Mail - Lilydale Star Mail - 27th February 2024

Maccas

It’s been a big month for Lilydale McDonald’s employee George Caruana who celebrated 50 years with the company on Friday 23 February, making him Australia’s longest standing employee for the fast food giant.

But not only that, he celebrated 63 years living in Australia after coming with his family from Malta and is soon expecting a grand child.

“It’s all happening this year,” he said.

First joining the employment ranks of Mc-

Donald’s by a chance meeting with the manager of the Collingwood store in 1974, Mr Caruana said it was a dream come true being offered a position in the food industry. Quickly finding his feet, it wasn’t long until Mr Caruana was helping to promote the brand and engage with customers day-to-day, as well as training new staff as more and more stores opened.

All in all, Mr Caruana estimates he has worked at close to 40 different stores where he played an integral part in customer engage-

ment and training.

Now based solely at the Lilydale store, Mr Caruana has become part of the community, meeting friends and regular customers through his work.

Bringing the same amount of passion and care to his work, Mr Caruana said “I just love it so much”.

Not only is he a dedicated employee but someone who values the work of the charity arm of McDonald’s, Ronald McDonald House.

“It’s 33 years this year and I am still collecting money. I think I’ve collected $157,000,” he said.

“And I always go and visit the house. And we put on barbecues for them and feed them for nothing.”

With more still to give, Mr Caruana said he’s not ready to retire just yet, aiming for another five or so years of employment.

A slight competitive streak is also fuelling the desire to stay on.

To find out, turn to page 9

MrCaruanawas19-years-oldwhenhejoinedtheMcDonald’sthirdfranchiseinMelbourne.

GeorgeCaruanaisMcDonald’sAustralia’slongestemployee,celebrating 50yearsatthecompany.

Picture:SUPPLIED

“I went for a job and was asked to stand up and turn around so he could decide…”

- Katherine Teh Advocate

Katherine Teh shares her experience of workplace gendered violence. To learn more about your rights at work, search WorkSafe Gendered Violence.

Gendered violence comes in many forms. All forms are OHS issues. All are unacceptable.

WorkSafe Gendered Violence

Fire, storm watch

without power again with the Lilydale power grid experiencing a fault.

the help of disaster recovery specialist Hansen Yuncken.

IN BRIEF

Firearm amnesty

Police are reminding people who may be in possession of unregistered or unwanted firearms and firearm related items can be anonymously surrendered as part of the National Firearms Amnesty.

The amnesty provides an opportunity for anyone in possession of such items to dispose of them safely, without fear of penalty.

Firearms, firearm parts, accessories, and ammunition can be surrendered to any Licensed Firearm Dealer for registration, sale or disposal.

If you are unable to attend a Licensed Firearm Dealer, you can contact your local police station and arrange a time to surrender the items.

You can find out more about the amnesty, and how to safely dispose of firearms here police.vic.gov.au/disposal-firearms-and-ammunition-0

Council elections

2024 is an election year for all Councils in Victoria.

Eligible residents will be asked to vote for a Councillor in their ward to represent them over the next four years, with mail ballots sent out by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) later this year.

The election will take place on Saturday, 26 October. The VEC is responsible for running all local government elections, and will send out information to residents as the election approaches.

Residents already enrolled to vote in state elections who have lived in theYarra Ranges for more than one month will be required to vote.

Residents can vote via a postal vote (after being sent a ballot pack in the mail), or in-person at a designated polling booth.

22 February.

While the storm did not “pack as much punch” as the previous week’s storm in the east, fire crews from District 13 responded to a major blaze that’s not yet under control in the state’s west.

Firefighters from Lilydale, Mount Evelyn, Silvan, Kallista-The Patch, Belgrave, Badger Creek, Warrandyte and Scoresby were among the initial strike team who responded to Beaufort.

More than 500 firefighters continue to battle the blaze, which has burnt through 17,000 hectares.

Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said Country Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan has expressed “grave concern” about the forecast, particularly on Wednesday 28 February.

“We’re expecting not only high temperatures but also wind...and given the hot weather that we’ve had in recent weeks a lot of drying has occurred,” she said.

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted extreme fire danger in western Victoria for Wednesday.

“There’s a possibility that even more areas could see that extreme fire danger rating or even a chance they could be upgraded to catastrophic fire danger,” meteorologist Angus Hines said.

Last week, several thousand homes were

Wandin East, Wandin North, Seville, Silvan, Gruyere, Mount Evelyn, Kalorama and Coldstream were impacted, with close to 5000 homes without power.

Further incidents were recorded along the Emerald power line in Macclesfield, Avonsleigh, Cockatoo and Emerald.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has commissioned an independent review into the wild weather event on 13 February which left more than half a million properties without power.

“We had a similar review following the 2021 storm events,” Premier Jacinta Allan told reporters on Tuesday 20 February.

“It is appropriate and usual practice that following a weather event like this you engage the expert advice to look at what happened and then put in place any further recommendations.”

Ms D’Ambrosio also criticised the outer eastern suburb power supplier AusNet last week after a delay in the application system for compensation.

She said the delay was not on and made her anger clear in conversations with the provider.

“Here is another example where a privatised power company has failed to deliver in time for communities that are in need,” Ms D’Ambrosio told reporters at state parliament on Wednesday 21 February.

“It is absolutely unacceptable.”

The Federal and Victorian Government’s have partnered on a coordinated cleanup, with

The cleanup will include the demolition of damaged houses, asbestos and other hazard disposal, as well as hazardous tree removal.

The Victorian Government will also establish a centralised green waste facility for the cleanup and is continuing to work with the Commonwealth Government to finalise its location.

It adds to the emergency re-establishment grants of up to $49,300 for people who are uninsured and their primary place of residence has been destroyed or is uninhabitable and the Community Recovery Officer deployed to Ararat Rural City, Casey City, Cardinia Shire, South Gippsland Shire andYarra Ranges Shire to help identify the recovery needs of individuals and families.

The Emergency Recovery Hotline has also been established for anyone affected to call 1800 560 760.

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch confirmed that since Tuesday 13 February units had received over 6000 calls for assistance.

“We’ve now seen over 1000 requests for assistance in the Monash council area. We’ve seen, up around Emerald and Cockatoo and Gembrook, almost 500 requests for assistance,” he said.

“I can now report that there have been 37 homes that have been deemed uninhabitable as a result of the storms from last Tuesday and the devastating impact that they’ve had across many communities.”

Anyone unsure of their electoral status can check and update their address on theVictorian Electoral Commission website: vec.vic.gov.au/ enrolment/check-my-enrolment.

Running as a Candidate

Are you passionate about your community and looking to make a difference? If you’re considering running as a candidate in the upcoming election,Yarra Ranges Council will have more to share over the coming months on what being a councillor is all about, as well as upcoming information sessions for you to attend.

Thereareeligibilitycriteriaandrequirements of candidates, which theVEC and the Municipal Association of Victoria will be publishing over coming months to inform potential candidates. We will be sharing this information also.

Yarra Ranges Council will keep its Election Hub webpage up to date with the latest information for local voters and candidates - with information sessions and opportunities to get involved throughout the course of the year at yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Council/2024-CouncilElections

Train disruptions reminder

Buses will replace trains on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines between Blackburn, Belgrave and Lilydale until April.

Croydon Station is closed and will re-open by spring 2024.

Lilydale Line trains will not stop at Croydon Station and a shuttle bus will be in operation connecting train passengers from Croydon to train services at Ringwood East and Mooroolbark.

Residents across the east were asked to brace yet again for both storm and fire risk with winds up to 80km per hour expected and a total fire ban in place for the central district on Thursday

Fire crews from the outer east, including Lilydale CFA, formed part of the strike team sent to Beaufort. Picture: AAP IMAGE/POOL, DAVID CROSLING

Ejection from interjection

By Mikayla van Loon

Casey MP Aaron Violi was asked to leave the chamber in parliament last week for repeated interjection during question time.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick used his right under Standing Order 94(a) to eject MrVioli from the chamber for an hour on Thursday 15 February.

It was during a question being answered by treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers about the stage three tax cuts that passed earlier that day and unemployment that Mr Violi was said to have interrupted.

“In that answer, the member for Casey interjected eight times continuously. He will leave the chamber under 94(a),” Speaker Dick said.

“He’s been continually interjecting for the last two weeks. It is simply not acceptable for people not to show some restraint and to just continually interject during a question and an answer.”

This made it the fifth time, according to data published by The Sydney Morning Herald in January, that Mr Violi was removed.

Mr Violi told Star Mail he would always be a voice for his community.

“Our community sent me to Canberra to be a strong local voice and this includes holding the government to account in Parliament,” he said.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

“Local residents, families and small businesses are struggling under Labor’s cost of living crisis. I hear this every time I’m out in our community.”

The stage three tax cuts bill was amended to provide a larger return for taxpayers who earned under $150,000, with those over the threshold receiving a slightly better tax cut than normal.

Dr Chalmers said in question time on Thursday the government did this for “the truckies and for the teachers…the steelworkers and the health workers…the nurses and the plumbers”.

“It means all 13.6 million Australian taxpayers can now look forward to a tax cut on 1 July.

It means 11 and a half million of them can look forward to a bigger tax cut on 1 July,” he said.

“[The cuts] are relief, they are reform, and they are responsible. They’re better for Middle Australia and better for the economy.

“They lay bare the main difference between this side of the House and that side of the House. We want more people to earn more and to keep more of what they earn. Those opposite want people working longer for less.”

In Parliament on Wednesday 14 February, Mr Violi spoke on a matter of public importance brought forward by Deakin MP Michael Sukkar; the cost of living.

MrVioli claimed the“Prime Minister misled the Australian people over 100 times” having promised pre and post election to implement the previously agreed to tax cuts legislated by the former Liberal government.

“His solution to these challenges for the Australian people is $15 a week in five months time.

“But the other bit he doesn’t talk about is when the government made a decision last year to let the low- and middle-income tax offset lapse. That was $1,500 a year taken away from the Australian people.”

Mr Violi said on Wednesday the tax cuts were “all about the politics” but the prime minister has previously said the current economic situation required the amendment.

“The treasurer may claim his government ‘genuinely care about the cost-of-living pressures that people confront’ but Labor’s track record shows otherwise,” he told Star Mail.

“The Labor Government has broken its promise to make life cheaper and easier. Labor promised to cut power bills by $275 a year, instead electricity is up 20 per cent.

“Labor promised cheaper childcare, yet families have told me their costs have increased by up to $13 per day. Under Labor, fuel prices, insurances and groceries are soaring, interest paid on mortgages has tripled and renters are paying the highest rents since 2009.”

A further four MPs were also removed by the speaker with Herbert MP Phillip Thompson, Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh, Groom MP Garth Hamilton and Moreton MP Graham Perrett ejected on Thursday.

Rowdy behaviour in question time has been common practice of the debate since parliament’s inception in 1901.

The Sydney Morning Herald article on 4 January found that Federal MPs had been ejected 118 since the Labor Government was elected in 2022 as the 47th parliament.

The Liberal Party’s Mr Sukkar and Barker MP Tony Pasin topped the table at 15 times each for being asked by the speaker to leave the chamber.

Could advocacy lead to peri-regional recognition?

By Callum Ludwig

The push for the Yarra Ranges to be considered peri-regional to reflect the varied needs and lifestyles of the region continues.

Peri-regional is a term not yet recognised by the State or Federal Government, despite the recognition of peri-urban status, following the advocacy of the Peri-Urban Group of Councils (PUCV) and similar groups in states around the country.

Newly-appointed Chair of the PUCV and East Ward Councillor at Baw Baw Shire Michael Leaney said an invitation had been extended to Yarra Ranges Council to join the group.

“We need to get a definitive answer as to what peri-urban is so when you look at the Yarra Ranges as an example, Lilydale and Chirnside Park are not peri-urban, they’re basically suburban Melbourne,” he said.

“But when you go to Healesville or Warburton, they’ve got different needs and they’ve got to have different funding streams, you can’t apply what applies in Chirnside Park to what’s going to work in Warburton.”

Yarra Ranges Council confirmed that they were offered the opportunity to join the PUCV in 2023 but politely declined.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Sophie Todorov said councils under both terms share similar characteristics and can be eligible for similar funding opportunities.

“The PUCV Group is made up of Councils classified as regional under the Local Government Act – typically characterised as growth Councils or having areas of growth, such as regional cities,” she said.

“Peri-regional Councils are, meanwhile, on the urban fringe, classified as metropolitan but have regional characteristics that are intentionallyandstrategicallybeingretained. For example, slower population growth, high conservation value areas like Green Wedge, agriculture and tourism industries,”

“However, peri-regional is not a recognised term by the State Government, and more used to describe the balance of our formal definition as a metropolitan Council, alongside our regional characteristics.”

Mornington Peninsula Shire has joined the Yarra Ranges in pushing for the recognition of peri-regional status, sharing similarly large contrast between townships, such as between the increasingly residential Mornington suburb and a town like Red Hill, where viticulture and agricultural ventures dominate the landscape.

Both councils are also part of the Interface Councils group of ten local councils in outer

metropolitan Melbourne that form a ’ring’ around the more inner suburban or metro areas.

Mr Leaney said between these councils around the outer ring of Melbourne, quite often there are existing towns and communities that are seeing huge growth pour into them and are having to be retrofitted to accommodate it.

“It’s not like those areas where they just have bare paddocks and they build a whole entirely new community, these are existing locations that are developed and have very strong farming communities in these areas and people want to maintain their right to farm,” he said.

“It’s part of the reason why people find these communities highly desirable is because they want that mix of the lifestyle and the environment but we’ve got to be very careful that we don’t kill the golden goose,”

“We’ve got a very challenging line to go down to make sure that we maintain our character and we maintain the look and feel of our communities yet cope with the growth that is happening and will happen into the future.”

The PUCV consists of the Bass Coast Shire Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, Golden Plains Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Coun-

cil and the Surf Coast Shire Council.

Mr Leaney said the PUCV have regular delegations to Canberra and Spring Street to advocate to the Federal and State governments.

“One of the things that we’re talking to the politicians in Canberra about next week is the development of what we’re calling a PerUrban Future Fund, because both the Federal and State governments have come out with these big housing statements, which is great, but we need to have the enabling infrastructure on the ground to make it happen,” he said.

“We’ve been saying that there needs to be money put into the gaps that already exist, by the state and feds, because there’s no point in saying we need to build more houses if we don’t have any money to build the childcare centres or schools.”

The PUCV has prioritised Transport and Digital Connectivity, Planning and Land Activation, Local Liveability Infrastructure and Tourism Infrastructure, with digital connectivity, public transport and tourism infrastructure in particular concerns that are shared in the Yarra Ranges.

Mr Leaney said he thinks that branching away from basing funding access on shire boundaries would be of benefit.

“A shire boundary holds almost no relevance to the communities within it, they do that for administrative ease,” he said.

“Federal and State government need to take a look at making zones and allow the maps to be a little bit more fluid as opposed to the hard and fast line of a council boundary that in Victoria’s case, was written up in the mid-1990s,”

“I think as an organisation we’ve been able to make some really strong strides in the last few years, especially in Canberra. It often feels like three steps forward, two and a half steps back but this is a long road and to get key policy or directional changes takes time.”

The needs of Yarra Ranges townships differ greatly from one another, with townships like Warburton more regional in nature. Pictures: ON FILE

Towns like Lilydale form the more suburban aspect of the Yarra Ranges.

Casey MP Aaron Violi was removed from the chamber on Thursday 15 February after continuous interjections. 331688

Pharmacists stepping up

By Mikayla van Loon

Cutting out the middleman to access treatment and medication for common health problems in participating pharmacies has seen a slow uptake in the Yarra Ranges.

The Community Pharmacist Pilot, a State Government initiative, launched late last year, allows people to seek treatment for urinary tract infections (UTI), refill an oral contraceptive pill prescription and receive travel or other vaccines in local pharmacies without having to see a GP.

From March, nearly 730 pharmacies will also offer treatment for mild psoriasis or shingles, the newest expansion of the pilot.

Healesville Walk Pharmacy, one of the participating pharmacies, has been providing these services for UTIs, contraceptives and vaccinations since the start of the year.

“We haven’t seen much of an uptake yet. The pilot itself started I believe it was late last year, but it didn’t roll out in this pharmacy until early this year,” pharmacist Mary said.

Pharmacist at Mt Evelyn Pharmacy Niemy said similarly the uptake and awareness of the program has been “a bit slow” since starting the pilot in December.

Niemy said at this stage Mt Evelyn can only offer the UTI treatment, with the other services to commence in the near future “once the training is completed which will be soon”.

Both Mary and Niemy said for the most part it is women who are inquiring or accessing the services, particularly for UTI treatment.

“Sometimes they’re just desperate for something and we are now in a position where we can recommend antibiotics for certain people,” Mary said.

“It’s not something that a pharmacist can do for everyone. There’s very strict criteria but yeah, they usually come in straight up asking for antibiotics or just asking ‘what can I do to

help with my UTI?”

The State Government figures have also shown that women are more likely to access these services, with 2000 women seeking care

from a pharmacy out of the 3700 total Victorians.

Niemy said the benefits for people who are unable to get an appointment with a doctor

but are in need of quick relief has been invaluable.

“One patient suffered severe UTI symptoms and was unable to access a doctor the same day. She was treated with antibiotics and was better soon after and didn’t need to see a GP at all.”

For Mary, seeing the impact across more regional areas where access to a GP may be limited has shown the need for this pilot program to continue.

“I work in two pharmacies. So I work in Healesville and Yea. I know in Yea it’s more of an issue where there’s just no services on weekends,” she said.

“So there’s no chance that people can get in to see a doctor, especially their regular doctor unless they’re going via the online route, which can have a long waiting time. So it’s definitely beneficial for people just to really get in and get started and get better.”

While still working through getting all the current available services set up, Niemy said expanding to offer the shingles treatment might be a possibility.

“There is room in the pharmacy to expand the services and we are reviewing whether to offer the shingles vaccination. [We’re] still deciding.”

The services provided by pharmacists are completely free to the patient with $20 million in funding from the government. Any prescriptions required will require payment from the patient just as those from a GP would be.

The pilot will run until October 2024 where it will then be evaluated, with long term recommendations put forward.

For more information on the Community Pharmacist Pilot or to locate a participating pharmacy in the Yarra Ranges, visit betterhealth.vic.gov.au/community-pharmacistpilot

Accessing treatment at local pharmacies for things like UTIs means cutting out a visit to the GP. Picture: UNSPLASH

‘Freedom fighters’ invited

By Callum Ludwig

Just over a year has passed since My Place Yarra Valley (MPYV) made headlines by attending Yarra Ranges Council meetings in large numbers to object to the ‘20-minute neighbourhoods’ planning concept and share their fears of increased surveillance.

The group remains active, holding fortnightly meetings, including guest speakers, and notably welcomed Monica Smit, founder and director of the Reignite Democracy Australia freedom movement on Thursday 22 February.

Founder of MPYV Belinda Modesti said the potential of a visit from Ms Smit was put forward by a member of the group who was interested in what she has to say.

“We’re not about censoring people or putting my personal views ahead of the requests of others in the community, there are some people in the community who question her, perhaps her ethics or her morals, but we just want to hear what she has to say and make our own decisions about whether we want to support her or not moving forward,” she said.

“I’m personally actually interested in hearing her out, I’m not a follower of her, as some other people are, but I’m interested in forming my own thoughts about her once she comes and gives her talk.”

Ms Smit is currently conducting a national tour, making unpaid visits to community groups who book her. Ms Smit rose to prominence after founding Reignite Democracy Australia in 2020 and being held in custody for 22 days, refusing bail conditions after being accused of inciting others to breach public health orders and attend anti-lockdown protests, of which those charges were later dropped. She also wrote a book, ‘Cell 22’, detailing her experience.

Ms Smit said as it reads on her mission statement, that her mission is for attendees to leave the event feeling more connected, empowered and inspired for whatever comes next.

“I will talk about the lessons I learnt on the front line of Victoria’s pushback movement, what I think we should be focusing on now, and my experience meeting our European freedom family,” she said.

“Afterwards, I’d love to hug and connect with as many freedom lovers as possible. I will have copies of ‘Cell 22’ with me for signing and discussion.”

Not all MPYV members are welcoming of Ms Smit’s appearance, sharing their displeasure in the comments of a post in the group’s private Facebook group. Ms Smit also returned to headlines in late 2023 after appearing at a hearing where Consumer Affairs Victoria alleged that she and Reignite Democracy Australia had failed to register the organisation when

conducting a fundraiser between September 2021 and October 2022 that raised more than $86,000 to fund her legal defence against separate criminal charges. Ms Smit is slated for another court date on 29 April 2024, blocking out her tour calendar for almost two weeks prior. The offence carries maximum penalty of $46,000 for a company and more than $23,000 and 12 months jail for individuals if proven.

Ms Smit said she was not concerned at all that her tour would impact on the impending trial.

“Their case is weak and a complete waste of time. I have nothing to hide, and plenty of support, so these types of things don’t concern me in the slightest. In fact, I look forward to my day in [sic] court with them,” she said.

“I don’t see why they (My Place Yarra Valley members) would be concerned about that. Isn’t Australia meant to work on the basis of innocent until proven guilty? It’s their choice whether to come to one of my events or not,”

“If they don’t like me for whatever reason, they wouldn’t come to the event I guess. Pretty simple.”

Other figures set to appear at MPYV meetings include former professional cage fighter and anti-lockdown protester Nick Patterson and ‘Passion Provocateur’, motivational speak-

er, former tax lawyer and president of the Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance Charles Kovess, who has also previously shared antilockdown sentiments.

Ms Modesti said it’s about time people stop making assumptions and start having conversations and being open and transparent.

“We are demeaned as being some rightwing conspiracy group, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said.

“I’ve made it very clear that if people do want speakers and they are asking for a monetary sum upfront or anything like that, that that’s not something that I, on behalf of the My Place community, would be able to agree to.”

Given the controversial nature of Ms Smit’s appearance and the police intervention at council meetings attended by MPYV in 2023, the Star Mail asked if there would be a security presence at the meeting. Ms Modesti confirmed that there will be no official security, but there are MPYV members with crowd management experience and they won’t hesitate to shut down the meeting if trouble arises.

Ms Modesti said MPYV has been focusing on sustainability practices in recent times, as well as having a continued interest in their surveillance fears and bureaucracy concerns.

“Being more self-reliant is something we’ve pushed from the very beginning, that people need to start to be reliant on themselves and their communities, so we’ve been reaching out to people to gain the knowledge that enables that self-sufficiency,” she said.

“We do have some other people who are looking into the increase in CCTV, we have a person who’s ex-military who’s very knowledgeable on this and is looking at the necessity of technology versus a more sinister use which may be an element of future control,”

“There’s still a lot of council interest, making sure councils are accountable to the residents, primarily from asking questions at and attending council meetings as a collective to make sure they know there is a community group that won’t sit there and allow them to push through decisions.”

Information about the upcoming council elections this year and the new mandatory training for local government candidates has also recently been shared on the group’s Facebook page. When asked if MPYV would be running any candidates in the elections, Ms Modesti confirmed that no members have put their hand up at this stage but that the different perspective they could potentially bring to the council would be ‘invaluable’.

Bike trail committee continues to call for new path

By Tyler Wright

The Olinda BikeTrail Committee is still pushing to get cyclists off the roads in the Dandenongs through a proposal for a bike trail from Lilydale Station right through to Olinda.

The trail would connect existing trails as well as adding a new three-kilometre section of trail connecting Swansea Road toYork Road.

The committee is calling for a feasibility study - costing an estimated $125,000 - to be funded by the council.

It would assess the amount of infrastructure needed to bring the trail to the commonly recognised shared use trail standard, which is mostly 2.5 metres, according to the committee’s budget submission.

Some short distances may be mixed use trail standard of 1.0m width, according to the document.

“We want to have an access like this, get as many people as possible off the road, off the mountain, off Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, so you can actually drive up there without killing anybody or being killed; that’s a high priority,” committee chairperson Ron Thomas said.

proper landscaping, a proper trail through there, it’s going to be improved.

“It’s going to be protecting the environment, protecting the wildlife because we’re not going to have people driving their mountain bikes up everywhere; there’s going to be a designated trail and only that trail will be used.“

Mr Thomas said the path will also create access to businesses along the trail, boosting tourism in the area.

“The flow on effects could be enormous for the business here as well,“ he said.

At a Yarra Ranges Council meeting in May 2022, then Environment and Infrastructure Director Mark Varmalis, told councillors he would convene with the council’s recreation and active living team on the matter.

can be told what’s possible and what’s not possible, what route will work, what route won’t work,“ Mr Thomas said.

“We’re happy to go along whatever the findings are, but they’ve got to make that first step; find out what the problems are.

“We’ve also been working with Melbourne Water about the water treatment plant here that’s blocking this part; we’ve been talking to [Parks Victoria] about what we can do and can’t do through their trails.

“We’ve also been talking to the [state government] about how to cross this road and how to cross Swansea Road, and we hope that’s going to be incorporated in a big plan for York Road.“

“The other thing about this is that it’s environmentally friendly; the tracks already exist, we’re not going to bulldoze anything; the only bit that hasn’t been done yet is across the road, between Swansea and York, and that is an absolute tip; It’s full of weeds and

Now, the committee is pushing for the funds to be allocated in the upcoming budget for 2024-2025, listing Rail Trails Australia among the groups and organisations that have expressed support for the initiative.

“We missed out last year; It’s a tough budget situation this year, but we believe this is a very small amount of money compared to the other budget issues, and just to get the feasibility study up and running so [the council]

According to Parks Victoria, the body has not received a formal proposal for a Lilydale to Olinda bike path.

Parks Victoria said no consent or approval for the proposal has been granted, with any cycle trail using existing tracks in the Dandenong Ranges National Park needing approval from ParksVictoria and needing to align with the National Park Management Plan.

Yarra Ranges Council and Melbourne Water have been contacted for comment.

From left to right: Mark Dodemond, Ron Thomas, chairman of the Olinda Creek Trail Committee, Irene Moser, treasurer of the Whitehorse Active Transport Action Group and Michael Slattery, secretary of the Olinda Creek Trail Committee are backing a plan for a bike path from Lilydale to Olinda to boost tourism and safety for motorists and cyclists.

385240 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Monica Smit speaking in front of a group in Benalla.

Picture: SUPPLIED Ms Smit at another appearance on her tour in Newport.

Stable homes for in need

By Callum Ludwig

Stable One is set to realise a long-term goal in the near future with a new project to help quell homelessness in the Outer East.

Announced on 9 February, ‘The Village’ will provide 11 long-term rental homes in Bayswater North for people experiencing homelessness.

Stable One is partnering with the Emmaus Christian Community, Habitat for Humanity Victoria and Servants Community Housing to make a safe and stable home a reality for more people.

Woori Yallock resident and founder of Stable One Jenny Willetts OAM said it’s been a two-year journey to this point and they still have a long way to go.

“We’ve had a relationship with Servants, Habitat and Emmaus and we’ve all bought into this project to help build some homes, which is a vision that we’ve had since we began seven years ago, it’s been in the back of our minds as what we would love to do,” she said.

“We developed the model, based on a supportive housing model and we’re on our way, we are about to sign a long-term lease with Emmaus to lease the land from them,”

“We’re going to build 11 homes, six twobedroom and five one-bedroom homes, which will be long-term affordable rentals for those who are homeless or might be at risk of being homeless.”

As well as leasing the land net to the South Croydon Anglican Church for The Village, the Emmaus Christian Community will also be selling the land behind it to Habitat for Humanity Victoria to contribute to the fundraising effort, bringing the estimated $3 million cost down, though MsWilletts estimates about $2.5 million is still needed.

Ms Willetts said Habitat for Humanity will bring the house-building skills and Servants

Community Housing already has boarding houses in the Boroondara area.

“We’ve worked quite closely with them over the years when we’ve been running a winter shelter, a number of our guests at the shelter have ended up being accommodated in their boarding houses, which are unusually wellrun boarding houses with live-in managers, we know when people go there they go into a good environment,” she said.

“We’ve been able to provide a crisis response up until now but the hardest thing is always knowing that people have got no good options of places to go afterwards where they actually can feel safe and not just that, people need communities,”

“So many people that we meet don’t really have other people in their lives, it’s never been just about housing, our vision is for more than a place to stay, it’s not just building a bunch of houses and walking away, it’s about building

V Centre launches to empower veterans

After an extensive journey from inception to construction, The V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program celebrated its official opening on Wednesday 21 February.

Despite operating from Ivanhoe, the new support service is targeted to all ex-service personnel and with 2.2 per cent (2768) of the Yarra Ranges population having served, which is higher than the Victorian average, the centre is a first for providing targeted, personalised and thoughtful care.

Federal Jagajaga MP Kate Thwaites, a champion of the project, officiated the inauguration ceremony, marking a significant milestone in veteran support initiatives.

The V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to addressing veteran homelessness in Australia. Through the provision of safe housing and comprehensive support services, the program will empower veterans to lead fulfilling lives beyond their military service.

The Federal Government has played a significant role in the realisation of The V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program by contributing $1.2 million towards the project.

Vasey RSL Care remains committed to advocating for additional funding and has submitted a budget proposal for a $10.75 million co-contribution for the 2024-25 Federal budget. This allocation will complete the facility’s fit-out and sustain operational costs for the initial pilot period of three years of operation.

Kilsyth local and Vasey RSL Care board chair Mike O’Meara said this project adds to the already existing housing services, community connection and aged care supports offered through Vasey RSL Care, like the property in Croydon.

“Today is an important day. TheV Centre Veteran Empowerment Program is a major

L-R Federal Member for Jagajaga Kate Thwaites MP, Vasey RSL Care Board Chair

Mike O’Meara OAM, Victorian Veterans MP Natalie Suleyman MP, Vasey RSL Care Chief Executive Officer Janna Voloshin, planting rosemary to commemorate the official opening of The V Centre - Veteran Empowerment Program. Picture: SUPPLIED

part of our strategy to address the changing needs of the veteran community. It will allow veterans to overcome their challenges to lead a life they value,” he said.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to partner with us on this vital initiative, which needs a collaborative approach.”

Vasey RSL Care chief executive officer Janna Voloshin highlighted the significance of the initiative.

“After extensive research, we know that this is the gap that needs to be filled – veterans are almost three times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public. This will support them where they need it the most,” she said.

Vasey RSL Care plans to continue their advocacy for this project in the lead up to the Federal Government’s May Budget.

houses and then building community for the people that live there.”

One of the 11 houses will be reserved for the ‘Placemakers’. Supported by Stable One, will live in the community and help transition new residents into their life in The Village.

Ms Willetts said the Placemakers are an integral part of the model, especially as residents may be transitioning from a difficult or dramatic life to a life lived well in The Village.

“This might mean helping them connect with other people in the community, it might mean referring them to local services or finding local services that will come and visit The Village and provide on-site services or might be helping them learn to be good neighbours,” she said.

“There might be some training activities that go on there, and there will be a community garden but it will just be about walking

alongside and supporting them to take responsibility for their neighbourhood and be good neighbours.”

As part of the plight to make the rentals affordable, the rent to live in The Village will remain at least 25 per cent below market value.

MsWilletts said for people who are insecure in their housing, it’s really hard for them to do anything else in their lives other than think about housing.

“They might need to grow in all sorts of ways but to think about getting skills to get a job or improve their life, it’s extremely difficult when you don’t know if you can stay where you’re living for the next week or month or year,” she said.

“Our goal with this village is the same as it was the winter shelters, we never set out in the beginning to do more than just run our local winter shelter, but that has developed into a network of other shelters across the country that’s growing all the time,”

“We’d love to see these little villages just cropping up all over the country next to churches on vacant land that they’ve never known quite what to do with.”

While a number of businesses and services have offered their services pro bono or at discounted rates to support The Village project, the fundraising effort has already begun.

The dedicated fundraising page where anyone can make a tax-deductible donation or start their own fundraising event can be found at village.stableone.org/.

Anyone interested in providing an interestfree or low-interest loan, has a connection with any foundations or philanthropists who might be interested, has skills to help the build they’d like to volunteer or would like to donate cans and bottles to Stable One that can raise money through the Container Deposit Scheme can contact Stable One at 0466 565 866 or info@ stableone.org.

IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICE

PLANET SAFE TIMBER PTY LTD GUILTY OF UNLAWFULLY PERMITTING DUMPING OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT 2017

On 24 January 2024, PLANET SAFE TIMBER PTY LTD (ABN 53 150 262 650) plead guilty at the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court to a charge laid by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria for unlawfully permitting receival of construction and demolition waste contrary to section 134(1) of the Environment Protection Act 2017.

Planet Safe Timber Pty Ltd was sentenced without conviction and fined $20,000 with $2,762 costs.

On around 17 December 2021, Planet Safe Timber Pty Ltd permitted construction and demolition waste to be received at its timber processing plant at 205 Liverpool Road, Kilsyth. It did so without authorisation and therefore contravened section 134(1) of the Act. Investigations carried out by the Environment Protection Authority revealed that the waste material included asbestos. The AuthorityrequiredPlanetSafetoremovetheapproximately 8,110m3 of construction and demolition waste from the site by 29 April 2022, which Planet Safe did.

This Adverse Publicity Notice was published and paid for by PLANET SAFE TIMBER PTY LTD pursuant to an order of the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.

An artist’s impression of ‘The Village’ which will be located at 203 Bayswater Road, Bayswater North. Picture: SUPPLIED

IF YOU’RE HAVING A OR HOPPING ON A BUT WANT TO KEEP YOUR AND COMMUNITY SAFE…

McLovin’ it 50 years on

By Mikayla van Loon

As a mere 19-year-old George Caruana had his dreams come true with a job opportunity at one of the first McDonald’s stores to open in Melbourne.

Now, 50 years later he’s the longest standing employee in Australia for the multinational company and loves every minute he gets to spend with customers.

Celebrating the milestone at his current store in Lilydale, Mr Caruana was commended by locals and head office staff over the course of Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February.

Visiting the Collingwood store in 1974, just after it opened, Mr Caruana never expected to walk away employed.

“Me and mum decided to go and get something to eat and try this new McDonald’s. It was the third McDonald’s in Melbourne and as we were enjoying our food, a manager came out exactly like I do today.

“He comes out into the dining room and says, ‘G’day, is everything okay with your food? Do you like it?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I love it’.

“He said to me, ‘would you like a job?’ and he started showing me around the store and he came out to mum and said, ‘I gave your son a job’. I started the week after.”

For Mr Caruana, getting offered a position at Maccas was more than just a job, it was a chance to shift his future.

“I got sick of working in a factory because I started working at 12-years-old to support mum and I always wanted to get involved in food,” he said.

Moving his way up from the kitchen to customer service to manager, Mr Caruana soon found his calling in promotion and training.

“Once they knew all the stuff I learned, they started moving me from store to store to open them and train new managers and new staff and I just love it so much.”

Still to this day, seeing young people starting their employment journey brings joy to Mr Caruana but he said he wished more would see the potential in making a career at the company.

“I really like to show how important customers are and how to be treated by customers and how to handle them,” he said.

“I want to be involved with the new generation. Hopefully I can encourage them to stay on like me. I don’t think I could see it because a lot of people do not like the food industry anymore or any restaurant business I believe.”

Seeing and meeting lots of people over the five decades, one moment in particular remains stark in Mr Caruana’s mind.

“One day, I was on my shift and we were ready to close the door. In those days we used to shut by 11 o’clock, and we had to be out by 12 o’clock.

“We were across from Dallas Brooks Hall, which is a concert hall, and a fellow came in and said‘Bette Davis is across the road and she wants to come out and get an apple pie’.

“I was so young that I didn’t think I should take a photo with Bette Davis. I didn’t realise how big she was.”

A second star meeting Mr Caruana had and still cherishes is the day he met McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc.

“I’ve still got him in my heart and I honour him,” he said.

Continuing every year to support Mr Kroc’s legacy in the charity space, Mr Caruana has been a big supporter of the Ronald McDonald House.

When it came to Australia, Mr Caruana said people were rather apprehensive about where the money was going but over time it has become a well-loved aspect of the brand.

“When the Ronald McDonald House came to Australia, I think I was the first person to start raising money and I remember I raised $8,000.

“It’s 33 years this year and I am still collecting money. I think I’ve collected $157,000. I usually raise about $7000 a year just selling McDonald’s and other stuff in McDonald’s and let customers know every penny goes to the kids.

“And I always go and visit the house. And we

put on barbecues for them and feed them for nothing.”

Seeing the phase out of Ronald McDonald and other characters like Hamburglar, is something Mr Caruana said he was sad to see go.

“Because of the McCafe it’s more of a restaurant compared to in the old days where there used to be families with kids. It’s still happening but not as much as with the characters.”

While the characters may not feature in store anymore, Mr Caruana doesn’t have to look far to see one, with his collection of memorabilia being so extensive.

From original food trays, burger boxes and happy meal toys, over the 50 years, Mr Caruana has collected items showcasing the changes from each decade.

Having worked in up to 40 stores over the years, Mr Caruana said Collingwood would always be his favourite as the first one he ever worked in but Lilydale is certainly up there.

Locals can expect to see Mr Caruana around for many years to come, with his love for the work still driving, and a small sense of competition.

“I’ve just been nominated number one in Australia [as the longest employee] but I am number two around the world.

“There’s a lady in America who is beating me by three years. She must have started in 1970 but she’s older than me.

“If I can stay another five years to beat that record [I will]. I just want to be a proud Australian all around the world. I don’t think afterwards they’ll ever beat me.”

George Caruana celebrated 50 years of employment at McDonald’s with a burger cake and certificates at the Lilydale store on Friday 23 February.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Dating back 50 years, Mr Caruana prizes himself on the collection of memorabilia he has been able to acquire.

Picture: MAREE BEVERIDGE

Mr Caruana’s very own Ronald McDonald.

Staff from head office presented Mr Caruana with a certificate of congratulations in store on Friday. Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

From the 1974 designed food tray to the burger boxes throughout the decades, Mr Caruana has quite the collection.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Mr Caruana started as a 19-year-old at the Collingwood store. Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

THE IGET IT , I THINK BIT

Lose yourself at one of Victoria’s renowned galleries or artist workshops. You’ll find plenty to your taste – or not. And that’s the fun of it.

Get curious at cultural institutions like Bendigo Art Gallery.

VISITVICTORIA.COM

Rare plants a treasure

By Tanya Steele

Green thumbs can look forward to the 18th Annual Plant Collector’s Expo hosted by the Ferny Creek Horticultural Society over the weekend of March 9 and 10.

Salvias, rhododendrons, maples, perennials and more will be on display at the show in Sassafrass at 100 Hilton Road.

Member from the Ferny Creek Horticultural Society Emma Moysey said the expo is for gardening enthusiasts or anybody interested in gardening in the Yarra Ranges and beyond.

“Our rare plant Expo can attract all kinds of gardeners,” she said.

“There will be a huge range of plants available, including roses, daffodils, succulents, natives, deciduous trees, perennials, salvias, rhododendrons, camellias, alpine bulbs - and many many more. Gardeners can buy up ready to plant for autumn.”

“Our own propagation stall is well stocked with parts propagated from our garden and the member’s garden.”

Now in its 18th year, the expo will host a free speakers tent for the first time and the two day plant fair will host rare plants, trees and hard to find bulbs from a variety of vendors.

“There will also be a program of speakers throughout both of the days giving short talks on specific topics including rare bulbs, growing plants from seed, and regenerative horticulture,” Ms Moysey said.

Attendees can participate in free garden tours of the Ferny Creek property itself over the weekend, giving the community a chance to see the historic horticulture site up close.

“The garden has got plants that are 100 years old and they’re still healthy and maintained and weeded,” Ms Moysey said.

Ms Moysey said that the volunteer group meet twice a week and enjoys morning tea together after their gardening sessions.

“The garden provides people with a lot of opportunity to make great friends whilst they garden and get their exercise,” she said, “we have a strong community feel.”

The Ferny Creek Horticulture Society has been active for over 90 years and has its own 10 acre property, all funds from the expo go towards keeping the garden estate maintained.

“We always welcome new members, and currently have around 350 members” Ms Moysey said.

The Ferny Creek Horticultural Society holds three flower shows and a plant collector’s sale each year.

“Our propagation stall is well stocked with parts propagated from our garden and the member’s garden,” Ms Moysey said.

Local CFA, Scouts and school students will be at the expo running the parking and a sausage sizzle and Ms Moysey said the society like to work together and often with other community groups.

“We’re proud to have the event in such a beautiful setting,” she said.

18th Plant Collectors Expo

· March 9 and 10

· 10am to 4pm

· 100 Hilton Road Sassafras

· 10 dollar admission and kids under 14 free.

Free parking, buses welcome on arrangement

Details at: www.fchs.org.au/events/plantcollectors-sale-garden-expo/ or phone 03 8719 6924

The plant fair is in it’s 18th year and aims to keep growing and offering more to the public.

The expo offers community a chance to find some rare garden treasures. Pictures: SUPPLIED

Making moves in equality

Grants have been awarded to two outer eastern organisations to help them in supporting and empowering women.

Homelessness and foster care service Anchor received $10,000, while autism awareness and support not-for-profit Different Journeys was awarded $5000 in the investing in women grassroots program by the State Government.

The funding program aims to improve gender stereotypes and health and wellbeing, while creating respect and better economic outcomes for women.

Anchor will use the grant for its Heart Through Art Project aiming to “support creative expression and foster a sense of safety and connection” for those overcoming homelessness.

“Female and non-binary artists will conduct workshops exploring the impact of gender stereotypes and envisioning future communities,” the project outline states.

“The project includes workshops on Wurundjeri culture, creative art therapy sessions facilitated by a female identifying arts therapist, and photography sessions documenting gendered experiences.”

A community exhibition will be held at the conclusion of the project to showcase the work of the participants and invite broader interaction and discussion.

Different Journeys aim to fill a gap for women, girls and gender-diverse people who often face more barriers in receiving an autism diagnosis or accessing support.

“Diagnosis of autism in women is often late in life, resulting in systemic, life-long disadvantages to autistic women in employment, education, their personal and social lives. Many women fill caring roles, which impacts their ability to pursue their own goals and needs,” the proposal reads.

“These barriers also prevent women from engaging with Different Journeys’ existing ser-

vices, which are often male or child-dominated spaces due to the prevalence of male and child diagnosis compared to women.”

Looking to change that, Different Journeys will look to “open the door” for women to “provide holistic empowerment and accessibility” led by them to alter the perception that they can’t do something or are unable to join spaces.

“[The focus will be on] women’s needs, wishes and leadership to design, carry out and evaluate our women’s events.

“We will create a women’s group for the project, focusing on women who are autistic or disabled, carers, LGBTQIA+, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or culturally diverse.”

The project will look at gender, respect, women’s rights, leadership and confidence through the hosting of two to three events throughout the year, planned and evaluated by these women.

“We hope to provide a new way for autistic women who are not carers to enter the Different Journeys community as they first begin to

explore their diagnosis, which will allow us to support them throughout their lives and their individual journeys.”

Minister for women Natalie Hutchins said these community organisations are an important part of advancing gender equality.

“We’re making in-roads towards a better future for all women, and recognise grassroots programs have a vital role to play in leading communities towards a more equal Victoria,” she said.

Calling all gardening enthusiasts

Forest Hills retirement community boasts beautiful landscaped gardens and provides the perfect setting for an afternoon with Costa Georgiadis.

Be inspired with an informative gardening session to chat all things planting, pruning and blossoming.

Monday 18 March at 1pm 264-272 Springvale Road, Nunawading

RSVP essential. Scan the QR code today keytonevents.com.au

Anchor and Different Journeys will support women through creative expression and event hosting after receiving grants. Picture: UNSPLASH

By Mikayla van Loon

From saving a few extra dollars to supporting the health of the environment, the state’s container deposit scheme has proved popular in the eastern suburbs.

Montrose News, Gifts and Lotto has seen a steady demand since providing the service in mid-December.

“Our bins are full every week and they’re emptied out twice a week. There’s a lot of people coming in. The demand is there. I thought after Christmas and New Year, it might peter off but it’s just constant,” co-owner Manny Sarellis said.

Witnessing the push by the younger generation, Manny said there’s “a lot of kids taking it on board”.

“They record everything, they’re separating everything so they’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting and the parents and grandparents are just encouraging them,” he said.

Six-year-old twins from Millgrove, Annabelle and William, are doing just that; collecting, sorting and recording hundreds of cans

and bottles each week.

Mum Sarah Marshall said as soon as the option to deposit cans and bottles was made available, the twins started collecting.

“They sort it all out and half the time they count it all as well then we take it down to the chook farm at Yarra Junction (Little Yarra Free Range Eggs),” she said.

“They’ve managed to save up a fair amount of money from doing it. They average about $200 a month.”

Annabelle said mostly “we pick them up on the ground when we’re going for walks” as well as getting family and friends to collect them.

Learning about sustainability and recycling at school, William and Annabelle said they understand the importance of cleaning up but also it is helping them in other ways as well.

For William, he said it has improved his counting and money saving.

Using the first lot of money they ever made to buy themselves something, William bought a basketball, while Annabelle bought a squishy toy.

But ultimately, the twins are both saving for riding accessories for their ponies.

“They really enjoy it. When we go shopping we take some of their money. All their money gets put into a jar to go into their bank and they can see over the course of the month how much they’ve made and how it grows,” Sarah said.

“We take it down, put it in the bank and they’re allowed to spend half each. So say they make $10 that’d be $2.50 each they can spend.”

Sarah said the kids collect and sort every week to make a deposit every fortnight.

On the other end for a drop off centre like the Montrose news agency, Manny said they too are seeing regular people bringing in hundreds of cans and bottles at a time.

“We have quite a few regulars that we’ve got from mums and dads, grandparents, young kids, to people who work in hospitality and they’re clearing all the bottles at the end of the day,” he said.

“People are falling into a rhythm now and they know what days we can cope with large amounts.

“Also [people are] being mindful of bringing in two tubs instead of bringing large amounts because some people just want to bring huge amounts to make it worthwhile, to get $40 to $50. We encourage them to bring it in a couple times and bring it regularly.”

Manny said while for some people it is a way of paying for a gas bill or groceries, for some it is a way of being able to provide for others.

“I’ve noticed a lot of people are starting to donate to charities as well. So Cancer Council, locally, the Montrose cupboard and the CFA… we’re seeing more and more of that now.

“We’ve got a couple of ladies that come in and they collect [for Montrose Community Cupboard] so they can provide programs to assist them in getting food to people that need it.”

Carrying on a legacy of sustainability and recycling instilled by Manny’s mother-in-law Georgia was the initial reason for signing up as a drop off point but now seeing the value and the benefit from the community, Manny said “the service is pretty popular”.

The two of them work together and share the earnings to save for items they’d like to buy.

Montrose News, Gifts and Lotto’s Manny and Georgia have been seeing hundreds of bottles and cans dropped off for cash since December. 390701

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Six-year-old twins Annabelle and William love collecting and sorting the cans and bottles each week.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Georgia said there’s lots of children driving the collections, with parents and grandparents helping them achieve it. 390701

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Showcase young talents

By Dongyun Kwon

An exhibition, where visitors can see young local artists’ artworks, is on its way to open in April.

Creative Showcase, an annual art exhibition for young talented student artists, is hosted by Yarra Ranges Council in a partnership with Burrinja Cultural Centre.

32 artists all around theYarra Ranges Council’s district will showcase their art pieces in Creative Showcase 2024.

It was eligible for students who completed units 3 and 4 inVCE Art and Studio Art or in the final year of VCAL in 2023.

Burrinja Cultural Centre cultural development producer Toni Main said Creative Showcase is to celebrate the incredible and unique talents.

“Yarra Ranges Council [district] is full of artists in a professional capacity,” she said.

“It’s amazing to see these young artists coming out of school and continuing on to develop the region as an artistic and cultural district.

“It’s really great that they’re choosing to make a career out of art and we were there when they first started.”

Madison Wandmaker, who graduated from Edinburgh College, said she decided to apply for it when a lady came to her school and explained about the Creative Showcase.

“My grandparents live around here [the Memo] and I thought I would like for them to see my artwork,” Madison said.

Madison’s artwork Butcherbird is based on the theme around tragedy with heavy symbolism.

“My artwork is oil on canvas, and it’s got heavy symbolism with a butcherbird and small blue wrens to pray in a serene environment.”

“It was a long process. It was a lot of talking to people about how the composition was, and also I had to try to make sure the symbolism made sense with the scenery and everything in it.

“So it was a lot of trial and error and I was trying to get it to look nice and also symbolic.”

Former Lilydale High School student Ken Roberts will display two dresses that they sewed.

Ken said they had waited for an opportu-

nity to exhibit their artworks.

“When I was in VCE, we came in here [The Memo] seeing some different artworks and seeing different emotions and opinions, I was like‘I want mine to be projected, I want people to experience mine.’,” they said.

“Both of my artworks are about identity, and the black one [My identity is stigma] is more of a reflection about my identity, how people’s perception can restrict and harm me and how I view myself.

“The white one [Your identity is…] is more of a focus on how broad and different everybody experiences identity and how identity runs through our blood and determines our whole entire lives.”

Ken has always loved art in their whole entire life.

“Musical artists share who they are, what they want to do and their opinions through their music,” they said.

“I want to project and share my views, opinions and everything I’m feeling, and art is just the way I found to do it.”

Elliot Mctinerney, who graduated from Monbulk College, also desires to show his works to the public because his artworks are based on intimate and personal themes.

Elliot grew up in the family of artists and he naturally got into art as art runs in his blood.

“My mum is a photographer and both my grandmas are painters, one is a realistic painter and the other is a very surrealistic and impressionistic painter,” he said.

“I’ve always been inspired by my mum’s photography and how she would display herself so authentically.”

Elliot will exhibit four of his art pieces.

Coming out and Mirror are two of main pieces he wants to introduce to the future visitors.

“My biggest one is called Coming out and it’s about my experience coming out as transgender, and it deals with the theme of hiding and showing yourself through the butterflies in the foreground of the image,” he said.

“I think of coming out as a game of hide and seek, like showing parts of yourself that are deemed acceptable but hiding parts of yourself that aren’t palatable to a larger audience.

“I was also really inspired by graphic and poster designers for a lot of my works, so making them look like movie posters was my big goal.”

Elliot’s other artwork Mirror portrays himself in a shattered mirror.

“It’s about how my idea of myself has been shattered and it no longer matches what I see in the mirror, linking to themes of gender dysphoria that I experience daily,” he said.

Former Mount Lilydale Mercy College student Liv Mackowiak used acrylic paint and mixed media for her artwork A Simulated Universe. “It took a couple of months on and off to finish my artwork,” she said.

“The idea itself took a while to come up with and then it was a lot of trial and error on top of that.

“It was good to get thoughts in my head out of paper through my artwork. I think it’s more fun for me to express my thoughts through art than words.”

The Creative Showcase has been running for a long time launched separately by two different groups at first.

“It was started as two different things, so Yarra Ranges Council started their version and Burrinja also started their version, and then we combined and created a group effort.”

“It is more than a school show, so come and see the exhibition because it got through the application process.”

“The students had to apply to get in and the work is incredibly exquisite, and the young people have such a strong voice and they really delve into some beautifully poignant and personal stories in their artwork.”

The Creative Showcase will be open from Saturday 13 April to Sunday 5 May in The Memo, Healesville.

New film makes headway amid press freedom decline

the film.”

By Gabriella Vukman

With its premier at the Cameo in Belgrave on Sunday 18 February, the enthralling Julian Assange documentary‘TheTrust Fall’ is making waves worldwide.

In line with Assange’s last chance at avoiding extradition to the US before he is sent to be detained there for the rest of his life, the film is a call to action.

Founder of ‘Films For Change’ and director of ‘The Trust Fall,’ Kym Staton said, “Assange is just the canary in the coalmine in terms of what is going on with our freedoms in the western world.”

Spanning a duration of 130 minutes and starring narrators Susan Sarandon, Roger Waters, Tom Morello and rapper M.I.A, the film is an expose on the “travesties of justice” associated with “the most famous political prisoner,” as Mr Staton explained.

The film has gained traction on social media across various platforms and its GoFundMe has raised $137,000 so far with an aim of $145,000.

Mr Staton said, “press freedom is declining all around the world.”

“There are currently over 500 journalists in prison today for their work and Julian is just one of those over 500,” Mr Staton said.

“If 50 per cent of the population knew what was going on, politicians would just have to do the right thing but because of ignorance, they can continue to hide away from responsibilities and avoid taking action on it.”

The film is an ensemble of animation, archived and ‘never before seen’ footage of Assange and other recent interviews with journalists, activists, avid Assange supporters, government leaders among other high-profile experts.

“I wrote the documentary over around a six week period,” Mr Staton said.

“I had all of these ideas in my head after a year of production, interviews and research so I started a routine of every morning writing a little bit.”

Mr Staton said, “I was sharing my words on social media every day and whichever bits of writing got the best responses, ended up in

Community cinema is playing a large role in spreading awareness via ‘The Trust Fall’ documentary.

Mr Staton said, “at the moment what we are asking people to do is suggest the film to their local cinema and we’re seeing that work.”

“The first cinema to take up our documentary turned out to be Mareeba drive-in in a small town of 7000,” Mr Staton said.

“We drove 24 hours up there not knowing if anyone would turn up but when we rocked up to the drive in there were 215 people and over 100 cars there - it was full and it was awesome!That told us that it doesn’t matter where we go, there’s going to be people interested in this issue.”

Mr Staton’s passion is education and awareness-building.

“From my perspective the best thing we can do with this film is to raise more awareness,” he said.

“The only way that is possible for an Australian journalist to be kept in solitary confinement for years and years which is essentially torture, is because of a lack of awareness,” Mr Staton said.

“Our aim is to get it out and encourage cinemas everywhere to show ‘The Trust Fall.’

Warning the documentary editors that hacking, limitations and a potential shut down were risks in ‘The Trust Fall’ project, Mr Staton was wary of the project being shut down before its release.

“Thankfully we were able to get the film

out, get it classified in Australia and we successfully showed it at parliament house in Canberra,” Mr Staton said.

“I think the reason why we have been able to continue is because the people who are responsible for this persecution and false narrative of Julian Assange are expecting a passive documentary that just covers the ‘what’ and ‘when’, confirming their depiction.

“They will be surprised to view the never seen before footage, especially of the victims of the collateral murder incident which have never been seen before. they are going to realise that this film will rapidly increase opposition to their agenda,” Mr Staton said.

‘The Trust Fall’ is currently showing at various cinemas across the country and donations are still very much welcome.

Mr Staton said, “All the way through the film we hoped that Julian would end up watching it from his sitting room.”

“In the short term I am hopeful that the people that are persecuting Julian do the right thing and let him go free but if it continues to drag on, the film will continue to raise awareness for him as long as he needs it,” Mr Staton said.

“People watching a hundred or thousand years from now can think ‘what were we doing?’ ‘How did we let this happen?’”

Mr Staton confirmed that Julian Assange “is aware of the film” but could not say anything more for confidentiality reasons.

Visit the documentary’s website at: thetrustfall.org

New Julian Assange documentary ‘The Trust Fall’ in cinemas now.

Four of Creative Showcase 2024 artists. Picture: JESSE GRAHAM

Volunteer positions open

By Dongyun Kwon

YAVA Gallery and Arts Hub Healesville is calling for locals to volunteer.

Many volunteer roles are open to anyone who loves art, likes talking to people or is willing to share their expertise.

YAVA gallery manager Vanessa Flynn said YAVA wouldn’t exist without its volunteers.

“There are lots of different opportunities,” she said.

“We’ve got a whole curatorial panel and we’ve got people who assist with workshops, we’ve got a volunteer coordinator and there’s also our board.”

Susanne Richards has volunteered for YAVA since October 2019 and has done several different roles.

“The first role was basically to welcome people into the gallery and answer any questions that they may have,” she said.

“[Additionally] because I’m a lecturer in computer graphics at RMIT, I absorbed as much computer work as I can to help with photography work.”

Susanne said YAVA is like a melting pot where she could meet many people unexpectedly.

“I met people who I hadn’t seen for many years,” she said.

“All of a sudden, I met people that I taught with at Upper Yarra High School 30 years ago.

“Or some people might come in one day and they’ll come back a couple of weeks later with some more people.”

Mary Anderson is a retired teacher and joined the volunteer team in September 2023.

“I was a teacher for over 30 years and one of my subjects, when I first started teaching, was art, and I left it to become a full-time artist,” she said.

“I relocated from Melbourne to Healesville,

and YAVA is one of the reasons I like Healesville.

“I love the way it is run with accepting volunteers to come on board with whatever role they can play.”

Mary said while she has been giving her volunteer effort to YAVA, she has gotten many things back from it.

“The sense of belonging is important to me,” she said.

“From a teaching background, I used to be part of a team and I wanted to be part of a team again but I didn’t want to be back

in the classroom.

“To me, it’s [volunteering at YAVA] is like feeling part of a team.”

“Another reason I volunteer here as a gallery guide is to get the chance to interact with the artists and to learn about their processes.”

Mary is about to start learning the exhibition installation process and will join the exhibition installation team.

Gallery guides volunteer on a three-hour shift either in the morning (10am-1pm) or afternoon (1pm-4pm).

“If you’re going to be a gallery guide to

come to the opening of the exhibitions, you would get to talk to the exhibiting artists, learn about their work, what’s driven them, what’s their passion behind their work,” Mary said.

“If you can communicate that passion to people coming in, then they would get a better understanding and feeling.”

Support staff are on the site all the time to help volunteers out.

Anyone wishing to be a part of YAVA’s volunteer team is welcome to contactYAVA at (03) 5906 1149.

L-R: Mary and Susanne

COMMUNITY DIARY

COMMUNITY DIARY

WHAT’S ON AROUND THE VALLEY

Support in multiple ways

Blood donor pop up

A pop up blood donor centre will be returning to Lilydale in March.

From 11 to 22 March Lifeblood will be running out of the Lilydale Baptist Church on the corner of Hull and Swansea Roads. Session can be booked for the following times:

· Monday 11 March 10am – 3:30pm

· Tuesday 12 March 12pm – 8pm

· Wednesday 13 March 12pm - 8pm

· Thursday 14 March 12pm - 8pm

· Friday 15 March 8am - 3pm

· Monday 18 March 12.30pm - 8pm

· Tuesday 19 March 12pm - 8pm

· Wednesday 20 March 12pm - 8pm

· Thursday 21 March 8am – 3.30pm

· Friday 22 March 8am - 3pm

World Day of Prayer, Mooroolbark

You are invited to a service at the Mooroolbark

Baptist Church 153 Hull Road Croydon on Friday 1 March. The service starts at 10am and is followed by morning tea. The focus country this year is Palestine. The service was prepared by the Christian women of that country. The speaker will be Rev Richard Coombs who worked for 20 years in the Middle East. There will be an offering for a Bible Society project for Palestine.

The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can come to know how our brothers and sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand Biblical passages in their context. We can hear their concerns and needs and can feel ourselves in solidarity with them as we pray with and for them.

March meeting for The VIEW

TheYarraValleyVIEW Club is part of a national women’s organisation and support network, bringing together women to enjoy social activities, develop skills and make connections - all while working with The Smith Family supporting the educational outcomes of students experiencing disadvantage.

Our next luncheon meeting will be held at the Chirnside Park Country Club, 68 Kingswood Drive Chirnside Park on Tuesday 26 March, 11.30am for a 12 noon start.

Take this opportunity to join us for monthly interest groups, outings, meet women from all walks of life and form lasting friendships.

Contact Val on 0419 007 728 for any enquiries.

Visitors are always welcome.

NEWS Not just another pop singer

By Maria Millers

She’s come and gone in her private jet and whether or not you have ever listened to a Tay Tay song or watched a video, you would surely have been aware of her presence in our city.

The mainstream press gave wall to wall coverage, nudging aside issues of national significance. Love her or leave her there is no denying that Taylor Swift cannot be dismissed as just another pop singer. She has been Times Person of the Year for 2023 and has been credited with political influence.

So is she a great 21st century poet or just a marketing success story? She has certainly unashamedly owned the narrative of her life, warts and all from the painful and cringe worthy to the triumphal Maybe that explains the extraordinary loyalty and following she enjoys from young females. Her relatability is often cited, particularly by anyone who has been victimized in a society that still dismisses women’s feelings as inconsequential.

Her confessional style has been often compared to other well known poets who have mined their own emotional lives: Ann Sexton, Adrienne Rich , Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath. But Swift’s poetry never reaches the lyricality and depth of these poets.

Her work when read (as distinct from her highly polished videos) appears simplistic, self - obsessed, as the following extract from Look what you made me do shows:

Don’t like your little games

Don’t like your tilted stage

The role you made me play of the fool

No, I don’t like you

I don’t like your perfect crime

How you laugh when you lie

You said the gun was mine

Isn’t cool, no, I don’t like you (oh!)

But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time

Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time

I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined

I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Ontheotherhandthefollowingextract(with no accompanying video) from Sylvia Plath’s fa-

WOORILLA WORDS

mous poem Daddy written not long before her suicide and shortly after being abandoned by her husband Ted Hughes shows a much higher poetic sensibility as she reflects on the impact of her father’s death when she was a young child.

You stand at the blackboard, daddy,

In the picture I have of you,

A cleft in your chin instead of your foot

But no less a devil for that, no not

Any less the black man who

Bit my pretty red heart in two.

I was ten when they buried you.

At twenty I tried to die

And get back, back, back to you.

I thought even the bones would do.

But they pulled me out of the sack,

And they stuck me together with glue.

And then I knew what to do.

I made a model of you,

A man in black with a Meinkampf look

Taylor Swift whether you like her songs or not cannot be dismissed nor her impact minimized or ignored and as someone once said writing is revenge without the need to ask permission or apology, where ethics can be pushed aside to not give in to gendered expectations of etiquette and propriety.

The personal is always political.

But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time

Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time

I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined

Now in her thirties it will be interesting to see how she evolves and reinvents herself in the future.

Looking back

By Joy Gothe

I have lived in the Lilydale District since the early 1970s and have seen many changes since then and thought I knew everything about the town.

I have been a member of the Society for over 10 years and find that almost every day I am learning something more about Lilydale that I never knew before. There is a rich and fascinating history behind every one of the old buildings that still remain in the Main Street.

Lilydale township was first surveyed in 1860 and land sales in the town were held.

Within two years there were a post office, a store, a butcher’s shop and a hotel.

The northern area was planted with several large vineyards and some smaller vineyards adjoining the township.

Lilydale was now beginning to grow.

I am introducing you to an old remnant of that time, a Lilydale business that has now gone and no longer exists, only a ghost of it remains.

It was the first industry to take off in Lilydale and it was a Tannery.

Tanning was the process of transforming animal skins into leather.

The Lilydale Rate Books for February 1872

show the Tannery owner as a Richard Hand, a Currier (old term for a work who tans hides), The Tannery buildings occupied two blocks on the south side of Market Street between Clarke Street and the Olinda Creek Reserve.

The tannery works comprised a series of pits used for soaking and cleaning the hides and there was also a bark mill which chopped up the wattle bark for the tannin which was to be used in the tanning process.

The machinery at the tannery was operated by a four horse power water wheel, which was fed by a tributary that was cut from the Olinda Creek in 1879.

The great rush of water flowing down the tributary kept this wheel in motion.

The fine leather produced from this valuable industry was used to make book covers, harnesses, saddles, bridles, gloves, etc.

Today, all that remains of the Lilydale Tannery is the David Wilkinson Pavilion owned by the Lilydale Agricultural Show Society, with the Jean Eales Pavilion standing on most of the old tannery site.

If you would love to find out more about the history of some of our buildings, industries and places, read our book Public Places Public Lives 1860s to 1870s available from our website shop at www.lilydalehistorical.com.au for $25.00.

Book review makes a comeback!

By Christine Yunn-Yu Sun

Greetings, dear constant readers!

After several months of absence, I am now back at work, and I want to wish you all a very belated Happy (Lunar) NewYear.

I hope you have been happily reading your favourite books!

I was unable to read and write for a while, due to two cataract surgeries and some related complications.

I can honestly say that being unable to read books, not only print but also digital, was absolutely a pain.

Worse than that was being able to listen to audiobooks but unable to write proper reviews.

Renowned American author Helen Keller once said: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

By the time I was struggling to read mobile phone menus, I knew I had to stop reading and writing altogether.

The impact was just as Confucius described it:“Three days without reading makes one feel abominable.”

Luckily, as American literary critic and translator Barbara Johnson suggested: “It never hurts your eyesight to look on the bright side of things.”

The bright side of life helps me recognise

PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN

the importance of good health, and of having families and friends guide me through a myriad of challenges and obstacles.

For this, I am very grateful.

I also realise there are more constructive ways to give back to our community.

Instead of reviewing and recommending one book at a time – with intensive reading likely being one contributor to my eye problems – perhaps I can utilise my other skills and contribute to our society by promoting arts and cultural events with a focus on literature and literacy.

Via the “Passion for Prose” column, I have been doing this with The Star Mail’s assistance to some extent.

Indeed, before the column came to a halt in October 2023, I had reviewed and recommended 93 books and 25 literary events and

trends in Australia and overseas.

Looking ahead, in 2024, I would like to increase the number of arts, cultural and literary events featured in this column.

The focus will still be literature and literacy, but I want to bring my reviews and recommendations more aligned withThe Star Mail’s operations to provide news and information relevant to communities across Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges.

From time to time there will be arts, cultural and literary news of national and international significance to be introduced to our local readers.

With that said, if you find a specific literary event or a book worth reviewing or recommending, please get in touch.

Simply drop a line to my Gmail address (christine.yunnyu.sun@gmail.com) and I will respond ASAP.

I very much hope that via The Star Mail as an important regional newspaper, we can work together to promote literature and literary across our diverse communities.

Since the launch of the landmark “National Cultural Policy – Revive” in January 2023, our arts and culture has been recognised as being central to our country’s future.

We can all do our small bit to contribute.

Mother and Son - a wonderful evening

1812 Theatre

Mother and Son

First my congratulations to Director Pip Le Blond for such a wonderful evening of Mother and Son.

The stage setting was brilliant, a lounge room, a kitchen to audience left and then when required a wall was moved to give a dentist’s rooms and a respite area.

The players all had high standards making a delightful evening. Maggie (Mother) was played by Anne B. Smith an absolute extraordinary performance of an elderly lady not sure of her memory and the trouble that causes her son Arthur.

Something many of the audience could relate to. Her son, Arthur, was given an understanding yet frustrating performance as the son who looked after his mother but was not her favourite son.

Tony Clayton caught the essence of such a character giving a superb and sympathetic performance.

His brother Robert, the one mother calls her favourite son was played by George Thompson.

A wonderful performance of the somewhat sleazy character, two timing his wife.

Kemp’s curtain call

Robert’s wife Liz, who put up with so much then did something about it was played by Anna Ruth Laird A remarkable performance living up to the standard of the other performers.

The author, Geoffrey Atherden, the original writer of the TV show wrote the stage production bringing it up to date with mobile phones and skype. Maggie communicated with her grandchildren. 1812 theatre had twoTV screens each side of the stage where the audience saw what was happening when Maggie used skype.

The two grandchildren were played by Skyla Cleverley and Josh Cleverley both giving good performances.

There various voice overs used as fill ins as the sets were changed for various scenes.

The BasinTheatre

Hatched,Matched and Dispatched

A story of life, birth marriage and death. An interesting concept by author/actor Chris Hudson.

Three plays with an interesting introduction including the author playing a car and the door lady playing the usher.

Both were extremely good in their roles and the audience was left wondering of this was or was not part of the show.

The story of Hatched revolved around a young couple who were parents for the first time and their respective parents/grandparents arriving. The girl is Greenie and so are her parents.

The husband goes along with his wife, but his parents are business people ,and the father has no time for Greenies. Lucy Butler was Fleur in this palay as the young new mother. A good performer and handled the role with finesse.

She also played Sarah and Judith in the followingstorieshandlingtheofcharacterswithfinesse.

Kai Ratiteri was the young father in this story and was Simon and Stan in the other stories.

Klai projects well but does need to speak up a little. As the other roles he did a good job of handling different characters.

Top comedy

Drive-Away Dolls

Starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan and Beanie Feldstein

Rated MA15+ 4.25/5

The first solo feature film by Ethan Coen (half of the iconic Coen Brothers), DriveAway Dolls is an offbeat, touching roadtrip comedy.

In 1999, two lesbian best friends – the free-spirited Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and the closed-off Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) – decide to move to Tallahassee, Florida together, but get tangled up in a criminal operation on the way.

Written by Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls is a funny, endearing, character-rich film with a scintillating screenplay.

Qualley and Viswanathan have extraordinary chemistry, and the dialogue is endlessly witty but feels natural. Through cozy slow pacing sprinkled with danger, Marian and Jamie, who start the film as polar opposites, grow closer and progress as people amid adversity.

Jamie is pushy and reckless but cares deeply for Marian, and Marian slowly loosens up and becomes more adventurous. Joey Slotnick and C.J.

Wilson provide levity from a different angle as a bumbling criminal duo on the ladies’ trail, and if you’ve ever wondered what’s inside the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, Drive-Away Dolls offers perhaps the funniest answer possible.

Drive-Away Dolls has plenty of laughout-loud moments, vibrant cinematography and several brief animated interludes that evoke primitive nineties CGI (though some viewers may find these interludes irritating, along with some abrupt editing). It’s also good to see a sex-positive film about two lesbians in a mainstream cinema. The sex scenes are hot without being explicit and aren’t exaggerated for our titillation; they are, first and foremost, a medium for the characters to bond.

Quirky, kinky, moving and very funny, Drive-Away Dolls is playing in select Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

ACROSS

1 Cicatrix (4)

3 New comers to the nation (10)

10 Marriage (7)

11 Sloping type (7)

12 Inventoried (8)

13 Publication (5)

14 Uncommon (4)

15 Bypass (10)

18 Process of change (10)

20 Help (4)

21 Homeland of Sachin Tendulkar (5)

23 Distinguishing badges (8)

26 Dizziness (7)

27 Ships (7)

28 A release of information (10)

29 Holy song (4)

DOWN

1 Cut (4)

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

2 More than one auditorium (9)

4 Provisional (9)

5 Homerian epic (5)

6 Practical view (7)

7 Fasteners (5)

8 Possibly guilty (9)

9 Composition in verse (4)

14 Recovered (9)

16 Bridge (9)

17 Elusively (9)

19 Having three dimensions (7)

22 Game of skill (5)

23 False gods (5)

24 Huff (4)

25 Book ID (1,1,1,1)

DECODER WORDFIT

HEW HUE ITS NEW OWE OWN

URN VIP

WOO

9-LETTER WORD

words: Good

words: Very good 25 words: Excellent Today’s

lupus, H S L R C

cusp, U P

No. 174

No. 174

No. 174

STYLISH EQUINE PROPERTY ON APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES

by the family bathroom complete with bath and shower. There is also a handy separate toilet.

Externally the acreage is divided into 5 fully fenced paddocks, fenced with either electric fencing or mesh fencing. These paddocks are connected through a central laneway which allows for ease of care by having one central hay station & water station. The main gateways are reinforced with Geohex. There is plenty of parking available making it easy to store you float for short trips out to the nearby riding trails or to the local horse riding clubs such as Gembrook Adult Riding Club and Cockatoo Pony Club.

This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today. Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●

0407

room with built in one off fireplace and wood fire heater where you can relax and enjoy your uninterrupted views Large modern entertainer kitchen, large island bench and plenty of cupboard space. Dining area large enough to easily fit a 12-person dining table. TV room to enjoy a movie night with the family or couples. Further 3 great size bedrooms all with built in robes. Family Bathroom. Large well equipped laundry. High ceilings.

Verandah for you to enjoy views of some of the most beautiful landscapes you will find. Large 9m x 6m carport. Property Features: 6.2 acres (approx.) Large water storage over 3 tanks. Landscaped rear yard. Fully paved and landscaped pizza oven area. Large 12m x 8m shed with built in workbench, mezzanine floor, 3 phase power and concrete floor. Crushed rock driveway.

Any astute buyer will clearly see that is a very rare opportunity and must act fast to secure this fantastic property. ●

4/15AnthonyGrove,WooriYallock

$640,000-$690,000

DeluxeUnitwithSpacetoMoveandMountainViews Fantasticopportunityawaitswiththisspacious,meticulouslyrenovatedbrickunit.Boasting2 bedroomsplusa versatilebonusstudio/office,thishomecaterstoyourevolvinglifestyleneeds.Step insidetodiscover astrikingkitchenfeaturingsleekstonebenchtops,abundantstoragesolutionswith ampledrawersandcupboards.Theopenplanlayoutofthelounge/diningareaisbathedinnatural light,creatinga warmandinvitingambiance.Theupdatedbathroomboastsgenerousstorage options.Stepoutsidetoanoutdoorentertainmentoasis.Equippedwithcafeblinds,outdoorheaters, andbreathtakingmountainviews,thisspaceseamlesslyextendsyourlivingarea.Thecharming cottagegardensprovideimmaculatelandscaping,meanderingpaths,anda vegetablegarden. With aconvenientlocation,thishomeofferstheperfectblendofserenityandaccessibility.

RebeccaDoolan

M 0401832068

Inspection:Tues5:30-6:00pm

50GlenwrightAvenue,WooriYallock

CharmingFamilyHavenwithConvenienceandStyle

$630,000-$690,000

Stepinto ahomethateffortlesslycombinesconvenience,familycomfort,anda touchofstyle. Nestledina fantasticlocation,just aleisurelystrollawayfromtheWarburtontrailandtownamenities, thispropertyis awinninginvestmentinbothconvenienceandconnectivity.Setamidstmeticulously maintainedgardens,thisimmaculatefamilyhomeboastsanundercoveroutdoorentertainment area.Inside,discoverthreegenerouslysizedbedrooms,eachequippedwithbuilt-inrobes.The modernkitchenoffersamplebenchandstoragespaceandseamlesslyconnectstotheadjacent mealsarea.Thefamilybathroomfeatures aluxurioustubfor asoothingsoak,floor-to-ceilingtiling, anda bright,airyambiance.Thetandemcarportensuresampleparkingspace.Withitsperfectblend ofpracticality,comfort,andstyle,thishomeleaveslittletobedesired.Don’tmissout!

SamanthaPrice M 0438795190

Inspection:

ByAppointment

3 A 1 B 2 C

P 59662530

P 5967 1277

Unique,StylishHomewithDonRiverVista

ThismodernthreebedroomhomeboastsoneofthemostbeautifulbackdropsinDonValley.Relax onyourgenerousbalconywhilelisteningtothesoothingsoundsoftheriver.Setonapproxhalfan acreontitle,withbenefitsofenjoyingthedelightsoftheadjacentriverreserve.Thehomeoffers cathedralceilingsinthemainlivingarea,andallthemodernfeaturesyou’dexpectincludingtwo well-appointedbathrooms,ensuitewithtwinbasinandwalkinrobetothemaster.A delightful modernkitchenoffersplentyofcupboards &drawers,dishwasher,gascookingandoverlooksthe livingandmealszone.Extrasincludemainsgasductedheating,reversecycleairconditioning,mains water,doublelockupgarage/workshopwithbackyardviewsandfurthershedding.A greatfloor planwithabundantlight,surroundedwitha quaintgarden,thishomewilldelightallwhovisit.

1916DonRoad,DonValley$850,000 -$935,000 SamanthaPrice M 0438795190

Inspection: Sat11:00-11:30am

3 A 2 B 2 C

15SussexStreet,Warburton $740,000 -$790,000

CompletefamilyPackageonover1/2acrewithlargeworkshop Surroundedbytheambianceof aferngullyforestandaccompaniedbythesoothingwaters of‘YthanCreek,’spanningacross ageneroushalf-acregardenparcelthispropertypresentsa myriadofopportunityateveryturn.Theupdated,stylishkitchenboasts aSmegcookerandBosch dishwasher,seamlesslyflowingintothemeals,living,anddiningareas,adornedbyexpansive front-facingwindows.Offeringthreebedroomsalongside aspaciousstudy,animpressiveupdated laundry,andabundantstoragespace.Thishomeensurescomfortwithsplit-systemheatingand coolingthroughout.Thefullyfencedblockboastswell-establishedfruittreesandtwovegetable patches, asubstantiallock-upgarageandworkshopattheendoftheseconddriveway.Embrace theopportunitytorelishandpersonalizethistranquilandidylliclifestylesetamidstnature.

RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068

Inspection: Sat1.00-1.30pm

3 A 1 B 4 C

SOLDIN10DAYS!

CanYOUHElP?

Thetwobuyerswhohavemissedoutonthishomeareverykeentobuyinthearea IfyouareinterestedintheNEWvalueofyourproperty,pleaseemail,textorcall:-

GRANTSKIPSEY(45YearsRealEstateExperience) grants@rangesfn.com.au 0418528102

GrantSkipsey 0418528102

EMBRACEMODERNLIvING

SElBY 10MASKELLShILLROAD

bedroomisperfectasa teenager’sretreat.Theheartofthishomeliesinitsopen-plan design &featuressoaringcathedralceilings,spaciouslayoutbathedinnaturalsunlight, wood fire,updatedkitchen,6.75kwsolarsystem,spaciousdoublegarage,sealed driveway,fencedseparateareaforanimalsandnativegardensona 2295sqmblock

JanBrewster 0409558805

DUALOCCUPANCYON10ACRES

Olinda 35MCCARThYROAD

Views,PrivacyandPeace& Quiet

Apropertylikethisisrareandneedstobeseen.Thesettingincludesutmostprivacywith over250well-establishedproductivenut,Manukaandfruittrees.Themainbrickresidence offersliving,dining &mealsarea,coveredoutdoordiningspacewithviewsand a3-car carport.Theprivate 2bedroomunitincludes astudy &interioraccesstothegarage.The self-containedofficehasa balconywithparkingbaysunderneath.Moreoutbuildings includea studio,shedding,pergola,greenhouse,chookpens,igloos &off-streetparking.

Mickdolphin 0429684522

Erindavies 0493136937

39MainStreet,Gembrook$780,000 -$850,000

Opportunity,ViewsandIdealLocationAwaitWithThisCharmingCottage!

ThismixedzoningpropertylocatedontheGembrookMainStreetisdirectlyoppositetheGembrook

PrimarySchool &offersviewstotheWarburtonRanges.Renovatethe 2bedroom,1 bathroomminers cottagewithwelcomingfrontverandah,ordemolish& buildyourdreamhomeorbusiness(STCA)on this1051sqmallotment.Situatedbehind amaintainedhedge,therearetwodriveways,allowingfor plentyofoff-streetparking.Thehomeitselfhas acosyfrontverandah &leadlightfeaturefrontdoor. Enterthehometodiscoverthefrontloungeroomwithopenwoodfire.Thereis amasterbedroom andthenflowthroughtothekitchenwithfreestandingwoodfireandelectricstove/oven.Then discover asecondbedroom.Totherearofthehomeisa generouslaundry,bathroomwith ashower overbath,andmudroom/secondsittingarea.Externallythereisa shedinthefullyfencedrearyard.

KarenPeele

M 0419430950

3BellStreet,Cockatoo$650,000 -$695,000

ThisHomeisBurstingWithCockatooCottageCharm!

Withestablishedgardenssurroundingthis 3bedroom,1 bathroomhome,enjoythefeelingofbeing shelteredfromthehustleandbustle &yetbeinglessthan5 minuteswalktotheconveniencesof CockatooMainstreet.Thishomehas acirculargraveldriveway, aDLUG, &has afullyfencedfront yard,separatefencedbackyard, &gatedfrontporch.Enterthehometofind acosywoodfireinthe loungeroom.Thekitchen& loungeroomareopenplan, &thereis aslidingdoorfromthediningroom totherearpavedarea.2 ofthe3 bedroomsofferBIRs,whilstallutilisingthefamilybathroomwitha heater,&abath& shower.Thereis alovelyrearoutdoorcoveredentertainingarea, &theDLUGhas plentyofspacefor aworkshoparea& hasconcretefloor,power &lights.Thereisa reargardenshed &a singlecarport.

SamanthaScott M 0438680032

BethanySullivan M 0438844968

100Gembrook-TonimbukRoad,Gembrook $1,200,000 -$1,300,000

StylishEquinePropertyonapprox.5 acres!

Theexpansive 5bedroom,2 bathroomhomehasa formalloungeroom &a masterbedroomwitha largeWIR &ensuite.Nearthemasterbedroomis afurtherbedroomwithceilingfan &BIRs.Thehome hashighceilings,doubleglazedlargewindows, &reversecycleAC.Thecentralopenplankitchen/ dining/loungeareaisfloodedwithnaturallight,& offers awoodfireheater,& kitchenwitha large walkinpantry.Thekitchenhas a900mmgasstove/oven,& SSappliancesincludingdishwasher& Caesarstonebenchtops.Thereis alaundrywithit’sownexternalaccess, astudy/officearea,& then 3furtherbedrooms,allwithceilingfans& BIRs.Thesebedroomsareservicedbythefamilybathroom &separatetoilet.Externallytheacreageisdividedinto5 fullyfencedpaddocks.Thishomeutilizes gasbottles,tankwater,has4kWsolarwith18solarpanels, &mainselectricity.

AaronDay M 0407365994

BrennanMileto M 0422996451

5 A 2 BC

23WilliamsonRoad,Gembrook $890,000 -$960,000

FullyRenovated& PrivateHomeonOver½ anAcre! Stepinsidetodiscoverthemasterbedroomwith awoodfire,WIR,ceilingfan,splitsystemAC& ensuitewithdoubleshower.Continuealongthehalltodiscover 3furtherbedroomswithBIRs, servicedby afamilybathroom &separatetoilet.Thereisanopenplanloungeroom &kitchenwitha builtingasfireplace.Thenthekitchenoffers alargeislandwithBellingstovetop,floatingrangehood, granitestonebenchtops,walkinpantry,built-inplumbedfridge,double-glazedwindows&2sets ofbifold-doorsopeningouttothereartimberentertainingdeck.Thereis apondamongstthe establishedgardenbeds,fruittrees,& twocoveredvegetablegardensallwithirrigation.Thereisalso achickencoop,multiplesheds,singlelockupgaragewithconcretefloor,& power/lighting.There aredualwatertanks,mainswater,circulardriveway& solarpanelswithinverters.

SamanthaScott M 0438680032

BethanySullivan M 0438844968

4 A 2 B 1

SPANNING

The

Filled

4MerrigumLane,BELGRAVE

$1,050,000to$1,150,000 ABEAUTIFULBLENDOFLOCATIONANDLIFESTYLE

1ABlackHillRoad,MENZIESCREEK $1,200,000-$1,320,000 20ACRES-A PEACEFUL,PRIVATE&PICTUREPERFECTLIFESTYLE

4 A 2 B 2 C

Architecturallydesignedandbrimmingwithbeautifulelements,thispropertyis aunique offeringwithinwalkingdistancetoBelgravetownship,BelgraveRecreationalReserveand BirdslandReserve. Withanelevatedaspectwithvistaviewsandaningroundpoolperfect forfamilies, alifetimeofenjoymentisavailableatthiseleganthome.

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

Privatelypositionedon20gloriousacresandboasting abeautifulmixofgentlyforested areasandcleared,useableland,thisqualitypropertyisreadyandwaitingforitsnext ownerstobuild(STCA)andenjoythepeacefullifestylethatawaits. Withtworoadfrontages (SchoolRoadandBlackHillRoad)andconvenientaccesstobothWellingtonRoadand BurwoodHighway,thelocationofthispropertyissecondtonone.

SharynChandler

M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

36BestStreet,BELGRAVE

MEDITERRANEANFLAREIN AMAGNIFICENTLOCATION

Magnificent“Lugano”boasts atouchofMediterraneanstylepairedwith atop-notchlocation.SituatedstepsfromBelgraveOutdoorPool,trainandbustransport,schools,andBelgrave’s bustling restaurantandentertainmentprecinct,thissplendidpropertyblendsprestigeandpositiontoperfection.

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

97546888

RachelEastwood M 0401117761| E rachel@chandlerandco.com.au

1689BurwoodHighway,BelgraveVIC3160

www.chandlerandco.com.au office@chandlerandco.com.au

SPORT Club among top contenders

By Joanna Campe

Round 13 results for Lilydale Tennis Club in the Eastern Region Tennis Competition.

Junior Open Doubles (JOD10) Lilydale v Selby

After round 12 Lilydale was sitting just outside the top four on the ladder.

Lilydale was represented by Nenuka Withanage, Lachie Sweet, Haady Aziz and Ivy Pieper.

Lilydale played away this week against Selby. In a very competitive match, it was Selby that came away with the points taking 4 sets to 2 –winning 30 games to Lilydale 26.

· Result: 6-5, 6-3, 6-3, 1-6, 5-6, 6-3

Junior Open Singles Doubles Lilydale v Serpell

After round 12 Lilydale was sitting on top of the ladder.

Lilydale was represented by Alex Paladino, Ari Marappan, Ryan Taylor and Adam Paladino.

Lilydale played away this week against Serpell. It was a comprehensive win this week for Lilydale 7 sets to 1 – winning 45 games to Serpell 26.

· Result: 2-6, 2-6, 6-7 (5-7 tie break), 4-6, 4-6, 0-6, 6-2, 2-6

Open Rubbers 19 Lilydale Green v Ferny Creek Green

After round 12 Lilydale was sitting on top of the ladder.

Lilydale Green was represented by Noah Burow and David Halkidis.

Lilydale played at home this week against second placed Ferny Creek Green. In a very close match, it was Ferny Creek that won the day 3 sets to 2 – winning 26 games to Lilydale 24.

· Result: 3-6, 2-6, 6-7 (6-8 tie break), 6-2, 7-5

Open Rubbers 25 Lilydale v BYE

After round 12 Lilydale was in third place on the ladder.

Lilydale had a BYE this week so will be keen to get back on the court next weekend for the last round before the finals commence.

· Result: BYE

Contest back for autumn

By John Thomson

Last year, the Autumn and Spring Croquet Shield competitions were cancelled. It is now great to have the Autumn and Spring competitions back, but under a different name and with a couple of different clubs this year.

The name of the new competition is the Southeast Metro Competition and the clubs are Mornington, Sandringham, Monash, Ringwood, Lilydale and Kew.

On Mondays there will be the Level Play competition and on Thursdays there will be the Handicap competition, the same as previous years.

Last Thursday was the start of the season with the Handicap competition getting under way.

Lilydale Croquet Club played at home against Kew. With no real competition for 12 months it was going to be interesting to see which team had good early season form.

With the weather bureau forecasting high temperatures and strong northerly winds the committee of management decided to modify the draw and start the day a bit earlier.

First game was singles. Lilydale’s captain, Craig McCracken played and was starting minus 1 hoop with his opponent starting with a positive 2 hoops, this meant Craig had to make up 3 hoops to get even. Craig as always battled hard and slowly made up ground, eventually winning in a very close game 7 hoops to Kew 6 hoops.

The next game was doubles with Lilydale’s Mick Crawley and Graham Rhodes pairing up. Mick and Graham got off to a good start but part way through the Kew players started to run their hoops and were making up ground, Mick and Graham stayed focused under the pressure eventually winning 7 hoops to Kew 5 hoops.

In the next singles game Lilydale’s Mick Crawley played. This game was an epic battle with both players going hoop for hoop. Mick started 1 hoop behind so he had a bit of extra work to do. The pressure and probably the conditions getting to both players as they both struggled to make plays they would normally make. Eventually Mick took out the game 7 hoops to Kew 6 hoops.

The last game was doubles and the husband and wife team of Kerri and Craig McCracken paired up. This was Kerri’s first game for the day and being a fresh player in these conditions was probably an advantage to Lilydale. Kerri was playing very well running hoops and clearing their opponents balls away and Craig was as steady as always. Lilydale had a comfortable win 7 hoops to Kew 3 hoops.

The final score for the day was Lilydale 4 games 28 hoops to Kew 0 games 20 hoops.

Although Kew did not win a game there were 2 games that went 7 hoops to 6 so very close and could have easily been won by Kew.

This was a very good start to the season for Lilydale.

Monday marked the start of the level play competition. Lilydale has a team in division 1 and also a team in division 2.

LilydaleTennis club welcomes all players of any age and ability. For information on how to join Lilydale Tennis Club please visit play.tennis. com.au/lilydaletennisclub.

For all coaching enquiries (Juniors and Adults) please contact Andrew at Pro Touch Tennis Academy ptta.com.au/contact

Golfers head to Gardiners

By David Waters

All our intrepid senior golfers struck out for Gardiners Run as the grey day dawned. Expecting a change from the blustery heat of Thursday and some continuation of the gentle storms. We were surprised with high teen temperatures and slight breezes. A great day for golf was the agreed sentiment.

As usual for all the old duffers the first few holes provided the varied golf shots we endured. A great drive rewarded with a dribble into a bunker. A shot into the rough followed by a recovery next to the pin. What hair we have is torn out. Loud vocalised admonishment of club and ball follows a bad shot. The golfer is NOT TO BLAME. It is now halfway through the season, and everyone has renewed acquaintances, and some remember the names. Lots of friendly commentary continues as we appreciate the conditions and that we can still play.

Today the top two teams in gold and green groups fight to maintain their position. Three weeks in a row Churchill/Waverley and Eastern have swapped spots. Today for dominance? The neighbours, Yering Meadows and home team Gardiners Run continue their Derby, both in midfield with improvement apparent at both clubs. Box Hill yet to show their colours while Heritage seems to be hitting their straps.

A few hold ups were encountered throughout the day, but all players were back in the club rooms by 12.30pm. Lunch being rapidly served, delicious schnitzel and chips. More talk while eating and drinking, an enjoyable time. A short presentation not hindered by heckle praised the ground staff and caterers for their effort and Kent Davey read out the results.

Gold group. Heritage 4 ½ def Box Hill 3 ½. Churchill/Waverley 4 ½ def Eastern. Gardiners Run 4 tied with Yering Meadows 4. Green group. Eastern 6 def Churchill/Waverley 2. Yering Meadows 6 def Gardiners Run 2. Box Hill 4 tied with Heritage 4.

Next week round 5 will be hosted by Eastwood.

Safe driving and good golfing until then.

Chris Hull from Heritage lines up for a birdie putt after driving the par four 5th hole.

Lilydale Croquet Club captain Craig McCracken was up first in the return of the autumn croquet competition. 309068

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Alex Paladino, Ari Marappan, Ryan Taylor and Adam Paladino had a major win against Serpell keeping them on top of the ladder. Picture: SUPPLIED