Mail - Lilydale Star Mail - 17th August 2021 by Star News Group

Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

Lilydale

Mail

Shock at closure of level crossing

Residents concern over development

Lockdown takes toll on businesses

Mural project adds colour to Wandin

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Lucy’s big fight By Mikayla Van Loon

the moment because that will hopefully shrink the tumour and reduce some of the symptoms Lucy was having,” Mr McAleer said. “After that first round of treatment, we will see how successful it has been and there are

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other things we can explore beyond that like different types of treatments and medical trials which we haven’t delved too deeply into yet, we’re just waiting to see how the radiotherapy goes and then we’ll take the next steps.”

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There is a sisterly bond like no other between Lucy, Amelia and Olivia McAleer. 246601

In as little as three weeks, two GoFundMe pages had been set up for the McAleer family and in that short amount of time over $50,000 had been donated to support them. Continued page 2

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Lucy McAleer is a thriving eight-year-old, who loves green sea turtles, watching Harry Potter and playing basketball. She’s in grade two at Mount Evelyn Primary School. She’s smart, caring and the big sister to Olivia and Amelia. She is, by any means, a normal kid. But when Lucy started showing signs of fatigue, dizziness and slurred speech, her parents, Brian and Nicole McAleer, knew something wasn’t right. At basketball training one Monday night in July, Lucy was hit in the head with a ball and in the car on the way home she appeared to be concussed and started falling over. “We went off to hospital that night and we weren’t seen so I got her into the doctors on the Wednesday afternoon and we went to the [Royal Childrens Hospital] the next day,” Mrs McAleer said. The hospital ran tests and MRI’s to get to the bottom of Lucy’s symptoms. “I think in the back of our mind we had this fear that it was going to be something serious and they went through the scan results and told us they had found a lump and that was pretty hard to hear, a big kick in the guts,” Mr McAleer said. Lucy was diagnosed just three days after her eighth birthday with a rare form of brain cancer known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). It is the most aggressive of all childhood cancers because it is not well-contained, meaning it grows into other tissues and cancer cells mix with healthy cells in the body. Right now, DIPG is incurable and the only form of treatment is radiotherapy. “That’s as far as we are looking ahead for

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Little Lucy’s biggest fight this, so we feel very grateful and very touched.” And the support hasn’t stopped there. Family and friends have banded together to cook meals, babysit Olivia and Amelia and have even helped homeschool Olivia during remote learning. Having the community’s support has helped Mr and Mrs McAleer stay positive throughout the process of hospital visits, doctors appointments and knowing Lucy’s diagnosis, without focusing on the what ifs. “We’re trying not to think too far ahead and just taking each day as it comes is the best way to do it. Knowing that we’ve got a lot of support is huge and just being extremely hopeful for

From page 1 “It’s overwhelming and very humbling. I knew once it was out there, that all of the people that know Nicole and I, that it would get some traction but we just weren’t expecting how fast it would happen and how much some people would donate, that was what really blew us away,” Mr McAleer said. “It’s given us real peace of mind knowing that in the times ahead, we won’t run into financial trouble. “It’s just a really nice reassurance that we’ll be ok and there’s so many people out there that care about our family and we know not everyone gets that level of support in situations like

our little girl and that she will be the miracle child that gets through this,” Mrs McAleer said. “[We’re] just focusing on the good things, the fact that Lucy is reasonably healthy despite the little things that come with this, just feeling tired and groggy and a bit worn out but she is still the same old Lucy more or less and still doing things that she enjoys,” Mr McAleer added. Around 20 children are diagnosed with DIPG in Australia each year and unfortunately, there is a zero per cent survival rate. “I think this has affected a lot of people in the community, they’ve never heard of this like us, this type of brain tumor is new to us but it has really brought everyone together as a community,” Mrs McAleer said.

“I think it just highlights the reality of brain cancer and that it is not always up there in the discussions where other cancers are and the fact that this is one of the rarest types and it’s happening to a child as well, we’d just like to see more awareness raised,” Mr McAleer said. “We just want to acknowledge everyone that’s come out and supported us, not only locally but people we don’t know directly, who are total strangers to us but have heard of our story through mutual connections and have donated and donated quite a bit, even people overseas as well, it’s really broken through a lot of those barriers and the response has been great, so we just want to say a big thank you to everyone.”

GAT moved This year’s General Achievement Test (GAT) for Year 12 students will be rescheduled to a later date due to the state’s ongoing lockdowns. With ongoing community transmission still occurring in metropolitan Melbourne, the Department of Health’s public health team has recommended the GAT be rescheduled, reducing the risk of a further outbreak with large cohorts of students taking the test together. As Victorians work to run the current outbreak of the Delta variant to ground, a new date will be determined in the coming days to give schools and students certainty that the rescheduled test will be safe to go ahead. On the rescheduled date, students who are in quarantine as positive coronavirus cases or primary close contacts, as well as schools deemed exposure sites, will receive an exemption from the GAT. This will not disadvantage students’ results and will be taken into account with the Consideration of Educational Disadvantage process. Minister for Education James Merlino said: “Victorian students have done an amazing job adapting to another year of disruptions – but we can’t risk another outbreak in a school, so we’re rescheduling the GAT to keep every school community across Victoria safe. “Whether it’s special consideration for every student in Year 12, or extra mental health and tutoring support in schools, we want any student who is struggling to know that we’re here to support them all the way.” In a normal year, individual students are assessed for special consideration on a case-by-case basis – but the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority will again use the CED process to finalise VCE results for each and every student completing one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3-4 sequence in 2021. Consistent with the approach in 2020, the process considers a range of data alongside exam results to calculate final VCE results - like the GAT, comparisons of performance across all assessments and schools and other learning data. The process will also include assessments of the individual impact of coronavirus on each student including school closures, direct impacts on students’ health, ongoing issues with remote learning and mental health challenges. The Department of Education and Training and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) will support schools in the coming weeks to make appropriate CovidSafe plans to hold the GAT.

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IN BRIEF Theft in Lilydale Yarra Ranges (Lilydale) Crime Investigation Unit are investigating after a statue was stolen from its pedestal at a Lilydale school. At approximately 4am on Wednesday 4 August the statue was taken from the schools grounds. The statue was commissioned with design assistance from the student body. If you know the whereabouts of the statue, or have any information relating to the theft, please contact Detective Senior Constable Harvey at Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit on 9739 2401, or VP37764@police.vic.gov. au

Police checking vehicles Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol, Nunawading Highway Patrol, Forest Hill Uniform and the Frontline Tactical Unit were out patrolling the Yarra Ranges conducting compliance checks on vehicles on the main arterial roads near the border with regional Victoria on Thursday 12 August. Victoria Police have deployed 200 police officers to the metropolitan Melbourne, regional fringe areas to enforce Chief Health Officer directions. Roving patrols will be monitoring the regional borders instead of using fixed checkpoints, a technique that has been used along the state border. This gives police the flexibility to patrol main arterials and backroads where needed. Such a system is also meant to prevent traffic delays for people living in the bordering suburbs, who travel through Melbourne for work or school. If caught escaping metropolitan Melbourne, fines of $5452 will be issued. Yarra Ranges Council was not consulted before the decision to close Cave Hill Road was made by the State government. 243319 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Rail crossing shock By Mikayla Van Loon News of the Cave Hill Road level crossing being closed came as quite a shock to Yarra Ranges Council. In response, Melba Ward councillor Sophie Todorov put forward an urgent motion at the 10 August council meeting to contact the State government about the decision. “This will create significant traffic and pedestrian issues in this particular area and the latest decision has not been made with further consultation from the council or the community,” Cr Todorov said. A community survey had been conducted in October 2019 to receive community feedback about the Cave Hill Road level crossing. “The majority of the community responded that there was a strong desire to keep this crossing open. This response was relayed back to the Level Crossing Removal Authority.” The council had highlighted the need for a solution that allowed both road traffic and the railway line to coexist. Currently Cave Hill Road is the main entryway to the industrial estate on Melba Avenue, for buses and school community traffic entering Lilydale High School, for needing to access the former Lilydale Quarry site which is under redevelopment, as well as for traffic accessing

the Box Hill Institute campus in Melba Avenue and general traffic circulating in the area. Billanook Ward councillor Tim Heenan was in full support of Cr Todorov’s motion and was disappointed the council’s concerns for this closure had not been listened to by the Level Crossing Removal Authority. “It’s been a lot for the people of Lilydale to bear with the Level Crossing Removal Authority doing what they’ve needed to do over the last few months,” he said. “Certainly, no one denies the upgrade to Mooroolbark and Lilydale stations was something that was badly needed but there has been substantial interference with people’s lives in relation to the movement of traffic around that whole area.” Cr Heenan said not only was he greatly concerned about the traffic from the schools and industrial estate, as well as the influx of cars from the Kinley development but also from other joining roads. “The Lilydale Marketplace Shopping Centre has two entrances and exits, one obviously coming out onto Melba but one coming out onto John/Hardy,” Cr Heenan said. “Now the one on John/Hardy is a very small neck coming out there. My great concern is once this happens and there is no upgrading of the traffic control systems at the

intersection of Hardy and Melba, it’s going to cause people within that shopping centre to gridlock.” “I just can’t see, unless it is done with the control of the traffic and movements of the traffic, particularly as they move past that and out onto Maroondah Highway, this just not going to cause absolute heartache for years and years to come.” Cr Todorov requested of her fellow councillors to support a motion that would see a letter written to the Premier and the transport infrastructure minister advising of the council’s and communities concerns. “And [for the council to] request for a comprehensive traffic study be carried out before any decision or further announcement is made about the future of this crossing,” Cr Todorov said. The Cave Hill Road closure was announced on 29 July as part of 10 more level crossings which are to be removed by 2025. Other works include the removal of the Dublin Road Ringwood East and Coolstore Road Croydon crossings, with new stations also being built at Ringwood East and Croydon. Should Cave Hill Road be closed, it would mean the Lilydale line would be level crossing free by 2025.

Scam alert Lilydale Police have received information that another round of calls from the SCAM ATO/ Tax office are going around and confirmed that they are using a Lilydale Police Station number. Please do not follow any of the SCAM instructions texted or phoned to you.

Business support More business support has been announced by the Federal and State government for businesses across the 31 metropolitan local government areas which will remain in lockdown until 11:59pm on Thursday 19 August. Businesses including sole traders who have received or been approved for a Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two or Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension grant, or a Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund grant, will receive an automatic payment. A significant boost to the new Small Business COVID Hardship Fund that opened on Thursday 12 August will take the one-off payments, for eligible businesses that do not qualify for existing programs, to $10,000. Eligible workers across the state who lose hours due to the lockdown will be able to access the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Disaster Payment, as will individuals who are sole-trader businesses who lose work and that do not qualify for Victorian Government support programs. The payment is set at $450 for people who have lost from eight and up to 20 hours work or a full day of work (over seven days), and $750 for 20 hours or more of work lost. People who receive certain Commonwealth income support are eligible to receive a $200 payment.

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Government call to arms By Jed Lanyon The Victorian Government is expanding access to the AstraZeneca vaccine for younger age groups across all state vaccination centres, and capacity is being scaled up across the state-run system with more drive through and mobile clinics. The aim is to administer 1 million doses in the next five weeks. More than 200,000 doses will be administered each week between August 16 and September 19, with sites operating with extended hours and with an additional 150 vaccination booths coming online. “Victorians have shown us that they are

ready and willing to come forward and get vaccinated, with over 98,000 doses administered in our state-run system since Monday and more than 10,000 more doses of AstraZeneca than the week before,” Premier Daniel Andrews said. To further meet the increased demand from Victorians coming forward to be vaccinated, new and convenient drive through sites will be added in Wyndham, Melbourne’s south east and in the Hume/Whittlesea area. This comes as recent data saw Melbourne’s outer east lag behind other Victorian regions when it comes to vaccination numbers. The figures, released on 2 August by the

Federal Department of Health, show 43.9 per cent of people aged over 15 in the outer east have received their first dose of the vaccine, while 18.3 per cent of those aged 15-plus are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in the outer east. Out of the 17 different Victorian regions listed, the outer east ranked 12th in the first dose category and 13th for those who are fully vaccinated. In comparison, areas such as Bendigo and Geelong boast first dose vaccination rates of over 50 per cent and have over 25 per cent of residents fully vaccinated, according to the Department of Health. To help reach the target, a new campaign has been launched encouraging Victorians to

get vaccinated quickly – to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the entire community. There are over 200,000 Covid-19 vaccine appointments available now and more will become available. All Victorians are encouraged where possible to book their vaccination appointment by visiting portal.cvms.vic.gov.au or by phoning the Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398. For more information on Victoria’s vaccination centres, including locations and opening hours, visit: coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-centres. For more information on the Commonwealth’s Covid-19 vaccination program, visit: health.vic.gov.au.

COUNCIL NEWS Road resurfacing Residents living on Mont Vue and Old Gippsland Road (west of Hillside Court) in Lilydale, will be notified of Yarra Ranges Council’s intention to levy a special charge for the sealing of these unsealed roads. Discussions were had at the 10 August council meeting to include these roads in the special charge scheme. Councillor Tim Heenan and Councillor Johanna Skelton both said these roads were anomalies in the Lilydale roads landscape and were pleased to see these roads included in the upgrades. Cr Skelton was also pleased the Old Gippsland Road upgrade provided scope for a footpath and pedestrian access. Cr Heenan said the construction of a new road along Mont Vue was greatly needed, with many residents experiencing flooding of garages and sometimes houses because of poor drainage. The projects fall under the Roads for the Community Program which is a $150 million Federal Government-funded program to seal roads across the Yarra Ranges. Projects of this nature are usually conducted under a special charge scheme property owners on the affected roads contribute to the cost of construction over a 10 year period through their rates. The Federal funding will subsidise community member contributions for the sealing of the roads. The motions for both roads were passed unanimously through the council.

Yarra Valley Equestrian Park

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Representatives of the Yarra Valley Equestrian Park (YVEP), Geoff Sinclair and Ben Manning presented an update to Yarra Ranges Council on Tuesday 10 August, in the hopes of gaining further support for the development. Having raised $1.25 million in equestrian club and community contributions, YVEP have put $250,000 towards the planning and consultation phase of the projects, getting it the point of being shovel ready. YVEP have received letters of support from Equestrian Victoria, Yarra Ranges Council, Maroondah Council and Tony Smith MP, among others. Phase one of the project would include the building of six arenas, upgrades to the clubhouse and toilet facilities, as well as providing camping facilities for people who wish to stay for competitions and other events. YVEP would service over 35,000 people per year, of which 10,000 would be from the Yarra Ranges alone. At least 80 per cent of participation would come from women and girls. YVEP are also hoping to give Riding for the Disabled a home in the Yarra Ranges. The proposal from YVEP is for the council and other levels of government to match the $1.25 million in funding to be put towards the project. YVEP also requires the council’s support to put an application forward to the State and Federal governments for further funding under government programs. Councillor’s appeared very engaged in the project and Mayor Fiona McAllister thanked Mr Sinclair and Mr Manning for providing an update on the project. mailcommunity.com.au

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10 Woodville Road sit on the crest of the hill which concerns residents even more about parking in the street.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Residents feel powerless When John Graham and his wife moved into their Woodville Road property 51 years ago, it was vastly different to what it looks like now. Surrounded by open space, the property was in the ideal location overlooking the Dandenong Ranges. “We chose this spot because of the views to the mountain. It was on a steep slope but we wanted an outlook which we could appreciate,” Mr Graham said. Since then houses have sprouted, filling every block of land on the street. It’s now in its next phase of development as the larger blocks of land are subdivided to squeeze multiple houses on what used to contain just a single dwelling. And now, the Grahams’ view of the Dandenongs is under threat from a neighbouring development. Mr Graham said residents, including himself, are starting to feel powerless about the ever increasing development that is happening in the area. “Up until relatively recently subdivisions which occurred on Winyard Drive, they were single storey and were subdivided into two lots but in the last six months this has now gone up

to four, five and six per block,” he said. The most recent example was the 78-80 Winyard Drive subdivision which will have eight units built across two blocks. “If you look on the railway side of Winyard Drive towards Manchester Road it is a very sad place and I understand that development along there could hopefully improve the appearance because it is littered with houses that are ready for demolition, that are vacant and not cared for. “But the other reason for that is, people simply feel powerless to actually stem this tide of rampant development that is being approved by the council, so people are just simply moving out.” Councillor Len Cox said the major issue with these developments getting approved, not only in Mooroolbark but in his ward area of Kilsyth, is the lack of parking for the amount of tenants that actually drive a vehicle. “It isn’t good enough. Applicants for those dense units really should be putting in one unit less and more car parking spaces,” he said. “Out in this area, everyone’s got a car, the public transport isn’t all that good unless you are very close to a train station and if you are close to a train station the situation is a bit different.”

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The planning application for 10 Woodville Road, argued that the development was within reach of public transport and had amenities within walking distance but in some cases those amenities were up to two kilometres away. “It is, in our area, inadequate. The State government tends to make some of these planning rules to suit inner Melbourne and in inner Melbourne it’s quite adequate to have those car parking spaces because people don’t have as many cars because they have got plenty of public transport,” Cr Cox said. But under the Yarra Ranges planning scheme, medium density developments like the one proposed for 10 Woodville Road, Mooroolbark, are allowed. Although refused by Yarra Ranges Council at the 27 July council meeting, Mr Graham said it is inevitable that the developer takes the case to VCAT. Cr Cox voted against the motion to approve the planning application and said he would not have done so without good reason. “The difficulty is that the planning scheme as it is allows for these medium density developments and all of the ones that come up to us, fit into what the planning scheme says,” he said.

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“So realistically it is very hard to refuse them and if we do refuse them, they always go to VCAT and VCAT agrees with the developer quite often, not always but quite often.” But Mr Graham said he believes the proposal to build three, two storey units has bypassed a number of ResCodes including visual bulk, traffic management and neighbourhood character. “We do not have a problem with responsible development but the issue here is that the council appears to be ignoring the ResCodes and the planning policies to support the developers ambitions,” Mr Graham said. “If one takes the trouble to read through the ResCodes and read through the requirements of consolidated areas and to higher density or incremental increases in housing density, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that says ResCodes in these areas should be relaxed.” Accepting of the need and desire to grow, Mr Graham is not opposed to single storey dwellings being built at 10 Woodville Road, as long as they comply with the ResCodes. Mr Graham said he was surprised to receive so much support from the council in refusing this application but was grateful to have his voice heard.

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By Mikayla van Loon

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Hunt to keep kids active By Mikayla van Loon

Linda Youngman and Tam Brisbane designed a scavenger hunt for their kids to do during lockdown. 247050 creative ideas and things for the kids to do and parents are struggling now, they’re running out of ideas, the kids again sick of doing the same thing all the time, and their mental health is deteriorating.” The scavenger hunt is just one way Ms Brisbane thought she could help during this lockdown but she has many other programs and activities for parents to access should they need them. Victoria’s lockdowns have been tough on everyone, with constant uncertainty and a lack

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Carpark concern By Taylah Eastwell

Upwey residents feel they have been left in the dark about plans to turn half the high school oval into makeshift parking. Celina Korcak and her children (centre) surrounded by fellow concerned Upwey residents. 244647 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS paths, fencing, lighting, drainage and an upgraded oval”. The site is said to be managed by the Department of Education. “In conjunction with the temporary works, the project is also to allow for the hardstand areas to remain as a permanent feature for

later use by the Upwey Schools and the existing ovals are to be replaced with one larger, upgraded oval,” the GHD document states. Ms Korcak said at the moment, the view of the oval from her home is as an inviting green space. “When we view out the window it’s just a

green space at the moment, and a lot of other residents would see that as well. This wasn’t a concept when we brought the property, I know it will be good for the sporting club but I’m not sure what it means for the future,” Ms Korcak said. Continued page 7

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Valley postcard By Jed Lanyon

Postcards host Shane Crawford and Yarra Valley Gateway Estate co-owner Brett Spurling. basket full of strawberries at Yarra Valley Gateway Estate in Coldstream. “I didn’t know there were places you could

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The Yarra Valley had a special visitor recently as Hawthorn legend Shane Crawford journeyed to the region for the latest episode of Postcards. The Brownlow Medal winner made a few stops along the way to the Valley, visiting The Sebel Melbourne in Ringwood, before continuing down the Maroondah Highway to pick strawberries at Yarra Valley Gateway Estate. He capped off a day-trip by enjoying a nice drop at Fergusson Winery and Restaurant in Yarra Glen. Speaking to Star Mail, Mr Crawford said he is a regular visitor to the Valley and that it makes for the perfect escape from city life. “I enjoy it anytime I get to work out that way, I’m always discovering new parts. It’s beautiful and connected to the city in that it’s very easy for people to get out there and enjoy all the rolling hills and find all the hidden treasures as you go along. “I went to Fergusson Winery, which has been there for a long, long time and it’s just a nice little winery on about 10 acres and was nice to enjoy. Even in the middle of winter, I still enjoy going to the wineries and checking them out. “One thing I’d like to do more is just go exploring. To just get in the car and go wherever it takes me because there’s so much to discover. I know a lot of people go out there to the wineries to have a look around, but I think if you just get in the car and go in whichever direction you feel, you won’t be disappointed. “There’s something for everyone of all ages from young kids to a couple having a romantic weekend away. It’s like a hamburger with the lot, I suppose it just depends on which direction you go and what you’re looking for.” ‘Crawf’ enjoyed the opportunity to pick a

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Postcards tourism boost

Going for gold

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which since the railway construction started, can get quite congested during peak times. The other two main roads are Mooroolbark Road and Hull Road. Roadworks on Hull Road due to the building of the Kinley estate have reduced it to one lane with traffic control operators and the Mooroolbark Road/Hull Road bridge is notorious for queues of traffic during peak hours. “If there was an outbreak in this area in the Yarra Ranges, this whole neighbourhood here would come to a complete standstill and you would not be able to get in or out,” Mr McCausland said. Having contacted Yarra Ranges Council, Mr McCausland said it appears as though a traffic management plan wasn’t completed prior to the site being set up. “It really does sort of sound like they just put it there and haven’t thought about it properly,” he said. “I’m not anti testing, I think we do need testing sites but where [it is], it’s in a terrible location which is going to cause a lot of havoc.” Not only are residents concerned about the risk of increased traffic in the area but the risk of aerosol transmission of the virus. “The stories that were on the news about the cases that were contracted at AAMI Park and the MCG, there are people testing positive now who weren’t even sitting near them, so that says to me aerosol,” Mr McCausland said. “And the fact that no one, with a fence line that borders onto it, is vaccinated either, so if you’re going to put a testing site in a residential area why don’t you look at the health risks of what could potentially happen.” Continued page 9

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By Mikayla Van Loon Residents living on and near Wyuna Walk in Mooroolbark are outraged after not being consulted about a new drive through Covid-19 testing clinic that was set up in the middle of a housing estate. A letter informing residents of a ‘proposed’ Covid testing site was received two days after construction had already started on Monday 5 July, with the opening date of Friday 9 July. Wyuna Walk resident Tom McCausland said only receiving notification about the site after construction had already started was quite shocking. “The fact that it said ‘proposed’ but it was already commencing, it was like a slap in the face,” Mr McCausland said. Another resident whose back fence is only metres away from the testing clinic, Cameron Hunter said he was shocked and angered by the decision to put a testing clinic so close to people’s houses. “The fact that it just blindsided us and came out of nowhere and then just the general lack of consultation or thought for the community doesn’t seem right,” Mr Hunter said. “It seems like an easy way out for somebody, the line ‘ask for forgiveness rather than permission’ rings quite true with this here, that someone has made a call without consulting the people around them.” Mr McCausland said there are a number of issues relating to the site but one of the major ones is the potential for increased traffic in a residential area, which is already surrounded by congested main roads. Wyuna Walk has a number of access points coming in from main roads. The most direct route is by entering off Manchester Road,

there were other people with kids and we just thought it would be something positive we can do for the community.” “To get out and get moving that releases all the healthy endorphins and makes everyone feel better. To be able to add something that’s a little bit fun, a little bit creative, a bit of a challenge that stimulates the brain and the body just to keep going a little bit more.” To get involved email support@btwfunctionalfitness.com or visit https://www.btwfunctionalfitness.com/btw-kids-classes.

RSL services called off By Jed Lanyon

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Upwey residents feel they have been left in the dark about an elaborate plan to turn half the local school oval into car parking. Residents neighbouring the school grounds received a notice three weeks ago informing them VicTrack would be building a carpark halfway across the oval space as an “overflow” parking area while a new 640-space multideck is constructed at nearby Belgrave station. Upwey resident Celina Korcak is concerned about losing what she describes as a “community space“ and says there has been a concerning lack of community consultation. “There hasn’t been any consultation, it’s just happening and no one knows about it,” she said. “At the moment people use it to walk their dogs and play, so it has been a shared space for a very long time,” Ms Korcak said. “On a Sunday afternoon, it’s where people meet and let their dogs off and exercise, and this is going to change that whole aspect. Ms Korcak said the notice from Yarra Ranges Council only gave residents until 21 July to give feedback, however council is still taking submissions. According to planning documents, the temporary carpark is estimated to cost $2,060,000 and will occupy the eastern half of the Upwey High School oval near Upwey Recreation Reserve oval. A report by the engineering and construction consultant, GHD, states that the objective of the project is to “construct infrastructure to be used temporarily by commuters during construction of the replacement carpark at Belgrave, while constructing new infrastructure for the Upwey Schools, including foot-

of routine really challenging people’s mental health. And that goes for children too, who have been kept from seeing friends at school and can’t attend weekly sports. “We just wanted to do something because we’re feeling it as well, obviously it’s a struggle, we’ve got five kids at home, the gym’s been shut down, for us it was about what can we do for our kids because they are going crazy. “It’s within the 5km, there are heaps of families and schools within our area, so we knew

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Staying active and getting outdoors is really the only thing us metro-Melburinans can do while in lockdown and thanks to the creativity of one of Chirnside Park’s residents, it doesn’t have to be boring. Tam Brisbane and her partner have five kids at home and to keep them entertained during lockdown number six, they designed a lockdown scavenger hunt. And now it’s available to everyone within a 5km radius of their Chirnside Park estate. Being the co-owner of Beyond the Workout Functional Fitness and already having a kids program, Ms Brisbane said she wanted to put something together that would get people moving. “If we can do something that can just get people out and get them moving and put a smile on kids faces and parents as well, I think these little things that people are doing throughout the community help,” she said. There are 12 markers located around the estate marked by a letter and each of them has a clue as to where the next marker is located. “So it’s a bit like a hangman set up, so the letter corresponds to a number on our chart and then that adds up to a word,” Ms Brisbane said. Ms Brisbane said in other lockdowns there had been other activities for children to do, like the Spoonvilles that kept popping up in local parks but she noticed some parents had been struggling to come up with inventive ways to keep kids entertained. “We’re feeling really stuck, it’s winter, sometimes it’s miserable outside and people are struggling with ideas of where to go, what to do.” “This lockdown is number six, so for five lockdowns we’ve been trying to come up with

For the second consecutive year, local RSL services for Vietnam Veterans Day have been forced to cancel due to lockdown restrictions. Each year Lilydale and Mount Evelyn RSL join with a number of outer eastern RSLs to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day. In 2003, local Vietnam Veterans were concerned for the future of the district’s Vietnam Veterans Day Services and decided a larger service, which combined RSL Subbranches and Vietnam Veterans from the broader area, would ensure lasting remembrance of Vietnam’s servicemen. Since 2005, the location of the service has rotated between each of the sub-branches involved and this year Yarra Glen RSL had planned to host the commemorations on behalf of outer eastern suburbs RSLs as a way to remember the sacrifice of those who served their country in Vietnam. Vietnam War veteran and Yarra Glen RSL president Stephen Shortis said he was “very disappointed” to see the event cancelled again. “We had a pretty big day planned and if the latest lockdown hadn’t occurred, we would have been ok,” he said. This year’s event was meant to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Australia’s deployment of troops to Vietnam and the Battle of Long Tan. The RSL had planned to host a morning march along King Street leading to an 11am service at the newly relocated memorial cenotaph on Anzac Avenue. Yarra Glen RSL was hopeful of hosting Casey MP Tony Smith, while Vietnam War veteran and National Vietnam Veterans Museum board member, John Methven OAM, was also set to speak at the service on Sunday 15 August. Another feature of the event was a unique art exhibition that is on display at the Yarra Glen Memorial Hall. Provenance Artists Inc created 30 paintings of Australian Vietnam Veterans under

Victorian Military Vehicle Corps from Monbulk at the 2019 Yarra Valley Vietnam Veterans Day Commemoration in Croydon. the theme: Lest We Forget: Vietnam. “They are pretty good paintings of a different standard and a number of portraits of different people. It would have been an extra highlight,” Mr Shortis said. Sadly, the exhibition and its works will be moved to the National Vietnam Veterans Museum in Phillip Island before local residents will get the opportunity to see it due to current restrictions. The uncertainty of lockdowns and restricted borders across the country meant that Mr Shortis was unable to catch up with his fellow war veterans. “From a personal view, when I found out it was Yarra Glen’s turn to host this year, I organised a reunion with guys I was in Vietnam with from New South Wales and Queensland but they were unable to attend. “We do a reunion every two years, it’s in a different state each time, so I put my hand up for it and said we’ve got this service on and the silly buggers agreed to come down from their warmer climates to Victoria… But it’s not to be.” Mr Shortis said he would go down to lay a wreath at the Yarra Glen cenotaph to pay his respects on 18 August. “It’s nice to keep it in front of people’s eyes when we can… But it looks like it’s going to pass by without a whisper this year, which is very unfortunate.” To view the Vietnam War inspired artworks, visit: http://www.artsofoz.com/ page3

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Naomi Challenger has worked for six years to build up her business but now she is worried it won’t survive. 247158

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‘We cannot see the end’ By Mikayla van Loon For people like Naomi Challenger and Tam Brisbane, seeing their businesses, which they have worked so hard to build, struggle through lockdown after lockdown is starting to take its toll. As owners of businesses in the beauty and gym industry, Ms Challenger and Ms Brisbane’s businesses are often the first to close and the last to open. With no end in sight for when things will get back to normal, both Ms Challenger and Ms Brisbane are finding it hard to stay positive. “Going into the lockdowns I’ve tried to stay positive, but I think it’s just like this is number six and it gets to a point where, how can you stay positive and it has come as a shock,” Ms Challenger said. “I just get extremely anxious with the lockdowns and just not knowing what my business is going to be like when I return and am I going to have a business to return to.” Ms Challenger opened her lash business, Blusha Beauty, six years ago and has sacrificed a lot to get it to where it is today, from long days to working weekends. Although she has a loyal client base, Ms Challenger knows that beauty services can be a luxury for some people and she has already started losing some clients.

“With the lockdowns, when we come back there’s a crazy influx initially, but unfortunately we’ve suffered in these lockdowns as well as everyone else and beauty is a bit of a luxury item,” she said. “I find that with every lockdown we have to rebuild and I have lost clients because unfortunately it’s something that people cut out when they can’t afford it.” Ms Brisbane is on the other end of the scale and only opened Beyond the Workout Functional Fitness a few months before Covid-19 hit Australia. “This is our passion, we’ve put our hearts and our souls into this. It’s been a dream of mine for years and to finally get this dream, and then go through 18 months of Covid and lockdowns, it is mentally really tough and draining,” she said. “It’s a struggle but luckily we’ve got an awesome community within our gym. We really have faith and trust in our members to stick by us and keep coming back in and hopefully coming out of lockdown we can get a few new members to just help us pick up again.” With neither business receiving much financial support from the government, Ms Brisbane said the financial stress is mentally hard to deal with. “It’s definitely a financial loss every single

time, and it does get hard. We just keep going, we just keep trying. It’s touch and go, but I’ve got to stay positive.” Because of the lack of financial stability, Ms Challenger has had to let her staff member go, who had been filling in for her while she was on maternity leave. “I’m feeling pretty numb about it. I’ve just returned to work, doing a couple of days a week and unfortunately I have had to let my staff member go. “I wanted to build her up and have her onboard with me, but with all the uncertainty with Covid it’s just too difficult.” As a new mum, Ms Challenger said it would have been hard enough owning a business and becoming a mum without the added stress of Covid-19. “Having a baby during the lockdowns and restrictions of Covid has already been hard enough,” she said. “I feel like I was stripped from the excitement of my pregnancy, birth and spending time with family, essentially my support network. I then look at my business, and that’s been stripped too.” “I’ve worked hard to build a business where I could comfortably step away to have a family but I feel I haven’t been able to enjoy my maternity leave and time with my baby because

I’ve been constantly stressed about potentially not having a thriving business to come back to, as it once was.” Staying positive has become harder, particularly for the exercise industry where it is their job to keep people motivated and active. “We try to run things every lockdown to keep members engaged but it’s a struggle, people are finding it harder and harder every single lockdown,” Ms Brisbane said. “It’s tough to re-engage members every time we reopen because we’ve got to bring them back and reset the routine again.” “If you stay positive, and we keep doing these things, we keep reaching out to the community and helping other people in the community where we can, hopefully we get people coming to our gym when we reopen.” Unable to see a clear path out of these lockdowns, both Ms Challenger and Ms Brisbane are not sure how much more people can take. “Unfortunately I just think these lockdowns are just going to keep continuing. I’m not sure how much longer a lot of people in the beauty and hair industry can tolerate with these lockdowns,” Ms Challenger said. “It really depends on how many more lockdowns there are and there will come a point where you go ‘can we keep reopening?’,” Ms Brisbane said.

Covid-19 detected in wastewater in the Yarra Valley By Jed Lanyon Healesville residents are being told to be cautious after Covid-19 fragment detections were found in wastewater samples in the area. Anyone who lives, works or has visited Healesville, Coldstream or Badger Creek between 1 and 5 August is urged to watch for Covid-19 symptoms and get tested should symptoms develop, according to the Department of Health. mailcommunity.com.au

These detections may be due to someone who has had Covid-19, is no longer infectious and is continuing to shed the virus or it may be due to an active but undiagnosed case in the area. The wastewater detection prompted Eastern Health to open their Healesville Covid-19 screening clinic for an additional session to help cope with any increased demand in testing. The Department of Health listed two “unexpected” wastewater detections in Benalla

and Healesville labelling them as regional Victoria, despite the Yarra Ranges Shire being classified as ‘metropolitan Melbourne’ when it comes to Covid restrictions. Recent wastewater detections in Victoria have been an early warning signal of positive cases appearing in areas, such as Bacchus Marsh and Phillip Island, so people in areas with recent wastewater detections need to be especially vigilant in getting tested should they develop even the mildest of symptoms. In the past month in regional Victoria,

positive readings for Covid-19 wastewater fragments have been detected in Bacchus Marsh, Bendigo, Black Rock, Koorlong, Somers and Wangaratta. The wastewater testing program is designed as an early warning system and a cautious approach is always taken when these detections are found. The Department of Health has increased wastewater testing in the areas listed above and will continue to monitor the situation closely. Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

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NEWS

Wandin’s wall of flowers By Jed Lanyon A new project to spruce up Wandin will see murals created around the township. One large mural is well on its way to being completed along Marigold Way as local artist Brad Colling puts a flowery touch to a blank brick wall. Other murals to come include one that will feature alongside IGA’s exterior walls and will be created in conjunction with local primary schools. The project came about thanks to a grant from Yarra Ranges Council and work from Wandin Rotary and the local township group. Mr Colling of Buzzart, has just put the finishing touches to the mural on the exterior walls of Wandin Florist. “We’re doing a mural to pay homage to the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley and we’re trying to beautify the township,” he said. “There’s a lot of gardeners in the Yarra Valley. Some people move out here for their appreciation of nature.” Mr Colling is a fifth generation Wandin resident and has been painting murals for over 10 years. He was responsible for the mural on Wandin’s public toilet block, An Anzac themed mural that runs underneath the railway bridge in Ringwood and most recently the Wandin Station Mural Project, which features his own family’s mural. “My grandpa was the station master, so I now live in the station master’s house. I’m definitely very proud of that... When you’ve been somewhere for generations, you’re planted there. As Mr Colling was busy spraying away, making the most of a rare warm and sunny July day, a local passerby commented, “That looks absolutely beautiful”. Mr Colling explained what that feedback meant to him. “It feels good, it definitely makes me feel

Brad Colling working on the soon-to-be completed mural. like I’m doing the right thing for my work. I love contributing to my community.” But there’s more than just the positive impact of creating art in his community as Mr Colling said graffiti vandals are much less likely to spray over his work compared to a vacant brick wall. “The art generally doesn’t get tagged. I’ve probably painted around 30 murals and I think only two of them have been tagged. Not

only does it beautify an area but it can stop the vandalism as well.” Wandin Florist Amy Collins was impressed with the new mural. “He’s very talented, Brad. He’s doing a great job and we’re very happy with how it’s coming along. “It brings the community together and ties the theme of everything colourful. We just wanted to add some colour to the area... I call

Picture: JED LANYON it colour therapy, it helps people feel better when you see something that’s coloured instead of seeing a blank wall. It provides a photo opportunity for people as well. They can come along and take photos in front of it.” Ms Collins, a florist of 22 years, has recently taken over the Wandin business. “I love the area. Everyone has been so welcoming and supportive and I look forward to my journey here at Wandin Florist.

Hurt over Census question By Taylah Eastwell

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School students across Victoria made their return to school following summer holidays, while 2021’s preps got their first taste of primary school life. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy conducted a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony for Badger Creek Primary School students and staff. See page 7 for more back to school excitment.

Back to school! School students across Victoria made their return to school following summer holidays, while 2021’s preps got their first taste of primary school life. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy By Jed Lanyon

Centre in the lead up to Christmas. Many locals far and wide were able to keep up their Christmas tradition in getting a family photo with ‘The Real Santa’ who they had grown to love. The unlikely tandem tallied upwards of $30,000 from their family Christmas photos and then selected four charities to each receive

$8400 to help make the lives of children better. The four recipients of the funds included: Backpacks 4 Vic Kids, A Better Life For Foster Kids, HeartKids and Chum Creek’s Good Life Farm. The organisations shared how the funds had already been put to good use. Backpacks 4 Vic Kids CEO and founder Sally Beard told Star Mail the donation came as a “delightful surprise”.

“We’re very, very grateful on behalf of the children, whose lives that it will impact,” she said. “We have absolutely put that money to good use.” Ms Beard shared that the $8400 donation from Branded is aiding 112 children in need with care packs filled with toiletries, spare changes of clothes, a toy and more. Continued page 2 12477022-SN06-21

It’s February, but Santa Claus’ gifts keep on coming for several charity organisations who benefited from a partnership between Saint Nick and Seville’s Branded Burger Bar. The burger bar came to the rescue when they partnered with Santa, who had seen his role replaced at Chirnside Park Shopping

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The wording of a question on this year’s census has become a subject of controversy, with many women taking to social media to express the feelings it triggered. The Australian Bureau of Statistics asked participants ‘how many babies has (name) ever given birth to?’, prompting painful memories of still-births and miscarriages for grieving families. Participants were told to exclude any foster, adopted and step children. Red Nose Co-Chief Executive Officer, Jackie Mead said she was disappointed to see the question worded so poorly, saying it could be “so offensive to many women, including the women who have lost a baby”. “Many women have told us they are upset and confused about the abrupt way this question was worded and many were left in tears while completing their census. “Sadly, one in four Australian pregnancies end in miscarriage and one in 135 ends in stillbirth. This is an issue that affects so many women,” she said. Molly Sarafov, a mother who recently lost her son to stillbirth said the question caught her completely off guard. “I was in tears,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what to write and I tapped the button for more information, but that just said something about how the ABS was trying to record statistics on the age of fertility of women, so didn’t help anyone in my situation answer the question.” A spokesperson from Yarra Ranges mum’s group, Mums of the Hills, said local mums were upset by the lack of prior warning they had for the question. “While this question would be difficult at any time for mums who have experienced this kind of loss, it would be particularly tough for mums who have suffered through lockdown without traditional support networks,” the spokesperson said. Mums of the Hills believe a statement at the start of future Census’s that acknowl-

A question on this year’s Census has left grieving mothers in tears. edges how questions may affect people in a range of ways, would go some way towards preparing people. “The question also denied motherhood to mums who did not birth their children, a fact that has upset many,” the spokesperson said. Star Mail readers took to social media to weigh up the issue. Emma said when she first read the question she was “taken aback, firstly because it was on the same page as education levels and then I was like, why does it matter how many babies a person has had?“. Angela disagreed. “I was actually relieved to be asked that question and have my late miscarried child acknowledged. Nobody remembers her/him except me,“ she said. “It was always going to be a contentious question because processing pregnancy and child loss is such a unique individual process. I note they don’t ask men how many children they have fathered,“ she added. Red Nose said: “Red Nose Day on Friday (13 August) helps fund our 24/7 grief and loss support services, and we encourage women feeling upset today to call us on the Red Nose Grief and Loss 24/7 Support Line 1300 308 307.” mailcommunity.com.au

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

THREE … fish and chip facts

with Chirnside Park Bowls Club president Gavin Wall

What is something people don’t know about you? There are probably a few things that people don’t know about me, here are just a few. My mode of transport to primary school was in a horse and cart with my brother, two sisters and a couple of cousins. Spent 6 years on the Shepparton Shire Council. Judged sheep and cattle all around Australia and NZ. Bought my first farm in 1958. Sold cattle and/or sheep genetics to all Australian States plus New Zealand, Indonesia, China, New Caledonia, USA, and Kazakhstan. On one trip back from America, I sat next to Malcolm Fraser. What was your most memorable moment? Winning cattle championships at Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane. Winning all 5 classes in the beef carcase competition at the Royal Melbourne Show in 1978, including the Grand Champion carcase. Why? This record had never been achieved prior and this record still stands today. What is your favourite holiday spot in Australia? Difficult to pick just one as there are so many fantastic locations. However, one of the most memorable was with my wife Debra and our two daughters, Elizabeth and Georgia, we hired an RV and travelled to central Australia – 6,000 km in 10 days. What do you love most about the Yarra Ranges? I thoroughly enjoy driving through the magnificent forests admiring and photographing the majestic trees and any wildlife that pops out. The rich soil in various locations is mouth-watering.

Gavin Wall is the president of the Chirnside Park Bowls Club. What event, past, present, or future, would you like to witness? A George Strait concert.

Allegedly, fish and chips were first served together as a dish around 1860. In London, the Malin family claims to be first, as do the Lee family in Manchester. The longest running fish and chip shop still in operation is based in Yeadon near Leeds. The shop trades under the name ’The Oldest Fish & Chip Shop in the World’. It is believed that fish and chips have been served from the premises continually since 1865.

Different countries have different condiments to go with fish and chips. In Australia, we like to eat fish and chips with tomato or tartar sauce, in England, it is customary to eat fish and chips with malt vinegar, in Belgium they prefer to eat fish and chips with mayonnaise, in Scotland the tradition is to eat fish and chips with a brown sauce and in Denmark they like Remoulade sauce with their fish and chips.

There are a several theories as to who invented chips. According to legend in Belgium, a Flemish housewife was one day unable to obtain fresh fish. At the time, the preferred types of fish for poor families was small river fish so she thought she would be able to cut up potatoes into the shape of the fish and fried those instead.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

invite to a dinner party? Charles Massy, Donald Trump. Dr Judy Mikovits, Dr Charlie Ward, Dr Elaine Ingham and Dr Arden Andersen.

What is your favourite book? I do not read friction (fiction) books. I have many favourites books but Call of the Reed Warbler, by Charles Massy would have to be one of the best and thoroughly recommend. Many of those mentioned in this book I know and had visited their properties. Jackaroo, by Michael Thornton. An interesting book, many of Michael’s experiences paralleled that of mine, especially the wool classing and Michael worked for Malcolm Fraser.

What is your favourite musician? George Strait, Oakridge Boys, Alabama. What are some of your hobbies? Lawn Bowls, breeding sheep/cattle, growing Salvia, helping others achieve their farming aims. What does an ideal weekend look like for you? Playing Lawn Bowls at Chirnside Park Country Club.

Which four guests, dead or alive, would you

Mountainview Retirement Village ELECTRICITY

EP POLE 5 x Ca

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NEIGHBOURS RESIDENCE

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Client review

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Client review

19.11.18

Existing vegetation detail

© This drawing is protected by Copyright and remains the property of Davidson Design Studio Pty Ltd. These drawings are to be used solely for the purpose nominated in the drawing title and are not to be used for any other application to the contrary or for any purpose unless specifically approved in writing by the landscape architect.

1 xG'RR' 12 x Ca 3 x Mp

2 x Sa 1 x G'RR' 2 x Bs'HP' 4 x Po

DECK

2 x G'RR'

3 x Dt 9 x Mp 3 x G'RR' 1 x Ap 2 x Sa 7 x Ca 7 x Po 7 x Sa

T10. Syzygium smithii to be removed

DECK

2 x Mp

3 x Sa 1 x Li'T'

DATE

2 x G'RR' 2 x Po

TITLE BOUNDARY 280° 02' 20" 49.74 m

166

REVISION

2 x Sa 6 x Ca 1 x Li'T'

6 x Sa 3 x Gg 5 x Ca

Landscape Plan

ELECTRICITY

3 x Ca POLE

3 x Ca

Scale 1:100 @ A1

SHEET:

2 x G'RR'

T12. Kunzea ericoides

4 x Po

1 x Li'T' 1 x Sa 1 x G'RR'

T9. Prunus cerasifera to be removed

6 x Po

2 x G'RR' 6 x Ca

9.2

16 16 4. 4.883 3

REVISION:

1 x G'RR' 2 x Mp 11 x Po

9.03

180711

RL 172.07

T13. Pittosporum undulatum

PAPER SIZE:

Yarra Ranges Council

REFERENCE:

4 x Af 1 x Pm 3 x Mp

RL 171.31

MUNICIPALITY:

3 x Ca

RL 172.07

3 x Cg

5 Upper Blackwood Ave, Warburton

RL 168.95

RL 169.50

PORCH

RL 171.66

RL 171.19

PORCH

MAILBOXES

16 7.57

SCALE:

AdventCare

0.9 2 x Mp

RL 170.76

PORCH

23 x Af

167

DRAWN:

ADDRESS:

PROPOSED CROSSOVER

1:10 RAMP UP

1:8 RAMP UP

6 x Ca 5 x G'RR'

8 x G'RR'

1 x Cc'FP'

CLIENT:

CONCRETE FOOTPATH

RL 170.00

RL 171.20 1:10 RAMP UP

RL 171.97

2 x Mp

T14. Prunus cerasifera to be removed

RL 170.76

RL 171.21

RL 171.97

2 x Mp

10,000L RAINWATER TANK UNDER DECK ACCESSED BY CFA

6 x Vh 5 x Sa

UNDER DECK STORAGE

VISITOR CARPARK 13 x Ca

Note - Proposed trees are shown at 75% mature canopy size and proposed shrubs are shown at 80% mature spread.

Timber bollards

UNDER DECK STORAGE

6 x Mp

15 x Ca 1 x Cc'FP'

1 x Sa

20 x G'RR' 1 x Ca

STORE 5

RL 170.49

8 x Vh 7 x Sa

COMMUNAL STORE UNDER DECK

T8. Prunus cerasifera to be removed

STORE 3

STORE 8

STORE 4

8.89

Coloured concrete

Existing tree to be removed

DECK

STORE 7

Existing tree to be retained

2 x Ca

16 8.83 IN 16 V168.7 9 16 8.68 8.69

Pre-cast or stone steppers

1 x Sa

16 7.52 IN 16 V1 7. 6 45 167.34 7.3 5

Groundcovers and grasses

2 x Ca

9.24

Pavers within synthetic lawn

DECK

T7. Prunus 11040 cerasifera to be removed 11041

16 9.57

Shrub planting

1 x Sa

Lawn

2 x Mp

1 x Mp

COMMUNAL GARDEN

TITL

Tree planting

40.23 m

Legend

1 x Sa

UNDA

RY 30

° 32

' 20

I.L.U. 3

0.2

I.L.U. 4

I.L.U. 1

17 0.24 IN 170. V17 21 170.10 0.1 2

42.9

I.L.U. 2

TITLE BOUNDARY 189° 23' 20"

17 0.95 IN 170. V1 94 70 17 0..883 1

2 x Ca

T6. Bedfordia arborescens

T4. Acacia melanoxylon

1 x Ap 3 x G'RR'

1 x Bs'HP' 3 x Po

6 x Ca 2 x Mp 2 x Bs'HP' 3 x Po

3 x Mp

50% DEVELOPMENT SOLD Landscape Architecture and Urban Design PO Box 7071 Beaumaris VIC 3193 www.davidsondesignstudio.com.au

03 9515 0159 office@davidsondesignstudio.com.au

97 x Mp

3 x Dt 6 x Po 10 x Ca 5 x Sa

3 x Po

3 x Cg

3 x Dt 3 x Po 18 x Ca 1 x Ap 5 x Sa 2 x Sa

11-13 Upper Blackwood Ave

7 x Dt 2 x Po

3 x Dt 1 x Li'T' 5 x Ca

Existing lawn embankment

4 x Sa 2 x Bs'HP' 8 x Ca 5 x Mp 1 x G'RR' 5 x Po

1200h post and wire fence 1 x Bs'HP'

If you are wanting to downsize your current home and upgrade to a beautifully located unit in our retirement village. Our aim at Mountainview Retirement Village is to fulfill your retirement dreams, by taking away the daily stress of looking after your property, and instead of replacing this with a lifestyle of your dreams. At Mountainview Retirement Village we offer you nature wherever you look Mountains, The Yarra River, clean air and birdlife to share your morning cuppa with. Mountainview Retirement Village is a small boutique development of only eight 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom units. Don’t be disappointed -act now to secure your future dream in this truly amazing development. A number of units have already been sold. Completion date late 2021. For further information and to arrange inspection contact: Keith King (03) 9259 2106 I keith.king@adventcare.org.au 12506688-CG32-21

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Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

MAIL 9

OPINION

The three creeks Badger, Chum and Myer creeks; three distinct areas each with their own characteristics and allegiances form, with the central business and residential area of the town, the vibrant and progressive town of Healesville. In the space available I am able to only touch on their history, development and features. Myers (originally Meyers) Creek is believed to have been named for a Charles Meyer, one of the earliest residents in the district. At the time, Meyers Creek road was but a winding track linking Toolangi to Healesville. The Toolangi community consisted mainly of timber workers and farmers. Later, to enable the timber and palings from his mills to reach Healesville railway station, Thomas Crowley built a tramway, opened with great fanfare in 1900, replacing the hazardous journey of the bullock teams from Toolangi to Yarra Glen. During the 1920s and 1930s Myers Creek, with its dozen or more guesthouses was an important part of Healesville’s tourist boom, visitors being attracted by the lush vegetation, abundant tree ferns, small twinkling creeks and waterfalls and its scenic views. Today, Myers Creek road is an attractive winding road linking the farming and horticultural community with Healesville. Chum Creek, on the opposite side of the range to Myers Creek, was ‘opened up’ for settlement in 1892 when 200 ‘orchard blocks’ were made available. For many years the settlers were ‘a struggling lot’ with their land not

very productive and with access to Healesville only by an often unusable and precipitous track, ankle deep in mid-winter, rutted and dusty in summer. Gradually conditions improved, and by the late 1930s Chum Creek boasted a long established school, a post office, a recreational lake, a cricket team and a fire brigade. But over the years it has suffered its share of setbacks, including fires, flood and economic depression. Today, however, many of the thousand inhabitants live on acreage. Its primary school is thriving, there are a number of small businesses along its length, and the well-made road between Healesville and Toolangi is a pleasant scenic drive through well-timbered country. Both the Myers and the Chum were originally part of Eltham Shire and did not join the Shire of Healesville until 1912. A number of scattered farms existed in the area, now called Badger Creek, in the 1880s;

Badger Creek Church. but its development as a community began with a government decision, under the Settlement on Lands Act of 1893, to settle the unemployed on land revoked from Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve in 1894. A great sense of ‘community’ developed vividly in 1913 when the inhabitants worked together to ‘build a church in a day’. Sadly, the 1926 bushfires destroyed it in just 15 minutes. During the 1920s and 1930s and even later its many guesthouses – some set in picturesque locations – were popular with guests from Melbourne. Today, with a population of over 1500, its thriving primary school, a community hall, the fire brigade, the sanctuary and a number of grassroots organisations create a strong sense of community.

A fantastical history of man versus nature Warning: Here’s a 600-page book that’s absolutely unputdownable. Be prepared to have ohso-worth-it sore arms as Andrew McGahan’s The Rich Man’s House keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the day and late into the night. Winner of the 2019 Aurealis Award for Best Horror Novel, The Rich Man’s House was McGahan’s eleventh and final novel. The Miles Franklin Award-winning author spent the last weeks of his life finishing the book, before dying of pancreatic cancer. The result is a haunting piece of speculative fiction featuring The Wheel, an unearthly mountain towering over the freezing Antarctic waters south of Tasmania. Since its discovery in 1642, the 25,000-metre geographical goliath of a mountain has defeated numerous climbers from across the world. It’s quite a thrill to read its masterfully constructed history. Only one man has ever stood atop the mountain’s apex, known as the Hand of God. Decades later, Walter Richman, now a reclu-

CARTOON

PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN Christine Yunn-Yu Sun reviewed Andrew McGahan’s The Rich Man’s House. 228125 sive billionaire, painstakingly builds a mansion on the highest point of a neighbouring island. Whether the Observatory is Richman’s way to pay tribute to The Wheel as his greatest adversary, or to mock it as a subdued prey, is impossible to know. But there’s something wrong with the Observatory, as Rita Gausse, daughter of the architect who designed it and subsequently died there, finds out upon her arrival. It is here, cut off from the outside world, that Gausse acutely

Infinite has finite appeal

feels – and fears – the ferocious, omnipresent and forever-patient forces of Mother Nature that she has long been sensitive to. As the story unfolds, we see why Richman so insists that Rita is there to witness his final showdown against The Wheel. Reaching the story’s ending somehow feels like seeing a tsunami coming – something that is cataclysmic and catastrophic, completely predictable yet ultimately and overwhelmingly terrifying.

Infinite Starring Mark Wahlberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sophie Cookson Rated M Infinite is a flat, unimaginative sci-fi action movie that clearly copied a better movie’s homework. Evan (Mark Wahlberg), a troubled man with certain innate talents, joins a society of reincarnated individuals who can recall their past lives, and must regain his own memories to avert the end of the world. Wahlberg is serviceable but unmemorable, delivering yet another wisecracking tough guy performance. The dialogue is contrived and drowning in dry spoken exposition. Evan’s vague quest to regain his memories is visually confusing, and builds to a very silly twist. Infinite is extremely derivative of The Matrix, down to character archetypes and plot beats, with Bathurst’s (a charismatic but underwritten Chiwetel Ejiofor) desire to break the cycle of reincarnation feeling a little too similar to Agent Smith’s desire to leave the Matrix. Unlike The Matrix, Infinite’s action is unsatisfying. There are only two decent but all-too-short fight scenes, and most of the action sequences lack a clear sense of direction and somehow look perilous but feel easy. The film’s own ideas sabotage its suspense: if the main characters can reincarnate, and the villains’ Dethroner weapon disables reincarnation but stores its victims’ souls on a chip, then no-one is really in any tangible danger. Moreover, recontextualising schizophrenia as a superpower feels patronising toward real people with schizophrenia. Poorly-written and generic, Infinite holds finite – and very limited – appeal, and is available on iTunes. - Seth Lukas Hynes

LENSCAPE

Jacinta receives her AstraZeneca vaccine from nurse Ivana. Jacinta, who works full-time in retail, recently rolled up her sleeves to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. She said her mind was made up when she saw how many shopping centres had become Covid hotspots over the pandemic. “I wanted that extra safety, so I decided to come and get the vaccine sooner rather than later,” she said. “It’s very low risk and the more people that get vaccinated, the quicker we can get out of this situation.” 246845 10 MAIL

Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

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NEWS

Metro tag madness By Jed Lanyon Once again Covid-19 restrictions have been eased across regional Victoria leaving some residents of the fringe ‘metropolitan Melbourne’ townships frustrated at being lumped in with harsher restrictions. Yarra Ranges Mayor Fiona McAllister said council met with Deputy Premier James Merlino on Friday 13 August to discuss a range of issues including the ongoing plea to see smaller Yarra Valley townships reclassified as ‘regional’. “We met with the Deputy Premier last week to talk about a range of issues and we put the case of reclassification directly with him,“ she said. Cr McAllister said council would continue to “push hard” on the issue, again writing to the Premier this week. “We will continue to advocate and push hard on this issue, not just when we’re in lockdown, but consistently. This really needs to be resolved not just in a pandemic but for any other future scenarios. Yarra Ranges Council had twice formally written to the State Government urging for changes to see smaller, isolated Yarra Valley townships be reclassified in line with regional Victoria’s restrictions. Council made their first plea in September last year and then again in June as restrictions were enforced on local traders across the Queens Birthday long weekend. Cr McAllister put forward the suggestion of making decisions on restrictions based on specific postcodes rather than broad local government areas. “Doing it by postcode would make it very simple and easier to understand. A lot of people in Victoria are probably more familiar with where their postcode is rather than their local government area,” Cr McAllister said. She hoped the many businesses in the Yarra

A local business in Healesville expressing their sadness for their permanent closure. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Valley could benefit from welcoming regional Victorians to recoup some of the losses from the pandemic. “If we were classified as regional Victoria, we’d be able to open our businesses to people from other regional areas that would sustain, at least in part, some of our businesses,” she said. “The other thing is that our schools would reopen. That’s a significant concern for council and myself, the ongoing mental health and wellbeing impacts on our children.” Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence called for all Yarra Valley communities within her electorate to be let free from lockdown arguing that they had experienced little to no Covid-19 cases for the better part of a year. “It’s been 297 days since the government has reported a Covid-19 case in the Yarra Ranges municipality, nearly 10 months,” she said. “Daniel Andrews announced that Regional Victoria would no longer continue to be in Lockdown 6.0 because, and I quote: ‘fundamentally the function of not having cases in regional Victoria’. “Yet, despite there not being a single case of Covid-19 for nearly 10 months, country com-

munities in the Yarra Valley remain stuck in lockdown. It makes no sense.” “By Daniel Andrews’ own logic, our regional communities should be released from lockdown immediately. Where is the public health advice that proves otherwise?” Ms Vallence received the following response after writing to the Premier pushing for a reclassification of townships within her Evelyn electorate. “The implementation of restrictions is based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, informed by careful monitoring of epidemiological data and public health readiness at the point that directions are issued,” the response read. “Factors considered include the number of active cases, number of mystery cases, test numbers and the number of days elapsed between people experiencing symptoms and seeking a test. There is a need to be vigilant given how infectious the Delta and Kappa strains of the virus are. “During the management of this outbreak, restrictions have progressively eased for metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria on 10 June, 17 June, and 24 June 2021. The definition of metropolitan Melbourne is based on the Planning and Environment Act 1987, which sets out the local government areas that form metropolitan Melbourne.” It comes as metropolitan Melbourne has received the unwanted news that lockdown will be extended for a further two weeks until 2 September, with more restrictions being added to the already extensive list. As of last night, a 9pm to 5am curfew has been placed on metro residents, permits for essential work are needed once more and parks and exercise equipment are closed. Large construction projects will be reduced to 25 per cent of workers onsite, while smaller projects will be limited to five people.

COMMUNITY DIARY WHAT’S ON AROUND THE VALLEY

Yarra Valley Business Yarra Valley Business has had to reschedule some events which will now be held online. A webinar with George Hawwa from Attention Experts to help you build an ROI in your social media ad campaigns will be held on 18 August at 11am at https://attentionexperts.ac-page. com/webinar-series. A second free webinar will be held on 25 August at 8pm discussing the ins and outs of creating a simple but effective marketing plan. Register here: https://my.demio.com/ref/Vm6EtFnMnkV8AU3x.

VIEW Club The Ringwood VIEW Club meets for lunch on the second Wednesday of each month at 11.30am at Natalie’s Restaurant, 669 Maroondah Highway, Mitcham. New members and visitors are welcome to come for a 2 course lunch with tea or coffee, cost is $25. Also on the fourth Wednesday there will be morning tea or lunch in various local cafes. Bookings – Glenys 0421 722 789.

Reach out Is there a free or low-cost community event you’d like to share with our readers? Send an email to editor@mailcommunity.com.au by 5pm on Wednesdays for inclusion in the following week’s edition.

In times of crisis, you can give

where it’s needed most Please donate now 1 3 S A LV O S S A LV O S . O R G . A U

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mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

MAIL 11

NEWS

Plea for federal support Yarra Ranges Council is calling on the federal government to lend a supportive hand to Yarra Ranges communities who continue to suffer following the 9 June storms and multiple lockdowns. According to council, the “conservative estimate” of funds needed for full storm recovery sits at $65 million, however this estimate was gathered prior to secondary impact assessments that provided a deeper understanding of the widespread destruction. A dedicated recovery team has been established by council at a cost that council “simply can’t manage on it’s own”. Yarra Ranges Mayor Fiona McAllister said that the scale of the widespread damage inflicted on homes, buildings and public assets including roads, water, gas and telecommunications infrastructure has never been experienced before and is complex. “The recovery from this storm event could take up to three years, and we are still uncovering new challenges and hurdles as the fullscale impact of the event becomes clearer,” Cr McAllister said. “We are appreciative of the joint state and federal funding delivered so far, for Bushfire Recovery Victoria to assist residents with clearing trees from private properties that have been damaged. “However, there remains a huge financial gap in resourcing and support equally many tens of millions of dollars even by conservative estimates. We simply can not do this alone and need other levels of government to commit money and resources to support our communities,” she said. According to council, the majority of residents affected by the storms fall outside the eligibility criteria for the current funding program, leaving council to face the “enormous and urgent” job of cleaning up debris ahead of the next bushfire season.

A tree uprooted and fell on this house during June’s superstorm. If state and federal governments don’t step up support, council risks having to divert resources from other critical community services and infrastructure. Council is also calling on the federal government to address telecommunications issues as a matter of priority given 34 communities lost mobile and NBN service during the storm Almost two months later, NBN service is yet to be reinstated in some parts of the hills. “The telecommunications outages were extremely distressing. During and after the storm, many residents were unable to contact 000 for assistance, unable to access emergency information or even reach out to their loved

ones,” Cr McAllister said. “Mobile phone service is vital in an emergency, and the consequences of no service can be catastrophic. We’ve been working with our community over the last 12 months to understand how we can strengthen telecommunications in our region, but we urgently need the Federal Government to drive improvements across 000 and NBN services now.” Cr McAllister also highlighted the huge toll that the storm has taken on local businesses, compounding the impact felt from multiple COVID-19 lockdowns and resulting in a huge downturn in visitation to the region. “Yarra Ranges is a hugely important part of

the state’s, and indeed the country’s, tourism industry,” Cr McAllister said. “We attract over seven million visitors each year and generate $620 million annually for the state, but the storm on top of the lockdowns has meant that many of our amazing local businesses are now struggling to stay afloat. “We need targeted support, including financial support, that drives local tourism so our businesses can remain open, our local people can remain in their jobs, and we can maintain the significant contribution our region makes to the local, state and national economies.”

12508398-HC34-21

12 MAIL

Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

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NEWS

Men helping each other By Taylah Eastwell Mum’s have mother’s clubs. Veterans often find themselves getting involved at the RSL down the road. Retirees and craftsmen hang out at the local men’s shed, where long-lasting, trusty friendships (and woodwork pieces) are formed. But what about the dads, and men that don’t quite fit into the demographic of these social groups? In steps Mountain Men. Mountain Men is a social support group for men in the Dandenong Ranges focused on engagement and inclusion. The group offers a non-judgmental, safe space for men to participate in a range of social activities that encourage new friendships to blossom. Co-founder of Mountain Men Inc, Heath Pawley, described the group as “a social group for men, or people that identify as men, to bridge the gap between younger age groups where people have friends from school and older age groups where people may have retired”. “It’s more of a social group to build community and connections for those between 25-55, but there is no set age. It’s very inclusive, not a toxic masculinity or blokey bloke vibe at all, we are all just there to chat and socialise,” Mr Pawley said. “One of the things we’ve found through people that come along is that a lot of the guys in that age group that may or may not have kids are feeling isolated. They might have moved away from where their friends live or are just finding it hard to make connections with people,” he said. Mr Pawley said Mountain Men’s mission and focus is similar to that of a Men’s Sshed in the sense that it’s all about getting guys talking and doing activities. “It’s about making connections in healthy environments, not just a group of guys going down the pub,” Mr Pawley joked. “We aren’t a mental health provider but it is a big underlying focus. We do activities to promote positive mental health such as run clubs, soccer in the park, talks - we have done some presentations on food and health and wellbeing so we are taking some of the elements of mental health and addressing the peripheral stuff,” he said. The group get together for a number of different activities, ranging from a coffee in the park to monthly yarning circles, where a different topic is chosen for each session and an expert speaker presents and allows men to ask any questions. Mr Pawley said the last few yarning circles have been on food and health, financial planning and gardening. “Our last presentation on work life balance was online, the next one is about garden tool maintenance and safety. “It’s been very hard moving online because the whole idea of starting the group was to address one key message, and that was the fact so many people were sick of talking on Facebook and online, so it’s kind of contradictory to the whole reason we started to be doing it online,

Mountain Men is a social group focused on men’s inclusion and friendship building. but we are looking at ways of managing that from fitness classes outside keeping numbers down and a few other ways as Covid allows. We are trying to be flexible,” Mr Pawley said. “It’s also been hard letting men know we are here these days because if you’re not online you don’t get a lot of information. A lot of the men that come along do so after their wife or partner told them they should come along and socialise,” he laughed. The group is focused on the southern Dandenongs and receives funding from both Cardinia and Yarra Ranges councils. “We’ve got people that come from Belgrave, Olinda, Mt Evelyn, we are definitely trying to capture the whole Ranges and anyone in the area is welcome to come up. It’s not a postcode or Yarra Ranges only thing, it’s open to everyone, we’ve also had some from Boronia and Ferntree Gully,” he said. Mr Pawley said Covid-19 lockdowns have given dads the opportunity to take a “more active role in the household with online schooling and working from home”. “It’s been fantastic for them getting hours back at home rather than commuting. But on the flip side, I recently did a dads class and learnt that some industries have been absolutely berserk and a few people haven’t seen their kids for like six months, except for weekends, because they are in bed when they leave

One of Mountain Men’s recent ‘yarning circle’ presentations. and come home,” he said. “It’s varied depending on what role they might be in but there’s not much else you can do in lockdown other than go to the park with the kids and I think a lot of dads have found that really rewarding and awesome, they’ll be memories that they’ll treasure. The group isn’t a set commitment, with

men welcome to come along as and when suits them, and while they are not mental health professionals, they are linked in with local services and able to provide assistance to men who may also be struggling. Anyone interested can join the closed Mountain Men Facebook group or contact Heath through the website at https://www. mountainmen.org.au/contact.

Fight for better telecommunication services continues By Taylah Eastwell Yarra Ranges Council is once again advocating to the state government to vastly improve telecommunications services in the region, with the impacts of lockdowns and recent wild weather amplifying connectivity issues. With parts of the shire facing the yearround threat of severe weather events, better mobile and broadband accessibility for the region is vital, with recent storm events in the Dandenongs leaving many communities off the grid - unable to reach 000 or loved ones in their time of need. The Star Mail understands that over two months since the June 9 storms, there are still around 700 NBN services yet to be restored. Mayor Fiona McAllister said addressing the connectivity issues across Yarra Ranges has been critical for years and needs to be fixed, not just to help residents in emergency situations but also in everyday life with local mailcommunity.com.au

Yarra Ranges Council is continuing to advocate for improved telecommunications in the Dandenongs. businesses and schools being impacted. “Connectivity has long been an issue for many of our townships in Yarra Ranges, and was raised as a significant issue following Black Saturday. Again it was the number one frustration we heard from our storm im-

pacted communities when holding our poststorm community meetings,” Cr McAllister said. “34 of our communities lost mobile and broadband service over the first three days of the June storms, meaning they didn’t know what was going on, couldn’t reach out to loved ones, access emergency information or even dial 000 for assistance. “Two months after the storm event, NBN Co. confirmed that there are still 700 services – many of which are in the Yarra Ranges - yet to be restored, which makes things incredibly difficult when you consider so many of our residents have been working from home during the lockdowns. Cr McAllister said it is “unacceptable that in 2021 our communities are still suffering and remain heavily disadvantaged due to poor telecommunications infrastructure.” Council is undertaking its own study to

gain a greater understanding of the mobile and broadband difficulties in the community, including a community survey of fixed and wireless internet services in homes and businesses and blackspot testing. “The data from our study showed that 4G service could not be accessed at 25 percent of the sites and road segments we tested, while poor network quality and mobile blackspots were concentrated around the Dandenong Ranges, tourist roads such as the Black Spur, and areas toward Beenak and Hoddles Creek,” Cr McAllister said. A series of virtual consultations are currently underway for the 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review. The Issues Paper, consultation dates, and details on how to make a submission can be found at www.rtirc.gov.au. Written submissions should be lodged by Thursday 30 September. Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

MAIL 13

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Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

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Councils act on homeless The number of homeless men, women and children is growing in suburban areas and COVID-19 has further impacted the vulnerability of those who sleep rough without a safe place to call home. Yarra Ranges Council is among 13 eastern and south eastern municipalities uniting to address homelessness with a best practice guide launched during Homelessness Week, the Housing First for People Sleeping Rough Practice Guide for Local Government. More than 116,000 Australians and almost 25,000 Victorians were homeless on any given night pre-COVID-19 (ABS 2016 Census*), including 7490 across the 13 municipalities and 360 in Yarra Ranges. Council staff have since noticed more people experiencing homelessness in the suburbs. The 13 eastern and south eastern Council CEOs formed the Regional Local Government Homelessness and Social Housing Charter Group in late 2019 to end homelessness and advocate for more social housing. The 2016 Census found 32 per cent of Victorians without a home lived in this region. Led by Monash CEO Dr Andi Diamond and endorsed by all 13 CEOs, the Charter Group Councils recognise the growing need for suburban and local government advocacy for our most vulnerable through improved supports and more permanent and safe housing. The municipalities include Bayside Council, the City of Casey, City of Cardinia, Frankston City Council, City of Greater Dandenong, Knox City Council, City of Kingston, Manningham City Council, City of Monash, Maroondah City Council, Mornington Peninsula Shire, City of Whitehorse, and Yarra Ranges Council. Housing First for People Sleeping Rough Practice Guide for Local Government acknowledges that homelessness is a complex issue requiring a triage of support including mental health, but the first step needs to be providing a safe and secure home. The Councils’ mayors have also offered their support. Any Council can use the guide to reflect, better understand the Housing First model and see how others approach the issue. Mayor of Yarra Ranges, Cr Fiona McAllister, said that the Councils had come together to seek change and help improve the supply of permanent, safe, appropriate and timely housing for those who need it. Cr McAllister said the joint approach allowed for the sharing of ideas between Councils and the development of protocols, resources, community education and advocacy for more social housing for each region. The Councils have also welcomed the recent $5.3 billion Victorian Government investment in social housing. “There is no doubt that homelessness is on the increase and the impacts of the pandemic and recent storm event in the Yarra Ranges has compounded the situation,” Cr McAllister said. “As a collective group of councils, we have the local knowledge and expertise to make a difference to the rising issue of homelessness, so to be able to join forces like this and share ideas and experiences is a great outcome. “Everyone has the right to - and deserves safe housing and a home and as councils we mailcommunity.com.au

SLEEPING ROUGH IN THE RANGES have a responsibility to make it happen.” The guide encourages a whole of Council approach to homelessness based on human rights, including everyone’s right to a safe and affordable home, while protecting public places and spaces. Yarra Ranges Council’s Homelessness Protocol is also featured in the guide. Council’s protocol has been developed using principles that are based on human rights. The protocol outlines that people who are homeless and/or sleeping rough have: the same entitlement as any member of the public to be in public places, and participate in public activities and events the same access to right of reply and appeals/complaint mechanisms as any member of the public diverse backgrounds and needs that should be considered in any response with sensitivity and respect Yarra Ranges Council’s protocol also defines homelessness and outlines when it is appropriate for its officers to respond. The guide follows initial research that the City of Monash commissioned through the Council to Homeless Persons: Making a difference – effective local government responses to homelessness. It found Councils were well placed to address homelessness as by-laws officers, parks staff or contractors often interacted with people sleeping rough on public land and facilities. Often out of concern, local businesses and residents are also likely to contact Councils’ customer service staff to report people experiencing homelessness. The resulting Regional Local Government Homelessness and Social Housing Charter (Charter) was endorsed by the 13 Charter Group councils, the Eastern Region Group of Councils and Eastern Affordable Housing Alliance. It aims to address the urgent need for more social housing and a more effective, integrated and supported homelessness service system. The charter’s four principles include: Human rights and ‘Housing First’. Through this: Housing is a human right for every person. Local government can influence an increase in social housing in our region Participating councils commit to working with the homelessness sector on a Housing First response.

· ·

CHIRNSIDE PARK Meadowgate Milk Bar 3 Meadowgate Drive CHIRNSIDE PARK Coles Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway CHIRNSIDE PARK Woolworths Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway CHIRNSIDE PARK 7 - Eleven 242 Maroondah Highway CROYDON NORTH Croydon Hills Milk Bar 158 Nangathan Way CROYDON NORTH Eastfield Milk Bar 11 The Mall KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Churinga SC, Russo Place KILSYTH Coles Supermarket 520-526 Mt Dandenong Road KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Canterbury Road Kilsyth KILSYTH TSG Tobacco Churinga Shopping Centre Mt Dandenong Road LILYDALE Lilydale Marketplace SC 33-45 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE Lilydale Village SC 51-59 Anderson Street LILYDALE Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Castella Street & Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Lilydale Community Centre 7 Hardy Street LILYDALE Lilydale Lakeside Conference and Events Centre 1 Jarlo Drive LILYDALE United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Caltex Lilydale 346 Main Street LILYDALE Caltex Woolworths 31 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway LILYDALE Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE 7 - Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway & Cave Hill Road LILYDALE Coles Express 469 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Hutch & Co Cafe 251 Main Street LILYDALE Round Bird Can’t Fly 170 Main Street LILYDALE The Lilydale General 110 Beresford Road LILYDALE Yarra Valley Smokery 96 Main Street LILYDALE Bee Seen Cafe 178 Main Street LILYDALE Blue Turtle Cafe 222 Main Street LILYDALE Gracious Grace Castella Street LILYDALE Melba Coffee House 33-45 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE Lilydale Munchies 7/75 Cave Hill Road LILYDALE The Mustard Tree Cafe 3/28 John Street LILYDALE Freda’s Cafe 2 Clarke Street LILYDALE Barry Plant Real Estate 88 Main Street LILYDALE Ray White Real Estate 164 Main Street LILYDALE Stockdale & Leggo Real Estate 281 Main Street LILYDALE Professionals Real Estate 111-113 Main Street LILYDALE Grubs Up 1 Industrial Park Drive LILYDALE Olinda Creek Hotel Maroondah Hwy LILYDALE Crown Hotel Maroondah Hwy LILYDALE Yarra Ranges Council 61 - 65 Anderson Street MONTROSE Montrose Authorised Newsagency 912 Mt Dandenong Road MONTROSE Bell Real Estate 896 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road MONTROSE IGA Supermarket 916 Mt Dandenong Road MOUNT EVELYN Fast Fuel 1 Hereford Road MOUNT EVELYN IGA Supermarket 38- 40 York Road MOUNT EVELYN Post Office 12 Station Street MOUNT EVELYN Authorised Newsagency 1A Wray Crescent MOUNT EVELYN Red Robyn Milk Bar 35 Hereford Road MOUNT EVELYN Library 50 Wray Cresent MOUNT EVELYN Milkbar 28 Birmingham Road MOUNT EVELYN York on Lilydale 138 York Road MOOROOLBARK Coles Supermarket 15 Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK Corner Milk Bar 38 Bellara Dive MOOROOLBARK Fang & Yaoxin Mini Mart 108 Hayrick Lane MOOROOLBARK BP Mooroolbark 103 Cardigan Road MOOROOLBARK Coles Express 2 Cambridge Road MOOROOLBARK Professionals Real Estate Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK L J Hooker Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK Fletchers Real Estate 1/14 Manchester Road MOOROOLBARK 7-Eleven Manchester Road

12502404-SG28-21

NEWS

· · · ·

Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

MAIL 15

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 042

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

easy

2 3

8 4

6 1 5 7 8 5 6 4 4 6 3 9 7 6 8 2 4 3 4 3 5 9 8 7 7 5 medium

6 9 3 1 6 8 3 2 9 5 5 4 7

1 5

QUICK CROSSWORD 3 4 5 6 7

ACROSS Public assembly (5) Metallic element (9) German-speaking country (7) 10 year periods (7) German city (9) Result from (5) Sound of indigestion (3) Wielding (11) Evaluations (11) Knight’s title (3) Non-PC (5) Terrible beating (9) Clique (7) Attack (7) Utilises (10) Objects (5)

1 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 19 20 22 25 26 27 28

8 13 14 15 17 18 21 23 24

DOWN Dreads (5) Materials (9)

1 2

No. 042

Deserve (5) Southern US state (7) Modernised (7) Adds to (9) River flowing from Tibet to the Arabian Sea (5) Envoy (9) Sadness (9) See (9) Establish (9) Things of consequence (7) They conquered England in 1066 (7) Soak (5) Seaweed wrapped rice (5) People who favour black clothes and makeup (5)

DECODER

No. 042

2 7 3 7 9 8 2 3 9 8 4 hard

7 6 9

9 8 3

9-LETTER WORD Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Today’s Aim: 12 words: Good 18 words: Very good

7 5 9 3 1 6 4 2 8

2 9 4 3 7 1 5 6 8

5 7 6 8 9 4 1 2 3

4 LETTERS AWES BYES CEDE CENT CYST EARN LAST MASS OMEN SLIM STIR UTES WATT WEST

5 LETTERS ABACK ABBEY ABUSE ACRES ADOBE ADORE ADULT AGAIN ARISE AROSE ASIDE ASPEN CALVE CEDAR COALS COBRA DUNNO ENTER ENTRY ERASE

No. 042

ESSAY GAUNT IDOLS INERT INPUT KNEES LEARN LEMON LUNAR MAMAS MIAOW NINNY NOISE NOTES OKAYS ONSET PEDAL RESET SABRE SCANS SENDS

SENSE SKIMS SNIPS SPACE SPICE STAIN TENSE TERMS TILES 6 LETTERS CHEATS ERECTS SLEETS WHILST

7 LETTERS ASHAMED BESEECH BLOCKED IMPINGE RELENTS TENABLE 8 LETTERS COUNTESS DELUSION RELOADED SUBURBAN

cede, cere, creed, decree, deer, defence, defer, DEFERENCE, erne, feed, feeder, fence, fenced, fencer, fend, fender, fern, free, freed, need, recede, reed, reef, reefed, rend

8 3 1 6 2 5 9 4 7

6 1 8 2 4 3 7 5 9

3 4 7 9 5 8 6 1 2

9 2 5 1 6 7 8 3 4

1 5 3 7 8 2 4 9 6

4 8 9 5 3 6 2 7 1

7 6 2 4 1 9 3 8 5

1 3 4 2 5 8 6 9 7

2 6 8 7 4 9 3 5 1

4 9 7 8 6 2 5 1 3

5 8 2 1 3 7 9 6 4

3 1 6 5 9 4 7 8 2

6 2 1 9 7 3 8 4 5

8 4 3 6 2 5 1 7 9

9 7 5 4 8 1 2 3 6

5 3 7 9 2 8 6 1 4

6 2 9 5 4 1 3 7 8

8 1 4 6 3 7 2 9 5

3 6 2 4 8 9 1 5 7

7 9 8 1 5 2 4 3 6

4 5 1 7 6 3 8 2 9

9 4 3 8 1 5 7 6 2

1 7 6 2 9 4 5 8 3

2 8 5 3 7 6 9 4 1

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

25 words: Excellent

hard

medium

easy

3 LETTERS AGE AID ART ASH BEE CAM CAR CHI DAB EAR EGO EKE EVE EWE GEE LET LSD NAB NEE ODD PEN RYE SEE URN

WO E L AMG V F U T X Q

1 3 6 9 7 3 3 5 1 8 9 6 3 2 1 7 1 3 2 5 6

B Y K H C I Z DN R S P J

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In accordance with Section 163 of the Local Government Act 1989, notice is hereby given that the Yarra Ranges Shire Council at its meeting of 10 August 2021 has resolved of its intention to declare a special charge for the Mont Vue, Lilydale - road improvement works, for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the provision by Council of road improvements carried out under Part 1A of the Act.

In accordance with Section 163 of the Local Government Act 1989, notice is hereby given that the Yarra Ranges Shire Council at its meeting of 10 August 2021 has resolved of its intention to declare a special charge for the Roma Avenue Road Group, Badger Creek- road improvement works, for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the provision by Council of road improvements carried out under Part 1A of the Act.

The special charge is intended to be declared in respect of those properties shown within the designated area for this special charge scheme as outlined by heavy lines on the plan below, being properties that have abuttal to or gain primary access via Roma Avenue, Garibaldi Street, Omonia Drive, Old Don Road or Don Road Service Road.

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A copy of the proposal to levy is available for inspection at the Yarra Ranges Council Community Link, 61-65 Anderson Street, Lilydale during ofﬁce hours until 15 September 2021.

In accordance with Section 223 of the Act, any person wishing to make a submission on the proposal must do so in writing to the undersigned by 15 September 2021. Submissions should be addressed to:

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Place your ad in print and online

Public Submission The Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Yarra Ranges Shire Council and can be either hand delivered to 61-65 Anderson Street, Lilydale, emailed to mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au or posted to PO Box 105, Lilydale, Vic, 3140.

Any person making a submission is entitled to request in the submission that the person wishes to appear in person, or to be represented by a person speciﬁed in the submission, at a meeting to be heard in support of that submission.

Any person requesting to appear in person or to be represented by a person speciﬁed in his or her submission will be notiﬁed of the day, time and place of the meeting of the Council or of a committee determined by the Council to hear submissions.

All submissions will be considered in accordance with Section 223 of the Act.

Copies of submissions (excluding submitter’s names and addresses) will be made available at the Council meeting when submissions are considered.

V Rubbish Removal

It is proposed to declare this special charge at the Council meeting to be held on 12 October 2021, or should this meeting not proceed then the next available meeting, after the consideration of the submissions received.

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Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

MAIL 17

Trades & Services

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ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE Anyone advertising a puppy, dog, kitten or cat in Victoria for sale or re-homing will need a source number from the Pet Exchange Register and a microchip identiﬁcation number. It is now an offence to advertise unless the source number and microchip identiﬁcation number is included in the advertisement or notice. For further information, call 136 186 or visit animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

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Celebrations

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Employment

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MR DRIVER At our Coldstream Branch 645 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream

• Perform deliveries to site and stores; • Load and unload/or pick product to/from suppliers and for customers • Ensure loads are safe and secure • Ability to work alternate Saturday mornings • MR licence essential • Forklift licence essential

SPECIAL CHARGE SCHEME OLD GIPPSLAND ROAD (WEST OF HILLSIDE COURT), LILYDALEROAD IMPROVEMENT WORKS

SPECIAL CHARGE SCHEME RUSSELL ROAD GROUP, SEVILLEROAD IMPROVEMENT WORKS In accordance with Section 163 of the Local Government Act 1989, notice is hereby given that the Yarra Ranges Shire Council at its meeting of 10 August 2021 has resolved of its intention to declare a special charge for the Russell Road Group, Seville - road improvement works, for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the provision by Council of road improvements carried out under Part 1A of the Act.

Resumes to: jobs@robotbuildingsupplies.com.au or call 9739 0856

In accordance with Section 163 of the Local Government Act 1989, notice is hereby given that the Yarra Ranges Shire Council at its meeting of 10 August 2021 has resolved of its intention to declare a special charge for the Old Gippsland Road (West of Hillside Court), Lilydale - road improvement works, for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in the provision by Council of road improvements carried out under Part 1A of the Act.

The special charge is intended to be declared in respect of those properties shown within the designated area for this special charge scheme as outlined by heavy lines on the plan below, being properties that have abuttal to or gain primary access via Russell Road, Norman Berry Drive, Haag Road (from Russell to Howard Street) and the unconstructed section of Howard Street (from Haag Road to no.23 Howard Street).

You will be required to pass both a preemployment medical and drug alcohol screen.

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The special charge is intended to be declared in respect of those properties shown within the designated area for this special charge scheme as outlined by heavy lines on the plan below, being properties that have abuttal to or gain primary access via Old Gippsland Road (West of Hillside Court), Lilydale.

A copy of the proposal to levy is available for inspection at the Yarra Ranges Council Community Link, 61-65 Anderson Street, Lilydale during ofﬁce hours until 15 September 2021.

In accordance with Section 223 of the Act, any person wishing to make a submission on the proposal must do so in writing to the undersigned by 15 September 2021. Submissions should be addressed to:

Truck & Dog Driver Casual. Experience preferred. Full-time work for the right person. Vic Roads check. Based in Healesville. Collin 0407 307 432 V Professional

DISCRIMINATION IN ADVERTISING IS UNLAWFUL

The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception under the Act. As Network Classifieds could be legally liable if an unlawful advertisement is printed, Network Classifieds will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisers or the Equal Opportunity Commission.

All submissions will be considered in accordance with Section 223 of the Act. Copies of submissions (excluding submitter’s names and addresses) will be made available at the Council meeting when submissions are considered.

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18 MAIL

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SPORT

Yarra Ranges Athletics member Oliver Duncan in the long jump. Picture: ERIKA BEDYN

Yarra Ranges Athletics members in competition.

Yarra Ranges Athletics offer a variety of track and field events.

Games inspire local clubs By Jed Lanyon Yarra Ranges Athletics is seeing a surge in new members following the Olympics, where track and field events were highlighted to a worldwide audience. Yarra Ranges Athletics hosted after-school events for children to try out the sporting events they had just witnessed their Olympic heroes take part in. Club president Max Savill-Bentley said it was “fantastic” to see so many new families bring their kids along to take part in the sport. “I went down there and I was blown away by how many people there were. I thought, hang on, this isn’t a Saturday morning or a cross country event, it’s a random Monday afternoon with one coach. It was really impressive.” Mr Savill-Bentley said the club was “lucky” to host four days of their after-school event, which was eventually cancelled following the latest lockdown. The event was an opportunity for the club to ride the wave of momentum provided by the Tokyo Olympics. “Having recently seen the stats from other athletics clubs around the area from Athletics Victoria, you’re looking at least a 50 plus increase in members per centre and a lot of places will be seeing a 25 per cent increase, which does slowly taper off over the next few years,” Mr Savill-Bentley said. Yarra Ranges Athletics coach Kate Downward said: “Track and field athletics is a sport that remains under the radar most of the time being overshadowed by sports that have airplay, are constantly on TV, are well funded and recognised across the community. “Yet in the years where the Olympics or Commonwealth Games or even the world championships are on to some extent, when it hits the screens there’s certainly a renewed understanding and awakening to what a great sport it is and what a diverse sport it can be in the jumping, the running and the throwing. “It’s a sport for all abilities and ages, no matter what background you come from or how much money you have. You only need a pair of shoes to join in.

Yarra Ranges Athletics saw a boost in participation following the Olympics coverage. “Here at Yarra Ranges Athletics we were super stoked to see the Aussies do so well. We have little athletics all the way to the elites and we have them locally. We know how hard it is to reach that pinnacle, so we’re super proud to see our Australian track and field team do so well.” Mr Savill-Bentley said the club’s attention will turn to motivating young athletes to strive to represent their country at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

“For our kids in the under 6, under 7, under 8 groups, in 11 years time when we have the Brisbane Olympics it’ll be their big chance to get in on the action. It’s sort of a time for us as an athletics club to look at the current juniors and how we are going to make sure kids love athletics enough to want to go to the Olympics. Mr Savill-Bentley said the approach for Yarra Ranges Athletics was to motivate little ath-

letics members to achieve their own personal goals. “We’re very much a personal best focused club.” While metropolitan Melbourne remains in lockdown, Yarra Ranges Athletics is on the lookout for new members and registrations for the 20201-2022 season opens soon. For more information, visit yarrarangesathletics.org.au or the club’s Facebook page.

Lockdown grants for sport Victorian sporting and recreation clubs forced to cancel or postpone events due to the current lockdown will be able to apply for cash grants to defray costs. Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence announced that the application deadline for the State Government’s Sporting Club Grants Program has been extended to 27 August. The current round of the program provides $2000 grants for eligible clubs and community organisations impacted by the July lockdown or the current lockdown. Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence said, “This is a vital lifeline for our sports clubs hit hardest by the effects of the latest restrictions, that’s why we’re getting on with extending this support. “I encourage clubs left out of pocket to take advantage of this initiative, which is mailcommunity.com.au

supporting clubs through these difficult times and will help when sports can safely resume.” The grants are available to Victorian sport and active recreation organisations for irrecoverable costs due to cancelled events including cancellation fees for facilities and payments to coaches and officials, as well as the loss of perishable goods and booking fees. The Sporting Club Grants Program is part of the Government’s commitment to make sport more accessible and inclusive, stimulate local economies, build sustainable sport and recreation and volunteer opportunities, and increase local participation. For more information on the grants program and to apply visit: sport.vic.gov.au/ grants-and-funding.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

MAIL 19

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