Star Weekly - Melton Moorabool - 26th April 2022 by Star Weekly

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Walking for cancer funds The much-loved Mother’s Day Classic will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, honouring those affected by breast cancer and raising funds for research. The event will be held on Sunday, May 8. This year, Melton and Moorabool residents can get involved in events at Eynesbury or Caroline Springs. Caroline Springs event organiser Nicole Oborne has been involved with the Mother’s Day Classic for 11 years after joining the superannuation industry. “When I young, my aunty passed away with breast cancer … and then I started working in the superannuation sector some 23 years ago and I found out about the Mother’s Day Classic that was founded by Women in Super ... I loved the concept. I could see the positive impact it was having,” she said. Details: www.mothersdayclassic.com. au/victoria. Cecilia Thomas, Mata Eli-Riki, Tite Tunupopo Tamarangi, Paulina Shugg, Nina, 7, and Nicole Oborne are gearing up for the Caroline Springs Mother’s Day Classic. (Damjan Janevski) 277630_01

Unwanted animal plague By Olivia Condous Animal adoption rates soared during lockdown as the demand for pets reached an all-time high, but with restrictions eased and life returning to normal, rescue groups are struggling to deal with stray animal populations. Melton Paws and Claws Animal organisation owner Melanie Norman said the issue of stray cats was “really bad” in the Melton area. “Melton is really bad for animal hoarders, who have got themselves in a situation where they try to save stray animals but they run out of funds for desexing them,” Ms Norman said. Ms Norman said more assistance was needed from the Melton council to provide affordable

veterinary services, such as desexing, to curb the number of stray cats in the area. “There’s no education out there, apart from rescue groups on Facebook, so people don’t know the laws,” she said. Households that own between three and 10 fertile dogs or cats and breed pets to sell are classified as a domestic animal business and must register with the local council and comply with government codes, or they are considered to be breaking the law. “What happens is called ‘backyard breeding’, people have accidental litters from two kittens, next thing you know their home is full of 60 kittens,” Ms Norman said. “You’ve got people who don’t want to have

a litter, they want to do the right thing but they don’t have access to a cheap vet out in the western suburbs.” The increase in demand for pets during the pandemic has also caused an increase in people using scams and illegal behaviour to sell pets. “There’s definitely warning signs, like if they weren’t letting you come around to their home and they’d rather meet you on the side of the road because they don’t want you to see the squalor the animals are living in,” Ms Norman said. Melton community safety manager Phil Lawson said illegal pet breeding was an ongoing challenge faced by the council. “We have a range of incentives and measures

in place to encourage residents to desex their pets, including discounted pet registration fees for desexed and microchipped animals,” Mr Lawson said. “We currently have an agreement with a desexing clinic where council subsidises desexing of pets for all City of Melton residents. “Council takes the issue of illegal breeding establishments seriously, and we have recently had a successful prosecution and carried out raids on properties to help stamp out this type of activity, “We encourage residents to do their part to stop illegal breeders by only buying their pets from a reputable breeder or through rescue animal organisations.”

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Moorabool Games opportunities By Olivia Condous The Victorian government announced on April 12 that regional Victoria was set as the location for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the Moorabool Shire to be surrounded by regional hubs hosting the games. The announcement revealed Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland would be the official hosts, each with their own athletes’ village and sport program, while Melbourne would hold the opening ceremony. A release from the Victorian government also stated further developments in organising the sports included in the games could open opportunities for other regional areas to host

events. A statement from the Moorabool council said the council was “thrilled” to hear regional Victoria will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2026. “All eyes will be on regional Victoria as the Games take on a multi-city approach for the first time,” it said. The council said the unique positioning of the Moorabool in proximity to Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo would provide many opportunities for the area. “Considering the abundance of agritourism experiences, charming country towns and nature based activity, the Commonwealth Games present a wonderful opportunity for

tourism in Moorabool Shire, along with the possibility of procurement opportunities for our local businesses.” Following the announcement, Moorabool residents expressed varying opinions on social media in reaction to the regional location for the games. “I think it has been proven that the revenue promised is not delivered. The tourists will stay where the venues are and will want to watch the events rather than the koalas or Great Ocean Road,” one resident said. “To be honest, I’d be more impressed if the money was put into building more hospitals and forget the games altogether,” another resident wrote.

While there were several negative responses, many residents expressed excitement for the announcement on social media. “I think the Commonwealth Games will be great for the country areas for a number of reasons, better facilities for communities, encouraging children into sport instead of spending a lot of time on electronic devices, win, win, win,” a Bacchus Marsh resident said. “Try looking on the bright side, the regions will finally get some attention. First bright spot for a long while,” another resident added. Visit https://www.vic.gov.au/victoria-2026commonwealth-games to register interest via the business inquiries form.

Doctor an award finalist A Hillside man has been announced as a finalist for the 2022 Victorian 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards, for his contribution to helping young people reach their education goals and developing more support for aspiring medical professionals. Dr Victor Lin, who grew up in Hillside, works as a doctor at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and is a finalist for the Saward Dawson Community Service and Social Impact Award. He is the co-founder of two successful not-for-profit organisations, the Young Australians’ Cancer Initiative (YACI) and Teaching For Impact (TFI). Dr Lin founded these organisations to empower high school students to get involved in the fight against cancer and encourage young people to make sustainably-minded contributions to their communities.

“I come from a single-parent, immigrant family, and going through school did come with its challenges,” Dr Lin said. “As someone who has been there and had those experiences myself, I thought that I could really help, as I shared some of the frustrations of students who have all these dreams and ambitions but might not have access to a lot of the resources, the mentorship and the connections,” he said. Dr Lin encouraged students with high career hopes to not limit themselves due to past academic performance. ‘You often come across a student who really wants to do medicine, or become a business leader or become a lawyer, but they often cut themselves short in terms of thinking that they need to be a certain sort of student. The core message would be, don’t be defined by that.”

Dr Victor Lin. (Damjan Janevski) 277567

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Speeding drivers concern police By Olivia Condous Victoria Police were out in force throughout the state as part of a road safety campaign to protect travellers over the holiday period. The first phase of Operation Compass ran over the Easter long weekend period and saw a high number of road offences recorded in the Melton and Moorabool areas. According to data from Victoria Police, there were more than 50 speeding offences recorded by highway patrol units in both areas. In the Melton area, there were 14 alcohol and drug

related driving offences reported during the five-day period. Overall the Melton police service area recorded 114 road related offences and the Moorabool area recorded 70. Moorabool highway patrol Sergeant Nathan Monteduro said police were ready for a high increase in traffic on the roads as Victorians were finally allowed to travel freely for the holidays. “Most people were doing the right thing, but we’re still dealing with a lot of motorists that should know better,” he said.

While local police reported the first phase of the operation ran smoothly, speeding offences were notably a pressing issue. “We did have quite a few speeding on the roads, it continues to be an issue,” Sergeant Monteduro said. “We’re not talking about small speeding offences, but speeding that comes with a loss of license and people not taking due care, “We had one offender in Bacchus Marsh who was driving at a speed of 74 km/h in a 40 limit zone.” Victoria Police reported a total of 2948

speeding offences across the state from Thursday to Monday, out of a total 7783 offences. Two lives were lost on Victorian roads over the Easter weekend due to fatal collisions. Victoria Police assistant commissioner of road policing Glenn Weir said the risky behaviour of the thousands of motorists caught speeding over the weekend was unacceptable. “We are pleading with motorists to please be patient and stay alert when travelling and returning home from holidays,” he said.

Moorabool digs deep

Bargain Box Fabric store owner Susan Robertson.

(Damjan Janevski) 277584

Melton fabric store closes its doors A longstanding Melton business is planning to shut its doors for good this year, as the last store in the country of what once was a large Australian franchise chain. Bargain Box Fabrics in Melton South has been owned and run by Susan Robertson for more than 25 years, but the time has come for the 72-year-old to move on to retirement and say goodbye to her beloved business. Ms Robertson said she’d tried to attract a buyer so that her now independent fabric business could live on, but despite receiving some interest no one had made a serious offer. “I just would love to see somebody take it on

and they could put their own spin on it, “The business is sound, it’s just that no one is game enough to take it on,” Ms Robertson said. Bargain Box Fabrics was once a successful business chain with 77 stores across the country in the 1990s. As all the other Australian stores closed down in recent years, Ms Robertson’s store received continued support from the Melton community and is the last one standing. “You should see the happy faces that we have come into the shop, they say ‘wow, this is like a lolly shop,’, they’re so happy to find a fabric shop in town,

“All my customers don’t want it to close, they’re all very upset,” Ms Robertson said. “There’s some people that have come in the last few months who haven’t left their house for the past two years and we’re one of the first shops that they come to.” Ms Robertson said she would accept offers to buy the business until the last moment and was happy to work with potential buyers to help them make the store their own. At this stage, Ms Robertson plans to close the store in June if a buyer doesn’t come forward. Olivia Condous

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Moorabool residents dug deep on Good Friday to raise thousands of dollars for the Royal Children’s Hospital for the Good Friday Appeal. According to the Good Friday Appeal regional towns tally, Bacchus Marsh raised $30,643, Ballan raised $19,131 and Trentham raised $5,469. Other towns in Moorabool were not listed online. The donations contributed to a record-breaking total tally of $22,328,154 for this year’s funds, which brought the total amount donated over the history of the appeal to more than $421 million. The Good Friday Appeal stated that $2,581,661 of the funds this year came from regional and rural Victoria. Bacchus Marsh Lions Club appeal area manager David Atterbury said the club was “stoked” about reaching more than $30,000 in donations. “We’re very happy about it, we really are,” he said. Mr Atterbury thanked volunteers and donors for being “exceedingly” generous this year and said the Lions club already had ambitious plans for fundraising efforts in 2023. “We’re already planning to beat the total next year.” Funds raised for the Good Friday Appeal this year will go directly to the Children’s Cancer Centre and CARES (4 Kids), which provides cancer allied health resources, education and support programs. Good Friday Appeal chairman Penny Fowler said the organisation was “incredibly” grateful to the whole community for their generous donations. “The appeal is all about Victorians giving what they can, everyone doing just a little to create something big, improving countless lives,” she said.

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Staff shortages hit firms hard By Olivia Condous While restrictions are lifted and Victorians back out and about, many businesses across the state are struggling to meet customer demands with staff shortages hitting hard. Although the latest national unemployment rate figure is 4 per cent, almost a record low, many local business owners have still found it difficult to find workers. Melton restaurant Urban 35 manager Rita Scicluna said she and the business’ owners had

to work up to 90 hours per week in order to keep the venue open. “If we were able to find staff, we’d be able to operate over a lot more hours,” she said. As the owner of The Royal Hotel in Bacchus Marsh, Melanie Harding said a lack of support for the hospitality venues during the pandemic meant many workers had moved onto other industries. “They weren’t supported during the lockdown … they’re not coming back to hospitality anymore.”

As the owner of a small business, Ms Harding found she’d been unable to compete with big corporate hospitality chains who could afford to raise staff wages in order to attract more employees. “They’ve got that money to do it, whereas the little people don’t,” she said. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said the low unemployment rate had coincided with the most severe workforce shortages in 48 years and the highest job vacancy rate ever recorded.

“Without a comprehensive strategy to address workforce shortages, businesses who are already stretched with an ultra-tight labour market will be pushed to breaking point, “The next federal government must pull all the levers it can to address chronic skills shortages,” Mr McKellar said. “A commitment to consistent and long-term funding of Vocational Education and Training is essential to rebuilding our local skills base, locking in support for subsidised training to quickly upskill job seekers and prepare them for work.”

Crime briefs Keep Off The Tracks Transit West Police and public safety officers together with Metro network security and surveillance workers spoke with people across the western suburbs last week, encouraging commuters and the community to call police if any person is sighted on railway land or train tracks or throwing debris at trains. Police also patrolled hotspot locations where persons are crossing the rail tracks as a short-cut instead of using appropriate walking paths. Keep a look out for the next “Keep Off The Tracks” joint activity at Deer Park and Melton.

Brookfield fire

Madeliene Axiak performing in the ‘Goddess of Pop’ Cher tribute show at Witchmount Estate in Melton.

On the evening of April 17, Melton fire brigade were paged to a second alarm structure fire in the vicinity of Mallow Street, Brookfield. Once on scene, Melton firefighters were tasked with an internal and external attack on the burning structure. A search of the property was conducted once the fire was under control. The Bacchus Marsh fire brigade and Caroline Springs fire brigade were also in attendance.

(Supplied)

Band excited to be back on stage A local music duo are taking their much-loved tribute show around the state after a sold out show in Melton. Madeliene Axiak and her fiancee Richard Nguyen lead the ‘Madz Got Rich’ band and regularly perform at weddings and local events, but recently they added the ‘Goddess of Pop: A Tribute to Cher’ as a new act to their repertoire. On April 1 Witchmount Estate winery in Melton saw the group sell out their latest show and at the end of the month they’ll perform a series of four shows at venues in regional and metropolitan venues. Axiak said the Melton event was the biggest show the group had ever done and they hoped to return next year to make it an

annual tradition. “We would love to be able to do more work within our local area, that would be awesome and we have a really awesome bond with Witchmount Estate as we do a lot of weddings there,” she said. “We really like performing in Melton so it’d be great if we can find more local opportunities for us.” Axiak said she’d been a fan of Cher from a very young age and fell in love with the extravagance of her live concerts. “I always knew that if I was paying tribute to somebody, it would definitely be her because I just love everything that she does,” she said. Axiak met Nguyen 10 years ago when they

were studying music at university and their ‘Cher’ tribute show has been running since 2019. The show includes many costumes, a full band, a colourful light show and backup dancers. Axiak said it was great to see live music goers so happy and feeling a sense of normality after a lack of events during the pandemic. “It’s nice to see people feel that sense of celebration and happiness again being able to be around live music.” Olivia Condous

Missing hikers On Monday April 18, SES Search and Rescue crews, Victoria Police and Parks Victoria rangers conducted a search for five missing hikers in the Lerderderg Gorge. A triple-0 call was made at about 9pm, with the hikers still missing at midnight. Search crews worked through the area on foot and managed to recover the lost hikers and return them to the car park.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

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Careers Expo The City of Melton careers expo is back and face-to-face, with young people and job seekers invited to attend to gain career help and guidance. This free event is an opportunity for family and friends to attend, get some career advice, meet industry professionals and receive quality information regarding tertiary education, employment, traineeship and apprenticeship opportunities. The event will be held on May 3 at in Cobblebank. For more details visit the council website.

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Premier Daniel Andrews with Moorabool mayor Tom Sullivan, Buningyong MP Michaela Settle, Melton MP Steve McGhie and members of the Moorabool community. (Supplied)

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Stadium gets under way

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Construction has begun on a new indoor sports stadium in Bacchus Marsh, as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews attended the building site on Wednesday, April 13 to officially break ground on the project. The stadium is expected to be completed in May 2023 and is stage one of the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC) project, which will also include an indoor aquatic centre and regional bowls facility. The state government has provided $1.9 million for the stadium project through the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund. The building will include four multi-purpose courts suited for basketball, netball, volleyball and Futsal, as well as meeting rooms, a function space, change rooms, a car park and a cafeteria. “This new local stadium will deliver first-class facilities for players and construction will support sixteen jobs,” Mr Andrews said. The project will benefit the more than 1000

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players in the Bacchus Marsh Basketball and Netball Associations and other local sporting clubs, which will be able to use the new courts for training and competition. As reported by Star Weekly, Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association (BMBA) president Wayne Slack said the basketball community is extremely excited about the opportunities the new stadium will bring the sport in the region. “As an association, we have grown well beyond the capacity available with the existing basketball facilities available to the BMBA,” he said. “So we are excited that the new four court facility will enable increased volumes for training, playing and also representative basketball, whilst ensuring the very best in game day conditions for all senior and junior players, coaches and spectators alike.”

Round Rock winery is hosting a free event on Sunday, May 1 for residents to paint a masterpiece while enjoying a beverage and food from the Round Rock Taphouse. With guidance from artists, attendees will create their own artwork to take home. All equipment is provided and spots are limited, register through the City of Melton website.

Disco Bingo The Great Western Hotel in Ballan holds fortnightly Disco Bingo each Thursday, with the next event on April 28. There are prizes to be won and the free event is open to all to attend and enjoy a pub meal. At Dolly’s Disco Bingo, players listen to well known tunes from all eras and mark off Bingo cards when they recognise the song. Bookings are essential. FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Olivia Condous

Print and Online Sales Executive Star Weekly Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic sales executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms. Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future.

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Amazon creates jobs in the west By Olivia Condous Star Weekly took part in an exclusive tour of the new Amazon Australia fulfillment centre in Melton this week. The facility officially opened in August 2021, but was not able to permit visitors until recently due to COVID-19 restrictions. The centre is 37 thousand square metres, equivalent to double the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and employs between 250 to 300 people. The warehouse has the capacity to store about two million items and processes six million items over one year, with high-tech machinery making the fastest delivery times just three hours. The new Melton centre is one of two in Melbourne, open seven days a week and is adorned with a huge ‘#WEST IS BEST’ sign in the entrance area. Amazon Ravenhall fulfilment centre site lead Anna Reid is a resident of the western suburbs and said she was excited to be able to work close to home in a role that would help create more jobs in the area. The centre offers training programs for employees in externally recognised courses to help them build on their skills. “A big part of what we’re focussed on is bringing people in from the local community if they haven’t had warehouse experience,” Ms Reid said. While advanced technology is integral to Amazon operations, Ms Reid said the employees were still vital. “The technology makes it fast but the people make sure it’s done right and check the quality,” she said. In addition to providing more jobs for local residents, the centre also has a focus on using their resources for community outreach.

Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Ravenhall. Pictured are Amazon employees Danielle Winterburne (main) and Mat Oldaker (right).

One of the community programs is Camp Amazon, which provides 100 students from New South Wales and Victoria the opportunity to participate in a two year program to develop their science, technology, engineering and math skills through after school or school holiday workshops. The Melton centre also recently sent 3000 toiletry packs to flood affected communities to help with disaster relief.

Amazon Australia workplace communications manager Jessica Makin said the company always tried hard to be a part of the communities in any place that they operate. “It’s also the community in which our employees live and work and we want to make sure that they feel supported in that way,” she said. Amazon Ravenhall employee Danielle Winterburne said the job provided stability,

(Damjan Janevski) 278499

after she lost her previous work during the pandemic, and had since moved to the western suburbs to be closer to the site. “It’s been fantastic, what I love about this job is that you’re not a number, you’re a human being,” Ms Winterburne said. “It’s just exceeded all the expectations that I have, I love it.” Take a look at the picture gallery above to get an inside look of the Amazon Ravenhall fulfilment centre.

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MY PLACE Terry Manning is a Melton resident who has connections to many of the local groups that bind the community. He has previously served as president of the Melton RSL Sub-branch, the Friends of Melton Botanic Gardens and the Melton Bushwalkers club. Now, at the age of 84, he still partakes in bush walks through the Melton area with the club. Terry spoke to Olivia Condous about his connection to Melton and his love of bushwalking. What’s your connection to Melton? We moved to Melton in 1980 because it was a peaceful quiet town and land prices were reasonable. What do you like about where you live? Although population explosion is diminishing the quality of life, Melton council has provided us with many walking and cycling tracks, and is maintaining and developing our parks and gardens. They are also providing facilities to suit all levels of interest. So on balance, we still have a great place to live. What, if anything, would you change about where you live? I would not change where I live, but I would like for more people to respect our environment and stop dropping litter everywhere and also dumping rubbish along our beautiful creeks.

How did you get involved with Melton Bushwalkers? In 1988 at age 50, whilst serving in the RAAF and having completed two terms as president of the Melton Sub-branch of the RSL, I went with a walking group that had just been set up to promote fitness. A formal committee was to be set up, and I was enjoying the walks, so I took on the president position. We soon converted to a bushwalking club, and I stepped down as president in 2018, at the age of 80. I still continue to lead some of the club walks. What’s your favourite thing about bushwalking? It’s one of the best ways to keep and stay fit. What is the best part about being involved in the club? It improves your social life; you make many new friends; you get to see so much new and varied scenery; and it’s a very enjoyable way to spend a day out. I highly recommend it.

Terry Manning is the previous president of the Melton Bushwalkers club.

(Damjan Janevski) 276940_05

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Where is your favourite local place to spend time? Being a lover of nature, I enjoy spending time in the Melton Botanic Garden, walking our creek tracks and bushwalking in the many local reserves or bush areas around Melton. Having

a coffee in one of Melton’s shopping centres is also most enjoyable.

Three-Year-Old Kinder: the best start for Victorian kids. To dream big, our kids need the best start in life. Enrolments are opening now for Three-Year-Old Kinder in 2023. Children are eligible for between 5 and 15 hours per week of funded Three-Year-Old Kinder, no matter where they live. Find your local kinder program at vic.gov.au/kinder

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Endless versatility to create your unique dream home.

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{ǉɽ Ȉȶ ɽɁʍƺȃ ɽɁ ˎȶǁ Ɂʍɽ ʥȃƃɽԇɰ Ɂȶ Ɂǹǹǉɨ ƃɽ Kʰȶǉɰƹʍɨʰ

tickhomes.com.au

1300 688 222

The building practitioner is Tick Homes trading under the Victorian Builder’s Licence CDB-U 61609. James Hardie weatherboard offer is available to Victorian residents on Tick Homes house and land packages in the Eynesbury estate only. This offer is not applicable with any other offer. Offer is not redeemable for cash or credit and is subject to change without notice. Colours must be selected in accordance with Eynesbury developer guidelines. Images may show upgrade options that may be available at an additional cost and other items not supplied by Tick Homes such as window furnishings, furniture, decorative lighting, fencing and landscaping. Please speak to your New Home Advisor for more information. Tuesday, 26 April, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 9

SECTION STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

26 April 2022

STAY INFORMED

Mayor’s message Cr Goran Kesic

Quickly and easily connect with us online: melton.vic.gov.au facebook.com/cityofmelton Instagram @cityofmeltonofficial

Following the recent launch of our Fix Our Roads campaign, Council has welcomed a commitment from the Federal Labor Party to take the first step towards upgrading the Western Highway.

Join the campaign! 2022 Heritage Festival Serious congestion and safety issues plague City of Melton roads every single day.

Highway, to ensure our residents can get to and from work safely, and get home quicker to spend more time with family.

Years of underinvestment has led to aged, rural-standard, congested roads that are a huge safety concern.

Major works including additional lanes and upgraded interchanges are needed to support the movement of our booming population, reduce long commutes, cut transport costs, and give people more time with family.

That’s why we’ve launched the Fix Our Roads campaign. We’re calling on the State and Federal governments to fund a series of essential road upgrades, including the Western

You can support the Fix Our Roads campaign by signing the petition at fixourroads.com.au

Celebrate the history of the City of Melton at our annual Heritage Festival. This years’ celebrations will also mark the municipality’s 150th anniversary. Running alongside the National Trust Australian Heritage Festival, the festival will recognise the cultural heritage of our First Peoples, as well as the historic buildings, places, landscapes, and stories that contribute to the City of Melton’s history. In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Curiosity’, Melton City Libraries will deliver a series of exciting events, inviting the community to discover and explore different aspects of Melton’s rich heritage and culture.

Winanga Burruguu art exhibition on display Come and explore and celebrate Indigenous culture and heritage through a beautiful new display of traditional Aboriginal artworks at Melton Library and Learning Hub. The Winanga Burruguu exhibition, by emerging Melton artist and proud Kamilaroi woman, Lucy Webster, displays traditional paintings that share Webster’s own cultural heritage. On display at Melton Library until 10 June. Find out more at melton.vic.gov.au/ winangaburruguu

To see the full 2022 Heritage Festival program and book an event, visit melton.vic.gov.au/ heritagefestival

Cambridge Ward with Cr Kathy Majdlik Some very exciting infrastructure projects have been delivered in our community recently, including the extension to the Brookside Community Pavilion in Caroline Springs. The upgrade has delivered a modernised facility, including a large kitchen, increased social space, change room refurbishment including female friendly change rooms, a new meeting room and transformation of the façade. With this new infrastructure in place, we hope to see a greater uptake in sports participation, increasing the activity of local residents and having a positive impact on health and wellbeing. This outstanding project is

the result of a partnership between Council and the Victorian Government, who contributed $850,000 through its Growing Suburbs Fund.

broad range of ideas and needs are considered. You can find out more at conversations.melton.vic.gov.au/ intercultural-strategy

With our community continuing to rapidly grow, it’s important that we understand the challenges and opportunities this diversity brings, which is why Council is developing a new Intercultural Strategy. We want to find ways to ensure everyone feels connected, welcome, and equal. To develop the strategy, we have launched a consultation process and I encourage you to share your ideas and experiences. Your input will help us plan for the future and ensure a

And finally, Council is deep in deliberations for its 2022/2023 Budget, which will be released in May. Keep an eye on our website at melton.vic.gov. au/budget for further information, or follow us on Facebook @cityofmelton You can contact me regarding any Council related matters at kathy.majdlik@melton.vic.gov.au or on 0412 584 058.

The Labor Party has committed, if elected, to invest $10 million in a business case to explore the road needs along the stretch of Western Highway from Melton through to Caroline Springs. The Western Highway is a critical arterial road link that functions as an important economic driver at a metropolitan, state and national level. A business case would provide a clear direction on how to upgrade and future-proof this highway in one of Australia’s fastest growing areas. The Western Highway is an aged, rural standard road that desperately needs more interchanges, overpasses and lanes. Now is the time to invest in the Western Highway and we hope that other major parties will also make strong commitments towards this key road. It’s an opportunity to address a critical need for tens of thousands of daily commuters, including those getting to and from work and those moving goods across the state. And finally, the 2022 Heritage Festival is currently taking place in the City of Melton. Events on throughout the festival include the Melton 150th Anniversary Online Exhibition, a guided walk at the Melton Botanic Garden, a digital legacy workshop, a guided tour of the former Mowbray College, and more. Please feel free to contact me on 0437 241 436 or goran.kesic@melton.vic.gov.au regarding any Council issues.

Your Councillors – Visit melton.vic.gov.au/councillors to find your ward Councillors and their contact details

Mayor Cr Goran Kesic

Deputy Mayor Cr Lara Carli

Cr Steve Abboushi

Cr Moira Deeming

A vibrant, safe and liveable City accessible to all 10 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 26 April, 2022

Cr Kathy Majdlik

Cr Sophie Ramsey

Cr Julie Shannon

Cr Bob Turner

Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

COMMUNITY

Egg-cellent fun at Easter fete City of Melton residents enjoyed some early Easter festivities at the Westwood Easter fete. Dahua Australia hosted the celebrations at the Westwood estate on Saturday, April 9. The main event of the day was the presentation of $2000 cheques as donations to the local CFA group, SES group, Lions Club, Little Athletics and Koala Kids charity. The festivities included live entertainment, activities for kids including an Easter egg hunt, face painting, a petting zoo and a variety of food trucks and eatery outlets. In event marked the official opening of Westwood Park, a new parkland for Fraser Rise locals to enjoy, with mayor Goran Kesic in attendance for the ribbon cutting. Dahua Australia senior development manager Piotr Rutkowski said the company wanted to support the City of Melton’s population growth and give back to the community. “We’re grateful for the support of local leaders and community members, which is why we take great pleasure in giving back to our community by donating to charitable organizations that rely on volunteers,” Mr Rutkowski said.

1/ Young Melton residents enjoyed spending the day with the Easter bunny. 2/ The local fire brigade gained some new young recruits on the day. 3/ An Easter egg hunt was the highlight of the event for young and old. 4/ The Lions Club joined with a classic sausage sizzle. 5/ High-fives all round for Easter! 6/ Mayor Goran Kesic and Melton councillors presented members of the local SES and CFA with donations on behalf of Westwood. (Pictures: Will Hamilton-Coates)

12536811-CG17-22

Tuesday, 26 April, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 11

Here's how you can stay COVIDSafe every day

Wear a mask when required.

Keep windows and doors open.

And get tested if you have any symptoms.

Get your third dose now, to protect yourself and everyone you love.

STAY

COVIDSAFE EVERY DAY CORONAVIRUS.vic.gov.au Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

12 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 26 April, 2022

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

COMMUNITY

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

Melton Friendship Group.

skills. www.u3amelton.com or 0419 563 016

Join the Melton Friendship Group for singles 55 and older. Meet fortnightly for coffee and chat nights and organised affordable outings and events. ■ 0406 493 734

■

Community singing group If you love to sing, come join the Melton Singers. The group rehearses regularly and also performs at aged care facilities. The group is very relaxed and sings songs mainly from the 60’s and 70’s. They meet Tuesdays at 10am. ■ Val, 0418 667 150

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

Rotary Club of Melton

Melton South Knit & Natter John Warren has built a ‘crazy caravan’ and does a lot of passion projects.

(Damjan Janevski)

277115_01

Re-engage, Re-activate, Resilience! play on Tuesdays at 10am. ■ u3amelton.com or 0419 563 016

or without experience. ■ Elaine Greenhall, 0418 171 119 or 0400 052 857

Melton Men’s Probus Club 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

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

Melton Cycling Club 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

Rose Carers Of Maddingley Park 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

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

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

Hume council invites the community to take part in this interactive workshop to support organisations to build resilience and re-activate programs. On Thursday, May 5, 10am-noon at the Goonawarra Community Centre, 20 Dornoch Drive, Sunbury, the workshop will provide insights to take with you to your group, with opportunities to learn what support is available. ■ https://bit.ly/3vcvSpK

Sunbury kangaroo count Get involved in the annual Sunbury Kangaroo Count in the early morning of Sunday, May 1. Keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, koala and feral goats, pigs and deer, too! ■ robert.irvine614@gmail.com

Free TEBO Neck Massager* Worth $249.00 12546425-SN17-22

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

The Rotary Club of Melton invites new guests to join its meetings, held on the first and third Tuesday of every month, 6pm at Tabcorp Park in Melton. ■ meltonrotary@gmail.com

Tuesday, 26 April, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 13

BEHIND THE NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

New mum faces a battle for life It’s supposed to be the happiest time in a pregnant woman’s life, bringing a healthy newborn baby home as a mum for the first time. For Katie Potts, the elation was abruptly and painfully cut short. Fatima Halloum talks to Katie about an illness that affects an estimated 15,540 Australians a year.

ot many people would describe being pregnant as “really enjoyable”, but Werribee’s Katie Potts does. “All my blood tests and observations and everything was all perfect the whole way through,” she said. “I barely had morning sickness, I was energetic, I went to the Foo Fighters a week before [my son] was born, It was the smoothest pregnancy you could possibly ask for.” On March 14, Katie brought her son Magnus into the world and instantly became enraptured with him. “I was in that newborn bubble, he’s everything you could dream of, just everything you want when you give birth.” Katie said. The bubble popped a week later, when Katie began feeling unwell. “I thought it was potentially postnatal depression just because ... I just had a baby and emotions are going everywhere and hormones and all that sort of stuff,” she said. But as Katie grew weaker day by day she began to sense what she experienced couldn’t just be normal new parent exhaustion.

‘‘

I just had a baby and was ready to start the next stage of our life. It was pretty devastating

’’

- Katie Potts

“I still kind of thought it was in my head and then three weeks after he was born, I came to stay with my parents and that’s when we went to the doctors,” she said. Katie’s blood test results showed irregular liver function and she was rushed to hospital. “They thought there was an infection, for three days they were looking for infection and then they sent me for a CT and that’s when the bad news came,” she said. The bad news was a diagnosis that was both inoperable and incurable. “I was in disbelief when they said ‘unfortunately we’ve found that you’ve got cancer’. In my head, I was kind of like ‘it’s only a little bit of cancer, like it would be operable and it’d be fine’, but then obviously, my world was turned upside down pretty quickly,” Katie said. Katie’s stage four bowel cancer had spread to her liver and she would need to undergo 12 rounds of chemotherapy. “I just had a baby and was ready to start the next stage of our life. It was pretty devastating,” she said. “My initial thought was ‘cry’ and then I was like, ‘alright, I’m gonna beat this’ because I have to. I’ve got this brand new baby who needs his mum and I’ve got so much life to live.” Katie said she’s tried to keep positive and believes she can beat the odds. “Obviously, there’s been some moments of tears but mostly just trying to stay positive because I think if your mind gives up, your body sort of follows,” she said. “Life is just beginning really. I’ve got so much to live for, not just for Magnus but for everyone including myself.” To give Katie and her family physical and financial respite, her friend Jess started a GoFundMe page to help raise money. In the seven days the page has been online, Katie has received more than $35,000 in donations and support from loved ones and empathetic strangers. “It’s so humbling, there’s been such an outpouring from my work, from my friends, from my family, people that I haven’t heard from since primary school, I’ve been lost for words really,” Katie said. 14 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 26 April, 2022

Katie Potts and baby Magnus together in hospital.

(Supplied)

Jess has known Katie for more than 10 years and knows from when her own father was unwell how much of toll financial stress can have. “I just thought if there’s anything that can make life easier for Katie and for Ben and especially for Magnus, that’s something I knew that a lot of people would want to do,” Jess said. “So many people, I’m sure have said to her, ‘if there’s anything you need’ and I just wanted to give people an avenue to help and to do something.” Jess said although the support has been overwhelming, it wasn’t surprising. “I knew that there would be a lot of people that wanted to be there for her but I think it’s still quite overwhelming to see where it’s gotten so far,” Jess said.

Katie says she hopes people learn from her story and don’t hesitate to seek professional advice. “I’m very diligent with my health and there were really no signs that I was unwell. That makes it really hard, because bowel screening in Australia is not until you’re 50,” Katie said. “But I just think even if people have a little niggle, don’t question it, just go to the doctor.” Katie encourages people to live their lives like tomorrow isn’t a given. “Especially the last two years when we’ve been in lockdown, it’s been a hard fog to come out of but I think life is not guaranteed, and I just want people to get out there and take all those opportunities and look after themselves,” she said.

Katie and Ben enjoying their new parenthood with son Magnus. (Supplied)

PUZZLES

5 4

6 3 2 7 8

DOWN Go by ship (4) Water fowl (9)

1 2

medium

DECODER

No. 078

3 9 4

6 1 5

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

1 9

1 5 7 6 8 5 9 2 4

8 7 5 6 4 8 6 3 2

10 11 12 13

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

K X R H ZMG E T P L D J K X

3 LETTERS AMP DNA EEL EMU FAD GEE GET GIT HUN IMP LAS NON OUR PAD RED ROO RUN SAC SET TAR THE VAN WAN WAR

ADDER AFIRE AIDES ALIVE ANELE AREAS ARISE ASIDE BERET BLADE BLUSH CARAT EGEST ELATE ENEMA ENTER ERICA EUROS FORGE HOUSE INERT INNER

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: 17 words: Good 26 words: Very good

2 8 6 5 9 1 4 3 7

6 1 9 4 2 7 5 8 3

4 8 5 6 9 3 7 2 1

2 7 3 5 8 1 9 6 4

7 9 6 8 1 2 3 4 5

35 words: Excellent

5 4 8 9 3 6 1 7 2

1 3 4 2 7 8 6 5 9

9 6 7 3 4 5 2 1 8

8 5 2 1 6 9 4 3 7

8 4 3 2 1 6 9 7 5

5 7 2 9 8 4 6 3 1

9 6 1 3 7 5 8 2 4

7 9 4 1 5 8 3 6 2

1 8 6 4 3 2 5 9 7

T N

F I

1 3 4 2 7 8 9 6 5

7 9 5 4 6 3 1 8 2

6 1 8 9 2 7 5 4 3

4 LETTERS BEDS ERIN HIFI HREF NASA PLEA RHEA RIGA ROME SCAB STEP STET STIR TERM 5 LETTERS ABASE ACUTE

No. 078 Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

QUICK QUIZ

2 3 5 6 9 7 1 4 8

6 1 8 7 2 3 4 5 9

3 5 7 8 4 9 2 1 6

A U N T

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

H A U

S E

8 LETTERS CENTERED IMPRISON INTIMATE LICENSED

7 LETTERS ADDED UP CREATOR OILSEED ROTUNDA RUPTURE UNUSUAL

11 LETTERS ACCESSORIES TRANSPARENT

Which country makes the bulk of the world’s zippers?

What year was construction of the Sydney Opera House completed?

What is the name of the contact sport based on formation roller skating around a track?

The interrobang was created to combine which two punctuation marks?

What is the more common name for melaleuca oil?

Does a koala (pictured) have fingerprints?

Borzoi, dunker and mudi are all breeds of what animal?

2 3

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

6 LETTERS DETERS OSTEND SWEDEN UNWRAP

INTER LINER MARGE MEETS MENUS NASAL OVERT PASTA RECUR SCALP SEETO SMITH SNAPS SONNY SPREE SWART SYRUP TIGER TONER UNION VISOR WAFER

29-04-22

9 4 2 3 5 6 7 1 8

5 7 3 8 1 4 2 9 6

4 6 1 7 3 2 8 5 9

3 5 7 1 8 9 6 2 4

8 2 9 6 4 5 3 7 1

4 2 9 5 6 1 7 8 3

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

defer, deft, defter, drift, feed, feet, fete, feted, fetid, fidget, fight, fighter, fire, fired, firth, free, freed, freight, FREIGHTED, fret, fried, fright, gift, gifted, grief, heft, hefted, heftier, heifer, reef, refit, rife, rift, rifted, thief

3 2 1 7 5 4 8 9 6

hard

medium

easy

9-LETTER WORD

No. 078

A R E A S

UWQ A B V Y O F S N I C

4 7

5x5

WORDFIT

Liechtenstein is bordered by one country to the east and one to the west. Which countries are they? What animals were sent into space before monkeys, mice and dogs?

10 What is a quinzhee? ANSWERS: 1. Dogs 2. Japan 3. Roller derby 4. East, Austria; west, Switzerland 5. Fruit flies 6. 1973 7. The question mark and the exclamation mark 8. Tea tree oil 9. Yes 10. A shelter made from a pile of settled snow

A S I D E

1 8 4 9 6 7

19 22 23 24

C A R A T

3 5 6

S N A P S

5 7 9 1 6

A N E L E

7 3

B E R E T

8 3 6 4

S W A R T W A F E R E R I C A A D R U N D E T E R S D N A P E R H E A D S O U R U P T U R E P R I S O N E G E S T G E E E R O M E T H V A N I N E R T F O R G E I N T E R

B L U S H L I N E R A C U T E I D E S F M E N U S P S A C E L A T B E R E D R O R T I R I M U N I O N N G I T D A L I V A N S M I A R E A S S E E T O A D D E R

5 6 7 8 9 14 16 17

L P A L S E A P A M S E T E A T S T H U E N W E R M A U P

easy

Relating to sacred matters (9) Short piece of writing (5) Highest rank (inf.) (7) Mix (5) Towards the rising sun (9) Prefix meaning half (4) Provider of information (9) US state (9) Feeling a strong affection (9) Landed properties (7) Seance board (5) Jesus’ mother, in Latin (5) Sporting side (4) Timberdressing tool (4)

ACROSS 1 Footwear (4) 3 Professed (10) 10 Middle Eastern national (7) 11 Dinners (7) 12 Ease of being led (8) 13 Bestow (5) 14 Persia (4) 15 Agent of sales (10) 18 Country of origin (10) 20 Admirers (4) 21 Sleeping-place (5) 23 Masters (8) 26 Pilot (7) 27 Traumatised (7) 28 Interpreted (10) 29 Brink (4)

No. 078

T O N E R

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.

QUICK CROSSWORD

S O N N Y

No. 078

A C C E S S O R I E S

SUDOKU

Tuesday, 26 April, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 15

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SPORTS QUIZ 4. The Australian men's cricket team's new coach, Andrew McDonald, played his first-class career for which state?

1. The 2022 Commonwealth Games is being held in which English city in July and August? 2. And which South African city was originally awarded the Games, but had to withdraw due to financial issues?

12. Which Australian cricketer was recently admitted to hospital in India after a positive COVID-19 test? 13. Retired NFL star Marshawn Lynch is a minority owner of which NHL team?

5. Which soccer club famously won the English Premier League championship in 2015-16 against all odds?

3. How many teams compete in the Super Netball competition?

Mashawn Lynch

14. In their recent Asian Champions League debut, which A-League Men's team drew 1-1 with Thailand's BG Pathum United?

6. In Formula One, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix used to be known by what name?

15. In what place did Australia's men's national rugby sevens team finish at the 2022 Canada Sevens tournament?

7. In the NRL, Craig Bellamy has been the coach of the Melbourne Storm since which year? 8. In the AFL, top-four contenders Fremantle Dockers have made the finals how many times in its 26-year history? 9. Which aggressive English batsman has scored two centuries so far in the Indian Premier League cricket tournament?

16. Former NBA player God Shammgod is now a player development coach with which NBA team? 17. Which state did the Western Australia men's cricket team defeat to win the 2021-22 Sheffield Shield Final? 18. Lachie Hunter last played for which AFL club?

10. What does the term 'southpaw' mean, which is used particularly in American sports? 11. Who is the captain of Perth Glory's A-League Women's team?

21. Who is the only winless side on the AFL ladder after five rounds?

27. In what month will the 2022 Australian MotoGP race take place?

22. Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for which Premier League team?

28. What energy drink sponsors sporting teams in New York, Leipzig and Salzburg?

23. Which two non-Victorian teams are entering the AFL Women's competition next season? 24. What sport is Ash Barty taking part in a legends tournament in June?

19. In what year did golfer Jack Newton win the Men's Australian Open?

25. In what year will the Commonwealth Games be hosted by regional Victorian cities?

20. Which team did the Sydney Roosters defeat 16-4 to win the 2021 NRLW Grand Final?

26. What was the nickname of the short-lived Rugby Super League team based in Adelaide?

29. The Penrith Panthers recently announced that coach Ivan Cleary and co-captain Nathan Cleary have both re-signed with the team until the end of what season? 30. Crease, raking the ball and slashing are all terms used in what sport?

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MOTOR STARWEEKLY.COM.AU Sporting lines of the new Subaru BRZ work well. (Pictures: Supplied)

Subaru introduces ‘neat’ coupe By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring

emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and reverse emergency braking. The BRZ has no fewer than seven airbags; front, side, and head, plus driver’s knee.

Unusually these days the BRZ has a full-size spare wheel. Pretty handy if you’re considering track days and need to carry extra spares. The two rear seats are all but useless for adults. Which is hardly a complaint considering this is a small sports coupe. Kids can travel in them but if you’re planning to do so frequently make sure to take them along on your test drive before deciding to buy a BRZ. I’m tall in the body and found the headroom to be less than I like, so didn’t have the driver’s seat set as close to the floor as I normally would. If you’re considering buying a BRZ to drive on track days there’s a further problem when you wear a crash helmet. As I’ve said before, try before you buy and don’t forget the skid lid. The sales guys at the dealership may find it odd when you turn up for a test drive - or perhaps see it as a compliment to their car. The front bucket seats provide comfort for normal day to day use and have good lateral support for hard driving. Even driving the BRZ on sealed country road it feels nice and solid. One bumpy dirt roads it’s perhaps stiffer than passengers would like. The driver has the steering wheel to help support them and it’s better. We didn’t drive on dirt roads as the BRZ isn’t likely to be sold to anyone who’s in that sort of country. The larger engine has consistent torque through the rev range and this helps to provide a notable jump in responsiveness. The engine’s smooth and quiet at in normal driving speeds, only when you get up to higher revs does it have the definite beat of a boxer engine. Owners love that. Tyre noise is low on smooth roads but can become quite noisy when the roads are moderately rough you certainly feel the sounds rise, acceptable for a sporty car.

Driving

Summing up

The official fuel consumption is 9.5L/100km for the manual and 8.8L/100km for the automatic. We averaged 10.0 litres per hundred in the manual and 9.3 in the auto. It needs to run on premium unleaded 98 RON petrol which is often sold at 15 to 20 cents more per litre in our home areas of Brisbane and the Gold Coast - which is a major rip-off.

Subaru BRZ is something out of the ordinary these days - which is good to see in these times gas guzzling pickups and SUVs. It has excellent handling plenty of poke from the engine, particularly when it has a manual gearbox sitting behind it. Would I buy on? Probably not, because my ageing knees don’t like getting in and out of this low-slung machine.

In a time when gas-guzzling pickup trucks and SUVs are dominating sales in Australia it’s great to see that Subaru has introduced the next generation of its neat little BRZ coupe. And it’s a proper sports machines in that it’s driven by the rear wheels, not the front. More about that in a moment.

Styling The original design was very successful so Subaru has been smart in sticking to a similar shape. But it’s not just about looks, the new model not only looks great but is also more aerodynamic. All the vents, fins, and spoilers are functional, working to reduce turbulence.

Interior Cabin storage is rather limited, again because this is quite a small coupe. There’s only a single drink holder in the manual due to tight space on the console and room that’s taken up by the gear lever. Automatic models have two centre console drink holders. There are small bottle holders in each door. A split-folding centre console box houses a 12V outlet, while USB ports are under the climate functions. The boot volume is just 201 litres as measured by Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) standards. This standard is generally regarded as more accurate than the SAE measurements used by most car makers.

Infotainment Subaru BRZ has an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in sat-nav. The speakers provide good quality sound during normal driving but can be drowned out a bit when on rough roads and on concrete motorways.

Engines / Transmissions The Subaru flat-four boxer engine is a 2.4-litre unit, up by 20 percent in capacity over the previous model. The result is 174kW of power and up to 250Nm of torque. Transmissions are a six-speed torque converter automatic or six-speed manual. Both 18 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 26 April, 2022

AT A GLANCE MODEL RANGE BRZ 2.4-litre two-door coupe: $38,990 (manual), $42,790 (automatic) BRZ S 2.4-litre two-door coupe: $40,190 (manual), $43,990 (automatic)

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

have been revised from their predecessors, to not only handle the extra power and torque, but also to provide smoother shifts. Unusually, we were given two cars to test for one week each, manual and automatic. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a Torsen limited-slip differential. This is the only Subaru that doesn’t have all-wheel-drive, which is a major selling point of the company. Seems like Toyota had the most powerful argument about this.

Safety The Subaru stereo-camera-based EyeSight safety is now in the BRZ. Active safety functions are automatic

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

SPORT

United on track to make history By Max Hatzoglou Western United has secured a spot in the A-League Men finals and set themselves up to make history this season, after a promising 2-0 win over Macarthur in Tasmania last Tuesday. The win puts United two points behind Melbourne City in second position on the ladder with a game in hand, giving them a chance to finish on top for the first time since joining the competition in 2019. Coach John Aloisi was excited about what his team can achieve this season. “It’s exciting to be where we are, that’s for sure,” Aloisi said post-game. “We know that we’re definitely going to finish in the top three now with the amount of points we have and we’re only two points behind City with a game in hand. “Obviously the next game is the most important because that’s the Mariners away

United striker Aleksandar Prijovic has scored nine times this season. (Supplied)

in 10 days time so it gives us a bit of a break mentally and physically to prepare for that game. “At the beginning of preseason, we said that we want to be very competitive, that we want to be there fighting for something at the end of the season, and we’ve given ourselves an

opportunity now with one week to go and three games to play in that week. “We will make sure that we’re ready for the next game against the Mariners, but also enjoy this game here and the last four days that we’ve had in Tasmania, because it was big for us.” Prior to United’s most recent back to back wins in Tasmania, it suffered a shock 4-1 defeat to Wellington Phoenix in Ballarat which left question marks on the team’s potential this season. Aloisi spoke about the importance of his team responding to the loss. “A lot of doubt crept in, not so much in the team, more on the outside about, are we good enough to really compete when we lost 4-1 to Wellington, but the boys wanted to show that they are good enough and the reaction has been brilliant from them,” he said. The former Socceroo also said the loss was a good wake up call heading into finals.

“You don’t want to be going into the finals, just scraping through and just getting there,” he said. “We want to go there in good form so we needed that poor performance to actually go, ‘you know what, we need to make sure that we’re focused each game, preparing well the whole week’. “And we do, just that game we let her intensity down a little bit so that’s why it was so pleasing the last two games and at times tonight, we needed to dig deep and we showed that resilience that we showed earlier in the season. “So we were happy, we know that we’re going to go into that final week in good form and feeling good about the way we’re performing.” After finishing last season with eight-straight losses, Aloisi also credited his players for creating an “amazing” culture this season and for buying into the new system as they strive to win their first title.

Melton South look to be competitive after loss Melton South coach Heath Pritchard is looking for more competitiveness from his side after losing the opening game of the season by 80 points to neighbouring club Melton in the Ballarat Football League. “At the moment after losing the first game by 80 points, our only goal is to actually be really competitive in the next few weeks,” Pritchard said. “Obviously, we’re going to try and turn that around really quick and start winning some games of footy and if we can get on a roll, we’ll see where it eventuates but at the moment our biggest focus is to be really competitive as a

group in the way we go about playing our footy.” Reflecting on the game, Pritchard gave credit to opposition side Melton but was pleased with what his side were able to produce at times. “Look obviously Melton are a really good side that have been in the top three in the last five or six years so we obviously wanted to be more competitive than what we were so we’re a bit disappointed with that,” he said. “We thought there were parts in the game that we played really well but unfortunately when they got on top of us at different times, they really put us to the sword. “Dylan Jones played in the ruck and did a

Melton South Seniors. (Supplied)

really good job so that makes a difference to us having a really good ruckman in the team. “So we’re looking forward to our on-ballers being able to gel with him going forward.”

Pritchard said local clubs had been challenged in retaining players due to covid and welcomed players who were interested in playing to join the club. “Anyone’s always welcome to come down and train, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “Obviously, once the season starts numbers tend to be pretty good but with things like Covid, injuries and all those different things, you can never have too many people playing for your club.” Results: https://meltonmoorabool. starweekly.com.au/sport/ Max Hatzoglou

Respect is calling out your mate’s sexist jokes. Respect women. Call it out.

To learn more respectvictoria.vic.gov.au

Tuesday, 26 April, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 19

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