does that remind youofanyone?

No,it’s not RogerFederer.Infact, it’s the new boys’ champion of Traralgon, Henry Bernet.

The17-year-old fromSwitzerland took out the boys’ singles title at the AGL Loy Yang Traralgon Junior International lastweek on awet Wednesday, January 15.

Following acrazy first week of the event which sawmanyofthe top seeds eliminated, Bernet rose as the eighth seeded boy to earn the world-famous Akubra. He flew under the radar so-much-so, that he wonall matches without dropping aset.

After advancing from the third round, it was looking as though Bernet would face number one seed, Jan Kumstat from Czech Republic,but he was bundled out by Swede, William Rejchtman Vinciguerra.

Bernetpassed with flying colours through to the finalwith the straight-sets quarter final win over Vinciguerra, which promptedanother straight-sets victory in the semi final over seventh seed Oskari Paldanius from Finland.

Twins claim doubles crown

TRARALGON JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL

BY TOM HAYES

THE boys’ doubles final was acase of first versussecond seed. The first seeds consisted of GreatBritain’s Oliver Bondingand USA’s Jagger Leach, who faced second seeded pair Maxwell Exstedfromthe US and Czech Republic’s Jan Kumstat.

Leach and Bonding were seeded both fifth and sixth respectively in the singles, while Kumstatand Exsted were seededfirst and 10th in the singles, meaning four top-10 seeds shared the court at the same time.

Bonding and Leachtook the first set 6-3, but in return, Exsted and Kumstat restored parity by winning the second set 7-5. With everything tied up going into the final set, the Traralgon crowdsure was getting what they were looking for. It would eventually be the Bonding-Leach pairing that would take the crown, winning the tie-break 10-4.

The girls’ doubles finalhad, on one side of the court,S er bian Teodora Kostovic (girls’ singles second seed) with Romanian Anamaria Federica Oana, facing them was a set of 15-year-old American twins, Annika andKristinaPenickova- whowere the third seededgirls’doubles partnership. In the Penickova twins’ run, they had to overcome the Australian sister duo of Renee and Rianna Alame in the second round. But it was smooth sailingfor the Penickova twins from there, winning their remaining games in straight sets, including the final. TheyovercameKosotovic and Oana 6-3,6-2 to take out the Traralgon doubles title. They must be the first set of twins to win the doubles at the Traralgon Junior International.

Making acharge on the other sideofthe bracket was the unseeded Russian, Egor Pleshivtsev. He madeanunlikely finalsappearance, knocking out many highly touted opponents,including second seed Amir Omarkhanov from Kazakhstan in the first round.

In the quarter finals, Pleshivtsev overcame fifth seed Jagger Leach (USA) in athird-set tiebreak, before swiftly dispatching another US product, 10thseed,and reigning doubles champion,Max Exsted in the semi final in straight sets.

Thus, the final was set betweenanemerging Swiss and aRussian underdog.

With both boys vying for the title, it was Bernet who flinched first and took charge of the match.

The Swiss international wasfirsttobreak the serve of Pleshivtsev, doing so on his first attempt. Bernet quickly madeinroads to securethe first set, going 3-0 up.

Pleshivtsev finally got going during his next servicegames enduring longer rallies, winning his next two, but so did Bernet, as the Swiss youngster closed in on the first set, up 5-2.

Bernet continued to run hot as he closed out the first set in style by breaking Pleshivtsev again to take a1-0 set lead over the Russian.

Bernet wasincomplete control,and turned on

Shades of the past: Switzerland’sHenr y

displayedglimpses of hiscountr

Roger Federer, during his winatthe Traralgon Junior International. Photograph: TMB Photography

the afterburners in thesecond set, displayingmany more of his skills to the Traralgoncrowd,which shared their appreciation.

Belgian the best in class

TRARALGON JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL

BY TOM HAYES

DOMINATION is how to accurately describe Belgium’s Jeline Vandromme’s road to being crowned as the girls’singles championatthe Traralgon Junior International.

Shewas so dominantinTraralgon that the first seed claimed the Akubra without dropping asingle set, despite the ups and downs of each match.

Her semi final match-up against China’s Yihan Qu was one of her quickerones, winning with ease to advance to the final, 6-1, 6-2.

Waiting for her in the final on the other side of thebracket was the 15-year-old unseeded French international, Ksenia Efremova.

Shehad quitethe run herself,knocking over eighth seed Czech, Vendula Valdmannova in three sets, before another thrilling three-set win over the 12th seed American, Thea Frodin.

She was faced with another uphill battle when comingupagainstanother American, Annika Penickova in the quarter finals, getting through after another three sets, before finally catching a break on her way to the final.

Hersemifinal matchagainst ninth-seed Brit, Hannah Klugmanhad allthe hype to be one of the matches of the tournament.

But during the first set when Efremova was up 6-5, Klugman was forced to retire due to injury, advancing the French international into the final, where she waited for Vandromme.

In acrazy matchthat saw countless breaks of serve, it’sincredible that this match didn’t last any longer than it did. Within the first four games of the first set, both girls had broken each other’s serve once each, leaving some questions in the air as to who will do it next, and will it be avital break.

It was the first seed Vandromme who made that move first, breaking after holding her own serve, gaining some momentum as she went two games clear, 4-2 up in the first set.

Apoint to notice was Bernet’s one-handed backhand, which had glimpsesofFederer, as it became more and more effective with every point he won.

Pleshivtsev appeared to steady, despitethe skilful prowess of Bernet.

Each won their first two service games, looking as if the second set might prove to be atest for both. It would turn out to be atest for one, that being Pleshivtsev again, as Bernet broke his serve again, after holding his own to move 4-2 up.

And just like that he had amajor advantage,just acouple of service games from the title.

He moved within one gameofthe title after winning his service game.

Pleshivtsev valiantly held his own serve despite the hunger shown by Bernet, and even though he hadcut the lead in thesecond set to 5-3, there was no coming back at this stage.

Bernet took out the following game to claim the title,completingthe tournament without dropping aset, 6-2, 6-3.

As he became champion, it must be noted that he is the first boy fromSwitzerland to win the Traralgon Junior Internationalsince Federer, and some of the similarities were uncanny.

But back on serve, Efremova was not going to back down from afight easily, as the 15-year-old showed some grit to breakserve again, serving for achancetolevel things up again in the first set.

But her inability to hold her serve only fell into the favour of Vandromme, who broke yet again to move to a5-3 advantage, just one game from the first set.

Shepounced on the opportunitywhenitpresented itself, serving successfully to claim the first set, 6-3.

Not to be discouraged, the 15-year-old was clearly outsized by her firstseed opponent, but to her respectshe was showing glimpses of potential points of difference in the future, highlighted by her speed.

Efremova started the second set on serve, and held aservice match which was almost the rarer of the two outcomes at this rate.

But the hype wasshort-lived, as Vandromme saw the victory in her sights and beelined for that outcome. Vandromme won the next three games, holding serve, breaking Efremova again, then holding her serve for asecond time to go 3-1 up in the second set.

Just when Efremova hadthe chancetopull some of the momentum back in her direction, she stumbledonce again as Vandromme’s class began to steal the show.The firstseed broke again to move three games clearofthe French international, just two games from victory.

Hoping to move 5-1 up, with Vandromme on serve, witheverythingbehind her, she seemed destined to storm home from here. But Efremova still wasn’t showing signs of giving up.

TheFrench youngster rallied to pull 0-40 ahead in Vandromme’s service match, hoping to throw another spanner into the works. Vandrommejust couldnot be defeated from here. She climbed back to deuce, got an advantage, then won the game to put all doubts aside.

Now 5-1 up, Vandromme indeed stormed home to win the finalgame, breaking yetanother serve, to see herself crownedwith the girls’ title, 6-3, 6-1.

Bernet

yman,

TENNIS

Unstoppable: Belgium’sJeline Vandromme didn’t drop asingle set, on herway to the girls’ title in Traralgon.

Photograph: TMB Photography

TENNIS

Latrobe Valley Express Wednesday 22 January 2025

Uncontained benefits

LOCKED OUT

5174 2156 Cnr GwaliaSt, &LiddiardRd, Traralgon

Retirement village residents seeking fairer rate treatment

Region bracesfor more erratic weather as conditions get warm andstormy

Fatal Jacob Creek motorbike crash

Failed proof

Chargesfollowing shooting

PoliceBeat with TomHayes

Duck harvest report

Gippsland Transmission Community Roundtable

Faulty fencing at the centre of drowning incident

Local health networks forged, services won’t be compromised

Deposit schemedepot expands to Moe

Locals band together to clean creek

Pool open after near year-long rebuild

Target Time No. 0247

Celebrating Australia Day 26 JANUARY 2025

LIVEMUSIC

Trafalgar Holden Museum

Change not easy, but often needed

COMMENT

Keep Australia Day date as is: Chester

Aussies push for climate pollution acknowledgement

FREAWA RE NE SS

Include your r pets in your bushfire survival plans

FREAWA RE NE SS

Fighting fires from the skies

WelfareGroups Back SEC

Australia Day celebrations

From the

ARCHIVES

No govt funding for newschool

Community Corner with Liam Durkin

Book launch

Bridgeresults

Puband politics

Advertising in the Express

Mulchfireextinguished

Chess club

Sing, sing, sing

Awesome artists

Backonthe brushes

HOROSCOPES

Hobby newGippsland

PHN board director

TheGuide

GUY MONTGOMERY’S GUY MONT SPELLING BEE(

PICK OF TH

HE WEEK

RST SIGHT 30pm

Thursday, January 23

Saturday, Januar y 25

Sunday, Januar y26

Monday, January 27

Folk festival back in town

Free camping, tourism boost

Shortage prompts dam interest

Feed test vital to meet needs of livestock

Rockin’ Traralgon Rodeo

Further work into women’shealth

State upskilling future tradies

Federation soars in ratings

New phase fornextwaveofstudents

More funding to The Gathering Place

Thrills and skills

School upgrades

Questions still remain over nuclear

Moreiswell

Purposeless pies

Missing in action

Heed this warning

Moderatemoderator

Overstepping the mark

Heartfelt

support from regional communities

Nothing healthyabout atan

Opposition out of touch

Losing what we have