Mail - Mountain Views Star Mail - 12th September 2023

Choppin’ wood for good

....

By Dongyun Kwon

A Healesville resident has been recycling timberstocreatecustomdesignedchopping boards to fundraise for the environment.

The charity “Future Forest” will raise money that will go towards organisations that work to replant trees. Andrew Cooper said the idea eventually came up when he saw the figure of red gum on a fence post which remained in good condition despite the whole fence being rotten.

More on page 9

Corruption fears

By Gabriella Vukman

The release of IBAC’s latest report on corruption findings in the Victorian Public Sector, sent heads spinning on 29 August, as local councillors and representatives outlined mixed views of the report.

The survey was sent out to all councillors and MPs, with 28 of the 128 MPs and

YARRA RANGES

131 of the 632 local government councillors, filled out and submitted the survey. Sixty one per cent of MPs and 59 per cent of councillors agreed that corruption is a problem among elected officials.

Eildon MP Cindy McLeish said transparency was key in holding governments to account.

”Processes must be clear, understood and

they need to be followed. If dodgy processes are the way it’s done, then the processes remain dodgy and it’s a slippery slope,” she said.

IBAC executive director of Prevention and Communication Dr Linda Timothy said collecting the survey data “helps us to better target our corruption prevention, detection, and education efforts to address corruption risks

and vulnerabilities across the whole public sector.”

The survey demonstrated that 73 per cent of councillors and 68 per cent of MPs think corruption is a problem in Victoria, naming nepotism, collusion and misuse of resources as some of the most prominent risks faced by MPs and Councillors.

Turn to page 5 for more

Andrew Cooper has been making beautifully designed works from recycled timbers.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

The broken gate can wait, until it can’t.

Livestock is the second highest killer on farms – we all know cattle can be unpredictable.

So while it may seem like a job that’ll take longer to get the tools out than do, one small repair could save a life.

Understand your responsibilities with safety around cattle at worksafe.vic.gov.au/livestock

It’s never you, until it is.

Two-car collision

By Tanya Steele

A two-vehicle collision occurred in Woori Yallock in the early morning hours of Thursday 7 September with one driver airlifted to hospital.

Police are investigating the dawn collision and a spokesperson said that it is understood a car and van collided on Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road in Woori Yallock at about 4.50am.

“The male driver of the van was airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the male driver of the car is assisting police with their enquiries,” they said.

Paramedics were called to an incident in Woori Yallock at about 4.55am and a spokes-

person from Ambulance Victoria said that a man believed to be in his 40s was airlifted to The Alfred in a stable condition with lower body injuries.

CFA from Hillcrest, Woori Yallock and Yellingbo also attended the scene.

Captain Colin Dickson from Hillcrest CFA said the fire brigade received the early morning page at 5.02 am and sent out two trucks to the motor vehicle accident, along with CFA units from Yellingbo and Wandin Rescue.

“Wandin was called to extricate the driver who was trapped,” he said.

Mr Dickson said the CFA assisted on the scene until the two vehicles were put onto tow

trucks and the road re-opened.

“We were on scene for almost two hours,” he said.

The Upper Yarra area has had a number of recent accidents including the collision which resulted in a man’s death Woori Yallock after a car hit a school bus on Thursday 24 August.

A representative from The Alfred hospital on Monday 11 September stated that the driver who was airlifted remained in a stable condition. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Teen driver arrested after fleeing scene

By Mikayla van Loon

A P-plate driver has been arrested after a two car collision in Chirnside Park on Friday 8 September, with one of the vehicles believed to have been stolen.

“The driver of the [blue Volkswagen golf], an 18-year-old McMahons Creek man, ran from the scene but was arrested a short time later and is assisting police with their enquiries,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

“Officers believe the Volkswagen was stolen during a burglary in Box Hill on 7 September.”

The second vehicle was a purple Ford Fiesta.

The drivers involved had a lucky escape with the force of impact causing the engine to dislodge from one of the cars.

“A 49-year-old Mooroolbark man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening

injuries,” police confirmed.

Ambulance Victoria said they were called around 5.15am and transported a patient to Maroondah Hospital “in a stable condition with a lower body injury”.

Chirnside Park and Mooroolbark CFA crews attended to offer assistance because the crash“resulted in an oil spill on the road”.

“The incident was under control by 5.30am. The scene was declared safe by 6.05am and handed to police,” a CFA spokesperson said.

Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said despite members being called to the collision, they weren’t required to help extricate any of the drivers.

“They were very lucky. It was a substantial collision because it took an engine out of one of the vehicles,” he said.

“It hit at a 90 degree angle and that’s why

This year, all Australians will be invited to make history by saying ‘yes’ in a compulsory referendum to alter Australia’s Constitution by enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The Constitution is the founding legal document of our nation, providing the basic rules for the government of Australia. The Constitution is our nation’s birth certificate.

Over many years we have spent a lot trying to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, but we haven’t got better results.

If the referendum succeeds, the Voice to Parliament means Indigenous Australians will be consulted and give advice to Government

the engine has come out but we’ve seen lots of crashes where engines haven’t been removed from the car.”

Mr Caulfield said this recent collision is a reminder to drivers to stick to the road rules and drive responsibly.

While some people have taken to social media to blame the intersection, Mr Caulfield said it ultimately comes down to driver safety and caution, particularly when approaching intersections.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation by police but Mr Caulfield said “the amount of damage to the vehicles would suggest that police investigate speed as a factor”.

Anyone with any information, CCTV/ dashcam vision or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

to design better solutions for issues that affect them.

This will lead to better outcomes for Indigenous Australians in health, employment, and education – because we know when Government listens to people, we get results.

For most of us, saying ‘yes’ won’t change much. But for Indigenous Australians the Voice will bring about tangible change. There is nothing to lose, but so much to be gained.

Police arrest two in bus-riding operation

Transit police have arrested two people following Operation Ride in Melbourne’s East.

Transit police officers ride various bus routes including routes 680 – Lilydale to Warburton, and bus route 901 – Ringwood to Knox with a police vehicle following behind, to bolster public safety. Transit Safety Division Acting Sergeant Kelly Dinnan said their focus is making sure people are not only safe but feel safe wherever and whenever they use public transport.

“We hope our presence on the bus network this week sends a clear message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.”

The two-day operation took place on 5 and 6 September, with police highly visible to detect and deter crime on the network and enhance public safety.

The arrests included:

· A 30-year-old male from Boronia for possessing a drug of dependence and weapons.

· A 47-year-old male from Croydon for multiple outstanding warrants.

Two behaviour offences were also issued, along with five traffic offences.

Don’t drink and drive this finals season

Victoria Police is warning young people about the dangers of drink driving and miscalculating their alcohol intake during local football final celebrations. Police are engaging with local football clubs and leagues to ensure precautions are in place for players and supporters to safely enjoy the celebrations and club officials and parents are encouraged to arrange alternative transport so players can celebrate with teammates and make it home from end-ofseason functions safely.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said far too often they hear from drivers who thought they’d be OK to drive after one or two drinks.

“The safest option is – if you’re going to drink, don’t drive. End of football season celebrations are commonly associated with social events and alcohol consumption, so if you’re planning to drink, just leave the car at home and arrange a designated driver or utilise alternative transport methods,” he said. “The message from police is clear – drinking and driving won’t be tolerated. We’ll be out conducting testing and focusing on areas where we know events and celebrations are taking place so don’t take the risk”.

Victoria Police are targeting drink and drug driving in the lead up to Operation Scoreboard, a statewide road policing effort set to take place over the AFL Grand Final long weekend later this month.

Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol report

A number of motorists in and around theYarra Ranges, including a man driving in Healesville, will be charged after they were caught under the influence of alcohol or drugs while on the road. On Maroondah Highway, Healesville, a 49-year-old male driver returned a positive Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) for alcohol. He accompanied police and later returned an Evidentiary Breath Test (EBT) result of 0.079. He was issued with a $577 penalty notice and his licence will be cancelled for six months.

Say yes!

OnedriverwasflowntoTheAlfredandwasinastablecondition.

Picture:CFA TheaccidentoccurredearlyhoursofThursday 7September.

Picture:ONFILE

Corruption fears growing

By Gabriella Vukman

The release of IBAC’s latest report on corruption findings in the Victorian Public Sector, sent heads spinning on 29 August, as local councillors and representatives outlined mixed views of the report.

This report, elicited by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), was conducted via an overarching and optional survey sent out via email to be completed by Victorian Members of Parliament (MPs) and local government councillors.

Eildon MP Cindy McLeish said transparency was key in holding governments to account.

”Processes must be clear, understood and they need to be followed. If dodgy processes are the way it’s done, then the processes remain dodgy and it’s a slippery slope,” she said.

IBAC executive director of Prevention and Communication Dr Linda Timothy said collecting the survey data “helps us to better target our corruption prevention, detection, and education efforts to address corruption risks and vulnerabilities across the whole public sector.”

The survey demonstrated that 73 per cent of councillors and 68 per cent of MPs think corruption is a problem in Victoria, naming nepotism, collusion and misuse of resources as some of the most prominent risks faced by MPs and Councillors.

Although the survey was sent out to all councillors and MPs in the Victorian government, 28 of the 128 MPs and 131 of the 632 local government councillors, filled out and submitted the survey.

In the report, 61 per cent of MPs and 59 per cent of councillors agreed that corruption is a problem among elected officials.

“With five IBAC reports tabled in the last 12 months involving the Andrews Labor Government, is it no wonder that MPs and Councillors are concerned about corruption in the state,” Ms McLeish said.

“We also have the Ombudsman looking into the politicisation of the public service which is further cause for alarm. The public service should be objective and independent and not another arm of government.

“The Andrews Government’s recent appointment of three former Labor Ministers to key positions without an open and transparent recruitment process is concerning.”

The survey results revealed that 64 percent of participating MPs strongly agreed that they would report corrupt behaviour if they observed it, with the remaining percentage agreeing. Fourteen per cent of MPs did not answer this question.

Further, 36 per cent of MPs and 34 per cent of councillors strongly agreed that “their elected colleagues would be supportive if they reported corruption”.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child said the council follows strict processes to ensure corruption and the reporting of it is made clear to councillors.

“AtYarra Ranges, we have clear processes in place to make councillors very aware of how to operate and navigate their important roles as elected officials,” he said.

“We have to be ever vigilant and abide by our processes, and I’m confident this will continue in our region thanks to the training we undertake as councillors.”

But anonymity remained a high priority for those reporting corruption Dr Timothy said.

“If people have reported corruption, most people aren’t going to say they reported this because it could come back to bite them. Even if someone has reported it, they want to be anonymous,” she said.

Dr Timothy said “one of the interesting findings in the report was learning that while most councillors and MPs said they would report corruption if they observed it, not all of them knew how to report corruption.”

“IBAC has work to do in educating our political representatives on IBAC’s role and functions,” Dr Timothy said.

The media release On behalf of Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission, announced “the survey findings reinforced the importance of several recommendations made in IBAC’s Operation Sandon special report, including the need for better training on governance, leadership and integ-

rity and the development of a model Councillor Code of Conduct.”

Upon being asked if she trusted IBAC’s results, Ms McLeish asserted that she did and said “yes, because they surveyed MPs like me and as far as I know, the survey went out to everybody.”

Additionally, Ms McLeish was asked if she herself had experienced corruption in government, to which she said, “not corruption. I haven’t seen anything but we’ve seen the reports when they have uncovered corruption. People are often saying to me that something is corrupt but actually in most cases it is soft corruption and just dodgy.”

A Victorian Government spokesperson said they are dedicated to transparency and integrity in government and across the public sector.

“We’ve delivered stronger powers for IBAC and record funding - including nearly doubling IBAC’s funding since we came to Government,” the spokesperson said.

“Of course, there is always more work to do, and the Attorney-General regularly speaks to IBAC and other agencies about opportunities to further strengthen our integrity system.

“This includes discussions about law reform they would like the government to consider.The Government is giving proper consideration to the recommendations of Operation Daintree, as is appropriate, and will respond in due course.”

Third times the charm as cash rate held this month

By Tanya Faulkner

Mortgage holders will be quietly celebrating this month as the RBA cash rate is revealed to the public.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has held the cash rate for a third consecutive month, which also marks Phillip Lowe’s last move as governor of the Central Bank.

The cash rate will remain on hold at 4.1 per cent, the highest it has been since mid 2012.

Experts say the decision was widely expected, in particular by the big four banksNAB, CBA, ANZ and Westpac.

Following RBA custom, Lowe left open the possibility of further rate increases if needed.

“Some further tightening of monetary policy may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe, but that will continue to depend on the data and the evolving assessment of risks,” he said at the Tuesday board meeting.

Despite goods price inflation easing in recent weeks, the prices of several services con-

tinue to rise briskly, and rent inflation is also elevated.

Compare the Market’s economic director, David Koch, said although the relief is welcome by many Australians, overleveraged borrowers may suffer if these high rates linger.

“While we may have reached a peak, we’re a far cry away from the ultra-low rates Lowe

had forecast until 2024.

“It’s unlikely we’ll ever get back to the record low rates we had during the pandemic, those days are probably gone.

“Unfortunately it means a lot of borrowers, particularly young people, will struggle to make their repayments,” he said.

The central bank said tightening on the monetary policy, and the cash rate increases

that started in May 2022, have played their part in helping reduce the headline inflation rate from a December peak annual rate of 8.4 per cent to 4.9 per cent by July 2023.

Mr Koch said there are positive signs that action on rates have been effective in curbing inflation.

“We saw CPI fall to 4.9 per cent in July, down from 5.4 per cent in June.

“In such tight conditions, people are hiding their wallets and reining in spending wherever they can.

“We are finally starting to see that behaviour is having an effect on overall prices,” he said.

Despite these effects, Australia’s inflation rate remains higher than similarly rich nations, and far off the RBA’s preferred target band of 2-3 percent that it expects won’t be reached until 2025.

Australians with a $750,000 mortgage sitting on a variable rate could already be paying $1814 more each month than they were at the start of May 2022.

Eildon MP Cindy McLeish wants transparency from the Victorian Government after another IBAC report.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child assures residents that Council upholds strict anticorruption policies. Pictures: ON FILE

The cash rate is being held at 4.10 per cent for the third consecutive month. Picture: SUPPLIED

Wombat has last laugh

By Tanya Steele

Little Yarra CFA had an unusual call-out on the night of Tuesday 5 September.

Units were told on the journey out to Gladysvale two rottweilers had gotten stuck while chasing a wombat through a property late in the evening.

The doggy duo’s midnight jaunt was cut short when the pair got stuck in pursuit of the native marsupial who led them underneath the bottom of a bin somehow.

Lieutenant Peter Cookson from Little Yarra CFA said that when they get a call out like this, the unit gets geared up for turnout and never knows what to expect.

“We were wondering what exactly was happening and on arrival, we find two rottweilers underneath a 24 cubic metre bin,” he said. “The dogs had been chasing the wombat around and gotten stuck, meanwhile the wombat was long gone.”

Animal Aid and the openers of the property had been attempting to coax the canines out and called in the CFA to assist.

“We were scratching our heads as well - lifting without hurting the dogs was a concern,” Mr. Cookson said.

The unit considered leaving it for the night - but then SES Upper Yarra arrived with a device that assisted the process - it lifted the bin up enough to safely get the dogs out.

“Our mates from Upper Yarra turned up and they were great, the dogs had a little bit more room to move and they eventually decided to trust us,” Mr Cookson said.

Upper Yarra SES Deputy Controller Operations, Matthew Sparkes, said the lifting device can be incredibly useful for different operations.

“We have a set of airbags that uses compressed air and they have a very high lifting capacity, we also stacked cribbing under the container once it was raised to make the area safe,” he said.

The raised space allowed the midnight responders to coax the dogs out from under the bin.

“They were wet and cold and came out one at a time - they were very friendly dogs and probably very glad they were out from under that bin,” Mr Cookson said.

Animal Aid staff from Coldstream took the dogs from there for a microchip check and some care and returned them to the owners fed and washed clean by the next day.

Little Yarra CFA rang to check on their progress and Mr Cookson said “they are prob-

ably vowing to never chase wombats again.”

The CFA turn out for many things that the community wouldn’t believe and Mr Cookson said they get lots of weird and wonderful things, “It’s not just fires - I myself have rescued an injured koala from a tree,” he said.

Throughout CFA the different brigades specialise in different things that can help in different scenarios.

“Wandin have got a good on rope rescue, Yellingbo have a rehab unit - each brigade will have their own speciality,” Mr Cookson said.

“Little Yarra has a Landcruiser with a huge pump - we can hook up to a river and supply four trucks with water,” he said.

Mr Cookson said members of the public had shown concern on the Little Yarra Facebook page for the wombat that was pursued by the dogs.

“The wombat was likely fine - he got the better of the two,” he said.

Recycled car batteries powering a climb for cancer

By Gabriella Vukman

On Saturday 2 September, the sound of thundering boots echoed from the stairs of the Melbourne’s Crown Metropol.

Two of these boots belonged to Hillcrest CFA member and Volunteer Rochelle Poulton.

The Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb takes place each year in September to raise money for cancer research, crisis support and mental health services.

“I started doing the stair climb in 2018,” Rochelle said.

In order to contribute to the donations, Rochelle collects car batteries from “far and wide,” depositing them at the North Star recycling station in Bayswater.

“It’s really good because I’ve made some great connections with many people.”

Over the past five years Rochelle has raised roughly $8400 for the CFA stair climb from her battery collection and her services are beginning to gain attention from the community.

“People remember my name from previous years. They know of me collecting batteries and want to help out,” she said.

Aiming to raise $1600 this year, Rochelle has successfully collected 181 car batteries, rocketing her contributions over the

years to $10,000.

“This year I collected three tonnes worth of batteries. I just want to thank everyone who has given me a call and contributed.”

The CFA is aiming to raise $700,000 and was at the $500,000 mark just a week before the climb. With total funds currently at $600,000, donations are still open.

“Everything that’s raised goes towards Lifeline, 000 Foundation for emergency services and the Peter McCallum Foundation for cancer research.”

Rochelle notes the importance of mental health and emergency services.

“Being in the emergency services you do see some stuff and it does affect us, so it’s really important to advocate for services such as the 000 foundation and lifeline and let everyone know that it is okay” she said.

“Mental health is and has been something that no one talks about but for the last couple of years, especially since covid as well, everyone’s been talking about it a lot more and people are more comfortable with the topic.”

Rochelle has already started her battery collecting for next year and hopes to beat this year’s record of 181 batteries.

“I dropped off all my batteries last Tuesday and I got a call to come and pick up more

batteries on Tuesday night so I’ve already started collecting batteries for next year.”

Outlining the benefits that stem from recycling batteries, Rochelle encourages people with old car batteries lying around to give her a call or dispose of them properly.

“It’s important for people to know that it doesn’t actually cost you to dispose of them properly, you actually get money for it when you do it. Environmental hazards and the leaking of battery acid can be prevented by correct disposal and reuse,” Rochelle said.

To donate to the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb fund go to; www.firefighterclimb. org.au

Rochelle Poulton and fellow members of Hillcrest CFA Climb to raise money.

Pictures: ROCHELLE POULTON Used car batteries collected by Rochelle Poullton this year.

The SES preparing to lift the unit.

Pictures: UPPER YARRA SES

‘Safe at last’ doggy duo after they were coaxed out.

The best kind of

A Healesville family couldn’t hide the tears when they had an emotional reunion with the lifesavers of their father on Father’s Day, Sunday 3 September.

It was on 18 June when Bryde McNamara, father of three, suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest on his way back home from work.

He was out of consciousness and crashed into a building at Healesville High School.

“I was told that I left work, but I don’t remember driving or the accident,” Mr McNamara said as reported by 7News.

His family heard the crash and rushed to help, with his son Charlie calling Triple Zero (000).

“We heard a big crashing noise and looked out the window and saw a lot of smoke coming from the school so we ran outside,” Charlie said as reported by 7News.

“I was like, ‘oh my gosh that’s dad’. So I go back inside and find mum’s phone and I called triple-0.”

Bryde’s wife Jess and a bystander started CPR before paramedics arrived on the scene.

“His family were doing an incredible job performing CPR so we got them to continue, which was a massive help for us,” Paramedic Joscelyn Roberts said.

Paramedics and CFA crews arrived on the scene shortly and worked together to save Mr McNamara.

“The school oval was a great resource for the AmbulanceVictoria helicopters. They were delivering blood and I was assisting in pumping the blood into Bryde,” Healesville Fire Brigade volunteer Graeme Bates said.

“SES and CFA worked together to secure the wall of the building so the bricks wouldn’t collapse.

“There was a lot happening and it was a great multi-agency effort.”

Bryde was flown to The Royal Melbourne

Hospital. After two weeks in hospital, Bryde was able to return home.

McNamara’s Family met with his first responders (paramedics, CFA and SES mem-

bers) on Father’s Day.

The whole family expressed their heartfelt gratitude.

“I have so much love for all of these people,”

CheersTo20Yearsof

Mrs McNamara said.

“We are so grateful that we still have him here.

“It’s such a blessing.”

McNamara’s family reunited with the first responders on Father’s Day.

Picture: AMBULANCE VICTORIA

Pavilion hopes building

By Tanya Steele

The Powelltown pavilion upgrades are well and truly in full swing and the community is looking forward to having the space back for their sporting clubs in the area.

Secretary of the Powelltown Sporting Club Peter Podolinski said that the club is optimistic about the construction moving along.

“It’s taken a while for the construction to get underway. They had some problems with the footings,” he said.

“There was a lot of underground moisture that they weren’t expecting and they had to change the design.”

Mayor of Yarra Ranges Council, Councillor Jim Child said you can see that the pavilion is really starting to unfold on the ground now.

“I think it’s a credit to the group out there from the community. They’ve been lobbying for this facility for some time now,” he said. The changes will see two buildings in one with changerooms at one end and social

rooms at the other and Mr Podolinkski there’s a breezeway between the two.

“It becomes a real multi-purpose, purpose community facility,” he said.

“Our old Ashley Green pavilion which was built in 1970 and a 100-year-old classroom which was from Kaniva has now been completely demolished since December last year,” he said.

“We’re disappointed that the heritage has gone on, but you have to move with the times,” he said.

Cr Child said that the Council follows a process when it comes to renewing buildings like the pavilion across the Yarra Ranges.

“We follow a set process of renewing these types of assets, and Powelltown was due for it,” he said.

The main drive to upgrade the building stemmed from a need to accommodate the five netball teams and upgrade the space.

“The original one was built in 79 – So that’s

44 years ago, we had two football sides, that was all the facility was built for,” Mr Podolinksi said.

The pavilion is being built in accordance with the AFL and Netball Victoria Facility Guidelines and Powelltown FNC is looking forward to bringing their teams home.

“The roofs are about to go on and they are starting to do the internal walls and bricks and things,” Mr Podolinkski said.

Yarra Ranges Council were successful in securing a $1.5 million Federal Government Local Roads Community Infrastructure grant to support the delivery of this project in addition to other grant funding already secured for it.

Multiple pavilions across the outer east have been updated across the Yarra Ranges and Mr Podolinski commended the Yarra Ranges Council for their assistance in these projects.

“They’ve upgraded many pavilions in the last five or 10 years – Montrose, Wandin, Chirnside, Monbulk and Upwey,” he said.

“It’s great because you can have so many young people participating in sporting activities.”

Cr Child said that the while council is providing all those grassroots services and assets to our communities, they also need backing from higher levels.

“The State and the Federal governments got to be in there strongly supporting us as well,” he said.

The Powelltown Cricket teams will have a bit longer to wait out the redevelopment and will hit two seasons of play while the construction has been happening.

Powelltown FNC had a good season despite disruptions to their usual training and home game regimes and Mr Podolonksi said they are glad the construction is well underway.

“We’re all very much looking forward to being back at Powelltown and being together,” Mr. Podolonski said.

Yarra Junction residents urged to have say on future

Yarra Junction community members are being invited to share their vision for the future of the town, as council seeks feedback to help inform the future draft Yarra Junction Place Plan.

The feedback received from the community during the consultation phase will influence future developments and projects for the township, which is an important service centre in the Upper Yarra.

Yarra Ranges Mayor and O’Shannassy Ward Councillor, Jim Child, said that the first stage of consultation would be an exciting opportunity for the community to be a part of.

“We want to know and understand what the community values and what they would like to see prioritised inYarra Junction for the future,” Cr Child said.

“This consultation gives us the chance to hear about how the community are feeling about Yarra Junction, and what issues and opportunities they may identify to help improve the township,” he said.

Following the first stage of consultation, where community members will be asked to provide notes, ideas and photos to help identify the issues and opportunities for the area, a community reference group will then

be created to work with Council on creating a set of actions to plan out future projects or advocacy opportunities.

“By starting with a broad consultation we can really get a feel for what the community values and what they want us to prioritise, and from there we can start diving into more of the specifics as the various phases of consultation progress,” Cr Child said.

These actions will then become part of a draft Yarra Junction Place Plan, which would go back out to the community again once more for feedback.

“I strongly encourage the Yarra Junction community to have a think about what improvements they would like to see made to Yarra Junction, and to let us know by either visiting our website or by seeing us in person at one of our pop-up sessions,” Cr Child said.

“We’re also welcoming invitations from community groups in Yarra Junction who would be interested in having us come along to one of their meetings,” he said.

Community members have until 8 October to provide their input.

For more information on the consultation and to provide feedback, please visit shaping. yarraranges.vic.gov.au/your-communityyarra-junction.

Initial works were held up by issues with the slab.

Pictures: PETER PODOLINSKI The pavilion project is in full swing.

Funds help Ben’s Shed thrive

By Tanya Steele

Yarra Junction’s Men’s Shed or ‘Ben’s Shed’ as it is known - has recently received a funding grant which was welcomed over official celebrations and a nice pork BBQ lunch by the members.

Ben’s Shed has officially received the 2022-23 Casey volunteer grant through federal member for Casey, Aaron Violi MP’s recent funding round.

“Ben’s Shed has used the funding to purchase a new set of portable batteryrun tools to be used by members,” Mr Violi said.

Mr Violi visited the shed on Wednesday 30 August to officially congratulate the members on their successful grant application.

New life for timber

By Dongyun Kwon

A Healesville resident has been recycling timbers to create custom designed chopping boards to fundraise for the environment.

Andrew Cooper said the idea eventually came up when he saw the figure of red gum on a fence post which remained in good condition despite the whole fence being rotten.

The former violin maker was familiar with figured timber with knowledge of fiddleback and always kept his eyes on wooden products.

“The figure in the grain of the red gum was too nice to just be burned or wasted,” he said.

“So I ended up making a few different things with the red gum, coffee tampers, picture frames and chopping boards.

“Chopping boards is the main thing I currently make from salvaged wood.”

The experience let him research red gum which could grow over a thousand years.

The woodworker discovered that some of the trees that have been cut for fences, bridges, railways and furniture were as old as a 1000 years.

“I want to salvage that wood to fund planting trees that could be still growing in 1000 years,” Mr Cooper said.

This idea led him to set up a business (named Future Forest) to sell chopping boards and furniture made from salvaged timbers (futureforest.com.au).

“I just work out what is the difference between production cost and the leftover, then I give Landcare organisations some money to do the planting,” he said.

“I like the idea of planting on farmland because it can help to connect habitat areas together. Many farms would benefit by having more tree cover especially near waterways.”

Future Forest uses the profits to aid organisations financially that work to replant trees such as Landcare Australia.

It aims to inspire other businesses to invest to sustain the ecosystem for future generations.

Mr Cooper emphasised the importance of the attention from the local community.

He said people were becoming aware of the importance of how products they buy are made and it affected businesses to impact positively on the environment.

“The war on waste has shown what mess is created when products are badly designed. The lifecycle needs to be respected, especially with plastics and clothing,” Mr Cooper said.

“Many people now understand that what they buy has an impact on the environment that we are part of,” he said.

“If more manufacturers work in a way that is symbiotic with nature then we could prevent the pollution and loss that has become such a problem.”

Floods and covid no match for cafe

By Gabriella Vukman

Through Covid and flash floods Nancy’s Cafe in Yarra Junction has stood tall.

Named after Emily’s grandmother, the cafe has faced thick and thin and owner Emily divulges how she managed to stay afloat.

“I seriously thought that with all of the closing and opening from Covid and then the flood damages, that I would lose my business,” Emily said.

When it comes to the ordeals faced by the Cafe, Emily said “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

The night of the October 2022 floods that left multiple businesses bereft, Emily said she was still in the building, grappling with water rising to her knees and above in a matter of minutes.

“My brain couldn’t catch up with what my eyes were seeing. That was when my husband turned to me and said, you have to work out what you need to bring,” Emily said.

The flooding occurred swiftly and Emily recalls water reaching up to her thighs before the SES came and started pumping it out of the building.

Over the ten months of the Cafe’s closure, Emily said she “had a bit of thinking and soul searching to do.”

“After we had been closed down so many times and reopened and had to retro-fit for Covid I did consider giving up,” she said.

Along with the support she received from the council and local community, working at a friend’s cafe during Nancy’s months of cessation made Emily truly aware that the hospitality industry was still, indeed for her.

“I had a lot of support from the local and not local community. Customers found me online and emailed me to see if I was okay. I realised that I’m meant to do this and everyone believes in me so I should try and make a comeback.”

Emily also notes a similar coming together of the community that occurred during the pandemic. Getting to know her customers on

a deeper level due to social distancing enabled her to really check in on people and have a conversation about whether they were “doing okay” or not.

“We ended up developing a more personal relationship with some of them when previously we never knew them. We were able to go hi, how are you? And because they have no other outlet we got to know a lot of things about them.”

Although the “government did reach out and offer assistance” and a deeper bond with her customers was generated, Emily commented on the hardships of the Covid period.

“It was pretty awful having to close down and having to deny people products and service. It’s not something you ever want to do,” Emily said.

Emily’s advice for small businesses who are going through tough times is to “stay strong, do some soul searching and know in yourself if it’s right for you. If it’s right, then just keep going.”

Having been successfully reopened for four weeks, Emily noted that without the floods her cafe would never have been renovated and without the pandemic, she wouldn’t have developed such a strong bond with her customers.

“We would never have been able to afford the time to close for a refit and the reaction we’ve had from both old and new customers has been really positive. They all love the space and think it’s still just as welcoming.”

Vice President at Yarra Junction’s Ben’s Shed, Richard Goldie said the grant funding was a welcome addition to the shed’s resources.

“We run a school program which is where some of the funds will be used, we network with five primary schools –we go to them or they come to us,” he said.

“We also have women members at our shed and the shed runs nearly every weekday.”

Ben’s Shed also has regular meals with their members - and Mr Violi got to sample the weekly lunch while he was there.

“Having joined members of Ben’s Shed for lunch, it was amazing to see how the shed contributes to positive mental health for men. Men’s sheds are such an asset to our community and I am proud to see this grant make such a difference to the members and local students,” Mr Violi said.

Mr Goldie said that their shed also does a lot of repair work and recently finished some interesting work on some older-style kitchen chairs.

“We also do a lot of small woodworking repairs for the community,” he said.

Ben’s Shed has a solid group of between 50 and 60 people and does both wood and metalworking.

September 3 to 9 will see Men’s Sheds nationwide celebrate 30 Years of Sheds.

Men’s Sheds not only play important roles in the overall improvement of health and wellbeing but also positively engaging within their community for the benefit of their community.

For many Australian men (and women) the local Men’s Shed offers somewhere to go, something to do and mates that make it all worthwhile.

The water streamed out under the door at Nancy’s during the October 2022 floods.

Picture: NANCY’S OF THE VALLEY

Ben’s Shed at Yarra Junction have received a funding grant for 2022-23 Casey volunteer grant through federal member for Casey, Aaron Violi MP.

Andrew Cooper makes customised chopping boards with from salvaged timbers to fundraise for replanting trees. Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Andrew is holding a chopping board made of red gum tree.

Six reasons to fight on

By Mikayla van Loon

With six incredible reasons to keep fighting, Mooroolbark mum Susan Mackenzie aims to defy the odds, having been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) three years ago.

Battling the first diagnosis during her pregnancy with her fifth child, Jackson, after finding a lump in her breast first thought to be a blocked milk duct, Susan was on a path to chemotherapy by January 2020.

“It was surreal. It didn’t feel real to me,” she said.

“I did four AC chemos which brought me up to 32 weeks pregnant and they decided to give me a month break and then bring Jackson on at 36 weeks.

“So he was fine, the pregnancy was fine, he’s still fine. And then when he was two weeks old, I had to start chemo again.”

Undergoing 12 weeks of chemotherapy, surgery and six weeks of radiation Susan said “they were confident I had done all I needed to do”.

With five kids all happy and healthy, Susan decided she wanted to grow her family even more.

“I said to my oncologist I’m not done having kids. I want another one.”

Falling pregnant with her sixth child, another boy, Susan continued to ensure her mammograms were up to date and she was checking in with her doctors regularly.

“I was always under the impression that if I had a recurrence, they’ll pick it up in the breast. So I kept going for my yearly mammograms, ultrasounds, and they were clear, there was nothing in there,” she said.

Because of her TNBC diagnosis, Susan said it wasn’t hormone related so having another baby wasn’t going to affect her condition or her remission.

But towards the end of her pregnancy and then once her son Cooper was born in January this year, an unbearable pain started growing in her ribcage.

“I’d lost 14 kilos in a couple of weeks. So [my doctor] sent me for a PET scan and when I

went back in February, she said the cancer had returned and it had spread too far now and I was terminal. She said I had less than two years with treatment.”

Susan’s cancer spread rapidly to her lungs, ribs, bones, liver and pelvis and now she’s fighting to be here long enough to see her children grow.

“My biggest fear was a recurrence and that they wouldn’t find it in time and it has happened,” she said.

“I was told by a few ladies on the breast cancer pages on Facebook that you can accept your diagnosis, you don’t need to accept the prognosis.

“I don’t feel like I’m about to keel over and die. I’ve got so much fight and so much determination to keep going. I have to. I’ve got little

people that rely on me, I need to keep fighting.”

Her six children are all under 10-years-old; Matthew is nine, Kayden is seven, Mia is six, Logan is four, Jackson is three and Cooper is eight months old.

“It’s nice to see their bond and how close they are and they’ll always have each other,” Susan said.

Trying to keep life as normal as possible for her children, Susan continues to undergo chemotherapy treatment but still does the school drop offs and pickups and day-to-day activities.

Despite this, she feels as though she has been robbed of so much, especially the newborn moments, because of TNBC.

“To a certain extent, it’s good to have that escape from the diagnosis but also, I feel that I’ve been robbed from a lot of those newborn stages.

“I haven’t been able to enjoy my last two newborns and before you know it, they’re crawling and growing up and that newborn stage is gone in the blink of an eye anyway. So I haven’t been able to really sit down and enjoy those moments.”

Showing a fighting spirit for herself and her children, as well as all other women out there experiencing TNBC, Susan has been part of a new documentary launched by Pink Hope on 7 September.

‘Beyond the Diagnosis: Confronting Triple Negative Breast Cancer’ documents the lives of three women challenged by TNBC at different stages and the impacts it has on their mental health, financial sustainability and their families.

TNBC accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the 20,000 breast cancer diagnoses in Australia every year.

It is known for being particularly aggressive, is prevalent in younger women, and has poorer clinical outcomes as shown by higher relapse rates and lower survival rates.

Pink Hope CEO Sarah Powell said breast cancer survivorship and support has increased over the last decade but more work, treatment availability and awareness is needed particu-

Litter bug leaving too much trash

By Tanya Steele

Chum Creek residents have become increasingly frustrated in the last few months by unexplained littering along one of their residential roads.

Bags of rubbish have been found dumped along the roadside and the bags are being run over by cars, which is spreading litter all over the streets.

A resident of Chum Creek said that bags of household rubbish have been appearing for the last five months and that they and other residents have been regularly finding rubbish strewn about the area.

“There’s soft drink tins, plastic bags, normal household rubbish, it’s being dumped on the side of the road,” they said.

“Cars are hitting it and it’s being scattered around - most recently noticed some coming home on the evening of Thursday 7 September, it was all along the aqueduct.”

Concerns from residents include the damage to the local environment and potential accidents with vehicles colliding with the rubbish.

The rubbish appears to be mostly household in origin and appears to be everything from plastic bags and food waste to

old paint tins.

“One time someone dumped drums of paint in the middle of the road - that could have caused a major accident and another time it was a wooden door,” they said.

The residents have been cleaning up the trash and putting it in their own bins, but want to resolve the issue peacefully.

“If it’s deliberate - it is a strange thing, a few people have commented on the Chum Creek Facebook notice board,” they said.

“We just want to know what is going onespecially if whoever is involved needs some support.”

larly when it comes to TNBC.

“The unfortunate byproduct of these inroads, however, is that many – including Australian political decision-makers – believe the job on breast cancer is done,” she said.

“The fact remains that those living with metastatic triple negative breast cancer, in particular, face a prognosis akin to other known and deadly cancers.”

Having experienced first hand the lack of treatment options available for TNBC, Susan said being part of the documentary was an easy thing to say yes to if it meant spreading the word.

“Probably one of the biggest motivations is to get awareness out about this, of breast cancer, is a lack of treatment options that we have and to be told that there’s really not much which is heartbreaking.

“One of the main reasons why I jumped on this documentary is to raise awareness. I want to help other women, even though I might not see the results of this in my lifetime, something has to change.”

For Susan, unless a trial program opens suited to her type of cancer, she knows a time will come when the cancer stops responding to her current chemotherapy drug.

“The cancer is stable at the moment, there’s been no progression but I know this chemo will stop working, I just don’t know when.

“That’s the frightening part, no matter how hard I fight, no matter how determined I am, I know the chemo will stop working and then that’ll be it.

“I’ll be told there’s nothing else we can do for you and then I’ll have to face the reality that my kids will grow up without me and that’s not right.”

Whether or not Susan can extend her time with her children by even six months or year, she said raising awareness around her breast cancer diagnosis is a legacy she wants to leave for them.

“I want to be able to show my kids how hard I fought for this. I want to give them strength. I want them to know it’s OK and they can always look back on this and know how hard I fought for it.”

Chum Creek residents have been picking up the litter but have no idea why the rubbish keeps getting dumped along the same areas. Picture: FACEBOOK

Susan Mackenzie was first diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2019 and started chemotherapy in January 2020.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Try a sport and thrive

By Mikayla van Loon

Recognising the reduction in how many girls participate in sport once they reach their teen years, Inspiro Community Health is launching a school holiday program to help see those numbers grow.

Girls Get Active aims to encourage young girls between the ages of 12 and 15 or 16 to try something new, whether it be skating, kayaking, dancing, volleyball or circus.

As part of a wider program called Step and Connect, funded by Yarra Ranges Council, Health Promotion Officer Megan McInerney said the focus has been on getting people out and active in their neighbourhoods.

With this third arm of the project highlighting the need for young girls to have a variety of options, Ms McInerney said it has been developed in consultation with young people themselves.

“Lilydale High School did a community consultation survey for us so the girls looked at what they liked about activity, what were the barriers to activity and what motivated them to be more active,” she said.

“Certainly fun and friendship were the two big ones in what motivates them the most and looking at what some of those barriers were, so opportunity is a big one.”

The survey also found financial barriers and the fear of judgement around body image to be high on the list as to why girls fall away from doing sport or physical activity.

“We know that that age group drops out of sport at significant rates really. So the aim of this project is just to encourage girls to see what else is available.

“To see what opportunities are available in their neighbourhood or in your area. Get them to try something different, learn some new skills and have fun with their friends.”

The pop up activities came from the consultation process with the school students and highlighted the need for variety, aside from the traditional or common sports available.

“We went through what was the most popular and selected those and also what was available in Lilydale because we’ve got our beautiful lake, which is an amazing resource and asset for the community to come and just enjoy being active outside,” Ms McInerney said.

With 11 pop up sessions throughout the two week break, with roughly 30 spots per session, Ms McInerney said it’s a first in best dressed situation but hopefully lots of opportunities to try something new.

“We’d love to see as many girls that we can have come along, but it’s certainly open to any girls that are living or going to school in the Yarra Ranges Council area.”

Parental consent forms will need to be signed for girls to participate but Ms McInerney said once signed, they can participate in as many activities as they like as long as numbers allow.

With all the activities being hosted in Lilydale, Ms McInerney said Inspiro tried to make it as accessible as possible, being close to public transport.

“We’re just trying to eliminate as many barriers as we can because often that’s another one, that parents can’t drop the kids off to sport or they’re busy and they’ve got a short amount of time.

“School holidays are probably the same, where parents are working, so we want to make it as accessible as possible to as many people as we can.”

To learn more about the program and sign up to the free activities, go to www.inspiro.org. au/news/step-and-connect-girls-get-activepop-ups-series/

Walk My Way on its way

By Mikayla van Loon

Putting one step in front of the other has never been more meaningful than during the Walk My Way fundraising event coming to the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne for the first time.

The Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) event raises funds to help send refugee children in East Africa to school and this year it will be hosted at Luther College in Croydon Hills on 21 October.

Community engagement manager Aaron Glover said the first event was held in Adelaide in 2017 to raise support and awareness around the “challenges these children face overseas”.

“We work in 15 countries overseas and we have a particular focus of working in refugee camps in East Africa,” he said.

“What we try to do through our work is grow the capacity of the local people to better their future so they can develop themselves and education is a powerful way to change the future for a young person in those camps.”

Ensuring inclusivity and equity, Mr Glover said there is a focus on providing the same opportunities for boys, girls and children with disabilities.

This year, Mr Glover said the aim is to raise $50,000, something he noted would have “a transformational impact for so many children”.

“What people really love about Walk My Way is it’s a very practical way to respond in love to a situation that can seem quite large and challenging, but it’s a practical way that people can do something to make a difference even if it’s just for one child,” he said.

“We walk 26 kilometres on the day, if you do the big walk, and $26 will give education to a child in a refugee camp for a whole year.”

The end result is seeing the young people who are supported take on exciting pathways for themselves.

“The team we work with on the ground run the schools at Kakuma Refugee Camp, and so we do see children receiving that education and then being able to go on and pursue a career that can sustain them and their family,” Mr Glover said.

“We’ve seen young people become teachers in those refugee camps and then

teach other children.

”So since Walk My Way started, there’s been over 60,000 children that have received the blessing of Australians giving generously and I guess our hope withWalk MyWay Melbourne is we just see that impact continue to grow.”

For Mr Glover, he said it is incredibly heartwarming to know how generous Australians are in giving and “reaching into their pockets and caring for young people they will never meet”.

The Walk My Way event is open to anyone who wishes to contribute, starting at Luther College, walking along the Eastlink and Mullum Mullum Creek Trails, before finishing at Whitefriars College.

There is also a 13 kilometre trail walk option as well as the 26 kilometre.

“It’s a great event to do with friends and family. If you do the full walk, 26km, that’s a long time to talk and to connect.

“If you’ve got some friends who you haven’t caught up with for a while, it can be a really special day. It’ll be fun to be a part of and it will make a big difference for the children.”

To find out more information about the walk and to sign up, go to www.melbourne. walkmyway.org.au

Kinglake to save lives

Minutes matter in a cardiac arrest and Kinglake is now equipped to save more lives, becoming one of 11 new Heart Safe Communities in Victoria.

The Heart Safe Community program was launched in 2019, and aims to improve survival rates for people suffering cardiac arrest by teaching locals how to perform CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

It is a joint initiative between Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the Heart Foundation.

AV acting metro community engagement coordinator, Stuart Hine, said the program in Kinglake has empowered the region.

“Cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart suddenly stops beating and can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime,” Mr Hine explained.

“Currently about 20 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest each day and only one in 10 survive.”

Mr Hine said bystander CPR and use of an AED increases a patient’s chance of survival by more than 70 per cent.

“Starting chest compressions and early application of an AED is crucial to give a cardiac arrest patient the best chance of survival,” he said.

“The Heart Safe Communities initiative helps community members feel confident to take action in someone’s time of need.

“The minutes between a cardiac arrest occurring and paramedics arriving are an important time for bystanders to act.

“Anyone can save a life in three simple steps. Call, Push, Shock: Call Triple Zero (000), Push Hard, Push Fast on the middle of the chest, Shock using an AED.”

In Kinglake, 290 community members have been engaged through the Heart Safe Communities program, with increases in the number of active GoodSAM responders and registered public AEDs throughout the year.

A registered 24/7 AED is located at the Kinglake Service Centre and Library (Mur-

The Heart Safe Community program will make Kinglake community members be confident to deal with cardiac arrest.

Picture: SUPPLIED

rindindi Shire Council) located at 19Whittlesea-Kinglake Rd, Kinglake.

The Heart Safe Communities program has seen statewide improvements:

· Average GoodSAM Responder availability increased by 18 people per day.

· Registered Public AEDs increased by 21 (10 of these are 24/7 accessible).

· More than 112 community education sessions held in Heart Safe Communities, with 2,458 community members engaged.

Kinglake joins Coleraine, Lismore, Longwarry, Yallourn North, Trentham, Hopetoun, Chiltern, Violet Town, Dunolly and Stanhope as the newest Heart Safe Communities in Victoria.

There are now 29 across the state.

In August, 12 new towns commenced the program: Warracknabeal, St Arnaud, Heywood, Winchelsea, Meeniyan, Metung, Monbulk, Bulla, Heathcote, Lake Boga, Tallangatta and Nathalia.

For further information on the Heart Safe Community program and how locations are selected, visit: ambulance.vic.gov.au/ community/community-partnerships/ heart safe-communities/

For more information on GoodSAM and to sign up, visit: ambulance.vic.gov.au/ goodsam

To register an AED, visit: registermyaed. ambulance.vic.gov.au

Walk My Way has been hosted in many other spots around the country but this is the first major event in Melbourne.

Picture: AUSTRALIAN LUTHERAN WORLD SERVICE

Lilydale High School student Lauren took part in the initial consultation process and enjoyed being listened to in an open discussion about sport. 358287

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Plovers targeting locals

By Tyler Wright

Aylee Sunstrom is currently in fear of going into her own backyard during this year’s bird swooping season.

The Tecoma local said she was recently hit in the back of the head by a plover bird protecting its young.

“This is the third time this year that the birds have come in, and they sit on our roof,” Aylee said.

“There’s two of them - but this time they got more aggressive, and I can’t tell you how long they’re there for.”

Aylee hasn’t been outside to clean the pool since late August, when she found her sixyear-old child crawled up under their trampoline in fear of being attacked.

“My fear is that it could knock me unconscious and I could end up face down in the pool,” Aylee said.

“People say ‘take an umbrella’ and ‘wear a helmet,’ but I’ve seen them swoop down on my daughter, on her back; she’s only six, and they’ll go right down low and knock her as well.

“I can’t hang the washing out or clean the pool.”

BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley said the organisation does not have a handle on the numbers of plovers - otherwise known as Masked Lapwings - but they are still common in Victoria, except in built-up areas where they are “gradually declining due to disturbance and lack of open spaces”.

“I’m amazed that they survive in the suburbs at all given the amount of people, cats, dogs and foxes that are around to disturb them off the nest or take the eggs and chicks. We know that since they removed all foxes on Phillip Island that numbers have been going up there,” Mr Dooley said.

“In terms of the Dandenongs area, they wouldn’t naturally have been very common originally as they avoid forested areas. But they would have occurred along the flats and billabongs along theYarra.

“Today they are common in cleared areas and into the edges of towns. Our Birdata system doesn’t seem to indicate they occur in higher numbers in the Dandenongs/Yarra Valley area compared to other parts ofVictoria, but the difference is that with so many people living on acreage, there are more opportunities for people and lapwings to come into contact, and hence a possibly higher rate of reporting of swooping, though we don’t have data on that.”

Plover birds tend to nest in late winter into early spring, Mr Dooley said, with swooping

season set to be “finishing soon”.

“Being swooped like this can be terrifying, and is made even more so because they have a yellow spike (or spur) on the bend of the wing that could potentially cause harm,” he said.

“Usually the lapwing parents don’t actually hit people as there is a risk they will be injured too, but occasionally it does happen. Especially if the source of the threat doesn’t move out of the nest zone.

“Like Magpies they usually only defend the nest within a certain zone so in most cases just moving out of that zone (which is probably only around a 50-metre radius will cause the swooping to stop). But it’s not much use if they are nesting in your yard or nature strip or paddock near somewhere you have to be.”

He said the best advice for someone who can’t avoid the birds is to ensure to keep an eye on the birds so you can see them approach.

“Generally they will approach from behind but it’s important to protect your eyes as if they do come from the front there is an outside chance they could do some damage to your eyes. Moving out of the area as quickly as possible is the best thing you can do but if you stand your ground and shout and wave at them or throw things, that is likely to ramp up the swooping behaviour as it confirms to them that you are a threat to their young.”

“It’s important to note that Masked Lapwings are native birds and are protected under wildlife laws.”

In a media release issued on Wednesday 6 September, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) reminded Victorians that some native birds - including plovers and magpies - may swoop during their breeding season.

DEECA’s senior wildlife officer, Katherine Whittaker, said every spring, some native birds

swoop to defend their eggs and young for a “short time” while their young are “most vulnerable”.

“While swooping is unsettling, it’s normal behaviour for a range of native birds. Swooping is a warning to people and animals not to come near their young. It’s rare for birds to make contact,” Ms Whittaker said.

Native birds swoop in urban and rural areas, parks and gardens, along bike tracks or anywhere that birds are nesting.

“Not all birds swoop during the breeding season, so don’t be concerned simply because there are magpies or other common swooping birds in the area,” Ms Whittaker said.

“Remember, the swooping behaviour will only last for a few weeks, normally stopping soon after the young leave the nest.” Those who are worried about being caught out by a protective bird this spring are advised to take the following steps:

Know your local swooping hotspots and avoid the area

· Move quickly but do not run

· Wear protective head and eye coverings

· Don’t harass birds – this can make swooping worse

· Don’t feed the birds and do not destroy their nests

People can also plan their route around known swooping hotspots and report a swooping incident on Victoria’s interactive swooping bird map by visiting: wildlife.vic.gov.au/managing-wildlife/swooping-birds

All Victorian native wildlife is protected by law, and it is illegal to harass or harm native birds and other wildlife without authorisation. People can report wildlife crime such as harassing, harming or disturbing wildlife to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000.

Egg-citing arrival of emu chick at Healesville

The pitter patter of little Emu feet can now be heard at Healesville Sanctuary with a cheeky chick exploring its bushland surroundings.

The gorgeous fluff-ball stands just 12 centimetres tall with black and cream stripes that provide camouflage while it continues to grow into an adult.

It is the first-time father Blinky and mother Drum have bred together, following a courtship that involves the female creating a drumming sound in her throat while bobbing her head, before the male places his head on top of hers encouraging the female to crouch down.

Females make the drumming sound to warn off other females, to summon the male, and to communicate over long distances.

In the bird world, the male Emu will often provide the most parental investment once the female lays eggs.

Female Emus may pair up with a different mate for the remainder of the breeding season to lay a second clutch and continue foraging for food.

Healesville Sanctuary keeper Louise Tegg said the male Emu will sit on the eggs for eight weeks, barely moving.

“Male emus will lose approximately one

third of their body weight while incubating the eggs,” Ms Tegg said.

“The males do everything. They construct the nest, incubate the eggs, and take on sole raising including their protection.”

Ms Tegg said Emu chicks grow quickly, so this arrival is perfect timing for school holiday visitors to the Sanctuary.

Once it reaches three months old, the feathers of the Emu chick will change colour, turning dark brown to black.

At around 10 months, the chick will look like its parents.

Visitors can view the Emu family near the front entrance of Healesville Sanctuary.

Emus have one breeding season each year during winter, when a female can lay between five and 20 eggs.

To manage species numbers at the Sanctuary, some eggs are replaced with dummy eggs of the same weight.

Emu eggs are emerald in colour, about the size of a mango, and weigh around 500 grams.

Emus are classified as Least Least Concern with a stable population according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. It is the first-time father

Blinky and mother Drum have bred together.

Picture: ZOOS VICTORIA

The fluffy youngster is the first offspring of father Blinky and mother Drum.

The pitter patter of little feet.

The plover’s yellow spike makes being swooped even more frightening. Picture: ON FILE

Young artists in making

By Dongyun Kwon

WandinYallock Primary School students were happy to share their creative artworks with the local community.

The school had an arts exhibition displaying young artists’ products at Mont De Lancey from 6 September to 10 September.

Principal Judith Martin was proud of the young artists who successfully showcased their creativity to the local community.

“It was ‘terrific’. We walked up there altogether on Thursday (7 September). We were happy to share our creativity and terrific artists with the parents,” she said.

“This is one of the special programs that we run at our school, a good opportunity for us to share how much we value the creativity of the young students.”

To enhance the creativity, the young artists have learnt lots of different themes, textile, sew, the Elements of Art.

Art teacher Courtney Sharp said she tried to maximise the creativity of each student by providing them with a wide variety of themes over the year.

“We have a couple of different scenes that have been spread over the year,” she said.

“We had a unit on textiles, looking at different fabrics and materials.

“The children were learning to sew, stitch blankets.

“The children looked at the elements of art, colour theory, line and space.”

Ms Sharp also tried to introduce different artists every year so that the students got in-

COMMUNITY DIARY

Keeping the Lights On - Preparing our Community for bushfires and blackouts

Healesville Community Renewable Energy (CORE) is continuing its program of free community events by holding an interactive discussion on microgrid and battery solutions that enable our community to prepare for blackouts from bushfires and major storms.We have three extremely ‘switched on’ guest speakers lined up

spiration from the diverse artists, by looking at how they told their stories and shared their lives through their artworks.

“This year, we’ve looked at Japanese and Indigenous Australian artists including Yoyoi Kusama, Hokusai, Rosella Namok and Heather Duff,” she said.

“We’ve looked at how they tell their stories

through their artwork and how they share their lives. And we’ve done that ourselves, the students have told the story through their artwork.”

The teacher was blown away by the students who passionately prepared for the event.

“I’ve had students that have come up at

lunchtime. They’ve donated their lunch times and have come up to the art room to help me prepare,” she said.

The school also thanked the local community for supporting them to set up the exhibition, especially Mont De Lancey, for sharing their space to display and parents who gave fabulous support.

who will each give a short presentation, and then be available to hear and discuss all your questions about how microgrids and neighbourhood batteries can help communities become more resilient in the face of extreme weather events.

Join us at the Memo on Monday 2 October at 7.30pm to be part of the solution. Register now at healesvillecore.org.au. Supper provided.

ECOSS Family Fun coming up

A reminder that Yarra Valley ECOSS’s Family Fun event will be held on the third Friday of the month, falling on 22 September.

Come and enjoy an afternoon out with your family with free children’s activities every month at The ECOSSValley Market. Support your local food producers with local produce, tacos, chocolate, bread and more available to purchase.

Burra Bingo at Warburton Bowls Club

Join the Warburton Bowls Club starting 11 October for four bingo nights to kick off the season.

There will be games, prizes, refreshments and drinks at bar prices. Bring your friends and family for this fun community night out and get to know your local club members.

Powelltown FNC Presentation Night

Following their back-to-back flag triumph, the Towners are holding their Presentation Night next month

It will be held at the Chirnside Park Country Club on Saturday 14 October from 7pm to 11pm.

2023 Presentation night is a great night for supporters, club members and players to come together and celebrate the season.

Tickets are $65 per person or $120 for 2 which includes a two-course meal.

Tickets need to be purchased by 30 September

Tickets to be purchased via try booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CKOCO

Please contactTayla for any further information 0433 548 108

Funding for small town and

regional city events

New grants are available to bring more performances, shows and gigs to our regional communities.

Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos announced applications are now open for the latest round of grants through theVictorian Government’s Small Regional Presenters Program, boosting local jobs, tourism and supporting local and visiting performers showcase their talent to new audiences in 2024.

With grants of up to $15,000, the program supports community groups and councils to bring single live shows, a series of events or an annual program in their local community. It also supports local presenters to bring experienced industry professionals to their regions for mentorships and workshops, helping build local skills and develop strategies to grow their audiences.

Applicants must be members of Regional Arts Victoria or Local Government Authorities that do not receive organisational or multi-year funding through CreativeVictoria.

Applications openWednesday 13 September and close on Monday 30 October 2023.To apply visit rav.net.au

William and Josh (from left to right) were standing in front of their honey comb.

Pictures: WANDIN YALLOCK PRIMARY SCHOOL’S FACEBOOK PAGE

Ayla, Keira, Darcie and Eloise (from left to right) were posing ‘V’ in front of their drawings.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Stunning art on show

By Gabriella Vukman

Exploring the relationship between memory and place, the exhibition ‘Shaped by Memory’ by Jessica Harris, is on at the Warburton Arts Centre.

Having successfully opened in late August, the exhibition is free and open to the public until October 22.

Artist Jessica Harris described her work as “trying to visualise the inner landscape, specifically focusing on memories and how they connect us to different places within our lives.”

“I wanted to depict the emotions and feelings on the inside of people that you don’t normally see,” Jessica said.

The works encompass a range of divergent media forms, from ink to works with light installations.

Jessica has been exhibiting since 2002, however this is her third, solo exhibit.

“The Regional Exhibitions program conducted by the Yarra Ranges Council was the perfect opportunity for a solo exhibition. The Council put out the application process and

I thought, that’s a good chance to give me a deadline.”

The ‘I could have been anywhere but I was there’ collection is Jessica’s favourite in the exhibit.

“I collected memories from people that I knew and didn’t know, making maps of the memories and the places they were attached to.”

Describing her favourite part about the collection, Jessica loved getting “insight into the special moments” of people’s lives.

“People trusted me to create artworks from the memories they shared,” Jessica said.

Another of the exhibition works that lies close to Jessica’s heart is her postcode collection.This work examines how people are or are not judged by where they live.”

“I grew up in an area that I guess people looked down on so it’s great to explore postcode bias,” Jessica said.

“I’ve had that idea float around my head for about five years.”

Jessica began exhibiting during her University degree and recommends up and coming

The Builder

By Maria Millers, Woorilla Poetry

artists to participate in programs such as the Yarra Ranges Council’s Regional Exhibitions Program.

“It’s a really good opportunity for artists in a group or by themselves, generated by the council to put something on,” Jessica said.

Participating in group exhibitions and attaining memberships at art galleries were also elements of advice for aspiring artists, according to Jessica.

Jessica began her works with a clean slate, not imposing meaning onto the memories, rather “just drawing lines between the ideas.”

“The next step was drawing another layer of meaning on top of the memory maps I had created.”

The ‘Shaped by Memory’ exhibition is a compilation of some of Jessica’s works over the years and encompasses her love for mapping the connections within human memory.

“I’m inspired by visualising inner worlds,” Jessica said.

For more information on the ‘Shaped by Memory’ exhibition visit; yarraranges.vic.gov. au/Experience/Events/Shaped-by-Memory

Celtic Rhythms inspire our Irish dancers

By Tanya Steele

Yarra Ranges Irish dance students recently got the chance to see professional dancers up close in a workshop by a world renowned Irish company.

Victorian Irish Dance Academy (VIDA) students from Tecoma and Mt Evelyn received a two-hour intensive dance training workshop from the cast of the ‘Rhythms of Ireland’ dance show which is currently on tour in Australia.

Lead dancer Kevin Goble said doing workshops with local Irish dancing schools is one of the highlights for him and his crew.

“Hosting workshops for younger dancers has been a fantastic part of our tour – It’s a rewarding experience to share our knowledge and skills with the next generation of dancers,” he said.

Dancers from 5 to 50 plus from VIDA spent two hours learning some of the steps and performance tips and tricks from four of the cast members on Monday 4 September.

VIDA Teacher Kate Bilton from Healesville said she jumps at any opportunity to encourage her dancers and knew she wanted to work with the Rhythms of Ireland cast when they came to Melbourne.

“Irish dancing even though it does originate in Ireland, is a very global dance form and here in Australia, we’re dancing and training in the hope that one day we’ll be able to join international touring casts,” she said. VIDA has worked with Goble before and has participated in online workshops

produced by his own dance company Unity Irish Dance, particularly throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns. “He ran these online classes and all around the world, people from all over during lockdown would record themselves dancing and send it to him – and then they made these amazing video compilations, which was a lovely way to keep dancing during that time,” Ms Bilton said. “This recent workshop was also a chance for some of the students to meet him in person,” she said.

VIDA students also went to the Rhythms of Irelands show the night before the workshop on Sunday 3 September to see the cast perform and were invited backstage to see how things work behind the curtain.

“VIDA were able to go and support the show as well. It’s a really special thing for me to be able to keep the love of Irish dancing

alive in the general community,” Ms Bilton said.

Goble said the tour of Australia has so far been fantastic and the group have been on the road for three months so far. “We have been performing for amazing audiences everywhere we go and throughout this trip, we will be covering every state,” he said.

Some members have never been to Australia before and Goble said the crew is diverse and talented, with world title-winning dancers amongst them - some have also toured with Anthony Street’s Celtic Illusion group which performed at The Memo earlier this year.

VIDA students are now busy working away on routines for their end of year concert and Rhythms of Ireland is still currently on tour in Australia.

Stringomania concert sure to delight

Stringmania Camp is returning to Arrabri Lodge in Warburton for its 8th annual camp and will be presenting a public concert ‘A Festival of Strings’ for the local community at The Memo, Healesville on Saturday 30 September.

Last year’s camp was a triumphant return after moving online for two years and artistic director Chris Stone said there’s so much excitement and gratitude at getting to spend a week back together in person.

“We are sharing traditional and new music from around the world in such a gorgeous location,” he said.

Stringmania is an immersive residential camp for musicians who are passionate and curious about traditional and contemporary string music, who seek musical, cultural, and personal enrichment through the support of an open minded, vibrant, and inclusive community, providing a forum to explore identity as multicultural Australian musicians.

Musicians of all ages from across the coun-

try and around the world gather in Warburton to learn from some of the top performers and music educators in the field. A standout feature of the camp is a wholistic learning model that creates a village-like atmosphere where all participants can choose their own adventure, learn from and share with their peers, offer skill swaps, or skip classes and jam

under the trees.

Creativity and individuality is valued and encouraged, giving students a unique opportunity to experience being accepted for who they are, and being supported to find and express their inner musical voice.

It’s the kind of experience that inspired a camper from last year to write:

‘I genuinely had the best week of my life at the Stringmania Camp. I was amazed by the wonderful sense of community of all walks of life united through a love of folk music and such incredible freedom of expression; dancing, singing, musicing, laughing! I look back on all these memories with pure joy and am so excited for the next one!”

You can find out more about Stringmania Camp at www.stringmaniacamp.com, and find details about the ‘A Festival of Strings’ concert at https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov. au/Experience/Events/Stringmania-PresentsA-Festival-of-Strings

This week Sarah Holland Batt added yet another award to her already impressive swathe of prizes.

A professor of Creative Writing she is also an ardent advocate for Aged Care and Patron for Aged Care Reform

Her memoir, The Jaguar, told in a collection of standalone poems about her father’s life and decline with Parkinson’s, has just won the Queensland Premiers Award.

The title of her book, The Jaguar, refers to an irrationally defiant purchase of a car her father made after diagnosis. She traces his decline but also delves back into memories of happier times. Grief is at its core but also anger at the indignities often experienced in Aged Care.

But this is also a daughter writing about a father she misses and remembers with love, respect and humour.

The poem I’m featuring this week is also about a poet’s memories of her father.

Kim Walters looks back at her seven year old self and remembers time spent with her father as he builds a house.

There is no subcontracting here, the man does it all with skill and precision: bricklaying, carpentry, painting.

He’s a bricky, a chippy and painter. Is there tradie slang for a painter?

The BEX in the pocket of his overall suggests this man is tired and needs a pep up, and leaves us wondering how long can he keep going with this physically demanding work , yet he still lifts the child on to his ‘rafted shoulders.’

He is still ‘sure footed ‘but ‘walking the line of his tight roped years’.

While for the daughter life is still all ahead of her.

So, there we have two poets writing about illness, ageing and a loving relationship between two daughters and their fathers.

The Builder - Kim Waters

Sometimes I hear the scaffolding strain, his whistle through the plasterless rooms, and I’m there again,seven-yearsold, watching his hands cradle a brick, set it square, remove a spill with the point of a diamond-shaped knife.

I remember his hair flecked with paint, a nail purse belted around his waist, a flat pencil, fold-up ruler and a packet of Bex in his overall bib.

The way he’d hammer a nail, his gaze a spirit level of concentration as he zithered a wedge of wood with his saw.

How he’d jam one knee up against a horse, shaved timber falling in curls around his hobnailed boots.

And the times he’d lift me onto his rafted shoulders and we’d move through the whalebone rooms of a house, him sure-footed,walking the line of his tightroped years and me reaching into the open-roofed sky.

Do you have memoir poem ? Woorilla Poetry Prize 2023 closing date is September 30th - visit www. woorilla.org.au

The Builder won First Prize in the Open Section of the Woorilla Poetry Prize, 2020. Picture: UNSPLASH

A Festival of Strings will play at The Memo. Picture: ADAM PURCELL

Celtic Rhythms is still touring and Goble said performing the male solo is a highlight for him.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Coming to local stages

Burrinja Theatre

Bakehouse Dozen Tour – Lloyd Spiegel Trio Season: Friday 6 October at 8pm.

The 14 time Australian Blues Award winner has one the most interesting stories in music, having grown up on stage learning from and touring with the founding fathers of modern Bles.

The current shoe features the incredibly talented Lisa Baird on trombone and longtime collaborator Tim Burnham on drums. Combined with Spiegel’s guitar wizardry, powerful voice performance and knack for storytelling, this trio with a twist delivers a truly unique entertainment experience that reinvents the blues and dispels the cliches associated with it.

Sarita McHarg & Band

Season: Saturday 14 October at 8pm in the Lyre Room.

Australia is a vast melting pot of cultures from many different countries. Since arriving in Australia, Dr Sarita McHarg has been exploring different ways to combine the music of her own culture with that of fellow musicians here. Subsequently, their music represents the literary taste, folklore and classical tone of many cultures in an unique blend of Indian, Sufi, Greek, Arabis, Turkish, Persian and Hebrew music. Their inspiration is to preserve the various cultural elements and

instrumentation and, at the same time, take the music forward.

Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) (again)

Season: September 7 – 23.

The show features three overachievers attempting to perform all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in 97 minutes. Fast-paced, witty, and physical, it’s an evening (or afternoon) of laughter for Shakespeare fans and haters alike.

Mavis, a professional dancer who didn’t quite make it past the chorus line, now runs her own class in the local village hall for anyone in the area. A mixed, and otherwise incompatible group of seven women and one man meet weekly for their tap-dancing class in a dingy London church hall. Each struggling to conquer their inhibitions or dance technique or both!

Spider-Man Lotus shrivels under its emo energy

Spider-Man: Lotus

Starring Warden Wayne, Sean Thomas Reid and Tuyen Powell

2.5/5

Spider-Man: Lotus is an infamous Spider-Man fan film (an unlicensed film made by fans) directed, written and produced by Gavin J Konop.

After the death of his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Tuyen Powell), a grieving Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker (Warden Wayne), is unsure whether he can still call himself a hero.

On a technical level, Spider-Man: Lotus is a competent debut. The untrained cast deliver decent performances (if sometimes soapoperatic), and Sean Thomas Reid stands out with measured, weary grief as Harry Osborn. The dramatic scenes are generally well-shot, and the visual effects are surprisingly solid for a fan film (except for the glaringly fake fire in the warehouse fight). Lotus begins with an earnest, energetic action sequence, the film has a couple of stylish black-and-white scenes with Spider-Man rendered in colour, and has a touching emotional core of Spider-Man bonding with a terminally-ill young fan.

If Spider-Man: Lotus were just a half-hour short film about Spider-Man confiding in a fan and learning to be a hero again, it would have been much better-received. But much of Lotus

is an uneventful, angst-ridden slog. The characters are mopey and underdeveloped, the dialogue is clunky and overwritten, and Lotus’s action scenes are very poorly-shot.

It’s also worth noting that Konop made Lotus essentially out of spite and oneupmanship toward the MCU Spider-Man series, and he and star Wayne were both exposed for a long string of racist, homophobic and ableist online behaviour.

Spider-Man: Lotus is free to watch onYouTube, but there are many far better fan films (with less problematic creators) out there, including Tears in the Rain (a Blade Runner short), Batman: Dying Is Easy, Patient J, Punisher: Dirty Laundry, Power/Rangers, Portal: No Escape and the Uncharted fan film.

Gemco Players Community Theatre

Stepping Out

Season: September 8 – 23.

Set in London, the story follows the lives of the members of an amateur tap class. Each attending for their own reasons. This play is a wonderfully endearing tale of how determination, friendship and camaraderie can shape even the most bashful into proud performers.

Then the day comes when Mavis breaks the news to the group that they have been invited to perform in front of an audience for a big charity concert. With varying degrees of talent and determination we see how each class member copes with the challenge… but with only a few weeks to learn an impressive tap routine, will they do it in time?

Reminder:

· The 1812 Theatre Of Mice and Men. October 5 – 28. Bookingss:9758 3964

· The Basin Theatre Belle October 5 – 15. Bookings: 1300 784 668

First Australian woman in Antarctica book reviewed

The Art of Breaking Ice, by poet and novelist Rachel Mead, is a fictionalised account of the life of Nel Law, the first Australian woman and female visual artist to set foot in Antarctica, at Mawson Station on 8 February, 1961.

Kemp’s curtain call PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN

Prior to that, at the end of 1960, Law visited Macquarie Island, halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica. One of her oil paintings of the island’s penguin colonies is now displayed at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart.

Because Australia did not officially allow women to go to Antarctica until 1974, Law made both journeys as a stowaway, smuggled onto the ship by her husband Phillip, a prominent scientist and explorer who served as director of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions from 1949 to 1966.

Indeed, history reveals very little about Law – mainly as the wife of the Man of Antarctica who was responsible for Australia’s permanent presence on that continent. Even what is known today as her writing and art works, donated to various institutions after her death in 1990, resulted from her husband’s careful curation and annotation.

Now we have a chance to imagine her own voice.

In The Art of Breaking Ice, Nel – a fictional version of Law – is placed at the front and centre of the stage that is her husband’s 13th voyage to Antarctica. During most of the journey, she is the only woman among 67 male scientists, researchers and crew onboard the ship.

Nel finds herself surrounded by “misogynist mutterings, sexual rumours, condescending takedowns and blatant intimidations” – a male-dominated workplace where she is seen as baggage and appendage of worthy, capable, intelligent and high-

ly-distinguished men, who demand that she be always easygoing, non-threatening, taking every mockery as a joke.

In her words: “It is so wearing. Being watched, all the time. Not just how I looked, but what I was doing, who I spoke to, and how I spoke. It was exhausting... My face ached from constantly smiling, yet I still found myself the butt of gossip.”

Unable and unwilling to rely on her husband, who refuses to see her sketches and paintings as work, Nel is determined to turn her predicament into an opportunity to explore and empower herself as an artist. Against the backdrop of a harsh Antarctic landscape, her journey of self-making is astounding and awe-inspiring.

Readers should keep in mind that The Art of Breaking Ice is a novel inspired by real events. It is neither a biography nor a feminist work. Rather, as the author describes it, it is a story about love, about long-term relationships and living in a spouse’s shadow, about mid-20th-century gender roles, and about the art-science binary.

In Mead’s words:“It is my hope that [Nel] inspires others as she has inspired me. To seize the moment. To not allow fear to hold us back. And to refuse to let the long shadows cast by history and tradition make us doubt ourselves our limit the scope of our dreams.”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Learn dementia symptoms

During this year’s Dementia Action Week (1824 September) we are encouraging people to learn more about the signs and symptoms of the condition and how to make their communities more accessible to people living with dementia.

There are estimated to be more than 400,000 Australians living with dementia and more than 1.5 million involved in their careand those numbers are set to rise.

As dementia diagnoses increase, it’s important to learn more about the signs and symptoms and how to make our communities more accessible to people living with dementia. That’s why this year’s theme for Dementia Action Week (18-24 September) is Act Now for a Dementia-Friendly Future.

Many people can continue to live well with dementia, but it’s important they feel supported in their community.

Greater awareness helps to create discussion and break down stigma or barriers that could stop people from seeking help.

Increasing our understanding of dementia can make a big difference to the lives of people around us who are impacted.

There are things we can all do to make our communities more dementia-friendly. To find out how you can make a difference, please visit dementia.org.au.

Maree McCabe, CEO Dementia Australia Bobby Redman, Chairman, Dementia Australia advisory committee

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 Danish writer, Hans

– Andersen (9)

6 Electronic music player (4)

10 Yank (3)

11 Right away (11)

12 Graveyard (8)

13 French (6)

14 Umpteen (4)

15 Italian composer (7)

20 Enlarge (7)

21 Church recess (4)

25 Soporific drug (6)

26 Dictator (8)

28 New birth (11)

29 Speck (3)

30 Bring up (4)

31 Unconvinced (9)

DOWN

1 Subterranean burial chamber (8)

2 Army unit (8)

3 A Japanese religion (6)

4 Be involved (9)

5 Uncovered (4)

DECODER

7 Spanish rice dish (6)

8 Solid carbon dioxide, commonly (3,3)

9 Dangers or risks (7)

16 Wealth (9)

17 Skipper (7)

18 Occasionally (8)

19 Abstaining from alcohol (8)

22 Scary genre (6)

23 The capital of Austria (6)

24 Convincing (6)

27 Invites (4)

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”.

WORDFIT

arum, atrium, aunt, etui, inure, manure, mature, menu, MINIATURE, minuet, minute, minutia, minutiae, mute, nature, nutria, ruin, rumen, ruminate, rune, runt, triune, true, tuna, tune, tuner, turn, unarm, unit, unite, unmet, untie, urea, urinate, urine, uteri

No. 150

No. 150

No. 150

4 ACRES, 3-YEAR FAMILY HOME

LOCATED at the end of a sealed country road this excellent property offers a rural lifestyle with the luxury of a beautiful 3 year old home for you to love and enjoy.

The home provides 4 large bedrooms, the opulent master showcasing a large walk in robe and a beautiful ensuite with double vanity and walk in shower, and the further bedrooms all with spacious built in robes, ceiling fans and double blinds.

The home is ideally zoned with family living in mind, with 3 of the bedrooms in their own wing with living room, split system heating and cooling, large bathroom and separate powder room.

Storage has been well catered for with a large walk in linen, in addition to the extensive cupboards in the laundry.

The kitchen is any chef’s dream, with a huge stone island bench, stylish farmhouse sink, luxurious butlers pantry, quality appliances and open in plan to enjoy from the meals and living zone.

Filling with natural light, this spacious room enjoys a cosy wood fire and showcases a stunning outlook over your natural surrounds. You will enjoy watching nature unfold before your eyes from this position, the wildlife enjoying the dam below, in the warmth and comfort of your beautiful home.

The natural beauty of this property is set to make you feel like you are on holiday, and with the raw nature of the landscape, you will be able to let your imagination unfold to put your own ideas and creations on this property.

Totalling 15984 square metres of beauty, with a balance of open grassland, scattered trees, and bushland there is a myriad of uses for the whole family whether your

interest is nature loving, horsepower or many.

Positioned just a 5 minute drive to Main Street, Healesville with shops and cafes

in abundance and with schools close by this could be your forever property. Enjoy affordable Yarra Valley living at this property now. ●

ARCHITECTURALLY DESIGNED HOME

ONLY an architect could possibly have the extraordinary vision to design this inspirational home.

A superb union of glass, rendered brick and timber flow over several magnificent levels, giving the home a beautiful balance of light and space. The extensive use of cathedral ceilings and glass throughout the house takes advantage of the relaxing views from every angle of the property.

Blending in with its natural surroundings of nearly ¾ of an acre (2,813m2), the home exudes a lovely, rustic feel. Enter via a private courtyard through double glass doors to an open plan design that’s extremely spacious and modern with a feature double sided wood burning heater (plus ducted gas). A totally updated family home of four bedrooms with master being separated from the children’s level. The kitchen / family room is an absolute delight to be in and takes the concept of indoor - outdoor living to a new level.

The varied roof lines give this home an interesting appearance as well as adding charm to its character. The serene surroundings are in constant view from inside the house, and huge windows face north off all main living areas, allowing maximized enjoyment of the sun. This is a truly unique home, providing a continual source of relaxation and contentment. ●

Thisrenovatedhomeboastsboundlesshighlights,includingastunningkitchen,hardwood floorboards,fourbedrooms,ahomeoffice/extrabedroom,and seamlessindoor-outdoor flowforentertaining.Thefullyfencedbackyardisperfectforfamilieswithchildren andpets,andampleoff-streetparkingisavailable.Additionalfeaturesincludehigh ceilings,heating,cooling,androbesinallbedrooms.ClosetoBelgraveandEmerald,this exceptionalfamilyhomeisamust-see.

NEWLYBuILTPROPERTYINGEMBROOK

ONEOFTHEFINEsTsTREETsINTHEHILLs

NearNewSteelFrameHomeon1AcrewithViews.

This2-bedroom,1-bathroomnewlybuiltpropertyinGembrookofferscomfortablecountry livingonaspaciousacre.Itfeatureslargewindowsfornaturallight,awell-equipped kitchen,andacozyloungewithagaswoodheater.Thepropertyincludesashed,1.5cargarage,andworkshop.situatedonasealedroadnearGembrookTownshipwith amenitiesandaschool.

0429684522

TayTing 0417302112

Thisarchitecturallyremarkablehomeseamlesslycombines glass,brick,andtimberto optimizelightandscenicviews.situatedonnearly¾ofanacre,itexudesrusticcharm withcathedralceilings,extensiveglass,andvariedrooflines.Thefour-bedroomfamily home,includingaseparatemastersuite,redefinesindoor-outdoorliving.Abundant north-facingwindowsprovidecontinuousrelaxationandcontentmentinthisuniqueand inspiringresidence.

PRIMELOCATION

CommunityFeel&WalkintoTown.

Lookingtodownsizeorexpandyourpropertyportfolio?This over55’sunit,currently tenanted,offers2bedrooms,1bathroom,open-planliving, amplestorage,lowmaintenancecourtyard,andasinglegarage.Afabulouslocationwhereyoucanwalk intoGembrookTownship,pickupafewgroceriesandmeetafriendforlunch.

mickDolphin 0429684522

JanetHawkins 0409117432

FOCUS

FAMILY LIVING WITH MOUNTAIN VIEWS

DISCOVER the perfect blend of comfort, breathtaking mountain views, and convenient town living for your family.

Welcome to our charming 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home that offers a cosy retreat amidst nature’s beauty while keeping you close to all the amenities you desire.

Wake up to awe-inspiring vistas of majestic mountains right from your doorstep. Immerse yourself in the tranquility of the surroundings and let the scenic beauty inspire you every day.

The home offers spacious and functional living areas to enjoy, and, in the kitchen, you can create delicious meals. Ideally located, allowing you to embrace the easy access to the town amenities. Whether it’s shopping, dining at local restaurants, exploring along the Yarra River everything is just a short distance away.

Unwind on the spacious patio while savouring the fresh mountain air, host memorable barbecues, or watch the kids play in the well-maintained garden. The surrounding area offers a multitude of recreational activities such as hiking, biking and more.

Take the first step towards making this dream a reality by contacting us today to schedule a visit.

Experience the joy of cosy family living, surrounded by nature’s beauty and the amenities you love.

Your home is waiting for you. ●

AHeavenlyPlacetoLive

SituatedintheglorioussurroundsofthepicturesqueYarraValleythisbeautifulandenchantingold churchstandingproudlyforaround100years,richinhistoryandnowreadyforthenewowners tolive,loveandenjoy.Fresh,lightandbrightthroughoutwithallthecharmandcharacterfrom theearly1900’sandwithawarmhomelyambienceyoucan’thelpbutrelax,unwindandadmire thebuilding.Setonacolourfulblockoflandoverlookingasemiruralvistaofapprox.1500sq.m plus,completewith2separatetitles.There’splentyofscopetoenhancetheproperty,positioned topleaseandbeingjustashortdistancetotheeverpopularWarburtontrail,shops,schoolsand transportandwiththeYarraRiverandthehistoricHomeHotelPubjustashortstrollaway,it’sthe idealweekender,B&Borauniqueandspecialplacetocallhome.

Lot2/6QueenStreet,YarraJunction$600,000-$660,000

Charminghomewithviewsandconvenience

Thischarminghomehasawarmhomelyfeelthroughout,neatandwellpresentedandwith3great sizebedroomsand2separatebathroomsit’stheidealhomeforthegrowingfamilytoliveandenjoy. Thespaciousfamily/loungeareagiveseveryoneplentyofroomtomoveandwithpicturesque distantmountainviewsit’sagreatspottositbackandrelaxandadmiretheoutlook,separate meals/diningareaanopenplankitchenwithamplebenchandcupboardspace.Outsideboasts greatspaceaswellwithacoveredentertainingareaandabiggrassyfrontyardthekidsandpets willlove,convenientlylocatedjustashortwalktolocalschools,shopsandtransport,agreatfamily homeinagreatlocation.

3BrisbaneHillRoad,Warburton$690,000

CosyFamilyLivingwithMountainViews

Discovertheperfectblendofcomfort,breathtakingmountainviews,andconvenienttownliving foryourfamily.A3-bedroom,2-bathroomhomethatoffersacosyretreatamidstnature’sbeauty. Immerseyourselfinthetranquilityofthesurroundingsandletthescenicbeautyinspireyoueveryday. Thehomeoffersspaciousandfunctionallivingareastoenjoy,and,inthekitchen,youcancreate deliciousmeals.Ideallylocated,allowingyoutoembracetheeasyaccesstothetownamenities. Whetherit’sshopping,diningatlocalrestaurants,exploringalongtheYarraRivereverythingisjusta shortdistanceaway.Thesurroundingareaoffersamultitudeofrecreationalactivitiessuchashiking, bikingandmore.Experiencethejoyofcosyfamilyliving,surroundedbynature’sbeautyandthe amenitiesyoulove.Yourhomeiswaitingforyou!

RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068

Inspection: Sat12.00-12.30pm 3 A 2 B

356WoodsPointRoad,EastWarburton$500,000-$550,000

AffordableopportunityonagoodsizeblockoppositetheYarrariver

Onlyafewminutes’driveawayfromthecharmingtownshipofWarburton,thispropertyoffers everythingyoucoulddesire.Uponentering,you’llbegreetedbyawarmandinvitingambiance, thankstothesweetandstraightforwardlayout.Twogenerouslysizedbedroomscomecomplete withbuilt-inrobes,ensuringamplestoragespace.Theopenplanlounge,kitchen,andmealsarea arethoughtfullydesigned,withanewersplitsysteminplacetocatertoallyourheatingandcooling needs.Largewindowsadornthehome,allowingyoutocapturethebreathtakingsceneryoutside andfillingtheroomswithabundantnaturallight.Don’tmissoutonthisopportunitytoembracethe wondersofaffordablecountryliving,complementedbythecharmandtranquilityofthesurrounding landscape.

RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068

EASY LIVING IN A FRIENDLY COURT

SET in a quiet, friendly court location, this well maintained, three bedroom, one bathroom home has the perfect amount of space for those who are looking for a low maintenance lifestyle.

Neat and tidy both inside and out, the home has a well-designed floor plan created for open plan living, with its large lounge and dining area flowing seamlessly off the contemporary kitchen.

Gas ducted heating runs throughout along with split system cooler/heaters giving quick and convenient temperature control in the living area and main bedroom. If you are after a cool breeze, open the glass sliding door and extend your indoor living to the

HOME ESSENTIALS

outdoors with a large paved alfresco area that is both private and peaceful. For larger gatherings, the rear door of the double garage can be opened creating an excellent amount of extra entertaining space. Pretty garden beds bordering the patio are filled with mature plants, making this a lovely place to sit and relax. For the handyperson, the garage offers a powered workbench with natural light.

In an absolutely delightful street setting, with only a short stroll to the Ferntree Gully shopping village and train station, with access to the Ringwood–Belgrave Rail Trail, this much-loved property is perfect in every way. ●

Address: 6 Manna Court, FERNTREE GULLY Description: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 garage Price: $630,000 - $690,000

Contact: Rachel Eastwood 0401 117 761 and Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442, CHANDLER &

BIGGER AND BETTER AT BONAPARTE PLACE

LARGER than meets the eye and with beautiful detail such as soaring timber raked ceilings, this property showcases all that you are looking for in your next home.

With three spacious bedrooms, home office/nursery plus two updated bathrooms, this home has a versatile floorplan and so much space for a growing family. Two separate living areas can be found at either end of the home. The front lounge with its stunning ceiling height, clerestory windows and charming wood fire flows easily to a formal dining area while the more relaxed family room and meals area can be found off the beautifully appointed kitchen.

A combination of gas ducted heating, split systems, wood heater and ceiling fans work together perfectly to assure perfect

temperature control whilst ducted vacuuming is an added extra you will love!.

Outside, the oversized, undercover entertaining area is an absolute must for larger get-togethers and can be enjoyed year round and allows you to spill out onto the fenced rear yard where children and pets can play safely and securely.

A double garage with workstation plus extra parking bay for your trailers or other toys adds to the package, making this the perfect property package!

Close to both Lysterfield Primary School, Karoo Primary School and within easy access to both Wellington Road and Burwood Highway, makes 20 Bonaparte Place your next family address! ●

Immaculatepresentationandafirmfocusonindoor-outdoorlivingmakeiteasytoimagine livingatthisimpressiveproperty.Boastingaleafy,landscapedquarter-acreallotment betweenGlenfernValleyBushlandReserveandUpweytownshipandtrainstation,this propertyisaninvestmentinlifestyle.

FORSALE

Offeredforsaleforthefirsttimeinalmost50years,oneofthemosticonicproperties throughouttheDandenongRangesisnowavailableforsale.Situatedontheedge ofSherbrookeForest,stretchingasfarastheeyecansee,theincredibleviewstakein Westernport,PortPhillipBayandthethousandsoftwinklinglightsinbetween.The78acres (approx.)ofmostlycleared,undulatinglandhasbeautiful,richsoilandhasbeenpartofthe Endersby’sdaffodilfarmsince1974.

SharynChandler

M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

GlennChandler M 0418410689| E glenn@chandlerandco.com.au

FORSALE

1JamesStreet,SELBY

$690,000to$720,000

WHIMSICALHOMEINWONDERFULPOCKETPOSITION

3 A 1 B 2 C

Thiswhimsicalresidencewillalightimaginationswithitscharm,potential,position,and 1,435sqm(approx.)property.Filledwithhandcraftedelementsandenrichedwithadouble carportandabundantoff-streetparking,thispropertynearbustransportandlocalshops isajoytobehold.Fromthesunroomentry,theinteriorbranchestoanamplehomeoffice/ studyandtheopenplandiningareaandkitchen.

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

14KiaOraAvenue,UPWEY $780,000-$835,000

LOVELYHOME,LEVELBLOCK,LIFESTYLELOCATION 3 A 1 B 2 C

Enjoythischaracter-filledhomeonacovetedlevelallotmentwithinwalkingdistanceof Upweytownshipandtrainstation.Suitedtobuyershopingtosecuretheperfectblendof moderncomfortandtimelesscharm,thispropertywillmakealastingimpression.

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

DanielSteen

M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

SPORT

Milestone three for club

By Dongyun Kwon

Healesville Junior Football Club has had great success in season 2023, playing in the Outer East football competition.

The club has won the three premierships in the same season this year, something that has not happened for over 25 years.

Healesville JFC president Zach Coleman said the club benefited from significant improvement throughout the season, culminating in 3 teams making it into the grand finals.

“Last year we had 2 teams make grand finals, with our top age Under 15s saluting while our Under 16 girls fought hard but couldn’t quite get over the line,” he said.

“This year we finished with eight teams making the finals out of a possible nine. We finished the finals series with three teams advancing to the grand finals with all of them winning their premierships.

“An amazing achievement everyone associated with the club is immensely proud of.”

The Healesville JFC started the season with 11 teams, and approximately 265 kids registered to play.

This was one of the largest participation zones for the Outer East Football League and took an immense amount of coordination to allow these teams to take to the field every week.

“Hard to trace back the history and find when the club tasted this level of success, but three premierships in one season hasn’t happened for a long time and should be rightfully celebrated,” Coleman said.

U14 girls: Who would imagine that a team without a coach and enough players could win premiership?

With dramatic ups and downs, the Healesville JFC U14 girls team finally won a premiership at the end of the season.

Coach Shane Newsome said he was proud

of his team after reminiscing about the season.

“Considering we weren’t going to have a team, and then suddenly making the grand final, it was quite a surprising result we are proud of,” Newsome said.

Before the beginning of the season, the U14 girls team had only a few players without a coach.

Newsome said he put his hand up to become coach and run the team.

“As a coaching coordinator, I took it upon myself to go to the president to check if we had enough players to run a team,” he said.

“Because we didn’t have a coach, I said I would take the first few training sessions and see how we’d go.

“I was afraid the girls would turn away when they came to join the team because we didn’t have a coach.”

Only six to eight girls came to the first two weeks of training although at least 12 players needed to make a team.

Newsome and his wife decided to find new teammates to secure the viability of the team.

They used all their contacts to find other girls who played any sport and tried to coax

them into joining the team.

“We grew our number to 12 in the next training and 16 in the following training,” Newsome said.

“A number of Under 12 girls filled in throughout the year and we were able to have 20-21 girls on the park.”

Since the team was formed with a number of new players, the coach emphasised the mentality of being one team during the season, ‘Be the best player for the team rather than be the best player on the team’.

Not only asking the girls to be team focused, he also took the initiative by stepping back from worrying about the result of the games.

His strategy turned out to be the right one, with the girls enjoying the freedom of playing football without the stress of the result.

It enhanced the morale of the girls with close friendships and bonds throughout the team being formed.

They started to work things out by themselves to get a good playing chemistry.

“I tried to create a safe environment because if you feel safe then you would probably get the best out of yourself,” Newsome said.

“What I tried to do was create a nice, safe, friendly atmosphere at training to take the stress out of the moment and emphasise for the girls to continue to have fun and work hard for each other.

“We had a couple of pizza nights throughout the season which enabled us to bond better.”

The team had an hour and 15 minute training session once a week and a game every Sunday.

Newsome said he instigated two training sessions when they got towards the end of the year because the girls insisted on being fully prepared for the finals.

The team had to get through all the hard-

ships from the beginning of the season.

Even after they recruited enough players, they had a few injuries unexpectedly which might have affected the team negatively.

The coach kept on reminding the girls that it might be their last game to open their eyes up and to make them give their best every moment.

Newsome kept on reminding the girls that the next game might be their last game to motivate them to apply their best at every moment.

“The girls played and made every moment count at training and in the finals,” he said.

Newsome was no stranger to success. He had been the coach of the successful U15 team since season 2022.

As a result, the team defended a 10 point lead going into the last quarter in the grand final.

The efforts they had put in throughout the season, coupled with their determination not to give up, led them to the premiership.

Grandfinalscores:

Belgrave: 0.1 2.1 3.2 4.2.26

Healesville: 2.0 2.1 4.6 4.6.30

· Best of ground: Charlotte Lowrie

· Goals: Paige Bode (2), Summer Caldicott (1), Charlotte Lowrie (1)

· U15 white boys: from Failure to Success

Healesville JFC White U15 boys were not frustrated when they confronted their failure from season 2022, rather, they used it as motivation to succeed this year.

Last season’s results and some losses throughout this season motivated the whole team on what they needed to work on.

The coach Michael Collins said it was his second year coaching the team and he learned from the experience of failure the year before, to win the premiership in season 2023. Continuedpage26

The

HealesvilleJFCU16Girlsalsowonpremiership thisyear. Picture:SUPPLIED

Yarra Glen CC confident

By Ella Bain

The Yarra Glen Cricket Club celebrated their 2023 - 2024 season launch on the 10th of September, 2023.

Coming off the back of major flooding in season 2022 - 2023, which caused significant damage to facilities.

The club has a solid framework and com-

mittee of dedicated people to see the club prosper and thrive for future success.

The 1st XI grabbed hold of two premiership wins (back to back 2021- 2022 and 2022 - 2023).

The launch was aimed specifically at connecting people but more specifically to induct and commemorate two new life members, David Ball and Craig Sarre. and club legend Morris Adams presented the life member awards

Young bloods fall short

By Anne-Marie Ebbels

The Healesville men’s team played Emerald in the Preliminary final at Woori Yallock this weekend.

In the home and away games earlier in the season Emerald had beaten Healesville by five goals on both occasions.

The young Bloods team had steadily improved over the last few weeks with fighting wins over Seville by one and two points in recent weeks to give them some belief that beating Emerald was possible.

The first quarter was a tight affair with both teams getting on the scoreboard early.

Emerald took an eight-point lead into the first break.

The second quarter was equally tight with Healesville out scoring Emerald during the

quarter to reduce the margin to just three points at half-time.

Emerald came out strong after half time and scored a couple of quick goals to extend their lead, Healesville couldn’t respond and went into the final break 17 points down.

The final quarter saw the Emerald strong defence not allow Healesville back into the game with Emerald having 15 shots on goal compared to Healesville’s eight.

Emerald ran out winners by 25 points.

League leading goal scorer, Sam Gebert had a good day scoring six of Healesville 12 goals on the back of some good work from the team across the half back line.

to the two.

The day was filled with games, activities, entertainment and laughter for all including a guest appearance from Star man the Melbourne Stars mascot and really brought the Yarra Glen Cricket Club community together.

In season 2023 - 2024, Yarra Glen Cricket Club will have 3 senior teams, 4 junior teams and 1Woolworths cricket blast group.

The club also recently launched a new website (www.ygcricketclub.com.au), in order to continue to help connect and communicate with members, It will help them stay up to date with Yarra Glen Cricket Club news.

The club would love to connect with past, present and new players and members and this can be done via the club website.

Men Seniors Healesville 80 defeated by Emerald 105 Best: S Gebert, C Warren, L Daly, D Plozza, N Mende, S Donkin Connor

Milestone triple success for Healesville juniors

Frompage25

“I had a big focus on getting a greater number of contributors this year,” Collins said. “What I learned last year was we couldn’t just win games or go deep in the finals with only a small number of contributors.”

He decided to create a competitive atmosphere to draw out all potential from more boys.

“We picked players and their positions based on whoever put their best effort in during the training drills,” Collins said. “It made everyone keep focusing during the drills and the games. If you have someone with similar ability under this environment, you would tend to find a way to win a little bit more which would help you with your improvement.”

With the step up to under 15s, the team also doubled the number of training days this year, attending an hour and 20 minute training session on every Monday and Thursday. The team stepped up throughout the 2023 season despite losing two of the first three games.

“We only lost to three different teams throughout the season and went on 10 winnings streak to take out the premiership” Mr Collins said. “We beat our eventual grand final opponent four times at the back end of the season, Yarra Glen JFC U15 boys, after we lost to them in round 7.”

Although the competitive environment could have derailed the team chemistry, the boys bonded solidly as a team. A classic example of the team’s bond was to help Samuel Anderson to win the top goalkicker for the league

with only a few games left before the end of the season.

“When we had about two or three games to go before the end of the season, we had already locked up a top two ladder position, which is all we needed to do because no matter what position we finished with, we were going to play against the same team,” Collins said. “Sam was behind by a couple in the goalkicking table with 2 rounds to go, so as a team we then switched our focus to get him to win the top goalkicker.

“Other players sacrificed their games in an effort for their teammate to sit atop the goal kicking ladder. Sam ended up winning the title with 44 total goals thanks to the massive support from his teammates.”

Grandfinalscores:

Healesville: 1.4 2.5 3.8 4.8.32

YarraGlen: 0.0 2.1 3.2 4.3.27

· Best on Ground: Samual Anderson

· Goals: Jaxon Daykin (1), Logan Schelfhout (1), Casey Symonds (1), CodyVenville (1)

· U16 girls: The attitude of willing to learn more and more made everything possible .

The U16 girls team couldn’t be much stronger with the ambition of improvement from the girls and the detailed direction from the coaching staff. Geoff Stock, a coach of the U16 girls team, said it was his first time being a coach for a junior team.

Although he coached many adult male teams in football and cricket, he still found it difficult to make the transition to coaching

junior girls. “This was probably the toughest coaching job I’ve ever had. They were all different, 28 young women in the team. I had to treat them respectfully as individuals,” he said.

However, he had a supportive team in team manager Danielle Mullens, assistant coach Broke Coleman and trainer Vanessa Clothier who helped him to communicate with the girls. The girls were also willing to learn every single time they came to training which made things a little easier.

“I am very glad to have three ladies on the support team. They are all extremely helpful and helped me to relate to the girls and learn how to apply a different coaching technique required for girls football,” Stock said. “I find it with the young girls that they are sponges. They really love information. They love lots of information and lots of feedback on the spot.

“Whether the feedback is positive or a learning scenario, they love to take it in with constant communication, a major key to their learning and improvement from week to week.

“They are young and get to learn every time they put a football in their hands.”

Another thing he found hard was fluctuating availability. The team had 11 players from Worawa Aboriginal College, giving him a different number of available players depending on school period.

The Healesville junior club has been working actively with Worawa over the last two years to support their girls participating in football outside of the college. A successful partnership that has delivered many benefits

for both the club and the college.

The coach said he had 12-14 girls available on some games and 24-28 girls available on other games because the players from Worawa Aboriginal College went home for the school holidays. To deal with the big changes throughout the season, Stock had to make players flexible to understand all the positions on the ground.

“Lots of players were able to learn new positions and play in positions all over the ground to overcome this problem,” he said. “As a result, this made our team much stronger in the second half of the season. We were able to deal with the injuries during the season because other players could cover up the missing positions. By the time we got to finals, when all the girls got back to the squad, we were very well rounded and settled on a really strong line-up for the players on the pitch with wider flexibility for the position selection.”

After the girls realised their improvement in terms of skills and flexibility, they were not overwhelmed any more even when they faced the undefeated Mount Evelyn side on grand final day.

Grandfinalscores:

MtEvelyn: 0.0 0.1

1.2.8

Healesville: 1.2

6.7.43

1.2

2.3 4.5

· Best on Ground: Brylee Anderson

· Goals: Brylee Anderson (2), Mia Kershaw (2), Adelaide Caldicott (1), Maddi Campbell (1)

Ballingall looking to break the tackle.

Picture: KYLIE ROWE

The day featured a guest appearance from Star man the Melbourne Stars.

Pictures: SUPPLIED Two new life members,David Ball and Craig Sarre get their award from club legend Morris Adams.

Women ready to bat

By Gabriella Vukman

This year Hoddles Creek cricket club and home of ‘the mighty wombats’ has introduced its first ever women’s side.

With 11 registered players so far, the club rejoices for their new ‘Stage Two Girls’ juniors team.

Club president Grant Rankin (Wakka) said, “It’s a huge moment for the club and it’s going to bring a whole new dynamic.”

Compiling the push for women’s sport that has ramped up “more so than ever” in the last few years with the success of their juniors teams, Hoddles Creek Cricket Club sought to “get a girl’s side going.”

“We thought, this is our year to have a crack at it and we were able to ring around and get enough girls together to register and make up a side,” Grant said.

Being a small club in a district without a town, Hoddles Creek members called upon friends, family and the local community to get the ball rolling. Although the club has assembled a team, Grant noted “it was a pretty big hill to climb.”

“As our juniors program has strengthened over the last few years, sisters have come down and a lot more girls have been involved. My

daughter and other girls played cricket at Hoddles Creek but with the boy’s team for a number of years. We thought we could actually tap into this and get a stand alone team together,” Grant said.

Grant noted the positive reception of the girl’s team and said, “the reaction from the

community and members of the club has been fantastic. All the members are really supportive when we discuss issues and things that need to be done for the girls.”

The club is facilitating the women’s team by “providing gear” and“enabling the uniforms to be modified.”

Sunny, warm and windy golf conditions

By Ron Hottes

Wednesday 6 September:

Stroke & M. McGrann “Bag qualifier” – in contrast to last week’s midweek weather, our members enjoyed sunny, warm, although very windy conditions.

This has given the course a chance to dry out, resulting in some“run” on a few fairways.

This then improved scoring to the extent that our two best Nett results matched the par of the course - this also meant that a countback was required, and I believe it was a “tight” one!

Ross-Machar is one of our “early-birds”, which clearly suits him and his regular foursome. His Nett 69 had a better back nine than our R/up, Ian-Garside.

Ironically, the Junior Garside is also an early-bird, which suggests that I need to make a 7.30 booking next week.

Well done to both Ross & Garsy for those results, because the ball rundown got to Nett 75, meaning there were plenty of 74’s and 75’s that deserved a ball –but were well off target in comparison to Nett 69’s. The other daily winners were, of course, from the NTP list, and they were as follows: · Peter-Whitehead, (3rd), Glenn-Forbes,

(5th), Hatty, (12th) and Steuart-Hawke, (15th).

I have left the 9th NTP winner to last.

Allan “Old Man River” Hubbard, has once again defied age and health issues to show that he “still has it”, which is a good sign for my Master’s-Pennant team, in the upcoming 2023 season.

Keep up the good form, Allan. Saturday 9 September Stableford: Although the weather was quite reasonable for our smaller than usual Saturday field, the course was fairly damp underfoot due to a couple of days of rain previously.

This resulted in some lower-than-average scores overall, two results stood out

like a beacon.

Peter-Whitehead, our newly-minted Master’s-Pennant captain and Joshua-Hin, arguably the in-form player in our Club, both posted excellent 39 pointers, to force the Match-Committee to go to a countback.

This time it favoured Peter, allowing him to take home the top voucher!Well done, Peter and commiserations, Josh.

The rundown of balls went to 33 in the small field, due to the fact that, after Peter & Josh, the next best score were a bunch of 35’s.

NTP’s went home with P.K. (3rd), DarrylWard, (5th), Tex Van Der Kooi, (9th), JoshHin, (12th) and to Peter-Whitehead, (15th).

No talking donkeys but festival to return

By Anita Prowse

Way back in 2015, some of you will remember the awesome Donkey Festival held at Wesburn Park.

It was a great day out and UYPC are so very happy to welcome it back next year.

Pop it in your diary as a must-see event, the 2024Yarra Ranges Donkey Festival will be held in Wesburn Park on Sunday 21 January 2024.

If you would like to be involved and/or bring your donkeys, please contact ‘The Donkey Shop’.

There will be classes for donkey owners, and lots of amazing things to see and be a part of. Mules are also absolutely welcome and celebrated. There will also be a great live band to close the day.

Other dates for 2024 Wesburn Park grounds bookings are filling up very quickly, so if your Club or organisation is considering hiring the grounds for an event, please contact the Upper Yarra Pony Club as soon as possible, itlooks like a very eventful year coming up.

Happy Riding everyone.

Having secured some grants for “gear for the girls,” the club is still keen on funding to upgrade its change rooms and ensure that the women’s team is there to stay.

“Funding and all that sort of stuff is a challenge. We’re doing what we can with what we’ve got. If we can gain some more momentum then we may be able to get some assistance from the local council.”

The Hoddles Creek ‘Stage Two Girls’ team is open to girls of any skill level within the age brackets of 12 and 17.

“We have got a lot of girls who are starting for the first time so it’s not about their ages, it’s more about their ability,” Grant said. Grant acknowledges the support the club has had from the community and club members.

“You just need the right sort of people around to champion this stuff.”

“For the last 10 plus years we’ve had a really good juniors program and some really good work from some former presidents and community people and it just builds on those foundations and the women’s team seems like a natural next step,” Grant said.

While maintaining that the women’s side is “the first step for bigger things,” Grant said, ”we definitely need people to keep pushing for women’s teams in the future.”

Finals spot awaits

Wandin and Woori Yallock will face off in a local derby for a spot in the premier division grand final after making it through to the preliminary final on 16 September.

The winner will come up against Narre Warren who scored a three point win over Wandin in the second round of finals.

Wandin fought back from being 10 points down at the break of the second and third quarters to test Narre Warren in the final quarter.

Unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough to get a win, finishing 61 to 64.

Woori Yallock had somewhat of an easy win over Pakenham, only dropping the lead at the end of the third but came back fighting in the fourth quarter to win 98 to 85.

The preliminary final will be held at Yarra Junction Memorial Reserve from 2.10pm on Saturday 16 September.

Wandin Football Club’s seniors faced Narre Warren in the second finals round. 359431 Pictures: GARY SISSONS

Wandin kept up on the heels of Narre Warren but fell short by three points. 359431

Hoddles Creek Cricket Club Celebrates New Women’s Team. Picture: GRANT RANKIN - SUPPLIED

Spring weather means some better conditons on the green this week. Picture: ON FILE

The Yarra Ranges Donkey Festival will return in 2024.

Picture: THE DONKEY SHOP