Mail - Lilydale Star Mail - 28th September 2021 by Star News Group

Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

Lilydale

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Mt Ev Pavilion upgrades delayed

Couple creates wellbeing link

Fritsch fever hits the AFL Grand Final

Melbourne Demons premiership poster

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Excavators, cranes and materials remain untouched on the Lilydale level crossing site after the Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS construction industry was shutdown last week. 251714 ria to metropolitan Melbourne and vice versa. “From the pattern of cases we’ve seen over the last week or two and the exposure to Bal-

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After an already disastrous week on the level crossing removal sites in Lilydale and Mooroolbark, the State government projects have also fallen in line with the construction industry shutdowns. The two week lockdown of construction sites which came into effect on Tuesday 21 September will mean prolonged delays on the level crossing removal projects, pushing completion dates further back. Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) CEO Kevin Devlin said works on all level crossing projects had stopped temporarily under the mandated shutdown but works to make the sites safe would take a few days. “Our crews are on the ground today (21 September) ensuring our sites are safe while works are paused for two weeks,” he said. “Projects underway where we’ve shut major rail lines will take longer to make safe for nearby residents and commuters and crews will complete this over the coming days.” The shutdown comes after the Lilydale worksite had to close when a positive Covid-19 case was identified on Wednesday 15 September and the Mooroolbark worksite closed after a crane incident on Friday 17 September. Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar announced on Monday 20 September that a further four cases had been linked to the Lilydale level crossing outbreak. The four people infected were primary close contacts of the Lilydale worker, who was from Ballarat and worked across two different construction sites. This was not the only instance of multiple workers working across different sites, linking a number of Covid-19 cases in regional Victo-

areas,” Mr Weimar said. Over 400 positive Covid-19 cases were linked to construction sites last week which was only exacerbated by violent protests, bringing on this sudden lockdown of the industry. With the Mooroolbark and Lilydale level crossings half way through a 45 day construction blitz, train lines and roads cannot reopen, as tracks have not been laid and roads have not been built. This means disruptive detours will remain in place at Lilydale and Mooroolbark and could see major roads like Maroondah Highway closed for a longer period of time. “We appreciate everyone’s patience while we work to reschedule our planned works. More information will be shared with local communities once new disruption dates are confirmed,” Mr Devlin said. “Buses will continue to replace trains on the Frankston, Lilydale and Williamstown lines, while local roads that are currently shut will remain so, with traffic control in place.” LXRP expect there will be some changes to the construction timelines but the new completion dates of level crossing removals and station openings will be communicated to the community as soon as details are confirmed. Level Crossing Removal Project sites are expected to reopen on Tuesday 5 October with greater Covid-19 safety measures in place. This includes implementing strict measures to minimise workforce close contacts, such as staggered shifts and industry consultation to implement COVIDSafe meal and rest break arrangements for the LXRP workforce. LXRP are urging the construction workforce to use this time to get vaccinated against Covid-19 to allow them to get back to work.

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NEWS

Oversight delays upgrade By Mikayla van Loon It’s taken six years for a new sports pavilion at Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve to be approved and just when works were about to begin, an oversight by Yarra Ranges Council has delayed the build once again. Mount Evelyn Sports and Community Hub (MESCH) president Bryan McCarthy and vice president Mal Darke had been aiming to have the current pavilion demolished by the start of August with the build starting early September. But even though the council approved the planning permit, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) had not signed off on the build prior to the permit being issued. “The council has failed to let DELWP know that this is what was actually happening and they’ve actually approved the planning application without DELWP’s input into it,” Mr McCarthy said. “Not that they probably would have stopped them from approving it but they would have put conditions on there to obviously protect the bush.” Mr Darke said DELWP would have been consulted in the very early stages of the council’s master plan for Mount Evelyn in 2015. “The council should well and truly know that DELWP was the owner of the land because they would have consulted them through the revision of the master plan. So it’s a huge mistake,” he said. Mr McCarthy said the repercussions and worst case scenario would be that the builder pulls out, contractual penalties and costs are imposed and the cost of building materials may go up which could eat into the designated budget. The football and cricket clubs which use

Mount Evelyn’s football and netball clubs have already said their goodbyes to the pavilion by signing their names on the wall. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve will now also be without their own club rooms for the majority of next year’s season.

“The delays we’re experiencing now, it’s obviously going to be tacked on so we’re probably not going to have rooms for the entirety of the

home and away season,” Mr Darke said. “So there’s financial impacts for the junior club, there’s financial impacts for the senior club not being able to hold functions, not being able to have home games, not being able to have the same amount of people come through the gates every weekend to watch local football.” Billanook ward councillor Tim Heenan said Yarra Ranges Council has been working closely with DELWP to resolve this issue. “DELWP has given their consent for an amended permit to be issued subject to conditions, which Council has now amended and issued. Beyond that, no other changes to the permit conditions have been made,” Cr Heenan said. Mr McCarthy and Mr Darke understand that further provisions may be put in place for the build after DELWP’s review but they are concerned it will mean certain features that had been planned for the building will be compromised. “We are not looking forward to having a lesser building than what’s already been agreed to by us,” Mr McCarthy said. Cr Heenan said once a building permit has been issued, the pavilion works can get underway but with recent construction industry shutdowns, this could be delayed even further. “I sincerely hope that this sort of oversight never happens again,” Cr Heenan said. By the time these issues are resolved, it could be late October before demolition works begin. “The current building is empty, it’s been stripped of anything usable and all the memorabilia. So the building’s not actually in a condition that can be used by the clubs. It’s just an empty shell at the moment waiting for demolition.”

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Too many workers face this every day It’s never ok

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NEWS

IN BRIEF First step out of lockdown

Kilsyth vax clinic

Victorians unfortunately didn’t make the 80 per cent vaccination target by Sunday 26 September but the State government has announced restrictions will ease as of midnight Tuesday 28 September. Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has said there will be a modest easing to restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, in line with the Roadmap. This means Melbourne residents will be able to undertake ‘contactless’ recreation at outdoor facilities, such as boating, tennis or golf and the 10km radius will also expand to 15km for exercise and shopping. The gathering size outdoors will increase to up to five adults, from two households, if all adults are fully vaccinated and personal training will be able to take place with five fully vaccinated people outside plus a fully vaccinated trainer. Restrictions on playgrounds will be lifted with normal public gathering limits but masks can be removed to eat and drink at the playground.

By Mikayla van Loon With the aim of getting more people vaccinated by December, EACH’s Lilydale Covid-19 vaccination clinic has moved to Kilsyth Basketball Stadium. Vaccination service manager for all of EACH’s Covid-19 vaccination clinics, Di Collins said the demand for vaccines at Lilydale had increased so rapidly that they decided to relocate. “It gives us an ability to increase the amount of booths we have to vaccinate in,” she said. By increasing the number of vaccine booths, Ms Collins said the Kilsyth clinic can vaccinate 480 to 500 people a day, with the vision of gradually increasing that to 1000 a day. For the time being, the Kilsyth clinic has reached capacity with eight to 10 booths going at any one time, meaning 48 to 50 people are vaccinated every hour. “We’re really grateful that people around the Lilydale area have been really great. Ever since we opened people have come forward to be vaccinated so that’s fantastic,” Ms Collins said. “We’ve been at capacity since we opened and every time we grow, we can grow some more but it’s been really great to see that people have come to get vaccinated.” Although staff have been under pressure to vaccinate as many people as possible, Ms Collins said EACH has taken every step to make sure staff are looked after. “We stagger our staffing, so our staff are fine and we make sure that they’re looked after, as

Operation Scoreboard

Tim and his daughter Suhanee with nurse immuniser, Annemarie at the Kilsyth vaccination clinic. 251701 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS well as the fact that we get people vaccinated. “I think we’ll be doing this at least until December, so we have to look after our staff.” Ms Collins wanted to thank the local community for being so willing to get vaccinated and for their patience as EACH works through every appointment. “The community’s been fantastic. Even when we were at Lilydale, down on the school

site, everyone was understanding, when they had to sometimes queue and the staff have been brilliant. “They’ve worked really hard to try and make sure that the community, often their local community, is vaccinated.” The clinic has just opened more bookings for six weeks time but Ms Collins said they will go quickly.

CARTOON

Police ramped up enforcement on Victoria’s roads across the AFL Grand Final long weekend following a spate of tragic deaths over the period last year. Operation Scoreboard ran statewide from 12:01am Thursday 23 September to 11:59pm Sunday 26 September, with a focus on speeding and impaired driving. Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol said the weekend was not out of the ordinary in terms of drivers doing the wrong thing and there were no incidents which were of greater concern than normal. Four drivers were caught while under the influence of drugs and 28 drivers were caught speeding at least 15 to 25km over the limit. Five lives were lost over last year’s Grand Final long weekend and there were more than 120 collisions which resulted in injury. Police were determined to avoid a repeat of the same tragic loss of life and urged drivers to make the right decisions. “The consequences of driving whilst impaired are catastrophic and we’ve seen far too many tragedies already this year,” Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir said. 166 lives have been lost on Victoria’s roads so far this year, with 14 recorded this month.

Covid case update As of Monday 27 September at 11am, the Yarra Ranges had a total of 21 active cases in the shire. Three of those cases had been listed in the 24 hours prior and were identified in the postcodes of 3795, 3782 and 3137. Cases do not necessarily reflect the location where a person contracted the virus but rather where they live.

Ambulance boost The Victorian government has launched a new Medium Acuity Transport Service as part of Ambulance Victoria to provide acute care for Code 2 and 3 patients. An extra 22 vehicles and 165 dedicated staff will be deployed to a number of local government areas including Knox and Maroondah, with 15 crews working across those areas. This new service will help with demand in other local government areas including the Yarra Ranges, freeing up paramedics to respond to the most urgent and time-critical emergency cases.

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MAIL 3

COUGH OR COVID COUGH? The only way to be sure is with a test at the first sign of any symptom.

For testing locations, visit CORONAVIRUS.vic.gov.au Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne

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NEWS

Earthquake shakes Vic By Renee Wood During such unprecedented times with the pandemic, lockdowns and protests - Victorians have now added an earthquake to their already shaken up lives. Geoscience Australia confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 9.15am Wednesday 22 September at the epicentre near Mansfield at a depth of approximately 10kms. Yarra Ranges residents have reported feeling the quake, including Chum Creek resident Cameron Betts who was working at home. “It sounded like rumbling and I thought it was the washing machine and then my wife said quick come here and we have some pretty big glass planes in our windows and they were just flexing like nothing else,” Cameron Betts said. “My daughter was very scared, I don’t think her heart’s quite calmed down yet to be honest.” Mr Betts also shared with Star Mail some incredible CCTV footage capturing his office shaking in Montrose. “It’s amazing how much it actually shook, when I logged in and saw it I thought, wow that’s a lot bigger than I thought it was.” It was also a strange birthday present to receive for one Ferntree Gully resident, Dianne Wood, who was at home with her family at the time of the event. “You could hear like a little bit of a rumble first and it started to slowly get louder. As it got louder the house just began to shake and then the shaking slowly got worse and worse, and I thought this is a bit bigger than just a little one,” Dianne Wood said. “It will forever be a memorable day in the years to come, I can always say that the earth moved on this day for me.” A 4.0 (Mw) aftershock was also recorded

A Geoscience Australia map showing the epicentre of September 22 earthquake. 15 minutes after the initial event and Deputy Premier James Merlino has warned more aftershocks and tremors could be on the way for the South East. “Geoscience has confirmed there is a possibility that we may receive further aftershocks and potential risk of further earthquakes, in-

deed more aftershocks could occur for weeks, if not months,” James Merlino said. “This was quite a significant event, and quite scary for a lot of people so please take care, keep observing the EMV alerts and warnings that have been issued.” Buildings were damaged closer to the CBD

NIGHT BUS SERVICE FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Calling all digital artists By Mikayla van Loon Digital artists from all over are being asked to submit their expressions of interest to be featured at the soon to be built Lilydale train station. The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) is seeking submissions from screenbased artists for a public art piece which will be displayed on the new Lilydale Station clocktower digital screens. “We’re excited to launch expressions of interest for an artist to deliver public artwork on a digital screen at the new Lilydale Station, the first of its kind on any level crossing removal project,” LXRP program director Steve Brown said. A digital artwork of this kind has not been commissioned on any other level crossing project but LRXP wanted to incorporate innovative designs and use of technology at Lilydale to really separate it from the rest. “Projects such as the level crossing removal at Maroondah Highway provide the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for the local community – and we’re asking experienced artists to consider getting involved in this transformative initiative,” Mr Brown said. The zinc-clad tower will be highly visible, standing at over 15 metres high, making it an unmissable feature in Lilydale, with LXRP describing it as “a key destination and public building in the centre of the suburb.” The artwork will be placed on all four sides of the clocktower and is expected to contribute to wayfinding and placemaking within the precinct. The integrated artwork brief highlights the need for the digital artwork to “contribute to a greater sense of identity and place” while having a “strong consideration and sensitivity to local community aspirations, character, themes, and heritage.” The commissioned artwork must have the longevity to withstand the 20 year contract period.

and in Mansfield but it’s believed there was no significant building damage in the Yarra Ranges or Knox area. Vic Emergency issued a warning following the earthquake for the entire state but it has since been reduced and only in place for the Woods Point/Mount Buller/Rawson area.

As of Saturday the 25th & Sunday 26th September, our Night Bus service is changing to include Mt Evelyn as part of our service with new pickup times. With the Curfew still in place, we are still only running the one Night Bus service over the weekend for essential service people starting at:

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Lilydale Station...............................................................0448

Joy Rd/Monbulk Rd (Mt Evelyn) .......................................0500

Union Rd near warburton Hwy (Wandin N) ........................0508

Union Rd near Warburton Hwy (Wandin N)........................0508

Link Rd (Seville) .............................................................0513

The Lilydale station clocktower stands at 15 metres high and will be a beacon when driving through town. 251714 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Rd Woori Yallock ........................0523 Main St Bus Stop Green St (H/ville) ...................................0548 Main St Bus Stop Green St (H/ville) (depart) ......................0555 Yarra Glen Main Street .....................................................0610

LXRP is open to themes and designs, which will be assessed by the Art Steering Committee as part of the shortlist process. Artists will be assessed based on criteria including artistic merit, contribution to the local area and capability to work with project teams on a complex project. Artists can find out more information and submit their expression of interest by 8 October at tprojects.co/lilydale

Link Rd (Seville) .............................................................0513 Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Rd Woori Yallock ........................0523 Main St Bus Stop Green St (H/ville) ..................................0548 Main St Bus Stop Green St (H/ville) ..................................0623 Yarra Glen Main Street .....................................................0638 Coldstream (North Gateway) ............................................0648

Coldstream (North Gateway) ............................................0620

Cyril Street (Lilydale) .......................................................0650

Cyril Street (Lilydale) .......................................................0622

Lilydale Station...............................................................0652

Lilydale Station...............................................................0624

Train Scheduled Departure Time: 6:57

Train Scheduled Departure Time: 6:29

Please see our website www.mckenzies.com.au for a more detailed and up to date scheduled times under Night Bus 965 12515157-NG40-21

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Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

MAIL 5

It’s never you, until it is.

More people die on farms than in other workplaces – let’s change that. Every death and injury on any farm is preventable. You might think you’re bulletproof and an accident won’t happen to you. You know your land like the back of your hand. You know your tools, your machinery, your vehicles. But accidents can happen to anyone. At any moment, the worst can happen. At any moment, it could be you.

Scan for farm safety support.

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NEWS

Trades shut down By Renee Wood Many construction workers awoke to the news on Tuesday 21 September their industry was going into a two week shut down, Healesville builder Neil Schalken was one of those with two projects now on hold. “The decision was surprising to me, it seems like a bit of a knee jerk reaction,” Neil Schalken said. Crisis meetings with the building industry, State Government and health officials were conducted the previous night with the official statement from the State Government released just before 10pm Monday 20 September. It followed a day of violent protests in Melbourne’s CBD, with demonstrators against restrictions being enforced on the industry, one of those being mandatory vaccinations. “How many hundreds of thousands of trades are affected by probably 500 protesters - that’s probably the hardest for anyone to swallow.” The State Government said it also took swift action in response to rising cases on large building sites and non-compliance with health orders including mask wearing. “We’ve been clear: if you don’t follow the rules, we won’t hesitate to take action – we have seen widespread non-compliance across the industry and that’s why we’re taking necessary steps to protect every single Victorian,” Minister for Industrial Relations Tim Pallas said. “We put the industry on notice just a week ago, we have seen appalling behaviour on site and on our streets, and now we’re acting decisively and without hesitation.” But many feel the whole industry shouldn’t be grouped into one, with different work settings considered lower risks of spreading Covid-19. “I can understand it being justified for big commercial sites and the likes, but the the housing sector or the cottage industry, as a lot of people call it - it’s a completely different playing field altogether,” Mr Schalken said. Neil Schalken Homes has two housing

It’s tools down for construction, with the industry shut down in metropolitan Melbourne and other Local Government Areas currently in lockdown for two weeks from 11.59pm, Monday 20 September. builds that have been stopped and will see delays - two of thousands in the Greater Melbourne area that will have flow on affects to suppliers, sub contractors and clients. “It’s already a battle with materials, supplies, labor and material costs constantly on the rise as well and to now put another spoke in the wheel, and flow on effects not only to the client, but also other smaller trades - cabinet makers, painters, tilers, it’ll go right down the chain unfortunately,” Neil Schalken said. “A lot of clients they’re paying interest or they’ve outlaid money for half a project, and everyone likes it to be built in a reasonable, efficient, quick time without these hindrances.” Construction work on community facilities, including Emerald SES’ new station, have been stopped. Emerald SES Unit Controller Ben Owen

said it was due to be completed in the next two weeks but many are in the same boat. “It’s annoying but we’re not worse off compared to families not getting their homes built or a small family where dad is a builder so we aren’t affected that way,” Unit Controller Ben Owen said. “It’s just another two weeks, if all goes well, on a great long line we have been waiting all these years for. The new facility will support 65 active volunteers to train and prepare for emergencies and there is potential works can continue under the government’s exemptions for health and safety projects. “We can’t train at the moment so it’s just another added pressure on the members. The service is trying to get around that because it’s critical that we train.”

Works soon to begin at Lilydale schools Eastern Victoria MP Harriet Shing announced on Wednesday 22 September that N&I Construction & Maintenance Pty Ltd had been appointed to build Lilydale High School’s $3.2 million upgrade, and Aspyer Group Pty Ltd had been appointed to build Lilydale Heights College’s $5.35 million upgrade. “We are determined to continue our record investment in new and upgraded school facilities - because we know that the right teaching and learning environments enable more students to reach their full potential,” Ms Shing said.

The upgrade at Lilydale High School will see the building of outdoor learning areas, while refurbishing relocatable classrooms and demolishing the administration building. This project is part of the Lilydale District and Yarra Valley Education Plan. “Upgrading Lilydale High School will give local students access to great classrooms and facilities - because you can’t deliver a first-rate education in second-rate classrooms.” The upgrade at Lilydale Heights College will see the refurbishment of the Library/Humanities Building, associated site works and

landscaping. This project is part of the Lilydale District and Yarra Valley Education Plan. “The new library and humanities buildings are just part of the upgrades for Lilydale Heights College that will make a world of difference for students, staff and teachers, and transform the teaching and learning environment for this growing school,” Ms Shing said. The Victorian Budget 2021/22 invests $1.6 billion to build new schools and improve existing schools to make sure our kids have the bright futures they deserve.

Three Vs for safer schools To help slow the spread of coronavirus in school settings, the Government is investing more than $190 million in initiatives ready to implemented in schools across Victoria to ensure that once they’re back open, they stay open. The Chief Health Officer also announced that vaccinations will be a requirement of work for staff in schools and early childhood settings to protect children, staff and the broader community. In order to work, all staff in schools and early childhood services will be required to have a first dose by 18 October or have a booking within one week, with full vaccination required by 29 November unless a medical exemption applies – including in government and non-government schools and all types of early childhood and care settings. From the start of Term 4, 51,000 air purification devices will be rolled out to all government and low-fee non government schools to remove potentially infectious particles – like coronavirus – from higher-risk areas in schools including staff rooms, sick bays, music rooms and other high traffic areas. “I know Victorian families can’t wait to see their kids back in the classroom – but we need to keep them safe once they’re there, and we’re delivering ventilation devices to prevent as much transmission on school sites as possible,” Education Minister James Merlino said. “With a roadmap in place to get all students back to school safely, we’ll make sure every single Victorian child is supported when they’re back in the classroom – whether that’s with their schoolwork or their wellbeing.” In addition, these 2,149 schools will all be entitled to a grant of up to $25,000 to purchase shade sails – with $60 million to create more outdoor learning spaces and make it easy for classes to be conducted outside. Throughout the school holidays and Term 4, infrastructure audits, ventilation assessments, and CO2 monitoring that has already started will continue in a sample of schools to identify any further actions that can be taken to make schools even safer – and will also cover a number of early childhood education services co-located on school sites. The Department of Education and Training will support principals to implement this requirement in the coming weeks, with all government school staff entitled to a half-day of paid time off to get their vaccination, and staff – alongside families and students over 12 – are urged to book in and protect themselves as soon as possible. Masks will remain mandatory for secondary school students and all adults and they are also strongly encouraged for primary school-aged children wherever possible. Schools have already implemented measures like staggered pick-up and drop-off times, QR code check-ins for any essential visitors, and as much physical distancing as is possible in classrooms – and when students return, will limit mixing among year levels and use large spaces like halls and gyms where possible.

School and early childhood education staff will be required to get the Covid-19 vaccine in order to go back to work. Lilydale Heights College and Lilydale High School will see building upgrades begin after builders were appointed for the projects. 234335 mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

MAIL 7

NEWS

Finding the missing link By Mikayla van Loon The stigma around seeing a counsellor or psychologist in today’s world has changed dramatically. It is now more accepted that people may need a little bit of guidance and help along the way, particularly during a global pandemic. One Lilydale couple has taken the trouble out of finding an appointment with a counsellor by creating an online platform which has made connecting with the right psychologist even easier. Sarah and Ruan de Witt, alongside programmer Eric Nastase, launched talklink in July and have since had thousands of inquiries from people wanting to be connected with a counsellor. “We anticipated slow and steady growth. Usually these things do take time so we were anticipating growing within a year or two years but already, within three months, we’ve hit the thousands in terms of inquiries,” Sarah said. Since launching, it has become evident that people aged 20 to 40 were really needing to find some extra support. Currently, wait times around Australia to see a counsellor can be up to eight months long, as people work on improving their mental health after two extremely challenging years. But Sarah said those wait times don’t include the time it may take for someone to form a quality connection and relationship with their counsellor. “It’s a bit hard to tell whether you connect with someone by an old status photo and an out of date bio or someone over the phone randomly telling you ‘yep, sure, there’s someone available in your area, book into see them’ without getting any sort of a feeling sense of who they are. “So that was the thinking behind talklink, just to make it a really modern and approach-

Sarah used her background in psychology to help set up talklink with her husband Ruan. 251524 able experience for people seeking mental health help support.” Sarah said talklink is about normalising the need to seek support, whether someone is anxious, depressed, is having relationship issues or has just gone through some major changes in life, it’s ok to need “extra mental health tools in your tool belt.” “It’s just making it okay for people to go, ‘I’m struggling a bit right now. I might just go talk to someone’ and an investment of one to two sessions might give you the tips and strategies for you to live a happier, more fulfilling life,” she said.

“If something just pops its head up, it’s better to nip it in the bud a lot sooner and there’s so many counselors and psychotherapists that are really well equipped to be able to deal with it. “They’re really fantastic when life throws you curveballs, rather than having to go through a real formalised process and waiting six months to get support.” Mental health data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows young people between 18 and 34 have the highest rate of poor mental health (30 per cent) and that has the potential to get worse as isolation from society continues.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Although Sarah and Ruan began planning talklink seven years ago and could never have envisioned a world of lockdowns and social disconnection, they have been able to help so many people since launching. Talklink connects you with a counsellor anywhere in Australia within eight days of your inquiry. Find the right counsellor for you by viewing the different bios, videos and costs. If you’re not quite ready to go down the path of counselling just yet, Ruan also hosts a mental health podcast which is free to listen to but might just help with any struggles you’re having right now.

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SHOP LOCAL MOOROOLBARK

Customs made easy Finding the right jeweller who can understand and design exactly what you are looking for can be hard to come by. But with 35 years of expertise under his belt, Brett Clarke from Terrace Jewellers in Mooroolbark has a jewellery intuition like no other. Custom jewellery design, manufacturing and repairs are his forte, particularly when it comes to engagement and wedding rings. Having been located in the same place since 1986, Brett has become a familiar name and face to people in Mooroolbark. Many of his customers are regulars and generations of the same family continue to use Brett as their jeweller. Brett can also take any piece of jewellery and remodel it to your liking, guiding you through what will work and what won’t. He’ll give you an honest opinion and will be sure to give you the result you are after. With three display cabinets of designer jewellery ready for sale, pop in and browse the selection, from rings to bracelets. Or if it is a repair you need, Brett has you covered. He will bring that broken watch back to life, resize a ring and fix a bracelets broken clasp in no time. Brett is working limited hours during the Covid-19 lockdown but he can be reached on 0416 288 409 or via email brettandlois@hotmail.com. Find Brett at Brice Ave Shop 17 Terrace Shopping Centre Mooroolbark.

Brett Clarke from Terrace Jewellers is the longest standing storeholder at The Terrace Shopping Centre. 243931 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

22A BRICE AVE. MOOROOLBARK

Ph: 9726 4955

COMPUTER SALES & REPAIRS

6 – 8 Brice Avenue Mooroolbark VIC 3138 03 9726 7291 20% ANY PUROFF www.theaussieknittingco.com.au (one per CHASE customer) info@theaussieknittingco.com.au In store o r Online co de Home1 :

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Brett Clarke • brettandlois@hotmail.com Shop 17 Terrace Shopping Centre Brice Avenue, Moorollbark www.terracejewellers.com.au 9727 1171 - 0416 288 409 12504545-SG40-21

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Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

MAIL 9

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OPINION

Covid-19 long haul Long Covid presents when symptoms are experienced longer than six weeks and occurs in around 10-30 per cent of Covid cases. Symptoms can come and go over an extended period after initial infection resolution. These include fatigue, body ache, shortness of breath and brain fog. Development of long Covid is not influenced by severity of acute infection, age or pre-existing health condition. Long Covid is caused by an inflammatory cascade which has failed to switch off after virus resolution. This leads to cellular damage and trauma which result in neuroinflammation and central nervous system dysfunction. This in turn affects the way our mitochondria produce cellular energy and explains why patients experience fatigue. In Australia, although older people are more at risk of severe Covid infection, patients aged 20 to 39 years make up 40 per cent of long Covid cases. Post viral fatigue can be extremely debilitating and greatly affects quality of day to day life. It may also affect management of preexisting health conditions. Effective treatment of post viral fatigue is not new in natural medicine and outcomes are better with a comprehensive and systematic

Healthy

living Tim Howden

Paediatric Naturopath – Healesville approach that is holistic and individualised. Qualified natural medicine practitioners have excellent, evidence-based treatment protocols to resolve the ongoing inflammation, support healthy immune function and increase cellular energy production, without unwanted side effects. Mind, body and lifestyle must be supported in ways that address a person’s unique needs. Steps include assessment of a patient’s stress adaptation, sleep profile, microbiome health and immune dysregulation. These areas greatly influence the body’s innate ability to repair, reset and restore. Here are top tips you can do at home to

support general post-viral recovery. 1. Cessation of inflammation. Current evidence points toward a mediterranean diet being protective against diseases associated with inflammation and immune activation. Whole food, plant-rich diet and good hydration. 2. Encourage greater relaxation and quality sleep. This will support your body to produce less cortisol which is a stress hormone that perpetuates inflammation. 3. Gentle exercise to support healthy circulation and allow the stale air to move out of your lungs. 4. Support gut-based immune function by looking after your microbiome and eating a whole food diet. 5. Lifestyle: Adjust and pace your activities to conserve energy, rather than push too hard and trigger ongoing stress responses. If you are tired, be compassionate with yourself and rest. This article outlines with brevity a systematic approach for the treatment and management of post viral conditions. It is general in nature and should not replace professional consultation.

A must-read for forthcoming TV series New Gold Mountain, the epic four-part series to be premiered on SBS on October 13, shares with Australian audiences for the very first time the remarkable and untold story of the Chinese miners who arrived in the Victorian Goldfields in the 1850s to try to make their fortune. In Chinese, “new gold mountain” refers to Melbourne (as compared to San Francisco as the “old gold mountain”). When gold was discovered in Central Victoria in the early 1850s, fortune seekers from around the world had flocked to Melbourne and then onwards to Ballarat and Bendigo. The population of Victoria grew from about 77,000 in 1851 to 400,000 in 1857 and then 500,000 in 1860, with 75,000 people arriving in the colony in 1852 alone. Among the European and American prospectors were the Chinese, whose number in Victoria reached 26,000 by 1857. This is the year that New Gold Mountain is set, at the peak of a harsh wild west era when every man was busy amassing his own riches. There were inevitable conflicts between the miners and the colonial authorities seeking to control them, which culminated in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade. There were also constant, violent and even deadly disputes among the gold miners of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For those wanting to better understand the historical settings of New Gold Mountain as a landmark production – an original and ambitious attempt to re-examine an important chapter of the history of Victoria – this reviewer recommends The Chinawoman (2008) by Melbourne-based lawyer Ken Oldis, winner of

PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN the prestigious Victorian Community History Award in 2009. New Gold Mountain begins with the discovery of a white woman’s mutilated body in the Chinese miners camp in Ballarat in 1857. The camp’s headman is Wei Shing, who must find out what happened in order to remain in power and keep his own fortune. In comparison, The Chinawoman begins with the discovery of a white woman’s mutilated body in today’s Exhibition Street in Melbourne CBD in 1856. The victim was Sophia Lewis, an English prostitute dubbed “the Chinawoman” due to her association with wealthy men from Chinatown. A criminal lawyer fascinated with Australian and especially Victorian history, Oldis spent years sifting through numerous legal documents, government archives, court proceedings, media reports and personal papers about the historical case. The result is a compelling book that reads like a murder thriller, but contains extensive notes and references that shed ample light on the dubious workings of Victoria’s detective force and the travails of

LETTERS Australia Day nominations I notice that nominations are now open for the Yarra Ranges Council’s 2022 Australia Day Awards. Before anybody takes the time and effort to fill in a nomination form, what guarantees do we have from the Council that this year’s set of awards shall be open to procedural fairness. The Council’s 2021 awards were decided by a committee of two people, the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, a break from the traditional principled committee made up of councillors, council employees and members of the community. There were rumblings on social media at the time that the high majority of this year’s recipients came from the Yarra Valley, where the two decision makers have their wards. Shall the council be going back to the way the decisions for these awards were previous made, by a realistic committee of more than just two people in power on the Council. The last thing our community needs is for these important community recognitions to be brought into doubt or to be open to accusa12 MAIL

Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

the local Chinese community. Readers are led through the dark streets and murky lanes of Melbourne in a quest for the truth. As Oldis explains, the murder happened at a politically sensitive time, when the antiChinese sentiment was so widespread in the colony that even the parliament was considering heavy taxes and other discriminatory laws against them. As the public demanded the killer(s) be found, it was commonly believed – in both European and Chinese communities – that they were Chinese. The police was under enormous pressure to arrest somebody – anybody – so they resorted to employing spies and secret agents to infiltrate the Chinese community. One of these “special detectives” appointed by the Victorian police force back then was Fook Shing, the well-connected and powerful headman of a Chinese miners camp in Bendigo. As Oldis reveals, Fook Shing not only assisted in the arrest and interrogation of two Chinese miners asmurder suspects, but he also testified at their trial, which was presided by the renowned colonial judge Redmond Barry. The two Chinese men were convicted and hanged... but were they guilty? The answer remains to be found in The Chinawoman, but it’s suffice to say that the book helps us comprehend not just the historical settings of New Gold Mountain but also some of the social, cultural and political issues highlighted in the drama series. To borrow the words of the SBS Guide, themes of “identity and belonging, class and race inequality, and the nature and construction of truth” demand as much of our attention today as they did in the 1850s.

Avid young writer Giselle Leonard will be contributing articles to the Lilydale and Mt Evelyn Star Mail as a new challenge and to inspire other young writers and readers to connect with the paper.

On a brighter note By Giselle Leonard The Bird Battle has been going on for as long as I can remember. Ok, it was only last Tuesday that it started, but that’s a long time in covid kid years. The Rosellas were enjoying a nice breakfast of seed (which tastes dry and bland to me, I don’t know how they like it) when the Cockatoos came in. They cleared all the Rosellas away with a few beats of their powerful white wings and began to gorge themselves on a feast that had only seconds ago belonged to the fiery, red birds. They had just settled in when something descended from the sky at a great rate. Plummeting towards them. With a “squark” the Cockatoos leapt off the feeder just as the Galah unfurled her wings and landed daintily on the feeder, politely nibbling a corn kernel. Which, of course, is when the chickens made their arrival. It was common knowledge that the short man in the gumboots let them out every afternoon at the same time. And after that they all raced to the bird feeder. Their tail feathers quivering with excitement as they pecked the spilled seed off the ground, scaring the Galah into the sky. Woof, woof, woof! Pippi’s bark was mostly quite high pitched but for the birds (mainly the simple minded chickens) she was a ferocious beast. They scattered as quickly as their skinny legs would take them leaving Pippi to enjoy her feast. Yes. Pippi, my dog, enjoyed the bird seed.

Demonic a dud let down tions of bias or prejudice or favouritism. Regards, Anthony McAleer OAM, Mt Evelyn

Demonic Starring Carly Pope, Nathalie Bolt and Chris William Martin Rated MA15+

Disaster support

The latest film by District 9 director Neil Blomkamp, Demonic is a sloppy fusion of The Exorcist and The Matrix with a sorely underutilised gimmick. Carly (Carly Pope) must enter a virtual-reality simulation to communicate with Angela (Nathalie Bolt), her abusive, comatose mother. The simulation scenes are mildly creepy and intriguing, juxtaposing an eerie ambience with pleasant pastel-coloured visuals reminiscent of the 2015 video game Life is Strange. However, these simulations are a fleeting, flimsy framing device for a corny film about demonic possession and Vatican black ops exorcists. Pope is an engaging lead, but the film is full of blunt, awkward dialogue, and the slow pacing is mostly set-up. The demon villain’s lore is endlessly talked about, yet feels strangely incidental. The exorcists’ plan is needlessly complicated, the rules of the possession are too vague for the climax to carry much tension,

As people continue to suffer the mental health effects of the pandemic Red Cross is reminding readers there are things they can do now to regain a sense of control, and prepare for the inevitable disasters ahead. New research by Australian Red Cross has found that two in five Australians’ mental health has been hit by Covid, and a similar number say they feel less hopeful about the future. Some 37 per cent feel less secure and safe. There are excellent resources on the Red Cross website www.redcross.org.au/prepare including steps to create your own emergency plan, to download the Red Cross Get Prepared App, a survival kit, emergency contacts list, keepsake list, information to help manage stress and more. Sincerely, Sue Cunningham, Red Cross director

and the climax suddenly hinges on a holy superweapon that comes out of nowhere. While the demon itself has a cool burly raven-like design, the film shows it too often, which makes it less scary, and giving the demon a cliched low distorted voice was a goofy mistake. For a far better film about demonic possession and digital technology, watch the 1977 horror film Demon Seed. Demonic is an inept, flat and contrived horror film from an otherwise talented director, and is available on DVD and iTunes. - Seth Lukas Hynes mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Such a blooming shame By Mikayla van Loon The Tesselaar Tulip Festival has been a feature of springtime in the hills for over 60 years and draws people from all over Melbourne. Unfortunately for the second time in the festival’s history, the four week event had to be cancelled. Festival director and grandson of the original Tesselaar tulip growers Paul Tesselaar said it would have been the festival’s sixty eighth year running. Although the tulip festival was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, Mr Tesselaar said having to cancel this year was even more disappointing. “So this year, we did some modeling and felt that we would be okay to get through and open up for people to come and visit. So we put a lot of effort into the layout, did a lot of ongoing repairs and maintenance to ensure that everything was up to speed and looking great,” he said. “Then once we had our lockdown number six, we realised that this delta variant was going to interrupt the festival this year. So it was really disappointing because the entire team has put massive effort into ensuring that the show this year was going to look spectacular.” Tulips need to be planted each year for the bulbs to go through their life cycle and improve the quality of flowering year on year, so Mr Tesselaar said there was no option but to plant the tulips in May and hope for the best. The Tesselaar team also put in a great amount of effort to restore three of the replica windmills, plant more blossom trees and grow greener grass to help contrast the colour of the tulips. But Mr Tesselaar said the flow-on-effect of the festival not going ahead is even more devastating. The festival usually brings together food vendors, market stalls and performers, as well

Rows and rows of tulips were planted in a specific way to showcase the intense colour of the flowers. 251690 as 120,000 people. “I feel so much for all those small businesses that are suffering as a result of not being able to generate an income at all over the last two years from doing their food stalls at festivals. “When I speak to local businesses down the road because there’s just not been that 120,000 people that would be coming through the hills to buy petrol or buy a coffee on the way or buy a fresh bunch of flowers from the roadside stalls, it just flows on and on and on.” Still wanting to share the blossoming beauty and delight of the tulips, Mr Tesselaar said they have been posting regularly to social media to keep smiles on faces but he cannot wait to have people back next year for KaBloom in March. “It really is about sharing that love of the colour and the entertainment and giving people the ability, especially this time around to escape Melbourne and to enjoy each other’s company out in nature, together with their families, wandering the fields and just enjoying the sun on their back and seeing the smiles on their faces as they wander around the field of flowers.”

Orange Balloon tulips are in full bloom at the Tesselaar Tulip Festival. 251690 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Free TAFE expands to include vet studies The State Government’s Free TAFE initiative will grow to more than 60 courses in 2022 as the state moves through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Member for Monbulk James Merlino MP today announced Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, Certificate IV in Leisure and Health, Certificate III in Information Technology, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Certificate III in Supply Chain Operations, Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, and a Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership will be added to the Free TAFE list at Box Hill Institute - Lilydale Lakeside Campus next year. “The expansion of Free TAFE at Box Hill Institute - Lilydale Lakeside Campus is great news for jobseekers in the Dandenong Ranges, there has never been a better time to get training for a great job in one of Victoria’s most in demand industries,” MP James Merlino said.

It is among seven new courses for next year, headlined by the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, giving jobseekers access to training and boosting the veterinary industry by alleviating workforce demands in metropolitan and regional Victoria. The new additions are part of a regular review of the Free TAFE list, ensuring training meets key government priority areas and skills demands while also boosting the Victorian economy. Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney said free TAFE aims to get Victorians into rewarding and in demand jobs. “We heard the calls for veterinary nursing to be added to the Free TAFE list – and we listened,” Minister Gayle Tierney said. “We’ve made a record investment in TAFE and training, including expanding the Free TAFE list to more than 60 courses, which

means there’s never been a better time to explore your new career pathway.” Other new courses include the Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership, supporting the recreational and tourism industry, and the Certificate IV in Leisure and Health, funneling more experts into the health and aged care system. The Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety will also join the free courses, as well as the Certificate III in Information Technology, Certificate III in Supply Chain Operations and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. The Labor Government’s Free TAFE program began in 2019 to remove barriers to training by allowing eligible students to apply for fully subsidised courses that directly lead to jobs now and into the future. Some 93,000 students have started courses, saving $150 million in the first two years.

Veterinary studies will now be part of the Free TAFE initiative from next year. Picture: KARSTEN WINEGEART ON UNSPLASH

Financial incentives for kinder teachers. Giving Victorian children the best start means more qualified teachers are needed across the state. 12513933-SN40-21

Teachers not currently working in the sector: Join or re-join the sector and be financially rewarded with $9,000. All qualified teachers: Get up to $50,000* on top of your salary for positions at high-priority services. Search and apply for a position that suits you via the new Jobs Board at vic.gov.au/kinder *Terms and conditions apply, visit vic.gov.au/kinder

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Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

MAIL 13

NEWS

14 MAIL

Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

Wedding singer Sarah Grimstone has been putting her free time into building Eastern Burbs Living on Instagram and Tik Tok to help small businesses. Pictures: SUPPLIED

Spotlight on the east By Renee Wood

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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 Kilsyth Laundrette87 Colchester 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 Eastern Laundries. 2/4 Williams Street East 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 Mooroolbark Coin Laundrette28 Manchester 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

When the entertainment and wedding industry was stopped from the Pandemic, wedding singer Sarah Grimstone decided to put her free time to good use by turning to social media to help small businesses. Hence, Instagram account ‘Eastern Burbs Living’ was born - a social media page shining a light on eastern Melbourne suburbs’creators, makers and businesses based in the region. Sarah set out to create a community driven page providing exposure to many retailers, cafes and creators who’ve been hit hard by the pandemic, “There was really a gap in the markets and there’s so many incredible small businesses and people that are working so hard behind closed doors that have never really had the spotlight on their craft or what they do,” Sarah said. “I wanted it to feel like a sense of community and a sense of discovery during a time where I think people felt really isolated.” By bringing businesses all together on the one platform it’s made it easier for Eastern Burbs residents to also support local. Now more than 250 posts have been shared, all scripted with purpose dedicated to a different small business or artisan. It’s clear to see from the growing audience of almost 5500, that something like this was desperately needed from the community. “At the start of lockdown I saw people were posting on community pages ‘where can I find a local person that makes candles?’ “So there was a demand for people to support businesses, they just didn’t know where to find them.” One cafe who’s seen the benefits from being part of EBL was Mon Poulett, who Sarah visited and filmed a Tik Tok video of, which later gained more than 20k views. Mon Poulet co-owner Lo Croiset said customers were coming in for months from seeing the video.

Radio host Chrissie Swan visited Mon Poulet after it went viral on Eastern Burbs Living. “For about three months I saw people coming in and hearing people come in off the back of her Tik Tok and that was completely out of the goodness of her own heart,” Lo Croiset said. The EBL platform is purely run by Sarah’s own drive to promote local small business owners and doesn’t charge businesses to feature. “I think because of Covid there really is that ‘we’re all in it together’ mentality now and Sarah’s just one of the beautiful ones that has risen to the surface.” It’s also helping to promote the eastern region and prove that funky and interesting businesses do exist outside of Melbourne’s CBD areas. “Through slowly kind of gathering together these creatives and the, you know, hidden gem cafes, it’s like we do have our own slice of almost like that urban lifestyle in a very suburban territory,” Sarah said. “There are really trendy businesses doing really cool stuff out here and you don’t necessarily have to be based in the city to get that type of exposure or foot traffic.” For more visit EBL on instagram @easternburbsliving mailcommunity.com.au

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

Sarah Grimstone is a singer and the social media manager and creator of Eastern Burbs Living. to be offered an opportunity to travel with the Nova radio team on their Nova Red Room Global Tour back in 2015 through my YouTube partnership and it was the most surreal experience of my life. We travelled for 10 days across the world listening to music and meeting incredible artists but for me the stand out was Ed. He really changed my perspective on the power of songwriting and I admire his work so much. With EBL, I would say walking into a local florist I hadn’t been to prior and having one of the staff recognise me from the page. They were so incredibly kind and so grateful for the platform and it really just made me realise that people actually care about this project and it’s more than just an Instagram page. That’s all I’ve ever wanted it to be and to know that

someone in the community can feel the love and support that I am trying to share through this page makes me emotional. EBL has grown to be such an important passion of mine and I truly believe the best moments are yet to come! What do you love most about living in the region? I think the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne truly has it all. It’s so leafy and relaxed yet it definitely has its pockets of bustling streets which is great! For me community is everything and I really feel that it’s growing especially during such isolating times where so many people are craving those relationships and connections. I like to think that we are right in the triangle with access to the beautiful Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges in one direction, the Mornington just down the road in the other direction and then the city is a short 40 minutes away in the other. What more could you want! We really are spoiled for choice here and i just love that every day is a new day of discovery for cafes, restaurants and other local small businesses that are alway popping up! What is an important issue in the region you think needs exposure? This might be bias as EBL is very much focused around small business support but i do truly believe that with everything going on right now, our small business community needs us more than ever. These are real people with real families and when you buy from them directly, you are not only supporting their dreams, you are supporting their livelihoods. Everybody can play their small part to make such a huge difference. Next time you’re out shopping, head to that local butcher you’ve been thinking about going to, buy those flowers from the small stand on the corner, purchase that candle from the mum who spends her weekends working away in the garage and show that you truly care for the community around you because they do so much work behind closed doors for us.

THREE … Supporting small business

Following a small business on social media is one of the easiest and simplest ways to support their business venture. It will keep you up-to-date with all their new products, while helping them build a following and customer base.

If you see something you like, ask if they have a click and collect service available so you can still get your hands on some goodies.

Leave a review. It may seem like an annoying step but reviews generate positive reactions from future clients and customers.

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What is something people don’t know about you? In my spare time, you will most likely find me plotting away in my veggie garden! I was never much of a green thumb until lockdown started and it’s now grown into one of my biggest passion projects. I find it so relaxing and it’s extremely rewarding to see all of your hard work result in some incredible produce that you can share with family and friends! Tell us about your role as the EBL founder and singer? EBL was another passion project that was born out of the first lockdown. Prior to Covid you would find me most weekends singing beautiful couples down the aisle on their special day and all of a sudden, that came to a grinding halt. Music has been my life for such a long time and I have been so fortunate to travel all over the world with my music and have so many incredible experiences including making it to the semi finals of ‘The Voice’ in 2017. Lockdown really made me reevaluate my passions outside of music and I must say I was feeling really down knowing I had so much time on my hands and couldn’t figure out the best way to utilise it. I wanted to put it to good use and I noticed so many people online were asking for places to buy and shop locally whilst all the bigger outlet stores were closed. That was my lightbulb moment and that is when EBL was born! I wanted to create a space for those small businesses who could still operate out of their homes and spotlight the incredible people in our local community who deserved a voice. It’s truly been such a blessing to have built this growing community and I am grateful for it every day. What has been your most memorable moment in your time for either EBL or as a singer? Why? I would say with my music, it would definitely be having the opportunity to meet Ed Sheeran in a tiny pub in Dublin. I was lucky enough

with Singer and creator of Eastern Burbs Living Sarah Grimstone

mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

MAIL 15

NEWS

Tuning in to farmers By Renee Wood Flowers are a custom so many enjoy for special occasions, decorating the home or in the garden, but now bloom lovers have the opportunity to listen in and learn about life as a flower farmer. A Healesville florist is sharing the stories of Australian flower farmers through a dedicated podcast called ‘Dish the Dirt’. Rebecca Noble set off to create the series to grow greater connections between florists and farmers after noticing freelancers she worked with were unaware of Victoria’s vast array of farmers. “It’s an amazing industry with so many amazing growers, we’ve heard from people up and coming and a huge trend towards women who have had career changes and now are turning towards flowering and that is pretty awesome,” Rebecca said. Since it began in March last year, more than 45 episodes have been released with each episode a profiling a different producer who’s sharing their triumphs and challenges and how they got into the industry. Now in its fifth season, Rebecca has seen the interest for their stories blossom with over three thousand listeners each episode. Many Yarra Ranges farmers have featured on the podcast, including this week’s episode with Monvale Flowers. Farmer and wholesaler Meaghan Harding said she’s noticed a stronger connection within the industry since the podcast began. “I myself have made a lot of friends by conversing with people over the podcasts and how

much we’ve enjoyed it. It’s created a little mini community,” Meaghan said. While those listening are invited to learn about the daily hard work that goes behind producing strong stems. “It’s helped me because the things that I struggle with, when I hear someone else talk about it, I think oh good it’s not just us and I do think that a lot of florists probably appreciate understanding how hard it is to grow a flower and what goes into it.” The podcast is also building awareness around the importance of buying locally grown and learning about the products florists and consumers are buying. “I don’t think that we will ever not have imports in Australia because we need some of them, we can’t grow certain types, like orchids,” Rebecca said. “But it’s great if people choose locally grown over imported if they can and if you’re buying locally grown, the chances are that you’re not getting the huge amount of chemicals that you would had you purchased imported roses for example. “And there’s a huge trend towards the dried and bleached flowers, which I think is probably worse. They’re incredibly bad for the environment; they will never break down and enter the ground again. “They have so many chemicals on them, and they are also wiping out farmers because florists aren’t looking for local fresh flowers, they’re looking for dried bleached imported flowers.” If you’d like to tune in to hear farmers passions and insights, listen to Dish the Dirt on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/ show/34PEgryAEuA4hmnaICYkUm

Healesville florist Rebecca Noble producers a podcast about flower farmers to inspire and provide insights into their vital roles for the industry. Picture: DISH THE DIRT

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Back to school!

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A Star News Group Publication

SPORT

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PAGE 3

By Renee Wood

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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A worthy brand

Coldstream Primary School families have received a special delivery with food care packages delivered to their homes on Tuesday 14 September. Some 45 bags were secretly left at local doors by student helpers, much to the surprise of the recipients. The school wellbeing group wanted to do something special for families as the lockdown and remote learning continues. Principal Phillippa Adgemis said the school received lovely feedback from parents who found the goodie bags. “Almost immediately we had one post on Facebook saying I saw this little ninja dropping off a care package and wanted to say thank you very much, it makes us feel good about themselves. The students who were also involved were grateful they could be part of something good during a challenging time.

“I said to them, ‘how do you feel about having been involved in that? How does it make you feel?’ And they said it makes us feel really warm in the heart. “And that’s exactly what you want, you want kids to be compassionate and our values are compassion and respect and those become really important in time like this. “You can be knocked over but it’s not the hand of cards we’re dealt in life, but the way you pick them up and play them.” Principal Adgemis said gratitude and compassion is discussed daily with students during remote learning. “We acknowledge things that we can be grateful for, so we’ve been focusing on gratitude and giving rather than feeling sorry for themselves.” The food used for the packages was from the school’s breakfast program, which is currently unable to run while the school’s closed due to state restrictions. mailcommunity.com.au

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 048

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.

ACROSS

easy

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

3 7 9 8 7 1

DOWN

Disappoint (4) African island nation (10) Sovereign (7) Yield; submit (7) Understandable (8) Come in (5) Clone (4) Part of airport (10) Taking something by force (10) Laid bare (4) Woody plants (5) Cutting tool (8) Hockey-like game (7) Annoying (7) The share in relation to the whole (10) Ditch (4)

1 3 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 20 21 23 26 27 28 29

No. 048

1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 14 16 17 19 22 23 24 25

Nourish (4) Extempore (9) Contract (9) Holding (5) Very old (7) Tally (5) New South Wales electoral division (9) Cedar, acacia for example (4) Romance (9) Undergoing mental anguish (9) Storehouse (9) Accepting without resistance (7) Mistake (5) Vision (5) Cause (4) Internet joke (4)

9 medium

QUICK CROSSWORD

1 5

DECODER

No. 048

4 3 7

9 1 8

2 8 1 7 5 2 6 8 1 5

1 8 5

4 3

8 hard

6 3

10 11 12 13

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

D K 22

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: 15 words: Good 23 words: Very good

1 5 3 7 6 8 9 2 4

9 8 7 1 3 4 2 6 5

4 1 3 2 6 5 8 7 9

31 words: Excellent

7 4 2 6 1 8 5 9 3

8 3 5 9 7 2 4 1 6

1 6 9 4 5 3 7 8 2

5 9 1 3 2 7 6 4 8

3 7 8 5 4 6 9 2 1

6 2 4 8 9 1 3 5 7

7 4 2 1 9 3 8 5 6

8 6 9 2 4 5 7 3 1

6 7 5 8 1 9 3 4 2

2 9 4 3 5 6 1 8 7

3 1 8 4 2 7 5 6 9

9 8 1 6 3 2 4 7 5

4 2 7 5 8 1 6 9 3

5 3 6 9 7 4 2 1 8

3 1 7 4 6 2 5 9 8

8 9 2 1 3 5 6 4 7

5 6 4 8 7 9 2 1 3

7 3 1 9 2 4 8 5 6

4 2 8 6 5 1 3 7 9

6 5 9 7 8 3 4 2 1

1 4 3 5 9 6 7 8 2

9 7 6 2 4 8 1 3 5

2 8 5 3 1 7 9 6 4

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

M I

4 LETTERS BATS BEER EATS GEAR MATS MESS OPEN PIER PURR SEAL STIR TARS TEEM VOWS

5 LETTERS ABETS ADORE AORTA AURAL BAGGY BASKS BITES BLISS CELLO CYSTS EAGER EARLS EASEL EDGER EDICT ELITE ENDOW EVADE EVENT GAPES

No. 048

GENIE GONNA GREET INLET IRATE LARVA LINGO LUPIN PALER PONDS RENDS RESTS RIVET SAILS SCANT SIEGE SILOS SLATS SLEDS SOLAR SPADE

STAID TIARA TONES TOPIC URINE USERS USING VEILS YESES 6 LETTERS ITALIC OTTERS SLEEKS SNEAKS

7 LETTERS COTTAGE DUSTBIN ISSUING PASSION PERSONA PURSING 8 LETTERS ENTANGLE ESPECIAL IDEOLOGY YODELLED

amble, balm, beam, biome, blame, embalm, emboli, iamb, imam, IMMOVABLE, lamb, lame, lemma, limb, limbo, lime, loam, mail, maim, male, mambo, meal, mile, milo, mime, mobile, moil, mole, movable, move, movie

2 5 6 7 8 9 1 3 4

hard

medium

easy

4 1 7 9

5 6 4 1

8 6 2 5 8 1 3

3 LETTERS ADO AIL AIM ANY ARE ASH ASS AVO BOA BOO DAD EAR GOT HUE KIT LSD NEE OVA POT RED SAD TIE TNT TOO

E VMU CN T Y G F A J O

7 4 6 3

4 7 6 5

L QP X B RW I Z H S D K

WORDFIT

01-10-21

William Matthews Funerals FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED

24 HOUR SERVICE ALL AREAS

9739 6868 45 Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale www.williammatthewsfunerals.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

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networkclassifieds.com.au Trades & Services

General Classifieds V Tree Lopping/Surgery

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ADVERTISERS in this section are qualified practitioners and offer nonsexual services.

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TREE SERVICES

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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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1. Nursery worker – propagation and packing – working on propagation, assisting in supervising the production section and packing and processing mail order plants. 2. Nursery worker – dispatch and grading – working in the growing section, picking and grading orders for dispatch, watering, weeding and general stock maintenance. 3. Nursery worker – assisting the Production Manager in collecting cutting material, preparation of propagation trays, housekeeping and maintenance of propagation and quarantine tunnels. 4. Nursery and garden worker - general maintenance of nursery grounds and facilities, and occasional metropolitan deliveries. To be successful you will need to be a hard worker, self-motivated, ﬁt and healthy, enjoy outdoor work and looking for a career in the nursery industry. A full Victorian license and ability to drive a manual vehicle is preferred for positions 1-3 and essential for position 4. Non smoking work environment. Own vehicle essential as public transport not handy. All positions Mon-Frid. Immediate start. Email clive@larkmannurseries.com.au if any of these positions appeal to you.

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SPORT

The Dees gave ‘em hell! By Nick Creely As 57 years of anguish and despair washed away from die hard Melbourne fans in the midst of one of the greatest patches of football ever played, the noise reverberating around the city, and around the country would have been deafening. But there may have been no place more deafening than up in the hills at Coldstream on Saturday night as the club exorcised their Demons to soar to premiership glory. One of the town’s favourite sons is now a premiership hero, with Bayley Fritsch inking his name in football folklore with a bag of six goals as his Demons became champions of the AFL, in a performance that will never be forgotten in Coldy or anyone associated with the famous red and blue. It’s safe to say that when the sharpshooting star returns home, the beers will be on the house as he recounts every second of his famous display. The Demons triumphed in Perth against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, overcoming a 57-year curse to clinch an unforgettable and emotional bit of silverware. The Dees burst out of the blocks to lead by 21 points at quarter time, combining ferocious intensity at the contest with an incurable desire to run and gun the footy. But the Doggies - well-drilled and oiled for the big stage - bit back through skipper Marcus Bontempelli to wrestle back the lead with a scintillating second term to slam on six goals. It was then that the local boy stood tall as the Dogs threatened to run away with the premiership in the third term, with Fritsch slamming on two quick goals to get the fire started, with two brilliant individual pieces of play that set the tone for an inspired comeback. It loomed as a classic grand final finish. One with twists and turns, and everytime you looked away something seemingly shifted the momentum and energy of the contest. But what occurred was almost inconceivable. Ask any Melbourne fan for the past six decades - who would have been overcome by jitters of the past - whether it was all some big dream. There was no way they could have envisioned what would happen next. The Demons would go on to play one of the greatest 15 minutes ever seen, slamming on six goals to finish the third term and ice the game then and there. It was breathtaking football led by Norm Smith medal winner Christian Petracca, with the midfielders completely dominating proceedings and turning each touch into one irresistible bit of gold. As the premiership loomed brightly for long-suffering Melbourne fans, the players didn’t let them down in the final term, racing out to a 74-point win in 30 minutes of football that will be replayed for weeks, if not months and years on repeat. 57 years is a long time in football history - it’s last grand final victory prior to Saturday night being a four-point epic against Collingwood back in 1964 when the club was coached by the legendary Norm Smith and captained by the iconic Ron Barrassi. It’s been a long time between the 12th and 13th premierships - but it was worth the wait. Fritsch finished second in the Norm Smith Medal, booting 6.2 from 13 disposals, providing a menacing presence to kick the most goals in a grand final since Darren Jarman’s six in 1997 for Adelaide. He was sublime in the air, mercurial at ground level and simply made things happen whenever he touched the ball. His 2021 season yielded 59 goals - a brilliant effort in just his fourth season of AFL football. If he wasn’t already a star of the competition, he is now. “It’s crazy - surreal, I can’t really put it into words,” Fritsch told Melbourne Media postmatch. “We did it, a lot of hard work’s gone into it we had a mission from day one of pre-season, and for that to come true is unbelievable.” mailcommunity.com.au

Bayley Fritsch starred with six goals on AFL Grand Final day.

Picture: MELBOURNE DEMONS

Bayley Fritsch of the Demons and Easton Wood of the Bulldogs compete for the ball during the AFL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in Perth, Saturday, September 25, 2021. Picture: AAP IMAGE/RICHARD WAINWRIGHT Fritsch was modest when talking about his own profound impact on the contest. “I got pretty lucky, I got on the end of a few cheeky ones early - it sort of went on from there,” he said. “To play a small part in what was an unbelievable performance is pretty special, and something I’ll look back on for sure.” Fritsch said he was proud of the team’s resolve to fightback from a difficult position in the third term.

“We sort of took the pedal off a bit in that second quarter, and we wanted to come out and have our best defensive quarter in that third quarter, so we knew our offence would come off the back of that,” he said. “That’s what happened, and it was nice to pile on the goals which was nice.” He added that the bond created by the group drove them to premiership glory. “We’re really close - we’ve got great chemistry, and we’ll keep building moving forward,” he said.

“It’s a great group, a great team to be a part of, and I’m rapt we’ve done this for our supporters. “To go down in history books to end that drought is special - how good.” Fritsch’s 2021 Grand Final epic at a glance... Disposals - 13 Goals - 6 Behinds - 2 Marks - 5 Score Involvements - 9

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Tuesday, 28 September, 2021

MAIL 19

Together we can prevent Queensland Fruit Fly in the Yarra Valley.

Treat any suspect fruit using heat (boiling or microwaving) or freezing (until frozen solid).

Queensland Fruit Fly can travel to the Yarra Valley hidden inside infested fruit. Don’t bring fruit into the region from fruit fly areas. Eat it or cook it first.

Use traps in your garden to detect Queensland Fruit Fly early. Report any suspect flies.

QFF are 8mm long. They have yellow shoulder pads & two yellow stripes on their back.

Queensland Fruit Fly

Harvest ALL the fruit in your garden & pick up any fallen fruit. Protect fruit with insect netting if QFF are in your area.

Images from: CSIRO & SITPlus project, IAEA

Fruit Flies breed at sunset when it is 15 C or warmer in your garden. It can be warmer inside the tree canopy.

Fruit fly traps can target either male QFF or female QFF. It’s good to use both types of trap in your garden. Fruit fly traps need fresh lures installed inside them about every three months—check the label. Spring is a good time to start. Check traps weekly and record results.

Report suspect flies or fruit to the Yarra Valley QFF Co-ordinator. Help is available in the Yarra Valley. Notify your neighbours too.

Harvest all citrus in Spring and pick up fallen fruit.

This project is funded by the Managing Fruit Fly in Victoria State-wide Action Plan Proudly supported by

TEXT (with photos if possible) 0490 381 999 or Email: qff@agribusiness-yarravalley.com

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