Incorporating
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Phone: (03) 5775 2115
Remembrance Day tomorrow
Page 3
Steiner art at Benalla
$1.50 (inc.GST)
www.mansfieldcourier.com.au
Page 7
Campitelli wins medal
Sport
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS VEHICLE? Police are now looking for a blue 1990s Nissan Patrol which they hope holds the key to solving the mystery of the disappearance of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay.
New clue in search for missing campers Detectives refuse to give up until they get “the result and answer both families deserve” By JARRAH LOH ALMOST two years after they were last seen, Victorian detectives have released a new image of a vehicle and a trailer they believe may be able to assist in their enquiries to locate missing Wonnangatta campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay.
The couple aged in their 70s vanished from a Wonnangatta Valley campsite on March 20 last year. Their campsite at Dry River Creek Track was discovered burnt out, along with Hill’s abandoned Toyota Landcruiser. The new photo is believed to reveal a blue midto-late 1990s model Nissan
Patrol pulling a trailer. Detectives said they have been unable to “eliminate the vehicle” from their enquiries, and are keen to speak to the driver or any witnesses who may have seen it in the area at the time. Police said they are renewing their appeal this week for information in the
hope there are people out there who are still yet to speak to police that have information about the campers’ disappearance. They remain keen to speak to anyone who was in the Wonnangatta area around that time, including campers, 4x4 day trippers, hunters, fishermen or trail bike riders, regardless of
whether they saw or heard anything. Detectives are also keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Howitt Plains and Zeka Spur Track on March 19 or 20. “Throughout our extensive and significant investigation over the last 20 months, we have not been able to eliminate this blue
four-wheel drive from our enquiries,” said Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper. “We have witness statements that put this blue vehicle and its trailer in the valley at the time Russell and Carol were there and indeed near the spot that they had set up their camp. ■ Continued page 6
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Life membership for RSL’s Bruce Bingham By PAM ZIERK-MAHONEY A VERY special award was presented at the Mansfield RSL Sub-branch Friday night gathering on October 29 with a life membership being made to Major (Retired) Bruce Bingham. Brigadier David Westphalen, on behalf of all members present, had the pleasure of presenting Mr Bingham with a certificate and badge denoting his life membership. Brigadier Westphalen explained the RSL is a volunteer organisation with many putting in their time and efforts to make even the smaller sub-branches successful. Mansfield some years ago was on the brink of closure due to small membership until along came Bruce Bingham, and his wife Marlene, who joined the local branch and was determined not to let such a valu-
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able sub-branch fold. “The RSL has awards to those who have served the organisation with outstanding service over long periods of time,” Brigadier Westphalen said. “A life membership is not a small thing, it is about such service and is not an easy process for someone to be granted this award. “The process is long, starting with the sub-branch and goes through a long process of being nominated, and ends up in Canberra at the national headquarters. “In Victoria the process involves the state conference at which all delegates accept from all branches the nominations, but members of the branches and sub-branches are not there,” he said. “It is my pleasure tonight on behalf of the state president of the RSL and the president of our sub-branch, Tom Ingpen, to award this life membership to Bruce Bingham.” Brigadier Westphalen on calling Mr Bingham to come forward asked members to look around the room. “Not long ago, membership of this RSL sub-branch was dwindling, but here we are today with a membership of more than 100,” Brigadier Westphalen said. “Not only was membership boosted but there have been many successful projects that have improved the club and the town’s recognition of RSL.” With grants the building has been improved and the Menin Gates (Memorial Gates in Highett Street) have been repaired, which recognise the service given by local men and women during conflicts, mainly due to Mr Bingham.
“There have been many other things done at this branch, and along with other members who have contributed have improved the facilities,” Brigadier Westphalen said. “Bruce Bingham has provided outstanding service to the sub-branch and continued through tough recent times and has helped in keeping this branch alive and well, and it is my pleasure to present him with a certificate of life membership.” Brigadier Westphalen then invited Bruce Bingham’s wife, Marlene, who has supported him along this journey, to pin the life membership badge onto his lapel. The badge can be worn at all times, recognising Mr Bingham as a life member. In response to the award Mr Bingham said it was a surprise to receive this life membership but he has enjoyed every minute of his service. “Many of the public don’t realise that before I came up to Mansfield I was on the state committee to organise the dawn services in Melbourne as a police officer for many years and when I came up here to live, I joined the RSL,” he said. “But when I joined here we were down to about 15 members and it looked like folding up, and I said there was no way I would see it fold up. “I would like to think that it has also been the long-standing members that have made it successful for me as without the new members joining the RSL and making it such a success as a RSL club I would not have received this award, so thanks very much for your contribution for making this award to me.”
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SURPRISE RECOGNITION: Being presented with a life membership at the Mansfield RSL Subbranch was recipient Major (Retired) Bruce Bingham.
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LEST WE FORGET: Wreaths adorn the Menin Gates in Mansfield to commemorate those killed in both World Wars.
Lest We Forget
REMEMBRANCE Day is commemorated on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour (Thursday, November 11 at 11am) and will again be held in Mansfield. There is a service commencing at 10.30am at the Menin Gates, concluding at 11am with the sounding of the CFA siren, and is open to all to attend as restrictions are lifted and it is all in the open. On this date, at this time, in 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of war. Originally known as Armistice Day, it was renamed Remembrance Day after World War Two to commemorate those killed in both World Wars. Though the war was over,
men continued to die in large numbers as a result of injuries, including at least four from Mansfield. Private W.P.H. Black of the Fourth Battalion died of injuries on December 4, 1918. Sergeant John A. Cameron died in February, 1920 as did Sergeant S. Kennedy, both from wounds received in the war. Also from Mansfield, Lieutenant John H. Pike died from injuries in April 1920. On the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919, two minutes’ silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey. King George V requested everyone in the British Empire to stop what they were doing for two minutes on the hour, and
First World War, and in Australia cloth poppies are sold in the lead up to November 11 each year. Members of the Mansfield RSL have been selling poppies out the front of Marks IGA for the past fortnight. The RSL sells millions of red cloth poppies every year, donating proceeds to funds for welfare work. A purple poppy to commemorate forgotten animals that served during armed conflicts was also created in 2006. The German army employed 30,000 dogs in search operations; many were killed and it’s been estimated by the RSPCA that 484,143 British horses, mules, camels and ox were killed during the First World War.
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the gesture has been a staple of Remembrance Day ever since. As had the red poppy. Worn on Remembrance Day each year, the flower was the first to bloom in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium. Canadian medical officer Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae noticed the poppy in the Belgian region of Flanders while attending a fallen comrade’s funeral. The sight inspired him to scribe the poem ‘In Flanders fields’, and he reportedly threw it away, but a colleague retrieved it and convinced McCrae to send it to an English magazine, where it was subsequently published. The poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance after the
Save the dates – we’ve got our live music calendar booked in for November! • Paris Zachariou – dinner & cabaret Wed 10th. • Bill Barber – Fri 12th & Sat 13th • Sat 27th Nov – Our 11 piece
Local businesses, suppliers and contractors are invited to an information session about water infrastructure projects in southern NSW
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On Friday 12 November, we are hosting an industry event in Moama to provide an overview of the upcoming opportunities for local businesses to get involved with these projects. A broad range of services will be required to deliver these projects including engineering, building and construction, as well as complementary services such as environmental, catering, accommodation, transport, waste management and cleaning. This will provide significant opportunities and economic benefits to regional businesses, First Nations businesses and local small business operators, as well as tangible outcomes for local townships and the wider community.
Industry engagement event details All businesses, no matter how big or small, are invited to join us to find out more about Water Infrastructure NSW, the projects it’s delivering in southern NSW and how your business can be involved:
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• Event location: Dungula Events Centre, 69 Dungula Way, Moama • Date/ time: Friday 12 November 2021, from 10am – 1pm • RSVP: Registration is mandatory, and seats are limited. To secure your place at the event visit dpie.nsw.gov.au/ water-infrastructure-nsw • Event will be live streamed if you can’t make it in person (registration required).
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Page 4 - MANSFIELD COURIER - Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Est. 1867 Incorporating High Country Times Est. 1999
Mt Buller & Mt Stirling’s Newspaper
NEWS
Est. 2007 Incorporating Mt Buller - Mt Stirling News Est. 1984
7 DAY WEATHER fORECAST Wednesday: Shower or two Temperature: ............................8-17 Thursday: Shower or two Temperature: ............................4-22 Friday: Showers Temperature: ............................8-16 Saturday: Showers easing Temperature: ............................4-15 Sunday: Showers Temperature: ............................6-12 Monday: Showers Temperature: ............................5-12 Tuesday: Partly cloudy Temperature: ............................4-17
MAnSfIELD RAInfALL Week to 9am Monday – 25mm Month Total (November 2021) – 26mm Month Total (November 2020) – 22.8mm YTD Total – 680.1mm Total (2020) – 746.6mm Total (2019) – 451.3mm Total (2018) – 563.8 mm Details courtesy Mansfield Post Office
LAkE EILDOn LEvELS Readings as at 9am Monday
This week: 3.87m below full or at 85.1% of capacity Last taken: 4.05m below full supply level Inflow: 2,000 megalitres per day Release: 400 megalitres per day Details courtesy of Goulburn Murray Water
COURIER DETAILS 98 High St, Mansfield 3722 Phone (03) 5775 2115 General/Advertising: 5775 2115 sales.mcourier@nemedia.com.au Classifieds: classi.mcourier@nemedia.com.au Editorial: 5733 1108 or edit.mcourier@nemedia.com.au www.mansfieldcourier.com.au www.nemedia.com.au
Follow us NEWSPAPER DEADLINES: Display ads - 2pm Thursday Classifieds - Noon Monday Sports results - 10am Monday Published by Hartley Higgins for North East Media Pty Ltd, 98 High Street, Mansfield, 3724. Responsibility for election comment is accepted by Editor Jeff Zeuschner. Copyright: All advertising and editorial content of this issue is the copyright of North East Media Pty Ltd and cannot be used without the company’s permission.
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Mansfield’s endangered species in need of plan A RECENT independent report tabled to parliament by the Victorian Auditor-General’s office on the subject of Protecting Victoria’s Diversity, has brought to light a lack of process in protecting the state’s most endangered species. The Victorian Auditor-General Andrew Greaves said that the government cannot demonstrate if, or how well, it is halting further decline in Victoria’s threatened species populations. And furthermore, has revealed that funding provided by the State Government to protect threatened species falls significantly short of what is actually needed to achieve meaningful outcomes. Only 49 of Victoria’s 556 critically endangered species have a dedicated plan to protect against further loss. State Wide Integrated Flora and Fauna Teams (SWIFFT) have compiled an overview of all known and historic records of fauna in the Mansfield Shire. The overview identifies a significant number of local fauna is threatened, with very few shire specific programs dedicated to protecting these vulnerable species. Within the shire, 27 species of birds, 12 species of mammals, six species of fish, six of reptiles, and five species of amphibians and eight of invertebrates are considered threatened. The Powerful Owl is considered vulnerable locally and across the state, with recommendations to delineate Powerful Owl Management Areas in Benalla and Mansfield when planning Forest Management. There have also been directives to protect Powerful Owl nest and roost sites on Mount
ON THE LIST: The Alpine National Park is a key area for the endangered Spot-tailed Quoll - one of the few areas in the state where the species can be readily detected during surveys which means that conservation efforts should be concentrated on the region. Buller and Mount Stirling from mechanical disturbance during fire suppression activities. However, the Powerful Owl is only one of numerous species to actually have a plan of action to preserve habitat. Regent Honeyeaters are critically endangered, with the Mansfield Shire and surrounding shires listed as key local government areas for conservation. And despite locations like the Lake Eildon National Park considered a priority for conservation activities, very little has been done to protect this vulnerable bird. A riverine species, Macquarie
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Perch are also considered endangered. In Victoria the fish exist in 11 highly fragmented locations in sub-optimal habitat. The construction of dams and weirs - effectively blocking fish migration - has contributed to their decline. Found in the Mansfield Shire along the Broken River tributary, the Macquarie Perch has also managed to establish populations in Lake Eildon from which it migrates in spring to riverine habitats. Populations in the lake have been the focus of research into this species, in an attempt to im-
Estate
prove the fish’s current conservation status. However, for many of the species that are considered endangered research has failed to result in a direct plan of action. Cindy McLeish, the Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, said: “We all benefit from a healthy and diverse natural environment, and yet the State Government’s approach to protecting vulnerable species has been unreliable and underfunded. “Victorians need a real plan to better protect our natural environment and save native species from extinction.”
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