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Garfield the cat returns
Festival of Lights a hit
Tigers up for the test
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Childcare decision looms
Program makes a splash Casey RACE is introducing a fourweek water safety program for women in the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community with little or no water experience. Starting on Saturday 11 November, the new program will extend the existing informal sessions into a more structured module, making participants more self-assured in their water skills and safety awareness. Story page 6 Swimming teachers, clockwise from left, Kylie, Belinda, Mel and Jasmine. 371316 Picture: ROB CAREW
Councillor count By Violet Li and Emma Xerri A proposed election reform has floated the idea of more Casey councillors, which advocates say would help manage population growth and mitigate donkey voting. The State-appointed Electoral Representation Advisory Panel (ERAP) is conducting a review of Casey Council’s electoral structure under the Local Government Act 2020. The Act stipulates all metropolitan city councils must have single-councillor ward
Pakenham, Yarra Junction and Narre Warren Offices P 5941 5166
cillors and wards. Model One and Two use 11 single-councillor wards with different criteria to define the boundaries, while Model Three has 12 singlecouncillor wards and adopts mainly road and rail infrastructure as ward boundaries. Hampton Park resident Garry Page, who stood for council in 2016, has rejected the 11-councillor consideration and endorsed the 12-councillor model in his 34-page submission. He stated for population reasons alone
there should be 12 councillors. The City of Casey 2019-20 Representation Review Final Report found 12 councillors were required to represent 223,917 voters with an average of 18,660 voters per councillor at the time of the writing, though the recommendation was never adopted due to the dismissal of the councillors in 2020. Now, with 252,670 voters, Mr Page believed downgrading to 11 councillors would represent a step backward with an increase to an average of 22,970 voters. Continued page 4
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electoral structures. It also requires each ward must have an approximately equal number of voters per councillor within plus or minus 10 per cent of the average. Casey Council - which has been governed by administrators rather than councillors since 2020 - currently sits on six wards with a total of 11 councillors. The next councillor elections are scheduled for 2024. In ERAP’s preliminary report, three models have been proposed for the number of coun-
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Armed officers were involved in the siege. Pictures: SUPPLIED
Operation leads to arrest An illustration of a proposed three-storey childcare centre in Power Road, Doveton.
Decision looms on $5m childcare build A proposal for a 125-place childcare centre that would replace three residential properties in Doveton is set to be decided. With an estimated cost of $5 million, the three-storey building will replace single-storey houses at 40, 42 and 44 Power Road in Doveton. Noel Johnston, an 89-year-old pensioner who lives behind the proposed site, had spoken out against the project on behalf of his neighbours, with one of their main concerns being the noise. Residing on Oleander Street, Mr Johnston lives right across from a playground and is not keen on another behind him. “There are nine units here who don’t want it, we’re mostly pensioners and none of us want it behind us.
“We’ve already got a playground with kids yelling and screaming, now we’re going to have a centre behind us doing the same thing,” Mr Johnston said. The proponent Smart Planning and Design outlined in its application document that the childcare centre would be an essential service for the local community. With the ability to cater for a maximum of 125 children until the age of five, it allows parents an alternative from the other centres as well as employment opportunities. Traffic was the other factor that Mr Johnston said should be considered, saying that Power Road is “one of the busiest roads in the area”. “They’re going to build a childcare centre essentially in the middle of it, it’s dangerous for the kids coming in and out.”
While the planning application has asssured there would be on-site car parks, it also highlighted the proximity of public transport routes that would reduce car dependency. Another concern Mr Johnston raised was the difficulty for those without access to computers to lodge a complaint against the planning application. “They won’t give us copies because they said to just look at the computers, but we haven’t got computers. “And when we wanted to know more they asked us to come down to the council, but we’ve got walkers and walking sticks, half of us can’t even walk,” Mr Johnston said. As it stands, the application’s advertising process was completed on 6 November and is currently waiting for the final outcome.
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Officers attended a residence at about 1pm to conduct a welfare check on a man, allegedly in possession of a firearm.
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By Ethan Benedicto
Police arrested a 51-year-old Narre Warren man in Narre Warren South on Friday 3 November, after a dramatic siege operation involving a number of road closures and attendance by Special Operations Group members. Officers attended a residence at about 1pm to conduct a welfare check on a man, allegedly in possession of a firearm, only to find the man had left prior in a car. The man was located by police in Berwick Springs Promenade and was arrested at about 3.40pm. The 51-year-old was conveyed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the arrest. He was under police guard and was expected to be interviewed by police at a later date.
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Breach ends in jail By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Judge Trevor Wraight noted Brett Audsley’s desire to reform and rated his rehabilitation prospects as “reasonable”. Picture: CON CHRONIS/AAP However, a “strong message” also needed to be sent for breaching firearm prohibition orders – which were designed to keep the community safe from gun-related violence. Audsley’s long, relevant criminal record and
the seriousness of offending were also a factor. He was jailed for two years and nine months, with an 18-month non-parole period. His term includes 272 days in pre-sentence detention.
By Corey Everitt Berwick MP Brad Battin spear-headed a last ditch effort by the opposition to stop the State Government’s decriminalisation of public drunkenness which came into effect this month. State Parliament returned from a week-long break from sitting on Tuesday 31 October, just a week before the decriminalising public intoxication in Victoria was to take effect. Mr Battin took the small window of opportunity to introduce a bill to repeal the new laws. As Shadow Minister for Police, Mr Battin has led the opposition’s criticisms against the new decriminalisation, arguing the State Government has not taken the proper preparation to keep people safe from harm when police no longer have the power to take the intoxicated into custody. The key argument to the urgent attempt to repeal was that the laws would come into effect on Melbourne Cup Day. “Its reform is not ready to go,” Mr Battin said on the motion. Allowing Mr Battin to introduce this repeal bill after years of debate over the issue was firmly opposed by the State Government. Yan Yean MP Lauren Kathage said: “We have passed the legislation, and now we have got other legislation that we want to get through the house – important matters concerning transport, kinder and the circular economy and our environment, things that matter to Victorians, not things that are invented by a local doomsday cult to panic Victorians.” Mr Battin’s motion to introduce the repeal bill to Parliament was defeated with 26 members for and 49 members against.
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A Pearcedale dad who stashed guns in his bedroom while under a firearm prohibition order has been jailed. Brett Audsley, 43 at the time, pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to multiple firearms and ammunition charges including insecurely storing the guns. He also pled to cultivating 13 cannabis plants and possessing illegal fireworks, a dagger weapon and 30 grams of ice for personal use. During a police search on 3 February, police found a loaded .32 calibre revolver with loose rounds in his bedside drawer and a five-shot revolver in a tall boy drawer. At the time, he was subject to a 10-year firearm prohibition order from 2020. Judge Trevor Wraight said Audsley’s heavy drug addiction, access to a loaded gun and his violent history created a “dangerous combination of circumstances”. Audsley grew up in Springvale in a “tumultuous”, violent and neglectful home, with his father cooking meth for bikie gangs, the court heard. As a child, Audsley would play with his dad’s handguns and was exposed to criminal activity such as cannabis and stolen vehicles stored at his home, it was noted. He’d used various drugs since his teens, including becoming addicted to Xanax while recovering from a car crash. According to a psychologist, Audsley was at a point of his life where he was determined to be drug and crime free. He was also becoming open to discussing his childhood traumas. He’d reportedly performed well during his previous parole period in 2020. Judge Wraight noted Audsley’s desire to reform and rated his rehabilitation prospects as “reasonable”.
Bill defeat
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Lights on By Matthew Sims
Park Hill Plaza.
Picture: ETHAN BENEDICTO
Teenager injured A 15-year-old boy suffered a minor cut on his stomach after an altercation in Parkhill Plaza on 31 October. Victoria Police responded to an armed robbery call at 5.45pm on Halloween, where they arrested and questioned a 17-year-old boy in relation to the incident. The Narre Warren boy was released pending further inquiries.
According to Ambulance Victoria, the victim was taken to Casey Hospital on the same night and was in a stable condition. Witness reports are erratic, but multiple workers from the plaza said that at least five assailants were chasing after the victim. Similar accounts from bystanders recall all parties going into Coles and causing a com-
motion before leaving. While unconfirmed, other witnesses reported having seen a knife, or multiple knives from the assailants. Detectives are still investigating if a stabbing occurred, with any witnesses urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or make a report online at crimestoppersvic.com. au
Councillor count: Review sparks debate From page 1 “Therefore, the current population for the City of Casey should actually be 12 councillors for 252,670 electors or an average of 21,056 electors per councillor,” he stated. “It was disappointing to see with an even higher Casey population that the ERAP has chosen to now examine a reduction to 11 councillors. “The current population of Casey is 365,239 with a forecast growth of 2.8 per cent annually. Given this growth, the workload of councillors can only increase over the life of the council.” IBAC’s Operation Sandon Special Report identified councillors’ lack of preparedness for Casey meetings. The submission also pointed out that an appropriate number of 12 councillors could moderate the impact of donkey voting on the council election results. Donkey voting refers to the act of numbering the candidates in the order they appear on the ballot paper. It can also happen in reverse. According to an academic’s statistical analysis of Victorian local government elections from 2008 to 2021, candidates at the number one position would have 45 per cent more chances of being elected than would be otherwise expected in fields of five or more candidates, Mr Page submitted. The impact of donkey voting would become more pronounced with a larger number
of candidates. The submitted statistics further highlighted that for elections with 10 or more candidates, those at the first position would be 80 per cent more likely to be elected than those randomly selected in the sixth spot. This meant fewer electors were needed to successfully elect the first candidate compared to electors who preferred the sixth position candidate, which according to Mr Page, shredded the one vote, one value principle that made sure every person’s vote counts equally. He stated therefore increasing the number of wards had the effect of distributing candidates across a wider scale. “This change on average reduces the field [number] of candidates standing in a single ward at a general election. Reducing the candidate fields [numbers] on average has the positive impact of lowering donkey votes. “Increasing the number of councillors for 2024 to reduce the impact of a donkey vote provides a direct benefit to achieving a result closer to the one vote, one value principle.” The statistics analysis in the submission has not yet been reviewed by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). Mr Page said he had raised the donkey voting issue to the government before, but with no result. He expected a similar limited response for this time.
“If the VEC does not accept my calculations and an academic hasn’t published a paper on this donkey voting issue, then there will be no response in parliament to my submissions,” he said. Former Casey councillor Steve Beardon agreed with Mr Page in regard to the undermining of one vote, one value principle. Rather than expressing support for any of the models provided in his submission, he proposed improved methods for ensuring fairness across voting. “Council ballot papers need be printed randomly to ensure no individual candidate benefits by drawing the top spot,” he wrote. “Currently they are all printed identically. “This gives one candidate the significant advantage of the donkey vote. That scenario is contrary to fair and equal elections.” Mr Page submitted Victoria should employ the Robson Rotation system used in the ACT and Tasmania where each ballot paper contains a different permutation of candidates to minimise the impact of donkey voting. The City of Casey Council Electoral Structure Review is accepting submissions until 5pm 22 November. A public hearing will be held following the response submission period for submitters who request to speak. To make a submission, visit submissions. vec.vic.gov.au/council/544
Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) have completed the end of works along O’Shea Road as part of Stage 2 of the Monash Freeway upgrade, with the last sets of permanent street lighting now turned on after months of work. An MRPV spokesperson said the streetlights had now been turned on along O’Shea Road, replacing temporary lighting which was in place at intersections along O’Shea Road, ensuring better visibility and safety for all road users. “A final road safety audit was conducted in mid-October after the permanent streetlights were turned on and prior to the speed limit returning to 80km/ hr,” the spokesperson said. According to MRPV, all traffic lights have been powered and operational since the new lanes on O’Shea Road were opened to traffic in August 2022. Multiple independent road safety audits have been undertaken on this stretch of road since it opened in August 2022 with no safety concerns raised. The final independent road safety audit was completed in mid-October when the lighting was commissioned, with no safety issues identified. In response to community feedback, MRPV installed additional landscaping to prevent vehicles turning across the centre median. On multiple occasions the project team has passed on feedback to Victoria Police from residents about speeding drivers. New and upgraded lanes along O’Shea Road were opened to traffic on time in August 2022. Berwick MP Brad Battin addressed a question to Roads and Road Safety Minister Melissa Horne about the issue in Parliament on Wednesday 4 October, highlighting the two deaths which occurred on the road earlier this year. “We have had issues with speed, lighting and traffic lights on this road since the upgrade has occurred,” he said. “Minister, I ask if we can take the politics out of this, please, and get the information that you have received in relation to safety issues on this road that could have prevented two deaths of people in my electorate. “It is time that the Berwick electorate got the truth on what is happening on O’Shea Road.” A number of comments from Berwick motorists and locals on Facebook highlighted safety issues, including comments of people running through red lights. “Too many people ignore the red lights, I travel through there everyday and I always have to wait for the red light runners,” one user said. “Red light cameras would be good to stop it.”
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Garfield is finally home After missing for six and a half months, a cat named Garfield was finally returned to his home in Doveton. The cat was found in Hallam, roughly five kilometres from the owner, Neil’s home. According to Neil, the man who found the cat scanned Garfield with a chip scanner, and after finding out he belonged to someone, contacted the local vet immediately. After Garfield initially went missing on 29 April, Neil said he and his family “checked animal shelters and put up about 200 flyers around the streets”. However, there was no sign of the cat. “I came home from work and I couldn’t find him, and I kept looking the next few days and I still couldn’t find him, “We put these pamphlets out and we even door knocked a bit.” The five-year-old cat was nursed by Neil and his family ever since he was a kitten, and throughout those years built the foundations of a strong familial connection. When Garfield was finally retrieved, it was a big sigh of relief.
“I was excited, thankful, I Prayed to God that we’d find him and we did,” Neil said. It was even more meaningful for his children, who had come to accept Garfield’s passing. “They just said that he’s died and we won’t see him again, they loved that cat and were very excited when we found him.” As it stands, some new security measures have been employed since the cat’s return. While Garfield was free to roam the home, inside and out, a stricter curfew has been employed. “I normally work three to ten and let him in when I get back from work. “Now we let him out for only a couple of hours and make sure to bring him in before I leave,” Neil commented. Garfield had no injuries, with Neil assuming that he probably went on an extended vacation, sightseeing from house to house and place to place.
Neil and his cat, Garfield. 370699
Picture: GARY SISSONS
Authorities probe ‘arson’ after transfer station blaze By Violet Li A fire was detected at the Stevensons Brothers Industries (SBI) landfill in Cranbourne around 10pm Thursday 2 November. Fire Rescue Victoria brought the fire under control around 12.30am on 3 November with no person harmed. EPA attended the scene and stated the fire was located at the transfer station, also known as Waste Resource and Recovery Facility, and not the landfill itself. Police investigations are continuing, while it was advised the cause pointed to arson. No pollution control equipment was damaged by the fire. Approximately 40 to 50 tonnes of waste was burnt and smoke odours from the site are likely to be short term. SBI stated they had contained all solid and liquid waste impacted by the fire and the firewater was collected and disposed offsite by a licensed waste contractor. SBI is getting approval to dispose of the solid fire impacted waste into the landfill. The location of the fire within the transfer station has been cleared with all surface residue removed and applied to the contained solid impacted waste, pending appropriate disposal. SBI intends to provide residents a more comprehensive update in the following week. EPA will continue their investigation into
Transfer station fire at SBI landfill. the incident and ensure SBI manages the remaining water and waste so that there is no impact to community and environment. In August this year, EPA took legal action against the landfill operator for a range of non-compliance with Victoria’s environment
Picture: Gary Sissons protection laws. The landfill has been emitting odour since early 2022. The odour with a rotting-egg smell was confirmed to be hydrogen sulphide. EPA will run an online community information session on Monday 13 November be-
tween 6pm and 7pm to provide further information on the regulation of the landfill. For more information on the SBI landfill investigation, visit epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/incidents/sbi-inert-landfill
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SANDOWN GREYHOUND RACING CLUB View Road, Springvale VIC 3171 berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
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Helping others this Christmas
Assistant manager Lauren, swimming teacher Mel, swimming teacher Belinda, life guard coordinator Brittany, and aquatics coordinator Jasmine are Picture: ROB CAREW ready for the upcoming four-week water safety program. 371316
Water safety focus By Violet Li Casey RACE, the YMCA-managed water recreation and aquatic centre in Cranbourne East, is introducing a four-week water safety program for women in the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community with little or no water experience. Currently, swim teachers in Casey RACE provide education for women and their children every Saturday night with informal teaching which focuses on teaching a basic understanding of water safety behaviours. Starting on Saturday 11 November, the new program will extend the existing informal sessions into a more structured module, making participants more self-assured in their water
skills and safety awareness. The curriculum includes important lessons on water safety, the role of a lifeguard, understanding swimming equipment, and maintaining vigilance for children’s safety. Aquatics Program Lead at Casey RACE Lauren Weeding said it is clear there is a need for structured learning beyond just facilitating space for swimming from their observations and interaction on the women-only swim nights. “I recalled seeing a young girl in the deeper end of the pool trying to float, and I stepped in to teach her the correct way. This made me realise we weren’t just opening a space, we needed to create a safer environment,” she said. “The goal of this program is to educate women and their families in preparation for a
hot summer. We aim to make the water a safer space for everyone, within Casey RACE and beyond. “It’s a groundbreaking move, helping to fill the void of adult water safety programs, particularly for cultural groups that are most at risk.” Casey RACE said they hope to continue building on this program and run this course regularly to empower more women and transform lives by offering valuable water safety skills. The program will run from Saturday 11 November to Saturday 2 December every Saturday from 8.30pm at Casey RACE, 65 BerwickCranbourne Road, Cranbourne East. For more information, phone Casey RACE on 5990 8600.
OPINION
The Cardinia Foundation is launching a Christmas Appeal along with a quick response grant round to help those in need during this holiday season. The Cardinia Foundation is asking the community to join their Share the Joy Christmas Appeal by donating and fundraising to make sure no local is left behind this year. By donating to the Cardinia Foundation, you’re supporting a network of charities and community organisations that work tirelessly to improve the lives of others. Your donation will have a ripple effect, reaching those who need it most, not just during the holidays, but also into the future. You can either donate directly or by starting your own fundraiser on the foundation’s behalf where you think of your creative ways, from Secret Santas to morning teas, to support the community and spread the holiday spirit. Supporting the Cardinia Foundation means you support the ongoing work to help those in need in the community. Along with the appeal, the foundation is giving out Christmas grants which go to local charities to increase the number of hampers, gifts and lunches that will go to Cardinia residents. Charities working in Cardinia Shire who applied may recieve up to $2000 to help them help others, this Christmas. Applications closed on Wednesday 1 November, and recipients will be announced at a later date. If you wish to donate or raise funds for the Cardinia Foundation’s Share the Joy Christmas Appeal, you can do so at cardinia-foundation.grassrootz.com/christmas-appeal-2023-share-the-joy
THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Thumbs up
LENSCAPE
To dads, it was incredible to see the ratio of dads out on Halloween with all their little ones trick or treating.
Thumbs down To the aerial culls of our national heritage horses.
Thumbs down To the big supermarkets having less check out staff and longer queues. Prices have gone up, yet staff numbers have fallen.
SOCIALLY SPEAKING Golfers will soon tee off again at Deep Creek. The council has found a new operator for the reserve to bring back Pakenham’s top spot for golfing. Here’s what our readers had to say.
Every man and his dog was at the cricket at Ramlegh Reserve in Clyde North. 371402 6 STAR NEWS
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Mitzi Ross That’s awesome, will be nice to see things up and running again. Grant Pitkethly This is great news for Pakenham. Ryan Bell They will struggle to get golf members again, everyone shipped off to Garfield. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
FOCUS ON … SENIORS ENJOYING LIFE
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Not just living, but thriving Life. Unlimited At Lifestyle Communities we believe in life without restrictions. One with the freedom to do the things you love, and the confidence to be whoever you want to be. Where every new day is a fresh opportunity. It’s a philosophy that rings true, in our best-in-class homes and clubhouses. Whether you’re working, semiretired or retired, come and join a community
where Life is Unlimited. Join in on pickleball, croquet, yoga, arts and crafts, woodworking, bowls and swimming. There are also happy hours, guest speakers, musical entertainment and much more. Plus, you’ll have loads of new friends to enjoy all of this with and a beautiful home to live in. The community is thoughtfully planned and designed making it easy to get around and enjoy.
Lifestyle Communities promotes a lifestyle that emphasises freedom. The choice to do your thing, your way. Live independently whilst also enjoying a vibrant social life and a variety of recreational activities. Buying a home at Lifestyle Communities means embracing a life where your horizons are boundless. With a host of activities and an abundance of new friendships waiting for you,
your days will be filled with excitement and companionship. Here, you are not just living, you are thriving, and it’s a testament to the limitless possibilities of a life unencumbered by restrictions. Come and experience the freedom to be you, every day, in your new home at Lifestyle Communities. Website: lifestylecommunities.com.au
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Push to legalise cannabis By Matthew Sims Legalise Cannabis Victoria has unveiled a bill to make it lawful for an adult to possess a small quantity of cannabis and regulate personal use. On Wednesday 1 November, South-Eastern Metropolitan Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP Rachel Payne introduced the Regulation of Personal (Adult Use) of Cannabis Bill in the Legislative Council. The bill would amend the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 to make it lawful for an adult to possess a small quantity of cannabis (50 grams) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for personal use, to make it lawful for an adult to use cannabis or tetrahydrocannabinol, to make it lawful for an adult to cultivate not more than six cannabis plants for personal use, and to permit an adult to give cannabis by way of a gift to another adult, and related changes. The bill would also allow sharing between adults but would not allow people under 18 to access or be supplied with cannabis. Ms Payne said the bill had the potential to reduce harm and law enforcement and justice system costs. “We can take multimillion-dollar profits out of the hands of organised crime,” she said. “We can stop the disproportionate negative impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians and young people. “We can turn the consequence of stigma on its head.” According to Legalise Cannabis Victoria, more than one-third of Victorian adults have consumed cannabis in their lifetime, with more young people consuming cannabis than tobacco. In Casey, in the year to June 2023, there were 986 drug use and possession offences recorded. In 2015/2016, more than $1.7 billion was
spend on cannabis-related law enforcement, including $1.1 billion on imprisonments, $475 million on police, $62 million on courts, $52 million on legal aid and prosecution and $25 million on community corrections. Ms Payne said beyond the financial impact, the human cost of a drug conviction could be “devastating” to a young individual. “Research shows that First Nations people, and others from socially disadvantaged groups, are at greater risk of harm from the criminalisation of cannabis. “People sourcing cannabis through illicit markets may be exposed to violence and the true ‘gateway’ – the dealers who are giving them access to more dangerous drugs. “There is a safer way of regulating cannabis, which is why leading economies around the world are moving to legalise cannabis consumption – letting adults be adults and grow and consume cannabis in the privacy of their own homes.” The move would follow on from similar reforms in the Northern Territory and South Australia, which have decriminalised minor cannabis use and possession and now treat it as a civil matter and the Australian Capital Territory, which has legalised cannabis possession, use and cultivation. Ms Payne said the move would allow the government to work towards better public health outcomes across the state. “We already have a cannabis market; it just happens to be illicit and unregulated one that costs governments tens of millions in law enforcement and prohibition,” she said. “Let’s pull the rug out from under the illicit market. “Victoria can be a leader in cannabis regulation.” The Legislative Council agreed to adjourn debate on the bill for two weeks.
David Ettershank and Rachel Payne from Legalise Cannabis Victoria give a press conference after the calculation of Upper House results for the 2022 state election at Melbourne Showgrounds in Melbourne, December 2022. Picture: AAP IMAGE/LUIS ASCUI
Truckload of Lego found By Kaitlyn Offer, AAP
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A mountain of Lego found in a Casey drug raid was so large police needed a truck to seize it. The 1130 boxes worth more than $200,000 were discovered on Tuesday alongside a meth lab and boxes of gemstones at a Botanic Ridge house. Police said there were so many boxes of the plastic building blocks that a truck would be needed to transport them. A 36-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were arrested with the man charged with trafficking, proceeds of crime and firearms offences. He was also charged with possessing a wi-fi jammer, possessing ecstasy and failing to answer bail. He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates
Court on Wednesday and was remanded to reappear in February. The woman was released without charge. “It’s not unusual for police to seize a range of different items from a property as part of an investigation like this, however this is more often drugs or cash,” Detective Inspector Anthony Vella said. “This is the first time our detectives have seized a Lego collection - let alone one so large that it requires specific transportation to remove it.” Det Insp Vella described the lab set-up as large and capable of producing a significant amount of drugs, particularly methamphetamine. Police will allege the Lego and gemstones are proceeds of crime.
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Education honour
Cop desk hours cut
By Violet Li Community development coordinator Zohra Hasib at Hampton Park Community House has been recognised for her inspirational efforts in Victoria’s adult and community education sector at this year’s Learn Local Awards. The awards recognise Victorians across eight categories, highlighting the achievements of learners, trainers and leaders, as well as programs and partnerships throughout the year. Zohra has been listed as one of the four finalists in the pre-accredited trainer category. Migrating to Australia over 30 years ago, she completed her VCE, Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care, Diploma in Community Services Management, and the ACFE Adult Literacy and Numeracy Program. She said she was extremely thankful that she made it this far and that it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her awesome team at Hampton Park Community House. “I absolutely love working in the community and with our awesome community members,” she said. “I learn so much from my students and am grateful for all the love and respect I get from these amazing humans. “Watching my students grow makes my heart fill with joy. Seeing the beautiful smiles on their faces when they get an answer correct, learn a new word, a meaning of a new word or write their first sentences always brings a tear to my eye and makes me realise how much I love what I do.” According to the State Government, Learn Local plays a critical role in Victoria’s post-secondary system, offering a unique communitybased learning option with a focus on the individual needs of learners. More than 240 not-for-profit community
Community development coordinator Zohra Hasib at Hampton Park Community House has been recognised for her inspirational efforts in Victoria’s adult and community education sector at this year’s Learn Local Awards. Picture: SUPPLIED organisations are registered as Learn Locals. The awards prize pool offers a total of $84,000, with organisation award category winners receiving $10,000, individual category winners $5000 and category finalists $1000.
Winners will be announced at the 2023 Learn Local Awards gala ceremony to be held on 24 November. See the finalists and find out more at vic. gov.au/learn-local-awards
Springvale and Endeavour Hills police station’s opening hours have been cut in a “backwards step for community safety”, according to the State Opposition. Victoria Police announced that the 24-hour Springvale station’s counter will only open for eight-hours a day from late November. Endeavour Hills, which in the past was a 24-hour station, will also be open eight hours. Both stations will still respond “all hours”. The nearest 24-hour stations include Dandenong, Glen Waverley and Narre Warren. Victoria Police stated the “off-peak” counter closures across 43 Victorian stations would ensure as many police officers as possible on the frontline. “Reception counter hour reductions will occur predominantly during the evening or overnight when we know they are rarely attended,” Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson said. “Even when reception counters are unstaffed, police continue to patrol the local community and often, still work within the station. “Redirecting officers towards frontline policing duties will increase the likelihood of crime being prevented, offenders being arrested, and the community remaining safe.” Opposition police spokesperson Brad Battin said the cuts would result in “poorer community safety outcomes”.
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Thursday, 9 November, 2023
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STAR NEWS 9
Story set in stone The Australian War Memorial this year unveiled a sculpture of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial, the first of an individual nurse or woman. This sculpture stands as a constant reminder of her exceptional military service and importance to the story of Australian nursing. A collaborative project with the Australian College of Nursing, the sculpture recognises not only Bullwinkel, but all Australian nurses who have lost their lives, survived atrocities or made sacrifices while serving their country. “I’m inspired by the thought that generations of children to come will see a figure in bronze of a nurse and midwife at the Australian War Memorial,” Australian College of Nursing CEO, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward, FACN, FACHSM, Wharton Fellow, GAICD, said. “The sculpture will be a powerful and longlasting symbol of nurses’ selfless service to Australia and its citizens whether in war or in peace.” Dr Charles Robb, a Brisbane-based artist, was chosen to create the work through an invitation design submission. Robb’s work tells more than just Bullwinkel’s personal story, but has captured the challenges and accomplishments of all Australian nurses. “I’ve had the joy of spending the last few years spending time with and obviously working on the sculpture but also researching into Vivian’s awe-inspiring life,” Dr Robb said. “The key thing that I wanted to achieve was to capture a likeness and a sense of the way she
Reflect time As a mark of respect to those who have died and suffered, Australians are encouraged to pause at 11am on November 11 to observe one minute’s silence and reflect on the loss and suffering caused by war. The idea of one minute’s silence was first suggested in a letter published in the London Evening News of 8 May 1919 by Edward George Honey, an Australian journalist working in london, who proposed “five silent minutes of national remembrance” as a tribute to the war dead. King George V tested the practicality of five minutes’ silence, and issued a proclamation on 7 November 1919 which called for two minutes’ silence. At 11am on 11 November 1919, Australians paused for the first time in silent tribute to the members of the 1st Australian Imperial Force (AIF) who had died in the First World War. In 1997, the Governor-General issued a proclamation urging all australians to observe the one minute silence on Remembrance Day. Traditionally, poppies are worn on Remembrance Day. The tradition has its origins in a poem written in 1915 by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who was inspired by the thousands of red poppies that grew across the battlefields of the Western Front.
The sculpture will be a powerful and long-lasting symbol of nurses’ selfless service to Australia and its citizens whether in war or in peace. carried herself in the world. This quite strong and self-contained individual while reflecting the perseverance that drove her.” The sculpture includes 22 inlaid stainless steel discs reflecting the 22 victims of the Banka Island Massacre. The discs are arranged at the base of the sculpture as a reflection of the stars that would have been visible in the night sky on 16 February 1942. Australian War Memorial Director, Matt Anderson said: “We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to commemorate Vivian Bullwinkel.” “Vivian’s name should be renowned in ev-
ery Australian household, as should the story of her inspirational life as a courageous leader, a proud nurse and the first woman to serve on the Council of the Australian War Memorial.” Head of art at the Australian War Memorial, Laura Webster, said: “Charles Robb has created a truly moving sculpture that represents the strength, kindness and warmth that comes across from reading about her incredible life.” “Vivian Bullwinkel’s story is now set permanently in bronze at the Australian War Memorial.”
Unforgettable tribute: Kokoda Legacy event returns After an overwhelming response and unrelenting requests from passionate participants, the renowned Kokoda Legacy event makes a triumphant return to Canungra’s Kokoda Barracks this Remembrance Day. This extraordinary event, orchestrated by the Kokoda Youth Foundation, first emerged in 2022 as a heartfelt tribute to the 80th anniversary of the 1942 Kokoda Campaign, returning this year in celebration of the centenary of Legacy Australia. In 2022, the Kokoda Legacy event proved to be a remarkable success, raising a substantial $47,820.97 for each of its beneficiary organisations, the Kokoda Youth Foundation and Gold Coast Legacy. Both these local charities are steadfastly committed to transforming the lives of individuals within the Gold Coast community. Originally conceived as a onetime affair, the event’s resounding success and the impassioned pleas of its dedicated partici-
pants have compelled its return. Set to take place on the hallowed grounds of Kokoda Barracks on Saturday, November 11, 2023, Remembrance Day, the event will commence from the Canungra Area Golf Club. Anticipating the participation of approximately 1,500 individuals, this unique experience grants exclusive access to Kokoda Barracks—a privilege not granted to the general public at any other time. Doug Henderson, the founder of the Kokoda Youth Foundation and a Vietnam Veteran, spoke of the decision to resurrect Kokoda Legacy for one final year. “We are honoured to commemorate Legacy Australia’s centenary with the return of the Kokoda Legacy event,” he declared. “The Kokoda Legacy event not only provided invaluable support to our local youth programs but also contributed significantly to the outstanding efforts of Legacy Gold Coast
within our community.” Craig Kingston, president of the Gold Coast Legacy club, expressed his delight at the event’s revival. “Last year, the money raised enabled us to provide vital assistance to over 1,100 Gold Coast families of veterans of the Australian Defence Force who have given their lives or health for their country,” he said. “We were able to provide services like home visits, bus trips, advocating for entitlements, educational/social/financial support and holiday camps for our Legacy children following the support of the community through the Kokoda Legacy event.” This year’s Kokoda Legacy promises to be an unforgettable tribute, combining physical challenges with heartfelt remembrance—a fitting way to honour the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country. Featuring course options of
5km, 10km, 20km, or 30km, there’s a distance suitable for every fitness level. Plus, children under the age of eight can join for free, while registration fees begin at just $20. Don’t miss your chance to be part of history and contribute to these noble causes as we come together to commemorate our heroes. Kokoda Legacy Event date: Saturday November 11, Remembrance Day 2023. Distances: 5km Remembrance Walk or 10km, 20km or 30km hike/trail run. Registration costs: kids under eight can participate in the 5km Remembrance Walk free, entry fees start from $20. Start and location: All distances will start at Canungra Area Golf Club; 5km Remembrance Walk will start at 11am; 10km, 20km and 30km will start at 7am. Website: kokodachallenge.com/legacy
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Lest We Forget We remember all those who fought and sacrificed their lives for our freedom
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Thursday, 9 November, 2023
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Finding the missing piece By Tyler Wright The Emerald RSL is on the hunt for information after the images of three servicemen were left in the organisation’s poppy collection. RSL member Christine Weller was sorting through the collection in preparation for Remembrance Day when she came across the photos of the men attached to three poppies, with the person who donated them still unknown. “I looked on the back and I felt sick because it had their names and where they served,” Ms Weller said. “Beautiful black and white shots of men who went away to war. “None of them, as far as we know, were killed over there; just the fact that someone had bothered to put them on the back of poppies, and then crocheted them into them and gave them to us.” Leading Aircraftman P.J Threlfall, Trooper J.H Searle of the eighth Light Horse in the First Australian Imperial Force, and Private LJ Searle from the second Australian Imperial Force are all pictured on the poppies. Local historians Jan Shaw and Chris A’Vard have discovered that the Searles, believed to be father and son, came from around the Brighton area and later Kangaroo Flat, according to Ms Weller. L.J. (Leslie Joshua) Searle, who served in the Second World War, was born in Bentleigh in 1922.
Christine Weller is looking for the person who knitted three poppies with the images of three servicemen. 370666 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS He married Wilma Read in 1959, and lived in Kangaroo Flat for most of his life until his death in 2000. J.H (Joshua Henry) Searle, the father of Leslie, is believed to have been born in 1895 in Moorabbin. Joshua married Beryl Angus in 1921 and the pair lived in and around the Brighton area before moving to Kangaroo Flat. Joshua died in 1974. Details of the life of the third man - D.K. Threlfall - are still unknown. Ms Weller is looking for whoever knitted the poppies. Anyone with information on who knitted the poppies, or the men pictured, can contact Ms Weller via email at christine@cwcreative.com.au
Remembrance Day services will be held across Casey on Saturday 11 November. 371382 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Casey set to Remembrance Day 2023. remember “We will remember them” Remembrance Day services are being held across Casey to commemorate those who have bravely served Australia. Community members are welcome to attend the services on Saturday 11 November. The Berwick service will be held from 10.45am to 11.15am at the Berwick Cenotaph at the corner of High Street and Clyde Road in Berwick.
The Cranbourne service will be held from 10.45am to 11.15am at the Cranbourne Cenotaph at Greg Clydesdale Square on High Street in Cranbourne. The Pearcedale service will run from 10am to 11.30am at the Pearcedale Public Hall at 45 Pearcedale Road in Pearcedale. Local organisations are managing all public services, with support from Casey Council.
Berwick RSL Inc.
Sevice for remebrance day will be held at Bunjil page 6am Dawn service. Berwick RSL assemble at 10.40am to walk to memorial site at High Street berwick for 11am service. On behalf of the Berwick RSL Sub-branch, specifically our veteran community I would like to thank you the people of Berwick and surrounds for your very generous donations and support as part of our Poppy and ANZAC Appeals, all money raised from these appeals goes directly into supporting the veteran community of Berwick.
LEST WE FORGET
0455 556 437 Berwick RSL Welfare Team 12600052-SN16-23
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STAR NEWS 11
THE LOWDOWN Q&A
with Star News journalist Violet Li
What do you love about working as a journalist? Get fresh information through talking with different people. I used to believe everything was already up there online until I got into journalism. I think this is exactly the point of journalism: ask the right questions for people to speak out what they’ve been holding to themselves for ages. Let the unknown known. If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Cat. So I can ignore people all the time and still be loved. What would your last meal be? Fried pork buns with soy bean bubble tea. What has been your most memorable moment so far? Picking up my cute dog from the street after dreaming about having my own dog for the past decade. What was your favourite subject in school? English literature. What event, past or present, would you like to witness? I miss sports events all the time. I just wish I could be at every grand slam in New York, Paris, Wimbledon, and of course, Melbourne. Which five dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner? It has always been torture for me to have dinner with someone I am not very familiar with. I would just invite five of my friends. What are you currently listening to/watching or reading? I just finished A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm. It should be relatable for anyone who once worked in the hospitality. Dejà vu. I am reading Empire of Pain by Patrick Keefe right now. It’s about the notorious Sackler family who sabotaged the lives of nearly 645,000 people. Keefe is always my favourite journalist and I highly recommend all of his works. He’s a
THREE … Remembrance Day traditions Remembrance Day is this Saturday 11 November . Here are three timehonoured traditions practised by communities across the globe.
Violet Li. 365412
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
master of combining facts and narratives. If you had to compete on Masterchef, what dish would you cook? Well, I’ve never watched Masterchef. Believe it or not. Where is your dream holiday destination? Romania. I would love to visit on a yearly basis.
What three words would your friends use to describe you? Looks forever 19. What would you do on your perfect ‘day off’? Encourage my partner or my friends to take a day off on Friday as well so we can hit the road and camp in the mountain for a long weekend.
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Respecting the minute’s silence Every year, communities across the world fall silent for one minute at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month to remember those who have served their country during war.
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Wearing a red poppy The Flanders poppy was one of the first plants to grow on the battlefields of France and Belgium. After WWI, silk poppies were sold on Armistice Day with proceeds going to a charity for French children and to the Returned Soldiers League (RSL).
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Flying flags at half-mast On Remembrance Day, flags are flown at half-mast from 10.30am to 11.03am as a sign of mourning and respect. It is said that this tradition stems from sailing ships which lowered their sails at sea to honour an important person or mark a death. There are a number of rules associated with flying the Australian flag at half-mast, including that flags must never be flown at half-mast at night.
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Students shine on stage A group of Berwick musical theatre students have wowed the judges at the 2023 Junior Theatre Festival Australia held in Newcastle on 27 and 28 October, taking home the Outstanding Dance group award. Masquerade Youth Productions (MYP) competed alongside 23 other groups from across Australia and New Zealand competed, judged by a panel of international visiting artists from Broadway and the West End. Aged 10 to 17, the 25 MYP students presented selections from Disney’s Frozen Kids, with musical directors Emily Keegan and Rochelle Glenwright selecting songs which featured cast members individually and as a cohesive group. Local choreographer Suzie Ryrie from Suzie Ryrie School of Dance created the award-win-
ning dance movements. MYP co-founder Megan Glenwright said the performers were excited and engaged throughout the event. “It is delightful to see our performers supporting each other and making memories lasting a lifetime,” she said. “They have all added to their ’sing, act, dance’ toolboxes and have enjoyed every minute.” Broadway composer and TikTok influencer Daniel J Mertzlufft and actor Olivia Charalambous were the adjudicators, while the students also got to meet Australian celebrities Rob Mills, who is currently touring with the hit musical & Juliet and performer Vidya Makan. For more information, visit myproductions. com.au
MYP’s winning team at Junior Theatre Festival Australia in Newcastle.
11th-12th November 2023
COO Music Theatre International’s John Prignano, MYP student Luke Brown, choreographer Suzie Ryrie and Jeter Backyard Theater Pittsburgh founding director Christie Jeter. Picture: PETER STOOP PHOTOGRAPHY
Picture: MICHELLE JOHNSON
Local MYP students recreating their heart dance formation from their award winning Frozen Kids adjudication at Junior Theatre Festival Australia. Picture: MICHELLE JOHNSON
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STAR NEWS 13
NEWS
Bottles to fund new school By Violet Li Anyone would be awed by the mountains of black plastic bags with thousands of bottles in Esther Keji’s backyard in Lynbrook. The single mum of two children originally from Uganda started collecting recycling materials like water bottles and cans about five months ago when the State Government announced its container deposit scheme. Under the scheme, Victorians are rewarded 10 cents for each eligible can, carton, and bottle they return. Esther has always believed in the importance of looking after the environment and she reckoned it would be a great opportunity to teach the young children how to recycle things. A quest for bottles set sail. She reached out to her Lynbrook communities in early stages of events like wedding, parties, and any kind of celebration. Gradually, the households would collect bottles in their homes and drop bags at Esther’s doorstep. People would often ask Esther what she was going to do with the money and her answer would constantly be convincing and powerful. “I run a small charity and all the money I raise from the scheme will be used to build a school in the refugee camps in Uganda to cater for the educational needs of the children,” she said. “And after hearing these words, at any
Lynbrook resident Esther Keji has been collecting bottles for five months for Victoria’s container deposit scheme to support her child-focused charity. 370864 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS event, there is always someone who will think of Esther.” Paulino Loro Foundation is named after Esther’s late husband, a South Sudanese man who migrated to Australia as a refugee in 2001.
As a man who held firm belief in giving back to the community, he intended to establish a foundation to support children in the refugee camps in Uganda, but misfortune hit first in 2016 when he was diagnosed with advanced
Don’t ignore bowel cancer screening kit By Violet Li Cranbourne resident Peter Sellers has been encouraging Australians aged 50 to 74 to use the free at-home bowel cancer screening kit amid a declining participation rate. Peter was diagnosed with bowel cancer three years ago with the toolkit and since then, he has joined Cancer Council and the Australian Government’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NBCSP) awareness campaign. Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is Australia’s second deadliest cancer and the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer, according to Cancer Council Australia. The risk of developing bowel cancers increases significantly and progressively from age 50, while the number of Australians under age 50 diagnosed with bowel cancer has been rising steadily. People may not have any symptoms during the early stages of bowel cancer, which is why Peter said taking the screening kit was very important. People aged 50 to 74 are sent a pack of toolkit every two years as part of the NBSCP, yet Peter did not use it until age 64. “I feel good. Why do I have to do all this?” he said. “Then it just happened. There is no symptom, and there is nothing in the family of bowel cancer. “When I had my data and my results back, all my friends who are at my age got the testing done straight away.” Peter believed the earlier you test yourself, the better. He was in stage 2 when he was diagnosed and all he had was a five-hour surgery. The recovery took about eight to 10 weeks as the operation wasn’t invasive to his body. As stated by Bowel Cancer Australia, almost 99 per cent of bowel cancer cases can be treated successfully when detected early. Peter felt compelled to promote the awareness after he read on the news that fewer and fewer people are getting the test done. “I wouldn’t be here today if it if I didn’t do it,” he said. Each year, the Australian Government offers free screening kits to more than six million Australians through the NBCSP. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that in 2020-2021, around 40 per cent of people aged 50 to 74 who were invited to screen participated. In Victoria, about 44 per cent of the eligible 14 STAR NEWS
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pancreatic cancer and passed away not long after. His family decided to make the foundation his legacy to support vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Northern Uganda refugee camps and host communities, East Africa, and locally in Australia in general. “We have the foundation choir every Friday in Lynbrook Community Centre and they perform in events in Lynbrook and its neighbourhood,” Esther said as the chief executive officer. “When we raise money, we also support Cancer Council Victoria because I lost my husband through cancer, and I know what many families are going through. “Some are still fighting to the end. And we always look to a hope that one day they might have a cure for cancer.” Paulino Loro Foundation is now supporting 55 children in different schools with more on the waiting list. Esther said six dollars could feed a child in Africa for a month. “So if I sell those bottles, I may get around $200 and it will be enough to feed more children for months,” she said. “I just want to thank my communities for donating these bottles to support our charity.” She is planning to go to Uganda in January next year to make sure the construction of the school is going well.
Where to deposit your cans Keen recycling enthusiasts can now reap the benefits, with Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) now officially open. Eligible drink containers can now be exchanged for 10 cents each across hundreds of refund points across the state. By August 2024, the network is estimated to grow to more than 600 refund points. Local refund points include: Berwick Springs Hotel; Casey Central Narre Warren South; Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre Cranbourne North; Paint Place Cranbourne; Woolworths Cranbourne West; Cranbourne South General Store; Langwarrin South General Store; Warneet General Store; and BP Doveton. Reverse vending machines, depots, over-the-counter sites, and pop-up refund points will be the four ways people can return their eligible containers – and depending on the type of refund point, people can choose whether they want to receive the refund in the form of cash, a retail voucher, or an electronic refund. Victorians can also choose to donate their refund to a charity or community organisation registered with the scheme. Eligible containers include non-concentrated fruit or vegetable juice, flavoured milk, beer, soft drink and mixed spirits. Ineligible containers for refund include glass wine bottles, glass spirit bottles, juice bottles over one litre, cordial bottles, milk (other than flavoured milk), concentrated fruit or vegetable juice and health tonics. In the South East, company Return-It will run the refund points such as depots, reverse vending machines or participating shops. For more information on the CDS, visit cdsvic.org.au.
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Cranbourne resident Peter Sellers has been encouraging Australians aged 50 to 74 to use the Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS free at-home bowel cancer screening kit. 371029 aged 50 to 74 took part in the program, a decrease from 46.5 per cent in 2019-2020. Health Minister Mark Butler said raising the participation rate to 60 per cent would save 84,000 lives by 2040. “Please put the test somewhere visible like the bathroom as a reminder. Doing the test as soon as you get it could save your life,” he said. Cancer Council Australia chief executive officer Professor Tanya Buchanan said they wanted Australians to continue to enjoy life to the fullest after they turn 50. “Staying on top of preventative health
Thursday, 9 November, 2023
screening, including bowel screening, is one of the best ways to be able to enjoy the special milestone moments life has to offer,” she said. Peter travelled to Bali and America with his families after the recovery and the Covid. Up til this day, he still insists he has been one of the lucky people who survived the bowel cancer without hurting too much. “If you forget to check, do the testing,” he said. “It saves your life.” For more information on NBCSP, visit cancer.org.au/bowelscreening
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Festival lights up Berwick More than 10,000 people enjoyed a spectacular display of fireworks, live entertainment and rides as part of Diwali Festival celebrations in Berwick on Sunday 5 November. Organised by The Bright Events and held at Federation University’s Berwick campus, the festival also included kids entertainment and a variety of food stalls and market stalls.
Otherwise known as Dipawali or the Festival of Lights, Diwali is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year and important to all Hindus. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolise the inner light which protects them from spiritual darkness.
More than 10,000 people attended the festival. Picture: BJ PHOTOGRAPHY
Picture: BJ PHOTOGRAPHY
Picture: IAN GEORGE
The fireworks delighted the attendees.
Picture: IAN GEORGE
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STAR NEWS 15
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Tips to manage cash Blood need TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH
Keep track of what you are owed and actively follow up to collect as much as you can even if just part payments. Picture: CAMPAIGN CREATORS ON UNSPLASH sider what is known as ‘Debtor Finance’, ‘Invoice Finance’ or ‘Receivables Finance’. In this scheme a finance company lends money using client invoices as collateral. The lender pays the business a percentage of the invoice totals upfront, which the business repays in a given timeframe for which there is necessarily a fee and interest payable. Minimise outgoings Use whatever financial tool you use to understand your financials (Xero, MYOB, Quickbooks or Excel – if you don’t have one, you need one!) and divide your expenses up into three groups: Staff Costs (wages, super, payroll tax, etc), Fixed Overheads (things you can’t easily or quickly change, e.g. rent, rates, lease payments, etc) and Variable Overheads (phone bills, marketing, training etc). The last one will be the easiest to reduce costs on but if things are really serious, you may also need to look at the Staff Costs as they will typically be your largest outgoing. Investigate cheaper suppliers but be careful not to compromise on the quality and value of what you provide. Communicate with creditors If things are so tough that you will have prob-
Respecting youth voices to enable change in Casey
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Rex name shame By Mitchell Clarke Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name. Former Springfield Ward councillor Rex Flannery, who resigned as deputy mayor just days before the State Government sensationally sacked the entire council in February 2020, says the events of the past 12 months are still “eating” him up. He has now officially requested that his name is removed from both a councillor honour board in the customer service centre and a wall plaque in Bunjil Place. “I have never had any involvement into this alleged corruption scandal and therefore I do not wish to have my name associated with past or former councillors who may have brought our City of Casey into disrepute,” he told Star News. “People look at your name and they see that you’re from Casey Council and immediately they put you in that same mould, which couldn’t be further than the truth. “It’s just horrible to have been a councillor in that term. It gives you a sickening feeling in your gut and now I have to live with that.“ Mr Flannery argues his name should never have been placed on the plaque celebrating the $126 million Bunjil development because at the time he didn’t support the project. “I guess I’ve eaten a little bit of humble pie with Bunjil Place. I’ve been able to see the value that place brings to the community but at the time I was against the development and I wasn’t once consulted (about having my name included),” he said. He also claims former ex-ward partner, Sam Aziz, stated to him that he “wished he never had my name added to the plaque”. “That was the only time I agreed with him,” Mr Flannery said. While Mr Flannery hasn’t accused any former councillor of committing wrongdoing, he said anyone found guilty from the IBAC hearing should immediately have their honours stripped. “They need to have their plaques removed
Rex name shame By Mitchell Clarke Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.
Rex Flannery, pictured in late 2015, wants his name stripped from council. 148005 from anywhere within the City of Casey ... whether it’s a plaque in the botanical gardens or in Bunjil Place, I want them removed so they have absolutely no recognition anymore,” he said. “They’ve disgraced themselves and they’ve disgraced the council. They’ve taken something away from me that I totally enjoyed. I loved serving the Casey community. I just want some clarity as to what way it’s going to go.” Since his resignation, Mr Flannery has been working in an operating theatre at a local hospital. He said he has every intention to run for council again in 2024.
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City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff PSM said the community showcase was an opportunity for community members to support and celebrate the creative and artistic expression of the city’s youth.
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
“I want to get back into serving the community again. I want to run again and I want to get my name back on the honour board for the right reasons. At the moment it’s a dishonour board,” he said. Star News understands Mr Flannery has put forward his request to be heard by the administrators at the next council meeting, slated for Tuesday 2 February.“It’s up to them now but a year later, this is still eating at me. I need closure and this is one way that I can get it,“ he said. “I played no part in any downturn or sacking of the council and I feel it’s my duty to say that I don’t want to be a part of or in any way
Bunjil Place. associated with the 2016-20 term.” Casey’s governance manager Rhys Matulis said: “Given the IBAC investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment on that matter. Council has received and will consider Mr Flannery’s request in due course.”
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Casey Council will host a free community event on Wednesday 6 December from 4.30pm to 6.30pm at Bunjil Place, in partnership with Feifei Curiosity and Respect Victoria to recognise its commitment to gender equality and family violence prevention. The Respecting Youth Voices to Enable Change event will support the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which runs from 25 November to 10 December. It will showcase 15 of Casey’s diverse multicultural and multilingual youth and what respect means to them through dance, photography and poetry. Over recent months, participants took part in three workshops that explored council’s strategic objectives A Safe and Equal Casey: A Gender Equality and Prevention of Violence Against Women Strategic Plan 2022-2032. Held at Lynbrook Community Centre, council was able to capture how the participants explore various art forms to express respect, self-identity, gender diversity and celebrate different cultures, as well as helping them to build positive, equal and respectful relationships. City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff PSM said the community showcase was an opportunity for community members to support and celebrate the creative and artistic expression of the city’s youth. “Coming together from different cultures, races and genders, the showcase will inspire us to draw on, learn, accept, and embrace diverse lived experiences and connect through relatable stories to create a welcoming space for learning, growth, and respect,” she said. “Council looks forward to showcasing the performances of Casey’s youth and displaying their creations, and welcome local community members to attend.” Bookings for this free event are essential by Friday 1 December. To book, visit trybooking.com/events/ landing/1120820
lems paying your bills, then make sure that you communicate with those to whom you owe money. You may be able to negotiate new payment terms, payment plans or even reduced charges. This is especially true if you have a tax debt - always talk to the ATO. They are very understanding of companies doing it tough and who communicate upfront; don’t expect much sympathy if you default without notice. Prepare a cash-flow forecast Companies who do this tend not to experience major cash-flow issues since a well-developed forecast will provide early warning of any potential problems. This needs to necessarily consider when the cash associated with the invoices will actually hit the bank account so delinquent payers should be factored in! Bear in mind that unlike a P&L, your cash-flow will include GST, BAS and IAS payments and should always be reconciled with your bank statement at regular intervals. You don’t need to manage this to the nearest dollar but better to be conservative to avoid surprises. Ian Ash ACC, AInstIB Managing director OrgMent Business Solutions - ombs.com.au
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According to the National Australia Bank, business confidence has remained flat for the third straight month in a row and with confidence even worse in the two previous months, it remains overall well below average. With so much global volatility at the moment, there would appear to be little prospective of confidence rising much over the coming months and this level of uncertainty is likely to translate into a lack of investment and spending. This is not great news for businesses, especially small ones, many of whom are already doing it tough at present. The need to manage cash effectively therefore is now more important than ever, so here are five top tips for doing this: Determine why cash is low The first thing to understand is what is happening and why. One approach is to pull out your bank statements over the past 6-12 months and note down the ending balance for each month. Look at the trend – if you have been fairly stable over this time, what has changed recently but if you have been in gradual decline, the time to act is now. A cash-flow forecast also really helps here. Maximise income Keep track of what you are owed (debtors) and actively follow up to collect as much as you can even if just part payments. Review your existing stock and see what could be converted to cash immediately. Consider offering customers preferential pricing options for upfront cash payments. Another possibility is to con-
Narre Warren locals are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and donate muchneeded blood, as part of a Red Cross Lifeblood pop-up donor centre running from Monday 27 November to Friday 8 December. According to Red Cross Lifeblood, one in three people in Narre Warren North will need blood during their lives. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is also uniting with global men’s health charity Movember this month to inspire millions of men across the country to donate blood or plasma. Women outnumber men as blood and plasma donors in Australia despite the fact men are more likely to be eligible to donate and make a successful donation. To even the score, artist Travis Garone, who co-founded the Movember charity back in 2003 to help save men’s lives, has designed a limited-edition bandage that will be rolled onto the arms of blood and plasma donors throughout the month of November. Lifeblood donor experience executive director Cath Stone said Lifeblood is thrilled to be working with Movember to achieve a common goal. “We know that one in three men will need blood in their lifetime, but only one in 30 donates, which is too low,” she said. “In particular, young men under 30 are 35 per cent less likely to become blood donors than females of the same age, so this Movember we need more men to have a conversation, donate blood or plasma and support men’s health. “Giving blood and plasma regularly is also a great way to get to know your own health while saving a life, with heart rate and blood pressure checks taken at each appointment.” To book a donation, visit lifeblood. com.au, use the Donate Blood app or phone 13 14 95.
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WHAT’S ON Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club Are you newly retired or new to the area or just wanting to enjoy your freedom or expand your social life? Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club can offer you stimulating activities such as weekly social/ chat activities with low-key in line dancing if you want to tap your feet and enjoy an afternoon tea. Day, short and long trips away via coach and flights, a weekly morning coffee club, monthly Saturday country pub lunches, monthly evening dineouts, weekly table tennis club, walking groups, seasonal daytime musical theatre outings and more. The club is also hosting a formal Christmas lunch on Tuesday 5 December at Dandenong Club. Come along and get to know us by visiting us on a Thursday at 2pm at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House or join us on a Wednesday at 10 am for a Coffee at Little Sparrow Fountaingate. For more information, contact enquiry officer Gloria on 0468 363 616.
DnD at Orana Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) is an inclusive tabletop, fantasy, role playing game. Participants work together with other players to go on adventures in the DnD world. You can act, explore, instigate, solve problems, and tell stories as you bring their chosen character to life within the game world. Second Saturday of each month, 1pm to 9pm, Orana Community Place, 16/18 Playwright St, Clyde North.
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Coastal Colours Art Exhibition The Coastal Villages Art Group invites you to attend their annual art exhibition, Coastal Colour. Local artists will be showcasing their various talents and original artwork will be available for purchase. Artwork for sale includes pastels, acrylic, paintings, sketches, water colour, photography, mixed media and textile art. Venue: Warneet Motor Yacht Club, 21 Rutherford Pde, Warneet. Official opening: $10 entry Friday 10 November 7pm – 10pm (includes finger food, one beer/wine, or soft drink, and raffle entry). Exhibition: Free entry Saturday 11 November 10am – 4pm. If you have any questions, contact Helen Clow 0419 389 753 or Sanda Cox 0400 648 915.
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Cranbourne U3A Cranbourne U3A has commenced Term 4 with lots of fun activities planned for its members. The club recently had a busy Open Day and have welcomed some new friends to its Tai Chi and Art classes. New members are welcome to come along from 10am to 2.30pm on weekdays for lots of fun
· Picture: S L ON UNSPLASH
and laughter. Classes in calligraphy, art, chess, sewing, knitting and card making are also running. Members and tutors will be available to show attendees through the rooms and assist you. Light refreshments, tea and coffee will be served. Cranbourne U3A’s rooms are in the admin building of the Cranbourne Library, entering from the Casey Radio entrance.
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Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre is a not-for-profit community managed centre, with a volunteer Committee of Management that provides strategic direction and oversight. For more than 30 years, the centre has provided a range of high-quality childcare, community services, educational classes and spaces for hire. Explore diverse activities and engage with fellow community members at their open day this weekend. Lots of free family fun, sausage sizzle, animal nursery, popcorn, and fairy floss. For more details, visit merindapark.com.au or facebook.com/MPLandCC
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Seated Movement Sessions (Chair Dancing) Would you enjoy exercising from the comfort of your chair?
Join the Berwick Activities Group for some seated movement sessions including fun and uplifting songs and different styles and eras of music. An opportunity to get moving and enjoy the company of others. Timbarra Community Centre, 20-26 Parkhill Drive, Timbarra Way, Berwick. $8 per session. Contact admin@berwicknc.com.au or phone 9704 1863. Wednesdays from 10.45am to 11.30am.
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Craft Classes Do you enjoy craft making? Join Berwick Activities Group’s Elizabeth to discover the world of papercraft and have a chat with like minded people. You will be introduced to a range of papercraft techniques through a new project each week. Casual attendance is welcome. Timbarra Community Centre 20-26 Parkhill Drive, Timbarra Way, Berwick $5 per class, all materials supplied. Contact admin@berwicknc.com.au or phone 9704 1863. Tuesdays from 10am to noon.
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Berwick Springs VIEW Club Affiliated with The Smith Family, the Berwick Springs VIEW Club is a not for profit organisation, with the aim to fundraise to support Learn-
For enquiries and to book a spot at the table, reach out to Jonathan Whelan at thestoryweaver.dnd@gmail.com
ing for Life students. The club currently supports seven students of varying ages with their education expenses and are about to take on an eighth student. Throughout the year, the club has a couple of special fundraisers, as well as casual morning tea and lunch for interested ladies. The club is always looking for new members in all age groups. For more information, contact Shirley on 0419 878 481 or email berwicksprings.viewclub@ gmail.com The club meets on the first Monday of each month in the Berwick Springs Hotel function room from 11.30am, where members enjoy a lunch and then host a guest speaker.
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Tom Gleeson’s Gear Hard Quiz Overlord, Master of Tasks and Gold Logie Winner Tom Gleeson has taken the Brass Mug on the road for the past two years with Hard Quiz Live. Now he’s giving audiences around the country an opportunity to see a master stand-up at work with his new live show Gear. Thursday 7 December 2023 from 7.30pm at Bunjil Place. Tickets from $54.90. For more information and tickets, visit cmdy.live/ GLE23NarreWarren
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Name and contact details of submitters are required for council to consider submissions and to notify such persons of the opportunity to attend council meetings and any public hearing held to consider submissions. The closing date for submissions is 17 November 2023. A submission must be sent to:
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The Casey City Council has prepared Amendment C284case to the Casey Planning Scheme.
The amendment proposes to replace the Municipal Strategic Statement at Clause 21 and Local Planning Policies at Clause 22 of the Casey Planning Scheme with a Municipal Planning Strategy at Clause 02. The amendment also introduces new local policies within the Planning Policy Framework at Clauses 11 to 19. The amendment is required to ensure that the Casey Planning Scheme reflects adopted Council strategies and to make the Planning Scheme consistent with the new structure of planning schemes introduced by Amendment VC148 in 2018.
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Thursday, 9 November, 2023
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Pavilion delight for Swans By Marcus Uhe Casey South Melbourne Cricket Club president Shaun Petrie declared the new pavilion at Casey Fields “the best thing I’ve ever seen” following its long-awaited opening on Saturday 4 November. Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards, City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff and Cricket Victoria Chief Executive Nick Cummins were among the key dignitaries on hand to open the pavilion on Saturday prior to hosting the WBBL contest between the Melbourne Stars and the Sydney Thunder. The redeveloped multipurpose pavilion at ovals four and five has female friendly player change rooms, medical testing facilities, a dedicated first aid room, a media room, an indoor training space and an office and administrative space, jointly funded by the City of Casey, the Victorian Government Community Cricket Program and Cricket Victoria. Petrie believes the facility will set the benchmark for Premier Cricket clubs and is excited for the opportunities the new space will afford after a difficult period for the club while the facility was under construction. “It’s what Premier Cricket clubs should have, but what we’ve got is probably the best,” he said. “We’ve been running the club basically out of people’s car boots. “We had a shipping container where everything was stored and we couldn’t get to it half the time, it was an absolute nightmare. “The big spacious change rooms will accommodate women, which is pretty important, we didn’t have that before. “The scorers have their own rooms, there’s two beautiful viewing areas for both grounds, so it’s going to be amazing.” Of significance for Petrie is the ability to showcase the club’s history and memorabilia at the pavilion and facilitate the growth of the club’s social platform. The pavilion can seat roughly 180 people according to Petrie and is a major improve-
(L-R) Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch, City of Casey Chief Executive Glenn Patterson, City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff, Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards, Cricket Victoria Chief Executive Nick Cummins and Casey South Melbourne Cricket Club president Shaun Picture: ROB CAREW Petrie celebrate the opening of the new pavilion at Casey Fields. 370886 ment on what they operated with previous to the redevelopment. “We had very small change rooms and no real social area where we could hold functions, and that’s been the case since we moved out there,” Petrie said. “The club has worked extremely hard to maintain that connection between players, parents and supporters but it’s been incredibly difficult, because we’ve got nowhere to meet, basically.
“That’s the fabric of cricket clubs, footy clubs everywhere, (and) without that, you’ve got nothing. “The club’s been going since 1862 so you can imagine the types of incredible memorabilia that we have, and we haven’t been able to present it anywhere. Now we can. “Down the track once it gets organised we’d like to be able to offer that space to other sporting clubs, community groups.” Speaking at the opening, Duff said the pa-
vilion will help the City of Casey become one of Cricket Victoria’s “premier metropolitan cricket and community precincts.” ““These upgrades have transformed this space into a multi-use community facility to benefit the precinct’s multiple users,” Duff said. “Particularly, the inclusion of female friendly and accessible facility designs means that we are better equipped to support various users now and into the future.”
Buckley’s big-name recruits blast through Maroons By Marcus Uhe The second of Buckley Ridges’ big-name signings delivered with the ball on Saturday to ensure North Dandenong fell well-short of the 324-run pursuit in DDCA Turf 1 action at Park Oval. English seam bowler James Anson took 5/39 for Buckley Ridges in a worrying performance for fellow Turf 1 sides as the Maroons fell 124 runs short of the first day total, dismissed for 200 in the 51st over. Anson’s haul comes on the back of fellow recruit Roshene Silva’s 129 last week in what was his first completed innings for his new side. Anson helped put the breaks on a hot start from the visitors as boundaries flew from the bats of Ramneet Dhindsa and Javed Khan. The 28-year-old, who plies his trade for Driffield Town Cricket Club in Yorkshire, removed Khan for 25 at the score of 2/66 before claiming major scalps in the middle order of Imran Laghmani (9), Rajitha Ranaweera (0) and Clayton McCartney (0) in quick succession as his figures read 4/6 with the Maroons in trouble at 5/80. Syed Mehmood watched the chaos unfold from the other end and remained steadfast in his innings of 83. He formed partnerships with Muhammad Khan and Syed Shah later in the innings but too much fell on his shoulders. At Hallam, the sublime form of Springvale South spinner Jarryd Straker continued as the leading wicket-taker in the Bloods’ defence of 269 against Hallam Kalora Park. After spearheading the crushing of St Mary’s in round two, Straker decimated the Hawks’ lower and middle order, finishing with 5/47 from 19 overs in the 90-run win. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
Mahela Udawatte’s hundred for Hallam Kalora Park wasn’t enough for his new side to get the better of Springvale South. 368096 Picture: ROB CAREW As Mahela Udawatte and Ben Hillard’s third wicket partnership reached the halfcentury milestone, it was Straker who made the critical breakthrough in his second over, spearing a quicker, flatter ball into the pads of the left-handed Hillard to remove him for 26. He later claimed the last recognised batters in Matthew Cox (2) and Ciaron Connolly (12) to reduce the Hawks to 6/139. Lauchlan Gregson was removed the delivery following Connolly to make it four wickets, all from LBWs. Lee Brown then fell shortly after, thanks to a sharp juggled catch at slip from Jordan Wyatt, to complete the five-wicket haul, making it 16 scalps in two matches for the left-armer. Udawatte was a shining light for the Hawks, showing his class with an unbeaten century (104) in his second outing for Hallam Kalora Park since crossing from Buckley Ridges over the winter. Leigh Booth (3) and Jordan Hammond (11) could only offer minor contributions as the former Sri Lankan Test batter scored
more than half of his side’s total of 8/179. A stunning 14 wickets fell at Thomas Carroll Reserve in Berwick’s desire for a humiliating outright defeat of St Mary’s. Berwick finger spinner Lachlan Brown took the final four wickets of the Saint’s first innings early in the afternoon, with one coming on the second ball of the day, to dismiss the home side for 89 and secure a 40-run lead after the first innings. Wendyl Pires, Michael Dudley and Deeshan Umagiliyage soaked up plenty of dot balls, but each fell to Brown; honing-in on right handers from around the wicket to finish with 5/16. The wicket of Pires held the key for Berwick, as the final remaining batter in the line up, and his dismissal, the ninth St Mary’s wicket to fall, was all but the end for the Saints, whose torrid year with the bat continues. With the onus now on Berwick to make the running and chase the maximum points available for an outright victory, openers Matthew Hague and Jake Hancock kept the run rate high, a six from the bat of Hague seeing the opening pair reach a 50-run opening stand in the 10th over of the innings. Each of Hague, Hancock and Brown scored with a strike rate in excess of 70, Matt Robertson’s eclipsing them all with 24 from 17 deliveries. In just 24 overs the score raced to 129 when the innings was declared closed five wickets down, giving the Bears an evening session to run through the Saints’ struggling batting line up and setting the home side 169 for an unlikely reverse outright. Jarrod Goodes turned to spin to open and was made to pay by Safaras Moahomad and Raveen Nanayakkara, who raced to 0/39 in
the ninth over. Goodes removed both openers in backto-back overs to give his side the upper hand with the Saints entering survival mode after the early flurry of intent. A direct hit from Toby Wills at cover to send Pires packing reduced the hosts to 5/69 and in-danger of the outright loss, but captain/coach Susantha Pradeep and Michael Dudley’s 54-run stand shepherded the home side to the finish line five wickets down with the score reaching 113. Beaconsfield’s 133-run thrashing of Narre South saw them claim a maiden win in Turf 1 cricket, dismissing the hosts for just 103 at the Lion’s den. Spin at one end from Yohan Arumadura and seam from Jake Cutting at the other brought about Narre South’s downfall in the middle of the innings in a collapse of 4/15. The key wickets of Callum Nicholls and Jeevan Mendis fell in consecutive overs with the score on 45. Mendis threatened with a glorious six down the ground but only scored from two of the 15 deliveries that he faced as he departed for just 10. Brad Parker and Riley McDonald were removed a short time later as the hosts found themselves at 6/59 and in major trouble as the young Tigers smelt blood. Harsha De Silva scored primarily in boundaries in his 42 as he tried his best to keep the innings together for his side. He added 30 for the seventh wicket with Alex Cruickshank in a last vestige of resistance as the Tigers roared their way to a symbolic victory, completing the job in the 51st over. Arumadura finished with excellent figures of 4/24 from 12 overs. Thursday, 9 November, 2023
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Berwick bounce back Great games BERWICK BOWLS SIDE 1 – Division 1 Section 4 Def Mulgrave CC 1 (Away) 82-80 (14 points) What a difference a week can make! After a disappointing effort against Cheltenham in round two, Side 1 needed a big game this week away at Mulgrave. Touted as a finals side, Mulgrave was out to atone for its defeat last week against Beaumaris. Behind all day really until about the last 15 ends, the top side fought hard to stay in the game and give themselves a chance. Peter Hodgson’s rink, including Paul O’Day, Darren Bellingham and Karyn Mackie had Dalton’s rink on the back foot all day and eventually won by 14 shots. Rich’s rink of John Horwood, Andrew Bunnell and Jeff Parker made up for last weeks drubbing to win well by nine shots and that proved enough with our two other rinks going down by 14 and 7. Getting the win by two shots starts the season off for the ones and should give them confidence hosting Clayton 2 this week. Clayton has some great bowlers in their side that can’t break in to their Premier Division side so they’ll need to be good again to get the win. SIDE 2 – Division 2 Section 8 Def Dandy Club 3 (Home) 86-50 (18 points) Wow…what a smashing by the twos. At home against the fancied Dandy Club, the twos never gave them a chance! They won all four rinks on the day to take all the available points. Notably Jeff Janetzki’s rink, including the unlucky Marcus Zammit - being demoted to the twos in a controversial selection - Malcolm Garner and Lynn McCurran winning by 13 shots, and Brucey Anderson and Rob Morley showing all their years of experience to belt their opposition by 12! A massive win for the twos and one that will also kick start their 2023/24 campaign which, like the ones, needed to happen this week. The task is much harder though this week as the twos travel to Narre Warren to play the top-of-the-ladder side that are brilliant throughout the home and away season every year. Selection will be interesting this week with the ones, twos and threes possibly looking at being tweaked. SIDE 3 – Division 3 Section 8 Def by Parkdale 2 (Home) 66-71 (4 points) The threes were so close but just couldn’t get over the line this week! Parkdale 2 is a reasonably strong side and playing at home on the grass we hoped would be the advantage to get them over the line. It wasn’t to be as the thirds went down in a tight one. Ron Lake and Chris Jones’ rinks tried valiantly to stretch the margins in their rink wins, getting over the line by seven and six respectively. With a win on the board, and some great efforts going down last week on the last bowl of the day and this week by five, the threes really need to dig in and show resilience to get over the line against a strong Beaumaris this week. Their green will be quick and our threes need to ensure that plenty of practice this week on the quicker grass will help them on the weekend get over the line. Tough couple of weeks for the thirds but we’re backing them this week to bounce back. SIDE 4 – Division 4 Section 8 Def Churchill/Waverley Golf (Away) 75-69 (14 points) The fours snuck over the line in what is a fantastic effort away against Churchill Waverley Golf’s top side. Trevor Tormey’s rink of Wendy Cantwell, Scott Waterfall and Sue Conrad set it up for the fours with a resounding 15-shot victory over their opposition. Although Ralph Jans and Bob Gladman couldn’t get their rinks over the line, the rink of Rowan Hogben, David Conrad, Sue Reber and Paul Hunt backed up Tormey with a three-shot win to get the
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Karyn Mackie was part of Peter Hodgson’s Berwick rink that had a massive 14-shot win over Picture: ROB CAREW Mulgrave Country Club on Saturday. 303393 fours over the line. Sitting in the top four in the early stages, but this week at home come up against Cranbourne 3 who sits second. This is set up to be a cracker of a contest as the fours look to consolidate a top-four spot early on. SIDE 5 – Division 5 Section 8 Def Noble Park 2 (Home) 91-56 (18 points) Another massive result; this time for the fives who absolutely dominated Noble Park 2 and come away with a great 35-shot overall win and take all 18 points along the way. Tony Wynen’s rink was the standout on the day with Jan Lapinskas, Ron Wheeldon and Annette Kirby winning their game by 17 shots. This catapulted the fives into third spot on the ladder and this week is an all important opportunity for them to consolidate against a Pakenham 3 side that has only had the one win. More than likely under the Pakenham roof there’ll be no excuses for the fives so plenty of practice this week and another win will only ensure they are heading towards the break in a great spot. SIDE 6 – Division 6 Section 8 Def Sandringham 2 (Away) 82-76 (16 points) Another huge result with the sixes getting a win over the second side from Sandy! It’s always a tricky place to play, but with three rink wins and 16 points to come home with it is a mighty fine result by the sixes. Terry Wood, Avril Steere and Tom McDermott all steered their rinks to great wins and Peter Childs rink fought hard all day to go down by seven and keep the result in the Berwick side’s favour. Parkdale 3 had a draw this week so they’ll be looking for a win as they travel to Berwick. Likely the sixes will play on grass against Park-
dale 3 so there’s a great home ground advantage that the sixes must make the most of to get the win and jump Parkdale in to the four. SIDE 7 – Division 8 Section 4 Def by Parkdale 4 (Away) 67-54 (2 points) It wasn’t to be for the sevens who travelled away to Parkdale on the weekend. The Parkdale synthetic is not an easy green for away teams to win on, which the sevens found out on Saturday, but they kept their season going with a win on the board last week. Phil Giles’ rink of Beth McFarlane, Peter Adair and Ricky Guest tried hard to increase the margin late in the game to give the sevens a fighting chance, but big losses to Tinschert and McGrath by eight and 16 respectively just didn’t give the sevens much of a chance. The sevens are not going to find it any easier either this week as they head to Glen Waverley to take on their fours that are on fire under the tutelage of new club coach Rod Peterson this season. Sitting on top of the ladder, unbeaten, the sevens are going to have to take their A game to upset the Peterson charges. Summary It’s amazing what a week can do! Five out of seven wins provides some renewed confidence after a slow start to the season. Some sides can build on the confidence created from this weekend as their seasons have now kicked off and they’re on the board. Others continue to be consistent and will need to continue practicing and working on their own games as well as a team first focus. Great weekend by the Berwick sides and we hope to have positive outcomes this coming weekend. - John Rich
Things are heating up in the Casey Softball Association with round five producing some classic contests. Wednesday evening saw the Ladies A Grade face off under lights; beginning with Emerald against Casey Red. The pitchers held strong early but Casey scored eight in the last three innings for a comfortable 8-1 win. A home run to Melissa Spencer, meanwhile, helped break the game Doveton Dragons’ way in a 12-6 win after an even start in their bout with Young Guns. Comets flew out of the blocks for a big 10-run first innings against Cobras. However, Cobras kept chipping away, to take out a thrilling 13-11 win. Penguins White and Berwick Chickasaw played an entertaining game, both scoring four in the first innings. Chickasaw held an 8-4 lead at the bottom of the third, but Penguins never gave up, scoring five, highlighted by a home run to right field by Ros Cook to take out a thrilling 9-8 win. Consistent batting, and strong pitching from Geronimo’s Sandra Whalley, saw them have a comfortable 9-2 win over MVPs. B Grade women were up next with Cobras taking on Penguins Black, a seven-run third innings helping the former to a 14-8 win. In the second Women’s B-Grade game Goldstars started strong against MVP with a 10-run first innings and never looked back, with a comfortable 19-7 win. Rounding off the day was the men’s competition. There was an arm wrestle on diamond one between Cobras Grey and MVP. With the lead changing a couple of times Cobras won an entertaining game 10-8. Cobras Maroon and Apache both started strong in their game, with the score 1-1 heading into the third innings. Home-runs to Apache’s Kane Bell and Nathan Mackey, and doubles for Justin Teohaere and Joshua Dallas saw them to a comfortable 10-1 win.
Things are beginning to heat up in the Casey Softball Association. 367607 Picture: SUPPLIED
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Thursday, 9 November, 2023
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Learning curve for Tigers By Marcus Uhe While the cricket season may only be four rounds old, Mark Cooper’s Beaconsfield is already putting lessons into place from the opening weeks. Cooper and his Tigers entered the season with a goal and a mantra of being competitive, and early results show they are well-and-truly meeting that benchmark, following a thumping 133-run win over Narre South in round four. During the batting innings the week prior, the Tigers fell to 7/161 in the 65th over when Jeevan Mendis got the better of Kevin Seth. The innings could have fallen in a heap if not for a defiant 75-run stand between Trishane De Silva and Michael Dunstan to see the Tigers through to stumps with a total of 7/236. Cooper said the resilience the two showed was “huge” in the context of the match and had a two-fold effect on how the Tigers approached the defence on Saturday. “Rather than us giving them overs (at the end of day one) it allowed us to accelerate towards the end and it gave us a pretty good platform for us today to be attacking, rather than a bit of both,” Cooper said. “The running between wickets was really good and they showed good intent, I was really
proud of their efforts.” Their ability to bat time and absorb pressure was in stark contrast to round two’s contest against Berwick; the Tigers’ introduction to Turf 1 cricket, when a top-order collapse left them reeling at 7/54 shortly before play was abandoned. There were signs of improvement against the quality of Buckley Ridges the match prior, but being dismissed for 128 in just the 67th over will not win too many games of cricket. “We had to bat pretty tough last week for a long period of time and soak it up,” Cooper said. “Against Berwick we lost 5/3 and we didn’t do that last week. “If we had have lost 5/3 last week we probably would have made 140 and it’s a different scenario at the end. “We’re learning all the time but we know not to get ahead of ourselves because there’s always quality cricketers waiting around the corner. “It’s a good stepping stone for us but there’s still a lot to learn. “I think we go North Dandenong and then Springvale South the week after, and both teams played finals. “We know that we’re not there yet and we know that we’ve got a long way to go.”
Mark Cooper’s Beaconsfield is undergoing a steep learning curve in Turf 1 cricket this season, but early results are positive. 368095 Picture: ROB CAREW
Flyers stall in WNBL opener Stunning start for Side 1 By Marcus Uhe
A second quarter in which the Southside Flyers were outscored by 16 points proved costly in their opening match of the new WNBL season, falling to the Melbourne Boomers by seven points on Saturday night. Last season’s runner up did not score in the final five-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter in the 70-77 loss, in a rematch of last season’s semi final series, and the first match of the Michelle Timms cup, awarded to the winner of the season series between the two sides. Bec Cole’s three-point shot with 5.28 remaining in the half tied the scores at 26 before the Boomers scored 14 unanswered points to close the half for a 40-26 lead. From there, Melbourne never looked back, leading for the remainder of the contest on its way to a perfect start to the new campaign. The margin was shaved to just three points late in the contest as the Flyers mounted a final quarter fightback, but the Boomers held their nerve when it mattered the most. The Flyers made the early running by scoring the first nine points of the contest in front of a raucous home crowd at Rowville’s State Basketball Centre with the length of Nyadiew Puoch and returning champion Mercedes Russell influential on the defensive end of the floor. But the Boomers’ second unit found their feet to close the margin to just two points at the first break. Baskets were traded early in the second period before the calamitous period in which the Flyers couldn’t score swung the momentum of the contest in the Boomers’ favour. Defensive miscues from the Flyers and excellent shooting from their opponents made for a frustrating few minutes as they entered the changerooms down 14 at the long break. It was a 20-point ball game midway through the third quarter with the Flyers unable to con-
tain Melbourne’s plethora of scoring options. Cole and Puoch led the fightback in the third term to cut the lead to nine at the final change, giving the home side a chance of a comeback to kickstart the season. Russell’s instant chemistry with Maddison Rocci in the pick and roll was effective as Southside made steady increments back into the contest during the fourth quarter. A pair of defensive stops, finished by Cole at the other end of the floor, cut the lead to three late in the fourth quarter but the Boomers managed to hold the Flyers at bay. Southside had their chances to snatch a win, however, with the final minute not lacking for drama. After a Rocci free throw with one minute remaining to cut the lead to one, she drew an offensive foul on the inbounds pass from Boomers point guard Jordin Canada, giving the Flyers possession under their basket. Cole drove the lane on the inbounds play but her shot was unable to drop after circling the rim. Russell grabbed the offensive rebound and found Cole again, this time behind the three point line, but her shot was short as the Boomers secured the rebound. From there, the Flyers were forced to foul their opponents and hope to claw their way incrementally back into the contest, but had no such luck. Cole was a shining light for the Flyers with a game-high 25 points, while Russell fell just shy of a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. While many of the team statistics reflected a close contest, the 16 rebound differential was a stark outlier in the Boomers’ favour. Southside head to Canberra on Wednesday for a midweek clash with the Capitals and go further North on Saturday for a grand final rematch against Townsville.
Carly Ernst made some excellent plays for the Flyers on the defensive end of the floor. Picture: PICS BY TRE berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au
NARRE WARREN BOWLS Saturday was a mixed bag for the Panthers with two fighting wins and four losses for the day. Side 1 continued its outstanding start to the season with a strong away win at Cranbourne. This is three wins from three matches and the team sits on top of the ladder in a strong position with only one home game so far. Side 2 fought out a very courageous victory by one shot against a very determined Cheltenham side. This side is sitting in second place on the ladder. Side 3 faced a very strong South Oakleigh Club who proved too strong over all for Narre Warren’s Development squad. The only winning rink was Mitch McCauley, Robert Beare, Glen McCauley and Eric Sydenham who prevailed by two shots in a tight finish, and continued their unbeaten start to the season. They have retained their third place on the ladder despite the loss. Side 4 narrowly lost away to Cardinia Waters by two shots. Despite the away loss they still retain second place on the ladder. The best rink was Reg Young, Lorraine Marsden, Eric Marsden and skipped by the evergreen Norm Hosmer. Hosmer not only had the biggest winning margin in their side but also managed to score the biggest winning margin for the whole club on the day. Side 5 met some stern opposition at Keysborough and were unable to score any points on the day. They are sitting in position six on the ladder. Side 6 came up against a very strong Dandenong side at the Panther Dome, and to their credit they fought back strongly from a long way behind to salvage a draw on one rink and narrow the losing margin from a very difficult position early in the game. Congratulations to the rink of Brian Nicholls, Bill Isaacson, Carl Lapham and skip Gary Wilson for securing a draw and one point. This side is sitting fourth on the ladder. Narre Warren Bowls Club was finally given the keys to the renovated clubrooms on Friday after 13 months of renovations. The club is now trying to reinstate all equipment and furniture which has been stored for over six months in containers.
Narre Warren bowler David ‘Snowy’ Entwistle has reason to always be smiling. Until Saturday, Snowy was the top ranked bowler in all positions in Division 4 Section 7. 372159 Picture: SUPPLIED Many members turned up on Monday for a working bee to help install our tables and chairs as a starting point for the massive job ahead. We are very grateful for this voluntary work. Saturday Pennant: Round 3 4 November 2023 Side 1: (Away) defeated Cranbourne 8369 Points: 14. Ladder: 1st Best rink: Isobel Partington; Phil Howard; Cam Lee and Zak Storm: +10 Side 2: (Home) defeated Cheltenham 6968 Points: 16. Ladder: 2nd Best rink: Michael Black; Paul McNamara; Fernando Mateos and Allen Fary: +4 Side 3: (Home) lost to South Oakleigh 5986 Points: 2. Ladder: 3rd Best rink: Mitch McCauley; Robert Beare; Glenn McCauley and Eric Sydenham: +2 Side 4: (Away) lost to Cardinia Waters 8284 Points: 2. Ladder: 2nd Best rink: Reg Young; Lorraine Marsden; Eric Marsden and Norm Hosmer: +12 Side 5: (Away) lost to Keysborough 50-118 Points: 0. Ladder: 6th Best rink: Donna Wood; Stella Ellis; Joan Fary and Wayne Grimsey: -3 Side 6: (Home) lost to Dandenong Club 51-89 Points: 1. Ladder: 4th Best rink: Brian Nicholls; Bill Isaacson; Carl Lapham and Gary Wilson: Draw RINK OF THE ROUND: Side 4: Skip Norm Hosmer +12 (Div 4 Sect 8) -Eric Sydenham
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