BERWICK
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
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Refugee leader recognised
Win at your local library
Bloods thirsty for success
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SPORT
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Anna celebrates 105th birthday
Kids’ day out beats the heat Strong winds and sweltering temperatures were not enough to discourage excited families from heading to the sold-out Casey Kids Carnival on Saturday 18 March. In its 25th year, the Casey Kids Carnival is one of the council’s most popular annual events and sees thousands of families from across the municipality fill the grounds of Berwick’s Old Cheese Factory. Story page 16 Berwick CFA firefighter Max showing Oliver and Ziyu some of the equipment at the Casey Kids Carnival. 324462 Picture: Gary Sissons
Casey crime spike By Eleanor Wilson A rise in theft, assault and criminal damage culminated in a 5.4 per cent spike in criminal offences in Casey last year, according to fresh data released by the Crime Statistics Agency. The jump follows a 14.7 per cent reduction in crime in the municipality in 2021, but overall offences in Casey were at the second lowest rate since 2013. Breaching a family violence order, theft,
stealing from a motor vehicle and criminal damage topped the municipality for types of offences last year. Reported offences rose more than 22 per cent in Narre Warren, 11 per cent in Hampton Park and more than 26 per cent in Clyde North. Cranbourne, which has the highest offence rate in Casey, recorded 42 more offences in 2022 compared to the previous year, representing a one per ncent increase.
Concerningly, cases of assault, stalking and harrassment were at the highest rate in at least 10 years, with recorded assaults growing nine per cent since last year. There were 188 more cases of property damage compared with 2021, while theft increased by six per cent. Family violence offences in Casey were 1.6 per cent higher than 2021 figures, but sat slightly under the Victorian average. The most common victims of family vio-
lence in Casey were women aged between 25 and 34. But overall, Casey’s offence rate per 100,000 of the population was over 30 per cent lower than the statewide average and remained significantly lower than the average for Southern Metropolitan Melbourne. Sexual offences in Casey were at the lowest rate since 2016, dropping seven per cent on 2021 figures. Continued page 7
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Council Meetings Members of the community are welcome to attend the upcoming Council Meetings which are held in the Bunjil Place Function Room, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren. Council Meetings start at 4.00 pm and are also live streamed through our Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more information on Council Meetings, or meeting minutes and agendas, please visit our website. Upcoming Council Meetings: • • • • • •
Tuesday 18 April Tuesday 16 May Tuesday 20 June Tuesday 18 July Tuesday 15 August Tuesday 19 September
BUSINESS INSIGHTS SURVEY
Are you interested in building your leadership skills and passionate about supporting your community?
Open to Casey residents aged 18 and over, the program will run from May to September 2023. There will be online and face-to-face workshops, with three
sessions on Saturdays and seven sessions on Tuesday evenings. Expressions of interest are now open until 5.00 pm on Thursday 13 April. For more information and to apply, please visit our community consultation website Casey Conversations. For application support, please email caseyclp@casey.vic.gov.au or call 9705 5722.
Take your taste buds on a delicious journey at our fifth annual Food and Wine Festival. Don’t miss this fantastic day out on Saturday 1 April at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick. To be held from 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm, there will be gourmet food and cheeses, drinks from wineries, breweries and cider houses and live music. Bookings are essential and tickets are available via our website or by scanning this QR code.
Book in for your free immunisation Council runs a number of free public immunisation sessions each month, delivering Government-funded vaccines at community centres across Casey. While many of the vaccines are for infants and young children, eligible residents up to 25 years can also access the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, which helps to protect against the types of HPV that cause most HPV-related cancers and disease in men and women. To find out which vaccines are available, check your eligibility for certain vaccines or to book into a session, please visit our website.
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
Share your opinion for a chance to win a prize pack All Casey businesses are invited to share their experiences and perspectives through our Business Insights Survey to help us better understand the needs and challenges of local businesses. Your input is crucial in identifying areas where additional support may be needed and refining the services Council currently offers. By completing the survey, you will go in the draw to win a business development prize pack, which includes a $500 eftpos voucher. To complete the survey, visit our community consultation website Casey Conversations by Friday 31 March.
Report an issue Abandoned trolleys, damaged or broken play equipment or fallen trees. If you notice that something is broken, missing or in need of Council’s attention, you can let us know by taking a quick photo of the issue and sending the photo to us via the Snap Send Solve app. This will allow you to report incidents quickly and easily for us to investigate and resolve the issue as soon as possible. The free app is available on Apple and Google app store.
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Our Community Leadership Program is back for its third year, providing free training in leadership, community engagement and the role of local government to help build Casey’s future leaders and strengthen partnerships between residents and local government.
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NEWS
Happy 105th birthday! By Eleanor Wilson Anna Sabatino celebrated her 105th birthday on Thursday 9 March surrounded by family and residents at Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) Berwick. The centenarian was surrounded by the familiar company of her youngest daughter Susan, other residents, friends, volunteers and staff for cake and birthday wishes. “It’s just amazing…it was a monumental thing when she made it to 100,” Susan said. Mrs Sabatino was born to an Italian father and Maltese mother in Cairo, Egypt in 1918 and wedded husband Vittorio in 1936. The couple went on to have four children, with three surviving to adulthood: Miralda, Robert and Susan. The family struggled through World War II, where Vittorio was interned and the couple suffered the loss of a daughter aged six. In 1956 they migrated to Melbourne by boat, initially settling in Brunswick, where Anna worked briefly at a dressmaker’s shop. “Mum wanted to go to Italy, she said ‘we’re Italian, lets go to Italy’, but dad said ‘no no, I want a better future for the children’, so they chose Australia,” daughter Susan said. The family made Berwick home 36 years ago, where they have stayed ever since. Susan puts the great grandmother of five’s long life down to “a strong constitution”. “She’s just got good genetics…her brother made it to 99 and one of her cousins was in her 90s,” Susan said. “She never thought she’d live this long…after she got to about 80 she thought she wouldn’t be around for much longer, but here we are!” Describing her beloved Mum as always being a warm, calm and loving presence in their lives, Susan said that Anna loved to cook and sew and look after her family. “She liked knitting and sewing - they were her two things. “She was always making clothes for me, she’d finish one thing and go ‘have you got any fabric?’... she just loved doing it.” Anna moved into the care of VMCH Berwick following a fall last year.
Picture: UNSPLASH
Residents in Casey spend almost $115 million on pokies per year, the second highest in the state.
Gambling reform plea By Eleanor Wilson and Sahar Foladi The City of Casey and other councils grappling with the worst pokies losses in the state have united in an urgent plea for gambling reforms. The council has signed a joint letter to Premier Daniel Andrews along with six other municipalities - Hume, Monash, Whittlesea, Darebin, Greater Dandenong and Wyndham - to demand mandatory cashless precommitment cards and tough laws to reduce the billions of dollars lost each year. The letter urged the State Government to follow the paths of NSW and Tasmania - who have both recently announced similar reforms. Data from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission shows Casey spends $314,148 on pokies every day, representing the second highest pokies expenditure in Victoria. More than $114 million was lost to 912 pokies machines at 13 venues in Casey in 2021-‘22, with the average Casey adult splashing $403 on pokies throughout the year. City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff said the 2022/23 financial year has seen a “post-COVID resurgence” in electronic gaming machine (EGM) expenditure in the municipality, putting the area on track for its greatest total EGM spend on record. Consequently, she said the council is committed to “practical and impactful measures that will curb the problem of gambling harm”, including the development of a Gambling Harm Minimisation Policy as part of its Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021-‘25. “We recently signed a joint letter to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expressing our concerns and called on the Victorian Govern-
ment to seize upon the national momentum for progressive gambling reform to protect our communities. This includes the introduction of mandatory cashless pre-commitment cards.” The council takes a public health approach to the issue, Ms Duff said, focusing on primary prevention, education, and support for those most vulnerable to its impacts. “As part of our policy development, we will continue to identify measures that will minimise gambling harm in our local context. “There is growing recognition of the harm gambling causes to many, as well as significant national momentum for reform. “Council will continue to work to identify opportunities to minimise harm and welcomes State reform that will support this effort.” In a statement, a Victorian Government spokesperson said it has noted the various motions moved by respective councils in the letter. “We will continue to monitor the arrangements for hotels and clubs across the state to ensure we have the appropriate regulatory settings and reserve the right to make further changes,” the spokesperson said. In 2015, the State Government introduced the YourPlay pre-commitment initiative to help players gamble responsibly by setting time and spend limits on a personal gaming card prior to playing. “Victoria was the first state to provide people the power to track and limit their betting on any electronic gaming machine through the state-wide pre-commitment system, YourPlay,” a Victorian Government spokesperson said.
“We have accepted all recommendations from the YourPlay evaluation report to strengthen the YourPlay scheme, with all recommendations actively underway or delivered.” The YourPlay pre-commitment tool is voluntary and free for players to use and is available at every gambling venue in Victoria. In addition to YourPlay, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) is currently funding a number of councils, including City of Casey, to implement the Libraries After Dark program, which focuses on reaching at-risk communities and those most vulnerable to social isolation, a known risk factor for gambling harm. According to Australian Institute of Family Services (AIFS), culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) participate in gambling less than the overall population of Australia. However, if they do gamble, they’ll be at a higher risk of developing problems due to different beliefs about luck and chance, factors related to migration and issues around stigma and shame. To combat the issue in Casey, in 2021-22, VRGF’s Prevention Partnerships Program funded the Cambodian Association Victoria for their project, ‘Engaging Cambodian Buddhist Temples in Gambling Prevention Partnerships’. The project involved delivering training and community events to build the capacity of Cambodian community leaders and community members in Melbourne’s south-east to raise awareness of gambling harm.
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VMCH Berwick resident Anna Sabatino rang in her 105th birthday with friends, family and VMCH staff. Picture: SUPPLIED berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
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STAR NEWS 3
THE LOWDOWN Q&A
with Balla Balla Community Centre’s program coordinator Lauren McCarthy
Tell us a fun fact about yourself! I have been a volunteer Laughter Group leader - Ho Ho Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha, Hee, Hee, Hee. What do you love the most? Walking on the beach, it soothes my soul. What are you most passionate about? Being involved and belonging in my community.
THREE … facts about Ramadan
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Moon Ramadan begins during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, when the new crescent moon can first be seen. This year’s first day of Ramadan is estimated to be on 23 March and end on 22 April.
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Fasting During Ramadan, Muslims worldwide fast every day from sunrise to sunset. Young children, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or on their periods, the elderly, and people with health problems, aren’t expected to fast.
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Well-wishes You can express well-wishes for Ramadan by saying “Ramadan Kareem” (“Have a generous Ramadan”) or “Ramadan Mubarak” (which can translate as “Happy Ramadan”). After the last day of Ramadan, on Eid-al-fitr, the greeting changes to “Eid Mubarak”.
What would your last meal be? Summer barbecue with loads of salads. What was your most memorable moment? Becoming a mum – almost 27 years ago! What was your favourite subject in school? English, history, and politics. What event, past or present, would you like to witness? The Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2000 in Sydney, I think I’m the only Australian who didn’t see it as I had a sick baby. Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner? Tim Winton, Stephen King, Julia Gillard, Philippa Gregory, Dawn Fraser and Neil Armstrong. What are you currently listening to/watching or reading? I’m reading Scrublands by Christopher Hammer and watching Peaky Blinders (better late than never). How would you describe your fashion sense? Non-sense – I don’t follow fashion trends but
Lauren is passionate about her community.
Picture: SUPPLIED
wear clothes I like and that I hope, suit me. I love rummaging in op shops for both clothes and books. Have you ever had a pet that has made an impact on your life? Leo, our larger than life cat adopted us and won our hearts with his amazing personality. I
look forward to again meeting him and DJ, my childhood dog at the Rainbow Bridge. If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook? I wouldn’t pass the first round - I’d be better off as a taste tester and dishwasher!
NEWS
Running fire engine runs a successful race over 14.5km Narre Warren CFA volunteers are giving their legs some much-needed rest this week, after tackling the daunting 14.5km Run For The Kids on Sunday. Completing the race in a makeshift running fire engine, the six-person team traversed Melbourne’s CBD alongside tens of thousands of people to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal. Senior firefighter Tony Bundock said the team was able to develop a good strategy to push them through to the finish line. “We rotated the number of members in the truck over every two or three kilometres so they could run alongside and conserve
energy. That saved everyone from getting too knocked around.” The team has thus far rallied over $1300 of its $2000 fundraising goal. “We’d still like to push it on a bit more… if we can get to the $2000 mark we’d be really pleased,” Mr Bundok said. A seasoned Run For The Kids participant, Mr Bundock said he would “absolutely” participate in the fun run again next year. “Even though we’re really tired at the end, everyone agrees we’d do it again. The truck just might need some modifications or a bit of a service before we take it out again next year.” To donate to the Narre Warren CFA’s Run For The Kids campaign, head to runforthekids. gofundraise.com.au/page/narrewarrenfirebrigaderunningfir
Rob Beard, Anthony Jones, Karen Bundock, Tony Bundock, Adrian Jones and Timmothy Oborne made up the running fire engine team. Picture: SUPPLIED
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NEWS
MP’s call for change Gang focus By Cam Lucadou-Wells
By Eleanor Wilson Berwick MP Brad Battin has taken aim at the State Government for a lack of police support in Casey, after fresh data showed crime in the municipality is on the rise. Casey recorded a 5.4 per cent hike in crime for the year ending December 2022, according to the Crime Statistics Agency, with Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Clyde North and Hampton Park listed as offence hot-spots. Mr Battin said police in Casey are struggling to keep up with the demands of a rapidly growing area. “Crime continues to increase in Casey as police struggle to maintain numbers with the rapid population growth,” he said. “The Andrews Labor Government has no plan to reduce crime, and with youth offending increasing at over 18 per cent, growth corridors are getting hit hard.” The Casey Police Service Area currently has two physical stations - in Narre Warren and Cranbourne, with plans for a third in Clyde North underway. But Mr Battin said the community is “tired of the government spin” regarding the construction of the new station, which was promised by the State Government in the lead up to the 2018 State election. “The new police station in Clyde North was promised to be open before 2022, yet has not even had a tender completed. This means less police on the beat in areas that need it the most.” In a statement, a Victorian Government spokesperson said settlement of land for the 24-hour Clyde North Police Station occurred on 30 May 2022 and planning for the new station is “well underway”.
Narre Warren Police Station is one of two current stations in Casey. 207892 The 24-hour Cranbourne Police Station is approximately 10 minutes away from Clyde North, meaning the community is “well serviced by existing police resources”, the spokesperson noted. Across the state, crime increased by 1.2 per cent last year, but remained below pre-pandemic levels. Shadow minister for Police, Youth Justice, Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice Reform and Corrections, Mr Battin said police presence and proactive patrols are the best prevention of crime. “Today, police do not have the resources as they face a staff and recruiting crisis, the impact will be felt with more crime and less safe streets. “It is time we reform the system, return the focus of police to prevention of crime and ensure we have a justice system focused on community safety.” It comes as public satisfaction with Victoria Police slumps to a five-year low, according to the Productivity Commission’s 2021-’22 report
of government services. Almost eight per cent of those surveyed in the report, released last month, expressed total dissatisfaction with services provided by Victoria Police. That figure is nearly two percentage points more than the previous year, The Age reported. But the State Government said record funding and new powers for Victoria Police is ensuring the community’s safety. “The crime statistics released last week highlight the remarkable work police are doing to keep our community safe and we thank them for their hard work and dedication,” the spokesperson said. “Our record $4.5 billion investment in Victoria Police means they have the resources and tools they need to keep our community safe, including funding for an additional 3637 new police officers. “We will continue to back our police with the resources they need to keep the community safe, and keep investing in early intervention measures to make sure people avoid entering the justice system in the first place.” This includes new powers given to police by the State Government to target brazen criminal activity, including statutory minimum sentences for aggravated offences like carjacking and home invasion. The government has also employed 42 new youth specialist officers to work in local communities and is working with Victoria Police to provide the Embedded Youth Outreach Program (EYOP), which aims to reduce long-term involvement in the criminal justice system by engaging with the young person and their family, assessing their needs and referring them to youth-specific supports.
‘Devastating’ impact: Jailed for grooming By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The teacher also sent “thousands” of text messages to the boy, most were of a “grooming” nature with explicit images and videos of herself. Videos of them having sex in her bedroom were later found on the boy’s phone. Their relationship continued until his parents discovered the teacher’s messages on his phone. The teacher admitted the offending to them, saying she was in love with the boy. The parents reported the matter to police. While on bail, she was caught contacting the victim several times despite an intervention order. Her bail was revoked in February 2022. Although the boy willingly took part, his consent didn’t make the acts any less serious, Judge Wraight noted. In victim impact statements, his parents said there was a “devastating” impact on them and their son. His introduction to the “adult world of relationships” and the criminal justice system had robbed him of his “normal teenage years”, they stated.
A psychologist found that the majorly depressed accused had previously suffered abusive, controlling partners. She “sought comfort” from the victim to “curb her loneliness without the risk of control and abuse from her previous relationships”, the psychologist reported. In what was her first teaching position, the teacher reportedly struggled to connect with colleagues and identified more with students. Her immaturity and “lack of clarity with interpersonal boundaries” led her to wrongly view the boy as an “equal”. Judge Wraight noted the teacher’s “very strong” rehabilitative prospects, with a low risk of reoffending. Her lack of criminal history, early guilty plea, genuine remorse, relative youth and developing insight were also taken into account. “You accept that your career as a teacher is over.” The teacher was jailed for up to three years and nine months. She is eligible for parole after serving two years. The term includes 401 days in pre-sentence remand. She must report as a registered sexual offender for life.
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A teacher in the South East has been jailed for grooming and having sex with her student. The 25-year-old pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to the offences with a child under 16 as well as possessing child sexual abuse material of herself and the boy. In sentencing on 21 March, Judge Trevor Wraight said she had been “motivated by sexual desire knowing you were breaching your position of trust and influence as a teacher”. In 2021, the teacher told him she wished he was older, and that she wanted to be friends with him outside of school. Later on Microsoft Teams, she told him she couldn’t believe she was “catching feelings” for him and gave him her phone number. They first had sex in the back of her car at a football ground at 5.30am. Beforehand, she said if they got caught “I’m gonna go to jail, I’m gonna lose my job” but she was “willing to risk it”. “Just be 100 per cent certain you want to do this.” They had sex about 15 times in nearly five months.
A dedicated Victoria Police team has listed and targeted a ‘Top 20’ of youth gang members in the South East. The specialist team was formed six months ago in response to a sharp rise in youth crime in the region, says the team’s Senior Sergeant Joshua Milligan. In 2022, offenders aged 10-17 had soared an alarming 43 per cent in Casey, 39 per cent in Cardinia Shire and 7 per cent in Greater Dandenong, according to the latest official crime stats. Snr Sgt Milligan says the team has made inroads, arresting 158 serious and violent young offenders in gangs. Many were involved in a spate of high-end cars stolen from home break-ins. As well, there have been violent street robberies and assaults. “We’re hitting it hard, working together with (other police units). Victoria Police has got a particular focus on aggravated burglaries.” In the South East, police have compiled a list of 96 young gang members who are ‘persons of interest’. The list’s 20 ‘top-tier’ offenders are “managed” by the specialist team, with nine of them in custody. The rest of the 20 are closely monitored. “We undertake home visits and interviews with persons of interest. We get to know their brothers, sisters and family to understand what’s going on,” Snr Sgt Milligan says. “And we work with other government agencies like Families, Fairness and Housing, and Youth Justice to put programs in place to stop them offending. If they’re engaging in school and work, they won’t be offending. That’s the biggest challenge to keep them on track.” The team makes compliance checks if gang members are on parole, bail, probation or correction orders. They intercept their vehicles, and do foot-patrols in their public domains. “They know they’re being managed,” Snr Sgt Milligan says. “Our relationship with them depends on the person we’re managing. We try to build rapport with them. Some are at the stage where they don’t want to engage with us, so we take a more hard line.” Young gang crime is being partly fueled by social media, according to Snr Sgt Milligan. “We’ve seen a rise in the use of social media where the gangs are gloating about their crimes. And it’s happening across Australia.” Other factors leading young people astray are stresses at home, as well as detaching from work, studies and support services. Most pleasing for Snr Sgt Milligan are the success stories. Several gang members have dropped out of the ‘top 20’ and are no longer ‘managed’ due to better behaviour.
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
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STAR NEWS 5
NEWS
OPINION
Charges after thefts
LENSCAPE
A Hampton Park local has been arrested and charged following a search by VIPER Taskforce officers on Monday 20 March. VIPER Taskforce charged a man overnight after locating drugs, a stolen car, ammunition and stolen licences, bank cards and mail in a Hampton Park house during a Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance search. Members of the taskforce had been at the property executing the FPO search on a 32-year-old Hampton Park man on Monday morning. During the search, police located a suspected stolen Subaru Forester wagon, almost 40 allegedly stolen bank and ID cards, quantities of what appear to be methylamphetamine and cannabis and a round of ammunition, among others. A 32-year-old Hampton Park man faced multiple charges including possess identification information belonging to another, possess drug of dependence, theft from motor vehicle and possess ammunition when subject to FPO. He was remanded overnight to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21 March.
On the loo Clyde has ranked number one in portaloo rentals, with new data from AIM Hire and Building materials giant Bowens showing Clyde tradies log the most hours on site. Clyde alone was responsible for six per cent (441) of AIM Hire’s 7000 portaloo rentals over the past year. The “portaloo index” reveals which areas are flush with facilities. Officer and Pakenham tradies rented 148 loos, and Berwick tradies weren’t far behind, wiping the floor with 116 rentals. “We utilise the insights gained across the business to stay ahead of demand, ensuring we continue to respond quickly to the demands of all builders,” Mr Bowen said. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Phillip Lowe has been urged to pay attention to where the loos are too, with AIM Hire managing director Elise Kelsey noting they’re the first thing on a building site and almost the last to go, which could help inform the strength of the economy. “I do think the RBA should be looking at the portaloos going out,” Ms Kelsey said. “It’s a good indicator, when our deliveries slow down they aren’t building as many houses.” Describing the firm as Victoria’s “number one” for portaloos, she said they currently have 7782 and were actively trying to get more as blowouts in build times due to labour shortages in the construction sector meant they were spending six months or more on a build site instead of the usual three or four months on the job. Building industry hire groups are concerned they could soon be backed up with portaloos sitting idle, and believe it’s an issue the Reserve Bank of Australia needs to consider. But while the city’s new housing estate suburbs are flush today, the people behind the portaloos have concerns the RBA’s cash rate hikes will soon put the industry in the toilet. “From what we are hearing from our builders is everyone’s sales are down, and that’s from interest rate hikes.”
Man shot in Tooradin A young man has suffered a suspected gunshot wound, following an alleged shooting in Tooradin. The incident took place at a residence on Bayview Road, just before 5am on Friday 17 March. Emergency services were called and the 19-year-old was airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made as police continue to investigate the circumstances around the incident. 6 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
A green hand gives a wave at the Lynbrook Festival of Colours. 324338
Earth Hour poem I experienced many a power cut, In the country I grew up in. When I think about the many we had, Gosh! They did make me angry and mad! Some of us called it ‘load shedding’, While others called it ‘power failure’, It still continues to this day,
In many countries across the equator. I try and look at ‘power cuts’ very differently today, I try not to swear or lose my cool, Cause if I do, I know I cannot help save our ‘Planet’, This beautiful world I inhabit! Shutting off the power during ‘Earth Hour’,
Picture: ROB CAREW
Will only go to show we care, For our families and our neighbours, Our planet and for nature! Let us make the conscious effort, By switching off the power, Let us show Mother Nature, That we respect Earth Hour. Marlene Laporte, Lynbrook
THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Thumbs up
Thumbs up
Thumbs up
To everyone who has volunteered at local cricket games this season. It couldn’t have happened without you!
To everyone who picked up rubbish.
To our community spirit. How we rally around people in need and help families in our community.
Thumbs up To the Warneet General Store who organised the Clean Up Australia for our coastal village and went the extra, providing a barbecue, drinks and ice-creams for participants.
Thumbs up On 9 March, I was waiting for service at Simply Fresh at Cranbourne Park, I noticed the lady next to me was looking at me all the time. When it was time to pay the lady behind the counter said to me the lady next to me had paid for my meal. Thanks again.
Thumbs up In February 2023 I was taken to Casey hospital with a swelling to my left hand, I can’t speak highly enough of the care the paramedics Sophie and George gave me.
Thumbs up Thumbs up To the Holland Festival, the Berwick Rotary Club and Dutch people!
Thumbs up Love the Community Centre, love Suburban Grind and the fantastic friendly staff (great coffee)!
To all the Allied Health workers.
Thumbs up To the Warneet Community ‘Meet and Greet’ last Sunday at the Warneet Boat Hire with free coffee and bickies which included a delightful Art Show in Warneet Yacht Club Public Hall, all sponsored by the Warneet Association Inc, was a great success measured the very many happy smiles.
Thumbs up Loved seeing all the colourful happy faces at the ‘The Festival of Colours’ Lynbrook - was great to see so much happiness and joy from both kids and adults. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
NEWS
Jailed for Medicare fraud By Cam Lucadou-Wells A receptionist at a Noble Park North medical clinic has been jailed after defrauding more than $180,000 from Medicare. Sarah Naomi Ward, 31, of Clyde North, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to lodging more than 1600 false patient claims for medical consultations that didn’t occur while working at Melbourne Digestive Centre in 2019-‘20. For more than 12 months, she pocketed $181,121 – about $3417 a week – in her name and her husband’s name. In sentencing on 17 March, Judge Geoff Chettle said the “gross” betrayal of trust was motivated by “greed not need”.
Ward had told a psychologist that she inadequately paid and wanted to keep up with her affluent friends. The mother of two wanted new clothing for her children, and a better car. The offending occurred just a year after completing a “relatively lenient” community corrections order for a similar $29,000 fraud while working at Cabrini Health in 2015. Being undeterred by the CCO, Ward required a significant jail term for her serious, repetitive, sophisticated and planned offending, Judge Chettle said. When the Department of Health received a tip-off in 2020, Ward initially stated the patient claims were for “training purposes”. After being sacked by the clinic, she has since been employed at a psychology practice.
Up until now, her new employer hadn’t known about her criminal history, Judge Chettle noted. Ward’s barrister submitted she had been suffering from personality disorders, chronic social anxiety and low self-esteem due to childhood difficulties. “This manifested in a preoccupation to show people that she was successful and to keep up with the affluent lifestyles she observed on social media,” a psychologist stated. At the time, she was “increasingly stressed by her workload and resentful, believing that she was not being paid appropriately given how much she was working”. Raised in Endeavour Hills, Ward grew up in a family with serious financial issues, with her
gambling father spending money impulsively. Her mother and father separated just before her Year 12 exams, causing her great anxiety. Judge Chettle noted Ward’s early guilty plea, her family’s support, court delays and her full repayment of the defrauded funds – which was a sign of “contrition”. Her rehabilitation prospects were “reasonable” if she got treatment for her self-centred traits, the judge said. Ward was jailed for two years, but to be released after 12 months on a recognizance release order, which is a good-behaviour bond. Corrections Victoria has allowed Ward to bring her 12-month-old infant with her into custody.
Stats show Casey crime up
Shabnam Safa, centre, receives the Bakhtar Woman of the Year award from Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson and Bakhtar Community Association chief executive Bassir Qadiri.
Refugee advocate feted Other finalists included Hampton Park Community House worker Zohra Hasib, who supports families and children transitioning to early start kindergarten. Tahera Nassrat, who formed a diverse group of Afghan women working towards community harmony and empowerment, was also nominated. As was prodigious volunteer Mahjabeen Azim, who has translated, interpreted and educated mothers and children at Wellsprings for Women and in classrooms. Federal opposition multicultural affairs spokesperson Jason Wood, Greater Dandenong mayor Eden Foster and Victoria Police assistant commissioner Therese Fitzgerald were among the special guests. The evening entertainment included poetry recitals by Liesel Kippan and Shakila Nasir Bahana, and live music from Rabi Pardes.
“There’s been some really encouraging results, with fewer robberies, family violence serious assaults, sexual offences against children, and thefts from motor vehicles in 2022 than in the previous year.” But there remains “a few key areas of concern” for police, including offenders sneaking into homes to steal car keys and overall youth offending. “The community can rest assured we are investing significant energy and resources towards preventing and responding to this offending, with dedicated operations in place that have led to thousands of arrests over the past year. “While we’re doing everything, we can to keep Victoria safe, we also encourage the community to ensure their homes and vehicles are locked to help prevent opportunistic offending. “Over the coming year, police will continue to focus on proactive prevention and enforcement to ensure that the community is not only safe, but also feels safe in their homes, in public and on the roads.”
While Casey recorded a rise in crime throughout 2022, it sat below the average offence rate across the state. 301063
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A committed advocate for refugees and migrants was crowned Bakhtar Woman of the Year at a gala dinner on 18 March. In front of 250 guests at Palmyra Hall, Shabnam Safa was presented the Bakhtar Community Association’s award by Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson and Bakhtar Community Association chief executive Bassir Qadiri. Ms Safa has led several initiatives for positive social change and for meaningful participation for refugees. She has represented Australia at the United Nations, and serves on government advisory boards to solve challenges faced by migrant and refugee communities. Growing up as an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, Ms Safa founded Action for Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, and has supported numerous evacuees arriving in Australia.
From page 1 Drug offences also took a dip, sitting at the lowest rate since 2013 with reductions in dealing, trafficking, use and possession, although drug cultivation and manufacturing were up 31 per cent. Dangerous driving in Casey was down 17 per cent - an anomaly for the state - which saw a 20 per cent increase since 2021. Police say the increase comes down to a “proactive focus on road safety”, such as the anti-hoon Operation Achilles. Since 2021, the police operation had charged more than 360 hoon drivers with almost 3000 offences and impounded 375 vehicles. It’s led to a 75 per cent drop in organised hoon meets, according to police intelligence. Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said crime across the state has “not dramatically ‘snapped back’ to pre-Covid levels”. “While criminal offending increased slightly from 2021, it is very pleasing that overall crime is still almost 10 per cent below prepandemic levels,” he said.
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Rental crisis hitting home By Emily Chapman Laing An increasing number of Victorians are being hit by the rental crisis, with new analysis revealing asking weekly rents have increased by more than $100 in some areas since interest rates started rising. South East Melbourne has seen a 10 per cent hike in rental rates, with property averages rising $44 from $442 per week to $486 per week. This comes as no surprise to the tenants of the region, 76.5 per cent of whom are steeped in financial housing stress. Cranbourne property prices have risen steadily over the past five years, from a median price of $350 per week in March 2018, to a new median of $400 per week, according to property data from realestate.com.au. In Clyde, properties have risen from a median price of $380 per week in 2018 to $475 per week in 2023. Berwick, Officer and Pakenham have seen an approximately $70 increase over the past five years. Communities further from the city are feeling the pinch too, as Pearcedale properties have risen over $100 over the past five years. In Botanic Ridge, residents are seeing the same prices today as they experienced in 2018, with a median of $500 per week. However, rental prices in this area have grown 19 per cent over the past 12 months, following a 2020 drop in housing costs that saw rentals with a median price of $370 per week. Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) Victoria has analysed Victoria’s top 10 hotspots for rental increases since the RBA started lifting interest rates in May last year. Inner East Melbourne tops the list with tenants paying $111 extra in rent per week since May - a 22.3 per cent increase. Regional Victoria is also feeling the pinch, with renters in North East Victoria paying an extra $36 a week.
Everyone’s busy worrying about the cost of living their best life at Aviva! Our homeowners have more money in their back pocket thanks to our “land lease” ownership style. So they’re busy living rather than worrying about the cost of it.
Vacancy rates across Victoria remain well below two per cent, making it even harder for renters to find a home, much less one they can afford. The analysis comes as CHIA Victoria launches its budget submission to the Victorian Government, which includes a call for $6 billion for a Social Housing Investment Fund to provide a long-term funding pipeline for social housing growth. CHIA Victoria acting chief executive officer Jason Perdriau said as a matter of urgency, the Victorian Government must significantly top up its investments in social housing. “A lack of affordable housing supply is a primary driver for soaring rents in Victoria,” he said. “But the rise in interest rates isn’t helping right now. “Landlords can pass on their financial pain to tenants. “On top of this, higher interest rates are softening the demand for new housing construction. “The most effective solution to create more housing supply for Victorians who need it most is by increasing the number of social and affordable houses. “Now’s the perfect opportunity for the Victorian Government to commit to a $6 billion Social Housing Investment Fund as its historic Big Housing Build winds down, and more Victorians experience housing stress. “Victoria has the lowest proportion of social housing in the country. “Meanwhile, three areas within Melbourne are among Australia’s top 10 regions with the highest number of households facing unmet need. “An investment of $6 billion will deliver 20,000 social homes over the next decade - a third of what’s required to hit Infrastructure Victoria’s recommended target. “This boost would make a huge difference to many Victorians who are doing it tough.”
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Last year’s Sid the Sloth competition winner was two year-old Darcy, pictured here with mum Hayley and his two siblings. Picture: SUPPLIED
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Win at your local library Casey Cardinia Libraries’ favourite furry friend Sid the Sloth is back to promote the libraries’ annual junior membership drive. Kids who sign up for a free membership at any of the five Casey Cardinia Libraries branches between now and the end of May and get their Sid the Sloth bookmark stamped three times can go into the draw to win a Toymate voucher valued at $300. What’s more, all new members can also go into the draw to win a $100 Toymate voucher, with one winner chosen per month in March, April and May, by random draw. New library members under the age of 18 can enter the competition online up until Friday 31 May, with the lucky winner of the $300 voucher announced in June.
Casey Cardinia Libraries chief executive Beth Luppino said she hopes the competition will inspire the next generation of active library users. “We want every child in Casey to access our free books, events and services. Learning is lifelong,” she said. “Every new member that joins between now and May 31 get a library membership and the chance to win Toymate Vouchers, the major prize is a $300 Toymate Voucher.” To sign up to the library, head into your local library in Hampton Park, Endeavour Hills, Doveton, Cranbourne or Bunjil Place in Narre Warren. To enter the competition, head to cclc. vic.gov.au/sidthesloth.
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Free NBN Council projects narrows delayed, costs rise digital divide By Eleanor Wilson Extreme weather events, material supply chain issues and high demand for construction have culminated in pain to the hip pocket for the City of Casey, with some project costs in its Capital Works Budget escalating by over 20 per cent. Casey administrators revealed the findings of its Mid-Year Budget Review at a council meeting on Tuesday 21 March, noting variations to a record 152 projects in the $227 million 2022-23 Capital Works Budget. Many projects in the budget are “behind projected expenditure”, the council said, with capital works expenditure to 31 December 2022 $43 million below budget. Council officers predict their could be as much as an $80 million budget carryover into the next financial year - representing almost a third of the entire 2022-23 budget. City of Casey administrator Cameron Boardman said the issues causing project delays are being felt across the country. “We’ve talked about things that are not necessarily unique to Casey, but are national, if not global, issues at the moment, around high demand for construction, supply chain challenges, complications caused by weather, particularly flooding and remediation required in other parts of the state to deal with that which have caused a resources distortion, land acquisition and agency approval delays, which is something that it outside of our control and also high unit prices,” he said. “They are undoubtedly exacerbated be-
Many projects in the City of Casey’s budget are “behind projected expenditure”. 238145 cause of the size and scale of our capitals works budget and the type of growth municipality we are managing at the moment.” Mr Boardman said the board of administrators is being as transparent and honest with ratepayers as possible regarding the issue. “We have been as transparent as we possibly can be, both favourably and unfavourably, and we will continue to do that as part of our
good governance and service delivery obligation to our community,” he said. Fellow administrator Miguel Belmar reassured residents that work is being done to ensure the carryover costs will be manageable in next year’s budget. “The work has been done to ensure that the delivery of the capital works budget will be achieved to the best standard,” he said.
Open
A year of free National Broadband Network (NBN) service is being offered to families without internet. The Federal Government’s $4.5 million School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) was about “narrowing the digital divide”, Bruce MP Julian Hill said. “The pandemic demonstrated how important it is for local students to be connected at home so they don’t fall behind. “I’m proud to be our community’s voice in a government that takes digital inclusion so seriously.” Up to 30,000 families will be identified for help by state education bodies, selected charities and community organisations, such as The Smith Family and Catholic Network Australia. “Whilst many students can access the internet through school Wi-Fi, connecting the internet at home to support remote learning and homework is a serious affordability issue for some families,” Mr Hill said. “This initiative will relieve some of the barriers to students fully participating in educational opportunities. “I strongly encourage locals interested in this initiative to contact my office so we can help connect you to the community organisations participating in the program.”
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Taking time out for nature By Emily Chapman Laing Earth Hour is returning for its 16th consecutive year. The world will “switch off” and take #TimeOutForNature on Saturday 25 March. Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens director and chief executive Tim Entwisle believes we can inspire change by committing one hour of our time to nature. “Earth Hour is great way of reminding us that every minute of the day we are using energy and we’re having an impact on the environment,” he said. “So I think for one hour, to just stop and think about that impact is perfect. “Little things add up and I think if each of us make small gestures, not only do we actually save energy and perhaps reduce the loss of trees, but we also send an important message to our children and the rest of the community that we want change.” Earth Hour is the world’s biggest movement to protect our planet. This year it will be taking place on Saturday 25 March from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. “For 60 minutes people in more than 7000 cities in over 190 countries switch off their lights as a symbolic gesture of solidarity to show they care about our planet and its future,” the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) organisation wrote. “Earth Hour isn’t just about switching off your lights. “Our aim is to spark global conversations on the impacts of climate change and inspire positive action to protect our natural world. “By working together, we can help shape a bright future for us all.” The environment continues to degrade at an alarming pace and deforestation is becoming an increasingly alarming issue. Eastern Australia is among the 24 global
Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens director and chief executive Tim Entwisle. deforestation fronts and Australia is the only developed nation on this list. “Nearly 50 per cent of Australia’s forest cover has been cleared in the last two centuries, making it one of the worst developed countries for deforestation,” wrote The Wilderness Society (TWS). An estimated 200,000 trees are bulldozed in Australia every day. That’s 8000 trees every hour. The Wilderness Society noted that the land equivalent of the MCG is destroyed every 86 seconds in Australia. “Australia has lost 27 per cent of its rainforest, 19 per cent of open forest, 11 per cent of woodland forest, and 28 per cent of mallee forest since 1750,” TWS wrote. Even more alarmingly, Australia holds the record for the highest number of mammal extinctions on the planet.
“To date, 55 wildlife species and 37 plant species have gone extinct in Australia.” Trees are the lungs of our planet and we need them to help reverse the impacts of climate change. “Even if we’re not living near a forest or you don’t feel that we’re the people destroying or removing forests, we still have the ability to plant trees,” Mr Entwisle said. “We still have the ability to encourage our local council and government to plant more trees. “In the Botanic Gardens, we’re really keen that every visitor who comes into the gardens goes away wanting not only to look after the plants they have in their garden, but also to think about planting more. “Every tree makes the air better, every tree helps to soak up carbon from the atmosphere. “Every small thing you do helps.” Founded in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment. It is known for inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 190 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade. Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently Earth Hour is striving to bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore. The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature. The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change. According to the Pachamama Alliance (PA), “the loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil
erosion, fewer crops, flooding [and] increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere”. Deforestation occurs for a number of reasons. “The most common reason is agriculture, with 80 per cent of deforestation resulting from extensive cattle ranching, and logging for materials and development,” PA wrote. According to Christina Nunez of National Geograhic, there is “imminent danger of disease caused by deforestation”. “An estimated 60 per cent of emerging infectious diseases come from animals, and a major cause of viruses’ jump from wildlife to humans is habitat loss, often through deforestation,” Christina said. Trees also help to control the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the water cycle. In deforested areas, there is less water in the air to be returned to the soil. This causes drier soil and the inability to grow crops. “The numbers are grim, but many conservationists see reasons for hope,” Christina said. “A movement is under way to preserve existing forest ecosystems and restore lost tree cover by first reforesting (replanting trees) and ultimately rewilding (a more comprehensive mission to restore entire ecosystems). “For consumers, it makes sense to examine the products and meats you buy, looking for sustainably produced sources when you can.” Founder of The Little Big Bamboo, Lynbrook local Neesh, says that simple replacements can create change. “Bamboo, as an example, is a sustainable source for loo rolls,” Neesh said. “Bamboo [helps to] stop deforestation and save 27,000 trees per day that are used to make toilet paper and recycled toilet paper.”
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Picture: GARY SISSONS
The Most Venerable Sudhep Nan, Abbot of Wat Buddharangsi temple, with Chhayly, Alex, Channa and Thayhorn Yim. 323347
Family reunited after saga By Cam Lucadou-Wells After months in painful exile from her son, Cambodian mother Channa can finally smile again. Reunited in Springvale, she marvels how much seven-year-old Alex has grown since she last saw him in September. Caught in a visa wrangle for three years, Channa and son Chhayly, 18, had been barred entry to Australia to see their ailing ex-partner and father Koung Hoy Poeung. In the meantime, Alex, who is an Australian
citizen, was allowed to fly in to see his gravely sick Hallam father in September. In the end, Alex was by his father’s side as he died. Channa and Chhayly were granted visitor visas by the Department of Home Affairs only just in time for Koung’s funeral this month. Success only came after concerted lobbying including from a senior monk Venerable Sudhep Nan at Watt Buddharangsi temple in Springvale South. In the final throes, Venerable Nan made a
desperate request for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to intervene. “It was very difficult to see that I could not come and see my partner,” Channa says. “He was very sick and I couldn’t come to see him. Very sad ... but still I had some hope.” Grateful for the abbott’s great efforts, Channa says it was important to see her late partner’s face before he was put to rest. “I’m just very happy having that opportunity to see my partner for the last time and my son Alex.”
The frustrating saga spanned three visa rejections by Department of Home Affairs officials since 2019, as well as a failed tribunal appeal. The authorities seemed unconvinced that Channa and Chhayly were making a “genuine, temporary visit”. Chhayly said he felt “disappointed” while his visa was in limbo. But when he finally got the good news, he was elated. “It’s the first time we’ve been in Australia. When I saw Alex again, I was so excited.”
One Day Only This Coming Tuesday 9.30am to 12.00pm | Berwick RSL (28th March 2023) Phone: 0481 290 411 berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
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Say cheese! Paul Rubens, Bob Daly, Darren Rubens and Linda Rubens with a wheel of Beemster cheese. 324286
Jackson, Mika and Harley try their hand at Sjoelbak, or Dutch shuffleboard. 324286
People looking at an Anne Frank display. 324286
Clogs, cheese and culture By Eleanor Wilson Proud Dutch communities from across Melbourne flooded to Akoonah Park on Saturday 18 March for the highly anticipated Holland Festival. Back for the first time since 2020, about 3500 festival goers piled into the grounds for a sunny day of festivities, which played host to the best in Dutch food, music and entertainment. The festival was collaboratively organised by the Rotary Clubs of Greater Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, Monash, Belgrave and Casey. Event manager Paul Rubens said the celebration, which has been bringing Dutch culture to Melbourne for 40 years, exceeded expectations. “It was a beautiful and wonderful day…the weather did its best to destroy us but it failed,” Mr Rubens said of the hot, windy day. Dutch music performers included an accordion player, pop music group, Dutch choir and even a flash mob. On the menu from a selection of dutch food vendors were dutch donuts, called olie bollen, stroopwafers and Dutch mini pancakes, or poffertjes. Raw herring, kibbeling, rookworst and dutch style fries were other delicacies enjoyed throughout the day, often washed down with a cold bottle of Dutch Heineken beer. A kids’ carnival with rides, a rock climbing wall and mini golf kept the young ones entertained. Alongside Rotary volunteers, the festival was helped along by several local sponsors, including John Berends Implements, Schreurs and Sons, Scholten Collins McKissock, Harry’s Clothing and Just Real Estate, as well as international sponsor Holland Bike Tours.
Marianne from Montrose playing a Street Organ. 324286
Young Scarlett in national dress and sitting in giant clogs. 324286
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There was plenty of Dutch memorabilia on sale at the festival. 324286
Dutch Club Abel Tasman: Alfons, Betty, John, Annemiek and Sjors. 324286
Keith Paulusse penned a book about his journey to Australia when he was young. 324286 12 STAR NEWS
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Elissa, Pippa, Nichlous, Thomas and Scarlett represent their Dutch pride.
Cheese and clogs were in abundance at Akoonah Park on Saturday.
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Artwork from smart data A Swinburne motion design team is taking data from the lives of everyday Melburnians and transforming it into a living artwork. Lead designer James Berrett, project manager Sonja Pedell and communication designer Simone Taffe have used smart city data to create a captivating set of real-time data visualisations that respond to human movements around the City of Casey. “The driver for the project was to showcase movement across the City of Casey 24/7 and demonstrate how smart city data can be used in creative ways,” Berrett said. The motion artwork called Three Corners of the City featured at Bunjil Place community hub and has been awarded the Victorian Premier’s Design Award Best in Category Digital Design, an Australian Good Design Award and a DNA Paris Design Award. Smart city data is information collected from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors placed around a city. The sensors can track a variety of information, such as when a button is pressed, a bin is emptied or a person walks past. The City of Casey has developed an open data platform to make all that information accessible to the public. “The council commissioned this piece to engage community members in what is happening around the City of Casey,” Berrett said. The project uses real-time data sets from Narre Warren, Berwick and Cranbourne that measure the amount of pedestrian traffic in busy areas. “It was about taking the everyday life of people, the movements of people, and turning this information into something visually engaging,” Berrett said. A motion artwork created from real-time data visualisation of human movements around the City of Casey. The unique colour sets for the suburbs
Three Corners of the City is a motion art piece commissioned by the City of Casey to promote the creative use of data from smart city sensors. Picture: SUPPLIED helped to give each data set its own personality. The challenge was to take raw data, something that would usually not interest the public, and transform it into a creation that was visually captivating and could be understood intuitively. Berrett used his diverse background in visual effects, graphic design, motion graphics and media art to curate meaningful data sets and transformed them into intriguing motion graphics visualisations. One of the most unique aspects of the project is that it allows viewers to see what is happening across their city in real time. Motion graphics are usually created in
timeline-based applications, making this impossible, but Three Corners of the City uses a game engine instead. The team designed the standalone realtime application from scratch. It uses the foot traffic in each suburb to determine the density, colour intensity, speed, and direction of the particles that make up the visualisations. These multifaceted visuals make it intuitive to relate peaks and troughs in the data to a suburb’s respective movement and ‘busyness’. This was particularly important to ensure the visualisation was accessible across lan-
guage barriers for the City of Casey’s multicultural community. The project encouraged people to consider the visualisations through their own lens. The project has won three prestigious awards: a Victoria Premier’s Design Award, an Australian Good Design Award, and a DNA Paris Design Award. The awards have recognised the unique use of motion graphics to communicate real-time data to a diverse audience in a digestible and engaging manner. The Good Design Awards jury compared the work to that of critically acclaimed artist, Refik Anadol.
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Estate plans
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Caring staff and facilities At Mulgrave Country Club, we understand the difficulty experienced when losing a loved one. Our professional team of dedicated staff can assist you in organising your special event in a personal and intimate setting, celebrating the memories of a loved one. To ensure a seamless, professional interaction for your friends, family members and loved one, Mulgrave Country Club provides facilities in a range of room formations specific to your requirements. There are three function rooms at our Wheelers Hill property: Mulgrave Room, Panorama Room and Heritage Room.
The rooms are comfortable and modern. In addition, they have views over the surrounding area or of the club’s grounds, hence the rooms have a wonderful atmosphere. Catering is available, and all rooms have an inbuilt audio system, data projectors and screens, block out blinds and bar facilities. We can cater for large or small groups from 20 to 250. Whether you are looking at a once off hire or regular room hire, we have the capacity and expertise to efficiently fulfil your brief. Call us now on 9582 4600 or visit mulgravecc.com.au
Based in Berwick and St Kilda, Neal Collin Lawyers are the experienced Melbourne lawyers you can rely on. Neal has over 50 years of experience and thousands of successful cases and clients can trust him to represent them and achieve the best outcome for their personal situation. Neal was awarded a Master of Laws degree from the University of Melbourne and this qualification should provide confidence for a successful outcome. ESTATE PLANNING Neal Collin Lawyers are experts in drafting Wills and estate planning. The first interview is free. A Will prescribes how you distribute your estate after your death to ensure your assets are allocated in the way you decide. Usually of course, you would include your spouse and children and sometimes make provision for friends, carers or charities, allowing your assets to be distributed strictly in accordance with your wishes. In the absence of a Will properly prepared and executed in accordance with the formalities of the Wills Act 1997 (Vic), your estate would be distributed according to legislation. (i.e. what the government thinks is fair, and this is usually contrary to how you would want your estate distributed). Neal will personally interview you and take instructions, advise the best course of action when in doubt, and draw your Will to ensure there is no conflict in the family after your death. If you already have a Will, Neal will review it without charge and advise you on whether or not you need to take further steps to ensure
your wishes will be complied with after your death. DECEASED ESTATES (PROBATE) Your Will must appoint an Executor, whose duty it is to apply to the Supreme Court of Victoria for a Grant of Probate. After this is approved, the Executor’s duty is to firstly collect the assets of the estate, pay any bills and funeral expenses and then distribute the net proceeds strictly according to the terms of the Will. If there are beneficiaries who are minors (i.e. under 18 years), then the share of that person must be held on trust until they reach the age of 18 years. Neal Collin is highly experienced in the preparation of the application to the court for the Grant of Probate and will ensure that the application is made as speedily as possible, and then assist the Executor to distribute the funds to beneficiaries without undue delay. Phone: 0419 993 800 Email: admin@nealcollinlawyers.com.au Address: Suite 3/94 High Street, Berwick VIC 3806
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Burial options Upright Burials provides Australians with a proven alternative in burials that is simple, natural, and economical. Our burial approach is distinctive in a number of ways. It is environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable. The body is placed in a vertical position in a biodegradable body bag. The burial method uses a far simpler and safer approach that removes the OH&S issues and labour costs associated with traditional horizontal burial. The burial service includes pick up, administration, burial preparation, and burial for a single, one-time fee of $3750 (including GST) - for Melbourne metropolitan area. There is an additional per kilometre charge for all other areas. Please contact us for further details. If you intend to pre-plan and use our service for an upright burial, please register your details. Each site is secure forever As Kurweeton Road Cemetery is kept in a natural state, there are no individual headstones or grave markers. Details of the deceased are recorded on a memorial wall at the cemetery’s entrance. Family and friends are provided with the exact location of the grave and are welcome to visit at any time. Traditional funeral services For those who wish to have a traditional funeral service but still want an eco-friendly and economical burial, we can work with your nominated Funeral Director to fit in with the service that they provide and still have the burial at the Kurweeton Road Cemetery using Upright Burials method. Service No-fuss basic service that can be personalised.
Caring for the community Thomas Collins, Melissa Collins, Tony Collins and Louise Mather.
Caring for the community – Each individual site is secure for· Secure ever, with no additional fees payable. friendly and ecologically · Environmentally sustainable, non-energy intensive, the pro-
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cess leaves the lightest carbon footprint possible. Tree planting – Energy used in the collection, storage, and delivery of the deceased to the cemetery is partially offset via the planting of a tree at Mt. Elephant, the location has become a habitat for native marsupials and birds. Green power – Where possible, Upright Burials minimises the use of unnecessary resources. Landscaping – surrounding land is used for grazing sheep. Economic – the simplified burial process minimises costs.
David W. Bull Funeral Directors, Pakenham office and chapel was opened in 1981 in Bald Hill Road, Pakenham. They relocated to the current office and chapel at 190 Princes Highway, Pakenham in 1995. The proud family owned business have been caring for the community for over 43 years The location of the Pakenham Funeral Home offers a central meeting place for metropolitan and country family and friends attending. A large spacious modern chapel Seating for 130, room for over 220 in doors Large car port with external speakers. Air-conditioned Catering available afterwards 50 plus car spaces and off-street car parking
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· Disabled access · DVD presentations available in Chapel · Foyer At David W. Bull Funeral Directors they also abide by a strict code of ethics, ensuring accredited quality premises, facilities and highly committed staff, providing family and friends a respectful service, combined with support and understanding. You will find the team - Melissa, Tony, Louise, Jamie, Thomas, Katie, Cameron, Violet, Tilly, Wayne and Liam at the Pakenham Office between the hours of 9.00am 5.00pm Monday to Friday. For immediate attention or After Hours call on 5941 4888. Situated at 190 Princes Highway, Pakenham, 59414888
...The Little Things Make A Difference
David W. Bull Family Funerals
Pakenham 190 Princes Highway Ph: 5941 4888
Cranbourne 6 Brunt Street Ph: 5996 6822
Drouin 2 Porter Place Ph: 5625 2571
Call for a FREE Brochure 1300 466 860 www.uprightburials.com.au
Assuring personal attention and care at all times for our local community. Family owned company established in 1979.
www.davidwbull.com.au
12595450-AA12-23
Our service offers the individual the opportunity to be buried in a rural setting using a simple approach that considers the environment and minimises the cost
12595293-AI12-23
berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
Thursday, 23 March, 2023
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STAR NEWS 15
NEWS
Crowds faced strong winds and temperatures in the high 30s. 324462
Linda Walley and four-year-old Aceia from Cranbourne East all dressed up and ready to stop! Aceia also had her face painted as a Tiger. 324462
Carnival just for the kids Strong winds and sweltering temperatures were not enough to discourage excited families from heading to the sold-out Casey Kids Carnival on Saturday 18 March. In its 25th year, the Casey Kids Carnival is one of the council’s most popular annual events and sees thousands of families from across the municipality fill the grounds of Berwick’s Old Cheese Factory. Stilt performers, face painting, live performances, market stalls, as well as well as displays by Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, Victoria State Emergency Service and the City of Casey Waste Team and Road Safety Team provided hours of family fun for all to enjoy. Star News photographer GARY SISSONS braved the elements to capture the fun.
Charley from Berwick with a humpback whale vertebra from the Dolphin Research Institute’s stall. 324462
Stilt walkers were kept on their toes with strong winds making life difficult. 324462
Sarah Lockwood from Narre Warren’s Triple Threat Academy blew audiences away with her singing. 324462
Three-year-old Amira from Narre Warren tries her hand at excavating. 324462
16 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
Keyan from Narre Warren with Bumblebee from Transformers. 324462
Pippa and Billie from Cranbourne North playing on equipment at a Casey council stall. 324462
Jai from Pakenham gets his face painted as Spiderman. 324462 berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
WHAT’S ON Selandra Rise Community Twilight Market
Annual Twilight Car Boot Sale The Warneet-Blind Bight Fire Brigade is hosting its annual car boot sale. There will be a food and coffee van, live music, raffles, kids activities, a CFA Mobile Engagement Unit and more. Warneet Reserve, Gilgandra Street, Warneet on Saturday 25 March 3pm-7pm.
Selandra Rise residents and other talented stallholders will showcase a range of individually designed products and original craft creations. Food trucks, coffee van and music will be there on the night. 5 Harmony Chase, Clyde North on Friday 24 March, 4.30pm-7.30pm.
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Roller Disco at Sk8house Back by popular demand - it’s the crowd favourite Retro Roller Disco Night at Sk8house! There will be fun games and awesome prizes for best dressed too, so dig out your best retro inspired outfit and get ready to have a “wheelie” great night! Join Sk8house for all of the biggest and best music from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. 3/2 Amayla Crescent, Carrum Downs on Saturday 25 March 6pm-10pm.
Lynbrook Neighbour Day The event is designed to help you and your family get to know your community. Enjoy free pizza and chocolate while watching The Incredibles 2. Neighbour Day encourages everyone to reach out and make meaningful connections with the people around them - every day. Lynbrook Community Centre, 2 Harris Street, Lynbrook on Friday 31 March, 5pm-8pm.
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Cockatoo Country Market
Youth Resilience Workshops Build resilient and confident children with this local workshop. Fergus Watts, CEO of The Reach Foundation, will be visiting Botanic Ridge Village to provide a free keynote session for the community, providing parents the tips and insight to navigate the teenage years alongside their children. The Reach Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation directly helping young people across Australia build the skills and confidence to navigate the future. Botanic Ridge Village Town Square, 10 Hummingbird Drive, Botanic Ridge on Wednesday 29 March, 6pm – 7pm.
The Narre Warren Fire Station is opening its doors on Sunday 26 March for a day of fun. An easter egg hunt, colouring competition, fire truck jumping castle, ice cream van, Ash Wednesday display, fire truck races and virtual reality training will all be on offer. Public parking at Trinity Catholic Primary School with a free shuttle bus. 26 March, 10am to 3pm, 292 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South.
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Harry Potter Outdoor Cinema
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Narre Warren Fire Brigade Open Day
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Littlefoot & Company is hosting an outdoor cinema funraiser showing a crowd favourite, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Funds raised will allow Littlefoot to continue providing free art therapy and spoken word spaces throughout the year. There will be pre-movie entertainment and food trucks and with tickets for the low price of $10 it’s a family fun event not to be missed. Wilson Botanic Park, 668 Princes Highway, Berwick on Saturday 25 March, 6.30pm (movie to start at 8pm).
Support local, stock up your pantry and catch up with friends and neighbours. Treat yourself to a yummy morning tea or barbecue lunch. There’s so many different stalls at Cockatoo Country market. Support local stallholders while finding perfect items for personal joy or to give as gifts. 77 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo on Saturday 1 April, 8.30am-1.30pm.
Balla Balla Open Day Celebrate Balla Balla Community Centre’s Open Day at the new location. There will be a lot of fun activities for adults and children, including free food, live music, reptile encounters, face painting, Butterfly Stilt walkers, community art project, free kids rides and more. This is a great opportunity to get to know your centre with free ‘Come & Try’ activities. 7 – 9 Selandra Blvd, Clyde North on Saturday 25 March 12pm–3pm.
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Berwick Boutique Craft & Food Market Step back in time and browse the wonderful and unique crafts and design from local makers and unwind from the week. Spend your Saturday at the historic Old Cheese Factory in Berwick, which offers beautifully manicured gardens, a large children’s playground and barbecue/picnic facilities along with plenty of parking. 34 Homestead Road, Berwick on Saturday 25 March, 9am-2pm.
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Cranbourne U3A Make the most of your retirement! Tutors are available to teach art using various mediums. A variety of crafts including knitting, patchwork and sewing, card making, and calligraphy. Chess, line dancing, Italian language, table tennis and cycling groups welcome you. Would you like to play the ukulele, or just singalong for fun? Cranbourne U3A can help. Our rooms are in the Cranbourne Library building, through the Casey Radio entrance. Expand your social life and get active for a healthy third age in your retirement. For more information visit u3acranbourne.org. au or call Helen 0423 623 337.
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The Autumn Edition of your favourite family magazine is out now... Pick up a printed copy of Casey Cardinia Kids Today Magazine from outlets everywhere. Or, read the full digital edition as it appears in print now!
Scan the QR CODE
OR VISIT: caseycardiniakids.com.au/digital-editions berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
Thursday, 23 March, 2023
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12594114-MS12-23
Read it now
STAR NEWS 17
NEWS
Scottish dancers impress at the Creative Arts Festival.
Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas addressed the crowd at the festival launch.
A smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country was provided by Eric Edwards and Jungala Ellis, on Bunurong land.
Celebrating creative arts By Eleanor Wilson Art lovers from across Casey gathered for a jam-packed weekend of activities at Hampton Park Uniting Church, as it celebrated its annual Creative Arts Festival from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 March. The three-day event saw dozens of art pieces on display and for sale, along with a myriad of creative workshops and entertainment. A smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country kicked off the weekend’s proceedings, which were attended by local MPs Gary Maas and Cassandra Fernando. Event organiser Lyn McBain said the event, which attracted over 350 people, was a great success. “It was great! The workshops went really well and we’re already starting to plan for next year,” she said.
The Hampton Park Peace Choir performed a series of songs for the crowd.
An art mural included in the festival.
Pictures: SUPPLIED
Holt MP Cassandra Fernando with Skye and her costume design.
Revisiting ancient holiday as autumn equinox arrives By Emily Chapman Laing A group of witches gathered over the weekend to celebrate an ancient holiday. The autumn equinox is a sacred day for many. The holiday is also known as Mabon and celebrates the time where light and dark shine equally upon the earth. “I’ve been a witch my whole life so I’ve always celebrated the change of seasons with my elders in NT or with my Mum growing up off grid,” said event organiser Raquael. Raquael said celebrating seasonal holidays allows people to prepare for the changing seasons, “emotionally and physically”. “We know in summer there are many events and it’s all about celebrating outdoors,” she said. “As autumn and winter come in it’s all about going inwards and preparing for the cold.” Around 20 people participated in the celebration. “As a smaller group, it was intimate and at times a personal journey,” Raquael said. “We made magic sticks to weave in what we wanted to bring in.” Despite the negative connotations around the word “witch”, Raquael believes a reunion with the title has benefits for women. “Lisa Luster said, ‘I didn’t decide to become a witch, I remembered I was one’. “I think since the world and how we work and feel changed in a big way a couple years ago, women have had a chance to quieten themselves and go within. “And they find there has been a longing in themselves to connect more with the Earth and others.” Magic doesn’t have to be complex either. Raquael said something as simple as us18 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
Magic sticks were made with intention to draw in positive things, or dispel the negative, over the autumn season. The witches celebrated Mabon with a feast. ing herbs in cooking “like our grandmothers” is witchcraft. “Being a witch is about connecting with the Earth and self.” The equinoxes represent unique moments in the Earth’s orbit. Our Earth spins on a tilted axis as the planet orbits the sun. Twice a year the Earth is not tilted towards or away from the sun. This happens at the autumn and spring equinoxes. Mabon is one of the eight Wiccan “sabbats” or holidays and is celebrated on the autumnal equinox. Mabon occurs on 21 March in the Southern Hemisphere. The day often involves festivals, rituals and feasts that centre around the season of autumn. Symbolically, Mabon is a time of balance,
Pictures: SUPPLIED harmony and unity. It is a time to give thanks for the bounty of summer and to settle into the coming cold of winter. Symbols used in this celebration include corn dollies, pinecones, warm colours like red, orange, yellow and brown, apples, pumpkins, marigolds, owls, stags and amber. The equinox has been revered for centuries. Ancient Greeks believed this to be the time when Persephone would leave her mother Demeter and return to the underworld to rejoin Hades. New Zealand writer and blogger Hayley White explains the widespread reverence for the equinox across the globe. “In Mayan and Aztec legend, the god Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl is worshipped,” she said. “In Buddhism tradition, Higan is celebrated, and in Hindu culture, Navaratri.
“In Chinese and Vietnamese communities, the harvest moon is celebrated by the Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival.” In Celtic legend, the equinox is correlated with the birth of Mabon. He is said to be the son of the Earth Goddess and the Guardian of the Otherworld. The druids refer to the holiday as Alban Elfed. Their roots in Celtic lore trace back more than 2000 years. The Earth begins to tilt away from the sun after the equinox. This causes the days to shorten and nights to become longer. At the spring equinox, this is reversed. The autumnal equinox represented the end of summer in ancient pagan societies. The spring equinox symbolised the end of winter. Keeping track of the seasons in this way allowed our ancestors to track seasonal activities, like planting crops and harvesting. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
NEWS
Responsibilities of a CEO TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH One simple, but highly effective, method of ensuring alignment and clarity on a role in a business is to write a position description (PD) or job description (JD). This is best written in terms of the role’s responsibilities rather than tasks since knowing what a person is responsible for is far more empowering and engaging than simply writing a task list, plus it is necessarily more succinct. An additional benefit is there should be little or no need to update it ever again since responsibilities in a role very rarely change whereas the tasks associated with them frequently do. It is a sad fact that most small and mediumsized enterprises don’t tend to define these extremely useful documents since the belief often pervades that ‘people should know what is expected of them’. While fine in theory, in practice when staff performance issues become apparent, the cause can often be traced back to a mismatch in expectations of the role itself, which a documented PD/JD could well have mitigated. Some companies do have position descriptions defined and while roles such as sales manager, operations manager, financial controller, quality manager, etc, may be written down, I am yet to find one that has defined the role of the chief executive. So why is this? Perhaps similar to the above view, a chief executive ought to know the responsibilities of the role. However, if this is missing, the chief execu-
A position description can mitigate issues down the line. tive may well feel responsible for everything and hence feel the need to be across what is happening across all areas of the business. No wonder that the most common issue that af-
flicts chief executives is the universal ‘lack of time’. The antidote to this is to push responsibilities as far down in the organisation as possible.
So, for example, the sales manager has the responsibility for hitting the company’s sales budget and the quality manager is responsible for product and service quality. If this is done for all the key functions in the business, then what is left for the chief executive to do? Well, here are the five key areas that cannot be delegated and for which the chief executive remains ultimately responsible: 1. Business strategy Identify the primary focus areas for the business, company culture and definition of business goals. It defines what the business is trying to achieve and hence the associated priorities. 2. Management team leadership Development and support of the leadership team with a particular focus on communication and accountability. 3. Financial performance The chief executive is the only person with complete oversight of the sales and operations capability and a big part of the job is keeping these in balance. Ultimate responsibility for the profit and loss is here. 4. Commercial direction Determine partnerships, relationships with key stakeholders and coordination of risk analysis. 5. Corporate governance Ensure that the company is compliant with corporate and government rules and regulations and authorise contracts with staff, suppliers and customers. If you are chief executive, check what you are actually doing against the above list and see how your day-to-day activities compare with the above chief executive responsibilities. Ian Ash is the managing director of OrgMent Business Solutions.
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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
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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
Order now on aussietoysonline.com.au 12578474-ET46-22
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
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STAR NEWS 19
BUSINESS PROFILE
Protecting your tech gear In an age where most people have smartphones, tablets or other technology, accidents happen and breakages occur. Smartronic can help prevent these accidents and remedy any damage. Offering phone, tablet and smart watch cases, screen protectors and screen repairs, the family-run Smartronic is the place to visit if you need to deck your tech out with the latest protective gear. Also available at Smartronic are USB charging cables and power blocks, portable speakers, headphones and earbuds, portable power banks, TV adapters, car phone holders and Bluetooth hands-free kits, smart watches and accessories, smart TV boxes, wireless chargers and high speed wall and car adapters. With knowledgeable, friendly staff to help you, Smartronic provides honest service and the best parts and accessories available. The team loves the joy that people feel when their phone gets a new accessory or when a broken item is returned shiny and repaired. Smartronic is also looking for a new staff member to join the team, providing helpful and sound advice to valued customers across a range of areas. Smartronic has stores at Lynbrook Village Shopping Centre, 75 Lynbrook Boulevard, Lynbrook and Hampton Park Shopping Centre at 55 Hallam Road, Hampton Park and also Toorak, 459 Toorak Road, Toorak. All stores are open seven days a week. For more information, phone 0466 664 251, email gbpaustraliaelectronics@gmail.com or search Smartronic Phone Repairs and Accessories on Facebook.
Ellen and Tim from Smartronic Phone Accessories and Repair.
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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
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said preventing dog attacks from occurring “has to start with education”. He said the wave of ‘pandemic pets’ who had not been socialised as puppies was an issue that couldn’t be ignored by owners or council. “I can’t believe there has been no mention
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“We all know people who bought dogs during Covid who couldn’t be socialised due to restrictions, yet our council properly does noth“They provide no education whatsoever, yet they have thousands of dollars in pet regMr Cini, who started his dog training ness after noticing the need for specialisedbusiservices for his dog Sasha, said he had personally offered to provide free training for dog owners to prevent dog attacks in the municipality, but
40¢ Inc. GST
@StarNews_SE /Cranbournestarnews “Most people see a wagging tail munity.com.au and they Power Pooches’ Jake Cini and Sasha, cranbournenews.starcom think of a happy dog, but that who are advocating for increased
Two dogs were seized by Casey
Council7ofPAGE
PAGE 2
underwent a six-hour operation
education for dog owners. 240150
for injuries he
City of Casey manager of safer communi10 PAGE ties Daniel Osborne said the matter remains
dog rushes occur
if they SPORT find themselves not contained to their property, which can lead to instances of dog attacks.
12496498-DL22-21
“Keeping your dogs securely confined to your property, and ensuring they are always under effective control when out, are key measures to keep your pets and the community He said pet registration fees help council provide a number of services, including reuniting lost pets with owners, investigating dog attacks, puppy farms, and prosecuting offees
BABY SEAT FITTING
on the fivethe same period in 2021, and seven year average. Speaking on those events, Superintendent John Road Policing Operations & Investigation as a “worryFitzpatrick described the increase of the vulnering trend” and issued a reminder abilities of motorcycle riders. some of the “These figures are alarming and coming is that AUTOBARN anecdotal evidence that we see to sitting out of Covid-19, people aren’t used NARRE WARREN and they’re Cnr Narre Warren in traffic for long periods of time Nth & maybe althat transport of Lauderdale choosing a mode Rds Tuesday, 9 August, 2022 Fitzpatrick lows them to (avoid) that,” Supt said on Saturday 23 July. on motor“We’re seeing many more people bikes than we’ve seen ever before. a bike, it’s “Driving a motorcar and riding a shared responsibility about understanding what’s around where you are on the road and about you. We ask people to please be sensible mothey ride the way they drive and the way torbikes.” of Chamber President of the Cranbourne decision to Commerce Jeremy Dart said the given the cancel the event was “short-sighted”, to take missed opportunity for local traders /DandenongJournal @StarJournal_SE of the increased patronage. advantage 40¢ Inc. GST feedback While the Chamber has received aligning with from some retailers in the region to the Casey’s hypothesis that the disruption was problematic, riders and roads and their businesses options ness of the relationship between he was disappointed that alternative vehicles. approved. to see how had not been to the “We need to encourage people “It does bring significant numbers a valid form of transport. two-wheelers arePAGE the specific precinct,” Mr Dart said. 9 road-user region and SPORT would “We’re the most vulnerable “To allow a different model to exist with pathThere are plenty of group. Pedestrians are protected option. better much a be lanes. bike ways and crossings; cyclist have back (of High Street) that the traffic but facilities out the festival still. We’re out there in the middle of would allow them to still have a it would we are such a solution (to road congestion).” “Had there been some foresight, in re The issue has come into sharp focus
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Cranbourne High Street shopping precinct in Gippsland before proceeding down the South Highway for the big race. PatterCity of Casey chief executive Glenn a number of son said the council attributed was not made factors to their decision, which
City of Casey Bunjil Place 2 Patrick Northeast Drive NARRE WARREN This can be done during office hours and is free of charge. Documents can also be viewed on Council’s website:
DANDENONG
lightly. the signifi“Council has taken into account the disruption cant costs of running the event, aware of the to local traffic and we are also of Cranfrustration experienced by a number disbourne businesses, who face considerable seeing ruption due to the road closure, without said. an increase in patronage,” Mr Patterson dandenong.starcommun budget and ity.com.au “We will be retaining this event comare investigating options for another area that ofmunity event in the Cranbourne benefits to fers greater enjoyment and more to be anresidents and ratepayers, with details 199533 The last Cranbourne GP Run in 2019. nounced at a future date.” 60 per The City of Casey said approximately and they’ll be spendwas required will be at Phillip Island, cent of the $93,000 event budget ing their money down there instead.” Gippsland South the of PAGE 2 to manage the closure that4Casey would have PAGE He said he hoped Highway for the event. too late, allowing the Motorcycle a “re-think” before it’s John Eacott from the Victorian two-year absence. “extremely event to proceed after a VictoCouncil (VMC) said the council was decision. “It’s not just locals and people within disappointed” with the City of Casey’s thing. Peoconstantly ria who attend - it’s a nation-wideSouth Wales, “The VMC had years of working ple come from Queensland, New said. get-towith the City of Casey,” Mr Eacott South Australia. The GP is an annual
Fresh faces at Lyndale Secondary
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Any person who may be affected by the granting of the permit may object or make other submissions to the Responsible Authority. An objection must: • be made to the Responsible Authority in writing to, Manager Planning, P.O. Box 1000, Narre Warren 3805 or emailed to caseycc@casey.vic.gov.au • include the application number and site address • include the reasons for the objection, and • state how the objector would be affected.
The end of an era
By Cam Lucadou-Wells
WINTER “It’s a big deal. They really love it,” she says. 2022 “Everyone needs to be acknowledged at least one day a year.” Her husband and principal Kevin says it goes to how much the school’s team cares. Next term, the couple will face their own special day – their last day at the school that they have served for such an extraordinary time. Mr and Ms Mackay have been there for 39 years and 36 years, respectively. All up, their teaching careers have spanned 60 years and 45 years. On 4 October, they will mark their retirement with a massive ‘general assembly’ at Dandenong High School hall. Kevin and Jenny Mackay have served Mr Mackay OAM said it would Dandenong North Primary School be the first as principal and assistant principal assembly since the Covid pandemic’s for nearly four decades. 292591 start. “It’s been an enormous part, where Picture: GARY SISSONS I get to food parcels or writing to government teach all the kids for half an hour. agen- follow each other to Dandenong We’ve missed cies on their behalf. North Pri- the best teachers I’ve that, so it will be good to have a met. mary School. last one. “And that kids know that you like “As the school became more complex “It’s going to be hard to avoid tears.” them. You Alarm bells rang for over have staff here that care about them – they’ll principal Mr Mackay the newly-appointed many years, Jenny’s experience has helped In their time, the school has built adwhen his wife was ap- dress an envi- ask the kids to ‘tell me more’. They go that the complexities. able reputation to bringing out the extra pointed to join the school. mile. best in from more than 50 diverse backgrounds. kids “From the synergies of effort you Mr Mackay worried about how get more “I think all the Dandenong schools to handle bang for your buck do a ter- the potential conflicts Its cutting-edge programs have than just two people. We’re of interest and staff dis- more been docu- rific job at that.” like two-and-a-half.” mented in award-winning films. harmony. While deputy principal at Clayton Meanwhile, Ms Mackay Primary What makes the school special “We made it work,” he said. “And School in the 1980’s, Mr Mackay thank God cipal as an “incredibly describes the prinmet a first- she was appointed “warmth”, Ms Mackay says. The school is its creative and lateral here. ensures year teacher Jenny. thinker” who will always look for the families get what they need a better way “My – whether it’s job is to get the best teachers I possibly of doing things. They of course later married, and were to can to work with the children. Jenny is one of Continued page 10
Berwick family’s
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in schools on safety around animals. But Mr Cini said he remained sceptical about council’s investment in education for dog owners. “A lot of people are misinformed about the reasons their dog might have social issues,” he said. “We have to have proper education programs...why not give [owners] a quick online test or a copy of the legal requirement of owning a dog when they register their pets?” In 2020/21, there was a total of 237 reported dog attacks in the City of Casey, 151 of the attacks on dogs and 51 attacks on humans.
GP Run cancelled Mr Osborne added that registrations
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ham,” Mr Staindl said. closer to “You can travel into Berwick or as much but the city and you’re paying twice here in Pakenham, you can get four-bedroom for around houses under 10 years of age of first home $600,000 to $650,000, so for a lot
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Exciting Gracious able to walk down the street sustained in the attack. when dogs are not contained were also used for education programs Successful Eagles to their property,” he said. on reOlympian and not have a fear of dogs rushing us or ownThe school girl and her parents Grigson sponsible pet ownership, including are underroad shows “Dogs that have not been adequately crackdown stood to be mentally shaken by add pace so- and events, the Maternal and Child the attack, but inspires Tooradin backcialised with It comes after a series of dog attacks gives Health other animals are also more likely Centre’s in the are grateful their dog and daughter We Are Family program and education on hoons are alive. to demonstrate aggression students
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St Clare’s Primary School Officer Foundation students and teachers of are celebrating reaching 100 days learning in the classroom. as Students enjoyed dressing up 100 year olds, with props of pearls, sushair rollers, walking sticks and penders donned for the special day. a The students celebrated with singshindig that involved dancing, berwicknews.starcommu 100. nity.com.au ing, colouring-in and counting to STORY PAGE 18
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Bloods thirst for success By Marcus Uhe
DDCA
DANDENONG DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION
Springvale South are premiers of DDCA Turf 1 for the second-consecutive season after defeating rivals Buckley Ridges by six wickets in Saturday’s grand final at Arch Brown Reserve. The bowling group, led by Blade Baxter and Jarryd Straker, kept Buckley to 147, before Baxter and Cam Forysth added 60 for the final wicket to complete the chase in the 37th over. Hot and windy conditions confronted both sides on Saturday morning, with Buckley captain Ben Wright choosing to bat first as the temperature quickly reached the mid-30s. Yoshan Kumara got his side off to an excellent start with the ball, removing Daniel Watson in the second over LBW for just one. Much like in the semi-final contest between these two combatants, it was Jake Cronin and Jayson Hobbs who mounted a charge for the Bucks. Cronin, who has taken to Turf 1 cricket with aplomb late in the campaign, looked to up the tempo, hitting Kumara for two boundaries with lofted off drives in the sixth over and clipping balls straying to his leg side exquisitely off his pads. A wayward over from Matt Wetering allowed Hobbs to find his feet as he makes his return from injury, hitting three boundaries with some lofted on-drives as the two looked to settle-in for a long stint in the middle. But as he has time and time again for the Bloods, it was Jarryd Straker who provided the crucial breakthrough that set things in motion for his side. Cronin was stumped by Paul Hill on 42, off Straker’s bowling, and soon after, Hobbs departed for 35, as Jackson Sketcher combined with Straker to put the clamps on in the middle overs. 1/82 with two set batters at the wicket had become 3/98 with two players starting their innings in a short period of time, as the experienced pair of Mahela Udawatte and Ben Wright looked to restart the innings. Their 27-run stand was brought to a close by a superb Mitch Forsyth catch on the square leg boundary, running to his right and taking the ball over his head in front of Buckley Ridges supporters off a well-struck slog sweep from Wright. The batting innings never recovered, with the final seven wickets falling for just 22 as Buckley limped to 147. Straker (3/34) and Baxter (3/26) did the major damage for the Bloods, with Sketcher
TURF 1 REVIEW - GRAND FINAL
Back-to-back DDCA Turf 1 Premiers, Springvale South. 324303 chipping-in with two of his own. Jordan Mackenzie and Mitch Forysth made a composed start to the chase, happy to get their eyes-in and see off the new ball. Forsyth fell victim to an incredible catch from Troy Aust, diving to his left down the leg side to grasp the ball one-handed off Jayaratne, and it was nearly two in two balls, with Jordan Wyatt dropped at slip by Matthew Goodwright off his first delivery. Goodwright looked to make-amends by snaring another one-handed catch to remove Wyatt, but the nonchalant celebration suggested that he knew the damage had been done. Mackenzie was stumped on 41 by a superb piece of work from Aust, standing-up to the stumps for Jayaratne and removing the bails while off-balance having reached to the leg
side, and when Sketcher’s brief innings came to a close on 10, things were beginning to look a touch shaky for the defending premiers. But with their deep batting line-up and a small total to chase, the calm heads of Baxter and Forsyth ensured there was never any danger, with a Forsyth sweep into the boundary enough to send his teammates and supporters in the W.J Williamson pavilion into raptures. DDCA TURF 1 GRAND FINAL BUCKLEY RIDGES V SPRINGVALE SOUTH ARCH BROWN RESERVE TOSS: BUCKLEY RIDGES 1ST INNINGS - BUCKLEY RIDGES D Watson lbw b Y Kumara ...............................................................1 J Cronin st P Hill b J Straker......................................................... 42 J Hobbs lbw b J Sketcher ............................................................. 35 M Udawatte b J Straker ............................................................... 34 B Wright c M Forsyth b J Straker .................................................. 11 H Jayaratne run out (J Dowling, P Hill) ............................................3 T Aust c C Forsyth b J Sketcher .......................................................6 M Davies c & b B Baxter.................................................................1
Picture: ROB CAREW M Goodwright not out .....................................................................1 H Ali lbw b B Baxter ........................................................................1 S Dinesh lbw b B Baxter .................................................................0 Extras (nb 3, w 3, b 0, lb 6) ......................................................... 12 Total (40 overs) ......................................................................... 147 Fall of wicket: 6 (D Watson), 82 (J Cronin), 98 (J Hobbs), 125 (B Wright), 136 (M Udawatte), 137 (H Jayaratne), 141 (M Davies), 145 (T Aust), 146 (H Ali), 147 (S Dinesh). Bowling: J Dowling 4-0-0-16, Y Kumara 4-0-1-19, M Wetering 3-0-020, B Baxter 10-1-3-26, J Straker 12-2-3-34, J Sketcher 7-0-2-26. 1ST INNINGS - SPRINGVALE SOUTH M Forsyth c T Aust b H Jayaratne ..................................................5 J Mackenzie st T Aust b D Watson ...............................................41 J Wyatt c M Goodwright b S Dinesh ............................................24 C Forsyth not out ........................................................................37 J Sketcher c T Aust b H Jayaratne................................................10 B Baxter not out .........................................................................18 Extras (nb 5, w 4, b 3, lb 2) ........................................................14 Total (36.1 overs) ................................................................ 4/149 Fall of wicket: 15 (M Forsyth), 61 (J Wyatt), 76 (J Mackenzie), 89 (J Sketcher). Bowling: H Jayaratne 9-1-2-28, H Ali 4-0-0-19, M Davies 6-0-0-35, S Dinesh 7-2-1-23, D Watson 6-1-1-22, M Goodwright 4.1-0-0-17. SPRINGVALE SOUTH - PREMIERS
Whitford wisdom has Demons dreaming of doing double By Marcus Uhe Saturday’s flag-unfurling ceremony at Casey Fields won’t be an unfamiliar scene for new Casey Demons senior coach Taylor Whitford, as his side begins the fresh season with a celebration of its 2022 achievements. Stepping into the hot seat after two years as their senior assistant, Whitford’s time in football - and coaches boxes - has been intrinsically linked with premiership success in the last decade. Before joining Casey, Whitford coached North Launceston in the Tasmanian State League to two premiership wins in 2018 and 2019, having captained the same side to glory in 2015 and 2017. While it would be unique to many, taking over as a senior coach after winning a premiership rather than facing a rebuild, Whitford knows exactly what it will take to go back-to-back. “I get to lean on (previous experiences) a little bit, but it’s just about building that dynamic in the group again,” Whitford said. “From my point of view it’s about remembering 2022 as a successful season for the club, but we’ve moved on now, and first day of preseason was all around building the right habits in order to build that sustained success at Casey. “We’ve been lucky enough over the last three or four years, even though it’s been Covid-19 interrupted, that we’ve had successful seasons down at Casey and we’re hoping to continue that.” 24 STAR NEWS
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James Munro will be another key contributor for the Casey Demons in the VFL this season. 296136 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Having the pre-established chemistry and camaraderie with the playing group, the transition has been “smooth” for Whitford, supported by the established senior group of players in premiership captain Mitch White, James Munro, Matt Buntine and George Grey. In the fortunate position of having witnessed plenty of success during his time in the game, Whitford believes familiarity within the squad is a key element of strong clubs and the ability to achieve the ultimate.
“I think each different team that I’ve been involved in has had their own little intricacies in how they go about it, but one consistency has been the connected-ness of the group and the willingness to play a role for the team,” he said. “That’s a little bit around my coaching as well, and how we can connect together, implement the things we want to implement both on and off field, but also understanding what’s required in certain situations for certain players.
“We’ll be looking to build on those couple of things and hopefully it produces a couple of really good things this year.” Supporting their endeavours to win it all again are former Dandenong Stingrays Finn Emmell-Brennan and Ziggy Toledo Glasman, along with Nar Nar Goon’s Patrick Cross, who played for the Gippsland Power last season. With the first bounce merely days away after a long summer on the track, Whitford is excited to see what 2023 can bring, and won’t put a ceiling on what they can achieve. “Pre-season’s been great but there’s nothing like the in-season mode of games weekto-week, whether we win or lose, we’re all about getting better and turning up next week,” he said. “I’m super excited for the year that’s for sure. “We’re coming into the year confident. “We understand that our best footy is up there, but as I said previously, each year is a different year and we’ve just got to understand that, and not come in expecting things to role on. “Definitely we’re prepared to start again, hopefully put in a good few weeks and assess our season from there, hopefully keep building and put ourselves in the top four or top six now.” Saturday’s game against Footscray begins at 2.05pm, with the flag unfurling to take place beforehand. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
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Lions to roar with Power By Jonty Ralphsmith The Pakenham Junior Football Club is proud as punch, having produced six players who have made the Gippsland Power girls under-16 futures list. The Power pathway will give the girls the opportunity to play against the best of their age in the state and develop their skills at the highest junior level. Among that six are the Power co-captains, Abby Hobson and Ava Deszcz. Deszcz is a strong-bodied key forward who can rotate through the midfield with good skills and speed. This season is her first at Pakenham with coach James Perkins describing her as “the loudest at training by a country mile.” Gippsland Under-16 coach Shayla Marsh added. “The energy they bring to each training session got them voted in, they’re always enthusiastic and get around the other girls,” she said. Hobson is another who can play key forward, leading the Lions goal-kicking last year. “She would be one of the best female footballers I’ve seen ever,” said Perkins. “A really strong contested mark and beautiful kick, she leads by example on the field. “When she played, we won most of the time.” Jayda Tannahill, Bonnie Williams, Ashleigh Perkins and Addison Venten round out the Lions who made the cut. Tannahill has improved markedly in the last 12 months, playing the role of an in-and-under workmanlike midfielder. “She tackles well and has a really good
The six Pakenham girls after the Power’s round one game on the weekend. Left to right: Jayda Tannahill, Bonnie Williams, Abby Hobson, Ava Deszcz, Ashleigh Perkins and Addison Venten. 324908 Picture: SUPPLIED work-rate and you know you’ll get 100 per cent effort week in week out,” Perkins said. Williams also plays through the midfield, backing herself to breakaway and take the game on when she gets ball in hand. She was one of the stronger performers for Gippsland on the weekend, which went down to Dandenong by 12 points at a hot and blustery Hastings. Perkins, a left-footer with a good tank and high footy IQ, is the most experienced of the lot, having played 75 games of junior footy. Her experienced shines through at Power
level according to Marsh, who lauded her willingness to help those newer to the game. Venten, meanwhile, is new to the club, having played in West Gippsland in an under-18 competition last year which threw her in the deep end. Pakenham see her as a halfback. Perkins, Tannahill, Williams and Hobson were all part of the Lions squad which made an impressive run to the preliminary final last year. Williams won the club best and fairest, and, with teammate Hobson tied for fourth in
the league medal. “They all have aspirations to go as far as they can with their footy,” Perkins said. “They’re six really good girls and they’ve all become a close-knit group. “It’s great to see so many from the same area who will hopefully be with the Power for the next couple of years.” As well as being the best 22 players for the under-16 team, all six girls will be a chance to represent the under-18 team later in the season.
Fairytale finish for favourite son as Demons deliver again By David Nagel Redemption is complete. Kooweerup captain Michael Giles sunk to his knees after Cody Miller gleefully accepted a skied-ball at deep point to give the Demons their eighth top-flight premiership in 14 years on Sunday. And the emotions spilled out. Giles, Doofy to his mates, had just orchestrated a perfect record as captain-coach in his three completed seasons at the helm – 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2022/23. But it’s the uncompleted season of 2015/16 that made Sunday’s moment so special. Giles was heading for the holy grail as captain-coach at Kooweerup - three premierships on the trot - until a late-night incident on Saturday 30 January, 2016, propelled his world into a spin. The club believed he had compromised club standards and he was asked to step down. “It was the toughest part of my life, it really was,” an emotional Giles said, with a fifth premiership medal glistening around his neck. “I hadn’t really gone through anything drastic in my life, like deaths, things like that, so to have something that you’ve loved and grew up with all your life - taken away - and the way it went down, it was heartbreaking. “But time heals all wounds as they say, and it did, it really did, it healed and we end up here today. “After this all I can say is never hold a grudge in life, you have to move on and move forward with your life.”
Brothers in arms. Chris Bright lifts his captain Michael Giles from his haunches after Kooweerup’s premiership win on Sunday. Matt Bright moves in to join them. 324917 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS Giles and the Kooweerup Cricket Club reunited this season, with Doofy taking over the reins from one of his closest mates in Chris Bright – who had as much to lose as anyone upon Giles’ return. “He rang me and said he was thinking about coming back, and I said ‘mate, do it’, and then I got a call from Matty Davey (President) saying they were going with Doofy, taking over captain and coaching, I rang Doofy straight away and we were both in tears,” Bright said. “He’s one of the best captains I’ve ever played under, he knows cricket, he’s a thinker; he just writes stuff on the whiteboard that won’t make a lot of sense to others, but the players just buy into it.
“I love the bloke like a brother.” It was symbolic that the man who picked Giles up after he had sunk to his knees on Sunday was Bright who, along with his brother Matt, had no doubt lifted him up during his six years away from the club. “I’ve grown up with those blokes as a young kid in Kooweerup myself, the Bright boys’ old man, Pommy (Ron Bright), he was like a second dad for me when I was a kid,” Giles explained. “We played junior football together, Pommy would pick me up, and we were just like brothers. “Then to have the five brothers (Chris, John, Matt, Paul and Ron) come to the cricket club and play, I think that’s what makes it so special. “I guess I am the sixth brother (laughs).” The cricket IQ of Giles is elite, he knows it but won’t spruik it to anyone, and was one of the main reasons why he returned to the club for one season. The blazing left-hand opener, who destroyed attacks for fun…was definitely a thing of the past. “Showing more leadership on the field, in crunch moments, that was the main thing I suppose,” Giles said of his return. “I thought we really gelled towards the end of the year, with our messaging and things like that, and it all helps to get you over the line in the end. “The mindset was just a bit different. “I’m definitely not the player I used to be, but just the coaching before the game, during the week, I really enjoyed that this year
and hopefully it made a difference.” It certainly made a difference to Bright, who played the most patient innings of his career to turn the plan of Giles into reality in a Man of the Match performance. “Our plan was to bat 80 overs, and Wombat (Bright) put his normal batting aside to stick to the plan and make sure that happened,” Giles said. “I’ve been harsh on Wombat and Luke (McMaster) all the way through the year, they’re our two best batters, but they play across the line at times and get themselves out. “But it didn’t happen yesterday. “Wombat put the onus on himself and delivered…if he went out, we wouldn’t have won that game. “That’s the best innings I’ve ever seen him play. “He had a great finals series. “He won us the game against Tooradin, and won us the grand final against Cardy.” Giles was already reflective…less than an hour after the game. “I never thought it would happen again, after what happened at the club…but fairytales do come true….and they did come true for me today,” he said. “I never thought I would play another game with these guys, Mushy (Matt Bright) and Wombat in particular, so to get the job done means everything and it feels amazing. “This will be the best premiership ever because it will be my last one…I’m just going to savour it for a long time to come.” Redemption is complete!
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Young talent ready to fire By Jonty Ralphsmith The Dandenong Stingrays boys kick off their Coates Talent League campaign this weekend against Geelong Falcons at Colac. The ‘Rays will again be led by boys coach Nick Cox with AFL-academy prospect Cooper Simpson and Harry DeMattia taking the reins as co-captains. Simpson has been a clear leader for the club in pre-season despite battling glandular fever, with his credentials in that space underlined by the fact that the polished midfielder was given the reigns for a period in 2022 when Dandenong’s best players were missing. DeMattia, meanwhile, got exposure at the level last season in a variety of positions and brings professionalism, having been in elite level cricket and footy environments. Billy Wilson, Kobe Shipp and Harvey Langford round out the leadership group. The club plays 13 home and away games, while the best players in the region will also get the opportunity to compete for Vic Country in the national championships against the best in the country. The Stingrays last season made the grand final and while the club will be keen to back up that effort, more important will be promoting individual prospects. The ‘Rays had three boys drafted in 2022 and have set themselves up for 2023 with plenty of this year’s crop getting a run in the league last season as bottom-agers. “We’ve got a little bit more height and marking power than we did last year so we’re looking forward to utilising that,” Cox said. “We have some players who are getting their opportunity at Vic Country level and rated okay but overall we’re a little bit ahead of where we were at last year.” Cox highlighted the increased resources available to the program to improve the fostering of talent. One man who has come on board and been taken to by the players is boxing coach Craig Lineham, which has improved the fitness and grit of the group. “We grind away with footy all the time, and when we see different aspects to players, it’s interesting to see how they react to it,” he said. “A couple have become better in the contest after the boxing so that’s been a massive tick.” Below is an overview of some of the prospects from the Dandenong Journal region. KOBE SHIPP: An intercepting defender who got to play a lot of Talent League footy last season, expect him to get an opportunity to match it with some tough opponents this season. That aerial presence was on show in the under-17 all-stars game on the MCG, played on AFL Grand Final day, which capped off a strong year. When he does get the ball, he’s able to set Dandenong up from behind the ball with his kicking while he may also be seen on a wing in 2023. KADE DE LA RUE: Played mostly high-forward last season but expect De La Rue to get some opportunity in the midfield this season. The son of former Stingray Ben, Kade ruptured his ACL in 2021 but the setback seems to have
Kobe Shipp’s has already played well at the level and will look to build on that in 2023. Picture: JAZZ BENNETT MEDIA
Watch out for Sam Frangalas in 2023. 324797 steeled him more than set him back as he put on significant size. Has the ability to breakaway from stoppage and has a tidy skill-set. JACK WILSON: A small forward who had plenty of exciting moments in 2022. Wilson, who played senior footy for Hampton Park in Division 2 of the Southern League as a 16-year-old in 2021, will look to build a more consistent block of form in 2023 and show he can hit the scoreboard, set it up and apply pressure. The son of former Redbacks coach, Nathan. JOZIAH NANNUP: One who wasn’t part of the program last season, Nannup has likeable athletic traits and enough upside to suggest he could impact at the level. Did well at the preseason testing day all players took part in and there are high wraps on him out of Doveton Doves. Has pace that will be used mostly up forward. A wildcard to watch. SAM FRANGALAS: A big-bodied inside midfielder, Frangalas was another who played the under-17 all-stars game on AFL Grand Final day. He loves the physicality, thrives on
Picture: JAZZ BENNETT MEDIA
2023 skipper Seb Amaroso chases after a loose ball. 311220 Picture: SHAZ CAIA PHOTOGRAPHY
winning it in-and-under and attacks it with brute strength. Feeds well to the runners and will also hope to show that he can kick it well, go forward and hit the scoreboard. Having matched it with the big bodies and learnt the lessons of 2022, he has a platform to take a big step forward in 2023. RIAK ANDREW: The brother of Gold Coast’s Mac, Riak had his 2022 erased by injury so is one who will create plenty of talk among AFL recruiters. Is a similar type of player to his brother, albeit perhaps isn’t blessed with the same height. The Beaconsfield junior is still very raw and will hope to show enough glimpses as a mobile key-position prospect so a club is willing to take a punt on him. Will miss the first handful of matches. OTHERS: Simpson is a Mornington Peninsula product who has already done plenty right to catch the eye of recruiters. A Mount Martha product, he’s polished, wins his own footy, can go forward and has put on muscle in preseason so will be one to keep a close eye on.
Mount Eliza’s Ziggy Toledo-Glasman will split his time between the ‘Rays and Casey in the VFL, as a 19-year-old. Was a draft smokey last year, showing likeable traits as a key forward, where he’ll again play for Dandenong in 2023. Coren Giliam has shown promise at local level for Fountain Gate, Berwick Springs’ Matt Nelson was very good at the level last year and could push up to Vic Country and Ziggy Nosiara is a familiar name, his brother, Hugo playing reasonably for the ‘Rays in 2022. The Gippsland Power, meanwhile, will start its season against Murray on Sunday. The Power will again be led by coach Rhett McLennan, while Drouin prospect Seb Amaroso will skipper the side. He played as a pressure forward last year but will this season look to show his capabilities as a tough on-baller. For a full overview of their local prospects, grab a copy of next week’s edition of the Pakenham Gazette.
Swannies soar over Stingrays in first match of season By Jonty Ralphsmith The Dandenong Stingrays girls season has started with a gritty 6.7 43 to 5.2 32 loss in hot conditions at Hastings against a well-drilled Sydney Swans Academy side. The ‘Rays led by just 12 points at quarter time despite controlling the game and having a heavy breeze advantage, the Swans able to dictate from the middle thereafter despite Dandenong’s outside run. One who stood out from the Dandenong engine room was Meg Robertson. The club sees her as a player who could push into Vic Country and she was bullocking on her own in tough conditions, against the tide, all day. Abbie Tregalis kicked one goal and provided energy inside 50 for her team, while Kaya Dalgleish and Beaconsfield’s Abbey Dibben 26 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 23 March, 2023
finished with two each. Vic Country representative Sophie Butterworth’s preseason also bore fruit. Having played most of her footy up forward as a junior, she was swung into defence when Sydney had the wind advantage, taking several intercept marks and using her left foot to good effect. The ‘Rays will be looking to bounce back next week at Deakin University against Geelong Falcons, which got a first-up win.
Tiger Abbey Dibben kicked two for the Stingrays. 324895 Picture: JAZZ BENNETT MEDIA berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
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Tipstars Leaderboard Andrew Sklepic ...................6
Kelly Price ..........................5
James Bonnet .....................6
Marcus Uhe.........................5
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Matt Kettringham ................5
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Geelong Melbourne Port Adelaide Richmond St Kilda
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