News - Cranbourne Star News - 31st October 2024

A recent 10-year greenfield housing plan for Melbourne’s Casey South, proposed by the state government, has been met with controversy.

James Thomas, chief executive officer of Core Project, a greenfield land project consultancy, described the plan as “almost a step backwards,“ noting that some Precinct Structure Plans (PSP), like Devon Meadows and Clyde South, were al-

ready designated as priority projects on the Victoria Planning Authority (VPA) list in the 2020-2021 Business Plan but had seen little progress.

The state government’s 10-year greenfield housing plan outlines that four PSPs across Casey South, including Casey Fields South, Cardinia Creek South (Part 2), Croskell, and Devon Meadows, will be completed by 2028, and Clyde South

will be slated for 2033. Mr Thomas highlighted that even if PSPs were approved promptly, it would take roughly two years before any homes were available. City of Casey manager Growth and Investment Kathryn Seirlis said that given the preparation of Casey Fields South and Devon Meadows PSPs were well advanced, the council believed that the plans could be finalised in the

next 12 to 18 months, which was well before the 2028 target. She also urged for faster action on Clyde South PSP to address housing needs.

The VPA is currently working with local stakeholders to review technical details before finalising Casey Fields South and Devon Meadows PSPs for community consultation.

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Maree Quinn is on the committee and is also a cancer survivor. She held a candle as the lights were turned off. (Rob Carew: 439676)

Nature’s healing path awaits

By Violet Li

When spring unfolds, forest therapy guides Carolyn Shurey and Evelyn Lavelle will take a group traversing the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne on a therapeutic mission.

They lead participants into different sensory activities, feeling the breeze, looking at the shapes of blues, hugging the trees, and smelling a variety of peppermint. This guided experience aims to bolster both mental and physical health by reducing stress levels, regulating pulse and blood pressure and elevating the mood.

Forest Therapy has been running at the Royal Botanic Gardens since 2019, and a growing interest has been observed in the community over the years.

“We introduced the program at Melbourne Gardens in 2019. And then in Cranbourne, we started before Covid. We lost a few years there, so it’s come back again, and we have it in autumn and spring,” creative producer at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Kara Ward said.

“We think this is a really beautiful experience. We like to remind people that being in nature is good for your relaxation and mindfulness.

“And we just think it is a great way to celebrate the gardens and to also promote slowing down and mindfulness and the benefits of being in nature.

“At the same time, we think it’s also a really beautiful way to experience the garden because you were taught to slow down and look closely, you then notice lots of beautiful detail about the garden.”

The program is presented in partnership with the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA).

INFTA president Susan Joachim said the prac-

Cranbourne e-scooter rider, 31, dies

An e-scooter rider has died after a collision with a car in Springvale on Monday 28 October.

The vehicles crashed at the intersection of Westall Road and Thames Avenue about 2.40pm, police say.

The rider, a 31-year-old Cranbourne man, died at the scene.

A 23-year-old Glen Waverley woman, who was driving the car, stopped at the scene and has spoken to police.

Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol officers are investigating.

Any dashcam/CCTV footage or information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au

tice of forest therapy was inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which was translated to forest bathing.

“It has nothing to do with water, but more about immersing our senses in nature,” she said.

“It started in the 1980s as a practice in Japan in response to chronic stress in the public service and the corporate world. There was a lot of stress among people, and there were high rates of suicide among executives because of the long working hours.”

“In response to that, the government decided to open up forest therapy centres, and this spread out to other countries like South Korea, and now it’s spread all the way to Australia.”

Ms Joachim said the walks at the Royal Botanic Gardens were all about slowing down.

“It’s designed to help people who get out of their car and come into the gardens to begin to relax their bodies. We do stretch. We do movement activities to help the body slow down,” she said.

“We start with the body relaxing, and then the mind follows. We close our eyes, and the guides would take us through listening, smelling and feeling the textures of the wind.”

Unlike the original practices in the forests in Japan, the Australian practices have gone through localisation.

“Japan has very mountainous forests, so the experience is much more like a hike. Whereas in our parts of the world, we brought more elements of mindfulness into the practice,” Ms Joachim said.

“It is also in tune with the local culture, with

local Aboriginal cultures and also in response to the different vegetation in Australia.

“The Japanese couldn’t believe that we have these programs in botanic gardens because, in Japan, they think forest therapy must only happen in a forest. But we showed them we can.

“Forest therapy does not only have to be in the forest. If there’s a botanic garden that has that biodiversity and that has strength, it surely can bring good mental and physical health care.”

To know more about Forest Therapy in Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, visit: rbg.vic.gov. au/cranbourne-gardens/whats-on-cranbourne/ forest-therapy

If you need help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or, in an emergency, 000.

Hampton Park man jailed after fatal crash

By Ethan Benedicto

The tragic loss of 19-year-old Noah Peacock has left a void in his family and community, as Jayden Colverd, the man whose actions led to the fiery crash, could be eligible for parole by May 2025, after his sentencing on Wednesday 23 October.

Jayden Colverd, 28, from Hampton Park, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and failing to render assistance.

In August 2022, Colverd, driving unlicensed and at high speeds, crossed into the opposite lane of South Gippsland Highway near Jeetho, and collided with Noah’s vehicle, resulting in a fiery crash that tragically ended Noah’s life.

On a wet but otherwise clear day, a witness, who had been driving ahead of Colverd, witnessed him pass her in his 2004 Ford Falcon wagon “like a rocket”, while she had been traveling around 100km/h.

She saw the horrific aftermath of the incident after a bend, with Colverd’s vehicle having crossed to the wrong side of the road and colliding head-on with Noah’s car.

The force of the impact pushed Noah’s 2005 Ford Falcon sedan off the road, where it hit a tree and caught fire.

Witnesses attempted to help but the intense heat prevented them from approaching the burning vehicle.

Colverd, although injured, was able to escape his vehicle with a witness’s help, but after being assisted, fled the scene to a grassy area and down an embankment.

Noah’s body was found inside the car once the fire was put out by CFA members.

Collision reconstruction experts revealed that Colverd’s vehicle was approximately 1.47 metres into the opposite lane.

They were not able to determine why the vehicle crossed the lines as there was no evidence of pre-impact braking from either vehicle.

Driving without a licence after it was cancelled in 2022 for refusing a breath test, Colverd’s blood sample in hospital revealed cannabis and a blood-alcohol level between 0.037 and 0.064 at the time of the crash.

Noah’s death had a heavy toll on his family,

as described in their victim impact statements. Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis also considered Colverd’s diagnosed PTSD and undiagnosed ADHD, as well as his history of trauma.

Judge Karapanagiotidis added that the sentencing could never measure the depth of the loss felt by Noah’s family and the wider community, adding that “the sentence I am about to impose is not a measure of Noah’s life”.

“Nor is it a measure of the deep profound grief of those who knew and loved him.

“Rather, it is a reflection of a range of factors that by law I am required to take into account and balance, as already canvased,” she said.

Colverd, who was 25 years old at the time of the incident, was jailed for four years with a 33-month non-parole period.

He has served 798 days in pre-sentencing detention, making him eligible for parole by May next year.

Colverd’s driver licence was also disqualified for four years, and a Section 89C declaration was issued, marking that the offence was committed under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

INFTA forest therapy guides Carolyn Shurey and Evelyn Lavelle in Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. (Gary Sissons: 430249)

A peppermint garden that helps the forest therapy participants immerse themselves in smells. (430249)

Long road to more homes

By Violet Li

A greenfield land project consultant says the state government’s recent 10-year housing plan for parts of the Casey South is “almost a step backwards”.

On 23 October, the state government released a plan for additional greenfield areas across Melbourne’s outer south east to be released over the next 10 years, promising to provide the space and complete the planning work to deliver 180,000 new homes over the decade.

Across Casey South, plans for Casey Fields South Precinct, Cardinia Creek South Precinct (Part 2), Croskell Precinct, and Devon Meadows Precinct are set to be under preparation in 202425 and will be completed by the end of 2028. The plan for Clyde South Precinct is set to commerce between 2025-26 and 2028-29, with completion by 2033.

James Thomas, the chief executive officer of Greenfield land project consultant Core Project, pointed out that some plans were not new.

He said the Devon Meadows Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) first went on the Victoria Planning Authority (VPA) list in the 2020-2021 Business Plan as part of the PSP 2.0 process, which was meant to deliver fast-tracked approval routes for collaboration between what was the Victorian Planning Authority, local government, and development.

“At the same time as well, Clyde South PSP was on that list,” he said.

“Both of them over the last few years have been listed as tier one projects or priority projects. And still, nothing’s happened.

“So this recent announcement is actually almost a step backwards because they should have been done already.”

Mr Thomas said that if it took VPA until 2028 to deliver the PSPs, it would end up being an eightyear process.

On 23 October, the state government released a plan for additional greenfield areas across Melbourne’s outer south east to be released over the next 10 years, promising to provide the space and complete the planning work to deliver 180,000 new homes over the decade. (File/AAP Image/ Lukas Coch)

10,000 residents living in 3,000 homes in a seamless blend of modern urban living and natural landscape character”. It sits next to the proposed Casey Field South Precinct, which will deliver 42,000 jobs.

The original project timelines released in June 2022 showed the two PSPs would be gazetted towards late 2024. The VPA website shows that the draft plans are currently under council and state agency validation and community engagement and exhibition will be held in the second half of 2024.

As for Clyde South Precinct, the website shows that VPA is leading the preparation of a PSP and infrastructure contributions plan (ICP). No timeline has been provided.

When inquired, City of Casey manager Growth and Investment Kathryn Seirlis said: “The City of Casey continues to support VPA, who is the lead agency, in the preparation of the Casey Fields South (Employment) and Devon Meadows Precinct Structure Plan.

“The VPA’s most recent project update indicates that they are currently reviewing technical information with stakeholders, including but not limited to, cultural heritage, drainage and infrastructure matters, prior to finalising a draft plan for community consultation.”

Ms Seirlis also said that given the preparation of Casey Fields South and Devon Meadows PSPs were well advanced, the council believed that the plans could be finalised in the next 12 to 18 months, which was well before the 2028 target set by the VPA.

“So if it takes them until 2028 to complete the plan, once the developer actually launches the project and starts construction, it’ll generally take them 12 to 18 months to deliver the first stage and your housing construction will take six to 12 months resulting in homes being available around 2030, or two years post-civil construction commencement,” he said.

day, the first house won’t get on the ground until sometime in 2027.

“Unfortunately the pace of Devon Meadows PSP means you are unlikely to see a home there until at least 2027 at the earliest, more likely 2030.”

“So from whenever they get the plan approved before the first home goes in, it generally takes about two years assuming development starts immediately. So even if they approve the plan to-

According to the Vision & Purpose document on VPA’s website, Devon Meadows Precinct has been envisioned to be an “immersive, walkable residential neighbourhood that is home to nearly

“The Clyde South PSP is a residential PSP scheduled for commencement between 2025-26 and 2028-29, with completion by 2033. Council’s view is that the preparation of the Clyde South PSP must commence in 2025-26 and be expedited with appropriate resourcing and project management to ensure delivery within three years by 2028 to provide additional housing supply and support affordability.”

VPA has been contacted for comment.

Early tallies are in for the local City of Casey election

By Ethan Benedicto

The early provisional results for select wards in the City of Casey council elections are in, as the wards look to tally up the final numbers for November.

It is important to note that these are the numbers as of 30 October, the total tally has yet to be decided and is still subject to change.

As it stood at 11.50am, Samuel Dennison led the fray in Akoonah Ward, with a total of 1411 first preference votes, with Scott William Dowling following closely with 1191.

Dianne Pagliuca had 859, Mush Rahaman with 820, Kushal Shah with 607 and Patrick Ferdinands with 369.

Akoonah Ward’s count was sitting at 5257 votes and is at 39.73 per cent completion.

For Grevillea Ward, as of 11.57am, John Ternel was leading with 639 first-preference votes, with Carmen Powell at the tail at 601 votes.

Stephen Matulec held 546 votes, with Dave Perry at 527; Bernie Postma has 449, David Parr with 342, Stephen Capon with 285, Sinfree Chirunga with 144 and Haroon Sayed with 123.

Grevillea Ward’s count was sitting at 3646 votes and is at 24.98 per cent completion.

Cranbourne Gardens Ward was holding some big numbers as of 1.30pm, with Michelle Crowther ahead with 2609 first-preference votes.

She was followed by Anthony Lake with 1848, Tamas Kapitany with 1457, Jo Muir with 762, Blessing Nhliziyo with 580 and Mary Beth Melton with 547.

Cranbourne Gardens Ward was sitting at a total of 7803 votes and is at 58.10 per cent completion.

Kowan Ward was holding a tight race as of 11.12am, with Kasuni Mendis just ahead with 667 first-preference votes.

On her tail was Bernard Brian Carr with 662 votes, and just behind was Christine Skrobo with 649.

Shane Taylor had 581, Jawad Erfani with 253, Joby George with 208, Gagan Bumrah with 106 and Raj Nayak with 93.

Kowan Ward had a total of 3219 votes and was at 24.74 per cent completion.

Leading River Gum Ward at 11.50am was Lynette Pereira with 846 votes, followed by Wayne Smith with 609.

Nazir Yousafi had 563, Geoff Hansen with 517, Asher Coleman with 479, Garry Page with 256 and Damien Rosario with 249.

River Gum Ward had a current total of 3519 votes and was at 27.45 per cent completion.

Quarters Ward, as of 1.50pm, had some varying numbers, with Carolyn Eaves leading with 1140 first-preference votes, followed by Ian Wood with 1037.

Craig Baird was close with 838, Kuljeet Kaur Robinson with 682, Aftab Hussain with 669, Jagdeep Singh Sukhija with 551, David Rolfe with 355 and Ridvan Rasimi with 124.

With a total of 5396 votes, Quarters Ward was at 43.93 per cent completion.

Correa Ward, as of 10am, had Gary Rowe

leading with 352 votes, followed by Kanu Aggarwal with 279.

Tracey Ryan was next with 264, Abdullah Neshat with 133, Shegofa Naseri with 79 and Onkar Singh Sandhawalia with 36.

Correa Ward had a total of 1143 votes and was at 8.38 per cent completion.

Down south with Tooradin at 1.40pm, Anthony Tassone led with 1259 votes, followed very closely by Jennifer Dizon with 1245.

After a big drop-off, Kuldeep Kaur held 631, Andrew Gai with 553, Ali Yaghobi with 464, Brenton Kelly with 378 and Ravneet Singh with 181.

Tooradin Ward had a total of 4711 current votes and was at 37.06 per cent completion.

Waratah Ward had no clear numbers, but it was confirmed that Stefan Koomen was comfortably leading in Waratah Ward, ahead of Jamel Kaur Singh after 40 per cent of the count.

Kalora Ward had Melinda Ambros in the

lead with 2074 votes, with Brain Oates nearby at 1431.

Damien Sawyer was coming close with 1286, followed by Zabi Mazoori with 1175; the ward sat at 63 per cent completion.

Casuarina Ward had Kim Ross leading the pack with 1330 votes, followed by Rex Flannery at 748, Jane Foreman at 745, Lyndon Samuel at 721 and Morteza Ali at 651; the ward was at 45 per cent completion.

For the City of Casey’s participation stats, 193,435 ballots had been returned (78.34 per cent), with the final participation rate for each council area, including Casey, not to be known until the postal receipt period ends at 12pm on Friday 1 November.

As the information is still incomplete, this article will be updated online at cranbournenews. starcommunity.com.au as soon as new tally numbers and new information on other wards are made available.

The early provisional numbers for the City of Casey’s council elections are in. (On File)

THE LOWDOWN

Q&A

What made you choose journalism as your career?

If you know me on a personal level, then you would know that I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. But my professor and the Apex gang’s media coverage set me on a different path. During my years of uni, I wrote a research paper analysing the relationship between crime and media, in relation the Apex gang. Before the marks were released, my professor wanted to speak to me privately which I immediately thought I failed the assessment. Surprisingly he was overwhelmed with my writing, told me I got a high grade and I should consider journalism. Also as a Christian, I learnt that words can bring life and death. This motivated me as a journalist to use words that promote healing and change, avoiding harmful narratives that target minorities.

How do you stay disciplined in your work?

I have been obsessed with Korean dramas since I was 13 years old and I grew up on tough love (e.g my parents used to confiscate my phone in my teens). So when I have news articles to write and I procrastinate, I ban myself from watching Korean dramas until I get work done. I got into the habit of punishing myself and it keeps me disciplined. What’s something people don’t know about you?

By the age of 25, I earnt three degrees but have never graduated because I wanted my cousin Jasmin to witness my graduation. Every time the graduation ceremony is near, she is fighting cancer in the hospital and can’t travel interstate to attend. While she lost her battle, it doesn’t feel right to celebrate without her so I refuse to attend a ceremony (she wouldn’t like this mindset).

What is something you wish you had?

When I look at Australian families, I see that they are blessed with grandparents. Unlike me who escaped a war torn country, I lost connection and communication with my grandparents. I missed out on hearing their words of wisdom and hearing stories of how they navigated this

with Star News journalist Afraa Kori

thing called life. What is the most important life lesson you learn’t about yourself?

Don’t waste your years of youth! I learnt that you

have to let some people and things go before you can go to the next level. It reminds me of my favourite quote - your elevation may require isolation.

THREE … things to keep in mind when surfing the web

1

Keep your usernames and passwords for your accounts written down somewhere safe, where people wouldn’t think to look or out of sight.

2

If an unknown person messages or emails you with an offer that sounds too good to be true, or asking to confirm any of your personal information report it and most importantly do not respond to it.

3

Be aware of fake news. These articles can look legitimate, but if your are unfamiliar with the organisation or the site, do not click on it and do some of your own research to confirm if it is true or just hoax.

Star News’ newest journalst, Afraa Kori.

‘Deep hole’ of deceits

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A Casey property manager staged the theft of his car and lied to police after he evaded a breath-test roadside station, a court has heard.

Ahmed Mohammadi, 22, of Hampton Park, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County to perverting the course of justice as well as perjury and failing to stop at a breath-test site.

Mohammadi fled in his Mazda 3, disobeying a police direction to stop at the site at Hallam Road, Hampton Park on 15 December 2022.

He later claimed that he panicked over taking a Xanax tablet – which ironically can’t be detected at roadside testing stations, sentencing judge Wendy Wilmoth noted on 25 October.

He then “dug a deeper and deeper hole” for himself, she said.

Later on the night in question, he hid his car on Ormond Road, Narre Warren. He then arranged for someone to drive him to Black Rock where he rang police to falsely report his car was stolen from the Red Bluff Lookout car park.

Two days later, he left his phone at home while moving his car to Centre Road, Hallam and abandoning it. It was discovered with minor damage by a member of the public.

Mohammadi maintained his fiction in a signed police statement.

However police found his phone signals differed significantly from his claimed movements.

They seized his phone – which he told them was his work phone. He lost his personal phone a few days earlier, he claimed.

A year later, when police arrived to search his family’s home, he offered to tell them the driver’s identity if they left. Police persisted in the search and found his personal phone.

On his second police interview, Mohammadi falsely claimed he was covering for an unlicensed friend driving him in the car at the time.

On his third version, he eventually volunteered that he’d driven away from the testing site to hide that he’d taken a Xanax tablet.

Judge Wilmoth noted the remorseful Mohammadi had no prior convictions, no history of drug abuse and had “good” rehabilitation prospects.

The Hazara refugee was diagnosed with PTSD, having experienced four friends dying at the hands of police in Afghanistan, as well as witnessing suicide bombings and being a victim of a violent armed robbery.

Judge Wilmoth noted a conviction would put his property-management licence in jeopardy. Deportation was also a possibility.

Currently on a permanent protection visa, Mohammadi had his citizenship application on hold due to the charges.

“There is every indication that you’ve learnt a hard lesson,” Judge Wilmoth said.

The maximum penalty for perverting the course of justice is 25 years’ prison; for perjury, it’s up to 15 years.

Prosecutors argued that his falsehoods were protracted but less serious because he didn’t deceive a law court.

His defence lawyer attributed his “foolish” conduct to immaturity and youthful lack of judgment.

Both sides agreed that a community corrections order (CCO) was “within range”. Mohammadi was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month CCO with 80 hours of unpaid work and mental health treatment. He was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for two years.

Teen machete attacker jailed

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A Hallam teen has been jailed in adult prison after slicing a 52-year-old shopper’s arm with a machete at Fountain Gate shopping centre and a wild police pursuit in Greater Dandenong.

Daniel John Batsanes, 19, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to charges including recklessly causing serious injury, three car thefts, burglary and dangerous driving while pursued by police.A drug-binging Batsanes was on bail and disqualified from driving during the crime spree in late 2023.

On 19 October, he and a teen co-offender were in a stolen ute trying to steal a spare tyre from a victim’s vehicle in the top-storey of Fountain Gate’s car park. The victim tried to unsuccessfully remove keys from the ute’s ignition. As he backed away, Batsanes brought down a 50-centimetre machete into the top of the victim’s forearm, slicing it open to the bone. The two offenders sped away in the ute.

The victim went back inside the shopping centre for help. He was given first aid by a security guard and treated by paramedics at the scene.

He was taken to Dandenong Hospital with multiple fractures to his forearm, a 15 centimetre laceration and multiple damaged tendons.

In a later police interview, Batsanes said he was affected by meth at the time. With “drug and adrenaline”, he “didn’t know my own strength” and “turned out worse than I wanted it to be”.

After multiple surgeries, the victim still suffers PTSD, a loss of function and movement in his finger and thumb and the loss of substantial income. All as a result of Batsanes wanting to steal a spare tyre and the victim having the “temerity to call you out”, sentencing judge Marcus Dempsey noted on 25 October.

Batsanes was also involved with a petrol

drive-off in Endeavour Hills and three stolen cars over about a month.

On 29 November, he smashed a window of an Audi parked at Sandown Park railway station, found the victim’s address on paperwork and took a garage remote.

He went to the victim’s home, got inside via the garage, stole the Audi’s spare key from a kitchen drawer and then ultimately the Audi.

Five days later, a police car tried to box in Batsanes in the Audi in a service lane at Princes Highway Dandenong. A drug-affected Batsanes drove away over the nature strip and down the wrong side of the road into traffic, slamming into the front passenger side of a Hilux ute and closely missing other vehicles.

Police Air Wing followed him driving erratically in Endeavour Hills, Dandenong, Keysborough and Noble Park.He was arrested after abandoning the Audi near Sandown Park station. He was found with a knife, 1, 4-butanediol, cannabis and quetiapine pills.

Meth, a tomahawk and various stolen bankcards and ID were found in the Audi.

Sentencing judge Marcus Dempsey on 25 October noted Batsanes’s “tragic history” who grew up in deprivation, instability and grief.

He’d been “shaped in the most unfortunate way possible”, dropping out in Year 6, extensively using drugs, prolifically offending and living in residential care units.

Batsanes was assessed as unsuitable for youth detention, and seemed to respond better to structure and rehab programs in adult remand, Judge Dempsey noted. As a youth, he still had “reasonable” but “guarded” rehabilitation prospects. He was jailed for up to four years and 10 months, with a non-parole period of two years and 10 months. His term included 326 days of pre-sentence detention – meaning his earliest possible release is October 2026. Batsanes was disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years.

Retirement villas now selling

Botanic Gardens is a close-knit community set on landscaped native gardens and neighbours the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. Residents enjoy a low-maintenance lifestyle and an active social calendar catering to all interests.

With affordable 2 and 3 bedroom villas available with services offering a more supported lifestyle, and 24/7 emergency call system, enjoy peace of mind in retirement.

It’s decision time

By Violet Li

Casey Council has recorded a 13 per cent decrease in planning applications decided within the required timeframes since last financial year, according to the recently released Annual Report 2023-24.

About 54 per cent of the regular planning application decisions were made within the required 60 days last financial year. In the previous financial year, the number was about 62 per cent.

Casey Council commented on the Annual Re-

port that the decrease could be attributed to sustained recruitment over the year, which impacted the decision timeframes.

According to the State Government’s Planning Permit Activity Reporting, Casey Council received 954 planning permit applications in the 2023-24 financial year and issued 776 new and amended permits. About 480 dwellings and 2893 subdivisions were estimated for the year.

Council’s Annual Report 2023-24 has noted that the median time taken to decide on planning applications was 119 days, 12 days shorter than

the previous financial year. Council commented on the report that it was in the expected range.

Council also reported that about 32 per cent of the council’s planning decisions were upheld by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), a 54 per cent decrease since the last financial year.

“This can be attributed to a greater portion of decisions being slightly varied but generally consistent with the council’s original stance. In addition, a number of appeals were settled prior to a hearing being held,” council stated in the report.

Put your pets first this Halloween

The Lost Dogs’ Home is warning those who celebrate Halloween to be wary of risks that may harm their pet.

While dressing up in scary costumes and trick or treating may not present any obvious immediate dangers for pets, there are a few things that all fur parents should consider on Halloween.

The Lost Dogs’ Home spokesperson Suzana Talevski said that several Halloween treats were toxic to pets and pet owners need to be vigilant in ensuring their animals didn’t ingest them.

“Pet owners need to hide any sweet treats out of their pet’s reach, the candy bowl is for trick-ortreaters and not our pets,” she said.

Ms Talevski urged pet owners to call their veterinarian or the animal poison helpline (1300 TOX PET) if they suspected their pet had ingested something toxic.

While costumes may be an essential part of Halloween for humans, they may not be safe for pets.

Ms Talevski encouraged pet owners to avoid putting their animals in costumes.

“If you do dress up your pet, make sure that the costume doesn’t limit physical movement or their ability to see, breathe and bark or meow,” she said.

‘’Before dressing pets in a costume, pet owners should check that the costume does not have any small pieces that could be chewed off and cause their pet to choke.’’

Ms Talevski warned that Jack-O-Lanterns could be hazardous if lit with an open flame as animals might be in danger of burns.

“Curious kittens are especially at risk of getting burned by a single candle flame,” she said.

‘’While it may be exciting to have an excuse to

dress up and celebrate Halloween, the excitement may be too much for pets to handle. Frequent trick-or-treat visits from strangers may leave your pet feeling distressed and scared.

in case.”

Safe trade spots at cop stations

Safe zones for exchanging online-marketplace items have been set up at Dandenong and Pakenham police stations.

The Safer Exchange Sites are designed to be a safer alternative than their homes, parks or car parks.

The zones have clear signage outside the police stations as well as CCTV coverage and lighting.

They have been rolled out to 35 Victorian 24-hour police stations, but excluding Narre Warren and Cranbourne.

A successful trial in mid-2022 resulted in regular exchanges at the sites as well as decreased thefts and robberies from online sales in the trial areas.

Police say there had been an increase in robberies, thefts and assaults linked to online trading, peaking in 2020 before Covid lockdowns.

Smartphones were the most common high-value items stolen.

“While the overall number of assaults, thefts and robberies connected to online exchanges is low, we don’t want to see any occur,” Victoria Police’s Commander Tim Tully said.

“With the popularity of buying and selling items via online marketplaces continuing to grow, this initiative is all about police getting on the front foot to ensure an emerging crime theme doesn’t become an embedded trend.”

Commander Tully said police suggest meeting in daylight hours if possible and bringing someone with you to the exchange.

“While these sites are a safer alternative than meeting someone at your home or in a dimly lit area with no CCTV, we still encourage people to consider the risks of meeting a person they’ve never met before.”

Exchange zones have also been popular in the US.

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN

Thumbs down

To VicRoads - the sinkhole is back on the South Gippsland Highway at Lang Lang.

Thumbs up

To Lakeside Residents Group for another amazing family friendly Halloween event with kids in spooky fancy dress.

Thumbs up

To the organisers and all that attended the Walk to Support MND Victoria event at Lakeside.

Thumbs up

To those election candidates who have been so prompt in removing their advertising signs.

Thumbs up

To the Cardinia Foundation and the wonderful work they are doing supporting our community.

Thumbs up

To Casey Relay for Life 2024. A great effort and all teams raised over $91,000 for the Cancer Council of Victoria. A new venue and new committee - great job!

Tooradin’s Dylan Sutton put everything into this fielding effort against Devon Meadows. (Stewart Chambers: 439505)

“Many unfamiliar people may cause your pet to act uncharacteristically or try to escape, so it’s a good idea to keep pets away from the door and always ensure they are microchipped just

The Lost Dogs’ Home is warning those who celebrate Halloween to be wary of risks that may harm their pet. (Supplied)

Tennis glory for Khalil

By Ethan Benedicto

Excelling at one’s sport will always have that sense of satisfaction, that sense of accomplishment of your abilities, perseverance and hard work, and much more when being adorned the Pennant Player of the Year for the men’s grade 6 tennis division in Victoria.

Cooper Khalil nearly went undefeated in the most recent season, losing only once in a doubles match-up, he was so locked into the flow of the games that he never even considered the possibility of winning the award.

When he did, he couldn’t have been more ecstatic.

“It’s a pretty surreal feeling, to be honest, and I’m very grateful and honoured to win the award,” he said.

“You know, being the best player in the whole grade is pretty special because there were over 300 different players in there, and it was an awesome night.”

Being awarded on the same night as Olympic gold medalist John Pearce was exhilarating according to Cooper, considering that the moment itself came as a surprise and that he wasn’t aware of an award at the beginning of the season.

Cooper lost the winning streak during the finals, but having played since he was six years old, he had been able to condition his body and adapt to the demands of the sport to achieve the feats of a near-flawless season.

“I started tennis when I was six, here at the Berwick Tennis Club and I’ve been here the whole way through 25,” Cooper said.

“I was kind of obsessed with it in a weird way, there was just something so good, like, such a good feeling of hitting a tennis ball and then rallying.

“It was something that I’ve always just loved and wanted to just keep improving and getting better.”

When Cooper was around 10 years old, he

realised he had a more competitive side, recalling that he would use to “cry on the court” and “throw my racket”; but as he grew, he channelled

those emotions into drive for his development, both physically and mentally.

Competing at such a high level, “it’s pretty

tough”.

“With all the experience I’ve had, I’ve been able to condition myself to deal with moments like that.

“Playing for such a long time, I think the toughest thing is mentality, and I feel like I was able to really sort myself out, mentally, this season.

“I had a very clear mind going into the matches, but I also had the confidence that I would be able to go out there and put on a good show every week.”

Like everyone else, Cooper gets a rush of nervous energy in the moments leading to a match, but once his feet hit the court, it leaves and his breathing settles, and he “just goes back to the skills I’ve learned throughout the years and rely on that to get me through”.

“I feel like once the match starts, if I get in the right headspace and think tactically, then I’m able to just forget about the nerves and everything else and just focus on the game.”

In addition to playing, Cooper also coaches at the club, with his main message to those he teaches is to simply “have fun”.

“I feel like kids learn a lot better if they’re in an environment that they enjoy, so if they have that fun element, and are enjoying themselves, it’s going to be much better for them to grow and improve as tennis players and as individuals.”

Looking ahead, Cooper aims to use his winning the award not as a token to relax, but as motivation to strive for more, to be better and surpass himself on all levels.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill now, if someone says they’ve beaten the pennant player of the year, they’ll feel pretty good,” Cooper said.

“I’ve got to try and stop them from having that; but obviously, this is a great honour, it validates myself just a little bit, to be recognised for a good reason.

“It’s a great feeling, and hopefully I can keep that good form and momentum moving forward.”

Cooper Khalil holds his award proudly, something that he is more than grateful for after a flawless regular season. (Ethan Benedicto: 440258)

NEWS Workers welcomed to land

To welcome the Clyde Road Upgrade team onto Bunurong land, Major Road Projects Victoria and Seymour Whyte crews were invited by Bunurong Land Council Elders to join in a traditional smoking ceremony.

Bunurong Elder Mark Brown welcomed crews to the land and to join in the ceremony as part of the start of major works on the project, which will add new lanes between Enterprise Avenue and Bemersyde Drive and create more capacity at the Kangan Drive and Sir Gustav Nossal Boulevard intersection.

Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Marc Peterson said the team was grateful for the public’s co-operation with the increasing level of works.

“We’re ramping up works on the Clyde Road Upgrade as we work to overhaul this major thoroughfare for Berwick and surrounding suburbs,” he said.

Between October and December, crews will be relocating water and power services, removing existing kerbs and centre medians, and removing existing light poles and traffic lights and construction of bridge access points in preparation for widening works next year.

Crews will also be constructing a site access point from the Princes Freeway outbound exit ramp into a parcel of land located behind Federation University.

To complete these works safely, there will be a series of weekend inbound and outbound ramp closures, an extended two-week closure of the Princes Freeway outbound exit ramp onto Clyde Road from Friday 8 November to Monday 25 November and weekend closures of Sir Gustav Nossal Boulevard.

To minimise impact to people accessing local education and hospital facilities, most major

disruptions will occur on weekends or at night to help avoid delays.

There will also be closures of Sir Gustav Nossal Boulevard on weekends until Monday 25 November to relocate underground water services.

During these closures, access to Sir Gustav Nossal Boulevard will be maintained via Enterprise

Avenue and Venture Drive, with drivers advised to allow an additional five minutes of travel time.

As part of these works, the Clyde Road Upgrade team will also lay temporary asphalt in the removed centre median, which will create more space and allow two lanes to remain open as much as possible while the team builds the new

lanes behind barriers.

The team will also position safety barriers and replace the existing light poles and traffic signals with temporary ones.

For more information on the project, visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/roads/clyde-roadupgrade

Mobile towers announced for notorious blackspots

By Ethan Benedicto

The first few steps of improved connectivity are underway for the growth fringes of the City of Casey, as two towers as part of the Peri-Urban Mobile Project were officially announced in Clyde on Thursday 24 October.

The project, also known as PUMP, will have two towers in the Holt electorate, one in Clyde and another in Blind Bight to open in 2025, with a grand total of 12 for the growing suburbs in Casey.

Attended by Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland, she said that “this is absolutely essential for every resident, everyone relies on connectivity; the people who are working from home, the students, and for accessing emergency services.”

“This is no longer a society where we rely on landlines, there would be a huge percentage of people here who would either wouldn’t be using a landline or wouldn’t know what their landline number even is.

“So it’s absolutely essential that they have connectivity, and to date, there has been very little incentive for mobile operators to come in and make sure that they’ve got connectivity before the houses come up and before people start becoming residents.”

Also present was Holt MP Cassandra Fernando, and as someone who has been advocating for these infrastructural improvements for over two years, she is more than glad to not just be a part of the announcement, but also to be able to witness it.

“When I was in pre-poll, in 2022, that (mobile connection) was one of the biggest issues, even door knocking in Clyde, Clyde North and Cranbourne East, it was one of the biggest issues that the residents bring up to me every single day,” she said.

This marks the second round of PUMP, with the two towers being delivered as part of a $40.9 million project, with the mentioned 12 towers already approved and currently undergoing community consultation.

Clyde, which falls under the peri-urban fringe, is more prone to risks of natural disasters, which previously made it difficult to deploy infrastructure due to difficult terrain, planning challenges, and lower population densities.

However, considering that Stockland Estate

is looking at establishing around 1500 homes, the incentive is more present than ever. Rowland, as part of the Connecting Victoria Campaign, has mandated that all new housing developments with 50 or more lots must consider coverage during planning.

“As a government, we are changing that, we are changing the regulatory framework to incentivise operators to come into these areas and that includes the $40 million dollar peri-urban mobile program,” Rowland said.

“We’re bringing together a good regulatory framework, good incentives, it is a challenge, but I am so pleased that as a local member, Cassandra’s been advocating so strongly for residents here.”

Waveconn, a New South Wales-based telecommunications service provider will be responsible for the future construction of the

tower at Stockland, with Erin Buyers, marketing and a strategic representative from Waveconn saying that they are looking to “fastrack as many of the sites as we can”.

“It’s working with the developers with their development sites, but it’s basically ready to go, we’re just in the process of pulling together power quotes and getting it ready to build next year,” she said.

Waveconn’s CEO, Grant Stevenson said that what is clear is “the demand for these services”.

“We’ll be moving as fast as we can to make it happen.”

Buyers said that every site that they build will be optimised for all three main carriers (Optus, Telstra and Vodafone), so that “the residents have a choice”.

For the National Growth Areas Alliance, CEO Bronwen Clark sees this as a major step forward

for every region, not just in Casey, but in Australia to be receiving appropriate mobile connection.

“This is really significant because it’s taken so long to deliver,” Clark said.

“We’ve got residents right across Australia in places just like in the City of Casey who are experiencing the same problem, and in 2024 mobile connectivity is an essential service.

“We’re trying to build 1.2 million homes across Australia to respond to the housing crisis, now imagine if those didn’t have mobile connectivity, where would we be?”

Looking ahead, the next few years look to hold a set of promising developments of connectivity for the growing suburbs of Casey, as the two towers for Holt mark a significant step in progress.

From left to right: Grant Stevenson (Waveconn CEO), Bronwen Clark (National Growth Areas Alliance CEO), Holt MP Cassandra Fernando, Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland and a Stockland Estates representative. (Ethan Benedicto: 440787)

Both Michelle Rowland and Cassandra Fernando addressed the long-standing issues of mobile connection that embroiled the suburb of Clyde, with the latest a step forward in the right direction. (440787)

Discussion on mobile coverage improvements was rife, with an emphasis on support for growing communities. (440787)

Bunurong Elder Mark Brown conducted a traditional smoking ceremony to welcome Clyde Road Upgrade workers to the land. (Supplied)

Relay for a good cause

By Violet Li

An 18-hour overnight walk for a good cause is no doubt a brilliant weekend pastime.

Cancer Council Victoria’s Relay For Life lit up the sky at Casey Regional Athletics Track on the night of Saturday 26 October.

Relay For Life is a fundraising event that empowers communities to come together to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones, and fight back against cancer.

During the event, teams will complete laps around a track or oval to signify that every day towards a cancer-free future.

The overnight weekend walks in Casey started at 6pm on Saturday 26 October and finished at 12pm on Sunday 27 October.

Committee member Morgan Cunning said the weekend was fantastic with about 400 participants.

For Ms Cunning, this year marked the ninth year of her participation in the event.

“I was still a teenager then. My first time at this event was all kind of crazy and the event was so wild and fun and exciting,” she recalled.

“And I was so keen after the first time to do it again and just get better every year.

“It’s so much fun. You’re doing it all for a great cause, but it’s also just really fun. And you just get an excuse to spend a night with your friends.”

Ms Cunning said the most special part was the first lap.

“It is dedicated to survivors and their carers, that I do with my mum, who had breast cancer when I was in school,” she said.

“Everyone applauds you as you walk around, and Mum has this big proud look on her face, it’s just really moving for us.

“I had my daughter participate with me last year, and I’m currently pregnant with my second child, nothing stops us from being a part of Relay for Life.”

Cancer Council Victoria’s community giving manager Renee Gani said Relay For Life events were a chance for whole communities to unite for a common cause.

“Relay For Life is such a beloved, unique event and allows people to make a difference in the communities,” she said.

“With one in two Victorians diagnosed with cancer, cancer affects all of us. Everyone has a reason to get involved in Relay for Life.

“We’re thrilled to see this special event back again and can’t wait to see the Casey community come together again.”

The 501st Legion Knightfall Garrison appeared as the sun went down. Their moto is ‘Bad Guys Doing Good’. (439676)

Candlelights are on as night time arrives. (439676)

People in the darkness watch the four candles being lit and the stories of those who spoke. (439676)

Gordon Chalmers played the bagpipes at the opening ceremony of the event. He has played the bagpipes for 35 years. (439676)

Narre Warren North Girl Guides (Team “GG4Life”), from left, Emily, Tia, Emily, Alanah. (Rob Carew: 439676)

Walkers in the sun. (439676)

Dylan Binzer, Joel Binzer and Ash Wroe from St John of God. (439676)

Narre Warren North Girl Guides. Their team is called GG4Life. (439676)Riding into the sunset with Charlie from Cire Community School - Berwick. (439676)

Chasing stunning auroras

By Violet Li

It has no doubt been a huge year for aurora hunters in Victoria, including for Berwick aurora and astro photographer Mark Osmotherly.

Mark’s shared his story, looking back on the last three years.

The interesting part is the 45-minute notice of the night.

“We know that there’s been solar activity on the sun that could be Earth-directional. It could be like a solar flare that’s come up in the sun, and it could be heading towards Earth,” Mark said.

“There are no guarantees what that’s going to do until it’s about 45 minutes away from Earth.

“We don’t really know how that’s going to look on Earth until we only get about 45 minutes warning, then you need to make decisions about what you’re going to do.

“It’s going to be a quick decision, and often it’s a wrong decision. But I suppose that’s the interesting part of the chase.”

For someone who lived in Berwick, planning and luck were the tricks, Mark joked.

“You certainly need to plan. You need to have your camera bag packed and ready to go, especially for people like myself in Berwick. We’ve got an hour’s drive,” he said.

“There’s a certain amount of luck. There’s a certain amount of planning. There’s a lot of planning, maybe.

“And it can be a fantastic night, and you can be on one beach, and you can have clouds and 50 kilometres down the road can be getting an amazing show.

“So it’s when everything does align, and you capture some photos that display from mother nature. It’s absolutely amazing.”

The last time aurora showed up on Friday 11 October, Mark made the right decision.

“I set my alarm at 3am to check the cloud radars because that was roughly when the prediction was going to be. And the cloud wasn’t very good where I was, so I decided to not go out Friday morning, but to go out Friday night as soon as it got dark,” he recalled.

“I took all my camera gears to work, and I left from work. I drove for two hours to Philip Island from work. I was really fortunate that just as it started getting darker, we got a bit of a gap through the clouds. And I was able to get photos for about the next hour and a half.

“I think it was 55 per cent moonlight. The moonlight obviously competes with the aurora, so you need a brighter aurora to overcome any moon. The bigger the moon is, the less chance you’ve got to catch an aurora through the moon.

“But it was a really big aurora that night.”

On big aurora nights, Mark tends to go to more remote places to get better shots.

“It’s harder to get photos when there are people around. It’s fantastic that people are getting out and experiencing it, but to take photographs with someone’s got a torch on or anything like that, takes away from the photos,” he said.

Travelling afar to capture the untainted beauty is an Odessey alone, but it is not always a lonely journey.

“There’s a community, like some Facebook

groups that really support each other, and I got some fantastic support,” Mark said.

“Often I’ll meet some friends there on the night. We might be talking about cloud predictions, and we might try and converge on the same area, and so the last few times I’ve been out have been with people.”

A person who used to casually enjoy photography, Mark turned serious at the beginning of 2022 after seeing some amazing aurora photos from a good friend of his. He finally went out on the following night of big aurora night in February that year.

“I went out the following night and just got what they call a bit of diffused colour,” he recalled.

“I didn’t do the photo very well, but that’s okay. It’s all part of the learning. And I’ve been chasing auras since then.”

If you are one of the aurora chasers and interested in getting a companion in the community, or you simply want to see more aurora photos, follow his Instagram account @markosmotherly.

Narre Warren seniors celebrate with music and memories

By Ethan Benedicto

Keeping everyone active and social has been the mantra for the Narre Warren Senior Citizens Club for a very long time, with every Wednesday marking their much revered Club Day.

Regular performer and beloved musician Andy D’Rozario, also known as Lonestar, took to the stage on Wednesday 23 October, bringing back the sounds of the sounds of the past for a member attendance of over 60 people.

Club president Dennis Hogan sees these hump day gatherings as an essential part of the club’s sense of community, camaraderie and kinship, saying “it’s important for us to keep active”.

“It’s good for people to have something to look forward to, somewhere to go and have a chat. It’s also about enjoyment you know, we get the chance to enjoy entertainers like Lonestar and that’s always fabulous,” he said.

Lonestar is more than just a regular and much closer to family, having performed for the club for over 25 years, it’s about “taking them back to memory lane”.

“I do everything, rock and roll, everything, I [mostly] play the guitar because I love it, but I play a bit of everything,” he said.

A cosy atmosphere was unavoidable, with hot tea and coffee, alongside small bites to start and lunch for all while enjoying the performance was a guaranteed recipe for joy in the air. Hogan strongly emphasised these group activities, as October was filled to the brim with days filled with carpet bowling, line dancing, club days, table tennis, cards and more.

Lonestar props his guitar as the club’s committer members gather behind him. From left to right: Yolande Paull, Jan Geary, Bill Good, Dennis Hogan, Annette Blaze, Brenda Miller Good, and Ann Campbell. (Gary Sissons: 439196)

Star trail with aurora. (Mark Osmotherly)

This photo was taken from Point Addis on 17 March 2024. The rising Milky Way Core was captured with a home-built Star tracker and stacked to bring out all of the colours in the Milky Way. The foreground was then captured and blended in post-editing. (Mark Osmotherly)

Mark Osmotherly, aurora and astro photographer based in Berwick. (Gary Sissons: 438589)

Sensitive Santa returning

Connected Libraries’ Sensitive Santa program is back again this year at Cranbourne West Library Lounge and the Endeavour Hills Library.

Sensitive Santa allows children who are neuro-diverse or with developmental disabilities to access Santa in a sensory-friendly environment.

The lights are dimmed, noise is restricted and there are no crowds. Santa is trained to communicate with children who experience sensitivities.

A participant from 2023 said they absolutely loved the calm and approachable atmosphere created.

“It’s so special and fun for the kids who would often miss out on regular Santa visits due to them being too fast-paced and overwhelming,” they said.

“My girls were over the moon…It’s such a highlight of their Christmas. Thank you!”

Connected Libraries chief executive officer

Beth Luppino said: “Connected Libraries supported more than 40 families to meet Santa in 2023 and we are thrilled to offer this program again.

WHAT’S ON

Halloween at the Old Cheese Factory

Ghouls and ghosts are welcome to enjoy a night of spooky fun at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick on Thursday 31 October.

Between 5pm and 9pm, one of Casey’s oldest sites will become a Halloween playground for kids and families to enjoy a range of free activities, rides and entertainment.

Cost is $15 for children and $5 for supervising adults.

There will be a DJ, face painting and a princesses and mad scientist stage show.

Kids will also be able to wander through the Haunted Factory, Witches Lair and Spider Den, create their own lantern at the craft workshops and take a selfie with the giant Bounce Beasts.

Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club

Community Day - Morning Melodies with Gavin Chatelier - Friday 1 November 10.30am-4pmincludes lunch and afternoon tea - Proudly sponsored by the City of Casey.

Not a member? Doesn’t matter, come along and join the fun.

Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club meets weekly for a range of different events, including bus trips, community days, games, coffee and chat, bingo, dancing and carpet bowls.

Weekly activity times - Line Dancing Mon.10am12pm, New Vogue and Old Time Dance Tue. 1pm3:30pm, Carpet Bowls Wed. & Sat. 11:30am2:30pm, Bingo Thur. 11am-2pm.

For all enquiries or bookings contact Marilyn mobile 0432 107 590.

· Find us on facebook: https://www.facebook. com/groups/487808127399953

Cranbourne Chorale

Cranbourne Chorale invites you to enjoy a pleasant Sunday afternoon of lovely choral music... Selected from this year’s wide-ranging repertoire, with world music, folk (traditional and recent), Gospel and popular songs... plus a lively set of jazz

“Sensitive Santa is free for Connected Libraries Members and sessions run for 10 to 15 minutes.

“Families will leave with 20 non-edited images immediately after the session for free. Don’t delay, Sensitive Santa booked out in 2023 so secure your spot today.”

Book by visiting the Connected Libraries Website or phone 1800 577 548. Bookings are open now and close Friday 15 November.

Go to: events.connectedlibraries.org.au/ search?q=santa

Cranbourne West Library Lounge

· Monday 25 November (sessions run between 1pm – 7.40pm)

· Tuesday 26 November (sessions run between 10.20am – 5pm)

Endeavour Hills Library

· Friday 29 November (sessions run between 10am – 4.20pm)

· Saturday 30 November (sessions run between 10am – 2.40pm)

encouraged

up for the Halloween at the Old Cheese Factory event. (Supplied)

and swing numbers, sure to get your toes tapping!

2:30pm Sunday 10 November, 2024 Cranbourne Presbyterian Church, Crn Sladen & Russel Sts, Cranbourne

Tickets $25 Adult, $20 Concession, $5 Children With guest artists Paru and Pranav, folk-playing siblings on guitar and violin. ...and after all that, a sumptuous afternoon tea to refresh you before your journey home!

Mega Garage Sale Warneet and Blind Bight CFA

Saturday 23 November, 8am onwards

Coffee Van, Egg & Bacon Rolls, Sausage Sizzle, Raffle Tickets

Blind Bight Community Centre, Warneet Blind Bight CFA Station

Approx 40 Garage Sales within 4km Berwick CWA

The Country Women’s Association Berwick Branch acknowledges recent support for their ’Spring Comes to Berwick 2024’ Fashion Show in September.

As promised, 100 per cent of profits from this event is supporting their Casey North Community Information and Support Service Christmas Appeal.

This is being donated as $4000 of food hampers for some of the community’s most vulnerable members and $500 of children’s toys.

The members of CWA Berwick recently voted unanimously that a further $500 be donated to Bk2Basics in Narre Warren and Have A Little Hope in Pakenham in the form of children’s presents.

A further $500 of food and presents supporting the local WAYSS branch is also being donated.

The CWA ladies are holding their Christmas Bake and Craft Stall at Akoonah Market on Sunday 1 December.

U3A Cranbourne

U3A Cranbourne is situated at 20-22 Bowen Street, Cranbourne. Line dancing and ballroom dancing classes are held at Casey Basketball Stadium in Cranbourne. Supported by Casey Council U3A is a not for profit organisation with membership fee of $50 per year. Members can join as many classes as they wish. Our resin class has started with lots of beautiful objects being created. The singing, guitar and ukulele groups are practicing for the Christmas lunch. Beautiful Christmas cards can be purchased that have been made by the card making group. The walls are adorned with art work created by members and it shows the variety and talent of our members. You can come and have a cuppa and knit. You can do as little or as much as you like. Please check our classes on the website www.u3acranbourne.org. au or call 0493 991 919 to learn more.

Cranbourne and District Garden Club

The club is turning 51 this year and still meets at the Cranbourne Public Hall from 1.15pm on the second Thursday of the month. The club enjoys day trips and lunches, afternoon teas and friendship.

· For more information, contact Julie on 5995 1420 or Jean on 9704 6242.

Blind Bight Community Centre

Craft gift making for adults from 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Tuesdays.

Join in the craft gift making class and bring along your own craft to complete.

A variety of techniques and skills are shared including mosaics, macrame, sewing and painting at $3 per class.

Playgroup from 10.30am to noon on Wednesdays. The program provides fun play activities and craft for children at $5 per family.

Free knit and crochet from noon to 2pm on Wednesdays.

Line dancing from 1pm to 2pm on Wednesdays. All ages, and abilities welcome at $10 per class.

· For more information and for bookings, visit www.blindbightcommunitycentre.com.au

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club

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

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club can offer you stimulating activities and friendship.

The club hosts weekly social activities with dance to low-key in-line dancing if you want to tap your feet, great music, a chat, and then afternoon tea. Day, short and long trips away via coach, a weekly morning coffee club, monthly Saturday country pub lunches, monthly Tuesday dine-outs, a weekly walking group, a weekly table tennis group, seasonal daytime musical theatre outings, entertainment function days and more.

Anyone interested can visit on Thursdays at 2pm for socialising and low-key dancing at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House at 21A Bemersyde Drive or join the club for a coffee and a chat every Wednesday from 10am at the new François cafe in front of Myer in Fountain Gate.

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

Casey residents are

to dress

Connected Libraries’ Sensitive Santa program is back again this year at Cranbourne West Library Lounge and the Endeavour Hills Library. (Supplied)

THE CRANBOURNE CEMETERY TRUST

Trust member positions

Are you interested in making a meaningful contribution to your community, learning new skills and preserving local history for future generations?

The Cranbourne Cemetery Trust is seeking new members. In this volunteer role you will gain hands-on experience in managing a public cemetery and valuable governance skills as a member of a public board. Free governance training is provided. Who should apply?

Trusts need people with a range of skills and experiences including administration, committees, and groundskeeping. Women and people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

What it means to be a Victorian cemetery trust member

Cemetery trust members are appointed by the Governor in Council for terms up to five years on the recommendation of the Minister for Health. Cemetery trusts are responsible for the management of public cemeteries, including planning for future cemetery services for their communities.

How to register your interest

Contact the Cranbourne Cemetery Trust within two weeks of this advertisement date: The Cranbourne Cemetery Trust contact details: crancem@outlook.com

Interested in further information about cemetery trusts?

Class B cemetery trust member vacancies are advertised and regularly updated on the ‘Join a Public Board’ website <https://www.boards. vic.gov.au/search-board-vacancies/victorianclass-b-cemetery-trust-volunteer-positionsvcb> all year round!

Simply go to the website for further information about Class B cemetery trusts, to view a full list of trusts that currently have vacancies and details how to apply!

The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that government boards and committees reflect the rich diversity of the Victorian community. We encourage applications from people of all ages, Aboriginal people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and from lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse, intersex and queer people. The trust will provide adjustments to the recruitment process upon request.

PART-TIME

and Online Sales Executive

RECEPTIONIST/

Based in Pakenham Network Classifieds is at the forefront of connecting buyers and sellers across multiple regions in Australia. With a strong online and print presence, we help communities find the

•Engage

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•Meet

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• Excellent listening skills

• Accuracy and attention to detail

• Effective time management to meet deadlines

• Ability to operate in a team

• Demonstrates initiative and flexibility

and as part of a team.

•Previous sales or customer service experience is a plus, but not required.

How to Apply

If you're ready to take on this exciting role with the flexibility you desire, we want to hear from you! Please send your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant skills and

• Effective oral and written communication

Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance.

The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme. Send your application letter and resume to: Advertising Sales Manager Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au

CCCA upsets on the cards

By Jonty Ralphsmith

Round 4 has started as a positive one for the health of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association (CCCA) Premier competition.

Several sources around the league have become worried that the same four sides – Kooweerup, Tooradin, Pakenham and Cardinia – traditionally occupy the top four spots on the ladder. If those four teams all record victories in round 4, there will already be a game and a half separating the finals bound sides from the rest, already effectively taking the wind out of half the teams’ seasons.

There is a strong chance that disconnect won’t occur on Saturday, though, given Clyde and Devon Meadows have positioned themselves well to claim a scalp.

At Clyde, a maiden club century to Michael Vandort propelled the Cougars to 8/272 against Pakenham.

The hosts saw off new ball bowlers James Close and Tom Tyrell, with their economy rates both less than two, before capitalising in the middle overs and after tea.

Vandort dropped down to number four against the Lions and his first five scoring shots were boundaries which laid the platform for a strong day.

“He batted beautifully from the first ball he faced,” skipper Trevor Bauer said.

“Maybe a little bit of pressure was off at the top; without the ball swinging around as much, he was able to find his rhythm.”

Promoted to the First XI for round 4, Praveen Perera came to the crease at 1/9 in the 12th over.

He was composed despite the match situation, punishing bowlers when their lines waivered, guiding elegantly through the offside and flicking powerfully when bowlers got too straight.

“We’ve seen glimpses from what he can do and the feedback from the twos is he’s a classy bowler who plays shots and understands what the bowlers will do, which helps him come up with game plans,” Bauer said.

“For him to come out and play his shots and hit the ball really crisply was superb and we were pleasantly surprised by how good he was.”

Following his dismissal, Anurudda Fonseka played a pressure-absorbing 59.

“We knew if we could see off the new ball attack one wicket down and get them into their second and third spells, we’d be in a good position,”

Bauer said.

“Where Clyde has come undone in the past is that we’ll be 2/20 or 3/30 and we’re on the back foot against the good sides so to have that stable start and set the batting up to cash in later in the day was a clear focus for our batting group.

“We understand where we fit in the last couple of years but our best is good enough to compete with Kooweerup, Pakenham and Tooradin and we’re striving to compete with them and that’s the challenge as captain.

“We know Pakenham has an experienced top-order and (coach) Rob (Elston) manages the

players in the field really well.

“To prove to ourselves that we can (match it with them) tells us we’re close.”

Elsewhere, Devon Meadows competed well against Tooradin, putting up a score of 270 led by crisp ball-striker Lucas Ligt, who set the innings up with 97.

Zac Sheppard, Nathan Kleinig and coach Chris Cleef all contributed important cameos against a Tyler Evans-led Tooradin attack, with the opening bowler claiming 5/74.

The Panthers finished fifth last season and were well-positioned for a tilt at finals in 2024-25, but the expectation on them waned somewhat following the departure of emerging ‘keeper-batter Will Halton to Casey-South Melbourne.

An up-and-down first three weeks had them intriguingly placed entering round 4, with Saturday proving they still have the batting line-up to take it up to the best.

Merinda Park was impressive with the bat, putting up 7/409 led by Daniel McCalman’s 181 to demonstrate an important step forward.

But the second half of their game was played on Sunday and they were unable to defend their total, as Chris Bright played a career-best hand to take apart the Cobras attack.

Meanwhile, Upper Beaconsfield managed 193 against Cardinia, a score likely under par, but positively the Maroons were able to bat out their 80 overs.

Nine members of the 11 reached double figures but just two managed to pass 20, with Trishane De Silva doing damage late in his opening spell before the slower bowlers controlled the game.

The first round of two-day cricket presented as one which would separate the best from the rest.

Positively, the competition had four compelling matchups which could open the table up.

Coomoora climbing Turf 2 ranks as Eagles just hold on

By Marcus Uhe

Coomoora is quickly proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 2 competition, having adapted to life in the higher grade brilliantly in the competition’s early stages.

Having stumbled late in the finish against Lyndale in round two, there were no-such causes for concern on Saturday, thrashing St Mary’s by seven wickets at Carroll Reserve.

In a contest between a Turf 1 side and a Turf 3 side from the previous summer, you could be forgiven for assuming that it was the Roos that had been relegated from the higher division.

St Mary’s lasted just 27.5 overs in their innings of 70, a score that the ‘Roos chased with ease in just 16 overs.

Temptation got the better of St Mary’s, with a preference to play aggressive shots bringing their batters’ downfall time-and-again.

Raveen Nanayakkara’s 14 was the highest score on the batting card, followed by Mehdi Ali’s 13.

Spinner, Malan Madusanka dazzled with 4/15 from his eight overs, recapturing his sensational form that saw him rip through Turf 3 a summer ago, with Jackson Noske joining him with four wickets.

It’s the Roos’ bowling depth, combined with the premiership-winning mentalities and philosophies that guided them to success last year that has fuelled their adaptation to the higher grade, in eyes of captain, Liam Hard.

Despite conceding that he is yet to find ‘the mixture’ yet, the skipper is blessed with a varied and attacking bowling arsenal.

“We’ve seriously got seven or eight bowlers at the moment; (Michael) Klonaridis took five last week and didn’t even get a bowl this week,” he said.

“Noske hit his straps, he got the ball going through pretty quick on the weekend, which was nice.

“(Madusanka), we’re pretty lucky to have had a guy like him for the last four years, we throw him the ball and we know something is going to happen.

“It’s good that whatever wicket there is, we can throw it around.”

Even with Lance Baptist and Rahoul Pankhania not available for selection due to injury and personal reasons, respectively, Coomoora’s prowess with the ball has meant the absences have been nullified.

Pankhania will return next week but Baptist is not expected until the back half of the year, having suffered a severe calf strain.

As a result of two exceptional performances in the field, the batting unit becomes the area with room for improvement.

“We (need to) find a little more stability in our batting,” Hard said.

“I think our bowling is going to be our backbone if we can get that right.

“Our fielding is pretty good I think the batting is the one to get nice and stable, especially that opening partnership.”

Around the competition, a century from Mackenzie Gardner was the catalyst for HSD’s thrashing of Narre Warren by 200 runs in a frightening display.

Gardner showed his immense talent in the innings, hitting 140 from 126 deliveries to push his side to a monster score of 3/323, at a rate of 7.2 runs per over.

He and opener Zahoor Sarwari shared in a 187-run partnership for the second wicket before Sarwari fell an agonising two runs from his century.

Gardner had no such issues, cruising to his mammoth unbeaten ton as the backbone of the innings.

Magpie bowlers Gurshaan Singh, John Mentiplay and Waduge Fernando each conceded more than eight runs per over.

Outside of Ben Swift, the Magpies batters struggled for a foothold in the response, reaching just 123.

Swift made 33 at the top of the order with the next highest score just 13 from Rodni Kumara.

The innings came to an end after just 33 overs, with Ryan Patterson and Harry Funnell each taking three wickets apiece.

Elsewhere, Cranbourne scraped home against Lyndale by two wickets.

Parkfield has the Bandits in a vulnerable position after the season’s opening four rounds.

Another disappointing showing with the bat saw them post just 8/126 against Parkmore, a score the Pirates reeled in with four overs to spare at Frederick Wachter.

Parkfield’s batting innings ran into early trouble, losing 4/11 after an 18-run opening stand.

Riley Payne was removed without scoring, Sahan Jayawardene reached just three and Shahwali Mosavi just two in a dismal showing from the middle order.

Jayawardene’s wicket reduced Parkfield to 5/47, before some encouraging efforts from the lower order took them to a respectable score.

Travis D’Souza’s 36 was vital for the visitors, which quickly needs to address its woes with the bat.

Spinning duo Harsaroup Singh and Harrison Carlyon combined to shred Lyndale’s middle order with five key wickets to alter the course of the game during the first innings.

Lyndale lost 5/10 including the key wickets of Rajika Fernando, Himesh Don and Aakhilesh Patil for single-figure scores, slipping from 2/61 to 7/71.

Captain Ben Mongomery offered a counterpunch late in the innings and helped his side reach 118, as Carlyon finished with 3/19 and Singh 4/19.

Carlyon and Dean McDonnell absorbed much of the pressure of the bat for Cranbourne, making decent starts before succumbing in the 30s.

Having taken the team to 4/101, McDonnell’s wicket was the second in a late-innings stumble where the Eagles lost 3/3, slipping from 3/98 to 6/101.

There was more late drama to come, with Cranbourne losing two more wickets with the finish line in sight, before Alex Hollingsworth and Tim Fathers guided them the total with two wickets to spare.

Fernando, Faraz Rahman and Usman Ali each took four wickets for Lyndale.

At Parkmore, a 0-2 start to the season from

It follows round two’s struggles, where they limped to 7/94 midway through the innings against HSD.

D’Souza added 39 for the sixth wicket with Hansika Kodikara before falling to Parkmore’s attack leader in Ankit Saxena.

Saxena’s late wickets saw him finish with brilliant figures of 4/26, having also curtailed Kodikara on 25.

Ammar Bawja took 1/19 from his 12 overs in an excellent display for Parkmore.

Parkmore struggled for runs outside of its opening pair but reached the total six wickets down.

Sivakumaran Fernandu played an aggressive innings at the top of the card, hitting a boundary-heavy 35, with opening partner Kyle Gwynne offering a more steady 28.

Parkfield took 6/52 once it broke the 55-run opening stand, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a second loss from two matches.

A popular preseason premiership tip, the Bandits had high expectations coming off a grand final appearance last summer but are yet to recapture that form in the new season’s early stages.

Nick Jeffrey returned excellent figures of 2/22 from his 12 overs.

Malan Madusanka has brought his excellent form from Turf 3 into Turf 2. (Rob Carew: 323335)

Michael Vandort (left) and Anurudda Fonseka capitalised on Clyde’s excellent start with the bat. (Stewart Chambers: 439504)

The historic international leading Cranbourne’s rise

By Marcus Uhe

There would be very few athletes, let alone cricketers, that have represented their country alongside their own father, and even fewer that have played in front of a musical icon like Mick Jagger.

Harrison Carlyon, however, has done both.

Cranbourne’s new captain-coach was excused from school as a 15-year-old to represent his native Jersey in Los Angeles in 2016 as part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) World Cricket League Division Four finals.

With Jagger watching on, Carlyon became the youngest player to ever make his debut for the Island, and later in the tournament took the field alongside his father and Jersey cricketing royalty, Tony.

Already with the team as Team Manager, Tony was drawn out of retirement to play alongside Carlyon after injuries decimated the squad, despite the 31-year age gap between the two.

“I always look back on that, especially with it being my first tournament and thinking ‘that was pretty sweet,’” Cranbourne’s captain-coach said.

“He (knew) my game better than anyone else because he’s thrown probably millions of cricket balls at me over the years.

“To have him there and to be able to bounce ideas off him and say ‘what do you think?’ or he might spot something and say ‘maybe try this next game,’ that was really helpful and I think also in terms of me being really young at the time, it helped me integrate into the team quite well.”

Tony is enjoying retirement on the Island now, having further ensconced himself into Jersey cricketing folklore by ushering his son into the side, a key pillar in Jersey’s climb up the international realm and likely a future leader.

Cricket is becoming increasingly popular in the small European nation that Carlyon calls home, ranked 27th in the ICC’s T20 International rankings and one of the few national sporting teams to consistently play at international level, but for him, it’s been a way of life ever since he could walk.

His Father and uncle, who both represented Jersey in the mid-2000s, had him hitting balls and perfecting his stroke play at an early age that saw him soar through the ranks of school team selections and later for his nation.

Where the previous generation of his family were self-taught, scurrying off after school to the nearby cricket oval with mates to occupy themselves on sunny afternoons, Carlyon has always had Tony’s watchful eye over him, right back to developing the critical muscle memory.

“I remember seeing pictures of myself with my old man’s pads on in the garden when I was three-years-old, swinging a cricket bat around,” Carlyon recalled.

“I started hitting balls in the back garden and then my dad threw me so many cricket balls after school.

“We’d go to the nets, I’d bat for an hour and a half, I’d do that maybe four times a week, five if I was lucky, and then I played on the weekend.

“I was doing so much cricket that it became a way of life and quite natural to me.”

Those formative years of gentle throwdowns turned Carlyon into a hard-hitting batter at the top of the order whose off-spin is steadily improv-

ing, and even a handy golfer, currently playing off a scratch handicap.

Having spent time in Sussex’s development squad as a teenager, Carlyon is now a key member of both Jersey’s current and future ambitions as it aims to reclaim One Day International status in the upcoming ICC cycle.

His international career to date has taken him to all corners of the world, from Uganda to Singapore, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and the previously mentioned United States of America, making Cranbourne and the cut and thrust of the DDCA the natural next step.

Seeing the Rolling Stones frontman Walking The Dog at Casey Fields is not something on anyone’s bingo card, but Carlyon isn’t phased, relishing his early experiences in his second summer in Australia.

Landing at Cranbourne through the Cricketer Exchange program and with a positive recommendation on the Dandenong District Cricket

Association (DDCA) from former Narre South all-rounder and Jersey countryman Jonty Jenner, team success and the development of both his new teammates and his own game are the key things on the 23-year-old’s mind as he assumes dual leadership roles at the Eagles.

“I want to develop different areas of my game; scoring all around the ground and stuff like that,” he said.

“For me, it’s about keeping things ticking over (during) this English winter, and keep things ticking over going into next English summer, where I’ve got quite a few World Cup qualifiers and tournaments back in Jersey and other places.

“As a club, I want us to be as successful as we can this year.

“In my mind, that means winning grand finals and winning flags.

“We’re not going to look that far ahead, but I want us to take it one game at a time, one ball at a time, and play our best cricket.

“I want to see the guys improve as much as they can really and become better cricketers.

“To be able to leave the club in a stronger position than when I came here would be ideal for me.”

His first contest in his new colours, against St Mary’s, saw him mark his arrival in Australia with a big-hitting 73 off 58 deliveries.

For Jersey, he has only played white-ball cricket, but is eyeing the longer format of the game as a new experience and opportunity to further his development, with seldom opportunities to occupy the crease outside of his tenure at Sussex.

“I like the sound of it; it’s a long time and a long day,” he said.

“With the way I bat, I could bat all day and I feel like we’d score a few runs, but for me it would be about trying to be in there for the day and get the boys up to a good total.

“I have a tendency to want to be naturally aggressive and want to put the pressure back on the bowlers, but it’s not essential to me.

“That’s my natural tendency but I’m quite happy to sit in there and instead of making 73 off 58, I’m quite happy to make 73 off 100.

“I prefer to be more aggressive but I’m quite happy to play to the situation.”

Many wings make light work for Swans as batters fire

By Marcus Uhe

A series of contributions in the batting order put Casey-South Melbourne in pole position in its significant Victorian Premier Cricket contest at home against Prahran.

Whilst Jackson Isakka was the only batter to pass 50, six of his teammates passed 20 as the Swans reached 7/304 at the close of play on day one.

It’s Isakka’s first 50 in the red Swans helmet, having made his club debut in round two against Ringwood.

The number four’s innings included eight fours and came off 122 balls, having shared in a 55-run stand with Ruwantha Kellapotha for the third wicket and put-on 79 with Devin Pollock.

Pollock was the closest to joining Isakka in raising the bat, reaching 49 before he was bowled, while Kellapotha made 44.

Pollock also shared in a 54-run partnership with Calder before Calder lost his wicket for an aggressive 37.

Ashley Chandrasinghe made 39 in an attempt to rediscover some form away from the Victorian Sheffield Shield set up at the top of the order, but Yash Pednekar was tied down at the other end reaching just four from 42 deliveries.

The Swans can opt to continue batting next week and will be confident in their ability to defend the total against Prahran.

In a qualifying final last summer, the Swans rolled Prahran for 245 in pursuit of 271, on the back of a five-wicket haul from pace spearhead Nathan Lambden.

Singh was the dominant figure on the Dandenong batting card with a brisk 160 from 182 deliveries as the Panthers reached 299 in 83 overs, before making early inroads in Northcote’s batting card by taking a wicket before stumps.

His century included 15 fours and six sixes on a day that 27 from captain Brett Forysth was the next highest contribution.

Recruited from Richmond in the offseason, the right-hander has wasted little time establishing himself in the Panthers’ top order, with contributions of 26 and a quick-fire 37 when his side needed a lift in tempo in his opening two innings of the summer.

The tail failed to wag following his dismissal, as the Panthers reached 299 upon Nathan Whitford’s stumping to close the batting card.

It meant that Dandenong were afforded a tricky four-over period to bowl at Northcote, and were rewarded for a tidy opening to the defence with late success.

On the final ball of the day in fading sunshine, emerging quick Noah Hurley pinned Sam Harbinson on the pads to give the hosts the clear upper hand by the close of play, reducing them to 1/12.

The visitors will need a further 288 runs to claim the points next week.

Left-arm quick Harry Hoesktra and captain Luke Shelton have returned to the XI, adding vital bowling depth to the Swans attack in both the seam and spin departments.

At Dandenong, a brilliant century from

prized offseason recruit Shobit Singh has put Dandenong in a commanding position at stumps on day one of its two-day Premier Cricket Victoria clash with Northcote at Shepley Oval.

A watchful Devin Pollock made 49 for the Swans on Saturday. (Rob Carew: 319024)

Harrison Carlyon playing for Jersey against Papua New Guinea. (Supplied)

Leo makes Casey history with a National BMX title

By Justin Schwarze

11-year-old Casey BMX rider Leo Echeverria made history after winning the 2024 AusCycling BMX National Championships in Perth earlier this month.

The Championships, which took place from 7-13 October, consisted of over 1500 of the best BMX riders from around the country.

After three previous attempts at the national title, in Queensland in 2021, Tasmania in 2022 and Shepparton in 2023, Echeverria finally got his taste of glory.

“I was like ‘finally, I finally won one,’” Echeverria said.

While he finished in first, it was a difficult and challenging build-up to the final.

“Once we normally get to six weeks out, we’ve got really high intensity training, so it’s really tough training.” Echeverria recalled.

There were multiple forms of preparation he undertook for the competition, including weights, sprints, and general fitness.

After winning the semi-final, Echeverria felt confident in his ability to take home top spot.

“Once I won it I thought ‘this is going to be close, but I reckon I’m going to win it,’” he said.

“I was a tiny bit nervous.

“I did find that my start wasn’t the best - I would always have to make up time in the track.”

Not only did he make up time on the track, he became the first rider from the Casey BMX club to win a national championship.

He was also just one of five Victorians to win a national title in 2024.

He dedicated his win to his pace, which is his self-proclaimed biggest strength.

“It feels amazing, it’s really cool and everyone’s always congratulating me,” he said.

“I gain a lot of speed on the track, so that’s how I catch up.”

Echeverria competes in the 11 Boys category, where he is now ranked 1A in Australia.

The 11 Boys is renowned for being a fierce competition in Australia, with a large number of

competitors and riders.

After being crowned Australian champion, Echeverria now has his eyes set on taking his talent to the global stage.

The win qualified him for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championship

in Denmark next year, where he will compete against the best cyclists in the world for his age.

“I can’t wait to (go) overseas and (see) another country,” he exclaimed.

“I feel confident and I reckon I have a good chance at worlds.”

Mixed midweek bag on the greens for Cranbourne bowls

CRANBOURNE BOWLS

WEEKEND PENNANT RESULTS

On an absolute peach of a day weather wise, when the sun shone brightly with very little wind or breeze, the Cranbourne Bowling Club had a missed day in Round 2 of Weekend Pennant.

DIVISION 1 - Cranbourne 1 playing at home took on the Mentone Edge 1.

In a tense battle all day, the visitors edged ahead to take the match by three rinks to one, yet the overall loss was only two shots.

Cranbourne 1 (72) was defeated by Mentone Edge 1 (74)

Minus 2 shots and 2 points.

Best rink of the day was skipped by Jay Tootell, with Chadd Tootell (L) Danny Meyer (2nd) Scott Guymer (3rd) who won by 16 shots.

Cranbourne 2 travelled to take on Mordialloc 2 on their home greens.

Playing some inspiring bowls, the team skipped by Tony Collins, Dale Henry (L) Bill Bradbury (2nd) Terry Byrnes (3rd) rattled their opponents to the tune of an 18 shots win and Mr Collins got what all skips hope for - an easy ride for the day.

Following closely was the team of Ian Barrenger (S) Louis Magri (L) Barry Thomas (2nd) Stephen Arms (3rd) who won by 9 shots.

The team skipped by Rodney Arms, Chris Deal (3rd) Chris Stevenson (2nd) and Vic Butera Lead (L) had a hard fought win, getting up by five shots.

Our team skipped by Nick Arnold, with Wayne Stevens (3rd) Marijan Bobetic (2nd) and Gwen Scott fought hard in their match, but went down by six shots.

Cranbourne 2 (94) defeated Mordialloc (1) (64) + 30 shots and 16 points.

Cranbourne 3 playing at home against Pakenham 2 on the front synthetic had another epic game, but came up short in the end, going down

by three rinks to one.

Cranbourne 3 (68) was defeated by Pakenham 2 (76) - eight shots and two points.

Best rink was skipped by Peter Colthup, with John Kent (3rd) Dermot McConville (2nd) and Bob Pyne (L) winning by 6 shots.

Cranbourne 4 took to the road and headed to Mulgrave Country Club to take on Mulgrave CC five on their synthetic.

A very close match ensued, but winning two rinks each, it was Cranbourne 4 that took the chocolates winning the overall by six shots.

Cranbourne 4 (79) defeated Mulgrave CC 5 (73) - Plus 6 shots and 14 points.

Best rink was skipped by Cheryl Wright, Lesley Deal (3rd) Hans Worsteling (2nd) and Neil Fotheringham (L).

Cranbourne 5 played on the back green against opponents Berwick 7, winning two rinks to one.

In the 12-A-Side match, Cranbourne 5 got up by two shots.

Cranbourne 5 (56) defeated Berwick 7 (54) + 2 shots and 14 points.

Best rink was skipped by David McMaster, Davina Bobetic (3rd) Jo Alsop (2nd) Michael Schwab (L) winning by 9 shots.

Well done one and all and remember next week is another game and we push forward.

MIDWEEK PENNANT RESULTS

Round 1 of Midweek Pennant saw a mixed bag of results.

On a glorious day weather-wise Cranbourne 1, playing at home on the front grass green took on Upwey-Tecoma 1.

This was a close game all day with neither side getting too far ahead.

Towards the end of the game and after trailing at one stage, the team lead by Nick Arnold had a great last couple of ends picking up seven shots to win (25-21).

Best team of the day was led by Steve Bentley, winning their rink 22 - 13.

The team lead by Rob Scott battled valiantly, but could not just overcome their opponents going down 17 – 26.

Result: Cranbourne 1 (64) defeated UpweyTecoma (60) + 4 shots and 14 points.

Cranbourne 2 travelled to take on our neighbours Keysborough 2.

One of the tougher sides to beat on its home ground, our teams gave it their all with the team lead by Chris Deal prevailing by three shots, winning 23 - 20.

The team led by Steve Hickson tried hard, but again just finished short, going down by six shots 13 - 19.

Unfortunately our third team led by John Kent found their opponents in red hot form and couldn’t bridge the gap, eventually going down by 18 shots 10 - 28.

Result: Cranbourne 2 (46) were defeated by Keysborough 2 (67) - 21 shots and 2 points.

Cranbourne 3 travelled down to Sandringham to take on their number 2 team and acquitted themselves pretty well.

Winning one rink, drawing one and losing one, the team did their best and will be back, bigger and better.

Best rink was skipped by Scott De Piazza winning 20 - 15, closely followed by the team skipped by Harry Van Soest who had a very honourable draw 18 - 18.

The team led by Gwen Scott tried hard, but everything they did and tried was just outdone by their opponents, going down 13 - 25.

Result: Cranbourne 3 (51) were defeated by Sandringham 2 (58) - 7 shots and 3 points.

Cranbourne 4 playing at home on the grass, hosted neighbours Berwick in the 6-A-Side game.

Winning 2 rinks to nil, Cranbourne 4 came out on top in a convincing manner.

Result: Cranbourne 4 (52) defeated Berwick 5 (25) + 27 shots and 14 points.

Best Rink: Mick Feeley, Steve Muhi & Rod Challis winning 35 - 10. - Derek Maguire

Echeverria attacks the course

Cranbourne suffered a tight loss to Mentone on Saturday. (Supplied)

Leo Echeverria was crowned National Champion. (Supplied)

HAMPTON PARK CLASS OF 2024

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 at Hampton Park Secondary College! Your journey has been defined by dedication, resilience, and a strong commitment to our core values of respect, collaboration, and learning. As you embark on this next chapter, keep in mind the importance of respecting each other and the diverse perspectives that enrich our community. The collaborative spirit you’ve shown will be invaluable in your future endeavours, reminding you that great accomplishments often arise from teamwork. Your passion for knowledge has been truly inspiring, and it will serve as the foundation for your future. We are proud of each of you and eager to see the incredible contributions you will make in the world. Congratulations once more, and best wishes for the bright futures ahead!