Star Weekly - Sunbury Macedon Ranges - 22nd February 2022

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Sweet sound of Woodend

Musical director Andrew Price with the Woodend Warblers choir.

When Annalies Norland joined the Woodend Warblers three years ago, she was ecstatic to find a choir group where anyone, no matter their age or experience, could join in the chorus.

“A lot of people say they can’t sing, that they could never join a choir, or worry that they’ll be asked to sing by themselves,” Ms Norland said. “[But] we are a community choir that believes everyone can sing and we have members who come from all over Macedon Ranges.

“We wanted to let people know, anyone can join. The focus is to have fun, and make lovely sounds.”

With no audition requirements, the popularity of the group has blossomed since its establishment nearly four years ago.

Experienced choir director Andrew Price leads the group, which now has around 30 regular members.

Mr Price provides direction on an array of tunes, from the Beatles to ABBA, to traditional African music and Irish folk.

The group meets every Wednesday at 7.30pm. The first session is free and then $12 per week.

Details: 0419 604 444

(Damjan Janevski) 268519

Hume seeks airport jobs

By Oliver Lees Hume council will work to link residents with employment opportunities at Melbourne Airport as it expands, with the airport anticipating 37,000 additional positions will be created through the process.

On January 31, the airport released its two key planning documents for the next 20 years, which includes specifics on the development of a third runway.

This airport has chosen that once the plan goes passes federal government approval and a period of community consultation, the new runway will constructed with a north-south

orientation.

As well as bringing more aircraft noise to the Bulla township which lies immediately north, the Melbourne Airport terminal anticipates receiving an additional 29 million international and 47 million domestic passengers per year by 2042.

The airport’s draft Master Plan states that this increased traffic will see thousands of more jobs created at the airport, particularly transport, postal and warehousing.

“The area generally has a higher unemployment rate than Greater Melbourne.

The role of the airport as a local employment hub is therefore particularly important for the

community,” the document stated.

“Many of the jobs in this region, either directly or indirectly, depend on the airport and its activities or benefit from being in the airport region. Around 44 per cent of people who live in the local region also work there.”

According to data from the National Skills Commission from June 2021, Hume had the highest rate of unemployment (12.1 per cent) of any local government area in the north-west of Victoria.

This jobless figure is more than two-times that of the state average, which is 4.1 per cent.

Hume council planning and development director Michael Sharp said council will

provide a submission to the airport during the current consultation period.

“Melbourne Airport and the businesses around it are a major source of jobs for Hume residents. We anticipate that residents will continue to take up opportunities at the airport precinct as it grows, given its proximity, and demand for shift work as well as highly skilled staff,” Mr Sharp said.

“Securing employment for residents is a priority for council and we will continue to connect residents looking for jobs to the airport and businesses in the airport precinct as it expands, as part of our ongoing programs.”

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Supreme Court challenge starts

By Oliver Lees Hume council’s Supreme Court challenge of Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s decision to grant permission for the testing and disposal of contaminated soil at a site in Bulla will begin on Wednesday, February 23.

The court challenge follows a decision made by council at a meeting held in April 2021.

At the meeting, Hume councillors voted unanimously to have the council’s lawyers initiate legal proceedings against the planning minister’s decision, which could allow the relocation of three million tonnes of spoil from

the West Gate Tunnel project to Hi-Quality’s site on Sunbury Road.

The planning minister’s decision sparked major frustration and sadness from Sunbury and Bulla residents.

In May 2021, hundreds of locals filled the Village Green in Sunbury, many wearing ‘No Toxic Soil in Sunbury’ T-shirts and others carrying picket signs, to demonstrate their objection to the development.

These concerns included the potential environmental impact of bringing large amounts of contaminated material into town, as well as the run-on impacts that the high

volume of trucks will have on traffic in Sunbury Road.

Hume council mayor Carly Moore said council stood with the community in its opposition to the state government’s choice of location.

“The minister for planning’s decision to approve an application that facilitates the transfer of toxic spoil from the West Gate Tunnel Project to the Hi-Quality facility in Bulla has devastated our community,” Cr Moore said.

“Over recent months, we have continued to raise with the Victorian government the

concerns of both council and the community the impact this decision will have, including on local roads that are already under significant stress.

“The Supreme Court hearing is the community’s opportunity for the court to determine the legality of the minister’s decision.”

Members of the public can view the online hearing by emailing the Supreme Court Registry before the first hearing date.

Details: hume.vic.gov.au/news.

Games bid goes regional

(Damjan Janevski) 268329_02

Bulla brigade hunts for new recruits The Bulla unit of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is seeking new members to beef up its volunteer base.

Located on Green Street, Bulla CFA currently has 25 active members, with 12 that live locally and are active on a daily basis.

The unit starts the recruitment process each year toward the end of summer to allow time over the less frantic winter months to provide training.

With 17 years of emergency service experience under his belt, Bulla CFA second

lieutenant Elvis Crook said the unit accepts members from any walk of life, and that they were particularly eager to promote an inclusive and diverse environment.

I personally, and the brigade, want to open up and support you to join. No matter your walk of life, we’ll welcome you,” he said.

Among the unit’s ranksare a husband, wife and son trio, all of whom live just 500 metres from the station and are always on call.

But Mr Crook said volunteers don’t necessarily have to be from the township

to join, and that on top of giving back to the community, the experience also gives members tangible qualifications for the rest of their life.

“There are so many skills you pick up,” he said.

“You also get nationally recognised qualification, all training is provided, and being a volunteer means you can give as much or little time as you want.”

Details: www.cfa.vic.gov.au Oliver Lees

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Bulla CFA members Codie Lloyd and his mum Anne Greelish.

The state government has confirmed that its bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games will focus on bringing the games to Victoria’s regional areas.

The state government signed a Heads of Agreement on February 16 with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia to enter exclusive negotiations to bring the games to the state.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula confirmed that, if awarded, the 2026 Commonwealth Games would return to Victoria. However, this competition would be hosted across the state, unlike the event in Melbourne in 2006.

The submission will have a large focus on holding events in the regions.

“Victoria is Australia’s sporting state, and, if awarded, the 2026 Commonwealth Games would demonstrate to the world a new way to deliver the competition,” Mr Andrews said.

“We would hope to have the majority of events in our regional cities – to display the best of Victoria, create jobs and housing and infrastructure that will deliver for the long term.”

Macedon Ranges council chief executive Bernie O’Sullivan told Star Weekly that he would like to see the shire included in the state government’s plans for the games.

“We would encourage the state government to consider rural and regional Victoria, in particular, Central Victoria, as a group of locations and shires that could work together, play to their strengths and host significant elements of the 2026 Commonwealth Games,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

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Councillors split on E-scooters

By Oliver Lees A discussion about bringing an E-scooter trial to Hume divided opinion among councillors at a meeting held last week, with council ultimately resolving to investigate the pros and cons of the two-wheeled experiment.

Meadow Valley Ward councillor Naim Kurt raised the topic at a council meeting on February 14, suggesting that the alternate transport method could be useful for residents combatting the “huge issue” of traffic congestion.

Cr Kurt said he became curious about

exploring the option of having electric scooters in Hume, after he used the mode of transport during a recent visit to Canberra.

“It was a fantastic way to get around that was cheap and made movement easy,” Cr Kurt said.

“I didn’t have to rely on vehicles and going on the road and getting into traffic.

“Perhaps having E-scooters will be a way to take some of the traffic off the roads and help people to get out to school or get to work quicker.”

The state government’s E-scooter experiment began in December 2021, when the first trial was brought to Ballarat. Since then, the trial

has expanded to Melbourne, as well as the Yarra and Port Phillip council areas.

The Department of Transport used a select criteria in choosing its initial trial locations.

This took into account the council’s location, geography, population density and tourism benefits.

Specifically, local government areas chosen for the trial needed to have a considerable network of 50km/h roads with suitable bike lanes.

Cr Jim Overend said while he could see the appeal of the trial elsewhere, he felt strongly that Hume’s infrastructure was not cut out to accommodate it.

Storm debris to be recycled

‘‘

It’s about what’s going on in the moment and setting goals for the future

’’

- Staumn Hunder

Staumn Hunder. (Damjan Janevski) 268334_03

Addiction support group opens up Working out of Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s centre in Kyneton, facilitator Staumn Hunder is working with a small community workshop where residents can open up about their struggles with addiction.

Run weekly on Wednesday’s at 1.30pm during the school term, the SMART Recovery program began on February 2, and has since welcomed three participants.

Mr Hunder, who has 17 years of experience in the field, said the group sessions are designed to provide techniques to help people achieve

“There’s a place for these e-scooters, inner-Melbourne … Carlton, Fitzroy, it’s all set up for it,” Cr Overend said.

“Here, the traffic is terrible.

“We’re opening ourselves up to a lot of headaches, a lot of deaths, a lot of misery to families.”

A state government spokesperson told Star Weekly that they will await the results of the current trial locations before potentially expanding.

Hume council will independently prepare its own report regarding the costs and benefits of introducing E-scooters.

their personal goals.

“Often people have common experiences.

When they hear people are going through the same stuff, it just normalises those experiences,” Mr Hunder said.

“Our sessions are focused on the here and now, the last seven days and the next seven days.

“It’s quite practical in that way. It’s about what’s going on in the moment and setting goals for the future.”

Past SMART Recovery group participant Anna said she was able to apply lessons learnt

from the program in her own life.

“The group taught me the tools I needed to move on with my life and allowed me to take control of things in a way that made sense to me,” she said.

“There’s no one strict way that we are told to address our addictive behaviour – whatever works for you is okay.”

Those wishing to participate can contact Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health.

Details: 5421 1666

Rather than letting it go to waste, Macedon Ranges council staff have found a recycled use for the excess tree debris that was generated during the heavy storm damage of June 2021.

Council has used the felled timber to fashion into stakes that can now be used in council’s public works projects.

These stakes form vital fencing and support in areas such as botanical gardens, parks and tree planting programs.

Macedon Ranges council assets and operations director Shane Walden said council would be saving $4100 in stake costs for every 1000 units they create.

“This saving means council can redirect funds into other areas of recovery and restoration. As well as helping us rebuild the natural environment, by creating stakes from storm waste, there is a financial benefit for the community,” he said.

In June, extreme wind and rain combined to cause major damage across the state, but most significantly in the Macedon Ranges, Hepburn shire, the Dandenong Ranges and the Latrobe Valley.

Star Weekly reported in November that Victorian state emergency service pinpointed this storm as the single biggest emergency response in the service’s history.

A total of more than 10,000 requests for assistance we lodged across the country in two day period of the storms.

Oliver Lees

Oliver Lees

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 5

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Stay connected Are you 55 years or older and living in the Macedon Ranges? If so, Macedon Ranges council is seeking you input into its Village Connect Project.

Residents can fill out an online survey or attend one of the in-person, one-on-one sessions. Details: www. mrsc.vic.gov.au/yoursay

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A partnership between Foodbank Victoria and Western United continues to grow and help those most in need.

United hosted a Food Relief Round on Sunday to help raise awareness of the work Foodbank does.

A Food Relief Squad including players and staff from both Western United and its women’s affiliate team Calder United got involved in promoting the match and the cause.

A one lucky fan, who donated to Foodbank, had the chance to win big at half-time of the match, as a result of donating.

In 2021, the Foodbank Hunger Report revealed that one in every six adults in Australia hadn’t had enough to eat over the previous year, while 1.2 million children had gone without adequate food.

Foodbank’s Danielle Johnson said it was great to get the awareness out there in the western suburbs.

“We’re both out there in the west and there’s that nice alignment between connecting with the community through food and football,” she said. “The partnership has been going for a couple of years now, it’s been building and getting bigger and better every year.

“It’s a really good way to remind people that there is still people out there struggling to get a meal on the table.

Leo Lacroix, Ryan Scott and Alyssa Dall’Oste were named ambassadors of the game.

Scott said it was amazing to be involved in something like this.

“We have a role to play with our football club to reach out in the community and help where we can.

“It’s good that we’re putting a game on this week and Foodbank is the centre of attention.

“We want to help as many people as we can especially more so for our region, our club is growing.”

The Village Green Reserve in Rolling Meadows is set to receive a new playground and landscaping. The state government has allocated $256,000 to the project through the Growing Suburbs Fund, which is targeted to assist developing outer suburbs to accommodate for an increase in demand for services and infrastructure.

Elsewhere, $350,000 will be contributed to installing new seating and playground equipment at Sunbury Park.

Sport awards now open Coaches, players, committee members and volunteers of sporting clubs in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges can now nominate themselves or someone they know for the 2021 Victorian Sport Awards. Applications for the awards will remain open until Wednesday, March 16, with the presentation evening expected to take place on Wednesday, June 15.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

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Council calls for speed reversal

By Oliver Lees Hume council is calling for the state government to reverse its decision to lower the speed limit on either side of the Bulla Bridge.

On January 12, Star Weekly reported that a new speed limit of 40 km/h was to be permanently enforced on Sunbury Road between Bulla-Diggers Rest Road and Oaklands Road.

The state of the Bulla Bridge has been a point of ongoing concern for Hume council and the community, many of whom believe it is not fit

to accommodate modern traffic demands.

Speaking at a Hume council meeting on February 14, councillor Jarrod Bell said he was “dumbfounded” by the decision to lower the speed limit.

Cr Bell, who holds a heavy right truck drivers license, said the new limit will make conditions more hazardous for drivers, especially trucks carrying heavy loads.

“One of the first lessons you learn is that driving a truck safely is all about momentum,” Cr Bell said.

“This 40 km/h zone will result in almost

every truck effectively becoming a rolling roadblock, stalling truck momentum and robbing them of all of what they need to be able to safely drive across this ridge and then up the hill on either side.”

In a letter sent to Transport Minister Jacinta Allan on October 18, former Hume mayor Joseph Haweil outlined Hume council’s concerns regarding the safety of the bridge in relation to the potential for an increase in heavy vehicle traffic flow.

The letter stated that recent data had found that the bridge was already exceeding its daily

vehicle capacity, and that the bridge’s width was more than two metres short of the standard for an arterial road.

Cr Bell said the “ultimate solution” was the construction of the Bulla Bypass, which is still in the planning phase.

Fellow Jackson Creek ward councillors Trevor Dance and Jack Medcraft also mentioned their support for scraping the new limit.

The council will write to the Department of Transport calling for the 40km/h speed limit to be removed.

Festival helpers wanted A not-for-profit music festival based in the Macedon Ranges is on the hunt for volunteers to bring the festival to life.

Established in 2013, the Macedon Ranges Music Festival is an all-ages event that was established by local musician Jimmy O’Hare, who wanted to create an event that could bring the community together while helping the disadvantaged.

One-hundred per cent of all profits from the festival are donated to the Cambodian Kids Foundation, with money contributing to education, health care and employment in the poorest regions of the Southeast Asian nation.

In 2021, the festival raised $22,000 for the cause.

“Myself and and my family went over about ten years ago. We wanted to come back and find a way to contribute, and I thought running a music festival was a cool way to do it,” Mr O’Hare said.

Mr O’Hare said those who sign up to

volunteer are required to chip in for a two to three hour shift, and then are given free access to the festival.

“I think it fits a wide range of personality types. Whether you’re helping people check-in, working at the bar, or helping supervise children, there’s a whole range of positions.

“In the past people have enjoyed being involved in an upbeat, feel-good, positive day.”

The festival will be held at Hanging Rock on Saturday, March 26.

Details: https://www. macedonrangesmusicfestival.org/ Oliver Lees

The Macedon Ranges Music Festival is looking for volunteers to facilitate this year’s event.

(Supplied)

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Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 7

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‘Distressing’ discourse A Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health (SCCH) team member has described the public debate around the federal government’s religious discrimination bill as “incredibly distressing” for those who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community.

Politicians, the public and the media have been discussing the details of the Religious Discrimination Act in recent weeks, as the bill originally passed through the House of Representatives on February 10.

However a final decision on the legislation has since been delayed.

The debate has centred on the right of religious schools to discriminate against gay and transgender students.

As someone who works daily with LGBTIQA+ members of the community at SCCH, Rhani Dean-Talbett has seen firsthand the toll that the public discussion of the rights of gender diverse people in schools has had on their wellbeing.

“It’s particularly distressing for trans, gender diverse and nonbinary people because their identities, and their very existence is being publicly debated,” she said.

“LGBTIQA+ community members already experience poor mental health outcomes and that’s because of the marginalisation and stigma that they’re often receiving.”

Ms Dean-Talbott’s work creates inclusive spaces through community events, social support, in-school programs and training. She said nurturing these environments was critical to improving wellbeing outcomes for young LGBTIQA+ individuals.

“Having safe spaces where people can actually live and be their true authentic selves without fear of discrimination or harassment is incredibly important. We want to increase these spaces in the community, not the other way around,” she said.

Workshopping masculinity A new series of online workshops aiming to tackle traditional stereotypes of men and boys is set to be launched in the Macedon Ranges.

The Tomorrow Man led initiative, run in cooperation with Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health (SCCH), will probe the nature of embedded gender stereotypes and explore how they can affect the mental health of men.

The workshop will be tailored to parents of carers of teenage boys.

Star Weekly reported in December 2021 that a North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network study reported that outdated stereotypes that males should be self-reliant and unemotional were creating below average mental health outcomes in the shire.

Workshop facilitator Jack Ryder said role models are crucial to alleviating the pressure of traditional stereotypes.

“As a dad of two boys, I have seen the positive outcomes that result from questioning the supposed rules that boys often think they have to follow,” Mr Ryder said.

“At Tomorrow Man we are inspired every day by hearing people open up for the first time. We want to create more spaces where people can really talk and learn from one another.”

The series will kick off on Tuesday March 8, at 6.30pm and will be held weekly.

Details: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ raisingboysinMR Oliver Lees

Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health WayOut team members Rhani Dean-Talbett and Mez Lanigan. (Supplied)

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Michael’s long climb to the top

By Oliver Lees Woodend resident Michael Dillon AM has been awarded the Grand Prize of the International Alliance for Mountain Film (IAMF), in recognition of a career that has seen him traverse the world’s highest peaks over his 50-year career in the industry.

The award makes Michael the first person from the southern hemisphere to win the prestigious accolade, alongside film icons the likes of Werner Herzog.

Growing up in New South Wales, Michael’s environment was his classroom and inspiration.

As a child he would spend his spare time riding his bike out into the Blue Mountains and rock climbing with friends.

That connection to nature was something he always felt, he said, but the introduction of film into his life happened by chance.

“I saw an ad in the newspaper,” he said.

“Somebody was wanting a camera person to go to Portuguese Timor, which is now known as Timor Leste.

“I bought one of their secondhand cameras and so I went along and shot this documentary, and a few months later I shot another one in the Himalayas.

“I learned by just doing it and making mistakes. I didn’t go to film school, because there weren’t any.”

Michael got his big break when he was selected to film Sir Edmund Hillary - who was the first person to summit Mount Everest - as he set off in a jetboat expedition across the Ganges river in 1977.

Michael’s relationship with Edmund continued for 25 years, with filming projects in Fiji and Nepal.

In his adventures around the globe, Michael’s work regularly drew him back to

Michael Dillon has just been awarded the Grand Prize from the International Alliance for Mountain Film.

mountain landscapes.

In 1969, Michael replaced a sick film crew member on an expedition to Everest.

He then returned three years later, this time leading the project called ‘A Himalayan Journey’, which was aired on the BBC as one of the first public broadcasts of the mountain range.

In 2006, aged 60, he returned to Everest reaching 7300 meters as part of a small team that included a father, his 15 year old son, and Everest veteran Lincoln Hall.

Despite the inherent challenges of carrying gear up the sheer face of a mountain range, Michael said there was something unique about being present to capture these moments.

(Pictures: Damjan Janevski and supplied) 268556

“You’re in this this beautiful environment, and all you’re thinking about is you know, the next day’s climbing,” he said.

“It’s very engrossing to be right out in the middle of there in the mountains and to be engaged in a single task. It’s quite addictive.”

Mr Dillon said he hopes to travel to Slovakia later this year to collect the award.

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Cr’s call to scrap gambling ads

By Oliver Lees Hume councillor Joseph Haweil is calling for SBS to remove gambling advertisements from its programming.

At a meeting on February 14, the former Hume mayor and his fellow councillors resolved to write to SBS chair George Savvides, asking that the “dangerous and addictive” ads be stripped for the sake of its audience.

Cr Haweil drew on data from a 2017 survey of SBS’ audience conducted by Save Our SBS. According to the numbers, 91 per cent of the 1176 surveyed respondents wanted the

gambling ads to stop permanently.

Despite being a public broadcaster, SBS can still legally air commercial advertisements, the ABC on the other hand, does not broadcast any commercial advertisements.

On February 7, the federal government announced its funding commitment to the public media outlet for the next three years, which included an increased budget of $56.7 million for SBS. Cr Haweil said SBS should drop its association to the gambling industry following the confirmation of this endowment.

“I think SBS as a multicultural and public broadcaster has a responsibility to work in

line with community standards,” Cr Haweil said.

“I think that this council should be joining the hundreds of groups, institutions, organizations and indeed members of the Australian community in urging the SBS board to stop advertising to stop broadcasting harmful and dangerous gambling.”

Hume council is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) local government areas in the state, with residents hailing from more than 160 countries.

According to a federal government commissioned study from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, CALD people

who gamble are more likely to develop complex problems.

The study found that CALD community members that take up gambling are also often less likely to seek help due to social stigma and shame.

A SBS spokesperson told Star Weekly that the broadcaster takes seriously its regulatory obligations and always adheres to the restrictions on certain types of advertising, including for alcohol and gambling.

If this story has raised issues for you or someone you know, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Details: 1800 522 4700

International accolade Dedicated SES Sunbury volunteer Jesse Sciortino has become the first member in the unit’s history to receive an accolade from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Awards.

Earlier this month the 17-year-old received the Bronze Award within the international prize structure.

In pursuit of the honour participant’s must prove their worth in four area: learning a skill, improvement of physical wellbeing, volunteering in the community, and experiencing a team adventure.

For Mr Sciortino, who was already an SES Sunbury junior member (volunteering), learning guitar (skill) and running regularly (physical wellbeing), working toward the Bronze Award was a matter of challenge and commitment.

“It feels great because it’s a very long winded process, with lots of hours and continued

activity,” he said.

“You have to set a goal for yourself. I think I’ve found once you’ve set that goal you can find more direction which is really helpful.”

SES Sunbury media & public relations leader Jarrod Bell said Mr Sciortino had become an asset down at the station since joining as a 15-year-old.

“It’s been really rewarding to see that real growth and personal development he’s undergone, he’ faced challenges and has had to figure out how to overcome them. Having received the award, I know he’s more resilient and more able to solve problems he comes face to face with,” he said.

Now on the cusp of his 18th birthday, Mr Sciortino has started the transition to becoming an adult member of SES Sunbury, where he intends to continue to serve his community.

SES Sunbury Unit controller Anthony White, Jesse Sciortino and SES Sunbury media & public relations leader Jarrod Bell. (Supplied)

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‘‘

improve safety and ease congestion in the heart of - Josh Bull our community

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’’

improve safety and ease congestion in the heart of - Josh Bull our community

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Concept design for the new-look Gap Road level crossing. (Supplied)

By Jessica Micallef The first concept design for the new-look Gap Road level crossing in Sunbury has been released.

Gap Road will be lowered under the rail line to preserve the character of the heritage-listed Sunbury station.

Construction on the project was brought forward to begin this year, with the level crossing expected to be removed by late 2022, and the remaining works completed in 2023 – two years ahead of the initial 2025 completion date.

About 19,000 vehicles pass through the Gap

Road level crossing each day, with the number expected to reach 27,000 in 2026, according to state government data.

A three-week community consultation period was held in November last year for the public to provide feedback on the design, landscaping and public artworks for the new level crossing.

Sunbury MP Josh Bull said more than 170 residents contributed to the preliminary design.

“The level crossing will be gone for good by the end of 2022, with a road under rail design as promised,” he said.

“This year we will see site investigations continuing as well as some early works, with

the majority of major construction towards the end of 2022.”

The level crossing removal is being delivered in conjunction with the $2.1 billion Sunbury line upgrade, which includes platform extensions, train stabling modifications and rail track power upgrades at Sunbury station to enable bigger and more modern trains to run on the line.

The line is expected to transport up to 113,000 passengers in peak hours every week when the Metro Tunnel is open.

“We promised to remove this crossing by 2025, but this vital project has been fast tracked to synchronise works between the level

crossing removal and the $2.1 billion Sunbury line upgrade,” Mr Bull said.

“It means we will only need to close the line for an extended period of time once, rather than twice, resulting in less disruption and a level crossing-free Sunbury three years ahead of schedule.

“This is a critical project that will improve safety and ease congestion in the heart of our community and it is time to get it done.”

The Gap Road level crossing will be the fourth crossing removed on the Sunbury line and is one of 75 “dangerous and congested” level crossings in Melbourne to be gone by 2025.

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Crossing design revealed

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NEWS

Crime briefs

An artist’s render of the Francis Boulevard upgrade.

Farm burglary Police have charged a 55-year-old man with multiple offences following an incident at a farm in the Macedon Ranges in early February. A farmer was alerted to a disturbance at his property via his CCTV, which notifies him of any unusual activity via a notification on his phone. The farmer then alerted police, who promptly arrived at the property and arrested the trespassing individual.

(Major Roads Project Victoria)

Bulla CFA kept busy The Bulla unit of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) as called to the site of three fires last week. On Monday February 14, Bulla CFA attended a grass fire in Sunshine North, where two members assisted in making the area safe. This was followed by a grass and scrub fire in Westmeadows on Tuesday and an illegal rubbish fire in Diggers Rest.

Road works under way

Meet your force

By Oliver Lees Preliminary works on the Sunbury Road Upgrade are underway, with major construction on the multi-billion dollar project expected to begin later this year.

In a joint statement released by the state and federal governments, Winslow Infrastructure was announced as having secured the contract for the project, which has been drawn up in a bid to mitigate the congestion of Sunbury’s roads.

The works include the addition of an extra line in each direction between Powlett Street and Bulla-Diggers Rest Road at Sunbury Road.

Pedestrians and cyclists will be better accommodated, with new paths along

Sunbury Road, the installation of safety barriers and a bridge over Jacksons Creek.

The roundabouts at Francis Boulevard and Lancefield Road will also be replaced with traffic lights.

The estimated total cost of the project is $2.27 billion, with the state and federal government footing $1.1 billion of the bill.

Sunbury MP Josh Bull said the project was necessary to accommodate the community’s growing demographic of road users.

“Locals who use Sunbury Road every day know how important this upgrade is for the area,” Mr Bull said. “Whether you’re driving, riding or walking, we’re building better roads that help get people home safer and sooner.”

Major construction is anticipated for the second half of 2022, with a completion date

of 2025.

Sunbury Residents Association (SRA) president Graham Williams and his members welcomed the announcement, but said he held “real concerns” about the timing of the works.

The works are anticipated to proceed from 2022 to 2025, therefore coinciding with the large-scale soil relocation efforts from the West Gate Tunnel Project.

“SRA along with other key local groups has not been able to gain access to the proposed traffic management plan for this project with concerns that excessive construction delays along Sunbury Road may result in these trucks taking what we understand to be one of the alternative paths through the Sunbury township,” Mr Williams said.

Macedon Ranges police will be out and about meeting the community on Wednesday February 23 in Gisborne and Kyneton. Kyneton Police will be stationed at the Social Foundry Cafe on Mollison Street from 10am to 11am. Gisborne Police officers will gather at Gisborne Village Shopping Centre from 11am to noon.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

We’re building big near you and there will be transport disruptions As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re upgrading the Sunbury Line, allowing bigger, more modern trains to run more often on the line. We’re also adding new lanes on the M80 to get you home safer and sooner.

Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions Sunbury Line

8.45pm to last train each night, 15 to 17 Feb 8.30pm to last train each night, 28 Feb to 2 Mar

North Melbourne to Sunshine

12.45am 19 Feb to 20 Feb 8.30pm 21 Feb to 8.30pm 23 Feb First train to 8.30pm, 24 Feb

Sunshine to Sunbury

8.30pm to last train, 23 Feb 8.30pm 24 Feb to 27 Feb

North Melbourne to Sunbury

Road disruptions: Closed freeways 18 to 21 Feb

Closed Altona-bound between Edgars and Sydney roads

25 to 28 Feb

Closed Greensborough-bound between Sydney and Edgars roads

Find a detailed list of disruptions at bigbuild.vic.gov.au Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

1528

M80 Ring Road

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 11

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Drowning data sparks warning Hume council is reminding residents to practice safety in the water, following the release of data which found that drowning deaths in waterways increased by 20 per cent across Australia from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

The Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report indicated that a total of 294 people died from drowning in the 12 month period.

Fatalities in rivers and creeks accounted for 26 per cent of drownings, followed by beaches (22 per cent) and oceans and harbours (15 per cent). The majority of these incidents (36 per cent) occurred in metropolitan areas.

Hume council corporate services director Daryl Whitfort urged residents to make sure they’re confident in the water before taking the plunge.

“Hume leisure centres are fantastic, controlled environments to become water safe in. Our aquatic facilities are always supervised by qualified lifeguards and our staff continuously educate all patrons in water safety,” Mr Whitford said.

“People of all ages can take swimming lessons to learn or refresh vital water safety and swimming skills in a supervised environment.”

Hume council offers a range of programs to

New sporting facilities A female friendly change room, a pavilion and a second netball court are among the upgrades that have been completed at Gardiner Reserve in Gisborne.

Serving as the home ground for the Gisborne Bulldogs, the Gisborne Rookies, the Gisborne Giants and Gisborne Dragons sporting clubs, the facilities are used by hundreds of junior and senior footballers, cricketers and netballers.

The new assets were opened to the community on February 14, with a ceremony attended by representatives of Macedon Ranges council, Bendigo Community Bank, and the state government, all of whom made financial contributions to the project.

The new change rooms contain an additional four change rooms, umpire change rooms, first aid rooms and an accessible bathroom.

A lighting upgrade has also been completed on the oval.

Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the

upgrade wil provide integral facilities to the community.

“The new netball court, change rooms and lighting open more opportunities for participation at this popular reserve, and provide the perfect foundation for the clubs to build on their memberships and the community to host the big events,” Ms Thomas said.

“Better sport and recreation facilities make it easier for Victorians to get back to local sport and recreation and lead healthy and active lifestyles.”

Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson, Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas, Gisborne Football Netball Club’s head of female football Darren Mitchell and Bendigo Community Bank chairperson Dominic Andreacchio. (Supplied)

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12 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 22 February, 2022

assist adults and teenagers feel safe in the water.

The Hume Swim School, which launched earlier this year, is primarily focused on delivering water safety education.

The Hume Active Swimming Program is a water familiarisation program designed for adults with little experience in swimming.

“Swimmers must understand and respect the water they are entering and know their limits – beaches and rivers can have strong currents and changing conditions and depths so it’s important not to assume the water will be the same as the last time,” Mr Whitford said.

The Royal Life Saving data found men aged

18 to 34 to be the age group most at-risk of drowning.

Royal Life Saving chief executive Justin Scarr said 33 per cent of men in this age bracket had alcohol in their system at the time they drowned.

“We know that drinking alcohol around water can be lethal and that it is a key risk factor for young men in particular,” Mr Scarr said.

“We’re asking young men to make the right call and to look out for themselves and their mates and to plan ahead: avoid alcohol when you’re around water; wear a lifejacket if you are boating or fishing and never go alone.”

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

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Dental data reveals a grim wait

By Oliver Lees Patients are waiting more than two years to see a dentist in the public dental system in Macedon, a new report has found.

Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch [ADAVB] study reveals that waiting times across the state have ballooned as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate the problems of an under-resourced public dental system.

Across the state the average waiting time for general dental care in the public dental system is 24.8 months at the end of 2021.

In data obtained under Freedom of Information by the ADAVB, it showed the average waiting time for general dental care at IPC Health in Macedon was 29.6 months.

In Sunbury, this average was 24.7 months, making both higher than the state average of 20.7 months. There are 1676 people waiting for general dental care at Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health.

The ADAVB said that access to basic dental care and chronic underfunding continue to bite.

“There are more than 1.5 million adults who are eligible to access public dental care in

Victoria, but only 100,000 were able to receive care in the six months to December 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate the problems of an under-resourced public dental system.

“Waiting times for general dental care have now increased on average to 24.8 months across Victoria, the worst delays in care this decade.

“This average hides the dire story across the state, with 34,000 patients forced to wait more than three years.

“Long waiting times for dental care mean existing dental problems worsen. As a result,

around half of all courses of care are for emergency treatment rather than routine and preventive care.”

The ADAVB is calling on both the state and federal governments to increase their investment in public dentistry so that vulnerable Victorians are able to smile.

Among the things they are calling for is the establishment of a Medicare Seniors Dental Benefits Scheme, an increase of the number of public dental patients treated per year to 800,000 within five years, developing a sustainable funding strategy and Introducing new measures to address long waiting times.

Awards for Welcome Wagon roll on A group of volunteers who support asylum seekers and refugees in the west and north-western suburbs has been recognised with a Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence.

West Welcome Wagon received the award for Excellence in Community Response and Recovery, from the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

The award was given to acknowledge West Welcome Wagon’s continued support for the community, including the expansion of its Food Program and Emergency Goods Assist project with the RACV, since COVID-19 hit Australia.

West Welcome Wagon chairperson Chris Scerri said the award was significant for the group, which was founded in 2013.

“It’s our highest award, so we are thrilled that the contributions of our volunteers, donors, partners and supporters is recognised,” he said.

Mr Scerri said that before the COVID pandemic began, the organisation – which supports asylum seekers and refugees from Wyndham, Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Moonee Valley and as far away as Broadmeadows – was receiving about 10 requests every week for delivery of culturallyappropriate food parcels.

However, after contacting the asylum seekers and refugees in its database to see if they needed help with food during the pandemic, demand skyrocketed.

“We were delivering between 150 to 200 food bundles per week,” Mr Scerri said.

“We were distributing something like seven to eight tonnes of food a month.”

He said West Welcome Wagon was grateful for the support it has received from community groups with food, donations and funding, including the RACV, Wyndham Park Community Centre, Jet Foundation Australia, the state government and Wyndham council.

Mr Scerri said that out of the 870 households on West Welcome Wagon’s database, about 400 are in Brimbank and 220 in Wyndham.

The group’s volunteers collect recycled, good-quality donated items and deliver them to asylum seekers and refugees.

Hume council welcomes planning bill Hume council has welcomed changes to the state government’s Planning and Environment Bill, which aims to afford greater protection to Victoria’s heritage buildings.

At a meeting on Monday, February 14, councillors voted in favour of investigating how the bill’s changes could be introduced into the Hume Planning Scheme.

Among the reforms stated in the document, is the intention to deter persons from “unlawfully demolishing heritage buildings” as well preventing persons from “allowing heritage buildings to fall into disrepair”.

Hume councillor Karen Sherry said she hoped that any changes made to the municipality’s scheme would ensure the “conservation and protection” of heritage buildings.

“In my experience, a lot of residents think that heritage means keeping things the same, it doesn’t,” Cr Sherry said. “[That] often leads to more abandoned, derelict buildings.

However, the best form of preservation is the adaptive reuse, even if it was a previously prohibited use.”

Ms Sherry used the example of the Pentridge Prison in Coburg, which has been designed to retain its original bluestone exterior while also being refitted for modern purposes, such as a cinema and restaurants.

Cr Joseph Haweil said he was “fully in favour” of heritage protection, but didn’t want to see legislation get in the way of ideas that may give new life to historic structures.

Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen, West Welcome Wagon chairperson Chris Scerri and Australian Red Cross merchandise team member Bimo Soeharto. (Supplied).

West Welcome Wagon assists its clients with household essentials such as bedroom and kitchen furniture, like beds, tables, couches, heaters and rugs.

The volunteers also hold regular “Reach Out” days, where about 50 to 60 families are invited to attend a community centre to select items they need from donated food, clothing

and toys.

Mr Scerri said West Welcome Wagon was looking for more volunteers living in the Wyndham and Brimbank municipalities.

Details: www.westwelcomewagon.org.au or email volunteer@westwelcomewagon.org.au

Oliver Lees

Alesha Capone

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted rates payments, with Hume council owed $29.1 million in outstanding rates.

A report to the February 14 council meeting revealed that the value of rate arrears as of December 31, 2021, was $29.1 million, up $3.6 million from the year prior.

According to the report, the top five suburbs incurring debt were Criagieburn, Mickleham, Sunbury, Greenvale and Roxborough Park.

The debt comprises $14.91 million (51 per cent) in rates deferred prior to 2021-22, with the remaining $14.21 million raised as new debt.

Councillor Karen Sherry said the climbing debt were largely attributable to the difficulties of the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, our community is still doing it tough as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cr Sherry said.

“We have not charged interest on any debt for the last two years.

“We have put debt collection activities on hold and will not proceed with further debt collection activities during the pandemic.”

The report stated 3980 ratepayers had entered into COVID-19 payment arrangements with the council, with 107 of those cases previously associated with council’s debt collection department.

Of the 3980 applicants, 1363 (34 per cent) were still active.

Residential payments accounted for the

largest portion of outstanding fees, with $22.4 million of the $29.1 million total arrears.

General rateable properties accounted for $13.77 million – or 92 per cent – of the outstanding payments.

Deputy mayor Sam Misho said there was no shame in applying to delay your payments.

“If you have an outstanding debt, don’t be afraid,” Cr Misho said.

“Don’t stick your head in the sand. Make the phone call and put in an arrangement. Once you’ve made that arrangement, council officers will actually support you … that eventually this will be history.”

Oliver Lees

(Supplied)

Council rate debts continue to climb amid COVID crunch

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 13

NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Encouraging voter enrolment

By Elsie Lange It is estimated that there are more than 650,000 eligible Australians who are unenrolled to vote – more than the populations of Hume and Whittlesea put together.

And with two major elections on the horizon – the federal election some time in the first half of this year and the Victorian state election in November – Hume councillor Jarrod Bell has taken to TikTok to get the kids on board.

“If you live in Australia and you’re 16 years

or older, it’s time for you to enrol to vote,” Cr Bell said in the video, also shared to his other social media accounts.

Cr Bell told Star Weekly that being the youngest councillor in Hume council and one of the youngest in Victoria, communicating is about knowing where your audience lives.

“Ultimately, young people aren’t reading newspapers, or they’re not watching television or the six o’clock news these days,” Cr Bell said.

“They’re getting their interaction, they’re getting their news and getting their information through social media, through their friends

and through platforms like TikTok.” Cr Bell is just one of many public figures encouraging political engagement through the popular platform and in his video said the decision not to enrol to vote was a “political choice”.

“You are choosing for other people to exercise power over you,” Cr Bell said.

“If you’re going to make a political choice, you might as well have control over it, you might as well take part.”

To enrol to vote, head to: https://www.aec. gov.au/enrol/

Jarrod Bell.

(Supplied)

Police seize motorbikes

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan and St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman. (Max Hatzoglou)

New regional platform for Sunshine A new regional platform will be added at Sunshine train station, connecting more people to Sunshine, Melbourne Airport and the CBD when construction is complete in 2029.

The state government is looking at transforming Sunshine station into a transport superhub, with construction set to begin in the middle of the year with utility relocations.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the new platform is an investment in developing Sunshine as the centre of Melbourne’s booming west.

“With most people travelling directly between the airport and their home, Melbourne

Airport Rail Link route via Sunshine provides a solution that benefits most Victorians through good connectivity to the existing metropolitan and regional rail network,” Ms Allan said.

“Pre-COVID, over 40 per cent of the 20,000-plus daily regional trips made to and from Melbourne Airport came from Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong.

“This is why supporting development of Sunshine’s superhub and running airport services through the Metro Tunnel is so beneficial – it provides easy connections to these regions, to key city services and trips into the heart of the CBD in around 30 minutes.”

Once the works are completed, trains will

run every two to three minutes at peak times, including airport services every ten minutes and an approximately 11-minute trip to Melbourne Airport from Sunshine.

St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman said it would benefit the west in many ways.

“This is a fantastic once in a lifetime opportunity not only for the electorate of St Albans but for the west,” Ms Suleyman said.

“Frequent services, more jobs, connectivity to the country, the airport and metro Melbourne, so this is an exciting time for all of the west.”

Police have seized and impounded 50 motorbikes in Hume as part of a crackdown on illegal and dangerous motorbike riding.

In a video posted to the Eyewatch – Hume Police Service Area Facebook page, Inspector Dean Clinton said that over the past nine to 12 months, police had removed 50 bikes from Hume’s streets, roads and sports reserves.

“That’s a huge number of dangerous bikes off our streets,” Inspector Clinton said.

“We will continue to focus on dangerous driving and riding in our area, stuff that is putting your lives at risk and also making you feel unsafe in the area.“ As reported by Star Weekly, two Craigieburn sports clubs raised concerns about the safety of their junior players in March, 2020, following an increase in hoon activity at sporting reserves.

The presidents of the two clubs said hoons in cars and on unregistered dirt bikes were targeting Aston Fields and Highgate Reserve, where junior players from both clubs play.

Inspector Clinton said illegal and dangerous motorbike riding remained the number one issue in the Hume community.

He said police would also be focused on driving down deaths and serious injury collisions on Hume’s roads.

“One thing I am not pleased to announce is that deaths on our roads and serious injury collisions actually up in Hume,“ he said. “We will be doing more road policing, putting more resources into our road policing over the coming months to try and get that back down.

“I would also ask you if you can please try and slow down on our roads and avoid any distractions. Be careful out there.”

Max Hatzoglou

Report finds livability in Melbourne is a tale of two cities A new report has found that Greater Melbourne is a tale of two cities with many residents not benefiting from all the great things the city has to offer.

The Committee for Melbourne and JLL Australia engaged The Business of Cities to produce the inaugural Benchmarking Melbourne report, which assessed what shapes the city and benchmarked the city’s performance among 20 cities internationally.

The report found that Greater Melbourne was a tale of two cities.

“Whilst the CBD and inner suburbs provide walkable cultural and dining options, easy access to sporting events held at the MCG and Olympic Park, plenty of public transport

and reliable internet, a significant number of people do not enjoy these benefits of Melbourne’s liveability,” the report said.

Greater Melbourne rated well in most committed to climate action, vibrancy and variety of culture, city centre residential, and international diversity.

Among the areas that Melbourne could improve in, is house affordability, living in proximity to regular public transport, traffic congestion, mobile broadband speeds and coverage accessibility and health of urban vegetation. Among the suggestions to help make Greater Melbourne better is a clear integrated transport, land-use and economic development plan for Greater Melbourne

14 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 22 February, 2022

in order to catch up and in future lead on innovation, productivity, manufacturing and commercialisation, affordable housing and talent attraction.

The report highlighted the unlocking of precincts in outer suburbs, especially in the west. It said future proofing these locations’ infrastructure, especially through investment in rail freight infrastructure, and access to skills and population will be important for them to succeed and contribute to a cleaner and more efficient Melbourne that reduces excessive travel of trucks and creates more proximity between jobs and homes.

“It is also fundamental to easing congestion, improving movement and providing critical

logistics needed for a fully functional city,” the report said.

“At the moment the distributed growth model does not reproduce enough of Melbourne’s experience and liveability advantage, and impedes access to urban opportunity for too many. It also makes it much harder to effect a shift to the higher innovation and sustainability ground where more cities are competing. This highlights the importance of supporting efforts underway and in future that ensure Melbourne as a metropolis is connected, physically and digitally, and shrinks the gulf in outcomes between those with and without access to the central city.”

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MY PLACE Martin Kappel has been appointed to the position of senior sergeant at Kyneton Police Station. Across his 34 years in the force, Senior Sergeant Kappel has collected a number of accolades and gained experience working abroad in Cyprus and Papua New Guinea. His experiences range from stints as sergeant at Coburg and Melton, to work within the area of child sexual abuse, and has also worked spent time at the Australian Federal Police. He spoke with Oliver Lees about his priorities for the region.

I have lived in the Macedon Ranges for 18 years.

My wife and I have raised two children who went to local primary and secondary schools.

Through the kids we have been involved in many local sporting teams, mostly soccer, and I remain quite involved with the Gisborne Soccer Club. I have family connections in Sunbury with my sister and brother-in-law living and raising their four children there.

I understand you first joined the force as a trainee in 1988. How has the role of police in the community changed since that time?

I think our professionalism as an organisation has definitely increased – when I first joined the force, I was the senior member at Broadmeadows two weeks after graduating. Nowadays, new members work under a structured extended training program ensuring they work with more experienced members for at least the first 18 months after graduating. Accountability has also increased exponentially, and rightly so.

With the introduction of body worn cameras and the proliferation of smartphones I tell my members to assume that every single thing they do when they walk out the door is being video recorded. We are now much better at looking after our members. Mental health and wellbeing is at the forefront of everything we do.

Are there any past experiences or training

you’ve had during your time in the force that will prove particularly useful in your position at Kyneton?

Working as a United Nations (UN) peacekeeper in Cyprus I was stationed in a small village called Pyla. This was the only town situated within the UN controlled buffer zone, and the only bi-communal village in Cyprus. The Greek and Turkish community members had vastly different opinions and perceptions of the history of the conflict. The experience of working here really highlighted to me the importance of having an awareness and consideration of other people’s perspectives and personal journeys when becoming involved in any sort of community issue.

Do you have a sense of certain issues or areas of concern you would like to focus on as sergeant?

Having spent the past seven months as officer in charge at Gisborne Police Station, and having co-ordinated the Macedon Ranges Community Engagement survey, the two areas that stood out were community concerns relating to crime rates and wanting a more visible police presence out in the community.

Senior Sergeant Amanda Cohen, who is the new officer in charge at Gisborne, together with new Local Area Commander Inspector John Greene and myself, want to focus on providing the highest quality policing service to the Macedon Ranges community that we possibly can.

(Damjan Janevski) 268336_04

What is your connection to Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges?

FROM THE ARCHIVES Star Weekly looks back through the pages of our predecessors

30 years ago

25 years ago

20 years ago

10 years ago

February 11, 1992

February 18, 1997

February 19, 2002

February 21, 2012

Chairman of the new Macedon Region Water Authority, Don Alexander, has admitted that the controversy surrounding has admitted that the setting up of the new body has “got to him”.

The police force will be strongly represented at next month’s Macedon Ranges shire council elections.

The operators of Sunbury Private Hospital are considering opening a psychiatric ward as part of plans to expand services.

Many people have never heard of forgotten Australians. They are a brave group of their own and hold close their stories of neglect, abuse, but most importantly, survival.

These unique forgotten Australians tell Stephanie Zevenbergen why they need to be remembered.

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 15

BEHIND THE NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU The community is being encouraged to take part in Clean Up Australia Day. (Supplied)

Gloves out, it’s time to clean up With the pandemic changing the habits of many people, including reverting back to single use products, the consequences have been felt in the community. As Tara Murray discovers, Clean Up Australia Day presents the perfect opportunity for people to assess their habits and reset after the COVID-19 pandemic.

C

lean Up Australia is hoping people will rethink their use of single-use products ahead of Clean Up Australia Day on March 6.

Clean Up Australia chair Pip Kiernan says there had been a surge of single use litter as a result of the pandemic.

“We are using Clean Up Australia day as a real call to action for people to think about those habits and think about resetting them and adopting those habits we were getting really good at before the pandemic hit,” she says “There are masks everywhere. With Coffee cups, we’ve had to go back to using single use cups, we weren’t eating in restaurants so we were doing more takeaway and the rubbish associated with that.

“There’s masks, santised wipes and hand sanitiser bottles and all the plastic packaging.

“We can’t cover up the problem – now is the time to act. Our environmental issues have not gone away because of COVID, rather, they have escalated because of the mountain of rubbish we’ve created.

Part of Clean Up Australia’s focus this year, is a ’citizen science project’ that has been launched to assess the impacts of single-use masks.

Ms Kiernan said in 2020, more than three billion single-use masks were thrown out across the globe every day, contributing to a significant portion of pandemic-related litter entering the environment.

“However, locally, the extent of this problem remains unclear,“ she says.

“Volunteers will collect masks and count how many masks they pick up as part of their efforts.”

The pandemic also changed the way people interacted and participated in clean up events, according to Ms Kiernan.

She says there was always a way for people to have a clean up event, even if it was at a different time of the year. “[COVID] has impacted the timing of some of our events, schools were timing their events differently, prior to that was the bushfires and there has been some changes when people hold events.

“During COVID, there were some people holding back, but we accommodated that and held smaller groups of 10, or on larger sites we had multiple groups with them not getting too close to each other.

“You are outside fresh air, we deliver free clean up kits, deliver gloves and bags and there’s QR check-ins.“ Ms Kiernan said registrations this year, particularly in schools, had been a bit slower, but she hoped that they would pick up in the lead up to the event.

Schools can get behind Clean Up Australia Day on March 4. (Supplied)

Pip Kiernan.

(Supplied)

16 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 22 February, 2022

“We are encouraging people to register as soon as possible so people can get their kits in time,“ she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet up with friends or find new friends.

“It’s really good to get out there and do something and feel good about it and make a difference.”

The event is in its 32nd year as a nationwide event. It was started 33 years ago by Ms Kiernan’s father, Ian Kiernan, after a solo yacht race around the world opened up his eyes to the waste in the oceans.

That first year there were 40,000 people attending, which resulted in it becoming a yearly event.

“It’s part of the Australian calendar now,” she said. “Everyone in their 30s and 40s did it at school. Most people know what Clean Up Australia Day is and it’s just a great thing regardless of your age, stage, where you live,

that you can get involved.

“It’s about practical action and it’s about the community doing something that makes a difference. It’s quite a nice thing to do.“ The event has also evolved over time, with the organisation focused just as much on preventing waste in the first place.

Ms Kiernan said they believed there should be no thing as waste and resources should be used over and over again.

Registration is easy, and all community-based participants receive a free Clean Up kit, containing gloves and bags and other resources, with packs for individuals, families or groups available.

There are local events being held across Melbourne’s north-west.

Schools can take part in Clean Up Australia Day on Friday, March 4, with community events held on Sunday, March 6 and business clean up day on Tuesday, March 1.

Details: https://www.cleanupaustraliaday. org.au

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CALENDAR WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication

Metropolitan Cricket Association on Sundays.

■ http://ow.ly/kLiz50Hsqqj

Rainbow Coffee Club Join the Rainbow Coffee Club for coffee and conversation on the last Friday of the month. The next catch up is on Friday, February 25, 11am at the Social Foundry Kyneton, connecting LGBTIQA+ people of all ages.

■ Belinda Brain, healthpromotion@scchc.org.au

Community outings Photographer’s choice pic is of Russell and Lauryn Mark celebrating Valentine’s Day the Werribee Victorian Clay Target. (Damjan Janevski) 268398_01

Rotary club The Sunbury Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at the Sunbury Bowling Club from 7pm.

■ sunburyrotary@gmail.com

Join Landcare The Friends of Presidents Park meet on the first Thursday of the month, 10am–noon. This is a new conservation group. No prior knowledge required. Meet in the carpark near the river and Shaws Bridge.

■ admin@werribeeriver.org.au

Ladies probus The Woodlands Ladies Probus Club of Sunbury meets on the fourth Monday of each month at the Sunbury Bowling Club at 9.45 am. The club is based on fun, friendship and fellowship and enjoys monthly outings, an annual trip away and a lot of fun meetings.

■ Val, 0418 138 214

Werribee River lovers required A new family-friendly conservation group is forming to support the Werribee River in central Werribee. The next event is Tuesday, March 8, 5.30–7pm, river end of Edgar Street, Werribee.

■ maryann.weatherill@werribeeriver.org.au

Sunbury Combined Probus Club The Sunbury Combined Probus Club meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the Sunbury Football Social Club at 10am.

Visitors and new Members welcome.

■ Carmel, 0416 477 271

U3A Werribee U3A Werribee Region is a Not-for-profit organisation consisting of semi-retired and retired residents of Wyndham. It conducts a variety of weekly classes run by volunteers.

■ Rick, 0402 299 220

Toastmasters Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Toastmasters helps its members develop their public speaking, communication and leadership skills. The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 7.20-9.30pm, at the Sunbury Senior Citizens Hall.

■ vpm-4185@toastmastersclubs.org

Education volunteers EdConnect Australia is on the search for Wyndham residents to mentor and volunteer with students for the 2022 school year. The charity places volunteers in local schools to help improve the lives of vulnerable young people and equip them with life skills. EdConnect Australia offers training and support to its volunteers.

■ www.edconnectaustralia.org.au/ volunteer/ or 1800 668 550

Garden club The Sunbury Garden Club meets on the first Tuesday of every month. There is a guest speaker at each meeting, which starts at 7.30pm at the Sunbury Football Club.

■ Cheryl, 9744 1663

AL-ANON meets AL-ANON provides support for families and loved ones living with alcoholics and problem drinkers. The group meets Mondays at St Thomas Anglican Church foyer, 117 Synnot Street, Werribee, from 7.30pm, and on Tuesdays at the St Mary’s Tennis Club rooms, 204 Grimshaw Street, Greensborough.

Senior citizens club Senior citizens are welcome to visit the Sunbury Senior Citizens’ Club on Mondays and Fridays, from 10am-3pm at 8 O’Shannassy Street. A variety of activities are offered – carpet bowls, cards, snooker, darts, board games or just a cup of coffee and a chat. If you’re 55 years or older and would like to meet new people, come along.

■ Frank, 0423 392 884

Hanging Rock night walks Let the scent of eucalypt and the calls of native wildlife captivate you on a night time walk at Hanging Rock. The walks are suitable for all ages, but spaces are limited and booking is essential. The ticket price is $25 per adult or $12 per child for two sessions running on Friday, March 25.

Small Business Bus The state government’s Small Business Bus will visit Craigieburn on Thursday, February 24, 10am-4pm, providing mentoring sessions to small business owners. At Hume Global Learning Centre, Central Park Avenue, Craigieburn.

■ https://bit.ly/3GNDse7

Tutoring program Keilor probus

Help for job seekers

The Keilor Combined Probus Club is back in business following the lockdowns. The group meets the third Monday of every month at Keilor Pub. New members welcome.

■ Steve, 0408 193 793, or Keith, 0409 494 801

Jesuit Social Services will provide one-on-one support to job seekers at Broadmeadows Library, 1093 Pascoe Vale Road, on Thursday, February 24, 11am-3pm. Each session is 30 minutes.

No bookings required.

■ https://bit.ly/3Jx3HYj

Women’s Day

Football

The Women’s Support Network will be launched at an International Women’s Day event in Brimbank on Tuesday, March 8 between 10am and noon at Deer Park Hall, Station Road, Deer Park. All women are welcome to attend, with bookings open until March 3 ■ https://www.trybooking.com/BXMGS or info@wsn.org.au

Taylors Lakes Football Club is seeking male and female players for all age groups from under-8s to under-18.5s. To be eligible, children need to be born between July 1, 2003, and April 30, 2015.

■ Julie, 0409 259 389

Women’s group Garden expo The Whittlesea Garden Expo is on Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6 at Whittlesea Showgrounds, Whittlesea-Yea Road, Whittlesea, 9am-3pm. Featuring stallholders, presentations, entertainment and kids’ activities. Cost: $8 for adults (prebooked) or $10 at the gate.

■ https://bit.ly/3rMNvfp

Hikoi Brothers is for men of all ages in the western suburbs. The group meets fortnightly on Sundays for walks, talking about a range of topics while enjoying the different tracks in Wyndham.

■ http://ow.ly/JpJR50HOVuN

Duke Street Community Centre has set up a women’s social group to give people a place to interact. The group will run every second Friday, from 1pm, as a way to connect with other women in the community in a safe, fun and social way. It will be developed to suit the needs of the participants and will be in a casual setting.

■ 9311 9973

Deer Park probus The Deer Park Combined Probus Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at The Deer Park Club, 780 Ballarat Road, from 10am. New members and visitors welcome.

■ Don, 0409 191 580

Female cricket Keilor Park Cricket Club is looking for players to join its female cricket team.

The club, which has had success in recent years, plays in the North West

Youth Services and Equal Ed are providing free online tutoring classes for young people aged 12 to 18 years old. The Academic Homework Support Program is on Wednesdays, 4-5pm, from the second week of each school term in 2022. All sessions are supervised by Wyndham council youth services staff.

■ https://youthwyndham.com/pgm-reg or Danielle Diez, 8375 2346

Computers for beginners Williamstown Community and Education Centre is now taking enrolments for classes to help those with limited computer skills. Classes are run daily at both Joan Kirner House, Williamstown, and North Altona Library.

■ Lynne or Tahlia, 9397 6168

Knitting group Anyone is welcome to come along to Yarraville or Footscray library for a weekly knitting group, where you can share your favourite patterns and techniques, and have a chat with like-minded people.

Registrations are recommended via Eventbrite.

■ https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/ library/Events/Knitting-Group

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 17

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Valentine’s at Hanging Rock

Celebrate Valentine’s Day under the stars at Hanging Rock with a special movie screening of Peter Weir’s 1975 film, Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The film, which is the 1967 novel by an adaption of the same name

by Joan Lindsay, revolves around the disappearance of several schoolgirls and their teacher during a Rock on Valentine’s picnic to Hanging Day Moviegoers are encour in 1900. aged to bring their own picnic for dinner, a chair, rug and a blanket and get cosy as the drama mystery film is screen ing.

For a bit of fun, come classic 1900’s costum dressed in a The film night is on e.

Saturday, February 13 from 7pm at Hangin g Rock, 139 South Rock Road, Woodend.

Tickets cost $25 for adults, $10 for children or $60 for a family of two adults and two children.

To book: bit.ly/3pzPyji

(Supplied)

Pick up your favourite local newspaper, the Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly from local outlets listed below or subscribe to our digital edition and have it sent to your device every week!

.AU

Anti-vax leaflet slammed ‘‘

Jessica Micallef

By Jessica Micallef

Let’s not

McEwen MP Rob let false lies Mitchell is urging Sunbury residents to “tear spread as being facts up and throw anti-vaccination leaflets away” . It’s that may appear their letterbox. in dangerou s - Rob Mitchell Mr Mitchell said residen ts had notified him last Monday (Februa leaflets is from ry 1) about anti-vaccinatio American-based leaflets about the n IDoNotComp company, COVID-19 vaccine ly, which labels that had global been dropped in their movement that oppose itself as a letterbox.

The leaflet, seen by s COVID-19 regulations.

Star Weekly, stated should “avoid the people “It’s danger COVID and claims the “vaccin vaccine at all costs” People will ous that people are getting this. read e could this and wonder if potentially be he more deadly than it’s true,” said. “We are seeing the virus”.

Mr Mitchell believe out … it’s all garbage these theories being put s the sender of . Tear the leaflet up the put it in the bin.” and

’’

RADIOLOGY SAVES LIVES

How healthy is

Mr Mitchell said only contacted him about Sunbury residents had be done to combat potenti was concerned peoplethe leaflets so far, but he misinformation ally “deadly in surrounding areas ”. would also receive He said people should them. consult a doctor The leaflet also has or medical address to the organis a QR code and a web vaccinations professional when it came to and medica urged people not to ation’s site. Mr Mitchell “We don’t know who l treatment. scan the code. these people are and “It’s for your own that is why safety,” he said. “It we have medical experts from an American-base comes ,” he said.

“They have decade d organisation which s you’d think wouldn to understand these in training and learning ’t be so callous and things. They are the to make a stateme stupid to talk to. people nt like risk of dying of COVID ‘most people have no “Let’s not let false -19’. lies spread as being “This from a countr It’s dangerous. facts. y where tragica lly more than 440,000 deaths “What we have achieve have been recorded.” d in Victoria …

Mr Mitchell said an amazing job is more work needed to people spreadi and the last thing we need is ng theories.”

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Lake Imaging are offering a redu ced fee for all patients who book a CT Calcium Score test in Feb ruary and March.

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• Bulla BP Service Station - Bulla 84-86 Bulla Road • Bulla Jack McKenzie Community Centre 11 Green Street • Clarkefield Coach and Horses Inn - Clarkfield 50 Station Street • Diggers Rest FoodWorks 22 Glitter Road • Diggers Rest Diggers Rest Post Office 76 Old Calder Highway • Diggers Rest Houdinis Cafe e Cucina 52-56 Old Calder Highway • Gibsorne Gisborne Village Fresh Brantome Street • Gibsorne Morgan’s SUPA IGA Gisborne Brantome Street • Gisborne Brad Teal Real Estate - Gisborne 40 Aitken Street • Gisborne Kennedy Hunt Real Estate - Gisborne 33 Brantome Street • Gisborne Gisborne Real Estate - Gisborne 38 Brantome Street • Gisborne Raine & Horne Real Estate 42 Brantome Street • Gisborne Gisborne Library 8 Hamilton Street • Gisborne Foodworks - Gisborne 24 Hamilton Street • Gisborne Macedon Ranges Health Service 76 Hamilton Street • Gisborne Gisborne Nursing Home - The Oaks 5 Neal Street • Gisborne Puma Service Station Gisborne 23 Robertson Street • Gisborne Caltex Service Station - Gisborne 4 Station Street • Kyneton Kuppers Fuel Stop - Kyneton 199 Burton Avenue

• Kyneton RT Edgar Real Estate - Kyneton 10 High Street • Kyneton Kyneton Newsagency 95 Mollison Street • Kyneton Kyneton Shire Offices 129 Mollison Street • Lancefield Lancefield Newsagency 18 High Street • Macedon United Service Station - Macedon 313 Black Forest Drive • Macedon IGA Supermarket - Macedon 20 Victoria Street • Macedon Macedon Newsagency 25 Victoria Street • Malmsbury General Store 75 Mollison Street • Monegeeta Newsagency 2076 Melbourne -Lancefield Road • Mount Macedon Mt Macedon Post Office 341 Mt Macedon Road • Riddells Creek Riddells Creek Nursery 675 Kilmore Road • Riddells Creek Riddells Creek Post Office 80 Main Road • Riddells Creek Foodies - Riddells Creek 86-88 Main Road • Riddells Creek Riddells Creek Supermarket 2 Station Street • Romsey Chess Property - Romsey 102 Main Street • Romsey IGA Supermarket - Romsey 107 Main Street • Sunbury Leeburn and Co Real Estate - Sunbury 6 Brook Street • Sunbury Sunbury Newsagency 14 Brook Street • Sunbury The Jolly Miller cafe Shop 2/2 Brook Street • Sunbury The Jolly Miller cafe Shop 2/2 Brook Street • Sunbury The Local Sunbury Bottleshop Shop 2b/15-17 Dornoch Drive • Sunbury Goonawarra General Store 23-25 Dornoch Drive • Sunbury Sunbury Neighbourhood House 531 Elizabeth Drive

• Sunbury Brad Teal Real Estate Sunbury 54 Evans Street • Sunbury Reliant Real Estate 11/114-126 Evans Street • Sunbury Muffin Break Shop 2/24 Evans Street • Sunbury Sunbury Square Shopping Centre Shop 2-28 Evans Street • Sunbury Terry White Chemist 83-85 Evans Street • Sunbury Gap Road Medical Centre 46 Gap Road • Sunbury United Fuel Sunbury 47 Gap Road • Sunbury 7-Eleven Sunbury 128 Gap Road • Sunbury Asia Finest Shop 4&5, 106-126 Gap Road • Sunbury Puma Service Station Sunbury 96 Horne Street • Sunbury Woolworths Supermarket 25-47 Horne Street • Sunbury Big W - Sunbury 25-47 Horne Street • Sunbury BP Service Station 53-55 Horne Street • Sunbury Sunbury Day Hospital 7 Macedon Street • Sunbury Hume Council Offices - Sunbury 40 Macedon Street • Sunbury Sunbury Information Centre 43 Macedon Street • Sunbury Sunbury Library 44 Macedon Street • Sunbury Community Health Centre Unit 12-28 Macedon Street • Sunbury McKwen Drive Milk Bar Shop 1-3 McEwen Drive • Sunbury Foodworks Bottlemart on Melba 16 Melba Avenue • Sunbury Foodworks on Melba 16-18 Melba Avenue • Sunbury Melba Cafe 22 Melba Avenue • Sunbury Mitchells Lane Milk Bar 192 Mitchells Lane

• Sunbury Just Planet 37 O’Shannesy Street • Sunbury An Apple a Day Natural Health Store 49 O’Shannesy Street • Sunbury The Spotted Owl 93 O’Shannesy Street • Sunbury Cafe Circe 109 O’Shannesy Street • Sunbury IGA Supermarket - Sunbury 98-122 O’Shannesy Street • Sunbury Killara Family Store - Sunbury 57 Phillip Drive • Sunbury Strathearn Glen Corner Store 10 Strathearn Drive • Sunbury Sacco & Saba Cafe 2/20-30 Sussex Street • Sunbury Rosenthal Shopping Centre 90 Vineyard Road • Tylden Tylden Store 36 Trentham Road • Woodend Keatings Real Estate - Woodend 83 Calder Highway • Woodend Coles Supermarket - Woodend 61 High Street • Woodend II cafe 66 High Street • Woodend Andrews Cafe 77 High Street • Woodend Fox in the Chamber 90 High Street • Woodend Jellis Craig Real Estate - Woodend 91 High Street • Woodend Maison Maloa Licensed Cafe & Gifts 95 High Street • Woodend Woodend Newsagency 101 High Street • Woodend Paysanne Cafe 112 High Street • Woodend Bourkies Bake House 115 High Street • Woodend RT Edgar Real Estate - Woodend 124 High Street • Woodend BP Service Station - Woodend 130 High Street • Woodend Woodend Community Centre High Street & Forest Street

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18 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 22 February, 2022

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 069

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

ACROSS

easy

3 2

1 3 4 2

8 9 9 3

3 2 3 9

7 6 8 8 9 6 3 7 8 7 5 1 8 4 1 9 medium

6

1 8 2

7

4 6 7

DOWN

Support for a column (8) Soul (6) 70s’ dance genre (5) Oceangoing (9) If not (6) 16th US president (7) Manacles or fetters (8) Counsel (6) Mournful (6) Island group in the Indian Ocean (8) Silly talk (7) Avoidance road (6) Central American country (9) Cavalry sword (5) Acacia shrub; OJ-andchampagne (6) Partisan (8)

1 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 20 21 24 27 28 29 30

No. 069

Cushions (4) Release (9) Sleeping grunt (5) Levied (8) Examined (7) Egyptian capital (5) Designers of goods and structures (9) Drop (4) Artifice (9) Incapable of being seen (9) Port, formerly (8) Disrobe (7) Startle (5) Web auction site (4) Glue (5) Food (4)

1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 14 16 17 19 22 23

25 26

DECODER

No. 069

4 1

AGO ALE ARE ASH

6 2

AYE

8 3

EVE GEE

6 2

GEL

6 8 4 5

5 9 1 7

GET HAT HEN HUT

hard

4

5

6

7

8

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

21

22

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

23

12

13

NIP

24

25

26

OVA

G

I

PEA SEA

ALIVE

USE

APTER

YES

AROSE

YOU

9-LETTER WORD

R

31 words: Very good

D

S

BASKS

EBBS

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Today’s Aim: 21 words: Good

AURAL

4 LETTERS

S

E

E

BYTES

EDDY

CHAMP

EDIT CREST HAMS DENTS

LAWN

DRAMA

LUGS

ESSAY

MALL

I

P

GIVES

OURS PERK

ICIER

POND

IDEAL

SLOG

IRATE

SNIP

IRKED

SWIM

KYLIE

YELL

LARVA LOOSE

5 LETTERS

MAKER

AGILE

MARTS

MEANT MESSY NICER NYLON OARED OILED PLANE POOLS RODEO SALTS SEEDY SERVE SLUGS SPACE SPIRE STOKE STOMP SYRUP TREED TURNS UDDER WASTE

WELTS

ORANGES

YODEL

REPTILE

6 LETTERS

8 LETTERS

ANSWER

APPARENT

CASUAL

ASSAULTS

GEARED

CADENCES

RAGERS

LIAISONS

7 LETTERS

11 LETTERS

ALREADY

ACCOMPANIST

CENSORS

PLEASANTEST

CRESTED MARITAL

deep, depress, despise, despised, dips, disperse, DISPERSED, drip, drips, espied, espies, peer, peers, pere, pied, pier, preside, presided, presides, press, pressed, pride, prided, prides, pried, pries, prise, prised, prises, ripe, rips, seep, seeps, sips, sped, speed, speeds, spider, spied, spies, spire, spree

25-02-22

No. 069 Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

S

3 8 5 2 7 1 9 6 4

1 2 7 9 4 6 5 8 3

2 3 8 4 1 9 6 7 5

E R S

E

L A M S

B A S I L E M O T E A P N E A

5 1 6 3 8 7 2 4 9

7 4 9 5 6 2 1 3 8 7 2 3 4 6 9 8 5 1

E

11

QUICK QUIZ

1

In which region of Germany is the city of Munich?

6

And who was the inventor of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen?

2

Which common breed of dog was briefly named the Alsatian Wolf Dog by the English-speaking world due to war-time tensions?

7

What is the name of Angela Merkel’s political party?

8

The literary form known as a bildungsroman refers to what?

9

Now a suburb in Adelaide, what was the first German settlement in Australia?

3

The term ‘wiener’, used for the sausage in a hot dog, is named for which city?

4

Which Strauss composed The Blue Danube (1866)?

10 What was famously discovered in the Neander Valley, Germany, in 1856?

5

What year was the world’s first automobile, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen (pictured), built in?

T

6 9 4 8 3 5 7 1 2

9 6 3 7 2 4 8 5 1 1 4 5 3 8 7 2 6 9

M

10

1

A

9

ODE

16

4 7 2 1 5 8 3 9 6

8 5 1 6 9 3 4 2 7

6 1 4 5 7 8 3 9 2

8 6 9 2 5 1 7 3 4

9 5 6 8 7 2 4 1 3

2 1 8 5 4 3 9 7 6

N R

3

15

3 9 5 4 6 2 1 7 8

2 7 8 9 1 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 3 2 5 6 1 4

3 7 4 9 1 6 5 8 2

5 8 2 6 3 4 1 9 7

4 3 1 7 9 5 6 2 8

T

L T

L

2

P U BMV R X H K NOA T

S

A

•

D

4 5 6 1 8 7 9 2 3

1 3 2 6 4 9 7 8 5

9 4 7 8 5 6 2 3 1

8 2 1 7 3 4 5 6 9

5 6 3 2 9 1 8 4 7

6 9 7 1 2 8 3 4 5

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

M

NEE

42 words: Excellent

hard

B

NAP

Y DWZ L F S J C Q E G I

medium

easy

LAW

14

8 9 2 5 7 8 3 9 3 9 7 6 4 2 7 2 5 1 6 3 1 8 6 2 7 5

IDS

7

5x5

No. 069

3 LETTERS

6 9 8 2

WORDFIT

ANSWERS: 1. Bavaria 2. German Shepherd 3. Vienna 4. Johan Strauss II 5. 1885 6. Carl Benz 7. Christian Democratic Union 8. A comingof-age story 9. Klemzig 10. First Neanderthal remains

4

QUICK CROSSWORD

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 19

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SPORTS QUIZ 1. What medal did Australian skeleton racer Jaclyn Narracott win at the 2022 Winter Olympics?

5. Until which year were the Summer and Winter Olympic Games both held in the same year?

2. Australian Scotty James won a silver medal for which event at the 2022 Winter Olympics?

6. Fiona Worts, Hannah Wilkinson and Kate Gill share the record for most individual goals in an A-League Women's match with how many?

3. Will Pucovski represents which Australian state or territory in domestic firstclass cricket?

4. Which NFL team won Super Bowl LVI with a 23-20 victory?

7. Who out of Nick Kyrgios or Thanasi Kokkinakis was not named in Australia's Davis Cup team for its March clash against Hungary?

8. Former professional rugby league footballer Jarryd Hayne last played for which NRL team?

9. Which Australian-born player competed in the Three-Point Contest during the 2022 NBA AllStar Weekend?

10. The NFL team based in Washington, D.C. will begin the 2022 season known by what name?

11. What West Coast Eagles forward is currently restricted from club activities due to not yet receiving a COVID-19 vaccination?

12. Coopers Stadium is the home ground of which A-League Men’s team?

Scotty James

13. Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp plays what position for the Los Angeles Rams?

14. The Dolphins are a team set to debut in 2023 in which competition?

15. Nick Dal Santo played for which men's AFL team and now coaches their AFL Women's team?

16. Which Australian state has emerged as the likely host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games?

17. What Caribbean nation made its debut at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics?

18. Cleveland hosted what major NBA event in 2022?

19. The Australian Opals recently played in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in what European country?

20. How old was Boris Becker when he won the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Championship in 1985?

21. Which former racehorse owner has been sentenced to 28 years in jail for running a cocaineimportation ring?

26. Which big-hitting Hobart Hurricanes batsman was sold to the Mumbai Indians for $1.53 million in the recent IPL auction?

22. The first cricket Test match and the first Wimbledon tennis tournament were both held in which year?

27. Former soccer player Patrick Vieira is the current manager of which English Premier League club?

23. Who was the last player to kick more than 100 goals in an AFL season?

24. In which European country was former US tennis player John McEnroe born?

25. At 40 years of age, who is the oldest current driver on the Formula One grid?

28. Super Bowl LVII is set to played in which US state?

29. How many matches did the English women’s cricket team win against Australia during their Ashes tour?

30. How many gold medals did US swimmer Michael Phelps win throughout his illustrious Olympics career?

Michael Phelps 1. Silver 2. Men’s halfpipe 3. Victoria 4. Los Angeles Rams 5. 1992 6. Five 7. Nick Kyrgios 8. Parramatta Eels 9. Patty Mills 10. Washington Commanders 11. Jack Darling 12. Adelaide United FC 13. Wide Receiver 14. NRL 15. St Kilda 16. Victoria 17. Haiti 18. NBA All-Star Game 19. Serbia 20. 17 21. Damion Flower 22. 1877 23. Lance Franklin in 2008 24. Germany 25. Fernando Alonso 26. Tim David 27. Crystal Palace 28. Arizona 29. None 30. 23

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Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 21

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Corolla sedan is not exactly sleek, but it’s pleasant to look at.

(Pictures: Supplied)

Corolla drives its hybrid future

By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring I must admit to having a soft spot for Toyota Corollas. Way back in the early 1970s when I was young and money was tight, I owned a Corolla for eight years and over 170,000 kilometres. During that time it transported my wife and three new babies (two girls and a boy) home from the hospitals where they were born.

It never missed a beat.

That car was much smaller than today’s Corollas and had only two doors. The car I’m reviewing here has four doors and is substantially larger than ye-olde 1970 model.

It’s also a hybrid, a term that wasn’t yet part of the automotive parlance in the ‘70s.

Toyota is very serious about electrification in cars and the Corolla is a major seller worldwide.

So, the Japanese giant has put a lot of work into making all its vehicles low polluters particularly on the European market where air quality is dropping and fuel prices are rising.

Styling Corolla sedan is long and while not exactly sleek it’s pleasant to look at. The extra length over the hatchback somehow gives it an upmarket look, not exactly ‘limo’ but certainly good looking.

The front is quite low and the slim headlights are connected across the complete car and run well up into the sides of the bonnet. The lower grille is very large and makes a styling statement.

The upward sweep of the window line does work visually but may cause problems for young children trying to see out of them.

Interior There’s reasonable width for three adults sitting in the rear seat. But, legroom in the back seat is limited, which is surprising when you realise this is quite a large sedan in this class.

The driver may have to give up a little space if there’s a lanky passenger behind them.

The Corolla is spacious enough but the materials are rather dark and sometimes it doesn’t exactly feel like a happy place to be.

Infotainment The Corolla sedan has bang up to date technology. Access to all your infotainment can be made using voice control. It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Toyota says: “Speak to your dealer about device compatibility.”

Engines / transmissions Corolla Hybrid has a 72kW/142Nm 1.8-litre Atkinson Cycle and a 53kW/163Nm synchronous permanent magnet electric motor. They drive the front wheels by way of an e-CVT automatic.

Safety The Corolla hybrid has a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on tests conducted in 2018.

There are IsoFix anchor points on the outboard rear seats, and there are top-tether points for all three positions.

Driving There’s four-way adjustment of the steering wheel. The driver’s seat has eight-way power adjustment. So, it will be easy for just about anyone to find the right setting for them.

The front seats are comfortable and provide good support in normal driving. There are no large side bolsters to clamber over as this is a cruiser not a high-performance machine. So, the front seats are easy to get in and out of.

The back doors don’t open as far as like so it’s harder to get in than you might expect.

There’s good headroom front and rear. We have already tested the rear seat on a hatchback and it’s a little bit tight for headspace. If you’re going to be carting large teenagers in the back it would be a good idea for them to go along to the dealer’s as part of your “what car should I buy?” initial trips.

Toyota has long been a major player Downunder and is well aware of what drivers like in their car’s handling. The steering responds promptly and gives excellent feedback through the wheel.

Interestingly, Toyota suspension setups are often based on the findings of the likes and

22 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 22 February, 2022

AT A GLANCE MODEL RANGE Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid sedan: $27,395 Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid hatch: $27,395 Corolla SX Hybrid sedan: $30,795 Corolla SX Hybrid hatch: $30,795 Corolla ZR Hybrid hatch: $34,195

Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Lexus dealer for drive-away prices.

dislikes of Australian buyers.

Fuel consumption was in the mid fours and low five litres per hundred on motorways and level country roads. Around town it still only rose to high five and low sixes. We really didn’t fang it on our favourite country roads so can’t comment on what consumption it would have there.

Tyre noise is low at slow speeds on very smooth surfaces, almost Lexus-like according to one passenger. However, once the surface

was rougher it increased quite a bit. Perhaps it’s caused by the low rolling resistance of the rubber. Try for yourself if you like a smooth, quiet car.

Summing up Toyota Corolla has been one of the world’s best-selling cars for many years, often the best seller. Having driven the latest model, now offered as a hybrid, it seems inevitable it will remain at the top of the list for years to come.

Gisborne aiming for promotion in season 2022 Having retained his core group of players from last year’s fragmented season, Gisborne Soccer Club coach Danny Moore is confident his side will push for promotion in the 2022 season of the state league 4 competition.

On March 19, Gisborne will kick off its campaign, with hopes that no further restrictions will delay or restrain the season.

Last season Gisborne took to the field for 14 of its 22 fixtures, as the club finished fifth on the table with seven wins, three draws and four losses.

This year, former Sunbury United midfielder Harry Thompson has returned to the area to line up for Gisborne.

Reflecting on last season, Moore said the constant interruption of COVID-19 protocols had made it difficult to build momentum.

“With the lockdowns and the gaps between matches it was definitely disruptive, because I think we started really well and picked up

points early on,” he said.

“At times our form was a great indicator of where we’re heading towards. The objective for this year is we want to have a good start and we’re aiming for those top promotion spots.”

In stage league 4, the top team at the end of the regular season gains automatic promotion, while the second placed team must play a playoff match.

Gisborne got its year off to the right start with a 10-1 victory over Doreen United in round one of the Australia Cup on Saturday, February 12.

The cup, which was formerly known as the FFA Cup, got under way with more than 200 teams from across Victoria entering the knockout competition.

Co-captain Jake McIntyre and Sean O’Callaghan both netted a hat-trick in a match that saw five Gisborne players make an impact on the score sheet.

Coach Danny Moore said he was happy to see his side execute on the game plan.

“It’s always a bit of an unknown quality entering into early rounds of the cup,” he said.

“The message we were sharing with the playing group was that we can’t underestimate the opponent, we have to continue to apply high standards.

“I think the number of goals was a reflection of how well we performed, and not just scoring, but through creating opportunities.”

Moore commended the entire playing group and made specific mention of the strength of his midfield line, Andy Koroneos, Matt Hume and Thompson.

In 2021, Gisborne progressed to the third round of the cup before being knocked out.

Oliver Lees Gisborne celebrate the first of Jake McIntyre’s three goals. (Gisborne Soccer Club)

Come and try day for all footy abilities

East Sunbury under-12s premiership team. (Supplied)

East Sunbury fights on

By Oliver Lees After two years of empty stands, match cancellations and at-home training, the East Sunbury has announced it will not field any senior teams in the Essendon District Football League this season due to player shortages.

The announcement to withdraw its seniors, reserves and under-18s teams was first made public on the club’s Facebook page on February 10, and was met with an outpouring of support from the community.

The Northern Saints Football Club, who also compete in the EDFL, described the news as “very sad” in a reply to the social media post.

“Always a great opponent, the competition won’t be the same without your club in 2022, but we hope you come back stronger in 2023,” the reply read.

In his first year in the role, East Sunbury club president Ronnie Paoly has a challenging 12 months ahead of him.

But with the support of his committee behind him and a wealth of financial management experience under his belt, Paoly is optimistic

the club will be back stronger than ever before.

“The word we’re using is: excited. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s going to be a challenge, but I know we’ll pull through,” he said.

“Like I keep saying, financially the club is doing so fantastic, it’s not funny.

“We’re in a unique situation. We have some of the best facilities in Sunbury, we’re about to get a new scoreboard, it’s just a matter of retaining players.”

Paoly’s personal involvement in the club began eight years ago when his kids started AusKick.

Gradually his share of responsibility grew, from coaching, to committee, to last year serving as vice-president, to taking over the mantle for 2022.

Prior to the pandemic, he said, the Thunder’s seniors were in a strong position. East Sunbury was just one straight kick away from taking home the division 2 EDFL premiership in 2018.

But that season also brought changes, with Rupertswood and the Sunbury Kangaroos joining the competition for the first time.

Paoly said this removed the club’s draw card

as the only team in town in the EDFL. Throw in the unpredictability of community sport during the pandemic, and the club was suddenly facing a situation where they could not confidently assume they would have the numbers to fill out their senior sides.

“To field a senior arm of a club you need at least 60 players,” he said.

“Last year we averaged about 15 injuries at a time. Add in COVID-19, you could lose 25-30 players.”

But with the strong financial position of the club, Paoly is looking forward to the year of planning.

He said his committee was already on the hunt for a senior coach for 2023.

“I grew a business from two blokes to 25 blokes. If I can do it with a business, I can do it with a football club,” he said.

“This club in my eyes, the next five years, with all the development opportunities, is set up for a really exciting future.

“I love the club. I bleed blue and green and my boys love the club too. And that’s why I’m here.”

The Kyneton Football Club is hosting a come and try day to welcome new and old players to join its inclusive team for the 2022 season.

In 2021, the Tigers made history by fielding the shire’s first team in the Victorian Football Integration Development Association (FIDA).

FIDA provides an opportunity for members of the community with intellectual impairments to strap on the boots and give the sport a go in an environment that is suitable to their needs.

The league – which was established to accommodate people with disabilities – has grown steadily over its 30 year history, but before this season did not feature a team within an hour’s drive of the Macedon Ranges.

Speaking with Star Weekly in November 2021 after the club was named the winner of the AFL Victoria Club Inclusion Award, president Hayden Evans said he was proud as punch to lead a club that gave opportunities to all members of the community.

“We wanted to do everything we can to engage everyone in the community and that meant putting in the resources,” he said.

“We wanted to be a one club town, and to do that you have to engage the whole town. In the past we may have lost some parts of the community.”

Last season the club had approximately 25 male and female players join the side from across the Macedon Ranges.

The come and try day will be held on Wednesday, February 23 at 5.30pm at the Showground Bottom Oval.

New Tigers FIDA coach Pete ‘Yappa’ Connors said he hopes to see a great turn out. “[I’m] excited to take on the role and would love to get the local community involved and support our passionate FIDA side in 2022,” he said.

“Come on down and have a kick and a feed.”

Oliver Lees

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY 23

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