Mail - Ranges Trader Star Mail - 25th April 2023

Marathon Mum

By Tyler Wright

In September 2020, Cockatoo couple Ashley Woodrow and Lachlan Martin found out they were expecting their first child.

Despite being the year the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, it was the right time for the pair - who have been together for over 10 years.

“We always said we would try to start our family once we had a home and we were comfortable, and we were very fortunate that I fell pregnant in that year,” Ashley said.

At Ashley’s eight week scan, it was revealed her and Lachlan would be welcoming not one, but two babies into the world.

“We were pretty shocked, and I think because it was our first, we must have not really known what we were in for,” Ashley said.

“Even the scan tech was surprised that we were happy about it, so that was an incredible start to being parents.”

Receiving specialist care at Box Hill Hospital due to a high risk twin pregnancy, everything was progressing normally until Ashley reached 25 weeks gestation, and it was discovered ‘twin B’ - Ollie - was experiencing high blood pressure.

“That day was traumatic…I was essentially given the worst possible outcome, which was I may have to deliver that day,” Ashley said.

Taken to the Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg, Ashley was consulted by an ultrasound specialist, who advised it would likely be a pre-30 week delivery.

Continued page 8

Pictures:SUPPLIED AshleywithpartnerLachlan(right)andtheir

Cockatoomum-of-twoAshleyWoodrowhuggingtwinsOllieandRussellforthefirsttimeaftertheir timeintheNICUattheMercyHospitalforWomen.

twinsatthreemonthsold.

Eye-watering floods bill

By Mikayla van Loon

Recently released data by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has shown just how much damage occurred during the 2022 floods.

Although relatively unscathed compared to other locations across the state, the Yarra Ranges still racked up a large sum of insurance claims, according to March figures.

While the Campaspe local government area experienced the highest rate of insurance claims at $207 million, the Yarra Ranges ranked mid-way with $14.9 million in claims.

Declared as a ‘current catastrophe’ by ICA within Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, the floods have reached a total of $669 million, equalling 21,000 claims, of which 53.3 per cent have been closed.

The October floods alone affected Victoria 71 per cent, NSW 19 per cent and Tasmania 3.9 per cent.

The ICA confirmed that in Victoria insurers received 12,900 claims during that time, costing $551 million in damages.

This is compared to the some 34,000 claims submitted during the 2021 storm event that decimated parts of the Yarra Ranges and Gippsland.

The catastrophic event cost insurers $313 million in damage claims across the state.

Making up the majority of claims in both the October floods and the 2021 storm were domestic building claims at 10,746 and 16,446 respectively.

Despite 2021 presenting more extreme weather events, with a total of six registered by ICA, the four events in 2022 cost three times more, reaching a total of $7 billion. While not taking into account Victoria’s floods, the ICA has appointed Deloitte to undertake an independent review of the insurance industry’s response to the 2022 South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales floods.

“As the costliest extreme weather event in Australian history, last year’s floods created significant challenges for the insurance industry in addressing the extraordinary volume of claims across a very wide geographic area,” ICA CEO Andrew Hall said.

“Following three years of La Niña conditions and the Covid-19 pandemic, these floods tested the systems insurers use to respond to customers and raised issues such as a shortage of expert assessors, building labour and materials constraints, and the com-

plexity of recovery and resilience programs delivered by state governments.

“Insurers have agreed it is timely to review the industry’s response to identify best practice and what could be improved when responding to future extreme weather events.”

IN BRIEF

Train

lines

to fully reopen

Floods topple trees

By Tyler Wright

Emerald SES crews say they have turned out to 16 jobs over the past 10 days, as flash flooding hit Melbourne overnight on Saturday 15 April.

Emerald SES Unit’s deputy controller, Neil Fisher, said members have attended requests for assistance with trees down across driveways and building damage in areas including Upwey, Cockatoo, Sassafras and Belgrave.

“The two wet summers that were due to La Niña, we found that we were doing a lot more tree down traffic hazard of whole trees rather than tree branches,” Mr Fisher said.

“In a dry, hot summer, we find that we do a lot more branch jobs; eucalyptus drop a branch because they feel like it, whereas the soggy sodden ground was dislodging whole trees.”

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Michael Efron said tropic cyclone Ilsa moved fromWestern Australia, interacting with a cold front that was moving through southeastern Australia, causing some “significant rainfall” throughout the state - especially in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

“Ferny Creek has had 138 millimetres, which is really significant… just over the April average and we’ve still got a little bit of time to go through the month,” Mr Efron said.

“[At] Bunyip River, there was 115 millimetres there over the two days, and at Knox there was 69 millimetres.

“In Dandenong Creek, at Liverpool Road Retarding Basin, there was 64 millimetres there and also 64 [millimetres] at Montrose.”

The 38.4 millimetres of rainfall that fell over Melbourne on the weekend was also the highest amount of daily April rainfall since 2011, Mr Efron said.

“The average for the whole month of April in Melbourne is about 57 millimetres, so we’ve seen a bit over half of the April average falling in a 24 hour period,” Mr Efron said.

“We’re actually looking at a really settled weekend and into Anzac Day…looking warmer and drier with a lot more sunshine as well, and that will be welcomed given the Easter that we had was very cold, wet and windy.”

Emerald SES Unit Controller Ben Owen said

Picture: EMERALD SES, FACEBOOK

people should avoid touching power lines during wet weather, and not assume they are not live.

“General maintenance, making sure your gutters are clean...when the strong wind force comes out, can you tie down or put away garden furnitures?” Mr Owen said.

“When we get a severe weather warning, if you don’t need to drive, don’t be on the roads,” Mr Fisher added.

Police plead for public to slow down

By Parker McKenzie

After several accidents resulting in injury and deaths of motorcyclists on Tuesday 18 April, Victoria Police is pleading with the public to slow down on the roads.

Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir said it had been a terrible 24 hours on the roads with two motorcyclists dead and another left seriously injured.

“Early indications suggest speed was a likely factor in each of these collisions. If everyone just slowed down the outcome may have been very different,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it is becoming far too frequent that police are pleading with motorists to slow down. We really need everyone to take some responsibility for their own behaviour behind the wheel.”

A 23-year-old Upper Ferntree Gully man has died after colliding with a traffic sign while riding a motorcycle on Tuesday 18 April.

After several accidents resulting in injury and deaths of motorcyclists, Victoria Police is pleading with the public to slow down on the roads. Picture: ON FILE

Around 4pm, the man was travelling along Clow Avenue when he collided with the sign. He died at the scene, despite Ambulance Victoria arriving shortly after the accident.

Later in the evening, emergency services responded to another crash in Olinda, after a 20-year-old from Wheelers Hill crashed into a tree on Mt Dandenong Tourist

Road around 10.50pm.

The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Another motorcyclist also died after an accident in Cranborne East.

Assistant Commissioner Weir said Anzac Day is another high-risk period on the roads, so police will do all they can to prevent further road trauma.

“In addition to targeting speeding motorists, we’ll also be focusing on impaired drivers, as we tend to see a spike in drink driving detections around Anzac Day,” he said.

“There is no excuse for getting behind the wheel while you’re alcohol or drug-affected.”

Anybody who witnessed the accidents, and has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

So far in 2023, there have been 94 lives lost on Victorian roads, compared to 76 during the same time period in 2022. This is a 23.7 per cent increase.

The Lilydale and Belgrave lines will fully reopen by 22 May, when the construction of Union Station is completed.

The opening date for the new station was announced on the government-ran Victoria’s Big Build Website.

“We thank residents, commuters and traders for their patience while we complete one of the biggest engineering projects ever undertaken in Melbourne’s east to make this area safer and less congested.” Level crossing removal project said.

“The new Union Station will open Monday 22 May and trains will return, running to the previous Surrey Hills Station schedule until the new timetable starts on Sunday 28 May.”

Trains have been replaced with buses across parts of the Belgrave and Lilydale line while construction of the station took place since 17 February.

Union Station is replacing Mont Albert and Surrey Hills stations on the Belgrave and Lilydale Lines.

The replacement of the two stations and the building of Union Station was announced in December 2020.

Code Orange called Ambulance Victoria (AV) called an Orange Escalation for the metropolitan region at 10pm on Tuesday 19 April as demand for ambulances surged.

An Orange Escalation is the second escalation procedure in AV’s Emergency Response Plan which indicates that demand or a particular incident is having a large impact on its ability to respond, alerting the whole health system that ambulance fleet availability is reduced.

“AmbulanceVictoria and metropolitan hospitals experienced high demand last night and managed the demand through the standard escalation processes,” an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said.

“We again remind all community members to save Triple Zero for emergencies – this is to ensure the sickest Victorians receive life-saving care. “

After the alert, AV undertakes actions such as calling in additional staff, referring low-urgency patients to other health services, taking steps to reduce blockages in other health services and may issue a public notice to urge the community to only call Triple Zero if urgent care is required.

Some claims on social media also prompted AV to clarify that police under no circumstances triage or transport patients.

School zones open

Drivers on the road in the mornings and afternoons are urged to take care as school zone speed limits are in place again this week as Term 2 commences.

Drivers are reminded to be patient around school zones as speed limits return and there is an expected increase in road, pedestrian and bicycle traffic at drop-off and pick-up times.

School zone limits will not be in place on Anzac Day because of the public holiday but some roads may be closed for marches and services.

Some school speed zones are permanent, while others operate from 8am to 9.30am, and from 2.30pm to 4pm on weekdays, with reduced speeds of 40km/h or 60km/h in school zones until the end of the school term.

A recent storm job in the Bunyip State Forest, attended by Emerald SES crews.

Making a big issue visible

By Callum Ludwig

Wednesday 19 April marks Youth Homelessness Matters Day, shining a light on the plight of young people without a safe and secure home.

Data from the 2021 census found that more than 122,000 Australians were experiencing homelessness, with 15 per cent of that figure being children aged 12 and under.

Founder and CEO of Yarra Ranges-based homelessness support service Holy Fools Neal Taylor said people don’t see homelessness as being a problem locally, because it’s not visible as much as it is in the city.

“We only see the very small percentage of people who sleep rough and even that’s hidden here in the Yarra Ranges. From not only our research but in talking to some of the other people who have been homeless, young people tend to avoid rough sleeping side as much as possible, they tend to do more couch surfing and staying temporarily with friends and family,” he said.

“Or maybe they just left their parents for the night or have gone out onto the streets for the first time, we have found people sleeping in playground equipment to take shelter from the wind and rain, so we know they are out there.”

The LilydaleYouth Hub which closed in late 2022 due to a lack of funding was often a place where young people experiencing homelessness came and were out to ask for help from other young people, often getting support and well as helping to formulate a plan to better their circumstances

Mr Taylor said he would love to see funding to employ youth workers again in the area or to provide some independent to visit schools.

“I’ve had students who have been doing the Youth Work course through Box Hill TAFE who I’ve had on placement with me and they’ve been fantastic, I would love to have one or two of them on a part-time basis to talk to some of these kids because I just know that they would connect,” he said.

“We need people who young people can trust, who aren’t going to judge them, who are going to go out there and do what they can to care for these people and let them know they are on their side.”

An estimate from the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria estimates predicts there are about 6,000 homeless young people in Victoria.

Child psychologist and the CEO of youth homelessness charity Lighthouse Foundation Dr Eamonn McCarthy said it is pretty hard to understate the importance of Youth Homelessness Matters Day.

“The sad reality is that it is a long-term ingrained problem but in the grand scheme of things it really does help to remind people that despite all the new and concerning issues around us, homelessness is constantly there,” he said.

“Approximately 98 per cent of youth homelessness statistics in Victoria over the last couple of years are not necessarily what we would consider rough sleeping, it could be youth hanging out at a local library, or a uni student studying extra late because they don’t have anywhere to sleep or your son’s friend staying

on the couch until they finish their course.”

In the last year, the Lighthouse Foundation has provided care for 71 young people, children, and babies, serving 77,000 meals and hosting 3,285 nights in safe beds for children in foster care.

Dr McCarthy said it is important to keep an eye out for key indicators and just check in or tap into local support services if you notice them.

“It’s been a fairly long-held view that family violence, substance abuse and unexpected changes to circumstances have always been

disproportionately present in young people entering homelessness and now mental health, while in of itself not a cause of homelessness, is being found more prior and after homelessness,” he said.

“It’s about being aware of some of those indicators of it and to step in before the crisis line of homelessness and just thinking to check in, many of us have families around us, and we know they go through tough times and it can be important to turn your mind to what these times might mean for their accommodation circumstances.”

Bulk-billing nears extinction in Casey, hits hip pockets

By Callum Ludwig

In a time where we are all tightening the purse strings, the reduction in medical centres offering bulk-billing is making it harder for residents to avoid a hit to the hip pocket.

Healthcare comparison directory Cleanbill released its Health of the Nation report on 16 April, collecting pricing and availability information from all 6363 GP clinics across the country.

The Casey electorate had one of the lowest percentages of bulk billing clinics in Victoria, and not far from the lowest in the country, with only four of 34 available clinics offering bulk-billing, only 11.8 per cent.

Yarra Junction Medical Centre is one of those four and Practice Manager Alison Dajlan said there needs to be bulk-billing in the local area as otherwise some people simply can’t afford to go to the doctor.

“There’s a lot of support that is needed by general practitioners, in general, to be able to afford to run a practice while still bulkbilling., the bulk-billing rates need to be increased to make it more viable for practices to provide the service,” she said.

“Each practice would have had to evaluate whether they could continue, with the costs of rent, wages, medical supplies and equipment all having gone up in the last 12 to 24 months. A lot of clinics haven’t been able to sustain it.”

In

average appointment

out of pocket. The Casey electorate is down on this average, at $35.28 for a standard consultation.

Ms Dajlan said residents need to be able to receive medical care in their local area.

“Patients need to be able to access these services nearby and if they can’t access ser-

vice locally, they may have to travel. For some, they may not be able to if they are limited due to work or commitments or don’t have means of transport,” she said.

“Yarra Junction Medical Centre will keep bulk billing for as long as we possibly can.”

The bulk-billing statistics for some of Casey’s neighbouring electorates are varied with over half (51.4 per cent) of Latrobe clinics, a reasonable 36 per cent in Aston and a worrying 14.3 per cent of clinics in Deakin offering bulk-billing.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President Dr Nicole Higgins said the results showed the cost of years of neglect of general practice.

“Medicare has not kept up with the cost of running a practice, and we are now well past the point where the general practice profession just can subsidise care. In February, new Department of Health data showed bulk-billing had fallen to its lowest point in a decade,” she said.

“GPs want to serve their communities fairly and ensure all their patients can access the care they need. When people can see their GP when they need to, rather than when they can afford to, they are less likely to experience expensive hospital emergency presentations and be healthier and happier at every stage of their lives.We need a system that supports this.”

Victoria, the

leaves residents $40.10

Yarra Junction Medical Centre is one of only four GP clinics in Casey that still offers bulk-billing.

Picture: ON FILE

Holy Fools Founder Neal Taylor would like to see support for more youth workers to help with homelessness locally. Picture: ON FILE

Council public gallery ban

By Parker McKenzie

Yarra Ranges Council will close its meeting to the public until at least June due to an “increasing pattern of verbal abuse, intimidation and anti-social behaviour,” after several meetings throughout the year were adjourned and held behind closed doors.

The decision to close the public gallery was announced on Thursday 20 April, following two council meetings being adjourned in 2023 by Mayor Jim Child after members of the fringe-community group My Place Yarra Valley either interjected from the public gallery or filmed councillors and staff without permission from the chair.

Mayor Child told the Star Mail that the council has been “clear and transparent with the business that we conduct within the chamber and always welcomed community input.”

“I’ll probably go so far to say we probably do it better than other councils where agenda items if there are no registered speakers, I’ll ask the gallery do you want to speak to a particular item?” he said.

“We do have interaction to the gallery, but what’s happened since late last year is that we’ve got this body of people that come to our chamber and they’ve really got nothing more on their mind but to disrupt proceedings, and that’s what they’re doing.”

My Place Yarra Valley has attended every council meeting in 2023 to oppose the implementation of 20-minute neighbourhood design plans and a perceived increase in surveillance throughout Yarra Ranges Shire, often with over 100 people filling the public gallery at the Yarra Ranges Civic Centre.

The Star Mail asked My PlaceYarraValley to respond to several questions regarding their involvement in the decision to close the public gallery and comments made by Mayor Child to the Star Mail and ABC Radio on Thursday 20 April.

In a statement, MPYV said “there is no evidence of verbal abuse, intimidation and antisocial behaviour from the public gallery.”

“We encourage interested persons to scrutinise councils footage.The fact that the Council will not engage with the Gallery during meetings obviously creates frustration for residents who feel they are not being heard, [sic]” the response said.

“The closing of the gallery is a reactive response to eliminate the communities engagement in the right to scrutinise and participate in the democratic process we enjoy here in Australia.”

On Tuesday 11 April, Mayor Child adjourned the council meeting after those in attendance refused to stop filming from the gallery.

“I made it very clear at the beginning of the meeting because councillors had raised that concern where they get a phone with the internal light of the phone on and it’s directed straight at the councillor while they are speaking, it’s not necessary and we don’t need that,” Mayor Child said.

“The meeting is recorded, the video is recorded and it’s just beyond me that type of

behaviour. What this really shows is that their main cause is to disrupt the meeting and then you can go one step further by looking at the causes that this My Place is actually supporting.”

When asked about the ban on filming in the gallery, MPYV said “the only logical answer is that the council do not want to be exposed for what may occur given that it could be captured on our cameras but deleted from the council recordings.”

“It is clear from the lack of community engagement in the areas being set up as 20 minute communities, council are not fulfilling their obligations under their own public transparency and community engagement policies which clearly provide it is the community that have the ultimate say by placing the final decision making in the hands of the public,” the response said.

“This is clearly not taking place and this is the main reason for the community attending the meetings. The community feel their voice is not being heard.”

Mayor Child said staff and councillors have started to become nervous when leaving the chamber late at night, following the end of council meetings.

“We don’t know what they’re up to, we leave these premises thinking what’s going to happen next?” he said.

“That’s where it’s, I believe, a threat to democracy when we have people like this that come in and continually want to disrupt the proceedings of council and threaten councillors.”

In response, MPYV said “it is regrettable

that the Mayor has instilled fear into the staff and other councillors.”

“The Mayor and staff have absolutely no reason to feel nervous as we are a passive peaceful group, council are possibly misinterpreting assertive passionate rate payers and we feel Councils opinion of the mums and dads attending their meetings is extreme.” the statement said.

The April 11 council meeting was the second to be closed to the public in 2023, after a meeting on Tuesday 31 January was adjourned and police were called to the premise after the public gallery refused to leave the building.

While appearing on ABC Radio, Mayor Child referred to the group as conspiracy theorists and said members hadn’t come to terms with the Holocaust, in reference to My Place founder Darren Bergwerf’s comments during an interview with ABC’s 7.30 program.

My Place Yarra Valley said the statement from Mayor Child was not a fair characterisation of those attending the meetings.

“To insinuate that all 30,000 My Place members across Australia have the same thoughts and opinions is ludicrous,” they said.

“In fact, it seems that the Mayor’s comments are designed to discredit and defame what is a wonderful and supportive community group that are tired of bureaucracy and government overreach.”

Mayor Child said all he wants to do is “get that gallery open again because we are in a unique position with local government.”

“If you try this sort of behaviour in Spring Street or up in Canberra, you would be thrown out,” he said.

“I just plead with the people that come to our chamber just to disrupt the business of council and I’ve said this so many times before — I’ve said it to their leader when we had a discussion with him — just follow the governance rules, we’ve got it there, everyone else has to do it, we’ll answer your questions, we’ll interact with you but this behaviour of shouting abuse has to stop.”

Yarra Ranges councillors and staff met with two members of MPYV, Ian Bergwerf and Belinda Bernardini, after police were called to the council meeting in January.

In response, My Place Yarra Valley argued questions are not threats and that members of the public are entitled to question the council’s agenda.

“As there has been no pattern of verbal abuse, intimidation and anti-social behaviour, we suspect the closure is a tactic to undermine community participation and Australia’s fundamental democratic process at a grass roots level.” the statement said.

The council will continue to live stream meetings until at least June when Mayor Child said the council plans to reopen the public gallery.

“If we continually get into a situation where we can’t conduct orderly business, well, we’ll have no choice but to go again and do what we’re doing now,” he said.

“We’re not closing down council, we are doing it on a different platform. If anyone can come online and see what we’re doing, they can still interact, they can still register questions, they can still register submissions, there’s no problem there.“

Quarry Reserve reopens following $2.3m upgrade

By Parker McKenzie

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King visited the Ferntree Gully Quarry Reserve on Thursday 20 April to officially open the $2.305 million upgrade.

Alongside newly-elected Aston MP Mary Doyle, DobsonWard Councillor Meagan Baker, Deputy Mayor Jude Dwight and Knox City Council CEO Bruce Dobson, Ms King toured the upgraded Quarry Reserve and said it was the first time she has had the chance to visit.

“These projects are complex and require long-term vision and really sticking at it for a while, these are exactly the sort of activations that we want to see as a government,” she said.

“People are using spaces in really complex ways and I’ve seen older residents walking with their dogs or grandparents with their grandchildren, parents with their children

participating in the space already.”

While the Quarry Reserve has remained in use, it has undergone improvements to the playground, added public toilets, picnic shelters, tables BBQs, drinking fountains, new paths, stairs and fencing since the mas-

terplan was put together in 2015.

The upgrades were funded through $1.7 million from the Australian Government, $600,000 from Knox City Council and $50,000 from Fisheries Victoria.

Deputy Mayor Jude Dwight said the space gives locals the opportunity to come and enjoy the beautiful location.

“When backyards are getting smaller, we need places and we need to protect and enhance them so they can be used,” she said.

“We listened to people as we were walking in sharing their stories with the members of government here to today and they spoke so highly of it.

“I’m just appreciative of the additional funding that we can get from other levels of government to achieve things that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do with the rates that we are working on.”

The only upgrade left to complete is a lookout over the quarry itself, due to be finished by June 2023.

Cr Baker said the multi-use park was avilable for people to fish, bring their children down to play in and so much more.

“It could be to throw a Frisbee or kick a footy, it’s for multiple generations to come down and enjoy,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to the lookout, that’s a new project at the Quarry Reserve.”

Ferntree Gully Quarry Reserve was previously mined for bluestone to be used in the construction of roads and railways around Victoria for 100 years before being decommissioned in 1996.

It features a manmade lake that has been stocked with fish by Fisheries Victoria. The lake is currently closed for fishing and swimming because of elevated levels of bacteria.

Cr Jude Dwight, Cr Meagan Baker, Aston MP Mary Doyle and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King at Quarry Reserve.

Picture: PARKER MCKENZIE

Members of My Place Yarra Valley with police at the January 31 council meeting.

Picture: PARKER MCKENZIE

Ashley’s worthy marathon

From page 1

“From that day forward, I was at the Mercy twice a week, getting both ultrasounds and ECGs with their heart rates done... that went up from twice a week for a few weeks, to every other day and then every day,” Ashley said.

At 31 weeks and six days, Ashley was given magnesium and underwent a C-section.

“I heard Russell cry for the first time, which was incredible,” she said.

Two minutes later, Ollie followed suit, coming out crying.

“At that point, we were concerned about Ollie...he was the reason why they were coming out so early.”

It wasn’t until some hours after Ashley’s procedure that she visited her twins in the NICU; both receiving the “highest level of care”.

“A few hours later, I was trying to get some sleep but failing, that’s when it really started to go pear shaped, and poor Russell went downhill all of a sudden.

“It wasn’t until after the fact, after they had done a lot of scans of his heart and tried to give him all these medicines, and he wasn’t necessarily responding.”

It was discovered Russell had an un-diagnosed case of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) - a condition in which twins share unequal amounts of the placenta’s blood supply, thereby growing at different rates.

He was stabilised after being intubated with multiple medications, put on high-frequency oxygen, given a diagnosis of a double pneumothorax and given chest drains, a blood transfusion and muscle relaxant.

“They were surprised that [Russell] was able to hold on for so long because he had thickening on one side of his heart from overworking in the womb,” Ashley said.

Without immediate specialist care, Ashley said the outcome for Russell and their family may have been different.

“We were so lucky that we live in an area

that’s close enough and accessible enough to get to these hospitals, but there was even times during the rocky period we weren’t sure when they were going to come out that there wasn’t any beds available at the Mercy, so they were going to have to be flown to the Royal Children’s,” Ashley said.

“I remember thinking ‘oh, my God, I don’t

know how to say thank you. I want to say thank you. I need to do something to say thank you.”

As a way of supporting other families who have experienced premature births and sick babies, Ashley will run the 2023 Cairns Marathon on the weekend of 15 July with her sister Holly.

The siblings have already raised $1,666 for

Running for Premature Babies Foundation, which supports neonatal units in hospitals around the country.

“[My sister] recently moved over to the States just before Covid hit... and she was the one that I was talking to at 2am in the morning when the boys were in the NICU,” Ashley said.

“Because my sister is actually a scientist, which is helpful in these situations...she was the one who was on the other end of the line when everything was going down, doing her research on her side and advising all these things and questions to ask.”

Ashley said her and her sister completed a half marathon together in the past - to raise funds for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre - for another personal story.

“We’ve tried to do training runs together, but the time difference is proving to be interesting,” she said.

“She’s been very instrumental in making me feel confident enough and excited to do this, so the fact that we’re going to see each other in Cairns, she’s going to see the boys again...it’ll be really nice.

“It’s like the end of a chapter of the stressful period of these boys being born and what they’ve gone through as well after birth.”

Ollie and Russell turned two in March, fortunately receiving no adverse effects from their health implications.

“[Russell] is chatty all the time. Sometimes he doesn’t really speak English. It’s just baby babble, but he seems to think he knows what he’s talking about,” Ashley said.

“He’s a happy, healthy little two year old boy and he’s such a joy.

“Everyone always says ‘oh, they’re so happy and so funny’....they’re still at an age where I think, ‘God, it could have been so different.’”

To support Ashley and Holly on their 46 kilometre Cairns marathon run, visit https:// cmf23.grassrootz.com/running-for-premature-babies/mission-twinpossible

Ashley’s youngster is behind his mum in the cause.

Ollie and Russell are now happy and healthy at two years old.

Dad, Lachlan and mum, Ashley with their twins Ollie and Russell.

Foodshare funding boost

By Callum Ludwig

With storms and floods devastating the Yarra Ranges in recent years, a funding boost for Outer Eastern Foodshare (OEF) to improve community resilience is welcome news.

Funding from the Federal Government’s $10 million Preparing Australian Communities (PAC) Grant is set to help in preparing for, reducing the impact of and aiding the recovery from natural disasters and hazards as a result of climate change.

OEF President John Csorgo said the funding will help the wider emergency relief network in theYarra Ranges to have a stronger structure in place and implement a number of the ideas which they’ve come up with.

“The Yarra Ranges Emergency Relief Network (YRERN) has been a collective of people and organisations, there was no structure to employ anyone or use those resources so outer Eastern Foodshare was filling the Project Coordinator role,” he said.

“Now there will be a designated Project Coordinator working for YRERN to help determine things like where demand is coming from, how do we collate all that demand, how we share resources, but also to get together and share ideas and formalise the structure.”

OEF, YRERN and Yarra Ranges Council will be working together going forward to help provide essential care, support and services such as supplying essential household items, offering emotional and financial counselling and providing health care and social connection.

Mr Csorgo said this support is important now and will continue to be in future.

“It’s critical because there is just going to be more and more from what all the data and reports we’ve seen, so the ability to get on top of things before they just escalate is important, to

move from being very reactive to proactive,” he said.

“That way we can address people’s needs before they come into dire situations, I can

give you many stories of people from homelessness to food insecurity to mental health issues. The local network is very strong, but the level of delivering services does vary from small organisations to large ones so to be able to coordinate and assist each other will be really helpful.”

The PAC grant is also assisting a number of other projects across the region as well that are set to make communities more resilient. Placebased planning for Healesville, Yarra Junction and Monbulk, a microgrid for Monbulk, resilient buildings, tree management, improved accessible facilities at the Kilsyth Sports Centre suitable for its use as a designated emergency relief centre and a bushfire risk assessment in 2021 storm-affected areas of the Dandenong Ranges are all the beneficiaries of funding provided.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child said we all know how important it is for communities to work together when faced with adversity.

“This grant is a great step to continue building resilience in the Yarra Ranges, OEF does an excellent job of collecting and distributing food to agencies across the Yarra Ranges – in fact they do such a good job that this can be as much as 100 tonnes of food each year,” he said.

“As an incorporated organisation and part of the YRERN, OEF offers vast experience and provide a wide range of services including food relief, financial support, accommodation assistance, counselling. We’re pleased they are able to continue their great work in building resilience in the Yarra Ranges.”

Discovery Community Care launches its new phase

By Mikayla Van Loon

Discovery Community Care (DCC) has made the move from Lilydale to Mount Evelyn, launching its newly renovated home on Sunday 16 April.

The community support service which provides emergency and meaningful relief to people experiencing crisis had based itself in Lilydale for a number of years over its 20 year history. But three years ago, before the pandemic hit, DCC General Manager Philip Hamilton said the idea of moving back to the original starting point at 89 Monbulk Road became part of the vision for the future of DCC.

“Another thing that’s been really important as part of this relocation for Discovery Community Care up to Mount Evelyn is the fact that there’s already quite a number of food relief agencies based in Lilydale,” he said. “But none as large as Discovery Community Care based in this area to support the Yarra Valley, which is where a lot of the food insecurity actually is located.”

With food relief being one of the primary support offerings of DCC, Mr Hamilton said

by setting themselves up in the refurbished home of original land owners Ralph and Helen Proctor, he hopes it becomes a space that feels like home to many.

“The house has been set up with a view to actually being a home as well. The vision has been really to create a space where people can call home, where they can come regularly and stay for food,” he said. “If people are really doing life tough they can even do a load of washing and take a shower.”

Already serving 250 to 300 people a year

at DCC, Mr Hamilton said this year they have also partnered with Stable One to offer more services to people experiencing homelessness. This is incredibly important as more people struggle with the rising costs of living in an area that was prone to food insecurity prior to these price hikes.

“Particularly in the Ranges there’s quite a high rate of food insecurity, it’s one of the highest in a local government area in the whole ofVictoria,” Mr Hamilton said. “That’s always been a high need in the area, just access to affordable and healthy, nutritious food has been quite hard for a lot of people who have poor access and disability.”

Aside from emergency food relief, DCC also provides community support through advocacy for utility bills, the running of an op shop, a Thursday night meal called Food Stop to give people experiencing homelessness a place to get a home cooked meal and a mentoring program. Intending for the new location to become a community hub of sorts, Mr Hamilton said it’s about encouraging more connection and creating a space where people can contribute by sharing and using their gifts. One of the ways to do that

is through cooking classes using the 14 person capable kitchen at the house, allowing people who may receive a food relief package to learn what to cook with it.

“It just encourages more of a relationship building over food because it breaks down social norms and barriers and everyone eats, it’s a priority. It’s such an important way to be able to connect with other people when you’re doing it over food.”

Taking on the Proctor’s vision to create a sense of family and cultivate the land by way of a vegetable garden, Mr Hamilton said the possibilities for connection are endless.

“The transformation pathway we mapped out is, firstly, to have a real sense of connection at the space, where people can feel like they can regularly connect with other people and build friendships. The second part is moving into a space where people feel able and willing to want to contribute and to participate because when people participate in something they enjoy, it creates a sense of purpose and it creates a sense of meaning in their lives.” DCC is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays by appointment for food relief packages.

The newly renovated house at 89 Monbulk Road will become the DCC community hub.

The Outer Eastern Foodshare team have received a funding boost for emergency resilience.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Preparing for burn-offs, planned burns as ban lifts

By Callum Ludwig

The Fire Danger Period was lifted in Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah from 11 April, giving the green light for residents to begin their burn-offs.

While cooler and wet weather makes for a perfect opportunity to do so, it’s important to make sure you are equipped with all the right advice to keep your property safe.

Wesburn/Millgrove CFA Captain Sascha Grant said he is sure there were many residents almost standing by with a box of matches in hand as restrictions ended.

“We’ve definitely seen a big tick in burnoffs at this time in previous years, and we’ve certainly got more fire in the environment at the moment but we certainly don’t get the number of call outs you’d expect,” he said.

“We have a really fire-wise community and a really respectful community that we couldn’t be more thankful for, residents at least around us are very well behaved and do the right thing, which is perfect.”

Yarra Ranges Council restrictions on burn-offs still remain in place, such as the categorisation of properties as urban, bushland or rural, to help keep open-air burns safe.

Mr Grant said you should always keep your fire sizes manageable, even if it means doing a few small burns over a few days.

“If you keep it a metre by a metre at a time, that’s really manageable because you need to stay in attendance and watch it and you need to have sufficient capacity to extinguish that fire and stop it getting out of control if needed,” he said.

“The most important thing is to register it, it’ll ask you for your address, the size, what things you are burning and roughly when it will start and be extinguished. That way if somebody rings in that there is a fire, the operator can confirm where it’s likely to be a

burn-off and it means that we’re not under the same pressures to rush there.”

It is strongly recommended to advise neighbours of a burn-off beforehand to alleviate any concerns.

Mr Grant said there are some key warning signs to be prepared for and do not hesitate to call Triple Zero if it gets out of hand.

“If it’s anything over 19 kilometres an hour so more than a brisk breeze, you might have embers that will start to travel away and for that reason, there’s also a requirement to

Picture: CFA

have a three-metre fire break and stay in attendance,” he said.

“Think about what you are wearing, wear natural fibres and things that won’t catch fire themselves and have a garden hose and buckets of water ready to go so you can douse the edges of the fire if you need to.”

The cooler autumn months also provide a great time for CFA to conduct planned burns to reduce potential bushfire risk.

Combined with weather conditions, this can result in smoke hanging over parts

of the state.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said although CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) work closely with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Bureau of Meteorology to keep smoke impact as low as practically possible, smoke in our regional and rural areas can come from a number of sources.

“Along with the important planned burns that are conducted in our forests, parks and reserves led by FFMV and the many kms of road, rail and grassland burns that are led by the CFA, this time of year also sees a large amount of smoke coming from the necessary burn-offs that our farmers and rural property holders complete,” he said.

“These are part of traditional farming practices where burning off of crop stubble is often needed to kill off weeds and return nutrients and carbon back into the soil.”

Wood heaters and fires that will certainly be in full use in households can also leave smoke settled in the vicinity.

Mr Heffernan said localised smoke or smoke haze can often be misinterpreted as coming from planned burns from a long way away.

“As the weather conditions continue to become favourable for lower-intensity burning, we will look to conduct the most suitable burns-offs to ensure that our dependant native bush and grasslands are benefitting and avoid much more devastating high-intensity bushfires,” he said.

“We rely upon all Victorians to spread the message and continue to support us in the delivery of our burning programs.”

Remember to check fire restrictions in your area and always register your burn at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au or by calling 1800 668 511.

Finally, it’s cash for cans

By Tyler Wright

After decades of advocacy by community groups, Victorians will be able to recycle their beverage containers - for a 10 cent refundfrom November 2023.

The state government announced on Friday 14 April that the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) will begin on 1 November, with people able to donate bottles of non-concentrated fruit or vegetable juice, flavoured milk, beer, soft drink and mixed spirits at nearby collection points in exchange for a cash boost.

Australians for Refunds on Cans and Bottles (AFROCAB) group convenor, Clematis resident Peter Cook said he has been calling for a container deposit scheme since 2002, with every state and territory except Victoria and Tasmania currently operating a similar scheme.

“I was driving home one night from a day ski patrolling at Mount St Gwinear, and I was driving between Erica and Moe, and I was noticing the cans and bottles along the roadside, and it occurred to me then, that ‘why couldn’t Victoria do the same as South Australia, and have a refund on cans and bottles so that people wouldn’t litter them?,’” Mr Cook said.

Between then and now, Mr Cook said there has been “dozens” of letters in newspapers, letters to politicians, meetings with politicians and at least half a dozen rallies on the steps of parliament.

In 2008, a list of over 200 community groups in support of new legislation introducing a refund on donated cans and bottles addressed to then Victorian premier John Brumby, was published in The Age and the Herald Sun for Clean Up Australia Day.

“Most recently, we had a raft made of cans and bottles collected locally, and we had that on Cardinia Reservoir to make the point to the government that these cans and bottles go somewhere, and that somewhere is clogging up and polluting our rivers, our creeks, our bays and our oceans,” Mr Cook said.

“In Australia, there’s at least a billion drink

containers a year go into the environment or into landfill; so it’s a big problem, and that’s what we’ve been trying to solve since we started this way back in 2002.

“It’s been a very consistent thing throughout our campaign that people you talk to say they support it, they see it as a common sense thing to do, and they don’t understand why government’s been so slow in responding.”

CDS Vic is set to be coordinated by VicReturn, with Visy, TOMRA Cleanaway and Return-It tasked with being network operators.

Network operators will be required to have a minimum of one collection point per 14,500 people in metropolitan areas, at least one per

town of 750 people in regional areas, and at least one per town of 350 people in remote areas within 12 months of the scheme’s commencement.

The network operators are set to establish and maintain a network of more than 600 refund collection points across the state, which may be run by small businesses, community organisations, charities, sports clubs and councils.

“Community groups make quite a bit of money each year from unredeemed deposits... thousands of dollars per group,” Mr Cook said.

“People notice that instead of cans and bottles being an expense to the community,

where money has to be spent cleaning them up, there will instead be a financial benefit to community groups.”

Minister for Environment, Ingrid Stitt, said the container deposit scheme will “maximise the number of cans, bottles and cartons being recycled into new products,“ put “extra cash in Victorian pockets”“reduce the amount of litter in our environment by half”.

“CDS Vic will be Australia’s most accessible and convenient container deposit scheme, with more than 600 refund collection points across the state,” Ms Stitt said.

Fore more information, visit vic.gov.au/ container-deposit-scheme.

Refunds on Cans and Bottles (AFROCAB) convenor Peter Cook with cans and bottles collected along one side of a one kilometre section of Macclesfield Road in 2017. Picture: SUPPLIED

StandBy to hold workshop

By Parker Mckenzie

A support program for people impacted by suicide will hold a free community workshop at Ferntree Gully Library on Wednesday 24

May from 1pm to 4pm, to discuss the support available through the organisation for those dealing with trauma and grief.

StandBy is a national postvention service and offers services for coordinated community response to suicide, funded by the State and Commonwealth Governments.

StandBy Outreach Worker Melinda

Whyman said the organisation is working with people all over Australia that are impacted by a suicide loss and on the well-being of the bereaved people.

“We can offer support in a number of ways, but most commonly we will connect with people that have been bereaved and organise what’s called a support session,” she said.

“This is going out to offer them time either in their home or a place that’s comfortable for them to listen to what has happened and to understand what their needs are in their bereavement.”

She said StandBy’s job is to link impacted people with support services within their local community and to support them in an ongoing way.

“We offer support for up to 24 months after meeting with people, so it’s a good long-term support service just to ensure that people stay safe and they feel supported through that process,” she said.

“We know there are increased levels of depression and anxiety and other possible selfharm through the experience of being impacted by suicide, so it’s really important our focus is on reducing risk for those people.”

The Ferntree Gully workshop will examine the StandBy Service Model, what makes suicide different from other sudden death, support ap-

proaches and best practice, and self-care.

MsWhyman said research indicates that for every death of suicide, 135 people are impacted and ten or more of those are significantly impacted.

“We know that the ripple effect of that means that families, individual families and communities are at documented risk themselves, not only through their own suicidality but also impacts on mental health, and future mental health,” she said.

The workshop will also cover material for communities and local organisations that are interested in being more prepared and available to assist those affected.

Ms Whyman said research shows that often there is often a stigma associated with suicide.

“That’s a big part of our work, to really reduce the stigma and to really help guide people around,” she said.

“The education is there to try and address both things, reduce stigma, inform and empower people to understand and know more about how to act in the community themselves. As a result, the prevention aspect of the work is to reduce further impact going forward for that community.”

She said StandBy is also available to offer ongoing workshops in the community or support on an individual basis.

“It’s good for people to know that no matter how long, if they’re bereaved by suicide, it doesn’t matter what that timeline looks like, we’re available,” Ms Whyman said.

“They can refer themselves to the service, and they can certainly attend the workshop, but we’d also like people to know that Standby is available within their community to anyone at any time.”

For more information about the workshop, contact Vanessa Dhondee on 0484 501 951 or email standby@jss.org.au

For immediate help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or go to lifeline.org.au

A support program for people impacted by suicide will hold a free community workshop at Ferntree Gully Library on Wednesday 24 May from 1pm to 4pm, to discuss the support available through the organisation for those dealing with trauma and grief. Picture: PRISCILLA DU PREEZ UNSPLASH

Partnership just rolls on

By Parker McKenzie

When people with disabilities go to access amenities that are labelled accessible, often they arrive only to find issues and barriers to their use.

Scope, one of Australia’s largest disability providers, and Victoria Walks, a health promotion charity, have teamed up to audit walks around Melbourne to ensure they are truly accessible for everyone.

A launch event for Walking and Rolling Together was held at the Tim Neville Arboretum in Ferntree Gully on Thursday 20 April to celebrate 24 walks being audited and determined as accessible to people with disabilities by examining elements like terrain, distance to public transport and accessible bathrooms.

Victoria Walks Executive Officer Dr Ben Rossiter said the partnership between the two organisations, along with support from the Victoria Government, gives people confidence in the accessibility of the audited walks.

“Together, we’ve developed a free, easy-touse accessible waking tool, co-designed with disability and scopes access consultations to assess walking routes for accessibility,” he said.

“The advisory group experts offered guidance on what features to look for in walks and used plain language in how we present the walks.”

Audited walks include the Tim Neville Arboretum, Croydon Park, Lillydale Lake and Queens Park in Healesville.

Scope CEO Kate McRae said the walks listed had to be found to be truly accessible after being audited by people with disabilities.

“The lived experience really speaks to the authenticity of the evidence-based audit,” she said.

“We know that walking with friends and family helps our mental health as well as physical health, it helps us connect, it helps us have a safe space t explore nature and to be includ-

ed in this wonderful environment that we have here today.”

The audit tool has also been developed so other organisations and communities can use it to access whether a walk is accessible for people with disabilities.

Scope Auditor Gwenda Campbell said the

Picnic time for teddy bears

By Shelby Brooks

Teddy bears in all shapes and sizes were treated to a picnic by their loved ones at Emerald Museum last week.

Young ones and their favourite teddy bears had a lovely time at Emerald Museum and Nobelius Heritage Park onWednesday 19 April, as part of the National Trust’s Australian Heritage Festival.

Museum officer Natalie Bradvica said despite the cooler weather, families enjoyed a great day out at the park.

“It was a great way of sharing local history, engage with the community and telling stories of the area,” she said.

The day also included an historical tour walking tour of Nobelious Park, an artefact display by Puffing Billy and plant store by Victorian Salvia Study Group.

Emerald Museum highlights the history of Emerald and surrounding towns including Gembrook, Macclesfield and Avonsleigh.

The museum resides in part of the former Nobelius Nursery, established by Carl Axel Nobelius, which in the late 19th century was the largest exporter of fruit trees and ornamental trees in the southern hemisphere.

collaboration would help people with disabilities connect with their local community and other people around them.

“It’s important for our community parks and walking paths to be accessible and safe for everyone,” she said.

“People with disabilities should have the

same opportunities to gather in local parks as the rest of the community.”

The list of assessable walks will be expanded as more are audited by Scope.

For more information and to see the list of accessible walks visit walkingmaps.com.au/ accessible-walk

Aussie veterans op shop to feature vintage fashions

By Parker Mckenzie

Boronia Mall will be transformed into a fashion show to raise funds for both veterans and breast cancer on Saturday 29 April, as the Aussie Veterans Op Shop hosts its Vintage Fashion and Market.

From 11am to 2pm, the mall will host a vintage fashion parade and market stalls in the central foyer, with the proceeds going towards charitable causes.

Aussie Veterans Op Shop assistant manager Kristy Harris said the shop is always trying to find ways to engage the local community and raise funds for charity.

“This year, one of our volunteers Keith, he’s from Wantirna Village and he knows a lady Eileen Erwin, who is 90 years old, and she had spoken to him about looking at wanting to donate things to us, vintage clothing and to parade them would there be an opportunity?” she said.

“Then from there, obviously working in an op shop, you’ve got so many other vintage items that you can you collect and sell; it’s the best place to be if you’re going to do a vintage sale.”

Market stalls at the event will include a bake stall, clay bead bracelets, fabrics, vintage clothing patterns, books and craft magazines, vintage baby and child clothing, electric wares like sewing machines and other collectables.

Ms Harris said Ms Erwin will be MCing the event, which will be held in the “centre stage” of the mail.

“We’ve even managed to get a red carpet, and there will be stadium seating around the stage for people to sit, with priority for people with special needs and mobility issues,” she said.

“We are hoping it will bring some people into the mall to see what else is here and support some of the other businesses.”

She said there has been negative publicity around the mall and while some shops have been empty for a while, there are a lot of shopkeepers there doing it tough.

“They’re local to the area and some have been here for a long time. Some even own the shops, while others are leasing them and with the bad press people sometimes think there is no point going to the ball because there’s no one in there,” she said.

“It’s always worth having a look and coming down to support, we have the secondhand store ourselves and a foodbank, different ways of supporting the community, and we’re always looking for volunteers.”

Boronia Mall is located at 50 Dorset Square, Boronia. For more information about the event, visit the Aussie Veterans Op Shop Facebook page.

Aussie Veterans Op Shop Assistant Manager Kristy Harris with a vintage dress used in a Mitsubishi advertising campaign.

Picture: PARKER MCKENZIE

Lucy, Madeline, Matilda, Pippa, Grace, Mercer and Macey. 328508

Pictures: GARY SISSONS

Madeline and Matilda with their teddies. 328508

Lucy, Madeline, Matilda, Pippa, Grace, Mercer and Macey. 328508

Scope auditors Gwenda Campbell and Jeff Steer helped determine whether 24 walking tracks were accessible for people with disabilities.

Pictures: PARKER MCKENZIE

Scope CEO Kate McRae and Walking Victoria Executive Officer Ben Rossiter at the launch event.

Scope auditor Gwenda Campbell talks to Dr Ben Rossiter at the launch event.

Murder in the Dandenongs

By Parker Mckenzie

Author Kerryn Mayne’s debut novel Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder is set in the base of the Dandenong Ranges, following the protagonist revisiting a traumatic experience from her past.

Ms Mayne told the Star Mail she has always been interested in crime fiction and decided to try her hand at it during the Covid-19 lockdowns in Melbourne.

“What has happened in Lenny Marks’ life was quite significant to her and she was only eleven when it happened,” she said.

“It’s focused not just on an offender or an offence, but to look at the people left behind and try to deliver it in an uplifting manner.”

She said she wanted to write about something that was a “step away from my job as a police officer and to focus on some positive stories.”

“When you’re writing, you do have to do some terrible things to your characters, otherwise you don’t really have a story,” she said.

“You have to take this gorgeous person and then torture them somehow, which is so terrible, but also necessary for their character arc and their growth. “

Set partly in Belgrave and Selby, the book was published on 21 February this year and follows Lenny’s experiences after a traumatic event at age 11.

Ms Mayne said the feedback she has received has been positive and uplifting.

“That was really nice given the subject matter, which does cover a bit of domestic violence and isolation,” she said.

“It’s a pretty heavy topic but it does come off with a bit of dark humour and an uplifting vibe.”

Ms Mayne, who grew up in Narre Warren North, said she chose the setting of the Dandenong Ranges because it is a magical setting.

“My husband and I’ve always loved to drive

up there and stop and have lunch somewhere, it was just an obvious choice,” she said.

“Lenny Marks has a very sentimental attachment to The Hobbit in the book and I love the parallels between Middle Earth and the Shire in particular to the Dandenongs.”

She said while writing the book, she spent time throughout the hills on writing retreats to ensure the setting was authentic.

“One was Clarendon Cottages, I think that’s in Sassafras and that was just gorgeous,” she said.

“I just sat there solo, no kids, no husband, no friends, just myself there to type and a do a fair bit of editing too.“

Throughout the book, Lenny’s quirkiness is shown through unique traits like playing Scrabble by herself, making anagrams in her head to relieve stress, rearranging her 36 copies of The Hobbit and talking to her imaginary roommate, Monica from the Friends TV series.

“If she’s a bit overwhelmed, she’ll think of a word or something that’s around her and she’ll just break it into as many different words as she can,” Ms Mayne said.

“It’s one of her calming techniques, which is actually quite funny, because I’ve had a couple of people tell me they do the exact same thing, where some people pick specifically eight-letter words only, which is really sweet.”

Ms Mayne said she is now “contractually obliged” to write two more books.

“It’s a glorious problem to have, I did my first with Penguin Random House which was an absolute dream come true to be published with one of the big five,” she said.

“They’ve contracted me for two more, now the next one isn’t set in the Dandenongs, but as a Bayside dweller I’m setting the next one there.”

You can find out more about Kerryne Mayne and Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder at kerrynmayneauthor.com

Historian puts Gully’s early settlers in the spotlight

By Parker Mckenzie

A book on the early settlers of the Ferntree Gully area will be launched on Saturday 6 May at 10.30am, authored by a prolific local historian.

The Shire of Ferntree Gully: Early Settlers and Families 1838-1960 was written over the past three years by Ray Peace from the Knox Historical Society, who has authored several other history books on the local area and institutions.

Mr Peace said the book features 55 profiles of early settlers and the families from the area and more than 350 photos.

“I learned a lot things, such as who was responsible for some of some of the names in the area and some families got lucky and some didn’t,” he said.

“Some had misfortune come their way and for others, things went very well, but that’s always the case with history.”

The launch at Ferntree Gully Library will have tea, coffee and biscuits for those in attendance, and a speaker on local history.

Mr Peace said the main reason people decided to settle in the area was because of the good quality of the soil.

“Once they cleared away the arboreal cover, they found soil that was good for horticulture, for cows and sheep and also for growing orchards as well,” he said.

“For most people — reading the accounts that were left behind — I’d say it was pretty tough. They had to do everything manually, there were very few machines and there was certainly no transport.”

He said the area used to be focused on agriculture and fruit growing.

“This used to be an area of orchards, which are all gone now,” he said.

“There are a lot of photos of the orchards that used to be here.”

Until 1889, there was no railway into Ferntree Gully, meaning travelling to Melbourne would take most of a day to arrive by

horse and carriage.

Mr Peace said this meant for the first 50 years, the settlers in the shire of Ferntree Gully were isolated.

“I love the story of Dr Simpson, the local

medico, who did the rounds playing his bagpipes as he moved around,” he said.

“I enjoyed doing the research on this book and I think that shows in the finished product. It was a lovely book to work on and

the people who have seen it so far think it’s great, which is nice.”

Anyone interested in attending the book launch can call the Knox Historical Society on 9758 6722 or email at KHS@relics.com

The Shire of Ferntree Gully: Early Settlers and Families 1838-1960 was written over the past three years by Ray Peace from the Knox Historical Society.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Kerryn Mayne is the author of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. Picture: SUPPLIED

Crafty kids feather nest

By Callum Ludwig

Some school holiday fun was to be found at the Yarra Regional Museum where the next generation of environmental advocates learnt about one ofVictoria’s faunal emblems.

Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater’s Environmental Coordinator Eliza Lamb led a ‘Build your own nest’ session in the exhibition space currently hosting the ‘Plight of our faunal emblems’ showcase.

Ms Lamb said she brought a selection of nests which the group explored.

“From the introduced blackbird to the white-browed scrubwrens, so they could feel all the different materials and look at the different ways that each bird built its nest before we looked at a helmeted honeyeater nest,” she said.

“Helmeted honeyeater nests are generally made with grasses and gum leaves and twigs and then it’s bound together with cobwebs, so they got to have a really close look at the nest before attempting to build their own and they’ve all made really different and creative nests.”

The nest-building crew were very enthusiastic with some making as many as two or three nests to take home for their backyard.

Ms Lamb said lots of different techniques were used.

“Some have been using the clay as a base to start with, others have been binding it together with twine or some native grasses, we tried to bring a lot of native materials for the group to use,” she said.

“It’s a really great way for the group to come and do something hands-on and fun, but also learn about the bird, what we’re doing out at the friends’ group and how they can get involved. We want to inspire children to go out and take action for threatened species to show them and to discuss openly ways that they can make a change, however small or big, in their own communities.”

Attendees also had plenty of questions, wanting to know how long it takes a helmeted honeyeater to make a nest and what the greatest number of eggs a bird could make was.

“They can talk to their families and friends and share information and share the plight of the species. Our faunal emblems are struggling, and it’s the work of the community and the work of people taking action that helps them,” Ms Lamb said.

Grants of up to $5000

Grants of up to $5000 for community not-for-profit organisations are available through the Boronia Revitalisation Board, to purchase new or replacement equipment.

The next round of the Boronia Revitalisation Minor Grants Program was announced by Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor, who also chairs the board, with Applications opening on Monday 17 April and closing on Wednesday 17 May 2023 at 11.59pm.

$50,000 in grants are available from the board for organisations that operate a facility open to community members in Boronia, are an incorporated association, a co-operative, a charity registered with the Australian Charities and not-for-profits commission and have a current Australian Business Number.

“As a priority location in Melbourne’s east, our vision is for Boronia to be the safe, vibrant, connected and inclusive suburb that the community deserves,” Mr Taylor said.

“I’m stoked that the Boronia Suburban Revitalisation Board is delivering projects focused on improving liveability for all residents, as well as increasing local economic activity, to ensure the suburb will thrive.”

Three local projects were also recently completed through funding from the board:

A new parklet, solar lighting, a raised pedestrian crossing and improved access to Boronia Train Station were added to

Council seeks feedback

Yarra Ranges residents have another opportunity to provide feedback to Council on their recovery from the impact of the June 2021 storm event and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Previous feedback collected through the surveys has helped the development of a number of Council initiatives to support affected residents.

The first survey, which was released in September 2020 and received 789 responses to help inform Council’s Municipal Recovery Plan, was instrumental in identifying what assistance was needed by the Yarra Ranges community to assist in recovery from storm and pandemic impacts.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child said thislatestsurveywillbeanopportunitytocheck in with the community to see how they are faring almost two years on from these events.

“Recovery doesn’t come with a calendar and we knew following the events of the pandemic and 2021 storm that for many of our community, the impacts were going to be long-lasting,” he said.

“The feedback we’ve received through previous iterations of the survey has directly led to initiatives like continued advocating for improvement to the telecommunications network, mental health first aid sessions, insurance events, Microgrid feasibility studies and more.”

The Survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is completely confidential. Community members will have until Sunday, 7 May to have their say.

“This survey is a chance for us to touch base with the community to see if there is any further support they need following the impacts of these two significant events, and it will help us to plan and deliver continued storm and pandemic assistance where needed,” Cr Child said.

“I really urge residents to take the time to share your thoughts and experiences, as your feedback will help us to shape the future of our support programs now and into the future.”

Residents can complete the survey by visiting www.shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/pandemic-storm-impact-survey.

Lupton Way as a part of a renewal project.

The Boronia Laneway and Arcade were upgraded with public art and creative elements to five pedestrian pathways.

500 LED lights were installed throughout Boronia in a bid to address community concerns about safety while offering energy-efficient infrastructure.

The three projects were a $450,000 investment from the Suburban Revitalisation program. Since 2020, $4 million has been spent on 23 Boronia projects.

For more information on the Minor Grants Program, visit www.suburbandevelopment.vic.gov.au/grants/boronia-revitalisation-minor-grants-program

Members of the Boronia Revitalisation Board marking the completion of three recent projects. Picture: SUPPLIED

L-R: Olive, Harry, Aubury and Jack with their finished nests.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Passion for customer care

Auto Plus More is a privately owned independent service station and repair workshop located in Emerald, Victoria. With over 60 years of combined experience, the team at Auto Plus More is dedicated to providing excellent customer service that goes beyond expectations and is the proud recipient of the Emerald Rotary Club 2023 ‘Pride of Workmanship Award’. The company’s fully equipped workshop, extensive experience, and caring work environment enable it to work efficiently and costeffectively for all its customers.

One of the things that sets Auto Plus More apart from other service stations and repair workshops is its commitment to honesty and

open dealings with its customers. The team believes that building a base of repeat clientele through excellent service is more important than making a quick buck. As a result, Auto Plus More has built a large base of repeat clientele that values its honest approach to automotive repairs and servicing.

Auto Plus More has a rich family business history that dates back over 100 years in the Emerald region. Barney Hogan’s grandfather owned the Coffee Palace, and his father was a fuel distributor from 1945. In 2009, Barney bought back the service station where Auto Plus More stands today, which had been rebuilt after a fire in 1963.

Auto Plus More has evolved with the town and community changing its business model several times to keep it a viable business that caters to Emerald and surrounds needs. They have added a state-of-the-art dog wash, a new touch screen tap and go after hours prepay dispenser, as well as new fuel dispensers (pumps) with hi flow diesel at all stations.They now also have bulk firewood with the option of it being in M3 bulk bags which are fully covered for safe dry storage or can be supplied loose from our yard. Auto Plus More have two specialised trucks that can deliver the wood to meet the customers’ needs. They even sell or you can hire the Australian Famous Super Axe 3100 Log splitter

Also find a supply of quarry products available in bulk and small quantities. Road base and aggregate are available, as well as some soils and sands. If they haven’t got it in stock, they can always get it.

Auto Plus More is a company that values its customers above all else. With a commitment to honesty, excellent customer service, and a long family business history in the Emerald region, the team at Auto Plus More is dedicated to providing quality products and automotive repairs and servicing to its customers. Whether it’s repairs, servicing, tyres, or even a car or dog wash, Auto Plus More is the go-to service station and repair workshop in Emerald.

Auto Plus More owner Barney Hogan continues the family tradition of excellent customer service. 328830 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Auto Plus More is the go-to service station and repair workshop in Emerald. 328830

Notorious ‘Family’ part of cult series

By Tyler Wright

Disney+ has announced the release date and a new trailer for upcoming series The Clearing - based on the experience of members of doomsday cult ‘The Family,’ and other sects around the world.

Based on the book In The Clearing by J.P. Pomare, the eight-part series was first announced as one of the first productions for Australian scripted series producer Wooden Horse in early March 2020.

Disney+ decided to pick up the project as a co-production, announcing filming began in July 2022.

Filmed throughout Victoria, the psychological thriller’s cast includes home grown talents Miranda Otto (The Unusual Suspects), Guy Pearce (Jack Irish) and Mark Coles-Smith (Mystery Road) alongside Teresa Palmer (A Discovery ofWitches).

On Wednesday 24 May, The Clearing is set to premiere on Hulu with two episodes, proceeding with one episode airing every week until 5 July.

‘The Family’ was a cult based in the Ferny Creek and Lake Eildon areas in the 1960s and ‘70s, led by yoga teacher Anne Hamilton-Byrne and husband Bill Hamilton-Byrne.

It was discovered 28 children were ‘acquired’ by Ms Hamilton-Byrne - some by scam

adoptions - and were isolated from the outside world and allegedly subject to beatings, starvation and injections with the drug LSD.

The children were dressed identically with bleached blonde bobs.

The cult operated from 1963 to 1987, before it was shut down by a police raid.

In The Clearing, Amy (Teresa Palmer) is forced to relive the nightmares of her past to stop a secret cult focused on gathering children to fulfill its master plan.

In the series trailer, released on 14 April, Otto’s character asks a young Amy; ‘Are you ready for your Clearing?’

“I know you won’t disappoint me,” she adds.

Director Jeffrey Walker said the series is a “haunting psychological thriller, featuring some of Australia’s finest talent in front, and behind, the lens”.

“An extraordinary senior cast in Teresa, Miranda and Guy, are supported by breakthrough young actors, Julia and Lily. The atmosphere and mood of this piece is so unique, I truly hope that it captivates, enthralls and thrills the audience,” MrWalker said.

Ms Hamilton-Byrne died in a suburban Melbourne nursing home in 2019 at 98 years of age.

She was not charged with anything except $5,000 in fines for serious fraud, the Mail previously reported.

You can view the trailer for The Clearing here: https://www.youtube.com/ embed/76lI7Ytjaro

Artist Ken Hunt tries again for big prize

By Tyler Wright

An Emerald based painter has entered his portrait into the 2023 national Archibald Prize.

It will be Ken Hunt’s 18th entry into the competition over the past 23 years - this year deciding to paint local barrister, professor, engineer and scientist Arnold Dix.

According to Hunt, Dix travels the world as an underground tunnel expert adviser and inspector, and lives on a farm in Monbulk with family with a range of diverse pets, including three emus.

“With Arnold, he’s a pretty quirky character that does amazing work all around the world and is very little known in his own country, which I’m always confused about,” Hunt said.

Over the years, Hunt has painted figures including AFL stars Nathan Buckley and Dermott Brereton, Australian actors John Stanton (The Man from Snowy River), and Stefan Dennis (Neighbours) and police sergeant, former Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Alan Fincher.

Most of the people Hunt paints are people that walk through his jewellery shop in Monbulk.

“Because of the paintings on the wall, they find out about us, and I do Archibald, and then I’ll find out that they’re famous in one way or achieve great things in another way, and then I ask them to be my subject,” he said.

“Sometimes I sit down with them and take some photographs, do a little bit of research into who they are and what they do and why I might want to paint them in the first place.

Selby star back to show talent

By Tyler Wright

After making it into the final six on the 2023 season of Australian Idol, Selbybased singer-songwriter Anya Hynninen is bringing her talent back home.

Also known as Anya Alchemy, Hynninen is set to perform a mix of covers and unreleased original singles at Belgrave’s Sooki Lounge on Friday 12 May as part of her homecoming gig.

The 20-year-old said it is “daunting” heading into her first performance back in the Hills.

“I’m ready to show who I really am and what kind of artist I really am out of the show,” Hynninen said.

“When you’re performing originals, I write very personal lyrics, so it’s a vulnerable experience being that in touch with your emotions in front of people.”

Known for her soulful voice and trademark pink hair - Hynninen garnered support from her home town and community in the Dandenong Ranges during her Idol experience.

“The main thing I’m focusing on is writing for myself and for other people,” she said.

“My big message is to be yourself and to own all your emotions and all your feelings, even when they’re bad sometimes… like jealousy and anger.”

Hynninen said she was writing songs the “whole time” she was filming in Sydney, helped by a guitar she had flown up from Melbourne.

“I’ve got the full band for the first time, and they’re all really good players,” she said.

“I’m bloody excited to show what we’ve come up with.”

Attendees can also expect “a lot of pink” at Hynninen’s upcoming show.

“I hope that everyone can feel like they can be themselves… sometimes you go to a gig and no one’s singing along and you’re too scared to sing out and you feel a little bit awkward.

“I don’t want it to be like that at all.”

People should also be on the look out for an Anya Alchemy EP, expected to be released in the coming months.

“I’m planning on touring it regionally at the end of July, early August,” she said.

If you’re interested in snagging a ticket to Anya Alchemy’s homecoming performance, visit https://events.humanitix.com/anya-alchemy?fbclid=Iw AR2spBPtWdcp3e8nvXJY1mqsZs2fyZ qf-_Tn31YC2veePm8ur8tyrZ59UL8

The performance will start at 8pm and finish at 11pm.

“Often we do a sitting of a drawing… then I go back to my studio and my computer, and I see what information I’ve got, and I spend hours and hours and hours and hours figuring out what I’m going to do and how I’m going to do it.”

While Hunt’s work has not yet been picked to be judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New SouthWales, he has been named as a finalist in the prestigious Doug Moran National Portrait Prize; which in 2022 boasted a whopping $150,000 prize for the winner.

“I didn’t win, but nevertheless, I was very happy to have it hung and judged,” Hunt said.

At the end of April, the self-taught painter will find out whether his portrait of Dix has been picked as one of the 30 finalists for the coveted Archibald Prize.

He will either have his artwork sent back to his address, or be notified if he has made it through to the next stage.

“I entered the Archibald Portrait Prize to hopefully win it one day,” he said.

20-year-old Selby singer-songwriter Anya Hynninen will perform at Sooki Lounge in Belgrave in May in her first performance back after her Australian Idol journey.

Picture: SUPPLIED

A teaser poster for The Clearing. Pictures: DISNEY

The psychological thriller, thought ficitional, is based on the experiences of members of cults around the world, including ‘The Family’.

Australian actress Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches) will feature in the series, premiering with two episodes on Hulu on 24 May.

Painter Ken Hunt (right) with local man Arnold Dix (left); the subject of his Archibald Prize entry, a portrait called ‘The Professor’. Pictures: SUPPLIED

According to Hunt, Dix travels the world as an underground tunnel expert adviser and inspector.

Acaptivating novel

A review of Cop & Robber by Tristan Bancks Cop & Robber, by award-winning Australian author Tristan Bancks, is a captivating novel for “middle grade” or readers aged eight to twelve.

While it is widely considered that readers of this age group – especially boys – need gripping books, this story suits reluctant readers of all backgrounds. It challenges them to consider a wide range of issues about family and society.

The 13-year-old protagonist Nash Hall divides his time between his separated parents. His mother is a dedicated police officer, while his father, a former boxing champion, is a criminal “who just can’t seem to go straight”.

When Nash’s father asks him to help committing a robbery in order to clear his debts to some very dangerous men, Nash faces a tough choice between “doing the right thing” and “protecting his parents and himself”.

Worse, the plan is to rob Nash’s school, where he is about to compete in an important race that can launch his athletic career. He also has to face those schoolmates who tease and mock him everyday for having a criminal dad.

Perhaps surprising to some adults, Cop

PASSION FOR PROSE

WITH CHRISTINE SUN

& Robber is neither “dumbed down” nor “sanitised” for its intended audience. The book opens with a thrilling car chase after Nash’s father robbed a petrol station, and there are guns, knives, punch-ups and blood in the story.

Even better, the story is set in the fictional town of Broken Ridge in inland New South Wales, a bushranging area on the edge of the desert, where the locals are about to encounter their worst dust storm in a decade.

The harsh natural environment reflects the inner conflicts that Nash constantly endures, between his love and care for his father and his sense of duty and responsibility to his mother,

between right and wrong, love and resentment, justice and crime, freedom and guilt. Although Nash is often in emotional turmoil, struggling to determine what to do, why and how, there is a light touch throughout the book that brings a smile to our faces. Indeed, whenever Nash runs, we know there is hope. There is a sense of making it through, of survival and triumph, of faith and forgiveness.

That is not to say that all readers would agree with the ending – especially not all the adults. Bancks has surely taken some risk plotting the outcome of the robbery, but it is necessary for Nash – and those reading his story – to understand that both his parents and himself are not perfect.

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional... The world is far from perfect. But, still, he needs to live in it and not think that everything is terrible all the time. He needs to keep going.” Cop & Robber is definitely NOT a book that teachers, parents and/or guardians need to read first in order to decide whether it is suitable for those young readers in their care. Instead, it is a trustworthy and thoughtprovoking read about mutual understanding, acceptance and commitment among family members.

Productions hit the mark with punters

Kemp’s curtain call

Much Ado About Nothing byWilliam Shakespeare.

Eltham Little Theatre’s latest production goes back to the 1500s with their updated take on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. A comedy written about 1598 and 1599.

The play is set in Messina and revolves around two romantic pairings that emerge when a group of soldiers arrive in town. The first, between Claudio and Hero, is nearly altered by the accusations of the villain, Don John. The second romance between Claudio’s friend Benedick and Hero’s cousin Beatrice, takes centre stage as the play continues, with both characters wit and banter providing much of the humour.

ELT brought the show up to date in costuming and set design. The company did not change Shakespeare’s words which suited the present day costuming. The rear of the stage was set as two walls with two pillars each side of the entrance/exit. Front of the stage was a table and chairs on audience left and two sun lounges on audience right. Scattered about were various pot plants put to good use by various members of the company as they tried to listen in on what was said about them.

A large cast of 15 players all giving superb performances, getting the feel of the characters and overall giving good performances. One player does deserve a mention is that of Marti Ibrahim as Beatrice. A great performer. Clarity of voice and a good actor. Her scenes with Benedick played by Sarab Kaikobad were a sheer delight. ELT’s next production is Disney’s High School Musical opening 1 July.

The Basin Theatre

Same Time nextYear by Bernard Slade

Beau is Afraid, sadly, is a severe misstep

Beau is Afraid

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone and Nathan Lane

Rated R18+ 3.25/5

Beau is Afraid is a severe misstep from horror auteur Ari Aster.

Beau (Joaquin Phoenix), a sensitive, anxious man, embarks on a long, bizarre journey to attend his mother’s funeral.

More of a surreal drama than Aster’s previous films – Hereditary and Midsommar are two of the best horror films of the past ten years – Beau is Afraid has several engaging or touching threads.

A surgeon’s compassion takes on sinister undertones; a beautifully-animated vision of love and loss in Beau’s possible future; a warm welcome from a travelling theatre group is cut violently short. Aster still shows a strong command of potent visuals, and

Phoenix is an endearing, tragic lead.

Beau is Afraid’s episodic narrative draws you in at times, but the overall film pushes you away with muddled themes, jarring tones and an elusive point. Surrealism often needs a baseline of “normal” for the surreality to carry full impact; Beau is Afraid has no baseline, as it begins with brutal absurdity and never settles down.

The film flirts with and discards themes of mental illness, as Beau’s trauma is all external. The animated sequence – a play that finds a life of its own in Beau’s imagination–serves only to seed a ludicrous reveal later on.

Beau’s charge of selfishness seems unfair – he appears unwaveringly selfless – so the maudlin, mean-spirited climax, featuring motherly contempt, conspiracy, a secret monster and a trial evocative of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, is aggressively unpleasant for little purpose.

Hereditary and Midsommar are profoundly messed-up movies with a defined purpose and substantive themes, but Beau is Afraid’s thesis is the title: Aster tormenting his protagonist for three hours. An overindulgent, unfocused drama that aims for dark whimsy but comes off as spiteful, Beau is Afraid is playing in select Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

A comedy but with all the aspects of theatre with drama and pathos. The Basin theatre did not let its audiences down with this production. The set was amazing, an hotel room with audience left comprising a lounge suite, a side double door leading out to the garden, a rear door leading out to the main entrance. Audience right was the bedroom with a double bed, wardrobe, entrance to bathroom and beauty desk with mirror above.The opening scene brought howls of laughter with George obviously naked trying to get into his clothes without revealing himself.

A two handed cast with George played by James Banger and Doris played by Georgina Topp. Topp gave an excellent performance in her role with voice clarity and wonderful expressions suiting the different era’s of the story. James Banger projected well and worked well with Topp but his voice could be a little stronger. He also caught the character as envisaged.

Don’t forget Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre’s production of Barefoot in the Park. Paul Bratterm a conservative lawyer, marries the vivacious Corie, but their highly passionate relationship descends into comical discord in a five-flight New York walk up apartment contending with a lack of heating, a leaking roof, several; flights of stairs (six), an unusual neighbour and Corie’s mother.

Season: 20 April - 8 May Bookings: 9735

1777. Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday 10am - 2pm

PUZZLES

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

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Region of South Africa (9)

6 Just (4)

10 Atmosphere (3)

11 Donated (11)

12 Before chapter one (9)

13 Grower of crops (6)

14 – Von Bismarck (4)

15 Islands of the central and southern Pacific (7)

20 From Stockholm, say (7)

21 List of dishes served (4)

DECODER

WORDFIT

9-LETTER WORD

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

cere, cheer, chore, coerce, cohere, COHERENCE, cone, core, creche, crone, echo, encore, erne, hence, here, hereon, hero, heron, hone, ochre, once

William Matthews Funerals

No. 130

No. 130

LIFESTYLE GETAWAY FOR ALL!

THIS large home is ideal for your growing or as a multi-generational home. Beautifully constructed with zoned living over 3 levels. The middle level is the main living level with lounge, dining and family room as well as huge master bedroom with ensuite and walkin robe plus study (or 7th bedroom). Enjoy the warmer weather on the deck that flows directly from the kitchen area with expansive views over not only your property but to the mountains beyond.

The lower level contains the rumpus room next to the indoor, solar-heated, saltchlorinated swimming pool which leads outside to an undercover entertaining area.

Upstairs consists of 5 bedrooms serviced by a modern bathroom, so kids or in-laws are separate, away from the main areas. With views from every window, every member of the family will enjoy living here.

The privacy and outlook over the rolling hills to the Warburton Ranges will help you unwind and relax. Remote gates help you to leave the world behind and give you an extra sense of privacy.

Outside consists of seven paddocks that feature electric fencing, shelters and water, grassed arena, considerable space for floats/trailers, large shedding and plenty of cleared area for future plans should one so desire. Three dams supported by a spring-fed creek, with one stocked with trout contributing to the self-sufficiency of this property alongside off-grid bonuses of solar panels, backup generator and 100,000-litre

HOME ESSENTIALS

water storage capacity ready to go. All this is located around an hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD and 10 minutes to Emerald with shops, schools, transport cafe’s and restaurants. Your dream awaits….

***CLOSING DATE FOR OFFERS 5PM

WEDNESDAY 17 MAY*** (Unless sold prior)

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

· Contemporary tri-level residence with 4 separate living zones

· Formal and informal living and dining areas

· Separate study/home office

· Granite entertainer’s kitchen with stainless steel appliances

· Mudroom entry from the garage

· Second level accommodations with BIR’s and family bathroom

· Convenience of ground level Master suite with WIR and full ensuite

· Seamless integration with alfresco decking providing stunning views

· Ducted heating and vacuum, wood fire, efficient and sustainable Nobu electric panel heating and split systems

· Indoor, solar-heated, salt-chlorinated swimming pool with spa and adjacent gymnasium/rumpus room

· Solar panels, generator, water storage

· 10 spectacular acres of cleared paddocks and open spaces

· 3 dams supported by a spring-fed creek (trout inclusive)

LOCAL’S SECRET

A great area for horses with riding trails all throughout the suburb. ●

Address: 172 Spillers Road, MACCLESFIELD Description: 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4

Contact: Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 and Janet Hawkins 0409 117 432, RANGES FIRST

CIRCA 1895 HOME, UNIT AND BUSINESS

THIS property can really let you ‘think outside the square’ with a variety of options on offer. Multi-generational living, maybe two families could invest together, there is enough room for everyone, or Airbnb (subject to council approval), continue to run the highly successful Wandin Valley Cattery, or alternatively, just have a family home on just under 5 acres to enjoy.

The Main Residence:

· 4 ensuited bedrooms – one being a perfect set-up for the teens/in-laws having a separate entry kitchenette and lounge room

· The main suite with full bathroom, soaking, walk-through robe, views, and direct access to the expansive deck

· Large living spaces, plus a generous study nook

· Fully appointed spacious kitchen with stainless steel appliances and adjoining family/dining area

· Gas ducted heating, air conditioning and fan-forced wood heater

· Large rear deck with spectacular views looking out over the Yarra Valley

· Large fully fenced rear yard

· Adjoining under- cover car accommodation

The Unit:

· Located away from the main residence with optimum privacy and seclusion

· 2 bedrooms

· Master suite with walk-in robe

· Brand new bathroom

· Light-filled living space

· Study alcove

· Large contemporary kitchen with stainless steel appliances

· Separate laundry and 2nd toilet

· Split system heating/cooling, fan-forced wood heater

· Spacious covered deck with same stunning views

· Fully fenced separate rear yard

Infrastructure:

· Just under 5 acres of near-flat land with paddocks - perfect for livestock or horses

· 2 double carports plus machinery store areas

· Large lock-up garage

· Chicken coops

· Multiple producing fruit and nut trees

· Old growth trees and established gardens

· Wandin Valley Cattery, an established and successful business.

A fantastic location, minutes to both Monbulk and Mount Evelyn. Primary and senior schools in close proximity, as well as sporting clubs and popular Yarra Valley events.

Lifestyle opportunity – situated in one of the most beautiful places in Victoria, the Yarra Valley has everything on your doorstep to explore and enjoy. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS

4BEDROOMSPLUSASTUDY

4

This homefeaturesafabulousrenovated ensuiteand a greatstudy(homeoffice/ playroom)Theliving spaceconsistsofanupdated whiteand timberkitchenwith 900mm oven/gas hotplatesand a dishwasher,adjoiningdining areaand aloungeroomwith awoodfire.Theproperty hasacircular driveway,with carportaccess,afencedflat backyard and arear deck.Thereare3splitsystems& ductedheating.Onlyminutesto Emerald Township,schoolsand walk intotownonthetrailand exploreWrightForest.

MickDolphin 0429684522

ATONEWITHNATURE

Janethawkins 0409117432

LIFESTYLEGETAWAYON10ACRES

ACOnTEMPORARYhOMEOnhALFAnACRE

Inasecludedlocationwithabushsanctuaryatyourdoorstep,thisqualityhome featuresglass,timber&beamsthroughout.Thefunctionalopenplandesignfeaturesa cosycombustionlog fire,homeoffice/rumpus,aprivatemastersuiteonalowerlevel. Expansivewindowsanddoorsleadtotherearentertainingdeckfeaturingapaved sectionsurroundingamagnificentcherrytree.Alsoincludesanold5.5mx3martiststudio/ bungalowneedingsomeTLC,3caraccommodation&carportona stunning2,366sqm.

grantSkipsey 0418528102

ROOMFORALLYOUR4LEggEDFRiEnDS!

Beautifullyconstructedhomewithzonedlivingover3levelsfeaturesmultipleliving areas,deckandundercoverentertainingarea,solarheated indoorpool,study/7th bedroom,hugemaster,viewsfromeverywindowtomountains& beyond,7paddocks, electricfencing,shelters&water,grassedarena,spacefor floats/trailers,largeshedding, 3dams(onewithTrout)supportedbyaspring-fedcreek,solarpanels,generator& 100,000-litrewaterstorage.**CLOSINGdATEforOFFERS5pm

MickDolphin 0429684522

COUNTRYESCAPEON24ACRES

Janethawkins 0409117432

SUnSETSAnDviEWS!

Classicfarmhousewithcharmfromthe1950sperchedatthetopofthehillwithstunning sunsets&views.Thehomeoffersopenplanliving,loungewithawoodheater,separate mealsarea,recentlypainted&newlycarpeted,5paddocks,3 baybarnwithattached sidecarport&additionalundercoverstorage,2shippingcontainers,beautifulmostly clearedlandexceptfortreesalongthecreeklines.Greatforthosethatwanttoescape theratracewiththepotentialofbeing‘off-grid,’withtankwater,bottledgas&septic.

MickDolphin 0429684522

TayTing 0417302112

AvOnSLEigh 19WRighTROAd $720,000-$780,000

MOUnTDAnDEnOng 1-3HELENSTREET $855,000-$915,000

4 A 2 B 3 C

PAkEnhAMUPPER 120MANNROAdCOURT $1,200,000-$1,290,000

6 A 3 B 4 C 1 E

MACCLESFiELD 172SPILLERSROAd $1,800,000-$1,980,000

RARE LIFESTYLE OPPORTUNITY

THIS outstanding property is a must see! This property offers so much for the whole family. With approximately 80 cleared acres, some of which are beautifully fenced with post and rail fencing. Through to approx. 20 acres of natural bush complete with riding trails, established cross country jumps, and connecting through to the Protea and Standpipe fire access trails in the State Forest. The sealed road frontage is adjacent to Bunyip State Forest and Kurth Kiln regional park, offering endless opportunities to explore the surrounding bushland.

The gated front entry leads to a stylish and unique Norwegian log house with two bedrooms, perfect as an Air BnB or caretakers accommodation. This home is complete with a kitchen, loungeroom, large bathroom, & gorgeous views & privacy.

Continue past this home and you’ll notice the round yard, beautifully post and railed fenced paddock and large shedding that is approx. 28m * 9m steel shed with concrete floor & power complete with stables, workshop area and machinery bays. There is a second steel shed onsite which also has concrete floor and power and is approx. 15m*9m.

Continue past the shed to discover a vast and sturdy brick residence located at the top of the gentle slope offering a commanding view over the cleared acreage and through to the surrounding bush. The home is immaculate and has a very practical floor plan. There are five generously sized bedrooms in total, with a master suite with amazing views and plenty of storage. The kitchen is equipped with a gas cooktop, electric oven, rangehood, stainless steel dishwasher, and is designed to facilitate entertaining with the open plan loungeroom. There is a large free standing wood fire in the loungeroom and views out to the central courtyard. Flow through the home to discover a second loungeroom with equally stunning views, and a large built in fire place with solid hardwood mantle piece. There is a second large bathroom at this end of the house to service the further 3 double sized bedrooms all enjoying fantastic views and privacy.

Externally there is covered parking for 4 vehicles, and copious water with the property being connected to mains water, having tank water from roof catchment, and enjoying a spring fed dam and permanent creek. There is also a phenomenal entertaining area complete with free standing pizza oven and large decked area to soak in the views. This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today. Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS

LiveAmongsttheTree-Topsinthisfabulous4-BedroomFamilyHome!

Thisstunningsplit-levelhomeboastsanopen-plandesign floodedwithnaturallight.Thekitchen enjoysanortherlyaspectforyear-roundsunlight,&ismodern&well-appointed.Theloungeroom featuresasplit-systemAC&awood fireheater,complementedbyductedheatingthroughoutthe home.Stepoutfromtheloungeroomtoalargedeckwithaglassbarrierthatprovidesunobstructed views.ThemasterbedroomisprivatelypositionedonthelowerlevelwithaWIR,andupdated ensuite.Ontheupperlevel,therearethreebedrooms,twoofwhichhavetheirownsplit-system ACs,andtheysharealarge&updatedfamilybathroom.Situatedonnearly2/3ofanacreofland, thereisadoublecarportandaSLUG,aswellasanexternalgeneratorplug.Enjoybeingimmersedin naturewhilestillbeingconvenientlyclosetothecharmingtownshipsofMonbulk,Sassafras,&Olinda.

Rarelifestyleopportunity!Approx.100acrestopursueyourdreams!

Withapprox.80clearedacres,&approx.20acresofnaturalbushconnectingthroughtothe Protea&Standpipe fireaccesstrailsintheStateForest&adjacenttoBunyipStateForest&Kurth Kilnregionalpark.Thegatedfrontentryleadstoastylish&uniqueNorwegianloghousewith2 bedrooms.Thishomeiscompletewithakitchen,loungeroom,largebathroom,&gorgeousviews& privacy.Thendiscoveravast&sturdybrickresidencelocatedatthetopofthegentleslopeoffering acommandingviewovertheclearedacreage&throughtothesurroundingbush.Thehomeis immaculatewith5bedrooms,2livingareas,includingaopenplankitchen/dining/living.Externally thereisa4carcarport,&twolargesheds,approx.28m*9mandapprox.15m*9m,bothwithpower& concreted floors.Thispropertyenjoysmainswater,aspringfeddam,permanentcreek&tankwater.

182Belgrave-GembrookRd,MenziesCreek $850,000-$930,000

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SPORT

Back in the winner’s circle

By Parker Mckenzie

It’s been a long time between wins for the Upper Ferntree Gully Football Club, but after going win-less 2022 season, the club is back in the winner’s circle.

Upper Ferntree Gully Football Netball Club defeated Knox 78 to 74 in the seniors and 84 to 25 in the reserves, marking the first time both teams won during the same round in 1344 days.

UFTGFC Coach Mark Fisher, who took over the team at the start of the season, said despite trying conditions, it was a pleasing result.

“They put it all together so that was really pleasing in the first quarter and attacked well, but defended even better and got some good score off the defensive efforts,” he said.

“It was great because they’re only young, so they sort of drop or can drop away at times and hopefully that lets them know they can get that out of the system.”

He said he was impressed with the resilience of his young team, who hung in despite having no bench late in the game.

“Now they know that if they fight and they do the right things, they can win games of footy,” he said.

“The boys played as good footy as I’ve seen play since I took over, which was the end of last year at the start of preseason.”

The club was relegated from Division 1 last season, and In round one lost heavily against a strong Heathmont Jets side 126 to 27.

Fisher after the u19s won last week, all three teams have had a win and it is only round two.

“At the minute we’re competitive, we were ordinary round one against Heathmont,” he said.

“For us to bounce back after a 100-point loss and win the next week, you know you are going to be okay.”

Trades & Services

General Notices

NOTICE OF CHANGE TO MEETINGS OF COUNCIL IN 2023

Wednesday 26 April 2023

Tuesday 9 May and Tuesday 23 May 2023

Tuesday 13 June and Tuesday 27 June 2023

Notice is hereby given that the gallery will be closed to the general public for all Council Meetings from 26 April 2023 until 27 June 2023.

In accordance with Chapter 3, Rule 13 of the Governance Rules and effective immediately, the Chief Executive Officer, following consultation with the Mayor and Councillors and with their agreement, has decided to close the public gallery until further notice. This decision is considered necessary in order to maintain the health and safety of all persons attending Council meetings.

The Local Government Act 2020 allows Councils to close meetings to the public for security reasons or if it is necessary to do so to enable the meeting to proceed in an orderly manner. Council will continue to live stream its meetings in accordance with its obligations under the Governance Rules and the Local Government Act 2020. Any person whose rights are directly affected by decisions made at Council meetings will continue to be invited to make a submission online. Any person who submits a Question to Council, Petition or would like to make a Public Submission will also be invited to register to participate online.

Council will review this decision in two months or earlier if deemed appropriate.

Tammi Rose Chief

General Classifieds

The players celebrate after the game.

Picture: UPPER FERNTREE GULLY FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

SPORT

Olinda drops its intensity

Olinda Women burst out of the blocks with a blistering first half against reigning premier Upwey Saturday night in the annual Anzac game at Olinda Reserve, ultimately losing the contest by 7 points.

Olinda had spoken about intensity during the week and pre-game, and there was a noticeable lift in energy during the pre-game warm-up.

A stirring speech by skipper Claire Hyett had the girls charged, and they hit the opening bounce with fierce aggression. So fierce that new recruits Tayla McKay and Anna Hughson attacked the same contest in the first minute, and the sound of the sickening head clash reverberated around the ground. Both players came off with blood streaming from their faces, Tayla heading straight off to hospital with a suspected broken nose and Anna Hughson getting patched up with a lacerated forehead.

There is a quality spoken about at Olinda called “Bloods culture”, similar to the Anzac spirit, and the courage shown by both girls was inspiring to all present.

Olinda was given a boost literally minutes before the game, with the inclusion to the side of young gun Georgia Stubs. This inclusion buoyed the spirits of the girls, and she made an immediate impact in the first quarter with her long kicking, high marking and incredible toughness at each contest. Olinda lost their

Captain and dual best & fairest winner Maddi Collins in the off-season, who could always be relied on to provide grunt and brilliance in big moments. Enter new recruit Lucy Hilton. Lucy’s first game saw her inserted straight into the midfield and her presence was immediately noticeable. Lucy’s first contest, crashing a pack, winning the hard ball and delivering a pin-point pass brought exclamations from the crowd “Who was that?!”. Grunt and brilliance will be Lucy’s calling card for the Bloods this season, and hopefully, for many years to come. Another first-gamer and young gun Chloe Kanally only had her first training with the team on Thursday. Chloe’s friendly nature belies her fearlessness and skill, and she slotted effortlessly in with Olinda’s platoon of “smiling assassins”. Welcome to Bloods footy Georgia, Lucy and Chloe!

Leah (The Lion) Cody missed the first game and the team missed her toughness and presence at centre half-back. Leah is Olinda’s enforcer, and she was given the unenviable task Saturday night of standing Upwey captain and full forward of the year Alexandria Bantock. Although Bantock finished the evening with 2 goals, Leah won the battle, continually outmarking and out-muscling her opponent and delivering booming kicks out of defensive 50.

Lily (Laser) Carlin is one of the competition’s best kicks but is also tough, hard-work-

ing, courageous and quick. Lily fought with manic fervour for every possession Saturday night, getting many quality clearances.

Young prodigy Ruby Gilson has had a superb start to the season at half forward and got on the end of a free kick in the first quarter, and drilled a perfect drop punt from 30m to put Olinda in front. A mark from a miss-kick deep in Upwey’s forward pocket late in the quarter saw Alexandria Bantock lining up from an impossible angle. A lapse in concentration from Olinda let Bantock run around the mark to snap a great check-side goal, putting Upwey 1 point up at quarter time.

Not deterred, Olinda fought the 2nd quarter with the same desperate aggression as the 1st, holding Upwey scoreless. In a semi-comical moment, full back of the year Casey Seymour found herself rotated onto the half-forward flank due to a positional mix-up.

After being directed where this foreign position of the field actually was, Casey swooped on a loose ball in the goal square and dribbled through an uplifting goal. Olinda peppered the goals all quarter, only managing 1.4, and went into halftime with a 9-point lead.

Upwey received a rocket from their Coach at halftime and came out back to their premiership-winning intensity in the second half. Olinda was held scoreless in the 3rd quarter, the ball not even making it into Olinda’s for-

ward line, while Upwey piled on 2.3, which ultimately decided the contest. The last quarter was an arm-wrestle as both sides fought valiantly, Upwey winning the quarter 3 points to 2.

Captain Courage Claire Hyett had a fantastic game, both in her leadership capacity and her customary effort in and under every contest and hard running. Claire was a deserved recipient of the ANZAC medal for Olinda.

Young Dynamo Kyah Barry had a great return to form back in the midfield with her speed, skill by foot and ferocious tackling.

Regular ruck supremo Chelsea (Big Kahuna)Wilson was battling illness coming into the game, and was named forward in the starting line-up, but the first-minute injury to Tayla McKay meant Chelsea had to share ruck responsibilities with regular ruck-rover Amalija Kostich Angerson. Both battled bravely all night and contributed well to Olinda’s performance.

Overall it was Olinda’s best performance since the corresponding game against Upwey on ANZAC Day last year, and sets the benchmark for the intensity Olinda will bring for the rest of the season.

Olinda will be chasing their first win versus Berwick Springs away next Saturday night.

Busy Anzac weekend for Olinda junior footballers

U11 Mixed v Gembrook

Perfect conditions greeted the U11’s for their first home game against Gembrook, and what a display it was!

With some key players back from holidays, the pressure and teamwork were relentless from the first bounce. A full 4 quarter domination from the young superstars saw them run out 84 points to 0 winners. It was high 5’s all around, and a much-improved effort at singing the club song in the rooms after the win.

U12 Girls - Olinda vs Wesburn

On a perfect morning for footy, on the elevated stage that is the Olinda Green, the team put on a spectacular show. The Green had a carnival-like feel with spectators and stickybeaks being sucked into what was a spectacular display of teamwork. The end result was a draw, and how we got to this point took 4 quarters of bravery and skill. Lucy, Lili, Willow, Tahlia, Franky and Miranda made for a great team getting that centre clearance and Willow scoring the first goal in the first quarter and Lucy the point. The pressure put on by the forward line in the first half, led by Phoebe, Hazel, Ellie, Amelia, Ev, Indie and Edith kept that ball in our half for a majority. As the team moved into the 3rd and 4th quarter Wesburn scored to level with Olinda so it took the backline, led by Lara, Bella, Gracie, Miki and Josie to make sure they did not exceed our score. The result was a draw and the crowd was really going wild up on the beautiful Olinda Green. I could not have been prouder at how the team looked out for each other which contributed to that awesome pressure that was a constant during the game.

U13 Boys Red vs Yarra Glen

In what was a pretty awesome display, the lads firmly sent out a notice to the competition that they intend on being one of the tougher teams to beat in their completion. Coach Paddy had the following to say: “A really encouraging team performance by our Under 13’s on Sunday… The focus of the week was“TeamWork” and it was great to see the players responding lowering their eyes, hitting up targets and bringing their teammates into the game. This resulted in an even spread of 9 goal kickers and a convincing 87 point victory. Hugo Fishburn had a great game with strong marks and 3 goals whilst Archie Green, Jarrah Bellemo, Ollie Haines and Nathaniel Johnston worked really hard around the ground.”

U13 Boys White vs Woori Yallock

With strong numbers through our U11 and U13 groups, this year the club has put together a U12 boys side to play in the second

U13 division. It was all put together quickly once there was a good feel for playing numbers when the school holidays finished and the boys playing are loving the opportunity for more game time and more opportunity. The team is topped up by U11s and together, they really put on a great performance against Woori being 19 points up at halftime. The poor U11 players ran out of legs in the last quarter though, and couldn’t maintain their momentum to draw the game. It was a great first outing though and we look forward to seeing the team progress. Liam Eisenegger, Monty Garrett and Billy Brown all scored goals.

U14 Girls v Emerald

Topped up with some of the mighty Under 12s after their thrilling match, our U14 girls ran out onto Olinda Green for their first match of the season. Up against a fiercelooking competition in Emerald, the girls steeled themselves for the challenge ahead. Emerald was able to score early as the girls

worked to find their defensive rhythm. As the game wore on, Olinda was able to slow the opposition’s scoring and win the more contested balls around the ground, led by the toughness of Lili Denovan. In the third and final quarter, our linking possessions started from deep in defence and saw the team move the ball quickly into the forward line to generate scoring opportunities. In the last, Frankie Enquist looked as dangerous as Eddie Betts with some dash and flair with her shots on goal. Lucy Cremean marked and goaled from her set shot. Tahlia Dawson’s marking in defence was rock solid and a highlight for the vocal crowd on the sidelines. Skipper Lola Gardner led from the front keeping the girls motivated when the going was tough in the first half of the game. The girls were able to win the last quarter and demonstrated that they will have a great year!!

U15 Boys v Healesville

The U15 boys continue to look really strong as they build as a cohesive unit. A few new

recruits to the team have provided some strength and goal-scoring potential and that was on show on Sunday. Tom Ford played a cracking captain’s game and scored 3 goals. Aden Bates was strong throughout midfield with hard running to score 4 goals. Coach Cam was impressed with the footy played and commented that he’s got the best seat in the hose to watch the boys go about their craft. Credit to Rio and River for helping out Healesville with numbers and chipping in to score a couple of goals.

U17 boys vs Gembrook

Perfect conditions for footy greeted the players on Sunday afternoon. Up against Gembrook, the boys put on a mighty display of team football to come away with a massive win. The team showed continual improvement during the game. It was great to see the boys embrace the team-first mantra with every member of the team contributing to the win. Well done boys.

The ANZAC Day ceremony at Olinda Football and Netball Club.

Picture: OLINDA FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB

Monbulk in bright start

The Monbulk Senior footballers opened their 2023 campaign on Saturday against reigning Grand Finalists Woori Yallock in an ANZAC weekend clash. The two combatants met in glorious autumn weather at Monbulk as both sides were keen to put a stamp on the new season. Monbulk has often troubled the successful Valley Tigers over the last few decades and the two sides were split 1-1 last year in their two encounters. However, a year is a long time in local football and Monbulk had 10 changes from the team that met Woori in Round 15 last year while Woori had 8 different faces from that game. The Hawks fielded 5 Senior debutants, 4 of which came from the Under 19s. Monbulk started the better of the two sides and notched six goals to one in an impressive opening quarter. Woori was not to be denied and fought back in the middle two terms, kicking 7.5 to Monbulk’s 5 goals straight in that period. The Hawks went into the last term holding on to a 13-point lead after having made the most of their opportunities while the Tigers had squandered some gettable set shots. With the match evenly poised it was Monbulk that ran the game out best, adding 3 last quarter goals to emerge victorious by 32 points in an entertaining contest.

Seniors

Monbulk 14.6.90 d Woori Yallock 8.10.58

Best: Ben Hughson, Ethan Greenall, Ben Smith, Lochlan Beecroft, William Mutschler, Ziggy Hatherley

Goals: Ben Hughson 4, Ziggy Hatherley 3, Glenn Strachan 2, Hayden Finlay 2, Will Mutschler 2, Ethan Greenall 1

The Monbulk Reserves have been at the wrong end of the ladder for most of the past decade, and for much of that time were battling with Woori Yallock to avoid the wooden spoon. Last season the Hawks had that ignomy with just a solitary win in 2022. Meeting in the opening round would mean that at least one side would start with a win but Monbulk has bigger plans for the season after a strong summer with good numbers on the track. Retired Senior players Dean White and Michael Langworthy have taken over the coaching of this team and soon learnt there is no such thing as retirement in the Reserves as the 200+ senior game stalwarts dusted off the boots to help make up the numbers as a few players were absent. Josh Hill captained the side in the absence of Lewis Oliver. The Under 19s also provided an additional 3 players to fill the team, while Under 19s captain Coby Passingham was one of the field umpires.

Monbulk looked a class above their opponents throughout the tussle and ended up running out convincing 92 point victors with systematic play that had been honed over the pre-season. With a host of players in the side

who will be aiming to get into the Seniors line up, there will be pressure for spots which will play out on the training track.

Reserves

Monbulk 15.17.107 d Woori Yallock 2.3.15

Best: Clayton Spooner, Hamish Emmett, Harry Fleming, Joshua Hill, Cameron Griffiths, Kieren Galloway

Goals: Steven Shankly 3, Michael Langworthy 2, Jayden Mauchline 2, Matthew James 1, Cam Griffiths 1, Kieren Galloway 1, Nick Selleck 1, Hamish Emmett 1, Harry Fleming 1, Riley Finlay 1

The Under 19s played their second match for the season after having started last week with an emphatic 11.14.80 to 3.6.24 win over Mt Evelyn. Having lost 4 of their best players to the Seniors this week and another to injury, the Hawks would take on the reformed Woori Under 19s who consisted mostly of members of last years’ Under 17 premiership side. Any doubts the Hawks may have had as a result were soon dispelled as they kept the Tigers goalless in a commanding 64 point win, controlling all facets of the game and find themselves on top of the ladder after 2 rounds.

Under 19s

Monbulk 9.13.67 d Woori Yallock 0.3.3

Best: Nick Taylor, Riley Finlay, Noah Rutherford, William Henderson, Coby Passingham, Jack Downard-Pengilly

Goals: Nick Taylor 2, Jett Bolton 2, Hamish Strathairn 2, Ash Bremner 1, Charlie Barge 1, Kody Timms

The Monbulk Women’s football team unfurled their Division 2 premiership flag from last season to begin their game with the newly formed Berwick Springs team. Monbulk had watched Upwey unfurl the Division 1 flag last week before going down in a game that was far

more encouraging than the scoreline of 12.12 v 0.2 suggested. This week they played a determined game with a team that had a few players missing. At the three-quarter time they were four goals down, despite having numerous forward forays, only to be repelled by a very good Berwick backline. The Hawks were unable to stem the tide in the last term as Berwick’s midfielders started to win the contests and injuries took their toll, with the final result not being a true reflection of the efforts exerted.

Womens

Monbulk 0.1.1 defeated by Berwick Springs

9.9.63

Best: Madison Mauchline, Laura Gillard, Stacey Jolly, Indy Bakker, Maddison Dodd, Genna Seamer

MIXED RESULTS FOR MONBULK’S NETBALLERS

Woori Yallock has not been able to get a netball team up and running for this season and Beaconsfield, who had initially dropped to Division 1, were reinstated into Premier Division and faced Monbulk to start proceedings for 2023.

Monbulk’s A Grade team has a slightly different look this year as they will be without star Goal Attack Stephanie Puopolo, who will miss the season as she is expecting her second child, although is staying on as an assistant coach. Nicole Macdowell, the 2017 and 2021 Best & Fairest, has taken on the captaincy, while 4 players made their A Grade debuts. Abbey Whitaker took on the keeper’s position which allowed Tiana Mancarella to play wing defence with the versatile Jen Dewhurst playing a number of roles in the front half.The other 2 debutants were B Grade squad members Paige Rondinella, who shot 17 goals in just 2 quarters, and youngster Rihanna Kelly.

Healesville gets better of Monny juniors

An honour to be playing football for the Anzac Round, Healesville certainly got the best of most of the Monbulk Junior Footy teams this week. Onwards and Upwards Hawks.

– Lest we Forget.

Under 9’s

A great job by all the boys, many first gamers learning all the rules – the new up-and-coming rising stars of the Monbulk Football Club.

AWARDS: Archie Arnott. Heath Grigg. Jasper Koelewyn. Koby Maggs. OscarWhite. Rory O’Hagan

Under 11’s

There is still plenty of work to do. We started off really well and missed our scoring opportunities. The group dropped their heads a bit in the final quarter. Still a great effort Team –keep working Hawks Monbulk 0 V Healesville 12.8.80

AWARDS:

JuddWragg. Ryder Koole. Luke English. Benji Fagan. Harry Jones. Archie Selby

Under 12 Girls

It was another super effort by the girls against a good team. Only 3 points in it by end of 3rd quarter. We fought really hard to the very end but didn’t quite get the win. A great contest played with great spirit. Great job Girls !!

Monbulk 3.5.23 V Healesville 6.6.42

AWARDS:

Mia. Ava. Heidi. Bowie. Myah. Edie

Under 13’s What a game to come away with a win against a top side. We couldn’t be happier. All the players put in a great running game and pushed till the end, till the very last minute. Awesome job Hawks.

Monbulk 6.6.42 V Healesville 6.3.39

AWARDS: Mitch. Eamon Dawson. Jackson Kanter. Logan Boyer. Lochie McConchie. Bailey McConchie.

Under 15’s

Monbulk 4.4.28 V Mt Evelyn Maroon 15.12.102

The boys did a good job today. We focussed on being stronger in contest, front and square to marking, contest and increase work rate. The group improved these areas for most of the game. Good job.

AWARDS:

Zac Mullinder. Will Hughson. Ryder Koelewyn. Ethan Knight. Jack Thorp. Ben Pratt

Under 16 Girls

Monbulk 2.1.14 V Healesville 14.17.101

Our girls fought hard against a fitter more skilled side today. Their intensity lifted as the game went on, with some excellent tackles, smothers and pressure. Lots to improve on and work on in the next few works. Go Hawkettes.

Monbulk 13 V Healesville 101

AWARDS:

Hayley Donald. Meg Fahey. Cass Vingrys. Ambrie Duke. Nikayla Seamer. Rielle Menere.

Under 17’s

A tough day at the office against an incredibly talented Healesville team. Pleasingly after quarter time, the boy’s effort ramped up and they competed until the final siren.

Monbulk 5 Vs Healesville 126 Jarrah. Jacob D. Todd. Ford. Zach. Rylan

Beaconsfield got off to a strong start and led by 9 goals at halftime. The Hawks were then able to restrict the Eagles’ offence in the third term before winning the final quarter 13-9, ultimately coming up short by 6 goals.

A Grade

Monbulk 35 defeated by Beaconsfield 41

Best: Sophie Stubbs, Nicole Macdowell, Jen Dewhurst

Goals: Paige Rondinella 17, Sophie Stubbs 15, Jen Dewhurst 3

Monbulk’s B Grade team, led by club vicepresident Bonnie Munday, burst out of the blocks with a dominant first half where they established a 13 goal buffer. Beaconsfield made inroads in the second half but whenever they managed a little run on, the Monbulk girls were able to steady and maintain their advantage. In a good even performance, the Hawks came away with an 11 goal win to start the season.

B Grade

Monbulk 46 defeated Beaconsfield 35

Best: Bonnie Munday, Rihanna Kelly, Paige Rondinella

Goals: Paige Rondinella 29, DaynaWalsham 17

The C Grade match was a game of fluctuations as the pendulum swung. The Eagles got away to a better start before a 10-4 second term had the Hawks looking good. Although there was no wind, most of the scoring was done at the one end, where Beaconsfield regained the lead by 1 shot at three-quarter time and Monbulk then replied with an 8 goal to 5 last quarter to gain a thrilling 2 goal win.

C Grade

Monbulk 27 defeated Beaconsfield 25

Best: Jamie Sands, Courtney Witt, Isabel Connell

Goals: Jamie Sands 17, Jenna Schnehage 7, Chloe Schmidtke 3

After being unable to get a D Grade team together in 2022, improved numbers allowed Monbulk to again field a fourth open age team. Former player and long time Juniors coach, RachaelJennings,whoplayed69clubgames20092016, is coaching this team and Natalie Rankin, who had played 73 games for the club between 2012-2016, returned to captain this new, young and enthusiastic squad. With 11 players on the weekend, including 8 first gamers with the senior club, they were ultimately beaten by their more experienced opponents but they will improve as they get games under their belts.

D Grade

Monbulk 11 defeated by Beaconsfield 38

Best: Sammi Kelly, Kate Smith, Caitlin Utting

Goals: Sammi Kelly 7, Natalie Rankin 3, Kate Smith 1

LMU falls

Lilydale-Montrose United Soccer Club headed down to Malvern in their second of three away games to play the high-flying Old Melbournians SC.

On a short but wide pitch at Sir Robert Menzies Reserve, LMU was under the pump from the first minute as Old Melbournians showed why they have won 3 of their opening 4 games.

Old Melbournians scored an early goal at the back post to take the lead before 30 minutes of sustained pressure resulted in a second goal with a fine volley from just inside the box.

LMU managed to pull one back after James Karmis pressed the opposition goalkeeper into a mistake before rolling the ball into an empty net before the teams headed into halftime at 2-1 to the home side.

After the break, Lilydale-Montrose had several chances to equalise and pushed for another goal, before a 74th-minute cutback from the byline dashed their hopes as Old Melbournians went up 3-1.

Seven minutes later, the home team added another goal from outside the box before the final whistle signalled the final result of 4-1 in a game that saw Old Melbournians receive four yellow cards.

Players commemorating ANZAC Round.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Mitchell Arnold (25 Woori Yallock) grabs Nicholas Wall (13 Monbulk). Picture: ROB CAREW

We believe it is the right of every Australian to have affordable access to high quality residential aged care services within a homely, safe, supportive and nurturing environment that is able to meet the individual needs, goals, preferences and care requirements of our residents. Our residents always come first.

We recognise and value the resident’s family and/or other representatives in partnering with care, ensuring where relevant communication is strong in developing relationships.

We treat our residents as individuals and promote individual choice and decision making.

We take great pride in the professional quality of our work and have an uncompromising determination to achieve excellence in what we do.

Call our friendly community engagement manager, Amanda on 1300 428 886 for more information or arrange a personal tour.