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Rebuild at home By Cam Lucadou-Wells ‘Australian Made’ should be the catch-cry for a post-Covid economic recovery, says the South East’s manufacturers peak body. Manufacturing was being spoken about for the “right reasons” but governments needed to insist on greater local content in all procurement, says SEMMA president Peter D’Angelico. Since the pandemic, about 67 per cent of SEMMA’s members had a downturn in revenue. About 55 per cent had shed staff. “Our nation is at the crossroads and Australians are looking to the manufacturing sector to play a major role in the rebuild of our fragile economy. To enable the recovery to succeed, people from all walks of life should consider Australian Made and to do that they must change the ill-conceived perception that ‘we don’t make anything anymore’. “This could not be further from the truth, we have incredible capability and capacity in this country, particularly here in the South East which. generates 43% of Victoria’s manufacturing output.” However, mixed signals are being given to Dandenong’s rail manufacturing sector in recent weeks. On the one hand, federal Labor announced a national plan for making trams and trains in Australia. On the other, the State ALP Government has signed a contract for 65 High Capacity Metro Trains with a Chinese based firm with a reported local content figure of 50 per cent. Opposition transport infrastructure spokesperson David Davis said the Government allowed local content to drop from the originally touted 60 per cent on the CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles-made trains. “Andrews’ dodgy Belt and Road Initiative with the Chinese Communist Party is a great deal for China but a terrible deal for Victoria.” Mr Angelico said despite the offshore contract, opportunities existed for rolling stock.
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“Australian owned and operated companies are sometimes shut out of the procurement process and it can be a mystery as to how certain purchasing decisions are made. “The recent announcement of trains being bought in China, to the detriment of the two Victorian based train manufacturers, is a prime example. “Many of our members are shut out of the supply chain due to poor procurement practices and no amount of industry assistance schemes will help - it’s been done to death. “Manufacturers need more customers, not more consultants.” The Federal Opposition recently announced a national rail manufacturing plan as part of its response to the federal budget. It would support local workers such as the 400 staff and apprentices employed at Bombardier factory in Dandenong, and create 659 full-time jobs across Australia, local federal MPs Mark Dreyfus and Julian Hill declared in a joint statement. “This plan demonstrates Labor’s commitment to supporting Australian industry, and our belief Australia can be a country that makes things, and Australian workers build some of the best trains in the world.” Isaacs MP Mr Dreyfus said: “It is a sad fact that we have seen a decline in our rail manufacturing industry, with many states and territories importing trains from overseas. “Labor’s plan will change that, ensuring that when there is federal investment in a project we build trains here and support manufacturers around Australia.” Bombardier Australia and New Zealand head of sales Todd Garvey was “encouraged” by the opposition’s plan. “It’s important to note that we - Bombardier - do already manufacture trains and also trams here in Australia. Not only this but the trains we build in Victoria are actually exported to other states.”
Free as a bird Dandenong Primary School students such as Yousuf were clearly hanging out for the return to classrooms on Monday 12 October. See more student smiles on page 10. Picture: GARY SISSONS
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Dog days: trainer’s plea By Mitchell Clarke
Ms Buchan hopes a petition to the Premier will allow trainers to continue their craft. 217546
Judi Buchan with Baxter the Border Collie in Berwick. 217546 change in the blink of an eye and these are the nuances we need to be aware of when we are putting in best practice for the dog.” Ms Buchan also said socialisation was crucial, particularly during a pup’s critical period of development. She said a lack of sufficient and properly conducted socialisation could ultimately result in bite injuries. “Of course when any animal is fearful it can provoke a defence response,” she said. “This is not because the dog is a bad dog, but simply because he and his owners have been prohibited from the education they need. “And it won’t be their fault for making those mistakes - the responsibility will fall upon the government for the decisions it made which have precluded us from being able to provide the education and services that would have
Pictures: GARY SISSONS
avoided these events in the first place. It is so vital that dogs be brought up to be good, stable tempered, well-mannered, community members.” Ms Buchan said the frustration and desperation in the community was evident, with some people even expressing direct anger at her because she can’t take bookings. “I broke down in tears the other day, after a row of phone calls, all pleading for help because their dogs’ behaviours were becoming very concerning, if not already quite dangerous and because I could not do a damn thing about it as I should be able to do,” she said. “I hear despair and anguish, on a daily basis. People have dogs who are now no longer pups and behaviours which are becoming unfavourable are becoming more obvious to them, and more dangerous. “Their dog is their family member and they
love their dog but it’s all going wrong for them, I have to tell them I’m not allowed to help them in the way they need, and they are left to feel hung out to dry.” Liberal Gembrook MP Brad Battin said the situation was an example of “just another group” not having their voices heard by the State Government. “Animal welfare is just as important as human welfare and dog training is an essential part of ensuring our pets are happy and healthy in their homes and the community,“ he said. A State Government spokeswoman said restrictions must be eased “gradually“ to limit the movement of people across Victoria. “We have consulted with a large range of industries across the state to develop our roadmap and we’ll continue to work with them as we safely ease restrictions and move towards achieving Covid Normal,“ she said. “Dog trainers like many other businesses can currently operate in regional Victoria and are expected to re-open in metropolitan Melbourne at the third step, subject to public health advice.“ To sign the petition: https://www.change. org/p/pet-dog-industry-get-melbourne-dogtrainers-back-in-operation.
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A Berwick dog trainer is pleading with the State Government to allow trainers back to work, citing fears of increased aggression and a rise in dog attacks. Judi Buchan, who volunteers her time to train dogs, said it was “non-sensical” the current restrictions didn’t allow one-on-one training in public places. “We fall under education and also welfare, but somewhere along the way, we seem to have fallen off someone’s desk and it’s as though we have never existed,” she explained. “It is also very non-sensical that it is now recently deemed safe for personal trainers to be able to resume their work one-on-two and outdoors, yet not safe for dog behaviourist/ trainers to do the same - or even one-on-one.” Under Stage 4, dog trainers and behaviourists are prohibited from providing any physical services. “We’re very limited in what we can do at an online level,” Ms Buchan said. “We are dealing with sentient beings, and it’s not just the dog but also the dog’s owners who must be taken into account when advice is delivered.” During the past two months, Ms Buchan and many others in the industry - have been assisting pet owners over the phone or Zoom. “This is not easy as demonstration is a big part of a dog-owner’s learning. Being very aware of giving responsible advice, I know that in the more dangerous cases, I am severely limited in what I can suggest they do,” she explained. “What might be appropriate and work well with one dog could well prove disastrous for another. In the absence of being able to meet their dog, to read the dog in every aspect of its body language, which is of course the strongest communication used by dogs, this can
EVERYTHING WE’RE DOING IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE Thank you Victoria. As hard as this is, every sacrifice we’re making is making a difference. But we can’t stop now, or lose everything we’ve worked for. We will get through this together.
For details go to vic.gov.au/CORONAVIRUS Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
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Tuesday, 20 October, 2020
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NEWS
IN BRIEF Guns, drugs, cash seized in raid
Trees get the chop
A pair have been charged with trafficking drugs and firearms after a police raid of a property in Endeavour Hills. Divisional Response Unit officers say they also seized a significant quantity of cash during the raid about 10am on Tuesday 13 October. A large quantity of cannabis and amphetamines were allegedly found, as well as “numerous” controlled and prohibited weapons, police say. Twelve firearms and an imitation gun were allegedly seized. A 38-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, both from Endeavour Hills, were charged and remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
By Cam Lucadou-Wells VCAT has approved the felling of 25 mature river red gum trees for eight extra townhouses at Yarraman Village estate - despite the opposition of Greater Dandenong Council. The developer, The Village Building Company, has been building a 158 townhouse estate at 48-146 Hanna Street, Noble Park. As part of its 2016 permit, the north-east parcel of trees near the Eastlink Trail was to be retained as public open space. At a VCAT appeal in August 2020, the developer applied to amend the agreed permit. In opposition, the council argued the trees enabled a “green spine” along the estate’s eastern boundary. This “offset the density of the overall development”, the council submitted. It also opposed the extra dwellings on the grounds of environmentally sustainable design, neighbourhood character and ResCode non-compliance. Also opposed was EastLink operator ConnectEast due to the tollway’s potential acoustic impact on the dwellings. On appeal, VCAT Senior Member Geoffrey Code noted the council had issued a subdivision permit in November 2017 that included the “townhouse land” as within ‘Lot S7’ instead of public open space. “The Council could have ensured the creation of POS if it had certified an amended plan showing Lot S7 as POS. “At the hearing, the Council did not provide any explanation for this course of action.” In modifying the permit, Mr Code trimmed the VBC’s request for 167 dwellings to 166. This was in order to retain the most prominent river red gum. Mr Code stated land at the top of Mile Creek’s banks would contribute to 11 per cent public open space at the site - well above the 5
Premier’s office attacked
About 25 mature river red gums will make way for eight extra townhouses at Yarraman Village. per cent minimum. The “biodiversity impacts” of removing the trees weren’t in “serious” dispute, despite river red gums having “local conservation significance”. The noise impacts from EastLink were acceptable, Mr Code found. In March, councillors had railed against the VBC’s altered plan. Cr Peter Brown declared the “established” trees and open space reserve as an “integral part” of the original 158-dwelling permit. After the VCAT approval, Cr Brown said the council should explore a Supreme Court appeal or compulsorily acquiring the treed land. “Fight fire with fire. “Funds are available in the Public Open Space reserve and the allotment is not large. “We have clearly demonstrated at VCAT as has the other submitter that the retention of the site as is, is in the public interest.” He said it may be a case that both the devel-
opers and the council had been “deficient” but “the losers are the residents and the environment”. “I believe the conduct of the developers in this matter borders on misleading and unconscionable. “There is clear evidence that Council could and should have done more to make the permit more restrictive. “However the conduct and representations of the developers warrants judicial review in my opinion.” Nine neighbours objected to the proposal on the grounds of the developer promising a community green space, the loss of trees and the narrow streets within the estate. Greater Dandenong has one of the lowest rates of tree canopy coverage (9.8 per cent) in metropolitan Melbourne. As part of its Greening Our City strategy, it is seeking to increase the coverage to 15 per cent by 2028.
Covid-19 grants re-open for business By Cam Lucadou-Wells Greater Dandenong Council has re-opened and nearly doubled funding for its ‘overwhelmed’ Covid business grants program. A further $150,000 has been allocated for Round 2 - on top of about $207,000 spent on the first round which closed early due to “overwhelming” demand. The extra round will open on Monday 19 October and close on Friday 30 October “unless funds are exhausted prior to this date”, Greater Dandenong business director Paul Kearsley said. Grants of up to $2500 are available - revised down from Round 1’s maximum of $5000. “Eligible applicants across both rounds will receive grants of up to $2,500 to ensure a consistent level of funding and provide sup-
port to more businesses,” Mr Kearsley said. “Any business who we know was part way through an application when Round 1 closed will be contacted directly ahead of the opening date.” City of Greater Dandenong had recently told Star Journal that the next round’s funding was on hold due to the council being in caretaker mode. Caretaker mode ceases after council election voting closes on 23 October and new councillors are announced early November. However, council chief executive John Bennie has used delegated authority to redirect funding to the program “as a further sign of support for local businesses who we know are doing it tough”, Mr Kearsley said. The first version of the program shut on 29 September - after receiving 103 submissions in its first 11 days.
Premier Daniel Andrews’s electorate office was vandalised in Noble Park in the early hours of Thursday 15 October - the second attack in three weeks. A window was broken, with fragments of brick visible on the footpath in front of the office. The words ‘SACK DAN’ were sprayed in red paint on the front door and across Mr Andrews’s name on the front window. Police are investigating and have cordoned off the scene with tape. “Investigators were told an office building on Princes Highway was graffitied and damaged by an unidentified person,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said. On 26 September, the office was tagged with graffitied words ‘TYRANT’, ‘SCUM’, ‘CCP LACKEY’ and ‘LIAR’. Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au
Halloween fun online Halloween can be celebrated at home with a free online activity from Armada Dandenong Plaza. Dress the Witch is Covid-safe home entertainment for kids, including free online Halloween-themed colouring in pages. It is available throughout October. For details go to armadadandenongplaza. com.au
Drugs haul seized in car-crash
The Star Journal believes that up to 83 Round 1 applicants were set to receive $2500 - putting the first round about $57,000 over the $150,000 budget. The extra money would be covered by an unused business development grant program and the council’s Economic Development Unit budget. Mr Kearsley said unsuccessful Round 1 applicants can reapply “but will need to clearly address their eligibility in the application to be considered”. “Unsuccessful applicants will receive a voucher for three free 45-minute mentoring sessions to provide business support.” The grants complement considerable state and federal grants for businesses, Mr Kearsley said. Details: greaterdandenong.com/document/5717/business-grants-and-assistance
A driver allegedly ferrying a large quantity of drugs was seriously injured after crashing into a tree in Noble Park. The 32-year-old from New South Wales left the road in a white Range Rover on Princes Highway near Heatherton Road and Eastlink about 3.30am on Wednesday 14 October. Police say they found drugs in the vehicle which was displaying false number plates. The driver was the sole occupant in the crash. He was taken to hospital in a serious, stable condition, police say. He was expected to be interviewed “when his condition permits”, police say. Somerville Highway Patrol officers are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage to help their investigation. They are examining whether speed, drugs or alcohol are factors in the crash.
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NEWS
Casey welcomes big budget ‘boost’ By Mitchell Clarke More than $142 million from the Federal Budget is set to be spent on “much-needed” arterial road upgrades across Casey. The City of Casey has welcomed the budget boost to invest $1.1 billion in Victoria’s road and rail projects as part of the 2020-21 JobMaker Plan. City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM said the investment into priority road infrastructure was “significant” for residents and commuters alike. “We are pleased that the Australian Government has committed to funding three critical road projects that council has long been advocating to ease congestion, keep our growing traffic moving and create local jobs,” Ms Duff said. The three road projects to receive funding were around Narre Warren North Road, Hall Road and Western Port Highway. Narre Warren North Road is set to receive
an added $31 million to the State Government’s $38.5 million for for duplication works between Fox Road and Belgrave Hallam Road. “This upgrade will enhance the critical link from Cranbourne through to Narre Warren, making travel more efficient between these busy suburbs,” Ms Duff explained. Hall Road in Cranbourne West will receive $84.5m from the Federal Government as part of a $169m project to duplicate a 5.2km stretch from McCormicks Road to CranbourneFrankston Road, and upgrade intersections. Meanwhile, Western Port Highway will receive $27.2m for intersection upgrades as part of a $54 million program, which is being matched by the State Government. Ms Duff said works at Hall Road and Western Port Highway would help to alleviate congestion and improve safety and accessibility in Cranbourne West. “We hope to see these projects fast tracked, particularly the upgrade of the dangerous Evans Road intersection, to deliver on our com-
munity’s calls for enhanced safety and traffic flow,” she said. “We know that as more people call our rapidly growing city home, we see more cars and more traffic on our roads. This injection of funds will help to better connect residents to jobs, services and most importantly, their families.” City of Casey CEO Glenn Patterson said the projects would be “complemented” by other key budget initiatives like the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program. The program has been extended until the end of 2021. “More than $1.6m is being allocated to eligible projects in the municipality, which will double the investment into our community through this program in 20-21,” he said. “We have a list of local shovel-ready projects to put forward for this ‘use it or lose it’ program which will start up some much-needed infrastructure and provide a boost to local jobs and economies during or beyond construction.”
CRRA secretary Brendan Browne said the decision appeared to have been carried out with “little to no public consultation”. 218219 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Casey cuts meetings by a half By Mitchell Clarke
Peer Support Australia’s annual Talkand-Walk-a-Thon has returned, encouraging students to foster stronger relationships with their peers. Picture: SUPPLIED
Talk and walk for mental health By Mitchell Clarke Schools across Casey are being encouraged to do their part in responding to the mental health crisis. Just under half of Australian children have reported concern for their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic, citing heightened levels of loneliness and isolation, according to figures from Reach Out. In a bid to combat to the concerning statistic, Peer Support Australia’s annual ‘Talkand-Walk-a-Thon’ has returned, encouraging students to foster stronger relationships with their peers. The purpose of the walkathon is to encourage communication and exercise, which are vital building blocks towards good mental health. During the event, students are encouraged to reach out by talking to their peers and developing new friendships and strengthening their relationships. Peer Support Australia CEO Greg Cantwell said the event was now more important than ever. 4 STAR JOURNAL
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He said after a year of social distancing and disruption, building relationships in school was “much needed”. “Our program has always been important but the mental health effects on school-aged children during Covid-19 have been even more prominent this year,” Mr Cantwell said. “This year has been an unsettling time for students and teachers alike. “Some children and young people are still experiencing disruption to their routine and usual school rituals such as graduations and other celebrations. “Providing COVID-safe experiences for students to reconnect with their school community is critical for the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.” With Victorian schools still experiencing disruptions, which are planned to last throughout the remainder of 2020, this year’s Talk-and-Walk-a-Thon is designed to be flexible and adaptable to whatever format schools are currently operating. “The great thing about the Talk-andWalk-a-Thon is how it caters to the different
Tuesday, 20 October, 2020
needs of students and schools regardless of whether they are at school or a mixture of school based and remote learning” Mr Cantwell said. “We are especially encouraging schools that are recommencing in-person teaching to use the Talkand-Walk-a-Thon as an opportunity for students to reconnect, while remote learning students can use the talking points included in our toolkit to start online conversations.” The 2020 event coincides with National Mental Health Month this October. Peer Support Australia is encouraging schools around the nation to participate on a day of their choice throughout the month as a way to promote mental health and wellbeing. The format of the event is designed to be flexible, with the walk’s distance, location and participating year levels able to be adapted to suit each school’s needs. Participation is free and schools can register to participate by heading to www.peersupport.edu.au. Registered schools will receive a Talkand-Walk-a-Thon toolkit.
The voice of Casey ratepayers has labelled a decision to slash the number of council meetings in half as “lacking transparency and undermining democracy”. During the City of Casey’s 6 October council meeting, a decision was made to reduce the number of meetings to 11 for 2021, with the meeting time also shifted from 6.30pm to 4pm. Prior to that, meetings were generally held twice monthly, with the exception of January. Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) secretary Brendan Browne said the decision appeared to have been carried out with “little to no public consultation”. “Certainly it caught us by surprise,” he said. “Council meetings are a very important part of local democracy so it effectively means that we miss out on, or have less of an opportunity to have a voice and pose questions during meetings.” Mr Browne also argued the reduction in meetings posed various other challenges, including responding to issues in a timely manner. “Sometimes decisions on timely matters just can’t wait a full month for them to be heard,” he said. “It also sets a poor example for elected councillors, when we eventually get them. It kind of sets the message that doing the bare minimum is enough.” The Casey Council was dismissed in February this year, meaning the next election won’t be held until October 2024. During a period without councillors, Mr Browne said transparency was needed more than ever. “We should’ve learnt that lesson in the past. There’s long been a lack of transparency before but the City of Casey are still not addressing it,” he said. “There’s been a lot of teething problems and we know they’re discouraging people from getting in touch with them directly. “Normally, at a local government level, you’d always have the contact details of councillors, even if they might not get back to you, but the administrators have made the deliberate choice that they don’t want people contacting them directly. “We’ve got some really big issues that we’d like to discuss with them about things that went on two years ago that still haven’t been addressed.” The CRRA has since written to the council’s administrator Noelene Duff regarding the group’s concerns. “If they want to save money, there’s plenty of ways to do so, you don’t do it by cutting down on transparency and undermining local democracy,” Mr Browne said. The City of Casey was contacted for comment.
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS 2020
Candidates’ pay pledge By Cam Lucadou-Wells In a kind of ‘alms-race’, Springvale Central Ward frontrunners Minh Tran and Richard Lim are pledging to donate tens of thousands of dollars from their councillor allowances. If elected to Greater Dandenong Council, accountant and ALP member Mr Tran has promised to donate half of his annual councillor allowance throughout the next four-year term. Mr Tran nominated Monash Heart Hospital as a beneficiary of 25 per cent of his allowance, and another 25 per cent for “churches, temples and community groups and associations in Springvale Central”. “For years I have been a volunteer accountant for a Buddhist temple, a Catholic church, and other Springvale community groups. “Now I will do more.” Philanthropist, ALP member and pharmacist Mr Lim has not only matched but upped the ante. Mr Lim pledged 100 per cent of his councillor income to Monash Children’s Hospital and local organisations in need of “urgent” funds. Currently, councillors receive a $31,444 annual allowance - so Mr Tran’s benevolence equates to about $62,800 over the four-year term. If elected, Mr Lim would donate $125,600 during the four year period. Departing councillor Matthew Kirwan said he was worried about the precedent set by the gestures. “If people think that there is an expectation that election candidates donate all or part of their allowance to charity then you will get a
Minh Van Tran has pledged up to $62,800 to charity, if elected.
Richard Lim has pledged to donate his entire councillor allowance - more than $125,000. council dominated by wealthy ratepayers.” Cr Kirwan also wondered if Mr Lim and Mr Tran knew how many hours were required to do the role. “It’s sad to see these debates every election. “The average councillor in Victoria does 20 hours a week - often more - overseeing budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars and organisations of up to 1000 employees. “I have had a number of residents who would make outstanding councillors - because they would be put in the hours in - but literally can’t afford too because they have large mortgages and families to support.
“This idea that councillors should get paid a small allowance dates back to the 1950’s when it was just businessmen who often ran for council and literally turned up to one meeting once a month plus a few community events.” On top of the allowance, councillors are entitled to claim for expenses including training and conferences, IT, travel expenses and vehicle mileage. Travel expenses include airfares, taxi/train fares and accommodation and meals. In 2019-’20, mayor Jim Memeti claimed $4,097 mainly on travel expenses and training/ conferences, and former mayor Roz Blades
claimed $1,171 mainly on airfares. Councillors Maria Sampey ($7999), Youhorn Chea ($7930), Sophie Tan ($5776), Matthew Kirwan ($4578), Angela Long ($2342) and Sean O’Reilly ($1914) claimed the highest expenses bill. The smallest claims were by Tim Dark ($364), Zaynoun Melhem ($159), Loi Truong ($52) and Peter Brown (zero). Over the four years up to July 2020, councillors claimed the following: Cr Chea ($27,174), Cr Kirwan ($24,371), Cr Sampey ($23,563), Cr Long ($21,063), Cr O’Reilly ($17,604), Cr Memeti ($13,999), Cr Dark ($12,543), Cr Truong ($5973) and Cr Melhem ($2184). Cr Tan who has served in the past two years claimed $9351, and Cr Brown claimed zero in the past year. Former mayor Roz Blades who served three years of this term claimed $11,918.
Election sign of ‘disrespect’ Minority of candidates take the Rainbow Pledge By Cam Lucadou-Wells
By Cam Lucadou-Wells About a third of Greater Dandenong election candidates have fully or partially supported the ‘Rainbow Pledge’. In a statewide survey, 20 of the 67 Greater Dandenong candidates pledged full support for the Victorian Pride Lobby’s five points for recognising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTIQA+) residents. As of 15 October, the full pledgers included Solange Ardiles, Lidia Paul and Hayat Rahimi (Cleeland Ward), Liaqat Khan and Jim Memeti (Dandenong), Gabrielle Maes and Zaynoun Melhem (Dandenong North), Sam Afra, Phillip Danh, Reinaldo Pincheira and Sheree Samy (Keysborough). Other full pledgers were Rhonda Garad, Jessica Halliday and Gam Le (Keysborough South), Lana Formoso, Pradeep Hewavitharana and Maria Sampey (Noble Park North), Richard Lim (Springvale Central), Ricardo Buensuceso (Springvale North) and Eden Foster (Yarraman). Brad Woodford (Noble Park North), Sean O’Reilly (Springvale North) and Thay Horn Yim (Springvale South) partially supported the pledge. The remaining 44 candidates - including every candidate in Noble Park Ward - did not respond to the survey. The pledge includes supporting Rainbow Tick accreditation for council-run services, an LGBTIQA+ advisory committee and an LGBTIQA+ action plan. It also comprises support for flying the rainbow flag on council buildings on awareness days, such as Wear It Purple Day, and holding a Pride March or other pride events. Victorian Pride Lobby co-convener Nevena Spirovska said the survey had been “incredibly effective”, drawing responses from 800 candidates across the state. “It’s the largest (response) of any pledge and survey during the elections.” The lobby’s Rainbow Votes website has drawn more than 21,000 hits, including dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
Dandenong Town Hall is imbued in rainbow lighting in a stand against homophobia in May 2020. from would-be voters, in the past fortnight. “It can be difficult to find out what candidates stand for - so it’s been incredibly effective for voters in helping them to choose their vote.” In December 2019, City of Greater Dandenong endorsed recommendations to improve inclusion and recognition of its LGBTIQ residents. For the first time, it lit the Drum Theatre in rainbow colours to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia in May 2020. The council also marked Wear It Purple Day in August. Departing councillor Matthew Kirwan, who moved the December 2019 motion, said he supported all commitments in the Rainbow Pledge. “All of them including the action plan are the logical next step.” Mr Woodford supported all points but for the Pride March - an event that not all of the Greater Dandenong community was yet ready for. “Some cultures aren’t particularly supportive of those sorts of things. “It seems Greater Dandenong needs to be handled in a slightly more sensitive way. “It might take longer to do and take some smaller steps.”
After a war of words, an election candidate’s sign has been removed from outside the Dandenong RSL sub-branch. Dandenong Ward candidate Liaqat Khan’s sign had been the lone placard on the fence on the corner of Foster and Clow streets for at least eight days. RSL staff took down the sign on the morning of Tuesday 13 October after a complaint from mayor and election rival Jim Memeti. That followed an overnight Facebook row between Mr Khan and Cr Memeti, who posted a photo of the sign and declared Mr Khan showed “no respect” to the RSL. “I have worked with the Australian Defence Force for 5 years, did you?” Mr Khan replied. “You are a disgrace to put your sign on the RSL,” Cr Memeti said. “How disgusting are you. That place is sacred you should respect Australia and its people.” Mr Khan served as an interpreter with the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan for five years. During that time, he nearly died while travelling in a ADF Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle that was bombed, he said. Due to safety concerns, the ADF helped Mr Khan and his family move to Australia on humanitarian visas in 2014. Mr Khan, who is not an RSL member, says he phoned Dandenong sub-branch to permit the sign last week. A male from the RSL gave him the OK, he says. “They said I’m a war veteran ... I’m so happy and so honoured they’re giving me this permission because I’m one of them,” Mr Khan told Star Journal. The RSL sub-branch - which is closed to the public is staffed by only a few onsite during Covid-19 lockdown. It has no record or recollection of the request. According to the RSL, none of the staff were aware of the sign until 13 October. That morning, Mr Khan rang and got permission for the sign from Dandenong’s affiliate RSL sub-branch Cranbourne. Its secretary Barry Rogers confirmed the approval to Star Journal. “He did ring me. I saw nothing wrong with
Election candidate Liaqat Khan’s sign outside Dandenong RSL on 5 October. it - it was outside the RSL perimeter. It was facing away on the public side not the RSL side.” Twenty minutes later the sign was taken down, he said. Dandenong sub-branch president John Wells said the RSL’s policy was to keep its Foster Street perimeter fence clear of advertising. “While we value our relationship with the Afghan community and value their shared service, we don’t take part in any politics. “We don’t allow signs on our fence anyway.” Cr Memeti told the Star Journal that the RSL was “not a place where we should be advertising political statements or photos whatsoever”. “The returned men and women fought for out country, for our freedoms and we should respect it.” Mr Khan blamed the “powerful” Cr Memeti and “his friends on council” for having the sign removed. “This is clear pressure from the council.”
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STAR JOURNAL 5
NEWS
Good exercises for peace By Sister Jacqueline Russell of Brahma Kumaris Is life an obstacle course? Sometimes it may feel like it. If you join the military you will be sent around an obstacle course of increasing degrees of difficulty. Why? To increase your strength and stamina and expand your creative capacity under strain to keep going. An exercise that will keep you flexible and calm ready to face any obstacle, is to make it a practice that each morning before I begin the journey of my day to sit still, in silence, and sow the seed of peaceful thinking. Before I have looked at the news or thought of any negativity in terms of previous situations or descended into the worry of what may happen, this peaceful attitude will be the force behind my hopes for the day. Hope brings an optimistic attitude to the day and enables me to perceive the benefit in things to advantage. Let my first thought of the day simply be peaceful, and I will move through the day seeing the possibility in everything and thus increase my feelings of hope in myself.
This will then spread in the atmosphere and as an attitude build the resilience in me. It is important never to become disheartened or to lose hope in myself. I must never lose hope in others either, but maintain a heart full of love and acceptance. A peaceful attitude based on thoughts of peace, encourages a sense of gratitude, which also gives a hopeful lens through which I see my surroundings. Try it and see how much better you feel. This optimistic approach to my world spreads to those around me, and as I stay peaceful, hope emerges naturally. I experience that change is the most common aspect of our lives and that nothing stays the same forever. As much as I practice this feeling of peace,
I find that it empowers hope and gives me a lightness that is energising. This positive thoughtful energy gives enthusiasm to my daily activity. An enthusiasm that encourages creativity and resourcefulness which helps me to see things in a different light and so hope becomes natural optimism. As I persist in an attitude of having peaceful thoughts myself I observe that this peace reaches my loved ones and ultimately the whole community and brings with it a powerful sense of hope.
Sister Jacqueline Russell describes a course of daily spiritual exercise.
SMRC chief Ramesh Kumar resigns after three years A Dandenong migrant and refugee support agency’s chief executive has resigned after a three-year tenure of “enormous success”. Ramesh Kumar stepped down from the Southern Migrant & Refugee Centre which employs more than 400 staff and delivers 37 community programs. The SMRC’s chair Brian Oates has stepped
in as acting chief executive. “We wish to thank Ramesh for his commitment and passion to making stronger communities,” Mr Oates said. “His contribution to SMRC’s organisational success is much appreciated.” In a statement, Mr Kumar was praised for an outstanding career that was “instrumen-
tal in the enormous success of the organisation,” the SMRC stated. Mr Kumar was credited for programs such as the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support Program, as well as expanding service outreach to more than 40 locations. “Ramesh is a gentleman of the highest regard whose passion to ensure the human
rights and dignity for all refugees and migrants remain a constant consideration at the highest levels of government and on the world stage,” the SMRC stated. Acting CEO Mr Oates has been associated with SMRC for 20 years, including 10 years as chair.He was re-elected as chair in November 2019 after standing down in 2018.
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Doveton call to speak up By Cam Lucadou-Wells As City of Casey sits out from this October’s council elections, there’s more urgent need for residents to find a voice, says a Dovetonbased group leader. Sean Balfour, the chair of Doveton Eumemmerring Township Association, agrees that the State Government’s sacking of Casey councillors was a necessary move to “clean up council” due to recent IBAC allegations. The council is however in the hands of administrators, instead of elected councillors until 2024. “DETA believes it is important that resident concerns are still voiced and are more committed than ever to advocating for and protecting the interests of the Doveton and Eumemmerring community.” Those needs include a fair share of the rate dollar, and for transparency on how the residents’ rates are spent, Mr Balfour says. “DETA want to ensure rates being paid by residents are being spent in our community, and not sacrificed for other growth areas. “As the municipality continues to grow, it is important that the established communities of Doveton and Eumemmerring receive our fair share from Council and remain a priority.” The group requests a meeting to discuss local concerns with Casey’s administrators, including the long-awaited upgrade of
Doveton Pool in the Park. Mr Balfour says he’d like to see the outdoor venue remain accessible and safe for families, including the addition of indoor learn-to-swim facilities for the cooler months. “This important local facility has been an icon in the community and is in desperate need of a redevelopment after years of neglect.” The group is also concerned of the scarcity of street parking and trees and the “loss of the family backyard” in Doveton due to “hyper-dense” development. It’s led to the growing need for a dog park. “Local residents need an enclosed space for dogs to exercise and socialise. “Many surrounding communities have received these facilities when, given the densification, Doveton should have been prioritised.” The long-neglected Lleyellyn Place shops in Eumemmerring also required a reactivation plan, Mr Balfour said. “The precinct, located off Olive Road has the potential to be a central community hub for Eumemmerring.” DETA is a volunteer community and resident group established in 2010. It has advocated for projects such as Autumn Place community hub and street works, and upgrades and toilets at Linden Place.
Bash burglar lands in jail a “distraction” - and Wazin’s claims she had been inappropriately touched were a “pretext”. Wazin’s “most disadvantaged and dysfunctional” background included coming to Australia from South Sudan via a refugee camp in Kenya at the age of five, Judge Tinney noted. It helped to explain Wazin’s “descent into drugs”. “There was no joy in the first phase of your life in Africa and not much more in the second phase of your life in this country either. “It is just the way cards fell for you and it really was not much of a hand. “Your falling foul of the law is, in a way, really quite predictable, but I should say you are not powerless in all of this.” Wazin’s remorse, youthfulness and early guilty plea were noted, but courts had so far failed to lead him away from making “poor choices”. He had “some prospects” of rehabilitation but they were “increasingly slim”. Wazin was also at risk of deportation. Judge Tinney said aggravated burglary was an “inherently dangerous crime and one that can escalate out of control”. “It did here; blossoming into the other criminal conduct within the house that I am dealing with.” The attack “shook the victim’s confidence” and made him feel “insecure” and “unsafe” in his own home. Wazin was jailed for up to two years and 10 months, including a 20-month non-parole period. He had spent 441 days of the sentence in pre-sentence detention.
By Cam Lucadou-Wells A burglar who bashed and slashed a resident with a golf club and knife in the victim’s own home in Dandenong has been jailed. Alan Wazin, 19, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, recklessly causing injury, theft and obtaining property by deception in the Victorian County Court. Wazin entered the victim’s unit, armed with the club and intending to assault the victim on the afternoon of 18 July 2019, Judge Michael Tinney said. The 32-year-old victim had been asleep when a woman knocked on the front door. As he went to the front, Wazin entered through the back door. Wazin then started yelling for the man to give her money. He struck the victim with the club, once to the body and once to the face. The intruder then grabbed a knife from the kitchen and demanded the victim’s money, wallet and the PIN number for a key card. In a struggle, the victim’s finger and shoulder were cut by the knife. The injuries required “minor” stitches. Wazin shortly after used the stolen card at an ATM and a bottle shop. At the time, Wazin was on youth parole and had been granted bail on charges of attempted robbery and recklessly causing injury eight days earlier. In sentencing on 6 October, Judge Tinney described Wazin’s police interview after his arrest as “a bit of a shambles” - an “unrealistic and pretty unsatisfactory and incomplete account”. It was most likely that the woman provided
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STAR JOURNAL 7
LOOKING BACK 100 years ago 21 October 1920 Dandenong Electorate Polling Day: Thursday October 21st 8am-7pm Reasons why you should “vote continuance” 1. Because Prohibition does not prohibit. The experience of America proves this conclusively. 2. Because Prohibition is intolerance of the same type as the religious tyranny of the Middle Ages. 3. Because Prohibition entails the loss of your personal liberty. Has anyone the right to dictate to you what you may or may not, eat or drink, or do, providing that you do all things in moderation? 4. Because Prohibition of alcohol leads to dictatorship of bigots whose ultimate
Compiled by Dandenong and District Historical Society
aim is the prohibition of Tobacco, Dancing, Mixed Bathing? 5. Because there is no absolutely no christen or biblical authority for prohibition. 6. Because the abuse, as distinct from the use of alcohol is controllable by law and it is only abuse that harms anyone. 7. Because the issue before the electors is not Prohibition nor anything so consistent, but Local Option under which one side of a street may be “dry” and the other side “wet” 8. Because the operation of the Local Option Law entails grave injustice to hotel keepers. 9. Because a heavy “No License” vote would entail a very serious loss of revenue. How to vote - I vote that the number of existing licenses continue.
50 years ago 13 October 1970 New Hostel will bring worries Westall High School has a “particular” problem, consequent upon the opening of the new migrant hostel ‘Enterprise” at Springvale. The Minister of Education, Mr Thompson; said this in the Legislative Assembly, when replying to a question asked by Mr Norm Billing MLA for Heatherton. “I understand it is expected that some 40 non-English speaking students will attend the school this term. Arrangements are in hand to provide one specialist trained teacher to instruct these migrant children in English, a special set of books will be supplied.
20 years ago 16 October 2000 Maurie voted a ‘Living Treasure’
Former mayor Mr Maurie Jarvis has been chosen as the City of Greater Dandenong’s 24th Living Treasure. The 83 year-old who moved to the area from Somerville as a child holds the unique honour of being Dandenong’s longest serving former councillor. He was a councillor for 37½ years and was mayor on three occasions.
5 years ago 19 October 2015 Back in Time Coins, magazines, toys, and wine had been sealed away beneath the Dandenong Library for 42 years. Mayor Sean O’Reilly, Councillor Heang Tak and former Mayors Ian McDonald and Frank Holohan on Monday 12 October opened the time capsule buried to mark Dandenong’s centenary on 2 August 1973. Workers found the two cylinders while demolishing the old library. They contain official council paperwork, wine, a toy Rolls Royce, a children’s comic, postage stamps, and coins from 1973 and views of Dandenong. Two films on spools record celebrations held in Dandenong from February to May 1973 and views of Dandenong.
NEWS
Works nod The state’s Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has given works approval for new air pollution control equipment at a medical and quarantine product sterilisation plant in Dandenong. The new equipment will replace existing technology used to destroy a sterilisation chemical used at the Steritech facility at 160 South Gippsland Highway. The sterilisation process uses ethylene oxide gas to kill germs on the products and packaging by exposing them to the gas under a vacuum in a sealed chamber. Steritech currently treat emissions from the site using oxidising flares, and applied to change the process to a Catalytic Abatement Plant (CAP). The new technology is designed to achieve lower air emissions and reduced impacts on greenhouse gases, the EPA stated. After public advertisements and an online Q&A session, the EPA stated it received no public submissions on the project. As part of the works approval, EPA has required Steritech to provide a plan for ongoing air quality monitoring, for proper storage and disposal of liquid waste and an approved Environment Improvement Plan (EIP). The project requires a planning permit from the City of Greater Dandenong and an EPA licence to operate before it can proceed. Details: engage.vic.gov.au/epa-worksapprovals/steritech
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Trolls ‘stoop’ even lower By Cam Lucadou-Wells Former mayor Roz Blades who spoke out against the toxic ‘trolling’ of candidates has been the target of an obscene Facebook post. Within 24 hours of her comments being reported by Star Journal, a photograph of Ms Blades was defaced with an image of male genitals and posted on a community Facebook page. The photo was otherwise the same as was used with the original Star Journal article. “I’m 72 for Christ’s sake,” says Ms Blades who has been campaigning on behalf of ALP member candidates in Noble Park and Keysborough. “Apart from my age, it’s sexist, misogynist, disrespectful - it’s disgusting. “In this day and age you don’t do this to women.” The photo was uploaded in the comments section alongside other posters’ abusive comments on Ms Blades’ appearance.
The perpetrator - judging from his Facebook profile - appears to be a former Mordialloc College student keen on gaming, South Park and WikiLeaks. “The guy can’t even draw properly - I’ve been a nurse ... “I just can’t fathom the thinking. Most people wouldn’t even think at that level. Who thinks like that?” Cr Blades said she’d reported the incident to the VEC and Victoria Police to no avail. “The (police) said that because it was on Facebook they won’t do anything about it.” She believes her comments on the toxic electioneering had “hit a nerve”. “I’m not in the slightest bit rattled. I’m appalled that anyone would stoop to that level.” The incident comes on top of numerous complaints from candidates battered by persistent nasty attacks on social media from ‘trolls’ and anonymous ‘fake accounts’. One of the latest was reported by sitting No-
ble Park Ward councillor Maria Sampey who was being trolled by a fake Facebook account in the name of ‘Harry Long’. Departing councillor Peter Brown took screenshots of the fake’s likes, which appeared to be set up by a female. There was circumstantial but not conclusive proof about who the perpetrator was, he said. Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti said no candidates were happy about the “disgusting” and “shocking” tactics of “keyboard warriors”. “It’s really disappointing. I’m hearing it’s happening in every ward in every municipality across Victoria. “I’m hoping the Victorian Electoral Commission will look at this and come up with some new recommendations. The VEC will have to come about the need to reform it. “I don’t know how you can legislate to control it.”
Roz Blades has been targeted soon after speaking out against toxic election tactics. He said the change from attendance to postal voting in Greater Dandenong elections for the first time may have played a role. “With attendance voting, you could see who was a candidate and who was a running mate.”
Keysborough levy debate crosses boundaries By Cam Lucadou-Wells A Keysborough Ward candidate has spoken out against a fellow party member’s proposed “stunt” to remove a $350 open-spaces levy on a neighbouring ward’s residents. ALP member candidate Sheree Samy said the pledge to remove the levy by Keysborough South Ward candidate and Labor member Stephen Fanous was “on par with Trump’s border wall with Mexico”. “It’s less than a dollar a day,” Ms Samy said. “Most of the people in Keysborough South can walk to it, whereas others living in Greater Dandenong have to drive to reach it and would have to spend more than a dollar a day for fuel to get to the parks.” The ‘maintenance levy’, which raised $1.55 million in 2019-’20, has been charged on the estates’ ratepayers since 2006. According to Greater Dandenong Council, it covers the higher cost of maintaining the area’s 20 per cent open space - four times more than other estates. Mr Fanous has pledged to knock on every home’s door in the ward to petition for the levy’s removal. “It’s unfair, it’s been going on for many years.
Who pays for the upkeep of wetlands at Pencil Park Keysborough? 217065 Picture: GARY SISSONS “Those facilities are used and made available to all people in the City of Greater Dandenong. “Now more than ever, especially with Covid-19, people are going through tough times and we need to work as hard as we can to remove it.” Ms Samy said she would not support the council taking money from poor people to “service the rich”. Policies should not just look after residents of “our own wards” but “do the right thing” for all Greater Dandenong residents, she said. “Council will still have to maintain it and will charge higher rates to the rest of the residents to maintain these parks, many of who live in units valued less than $400,000 with no car and cannot get to those parks
they have paid for. “Are you suggesting all those people living in their million dollar mansions cannot afford less than a dollar a day for all the privileges they enjoy close by and ... are the reason their mansions are valued so high?” Keysborough Ward Liberal member candidate Tim Dark said he didn’t have a “certain position” on the levy. He said the levy was charged to maintain a lot of large parks and high-maintenance playgrounds. But they were attended by a lot of people in Greater Dandenong, he said. Ms Samy’s comments are another sign of tension between Mr Fanous, who signed up this year to the ALP, and other Labor member candidates. As reported in Star Journal recently, ALP member candidates in his ward were reluctant to preference Mr Fanous. They however agreed that the council should at least review the contentious levy. Rival ALP member candidate Ramy ElSukkari said the maintenance fund was initially intended to last for just three years. Now there seems to be no end-point, he said. He has sought an explanation on what the levy was used for, given its reserve fund held a “surplus” of about $1.7 million. “We’ve got people affected by Covid and
families are really struggling. “So is the $350 levy justifiable? Can it be reduced? Is there a way of scrapping it all completely?” Greens candidate Rhonda Garad said residents should be getting better value for money. “I don’t support removing it, because the council need extra resources to maintain the extra parks and gardens. “But residents should be getting more timely, quality service. At the moment, they’re not getting it.” Greater Dandenong corporate services director Mick Jaensch said the levy paid 75 per cent of the maintenance cost, with the council’s general funds covering the rest. In 2019-’20 the levy raised $1.55 million. Only $1.442 million was spent, the rest remaining in the levy’s reserve fund, Mr Jaensch said. The reserve fund of $1.72 million was expected to be drawn down in future years due to rising maintenance costs, he said. Tasks such as mowing, tending garden beds, playground, footpath, fencing and furniture repairs, tree planting, lighting and graffiti removal are funded. Melbourne Water maintains the open spaces’ vegetation up to the high-water mark.
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STAR JOURNAL 9
NEWS
Back to school ‘normal’ After a two-month hiatus, Dandenong Primary School students and staff were reunited face to face on Monday 12 October. Photographer GARY SISSONS captured the joy of students back from remote learning, and again hanging out with their friends in the school playground and gardens. On 12 October, Melbourne’s primary school students returned from remote learning, as well as Year 7, 11 and 12 and specialist school students. Year 8, 9 and 10’s are expected to be back on school grounds from 26 October.
Tejas. 218406
Dandenong Primary School student Hasti. 218406
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Yousuf, Amayu and Savannah. 218406
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Savannah hanging out in the playground. 218406
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STAR JOURNAL 11
OBITUARY
‘Big heart’ remembered By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Syd Pargeter as guest speaker at a Berwick library open day in 2012. 88891 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
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A soccer showcase in Dandenong will kick things up a notch in the race for an A-League team. Gach Chuol, Greater Dandenong Councillor Jim Memeti and Sukart Alex got in some practice ahead of the Saturday 16 June event. See page 7 for the full story. 181655 Picture: GARY SISSONS
His life for others By Casey Neill
Lee Tarlamis.
Lee Tarlamis says his older brother’s cancer battle inspired him to spend his life helping those less fortunate. His service culminated in a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, announced on Monday 11 June. The Noble Park man and former state Upper House MP received the nod for service to the people and Parliament of Victoria “I’m extremely humbled. It’s not something that I’d expected,” he said. “I didn’t do it to get acknowledgement. “It was about wanting to provide assistance and help to people. “It’s a view that I formed very early on.” Mr Tarlamis said his brother fought cancer for two years before dying at age 17. “The trouble and the stress that the family went through, I saw how positive he was
throughout those two years,” he said. “It instilled in me that as tough as I think I have things, there are always people out there who are doing it a lot worse than me. “That’s why I got involved in the local community.” Initially that was through the Keysborough Learning Centre. “The centre loaned me a computer for me to do my school work,” he said.
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“I wanted to repay the favour so I was volunteering time with them.” There he met then-politician Eddie Micallef and became his electorate officer. “That’s how I got into the politics world,” Mr Tarlamis said. “That opened up a lot of opportunities to provide assistance to community groups.” He never intended to run for parliament, but “one thing lead to another which lead to another” and he was a South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP from 2010 to 2014. “That was such an honour as well, when you consider the fact that very few people get to hold that position and represent that large number of people,” he said. Mr Tarlamis was a Springvale Benevolent Society volunteer from 2002 to 2012, a Noble Park Community Action Forum member for many years, a founding Springvale Multicultural Men’s Shed committee member, and more.
He’s now a senior advisor to Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings. The world of politics is not where he thought he’d end up. The Tarlamis family moved from Oakleigh to Keysborough when he was eight months old. He went to Wallarano Primary School in Noble Park and to Chandler Secondary College, where Keysborough College’s Acacia campus now stands. Mr Tarlamis went on to study an associate diploma of business. “I grew up working with dad in the family businesses,” he said. “I thought it would be logical that I would go into the business world and maybe into management or something like that. “I really enjoyed the community stuff. “Politics became that vehicle to do it.”
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Going for goal in the world game A soccer showcase in Dandenong will kick things up a notch in the race for an A-League team. Gach Chuol, Greater Dandenong Councillor Jim Memeti and Sukart Alex got in some practice ahead of the Saturday 16 June event. See page 7 for the full story. 181655 Picture: GARY SISSONS
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Sydney Herbert Pargeter OAM 16/9/1928 - 4/9/2020 Sydney Herbert Pargeter OAM was sparked into 27 years of service for Doveton as a councillor, shire president and city mayor by a throwaway line by a Narre Warren North pastoralist. The farmer mused of Mr Pargeter’s thenhome suburb: “All those houses and not a leader amongst them”. Mr Pargeter was a leader, whose works stand to this day such as Doveton Pool in the Park and the region’s free library service. His name bestows the Sydney Pargeter Reserve in Endeavour Hills. On 16 October, rich tributes were made to Mr Pargeter at a funeral service sparsely attended due to Covid-19 restrictions. During a eulogy, former mayor and state MP Neil Lucas joked that this would be a “rare opportunity that I have today to say something about Syd without having a right of reply”. “Syd the man, when I first came to know him in the 1960’s was a tall fellow with quite a physique, and certainly claimed everyone’s attention when he argued his case. “He was absolutely committed to obtaining the very best facilities and services for his community and at budget time would work the room with the other Councillors initiating cross-support deals to achieve what he wanted.” In the 1960’s, Mr Pargeter - as president of the Doveton Progress Association - lobbied for Doveton to have its own representative at the Shire of Berwick council. In 1965, he was elected as the ward’s first councillor. He was installed as Shire President in 1969, and City of Berwick mayor in 1982 during his “very long innings at the council table”, Mr Lucas said. The Pargeter’s front fence on the corner of Power and Kidd roads was strewn with election posters at each election. “And they worked - Syd was an extremely well-known local councillor and regularly topped the poll.” Even after the Pargeters moved to Harkaway, he remained a councillor for Doveton. “I might live in Harkaway but my soul lives in Doveton,” Mr Pargeter would say. Mr Lucas recalled: “In fact Syd maintained a post office box in Doveton and we all assumed that his soul lived in the post box.” Mr Pargeter was part of a Berwick Shire Severence Movement that successfully split the former Shire of Berwick into the fast-developing City of Berwick and the rural Shire of Pakenham. In 2005, Mr Pargeter wrote a book on City of Berwick’s formation - The Money Miracle That Paid for a ‘New Town’ and Created Australia’s Best New City. He initiated the formal Sister City relationship with the Borough of Berwick-UponTweed in England. He was a leader of community groups such Doveton High School’s council, board member of Doveton Credit Co-Operative Union and Doveton-Hallam Community Health Centre, Doveton Community Bus Committee and the Police Paddocks Co-Ordinating Committee. He narrowly missed a state upper house seat for the ALP in the 1967 election, and chaired the opening of Gough Whitlam’s federal election campaign opening at Dandenong Town Hall in 1969. Son Greg Pargeter described growing up in the “growing suburb” of Doveton - home to tens of thousands of post-war immigrants with young families. “The 60’s were an idyllic time with lots of kids to play with as we rode our bikes around the neighbourhood.” Residents mainly worked for General Motors Holden, Heinz and International Harvest-
Syd Pargeter wearing his father Bert’s World War I service medals. 97714 Picture: DONNA OATES er’s factories, as well as other industries in the Dandenong region. Mr Pargeter lobbied as part of Doveton Progress Association to address the “lagging” social, educational, sporting and medical infrastructure. The family home would be “witness to a sea of endless faces seeking a solution to their trevails”, son Greg recalled of his father’s role as councillor. Doveton’s pool was created as a result of children drowning in Dandenong and Eumemmerring creeks. Mr Pargeter successfully argued for increasing rates on the nearby multinational factories to fund the pool, sparing the residents of financial burden. He also persuaded then-Premier Henry Bolte to sell State land for $2 to establish Power Reserve - the home of Doveton Lions Football Club. Another of his initiatives was the annual Riding of the Bounds event at Akoonah Park, Berwick. Born in Ballarat in a family of six children, Mr Pargeter often remarked he was a “child of the Depression” - a time of “mend or makedo”, his daughter Sue told the service. Mr Pargeter had academic and sporting success at high school, son Greg Pargeter told the service. Mr Pargeter was part of Ballarat High School’s first victorious schoolboys rowing team, beating large private schools on Lake Wendouree. In the 1950’s, he studied at Massey Agricultural College in New Zealand and hosted the ‘Country Hour’ on ABC Radio in Tasmania. He met his future wife Pearl Spink while she holidayed in Tasmania. They were married for 53 years until Ms Pargeter’s death in 2008. Mr Pargeter was a teacher at schools such as Doveton North Technical School. He retired from official civic service in 1992 - a stint that earned him an Order of Australia Medal (OAM). After that time, he led vocal campaigns for the public good. His last was in 2017 when he called for the disused Harkaway quarry to become a spectacular water park. It would include an equestrian trail and a landscaped artesian lake - transformed like the former quarry at Wilson Botanic Park in Berwick. The future of the site is still undetermined. Son Greg told the service: “Ultimately, Dad had a big heart for family life and community life - where we can all shine brighter and achieve more if we work together.” dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
NEWS
A career spark for Syed By Cam Lucadou-Wells A young Afghan refugee’s career has gained a spark thanks to a partnership between apprenticeship provider MEGT and migrant settlement agency AMES Australia. Syed Ghazanfer Mosavi had been struggling to find work since arriving in Australia in 2019 and striking the Covid-19 lockdowns. “Now, I’m really happy I have an apprenticeship and it’s going really well. I want to make this my career and maybe one day open my own business.”. The 23-year-old was hired as an apprentice electrician by Doveton-based K2 Electrix as part of the federally-funded MEGT Employability Skills Training (EST) PaTH Pilot program. The Afghan Hazara refugee was born in Pakistan where his parents fled because of religious and ethnic persecution. “Life was difficult in Pakistan because we living there illegally and we had no certainty about the future,” Mr Mosavi said. “I am really happy and grateful to be in Australia and life is good here.” His employer Azim Mosawi said his worker was progressing well. “He wanted to become an electrician and we needed some new people, so we worked with MEGT and AMES to make it happen. “They made it easier for us to be able to take Syed on.” Mr Mosavi was a client of AMES’ Individualised Pathway Plan (IPP) which aims to speed up the settlement and employment journeys of refugees. It identifies gaps between employer expec-
K2 Electrix employer Azim Mosawi with Afghan refugee apprentice Syed Ghazanfer Mosavi. tations and client’s current competencies and helps clients to learn how to apply their skills and experience. The IPP also finds opportunities to upskill or reskill for the Australian labour market and helps refugees have the confidence to communicate in the workplace. Syed was referred by AMES work broker
Razia Aslam to MEGT, which runs an Employability Skills Training program in Melbourne’s South East. “Syed was very keen to find a job and he was very motivated. “The great result of Syed gaining an apprenticeship was a result of our partnership with MEGT but also because of Syed’s drive
and will to succeed.” MEGT PaTh Employment Consultant Emily Harris said the partnership between her organisation and AMES Australia was key to the outcome. “It goes to show what can be achieved when organisations collaborate and work closely together.”
A colourful back to school By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An illustration of Endeavour Hills Specialist School’s “community hub’’
Specialist school is ‘on track’ for 2022 opening Detailed designs and a builder have been announced for the new Endeavour Hills Specialist School. The school, which will be built on the site of the former Endeavour Hills Secondary College in Amalfi Drive, is expected to open by Term 1, 2022. Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams announced Ireland Brown Construction Pty Ltd as the appointed builder. The campus includes five learning communities, a community hub with competi-
tion-grade gymnasium, an administration building, hardcourts, playgrounds and a sports field. Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams said the school would give local students with additional needs “access to great facilities for a first-class education”. The school is part of the State Government’s pledge for 100 new schools to open between 2019 and 2026. “This new school is part of the school building boom that is happening right across Victoria,” Ms Williams said.
A design for the Endeavour Hills Specialist School, expected to open in 2022. dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
St Anthony’s Primary School students were given a colourful welcome back to classrooms on Monday 12 October. Staff, including principal Patrika Rowley, dressed up brightly for morning car park duty the first since Covid lockdowns closed schools in early August. On went the bubble machines as students walked through flags, balloons, streamers and welcome signs. As they settled in, welcome back treats and student ‘survival kits’ awaited them. “(It was) to congratulate them for all their hard work during remote and online learning and to celebrate being back at school together,” Ms Rowley said. “The school grounds were once again filled with extremely excited students with big smiles on their faces. “The students were so happy to be back at school with their friends and teachers.” Excited staff and students were adjusting well to the new Covid-safe hygiene procedures, she said.
A student survival kit.
Hand sanitisation is part of the Covid-safe protocols at St Anthony’s Primary School.
A masked student enjoys their first day back in Term 4. Tuesday, 20 October, 2020
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STAR JOURNAL 13
NEWS
Pool, spa deadline
Dandenong U3A’s AGM meeting went online on 5 October.
U3A goes virtual Despite Covid disruptions, Dandenong U3A has survived by adaption to technology. At its annual general meeting - held online on Zoom - outgoing president Vivienne Fernandes told of seven new courses being introduced despite the challenges. They were hiking, book club, ukulele, digital literacy, French song and culture, French for beginners and Chinese through singing. Six existing courses moved to Zoom due to the Covid lockdown on community facilities. Tutors and members kept social contact on
via digital literacy”. The guest speaker was outgoing councillor Matthew Kirwan who spoke about the U3A’s role in providing learning, reducing social isolation and building a cohesive community. Heather Seymour was installed as President-elect for 2020-’21. Clive Gould was announced as the Kevin McIntyre Award 2019-’20 recipient for his “hard work and dedication to Dandenong U3A”. Details: https://dandenongu3a.org.au
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WhatsApp, email, phone and video streaming. Ms Fernandes told the meeting’s 44 members on 5 October that the U3A faced some financial difficulties due to its venue’s expensive lease during shutdown. The group dedicated “considerable time and effort” to find alternate, affordable accommodation to help “balance our budget”. Looking ahead, the U3A will work at “growth, partnership, and improvement” to extend its courses and activities and to ensure that its members were “well connected
The deadline for pool and spa registration looms on 1 November. Under new State laws, owners must register with Greater Dandenong Council, organise a safety-barrier inspection by a registered swimming pool inspector and lodge a compliance certificate. The certificate must be lodged with the council every four years. “With many people having less access to public swimming pools and beaches this year due to restrictions, it’s a real concern that children will be less familiar with water,” council chief executive John Bennie said. “It’s always important to be vigilant with pool safety, and this summer is no exception.” Drowning is the most common cause of preventable death for young children. In Victoria, most fatal drownings of young children occur in home swimming pools. The non-compliance of safety barriers is likely to have played a role in the deaths of at least 20 young children in Victoria since 2000. In a statement, the council stated that supervision and compliant barriers kept children safe around backyard pools and spas. Owners should ensure the gate is closed at all times and that objects that can be used by young children to climb over the barrier are removed. Self-latching devices must be installed on the gate and working properly. The safety barrier must be maintained, repaired and have no gaps to allow a young child to enter the pool area.
14 STAR JOURNAL
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Tuesday, 20 October, 2020
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FOCUS ON … REAL ESTATE
THE LITTLE THINGS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN A HOME McDougall, Lifestyle Communities have thought of all these little things so that homeowners don’t have to. Think high end stone benchtops and cabinetry, quality Italian appliances and handy little features in the kitchen such as power points with USB ports fixed to the island bench so you can flexibly use a laptop or charge a mobile phone whilst cooking. Bathrooms are equipped with heated towel ladders and all-in-one heater,
fan and light units to cater for conditions all year round. Rear sensor lights know when you’re out in your back garden and dimmer switches enable you to create just the right environment for any occasion. McDougall is motivated and inspired by the idea that homeowners walk straight into their new home and immediately feel comfortable, while enjoying “bragging rights among their friends and family, when they speak about the amazing features of
their home and community”. Ultra-modern finishes, resort-style luxury and an inviting community, ensure that Lifestyle Kaduna Park has the ambiance of a warm embrace. Why not book a private, one to one tour of the display homes at Lifestyle Kaduna Park today and experience the fine details for yourself? Tours can be booked by calling 1300 50 55 60. ●
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WHO doesn’t love the sound of a home with less to-do’s and more ta-da’s? One that is complete with high quality fixtures and fittings, set amongst 5-star luxury, and without the need to spend your leisure time on painstaking home or garden maintenance. These opportunities await homeowners at Lifestyle Kaduna Park, where the little things make all the difference. According to Designer and Stylist Katie
1661m2 Expressions of Interest closing Wednesday 25th November 2020 For full plans or further enquiries, or to obtain an Information Memorandum please contact Evan Broadbent on 0438 379 151 or email evan.broadbent@harcourts.com.au
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Tuesday, 20 October, 2020
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STAR JOURNAL 15
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STAR JOURNAL 17
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Bring on the challenge By Nick Creely As Leroy De Alwis prepares for his first season as coach of North Dandenong, he wants the club to make its home base of Lois Twohig Reserve a fortress for opposition clubs. But even more so, the incoming coach wants fierce but fair competitiveness, and a unity among its sides that will ultimately result in success. It’s shaping as a crucial 2020/21 season for the Maroons after finishing last in the strong DDCA Turf 1 competition, but the club will once again remain in the top tier after the departure of Dingley to Cricket Southern Bayside. Like all clubs in metropolitan Melbourne, it’s been testing times in recruitment and generating excitement without meeting face to face or training, and for De Alwis as he embarks on his first season as coach of the club, it’s been an almighty challenge. “It’s been extremely hard, mainly because I don’t know 99 per cent of the playing list, so I’m just relying on information I’m getting from the president, and other members of the club,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but I’ve made contact through Messenger, WhatsApp and a couple of phone calls, but it’s not the same as meeting face to face, seeing them in the nets and trying to find their strengths and weaknesses, and what they need to be doing.” But despite the challenges, the Maroons are shaping nicely, retaining the majority of their core first XI list, and adding former junior Javed Khan, who played 69 first XI games at Premier Cricket level with Kingston Hawthorn, as well as gun all-rounder Buddhika Janith from Springvale. An announcement is also expected to come shortly on the first XI skipper. De Alwis played three seasons for the club two decades ago, before going on to coach multiple premierships and enjoying finals success in the SECA with Kingston Heath, Omega, Le Page Park and Mackie. But he always felt a strong need to return to the club and give back. “To be honest, I wasn’t as mature as I should have been playing at North Dandy - I was more interested in the social side of things at the time,” he said. “After I became a coach myself, did the level one and then the level two, and left to coach, I realised there was more to this than see ball, hit ball. “I’ve always wanted to come back to North Dandy, I always felt like I never gave the club the best I could as a player, so I’ve always had that urge to come back as a coach. “I’m 51 now, and I’ve learnt a lot about what
North Dandenong coach, Leroy De Alwis. to do to get the best out of players.” With the Maroons once again facing the daunting challenge of Turf 1 cricket, De Alwis said the message was simple to his playing list - fear no one, and make sure you give the opposition a tough, but fair game of cricket. “When you think about the big three, Springy South, Berwick and Buckley Ridges, and how powerful they are, all I can ask of the guys is that we prepare well,” he said. “And especially when we play at home, we want to make North Dandy a fortress for the opposition, and whoever plays against us, whether its our first XI or our fourth XI, the ex-
Picture: SUPPLIED pectation of the opposition is that they have to play really well to beat us. “We want to give everything we have - when we walk off the field every game, we want to know we couldn’t do much more. We won’t go out there and play stupid cricket, we want to play cricket where we accept the responsibility of our actions. “My thing is, no matter where you play, you play to the best of your ability - I’ll put my hands up to captain the twos, and the twos will be pushing the ones every step of the way.” De Alwis said that the focus at training, and on game day this season will be simple, en-
suring that the game is broken down to little moments. “One thing I want the club to do, is that if you’re picked in the ones or in any side, if you’re a batsman you bat, if you’re a bowler you bowl, otherwise you’re playing with only nine players,” he said. “When you boil down the game of cricket, it’s all about the next delivery - if you break it down simply, don’t fear anyone, it plays a big part. “When you go out and play blokes like ‘Spolly’ (Steven Spoljaric), he’s a great player at this level but he’s just a human being and you’ve got to break these things down. “And you’ve always got to hold your nerve you could be 8/70 chasing 90, but if you’ve got mental strength you can overcome technical deficiencies.” North Dandenong president Jason Shaw said that the proud club is prepared for a tough season, and will relish the challenge of remaining in Turf 1. “The consensus from the senior core players is that they wanted to stay, and if you’re going to be there, you’re going to be challenged,” he said. “We as a club have never been relegated we went up from Turf 2 around 1985, so we’ve been up for 35 seasons, and never besides the last two seasons have been close to being relegated. “So that’s something to hang your hat on.” Shaw said that the club is looking to regenerate itself with home grown talent, and while conceding that it will come with its challenges, is confident it will hold the club in good stead in the long-term. He also pointed to the relationship with the Masala Dandenong Football Club, who are now based at Lois Twohig Reserve, as a major positive for their sporting community. “We want to develop our home growns - we have to put games into our players, so we understand it’s going to be tough,” he said. “But we’ve got some blokes that can really play, but performances haven’t justified their ability, and that comes down to a lot of things, but we’ve got some great growth. “For a Dandenong club, we’ve got seven players playing Premier Cricket, and we don’t want them to come back just yet, and they’re 18 to 25. “But all have indicated they want to come back at some stage, aside from Yash Pednekar, we want him to go even higher. “It proves that even though we aren’t a large club anymore, we are still generating 17 to 19 year olds in that bracket that are more than capable players.”
The new cricket season continues to inch closer... By Lance Jenkinson Covid-safe cricket is pencilled in to have its first test run locally on 14 November when Noble Park and Endeavour Hills face off in a practice match. With the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association (VSDCA) season scheduled to start a week later, it will be crucial for both clubs to successfully implement the new protocols before moving into the season. Noble Park president Craig Ortland said that while his club is preparing for that timeline, nothing is set in stone and it could all change in an instant. “What they’re saying at the moment is that we’ll be starting the season on November 21,” he said. “We’ll use that practice match to try and get the Covid protocols in place. “It all depends on the Victorian Government, how low we can get the [Covid] numbers down to and whether they change the 5km rule and everything like that. “I’ve been of the view we might struggle to get cricket going to be honest.” 18 STAR JOURNAL
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There is confidence around Noble Park that it will be ready once given the go ahead by Cricket Victoria. That is not to say there is not a lot of work still to be done in the coming weeks though. While Ortland and his committee have a clear understanding of the new Covid protocols, relaying that information to club members in a lockdown and then having it implemented at training and on match days is going to be an enormous task. “We haven’t been able to get our players or our playing group together at all,” he said. “Once we start training, it’s going to be a big education curve for all of them learning the do’s and don’ts. “It is going to be a very different cricket season.” Trying to change the habits of cricketers overnight is going to be a hard task. Players will undoubtedly have slip ups along the way, but clubs will be stressing the importance of the protocols on health. Quite simply, if the rules are not followed, the competition could be headed for a premature end.
Tuesday, 20 October, 2020
“Cricket is going to look totally different,” Ortland said. “Clubs are going to make mistakes unfortunately, people are going to make mistakes, like not using sweat on the ball, trying to get the ball back to the bowler as quick as you can, umpire not holding your hat and your glasses. “When you go into training, using the QR signs to sign in. “Even how scorers sit, players not using the changerooms and leaving their bags outside, sitting with masks on when you’re waiting to bat.” Club resources will be stretched to the limit to ensure a Covid safe plan runs smoothly. People are willing to go the extra mile to ensure cricket returns because the alternative of having no cricket over summer is not something they want to consider. “We’re looking at what the volunteers need to do to ensure cricket gets going,” Ortland said. “We need to abide and do the right thing. “It’s going to be a challenge for all of us, but I’m sure all of the sporting clubs will be up to it.”
It will be the toughest season for Noble Park to operate. A member of Club Noble, the tough economic climate will have a knock-on effect on the eight sporting clubs under the umbrella. “It’s going to be a very challenging year for all clubs, but especially us I think,” Ortland said. “We all get a dividend from Club Noble, but the club is certainly feeling it financially. “They’ve been closed for six months already, so the money that we’re going to get from them is going to be minimal compared to what we’re used to getting.” Ortland fears the financial strain on sporting clubs under the Club Noble umbrella could be felt for some time. “I know in NSW, those big clubs have rebounded very well, but I’m not so sure how our local clubs will go,” he said. “A lot of the members of the [Club Noble] social club are an older demographic and a lot of those people will still be hesitant about going out and being out in the community and mixing like we used to mix until they get a vaccine.” dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
SPORT
Yindi Girl Turbo is trainer Matt Lanigan’s first TAB Melbourne Cup heat runner.
Yindi turns on the turbo By Jason Adams Yindi Girl Turbo has secured trainer Matt Lanigan and owner Michael Cullen their first ever TAB Melbourne Cup heat runner after she won the series’ opening Prelude last Thursday night at Sandown Park. As race favourite Music Event faltered at the start Yindi Girl Turbo took advantage and led. She had a brief bumping duel with Max Dyna-
mo before gaining a break. She held off the challengers late to win and cement a spot in the heats of the world’s greatest greyhound race on 20 November. “I had a reserve in a Cup heat (Zipping Inglis in 2017) but didn’t gain a start, so to now have one guaranteed a run is amazing,” said Lanigan. “I had to decide whether to go to the Geelong Cup heats or here. I thought with some
of the stars in Sydney and others at Geelong, it was a good opportunity to try and win a Prelude.” Lanigan said it’s a big advantage to have qualified for heats this early. “It certainly helps, makes plans flexible going forward but the destination doesn’t change.” Yindi’s owner Michael Cullen is also set for his first Cup heat runner. He’s extremely
passionate about his greyhounds and, as expected, thrilled with last Thursday night’s result. “I’m over the moon. Just to have her a part of it is great,” said Cullen. Yindi Girl Turbo is rated a $71 chance to win the world’s greatest greyhound race in TAB’s pre-nomination market. TAB Melbourne Cup Prelude Series 2 will be held on Thursday, 29 October.
Coming through the pandemic stronger, together By Lance Jenkinson Endeavour Hills Cricket Club president Gary Parsons believes the pain of the Covid-19 pandemic will lead to a stronger sense of community around sporting clubs. Over the past decade, there has been a greater emphasis on the work part of ‘worklife balance’, which has slowly eroded the amount of time people interact socially at their sporting clubs. Lockdowns across Melbourne over the past six months have delivered a reminder of the importance of spending time with family and friends. Once Covid-19 is under control and restrictions ease, Parsons believes sporting clubs will regenerate with people wanting more personal interaction than ever before. “You go back 10, 20, 30 years ago and you had a lot of social interaction around the sporting club,” he said. “Everyone worked 8(am) to 4(pm) or 9
to 5, but now everyone is on shift work and there’s tended to be a lot more options. “Hopefully people are going to start to go back to that social interaction around their sporting clubs. “I think there’s going to be more of that closeness. “The landscape is going to change a fair bit with people not being able to travel as much.” Through social media, Endeavour Hills has maintained its sense of community during the Melbourne lockdowns. The Eagles have turned back time with trivia and photos, and the usual banter found in the clubrooms has been moved to the digital sphere. Past players are getting involved - some as far away as Queensland and the Northern Territory. “There’s been a fair bit of banter going on,” Parsons said.
“Tommy Hollis was doing the trivia. “Some old photos have been getting posted and some past players have been getting involved. “Even people who used to play with us 25 years ago got involved in it. “To rekindle some of the past memories has been good.” Parsons has made use of technology in order to be ready for the predicted 21 November start to the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association season. What he would give, though, for some personal interaction with his committee and club members. “After six months of it, you start to get sick of the Zoom meetings,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve been having a couple of committee meetings online and we had our AGM online, which was quite good, but mainly it’s been over the mobile. “I spent probably an hour last night
talking to half a dozen players.” Parsons is getting positive reactions from players about wanting to return to Endeavour Hills once it is safe to do so. In fact, when lockdown restrictions were at their most stringent, he had to warn some of the players about staying out of the cricket nets, such was their eagerness. “They are champing at the bit to get into the nets to train,” he said. “It’s exciting for everyone that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.” Endeavour Hills will face Noble Park in a practice match on 14 November, if the timeline is not changed due to the coronavirus. That will be the first chance to see the new Covid-19 protocols in action. “Our trial game on November 14 will be used to set up our Covid-19 response,” Parsons said. “Then we can kick the season off a week later on November 21.”
Memorable moments from past TAB Great Chase events First run in 2003, the TAB Great Chase community program has gone from strength to strength and continues to support many organisations within the disability sector throughout country and metropolitan Victoria. Historically, it has combined a great day or night out at the greyhound races with an opportunity to raise money for local community groups. The Great Chase series is all about community engagement and has seen almost $650,000 donated to community groups over the past 17 years. It is a significant community dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
initiative that is embraced by both clubs, and groups, alike. In 2020, following the directive from the Chief Health Officer’s advice around the roadmap out of the Covid environment, Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) has postponed all TAB Great Chase on site activities until 2021. This means that the community days that occur at race clubs each year will not be happening this year. Instead, GRV is looking back at some of the most memorable moments from previous Great Chase events, like last year when the
Sandown Greyhound Racing Club adopted a ‘footy finals’ theme. All told, 120 participants turned out in their footy colours to cheer home the greyhounds on the racetrack, but - unlike the AFL finals - this day was all about the dogs. Groups are randomly partnered with greyhounds competing on the day, with the best performing dogs amassing prize money for their group. Celeste, from the Wallara (Close Avenue) team, was excited for the chance to attend the Great Chase. “It’s always a great day out, a fantastic
atmosphere and the dogs... our clients love the dogs,” she said. “They get treated like kings and queens and feel so comfortable in the welcoming atmosphere provided by Greyhound Racing Victoria and Sandown.” Sandown Greyhound Racing Club looks forward to welcoming crowds back on track once restrictions are lifted, and planning has already started for The Great Chase 2021, which is set to more than make up for 2020’s postponement.
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