Star Weekly - Melton Moorabool - 8th March 2022 by Star Weekly

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Historic finds

(Joe Mastroianni)

Andrew Mcleay is searching for answers after unearthing historic items near his home in Maddingley. Earlier this month, Andrew was out walking his dog when he saw what he thought was a 20 cent piece on the ground. Once home Andrew took a photo of the circular item to share online. It wasn’t until he zoomed in on the image that he realised it wasn’t an Australian coin at all, but rather an English penny, dated 1867. Andrew’s find was followed by another productive outing two weeks later, where again he saw something poking out of the dirt. “I saw this round white thing and I dug around with my hand, and found these white ceramic bottles and brown bottles all in a row,” he said. The only bottle that had any discernible lettering was half-broken, with the words Lea & Perrins scrawled across it, a brand from the United Kingdom that produces Worcester sauce. Andrew believes the items might have been left behind during the construction of the railway, as the Ballarat line was extended in the latter part of the 19th century. Andrew Mcleay with the bottles and coin he found.

Council services ditched By Oliver Lees Moorabool council will terminate its delivery of aged and disability services, citing changes in federal government policy as making the continuation of the support unworkable. From June 30, council will transition away from delivering all services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and the Home and Community Care Program for Younger People. These two umbrella programs include a diverse range of supports, including delivered meals, flexible respite care, domestic

assistance occupational therapy. Under the transition, council will also remove itself from delivering Regional Assessment Services, which are used to assess if an individual and their carers are receiving the appropriate support. Council’s confirmed exit from providing aged care and disability support follows an in-principle agreement made in December 2021. In arriving at the decision, council officers ‘recommendations referred to the “inherent service cost, financial constraints, competition policy and other structural challenges”

that were to emerge following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. There are currently 38 council staff who work with aged care and disability clients. According to council data, 20 per cent, or 8100 people in the shire live with a disability. Moorabool mayor Tom Sullivan said council will work to manage the transition with the federal government to ensure people can continue to access necessary services. “Our priorities are the residents of Moorabool who use or may require aged care and disability services and making sure they

continue to receive the same level of service they are currently receiving under council’s programs, noting that these service providers can provide a suite of services outside of council’s capacity to ensure older community members are supported,” Cr Sullivan said. “With our aged care and disability clients in mind, council has undertaken a confidential expression of interest process looking at values-aligned successors. Council will make recommendations to the commonwealth as part of the process, noting that other service providers can provide a suite of services above and beyond council’s current service delivery.”

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West tourism in ‘no-man’s-land’ By Oliver Lees An organisation dedicated to promoting the tourism sector in Melbourne’s west believes the region has been overlooked by the state government’s strategy to revive the struggling industry. Western Melbourne Tourism (WMT) works in partnership with local government, local business and universities across six council areas in the west to advocate on the industry’s behalf to the state and federal government. Last month, Victoria once again opened its borders to vaccinated international travellers in what was seen as a welcome step for tourism providers.

But WMT and independent analysts feel the western region will struggle to rebound at the rate of other parts of the state. A WMT spokesperson added that unlike the CBD and regional Victoria, Melbourne’s west relies more on those coming to the region to visit friends and relatives, domestic business and international students, rather than traditional holiday tourism. WMT executive officer Richard Ponsford told Star Weekly that the large multicultural population in the west means many individuals and businesses depend on international visitation. “We’re sort of in a no-man’s-land, we haven’t enjoyed quite the same levels of support

that the CBD and regional Victoria has,” Mr Ponsford said. Mr Ponsford said while the WMT welcomed the state government’s $200 million announce for the tourism sector, he felt at a state and federal government level, the funneling of funds to regional areas and the CBD was unfair. According to Tourism Research Australia data, domestic overnight visitor spending dropped 68 per cent within the greater Melbourne region, which includes the CBD and Melbourne’s west, from the first 10 months of 2019 to the same time 2021. Decisive Consulting analyst Karl Flowers said this change has hit the west specifically, as

many residents from the region work within the visitor economy. “The worst affected Australian industry by COVID has been the visitor economy and the worst affected area in Australia of this worst affected industry is central and western Melbourne,” Mr Flowers said. A Visit Victoria spokesperson told Star Weekly that it works closely with WMT. “Visit Victoria contributed to Western Melbourne Tourism’s 2021-24 Tourism Strategy and remains in discussion about delivering on the strategy’s objectives,” the spokesperson said.

Council backs in tourism recovery

Firefighters Ryan Baker and Tom Ferguson.

270825_01 (Joe Mastroianni)

Spring into CFA action and help out Seven years ago Tom Greaney drove past the Caroline Springs unit of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and thought he’d like to give volunteering a try. Now serving as the unit’s recruitment officer, Mr Greaney is encouraging more locals to see for themselves just how rewarding it can be to take up a role in the CFA. “I fell in love with what I was doing,” Mr Greaney said.

“It’s brought me a heap of confidence. I used to hate getting up and talking, now I can talk in front of a hundred people with confidence. “I’ve made new skills, met new people and it’s just given me a whole different perspective.” The Caroline Springs CFA is currently recruiting across a variety of roles. From firefighting, administration and station duties, to fundraising, community

awareness and community engagement, Mr Greaney said there is a role for everyone at the station. Volunteers can cater their working hours depending on their individual schedules. Mr Greaney said they were particularly eager to recruit individuals living within Caroline Springs to form part of the firefighting volunteer force. Details: www.carolinesprings.fire.org.au Oliver Lees

With Victoria opening its borders to vaccinated international travellers for the first time in two years on February 21, Moorabool council is hoping to see the shire’s tourism sector get back on its feet. According to data from economic analysis centre REMPLAN, tourism represents a relatively small chunk of the shire’s total generated output, just 3.3 per cent or $78.6 million annual output. Despite being dwarfed by the more lucrative construction ($453.4 million) and agriculture ($264.7 million) industries, tourism is responsible for employing at least 420 people across Moorabool. Moorabool mayor Tom Sullivan told Star Weekly it was important for workers and business owners in this area to be supported. “It is widely known that the pandemic has impacted many industries over the past two years, in particular the tourism and hospitality sector,” Cr Sullivan said. “Recruitment has also been difficult across the industry. These challenges are not limited to Moorabool.” Cr Sullivan said he was also encouraged to see the return of events, such as the Blackwood Easter Woodchop Carnival. “We encourage our locals to spend local, and host their visiting friends and relatives to experiences at local businesses,” Cr Sullivan said. “Our locals can also help spread the word about available local jobs which can be found on Moorabool Localised.”

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Mental health boost for Melton Melton has been named in a list of 21 suburbs that will receive a specialised mental health centre, as the state government seeks to act on the recommendations laid out in the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. The Local Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Services centre will form part of a new model across the, where individuals can seek care closer to home. The state government has labelled these new centres, which will be rolled out in

metropolitan, outer-suburban and regional centres, as ‘front door’ services, where adults can access early intervention support. According to data collected by the Northern Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) in 2021, Melton more than 20 per cent of surveyed individuals from Melton experienced high ro very high levels of psychological stress in the 12 months prior to the survey. “The north western Melbourne region contains some of Victoria’s most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas,

where many indicators that are related to poorer mental health, such as high unemployment, high levels of social isolation and psychological distress, are elevated,” the study read. Earlier VicHealth data, recorded in 2015, indicated that Melton residents had “significantly lower” wellbeing indicators compared with the Victorian average. Released in March 2021, the Royal Commission report detailed a 10-year plan for establishing a more robust system of wellbeing support for areas such as Melton.

Included in this development has been the expansion of Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal Engagement Services and the introudction of a Mental Health Levy. Premier Daniel Andrews said the state government intends to add 60 local service centres across Victoria by 2026. “The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System was a watershed moment in our state’s history – and we’re not wasting a single moment delivering its recommendations,” Mr Andrews said.

Swim with confidence Melton Waves Leisure Centre is encouraging adults to come forward to improve their confidence 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. At Melton Waves Leisure Centre, facility manager Shaun Wyatt and his team co-ordinate regular beginners swimming lessons for adults and children. Mr Wyatt said it was a focus of the centre’s to make swimming lessons accessible and enjoyable to all walks of life.

“We want demographics that aren’t as strong [in the water], to jump in and give it a go,” he said. “We are surrounded by water, so the most important thing is to know how to swim.” Mr Wyatt said the centre was liaising with council to introduce a subsidised program for adults. Oliver Lees

Swim school manager Jackson Eekelschot at Melton Waves Leisure Centre. (Damjan Janevski) 270736_01

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Council backs sand quarry plan By Oliver Lees

proximity to residential housing. An effort to use the site on Seereys Road for extraction was first made on July 24 2017, but the application did not include the relevant cultural heritage management plan. One submitter, who spoke to council at the meeting, shared their concerns about potentially increased “dangerous and hazardous” conditions on the roads surrounding the site, including Russells Road, McMullins Road and Gisborne Road. “I raise safety concerns for all road users and the community,” the submitter said. “I believe the recommendations do not go

Moorabool council has endorsed plans for a sand quarry to be developed in Coimadai, despite vocal opposition to the project from parts of the community. On Thursday, March 3, councillors heard from submitters before endorsing the mineral extraction site plan, which will be operated by Hanson Australia. The item received a total of 67 objections from the community, who shared concerns over the proposed developments’ effect on local infrastructure, road safety and

far enough to address the impacts this permit will create, and I hope you will consider what I have to say.” Another submitter, who lives opposite the site location’s southern boundary with his wife and two young children, believes the application does not provide detailed explanation for operating so close to residential housing. “We moved [to Moorabool] to escape the traffic, noise and pollution of suburban Melbourne,” the submitter said. “Like many others in 2017, we became aware that our rural lifestyle property was next to an

approved extractive industry site, who was now preparing to start extracting. “Simply identifying the properties [surrounding the proposed site] without any supporting evidence or compelling reasons as to why appropriate buffers can’t be contained is woefully inadequate from the applicants.” The site application presented to council had received the relevant approvals from the Environmental Protection Authority, the Department of Transport and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.

Something for everyone to enjoy at Melton U3A attract more people to the course. “Our history group is incredibly small, as in, three occasionally four people,” Ms Sultana said. Ms Sultana said she enjoys the collaborative and social aspects of the group. “It’s a good way to keep yourself mentally and physically active,” she said. “That social connection is really important as you get older, because it’s very easy once you retire, to sort of withdraw a bit. “There are a lot of people around, particularly after the last couple of years, who are incredibly lonely.” To learn more about Melton U3A, head to the organisation’s website. Details: https://www.u3amelton.com/

The University of the Third Age (U3A) Melton is looking forward to another semester, with a suite of new course offerings. Operating across Australia and the world, U3A’s provide retired or semi-retired people a chance to share in and enjoy a wide variety of learning, social and wellbeing activities. From yoga, to painting, local history and book club, there are a range of courses on offer to suit a diverse range of interests. This year the organisation’s Australian History class will be researching the history of the Archibald Prize, which last year celebrated its 100-year anniversary. Melton U3A secretary Jane Sultana said after two years of scheduling interruptions caused by the pandemic, she hoped to

Stasha, Lorraine, Lois and Irene enjoying themselves at a Rummy O class at Melton U3A. (Joe Mastroianni)

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Grants open March is the month to apply for Morabool council’s community grants program. Individuals and groups are encouraged to apply for funding that will contribute to establishing positive projects and activities in the shire. More than $270,000 in grant funding is available in 2022. Applications are due before March 31. Details: https:// www.moorabool.vic.gov.au

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Girls enjoying the festivities during a past iteration of Harmony Day. (Supplied)

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Melton council is putting the finishing touches on plans for this year’s Harmony Day celebrations, which is designed to celebrate the municipality’s wealth of cultural diversity. With residents hailing from more than 130 overseas locations, the event on Saturday, March 19 will feature an array of cultural performances, culinary delights and unique activities fir for the whole family. Running from 11am to 3pm at the Willows Historical Park in Melton, the occasion will coincide with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Melton mayor Goran Kesic said this year’s theme ‘everyone belongs’ is all about unity. “Harmony Day is a chance to come together

to learn more about each other and enjoy the special traditions and experiences that all our residents bring to the City of Melton,” Cr Kesic said. “ Let’s share what we have in common, from the Traditional Owners of this land to those who have come from many countries around the world. “Come along and celebrate our city’s cultural diversity, meet new people and share in a day of cultural respect and appreciation.” The event is free. Details: www.melton.vic.gov.au/ harmonyday

A Facebook group has been established to support mothers going through the family court process in the Melton area. The group, ‘Melton Mums In Court Support Group’, was established to provide community-based moral support and guidance. To join, search the group’s name on Facebook.

Hockey for kids Melton Hockey Club is accepting registrations for its Hookin2Hockey program, which is designed for children under 12 years old. The course is designed to help children learn the basics, through skill development and collaboration. The program will run each Thursday from 5.45pm to 6.45pm until April 7.

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Pricing under the pump By Benjamin Millar

By Benjamin Millar Melton’s petrol prices are coming under greater scrutiny with a local MP vowing to help take action to bring prices in line with neighbouring areas. Melton MP Steve McGhie said the area’s families are being unfairly hit with higher prices than people in neighbouring suburbs, often paying more than 20 cents per litre extra at the pump and spending at least $10 more every time they fill up.

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Pricing under the pump Melton’s petrol prices are coming under greater scrutiny with a local MP vowing to help take action to bring prices in line with neighbouring areas. Melton MP Steve McGhie said the area’s families are being unfairly hit with higher prices than people in neighbouring suburbs, often paying more than 20 cents per litre extra at the pump and spending at least $10 more every time they fill up. “I have had many constituents raise concerns regarding the prices of petrol in Melton being noticeably higher than in other areas,” Mr McGhie said. “I am deeply concerned that families in Melton are paying more than they should be.”

‘‘

strongly encourage residents to complain to the ACCC

’’

- Steve McGhie

Mr McGhie said he has taken the issue up with the Consumer Affairs Minister Melissa Horne and will be contacting federal Gorton MP Brendan O’Connor to discuss this issue soon, as fuel prices are regulated by the federal government. “In the interim I strongly encourage residents to complain to the ACCC [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission]” he said. The ACCC’s latest petrol monitoring report showed that average petrol prices rose in the 2020 September quarter after a record low earlier in the year. Although the ACCC does not set fuel prices, it does monitor retail fuel prices on a daily basis. A spokesperson said it has the power to investigate where it sees issues of concern. “Where we find sufficient evidence we will take action to protect consumers against misleading and anti-competitive conduct by fuel retailers.” Mr McGhie’s promise to take action was widely welcomed on social media, where some residents said they had seen price differences of up to 50 cents per litre between Melton and Watergardens.

Fuel prices at Melton petrol stations last week. (Damjan Janevski) 226880_01

Melton’s Andre Peters said the lack of independent competition makes it easier for the major fuel companies to keep prices inflated well above those in neighbouring suburbs. “Sadly there is no competition in Melton as there are no independents,” he said. “Generally we pay at least 20 cents a litre more at times in Melton.” A BP spokesman said petrol prices at the pump can be impacted by a number of different factors.

He said while there are currently about 1400 BP branded sites across Australia, about three quarters are owned by independent business partners who set their own retail pricing. “When it comes to retail fuel pricing, our aim is to be competitive and attract customers to our sites,” he said. “Generally speaking, the price at the pump is impacted by a number of different factors. In particular, international product prices and competition between service stations in a local

area. There are also other factors including exchange rates, taxes and local operating costs.” On Monday, unleaded 91 pump prices at Melton’s BP, Coles Express and 7/11 Mobil were all at 155.9 cents per litre, according to price comparison website Petrol Spy, with Woolworths Caltex at 168.9. Meanwhile Bacchus Marsh BP, Coles Express and 7/11 Mobil prices were 129.9 cents per litre – 26 cents less per litre – and independent outlets were just 119.9 cents per litre. 628174

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Gambling losses still concerning By Oliver Lees The total amount of money fed into electronic gambling machines in Melton has dropped since its peak three months ago, but new monthly data reveals the figure remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Latest data from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation reveals that $6.5 million was lost at Melton’s seven gaming venues in January 2022. In November 2021, the city recorded a $7.1 million spend on gambling machines, the highest monthly single month figure across all available records going back to 2005.

Three years prior, in November 2018, gamblers spent $5.6 million. Since July 2005, the number of gambling machines available to residents has more than doubled from 247 at four venues to 523 across seven. Melton council community planning manager Elyse said it was important for residents to gamble responsibly and seek help if needed. “Reducing harms from gambling has long been a priority for council,” Ms Rider said. “Council’s Gambling Harm Prevention and Reduction Policy aims to address gambling related harms by setting limits on gambling

product design, placement and marketing, assessing the location of new gambling establishments, limiting minors’ exposure to gaming floors, and more. “The policy also recognises the potential harms of the normalising gambling behaviours and assists in advocacy programs for gambling harm reduction.” The state record for gambling expenditure was broken in December 2021, when more than $250 million was fed into poker machines. Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello said this record “should never have been broken” and believes greater

measures should be introduced to tackle problem gambling. “Harm prevention measures like universal pre-commitment, reduced opening hours and abolishing losses disguised as wins would have a significant impact in reducing these losses and the harm felt in our state,” Mr Costello said. “We also need well-resourced educational campaigns aimed at bringing awareness to this ongoing crisis. If we are to successfully reduce the harm being caused by poker machines we need to bring the community along with us.”

Bacchus Marsh teen earns film accolade An 18-year-old with just a $500 film budget has taken out the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Northern Bellarine Film Festival. Bacchus Marsh College graduate Jack Sillitoe received the accolade for his short film ‘Fixity’, which centres around a journalist who is being stalked by a criminal. Shot in black and white, Fixity is set entirely at the journalist’s home, where he’s confronted by the criminal, who believes the journalist has information on a murder he earlier committed. The film’s creation was a family affair, with Jack playing the lead role, his brother Max playing the Unknown Man, and Jack’s father, Craig, taking care of cinematography.

The Emerging Filmmaker Award was established three years ago and welcomes entries from anyone 25 and under. Jack said he was elated to take out the prize in what was his first serious short film. “Fixity was such a great experience for me purely from the excitement of developing a story on my own and seeing it played out on screen. I learned a lot making this film,” Jack said. “Creating a cohesive narrative was one of my primary goals when I made Fixity. This was always in the back of my mind, and I hope it shows on screen. I am very proud of this film and if I were to remake it, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Jack Sillitoe accepting his award.

(Supplied)

“My main aspiration is to learn from my successes and mistakes and to explore what more I can achieve in film. From this short film I hope to eventually see my dreams of becoming a director of full length, engaging

and memorable films come to life.” Details: www.northbellarinefilmfestival. org Oliver Lees

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Letters from the past By Oliver Lees Visitors to the Ballan RSL were treated to the book launch of ‘Letters to Lily Vale’ earlier this month, which explores the story of Australian military icon Ernest Latchford’s service during World War I, and his romantic connection to the town of Ballan. On February 21, more than 40 attendees packed out the RSL to hear from Mark Latchford, Ernest’s grandson, who wrote the book and travelled to the shire from New South Wales specifically to share this story with the community.

‘‘

In those trunks, was every letter he wrote to her as a girlfriend, a fiance and a wife - Mark Latchford

’’

The book draws on letters sent from Ernest Latchford to his fiance, Linda Dehnert, while he was serving in Europe during the great war. The book’s title is a reference to the Dehnert family’s farm, Lily Vale, where Ms Dehnert was living at that time. “When I was a teenager, my grandmother died. So I went home to Melbourne and found her garage was full of trunks,” Mark said. “In those trunks, was every letter he wrote to her as a girlfriend, a fiance and a wife.” As he transcribed each of the letters, Mark gained a clearer understanding of his grandparent’s relationship, and unearthed some unique facts about Ernest’s time in the service. In 1919, Ernest was the only Australian to travel to Siberia, where he trained Russians who fought against the Bolsheviks during the

8 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

Mark Latchford signing a copy of Letters to Lily Vale.

Russian Civil War. Following the war, Ernest moved to New South Wales where he trained the next generation of service men and women. Latchford Barracks, located eight-kilometres east of Wodonga, is named in his honour. Mark said he was particularly happy to be able to return to Ballan to share his grandfather’s story, because he’d discovered the town was such a crucial part of his family’s story.

(Supplied)

“No matter whether my grandfather was writing from - the mud of Passchendaele, the sand of Persia, or the snow of Siberia- he was always reminiscing about life on the farm,” he said. “He wrote of walking along the creek or going into town to the church. Despite all the horrors, he was always thinking of Ballan.” Letters to Lily Vale is available for purchase online. Details: https://bit.ly/3CclB05

Court barks back at Melton dog owner Melton council has succeeded in prosecuting a Melton resident who was charged with 32 offences related to dog attacks which caused serious injury in thee separate instances. On Friday, February 18, the case against Kristy Monique Decker was heard at Sunshine Magistrates Court, where she was found guilty of housing an excessive number of animals without a permit, having multiple unregistered animals and not effectively controlling dogs in a public space. The offences related to three separate incidents that occurred between August 2020 and April 2021. In one instance, an individual received serious injuries after being attacked by three of Ms Deckers’ rottweilers. The court found that Ms Decker had a large number of cats and dogs at her Melton property. A Melton council spokesperson said Ms Decker was found guilty of all 32 charges. “Decker failed to appear in court and the matter was heard in her absence,” the spokesperson said. “The magistrate ordered her to pay $76,899.14 which included penalties and council costs. “She was also disqualified from owning or being in charge or control of a dog for a period of 10 years.” Oliver Lees

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Family feeling ‘lucky’ after fire By Oliver Lees A Melton family is feeling grateful they escaped unscathed after a fire broke out in the roof of their home on Station Road last month.. On February 28 emergency services attended to the property fire before 9am, where they were able to establish a perimeter and contain the blaze. Melton resident Shannon Robinson said her mother, twin boys aged 10 and another child

aged 15 were inside the home when the fire broke out. “[Mum] had just dropped one of my siblings to school, and she’d arrived back to take the other one,” Ms Robinson said. “She had no idea that the roof was smoking. There were three men on the street, they were screaming out for her to get out of the house. Once aware of the fire, Ms Robinson’s mum rounded up the children in the house and vacated the building.

Ms Robinson said if it weren’t for the alertness of those men passing by the building, who also called emergency services, the situation could have been much worse. Despite the fire brigade arriving shortly after, there was substantial damage to the property. The single storey rental property had parts of the roof cave in on bedrooms and shared living spaces. Ms Robinson said there had been an outpouring of community support following

the fire, including one couple who donated money to her family. “We ended up using the money to get us dinner,” she said. “We’re very lucky, if it had happened at night time, all four of them could have been gone. “It was so scary, but we feel lucky.” The Country Fire Authority (CFA) website recommends that all householders develop a home fire escape plan, including two ways to escape each room of the house.

Skater’s plea to return Talented young skateboarder Zion Moltocuro-Furegato is hoping to compete in this year’s Australian Skateboarding Championship like he did as a six-year old in 2019. In 2019, Zion and his family had to make a quick return to Brazil from their St Albans home after his grandmother had a health scare from an accident and grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. Now, Zion and his father Ricardo Furegato are hoping to return to Melbourne to enable Zion to compete. The trip would give Zion the chance to showcase his skateboarding talents, which has led to over 11,000 Instagram followers, to the national skateboarding audience in Melbourne. However, due to the costs of return flights nearing $8000 and struggles with getting his father’s visa approved, the pair may not be able to make the trip happen. Zion’s parents Carla Moltocuro and Ricardo Furegato launched a GoFundMe page which has raised over $2400 in Australia and $3500 in Brazil.

The biggest obstacle for the family now is getting Ricardo’s visa approved. “We are just waiting for my visa actually, his (Zion’s) visa has already been approved,” Ricardo said. “We are worried about getting the visa too late, after the competition and that would be really sad. “We are trying to do everything we can by writing letters to immigration to give a little bit of attention to my application and see if we can get the visa before the competition.” Ricardo said that people Zion was often identified by skateboarding fans on the streets of Brazil. “Even today we were in our local park and a kid came from another city which is three, four hours away from here and he was screaming Zion’s name and he was so happy meeting him. “There are a few pros that really know him from his talents as well.” Zion said if he was to come to Australia he would be excited to skate in the competition, see his friends again and have a good time while chasing his dream of being a professional skater.

Zion Moltocuro-Furegato skateboarding.

(Supplied)

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Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 9

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Recycled water dam complete Construction of a recycled water storage dam in Melton as part of the Western Irrigation Network is now complete, with the site anticipated to collect as much as 1.1 gigalitres of water for farmers. Plans to create the vast reserve to reuse water run-off for agricultural landholders from Parwan to Balliang were approved by the Western Water board in June 2018. The new water storage facility was formally opened on Monday, March 1, with Greater Western Water representatives and Melton MP Steve McGhie in attendance. Now completed, the Melton Recycled Water

Plan is expected to begin providing irrigation from early 2023. The recycled water storage dam is part of a larger co-investment from the state and federal government to improve recycled water infrastructure in Melbourne’s west. The project is expected to wrap up in 2025. The network will also involve the creation of a 50-kilometre pipeline to disperse the resource across the region. The entire $116 million scheme has been jointly funded by the state ($65 million) and federal ($48 million) governments. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said

the aim is to have a network that supplies more than 18-gigalitres of recycled water annually by 2050. “Projects like the Western Irrigation Network will support Aussie farmers and communities well into the future, helping them grow their businesses and creating more jobs,” Mr Joyce said. Melton MP Steve McGhie, Greater Western Water chief executive advisor Jeff Rigby, Parliamentary Secretary for Water Harriet Shing, and Greater Western Water managing director Maree Lang. (Supplied)

Listen up and learn from the hearing experts With years of experience as an audiologist in the Melton and Sunbury areas, Marc Vandenberg has an intimate understanding of how hearing loss affects the community. “They call it the hidden handicap, because it’s something you can’t see, and it’s something people don’t go out of their way to address,”Mr Vandenberg said. “Studies show that people wait eight to10 years before doing something about [hearing loss]. “Hearing loss happens over time. If you are continually exposed to excessive noise, the damage is permanent. So the message is all about conservation of hearing, and limiting that exposure.” On March 3, Mr Vandenberg marked World Hearing Day alongside Hearing Australia. The annual day of acknowledgement was established to raise awareness of the prevalence of deafness and hearing loss in Australia.

According to a Hearing Australia survey, only 23 per cent of respondents had checked their hearing in the past 12 months, while a further 25 per cent don’t recall ever testing the sense. Mr Vandenberg said there is also a stigma attached to losing your hearing, which makes people less inclined to get tested or wear hearing aids, despite the profound benefits. “Anyone can contact us for a free hearing check at any time,” he said. To book your free hearing test, head to the Hearing Australia website. Details: www.hearing.com.au Oliver Lees

Senior audiologist Marc Vandenberg (left) and former AFL player Billy Brownless. (Supplied)

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Reparations offer is welcomed By Oliver Lees Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation has welcomed the state government’s announcement of reparations packages for Aboriginal Victorians that belong to the Stolen Generations, and believe there will be many in the west who will qualify for the scheme. On March 3, the details of the Stolen Generations Reparations Package were revealed, with financial reparations, healing support and an individualised apology from the state available to First Nations people who were

removed from their families before 1977. Affected individuals will be able to access a payment of $100,000 from the end of March. Kamilaroi man and Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation executive officer Peter Webster has a personal appreciation for this historic effort to recognise past wrongdoing against Aboriginal communities. Mr Webster was himself removed from his family as a child in New South Wales and transported to Melbourne. Growing up without his immediate family he had little understanding of his true cultural

heritage, but admitted he always felt that there was something missing in his life. Speaking after the state government’s announcement, Mr Webster said although no amount of money could fix the wrongs of the past, he felt the state’s step towards formal recognition would help the Victorian Aboriginal community find closure. “We have a number of people in Melton and … Wyndham Vale areas like that will be applying for this though they fit that criteria,” Mr Webster said. “I think it will help them with their healing

and reconnecting back to their culture in their community.” Mr Webster said having a formal apology from the government is something that he and his colleagues had been advocating for through his work at Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation and the Sunbury Aboriginal Corporation. “I think people are going to get confused with what the apology is,” he said. “It’s not for people today to apologise for what they feel that they’re being accused of doing. It’s an apology for Australia’s history, on what went on in history.”

Mia has stories to tell At just 14 years of age, inspiring young Cairnlea author Mia Gjoni will release her second book, Our Trip to Alien Kingdom, at this year’s Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, beginning on March 17. Mia’s second book will be a continuation from her first book, Our Trip to Gravity Planet, which is a series all about Mia and her family traveling through space, and this time they meet a new species … aliens! Interestingly, the story idea came from a writing assignment set by her tutor in grade four that had to be based on a floating house. “My tutor gave me this picture of a floating house and said ‘base a story around this’,” Mia said. Mia’s mother Belinda was amazed by the story and said it needed to be shared around. “Me and her tutor, once we read this piece of writing that she did, we were just like ‘this is amazing, we need to do something with this”,” Belinda said.

“And then Mia started showing her family and friends as well and they were like ‘this is awesome’ so that’s what then gave us the push to actually go ahead and do something with it, it wasn’t just an ordinary story that she had to write for school.” After finding an editor, illustrator and designer, Mia self-published the first book and released it last year. Mia wants to inspire future authors similar to how she was inspired by British authors. “Roald Dahl and David Walliams are one of my favourite authors ever so they really inspired me because their stories are very unique and interesting,” she said. Max Hatzoglou

Young author Mia Gjoni. (Supplied)

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Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 11

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MY PLACE For International Women’s Day, reporter Oliver Lees spoke with Melton resident Val Fisher, who is responsible for coordinating the Women’s Support Group at the Melton South Community Centre.

I was born in London, England where I worked as a dental nurse and then a teacher’s aide. I worked with special needs children aged five to eight and found it very satisfying to see their progress over that time. I’m an empathetic person and have always enjoyed the satisfaction of helping people. I arrived in Melton in 2001 so it’s been 21 years now and Australia is definitely home, however I’m still trying to lose the Pommy accent! How did you become involved in the Women’s Support Group in Melton? I’ve been running the group for over seven years now, the manager of Melton South Community Centre, Pam Madej originally asked me if I would be interested in running a support group of some kind and it’s proved to be very successful. I have a qualification in counselling so I jumped at the chance to make a difference in our community. Many of the ladies that come to the group have been attending from the start. Since I began running the support group I have realised that it’s a win-win situation. It’s good for me and also the ladies that attend.

It can be very difficult to find the strength to join a new group when you don’t know anybody, however, when they do manage to take that step, they soon realise that we are a friendly group in very relaxed surroundings. Why is it important to have spaces where women can come together in an environment where they feel supported? There isn’t much that’s off limits within the group, we discuss a large variety of subjects. The group is very important as a safe place for people to find support in many different situations such as family violence, grief, relationship breakdown, post-traumatic stress disorder as well as depression, anxiety or just general support through the everyday difficulties of life. We occasionally go out for coffee or to a movie and some of the group members have made good friends through attending regularly. I run the group on a voluntary basis and look forward to meeting new members. When I see the ladies in the group arranging to have coffee or go to a movie together I feel that my support has been worthwhile. By making friends within the group the ladies have immediately found a person who is in a similar situation and so can understand more easily the way they’re feeling.

What is the purpose of the group? I am very excited to be able to put the word out further into our city and beyond because it is so important for women (and men) to have somewhere to feel supported in a confidential and relaxed setting.

The Women’s Support Group meets at the Melton South Community Centre every Monday, except public holidays, from 1pm to 2.30pm. Anyone wishing to join the group can contact Ms Fisher directly. Details: 0418 667 150.

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BEHIND THE NEWS

Watching on as the world weeps When Russia officially invaded Ukraine on February 21, the world watched on as millions of civilians rushed to flee the country, and those who stayed took up arms to defend their nation. Molly Magennis spoke to two local Australian-Ukrainians about how it has felt to watch a country they love suffer under the threat of destruction.

or those with Ukrainian heritage in Australia, watching on from almost 13,000 kilometres away as Russia invades its democratic neighbour has been nothing short of devastating. Despite many being born in Australia, they have an unwavering connection to their heritage and culture. Olenka Hrynevich is the secretary of the Ukrainian Association in Sunshine, established in 1952. She’s a first generation Ukrainian-Australian, after both her parents and grandparents escaped from Ukraine during World War II. A lot of her early childhood memories were steeped in her family’s culture, including participating in Ukrainian scouting, traditional singing, and Saturday morning Ukrainian classes. “It was very important to both my parents and both sets of grandparents to bring us up immersed in that culture as children,” she said.

‘‘

I just still can’t even put into words how unfathomable it is

’’

- Roksolana Cyxo Watching the war unfold from Australia, Olenka said the overwhelming emotion she’s been experiencing is helplessness. While it has been amazing to see the world banding together and getting behind her people, she’s worried not enough action is being taken to actually help them on the frontline. “We gather in groups here and we support each other and we try to do what we can, but there’s that sense of helplessness that the aid from the world, it’s alright to gather, but that aid actually has to be proactive, and something needs to happen,” she said. “It’s not just raising the awareness, but we need action from around the world.” Roksolana Cyxo lives in Footscray, and is a third generation Ukrainian-Australian. Despite being born in Australia, like Olenka, her heritage is a huge part of her identity. She agrees that while the support from the rest of the world has been remarkable, Ukrainians need to take on this fight themselves. “I do think fundamentally that it’s important that Ukraine fight this fight for itself, because this is a process of Ukrainians’, I guess self determination to a certain extent,” she said. However, no-fly zones enforced by NATO, which would prevent Russia from launching airstrikes, would be beneficial she said. “I am kind of stuck between Ukraine needs to fight this, but it is also fighting it for the whole democratic world.” Roksolana has extended family living in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine, and said she has been trying to keep in touch with them as much as possible. “We message with them and it’s really not, we don’t really chat about what’s happening but more, just to make sure that they’re okay, and kind of finding out what they’re doing,” she said. “They’ve essentially just decided to stay where they are.” Roksolana said she spends hours upon hours everyday on social media and watching the news, bewildered by the fact that something like this is actually happening in the 21st century. “How can this actually happen in today’s world when we have apparently learnt from the world wars, and the fact that wars don’t really get you anywhere?” she said. “I just still can’t even put into words how unfathomable it is.” Olenka said her mother has also been watching on in disbelief, saddened at the fact that after being declared independent over 30 years ago, Ukraine is still fighting for its freedom.

A woman runs as she flees with her family across a destroyed bridge in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2. 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Centre: Members of the Sunshine Ukrainian Association have been attending rallies in the city, and have invited the community to tie blue and yellow ribbon on the fence of their community centre to show their solidarity with Ukraine. (Pictures: Supplied) Above, left to right: Olenka Hrynevich in Kyiv; Roksolana Cyxo and her husband; Refugees from Ukraine wait at the railway station in Chelm, from where they will take a special train to Warsaw, Poland. (Pictures: Supplied and EPA/Bartlomiej Wojtowicz)

“She’s just so sad like all of us because she thought it would finish when her parents were hiding her in the bomb shelters in the ‘30s. “They thought that, finally, what they’d been fighting for all their lives had come to fruition, and now 30 years later, it’s threatened.” Olenka describes Putin as a “unstable man”, who has instigated a “selfish act” to leave some sort of egotistical legacy behind. “[He wants] to be not known as someone who saw the Soviet Union crumble, but he wants to regain that power again, it’s a personal thing,” she said. “His ultimate goal is to destroy anything

that’s Ukrainian, and he denies that there is a history.” Roksolana said she believes Putin has a world view that Ukraine is not an independent nation, but rather an extension of Russia. “I read something yesterday that essentially Putin has become a victim of his own propaganda, he has started believing his own propaganda,” she said. “I think it’s the product of a lunatic and it’s just ridiculous that he has so much power to be able to mobilise a country’s military and nuclear weapons and everything. This is what happens when there are totalitarian regimes

and there’s no balance of power.” Despite Russia’s huge military forces, Roksolana refuses to consider the prospect of a Ukraine governed by Putin. “That thought hasn’t crossed my mind because I refuse to believe that that would happen because I believe so strongly in the will of the Ukrainian people and increasingly, that we’re being supported internationally by pretty much every other country in the world. “Although there will be a ton of destruction and loss of lives and loss of livelihoods and loss of future, I cannot accept that this will end with Russia taking over Ukraine completely.” Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 13

COMMENT STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Wild ways to cool off at the zoo The calendar season may have ticked over from summer to autumn, but forecasts are still trending high. On days where temperatures rise above 25°C, zookeepers at Werribee Open Range Zoo get creative to provide ample opportunities for the animals to cool off. Savannah keeper Laura Harbridge said that while the animals are perfectly adapted to cope with soaring temperatures, enrichment experiences, such as flavoured ice blocks, misters and sprinkler systems, are tailored to offer new and novel experiences with an icy cold pay off. “Our animals are a mix of African and Australian native species, so they’re built for this climate,” said Ms Harbridge. “We find most of the animals take care of themselves, as their exhibits at the zoo are built to mimic their wild environments, and include plenty of shade and water. “We offer various enriching experiences to our animals every single day. Even when it’s hot, we’re focusing on offering differing stimuli, such as flavours, scents, textures and physical sensations. The cool-down is an added bonus.” Just like humans, mental and physical activity are critical to animal wellbeing. Zookeepers provide a variety of activities, experiences and habitat designs to encourage animals to use their senses, move their bodies, and display natural, species-specific behaviours. For the southern white rhino, this involves rolling around in wallows to slather on a layer of moisturising and sun-protecting mud.

A wallowing rhinoceros making a splash. Right: Ice blocks are a favourite on hots days at Werribee Zoo; An Africa wild dogs cools off on a hot day. (Pictures: Supplied)

While for nimble fingered vervet monkeys, this includes receiving pieces of maize and frozen fruit in an ice block to promote their fine motor skills. Ms Harbridge says that while the calendar season has changed, we all still have a job to do to help out our native neighbours.

“Keeping fresh water available to wildlife should be a year-round activity. We often see extremely hot days through March and April, so maintaining the bird baths and other wildlife-friendly water vessels remains important.” Zoos Victoria members and Werribee Open

Range Zoo visitors are reminded that all tickets must be pre-booked online at zoo.org. au and all ticketholders 18 years and over are required to provide proof of full vaccination and follow current Victorian Government directions at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au. For more information, visit zoo.org.au.

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

March 4, 1992

March 5, 2002

March 6, 2007

March 6, 2012

Police investigating the murder of 24-year-old Peter Brysiewicz in Melton on New Year’s Eve believe some local residents must know something about his mysterious death.

Urgent upgrades to Bacchus Marsh nursing home Grant Lodge are on hold.

A trial that shocked Melton’s community has ended with real estate agent Lorelle Makin’s murderer being sentenced at the Supreme Court to 27 years’ jail.

It stirs the blood, sets hearts racing, ignites passions and, for a few hours every weekend, turns friends into foes. Football brings followers both pleasure and pain and for some, it’s more than just a sport.

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Illustrations light up library

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An exhibition by one celebrated childre of Australia’s most n’s lighting up Melton book authors is library. Never be late for a a striking series of Parade includes book illustrations by award-winning author and illustra tor Shaun Tan (inset). Featuring a collect ion of illustrations from Tan’s best-kn own including The Arrival picture books , The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, Rules Singing Bones, Cicada of Summer, The and Tales from the Inner City, the showcase celebra tes Tan’s unique approa ch As well as being an to storytelling. acclaimed writer and internationally illustrator, Tan has branched out into theatre design and concept art for ﬁlms Horton Hears a Who and Pixar’s WALL-E . He directed the Academ y Award-winning short based on his winning ﬁlm The Lost Thing, picture book of the same name. Never be late for a Parade is showing at Melton Library and Learning Hub until March 7.

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Ballan Moorabool Shire - Ballan 15 Stead Street Brookfield Lifestyle Brookfield 111-139 Coburns Road Darley Champions IGA Bacchus Marsh Grey Street Diggers Rest FoodWorks 22 Glitter Road Diggers Rest Diggers Rest Post Office 76 Old Calder Highway Gordon Gordon Post Office 65 Main Street Harkness Foodworks 17 Claret Ash Boulevard Hillside Foodworks 595 Melton Highway Kurunjang Kirkton Drive Milkbar 203 Gisborne - Melton Road Melton E-View Real Estate Suite 10, 3 Alexandra Street Melton Blue Nile Groceries 39 Bakery Square Melton Melton Milkbar 44 Burleigh Road Melton Melton Waves Leisure Centre 206 Coburns Road Melton TAB Corp Park 2 Ferras Road Melton Melton Shire Council Offices 232 High Street Melton Sweeney Real Estate 266 High Street Melton Barry Plant Real Estate 273 High Street Melton Advance Stationers 283 High Street Melton Raine and Horne Real Estate 289 High Street Melton Melton Lotto 293 High Street

The Victorian Civil and Administrativ The director of nursing e The allegations at Djerriwarrh Health Tribunal last week returned a Service during a included inadequ ruling disqualified Ms cluster of perinat ate formal reviews Meek from applyin that education and training al deaths registra at Bacchus Marsh of overall clinica l practic for nursing and g for midwifery tion for a period of Hospital has been perinatal deaths as e and staff and that 10 years. banned from working as they occurred. The ruling been aware of deficien Ms Meek should have a nurse or midwif Ms Meek ceased workin e for a of former follows last year’s disqualification decade. cies in midwifery skills. g at DjHS in 2015 maternity “She failed and surrendered The Nursing and her Little for a 10-year services manager Mary the deficien to take adequate steps to ensure Midwif and midwife in 2016. registration as a nurse cies period ery were identified and Board of during for her failures Austra lia sought a remedied,” the same period. 10-year ban for Julia the tribunal found. Djerriwarrh Health Meek in the wake of reports Services chief executi A 2015 review by identify ing “catastr Presiding VCAT membe professor Euan Wallac ve ophic” identified failings behind a r Wendy Boddison Belinda Scott said while she was e and series of “avoidable” “catastrophic and unable to comment deaths systemic and other adverse unprecedented Hallymembers Pamela Barry and Bernad patient outcomes ette Djerriwarrh on individual practitioners, also found Ms Meek at DjHS obstetric governance failings” with the from 2013 to 2015. has implemented failed to ensure shift by shift presenc services at DjHS during e of a midwife compet the change” across the health service “profound External reviews identifi the period. Ms Meek, 63, faced in foetal surveil ent since 2015. ed that the perinatal “It has robust clinica allegations in the tribuna lance monitoring mortality rate was that she had failed l govern l in birthin ance significantly higher the process g suite. systematic trainin to take adequate the state average and than deliver effectiv g, continued profess es, The tribuna much higher than e systems and process steps to ional be expected for a low would in her role es at DjHS for ensurin l found there was no clear criteria development and strong leaders as director of nursing risk unit. hip that ensures Djerriwarrh g only maternity , which she had the cases suitable held since 2005. is a safe, level of the capacit y of DjHS were accepte to fully-functioning health service secure and There was also found to be inadeq d. of Bacchus Marsh, Melton for the people and Caroline uate Springs,” she said.

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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

Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club The Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets at 10am on the second Tuesday of each month at the Melton Country Club. The group is open to everyone, new and old members, to get together and discover the social aspects of the group. ■ Ann, 0425 705 150

Singing group Do you enjoy singing and want to meet fellow singers in your area? Join the Melton South Community Singers at the Melton South Community Centre. Rehearsals are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. ■ Sue, 0400 082 413

Melton South Knit & Natter All are welcome to join this social crafting group, running at the Melton South Community Centre each Monday from 10am-noon. Bring along any knitting or crochet projects and work on them while sharing tips, learning skills and catching up over a cuppa. ■ 9747 8576

Zonta club meets Zonta is an international organisation bringing women together to support other women. The Zonta Club of Melton meets on the first Monday of each month at Melton Country Club, Reserve Road, Melton. ■ Suzanne, 0417 512 420

Mahjong group Interested in learning to play Mahjong? The game is a tile-based game that is derived from China where it was developed in the 19th century. U3A Melton has a group who play on Tuesdays at 10am. ■ u3amelton.com or 0419 563 016

Melton Men’s Probus Club The Melton Men’s Probus Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Melton Dart Club, 63a Reserve Road, from 9.45am. New members and visitors welcome. ■ 9746 0271

Rose Carers Of Maddingley Park The Rose Carers meet Wednesdays from 10am-noon at Maddingley Park, corner of Grant and Taverner streets, Bacchus Marsh, to maintain two beautiful rose gardens. New volunteers are always welcome – with or without experience. ■ Elaine Greenhall, 0418 171 119 or 0400 052 857

Photographer’s choice pic is Roberta Joy Rich who has a new exhibition at the Footscray Community Arts called ‘The Purple Shall Govern Exhibition’. (Damjan Janevski) 270254_01

is the right group for you! The group meets fortnightly for coffee and chat nights and organised affordable outings and events. ■ 0406 493 734

French and Italian for over 50s Over 50, retired, or semi-retired and wanting to learn a language? U3A Melton offers French and Italian classes for beginners and those with more advanced skills. ■ www.u3amelton.com or 0419 563 016

Keilor probus Learn how to pamper Discover how to give relaxing beauty treatments in Melton South Community Centre’s upcoming Deluxe Facials workshop. The event will be run on Saturday, March 26 from 10am to 1pm. Tickets are $60 or $55 for concession holders. ■ 9747 8576

Pie workshop

Melton Cycling club meets for regular Sunday rides. There are three different riding groups to cater for different abilities starting at 7.30am. The rides finish at Lazy Moe’s for a cuppa. ■ 0403 057 003

Ever wanted to learn how to make the perfect pie? Melton South Community Centre is hosting a savoury pie masterclass on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27 from 9am to noon. Participants can learn the art of making the perfect meat-filled or meat-free for friends and family. ■ 9747 8576

Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club

Writers and Readers Festival

Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at Melton Country Club at 10am. New members welcome. ■ 0425 705 150

The Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival (BWRF) is an annual event that encourages a love of reading and literature, celebrates creativity and diversity, and promotes lifelong learning in Brimbank. The free festival which runs from March 17-26 includes workshops, author talks, panel discussions, writing, storytelling and more. ■ https://www.brimbanklibraries.vic.g ov.au/writersfestival

Melton Cycling Club

Melton Parkinson’s support group The Melton Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the second Thursday of the month 10.30am - 12.30pm at Kurunjang Community Centre, 33-35 Mowbray Crescent, Kurunjang. New members and carers Welcome. ■ Helen, 0409 186 576

Melton Friendship Group Are you single, over 55 and a resident living in or near Melton? Looking for some new friends? Then the Melton Friendship Group 16 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

weeklong festival will run from Monday, March 21 to Friday, March 25, at Sunshine Heights Primary School, and feature a free public program bustling with workshops, guest speakers and experiences centered on core tenets of mental health and wellbeing; fostering diversity, inclusion, connection, courage and belonging along the journey line. ■ https://www.knowshowgrowfestival.com/ program 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.

Rotary club The Sunbury Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at the Sunbury Bowling Club from 7pm. ■ sunburyrotary@gmail.com

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, 0418138214.

Sunbury Combined Probus Club Women’s group 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

Football 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

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

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

AL-ANON meets 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

Wellbeing festival Breaking ground as the first dedicated mental health festival of its kind in Brimbank, the Know Yourself, Show Yourself, Grow Yourself Festival aims to raise awareness and normalise conversations about mental health. The

all ages. Belinda Brain, healthpromotion@scchc. org.au ■

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.

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

Diabetes support group The Westgate diabetes support group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Altona Bowling Club at 10am. ■ Elaine, 0415 030 996

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 071

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.

easy

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

8 1 5 7

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

Synthetic material (7) Tiny, six-legged creatures (7) Cast down (11) Expanse (3) Manually (2,4) Poster (7) Shortage (4) Valuation (10) Senior managers (10) Andamooka gemstone (4) Argue noisily and angrily (7) Of a tribe (6) Official (3) Common joint injury (11) Late (7) Association of individuals (7)

1 5 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 25 26 28 29

No. 071

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 16 18 21 23

24 27

Agreement (4) Gaseous fuel (9) Popular aquarium fish (5) Surreptitious (11) Harm (3) Beachwear (7) Rib-like structure (5) Absence of motion (10) Showy (11) Society below the surface (10) To place imortance on (9) Blasphemous (7) Horrible (5) Actor, Oscar – (5) Sole (4) Unhappy (3)

DECODER

No. 071

8 8

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

4 6 2 5 1 3 9 7 4

4 5 9

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

K R 16

17 4

18 5

19 6

20 7

21 8

22 9

23 10

24 11

25 12

26 13

4 LETTERS ABLY ADZE AIDE BUSH CLAM HANS HIDE HONG OHIO ORBS SAIL SETH TROY USDA

9-LETTER WORD

easy

medium

7 3 9 4 6 5 2 1 8

4 9 5 2 7 3 8 6 1

8 1 7 4 6 9 5 2 3

3 6 2 1 5 8 4 9 7

9 5 4 3 8 1 6 7 2

6 7 3 5 2 4 9 1 8

1 2 8 6 9 7 3 5 4

2 4 9 8 1 5 7 3 6

5 3 1 7 4 6 2 8 9

7 8 6 9 3 2 1 4 5

5 6 1 3 2 8 9 4 7

4 8 2 1 9 7 5 3 6

3 2 5 6 4 1 8 7 9

6 7 4 8 5 9 3 2 1

1 9 8 7 3 2 6 5 4

9 4 3 2 1 6 7 8 5

2 5 7 9 8 4 1 6 3

8 1 6 5 7 3 4 9 2

hard 3 9 2 5 7 1 6 8 4

8 5 4 9 3 6 1 2 7

7 6 1 2 8 4 3 5 9

1 8 5 6 4 9 7 3 2

4 2 3 1 5 7 8 9 6

6 7 9 3 2 8 4 1 5

2 4 8 7 9 3 5 6 1

5 1 7 8 6 2 9 4 3

9 3 6 4 1 5 2 7 8

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

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: 22 words: Good 33 words: Very good 44 words: Excellent

C R

5 LETTERS AGATE

AGENT AIMED ANGEL ANOMY AROMA ASCOT ASHEN ASIAN ATOLL BANNS BRAVE BRING CHEAP CORSE DREAM ECOLI EERIE ENDOW EVITA GENII

No. 071

HYENA IMAGE INNER LEAPS LEWIS LINEN LUCIA MAINS MANIA METAL OMEGA OPERA OUTDO PAYEE PETIT PRATE RECAP RESAT RIVEN SCENE

SEATS SICKO SIFTS SPANK SPAWN TENET TERRA THING TRIPS 6 LETTERS FATIMA KELPIE STATIC TARMAC

7 LETTERS ACCOUNT CANDIED HITACHI ICELAND MIDWIFE NIGERIA 8 LETTERS LEBANESE OVERFLOW PARENTAL WOMANISH

aced, aces, acid, acre, acrid, arced, arcs, caddie, caddied, caddies, caddis, cadre, card, carded, cards, care, cared, cares, case, cased, cedar, cider, cried, cries, dace, dice, diced, dicer, dices, disc, discard, DISCARDED, erica, iced, ices, race, raced, races, rice, sacred, scar, scare, scared, sidecar

8 2 7 9 2 6

2 5 9

3 LETTERS AGO ASS BIZ EEL HAT HER HIC HUN ISH ITA KEN LEE MIR NAG NIL PAY RAP REC REP SPY SRI TIE TIM TRY

U CO S B ANH Y T I GQ

P F E L MX J D V ZWK R

WORDFIT

11-03-22

DUNLOP AUTO SERVICE CENTRE 161 High Street Melton

WE ARE STILL TRADING AS NORMAL We are also following the Government advice for social distancing and sanitising. •฀Full฀range฀of฀Goodyear,฀Dunlop฀ Branded฀tyres฀&฀all฀major฀brands฀ Including฀Monsta฀Extreme฀MUD,฀ MUD฀Warrior฀&฀Street฀Series 161 High Street Melton

9746 0088

•฀All฀Mechanical฀Repairs฀ •฀Log฀book฀servicing •฀Car/Small฀Truck/4WD฀ •฀Car฀&฀4WD฀Suspension฀&฀ Alignments www.dunlopmelton.com.au 12446748-SN16-20

Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 17

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V Air Conditioning

ANTENNA

KS Heating & Cooling Services • Repairs • Maintenance Over 30 years experience, All types of Air Con, Evap Cooler & Gas Heating System AU31693

SAME DAY

jadhc@live.com.au

V Garage/Garage Doors 0

F & J ROLLER DOORS REPAIRS & REMOTES Roller Door Remote Controls Silent Drive 7 Year Warranty FROM $500 fully installed

9746 7785

1133473-LB19-14

Specialising in ✔ Pergolas and deckings ✔ Fencing ✔ Framing ✔ Home Renovations Free Quotes

D & R CONCRETING

Domestic - Commercial - Industrial s Slate s Exposed s Plain s Colour s Stencil s Restore Driveways Seal and Concrete Cutting Free quotes Call Ricky on 0431 261 855

Phone 0401 005 760 12499953-AV25-21

G6638978

12420493-CG25-19

Employment Kitchens & Bathroom Renovations · Plumbing · Tiling · Electrical · Carpentry · Plastering · One stop shop - Kitchen, bathroom, laundries & renovation needs. · Complete service from start to finish, including kitchen 3D design. · Appliance packages available. · Bathroom tapware, accessories & tiles on display in our showroom.

section of Network Classiﬁeds.

Specialist in • Lawn mowing • Edging Pruning / Hedge Trimming • Regular Maintenance • Rubbish Removals • Tree Lopping • Gutter Cleaning

Call Joe 0498 375 094 - 7 days V Guttering

RJ GUTTERS ฀

*conditions apply

20 Years Experience ﬂetcherscarpetcleaning.com.au

Call Paul 0412

816 479

12519309-CG44-21

Homes

3 Standard Rooms for $99 inc GST

www.topedgekitchens.com.au

Trades & Services

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฀

FREE QUOTES

0421 421 640

12533274-HC09-22

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฀ ฀ ฀ Call Daniel 0417 059 190 ฀

DONE RIGHT General Maintenance

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12533949-HC05-22

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฀ ฀ ฀

D.B. HANDYMAN

section of Network Classiﬁeds.

Andrew 0425 852 621 | Froggys.com.au | info@froggys.com.au

Real Estate

฀

1232632-ACM26-16

V Handy Persons

V Builders & Building Services

Pergolas • Decks • Retaining Walls • Renovations • Landscaping

฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

★ New & Existing ★

Fletcher’s Carpet Steam Cleaning We also clean: Upholstery and Tile and Grout

฀

V Carpet Cleaning

Showroom by appointment only Free Quotes & Mobile Ensuite Hire. terms & conditions apply Please note that we specialise in renovations - we do not do repairs or maintenance

CONTRACTING

0412 184 772

AMAZING GARDEN SERVICES

V Concrete Products & Services

Specialising in: Tiling Baths Vanities Shower Recesses & Screens Painting Plastering FOR FREE QUOTE CALL MAX ON

Very diverse in all aspects of specialised property services

12337176-LB03-17

Gates & Pergolas ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ Lou 0412 339 445 Tony 0431 339 739

V Garden Services

TD CARPENTRY

Froggys

Call: 0415 337 192

฀

Call 1300 666 808

M & M BATHROOM RENOVATIONS

8348 5441

Fencing & Gates, Sliding Gates, Solar Panel Sliding Gates No Job Too Small, No Job Too Big Free Measuring Quote larryfranklin561@gmail.com

Lou’s Colorbond Fencing

6-2 12469374-CG4

V Carpenters

0403 197 240 - 0403 197 249

T HE U LTIMATE F ENCE F ACTORY

12479050-JW04-21

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(03) 5367 5853

“We advertise in the local paper to reach the local community - and it works for us!!!” - Richard

12362816-ACM35-17

AU 21094 Lic 42666

12523264-CG47-21

REPAIR, SUPPLY AND INSTALLATIONS

JAD COOLING AND HEATING

TENNAS DIGITAL AN S AMPLIFIER S TL TV OU ET

228 0409 888

AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING

Jad 0425 804 593 or 9336 1996 Rami 0425 876 176

SERVICE

D PERIENCE HIGHLY EX ANS TECHNICI E IC RV SE ANTENNA S ALL AREA

G6425413AA-dc5Nov

• EVAPORATIVE COOLERS • SPLIT SYSTEMS • HOT WATER SYSTEMS • DUCTED HEATING

MAN

฀

Call Leigh 0409 098 910

12402111-RA43-18

Call 0430 332 368

L.T.J Fencing The real deal in timber and colorbond fencing ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

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Ask about our discounted ongoing advertising rates and how choosing more newspapers gives your advertising more impact and saves you money...

Deadline for all classifications is 1:30pm Monday.

V Fencing & Gates

12486015-NG11-21

VISA/MASTERCARD/EFTPOS (1.5% credit card processing fee applies. Cheques and money orders can be posted in or hand delivered to our local ofﬁce)

www.rosscoengineering.com.au

12402755-RA44-18

We accept payment by:

12398667-SN37-18

(include your name, address and phone number)

13 Reddrop St, Bacchus Marsh PH: 5367 1141 AH: 0418 301 841

1229835-ACM22-16

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GUTTER & WINDOW CLEANING RUBBISH REMOVAL MOWING, PRUNING, WEEDING, FENCING

0499 162 272

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CALL 1300 666 808 18 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

12514849-JW40-21

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Saida’s Painting And Handyman 12532148-AV03-22

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Classified deadlines for Tuesday, 15th March issue of the

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Handyman Services

OPERATORS AND LABOURER

PRODUCTION ASSEMBLER

1 x Excavator Operator 1 x Loader Operator and 1 x Labourer required. Duties include greasing, maintenance and adhoc. Contact Norm after 5pm for further details:

A full time additional team member is required for our Production Team. Based in Brooklyn we provide a friendly environment and opportunities for growth. We are looking for those who are mechanically minded, able to use hand tools. If you have an enthusiastic work ethic, and are willing to help others, please send resume to:

Burnside Retirement Village is seeking an experienced person to complete Handyman services. 12–20 hours per week (flexible). Award rate.

Labour Day 14th March

Bashyrr Saida 0416 561 594 Ibrahim Saida 0403 610 782

V Positions Vacant

Melton-Moorabool Star Weekly as follows:

Forward your resume to

Friday 11th March at 1.30pm

manager@bvrsa.com.au

12537306-JW09-22

General Classifieds

CDB-L 60362

177646

Free Quote All Suburbs Insurance Elevation

12532110-SG03-22

David: 0425 811 882 Ash: 0403 619 333 17 Years Guarantee 10% Pensioner Discount Council Permit Supplied Computer Levelling

MEMBER OF MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

Reg No 8659

NICK’S RE-BLOCKING SERVICE

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Rainbow Dolls

ALL SUBURBS ★ RAISING ★ LEVELLING ★ UNDERPINNING ★ RESTUMPING WITH CONCRETE OR REDGUM STUMPS ★ COUNCIL PERMIT ★ ALL WORK GUARANTEED

PH: 9360 5357 Mobile: 0412 378 193 G6795050AA-dc29Apr 1132314-LB19-14

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RECORDS = CASH CASH FOR RECORDS Phone: 0418 539 736 shinecraft@bigpond.com

ANTENNA MAN

ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE Anyone advertising a puppy, dog, kitten or cat in Victoria for sale or re-homing will need a source number from the Pet Exchange Register and a microchip identiﬁcation number. It is now an offence to advertise unless the source number and microchip identiﬁcation number is included in the advertisement or notice. For further information, call 136 186 or visit animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

DIGITAL ANTENNAS AMPLIFIERS TV OUTLETS

0409 888 228

12469374-CG46-20

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section of Network Classifieds.

12400498-CG38-18

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Part-time receptionist with 3 years experience in medical centres. send CV to magdy@saintmary. com.au

NEW STAFF?

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12521636-DL45-21

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12327446-LN42-16

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The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception under the Act. As Network Classifieds could be legally liable if an unlawful advertisement is printed, Network Classifieds will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisers or the Equal Opportunity Commission.

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Bacchus Marsh/Melton Based

FREE CAR REMOVAL

Are you retired but looking for some added income? Are you looking for employment that provides the perfect work/life balance? Do you own your own business and are looking for additional sources of income?

Applicants must be able to pass a medical/police check and must be willing to obtain a Victorian Drivers Accreditation and Working with Children’s Check before commencement of employment.

ZZZ QHWZRUNFODVVL´HGV FRP DX

Use code: EMPDISC

ZZZ QHWZRUNFODVVL´HGV FRP DX

Pay up to $500 for most cars Dead or Alive

Applicants with HR Licence may be presented with additional work opportunities. Please email hr@busbiz.net.au with a resume or details of experience.

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LMCT 10268W

7 days a week service Call Gus for a free quotation on

FREE CAR REMOVAL Pay up to $600 for all complete cars dead or alive!

0422 108 512 Also Towing Service Available 12493026-AV19-21

LMCT 10268W

0435 904 818

If you have a heavy vehicle licence contact us today!

• Bathroom, Kitchen, Toilet Renovation • Small Extension • Carpentry / Plastering • 20yrs. Plus Building Experience ** call Hill now for a free quote **

Get 10% Discount

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BusBiz are actively searching for school bus drivers for casual or permanent employment!

ASAP TILING

฀

Medical Receptionist Gisborne

NEED

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฀

projecteng@wellcross.com.au or call Peter 9316 9700.

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A TEACHER Available for tutoring. Mathematics, DELAHEY 18 Prior Court, Science, Chemistry, ChiMarch 8th till the 20th, nese and Japanese. Phone 0418 871 203 7am-6pm, Garage Sale, house lot and building materials and much more, everything must go, Cheap, Cheap, Cheap. Phone 0425 792 703 Find it in the

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12423634-SN31-19

ABN 44 021 708 152 Tel: 9309 2351

1235322622-PB22-17

977914

0428 568 004

Full time position. Duties will include:Admin work and adhoc duties. Computer knowledge is essential. Saturdays required. Contact Norm after 5pm

ALL AROUND REBLOCKING & UNDERPINNING

V Positions Vacant

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12321532-HM36-16

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12400545-LB38-19

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Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 19

MOTOR STARWEEKLY.COM.AU The blanked off front ‘grille’ is the only obvious cue this Volvo XC40 is electrically powered. (Pictures: Supplied)

Auto style leader goes electric By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring Our road test car this week is a Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin, which was particularly interesting as our family car is a Volvo XC40 T4 Inscription that we have owned for three years. It will be fascinating to find out how the two compare both in performance and the latest in technology. And decide if we hold onto our existing car or go the electric route.

Styling These days Volvo is one of world’s automotive style leaders and in my opinion the XC40 is the best shape from the company in many years. With a chunky, almost cheeky look it has an upright slightly-concave grille. In the Recharge the grille doesn’t need to take in air to cool the engine so is blanked off and has a very large Volvo badge in the centre. Deeply sculpted lower sections of the doors and upward swept D-pillars with lights in them also add to the looks.

no engine there. The small front boot has been nicknamed the frunk – short for front-trunk. Many owners use the frunk to store the electrical charging cables.

Interior

Powertrains

The XC40 is a bit larger than others in its class at 4425mm long, 1863mm wide and 1652mm high. Every cubic centimetre of the interior space is put to good use. It has seating for five, but four adults and a child makes more sense. There’s slightly less foot-space in the Recharge as the battery under the floor steals some of it. The Scandinavian styling is simple almost to the point of being minimalistic in the dashboard area. There’s excellent storage space in the door pockets as the Volvo designers avoided taking up space with audio speakers. There’s also out-of-sight storage in drawers underneath the front seats. There’s even Volvo’s funny little rubbish holder that can be removed from the car when you get home and emptied out there. The load area is slightly smaller than that on the petrol and diesel models because the boot floor is higher in the electric model. There’s also a small boot under the bonnet as there’s

Our Volvo T4 Inscription has 140kW at 5000rpm. The Recharge Twin has more than double that, 300kW at just one rpm – that’s right, one rpm. It has two electric motors, hence the Twin in the name. Each motor produces 150kW and 330Nm, one drives the front wheels, the other the rear. That’s 660 newton metres which is the sort of grunt developed by a big petrol V8 displacing seven litres. Official energy consumption is 25.5kWh per 100km. We averaged just under 20kWh during our 355km test period. The official range is 418km as measured by the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) and we looked to be getting close to that figure.

20 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

Infotainment We certainly enjoyed the clarity of the Harman Kardon premium sound system, as the electric Volvo is very quiet inside it adds to the enjoyment.

The portrait shape of the infotainment 9-inch inch screen makes more sense than landscape ones because you can see much further ahead on the sat-nav map. Volvo Cars’ driver infotainment system (Sensus) provides smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety The Swedish company’s approach to safety has never faltered over the many years it has focused on this vital feature. A host of features in the help avoid a crash, or minimise injuries if one does occur. The 360-degree camera system in our test car provided an overhead view of the Volvo and its surrounds – it’s almost as though a small drone with a camera is hovering over you. Great fun!

Driving Volvo’s Clean Zone two-zone climate system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver what Volvo calls, “Scandinavian-fresh air on the inside”. It certainly is a pleasant place to be. The front seats are large and comfortable. In the rear I can sit ‘behind myself’ (I’m 180cm tall) with leg room to spare.

You don’t need to start the Volvo. Simply put your foot on the brake and select Drive or Reverse with a conventional ‘gear lever’ and the electric motor is ready to go. Somewhat oddly there’s still space for a Start/Stop button, but it has been blanked off. It can be driven as a one-pedal due to energy regeneration when slowing down. This can be a bit aggressive at first but we soon adapted to this and it became a personal challenge to avoid using the brakes at all. This is another clean feature as there’s no brake dust being created. People may ask why you need a family SUV that goes from zero to 100km/h in under five seconds. But the acceleration means you spend less time on the wrong side of the road when overtaking. And it’s really good fun to beat someone off the traffic lights who is in a big V8 with a lumpy idle who thinks he can whop you in a drag race. Childish? Yes, but what’s wrong with that! Handling is very good, with steering that almost seems to read your mind. The Recharge Twin has a lot more weight due to the heavy batteries - it weighs in at 2158kg, compared to our XC40 Inscription’s 1657kg. But it handles well as a fair bit of the weight is low down due to the heavy battery. Some road surfaces created more tyre noise than we anticipated. In particular the concrete surfaces on the motorway between the Gold Coast and Brisbane were louder that in our own Volvo XC40 turbo-petrol. Possibly due to the low rolling resistance tyres.

Summing up Electric power is the way of the future and Volvo is very Swedish in wanting to minimise global warming. Though the Recharge Twin is based on a vehicle using an internal combustion engine the conversion to make it an EV works well. Will we replace our turbo-petrol Volvo XC40 with an electric one? No, because we do a lot of long-distance holiday trips and charging would be slow in most places. We will wait until the 800 km battery and five-minute fast chargers arrive and buy one, if the price is right.

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SPORT

Titans celebrate a big weekend as finals loom It was a big weekend for the North Western Titans in the Baseball Victoria Summer League competition. While several of their sides were looking to hit some good form ahead of finals, the Titans marked several special occasions off field. The club held its second pride round, a sponsors day and a celebration of 10 years of the club. Titans president Ryan Tompkins said before the weekend, that they were keen to see a number of faces, new and old, at the club. He said everything was going really well at the club this season. “We’re looking at having three of our seven sides making finals,” he said. “Our men’s team, our women’s black side and for the first time the under-14s have made finals. “We have also built our own in house tee-ball with about 40 kids. It’s about getting the kids in the club and teaching them before

North Western Titans pride round.

(Supplied)

they go up to the next level.” Tompkins said former president Danny Haymes was really driving the program, along with the parents and the children. He said it was important in the growth of the club and there was a real buy in from people at the club across all age groups. On the senior side, the club is heading into the final stages of the regular season.

In the division 3 men’s competition the side sits fourth. On Sunday, they defeated the Geelong Baycats 9-5. Tompkins said that side was hoping to hit its straps. “We haven’t been as consistent as last year,” he said. “We’re fighting to get back to where we want

to be. Hopefully we can time our run.” The club has fielded two sides in the women’s division 3 west competition. It’s the first time they’ve had two women’s sides. Tompkins said they had a number of new girls playing the sport for the first time. The black team, which beat the Baycats 13-4 on Saturday, sits second on the ladder. The orange team, which will miss finals, lost to Sunshine Eagles on Saturday, 12-9. “Both women’s teams have done really well this year,” he said. “The black team has had an up and down season, but fought to be where they are.” He said should they face the Sunshine Eagles, who are top in the finals, he predicts it will be a close game. “We pushed them last time. The girls are looking forward to the challenge.” The regular season for the men’s and women’s teams ends this weekend. Tara Murray

Sports shorts VTCA It was final round mayhem in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association with rain meaning many games didn’t get under way. All games in division 2 were declared draws, which ensured Sydenham-Hillside secured the minor premiership. In division 4, Caroline Springs was 0-41 against Moonee Valley when that game was called off. The Falcons finished in third. Melton Centrals’ match against Gellibrand was a draw. Centrals finished bottom.

VSDCA Melton ended the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association south-west season without a win. Facing Werribee on Saturday in the final round, the Lions were bowled out for 119. Jason Hibbert top scored with 40. Werribee wasted no time getting the runs, finishing 1-120 in the 21st over. The Lions finished the season bottom with just points.

Ballarat CA

Sam Lalor and Archie Lalor are two of Bacchus Marsh’s young guns.

(Supplied)

Youthful spark for Bulls By Tara Murray The growth of the younger players at Bacchus Marsh is setting the club up for the future in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association. The Bulls have had as many as six 15-year-olds playing in their top two sides at times this season and it has paid dividends. The McIntyre Cup side finished the regular season in second spot, as did the club’s Johnstone Shield side. Bulls coach Paul Baker said it was the young talent which was behind him returning to the club and taking on the coaching role. “We’ve had two or three 15-year-olds who have been playing [in the McIntyre Cup] team and they’re all contributing which is good. “There’s three 15-year-olds as well in the twos which is good. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of them for a few years.” Sam Lalor is leading the way for the young brigade, having cemented a spot opening the batting in the McIntyre Cup side. Baker said Lalor was one of the main reasons for their success so far. He said he expected Lalor to head to premier cricket next season. “We’ve been consistent at the top order,” he

said. “We’ve been consistent without being brilliant. “Our bowling and fielding are baking it up.” Baker said Nick Strangio and captain Tom Wardell were others who have had really strong seasons. The Bulls kick off their finals campaign this Saturday against Sunbury United in a qualifying final. The two sides were meant to face off in the final round of the season, but the match ended in a draw with no play due to the wet weather. Baker said it would have been nice to challenge themselves against the undefeated United team before finals. “We’ll have to this weekend,” he said. “We played them in round three or something like that and they’ve continued on their way. “We had to make some games after that game. Not so much personnel wise, but playing wise.” Baker said he believed the key to this finals series would be the fielding and that it would decide matches. Gisborne will play Diggers Rest Bulla and Romsey will host Wallan, both elimination

finals, after all matches ended in draws on Saturday. Just two matches, Wallan against the Sunbury Kangaroos, and Romsey against East Sunbury got under way, but neither were completed. It meant the top six remained the same. In the Johnstone Shield, there was a bit more action with four of the five matches going ahead. A win for Riddell against Aintree moved it into the top six. Aintree made 9-193 from its 40 overs. The match would finish on the second last ball, with the Bombers making 4-196. The win moved the Bombers into sixth spot, with Sunbury United losing to Bacchus Marsh. In the other games, Romsey easily accounted for East Sunbury, The Redbacks made 1-68 in reply to the Thunder’s 63. Macedon had a big win against Kyneton. The Cats made 3-165 in reply to Kyneton’s 5-162. The match between Gisborne and Eynesbury finished in a draw.

Darley will have to wait until finals to test itself against ladder leaders Wendouree in the Ballarat Cricket Association. The match like all others in the first division, were declared draws after being washed out. While both teams were already guaranteed a top two spot, Saturday’s match would have provided a good hit out in the lead up to finals. The Lions face Ballarat-Redan in the final round on Saturday.

Australia Cup Melton Phoenix is through to the fourth round of the Australia Cup after thrilling penalty shoot out against Craigieburn City. The two teams were locked at 0-0 at the end of regular time and the scoreline was the same after extra time, forcing a penalty shootout. Both teams would miss their fourth penalty shot, with the shootout going to sudden death. Craigieburn would then hit the cross bar on their eighth shot. Riley Griffiths was able to hit the back of the net to give Phoenix the win. Caroline Springs George Cross lost to Essendon Royals 2-0. FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 21

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Falcons are ready to hit the court

Soli Ropati will move into the wing attack position. (Shawn Smits) 237918_07

City West Falcons are prepared to take the risk and run with small squads for this year’s Victorian Netball League season. While many clubs are preparing to have extra players amid possible isolation challenges, the Falcons have gone the opposite way. Falcons coach Marg Lind said for them this season was about getting the players court time after two interrupted years. “We’ve running low numbers and taking a risk,” she said. “Players are keen to play this year, so we’ve taken a risk and reward method, as I’d rather get them playing. “We’ve got players playing in a few different positions. They’re enjoying the versatility of running different roles which will help with smaller numbers.” The club’s championship team, which was undefeated last season when the season was called off early, is similar to last season. Goaler Uneeq Palavi returns to the club having played elsewhere in recent years and will add a bit of flare, while Lucia Fauonuku

has been promoted. The one big loss for the Falcons is captain, Maggie Lind, who has earned a contract with Collingwood’s Super Netball side. Maggie was named joint VNL championship division most valuable player last season, the second time she has won the award. Lind said her daughter might be released to play a few games to play for them, but they wouldn’t know until during the season. “Losing Maggie is a big hole,” Lind said. “She still helps out a lot with coaching and organised a clinic for the junior association.” Lind said Soli Ropati would move into the wing attack position having played that role before. Maddy Gray may also spend time playing there. Zoe Davies, who has been signed as a training partner at Collingwood, and Fauonuku might get opportunities in the midcourt, with the side taking in a defensive heavy squad. She said Montana Holmes, who has also signed with Collingwood as a training partner,

Loss a blow to Royals By Tara Murray A final round loss has seen Melton South Royals slip from top spot in Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 5. In a round when many matches didn’t go ahead due to the rain and wet pitches, the Royals’ match went ahead and they suffered a loss to Williamstown Congs. The Congs made 7-177 from their 40 overs with Karandeep Singh top scoring with 76. Dean Pirro took three wickets for the Royals. The Royals were quickly in trouble at 5-31 and found the going tough from there. They were bowled out for 120. Andrew Hodgart top scored with not out, while Sachika Udara, who made 27, was the only other batter to reach double figures. Speaking before the match, Royals coach Leigh Edwards said they had set high expectations on themselves this year. “Since Christmas we have dropped a couple of games that we should not have, but you accept a loss here or there,” he said. “We expected to be in the top two and set a high demand. The last couple of years we have underperformed. “The boys have definitely done what we were expecting and we now have to finish it off.” Edwards said the group had seemed to gel a bit better this season, which had been the key to their success. Dean Pirro had been leading the way as captain, while a few guys had performed really well throughout the season. “We recruited a new bowler Dilan Liyanage in the off season to bolster the bowling and he’s had a pretty solid season. “Lasith Lakshan is our number three bat and has made about 270 to 300 runs for the year. “James Robertson has had a fantastic year with the ball and is coming off seven wickets. He has the most wickets in the competition.” The Royals will face Williamstown Congs for a second straight week in a knockout semi final this Saturday. Edwards knows it won’t be an easy task. “The semi final is the hardest game of the year,” he said. “So much is riding on it and it’s sudden death. “Hopefully we can get over the line. Then it’s a best of three grand final series and if we can get there we are thinking we can give it a real shot. “There’s a couple of good teams around us. We will back ourselves in to win two of the three games.” The club’s second side also finished second in the VTCA, while its thirds finished second in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association division 1. 22 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

had been training really well in the off season. Lind said expectations for the championship side remained high. “We are expecting to finish in the top four,” she said. “A couple of injuries could change that though.” In the other sides, Lind said they had added three players from Albury Wondga to their division 1 side. She said the under-19s would again provide some excitement. “We’ve got Adut Manyiel from Ballarat who is pretty exciting. “Teal Hocking is in the side and we’ve up Kiralee Collings in the midcourt who has great leadership. “Charli Nicol and Achel Yout are back and have some really good potential.” The Falcons will kick off their season on March 16. Tara Murray

Panthers on the improve Melton South is still a work in progress, but coach Heath Pritchard believes his side will be more than competitive in the Ballarat Football League. The Panthers were hit hard by injuries last season and impacted the side as it tried to move up the ladder. Pritchard said this season would be interesting after the two years that the community has had. “It’s an interesting time for everyone,” he said. “Which people are coming back and the people who aren’t coming back. “We’ve had different blokes out most weeks with COVID related things in the pre-season. It’s an interesting space and how it pans out. “It’s one of those challenges. I think community sports will feel the impact of COVID the next 12 to 18 months.” Pritchard said they had been able to keep the majority of last season’s playing group. Ryan Pendlebury is a big out, while Brad Olsesn also isn’t returning. He said they had managed to bring in a few new players as well. “Dylan Jones is a ruckman,” he said. “We definitely needed a ruckman, that was a high priority. “Marc Dransman Played in the ruck last year and he has retired. “Ben Casley comes from the Northern Blues. He’s a centre half forward and will be a handy inclusion.” Hudson Wilde has crossed from Melton and can play ange of positions. Pritchard said if they were able to keep their best team on the park, they believed they could have a good season. The Panthers finished 10th last season. “We still have work to do,” he said. “Our best 22 can certainly stand up. “Last year was more than competitive, just injuries last year cruelled us. We had some good wins with a full side on the park. “We think if we can keep the best team on the park, we will be competitive.” The Panthers kick off their season on April 9 against Melton. Tara Murray

James Robertson has had a good season.

(Shawn Smits)

It was a big weekend for the club, with Richie Catlin becoming the first player to play 300 games for the club. He captained the third XI in their draw against Rupertswood. Having made his debut in the 1997-98

season he has made 3985 runs and taken 115 wickets. He has been part of seven premierships sides and is also a member of two of the club’s teams of the decade and life member of the club.

Vintage Cheddar steps up as star trotter retires Just days after celebrating the extraordinary career of Tornado Valley the team behind the million-dollar trotter has emerged with another potentially top tier horse. Vintage Cheddar was impressive in registering a third consecutive victory in tonight’s Nutrien Equine Markovina Free For All, the seven-year-old proving himself another savvy purchase by trainer Andy Gath for owner Norm Jenkin. With reinswoman Kate Gath they’ve enjoyed extraordinary success with squaregaiters Tornado Valley, who was retired on Thursday, and McLovin, and Kate was excited about the new addition who’s unbeaten in three starts since crossing the Tasman. “There’s no doubt this horse was up with New Zealand’s best when he was going good,” Kate said. “Andy liked him a couple of years ago when

Vacation Hill.

(Stuart McCormick)

he was really in form, the times he can run at the end of 2600 are pretty good and up there with what most of the really good horses can run. “He was pretty badly out of form the last two months, maybe even 12 months, he definitely hasn’t been going like what he can.” She said the form drop meant opportunity knocked and “Andy and Norm thought he was worth the risk”. “You do have to pay OK money for them,

but it’s nothing compared to what you would have to pay when they are in form,” Kate said. “It’s worked for a lot of them so far. We’ve had the trotters, Tornado (Valley), McLovin – they were sort of in the same boat. It was a risk that Norm was prepared to take and it looks like it’s really going to pay dividends for him.” Vintage Cheddar was fifth in his last start in New Zealand on January 12 at the end of a nine-race Kiwi campaign that delivered only one placing, a third on October 10. Only five weeks separated his last New Zealand start and his Victorian debut at Terang on February 19, but he quickly impressed for his new stable, winning by a half-head. He then backed up with a seven-metre win at Ballarat on February 25 and then tonight’s victory from gate 11 in his Melton debut, which was all the more impressive for having been registered despite not all going to plan.

With a tick over a lap to go Kate advanced Vintage Cheddar from near the back of the field to make a play for the breeze, but that was thwarted when Glenn Douglas popped out on Major Roll to lead the three-wide line. Breeze horse Western Sonador, sitting outside leader Jilliby Sylvester, kicked up to hold Major Roll on his outside and that left Vintage Cheddar three-wide with cover for the last lap. The moves quickened the pace with 28.23 and 27.84 second and third quarters and come the last turn Vintage Cheddar was four wide and with brilliant finisher Bulletproof Boy breathing down his neck. It was the first of a double for Kate and Andy Gath with Vacation Hill following up to win the Catanach’s Jewellers Trotters Free For All. Michael Howard

Centrals bank on its youth

Dylan Pierias at training.

(Supplied)

Pierias shows his best By Tara Murray A change of mindset resulted in a breakout match for Western United star Dylan Pierias against Perth Glory. Having been part of the Olyroos side at the Tokyo Olympics, Pierias at times has had an up and down season. Benched at half time in the previous match, he could have been forgiven for dropping his head and sulking. But instead that was behind his performance against Glory, when he produced a best on ground performance. The performance would include a goal in the second half, which would seal the 2-0 win. Pierias said he had approached the Glory game a bit differently than the previous few rounds. “Personally, before that game I had been trying to get a starting spot,” he said. “I was putting too much pressure on myself. “I went into that game trying to play like I was 10-years-old and just enjoying it. I didn’t think too much about it and I just

took the opportunity.” Coach John Alosi was really pleased with the game of Pierias saying he was one of the main reasons for the win. Having had that success, Pierias said he would continue to just focus on playing and let his game do the talking. He said knowing that he can put out a performance like that, only gives him confidence. “The mental side is such a big thing,” he said. “I’m now going out there with the right mentality. “It just gives me confidence going forward.” The performance of Pierias is a good side for United that sits equal top, with Melbourne City, which has played two extra games. United has nine wins from 14 games, which is more wins than they had for all of last season. Pierias said the biggest thing this season had been the closeness of the group with everyone buying in. “You can’t complain when you’re on top,” he said. “I honestly think that this is just a great bunch of guys.

“Everyone gets along and there’s really good morale. John has created a great culture and I would consider it like a family environment. “Sometimes sporting clubs can feel like work, but it doesn’t here.” Pierias said this playing group was a pretty special one. He said while he expected the group to gel well together, he was a little surprised at how well they had. For Pierias it has been a big year, having played for the Olyroos at the Olympics. He said that was a pretty special experience. Pierias, who grew up in Caroline Springs and still lives in the west, has previously said he wants to make the west of Melbourne proud. For now he is focused on the A-League season and having success with United. “We want to finish on top and win the championship,” he said. “I know this group and they will not be happy to settle for anything for less.” United was set to face Newcastle Jets on Saturday afternoon, after deadline. For the result, head to www.starweekly.com. au.

Youth will lead the way for Melton Centrals in the Riddell District Football League this season. Under new coach Mark Pederson, Centrals have focused on youth and will look to use that to their advantage. “We have a really young side, our average age is 23,” he said. “We will be very young, but that’s good for a running game. We should know more about the squad this weekend after the practice match. “We look like we will be competitive.” Pederson said they had signed nine to 10 players, but was keeping most of the signings close to his chest. He said many of them weren’t big name players, but they were looking really positive. Among the clearances lodged by the Centrals include Blake Henderson, Ricky Hawkins, Connor and Jake Charge. “They’ll fit in all over the ground,” he said. “The season can’t come quick enough, I want to see how they can go and get this group to gel together.” Centrals have lost key forward Dylan Weir in a big loss for the side. Pederson said recruits Jarryd Underwood and Evan Donoghue would play up forward and be key targets. He also expected growth from the existing playing group. “The young guys have had a really good pre-season and we’re expecting a lot of improvement. “Not just from the new recruits, but the guys who were already here.” Pederson said they were hoping to play finals football this year. The side finished seventh last year. After a few years out of the game, Pederson said he was enjoying being back in the coaching hot seat. “After the last two years with COVID, it’s good to be around people again,” he said. “We’ll likely be dealing with outbreaks during the year. We’re just hoping no more new strains come and we just get a go at a real season of football with no interruptions.” Centrals will kick off their season on April 2 against Western Rams. Tara Murray

Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 23