Star Weekly - Melton Moorabool - 21st June 2022 by Star Weekly

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21 JUNE, 2022

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Green thumb generation Multiple primary schools and early learning centres in Melton and Moorabool are being supported to bring to life new sustainability projects, to help kids learn about looking after the environment. In the latest round of the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants, two primary schools and two early learning centres in Melton and Bacchus Marsh were awarded up to $1000 to develop projects focussed on sustainable food production and waste management practices. Through the new projects, local pupils will learn new skills to help them grow to become eco-friendly green thumbs. ■

Story: Page 9

Strathtulloh Primary School pupils Adit, Skylah, Annabella and Enzo are excited to grow their community garden. (Damjan Janevski) 285220_01

Big drop in drug crime By Olivia Condous The crime rate across Melton and Moorabool has dropped significantly in the year to March, 2022, according to latest Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) data. The total number of recorded criminal offences fell 13 per cent in the City of Melton, in the year to March. According to the data, there were 13,993 criminal offences recorded in the 12 months to March, 2021, and 12,103 recorded in the same period this year. Despite the overall decrease in crime, burglary and robbery offences increased in

Melton over the 12 month period, by 13 and 32 per cent respectively. There was a 33 per cent drop in drug related offences recorded, marking the lowest amount recorded over the past seven years. Weapons and explosives offences also dropped by 25 per cent. While the crime rate overall dropped, some suburbs in the area did experience increases. Caroline Springs had a 10 per cent increase in assault offences and an 82 per cent jump in burglary, breaking and entering offences from 33 to 62 recorded. Bonnie Brook and Deanside experienced increases in thefts recorded, with 50 and 39

more offences respectively recorded compared to the previous 12 months. The total number of recorded offences in Diggers Rest also increased by 18 per cent. Melton Inspector Lisa Prentice-Evans acknowledged while crime was down in the Melton local government area, police were committed to providing a high visible presence to deter offending. “Most crime categories have recorded decreases, with robberies in the Melton area being slightly increased,” she said. “It should be noted that most offenders committing these robberies are identified quickly and we ensure that victims are provided

welfare support. “We are actively running enforcement operations to disrupt and deter offending, while also focusing on early intervention initiatives to deter people away from crimes.” In Moorabool , there was a 22 per cent decrease in the total criminal offences recorded. The larger towns in the region individually experienced a significant reduction in crime, with a 36 per cent decrease overall in Bacchus Marsh and a 53 per cent drop in Ballan. However, across the whole shire there was a 19 per cent increase in drug offences and a 55 per cent increase in stalking and harassment crimes recorded.

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2 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

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Residents stranded on ‘island’ By Olivia Condous Residents of a Melton suburb are fed up with the lack of facilities and road infrastructure that has left them stranded on an “island” estate that has extremely poor accessibility. While Thornhill Park estate is located directly next to the Western Highway, there is no overpass or interchange, so residents are forced to sit in highway traffic to simply go to the supermarket. Resident Maria Evans said this meant she needed 40 minutes to go to the shops. “You can’t duck down to the shops for five minutes, you need a good 40 minutes,” she said.

“I’m a single mum with two kids, it’s just not that easy to get them in the car to quickly go to the shops.” The estate was established more than six years ago and the majority of the facilities advertised on promotional maps of the area are still labeled as ‘future’, including the proposed Thornhill Park train station. “We’re like an island and because there’s nothing on that island and you have to get out, and to get out it’s just very inconvenient,” Ms Evans said. A petition on Change.org protesting the lack of road infrastructure has amassed more than 1500 signatures.

Thornhill Park estate was developed by Wel.Co, and founding and managing director Andrew Welsh said all information provided to purchasers regarding the estate had been accurate and it was the state government’s responsibility to deliver infrastructure. “No resident has been or could be misled as the position has been properly explained and residents understand and are aware that the train station and highway interchange are infrastructure projects that can only be delivered by the government,” Mr Welsh said. “Wel.Co shares residents’ concerns and frustrations at delays in the Victorian

government delivering government-led infrastructure.” A Victorian government spokesperson said investments in major projects were being made as more people moved to Melbourne’s west. “The brand new Cobblebank train station is a short distance from Thornhill Park estate, and thanks to the Ballarat Line Upgrade there’s hundreds more trains each week, arriving every 20 minutes during the peak. “We will continue to work closely with the Department of Transport, local councils and the community to ensure the transport network meets the needs of the growing community.”

Grants to help sustainably manage waste

Morgans IGA Melton managing director Neal Morgan is taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to support people experiencing homelessness. (Supplied)

Sleep out in the cold for a cause A Melton business leader is making a statement in support of those who are experiencing homelessness by sleeping out in the cold. Morgan’s IGA Melton managing director Neal Morgan is taking part in Vinnies CEO Sleepout, a fundraiser that has chief executives, business owners as well as community and government leaders sleep outside during winter and raise money to donate to St Vincent de Paul. Mr Morgan said he was motivated to take part after witnessing “very confronting” homelessness in his own community. “In recent years our business has been

confronted with rough sleepers in nearby amphitheatres, parks and gardens, and it became apparent to me that the solution isn’t as simple as moving them on,” Mr Morgan said. “There is a deeper issue that needs to be addressed by the entire community to help these people from the outset.” Mr Morgan will take part in the in-person event on June 23 in Port Melbourne, where attendees will learn about homelessness from first-hand accounts before sleeping outside in the cold. “I have no expectations and I’m prepared

NEW

for a reality check,” Mr Morgan said. He has raised $6125 so far for the cause through his page on the Vinnies CEO Sleepout website. The money raised from the CEO Sleepout will go towards helping to provide those who are experiencing homelessness with crisis accommodation, food, healthcare, counselling, education, employment and support to find a permanent home. “As a community, we need to get to the root of the problem,” Mr Morgan said.

Melton and Moorabool council are being supported to sustainably manage waste in new ways with grants from the state government. The councils were among 30 Victorian councils that received a share in $630,000 through the latest round of the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund Grants, through Sustainability Victoria. The grants aim to fund projects that support the reduction of waste to landfill, transitioning towards a circular economy and working on new methods for recycling materials. Melton council received $20,000 to create a business case for the Melton Recycling Facility that will document the benefits of the circular economy whilst identifying risks, opportunities and strategic partnerships. Moorabool council was also granted $20,000 to evaluate waste management sites, management scenarios, markets for sourcing and selling material, as well as the cost and benefits of introducing a resale shop. Victorian Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the state government was more invested than ever before in Victoria’s waste and recycling system. “We’re supporting local councils with new ideas on how we can cut back waste, protecting the environment and creating local jobs,” Ms D’Ambrosio said. “We’re working together to provide practical solutions that will benefit more communities and residents.” Olivia Condous

Olivia Condous

and sports balls that float

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Run a small business? Free advice is available. The Victorian Government is supporting you with business advice, financial counselling and mental health support from Headway – the free, small business wellbeing initiative.

Get your free advice at business.vic.gov.au/Headway Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.

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4 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

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Minister’s stance good for pool By Olivia Condous Moorabool council has supported Regional Development Minister Catherine King’s call to review federal funding commitments on a merit basis, in order to restore integrity. Ms King said that every funding commitment the Labor party made in the lead up to the election for community projects will be subject to a merits review, in order to ensure it will deliver value for money. “We are determined to end the cycle of waste

and rorts that has turned so many Australians off politics,” Ms King said. “We will consider funding proposals on their merits.” A release from Moorabool council stated chief executive Derek Madden welcomed the announcement from Ms King, as it was good news for the council’s advocacy for an indoor pool in Bacchus Marsh. “Our indoor pool project has very significant council funding, with $15 million committed, and has state government funding of $10

million,” he said. “It has been fully scoped and designed, so it definitely stacks up against some of the proposed pool projects throughout the country. “There are pool projects where the local council is committing minimal funds but expecting massive government commitments, so we feel the review is timely and will highlight the strength of our proposal.” Mr Madden said the council was willing to match funding commitments from the government and felt that, due to the fact there

was no existing indoor pool in the shire, the project would meet the conditions of any audits by the minister. The council is advocating for an indoor pool as part of the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC) project, which will consist of an indoor sports stadium, regional bowls facility and an indoor aquatic centre. The total cost of the project would be $52 million, with phase one expected to be completed in May next year.

Winter wonderland fun A month-long winter wonderland festival is coming to Eynesbury, for the community to revel in some school holiday winter fun. The Eynesbury Winter Festival will warm the west from June 24 to July 24, with a celebration for all ages. The free-entry festival will include an ice-skating rink, food trucks, magic shows, family-friendly movies, Disney character parties and trivia nights. There will be daily events for the duration of the school holidays and each Friday, Saturday and Sunday once classes return. Attendees can warm up at the Winter Village Square fire pits, take a spin on the ice-skating rink while a DJ plays groovy tunes, enjoy Micky Magic’s tricks or test their trivia knowledge at Ms Peacock’s Restaurant and Bar. The festival will also include a special solstice celebration on July 16, which will feature a bonfire, African drummers, fire performers and a fireworks display.

The festival is hosted by Resimax Property Group, who manage the housing estate in Eynesbury. Resimax Group chief executive Steve Hooker said the festival is part of the estate’s ongoing commitment to creating a calendar of events for residents to enjoy and showcasing the community to visitors. “Everyone is welcome to join us for the fun program of activities, you don’t need to be a resident to enjoy the action,” Mr Hooker said. “At Eynesbury we love bringing people together and there are so many awesome events to choose from.” Details: https://eynesbury.com.au Olivia Condous

Ice skaters enjoying the fun at Eynesbury Winter Festival last year. (Supplied)

We’re building big in Sunbury and there will be transport disruptions As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re upgrading the Sunbury Line and removing the Gap Road level crossing. We’re also upgrading Sunbury Road, reducing congestion and making it easier to get around.

Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions Sunbury Line

Until last train 29 June Sunshine to Sunbury

Road disruptions: Closed road and lanes Gap Rd/Station St, Sunbury

Until October

Road closed between Horne Street and Evans Street

Sunbury Road, Sunbury

At times, in June

Lanes closed between Powlett Street and Bulla Diggers Rest Road

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

1762

Find a detailed list of disruptions at bigbuild.vic.gov.au/sunburyworks

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 5

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Local club fighting for a cause close to home Local support for the fight against motor neurone disease (MND) continues this month, with the Rockbank Football Sporting Club holding a Big Freeze event on Saturday, June 25. The Western Rams will play the Romsey Redbacks as part of a fundraising event for MND Victoria, in support of club member Ron Lalli-Cafini who is battling the disease. Stephan Lalli-Cafini said the community support his family had received for his dad was “overwhelming”, but he was thrilled everyone was getting behind the cause. “Everyone says, footy clubs are brothers … the way the community gets behind it, it’s overwhelming to say the least,” Mr Lalli-Cafini said. Ron Lalli-Cafini has a long-standing history with the club, having played 200 games and also working as an umpire for the club, earning life membership status. His son said that he hoped the Western Rams could score a win on the day to make his dad extra happy. “Hopefully, we can jab one or two wins in the footy, I think that’ll give dad a bit of a bit of a pep.” The event will finish up with the classic Big Freeze slide, with many club members taking the freezing ice plunge to show their support. “I think the main highlight is going to be the slide, just everyone getting around each other and having a good laugh,” Mr Lalli-Cafini said. Western Rams senior coach Marty Weaver said it was important to the club to support a good cause. “The fact that Ron’s been diagnosed with MND, myself and Stephan decided it would be really good to throw a day together for him,”

Briefs School holiday programs The winter school holidays are fast-approaching and parents are encouraged to book in early to reserve places in school holiday programs. The City of Melton Vacation Care program will run at Bridge Road Children’s and Community Centre for primary aged children. Bookings are also now open for Melton libraries program of free kid-friendly activities. Activities are also available at Cobblebank Stadium Caroline Springs Leisure Centre and council community centres, with bookings open now. Te Moorabool council will also run several school holiday activities for kids to enjoy. For more information, visit the council website.

Diggers Rest magical weekend

Western Rams assistant coach Phil Hoyland with club lifetime member Ron Lalli-Cafini.

A family fun weekend of events will run on June 25 and 26, including a free children’s magic workshop, a pop-up magic show with interactive music act, giant games, free face painting and a dinner show spectacular. The Magical Morning Kids Workshop will teach participants how to do their own magic tricks and the magical afternoon pop up show will be held at Cradle Road Park, with special guests Mr Tails and Drongo and the Crow. Residents can book in for the events via the City of Melton website.

(Supplied)

“People are really jumping on and supporting the day, so it’s going to be quite big.” The club will be selling special hoodies on the day, with all proceeds to be donated to MND Victoria.

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

Olivia Condous

Sent – 15th Feb

Sent – 23rd Feb

Getting there.

Glad I’m back!

Eliza (work) – 1st Feb

Eliza (work) – 20th Feb

How are you?

See you soon.

The sooner you get in touch after an injury, the better the return to work journey. If you’re recovering from a psychological or physical workplace injury, or if you are an employer supporting an injured worker, make contact as soon as possible. It just takes a few simple words to make a big difference. The sooner, the better. worksafe.vic.gov.au/thesoonerthebetter

6 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

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Healing continues 12 months on By Olivia Condous

Andrew Phillips’ home was surrounded by fallen trees after the storm. (Supplied) Right: Workers tirelessly cleared fallen tree debris after the storm. (Moorabool Shire Council)

Blackwood CFA captain Ross Hall said while recovery was still ongoing, the issues the storm had exposed with power supply and telecommunications meant that improvements were being made as a result. “There’s been a power issue with our telephone exchange for many years now, but Telstra have come on board and we think we’re going to be able to get around it,” he said. “Things are looking better, it pushed things along.” Council will host two events for residents to connect over the anniversary, with community gatherings and the launch of the Storm Recovery Book. The book consists of a collection of stories, interviews and photos put together by the council storm recovery team to document the

journey over the last 12 months. On June 19 there will be a community catch up at Blackwood Recreation Reserve from 11am to 3pm and another at the Korweinguboora Recreation Reserve on June 26 at the same time. The events will provide residents with a chance to chat to representatives from emergency services and recovery agencies, as well as a free spit roast lunch, face painting, activities for kids and a free copy of the Storm Recovery Book. Moorabool chief executive Derek Madden said the community gatherings were important in acknowledging the major impact the June storm had. “These events are a chance for the storm impacted community to catch up with emergency service responders and recovery

agencies one year on,” Mr Madden said. “We appreciate that recovery is still ongoing, and there is further work to be done. The Storm Recovery team are working on future projects to further support impacted communities.” The Storm Recovery Book was designed to give community members a creative outlet for their storm stories and experiences. “With more than 1000 properties affected across our shire, this book acknowledges the collective impact the storm had on our community, and the ongoing recovery journey,” Mr Madden said. “As storm recovery funding is still being announced by the State Government, Moorabool’s Storm Recovery Team will continue to apply for funding to assist our communities on the recovery journey.”

Small acts make a big impact. Remembering to take your reusable water bottle when you leave home helps reduce plastic waste ending up in landfill. Find your small act today at sustainability.vic.gov.au/small-acts-big-impact

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Moorabool council and residents are commemorating the one-year anniversary of wind storms that devastated the region on the evening of June 9, 2021. The storm impacted many residents’ properties and homes and caused more than 1000 homes to lose power and phone services for more than 24 hours. The following 12 months was an intense recovery process, with council, emergency services and recovery agencies working to restore the community. Korweinguboora resident Andrew Phillips said one of the most difficult challenges after the storm was the psychological recovery. “Winds at night still spook us, we use earplugs on most windy days,” Mr Phillips said. He said it was hard in the lead up to June 9, the date that marked the one year anniversary of the storm, but it felt good to get past it. “The psychological recovery is still continuing, but it’s improving compared to six months ago, it’s better now.” Mr Phillips said one of the positives that came out of the experience was becoming close friends with his neighbours. “These things remind you of people’s generosity, we catch up with them all the time now,” he said. “They’ve become our best friends in the community and we helped each other with the clean up and recovery, it’s brought the whole community closer.” Mr Phillips also said the council provided a lot of support to help them with their recovery journey. “We got a lot of assistance from the council, they checked on us a lot to see how we were doing and offered us psychological support networks and help to take down some trees.”

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne. 12551293-HC25-22

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ADVERTORIAL

Specsavers launches new hearing care service in Melton Hearing loss affects approximately 10,355 people in Melton and according to research, it takes Australians on average 7-10 years to acknowledge they have hearing loss before taking action. At Specsavers, we don’t want the community of Melton to wait that long, and that’s why we are delighted to announce the introduction of a new audiology service in-store. Specsavers Audiology Melton is now open to help with any hearing concerns, with qualified audiology professional Peter Vuong onsite to test and care for locals’ hearing health. Once you reach 40 years old, hearing checks should be as regular as eye checks. When you visit Specsavers Melton, you will be provided with quality care and a solution based on your lifestyle and budget. We will never recommend hearing aids if you don’t need them

or suggest spending more money than you have to. SIGNS YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE MAY BENEFIT FROM A HEARING CHECK “At the moment it takes most Australians 7-10 years to acknowledge they have hearing loss before they do anything to help it if they do anything at all. During these years, many individuals become unable to effectively join in on conversations so they disengage socially and start to become isolated.” Specsavers research found that Australians aged 40 years and older know at least two people they think suffer from hearing loss. It also found that 80% say they have felt concerned about their own hearing at some point in time and of these, the equivalent of 2,000,000 Australians have felt concerned

about their hearing frequently. That’s a lot of conversations missed! If you or anyone you know experiences any of the below tell-tale signs, you may benefit from some expert qualified advice that begins with a free 15-minute hearing check* at Specsavers Melton. • Do you have the TV or radio turned up louder? • Do you find telephone conversations hard work or find yourself always using the speaker option? • Do you ask people to repeat things? • Do you have difficulty following conversations in groups of people or find yourself lip reading?

HOW TO ENSURE YOU PROTECT YOUR HEARING HEALTH Specsavers Audiology professionals recommend a few simple things to help prolong your hearing. Test the noise around you with the ‘one metre rule’. If you need to raise your voice to talk to someone one metre away, the sound level is likely to be hazardous to hearing. And insist on wearing personal hearing protection such as earplugs, earmuffs or both remembering that everyday equipment, such as lawnmowers and power tools may be loud enough to negatively impact your hearing. Finally of course, create a normal routine of hearing checks.

• Has someone suggested you might not be hearing as well as you used to?

*This is a 15-minute appointment, if further testing is required a fee will be incurred.

Hearing aids shouldn’t have hidden prices Should’ve gone to Specsavers

It’s anyone’s guess, including ours, just how much hearing aids cost elsewhere because many providers don’t promote their prices. We prefer to be upfront. So if you’re being asked to pay more than $3,995 for a pair of latest technology, rechargeable hearing aids, should’ve gone to Specsavers. To see our prices or book an appointment visit specsavers.com.au/hearing

8 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

For more information or to book a hearing check, visit specsavers.com.au/ hearing Alternatively contact Specsavers Melton on 03 8746 2755

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Pupils from Toolern Vale Primary School will be green thumbs thanks to a Woolworths Junior Landcare grant. Pictured are: Josh, Sophie, Rhys, and Peyton. (Damjan Janevski) 285268_01 Right: Story House Early Learning Centre Early learning centre staff Laura Hanneysee and manager Meena Pandey were thrilled to hear they received a grant. (Damjan Janevski) 285210_02

Grants plant green school seeds By Olivia Condous Multiple primary schools and early learning centres in Melton and Moorabool are being supported to bring to life new sustainability projects, to help kids learn about looking after the environment. In the latest round of the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants, two primary schools and two early learning centres in Melton and Bacchus Marsh were awarded up to $1000 to develop projects focussed on sustainable food production and waste management practices.

Strathtulloh Primary School was one of the grant recipients and will create a shared garden to bring the school community together. Project co-ordinator and teacher Christine Koch said the aim of the project was to create a “community feel” at the school. “We want to create and give students an opportunity to get hands-on with nature, they’re so inquisitive when it comes to plants and gardening, ” Ms Koch said. The school’s pupils will be involved in selecting the fruits and vegetables grown, planting and caring for the plants, harvesting

the produce as well as preparing the foods to be consumed. Other grant recipients included Toolern Vale and District Primary School, Fraser Rise Kindergarten and Story House Early Learning Centre Telford Park. Story House centre manager Meena Pandey said the sustainable project was a great opportunity for the children and educators alike. “The funding will help us with our sustainability program to help the children understand the whole process of growing food,” Ms Padey said.

The garden at the Telford Park centre will provide the children with an outdoor learning area where they can build lifelong skills, while being involved in the whole project from start to finish. Landcare Australia chief executive Dr Shane Norrish said the core goal of the program was to educate students on how to care for their environment. “The grants will play a vital role in helping Melton and Moorabool students grow their skills and become the next generation of environmental champions.”

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21 June 2022

Mayor’s message Cr Goran Kesic

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

This week, we’re celebrating the wonderful contributions refugees make to our city and recognising their experiences at a special event.

School holiday fun!

I’d like to invite you to join us on Friday at Melton Community Hall between 12pm – 2pm to hear inspiring stories, taste international food and enjoy cultural performances.

Digging in for new early childhood centre

Bookings are open for fun school holiday activities. Join us for another action-packed school holiday program! There are STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) activities, story writing fun for all ages, arts and crafts activities and much more.

We also have a range of free and low-cost fun, arts, craft, recreation and conversation activities for young people aged 12 to 25. Try indoor rock climbing, jump at Bounce, head to the cinema or the aquarium.

Our community centres have a range of different programs and events including cooking workshops, dance workshops, yoga, a winter planting day with Bunnings, a healthy spending habits for teens workshop and more.

Find out more at melton.vic.gov.au/events

Works have begun on a new children’s and community centre in Thornhill Park, set to be complete by 2023. The Rockbank Murray Road Children’s and Community Centre is funded in partnership with Council and the State Government, and will provide parents with easy access to a range of services at one site.

Short story competition

It will include a four-room kindergarten; Maternal and Child Health Services; Family and Early Childhood Services; parenting support programs; playgroups and a wide range of community programs and activities.

Our annual Short Story competition is a great opportunity for budding writers to showcase their talents and have their work reviewed by popular authors. The competition is open to all ages with prizes awarded to the best entries in Junior, Young Adult and Adult sections, as chosen by our expert panel of judges. Entries close Monday 15 August 2022, visit Short Story Competition (melton.vic.gov.au)

Coburn Ward with Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg I’m pleased to advise that two Notices of Motion I put forward at the 30 May Council meeting were carried, resulting in positive outcomes for our city. The first, on the back of our Fix Our Roads campaign, will see Council officers prepare a report on new road infrastructure in our key growth areas, and explore options around how we can facilitate the early delivery of these roads – demonstrating a desire and capacity for forward planning and ensuring priority development of roads within the City of Melton.

The second requested support to formally install both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags within Council Chambers, alongside the Australian flag and the City of Melton flag. This motion was passed unanimously and will be implemented in coming weeks. Council will consider its 2022/2023 Budget at a Special Meeting on Monday 27 June. Once adopted, we look forward to sharing some of the exciting projects that will be funded over the next 12 months, including programs, services, new facilities and special projects that are sure to make

the City of Melton an even better place to live, work and raise a family. Finally, if you’re looking for something for the kids to do over the school holidays, don’t forget Council offers a variety of activities for young people of all ages through our libraries, youth facilities, and families and children’s services. Visit melton.vic.gov.au for information. Feel free to contact me regarding Coburn Ward or Council related issues on 0499 801 183; email: ashleigh.vandenberg@melton.vic. gov.au or like my Facebook page @crvandenberg

This promises to be a vibrant display of culture, cuisine, and the arts, making refugees welcome and celebrating cultural diversity. I’m pleased to tell you that last week, we marked the official start of works on the Rockbank Murray Road Children’s and Community Centre in Thornhill Park. The facility is generously co-funded with the State Government and will provide much-needed services for young families in the area. This centre is set to open in 2023 and will enable us to support our youngest residents through their early development, giving them the best possible start we can. On Monday, Council will also consider adopting the 2022/23 Budget. Every year, we consider our city’s growing and diverse needs as we allocate funds towards high-quality infrastructure, programs, services, and facilities for our community, and this year will be no different. I look forward to sharing the details with you once it’s adopted. I’d like to thank all the residents and community groups who shared their ideas with us during Council’s 2022/2023 Budget consultation. Your local knowledge has been invaluable in preparing the draft budget. 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, 21 June, 2022

Cr Kathy Majdlik

Cr Sophie Ramsey

Cr Julie Shannon

Cr Bob Turner

Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg

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NEWS

New weather station for the CFA By Olivia Condous Moorabool has received a new automated weather station, which will help to improve firefighter and community safety. Ballan has a new permanent weather station called a Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS), units that are used globally in fire management. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) announced ten new stations to be located across Victoria, provided by $680,000 in funding from the state government.

The unit will help to manage fire incidents and planned burns with hyper-local weather data, fire predictions and community warnings. The station will be able to transmit data via satellite to the Bureau of Meteorology, which is accessible to the CFA as well as the general public. The unit can record temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, rain, solar radiation and more. Ballan CFA captain Ben Hatfield said the data from the new weather station would “absolutely” provide helpful insights

during fire season. “In terms of accurate data and forecasting, our closest points were previously in Ballarat, so having something here local in Ballan helps us to see better what’s going on,” he said. “Data on wind changes, humidity, those inputs will feed into our burn plans pre-season and post-season, as well as monitoring the weather during fire season.” CFA acting chief Oofficer Garry Cook said the additional weather intelligence will be invaluable to firefighters for fire response and preparation.

“Fire is a true force of nature and its behaviour can change in an instant, putting lives and property at risk,” Mr Cook said. “Accurate, localised and up-to-the-minute weather information on a fireground is critical to providing an effective emergency response.” Mr Cook said the new stations will help firefighters understand fire behaviour during a fire incident, as well as better measure conditions leading up to a planned burn event. “They have a huge potential to improve our planning and responses, thereby improving firefighter and community safety as well.”

Multicultural healing Melton will celebrate multicultural diversity on annual national Refugee Week, with a vibrant event for the community to enjoy. Refugee Week will run from June 19 to 25, inclusive of World Refugee Day on June 20. The theme this year is Healing, which aims to encourage communities to reset, move forward and heal after the challenges of the pandemic. Melton council will commemorate the week with an event on Friday, June 24, which will involve guest speakers with lived experiences as refugees or asylum seekers, cultural performances and a variety of international food on offer. The council will partner with Melton Interfaith Network to host the event, to be held at Melton Community Hall from noon. Entertainment will include dance performances from a Rwandan-Burundian dance group and a Bollywood dance school. To highlight the Healing theme, scholar

and reseacher Ahmad Reza Razavi will share his journey from being a refugee to academic scientist and a social worker. Mayor Goran Kesic said he looked forward to a fun and meaningful celebration. “This promises to be a vibrant display of culture, cuisine, and the arts that makes refugees and asylum seekers welcome and celebrates cultural diversity in our city,” Cr Kesic said. “Sharing food and stories is a great way for us all to celebrate the wonderful contributions refugees make in our own community. “Join us to hear captivating true stories and learn more about how we can be better connected as a community.” Details: https://meltonlearning.com.au/ events/refugeeweek2022/ Olivia Condous City of Melton refugee week in 2019. (Supplied)

Print and Online Sales Executive Star Weekly

The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business. Sales skills/experience: • Ability to maintain existing professional relationships and to create new ones • Ability to meet defined sales and activity targets • Excellent listening skills • Accuracy and attention to detail • Effective time management to meet deadlines • Ability to operate in a team • Demonstrates initiative and flexibility • Effective oral and written communication Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance.

Digital Edition

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Pricing under the pump

Pricing under the pump 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. “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.”

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.

‘‘

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

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

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COMMUNITY STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

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

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

Bacchus Marsh Market Bacchus Marsh rejoice! There will be a monthly market at the gorgeous location of Maddingley Park. On the second Saturday of every month there will be a lovely variety of stallholders and food trucks. Bring a picnic blanket and invite your friends and family for a lovely market day out.

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

DIY manicure class Discover the satisfaction of doing your own SNS-style manicure at Melton South Community Centre’s Dip Powder Nails workshop, scheduled for Saturday, June 25, 10am-4pm. Everything is supplied, and students receive a participation certificate. Cost: $150/$145 concession. ■ 9747 8576

Eynesbury Market

First aid courses Melton South Community Centre is currently taking enrolments for the next date of one-day First Aid courses, scheduled for Saturday, June 25. Courses available include CPR (HLTAID009), First Aid including CPR (HLTAID011) and First Aid, CPR and Asthma & Anaphylaxis (HLTAID012). ■ 9747 8576

Melton Bridge Club

12544962-AV15-22

The Melton Bridge Club has recommenced weekly social Bridge sessions at the Melton Library on Fridays from 10am-noon. Come along to play an exciting, social card game and have loads of fun. Bridge offers the suspense of poker, the cerebral qualities of chess and the excitement of athletic sports, all in a relaxed and social setting. If you like

12 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

Hannah, 11, and Emily, 10, are gearing up for a Teddy Bears picnic. (Damjan Janevski) playing cards this is for you. ■ Rosemary, 0407 894 817 or Ros at the library

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

fabric. They’re looking for people to cut, sew, iron and market our bags. Meets on the first Sunday each month at the Darley Neighbourhood House 2pm-4pm. Find the Facebook group for more details.

Melton Friendship Group 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

Boomerang Bags Bacchus Marsh

Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club

Boomerang Bags Bacchus Marsh makes reusable shopping bags from rescued

The Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets at 10am on the second Tuesday of

A community market located amongst gorgeous trees and next to the iconic Eynesbury Homestead. The market is on every 4th Sunday of the month and we feature a great range of food trucks, artisans, makers and more.

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

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NEWS

MY PLACE David Shrubshall is a member of the Bacchus Marsh & Melton Ukulele & Singing Ensemble (BMUSE) and loves to play his music for the public all over the area, as well as share his songs online on his Youtube channel. He spoke to Olivia Condous about his (Damjan Janevski) 285180_01

love of the ukulele and all the different ways he loves to share his music. What’s your connection to Melton? We’ve lived in Melton for about 20 years. I love how Melton has the characteristic of a country town and surrounding parklands, but most facilities you would find in an inner city suburb. A lot of my instrumental music videos are filmed around the Melton shire historical parklands, often filmed between COVID lockdowns, at locations such as Hannah Watts, Navan Park, The Willows Historical Park, Melton Reservoir and Melton Botanical Gardens. It allows my youtube subscribers here and overseas a view of the area we live in. I also play music at Melton businesses, trying to get them a little more foot traffic such as Jeff Jones Plants & Produce, Vinnies Op Shop at Bakery Square and the Eynesbury Mothers Day Classic. Come spring I will continue to approach cafes and retail businesses to try and help with attracting customers. Where is your favourite local place to spend time? I will often go to Navan Park and practice songs on the ukulele, on the wooden bridge, under the trees. I’ve had people wave as they walk by and one family sat down and had a picnic near me. I also like Hannah Watts Park and the Melton Botanical Gardens to practice in. In the warmer months, I will start to play around the business district. Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you... A long time ago, I spent about 10 years in amateur theatre in Sunbury (Sunbury

Theatrical Society). There I got the opportunity to write, act, direct, stage manage, and produce. It was a great time, shared by like minded people. (I was the first producer to come under budget in a musical!). They are known as Boilerhouse Theatre Company now. How did you get involved with BMUSE?

I’ve been playing the ukulele for about five years, more consistently over the last two years with the creation of Ukulele Dave Down Under. Self taught, with help from many ukulele instructors on youtube. After starting to play around with the ukulele, I had heard of a local uke club. I checked out the Melton council and found

that there was a group called the Bacchus Marsh Melton Ukulele and Singing Ensemble. I contacted them, and as they say, the rest is history. They are lovely, helpful people who share a common passion and were very helpful. BMUSE welcome new members, and also do local community work with schools, nursing homes etc.

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 13

Intimidation, suggestive jokes, exclusion... Gendered violence comes in many forms. All are OHS issues. All are unacceptable. Employers have an obligation to protect their workers. WorkSafe Gendered Violence

Reducing workplace harm.

14 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

FEATURING ... MY BUSINESS

Advertising feature

Consider hiring a tax professional to help you lodge your taxes this end of financial year. (iStock)

Advice on how to maximise your 2021-22 tax return You can usually claim a tax deduction for work-related portions of the following: • Heating, cooling and lighting costs; • Costs of cleaning your home’s working area, including cleaning products or payments for a domestic cleaner, if required; • Depreciation of home office furniture and fittings; • Costs of repairing home office equipment, furniture and furnishings; • Depreciation of office equipment and computers;

• Small capital items such as furniture and computer equipment costing less than $300, which can be written off in full, immediately, without depreciating; • Computer consumables (such as printer cartridges) and stationary; and • Phone (mobile or landline) and internet expenses. You should ideally have a specific room in your home set aside for home office use. If you are using a room with a dual purpose (e.g. dining room) or a room in the house shared

with others (e.g. lounge room), you can only claim the expenses for the hours you had exclusive use of the area. Likewise with other dual-use items or products, such as stationary used partly for work and partly for private purposes, you can only claim the work-use portion of these items. To be certain that your tax return is completed properly, consider enlisting the help of experts and accountants, such as those at H&R Block.

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Tax expert Mark Chapman from H&R Block shares his top tips to maximise your tax return. As much of the country gets ready to prepare their 2021-22 tax returns, it will pay to spend some time getting things right this tax time. After a confusing and turbulent series of restrictions, it may not be very clear to those who have worked from home what tax deductions they can and cannot claim. If you have spent some of the past financial year working from home, there is a variety of deductions you can make this tax time.

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 15

Property news

Tips for first homebuyers to get on the property ladder Being a first home buyer can be a confronting experience. You’re entering into the transactions cold, often trying to trump other more experienced buyers and grappling with your hopes and limitations. While there are many things that can go wrong, there are five typical mistakes to watch out for. Here are the most common trip-ups and how you can overcome them. Not enough research Not taking the time to research is one of the biggest setbacks any buyer can face, be they a first-timer or a multiple property owner. Research comes in many forms, some of which can include paid-for reports. Other research is less tangible, and often involves visiting the area and inspecting local properties. First home buyers are advised to give themselves enough time to explore the market, both online and off, before diving into a purchase. Tip: Create yourself a research plan that involves heading to auctions in the months before you are ready to put money down on a property. Buying on emotion It’s natural to feel emotional about purchasing property. After all, it’s likely you’ll be living in this dwelling for a lengthy period of time and calling it your ‘home’. You are also most likely making a significant financial commitment to the project. These aspects always come with emotions involved. This can range from desperation and excitement to pride and fear. Tip: If you don’t trust yourself to keep your emotions in check, either pay a professional to buy for you, or find a

Before diving into buying a house: research, research, research. (iStock)

trusted acquaintance to play your ‘devil’s advocate’, questioning your decisions. Remember, taking a five-minute step-back now will save you plenty of money in the long run. Relying on those who are not experts Younger first home buyers, especially, are prone to asking their parents, friends and those they don’t know online for help. While these three avenues can prove very

useful, it’s important that you are aware of the source of the information, why it is being provided and how it relates to you. Tip: Ensure who you are speaking to is qualified, and if you’re not paying them then know how they get paid and their motivations for giving you this information. Overextending financially Being aware of what the bank will lend you is one, very critical, element to

purchasing. However, being aware of what you can realistically afford is just as important. Tip: Set yourself up a financial plan ahead of time to see if you can afford the mortgage repayments. Also bear in mind extra unexpected costs, and speak to a professional about insurances for the worst case scenarios.

Source: realestateview.com.au

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16 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

PUZZLES

medium

3 7

1 2

Pudgy (6) Prohibited (7)

DECODER

No. 086

3 4 7

6 6

1 7 8

8 1

9 7

3 4 hard

3 4 5 9

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10 11 12 13

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Today’s Aim: 10 words: Good 15 words: Very good

7 5 9 1 2 6 3 4 8

8 1 4 7 3 5 9 2 6

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TRAWL YESES

HOONERS REGALIA TUITION

6 LETTERS CEASES ECHOES FLEECE GENRES NEURON SADDER

8 LETTERS BRETHREN LENGTHEN MESSIEST MONOTONY 10 LETTERS DISPOSSESS LEGALISTIC

7 LETTERS BASSOON CELSIUS EVASION

How many gods are worshiped in Taoism?

Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

From which part of the world do cows (pictured) originate: the Middle East, Northern Europe or India?

Which dynasty ruled China for more than 400 years, from 202 BCE to 220 CE?

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

As beef is used for the meat of the cow, what word, no longer in use, was used for chicken?

Which famous trade route began from China in this time?

What is asphalt primarily made of?

Y D R A R O O N

5 LETTERS ABBEY ABETS ACING ACRES ADORE AGREE

LONGS OUTDO PARES RECAP RENTS RESET REVUE SASSY SERVE SLOGS SOLAR SOLES SOLVE SPELL STAYS STILL SUING TEAMS THAWS TIARA

Which marine mammal is sometimes called a sea cow?

A S T A N T E R G O N E

3 8 2 4 7 1 6 5 9

ARGUE ARISE ATLAS CHOSE CRAVE DEIGN EATEN EERIE EMIRS EXTRA FLOAT GENRE GLENS GRINS HINTS ICIER IGLOO INANE LAUGH LOINS

4 LETTERS CORD DUDE EGOS HISS MAID RICH SEEP SHOT TERM YETI

No. 086

4 9 3 6 5 7 8 1 2

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No. 086

cogent, coming, COMPETING, coping, emoting, gemot, gnome, gnomic, gone, ingot, meting, moping, opting, pigeon, pigment, ping, tinge, toeing, tong, toping

2 8 6 5 7 4 1 3 9

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6 3 5 9 1 4 2 7 8

1 2 8 6 3 7 9 4 5

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”.

20 words: Excellent

hard

medium

9-LETTER WORD

easy

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5 2 5 4

5x5

P R Z Y O B T G F L QV K

4 8

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WORDFIT

QUICK QUIZ

Lugdunum was an ancient Roman city in Gaul that is now which French city?

Who wrote the 1997 novel Cidade de Deus (City of God), later made into a film of the same name?

10 Who sang the first recording of Along the Road to Gundagai in 1931? ANSWERS: 1. Manatee 2. The Middle East 3. Pullet 4. Lyon 5. Paulo Lins 6. 16 7. Han dynasty 8. The Silk Road 9. Petroleum 10. Peter Dawson

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Deceptive movement (5) Central American country (9) Parcel out (5) Provisional (9) Crime being married to two people at once (6) Puffed up (8) Voters (10) Lameness (10) League (8) Comprehensive (6) Bow (9) False gods (5) Bearing foliage throughout the year (9) Abode of the dead (Grk) (5)

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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

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Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 17

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SPORTS QUIZ 1. Which two NHL teams won their way to the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals?

5. Which national team did the Socceroos defeat 5-4 on penalties to qualify for the 2022 World Cup?

2. Liz Watson and Steph Wood are captain and vice-captain of which Commonwealth Games team sport?

6. Montrezl Harrell last played for which NBA team?

14. Former Wallabies star David Pocock was recently elected to what house of Australian parliament?

3. Bailey Smith last played for which AFL club?

7. Which professional golf tournament did Rory McIlroy win to claim his 21st PGA Tour title?

15. What Indigenous former St Kilda star was recently inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame?

4. Which seven-time Wimbledon singles winner accepted a wildcard entry to this year’s tournament after a year away from top level competition?

8. Former Wallaby Israel Folau is set to make his international rugby return after being named in which country’s national team squad?

16. Which national soccer team recently lost 0-4 at home to Hungary in the UEFA Nations League?

13. Who is the current coach of the Socceroos?

9. Which two New Zealandbased teams qualified for the final of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season? 10. Which Australian racehorse defeated a world-class field to win the 2022 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in England? 11. What months in 2022 will the FIFA World Cup take place in Qatar? 12. What year did the GWS Giants join the AFL?

Jess Fox

17. What city will host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games?

23. In the EPL, how many times has Manchester United been champions?

29. The NHL team nicknamed the Sabres is based in which US city?

18. Which Major League Baseballer was nicknamed “The Bambino”?

24. In which year did Wimbledon prize money become equal for both sexes?

19. The 1986 movie Hoosiers revolves around which sport?

25. Who won the 2021-22 Sheffield Shield title?

30. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, excelled in which sport?

20. How many periods of play are there in a National Hockey League game?

26. Which two Asian nations will the Australian Boomers play home matches against in July 2022?

21. In what sport would you hear the terminology double hit, flick and kill?

27. What 2007 Marvel film was partially filmed at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium?

22. Who won Australia’s sole gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics?

28. In what country was Olympic champion canoeist Jess Fox born?

Rory McIlroy 1. Tampa Bay Lightning, and Colorado Avalanche 2. Netball 3. Western Bulldogs 4. Serena Williams 5. Peru 6. Charlotte Hornets 7. Canadian Open 8. Tonga 9. Blues, and Crusaders 10. Nature Strip 11. November and December 12. 2012 13. Graham Arnold 14. Senate 15. Nicky Winmar 16. England 17. Los Angeles 18. Babe Ruth 19. Basketball 20. Three 21. Badminton 22. Jakara Anthony 23. 13 24. 2007 25. Western Australia 26. China and Japan 27. Ghost Rider 28. France 29. Buffalo 30. Rowing

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0435 904 818 Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 19

MOTOR STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

BMW Gran Coupe turns heads on the road By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring The BMW 430i Gran Coupe is a fascinating mix of pure-bred sports car and family hatchback. It’s capable of carrying five people, though see the Driving section of this review for comments on that, and is low enough to look sleek. It certainly grabbed the attention of people who saw it on the road during our test period. Either when we were on the road or in carparks.

Styling Gran Coupe has the sometimes-criticised very-large front grille, but in the 4 Series the sheer size of the car means the grille makes it less intrusive on the eye. Side on the Coupe looks just right, with the downward slope of the roof meeting the upward slope of the window line. There’s a hint of a Hofmeister kink at the rear but it’s rather downplayed in our opinion and really doesn’t shout out ‘BMW’ the way other Bimmers do. The rear glass has an interesting shape with that’s rounded nicely at the lower corners and blends into the slight kick-up of the metal that has an aero shape. The taillights are slim in the centre and gradually widen toward their outside edges.

Interior The dashboard area has a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. The quality of finish is exceptional and the seats are not only comfortable but also easy on the eye. Okay so you don’t get seats to look at them but they are a further indication of the attention to detail on all aspects of the design.

Infotainment The central display can be controlled using “Hey BMW” voice prompts, touch inputs as well as a rotary controller on the lower console. The Harman/Kardon sound system fitted to our test car powered 10 speakers and provided us with excellent entertainment. 20 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

The large grille teams nicely with the overall shape of the Gran Coupe.

Engines / transmissions

(Pictures: Supplied)

The BMW 430i is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with 190kW of power and 400Nm of torque. It drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic.

AT A GLANCE

Safety

M440i Gran Coupe: $118,900

Crash avoidance in the 430i is provided by autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Driving Driving a BMW Gran Coupe is a delightful experience. There’s something that brings a smile to your face when you feel the way it communicates your intentions to the road through the steering wheel. It’s neutral in bends until you reach very high cornering speeds, then has some oversteer which is early controlled. If you’re going to be carrying five adults in the Bimmer it might be an idea to bring those

MODEL RANGE 420i Gran Coupe: $76,900 430i Gran Coupe: $84,900

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

who will be travelling in the back along for your pre-purchase test drive Adults have room behind other adults in the rear seats but there may need to be some compromising for leg room between those in the front and the rear. Tall adults in the back may find they’re very close to the roof and might have to stoop slightly to avoid touching it. The person in the centre rear seat will find themselves sitting with their legs spread on either side of the centre tunnel. Keep in mind that it’s a coupe

not a sedan so that’s acceptable. The official fuel consumption is an impressively low 6.6 litres per 100km. We averaged 7.2 litres per hundred during our testing period which covered motorway, suburban and moderately paced country driving on a variety of roads. These are pretty low numbers for a car in this class and show that BMW engineers are amongst the top in engine design. The engine requires 95 RON petrol to get these impressively low consumption numbers. RON is often ridiculously over priced in Australia. Okay if you can afford a car like this the cost of fuel isn’t going to worry you - but it’s still a rip-off.

Summing up BMW 430i Gran Coupe is an excellent example of the latest in car design and its combination of style, performance and engineering should certainly earn it a place on your list of cars / coupes you are considering to buy.

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

SPORT

City West Falcons brought back down to earth City West Falcons were given a reality check in the Victorian Netball League on Wednesday night. Facing the Geelong Cougars in a top of the table clash, the Falcons put out one of their most disappointing performances of the season. The Cougars got the jump early, and despite the Falcons getting within five goals twice, were able to run away with a convincing 68-53 win. Falcons coach Marg Lind said the group didn’t adapt to the changing environment that was around them. She said a quarter of the club had COVID, while an injury to star shooter Jane Cook added another thing to deal with. “Cookie had one of the train-on partners stand on her foot on Monday,” she said. “She was clearly limping and if she had been a centre, would have been ruled out before the game. “We thought she would have been right, but after five minutes we decided it wasn’t a good risk.

“The first quarter was then atrocious and the team could see what was happening. Their heads weren’t in it.” Lind said a lack of concentration proved costly and even when they had got back into the game, players’ heads were still dropped. She said the intensity wasn’t there. “It’s disappointing and it’s something we can work on.” With the match over early on, Lind said they looked to try some different combinations, which might come in handy come finals. While the Falcons were disappointing, Lind said they couldn’t take it away from the Cougars and the performance that they put out. She reiterated that the Cougars were the best team in the competition. “They are by far the most experienced team,” she said. “They’re going to be hard to beat, useless a team can keep their heads.” Lind said Maggie Lind, who had only come out of isolation that day from having COVID-19, was their best. She said Collingwood was keen for her to

get a run in her legs ahead of the Super Netball finals. The Falcons slip to third on the ladder, now percentage behind second placed Melbourne University. Despite a number of players out in the under-19s and division 1 teams with COVID, the Falcons were able to get wins. The division 1 team won 56-49, despite missing three of their four normal defenders. The side sits third. The under-19 team won 52-45. They are in second. The Falcons this week face the Wilson Storage Southern Saints. Tara Murray

Maggie Lind was the Falcons best on Wednesday. (Shawn Smits)

Sports shorts EDFL Hillside upset Roxburgh Park in a thriller in Essendon District Football League division 1. After a slow start the Sharks hit levelled the scores at half time before leading by a point at three quarter time. That would be the final margin, with the Sharks winning 11.7 (73)-10.12 (72). In division 2, Burnside Heights beat Hadfield to cement its spot in the top four. In the women’s premier division competition, Hillside made it two wins in a row, beating Maribyrnong Park, while Burnside Heights lost to Oak Park.

WRFL Caroline Springs remains undefeated in the Western Region Football League division 1 competition after beating Deer Park on Saturday. The Lakers led at every break in the 15.17 (107)-9.13 (67) win. Tate Wood kicked three goals in a best on ground performance. The Lakers sit a game clear of Altona after 10 rounds.

Hockey

Melton Phoenix knocked off the ladder leaders.

(supplied)

Phoenix shows its class Tara Murray Melton Phoenix did its title hopes no harm in the FV state league 5 west, with a big win in the top-of-the-table clash with Barwon. After a couple of average weeks, the Phoenix set themselves for the biggest test in the competition. Having lost 4-0 last time when they played in Barwon, the Phoenix knew they had to play well to get this match back. Barwon headed down the highway to Melton with the opportunity to extend its lead at the top of the table to eight points. But it was the Phoenix who controlled the game and were able to come away with a 2-0 win. Phoenix coach Darren Traynor said the win was a massive one in the context of the season. “We started really well and were able to maintain it for the duration of the game,” he said. “We got our rewards. I thought we were a better team and we also got a clean sheet.”

Traynor said it felt like that the two teams went in with different aims from the match. He said while they were keen to get the win, he thought Barwon was happy to get a draw. “It felt like Barwon was happy to get a point from the match.” Traynor said their work rate hadn’t been where they wanted it to be the last couple of weeks and this was a return to the form they wanted to see. He said when they’re in that sort of form, they can beat any team. “We were really positive and on the front foot,” he said. “What we saw yesterday against Barwon, who is the top team, is that we were clearly the better team. “We were the better team for the first half when we played them the first time, before some dubious calls in the second half. “We have to maintain this form this week and for the rest of the season.” The win reduces the gap between the Phoenix and Barwon to just two points with

seven rounds remaining. Balmoral and Deakin University both sit behind the Phoenix and still in the mix for top spot. The Phoenix face Deakin this week. Traynor said they know that they can’t let off with a number of hard matches still to go. The top two sides are set to earn promotion. “We’re going week by week, but I want the title and that is what we are aiming for,” he said. “The club would be happy if we got promoted, but as coach I would like to win it.” In state league 1 north-west, ladder leaders Caroline Springs George Cross’ match with Strathmore on Friday night washed out and set to be played at a later date. In state league 4 west, Spring Hills lost to Gisborne, 2-0. The Stallions sit bottom with just one win. Westside Strikers upset top side Keilor Wolves, 2-0. The side remains in third, but has played one game less than the top two sides.

Melton’s men’s team was on fire in its Hockey Victoria Vic League 3 match with Croydon Rangers. The Mustangs won 7-2 with Jesse Lawrence and Riley Lawrence scoring twice each. Melton sits third on the ladder. The women’s state league 3, the Mustangs lost 11-0. After nine rounds the Mustangs are without a win. The Mustangs’ pennant E men, under-12 boys pennant north west, under-12 girls pennant and under-16 mixed district north west also got wins on the weekend.

Ballarat NL Darley cemented its spot in the top three with a win against East Point in the Ballarat Netball League on Saturday. The Devils built a lead in the middle quarters, before the Kangaroos made a little run in the last quarter, but it wasn’t enough with the Devils winning, 52-41. The Devils remain in third. Second-placed Melton South beat Lake Wendouree, 49-45.

FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 21

SPORT STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Netball rising star grabs her chance at success There is an old saying that goes something like, “the harder you work, the luckier you become.” For rising netball star Charlotte Morey, that is exactly the case. The chance to try out for the Victorian under-17 team as a bottom ager in 2020, Morey realised what the future might hold “I had never been selected to trial before,” she said. “I was nervous and excited at the same time. “I was cut in the second round which put me in the top 60 players, but a long way from where I wanted to be. I used it as my driver. “I probably hadn’t used my netball time during COVID to the best of my ability. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.” Morey followed in her mother’s footsteps by signing up for netball’s ‘Net, Set Go’ when she was six-years-old. She then played at Altona Netball Association as a junior, but found the competition wasn’t as competitive as she would have liked and joined South Barwon in the Geelong Football Netball League from the under-15’s. As well as her weekly matches, she has represented the Elmer region at the state titles.

She again tried out for the Victorian under-17 for a second straight year. This time she made the final team. “I was very excited,” she said. “My mindset was simple, do everything the coaches ask, leave nothing on the court because it could be my last state team.” Morey’s national championships was a strong one and resulted in her being picked in the Australian under-17 squad. She is currently training one night a week at the State Netball Centre in Parkville and looking forward to the five-day camp at the AIS in Canberra later in the year. That’s on top of a typical week for the Maribyrnong Sports Academy student. A normal week includes training in Geelong with her local team South Barwon and games Geelong Cougars in the Victorian Netball League. On Saturday it’s games with South Barwon. “Netball is a body strength game, particularly in the middle where you must use your body to gain an advantage,” she said. “I play in the middle as a wing attack, centre or goal attack. You can add five weekly strength and conditioning sessions to my

on-court training sessions so I can compete against other very strong players.” Morey’s favourite player is Aussie Diamond, Liz Watson. So what does the future hold for Morey? “I’ve always barracked for the Vixens in the SunCorp Super Netball League, I’d love to play for them … or any club really,” she said with laughter. “A chance to play for the Diamonds would be absolutely amazing.” Morey is the monthly nominee for the Don Deeble Sports award. The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and The Star Weekly Newspapers. If you would like to nominate a monthly winner or attend a dinner at the Medway Golf Club, contact swrsportsclub@gmail.com or 0408 556 631. Peter Howe

Charlotte Morey.

(Supplied)

Storm add two international recruits

Better Eclipse. (Stuart McCormick)

Better eclipse on track By John Dunne Greg Sugars left Melton on Saturday night satisfied reigning Chariots Of Fire champion Better Eclipse is on track for a successful Queensland Winter Carnival. Having his first run since finishing third in the Miracle Mile in March, Better Eclipse ($4) ran past the$1.90 favorite Rock N Roll Doo in the home straight scoring by a metre with Spring In His Step a further metre away third. After the race Sugars acknowledged his task somewhat eased shortly after the start when he landed in the one out one back trail after the place getters engaged in a spirited duel for the lead before Rock N Roll Doo assumed control at the 1609 metre mark. “We had a lovely run in transit and obviously our main danger had to do plenty or work early so the race was well set up for us, but he looks like he’s come through that very well,” Sugars said. “We will see how he pulls up to see whether he has another run next week or goes straight to Queensland,” he said. Andy Gath too was suitably impressed 22 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 21 June, 2022

with the return of Breeders Crown runner up Yambukian who outclassed his rivals in the first heat of the VHRC Caduceus Metropolitan Pace after sitting parked over the 2240 metres. “I thought from the outside draw in a pretty good field it would be difficult but he got to the death a bit easier than I anticipated,” Gath said. “He probably went better than I expected as he was a bit off after his trial but he has always had a great attitude and a fair amount of ability and he has really good gate speed going forward,” he said. Gath said he hasn’t mapped out an extensive itinerary for the son of Bettors Delight. “He’ll obviously run in the final next week and after that we’ll play it by ear with the Four-Year-Old Vicbred at the end of the season his main aim,” he said. The night didn’t produce the finale the Gath stable was expecting when Majestuoso ($1.55 fav) had his colors lowered in consecutive outings at headquarters after galloping out from the mobile. Despite losing more than 30 metres at the start, Majestuoso surged to the lead in the home straight only to be run down by Nephew

Of Sonoko via the sprint lane. The Joe Pace trained three-year-old Justalittlesip passed his initiation into metropolitan racing when he scored an authoritative in the Benstud 3YO Pace. The ex-Kiwi pacer completed a hat trick of wins in Australia when he emerged from the one out one back sit at the 400 metre mark and stole a race winning break on his rivals around the home turn. Pace said the winner’s sole focus this season is the Victoria Derby. “He’ll have a fortnight off now just to charge up his batteries, then bring him back in to give him a couple of starts before the Derby,” Pace said. Pace believes Justalittlesip will measure up to the best of his age later in the season. “He’s a very nice horse, he showed that back in New Zealand when he was racing against the better class horses,” he said. “He switches on and off during a race, like tonight James (Herbertson) said he thought he was going to win by 20 or 30 (metres) on the turn but when he went past.”

Sydenham-Hillside has added two West Indians to its squad for the next Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 1 season. After winning their third premiership in four seasons in March, the Storm has looked to strengthen their squad. The Storm will be in division 1 next season, having won the division 2 premiership. The first of those signings announced by the club on social media, is former West Indies under-19 representative Anthony Alleyne. He has played 30 first class games with a top score of 188. He is expected to play a big role on and off the field. “Anthony is a classy left handed top order batsman with significant experience at first class level playing for his native Barbados in the West Indies,” the club said on social media. “In addition to adding a huge dose of quality to our men’s 1st XI batting line up, Anthony will also bring coaching experience and an enthusiasm for helping players of all ability levels improve. “This will be of huge benefit to the club this season as he takes the role of women’s coach as well as assisting Geoff Pretty in the men’s program.” The club fielded two women’s sides last season, one in the Cricket Victoria Women’s Community Cricket competition and one in the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association. He will be joined at the Storm by Kadeem Alleyne. Despite the same last name, the two recruits aren’t related. Kadeem is another talented Barbadian with recent experience in the 2021 Caribbean Premier League T20 competition. He played three games in the 2021 edition of the tournament, taking three wickets. “At 21 years of age, Kadeem is a highly skilled and genuine all-rounder, with his pace bowling and hard hitting sure to prove a real asset this season,“ the club said on social media. Tara Murray

Rams want continued improvement Western Rams are hoping the improvement they’ve shown is reflected in the back half of the Riddell District Football League. The Rams are without a win and the margins aren’t much different from last year, but they don’t show the whole story. Rams coach Marty Weaver said they were on the improve this season. “We’ve put together some decent quarters, but we haven’t been able to put it together for the whole match,” he said. “Against the top sides the scoreboard hasn’t been a true reflection of the results. The conscience from the other coaches is that we are getting better. “Hopefully we can get everyone back on the park and put a few good games together.” Weaver said the closest they had been to full strength was back in round one, with injuries and illness hitting the side hard at times. He said they were hopefully back to full strength this weekend.

The Rams will return to the field on Saturday, after not playing the last two weekends due to the long weekend and then a bye. Weaver said he wasn’t sure whether the long break was a good thing or not. “I’m not sure whether it’s good as it gives the players a break or it’s bad as we were trying to get some momentum going into the byes,” he said. “We didn’t do anything last weekend,” he said. “We’ve done some training and some team bonding stuff. Hopefully we’ll look to keep the momentum going. “So far, so good. We’ll look to train fully Thursday [last week] and hopefully have a good week on the track.” The Rams this week host Romsey. It will be a big day for the club as they host a fundraiser for motor neurone disease research. Weaver said they had a run against teams towards the bottom of the ladder the next few

weeks, they were hoping they could have some good results in. Meanwhile, Diggers Rest had a big win against the Melton Centrals on Saturday. After leading at the first break, the Burras continued to extend their lead in every quarter on the way to a, 21.8 (134)-8.10 (58). Mitchell Jensen and Mitchell Day kicked four goals apiece for the Burras. Mark Freeth was named their best. Dylan Clarke kicked two goals for the Centrals. Kyle Rodgers was named the Centrals best. In other matches, Riddell beat Woodend-Hesket, Wallan was too good for Romsey and Macedon won against Lancefield. Tara Murray

Mark Lalli-Cafini. (Shawn Smits)

Gritty win for Panthers By Tara Murray Melton South showed signs of maturity as it held on for a big win in the Ballarat Football League. The Panthers had to dig deep to get their third win of the season against Lake Wendouree, with scores level in the last quarter. Without a couple of their stars, the Panthers found something late to win, 12.4 (76)-10.10 (70). Panthers coach Heath Pritchard said this result said a lot about the group and their development. “To get a win like this with a lot of guys out was excellent for us,” he said. “The most pleasing thing for us, was when they came at us we didn’t fold like we would have in the past. “They drew level and we were still able to win the game. It’s important for us, and it showed the maturing of the group now. “We’re coming from a long way back.” The Panthers led at every break after a six goal to two first quarter on the road and despite missing the likes of Dylan Conway and Jake Thornton-Gielen. The Lakers found their groove in the last quarter, but the Panthers kicked the last goal of the game to get the win. William Thornton-Gielen and Daniel Vasjuta kicked three goals each in the win. Pritchard said there was a real spread of contributors. “Sam Hurst played at full back and was really good, as was Dylan Jones in the ruck,” he said. “Daniel came in and kicked three goals as a small forward. “It was an even performance and stars like Billy Lloyd and Shaun Wyatt were okay without being outstanding. “We had stars out and stars not having their best days and we still won.” Pritchard said they continued to show improvement and were getting close to that consistent four quarter performance each week. He said when they play well, they are hard to beat. “We’re winning games or we’re in games,” he said. “Our percentage is only 70 per cent, but last year it was 40 so we’ve virtually doubled that. “Percentage is a good indicator of how competitive we are, we’re pushing in the right direction.” The win, the Panthers third, has them now sitting just a game outside the top six despite being in ninth spot.

Dylan Jones was outstanding in the ruck against Lake Wendouree. (Joe Mastroianni) 275568_02

Pritchard said they know it will be a fight, but haven’t given up hope of playing finals. “Between round two and seven we dropped two games we should have won,” he said. “Had we won those two games and we’re in the six. “We are competitive and giving ourselves chances to win a few more games. You never say never.”

The Panthers this week North Ballarat. In other matches, Darley lost to East Point, 15.9 (99)-9.12 (66). The Devils led at the first two breaks before 10 goals to four in the second half sealed the win for the Kangaroos. Mace Cousins was the Devils best. Bacchus Marsh and Melton both had byes.

Falcons lock in new coach Caroline Springs has locked in its coach for the next two Victorian Turf Cricket Association seasons. The Falcons, who will play in division 3 next season after being promoted, announced last week that Keven McClean had been appointed coach. Mclean is a former West Indies A representative and has played cricket all over the world, including in the United Kingdom. It won’t be his first stint in Australia, having played with Seddon in the VTCA division 1 competition in 2019-20. He took 25 wickets at an average of 17.56, which was top 10 in the division, while he his batting wasn’t on full show. The club said in a social media post, they were keen to see what McClean would bring to the club. “A devastating bowling all-rounder at his best, Kevin’s name is highly regarded among cricket circles and we couldn’t be happier to have him at the Falcons,” the post said. “Kevin also holds a UK Level 2 coaching accreditation, something we look forward to seeing on full display throughout the upcoming summers. “His passion to educate future generations on the game of cricket has us excited to see what he can bring to the Falcons.” McClean replaces Gary Turner who stood down from the role after guiding the side to the division 4 premiership in his first season at the club. It was the club’s first premiership in a decade and the first in the VTCA competition. The club won two premierships, while their women’s side also made the grand final last season. Turner remains at the club and will be part of the club’s senior coaching group. “While Smackers’ time as our head coach was always limited, there’s no doubting the impact he has had on our playing group, both on and off the field,” the club had previously said. Tara Murray

Tuesday, 21 June, 2022 MELTON & MOORABOOL STAR WEEKLY 23

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