The power of healing
Currently on display at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Lilydale are the stories of those who experienced the storms of 2021.
Told through the self-expression artworks of the community, guided by fine artist Emma Jennings, the healing power of art formed a integral part of the Stories of Giants exhibition.
The vision of Jennings when designing the project was to involve the community, to tell their stories of pain and anguish from a time of destruction but also to provide a sense of togetherness, of acceptance and of ownership of what happened three years ago, primarily in the Dandenong Ranges.
To read and see more, turn to page 11
Maccas bid fails
By Mikayla van Loon
Mount Evelyn residents opposed to the infiltration of a fast food giant in their‘village town’ have been left elated by a decision to reject the application.
The decision to refuse both the McDonald’s and childcare centre proposed for 19-23 Hereford Road was handed down by Yarra Ranges Council on Monday 8 July.
With a determination from the Department of Transport and Planning that the development would be “unacceptable”, “incompatible” and “likely to compromise road safety” gave grounds for refusal.
“When a state government agency objects to an application on the grounds of safety we must listen to their expert advice,” council
mayor Sophie Todorov said.
No McDonald’s in Mount Evelyn lead campaigner Amy Kidd said she was pleased to learn of the decision and grateful that the over 400 objections submitted to the council were taken into consideration.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with this decision. It’s a real testament to the Mount Evelyn community who really got behind objecting to
this proposal, and we’re really glad the Yarra Ranges Council has listened to our concerns and rejected the plan,” she said.
Celebrating this victory, Ms Kidd said the action committee and the community would be getting together on Friday night to appreciate the effort and work put in since the proposal became known in December.
Continued page 2
Please
Workshop participant Amber with her creation which formed part of the Stories of Giants exhibition by Emma Jennings.
(Cathy Ronalds)
Drug use hits record high
The 22nd report from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program was released on Thursday 11 July, giving a recent snapshot of Australia’s drug use.
The report, put together by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) every quarter, tested wastewater from 56 sites in capital city and regional sites around the country over seven days in December 2023, representing 14.1 million people 55 per cent of the population.
Further sampling only in capital cities was undertaken in February 2024.
ACIC CEO Heather Cook said the data presents a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving challenge of drug use and its implications for public health and safety.
“As we continue to combat this issue, it is crucial to understand underlying factors contributing to these trends and to develop targeted strategies to address them,” she said.
“Wastewater analysis permits the ACIC to engage meaningfully with international agencies on transnational drug threats, working alongside our domestic law enforcement partners, certain investigations now integrate targeted, high-intensity wastewater analysis to gauge the impact of law enforcement actions,”
“Additionally, wastewater analysis is increasingly used as a key element in drug ‘early warning’ systems, enhancing the ability to anticipate and respond to emerging drug threats.”
A number of record highs for drug consumption were exceeded in December 2023 sampling, with cocaine consumption in both capital cities and regional areas, methylamphetamine consumption in capital cities and nicotine consumption in regional areas hitting their highest recorded levels.
The average consumption of methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, MDA, ketamine, alcohol, and nicotine all increased in capital cities and regional areas, while cannabis was the only substance tested for that decreased across the board.
The average consumption of alcohol, cocaine, MDMA, MDA, heroin and ketamine in capital cities exceeded regional areas while nicotine, methylamphetamine, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis consumption in regional areas was higher than in capital cities.
The report also compared data with the 2023 Sewage Core Group Europe (SCORE) findings, which covers 112 cities across 34 countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America and Oceania:
Australia was ranked fourth out of the 34 nations for the use of illicit stimulants, including ranking second for methylamphetamine (from 30 countries), 15th for MDMA (from 33) and 20th for cocaine (from 32). Australia was also ranked third out of 20 countries for cannabis consumption.
A recent survey by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation conducted in May 2023 also recently found 64 per cent of the 367 people in the survey (out of 3604 total) who had concerns regarding a friend or relative’s alcohol or other drug use didn’t feel as though they knew how to
provide support.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s CEO Dr Erin Lalor AM said the survey findings reaffirm the critical need to reduce the barriers that prevent family and friends seeking information and support for themselves, or a relative or friend.
“Knowing that a family member or friend is experiencing issues with alcohol or other drugs, can be incredibly tough, and given that a major source of support for people experiencing alcohol or other drug harms are family and friends, it’s crucial people within these support networks have better awareness and access to help and information for both themselves and those they’re worried about,” Dr Lalor said.
“This survey also highlights that many concerned relatives or friends are waiting long periods of time before seeking help. It’s vital that we increase awareness about the benefits of accessing help and support early,”
“Knowing how to support someone can be overwhelming. By seeking information and support for yourself early on, and then starting a conversation with your friend or family mem-
ber about where to find information or help, and how to minimise the risk of harm, you can help encourage healthier outcomes.”
Nearly 60 per cent didn’t know how to hold a conversation with someone, 45 per cent didn’t know where they could suggest someone find information or support about their alcohol or other drug use while 46 per cent didn’t know how to find help for themselves.
Thisisdespite78percentreportingthatthey understood the importance of seeking support and information early, with 58 per cent saying they did not seek it at all.
Barriers that made it difficult for people to seek help included not knowing what to ask or where to go, feelings of a lack of privacy, worries about the thoughts of others or their relative/ friend and feelings of embarrassment.
Dr Lalor said she was incredibly saddened to see 12 per cent of those who had considered seeking help for a friend or family member were too embarrassed to ask, while 16 per cent were worried what people would think of them or their relative/friend.
“People should feel no shame about reaching out for help and support. We need stronger investments in initiatives to reduce stigma and encourage greater rates of help-seeking,” she said.
“For people who do experience issues with their alcohol or other drug use, often this has more to do with the other challenges they might be facing. In these situations, our role is to help them with the support they need to be healthy and well,”
“Health-based approaches to drug use are also needed and benefit the whole community as they can help to reduce stigma, see more people reaching out for help and support, and reduce drug-related harms such as deaths and disease.”
For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to the Turning Point website.
Beef with Maccas amounts to refusal in Mount Evelyn
From page 1
With an appeal of the decision possible through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), Ms Kidd said the group would be keeping a watchful eye on what happens next.
“The group will just continue to monitor it and see what the developer’s next steps are going to be,” she said.
“We’ll be sure to let the community know if this proposal does go to VCAT or if there is any other way people can take action.
“We’ve got an enormous group of people that we can activate who are really engaged with this, so we can continue to try and stop this proposal in any next steps.”
The council flagged 13 different clauses the permit application did not meet the requirements of when outlining the basis of refusal for the McDonald’s specifically.
Most notably, councillor Tim Heenan said the residential zoning of the site did not cater to the development style.
“The site for this planning application is in a residential area which would not be appropriate and the current issues of safety on Hereford Road have been taken into account in the decision,” he said.
“The proposal is also seen as not meeting planning policy, is a poor urban design
outcome and would result in an out of centre development.”
The 5am to midnight operation hours were cited as “not appropriate in a neighbourhood residential zone”, the noise impacts, light spill, odours, the landscape response not meeting the Bushfire Management Overlay and the signage were all points identified by the council as not meeting the necessary sections of the planning policy framework.
The childcare centre was assessed separately but too did not meet the bushfire overlay clauses “to ensure protection of human life” through “adequate measures”, nor did the applicant provide further requested information to the CFA needed for the decision.
“It’s important when considering planning applications that the proposed development is suitable and appropriate for the location. It was clear on this occasion that this application is not suitable,” mayor Todorov said.
Cr Heenan said “this application…caused a great deal of concern in the community” and confirmed this had been “taken into account in the refusal of this application”.
The Yarra Ranges community has had a known history of fighting the establishment of McDonald’s restaurants in the region, with Tecoma and Healesville putting forward cases for the refusal of these developments.
Ms Kidd said while the group would prefer for the application not to be appealed in VCAT, it would continue to have a voice for the township of Mount Evelyn.
“A huge thank you from me to everyone who wrote an objection, signed the petition, donated or took action in any other way to stop this development. It’s been a really, really impressive campaign,” she said.
“It really shows the power of the community when they come together. So I’m really proud to have been part of it.”
McDonald’s has been contacted for comment.
Cocaine consumption hit record levels in both capital cities and regional areas of Australia in December 2023. (File)
Elderly woman hit by vehicle has died
An elderly woman who was struck by a vehicle in Mooroolbark last month has died in hospital.
The 81-year-old pedestrian was hit by a car on Maroondah Highway, near Landscape Drive, about 10.30am on 24 June.
She was taken to hospital for treatment but later died.
A spike in recent pedestrian deaths has triggered a new Victoria Police operation to address behaviour that leads to trauma of this kind.
Operation Aware will run until the end of September, with local and state highway patrols, solo units, bike patrols and police foot patrols each tasked with engaging with road users and enforcing consequences if required.
Road policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said Victoria Police wants the safety of everyone to be prioritised.
“This is not about levelling blame at anyone, this is about saving lives and reducing the amount of trauma on our roads,” he said.
“We’ll be focusing on all road users and all behaviours that put pedestrians at risk of being involved in a collision – whether it’s failing to give way, distraction, speeding, impaired driving, riding on the footpath, or not using designated crossings.”
This year alone has seen 25 pedestrians lose their lives in Victoria – up 56 per cent on the same time last year (16).
May to August is historically the highest risk period for collisions involving pedestrians, with reduced visibility due to less daylight hours and inclement weather during winter both major contributing factors.
Almost half of this year’s pedestrian deaths occurred during the last two months, with seven fatalities recorded in June and a further five in May.
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 80 per cent of pedestrian injury collisions occurred each year in metro areas, with weekdays between 2pm and 8pm identified as the most high-risk time.
“We’ve conducted thorough analysis to understand when, where and most importantly, why trauma involving pedestrians is occurring, and we’ll be prioritising and addressing these issues during Operation Aware,” AC Weir said.
The operation intends to highlight the impact misuse of footpaths and road rules can have for both drivers and pedestrians.
“Pedestrians have little to no protection, so when they’re involved in a collision with a vehicle, the consequences can be catastrophic,” AC Weir said.
Police are also urging anyone who witnessed the Mooroolbark incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
For the current provisional lives lost tally please see - police.vic.gov.au/road-safety
IN BRIEF
Electric skateboard crash death
Another road death has been added to the lives lost tally after a fatal crash in Kilsyth last month.
Investigators have been told a man in his 30s was riding an electric skateboard in the vicinity of Kiel Close about 4.45pm on 28 June. He has lost control of the skateboard and crashed.
He was taken to hospital with serious head injuries where he later died.
Police are now looking to understand the circumstances surrounding this man’s death. Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au
For the current provisional lives lost tally please see - police.vic.gov.au/road-safety Man pinned between vehicles
Police are investigating a road rage incident which saw a man be pinned between two vehicles after having his car side swiped multiple times in Kilsyth.
Mooroolbark police are looking for witnesses who saw the incident on 12 June.
It is said the victim was driving east along Canterbury Road in Kilsyth when he was side swiped by an unknown gold SUV, driven by a man aged in his mid to late thirties, wearing glasses.
The SUV failed to stop and continued to strike the victim’s vehicle two more times, before an altercation occurred in traffic.
It will be alleged the offending driver struck the victim, pinning him between two vehicles, before leaving the scene along Liverpool Road.
The victim received treatment at hospital for minor injuries.
Anybody who witnessed the collision, has dashcam footage or has knowledge of a gold SUV with extensive passenger side damage is urged to contact Mooroolbark Police Station on 9725 9999 or by making an anonymous Crime Stoppers report crimestoppersvic.com. au/report-a-crime/
School zone reminder
Drivers on the road in the mornings and afternoons are urged to take care as school zone speed limits are in place again this week as Term 3 of 2024 commences Monday 15 July.
Drivers are reminded to be patient around school zones as speed limits return and there is an expected increase in road, pedestrian and bicycle traffic at drop-off and pick-up times.
Some school speed zones are permanent, while others operate from 8am to 9.30am, and from 2.30pm to 4pm on weekdays, with reduced speeds of 40km/h or 60km/h in school zones until the end of the school term.
Public toilet upgrade closures
Elizabeth Bridge Kilsyth, 49 Durham Roadclosed from 10 July to 13 July.
Hookey Park Mooroolbark, 7 Station Streetclosed from 15 July to 23 July.
Montrose Recreation Reserve, 950 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road - closed from 8 July to 23 July. Red Earth Toilets Mooroolbark, 125 Brice Avenue - closed from 15 July to 19 July.
Kimberley Reserve Chirnside Park, 33 Kimberley Drive and the Lilydale Main Street toilets will remain open while works are completed.
A pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle in Mooroolbark last month. (Joe Mastroianni: 245950)
Cost of plastic clothing
By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
This month during ‘Plastic Free July,’ Star Mail dived its focus into everyday wear, with a look at how one Yarra Ranges op shop has seen an influx of clothing garments enter the discarded basket.
Plastic textiles have become part of every-
thing we wear, from ultra-fast fashion garments to designer clothing.
The demand for clothing is astronomical, the research shows an estimated 62 per cent of textiles sold in Australia are made from synthetic fabrics – making it accessible and cheaper to buy.
RMIT School of Fashion and Textile senior
Dr
is an expert in sustainable consumption of fashion.
Her research focuses on the use phase of clothing and textiles with a focus on how fashion is sustainable in everyday life and she said on average, Australians are buying 56 new items per year and the rest ends up in landfill.
“The starting point is to understand what we mean by plastic textiles, these are fabrics like polyester and rayon – they appear in lots of clothing as the main textile, they also get used as poly cotton, mixed with wool, silk and linen to make them cheaper to produce and also easier to work with,” Dr Rollason said.
Each year, more than 1.4 billion units of new clothing come onto the Australian market and around 40 per cent of people’s clothing have not been worn for a year or more.
“Around 30 to 40 per cent of garments produced are not sold and end up as ‘dead stock’ that must be disposed of, and we’ve seen unethical returns practices in the industry – such as SHEIN disposing of returns to avoid the logistical hassle and expense of reselling garments,” she said.
Plastic textiles are made from non-renewable fossil fuels, and they often cannot be recycled into new textiles or be broken down.
Fast-fashion industries exist and are thriving because of the use and the availability of plastic textiles.
continuing to accelerate production.
Dr Rollason said it’s quite simple to distinguish the difference between a recycled and a virgin material because most companies will label a product that’s made from recycled plastic.
“It’s considered to be a really important selling point, they don’t go that extra effort and cost without wanting to let you know they’re doing something good – it’s all part of their marketing and sales strategy,” she said.
“We simply do not need so many clothes.”
“Meanwhile, fashion and textile producers need to consider the design of products across their entire lifecycle – beyond sale and consider how it will be used and what becomes of a garment when it is no longer worn.”
Salvos Stores Tecoma store manager Ann Rowley said about 80 per cent of the donated clothes are thrown out due to its unhygienic and poor quality.
“I probably have about 20 per cent that’s good enough to actually use,” she said.
Most of the donations they receive comes from online stores like SHEIN and Princess Polly and other cheap brands like Anko from Kmart.
“I don’t get enough donations from the public, I order about 10 cages from the warehouse – they have 10 bags in each cage that I get that twice a week, which is a lot,” she said.
In the past, there were limits to how much clothing was being produced because there was only so much land, water, people, and animals that were available to make materials like cotton, wool, and silk, but now there’s hardly any limits to making plastic materials.
“There is not enough land to grow enough cotton to meet current clothing demands – especially when competing with land for food production,” she said.
“There’s also this concept which tells us that some of these material efficiencies, some of these ways of reducing our dependency on natural resources means we’re increasing our rates of consumption because they’re cheaper and more efficient to use – increasing our rates of overproduction and over consumption.”
“Nearly one-half per cent of global oil production goes into producing plastic textiles.”
Dr Rollason said it’s a “short loop” to use recycling plastics and turn it into “sustainable clothing” because we don’t have the technology to recycle plastics that are used in clothing and textiles.
“The sustainability of transforming plastics into clothing as a way of recycling and reducing plastics is a little bit questionable,” she said.
It will take some serious effort and big changes to get plastics out of our clothing, and to make this possible, we must take part in slowing down the fashion industry, rather than
Dr Rollason said if we want to have a sustainable fashion and textile industry, using and disposing of clothing in a way that is friendly to the environment and ourselves, overhauling the use of plastics must be one of the first things to change.
“People have this mentality where they buy something because it’s so cheap, they don’t feel like you need to hang on to it for long,” she said.
The problem goes beyond the plastic itself, to how it is used.
While some plastic textiles may be appropriate – such as a durable, water-resistant hiking jacket that is worn for decades – items intended for short-term use, like trend pieces, should use biodegradable textiles.
“We need to stop making fashion from plastics that is designed to end up in landfill after a few short wears,” she said.
“You can be more sustainable by thinking about what your clothing and fashion does for you.”
“There’s this idea in sustainable fashion consumption, about dressing for your wellbeing, that’s thinking about your everyday dressing habits, not about fashion and trends.”
Ask yourself what are the clothes that make you feel good?What do you have in your wardrobe that you’d love? What do you use the most? What makes your life better? – that’s the well-being element of fashion.
About 80 per cent of our clothes end up in landfill. (Henry and Co)
lecturer
Tamzin Rollason
Short term rental calls
By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges Council has issued a statement on the management of short-term rental accommodation (STRA) and the impact it has on the region.
Yarra Ranges Council has previously called for action and also recently confirmedWarburton’s exceptionally low housing supply to community land trust advocacy group Grounded for the ‘Airbnb: from a housing problem to solution’ report.
A Yarra Ranges Council spokesperson said the Yarra Ranges is one of the most visited regions in the state of Victoria for tourism, particularly in the Dandenong Ranges, Yarra Valley and UpperYarra areas includingWarburton and surrounds.
“However, with tourism, comes the issue of STRA which is a key challenge for council. Council needs to ensure that we balance the opportunities for tourism, economic growth with other short-term rental requirements such as accommodation for farm workers as well as the need for available and affordable housing for permanent local communities,” they said.
“From an economic benefit our local economy – which boasts countless cafes, restaurants, shops, hotels, wineries, breweries and distilleries – relies heavily on this visitation, and we’re pleased to welcome overnight visitors to the region annually,”
“Council is working to better understand the impacts and scope of STRAs, on both local housing and economies, through the development of an issues paper.”
Yarra Ranges Council previously called on the Municipal Association of Victoria to lobby the State Government to create an STRA register in 2022.
The spokesperson said an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 could be one way to establish a state-wide register for
STRA which would allow for consistent standards to be regulated across Victoria.
“Council is aware of the impact that the STRA market has on the provision of properties for long-term rental and is looking to the State government to consider how short stay accommodation could be regulated, particularly to ensure minimum standards and safety associated with rental properties, regardless of if they are rented for a short or long period of time,” they said.
“Council is monitoring developments in this space across the country and is keen for the state to take a leading role to ensure con-
sistency.”
Statewide registration systems have already been implemented in New South Wales and Tasmania, with New South Wales in the midst of a six-month review of its framework.
The spokesperson said council also recently released its 15-year Housing Strategy which highlights the need for diverse housing choices for all stages of life.
“Having access to housing choices that are well located, affordable, secure and safe, enables people to live with dignity, provides access to education and employment choices, and encourages participation in community life,” they said.
“Further, council’s Advocacy Agenda and Housing Strategy, outlines actions for diverse housing choices and the issue of STRA with an aim to enhance regulatory and monitoring mechanisms, to allow our community to balance the economic benefits of tourism with their housing needs,”
“An increase in property values often accompanies a growth in tourism. This can have a knock-on impact on people wishing to remain within the Yarra Ranges, who may wish to downsize or buy a first home.”
Yarra Ranges Council want Victoria to take a leading role in addressing the issues with short term rentals. (File)
Engagement is changing
By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges Council has approved a revised Community Engagement Policy at theTuesday 9 July council meeting.
The Community Engagement Policy was first adopted in April 2021 and the new revisions were made following over 240 community engagement projects that have been undertaken by the council since the original policy was implemented.
Starting the discussion, Lyster Ward Councillor Johanna Skelton asked a question to executive officer for communications and engagement Joanne Hammond regarding if there is any guidance in the Community Engagement Policy about when the council decides to undertake an external review of an engagement project.
“We don’t have any specific projects in mind when it comes to evaluation, we’ll simply have a look at what’s going on, what is contentious or what has piqued the interest of the community and has created a great deal of feedback for us to make decisions around how we will evaluate,” she said.
“Some projects create more interest than others and we can’t always tell at the beginning of the project what that will be, but we will be looking at getting some external evaluation done to make sure that it’s as objective as we can make it.”
Yarra Ranges Council sought to update the Community Engagement Policy prior to the adoption of the new Council plan and the council elections in October, with the draft having been open for feedback from 27 March to 5 May this year.
Cr Skelton said she thinks it’s an excellent review of the existing community engagement policy.
“It’s right that we see how it was landing, make sure that it’s delivering on expectations, I think throughout the six-week exhibition, we got really insightful and good feedback from the community that I can see how it’s improved the policy,” she said.
“I can see from the report that they did a very good deep dive around all different teams of council and saw how it landed in different parts,”
“Between the officers and the community, we’ve got a good list of proposed changes for us to look at on page 53 and 54 and to me, they all make sense and look like they will improve outcomes for communities.”
Prior to community feedback, these were some of the key changes implemented in the
draft revised policy:
Updated to 2023 council-approved version of the Acknowledgement of Country
Inclusion of a revision history table and administrative changes clause (to allow for changes without Council endorsement)
Inclusion of a clear definition and specific use of ‘Community Engagement’
Clarified the factors considered in council decisions, including community engagement
Removed the list of suggested groups to engage with
In the ‘when we engage’ section, consolidated it into a list of times council will and will not engage, rather than ‘will, may and will not’
Included an overarching statement that defines the deciding factors as ‘when there is/ is not a genuine opportunity for input to inform, change or influence a decision’
Removed the specific steps for planning engagement which can widely be found elsewhere but remain available internally
Removed example initiatives in the‘Level of engagement’ subsection
New ‘Deciding the engagement approach’, ‘Deciding on the tools of engagement’ and ‘What does consistency look like’ subsections
A new section covering how Yarra Ranges Council will inform the community of engagement outcomes and evaluate the engagement performance
Addition of a new section with legislative context, such as the inclusion of the Gender Equality Act 2020 and other relevant legislation
Outline the relationship between the council plan and community engagement as well as relevant Council policies like the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
General clarification and removal of broad or unclear statements eg: ‘changing something’
O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child said the revised policy really reflects the outcome from those community engagement pieces.
“I go back to the previous policy that Cr Skeleton referred to and the previous item we discussed here tonight was the waste issue, and when you looked at the waste management plan that we went out to the community with, it was probably one of the best buy-ins we had from our community, that process was really showed how we did that and we did it well,” he said.
“It really builds on that previous piece and it shows that we really take seriously the value of community engagement.”
Community feedback on the draft revised policy also resulted in Yarra Ranges Council including the role of communication to support community awareness of their chances
to engage, commit to improving transparency regarding decisions on planning community engagement and resource allocation, include people experiencing homelessness as a cohort to consider when planning engagement and highlight the role within Council to continuously improve and train to deliver better outcomes for the community.
Billanook Councillor Tim Heenan said local government gets flak at times because some members of the general public think that they just go out there to tick the boxes.
“We all have understandings that certain things need to be done in local government but because the officers have gone much more in-depth this time, though of course there’s more to be done, I’m really supportive of the immense diversity of what we’ve got back so far,” he said.
“I think we forget, I’m sure the people around the room here don’t forget, but members of the community forget how big this Shire council really is, how much we have to take care of and the immense diversity of things that we have to take care of which are not just roads, rates and rubbish which is the old saying,”
“We need to find out what people want to say, what level of detail they want to give to us and try to understand what they’re saying to us.”
Environmental outcomes positive in FOGO review
By Mikayla van Loon
With six months passing since the introduction of food organics and garden organics (FOGO) bins in the Yarra Ranges, a mid-year review proved its effectiveness but highlighted core concerns for further advocacy.
From the transition period in January and February to June, Yarra Ranges Council collated data and feedback from the community to understand the challenges, opportunities and outcomes of the FOGO service.
It revealed a positive environmental impact, showing a 73 per cent diversion rate of waste going to landfill, which sits just below the council’s 2025 target.
An additional 9037 tonnes of organic waste material was collected, with a reduction of general waste materials equating to 6248 tonnes.
But it also returned a saturated request for weekly waste collections or larger bins particularly for households with young children or with more than five people residing in the home.
Further feedback related to a possible optout option for residents who already have a system in place to compost or manage food and garden organics within their properties.
This led to the council’s recommendations to explore options of bin sizes or collection changes within the contract, investigate solutions for multi-unit developments with
reduced space and hold consideration for an opt-out clause until the finalisation of state service standards for municipalities.
In total the council’s officers put forward seven recommendations, including an extension of the reusable nappy workshops, an endorsement to defer the glass collection service until July 2026 and advocacy for better managing soft plastics.
At the council meeting on Tuesday 9 July the seven recommendations were accepted, with councillors Fiona McAllister and Tim Heenan putting forward additional wording.
The alternate motion Cr McAllister put forward asked “to undertake further consultation with non residential properties to work to resolve current waste service chal-
lenges they are experiencing”.
Cr McAllister said while the report outlined some of the challenges, particularly for small business owners who had also been reduced to a fortnightly waste collection,
“I think it needs to be specifically referenced in our recommendation to acknowledge that we are continuing to find ways to resolve those issues,” she said.
For Cr Heenan the wording of “as soon as possible” was added to the second recommendation regarding contract discussions and bin size outcomes to pass on that advice to the community when it was finalised.
“There may be members of the community out there that want another bin. We do have to work that through with our contractors to make sure we can come up with a new solution. Hopefully not at a substantially inflated cost,” he said.
“I just want to see that done as soon as possible.”
Addressing the report and the motion as its mover, Cr Johanna Skelton said with many of the major concerns relating to frequency of collection and bin size, she felt the council’s approach “[captures] the main issues”.
“I feel like the option to increase the bins size strikes a good balance between us addressing that concern for overfill bins and not incurring extra costs…for all the community members to pay for this service,”
she said.
“So I feel like that, hopefully, will nail a major concern around just not having enough bin space while still providing the incentive to reduce landfill which we know we need to do to meet legislation and for ethical reasons.”
Cr Skelton did reiterate “we’re [not] going to change it immediately” with discussions still needing to be had “about what costs may be incurred”.
Adding to this, Cr Richard Higgins said given the State Government’s household waste service standard was open for public consultation, it would be remiss of the council to proceed concretely.
“It would be irresponsible of us to actually lock in a lot of the things we’re considering until we actually get that feedback from the State Government or their words of wisdom on which direction we should go,” he said.
“I think we should be a little bit hesitant to say anything in concrete.”
Addressing the deferral of glass collection, Cr Skelton said it seemed like the most appropriate action until contributing factors like the container deposit scheme could be fully assessed.
Cr Skelton closed out the discussion by congratulating the community on its uptake and success so far with the FOGO system.
The motion was passed unanimously.
The Yarra Ranges Council has monitored the data since introducing FOGO and released the review’s results. (File)
Yarra Ranges Council has adopted a revised Community Engagement Policy. (File)
Yarra Valley & Croydon Toyota
Hydrogen cells installed
By Dongyun Kwon
The Yarra Valley is ready to deal with the extreme weather conditions as the State Government has been investing in renewable hydrogen to keep Victorians connected during emergencies and power outages.
The government invested $1.1 million into the Telstra Hydrogen Fuel Cell Pilot project which has installed five hydrogen fuel cells in communities, all who have experienced extreme storms like Coldstream, Kinglake, Christmas Hills, Chum Creek and Neerim North, from May to July.
Telstra integrated network facilities and environment executive Vicki Romanovski said Telstra’s hydrogen fuel cell trial aims to determine the technical and commercial viability of deploying fuel cell generators using hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources as an alternative backup source in the case of a power outage to help keep customers stay connected and support the sustainability of the their operations.
“These systems will be able to store around 72 hours worth of energy for the site within the green hydrogen fuel tanks,” she said.
“The fuel cells themselves will operate on the site exactly like a diesel generator would in the same situation – providing full site backup if the AC mains fail.
“The existing battery site reserve will remain and won’t change. This is typically eight hours per site. The fuel cell provides an additional reserve of 72 hours per site on top of this.”
This pilot is one of the projects funded through the $6.6 million Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
Other companies like Volgren Australia, Viva Energy, Energys Australia and Boundary Power are also undertaking hydrogen pilots, trials and demonstrations as part of the program.
Ms Romanovski said this trial is important to Telstra.
“It will help us test the viability of hydrogen
fuel cells to provide additional site power, assessing their technical and commercial viability to provide reliable extended backup power
should mains power fail, and doing so with zero carbon emissions,” she said.
“The biggest impact we can have on climate change, especially in the short to medium term, is to emit less carbon.
“Not only do the fuel cells emit zero carbon, but these fuel cells will also provide an additional reserve of 72 hours per site via the storage of 100 per cent renewable green hydrogen stored in hydrogen tanks at each site.”
All five hydrogen fuel cells have been successfully installed with the launch of the Neerim North mobile network renewable hydrogen backup system on 4 July.
“Victoria’s Gas Substitution Roadmap confirms that renewable hydrogen will play a critical, targeted role in the energy transition by strengthening energy resilience as we keep communities powered reliably and affordably,” energy and resources minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.
Community battery sparks interest from local residents
By Callum Ludwig
The community battery set to be installed by the end of the year in Yarra Junction has already drawn the interest ofYarra Ranges residents from around the region.
Montrose resident Ian Wheater had taken note of the battery’s upcoming installation and asked at the Tuesday 9 July Yarra Ranges Council meeting if more will be installed in other townships.
Director of Planning and Sustainable Futures at Yarra Ranges Council Kath McClusky said at this stage, the council doesn’t have any plans to install community batteries across the municipality.
“The community battery inYarra Junction was installed by Indigo Power via a federal grant program, Indigo Power is a community-owned energy company and will operate the battery as part of their network,” she said.
“Council is generally supportive of community batteries, this support will differ depending on specifics of each project,”
“However, council doesn’t manage a dedicated program to roll them out across the municipality.”
The Yarra Junction community battery was promised by the now Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen in the township as a 2022 election promise and is one of 400 that was funded in the October 2022 Federal Budget across the country.
Project Manager at Indigo Power Heath Shakespeare said Yarra Junction makes an excellent location for a pilot community battery.
“Indigo Power believe that projects like this, community batteries, will encourage interest in energy and the renewable energy transition,” he said.
Indigo Power will be working closely with Yarra Ranges Council to roll the project out and will provide updates through our social media pages. Updates can also be requested directly from Indigo Power.”
The battery will be located at 2436 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction (near the
Yarra Centre).
A recent meeting information session facilitated by Yarra Ranges Council between Indigo Power had more than 30 participants attend.
Mr Shakespeare said the feedback was positive.
“The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the project including key stakeholders and the community across theYarra Junction region,” he said.
“This was to provide local people with information about community batteries so they can have an opportunity to ask questions, learn and understand how the battery will operate, and how the battery will benefit
the local community.”
Indigo Power holds a lease agreement with Yarra Ranges Council for the battery’s installation, along with a connection agreement with AusNet. The battery is estimated to be installed and operational in November 2024.
Mr Shakespeare said the more batteries that are deployed in local areas, the more flexibility there may be to unlock further access the benefits.
“When projects such as this are launched, there is a postive engagement from other communities to get involved, local energy groups from neighbouring areas generally reach out to find out how what the applica-
tion process is, what type of sites are suitable to host a community battery and how to engage with others in their community,” he said.
“Benefits of a network of community batteries in a local region such as Yarra Ranges can include allowing more rooftop solar and electric devices to be connected, reduced pressure on the electricity grid, the potential community shared energy while lowering emissions,”
“The opportunity to lower electricity costs may be achieved by storing electricity during the day when generation from renewables is high and prices are low then feeding electricity back into the grid when it is needed most and at a higher price.”
The battery is 120kW/300kWh Pixii Lithium iron phosphate battery, containing a built-in fire suppression system, three units and one switchboard, a ‘footprint’ of about four square metres, front of meter (FOM) battery connection and a life expectancy of about 10-15 years.
Energy and resources minister Lily D’Ambrosio (left) and Telstra integrated network facilities and environment executive Vicki Romanovski. (Supplied)
Neerim North mobile network renewable hydrogen backup system. (Supplied)
The new community battery in Yarra Junction will be installed near the Yarra Centre. (On file: 338486)
O’Shannassy Ward Councillor (then Mayor) Jim Child, now Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and 2022 Labor candidate for Casey Bill Brindle at the announcement of the battery in the lead-up to the election. (On file: 276786)
Talk about wellbeing
By Mikayla van Loon
Opening up a chance for men to discover new friendships and share in conversation is the philosophy of The Men’s Table.
The not-for-profit organisation is now looking to bring this to Lilydale, providing a safe environment for men to meet once a month over dinner to talk about all things good, bad, challenging and inspiring.
Regional host for Victoria Bill Karametos has been working alongside the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) to bring a Men’s Table to the Yarra Ranges’ suburb, seeing it host an entree event on Monday 22 July at The Lilydale International.
The introductory event requires a $30 registration fee which pays for each individual’s meal on the night but more than that, Mr Karametos said, it is “the first commitment they’ve made to doing something like this”.
“What this means is they come along and they listen to what The Men’s Table is, who we are, what we’re trying to achieve, then what happens is we give them a call about 48 hours later,” he said.
“We give them time to think about whether this is something they want to commit to, because we don’t want men just coming once every quarter or once every six months. We want them to put it in their diary and say ‘I’m going to commit to this for myself, but just as importantly, I’m going to commit to the other men that are going to come’.”
Mr Karametos said “one of the fundamentals is commitment” because it builds trust between the men who attend and goes a long way in making everyone feel supported.
“Once we build a safe and confidential space, you’d be surprised how quickly men can open up.
“Knowing you’re there with other men who are there for the right reasons, men do open up and share what’s going on.
“We want them to share the good stuff as well. ‘I’ve been on holidays or going on holidays. I’ve read a good book, seen a good movie. The kids are going really well’.”
The Men’s Table started in 2011 with Ben Hughes inviting a group of men over for dinner as a way to connect and share.
In 2019, Mr Hughes, alongside one of the dinner guests David Pointon, co-founded what is now the registered charity.
“In just over four years we’ve just announced our 200th table and the evidence we’ve got suggests that once you join some-
Mt Evelyn Bendigo Bank
We’re here to stay – and opening late for you!
The Mt Evelyn Bendigo Community Bank is committed to helping create stronger, more connected communities in Mt Evelyn, Montrose and our surrounding areas.
thing like this, and it can be any organisation that does this, it’s the ability to find like minded men,” Mr Karametos said.
“We can [then] have those deeper, meaningful conversations without being judged, and have the ability to go ‘boys, I’ve got something I need to get off my chest’. Knowing you can do it in that same confidential space is going a long way towards men’s mental health.”
EMPHN said The Men’s Table was funded through its Wellbeing and Resilience Grants program aiming to address the mental health impacts recent natural disasters might have had on members of the Yarra Ranges community.
“The Men’s Table was one of 13 grass roots initiatives funded by EMPHN, aimed at strengthening social connectedness, assist communities to cope with the distress of and build resilience to the emotional effects of natural disasters,” a spokesperson said.
“The Men’s Table play an important role in supporting men at a community level, reducing isolation, and providing an opportunity to connect.”
Mr Karametos said the recent data collected by the charity shows 84 per cent of men who attended a Table event felt a stronger sense of community and belonging; 95 per cent said it felt like it was a safe place to share; and 80 per cent reported a benefit to their mental health and well being.
A by-product of The Men’s Table events, Mr Karametos said, is the friendships and shared interests of the attendees that can then lead to further connection outside the monthly dinner.
The Lilydale entree event is open to all men, of any age or demographic, with any reason for wanting to find out more about.
“Traditionally, it’s those men who have gone through those bumps and scrapes but that’s not to say we don’t have guys in their 20s.
“We’ve got guys as young as 18 and we’ve got guys as old as 90 plus, because they’re wanting to just get out, talk, and meet new people.”
And while Mr Karametos said the hope is for men to find value in the Lilydale Men’s Table, he said if it’s not the right fit, he hopes they can find something that is, whether it’s a Men’s Shed, The Male Hug or any other organisation.
For more information, visit themenstable. org/lilydale-entree/ or call Bill Karametos on 0414 235 563.
Attendees must register. The event starts at 6.30pm and goes until 9pm.
Our team know banking and love community and they’re ready to answer your questions and help you in all aspects of banking.
In fact, on Wednesday 17th July we’re extending our hours, and invite first home buyers into our branch in Wray Crescent Mt Evelyn, between 5pm-6.30pm, where our staff will answer your questions on the governments Victorian Home Fund (VHF).
We really are bigger for you!
If you’re a first home buyer and looking for more information on the VHF, or you’re looking to switch banking to a local bank where your local money supports local people, contact our team today.
Become part of the better big bank, who, over the past twenty years has given over $4million back to the Mt Evelyn, Montrose and surrounding communities, making good things happen, through grants, donations and sponsorship. Chances are, if you’re connected to a community group in the area, we’re proud supporters.
If you’d like to find out more about how you can do better banking to have a big impact, contact our team.
The Men’s Table launched its Dandenong table in 2022 and provides a space for connection and conversation. (Stewart Chambers: 299105)
Let’s talk about wombats
By Callum Ludwig
An opportunity to learn about the plight of one of our favourite native animals is coming up.
Katja Gutwein is the Vice-Preisdent and Secretary of Mange Management is set to be the key speaker for a ‘Wombat Webinar’ that is open for Yarra Ranges residents to tune into.
Ms Gutwein said she started out as a registered wildlife carer, raising native wildlife including wombats and then got involved with wombats with mange, as a founding member of Mange Management.
“Wombats face a lot of threats, not only mange but also road accidents, loss of habitat and legal/illegal culling and I’ll talk about all of these in my webinar,” she said.
“Pretty much all of these threats would apply to the population in the Yarra Ranges, in fact, it’s a hot spot for mange there as mites like cool and moist conditions.”
Wombats are one of the most affected species by mange, caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows into the skin of its host (often wombats, foxes or dogs) causing thick, crusty skin, and hair loss.
Ms Gutwein said it is very urgent to protect and look after wombats, as numbers have decreased drastically.
“In some areas, there have been reports that wombats used to live there but not anymore, so local populations are being wiped out, an example of this is Narawntapu Nations Park in Tasmania where over 250 wombats used to live, and now there’s less than 5, as they’ve been all wiped out by mange,” she said.
“If we don’t do anything now, wombats might become endangered in the next few decades or even extinct and we can’t afford to lose such an iconic Australian animal.”
Ms Gutwein encouraged residents to report wombats with mange to Mange Management via their website mangemanagement.org. au where they can also enquire to volunteer or donate while also spreading the word that wombats with mange can be treated.
For any injured wombats, she recommended residents report them to a wildlife rescue
Join a Wombat Webinar. (File)
organisation and urged motorists to slow down at night and check pouches of wombats or other wildlife that has been hit and killed on the roads.
Ms Gutwein said it’s very important to show respect and love for these beautiful creatures,
Enhancing Croydon
By Mikayla van Loon
The annual National Tree Day is scheduled for the end of July, with local events popping up across the outer east.
For those looking to attend an event in the urban parts, Maroondah City Council will be hosting a tree planting event just across the border in Croydon, to revegetate the Tarralla Creek Trail on Sunday 28 July.
Maroondah mayor Kylie Spears said the council’s bushland management team will be providing 4000 indigenous plants to help “enhance the biodiversity of the area and create more habitat for our native wildlife”.
“[This] will provide additional habitat and support to local species to access essential resources like food, water and shelter,” she said.
“The new plants will not only enhance the visual amenity of Tarralla Creek but will also help support the functioning of the wetland ecosystem, improving the resilience of the local habitat.”
Having been working to enhance the Tarralla Creek Wetlands, alongside Melbourne Water, since 2020, the re-naturalisation had a goal of introducing over 80,000 ephemeral, terrestrial and aquatic plants to the space.
The council’s modelling identified the Tarralla Creek as one of eight‘biolinks’ - an important habitat corridor for wildlife in Maroondah - making the tree planting day another step in encouraging the natural regeneration of fauna and flora.
With Tarralla Creek extending from Croydon through Croydon South and then linking up with the Bungalook Creek in Heathmont, Cr Spears said it creates a “vital local habitat corridor”.
This corridor allows fauna and flora to move between other patches, whether on private property or bushland areas, sustaining local wildlife populations.
“As the vegetation and the wetland of Tarralla Creek mature, we expect to see more nature drawn into the Croydon region,” Cr Spears
they still often have a bad reputation.
“We at Mange Management are doing our best to raise the reputation of wombats so more people can see what amazing animals they are,” she said.
“They are eco-engineers and very impor-
by one tree at a time
said.
“We are already seeing waterbirds that have not been seen previously in this area now present in the wetlands, which is exciting to see.”
Hosting a National Tree Day event last year, Cr Spears said saw an incredible 200 people get involved and she can only expect this year “to be just as big”.
“Tree planting is a great way for the local community to connect with and contribute to their local environment. It provides a sense of meaningful contribution and is rewarding to watch the tree you planted grow,” she said.
“Being a part of an event like this is a great starting point for being involved in your local community, and we hope it encourages people to join their local bushland volunteer group.”
Co-hosting alongside First Friends of Dandenong Creek and the Friends ofTarralla Creek brings a “specialised local knowledge” and an opportunity for potential members to learn about the environmental offerings in their
area.
With so many benefits coming from a single day’s effort, Cr Spears said she hopes to see lots of people there but registrations are essential.
“The National Tree Day event is a great opportunity for the council to engage residents in important environmental conservation efforts and facilitate positive social interactions within the community.
“Looking after the local environment provides a sense of pride and ownership in the community. The event enhances the natural environment, facilitates education opportunities for children, strengthens social connection and allows the community to connect with nature to improve mental and physical wellbeing.”
The event kicks off at 10am at Eastfield Park, entering from the south end of Lusher Road, with environment stalls and kids activities also on offer. Visit the Maroondah Council website for more information.
tant for soil health for example.”
The Wombat Webinar will take place from 7pm to 8pm on Tuesday 23 July.
To find out more about the event or register for access, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Experience/Events/Wombats.
Burn first
Yering was the location of Yarra Ranges Council’s first cultural burn on shire managed land last month.
The burn took place at Spadonis Reserve, located on Victoria Road, an area prone to flooding and the home of the Yering Billabongs Project.
The cultural burn was led by the council’s firestick officer, Darren Wandin, and supported by the council’s bushlands team.
The area selected for the burn, currently dominated by weedy grasses, has seen an increase in growth of native trees and grasses thanks to the increased rainfall from the past two years.
“The objective of the burn was to reduce the weeds and stimulate further growth of the native species,”Yarra Ranges mayor Sophie Todorov said.
“We had some amazing feedback from those who attended saying how calm and seamless the experience was.
“There was also a highlight moment where cool burning was applied to a Lomandra and a frog was discovered sitting inside the base, unharmed and not particularly bothered by the experience!”
For more information on the Yering Billabongs Project, visit yarraranges.vic. gov.au/Environment/Sustainable-communities/Healthy-Waterways/YeringBillabongs-Project.
Spadonis Reserve in Yering was the site of the Yarra Ranges Council’s first cultural burn. (File)
The enhancement project improved not only the natural elements but connectivity. (Maroondah Council)
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Where pain meets healing
By Mikayla van Loon
A month has passed since Olinda-based artist Emma Jennings launched her exhibition Stories of Giants at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Lilydale.
Recounting both the destruction and calamity alongside the remarkable strength and regrowth of the storms that hit the Dandenong Ranges, in particular, with immense force in June and October 2021.
And while a major part of the exhibition was focused around Jennings’ portraits and portrayals of six different stories, an element of community healing was embedded into the project.
Having found a sense of healing herself by returning to the forest, feeling the soil in her hands and creating, Jennings said it was that experience that inspired the workshops which invited affected members of the community to do the same but in the safe space of her studio.
“I did a whole lot of work in the forest and about the forest after I was done in the emergency relief centres and when I could eventually get to a place where I could be back in the forest which was a big deal,” she said.
“That process led to the development of the community project because I found it really therapeutic just standing in there.”
Providing a comfortable environment within her Olinda gallery, Jennings said, allowed people to grieve the loss of their house, to simply reflect on a challenging time or feel the emotions they’d bottled up for months.
“A good example is somebody who is a leader in the community who was quite emotional, and she thought she was fine.
“It wasn’t until she had the permission to sit in that space and just go back in time a little bit she realised that was just below the surface and the emotion was very much still there.
“In her artwork, she wrote a beautiful poem and did a beautiful painting. Sharing her experience with the people around her was really therapeutic and healing and powerful and that’s happened in every single workshop.”
One of the most important aspects of opening the workshops to the community, Jennings said, was ensuring everyone felt comfortable to enter, no matter their experience.
“Everyone’s experiences were valid. Another curious thing is that people think that if they didn’t lose their house, then they weren’t worthy of support or acknowledging what they’ve been through.
“But again, having this place open over this whole time I’ve had residents walk in over-
come with emotion when they can see the work that’s been done because they feel so connected because of their experience.
“For a lot of people it was just being without power for such a long time in the middle of winter. Winters here are cold and that was really hard and that experience is really valid.”
Because of the potential trauma that was going to enter the room and the stories of pain that could have been told, funding for the project also enabled Jennings to engage a trauma psychologist to guide her through the experience.
“It’s been kind of confronting listening to a lot of stories but I feel really privileged actually,” she said.
Red Cross volunteers were also present at every session to be of extra support and provide some mental health first aid should a par-
ticipant have needed it.
The workshops invited CFA and SES volunteers, residents,Yarra Ranges Council staff and members of the community to create using natural materials, paints, words and imagery.
From the abstract to the literal, the artworks took the form and direction of whatever inspired the individual.
“People have spoken about mourning and grief. One lady wrapped paper around her log and she was embalming the tree. So that was a mourning process,” Jennings said.
For participant Deb Sargentson, she felt “so blessed” to have been given time and space to process her emotions and reflect on what had happened given she jumped straight into recovery mode.
“The beauty of art is that it enables us to
interpret where we’re going. It doesn’t require words, it doesn’t require us to write, the stories are in these images, and there are so many things that have meaning to us that it enables us to process our experience without telling us how to feel or what to do,” she said.
The exhibition itself, Sargentson said, also enables a place of “hope and healing”, of quiet reflection and of comfort for others who need to go on that journey.
“It’s their way of honouring, their way of saying I’ve been able to process this in a really beautiful place. There’s no markers, there’s nowhere to go but this gives us a place to go to with no restrictions on what we feel or how we see it.”
Stories of Giants is on display until 8 September, located at the
Yarra Ranges Regional Museum on Castella Street in Lilydale.
Natural materials from the forest, paints and paper were all laid out for the workshops. (Cathy Ronalds)
Artist Emma Jennings was there to guide people at every step.
Each participant was given complete freedom to express themselves in whichever felt natural.
CFA volunteers pondering the process.
Alicia trialling her designs and paints.
Meta must pay its dues
By Andrew Schreyer, CPA President
Last month, Country Press Australia (CPA), the largest representative association of newspaper publishers in Australia, appeared before a joint hearing in Canberra into social media and its impacts on Australian society.
The hearing was convened out of concerns about the negative impacts social media platforms have upon our community, including the recent decision by Meta to no longer pay news publishers for content posted to the company’s platforms.
That announcement has been met with anger, frustration, disappointment, worry and concern among news publishers, and the news industry shares the concerns of the broader community over Meta’s outrageous behaviour that has had such a damaging impact on so many sections of the community.
Facebook particularly has evolved into an anti-social entity that has provided a haven for toxicity, fake news, scams, blackmail, cyberbullying, doxing, revenge porn, trolling, deep fakes, political interference, surveillance capitalism and the spread of mis and disinformation that has caused so much damage within our communities.
The live streaming of massacres, images of unrealistic so-called beautiful people and conspiracies are also part and parcel of social media today.
In the case of the news industry, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has said Meta’s decision to no longer pay for news content in a number of jurisdictions “represents a dereliction of its commitment to the sustainability of Australian news media,” a comment CPA endorses wholeheartedly.
Meta has shown complete disdain for Australian media outlets, the News Media Bargaining Code and the Australian Government by announcing its intention not to renew agreements with publishers.
Meta has been deemed an unavoidable trading partner, and as such, is expected to conform to the same standards and expectations as the rest of us.
In short, we believe Meta fails to meet those standards, and that the company long ago ceased to be just a provider of social media platforms.
Just last month, the US Surgeon General called for social media to have warnings attached to it over mental health concerns for users.
It’s one of the great paradoxes of our time that rather than tackle unacceptable elements and accept responsibility for the damage caused by providing the habitat for such scornful matter, Meta has instead opted to diminish the presence of the real news and of
truth by continually adjusting its algorithms and rendering public interest news content more and more difficult to find.
The federal government has the News Media Bargaining Code at its disposal, a mechanism established to ensure social media platforms can be held to account and that media organisations are treated fairly in their dealings with the social media giants.
Should the government designate Meta under the Code, the company is likely to block news sites from its platforms just as it has done in Canada. And in that country, it’s been regional and rural publishers who have been negatively impacted the most.
In this instance we encourage the government to insert a‘must carry news’ clause in the code forcing them to negotiate with publishers or impose a 20 per cent tax on Meta’s Australian revenue.
Proceeds from the tax can be used for mental health programs to assist young people negatively impacted by social media, and a component distributed to publishers as compensation for Meta’s use of their content.
If Meta refuses, they should be banned from Australia.
Meta is a publisher just like our members; however, their platforms are not subject to laws including defamation and contempt of court, editorial standards and regulatory frameworks. If they were, I would not need to write this opinion piece and there would be a lot less social harm and mental health issues in our community today.
Meta’s Facebook has little, if any, checking mechanism prior to content and comments being published. Its algorithms serve up content based on popularity regardless of what may be appropriate for the audience.
It has no transparent complaints process, is not held to account in any way and isn’t required to respond to complaints.
It’s one thing to rip billions of dollars out of our economy, but the social, mental and physical damage caused by what is allowed to prosper on Meta’s platforms takes things to another level.
We believe that as a corporate citizen, Meta has a responsibility to do what is right, just as we as publishers do.
Meta’s commercialisation of the negativity it allows to fester on its platforms is a scourge upon that company and has created significant hardship and misery for many Australians.
To suit its narrative and justify its agenda, Meta claims its users don’t go to Facebook for news, however the University of Canberra’s Digital News Report: Australia 2024 released in June found that 49 per cent of Australian users of Facebook use it for news and one in four rely on it as their main source of news – our trusted, independent and professionally written news Meta no longer wants to pay for.
The digital news report shows this year, there was actually a surge among young people turning to social media to get news.
Sixty per cent of Gen Z say social media is their main source of news, a 17-percentage point increase on last year.
In line with the increase in the use of social media platforms for news, concern about what is real and what is fake on the internet has skyrocketed to 75 per cent. This is an increase of 11 percentage points in the past two years and echoes an increase in the global rise of six percentage points over the same period. It suits Meta to claim Australians don’t use the company’s platforms to read the news and for it to be allowed to continue to ride roughshod over our communities. But it suits the rest of us for Meta to be held to account.
Andrew Schreyer is president of Country Press Australia and publisher of the Warragul and Drouin Gazette.
CPA executive director Peter Kennedy, committee chair Kate Thwaites MP and CPA president Andrew Schreyer.
The building of the Maroondah weir and aqueduct and the Lilydale to Healesville railway in the late 1880s swelled the populations of Healesville, Tarrawarra North, andYarra Glen.
Early itinerants of Valley Looking back
Four different contracts were called for the Maroondah aqueduct and others for the railway. Messrs McNeil and Bath held the contracts for the railway and also for section four of the aqueduct. The itinerant workers were accommodated in navvy camps which had a range of accommodation, from weatherboard huts provided for the bosses to canvas tents and bush humpies set up by the workers themselves.
Some pitched their tents close together for comfort and security, others preferred to be solitary at a distance.
A few of the men had family with them but it was observed by journalist ‘Vagabond’ (John Stanley James) in 1890 that few children attended school.
There was a school at Tarrawarra between 1875 and 1892 which would have been at a convenient distance but the itinerant families working on the aqueduct did not stay long.
The enlarged population provided more income to local primary producers through the demand for fresh food, to local traders who provided processed foods and domestic articles and clothing, and to local publicans who pro-
CARTOON
Helen Mann Yarra Glen & District Living & Learning Centre History Group
vided recreational facilities and accommodation. In some cases, it resulted in an upgrading of some commercial buildings in the townships or a complete rebuild.
With the building of the railway, businesses in Yarra Flats (now Yarra Glen) gravitated south from the intersection of Bell Street and Armstrong Grove to the southern end of Bell Street adjacent to the new railway line. The Farrell brothers erected a hotel they named the Burgoyne Hotel, now theYarraValley Grand Hotel.
They were to prosper from their investment, at first by accommodating inspectors and supervisors who regularly visited from Melbourne to check the engineering projects, and later from the tourists who travelled by train to holiday in the hills and mountains.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Melbourne Rare Book Week, which will start on 18 July and culminate with the Melbourne Rare Book Fair (25-27 July) at the University of Melbourne’sWilson Hall.
Melbourne Rare Book Week PASSION FOR PROSE
A major festival focusing on the printed page, the Melbourne Rare Book Week features a dazzling range of talks, conversations, displays and exhibitions that celebrate the importance of books, literacy and literature in our lives.
Most events are free, but bookings are essential. Below are some of the highlights that have caught this reviewer’s eye.
Readers can discover other interesting events via the official website, rarebooksmelbourne.com
First and foremost is an interview with legendary Melbourne bookseller Mark Rubbo, who retired as Readings managing director in 2023 after nearly half a century in the business. Rubbo will discuss the past 50 years of Australian writing, how he nurtured Australian writers and worked to extend Melbourne’s cultural influence.
Next, the Old Treasury Building will present an online event on the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks and their influence on Australian food culture.
In addition, the Books for Cooks Bookshop in Queen Victoria Market will offer a talk on Elizabeth David, the British cookery writer who strongly influenced the revitalisation of home cookery in the mid-20th century. Furthermore, the Supreme Court Library will draw attention to the oldest book in its collection, Statham’s Abridgement of the Law (1491).
Concurrently, Hellenic Museum at the Former Royal Mint Building will host an exhibition on Byzantine manuscripts, illustrat-
WITH CHRISTINE SUN
ing how the Byzantine Empire was the medieval threshold between East andWest.
Meanwhile, State Library Victoria has prepared a series of awesome events, starting with an exploration of the first book ever printed with moveable type in English, by William Caxton.
A separate talk on the Women Writers Fund will feature first editions by Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Ursula Le Guin, Toni Morrison, and many more. Another session at the library will delve into the life and exploits of E.W. Cole, bookseller and founder of the famous Cole’s Book Arcade.
Then there is the World of the Book exhibition from 27 May 2024 to 18 May 2025, with more than 300 rare and remarkable items showcasing books as objects of beauty and craft. Particularly worth mentioning is the Hoping Against Hope exhibition at Monash University, which celebrates 500 years of Ukrainian print culture.
Finally, a special event titled NowWe Are Ten will reflect on the evolution of the Melbourne Rare Book Week from the original concept to its 10th iteration.
Further reading, blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/ our-stories/ask-a-librarian/e-w-cole-andhis-famous-book-arcade/
Adolphus Edgcumbe and Patrick Daly did the same in Healesville.
Edgecumbe replaced the old Royal Mail Hotel on the corner of Nicholson and Green Streets with a three-storey hotel bearing his own name.
It was renamed the Grand Hotel in 1894. Patrick Daly built the Terminus Hotel near the railway station. All were opened by 1888.
Some of the effects arising from the large camps were not so beneficial.
On pay day many men from the camps went to town, both literally and figuratively.
The hotels were well patronised on these occasions. With frequent drunken brawls and increasing petty crime an extra policeman was requested for Healesville and forYarra Flats.
In March 1887 Constable Freebairn was criticised by the magistrates at Lilydale because he was frequently late when bringing prisoners fromYarra Flats to the Magistrates Court there.
It was not an easy task to transport three or four unwilling men by horse drawn vehicle.
Due to the increase in the number of cases being dealt with a Police Court was established inYarra Flats by the end of that year.
It was presided over by a travelling magistrate or a local Justice of the Peace.
In 1887, a typhoid epidemic caused consid-
erable concern in Victoria. Early settlements throughout Victoria without reticulated water were subject to outbreaks of this disease, and a dry start to 1887 made conditions for infection even more favourable.
As part of an enquiry made by the Central Board of Health, Dr Andrew Shields made a special visit to the navvy camps between Healesville and Yarra Flats to find insanitary conditions. Both camps were very close to the Yarra River which was used by the campers for drinking water and other domestic purposes.
At the same time pollution from the camp in the form of human litter and animal waste which was being washed into the river.
There were another three camps on the Watts River near Healesville which were in a similar state although, at the time of his visits, no cases of typhoid had been reported there.
The result of the meeting was that two regulations drafted by the President of the CBH were posted to the contractors in charge of the camps, asking for their cooperation in providing latrines and prohibiting the deposit of night soil on the banks of waterways.
In September 1887, local residents and traders were complaining to the Shire Council about the state of local roads but they were left to battle with such conditions for some time.
The 1812 Theatre
The Sweet Delilah Swim Club
It tells the story of five unforgettable women who set aside a long weekend every August to meet at the same beach cottage, the Sweet Delilah to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives.
Enjoy two different plays Kemp’s curtain call
An hilarious and touching comedy about friendships that lasts forever. Season: 1 – 24 August. Bookings: 9758 3964.
Athenaeum Theatre
Melbourne
Cirque Bon Bon
stage with Scott on skates and Emma also on skates but much of the time was around Scott’s neck.
A spectacular evening of Circs featuring artists who have performed everywhere from Broadway to Las Vegas and London’s West End.
A short evening of one and a half hours but did one feel exhausted after seeing such a production.
The emcee Mario Queen of the Circus.
An amazing emcee keeping the show together with plenty of audience participation.
A great character who really made the show was Cody Harrington is an amazing juggler.
Some of his juggling had to see to believe.
Artistic skating duo, Emma Goh and Scott Lazaravech were on a small circular
The skating was absolutely wonderful and kept the audience in their seats waiting for what happened next.
One of the highlights of the evening was Shannon Michaela, a contortionist who had everyone on the edge of their seats and she showed why she holds the Guinness Worlds Record for shooting an arow from her feet further than anyone else.
She had a ballon placed on one side of the stage then she balanced on a table on her hands with a bow and arrow held by her feet and ten shot the arrow to burst the balloon.
An amazing feat.
A fantastic evening of circus on a theatre stage and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.
Three amazing shorts
Kinds of Kindness
Starring Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe and Emma Stone
Rated MA15+
4.25/5
The latest film from Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos, Kinds of Kindness is one of the most enthralling, unsettling and confidentlycrafted films of the year.
Like a dark cousin of Wes Anderson’s Henry Sugar anthology, Kinds of Kindness consists of three short films sharing the core cast of Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Emma Stone, Hong Chau and Margaret Qualley.
These shorts are linked by nihilism, superb tension, black-and-white dreams and distinctly unkind themes of obsession and abuse. In the taut first short, The Death of R.M.F. Robert (Plemons) faces an impossible task from his domineering boss Raymond (Dafoe). The acting has a very deliberate, almost stilted feel, which generates a stifling atmosphere of constant performance to please Raymond, who micromanages his employees’ lives.
In the viscerally disturbing second short, R.M.F. is Flying, Daniel’s (Plemons) wife Liz (Stone) returns home after being lost at sea, but
Daniel is certain she is an impostor. This harrowing short does an amazing job of inverting our perspective: we are initially suspicious of the blunt, changed Liz, but come to detest Daniel as he rebukes and tests her in cruel ways. Whether Liz is real or not, it’s clear Daniel doesn’t deserve her. Lanthimos runs slightly astray with R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich, the quirkier third short, in which the cultist Emily (Stone) searches for someone who can raise the dead. This short is confronting yet often darkly hilarious, but feels mean-spirited in a less motivated way than the other shorts.
Kinds of Kindness is a fascinating feel-bad movie, playing in select Victorian cinemas.
CHIRNSIDE PARK Meadowgate Milk Bar 3 Meadowgate Drive
CHIRNSIDE PARK Coles Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway
CHIRNSIDE PARK Woolworths Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway
CHIRNSIDE PARK Caltex Safeway 239-241 Maroondah Highway
CHIRNSIDE PARK EG Fuelco Service Station Chirnside Park Shopping Cr Little Chipping Drive, 241 Maroondah Highway
CHIRNSIDE PARK 7 - Eleven 242 Maroondah Highway
CHIRNSIDE PARK Chirnside Park Country Club 68 Kingswood Drive
CROYDON NORTH Croydon Hills Milk Bar 158 Nangathan Way
CROYDON NORTH Eastfield Milk Bar 11 The Mall
KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Churinga SC, Russo Place
KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Canterbury Road Kilsyth
KILSYTH Kilsyth Laundrette Unit 7/87 Colchester Road
LILYDALE Lilydale Marketplace SC 33-45 Hutchinson Street
LILYDALE Lilydale Village SC 51-59 Anderson Street
LILYDALE Woolworths Supermarket Marketplace, 33 Hutchinson Street
LILYDALE Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Castella Street & Maroondah Highway
LILYDALE Lilydale Community Centre 7 Hardy Street
LILYDALE Lilydale Lakeside Conference and Events Centre 1 Jarlo Drive
LILYDALE United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway
LILYDALE Caltex Lilydale 346 Main Street
LILYDALE Caltex Woolworths 31 Hutchinson Street
LILYDALE BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway
LILYDALE Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway
LILYDALE 7 - Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway & Cave Hill Road
LILYDALE Coles Express 469 Maroondah Highway
LILYDALE Hutch & Co Cafe 251 Main Street
LILYDALE Round Bird Can’t Fly 170 Main Street
LILYDALE The Lilydale General 110 Beresford Road
LILYDALE Yarra Valley Smokery 96 Main Street
LILYDALE Bee Seen Cafe 178 Main Street
LILYDALE Blue Turtle Cafe 222 Main Street
LILYDALE Gracious Grace Castella Street
ILYDALE Melba Coffee House 33-45 Hutchinson Street
LILYDALE Lilydale Munchies 7/75 Cave Hill Road
ILYDALE Point of View Cafe Lilydale Lakeside - Jarlo Drive
LILYDALE Freda’s Cafe 2 Clarke Street
ILYDALE Barry Plant Real Estate 88 Main Street
LILYDALE Ray White Real Estate 164 Main Street
LILYDALE Hello Harry 245 Main Street
LILYDALE Noel Jones Real Estate 281 Main Street
ILYDALE Professionals Real Estate 111-113 Main Street
ILYDALE Simple Eats 1 Industrial Park Drive
LILYDALE Mc Donalds Restaurant Maroondah Highway
LILYDALE Olinda Creek Hotel Maroondah Hwy
LILYDALE Crown Hotel Maroondah Hwy
LILYDALE Yarra Ranges Council 61 - 65 Anderson Street
MONTROSE Montrose Authorised Newsagency 912 Mt Dandenong Road
MONTROSE IGA Supermarket Mt Dandenong Road
MONTROSE Bell Real Estate 896 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road
MOUNT EVELYN IGA Supermarket 38- 40 York Road
MOUNT EVELYN Post Office 12 Station Street
MOUNT EVELYN Authorised Newsagency 1A Wray Crescent
MOUNT EVELYN Red Robyn Milk Bar 35 Hereford Road
MOUNT EVELYN Library 50 Wray Cresent
MOUNT EVELYN Milkbar 28 Birmingham Road
MOUNT EVELYN Bendigo Bank 2/35-39 Wray Cres
MONTROSE IGA Supermarket 916 Mt Dandenong Road
MOOROOLBARK Coles Supermarket 15 Brice Avenue
MOOROOLBARK Bendigo Bank Unit 19/66 - 74 Brice Ave
MOOROOLBARK Corner Milk Bar 38 Bellara Dive
MOOROOLBARK Fang & Yaoxin Mini Mart 108 Hayrick Lane
MOOROOLBARK BP Mooroolbark 103 Cardigan Road
MOOROOLBARK Coles Express 2 Cambridge Road
MOOROOLBARK Professionals Real Estate Brice Avenue
MOOROOLBARK L J Hooker Brice Avenue
MOOROOLBARK Fletchers Real Estate 1/14 Manchester Road
MOOROOLBARK Mc Donalds Restaurant Manchester Road
MOOROOLBARK 7-Eleven Manchester Road
MOUNT EVELYN York on Lilydale 138 York Road
WANDIN NORTH Wandin Newsagency Shop 2 /18 Union Road
The basic necessities
By Maria Millers
Food is a basic need essential to our survival and wellbeing and as American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed in 1943 in his pyramid of human needs survival needs must be in place before we can achieve our more creative self-actualisation goals.
Today food is everywhere, at least in developed rich countries like Australia.
From wall to wall cooking shows to food courts, take away franchises, local fish and chip and pizza shops, the choices are staggering.
Then there is also the growing number of specialized options available either for health reasons or merely as lifestyle choices.
But even though there is this abundance of food, paradoxically there are in our community people who are finding it hard to feed families.
We are told that food banks are seeing a new demographic of the struggling employed.
And we are also told that growing number of our population is malnourished, deficient in nutrients, necessary for good health and wellbeing.
This is likely the overdependence on that unholy trinity of sugar, salt and fat, present in so much of the over processed food consumed Australia is not a country with a strong food culture like France or Italy.
As food historian Michael Symonds wrote: Unlike other societies with a dominant agrarian history, we have inherited no cuisine in the traditional sense. Australia’s food history has instead been dynamic, urban, industrial, science-based and capitalist-driven.
It was the post WWII migrants that slowly but surely began to change our taste buds: from Mediterranean to Eastern European and then to Asian and Middle Eastern food.
Garlic became acceptable, olive oil moved from pharmacies to supermarkets, sour cream was no longer seen as cream gone bad and hummus has become a favourite go to dip.
And suddenly bread choices multiplied: sourdough, wholegrain, rye, ancient grains, hemp, the list is endless.
Henry Leigh Hunt’s A Loaf of Bread celebrates the simple pleasure of bread, a staple, nutritious food that should sustain and nourishes us, A loaf of bread,/said Pythagoras,/is the most/perfect of all things;/for it is/made of air,/and light,/and water,/and flour,/and salt,/ and yeast,/and love,/and time.
This week Maggie Beer long known for her TV shows, like the Chef and the Cook and her gourmet products, but also for her passionate advocacy for fresh nutritious food, uninhibited by fads and trends, has turned her gaze to the quality of food found in our Aged Care homes.
She found that there was something soulless in the whole eating experience for those living in Aged Care.
Of particular concern was that there was heavy reliance on processed ingredients from stock cubes to instant potatoes.
Older people not only need fresh, nutritious food but also tasty, flavoursome food to compensate for any loss in taste.
The program was motivated by the high levels of neglect, malnutrition and social isolation identified by the Royal Commission into
WORDS
Aged Care Quality and Safety.
It is estimated that 68 per cent of Australians in residential aged care are malnourished or at risk of becoming so.
But it’s not only those in residential care that are not getting a good diet.
Those existing on weekly deliveries of frozen food and also those in the general community whose diet for various reasons is contributing to the many chronic and other health conditions we are seeing, even among children.
Many an unruly child is a hungry child.
With the many stresses facing families today, nutrition is often sub optimal.
Who can blame the parent (still most likely the mother) tired from work leaning towards shortcuts offered by processed food rather than cooking from scratch.
There is also the undeniable fact that today many have fewer skills of how to prepare a fresh nutritious meal in less time than buying something processed.
Food has become a minefield as we are constantly told what to avoid what to eat and what not to eat.
Some belief that totally plant based diets will save the planet, others disagree.
Maya Angelou in her gently humorous dig at vegans in The Health-Food Diner writes: No sprouted wheat and soya shoots And Brussels in a cake, Carrot straw and spinach raw, (Today, I need a steak). Not thick brown rice and rice pilaw Or mushrooms creamed on toast, Turnips mashed and parsnips hashed, (I’m dreaming of a roast). Health-food folks around the world Are thinned by anxious zeal, They look for help in seafood kelp (I count on breaded veal).
Similarly, Billy Collins is outright in the pleasure that a hearty osso buco can induce: I love the sound of the bone against the plate/and the fortress-like look of it lying before me in a moat of risotto/,the meat soft as the leg of an angel who has lived a purely airborne existence/.and best of all, the secret marrow the invaded privacy of the animal/ prised out with a knife and swallowed down/ with cold, exhilarating wine.
Maggie Beer’s attempts to bring awareness of nutritious food should resonate beyond her primary concern of feeding those in Aged Care Feeding the next generation and teaching them good eating habits and the skills to cook a healthy meal is vital.
And as Maslow pointed out until that basic need of food is met, our higher achievements are compromised.
Woorilla Poetry Prize 2024 is now receiving submissions. Visit the following website, woorilla.org.au
A change in the number of bread options available can be traced to migrant influxes. (Unsplash)
PROPERTY
FLAIR AND OPULENCE - THE CHURCH
FLAIR AND OPULENCE - THE CHURCH
A local gem, The Church Yarra Junction has been extensively remodeled and expertly designed with flair and opulence.
Offering country accommodation at its finest, this retired Church backs right onto the Warburton Rail Trail with an abundance to offer as an ideal place to call home or an incredibly appealing investment opportunity. As tourism growth is projected throughout the region with the much-anticipated Warburton Mountain Bike Destination opening to the public early 2025, this is an ideal start to build your portfolio.
Bright open space basked in beautiful natural light, wood-burning fireplace, split heat/air systems, washer and dryer, eurostyle electric oven, free-standing bathtub,
balcony, native gardens and multiple seating areas. Currently configured to sleep 4 with 1 queen size bed downstairs and 2 king size single beds on the mezzanine/ upstairs level.
There is plenty of onsite parking and bike storage, walk to the local cafe’s and Yarra Junction shops or wander along the picturesque trail to Warburton and beyond. Also close to the Yarra Centre community, gym and swimming facilities. Having previously operated as a Bed & Breakfast, this turn key ready property is now offered by The Weekender Property Co. as an opportunity for the astute Investor or entrepreneur. ●
PARK LIKE SERENITY
SITUATED on just under an acre of peaceful private gardens this immaculately presented, low maintenance all brick home features three bedrooms, two bathrooms and three separate living areas.
Enjoy winter evenings in the sunken lounge with a cosy wood heater whilst there is a separate dining room and family room adjacent to the large kitchen with ample bench space and storage. The balcony enjoys winter light in whilst in summer the shade of the kiwi-fruit vine provides not only a large bounty of fruit, but protection from the sun.
Car accommodation is via a high clearance carport with additional open space as well.
Additional features include a huge under house storage area with work benches, wine racks and plenty of room for a multitude of other items. There is a wood fire and ducted heating. With the hardwood floors having been recently polished and the painting done throughout, there is simply nothing to do but just enjoy this house and enjoy the serenity that this wonderful location provides.
The all-native gardens are park like with many pathways, lawn areas, two ponds, a permanent BBQ, a garden shed and a fenced area ideal for a veggie patch or even a dog run.
The location is fabulous, near to Olinda township, well known for its eateries and speciality shops. You have Pirianda Gardens nearby to enjoy even more open spaces, Olinda Pool, R.J. Hamer Arboretum, Rhododendron Gardens and so much more to discover once you are a local.
We cannot emphasise enough that you will love living here. ●
A 3 BEDROOM DELIGHT ON GLORIOUS GLENFERN
OVERLOOKING the Lysterfield Valley, and with the convenience of Glenfern Road access to Rowville, Belgrave and Ferntree Gully right at your doorstep, this beautifully maintained property is sure to impress.
Whether you are a new buyer entering the market, downsizing from your current home or looking for a low maintenance property that offers something for everyone, this home will provide it all.
The split-level design offers an open floorplan along with stunning natural light from oversized windows that showcase the perfect rear yard and valley beyond.
There are three bedrooms, the master with ensuite, walk in robe and extra wardrobe space not to mention that special view across the colourful garden.
Beautifully appointed, the kitchen boasts stainless steel Miele appliances that include dishwasher, gas cooktop, under bench oven and great storage. Soaring ceilings look down on the spacious dining area and light filled lounge, giving extra space and light whilst reverse cycle heating and cooling plus gas ducted heating can be found throughout. Outside, the gardens will impress: A flat rear yard welcomes you and will allow you to enjoy time outdoors no matter what the weather, as you can also enjoy your favourite hobby in the separate studio space, complete with power and fully insulated, making it the ideal artists studio or workshop.
A double carport with remote roller door that provides full access to the rear yard, extra car parking for 4 cars, 5kw solar with battery backup, and a 2000 litre water tank with pressure pump is all included to make this a perfect package.
In a sought-after location, close to everything, this property has it all. ●
HOME ESSENTIALS
HOME FOCUS
PERFECT HOME WITH FLEXIBILITY AND COMFORT
NESTLED in a prime location on 1400sqm approx. with breathtaking views of the Cardinia Reservoir, this fabulous family home offers the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and flexibility.
Spanning over two levels, this residence is designed to cater to the diverse needs of a modern family, providing ample space and a variety of functional areas to enjoy.
Upstairs, you’ll find three generously sized bedrooms, including a master suite that boasts a walk-in robe, a full ensuite and with sliding doors onto the deck.
The open-plan living area is a highlight of the home, featuring a lounge, dining, and kitchen space adorned with floorboards throughout. The kitchen is a chef’s delight, equipped with modern appliances and ample storage.
The cosy wood fire in the living area, along with gas ducted heating and evaporative cooling, ensures year-round comfort. A convenient study nook provides an ideal space for work or study, while the fantastic outdoor living area is perfect for entertaining with family and friends, or just to relax.
The lower level of the home is designed with versatility in mind. It features a fourth bedroom with its own private patio, a powder room, and a large rumpus room that serves as the perfect teenage retreat or guest accommodation.
This space offers privacy and independence for family members, making it an invaluable addition to the home.
The property includes two driveway entrances, providing ample parking space with a double carport. The fully fenced rear yard ensures safety and privacy, making it an ideal play area for children or pets.
Additionally, the home is equipped with substantial 37,000-litre water tanks, promoting sustainable living. Location is key, and this home excels in convenience.
It is within walking distance to the bus stop and a primary school, doctors, tennis court, making daily commutes easy and stress-free. Belgrave Central is just moments away, offering a range of shops, cafes, train station and amenities to cater to all your needs.
Don’t miss the opportunity to make this dream home your reality. ●
Theduallivingpotentialoffers flexibilityfor various livingarrangements &the rural setting withitsscenic views addsaserenecharm.Themainspacious househas 3bedrooms,a study,featuringmodernamenities,expansivedeck,DGH, awoodfire& asplit system. Theattachedunitprovides additionallivingspacewithits ownbedroom,ensuite & kitchenette,idealfor independentliving.outside,thepropertyoffers asealeddriveway, remotegatedentry,ampleparking,establishedgardens,shedding,garage& workshop.
Mickdolphin 0429684522
Erindavies 0493136937
ESCAPETHEGRID& MAKE ATREECHANGE
SELBY 45TEMPlERoAD
COUNTRYSTYLEHOMEON1200sqm
Forthosewhohaveconsidereda TreeChange,thisinvitinghomepresentsanexciting opportunitytocapturethatruraltranquility.WhisperquietbutenjoysproximitytoBelgrave Southshops &theprimaryschool.Timberaccents& aflexible floorplanarethehighlights here.Featuring aMiele-equippedkitchen,casualmealsarea,wood-burner, aseparate diningzone/sittingroom,upstairsextralivingarea,alfrescopatio,DGH,s/system,massive under-housestoreroom,dblcarport,150,000-litrewatertank, 8solarpanelsplus astudio.
GrantSkipsey 0418528102
Theperfectblendofheritage1920’sarchitecture& contemporarystyleon1051m2. Featuringa spacious &privatemaster,luxuriousmainbathroom,‘stateoftheart’ kitchen, afabulousatticareaidealasgaming/theatreroomoryoga/meditationetc oaklaminateflooring,newcarpets,NBN,datanetworked,wood fire,ductedheating splitsystem,establishedgardens,superb4 cargaragewithrear& interioraccess,sealed driveway,frontporch,spaciouscoveredreardeck,shedwithpower& woodstore.
4 A 2 B 6 C
Nestledina primelocationwithbreathtakingviews,thisfabuloushomespanningover twolevelsisdesignedtocatertothediverseneedsofa modernfamilyandthetoplevel featuresopen-planliving,diningandthekitchenwithfloorboardsthroughout,wood firein theliving, astudynookanda largedeck.Thelowerlevelincludesa fourthbedroomwith itsownprivatepatio,a powderroomanda largerumpusroom.Thepropertyincludes twodriveways,doublecarport,a fullyfencedrearyardand37,000ltwatertanks.
HOME FOCUS
PRIVATELY LOCATED, BEAUTIFUL HOME
THIS beautiful, character home is sure to tick all your boxes.
With a wraparound verandah leading to the front door, step inside this 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 2 living home, to find warm timber flooring, amazingly high ceilings, open plan living and all the creature comforts, and all located in a peaceful no-through-road location.
You are welcomed by a spacious formal entry. On the left you head into the theatre/ rumpus/man cave or continue straight ahead into the spacious, open plan lounge/ dining room with soring pitched timber ceilings, stunning floorboards, and a toasty wood fire for those romantic nights in; whilst the home has gas ducted heating for the ultimate in comfort and convenience.
Walk through to the dining area to the entertainer’s kitchen, complete with 900mm free standing antique style oven/stove an abundance of storage and brand new ducted vacuum system.
From the kitchen/dining are you have direct access to a huge undercover deck overlooking the natural surrounds, the outdoor spa and the creek below, compete with a built-in bar, making it the perfect place to entertain family and friends.
Add to the home a stylishly renovated family bathroom and laundry and new carpets to the robed bedrooms, the master with a walk-in robe and gorgeous ensuite.
Outside there is a concreted circular drive, fully fenced rear yard to keep the kids and fur babies safe. The ultimate in chicken houses, landscaped gardens and paths with a cosy fire pit area. Fully lined under house storage, a double carport providing under cover access to the home, a fully lined and insulated studio at the rear of the garage, and a double car drive through garage/ workshop with separate driveway access.
All this, privately located on over half acre – this property has something for everyone and there is nothing to do but move in and enjoy the Hill’s lifestyle.
Call to arrange a private inspection today.
Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. Recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●
ExpansiveFamilyHomeintheHeartofMonbulk!
PerfectlylocatedintheheartofMonbulkthisfamilyhomefeatures 4robedbedrooms, &2 bathroomsincluding afamilybathroomcompletewith abathtub,thishomehas afunctionalfloor plan.Themasterbedroomhasanensuite &WIR &islocatednear alargeformallivingroom,whilst2 oftheremainingbedroomsarelocatednearthespacious,openplankitchen &familyroom.Thereis aseparatediningroomwhichcouldbeutilisedas ahomeoffice/study.Addtothefeatures atoasty woodfireinthefamilyroom,gasductedheatingthroughout,floorboards, awell-appointedkitchen &securityshuttersonnearlyallwindows &doors.Outsideisthehuge,private,undercoverdeck, perfectforentertainingallyearround,a DLUG,2 furthergarden/woodsheds&alovelysideyard.
SamanthaScott M 0438680032
BeautifulHomeinEmeraldonapprox.23acreswithViews! Thisoutstanding3 bedroom,3 bathroomhomesituatedonapprox.23Acresoffersgorgeousviews acrossclearedpaddockstoCardiniaReservoir.Thisstoneconstructedhomehas awoodfireheater, acousticstrawboardvaultedceiling,giantwindowssoakingintheview &plentyofnaturallight.The kitchenisvast,with agasstovetop &electricoven, &plentyofbenchspace.Unwindinthesecond loungeroomwithanopenfireplace&astunningstudyarea.Thereisa masterbedroomfeaturinga walkthroughwardrobetotheensuite.Thefurther 2bedroomshaveBIRs& areservicedby afamily bathroom.Externallythereisa clearedpaddockwith acentraltreedgully.Thegroundscontaina pizzaoven,a highdoublecarportattachedtothehome, &inthebackyardareais adoublegarage withpower,lights &concretedfloor.Thispropertyhasmainspower,gas &water.
BeautifullyRenovated5 BedroomFamilyHome +BungalowonanAcre! Situatedonjustover 1acreofflatland,thisstunninghomewithwraparoundverandahhasallthe creaturecomforts.Featuring along,centralhallway &9ftceilingsthroughout.Fromthespacious laundry,tothelargeopenloungewithanelectricfireplace.Meanderingdownthehallyouwillfind 5stylishbedrooms,theMasterwithFrenchdoorsopeningontotherearverandah,a largewalkthroughrobe& ensuite.Thefamilybathroomisgenerousinsize, &offers abath, &shower.Addto this aseparatediningroomwithFrenchdoorstotheverandah.Thekitcheniswell-appointedwitha hugeislandbenchwithstonetop,newfreestanding900mmgas/electricstove,D/W,& WIP. Outside,hasa 2BRbungalowwithlounge& kitchenette,thepropertyisfullyfenced.Addtothisa workshopwithconcretefloor &power.
M 0438680032
FamilyHome,StunningViews,Over 2Acres &All aShortWalktoEmerald! Aptlynamed,‘HiddenValley’,thispropertyiseverythingitpromises!Thedrivewaycurlsaround establishedgardens,tothe3BR,multi-levelhome.Thetiledfoyerleadsintoaninvitingloungeroom withwoodheater,& S/S.OppositetheloungeistheMasterbedroom,withWIR,ensuite,S/Sheating/ A/C. Ashortstaircaseleadstothesecondlevel,wherethelandinghasoutdooraccessto alarge, pergola.Twospacious,robedbedroomsarealsolocatedonthislevel,inadditionto alargelaundry, toilet, &mainbathroom.ThetoplevelfeaturesthefamilylivingzonewithA/C,pitchedceilings.The kitchenfeaturestimberbenchtops,S/Sappliances.Thegroundsare2.3acresoffencedpaddocks withlargesheds.Anotherhugeshedwithconcretefloors &power,& thereis10kWofsolarwith 14.2kWbatterybackup.
SamanthaScott
SECURE FAMILY LIVING WITH PLENTY OF SPACE
FROM the very first moment, you’ll be impressed by this delightful family home full of character and charm.
Cosy yet spacious, offering an open kitchen, dining and family area, 3 bedrooms including master with ensuite and spacious walk-in robe, and a double carport at the front allows easy undercover parking. Both bathrooms boast a delightful feature window where one can take in the lush greenery in absolute privacy.
This secure fenced property is surrounded by attractive established gardens, a large grassy, flat yard all safely behind a charming front picket fence with remote control gates. In addition to the carports there is a lock-up garage and tool shed at the rear also with easy access. A wide covered verandah extending the length of the house invites you to sit back with a warm cup of coffee and absorb the tranquility whilst listening to the birds and lovely environment. The paved courtyard with built-in BBQ makes an ideal setting for any social gathering. With plenty of space to kick a ball or watch the kids and pets run and play this home is sure to please.
Additional features include gas ducted heating, 3 split systems, ceiling fans, a crackling wood fire in the lounge and a huge block of approx. 1114 sq.m
A great place to call home amidst the picturesque Yarra Valley. ●
TheChurchYarraJunction,a beautifullyremodeledcountryaccommodation,backsontothe WarburtonTrailandoffers auniquehomeorinvestmentopportunity.Withtourismexpectedtogrow duetotheupcomingWarburtonMountainBikeDestinationin2025,it’sanidealportfolioaddition. Featuresincludebrightopenspaces, awood-burningfireplace,splitheat/airsystems,washer& dryer,euro-styleelectricoven,free-standingbathtub,balcony,nativegardens,andmultipleseating areas.Itsleeps4 with 1Queenbeddownstairsand 2KingSinglebedsupstairs.There’sampleparking, bikestorage,andeasyaccesstolocalcafes,shops,theYarraCentre,andscenictrails.Previouslya Bed& Breakfast,thisturnkeypropertyisnowavailablethroughTheWeekenderPropertyCo.forsavvy investorsorentrepreneurs. 2485WarburtonHighway,YarraJunction
DavidCarroll
HorseHavenon aGlorious5 acres( approx.)
Comeandlivetherelaxedcountrylifestylesituatedon acolourfulandpicturesque 5acres(approx.) Thehomeisfullofcharmandcharacterwithperiodfeaturesthroughoutandboasting3 greatsize bedroomswitha convenient,flexibleandfunctionalfloorplanwith 2bathroomsand astudy/office areawithextraspace.Thekitchenisfresh,spaciousandoffersplentyofbenchandcupboard space,theopenlivingandloungeareasare ahighlightandseamlesslyopenuptotheoutdoors showcasingthestunningmountainbackdrop.Thewholefamilywilllovetheexpansiveopenspace withapprox.5 acrestoexploreandenjoy,a horseenthusiastshavenwithseparatepaddocks, stables,roundyard,hayshed/machineryshedand adoublelockupgarage. Asuperbsmall acreageproperty,welllovedandwelllookedafterina stunninglocation.
DavidCarroll M 0419539320
FamilySpaceandConvenienceona GreatBlock
Boastingloadsofspaceforthegrowingfamilythishomeistheidealspottoenjoythepeaceful countrylifestyle.Offering 3largebedroomsallwithbuiltinrobesandanensuiteinthemain bedroom,bigopenlivingareasgivethewholefamilyplentyofspacetospreadoutwithseparate zonedlounge/familyrooms,theopenplankitchenisspaciousandhasamplebenchandcupboard space.Everyonewilllovetheoutdoorswithapprox.2000sqmtoenjoyandexplore,established, landscapedgardenssurroundthepropertywithplentyofcolourandbirdlifetoadmire.Plenty ofsheddingwith acarport,lockupgarage,woodshed/carportwithloadsofspaceforboats, trailersandcaravansandalso aveggiepatch,plustheaddedbonusofbeingzonedNRZ2offering developmentpotential(STCA).A greatfamilyhomein agreatlocation.
EnchantingHomeon ½acrewithMountainViews
Thistwostorycharacterhomeboaststhreebedroomsandtwobathrooms,offering adelightful retreatamidststunningmountainvistas.Nestledon ageneroushalfacreblock,it’sideallysituated. Thegroundlevelhoststwobedroomsalongside amainbathroom,gracedwithhighceilingsand decorativecornices.Theupdatedkitchenis aculinaryhaven,boastinga stylishbreakfastbar,ample benchspace,and adelightfulwindowoverlookingthelushgarden.Stepoutsideontothegorgeous deckarea,perfectforalfrescodiningwhilesoakinginthepicturesquesurroundings.Downstairs, aspaciousrumpusareaawaits,andmainbedroomcompletewithanensuiteandbuiltinrobe. Outside,themeticulouslylandscapedgardensburstwithcolour,adornedwithcharmingshadetrees scatteredthroughouttheproperty,creatinga sereneoasistocallhome.
included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.
AT 20 HARDY STREET, LILYDALE VIC - 3140 INCLUDING 5G
1. The proposed facility consist of the addition of new Vodafone and Optus 5G equipment and associated works as follows:
•Replacement and reconfiguration of existing Three (3) Vodafone passive antennas not more than 2.8m in length onto proposed new headframe;
•Replacement and reconfiguration of existing Three (3) Optus passive antennas not more than 2.8m in length onto proposed new headframe;
•Installation of Three (3) Vodafone 5G and Three (3) 5G Optus antennas not more than 1.2m in length onto the new headframe;
•Installation of Twenty One (21) Remote Radio Units (RRU’s) installed on new steel mounts;
•Installation of ancillary equipment, cabling, GPS antennas and other items associated with the safety and operation of the facility; and
•Reconfiguration and installation of equipment within the existing equipment shelter.
2. Vodafone and Optus regard the proposed installation as low impact under The Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 based on the description above.
3. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Should you require further information or wish to comment, please contact: Abhishek Gampala from Nokia Solutions & Networks on 0413 809 856 or at communityrelations.vha@groups.nokia.com until 5pm Wednesday 31 July 2024 Further information may also be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/3140001
SPORT Archers pop up at shed
Over the weekend of 6 and 7 July 2024, Yering District Archers (YDA) hosted the State National Indoor Competition at a pop-up venue in Wandin East’s Big Green Shed.
There were approximately 75 archers from clubs all aroundVictoria, with theWandin East venue one of five available around the state for competitors in Victoria.
The indoor comp consists of 20 ends each time shooting 3 arrows, for a possible score of 600.
The weekend had two different rounds, one being the State round and the second day the National round. Every archer has a chance at shooting a state record and also a National record and could receive two medals for the competition.
Main Results for Yering Archers:
Male Under 14 compound
· Ethan Brodie - 3rd in Vic and 6th Nationally
Female Under 21 compound
· Sophie Southall -1st in Vic and 1st nationally
Male 60+ longbow
· Mark Southall - 2nd inVic and 3rd nationally
Male 70+ compound
· Bill Mackieson - 4th in Vic14th Nationally
Male 70+ Recurve
· Ron Baddeley - 1st in Vic and 5th Nationally
Many other members placed well especially those who were shooting their first competition.
The committee at YDA would like to thank all our archers who competed in the championships, Wandin-Seville Community Bank
Chairman Ray Barrett, Casey MP Aaron Violi and his daughter, and Evelyn MP Bridget Vallance who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in the opening ceremony as well as event sponsors especially the WandinSeville Community Bank for their generous donation, which helped YDA purchase new target butts for the event and of course the National Judge, Steve, as without him the show wouldn’t go on.
Lastly, the YDA Committee would like to thank all the volunteers from YDA and Sherbrooke Archers who have helped out tirelessly in running practice evenings prior to the Championships and those who worked over the weekend.
If you are interested in having a go at archery many of our clubs run come and try sessions, just google “archery clubs in my area.”
Clubs would love to see you on our ranges.
Nail-biting round 13 results in football and netball
By Armin Richter
FOOTBALL
PREMIER DIVISION
· Seniors: Narre Warren 21.13.139 def Emerald 8.9.57; Woori Yallock 9.10.64 def Upwey-Tecoma 7.8.50; Mt. Evelyn 10.7.67 def Officer 6.6.42; Pakenham 13.16.94 def Berwick Springs 8.6.54; Wandin 13.13.91 def Monbulk 10.10.70; Olinda-Ferny Creek 19.16.130 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 12.9.81
· Reserves: NarreWarren 7.13.55 def Emerald 8.4.52; Upwey-Tecoma 13.14.92 def Woori Yallock 4.2.26; Officer 6.6.42 def Mt. Evelyn 3.6.24; Pakenham 8.11.59 def Berwick Springs 7.4.46; Wandin 8.10.58 def Monbulk 6.2.38; Olinda-Ferny Creek 12.6.78 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 8.11.59
DIVISION ONE
· Seniors: Healesville 17.13.115 def Belgrave 4.6.30; Yea 26.8.164 def Yarra Glen 4.11.35; Warburton-Millgrove 21.24.150 def Yarra Junction 3.3.21; Seville 33.24. 222 def Powelltown 4.2.26; Alexandra bye
· Reserves: Healesville 6.7.43 def Belgrave 4.2.26; Yea 14.10.94 def Yarra Glen 1.3.9; Warburton-Millgrove 21.15.141 def Yarra Junction 2.3.15; Seville 18.12.120 def Powelltown 2.4.16; Alexandra bye
· UNDER 19s: Upwey-Tecoma 6.12.48 def Pakenham 2.6.18; Wandin 9.9.63 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 8.8.56; Narre Warren + Officer bye
· UNDER 18s: Mt. Evelyn 28.11.179 def Seville 0.1.1; Woori Yallock 12.12.84 def Upwey-Tecoma 3.4.22; Healesville + OlindaFerny Creek bye
SENIOR WOMEN
· Division 1: Healesville 7.7.49 def Belgrave 0.0.0; Pakenham 11.10.76 def Berwick Springs 2.0.12; Olinda-Ferny Creek 4.6.30 def Upwey-Tecoma 3.6.24
· Division 2:Warburton-Wesburn 5.11.41 def Emerald 2.2.14; Monbulk 6.2.38 def Wandin 5.6.36; Officer 8.4.52 def Seville 4.4.28; Woori Yallock 11.7.73 def Thornton Eildon 0.0.0
NETBALL
PREMIER DIVISION
· A Grade: Monbulk 53 def Wandin 48; Upwey-Tecoma 52 def Woori Yallock 43; Narre Warren 59 def Emerald 50; Mt. Evelyn 36 def ROC 28; Pakenham 80 def Berwick Springs 5; Olinda-Ferny Creek 47 def Gem-
brook-Cockatoo 44
· B Grade: Wandin 43 def Monbulk 41; Woori Yallock 67 def Upwey-Tecoma 45; Narre Warren 85 def Emerald 41; ROC 45 def Mt. Evelyn 33; Pakenham 77 def Berwick Springs 20; Gembrook-Cockatoo 46 def Olinda-Ferny Creek 30
· C Grade: Wandin 37 def Monbulk 31; Upwey-Tecoma 27 def Woori Yallock 22; Narre Warren 50 def Emerald 20; ROC 42 def Mt. Evelyn 38; Pakenham 46 def Berwick Springs 14; Gembrook-Cockatoo 22 def Olinda-Ferny Creek 18
· D Grade: Wandin 38 def Monbulk 18; Upwey-Tecoma 33 def Woori Yallock 14; Narre Warren 52 def Emerald 17; ROC 33 def Mt. Evelyn 16; Pakenham 40 def Berwick Springs 10; Olinda-Ferny Creek 21 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 8
DIVISION ONE
· A Grade: Belgrave 54 def Healesville 53;Yarra Glen 87 def Yea 22; Warburton-Millgrove 57 defYarra Junction 23; Alexandra + Seville bye
· B Grade: Seville 84 def Powelltown 20; Belgrave 61 def Healesville 28; Yarra Glen
42 def Yea 33; Warburton-Millgrove 38 def Yarra Junction 22; Alexandra bye
· C Grade: Belgrave 53 def Healesville 10;Yarra Glen 33 def Yea 12; Warburton-Millgrove 35 defYarra Junction 15; Seville 77 def Powelltown 7; Alexandra bye
· D Grade: Yarra Glen 29 def Yea 6; Warburton-Millgrove 30 def Yarra Junction 12; Seville 60 def Powelltown 8; Alexandra + Belgrave bye
· 17 & Under Premier: Pakenham 29 def Wandin 28; Berwick 27 drew Woori Yallock 27; ROC 68 def Mt. Evelyn 4; Narre Warren bye
· 15 & Under East: Berwick 30 def Woori Yallock 4; ROC 28 def Monbulk
Tiana Mancarella reaches to catch a pass in B Grade. (Supplied)
Stephanie Ferguson shoots for goal under threatening skies.
Yering District Archers once again hosted the State/National Indoor Championships. (Supplied)
Archers take aim.
Barkers share the spoils
By Peter Stephenson
Barkers (fifth) had their first home game in a month as they hosted Knox City (seventh) at a surprisingly sunny Kennel. Barkers made two changes to the side that lost 2-5 at Peninsula, with Chris Potter and Maxim Solovyev replacing Aaron Porcaro and JeromeValadon.
Both sides began cautiously, but on 12 minutes, a Sean Perrin throw-in on the left found Ahren Angulo, who hit a low shot wide. Five minutes later, Ray Markley went on a run down the right, and his cross flashed across the Knox goal with no forward on hand to connect.
Barkers’ best move so far came on 25 minutes, when Danny Aye sent Ross Clark down the left. Christian Porcaro overlapped and received the ball, he crossed and found Markley’s head, but the attempt went over. Then Knox had their best chance so far, when Nicholas D’Angelo
slipped the ball to Dimitri Kosmas. With seemingly nothing on, he let rip an excellent shot that went just wide.
Now I didn’t know until recently that a goal direct from a corner is apparently an “Olimpico”. With a nod to the great event in Gay Paree in a couple of weeks’ time, Clark sent in a corner from the left, and it sailed beyond everyone into the far corner of the net for a goal which stunned everyone, certainly the Knox defence – how everyone in the six-yard box manages to miss these is a mystery, but regardless, Barkers had a deserved lead.
This lead was short-lived, though. Just four minutes before the break, Knox sprayed the ball out to Leo McLeod on the right. His pace was too much for his marker, and he ran on and slipped the ball past Mark Naumowicz for the equaliser. The last five minutes saw Knox try to capitalise on that momentum, and Mateusz
Kurzeja curled a free kick over, but the sides went in level at 1-1. Barkers looked the better of the sides in a tight first half, but Knox took almost their only chance.
The second half was at first, a continuation of the end of the first, as Knox looked much sharper than the hosts. Six minutes in, a great ball was played out to Ceu KhiTeng on the right. He crossed for McLeod, who had he connected would certainly have scored.
Then Khi Teng swivelled and shot just wide from close range. As Knox piled on the pressure, they had three attempts in quick succession which Naumowicz somehow repelled with Barkers on the rack.
However, Barkers survived and then had a good spell of their own. First Clark broke down the right and crossed for Aye, but as he shaped to shoot, a defender did just enough to put him off. Then just after the hour, a lovely passing
move involving half the team ended with Potter squaring the ball to Liam Seaye, whose shot was on target but keeper Matthew Krstina had it covered.
The game now became scrappy, and on 68 minutes, an innocuous foul by Markley somehow led to him receiving a straight red card. Having reviewed the footage it was a yellow at worst, and nobody from either side has yet to disagree with that.
The game drew to a conclusion with no real threats from either side until well into stoppage time. A Barkers free kick saw them lose the ball, Knox broke with McLeod in the clear, but Naumowicz, not for the first time this afternoon, came to Barkers’ rescue with another point-blank block. Full-time: 1-1. An entertaining derby but both sides now seem condemned to mid-table.
Barkerettes march on at the top with more solid wins
By Peter Stephenson
Barkerettes (first) travelled to Donvale Reserve to face Templestowe Wolves (seventh), one of two teams in this league foolish enough to think they can bully the Barkerettes (hint – you can’t).
In windy conditions and kicking downhill, Barkers took their time to play themselves into the game on a ground where, to my knowledge, no Barker has ever set foot. After five minutes though, the ball was played out by Eleanor Ridley to Gracie Touliatos on the right. She crossed for Amy D’Ortenzio, who touched on for the better-placed Charlotte McCullough to hit home her fourth in two games – 1-0 and Barkers were on their way.
From kick-off, Wolves tried a long punt from halfway which almost came off (think Pele against Czechoslovakia in the 1970 World Cup), but the ball went narrowly wide. Stung into action, Barkers replied swiftly. From the goal kick the ball found D’Ortenzio, who with an absolutely sublime first touch set up an attack which ended with Ridley making it 2-0 after only seven minutes. After the Albert Park game, this was looking eerily similar.
Templestowe though, can actually play football when they’re not complaining, and two minutes later, a forward was in on goal, but Ashleigh Fraraccio blocked, then dived at
the forward’s feet to snuff out the rebound, collecting a free kick for her trouble.
As with Albert Park, Barkers were able to rip apart Wolves almost at will, and on 17 minutes a through ball for D’Ortenzio saw her outpace the defence and, one on one with keeper Isabella Mezzetti, had little trou-
ble finding the net for 3-0. Three minutes later, McCullough mugged her opponent, got to the byline and cut back for D’Ortenzio to make it 4-0. Then came one of the neatest goals you could wish to see.
Yet again Ridley released Touliatos down the right. She’s so fast that she makes her own
space and had time to deliver a perfect cross for McCullough. Who better than a forward who is in the zone at the moment to sweep the ball into the net for number five? Halftime: Wolves 0-5 Barkers, the scoreline flattering Wolves.
In the second half, Barkers were kicking uphill and into the wind. A frustrated Eleni Tsoumpris talked herself into the ref’s book along with two of her Wolves teammates, but Barkers had more trouble breaking down Wolves than in the first half.
Kelly Butera, playing with a protective face mask, was keen to get in on the scoring action. Sure enough, just seven minutes into the second half, Wolves made the fatal error of allowing our newly-discovered scoring sensation room to shoot – maybe they didn’t recognise her? Anyway, as she often does, she just casually lobbed the keeper from about 25 yards and it was 6-0.
A few minutes later Ridley set up D’Ortenzio, but the shot went over. Barkers had numerous chances to add to the score but Wolves somehow held out. Full time: Wolves 0-6 Barkers. Another three points and the Barkerettes stay at least two points clear of Collingwood with six games to play. Next, though, they host the only side to have beaten them in the league this season – a Friday night date at the Kennel with FC Melbourne Srbija awaits.
The Barkerettes controlled the field scoring 6-0 against Templestowe. (File)
Mooroolbark’s men’s seniors took on local rival Knox City at home coming up with equal points. (File)
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