Mountain Views
Tuesday, 12 October, 2021
Students return to the classroom
Opposition slams the passing of Forest Bill
Truffle farmer concerned for future
Australian music star releases solo album
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Troy Jones, Caroline Evans, Cam Mackenzie, Jess Clark and Jayden Ong cheers to the announcement of a major event coming to the Yarra Valley. Picture: RENEE WOOD
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A major event will be coming to the Yarra Valley with the Federal Government announcing Wine Yarra Valley was successful in receiving a $203,000 grant. The funding from the Building Better Regions fund will be to launch a festival next Autumn and to support it’s delivery for two further years. Caroline Evans from Wine Yarra Valley said it’s been dubbed Chardonnay Avenue and it’s main aim is to celebrate the region’s makers and producers, while helping in the recovery out of Covid-19. “The Yarra Valley in the past has had the most international visitors to a wine region in Australia, and is fourth for the most domestic visitors, a lot of our small businesses here rely on that visitation and direct sales through their cellar doors, restaurants and experiences, so to not have had that for 18 months has been particularly hard on this region,” Caroline Evans said. “So we’re thrilled that the Federal Government acknowledged that, to support those businesses in bouncing back from the pandemic.” The main drop of focus will be Chardonnay with the Yarra Valley well-known globally for making world-class Chardonnay with great complexity, balance and finesse. The main event will create a block party atmosphere, utilising the Lilydale Road restaurant precinct and surrounding lane ways in Healesville. Wine producer Jayden Ong is excited to be part of the festival. “We’ll all make very different styles of Chardonnay so there’ll be opportunity for people to taste a number of different wines made from
the same variety, but I think one thing that we all have in common is that it’s it’s the benchmark in Australia,” Jayden Ong. Chardonnay won’t be the only variety embraced, all wine, drinks, food and art producers will be involved, Wine Yarra Valley envisions events will run simultaneously throughout the region. “Even across the weekends and in midweek either side of that main event. I expect and I hope that we would have events happening at wineries and restaurants and tourism operators everywhere from Seville to Dixons Creek.” Caroline said. Troy Jones from Peyton and Jones Wines based in the main area is excited to see all of the Yarra Valley be part of the trademark event. “It’s great for the region, not just focusing on Chardonnay but other other producers around the area, from gin to chocolate to cider, some world class beers as well, so it’d be really great to have a whole event to promote the area and what we do,” Troy Jones said. It’s expected to become a signature event for the region over the coming years, enticing Victorians, interstate and international tourists to visit. “The whole region is producing its best Chardonnay, we’re producing something that stands up to the rest of the world but we haven’t really been able to show people that for the last couple of years, so we’re really excited to welcome people back and show you the changes we’ve made,” Giant Steps senior winemaker Jess Clarke said. “This is an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate the region, and really celebrate the local community, and our producer in particular Chardonnay which is a flagship for the region,” Four Pillars Gin founder Cam Mackenzie said.
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Back on school grounds By Renee Wood Year twelve students have proven their resilience, determined to see their final year through after most of their senior schooling for the past two years has been at home. Now after months of remote learning during lockdown six, they’re back on the school grounds preparing for final year exams. Students and teachers have both enjoyed the first week back, returning to school for the GAT exam on Tuesday 5 October. The Healesville High School captains said they were thrilled to be back in the classroom. “It’s really good to see everyone and see the teachers and be able to do on site learning, also to ask for help exactly when we need it and in person,” captain Sasha Chandler said. “Everyone’s excited to be here. They want to finish off their work and get ready for exams because it’s our last couple weeks so it’s a great feeling,” captain Jacinta Scragg said. Healesville High School Year 12 Coordinator Wendy Jackson said students were positive about going into the GAT, which is usually a nervous occasion. “They were relaxed, happy and managed because it’s a three hour exam it’s huge. I think it’s part of this idea that they want to get back to normality, so even though they did the exam they were back on site and all together and I think that’s important to them,” Wendy Jackson said. Now all classes will be dedicated to final year exams for the next couple of weeks before they begin. “We’re going to be catching up on all those little bits and pieces you really missed out on in face to face learning, all of the stuff that can only really be taught in person,” Miss Scragg said. Although nerves are high their determination to succeed is greater.
Healesville High School captains Jacinta Scragg and Sasha Chandler jumping for joy now their back on school grounds. “I’m a little bit nervous about it because it would have impacted slightly, but it just means that you have got to work harder. Knowing that the whole state’s in the same position puts your mind at ease - everyone’s doing the same thing, they’ve had the same sort of issues so we’re all in the same boat and we can do it together,” Miss Chandler said. All students will also have the opportunity to submit a student statement discussing what disadvantages they have faced from remote learning which will be taken into consideration when deciding results. “It’s an individual thing, it’s different for every every child. Teachers will have access to the
data that is generated and on the basis of that, make a professional decision on any disparity that exists between their actual scores achieved, and what might have been expected if we hadn’t had the disruption,” Ms Jackson said. The next group of students who will return to school will be preps from October 18 for three days a week and grade one and two will return for two days. And for high school, years 7 and 11 students will return to on-site classes on Tuesday October 26 for five days each week. From November 5, schools will be operating as normal.
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The class of 2021 has proven its resilience after most of their senior schooling has been out of the classroom.
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IN BRIEF Man arrested for cannabis cultivation
Million dollar vax
Yarra Ranges CIU detectives executed a warrant on Monday 11 October at a residential property in Healesville where they arrested a 42 year old male. The man has been charged with cultivating a narcotic in the form of cannabis, possessing a prohibited weapon and dealing with property suspected of being proceeds of crime. He has been bailed to appear before court at a later date.
By Gabriella Payne
Three charged for Clan lab A 36-year-old Brighton East man, a 38-yearold Clyde man and a 35-year-old Brighton East woman have all been charged with traffick commercial quantity of drug of dependence after a series of warrants were executed across Victoria. Warrants were executed on Tuesday 6 October at residential, commercial and rural properties in Yarra Glen, Brighton East and Cheltenham. Detectives from the Clandestine Laboratory Squad located a large clandestine laboratory at the Yarra Glen property with commercial quantities of unknown liquids, believed to be liquid methylamphetamine and precursor chemicals. A quantity of methylamphetamine was also seized directly from two of the people arrested. Police also seized cash, false identification, and a number of high-end stolen goods, including two allegedly stolen BMWs, drones, racing bikes and industrial equipment. The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
CFA urge Victorians to prepare Australians who are fully vaccinated can go in the draw to win a million dollars thanks to the initiative. Picture: UNSPLASH
Covid cases spread in eastern suburbs Covid-19 case numbers are on the rise across the eastern suburbs with the virus spreading exponentially in the region. In the 24 hours prior to Monday 11 October, the Yarra Ranges Shire recorded 29 new cases, while Maroondah recorded 16 and Knox recorded 22. The 29 new cases for the Yarra Ranges are from the following postcodes 3140 - 5 3116 - 3 3138 - 5 3137 - 1 3796 - 1 3765 - 1 3793 - 2 3160 - 4 3139 - 4 3777 - 2 3782 - 1 This brings the total number of active cases to 144 in the Yarra Ranges, 189 in Ma-
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roondah and 261 in Knox. Two exposure sites have been added to the list for the shire, both at early learning centres. The HEI Schools Emerald Early Learning Centre has been identified as a tier one and two site for the dates ranging 27 September to 29 September. All those who have been notified as being a close contact under the tier one exposure will need to be tested and isolate for 14 days. KingKids Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten in Mooroolbark was also listed as a tier one exposure site for the dates ranging from 29 September to 1 October. Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said case numbers are starting to shift and are now not isolated to certain LGA’s or areas but rather are growing across the state. “I would just stress again, please don’t rely now on these case narratives that it’s all in a few locations, it is increasingly now coming into suburbs all across Melbourne and all across regional Victoria,” he said.
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Mr Weimar said there is no predicting how case numbers will go and whether or not Victoria has reached its peak to then start seeing numbers drop. “We’re all watching these numbers day by day. In some LGA’s we’re seeing promising signs, I’ve indicated Hume. Hume has really taken a hammering on positive cases in recent weeks and months, that’s now starting to look a little bit lower but that’s a good result for today,” he said. “We are going to be watching this very closely over the coming days. We’d all like this to be over, we’d all like to get to the turn but it’s our behaviours around the community that determine whether those numbers start to turn, “So if we stick with the rules, stick with the directions, do what we need to do, those numbers will head in the right direction.” Vaccination rates increased over the weekend, with 86.1 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over having now received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 58.1 per cent have had two doses.
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By Mikayla van Loon
With parts of Victoria already having experienced days of higher fire risk, now is the time to start preparing your property, CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan has warned. “Whether you live in the North West, where we can soon expect to start seeing fast-moving grassfires, or in the damper forested areas of East Gippsland, now is the time to start preparing yourself and your property for the fire season,” he said. “Victoria is one of the world’s most bushfire-prone areas, and even a normal fire season presents a high risk to communities.” Chief Officer Heffernan said Victorians who planned to ‘leave early’ – that is the night before or morning of a high-fire risk day – should also prepare their property. Once a Fire Danger Period has been declared in your local government area, you need to apply for a permit at firepermits.vic.gov.au. Visit cfa.vic.gov.au for more information about bushfire planning and preparation, and about leaving early. Tips for preparing your property: Prune tree branches so they are not overhanging the roof or touching walls. Replace mulch near the house with less flammable alternatives like pebbles. Keep grass shorter than 10cm. Regularly remove leaves and twigs from around the house. Don’t have large shrubs in front of windows or glass doors. Before leaving early, make sure you remove all flammable items from around your home – including the doormat!
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If you’re still sitting on the fence about whether or not to get the Covid-19 vaccine - this could help make your mind up! In a bid to encourage more Aussie adults to get vaccinated against the virus, a group of wealthy philanthropists and corporations have set up a lottery incentive that everyone who’s received both their jabs can enter - with a mammoth cash prize of $1 million! As well as the major million dollar prize (which will be drawn on Friday 5 November), 3,100 Ultimate eGift cards (valued at $1,000 each) will be given away each day throughout the month of October. The ’Million Dollar Vax’ promotion is open to all Australian residents aged 18 years or older who will be fully vaccinated by Monday 13 December. The people behind this new incentive said that they hope the lottery will encourage unvaccinated Australians to get their jabs as soon as possible, so that the country can move away from lockdowns in the near future. “This initiative has been created by the ‘Million Dollar Vax Alliance’, a group of generous philanthropists and corporations, to accelerate Australia’s Covid-19 vaccination program in a safe and secure way,” a statement on the Million Dollar Vax website read. “The faster we reach higher vaccination rates nationally, the sooner we all can safely resume our full range of community and business activity.” So what are you waiting for? Get your jab and go in the running to win big! To enter the lotto, head to https://milliondollarvax.com/
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Back in 1983 Matilda Bay launched with a mission to give Aussies something else to drink, that wasn’t lager. It would be fair to say it birthed the craft beer movement, creating classic beers like Redback and Dogbolter. After parting ways with Matilda Bay in the 90s, original founder Phil Sexton is back in charge, on a mission to rebuild Matilda Bay, with a new brewery and pub in Healesville on the site where Giant Steps Winery used to occupy. Head Brewer Harry Sexton, Phil’s son, and the brewing team are busy reinventing their greatest hits, and launching a couple of new ones too, taking advantage of the mountain water and pristine environment. Phil says “We’ve taken the opportunity COVID has thrown at us to focus on the things we’re passionate about – the beer, the food and the experience.” Complete with an enormous welcoming bar and lots of weeknight activities, supporting local artists, producers and brewers. On weekends the teams run brewery tours, taking visitors through the brand-new stainless tanks. Matilda Bay’s four core brews are of course available, with limited editions, ciders and a wine list featuring a number of talented Yarra Valley winemakers. The food menu has been created with beer in mind and features fresh local and organic produce. Stay up to date by following Matilda Bay on social media - @matildabaybrewery
Lilydale RSL president Bill Dobson and Seville War Memorial Committee members honoured George Ingram, a World War I veteran who received the Victoria Cross. Picture: SUPPLIED
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George Ingram is the Yarra Valley’s very own war hero who was recognised with the region’s only Victoria Cross medal for his gallantry and dedication to fighting the Germans in World War I. Tuesday 5 October marked the 103rd year since the Battle of Montbrehain where the soldier from Seville helped carry out the successful attack on German defences and resulted in the taking of 400 prisoners. To honour the occasion, Lilydale RSL president Bill Dobson, chair of the Seville War Memorial Committee Anthony McAleer and bugler Tom Steele, organised to lay a wreath in Seville. “It’s a special day, just to just to remember his contribution and I think it’s really good after all these years, we’re still doing it,” Mr Dobson said. George Ingram was one of the first returned soldiers to join the newly established Lilydale RSL in 1919 and was honoured by becoming the first life member of the RSL. Mr McAleer said he would like people to remember George Ingram’s story, particularly students at Seville Primary School, as a way of learning about World War I and the history of the Anzacs. “We wanted to one recognise George Ingram and certainly what he achieved in the war but also recognise that there was a local war hero and recognise his involvement in the Anzac story,” he said. The story of George Ingram is quite unique. He enlisted in the army in 1914 and having had training with the militia in Queenscliff and Fort Nepean, he was sent to man the guns in the Pacific. After doing so for 12 months, George, however, became ill from malaria and was sent home where he was discharged from the army, only for him to reenlist with a different middle name and be sent to Europe. “There’s many aspects we can learn about
our Anzac history from George’s story, not just about courage and bravery but certainly sacrifice, certainly endurance, certainly dedication and a sense of duty,” Mr McAleer said. Seville had around 34 men serve in World War I and of those around 14 never made it home, including George’s brothers Alex and Ronald. Mr Dobson said George Ingram represents the commitment and sacrifice Seville’s men made during the war. “If you think about it, there wouldn’t have been a lot of people in town and so it would have been someone’s brother and son and neighbour and friend, so to lose so many around the town would have been devastating,” he said. “And if you pick out something like George Ingram, it just keeps everything in focus about what happened at that time from a historical point of view.” It took a number of years for George to overcome his horrific experience in the war and Mr McAleer said it wasn’t until he became a Shrine Guard 1934 that the healing process started. By this point he was in his 40s and was seeing grieving families heal each and every day after visiting the Shrine of Remembrance. “He saw the healing process that it had on the families and it had a larger effect on him and helped him get through a lot of those issues he had in those post war years. “So much so that he then got inspired and ended up enlisting at the beginning of World War II after everything he went through.” Mr Dobson said George gave a lot to serve his country in not only one but two world wars and it is important to remember him in any way they can, even if it is only in a small wreath laying ceremony until they can host a larger event. “This is something we want to build on. We want this to be an annual day for the Seville community and the surrounding area to recognise the Yarra Valley’s only Victoria Cross recipient,” Mr McAleer said. mailcommunity.com.au
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Forest bill hurts loggers By Renee Wood The State Opposition has slammed the Government for the passing of the The Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2019 last week. Eildon member Cindy McLeish believes the Bill is being rushed through without the Code of Practice for Timber Production being released later in the year. It’s feared timber workers, businesses and VicForest will suffer under the ‘strict liability’ clause in the Bill. “We need to fight for the rights of forest workers and contractors before they are steamrolled.” Cindy McLeish said. The State Government said the clause is already in the act and the Bill did not seek to change that. “The Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2019 improves the regulation of timber harvesting and illegal firewood collection in Victorian State forests by clarifying the existing legislation, strengthening regulatory tools and introducing new powers,” a spokesperson said. Peter McConachy who’s a fourth generation timber industry worker in the Upper Yarra said he feels neglected by the decisions being made. “I feel the Labor party that once supported Victorian workers has lost their way of original direction, and are only focused on inner city Melbourne and people in outer city regions are not on their agenda,” he said. Mr McConachy also expects changes to the industry will see supplies dry up. “We have been informed at present the plantation timber suppliers cannot supply any pine or hardwood logs to our own sawmill, and by 2024 they will completely run out of resource supply for the domestic market. “All the trades people associated with the
timber from public land to ensure that offences for illegal firewood activities apply consistently across the state. Expand regulatory tools, including enforceable undertakings and injunctions to provide the Conservation Regulator with the ability to apply graduated and proportionate tools in response to non-compliance. Create a power for authorised officers to require the production of documents related to timber harvesting. However, the opposition said it will see those accused of making an ‘honest mistake’ face penalties of more than $20,000 for an individual worker or more than $100,000 for a contractor or VicForests for ‘minor’ code breaches including harvesting outside a designated coupe perimeter and dropping in a buffer zone. “This Labor Government will stop at nothing to burn hard working legitimate forest workers and their families, to impress their Green buddies,” Ms McCleish said. Industry workers are also concerned about environmental activists interfering with their work for perceived environmental breaches. “Forest Contractors and workers are constantly having activists intruding onto authorised work sites, locking onto machinery, with a barrage of verbal abuse and work place harassment and intimidation, causing contractors and workers loss of production, huge costs and mental stress,” Mr McConachy said. The government spokesperson said consultations were made on the changes to the Code of Practice to make it clearer and improve enforceability. “The Bill confirms that VicForests and its contractors must comply with the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014. Timber harvesting contractors must currently comply with the law, these obligations are not changing,” they said.
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The Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2019 passed last week and has been sent to the Governor for Royal Assessment. Picture: ON FILE industry, need to ask the government where will they get all the timber supplies and what costs for importing into Australia, as we know timber prices are increasing dramatically as we speak, therefore the cost factor goes onto the consumer.” The Bill was introduced to the Legislative Council last year to address recommendations of an Independent Review of Timber Harvesting Regulation. The State Government’s continuing to the back the Victorian Forestry Plan and believes
this Bill doesn’t alter that and won’t affect VicForests’ ability to meet timber supply commitments, or change the volumes committed to within the Plan. The government said it will: Clarify the offence of unauthorised timber harvesting operations to ensure it applies consistently to all timber harvesting operators and ensure VicForests can be held responsible for the timber harvesting it engages contractors to perform. Create a new offence for the illegal taking of
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A spotlight on farm theft as reports rise in Victoria
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Acting Inspector Emma Bartel, of Victoria Police’s Farm Crime Coordination Unit, said, “We take farm crime very seriously.” “It’s vital farmers come forward to report any crime and they should know we will investigate it fully. We understand the impact theft of livestock and equipment can have on farmers and their livelihoods. “We encourage people in rural areas to report any suspicious activity. The information they have might be the piece we need to hold perpetrators to account. “We also urge farmers to take precautions – a simple measure like a sign on the fence warning would-be trespassers to stay off private property can go a long way to discouraging crime.” The public is also being encouraged to check the authenticity of livestock and second-hand farming equipment before purchasing. “If you buy livestock or machinery for a steal, it probably is,” Ms Smith said. President of the Victorian Farmers Federation Emma Germano said that rural crime can have a significant and harmful impact on hard-working communities. “It not only hurts the victim’s hip-pocket, but reduces how much they can spend locally, from cafes to hardware stores,” Ms Germano said. To help boost security on rural properties, Crime Stoppers Victoria in conjunction with Victoria Police, has produced new farm gate signs, available to order for free through crimestoppersvic.com.au/farmcrime. Rural property owners are also encouraged to download the Farm Security checklist. “By using these free resources, farm owners are helping protect themselves and their properties from both organised criminals and opportunistic offenders,” Ms Smith said.
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Crime Stoppers Victoria has urged farmers and rural property owners across the state to speak up about theft on farms. Launched Wednesday 6 October, in partnership with Victoria Police, the new campaign ‘Putting a Spotlight on Farm Crime’ aims to increase farm crime reported in Victoria, whether it’s stolen livestock, harvested animals, firearms, equipment, tools, or chemicals. New data released by the Crime Statistics Agency has revealed livestock theft across the state has risen by 2 per cent in the past 12 months, costing rural communities close to $2,000,000. Despite this staggering figure, under reporting of farm crime remains a widespread problem. Stella Smith, Chief Executive of Crime Stoppers Victoria, said farm thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they target victims. “We’re seeing offenders use drones and satellite imagery to spy on rural properties. It doesn’t matter if you live in a remote area, with technology criminals can easily find a way to steal from you,” Ms Smith said. A recent study by Dr Alistair Harkness, Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Criminology at the University of New England, identified concerns from farmers that the offender is known and living in a community, and there exists fear of reprisal. Sharing what you know with Crime Stoppers overcomes that fear. Ms Smith said it is vital farmers and property owners make a report to Crime Stoppers if they’ve been targeted by criminals or have suspicions farm crime has occurred. Information can be provided anonymously. “Even the smallest piece of information could assist police with an investigation and help reduce the rate of farm crime in Victoria.”
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Mums banding together By Gabriella Payne We all know how tough lockdowns can be and with Melbourne now taking out the dreaded title of ‘most locked down city in the world’, we’ve all had our fair share of challenging days. Being isolated at home has been hard for everyone - but for new mums with young kids, it’s arguably been even harder. With three kids under three (a two year-old and seven month-old twins), young mum Lauren Stevens said that she had found the past year “really hard”, as she’d struggled to stay positive and get the support she needed while stuck at home. “It’s been really hard thanks to having three under three, a pandemic, a lockdown - and because that all wasn’t enough, I’ve been struggling with postnatal depression as well,” Ms Stevens said. “After the twins were born, I expected to be a lot more supported by family, but it’s been so hard to get out - so I think that’s where my depression came from.” Having experienced fertility struggles, Ms Stevens said that she felt blessed to have her three little “miracles” - but during these unprecedented times, it was really challenging to stay connected and it could be really lonely at times. Stuck at home and scrolling through social media one day, Ms Stevens stumbled upon an advert for an app that caught her eye. “When I found ‘Peanut’ [the app] it was described as being like ‘Tinder for mums’,” Ms Stevens said. “That made me laugh and I thought, ‘oh well, there’s nothing to lose by having a look’, and so it just went from there.” A meeting place for like-minded mums, ‘Peanut’ was just the thing Ms Stevens needed and before she knew it, she had discovered a
Mother of three Lauren Stevens said that her newly found support network had helped her immensely during the lockdowns. great group of women experiencing similar things to her in her local area. “I am glad I [found ‘Peanut’] because I have made a close group of friends and am talking to other amazing mums also,” she said. “At first I was really shy and didn’t know what to do, but now I’ve found a great group of people and connected with other mums in the south eastern suburbs, with similar aged kids and similar interests to me.” Ms Stevens said that the app provided a safe space for these mums to share their thoughts
and vent their frustrations, and it was such a great community filled with the support they all needed during these difficult times. Not only is ‘Peanut’ a safe space for mums, but it also allows women experiencing fertility issues and those going through menopause to connect with one another. “I’ve been posting in local Facebook groups about my experiences with ‘Peanut’ as I’m just trying to get the word out there to help support other mums,” she said. “It’s just fantastic to have someone to talk to
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and a place where you can share your experiences.” Ms Stevens said that post-lockdown, her and the other mums she had met via ‘Peanut’ who lived in Melbourne’s south east were planning to get together in person with their kids, and she couldn’t wait for that day to arrive. She encouraged others facing struggles to reach out and look into the app, as it had made a world of difference in her life. For more info, head to https://www.peanut-app.io/
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Stuart Dunbar works closely with his truffle dogs Lani and Jäger on his 1ha truffiére in Woori Yallock.
Pictures: SUPPLIED
Truffle infused troubles By Renee Wood It’s an auspicious fruiting body of fungus that many may believe is ‘too expensive’ and ‘only for fancy restaurants’ - a portrayal one farmer thinks isn’t doing the Black Perigord Truffle’s reputation any justice. Yarra Valley Truffles Stuart Dunbar harvested his first Perigord in 2011 at his Woori Yallock 1ha truffiere, and since then he’s sold his produce to the hospitality market, exports and through farm gate sales. When hearing Stuart break down the cost and portion sizes you quickly find out that the believed opinion isn’t quite right for the swirling flavour of the humble fungi. Stuart sells his truffle at $3 a gram, with just 3-5 grams needed per dish – although still higher than most ingredients it sounds quite reasonable for a special occasion at home. “If you’ve got a decent quality bottle of wine on the table, the truffle is about half the cost of the wine and if you have guests over, 12 months later they’ll be talking about the truffle - they won’t remember what wine you served,” Stuart said. It may be the hype around the lucrative $6000 a kilo white Piedmont Truffle that’s only found in the wild in Europe that’s forcing the perception of Victorian grown black truffle as unreachable. “I’ve been a force in guiding that, discussing truffles per gram not per kilo, because I don’t eat a kilo in a season, nowhere near it.” But unfortunately when you dig deeper into the soil it seems ‘the high cost’ opinion is not the only issue the industry is currently dealing with, as Stuart said he’s not hopeful of a bright future ahead for small growers. Yarra Valley Truffles is one of six farms in the state and for the past two seasons the local industry has been grated down and bruised by Covid-19 lockdowns. No exports, a closed hospitality and tourism industry and farm gate sales out of many peoples Covid-19 travel bubble have all painted a bleak path forward for small growers. “In terms of the future of the industry - I question whether there’s actually an industry and whether it has a future.” Stuart said the pandemic has only accelerated a downfall for small growers across the world. “The information I got from Denmark, from Europe from New York, their sales were half of what they’d been in previous years and as soon as those other couple of companies start to ramp up in orders they’re probably going to have the majority of Australia’s production within a couple of years. “And at the same time, there’s been some large orchards planted in the southern hemisphere in Chile, Argentina, South Africa and mailcommunity.com.au
Lani certainly has the nose to sniff out black Perigord truffles under the ground.
Black Perigord Truffles ripen under the ground until Stuart and his tuffle dogs use their sense of smell to find the truffle.
Stuart has been harvesting truffles on his farm since 2006.
they will be beginning to produce some significant volume into the market as well.” Yarra Valley Truffles exported goods in 2019 and 2020 but that revenue dried up this year. Stuart believes a lot of the export market out of Australia is being absorbed by big farms in Western Australia who are setting the benchmark of lower pricing and high quantities - something small growers can’t keep up with. According to the Western Australian Agriculture department, in 2019 the state had 70 known truffle orchards covering just over 300 hectares and less than half of those had reached maturity. “In 2019, WA exported just under eight tonnes of Tuber melanosporum black truffles. WA accounted for almost 90 per cent of truffle exports from Australia,” stated on the WA Agriculture Department website. Stuart said his 2019 export to New York was around $1200 dollars, but the following year the buyer said he wouldn’t pay more than $480, which is the price he was getting from Western Australia producers. “It’s an uphill battle to try and market a quality product into a market determined by price.”
Stuart prices his produce with high price for high quality and lower prices for lower quality truffles, due to the product changes quickly after it leaves the ground. “One of the ways people try and cut costs is they rip it out of the ground at the first aroma, which results in a truffle with low flavour and a short shelf life. “Chefs wouldn’t buy a dried up vanilla bean they want a greasy nice subtle fresh top quality vanilla. But too often when it comes to truffle the only decision being made is on price.” Stuart also sells into local cafes and online sales, but even going online has its own battles. Many of his deliveries were late and spoiled, while postal services get swamped by thousands of orders from other businesses also making the switch online. “On the 31st of August I sent four parcels, three of them took two days to arrive and one of the pre-order for Father’s Day took two weeks to deliver and by the time it’s well out of it’s fresh and I’d already arranged to hand deliver a replacement to the customer.” This comes at a time when Australia Post has suspended it’s Express Post next-business
day delivery guarantee due to the current circumstances. Despite all the setbacks, Stuart’s still passionate and driven to stay in the industry, working on his property daily to get ready for the next season with his truffle hunting companions by his side Lani and Jäger. Stuart’s also now trialing snap frozen practices this year to ensure his harvest doesn’t go to waste as each year he looks to enter into a new market. “It will be in a way starting again from scratch in terms of finding a way to market that, I think it’s got some potential because in particular with hospitality I’ve got the chance to go and market to them as here’s something special to get customers in the door.” Until then Stuart will be sharing his kitchen experiment dishes on his Instagram, to inspire more foodies to spice up the kitchen with a truffle infused bang. “I’ve given a few people [frozen] samples and mentioned that post lockdown if they really wanted to try truffle they can come get some frozen and I’ll be doing a lot more experiments with cooking over the next few weeks to get that online to be able to advise people on how to use that.” Tuesday, 12 October, 2021
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NEWS
Wildlife breeding season By Mikayla van Loon Spring doesn’t only tease us about the summer season that’s coming, it is also a time when life renews itself and that means breeding season for many animals. Emma Cash, owner and operator of the Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter in Mount Evelyn, knows just how important it is to be careful on the roads and in parkland when more animals are out and about. For the year ending in June, Ms Cash had rescued 204 animals and although she thought during the pandemic her shelter would be less needed, it has actually grown. “We thought with Covid with less traffic on the road, we would see a reduction in animals that would potentially come into care but realistically it’s probably increased by a good 10 or 20 per cent,” Ms Cash said. “We’re getting orphans coming in when we would never usually get them coming in from areas that we’ve never really seen them coming in from. “And that’s because people are out, a lot of people are walking their dogs in parks where they’re not allowed to, so animals that aren’t usually disturbed are now getting harassed on a daily basis by people.” Ms Cash said eight years ago her busy season was predictable and ran from August to March but in recent years it has changed to all year round. “In the last five or six years, I’ve spoken to a couple of other shelters and we don’t get a break anymore, it doesn’t stop.” With spring being the breeding season, that is when the community will notice more animals out and about. “We’ve got animals maybe across roads a lot more potentially looking for lakes or going to greener pastures to graze because they’ve got offspring that they’re obviously caring for as well.
Emma Cash cares for all native animals and has set up the shelter at her home in Mount Evelyn. 253036 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS “So we are finding that we’re getting a lot more hit by cars because they’re not moving as quickly or they’re out when people don’t necessarily expect them to be.” Ms Cash said it is really important for people to stop if they have hit an animal or drive past an animal that has been hit because there is a
good chance there will be young in its pouch. “If you drive past an animal, stop and check it, you could be saving its life or if you’re not saving its life, you could be saving the life of its joey or nestling.” But in any situation it is best to call one of the local wildlife shelters or vets that are
trained in handling and caring for injured animals, so they can be rehabilitated and released into the bush again. Ms Cash said it is also important to do what you can at home by keeping domestic cats inside, making properties more wildlife friendly by planting the right plants and building the safest fence for wildlife to potentially jump over. For the most part wildlife shelters don’t get government funding and are usually not eligible for grants, it is completely volunteer driven and based on donations. “My day starts at 5am in the morning and generally finishes at 1am,” Ms Cash said. “Most of us are trying to hold down full time jobs at the same time to pay for the wildlife that we have here. So just a little bit of practicality knowing that we will get you we just may not get to you straight away.” Aside from the reactive strategies, Ms Cash said it is also about cohabiting with our native wildlife that will save their lives. “We live in such a unique environment that is changing the climate. Bushfires are more extreme, we’ve lost billions of animals through that 2019-20 summer season. “So realising what you have in your backyard that’s native is just so unique to Australia and take a step back and realise what we have. “We can step outside the door and hear the sounds of birds. In a lot of countries around the world, you’d never get that experience. We choose to live in the bush, we need to respect the bush.” Find a list of local wildlife shelters here https://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/injured-native-wildlife/help-for-injured-wildlife or contact Wildlife Rescuers here https://wildliferescuers.org.au/ Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter can be found https://www.facebook.com/bungalookcreekwildlifeshelter or by calling 0405 057 220.
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THE LOWDOWN Q&A What is something people don’t know about you? Completely random and certainly not wildlife related! I was on a billboard overhanging the Westgate Bridge promoting one of the major sponsors for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. How did you first get into wildlife rescue? Ah great question and I really have no idea. Native wildlife always fascinated me. To the point where I completed a PhD in Zoology. Rescue was something I fell into and never left. Helping an animal when it is in its fight for its life, is such a privilege. Seeing that same animal be released and wild once again, really gives me purpose. You meet some amazing people when you’re rescuing wildlife too. Where does your passion for animals come from? I always had an affinity for animals. Tending to animals daily on the school farm was what got me through my school years. Looking back and discovering old photo albums from my grandad and how much animals were front and centre of his life, I suspect it has come from him and my mum. The love of the medical aspect of wildlife and treating the weird and sometimes stomach churning injuries, in conjunction with our amazing volunteer wildlife vet’s, has definitely come from dad. What have you learnt about our native wildlife and being a wildlife rescuer since starting? How lucky we are as Australian’s to have such unique animals on our doorstep, and how stoic these animals are in some of the most horrendous situations. Being a wildlife rescuer has also shown me how much contempt there is when residents have to share their patch of paradise with native wildlife. But on the flip side, it has also
with wildlife rescuer Emma Cash
Emma Cash with rescued wombat Syd at her wildlife sanctuary in Mount Evelyn called Bungalook Creek Wildlife Rescue. 253323 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS shown me how much compassion there is for our native wildlife when a natural disaster occurs. What do you love most about the Yarra Ranges? I love that I can walk out the front door and be
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greeted by a bird and walk down the back and see all the resident wombats and wallabies. We live in such a beautiful part of the world. What event, past, present, or future, would you like to witness? In the past two years we have had some of the largest bushfires Australia has ever seen, floods, massive storms and a pandemic. The event I hope I will witness in my lifetime, is when we, as humans, wake up and realise we can’t keep treating Mother Nature with such contempt. Surely by now we have worked out she is not happy? Which four guests, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party? Unsurprisingly my top three would be David Attenborough, Jane Goodall and Steve Irwin, it would be amazing just to sit back and listen. For a bit of fun my fourth is Scott Cam (from The Block), anyone who knows me well, knows I’m not shy of a bit of DIY. Maybe he can show me how to build a whole kitchen in a day. Who do you admire the most? My family, they allowed me to follow my passion, make mistakes and to stand on my own feet whilst knowing I still had a safety net behind me (I am positive I gave them nightmares on my journey). They taught me to work hard for everything I wanted in life and to realise that following a passion didn’t need to earn me money, but to make sure I had a job that I enjoyed and paid the bills! What are some of your hobbies? Working full time and running a shelter doesn’t leave a lot of spare time. But when I can escape for a bit I love seeing different parts of Australia, reading, bush walking and garden landscaping. What is your favourite book and/or film? I really like anything by Rachael Jones, such a great Aussie writer.
THREE … ways the WWF says you can help wildlife
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Plant native trees Our wildlife need access to native trees for shelter and crucial food supplies. Trees and forests also provide vital ecosystem services like regulating climate, weather and rainfall patterns, along with pumping out fresh oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. You can help by planting native trees in your own garden or by getting involved in your local bush regeneration group.
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Use less plastic Plastic pollution is a major problem for our marine wildlife and birdlife, with 130,000 tonnes of plastic ending up in our oceans each year. Unfortunately, this means that animals like sea turtles and threatened seabirds can become tangled in plastic. Or they mistake it for food and ingest it.
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Have your say The Australian Government is running a 10-year review of Australia’s environmental laws. We need major changes to ensure plans are in place to help the recovery of threatened wildlife. WWF will send your submission to the Review Panel on your behalf.
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Beautifully presented 3 bedroom home, updated bathroom with stunning skylight, open plan living at the rear with bifold doors opening onto your decking along with servery window from the kitchen. A flat block of 900sqm carport, walking distance to schools, public transport, Rail Trail, Yarra River. Contact: Leah Bannerman 0448 924 266, please contact Agent to arrange time Inspection: By Appointment only, see www.bellrealestate.com.au for more details
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2457 Warburton Hwy, Yarra Junction Tuesday, 12 October, 2021
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MAIL 9
OPINION
Rebuild, recover It’s been a tough 19 months for our community. The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has seen an average of around 1,500 new cases each day across Victoria since 1 October, and Victoria now holds the record of most lockdown days in the world. Enduring lockdowns and restrictions on businesses, jobs, education, sport and social activities is painful for Yarra Ranges residents. Our health system has come under considerable strain and I want to thank all our doctors, nurses, paramedics and healthcare workers who have been doing an incredible job under stressful and demanding conditions. I encourage everyone in our community to consult their doctor and get vaccinated. Across the Yarra Ranges shire, first dose vaccinations are over 83 per cent, and double dose vaccinations are just over 51 per cent. I want to thank our local GP clinics and pharmacies who have helped vaccinate thousands of residents to keep us all safe. Our Lilydale business community has had it particularly tough. With long-term road closures surrounding the level crossing removal
From my
desk Bridget Vallence Evelyn MP works and the construction industry ban last month, Main Street traders have suffered a massive decline in trade and have found it very hard to keep operating. In Parliament I called for additional financial assistance to support these traders. Our community needs certainty and hope, and we’re working hard on a plan to reopen, recover and rebuild Victoria. This includes getting all students back in school by 25 October – two weeks ahead of the government’s roadmap – when Victoria is due to achieve 70 per cent double vaccination. Safe and sen-
sible density limits for our tourism and hospitality businesses will give them the confidence to plan ahead, such as one person per four square metres inside venues rather than the government’s strict patron caps regardless of venue size which will make it unviable for many cafes, pubs, restaurants and cellardoors. Also, there’s no doubt our children and teenagers are suffering in the shadows of the pandemic, given their lack of onsite education and social engagement. In Parliament the Victorian Liberals proposed new legislation to recognise Counsellors as Mental Health Practitioners to unlock more than 2000 professionals to help in schools, but unfortunately the Andrews government denied this. And, we’ve called for social “bubbles” for children so they can legally have much-needed catch-ups with a friend. Times are tough and I’ll continue to work daily to help residents needing assistance and to offer hope so that our community and economy can reopen, recover and rebuild.
An unnecessary but great remake The Guilty Starring Jake Gyllenhaal Rated M An American remake of the 2018 Danish film of the same name, The Guilty is a suspenseful, superbly-acted one-location thriller with some strange stylistic choices. Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal), an LAPD officer working the night shift at an emergency call centre, oversees a disturbing hostage situation over the phone. The Guilty does an excellent job of conveying a rapidly-deteriorating scenario through a single set, a powerful central performance and over-the-phone dialogue. Gyllenhaal delivers a phenomenal performance of desperation, obsession and re-
pressed trauma, with the case weighing visibly on Joe’s soul as the night draws on. We learn about the case at the same rate as Joe, and the plot evolves from an abduction to a grim mystery, as well-seeded clues build to
a shocking revelation. I haven’t seen the original, so I can’t compare the two versions, but the remake often has subtle but annoying shaky camerawork, which can detract from some of the more poignant scenes. The remake does an outstanding job at building drama with a single location, so the brief outdoor location shot in the first act feels jarring. It also feels problematic for the plot to hinge upon an act of violent psychosis, when people with mental illness are far more likely to be the victims of violence. The Guilty is a nail-biting, deeply compelling thriller with some misguided presentation, and is available for streaming on Netflix. - Seth Lukas Hynes
From home theatre, to a hut, to a stage Kemp’s curtain call In 1984 in The Basin, Edna and Fergus Chandler with some like minded friends produced a play under the banner of The Basin Dramatics Group. The play was Quiet Weekend and it was held in The Basin Progress Hall. It was such a success they repeated it in the Boronia Progress Hall. This led to the company producing three plays a year with rehearsals being held in the home of Edna and Fergus Chandler. After rehearsals, the company would move to the Hall where they borrowed seats from the Salvation Army. At the time the Salvation Army was a prison farm for young offenders and thanks to the borrowing of the seats the company had the young offenders as an audience for the final dress rehearsals in the Hall. As a captive audience as one could suspect they were a nightmare. No hesitation in calling out suggestions if they did not consider the acting was not up to their standard. But! If the young audience liked the show the company knew they were on to a winner. In 1958 the group was formalised and with a constitution and management and took the name The Basin Theatre Group which it is known as to this day. By 1966 the company outgrew the Chandler home so with land donated by the Chandlers they built their first home, an A-frame building known as The Hut. As the company got bigger and The Hut had outlived its main use, a new theatre was built and it was done with 10 MAIL
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The Basin Theatre has had to postpone its productions until 2022. no financial help other than the volunteers of the company giving their time and energy to constructing a modern theatre in The Basin behind Doongalla, the home of the Chandlers. The initial construction of the new theatre was the stage, auditorium, a small foyer and storage room. Over the years these facilities have been extended to include props/wardrobe storage, rehearsal space and modernisation of the kitchen and foyer space. Edna Chandler said in 1966, “From its origin in 1854, the Group’s character has been that of a private club, established for the enjoyment of its members. This family atmosphere has been indicative of the unity and dedication of
Picture: THE BASIN THEATRE
theatre friends. Extraordinary devotion and unselfish service over a long formative period has been a feature of this fellowship. To this present day, members combine service with privilege and find pleasure in united efforts to upkeep an organisation.” The Basin Theatre Group now (subject to Covid-19) produces four shows a year plus taking one-act plays to various festivals around the state. TBTG also donates to various charities in the area. A great theatre in the bush of the Dandenongs but be careful as one night your correspondent coming home was nearly hit by a kangaroo on Mountain Hwy.
Online library book feast PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN Get Online Week – 18-24 October 2021 – is a digital inclusion campaign organised by Good Things Foundation Australia. Beginning in the UK in 2007 and introduced to Australia in 2018, the campaign supports people to improve their digital skills and close the digital divide. According to the campaign website, 2.5 million or 10 per cent of Australians are still offline. Those at risk of digital exclusion include but are not limited to older people, people with disability, low- income families and First Nations people. They are missing out on the wellbeing and safety that digital skills can provide. Last year, Get Online Week was celebrated by over 700 community organisations and 23,500 people across Australia. A subsequent survey found 99 per cent of event organisers recognised the campaign’s benefits, not just in supporting people to improve their digital skills, but also in helping them to socially connect with others. The survey also found 92 per cent of those attending last year’s events had learned something new. More importantly, 90 per cent of attendees said the campaign had inspired them to learn more about what they could do online. This year, to celebrate Get Online Week, readers are invited to a series of programs organised by Eastern Regional Libraries (ERL). There’ll be a session on podcast and music streaming on Friday 15 October, and another about using online food and delivery services on Tuesday 19 October. The “Cyber Safety” session on Wednesday 20 October will help parents and adults keep updated with the popular apps and platforms used by children and students. This is coupled with the “Safety First” session on Thursday 21 October, where everyone can learn how to protect our personal information and money and stay safe online. Another special event on Friday 22 October will teach readers how to use Libby By Overdrive to access the library’s digital collection, which includes eBooks, eAudioBooks, graphic novels, picture books and books that read along. Indeed, not just during Get Online Week, but every week in October and beyond there are exciting online events at our local libraries. For example, as we get ready for life after lockdown, ERL has teamed up with Box Hill Institute’s Skills and Jobs Centre to offer three sessions on job readiness. Whether or not to work away from home, it helps to know what employers are looking for. The “All About Interviews” session will be on Wednesday 13 October, the “Employability Skills” session on Tuesday 19 October, and the “Accessing the Hidden Job Market” session on Wednesday 27 October. Finally, for those who enjoy creative activities at home – and in anticipation for the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November, ERL has a series of writing workshops for aspiring authors. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days The session on “world-building” already happened on October 9. But you can learn about “narrative structure” on Saturday 16 October, “protagonists and heroes” on Saturday 23 October, and “antagonists and villains” on Saturday 30 October. Then, when the writing commences in November, there’ll be four “write-in” sessions offering advice on issues such as plotting, character development and world-building. You’ll be amazed how much you can accomplish in a community of writers! All the aforementioned events are online and free, but bookings are essential. Details are on ERL website. mailcommunity.com.au
BE KIND-BUY, EMPLOY, ENJOY LOCAL
Local path to ‘normal’ life
Even while some of our recreational choices remain limited as we strive towards reaching vaccination targets, there are still so many ways to enjoy local in Yarra Ranges. shopping centres, but also allowing us to support local business in a COVID Safe way. Sarah, of Verso Books in Healesville, is looking forward to the local community being able to enjoy shopping in person again once lockdown lifts. “Our community is full of keen readers and
they support our small business in lots of ways. We miss being able to have them in our shop, and look forward to when people can browse through our shelves again. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm and loyalty our customers have shown us throughout the pandemic!” she said. Picnics with friends are one of the best ways
to safely enjoy the spectacular natural spaces Yarra Ranges has on offer. It’s easy to support local this way too - pick up some fresh seasonal produce from a local business, and make your way to your favourite park, riverside or forest. Or check out the community parklets Council has installed across the municipality. Featuring artwork by local artists, these parklets are specially designed to create a COVID Safe space for people to connect with friends and support local businesses nearby. As Yarra Ranges communities continue to recover, not only from the pandemic, but also the devastating June storm, Council has been working with Parks Victoria to clear roads and public spaces for some of our most beloved natural attractions to be made safe and accessible for all to enjoy. While some popular destinations remain closed - you can find upto-date information on the Parks Victoria website - plenty of hiking trails, picnic grounds and scenic walks are open for you to enjoy. Our many and varied playgrounds are open again, with new playgrounds springing up across the region too. Why not explore a new play space in your 15km? Check out the Yarra Ranges Council website, under Parks and Recreation - you can find a full list of playgrounds in the area, and from there, you can also now manually check in as well. Even while some of our recreational choices remain limited as we strive towards reaching vaccination targets, there are still so many ways to enjoy local in Yarra Ranges. We really are so lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in Victoria, among one of the most resilient and connected of communities. It’s more important than ever that we come together, be kind to ourselves, to business and each other. Let’s get back to what we love, get vaccinated and get back to enjoying local in Yarra Ranges.
As part of council’s recovery efforts, Yarra Ranges Council is launching Buy Employ Enjoy – a campaign created to encourage our community to choose local. We’ve been kind to each other, to business and to ourselves. Now it’s time to #BuyEmployEnjoy and support our local business and community.
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Enjoying local is something that comes easily to those of us who live in Yarra Ranges - after all, it is why we choose to live here, there really is just so much to enjoy about living in our wonderful region. But as we all know too well, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to do everything we love. With the State Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, we know that the key to being able to enjoy local and get back to what we love, is to get vaccinated. And while we are really encouraged by vaccination rates in Yarra Ranges, we know that every single vaccination counts towards reaching the 80% double dose target. It is up to all of us to do our part to help keep our communities safe. Council’s ‘Get Back to What You Love, Get Vaccinated’ campaign is a positive message and reminder of what we can all look forward to when we reach those targets, just in time for summertime! And who doesn’t miss our local summer moments? Hot sunny days spent sunbathing by the pool, watching the kids laugh and splash around. Visiting vineyards across our iconic region, sipping on world class wines and enjoying gourmet produce with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Balmy nights spent outside grabbing a bite to eat from your favourite restaurant down the street, losing track of time and running to catch the screening of that new movie you wanted to see. One of the State Government’s key features of the roadmap is to get more activities outside. Local retail has been particularly hardhit during lockdowns; with their doors closed, online ordering from multinational stores has surged. Council will be supporting our retailers to trade outside of their businesses, creating not only a much more enjoyable retail experience than wrangling the crowds at big
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MAIL 11
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Australian music star Sam Teskey, part of the Teskey Brothers, has spent his time in lockdowns working on his debut solo album. Pictures: KRISTIAN LAEMMLE-RUFF
Sam Teskey’s debut solo album Cycles is available from October 8.
A solo record for Teskey By Renee Wood There are plenty of talented artists hiding in the region and one of those is Australian music star Sam Teskey from The Teskey Brothers. Sam and his family call Powelltown home, living in an old woodcutters cabin surrounded by the state forest. A place that’s allowed the musician to find his own rhythm throughout the ups and downs of lockdowns. “You can just live in your own little settlers life and forget about the news and turn off social media and live in quite a bit of bliss, so we’ve been very fortunate to have that,” Sam said. “Coming off the back of many years of touring and trying to keep riding the wave as it goes with The Teskey Brothers I haven’t really ever been able to be settled at home, I realised after the first lockdown last year that I’ve never actually been that grounded for years.” The time housebound also offered the perfect opportunity for Sam to create his debut solo album Cycles that was released Friday 8 October. The album’s tone is blended with Sam’s love for 60s and 70s folk and psychedelic music,
with seven songs woven together as a poetic revolution. Two songs were released earlier in the year, the opening track Love and ‘the heart of the album’ Til The River Takes Us Home. Both a taste of how sweet synchronicities of time, place, emotions and sound are embedded within the soundscapes. This is evident in ‘Til The River Takes Us Home’ when the listener is swept away as if you’re there on the recording day when birds land in the background at his Warrandyte Studio. Sam said the environments involvement in this take was the defining moment why it was chosen. “Because we were recording it outside, we pretty quickly realised the outside environment was also a musical part of the song and it wasn’t just about the three of us who were performing live.” Sam described another background hum of a truck going up a hill - a significant moment when the environment and musicians are in harmony for a song close to Sam’s heart. “The song came about when my partner and I had a baby last year that only lived for an hour.
“That was a bit of an uphill battle to get over the grieving process of that itself. Saying goodbye to a son that hardly even lived was very significant to me at that time, so that verse with the wind and the truck pushing up the hill was very symbolic of the struggle that me and my partner went through.” Now with the album released, listeners can embrace the full cycle of side A and B, all seamlessly melting in to one another - the way Sam always wanted to share it. “I’ve really felt that the story isn’t in those two singles for me, ‘Til The River Takes Us Home’ is definitely the heart of the album and that’s why it’s placed in the centre - it really tells a story within itself in its own cycle. But really overall I’ve made the album for people to listen to it from start to finish. “You can take it on any journey you want depending on your own life experience and your own personal experiences. So that’s something that I really want to invite listeners to be a part of.” The album tour will be the next path for the artist, two Victorian shows have been announced - the Corner Hotel in Melbourne on Tuesday 14 December and Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Thursday 16 December.
“I’ve got a really good idea of how I want the live set to be, I’ve had a lot of time to put a lot of thought into it and it’s going to be a great journey to come to the show.” Although Sam’s nerves are high, he’s eager for the tour to commence after several postponements from the lockdowns. “I have a lot to give on the journey of a live performance, so I want to make sure there’s enough time to prepare for that because we’re creating something new as well.” Local fans may also get a treat, Sam’s hopeful a special gig could be held in the region depending on schedules and lockdowns. “I might actually have a few pop up shows maybe at the start of the tour at home and just do some last minute shows in Healesville, or Warburton. “It might be a nice way to start the tour. I tried to do that before I had a gig booked for the 17th of September, which obviously didn’t happen in Warburton. “So we will just wait it out and keep preparing, getting the set ready - it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Stacie Piper’s path towards curating WILAM BIIK By Renee Wood A new virtual tour of Tarrawarra Museum of Art’s exhibition WILAM BIIK has launched, allowing the community to explore while the gallery’s still closed under state restrictions. The exhibition showcasing First Peoples of South East Australia begins by acknowledging home country and displaying ancestral tools. Many of the pieces are on loan from Museum Victoria and the Koorie Heritage Trust, including Wurundjeri leader and artist William Barak’s artworks, parrying shields and boomerang from the 1890s. The First Nations Curator for the show is Stacie Piper a Wurundjeri and Dja Dja Wurrung woman and a descendant of William Barak. “I’ve been very lucky, I’ve always been connected to my community and we have a lot of repositories of knowledge for our community, like William Barak who painted these incredible paintings around ceremony, and my granny Jermima who did basket weaving, and that’s still going - we’re lucky we still have those links. So for me it’s about conveying that information and that knowledge,” Stacie Piper said. Ms Piper created the exhibition for Yalingwa, a government and gallery partnership, but outside of the two year position she 12 MAIL
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William Barack Wurundjeri Ngurungaeta head man boomerang and thrower 1890s. Picture: TARRAWARRA MA works for Museum Victoria. “I just always wanted to work at the museum, my family have been involved with the museum since the day it was built. “In Carlton they had a ceremony of turning the soil with the minister and my mum and aunties and family were all there to turn the soil and I suppose that relationship goes
back so far because of the ancestor collections that they held, there are our families that are in there.” Ms Piper said working for the Museum and in the arts sector is something she’s always been connected to. “We’re storytellers from a long time ago, that’s how we share culture and knowledge
through oral history and storytelling and I’ve always grown up around that. “I’ve always loved celebrating our culture. Before even working for the museum and becoming a curator I was working in events at Wurundjeri Council and doing fashion shows, and sharing indigenous stories through jewelry and clothing. “I was always putting the stories out there in the arts sector, whether it was fashion, music, we do it through song and dance with the Djirri Djirri and I love doing it through promoting the artists in our community, and getting them to create works, and then putting that all into a bigger story.” And that’s exactly how the First Nations curator has portrayed the Wilim Biik exhibition, through honouring ancestors followed by embracing current artists that can be seen as you go through the virtual tour. “I wanted to show that continuity because we have in that same space the Djirri Djirri adornments and there’s some other tools in there that have been made by people today and they’re in an open display, whereas the ancestor collections are in showcases, under very soft lighting which is how you need to display these items.” The virtual tour is available through https://www.twma.com.au/channel/wilambiik-360-virtual-tour/ mailcommunity.com.au
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MAIL 13
LETTERS Dangerous roads Dear Editor, The RACV recently released their My Country Road Survey, which has confirmed our roads are considered some of the most dangerous in Victoria, and don’t we know it. If the blatant survey results won’t kick start the State Government into actioning some serious road repairs and resurfacing, I don’t know what will. I’m sure many locals also noticed in the survey the Warburton Highway in Woori Yallock and the Black Spur from Healesville were classified as ‘regional roads’. This is another prime example that the Yarra Valley should be considered regional Victoria, not metropolitan Melbourne. If the RACV considers the Yarra Valley roads as regional Victoria, why can’t the State Government? Cindy McCLeish Member for Eildon
CARTOON
Grateful for film review Dear Editor, Many thanks to Seth for his incisive review of Foundation in last week’s paper. He has alerted me to a fascinating sci-fi series. Having read the books by Asimov in my late teens, I have been pleasantly surprised by the standard of this production. Far from the usual shoot ‘em up space opera. Well done, Seth... and well done AppleTV. Regards, Bob Gannaway
Latest edition Your latest edition tells us there is a growing urge to rid ourselves of Yarra Ranges Shire. Bring back a Shire of people who care about the country towns they live in. No surprise there, this urge would be decades old as locals on a daily basis, note what should have been done, and hasn’t, and what has been done, and was done badly, or unnecessarily. No surprise to read that the Shire wouldn’t
support this move, and you can draw your own conclusions why! As to bins on the Rail Trail. By whom and how and when would they be emptied? Whispers tell us that the first stage was $3 million over budget, and the next section is full
of bridges, more especially a bridge over the Yarra has to be erected. At what cost? As an example, bins at Healesvillle Station kids area are few and far apart. Only one by the swings, and always over flowing, and a mere 50 metres away, 2 more that are likely to be empty. Such a long way to carry your rubbish!
And if you want to sit around the station, leave your rubbish on the ground, a volunteer will remove it daily for you. Who cares, has a lot to answer for. Steve Odell, Chum Creek
ing RidgeWalk, a project giving local writers the opportunity for their works to be part of RidgeWalk, a 39km art and cultural track across the Dandenong Ranges. Selected works will become an integral part of RidgeWalka project that explores the natural wonders, rich histories and cultural offerings of the Dandenong Ranges through art and storytelling. The submitted works should be no more than 400 words, or two minutes read aloud, that encourages seeing the region in new ways, interpreting the cultural, social, historical and environmental context of RidgeWalk, including its key themes of activism, colour, form and light. Selected works will feature alongside those commissioned from nationally-acclaimed writers, with the collective works to help launch a Public Participatory Writing Project for RidgeWalk, as well as a writers festival, in 2023. Lyster Ward Councillor, Johanna Skelton, said that Writing RidgeWalk would allow for
the landscape of RidgeWalk to be artfully understood, translated, felt or experienced. “This region has attracted and inspired artists for many thousands of years,” said Cr Skelton. “This is an outstanding opportunity for the history and geography of the Hills to be shared with residents and visitors through art. “RidgeWalk will become a real focus of the Dandenong Ranges National Park and given how popular the area is with locals, I’m sure we’ll get some wonderful submissions that capture the essence and culture of the area. “I strongly encourage any of our talented Yarra Ranges creatives out there to make a submission to really help shape the narrative of RidgeWalk and the Dandenong Ranges in general.” To find out more about Writing RidgeWalk, and how to make a submission, head to https://shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/ writing-ridgewalk.
COMMUNITY DIARY Support local winner campaign During such difficult times it’s great to see local businesses supporting each other. Through August and September the team at Yarra Junction Optical ran a campaign to celebrate local businesses. The community was invited to enter the competition and vote for the favourite local businesses to go into the draw to win a gift hamper valued at $250. Manager of Yarra Junction Optical, Lesley, noticed a huge amount of community support and engagement in the campaign run through their social media; “It’s great that we’re able to remain open to our customers during these times and to be able to run a promotion like this to help support other local, independent businesses.” The votes came in and Yarra Junction Optical made a $50 purchase from the Top 5 businesses; Upon A Clover, Cafe Mary Rose, Cortella Homewares, Nancy’s of The Valley and Flowers At Junction. Due to lockdown
COMMUNITY DIARY WHAT’S ON AROUND THE VALLEY restrictions the lucky winner, Maryanne from Launching Place, has swept up a swag of vouchers that she’ll be able to enjoy when restrictions allow.
Local writers encouraged to submit works Council is encouraging submissions for Writ-
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NEWS
This artwork by Shirley Henderson (2016) will be part of the online exhibition.
The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater formed in May 1989 when the population of the Helmeted Honeyeater’s reached a critically low level of 50 birds. Pictures: SUPPLIED
This artwork by Liz Cogley (2013) will be part of the online exhibition.
Event for faunal emblems By Renee Wood Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater’s Possums are coming together to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of both animals being Victoria’s faunal emblems. An online symposium and art exhibition launch will be held on Saturday 16 October discussing the importance of the animals and what works are being done to save the critically endangered species. Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater President Alan Clayton is encouraging residents in the Yarra Ranges to join the event to gain a greater awareness on both animals and they’re part in the ecosystem. “If people become more widely aware of what critically endangered threatened species are around then we can all work together and what I certainly stress is that while we call ourselves Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater were actually the friends of all the species that make up the complex ecosystem,” President Alan Clayton said. Dr Dan Harley, Senior Ecologist at Zoos Victoria is the keynote speaker for the symposium and will discuss both species and the threats they face, while also sharing current recovery programs that are helping to rejuvenate numbers. “His role at Zoos Victoria includes identifying those species which require urgent management interventions and being part of developing strategic objectives, so we thought that Dan would be the ideal person to give that overview.” A panel discussion will follow Dr Harley’s overview to provide greater insight into the ecology, habitats and restoration - including
The Black Saturday bushfires of 2009 burned around 45 per cent of Leadbeater’s Possum’s reserved habitat. There are now estimated to be around 2,000 Leadbeater’s Possums.
This artwork by John Gould (1867) will be part of the online exhibition.
This artwork by John James (1884) will be part of the online exhibition.
discussing how the volunteers work with private landholders. “More than 90 of them are engaged in doing some form of habitat restoration - works that can be done on their properties in terms of weed reduction and things like that. So basically working with them in conjunction with the local landcare groups.” The launch of the online art exhibition will allow the community to browse works submitted by Australian artists, while also having the opportunity to purchase the art. “100 per cent of every single dollar will go into habitat restoration, we are a volunteer led group so it’s not going to anything except directly into habitat restoration.” The volunteer’s vital work with environ-
ment bodies and Healesville Sanctuary has helped to boost honeyeater numbers slowly, going from 50 in the wild ten years ago to more than 250 in the wild currently. Volunteers also work in a captive breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary for Leadbeater’s Possum which commenced in May 2012. “They are still critically endangered, it’s not a fix saying well mission over, it’s still continuing because of the dedication of hundreds of volunteers and others and their partnerships with Zoos Victoria, with Melbourne Water, with the Port Phillip and Western Port Catchment Management Authority, Parks Victoria, DELWP and Shire of Yarra Ranges. “These partnerships and a really dedicated volunteer base have put in hundreds of thousands of hours over 30 years, they have have
been responsible for planting over two million trees, shrubs and grasses in and around the Yellingbo reserve.” The event was first scheduled to be held in person but it’s been moved online due to restrictions - although it will now allow more people to join in. “The upside is that people who may have been precluded from by age, disability, geographical distance, now have an opportunity to be participants in events, which was either difficult or impossible beforehand. So that’s one of the silver linings of being able to explore these alternative ways.” Tickets are free and available from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/celebrating-50-years-of-our-faunal-emblems-tickets-174093657817
Powerful owls born in Mount Evelyn By Mikayla van Loon After the recent storms destroyed much of the habitat for powerful owls in Mount Evelyn, the news of four baby owls being born was a welcome surprise. The Mount Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association (MEEPPA) have recently spotted the owlets in the hollow of one of the 300 year old trees in Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve. MEEPPA president Clare Worsnop said in the last few years the owls haven’t had much success in raising their young. “We’ve had a very turbulent time with our owls because with the increase in the use of the reserve by the sports clubs and night training with lights on and the very loud siren they use it disturbed the birds for a long time,” she said. “So for five years, they didn’t nest at all, they didn’t breed. They would go into the hollow and they would lay eggs and everything would look like it was going fine and then they would abandon them. “That was quite unusual because they’d always had twins every year up until then.” But one of the benefits of Covid-19 has been the lack of people at the sporting mailcommunity.com.au
ground in the evening, allowing the powerful owls to stay the course of their breeding season which runs from May to the middle of July when the eggs hatch. “When you add to the mix, the problem with the enormous storms and the amount of trees that have come down and therefore the amount of hollows that have been destroyed, that means the whole food chain is under stress just from the storms,” Ms Worsnop said. “So to have that success with our babies this year is just really really awesome.” Male powerful owls live for up to 20 years, while females live for 15, they are territorial and rely on arboreal food sources like possums, gliders and sometimes other birds that nest in hollows. By the end of February the baby owls will have learnt how to fly and how to gather their own food, meaning the parents will send them off to find their own territory. “They can’t afford to have all the young staying around because there’s not enough food to sustain more owls in any one spot. “That’s why the storms are significant because with all the hollows that have been destroyed and all the trees that have come
down, that limits the amount of hollows for things like the possums, the gliders, the parrots, kookaburras, all the creatures that rely on hollows to breed and there’s less arboreal animals the powerful owls to eat.” Powerful owls are listed as a threatened species and can only be found down the eastern side of Australia, from Queensland to Victoria in forest areas where trees are at least 300 to 400 years old. “They’re unique to Australia, unique to the world. So if they’re endangered in Victoria, New South Wales or Queensland, they’re endangered worldwide and we can’t afford to lose them, we can’t replace them,” Ms Worsnop said. Every baby owl that is born and survives the first few months of life Ms Worsnop said is extremely important for the survival of the entire population and the future of the species. “With all the storms and damage, and then there’s clearing of land for various essential things like housing and farms and food, it all encroaches on their possibilities. That’s why every baby owl is extremely important. “It’s a whole complex range of issues. We need to be more aware of what they are so we
One of the baby owls roosting in the trees at Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve. Picture: SUPPLIED can provide for human activity and also protect the environment and the wildlife and we can live together.” Tuesday, 12 October, 2021
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MAIL 15
PUZZLES SUDOKU
No. 050
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
6
9 8
4 9 9 7 8 3 2 7 4 8 5 2 6 4 9 4 2 8 9 2 5 1 6 3 8 1 6 5 medium
3
QUICK CROSSWORD 3 4 6 7 8 9 14 16 17 19 22 23 25 26
ACROSS Support for a column (8) US state (6) Happen (5) Emplaced (9) Nobel Prize-winning nun (6) Sketch (7) Abnormal conditions or infections (8) Time of the year (6) Entice (6) Spacious and sumptuous (8) Requiring (7) Plaster ingredient (6) Heights (9) Shrink with fear (5) Roving adventurously (6) Iterated (8)
1 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 20 21 24 27 28 29 30
No. 050
Start of tennis point (5) Brings to life (8) Flow from (7) More competent (5) Of the stomach (9) Employed (4) Release (9) Invigorating drug (9) Liberality (8) US president, Bill - (7) Come in (5) Divine beings (4) Provoke (5) Trudge (4)
DOWN Forepart of a ship (4) Reduced (9)
1 2
DECODER
No. 050
1 5 2 9 4 2 3 8 3 2 1 7 4 9 8 7 3 9 6 4 1 4 3 9 2 7 hard
6
5 8 7
5 8 7
4 1
4
1
9 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
4
D Y 22
23
24
25
26
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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”.
T
Today’s Aim: 15 words: Good 23 words: Very good 31 words: Excellent
F
L
E
A
T U
U
C
4 LETTERS DYES ELSE GASH GUYS HEAR LASS PANE PENS RAGS REAR SWAM SWAP TILE WOVE
5 LETTERS ABODE AFTIE AGREE AMBLE ANNUL ARENA BADGE CASTE CLEAN DRUMS DUNNO ENACT FISHY FUSES GROSS INLET IOTAS IRATE LEACH LISPS
No. 050
MANIA OCTAL PANEL PASTA PATES PUREE RELIC ROAMS ROSES SEEDS SLAMS SLEDS SLEEP SNEER SNORE SNOWY SORES STALE STORE STRAW SUITE
TENDS TESTS TORSO TREES UNTIE USURP VERSE WHINE WISPS 6 LETTERS REPAIR RESIST STEREO YESMEN
7 LETTERS ENCORES INSPIRE LEOPARD POSTING RIBBONS SOMEONE 8 LETTERS ENLARGES INSANEST SUBURBAN TRIANGLE
acute, cattle, celt, cleat, cleft, cult, cute, cutlet, eclat, facet, fact, fate, faucet, fault, feat, felt, flat, FLUCTUATE, flute, late, left, lute, tact, tactful, talc, tale, taut, teal, teat, tuft, tutu
6 2 4 7 8 5 9 3 1
3 6 4 8 7 5 9 1 2
8 1 9 3 2 6 7 4 5
7 5 2 9 1 4 6 3 8
4 7 5 2 6 9 1 8 3
2 3 6 1 4 8 5 7 9
9 8 1 5 3 7 2 6 4
5 2 3 7 8 1 4 9 6
6 9 7 4 5 3 8 2 1
1 4 8 6 9 2 3 5 7
3 5 9 4 1 6 2 8 7
8 1 7 3 2 9 5 6 4
9 3 6 8 5 7 4 1 2
4 7 5 2 6 1 8 9 3
2 8 1 9 3 4 7 5 6
7 6 8 5 4 3 1 2 9
5 4 3 1 9 2 6 7 8
1 9 2 6 7 8 3 4 5
6 4 8 7 1 2 9 5 3
3 5 7 4 8 9 6 1 2
9 2 1 3 6 5 8 4 7
1 6 4 5 3 7 2 8 9
5 8 9 6 2 4 7 3 1
2 7 3 1 9 8 5 6 4
7 9 6 8 4 3 1 2 5
4 1 2 9 5 6 3 7 8
8 3 5 2 7 1 4 9 6
Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com
21
hard
20
medium
19
easy
6
18
7
17
8 3 1
16
1 2
15
5
14
1 4
3 LETTERS ARE ATE BOY DDT DIE EAT EEL ELF ERR FLU FRO GOD HE'S HIM ICE INN INS IRE MPS OHM OUR PEP RIM WED
C S Z N R I H WMQ F G U
2 9
OA K X V J E L B P T D Y
6
2
WORDFIT
15-10-21
This week’s crossword proudly sponsored by
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Major footy metro move By Nick Creely The AFL Outer East will move to become an independent Metropolitan league in 2022, with the league to shift away from the AFL Victoria country model moving forward. The massive move for local football in the region will come into effect from 1 November after recommendations from the Outer East commission, with the motion passed by clubs from the recent Outer East SGM that will see the league move away from its affiliation from AFL Victoria. AFL Outer East will be replaced by a new name, Outer East Football Netball League, with over 90 per cent of clubs endorsing and supporting the move. The decision to move away from a Country Commission and into a metropolitan league has been based on a range of factors with a review of “governance and operational structures, it has become clear that Outer East operates under a Metropolitan Model framework”, and will move into partnership with leagues that operate under the same model as Outer East. The move is believed to give the Outer East a greater ability to “control its own destiny”, which includes implementation of its own rules and bylaws, corporate partnerships and strategic decision making. Another huge factor throughout the Covid-19 pandemic is the realisation that the clubs and communities that make up the Outer East - 41 out of the 45 clubs are located in Metropolitan Melbourne - so the move will recognise this fact. The move to a Metropolitan league has been broken down to four key factors in ultimately coming to the decision, including independence, both “in governance and opera-
Outer East has made a big move to secure its future in the region. 241978 tionally from AFL Victoria”, improved financial and commercial freedoms outside of AFL Victoria Country, realignment with leagues and competitions that operate under the same local and government restrictions, and improving the processes for clubs to have more of a voice in league and region based decisions.
Outer East has briefed clubs on the costs by affiliating as a Metropolitan league, with the league confident it can enter into supplier arrangements that will see a reduction in costs in apparel and merchandise, as well as greater opportunity to build commercial revenue and income which will be then passed
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on as savings to clubs. It has confirmed that there will be no changes to club fees and charges. There will be no changes at the board level either, with the six members to remain unchanged, however there will be three new members added for 2022 with clubs encouraged to put forward names for consideration. The league stated that there will be no changes to its football structure or game day operations, with the game development to remain unchanged, juniors to remain unchanged, and there will be no change to the points or salary cap system. “The Outer East remains a League that encompasses the best aspects of Country and Metro football and netball,” the league said. “It will remain a Football/Netball Competition, our clubs are still the same and our wonderful volunteers at our great clubs are still the same. “The change to a ‘Metro affiliation is to assist our clubs off-field in reducing costs and greater control of the management of football and netball. There will be no change whatsoever to how our competition looks on game day.” In regards to netball, Outer East said it was business as usual and they will continue to work with Netball Victoria. “Outer East will remain affiliated with Netball Victoria and this move will be a positive step for netball in the region,” the league stated. “There is no change to either Senior or Junior Netball competitions and this transition will see increased investment and focus on netball from 2022. The move to an independent metro affiliate will allow the league to strategically focus on netball.”
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Works begin on centre Construction has commenced on the State Basketball Centre redevelopment. The $132 million project – funded by a cocontribution from the Victorian Government ($105 million) and Knox City Council ($27 million) – will help solidify the future growth of community basketball and nurture the development of Victorian and National HighPerformance pathways. Once completed in 2023, the venue will host up to two million visitors per year. “We’re thrilled to see construction commence on the State Basketball Centre redevelopment,” Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey said. “This project will provide increased opportunities for participants across Melbourne’s south-east and give a wonderful home to our organisation to help continue our work in the community.” Based in Wantirna South - located in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, home to onequarter of all Australian basketball participants - the redevelopment will turn the State Basketball Centre into Australia’s premier basketball facility. The State Basketball Centre redevelopment will deliver: 12 new indoor courts, increasing total stadium size to 18 courts New High Performance basketball training and administration facilities, including WNBL and NBL teams
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The State Basketball Centre redevelopment is set to be completed in 2023.
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· New administration facilities to support Bas- · New food and beverage facilities ketball Victoria, Knox Basketball, Basketball · A town square Australia, South East Melbourne Phoenix · Car parking upgrades and landscaping and Deakin Melbourne Boomers · A regional gymnastics facility
“Victoria is the epicentre of basketball in Australia and our state centre will now become the largest in the country,” Tourism, Sport and Major Events minister Martin Pakula said. “It’s a great result for players of all ages and standards and means the future of the game in Victoria is strong.” The State Basketball Centre will become the long-term home of Knox Basketball and the additional 12 courts will assist the growth of its 11,000 members as well as facilitate the operation of large tournaments and events. “The upgrades will allow local sportspeople to have the chance to use professional facilities and experience the benefits of physical activity, team sport and the wonderful role modelling that can come from elite sporting heroes,” Knox City Council Mayor Lisa Cooper said. The centre will provide upgraded high performance facilities to support the training and development of Victorian, Australian and professional athletes from both tenant teams - the WNBL Deakin Melbourne Boomers and NBL South East Melbourne Phoenix. An expanded administration base will also be constructed for Basketball Victoria, Knox Basketball, Basketball Australia, the Boomers and Phoenix to become the pinnacle of Australian basketball management facilities. Construction on the redevelopment started in September 2021 and all current courts will remain available for activity and games during the redevelopment.
Method in phantom golfer’s madness Recently I wrote to the RACV Club about concerning issues raised by its golfers, one in particular, who had earned a cult following and was subsequently named the ‘Phantom’. The closure of the Healesville Golf Course during lockdown frustrated all members, especially as NSW golfers also in lockdown, were allowed on course. But it was more than that… the community of Healesville is considered a Metropolitan region even though it’s demographics says it’s country and for one golfer he refused to submit. During this time the ‘Callen Column’ regularly received reports of a mystery man upsetting the RACV’s ‘Covid security patrols’ by playing shots up and down fairways and vanishing into bushland to avoid capture. As his fame grew the Phantom decided to reach out to the writer to explain his actions. This all under the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ outside the ‘Alba Paloma’ where the masked man told us the reasons behind his solo crusade, but stipulating he must remain anonymous in fear of loosing his membership.
Callen’s column Ian Callen So I agreed to take up his cause and wrote on his behalf to the RACV, to put a number of questions to them. One of those questions was, with more than 2 million members, has the RACV been lobbying the Government on behalf of its membership to allow golf to be played as they are in NSW and if not why not? Another was; why does the RACV considered Healesville Metropolitan? Members might find it surprising; but I receive a response. I can confirm the RACV said, “They have always and will continue to attend industry forums, with the intention of advocating on
behalf of all members and staff… and that they will continue to reach out to our Club communities.” They also said, “That if I have any future inquiries I should make them directly to the RACV’s Media Department.” This is very good news for RACV members living locally especially golfers for it comes at a time when our community through the efforts of the Healesville Action Group is pushing for de-amalgamation from the Yarra Ranges Council. For this to be achieved it will take more than the effort of one man, but the Phantom has kicked the can onto the road! We now know that our community with the help of the RACV and it’s huge membership base can work towards freeing our town from the ridiculous situation we have been subjected to during lockdowns. Where the City of Geelong is classified country, their residents can shop at Bunnings and Officeworks, virtually any other of the trendy retail shop that those living within any 15km radius can do so can in any metro
Welcome back to Warbuton Golf Club By Ron Hottes Well, we’re back but not as we know it! Warburton is welcoming both members, and guests to our lovely Club and course, but only if you live 15kms away, or less. Of course, this is likely to extend to 25kms by October 26th (we hope). It is interesting that we have 250 plus members, but the travel limit disallows well over 50 per cent of them to join the real ‘locals’. This means that a number of other courses, ( Dorset, Ringwood, etc. are benefiting from being centrally-located). It also means we have plenty of bookings available for both our local members and visitors to come and play on the pristine fairways at Warburton. In the last two months, our much-admired Greenkeeper, Paul, has been able to prepare the course in perfect condition for our return. (And, the fact we have entered spring with some drying weather has played its part, too!) Members are amusing themselves by keeping their stableford score, which improves the interest level! The current restrictions only allows golfmailcommunity.com.au
The Warburton Golf Club is thrilled to see members back on the course. Picture: RENEE WOOD ers to play in pairs, and to wear a mask at all times, both around the Clubhouse and out oncourse. Our newly-appointed Clubhouse Manager, David Murch, can offer takeaway drinks and snacks, (chips, chocolate bars, etc.) to both members and guests. Carts are available, but only in pairs if you wear the mask.
It should be noted that those wishing to play must ring up and book a tee-time, whether you are a member or guest. It is, indeed, a dangerous game to attempt to predict when our beloved game gets back to some normalcy, but I hope to be sending in reports, with actual Comp-results by early November. That will greatly depend on many factors that we have sadly become all too used to monitoring. Finally, it should be noted that there is one upside to the current situation, believe it, or not - being forced to play in pairs only is a real bonus to those of you who are time-poor. At my two games back, playing with my mate, Mick, we completed our 18-hole rounds in a little over 3 hours. This clearly gives you more time in your day to then go home and work on all those projects you have started in this latest lockdown. What a bonus! Until we meet again, dear readers, and fellow golfers, get out on-course and smell the roses! Regards, Your Loyal Scribe
area except Healesville residents. Where we must drive or travel 40 kilometres to Ringwood to be able to shop as they do in Geelong or as those in the metro areas do. Let’s not forget about the fast train from Geelong to Spencer’s Street that takes all of 35 minutes to reach its destination. Compare this to living in Healesville, where Members or locals might be obliged to sit for 35 minutes on a bus (as lovely the ride is) before it arrives into the Lilydale Railway Station just in time for the slow train (55 plus minutes) into the CBD. This is your chance ‘Golfing Members’ get behind this initiative for we know only too well that if a fire raced through Healesville and threatened the RACV golf course this summer, we wouldn’t be there relying on the Metropolitan Fire Brigade to protect assets. God bless our ‘Country’ Fire Association. Ok - MP Cindy McLeish and Mayor Fiona McAllister… let’s start kicking the can down the road.
Great golf conditions By Karl Hradsky We were surprised by a pleasant day on the course on Sunday 10 October causing a few more players to come along. Tony Druit (11) managed a solid win with 38 Stableford points, followed closely by Greg Urquhart (13) scoring 37 points. Tom Handasyde managed to show his father how it was done by coming third with 36 points (Chris 26 points). Chris Handasyde did have a good day with some of his drives, hitting 3 out of the 4 Nearest to Pins. Laurie Tormey hit the fourth. The Secret Holes (1,6,17 and 18) was won by Tony Druit and Greg Urquhart, both scoring 11 points over 4 holes. Next week, weather and Covid permitting, we will be playing South African Stableford. Tuesday, 12 October, 2021
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