Mail - Mt Evelyn Star Mail - 7th May 2024

She may only be seven-years-old but Annabelle has a heart of gold by wanting to support people going through cancer treatment as well as work towards finding a cure.

The Lilydale Grade 1 student cut off her long hair on Friday 26 April so that she “could help other people”.

In the process, she was also able to raise over $2000 for the Cancer Council, no mean feat for anyone let alone someone so young.

Rallying behind her was her school, her parents, grandparents and swim school, who were all so proud to see her achieve such a big thing.

To read more about Annabelle’s story, turn to page 6

Arsonist release

By Callum Ludwig

An arsonist responsible for contributing to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires has been released from prison, with a local trauma psychologist advising that local residents affected by the disaster can be ‘taken back’ to the experience by this news.

Brendan Sokaluk was released on parole on Tuesday 30 April, having served 14 years of a 17-year and nine-month sentence on the condition he stays in secure accommodation 80km or more away from his former town of Churchill in the Latrobe Valley.

Yarra Glen resident and clinical psychologist Dr Rob Gordon has dedicated his life’s work to supporting victims of disaster and said the news of Mr Sokaluk’s release can stir up the feelings from that day for the victims.

“They probably put it aside, hopefully for all this time but there are probably very strong feelings of anger and helplessness about such a thing happening which, presumably for many people, caused a huge change in their life in various ways and it’ll take them back to those really raw, painful feelings,” he said.

“The problem is the legal process is usually not very satisfying for the victims, and the

natural feeling is that the legal process should be a bit of a solution for the victims but it usually isn’t.”

In 2012, former CFA volunteer Mr Sokaluk was found guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court of ten counts of arson causing death by deliberately starting fires in multiple locations that contributed to the Black Saturday disaster on 7 February 2009.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said they are aware of the release from prison on 30 April of a 54-year-old man.

“The man has been released on parole and

is subject to a range of conditions,” they said.

“The man was charged with a range of offences following a fire in Churchill in 2009.”

“Victoria Police is always pro-active in monitoring those in the community who are subject to these conditions and have a history of high-risk offending,” the Victoria Police spokesperson said.

“It would not be appropriate to comment further on specifics, however the safety of the community remains our number one priority.”

Continued page 3

Annabelle, from Lilydale, wanted to donate her hair to help people needing a wig. 405047

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

NEWS Info for councillor hopefuls

By Callum Ludwig

An opportunity for aspiring council candidates is coming up close to home in preparation for this year’s local government elections.

The Municipal Association ofVictoria (MAV) is visiting Yarra Ranges Council on Thursday 9 May for a Community and Candidate Information Session.

Director of Corporate Services atYarra Ranges Council Andrew Hilson said this session is an amazing opportunity for anyone who is passionate about their community and has a desire to create change in theYarra Ranges.

“No prior knowledge is required to attend, as the session covers off all of the basics around

the role of local government and the responsibilities of a Councillor,” he said.

“The session will also cover things like the election process, requirements for candidates, Councillor training and development opportunities,”

“It’s not often that these sessions are run in the Yarra Ranges so we’d love to see as many people as possible registering and coming along to find out what standing for Council is all about.”

Candidates intending to run in the neighbouring eastern metropolitan councils of Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash andWhitehorse are also welcome to attend the event, which will run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm in the

Council Civic Centre on 15 Anderson Street, Lilydale.

MAV CEO Kelly Grisby said the MAV Stand for Council campaign is designed to encourage and support a diverse range of candidates from across the Victorian community including first nations, and new and emerging communities.

“If you are thinking of nominating for council as a candidate, these sessions and resources will help you to further consider the broad responsibilities of a councillor, the wide range of issues you will be required to make decisions about and the time commitment,” she said.

Tax cuts for every taxpayer

At the event, MAV will also be providing its Citizen to Councillor Guide 2024 to help prospective candidates to further understand the roles and responsibilities of a councillor and importance the role plays in the community.

In order to run for Council, you must be an Australian citizen over 18 years old who is enrolled to vote in the LGA you wish to stand and must have completed the mandatory Local Government candidate training.

Local government elections will be held in October.

Victorians are being reminded to book in their annual flu vaccination ahead of an expected rise in flu and other respiratory viruses this winter.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Clare Looker visited the Royal Children’s Hospital for her annual vaccination and to encourage more Victorians to get theirs, particularly those at higher risk such as children under five.

“The flu can be deadly – getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones,” Dr Looker said.

“The influenza virus changes throughout the year so new vaccines are developed for each season, which is why it’s critically important to stay up to date with your shots.”

Flu vaccination is recommended for anyone six months and older and is free under the National Immunisation Program for people considered to be at higher risk.

People considered to be at higher risk include children aged six months to under five years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and older, pregnant women, people aged 65 and over, and people with medical conditions that put them at increased risk of severe flu and its complications.

People can get their vaccine at general practices, pharmacies, council immunisation clinics, Aboriginal Health Services and often at their workplace.

There have been 7769 cases of flu reported inVictoria so far this season, 1455 more cases than the same time last year. It remains early in this year’s flu season and numbers are expected to rise more steeply as we head into winter.

Dr Looker said annual vaccination reduced the chance of catching flu and could reduce the severity of illness in those who still become infected.

“Flu is highly contagious,” she said.

“While it most often causes mild to moderate illness with symptoms such as fever and cough, severe illness can develop. Especially vulnerable are babies, children, older people, and people with underlying medical conditions.”

A Community and Candidate Information Session will be held at the Yarra Ranges Council Civic Centre on Thursday 9 May. 379657 Picture: ON FILE

Care call for victims

From page 1

The jury in Mr Sokaluk’s case heard that he had sent an anonymous email to Crime Stoppers saying he witnessed a firefighter in a fourwheel drive deliberately lighting fires that day, made a Triple Zero call to report the rapidly growing fire and later told police in his interview that he had accidentally started the fire by flicking cigarette ash from his car.

Dr Gordon said the punishment for an offender has to be related to things like the legislation, the penalties that can be given and the possibility of rehabilitation which don’t mean much to the people who have been hurt by it.

“People think that it’s really important that justice is done and that people who cause such a lot of harm have some serious consequences,” he said.

“I think it’s really important that the people who’ve been hurt don’t make their recovery depend on what happens to that person (the offender) because it’s never going to be exactly what’s needed,”

“What’s important for them is to actually reconnect with their lives and rebuild their future plans with whatever changes have happened, that’s the recipe we know to a good recovery.”

The Black Saturday disaster killed 173 people, burnt over 450,000 hectares of land and destroyed 3500 buildings including more than 2000 houses.

Mr Sokaluk’s starting of the Churchill fire was found to be directly responsible for 10 deaths and is believed to have resulted in the burning of over 36,000 hectares of land and razed more than 150 homes in the Churchill area.

Dr Gordon said there are a few things he recommends victims of the disaster do at this time if they are distressed by Mr Sokaluk’s release.

“Try and work out who you can talk things over with friends, family or other people in the community because when we communicate our feelings about things and our thoughts and attitudes, putting them into words makes them clearer, and in making them clearer we can think about them and get them into a better perspective,” he said.

“The second thing I’d suggest is, during the time of heightened emotion like this, try to make sure that you can do things to really value life, do some nice things for yourself, be with the people important to you and if peo-

ple have rebuilt, celebrate what you’ve been able to achieve,”

“The third thing I’d suggest is to think about some really tangible ways of taking care of your health and your emotional life; making sure that you eat well, get plenty of rest and schedule some outings over the next few weeks.”

Dr Gordon himself fled his home in Yarra Glen to escape the Black Saturday fires.

Dr Gordon said it’s better for victims to let go of thoughts about perpetrators like Mr Sokaluk.

“It’s never enough is a feeling that people can have, but it must be a big chunk of a person’s life now and they’ll probably be a different person now, but you won’t know that,” he said.

“We have to let go of that, there would have been some good people working in the judicial system that have hopefully done some work with this person and maybe they’ve had a chance to think about what they did and learned from it,”

“This is where we get into a loop, when we start chewing over something that we don’t really understand.”

IN BRIEF

Lilydale SES assist in search

The search for missing Kallista man Zak continues a week after he was last seen in

Forest.

Local SES volunteers continue to assist police with the search, navigating tough terrain to locate the missing 22-year-old - who has a medical condition. Zak was last seen on Norton Road, Kallista, on the evening of 28 April. Police believe Zak may have gone walking in the Sherbrooke Forest in the early morning of 29 April.

Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said concern has been growing as the days since Zak disappeared increased.

“We are hoping for the best outcome,” he said. Temperatures have been cold overnights in the areas and Mr Caulfield said being out in the weather “would not have been pleasant”. Posters have appeared throughout the hills appealing to the public for any news of the young man and police and family have concerns for Zak.

His disappearance is out of character and policestatedhehadamedicalconditionintheir release to public onYarra Ranges Eyewatch. Zak is described as Caucasian in appearance, 170cm tall, of medium build with short blond/brown hair and possibly a moustache.

Around 50 SES volunteers per day from Emerald, Lilydale and Monash units have been assisting police with the forest based search. Mr Caulfield said the terrain has been quite arduous and that the SES has been getting right down into the gullies and waterways. “The search has been very thorough,” he said. Zak was last seen wearing a grey jacket, mustard-coloured t-shirt, navy tracksuit pants and black shoes. Anyone who sights Zak is urged to contact Belgrave Police Station on (03) 9754 6677 or call 000.

Teens charged after follow

Detectives have charged four boys following an alleged pursuit throughout Melbourne’s southeast onWednesday 1 May.

It is alleged the vehicle was stolen from an address in Coldstream onThursday or Friday of the week prior. Three were charged with theft of motor vehicle and bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date with the fourth to later be summonsed.

Further charges are to be laid in relation to the driving offences.

Police have released Zak’s image to aid with the search,which continues on.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Black Saturday arsonist Brendan Sokaluk arriving at the Supreme Court in Melbourne in 2012.

Picture: AAP/JULIAN SMITH

Sherbrooke

RACV calls for safety move

By Callum Ludwig

The RACV is putting pressure on the Victorian Government to match the moves of every other state in the country and change a road rule to better protect emergency roadside assistance workers and two truck drivers.

Following the South Australian government introducing legislation recently, Victoria is the only state (the Northern Territory also doesn’t) without reduced speed limits when passing roadside breakdown and recovery vehicles.

RACV’s General Manager of Automotive Services Jackie Pedersen said it is now time for the Victorian Government to ensure RACV emergency roadside assistance workers and tow truck drivers are provided the same protection as in other states.

“It is heartening to see that our colleagues in RAA are now protected just like workers driving vehicles with red and blue flashing lights,” she said.

“Following this development, we continue our call for theVictorian Government to urgently introduce a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit for passing vehicles with yellow flashing lights, including RACV patrol vans and tow trucks,”

“RACV is committed to achieving a safe environment, not just for our service providers, but also our members when they are stranded at the side of the road and we look forward to a positive response from theVictorian Government.”

Road Rule 79A, otherwise known as the‘Slow Down, Move Over’ rule, enforces that motorists are to slow down to 40km/h when passing vehicles with flashing red and blue lights such as slow-moving or stopped police and other emergency vehicles, and to move out of an approaching vehicle’s path when safe to do so.

A Department of Transport and Planning (DOTP) spokesperson said they are working with stakeholders on how we can improve safety for roadside crews and other motorists.

“Roadside incident crews are often the first to arrive at crashes, breakdowns, and unplanned situations on our freeways, and it’s their right to always feel safe when doing this important work,” they said.

The DOTP has carried out research into how to protect incident response workers working on busy roads and roadsides, with a study commissioned to look into how drivers react to different coloured flashing lights and seeing various response vehicles, such as emergency services, on the road and their adherence to the appropriate road safety rules.

The study found that the average passing speeds of motorists were lower with red and

blue flashing lights associated with emergency vehicles but drivers were still not slowing down anywhere close to the required 40km/h.

As such, the DOTP is looking at alternative methods to encourage drivers to slow down when passing incident response workers and reminds motorists that is the responsibility of every driver to slow down and drive to conditions - especially when potential hazards exist

like during roadside incidents.

For more on Victoria’s current road rules when passing law enforcement and other emergency vwhicles, visit vicroads.vic.gov.au/ safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-ofroad-rules/law-enforcement-and-emergencyvehicles.

Yarra Valley Towing was contacted for comment.

Frustrations grow as ambulance crews are stretched

By Callum Ludwig

An ambulance crew was subjected to an arduous trip out to Warburton as the sky-high demand for emergency responses and the prevalence of non-emergency calls continues to put a strain on paramedics.

The Beaconsfield 2 crew was dispatched from their base at about 7.10pm on Sunday 28 April out to Warburton to respond to a callout as all other ambulances were tied up in the region.

Paramedic Chloe Brennan was part of the crew which responded to the call and said there would have been 16 ambulances based closer to Warburton who were unable to respond.

“There’s at least eight ambulance branches closer to Warburton and most of these branches would have at least two operational ambulances staffed at this time of day,” she said.

“It took the crew one hour to arrive at the job, a Code Two, which in normal circumstances Ambulance Victoria (AV) would expect to have a crew on scene within 25 minutes and after being assessed, the patient declined the crew’s offers of transport to hospital.”

Over the course of this one night shift, the Beaconsfield 2 crew travelled over 420km, with the Warburton trip there and back accounting for about 120km alone.

“It then took the crew another hour to drive back to Beaconsfield, this meant the crew were unavailable to respond to other emergencies for approximately two and half hours,” Ms Brennan said.

“The crew also completed their 14-hour shift without receiving their meal break.”

A number of unions, including the Victorian Ambulance Union and the Victorian branch of Ambulance Employees Australia

are carrying out protected industrial action on behalf of paramedics and other ambulance workers to improve working conditions, reduce workloads, address the inappropriate coding of jobs and better allocate ambulance resources, while also having been negotiating new bargaining agreements with 000VIC for over a year.

Ms Brennan said they commonly find that periphery and urban fringe branches such as Yarra Junction, Emerald, Healesville and Montrose get sent to respond to jobs in inner metro areas, which frequently get inappropriately coded as high acuity or emergency jobs only to find on arrival, the patient is not particularly unwell.

“We have examples of crews being sent

lights and sirens to complaints such as toothaches or sore shoulders after going to the gym, these crews then get ramped for hours at hospital leaving them unavailable to respond to their local communities, this is where we see instances similar to Sunday night where crews are required to travel excessive distances to reach jobs because the local crews are ramped at hospitals,” she said.

“Paramedics are completing 800 hours of forced overtime every day because of the inefficiencies in the system and as a result of this we are seeing hugely detrimental effects on paramedic fatigue, mental health and burnout rates,”

“Paramedics are dedicated and passionate about providing the highest level of care

possible to their local communities, however, frustratingly they are often restricted by the systems and processes in place.”

15 minutes is the target response time for ambulance crews to Code One jobs, with AV’s latest performance data for the last quarter of 2023 the first time in over two years that the average response time to Code One calls was under the 15 minute target, despite it being the busiest in AV’s history with 154,267 emergency cases. This included 99,833 Code 1 cases – the second most on record – and 54,434 Code 2 cases.

As previously reported in the Star Mail, this is what the performance data told about responses in the Outer East:

73.6 per cent of the 2160 callouts in Knox were responded to within 15 minutes, down 0.2 per cent but the average response time improved by 20 seconds to 13 minutes and 34 seconds.

71.3 per cent of Maroondah’s 1567 callouts were responded to within 15 minutes, down 1.7 per cent while the average response time improved by 6 seconds to 13 minutes and 49 seconds.

51.4 per cent of callouts in 1759 Cardinia were responded to within 15 minutes, up from 50.8 per cent and the average response time worsened by 31 seconds to 17 minutes and 51 seconds.

55.5 per cent of the 2190Yarra Ranges callouts were responded to within 15 minutes, improved from 53.7 per cent with the average response time also improving by 19 seconds to 16 minutes and 52 seconds.

The demand on ambulance services also comes as The Herald Sun reported on 3 May that a patient died while waiting in the emergency department of the Maroondah Hospital, the nearest hospital with an emergency department to service the Maroondah and Yarra Ranges regions.

The Beaconsfield 2 crew was dragged out to Warburton for a call that didn’t even require transport to a hospital. Picture: SUPPLIED

RACV is calling for Slow Down, Move Laws to be applied to other roadside workers like emergency roadside assistance workers and tow truck drivers.

Picture: RACV

Tool maps climate risk

By Dongyun Kwon

Yarra Valley Water (YVW) has unveiled a new map-based tool to show the threat climate change may have on its infrastructure in the future on Wednesday 1 May.

The water utility has warned that extreme weather events, including bushfires, flooding and droughts, are increasingly impacting its water supply and essential infrastructure.

YVW resilience and liveability manager Dr Lisa Ehrenfried said this work marks a significant step towards YVW proactively managing climate-related risks and ensuring the resilience of its infrastructure.

“Victoria’s climate is already changing, becoming hotter and drier in recent decades, but with more intense rainfall bursts,” she said.

“This means we can’t rely on traditional risk assessment methods, which are based on historical data. Understanding what our climate may be like in the future, will help us to plan and adapt.”

The Climate Resilience Risk Assessment tool uses data from a number of sources, including the Bureau of Meteorology and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and overlays it in YVW’s service area.

YVW has integrated relevant layers from Victoria’s future climate tool into its own mapping systems, which allowsYVW to see its asset locations against various climate change hazards across different time scales and climate change scenarios.

Dr Ehrenfried said the tool shows climate change hazards such as projected hot days, which enables YVW to assess how dangerous that heat is to its assets or people.

“To assess this risk, we conduct a separate assessment that considers factors like asset exposure and vulnerability,” she said.

“This process is informed by leading climate change risk guidance from Australian Standards and our own corporate risk framework. It looks at the key climate change hazards and then analyses exposure and vulnerability to calculate the risk.

“By understanding the potential future climate change hazards, we can better plan and adapt to safeguard our infrastructure.”

The interactive tool covers a vast service area spanning fromWallan in the north toWarburton in the east.

It allows users to view future climate information, including temperature, bushfire risk, rainfall and heatwaves, as maps and charts.

It was designed to compare climate data for specific locations across different time periods and climate scenarios, crucial for assessing infrastructure assets with varying service life.

YVW assets such as pipes, tanks and pumps have an operational life of anywhere between

five to over 100 years.

The map-based tool will be used to assess the climate impact on YVW’s assets so that it can determine the appropriate interventions.

Interventions can be made to reduce these hazards, including changing a building design or upgrading electric assets to make sure they can cope with rising temperatures.

“Early identification of vulnerable assets and mitigation opportunities are key to building a resilient network,” Dr Ehrenfried said.

“By addressing and implementing proactive risk mitigation measures, we can reduce potential water and sewerage service disruptions and costly repairs in the future.”

YVW has partnered with Nation Partners to develop the tool tailored to address assetrelated climate hazards, vulnerability and exposure.

“Nation Partners was selected, following an extensive tender process, for its ability to deliver on the technical requirements as well as a proven track record on risk assessment and adaptation plans,” Dr Ehrenfried said.

“It took around six months to develop the first version of the tool, we then tested it internally and made minor adjustments.”

Dr Ehrenfried said adopting a forwardthinking approach to climate change adaptation is critical to safeguard its essential services.

“Climate change is happening and we need to be prepared for it. The tool has given us valuable new insights to climate change risks and mitigation actions required,” she said.

“It is also a great way to engage our team on climate change risks and facilitate the conversations we need to have. Understanding the mitigation actions needed is crucial for future planning cycles.

“This approach helps us to build our resilience to climate change and implement actions that reduce our vulnerabilities, and support long-term planning for an uncertain future.”

Tune your wood heater for more heat and less smoke

EPA Victoria encourages everyone to avoid burning wood to heat their homes if they can, to reduce pollution and effects on people’s health.

If a wood heater or stove is your only option, the EPA recommends getting it tuned so it produces less smoke and more heat.

EPA Northeast Regional Manager Ben Kneebone says wood smoke and calm winter weather can reduce air quality, but there are simple ways to make your heater safer, cleaner and cheaper to run.

“A wood heater or fireplace provides valuable heating for many Victorians, but maintenance is important and one of the best things you can do is have the flue or chimney professionally cleaned,” Mr Kneebone said.

“That can help to prevent flue fires and ensure the heater produces more heat and less smoke,” he said.

“Checking the wood heater’s operating manual can help you to get the best out of it and give you the knowhow to choose the right fuel.”

The best fuel is dry, seasoned, untreated hardwood, which burns longer and produces more heat and less smoke.

“Using even slightly damp wood means your wood heater will not operate at its best.You wind up paying for heat that is lost in drying out the timber before it can burn, and you get less efficient combustion that creates more smoke,” Mr Kneebone said.

EPA Victoria’s Chief Environmental Scientist, Professor Mark Patrick Taylor, added that reducing wood fire smoke will also help to minimise any health impacts.

“Wood smoke contains very small particles and gases that contribute to air pollution. This can cause problems for anyone with cardiovascular, breathing difficulties

and respiratory conditions, resulting in symptoms for some people.”

Professor Taylor encouraged people to reduce their use of wood heaters and fireplaces on still days, and to go outside occasionally to check their chimney for smoke to make sure the heater is working as well as it can.

“Overall, Victoria’s air quality is very good. This is mainly due to initiatives introduced over the years that have reduced emissions from industry and motor vehicles. Another contributor to cleaner air has been the banning of backyard incinerators in residential areas,” he said.

“While the impact of a single wood heater may be small, the cumulative effect is significant, particularly through autumn and winter, and tuning your wood heater for most efficient operation helps reduce impacts on air quality, optimises heating your home and minimises health risks.” Tips for reducing smoke pollution include:

· Get a hot fire going quickly with plenty of paper and small dry kindling;

· Keep the air controls set high enough to keep the fire burning hot;

· Never overload a wood heater with too much wood; and

· Make sure you never leave the wood heater to smoulder overnight, as this starves the fire of oxygen, producing more smoke.

· EPA also advises you should never burn household rubbish, driftwood, treated wood such as pine, or old painted wood in your wood heater.

· For tips on how to reduce wood smoke visit: epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/ environmental-information/air-quality/ smoke-from-wood-heaters.

Climatechange. Pictures:SUPPLIED

DrLisaEhrenfried.

Brave ‘hair-some’ donation

By Mikayla van Loon

At just seven-years-old, Annabelle has already helped support many with her fundraising efforts for the Cancer Council as well as cutting off her long locks for people needing wigs.

Deciding at just the age of five this was something she wanted to do, on Friday 26 April Annabelle was finally able to cut her hair off in front of her Lilydale school cohort.

Although a crowd of roughly 200 people gathered for the event, Annabelle said she wasn’t scared to see her hair go and she’s going to “keep it short” from now on.

With mum Steph there to cut off the first plait, Annabelle said “everybody started clapping and two of my friends put their hands to their mouths and started shouting out ‘go’ in their loudest voices”.

Annabelle’s hair used to sit just below her belly button but now hangs just below her ears to ensure the length of each plait was long enough for use.

“It hadn’t been quite long enough. For Sustainable Salons it needs to be a minimum of 20 centimetres. Most of Annabelle’s plaits were 30 centimetres long,” Steph said.

Sustainable Salons mainly provide wigs to people going through cancer treatment or who have alopecia.

“They do take all kinds of hair but if it’s not coloured or chemically treated or anything like that, it can be used for wigs for children,” Steph said.

“Children have to have completely natural human hair wigs, so Annabelle’s hair will more

than likely be used for a child.”

Steph said it takes around 20 ponytails to create one wig and “6000 ponytails a year for them to make enough wigs for people in Australia or New Zealand that need them”.

Having also donated her hair to Sustainable Salons when Annabelle was three and a half, Steph said it was that experience and then seeing her Pa be diagnosed with leukaemia himself that led her on a path to donating money and her hair too.

“She saw the impact. Two and a half years Pa’s treatment was. He’s better now, back to his old self,” Steph said.

Not only was it a huge step as a seven-yearold to cut off all her hair, Annabelle was able to raise $2392 and counting for the Cancer Council.

“It was a lot of checking in with her to make sure because it was going to be a big change. Usually when kids decide they want to go short, it’s gradual.

“But she was very determined to do it. She was checking in almost monthly for the last couple of years to see if it was long enough,

“I thought it still wasn’t quite long enough, I thought maybe we would wait but Annabelle was determined to do it now.”

For Steph, Annabelle’s teachers and her grandparents, Steph said “we’re surprised, but not that surprised”.

“She’s a very kind and empathetic girl. Along with all of her teachers, we’ve been very proud of her doing it.

“She is just the sort of person who likes to do things for other people.”

Native timber support available now

Native timber harvesting has ended in Victoria but support is still available.

Native timber businesses, workers and communities can continue to access a range of support including:

• The Victorian Forestry Worker Support Program –including payments and training, 1:1 case management, employment services, health and wellbeing support.

• Business support – including exit packages and funding to help diversify.

• Community support – health and wellbeing services and community development planning and funding. For more information:

• Forestry Transition hotline1800 318 182

• Victorian Forestry Worker Support Program - 1800 122 001 vic.gov.au/forestry

Annabelle said she wasn’t scared before cutting her hair on stage in front of her Lilydale school. Picture: SUPPLIED

Annabelle, 7, cut off all her hair to donate to Sustainable Salons and raise funds for Cancer Council. 405047 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

NEWS Sustainability recognised

Three local schools, Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Wandin North Primary School and Tecoma Primary School have been nominated as finalists in the 2024 ResourceSmart Schools Awards.

Mount Lilydale Mercy College (MLMC) has been nominated in four categories: Community Leadership School of the Year, Curriculum Leadership School of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Campus Infrastructure and Operations.

For the third time in the past three years, MLMC has achieved finalist nominations for curriculum and community leadership, with teacher Andrew Feher receiving his second consecutive nomination for Teacher of the Year (Secondary).

WandinNorthPrimarySchooliscelebrating its first finalist nomination in three categories of the awards: Curriculum Leadership School of the Year, Teacher of the Year (Primary), and Emerging School of the Year.

Wandin North only joined the ResourceSmart Schools program in 2023 and has achieved its two-star status in record time thanks to nominated teacher Laura Attrill. In only one year, Laura’s passion has embedded sustainability in the curriculum and using her creativity connected the school with local organisations.

A ResourceSmart School since 2012, Tecoma Primary School has been nominated as a finalist for Community Leadership School of the Year (Primary) with the judges commending its array of community initiatives and connections.

By working with local groups such as Treasure our Trees, the school improves the campus’ gardens and works in an indigenous garden with Australian Native Food plants. As part of Clean Up Australia Day, the school and the local community got together to clear the rail trail between Tecoma and Belgrave. To tackle

waste, the students educate peers on the bin system, and feed the school’s worm farm and chickens with food scraps. They also sell eggs to raise funds for their garden projects.

There are 22 schools vying for an award in Victoria’s largest celebration for primary and secondary school students, teachers and school volunteers taking sustainability action.

This year, Sustainability Victoria is marking 15 years of the ResourceSmart Schools Awards with the theme, ‘Legendary Legacies – what will you leave behind?’.

Sustainability Victoria Regions and Community Action director Katie Pahlow says the theme is a celebration of the outstanding work

achieved by the hundreds of Victorian schools that have been part of the ResourceSmart Schools program.

“These schools are not only making a difference now but they’re leaving a legacy for the next generation through their sustainability endeavours,” she says.

“The ResourceSmart Schools Awards is an opportunity to recognise the tremendous achievements of the teachers, students, school staff and the wider community who are creating a sustainable future.”

ResourceSmart Schools is a free Victorian Government program delivering sustainability education to help Victorian schools minimise

waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and act on climate change.

Since 2008, ResourceSmart Schools has reached over 1,600 Victorian schools. Participating schools have planted more than 5 million trees, saved over $60 million through energy, waste and water savings and avoided over 74,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

This year’s winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the MCG on 4 June. For information about this year’s finalists, please visit www.sustainability.vic.gov. au/resourcesmart schools-awards-2024-finalists

Mount Lilydale Mercy College’s Andrew Feher has once again been nominated for teacher of the year in the ResourceSmart Schools Awards. 279655

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

NEWS Backing Montrose business

Having been part of the Mt Evelyn and Montrose community for over 21 years, the Mt Evelyn Bendigo Community Bank has launched into action to provide some relief to local businesses in Montrose as they navigate the challenges that come with the extensive roadworks program in the town.

“Supporting and strengthening our community is at the heart of what we do at the Mt Evelyn Bendigo Community Bank, and local businesses are very much a part of the community,” Bank deputy chair and longtime Montrose resident Gai Williams said.

“We understand the upgrades to the Montrose round-about will provide some improvement to traffic and safety for residents and passersby, but we also know the disruption it is causing to small businesses in the process is significant.

“And so, we wanted to find a way to help these businesses stay afloat and encourage people to stop there and shop.”

The bank, located in Wray Crescent Mt Evelyn, is providing more than 100 gift vouchers valued at between $30-50 to local community groups to give to their members, to spend back in the participating stores in Montrose.

Ms Williams said she had visited schools, local residents, clubs and community groups to give them vouchers but now they are encouraged and urged to use them before the end of June.

“This not only injects some spending back into the area but also helps families and individuals who are struggling through the costof-living crisis right now,” she said.

Local business owners have been very grateful for the additional investment by the bank, and hope that there is more support coming for them over this extended period.

Montrose Meats owner Matt Young said the road works have definitely had an effect on the strip shops, so any initiative to support all the

businesses in town was welcomed.

Participating businesses Basil Leaf, Hahndorf Chocolates, Hummingbird, IGA Food and Liquor (excluding tobacco products), Invigorate Hairdressing, La Lupa Romana, Market & Cafe 3765, Mary Eats Cake, Montrose Bakery, Montrose Barber, Montrose Charcoal Chicken, Montrose Fish and Chips, Montrose Fruit Basket, Montrose Meats, Montrose Newsagency, Montrose Pharmacy, Montrose Post Office (excluding postage costs), Montrose Seafoods, Montrose Veterinary Clinic, Mr Hummer, Pe-

tite Maison, Posie Project, Seelenko Hair Studio and The Little Flower Shoppe.

Ms Williams was very pleased to collect a number of used vouchers on Thursday 2 May and said it meant it was working.

Bank board chair John Stroud said this was a small step to helping ease what is already a difficult time for everyone.

“Our hope is to make some small inroads in relieving some of the pressure on these businesses, as well for families and individuals who are struggling through the significant

cost-of-living crisis we are in,” he said.

Over the past 20years the Mt Evelyn bank has given over $4 million back to the Mt Evelyn, Montrose and surrounding communities, making good things happen, through grants, donations and sponsorship.

This program is just another example of how banking local, means the money stays in the community. It’s local banking supporting local people, making good things happen.

If you’d like to find out more about the program, contact the branch on 9737 1833.

Get your gas heater serviced at least once every two years, by a qualified gasfitter. Energy Safe. Always | esv.vic.gov.au

Board deputy chair Gai Williams, IGA Liquor manager Alan Cameron, Montrose Meats owner Matt Young and Mt Evelyn branch manager Ann Peters. 404993 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

NEWS Groups feature in awards

By Callum Ludwig

Volunteers groups from Melbourne’s east and beyond came together on Wednesday 1 May for the inaugural EV Strengthening Communities Inclusive Volunteering Awards.

The event aimed to acknowledge and recognise the efforts of local community groups, including a few in the Outer East, in encouraging people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to volunteer.

CEO of EV Strengthening Communities Viv Cunningham-Smith was the MC for the event and said they want the community groups to share their expertise on inclusive volunteering with each other.

“Through Volunteering Victoria funding, we were funded to break down barriers to volunteering for initially three priority groups; people with disabilities, First Nations people and newly-arrived migrants, and now we have some additional groups; young people, vulnerable women and the unemployed,” she said.

“The focus of the work is you, the organisations who are offering volunteering opportunities and who are delivering vital services through volunteers, whether you are solely a volunteer workforce or you have a mix of volunteer and paid workforces,”

“Those that met 80 per cent of the criteria and above were deemed to achieve an inclusive volunteer workplace, but those who didn’t are still committed and on that journey of working towards an inclusive volunteering workplace and we celebrate and wish to recognise all of that work today.”

28 volunteer organisations were nominated for their efforts, either set to receive an award or an acknowledgement for their efforts in providing an inclusive volunteering opportunity.

The award recipients were:

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Baptcare, Feed One Feed All, Foothills Community Care Inc, the Melbourne AMEP Volunteer Tutor Scheme, the Newhope Baptist Church, Puffing Billy Railway and Wellways Australia.

The organisations that were acknowledged for their inclusivity efforts were:

Living and Learning at Ajani Inc, Maroondah Winter Shelter, MiCare Ltd, Mountain District Radio Inc 3MDR, Carenet, MVC Boxing, Yarra Ranges Council TAC L2P Program, Ferntree Gully Tennis Club, Community First Responders Foundation Ltd, Temple Society Australia- CHAMPION Community Hub, Manningham Walking Group For Carers, Mooroolbark Community Garden, Ringwood Church of Christ, Community Support Knox, Yarra Ranges and Surrounds, Neuma Church, Benwerren, Melbourne All-Abilities Lions Club, The Boroondara Family Network, Australia Chin Community (Eastern Melbourne) Inc, Women Support Incorporated and Middle Ground Cafe.

Keynote speaker AJ Kulatunga came to speak about the ‘superpower’ and challenges of cultural diversity and said he was aware he was speaking to the converted but hoped to help flip the script and amplify what the organisations are already doing and take it out into the rest of the world.

Mr Kulatunga told two stories of a similar experience he had; once in a takeaway store where he was mistaken for an UberEats driver and another 10 years ago, where he had been told to ‘dress up a bit more’ so he didn’t ‘look like a taxi driver’ but an established professional speaker at his first professional speaker conference.

Mr Kulatunga said these incidents had gotten him thinking about how some of the challenges that he’d had in his career maybe weren’t always related to his competency.

“So looked into what is Australia comprised of, we’ve got 25.8 million people, 22.3 per cent speak a language other than English at home, which gives us around 5.7 million culturally diverse people and then we look at the workforce, we’ve got 14.2 million people in it and when you apply the percentages, it works out to about 3.1 million culturally diverse professionals,” he said.

“I didn’t quite understand why I wasn’t seeing people who looked like me on stage.”

Mr Kulatunga pulled up images of the lineups or boards at a number of speaking conferences and events, highlighting the ‘sea of sameness’ in the people on screen and while they are all experts in their field, were clearly lacking diversity.

Mr Kulatunga said one or more people have a decision to make in a very acute moment of space and time, which he calls the point of impact, people make a decision based on their identity.

“Our identity drives our thoughts and drives our actions and our identity is influenced by stories and lived experiences, occasionally you

More volunteer groups acknowledged for promoting inclusivity in their organisations.

will create a great story that becomes a lived experience because you’re there with the people sharing the story,” he said.

“This is why it’s so important that we learn how to tell better stories, strategic storytelling is so important for all of us here if we really want to drive inclusivity and change instead of trying to throw information, data or facts at people,”

“If you influence a person’s lived experiences, magical things happen, if you influence a person’s stories, magical things happen.”

Six of the award-winning organisations, including the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Baptcare and Feed One Feed All, were also invited on stage after the awards to give a presentation on how they achieve inclusivity in their organisations.

Representatives of the award-winning volunteer organisations receive their accolades.

Pictures: CALLUM LUDWIG

A plethora of other volunteer organisations were also acknowledged for their efforts.

EV Strengthening Communities CEO Vic Cunningham-Smith.

Keynote speaker AJ Kulatunga shared his thoughts on the power of inclusivity.

Boxing club opens doors

By Dongyun Kwon

The Coldstream Boxing Club (CBC) had an opening day with a special guest on Thursday 25 April.

Over 50 people turned up on the day.

Coach Hayden ‘H-Bomb’ Wright said the event was to let the community know about the free training facility in the Yarra Valley.

“It was to meet the parents and get to know each other,” he said.

“We had a barbecue thanks to The MeatInn Place Lilydale Butcher who sponsored sausages and the parents who helped cook the sausages.

“Every kid got a pair of boxing gloves thanks to the donation from the Bosker Boxing Equipment.”

The kids did sparring and some games, and kicked the footy during the event.

The special guest was Harry Garside who is a bronze medallist at the 2020Tokyo Olympics.

“All the kids got his signature,” Wright said.

“It was great to have a champion like him to give his support and backing and who is of note someone in my field of boxing that is wishing me all the best and commending my work with the youth.”

Garside started his boxing career at the Lilydale Community Youth Club at the age of nine with his coach Brian Levier, who is still working together.

He said his brother let him know about the new boxing gym in Coldstream.

“I came down to Melbourne to visit my family for my nephew’s first birthday and I managed to get there [the opening day event],” Garside said.

“It was awesome. There were more young girls than boys which is unusual.”

Garside said it’s “exceptional” to have a gym in Coldstream free for kids.

“I remember how many lives boxing saved, growing up at the Lilydale Community Youth Club,” he said.

“A lot of kids from broken homes in the area came to the boxing gym and that was their safe space.”

The bronze medallist is currently training to win the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. When Star Mail asked the young boxer if he was going to visit the gym again, he said“Of course.”

“I plan on bringing the gold medal to show everyone that I met there,” Garside said.

“I hope there will be a few more people as well.”

The timetable for the CBC is confirmed now, one and a half hour classes from 5.30pm

on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 10am on Saturdays.

“Every kid in the Yarra Valley is welcome to train for free,” Wright said.

“It’s like a social club. We have some games and watch movies as well.”

Men’s laser run record set by Yarra Ranges teenager

A young Yarra Ranges athlete continues to make waves in the laser run but this time not in his own age category, setting a men’s record on the national stage.

Mitchell Pointon, 14, was recently crowned as the 2024 Australian Men’s Champion at the Laser Run National Championships held in Geelong on 14 April, setting a record for the fastest ever time by an Australian athlete in the current race format.

Just three years after trying his hand at the modern pentathlon, Pointon has gone on to compete at the world championships twice, first in Portugal in 2022 and then in England in 2023, as well as state and national tournaments.

Laser running is the final discipline of the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon and consists of running five individual 600m laps of a set course, each lap separated with a round of laser pistol shooting in which the athlete must achieve five successful hits of the target before being able to run again.

Striking the right balance between speed on the running course and consistent accuracy in shooting allows for the fastest overall race time.

Pointon, who trains for middle distance and cross-country running events under the guidance of esteemed Yarra Ranges Athletics coach Jamie Strudley, incorporates his laser pistol shooting into his regular training program allowing him to focus his attention on improvement of his running whilst working on shooting simultaneously.

It has been a fast development of Pointon’s ability in laser run, improving each tournament, setting a new personal best or

record, as well as achieving new goals set for and by himself.

Pointon’s dad Jamie said competing in the men’s category was the most recent hurdle he’d wanted to achieve.

“Setting himself the challenge of competing in the senior men’s category at this year’s National Championships, Pointon focused hard on training to meet that goal since returning from the UK and can be very proud

of what he has achieved at such a young age,” he said.

“To set a new Australian record is an impressive feat and to do so as a youth athlete makes that all the more special.”

Mitchell Pointon set the Laser Run National Championships record in the men’s category. Picture: SUPPLIED The skill of laser run is to run 600 metre laps and shoot five hits of a target in between.

Pointon started laser run and the modern pentathlon only three years ago.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

The date of Wright’s boxing match for the Victorian heavyweight title has been changed to 22 June because his opponent got injured. The CBC will have a boxing ring soon thanks to the donation from Robyn and David from Coldstream Cafe Roadhouse.

Opening day of the Coldstream Boxing Club.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Garside (left) and Wright.

Bosker Boxing Equipment donated boxing gloves for the kids.

Garside teaching a kid.

Learning about parliament

Bimbadeen Heights Primary School was one six schools to receive a visit from the Speaker of the House of Representatives as part of the Parliament in Schools program.

The Mooroolbark school welcomed the Federal parliamentarian Milton Dick, alongside Casey MP Aaron Violi, during his tour of Victorian schools on Wednesday 1 May.

Students learnt about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as what a typical day looks like for their local member and the Speaker both in their electorates and when they are in Canberra for a sitting week.

“The Parliament in Schools program is an integral part of improving civics education across Australia,” Mr Dick said.

Launching the program in 2022, Mr Dick said at the time it was about allowing schools the opportunity to hear and learn about parliament without having to travel the distance.

“At the moment, we have a fantastic schools program run at Parliament House in Canberra by the PEO. In 2021-22, 19,468 students from 347 schools across Australia participated in an onsite PEO program,” he said in September 2022.

“But not all students will get the opportunity to travel all the way to Canberra. This is why we are taking this program on the road, and bringing it to them.”

This trip toVictoria, Mr Dick said, would include the 100th visit to a school since the program’s inception.

Mr Violi said it was great to engage with the students and hear some of their thoughts about the role of parliament.

“It was fantastic to chat to the students of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School about my role as our local MP and to see their keen interest in our Parliamentary system,” he said.

“There were some thoughtful questions asked about both my role and the role of the Speaker and you could tell students were gaining a deeper understanding of our democracy.”

Despite being from opposite political parties, with Mr Violi representing the Liberals and Mr Dick the Labor government, that’s what makes the initiative so successful.

“This program’s success is driven by its bipartisanship. I am really looking forward to spending time with these Federal MPs from across the political spectrum, to bring the Australian Parliament into their local schools,” Mr Dick said.

Early stages for growing a Men’s Shed in Lilydale

By Mikayla van Loon

The rumblings of a new men’s shed in Lilydale have begun, gaining interest from those seeking connection, somewhere to use their hands and mental wellbeing support.

Although only in the early stages, expressions of interest have been sought by Benson Bannon, the man leading the project.

“This has been a long expressed but unfulfilled need, talked about during countless conversations, wherever men gather accidentally and intentionally in each and every community event or group,” he said.

An identified “gap of services” for men in Lilydale seeking “to engage in a safe and comfortable environment” was just one of the reasons for exploring the option of opening a shed locally.

With fully functioning and well established Men’s Sheds right across the Yarra Ranges, Lilydale has been excluded from this service but the hope is that will change.

“Men’s Sheds work on the philosophy that men talk shoulder-to-shoulder, not face-to-face; providing a safe and secure space enables this to occur,” one interested man said.

“There’s a myth that men don’t talk, but the Men’s Shed movement debunks this myth, as Sheds right across Australia have proven.”

The ability to “meet, greet and exchange

ideas and educational support” for the improvement of each individual inspired another man to join this initial process.

Trying to combat loneliness and isolation, as well as improve men’s mental and physical health has been a long and desired outcome of Men’s Sheds.

As to why one hasn’t before been set up in Lilydale, there were a few ideas shared; the lack of community infrastructure aside from sporting reserves, that ideas are now only being voiced, especially since the establishment of the Lilydale Township Action Group and the narrow view of Lilydale being just an industrial or commercial area.

At the moment, Mr Bannon said gaining an understanding of interest in a shed would be the first step to creating a case and proposal for taking it further.

“We’ll call a public meeting to create a Steering Group, which will also liaise with the Australian Men’s Shed Association.”

Looking to also engage with trades people, local traders, the council and existing Men’s Sheds, the group hope to “look at opportunities to secure funding or premises to operate out of” but that will be further along.

For now, the group is looking for people of all ages who may be interested in joining the Lilydale Men’s Shed to like and follow the Facebook page, by the same name, to stay up to date on any meetings or announcements that might occur.

proposal for a

A

Men’s Shed in Lilydale has been put forward,now looking for expressions of

Picture: UNSPLASH

Casey MP Aaron Violi and Speak of the House Milton Dick visited Bimbadeen Heights Primary School.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Students were able to run a mock parliament.

Budget is an opportunity

Today the State Budget will be handed down, just hours after this Star Mail News edition goes to print. It is a real opportunity for the government to ease cost-of-living pressures and maintain frontline services our state desperately needs. A real opportunity to tackle the housing and health crises, and upgrade dangerous and potholed roads in our community. A real opportunity to arrest the financial mismanagement and reckless waste that we have seen under the Allan Labor Government.

After a decade of state Labor budgets, we ask ourselves: is life getting any easier?When Labor was elected in 2014, Victoria’s net debt was $22 billion. Today it’s $135.5 billion and by 2026/27 is projected to be $178 billion (which could be higher once today’s Budget is revealed).

That’s a sevenfold increase in net debt in 10 years and more than NSW, Queensland and Tasmania combined.

While the government continues to blame the COVID pandemic for this extraordinary debt that our grandchildren will be burdened with, that’s not true because there’s $43 billion new debt being added over the next three years due to inner-city infrastructure projects (over budget and years behind schedule), and interest repayments on the debt projected to reach a staggering $24 million per day.

With debt at record highs, the government has only two options: cut services or increase taxes. Troublingly, we are hearing they will do both. Over the past 10 years Labor has added 53 new or increased taxes onVictorians including new taxes on rent, jobs, health, schools, and tourism.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures con-

From my desk

Evelyn MP

firm that Victorians pay the highest state taxes in the country at $5,795 per person. Instead of new taxes, Victoria needs tax reform to encourage investment, growth, and economic opportunity. Today’s Budget is a real opportunity to axe taxes instead of raising them, and to end project blowouts and waste, ease cost-of-living pressures, and have a credible plan to pay down debt and growVictoria’s economy.

Today’s Budget is also an opportunity for transparency about Maroondah Hospital upgrades (promised in 2018), or if the Maroondah Highway at Killara Road in Coldstream will finally be duplicated and made safer (funded in 2019).

We will be scrutinising the Budget closely to see if funding is allocated to make Warburton Highway in Seville East safer, to improve bus services across Mt Evelyn and the Yarra Valley, to upgrade drainage infrastructure to mitigate flooding, or to improve health services and access to housing.

In Parliament I’ll continue fighting for a Budget that provides what our community needs and deserves.

A stunning stunt movie

The Fall Guy

Starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson M 4/5

Loosely based on the eighties TV show of the same name, The Fall Guy is an energetic, highly endearing action-comedy.

Eighteen months after a career-ending injury, stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) reconnects with his director ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) on the set of her debut film, and must track down her missing starTom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Buoyed by Gosling and Blunt’s extraordinary chemistry as estranged people slowly falling in love again, the script is witty without being too quippy, moves at a brisk pace and weaves Colt and Jody’s rekindling romance with a fun mystery plot.

The unfolding conspiracy has some muddled motives and lapses in logic, but it’s hard to care when the film is so touching and exciting, and Hannah Waddingham is delightfully deranged as Jody’s producer Gail. The film also dips into sci-fi with amusing glimpses of Metalstorm, Jody’s schlocky space war epic.

The Fall Guy is suffused with respect for stunt performers: many of the inventive, well-

shot action sequences, including the bonkers climax, make overt use of stunt techniques and equipment, and the film is even bookended with stunt montages: stunts from recent blockbusters in the intro, and this film’s own stunts in the credits.

The Fall Guy even broke a real-world stunt record of the most car cannon-rolls (eight). For Gosling, The Fall Guy marks a more lighthearted return to a stuntman persona after the 2011 noir masterpiece Drive, and as an invigorating combination of romance, laughs and thrills, The Fall Guy pairs well with 2008’s Get Smart, which is another action-comedy adapted from a classic TV show.

A funny and heartwarming thrill-ride, The Fall Guy is playing in mostVictorian cinemas.

In the previous two articles, we discussed the “Discovering a Good Read” report from Australia Reads, which examines reading trends among Australian secondary school students and how book-related social media are influencing their reading habits.

Support our libraries now PASSION FOR PROSE

This article, in turn, focuses on the use of public and school libraries by teenage readers.

According to the report, nearly half (47 per cent) of those secondary schoolers surveyed used resources from public libraries in 2023.

Their main purposes for use are to “study for school”, “borrow books to read for recreation”, “borrow books or other material for schoolassignments”,“hangoutwithfriends”, and “use the Internet”. Other reasons for using public libraries include reading magazines, comics, newspapers or listening to music, attending art and craft classes, and participating in library activities.

In comparison, the report finds that school libraries are mainly used for study, with two thirds of Australian secondary students having studied at their school library.

About one third of those students surveyed have a reading session fortnightly or more often, although “schools tend to arrange library sessions primarily for younger students”, i.e.Year 7 and 8.

Asforleisurereading,ourteenagereaders are less inclined to ask their school librarians for book recommendations, with 60% choosing not to do so.

Some students admit “they can’t be bothered”, while others say they either already have enough books to read or do not borrow books from the school library at all. The good news is, when asked how helpful their school librarians are regarding book suggestions for leisure reading, students give them a high average score of 7.74 out of a scale of one to ten. Perhaps unsurprisingly, younger students (aged 11-13) are more likely than their older peers (aged 16-18) to ask for reading advice from their school librarians. The report concludes that “enhancement

WITH CHRISTINE SUN

in library services” is one of the potential solutions in our continuous efforts to help teenagers“find books that captivate their interests and motivate them to read”.

Based on this report, Australia Reads recommends seven ways to support teen reading, and one of them is to “invest in school libraries and librarians”.

Specifically: “School libraries have a positive influence on reading behaviours – providing access, community, and recommendations for teen readers. Libraries need to be funded in schools across Australia, with dedicated and knowledgeable librarian staff, and suitable and appealing options for teenage readers.”

Furthermore, Australia Reads suggests “keeping teens engaged with the library space through their schooling may help maintain a positive and regular relationship with reading”.

Indeed, school libraries provide a safe and convenient environment for teenage readers of diverse backgrounds to talk about books and share recommendations with their peers.

Finally, those parents wanting to support teenage reading can establish positive reading habits by taking advantage of the rich and free resources offered by public libraries, thus helping to create a reading culture at home.

Make an effort to explore what teenagers are reading, and you’ll be surprised how much you can learn from them.

Special friendship in play

Kemp’s curtain call

Comedy Theatre

Melbourne

The Odd Couple

Two suddenly single pals – a sloppy sportswriter and a fastidious fashion writerstrain their friendship by becoming roommates and unconsciously repeating the same mistakes they made in marriages they just left.

Neurotic and neat freak Felix Ungar is thrown out by his wife, and meres in with his slovenly friend Oscar MadisonThe characteristics that drove each of them to leave their wives soon have them at each other’s throats in thus classic comedy.

Starring as Oscar and Felix are Shane Jacobson and Todd McKenney, the archetypal odd couple, as different as chalk and cheese, but best mates and constant collaborators.

Since they met on the Channel 7 TV series The Real Full Monty several years ago, the friends have worked together on TV in Mates on a Mission and The All New Monty, and on stage in The

Rocky Horror Show and Hairspray (as husband and wife).

Your correspondent was invited to a rehearsal of The Odd Couple where the two, Osscar (Shane Jacobson) and Felix, (Todd McKenney).

The pair worked brilliantly together and were a delight.

The play was written by Neil Simon and is a must see.

It opens at the Comedy Theatre Thursday May 23.

REMEMBER:

· Comedy at The Basin. Saturday May 11. Bookings at www.thebasintheatre.org.au

· Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Suite Surrender opening June 27.

· The 1812 Theatre The Great Gatsby May 16 – June 4 Bookings 9758 39644.

Tod (left) and Shane. Picture: SUPPLIED

Bridget Vallence

MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Form and Practice is here

After its humble beginnings in Olinda, originally as Dandenong Ranges Physiotherapy, Form and Practice has continued to grow to three locations, now including a brand-new Chirnside Park clinic and a recently relocated and refurbished Mt Evelyn location. With a team that boasts experienced Physiothera-

pists, Osteopaths, Myotherapists, Remedial Massage Therapists and its two Reformer Pilates Studios, Form & Practice has become a trusted destination for your health and wellbeing needs.

The clinical team can assess and treat all musculoskeletal conditions from back pain to sporting injuries, osteoarthritic pain, surgical rehabilitation and more. Form and Practice is also lucky enough to have specialisedWomen’s Health physiotherapists who can assist with

incontinence and specific pregnancy-related issues.

Each site has a fully-equipped rehabilitation studio and runs physio-led exercise classes that use individualised programs to target specific needs.

Then there’s the popular Reformer Pilates program, where members can access 60-plus weekly Reformer classes, seven days a week. Reformer Pilates is a challenging (but fun!) way to stay strong, fit and flexible using the Re-

former machines. It focuses on ‘core strength’ and posture through controlled movements and resistance training.

Most importantly, the team at Form & Practice are friendly and accommodating locals who want to help you to be at your best.

To find out more about what Form & Practice can offer you or to book an appointment online, head to their website at formandpractice.com.au

Get help from the team at Form and Practice.

Pictures: SUPPLIED Join a physio-led course at Form and Practice.

Mother’s Day

By Maria Millers

This year Mother’s Day will be celebrated against the background of a country reeling from the recent spate of frightening incidents of violence towards women.

A significant proportion of the Australian women killed from alleged gender based violence were indeed mothers.

There has been a reaction of understandable fear, anger and outrage with marches and candlelight vigils held across the country and demands for more action from the government to which it has responded with almost $1billion dollars to help women escape violent situations.

But is this the only way to respond to a problem which is cultural and perpetuated by deeply ingrained attitudes over generations? And how should we be celebrating Mother’s Day?

Mothers and motherhood has been celebrated from Ancient Greek and Roman times in festivals for the goddesses Rhea and Cybele.

The more recent Christian festival of Mothering Sunday was less about mothers and more about the church.

It was considered important for people to return to their home or ‘mother’ church once a year.

So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their‘mother’ church, the main church or cathedral of their area and catch up with family.

Mother’s Day as we know it today was created by American Anna Jarvis, becoming an official holiday in 1914.

The unmarried and childless Jarvis waged a campaign for recognition of a special day honouring motherhood as a counterbalance to the existing holidays which she felt were unfairly biased towards men’s achievements.

Almost immediately, it was seized by commercial interests that led Jarvis to denounce the day and try to have it removed from the national calendar.

She also urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day gifts: cards, flowers and candles.

Today, Mother’s Day is a billion-dollar industry in Australia.

Until the18th century in Western Art, an idealized figure of the Virgin Mary prevailed but then came a marked change as the image of motherhood evolved as a symbol of gentleness, and the creator of life.

This persisted until 20th century art when more realistic works of artists such as Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, Annie Leibvitz and others tried to change how motherhood was represented by engaging with taboo subjects such as miscarriage, abortion and the difficulties of motherhood.

Motherhood can indeed be hard for those with little support or security.

Today men are more involved in child caring and household chores than before, but it is still women who carry the brunt of most of the domestic chores and child care. And it is still largely taboo to express any misgivings about motherhood.

In comparison with other countries, Australia’s rates of family violence have been reported to be relatively high.

Reasons are of course complex. But could the legacies of our past be contributing to the development of a particularly virulent toxic hyper masculinity that persists today as a national ideal?

From the outset in the founding colonies men outnumbered women and violence, particularly towards indigenous women, was accepted.

In a society where women still experience a lifetime of economic inequality and insecurity this can lead to coercive control. Motherhood attracts a significant earnings penalty.

Choosing to have a child will change you irrevocably and challenge you as few other things will, and more so financially.

It is easy to put the blame for the violence we are seeing among young men on the breakdown of the nuclear family but reasons are never simple.

Family life is always changing in response to economic and social change.

The nuclear family is increasingly unable to cover the wide diversity of households we see today: single parent families, couples without

WOORILLA WORDS

children, gay families with two mothers (or fathers), adoptive parents.

Our economic system lauds hyper individualism over cooperation and community.

Today the one income family with a stay at home mother is almost a rarity as living costs have soared to the point where it is no longer possible under a single income to meet the needs of families, as in housing.

Post-Covid we are experiencing a society that seems too detached, disconnected and distrustful. Some families are looking for new ways of connected living.

Because of the housing crisis intergenerational models of living are being tried by some.

And there are some who forego the trappings of consumer driven lifestyles and settle for something more modest and may choose to be content to have a stay at home mother caring for the family.

The role of technology is without doubt an important factor in the way young minds are moulded. The easy access to violent and pornographic material and drugs is fraught with dangers and could be shaping them to accept violence towards women as normal behaviour.

But we also need men to become aware of their own every day, trivial expressions of misogyny so that they are not passing on these destructive attitudes to their young sons. Let’s celebrate the care and love that most mothers give their children, acknowledging that we are all imperfect but strive to do our best.

And though motherhood can be the most enriching experience of a woman’s life it can also be the most challenging and underappreciated. Whatever family you have formed enjoy the day whichever way you want to.

We should also pause and remember those mothers who have been so tragically killed.

There are many poems idealisng motherhood but lately more and more poets are writing about their experiences and feelings as mothers with refreshing honesty.

Many mothers will respond to Gwen Harwood’s In The Park, a poem that taps into many a mother’s worst nightmare of being caught looking dowdy and frazzled by fractious children’s bickering and whining and unexpectedly meeting a past lover when she’s hardly at her best.

But she of course does not let it be known how challenging she is finding motherhood. Only when he walks away does she let her frustrations erupt.

What the poem does is highlight how exhausting looking after small children can be, and how social pressures would not allow truthful expressions of her feelings.

In The Park

She sits in the park. Her clothes are out of date.

Two children whine and bicker, tug her skirt.

A third draws aimless patterns in the dirt

Someone she loved once passed by – too late

to feign indifference to that casual nod.

“How nice” et cetera. “Time holds great surprises.”

From his neat head unquestionably rises a small balloon…”but for the grace of God…”

They stand a while in flickering light, rehearsing the children’s names and birthdays. “It’s so sweet to hear their chatter, watch them grow and thrive, ” she says to his departing smile. Then, nursing the youngest child, sits staring at her feet.

To the wind she says, “They have eaten me alive.”

PENTHOUSE IN THE PARK

PENTHOUSE IN THE PARK

RARELY do you get to enjoy such a highend finish with cutting-edge design, coupled with breathtaking views. As you climb the stairway to reveal a clever multi-level design, stunning spotted gum flooring, square set plaster work and huge expanses of glass. There are three distinct levels where you will discover four comfortable bedrooms, with a luxury ensuite and walk-in robe to the master. The huge central room is open plan and incorporates living/dining and kitchen that is fully integrated with top of the range Meile appliances, including the fridge freezer.

The top level is versatile as another living room, retreat, or an ideal work from home office, the choice is yours. Steppinwg outdoors to a well-paved barbecue/ entertaining area that captures that same distant view with all the autumn colours. Of course, all the creature comforts are there with split-system heating and cooling, ducted gas heating and a feature open fire place.

Complete with ample under house and attic storage and a remote control double garage.

This could be your chance to call 77 Kaola Street Belgrave home. ●

CHARMING FAMILY HOME CLOSE TO TOWN

BOASTING great space, convenience and easy care living for the growing family, this fantastic home is positioned to please in a quiet and picturesque location close to all facilities.

Offering four bedrooms, all with built-in robes, and with three separate bathrooms including an ensuite and walk-in robe in the main bedroom.

A flexible floorplan with family space in mind and conveniently spread over two levels, multiple living areas with separate lounge/living and family rooms offer the growing or extended family ample space to spread out.

Beautiful kitchen, loads of bench and cupboard space, with quality appliances and fittings throughout.

Outside offers low-maintenance established gardens and a lock-up garage.

A superb family home conveniently situated just a short stroll to Yarra Junction’s busy shopping precinct, local schools, transport and the Yarra Centre, it’s a great place to call home. ●

ROOM TO MOVE ON 3/4 ACRE

INTRODUCING your dream home nestled on a serene ¾ acre parcel with breathtaking treetop vistas. This spacious split-level sanctuary boasts 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, including a secluded master suite wing for ultimate relaxation.

Work from home in style in the study (or 5th bedroom) with views, featuring a charming mezzanine level. The living spaces are bathed in natural light, courtesy of expansive walls of glass that seamlessly blend indoor-outdoor living.

Entertain effortlessly in the heart of the home, the well-appointed kitchen with ample storage, walk-in pantry, and adjacent dining/ living area. Retreat to the lounge to chill with some Netflix or a good book.

Enjoy the outdoors on the expansive deck spanning the length of the home, ideal for soaking in the morning sun and birdwatching with your favourite cuppa. The landscaped grounds feature tiered gardens with hidden nooks waiting to be discovered.

With extensive storage, a 2-car garage, and plenty of parking, this home ticks all the boxes. You are minutes to both Emerald and Cockatoo Townships, Avonsleigh General Store nearby as are fantastic walks, rides and adventures to be had.

Don’t miss the chance to make this your own slice of paradise. Welcome home. ●

A beautifullymaintainedhome, perfect for those enteringthe propertymarketorwill makeanideal investment Situatedonjustover a 1/4 acrealonga sealedroad this propertyoffers a harmoniousblend ofcomfort& convenience and offersBIRstoall bedrooms,spaciousopenplanliving& dining newly renovated kitchen,polished floorboards, DGH,S/System, two new double-glazed windows for energyefficiency & sound insulation, spaciousdeck, established gardens, a veggie patch anda chookrun.

ErinDavies 0493136937

0429684522

CUTTING-EDGEDESIGNWITHBREATHTAKINGVIEWS

Rarely doyou get toenjoy such a high-end finishwithcutting-edge design Asyouclimb the stairwaythe homerevealsaclevermulti-level designand featuresstunningspotted gumflooring,squaresetplaster work hugeexpansesof glass, a hugecentral room incorporating theliving/diningand kitchen thatisfully integratedwithMeile appliances, splitsystemheating& cooling,DGH anda featurefireplace.Outdoors features a paved BBQ/entertaining area, ample under-house and attic storage anda

GrantSkipsey 0418528102

BREATHTAKINGTREETOPVISTAS

Yourdream homeisnestled on a sereneparceloflandwithbreathtakingtreetopvistas Thisspacioussplit-levelsanctuary boasts a secludedmastersuite wingfor ultimate relaxation,a study/5th bedroomwithviews&a charmingmezzaninelevel,expansive wallsofglass thatseamlessly blend indoor-outdoorliving,spaciousdeckspanningthe lengthofthe home, extensive storage, a 2-car garage, plentyofparking and landscaped grounds which feature tieredgardens withhidden nooks waiting tobediscovered

$600,000-$660,000

A 1 B 2 C

Overlooking lushestablished gardens,this charmingcottage has muchtooffer.Freshly painted throughout,polished timber floors sashwindows,wood fire &a gas heater spaciouskitchenwith a meals area The gardens,adornedwithagedferns, clivias& a majesticPowtontree & winding pathways createaninvitingatmosphereand from the reardeck, you can overlookthispicturesque scene.Withoff-streetparking and the convenience ofstrolling intotown, this propertypresentsanenticingopportunity

ErinDavies 0493136937

MickDolphin 0429684522

FAMILY HOME WITH PONY PADDOCK

WHAT a fantastic opportunity to secure a 4 bedroom home in the heart of Cockatoo. Walk to the mainstreet and all the Cockatoo amenities, including the recently built IGA.

There is plenty of off street parking, and a double lock up garage at the front of the home. There’s a welcoming entertaining area near the front door, and the home then opens to a front foyer. The floating floor boards invite you in, and there are then two bedrooms with built in wardrobes.

An open loungeroom with a cosy woodfire awaits, and then the home flows to a master bedroom with a built in wardrobe and a large walk-in wardrobe that could potentially be a great ensuite space (STCA). The zoned living then has another bedroom located near the master that also has built in wardrobes, and there is a lovely study/home office area with

a treed outlook.

The kitchen and dining area are open plan and the charming kitchen has a woodfire, gas stove top, oven and dishwasher, as well as a walk in pantry/butlers pantry. The home then continues along to an updated laundry and bathroom, with the bathroom being luxurious with a bath, toilet and shower. This home also features gas ducted heating.

Externally is a pony paddock with a pony shed that is awaiting your four legged friend.

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. ●

BeautifulHomeinEmeraldonapprox.23acreswithViews!

Thisoutstanding3 bedroom,3 bathroomhomesituatedonapprox.23Acresoffersgorgeousviews acrossclearedpaddockstoCardiniaReservoir.Thisstoneconstructedhomehas awoodfireheater, acousticstrawboardvaultedceiling,giantwindowssoakingintheview &plentyofnaturallight.The kitchenisvast,with agasstovetop &electricoven, &plentyofbenchspace.Unwindinthesecond loungeroomwithanopenfireplace&astunningstudyarea.Thereisa masterbedroomfeaturinga walkthroughwardrobetotheensuite.Thefurther 2bedroomshaveBIRs& areservicedby afamily bathroom.Externallythereisa clearedpaddockwith acentraltreedgully.Thegroundscontaina pizzaoven,a highdoublecarportattachedtothehome, &inthebackyardareais adoublegarage withpower,lights &concretedfloor.Thispropertyhasmainspower,gas &water.

AaronDay M 0407365994

PerfectlylocatedintheheartofMonbulkthisfamilyhomefeatures 4robedbedrooms, &2 bathroomsincluding afamilybathroomcompletewith abathtub,thishomehas afunctionalfloor plan.Themasterbedroomhasanensuite &WIR &islocatednear alargeformallivingroom,whilst2 oftheremainingbedroomsarelocatednearthespacious,openplankitchen &familyroom.Thereis aseparatediningroomwhichcouldbeutilisedas ahomeoffice/study.Addtothefeatures atoasty woodfireinthefamilyroom,gasductedheatingthroughout,floorboards, awell-appointedkitchen &securityshuttersonnearlyallwindows &doors.Outsideisthehuge,private,undercoverdeck, perfectforentertainingallyearround,a DLUG,2 furthergarden/woodsheds&alovelysideyard.

Thisis aRareOpportunityNotToBeMissed!Home &Business(STCA)Available! Thispropertyhasa modern &stylish2 bedroomapartmentonthetopfloorwitha longverandah. Whilstalsoencompassingtheshopspacecurrentlyutilisedbythe‘BlackCockatooPizzacafé’& the ‘BlackCockatooBar& Bistro’onthegroundfloor.Theapartmentisconvenientlylocatedonground levelontheBelgraveGembrookRoad,whilethebarandpizzacafeareonstreetlevelonMcBride Street.Thereare2 decks, &an8 spacecarpark,& thecarparkdoublesas abeergarden.Inside thehomehas aspaciousopenplankitchen/living/diningareawith asplitsystemAC.Thekitchen hasstainlesssteelappliances &thebathroomisfreshlyrenovated.BothbedroomsofferBIRs.There isoffstreetparkingattherearoftheapartment &a SLUG &workshop.Thebusinessesareforsale separatelyanddetailswillbemadeavailableuponrequest.

StylishlyRenovatedHomewithEquineInfrastructureonNearly20acres! Featuringa 40m*20msandmenage,dayyards,electricfencedpaddocks,hotwash,tack room,floatstorage,hayshed,a 3-baybarn,cross-countrycourse,mainswater &a comfortable 4-bedroom,2 bathroom,‘Hamptons’stylehomewithviews &zonedheating& cooling.Thehome has2 loungeareas, adiningarea& entertainingdeck.Themasterbedroomhasa walk-through robe,ceilingfan &ensuite.Theopenplankitchen/dining/livingareahas awoodfire &a 900mmgas stove& anelectricoven,& thelaundryhasa dryingcupboard.Thereare 3furtherbedroomswith BIRs &a familybathroom.Thestockyardshaveloadingramps,thereare5 paddockswithwater,day yards,tackroom,feedshed,hotwashbay,haystorage &machinerystorage.Thereis apermanent creek,a Springfeddam,a chickenrun,anall-weathergraveldriveway, &lockupgarage.

HOME ON A BIG BLOCK, HUGE LIVING SPACE

YOU will be surprised by the size of this home and the family room that is separate to the lounge room offering great space for the growing family. 3 bedrooms, 2 living areas plus a large outdoor entertaining barbecue area all situated on a huge block approx. 1183 sq.m in size.

Nestled in a lovely neighbourhood, where you are close to the local bakery for a coffee or a walk along the Yarra river trail, this home represents excellent value for money and an opportunity to renovate and improve. The brick home is solid just needing some updating to add your own homely touch.

Boasting a spacious layout catering to various needs, two living areas including a family room at one end of the house complete with an open fire, convenience is key with internal garage access and a quiet no through road.

Situated on the high side of the road with windows to frame the picturesque mountain scenery, ensuring every glance is met with inspiring views. Bring your TLC and creativity to transform this home into a gorgeous Warburton gem. ●

UniquelyWarburtonVibeonover1/2acre

Stepinsidetodiscover ahavenofcharmandcharacter.Multiplelivingzonesofferendless possibilitiesforrelaxationandentertainment,fromthecozywarmthofthewoodfiretothecharm ofanopenfireplace.Whetheryou’reinneedof 3or4bedrooms,thishomeadaptstoyourlifestyle withease.Ascendtotheupstairsloftroomandbecaptivatedbypanoramicviewsfromthepicture windowandenjoyfreshairfromtheJulietbalcony.Downstairs,twogenerouslysizedbedroomsand twobathroomsawait,completewithpedestalbasins,baths,andtoilets.Themasterbedroomenjoys awalkthroughrobetotheensuite,lovelysashwindowsandviewsofyourgarden.Theversatile layoutoffersendlessoptions-astudy,library,formaldining,orsimplyleaveitopenforextraliving spacethechoiceisyours!Don’tmissthechancetomakethisextraordinaryhomeyours.

Escapetoyourriversideparadise!

Nestledonover1&1/2acresoflushland,andenjoyingadjacentriverreserve,thisenchanting propertyoffers alifestyleoftranquillityandleisure.Asthedayfadesintoevening,retreattoyour expansiverearveranda.Youcanunwindamidstnature’sbeauty,perhapsindulgingina soothing soakintheoutdoorclawfootbath.Inside, acozyambiancebeckons,courtesyoftheslow combustionwoodfireandsplitsystem,ensuringyear-roundcomfortforyourfamily.Thewarmthofa lovelytimberkitchenprovidesamplespacetocookup afeast.Withtwoinvitingbedroomsandan additionalprivatestudioorguestroom,completewithitsownlittledeck,thepropertyoffersversatility andseclusion.Safetyandsecurityareparamount,thankstothefencedbackyard,providingpeace ofmindforbothchildrenandpetsalike.Don’tmissout...Yourriversideparadiseawaits!

RusticMudBrickOveranAcre

Thismudbrickhomehasbeenbuiltwithloveandistruly amagicalproperty.A picture-perfect setting,itsitsonwelloveranacre,whichincludesmountainviewsandwell-maintainedgardens. Featuringa fernery,Japanesegarden,spaciouslawn,largestudio,lock-updoublegarageapprox. 9x6,doublecarport,woodshed,veggiegarden,fruittrees,andisfullyfenced.Privatelytucked awayfromtheroad,delightfulsceneryawaitsateveryglance. Acosylayouttosuiteveryone,with3 bedroomsand abonusoptionfora 4th.Theupdatedkitchenfeaturesa stunningFalconovenand bamboobenchtopsandcountrylookcabinetsallfortheenthusiasticchefs.Devinecosyloungewith awoodfireandsplitsystemandbonusseparatestudiowithpowerprovides agreatwork-from-home space.Only afewminutesfromthebustlingtownofWarburton.A musttoinspect.

RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068

Experiencesecurefamilylivingwithanabundanceofspace You´llbeimpressedbythisdelightfulfamilyhomefullofcharacterandcharm.Offeringanopen kitchen,diningandfamilyarea,3 bedroomsincludingmasterwithensuiteandspaciouswalk-in robe,and adoublecarportatthefrontallowseasyundercoverparking.Bothbathroomsboasta delightfulfeaturewindowwhereonecantakeinthelushgreeneryinabsoluteprivacy!Thissecure fencedpropertyissurroundedbyestablishedgardens,a largegrassy,flatyardallsafelybehinda charmingfrontpicketfencewithremotecontrolgates.Inadditiontothecarports, alockupgarage andtoolshedattherear.ThepavedcourtyardwithbuiltinBBQmakesanidealsettingforanysocial gathering.Additionalfeaturesincludegasductedheating, 3splitsystems,ceilingfans, acrackling woodfireintheloungeand ahugeblockofapprox.1114sq.m Agreatplacetocallhome.

HOME FOCUS

SCENIC PROPERTY IN PEACEFUL SELBY

THIS scenic 3.4 acre property in the peaceful hamlet of Selby is the ideal family retreat. Featuring a private and picturesque dam, paddock, veggie beds, level lawns, hen house, and dog fencing, this very special property is what semi-rural living is all about.

Dual drives, including one with double carport, lead way to this lovely timber home with welcoming wrap-around verandah. With one step inside, the sense of warmth invites you to stay a while. The generous foyer introduces the high timber ceilings that feature throughout. The lounge centres around the magnificent brick fire while loop carpet and large windows that capture leafy outlooks add to the cosy and relaxed ambiance. The neighbouring meals area and modern kitchen with skylight, breakfast bar, tin splashback, ILVE induction cooktop, and Bosch dishwasher serves as the heart of the home. With further touches including a walk-in pantry with stylish barn door and a large deck for entertaining, every element has been considered with care.

In addition, the corridor accentuated with William Morris wallpaper branches to 4 spacious bedrooms with vaulted ceilings and built-in robes, a beautiful bathroom with antique vanity and soaking tub, and a guest powder room with designer sink.

If you seek a lifestyle property within easy reach of Belgrave’s schools, restaurants, cinema, and transport, you will find a fabulous lifestyle here. Homes in this tightly held pocket are rarely released, so don’t delay, plan your viewing today.

· Picturesque 13,797sqm (approx.) property with large private dam, paddock, veggie beds/citrus grove, dual drives, and double carport

Beautiful family residence with wraparound verandah and large deck

· Generous living area with wood fire and modern kitchen with quality appliances, tin splashback, and sunny skylight

4 lovely bedrooms with ample storage and large windows

Expansive under-house workshop/ storeroom with potential for further development. ●

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the

or

ACROSS

1 Kitchenware (4)

3 AD (4,6)

10 Non-professional (7)

11 Japanese paper folding (7)

12 A sweet cold drink (8)

13 Excuse (5)

14 Spindle (4)

15 Agitated (10)

18 Gratification (10)

20 Duster (4)

21 Adage (5)

23 Ponder (8)

26 US state (7)

27 Pirate’s sword (7)

28 Child of one’s child (10)

29 Principal (4)

DOWN

1 Worship (4)

2 Journeyed (9)

4 Account of events (9)

5 Layer that absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation (5)

6 Largest of the Ryukyu Islands, south of Japan (7)

7 Baghdad native (5)

8 Started (9)

9 Note (4)

14 Annoying (9)

16 Relating to a specific discipline (9)

17 Neighbour of Mexico (9)

19 Member of ancient Germanic tribe (7)

22 Country (5)

23 Collision of one or more vehicles (5)

24 Very small amount (4)

25 Book ID (1,1,1,1)

5 LETTERS ABIDE ABOUT ACRES ALBUM ALIEN ALONG ANNUL BADGE BULGE CANOE CAUSE CLOTH DOONA EATER ELOPE EMAIL ENACT EVENT GENES GREED HUMAN INPUT KNACK KNOWS LAGER LAUGH LENDS MAPLE MELON NOBLY OMITS OPIUM PESTS PORTS POSTS RHINO RINSE RISEN ROUGE RULES RUSTS SHOCK SIEGE SNEER SPOON STAGE SWEAT TAMER TROOP

Outplayed in early tennis

By Joanna Campe

Round 1 results for Lilydale Tennis Club in the Eastern Region Tennis competition: Junior Open Singles Doubles 1 Lilydale v Yarra Glen

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

Lilydale played at home this week against Yarra Glen. Lilydale fought hard but were outplayed on the day. Yarra Glen won the day 6 sets to 0 – winning 37 games to Lilydale 12.

Result: 0-6, 6-7 (7-2 tiebreak), 1-6, 1-6, 1-6, 3-6 Junior Open Singles Doubles 8 Lilydale v Parkwood

Lilydale was represented by Olivia Mason, Brodie Manger and Ivy Pieper

Lilydale played away this week against Parkwood. In a close match it was Lilydale who won the day taking 6 sets to 0 – winning 36 games to 20.

Result: 4-6, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6, 1-6 Open Rubbers 11 Lilydale v Templestowe Park

Lilydale Blue was represented by David Halkidis and Adam Johson.

Lilydale played at home this week against Templestowe Park. Lilydale played well but Templestowe were too strong on the day taking 5 sets to 1 – winning 28 games to Lilydale 13.

Result: 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 0-1 (super tiebreak), 0-6, 2-6

Open Rubbers 20 v Mooroolbark Heights

Lilydale was represented by Levi Daly and Tim Bassett.

Lilydale played away this week against Mooroolbark Heights. In a very close and exciting match, it was Mooroolbark that came away with the win 3 sets to 2 – winning 23 games to 17.

Result: 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-2

Second round results for Lilydale Tennis Club in the Eastern Region Tennis Competition.

Junior Open Singles Doubles 1 Lilydale v Box Hill

Lilydale was represented by Ryan Taylor, Ari Marappan and Joshua Jamieson

Lilydale played away this week against Box Hill. In a close match Lilydale played well but Box Hill

eventually took the win. Box Hill won the day 4 sets to 2 – winning 28 games to Lilydale 20.

Result: 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, 3-6

Junior Open Singles Doubles 8 Lilydale v Healesville

No match play as it was forfeited due to illness.

The team will be looking forward to getting backonthecourtnextweekagainstUpweySouth.

Result: FORFEIT

Open Rubbers 11 Lilydale v Upwey South

Lilydale Blue was represented by Noah Burow and Adam Johson.

Lilydale played away this week against Upwey South. Lilydale fought hard but were outplayed on the day with Upwey winning the day 5 sets to 0 – winning 31 games to Lilydale 11.

Result: 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3

Open Rubbers 20 v Box Hill

Lilydale was represented by Levi Daly and Rishabh Chowdhury.

Lilydale played at home this week against Box Hill. It was a very close fought match. However, Lilydale retired early due to player injury. Box Hill took the points on the day.

Result: 4-6, 4-6, 6-6, 3-10 (tie break), 5-7, 3-0 (retired)

Lilydale Tennis club welcomes all players of any age and ability. For information on how to join Lilydale Tennis Club please visit play.tennis.com.au/lilydaletennisclub. For all coaching enquiries (Juniors and Adults) please contact Andrew at Pro Touch Tennis Academy ptta.com.au/contact

A win, a loss and a tie at Mornington for Lilydale Croquet

By John Thomson

On Monday 29 April, one of the Mornington Division 1 teams made the long trek down the freeway to Lilydale.

Lilydale’s team this week consisted of John Thomson, Craig McCracken and Glenn Crook. Glenn had just played in a two-day tournament over the weekend, so hopefully he was in good form.

In the doubles John Thomson and Craig McCracken teamed up. John and Craig got off to a good start, but the Mornington team started to work back into the game. John and Craig took control of the last couple of hoops and won the game 7 hoops to Mornington 5 hoops.

In the first of the singles games Glenn Crook played. Glenn got the jump on his Mornington opponent and kept the pressure on for the entire game. Lilydale 7 hoops to Mornington 3 hoops.

In the second singles it was Craig McCracken to play. This game was a tighter affair with both players going hoop for hoop early on until Craig was able to get a break and went on to win 7 hoops to Mornington 5 hoops.

At the lunch break the scores were Lilydale 3 games 21 hoops to Mornington 0 games 13 hoops. With two singles games to be played, Lilydale had won the day, so it was just a matter of who could win the remaining two games.

Glenn Crook was playing in his second doubles game, and again he got off to a fast start, although the Mornington player tried hard to peg Glenn back the margin was too big in the end. Lilydale 7 hoops to Mornington 4 hoops.

In the last singles game, it was JohnThomson to play. John started well and was up early but his Mornington opponent started to get a run on and levelled the scores at 6 hoops a piece, so the 13th hoop had to be played to decide a winner. The Mornington player was first to the hoop and set up beautifully and from there went on to win the hoop. Mornington 7 hoops Lilydale 6 hoops.

The final scores for the day, Lilydale 4 games 34 hoops to Mornington 1 game 24 hoops.

This week the Lilydale Division 2 team was hosted by Kew Croquet Club.

The Lilydale team members this week

Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

were Alan Jones, Kerri McCracken and Drew Pawley.

Kerri McCracken and Drew Pawley played in the doubles. Kerri and Drew have not played together very much and they took a while to settle into the game, by this time the Kew pairing had a good lead and went onto win 7 hoops to Lilydale 2 hoops.

In the first singles Alan Jones played. Alan started slowly but made up a bit of ground towards the end but it was all too late with the Kew player winning 7 hoops to Lilydale 4 hoops.

Drew Pawley was playing in the next singles. This was a tight game with both players fighting for each hoop. The Kew player eventually was able to run a couple of extra hoops and win 7 hoops to Lilydale 5 hoops.

At the break it was Kew 3 games 21 hoops to Lilydale 0 games 11 hoops.

With two singles games to go Kew had already won the day, so it was just a matter of whether Lilydale could fight back and win the last two games.

The first singles after the break Alan Jones was playing. Alan had found his form in this game as both players went hoop for hoop. After they had played twelve hoops the scores were 6 hoops a piece, with the thirteenth hoop to be played to decide the winner. This hoop too was a battle, eventually Alan took his chance and ran the hoop to win the game 7 hoops to Kew 6 hoops.

In the last game Kerri McCracken was playing. Kerri started well and was able to hold her lead over her opponent for the duration of the game. Lilydale 7 hoops to Kew 4 hoops.

Final scores for the day, Kew 3 games 31 hoops to Lilydale 2 games 25 hoops

On Thursday 2 May, Lilydale hosted the Monash croquet club handicap team.

The Lilydale team for this week was Alan Jones, Liz Stewart, Graham Rhodes and Kerri McCracken.

In the first singles Graham Rhodes was playing. Because of the handicap system, Graham was starting with one hoop advantage and the Monash player was starting two hoops behind. The Monash player started well and with his higher level of skill soon made up the deficit and went on to win 7 hoops to Lilydale 2 hoops.

In the first of the doubles Alan Jones and Kerri McCracken teamed up. Alan and Kerri have played together a number of times now and have a good understanding of one another’s games. Lilydale were starting one hoop behind their Monash opponents. Alan and Kerri had soon made up that one hoop and were in control for most of the game. Lilydale 7 hoops Monash 4 hoops.

In the second singles game, Alan Jones was playing. Alan was starting two hoops behind his opponent. Alan has been in very good form in recent times and had soon made up the two hoop disadvantage and kept the pressure on his opponent and went on to win 7 hoops to Monash 4 hoops.

In the next doubles Liz Stewart and Graham Rhodes paired up. This time it was Monash that was starting one hoop in arrears. This time it was the Monash team that were controlling the game and went on to win 7 hoops to Lilydale 4 hoops.

At the break the scores were Lilydale 2 games 20 hoops, Monash 2 games 22 hoops. With a singles and a doubles game to play, the end result could go either way.

In the final singles game Kerri McCracken was playing. Kerri was playing Monash’s top ranked player. Kerri was starting one hoop in front and the Monash player was starting with a two hoop deficit. Kerri started well and did not let her opponent settle into the game. Lilydale went on to win 7 hoops to Monash 4 hoops.

The last game was a doubles and Alan Jones and Liz Stewart teamed up. Lilydale were starting one hoop behind the Monash pair. This game was an epic game. Monash got off to a flyer and it looked like the game would be over very quickly. Then Lilydale seemed to flick a switch and started to get back into the game. At the 12th hoop Lilydale had squared the ledger at 6 hoops all. The 13th hoop had to be played to decide the winner. Neither team were giving an inch, then Monash took their chance and ran the winning hoop, the scores were Monash 7 hoops to Lilydale 6 hoops.

At the end of play saw both captains reaching for the calculators to check and recheck the scores and in the final count it was Lilydale 3 games 33 hoops to Monash 3 games 33 hoops. So, after a long day’s play neither team could be separated and a tie was declared. Well done to both teams this does not happen very often.

Olivia Mason, Brodie Manger and Ivy Pieper were able to get a win against Parkwood in round 1. Pictures: SUPPLIED

Ryan Taylor, Ari Marappan and Joshua Jamieson played well in round 2 but Box Hill came away with the win.

Liz Stewart paired up with both Graham Rhodes and Alan Jones in the doubles games against Monash. 337353

Graham Rhodes couldn’t hold his opponent at bay in his singles round. 337353

Eagles rise to new heights

By David Nagel

Beaconsfield has scored the best of its 20 wins since joining the Eastern Football Netball League in 2022 after the Eagles overcame last year’s preliminary finalist Montrose in a grinding contest on Saturday, seeing the Demons suffer their second loss of the season.

The Eagles gave up three goals in the opening eight minutes of play before outplaying the Demons on their way to a confidence-building 12.11(83) to 10.5(65) victory at Montrose.

Speaking after the game, Montrose coach Gary Ayres said there were quite a few moments where neither team had control of the play.

“But whenever they got their ball movement going, I thought they looked a bit more polished than what we did on the day,” he said. Ayres said the diversification of the goal scorers would be essential to the ongoing success of the Montrose side, not relying solely on Ryan Garthwaite.

Beaconsfield won six games in its inaugural season in Eastern Division One, before improving that to 10 last year to qualify fourth for an elimination final against North Ringwood.

But of those initial 16 wins, only two came against teams that would go on to qualify for finals.

This was the best of their four wins this season, against a team that is expected to be at the pointy end of the competition this year.

Things couldn’t have started any worse for Mick Fogarty’s team, with Demons’ key forward Ryan Garthwaite making it a one-man show in the early stages of the contest.

Garthwaite out-marked his direct opponent Declan Curran to kick the game’s first after four minutes of play, before capitalising on a rare defensive error from Lachie Modica in the back half.

When Garthwaite then marked a ‘chaosball’ in the forward-50; the Demons were three goals up after eight minutes.

But the Eagles soon gained the ascendency, with Tylah Stokoe, Damien Johnston, Nathan Wright and Devon Smith tightening things up in the midfield.

Mackay Bateson kicked the Eagles first after some great vision from Hayden Brough, before

Bateson turned provider to allow Myles Currie to run into an open goal.

The Eagles squared things away after Charlie Muley kicked a set shot, before Garthwaite kicked his fourth for the opening quarter to give the Demons a three-point lead.

Beaconsfield once again surrendered an early goal in the second, before two long bombs from Currie and Ocaa gave the visitors a two-point advantage.

Stokoe was then unluckily yellow carded for a rough tackle, before Garthwaite kicked his fifth to give the home side a two-point lead at the major interval.

The Eagles upped the ante in the third term, with the relentless running of Modica, Josh Mounter and Kobe Shipp - and brilliant defensive work of Jake Bowd and Brandon Whitekeeping the Demons at bay.

Bateson converted two set shots, both from free kicks, at the start of the third, and the Eagles led by nine.

Garthwaite was then once again too strong in the goal-square, kicking his sixth, before Currie turned nothing into something; 14 minutes into the third.

Mounter’s hard-running from centre-wing then paid dividends with a classy crumbing goal and the Eagles had almost cracked the game open.

But that man Garthwaite did it again; kick-

ing a great snap on the three-quarter-time siren to cut the Eagles’ margin to 13 with a quarter left to play.

Beaconsfield had the perfect start to the last quarter with Brough slotting a clever right-foot snap, before Garthwaite kicked his eighth to answer a minute later.

When Jack Garthwaite then kicked his first, the margin was cut to seven with 13 minutes ticked off the clock.

Bowd was having a hugely influential final term and played a leading role in the final two goals of the match.

At the 18-minute mark he intercepted a Demons’ forward thrust; passed to Johnston, who then found Modica for a running goal.

Garthside then narrowly missed his last shot at goal for a ninth.

A long kick out from White was brilliantly marked by Bowd, who found Mounter on the wing.

The classy right-footer then spotted up Muley; who kicked truly…to lock the game up and throw away the key.

The cream had risen to the surface; the Eagles now four-and-one and in second place on the ladder.

Bateson and Currie kicked three each for the Eagles in lively displays up forward, while Muley kicked two important goals while also playing as a back-up ruck to Mitch Summers.

Modica was everywhere for the winners, putting his height and pace to good use across wing and half-back, while Curran stuck to his guns against a bigger opponent in Garthwaite.

The challenges just keep getting bigger and bolder for the second-placed Eagles, who host the undefeated Park Orchards at Holm Park Reserve on Saturday.

The action kicks off at 2.20pm.

Montrose Goals: Ryan Garthwaite 8, Jack Garthwaite, Bailey White. Best: Ryan Garthwaite, Greg Lord, Geordie Nagle, Liam Canny, Bradley Watson, Taj Heap.

Beaconsfield Goals: Mackay Bateson 3, Myles Currie 3, Charlie Muley 2, Jafar Ocaa, Josh Mounter, Hayden Brough, Lachlan Modica. Best: Lachlan Modica, Mackay Bateson, Kobe Shipp, Joshua Mounter, Brandon White, Jake Bowd.

Other Games: Mooroolbark 11.8(74) def Bayswater 9.10(64), North Ringwood 7.18(60) def by Doncaster 11.12(78), Park Orchards 16.11(107) def South Belgrave 10.16(76), Wantirna South 11.8(74) def by Mitcham 20.18(138).

Ladder: Park Orchards 20, Beaconsfield 16, Montrose, South Belgrave, Bayswater 12, Mitcham, Doncaster, Mooroolbark 8, North Ringwood 4, Wantirna South 0.

Fixture R6: Beaconsfield (2) v Park Orchards (1), Bayswater (5) v Montrose (3), Doncaster (7) v Mitcham (6), North Ringwood (9) v Wantirna South (10), South Belgrave (4) v Mooroolbark (8).

Kilsyth’s senior men led the day over Croydon North

Kilsyth Senior Men

Round 5

Kilsyth FC vs Croydon North MLOC

Final scores: 14.12.96 Kilsyth, 7.2.44 Croydon North MLOC

Once again after a slow start, and with Croydon North MLOC staying in the game with some straight kicking in front of goal, Kilsyth’s seniors still found a way to stamp their authority on the game.

Playing their brand of football still continues to be the biggest challenge but this week was certainly a step in the right direction.

Jacob Moschetti was again a standout and continues to prove to be one of the A grade midfielders in the competition.

In a great moment for the club, Kilsyth’s latest debutant Josh Jackson, the eight son of a former Cougar to play in 2024, provided great forward pressure that set the standard for the day.

As a group they look forward to building the season and ensuring they play the brand they know is needed to be a successful 2024 team.

Best players: Jacob Moschetti, Mackinley Ayton, Mitchell Jacobs, Ryan McNay, Josh Jackson and Sean Currey

Kilsyth reserves Round 5

Kilsyth FC vs Croydon North MLOC

Final scores: 5.5.35 Kilsyth, 7.16.58 Croydon North MLOC

Kilsyth’s reserves side couldn’t convert a first quarter lead of 20 to 8 into a win, kicking just two behinds in the third and forth quarters to finish their day with 5.5.35.

It was a one on one contest at times.

Best players: Peter Wall, Tom Clarke, Brendan Egan, Mark Parker, Joshua Oliver, Troy Zaicz.

Kilsyth senior women Round 3

Croydon North MLOC pulled their lead out to 7.16.58 to take the fifth round win.

Kilsyth FC vs Waverley Blues

Final scores: 4.2.26 Kilsyth, 8.10.58 Waverley Blues

The senior women also struggled in their round 3 match up against Waverley Blues who took the lead in the first quarter and didn’t relinquish it.

Ending the first quarter with six points the difference and only nine points at half time,

the Blues pulled out their lead with the Cougars unable to score in the final two terms. It was a good fight by the Cougars against the second team on the ladder, who have won all three games so far this season.

Best players: Sarah Ivanovic, Hayley Heffernan, Emily Paxton, Alana Cherry, Hayley Jackson, Darci Innes

Montrose Football Club’s seniors had their first loss against Beaconsfield. Picture: MONTROSE FC

Livewire forward Myles Currie kicked three goals for Beaconsfield in a great win over Montrose on Saturday. 402311

Picture: ROB CAREW

Kilsyth’s seniors celebrated their goals.

The Cougars took every opportunity to prevent Croydon North MLOC. Pictures: TANYA JACKSON

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