News - Berwick Star News - 19th January 2023

BERWICK

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

/berwickstarnews

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

@StarNews_SE

40¢ Inc. GST

Poppy passes health scare

Backpacks for those in need

xxx Howell handles the heat

PAGE 2

PAGE 3

PAGE 10

SPORT

12496498-DL22-21

Tributes pour in for Ian

Fire fears sparked

By Eleanor Wilson

Garrick Williams said the City of Casey should be held accountable for not maintaining grass if a fire were to start.

DOPPIOZERO

Your One Stop Phone Shop $5 OFF screen protector and case combo

ENJOY AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD AND COCKTAILS THIS SUMMER IN OUR RELAXING COURTYARD 12584405-MS03-23

Pakenham, Drouin, Yarra Junction and Narre Warren Offices | P 5941 5166

12552373-SN23-22

WE ARE NOW LOCATED AT SHOP 10, 1 HUNT WAY PAKENHAM OPEN FOR BUSINESS! For in office consults.

Online consults still available.

FOR BOOKINGS CALL: (03) 9768 9609 10 Brunt Rd, Beaconsfield VIC 3807

www.doppiozerobeaconsfield.com.au

Picture: ELEANOR WILSON

Shop 12, 55 Hallam Rd. Hampton Park Shop 23, 75 Lynbrook Blvd Lynbrook 459 Toorak Rd. Toorak facebook.com/GBPBAT | Phone 0466 664 251

12575506-DL44-22

A concerned Endeavour Hills resident said grassfires surrounding his property are an accident waiting to happen, after claims the City of Casey failed to maintain grass heights in the area.

Garrick Williams said the grass around his property, near Churchill National Park, exceeded half a metre in height before it was mowed by council contractors last Friday 13 January.

He said the grass maintenance in the area had been “a bit hit and miss” in recent months, possibly due to wet weather.

“Generally they keep it at a level that’s acceptable, but where it was last week was ridiculous,” Mr Williams said.

Mr Williams said he was so concerned about the risk of a grassfire starting because of the unmowed areas, that he contacted his home insurance company to hold the council to account if a fire were to damage his property.

“We are in a bushfire prone area and with the grass at the level it [was], while I hope it doesn’t start a fire, it’s definitely a possibility.”

Fellow Endeavour Hills resident Michael Quaremba said he too was concerned about the risk of long grass proliferating the fire risk.

He said the council displayed “a complete lack of duty of care” in their maintenance of public lawns and reserves.

“As a property owner you would be fined in the thousands by the council for posing a fire risk to other properties. Endeavour Hills residents deserve better than this,” he said.

In January 2009, a car fire on Power Road in Endeavour Hills spread into Churchill National Park, threatening homes in Lysterfield South and Endeavour Hills.

Mr Quaremba, who witnessed the fire that day, said he feared a similar incident could be imminent.

Continued page 3

NEWS

Went the way he wanted

By Garry Howe Tributes have poured in for media industry stalwart and pre-eminent Pakenham citizen Ian Thomas, who died last Wednesday, 11 January, aged 88.

Fittingly for a man so hard-working and dedicated to the task at hand, he departed with his boots on.

Ian was found collapsed near his tractor on the Pakenham property he shared with wife Dorothy. He had always joked that the perfect way to die would be aboard his trusty and much-loved Massey Ferguson.

Ian was the third generation of his family to run what is now Star News Group and was heavily involved in his local community over many years. His grandfather Albert Edward Thomas and his father Herb Thomas died at the helm of the company in 1948 and 1979 respectively.

In contrast, Ian retired after 49 years with the company and 20 as managing director at the end of 1999 and enjoyed a wonderful retirement with Dorothy, their three children and their seven grandchildren, after whom be doted.

Ian almost died from a heart episode at the Pakenham Show in 2006 and relished his second chance at life, commenting recently that he was so thankful his life had been enhanced in the ensuing years.

He received a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2002 for services to the newspaper industry and the community.

An online story posted about Ian’s death last week evoked more than 250 reactions on social media, more than 120 comments and 28 shares. The overwhelming sentiment was that he was a true gentleman and a wonderful ambassador for the region.

Former staff fondly recalled his ritual of circulating around the office each day to ensure

Ian Thomas is all smiles at the wheel of his trusty and beloved red Massey Ferguson tractor, on which he was working when he died on Wednesday 11 January. He went the way he wanted to go with his working boots on. he said ‘good morning’ to everyone.

Ian was born on 9 October 1934 and was educated at Pakenham State School No 1357 and Dandenong High School. He left school in 1950, having completed his Leaving Certificate (Year 11) and was told he had two choices - join the family business or work in a bank. He chose the first option.

In 1945 Ian’s grandfather, Albert Thomas, died. Ian joined the staff in 1951, one of only three members of the team. He attended Melbourne Printing College in Latrobe Street every Monday and put into practice what he had learned during the week.

Ian took the helm with the death of his father Herb Thomas in 1979 and was joined by Dorothy, who left her teaching job at the consolidated school to become editor.

Their son Paul, the current owner and managing director, joined the company in 1992 and Ian’s mother Florrie also worked in the

business, proof reading up until 1998, aged 91.

Ian retired as managing director in December 1999 after 49 years of active involvement in the newspaper industry and stayed on for a few years after that as a director.

He was a member of the Victorian Country Press Association executive committee for 21 years and, when serving as president in 198990, committed to visiting all 90 VCPA members across the state.

Ian is a life committeeman of the Pakenham and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society and served as president in 1997-98.

He was a prominent member of the Pakenham Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, served on the Cardinia Shire Youth Taskforce, was patron of the Berwick Pakenham Historical Society and a member of the PB Ronald Memorial Trust committee.

He gave a large commitment to the scouting movement, serving as a scout and cub

Ian Thomas has been described as a true gentleman.

leader for 23 years.

Ian was a member of the Pakenham Young Farmers Club and was involved in the Presbyterian Church for many years, serving as Sunday School Superintendent and as an elder of the church. He also helped re-establish the Presbyterian Tennis Club.

He played football for Pakenham and Officer - often saying he was “hopeless” at it - and was a passionate and committed supporter of the Collingwood Football Club.

In 1983 Ian received the Pakenham Shire Australia Day Award for services to the community and the newspaper industry.

He is survived by wife Dorothy, children Kerrie, Helen and Paul and grandchildren Tom, Ben, Kate, Simon, Hannah, Will and Oliver.

His funeral service will be held at the Cardinia Cultural Centre at 11am on Friday 20 January, with a private burial to follow at Pakenham Cemetery later in the day.

We’re building big near you and there will be transport disruptions As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re building the Metro Tunnel.

We’re also upgrading roads and freeways to reduce congestion to make your journey safer and easier.

Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions Cranbourne and Pakenham lines

Until 27 January

Flinders St to Westall

Princes Freeway

Until 24 January

Between Princes Highway and Beaconsfield interchange

Narre Warren North Road, Narre Warren North

Until 25 January

At Ernst Wanke Road

Hall Road, Skye and Carrum Downs

Until 31 January

At McCormicks and Hall roads

South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong South

Until 1 February

Between Pound Road West and Carter Way

Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Cranbourne

Until mid February

At Thompsons Road

Ballarto Road, Pakenham South

30 January to 24 April

Between Healesville-Koo Wee Rup and Cardinia roads

Island Road, Pakenham South

30 January to 24 April

At Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road

12583686-SN03-23

Road disruptions: Closed roads and lanes

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

2 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

5663

Check before you travel at bigbuild.vic.gov.au berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Student triumphs over health battle

By Eleanor Wilson On the morning of Monday 12 December, almost 50,000 students across Victoria nervously opened their computer screens to reveal the pay off of two years of studying, tests and exams.

For Nossal High School student Poppy Clemence, opening her ATAR represented the closing of a chapter, in more ways than one.

Attending competitive, select entry school Nossal High, academically gifted Poppy had high hopes for VCE. But that all came crashing down in October 2021, when the Pakenham Upper resident suffered from a collapsed lung.

“I was just sitting on the couch at home when it happened so it came out of nowhere and we didn’t know at the time what had caused it,” she recalled.

“I underwent surgery and I thought everything would go back to normal after that, because collapsed lungs can be common in teenagers,” she said.

But a routine biopsy of a cyst removed from Poppy’s lung revealed a darker catalyst for the medical incident.

“A couple of weeks after my surgery we received a phone call from the doctors, who said we needed to come in urgently,” she recalled.

“So we went in and they said what caused my lung to collapse was synovial sarcoma.

“My world was turned completely upside down.”

A rare form of cancer, synovial sarcoma is typically found in soft tissue such as muscle or ligaments.

Poppy represented one of just ten documented cases of synovial sarcoma on the lung in adolescents, she said.

After the diagnosis, she was thrust straight into chemotherapy and radiation therapy, moving to Melbourne temporarily for five to six rounds of each treatment between November 2021 and March 2022.

This meant a great disruption to her learning - completely missing out on her last term of Year 11 and first term of Year 12.

“I tried my best to do some online work but I was really sick most of the time,” she said.

It also put her larger passion for equestrian riding on hold, which, she said, was particularly difficult to deal with.

“It was a big deal for me not to do that, I’ve been riding horses since I could walk.

“I spent my entire time in hospital watching my horses and other people’s horses on YouTube, I was very motivated to get back into it as soon as I could.”

Thankfully, Poppy is now on the mend and feeling much better, meaning she’s back to riding her show horse Finn, whose show name is The Gruffalo.

When it came to the remainder of her VCE,

While VCE can be a stressful time for any student, a cancer battle made Nossal High School student Poppy’s final years all the more challenging.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Last year Poppy competed in the Interschool National Championships in Sydney, where she was selected to represent Victoria.

Picture: RODNEY’S PHOTOGRAPHY Poppy said her health scare may have, in some ways, helped her cope.

“I think going through all of this took some of the anxiety away, it put everything in perspective and I knew I had tried my best.”

She graduated with an ATAR score of 89.20, which Nossal High School principal Roger Page called remarkable.

“I’ve been most impressed by Poppy since day one really. She’s been a very active participant in a lot of areas of school life and the programs we offer… so we were quite devastated when we heard of her illness,” he said.

“Her resilience was remarkable and the fact she managed to participate fully in the school program is a real testament to her determination and desire to overcome the devastating illness she’d been hit with,” Mr Page said.

“She performed exceptionally well, achieving a very creditable score in spite of the circumstances she’d been dealt.”

Poppy plans to take a gap year in 2023 and has been offered a place at Canberra’s Australian National University, where she plans to study a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Boost for CFA brigades Several CFA brigades across the South East are set to receive world-class heavy tankers, giving them greater protection in their life-saving work to keep communities safe.

Narre Warren North, Tooradin and Gembrook CFAs are among the 28 brigades across the state to share in the $22.73 million investment to produce 48 heavy tankers and two light tankers as part of the State Government’s $126 million CFA Capability Funding package.

The locally-made tankers will replace existing CFA single-cab tankers, with the first 20 dual cab heavy tankers currently being delivered to brigades and the full fleet expected to be rolled out by November 2023.

The new heavy tankers feature a multilayered crew protection system, ensuring the vehicle can withstand fire temperatures of more than 600 degrees Celsius.

Other features of the heavy tankers include electronic monitors, electric rewind hose reels, modern cab chassis enhancements and higher levels of emissions controls.

“Victoria is one of the most fire prone areas in the world and these replacement tankers will provide better safety outcomes for both communities and firefighters,” acting emergency services minister Anthony Carbines said.

“These heavy tankers aren’t just a valuable addition to volunteer fleets – they’re made right here in Victoria, supporting local manufacturing and jobs.”

Sunshine North manufacturer R.A Bell & Co (Bell Fire and Rescue) is producing 48 of these vital heavy tankers for CFA brigades, with the contract securing around 20 local jobs dedicated to their construction.

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said tankers were a vital part of CFA’s fleet, with more than 1900 across the state.

“These new tankers are state-of-theart firefighting vehicles,” Mr Heffernan said.

“The heavy tankers feature a 15-tonne crew-cab chassis with a 4000-litre water tank, while their 4x4 capability and automatic transmission will help crews access fires in difficult terrain.”

The $126 million investment over five years for the CFA willsee new training opportunities, facilities and appliances being rolled out across the state, as well as initiatives to support retention and recruitment of members.

Other brigades set to benefit from the tankers include Heywood, Dimboola, Tatura, Werribee, Ellerslie, Avoca, Shepparton, Point Cook, Morwell, Connewarre, Halls Gap, The Basin, Eaglehawk, Cobden, South Warrandyte, Golden Square, Rosedale, Rokewood, Seville, Mildura, Maffra, Winchelsea, Olinda, South Morang and Sunbury.

Fire fears sparked: Concerns of a grassfire near homes From page 1 “I’m surprised we haven’t seen another fire like it, anything can trigger a grassfire, even a discarded cigarette butt could start something.

“The other thing that gets to me is the burden it puts on the firies.

“Australia is prone to bushfires and the fire brigades have enough on their plates dealing with rural bushfires, but why should we have to be dealing with suburban fires when the council should be proactive and maintain the grass?”

Mr Quaremba confirmed grass surrounding his home had also recently been mowed by the council after reaching almost one metre.

In a statement, City of Casey city presentation manager Mardi Cuthbert said recent rain prevented contractors from mowing lawns in the municipality.

“Due to the significant rain that occurred in October and November 2022, there were a number of parks, reserves and roadside areas that were too wet for some of council’s conberwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

The grass surrounding Mr William’s property exceeded half a metre in some parts.

Picture: ELEANOR WILSON Endeavour Hills resident Michael Quaremba captured the grass fire that hit Endeavour Hills in January 2009.

Picture: MICHAEL QUAREMBA tractors to safely use mowing equipment on before Christmas,” Ms Cuthbert said.

“With the recent weeks of dry weather, contractors have been working through the backlog and expect to be up-to-date by the end of January.”

The City of Casey will enter a Fire Danger

Period (FDP) on Monday 30 January, restricting the use of fires in the community, to prevent grassfires from occuring.

It comes as The Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for summer identified potential for increased grassfire conditions for the 2022/2t3 fire season, due to significant grass growth and de-

layed harvest activities, according to the CFA. CFA District 8 Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer John Francis said while rainfall over recent months saturated grassland and forests, wind conditions has dried these fuels out considerably.

“Widespread rainfall in winter and spring has led to high fuel loads across the region and we can expect to see significant grassfires this season,” he said.

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 3

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

with Casey Multifaith Network president Kasuni Mendis

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

My car is named Richard after Richard Hammond from Top Gear.

What do you love about the work you do with the Casey Multifaith Network?

I love that I get to connect with so many different community members and learn more about their story. It’s these stories that collectively create our community and make us so special.

THREE … facts about the Australian Open

1

Young The Australian Open is the youngest of the grand slams, beginning in 1905. Wimbledon is the oldest slam, established in 1877, followed by the US Open in 1881 and the French Open ten years later, in 1891.

2

Cities Throughout its history, the Australian Open has been staged in five different cities: Melbourne 62 times, Sydney 17 times, Adelaide 14 times, Brisbane eight times and Perth three times. It was staged in New Zealand twice, in 1906 and 1912.

3

Two records Aussie Ken Rosewall is the youngest and oldest winner of the Aus Open’s Men’s Singles title, claiming the championship in 1953 at 18 years of age, and at 37 in 1972.

What would your last meal be?

Combination Laksa.

What is your most memorable moment?

Nominating for Casey Council elections in 2016.

What event, past or present, would you like to witness?

The swearing in of Barack Obama for his first presidency.

Which three guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

The Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad.

What are you currently listening to, watching or reading?

I’m currently reading Jay Shetty’s book Think Like a Monk and watching The Recruit on Netflix.

Ms Mendis took on the presidency role for Casey Multifaith Network in November. 311035 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS What were you like as a kid?

If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?

I would attempt Sri Lankan Watalappan.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

New Zealand, as I’ve never been but it seems beautiful!

I was studious and reserved but with a cheerful attitude.

What was your first job?

A debt collector, strangely enough.

What are the three most used apps on your phone?

Like most millennials: Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp.

What’s one question that you have always wanted answered?

Do you eat or drink soup?

12584978-KJ03-23

4 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

‘Concerning’ flyers issued Beaconsfield residents have been left outraged after a flyer containing white supremacist ideology was distributed to residential letterboxes over the weekend.

The flyers, which were found by shocked residents on Sunday morning, 15 January, reportedly consisted of a call to arms to join an organisation that echoes white supremacist sentiments.

The flyer said the organisation’s mission was “the preservation and advancement of white people in Australia”.

It is understood the material also contained

contact details for the organisation.

Beaconsfield resident Katrina said she was “very concerned” to find the flyer in her mailbox on Sunday afternoon.

“I just hope I’m not living amongst it... it’s concerning to think there could be people like that living in Beaconsfield,” she said.

“We are a community of all different races and I’d hate to think anyone’s being targeted... it’s alarming.”

The resident she is concerned that the material could get into the wrong hands.

“I don’t want anything violent happening in

our little community...I’ve got a teenager and I don’t want him reading that type of thing,” she said.

Berwick MP Brad Battin said he was shocked to hear the material had been circulated in his electorate.

“It shocks me that people in my electorate think this way, let alone put this kind of material in people’s letterboxes,” he said.

“This kind of material and behaviour from the extreme elements of the community is not accepted and should be called out for what it is, which is pure racism.

“I strongly condemn the material and any such act due to its offensive nature.”

It is unknown how many residents received the flyers, but Mr Battin confirmed it affected at least five streets in Beaconsfield.

“Victoria is one of the best multicultural places in the world for a reason, it’s because we work together, we learn from each other and we do so harmoniously,” Mr Battin said.

“I’d hate to imagine for a person who has immigrated here and received this in their letterbox, the offence they would feel.”

Opportunity shops forking out thousands for dumpsters

By Eleanor Wilson and Shelby Brooks Would-be charity shop donors are being urged to carefully consider the items they drop off, as a wave of post-Christmas donations overwhelm stores across the South East.

Berwick Opportunity Shop president Margaret Ruse said the Berwick Village store had seen an 80 per cent increase in supply over the holiday period.

“Christmas and New Year sees lots of families replacing their old toys and products with new ones, but unfortunately we are receiving a lot of broken items that we are unable to sell,” Ms Ruse said.

Large items, baby items such as cots, high chairs and prams, as well as electrical products and products that are stained, broken, torn or worn out can’t be sold by the shop due to consumer law standards, Ms Ruse said.

“We do get some fantastic stuff in and we really appreciate what we get, but at this time of year if people can hold off until it quiets down, that would really help us.”

Ms Ruse said she anticipated the store would continue to experience increased supply - much of which consists of items she said were more suitable for hard rubbish collection - for at least another month.

The shop currently fills a four cubic metre skip bin three times a week with items the store can’t sell - a pricey endeavour for the volunteer-run store.

“We probably spend about $12,000 a year disposing of rubbish we receive… it’s our biggest cost at the shop and it’s money that could be going back into the community,” she said.

The Pakenham Opportunity Shop has chosen to stop accepting donations in its first week back after the New Year break, in an attempt to catch up.

Each year they estimate a similar value to disposing of unsellable items to the Berwick Op Shop.

Despite a perceived influx in unsellable donated goods, chief executive of Charitable Recycling Australia Omer Soker said secondhand stores were working hard to find a sustainable solution for these items.

Berwick Opportunity Shop said it continues to receive unsellable items despite clear signage.

“Our organisation tallies the total waste to landfill from charities on behalf of the Victorian Government’s landfill levy program and data shows current waste is at the same levels as 2016,” Mr Soker said.

“Given the massive increase in consumer consumption over those years, a much smaller percentage is going to landfill than ever before (currently only 14 per cent) and charities are more effective and efficient at resource recovery than ever before.

“The messaging from Australia’s reuse charities is always ‘thank you’ because charity shops and non-profit social enterprises could not operate without the generosity of Australians.”

He too encouraged donors to be conscious about what they donate.

“It’s about responsible donating, with a message that if you wouldn’t give it to a friend, please don’t give it to charity.

“Remember to donate in store or inside a

Picture: FACEBOOK charity bin, never outside where the donations may get soiled by weather or tampering.”

Ms Ruse implored locals to make donations during the shop’s operating hours, where possible.

“When donations are left outside overnight, they almost always get ransacked and strewn across the car park. Its a big clean up for our volunteers in the mornings,” she said.

Now enrolling for Year 7 2025 St Francis Xavier College is a comprehensive, co-educational senior Catholic College that offers a broad range of curriculum from Year 7 to 12.

www.sfx.vic.edu.au

9707 3111 12577794-HC46-22

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 5

NEWS

OPINION SOCIALLY SPEAKING

LENSCAPE

Data from the Victorian Ombudsman’s annual report showed the City of Casey was the subject of more complaints than any other council in 2021-22. Here is what our Facebook readers thought of the revelation: Oskar T Grouch Is anyone surprised??? As a resident in Casey since 2000, I am definitely not.

Gavin Charles Weren’t administrators appointed to fix it all up? What hope is there if they can get things sorted?

Nick Pietropaolo I’m not surprised one bit.

Gina Ramsay Yep, me included.

A Cranbourne East driver has been charged following an apparent hit-run in Bangholme last week. 253041

Driver bailed after incident

By Callum Godde, AAP The driver of a recreational vehicle has been charged after a cyclist was killed in an apparent hit-run crash in Melbourne’s outer southeast.

The “Winnebago-type vehicle” struck the cyclist on Frankston-Dandenong Road at Bangholme on the morning of 13 March before the driver fled, police said.

The cyclist was found dead on the side of the road before 6am by a passing driver who raised the alarm.

A 37-year-old man from Cranbourne East made himself known to police after they arrived at his home following a separate triple zero call from the address and was taken into custody.

Police later charged the man with numerous offences including dangerous driving causing death and failing to render assistance.

He has been bailed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on 22 May.

Moni experiences Nitro Popcorn at the Dandenong Market. 315334_05

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Thumbs down

Thumbs up

To the potato shortage.

To the Australian Open - always so much fun to watch.

Thumbs up

Thumbs down

To 2023 - Fantastic year! Feeling as free as Molly Meldrum last Friday!!!!!

Funeral Director

Thumbs down

...the little things make a difference

To all the damage to our school buildings and rubbish in the playgrounds!

Pakenham

190 Princes Highway Ph: 5941 4888

Thumbs down To the lack of customer service nowadays.

Cranbourne 6 Brunt Street Ph: 5996 6822

Assuring personal attention and care at all times for our local community.

12540394-JW11-22

Drouin

2 Porter Place Ph: 5625 2571

starcommunity.com.au CONTACT US Phone: 5945 0666 ADVERTISING Visit starcommunity.com.au/advertise Email advertising@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone 5945 0666 EDITORIAL Email dailyeditor@starnewsgroup.com.au com.au

6 STAR NEWS

|

12452305-LN26-20

REAL ESTATE Email seren@starnewsgroup.com.au

Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108.

Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas.

All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible. Distribution PROUDLY numbers, areas and coverage are estimates AUSTRALIAN OWNED & only. For our terms and conditions please visit INDEPENDENT www.starcommunity.com.au

Disgraceful material delivered to several housing estates in Beaccy on Sat night.

Thumbs down To McDonald’s thinking they can do potato cakes - and thumbs down for calling them potato scallops!

Thumbs up To coworkers who do the heavy lifting without being asked.

Thumbs down

Thumbs up

To the leak of sewage in Devon Meadows.

To Bachelor Jed from Drouin - he’s doing a great job on the show.

NEWS

Libraries deliver joy

www.davidwbull.com.au

Visit networkclassifieds.com.au Email sales@networkclassifieds.com.au Phone 5945 0600

Picture: ROB CAREW

After announcing the news of Star News Group patriarch Ian Thomas’ passing, with the blessing of the family, the Star News Facebook pages were flooded with tributes and sympathy messages for Ian and his family.

Robin Dzedins Very sorry to hear this sad news. Ian leaves a great legacy.

Emily Downey Very shocked. He will be missed dearly!

He used to always come into my work at the chemist and was always smiling and happy to see me! My heart goes out to his wife Dorothy.

Melinda Cranston Sorry to hear… Ian had retired by the time I had my time at the Gazette but he’d often walk around the office wearing a gentle smile and was very well respected. Sad to hear this news. Condolences to the family.

Marlene Knaap You’d be hard pressed to find a more congenial man than Ian. He had a genuine interest in Pakenham and the community as a whole. He was a talented sportsman on the tennis court and the golf course. We battled out many a match against the “Pressies” in the 1960s. The way he and wife Dorothy so capably managed the running of the Pakenham Gazette was nothing short of extraordinary over so many years.

True compassion was shown so often in the way articles of a personal nature were written. Those were the days when we knew the town and most of its residents. Ian, you were a remarkable and honourable man. May you now rest in peace. Our deepest sympathy to Dorothy, Kerrie, Helen, Paul and grandchildren.

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

Local residents were in the spirit of giving this festive season, raising thousands as part of Casey Cardinia Libraries Deliver Joy Christmas Campaign.

The campaign, which encouraged library goers to donate non-perishable food, toys and toiletries throughout November and December, raised over $10,000 in donations.

Library members with damaged or lost items were also invited to donate a small amount of money in exchange for a waiver of charges - adding $5000 to the donation pool.

The donated goods were divided between seven organisations across the South East, including Transit Outreach Service, Community Information and Support Cranbourne, Casey North Community Information and Support Service (CNCISS), Emerald Lions Club, the Andrews Centre, Hampton Park Community House, and The Salvation Army.

Donations from the Doveton Library played a vital role in CNCISS’ Christmas program, according to program manger Julie Leonidas.

“We rely solely on donations for our Christmas program, which distributes Christmas

Emerald Library team leader Jessica Nichols worked to collect community donations for families in need.

Picture: SUPPLIED hampers and toys to local families in need, so the donations we received from the Doveton Library really helped in that way,” she said.

Donations from community organisations

like CCL allowed CNCISS to support about 350 families with toys and hampers this festive season, Ms Leonidas said.

Casey Cardinia Libraries chief executive Beth Luppino said the corporation was thrilled to assist local not-for-profits through the fundraiser.

“We have been running ‘Deliver Joy’ at our libraries for many years now and it continues to generate vital support for families in need,” she said.

“We are really happy to continue to be a central point of collection, passing on the goods and money received to our charity partners in the local area – making Christmas a little brighter for families doing it tough.

“Library members demonstrate support and compassion for families in need every year through this campaign and we are so grateful for their continued generosity.

“Our members understand that public libraries exist for the benefit of everyone regardless of economic or demographic position. I think this is why the campaign is so well supported by our members every year.” berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

You can downsize Mr Ferguson is battling a rare bone cancer that has spread from his spine to his skull.

Picture: SUPPLIED

without the compromise.

Cancer fight

By Eleanor Wilson Two decades ago, Clyde’s Troy Ferguson was battling for gold on the court at the Dublin Special Olympics.

Today, the all-abilities basketball coach and Special Olympics silver medallist is fighting a much larger battle.

It was March last year when persistent back pain and vomiting led to the discovery of a tumour in the bone at the base of Troy’s spine and pelvis.

Chondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, seldom responds to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, meaning Mr Ferguson was rushed into surgery.

After 15 and a half hours, 21 pints of blood and 48 hours in an induced coma, he began an intensive post-surgery recovery period, putting his love for basketball on the back burner for several months.

Before the 2022 diagnosis, the grandfather of three was a hard working interstate truck driving, often clocking 60 hours a week on the job.

He was also a dedicated coach to five basketball teams for adolescents with disabilities, including Misfits Lakers and Misfits Blazers coaching at Dandenong Stadium every Friday.

When he wasn’t coaching, he relished in any opportunity to get back on the court and relive his glory days as team captain of the Australian Basketball team at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, where he led the team to silver medal glory.

Today, things couldn’t be more different.

Troy’s cancer impacted the S1-S2 nerves that control the bowel and bladder, which causes left leg numbness and possible weakness.

He gets by in a wheelchair and needs full time support from a carer to help him with everyday activities such as showering.

His long-time friend and former partner Liza fills that role, but it also means the family has no income stream, aside from Centrelink contributions.

Liza said the family’s savings had been bled dry as a result of Troy’s health battle.

“We’ve just paid $2800 for a specialised bed

for him, we’ve got nothing left,” she said.

“Between paying for Troy’s medication, constantly travelling to and from Melbourne for treatment, accommodation for me while Troy is in hospital, and paying rent, it’s very tight,” she said.

Liza said the family had travelled the 62-kilometre journey from the family’s Clyde home to specialist hospitals in Melbourne’s CBD too many times to count over the last year.

At one stage, Liza said she could not afford the petrol and parking costs that came with the commute, so she was forced to travel hours by public transport to be by Troy’s side.

At the beginning of January, Troy’s fight escalated when he found out his cancer had spread to his brain and skull.

Last week, doctor’s ordered a PET scan to determine if the cancer had spread anywhere else - Troy and Liza are expected to receive those results any day now.

The prognosis for Troy is ill-defined, said Liza.

“We just don’t know at this point,” she said.

“If doctors find the cancer anywhere else, we might have to look at palliative care,” she said.

She said her biggest hope is simply for Troy to survive.

The family has started a GoFundMe page to assist with the costs associated with Troy’s cancer fight.

Despite the adversity the family has faced, Troy’s outlook remains positive - and he maintains the Misfits teams are a large contributor to that.

“Coaching and being around the teams is what keeps me going...just the positivity they have and the camaraderie,” he said.

“There’s nothing else you can do in a situation like this, other than be strong and not get carried away by the negatives.

“Every morning I wake up, look down at my two feet and say ‘I’m alive to see another day’.”

Head to gofundme.com/f/5w3j4p-troyscancer-battle for more details.

Whether you're a home mechanic with a classic car, a keen golfer with your own golf cart, a budding artist or a yogi in need of a zen space. At Aviva Officer we think retiring is about having the time to enjoy the things that you’re passionate about.

Our 2 car garaging options are well suited to all of the above - or maybe you’ve just got 2 cars!

The Denver now from $559,000

The Colorado now from $569,000

Call Andrew on 0455-245-438 to discuss the options for your new 2 car garage at Aviva Communities today!

Charges following car theft A Narre Warren man and a Clarinda man have been charged with a string of offences following the alleged theft of a car with a toddler inside in Chelsea.

It is alleged a grey Volkswagen SUV was parked outside a grocery store on Nepean Highway just before 4pm on Sunday, 8 January, when an unknown male got into the car and drove off with a two-year-old boy inside. It is understood the owner of the vehicle left it running while he ducked into the shops.

Investigators were told the offender left the child on Bath Street and fled the scene.

Police arrested an 18-year-old Narre Warren man and a 20-year-old Clarinda man at a Frankston shopping centre on Tuesday, 10 January.

The Narre Warren man was charged with

more than 25 charges, including theft of motor vehicle, obtain property by deception, possess a drug of dependence, bail and driving offences.

The Clarinda man was charged with theft of motor vehicle, aggravated burglary, resist police, bail and driving offences, in relation to another matter.

Police located the outstanding grey Volkswagen SUV in Craigieburn on 11 January.

It was found dumped and abandoned in Hyde Park Avenue about 5am after the driver allegedly sped off from police.

The investigation is ongoing.

Both men were remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 11 January.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au

follow us: avivacommunitiesofficer 12579905-ET03-23

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 7

BUSINESS IN FOCUS

Thoughtfully refined living Coming to Clyde in 2023, is Lifestyle Communities’ latest community - Lifestyle Riverfield, a place that’s been thoughtfully refined for the next generation of downsizers. This carefully designed space is set to be Lifestyle Communities’ seventh community in Melbourne’s flourishing southeast region, delivering the very best that vibrant and active community living has to offer. Surrounded by the perfect combination of natural serenity, energetic opportunity and essential connectivity, Lifestyle Riverfield promises a lifestyle that’s shaped by you, for you.

Lifestyle Communities has lived and breathed the wants and needs of downsizing homeowners for 20 years; constantly refining our approach, communities and homes to not only meet their needs - but exceed them! Our 26 communities (and counting!) are situated in some of Victoria’s best, most connected and most picturesque locations. With two decades of experience behind us, our focus on giving our homeowners what they want; and what they need, has never been sharper.

We broke the mould on this one And that’s why you’ll see things are a little different at Lifestyle Riverfield. We know the next generation of downsizers are unique; seeking opportunities that are distinctly energetic, thoughtful, innovative and purposeful. Beyond our iconic multi-million dollar community clubhouses and world class facilities, Lifestyle Riverfield’s new take on downsized living is sure to appeal. A Pilates studio, 25 metre pool, sauna and spa, beautifully landscaped

grounds, alfresco dining spaces, community firepit coupled with a sporting precinct and makers studio offer residents the opportunity to downsize without compromising on lifestyle. Surrounded by expansive parklands, nature reserves and a network of existing and proposed amenities and transportation options, Lifestyle Riverfield is positioned for homeowners to enjoy the perfect blend of urban connectivity and suburban tranquillity.

Give me a home amongst the gum trees In its carefully selected position, Lifestyle Riverfield is the gateway to all the delights of Melbourne’s southeast. Opportunities to embrace nature are abundant both inside and outside our lush community, with easy access to beautiful locations to walk, run, cycle, sit, relax and simply be amongst nature. Just outside Lifestyle Riverfield, you’ll find an impressive array of picturesque restaurants and wineries to choose from and the world-renowned wineries of the Mornington Peninsula are only a short 35-minute drive away. If hitting up the local golf club is your idea of the perfect day, you’ll be well served with several golf courses in close proximity to practice your swing on.

Your exclusive invitation awaits If you’re a pleasure seeking, young at heart downsizer, this community is made for you.

Join us for the launch of Lifestyle Riverfield on Wednesday 1 February 2023 and be amongst the first to see plans for our innovative next generation community. Secure your exclusive invitation today by calling 1300 50 55 60. Limited tickets available.

Lifestyle Riverfield home render. Artist impression, subject to change.

Teaser renders of the clubhouse precinct. Artist impression, subject to change.

8 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Make 2023 the year for you Make the move to a brand-new home from $445,000.

Thoughtfully refined, with the next generation in mind Your exclusive invitation awaits.

You’re invited to the launch of Lifestyle Riverfield on Wednesday 1 February 2023.

Be amongst the first to see plans for our next generation community.

Offering a vibrant lifestyle, first-of-their-kind amenities and XL homes, Lifestyle Riverfield has been thoughtfully refined with you in mind.

Secure your exclusive invitation today!

Call 1300 50 55 60. Limited tickets available.

lifestyle communities riverfield 12583476-AV03-23

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 9

NEWS

Mason’s classy move

By Eleanor Wilson The high cost of living and creeping interest rate hikes mean hundreds of families are already finding themselves strapped for cash ahead of the start of the school year.

While authorities scramble to find ways to assist Victorians, 11-year-old Mason is proving you don’t have to be big to make a real difference.

The Year 5 Rivercrest Christian College student recently coordinated a school fundraiser to provide 70 backpacks filled with school supplies for Community Information and Support Cranbourne’s (CISC) backpack program.

The program is one of CISC’s crisis support services, says organisation executive Leanne Petrides, which attempts to take some of the financial burden off local families with school-aged kids by providing basic school supplies like a backpack, lunchbox and drink bottle.

“This particular program is funded by donations and philanthropy rather than government funding, so it can look different every year depending on where our funding is coming from and how much we are getting,” Ms Petrides said.

“Mason is one of those contributors [and] it makes all the difference, because the hallmark of organisations like us is it’s community helping community.

“The support of our community is what keeps us going, particularly around back to school and Christmas.”

Mason has been assisting with CISC’s support programs since 2019, often helping mum Tiffany gather support and goods for food donations and several programs.

But last month’s donation saw Mason take the reins on the crusade for the first time, organising a school project to encourage his classmates to help out with the program.

“My husband had a medical emergency in August and I just couldn’t, in my own head space, take on the backpacks as well,” Mrs Bassindale said.

“Before I knew it, Mason just said ‘I’m doing it’.

“He contacted everyone, he organised a presentation to present to his teachers to get them on board, he emailed the principal and the backpack supplier,” Mrs Bassindale said.

Putting their contribution to the program on hold wasn’t an option according to Mason, who said he “just knew we needed to give kids fresh backpacks”.

He said knowing he is helping his peers get the same opportunities as he has is what

The City of Casey is prioritising Maternal and Child Health (MCH) appointments for newborns aged zero to eight weeks and families with additional needs due to staffing challenges.

Workforce pressures continue to weigh down Victoria’s health care sector, having a significant impact on staffing resources for maternal child health services.

“While we manage these staffing challenges, council’s MCH service will continue to prioritise appointments for newborns aged zero to eight weeks and families with additional needs,” a City of Casey spokesperson said.

The council is working closely with the Victorian Department of Health, Municipal Association of Victoria, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Safer Care Victoria to resolve issues facing the workforce.

The City of Casey said it is committed to supporting all families and parents in the community.

The council said they would continue to provide free first-time parents’ groups, sleep and settling support, breastfeeding support and online workshops for the introduction of food.

City of Casey’s Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Team is also continuing to provide in-home support for parents who are referred to council by a MCH nurse, GP, or other health professionals.

Presenting the backpacks to CISC executive Leanne Petrides was a gratifying experience, says Mason (both pictured).

Picture: FACEBOOK makes it all worth it.

“Getting to deliver the backpacks to CISC is lots of fun and at the end when I go home I feel amazing that I helped so many kids today,” Mason said.

The Cranbourne boy has high hopes for the future of the backpack program, creating a school wide incentive to get more bags on the backs of students in need.

“I’m hoping to get all the [school] houses involved, where they get a point for their house when they drop in a new backpack and the house with the most points wins,” he said.

“I’m hoping that nearly the entire world can help and give what they can.”

To find out more about the services CISC offers, or to donate, head to ciscranbourne. org.au

Single-use plastics shown the door Casey residents and businesses are urged to prepare for the single-use plastic ban that comes into effect on 1 February 2023.

The statewide ban is part of the Victorian Government’s push to remove problematic single-use plastics from sale or supply in Victoria and will apply to items including single-use plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers and cotton bud sticks made from conventional, degradable, and compostable plastics.

The ban also applies to food service items and drink containers made from expanded polystyrene.

Single-use plastics make up a third of the litter in the environment and are difficult and costly to clean up.

These items pollute the environment and can harm wildlife and while they are often used for only a few minutes, they remain in the environment for a long time.

You may notice Casey businesses are already phasing out some plastics, including straws and cutlery.

Residents are encouraged to remember to BYO when you are on the go, and use reusable cutlery, straws and containers to help reduce waste.

Single-use plastic straws will remain available for people who need them due to a disability or for medical reasons.

10 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

Maternal health has its limits

Man arrested after Hallam stab attack Casey Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating an alleged armed robbery and stabbing in Hallam on Sunday afternoon, 15 January.

It is alleged a man got out of a car on Princes Highway, armed with a weapon, about 4pm and threatened three men inside another vehicle.

The man allegedly opened the car door and stabbed one of the men in the hand causing minor injuries, before stealing his mobile phone.

It is alleged the man then threatened police before fleeing the scene on foot.

A 39-year-old Dandenong man was arrested a short time later and is assisting police with their enquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au

The statewide ban is part of the Victorian Government’s push to remove problematic singleuse plastics from sale or supply in Victoria.

Picture: UNSPLASH Casey residents may have also noticed yellow lids starting to appear on the kerbside recycling bins.

This is in line with the Victorian Government’s requirement to standardise bin lid colour across the state. The new lids will roll out progressively as bins need replacing. Old and damaged bins are all recycled.

The same items still go into your recycling bin and you can check the list on council’s website or in its Recycling and Waste Guide,

which has a handy A-Z reference to guide you on how best to dispose of a range of items.

Soft plastics should not go into your recycling bin. With the pause of REDcycle’s soft plastics recycling scheme, these plastics unfortunately need to go into your general waste bin. Soft plastics get caught in the equipment used to sort recycling, leading to higher recycling costs for council and ratepayers. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

12581637-JW03-23

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 11

NEWS

Job-hunting hints and tips TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH Usually these articles are written for the benefit of employers to assist in running their businesses but this week I thought I would provide some advice to those looking for a new role.

After all, a new year can imply a new start so what should you do when trying to secure a new job?

The first thing I recommend doing is look at the reason why you want a new role.

Unless you are paid well below market rates, just looking for more money is not a great way to start.

There will always be jobs that pay more and those of you that are in a role that you love will already know that this is far more important than just being well paid.

Good reasons will include things like working in something that you are passionate about, gaining more experience/expertise, increasing individual responsibility or perhaps challenging yourself personally.

If you are able to secure an interview with a prospective employer later on, being really clear on why you want the role and being able to express this articulately will work in your favour as employers look for this in prospective candidates.

Allied to the above is the need to understand the kind of environment (culture) that

Right now it is very much a ‘seller’s market’ since there are generally more jobs available than staff to fill them. you like to work in. For example, do you enjoy a creative environment in which ideas are debated and discussed or do you prefer something more structured which has well-defined systems and processes?

What sort of people do you like to work with and how do you like to be managed?

Understanding these sorts of things facilitates gathering as much information as you can at the interview to ensure that you really do ‘fit’ with the organisation you are hoping to join.

It is well known that employers typically “hire on skills and fire on fit” so making sure that the company culture is founded on values that you can align with will lead to greater job satisfaction and a much longer tenure.

Right now it is very much a ‘seller’s market’ since there are generally more jobs available than staff to fill them.

This means that employers will be very keen to move fast and secure good candidates and the old rule of ‘supply and demand’ means that remuneration will be going up as well.

However, the old adage ‘marry in haste, repent in leisure’ can also be applied to the job market so it is well worth taking the time to find out all you can about the company and the role before you go to interview.

Doing this will impress the interviewers as well since it tends to reflect a strong desire for the role.

A key part of the overall process is to make sure that you provide an up-to-date resume and always provide a cover letter.

There are some basic do’s and don’ts when it comes to resumes.

Despite the fact that you may be very proud of all that you have done, an extensive resume will not impress – employers simply don’t have the time to read 14 pages of personal history so keep it to around three pages maximum.

This might sound like a considerable challenge, but you don’t need to describe in detail what each of the companies you have worked with actually do - this can always be uncovered by a web search or similar.

Equally, you don’t need to necessarily describe much about the role either since employers will typically have a fair idea of this too.

What really does matter is that you bullet list your achievements in the role and highlight any key responsibilities that you held.

It is also worth including a ‘Positioning Statement’ which uniquely describes who you are and where your particular strengths and interests lie relative to the job market.

Hobbies also say more about the kind of person you are.

The role of the cover letter is to translate your specific skills, experience and expertise to the key requirements of the role on offer, i.e. this describes why you are suitable for the job.

A well written cover letter can make a difference as to whether you get an interview or not since it makes the job of those selecting candidates for interview very much easier.

Ian Ash is the managing director of OrgMent Business Solutions.

FOCUS ON … MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Activity-appropriate footwear can help ease foot, leg pain Get feet and legs fit for 2023!

We rely on our feet and legs for most of our daily activities, so it’s understandable that so many of us suffer from pain and problems in our feet, ankles, shins, knees, etc.

But what can you do to help these?

We asked one of Australia’s most experienced Musculoskeletal Podiatrists, Dr Paul Dowie from Foot & Leg Pain Clinics, for some tips.

Evaluate footwear Choose activity-appropriate shoes for sport and recreational activities.

Choose shoes with straps or laces that hold to the feet, especially for prolonged activity, whenever possible. Shoes like thongs and slipons can be very stressful to the feet and legs.

If you need to wear high heels, try a lower heel or wedges to assist tissue stress.

Don’t rely on technological advances in footwear to treat pain and discomfort.

Always get pain checked by an appropriately trained health practitioner.

The purpose of good footwear is to provide comfort whilst helping to support foot and leg function, not to treat pain or concerns. Seek ad-

Sore Feet or Legs?

Call

vice from an experienced musculoskeletal podiatrist to prevent and treat foot and leg problems.

Foot products Be wary of off-the-shelf foot products like mass produced orthotics, innersoles and arch supports to assist pain.

Only devices individually prescribed by an experienced musculoskeletal podiatrist should be used to ensure effective outcomes.

If you’ve been prescribed surgery or medications, get a second opinion.

The latest medical research and natural regenerative treatments make many surgeries, cortisone injections, and even joint replacements avoidable, if caught in time.

You should be aware that cortisone injections can delay healing and contribute to further tissue damage in some cases and things like arthroscopes are now considered outdated, often with poor outcomes.

Seek advice from an experienced musculoskeletal podiatrist.

Get checked Always get pain checked by an appropriately trained health practitioner.

Simple soreness can be a symptom of more serious underlying issues, so ensure you get any reoccurring or prolonged soreness checked by a musculoskeletal podiatrist, not just a GP or regular podiatrist.

Musculoskeletal podiatrists have the specific knowledge and training to look past symptoms and identify the cause and contributing factors of your condition, to treat it effectively.

The site of the pain is not necessarily where the problem is.

If you have any foot and leg pain, injuries or arthritic concerns, you can get advice from Dr Dowie at Foot & Leg Pain Clinics in Berwick.

Call 1300 328 300.

ONE LOCATION FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE NEEDS Online Bookings Available through www.betterhealthfamilyclinic.com.au or Healthengine.com.au - select Hampton park

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU

ist

diatr to po offer redeem tion *Men consult to at

Cnr Clyde Rd & Moondara Dr, BERWICK

12447879-SN19-20

WE CAN HELP! CALL 1300 328 300 ff O $50

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

Mon to Fri 8 am to 9 pm Weekends and Public฀Holidays 9 am to 5pm

127-129฀Somerville฀Rd฀•฀Hampton฀Park฀•฀Ph฀9702฀9300฀•฀www.betterhealthfamilyclinic.com.au

OPEN throughout Covid-19 with optional TELEHEALTH online & phone consults 12 STAR NEWS

OPEN฀EXTENDED HOURS 201908201599_1-CG35-19

*

•฀Men,฀Womens฀and฀Childrens฀Health.

•฀Respiratory฀problems •฀Physio฀and฀Podiatrist฀available •฀Sleeping฀disorders •฀Patients฀with฀complex฀health฀issues •฀Weight฀Loss฀Programs •฀Everything฀under฀the฀one฀roof,฀good฀doctors,฀great฀services,฀ new฀clean฀facilities฀with฀plenty฀of฀parking฀on฀site.

•฀Refugee฀and฀Assylum฀seekers฀welcome฀at฀our฀practice.

O   

Including Specialist & Allied Health Services

ALL SERVICES BULK BILLED

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Complaining about Casey The City of Casey was the subject of more complaints to the Victorian Ombudsman than any other council in 2021-22, according to new data.

In its annual report, the Victorian Ombudsman said it closed 159 cases it had received about City of Casey - the highest in the state.

The City of Casey also has the highest population in the state when compared to other local government areas.

In 31 per cent of cases, the Ombudsman made enquiries - meaning “any action taken

by VO (e.g. seeking information from an authority, research, inspecting records) to decide whether the issue may be informally resolved or whether it should be investigated”.

In the majority of cases, at 37 per cent, the complaints were assessed but the Ombudsman did not make enquiries.

In 35 per cent of cases, those complaining about the City of Casey were advised to contact council, which occurred when the Ombudsman considered a complaint to be “premature” as the person had not yet contacted the council to give them an opportunity to resolve the matter.

In some cases, the report noted, the Ombudsman referred an issue to another organisation. But as referrals were not included in the figures, some percentages do not add up to 100 per cent.

In comparison, the neighbouring Cardinia Shire was the subject of 46 complaints, but 41 per cent were advised to contact council, 17 per cent resulted in enquiries made and an-

council. Of the 31 per cent, council has satisfactorily responded to the Ombudsman’s enquiries, with just two remaining active.

“We encourage customers with complaints to contact us to try and resolve it in the first instance. Every effort is made to respond to our customers’ concerns as a matter of priority.

“Complaints can be made online, by email, over the phone or in person and we will do our best to respond to our customers through their preferred channel.

“Complaints are managed following clear escalation and exit points: “1. First call resolution: Where possible, we aim to resolve a complaint the first time a customer contacts us.

“2. Further investigation: If we are unable to resolve a complaint the first time we are contacted, it will be referred to the relevant service area to respond within 10 working days with an outcome.

3. Internal review: If a customer is still not satisfied with the outcome, they can request their complaint to be reviewed by a senior officer (e.g. a manager or a director), who will aim to reach a resolution within 28 days.

“4. External review: If a customer is still not satisfied with our response/outcome following the internal review process, we will refer them to the Ombudsman. Complainants can also request an external agency review at any stage in the process by contacting the Victorian Ombudsman. However, we encourage customers with complaints to contact us to try and resolve it in the first instance.”

In its 2021-22 annual report, the Victorian Ombudsman said it closed 159 cases it had received about the City of Casey. 238145 other 41 per cent of complaints were assessed but no enquiries made.

City of Casey chief executive officer, Glenn Patterson said the City of Casey is Victoria’s most populous municipality, having 25 per cent more residents than the second largest council.

“Home to more than 390,000 residents, Casey’s population is forecast to grow to more than 550,000 by 2041. The number of complaints received by respective councils needs to be considered relative to their population.

“Complaints are managed in line with our

Complaint Handling Policy which clearly sets out how complaints are handled to ensure a fair and consistent process, including timelines. Our Complaint Handling Policy is based on the principles outlined in the Victorian Ombudsman’s Councils and Complaints Good Practice Guide 2015.

“As per the Ombudsman’s latest annual report, of the 159 complaints about Casey Council, 37 per cent were assessed as needing no further enquiry, 35 per cent were advised to contact council, leaving 31 per cent that the Ombudsman made further enquiries with

FOCUS ON … MEDICALLY SPEAKING

How to select a great dentist There are different moments in which we see ourselves in need to look for a dentist.

One of the most common moments is after we have moved residence.

A good start is to ask our old dentist for a professional they know in the new area.

When in a new place, meeting new people and making new friends in the neighbourhood, having casual conversations, ask about local dentists. You will hear several opinions and have a few options to decide which one to try.

Once you have selected the option that seems suited to you, check out the clinic’s website and read the patients’ reviews or feedback. Any detail that helps you to be aware of their methods is relevant. Even their patient care philosophy will help you to make the best decision. Do not discard your option because of a single bad review. It is not unusual that occasionally a person has an unsatisfactory experience. There are always isolated situations

with particular reasons for that case.

On the other hand, pay special attention when most of the comments are unsatisfactory experiences and keep them in mind when making your decision. The most important thing is that the service offered and its results get as close as possible to your expectations.

Prevention is better than regret, and when it comes to dental visits, it is best to ensure that your experience is satisfactory. If you’re seeking expectations to be met and exceeded, book an appointment at Endeavour Smiles Group today, 8771 5877.

WE MAKE CASEY CARDINIA SMILE

• Orthodontics • Kids Dentistry • Crowns / Veneers / Implants • Root Canal Treatment • Wisdom Teeth Removal • Smile Design • Teeth Whitening • Gums Treatment

WE COVER ALL YOUR DENTAL NEEDS UNDER ONE ROOF!

Contact: 03 8772 2053 info@endeavoursmiles group.com.au

New patients welcome!

12554322-JW25-22

Orthodontic Treatment for children and adults utilising the latest technologies including SureSmile, Invisalign, lingual and clear appliances.

We offer flexible, interest free payment plans to make orthodontics accessible to everyone.

Strict hygiene and physical distancing policies in place

1 Joseph Banks Cr Endeavour Hills

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Suite 5, Level 1/18-24 Clyde Rd, Berwick Phone: (03) 9330 0702 | info@seortho.com.au | www.seortho.com.au

www.endeavoursmilesgroup.com.au 12543490-DL16-22 12543490-DL16-22

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 13

NEWS IAN THOMAS penned this account of his professional life for the book Ink In Our Veins produced for the company’s centenary in 2009. This is an edited extract.

My life in newspapers It was October, 1950. I was in the fourth year at high school (Dandenong) after completing my primary education at Pakenham State School.

As I neared completion of my Leaving Certificate year I was told it was time to join the workforce. I was given two choices- join the local branch of the Commercial Bank or be part of the family newspaper business.

My grandfather, Albert Edward Thomas, had died two years earlier, and my father, Herbert Bennett Thomas, with the help of one apprentice, Charles Constable, faced a big task each week in preparing news stories, gathering advertising, typesetting the news and finally putting the paper ’to bed’ on Thursday nights (often finishing in the ’small hours’ of Friday morning).

Of course I chose the family business, which became a very big part of my working life until my retirement at the end of 1999.

The Gazette, launched in Berwick in 1909, was transferred to Pakenham in 1917 where it was produced in a small wooden building (part of Les Goldsack’s sawmilling operations), opposite Shankly’s Hotel, in Main Street. By this time my father, Herbert Bennett Thomas, after schooling at Berwick, had joined his father at the Pakenham office. Both became very involved in their local community and over the years that followed their influence and support for this area was outstanding.

By the mid 1930s the Gazette operation had been moved to a new brick building at 100 Main Street, Pakenham, right next door to the home of my grandfather and grandmoiher, Albert Edward Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth Cox Thomas. About that time (1933) my father and mother, Herbert Bennett Thomas and Florrie Gefferson Aisbett, were married, and they moved into their new home at 49 James Street (directly behind the old Gazette office).

I arrived a year and a half later and still remain in the same town as the Gazette celebrates its centenary in 2009.

As I turned up for my first work day in January, 1951, I wore coveralls and casual shirt (no tie). In the years that followed I ’graduated’ to grey dustcoat over a casual shirt and casual trousers. My father always wore ’well hitched’ flannel trousers with braces, fashion shirt, with detachable collar, a tie, and, of course a waistcoat.

One of the many lasting images I have of those early days in the printing business was watching my father (and earlier my grandfather) setting up the newspaper with lightning speed - always with a pipe in their mouth, and spittle and lots of loose tobacco falling into the type boxes. Prior to my arrival on the work scene, the setting of lines of type (rather than individual letters) had revolutionised the printing industry. Linotypes became a showpiece at the Royal Melbourne Show, and their introduction to the newspaper industry changed the trade.

Our neighbour Bill Bath and his son, Merv, had one of those machines at the Kooweerup Sun. For several years after my grandfather’s death in 1948, the Thomas family made the weekly Sunday afternoon, trip to Kooweerup, where newspaper ’copy’ was dropped off, and on the following Tuesday morning the typeset material was delivered to Pakenham.

It came as no surprise, when I joined the business, that immediately I was enrolled in the linotype course at RMIT in Latrobe Street, Melbourne. Two of my classmates at that time were Frank Gannon (Leongatha, Colac) and Robin Letts (Donald), both of whom remained in the newspaper industry for the rest of their lives and we built a great friendship in the years that followed. We as built up a great rapport with our teacher, Gordon Castle, who went far beyond the role of teacher, and was was on hand to help us in our individual businesses. Attending printing college each Monday, I spent the rest of the week at the Gazette office, putting into practice what I had learned. At this time the Gazette contained 12 tabloid pages and approximately 1000 copies were printed each week.

Before my involvement in the business, it had been very much a family affair.

Publication night (morning) was always hectic, and all family members were on hand 14 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

Ian Thomas, back row far left, peers out from behind the media pack assembled for the visit of Prince (now King) Charles and Princess Diana in the aftermath of the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983. to help out with the jobs involved- printing, folding, wrapping and despatching.

Approximately 1000 copies were printed in the 1950s on an old Wharfdale sheetfed machine. In the early days the flywheel of this machine was hand-operated, but by now power had been introduced. As the business and district grew gradually, so did the number of employees. A second linotype operator was engaged, also a receptionist/bookkeeper.

In the ’60s few photos were used in country newspapers. This was about to change. Asking questions of different people, I set up our own darkroom and from the mid ’60s photos appeared regularly in the ’Gazette. Using a Klischograph scanning machine, the photos were transferred onto sheets of plastic, which in turn were mounted on wooden bases and placed in position within the page make-up.

During this era the ’Gazette won many Victorian Country Press awards for the quality of its photos and for overall newspaper excellence.

The Pakenham Gazette was one of the first Victorian newspapers to change over to offset printing. That occurred in 1972. Each page of the newspaper was pasted up, and it was quite an intricate and messy process.

The first offset edition was a challenge from start to finish, and I well remember working throughout the night (not the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last), together with our foreman Malcolm McQualter, who would continue to be a very loyal employee of the company for 44 years.

At this stage my involvement with the business was action-filled and extremely varied.

I continued to operate the linotype for a few more years, but my role was changing. The photography and darkroom work took more and more time, and weekend sports photos, general news photography and reporting were making life extremely busy.

The old Berwick Shire had been split, with Berwick City west of the Cardinia Creek, and the new Pakenham Shire Council extending eastwards to the Bunyip River.

The area was growing very rapidly, particularly towards the Hallam, Endeavour Hills and Doveton end of Berwick City Council.

Two council meetings had to be covered, at least fortnightly, and Herb would cover the Berwick meetings in the pre-fab buildings in Doveton during the period.

I regularly attended the Pakenham Council meetings. In both municipalities the meetings were often prolonged, with agenda items be-

ing hotly debated and it was not uncommon for the meetings to finish after midnight, and sometimes as late as 1.30 a.m.

As the area grew, so too did the traffic on the local roads (particularly the Princes Highway). Sadly, as I look back, there is hardly one kilometre of any road in this district that I did not photograph the aftermath of many horrific fatal accidents during my 49 years in the newspaper industry.

Attending those fatalities, and also numerous house and public building fires over the years (often in the middle of the night) was always done with the closest co-operation and help from local police officers.

Thankfully the road system these days is so much better and the number of fatal accidents has been reduced significantly.

As the ’70s progressed, so too did the number of pages in the ’Gazette’. Sport was always well featured, and this was an area that I was very involved in, and spare weekends were few and far between.

About this time Herb was president of the Victorian Country Press Association, and this, together with his commitments with the ’Gazette - and numerous other local organisations - added up to a very busy workload It was 8 July, 1979, that he left Pakenham to travel to Benalla to visit my sister (where my mother had been staying). He became very sick, was driven back to Pakenham the following Friday and died seven hours later at Pakenham when his heart failed. The date was Friday 13 July, 1979. His sudden death shocked the district and left a tremendous gap in our family company. For a brief period we struggled and the help of newspaper colleagues through that difficult period will never be forgotten.

As was typical of the era, I knew little of the finances and front office operations at the Gazette office.

Free newspapers were emerging in the area, because offset printing had made it easier to produce newspapers using Macintosh computers and laser printers.

Big decisions had to be made. My wife, Dorothy, who was a trained arts and crafts teacher, and loved her work at Pakenham Consolidated School, joined me at the ’Gazette’ office. It was a big move for her, and certainly a major challenge for the first two or three years. Soon Dorothy took over the role as editor in chief, a position she held until her retirement in 1997.

At the time she joined the company we had seven staff members and the Gazette averaged 36 pages each week The growth and expansion

of the business over the next 18 years was due very largely to Dorothy’s tremendous support and dedication to work, at a time when she was raising a teenage family of three children.

For a couple of years the business stabilised. Now owned by my mother with myself as manager, we soon regrouped, with the wonderful help of numerous newspaper people and other friends. In the early ’80s we bought the business from my mother (for a nominal amount) and her support and assistance throughout my entire life is something I will always reflect on with great pleasure.

With free newspapers continuing to come (and go) we opened a branch office at Berwick in 1984. The same year we extended ourselves into the old shire office building on the corner of Main and John Streets, Pakenham.

We had also extended our staff numbers, and by now we employed several journalists.

During this period the district experienced one of its biggest disasters of all time - the Ash Wednesday bushfires in February, 1983. The Gazette covered this disaster in detail - both in storyline and pictorially - and for the first and only time in the newspaper’s history a re-run of that issue was completed several days later.

The aftermath of these bushfires, and the rebuilding process, involved a team effort from local councils, governments, support groups, service organisations and individuals.

These issues and processes were well documented in the issues of the Gazette in the following months.

Part of the rebuilding process was the visit

by Princess Di and Prince (now King) Charles to Cockatoo soon after the tragic event.

In 1987 one of our senior journalists left and shortly after set up a free newspaper in opposition to the Gazette. With the threat of free newspapers ’coming to a head,’ virtually overnight we produced our own free, the Berwick City News, which was freely distributed to homes throughout the Berwick City Council area.

Around this time - after serving on the Victorian Country Press Association executive for 10 years - was elected to the position of president, the position my father held at the time of his death.

During my two-year term as president, I decided I would like to visit every country newspaper in Victoria- 95 of them. I all but completed the task, to miss out on the last few when another free newspaper surfaced in our area.

In July, 1992, our son, Paul (the fourth generation of the family) joined the business, and very soon his ideas and enthusiasm would influence the future of this small familyowned business. In September of that year we launched our third newspaper, the South Eastern Real Estate News. In 1994 we moved out of Main Street to a new site at the corner of Army Road and Princes Highway, Pakenham (the old Henty’s Restaurant site).

Following the amalgamation of the Berwick and Cranbourne Councils in 1995, we split the Berwick City News into two newspapers - the Berwick News and the Cranbourne News.

Then in 1997 Dorothy retired and for the first time ever we appointed an editor from outside the family.

A year later my mother, Florrie, retired after her 91st birthday. Known affectionately as ’The Proof Reader’, her support for the business over the years was outstanding.

By the end of 1999, and after 49 years with the business, it was time for me to retire.

Our staff numbers at the time were around 65, technology was changing rapidly (with coloured photographs about to take over) and the district’s population was about to explode.

In my years in the workplace I met some wonderful people, made some lasting friendships with customers and staff members, and can’t express too highly the support I always had from the family and particularly my wife. lan Thomas was the third generation to run the company and was managing director for 20 years and has worked or been a director for over 60 years. The company changed its name to Star News Group in 2005 and now has 36 newspaper titles and websites (soon to grow to 48) and various niche magazines. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Major roadworks underway Motorists can expect significant delays in parts of Casey for the remainder of summer, as major works commence on the Narre WarrenCranbourne Road Upgrade.

On Monday 9 January, works began at the key Thompsons and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Roads intersection, where the existing roundabout will be removed and replaced with traffic signals.

As part of the intersection upgrade, Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) will install extra traffic lanes at all approaches to improve travel times and left-turn slip lanes to improve traffic flow. Pedestrian lines will also be included on all four corners of the intersection, along with shared-use paths on both sides of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.

To assist in the upgrade, the roundabout at the Thompsons and Narre-Warren Cranbourne Roads intersection will be closed from 9 January to mid-February 2023.

Motorists are urged to allow up to 20 minutes extra during peak times when using detours including Clyde Road, Greaves Road, the Princes Highway, Hallam Road, the South Gippsland Highway and Sladen Street.

Access to Springhill Shopping Centre, McDonalds and the APCO service station will be maintained throughout the works.

The BP service station will be closed for the duration of the works.

Following this period of works, one lane will open in each direction of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, while two lanes will open in each direction of Thompsons Road.

All lanes will re-open by Monday 20 February.

Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Marc Peterson said crews will be work-

Motorists are urged to plan for delays as works commence on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade. 156034 ing overtime to complete the works as quickly as possible.

As part of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade, MRPV is adding an extra lane in each direction between Thompsons Road and the South Gippsland Highway, upgrading 11 intersections, including installing eight new sets of traffic signals, building new shared walking and cycling paths and installing safety barriers along the road, MPRV said.

Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road will be-

come a straight-through movement when travelling north from South Gippsland Highway.

The upgrade is set to deliver improved traffic flow and travel times, reduced traffic on Cranbourne’s High Street, improved safety for vehicles accessing Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road from local streets, improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure making it safer to travel around the local area and reduced risk and severity of crashes, according to authorities.

“This is a vital project for our local commu-

Picture: FILE

nity that will reduce traffic on South Gippsland Highway and improve access around the Cranbourne town centre,” said Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards.

The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade is part of the Suburban Roads Upgrade, a $2.3 billion package of road upgrades across the northern and south-eastern suburbs jointly funded by the Victorian and Australian governments.

Visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au for details.

FOCUS ON … DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA

Let’s rock and roll

Dance lessons: What you need to know Parents, especially if they haven’t been in dance classes themselves, can find it a bit of a challenge finding the right one for their children. They can inadvertently form unhelpful expectations or not properly consider the whys and hows of it all.

Some of the best dance teachers around offer the following advice to loving mums and dads who want what’s best for their child when it comes to the world of dance: 1. Do a trial class first This gives parents the chance to observe how the teacher delivers lessons, their communication skills and choice of words. Kids often want to observe a class before they feel comfortable joining in.

With a toddler class, it’s often best to simply

Rockn’ Suzies run rock ‘n’ roll classes in Nar Nar Goon, Berwick, Cranbourne, Morwell and Pakenham. For information, call Sue Dodson on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670.

join in yourself and show the way.

2. Don’t compare your child to others in the class Parents can unintentionally find themselves comparing their child with others, even from the very first class. They may see their own child listening less, jumping and skipping around haphazardly, and make an assessment that the child isn’t really “into it” or the class isn’t right for them. It can seem a little chaotic but a good teacher has a plan.

Kids generally find dancing uninhibitedly comes naturally and it’s actually the best starting point.

3. Don’t opt out of the end-of-year concert Even if you find yourself having to thread and attach a bucketful of beads to a costume or need to reorganise a heavy holiday sched-

ule, the concert offers a chance to put aside personal needs and wants and focus on the kids. Concerts are essentially all about them.

They instil confidence, spark joy and nurture crucial presentation skills in the kids, while teachers get their moment in the sun to show their creativity.

4. Don’t underestimate the value of forming life-long bonds This applies to children and parents. Meeting other mums and dads can open up new social interactions, while kids have the same opportunity. Learning together in a fun environment is a great way for kids to bond. If they continue on with classes as they grow, they share the joys, pains and successes of their dance “career” with like-minded peers which can cement significant friendships.

Train with us in 2023 Dance Music & Drama classes

Rock n Roll Classes Beginners & Advanced

•All ages •All abilities •Free trial classes •Fee discounts •Recreational classes •Pre-professional training •Ready Set Dance •VCE & VET Dance

Classes held at Cranbourne & Pakenham CRANBOURNE TUESDAY NIGHTS Starting 31st January at 7pm PAKENHAM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Starting 1st February at 7pm $10 per night - No Partner required Marina Roberts and Robert Wright having a great time at Rockn’ Suzies.

Contact Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670

Creating stars since 1991

5/15-19 Vesper Dve, Narre Warren 9704-7324 office@cathy-lea.com www.cathy-lea.com

12582608-ET02-23

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

12583311-KJ02-23

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 15

WHAT’S ON PGCC Community Market Pillars of Guidance Community Centre invites the wider community to a fun-filled night market where locals can enjoy multicultural food, retail stalls, kids entertainment and more.

Saturday 21 January from 3pm to 10pm at Pillars of Guidance Communiy Centre, 9-11 Green Street, Doveton.

Saturday Night Live Music in the Park Head down to Wilson Botanic Park on Saturday 28 January for a night of music and fun with family and friends.

Entertainment by Twice Shy Music, a soon-to-be husbandand-wife duo who will play a huge variety of songs from the ‘60s to now.

Cost: $5 donation per person. Children under 12 months are free.

Cash or eftpos option on the night.

BYO picnic. Responsible consumption of alcohol is permitted.

From 6pm to 9pm on 28 January at Wilson Botanic Park - 668 Princes Hwy, Berwick.

·

Summer Sessions at the Orchard at Montague Enjoy an afternoon of live music, drinks and food on the lawn at The Orchard at Montague, with a fantastic line-up of talented local musicians performing live on Sunday afternoons.

There will be some outdoor seating and picnic rugs available, however, you are encouraged to bring your own so you don’t miss out.

This is a free event for the whole family so bring everyone along. Sorry, no BYO food or drinks.

Come down from 2-5pm every Sunday from 22 January to 26 February at 18 Horswood Road, Narre Warren North.

·

Bumble Bee Baby and Children’s Markets - Berwick With up to 65 stallholders, you are sure to snap up some bargains on new, handmade and preloved baby and children’s goods for all ages!

And of course we have a coffee van on hand for all your caffeine needs!

At only $2 entry for adults (children < 12 yo free) and plenty of free parking it is the perfect Sunday morning outing!

Sunday 5 February 9am to 12pm at Berwick Fields Primary School - 35 Gwendoline Drive, Berwick.

·

·

School Holiday Fun - Creative Play Children and families are invited to spend time exploring their own creativity through unstructured creative play at Bunjil Place.

Enjoy using recycled and everyday materials to create your own art object or add to a larger art installation. Suitable for ages 4 to 12. All children must be supervised by a parent or guardian.

Bunjil Place Foyer, 11am - 2pm Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 January.

·

NGV Kids on Tour Children and families can enjoy free art activities

and workshops these summer school holidays as NGV Kids on Tour visits Bunjil Place once again.

Activities will range from drawing to collage and poetry. Free for all, no bookings required. Find out more at bit.ly/BP-NGVKidsOnTour Bunjil Place Foyer, 11am to 2pm from 23 to 25 January.

·

Berwick Boutique Craft and Food Market Step back in time and browse the wonderful and unique crafts and design from local makers and unwind from the week.

On site parking available at $5 per car. Dogs permitted, subject to conditions.

Peter Rabbit

·

Saturday 28 January 9am to 2pm at the Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick.

#CaseyGirlsCan: Bollywood Dance Sessions Get active and have some fun at our free Bollywood Dance sessions. Participants will learn four-to-five Bollywood songs and different dance moves, while connecting with other community members.

From 11am to 12pm every Thursday from 19 January to 16 March at Indoor Leisure Complex, Building 5, 65 Berwick-Cranbourne Rd, Cranbourne East.

·

Hampton Park Australia Day event Join the Hampton Park Progress Association for Australia Day celebrations.

From 9am to 12pm on Thursday 26 January at Arthur Wren Hall, Hampton Park.

·

Tooradin Australia Day celebration Lots of fun is to be had on the Tooardin Foreshore on Australia Day, 26 January.

A free sausage sizzle, outdoor cinema, live music and baby barnyard pet zoo to be enjoyed by the whole family. BYO chairs and picnic rugs. No alcohol permitted.

Thursday 26 January 4pm to 10pm, Sawtells Inlet, Tooradin Foreshore.

·

Subscribe to the

Berwick Star News

Digital Edition

FREE BERWICK

Thursday, 28 January, 2021

BERWICK

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

/berwickstarnews

@StarNews_SE

Thursday, 28 January, 2021

40¢ Inc. GST berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Casey names its top citizens

Well known jewellers call it a day

Dees ready to rumble

PAGES 2-3

PAGES 4-5

PAGE 9

SPORT

SIGN UP NOW!

/berwickstarnews

@StarNews_SE

40¢ Inc. GST

OAMs for a couple of proud Aussies

Casey names its top citizens

Well known jewellers call it a day

Dees ready to rumble

PAGES 2-3

PAGES 4-5

PAGE 9

SPORT

SIGN UP NOW!

12476975-LB02-21

OAMs for a couple of proud Aussies

Rex name shame

By Mitchell Clarke Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.

Former Springfield Ward councillor Rex Flannery, who resigned as deputy mayor just days before the State Government sensationally sacked the entire council in February 2020, says the events of the past 12 months are still “eating” him up.

He has now officially requested that his name is removed from both a councillor honour board in the customer service centre and a wall plaque in Bunjil Place.

“I have never had any involvement into this alleged corruption scandal and therefore I do not wish to have my name associated with past or former councillors who may have brought our City of Casey into disrepute,” he told Star News.

“People look at your name and they see that you’re from Casey Council and immediately they put you in that same mould, which couldn’t be further than the truth.

“It’s just horrible to have been a councillor in that term. It gives you a sickening feeling in your gut and now I have to live with that.“ Mr Flannery argues his name should never have been placed on the plaque celebrating the $126 million Bunjil development because at the time he didn’t support the project.

“I guess I’ve eaten a little bit of humble pie with Bunjil Place. I’ve been able to see the value that place brings to the community but at the time I was against the development and I wasn’t once consulted (about having my name included),” he said.

He also claims former ex-ward partner, Sam Aziz, stated to him that he “wished he never had my name added to the plaque”.

“That was the only time I agreed with him,” Mr Flannery said.

While Mr Flannery hasn’t accused any former councillor of committing wrongdoing, he said anyone found guilty from the IBAC hearing should immediately have their honours stripped.

“They need to have their plaques removed

Rex name shame

EXPERTS IN FAMILY LAW

Order now on aussietoysonline.com.au

Rex Flannery, pictured in late 2015, wants his name stripped from council. 148005 from anywhere within the City of Casey ... whether it’s a plaque in the botanical gardens or in Bunjil Place, I want them removed so they have absolutely no recognition anymore,” he said.

“They’ve disgraced themselves and they’ve disgraced the council. They’ve taken something away from me that I totally enjoyed. I loved serving the Casey community. I just want some clarity as to what way it’s going to go.”

Since his resignation, Mr Flannery has been working in an operating theatre at a local hospital. He said he has every intention to run for council again in 2024.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

“I want to get back into serving the community again. I want to run again and I want to get my name back on the honour board for the right reasons. At the moment it’s a dishonour board,” he said.

Star News understands Mr Flannery has put forward his request to be heard by the administrators at the next council meeting, slated for Tuesday 2 February.“It’s up to them now but a year later, this is still eating at me. I need closure and this is one way that I can get it,“ he said.

“I played no part in any downturn or sacking of the council and I feel it’s my duty to say that I don’t want to be a part of or in any way

Bunjil Place. associated with the 2016-20 term.”

Casey’s governance manager Rhys Matulis said: “Given the IBAC investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment on that matter. Council has received and will consider Mr Flannery’s request in due course.”

12481470-NG07-21

Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.

12425088-FA36-19

By Mitchell Clarke

Scan this QR code to subscribe Or visit berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au/subscribe/

12578474-ET46-22

16 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Pellicano buys cinema site

By Sahar Foladi Dandenong’s Lunar drive-in has been sold to the Pellicano family business of over 50 years.

Owner David Kilderry said he was disappointed for the community, staff and suppliers which were mostly local Dandenong suppliers.

“We wish Pellicano all the best but we still feel sad for the drive-in itself closing,” Mr Kilderry said.

Pellicano owns more than 180 properties with more than 360 commercial customers.

The privately owned company has a diverse portfolio within the residential, commercial, retail, industrial and hospitality sectors.

Mr Kilderry and his brother bought the former Village site more than 20 years ago and have seen the drive-in grow tremendously.

“It was tough days in the early days when I, my brother and our other partner started.

“It took two or three years before we started to do better than break even, but for majority of that time it was a very good business.”

The Lunar drive-in has been an important highlight to generations of Victorians and Mr Kilderry said it was a big loss for the South-East.

“To be able to provide low cost movies for the South-East Melbourne particularly for families and young people it’s created an opportunity for a low cost entertainment where young people can come with their cars and enjoy a night supervised.”

The theatre caters to more than 400,000 people yearly, but Mr Kilderry said the land taxes did not help.

“We tried our best throughout the years but we can’t, if we continue past next year, we’ll be suffering large losses so it’s just impossible for us to continue and I just hope most of our customers do understand that.”

There are many projects the brothers are looking at for the future but Mr Kilderry said it was unlikely any would be in Dandenong.

The Lunar drive-in is set to shut down mid-2023. 307108 “We’ve got some plans to do both together and individually, some of them involve the cinema industry and some of them don’t we’re going to sit back and have a look.”

He said the cinema industry was not doing well at the moment so they would have to wait and see.

“We’ve got [a] number of projects but we’re not sharing those at the moment.

“Cinema industry is down so we’re waiting to see in next year and the year after how the product settles down before we make any decisions,” Mr Kilderry said.

“Thank you to the Greater Dandenong community and we have just as many people come from Cranbourne and Berwick as we do from Dandenong and Noble Park areas, so we’ll miss our regular customers who’ve

been very supportive.”

The Lunar drive-in will have a series of retro classic running as they head to closure along with the current releases.

Mr Kilderry said a date hasn’t been set but the Lunar drive-in will shut down mid-2023 somewhere in between May to July, which he said would be announced on the Lunar drivein website and socials for locals.

Become a foster carer

12568605-JW37-22

Play a part

Play a part today. Call 1800 013 088 fosteringconnections.com.au berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 17

FREE

BERWIC

K FEBRUARY

Thursday 10, 2021 , 11 Febr \ STARW uary,EEKLY .COM.AU 2021

berwickn ews.sta

rcommun ity.com.au

12477071 -CG03-21

New class of learnin g

JAf £ PAGE 5 fn¹Ǥ

EVERY WEEK

/berwicksta

rnews

@StarNews

_SE

Out for a spot of summer

PAGE 8

JAf £ fn¹Ǥ

40¢ Inc.

GST

Jax takes the Cup

PAGES 14-1

5

12476975-L B02-21

SPORT

Photos te your st ll Am ories

bos are moving in

Wyndham to enter an residents are being invited which aims amateur photo comp to showcase etitio together how local n durin s came Non-profi g the COVID-19 for Australast group, Bridge Buildpandemic.

Wyndham ia (BBFA), is runn ers

This photo

Pick up your favourite local newspaper, the Berwick Star News from local outlets listed below or subscribe to our digital edition and have it sent to your device every week!

Art ensure we never s forget

2020 & Beyo ing the Resid Stron ents nd, You, Me, gerinToge thether boom North comp

by Mano ing etitio are all subunrb r Lake set Com , supp of Clyde tion, a new orted which will sfor initia muniambulance of thebeDenn medicstive home for ty Fund , anstaalready hard is Fami BBFA the president at work ly extra oratio quality care. paraMelba proviCorp the group ding high n.

Parliamentorganised the Waugh said docu ary Secre photo conte McGhiement how tary Wynd joine st to for a community Health Steve d Bass MP ham stood Tuesd Jordan Crugstron ay 9 Februdurin g as g the ary to nale on landThe pandemic competitio on Matt anno . unce residents erhorn n, for aged Drive.Wyndhamthe new to imagesFor the18 older, is fulland story open , turn to hope, courawhich tell a visua l storypage ge, innov of 3

of Marbie,

taken in

a Hoppers

or patience ation, resili and must ence between January 2020have been taken No digita l photo editin and March 2021 Cash . g is

Coautneciln R ‘o sotaic pe o Crossing backyard, has

been subm itted to the

allow Area manaprizes are on Marchgers Julie on offer. Entried.

Doyle O’Brien and 31. with regio es close Steve Deta nal direc the site n https tor Narel ofils: ://bbfaust their Clyde North ralasleia.Capp at m/mnew ysite station.

Australas Pictu Bridge Build re:,STEW ia ART CHAM ers for wyndham@ on Facebook or emai BERS

competitio n. (Supplied)

wixsite.co 227907

gmail.com

l bbfa.

ps ec raa’ m

By By Gabr Ales iellaha Capone Payne

Cr Szatk motions. owski’s five All were passe d.

NOW OP

EN YOUR FIN STORE FOERASIAN FOOD UR GROCERY ALL03YO NE WE STOCK ED956S.2 1855 THAI, FILIP INO, BUR

Shop T3A, Manor Lake Manor Lakes Cent ral E: lawule@g s (Next to Man or Lakes mail.com Medical P: 0433 Centre) 572 664

n Road,

12481552

-NG07-21

Serving

and Comp

Melbourne

assionate

for over

75 years

155 Slade

n St, Cranb

CHINESE AND

ourne

MESE, KOR EAN MORE!

-18

Affordable

455 Balla

-DL06-21

6-EPJ16

Pakenham

, Narre Warren, Drou in and Yarra Junction P 5941 5166 12480371

1238704

1242508

8-FA36-1

9

A devious scam has Wyn coun outSome “is tbehav dham been circulating the City on their ing like fire of Casecoun rates, howe for their vulne through- don’tOthe y in cillor rable stop liken a petul recenst have ant ver behaviour come childthe peop at aat under show rsthere ”. . ed the rates publi duringweek s, lurin into payin c meetleing Once. “Som meeting to scammers scam a disco a heate g the paym unted fee, d deba last Tuesdg their the and eone pass has been Counpaid their favou acquwarn ent has cillor cil te scamThe isitioed ay.fact coun the popc mers deba n the have beenwhen in goneorn”. ats all. of the community then like “It’s nmen through, rite gover noth te recon quite ta schoo described Scamchild erupttact lodge Szatkaowsk the are mersren and worry,l; becasite for to ed the a be careful. futur as behaing paym whencoun by ayers Educ and use i ent getting more ratep beliebeing ving to moti attem viewers are ble for thesecilscam e state Crcil Robe dispu ved toa be check ptedte, to obtai “petu andrt Brow ation splitt Miniand via watch whic on, n aput lantcting ster more coun to write phoning split conta mersto Brow inging h allow fullforw thewhen there broad coun child ” ingfive Itne refun the meet e, imita said. a notic also cast live cil servi s them Merlino. ardd by stated that James soph isticated,” are dispu with Cr ne - leavin said. motion ting e of supp ing ce separ on Szatk Cr Josh all and an as Faceb the g them tes too,” ate moti can obtai owski has and raise Mr council shou it alwas minu “Unfortun d conc offici advisook. mon At one Gilligprofi ey for “They need ing them ons Mr erns that for the n a disco an, into thatcoun dolla pointunted s the t- peop ort ately “received ld reiterate wascillor rs of donato be site there moti ‘disco that they remaThe mayorate paids (the to rema force thatlecoun on unt’) ’s alway r Adel thou Onced the its right who concerned refun to vote to inter in assite , while the on etheir rate Road ins Tarnbank accoutions from ding a num Hege s of shou on. unpa ject. victim beldvulne , for aber moneysand need to raisecilwill whichid.was fees. land victim dich was ferredThe schoo ’s money state remarable of l; that.” eit linked tont tober I’m athe 203 ’sWoo in “conc into the debat this- moti rateds the over earmarked at relian anderned awar ofThis has been bit perpmem a nom e deter Cr Szatk a mean we really ce eness of of the in on”. scam inate iorate lexed themers e nonland for const trans- with futur Mr Brow s that about a Mr thetecomm priva pronuncia d bank d and by gover into Browneowsk i stated the make ructi Trug ne deliv secto the nmen matt bicke accou scam said tion on the anina er schoo monPreci runity theofpaym said that the onaccus er of publi to acqu ringthe t mers .” ire “mist that while nt, schoolget to City behaation ey and a coun consiof over ratepayer ls in Wyn akes lf of that ent while hedonations nctitStruc unde cillor derCase away c recor is notture he agree to ’sthe Gillig of abusi As repor howy this perso name made understan are until dham d. He then denc“I’m an toare disco Coun coun also d ”; ven,langu , and ” he thou stageshou with Plan. later that r the dents e as proo tedvers “pron provi cilan the may cil’srelate had and s by that of a age advic ding ounc ld respo appa the Star f. lled the lurch the ght the asked ds rema being they recei e that Schoin to nsibilitye my surna Week Cr , with Victo have thouThe any futur used. pt eviols4W waryyndh resi- e sureAfter by beha comm ly inbeen The victim ght moti that trying to rian theirCivil to ratepayers and am me coun cil undis Septe ents made wason left originand vigila viour, tone Tribu twice, Crthe mon in , doing it impo coun mber s belie Crbeing ctly”. nt,cacy. al rate unpa advo eysay Szatkowsk corre nalted. alsortant been to make he also ratep was by some ayer -Gillig has given viewe unde called that their Adm paid thatpeop and rtake id r stated an not the i’s part inistr and .that ve refun every and for the surname instead addr coun the scam toBrend first the devel le tonig a to dividan thing has prote cil were strate they have coun e the Thename mer. essedded to the Brow look“need oper perm ative and cil to “Communi City. of Case sitene, one Casey at how to ensure gicct vulne obtained ht”, rable him by his intoa 227 the Cath spoke ission aren’ ing resid Resid “urge Aspeop it couldthat plann y council the deba a disresid revieents spers ents’ t olic facili like adults” ty are interested plann entia w on their Educ and le put te tatin said to ing contr for the l lots, said that to cond contiuct Ratepayers ation in own g the in adults behav that agree raise curit wrote anoth nuedthe after for he to y dcheck ment ols scam they NEED , Crappr a point was alarm Offic “We ’ Assoc stronns e pulle aroumers”. place actio Sahaopria er, and s when nonallgover ing ger iation, d out of order na Ram need ed to hear someone Cr Gillig build a schoo te seone coun to tstay nd sites designated toofbe“usin fromgthe esh nmen thing accus INTERV HELP WITthat l there.of this of an phon infras struc ing es - but at the abusi vigila coun langu Crclaim them new need nt and ls and Gillig ENTION H AN cillor Sarah Connan’s motion called ture. sameschoo chamtober”. forage ing provide ve cil”, an comm exam check s to ensu time the for olly to be Cr ORDER by askin re that they City of unity andThe to advise their full name inplethe council asked to publiTarneit MP origi Gillig an g ? , postal addre mayor said you how OPEN FOR vigilant andCasey rates nal notic describedarethe cly support much is was notic chan said, e.“but she did dounot hear owing on ss Now in offic BUSINESS !

He quest e of motion as “ridic ges to his you exact the e consultat ioned Cr please refraif there was any langu ly what Online Consu Szatkowsk ulous”. ions in from using Continuedage, can lts still availa i’s motives Coun it again”. page 7 ble for separ cillors voted on ate

,

MANYwww.m

anningsfuner als.com

.au

Pick up your FREE newspaper from these local outlets...

•

•

•

•

• • • • • •

•

•

•

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield Tattslotto 55 Old Princes Highway Beaconsfield Kaye Charles Real Estate Shop 2, 6-10 Old Princes Highway Beaconsfield Bendigo Bank Shop 6, 52-62 Old Princes Highway Beaconsfield Beaconsfield Neighbourhood Centre 8 O Neil Road Beaconsfield Woolworths Beaconsfield 28 Sylvia Road Berwick Brentwood Milkbar 24 Bemersyde Drive Berwick Bemersyde Bakery 6/84 Bemersyde Drive Berwick R and R Real Estate 1 Clyde Road Berwick Century 21 Real Estate 9 Clyde Road Berwick Eden Rise Shopping Village 1 Corner Oshea Rd & Clyde Rd Berwick Coles Supermarket Parkhill Plaza Shopping Centre 1 Corner Oshea Rd & Clyde Rd Berwick Berwick Springs Lucky Lotto Shop 10/1 Corner Oshea Rd & Clyde Rd Berwick Grants Estate Agents 3a Gloucester Avenue

• • • • • • • • • • •

•

•

•

•

BERWICK

•

Berwick Berwick Newsagency 29 High Street Berwick Ray White Real Estate 42 High Street Berwick Alex Scott and Staff Real Estate 49 High Street Berwick Harcourts Real Estate 20 High Street Berwick Neilson Partners 1st National 57 High Street Berwick Gluten Free and Chocolate 9/48 High Street Berwick O’Brien Real Estate 56-58 High Street Berwick St John of God Hospital 75 Kangan Drive Berwick Chris Peake Real Estate 18 Langmore Lane Berwick Woolworths Shopping Centre 1-9 Lyall Road Berwick Mansfield Street Foodmart 157-159 Mansfield Street Berwick Parkhill Plaza News and Lotto Shop 13, 215-225 Parkhill Drive Berwick Chemist Discount Centre Shop 2, 215-225 Parkhill Drive Berwick Coles Supermarket Parkhill Plaza Shopping Centre Shop 19, 215-225 Parkhill Drive Berwick Coles Berwick Central 2 Richardson Grove Berwick Hocking Stuart Real Estate Suite 2, 16 Langsmore Lane

• • • • • • • • • • • •

•

•

• •

Hallam 7 Eleven Service Station 38-40 Hallam South Road Hallam Joes Mini Mart 117 Hinrichsen Drive Hallam Coles Hallam 2 Princes Domain Drive Hallam Raine and Horne Real Estate - Hallam 2 Spring Square Hallam Hallam Square News 42 Spring Square Narre Warren Ritchies IGA Shop 4/14 Webb Street Narre Warren Ritchies IGA Shop 4/14 Webb Street Narre Warren Narre Warren Newsagency 34 Webb Street Narre Warren Fleetwood MiniMart 94-96 Fleetwood Drive Narre Warren Casey Gardens Caravan Park 6 Fullard Road Narre Warren City of Casey 2 Patrick NE Drive Narre Warren Neilson Partners 1st National 418 Princes Highway Narre Warren The Good Food Emporium 15/430–440 Princes Highway Narre Warren Westfield Fountain Gate Shopping Centre 25-55 Princes Highway Narre Warren Coles 25-55 Princes Highway Narre Warren Woolworths 25-55 Princes Highway

•

•

• •

•

• •

•

• •

•

•

•

Narre Warren O’Brien Real Estate Narre Warren 25-55 Princes Highway Narre Warren Coles Express 2 Regency Drive & Princes Highway & Lauderdale Road Narre Warren Only Real Estate 13/3 Webb Street Narre Warren Donaldson Martin Real Estate 43-45 Webb Street Narre Warren Coles Express 155-171 Narre Warren North Road Narre Warren North Marcos IGA 2 Oakview Boulevard Narre Warren North Narre Warren North Newsagency 3/1E Oakview Boulevard Narre Warren South Casey Central Shopping Centre 400 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South Coles 400 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South Woolworths 400 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South Ray White Real Estate Shop 20, 400 Narre Warren Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South Casey News and Lotto Shop 156, 400 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road Narre Warren South Ritchies Amberly Park 245 Ormond Road

Scan this QR code to Subscribe for FREE now!

Or visit: berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au/subscribe 202102116467_1-JW08-21

18 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

networkclassifieds.com.au Trades & Services

General Notices

V Deadline

V Concrete Products & Services

V Painters/Decorators

Andrew Craven Concreting www.andrewcravenconcreting.com.au C1085227-JO32-13

Online: networkclassifieds.com.au (24/7) Phone: 1300 666 808 (Open 8.30-5pm Mon-Fri) Email: sales@networkclassifieds.com.au

Phone Andrew on

0408 585 508, 5998 1127 Support your local tradesman for ALL your concreting needs!

(include your name, address and phone number)

We accept payment by:

L&L ELECTRICS ฀

Ask about our discounted ongoing advertising rates and how choosing more newspapers gives your advertising more impact and saves you money...

All Types of Domestic & Commercial Work ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

Steve on 0407 704 213

Call Paul 0432 044 875

฀★

Announcements V Deaths

12581420-AV49-22

34 years experience Credit Card Welcome

PLUMBING & HEATING

฀

฀

฀

฀

฀

฀

฀

฀

฀

THOMAS, Ian Herbert OAM

NEAT PLUMBING SERVICE Lic. Number 27186

09.10.1934 – 11.01.2023

฀Hot Water Specialists ฀Blocked Drains ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

฀ ฀ ฀

Jason 1300 644 698

฀

SEWER BLOCKAGES – MACHINE CLEANED฀ ฀

฀

฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

฀

฀

฀

฀ ฀

฀ ฀ ฀

฀

1158529-PB42-14

12362669-EPJ34-17

฀ ฀

฀ ฀ ESTABLISHED 30 YEARS ฀ ฀ STANDARD RATES ON WEEKENDS ฀ ฀ ฀฀฀ ฀ ฀ gjlawplumbing.com.au 7 DAYS 0419 136 181 - 0419 136 151

No Job Too Small

0417 382 700

V Fencing & Gates

Real Estate

Unbeatable Prices on: ฀ ฀

฀ ฀ ฀

฀ ฀ ฀

฀

฀

฀

฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

฀

฀ ฀

฀ ฀

฀

฀ ฀

l Specia on Pricesers p Slee

฀ ฀

฀

฀

฀

V Funeral Services

฀

฀฀

We all love and miss you already

section of Network Classifieds.

A H FENCING & TIMBER PTY LTD ฀

Loved husband of Dorothy, incredible father to Kerrie, Helen and Paul and father-in-law to Greg and Sarah.

Adored and loved Pa of Tom, Ben, Kate, Hannah, Simon, Will and Ollie and partners Bree, Alice, Sammy, Callum, Sienna and Sophie.

Ian devoted his life to his family, his garden, the community and the newspaper industry.

Buy, Rent & Sell in our

SUPPLY ONLY TRADE & DIRECT TO PUBLIC

THOMAS A service to celebrate the life of Ian Thomas OAM will be held at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Corner Waterford Rise and Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham in the Banquet Room on Friday 20th January 2023 commencing at 11am.

V Television/Video/Audio

SAXON FENCING

ANTENNA MAN

Palings, Pickets, Colorbond Fences & Gates

LIC. 33033

฀

Place your

Announcement Notice with us.

Prompt and Reliable Service

Phone 0419 775 259 or 8751 4016

QUALIFIED CARPENTER/ HOME MAINTENANCE

฀฀

฀

Call James 0419 158 660 V Concrete Products & Services

A & F CONCRETING • SPECIALISING IN ALL TYPES OF CONCRETING/ CONCRETE PATTERN, SLABS • FOUNDATIONS ETC. • ALL DOMESTIC & INDUSTRIAL

20% off Exterior Window Cleaning with any Gutter Clean

GUTTER CLEANING Pressure Cleaning/Solar & Window Cleaning Satisfaction Guaranteed from $165

NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL FREE QUOTE ANY TIME RING 9700 4378 C63804-BG25-8

All Bathroom Renovations • Bathrooms • Toilets • Kitchens • Decks • Water proofing • Walls and Floors

Call today to

0400 877 774 1300 654 253

MEB & SON CONCRETING Footings, garages, v crossings, drives, paths & patios.

In plain, colour, slate or stencil. Also drainage, saw cutting, 3T excavator, bobcat & tip trucks.

NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL

Ring Jim for a free quote 0417 054 198 12390512-ACM24-18

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

ECONOMY TILING

0411 314 104

* Safety Trained & Fully Insured organise a FREE * Wet/Dry VACUUM cleaning no-obligation * Professional & Friendly Service quote.

guttervac.com.au

General Notices section of Network Classifieds.

12469374-CG46-20

V Tiling

Call Jeff on

Need your gutters cleaned?

DIGITAL ANTENNAS AMPLIFIERS TV OUTLETS

0409 888 228

POWERFUL VACUUM LEAVES NOTHING BEHIND

12564021-MS34-22

฀ ฀

A private burial will be held later in the day.

The service will also be live streamed.

To view the service please visit: davidwbull.com.au/ funeral-notice/ ian-herbert-thomas/ Family Funerals

PAKENHAM

5941 4888

www.davidwbull.com.au

Phone: 1300 666 808

Free Quotes

12550881-AI21-22

฀

฀ ฀

฀ ฀ ฀

V Guttering

Call 0432 550 066 or 8707 5522 V Tree Lopping/Surgery C316291-KK18-5

฀ ฀

฀

HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS ANTENNA SERVICE ALL AREAS

C1101420-JO46-13

1161589-LB44-14

฀

Refreshments to follow.

SAME DAY SERVICE

C1072232-JJ4-13

V Carpenters

12586378-DL03-23

฀

฀ ฀ ฀

1172347-DJ07-15

฀

24 HOUR SERVICE ฀

1 HOUR EMERGENCY PLUMBING

12438941-CG04-20

Qualified & Licensed For prompt & reliable service.

No job too small.

Lights, Power Points, NBN, Phone, & TV Points. CCTV. Rec 23156.

Call for a free quote Mark 0401 523 330

BRIVIS / VULCAN / BONAIRE / BRAEMAR Specialising in air conditioning and heating

฀

Free quotes, by the hour, the day or by the job

A GRADE ELECTRICIAN

฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

NEED A LOCAL HEATING, COOLING & HOT WATER REPAIRER?

• Service and repairs to ducted heaters and evaporative coolers • Gas ducted heating changeover units • Carbon Monoxide testing • Installations & supply of split system heating & cooling • Service, repairs and replacement of hot water services

• Domestic • Commercial • Interior • Exterior • Driveways

sales@networkclassifieds.com.au

12522603-NG46-21

REC 17042 PIC 38148 AU 06212

9702 4410

• Fully qualified • Over 30 years experience

V Plumbing

฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

www.fairbairns.com.au

PAULS PAINTING & SON

฀

J.L. Hutt Electrical

• Brivis Evaporative Cooling • Daikin & Rinnai Splits • Pensioner discounts • Evap & Split Service Specials

฀

We intend to transfer all health records held

by Berwick Podiatry to the purchaser and comply with obligations pursuant to the Health Privacy Principal 10.

M: 0 4 3 0 3 5 3 0 8 0 Ben

1167287-PB50-14

12435765-SN02-20

Be cool this summer

฀

฀

www.proudpainting.com.au

Call Chris: 0416 079 689 - 5940 7264

V Air Conditioning

www.settlementplumbing.com

฀

★

Deadline for all classifications is 11am Wednesday

฀

Interior/ext High quality Free quote

Berwick Podiatry Group has sold its business to Miss Priya Patel (effective 11/02/2023).

12473880-DL49-20

1198421-ACM37-15

(1.5% credit card processing fee applies. Cheques and money orders can be posted in or hand delivered to our local office)

฀

Commercial/Domestic Decking/pergola/driveways ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

V Electricians

VISA/MASTERCARD/EFTPOS

฀

Business Sold

t 6OJU 4JUFT t (BSBHFT t %SJWFXBZT t 1FSHPMBT t 1MBJO $PMPVSFE t 4MBUF *NQSFTTJPO t 'BVY #SJDL t &YQPTFE "HHSFHBUF

12367795-LB41-17

Placing your classified advert is so easy...

Sൾඍඍඅൾආൾඇඍ

V Public Notices and Event

Oakfern Tree Care P/L Pruning Removal Stump Grinding

Phone Geoff 0418 340 825 Fully Insured

[ Rest in Peace [ Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 19

NEWS

Gardens chief exiting role

By Eleanor Wilson Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) director and chief executive Tim Entwisle will bow out from the management position later this year.

Mr Entwisle made the announcement in a statement on Monday 9 January.

It closes the door on almost a decade at the helm of the Melbourne and Cranbourne gardens for Mr Entwisle, who took on the director’s role in 2013 after starting his career there in the 1990s as a botanist.

He will officially round up his duties at RBGV in July, after which he said he looks forward to pursuing other interests such as writing and speaking, as well as spending more time with family.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the staff, volunteers, honorary associates and friends of this wonderful organisation,” Mr Entwisle said in a statement.

“I’d also like to thank the boards, and the three board chairs – Elaine Canty AM, Ken Harrison AM KSJ and Chris Trotman – for their guidance and governance through my time as chief executive.

“With strong support from the Victorian Government – particularly Minister D’Ambrosio over recent years – and the generosity of donors and our own foundation, we have achieved great things.”

In addition, 2022 was a standout year for the gardens, taking out the Major Tourist Attraction prize at the Victorian Tourism Awards in December for the third year in a row, subsequently inducting them into the Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s Hall of Fame. Earlier in the year, RGBV also saw success at the Australian Tourism Awards, winning gold in the Major Tourist Attraction category.

The last 10 years under the botanist’s guidance has seen science and sustainability prioritised, with both RBGV locations fostering bushfire recovery programs, Victoria’s Conservation Seedbank and a nation-leading orchid conser-

vation program.

“Over recent years I’ve been particularly delighted to support an increase in the diversity of plants collections at both sites, and a stronger focus on conservation and extension,” Mr Entwisle said.

“I’m delighted that conservation horticulture – combining science and horticulture – is now an indispensable part of RBGV’s future.”

At Cranbourne, Mr Entwisle has left his mark on a series of projects, including a new western entrance and Visitor Centre, a lift and children’s playground and new garden landscapes in the Australian Garden.

Visitor numbers have risen dramatically at Cranbourne, with local communities discovering the beauty of their local (but internationally awarded) botanic garden.

The Melbourne gardens have benefitted from new garden landscapes and restored pavilions, with work underway to finish the perimeter fences and pavilion restoration, along with a new City Gate entrance overlooking the Birrarung - or Yarra River.

The Melbourne gardens have also been host to several cultural events including Listen Out, Weekend in the Gardens, Fire Gardens and Lightscape.

In his final months as director, Mr Entwisle will turn his focus to “sowing the seeds” for several future projects at RBGV. This includes a herbarium to protect the garden’s State Botancial Collection, a Nature Science Precinct and a “sensitively designed” glasshouse on the lake.

“There is plenty to do over the next six months or so, and this is not the time to say farewells, but I do want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and friendship, and for your unwavering commitment to this wonderful organisation,” Mr Entwisle said.

“I love working here, and I know the gardens will continue to flourish.”

Adult Services

V

ESCORTS R US

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

Ladies Welcome.

Mention this ad for $10 discount New Ladies from 5pm

V

Pets & Services

ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE

www.escortsrus.com.au

Anyone advertising a puppy, dog, kitten or cat in Victoria for sale or re-homing will need a source number from the Pet Exchange Register and a microchip identification number.

It is now an offence to advertise unless the source number and microchip identification number is included in the advertisement or notice.

For further information, call 136 186 or visit animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

9775 3210 swa224c 12577486-AV46-22

Rainbow Club

12423634-SN31-19

$110/ 30mins

12561969-JC32-22

V

Massage Therapists

Open 7 days 48 Davies Avenue, Sunshine North 9364 0770 SWA6566B

V

B Double Truck Driver Full Time Interstate driver, Monday to Friday.

New equipment, excellent rates.

Small Family company.

Must have MC licence.

Leongatha Based.

Contact: Tom Ryan 0409 613 664

Find it in the

Professional Services section of Network Classifieds.

V

Employment Apprenticeships /Traineeships

V

Hospitality

Head Chef Position First Year Electrical Apprentice Local electrical company is looking for a First Year Apprentice.

Applicant must be motivated, punctual, hardworking & eager to learn. Driver's Licence & own vehicle are essential. Email admin@hooked onelectrical.com

V

Positions Vacant

Busy boutique brunch café trading 7 days located in Warragul requires Head Chef.

5 days 6:30am - 2:30pm 75K pa plus super No nights or public holidays.

Email eat@mainstreetcafe .com.au Contact: Xavier Nardone 5623 2195 mainstreetcafe.com.au

ADVERTISE with us and

AUTOMOTIVE & FLAT GLASS TINTER The Tint Joint Berwick is looking for a full-time automotive and flat glass tinter with experience - ability to cut and fit tint efficiently and with exceptional attention to detail. Team player, hard-working and reliable, good customer service skills, well presented, trustworthy and reliable.

Must be fully licenced and able to drive a manual vehicle.

Please forward resume to: sales@fletchertintgroup.com.au or phone 03 9796 2166 12479649-JW04-21

OWNER DRIVERS Looking for a new start or Career?

We require white late model: 1 & 2T Vans & Trays 4T - 12T Trays / Tauts Minimum guarantees Work in all areas No experience required Full training Early starts

9775 0201

get better results

CALL 1300 666 808 20 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

Positions Vacant

V

RECEPTIONIST

Positions Vacant

Call today

V

Experienced receptionist required for optometric practice.

Successful applicant will have good interpersonal skills with patients and other staff, computer competency, willingness to learn and good attention to detail. Permanent part-time position, including Saturdays.

Send resumes to: Ms R. Wilson, P.O. Box 65, Narre Warren, 3805 or email to martinwilsoney ecare@bigpond.com.

Subject: Front desk position.

Contact: R.Wilson 03 9704 7565 www.martinandwilson eyecare.com.au

Tuition

KEYBOARD/PIANO lessons in your home, all ages and styles, exp teacher. 0408 382 955.

V

Positions Vacant

12523621-JW48-21

Resumes/ Employment Services

Recruitment Consultant Fulton Hogan are currently looking for people experienced in Sewer and Water Construction for the following positions:

CREW LEADER/FOREMAN (SEWER/WATER) EXCAVATOR OPERATORS (SEWER/WATER) PIPELAYER (SEWER) Please note that we only consider applications from skilled applicants with South East Water experience in new land development water/sewer reticulation & sewer outfall construction.

Please send Resume and cover letter to: ashlee.davenport@fultonhogan.com.au PO BOX 690 DANDENONG VIC 3175 Or phone Ashlee Davenport on 0419 741 584

12586952-JW03-23

V

Employment

Upskill Group is a career management and recruitment agency that represents the skills of students, graduates and skilled migrants to meet the staffing needs of Australian employers. We are looking to add a Recruitment Consultant to our team in Pakenham.

Send CV to Howard Kloester: service@ upskillgroup.com.au

Find your Local Professionals in our

NEED 12565959-HC35-22

General Classifieds

Mr Entwisle was executive director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney for eight years before embarking on the director role at RBGV. Picture: SUPPLIED

Trades & Services section of Network Classifieds.

NEW STAFF? Motoring

Fill your position online www.networkclassifieds.com.au

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

V

Boats & Marine

QUICK CAT II (Dolphin) wooden 16' catamaran with registered galvanised trailer for best offer to $2,395. Boat is ready to sail and fair condition, including the rigging. Trailer is 15 years old. Has 13" wheels with 4 ply radial tyres. Not been in water.

Private seller, lost strength due to covid19, and nearly 80. Contact David Bucknell on 0407 046 877. Pickup from Narre Warren South.

Buy & Sell in our

Motoring section of Network Classifieds.

CALL OR VISIT US ONLINE! networkclassifieds.com.au

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Howell handles the heat 18-year-old Berwick paratriathlete JACK HOWELL is gunning for a ticket to the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

A strong world championships debut last month has proved he can match it with the best of the best.

Now he’s had a taste of it, he wants more, as Star News journalist JONTY RALPHSMITH finds out.

By Jonty Ralphsmith

LOOKING AHEAD

He wasn’t even certain to be there.

But Berwick triathlete Jack Howell’s confidence propelled the 18-year-old to a seventhplace finish at the Paratriathlon World Championships in Abu Dhabi in November.

A strong run leg to finish off the race lifted Howell from ninth, the mark where he spent much of the race.

Arriving in the United Arab Emirates just under a week out from the race, the heavy desert climate hit Howell, who departed Melbourne during an unseasonal cold snap.

The temperature reached fever-pitch on race day as the water heated up to 29 degrees – about 17 degrees warmer than what he’s accustomed to in Port Phillip Bay. “It was like swimming in a hot bath,” Howell said of the swim-leg.

“I wasn’t used to that, so that was a shock to my system; for the rest of the race I was battling with the heat, my actual speed and performance was slower than I was known for.

“It took about half the run for me to bring down my body temperature using the water, and not even drinking much of it, because I was hydrated, it was just trying to cool myself down.

“I have never raced in any environment like that, so it was a good race for the experience, and it was a fairly decent result.”

“Decent result” is probably underselling it.

Given 2022 was Howell’s debut year of racing on the international Paratriathlon circuit, he had not accumulated the points to be in the top-12 worldwide, necessary to gain automatic qualification – but capitalised on his opportunity.

“Being invited to the race, it basically means the mindset was that now I have a chance to race, I’ve got a point to prove,” Howell said.

“I’m a firm believer of hard work pays off, so if I know I have done the work and I know I can race a good race then my mind shouldn’t stop me.”

Howell crossed the finish line after 01:03:24, his slowest time of the year but perhaps his most important at his debut World Championships.

Howell’s changeovers were third and fourth quickest respectively, with his ride being the area that let him down as his 20 kilometre cycle was the second slowest – almost three minutes slower than the winner.

“I’m not as big and my riding is where I lose most time in my races – only 40 seconds to a minute which isn’t much, but it all comes out in the wash, so it’s just about putting in the work on the bike and it’ll come through eventually,” he explained.

“Moving forward, I will be working with the coach and finding out how I could improve my cycling, using VIS (Victoria Institute of Sport) to help identify what I could do to help those weaknesses.”

While he partially attributes it to the heat, it’s a deficiency he wants to improve on with his average cycle from six events in 2022 being just more than 33 minutes.

Howell was born with an absence of the left hand and shortening of the left forearm, known as symbrachydactly.

Thus, his left hand sits in a cup-like device during the race, allowed in the PTS5 category where athletes race with mild impairments and are permitted to use supportive devices.

The nature of the disability reduces his power in the swim and also affects his ride, but racing exclusively against able-bodied athletes until last year has sharpened his approach to racing.

“I feel like it has given me an edge on my competitors, it means not looking at drawing out any areas where my disability might impact,” he said.

“In able-bodied racing you can’t have any weak points, you need to adapt and keep up.

“I can’t let one-handed shoe tying and hel-

The 2023 season is an important one for Howell.

In his second year on the international circuit, Howell’s strong result in Abu Dhabi has him sitting at seventh in the 2023 Paratriathlon rankings, though he still sits 14th overall.

Traditionally, triathletes have been said to peak at about 28-years-old, but Howell believes his five years of racing experience has primed him to match it with the best.

Backing up his belief, while the gold medal winner at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was 26 at the time, the other medalists were 22 and 23-years-old.

He is training for 20-25 hours per week to keep himself in peak condition.

“As long as I keep up the good work and performing where I am, the main thing will not be leaving it to chance, not sitting in the bottom part of the top-10, because all it would take would be one bad race and you might lose your spot,” Howell said.

“So my aim overall would be to be top five to top six to concrete my place on the start list.

“A lot of people can get carried away with doing too much in an endurance sport, which leads to injuries and body fatigue, (but) you’d rather put in four good weeks of work than three really hard weeks and then have to take a week off because of your body.

“I use the resources I have to identify what I need to do and then work on it.”

Underlining the regard he’s viewed in by Paralympics Australia, late last year he was placed on the ‘long-list’ for the games, essentially indicating the body believes he is a strong chance of making the games.

But the steepest hill the Swinburne studentto-be has to run up to qualify is just getting to the starting line of enough races.

He receives only a small amount of funding as a Para athlete, barely enough to fund the costs to attend two races, let-alone the five or six he believes he needs to race to confirm his spot among the best.

Howell relies on financial assistance from his family, fundraising and disability grants from organisations such as Variety Vic, Dylan Alcott Foundation, Select Smiles, and Sports Access Foundation.

Now that he has proven his racing ability, he is searching for local businesses to come on the journey with him.

“If I don’t have enough money it will mean I don’t have the opportunity to race – which would mean qualifying for the Paralympics would be out of the question,” he said.

“At the moment it is not a limitation of ability or personal performance, but racing limitations due to funding.

“Donations above $5000 (would) allow me to put a company’s logo on my suit, which is direct media attention and recognition, as well as the fact I am becoming a public speaker, which I would offer.”

Howell, whose eloquence shines through as he discusses his journey, has spoken about topics including motivation, the importance of fitness and his own journey as a Para athlete in front of as many as 1500 people.

He has completed a speaking course with the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and has experience presenting for the Australian Institute of Sport, VIS, Rotary, Variety and the AFL Grand Final Lunch event.

“It doesn’t daunt me,” he said, offering an insight into his confidence.

“That fear of speaking to a large group of people is always in the back of your head and you’re always going to tighten in the throat, but a bit like triathlon, if you know what you’re speaking about and why you’re speaking about it, and who you’re speaking to, it gets rid of that nervousness.

“It’s like training, it just takes a little bit of effort, generally the people who are scared of speaking in front of a group are scared of failure.

“If you get rid of that fear of failure you’ll be able to speak as freely as you want.”

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Jack Howell harboured some disappointment in his ride in Abu Dhabi and has vowed to improve.

315787 Pictures: SUPPLIED

Howell’s changeovers are among his strengths.

The mindset was that now I have a chance to race, I’ve got a point to prove.”

- Jack Howell met clips slow me down.

“I carry this mentality into Paratriathlon and I feel that it gives me an advantage.

“Having a hand disability, I could easily say my swim is going to be slower and I am just going to live with that, but racing as a junior against able bodied athletes I haven’t had that excuse, you can’t have any excuses there.

“So racing (as a) junior has given me that mindset of not having any excuses.”

The Berwick boy, younger than the rest of the Aussie squad by at least nine years, wants

to consolidate his place in the top-10 as that would give him automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Last weekend, he put that mindset firmly into action, winning the National Triathlon Championship in the 15-19 year-old age group against able-bodied competitors.

It’s an unprecedented result which has the Kambrya College graduate’s 2023 off to a splashing start as he becomes the only paratriathlete to hold consecutive national titles in para and able-bodied events.

Position (Racers)

Overall Time

First Swim Transition

Second Ride Transition Run

20th (36)

1:01:04

9:35

0:35

33:43

0:49

16:20

2nd (2)

1:03:26

11:05

0:11

32:53

0:40

18:36

Oceania Triathlon Junior Championships Werribee (April)

26th (43)

58:42

7:23

0:23

33:24

0:25

17:05

World Triathlon Para Cup Besancon, France (June)

Did Not

10:39

1:12

-

-

-

World Triathlon Para Cup A Coruna, Spain (June)

3rd (14)

1:02:21

11:10

1:07

32:40

0:47

16:34

World Triathlon Para Series Montreal, Canada (July)

4th (13)

1:01:23

10:09

0:43

33:10

0:34

16:49

World Triathlon Championship Finals Abu Dhabi (November)

7th (16)

1:03:24

10:58

1:11

32:36

0:47

17:54

Event Oceania Triathlon Junior Cup Devonport (February) Oceania Triathlon Parachampionships Stockton (March)

*Against able-bodied competitiors

-

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 21

SPORT

Doves fly to famous win

By Jonty Ralphsmith Move over, Matt Renshaw.

The Brisbane Heat batter ramped Beau Webster’s final delivery of the Heat v Melbourne Stars BBL clash for four to win his team the game at the MCG earlier this week.

Doveton president Kaine Bundy went one better and ramped Springvale South offie Jarryd Straker for sixth off the third-last ball to give Doveton an incredible win.

Playing Turf 4 cricket as recently as the 2019-20 season, the Doves have risen and risen quickly, their win over a Turf 1 powerhouse emphasising the improvement – even if in the hit-and-giggle format.

The president has made a name for himself in the first part of the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) season as Kaine the crease-occupier.

On Tuesday night, he became Bundy the basher.

Entering with the run-rate at about 7.5, he guided the chase expertly, with 35 off 28 including three sixes and a four.

His team needed to go at nine an over for the last three, and his level-headed mindset and ability to deposit the bad balls got it down to seven off the final one.

Captain Nanga Wilson was dismissed LBW to start the 20th, then Dale Kilpatrick faced a dot ball, before unconvincingly slicing a shot over Straker’s head to rotate the strike.

That’s when Bundy went bang.

As he saw it sail over the fence, Bundy tossed his bat in the air and threw his helmet in the air in fierce celebration.

“He finished it off like Michael Bevan I thought in the end,” said Wilson.

“He practices these shots in the nets and tells us how good he is but he actually produced it today so props to him.

“That ramp to finish it off, we all thought he was going anywhere else but there, but he’s the reason we won, he kept his head.

“He played (a ramp) in the first t20 against Parkmore on the final ball of the innings that he got away as well, he hit it for four, so he has been talking it up for the last couple of weeks.”

After a slow start, Simon Mackie, who got a century in the pool stage of the tournament, finished with 42 off 33, getting some boundar-

Marquee player Dale Tormey delivered the goods with bat and ball for the Doves. 270044

It was a celebratory evening for the Doveton Doves. 272862 ies away against the seam-up options, while marquee player Dale Tormey contributed 23 off 11 in pursuit of 153.

When that pair were dismissed – with Mitch Daley already back in the sheds – there were plenty still to get and it seemed a bridge to far for a team that struggles to score against Turf 2 calibre bowlers, let alone Blade Baxter, Josh Dowling and co.

But they found a way.

“I said to the boys at the start ‘we’re probably about 50-1 in a two-horse race here’, so be confident, and then at halftime when we kept them to 152, you could see the confidence grow a little bit,“ Wilson said.

“I’d love for us to transfer this twent-20 form onto Saturdays.”

Keeping Springvale South to a moderate total was a separate achievement in itself on a batter-friendly deck with a quick outfield.

Missing trump spinner Ryan Hendy, Wilson opened the bowling with his tweakers, but it was Tormey (3/24 off four) and seconds players, offie Ethan Coates (2/15 off four) and slowmedium bowler Greg Bundy (2/28 off four) that did what was needed of them.

That duo was required because the Doves

Picture: STAR NEWS

were without Ryan Hendy and Darren Pattinson - who is yet to begin with them as he nurses a hamstring issue - their absences making the win more impressive.

“Our bowling and fielding was outstanding,” Wilson said.

“For a club that was struggling to keep the doors open four years ago, to make the semifinals of the whole competition is a really proud moment and pretty special I reckon.”

Springy South’s Cam Forsyth and Yoshan Kumara each passed 40 at a decent clip but they didn’t receive any help.

Meanwhile, the last five overs of Turf 1 side North Dandenong’s batting innings proved the difference against Turf 2 ladder leaders Beaconsfield.

North Dandenong took 63 off those overs, including 19 off the last as skipper Clayton McCartney and Tahsinullah Sultani tonked them all over the park.

There were ramps, drives over long on, carves through the offside and clips and powerful strokes off straight deliveries as they seemed to pounce on everything.

When it found the middle of the bat, it tended to get to the rope, too.

But the innings wasn’t without controversy, for Beaconsfield was convinced they had McCartney bowled by left arm orthodox spinner Mitch Tielen early in the 92-run partnership.

But McCartney stood his ground and the umpire was blindsided, unable to ascertain how the bails had come off.

At that point they were five down going at about seven runs per over as Mark Cooper’s men kept the boundary scoring in check outside of a Jake Cutting over that opener Ramneet Dhindsa took to.

Beaconsfield felt the scoreboard pressure throughout its innings as the only batter to find any rhythm was Jesse Busacca (29 off 21) but he had no-one to go with his tempo.

Underlining the importance of North Dandenong’s finish, Beaconsfield was just six runs behind their opponents with the same number of wickets in hand after 15 overs.

But with such a strong batting order, North Dandy continued taking the game on despite the loss of wickets, whereas Beaconsfield couldn’t find the rope regularly.

Middle-order bat Ashan Madushanka was missing for Beacy but got down to support.

Buckley Ridges was far too strong for Parkfield, winning by 114 runs in a typically highscoring affair at Park Oval.

Mahela Udawatte scored a lusty century, which included six fours and 10 sixes, to lead Buckley Ridges to an ominous 4/310 which eased it through to the semis.

Berwick is the other team to progress to the final four, taking care of Springvale by 10 wickets chasing 129.

Brilliant Bloods pass the test as Hawks falter in the sun

By Marcus Uhe Springvale South has moved a win clear ontop of the DDCA Turf 1 ladder after a three wicket win against Hallam Kalora Park on Saturday.

Bowling first at Hallam, a five-wicket haul from left-arm quick Blade Baxter helped the Bloods roll the home side for 200, with Baxter’s 5-33 off seven ripping the heart out of Hallam’s middle order.

Jagveer Hayer’s 48, and 40 from skipper Jordan Hammond, got the Hawks off to a reasonable start, but the wheels began to fall off.

From 2-96 they finished all out for 200, with Ryan Hillard top scoring for the Hawks with a quick-fire 50 off 41 balls.

In reply, Jordan Wyatt filled the big shoes of Ryan Quirk with aplomb, anchoring the chase with 60 from 59 balls, as well as assuming the captaincy duties in Quirk’s absence.

Contributions from Jackson Sketcher (45 off 61) and Mitch Forsyth (36 from 61) mitigated the consequences of a late stumble in the chase, as four wickets fell in the final 10 overs.

Jagveer Hayer top-scored for Hallam with 48.

315375 Picture: ROB CAREW Hammond (2-41) was the pick of Hallam’s bowlers.

Over at Park Oval, Parkmore proved nomatch for Buckley Ridges, who powered their

way to a 174-run win on the back of opener Jayson Hobbs’ unbeaten 121.

The right-hander hit six sixes and seven fours as the Bucks racked up 5-315.

Hadigallage Jayaratne and Michael Davies seized the opportunity to free their arms, blasting rapid knocks of 55 and 39 not out, respectively.

Jayaratne backed-up his performance by leading the attack with the ball, comfortably the pick of the bowlers with 3-22 off six as the Pirates capsized to 141 all out after 30 overs.

At St Mary’s, the only thing hotter than the temperature at Carroll Reserve was the opening spell from North Dandenong pair Sushant Gupta and Zarak Aseel.

The two had St Mary’s openers Duveen Kalansooriya and Kasun Niranjana taking off their pads before either could register a run.

Junaid Kari (26) and Susantha Pradeep (46) put on 76 for the third wicket to steady the ship.

But from 2-78, the remaining eight wickets fell for 69 runs, St Mary’s’ all out for 147.

Skipper Clayton McCartney picked a good day to score his first half-century of the season, hitting 60 not out and guiding his side to a four-wicket win in 39 overs.

At Narre South, the Lions welcomed Berwick to Strathaird Reserve, in a clash between two sides struggling for consistency this season.

Batting first, all Lions in the top seven reached double figures aside from Harry Finch (four), spearheaded by Jonty Jenner (50), Joshua Hotston (37) and Harsha de Silva (34).

Former Sri Lankan international Jeevan Mendis was kept to just 10 as they posted 9-222.

Three wickets each to Mendis, who conceded just 28 from his 12 overs, and Jawed Hussaini (3-49 off 12) helped skittle the Bears for 195 in the final over.

It was Berwick’s fourth loss on the trot, in sharp contrast to a side that finished second on the table in 2021-22 and played off for a spot in the grand final.

Shopping at Beaconsfield Mitre 10 is More Rewarding!

Join Mighty Rewards for free today! Collect points for every dollar each time you shop!

Follow us on our Socials

12583633-JC52-22

22 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

Beaconsfield Mitre 10

Drouin Home Timber & Hardware

102-112 Old Princes Highway, Beaconsfield

280 Princes Way, Drouin

9707 5055

5625 2955

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Selectors have last laugh BERWICK BOWLS CLUB With the New Year starting on the weekend we had many teams needing a win first up to consolidate their standings in the lead up to finals in February…and they didn’t disappoint.

There was plenty of controversy and discussion over selection but the selection committee was justified with seven of the eight teams taking the points and only the fives - who had a shock loss - preventing the club from getting its first clean sweep for a long time.

Berwick 1 - Def St Kilda (away) 113 – 67 (16pts) - Ladder Position: 4th As we stated in the last pennant wrap for the year, the loss to Pakenham showed that attitude, positivity and encouragement in a team sport far outweighs individual ability and performance. This was the main focus for the ones this week as they travelled to the very picturesque St Kilda club to start the 2023 campaign.

They didn’t disappoint with three big rink wins to Mills (24 shots), Rich (16 shots) and Ellard (15 shots). Unfortunately some late changes to O’Donnell’s rink saw them go down by nine but that result was much closer than nine shots. With Whittlesea getting beaten on the weekend it now puts a small buffer between fourth and fifth of 18pts BUT, the ones travel to Whittlesea this Sunday to take on the might of a very strong team on their home deck in what will be a carnival type atmosphere. The Eagles have set up a fundraiser for our very own John O’Donnell who has been through some recent family tragedy. A great gesture by the Eagles but the ones need to win to consolidate top four and if they don’t, they’ll only have themselves to blame as the pack will near closer and closer. The changes to rinks this week saw some vast improvement but next week will be a much tougher proposition. No Predictions but let’s hope it’s a great Sunday for the ones.

Berwick 2 - Game Abandoned to due heat policy (9pts each) - Ladder Position: 1st Hampton 1 didn’t want the early start when we rang them during the week to try and beat the heat and we are pretty sure we know why!

Their players wanted the early start but their selectors weren’t overly confident of taking on the Berwick side and having a win so used the rules to their advantage and managed a nine-point share of the points. Disappointing, but rules are rules and they played it to their advantage. The twos still sit a massive 36 points on top of the ladder and look certain to finish the home and away on top and secure the home final. The rest of the ladder is ridiculously close too, with only 10 points separating second to seventh spot so the twos will keep on their winning ways and let the ladder below sort itself out. The twos had a shocker against Mordialloc away in Round 4 but will be back

Mick Hodges appears to be bowling two bowls in his game against Cardinia Waters. 315708 Pictures: SUPPLIED

Berwick lead Jim Weir played in a winning rink against Cardinia Waters on Saturday.

on the winners list as they take them on at Berwick this week. They’re strong and will show it this week.

Berwick 3 - Def Mulgrave CC 85 – 68 (16pts) Ladder Position: 8th The development side, our threes, finally got that all elusive first win of the season against a shocked Mulgrave CC at home on Saturday.

This group has continued to improve and build this season and finally got some reward for their efforts on the weekend beating Mulgrave by 17 shots overall. Each and every one of the group had a reason to be happy after endless drubbings and wondering if learning the game at Div 2 level was actually worth it all. But they’ve stuck to it and our more experienced bowlers in the threes should be congratulated for their effort in bringing these bowlers through and sharing their knowledge with our newer bowlers. It doesn’t get any easier though for the threes this week as they travel to Ferntree Gully to play them on one of the quickest synthetic greens they’ll face.

Berwick 4 - Def Cardinia Waters (away) 93 -54 (16pts) - Ladder Position: 2nd The fours are well on their way to finals now after a great win over Cardinia Waters away on Saturday. They now only sit half a game off top spot and, as we try and settle the sides heading towards finals, there is a possibility that the fours depth of those qualified will continue to improve. The weekend saw the win set up by the Rob Morley skipped rink including Jim Wier, Lois Adams and Doug Fisher who smacked their opposition by 24 shots. They

than this come finals time. Still sitting second on the ladder and hosting Carrum this week, the sixes need to aim for the full 18 points and this should then keep them in the top two nearing finals. With the ever reliable Pat and Avril Steere missing for the next couple of weeks the sixes need to cover their absence and ensure they are getting all the points.

Berwick 7 - Forfeit by Noble Park (16pts) Ladder Position: 1st The sevens received the forfeit on Friday so had the hot day off which was nice for them.

They’ll be fresh and ready to go this week when they take on Dandy Club away on the weekend. They sit well clear on top and we are tipping a big win.

Berwick 8 - Forfeit by Toorak (16pts) Ladder Position: 5th Here they come! The eights, with the full points on the weekend, now only sit 10pts away from a finals spot in fifth place. They take on Coatesville 3 who are only one win further ahead, but their at home on their home deck and we are tipping them to upset the third-placed Coatesville and put more pressure on the four coming in to the final weeks.

Plenty for all sides to play for this week and not too many sitting comfortably in their ladder positions so get out on the greens, practice, practice, practice and let’s continue to put our club in winning positions over the coming weeks.

-John Rich

were backed up by Karl Lapinskas’ rink of Peter Riordan, Brian ‘Hollywood’ Monaghan and John Kleverlaan who won by 18 shots. It’s always hard to cover those margins and the fours took away three rink wins. A top-two clash with Pakenham 2 this week and the fours will need to be on their toes and ready to go as the Pakky second side is very strong for Div 4.

Berwick 5 - Def by C. Waverley Golf 1 (Home) 66-100 (2pts) - Ladder Position: 3rd OUCH!!!! This one hurts! Sitting one point clear on top of the ladder going in to this game the fives were looking good! They got a lesson on our home deck from the opposition this week and they’ve now dropped to third spot and put themselves in a very cautious position with only 14 points separating third to seventh.

With only two forced changes from the last game we expected the fives at home to get the points but the opposition to their credit came out firing and all efforts were too late to get the win. They face another nervous task this week with Dandy Club 4, who is sitting fifth and only five points behind them, but they again have the home ground advantage. This week they need to take the bull by the horns and ensure a win by the end of the day to try and break free from the congested fourth spot.

Berwick 6 - Drew Dandy Club (Home) 73-73 (7pts) - Ladder Position: 2nd This was a nailbiter and Bruce Shearer and his rink of Annette and Peter Kirby and Ray Findlay managed to get them the draw with a 14 shot win. A reasonable result, albeit only one rink win, but the sixes will need to be better

Shining star Ruwantha makes his Renegades debut

By Marcus Uhe Casey-South Melbourne’s Ruwantha Kellapotha’s remarkable rise up the ranks in Victorian cricket this season has continued, adding a Melbourne Renegades cap to his hat collection to go with the Victorian baggy blue he was awarded earlier in the season.

The former Berwick Bear made his Big Bash League debut against the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday 10 January at Adelaide Oval, handed cap number 108, and his performance of 2-32 off four overs was rewarded with selection in Saturday night’s Melbourne derby at Marvel Stadium against the Stars.

In just his second over on debut, the legspinner dismissed both Adelaide openers Ryan Gibson and Matthew Short in the space of three balls, with both caught on the legside boundary.

Defending short-square boundaries, he kept his economy to eight runs per over and was hit for just two fours and a six, despite bowling to two of the in-form batters in the competition, in Short and Chris Lynn.

With first-class level bowlers in Kane Richardson and David Moody struggling to keep their economy rates down, Kellapotha was the pick of the bowers in their 20-run loss, before finishing the innings not-out on one. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

He repeated his performance with the bat in his second game as the Renegades set the Stars 162 for victory under the roof.

Bowling in the middle overs, including the first in the Stars’ ‘powersurge’ - which places limitations on the number of fielders allowed outside the restrictions circle - the 32-yearold’s ability to dry up the scoring was crucial in leading to the wicket of Hilton Cartwright, as the Stars looked to capitalise on a strong start to their chase.

With Renegades captain Aaron Finch wearing a microphone for Fox Cricket during the game, viewers listened in as the Australian T20 captain liaised with Kellapotha on field placement and tactics in a critical period of the game.

From a position of stability at 0-88 in the ninth over, the Stars finished six runs short in their chase, thanks to Kellapotha’s 11 dot balls as part of an excellent fight-back from the Renegades attack.

Bowling three of his four overs consecutively, in the 10th, 12th and 14th, the Stars had stumbled to 3-177 by the end of the 14th.

The Renegades next face Sydney Thunder in Canberra on Thursday 19 January, but squads have not been announced at time of writing.

Ruwantha Kellapotha is making his mark for the Renegades in the Big Bash League. 315704 Picture: AAP IMAGES Thursday, 19 January, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 23

12586382-AV03-23

24 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 19 January, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au