News - Berwick Star News - 19th December 2024

Big meals for young minds

Hallam Primary School students took to the kitchen as part of the Kitchen Garden Program with the goal of creating something truly wonderful, and Slimah was one of them, with coleslaw and other greens in her hands, she was more than ready for the others to try out her dish after carefully crafting it in the kitchen.

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Salimah was one of the many students who dug into the process, basking in the aroma of different ingredients to create her own dish. (Stewart Chambers: 449743)

in 1994, when Berwick and Cranbourne were merged amid anger and uncertainty.

Despite the tensions, Wayne said economies of scale made the merger economically viable and gave Casey greater political influence.

Neil Lucas, the former chief executive officer of Berwick City, recalled the emotional moments

Casey’s first mayor, Wayne Smith, recalled resistance to uniting two distinct areas with Cranbourne’s rural roots and Berwick’s semi-rural identity.

in the council when Berwick ceased to exist.

He said council staff at Berwick City ordered a balloon with a big long string on the end.

“All the staff and the councillors came. And I said this is the old City of Berwick now. It’s going to let go of the string,” he said.

“Well, people were crying because they loved

the place. They loved working there. And we let go of the string and off went the balloon into the sky.

“That was a sort of symbolic thing to try and get them to draw a line in the sand. And, yeah, there we go.”

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Hands dirty for education

With cream of vegetable soup, salads from coleslaw, beetroot carpaccio, herb focaccia and carrot and zucchini fritters, it didn’t take long for the aroma of a hearty and nutritious meal to fill the kitchen at Hallam Primary.

On the morning of Monday 16 December, children from as young as seven took the mantle of chefs, guided not just by elder students, but by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and VicHealth, who announced a $2.7 million partnership.

With the funds set to be invested throughout the next three years, the partnership aims to give children at more than 500 Victorian schools, such as Hallam Primary, the learning foundations of fresh and healthy food.

Stephanie Alexander, the founder of the notfor-profit was present during the event, and while 20-plus years into the path, remained filled with love and purpose as she guided the younger cooks.

“Well we think it’s absolutely central to living a good life,” she said.

“What we are showing is that even very young

children are capable of enjoying these tasks, developing real skills, but also finding out all sorts of things that they’ve not experienced before - and they love it!

“I mean, it’s pleasurable, the fact that it’s hands-on, that they enjoy it and so they want to keep doing it, it’s creating a habit of life really.”

The Kitchen Gardening Program will see the $2.7 million spread out to 60 grants - 30 per year - allocated to schools between 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 financial years.

Focusing on schools in communities that need it the most, this grant will help cover the costs of a small-scale kitchen and garden equipment and or infrastructure, as well as membership for the program.

VicHealth CEO, Sandro Demaio, said that these kinds of partnerships are essential, echoing Alexander’s goals of educating through the act of cooking, and nurturing love for it through a form of creation through the children’s own hands.

“I’m incredibly proud, for more than 20 years Stephanie and her team have been doing amazing work and a program that is now national and internationally recognised has come out of Victoria,” he said.

“It’s that partnership with VicHealth and this program, to continue to provide this connection to food and growing it, enjoying food and for kids across more than 400 schools participating, it’s a huge privilege.

“It’s important to know that the earlier you connect kids with food and cooking, understanding where it comes from, understanding how to prepare it, to share it and enjoy it, they’re going to get health benefits right across their lives.”

The foundation’s CEO, Cathy Wilkinson said that really, “It’s about connecting heads, hearts and hands so that children have those practical skills for life”.

“It’s the joy of watching someone grow in the garden, the understanding of how you prepare it in the kitchen and then being able to bring that together in an incredible dish that they share.

“This partnership for us is significant, we’re aligned in values such as that focus on preventative health, the focus on protecting children from commercial detriments of health, and improving the resilience of our food systems,” she said.

Hallam Primary’s learning specialist, Louisa Carey has overlooked the program in the school for over 10 years, and during that time the way

the children move around the kitchen and create their masterpieces never ceases to amaze her.

“It’s an amazing program, it really provides a lot of hands-on and authentic learning opportunities for the kids and what they’re doing in class,” she said.

“They come into the kitchen, they’re learning about procedural text, reading and writing recipes, learning about weighing and measuring.

“Then in the garden, they’re learning about plants’ life cycles, but they also make the connection of how food is actually grown, it’s not just in the shop,” she said.

For both Cathy and Stephanie, it’s about nurturing that understanding of food, sustainability and health at a young age, but they can’t help but fall in love with the work that they do and the smiles they see on the children’s faces.

“I feel very proud and I am still amazed at how competent these little kids are and how much enjoyment they have and the focus they have on what they’re doing,” Stephanie said.

For Cathy, these events just “fill your heart and soul”.

“Seeing kids engage in such positive activities, it’s really very special, very meaningful,” she said.

From left to right: Alia, Adna and Tyler getting busy in the kitchen. (Stewart Chambers: 449743_08)

From left to right: Cathy Wilkinson (CEO Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation), Sandro Demaio (CEO Vic Health), Stephanie Alexander and Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson (Stewart Chambers: 449743_05)

Ms Lee, one of the many helper chefs, with Hazheer and Poli as they make the dough. (Stewart Chambers: 449743_0)

By Ethan Benedicto

Less floods on the horizon

By Ethan Benedicto

Living at the bottom of the hill comes with its own set of merits and problems, and for long-time Doveton resident Veronica Hill, it was only recently that the constant flooding at her home had been attended to.

First featured in an episode of A Current Affair roughly three weeks ago, it was revealed then that her home at Eugenia Street just off the entrance at Hawthorn Road had been the subject to constant flooding every time it rained due to the lack of a proper drainage system.

While it had not previously been an issue throughout her 57 years of stay in the area, it was around 20 years ago when local road reconstruction effectively changed the environment, and unfortunately, it was a turn for the worst for Veronica.

“The street was remade, and we had no problems whatsoever in the first, 30-odd years I suppose,” she said.

“Then they remade the street and there was no drainage at the bottom of the hill and ever since then, it’s been a problem.”

As can be seen during the episode, it was common for rainwater run-off to find its way into the driveway, and from there into the crevices of the home.

Veronica can also be observed gathering towels to bar the gaps under the doors to prevent them from leaking into the home.

The City of Casey became aware of the issue in 2021, and currently, Veronica has observed council officers coming in and out of Eugenia Street and inspecting the conditions.

Casey’s mayor, Stefan Koomen, said that prior to him becoming mayor and councillor, he had met Veronica when he was doing his door-todoor campaign, where she raised the issue with him and how the flooding had developed over the years.

“It captured me as an issue that I really wanted to deal with,” Koomen said.

“It spoke to the values of what a lot of residents were saying about making sure we get the balance right about how we maintain and improve existing suburbs, while at the same time, catering to the growth areas.

“About Veronica, she’s Casey’s 2015 citizen of the year, lived in Doveton for decades and has contributed a lot through her volunteering.

“We want to make sure that those long-term residents still love their community and feel like they’re being supported.”

Koomen said that as soon as he became aware of the video from A Current Affair, he has since raised the issue with council officers who are currently looking at some interim measures.

So far, additional drain cleaning and maintenance have been undertaken on several occasions, however, they have been unsuccessful in resolving the issue.

As of now, the council is working on identifying what other mitigation works can be undertaken to protect Veronica’s home from flooding caused by stormwater runoff; no timeline for the works is currently available.

Veronica currently has sandbags across her fence, stopping water from minor rains but adding that “they’ve deteriorated so there’s not much

holding them together”.

“A really good downpour will wash them away, but the officers have looked at it and whether they’re going to replace them, I’m not sure.

“But it’s only the drainage issue that needs to be fixed now, and you know, I don’t have a problem with the council.

“We’ve got the new council in and I believe we’re going to have open and good representation, so I’m feeling very satisfied with the way things are moving,” she said.

In the episode, it was mentioned that years ago, both Veronica and her late husband Jim, had built a granny flat at the rear of the property for Jim’s mother, which, at that point, was “unliveable” and had “no services connected to it in the

last two years”, she told A Current Affair. Amenities were not running and at a certain stage of the episode, it detailed that an additional $300 was being charged by the council; the council has since rescinded this charge after re-inspection, labelling the flat now as a bungalow.

On what the works are to look like, Koomen said that “the drain does need to be fixed”.

“There’s capital works involved and we’ll be looking to see if that can be included in one of the future programs, but it’s definitely now on the agenda and I think that it’s important that Veronica is going to be heard,” he said.

For Veronica, “the rest has been sorted”, and now she is eagerly waiting for some major changes to the drainage issue.

Man jailed for stabbed passenger’s death

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A man who drove a fatally-stabbed victim to the front of Casey Hospital has been jailed for manslaughter.

Jordan Riley, 42, initially charged with murder, pleaded guilty at the Victorian Supreme Court after a sentence indication.

The victim Daniel Cockerill, 45, who stayed in the same Port Melbourne boarding house as Riley, was found to have died from a stab wound to the heart in the early hours of 26 March 2023. He had several defensive stab wounds to his hand. However the precise circumstances of his assault were unknown, sentencing judge Stephen Kaye said.

Earlier that morning, Riley had been driving Cockerill and another man Ayant Singh in a borrowed Volvo sedan around Blackburn, Beaconsfield and Berwick.

Until next year

The Cranbourne, Berwick and PakenhamOfficer Star News publications are all taking a two-week break over the Christmas and New Year period.

We will not be publishing on 26 December or 2 January.

We will back on 9 January for our special Year in Review edition. Star News would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal readers and advertisers for their support throughout 2024.

About 7.26am, the Volvo pulled into hospital with a wounded Cockerill in the back seat.

A paramedic requested Riley to help pull Cockerill’s cold, pulseless body out onto the footpath.

The paramedic was told by one of the men that “he’s taken something, he might have injected something” and claimed they didn’t know Cockerill’s name.

As a police officer started CPR on Cockerill, Riley went back to the Volvo, slowly reversed and drove off.

That morning he was arrested and deemed unfit for interview.

Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Riley had failed to engage with mental health services for about a year beforehand.

He was not taking medication and “very likely” to have been actively psychotic at the time of the offence, a psychologist found.

A bloodied kitchen knife in a sheath was later

found in the back of the Volvo. There was a strong likelihood of a DNA link to Riley.

However, Riley insisted to a psychologist that Cockerill died from a drug overdose, and mistrusted medical evidence to the contrary.

On 16 December, Justice Kaye noted that prosecutors accepted they couldn’t prove beyond reasonable doubt who inflicted the fatal wound.

Nor could they prove whether the assault was intended to kill or cause serious injury.

Riley was sentenced on the basis that he was at least complicit and that a reasonable person would know the act put Cockerill at “appreciable risk of serious injury”.

Born in England and raised in Frankston, Riley had a long history of using drugs and alcohol, as well as several involuntary admissions to psychiatric units.

Justice Kaye found that Riley’s failure to take medication at the time was connected to his lack

of insight into his mental illness and was “very much part and parcel of that condition”. Riley’s rehabilitation prospects were “guarded”, given his limited insight and past convictions for violence, the judge noted.

At the time of the stabbing, Riley was on a community corrections order for assaulting a police officer and intentionally causing injury.

The “moving” victim impact statements by Cockerill’s uncle and cousins made clear he was a “much valued family member”, Justice Kaye noted.

“They are a salutary reminder of the grief and suffering that have been, and will continue to be, the consequence of the offence in which you were criminally complicit.”

Riley was jailed for eight-and-a-half years, with a non-parole period of five years and three months. He had served 533 days in pre-sentence detention.

From left to right, The City of Casey Mayor Stefan Koomen and Veronica Hill next to the sandbags at the front of the house to stop some of the flood waters. (Gary Sissons: 450856_02)

Three decades of change

By Violet Li

History is made of changes, trivial or significant.

As the City of Casey had its 30th anniversary on Sunday 15 December, Star News talked with former councillors to look back at the changes across the land.

For Casey’s longest-serving councillor and the first mayor Wayne Smith, the scale of the empty lands and farmlands in the south side turning into developments has been striking, but it also epitomises the tensions behind every change.

“There’s still rural land, but it’s disappearing,” he said.

“And those who want to keep it are struggling because of all the land tax and all the things the government wants them to develop. They want more housing out here.

“And on the other hand, there’s also a lot of restrictions on them getting rid of them. There’d be a lot of farms that want to subdivide, and they’ve got all those restrictions.”

The influx of migrants has been another noticeable change for Casey, and Wayne recalled that it was in the first decade that the new arrivals went down to Cranbourne and Clyde.

“I love Casey because it’s multicultural, to be honest, that’s to be the best thing that happened. Some people don’t agree, but I think it’s been a good thing,” he said.

“We’ve got a multitude of restaurants, and all nationalities are playing sports. They’re all doing music. Our schools are doing well because they’re so multicultural.”

Moving north to Berwick, Rob Wilson, who served on both Berwick and Casey councils for 19 years including as Casey’s mayor, said the township of Berwick had also changed in the past 30 years.

“There’s been lots of residents over the years battling to try and retain the character. But the trouble was people were moving out towards Berwick and Berwick South, and that sort of forced change,” he said.

It was not really the amalgamation of the two cities that led to the change, but more of the pressure of the growth and development, Rob said.

Changes in one’s eyes may not be the case in the others.

For the former chief executive officer of the City of Berwick and ex-mayor of Casey, Neil Lucas, the old Berwick township where he and his wife had been residing since 1969 hasn’t changed much.

“The feel for us hasn’t changed. And one of the main reasons for that is the town planning,” he said.

“I often say the difference between the Berwick township and the Cranbourne township is quite stark. And the reason for that is that the council in the 1970s said we wanted to keep the Berwick township compact, so they put an end to the main street at each end.

“The length of the township on the hill remained the same. And to me, the township on the hill and that character, albeit there are different shops and whatever, we’ve still got the old pub and the old post office and the old racquetball.

“To me, the changes that have occurred haven’t been to the detriment of the character of the town.”

For Neil, the change has come more in the way the local government functions after the Casey Council was first formed in 1994.

“All the new councils, generally speaking, start-

ed a new era of local government. And some will say that’s for the better. Some will say that’s for the worse. Some say that the old councils were closer to the people and more in tune with what people wanted than the new ones,” he said.

These days, councils are taking on more and more, Neil believed.

“They need more and more rights to do more and more. I think it’s gone a bit far,” he said.

“Community members now just have an expectation from the council. I still don’t want to pay

more rates, but they have an expectation that the council will do everything.

“There is less volunteerism in our society. And in the good old days, that’s how you got things done. You raised money and you got things done.

“When I was a young fella, the footy ground up here in our street needed drainage. So we did it on our own. Nowadays, the council does all of that at our cost, our rates.

“Things have changed, and it’s a bit overdone now in my view. There’s just too much provided.”

Infrastructure, jobs, and communication needed, they say

By Violet Li

Former councillors say Casey needs infrastructure, more jobs, and improved communication in the future.

Star News talked with former councillors to look into the future as the City of Casey had its 30th anniversary on Sunday 15 December.

Casey’s longest-serving councillor and the first mayor Wayne Smith said jobs were missing here.

“We don’t have jobs because we don’t have enough industry now. And that was the fault of both previous councils who just didn’t plan well enough,” he said.

“In the end, it was the greed of developers because there was more money in housing than there was in the industry.

“We don’t have too many factories, but factories lead to employment.

“The majority of people in Casey in those days went out of Casey to work. Therefore, we were always under pressure for our roads because, during peak hours in the mornings and at night, everyone was moving to Dandenong or Pakenham.”

Wayne said getting the message out in such a big municipality was difficult.

He exemplified the recent petition against the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station.

Star News reported last week that community organisation Lynbrook Residents Association had been urging residents to sign a parliamentary pe-

tition to request the State Government to stop the construction of the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station.

“They’ve got more than 1000 signatures but still that’s not enough. A lot of people just don’t know they’ve had a petition,” Wayne said.

“They had a very limited letterbox drop because it was just ordinary people in this community doing it, and they just couldn’t do probably what was needed. But I wonder what was needed.

“How would you get the message out? Because I have no doubt the day that new facility opens, there’s going to be all these people up in arms saying, it should never have been allowed. Why was it allowed?

“And it’s because they didn’t do anything to stop it, but probably because they didn’t know. That really frustrates me, and that’s communication.”

Wayne said Bunjil Place could be further utilised.

“There’s a lot of empty space in Bunjil. There’s room there to grow,” he said.

“There needs to be a restaurant in Bunjil. It is absolutely unbelievable that there is no way other than the cafe where you can go have something to eat and then go see a show or have something afterwards.

“And we need a hotel there. If you come and perform at Bunjil and I talked to the performers at Bunjil. And they said, where do we stay? The nearest decent hotel would be back in Dandenong.”

“It will have to continue developing infrastruc-

Former Berwick and Casey councillor Rob Wilson and Casuarina Ward Cr Kim Ross looked back at the history of Casey Council days before the 30th anniversary. Violet Li: 451059

Former chief executive officer of the City of Berwick and ex-mayor of Casey, Neil Lucas, said the area had a huge need for new infrastructure.

ture and one of the main reasons is the continued growth in the South East areas,” he said.

“Also, there’ll be a need for upgrades in the older areas too.”

Bunjil Place, City of Casey. (Gary Sissons: 429633)

A history of amalgamation

By Violet Li

As the City of Casey had its 30th anniversary on Sunday 15 December, Star News talked with former councillors to look back at the history. The amalgamation of Berwick and Cranbourne at the inception seems to be the inevitable starting point of the conversation.

Casey’s longest-serving councillor and the first mayor Wayne Smith, who came from the Cranbourne side before Casey Council, said there was a lot of anger against Casey being formed because it was two different cities, Berwick and Cranbourne, being brought together.

“Both councils forced very hard not to have that happen,” he recalled.

“These two cities were pretty different. Cranbourne saw itself as part rural, which it was. And Berwick had a little bit of rural, but not much. The rural aspects of Berwick had been some hobby farms and things up in the hills, whereas Cranbourne had foreign farms, dairy, poultry and veggie farms.

“I don’t know if it was necessarily the right decision, but in the end, we made it work.”

In late 1994, significant reforms took place in Victoria’s local government, resulting in the consolidation of 210 municipalities into 78.

City of Casey was established on 15 December 1994 through the merger of the majority of the City of Berwick, portions of the Shire of Cran-

bourne, including the town of Cranbourne, and the Churchill Park Drive estate from the City of Knox. It was named to honour the significant contributions of Lord Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey and Lady Maie Casey to the region and Australia.

Lord Casey, who served as governor-general of Australia, and Lady Casey, an accomplished artist, author, and aviator, made their home at the Edrington property in Berwick.

At the time, the merger led to a population of 145,000.

“The merger worked in that there were economies of scale. Going for bigger cities was, in the long run, a more economical way of doing it,”

Wayne said.

“Casey became bigger. Now, all of a sudden, that was a much bigger city. Therefore, much more powerful in terms of government. So, the government really had to start paying attention to Casey.”

Former chief executive officer of the City of Berwick and ex-mayor of Casey, Neil Lucas, looked back at the demise of Berwick City and said it was a tough time for the staff.

“Itchangedthecareersofalotofpeople.Itgave other people great opportunities,” he recalled.

“Many of the people who took other opportunities to go into private business to contract to the councils rather than working for them did very well.

“Other people were quite hurt by the change.”

Regardless of whether people were happy about the merger, Neil believed the City of Berwick had no alternative.

He remembered that he received a letter on a Monday, which said, the City of Berwick would cease to exist next Friday.

“That was pretty blunt, wasn’t it? And you had to accept it,” he said.

“And then I got another letter saying next Monday, you’re to report as interim chief executive of the Shire at Mornington Peninsula.

“All the councillors ceased to be councillors on that Friday. And many of the staff were quite traumatised by it all.

“It was not a happy time. We had some wonderful people working for us, and on Friday, I wanted people to look to the future, not get stuck in recriminations.”

Neil could still recall that council staff at Berwick City ordered a balloon with a big long string on the end.

“All the staff and the councillors came. And I said this is the old City of Berwick now. It’s going to let go of the string,” he said.

“Well, people were crying because they loved the place. They loved working there. And we let go of the string and off went the balloon into the sky.

“That was a sort of symbolic thing to try and get them to draw a line in the sand. And, yeah, there we go.

“It was a very emotional time.”

Though absent from the Casey Council in the first several years, Neil said he could see how difficult it was for the merger of the two cities.

“It was because they were different. The councils had different policies in some areas. And the way they operated was different,” he said.

“That was a difficult time. There were new relationships being formed. There were different ways of doing things.”

The conversation about splitting the two cities has never faded away over the years.

“It’s too late,” Wayne believed.

“When Casey first started, that’s what people said was going to happen in 20 years. And 20 years went by, and nothing happened.

“I just can’t see it ever happening. They’d have to find new premises. They’d have to have two council offices.

“I just think economies of scale are working.”

Perhaps the ending of the merger could be told by an anecdote shared by Neil.

“Berwick and Cranbourne didn’t get on with each other because of the football and the netball,” he recalled.

“Cranbourne and Berwick footy used to have a few punch-ups, so no one from Berwick ever went to Cranbourne. And Cranbourne people never came to Berwick.

“Then all of a sudden, they joined together, and they found out that people were just normal.”

Judgment day soon for ‘predatory’ teacher

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A former primary school teacher in the South East is facing an impending sentence for grooming and sexually assaulting up to nine children.

Nicholas O’Shea, 31, of Pakenham, preyed on the teenage boys he’d met as a teacher as well as a player and coach at baseball clubs for more than a decade.

Befriending his victims on social-media app Snapchat, O’Shea would send nude photos and request the same from the boys. O’Shea also sent graphic videos of himself, as well as plied the boys with alcohol, groped, spooned and propositioned them.

He pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to 13 charges including indecent acts

with children, transmitting indecent communication to a child, grooming, sexual assault and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

In a plea hearing on 13 December, a “grossed-out” teen victim stated he was “scared” by the predatory behaviour.

O’Shea’s messages were funny until they contained explicit photos that “I couldn’t get out of my head”, he stated.

Judge Stewart Boyles noted five victim impact statements from teens and parents in total. They “eloquently and comprehensively” showed the “clearly significant” impacts on the school and baseball clubs.

Prosecutor Zoran Petric argued for a jail sentence for the “predatory”, “persistent” and “protracted” offending

Defence lawyer Peter Chadwick argued

against jail, citing no prior convictions as well as no sexual penetration of the victims.

As a result of his offending, an “ashamed” and “embarrassed” O’Shea had lost his profession and must be a registered sex offender, Chadwick argued.

The teacher at the time was a “young offender”, aged 19-25 for the bulk of his offending. He’d only offended against his former students after they’d graduated from his primary school, Chadwick said.

O’Shea’s offending was linked to being conflicted over his sexual orientation, Chadwick argued. Out of shame, he hadn’t “come out” until his 30th birthday.

His hebephilic interests may have been due to being unable to connect with people his own age, Chadwick said.

His lewd messages usually occurred while binge drinking.

According to a psychologist, O’Shea’s “moderate” risk of reoffending would be reduced with giving up alcohol, coming to terms with his sexuality and connecting with others of the same age.

These factors were being addressed by O’Shea’s abstinence and attending counselling since his arrest in late 2023, Chadwick said.

In an earlier sentence indication, Judge Boyles indicated O’Shea may not be jailed. Instead, he could serve a recognizance release order – similar to a suspended jail term - as well as a community corrections order.

O’Shea will be sentenced next year after a CCO assessment report.

News announcement when City of Casey was formed on 15 December 1994. (Berwick Star News 1994)

News announcement when City of Casey was formed on 15 December 1994. (Berwick Star News 1994)

Then Cranbourne councillor Wayne Smith talked to the paper in 1994 about the divide of Cranbourne for the merger. (Berwick Star News 1994)

Storm is heading to Casey

By Ethan Benedicto

Being a sport-dominant state has seen a lot of active people in Victoria, much so for the City of Casey being the largest LGA, making it difficult not to find talent in the swathes of aspiring rugby stars.

Rugby powerhouse Melbourne Storm, after reaching an agreement with the city back in 2023, is looking to run its third leg of trial and practice matches in early 2025, clashing with the North Queensland Cowboys at Casey Fields.

Storm’s CEO, Justin Rodski said that he and the players are excited to be back in the city after their July 2024 session in Cranbourne East was cancelled due to weather conditions.

“That will be our final trail game ahead of the regular season, so we’ll have a full-strength team and honestly, we’re looking forward to the team playing in the suburbs of Melbourne,” he said.

“The southeast is a really important corri-

dor for us when it comes to our fans, our members, and we’ve established one of our pathways through here, through Casey, we know that we’ve got a lot of support throughout the region.”

Set to be held on Sunday 23 February at 4pm, the day will also feature a Festival of Rugby League, where before the kick-off, three curtain raisers of Storm’s under 17s, under 19s, and the Storm Female Development Squad get the chance to get their boots dirty and showcase their talent.

Casey Warriors Rugby League Club vice president, Arana Taepa, said that these initiatives and events are “great for grassroots football”.

“It’s massive for our community because the majority of the time, the only chance people get to see them is either at AAMI Park or on the TV.

“So to be able to walk out to their own doorstep and to be able to mingle with these top-line athletes, it’s amazing for the community as a whole,” he said.

Back in February 2023, Casey’s CEO Glenn Patterson and Rodski both announced the partnership at AAMI Park, with the partnership set to be in place until October 2027.

Rodski said the same back then, and at that stage, two juniors from the Casey Warriors Club, Sheldon Diaz and Jared Nauma, remain examples of the reach and growth of the sport.

The said growth has been everything exciting and in between, with the potential for expansion in a predominantly AFL-centred state becoming more evident.

“We’re proud of the number of Victorians that are now playing the sport and participation’s growing every year, so there’s the potential of expansion and it’s important for us to develop our talent here in our own backyard,” Rodski said.

“There are a lot of young kids out there playing rugby and are in the league, so we want to be able to give them an opportunity and the pathway through to the elite.

“It’s on days like these, like the Festival of Rugby League at Casey Fields, that enables us to showcase that to the community and for the people in their region to come and watch, it brings people together and for us, that’s really exciting.”

Taepa said that the excitement continues to grow, not just for the club’s players who are part of the developmental team at Storm, but also for the local community to experience elite performance just a stone’s throw away.

“It’s Melbourne Storm given back to the rugby league community, taking their training and their games out to local places,” Taepa said.

“It’s massive, massive for Casey, massive for Casey Warriors and massive for the community as a whole.”

This event will be the final practice match before Round 1 of the NRL season, and will also be the only pre-season match in Victoria.

For tickets and more information on the event, visit www.ticketmaster.com.au/artist/1157378

Get involved: Summer echidna spotting but for science

By Tanya Steele

The summer months bring special moments to those living in the Yarra Ranges as the shortbeaked echidna goes about its day and can often be spotted clambering through backyards and trying to cross roads.

Citizen science can come into play with these special moments and a group of echidna researchers in South Australia have been collecting images, recordings, scat and more from people all over Australia.

Journalist Tanya Steele is an unabashed monotreme enthusiast and spoke with Professor Frank Grützner from the Echidna Conversation Science initiative (Echidna CSI) and Healesville Sanctuary Mammal Keeper Craig McQueen about the importance behind these incidental sightings.

Echidnas are very hard to find in the wild when you are deliberately looking for them and from his research office in South Australia, Professor Grützner said this makes it really hard to do any research on them.

“If you actually want to find one, you know, you’d be wandering around. It’s really hard to predict,” he said.

Professor Grützner is part of a team of researchers dedicated to echidna research in South Australia and the team of researchers have developed an app to connect with the general community to learn more about the unique creatures, which launched in August of 2017.

So far thousands of Australians have sent the team photos of echidnas through their Echidna CSI app, even collecting echidna poo for the University of Adelaide researchers to use for molecular analysis.

“We want to understand more about echidnas so they can be protected,” Professor Grützner said.

Healesville Sanctuary mammal keeper Craig McQueen said by late October and early No-

to use all their natural behaviours. (Zoos Victoria)

vember, the weather conditions are often perfect for echidnas (not too hot, not too cold), which is why you will likely start seeing them become more active.

Professor Grützner said the best-studied population of echidnas is at his doorstep on Kangaroo Island.

The Kangaroo Island population of echidnas has been classed as endangered, while the rest of Australia class the short-beaked echidna population as stable with a status of ‘least concern.’

The localised research has shown how the rate of echidnas being killed by feral cats and cars is more than the numbers being born and so echidnas across Australia are likely under more threat than is currently recognised.

OPINION

“For the rest of Australia, we still lack a lot of that information and we need to gather more,” Professor Grützner said.

The Kangaroo Island bushfires in the summer months of 2019 and 2020 meant the local echidna population dealt with a huge challenge to their environment.

Specialising in genetics Professor Grützner said the Echidna CSI project has delivered thousands of sightings and over 800 scat samples so far. “It’s a huge resource that has been built over seven years,” he said.

The researchers have also studied the differences in gut bacteria between echidnas living in the wild versus in captivity as well as regional differences. “We found a very high diversity of gut bacteria but also a dramatic difference between echidnas that are captive and those that are wild,” Professor Grützner said.

“Prior to this, there was no genetic analysis of echidna scat and their gut bacteria.”

Professor Grützner said the scat itself is not disgusting as it isn’t smelly, and looks sort of a cylindrical and is around the the thickness of a finger. “It’s probably a bit thicker than you’d expect and it’s basically compacted soil,” he said.

“Generally because of their sticky tongues, echidnas absorb enormous amounts of soil, which is interesting to think about – of course, they have insects and invertebrates sticking on there as well.”

The all-important echidna scat can sometimes give a glittery effect due to the presence of the bugs, securing their place as a fun fact animal if there ever was one.

Their back feet face backwards, they have no teeth and their tongues are roughly 18cm long.

Echidnas blow snot bubbles to keep cool and they are great swimmers and use their beaks as a snorkel.

“It can be very difficult to tell male echidnas from females,” keeper Mr McQueen said.

“Males grow slightly larger than females, but they otherwise look pretty much identical.”

“They can vary in size but can grow upwards of seven kilograms – which is a very big echidna.”

The echidnas at Healesville Sanctuary are always on the go and Mr McQueen said they provide them with plenty of enrichment opportunities to use all their natural behaviours.

“During the cooler months, echidnas go into an inactive state called torpor,” he said.

“This helps them to conserve energy in low temperatures, and they can go for days or even weeks at a time without needing to feed.”

Australia is also nearing the time of year when puggles (baby echidnas) from this year’s breeding season start emerging from their burrows.

“Like much of our native wildlife echidnas have been affected by human developmentincluding roads in their natural habitat,” Mr McQueen said.

As they are moving from place to place, echidnas will inevitably need to cross roads and unfortunately, they don’t have the best road sense.

“They rarely look to be in a hurry to avoid cars,“ Mr McQueen said.

“It is extra important to slow down if you see an echidna crossing the road, as they may need extra time to cross safely compared to many other animals.

“Avoid trying to physically move them on, as they are more likely to bunker down if they feel threatened.”

Professor Grützner said if people keep an eye out for echidnas and get recordings of them, Australia-wide it will help researchers to record the distribution and patterns of movements of the echidnas.

“People can take a photo and then it has a GPS location on it,” he said.

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN

Thumbs up

To all those doing it tough, and still keeping the Christmas spirit. Beautiful people, caring and kindness to all. Tis the season to be jolly. Merry Christmas everyone.

Thumbs up

To all those who have decorated their houses with Christmas lights and ornaments. Gives such pleasure to all.

Thumbs up

To the organisers of the Pakenham Carols by Candlelight event. Thoroughly enjoyed it as an event again. Thumbs up

To Christmas Together 2024 and all of the charitable initiatives like Pakenham Toy Run. We have an amazing, generous community.

The echidnas at Healesville Sanctuary are always on the go and Keeper McQueen said they provide them with plenty of enrichment opportunities

Vulnerable to drowning risk

By Violet Li

A State Coroner has highlighted the vulnerability of persons born overseas to accidental drowning in Victorian coastal waters, following the investigation into the Forrest Caves Beach drowning incident.

State Coroner Sarah Gebert handed down a finding on 11 December on four drowning deaths during a single incident at Phillip Island earlier this year.

On 24 January, Jagjeet Singh Anand, 23 from Cranbourne, Kirti Bedi, 20 from Clyde, Suhani Anand, 20 from Cranbourne, and Reema Sondhi, 42 who was traveling from India, lost their lives in the accident.

According to the finding, the four deceased, with five other people, were out on a family day trip to Phillip Island that day.

They stopped at Forrest Caves Beach to eat their packed lunch and the other group members told the police that they did not notice any warning signs about the beach or the lack of Life Saving Victoria patrols.

A general beach warning signage is displayed at the entrance, indicating “‘No Lifesaving Service’, ‘Dangerous Currents’, and ‘Submerged Objects’. No translation is provided.

The group had not planned to go swimming that day.

Reema, Jagjeet, Kirti, Suhani and another member were initially in the water below waist height, but when they began to leave the kneeheight water, a large wave knocked them off their feet and into the waves.

The surviving member was able to eventually stand up and get to the shoreline, but he was unable to see what had happened to the other people in the water.

Another member at the beach stated that he tried to swim to the others, but the waves were large, and he was pushed back. The large waves

pulled the four remaining adults in the water further out.

Coroner Gebert found that four deceased people had no or limited swimming experience and knowledge of Australian beaches.

The finding reveals that Forrest Caves Beach is highly exposed and susceptible to high-energy swells that come from Bass Strait, and is known for strong rips. The beach is rated as ‘highly hazardous’.

The police witness concluded that the four appeared to have entered the water where a rip was occurring, and they were subsequently dragged out into the rip.

Coroner Gebert noted that about half of the unintentional Victorian coastline drowning deaths of swimmers in the past decade were born overseas, which highlighted the cohort’s particular vulnerability to accidental drowning.

Life Saving Victoria identified people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and international tourists and students as high-risk populations and noted that urgent work was needed to progress its water safety strategies.

The organisation flagged relevant waste safety issues associated with the high-risk populations, including lack of understanding or preparedness for open waterway conditions and dangers, particularly rip currents or strong currents, lack of swimming ability, lack of understanding or preparedness for open waterway conditions and dangers, particularly rip currents or strong currents, and lack of water safety messages and programs which are accessible and appropriately tailored for CALD communities.

Coroner Gebert pointed out Victorian coroners had made multiple comments and recommendations on how to mitigate these risks over the years, but there was no one easy solution to prevent ongoing fatal drownings.

“Education about water awareness and safety is paramount,” she stated.

“It appears that in many cases, including this coronial investigation, clear signage warning of risks alone is inadequate.”

She believed that the particular drowning risks faced by CALD communities in Victoria were understood and that concerted efforts were underway

to address these risks.

“I support the ongoing work in this area and, in the lead-up to the summer season,” she stated.

“I implore the Victorian community and visitors to our state to be aware of the risks of Australian beaches and take precaution where needed.”

Advertorial

Clyde Road works underway

By Ethan Benedicto

Construction for the long-awaited Clyde Road upgrades has begun, after an official announcement on the morning of Friday 13 December.

The intersection, offramps, and bridge over the Princes Freeways were attended to by Bruce MP Julian Hill and Major Road Project Victoria representatives for the declaration.

Hill said for those who live or “move around the area regularly, this intersection has been a growing nightmare for a very long time”.

“It’s the north-south chokepoint, the congestion point that limits people’s movements for kilometres either way.

This project comes after the City of Casey welcomed the outcome of the Federal Government’s 90-day review in 2023 of the Infrastructure Investment Program which recommended $250 million for the construction.

As an overview, the bridge over the freeway

Police

will be widened to include two additional main road lanes - with longer turning lanes - additional offramp lanes, and upgrades to the walking and cycling paths in the area.

“This is one hundred per cent a Federally-funded project, a really complex project that is going to take two or three years but it’s going to make an enormous difference then for decades to come,” Hill said.

The infrastructure, regional development and local government minister, Catherine King, said that these upgrades “will relieve bottlenecks, improve traffic flow, and make journeys easier, safer and more reliable”.

“The upgrade will provide more reliable travel times along Clyde Road in the Berwick area, improve traffic flow and access to local facilities and streets, and reduce the risk of crashes,” she said.

The intersection at Kangan Drive will also be upgraded, with new street lights, road signage, drainage and landscaping.

Police are appealing for information on a fatal crash in Lyndhurst last week.

A 66-year-old Cranbourne man driving a Mercedes vehicle died at the scene after two cars and a truck collided on Western Port Highway about 4.40pm on Wednesday 11 December.

Police say the grey Mercedes Benz, a silver Kia Rio and a white Isuzu truck were travelling south between Glasscock and Thompsons roads when the crash occureed.

The other two drivers were not seriously injured. Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating. Any CCTV/dashcam footage or information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au

Clyde Road itself serves as a vital link between the northern suburb of Berwick, with its two hospitals, university, schools and train station, to its southern neighbours of Clyde, Clyde North, Cranbourne, Cranbourne North and Cranbourne East.

Over the last few years, these latter suburbs have seen exponential growth, which in turn has led to higher vehicle ownership and presence on local roads, therefore creating a greater demand on the transport network.

“This is particularly important considering the projected growth at Federation University, Chisholm TAFE, St John of God Hospital and all the other major community facilities,” Hill said.

MRPV Program Director Brendan Pauwels was also present during the announcement and took Minister Hill through the key project areas.

“With site establishment and early works wrapping up, we’re well placed to get stuck into major works on the Clyde Road Upgrade in early 2025,” Pauwels said.

In the meantime, this area will be experiencing some disruptions, starting with the Clyde Road exit ramps at Princes Freeway Warragul-Bound and Princes Freeway Citybound. Both will be closed from Sunday 15 December until Monday 16 December.

Clyde Road will also be closed from that Monday, until Thursday 19 December.

Princes Freeway is also set to have some lane closures from Wednesday 18 December to Thursday 19 December.

There will also be lane and pedestrian crossing closures at Clyde Road until mid-2025.

As it stands, the project has a completion timeline of 2027, with Hill adding that the allocated $250 million would be sufficient funding to get the job done.

“The project managers are telling us that they’re on time and they’re on budget at this point, so that is our expectation that will continue to be the case,” he said.

Bruce MP Julian Hill was on the Clyde Road bridge over Princes Freeway, speaking to Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Brendan Pauwels. (Stewart Chambers: 449741_16)

The early stages of the construction have been finalised on the surrounding hills. (Stewart Chambers: 449741_14)

Brendan Pauwels and Julian Hill, speaking on the busyness of the bridge chokepoint during peak hours. (Stewart Chambers: 449741_04)

With the population down the south from Cranbourne to Clyde growing by the day, the need for infrastructural upgrades has intensified, as machines work on the other end of the hill to widen the bridge. (Stewart Chambers: 449741_01)

Plea to listen to concerns

As part of its ongoing engagement with the community, the City of Casey has written to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on behalf of the community requesting the regulatory body ensure that local concerns are heard and addressed on the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station.

In a written submission to the EPA’s community consultation, mayor Cr Stefan Koomen stated how crucial it was for the EPA to ensure their community consultation regarding the Development Licence was genuine and responded to emerging issues identified by the local community.

“Council strongly believes that Veolia must engage directly with the local community to address any community concerns related to this site. This

is crucial for the wellbeing of the local community,” Cr Koomen said.

“As a new Council group, we will do everything we can to support the voices of local people. The decision now lies with the EPA on a Development Licence, and we are asking them to carefully consider the impacts of this proposed facility.”

River Gum Ward Cr Lynette Pereira said: “This is about listening to the community, hearing their concerns and being serious about addressing this.

“We will do everything we can to ensure that the local community is protected as much as possible from the impacts of the landfill and proposed waste transfer station.” In 2018, the Victorian Government identified the Hallam Road Landfill site as a Hub of State Significance in the Statewide

Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan 2018 (SWWRIP).

The SWWRIP identifies the hub as having the capacity for enhanced resource recovery activities, reflecting the broader strategic planning goals for the region. In a letter addressed to the EPA, Council requested that the regulator ensure Veolia as the operator of the existing landfill and the applicant of the proposed future waste transfer station, directly engaged with concerned residents and responded to their emerging issues about the facility.

“Council acknowledges the civil action currently being taken by the EPA in relation to Veolia’s management of the Hallam Road Landfill,” Cr Koomen said.

“While we recognise that these proceedings are

separate from the EPA’s consideration of the Development Licence for the waste transfer station, we urge the EPA to closely monitor Veolia’s compliance with any conditions attached to the Development Licence, especially given the level of concern expressed by the community over both the waste transfer station and the landfill.” In a separate letter addressed to the EPA, Council has requested an extension to the community consultation period to 31 January 2025 to allow for as many residents to have their say as possible.

“The City of Casey will continue to advocate on behalf of the community to ensure that local voices are heard and that any developments on this site are undertaken with the utmost consideration for the surrounding residents and their concerns,” Cr Koomen said.

All smiles as kids graduate from kindergarten program

Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre had its first kindergarten program graduation on Thursday 12 December.

A spokesperson for the centre said it was a very special day in the centre’s community garden.

“Lucy the Kinder teacher and Kirsty the Children’s Services Coordinator presented the very proud graduates with their certificates and sashes while their delighted families looked on,” they said.

“Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre wishes to thank all the parents and families who have chosen Merinda Park kindergarten, and of course to the staff and educators who have worked so hard this year to give the children a great start to their education. The educators and staff at Merinda Park are looking forward to next year and getting to know all the new children and families in the 2025 kindergarten program.”

Graduation group shot: front Sarah, Lalah, back Ezekiel, Eden, Jayson and Lucy. (Supplied)Staff Nermina, Lucy, Back Kimmy, Bec, Kirsty.

Lining up for dollar fuel

By Ethan Benedicto

Motorists were greeted with a pleasant morning surprise as petrol prices sunk down to barely a dollar in Cranbourne West, the lowest prices since 2016.

Led by the Southeastern Metropolitan MP David Limbrick and Jordan Dittloff, the lead senate candidate for the Libertarian Party, the APCO petrol station just off Hall Road’s corner with the Western Port Freeway had its prices slashed to just 99.9 cents on Wednesday 18 December.

While the promotion only lasted for an hour between 10am and 11am, people were quick to line up outside the premises, filling the turning lane from the intersection.

Limbrick that “today we’re going to have a lucky few motorists who are going to get this discount”.

“I’m just delighted that Jordan has chosen my area to show what’s happening with government price gouging of petrol,” he said.

Dittloff’s agendas span the entirety of Victoria, with the price slashing only but a small example of the impact it could have on everyday people’s lives.

“Fuel excise is about 30 per cent, and we are also paying GST on top of that, so we’re getting slugged with that double tax,” he said.

“Libertarians say that out of the $15 billion a year that gets taxed for fuel excise, only about $10 billion of that goes on roads, so you’re getting a lot of overflows and the government’s pocketing a lot of extra change.”

Prices were at 99.9 cents per litre for unleaded, 95.9 cents for e10, 111.9 for diesel and 69.4 for L.P. gas, and local motorists were ecstatic to be able to snag the limited price, with one telling Star News that “this is great”.

“Whatever it is that saves us money, it’s great and I do hope this happens in the long term, but for now it’s good,” they said.

Another driver said that it was “amazing, considering this is just around the corner from Christmas time”.

The fuel excise is a tax on fuel consumption and contributes to the Federal Government’s general revenue rather than being specifically allocated for road funding or other similar infrastructures.

According to the Australian Automobile Association, the current rate of the excise is at 50.6 cents for every litre, and over the decade to 20222023, only 57% of this excise was reinvested in land transport projects.

Specifically in 2023-2024, Australian motorists paid $15.71 billion in fuel excise, and are expected to pay $67.6 billion over the four years until 20262027, as cited from the 2023 October Federal budget.

To Dittloff and the Libertarians, they “have

some good ideas on how to cut that $10 billion down so we can get rid of this excise and still get money to spend on roads”.

“For one we can defund the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), we’ve got great private organisations (news), we can get rid of the eSafety Commissioner, we can get rid of the Federal Department of Education and lots of other bureaucratic duplication and overlap.

“The government spend $10 billion without really breaking a stride, so we can absolutely find savings without making a difference to people’s lives,” he said.

Defunding these three parties would make a significant amount of budget savings, although it would simultaneously deal a significant blow to currently available public services.

Less money to the ABC, which received $1.137 billion in taxpayer funds in 2023-2024 would

mean less nationwide coverage and media diversity, leading to plausible concentrations of media ownership; instead, their belief is the need for government-funded media to compete on fair grounds with private media, operating through their own advertising and subscriptions.

Foregoing the eSafety Commissioner would also mean their role of addressing online abuse, cyberbullying and other illegal online content could potentially leave younger Australians more vulnerable.

However, free speech has been a focal point, where the Institute of Public Affairs published earlier this year of the commissioners’ political bias.

A similar situation would happen with the Federal Department of Education, where the collapse of its role of overseeing national education policies, funding and programs could impact educational services nationwide.

Nevertheless, there is a strong belief from the Libertarians that education should be managed at a state level, with federal involvement creating unnecessary red tape and less focus on localised control.

“Going back 20 years now and basically what this shows is that people are really struggling, costof-living is something a lot of politicians like to say, but nobody’s actually putting the money where their mouth is and doing anything about it,” Dittloff said.

“If the government were serious about actually helping people out on the cost-of-living, they’d be doing things like what we’re doing today - and they did during Covid, for six months the excise was gone.”

“So it’s not about they can’t it’s that they haven’t, we don’t have a cost-of-living crisis, we’ve got a cost-of-government crisis.”

Former candidate is now looking to Federal election

By Ethan Benedicto

Former Grevillea Ward council candidate Stephen Matulec has announced his candidacy for the Senate ticket at the federal election as part of the Libertarian Party.

With a focus on pushing for those other voices in parliament, Matulec is looking to balance the scales, advocating more representation from minor parties from discussions to decisions.

At this stage, Matulec saw his campaign during the council elections not as a stepping stone, but as a great opportunity to have that grounded perspective of the people.

“I never saw it as a stepping stone, I’m somebody who is interested in all levels of government and I don’t see myself using one platform to move into another,” he said.

“I think there really does need to be some big changes at all levels of government, so whatever opportunity I get to be involved in, I think that I just need to put my hand up.”

He has also emphasised proper fiscal responsibility, government accountability and the importance of individual freedoms, that “seeing what’s happening with both Liberal and Labor, they’re neglecting people, not listening, not doing their job properly”.

“We’ve seen, for a very long time now, of more than a decade of both Liberal and Labor governments spending so much money.

“The debt has been going up every year and no one’s really willing to look at that and that’s the sort

of inflationary pressure that we’re seeing now.

“I think people are just sort of frustrated, especially with both major parties, there’s a lot of people that think there’s not much difference between them,” he said.

One of Matulec’s key rallying cries is addressing what he referred to as the current “oppressive tax system”, where he pointed out the excessiveness of the number of items being taxed from fuel excise to income taxes.

“We are literally getting taxed to death, the government’s being too greedy, they’re taxing us more and they’re spending more and the situation is getting worse,” he said.

“People pay income tax, people pay tax on the petrol, there’s GST on everything and if you want to invest in something there’s the capital gains tax, it just does not end.”

Matulec believes that the solution is to simplify the tax system and provide relief for everyday Australians, with the fuel excise, for example, with its goal of generating revenue and cost recovery for road infrastructure something he considered a “wrong system”.

He pointed out that middle-class Australians are hit the hardest with these, facing a barrage of taxes that prevents people from bearing the fruits of their labour.

“The middle class is getting taxed so much and all that tax they’re paying for, they’re not really seeing anything,” he said.

“Imagine if the government got rid of that, and instead of fuel being $1.65, it cost a dollar, that

would help everybody, like going to the pump and actually saving money.

“It’s not just the individual or the family, it’s also the fact that everything moves with fuel; the groceries at the supermarket get moved by trucks, trucks that pay the fuel tax.

“Groceries could be cheaper but that’s a business cost that the supermarket has to pass on to the consumers.”

Building on the topic of costs, Matulec also pointed out the inadequacies of the current energy system, highlighting that not only current energy sources are getting less effective, but also that the overall concern on the country’s emissions is misplaced.

“Nuclear power has seen success, there are a lot of movements around the world, like in Scandinavia, America and in Europe, who support nuclear

power because it’s one of the cleanest forms of power,” he said.

“To see the power bills going up every year, it’s ridiculous with this government policies, so we need to stop giving the subsidies out, remove the ban on nuclear power and just let the market do its thing.

“Removing the ban doesn’t mean you have to use it, but it’s letting the market have an option to work.”

While nuclear power is recognised as a low-emission energy source with high efficiency and reliability, its costs, questions around safety and economic considerations have been some of the stronger points for its non-implementation, as well as other renewables like wind and solar being currently cheaper.

As for emissions, Matulec is adamant that in the grand scheme of things, despite the per-capita rate of emissions, the fact that Australia generates only one per cent of the world’s emissions and that there are other, much bigger names such as the United States and China, has driven up costs without providing reliable alternatives.

“Will it really matter? We need to be reasonable on how we’re doing this and actually make sure of people’s prosperity and that they are able to afford what they need to buy,” he said.

Ultimately, aside from the specifics on political standpoints, Matulec believes that there is a need for the government to take some form of political accountability, accusing both major parties of “working together” to maintain a system that benefits them.

Jordan Dittloff (left) and Southeastern Metropolitan MP David Limbrick (right) basked in the sight of motorists who packed into the service station to fill up on slashed prices. (Ethan Benedicto: 451103_02)

Stephen Matulec is looking to make a change at the Senate level, declaring his candidacy for the upcoming federal election. (File)

THE LOWDOWN

Q&A

Tell us about yourself and what you did before getting elected into the council.

I am a proud resident of the City of Casey and am deeply connected to this community. I am a dedicated wife, a proud mum of three, a HR professional, and someone who has spent over 20 years giving back through community work and volunteering. I have devoted much of my time to grassroots initiatives, particularly mentoring and coaching players in local sporting clubs. I have also been actively involved in organising youth tournaments and leading fundraising events, and I have rolled up my sleeves to work in the kitchen to support the community. These experiences provide meaningful and lasting connections with the people of Casey, fostering a shared commitment to creating opportunities and nurturing a true sense of belonging for everyone.

What has been your most memorable moment during your first month on the council?

Being elected deputy mayor. This milestone marked a significant step in our collective commitment to serving the City of Casey with dedication. As Deputy Mayor, I am committed to growing in this role and working closely with the communitytoensuretheirvoicesarerepresented and their needs are prioritised.

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

I’d be a tiger. Tigers are strong, courageous, and protective - qualities I bring to supporting and advocating for my community.

What were you like as a kid?

As a kid, I was curious, determined, and always eager to help others. As the oldest, I naturally embraced responsibility, often caring for my younger siblings and setting an example for them. I enjoyed being outdoors, playing sports, and spending time with friends and family. My love for family and community has always been at the heart of who I am.

with Casey deputy mayor Melinda Ambros

Casey deputy mayor Melinda Ambros. (Stewart Chambers: 442141)

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

It would be the FIFA World Cup hosted in Australia, with Croatia lifting the trophy. Seeing the

world’s best players compete on home soil would be an unforgettable celebration of unity, passion, and pride, bringing people together through the world’s game.

Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

I’d choose my family. There’s nothing more meaningful than spending time with loved ones, sharing stories, laughter, and creating lasting memories together. They inspire and support me every day and having them all together for a special dinner would be priceless – something I’m truly blessed to experience daily.

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

Dedicated, supportive, and hard-working. What would you do on your perfect ’day off’?

Spending time with my family and exploring the world together. Whether it’s trying new activities, discovering new places, or just enjoying each other’s company, it would be all about creating special memories with my loved ones. Where is your happy place?

Wherever my family is. Being with them brings me peace, comfort, support, and happiness, they offer a sense of love and belonging that makes everything feel complete.

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

It would be traditional meals close to my heart: chickensoup,Sarma(StuffedCabbageRolls),and homemade bread, all of which I learned to make from my grandmother. I love cooking because it gives me a sense of purpose, and these dishes bring comfort, cultural richness, and warmth. Where is your dream holiday destination? Croatia is a place close to my heart. There, I can connect with my heritage, explore its beautiful landscapes, and spend time with family. The rich culture, history, and traditions make it a perfect place to relax, reflect, and create new memories.

THREE … ways to get festive

Christmas is right around the corner, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to get into the festive spirit.

1

Celebrate with the community at a local Christmas event. From carols to markets and other events, there’s plenty to keep you going.

2 If there’s something particular you hope to find under your tree this year, take a trip to the post office and contact the big man himself via their Santa Letters.

3

It’s not too late to decorate your house if you haven’t already with a tree, some lights and stockings and don’t forget the outside. Have a friendly competition with your neighbours this year to see who can have the most festive house.

Push for inclusivity

By Afraa Kori

Despite the global push for inclusivity, accessible spaces for children with special needs remain limited and often impossible to find.

Pakenham’s Danielle Lines and Berwick’s Anne Khuon know this struggle all too well.

Danielle’s son has autism level two, ADHD, intellectual disability, Chiari Malformation, sensory processing disorder, generalised anxiety and behaviours of concern.

Anne’s son is also on the spectrum, diagnosed with autism level three, ADHD and delays.

The mothers often find themselves searching for playgrounds and public spaces that could accommodate their child’s and family’s needs.

However, time and time again they were met with frustration and disappointment.

Like many parents of children with special needs, the greatest challenge is finding an environment where their child can truly be themselves and free from judgment or ridicule. A place where they are not pressured to conform but are embraced and celebrated for who they genuinely are.

“It’s not the responsibility of a child or any person with a disability to make changes to please those that are neurotypical. It’s the responsibility of neurotypical people to be open, aware and understanding of those who have disabilities. You don’t expect a person who’s in a wheelchair to get up and walk. So don’t expect somebody that’s got a neurological or a psychosocial disorder to be able to conform to what society deems to be appropriate or normal,” Danielle said.

“So you go to a specialist school which is supposed to be the most inclusive place in the world. But the government hasn’t put enough funding into the specialist schools to facilitate the amount of inclusiveness that needs to be there. Kindergartens, preschools, daycare centres, there might be the incentive of inclusion support but getting the inclusion support is extremely difficult. All

you’re doing is paying for another educator to be in the room when they’re not trained in disability and not trained in inclusion. So there’s no additional support there and quite often you’ll find a daycare centre will go, ‘we’re full’ rather than try and make inclusive space for a child that’s got a disability. At shopping centres, everyone looks at you if your child’s having a meltdown, like, there’s no inclusion anywhere so far that we’ve found.”

“The last time my son went to a play centre was when he was five and we always got judged for just the way he was. He’d make sounds or do things that people just saw that were different. We really struggled with that so we stopped going to play centres. We’ve done some excursions with the kids and as soon as you tell them where you’re from and somebody knows someone that’s on the spectrum, straight away you get a different level of service. So, it’s not until you go somewhere and someone knows someone or has that understanding, then you won’t feel that it’s inclusive enough,” Anne said.

Determined to create a solution, Danielle and Anne’s husband quit their jobs to become entrepreneurs, dedicating themselves to creating a safe and inclusive space for all.

Recently Danielle launched Calming Waves support service and Home Away in Pakenham, meanwhile, Anne and her husband launched We Rock The Spectrum in Berwick.

Creating spaces like these where children with special needs are truly accepted is incredibly important because it can be deeply isolating for parents. Having a child with mental health challenges, autism, or a physical disability often makes it difficult to connect with others, as many people simply don’t understand the unique struggles they face.

“A teacher restrained my son at school and needed to, but he broke her nose as a result. He was displaying behaviours of concern and there were not enough staff there to effectively help

him regulate. He absconded from the school so I had to leave work then and get him. So now if I wasn’t my own boss, I would be influenced. It’s so hard for parents of children with special needs to be able to work because at a moment’s notice, we have to drop everything and go to our child,”

Danielle said.

“I’ve yet to find an inclusive space outside of the space I’ve created. I’m grateful for the friendships that I formed with other parents that have neurodiverse children. Neurodiverse people are extremely important to the development of society in the future. It’s about time people started to embrace that. And parents and carers actually need to just let go of their fear of judgment because it’s not their business what anyone else thinks.”

“Our motto is ’finally a place where you never have to say I’m sorry’ which we always remind parents to just let the children be themselves. The other reason for it was to create awareness so that’s why we invite parents to our space that aren’t on the spectrum. It allows their children to play with kids on the spectrum and then they can see there’s nothing wrong with them. It starts with the parents and then the next generation will then grow up, have that awareness and teach,” Anne said.

Without Danielle’s support services and inclusive space, Deanna Box would be stuck on waitlists, struggling to cope and facing isolation in non-inclusive environments.

“I think it needs to be more awareness, which is obviously what Danny’s (Danielle) is trying to do, especially with autistic kids and ADHD kids. A long time ago, these children were just labelled as being naughty or being challenging when in fact they were struggling themselves to work out what’s going inside of them, like internally. So we need to raise more awareness and more ways on how we can support these kids.This will help them thrive throughout life and obviously that’s all I want for my children as well.”

Vital upgrades underway

The Narre Warren police station is currently undergoing upgrades as part of the State Government’s $78 million investment in Melbourne’s southeast corridor.

Announced on Wednesday 11 December, the refurbished station will include better public-facing areas, safer prisoner processing areas, interview rooms and upgraded cells.

Police workspaces will also be modernised with new energy-efficient amenities, technology and security infrastructure.

The Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines said that they are “delivering new and upgraded police stations across the state to ensure that police have the facilities they need to keep the community safe”.

Carbines also added that Arete Australia will be the head contractor of the Coventry Street site, a company that was also responsible for the 2018 fit-out of the East Melbourne Police Station.

Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson applauded the investment, adding that it’s more than a welcome boon for the local community.

“We are now one step closer to having a stateof-the-art police facility that will meet the needs of our growing community and I look forward to seeing the construction progress,” she said.

In the meantime, the Narre Warren Police Station counter will be closed to the public while the works are being completed.

Local police will still provide a 24/7 response to the community, with residents still well-serviced by neighbouring stations at Endeavour Hills, Dandenong and Cranbourne.

Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas said that “this is a major investment for our local police and the community will benefit greatly”.

This project is part of the State Government’s record investment of $4.5 billion to hire more than 3600 new sworn police officers, having stateof-the-art intelligence systems and better infrastructure and new technology.

Owners Anne and Con.(Stewart Chambers) 445341_01

Brooke McCoull, Beck Keysers, Beau, Danielle Lines, Brodie and Reihana (Stewart Chambers) 446814_09

Danielle Lines helps Reihana with his shot playing pool. (Stewart Chambers) 446814_03

The Narre Warren Police Station is undergoing some upgrades as part of a $78 million investment to the southeast region by the State Government. (Supplied)

NEWS Curtain call

Well, this is it, the last of my business articles for the Star Newspaper Group.

After five and half years and well over 200 articles, I have decided that the time has come to stop.

My passion is, and always was, seeing SMEs and the associated business owners and leaders succeed and so I decided to write these weekly articles in the hope that they provided some useful insights and advice on how to improve their own businesses.

While I have certainly enjoyed sharing what I hope has been useful information, I really have no idea as to how widely read these have been and whether these articles have been valuable or not.

It’s a little like the chef who loves cooking but rarely gets to experience their customers enjoy the fruits of their labours and feedback is rare since if people haven’t enjoyed the meal, 95 per cent of customers never say, they simply don’t come back.

Since I started writing there have been many changes that have impacted on the business community. Probably the most significant was the Covid pandemic as it forced businesses to “pivot” (still dislike that word) and consider other ways to maintain income lev-

els such as diversify the product or service offering or even flip the business completely. Covid made working from home become a necessity for some and this has completely changed our perspective on remote working today. Prior to Covid, many companies struggled to support this due to concerns surrounding cyber security, provision of a suitable work environment and quite simply, trust, i.e. how could you be sure that staff really were working from home and not watching Netflix from the couch? However, one way or another, these issues were overcome and have resulted in a whole generation of employees now expecting some level of remote working as part of their remuneration package.

More recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of many professional services businesses and looks set to be used increasingly more widely in other industries. While I tend to feel that its “learning” capabilities have been somewhat overhyped, there is no doubt that used properly, AI can provide tremendous time savings and be a valuable source of well-structured information. As with all technological advances, there is the ever-present fear that increased technological capability will result in job losses as more aspects of business become automated but this has not turned out to be the case in the past and I don’t see that being the case with AI either. In fact, as business capabilities grow and improve with greater use of this great time saver, so will there be

more job opportunities, not less so let’s embrace it; there is no turning back the tide now.

Probably the third major change we are seeing is a change in the Industrial Relations laws particularly around the use of temporary and casual staff. There is not the space and time to go into this in detail here, but suffice to say that if you are a ‘small’ business (currently defined as 15 employees or less but eight independent MPs are pushing for this to be raised to 25 – the government won’t look at this until mid-2025 at the earliest), you need to be across the changes here since they may well have a material impact on your business. If you are not sure, reach out to people knowledgeable in this space.

So, back to the chef. Given that this is my last article, I would love to get some feedback on what you have enjoyed or learnt, what you felt could have been done better and if any of the articles had an impact on your business or the way you conduct it. Please feel free to reach out to my email address: ianash@ombs. com.au and let me know. Finally, it just remains for me to wish you all success in your business, a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Ian

Ash

ACC,

AInstIB Managing Director OrgMent Business Solutions - www.ombs. com.au

Underpass two years ahead of schedule

A Dandenong level crossing removal project will be brought forward two years ahead of schedule, with final designs revealed.

The Webster Street boom gates will be removed in late 2025, replaced with a new rail bridge and a nearby road underpass connecting Princes HighwayLonsdale Street to Cheltenham and Hammond roads.

As part of the design, traffic will be diverted from the Dandenong CBD and heavy vehicles off Webster Street.

Works will soon start on the underpass,whichwilltunnelthroughtheMamara supermarket site on the corner of Thomas and Lonsdale streets.

After engineering assessments, the new rail bridge structure will be built before excavating the underpass, the State Government announced. This means the road was now slated to open in 2026 – two years ahead of schedule.

An alliance of John Holland Group, Kellogg Brown and Root, Metro Trains Melbourne and the Level Crossing Removal Project will build the new underpass and remove the level crossing.

The project also includes a new pedestrian and cycling underpass beneath the existing Dandenong Creek rail bridge connecting to the Dandenong Creek Trail.

Asignalisedintersectionwillbebuilt at Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street.

According to the Government, the Webster Street level crossing is one of themostdangerousinMelbourne,with 22 near misses recorded since 2012.

Boomgatesaredownfor62minutes

during the morning peak, causing traffic congestion in central Dandenong. Removing eight level crossings in the Greater Dandenong area will save around six hours of boom gate down time each morning, the Government states.

It will also coincide with the opening of the Metro Tunnel project, allowing more services to run on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said the Government was removing every level crossing on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, improving traffic flows and safety on South East roads.

“The Webster Street level crossings will be the last to go on the Pakenham Line, and this project, together with the Metro Tunnel, will change the way people live, work and travel,”

Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams said the new east-west road connection would help to take trucks out of the Dandenong CBD.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024

The new road’s intersection with Cheltenham Road, Dandenong. (Supplied/State Government)

New anti-racism logo

By Violet Li

Southeast Anti-racism Support Network will soon have a new logo following an anti-racism logo competition in the community.

The logo was designed by Barton Primary School Year 5 student Stefanie Tuano, selected from over 200 submissions.

The school’s assistant principal Hugh Mclaughlin said the logo showcased the essence to embrace all people within the community.

“Stefanie, who drew it, took some of the key messages that the network stands for, the concept of multiple people standing together as one and that all colours are accepted and beautiful,” he said.

“The logo really stood out in a

with the presentation and asked if we would be willing to be involved with the logo competition, which we’re more than happy to be involved with.”

Network coordinator and Victoria University associate professor Mario Peucker said the network had been further developing.

“There was this idea also from the community when we did our researchthatitwouldbegoodtohavea logo that makes it more recognisable that a certain organisation is part of that network.

“The network and all the network members could use the logo in their communication outreach and so forth.”

Bringing joy to the world

By Violet Li

Local church and charity Gethsemane presented its annual Clyde Carols by Candlelight at Hillcrest Oval on Saturday 14 December.

Gethsemane Church founder Kerrigan LaBrooy said the annual event attracted more than 2000 people this year.

“It was a perfect day. For some reason, everybody loved it. They loved the music. The vibe was so good,” he said.

The day featured food vendors, craft stalls, family activities, raffles, and more.

The special guests included Holt MP Cassandra Fernando, Casey deputy mayor Melinda Ambros, and Cranbourne Gardens Ward councillor Michelle Crowther.

“We had people from all walks of life performing,” Kerrigan said.

“We had the choir. We were doing all the songs

BUSINESS PROFILE

that the audience could sing along to. And the rest of the songs were special items like duets, rock and roll, country music, Christmas music, of course.”

Kerrigan said the special thing on the day was the Christmas Miracle.

“We call a Christmas Miracle every year. All the children there write their names, genders, and ages down. The families write their names down as well. Now we are wrapping about 100 presents for these children.

“We are hoping to get it done by this coming Friday. And then, we’ll have this big giveaway where the kids come and get a treat for them.

Then they get their lovely gift.

“It makes me quite emotional. That’s very special to us to be able to give these kids something meaningful for Christmas.”

Berwick College celebrate a year of success

Berwick College welcomed back past students, Rebecca Henderson and Sergei Evglevski, at their celebration of student achievement assembly on Friday, 29 November. Rebecca and Sergei represented Australia at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Rebecca, following her earlier representation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, competed in the Athletics Women’s 20km Race Walk. Sergei, following his earlier representation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, competed in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.

Student excellence at Berwick College is celebrated across the school. Students who have represented the school in athletics, chess, dance, basketball and other sports were acknowledged and celebrated. Banners were revealed for current students, Luke Fennell and Jordi Groenewegen, who have represented Australia in underage teams throughout 2024. Jordi spoke to the school assembly about her dedication and tenacity, and her determination not to accept labels and barri-

ers to achieving her dreams. Luke was unable to attend due to his NBL commitments. Luke has accepted a scholarship to Syracuse University, USA, for 2025.

Principal, Josie Millard, highlighted that student excellence is found in everyday actions: every student who turns up to class, prepared to work hard and learn, even when it is difficult; stu-

dents who choose to always do what they know is right; students who speak up for others and who always seek to be their best selves.

Those are the students who enable Berwick College to build a culture in which excellence is achieved. Rebecca and Sergei confirmed that this was their experience, as they outlined their commitment and journey at Berwick College and beyond, as exceptional athletes. Rebecca also shared her journey in completing her biomedical degree, including completing an exam online and while overseas, prior to competing in an international event.

Next year, Rebecca commences her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Melbourne while continuing to train. After the assembly our Olympians were joined by student award winners, who perhaps one day will also compete in future Olympic games.

Award recipients and Olympians.

Tanjil Adams and Sierra Adams from Rivercrest Christian College performed on stage. (Rob Carew: 449678)

Liam with best friend Luna the Dog. Both are dressed with Christmas spirit. The sun shone on the large crowd.

NEWS Give the gift of hope

A Botanic Ridge heart transplant recipient and her family are issuing a plea to Victorians to give the gift of hope this holiday season by registering as organ and tissue donors.

Milly Johnston went into heart failure, without warning, at the age of only two. Diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, Milly’s parents Ebony Mallinson and Kyle Johnston were told Milly’s only chance of survival would be a heart transplant.

It was an unexpected and terrifying time for the Victorian family.

Desperately ill, Milly was placed on the waitlist for a heart transplant. It wasn’t until the following year that Ebony and Kyle received the call they had anxiously been waiting for: a donor heart was available for Milly.

“We are so very grateful to Milly’s donor and their family for their selfless decision at their saddest time,” Ebony said.

“Their incredible gift saved Milly’s life.”

While Milly is now thriving, her younger brother Eli, 6, has also been diagnosed with the same condition and may need a heart transplant in the future.

“We don’t know what the future holds, however during this season of giving, everyone can help by registering to be an organ and tissue donor and telling their family,” Ebony said.

“This simple act will give hope to those who are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.”

Milly, now 11, thanks her “angel heart” for her second chance at life, which she says is spent enjoying time with her loving family and friends, reading books, and listening to her favourite Taylor Swift music.

According to DonateLife Victoria, there are currently 1,800 Australians on the waiting list for an organ transplant, with a further 14,000 undergoing dialysis who could benefit from a kidney transplant.

One organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people and help many more through eye and tissue donation. Anyone over the age of 16 can register as an organ and tissue donor regardless of their medical history, lifestyle, religion, or age.

WHAT’S ON

Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club

Wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, safe new year.

Our next function will be Sunday, 12th January, 2025

- New Vogue and Old Time Dance Sun. 1pm-5pm, please bring a plate for afternoon tea, entry $5 per person.

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. 1pm-3:30pm, Carpet Bowls Wed. & Sat. 11:30am2:30pm, Bingo Thur. 11am-2pm

· Monthly activities - Community Day Entertainment, including lunch and afternoon tea, 1st Friday of the month 10:30-4pm. New Vogue and Old Time dance 2nd Sunday of the month 1-5pm, Club Bowls Competition 2nd Friday of the month, 11-3:30pm.

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

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

Tamil Festival Australia

A grand heritage carnival celebrating Thai Pongal with all-day entertainment for the whole family. Includes delicious Pongal, live music, traditional Tamil crafts, arts, history, sports and cuisine, rides and storytelling.

· Saturday 18 January, 8.30am-8pm at Caulfield Racecourse. Free entry. Details: tamilfestival.org.

au

U3A Cranbourne

We have had a wonderful year with membership growing and our move to new premises. We have maintained our activities and introduced some new ones. Next year we will still be offering Line Dancing and Ballroom Dancing at Casey Basketball Stadium while the rest of our activities will be carried out at 20-22 Bowen Street, Cranbourne. Our singers and guitar and ukuleles players entertained our members at the Christmas Party held at Beaconsfield Football club to celebrate the end of the year. U3A will close on Friday the 13th and reopen the 13th January, 2025. Our membership fees will stay the same at $50 for the whole year for as many activities as you wish to do. We thank Casey council for their support over the

DonateLife Victoria’s state medical director Dr Rohit D’Costa said: “It only takes one minute to

year and continued support into 2025. Please check out our website www.u3acranbourne.org.au to see the courses for next year or contact 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.

register online, and with many of us seeing family over the holidays, it’s an ideal time to let them know you support organ and tissue donation.

“It’s important to tell your family, as they will always be asked to support your decision before organ donation goes ahead. They are much more likely to agree if they know you want to be a donor.

“As the year draws to a close, I would like to acknowledge and thank all the donors and their families who have made donations possible. Their generous decisions have changed the lives of many people.”

If you wish to help, register as an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au.

Kyle, Milly and Eli Johnston and Ebony Mallinson. (Supplied)

Ultra runner hits rare air

By Ava

Cranbourne East uItra-runner Byron Lester’s latest challenge was nearly a step too far.

The confident athlete prides himself on his big endurance engine and appetite for pain. And wanted a difficult challenge that would “strip me down raw”.

But he says he underestimated the peril of running a 42 kilometre marathon while inside an altitude chamber on 30 November.

Set at an altitude of up to 3500 metres – half the height of Mt Everest - the Frankston gym’s chamber made breathing like “sucking oxygen though a straw”.

Building on a year of training, Lester said he felt fine at the two-hour mark.

But from four hours, he suffered headaches, fatigue, disorientation and stomach.

He kept going for a staggering six-and-a-half hours, while his blood-oxygen levels were monitored in case they dipped below a dangerous 70 per cent.

“It was like the chamber attacked my brain and body.

“I didn’t know if I could keep going. To be honest I don’t know how I did it.

“I’ve never felt worse – I felt like I was in hell.”

Nearly a week later, he still hadn’t fully recovered his breath. It took a few days for the headaches to ease.

“I’ve ticked that box now, I’m glad I did it but I won’t be going back.

“It’s too dangerous to your health – I could have easily got brain damage or fluid on my lungs.

“I was on a knife’s edge.”

To his knowledge, no one in Australia had ever completed the feat.

What helped Lester complete the marathon was that he was raising funds for depression charity Beyond Blue’s 24/7 mental health support hotline.

Having struggled with depression himself, he says the cause is close to his heart.

For him, it was running that helped him get out of that depression “hole”.

“I had no energy, and there was just complete numbness, like nothing mattered,” he says of the illness.

“It’s not some magical force, it’s a medical condition”.

In combat of this condition, Lester began to use his ultra-running as a way to improve his mental health.

“I’ve been doing ultra-running for 10 years -and I’ve realised that I can use my capacity to endure long distances to give back.”

In support of Beyond Blue, Lester last year ran 144 kilometres in 24 hours at the Yu Yangs, followed by a 70-kilometre trek along the Surf Coast.

Every $48 raised provides a critical lifeline, connecting someone in crisis to a trained mental health professional.

To support Byron’s marathon at altitude, donations can be made directly to Beyond Blue or team. beyondblue.org.au/outandbackonthelarapintatrailforbeyondblue?fbclid=PAY2xjawGY0mhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpoTOZN77YBgUR5hkUXm_S2CSFg9XjGMbtfMdRzQVZjE_Du78S_9PfMHs1Q_aem_2odo74V9u1Xri8zplrV0Bw

Byron Lester in the Altitude room with his support team and fiancée Marnie Zakis. (Rob Carew: 442599)

Cashmore and Cam Lucadou-Wells

Byron Lester and fiancée Marnie Zakis. (Rob Carew: 442599)

Bears brutal at Arch Brown

By Marcus Uhe

Jake Hancock, Michael Wallace, and a 180-run stand.

It was the vision that Berwick supporters dreamt of over the offseason and witnessed it come to fruition in a perfect marriage at Arch Brown Reserve on Saturday afternoon against Dandenong West in the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 1 competition.

Needing a pair of steady heads to quell the influence of Dandenong West’s opening spell, led by Nuwan Kulasekara with his tail up and the ball on a string, Wallace and Hancock fit the bill like a hand in a glove.

The former Sri Lankan seamer was showing flashes of his former international best, swinging the ball and receiving great support from Amrith Sri Mahan from the other end of a green wicket.

The two had removed opening pair Matthew Hague and Brodie Herkess in the space of six balls, bringing the former Premier cricketers together with their side on the back foot.

Joining forces at 2/27, by the time Hancock edged behind with a century in sight, the complexion of the contest had been flipped on its head.

Hancock whacked his own leg and looked dejected as he trudged off the ground, acutely aware that a second century in as many two-day games had been left on the shelf as he departed the playing field with 94 runs to his name.

It brought to an end a 182-run stand that lasted more than 50 overs and put Berwick in complete control, but the runs did not dissipate with Hancock’s departure.

Wallace would not make the same mistake as his highly-regarded partner, despite surviving a dropped catch behind on 79, cruising to triple figures to elevate consistent early season returns.

With scores of 10, 60, 12, 43, 21 and 69 in Turf 1 so far, Wallace has shown an ability to find his footing in each innings in his return to his junior club.

Saturday’s knock of 126 showed why he was one of the hottest signatures in local cricket this summer, having left Victorian Premier Cricket club Casey South Melbourne, moving to second on the leading run scorers tally in Turf 1.

“It was really tough early but that’s part of the fun - you try to get through that and then enjoy the batting,” Wallace said.

“We were trying to get through the opener’s first spell as much as we could and hoped that it got easier to score after that, because we were really struggling to score for the first 40 balls.

“Kulasekara was bowling really well and it was a challenging period.

“After that it didn’t swing as much, and all of a sudden you could play a few more shots.

“Not necessarily try to take anyone on, but you

(could) free the hands a little more, and once you get a little bit of momentum, the scoreboard starts to tick over a little bit easier and you keep going like that.

“Once you get into a rhythm, Jake and I were quite happy to bat the way we were for as long as

possible.”

In Hancock, a player he had schemed to bring undone as an opposing captain in Premier Cricket during their previous cricketing lives, Wallace strengthened an already blossoming and burgeoning cricketing relationship that is set to deliv-

er plenty of runs at the Bear cave.

“We’ve really enjoyed our time batting together and we’ve had a few partnerships already throughout the year,” Wallace said of batting with Hancock.

“He’s in complete control out there – you let him do what he needs to do and it makes you feel relaxed knowing he’s in control.

“It makes it easier for yourself and sometimes all you have to do is get up the other end and let him do the work, because he’s so good.”

The wicket of Hancock brought Jarryd Wills to the crease, and the going only got tougher for Dandenong West’s weakened attack.

Missing frontline spinner Malinga Bandara, a dependable bowler capable of holding up an end for long spells and bowling with a probing line and length, the overs were spread further amongst the bowling crop than usual.

Adam Reid, Peter Atkinson and Riley Siwes’ economy rates finished just shy of five runs per over, with only Reid, Sri Mahan and Kulasekara taking wickets out of the seven that rolled their arm over.

Wills, shifted down the order to strengthen the middle of the batting card, came in with the ideal platform to play his natural attacking game, freeing his arms and shifting the tone of the innings. He made 36 off 44 deliveries and in the process, accelerated Wallace’s innings, whose final 26 runs came off 24 balls.

Jordan Cleland rode the wave of momentum those two created and cashed in with some welcome runs in the dying overs, crunching a boundary-laden 37 from 18 deliveries with four sixes, including one that landed on the roof of the grandstand at Arch Brown Reserve, and another off the final ball of the innings.

The fervent and jolly atmosphere amongst Berwick’s supporter group bolstered the energy at the venue and compounded the frustrations for the Dandenong West players who appeared helpless as their opponents piled on the runs.

Finishing the day at 6/354, after having their opponents on the ropes in a crucial contest, the Bulls the Bulls now are tasked with one of the biggest run chases in recent years next week.

Beginning the year with three straight losses, Berwick is now humming, with a settled playing 11 and three straight wins to their name.

Should the bowlers do the job this week, they’ll enter the Christmas break as the competition’s form side, and with a one-game gap between themselves and fifth place

“I feel like we’ve started to gel and we’ve got that winning momentum and belief,” Wallace said.

“Probably with a few older players like myself, getting to know each other and gel, hopefully that continues.

“We’ve beaten some good teams in the last few weeks and hopefully that keeps rolling on this weekend and after Christmas.”

Goodes sends perennial powerhouses packing in DDCA

By Marcus Uhe

Berwick is the first team to book its ticket to the knock-out rounds of the Dandenong District Cricket Association T20 competition after a thrilling final ball win over Buckley Ridges at home on Wednesday night, eliminating the Bucks and Springvale South in the process.

Bears skipper and club legend Jarrod Goodes was the hero in a final-ball cliffhanger over the reigning turf 1 champions, removing Bucks all-rounder Ishan Jayarathna and tailender Sanka Dinesh on the final two deliveries of the match, with the visitors finishing two-runs shy of victory.

After rearranging Dinesh’s timber, Goodes extended his follow through to the square boundary in front of the grandstand at Arch Brown Reserve with teammates in hot pursuit, and bowed to the captivated crowd.

It was a man-of-the-match performance from the veteran, who grabbed 4/14, including the dangerous trio of Dale Tormey, Jake Cronin and Jayarathna as his side defended 117.

Berwick chose to bat first but failed to post a strong total thanks to a spread of Buckley Ridges contributors.

Jordan Cleland opened the batting and made 23 and Michael Wallace 27 as Buckley’s bowlers, led by quick pair Jayarathna and Hussain Ali, kept the batters in-check.

Both finished with two wickets while spinners Matthew Montgomery and Dinesh bowled tight four-over spells.

The Bucks similarly found batting tough as

Jarrod Goodes (bowling) was the hero for Berwick on wednesday night against Buckley Ridges. (Rob Carew: 271959)

each of the top four failed to pass 20. Goodes removed the opening pair before the spinners, in Lachlan Brown, Elliot Matthews and Ruwantha Kellapotha, applied the clamps in the middle overs.

The final over began with Goodes attempting a ‘mankad’ on Jayarathna, before withdrawing his appeal.

The Bucks needed eight to keep its chances of progressing alive, and began the over well with a three, a wide and running two singles, leaving Jayarathna on strike with just two runs required off the final three deliveries.

Goodes bowled a dot on the third-last ball, and had Jayarathna caught at cover on the penultimate, requiring Dinesh to win the match on his first delivery.

Dinesh swung hard but made no connection with the ball, bringing his side’s tenure in the tournament to an end, as Berwick took an unassailable lead in the group after downing Springvale South last week.

Six of the Bucks batters finished with single figures outside of Jayarathna, who made 27.

The dream remains alive for 15 teams, with six joining Buckley Ridges and Springvale on the sidelines.

Parkfield, Berwick Springs, Keysborough, Doveton, Fountain Gate and Narre Warren will all be forced to lick their wounds and regroup for next year’s competition, after dropping their second games of the competition on Wednesday night.

Silverton sent Berwick Springs packing with a comfortable eight-wicket win with 29 balls to spare, chasing 113 thanks to 51 from marquee Talwinder Prince and 3/12 from Hemal Ratnayake.

Nuwan Kulasekara dug Dandenong West out of trouble with a 15-ball 37 to help the Bulls chase 120 against Parkfield, while Jackson Noske crunched 81 from 49 for Coomoora against Narre Warren in a 40-run win.

A Christo Otto-less Keysborough fell six runs short of chasing HSD’s 169, with Englishman Harry Funnell playing a key role with bat and ball for the Cobras.

Hallam Kalora Park was far too strong for Doveton, winning by 85 runs, and Beaconsfield chased Fountain Gate’s 116 for the loss of just five wickets.

Lyndale’s defeat of Hampton Park, meanwhile,

means all three teams in its trio, including Parkmore, are still alive.

Should Parkmore defeat Lyndale in the final group game, all three sides will finish on one win each, but Lyndale could spoil the party if they avoid a pillaging from the Pirates.

Ciaron Connolly wound back the clock with 71 for the Dales before Ben Montgomery and Usman Ali took three wickets apiece to help defend 157. The final round of contests is scheduled for Wednesday 18 December.

RESULTS - ROUND 2

Dandenong West 5/125 (Nuwan Kulasekara 37) def Parkfield 120 (Riley Siwes 3/15). Beaconsfield 5/117 (Susantha Pradeep 53, Davandeep Premi 3/19) def Fountain Gate 7/116. Berwick 7/117 (Michael Wallace 27) def Buckley Ridges 116 (Jarrod Goodes 4/14). Silverton 2/117 (Talwinder Prince 51) def Berwick Springs 9/113 (Riley Hillman 44, Hemal Ratnayake 3/12). HSD 8/169 (Mackenzie Gardner 39) def Keysborough 9/163 (Chanaka Kahandawala 52). Hallam Kalora Park 4/188 (Damith Perera 50) def Doveton 6/103 (Johnny Kamali 41). Coomoora 5/154 (Jackson Noske 81) def Narre Warren 7/114 (Malan Madusanka 2/9). Lyndale 9/157 (Ciaron Connolly 71) def Hampton Park 147 (Usman Ali 3/21). FIXTURE - ROUND 3

Parkmore v Lyndale. Cranbourne v Beaconsfield. Narre North v Coomoora. St Mary’s v Hallam Kalora Park. North Dandenong v Silverton. Narre South v Dandenong West. Lynbrook v HSD. Springvale South v Buckley Ridges (Dead Rubber).

Michael Wallace showed his class with an excellent hundred on Saturday. Picture: (Chris Thomas Photography)

Grounds get AFL approval

AFL Victoria has awarded the City of Casey’s redevelopment of Clyde Recreation Reserve with the 2024 AFL Victoria Best Community Facilities Project Award for 2024.

The award is announced annually to recognise best practice in community football facility development across the state, along with the people, clubs and other stakeholders driving the best projects in Victoria.

The City of Casey upgraded and expanded Clyde Recreation Reserve by constructing three football/cricket ovals and two multipurpose pavilions, along with two netball courts, and eight tennis courts to meet significant demand for active open space in the local area.

The Clyde Cougars Football Club will benefit from this redevelopment to their home ground facilities, which came at a total project cost of $21.5 million.

Clyde Recreation Reserve has provided an opportunity for the tenant clubs to increase participation in sport, particularly among females and diverse communities.

Since moving back to the reserve, Clyde Cougars Football Club was able to grow its club with an additional 86 registered football participants and this included 44 new females to the club.

Through this growth the football club were able to establish three new girls only teams for the first time in its history.

The redeveloped facility has provided the club with a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all participants and their families, along with the broader Clyde community.

As the winner of the AFL Victoria Best Community Football Facilities Project Award for 2024, Clyde Recreation Reserve Redevelopment will be put forward as the Victorian nomination for the national AFL Ken Gannon Community Football Facilities Award in 2025.

The award was presented by AFL Victoria to the City of Casey Mayor Stefan Koomen and Clyde Cougars Football Club President Craig Chapman on Wednesday 11 December.

Clyde Cougars Football Club President Craig Chapman said the redevelopment has had a significant impact on the rate of female participation at the club, due to the increased facilities available.

Holiday races at Woolamai

Picnic racing resumes with two meetings a week apart at Woolamai over Christmas.

This coming Saturday 21 December will see a six-race program with a mixture of sprint and staying events on the card.

The picnic circuit returns again on Saturday 28 December for one of the season highlights, the ‘Woolamai Whirlwind’ over 888-metres; Victoria’s shortest thoroughbred race.

The anticipated clash in the sprint between two last start winners, Bunyip trainer Paul Kramer’s Chanting Rhythm and the redoubtable Robbie Laing’s Bluebilie will have punters scratching their heads trying to separate them pre-post.

The picnic jockeys premiership is at a very competitive stage with Grant Seccombe one ahead of Shaun Cooper and two ahead of Leigh Taylor.

The latter two will be hoping to capitalise on Seccombe having to miss this week; with recent form suggesting they are knocking on the door. Patrons can roll up on the day or book tickets or group packages via the club website: woolamairaces.com.au

“What has been built here is truly inspirational and is able to provide a safe and welcoming environment, it is not about changerooms and footy ovals but this is a place for the entire community to gather,” Chapman said.

“This is a place where the players and their parents can come back and celebrate their achievements on and off the field.

“Developments like this are not just about bricks and mortar; it’s about creating opportunities and providing equal opportunities for girls and boys to play our great game of AFL and all the other sports that get to use these magnificent facilities.

“We’ve not only grown, but doubled in size

from last season because of the magnificent facilities. “We’ve gone from less than 10 girls enrolled last season to approximately 50 this season and that’s an awesome achievement.”

Mayor Koomen said the redevelopment is a proud moment for the Casey community.

“Sport is very important and the key to our community, showing the importance of having good sporting facilities, where communities can gather, we have a diverse community in Casey,” Koomen said.

“Facilities like this provides a place for people to socialise and meet others through sport, this facility is vital in building strong communities and

there is a lot of pride for the community in this facility.”

Since the club has relocated back to the reserve post-redevelopment, it has been able to field three girls-only football teams for the first time in the club’s history.

The AFL and AFL Victoria have partnered with stakeholders from state government through to local councils, local football clubs and community groups across the state in 2024 to deliver access to 23 new ovals, 66 more grounds with at least 100 lux lighting while 58 percent of local football venues now have gender neutral player change facilities, up from 54 percent in 2023.

Impacts of climate change hitting clubs

The financial cost of cancelling sporting events due to extreme heat is just one of the outcomes of climate change community sports managers need to prepare for, according to new research from La Trobe University.

La Trobe researchers mapped the impacts of climate change on sport with help from 19 community sport managers across four Australian climate zones to provide a framework for further research and action in the area.

Researchers collected data from cricket, tennis, triathlon and soccer organisations.

They found costs were increasing due to delays and cancellations but also repairs from more serious storms.

Participants also noted decreased social benefits of sport when events were disrupted.

La Trobe Senior Lecturer Sport Management Dr Greg Dingle said the research offered a snapshot into how climate change is affecting sport at the community-level.

“This research sheds new light on the impacts of climate change on sport that is grounded in the lived experience of managers of community-level sport organisations and their manager counterparts in local government,” Dr Dingle said.

Senior Research Fellow Dr Alex Donaldson said the research showed that communities needed to design interventions to address how climate change affects sport, with the help of managers at the community level.

“The results of this research show climate hazards are already impacting community sport in multiple regions of Australia in many ways,” Dr Donaldson said.

The study grouped the perspectives into five clusters of climate impacts: management and planning impacts; financial and infrastructure impacts; changes to events; emotional and social impacts; and health and safety impacts.

“Examples of these impacts include costs of

say climate change is having a far greater impact than just calling off games of local

repairing and rebuilding sport infrastructure after storms, sport competitions delayed or rescheduled due to extreme heat, and infrastructure costs increasing as summers get hotter,” Dr Dingle said.

“Together, these impacts tend to result in added costs for sport organisations and local governments.

“Our participants also highlighted the emotional and social impacts of such disruptions.

“One manager said that social connectedness that is experienced through sport is affected when events are cancelled or rescheduled.

“The five impact areas shed new light on managing climate change issues for community sport.

“The perspectives of frontline community sport managers in these areas can help sport organisations design ways to reduce disruption to sport participation related to climate change.”

Picnic racing returns to Woolamai on consecutive Saturdays, 21 and 28 December. (Holly Bann: 447396)

Researchers

sport. (Stewart Chambers: 447944)

From left; Jessie Doull (AFL Victoria), Jennifer Dizon (City of Casey - Councilor), Stefan Kooman (City of Casey Mayor), Craig Chapman (Clyde Cougars President), Katie Atkins (Clyde JFC Vice President) and Jordan Crugnale (Member for Bass). (Carly Ravenhall/AFL South East: 450187)

Lions claw troubled Tigers

By Marcus Uhe

Narre South has a golden opportunity to climb off the bottom of the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 1 competition table next week with a win over Beaconsfield well and truly in its sights after day one.

The Lions need a further 127 runs to pass Beaconsfield’s total of 178, and have nine wickets in hand, including the side’s leading run scorer this summer in Jeevan Mendis, should he be required.

The prospect has arisen on the back of a excellent bowling performance from the under-fire Lions, led by opening pair Callan Tout and Zac Wilson.

Tout got through opener Tyler Clark’s defences in the opening over of the contest before Wilson used his bounding height to extract bounce out of the surface and remove Andrey Fernando for a second-ball duck in the second over.

The Tigers steadied through a 69-run partnership from Ashan Madusanka (50) and captain Susantha Pradeep (36), but lost both on the eve of the tea break to be five wickets down at the interval.

A further two wickets shortly after the break compounded matters, making for a collapse of 4/15 either side of Tea.

A 50-run stand from Michael Dunstan and Mitch Tielen late in the order helped push the Tigers to 178, dismissed in the 63rd over.

Mendis’ performances continue to defy his age this summer, spinning his way to 3/65.

Kyle Hardy and Joel Zietsman will resume the chase next week at 1/51.

In Dandenong, a showpiece pre-Christmas match up looks set to live up to the hype, with Buckley Ridges and Hallam Kalora Park’s clash at Park Oval in the balance after the first day of play.

A rollercoaster day one on Saturday in which the home side had the better of the start end of the 80 overs has the Bucks 18 runs into its chase of the Hawks’ 255, but a wicket late in the day to Jordan Hammond means the home side will be without a contribution from Jake Cronin next week.

Buckley’s opening bowlers had the Hawks in dire straits to begin the day, as Ishan Jayarathna and Prav Chahal removed Ben Hillard and Leigh Booth in the opening two overs.

Hussain Ali’s introduction to the attack brought immediate success at first change, removing Jagveer Hayer for just five in his opening over, to cut the Hawks to 3/26, as the top three cobbled together only six runs between them.

Hayer’s dismissal brought Mahela Udawatte to the crease, however, and the former Buck set in for the long haul with rising star Damith Perera.

The two fought off the preying Bucks and guided the visitors to a position of stability beyond the tea break, the young apprentice combining with the experienced veteran in a collision of eras.

The two added 143 for the third wicket before Perera’s innings was cruelly brought to an end with his second century of the summer in his sights.

Udawatte crunched a half-volley from Cronin back at the bowler, who dropped the catching chance with his outstretched left hand, but deflected the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end, where Perera had briefly departed.

With standing umpire Robert Forgiarini forced to take evasive action to avoid potentially being struck by the ball, he was unable to determine whether Perera had left his crease, leading to a consultation with square-leg umpire Michael Cruse that left players on the edges of their seats.

Perera was eventually given out for 86, his third score beyond 50 for the summer, continuing to impress in his first season in Hawks colours.

Udawatte reached 84 before falling to Cronin, who also claimed the wicket of Austin Fardell in his nine-over spell, for a 10-ball duck, as 4/207 quickly became 6/209, putting immense pressure

on the Hawks’ tail.

Hammond made 46 but was run out in pursuit of a second run, triggering a collapse of 4/14 to close the innings in the 70th over.

The wickets were shared among Buckley’s bowlers, with Jayarathna, Cronin and Sanka Dinesh each collecting two.

The Hawks struck shortly before stumps to remove Cronin in the final 10 overs of play, with Buckley Ridges reaching 1/18.

Hallam Kalora Park could lay claim to a share of first place if they prevail next week, but could fall to fourth, depending on outcomes around the competition.

Elsewhere, Springvale South piled on the runs against North Dandenong, with it’s near 400-run total nudging the season’s biggest total thus far.

Forsyth brothers Cameron and Mitch pushed them to 8/384 at Lois Twohig Reserve, with Mitch reaching 84 and older brother Cam making a captain’s century, finishing on 117.

It was Cam’s first senior hundred for the Bloods, having made one back in 2007 in the Under 17s, and took his season average to 67. Mitch and Cam Scott laid a terrific foundation for Springvale South at the top of the order, posting a 110-run opening stand, allowing the remainder of the batting card to play attacking strokes and keep the run rate high.

Jordan Wyatt (24) and Blade Baxter (74) both struck at 100 or higher, with Cam Forsyth and Jackson Sketcher (25) both going at 80 runs per 100. 4.8 runs per over was where the run rate peaked, and where the Bloods finished at stumps, leaving North Dandenong with a humongous mountain to climb.

No Turf 1 side has passed the 380-run mark since Berwick back in November 2013 against Coomoora, while the last side to reach 370 was, coincidentally, the Bloods way back in February 2019, against North Dandenong at the same venue.

Hurdle too high for Narre against runaway ladder leaders

NARRE WARREN BOWLS

With the first team coming off a very good win against Cranbourne last week the Narre Warren top side looked forward to the challenge of taking on Mulgrave CC.

In what was a very close game all day, Narre hit the front with eight ends to go and it looked like another upset was on the cards.

But Mulgrave’s experience came through and won the game by six shots overall in the end.

The second team was the only team that had to travel this week and went to Brighton Bayside.

After a couple of good weeks, the team went away and wanted to continue their winning ways.

The game was another close one with Narre winning two rinks but going down by four shots overall.

Narre 3 took on a very strong Sandringham at home knowing that our fast green would give them some troubles.

This is what happened, and Narre Warren were never behind in this game going on the have a big win winning by 43 shots overall.

NarreWarren4playedtopofthetableandthenew team to Metro in City of Frankston, knowing this was going to be a massive challenge for our players.

TheydidtheclubproudandtookFrankstonallthe way, with Narre winning one rink and drawing another was a fantastic result, but Frankston was too strong and won by 18 shots overall.

Narre 5 provided the close one of the day.

Visiting team Cockatoo came to play and it was great to see a 14 and 16 year old playing on the same rink, both players playing lead.

In a game where four shots was the biggest lead all day, Narre Warren got up with the very last bowl of the day winning by one shot overall.

Narre 6 had a bye and thank you to Berwick for allowing them to come and join your bankers.

The Ferguson Plarre rink of the day winners this weekare:JaniceMoran;DavidWilson;LorraineMarsden and Eric Marsden 33-8 - Division 4 Section 7.

PENNANT RESULTS

SATURDAY – ROUND 9

•Side 1: (Home) lost to Mulgrave CC 80-86

Points: 4. Ladder: Sixth

Best rink: Phil Howard; Sam Bailey; Colin Groom and Josh McQueen +4

•Side 2: (Away) lost to Hampton Bayside 69-73

Points: 4. Ladder: Fourth

Best rink: Gwen Scott; Teresa Epshtein; Jim Kempf and Keith Fox +4

•Side 3: (Home) defeated Sandringham 97-54

Points: 17 Ladder: Third

Best rink: Janice Moran; David Wilson; Lorraine Marsden and Eric Marsden +25

•Side 4: (Home) lost to Frankston 63-81

Points: 3. Ladder: Fifth

Best rink: Robert Scott; Brian Exton; David De Vries and Darren Thompson +5

•Side 5: (Home) defeated Cockatoo 76-74

Points: 15. Ladder: Fifth

Best rink: Tom Wright; Les Clement; Ian Miller and Tom O’Loughlin +6

•Side 6: Bye Ladder: Fifth

RINK OF THE ROUND

Side 3: Skip E. Marsden: +25 (Div 4 Sec 7)

MIDWEEK PENNANT ROUND 8

•Side 1: (Home) defeated Cheltenham 78-61

Points: 14. Ladder: Second

Best rink: Phil Howard; Craig Lineham; Eric Sydenham and Tim Gray: +14

•Side 2: (Away) lost to Edithvale 53-71

Points: 4. Ladder: Second

Best rink: Les Clement; Steven Roy; Lorraine Marsden and Eric Marsden: +1

•Side 3: (Home) defeated Mordialloc 84-39

Points: 16. Ladder: Fourth

Best rink: Reg Young; Denise Cole; Darren Thompson and Gary Wilson: +24

•Side 4: (Away) lost to Pakenham 58-74

Points: 2. Ladder: Third

Best rink: Janice Moran; Nola Burdett; Graham Dodd and Tom O’Loughlin: +12

RINK OF THE ROUND: Side 3: Skip G. Wilson +24 (Div 4 Sec 7)

-Craig Moore-

Zac Wilson has been superb in his return to Narre South this summer. (Rob Carew: 449481)

Percy Herath rolls one down for Narre Warren on Saturday. (Rob Carew: 449635)