News - Pakenham Officer Star News - 6th June 2024

Estate light fight

By Corey Everitt

Residents are trying to prevent the ‘heritage’ in Heritage Springs from being replaced as the estate’s historic lamp fittings are being removed by the council, an act described as “vandalism”.

Cardinia Shire Council proposed the changing of the lights through the estate with energy-efficient LED lights, consulting with the community since around April 2022.

What residents weren’t aware of was the plan involved replacing the original custom lamp fittings with what local Jillian Ronald described as a“poor imitation” and a general“act of vandalism”.

“It’s a terrible waste, so far I’ve spoken to four residents and three of them were new to the area and said they came here for the heritage character in those lamps,” Ms Ronald said.

“If I can just save the ones on Heritage Boulevard we can at least have the entrance to the estate maintained.”

Effectively, the eastern half of the lamps of Heritage Springs have been replaced, with the area just off McGregor Road still remaining with the traditional fittings.

Jillian, among others, is campaigning to save what is left of the lamps and stop crews from removing those on Heritage Boulevard.

Residents have no problem with the switch to LED to save energy, but the fitting replacement feels unnecessary especially as Ms Ronald’s husband Bill Ronald was told the originals would be going to landfill.

Doing his research, he called up the company that made the fittings decades ago - Melbourne Lacework in Fairfield who handforge custom works with wrought iron - and he was told they cost approximately $1500 each.

Mr Ronald also asked the company if the lamps could be compatible with LED lights.

“They told me we just do the fittings, you can install any component you like in there to fit any globe,” Mr Ronald said.

“It’s the typical council b******t, they will say it’s too expensive to keep them, it’s too much work and they just replace it with this cheap crap.”

The lamps were installed by its developer Parklea whose founder Andrew Facey sought out the fittings which were based on the old street lamps of Melbourne.

Despite the cost of such work, Parklea opt-

ed for the expense to give Heritage Springs a more prestigious streetscape.

In a letter to residents, Cardinia Shire Council explained the lighting upgrade was organised jointly with AusNet and explained the original lights were “unserviceable”.

“The works are to maintain lighting levels, as the mercury vapor lights being replaced are becoming unserviceable as parts are no longer being manufactured for them,” the letter said.

“The upgrade will improve the energy efficiency of the lights, leading to reduced council

expenditure on energy for street lighting.”

The letter also said it would require “less maintenance” and improve “lighting quality, generate less glare and better direct light”.

The council has been contacted for further comment.

Jillian and Isa Ronald.

Pictures: COREY EVERITT

The original fitting.

The replacement.

By Corey Everitt

Almost $2000 was raised in Lakeside over the weekend for FightMND.

Coles Lakeside held an ice bucket challenge on Saturday 1 June, raising $1700 for the cause. It was a cold day already, yet eight people - team members and managers - took on the challenge.

The $1700 raised through donations and the sausage sizzle was a strong achievement for the first FightMND fundraiser run by the Coles branch.

“It was really to try and help raise more money, we sell the beanies, but we want to put more awareness out there,” Simone Fegan from Coles said.

“We really thank the community for their support, getting behind us and coming out in the cold as well.”

Department managers Simone Fegan, left, with sons Mason and Casey, and Nicole Leslie, right, with partner Baz. 410760

Nicole Leslie has another Ice Bucket. 410760

Sausage sizzle with Eileen, Mel, Claire and Joseph. 410760

Simone Fegan (left) and Nicole Leslie (right) get ready to warm up and dry off after the event. 410760

Pictures: ROB CAREW

NEWS Trapped in the NDIS gap

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

People with mental illness are being forced into aged care and homelessness due to ‘falling through cracks’ in the NDIS system, a South East provider says.

Sarah, 47, of Keysborough, is finally enjoying a secure home after gaining the support of Pakenham-based NDIS provider Sunrise2Sunrise.

With schizoaffective and bipolar disorders, she had been enduring recurrent homelessness and in and out of Dandenong Hospital for 30 years.

“I felt abandoned, like my needs were too complex for the system to handle,” Sarah said.

In what she calls a happy “accident”, she met Sunrise2Sunrise chief executive Ravi Bhatt who was visiting her friends in a Secure Extended Care Unit.

After talking with Mr Bhatt, he was able to help Sarah into a new house with support staff in Keysborough.

For the past 18 months, Sarah now enjoys the fruits of a ‘family-like’ home life.

She is seeing her parents regularly, cleaning, cooking, shopping, gardening and visiting church. She hasn’t been admitted to hospital since.

“It was a miracle to finally have a beautiful home,” she says.

Mr Bhatt says it’s been a challenge getting people with mental illness onto the “right NDIS plan”.

He said there was urgent need for a more compassionate and inclusive system.

“For people with mental health issues, there is a gap.

“It is getting better but it must encompass the often-overlooked individuals facing complex challenges.”

Over the past two years Sunrise2Sunrise have had at least 22 discharges from SECU, all with varying lengths of admissions.

At least four were thought to be unable to be reintegrated to the community, and 16 would have ended up homeless or in aged care.

Keeping people in hospital rather than living a meaningful life was a financial cost to the Government. And a great cost to the patients’ quality of life, Mr Bhatt says.

“In a hospital setting, you can’t pursue those simple necessities of human life like cooking, cleaning, shopping and pruning the roses.”

As of 31 March, the NDIS was supporting 63,469 participants with psychosocial disabilities.

A recent NDIS review found several shortcomings in the scheme’s dealings with people with mental illness.

It recommended several reforms – including a greater focus on personal recovery and greater independence.

A spokesperson for the National Disability Insurance Agency said it was implementing a Psychosocial Disability Recovery-Oriented Framework to better support participants, their families and carers.

“The NDIA wants all people with psychosocial disability in the NDIS to be supported in their personal recovery and to live a life that has meaning for them.

“The Agency is committed to implementing this framework, and working closely with the disability community, Federal and State Governments, and the Department of Social Services to implement reforms to improve the NDIS, including those arising from the NDIS Review.”

Level crossings gone, new stations open to commuters

By Corey Everitt

The landscape of Pakenham has been transformed as trains now

cially open.

The Pakenham Line is now extended two kilometres with the new East Pakenham Station which will service the new suburb as it grows into the future.

Many had jumped on the train before the morning peak hour including Pakenham MP Emma Vulin who boarded the very first train out of East Pakenham Station.

Premier Jacinta Allan stopped by on Sunday before to have a sneak peak joined by the local MPs and workers.

More is to be done with the outbound side of Pakenham Station to be finished, while the completion of 450 additional car parks is

set for spring.

The removal of trains over Main Street, and McGregor and Racecourse Roads, brings the tally of level crossings removed in Melbourne to 80 since 2015.

Six MCGs’ worth of open space will be created under the rail bridge which will include a basketball court, a playground, parklands and a shared use path, all set to be completed later this year.

For commuters returning to Pakenham it’s advised to depart from East Pakenham or Cardinia Road Station as the outbound side of Pakenham station will only have a temporary staircase while it is being completed. There are shuttle buses to Pakenham from Cardinia Road Station.

Fullstoryandphotos inthisweek’sGazette

The new Pakenham Station. 410581

Sunrise2Sunrise chief executive Ravi Bhatt with Sarah, who had been overlooked by the NDIS system. 407733 Picture: GARY SISSONS

Youth crime fighters cut

By Sahar Foladi

Two frontline workers at Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS)’s South East office will lose their jobs after a cut in State Budget funding.

Statewide,YSAS suffered a $1.85 million cut in youth crime prevention funds in this year’s State Budget leaving them short of 11 youth support service workers as of 30 June.

YSAS argues that the impacts will be felt across the South East, slashing crucial crime prevention programs amidst a rise in youth offenders.

Its regional crime prevention manager, Katrina Bould says along with the devastating news they’ll expect huge amounts of young people on the waitlist as a result of being under-resourced.

“Those two positions ultimately carry a full case load and would see approximately 40 young people per year and their families on top of that, so we’re talking about 80-plus families impacted in our direct community in the southern region.”

YSAS provides early intervention programs and services to at-risk young people between 10-17 years who either have had encounters with police or had their worried parents callingYSAS for help.

The workers help to divert young people away from crime, support them to integrate back within the community through education, employment, social and recreational activities.

“They are the young people who will ultimately be losing out in the end by not getting a service,” Ms Bould said.

“When young people are ready for action, they are ready here-and-now to get that support. Even two weeks’ (wait) is long, and anything can shift in that time.”

The current estimated wait time to be seen by someone at YSAS is four weeks which is expected to more than double to nine weeks after 30 June.

Over the funding period of four years (20202024) YSAS received 1460 referrals with 75 per cent becomingYSAS clients.

“The complexity of young people coming through is different to what it was pre-lockdown.

“We see lots of school disengagement cases. Schools are screaming out for us to come in and support,” Ms Bould said.

This aligns with official crime statistics of a 26 per cent increase from 2022 in young offenders aged 10-17 in Greater Dandenong.

As reported previously by Star Journal, this is the second-highest level in eight years with car thefts up by 32 per cent and aggravated burglaries up by 50 per cent.

“Working to support the families is a standard part of our casework. There’s a lot of other things that come through such as family breakdowns, family tensions,” Ms Bould says.

Katrina Bould, front, with YSAS youth support service workers at Dandenong. They say they will lose two of their colleagues due to State Budget funding cuts. 410079

“Weseealotoffamiliesstrugglingoutthere, but we’ve seen just a little bit of our support can make it go a long way with them. That’s our biggest fear, of who’ll miss out.“

Katra Shumbayaonda, a YSAS senior practitioner, says they receive a range of referralsfrom parents needing support with their child to addressing more serious crimes such as aggravated burglary.

“The police had been active in giving out our flyers to the community as well and we see a lot of changes for good after they do contact us.”

Currently, 90 per cent of YSAS clients have family involvement where youth and family workers also work from “a family inclusive lens.”

Youth support service team manager Cassie Thrower says the impact of the long waitlist will be felt by stakeholders such as Youth Justice Court Diversion (CCYD) which support young people to stay away from the youth justice system as their “final chance.”

“We quite often deter young people from the court system so if we’re unable to service these young people they’re more likely to go into the justice system and possibly into custody.

“With the extra funding we were able to build that position in the community to service so many young people. But to have the referrals continuing and not being able to service them, it really impacts on our stakeholders.”

The Dandenong team will be down from seven workers to five across the Southern metropolitan region forcing them to not just manage their waitlist prioritisation but also prioritise contact methods with clients.

“We’ve just finished some training around our priority mechanism. It will look at our systems internally, how we will allocate our clients according to needs.

“It will have to bring focus on brief interventions versus before we would work with them for six months.”

Youth support service team leader Nathan Lambie spends a majority of his time on case management which also includes driving on the road to visit clients, working around time constraints now more than ever.

“Some young people may live 45-minutes away so that is two hours travelling time just to see one person.

“It gets difficult especially when dealing with high-risk people with a number of complexities.They need support on top of the brief case work,” Mr Lambie says.

While time spent with each person varies according to their needs, once a fortnight is common. For a very complex case, it could be weekly visits.

YSAS were forced to pull out from taking part in Operation Newstart, an out-of-school recreational program which provided youth support, engagement with local community and educate them about services available to them.

YSAS had been part of Operation Newstart since 2012 where one youth support service worker would attend and assist young people throughout the program.

“Being out there in the community, we still want to have a presence, but it will be quite limited, “Ms Bould said.

“The caseloads will be very high, trying to service young people will be the main focus.

“That’s why we have no option but to look at extra things like Operation Newstart because we can’t service that across the whole geographical region.”

This partnership has seen YSAS youth workers support more than 400 vulnerable young people in the Operation Newstart Casey program.

Operation Newstart Casey program manager, James Seeary says both the program and its participants will not just feel the impact if YSAS is not supported but it places the program’s future in jeopardy.

“In the current environment, where the growing need to support young people trying to cope with a myriad of issues is obvious, I am dumbfounded that funding has been cut to such a crucial service.”

In question time in State Parliament on 29 May, Premier Jacinta Allan was asked if she would “urgently reconsider its decision to cut funding”.

Ms Allan responded that “it is this one-off funding that has now come to a conclusion.”

“In terms of the allegation made about YSAS, who I do want to acknowledge are an excellent agency who do very good and important work, there has been no change or adjustment to their core level of funding.

“This organisation and many others during the period of the pandemic were provided with some additional one-off funding allocations to provide them with support.

“That was in recognition that during the pandemic many organisations ... needed to be provided with some additional support to be able to work through that period of time and continue their service provision.”

Ms Bould, like many other YSAS workers, disagrees it was just a once-off pandemic funding.

“For us as workers, the government saying that was Covid funding, that’s very untrue.

“There was a lot of advocacy work done for this funding that happened prior to the pandemic and it happened that the pandemic landed, and our funding was instated at that time,” she said.

“It’s absolutely devastating. The last few weeks have been very hard on us taking in this news.

“We’re losing colleagues, losing support to the young people and our community, the morale is down.

“It brings the spotlight onto it, questioning whose jobs are safe at these challenging times?”

Weeds out and native plants in along a ‘paper road’

On Sunday 26 May the Western Port Catchment Landcare Network had a Network Planting Day that finished off a $6000 Cardinia Shire Biodiversity Community Group Grant.

The WPCLN Paper Road Project was delivered over the last six months and saw great work in controlling weed species (Blackberry, Gorse, and Flax-leaf Broome) along a paper road in Garfield.

The paper road, which is a road that exists on paper maps but is not necessarily used or connected to the existing road areas of the area, that the project saw restored was the continuation of Finlays Lane and Lovers Lane in Garfield.

Weeding was undertaken and the landcare network planted 520 Indigenous understory plants under the existing eucalypts that were growing along the roadway. The landcare network hoped to continue the project. It would add to the bio-links plan of the Cardinia Shire Council and improve habitat and bio-links for the fauna of the catchment.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Nurses keep on fighting

By Ethan Benedicto

Victoria’s nurses and midwives recently rejected a proposed pay increased with the State Government, despite ANMF union leadership having reached an understanding with the inprinciple agreement.

The decision was made by 3000 public sector nurses and midwives due to ongoing proceedings with the Fair Work Commission and aged care nurses, and the lack of clarity of the proposed wages moving into the future.

A Narre Warren South resident and an enrolled nurse at Frankston Hospital, Casey Collier said that “what we were all angry about was that it was handled so poorly”.

“We wanted to be informed prior to the meeting what the offer actually was, none of us actually knew what it was so we went to this meeting having no clue at all,” she said.

The meeting, which took place at Festival Hall on Monday 20 May, began around 2pm and was just held three days after stage two industrial action - which included closing one in four beds and cancelling one in four elective surgeries with exemptions - was suspended on Friday 17 May.

“They kind of dumped it on us and they explained it in a very confusing way, because it is very complex, it’s not as simple as what’s being presented in the media, and so we didn’t have any time to process it.

“Basically by the end of the meeting, they were like, ‘do you want it or no?’ and people had questions and they weren’t satisfied or we weren’t getting definitive answers.

“In the end well, we’re not going to vote for something that’s not in black and white, and we weren’t really happy with it in the end,” Ms Collier said.

According to a statement by the ANMF released on 20 May, the initial four-year agreement proposed by the state government guaranteed a minimum wage and cash benefit uplift of six per cent in the first three months of the first year.

On the second year there would be a government wages policy as well as further cash payment, plus wages policy in the third and fourth year as well.

It also provided a new wage percentage outcome which was subject to FairWork Commission justice Adam Hatcher and his panel’s decision on the aged care work value case for nurses, which was expected to be between 5.5 and 13 per cent.

This would mean wage increases between 18 and 23 per cent over the four-year proposed agreement; however it was complicated by the mentioned pending FWC aged care work value case, in which a wage offer outcome relied on.

Having only been an enrolled nurse for a year and a half, Ms Collier feels the weight on not just hers, but every nurse and midwife’s shoulders.

Although not speaking for everyone in the union, she said that while many of the members do appreciate the effort that the ANMF leadership have put throughout the process, she believes that they “don’t feel as though we’re being communicated to properly”.

“I can’t speak for everyone, I’m very new to the industry so I don’t know how it’s progressed over the years, but I think they could do a better job of finding a better offer, not settling for the first offer that’s put on the table.

“I don’t regret being a member at all, [but] I think next time they should just keep their members in the loop before throwing something like that at us and expecting us to vote.

“I would stay with the ANMF, and I trust that they will get something done at the end of the day,” she said.

Speaking on the stage two protected industrial actions, Ms Collier added that “none of us want to take the action that we have”.

“None of us want to actually close beds and cancel surgeries, but the only way to be taken seriously is if we kind of impose that on the government, we don’t want it to affect the general public,” she said.

“We’re often having to work overtime, we’re

Casey Collier, ANMF member and Narre Warren South resident, who works as an enrolled nurse at Frankston Hospital, hoped for better communication leading up to the rejection of the in-principle agreement in late May.

Picture: SUPPLIED

often expected to show up on our days off, and we’re often expected to have a really big patient action on shift.

“We’re worried to the point where we’re going to get burnt out, and the patients aren’t going to get the care that they need, so ultimately we just want safe working conditions,” she said.

Despite the struggles and times where she “questions whether it’s worth it”, Ms Collier’s passion for being a nurse and its overall role of serving the community remains steadfast.

“It’s literally passion, it’s honestly just love for the job; there are so many rewarding aspects to it and someone’s got to do it at the end of the day.

“I’m both an enrolled nurse and a student nurse at the same time, I’m upskilling and I want to do more - I want to be part of it and it’s something I love doing.

“Don’t get me wrong, I do question it, because how is this going to pay the bills? How am I going to be valued by accepting this?” she said.

However, stage two actions are what she thinks would bear the most fruit, in order to show everyone “that we’re serious”.

“Putting that pressure on the government is really important for us and more action like that is necessary,” she said.

Looking ahead, Ms Collier is encouraging everyone to advocate and be involved, from wearing shirts or apparel in support, or also demanding alongside them for better work conditions and pay.

“Because at the end of the day, we have their back and we just want them to have ours,” she said.

Tackling pollution distress

By Violet Li

Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria is trialling a tool to measure the psychological health impacts of pollution and waste in the City of Casey, as the municipality ranked the highest number of odour reports in Victoria in this financial year.

The Environmental Distress Index (TEDI) survey, developed by the University of Adelaide for EPA Victoria, features ten questions on how the respondents have been feeling over the past 30 days, the amount of time they feel that way, and the link between feeling and the experience of pollution and waste.

The aim of the survey is to determine whether a particular pollution event is causing mental distress in a community.

EPA Victoria’s chief environmental scientist Mark Patrick Taylor said the organisation currently did not have a standardised measure to assess the psychological impacts of pollution and waste, which was why TEDI survey had been developed.

“The Environment Protection Act 2017 defines human health as physical health and psychological health, but we don’t have any tools to directly address psychological health impacts,” he said.

“We looked at a range of instruments that we used to assess psychological health impacts, and we eventually landed on a tool to use, which was the Kessler Index [the paradigm for the TEDI survey].

“We’ll be the first EPA to have this tool in the world to quantify the psychological health impacts.

“The second phase of this project is taking this tool and applying it to different community situations, trying to understand what the community has to say about it, what sort

of information we can get back, and whether we should actually end up operationalising as part of our tools and instruments to best support the community so we can understand the human health impacts on the population.”

Mr Taylor said in the long run, TEDI would help EPA and other authorities to prioritise

Afghan refugee volunteer giving back

An Afghan refugee who spent almost three decades in exile, much of it without her family, has found a new lease of life through volunteering.

KhadijaWarazgani and her family fled civil war in Afghanistan 33 years ago when she was four.

The family found refuge in Quetta, Pakistan, but were still subject to persecution as members of the Hazara ethnic minority.

“Life was tough in Pakistan. My parents passed away and then my brother and his family came to Australia. I lived with the family of one of brother’s friends,” Khadija said.

“I had some problems. I couldn’t get a visa to join my brother for a few years,” she said.

But Khadija was finally able to come to Australia last year, travelling by herself.

Now living with her brother in Dandenong, Khajida is studying part-time and vol-

unteering with migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia.

“I am enjoying life in Australia. Here there are lots of opportunities and we can move freely without fear. In Quetta we were always in fear of being attacked because we are Hazara,” she said.

Khajida, 37, is now studying English at TAFE two days a week, volunteering with AMES in Dandenong another two days a week and volunteering with her own local Hazara community of Saturdays.

“I work with teachers helping refugee students understand their lessons and the work they are given. They have little or no English language, so I help to explain to them the meanings of new words and phrases,” she said.

“It’s very rewarding work. It gives me a nice feeling to be able to help people.The students

are so happy when I support them. They say they could not do the work and then when I explain things, they are able to move ahead and learn.

“I want to finish my studies and then get a job in community service – working alongside people and helping them.”

Khadija was inspired to volunteer by her experiences as a refugee client with AMES Australia.

“I was a client of AMES, and my case manager was so helpful and so nice to me. She worked hard to support me and help me settle here,” she said.

“That is what inspired me to become a volunteer with AMES in Dandenong.

“Volunteering is a great way to meet people and it’s a way of giving back to your community.”

community needs and support regulatory activities.

EPA has received 1648 community pollution reports in the City of Casey this financial year to 27 May.

Nearly 70 per cent of the reports are from odour, which ranks the highest number of odour reports for any local government area in Victoria.

A diverse range of odour sources is noted in the area, from large waste facilities to small agricultural industries.

“In order to better understand what the complaints are, in terms of the source and the impact of those complaints on the community of Casey, we’ve decided we will pick this as a location for us to trial the tool to understand the capability and limitations and potential for this tool to better support communities,” Mr Taylor said.

The responses to the survey are anonymous.

TEDI survey data is managed by the University of Adelaide, which will provide summary reports to EPA Victoria about the effect of environmental events on mental distress.

The University of Adelaide won’t give EPA Victoria any information that could identify individuals.

The TEDI project operates under the University of Adelaide’s stringent code of ethics.

The survey will take about five minutes. To complete the survey, visit: ua.edu.au/tedi

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN

Thumbs up

To all the big freeze sliders at Garfield.

Thumbs up

To the opening of the Pakenham East train station as well as the new-look Pakenham Station.

Thumbs up

To my team Geelong Cats winning against Tigers.

Thumbs up

To sausage dogs everywhere. They are just ... awesome.

Thumbs down

To the roadworks everywhere that never get finished.

Thumbs down

To how hard coaches are getting off too steep.

EPA Victoria held a community information session in Cranbourne West on the TEDI survey. L-R: senior health risk advisor Kara Fry, principal health risk advisor Antti Mikkonen, researcher at the University of Adelaide Cynthia Barlow, EPA Victoria’s chief environmental scientist Mark Patrick Taylor, authorised officer Atul Sharma, and University of Adelaide’s TEDI project manager Dr Kristine Peters. Picture: VIOLET LI

Hampton Park SFL player Declan Brunell is pumped after kicking a goal against Keysborough last Saturday. 410441

Picture: ROB CAREW

Khadija Warazgani is giving back as a volunteer to Dandenong refugee service AMES.

THE LOWDOWN

Q&A

Tell us about yourself and your jobs.

I am Kanu Aggarwal and professionally I am a VIT registered teacher. I taught in special schools and in prison as well. I am now teaching vocational courses to adult students such as childcare and disability courses. What do you love the most about your jobs? Teaching vocational courses to adult students in fields like childcare and disability has been an incredibly rewarding journey for me. I am deeply committed to guiding my students on their career paths, offering support and encouragement every step of the way. The most heart-warming moments are when my students reach out to share their successes. When they call to tell me personally that they’ve secured a job, it fills my heart with immense joy and pride. These moments remind me of the profound impact we can have on each other’s lives and reaffirm why I am so passionate about what I do. Their achievements are my greatest reward, and I am honoured to be part of their journey.

What has been your most memorable moment during your jobs?

I had a student who approached me wanting to enrol in a course. I guided her, and she was initially very enthusiastic about it. However, after a few days, she called me and said, “Teacher, I can’t continue this course”. I was surprised and wondered why this girl, who was so excited to take the course, suddenly wanted to drop out. Taking a personal initiative, I asked her what had happened. She explained that she was facing issues at home. Her partner didn’t want her to take the course and was demotivating her, saying that she wouldn’t be able to do it because she didn’t know how to use a computer. This revelation shook me deeply, almost as if it was a personal attack on me.

with Casey Council candidate Kanu Aggarwal

stacles, she could call or message me without hesitation.

As time passed, she continued her course, and finally, she completed it and received her certificate. She called me, crying, and said, “Ma’am, I received my certificate today”. I couldn’t help but cry with her. It was a moment I will never forget in my life.

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

I would be a fish as I would have the entire ocean to explore, witnessing its beauty and diversity, and connecting myself with nature. What were you like as a kid?

Visiting my grandmother and playing with my cousins.

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

I’d rather go to the future to witness my brother become a successful lawyer and my children achieve their dreams and grow into responsible, accomplished individuals. Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

My sister, my brother, my friend who lives in Canada, my grandmother and my cousins. What three words would your friends use to describe you?

I was studious as a child. I liked to spend so much of my time in the library that my friends used to call me “Library”. What would you do on your perfect ‘day off’?

THREE … ways to contribute to World Environment Day

As World Environment Day was on Wednesday 5 June, here are three ways that you can contribute to keeping nature alive.

1

Promoting sustainable practices, such as engaging with others in local communities on the importance of sustainable living is an effective way to advocate. Conserving water, reducing energy consumption such as turning off lights when not in use, and opting for eco-friendly products and companies are just some of the ways in which everyone can play thier part.

2

Cooking with my family, watching latest movie and sleeping. Where is your happy place?

My home.

With my encouragement, she called me again after a couple of days and said, “Madam, I’m ready to take the course if you will help me.” I assured her that I would support her. Over the course of a year, I helped her at every step. I even told her that if she encountered any ob-

I told her, “Don’t worry. If you want to take this course, it’s your choice. I’ll help you. I’ll teach you how to use a computer and guide you step by step. Don’t stress about it. I’m ready to help you if you decide to do it. Don’t let yourself be demotivated by thoughts like ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘I’m worthless’. You can do this.”

If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?

Malai Paneer (Cottage Cheese with Cream). Where is your dream holiday destination? Mauritius.

3

Reducing plastic use is another effective method of contribution, where according to Accumulate Australia, over 80 per cent of plastic garbage produced in Australia eventually finds its way to the sea and other waterways.

Planting trees can be a bit daunting, but this investment could mean benefits in the future such as biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration.

Healing heart after a loss

By Cassandra Morgan, AAP

At a cemetery set among quiet fields, a glittering heart invites visitors to step inside a womb-like garden and reflect.

The miscarriage memorial garden being built at Bunurong Memorial Park in Bangholme is the first of its kind in Australia, Melissa King says.

The idea came from Ms King’s own miscarriage in 2011 that prompted her to establish the Miscarriage Information Support Service, or MISS, to help others dealing with the loss.

“We were really hoping for a third baby and unfortunately it didn’t go to plan,” Ms King said.

“I found it really difficult to find support.

“I had an ultrasound, went to a GP, and also went to a hospital, and I sort of left there with nothing but a broken heart.”

Thirteen years after Ms King’s experience, people are more open to talking about miscarriage and early pregnancy loss. But space to mourn is still lacking, she says.

Under 20 weeks of pregnancy, there is no birth or death certificate and an estimated one in four pregnancies in Australia ends in miscarriage.

For most there is no service or burial, or a place to mark anniversaries and holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Ms King says.

The MISS founder broached the idea of a dedicated miscarriage and early pregnancy memorial garden in 2020 to the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, which owns the Bunurong cemetery.

The trust and MISS are co-designing the garden, which is shaped like a womb and features a two-metre high heart sculpture made with 18 “healing” crystals and gemstones in a broken mirror mosaic.

The garden is slated for launch in early 2025.

“It would definitely be Australia’s first purpose-built [miscarriage memorial garden] - also, that’s available to the public,” Ms King said.

Trust chair Vanda Fortunato says it is committed to helping break the stigma around

miscarriage and early pregnancy loss, giving the community a unique and purposeful space.

“It will be a tribute to all who have experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage and a symbol of hope and healing for those who

continue to carry this burden,” Dr Fortunato said.

The miscarriage memorial garden was funded partly by the federal government, which in the May budget announced Australia’s first ever dedicated funding for miscarriage.

IN BRIEF

Factory fire in Lynbrook

Jailed for ‘horrific’ domestic violence

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A man who inflicted what a judge described as among“the most horrific” examples of domestic violence has been jailed for up to sevenand-a-half years.

The 46-year-old man – who can’t be named in order not to identify his victim – pleaded guilty in theVictorian County Court to charges including kidnapping, nine counts of common law assault and two counts of recklessly causing injury.

Sentencing judge Duncan Allen said on 24 May that the man committed numerous acts of “gross” violence out of anger mainly against his now ex-partner in 2020-21.

There were accounts of him smashing her head against walls, a bathroom sink and into steering wheels, using a jet lighter to harm and threaten her, punching her to the face, whipping her with rope to the face, tying her wrists and demanding her to get into a car boot.

“It’s not overstating the situation to describe your conduct as some of the most serious and in some cases horrific examples of intimatepartner violence I’ve seen,” Judge Allen said in sentencing on 24 May.

“It’s something any human being would never get over.”

The kidnapping - accompanied by “appalling“ violence - occurred early on 7 July 2021.

The man drove his vehicle through the roller-door of a friend’s factory in Dandenong South and stabbed his friend with a knife as he angrily sought to find his partner.

He stormed around the factory until he found the victim and then kidnapped her in

her own car.

He drove her down a dark, dirt road in Dandenong South, then dragged her along the road while holding a knife to her throat.

The victim was forced onto a railway line, where her attacker kicked her to the head and ribs and choked her.

She managed to escape, hide and dial triple-0. Police were able to track her due to her phone’s location, and she was transferred to Dandenong Hospital.

She required extensive surgery and more than 50 sessions of therapy for her fractured hand.

The man sped off in the victim’s car during a brief police pursuit.

Her car was found abandoned in Hampton Park, severely damaged with spray-painted insults about the victim.

The man was arrested the next day in Springvale, and has remained in custody for nearly three years since.

He was in breach of bail and a family violence intervention order at the time.

Judge Allen paid credit to the victim-survivor who despite the significant physical, psychological and emotional impact was determined to “leave the darkness behind”.

It was not surprising that she was still being treated with PTSD as a result of the attacks.

Meanwhile, the accused submitted a “genuine” letter-of-apology to the court, expressing his shame and “a level of remorse”.

Judge Allen noted that the man, for the first time, engaged in 58 hours of comprehen-

‘Deprived’ of parole

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A Victorian County Court judge has lashed out at diminishing parole rates while sentencing a serial prisoner who had never been granted parole.

Theodore Alexiou, 54, had pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary and criminal damage over two break-ins at his relatives’ Endeavour Hills home.

An enraged Alexiou had relapsed into ice use and reoffended just 27 days after being released from jail on a community corrections order. At the time, he was living in a motel.

He had been ruminating over what he said was a significantly faulty car that he bought from one of the relatives.

A defence lawyer submitted that Alexiou initially attended the home to discuss the matter but then his “anger got the better of him”.

On 9 October, Alexiou arrived at the address with no one home.

He kicked in the front door, ripped a phone cord from the wall, threw a shelving unit to the ground and used a metal chair to smash a window.

Two days later, Alexiou returned, again wielding a metal chair to indent a resident’s car and smash the driver’s side window.

He then forced in the locked front door, confronting a resident and a hired renovator in the bathroom.

Alexiou yelled at the resident, demanded the whereabouts of her mother and warned the renovator that “if you know what’s good for you, you better not call the police”.

After pacing around, yelling and screaming, Alexiou walked out the front door.

That night on 11 October, Police Air Wing spotted Alexiou erratically driving a BMX X3 in Dandenong.

Police later deployed OC spray while arresting a resistant Alexiou found hiding in a back yard vegetable garden in Endeavour Hills.

A defence lawyer argued that Alexiou’s uncooperativeness was partly due to suffering broken ribs during the arrest.

Alexiou had a “long and concerning” criminal history dating back to 1989, sentencing judge Liz Gaynor noted on 4 June.

He had priors for burglary and criminal damage, at least nine stints in prison and been put on two drug treatment orders.

His rehabilitation prospects were “guarded at best”, Judge Gaynor said.

And it was “entirely unsatisfactory” that Alexiou had never been granted parole despite his list of “personal difficulties”.

Alexiou’s lifelong psychological conditions including PTSD and BPD stemmed from his traumatic childhood, which in turn led to drug addictions and offending, Judge Gaynor noted.

A parole order was not just a form of leniency but also his best chance to break the cycle and essential for the protection of the community, Judge Gaynor said.

It required up to a year of planning to provide a support structure for the prisoner including secure housing and therapy.

“That you and the community have been deprived of that opportunity is to be deplored.”

The judge also said she was concerned that parole numbers seemed to be declining despite increased incarceration.

Without parole supports, Alexiou’s chances of reoffending remained high, she said.

“It is hoped that parole will be granted (in Alexiou’s case).”

Alexiou was jailed for 26 months, with a 16-month non-parole period.

He had already served 237 days in presentence custody.

sive counselling while he was in remand.

“It’s deeply regrettable that this treatment came to an end as a result of the Government ceasing funding (in mid-2023).”

Appropriate psychological treatment in custody and on parole was essential for the community’s protection and the accused’s reform, the judge said.

Especially where there was a clear link between the man’s childhood deprivation, his ongoing mental illness and drug addiction and his offending behaviour.

The man’s issues stemmed from serious sexual abuse as an 11 year old.

Since 12, he’d abused alcohol and spiralled into drugs such as heroin and meth.

“You’ve effectively been a drug addict since you were a child,” Judge Allen said.

According to his family, he had become “institutionalised” and unable to escape the cycle of drug abuse, mental illness, crime and jail.

His significant criminal history included violence, drugs and driving offences, but no prior convictions for violence against a partner.

Judge Allen said there was “some glimmer of hope” that the man would reform, including potentially while on parole.

However, a lengthy jail sentence was “unavoidable”.

The man was jailed for up to seven-and-ahalf years, with a non-parole period of fourand-a-half years.

His term included 901 days in pre-sentence remand.

The CFA was called to a roof exhaust on fire at a factory in Chapel Street at Lynbrook on 1 June at 7.17am.

The shopfitting manufacturing factory was around 100m x 40m in size. The fire involved the dust extraction hopper and ductwork leading into the factory. It was contained to the hopper, ductwork, and rear of the factory. The fire was brought under control at 8.43am and declared safe at 11.06am.Thescenewashandedbacktothefactory owners at 12.30pm. CFA had six vehicles on the scene supported by FRV crews.

161km/h, police allege

A 21-year-old Narre Warren South man was allegedly caught speeding at 161km/h on Saturday 1 June. The P-plater’s vehicle, a Subaru WRX, has since been impounded after the incident occurred in Berwick. State Highway Patrol officers intercepted the vehicle on the Monash Freeway around 8pm on Saturday, where police allege the suspect was also driving without his P-plates.

The man was expected to be charged on summons with excess speed, driving at a dangerous speed and failure to display P plates.

The Subaru was impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1019.

Truck impound

Victoria Police have issued its first-ever notice to surrender a heavy vehicle after pulling over a truck on Princes Highway, Hallam.

The truck was detected by Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol officers about 2pm on Thursday 30 May. The 33-year-old driver from Berwick was found to have a suspended license due to a prior drink-driving offence. He was issued a notice to surrender the truck for 30 days at a cost of $675. The surrendering of a heavy vehicle is equivalent to a vehicle impound. Police say the driver will be charged on summons with driving whilst suspended and breaching an alcohol interlock condition.

“Victoria Police will continue to target drivers of heavy vehicles who do not have valid licences,” a spokesperson said.

Kathy takes the reins

Rotary Club of Cranbourne had its changeover on Tuesday 28 May at Settlers Run Country Club.

It was a celebration of the past president Gerard Sadler’s successful year who then handed over the reins to Kathy Dunscombe.

Mr Sadler’s year was marked with many

successes, including the annual golf day that raised $30,000 to support both local and overseas charities, including Cranbourne Information Support Centre which supports families in crisis, Ace Foundation which supports schoolage children with reading glasses, breakfast, and educational support, and Cranbourne West Primary with their vegetable gardens.

Cranbourne Rotary also supports a Cambodian school called Reach in Siem Reap.

It completed the year with The Helping Hands organisation to make mechanical hands for amputees in war-affected, thirdworld countries.

The incoming president Ms Dunscombe

was keen to follow on with these initiatives but also aimed to help those affected by domestic violence and many other local community support services.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about Cranbourne Rotary, please contact Peter at 0407 358 823.

Overcoming addiction and looking at recovery journey

By Ethan Benedicto

More than 150 people took a deep dive into personal accounts of tackling addiction and struggles with mental health on the night of Friday 31 May, as the Youth You Program held their latest event at Bunjil Place.

The seminar, which ran from 6.30pm to until just after 9pm, broke down tools that those battling addiction and struggling with mental health could use but also had a strong emphasis on what comes after that fight and the next steps in one’s personal journey.

Glenn Munso, the founder with lived experience of addiction and his own mental health struggles, delivered the first talk of the night, where he said he “started the program because I’d seen so many people through the [other] programs looking and feeling broken”.

“They’d lost hope, they forgot who they were as a person and they kind of just disintegrated and drifted away,” he said.

The Youth You Program is a holistic, 10-month endeavour that aims to help, support and guide young adults from ages 18 to 35 to overcome and recover from addiction.

It incorporates lessons learned from the lived experiences of coaches such as Glenn himself, as well as counselling, private support groups, mindset and life coaching and more.

“If you truly want help, and you truly want to get where you want to be, I’ve got your back,” Glenn said.

“Over the years, people would say, you don’t look that bad, or it would always be about the qualifications - you don’t do this or you don’t do that; we’re starting to recognise mental health seriously now and addiction needs to match up.

“When you remove the addiction, it’s always mental health, we need to look at, like why is that individual masked? What are they running from?What are they hiding?” he said.

Utilising a non-clinical approach is key, as well as using evidence-based techniques that ensure that the mentioned lived experiences from the coaches are relayed to the group in a position of understanding and acceptance.

Vaughn Williams, fellow Youth You coach delivered a strong speech on his journey, and how environment and labels played an im-

portant role in his recovery and current position in life.

“I don’t introduce myself as a drug addict or an ex-drug addict, I reckon that’s b******t.

“I introduce myself as Vaughn Williams because what is the benefit of me introducing myself as an ex-drug addict or a drug addict? That’s not who I am, that’s not defined who I am.

“It’s important not to put a label on yourself, because if you’re battling and you’re struggling, [and] people with mental health issues or any addiction issues at all are what you call normal people.

“Drug addicts aren’t just junkies, people are struggling and people have a hard time,” he said.

Vaughn used Bruce K. Alexander’s rat park experiment as his prime example towards the importance of the environment when it comes to one’s behaviour and the path down to addiction.

“My whole thing of this is, that your environment and community are very important, if you improve your environment and you improve your community and the people around you and get proper connections in your life, that’s how you overcome addiction,” Vaughn said.

Bruce K. Alexander’s experiment challenged the suspicion that drugs themselves were the cause of addiction.

Done through two groups of rats, one in a large, comfortable open space with ample stimuli - the rat park - and the other in an

enclosed and standard laboratory cage, they were both presented with options of sweetened morphine-laced water and plain water.

The experiment implicated that environment plays a vital role in addiction, where the rats in the rat park with social connections and comfortable space opted for plain water, while the rats in the cages consumed more of the drug-laced water.

“Are you going to trap yourself in a cage, or are you going to put yourself in that park?” Vaughn said.

Courtney Rigaldi, a member of the Youth You Program, spoke about her spiral into drugs due to loss, the lifestyle that surrounded it and how she eventually broke out of the cycle through a support system.

“I needed to have a support system, which you need to have people in your corner that want you to do better and be better.

“You have to forgive yourself, your past just doesn’t define your future and you have to prioritise yourself, set your boundaries and put your own oxygen mask on first,” Courtney said.

Losing her step-father to pancreatic cancer at a young age took a toll on her mental health, which also put a strain on her relationship with her mother.

This led to Courtney moving out at 17 to stay with her partner at that time, then settling with her biological father, where living with him she “had all the freedom in the world”.

“I could do whatever I wanted when I wanted, didn’t ask any questions, I was going out a lot, drinking a lot, and then started using drugs,” she said.

Courtney described herself as a “highfunctioning” addict, with a full-time position at a company that she had been at for roughly 10 years, she felt that her addiction wasn’t impacting her responsibilities.

The death of a close friend had pushed her further down that spiral, of drugs and mental health struggles, where it was “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with”.

“I just isolated myself, I spiralled, I was depressed”.

While Courtney realised that she had the program, as well as a circle that supported her every step of the way in her journey towards recovery, it’s the personal decision to take that

initial step to ask for help and that “what you put in is what you get out”.

“Stop waiting until you’re 100 per cent ready because the truth is you never will be, so take the leap, trust the process and make the change, don’t let the fear stand in the way of a new chapter,” she said.

Before starting the Youth You Program, Glenn was put into an 18-month intensive corrections order and was given an 85 per cent chance of reoffending; however, he broke that shell and the one thing he urged for those who struggled is to “not let the labels stop you”.

“My blueprint or my guide to helping people that are stuck [is to] find a community that pushes you.

“Find people that are going to push you to the best version of yourself, a community with the standards that match up with where you want to be,” he said.

For Vaughn, it was about “going back to basics”.

“What brings you joy? What did you love as a kid? What things interest you? Take a step back and write those things down, figure out what you are interested in.

“I went away from all the things I loved and all the things I enjoyed in my life because I put substance first.

“Comparison is the thief of joy, every single person in this room, your story is your story, and nobody can take it away,” he said.

Each speaker spent time delving into their personal accounts with the audience, detailing their struggles and how they eventually brought themselves back to a place where they are content and satisfied with who they have become.

VaughnWilliams is also currently a director for the Victorian Brothers and the vice-president of the Peninsula Dolphins Rugby League Club.

Glenn Munso is a two-time Amazon bestselling author for Drugs Do Not Discriminate and I Quit Drugs - Now What? with the Youth You Program as the core of his work towards providing a safe space to speak on addiction and mental health.

For more information on the Youth You Program, visit youthyouprogram.com

New committee for 2024-25, from left, Narelle Wood, George Bruinsma, Peter Sorensen, Kathy Dunscombe, Gerard Sadler, Paul Rice, Lloma Shaw and Lee Moyle.

Picture: SUPPLIED

New president Kathy Dunscombe (left) with past president Gerard Sadler (right).

Glenn Munso, founder of the Youth You Program stands in front of a slide detailing the steps of battling addiction and mental health struggles. Picture: ETHAN BENEDICTO

Intersection open to traffic

The Camms Road intersection was opened on the morning of Monday 3 June, as works continue towards the completion of major construction on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade.

Cars and pedestrians are able to use the newly upgraded intersection featuring longer turning and through lanes, reducing congestion at the intersection.

“With over 24,000 cars using the Camms Road and Rochester Parade intersection each day, it’s an important thoroughfare that has now been upgraded to feature new through and turning lanes and an approximately 10 metres wider intersection to reduce congestion for locals travelling into the Hunt Club shopping precinct and the Hunters Green retirement village,” Major Road Projects Victoria

program director Marc Petersen said.

“We’ve also upgraded the existing footpaths as shared use for both cyclists and pedestrians, making this realigned intersection safer and easier to user for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers,” Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards said.

Camms Road is one of nine major upgraded intersections the crew will complete on the project including – Thompsons Road, Majestic Boulevard, Kingdom Drive and Spirit Boulevard, Linsell Boulevard, Camms Road and Rochester Parade, Lyall Street and New Holland Drive, Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Elmslie Drive and Cameron Street, South Gippsland Highway and Cameron Street.

This 4.5km upgrade also features nine kilometres of new walking and cycling paths to

FOCUS ON … TAX TIME

make it easier and safer to move around Cranbourne.

Throughout the end of May, June, and July, crews will work to complete the final layer of asphalting and line marking section-by-section along Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road to finish major construction works on the project.

The crew recently reopened Gwenton Avenue to Berwick-Cranbourne Road and will continue to work in the middle of BerwickCranbourne Road and Sladen Street to build the new centre medians and install safety barriers until late June.

The upgrade will improve safety and reduce congestion on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road and ease traffic conditions on the South

Gippsland Highway through to the Cranbourne town centre.

The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade continues Major Road Project Victoria’s list of road improvements in Cranbourne with major capital works projects to upgrade Hall Road, Cranbourne-Frankston Road, Evans Road, Thompsons Road, and Western Port Highway all completed in the last five years.

The dangerous and congested level crossing at Camms Road, Cranbourne is gone for good, marking the 73rd level crossing removed by the Victorian Government. Camms Road reopened to traffic in November 2023 – one year ahead of schedule – following 24/7 works to finish the new road bridge, with cars now travelling over the rail line.

ATO flags errors to watch

As ‘tax time’ approaches, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced it will be taking a closelookatthreecommonerrorsbeingmadeby taxpayers: incorrectly claiming work-related expenses, inflating claims for rental properties, and failing to include all income when lodging.

ATO Assistant Commissioner Rob Thomson said the ATO is focused on supporting taxpayers to get their lodgement right the first time.

Work-related expenses

In 2023 more than eight million people claimed a work-related deduction, and around halfofthoseclaimedadeductionrelatedtoworking from home. Last year, the ATO revised the fixed rate method of calculating a working from home deduction to broaden what is included, increase the rate, and adjust the records you need to keep.

Thesechangesarenowinfulleffectthisfinan-

Book wise at Taylor & Moore

Family owned and operated for 21 years, Taylor & Moore provide nationwide business activity statements (BAS), bookkeeping and payroll services.

Their services include bookkeeping services, such as accounts payable and receivable, bank reconciliation, expense and debtor management, data entry, EOFY preparation, and accountant journals; BAS agent services including BAS, IAS, SGC, STP, GST and PAYGW Registrations, FTC and TPAR; payroll services including payroll processing, workers compensation, payroll tax and superannuation; specialised reporting services including cash flow management, budgeting, board reports, file audits, EOM reporting; and Xero software integration and training services.

Taylor & Moore director Sharron Taylor said they are constantly updating their processes to stay up-to-date.

“We are driven by a commitment to accuracy and precision in our work, providing meticulous bookkeeping services to ensure

that our clients have reliable financial data to make informed decisions,“ she said.

“The dynamic nature of accounting and bookkeeping means staying updated with the latest industry trends, regulations, and technologies enables us to provide superior services to our clients.”

Ms Taylor said they pride themselves on being an established business.

“We service clients both local and interstate. We have an extensive knowledge base with friendly with accessibility of staff.

“Our approach is to help businesses succeed and we’re proud to provide proactive support to owners and their business.“

Ms Taylor said the enthusiastic and dynamic team, which includes a number of senior staff members with more than 15 years’ experience, works hard to help clients achieve their goals. “It is our mission to help our clients and to give them back their time and alleviate all the bookkeeping pressures and headaches so they can focus on all other aspects of their business,“ she said.

cialyear,meaningyoumusthavecomprehensive records to substantiate your claims as you would for any other deduction.

Rental properties

Rental properties continue to remain in the ATO’s sights. Their data shows 9 out of 10 rental property owners are getting their income tax returns wrong.

“We often see landlords making mistakes when it comes to repairs and maintenance de-

“We offer specialised bookkeeping services tailored to most industries including all trades, medical industry, investment properties and developers, retail, consulting, manufacturing, hairdressing, importer and exports, tourism, engineering, IT, entertainment, education, beauty and more.

“We are preparing our clients and their books for EOFY in preparation of their tax returns with their accountants.”

Accountants regularly refer their clients to use Taylor & Moore for their bookkeeping needs, with 98 per cent of its clients coming from referrals from accountants and other clients. For more information, visit taylormoore.com.au

ductions on rental properties, so we’re keeping a close eye on this. “This year, we’re particularly focused on claims that may have been inflated to offset increases in rental income to get a greater tax benefit,” MrThomson said. Get it right – wait to lodge

The ATO is also warning against rushing to lodge your tax return on 1 July. If you have received income from multiple sources, you need to wait until this is pre-filled in your tax return before lodging. “We see lots of mistakes in July where people have forgotten to include interest from banks, dividend income, payments from othergovernmentagenciesandprivatehealthinsurers,” said MrThomson.

The newly upgraded Camms Road and Rochester Parade intersection.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Cars and pedestrians are able to use the newly upgraded Camms Road and Rochester Parade intersection featuring longer turning and through lanes, reducing congestion at the intersection.

Taylor & Moore director Sharron Taylor.

WHAT’S ON

Tynong Market

Held at St Thomas Aquinas College, the Tynong Market has both indoor and outdoor spaces available so visitors can enjoy the market regardless of the weather.

· Ample parking and free visitor entry.

· Stall bookings are still open, offering an opportunity to showcase goods.

· Saturday 15 June, gates open at 8.30am.

· To enquire about a stall or for further information, email events@stac.vic.edu.au

Antiques and Collectible Fair

On Saturday 20 July, the Rotary Club of Casey will be running the 19th annual Antiques and Collectable Fair at the Cardinia Cultural Centre at Lakeside.

This year, all funds raised will be donated to the Stroke Foundation towards work to prevent strokes, save lives and enhance recovery.

The event will showcase wares from antique, collectible and curiosity dealers from all over Victoria and is expected to be attended by more than 1000 eager buyers and collectors.

Melbourne-based antique valuer David Freeman will be in attendance from noon to 3.30pm to value items at $5 per item,(excluding stamps, coins and jewellery).

· Visitors are requested to bring a photo of larger items that they would like valued.

· The fair will be open to the public from 9am to 3.30pm, with a $5 entry fee for browsers, collectors and shoppers.

All things aquaculture

Regenerative agriculture aims to make our use of land sustainable.

Can the same processes work in the sea?

Can aquaculture be sustainable? That is the theme of a half-day forum being held on the morning of Thursday 6 June in Hastings. The Western Port Biosphere Foundation, who are organising the event, has invited speakers from local seaweed farming and oyster growing businesses to talk about their work, as well as presentations on planned shellfish reef restoration.

· For more information and tickets, please contact admin@biosphere.org.au

Probus Club of Casey Combined

The Probus Club of Casey Combined is welcoming any new members to meet at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick from 9.45am to noon on the second Tuesday of each month.

After morning tea, the club hosts an interesting guest speaker, with members often meeting up

BUSINESS PROFILE

for lunch at a local cafe after the meeting.

· For more information, contact Margaret Luxford on 0409 861 207 or Magda Michael on 0406 468 265.

Inner Wheel Club of Berwick

The Inner Wheel Club (IW) Berwick is a ladies international friendship club which raises funds to support local charities and other worthwhile causes.

They have a dinner meeting on the first Monday of the month and enjoy a range of activities including guest speakers, morning teas, book club and craft afternoons. Recently they enjoyed a group meeting with the IW clubs of Narre Warren, Pakenham and Cranbourne.

The guest speaker was a part owner of the champion race horse “Black Caviar”. The mare is now 18 years old and is a mother and grandmother.

Club welcomes new members. Should you be interested to learn more, you may like to message them at their Facebook page ‘Inner Wheel Club of Berwick’ or send an email via iiw. au.berwick@gmail.com

Cardinia Jobs and Skills Showcase

Cardinia Shire Council will host the Cardinia Jobs and Skills Showcase in partnership with Local Jobs - South Eastern Melbourne and Peninsula, Star News Group and Chisholm Skills and Jobs Centre.

The Berwick District Woodworkers Club is hosting its annual open weekend and expo from Friday 12 July to Sunday 14 July at the clubrooms at the Old Cheese Factory at 34 Homestead Road in Berwick. The free event will include demonstrations of wood turning, band sawing, scroll sawing, Dremel toy making, routing, pyrography and wood carving.

Various members produced by members on display with a selection of items for sale.

· For more information, contact John McMahon on 0437 096 840 or bdwwcsec@outlook.com.

The event aims to bring together jobseekers and local employers, providing an opportunity for job seekers to connect with local employers about current vacancies and career pathways.

Workshops will be held to help jobseekers develop their skills in areas such as CV and cover letter writing and interview techniques.

The showcase will be held on Thursday 20 June 2024 at the Cardinia Cultural Centre Lakeview Room from 10am-1pm.

· For more information and to register, visit: creating.cardinia.vic.gov.au/cardinia-business/ cardinia-jobs-and-skills-showcase

Berwick Springs VIEW Club

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

The club currently supports 10 students of varying ages with their education expenses.

The club meets on the first Monday of each month in the Berwick Springs Hotel function room from 11.15am, where members enjoy a lunch and then host a guest speaker.

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

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

· For more information, contact Shirley on 0438

191 759 or email berwicksprings.viewclub@ gmail.com

BADFolk Club

Berwick and District Folkclub (BADFolk) have been meeting at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick for the past 21 years.

The group meets on the third Friday of each month, with doors open from 6.30pm and the music running from 7pm to 10pm.

The group also welcomes spot acts - anyone who can play an instrument, sing, share a poem. Entry is $15, with tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and snack food available for purchase.

· For more information, visit badfolkclub.org or contact Edward on 0418 535 264.

Probus Club of Pakenham East

The Probus Club of Pakenham East is encouraging new members to join.

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cardinia Club, commencing at 10am.

A short meeting is followed by morning tea and the opportunity to get to know members prior to the introduction of the guest speaker. Various activities are held throughout the month.

· For more information, phone president Garyon 0428 255 178 or contact secretary Dorothy on probuspakenhameast@gmail.com

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club

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

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club can offer you stimulating activities such as weekly social/ chat activities with low key in line dancing ifyou want to tap your feet and great afternoonteas, day/short and long trips away via (coach/ flights), Weekly Morning Coffee Club, Monthly Saturday Country Pub Lunches, Monthly Evening Dineouts, Weekly Table Tennis Club, Walking Groups, Seasonal Daytime Musical Theatre Outings, and more.

Come along and get to know the club by visiting on a Thursday at 2pm at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House or join on a Wednesday at 10am for a Coffee at Little Sparrow Fountain Gate.

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

St Clare’s celebrates

Last week, students and teachers from St Clare’s Primary School celebrated Catholic Education Week by showcasing the great initiatives and learning that is taking place throughout the school.

Students proudly shared their achievements with family members and many enjoyed taking part in dance routines, artwork, physical education activities and Japanese craft. Both the Junior and Senior school choirs performed to onlookers on the beautiful Green outside the school buildings.

This year’s Catholic Education Week also marked a special milestone for two St Clare’s teachers who both celebrated 25 years of service in Catholic schools.

Dom Arcaro and Alisha Johnston were recognised for their commitment to Catholic Education last Friday at the Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd (DOSCEL) Mass, held at St Thomas the Apostle Church, Cranbourne East. This celebration marked the beginning of Catholic Education Week with this year’s theme – ‘Making All Things New’ – inspired by Scripture from Revelations.

Dom and Alisha have worked hard to provide quality education to the many students that they have taught in Catholic schools in both the Melbourne and Sale Diocese over the last 25 years. They have built positive relationships amongst students, families and colleagues and both highly valued their time as Religious Education Leaders.

Both Alisha and Dom have embraced the experience of working in a new and growing school and contributing to developing the St Clare’s community from its inception in 2015 with 93 students to today’s enrolment of over 600.

We congratulate Dom and Alisha and thank them for their dedicated service and their support to building Faith Wisdom and Courage amongst all at St Clare’s.

Celebrations at St Clare’s for Catholic Education Week.

Students enjoyed the celebrations over Education Week.

Pictured is Len Preece with one of his creations. 288846

Picture: ROB CAREW

Free check-ups a success

By Violet Li

RSPCA Victoria’s first Healthy Pet Day event in Cranbourne has provided much-needed help to the community with free check-ups, dog and cat vaccines, pet food, and behavioural advice for local pet owners.

A total of 39 pets attended the day at Cranbourne Community House on Wednesday 29 May.

All cats and dogs received a check-up with 23 cats and 15 dogs being vaccinated.

Seven pets were also microchipped on the day.

RSPCA Victoria community outreach manager Dr Lauren Roberts, who attended the day, said that a large number of pets who attended their event had a significant worm burden, and all pets were provided with flea and worming treatment.

“Most of our attendees found us through Facebook or word-of-mouth. We also had five walk-ins on the day,” she said

“Our Healthy Pet Day events are meanstested to ensure we are providing free preventative veterinary services to those who need them the most.

“Many of our attendees mentioned they were struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis.

“A lack of parasite control and cat overpopulation are some of the welfare concerns identified for this particular area.”

Dr Roberts said the locations for these free events were determined from SEIFA data, with areas of higher disadvantage targeted as well as RSPCA Victoria’s animal cruelty report data.

“We also work with human welfare services and community houses to find a suitable venue connected to relevant community services,” she said.

Hounds need cash to replace Cranbourne track

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

Greyhound racing at Cranbourne remains in “limbo” more than two years after its track was closed.

The greyhound track at Cranbourne Racecourse was closed in 2022 after a spate of racing dog deaths. The track’s design was regarded as unsafe.

Greyhound Racing Victoria and Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club have unveiled a $14 million re-design of a new track at the same site but it requires funding.

“A replacement track is required in the region to service the needs of the racing and training program now and in the future, given about 200 trainers operate closer to Cranbourne than any other Victorian greyhound racing club,” a GRV spokesperson said.

“(The cost was) far exceeding the originally anticipated spend for this project.

“Due to current economic challenges, GRV cannot financially support the project at this time.

“However the Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club – which is currently under GRV administration – is intending to proceed with the project subject to gaining access to sufficient funding.”

A GRV-commissioned report recently investigated greenfield sites for a purposebuilt greyhound racing and training facility elsewhere in the South East.

However the site investigations have so far proven unsuccessful or unviable, according to the GRV.

Racing Minister Anthony Carbines said he was awaiting advice from GRV and the CGRC who were considering “several options to reopen the track at Cranbourne”.

“We take animal welfare very seriously

and track safety in greyhound racing is a critical part of that.

“This is ultimately a matter for GRV as the regulator, and they know they will have our support to return to racing provided that can be done safely.”

Opposition racing minister Tim Bull criticised Mr Carbines’s “silence” on Cranbourne greyhound racing’s future, with trainers forced to travel long distances to tracks at Sandown and Warragul.

“There is a large population of industry participants in that area who simply want to know what the future holds so they can make decisions about their own operations.

“It is not good enough that after more than two years, the Minister remains silent.

“It is not acceptable for him to simply say ‘it is a matter for Greyhound RacingVictoria’; he needs to show leadership on this issue.

“Without direction, there are growing concerns the government’s inaction might be interpreted as a decision to abandon the sport in this region altogether.”

RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OCCUPY AND INVEST

The site benefits from the following

The former Cranbourne greyhounds track was closed due to safety concerns.

Dane Bath (animal attendant) with Sima, a four-month-old cat. 408358 Picture: GARY SISSONS

Dr Matt Fox giving four-month-old Sima the cat a health check. 408358

KOOWEERUP

Due to internal promotion, Kooweerup Regional Health Service (KRHS) has a position for an individual with a passion for delivering aged care support in the community.

As our Home Care Advisor, you will be responsible for overseeing a client focused service model for our Home Care clients. This is a busy and varied role in which you will utilise a wide range of skills ensuring the current and future needs of each client is identified and care delivered to achieve the best possible outcomes.

The Home Care Advisor role will include but will not be limited to:

•Tertiary Qualifications relevant to community care (e.g., allied health, nursing, community services).

•Demonstrated case management experience and/or knowledge of the Community/Aged Care system and Home Care Packages including development, implementation and evaluation of Care Plans.

•Strong written and computer skills for the creation of plans, programs, reports, correspondence.

•Knowledge and the capacity to implement a person-centred planning approach to client services.

• Highly developed written and verbal skills.

•Highly developed organisational skills and demonstrated ability to think strategically, establish work priorities and manage time.

•Demonstrated knowledge of relevant legislative, regulatory and statutory requirements including relevant Standards.

•Ability to work autonomously and as part of an interdisciplinary team.

• Current Victorian Driver’s Licence.

•Current Police Check and Working with Children Check.

To obtain a Position Description or to obtain more information about this position, please contact, Belinda Hartley Home Care Manager on: (03) 59 979 679.

Please forward your cover letter and resume marked Private and Confidential via email to hr@krhs.net.au

Applications close Tuesday 12th June 2024

Kooweerup Regional Health Service (KRHS) recognises, supports and celebrates the diversity of the communities within which we work. KRHS is committed to providing a safe and inclusive service which welcomes people from all backgrounds, cultures, sexualities, genders and abilities.’

Only direct applications from

Exclusive Wine and Dine

Archie’s Farm Restaurant & Bar is thrilled to announce an exclusive 5-Course Wine & Dine Degustation dinner event in collaboration with Taltarni Vineyards, set to tantalise palates and elevate the dining experience on Saturday 29 June, 2024. This event will showcase the perfect harmony between exquisite cuisine and exceptional wines, promising an evening of indulgence and sophistication.

The event will be held at Archie’s Farm Restaurant & Bar within Hyatt Place Melbourne Caribbean Park in Scoresby, renowned for its elegant ambiance and modern European cuisine highlighting local produce. Guests will have the opportunity to savour a meticulously crafted 5-course menu curated by Head Chef Nick Kennedy, featuring seasonal ingredients and innovative culinary techniques.

Partnering with Taltarni Vineyards, one of the pioneering wineries of Victoria’s Pyrenees region, adds a unique dimension to this event. Guests will be treated to a selection of Taltarni Vineyard’s finest wines, expertly paired with each course to enhance flavours and create a memorable gastronomic journey.

“We are excited to collaborate with Taltarni Vineyards for this exclusive 5-Course Wine and Dine Degustation dinner event,” said Darshana Prasad, Food & Beverage Manager at Archie’s Farm Restaurant & Bar. “This partnership allows us to combine our passion for culinary excellence with TaltarniVineyard’s expertise in winemaking, promising an unforgettable evening for all guests.”

In addition to the culinary delights and exceptional wines, guests will have the opportunity to engage with representatives from Taltarni Vineyards, gaining insights into the artistry and craftsmanship behind each bottle.

“We’re thrilled to bring the essence of the Pyrenees to Melbourne through our collaboration with Archie’s Farm Restaurant & Bar”, says Dean Smith, National Brand Ambassador. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase our cool-

climate wines, crafted purely for enjoyment, and offer guests a taste of our home. Paired with the culinary excellence of Archie’s Farm Restaurant & Bar, it’s set to be an exceptional evening.”

Availability for our 5-Course Wine & Dine event is limited, ensuring an intimate and immersive experience for all guests. Don’t miss this opportunity to indulge in an unforgettable evening of gastronomic delights and wine ap-

preciation.

For more information and to reserve your seat, please visit hyattplacecaribbeanpark. com or contact 0423 786 685.

About Hyatt Place Hyatt Place hotels combine style, innovation and 24/7 conveniences to create an easy to navigate experience for today’s multi-tasking traveler. Guests can enjoy thoughtfully designed guestrooms featuring distinct zones

for sleep, work and play, and free flowing social spaces that offer seamless transitions from work to relaxation. With more than 415 locations globally, Hyatt Place hotels offer freshly prepared food around the clock, efficient service and differentiated experiences for World of Hyatt members. For more information, please visit hyattplace.com. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram, and tag photos with #HyattPlace and #WhySettle.

Archie’s Farm Restaurant and Bar presents Exclusive Wine and Dine Event in partnership with Taltarni Vineyards.

Picture: TALTARNI ROSE POACHED PEAR

SPORT Premiers punish patches

By Marcus Uhe

A common trait among the best sides in any sport is there ability sniff out an opponent’s weakness, and make their opposition pay for their mistakes.

It might not take much, but they always seem to find a way, and rip contests away in the blink of an eye.

In Saturday’s Outer East Football Netball Premier Division football clash between Pakenham and Wandin, it was a savage second quarter from the reigning premiers that turned the game on its head.

It was a trait of theirs in their premiership year, one they showcased in spectacular fashion on grand final day when they crushed Narre Warren’s hopes of back-to-back flags with a pulsating 10 minutes to close the first half, nailing five goals and takng a solid lead into the long break on their way to a dominant victory.

The stakes weren’t as high on Saturday at Toomuc Reserve, but shades of Wandin’s brutality most definitely were on its way to a 70-point win, 16.11 107 to 5.7 37.

They opened the term with four goals in seven minutes, as a 10-point quarter time lead became 34 in the blink of an eye.

Aaron Mullett and Max Le Fevre both kicked goals from centre bounce clearances, while Mullett and Jack Manson converted on rebounds following Pakenham turnovers.

The Lions’ inability to defend in space has been an issue all season, most notably punished against Narre Warren in the season opener at Kalora Park under lights.

Saturday was different, however, in that their transition came unstuck much higher up the field.

Wandin, meanwhile, after letting chances go begging in the opening term, could hardly miss in the second, having taken the quarter time break to locate their kicking boots.

Pakenham steadied after the initial onslaught and stemmed the bleeding, hitting back with a goal through Sam Kors and tightening its defence, but another two against the run of play for Wandin outdid all of Pakenham’s hard work.

Jai Rout froze on the ‘Cracker’ Jackson Grandstand wing and was wrapped up in a captain’s tackle from Tom Hinds, allowing Mullett to escape from Jordan Stewart’s clutches and pounce on another open goal out the back of the contest.

Minutes later, an intended short pass from Clint Johnson inside 50 cleared his target’s head and trickled over the unguarded goal line for an accidental major, Wandin’s sixth of the quarter, and salt into a Pakenham wound.

6.6 to 1.1 in the second term gave Wandin a 42-point lead at the long break, and deflated a plucky Pakenham.

The silence in their changerooms was palpable as they waited for Paul Carbis’ address, bereft and frustrated at the previous hour of their lives, and the challenge ahead.

They didn’t play particularly bad, and stuck

to their principles and game plan despite the lack of success in a commendable sign of resilience and intent.

Risky inboards kicks were taken, angles were shifted and switches were executed in the back half in an effort to stretch the Wandin backs, unaccustomed to the wide expanses on offer compared to the tight confides at the Kennel.

You just simply can’t allow good sides an opening; as the old saying goes ‘Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.’

Carbis lamented the lapses in the game that ultimately cost his side, emphasising the gap between themselves and the contenders.

“We’ve played some teams in the last two weeks that are in a similar spot to us, and then you play a team today that are up there in the top three and you can tell,” Carbis said after the game.

“When you play good teams against Wandin, they put you away, and that’s what they did.

“We didn’t have as much time as in usual weeks and then in that second quarter, they put their foot down and we were slow to react.

“They took their opportunity with that and that’s what we spoke about at half time, that we have to make some adjustments.

“Our energy levels were down a little bit and you get that from a younger inexperienced team, and one that isn’t settled with the amount of ins and outs (we have); you’re going to get those fluctuations during the game.”

The third term showed a steely resolve in the Lions as they forced turnovers from a usually silky Wandin outfit, whose midfielders made a conscious effort to defend the back half and stymie Pakenham scoring chances.

The game devolved into a game of tennis on the grandstand wing at times, as the Bulldogs battled for a way through the Pakenham resistance, and the Lions’ skills failed to match their intentions.

Ruckman Cooper Reilly nailed a clever goal while cast in an unfamiliar role of a rover and the defensive group of Stewart, Jaiden Camenzuli, Ryan Martini and Jackson Hillard stood strong in the face of Wandin pressure.

Charlie Wood goaled late in the term for Wandin to push the lead to 50 points at three quarter time, as Pakenham again had little to show for its endeavour.

With the contest all but decided, intensity dropped in the final term, but the margin grew.

Encouraged at three-quarter-time to run out the full four quarters, Wandin showed an unrelenting appetite for scoring and put a further five goals on the board.

Pakenham managed two, through Tom Gamble and Sam Cachia, to sugar-coat the final margin, but the result was obvious from a long way out.

Carbis lamented the inability to capitalise on momentum in the third term, and felt the gap between the two sides was less than what the scoreboard showed.

“We dominated the quarter but didn’t put it on the scoreboard and that kills you,” he said.

“We kicked 1.4 and they kicked three straight.

“Unfortunately we got nothing to show for the effort that we put in in the third quarter and what sort of footy we can play, and in the last quarter it was pretty similar - we served it up to them and they kicked straight, we missed some opportunities which end up all over, and they punish you.

“It did feel like, you look at the scores and go, crap, 70 points, but it didn’t really feel like that.”

He was pleased with the commitment to taking the game on and playing the fast, entertaining brand he wants Pakenham to be known for in 2024.

On Saturday they received an up close and personal lesson on just how it should be done, from the reigning premiers.

“They play with confidence and move the ball really quick,” he said.

“It’s one of the things we’re trying to do at the moment and I said to them, ‘that’s what we want to do.’

“We’re still trying to find that trust to do that, whereas they’ve done it and won it.

“Their midfielders are really active, I thought their contest around the ball was really good, really clean, and that was probably the difference in the game, skill errors to nonskill errors, including shots at goal.

“If we kick a bit straighter, it’s seven or eight goals, and not as bad.”

Ben Green made it through his first senior game since 2022 unscathed and held his own at the level despite the long absence, andTyrell Bignoux’s contest on the wing with Harrison Van Duuren was an intriguing head-to-head battle.

Mullett finished with five goals for Wandin as one of the most influential players on the ground.

Another huge challenge awaits the Lions next week when they head to Woori Yallock to face the undefeated Tigers.

A loss would see them fall to 3-6, and with a mountain to climb back to contention in the season’s back half.

Appealing win for Pakenham

By David Nagel

It took an off-field appeal to get the job done but the Pakenham Eels have secured a 2620 victory over Sunshine Cowboys in the Vic Rugby League Second Grade Men’s competition.

The round-eight clash was locked at 2626 after full-time was blown, but an appeal lodged by Pakenham saw the scores amended to a 26-20 win.

An extra try was added on by the Sunshine team manager, but a video review by NRL Victoria declared the Eels the eventual winners.

Despite starting strong with a try in the sixth minute of the game, the game swung back and forth with Sunshine scoring a late try to lock things away on the scoreboard.

The Under 16 Boys travelled to Waverley

Panthers who were again too strong, the Panthers winning 34-8.

The Under 14 Boys had a slow start to the match, however surged late in the second half narrowing the deficit, albeit going down to the Panthers 34 – 26.

The Under 14 Girls were outplayed in the first half by Sunshine, however early in the second half put on two tries.

This was an impressive effort, with this being the first year of competition for many of the girls as the Eels look to develop female participation.

This week is a league wide bye then the Eels are back at home at Comely Banks Recreation Reserve for a game against Casey Warriors.

Action begins on Saturday 15 June at 3:15pm.

Ariana Gesi scored a try for the Pakenham Eels Under-14 Girls. 411611

Picture: MICHAEL WINTER

Pakenham’s Jordan Stewart does his best to fight through a Macauley Beckwith tackle. 410426

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

June’s amazing milestone

By David Nagel

Nar Nar Goon Netball Club appropriately made a big deal of June Reidy’s 50 years of service at Spencer Street on Saturday; and it was even more appropriate that it happened on June 1.

June has been number-one in the eyes of Nar Nar Goon netballers since she walked into the club with her eyes wide open in 1974, and it’s been that way ever since.

The club even rebadged itself on Saturday; being named ‘Nar Nar June’ in her honour.

June first fell in love with netball when she was an eight-year-old, going to school at Smithton on the north-west coast ofTasmania.

“My grade-four teacher Louise Ablett gave me my love of netball,” June recalled.

“We moved to Nar Nar Goon to work on Bob Rose’s dairy farm, and I just went down to the club one night and got involved from there.

“It’s one of the things I like to do most, so I keep doing it while I can.”

June has had many roles at Nar Nar Goon, being a player, committee-member, coach, and umpires coordinator along the way.

But it’s her umpiring that has been her greatest love on a long and lasting journey.

“When I was younger I used to umpire everything, from Under 13s through to A Grade; but I’m 74 now,” June says with a laugh.

“Now I do juniors, 11s, 13s or 15s; just two games per week.

“As long as I’m doing a good enough job, I’ll keep doing it.

“I only gave up playing 11 years ago.”

June still gets a kick out of watching junior players emerge, and falling in love with the

sport, just as she did 66 years ago.

“I get the enjoyment of watching the young girls play when they first start, because I umpire those younger girls,” she said.

“I try to impart a bit of my knowledge on how to play the game; what to do and where to do it, that type of thing.

“And trying to get them to love the game too.

“The people you meet; the friends I have made through the club, that’s what makes it so special.

“I’ve spent three quarters of my life at the

netball club, so they become like another family; that’s the way I look at it anyway.”

Speaking of families; June’s own flesh and blood was part of a surprise celebration on Saturday, which far exceeded her expectations.

“I knew a little bit was going on, because Erin (NNG President Erin Butler) had asked me to be available for the whole day,” she said.

“I thought it would be a small presentation, a cake cutting, that type of thing.

“But then people started turning up, and they had a ‘June Award’ that I had to present after each match.

Lively Lions leapfrog Bloods into top spot

By David Nagel

Pakenham has leapfrogged Healesville to sit at the top of the Outer East Women’s Division One ladder after the Lions handed the Bloods their first defeat at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.

The Lions played magnificent team football on their way to a 6.3(39) to 0.5(5) victory, handing Healesville its first loss in homeand-away football since June 25, 2022.

Pakenham has been on the receiving end of some big thumping’s from the Bloods over the years, with the combined scoreline reading 382 to 9 across seasons 2022 and ‘23.

But this Lions’ outfit is made of sterner stuff and showed it would not be pushed around by the physical Healesville team from the outset.

Some great ruck-work from Tanya Stafford set up gun-rover Bianca Moody for the first goal of the day, before Aiesha Kolaritsch gave the Lions a 10-point lead at quarter time.

The second quarter was an arm-wrestle, with the defence of both teams right on top.

Emily Devine, Kate Green, Annalise Ryan, Abbey McKenzie and Aliya Daniel were rocksolid for the Lions, while Erica Cianci, Kate Methven, Brooke Wandin and Milla Potter were equally as good for the Bloods.

But the Lions opened the game up with some relentless running and tremendous teamwork in the third quarter.

Beth Quadara competed brilliantly in the ruck, allowing midfielders Moody, Courtney Stephens, Chloe Nagel, Sarah Connelly and Courtney Karayannis to drive the ball forward at will.

The speed of Tianah Vandesteeg was causing the Bloods some headaches, while Emily Johnston, Rielle Menere, Bec Domotor and Brianna Menere fought hard for every disposal in the front half.

Some terrific unselfish handballs from Vandesteeg and Quadara set Kolaritsch up for two goals in the third quarter to open up a four-goal lead at the final break.

Rielle Menere and Kolaritsch then kicked a goal each in the last quarter; providing a change to both team’s percentage that saw the Lions jump to first place on the ladder.

The aforementioned backline was superb for the Lions all day, while Quadara, Moody, Stephens and Nagel were well-organised

Pakenham skipper Chloe Nagel takes a strong grab against Healesville on Saturday. 411038

around the stoppages.

Kolaritsch ended with four goals for the winners, taking her tally to a league-high 23 goals for the season.

In other games this week, Belgrave is celebrating its first win in Division One after the newly-promoted Magpies scored 6.8(44) to 1.3(9) victory over Berwick Springs.

Sophia Thomas-Tatti kicked three goals for Belgrave, while Amber Drummond and Lauren Sultana were among its best players.

And Upwey-Tecoma has overcome a faststart from Olinda Ferny Creek to score a 5.1(31) to 4.2(26) win at Olinda.

With Olivia Edwards in fine form, Olinda kicked three of its four goals in the opening

term; before the Tigers regained their composure.

Skipper Alex Bantock was magnificent for Upwey, kicking four goals, while Madi Walsh, Tahlia Sheehan and Dakota Roach all played key roles in the victory.

In Division Two, three goals to Molly Webb provided the impetus for Emerald to hand Monbulk its first loss of the season at Chandler Reserve, while four goals to Jade Mewburn led Warburton-Wesburn to a 52-point win over Officer.

In other games, Seville proved too strong for Thornton-Eildon, while India James snagged two goals in Woori Yallock’s 11-point win over Wandin.

“Then my family turned up, which made it more emotional because I didn’t expect them to.

“It was overwhelming to be honest, to feel the love that I got from the club and it really did make me emotional.

“I do it for the love of it and to help out where I can, but to be recognised the way I was is just overwhelming; that’s the only way I can describe it.

“I didn’t expect that much fuss to be made… .I felt like I was walking on air.”

June’s daughters Deanne and Belinda both played in premierships at Nar Nar Goon, which June rates as one of her career highlights.

Deanne currently coaches her daughter at Vermont South, so couldn’t make it on the day, but Deanne, and sons Jeff and Mark were both there to witness the big occasion, along with June’s grandson Lachie.

And the vibrant 74-year-old has no plans on packing away the whistle any time soon.

“As long as the body lets me, I’ll keep going,” she said.

“I’ve just had a full medical done and the doctor said I can go for another 10 years.

“I don’t think I will, but as long as the body is holding up and I’m capable of keeping up, then I’ll keep doing it.

“When I can’t get to the right position to make decisions I’ll give it away; unless they tap me on the shoulder first.

“To me every game I get to watch or umpire is a bonus.”

An already incredible day for June was capped off when she received a personal message from Melbourne Vixens and Australian Diamonds star Jo Weston.

Cardi draw Pink game

By Jonty Ralphsmith

Opportunities galore but no goals.

That was the story for Cardinia Storm’s women’s team, which was forced to settle for a 0-0 draw against Croydon on Saturday.

In a tough and intense game, the Storm stepped up at crucial times and showed their ability to come together as a unit.

While both teams had several chances to take the ascendancy, it was Cardinia that had more of the play, led by Maddy Reincastle up forward, and fullback Lauren Walsh.

The result has Cardinia sitting fifth on the ladder, one point behind fourthplaced Southern United and two clear of Frankston.

Meanwhile, the men won by forfeit against Collegians-X, and now sit four points clear on top of the table.

Meanwhile, the under-14s won 3-2 in a goal for goal affair against Croydon in a game which highlighted their development and continued growth.

Saturday was also the team’s Breast Cancer Network Australia round, with Cardinia having a cake stall and wearing pink socks to raise awareness and funds for an important cause.

There is a league-wide bye for both teams on Saturday due to the King’s Birthday long weekend.

Lauren Walsh was a standout for the Storm. 409026 Picture: ROB CAREW

Picture: EUAN POULTON PHOTOGRAPHY

June Reidy celebrated an incredible 50 years of service at Nar Nar Goon on Saturday. 4120540 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

ENROL NOW FOR 2025

Our faith leads to wisdom and courage.

This motto is the energising source of all that happens at St Clare's and is embedded in the ethos of the school, the curriculum we offer and the relationships we develop within our school and wider communities.

If you are reading this as a prospective student, parent, guardian or family, I invite you to visit us at St Clare's and discover this dynamic learning environment and start the beginning of, what I hope will be, a life-long learning partnership.

Helen Staindl School Principal