Mail - Ranges Trader Star Mail - 9th April 2024

Gilt-edged quilts

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

“artsy” person for as long as she can remember.

Growing up she watched her mother knit, crochet and sew, as well as both her paternal and maternal grandmothers.

“I knew from a very young age that I could take fabric or yarn and turn it into something, just as my mother and grandmothers did,” she said.

“In my mind I definitely knew we were

makers - make things with our hands.”

She was always interested in art and sewing; hence she started a degree in fine arts, majoring in painting at RMIT in the city campus, back in the late ’90s.

Apart from coming from generations of crafting and simultaneously studying art, she found the book about the art of Annemieke Mein and from there, her perceptions in art changed - that textile is art too.

“I had the pleasure of getting to know Annemieke when I painted and sewed her portrait as my entry to the Archibald prize compe-

tition a few years ago,” she said.

She started a family and as a result didn’t finish her course.

By the age of 20, Ms Thomas’s focus shifted from painting to making clothes and toys for her young family, including her first early attempt at self-taught crazy quilting.

After her children became adults, she decided to come back to arts and quilting.

She has been crafting her brain back together, after surviving a brain tumour in 2015.

“A major significant shift in my creative process was 20 years later, with an upgrade in my

tools - in 2017, my grandmother left me some money and after some research, I purchased a quality Bernina sewing machine which allowed me to explore free motion sewing,” she said. “I have been putting myself out there entering quilting events at Quilt and Craft Fairs since 2017 but prior to that, I tried a few hand quilts.”

“I did a self-portrait which was in a little mini quilt competition held by Australasian Quilt Convention Buy into craft or expertise events.”

Continued page 13

Menzies Creek crafter Bree Thomas has been an

Bree Thomas holding her work. Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS Bree loves making textiles using images of moths and butterflies.

School plan sparks concern

By Emma Xerri

An online petition of more than 1400 signatures is opposing a new application for a controversial proposed school near Lysterfield Lake Park.

PARED Victoria lodged a ministerial planning permit application on 15 December 2023, after two previous proposals for a new private boys’ school Lysterfield Lake College were declined by both Casey Council and VCAT.

The boys’ college, which is proposed to be developed at 19-23 Horswood Road, Narre Warren North, was rejected by VCAT due to the site’s unsuitability, and incongruence with state and local planning policies intended to protect the Casey Foothills.

In a recent statement from PARED, it stated it was “hopeful” of the outcome, which is expected in the second half of 2024, and that “the school is working with the relevant areas of government to ensure the success of the application.”

It noted that VCAT had stated the school is “beneficial in planning terms as it meets state policy seeking “a diversity of primary and secondary schools”.

However, located next to Lysterfield Lake Park, - which receives in excess of 500,000 visitors and tourists annually - local opponents argue the school would result in visibly intrusive urban development near the park, and a disregard for the rural expanse of green wedge land and its wildlife.

“It’s a shocking situation,” local resident and environmental advocate Karen Cavanagh said.

“The green wedge policies are just so weak.

“Once they get their foot in the door, there’s nothing stopping them from reapplying to expand the school.

“And they have to develop the whole site, because financially there are a certain number

of students you need to make running a school financially viable.

“So it’s important that the school is refused now, because once you’ve got a small school on the site, you can’t stop it from growing.”

Home to a plethora of wildlife in its natural habitat, the proposed site is a “haven” for animals like the kangaroo and the endangered swift parrot, along with seven other endangered species that rely on the park’s environment for survival, she said.

“The land needs to remain undeveloped to serve as a buffer zone between the town and the park.

“You can’t contain animals, they know no boundaries, so it has always been the plan for the animals of the park to be able to overflow into pastures and properties surrounding the park.”

Opponents have also raised concern about the school’s proposed “Kangaroo Management Plan.”

Put forward during the VCAT case, the plan proposed the culling and relocation of the kangaroos from their natural habitat.

“I’ve been rescuing here for 18 years now, so my main concern is the kangaroos,” Sue Johnson of Sue’s Roo Kangaroo Rescue-RehabRelease said.

“I rescue and release kangaroos into Lysterfield all the time, so if this proposal goes ahead and then the proposed management plan goes ahead, that means all kangaroos on that site will be killed.

“I understand it’s not their land - the national park is - but they’ve been grazing that land for years.

“At the moment, the kangaroos are free to go on that property and the next property and the next… but if that is blocked off for them, then that will push them more onto Horswood Road.”

This sentiment was echoed by the petition’s signers, one of which noted in their comment that“humans do not have the right to interfere with the wildlife just because they are ‘in our way’.”

“It’s so overdue for us to learn that without nature and healthy ecosystems we cannot exist,” they wrote.

Through their petition, locals also take issue with traffic implications.

With the school publicly advocating for parents to transport their children to school, and with no viable connection to public transport available, it would add to the traffic from private vehicles, the opponents argue.

They say it goes against the Victorian Gov-

ernment strategy which promotes a reduction in vehicle emissions and a focus on accessible, 20-minute neighbourhoods.

The potential influx of school-related traffic may disrupt park visitors and endanger wildlife, equestrian riders, and their horses. Additionally, the school’s presence is likely to worsen existing traffic congestion on a road that is already heavily congested, and contribute to increased traffic volume on nearby arterial routes, notably Belgrave-Hallam Road and Heatherton Road, the opponents say.

As well as impacts to traffic, petitioners are also arguing that a school development on the site will mean significantly higher volumes of wastewater and stormwater flowing downhill from the site, affecting the neighbouring lake, dams, wetlands, and Eumemmerring Creek.

“The old Narre Warren North Township Strategy talks about making sure that land north of the township is not developed because the land is not capable of servicing septic systems,” said Ms Cavanagh.

“You’re talking about hilly land and granite boulders all around the ground, which complicate septic absorption.”

The objectors are also concerned by the location of a school at the end of a dead-end road with only one entry and exit lane in a high-risk bushfire area, which is at odds with both Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) policies and the 2009 Royal Commission recommendations.

It will also test Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny’s commitment to strengthening protections for green wedges, going against one of the key Labor Party promises to hold strong on the Urban Growth Boundary and restricting growth beyond the boundary, the objectors say.

As the matter is currently before the Minister, PARED stated it was “not appropriate” to provide further comment at this time.

A family of kangaroos on the proposed site, with the nearby urban area of Narre Warren North in the background.

Yet another crash on Monbulk Road

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

Residents in The Patch have witnessed yet another car rolled over in front of their driveway.

According to the resident’s description of the accident, the car had lost control and went down an embankment late afternoon on Wednesday 3 April, on Monbulk Road near Kays Picnic Ground.

The road was blocked from between 5:30 to 6pm.

According to the Department of Trans-

portation and Planning data, in the five-year to June 2023, there have been 16 reported crashes along Monbulk Road between Perrins Creek Road and Olinda-Monbulk Road with two resulting in serious injury and zero fatalities.

The resident said the car was travelling from Monbulk direction, skidded across the road on the corner before Kays Picnic Ground entrance, travelling down the embankmentopposite their neighbours driveway.

“Thankfully the car didn’t hit a vehicle travelling from Kallista,” the resident said.

An ambulance was called, however the driver was not taken to hospital.

The resident who asked to be anonymous was returning from Monbulk, after collecting Star Trader, with a front page article of a previous accident.

Residents in The Patch have had enough and they are desperately asking VicRoads for actions.

Monbulk Police said they have attended the accident.

The Department of Transportation and Planning was contacted for a comment.

Fire danger lifts

The Yarra Ranges will be lifted from the fire danger period on Monday 15 April at 1am, alongside neighbouring council areas of Maroondah, Knox, Murrindindi and Nillumbik.

People are advised to burn safely, to always notify neighbours and register a burn off at firepermits.vic.gov.au or by calling the BurnOff Notification Line on 1800 668 511.

52,000 Honda cars recalled

Honda has recalled 52,051 cars, with all variants of the Odyssey, Accord, City, Civic, CR-V, HR-V, Jazz, Civic Type R, NSX models with a year range of 2017 to 2020 affected.

Due to an improper manufacturing process, a component within the fuel pump could swell causing the fuel pump to become inoperative.

If the fuel pump stops working, this could stop the engine from starting or stall the engine while driving. This may increase the risk of an accident and may result in serious injury to vehicle occupants and/or other road users.

Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by mail and advised to take their vehicle to a Honda Service Centre for repair. Consumers can also contact the service department of their preferred Honda Service Centre to make a booking to have the repair conducted free of charge, subject to parts availability.

Voltage regulator recall

The Roy Gripske & Sons Pty Ltd voltage regulators (part no. 21066-0785) installed in select Kawasaki general-purpose engines that are primarily used in ride on lawn mowers have been recalled, alongside the mowers they are installed in, due to the potential to catch fire, even if the engine is off or not in use.

The voltage regulators were sold nationally between 1 April 2021 and 19 December 2023 by GA Spares dealers and were also installed in the Gravely and Bushranger Spartan lawn mower models.

Consumers should:

Stop using the affected engine, or the product it is installed in, until it has been repaired.

Disconnect the negative battery cable and secure it away from the negative battery post. If you are unsure on how to disconnect the battery, see the battery disconnection instructions or contact your local GA Spares dealer. Contact your local GA Spares dealer to arrange repair.

Two injured - one a paramedic - as balcony collapses

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

A balcony in the Dandenong Ranges collapsed on Friday 5 April, resulting in two people, including an on-duty paramedic, being hospitalised.

SES and Ambulance Victoria had responded to a medical call-out on Dandenong Tourist Road, Olinda about 6.30pm.

Four paramedics and two SES workers were on a balcony treating a patient when it collapsed.

The 71-year-old patient from Olinda was trapped in the debris for half an hour before he was discharged and taken to hospital.

Two paramedics were assessed at the scene, with one taken to hospital.

SES were also on scene and no SES members were injured.

Emerald SES Unit Controller Ben Owen said as they were making their way down the

stairs, the balcony collapsed under their feet, including the patient in his wheelchair.

“The condition of the patient didn’t change to my knowledge, based on the feedback I got from the paramedics before, during and after the balcony collapsed,” he said.

“The police, ambulance and CFAs all worked extremely well together after the incident to free the gentleman and to ensure everybody was ok.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson

confirmed paramedics were treating the patient on the property’s balcony when the balcony collapsed.

Transported by road to hospital, one of the paramedics suffered upper body injuries.

“Another person was transported to hospital by road for assessment,” Ambulance Victoria said.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident

Cars rolling over has become a frequent thing for residents living along the Monbulk Road.

Picture; SUPPLIED

Community feedback sought to lessen gambling harm

Community invited to provide feedback on draft policy to reduce gambling harm

The Cardinia Shire Council is inviting the community to provide feedback on a draft document aimed at reducing gambling harm in the local community.

Input provided will help shape the final version of Cardinia Shire Council’s Gambling Harm Prevention and Minimisation Policy.

This revised policy will replace the existing one.

The community is invited to view the policy and provide feedback via an online survey on Council’s Creating Cardinia website.

The feedback period opens on Tuesday 2 April 2024 and closes on Tuesday 30 April. Feedback on the draft policy can also be made via letter or email.

Reducing harm from gambling is a legislative responsibility of Council and is a key objective in Cardinia Shire’s Liveability Plan 2017 to 2029.

The review of the Responsible Gaming Policy has been driven by recent regulatory reforms and significant changes in the com-

munity’s demographics and aspirations.

The draft policy has been informed by a background paper and initial key stakeholder consultation.

It outlines Council’s roles and responsibilities in minimising and preventing the health, social and economic harms associat-

ed with gambling in our community.

This is the final stage of community consultation on the revised policy.

It follows 2 previous stages that took place via the Community Household Liveability Survey in mid-2023, as well as engagement in late-2023 with key stakeholders from electronic gaming venues and in the health and social services sectors.

Once community feedback on the draft policy is considered, the final version of the Gambling Harm Prevention and Minimisation Policy will be produced.

The revised policy will take effect when it is adopted by Council at a Council Meeting later this year.

Online survey participants can stay up to date on the progress of this policy review by visiting the consultation web page on ‘Creating Cardinia’ and clicking the yellow ‘+ Follow’ button at the top of the page.

According to a report from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, over $35 million was lost to Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) in Cardinia Shire in 2022-23 – an average loss of $96,005 per

day, or $365 per adult resident in Cardinia Shire.

Studies show that gambling losses usually impact those who can least afford them, including those who are unemployed, on lower incomes, or with fewer qualifications.

This is supported by statistics that show that the most disadvantaged communities incur the greatest financial losses due to poker machine gaming.

If you or someone you know is impacted by gambling harm, contact Gambler’s Help Southern for a free and confidential chat on 9575 5353 or visit, gamblershelpsouthern. org.au

There are several ways to complete the survey.

To complete the survey about responsible gambling and reducing gambling harm online, visit, cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay

You can also send a written submission by email to mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au

Or by post to: Responsible Gaming Policy review, Cardinia Shire Council, PO BOX 7, Pakenham VIC 3810.

Residents set for battle

By Mikayla van Loon

Mount Evelyn is a community prepared to fight for the quaintness of their foothills township as a global fast food company prepares plans for a major site development.

The No McDonald’s in Mount Evelyn action committee, led by Amy Kidd, held its first public meeting on Thursday 4 April seeing close to 300 people attend the forum.

“It was really validating to have so many people turn up. But to be honest, we already knew there was a really strong opposition to this because we’ve had our Facebook group grow to over 1000 members in just a few months,” she said.

“So we’re well aware of its strong opposition in the community, but it was great to meet some of those people in person and have a more in depth conversation and strategise about stopping this from going ahead.”

The plans, which are still under review by Yarra Ranges Council, propose to build a 24/7 McDonald’s at the site of the current futsal stadium on Hereford Road, with an adjacent childcare centre.

The dual design of the development was a point of concern for many of the people who attended the meeting, with Ms Kidd saying numerous questions around safety were raised.

“They want to build a childcare right next to a McDonald’s. Are there any safety measures that are going to be put in place to keep children safe?,” Ms Kidd said.

“We also are aware, almost all the police we’ve spoken to have said, without exception, McDonald’s increases illegal activity in an area.

“So that’s something we’re deeply concerned about, especially given the fact we don’t have a 24 hour police station here in Mount Evelyn.”

With members of the Tecoma No Maccas campaign at the meeting, Ms Kidd said although they lost their battle, it was still good to understand their approach and gain advice.

Committee member Clare Worsnop, who was involved in the three year refusal campaign of a Safeway, which ultimately won in 2008, said it proves it is possible to win against big corporations.

“Knowing that we fought, and more importantly, won against Safeway, which was huge, and we’re still the only town in Australia that has ever done it, puts us in a pretty believable space for people to say, ‘Well, we did it, we understood it, and we won’,” she said.

“We went through the whole process, which was, I’ll have to say, not the easiest process I’ve ever been through and not one I would have cared to do again but here we are doing it again, and Safeway or Woolworths is a similar sort of big corporate body, just like McDonald’s.”

As the president of the Mount Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association, Ms Worsnop said not only is there the concern for human safety but for wildlife safety.

“We have seven endangered species in Mount Evelyn and one of them, which is the symbol of Mount Evelyn, is the powerful owl,” she said.

“There’s a pair of powerful owls who will be directly affected by the development because their nest site and their roost site are very close to that development.

“So under the flora and fauna guarantee the council and the government has an obligation to protect the habitat and nest sites of an endangered species.”

Despite the Tecoma McDonald’s being approved with a condition that the immediate vicinity must be kept clean of rubbish, MsWorsnop said that has not happened, a concern for the environment of Mount Evelyn.

“If a fast food outlet comes, be it McDonald’s or whatever, there’ll be lots of rubbish, there’ll be food thrown around, there’ll be scraps everywhere you go. That will attract rats and mice,” Ms Worsnop said.

“That will in turn affect the native little bush rats by destroying their habitat and taking it over and even killing them.”

Another impact of rubbish attracting rats and mice is the use of rodenticides, which if birds of prey or possums consume will result in their deaths as well. Giving all the information they could at the time of the meeting, Ms Kidd and Ms Worsnop said it would allow the community to make up their own mind moving forward, based on what was presented to them.

“We wanted to have the meeting now because we wanted to just give information to people to reassure them of where the process is, and help let them know we’re there to help them have their say, and make that as easy as possible,” Ms Kidd said.

Knowing it could be a long campaign, Ms Kidd said she is prepared to take it on.

“I’m definitely motivated and committed to fighting this for as long as it takes. If we do nothing, then it’s definitely going to be built.”

As a passionate Mount Evelyn resident, Ms Worsnop said seeing younger people, who have perhaps only lived in the town for a few years, want to protect the town they have has been inspiring.

“Amy [has] done so much work to get this group together. She’s a newbie in the town. She’s only been here a couple of years. She’s young, she’s vibrant and she’s very calm.

“It’s our job to hand it over to them, but support them along the way…because it’s their future. It’s their children’s future, and it’s their town.

“It was a really wonderful experience to see how the community still values the special things that are in Mount Evelyn, our wildlife, our trees, our village atmosphere, our camaraderie.

“That’s inspiring for any community to have and it’s just wonderful. So it makes me feel proud to be a Mount Evelynite.”

Residents of Mount Evelyn opposed to the McDonald’s proposal met for the first public meeting on Thursday 4 April.

Picture: SUPPLIED

You can submit your feedback on gambling harms via online, letter or post.

Picture: ON FILE

The live music conundrum

By Callum Ludwig

The Australian Government’s Standing Committee on Communication and the Arts opened an inquiry into the country’s live music industry in the wake of some of the largest music festivals being cancelled and some of the most iconic venues shutting down.

Danny Grant was an organiser of the Hello Sunshine festival held at the Caribbean Park in Scoresby in March and has also garnered a following of almost 40,000 people on his TikTok page ‘DannyRants’ for his insight into Melbourne’s nightlife and music events over his two decades in the industry, having promoted, owned and ran nightclubs, music festivals and other events.

Mr Grant said the need for the inquiry is well-founded, with Covid-19 having had a massive effect on the industry and with support having been offered for a year before the industry was left to fend for itself again.

“We need more major investment in Australian artists, currently, we’ve got a bad dollar and we have to pull out more American or worldwide artists to try to pull crowds or get interest and I think that can be attributed to the lack of support that a lot of music industry has had from the government currently in Australia,” he said.

“It’s making those boundaries and challenges harder to pass over in order to get people to get off the couch and come to an event and the old, solely Australian lineup is almost becoming impossible to be able to facilitate to make sure you get a crowd.”

In 2024 alone, well-established events like Groovin’ The Moo (poor ticket sales) and Splendour in the Grass (‘unexpected events’) have been cancelled ahead of time and the Pitch Music and Arts Festival was called off on the second day of the four-day event due to extreme heat.

In the last decade, Falls Festival didn’t return in 2023 despite making an initial comeback from Covid-19 enforced cancellations and a bushfire emergency in 2019, FOMO was cancelled in 2020, Mountain Sounds in 2019, Stereosonic in 2016, Future Festival in 2015 and Big Day Out in 2014.

Mr Grant said we need to showcase and help make artists from Australia bigger so that our festivals then can support more interest.

“The second part is the cost of everything, from fencing to security to APRA (the authority for music royalties in Australia), PPCA (copyright collecting society for recorded music) and all the government costs we are going to have to pay are going higher and higher and higher,” he said.

“It’s hard to make it affordable for people to come to a festival and watch people that they want to see and want to follow and as a result of that, we’re seeing their collapse of some of these Goliaths of festivals.”

As well as the struggling festivals, famous Melbourne live music venues have been shut or had to sell up having previously previously paved the way for up and coming and local

artists, including Collingwood’s Bendigo Hotel (closed in 2023) and The Tote (2020), The Palace Theatre (2014), The Reverence Hotel (2019), The Brunswick Hotel (2019) and the Ding Doong Lounge (2018) have all shut their doors in the last 10 years, among others.

Mr Grant said with the rise of streaming platforms, Australia needs to revisit how to build up the careers of artists from the grassroots.

“In the decade prior to Covid, we had artists like Flume, Will Sparks, Dom Dolla, Tame Impala or The Jungle Giants, all these different Australian artists who blew up and a lot of that was to do with government support because they had programs like Down to Earth and things like that,” he said.

“The government’s not moving with the times, in my opinion, when it comes to how they’re financing the Australian arts and media industry, they’re still relying on the old system of giving money to somewhere like Triple J, and then hoping that Triple J can build artists, but it’s not happening the same anymore.”

“There needs to be a shake-up in how they’re distributing the funds, because at the end of the day, the majority of the time when big artists have come up or blown up in the last three or four years, it has been from the underground and it has been with zero support from the government.

Mr Grant’s Hello Sunshine festival had an all Australian lineup including the likes of Bliss N Esso, Brad Cox, Grinspoon, The Veronicas, Pete Murray, The Temper Trap and Selby local Anya Alchemy as well as a range of food trucks, market stalls, a FMX show and other activities.

Hello Sunshine 2024 hosted 10,000 people and aims to bring in 14,000 to 15,000 for the 2025 event, according to Mr Grant.

Other small festivals held locally have also seen recent success amidst the rubble of some giants of music events, with the Gaytimes festival for the LGBTQIA+ community held in Gembrook consistently popular while the River Folk Festival in Warburton set for its fifth edition this year.

Director of the River Folk Festival Sam Watson said he thinks the only way out of the situation is greater support for live music venues, live music promoters and festivals from external sources if the income from ticket sales is waning.

“I still feel that the live events industry as a whole, not just music but the live events industry as a whole, was the first to be hit by the pandemic and I still believe the hardest hit and the least supported in terms of the support filtering down to all levels of the industry,” he said.

“A festival having a bad year or festival cancelling one year is not great for anyone, it’s not great for morale or trust in that festival and if this pattern continues, we’re going to start seeing fewer international acts coming over to Australia because there will be less certainty in the guarantee of their performance and their performance fee,”

“The effect of cost of living on a patron’s

ability to buy a ticket doesn’t translate as heavily on smaller festivals like ours as it does on a major festival like Splendour and I can’t really comment on a qualitative reason for the move towards these more niche community-based festivals but on a very practical level the lower cost and greater accessibility of them does help.”

Mr Watson was in attendance at a conference during the National Folk Festival what was held over the Easter weekend where sustainability, including financially, was discussed.

M Watson said one of the significant points

that came out of that was not programming large-scale headline acts that chew up most of the artist budget.

“Support the smaller acts who are emerging because if they don’t have that opportunity or don’t have that stage to perform on, their careers aren’t going to advance in any way further,” he said.

“Having an opportunity locally is one of the fundamental things an artist will look for, whether that’s a pub venue, a small local music venue or a local festival with intra and interstate traffic is big for the sustainability of the industry.”

The Eminent Panel for Community Engagement, working in partnership with Traditional Owners, has been established to provide advice and recommendations to the Victorian Government on the Central Highlands state forests.

You can help shape the future management of the Central Highlands state forests at Engage Victoria until 29 April 2024 or drop in to meet the panel and share your ideas at the following:

Monday 15 April from 7.00 – 9.00pm

Gembrook Community Centre 1 Beenak East Road, Gembrook

Hello Sunshine held in Scoresby faced relatively little difficulty as other events fell over this year. Pictures: ON FILE Small music festivals like the River Folk Festival in Warburton have seen success despite large events struggling.

Apprenticeship drop worry

By Mikayla van Loon

Apprenticeship data from the last year has shown a decline in the uptake of trades across the country, with a local provider confirming it too can’t escape the national trend.

Master Builders Australia found that over the year to September 2023, 42,333 apprentices started a career in the building and construction industry.

This, however, was a 25 per cent decrease on the previous 12 month period.

A spokesperson for Swinburne TAFE, which provides students in the outer east with access to trade apprenticeship training in Croydon, said there was a decline nationwide in enrolment and completion rates for apprentices.

“Boosting enrolment in TAFE is vital for Australia to provide apprenticeships in areas of critical need and we’re committed to playing our part in this national priority,” they said.

From September 2022 to September 2023, a three per cent drop was seen in the number of apprentices in training, declining from 124,120 to 120,88.

Completion rates also dropped 7.9 per cent, with 21,814 students finishing their training over the year to September last year.

Despite these reductions, Master Builders Australia chief executive officer Denita Wawn said building and construction still remains one of the largest employers in the country.

“Construction is the backbone of the Australian economy, employing approximately 1.3 million people, providing infrastructure, commercial and community buildings, and homes for the growing population,” she said.

“But the building and construction industry workforce is ageing and has a typical exit rate of eight per cent a year. Master Builders estimates we need half a million new entrants over the next three years.

“We are not doing enough to plug this gap.

There are not enough new entrants to the industry to meet building and construction targets, including 1.2 million new dwellings under the Housing Accord, or the transition to net zero by 2050.”

Vocational education and training in the Yarra Ranges was recorded at above state and national averages in the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census.

It showed that 3,786 (8.7 per cent) people were attending TAFE, compared to the state’s

7.9 per cent and the national percentage of 7.8.

Ms Wawn said “making VET more attractive” would be a critical part to addressing the declining uptake of building and construction apprenticeships.

“Vocational education and training has been seen as the second-class citizen to universities for far too long,” she said.

“Master Builders has long advocated for the bias that leads people away from the VET system to be dissolved.

“We need to change people’s perceptions of working and needing a vocational education to look at trades as a pathway into a vibrant, well-paid and very large industry.”

The Swinburne spokesperson said as a leading dual sector provider, “we’ve seen recent growth in sectors such as electrical and plumbing apprenticeships”.

“Swinburne is proud to be a trusted home of traineeships, apprenticeships and trades in Victoria.”

An building and construction apprenticeship decline has been seen broadly across Australia, something TAFE providers are beginning to notice.

Picture: ON FILE

Energising the community’s spirit through peas project

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

Local Belgravian, Dani-Ela Kayler has plans to reinvigorate the community’s spirit and put the heart back into Belgrave through her Purple Pea Wonders project.

Earlier this year, she was successful getting a small grant to seed a new project.

“The project evolved quite unexpectedly,” she said.

“When I was at aYarra Ranges Council event in November 2023, people were talking about wanting to energise the community’s spirit and there was a psychologist who spoke on hope and that really resonated deeply.”

“And walking away from that event and speaking to a few people who asked what are you doing Dani-Ela? Have you got a new project? I just heard myself speaking about it - I’ve got this purple pea idea.”

Ms Kayler has been running a few projects in the hills, including Here Me -TeenagersTake Up Space which ran over Easter from 2019 to 2021.

She said from her own journey of managing chronic pain, loss of hope and joy, she found herself finding the courage to appreciate the small, everyday things that we often take for granted.

“I always found these little bits of encouragement in what I heard or what I might have read in a little text message or that serendipitous moment when you know someone just called or text the right time or when I saw something beautiful in nature or something that caused me to smile unexpectedly…that was the little thread of hope and encouragement to keep going,” she said.

Her projects have always encouraged her to

make the invisible feelings visible - the feelings we all often hide and don’t like talking about.

Ms Kayler has been researching the impacts of serendipity and gathering information to develop art workshops for adults to remember or (re-learn) play, creatively and curiosity. Purple Pea Wonders is an art installation of sorts, with a twist. It comes as a response to instilling hope and community engagement back into the community, specifically Belgrave.

The project in a nutshell involves having name-place sized cards with a whimsical phrase that are displayed in between merchandise, books and tables in five locations in Belgrave for people to “discover” over a four week period.

Phrases draw on well-known pearls of wisdom and play on the words,“peas” and“please” for instance, “peas welcome stillness,” “peas stick together”, “peas dance more often”, “ peas keep showing up.”

There are 50 different phrases to find.

Inside the card is a little message to explain

the intention of the card, inviting the finder to keep it or pass it on. A QR-Code invites the finder to briefly share their experience via Jotform and to post on social media. This is to track the card’s journey and its impact on someone’s day.

Ms Kayler will also be sharing clues to find the other 5-participating businesses where people can find more Pea cards.

Peas are metaphors for the people and versions of ourselves that we’d like to see more often.

“When I was unwell, it was those little things people told me that brought me joy and gave me hope again,” she said.

“I was surprised and delighted that it resonated with my audience and people were crying and some ate the pea; it was a profound experience for the audience and myself.”

The intention is to create a moment of pause, to delight in discovery and spark imagination, consequently offering encouragement and a request to pay-it-forward.

The cards are like little seeds planted in different places for people to discover when they are least expecting it.

“The cards might be in a frame of mind where they’re looking for a book or they’re sitting there having a cup of coffee, or they might be looking for a gift for someone else or for themselves,” she said.

Ms Kayler has connected with businesses in Belgrave that will help her plant those little seeds. The businesses are there to guide her on where the cards should be placed where people are paying more attention.

“I would love for the community to engage with the work,” she said.

“Kindness and compassion go a long way - a reminder we all need, especially when life demands so much from us…peas remain kind when messy or angry.”

The launch date has yet to be announced, but it will be in the next two weeks.

A giant charity task awaits

By Gabriella Vukman

Local mum and psychologist Emma-Rose Parsons will commence a 170km run on 18 April to raise money for Eastern Health’s Paediatric facilities.

Seeing as the $24 million raised for this year’s Good Friday Appeal goes exclusively towards the Royal Children’s Hospital, Eastern Health hospitals such as Maroondah, Angliss and Box Hill miss out on much needed funds.

Aiming to secure $30,000 for a new ultrasound machine among other items, Ms Parsons is currently at just over $25,000 and promises to complete the whole run in a tutu should her funding goal be met.

“It is so paramount that we get these resources so that our local kids at our local hospitals are given the best-possible care,” Ms Parsons said.

“I was thinking about how you raise money like this and I think usually something that sounds a bit outrageous is a good starting point so I thought, ‘what is something outrageous that I can do?’

“I love running and this distance is sufficiently outrageous and hopefully running past the hospitals will bring more awareness.”

Commencing at Lake Mountain at 5pm and ending up at Federation Square in Melbourne’s CBD by 7pm the next day, Ms Parsons will be running all night.

Ms Parsons said, “As soon as you are running these kinds of distances you get lots of niggles.”

“You will go through phases where you feel a bit unwell where your body is trying to put the blood into your extremities and trying to process food at the same time.”

“The sleep deprivation can be really tough and can play tricks on your mind but as long as you are aware of these things and have a contingency plan you can stay safe.”

Ms Parsons will have medical professions travelling with her and will avoid roads where possible.

“I was not previously aware that a lot of the fundraising that happens with the Good Friday Appeal only goes to Royal Children’s and actually none of that money goes towards our local paediatric services,” Ms Parsons said.

“The staff that I have met and communicated with at the hospital are some of the most incredible, dedicated nurses and doctors I have come across but they don’t have all of the

things that they need to do their job.”

“The point behind this was to get some money to buy those resources so that those doctors and nurses can give our kids the care that they really deserve,” Ms Parsons said.

Acting Director of the Foundation at Eastern Health Bree Jopp said, “The Eastern Health Foundation is the charitable arm of Eastern Health and was created to support all of the innovative projects and equipment and funding that is required beyond government support.”

“Quality healthcare should be available to everyone regardless of status and we want to ensure that when people are admitted to hospital through the emergency department feel safe so the funds that Emma-Rose is raising are going to help improve the care and support families receive when in the emergency department.

“The funds that she is raising are going towards our paediatric wards and will be split between three emergency departments at Box Hill, Angliss and Maroondah,” Ms Jopp said.

“These funds are really important to the broader community because it is likely that someone they know will need the support from the emergency department.”

Six months ago, Ms Parsons decided she would embark on her fundraising endeavour and she has been juggling work, her family and running schedule ever since.

Ms Parsons said, “I am currently doing six days a week and doing two weight sessions a week and working full-time and being a fulltime mum.”

“I have amazing support so that is really great and I get up really early in the morning to get runs done before the kids get up mostly.”

“I’ve just got great friends and a really supportive husband and family so that makes it doable. At the moment the training load is crazy so at the moment I am doing a 70km training run which just when I say it out loud feels a bit nuts but it is all for a good reason right,” Ms Parsons said.

To donate or sponsor Emma-Rose Parsons go to eastern-health-foundation-community. raisely.com/m2m

Dani-Ela Kayler has plans to spread little joys in the community.

Pictures: SALLY DRAPER

Emma-Rose Parsons preparing for her 170km Mountain to Melbourne run. Picture: SUPPLIED

Are you gambling more than once a week?

Research shows if you are gambling more than once a week, you are more likely to develop an issue.

Grounds for celebration?

By Gabriella Vukman

The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges are the next destinations for a Melbourne coffee grounds recycling and rejuvenation scheme.

A social enterprise that focuses on sustainability has been diverting coffee grounds from landfill for 10 years and the Ranges and Yarra Valley are next on the list of grounds recipients.

In the name of repurposing coffee grounds into fertiliser, social enterprise Reground delivers coffee grounds to gardeners and farms for free.

Whilst Reground is based in Heidelberg and operates via a 30km radius of the suburb, they are currently delivering some grounds to the Valley and Ranges but are looking to expand their routes and set up a new hub in the hills for more permanent, frequent and easier access.

Tecoma resident and Reground operations manager Beatrice Roy said, “we are always happy to branch a bit further out for drop offs of coffee grounds.”

“We have a lot of users in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley because people have bigger properties and so there is more use for coffee grounds,” Ms Roy said.

“We are definitely looking at branching out and creating more of a permanent hub there.”

Currently Reground collects coffee grounds from approximately 300 venues in Melbourne who each pay a fee to have their grounds removed, and delivers them to community gardens and individuals who register to have deliveries.

Ms Roy said, “Many people know the impacts of sending plastic to landfill but in terms of numbers and emissions, organic waste has much more of a negative impact so diverting

that from landfill is very impactful.”

“The coffee grounds, because they don’t have the space to decompose organically when they are under a pile of rubbish, it creates a lot of C02.”

“If it goes to people’s gardens, it will compost the way it is supposed to, and save a lot of emissions,” Ms Roy said.

Boronia resident and avid gardener Susie Colling has received three Reground deliveries so far.

Ms Colling said “I was planning to build a mini orchard and found Reground on instagram. The guys came out here in a van and delivered about a ton of coffee grounds that they’d picked up from cafes along the way.”

“Coffee grounds are highly nitrogen-filled so the citrus love it. I wasn’t too sure on how it would be with apples and local native plants as well but everything has just taken off.”

“Digging down into the ground in my garden, the amount of worms and the amount of rich soil is incredible. It is black and it has only taken six months to get to that stage,” Ms Colling said.

Having hit 1.5 million kilograms of coffee grounds diverted from landfill this year, Reground encourages locals to reach out via their website or start their own landfill diversion programme by reaching out to local cafes.

Ms Colling said, “My chooks absolutely love the coffee grounds. They don’t eat them but they dust bath in them. They go in white and come out cafe-late.”

“These grounds shouldn’t be thrown in the bin, they should be given to backyards or schools who want to grow gardens and be utilised,” Ms Colling said.

Deliveries can be booked via the Reground website.

Burn-offs set to ramp up as Ranges restrictions lift

With fire restrictions easing in some parts of the State, and calm autumn conditions, hundreds of private, agricultural and planned burns are expected to take place in the coming weeks.

While current conditions are ideal for burning, weather patterns may cause smoke to linger over parts of the state overnight and through to early morning.

FFMVic Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said it was crucial fire agencies took advantage of favourable conditions when they presented.

“Planned burning on public land is one of the tools FFMVic uses to keep Victoria safer from bushfires,” Mr Hardman said.

“While we burn to the conditions not the calendar, autumn generally gives our crews more opportunities to conduct planned burns as the weather is more stable and fire behaviour is manageable and generally predictable.

“With the current favourable weather and forest conditions, we are dedicating all available resources to deliver planned burning.

“Reducing fine fuels such as grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and fallen branches means fires are less intense and slower to spread, making it more likely that firefighters can keep bushfires small and contained before they pose a risk to communities.

“Smoke can be a result of private resident or agricultural burns, chimney smoke or planned burns. We work closely with and use information from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Bureau of Meteorology to keep the smoke impact from planned burns as low as practically possible and inform the community while delivering the program.

“Victorians can also sign up for planned burn notifications to prepare for any impact on their health or activities.”

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan is urg-

ing Victorians to research and understand permit requirements before conducting private burn-offs.

“While the Fire Danger Period has ended in a few areas, it remains in place across the majority of Victoria.

“It’s your responsibility to know what restrictions are in place so if you’re in doubt, you can find out what you can and can’t do during a Fire Danger Period by referring to

the Can I or Can’t I? page of the CFA website.

“We have seen a number of private burns escape over recent weeks so if you do intend to conduct a planned burn you will need to apply for a permit and ensure that all burning activities comply with the permit prescriptions and requirements”

Victoria’s Chief Environmental Scientist Professor Mark Patrick Taylor said EPA understands smoke from any source, includ-

ing planned burns and private burn-offs can cause health concerns.

“Be prepared by watching for FFMVic planned burn notifications and by checking the air quality for your area through our EPA’s AirWatch air monitoring system,” Professor Taylor said.

“Your nose is also an excellent smoke detector. If you can smell smoke, take the necessary precautions to protect your health.”

For the latest information about when and where planned burns are happening near you, visit https://plannedburns.ffm. vic.gov.au/ .

Detailed information about current air quality throughout Victoria can be found on EPA’s website.

If you see or smell smoke outside, you should reduce your exposure to smoke by staying indoors and closing your windows and doors – but only if it’s safe to do so. Tips for looking after your health when there is smoke can be found on EPA’s ‘Smoke and your health’ webpage - www.epa.vic.gov.au/ for-community/environmental-information/air-quality/smoke/smoke-your-health.

Keep your burn off safe and legal:

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

· Check and monitor weather conditions –particularly wind

· To avoid unnecessary calls to emergency services, notify your neighbours beforehand

· Leave a three-metre fire break, free from flammable materials around the burn

· Have sufficient equipment and water to stop the fire spreading

· Never leave a burn-off unattended – stay for its entire duration

· If your burn-off gets out of control, call ‘000’ immediately.

The Yarra Valley and Ranges could be the next destinations for Melbourne’s coffee grounds.

Picture: UNSPLASH

Picture: CLAIRE COWTON, CFA

THENOTA BAD VIEW BIT

At the immersive BBC Earth Experience, you’ll see the world from an entirely new perspective. It’s not the only place this happens in Melbourne either. Just wait until you find the thought-provoking art galleries, boundary-pushing theatre and sporting events that ignite something deep inside you. Get ready to see and feel it all, all over the city.

Huge swell of support

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

Ferntree Gully resident Charlie Blanchard, also known as ‘Mr Fix it’ has been overwhelmed with the community’s support after sharing his story about his passion for fixing bikes with the Star Mail.

The 15-year-old has shown great determination for his passion and the community have responded with their overwhelming love and support.

Charlie has been successful in making a motorbike from scratch including the frame as a part of a school project and he received top spot for his work at school.

His school project will be displayed in Federation Square as part of an arts and technology competition.

A senior local from Ferntree Gully was overjoyed when she read Charlie’s story and she has offered him many of her tools and equipment to help him continue his work.

“The first thing I thought of was he’s a young man and he knows where he’s going and what he wants to do,” Margaret said.

She said it gives her so much joy to see teenagers like Charlie are doing the right thing, focusing on building themselves and the community rather than causing troubles.

“I’ve got all these tools I haven’t used in years that are sitting in the shed and going to waste, so I thought Charlie would probably use them.”

“I’ve been collecting tools because I’ve had a few projects that didn’t quite work out.”

Margaret said she has nieces and nephews but they wouldn’t look after tools and she wants it to go towards someone who’ll use them rather than selling them.

“Everything comes to those who wait... when I saw Charlie and his mum in the paper, I was very happy, overjoyed actually for him to use my tools,” she said.

Greg Sims is the senior version of Charlie, he was also thrilled when he read Charlie’s story in the paper.

He had the same passion as 15-year-old Charlie but back in his days he didn’t have much support.

“He sounded very similar to what and how I started out, I just thought if he wanted to accept the materials I would be more than happy to give it to him,” he said.

“When I was younger I had to learn and teach myself everything - there was nobody around that could teach me and I want to pass on some of my knowledge and also help him with what he wants to do.”

Greg said it’s been awhile since he was last in contact with people in karting and racing, he thought about throwing all his good tools in a dump bin.

“We should be compassionate and caring

Embark on an artistic journey through the picturesque Dandenong Ranges, where creativity blooms like the vibrant autumnal flora. In its 21st year, the Dandenong Ranges Open Studios Weekends invite you to witness the magic of 44 studios unveiling their treasures over two weekends: April 13-14 and 20-21, 2024. This cultural celebration is an immersive experience where art comes alive, echoing the passion and diversity of over 60 participating artists.

enough for our society and we should give back to our society…in my small ways, I’m glad I could do that,” he said.

Charlie has visited Greg to thank him and to collect his tools.

“I felt really excited because I wanted the tools and needed the equipment and I always have to buy the equipment and it holds me back on creating my projects,” Charlie said.

“Handing down things that you think you may not need anymore can really help someone else,” he said.

Charlie is welcoming of anything that could help him flourish in his journey.

He said donating things to others who will benefit from it is an investment because they could be the one to continue and finish your unfinished projects.

“He’s coming back to pick up some more stuff and hopefully we can become friends and I can pass on some more knowledge,” Greg said.

Charlie’s mum Elizabeth Symonds said she’s absolutely overwhelmed to see the community’s support for her son’s passion.

“I felt happy and supported by Greg, a member of my community, to share his knowledge with Charlie that took him a lifetime to learn,” she said.

“Handing this knowledge to my son felt very special, and they have met twice and have enjoyed chatting which Charlie I know appreciates this as he has often asked if there is someone with knowledge in his interest to talk to.”

“This form of kindness Charlie will never forget and it will shape his career in a direction that can bring immense satisfaction and reward.”

Elizabeth said she has noticed there are so many students in a classroom these days and it would be very difficult to drive a child’s learning through their interest and passion.

“My experience is that Individual learning plans in schools are not achieved even though it is a requirement by the department of education and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority,” she said.

“If we could encourage our community to share knowledge of skills and life to the younger ones then the children could exercise their imagination which creates vision then innovation and also leadership…leading our children to great leaders of the future.”

She hopes more young people have the same support and opportunity to be paired up with a retired skilled person to learn from each other, like Charlie found Greg and Margaret.

For two decades, this event has been a catalyst for emerging talents and a canvas for established practitioners to redefine the boundaries of art. Traditionalists, avant-garde creators, musicians, and craft artisans will converge to create a kaleidoscope of artistic expressions that defy convention. Unique studios nestled amidst the Dandenong Ranges will burst with colour and activity. The hills will resonate with a symphony of creativity, from painters and sculptors to musicians, goldsmiths and 3D model makers.

Returning artists, like Jessie Yvette Journoud-Ryan, share how Open Studios has become the heartbeat of their artistic journey. "This event has reignited my creative spark, given my work an audience, validated my practice, and has been an incentive to create year after year," says Jessie. For audiences, the GLIMPSE group exhibition

at Burrinja Gallery is a great place to start. This diverse showcase offers a window into the Open Studios artists’ inner worlds. While at Burrinja Cultural Centre, visitors can also meet the artists from Studios 31-44, explore their studio spaces, view their stunning artworks, and even participate in art workshops and demonstrations.

The Open Studios Weekends promise a unique opportunity to explore the studios, engage with artists, and witness the creative process firsthand. Be part of this artistic tapestry, where every studio visit is a glimpse into the soul of the hills. Let curiosity guide you through the Dandenong Ranges in full autumn splendour, setting the stage for two unforgettable weekends.

Over the years, this highly anticipated event has seen over 7500 studio visitations each weekend. Emma Jennings, a long-time Open Studios participant, reflects on its significance, stating, "There is no other organisation in the Dandenong Ranges that provides support or opportunities for artists. It's a platform for us to showcase the extraordinary talent, dedication, and passion of our local artists."

“These types of connections would brighten both of their worlds and also give much needed learning for our youth,” she said.

Charlie and his mum are set to visit Margaret some time this week.

Join us at the Dandenong Ranges Open Studios Weekends on April 13-14 and 20-21, 2024, 10am-5pm.

Learn more: openstudios.org.au

58 ARTISTS ACROSS 44 STUDIOS

Studio #8 Gerrad Russo. Photo Cathy Ronalds.

15-year-old Charlie and 80-year-old Greg are both passionate for repairing bikes.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Streeton work is unveiled

By Liz Hobday, AAP

A masterpiece by known Olinda impressionist Arthur Streeton not seen by the public for 130 years has been unveiled.

The 1894 oil painting Sunlight at the Camp has gone on show in Melbourne ahead of auction in Sydney, where it’s expected to fetch up to $1.5 million.

The work is highly significant in both Streeton’s career and for the history of Australian art, chairman of Smith and Singer auction house Geoffrey Smith said on Wednesday.

“Very few works of this subject, date and scale remain in private ownership and its reemergence for public auction represents almost the last opportunity to acquire a work of such beauty and stature,” he said.

The painting of Sydney Harbour was last exhibited in 1894 and was owned by art collector, the late Ruth Simon, for decades, with most of her collection going to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

Streeton was one of Australia’s most influential landscape painters and a leading member of the Heidelberg school with fellow artists Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and Charles Conder.

Their work later became known as Australian impressionism, the nation’s first distinctive movement in painting.

The Yarra Ranges’ Streeton Ward has been named after this influential man and artist.

Sunlight at the Camp will go under the hammer as part of an auction of Australian art by Smith & Singer, formerly Sotheby’s Australia, in Sydney on April 17.

It’s expected to fetch a total of almost $13 million across 76 lots.

Smith and Singer auction house chairman Geoffrey Smith poses next to Arthur Streeton’s Sunlight at the Camp 1894 painting that was unveiled in Melbourne. Picture: JAMES ROSS/AAP IMAGE

Youth Music Awards concert approaches for 2024

The Dandenong Ranges Music Council will host the 2024 Youth Music Awards Concert on Sunday 21 April, 2pm at the DRMC, Upwey High School. The event celebtates young musicians of the Yarra Ranges. The concert will feature the winners of the following music prizes:

· The Bill Borthwick Young Musicians Encouragement Prize (sponsored by Community Bank Upwey)

· 1st Prize: Melody Huang (Piano)

· 2nd Prize: Ryan Lu (Piano)

· Hon Men: Darren Jai (Violin)

· Hon Men: Isaac Yung (Piano)

· The Ann and Chris Krans Music Prize

· 1st Prize: Jade Chen (Piano)

· The Jesse Exiner Instrumental Music Encouragement Prize

· Shared: Melody Huang

· Ayaan Nehikottil (Piano)

Guest professional, David Soo, a previous winner of the Krans Award will perform Beethoven’s‘Pathetique’ Sonata Opus 13. David has performed throughout Australia, Asia and in Europe as a solo recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist. He proudly performed before the Queen and other dignitaries in London and at many significant concert halls globally. David’s expertise as an adjudicator and masterclass presenter has seen him involved with the National Bach Prize, the Music Society of Victoria and the 3MBS Young Performer Award.

The concert will also feature the Ranges

support of a YRC Small Grant.

Tickets will be available at the door: Adults $20 Family $40 Concession $10 Companion Card and U18 Free. Afternoon tea is included. All welcome.

Bree has her art covered

From page 1

According to the VicHealth data, a groundbreaking number of adults found that reading, playing board games, crafting, playing musical instruments, and dancing were associated with a lower risk of dementia.

In a busy world where mental health and well-being is often ignored, Ms Thomas ensures she stays present and finds the time for herself.

“I have been a maker all my life, the beauty of a tactile art form, where texture and touch allow you to be transported and completely involved in your creation, leaving behind any of life’s day-to-day worries is ideal,” she said.

“I use a lot of muted colours, my work is all about mycelium and fungus and mushrooms and I used fabrics that I had dyed using plants - stained with Eucalyptus.“

Every artist has their unique style, for Ms Thomas it’s all about the natural world and local wildlife, which she describes as a nourishment for the soul.

will be something that I definitely would do,” she said.

Ms Thomas’s love for insects and Australian wildlife can be seen all over her body through her tattoos.

“I have a hummingbird tattoo and I also have a lot of insects all over me,” she said.

MsThomas is a member of an artists collective in Kallista.

She’s encouraging people who are thinking of starting their journey in arts and crafts to just go for it.

She said it’s important that textilers invest in quality tools, especially those starting out as it will give them more confidence to continue making.

“Some of it [artwork] might be cultural, where most of what I do is Australian wildlife, unless I make up just out of my head like moths and butterflies,” she said.

“But just every now and then I’m very at-

“When I’m crafting I look at the things around me - I’m particularly attracted by the small things that other people may miss and that’s why I focus a lot on insects, because insects are everywhere and so many people either don’t see them or are scared of them and don’t appreciate how beautiful they are,” she said.

tracted to things like hummingbirds, my father is from the Caribbean and of course I’ve never been there but little stories of Trinidad where my father is from is often called the land of the hummingbird.”

Growing up, hummingbirds have been a recurring image throughout her life.

“I’m yet to make a hummingbird but that

“Just play, experiment, experience, just do it, through the years of crafting, I learned to ask myself, what’s the very worst thing that can happen? Everything can be fixed, sewn over, chopped up and remade,” she said.

“When it comes to being an artist, all you actually require is the courage to call yourself an artist, because I can’t just call myself a doctor, a teacher or a lawyer without the qualification…being an artist, all you have to do is believe in yourself as an artist and start making art.”

For Ms Thomas it’s all about the natural world and local wildlife. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Young Strings, an ensemble for school aged children who are learning violin, viola, cello and double bass. The Music Director, Rosalind Burns creates an opportunity for students to come together and improve their playing skills, music ready, knowledge of music styles and have a rewarding fun experience making new friends along the way. The DRMC acknowledges the

Guest professional, David Soo, a previous winner of the Krans Award will perform Beethoven’s ‘Pathetique’ Sonata Opus 13.

The concert will also feature the Ranges Young Strings, an ensemble for school aged children who are learning violin, viola, cello and double bass. Pictures: SUPPLIED

The heart of the Hills is the families which make up communities across the region. Local photographer TRACEY SHARP is searching for local families to share their story for an upcoming photography exhibition. Ranges Trader Star Mail journalist MATTHEW SIMS spoke to her about her love for photography, her love for personal connection and her love for motherhood.

Keeping true love in focus

Life is a series of moments, from a child’s smile to a family hug.

They pass as quickly as they arrived and fade quickly from memory and history.

Macclesfield-based photographer Tracey Sharp has launched a local project to capture the love and little moments found within families across the Hills.

Named Hills with Heart, each participant would receive a family photograph session, a printed and mounted photograph from their session, a place in the exhibition at the Hills Hub in Emerald this September and a double page spread in the Hills with Heart photo book.

Sharp said she was hoping to have 50 families included in the exhibition.

“The idea for Hills with Heart has been on my mind since the storms in 2020,” she said.

“We all felt quite helpless to do anything of significance and there were so many people needing help.

“When one of the volunteers had a tree come down on their own home while out helping others, that was when I felt I didn’t just want to do something more, but I needed to.”

Sharp started her business Sharp Memories Photography in 2017, before undertaking study in 2018, with the business now starting to gain traction.

She said she initially wanted to launch the project to showcase local Hills men, and with the project never getting off the ground, she decided to open it up to families.

“I wanted to show they do have a vulnerable side to them,” Sharp said.

“When the storm came through, so quickly on 13 February this year, I thought, I’ve got to try again and not give up.”

Sharp said she would be donating the $100 participating from each family to the CFA brigade or SES unit of their choice.

“I would love to hear from local Hills families who would like to take part and help support our local emergency services,” she said.

“It’s such as a great community project to be part of too.”

Sharp said her interest in supporting the local emergency workers, but also as a way of supporting her dad, who was a career firefighter in Upwey and Dandenong.

“That was all I knew as a child, Dad fights fires,” she said.

Sharp said she could also thank her father for her love of photography.

“It was my Dad that gave me my first and also my second camera,” she said.

“I still have the second one now and I just noticed the other day that it still has film in there.”

Sharp said she was keen to follow up the Hills with Heart project with a project highlighting local redheads, pets and mothers.

“I often hear people wanting to have a photography session say, “We are too busy in right now,” or “I would like to lose some weight first,” she said.

“I say who cares, this is you right now, this is your family’s moment.

“Your children won’t look back and see a tired mum, they will look back and see their mum, a mum who loved them and wanted to preserve these precious memories.

“A moment captured, to remember, always.”

Sharp said as an introvert, she found her photography was a way to feel out of sight and in her own world.

“Dad would always be hiding away behind his camera at family functions and events and it looked like a magical little world that he was in,” she said.

“It gives me a place to hide in big situations.”

Sharp said the best part of the job was not just capturing moments, but capturing people’s stories behind the photos.

“I get to capture that connection within families,” she said.

“I love hearing families tell their stories.”

Being a mother was something I’ve always wanted. When I want to smile for a camera, it’s thinking about my children that brings a smile to my face.”

Sharp said the only thing she wanted to be was a mother.

“I was definitely one of the creative ones, so I was naturally drawn towards a more creative world growing up, singing, sewing, making cakes with beautiful decorations, but I didn’t realise that a creative career was something that I could actually pursue,” she said.

“I didn’t have much ambition to be anything, and I never wanted to be climbing a ladder in a corporate world.

“I didn’t want the career, I just wanted to stay home with my babies.”

Sharp said while life with her three sons, Harry, 17, Liam, 14, and Charlie, 13, and her husband David could be difficult at times, it was worth it when she sees them thriving.

“Home is my happy place, just as long as my family is there anyway,” she said.

“I’m happiest when I’m being a mum, my boys are my everything.

“I want them to grow up happy and healthy and give them a loving and stable life.”

Sharp said she decided to enter into the world of professional photography was when she received photos from her children’s kinder.

“The quality of the kinder photos was just awful,” she said.

“It was nice to have that sort of light-bulb moment.

“I realised I could combine my love of being around children with my love of photography.”

Sharp said her favourite photograph of hers was of her grandmother when she was tending to her favourite cumquat tree.

“Photos are so powerful,” she said.

“When you look at them, it brings you back to that time and place.”

Sharp said she often found herself looking back at the simpler times, when her children were more excited playing with the boxes their presents came in than the presents themselves.

“Kids do have this pure joy,” she said.

“I love seeing the magic they can find in

anything.

“As we grow up, we do lose a bit of that.”

Sharp said her love for motherhood continued to drive her to this day.

“Being a mother was something I’ve always wanted,” she said.

“When I want to smile for a camera, it’s thinking about my children that brings a smile to my face.”

Sharp said the small moments in life were often the ones we cherished the most later in life.

“My real love of photography came from my boys and being their mum,” she said.

“It started the moment we arrived home from hospital with my oldest, who is now 17 and on his L plates.

“A tiny little baby one moment, driving the next.

“Moments, they are precious, so grab them now.”

For more information, visit www.sharpmemories.com.au/hills-with-heart

Tracey Sharp is showcasing 50 families across the Hills as part of an upcoming exhibition. 399375 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

The Hills with Heart project will focus on families from across the Hills. Picture: SUPPLIED

Tracey Sharp has loved photography since she received a camera from her father when she was eight years of age. 399375

KALLISTA VILLAGE CELEBRATES 1ST BIRTHDAY!

Community voice milestone

A year ago a new township group was formed, Kallista Village Inc, to be a voice for those who live, work and play in Kallista and the neighbouring communities of The Patch and Sherbrooke.

On Wednesday 17 April, Kallista Village is holding a General Meeting at the Kallista Mechanics Hall to celebrate its first year, reflect on its accomplishments and look to the future. This will be a catered affair, open to the public. Locals are welcome to come along, bring a buddy and learn more!

The township group has been driven along by a dedicated committee and a core group of local volunteers and is keen to grow, seeking to be a diverse and inclusive community group. New members welcome!

Successful projects so far have been:

· Kallista Revival - a village-wide event held last October that saw the return of the Kallista Market, Kallista - The Patch CFA open day and a hugely successful Kallista Primary School fete

· Kallista Village Market - this historic and unique community market is back and held 1st Saturday of each month. Beautiful local handmade and homegrown products and a great vibe. There is awesome live music at every market thanks to funding from the Yarra Ranges Council Grants for Community program.

· Environmental working bees are held on the 3rd Sunday of every month - a partnership with Friends of Sherbrooke Forest to restore a wedge of neglected land - the Kallista Bushland Reserve.

· Kallista Emergency Group (KEG) - formed together with Kallista-The Patch CFA, Parks Victoria, and Yarra Ranges Council with a mission to develop a grassroots Community Emergency Management Plan .

On that note, KEG is holding two workshops in Community Emergency Management Planning - facilitated by The 6 C’s - emergency management specialists. Held at the Kallista Mechanics Hall on Sunday 28 April and 26 May from 1-5pm, these are an opportunity for the

community to develop a plan that can be deployed and actioned in the event of a natural or other disaster impacting the area. Book your spot now.

The potential of a township group is being felt, a buzz is in the air and collectively we

are looking ahead to April 2025 when Kallista will celebrate its Centennial, 100 years since it changed from South Sassafras to Kallista! For more info see flyers, facebook and for any enquiries email kallistavillage@gmail.com or visit www.kallistavillage.com

Celebrate one year of the Kallista Village township group.

Picture: ON FILE

Help shape new service

Lilydale’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Local is a new, progressive mental health and wellbeing service that is coming later this year, and the front door service needs the community’s valuable insights to shape its development.

Wanting to create spaces that feel welcoming and comfortable, offering programs that meet you and the community’s needs. If you live in Yarra Ranges, they want to hear from you.

The Local will be running a series of consultation groups across April where you will be able to share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas with the lived experience team.

Local Services lived experience coordinator

Anita Conlon said this is your call to help design a service that truly resonates with you and your community.

“Whether you’re currently managing mental health and wellbeing concerns or are on your path to recovery, your experience matters,” she said.

“I’m interested in hearing about the barriers you’ve faced in accessing help, the services you believe would benefit you and your community and the type of environment in which you would feel most at ease seeking assistance.

“By sharing your insights with us, you will help create a space that supports mental health and wellbeing for everyone.”

Ms Conlon has facilitated similar consultation groups for Local Services across Victoria and said they offer mutual benefits.

“All participants have found the experience rewarding. It offers them a chance to meet and connect with other community members, share their life experiences and skills,” she said.

“We get a lot done in just a few sessions but also reconvene in the future to see how we’ve implemented your feedback.

“There’s nothing like seeing the results of this collaboration come to life when the doors finally open.”

The Local will be based in Lilydale once fully operational but will service the outer eastern suburbs for people over the age of 26.

It was one of nine to be announced in October by the State Government as part of its response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations.

Until the open door service is available, project lead Wellways along with Eastern Health, Inspiro Health, Oonah Health and Community Services Aboriginal Corporation began offering free telehealth support in December.

Community collaboration groups will consist of six to eight participants and each par-

ticipant will be compensated for their time. Expressions of interest will be accepted until all positions are filled.

For more information or to register your interest, simply call our Lived Experience Coordinator Anita Conlon on 0427 649 254 or email at aconlon@wellways.org

Join others from the Yarra Ranges to share insights into mental health and support for the new Local Service. Picture: SUPPLIED

A dark academia fantasy

A review of Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle Curious Tides, by French-Canadian author Pascale Lacelle, is a dark academia fantasy novel for fans of magic, mystique and moongazing.

Simply put, dark academia is an internet subculture concerned with ancient arts, classic literature, and Greek and Gothic architecture.

Wikipedia identifies the subculture as drawing on “idealised aesthetics of higher education and academia” and often featuring books, libraries and coffee shops, as well as activities such as museum visits and all-night studying sessions. While it is said to have captured the imagination of a “maturing ‘Harry Potter generation’”, some have attributed its rise in popularity to the shutdown of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PASSION FOR PROSE

Like the other characters in the book, Emory and Baz have magical powers that are decided by moon phases and tidal alignments. The magical system here is complex and fascinating, based on the moon’s waxing and waning and the tide’s ebb and flow. Not to mention the lunar and solar eclipses that produce variations of existing magics and even rare new ones beyond them.

a long read, it’s also a thrilling ride through a magical world meticulously built upon vivid and vibrant imagination. The dazzling array of magical powers are eye-opening, the setting atmospheric, the twists and turns unexpected, and the horrors enthralling and absolutely terrifying. It’s true that the pacing can be more balanced throughout, but the flaw is minor when the book’s overall literary merits are taken into consideration. Particularly worth nothing is the stunning design.

Which is fair enough, and Baz, one of the protagonists in Curious Tides, is certainly a book nerd who prefers reading and archival research over the use of magic. In contrast, the other protagonist, Emory, is reserved and often feels herself unworthy of the prestigious Aldryn College of Lunar Magics.

Monkey Man immediately draws you in

Monkey Man

Starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley and Sikandar Kher

Rated MA15+ 4.5/5

The directorial debut of star Dev Patel, Monkey Man is a harrowing, compelling revenge thriller.

Kid (Patel), a poor young man from the Mumbai slums, strikes out against the corrupt leaders who harmed him and his family as a child.

Monkey Man immediately draws you in with Patel’s fiercely determined yet vulnerable performance and a potent atmosphere of affluent corruption and industrious poverty.

The film has a sturdy three-act structure, establishing the engaging key players – including Sikandar Kher as the cruel police chief villain Rana – and ramping up the danger before a cathartic showdown.

As Kid’s vendetta progresses, we gradually learn more about the childhood trauma that haunts him.

Amid a gruelling journey of strength and focus through hardship are gentler moments of ritual, connection and tenderness, all steeped in Indian music and culture.

While vengeance is a major, grimly satisfying theme, the film is careful not to cross over into triumph, as Kid becomes a fearsome vengeful force by the end.

Like John Wick, the fight sequences are fast-paced, stylish and brutal but grounded and easy to follow (save for a few beats that are shot too close and shaky).

Monkey Man also has several moments of innovative camerawork and lighting, and Sharlto Copley is amusingly slimy in a supporting role as a fight referee.

A riveting action-thriller and an outstanding directorial debut for Patel, Monkey Man is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

Still, she is determined to uncover the truths behind the deaths of eight of the school’s best and brightest students.

As Emory and Baz investigate the mysterious deaths deep inside Dovermere Cove, they encounter secret societies and bloodletting rituals, drowned gods and missing pages of origin stories, underground archives and residential halls disguised by illusions, dream manipulators and nightmare weavers, covert actions to remove memories and bleed out life forces, mythical creatures and magical doorways, and plenty of conspiracies. There’s even a motorbike!

Indeed, although the 530-page book is quite

Readers are advised to read the print book and enjoy the beautiful maps and illustrations of moon phases.

In a TikTok post in late 2023, Lacelle said she started writing Curious Tides in 2020, “inspired by the murder mystery and secret societies of Ninth House, the portal fantasy and book- within-a-book elements of The Starless Sea, and the magical college vibes ofThe Magicians”. Highly recommended.

The 1812 Theatre

The Fire Raisers

This dark comedy is set in a town that is regularly stacked by arsonists.

Disguised as door-to- door salesmen, they talk their way into people’s homes and settle down in the attic where they set about planning the destruction of the home.

The 1812 Theatre decide to set the story in a German-speaking town in the 1930s as Hitler is gradually taking power.

1812 Theatre’s set was marvellous.

The play was done in the Bakery@1812 which is a small intimate theatre.

The rear of the stage was set with a fireplace central, a door each side and on audience left was the attic. Above the central fireplace was used as a screen in which throughout the play various actors gave a commentary in German with subtitles below.

This was very successful adding to the feel of the play. Brett Hyland was the main character Gottlieb Biedermann.

As Biedermann Hyland really captured the essence of such a character giving a stirling performance.

The leader of The Fire brigade, who sat at the rear of the stage occasionally adding to the commentary plus not letting Biedermann past when he wanted to go to the police.

A touch of Naziism there.

The Fire Chef was played by Felix Green giving a good performance in such a role.

Anna the maid was played by Freya Tim-

mer-Arends who gave a wonderful performance of the character.

Some of her looks when ordered to something she did not care for were amazing.

A good interpretation of the role.

Joseph Schmitz was played by Liam Mitchinson. Joseph talked his way into the home and talked his way to stay in the attic.

Mitchinson captured the essence of the character adding the overall good standard of the performance.

Gottlieb’s wife Babette was played by Pia Maganov who also captured the role as envisaged. Ryan Brennan was the other “doorto-door’ so-called salesman who instructed Schmitz how too do what they had to do.

The we had playing two roles, that of a policeman and professor Andrew Ferguson who gave a good feel to both characters.

A successful evening of theatre with the cast living up to the standard of The 1812 Theatre. CPP Community theatre Little Women

Opened on Friday 5 April and the next perfor-

mance is Thursday 11 April, 12 and 13 Saturday.

13 April is an early show at 5pm.

Little Women is the story of the March sisters whose father is away on the frontline of the American Civil War.

The sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy journey into adulthood , each determined to pursue a life on their own terms. But growing up means contending with love and loss, as well as the myriad twists of fortune that can shape a lifetime.

Gemco Players

Millies War

Based on historical events. Millies War is set in the 1980s when a number of women official Anzac Day, arches across Canberra to commemorate Women raped in war.

When the sleepy local branch of the RSL meet with the women in order to dissuade them from upsetting their sacred parade of the remembrance, the crotchety president of the RSL Club is appalled to find his own granddaughter is one of the feminists attempting to spoil their say

Tempers soon reach boiling point as each side argues the case the importance of commemorating victims of war.

Season: April 12 – 28

REMEMBER

· The BasinTheatre Berlin. April 18 – 28. Bookings: 0484

· Lilydale

065

006

On using your voice

By Maria Millers

Last week watching the John Farnham documentary and hearing his career changing song, You are the Voice made me reflect on how infrequently we are prepared to stand up and be heard.

This song recorded in 1986 became a huge hit and reignited Farnham’s flagging career. It spoke to the idea that individuals have the power to make a difference in the world.

Its empowering ‘anthemic’ message encourages us to speak up, stand up for what we believe in and take action for positive change: ‘‘We have the chance to turn the pages over/ We can write what we want to write.’’

Back In the 60s, Simon and Garfunkel released a song with a similar message: The Sounds of Silence. While maybe not intended as a direct political statement, nevertheless it has at its heart the superficiality and shallowness of political discussions and the failure of individuals to truly communicate their concerns and grievances to those in power. Or even indeed to talk about them with friends and family.

‘‘People talking without speaking/People hearing without listening

‘‘People writing songs that voices never share/And no one dared/Disturb the sound of silence’’

Like Farnham’s song so many years later the Sounds of Silence urges us to break the silence that separates us. It encourages us to speak up for what we believe in and take action for positive change.The song suggests that amidst the superficial conversations and distractions there is a profound silence:“Fools”, said I,“You do not know?/ Silence like a cancer grows’’. And indeed there is a cancer of silence and disengagement spreading aggressively through our society.

As Farnham sings: “We’re all someone’s

WOORILLA WORDS

daughter/We’re all someone’s son/How long can we look at each other/Down the barrel of a gun?/You’re the voice, try and understand it/ Make a noise and make it clear, oh, woah”.

Why is it then that so many of us are reluctant to stand up and be heard on social and political issues? It’s as if we are under the influence of daily doses of Soma, like the drug in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World used to sedate and control the population, keeping them docile and obedient and preventing any dissent.

So what is our soma?

Could it be years of conditioning in a culture where any substantive discussion unless it revolves around sport is not encouraged. There is an avoidance of what can be seen as uncomfortable topics, but these are usually the ones we should be talking about.

News is consumed on a superficial level and there remains a high level of wilful ignorance about crucial issues which eases the way so easily for political manipulation. Maybe what stops us is the frenetic lifestyle that many pursue either as a personal choice or one dictated by circumstances. There seems little time for any kind of considered reflection on what is happening around us or indeed what is being done in our names. And even less so in articulating our concerns.

There are so many issues not just in our country but across the world that need to be faced. From wars and instability, growing inequality, pollution of all kinds, food insecurities, population, climate change. We are also facing crises in health, housing and education.

And programs for the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians are still unresolved and have fallen away from public consciousness.

As global citizens why has it taken so long for our government and indeed our community to respond to the tragedy that has been unfolding daily in Gaza? Have we been afraid to voice our concerns? No one is suggesting that we should forget the Hamas attack of 7 October but nor should we ignore the plight of innocents.

And as has been pointed out only when an Israeli drone killed Australian aid worker, Zomi Franfcom and six of her colleagues that there has been front page coverage and public reaction. Farnham reminds us that we have a Voice and we should use it: “We’re not gonna sit in silence/We’re not gonna live with fear, oh, woah/You’re the voice, try and understand it/ Make a noise and make it clear, oh, woah”.

We often forget how privileged we are to live in a country where we have reasonable access to our decision makers and a free press, though regrettably with increasingly fewer dissenting voices allowed to be heard. At the same time we have access through technology to hear these voices, if we are prepared to make the effort. Yet few of us make the effort to exercise our democratic rights beyond participating in a compulsory voting system when an election takes place.

Farnham’s song serves as a reminder that genuine communication, empathy, and the courage to speak out against injustice are essential for creating a more harmonious, compassionate and democratic world. Both songs are a testament to the power of music to transcend time and space and speak to people

across generations.

The Sounds of Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend

I’ve come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

‘Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by

The flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools” said I, “You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you”

But my words, like silent raindrops, fell

And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon God they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said

“The words of the prophets are

Written on the subway walls

And tenement halls

And whispered in the sound of silence”

Songwriter: Paul Simon. For non-commercial use only.

COMMUNITY COURSE GUIDE TERM 2

Turn event plans to reality

The Selby Community House has announced the launch of its new Break into Event & Festival Management course, which will commence during Term 2.

This dynamic, hands-on, six-week introduction course is designed to equip you with the essential skills in creating, planning and managing events & festivals. Participants will gain skills around designing themes, budgeting and compliance knowledge required for the preparation and management of events and festivals. They will work individually and collaboratively to plan and deliver a small local

event on site in June, gaining valuable real-life experience in the field.

Participants will then be able to elevate their skills further, by progressing to Levels 2 & 3 across the year, where they will have the opportunity to develop advanced skills - and contribute to the planning and delivery of our annual flagship event SelbyFest! - which will take place in November 2024.

“We are excited to be able to deliver this new course to our local community and provide hands-on learning in the Event & Festival space – and the invaluable opportunity to be

BREAK INTO EVENT & FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT!

This dynamic, hands-on 6 week introduction course is designed to equip you with the essential skills in creating, planning and managing events. You will gain skills in designing themes, budgeting, and compliance knowledge required around the preparation and management of events. You will work individually and collaboratively to plan and deliver a small event on site in June, gaining real life experience in the field.

Elevate your skills further by progressing to Level 2 and Level 3 after completion, where you'll have the opportunity to develop advanced skills and contribute to the planning and delivery of our annual flagship event, SelbyFest! (in November 2024)

Mondays 9.30am-1.30pm13thMay-24thJune(excl10/6)(6weeks)

Cost$90/$50concession

BOLIVIAN DANCE ~ with Jael Velasco

involved in the design and delivery of SelbyFest!,” House Manager at Selby Community House Danielle Steele said.

“We are really looking forward to attracting new people, energy and skills to this course, and collaborating with them to create an amazing SelbyFest! experience for 2024.”

The Break into Event & Festival Management course will run for six weeks on Mondays 9.30am - 1.30pm, kicking off on 13 May. The course is government-funded (ACFE), to make it affordable and accessible. The full course fee is only $90, or $50 concession. For

more information visit www.selbyhouse.org. au or phone Selby Community House on (03) 9754 2039.

The Selby Community House has proudly served their local community since 1975, making them the longest-running community/neighbourhood house throughout all of Victoria. Selby House is known as the welcoming heart of their community.

It is a welcoming, inclusive and vibrant place where community members come together to connect, collaborate and learn.

Childcare, short courses, venue hire, community food resource, monthly market, publishing, printing services

Term 2 Activities

• Childcare for under 5s and primary school age

• Pottery/Ceramics/Mixed Media Arts for adults and kids

• Gardening, Permaculture sustainable practices

• Garden to Plate Cooking for community good

• Yoga, Wellbeing Group, Herbalism for health

• Affordable Community Market (3rd Sunday)

• Hills Community Focus Magazine production

• First Aid Expressions of Interest

Experience the vibrant rhythms of Bolivian dance without having to travel to the other side of the world! Learn traditional moves like the Caporales and Cueca, perfecting your technique along the way. Cap it off with a dazzling performance opportunity at the Belgrave Lantern Parade in June, if you so desire! Join us for an unforgettable journey into Bolivian culture and dance with well known and loved local Jael. Suitable for any age and experience. Wednesdays 6.30-8pm|24thApril&22ndMay

|Cost$20p/session|Cometooneorboth!

‘Educating & Empowering Parents of Fussy Eaters’

We want your Feedback!

Check out our website: www.selbyfolkclub.com.au

If you attended any of these workshops we would really appreciate your thoughts. Feedback form on the front page of our website. We would like to thank NEPHU for funding this very important project!

and activities please call, come in or check our website.

• Group activities (Bridge, Scrabble, badminton, knitting, sewing, and more)

• Community Garden/Greenhouse/Seed Sharing

• Affordable Hall Venue Hire for parties and events

• Resilient Resources (food, power, wifi)

TheSelbyCommunityHouseisexcitedlygearingupforSelbyFest2024.

Pictures:SUPPLIED TheTibetanFoodTruckprovedpopularatapastSelbyFest.

Community House (ECH) puts meaning into

‘the place

connections

and opportunities realised.’ ECH has been investing in community resilience and connections for decades. As a result, Emerald has a community base with solar and battery storage, recharging services, off grid power, generators, printing, wifi/internet and free food resources. ECH is considering Starlink as a resilient alternative to conventional internet services.

ECH’s Centre of Resilience strategy drives

ECH as a resourced charity not-for-profit community business. It also supports the community in times of need with loaned generators, a box trailer for post storm debris removal and other handy tools.Yet, ECH is one of the lowest funded neighbourhood houses in one of the highest disaster risk areas in Victoria.

But life is not just about the hiccups. ECH continues to invest in providing fun and creative activities, highly praised childcare programs, community garden enterprises, a community grocery, artistic expression through

the arts and increasing health and wellbeing. Our affordable community market provides diverse community connections while stimulating community enterprise for local market microbusinesses.

The Hills Community Focus quarterly magazine is ideal for emerging writers to express themselves and for promotion of group activities. Local businesses provide ads for the volunteer-driven magazine and local pollies donate paper and promote their work by supporting the HCF, a creation of the Hills Creative

Alliance and local Liz Millman.

Our century old hall can be hired for events and parties. It is second to none as the most affordable and resourced venue in the hills with a fenced playground, under cover outdoor areas and a large kitchen.

Childcare paid positions and magazine volunteers currently have openings. Contact ECH for more information or volunteer applications by emailing emhouse@iinet.net.au or check out our website at echvic.org.au.

Latin for Beginners

With For The Love Of Dance

Thursdays 7-7.45pm

2nd May - 20th June (8 wks) $136

Enrol: www.fortheloveofdance.com.au

Yoga

With Sam Moore

Mondays 7.15-8.15pm

29th

The pantry is always full at Emerald Community House. Pictures: SUPPLIEDCome have fun at the ECH.

LUXURY HOME WITH IMMENSE VERSATILITY PROPERTY

LUXURY HOME WITH IMMENSE VERSATILITY

SIMPLY collect the keys and move straight into this freshly renovated and fabulously versatile residence on a lush near quarteracre allotment. With highlights including a swimming pool with seamless glass balustrade, a family-friendly landscape with double carport and double garage, plus a lower level studio/salon suitable as a 4th bedroom or work-from-home space with stylish powder room, this unique property has it all. On the upper level, this exquisite residence is guaranteed to make a lasting impression. The flowing interior features 2 generous living areas including the lounge with luxurious loop carpet and plantation shutters and the family room with charming window seat. The hub of the home is the chefs’ kitchen with 900mm freestanding gas cooker, stainless steel dishwasher, and large island that will inspire gathering. From here, take dining outdoors to the covered deck with garden views. In addition, there

are 3 beautiful bedrooms on offer plus a peaceful study. The main bedroom features a magnificent dual sink and rain shower ensuite plus a sizeable walk-in robe. The shared family bathroom boasts terrazzo tiles and a superb soaking tub. This beautifully presented property takes the guesswork out of buying a home, so don’t delay, join us for a tour today.

· Landscaped and fenced 981sqm (approx.) property within walking distance of Belgrave South Primary School

· Recently renovated interior featuring 2 beautiful living areas

· Chefs’ kitchen with large island and quality gas cooker

· 3 beautiful bedrooms including main with luxurious ensuite and walk-in robe

· Adaptable lower level studio/salon with powder room plus a double carport, a double garage, and an inground swimming pool. ●

SEARCHING FOR A HOME WITH GARDENS?

THIS could be the one that ticks lots of boxes for the garden enthusiast looking for a comfortable four bedroom home plus study in a private setting of three quarters of an acre (3,196 sqm) on two titles.

Set well back from the road to capture a sunny northerly aspect from the large picture windows throughout. With a colour palette of neutral tones, raked ceilings and the bonus of a much sought after open plan design. The functional kitchen is central to the brilliant covered alfresco barbecue/ entertaining/kids play area. The four bedrooms are all comfortable, have ample robes and complemented with an updated bathroom. Heading downstairs you enter a separate rumpus room with built in surround sound, study nook and a bedroom with a full ensuite.

Stepping outside into a manicured garden wonderland with extra driveways for ease of access throughout as it once operated as ‘Forest View Nursery’. There is ample roadside parking, a double garage size roller door storeroom etc. With lots of stock plants and award-winning blooms that all form part of this horticultural opportunity. ●

CALLING FOR ENTRY LEVEL BUYERS

LOCATED in a quiet, convenient and soughtafter area, close to local shops and with great access to both Wellington Road and also Burwood Hwy, this two bedroom home has been priced perfectly for first home buyers, down sizers and investors who are looking for an opportunity to secure a home at an entry level price.

With a spacious lounge that opens out to a well sized decking, meals area and modest kitchen, the home is full of natural sunlight and boasts an updated bathroom. Hardwood

floorboards run throughout and gas ducted heating has been added for convenient temperature control.

Outside, the property offers a single garage and large parking bay and also under house storage.

Situated on a 778m2 block that overlooks a trickling creek, this property and its price are sure to excite.

· Property has common area (shared) driveway ●

$680,000

Whetheryou’re afirsthomebuyerorcleverinvestor, thisinvitingbrickhomeistheideal acquisition.Peacefullypositionedatthebackof asplitblockonitsown455sqm(approx.) landscapewithsinglecarport,thishomeofferspotentialforimpressive returns.

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506115| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

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

SharynChandler

M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

GlennChandler

M 0418410689| E glenn@chandlerandco.com.au

4-6WannawongRoad,SASSAFRAS $1,250,000-$1,350,000 SPACE,STYLE,ANDSPECTACULAR PARKLANDSURROUNDS 5 A 3 B 4 C

Withplentyofspaceandstyle,picturesqueparklandsurrounds,andfinishesdesigned fordiscerninghomeowners,thisidyllic2,350sqm(approx.)property readslikethepages of alifestylemagazine.Primedfornewownerstomovestraightin,thisisanincredible opportunitylivesomewhere special.

BradConder M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

2AKumbada Avenue,UPWEY

$550,000 -$590,000 NEAR-FLATBLOCKWITHAPPROVEDPLANSINPRIMELOCATION!

SorarelyfoundinUpwey,withapprovedplansthisflatfrontblock(500m2approx)located on aquietstreetwalkingdistancetoUpweyMainStreetprovidesoneluckypurchaserthe chancetobuildtheirbrandnewdreamhome(Subject To CouncilApproval).

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

DanielSteen M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

OPPORTUNITY FOR AFFORDABLE ACREAGE

IF you have been searching for an opportunity to secure a great land holding but cannot find an affordable option, this property is sure to pique your interest. This sort of property rarely comes up for sale in this area.

The property is accessed by a sealed road and has good fencing, a shed, a dam, the land has a gentle slope and is mostly cleared with a small pocket of bush. Ready and waiting for a pony or two.

The residence is full of character, high ceilings, polished floorboards, sash windows and a lovely veranda to relax on and enjoy the serenity. Also, two bedrooms, a light and bright contemporary kitchen with DW and upright stove, lounge/dining, and bathroom with shower over bath.

Year-round comfort with ducted heating, wood fire, split system, underfloor insulation, mains water and gas.

Great entry level property with room and scope to extend the residence for future requirements.

It is private and quiet - the only thing missing is you. ●

ErinDavies

MickDolphin

BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED FAMILY HOME

THIS gorgeous home built in 2013 has been impeccably maintained to an exceptional standard. Located in the heart of Gembrook and only a short walk to shops, school and restaurants.

Offering 4 bedrooms with a fantastic floor plan that includes 3 living zones and 2 bathrooms. The master bedroom has a WIR and ensuite, whilst this sprawling home has a formal lounge room, study nook, children’s lounge room and large rear open plan lounge room.

Well appointed kitchen has a 900mm gas stove with electric oven, dishwasher and walk in pantry. Be warm and cosy with gas ducted heating, or on warm days enjoy the breeze through your home utilising the new security flywire doors on the front, back and laundry doors.

There is also the added convenience of the double lock-up garage with internal access and electric roller door. Lovely alfresco leads to the beautifully maintained gardens which have been terraced to maximize space. With the added bonus of 2 garden sheds, one currently used as an aviary with power and lights. Space for trailer parking next to the home, a sealed concrete driveway, solar fed gas heated hot water system and off street parking spaces on the front nature strip. This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today. Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●

9KookaburraCourt,Gembrook

GreatLocation& BeautifullyPresentedFamilyHome!

$850,000 -$935,000

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taking on Ferntree Gully at Wally Tew Reserve.

Aiming to avenge their grand final loss, Ferntree Gully fielded a team including nine different players from their grand final team. Led by newly appointed captain Jack Flannery, the Eagles burst out of the gate with intent and gained a 3 goal to 1 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter, aided by some wayward goal kicking from Donvale.

The second quarter saw an even contest as more inaccurate shots at goal from both teams resulted in a halftime margin of 3 points in favour of Ferntree Gully.

Coming out of the half the reigning premiers took control of the third quarter, holding the eagles goalless whilst slotting two of their own to take a 10 point lead heading in to the final break. The third term saw injuries to 2023 Team of the Year forward Gavin Kalisperis and midfielder Jake Siewert as Ferntree Gully were reduced to two rotations from early on in the second half.

With the game still well and truly on the line, Donvale fired early in the last quarter to take the wind out of Ferntree Gully’s sails and rounded out the game with a 4 goal to 2 final term to finish with a 27 point victory.

Dusting off the opening round loss, the Eagles will face former Division 1 side Upper Ferntree Gully in a night game for round two, an exciting clash of neighbouring suburbs.

The Ferntree Gully seniors put up a good fight against reigning premiers Donvale.

Picture: SUPPLIED At half time the Eagles were in the lead but the scoreboard was not in their favour for the rest of the game.

SPORT Bombers set for big time

By Marcus Uhe

Coach: Sein Clearihan.

Captain: Jake Pedder.

2023: 1st (16-2). Premiers of Division One.

Ins: Stephen Kepahnki (South Belgrave), Ewan Wadsworth (Yarra Junction), Sean Derksen (Montrose), Anthony Fischer (Cranbourne), Chris Ramac (Cranbourne), Ben Pola (Cranbourne).

Outs: Harry Lang (Tooradin), Steven Paull (retired), Jordan Donadel (Upper Ferntree Gully), Nic Jansen (retired).

10 to watch: Noah Van Haren, David Johnson, Josh Rich, Mitch Thomas, Rogan Goonan, Lachlan Hoye, Michael Richardson, Adrian Russo, Callum White, Jake Pedder.

Teams they play twice: Pakenham, Woori Yallock, Upwey Tecoma, Narre Warren, Berwick Springs, Gembrook Cockatoo, Olinda Ferny Creek.

Expected finish: 10th FIXTURE

· Round 1: Saturday 13 April v Olinda Ferny Creek (A)

· Round 2: Saturday 20 April v Narre Warren (H)

· Round 3: Saturday 27 April v Gembrook Cockatoo (A)

· Round 4: Saturday 4 May v Pakenham (H)

· Round 5: Saturday 11 May v Woori Yallock (A)

· Round 6: Saturday 18 May v Upwey Tecoma (H)

· Round 7: Saturday 25 May v Officer (A)

· Round 8: Saturday 1 June v Monbulk (A)

· Round 9: Saturday 15 June v Berwick Springs (A)

· Round 10: Saturday 22 June v Wandin (H)

· Round 11: Saturday 29 June v Mt Evelyn (A)

· Round 12: Saturday 6 July v Olinda Ferny

Creek (H)

· Round 13: Saturday 13 July v Narre Warren (A)

· Round 14: Saturday 20 July v Pakenham (A)

· Round 15: Saturday 3 August v Gembrook

Cockatoo (H)

· Round 16: Saturday 10 August v Upwey Tecoma (A)

· Round 17: Saturday 17 August v Woori Yallock (H)

· Round 18: Saturday 24 August v Berwick Springs (H)

From the Kings of Division One to starting afresh in the Premier flight, Emerald faces one of the toughest assignments of any side in Outer East this season.

The lush fauna surrounding Chandler Reserve nestled in the Dandenong Hills were dotted with mortarboards as the Bombers graduate from Division One with flying colours - franking their credentials with a memorable grand final thrashing of Berwick Springs.

But that sunny Sunday in Healesville seems a long time ago now, on the eve of a new cam-

paign where they’ll be forced to prove themselves once again.

Much of the young premiership 22 has resigned at the hanger, including best-and-fairest winner Mitchell Thomas, who steered the backline superbly all season, and David Johnson, the veteran spearhead who expertly marshalled the precociously talent forward pack, culminating in a best-afield six-goal masterclass on grand final day.

Led by Johnson, the Bombers were a scoring juggernaut in 2023, their average of 113.6 points per game in the home-and-away season nearly five goals better than the next best side (Seville’s 85.5).

Johnson (52 goals) was only bettered by Sam Gebert for goals as the division’s leading goal kicker, while Callum White (37), Lachlan Hoye (31) and NoahVan Haren (29) gave the Bombers four of the top 10 leading goal kickers.

But don’t sleep on their defence - only Healesville edged them for points conceded per game.

A small deck will suit the bigger, contestedball winning sides accustomed to tight confides in the Hills, where winning at the source will be the key.

Ewan Wadsworth fits the bill as a strong inside presence, while Cranbourne trio Chris Ramac, Ben Pola and Anthony Fischer will bring the experience and nous from a Southern Football League perennial powerhouse.

With mobile, key-position talent that managed to out-muscle their way to success last year, the test will be how they adapt their game style for the cut and thrust of Premier Division.

A tough schedule awaits, with the Bombers playing four finalists from 2023, in Pakenham, Woori Yallock, Upwey Tecoma and Narre Warren.

It’s all part of the Premier Division package, in the eyes of Clearihan.

“You’ve got to play everyone, and that’s the way it is; you’ve got to beat the good sides if you want to be successful,” he said.

“It’s going to be an absolute challenge this year for us, for sure.

“I think we’ve got to be a little bit fitter and stick to our structures and what we know best, get a lot better with our ball-handling.

“We’ve been working on that a lot, getting really good foot and hand skills, (being) really fit and play a running game.

“The thing with the boys, we said their skills will be fine, it’s just the mental aspect of staying in tight games with the pressure that the top sides bring.”

Fixture highlights include round three’s Rivalry Round clash with Gembrook Cockatoo at Gembrook, and the unfurling of their Premiership Flag in round two against NarreWarren in their opening home fixture.

Two grand final rematches, against Berwick Springs, will come in rounds nine and 18.

Nick Russo will have a delayed start to the campaign as he recovers from a knee injury.

Firrito has the Brookers fit, firing and raring to go

By Marcus Uhe

Coach: Michael Firrito.

Captain: To be announced.

2023: 9th (3-13).

Ins: Ryan Hillard (Hampton Park), Corey Phillips (Hampton Park), Ben Schultze (Beaconsfield), Harry Spiteri (Emerald).

Outs: Dean Smith (Catani), Frank Dodinato, Jay Verhagen (overseas), Lachlan Ramage (Neerim South).

10 to watch: Josh Tilly, Aaron Firrito, Myles Wareham, Konner Allcott, Brayden Weller, Damien Volta, Callum Bourne, Ryan Hillard, Corey Phillips, Matthew Templeton.

Playing twice: Berwick Springs, Olinda Ferny Creek, Emerald, Mount Evelyn, Wandin, Officer, Upwey Tecoma.

Expected finish: 11th.

FIXTURE

· Round 1: Saturday 13 April v Berwick Springs (A)

· Round 2: Saturday 20 April v Olinda Ferny Creek (H)

· Round 3: Saturday 27 April v Emerald (H)

· Round 4: Saturday 4 May v Mt Evelyn (A)

· Round 5: Saturday 11 May v Wandin (H)

· Round 6: Saturday 18 May v Officer (A)

· Round 7: Saturday 25 May v Narre Warren (H)

· Round 8: Saturday 1 June v Woori Yallock (A)

· Round 9: Saturday 15 June v Upwey Tecoma (H)

· Round 10: Saturday 22 June v Monbulk (A)

· Round 11: Saturday 29 June v Pakenham (H)

· Round 12: Saturday 6 July v Berwick Springs (H)

· Round 13: Saturday 13 July v Olinda Ferny Creek (A)

· Round 14: Saturday 27 July v Mt Evelyn (H)

· Round 15: Saturday 3 August v Emerald (A)

· Round 16: Saturday 10 August v Officer (H)

· Round 17: Saturday 17 August v Wandin (A)

· Round 18: Saturday 24 August v Upwey

Tecoma (A)

Michael Firrito’s first season in the hot seat as Gembrook Cockatoo’s senior coach will present its challenges for one of the club’s favourite sons.

Last season’s venture to the top flight of Outer East Football Netball did not go to plan for the Brookers, besotted by injury and limping to the finish with just three victories, all earned in its first five outings.

Too much was left to too few, with Aaron Firrito, Konner Allcott, Brayden Weller and Myles Wareham all shouldering a mountain of responsibility as the casualty ward grew, and the margins of defeat wore heavy.

Three times they were beaten by more than 100 points, most notably a 168-5 loss to Wandin on a sorry day at Clegg Road, and with a percentage of just 53.1, they were nearly outscored by double across the course of the season.

The club’s key position stocks took a hit over summer, with Wareham’s partner-incrime up forward, Jay Verhagen, unavailable this season for personal reasons.

Added to the continued sad injury luck for beloved ruck Colin Bastow, and Frank Dodinato’s departure, there’s holes that need filling.

As a result, Firrito has implemented a style of play that will utilise the club’s strengths and mitigate the shortcomings.

“We don’t have a massive height advantage across the ground so we’ll certainly look to pressure teams and play a high pressure, high energy game style, and look to exploit teams that way,” Firrito said.

“We’ve certainly spent a fair bit of time trying to improve our fitness, so the boys are looking really good.

“I think it’s (the game plan) something that will progressively improve throughout the year.

“Not that it’s vastly different; with footy, you can’t reinvent the wheel and I’m not trying to do that, I just think we’ll progressively try to get better at it as the year goes on.

“I still think we’ll make mistakes, even by the mid-season, but I like to think we’ve got a good grasp of it and we’re building to the style of football we want to play.”

The club’s three main recruits, in Ben Schultze, Corey Phillips and Ryan Hillard will add experience and size in important areas, the latter two in the middle and Schultze in the key position stocks.

The inclusion of three sides from Division One as part of the league’s restructure will provide a more even playing field and not leave the Brookers as the vulnerable promoted newcomers with a mountain to climb and a point to prove that they belong in the Division.

While last season was from ideal, the extra games the club was able to offer for players such as Callum Bourne, Caleb Marshall, Caleb Crestani and Kane Rudy will no-doubt hold them in better stead for a second crack at the level in 2024.

The season begins with a trip to Mick Morland Reserve to tackle Berwick Springs.

“We’re really looking forward to getting started and the boys have had a fantastic preseason, but we’re fully aware that every country team in every league of football at the moment, everyone’s going well, because the season hasn’t started,” Firrito said.

“We’re excited for it to start, the boys are healthy and well and we’ll see what unfolds throughout the year.”

Damien Volta will play an important role in the Brookers’ midfield. 287929

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Emerald will be aiming to replicate its successes of 2023 this season. 361017 Picture: ROB CAREW

Sam