News - Berwick Star News - 17th September 2020

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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Aziz speaks out on ‘lifesaving’ surgery

Homeless man moved on by council

Pipeline pressure mounting

Big things in store for Ben’s ballers

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Sutton under fire Afghan community leaders have hit back at Victoria’s Chief Health Officer for pinpointing Casey’s Afghan community in the latest Covid-19 cluster, saying it was “offensive” and “inappropriate”.

It comes as Hallam, Clyde and Narre Warren have been identified as hotspots by the Department of Health and Human Services.

However, Victorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton came under fire after saying on Monday 14 September that the outbreaks had occurred within Casey’s Afghan community and was a “priority for engagement and a priority for testing for us”.

“They do the right thing but they have some vulnerabilities in terms of where they work and how they need to work,” he said, adding he had offered to speak directly to the Afghan community.

Having previously travelled to Afghanistan, he said people had a “universal motivation” to protect their families.

“I know their motivation is to get on top of this as much as anyone.”

As of 14 September, the Hallam postcode had recorded 16 in the past week, and Clyde/ Clyde North/Cardinia with 18 - including nine on 14 September.

There were 83 active cases in the City of Casey on 15 September.

Casey’s 2020 citizen of the year and community leader Bassir Qadiri said he was disappointed by Professor Sutton’s remarks, saying the Afghan community had been following all the government guidelines.

“As a community leader I express the Afghan community’s disappointment at a way that they have been singled out and blamed,” Mr Qadiri said, who is also chair of the Bakhtar Cultural Association.

He said Covid-19 cases could “affect anyone in the community,” and it was “inappropriate to finger point a specific community”.

“The Afghan community is disappointed and hurt by the statement.”

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Casey’s 2020 citizen of the year and community leader Bassir Qadiri is disappointed by the Victoria’s Chief Health Officer comments.

Gary Maas and relevant community organisations to make sure the DHHS Covid related information “reaches out to everyone in the community”.

“Afghans like their fellow Victorians citizens are doing the right thing and adhering to

the current restriction applied by the government. However, no other community, Afghans or others should be blamed or to be taken responsible for the action of individuals within the wider community.”

Mr Qadiri’s comments were also echoed by

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Sadia Ali, president of the United Cultural Support Inc, who said the Casey Afghan community had been left “hurt morally and emotionally” by Professor’s Sutton’s comments, and urged him to apologise.

“I am personally disappointed and offended by this inappropriate act which needs to be rectified by apologising from the community,” she said.

“We are aware of our ethical and moral responsibilities towards the country’s laws and regulations we live in.”

“Defaming the sanity and integrity of any community brings hatred and riot among the wider communities.

“We have worked hard all these years to achieve good name by all means of positive integration and collaboration, we would not allow anyone to pinpoint name not with any community, ethnicity, race or belief.”

Ms Ali stressed that Professor Sutton’s should have taken “appropriate steps for the resolution if he was concerned”.

Bashir Keshtiar, an Afghan community leader and president of the Afghan Social Services Association of Victoria, said it was unfair to “single out” the Afghan community in Casey as the source of spreading the virus without evidence of contact-tracing proving this was the case.

“To pinpoint one particular community is a grave concern,” he said. “As per information in hand we had only two new contracted cases that relates to two Afghan families but how about the rest, the remaining seven cases? And why there is not a mention of other communities or individuals and only Afghans?”

Mr Keshtiar said residents of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds had the same access to accurate health information as others in their own languages.

“To blame the health department that we didn’t get the message or vice versa indirectly blaming the entire community for such outbreak we find it difficult to believe. The media must ensure they have their facts right and stop being subjective or biased when it comes to these type of highly sensitive issues.”

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Burglar’s jail-letter threat

By Cam Lucadou-Wells A burglar who wrote a threatening letter to his ransacked victims from jail has avoided further prison time.

Jordan Constable, now 36, offered $10,000 as well as threatening harm to the Hallam family’s then-pregnant daughter to induce them to retract their statements against him.

“I see how much you adore and love your baby girl ... ,” Constable wrote in the letter that was signed ‘Mr K’.

“It would be hard as father knowing you could prevent your daughter disappearing but did nothing, or the wrong move instead of following orders and making a healthy 10k of which will help your retirement.

“Don’t f*** this up-For your Baby girls sake.”

The letter was received on 4 March 2019 -

about a month after Constable was charged with the burglary and remanded in custody.

According to one of the victim impact statements, the daughter and her husband fled interstate out of concern for their safety.

“This was our last resort to try and ensure her safety and that of her family, but this heavy decision gave us very little consolation.

“We live so far away from our daughter which is heartbreaking.

“This letter devastated my husband and by then I was already struggling to live my life and was very concerned for the safety of our daughter.”

Constable pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

In sentencing, Judge Michael McInerney said the decision was “troubling”. The maxi-

mum penalty of 25 years’ jail showed the seriousness of the offence.

The letter seemed “considered”, rather than an act of spontaneity as argued by Constable’s defence.

Judge McInerney noted Constable didn’t follow up the initial threat, and had written a letter to the court expressing remorse.

The New Zealand-born father didn’t have a significant criminal record. He became addicted to cocaine and his life “somehow became unstuck”.

Constable had already been jailed 217 days for the burglary and other thefts at a magistrates’ court.

He was also placed on a 18-month therapeutic community corrections order.

Since his release on the order in 2019, Constable had been compliant and a medium risk

of reoffending according to a Corrections Victoria report.

He was said to be drug-free, having completed a 15-session drug rehab program.

Judge McInerney imposed a further threeyear supervised CCO with 200 hours’ community work and a $3000 fine.

As part of the order, Constable was ordered to engage in random drug testing, drug counselling and offender behaviour therapy.

Judge McInerney warned that if Constable re-offended or breached his CCO that he would “go straight to jail”.

“I’m giving him a break just because of his background, despite the seriousness of these matters.

“But there won’t be a second chance.”

Heartbreak over Casey’s animal cruelty shame

By Brendan Rees It’s the “heartbreaking” milestone that’s leaving animals neglected, beaten, and abandoned in the City of Casey.

The municipality recorded the largest number of animal cruelty, with 581 complaints received by RSPCA Victoria in 201920.

Casey’s tally was up 20 reports from 561 in the previous financial year, when it ranked second.

Cruelty cases included animals with insufficient food, water or shelter, grooming and shelter concerns, hygiene, underweight animals, and sick and injured animals.

Casey nudged out Greater Geelong City Council as the top offender, which recorded 561 reports - down from 617.

Hume, Whittlesea, Melton, Frankston, and Wyndham were also named among the top 10 worst areas for animal cruelty reports.

State-wide, welfare concerns for dogs, cats and horses continued to make up the majority - averaging 29 reports per day.

In 2019-20, RSPCA Victoria inspectors issued 492 notices to comply, 120 charges against 44 people, finalised 51 prosecutions - with facts proven in 49 cases.

At the end of the financial year, 62 cases were still before the courts, which have been adjourned due to Covid-19.

RSPCA Victoria CEO Dr Liz Walker said: “It is heartbreaking to know so many animals continue to suffer across our state due to a lack of basic care and these statistics clearly illustrate the need for our Inspectorate’s important work,” she said.

While City of Casey was ranked number one in terms of the number of reports made, it was ranked number 48 in the per capita ranking.

Casey Council safer communities man-

ager Caroline Bell said it was disappointing to know there are so many instances of animal cruelty in the community but applauded residents for notifying the RSPCA and other animal protection organisations.

“The high number of reports shows a low tolerance in the community for these actions and we applaud residents for notifying the RSPCA and other animal protection organisations when they see it,“ she said.

Ms Bell said council worked closely with RSPCA and directed all reports of animal cruelty to RSPCA inspectors to support their investigations.

“Our responsibility is to enforce the Domestic Animals Act 1994, the Casey Community Local Law 2018 and to promote responsible pet ownership,“ she said.

This included regulations about the number of animals that can be kept on a property and ensuring that the property size is suitable for the number and type of animals, and that they are kept in clean and appropriate conditions that ensure their health and wellbeing, Ms Bell said.

“Council officers will investigate and enforce identified breaches of the local laws, she said. “Animals are an important, enriching part of our community and we urge all residents to ensure they know and act on their responsibilities as a pet owner.”

For more information visit www.casey. vic.gov.au/pets-animalsIf residents believe an animal’s life is at immediate risk, RSPCA urges people not to make an online report but to call 9224-2222 so an inspector can be notified right away.

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Thieves make off with heavy machinery

By Brendan Rees

Casey’s charities have been working tirelessly to feed those in need during the Covid-19 crisis.

Food security partnership Casey Council is partnering with the Balcon Group to address food insecurity in the local community.During the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a growing demand for emergency food relief services.

This partnership, along with the powerful and ongoing work of other local organisations, aims to address this shortfall, council says.

Food insecurity can be defined as, when not all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

In Casey, high rates of unemployment in certain areas, combined with high rates of housing stress are seen within both in established and growth areas.

Looking to make a difference, The Balcon Group funded an initiative, which, supported by the City of Casey, brought together private business, local cafes, charities, and local gov-

ernment, who are all united by a passion to support our community. This program provides free healthy meals to anyone who needs it.

The meals are cooked by LArte Cafe and Volt Cafe, and are distributed through The Salvation Army Cranbourne, Gethsemane Church Charity, and the Casey Aboriginal Gathering Place.

In the first three months of the initiative, council says it saw some very positive results for the community, for the cafe’s, and for Casey’s community partners, these included: 100 per cent of jobs retained at both Cafe’s, with additional casual and volunteer positions gained• 2030 healthy and quality meals delivered to the community 753 families experiencing food insecurity within Casey benefited The Balcon Group have funded a further three months of this initiative, understanding that the need for food security will increase through the Covid-19 pandemic.

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A construction company that had an $80,000 track loader stolen from a Cranbourne West worksite have pleaded for its return.

The five tonne machinery was taken after intruders broke through temporary fencing at the corner of Thompson Road and Western Port Highway between 4.30pm on Wednesday 9 September and 6.30am on Thursday 10 September.

Sam Spicer, the operations manager of Entracon Civil in Dandenong South which owns the machinery, said it appeared the culprits had hauled the machinery out of the site before driving onto Western Port Highway as track marks had been left behind.

“It’s not a huge bit of gear but you could put it on the back of a tip truck or a good size trailer,” he said.

He said it was likely the thieves used their own master key before making off with the year-old machinery.

“They would’ve started it and driven it that’s for sure.”

In a bitter blow, he said: “We actually just finished on that job, and I was actually going to another job.”

He said the company was lucky enough to use other machinery to get by.

“Really, it hasn’t held us up but it’s just a pain. Especially with everything going on now, we employ about 55 people ... no one needs it.”

Mr Spicer added the work site had been broken into multiple times in recent months, with batteries and fuel stolen but had “stopped for a long time”.

A picture of the track loader before it was stolen.

Picture: FACEBOOK He said the incident had been reported to police but was of the understanding there was no closed-circuit television available.

The track loader is a red and black 2019 Kubota (SVL75-2FCW model).

A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed police were investigating the theft.

“Investigators have been told a track loader was stolen from the Westernport Highway site on 9 or 10 September,” the spokesman said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Lockdown hit on business

By Brendan Rees Casey business groups say Daniel Andrews’ lockdown extension is hurting livelihoods and not providing “any sustainable or clear answers” as small businesses come to a “complete standstill”.

It comes as the State Government’s staged coronavirus recovery plan announced on 6 September will see non-essential retailers, pubs and restaurants, and hairdressers shuttered until 26 October - a date Mr Andrews said was “unlikely” to be brought forward.

Mark of Cranbourne, who has been banned from operating his own gardening business Release Mowing and Garden Care under stagefour restrictions, said he had lost 100 per cent of his income and called out the double standard of council grass cutters being allowed to work.

“I’m not allowed to do to the same thing in the same conditions. How the hell does the work?” the father of two said, adding he was capable of having no contact with clients and using contactless payment.

Under stage-four restrictions council public garden maintenance is a permitted industry, as defined by the State Government.

While Mark, who did not wish his surname to be identified, welcomed the State Government’s announcement on 13 September of a new support package which will see $3 billion in cash grants, tax relief and cash flow support for businesses, he didn’t hold out hope of returning to work on 28 September for construction and gardening industries if an average daily coronavirus cases remained between 30 and 50 over the previous 14 days, saying “who knows what the government is bloody doing”.

Dale Munckton, president of the Narre Warren Business Group, said businesses were hurting and being “challenged in ways we couldn’t have imagined at the start of the year”.

He welcomed the latest business support package but affirmed it was “essential that businesses be allowed to open up as soon as it is safe to do so”, adding the NWBG would offer free membership through to 1 July 2021.

Tooradin Business Association president Nicole Treffers said it was “pretty devastating to see business go to the wall”, adding many businesses believed Mr Andrews’ roadmap out of lockdown was “confusing and misleading”.

Ms Treffers said given the few cases of Covid-19 recorded in Tooradin, Warneet, Cannons Creek, and Blind Bight, the general community consensus was that State Government’s roadmap had “not provided any sustainable or clear answers to the Casey Coast Community region”.

“This region relies heavily on local support and unfortunately this region with extended lockdown the truth of the matter is that some businesses will not survive the next few weeks,” she said.

“People that live in this area, work in this area, socialise in this area and shop in this area. We are very much a closed region that supports one another.”

She added parents had also expressed concerns of children’s wellbeing, saying it was vital they go back to school and had regular activities reopened.

Judy Davis, president of the Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce, said businesses were suffering but maintained the community were “very loyal people and we can help our businesses by supporting them”.

Mark, a sole trader, is all geared up with nowhere to mow. 215579

Former Casey mayor Sam Aziz has undergone surgery at a Sydney hospital to remove a cancerous gland. 174253

Sam’s ‘lifesaving’ surgery

By Brendan Rees Besieged former Casey mayor Sam Aziz says he’s lucky to be alive after undergoing an operation to remove a rare cancerous gland at a Sydney hospital.

In a Facebook post on 9 September, Mr Aziz said the almost seven hour operation to remove an “extremely rare cancer” at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital had been successful.

It comes after Mr Aziz posted to his Facebook page just days before the operation saying he had been rushed to intensive care after flying into Sydney from overseas three weeks ago, where he had remained since.

“I regret to advise that in addition to the two heart failures I suffered last year, I have now been diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer Pheochromocytosis and will undertake surgery this week to remove it,” he wrote.

“It is a cancer that sits above adrenal glands (located at the top of each kidney) and apparently affects one in every million human beings! It is extremely dangerous and in my case it is causing my body to produce 7 x the adrenaline of a healthy person!”

“As my specialist said, it is a miracle that I am still alive.”

“I wasn’t making up my health problems as some people so cruelly and ignorantly accused me of doing.”

Mr Aziz is a ‘person of interest’ regarding an ongoing Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, where it is alleged he had dealings with a developer, however, he flew to Egypt last October just before the hearings began.

Last month an IBAC spokesperson confirmed the watchdog was aware of the recent return to Australia of Mr Aziz who

remained a focus of IBAC’s Operation Sandon, “an ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption concerning Casey Council”.

In a court document filed by his lawyers earlier this year it claimed Mr Aziz had ongoing health conditions including a chronic heart condition, diabetes and mental health concerns which had delayed his return to Australia.

In his recent Facebook post Mr Aziz also hit out at the media for “peddling rubbish and destroying reputations”.

“No-one can ever deny the proud legacy I left in the fact that the City of Casey became a much better city and government than the one that I came into for the first time in 2008,” he wrote.

“For the record: I never took a bribe. Not one cent of the $900,000 that has been alleged and thrown around maliciously by the media all along!”

“I fully cooperated with the IBAC investigation before I left and more still, IBAC knew I was travelling and never advised me not to travel or take any action to stop me!”

He conceded his trip to Egypt “was not an escape” but a “pursuit of a genuine and new exciting work opportunity”.

“I did not sell my house to flee to Egypt.

That house was a secondary property, not my main residence, and I sold it for both family and financial reasons, as people sometimes need to do!”

He continued to say in his Facebook post that his return to Australia was “genuine”, and that “Australia is my home and I will always love it with all my heart”.

IBAC’s public hearings have been adjourned until further notice due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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To the person driving on the wrong side of the road down Sladen Street on Friday with police chasing them, you nearly slammed into my friend’s car who had picked up my children up from school, they thought they were going to die!

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The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that this year has been a tumultuous one for many of us, and even more so for those who work in education and health.

As Vice-Chancellor and President of Federation University Australia, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the education and health providers who have exceeded all expectations to make this year’s placement program a huge success in this challenging climate.

Our local schools, kindergartens, childcare centres, hospitals, aged care facilities and medical centres have played a crucial role in offering student placements to our future health care workers and educators in order to give them the vital skills they will carry throughout their careers.

During a year of uncertainty and change, this has not always been easy. Staff at healthcare and education providers across Victoria have gone to significant lengths to ensure Federation University students could complete their placements.

Not only have they adjusted to changes in their own day-to-day roles, but they have also offered what students tell me have been exemplary experiences in their chosen fields.

Teachers who were adapting to their own online lessons, provided our students with crucial experience presenting live maths and literacy sessions, engaging with students where possible, and using a range of different teaching platforms.

Similarly, nurses and other health staff offered invaluable experience to students while also adapting to the significant changes of their own workplaces and roles.

All of this occurred alongside new social distancing and travel requirements, stringent hygiene processes and screening measures designed to ensure the safety of students, staff and the community.

As a result of the commitment of healthcare and education providers, in collaboration with Federation, most students across Berwick, Gippsland, Horsham and Ballarat campuses were fortunate to have been able to complete their placements. Where that was not possible, health services and education providers are continuing to work with us to accommodate any outstanding placements.

I am in no doubt of the crucial part educators and healthcare staff - our essential workers - play in our community. While many of us were confined to our homes, these individuals continued to care for and educate the most vulnerable members of our community with grace and determination.

At Federation, we are incredibly grateful to all of those who have made it possible for the essential workers of tomorrow to complete the placements that will ensure they can confidently and effectively take their places in the workforce of the future.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Professor Duncan Bentley, Vice Chancellor and President of Federation University Australia

Covid detail needed Over recent months I have been tracking the Covid cases in Casey by post code.

I have been impressed by the transparent details that are published in both Queensland and NSW when cases have occurred as they publish specific locations of likely infection “hot spots”.

I believe it would be in the interests of our ratepayers to have more detailed information showing specific locations of “hot spots” within the city.

If people are aware of the specific location of infections and timing and dates of such infections they can go get tested.

In Colac, the local community is jumping on the issue and the source of most cases have been traced locally.

The required information must be available at State Government level and we should be made aware of all the specific details pertaining to Casey. There has been significant activity in Hallam over recent days which is concerning but any activity in our wards should be made available to residents.

The City of Casey Council could take the initiative here and press for this information and disseminate it.

Reg Rowswell, City of Casey

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

Thumbs Up! For all the police trying to handle the protesters

Thumbs Down!

To Dan Andrews and the suffering he has caused Victoria after the hotel quarantine debacle!

Thumbs Up! To L’Arte Central Cafe in Cranbourne East. Amazing bunch of people making so many in the community shine with their food, flowers, coffee and surprise pay it forwards

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To our Berwick neighbors who go away every weekend and more to their holiday house since lockdown began. So selfish!.

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For the selfish unbelievable protesters. It didn’t look like the Australia we know and love on the news.

Thumbs Up Thumbs Down is your chance to have your say. Malicious or defamatory submissions will not be accepted. All submissions must include a full name address and daytime phone number. Contributions over the phone will not be accepted. Contributors will not be identified. The Star News reserves the right to edit submissions.

To submit a Thumbs Up Thumbs Down email to dailyeditor@starnewsgroup.com.au fax to 5945 0777 or post to P.O. Box 9 Pakenham 3810.

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Homeless man moved on

By Brendan Rees A man living peacefully in his caravan at Casey Fields says he was ordered to move on by six council staff and four police officers.

Mungo Andrew said he had set up his caravan at the grounds of Casey Fields about five months ago after his work in gardening dried up when Covid-19 restrictions began.

But the 40-year-old said he was devastated by the direction to move on as “there’s literally nowhere else I can go and I’m being forced”.

He said he was previously living in a share house and short-term housing, but had since struggled to find stable accommodation.

“I’m trying to do everything right that I could,” he said, before council staff and police officers approached him on Monday 14 September directing him to move on.

He said he left in his caravan without incident but couldn’t understand why such a strong police and council presence was needed.

“I can understand that it’s a carpark of sports oval, I’m not technically supposed to be here but there’s literally nowhere else I can go.

This has just left me dumbfounded,” he said.

He said he had not once acted aggressive towards council staff, who had warned him to move on last week.

Mr Andrew said he hadn’t been getting in the way of others while at Casey Fields and kept his area tidy including cleaning up after his dog. He said he was also thankful for residents bringing him hot meals.

He is now staying at a site in Devon Meadows.

He said council had provided him referral information for housing assistance but when he called an agency he said there was “absolutely nothing they can do either”.

When asked if he had been offered food vouchers through council’s support service Mr Andrew said: “No, not at all. I would like

Mungo with his dog Ernie at Casey Fields before being ordered to move on. 215353 to know why they hell they’re coming up with stories like that”.

Casey Council acting safer communities manager Christian Gonzalez said council’s local laws and inclusion and wellbeing teams had supported Mr Andrew for a number of months throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns.

“We have done this through our service provider partner ERMHA who provided six outreach visits to support Mr Andrew,”

Picture: GARY SISSONS

Mr Gonzalez said.

“In addition, ERMHA has further supported Mr Andrew with food vouchers, food and dog food. Mr Andrew was offered housing options

by ERMHA and was referred to Wayss for additional housing support.

“These agencies continue to work with Mr Andrew and are available to help should he require further support.”

Mr Gonzalez said the lockdowns had ex-

acerbated the challenges faced by their most vulnerable residents, and council had taken an active and supportive role in linking community members to the services that can best help them.

Anyone experiencing hardship can visit council’s ‘community resources during coronavirus pandemic’ website: https://www. casey.vic.gov.au/community-resources-during-coronavirus-pandemic.

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STAR NEWS 7

NEWS

Covid message to get greater reach Seven Victorian ethnic communities will receive daily news bulletins regarding Covid-19, in their own language, broadcast on their local community radio station, from Wednesday 16 September.

The Victorian Government has provided funding to the National Ethnic Multicultural Broadcasters Council (NEMBC) to deliver reliable information in different languages in response to the coronavirus pandemic’s ‘second wave’ - to ensure official announcements including health warnings and updates are accessible.

The Multicultural News Service (MNS) will provide three-minute daily bulletins in seven languages: Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Pacific Islander English, Greek, Mandarin and Punjabi, with potential to include Indonesian, Vietnamese, and African communities.

The bulletin will be broadcast across 15 Victorian community stations, with over 50 playouts a week to an audience of over 600,000 people.

NEMBC Chief Executive Officer Russell Anderson said: “the funding shows that providing reliable information in ethnic languages is important for community health and a high priority.”

“We are very excited about this project. We have been very proactive in this right from the start when the pandemic broke in March this year,” Mr Anderson said.

“Community radio is one of the most effective ways to reach non-English speaking communities, and it’s so important that they have up-to-date information to limit risks of transmission and infection.”

As a response to the initial Covid-19 pandemic, in May, the NEMBC commenced production of a national daily news service off its own back.

By the end of June, over 166 five-minute news bulletins were broadcast across 29 radio stations in every state and territory across Australia per week.

The MNS news service will ensure there is a consistent flow of reliable information for multicultural communities.

The news bulletins will include headline issues, health warnings and multicultural stories.

The ‘second wave’ of Covid-19 in Victoria requires special attention for CALD communities due to the change of infection transmission, from overseas travelers to family-to-family contact and community infection.

The project has been funded by the Victorian Government CALD Communities Covid-19 Taskforce.

Afghans hit back at CHO From page 1 “Even in these communities with language barriers surely they’ve got some members of their family to explain to them and they can ask this is why so far they have complied with all the rules and regulations related to Covid-19 restrictions.”

He added the community “demands an explanation” as to why “specific mention” was made of the Afghan community and “on what basis?”.

Melbourne’s RMIT University Associate Professor of Microbiology Taghrid Istivan said the latest spike of infections in the south east was “probably“ due to people ignoring self-isolation guidelines or Covid-safe directions but warned against blaming culturally diverse communities for spreading the virus due to “multiple factors that may be considered”.

However, she said “exact measures and instructions on self-isolation may not be clearly translated and communicated to non-English speaking communities” and this “may lead to other members within the same family (contracting the virus)“.

Professor Istivan said “clear communication is the best way to prevent the spread of the virus”.

“If it is within the workplace then I would say maybe the workplace arrangement and management is not taking this so seriously,” she said.

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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NEWS

Pressure heats up on pipe

By Brendan Rees

Harkaway resident and veteran sailor John Counsell says the proposed pipeline poses potential risks to the Western Port’s ecosystems and tourism.

214122 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS of the proposed project at this stage” it did recommend that a “no build option” be considered after citing “several concerns”.

This included the overall rationale of the project, impacts to landowners, land and marine environment, agricultural land within the green wedge, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposed project also threatened fauna such as Southern Brown Bandicoot and Growling Grass Frog within the Western Port Green Wedge in Casey, the report said.

Mr Boardman said by drafting a report that provides “factual evidence” and “looks clearly from the viewpoint” of all issues raised in the EES following extensive community consultation, “I think that balance has been achieved quite nicely”.

According to the EES statement, two pipeline alignment variants were assessed between Crib Point and APA’s Dandenong South LNG Facility but “further investigation and field verification identified this corridor as highly constrained, due to the pattern of development, urban growth and industrial subdivision in these areas”.

Meanwhile, Hastings Liberal MP Neale Burgess has called on the Planning Minister to reverse his decision not to extend the current public exhibition period of the EES. “Both stage-three and stage-four lockdowns have made it impossible for residents to meet face to face and hold working groups or public meetings to discuss this enormous and complex EES,” he said.

Casey Council will present the issues raised in their submission at an inquiry and advisory committee public hearing starting 12 October.

Our offices continue to be available during Stage 4 restrictions providing you with the extra support you may need.

A map of the proposed pipeline’s land use.

Picture: GAS IMPORT JETTY AND PIPELINE PROJECT

12458111-SN36-20

A prominent environmental group has added its voice to a rallying cry to oppose a controversial gas pipeline project that proposes to cut through properties in Casey.

The Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Foundation, a not-for-profit group, has opposed energy giant AGL’s proposal to build a 57-kilometre pipeline to Pakenham, saying marine and terrestrial life along with regional communities “would have to bear the costs”, which it deemed “unacceptable”.

The project also proposes to build a liquefied natural gas floating storage unit at Crib Point jetty - which is touted as a solution to meet a predicted shortfall in gas supply by 2024.

Under the plans, about 14.3km of the pipeline would impact properties in Clyde, Cannons Creek, Devon Meadows, Pearcedale and Tooradin, which farmers have signalled would pose environmental effects.

The Foundation’s chair Jo McCoy said it was important project such as this were “subjected to real scrutiny” and the environment of Western Port cannot be “treated lightly” after it found “short-comings and misrepresentations” in response to AGL and APA Group’s recently released Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the project, which was made at the direction of the Planning Minister and details the range of potential impacts on vegetation, wildlife, marine life and Aboriginal heritage.

“Quite apart from investing in a fossil fuel project rather than renewables in the first place, a huge gas-filled ship permanently moored in the middle of an internationally protected Ramsar wetland is not a good idea,” Ms McCoy said.

John Counsell, a 76-year-old Harkaway resident, who has a life-long affiliation with the Western Port, said the Western Port “must not be put at risk of becoming collateral damage”.

The veteran sailor who docked at Flinders following a 13-month voyage from England with his wife in 1977, said he had concerns the project would impact the “healthy, relatively pristine surrounds” of the Western Port.

Last month Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors voted to oppose the project saying it “poses an unacceptable risk to the environment for unproven economic and resource gains”.

Cardinia Shire Council also opposed the EES in its current form after the community wasn’t “adequately consulted”.

The issue was discussed at Casey Council’s 18 August meeting, where council administrator Cameron Boardman accused Mornington Peninsula Shire of being “quite irresponsible” in its submission, saying it contained a “complete absence” of any “reason or rational of why the project is going ahead” - which was in “complete contrast” to Casey’s submission which took a more “holistic” approach.

Casey Council’s submission, which was endorsed at the meeting, said although it “has no stated position on the efficacy or justification

.

Please do not hesitate to email or phone and we will do our best to assist you.

/BradBattinMP 5953 0216

www.bradbattin.com.au brad.battin@parliament.vic.gov.au

Edward O’Donohue MLC LIBERAL STATE MEMBER FOR EASTERN VICTORIA

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edward.o’donohue@parliament.vic.gov.au

Authorised by Brad Battin MP 3/445 Princes HWY OFFICER 3809 and Edward O’Donohue 51 James St Pakenham 3810. Funded from the Parliamentary Budget.

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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STAR NEWS 9

NEWS

Fun and games are back!

By Brendan Rees It’s the moment they’ve been waiting for so long.

Fun and smiles were back on as playgrounds reopened across the state on Monday 14 September as lockdown restrictions eased slightly.

Children have been seriously affected by not being able to play outside with their friends, Play Australia chief executive Barbara Champion said.

“Playing outdoors every day is essential to their long-term healthy development, in particular their physical and mental health,” she said.

“And so we encourage Victorian families to get outside to play as often as possible. Your children will thank you in later life if you make the time to visit your local playgrounds and green spaces.”

Vanessa Watson of Lynbrook was among many parents to flock to playgrounds with their children in Casey under blue skies on Monday.

She attended Banjo Paterson Park with her three-year-old daughter Alexis who ran “at full speed towards the slide”.

“It’s been very difficult to tell her the playground is closed because of ‘the germs’,” she said. “She doesn’t get it and at three that’s no surprise. She was very excited when we arrived at the park.”

Ms Watson said Alexis was “very happy and didn’t want to leave”.

“She has missed so much and it’s been very boring at times for her as it’s difficult to entertain a three-year-old every day without going places or seeing people.

“The other things she’s really missed is the beach, it’s outside our five kilometres. So hopefully this summer we can have lots of picnics in parks (with playgrounds) and spend some time at the beach.”

Alexis with her mum Vanessa at Banjo Paterson Park in Lynbrook. 215537

All smiles: Charlie, Eliza, Jai, Tara, Alexis and Rylee. 215537

Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Eliza, 14, on the fitness equipment at Banjo Paterson Park. 215537

Back Zoey, Heidi, Rylee and Jai front Alexis, Charlie and Eliza. 215537

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Picnic favourite trashed

By Mitchell Clarke A former popular picnic site has become a haven for homeless people, drug deals and rubbish dumping in recent years after it was “abandoned” by Parks Victoria.

Bob’s Park, near Aura Vale Lake, was closed to the public in 2008, and has become a popular place for people to drink alcohol and take drugs, with rough sleepers reportedly seeking refuge in a dilapidated toilet block.

Local Troy Henson grew up visiting the once-popular park in the 1980s, when it used to be filled with families in the summer months.

“It’s always been a place that’s been very familiar with me. As a kid growing up we spent many summers at Aura Vale Lake and Bob’s Park,” Mr Henson explained.

“I have so many vivid memories of how busy the place used to be with families, picnics, kayaking, swimming - it was awesome.”

But over the past decade, both sites have rapidly deteriorated, with Mr Henson describing Aura Vale Lake as “unkempt” and Bob’s Park as “far worse”.

“These two places once served the community and gave people a place to go and escape the heat during summer and picnic during the cooler months,” he said.

“They’re now derelict and look like abandoned landscapes from an old movie.

“The place is trashed. It has been abandoned, with no sign of anyone taking any sort of care at all.”

Bob’s Park was closed by Parks Victoria to focus on maintaining the “more popular” Aura Vale and Cardinia Reservoir Parklands.

While the front gate of Bob’s Park is locked to vehicles, the site can still be accessed by foot, and it appears the site is frequently visited for the wrong reasons.

“The old BBQ facilities are overgrown, an old information shelter has been ruined and graffitied, and an old toilet block was trashed and graffitied, with syringes left laying around,” Mr Henson explained.

“For me, it’s quite a personal thing.

“I spent a lot of time with my family in the outdoors and I want to build memories with my kids, so when I go back and visit places where I have such fond memories, to see the state they’re in, it’s quite heartbreaking.”

A Parks Victoria spokesperson said rangers regularly patrolled Bob’s Park in a bid to “discourage anti-social behaviour”.

They said they were aware of rubbish dumping at the site in recent times and said it was an issue which diverted time and resources.

Post Covid-19, Mr Henson believes a working bee is needed at both sites as a starting point, with hopes the parks could one day become a family friendly picnic spot again.

“Absolutely, if it was able to receive the right type of funding or resources, I don’t see why it couldn’t be brought back to it’s glory,” he said.

Rubbish dumping should be reported to Parks Victoria on 13 19 63.

Parks Victoria have been accused of abandoning the site. 214890

A trashed toilet block at Bobs Park. 214890

Troy Henson outside the toilet block at Bobs Park. 214890

A syringe found in the Bobs Park toilet block.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

214890

A barbecue at Bobs Park was targeted by vandals. 214890

Cut trees at Bobs Park are a potential bushfire risk. 214890

Aura Vale Lake has been ‘abandoned’ by Parks Victoria. 214890

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Aura Vale Lake was a popular picnic spot for families in the 80s. 214890

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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STAR NEWS 11

NEWS

Easy steps for wellness

By Danielle Kutchel After experiencing the “lonely road” of mental ill-health, Jetha Devapura decided the time was right to help others navigate their own mental health journey.

Sri Lankan-born Mr Devapura says that 20 years ago, stigma stopped him from reaching out to have a chat with his friends and family about his feelings.

Mr Devapura helped found Lifeline Sri Lanka 10 years ago and was justifiably proud of the achievement, which provided people with an avenue to open up to.

But that begged the question: “why are people calling Lifeline?”

“The answer was, people are scared of being judged. They’d rather talk to someone they don’t know or can’t see than their own family and friends,” Mr Devapura said.

His solution was simple: to get people to talk to those they love.

From this idea, Let’s Talk was born.

Let’s Talk is an acronym: it stands for Letting Everyone Talk Safely, and Tell, Acknowledge, Listen and Keep in Touch.

Mr Devapura now runs workshops in schools and workplaces, espousing the strategies of TALK. It’s not just about inviting a friend to chat, he stresses: it’s about actively listening to their problems and providing them with a pathway of assistance, including a referral to professional help if necessary.

“It’s a make or break situation,” he says.

“Once someone opens up, the first words out of your mouth can make or break a conversation.”

His vision is to create an environment of psychological safety in homes, schools, uni-

Jetha, centre, and his wife and children with volunteers from the campaign. versities and workplaces within the community - “where vulnerability is seen as a strength and not necessarily as a weakness” and where people feel empowered to talk about what they’re experiencing.

He knows that this will involve a big cultural shift, including removing the stigma around

mental health.

“I may not see it fully in my lifetime, but it’s definitely something I want to advocate for, almost demand,” he said.

With more people experiencing mental distress, he’s begun a campaign to help promote better conversations around mental health:

Let’s Talk and Walk.

Let’s Talk and Walk doesn’t take place on a specific day, but rather is designed to be incorporated into everyday life - and it’s as simple as just inviting a friend or family member for a walk, and letting them talk.

The movement aims to create meaningful connections through what’s discussed, and help people to break down the stigma attached to mental health. While he has similar aims to R U OK Day, Mr Devapura says his movement is more about remaining open-ended and open-minded to the signs and issues that may come out of a conversation about mental health.

Mr Devapura would like to see Let’s Talk incorporated into the curriculum and become as normal within any organisation as OH& S. He describes Let’s Talk as a “language solution to a mental health problem”.

“If we teach our kids that this is the normal language of asking for help, of approaching someone and asking how they’re doing or acknowledging them, it becomes the language of the future,” he says.

“We need to break the stigma,” he says.

“We need to come back to the root cause [of suicide], and the root cause is about making people feel safe to talk.

“You’ve been given two eyes, two ears, a brain and a heart - use the assets you’ve been given to ask the questions!”

For more information about Let’s Talk and Walk, visit www.letstalkprogram.org/letstalkand-walk If this story brings up any issues for you, please contact: Lifeline on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au

Pick up a real taste treat: Premium dining at home

By Danielle Kutchel The team at MPD Steak Kitchen Berwick have used the lockdown to their advantage, coming up with ever more creative ways to bring their unique dining experience into homes across the south-east.

Led by executive chef Chris Bonello and restaurant manager Marcus Fabian, each week the team spends time brainstorming their new ideas.

The result is a swathe of new options that bring MPD’s famed food right to your own table.

According to Chris, the team was driven by the desire to “do something different” during Melbourne’s first lockdown earlier in the year.

They settled on a heat and eat concept something that still carries the premium restaurant experience, but is easy to finish off at home.

Diners are provided with instructions to finish off their dish, either in the oven or in a pot of boiling water.

Marcus has come up with four signature cocktail jugs that can also be ordered to complete the meal.

After the lockdown was eased, MPD opened back up to in-house guests - only to have to close their doors again when the second lockdown was announced.

With their food supplies already ordered, the restaurant decided to continue their heat and eat concept and add a new dimension to the menu in the form of ready-to-eat takeaway meals.

The whole menu was offered for either pick up or delivery by MPD staff within a 12.5 kilometre radius, with customers now able to enjoy favourites like the butcher’s block and beef wellington from the comfort of their own home.

And it hasn’t stopped there.

This week, MPD is excited to launch their new gift shop, featuring a series of celebration packages perfect to order for a distant friend or family member, or to enjoy at home yourself.

A gentlemen’s pack, a lady’s pack and an anniversary pack will be the first on of12 STAR NEWS

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fer, each accompanied by perfectly tailored cocktails. The men’s pack, for example, will contained an Old Fashioned, while the lady’s pack will include a Cosmopolitan and an apple and elderflower martini.

Marcus says the packs will make perfect gifts to let loved ones know you’re thinking of them during lockdown, with each one created with the freshest seasonal ingredients.

They will be available for delivery within a 35km radius.

Diners need not be concerned about their food going cold over this distance; the team has invested in high-tech packaging to ensure your food stays as hot and delicious as it was when it left the kitchen.

“Quality is our number one priority,” Chris says.

Contactless pickup is available for those that live near the restaurant.

Chris says the support of the local community has been instrumental in allowing them to give these new concepts a go, ensuring that all staff still have their jobs.

“We’re making someone’s day by giving them the MPD experience at home. That’s the bonus on top,” he says.

Thursday, 17 September, 2020

The MPD Butcher’s Block.

MPD’s heat and eat and takeaway options bring their premium restaurant meals to your home.

Delicious burgers, fresh from the kitchen.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

MPD Steak Kitchen Berwick is open from 12pm until 8pm for delivery, and until 7.30 for pick up with lunch specials available

from 12pm-3pm.

Find out more at www.mpdsteakkitchen. com berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

|

STAR NEWS 13

RECIPES

TASTY RUMP STEAK SANDWICH Looking to wheel the barbecue out for spring?

Why not try this quick and tasty rumpsteak sandwich, with beetroot relish, Ciabatta and tasty baby rocket leave straight from the garden.

For more tasty beef recipes head to australianbeef.com.au.

Ingredients 500g rump steak one large red onion cut in half and sliced 2tbsp olive oil ½ beetroot relish Ciabatta loaf sliced through the middle and quartered 80g baby rocket leaves two tomatoes sliced four slices of tasty cheese salt and cracked black pepper to taste

· · · · · · · · ·

Method 1. Preheat a barbecue flat-plate or chargrill pan to hot. Brush steaks with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 - 3 minutes per side or until cooked to your liking. Remove steaks from heat and cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes.

2. While steaks are resting decrease heat to medium and cook onion with remaining olive oil on one side of the barbecue flat-plate, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until softened and lightly golden. Toast ciabatta on the other side of the barbecue until toasted.

3. Trim cooked steaks of any excess fat and slice steaks thinly against the grain.

4. Spread relish across bread bases and top with rocket, tomato, cheese, sliced steak, onions and bread tops. Serve with a salad.

Tasty and quick this breakfast looks as good as it tastes.

Rump steak barbecued and cut thinly makes the perfect steak sandwhich. 215414

QUICK FRITTERS

AVOCADO CACAO ENERGY BARS

Quick and filling these zucchini fritters with Portabella mushrooms and poached egg are the perfect weekend breakfast or Sunday night meal.

With tasty halloumi cheese, green onions and cherry tomatoes it not only tastes great but looks pretty on the plate if you get a chance to have people over.

Looking for the perfect energy snack without all the nasties?

These Avocado-cacao energy bars are nutrient-rich and energy dense and perfect for a postworkout snack for those of us getting out and working on slimming down after winter!

Quick and easy to put together - this recipe created Australian Avocados uses Hass Avocadoes and will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

AVOCADO-CACAO ENERGY BARS Method 1. Lightly oil a 20cm square cake tin, then line with baking paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides by a few centimetres (this will make it easier to lift the slice from the tin).

2. Pulse Hass avocado, dates, nuts and coconut oil in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary, until incorporated.

Add chia seeds, cacao powder and coconut, pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl, add mixed seeds, cacao nibs and ½ tsp sea salt, mix well then press evenly into prepared tin. Smooth the top, scatter with a little extra coconut and press into the surface. Refrigerate overnight until firm.

3. Use the paper to lift the slice from the tin, then cut into bars and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

- Created by Australian Avocados

Prep time 15 mins Makes about 10 bars Ingredients Hass avocado, pitted, flesh scooped out · 1andlarge coarsely chopped · 250 gm (1 ½ cups) pitted dates mixed toasted nuts, such as almonds, pista· ¾chioscupand pecans, coarsely chopped · ¼ cup (60g) melted coconut oil · ½ cup chia seeds · ½ cup cacao powder · ½ cup coconut flakes, plus extra to sprinkle seeds, such as sunflower seeds, flax· ½seedcupandmixed pepitas · ¼ cup cacao nibs

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS AND POACHED EGG Prep: 10 mins Cook: 15 mins Serves: 4 Makes: 8 fritters

Avocado and Cacao Energy bars - all of the energy without the nasties.

GREEN GODDESS FRESHNESS The simplest things are often the best.

This fresh-as salad sandwich amps up the flavour stakes with a flavour-packed green goddess made even better by using creamy Hass avocado as the base, instead of the more common mayo.

Pile on your favourite crisp and crunchy salad ingredients, and of course, more avocado. You’ll be glad you did.

GREEN-IS-GOOD AVOCADO SALAD SANDWICHES Prep time 15 mins Makes 4 sandwiches 8 slices seeded sandwich or sourdough bread Ingredients 2 ripe Hass avocados, halved, stones removed, flesh scooped out and sliced ½ cup crumbled feta (about 80g) 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced ½ baby cos lettuce, leaves separated and coarsely torn ½cup baby spinach leaves ¼ cup mint leaves Lemon juice, to taste

· · · · · · ·

AVOCADO GREEN GODDESS DRESSING Ingredients ripe Hass avocados, halved, stones removed, flesh · 2scooped out and coarsely chopped · ½ cup each basil leaves and flat-leaf parsley leaves · Juice of 1 lemon · 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar · 1 spring onion, coarsely chopped · 1 garlic clove

Method 1.To make the green goddess dressing, blend ingredients in a food processor or blender until silky smooth, season to taste and set aside. Green goddess dressing will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

2.Spread half the bread slices thickly with green

goddess dressing, then top with sliced Hass avocado, feta, lettuce, baby spinach and mint leaves.

Squeeze over lemon juice, season to taste and sandwich with remaining bread slices and serve for the freshest lunch.

- Created by Australian Avocados

Ingredients 4 (240g) Portabella Mushrooms, thickly sliced 50g butter 240g truss cherry tomatoes, cut into 4 lengths 1/3 cup olive oil 350g zucchini, grated 100g halloumi cheese, chopped 1 tsp sweet paprika 2 green onions, thinly sliced 6 eggs ½ cup (75g) self raising flour 1/3 cup (75ml) milk

· · · · · · · · · · ·

Method 1. Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place cherry tomatoes on the baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until tomatoes are softened.

3. Using hands squeeze zucchini to remove any excess liquid. Combine zucchini, halloumi, paprika and green onion in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Combine flour, 2 eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Add zucchini mixture and stir gently until combine.

4. Heat one third of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Drop ¼ cups of the fritter mixture into pan and cook, in batches, for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through.

5. Meanwhile, poach remaining 4 eggs in a pan of simmering water for 4-5 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

6. Place zucchini fritters on plate, top with mushrooms, poached egg and cherry tomatoes to serve.

Green is good sandwhiches.

14 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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NEWS

Jobseeker skills boost

By Jessica Anstice

Casey Cardinia Libraries CEO Chris Buckingham said people across the region are doing it tough. and we are delighted that, through this ongoing partnership, residents will be able to access such high-quality training at no expense.”

Cardinia Shire Council mayor Jeff Springfield said, “We know local businesses and those seeking employment are finding it dif-

ficult, especially with the impact of Covid-19.

“Up-skilling and learning new skills while staying at home, is one way Council is trying to assist business operators, employees and jobseekers for future markets and opportunities.”

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Residents who are not already library members can sign up online https://www.cclc.vic. gov.au/.

LinkedIn Learning can be accessed via the Casey Cardinia Libraries website https://www. cclc.vic.gov.au/online-resources/lynda-com/.

9707-1511

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P: 9707 1188 New takeaway menu running now. For menu and specials go to www.cardiniaparkhotel.com.au or Cardinia Park Hotel 200 Beaconsfield-Emerald Rd, Beaconsfield

Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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Casey and Cardinia Shire residents will be able to access free high quality training as part of Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning’s global skills initiative.

Thanks to a partnership between the City of Casey, Cardinia Shire Council and Casey Cardinia Libraries, locals will be able to learn new digital skills through a range of courses that will be made available.

Courses will focus on gaining skills for the top 10 in-demand jobs for the future.

Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning identified the most in-demand jobs being software developer, sales representative, project manager, IT administrator, customer service specialist, digital marketer, IT support, data analyst, financial analyst and graphic designer.

“People across the region are doing it tough,” Casey Cardinia Libraries CEO Chris Buckingham said.

“This free training offered via LinkedIn Learning will help people trying to get back into employment through re-skilling.

“All you need to get free access to high quality online training is your library membership details.”

City of Casey’s administrators chair Noelene Duff echoed Mr Buckingham’s statement.

“Amid such widespread disruption, this initiative will be invaluable for those seeking a new career in industries gaining momentum or looking to build their current skills,” she said.

“Council is committed to supporting our community throughout this challenging time

STAR NEWS 15

NEWS

Elderly left out of the loop

By Mitchell Clarke Critical works to remove the congested Cardinia Road and Clyde Road level crossings has continued throughout stage four restrictions, however, vital mailed out project information has been deemed non-essential.

According to the Level Crossing Removal Project, printed works notices and information can’t be delivered through the mail, despite claims that Labor MPs were still delivering electorate newsletters to letterboxes during Stage 4 restrictions.

Liberal Gembrook MP Brad Battin said it was “vital” that residents received up to date information on the progress of the project and interruptions caused to their local streets regardless of restrictions.

Mr Battin said it was “very concerning” for elderly residents who didn’t have access to internet, particularly those living in aged care facilities near the Clyde Road project.

“It is a disgrace that the elderly and most vulnerable in our community will not be updated on service interruptions or changes to the project during Stage 4 restrictions,” he said.

“Mail is able to be delivered at this time and it is a disgrace the Andrews Labor Government are using Covid-19 as an excuse to not provide important updates to those in the local community who will be most affected by the project and its construction.”

It’s understood Mr Battin will write to the relevant Minister in a bid to ensure that anyone bordering the project is contacted via mail.

Survey works along the rail corridor at Clyde Road level crossing.

Labor Bass MP Jordan Crugnale said letterbox drops and door knocks had been paused but would continue as soon as the expert health advice allowed it.

“We have increased our public messaging on electronic signs and posters around project sites to keep locals informed of all works and disruptions,” Ms Crugnale said.

Large mail outs sent through Australia Post

Picture: LEVEL CROSSING REMOVAL PROJECT

can often take up to a month to arrive, meaning the material could often be outdated by the time it got to the resident.

Ms Crugnale added that she was not aware of mass electorate material being sent from Labor MPs. She said brochures with Covid-19 information were letterbox dropped in June, prior to Stage 4 restrictions.

“I send out a personalised welcome letter to people who are new to the area or the electoral roll. This is done every few months, the last being around mid August,” she explained.

“In terms of electorate wide mail outs, I have not done any since early June.”

Residents without internet access can contact the Level Crossings Contact Centre on 1800 105 105.

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To arrange free home delivery for your prescriptions and over the counter products including skin care and cosmetics simply call the store. There’s also the convenience of Click and Collect, head to the Priceline website for details.

Conditions apply.

Phone: Secretary Chris McKenna 0455 556 437 or visit: www.berwickRSL.org.au We will keep you updated as to when we are back to business as normal.

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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STAR NEWS 17

NEWS

ENROL NOW 12459910-DL36-20

for 2021 Prep-Year 6

harkawayhills.vic.edu.au Maria and Janette with some of their young charges at Kool Kidz Narre Warren.

Families are a key focus

ENROL FOR 2021 CARING & FAMILY FRIENDLY

Phone 9705 1532 to speak with Janette or Maria to ENROL NOW 17 Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren www.koolkidznarrewarren.com.au

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Kool Kidz Narre Warren is a purpose-built Early Learning, Childcare and Kindergarten facility that provides a safe, fun and exciting environment to explore, learn and grow in for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years.

Kool Kidz Childcare Centre in Narre Warren continues to grow and expand as more and more families discover the care and passion of mother and daughter owners, Janette Karavatis and Maria Dimoulas.

Both women love children and realised a long held dream when the doors of Kool Kidz Narre Warren opened in February 2019.

Maria has a degree in early childhood education and a post graduate qualification in teaching children with special needs.

Janette has also worked in childcare for more than a decade.

Janette and Maria looked at various childcare models before settling on Kool Kidz.

“The standards are so high in terms of the curriculum and the support we receive,” Janette said.

Kool Kidz Narre Warren has capacity for 130 children.

“We are a family run business, looking after your family,” said Janette, who encourages parents to pop in for a tour of the centre.

“Maria and I both love children and, as we have a passion for this area, we want to give our best to the community.”

SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE • Australian FLL Robotics Champions 2013 and Victorian FLL Robotics Champions 2015 • Radio program and film making • Beautiful Sensory & Community Gardens • Augmented Reality Extension Program • Whole school LOTE Mandarin program

Kevin Heinze Best School Garden Award 2018 P: 9707 1766 F: 9796 2198 E: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Visit our website and check out the virtual tour and enrolment details. www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au 12459513-NG36-20

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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FOCUS ON … EARLY LEARNING AND PRIMARY

A nurturing environment

Heritage College early learning students are part of a supportive larger community. nership with the primary school, ensures a smooth handover into your child’s first year of Prep when ready. Throughout the year,

your child will develop school readiness skills through structured learning activities.

Help your child move into early learning

with confidence. Contactless enrolments are available during the restriction period. To find out more, visit heritagecollege.vic.edu.au/elc

12461290-CG38-20

Selecting an Early Learning Centre for your child is a choice that is often accompanied by other changes, for example, a return to work by the primary caregiver.

Heritage College understands that moving into the early years of learning can be filled with lots of questions, so their caring, nurturing staff are on hand to provide support and assistance throughout the enrolment process and beyond.

The Early Learning Centres form part of a larger college community at Heritage College, a co-educational private Christian college, providing education from Early Years - Year 12. Located in two vibrant campus locations, Narre Warren South campus delivers education from Early Learning-Year 6 and Officer campus delivers Early Learning - Year 12.

During school term, Early Learners utilise the campus grounds and participate in shared sporting and other college events. Being part of a larger college community means your child will enjoy opportunities at a younger age, including music, science, art, sport and language.

With the popular Bush Kinder program and a focus on play-based learning, educators encourage creativity, curiosity and exploration every day. By fostering a love of learning in a positive environment at an early age, your child will be inspired to continue their lifelong journey of learning.

Heritage College students form friendships that continue from early learning through to primary years and beyond. Every child is paired with a buddy from Year 5 and takes part in a wide range of fun and inspiring primary school activities. It’s all about feeling supported, secure and confident as part of a bigger community.

A pathway into Prep, delivered in part-

Head start Our Early Learning Centre offers a warm and inviting learning environment, with structure tailored play-based development.

StMargarets.vic.edu.au

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Purposely designed to build your child’s curiosity, providing each learner with a foundation to become engaged and purposeful in their education from the earliest opportunity.

Non-Selective | Non-Denominational Small Classes | Co-Educational ELC and Junior School Dedicated Senior Girls and Boys Schools

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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STAR NEWS 19

NEWS

The case for a budget

For any queries contact 0410 422 541

HELLENIC SNACKPACKS Seasoned chicken or lamb gyro, slow cooked & served on a bed of seasoned fries, finished with our homemade garlic sauce. Let Yanni know if you’d like to add chili or bbq sauce.

CHICKEN Reg $25 or large (for 2) $38

LAMB SHOULDER Reg $27 or large (for 2) $40

MIXED Reg $25 or large (for 2) $38

THE VEGETARIAN 6 Delicious falafel served with yanni’s hand cut fried lemon and herb potatoes,greek salad, eggplant dip and pita bread

For those business owners who already have a budget defined for their business, the idea that you can do without one may seem crazy but I still come across many SMEs where this is the case. Maybe it’s because the thinking is that budgets are only required for bigger businesses or perhaps it’s due to the fact that “numbers aren’t the business owner’s thing”, but irrespective, doing without one means missing out on a key way to properly manage the business and at the same time reduce stress.

A couple of years ago, I was working with a client who is extremely capable in her field and also has a couple of expensive hobbies requiring on-going financial support. While she is very competent in her professional work, she readily admitted that she didn’t like the financials side of business and since she was not sure how to interpret the monthly financial reports she received, the regular financial commitment to her hobby was causing a level of personal stress.

While the thought of doing anything remotely mathematical might have the same appeal as root canal surgery, in reality defining and maintaining a budget is actually very easy to do, makes decision-making easier and will actually alleviate stress.

Why is decision-making easier? Well when you define a budget for the business, you specifically allocate a fixed amount to outgoings and for those that are “investments” (i.e. should give you a return on your expenditure) such as personal development, training and marketing, assuming the budget balances, you can assign an appropriate amount of money.

Without any such budget, when the opportunity arises to spend money on these items, how do you know whether you can afford it or not? When a budget in place, the question then becomes: “am I going to get a sufficient return on the cash I have allocated for this?”.

According to Confucius: “Study the past if you would define the future”, and so an easy way to create a budget from scratch is to simply get a ‘Profit and Loss’ report for the last financial year (this is a standard report from any financial package and your accountant

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH will need to produce this for tax purposes) and base your new budget on this.

The P&L report will be divided up into Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), Gross Profit (Revenue – COGS), (detailed) Expenses and Net Operating Profit (Gross Profit – Expenses) and using the figures from the previous financial year, you can simply determine what you believe you expect to happen in the new financial year, i.e. do you expect more sales or less, can you save money on some of your outgoings and what new expenses might you incur?

Three key things to keep in mind here: 1. Be conservative – it’s no good doing a “sunny day scenario” budget, you need to expect that you may not sell as much as you had hoped and/or don’t cut expenses unless you have an idea how to actually do this 2. Factor in wages and super for yourself and 3. Ensure that your budget forecasts a positive Net Operating Profit! If it doesn’t, you will need to look at additional revenue possibilities and/or ways to save on expenses.

Once you have figures for the entire year, then an easy way to create a monthly budget is to simply divide each total figure by 12 and allocate this amount per month. It won’t be perfect, but it should be close enough. Having done this, you can then compare what you actually achieve each month (by looking at your monthly P&L statement)with your budgeted amount to see if you are on track or not.

There are a number of other things that can be done to monitor and predict financial performance of the business, but having a defined budget is the best place to start.

Ian Ash is the Managing Director OrgMent Business Solutions - www.ombs.com.au

KITCHEN A selection of Yanni’s fancy meals

YANNI’S MEATBALLS Yanni loves his balls! Beef Meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce served with our famous lemon & herb fried Potatoes and a greek salad $25.

OPEN SOUVLAKI (CHICKEN, LAMB SHOULDER OR MIXED) Slow cooked & seasoned meat served with a side of greek salad, Pita bread, garlic sauce and fries. $25

TRAY OF SEASONED CHICKEN GYRO A tray of our Deliciously cut & Seasoned gyro meat Cooked to perfection.

Reg $18 lrg $30

GREEK SALAD Fresh lettuce, tomato, Cucumber, onions, olives And feta; finished with our Homemade greek dressing $19.

CHICKEN SHASHLIK Marinated grilled chicken Skewers drizzled with tangy Bbq sauce, side salad and Yanni’s hand cut lemon and Herb fried potatoes. $25

TRAY OF SEASONED LAMB SHOULDER GYRO A tray of our deliciously Cut & seasoned lamb Shoulder gyro meat cooked to perfection.

Reg $20 lrg $32

SIDES Yanni highly recommends, the perfect pairings for a Mediteraenean Feast

YANNI’S HAND CUT FRIED POTATOES Lemon & herb, sweet paprika salted or chilli zest salted $12

TIA’S TZATZIKI OR Melitzanosalata dip (Eggplant) Aunties secret recipe $8

FRESH PITA BREAD Only the best $4

YIA YIA’S DOLMADES (6PCS) Rolled grape leaves stuffed with our herb-y rice mix drizzled in olive oil & lemon juice $10

SEASONED CHIPS Mixed herbs seasoned hot chips $12

EXTRAS Tangy bbq sauce, matinia’s chili sauce or house made garlic sauce

Police will issue a $495 fine for first time drug driver offenders.

Drug-drivers feel the heat Drug drivers will receive on-the-spot fines and be banned from driving even longer.

Previously police had to wait up to months for the results of a laboratory analysis before issuing drug-affected drivers with fines. Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy described the delayed process as “seriously concerning” as offending drivers could continue driving.

But under a new state-wide trial set to start this week, drug drivers who commit their first offence will now be issued a $495 infringement notice at the time of their offending.

They will also be banned from driving for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 24 hours - before their licence is officially suspended or cancelled following laboratory testing.

“Until now, police would have to wait for a toxicology certificate before issuing a drug driver with an infringement notice and the subsequent imposition of a six-month licence suspension”, Ms Murphy said.

“You should not and do not have the privilege to drive a vehicle if you have drugs in your system, so we’re taking steps to remove that privilege a lot faster if you’re caught doing the wrong thing.”

Drivers still have the option to exercise their rights to challenge their fine through the court process.

Ms Murphy said technology and processes used in its roadside drug testing program were extremely accurate but reassured infringements would be withdrawn if laboratory testing detected an error.

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FOCUS ON … TAX TIME

Tax tips for students

Bringing together more than 20 years of combined experience in accounting and taxation services, SPS Business Consultants offers various accounting, taxation and bookkeeping services for businesses across many industries.

The team of CPAs, registered tax agents and qualified accountants at SPS provides highly qualified accounting and tax advice with an emphasis on integrity, professionalism and trust with clients.

Over the years, SPS has steadily built and grown its accounting practice and expanded to key markets. Assistance is available in the following areas but is certainly not limited to: Preparation of Financial Reports Analysing Business Structures Tax Effective Strategies Budgets and Cashflow Projections ATO Liaison GST Advice BAS Statement Preparation Bookkeeping Services Business Structure Superannuation Advice Workcover PAYG Requirements Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) SPS realises that most business owners don’t really understand how their businesses have been set up, or whether their business has been organised to give them the best tax benefits, or whether their family’s assets are protected from business risks.

That’s why the first thing SPS will perform is a review of your existing structures to ensure their tax and asset protection efficiency. Once the correct structures are in place, SPS will set about making it easier for you to stay on top of your business and record keeping by helping you implement appropriate accounting sys-

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

tem such as Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks.

SPS offers fixed price bookkeeping and accounting solutions for your business. You can have the peace of mind by knowing that there are no hidden costs. All their proposals are tailored towards your own business.

Even if you have never done bookkeeping before, SPS will go through all the past data and get you up and running. They can untangle many years’ worth of bookkeeping to get you back on track. No job is too big for SPS! Don’t worry about dealing with the tax office. Never be late with your tax return lodgements ever again. SPS will not only minimize tax for you, but do everything related to handling them, on your behalf, while streamlining accounting and bookkeeping services to help you keep all your work on track.

SPS Business Consultants has helping small and medium business all over Melbourne for over five years. Director and principal accountant Sasi has a wealth of experience from diverse industry sectors, helping small to medium businesses to achieve their business goals. He is a Xero Certified Advisor and has an excellent reputation in providing proven taxation and accounting services to a wide range of clients for over 13 years.

Prior to forming SPS Business Consultants, he worked as senior tax manager for seven years handling the various client portfolios where he focused on financial reporting, budget analysis, ATO compliance, and cash flow forecasting.

SPS has more than 300 happy customers spread across a variety of industries and with business sizes ranging from $30,000 a year to $10,000,000 a year.

If your business could benefit from their expert advice, contact SPS Business Consultants on 9904 9261 or visit www.spsconsultants. com.au

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

clude income from running social media accounts or selling goods and services online.

Know your deductions, including work related expenses or self-education expenses. Remember self-education must be directly related to your work and that HELP debt repayments are not deductible.

Remember that income can include payments you receive in tips, cryptocurrency and through barter transactions.

Report any gains or losses from cryptocurrencies, especially because the ATO is data-matching information received from digital exchanges.

Get your residency for tax purposes right as the tax rules are different to those used for immigration Check that you are getting your superannuation entitlements if you earn more than $450 per month or, if you are under 18 and you work more than 30 hours per week.

Consider the special rules related to tax if you are under 18, for income such as trust distributions, interest, dividends, rent and royalties.

Individual Tax Returns Property Investors Companies & Trusts Self Managed Super Funds Tax Returns Online

12459597-SN36-20

Expert help for business

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Left to right: Darshan Shanmuganathan, Sasi Subramaniyam and Sudesh Gamage of SPS Business Consultants.

If you are a student, lodging an income tax return may seem a bit daunting. Parents who may be helping can also find it challenging. JobKeeper brought a boost to many casual workers by increasing their income to $750 per week and students should remember that this income is subject to tax.

CPA Australia’s tax policy adviser Elinor Kasapidis said that “while studying is probably your highest priority, many students take on part-time work, including small cash jobs, or might receive government payments or scholarships to assist during their studies. You might be more entrepreneurial and have started selling products or investing in financial assets on the side. Many forms of income come with tax consequences so it’s best to get advice if you’re unsure.

“You might also find that you have had tax withheld from payments to you, so you’ll need to lodge a tax return to get any amounts that should be refunded back to you.”

Top 10 tax tips for students 1. If you have had tax withheld from your salary or interest and your taxable income is below the tax-free threshold, lodge a return to get those amounts refunded back to you.

2. Set up your myGov account to access government services and get your income statement and superannuation information from your employer.

3. Identify all your sources of income, such as income from work including tips, investment returns, certain government payments, non-government scholarships, grants and awards, as well as distributions from family trusts or partnerships.

4. Report income and claim expenses from gig economy jobs. This can in-

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CRANBOURNE NORTH VIC 3977 03 9709 2600 • 9 32/28 Gloucester Ave, Berwick

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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STAR NEWS 21

NEWS

Tree fright for couple

By Brendan Rees A couple has woken with a shock after a large tree came crashing at the front of their Cranbourne South home following strong winds on Sunday morning 13 September.

Narre Warren State Emergency Service volunteers were called to the property at 7am where they spent three hours using pole saws and chainsaws cutting and clearing the conifer tree.

SES spokeswoman Tracey Hayward said it was “extremely lucky because the actual tree itself hadn’t hit the house”.

“One more metre and it could’ve actually done a lot more damage to their home,” she said.

She said the couple woke about 6am after hearing possums “stumping onto their roof” but upon further inspection they realised the tree had been completely uprooted and hit the quarter part of their house.

“It was completely unsafe; you couldn’t enter onto their porch way or anything,” Ms Hayward said.

The incident comes after damaging winds have struck Victoria in recent weeks including a severe storm last month which caused three deaths from falling trees as well as power outages and widespread building damage.

In the event of a storm, the SES said the safest place to be is indoors and encourages people to check that loose items such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely

SES crews at the scene.

Picture: NARRE WARREN SES secured and to move vehicles under cover or away from trees.

For flood or storm emergency assistance the public can call the SES on 132 500.

FOCUS ON …

MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Healthcare with heart Residents of Casey and Cardinia will be familiar with St John of God Berwick Hospital, with its lengthy 110 year history and distinctive blue façade. What many don’t know is that St John of God Healthcare (SJGHC) is a not-forprofit organisation that operates 24 facilities comprising more than 3,400 hospital beds in Australia and New Zealand, as well as home nursing, disability services and social outreach programs.

Closer to home, SJGHC offers a full suite of healthcare solutions right on the doorstep of Melbourne’s south eastern corridor. With three hospitals located in the region, patients are able to access all of their health needs without travelling long distances into the Melbourne CBD. St John of God Berwick Hospital is an acute hospital offering surgery, maternity, day procedures, intensive care, cardiac care, medical services, consulting, day oncology and infusion, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation and robotics. Berwick is also home to St John of God Raphael Services- a no out-of-pocket expense, personalised counselling and group support for mums, dads and families suffering from perinatal mental health issues.

Just down the road in Dandenong, St John of God Pinelodge Clinic is a mental health and addiction hospital. Here, patients can access compassionate inpatient and outpatient care along with rTMS, ECT, day therapy and consulting.

Nearby, St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital are experts in specialised Parkinson’s rehabilitation offering LSVT BIG and LOUD® as well as more general rehabilitation including hydrotherapy, inpatient and outpatient care, speech pathology and treatment for movement disorders.

St John of God Healthcare is a not-for-profit organisation that operates 24 facilities.

While each of these facilities offer different clinical services, patients and visitors will be impressed by the consistency of care closer to home which is based on a strong mission and supported by meaningful organisational values. This foundation sees all three hospitals providing exceptional care with a compassionate touch, allowing St John of Health Care to function at the very heart of healthcare in Melbourne’s south east.

For more information on St John of God Health Care visit www.sjog.org.au

The heart of healthcare in Melbourne’s south east Members of the community gather via Zoom to celebrate the funding announcement.

$400K boost for Sikhs

By Brendan Rees Casey’s Sikh community is celebrating after receiving a $400,000 funding boost to help build a new community centre.

Multicultural Affairs Minister Ros Spence and Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards announced on Tuesday 15 September that the Sikh Volunteers Australia Inc., would receive the funding to support the construction of the Sikh Community Gurmat Centre Inc in Devon Meadows.

It will feature four rooms, a hall, a professional kitchen, car parking for up to 20 cars, and a playground - with construction expected to begin in November with a target end date in in March, 2021.

Ms Richards said the funding would ensure Sikh Volunteers could continue to do “their extraordinary outreach work that has made them the pride of the south east”.

“This will generate local jobs in Cranbourne and provide the Sikh community the benefit of a place to call their own,” she said.

“Victoria is a proudly multicultural state - and we don’t just tolerate diversity, we embrace it.”

Jaswinder Singh, acting secretary for Sikh Volunteers Australia, said the Sikh community was excited by the announcement.

He said the new centre would be used as disaster relief centre in times of need, as well as providing a dedicated space for

community engagement, training volunteers, and organising language, culture and heritage related trainings, and provide a 24/7 kitchen to help feed those in need.

“It means that we can deliver the food during the working hours but the food itself will be available in the kitchen 24/7,” he said, adding any community member would be welcome to attend no matter what hour of the day including at their current facility on South Gippsland Highway in Devon Meadows which will be kept and used to continue serving the community.

It is one of 36 infrastructure projects across the state sharing in more than $3.5 million in funding through the State Government’s Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund and the Indian Community Infrastructure Fund.

The projects will create local jobs while also helping Victorians feel connected to their cultural heritage in facilities that are safe, modern and inclusive.

In addition to the Sikh Volunteer Australia Grant, a community kitchen run by multicultural women at Wellsprings for Women in Dandenong will be renovated ensuring the South East of Melbourne is enhanced by the opportunities this grant provides.

The Multicultural Affairs Minister said: “While Stay at Home restrictions mean we can’t gather in person right now, this funding will help create safe spaces for community members to come together in a Covidsafe way, once we reach the other side.”

St John of God Berwick Hospital | St John of God Pinelodge Clinic St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital

sjog.org.au 12461738-DV38-20

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

FOCUS ON … MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Now is time for eye care As we start to see the gradual easing of restrictions it might be time to consider having your regular eye exam.

Optometrist Gemma Cowan from Beaconsfield Eyecare says: “Many people have been putting off having their regular check up during the pandemic. While this is fine for routine eye tests, it means that people with eye related conditions such as Age-related Macular Degeneration and diabetes may not have had them checked for many months now.”

As these conditions can change quite rapidly, they should be checked regularly to pre-

vent vision loss.

The team at Beaconsfield Eyecare use the latest technology to assess your eyes.

“An OCT scan can detect macular degeneration or diabetic macula odema very early on, and is very useful in monitoring the disease process,” according to Gemma.

“We have strict Covid-19 policies in place, as the safety of our staff and patients is our highest priority.”

Gemma has also noticed an increase in other eye conditions during the lockdown.

“More and more people are spending a

large amount of time in front of screens,” says Gemma.

“This can result in eye strain and dryness of the eyes, and can occur in people of all ages including kids.”

The best thing to do is to take regular breaks throughout the day. However, if you are suffering from eye strain sometimes a pair of glasses are required to help relax the eyes.

If you would like some advice regarding your eyes or vision you can contact Gemma at Beaconsfield Eyecare on 8726 9977, or at www. beaconsfieldeyecare.com.au

Don’t put off your eye checks - come and see the team at Beaconsfield Eyecare.

The ease of e-prescribing proves its worth in lockdown

By Andrew Leslie, managing partner, Blooms The Chemist Casey Central You may have heard more about e-prescribing (or electronic prescriptions) and telehealth over the past few months. But what is e-prescribing, how does it work and what does it mean for you?

E-prescribing has been in effect in various forms around the world for the past decade.

The use of this technology has been fasttracked as part of the National Health Plan for Covid-19. It is certainly not a new technology, simply new to our healthcare system and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). E-prescribing allows prescribers (doctors, dentist etc.) and their patients to use an electronic PBS prescription without the need for the physical paper copy.

As we embrace the use of telehealth ap-

pointments (where doctors, nurses and mental health professionals can deliver bulkbilled services via phone or video conferencing), social distancing and self-isolating to protect our vulnerable community members, e-prescribing can be integrated with our Blooms The Chemist same-day contactless delivery service to provide a truly safe method to look after your medication needs.

Here’s how it can work for you.

Let’s say you have a telehealth appointment with your doctor in the morning and they prescribe you a new medication or a script refill.

Option 1: your doctor can send you a link via text or email which will display your medications with an individual QR code for each separate medication. You can email this link and your patient details through to

·

your local Blooms The Chemist pharmacy, or bring your phone in-store and the team will take care of the rest.

Option 2: you can ask your doctor to send your script directly to your local Blooms The Chemist. Once the team receives your script they will contact you to confirm/you can then contact the Blooms The Chemist team to confirm your details and they will fill your prescription.

You can choose to pick up your medications or have them delivered to your door that same afternoon.

Our pharmacists can provide support or information about your medication over the phone or include this with your delivery.

E-prescribing is part of a larger digital healthcare framework, where it will integrate with hospital charts and is expected to reduce prescribing error-rates, reduce cost to

·

the PBS, increase efficiencies in pharmacy, reduce environmental impact and reduce stress on an under-pressure postal system (by reducing paper prescription being sent back and forth across the country).

It’s anticipated that this new technology will also lead to better health outcomes for patients, reduce cost to tax-payers and increase convenience to you.

If you’d like to know more about e-prescribing or how our delivery service can assist you, your Blooms The Chemist Casey Central team are here to support you.

Blooms The Chemist Casey Central is located at Shop 132-134, Casey Central Shopping Centre, 400 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Rd, Narre Warren South. Contact the pharmacy on 9704 8166 or email casey@blooms. net.au

Free Local Delivery Service available 7 days a week

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ASK US HOW BLOOMS THE CHEMIST CASEY CENTRAL Shop 132-134 Casey Central Shopping Centre, 400 Narre Warren Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South VIC 3805 P 9704 8166 E casey@blooms.net.au

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*Terms & conditions apply

OPEN 7 DAYS Monday to Friday | 8:00am to 6:00pm Saturday | 9:00am to 1:00pm • Sunday | 9:00am to 1:00pm Our team at Beaconsfield General Practice is committed to high quality medical care and service to all age groups in the community.

Beaconsfield General Practice is a private billing practice. Children under 16 and age pensioners are bulk-billed for their consultations.

bloomsthechemist.com.au

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CASEY CENTRAL

STILL OPEN NORMAL HOURS

Always there to support you through the COVID-19 pandemic

Free masks available for patients

Always available for eye care and to repair broken glasses

Dr Ravi Wijesekara Dr Priyanthi Gunawardana Open hours: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 7pm | Sat 8:30am - 1:30pm Sat/Public Holidays 8.30am-1.30pm

Optometrist Gemma Cowan available for Telehealth consultations

Phone: 8726 9977 www.https://www.beaconsfieldeyecare.com.au/ berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

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Address: 45 Wallace St, Beaconsfield VIC 3807

BULK BILLING/ WALK INS WELCOME 80 Power Road Doveton 3177

03 9792 4060 www.dovetonmedicalcentre.com.au for online app.

Thursday, 17 September, 2020

|

STAR NEWS 23

NEWS

Head to Help sites launched locally

By Mitchell Clarke New mental health clinics in Officer, Berwick and Warragul are set to provide much needed support across the south east, as concerns grow for the wellbeing of locked down communities.

A total of 15 new ‘HeadtoHelp’ clinics were rapidly rolled out across Victoria at a cost of $26.9 million as part of a Federal Government package to “support Victorians” throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The free service, which officially opened on Monday 14 September, will provide accessible and convenient mental health care over the next 12 months.

Each clinic will provide on-site support including intensive care and social supports, as well as referrals to other mental health services in the region.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the program was about ensuring people could get the help they needed, when they needed it.

“Our government recognises that the ongoing restrictions are having a significant impact on the wellbeing and mental health of individuals and communities in Victoria, and is committed to ensuring that support is available,” Mr Hunt said.

He said the clinics would play a “key role” in supporting local GPs, emergency departments and hospitals by providing easily accessible mental health care.

The clinics will be delivered by primary health networks, with the Officer, Berwick and Frankston hubs set to be hosted by the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN).

Once fully established, the service will be run by multidisciplinary teams of mental health workers which include psychologists, mental health nurses, social workers, and alcohol and drug workers.

The service will be available to anyone of any age and who may or may not have a GP mental health treatment plan.

Mr Hunt said the new support followed more than $500 million in additional funding towards mental health and suicide prevention during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians, with estimated annual federal expenditure on mental health services and suicide prevention estimated to be a record of $5.7 billion in 2020-21 alone,” he said.

The Officer site is located at 4 Cardinia Road and the Berwick site is located at 76 Clyde Road.

Anyone concerned about their mental health can visit these clinics in person or call 1800 595 212 to talk to a health professional or connect to a service near them.

Demand for cats and kittens at The Lost Dogs’ Home shelter in Cranbourne has exceeded supply with residents opening their hearts and homes to their furry friends during lockdown.

Two weeks ago, the Home implemented a waiting list program for cats and kittens as the adoption centres were almost cleared out on a daily basis. The waiting list topped more 1000 a fortnight ago.

Spokesperson for the Home, Suzana Talevski said the Home had just adopted its three-thousandth cat for the year.

“We currently have a waiting list of 367 people waiting to adopt a cat or a kitten and with the recent announcement that stage four restrictions will be with us for a little while longer, we now expect that number to start climbing back up again,” Ms Talevski said.

“With Covid restrictions in place we are getting less council trapped cats and kittens which means we are getting less coming into our shelters but the cat population is expected to increase in coming months with the onset of kitten season just the around the corner.”

Ms Talevski said now was the ideal time to make sure owners had their cat de-sexed and microchipped.

“De-sexing your cat means you are helping reduce the very real problem of over-population which exists in many communities across Victoria and indeed Australia. It means you are doing your job as a responsible pet owner and putting the health and welfare of your cat first.”

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The free service, which officially opened on Monday 14 September, will provide accessible and convenient mental health care over the next 12 months.

Fur friends waiting list

24 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

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NEWS

It’s music to your ears

By Tania Phillips Well-known musical director John Foreman is heading back into loungerooms across Australia as part of the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Big Night In program each Wednesday night from 7pm.

Following the success of the first season, broadcast earlier this year a second season has been commissioned with six new episodes providing more light entertainment from Foreman and the Aussie Pops Orchestra together with artists and musicians live in their own homes.

Art Centre Melbourne CEO Claire Spencer AM said the program is part of the centre’s digital program Together With You. “In a time where audiences have had to find new ways to connect with their favourite artists, it has become clear that music and song have the power to tell stories when we often can’t find the words,” she said. “Seeing audiences engage with John, the Aussie Pops Orchestra and some of their favourite artists in these challenging times has been a highlight of the series and why it was such an important initiative for us to bring back.”

Before the second season airs, audiences have been treated to two special encore episodes featuring fan favourites David Campbell, Marina Prior, Casey Donovan and Human Nature as some of the best interviews and musical moments from the original digital season.

The first was held on Wednesday 26 August while the second will be played 2 September.

Foreman said he was pleased to be asked back for more shows.

“We’ve all been heartened by our audience’s reactions to the show over the last few months, and I’m very grateful to all of the wonderful artists who’ve joined us for this unusual but necessary journey,” he said.

“It’s clear that people are hankering after good, old fashioned comfort TV, and artists

John Foreman is back to bring more music into loungerooms. are yearning for an opportunity to remain connected to their audiences. Arts Centre Melbourne’s Big Night In helps both of these things to happen and I’m very grateful to everyone who has made this show possible.”

The new line-up of stars for the second season will be announced in the coming weeks but past guests include Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows, Hugh Sheridan, Jemma Rix, Courtney Act, Lucy Durack, Rhonda Burchmore, Bert and Patti Newton and Sam Mac among many others.

Audiences can relive the fun, joy and musical prowess of the previous 11 episodes at artscentremelbourne.com.au.

The two Encore Episodes and second season were made possible through funding from the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC), as part of Victoria Together. The govern-

Picture: MARK GAMBINO

ment is using Victoria Together to keep people connected to art, learning and entertainment while they can’t experience it live.

With Arts Centre Melbourne announcing postponing opening its venues back open in accordance with the most recent Victorian Government guidelines and the ghost lights staying on a little longer, the Centre’s focuses remains on finding new ways to engage with audiences, including the digital online hub Together With You. For more information including; bookings for free and ticketed events, Arts Centre Melbourne’s health and safety policies, as well as additional digital content and experiences visit artscentremelbourne.com.au.

Arts Centre Melbourne’s Big Night In with John Foreman

Human Nature performed in series one (which is still avaailable to watch) but who will be in series two?

Every Wednesday from 26 until 14 October at 7pm For more information visit artscentremelbourne.com.au

Former Wiggle backs CPR

By Tania Phillips

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Subscribe to the

Berwick Star News Digital Edition

FREE A dramatic heart evvent in January has given former Wiggle Greg Page a new purpose.

BERWICK

Thursday, 20 September, 2018

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After three premierships in four years, Berwick are enjoying their most successful era.

185297 Picture: ROB CAREW

After three premierships in four years, Berwick are enjoying their most successful era.

185297 Picture: ROB CAREW

Berwick’s belter

By Nick Creely Berwick's intensity from the opening bounce until the final siren simply can't be matched.

Their premiership victory against Narre Warren on Saturday - giving the club back-toback flags for just the second time in club history - was intense, finals footy laced with the right amount of class.

After a third premiership in four years, the word 'dynasty' is deservingly being bandied around, and for good reason.

The club has a stranglehold over the southeast region - they're relentless, driven by success and are always chasing their next challenge. It's the cornerstone of all successful sporting clubs.

While the weather may have been arctic in their 51-point win over Narre Warren, the Wickers put in a magical performance befitting of a champion team in the midst of a golden era.

From the superstar Travis Tuck, who came to the club with a high expectation that has

now culminated with a best on ground medal in a grand final, to their champion skipper Madi Andrews, dynamic forward Harry Money, gun midfielder Bryce Rutherford and reliable defenders Jo West and Michael Riseley, the Wickers possess remarkable star power.

"We pride ourselves on our relentless approach," Berwick coach Stewart Kemperman said in the aftermath of another premiership win.

And as for Kemperman, he couldn't have a dreamt of a start to his senior coaching career

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- two premierships in two years.

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The foundations are set, and as the club embarks on a new era in AFL Outer East, it seems the Wickers show no signs of slowing down.

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educate more people about the devastation that is caused every year in Australia because of the numbers of people dying due to sudden cardiac arrest.

“But there is hope because the more people who are empowered to use CPR, the more chance we have to increase that survival rate.

“It comes down to people understanding that you don’t have to be qualified or certified to be able to do CPR all you’ve got to do is know how to start the chain of survival.

The chain of survival starts with calling 000 and if the patient is not breathing and responding then starting CPR. It isn’t hard to do and once you know that and understand that, you will have the confidence to be able to perform it when you need it.”

He said having the live stream available free to everyone in Australia is a good step to building up resilience.

For more information on the event www. nextdoor.com.au/heartoftheneighbourhood)

12387046-EPJ16-18

Music, fun and an important life lesson all in one - that’s the plan of former yellow Wiggle Greg Page for the World’s Largest CPR Class being held on-line from 7pm on 19 September.

The nation held it’s breath when Page collapsed on-stage with the original Wiggles in Sydney during a bushfire relief concert in January. Four people from the audience worked for 24 minutes to revive him and in the months since then Greg has not only worked on getting fitter and healthier but also on trying to improve the survival rate for other’s who suffer a heart event.

He has formed Heart of The Nation and is partnering with Nextdoor, Australia’s largest online neighbourhood network, to deliver a livestream of what he hopes will be the World’s largest CPR Class.

The event is free and every person that registers to take part helps their neighbourhood to a chance to win an AED (defibrillator), a song written by Greg about the neighbourhood and a Covid safe party.

“We’re staging a free online CPR class for any Australian household to tune into on the 19 September at 7pm,” Greg explained.

“We’re hoping to set a world record for the most number of people trained in CPR at the one time but really its just about getting more people confident and feeling empowered to perform CPR if they ever need to.”

He said being the beneficiary of receiving CPR earlier this year and previously not really knowing much about it or having the confidence or empowerment to perform CPR on someone else had motivated him.

“Literally my life was saved because people knew CPR and that has not been lost on me,” Greg said.

“When I found out how many people lose their lives every year through cardiac arrest I couldn’t believe it.

“I want to try and use the profile that my story got, and the platform I now have, to

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STAR NEWS 27

SPORT

Hoops wheel is turning

By Lance Jenkinson The wheel is about to turn full circle for Berwick’s Ben Hodgens.

A former elite player for Victoria’s wheelchair basketball team, the 32-year-old is on the verge of his final year of a long tenure of coaching the state side.

Before handing over the coaching reins after six on-and-off years, Hodgens wants to lead the Big V to a national title at the Kevin Coombs Cup next year.

It would be an incredible feat for Hodgens to go out on, in arguably the most challenging year in Victorian wheelchair basketball history due to the uncertainty surrounding the Covid pandemic.

“I’ve coached the team a few times now and it’s always an honour,” Hodgens said.

“It’s a real privilege to be able to give back and to mentor and guide these young athletes.

“I work with them throughout the year, but it’s really something to be able to help them and guide them through to be able to represent their state.”

Hodgens knows Victoria will be “starting behind the eight ball” compared to other states.

The Victorian lockdown forced by the pandemic has thrown the calendar into chaos and an inability to practice on indoor courts for the foreseeable future will have an impact on preparations.

Players have largely been left to their own devices and that could continue into the new year.

Some players will train on public asphalt courts, but they can be tough to navigate and cause damage to wheelchairs, making it a costly exercise.

Ben Hodgens has big plans for the Big V next season.

Picture: COURTESY OF BASKETBALL VICTORIA “The Victorian players can’t get out to train, so fitness is going to be an issue,” Hodgens said.

“We can’t get everyone together on court, so team chemistry might be affected.

“Everything is going to be different this year,

so it’s going to be an interesting challenge.”

Despite all the hurdles, Hodgens is unwavering in his belief that Victoria can emerge from the nationals as champions.

Not once, as a player or a coach, has Hod-

gens gone into a competition thinking the Big V could not win, and he is not about to let the pandemic change that mindset.

“I always think we can win the Kevin Coombs Cup,” he said.

“You’ve got to go in with that confidence.

“We’ve developed some good players over the last couple of years.

“We were really confident going in this year before everything kind of went south and didn’t happen.

“I’m kind of hoping we can carry on from sort of where we left off and have a really good crack at it this year.”

From a coaching perspective, Hodgens is not solely motivated by a gold medal.

Whether Victoria finishes first or last, he wants to leave the team in good shape for a sustained period of success and wants the players to enjoy the positive experience he used to feel when he was on court with the state team.

“If I’m really honest, my main aim is more just to develop these kids as much as possible to give them the best experience possible,” Hodgens said.

“Taking away gold is the bonus for all the hard work and development we do on and off the court.

“Some of those experiences I had as a player, I still remember how fantastic they were to this day.”

Hodgens’ assistant coaches Josh Allison and Jason Bryant could be ready-made replacements to take over his coaching role beyond 2021.

“I dare say one or the other will be head coach,” Hodgens said.

Cougars are set to claw their way back in new season

By Lance Jenkinson The extra wait brought upon by Melbourne’s Covid-19 lockdown will be excruciating for the Clyde Cougars.

The Cougars desperately want a start date locked in for the West Gippsland Cricket Association season so they can begin plotting their atonement for last year’s disappointing semi-final exit at the hands of Kooweerup.

Cougars president Paul Duyvestyn can already sense a restlessness among the players.

“The guys have got that hunger in them and that disappointment from last season,” he said.

“They know they can match it with the best, and knowing they can do that and the hunger they’ve got, hopefully they can go to the next level.”

Once the State Government gives the green light for a return, local cricket will likely look a bit different to its pre-Covid existence.

Cricket Victoria will eventually issue guidelines on how to safely play cricket in a Covid environment.

The biggest on-field change likely to be in place is how the ball is treated by the players.

Duyvestyn expects no sweat or saliva to be allowed on the ball to ensure a safe environment for the players.

“The ball might age a bit quicker [without shine applied], but it’s not going to advantage anyone in particular if both teams have to do the same,” he said.

“It might come down to people breaking the habits that they’re used to.”

“Otherwise cricket is fairly non-contact.

“Very rarely is anyone on the field within one and a half metres of each other, so there’s no reason why it can’t come back once restrictions ease.”

Early indications are that Clyde’s playing numbers will not take a hit.

The Cougars have retained their senior core and many juniors have registered through the club’s website.

There has been the bonus of strong inter28 STAR NEWS

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Clyde player-coach, and key all-rounder, Matt Aslett. 202489 est from new people just arriving in the area who are keen to play.

“With Covid, I’m not expecting any growth in numbers, but I’m confident of having the same numbers as last year at least,” Duyvestyn said.

“It’s been a matter of putting it out there on social media and I’ve sent emails out to both junior and senior levels keeping them up to date as much as possible.”

“We started online registrations to try and get interest there and I found a lot of returning juniors jumped on straight away to register again.”

“I’m getting a lot of guys from the senior playing group who are champing at the bit

Thursday, 17 September, 2020

to get out there.”

“We’re trying to work out ways we can train together in groups of two once these restrictions are eased.”

Clyde’s focus will now shift to female participation.

The Cougars are keen to establish a junior girls team in the 10-15 age group, preferably this summer.

There are some junior Cougars girls players, but they are currently in mixed teams and have no pathway within the club, so Duyvestyn wants to change that.

“We’ve got a few girls who have been playing amongst the boys, which is a great foundation, but we want to form a full girls

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS team,” he said.

“The easiest way to go about it is to get the first girls team in and grow from there.”

“As they get older, they can potentially form the first women’s team.”

With Clyde Recreation Reserve set to be transformed through a $3 million State Government boost, Duyvestyn wants his club to grow and be all-inclusive.

“We want to grow and become a community club,” he said.

“We want to involve as many people as possible.”

Anyone interested in joining the Clyde Cougars should contact Paul Duyvestyn on 0401 380 101. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Warriors up for the fight

By Lance Jenkinson Casey Warriors president Numa Daniel is counting on the commitment of members to keep the club alive as it negotiates choppy waters through the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Warriors are hurting financially and morale is low on the back of an abandoned NRL Victoria season, but Daniel has upwards of 20 committee members volunteering behind the scenes to limit the damage of the coronavirus.

Daniel stressed the road out of this predicament will not be easy.

“We’ve got a good team and we’ve got good people around the club,” he said with optimism in his voice.

“They’re diehard rugby league fanatics.

“Everything starts from that.

“They can’t wait to get back on the horse and keep going forward.”

Despite the “passion” of the people, the Casey Warriors are no different to any other local sports club or business, with the pandemic biting hard.

The Warriors have been particularly hard hit in the sponsorship department.

A number of sponsors dropped off when the season was cancelled and they have not exactly been running back.

“Financially, we’ve run backwards,” Daniel said.

“We lost a lot of our sponsors and I don’t know whether they’re out for next year.

“It’s not coming through at the moment.

“We’re planning ahead and preparing ourselves for the worst, financially.”

Daniel received a backlash when he informed members that the Warriors would not be taking part in the 2020 season.

At the time, NRL Victoria was planning a shortened 10-round season, but Daniel made the decision for health reasons to pull the Warriors teams out of competitions.

Some parents were annoyed by the decision and some players threatened to walk away to rugby union, which was planning to play before the second wave of Covid-19 hit.

It proved to be a good decision not to play, with Melbourne plunged into lockdown shortly after.

“I’ve shut down the club because of safety reasons,” Daniel said.

“I just thought it was better to shut down the season and look forward to next year.

“It’s not to anybody’s liking, but it’s just the way things are falling.”

It was a gut-wrenching decision for the Warriors, who have been a powerhouse in senior competitions in recent years and had experienced a big influx of new juniors.

Daniel is hoping to bring back the same level of enthusiasm to the Warriors that was there in the months leading up to the 2020 season, but he knows it will be the toughest task of his tenure as president.

“It’s tough, but it is what it is,” he said.

“We’re going to keep battling along and hope for the best.”

Casey Warriors president Numa Daniel with the NRL’s Provan-Summons premiership trophy.

Picture: SUPPLIED

These Eagles are looking Youth cricket put on hold forward to soaring in 2021

By Nick Creely

By Lance Jenkinson Endeavour Hills has knocked on the head any prospect of its players taking to the field to play rugby union in 2020.

There were discussions between Rugby Victoria and club presidents about the prospect of a summer carnival taking place later this year if restrictions eased, but Eagles president Jeff Lemalu said it got a lukewarm reception and confirmed his club would not be taking to the field until at least the new year.

“It’s been a very frustrating, weird year,” Lemalu said.

“A third pre-season in one year would be too much.

“We’re looking forward to next year.

“Hopefully we can sort something out and have a longer season, instead of 14 rounds that we usually do.”

While there was little enthusiasm from Endeavour Hills about the prospect of a rugby carnival, Lemalu praised Rugby Victoria for its outside-the-square thinking.

He said that while it has been frustrating not to have rugby this year, the constant dialogue from league headquarters has been welcomed by all the club presidents.

“The best thing about the new board at Rugby Victoria is the communication has been very good,” Lemalu said.

“We’ve been having meetings every Thursday with the general manager and the president.

“They are keeping us up to date.

“At the moment it’s just a waiting game to see when we can go back.”

It has been a draining year for Endeavour Hills players.

The Eagles endured their longest pre-season without the rush of playing a competitive match.

Training started way back in November and was halted in February, before they embarked on a second training phase only for the season to be officially shut down due to the pandemic.

Having not played rugby since last year, Lemalu is hoping the Eagles’ players will be even hungrier to return in 2021.

“A lot of the players that turned out for pre-season are definitely going to come back next year,” he said.

“They’re excited and keen to put the boots back on, so that’s a good thing.”

Lemalu is not without his concerns for Endeavour Hills and the wider community.

The Eagles have lost sponsors and some players and parents have been hit hard financially by job losses.

Of particular concern to Lemalu is whether parents of junior players will be able to afford fees to play rugby.

“Our junior base is very good and we’ve been blessed with that for a long time,” he said.

“That’s the scary thing about it - families not being able to afford to put their child into rugby because of work and because of money.

“It’s hard times.

“It’s one of the things we’re going to be preparing for next year.”

Head coach Ben Perenise has re-committed to Endeavour Hills for 2021, along with the rest of the Dewar Shield coaching staff.

The Eagles are on the search for second and third grade coaches though.

Cricket Victoria (CV) has put the elite Youth Premier League tournament on hold for the 2020/21 season as cricket battles with the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

CV will now continue to work closely with affiliates to ensure local competitions get their respective seasons underway safely, with the state’s Premier Cricket competition and local competitions at best aiming for a mid-November return, depending on when government and public health restrictions allow.

In terms of the development representative tournament - which hosts local outfits the Southern Pioneers, South East Country Sharks and the Gippsland Pride - it has continued to see some excellent cricketers shine and go on to make an impact at Premier Cricket level, but CV and the various associations will look to create localised representative opportunities within the Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union (VMCU) to ensure the best performing youngsters are given the chance to compete at a higher level.

“We’d like to thank our affiliates for their proactivity and understanding as we’ve confronted the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic,” Cricket Victoria CEO Andrew Ingleton said.

“Unfortunately circumstances won’t allow the Youth Premier League to take place this season, but we look forward to continuing to work closely with leagues to deliver representative opportunities where we can, while also providing access to our coaching and talent specialists.”

CV has committed to coaching and talent specialists identifying and nurturing promising male and female cricketers this season despite the cancellation.

Cricket Victoria has put the elite Youth Premier League on hold. 146041 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS CV has also confirmed it will look to launch a new Youth Premier League pathway system ahead of the 2021/22 season, and that will continue to focus on providing statewide representative opportunities for emerging young players.

“The Youth Premier League is a vital avenue for developing cricketing talent throughout the state and we’ll use this time to refine the competition to ensure it provides an even more valuable platform when it returns,” Cricket Victoria’s high performance manager Dean Russ said.

As local cricket and Premier Cricket desperately look for a season-start date, which will be based on government advice and health restrictions, a mid-to-late November start is currently seen as the best-case scenario with associations and clubs needing adequate time to prepare for the season.

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STAR NEWS 29

SPORT

A bizarre 2020 for sport

By Lance Jenkinson You could say that Sacha McDonald’s bizarre season of netball is a microcosm of life in 2020.

“It will be one crazy year when we look back on it in a few years,” McDonald said with a laugh.

The first inkling of that strange year is that the prized Casey Demons recruit is still yet to pull on the bib for the local club in a competitive game.

She already feels at home with the Demons, but there will be a void until she makes her debut for the club in a Victorian Netball League game.

“It wasn’t my ideal introduction to the club,” McDonald said.

“I’m really proud to be part of the club, but eventually it would be lovely to step out onto the court when the time comes.

“I’m really excited to see what we can do as a VNL group, but we’ll have to wait for our time to come and all the restrictions to open up.”

The year got bleaker for McDonald when her Victorian Fury representation was thwarted after the Australian Netball League became a victim of the pandemic.

The goal attack was eager to showcase her skills on the national stage before, in McDonald’s words, “the world decided to flip on its head”.

But McDonald is not bitter about missing out on her chance to represent the Big V. “Not having ANL is frustrating, but at the same time, it’s pretty minor in comparison to what’s happening in Victoria and worldwide,” she said.

While the pandemic rages, McDonald’s year on a sporting level has at least taken a turn for the better.

The 20-year-old was granted the opportunity to be part of the Melbourne Vixens’ squad for the Super Netball season.

Casey Demons young gun Sacha McDonald is relishing the chance to be part of the Melbourne Vixens’ hub in Queensland.

Picture: COURTESY OF GRANT TREEBY/NETBALL VICTORIA She is part of the Vixens hub based in Brisbane - another strange outcome in a wild year.

“The hub is very unique,” McDonald said.

“It’s something that we’ve never really come across before and fingers crossed we won’t have to do it again.”

McDonald has appreciated the priceless opportunity to be part of an elite environment with the Vixens.

The dearth of on-court play that might have hindered the young goal attack’s development has been offset by the chance to pick the brains of Vixens’ stars.

“It’s been such a good experience,” she said.

“The people around me are pretty prime.

“You try and soak up as much as you can and just appreciate the position that we’re in.

“It’s netball 24/7.”

McDonald is certainly not taking her time in the Brisbane hub for granted.

She is devastated for her Demons and Fury teammates, who are not allowed on court due to Victorian lockdown restrictions.

“We’re actually really lucky to get this opportunity to come up,” she said.

“They extended the squads from 10 on the bench to 12, so that’s given young players a chance to come up and be part of the bubble.

“There are so many ANL players who have pretty much been cut off from competitive netball and essentially within Victoria we’re the only people who are able to play, so that’s something we really understand and are just so lucky to have.”

Speaking from the Brisbane hub, McDonald said she can feel the support of netball-loving Victorians who are appreciating the chance to watch games on TV in lockdown.

The Vixens have been putting on a show for their fans, topping the ladder with 10 wins and a draw from 12 matches.

“People are appreciating what our sport can give,” McDonald said.

“It’s a two-way street - we appreciate the support we get from back home and it’s lovely to hear from friends, family and the wider community that they’re also appreciating what we’re putting out on court.

“It is lovely to know there’s a community there that has our back and it’s been quite crazy the amount of support we’ve had from back home.

“So many messages of people saying that netball is the only thing they’ve been able to do that’s enthusiastic in their life.”

A big netball career development for McDonald came up last week when she was selected in Netball Australia’s Under-21 Centre of Excellence squad.

McDonald is just one of five Victorians named in the 28-player squad.

The Australian team for next year’s World Youth Cup is likely to come out of that group.

“It’s going to be something fun and exciting and challenging to get out there and be a part of,” McDonald said.

“I’m happy and proud to see where I’m at with my netball and really enjoying it.

“I can’t ask for much more, but there’s a long way to go to improve.”

Stingrays look to impress

By Nick Creely

QUIZ NUMBER 1731 1.

WHICH club has won the most English Premier League titles?

2.

WHO won American football’s Super Bowl in 2019-20?

3.

WHICH Australian tennis star was pregnant when she competed in a Wimbledon final?

4.

WHICH major golf title did Greg Norman win in 1986?

5.

WHO has scored the most runs for Australia in a single Test cricket match?

6.

WHICH four cities have played host to the Olympic Games on two occasions?

7.

WHICH horse put leading trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith on the road to success?

8.

WHICH team finished runner-up in the AFL in 1934, 1935 and 1936?

9.

AT which Olympic Games did Australia win every swimming relay?

10. WHO led the Australian cricket team immediately after the split with World Series Cricket?

11. WHY was Australia suspended for four years in the 1950s by FIFA, soccer’s ruling body?

12. WHICH famous Australian sporting arena held its last big fight in 1970?

13. WHICH Australian has been honoured in the American football Hall of Fame?

14. HOW many points is the black ball worth in snooker?

15. OVER how many days is competition staged in the decathlon?

16. WHICH Australian Olympian became the first woman to swim 100 metres in less than 60 seconds?

17. WHICH famous French cycling event is held in July every year?

19. IN what sport did Australia win its most gold medals at the 2016 Olympics?

20. WHICH Australian tennis star used a Filipino faith healer to cure a chronic elbow injury?

ANSWERS: 1. Manchester United 2. Kansas City 3. Margaret Court 4. The British Open 5. Mark Taylor 6. London, Athens, Paris and Los Angeles. 7. Tiger Town 8. South Melbourne 9. 1956 at Melbourne 10. Bob Simpson 11. For ‘poaching’ European players 12. Sydney Stadium 13. Pat O’Dea 14. Seven 15. Two 16. Dawn Fraser 17. The Tour de France 18. Arsenal 19. Swimming 20. Tony Roche 30 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 17 September, 2020

12461313-SN38-20

18. WHICH well-known English soccer club is based at Highbury?

Despite the disappointment of having the NAB League Boys and Girls seasons cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a string of Dandenong Stingrays and Gippsland Power youngsters will be pushing hard to realise their AFL and AFLW dreams after being named in the AFL’s National Combine lists.

The powerful Stingrays, based out of Shepley Oval, have produced countless league footballers, including Justin Leppitsch, Aussie Jones, Jeff White, Stephen Milne, Brendan Fevola, Chris Newman, Matthew Boyd, and more recently top draftees Tom Scully, Luke Parker, Tom Lynch, Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Lachie Whitfield and Jacob Weitering.

And now the next wave of exciting footballers is coming through the ranks.

Six Stingrays - Abbey Jordan, Jess Matin, Tyanna Smith, Zoe Hill, Clayton Gay and Will Bravo - have been selected to take part in the combine, in what could be a strong year of draftees for the NAB League club out of Shepley.

The AFL last week released a list of 94 players from around the country who will test themselves at the combine, which will be held in each state over the coming weeks.

At this stage, a Victorian combine date has not been set due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions in place for metropolitan and regional Victoria.

From the outset of 2020, Stingray pair Bravo and Gay have been billed as potential draftees, and despite not getting the chance to get some footy under their belts this season, are strong chances to be snared in the AFL draft later this year.

The pair were both named for the Vic Country hub in 2020 in a sign that they will have plenty to offer at AFL level, with Bravo, a strong midfielder, and Gay, a potential utility with the ability to make an impact at either end of the ground.

In terms of the girls’ program, Jordan,

Will Bravo is a top prospect from the Dandenong Stingrays. 194400 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Matin, Smith and Hill have all impressed in their time at the Stingrays and are part of an 82-person combine list across the country.

The NAB AFLW draft will be held on Tuesday, 6 October with clubs to participate in a web conference.

For the Power, which has produced some wonderful league footballers, including Greg Tivendale, Leigh Brown, Bob Murphy, Sean Dempster, Brendon Goddard, Jarryd Roughead, Dale Thomas, Scott Pendlebury, Dyson Heppell and Anthony McDonaldTipungwuti, they have also got plenty of participation with seven players named in the list.

From the boys, Ryan Angwin, Sam Berry and Zach Reid have been named, while for the girls, Grace McRae, Megan Fitzsimon, Nikia Webber and Shanara Notman are expected to make their way onto AFLW lists.

Zach Reid, a tall defender from Leongatha, could be taken inside the top 10 in the upcoming draft, with the 202cm natural athlete primed to make an instant impact at whichever club calls out his name. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

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