News - Cranbourne Star News - 21st March 2024

Doctor

By

Violet Li

Services at a women’s health clinic in Hampton Park have been partially closed and a surgeon suspended following a Casey woman’s death after an abortion surgery.

Narre Warren South woman and mother of two Harjit Kaur died shortly after a pregnancy termination surgery in Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic on 12 January.

The Department of Health suspended the clinic’s registration as a day procedure centre on 29 February following two days of inspection. The suspension does not apply to general practices services.

On 15 March, the Medical Board of Australia suspended the registration of obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Rudolph Lopes, who performed the abortion surgery on Miss Kaur. The reason behind the suspension has not

been revealed and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is unable to comment further about individual practitioners, or any investigations being undertaken in relation to an individual practitioner, beyond the information already in the public domain.

In a statement, AHPRA said it had received a range of concerns about a number of practitioners associated with the clinic and some of these concerns were also before the Victorian Coroner.

“AHPRA has established a specialist team to lead a coordinated examination of these issues which involve multiple practitioners across a number of professions and a number of practice locations,” it stated.

“Our investigation will continue in parallel with the coronial inquest into the death of a patient, respecting the integrity of the coro-

ner’s critical work.”

A Coroners Court spokesperson said the death of Harjit Kaur was reported to the court and the coronial investigation was ongoing.

“As this is an active investigation, no further comment can be made,” they said.

The clinic’s medical director Dr Michelle Kenney said Miss Kaur’s death was very tragic, sudden, and unexpected, and nobody wanted to see that happen.

“My team had 30 seconds to respond to her heart stopping and they performed an excellent resuscitation which lasted for over 45 minutes,” she said.

Dr Kenney believed that the suspension of the day surgeries and Dr Lopes’ registration had no direct connection with the death of Miss Kaur.

“We are now being called murderers,” she

Cooking up a storm

Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre has been recognised in a state-wide award for its outside-school-hours care that boosts nourishing dietary options to help children learn, play, and be active.

The Cranbourne North centre won the Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) category under the Vic Kids Eat Well Awards 2023.

It has engaged around 30 children from surrounding primary schools with a focus on cooking activities and healthy food and drinks.

The award acknowledged that the centre re-imagined snacks and meals to offer a huge range of tasty, nutritious options to children attending before and after-school care.

Story page 14

said.

Dr Kenney said that Dr Lopes ordered a coroner’s inquest days after the death of Miss Kaur. “He spoke with a forensic pathologist who had done the autopsy on Miss Kaur. The forensic pathologist was stumped. He didn’t know what had caused her death. He ruled out a surgical or anaesthetic cause and he was taking it to a group of senior pathologists,” she said.

“Last we heard, they were investigating congenital cardiac causes.

“What’s happened is the authorities have looked at everything else in the clinic, which was non-sinister, and turned it into something sinister to throw mud at us, whilst being totally uninterested in what happened on the day.”

Continued page 10

Peyton cooking away. 395179

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Grants for the community

Applications for the City of Casey’s 2024/25 Community Grants Program and the 2024-27 Community Service Organisation Funding Program are now open.

Not-for-profit community groups and organisations who provide services and programs for the Casey community are encouraged to apply for a community grant of up to $5,000.

Financial assistance of up to $40,000 for three years is also available to not-for-profit community service organisations who provide programs and services for the Casey community in the areas of health, wellbeing and safety.

Applications close at 5.00 pm on Friday 26 April.

For more information and to apply, please visit the ‘Grants for the Community’ page on our website.

Grants officers are also available to talk through application ideas and answer questions you may have. Please contact 9705 5200 or email communitygrants@casey.vic.gov.au

2024 Casey Indigenous Plant Giveaway

Our gardens provide us with an opportunity to support the unique plants and animals of our local environment.

As part of our 2024 Casey Plant Giveaway, we are inviting residents to register to collect three free plants from one of five participating indigenous nurseries.

Registrations for the voucher are now open until Sunday 31 March. There is a limit of one voucher per household, and all vouchers must be redeemed at your nominated nursery by Sunday 2 June 2024.

Terms and conditions apply. For more information and to register, please visit our website.

Applications open for Casey Heritage Restoration Fund

Do you own a heritage-listed property in the City of Casey?

You may be eligible for financial assistance for conservation works through the Casey Heritage Restoration Fund. For more information and to apply, please visit our website.

BeforeAfter

Reporting graffiti now easier and quicker

Did you know that we offer direct reporting of graffiti via the Snap, Send, Solve app?

Available from the App Store and Google Play, the app populates the location you are reporting from, helping our dedicated graffiti removal team to locate and remove the graffiti. You can also attach photos to your report. You can also submit a request via the Snap, Send Solve website or by contacting our Customer Service Team on 9705 5200.

Supporting Casey’s creative sector with Live and Local program

Casey’s talented musicians and vibrant live music venues are encouraged to register for our brand new Live and Local program to gain access to workshops and professional development opportunities, networking, events and grant information. Please visit our website to find out how you can get involved.

Provide feedback on a number of consultations currently open on our community engagement platform, Casey Conversations.

• Berwick Village Activity Centre

• Endeavour Hills dog-friendly park

• Casey community events

• Council’s immunisation service

• Disability access and inclusion

• Safe Around Schools program

• Affordable and alternative housing for residents aged over 55

• 2024 Business Insights Survey

Head to the Casey Conversations website to find out more.

No donation ban decision

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

The State Government has announced it will accept most of IBAC’s 34 recommendations arising from its Operation Sandon inquiry into Casey Council and property developers.

On 20 March, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the government would accept 32 of them in full or in-principle.

However, IBAC’s recommended ban on political donations from “high-risk groups” such as property-developers is still being considered.

It follows a recently-released report by the state’s Electoral Review Expert Panel which found prohibiting donations by property developers was “unnecessary”.

“Victoria’s disclosure requirements and low general cap on political donations make it unnecessary to introduce bans on donations from particular industries,” the Panel stated.

It found there were “significant policy and administrative challenges” to such a ban, such as the cost and burden of doing background checks of donors and determining what industries an organisation belonged to.

“At the moment, there does not appear to be a clear, established policy rationale for determining which industries a ban should apply to,” the panel stated.

“Industry-specific bans may unreasonably slur or stigmatise an industry.”

Meanwhile, the government partially accepted the proposed creation of an interdepartmental taskforce to oversee the recom-

mendations’ implementation.

It didn’t support the taskforce making quarterly progress reports to IBAC, stating it was “not appropriate”.

“Significant policy development and legislative change is ordinarily subject to Cabinet consideration.”

The taskforce will report back to the public within 18 months.

Many recommendations were accepted by the government as part of its Housing Statement, which will shake up the state’s planning system.

As recommended by IBAC, it will look at taking planning decisions out of councillors’ hands.

Premier Jacinta Allan said the government was“strengthening planning and local govern-

ment as part of our once-in-a-generation reform to build more homes”.

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said: “Victorians deserve to have trust in the state’s planning system, and we’re accepting these recommendations as part of our work to make sure good decisions are made faster – and more transparently.”

The government has already announced reforms at local councils, including mandatory training for councillors, a uniform councillor code of conduct and more powers for the Local Government Minister against errant councillors.

As part of Operation Sandon, former Casey mayors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett were especially highlighted for accepting more than $1.15 million in payments and in-kind support from developer John Woodman.

They were found to promote Woodman’s interests in several key planning decisions at Casey without declaring their conflict of interest. Woodman was also found to cultivate influence at state government level, paying lobbyists and donating generously to Labor and Liberal party coffers.

He’d also funded 11 ‘friendly’ candidates’ campaigns in the Casey elections in 2016, and was linked to a community residents action group funded by developer Leightons.

It’s yet to be seen whether Aziz and Ablett will face criminal charges. IBAC has powers to refer alleged criminality to the Office of Public Prosecutions to make that call.

Both councillors and Woodman have denied wrong-doing.

Man behind bars after glassing pub patron’s throat

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A Casey man has been jailed over an “extremely dangerous” glassing that cut a pubgoer’s throat and jugular vein.

Clint William Bellingham, 33, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to recklessly causing serious injury over the incident at The Deck bar in Frankston in February 2023.

Attending his brother’s buck’s night, Bellingham acted out of “drug and alcohol fueled aggression”, sentencing judge Peter Lauritsen said on 19 March.

Earlier, he had got drunk in the afternoon, followed by cocaine cut with meth as well as about 15-20mL of GHB.

The victim, who was at the bar to celebrate his wife’s 30th birthday, got in a verbal dispute with some of Bellingham’s friends.

Soon afterwards, Bellingham approached with a beer glass.

A friend tried to restrain him but Bellingham shouted “you f***ing rat” and thrust the glass into the victim’s throat.

The glass broke, causing “horrific” and profuse bleeding from the victim’s lacerated left facial artery and right jugular vein.

It was an “extremely dangerous area” to strike, Lauritsen said.

A security guard wrapped towels around his neck and an ambulance was called.

The victim began to feel tired and wanted to go to sleep.

The father of now two children thought that he was going to die, Lauritsen noted.

Without surgery and multiple blood transfusions, the victim was likely to have succumbed, an expert told the court.

The victim has been scarred on his neck and jaw, with nerve damage preventing him from fully bringing his lips together.

He stated that he could no longer speak, sleep and eat comfortably and his social life is impaired.

An hour after the attack, Bellingham went to Casey Hospital emergency department to treat the glass injury to his right hand.

He was arrested at his home eight days later – having been using meth for the past

nine days.

Bellingham claimed to police at Narre Warren police station that the victim punched him and so he acted in self-defence.

“I definitely regret it, it’s nothing I am proud about,” Bellingham told police.

“I’m sorry for the bloke, I feel sorry for myself.”

Bellingham didn’t pursue the self-defence argument at court.

The father of four had been previously found guilty of 213 charges in 18 court matters including 13 acts of violence – including four times for reckless conduct causing serious injury.

He’d been jailed 11 times previously – the longest stint being 12 months.

Born and raised in Dandenong, Bellingham was a “product of your earlier life which was appalling but you seem incapable of change”, Lauritsen said.

His upbringing was said to be linked to his later drug abuse, his psychological state and his disproportionate response to perceived threats.

He was diagnosed with major depressive, panic and complex post-traumatic-stress disorders.

On the night of the glassing, he’d broken a two-year abstinence on a drug-and-alcoholtreatment court order.

The DTO was successfully completed three months beforehand.

“The order had so little lasting effect that you used methamphetamine consistently over a nine-day period before you were arrested as well as alcohol and drugs on the day of the offence,” the judge said.

Lauritsen rated a “genuinely remorseful” Bellingham’s rehabilitation prospects as “poor” and “not uncertain”.

Six previous community corrections orders including drug treatment were “all apparently to little avail”.

Bellingham was jailed for up to three years and nine months, with a two-and-a-half-year non-parole period. It was his longest ever sentence.

His term includes 400 days of pre-sentence detention.

An IBAC recommendation to ban property developers from making political donations remains up in the air.

Premier Jacinta Allan has announced the government has accepted 32 of IBAC’s 34 recommendations arising from Operation Sandon. 374312 Picture: ROB CAREW

Saved from losing $2000

By Violet Li

A Cranbourne banker has saved a local woman from losing $2000 by stopping a six-monthlong romance scam, amid a rise in similar scams.

In late February this year, Maxine (not her real name), a local in her 60s, came into the Cranbourne NAB branch to deposit $2000 into an account.

She didn’t know the recipient’s surname when asked by the customer advisor Dilan Pathirannahalage, so she showed Dilan the surname in a text message on her phone and Dilan accidentally noticed very affectionate language in the previous messages.

He continued to ask Maxine the purpose of the transaction as routine, but she could not give any direct answers.

All these triggered a red flag for the banker, so he started to probe into what was going on.

It was found out that Maxine was adamant that the money was to help her boyfriend who was sick and needed the money for treatment.

“She told me her boyfriend, who she met on social media, lived in Turkey and needed to fly to the UK for treatment, but his account had been frozen so was unable to receive the funds from her,” Dilan said.

“He told her to instead send the money to his friend in Sydney who could then transfer him the money. The reason she didn’t know who she was transferring the funds to was because she had never met the person on the other end of the line who she thought was her boyfriend, and so didn’t know their friends either.

“Even though the holes in the scammer’s story were clear to me, she was blinded by her love for him. These criminals are cunning and will prey on people’s kindness to steal their money.”

Dilan noticed the photo of the boyfriend could be taken from the internet or a magazine.

“This guy is wearing like a full suit, a waistcoat. I asked, have you seen any other photos?”

he recalled.

“Just none. So, only one photo in six months.”

Dilan then spent time with Maxine explaining why this was a scam.

“It’s very hard to convince. I spoke to her for quite a bit of time,” he said.

“They were actually calling her three times when she was in the branch.

“I said to her if I will give you some money, do you call me every time to get the money till

you get the money? Normal people won’t do that.”

Dilan said the lady was thankful later for him intervening with the transaction, which had saved her from losing a whole paycheque.

He also pointed out that according to NAB’s latest statistics, reports of romance scams increased by 29 per cent last year.

“For me as a banker, we have so many customers lined up and we want to help them as quickly as possible. I was glad to be able to spend the extra time with Maxine to stop her

from falling victim to a romance scam,” he said.

“I want everyone to know that if you’re not sure, just ask someone. We’re here to help.”

NAB is continuing to fight against scammers as part of a bank-wide strategy. It is running ads about romance scams across dating websites and apps and introducing more payment alerts across Internet Banking and in the NAB app, which will help customers spot potential romance scam red flags.

New childcare centre in Cranbourne North proposed

By Violet Li

A $960,000 childcare centre has been proposed in Cranbourne North’s established residential area, projected to accommodate 102 children and 18 staff.

Replacing the current detached weatherboard dwelling on 24 Huon Park Road, the proposed single-storey facility is said to “respond to the needs of the growing population of the area”.

It would operate from 6.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. The peak hours are estimated to be around 8.30am to 9.30am and 3.30pm to 4.30pm.

The existing crossover located along Huon Park Road would be relocated to the north-

west corner of the street frontage for a twoway internal access way through the middle of the driveway. Two street trees on the nature strip would be removed accordingly for the relocation.

New vegetation would be planted in the open spaces and around the car park.

The proposal has provision for 18 on-site parking spaces, including one disabled parking space, and is applying for a reduction of car-parking spaces against the statutory car parking requirements, the application states.

The development plan states that the kerbside along the site frontage could provide space for up to three vehicles, which would be sufficient to accommodate the

shortfall in parking.

It believes that the on-street parking demand would be only likely to occur during peak hours and would be short-term lasting for 5 to 15 minutes, with minimal impact on the surrounding uses.

The proposal also outlines the projected peak-hour traffic volumes generated by the new facility, which would be 77 additional vehicle movements per hour during the morning peak and 69 during the afternoon peak.

The daily traffic volume would be around 337 vehicle movements.

It states that “the additional traffic generated by the childcare centre can be adequately accommodated within the surrounding

road network”.

Huon Park Road, a local road, has a single two-way carriageway that is approximately 7 metres wide, with a default speed limit of 50kph.

A noise impact report concluded the development was predicted to comply with the noise criteria in the Planning Scheme and it recommended acoustic barriers around the property and management controls to reduce noise.

The nearest childcare centre next to the proposed one is on Huon Park Road within a four-minute walking distance.

Casey Council will not make a decision before 2 April.

Cranbourne banker Dilan Pathirannahalage has saved a local woman from losing $2000 by stopping a six-month-long romance scam. 395303

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

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Funding plea for desexing

By Violet Li

The Lost Dogs Home Cranbourne is pleading for “consistent and ongoing” funding for cat desexing programs as the shelter has seen its cat intake for Casey increase by 88 per cent in the last two years.

The Cranbourne facility took in 739 cats from 2020 to 2021, 1093 from 2021 to 2022, and 1393 from 2022 to 2023 in the City of Casey area.

Spokesperson Suzana Talevski said there had been a steady increase and it was a quite staggering number.

“There are just not enough animals that are being desexed,” she said.

“As much as we’ve tried over the years to educate and inform the community about the importance of desexing your pets, it has worked to a degree, but not enough to stop those numbers getting higher and higher.

“What we need to do is to work together with the community, the local government, and the State Government to make sure we’ve got programs that provide low-cost desexing alternatives because we know that the cost of living does bite, and there are a lot of families doing it tough.”

Casey Council currently has 8439 registered cats, and the majority are desexed except those with exemptions.

The State Government has recently committed $300,000 to run a trial program to in-

crease cat desexing rates, address cat overpopulation, and support vulnerable cat owners.

Councils can now apply for grants of up to $25,000 to deliver targeted cat desexing programs within their community.

The council-run programs will focus on people who care for semi-owned and unowned cats and help them take full ownership of these cats. The program will also provide free and low-cost desexing services to cats owned by Victorians who may be experiencing financial hardship in the program’s target areas.

Executive director of animal welfare Victoria Dr Trevor Pisciotta said desexing cats

helped reduce the burden of over-population on Victoria’s domestic animal services.

“Although 95 per cent of registered cats are desexed by the age of two, cats can have multiple litters in this time. This can sadly result in thousands of cats entering the Victorian pound and shelter system each year,” he said.

Ms Talevski said the recent program was a great start, which the shelter welcomed.

“But when you think about the fact that it will be divided between councils in Victoria, then that means it’s probably not going to have the impact that we need to really make a substantial difference in reducing the number of

cats that are out there,” she said.

She pointed out the cat population issue was likely the number one issue facing the shelter.

“And it doesn’t seem to be getting any better,” she said.

“We really need support from the State Government to provide adequate funding for those initiatives.”

City of Casey’s manager connected communities Callum Pattie said Casey had a 24hour cat curfew in place since 1999 to address cat issues in the community.

“Uncontrolled cats can have a significant impact on local wildlife and by containing cats to their owner’s property, it not only reduces the impact on the wildlife but helps keep the cat itself safe from other stray animals, disease, and harm from vehicles,” he said.

“It is important that pet owners practice responsible pet ownership by ensuring their cat is contained to their property, microchipped, registered with council, and wearing a registration tag at all times.

“Should a cat be found wandering outside their owner’s property and if registered with the council, the cat is returned home, and the owner is given a warning on the first occurrence. If the wandering cat is found and is unregistered, they are taken to the pound and the owner will be issued with an infringement penalty.”

Brendan Fevola statue unveiled in Narre Warren

By Emma Xerri

AFL great Brendan ‘Fev’ Fevola has been immortalised in copper form, with a statue of the popular radio host now at Narre Warren’s Webb Street.

Whether they were there for the statue’s unveiling or for the performance from Australian musical legend Shannon Noll, an excited crowd welcomed Fev at Bunjil Place for the statue’s unveiling on Friday 15 March.

Also joining in on the festivities were cohosts Fifi and Nick, as the team ventured to Fev’s home turf for Brekky in the Burbs.

“This is a big moment for the show as Brendan Fevola stands here in front of his home people in Narre Warren,” co-host Fifi Box said.

“Let’s talk about what this man has achieved. Six-hundred-and-twenty-three career goals. 204 AFL games. Three-time

OPINION

LENSCAPE

All Australian. Two-time Coleman Medallist. Italian Team of the Century. King of the Jungle 2016. Two Guinness World Records. It’s the great build-up… NarreWarren, here is your statue of the great man himself… Brendan Fevola!”

And Fev, who was simply relieved the statue actually looked like him, also relished the honour.

“Oh my God, this is like a mirror!” he said.

“What an amazing honour because dead people normally get this, and I’m not dead yet.

“Please don’t wreck it, make sure you look after it. If people poo on it, clean it. If other people want to get around it… I reckon we should be roping it off.

“People have been bronzed around the world and it doesn’t look like them… I think I look amazing!”

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN

Thumbs down

On the engineering marvel who designed the roundabout on the Camms Rd rail overpass.

Thumbs up

To the magnificent Pakenham Show. Something for everyone to enjoy and perfect weather.

Thumbs down

To the arrogant people that think it is okay to dump their junk along the Princes Highway between Pakenham and Nar Nar Goon roundabout. Clean up your act, people. What a disgrace. Book a hard rubbish pick up - two a year for free.

Thumbs up

To turning McGregor Road into an airport runway with LED reflectors - can see the whole road light up in your mirrors at 4.30am.

A pair of laughing Kookaburras on a branch above Cardinia Creek in Akoonah Park, Berwick. 392855

Picture: GARY SISSONS

Hundreds of excited locals were eager to see the new statue when it was unveiled at Bunjil Place.

Brendan Fevola statue in Webb Street Narre Warren. 395876

They’re cute and fluffy, but there are serious concerns about cat over-population.

‘Blindspot’ concern

By Violet Li

A Cranbourne resident is calling out a “structurally compromised” intersection between Evans Road and South Gippsland Highway following her grandchild’s significant car collision.

Gail Davidson said her grandchild was driving north along the highway on 5 March at around 8pm when a man pulled out of the Evans Road intersection and tipped over her car. All the traffic lights were out at the intersection at the time of the accident.

“He hit her all in the left wheel. All the lights and all the fronts are mangled. And the tyres are all bent,” she said.

“The car was slid across the road. Eight to 10 people rushed over and slipped the car back on the wheels to make sure they could get her out.”

As the police investigation of the accident is ongoing, Ms Davidson said they were not putting any blame on anyone.

Ms Davidson would like to point out that the left-hand turn from Evans Roads into the highway was made ‘a little too severe’, which could create a blindspot to see the upcoming traffic.

“Before you turn left, and when you’re looking back, you can’t just turn your head. You have to turn more or less from your waist and your shoulder and look right back,” she said.

“You are nearly doing a 90-degree turn with your body to look back to see if there’s traffic coming.

“What I think they’ve done is to stop people just driving straight onto the highway, but they’ve made it a little too severe because you turn, and then you get a curve like you’re going to do a U-turn, and then you come back round to straighten up to head.”

The intersection at South Gippsland Highway, Hallam Road, and Evans Road was upgraded in 2020 with new traffic lights installed to improve safety.

Evans Road was also realigned with Hallam Road to create a cross-intersection with the highway.

Ms Davidson said she heard similar accidents happened at the intersection after the upgrade and her grandchild knew someone

By Emma Xerri

The

who ran into an accident at the same intersection only a few weeks ago.

“There was an upgrade there, and they got flashing lights, but there are still accidents there for some reason,” she said.

A Major Road Projects Victoria spokesperson said they had seen a massive reduction in crashes since completing the Hallam Road Upgrade.

The statistics they retrieved from the Department of Transport and Planning showed that in the 10 years before the completion of the upgrade, 23 crashes occurred along Hallam Road south of Ormond Road and at the South Gippsland Highway intersection.

Since the completion of the project in 2020, there had been one reported crash at this intersection, they said.

When contacted by Star News, Casey Council noted that the intersection of Evans Road and South Gippsland Highway was under the care and management of the Department of Transport and Planning.

It checked the State Government’s crash statistics database which confirmed six reported collisions had occurred at the intersection since the traffic signals were commissioned in the second half of 2020.

The council does not have access to the circumstances surrounding the most recent incident at this site and therefore unable to provide comment.

The discrepancy between the two numbers could result from different ways of collecting data or different definitions of car crashes.

Avtar

Avtar

Evans Rd to South Gippsland Hwy. 396099

Evans Rd to South Gippsland Hwy. 396099

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Three decades in contest

Michele Lovett will be ticking off 30 years as she continues to take part in the State Firefighter Championships.

The CFA Hallam captain has been involved since she was just 11 years old and competed in the juniors division, with Michele saying that “it’s always been part of our family”.

“My brother and sister were also part of juniors and my dad has been involved in the CFA for 55 years or something ridiculous!” she said.

However, it’s not just the family aspect that Michele enjoys about the championships, but also the camaraderie and friendships that she’s made over the years.

“You go up there and you see people that you only see once a year but you know their name and they know you, some people I’ve known since juniors,” she said.

Although some time off was needed in recent years due to injury, Michele continues the championship tradition by helping to marshal the brigades off at the competitions.

“I make sure all the brigades are lined up in the order set out in the program, it’s like a roll call,” she said.

Just last year, Michele competed in the trial of the female-only event, something she described was “a dry work event so there was no water”.

“Each competitor needed to connect certain hoses together and you have to do it as fast as you can within certain rules.

“It can be quite a challenge particularly when everyone is watching you,” she said.

Michele is also quick to encourage anyone thinking of taking part in champs to “give it a go”.

“If you’re a competitive type of person, you can challenge yourself as much as you want either individually or as part of a team,” she said.

For those who aren’t looking to compete

however, there are also other options where the event showcases a variety of aspects of the CFA, while allowing teams the opportunity to meet face to face.

“They’ve got all the different areas of CFA,

last year the Aviation and the Personal Protective Clothing (PPC) teams were up there.

“Pretty much all of us that were up there for fitted out with the new Wildfire PPC and it was a good opportunity to speak to people

in person rather than always over the phone,” Michele said.

TheVictorian Fire Brigade and Country Fire Authority 2024 State Firefighter Championships were set to be held this month.

Watchdog suspends doctor

From page 1

She claimed that Dr Lopes’s suspension was due to a compliance issue regarding a supervision condition imposed by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

According to the VCAT judgement on 19 October 2021, Dr Lopes was found to have engaged in professional misconduct.

He was reprimanded over alleged lewd remarks to a patient and long-term sexual harassment of a midwife.

VCAT stated that Dr Lopes must be required to work in a supervised environment under specific conditions.

“Regardless of our doctor’s history with AHPRA, they were and still are highly experienced registered specialists,” Dr Kenney said.

She also claimed that the suspension of the day surgeries in the clinic had something to do with past paperwork and administrative issues, instead of the death of

Miss Kaur.

A spokesperson for the bereaved family Suresh Rajan: said: “What we want to be sure is that nobody else goes through the issues that we’ve had to go through.”

Mr Rajan said the husband was still in a complete state of shock, absolutely shattered.

The couple came to Australia about five years ago and was said to have worked very hard.

Before the tragedy, Miss Kaur had just started an IT executive position at Nike and she was going to buy a new house with her husband.

“All she’s done is to work hard to help everyone, help her family back home, help her children, just to make sure that everyone else is looked after,” Mr Rajan recalled.

Victoria Police confirmed it had received a report from the AHPRA and there would be no criminal investigation at this stage.

Michele Lovett at the National Emergency Medal presentation.

Michele Lovett has been involved with the championships for 30 years.

Connecting hoses was one of the challenges of the event that Michele took part in.

Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic.

Big decision made easy

In striving to develop in students the skills today to thrive in tomorrow’s world’, St. Peter’s College is committed to engaging with parents and guardians to enhance the learning outcomes of our students.

Discovery evenings are held each March and weekly campus tours are on offer. This provides prospective parents and students with the opportunity to experience learning in action. In this forum families are able to meet and talk with our current students and teachers as well as our Principal and other senior leaders.

St. Peter’s College principal, Chris Black states, “We are a proudly Catholic community with a focus on Christ at the centre of our learning”.

St Peter’s College services the Clyde North, Cranbourne and surrounding suburbs.

We are committed to continuous improvement and have a strong focus on the development of the whole person, academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually to meet the challenges of a global citizen.

The 21st Century learner will need a skillset of: critical thinking, effective communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively and creativity.

St. Peter’s College strives to provide oppor-

tunities for our students to engage and excel in all of these areas. Our desire is for students to run excitedly through St. Peter’s College gates to commence their secondary schooling as a Year 7 student, and walk out at the end of Year 12, with confidence, a sense of purpose, and a feeling of positivity about their future lives.

At St Peter’s College we know that when selecting a secondary school for your child, you need to feel confident in not only what that school can deliver inYear 7, but how the school can provide a stimulating learning environment across the six years.

Come and see what St. Peter’s College has to offer, we’re confident that you won’t be disappointed.

St. Peter’s College Discovery Evenings deliver opportunities for parents to interact with the College on our Cranbourne Campus on 26 March and 27 March at our Clyde North Campus at 6.00pm.

We invite you to come and see our classrooms in action and meet and talk to our students and staff.

Student-led Campus Tours are also held weekly in school term. For Discovery Evening and Campus Tour bookings contact our registrarWendy Height on 5990 7777 or book online at www.stpeters.vic.edu.au/enrolments

St. Peter’s College is committed to engaging with parents and guardians to enhance the learning outcomes of our students.

Advocating for victims

By Ethan Benedicto

The Southeast Monash Legal Service is shining more light on advocacy against sexual harassment in the workplace, encouraging victims, no matter how tough it may be, to speak to someone as soon as they can.

The community legal centre has been running a program called Advocacy Against Sexual Harassment for roughly three to four years, aiming to support and provide services for victims and highlighting the next steps to take.

Ariz Ansari, a lawyer who has been with the SMLS for the last year and a half, advises clients on these next essential steps, whether that be compensation, going through tribunals and so on.

Mr Ansari said: “This has been in the works for a while, but there’s always been a needfrom what I know - for clients experiencing sexual harassment in workplaces.

“The main thing is it usually comes in through other claims when they’re talking about other topics such as underpayment, or unfair treatment, sexual discrimination, discrimination based on race.

“Very often people don’t think what they experienced is sexual harassment, it might be a joke or something but it’s still unwelcome and still causes them harm,” he said.

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission in November 2022, one in three people have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the last five years since then.

In the same survey, which is the AHRC’s fifth on the topic of workplace sexual harassment, it is highlighted that half of the incidents are repeated and half are also ongoing for more than a year.

At the same time, reporting of these incidents remained low in 2022, with only 18 per cent of them being reported.

Mr Ansari said that the first step depends on the type of harassment, and if it were physical at any point to contact the police as soon as possible.

If the harassment was verbal, and targeted the victim’s body, appearance, gender, or even against a generalisation of a person’s particular sexual characteristics, then recording events and submitting a witness testimony is a key step for further action.

“Sexual harassment is any form of unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, and legally it’s a bit tricky to determine since there is an objective and subjective component.

“It’s good to speak to a lawyer so we can assess if there is a reasonably arguable claim, what other steps you can take and so on.

“It’s important that after you speak to the police and relevant parties, it’s good to speak to a psychologist as well.

“Not only is that good for you in terms of assisting to deal with that you experienced, but it’s also going to be helpful in conversation, with calculating if you’ve mitigated your loss.”

An article published by the SMLS in August 2023 highlights that the legal centre has an internal program that guides and empowers their support workers to navigate the multijurisdictional waters of workplace sexual harassment.

It also highlighted that young women and women from culturally diverse backgrounds are more prone to sexual harassment in the workplace.

Furthermore, those aged 18 to 29 experienced the highest rates of workplace sexual harassment out of all age groups at 45 per cent.

In a corporate setting, dealing with the issue immediately by getting in contact with the HR department is what Mr Ansari recommended.

Furthermore, he also advised to not only make a complaint against the individual harasser, but the company as a whole seeing as that they could be “vicariously liable depending on the steps they have taken to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace”.

“Even if you haven’t taken these steps, and it’s historical, even if it’s been three or five years, still speak to a lawyer.

“Limits on sexual harassment matters are discretionary for a reason, they recognise that

this is a very difficult thing to unpack.

“In the moment you may try and tell yourself that this didn’t happen and then you realise it much later on,” Mr Ansari said.

While Mr Ansari knows that it’s easier said than done, he wants victims to be “gentle with themselves [and] to stop blaming themselves for what happened”.

“Even though there’s a more progressive discourse around right now it’s very much ingrained for victims to think how they contributed to the situation.

“You can withdraw consent at any time, even if you consented to something a minute ago and something else happens that you didn’t consent to, it doesn’t make it okay because you said so earlier,” he said.

As for organisations and employers, Mr Ansari highlights that a harassment and discrimination policy should be mandatory.

“Very often you’d have this code of conduct, ethics and all these things, so you need to have a good policy that has proper procedures for reporting based on the size of the company.

“For example, what happens when someone makes a complaint, what are the next steps you take; you also need to provide training for the employees, especially at the managerial level,” he said.

Mr Ansari also clarified that these pieces of training he mentioned should be more than

just a short seminar with a piece of paper to sign at the end.

“That’s the minimum approach, but the best kind is to be interactive with discussions and questions.

“People may not really agree or understand but at least they know what this is what would be expected of them in the workplace,” he said.

The SMLS provides free legal assistance for those who have experienced workplace sexual harassment, with the availability subject to eligibility criteria and capacity.

For Mr Ansari, he applauds not just those who have decided to speak out, but also those who have gone through the experience.

“I think everyone is incredibly brave for just going through that experience, whether vocally or quietly.

“All we’re saying is if you speak out about it to someone that could help, it would set in motion a chain of events that could help yourself and the people.

“It may bring some form of closure, it may not make all the pain go away but it’s a start,” he said.

If you or someone you know requires legal aid related to workplace sexual harassment, the SMLS can be contacted through 9545 7400 or 9038 8002 for an appointment.

For any additional information, you can visit their website at smls.com.au/contact-us

Harkaway residents making the switch from septic

More than 100 Harkaway residents have connected to a smart pressure sewer system, eliminating the risk of groundwater, waterway and environment pollution from ageing septic tanks.

On Friday 15 March, South Eastern Metropolitan MP Lee Tarlamis met with Harkaway residents who have been connected to South East Water’s $3.9 million Harkaway Pressure System Scheme, after construction of a new 2.75 kilometre sewer main pipeline was recently completed.

Septic tanks require ongoing maintenance to ensure they are operating correctly, and if they’re not working properly or wellmaintained, dangerous bacteria and chemicals can seep into the groundwater and then into waterways, bays and beaches.

South East Water worked in partnership with Casey Council, under its Domestic Wastewater Management Plan, in identifying Harkaway as an area where failing septic tanks were polluting the groundwater and the environment.

Residents who wished to opt into the scheme are connected to a smart pressure sewer system managed by South East Water, which means there is no more maintenance

involved with the sewer system for the customer, and a healthier environment is maintained for the community.

Properties that are eligible to connect under the scheme include lots of land under 0.4 hectares within the designation backlog area which is currently on septic tank systems.

Mr Tarlamis said the project would ensure Harkaway residents would no longer have to rely on ageing septic tanks.

“Clean waterways, bays and beaches are essential for our health and wellbeing, and the Harkaway Pressure Sewer Scheme is helping eliminate septic pollution,” he said.

“This project will provide tangible benefits to Harkaway residents.”

South East Water liveable water solutions acting general manager Matthew Snell said the project would create a better environment for all residents.

“When eligible Harkaway residents connect, they’re not only getting a healthier system but one that’s safer too,” he said.

To schedule a connection day or arrange a free site visit from South East Water’s Connections Team, phone 1800 720 613 or email peninsulaeco@sew.com.au

SoutheastMonashLegalServiceslawyer,ArizAnsariisencouragingvictimstospeakabouttheirexperiences.

Picture:SUPPLIED

Beyond the book shelves

By Violet Li

Janine

Kimberly’s

husband always jokes that she would be the world’s oldest library worker, and if not, she could be the City of Casey’s longest-serving one, unverified.

The Connected Libraries customer experience officer has come a long way since 2009, constantly adapting her pace to the rapid change in the library industry.

“In the digital age, we had to move with the times, which is exactly what we’ve done,” she said.

“The library is always evolving to keep up with demand.”

Starting at Endeavour Hills Library 15 years ago, Janine was first a customer service officer for a number of years.

She later picked up more responsibilities to help with adult programs, like author events and all sorts of interest classes.

When the pandemic hit and everything had to shut down, she came up with the idea of starting a podcast: Book Matters podcast.

Never intending to make it this big, Janine was stunned by how the chatter turned out this popular.

“We’re in our fifth season now. And we never knew whether anyone would ever listen to us, but we’ve had some really good feedback on it,” she said.

“I’ve built up a really good relationship with publishers, and we have all the top-selling authors come on to our podcast and even overseas authors as well. It’s been gorgeous.

“We’re actually enlisted in the top 12 library podcasts in Australia.”

In retrospect, interest and enthusiasm are the catalysts for her voluntary exploration into a wider path of the library career.

“At the end of the day, I’m basically a reader. That’s the thing. And I believe you have to be a reader to work in the library.You’ve got to have

a passion, and you’ve got to have an interest in it,” she said.

“I just sort of stuck my hand up for whatever was going, and it just makes my working life so much more interesting when you have projects to do.”

A dedicated reader herself, Janine could not help but share her anecdote with Australian women’s fiction romance author Rachael Johns.

“Rachael was the first person that we interviewed for the podcast going back five years ago. And we’ve always sort of kept in touch ever since,” Janine said.

Morning Tea with Easter Bunny!

After giving some advice to the author, Janine was told a character was named after her in a new book called The Other Bridget.

“She gave me a promotion and made me the branch manager in the book called Janine,” she said.

“I was very flattered to be named as a character in the book and then to be acknowledged in the back of the book as well.”

One and a half decades into her library world, Janine has still been loving her job as if it is her first day of work.

“I often say it took me 52 years to find my perfect job,” she said.

Before that, Janine was a merchandiser and in her very early life, she was a secretary, and then she moved into marketing.

“I’d always been a library member in Endeavour Hills Library, and I got to know the branch manager there quite well at the time. I said I’d love to work here. And she said, oh, just keep on applying,” she recalled.

“So I did. It was actually the third time I applied I was successful. And I was absolutely wrapped. Just been great ever since.

“I have no intention of giving up my job at the moment because it’s too much fun. While it’s still fun, I’ll keep on working.”

Connected Libraries customer experience officer Janine Kimberly with two novels to which she gave advice. She is featured in one of them, The Other Bridget, as a library branch manager. 393610

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Deeper roots to pay gaps

By Ethan Benedicto

Addressing the gender pay gap issue could be as deep as tackling foundational aspects of Australian society and culture, it’s been stated, following statistics revealed by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

Casey Council’s Safe and Equal Casey strategic plan began in 2022, with the local government pledging to continue creating a safe and equal community, with these statistics further bolstering resolve for their strategic plan which is currently in its second phase.

According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), Australia’s average gender wage gap is at 21.7 per cent, which means for every $1 a man makes, women earn 78 cents.

As for the employer wage gap data, 30 per cent of employers have a median gender pay gap between the target range of negative five per cent and positive five per cent.

However, 62 per cent of median employer gender pay gaps are over five per cent in favour of men.

Dr Claire Charles, a sociology professor from Deakin University said that “it’s really a reflection that we do live in a patriarchal society that is structured by men, for men”.

“Part of the issue comes when you decide that you’re going to make those spaces available to women now, and we’re going to give them laws and policies that say that we need to pay them equally.

“In sociology, we call that add-women-andstir approach, that in order to make things gender equal you admit women into spaces that were previously dominated by men,” Dr Charles said.

While women are being integrated into male-dominated areas, Dr Charles added that historically, it has only been relatively recently that laws and policies relevant to gender equality have been put in place.

“What happens when you add women and stir, you’re still going to have the residual effect

of all the cultures and practices, in the workplace that originally went with that patriarchal structure,” she said.

Callum Pattie, Casey’s connected communities manager said that the council is in its second year of implementing the Safe and Equal Casey strategic plan, which has a focus on gender equality and prevention against women.

With an end goal of 2032, the plan was “developed in consultation with local residents, community organisations and sector experts”.

“It outlines how council will deliver on its commitment to gender equality and prevent family violence by addressing the underlying drivers of violence,” he said.

While the council’s focus may be on violence, putting together a strong sense of togetherness through its eventual outcome echoes Dr Charles’ sentiments of targeting the foundations behind the gender pay gap.

Mr Pattie said that a focus of the first and second phases is building the foundations to apply an intersectional lens, which also began

as an internal council campaign in 2022 called the Gender Equality Action Plan.

Another factor that needs to be considered, according to Dr Charles, is the cultural and social practices in our current society.

“There is significant pressure on people to sort of perform their gender ‘correctly’, so when you’ve got a culture that says women are more suited to nurturing or caring roles - since that’s the role of women in a patriarchal structure - they’re more likely to feel that’s how they need to act subconsciously.

“Often there are more women in jobs that are lower paid, jobs that are more caring and nurturing, such as teaching, nursing, aged care and also the lower levels of hospitality.

“As people grow up they might feel that they gravitate towards those roles, it’s not simply just a matter of choice, we’re choosing in a system we didn’t create and that puts us in positions and certain ways from the beginning,” she said.

Overcoming these aspects is a slow and tedious journey according to Dr Charles, but progress can begin in the workplace through continued support, where a primary example could be more help on child-caring responsibilities.

“Sometimes these things operate on an unconscious level, so they really need to be pulled out through programs around raising awareness in workplaces around these issues.

“There can be a bit of a club mentality in workplaces, and you can see that being talked about even in our Federal Parliament, and if that’s a safe space for women to work.

“It’s a slow process, but the only way to challenge that is to raise awareness around it,” Dr Charles said.

Casey’s second phase of its strategic plan sees them further connecting with the community regarding the overarching issue and also would potentially have the gender equality plan progress into the council’s internal policies, procedures and systems.

Re-imagined snacks and meals results in healthy award

By Violet Li

Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre has been recognised in a state-wide award for its outside-school-hours care that boosts nourishing dietary options to help children learn, play, and be active.

The Cranbourne North centre won the Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) category under theVic Kids EatWell Awards 2023.

It has engaged around 30 children from surrounding primary schools with a focus on cooking activities and healthy food and drinks.

The award acknowledged that the centre re-imagined snacks and meals to offer a huge range of tasty, nutritious options to children attending before and after-school care.

“They swapped corn chips for soft wholemeal tacos, replaced puff pastry scrolls with pita bread, and have removed all processed items from their menu and their activities,” it stated.

“They now offer a rotating fruit and vegetable platter for kids to taste new foods, as well as providing a filling, nutritious second option, including zucchini slices and delicious veggie-packed curries.”

Children’s services coordinator Kirsty Tucker, who coordinates the OSHC program in the centre, said children also participated in cooking with the help of educators.

The award commended the daily cooking activities and believed that they helped kids make and serve their favourite foods to their friends while learning lifelong cooking skills.

The centre started the OSHC program around April 2023 after detecting a need for change.

“When I first started at the centre 12 months ago, I noticed that the children’s behaviour was a little bit up and down around the afternoon tea,” Kirsty said.

“After observing the kids, we came to the

conclusion that they’re actually hungry.

“So

when we changed it [the afternoon tea] from snack meals to proper meals, their behaviour changed a lot.”

Kirsty said the centre was very proud to get first in the state.

The OSHC program has received local health expert support from Laura Ayers

at Monash Health to make the change happen. The centre also won the Schools and OSHC category in the 2023 Monash Health Promotion Awards.

A normal afternoon at the Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program in the centre. Back: Donte, centre’s children’s services coordinator Kirsty Tucker, Maddy, Sophie, and health promotion officer Laura Ayers from Monash Health. Front: Selena, Peyton, Destiny, Kahlan, and Brayden. 395179 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Dr Claire Charles from Deakin University says that certain aspects of the cultures and foundations of society need to be addressed to curb the pay gap. Picture: SUPPLIED

Together, community rises

By Afraa Kori

Despite being a newcomer to the field, Nas Recovery Centre (NRC) has taken a step forward in offering innovative and culturally aware support to African-Australian youth, adults, and families in Casey and greater Melbourne.

NRC held its first Together We Rise mental health fundraiser at its Path2home Centre in Cranbourne West on 17 March, collecting more than $1000 in funds.

NRC partnered with Victoria Police, Multicultural Consulting Services, Happy Africans Variety Store, Community Abundance Inc, Mo Social Impact, Next Gen Unite, Stand Out Basketball, AYI, African United Farm, Nasben, Glowbal Holistic, Urban Dot, Mayan Bol Mayan, DJ Friday, DJ Akoy, DJ Bayside, Check-in With Rose, Kingbarber, Mac Thot, Point of View TV, and Macharpix.

South Eastern Metropolitan MP Lee Tarlamis also attended the fundraising.

Residents and visitors enjoyed the live music, food, fun games, activities, stalls, motivational speakers, and networking opportunities.

Managing director Nyachan Nyak said more than 100 locals and visitors attended the fundraiser and made a tangible difference.

“The Africans we engaged with were people that are passionate and know there is an issue in our community that needs a collective approach,” she said.

“Although it was far for them to come, they needed to be here and it was their way of showing their commitment to our collective social impact and their concern for the wellbeing of Africans within Australia, Melbourne.

“The event brought everybody together because the whole theme is Together We Rise. Africans are collective beings in general, there is a lot of historical stuff that we have experienced collectively from pain to success. So, we believe in the idea that it will take a collective approach of all Africans that are concerned with people who are struggling with addiction and mental health together.”

A key driving force behind the fundraiser is the ongoing barriers that prevent individuals from accessing the treatment they desperately need.

“When we go outreach to meet a client, they often have nothing on them and no money,” Ms Nyak said.

“I recently dropped a client to St Kilda to rehab and that client said he couldn’t pack because he was homeless and didn’t have a suitcase.

“I told the client that in four days I would come back to drop a suitcase and some clothing, so these are emergency needs for clients we are fundraising funds for.”

The money raised will directly cover the essential needs of clients, including transportation to programs, and access to vital medication, meals, and other basic expenses during their outreach support to those experiencing homelessness.

Youth and community practitioner and mental health advocate Mahamed Ahmed said there were many factors in life that could have

an impact on the mental health of young African Australians.

“Drugs and alcohol are a big part of criminality in the east side,” he said.

“The pressures of African young people are increasing, and social media hasn’t helped the situation. Young people are more prone to anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are soaring. But our African young people face additional barriers, their families don’t quite understand or fully comprehend the seriousness of mental health and how to support a young person who’s battling drug and alcohol addiction or mental health.

“Our African families are not at that point yet, they are not as well equipped as their nonAfrican peers and families unfortunately. They have their own traumas that’s been undiagnosed and unsupported which adds another layer of complexity.

“The intergenerational trauma we carry from our parents’ trauma, fleeing their wartorn country, having to move to a foreign country like Australia, then having to deal with racism and discrimination, different language, foods, the lifestyle, and socials. Services like Nas Recovery Centre become so important because our kids have that additional area layer.”

Motivational speaker, youth, and mental health worker Mayen Bol Mayen added that young people were battling an identity crisis.

“The majority of young people probably came from Kenya, Egypt, and Uganda and

there’s that culture clash. The ability to fit in society is hard and at the same time, families are expecting more from you,” he said.

“The things we see daily as well, someone that is close to you can be going through it to the point where they can lose their life and for you to hear the news of that, it does affect you. Some people don’t have the mental capacity to comprehend all those things.”

Mr Ahmed said the best part of the fundraiser was “seeing the community come together and supporting a service that we can’t afford to lose”.

“The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive because everybody understands the importance of having a community asset like NRC,” he said.

Mr Ahmed was pleased the fundraiser attracted the African community, however it lacked support from mainstream cohorts.

“There were no non-African Australian people, like AOD mainstream services and mental health services,” he said.

“It would have been nice to see mainstream drug and alcohol services attend the fundraiser, that was my observant lens. I would’ve liked to see mainstream services investing and supporting culturally and community-led approaches.”

Just like it takes a village to raise a child, Mr Ahmed said it was not just the responsibility of NRC to advocate for African Australians who were going through a rough patch or a chal-

lenge in overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or mental health.

“We need to make sure that if we can’t donate the funds, we need to rally behind Nas and services like Nas with our voices, petitions, and letters to MPs,” he said.

“My message is that we need to get behind these community assets like NRC because we never know when we might need it, or our children might need it.

“We need NRC to grow and other services to appear across the state that are going to fill the void and support our young people or community members that are going through significant challenges.”

Ms Nyak was satisfied with those who had given and encouraged anyone who could help, to still invest in clients’ needs.

“If we turn a blind eye, it’s going to impact the system because more people will have to find themselves at the hospital, work productivity, death and loss,” she said.

“When one person has an issue with addiction or mental health, there’s another 10 people affected by it – their sister, brother, mother, cousins, employer, neighbour, schools.

“So, supporting one person means your daughter will support another innocent person who is also struggling.”

Anyone seeking help can contact beyondblue on 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au or Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.

Scores gathered for the fundraising event at Cranbourne West.

Picture: MACHARPIX

Enjoying the greenery

Wilson Botanic Park in Berwick became a sea of green in celebration of St Patrick’s Day, as part of a John Mc Foundation charity walk.

More than 200 walkers enjoyed the sunny conditions on Sunday 17 March, with proceeds going towards local soup kitchens and vans.

Foundation founder John McGreal said the event was a popular place to be on Sunday.

“The turnout was great,” he said.

“The weather turned it on, bringing everyone out.

“I would like to thank everyone who got involved and those who donated and wished us the best.”

All age groups, families and local businesses got involved.

Dogs and other pets were also involved and reportedly very much enjoyed the walk.

The event’s sponsors included Snap Fitness donating memberships for the raffle prizes, Glow Berwick providing energy drinks and sausage sizzle volunteers.

Founded eight years ago and based in Berwick, the John Mc Foundation has hosted a number of non-profit charity fundraising events for local soup kitchens and vans.

They recently hosted a Christmas lunch for people alone or doing it tough at The Masonic Hall Berwick, and a successful New Year’s Eve 80s retro party at The Hallam Hotel with all profit donated to local soup kitchens and vans.

WHAT’S ON

Holi Festival by The Bright Events

All day live DJ, amusement rides, kids activities, variety of food, all-day entertainment.

Free entry and free parking.

Register yourself: premiertickets.co/event/holifestival-2024-melbourne

· 24 March from 12pm - 6pm at Berwick Springs Reserve, Narre Warren South.

Songs from Around the World

A Voices of Casey concert will be held on Saturday 23 March, 2.30pm, Hallam Senior College, 74-84 Frawley Road, Hallam.

Tickets: $20 adults; $5 under 12; $40 for a family of four, afternoon tea included. Door sales are cash only.

· Saturday 23 March.

Mental Health Peer Support Program Cranbourne Group - Free

The program is based on a 12-step program of personal growth, mutual help, and support. Participants share challenges and solutions in a supportive and structured peer-to-peer format within a confidential, caring, and sharing community.

· The meetings are weekly and go for about two hours. 10.30am to 12.30pm Thursday, excluding school holidays, 7/9 Selandra Boulevard (Balla Balla Community Centre), Clyde North. For any enquires contact Grow Victoria on 9528 2977/1800 558 268.

Balla Balla Community Centre

Located in Clyde North, the centre has vacancies in the following classes: Introduction to Creative Writing, Conversational English, Yoga, Zumba, Playgroup, Balla Balla Bubs (0-12 months). Morning Melodies is back! Share a morning of music, enjoy a cuppa, or scones with jam and cream, and make new friends along the way. Enrolments can be made online at ballaballa. com.au/programs or by phoning 5990 0900.

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club

Are you newly retired or new to the area or just wanting to enjoy your freedom or expand your social life?

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club can offer you stimulating activities such as weekly social/ chat activities with low-key in line dancing if you want to tap your feet and enjoy an afternoon tea. Day, short and long trips away via coach and flights, a weekly morning coffee club, monthly Saturday country pub lunches, monthly evening dineouts, weekly table tennis club, walking groups, seasonal daytime musical theatre outings, and more.

· Come along and get to know us by visiting us on a Thursday at 2pm at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House or join us on a Wednesday at 10am for a Coffee at Little Sparrow

Fountain Gate. For more information, contact enquiry officer Gloria on 0468 363 616.

Cranbourne U3A

Come along to Cranbourne U3A meet new friends and have fun doing interesting classes. We are a not-for-profit group for over 50 retired, or semi-retired people. Our latest class will be Resin Craft, where we will be creating small items such as earrings, necklace pendants, coasters, and more. Great for small gifts for your friends. Come along and give it a try. Class materials will be provided for the first 4 weeks to give you an opportunity to try out a large variety of casts and molds. We have lots of samples to give you inspiration.

Our usual craft, music, chess, table tennis, and calligraphy classes are all open to new members. Come along and give it a try. Our rooms are in the Cranbourne Library Admin building, enter from the Casey Radio entrance, next door to L’Arte Cafe. We are open Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm.

· Our website is - u3acranbourne.org.au. Check it out for more information or come along and talk to one of our friendly members who will show you around.

Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre

Located in Cranbourne North, it has vacancies in the following classes, learn to speak, read, and write in English - all levels, Monday to Thursday; Early Childhood Education classes - four hours on a Friday, government-funded, great to do before enrolling in a Certificate class; Computer classes every Wednesday morning and afternoon and in Hazaragi Wednesday evenings; Crochet and chat every Wednesday morning with a crochet teacher for free.

· Enrol now for our funded three and four-yearold Kinder Program with sessions up to five days a week. 9.30am to 2.30pm every day with structured play.

Seated Movement Sessions (Chair Dancing)

Would you enjoy exercising from the comfort of your chair?

Join the Berwick Activities Group for some seated movement sessions including fun and uplifting songs and different styles and eras of music. An opportunity to get moving and enjoy the company of others.

Timbarra Community Centre, 20-26 Parkhill Drive, Timbarra Way, Berwick. $8 per session.

· Contact admin@berwicknc.com.au or phone 9704 1863.

· Wednesdays from 10.45am to 11.30am.

Craft Classes

Do you enjoy craft making?

Join Berwick Activities Group’s Elizabeth to discover the world of papercraft and have a chat with like minded people.

You will be introduced to a range of papercraft techniques through a new project each week. Casual attendance is welcome.

Timbarra Community Centre 20-26 Parkhill Drive, Timbarra Way, Berwick $5 per class, all materials supplied.

· Contact admin@berwicknc.com.au or phone 9704 1863.

· Tuesdays from 10am to noon.

Berwick Springs VIEW Club

Affiliated with The Smith Family, the Berwick Springs VIEW Club is a not for profit organisation, with the aim to fundraise to support Learn-

Autumn plant sale of Australian

plants

Location: Royal Botanic Garden Victoria –Cranbourne (Cnr Ballarto Road and Botanic Drive, Cranbourne)

The plant sale, hosted by the Cranbourne Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Inc, will be held at the northern end of the Australian Garden. Parking and entry is available nearby (look for the large red banners). A large variety of Australian native plants will be available. A plant list will be available on our website approximately a week before the sale. EFTPOS is available.

A great opportunity to purchase plants and look around the Australian Garden.

· Plant sale dates: Saturday and Sunday 23 and 24 March, 2024. Times: 10am – 4pm on both days.

ing for Life students.

The club currently supports seven students of varying ages with their education expenses and are about to take on an eighth student.

Throughout the year, the club has a couple of special fundraisers, as well as casual morning tea and lunch for interested ladies.

The club is always looking for new members in all age groups.

· For more information, contact Shirley on 0419 878 481 or email berwicksprings.viewclub@ gmail.com

· The club meets on the first Monday of each month in the Berwick Springs Hotel function room from 11.30am, where members enjoy a lunch and then host a guest speaker.

DnD at Orana

Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) is an inclusive tabletop, fantasy, role playing game. Participants work together with other players to go on adventures in the DnD world.

You can act, explore, instigate, solve problems, and tell stories as you bring their chosen character to life within the game world.

Second Saturday of each month, 1pm to 9pm, Orana Community Place, 16/18 Playwright St, Clyde North.

· For enquiries and to book a spot at the table, reach out to Jonathan Whelan at thestoryweaver.dnd@gmail.com

Weekly badminton

Badminton for ladies or retired.

All welcome.

· Mondays 7pm-9pm and Wednesdays 12pm2.30pm at Hallam Badminton Club, Frawley Road Recreation Reserve; $5.

The Red Sand Gardens at Cranbourne.

Picture: SUPPLIED

John McGreal has plenty of spring in his step for the start of the charity walk. 395691

John McGreal with Kristy, Bonnie the dog, Damien and Ethan from the Doveton Boxing Club. 395691

John McGreal with Karen, Emmah, Karen and Nina. 395691 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

About 2000 people from a range of nationalities attended the event, with participants enjoying live stage entertainment, jumping castles, face painting, henna tattoos, vedic card reading and a variety of food including both vegan and vegetarian options.

Dignitaries such as Consulate General of India Dr Sushil Kumar, Cranbourne MP Cassandra Fernando MP, La Trobe MP Jason Wood, Berwick MP Brad Battin, and Opposition Leader John Pesutto also attended.

Star News photographer ROB CAREW was outandaboutcapturingallcoloursoftherainbow.

Akoonah Park became a colourful kaleidoscope on Saturday 16 March as part of the Casey Festival of Colours celebrating the Indian festival of Holi.

Bhumika, Priyanka and Kavita. 386618

Pictures: ROB CAREWShivani, Arunima and Sindhu. 386618

The grand moment of the day as dignitaries and speakers launch coloured powder back toward the crowd. 386618

Clouds of colour engulfed the crowd. 386618

Navarita Lila dances on stage. 386618

Colour going mad. 386618

Shivani and her friend synchronise their colours. 386618

THE LOWDOWN

Q&A

Tell us about yourself and your organisation!

I relocated to Australia from Singapore in 2018 (via China where I spent 10 years living and working). I wanted to contribute to Australia, my new home country, in some ways. Australia has a lot of nature parks and reserves with a large number of old trees. I decided to focus on the conservation of old trees. I therefore started the Friends of the Tulliallan Elms, Inc., a small community volunteer group to protect and conserve an avenue of 124 years old Elm trees in the Tulliallan area.

What do you love the most about working for your organisation?

I am an organisational change manager by profession. I love being able use my change expertise to bring about positive change in the community in terms of mindset and behaviour change towards conserving old trees.

What was your most memorable moment during your current role in your organization?

We organised a large community event last year called “Christmas Under the Elms”. I have over 20 years of communications and event management experience, but I was terribly under resourced for this event. As the day came nearer, I struggled to find volunteers for the actual day. When the day did come, volunteers started coming from all directions. They picked up the tasks and made the event a huge success. For the first time, I witnessed the power of the people.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

I am an early riser and so I think I would like to be a rooster. So that I can crow in the morning to wake everyone up. Get off your bed now! Start your day! Go and make a difference to your life, the people around you and the community! Wake up!

What were you like as a kid?

I dreamt a lot. One day my best friend in primary school and I both heard a rumour that

with Raavenan Jayaraman, Friends of the Tulliallan Elms president

FriendsoftheTulliallanElmspresident RaavenanJayaraman. Picture:SUPPLIED

a small street snack stall in front of our school was able to fit you with a bionic arm at a small cost. Apparently a secret backdoor business. We were both excited as we were fans of the Six Million Dollar Man and we have seen what he could do with that arm. So we took a few months to save some money and finally went to the stall. The stall owner looked at us and we looked back.We knew instantly that he was the one who was going to perform the bionic arm surgery. For a second, we stood there wondering if we really wanted our arms to be chopped off first. We chickened out. We dropped the idea and ran back home looking back all the time to see if the bionic arm vendor was chasing us.

What event, past or present, would you like to witness?

I wish I was present during the world wars. In fact, all the wars that mankind has ever fought. But I just don’t want to witness them. I want to be able to stop them. Why war when we have the potential to reach the stars?

Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

My mum and dad whom I miss very much. I hope they could come and see me living in

Australia. Elvis Presley. He died at 42 and I wish he could live a little longer and sing a little bit more. Steve Jobs died prematurely. If this great mind could live a little longer, he would have transformed a few more industries and brought even more progress to mankind. Elon Musk, who I think is the new Steve Jobs, and is similarly misunderstood and over criticised. Last, but not least, Hong Kong’s action super star Jackie Chan, for his humility and laughter. What three words would your friends use to describe you?

Positive. Progressive. Perfectionist.

What would you do on your perfect day off?

A perfect day for me is a simple day with my loved ones. Wake up early for an hour of yoga and quiet time followed by an hour of writing. Then going for breakfast to the Dandenong mountains and then roam around the curiosity shops there looking for old books and LPs. Then having a coffee before heading to the grocery shops and on the way, grab a bottle of wine. Then coming back home and taking the time to cook a fabulous dinner.

Where is your happy place?

Happy place is where I am with my loved ones. If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?

That’s an interesting question because I do love cooking. I cook mainly Singaporean, Chinese, Indian and Malay dishes. After coming to Australia, I am also trying to learn some Australian dishes. That’s one of the reasons I signed up for a part-time TAFE course on commercial cookery. For MasterChef I think I will cook mee hoon goreng, a Malay-style fried vermicelli noodle dish which is popular in Singapore and Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

My dream holiday destination is Australia. I am living it.

THREE … new things to try this Easter

1

Try your luck at homemade hot cross buns

While store-bought hot cross buns never disappoint, nothing says holiday spirit like a home cooked meal. So grab your best pastel coloured apron, pop on your favourite festive film, and head to the kitchen.

2 Track the Easter Bunny

Unlike Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny’s travelling efforts often go underappreciated. Download an Easter Bunny tracker app or head online to do your part in marvelling at the speedy hopping of this four-legged hero.

3 Decorate your Easter eggs with edible paint

If you can resist the urge to eat all your eggs straight away, decorating chocolate eggs with edible paint is a great way to make your treats look even tastier. Whether it’s an Easter-themed design or something entirely different, decorating your eggs ensures no one can ‘accidentally’ mistake your eggs for one of theirs.

Electric, hands-free racing

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

Fast cars are not unheard of on Dandenong roads, but what about driverless racing?

Three days a week, Greaves Reserve is the preferred testing ground for Monash Motorsport and its incredible driverless, all-electric, 4WD vehicle.

In its 24th year, the Monash Universitybased team of 120 students has developed the country’s first driverless car for Formula SAE competition in Europe this winter.

They’re now in the phase of refining the car – named the M23.

It is customised for low-speed circuits with tight corners and short straights.

For that reason, the M23’s top speed is capped at 115km/h but accelerates 0-100km/h in a blazing three seconds.

“The goal of making it faster is getting more out of the tyres,” says the team’s mechanical chief technical officer Josh Fromberg.

That’s done by tweaking the mechanical set-up, such as the electric powertrain and the wheels’ camber-and-toe.

And by refining the self-driving algorithms that include choosing the car’s optimal racing line.

Among the M23’s other high-tech features are four independent motors – one on each wheel.

The performance benefits are better use of the tyres as well as greater independent control over each wheel, Fromberg says.

Monash has had enviable success in Formula SAE, including a golden run between 2013-’19.

It retired its combustion racing car as No.1 in the world in 2019, while also holding the third-ranked electric car.

Last year, its racer finished 10th after a costly electrical failure.

“It was heartbreaking. It cost us overall victory in the competition.”

Now in his final year of an engineering degree, Fromberg has been on board the team for three years.

He enjoys the “amazing feeling” of being part of a world-class team.

“It’s hands-on, it’s a cool interactive project with an amazing group of people.

“We’ve been testing here (in Greaves Reserve) for a number of years.

“It’s essentially a matter of convenience with enough space to do the testing and being close to Monash University in Clayton.”

Fromberg predicts driverless technology on Australian public roads in the not-distant future.

“Given how far Tesla and other manufacturers have gone, I think it’s very close.

“The technology is basically there. It’s a matter of when there’s consumer acceptance of it and legislation is in place.”

Team Monash Motorsport with the driverless M23 in testing at Greaves Reserve, Dandenong. 395160 Picture: GARY SISSONS

Reset not on Dees agenda

By Marcus Uhe

Casey Demons VFL coach Taylor Whitford is not viewing the upcomingVFL season as a ‘reset’ year despite the loss of a wealth of experience at the club over the off-season.

In addition to James Munro’s and Luke Dunstan’s retirements, key contributors at state league level in recent years, in James Jordon and James Harmes, were traded to rival AFL clubs, while Jake Melksham will miss the bulk of the year after undergoing a knee reconstruction late last season, and Joel Smith’s playing future remains unclear, provisionally suspended by the AFL after failing a drug test last season.

George Grey, meanwhile, has made the switch to Frankston, and 2023 Best-and-Fairest winner Deakyn Smith has joined North Melbourne’s VFL program, having been delisted by the Demons.

Rather than bemoan who is not there, Whitford is buoyed by the opportunities on offer for the squad’s younger talent who have put their names forward for early selection after strong practice match performances.

“We’ve had a bit of list turnover and it is a bit of that in the VFL, where you’ve got a cycle every one-two years that you get a new crop of young boys through and that’s probably what we’ve had this year,” Whitford said.

“We’ve been pretty lucky with ‘Moose’ (Munro), who was on our list, Luke Dunstan and James Jordon as well, ‘Harmsy’ (Harmes), they’ve been great but it probably hasn’t given the opportunity for some of our VFL boys, so that’s exciting.

“It’s exciting and probably gives other teams a little bit of an unknown because you have known what to expect when you come up against Casey in the last couple of years with those types of players.”

Former Saint, Leo Connolly has signed for the VFL season, as has Campbell Hustwaite,

who captained Collingwood’s VFL side the past three seasons, and Beaconsfield product, Mitch Szybkowski.

Cranbourne’s Andrew Green has impressed, as has former Dandenong Stingray Ziggy Toledo-Glasman, expected to be one to fill the void left by the senior players in his second year in the program.

While in Kobe Shipp and Brayden La Planche, the Demons have replenished with local talent eager to impress fresh out of the Coates Talent League.

Last season finished poorly for the Demons, fading as the season went on and thrashed by Footscray in an elimination final, having battled for consistency in performance.

Without setting expectations, Whitford is adamant that he wants his side competing in September.

“We want to play finals footy, we’re not here to make up the numbers,” he said.

“We want to be playing deep into finals and that’s our goal.

“We can’t look too far forward because we don’t know what this week will bring.

“We’ve got Box Hill at home, they showed some really good signs last year of improvement and they’ll be better again this year.”

The Demons’ VFL season kicks off on Sunday at Casey Fields at 2.05pm, with a VFLW contest proceeding them at 11.05am.

LOCAL VFL/VFLW LISTED PLAYERS

· Callum Porter – Officer/Box Hill

· Seb Amoroso – Drouin/Box Hill

· Luke Nelson – Noble Park/Carlton

· Bailey Lambert – Noble Park/Carlton

· Tyson Sruk – Rowville/Carlton

· Charlie Muley – Beaconsfield/Casey

· Mitch Sybkowski – Beaconsfield/Casey

· Andrew Green – Cranbourne/Casey

· Brayden La Planche – Rowville/Casey

· Kobe Shipp – Beaconsfield/Casey

· Riak Andrew – Berwick/Dandenong Stingrays/Casey

· Paddy Cross – Nar Nar Goon/Casey

· Liam Serong – Warragul/Coburg

· Cooper Macdonald – Rowville/Collingwood

· George Grey – Cranbourne/Frankston

· Harrison Coe – Beaconsfield/Frankston

· Kyle Stainthorpe – Rowville/Frankston

· Matt Johnson – Beaconsfield/Frankston

· Blake O’Leary – Noble Park/Frankston

· Matt Nelson – Noble Park/Frankston

· Josh Mounter – Beaconsfield/Frankston

· Deakyn Smith – Doveton/North Melbourne

· Lachie Wynd – North Melbourne/Rowville

· Kade De La Rue – Beaconsfield/North Melbourne

· Liam Coghlan – Rowville/Port Melbourne

· Joel Garner – Wandin/Richmond

· Sam Frangalas – Berwick/Richmond

· Tom Bower – Noble Park/Richmond

· Luke Ryan – Cora Lynn/Sandringham

· Logan Young – Noble Park/Sandringham

· Tarkyn O’Leary – Noble Park/Sandringham

· Pierce Roseby – Rowville/Sydney

· Wardell Lual – Noble Park/Werribee

· Corey Ellison – Cranbourne/Williamstown

· Jack Toner – Narre Warren/Williamstown

· Riley Collier Dawkins – Springvale Districts/ Williamstown

VFLW

· Matilda Van Berkel – Warragul Industrials/ Box Hill

· Chloe Bailey –Warragul Industrials/Box Hill

· Alisha Molesworth – Warragul Industrials/ Box Hill

· Shree Fairchild – Warragul Industrials/ Casey

· India Makai – Warragul Industrials/Casey

· Ashleigh Russell – Endeavour Hills/Southern Saints

· Ashlee Penry – Warragul/Southern Saints

Classy Kellapotha pilots Swans to Vic Premier decider

By Marcus Uhe

A heroic performance from all-rounder Ruwantha Kellapotha inspired Casey South Melbourne’s 36-run preliminary final win in Victorian Premier Cricket against Ringwood on Sunday.

Kellapotha embodied the ‘never say die’ attitude that has carried the Swans to the grand final, hitting 73 in the first innings and taking playing 3/94 in 28 overs while playing through the pain of a broken toe, injured in the lead-up to their qualifying final win over Prahran.

Swans skipper Luke Shelton was glowing in his praise for Kellapotha and the sacrifice he made for his teammates.

“While it’s expected, it’s still very brave and tough of ‘Ruw’ and to push through and not once try and pull the pin even though you could see he was in pain, he was willing to keep going and it was all worth it in the end,” Shelton said.

“(His toe is) still broken so he did everything he could to play, and for him to go out there and bat the way he did with Ash and get the control back into our hands for the middle period of day one, and back up the next day to bowl 25 or 26 overs, with a limp pretty much the whole time, was huge for us on the weekend and so important for us.

“We definitely got a lot of inspiration out of not just him, but we fought all the way through.”

The Swans were sent in by Ringwood and posted 7/345 in 106 overs, before dismissing the visitors for 309.

They lost lost Yash Pednekar early, bringing Kellapotha to the crease at number three. He and Ash Chandrasinghe put on 147 for the second wicket before Kellapotha was dismissed, and they suffered a minor wobble in the middle order in the aftermath, losing 5/43.

the Swans, with no partnership lasting more than 80 runs.

Blues will be eager to right the wrongs of 12 months ago, when they fell short against Melbourne.

“They’re a good side, they have class players across the board with bat and ball and a lot of dangerous players, Mackenzie Harvey being one of them,” Shelton said.

“The Smyth brothers are very good, Gulbis is destructive with bat and ball and obviously Cam Stephenson.

“We always seem to have really good battles against Carlton, it’s very close, a lot of ebbs and flows and we match-up well against them.”

“We had a chance a couple of years ago and fell short so there are still a few wounds for a few of our guys and we’re just looking forward to taking it on.

Carlton snuck home in a one-day contest at Princes Park when the two sides met in January, but the three-day contest will be a different kettle of fish.

It will be the resilience and dogged determination displayed throughout the season and in the finals series that will be the key to the Swans tasting premiership success, in the eyes of Shelton.

“If we play the way we’ve been playing and stay really aggressive and take that to them for three days, it gives us the best chance of getting a result,” he said.

As the lower ranked side, Ringwood was forced to chase the game, with a draw being enough to see the Swans qualify for the decider.

They scored at nearly five runs per over for the first half of the innings but their approach brought risks and opportunities for

David King was the rock in the middle order and hit 127 but his wicket at 6/239 signalled the beginning of the end, bar a 56-run ninth-wicket stand, as Casey South Melbourne punched their ticket to this weekend’s decider, beginning on Friday at Essendon’s Windy Hill.

In Carlton, they’ll face the side that broke their hearts two summers ago, while the

“We’ve been down in the dumps at different stages of these two finals and fought ourselves out of a hole and just really come back and threw a couple of quick punches ourselves to get ourselves on top, so we’ve got no fear and know we’re never out of the game.

“Guys are willing to keep pushing through tough and good times so if we bring that mindset, that’s our best chance to win the game.”

The Victorian Premier Cricket final begins at 10.30 on Friday afternoon.

Michael Wallace survived the turbulence with 82 and Shelton hit 53, with the home side batting the maximum 106 overs available.

Beaconsfield’s Mitch Szybkowski has joined the Casey Demons for the upcoming VFL season.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Ruwantha Kellapotha starred for the Swans against Ringwood. 395151 Picture: ROB CAREW

Absolute pleasure or pain

By David Nagel

The difference between winning and losing grand finals is the biggest abyss in sport and what will drive Tooradin and Pakenham to their absolute peak performance when the Seagulls and Lions collide in a spectacular close to the CCCA Premier Division season.

Premierships are so bloody hard to win; most players would be happy to celebrate one or two, with the thrill and exhilliration that follows the stuff that dreams are made of.

If you could bottle the feeling and sell it; you’d be a very rich person indeed.

If you could bottle the feeling of defeat; you’d decimate a bank balance in a heartbeat.

The winning feeling is something that Pakenham captain Dale Tormey experienced in his first year at the club, with his 4/30 and 61 runs leading his Lions to a four-wicket win over Kooweerup.

Covid ruined the Lions chance of going back-to-back in 2020, while missing finals in 2021 - and losing consecutive semi-finals to Cardinia - has left Tormey and his crew superhungry for success.

Talk about hungry; it’s hard to imagine the insatiable appetite for success that Tooradin captain Mick Sweeney will take into this week’s contest.

Sweeney turns 38 in less than a month’s time, and has suffered the sickening taste of grand final defeat on more than one occasion.

A long-time player for Dandenong in Vic Premier Cricket, Sweeney was part of a losing 1st XI team in 2012; and two years later suffered the same fate in the twos.

And coaching Cranbourne last season; he succumbed to Mark Cooper and his Beaconsfield Tigers in DDCA Turf 2.

To top things off, Sweeney was dropped for Dandenong’s 2011 1st XI win over Frankston; making way for Australian star James Pattinson.

You get handed nothing in sport; but Sweeney’s two-decade long search for premiership success is now within grasp.

His Seagulls have been the best side all season, with Cal O’Hare, Josh Lownds, Peter Sweeney, Tom Hussey, Russell Lehman and Dylan Sutton joining the Seagulls’ skipper on the 200-plus run-list.

His bowling attack is superb, with Brad Butler launching rockets from one end and champion all-rounder Russell Lehman the ideal foil with the new ball.

And in Lownds, Peter Sweeney and Sutton; Mick has the quality to tie things up if the openers don’t make inroads.

His first season on synthetic has been a real eye-opener for the Tooradin skipper.

“It’s been difficult as a captain, to come to this league, on these wickets; it’s a unique style of cricket that I’ve never seen before,” he said.

“The ball goes to places that I’m not used to it going, it’s been completely different.

“Regarding Josh Lownds; I don’t captain Josh Lownds; he puts nine players in positions where I would never stick nine blokes; but the ball always seems to go there.

“His stats after Christmas have been incredible, and that’s all down to him; he’s a very intelligent cricketer and bowler.

“Russ (Lehman) has great control, so we can work to a plan with him, and Brad (Butler) just needs three slips and a gully to go and do his thing.

“And I know Pete’s (Sweeney) bowling so well; we’ve played a lot cricket together.”

So how do the Lions bring down this Seagulls’ juggernaut?

The obvious answer is via the gun duo of Chris Smith (1008 runs) and Tormey (678); who have set the competition alight this season, while less obvious answers came to the fore in a semi-final win over Kooweerup.

Jack Anning showed some spunk, Jason Williams some class, and Sean Gramc hit the ball as cleanly as any player has this season.

Rob Elston, Stuart Johnson and Dom Paynter - who has caused the Seagulls much pain in finals before – are others the Gulls will need to restrict with the bat, while Nick Sadler is also dangerous.

And in Marcus Martini and James Close, the

Lions have two young opening bowlers that are ready to perform on the big stage.

The more you look at it; this can’t be anything but a classic…with two great teams set to be driven to their peak performance.

It’s the Seagulls to win…and Mick Sweeney to make a thrilling cross of the abyss!

TOORADIN (1) V PAKENHAM (3)

TOORADIN

WIN/LOSS/DRAW 12-1-1

RUNS TOP-5: Cal O’Hare 616, Josh Lownds 564, Peter Sweeney 390, Tom Hussey 338, Mick Sweeney 316.

WKTS TOP-5: Brad Butler 31, Josh Lownds 24, Russell Lehman 21, Peter Sweeney 13,Tyler Evans 9, Kallan Braid-Ball 9.

FLAGS/LAST 25 YEARS: 2003, 2013, 2022

PAKENHAM

WIN/LOSS/DRAW 9-4-1

RUNS TOP-5: Chris Smith 1008, Dale Tormey 678, Jack Anning 294, Rob Elston 280, Dom Paynter 197.

WKTS TOP-5: Dale Tormey 30, Jason Williams 18, Chris Smith 14, James Close 12, Marcus Martini 12.

FLAGS/LAST 25 YEARS:

1999, 2000, 2001, 2016. 2019

FINALS HISTORY

Despite being regulars at the top of the table, this will be the first grand final between Tooradin and Pakenham in at least the last 25 years.

In recent times they’ve played in three semi-finals with the Lions prevailing in all three; in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

In 2017 it was Dom Paynter (87) and Rob Elston (45) who stole the Seagulls thunder, while Paynter was at it again the following year.

He took 5/36 and made 29 not out to capitalise on a 94-run opening partnership between Chris Smith (53) and Jack Anning (39).

In 2020, it was Smith 67 not out and Ben Maroney 60 that piloted the Lions to victory.

THIS SEASON

Tooradin holds a two-nil record over Pakenham this season.

In a round-two one-dayer Tom Hussey (44 not out) and Peter Sweeney (36) helped the Seagulls (6/162) chase down the Lions 7/159; with two overs to spare, while the most recent round-14 clash gives the best guide to this week’s outcome.

Kyle Parrott (53), Russell Lehman (45), Dylan Sutton (44 not out), Josh Lownds (38) and Cal O’Hare (29) helped the Gulls to 7/257, before the Lions looked to be cruising in reply.

Chris Smith (98) and Dale Tormey (91) had the score at 1/173, before the Gulls stopped the Lions in their tracks.

Brad Butler (4/57) and Tyler Evans (2/4) did the bulk of the damage, while Josh Lownds (154-22-0) and Peter Sweeney (21-2-74-2) bowled 36 overs between them.

The Lions can expect more of the same this weekend.

WHAT THE CAPTAINS SAY?

MICK SWEENEY (TOORADIN)

“To experience the ultimate in club cricket is something I’m really keen for.

“Definitely our depth is our strong point; I think one to 11 can point to something throughout the season where they’ve had an impact, and that builds confidence.

“Whether the opportunity has been large or small, they’ve grabbed it with both hands.

“Tyler Evans turned the game against Pakenham last time; and that’s just one example of what I’m talking about.

“I knew this coming in; but it’s a really, really tight-knit group, and I wondered how Pete and I were going to fit in.

“But they’ve welcomed us in so well; and I think having teammates that are also best mates is something that can’t be overlooked.

“I think that teams that are like that tend to find ways to win; and we’ll be leaning on a bit of that on Saturday and Sunday.

“Pakenham is a fantastic side and are probably deeper than what the stats show.

“They’ve got players that have played at a higher level and are experienced in big games.

“They’ve got some important young blokes, but they’ve also got experienced players that have performed under finals pressure.

“They would love (Chris) Smith and (Dale) Tormey to fire; it would make their job a lot easier, but to defeat Kooweerup with those to making 19 each; it shows the quality of depth they have.

“It’s going to be a very stiff challenge; but one we’re looking forward to.

“I’m as hungry as anyone for it; I haven’t had anywhere near enough success for my liking…I’m very, very keen to win it this week.

“They’re a special group and certainly deserved their shot.”

DALE TORMEY (PAKENHAM)

“Grand finals are what you play for; we play for team medals, not individual ones, and we’re striving for the ultimate in team success so it would mean a lot to us all to win.

“We back ourselves and we know we’ve got the ability, and we’re confident.

“The pressure is all on them; they’ve been the benchmark team all year and been on top of the ladder.

“It’s all on them, we finished third, we’ve got nothing to lose and we’re going to Tooradin to give it a red-hot crack.

“There were a few games early in the season where fielding was certainly an issue.

“We probably dropped seven or eight catches against Tooradin in the one-dayer, and you can’t do that against the top teams; they will make you pay.

“We’ve spoken about it, week in, week out, and the boys are putting in the time to get better.

“This week we’re coming up against a very strong batting line up, but they give chances and when they do give chances we have to make sure we take them.

“We were super against them in the Pink Ladies game for 60 overs, but then dropped a couple of half-chances late.

“That can be the difference between chasing 200 or 250, so it’s important we take those opportunities when presented.

“Whether with bat or ball, we’re going to support each other and put on the best show possible.

“It’s going to be a great game; Tooradin has a long list of very good players and we’re confident we can match them.

“It’s going to be a great show; and a great promotion of Casey Cardinia cricket as well.”

Tooradin speedster Brad Butler has hit form at the right time, taking nine wickets in his last two games, and looms as a serious threat to Pakenham in the CCCA Premier Division grand final.

395149

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Spirited Demons fall short

TheVictorian Netball League witnessed an enthralling showdown in Round 3 as the Casey Demons ventured to Boroondara for a doubleheader against formidable opponents.

The Championship clash saw Boroondara, last year’s Championship runners up, locking horns with the resilient Casey Demons.

Meanwhile, the spotlight also shone on the burgeoning talents of the Express 23 and Under side as they faced off against the determined Demons.

In a tightly contested Championship game, Boroondara seized an early lead, showcasing their prowess on court.

However, the Casey Demons demonstrated their adaptability, with a diverse array of players stepping up to the challenge.

Emma Ryde emerged as a reliable target, exhibiting pinpoint accuracy throughout the match.

Notably, Poppy Douglass, Sinead Lumsden, and Sacha McDonald showcased their versatility at Goal Attack, sharing the offensive load effectively.

Despite facing a 10-goal deficit and enduring some erratic passing in the third quarter, the Casey Demons refused to falter.

Rallying together after regrouping at the final break, they mounted a spirited comeback, narrowing the margin to a mere four goals.

However, Boroondara’s composed performance in the closing stages secured them a

hard-fought seven-goal victory at the final whistle.

Meanwhile, the Casey Demons’ 23 and Un-

Dream for dedicated Davies who finally tastes success

By Marcus Uhe

Comfortably the biggest cheer of the afternoon in the aftermath of Buckley Ridges’ Dandenong District Cricket Association was reserved for Michael Davies.

The man commonly known as ‘Slick’ in local cricket circles was gunning for his first Turf 1 premiership from seven attempts, and with sand plummeting from his career hourglass, time was running out.

His laid-back personality combined with undeniable talent, with a Wookey Medal and multiple Turf 1 Team of the Year selections to show for it, made him one of the competition’s more popular players.

But for all the personal achievements, he lacked the one that mattered most to him.

He’d come so close the prior two years, and in 2022 he was unfortunately in the middle when the final wicket fell in Buckley’s chase of 226.

When his partner,Westley Nicholas was run out with a direct hit from the boundary, Davies, having reached the Striker’s end and seen his opponents sprinting past him to initiate chaotic celebrations, slapped the stumps with his bat, contrasting the frenzy of victory with the heartbreak of defeat.

Two years on, as he reached the centre of the pitch to join celebrations on Sunday, he quickly found himself in the centre of a huddle as his teammates mobbed him like a popstar in a crowd.

“All I wanted in the DDCA was to win a Turf 1 flag and now I’ve finally got it,” Davies said.

“I’ve been on the sad side for six years and finally I’m on the winning side.

“This one’s going to go down really well.”

On Saturday, he put his big shots away and ground out a tough 29 from 67 deliveries late in the innings, and grabbed the wickets of Brayden Sharp and Jordan Mackenzie in the defence 24 hours later.

When he beat Mackenzie’s defences to grab his second scalp, he turned to cover and embraced Jayson Hobbs in a mighty hug before teammates converged.

Later, when Hobbs called him forward to collect his premiership medallion, he gave his eyes a quick wipe before the two repeated the hearty embrace.

When he walked back to the group, and his devoted children in Buckley Ridges tops with their dads’ name on the back, he gripped the medal tight, as if it would somehow be taken

away, as the enormity of the achievement began to take hold.

As Jordan Wyatt rode his luck with the bat, surviving multiple dropped chances, Davies feared the worst, that the triumph would be cruelly stripped from him at the final hurdle once again.

But this occasion was different.

Former skipper Ben Wright said the players used Slick’s hunger for success as motivation, saying,“We take the hurt that Slicks had in previous years, not at the club, and we wanted to win trophies for him.”

Davies found words difficult to come by as he was showered with good will, but reinforced his gratitude.

“It means a lot, I’ve got a lot of mates that play for different clubs and I’ve been hard on the ground for 10-15 years,” he said.

“Everyone saying that they really want me to get one, and I finally got it.”

His contributions with bat and ball will be long remembered in Buckley blue, no matter what his playing future looked like.

“The mind thinks that I can go until I’m 50 but the body, getting older now with two kids, we’ll see how we go,” he said when asked about his playing future.

“I got a lot of stick for going there (To Buckley Ridges) but they’ve been so successful over the years and all I wanted was a Turf 1 flag, and I’ve finally got it.

“You can always keep going and going, but flags are very hard to come by.”

der side encountered a challenging start to their 2024 campaign, facing off against powerhouse teams including Geelong, Melbourne

University, and the impressive Boroondara unit.

Undeterred by their tough opponents, the young Demons showcased tenacity and determination, staying within striking distance of the youthful Express side throughout the match.

With players like Holly Stephens, Piuti Laban, and Kaylah Loulanting rotating through the goal circle, and Mollie Helmot’s commanding presence in the centre, the Demons displayed promising signs of growth and cohesion.

As the Casey Demons look ahead to Round 4, they are set to clash against the Western Warriors, newcomers to the VNL, at the State Netball Centre on Wednesday, 27 March.

It promises to be another exciting encounter as the Demons aim to secure their first 23U win of the season.

Furthermore, Round Five presents a special occasion for the Casey Community as they gather at Casey Stadium for ‘Girls Night In’.

In collaboration with Hawks Netball, both clubs are set to raise awareness for Share the Dignity and collect essential items to combat period poverty.

Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets via TryBooking and show their support for this worthy cause while enjoying an evening of thrilling netball action.

-Rebekah Bogos

Galvanised Tigers make decision to stay in DDCA

By Marcus Uhe Beaconsfield Cricket Club committee

member Ben

White

described the club’s Special General Meeting on Thursday night as a “galvanising show of unity” that he hopes will be a springboard into a bright future.

A motion on a potential move to the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association was not even moved to the voting stage, so staunch was the support to remain in the Dandenong District Cricket Association from those in attendance.

Coming off a season in which the club battled for volunteer support and ran a smaller committee by comparison to its contemporaries, the talk of a potential move has rallied members and supporters, leaving White excited for what’s to come.

“The club presented on the night last Thursday and I think we had three times as many people show up to that special general meeting than we’ve had at the last couple of AGMs,” he said.

“People have come out over the last three weeks especially since we floated what the pinch-points are for us as a club, and the level of support of people saying, ‘get me involved, I’d love to do fundraising ’ or ‘get me involved, I’d love to do the merchandise’ or ‘ill be junior coordinator.’

“The number of people putting their hand to contribute to the club has been, I wouldn’t say overwhelming, but pretty close to it.

“I think we’ve got a strong base now and my push will be to bring those people together, set them on the clear pathway and really work hard during the offseason to build that level of support that we need as a Turf 1 club.”

The step up to Turf 1 level proved challenging for the club in an off-field capacity with requirements such as needing a scorer catching them off-guard.

At junior levels and lower grades, however, the club enjoyed a successful summer, with premierships in the under 12s, 14s and 16s, to go with a Turf 5 premiership two weekends ago.

The pathway between the senior and junior clubs will remain a priority for White and the committee, while moving down

the grades to Turf 2 was not considered as an option or alternative to staying in Turf 1, despite White conceding that the topic was “something we probably need to discuss.”

“I think they’re all a priority in my opinion but the connection for us between our junior club and senior club has been one of the most important strategic positions since I’ve been involved, because that is our pathway,” he said.

“It needs to be local talent and how we develop those people into solid senior cricketers.

“We’ve found that this year and competing against teams that have got deeper pockets has been a challenge.

“They’re just things that as a club we need to navigate and work on what our model is, how we make that model sustainable, how we grow that model, how do we focus in on our core strengths, which I think has been and always has been, junior development, junior cricketers and developing them into senior cricketers.

“We had three junior sides win age group premierships the weekend before last, 12s 14s and 16s and the Turf 5 premiership we won had 8 members in the 13-man squad that were under the age of 20.

“…to have the club galvanise and that unified mindset that they want to stay and compete in the DDCA, and that’s the best thing for both our junior development, the best thing for competing at a higher standard of senior cricket in Turf 1, and the best thing for our off-field culture is setting up a sustainable model for success in those areas.”

The hunt for a Turf 1 premiership is finally over for Buckley Ridges all rounder, Michael Davies.

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Picture: ROB CAREW

Beaconsfield Cricket Club appears galvanised by the decision to stay in the DDCA. 323333 Picture: GARY SISSONS

Casey Demons star Sacha McDonald has plenty of support this season; with brother and Melbourne footballer Tom McDonald; along with her niece and nephew. 396533 Picture: SUPPLIED