Star Weekly - Sunbury Macedon Ranges - 18th April 2023

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Singing for their supper

One Voice Sunbury is looking for new choir members to join its weekly sessions

The choir began in November last year and is recruiting new members to join the social group, which meets at 6.30pm for an hour of singing, followed by supper and a cuppa.

Conductor Elly McKinnon said there are about 10 people in the choir and each session is led by a professional conductor, focusing on different music.

“The choir is open to adults of all ages, no prior singing experience or special skills required [and] no auditions,” she said.

“The music is varied [with] some contemporary songs [and] some songs created specifically for group singing.”

“One Voice offers a very flexible membership model that reduces the barriers for people being part of something special.”

Ms McKinnon said singing provides a range of benefits, including; community connection and creativity.

The choir meets on Tuesday nights at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House.

Details: https://bit.ly/40UNViY

Water help doesn’t wash

By Zoe Moffatt

Kyneton business owners say they would have liked more support from Coliban Water after the town’s water supply was disrupted after a water main burst overnight on April 11.

Kyneton and Malmsbury residents were advised to boil their water after the water main in Rennick Avenue burst, resulting in supply interruption, very low pressure and potential contamination.

Country Cob manager Fiona Halpin said she would have liked Coliban Water to offer more help to affected businesses.

“They’ve done the best they can I think, [but]

they could have helped businesses out a bit by offering some alternative… or had an option to make it a bit easier on businesses,“ Ms Halpin said.

“Perhaps a more central location [to get clean water from].”

Ms Halpin said the bakery was boiling and then refrigerating water, but has since sent staff to get water from trailers supplied by Coliban Water at the showgrounds.

“We picked up 40 litres [on Thursday, which is] just for shop use… we can’t offer free drinking water,” she said. “We are going to get morewatertomorrow(Friday)sowehavesome for the weekend.”

Watts Fresh owner Dean Lamb said he wanted more clarity about the situation from Coliban Water.

“You could hear a rumble of concern with customers and staff,” Mr Lamb said. “[There was] no advice to businesses… or specific business information.

“I would have liked some general advice on what you should do to protect your coffee machine, [as] these can be quite an investment for a small business.

“Any business that prepares food, especially salads, should really get some clear direction about the best way to protect their customers and their business.”

A spokesperson for Coliban Water said the authority encourages businesses with specific enquiries to make contact, but “the same advice applies to all residential and business customers [and they]... acknowledge the inconvenience.”

In response to a question from Star Weekly about protecting coffee machines, the spokesperson said “once the Boil Water Advisory has been lifted, we recommend running clean water through the machine for 5-10 minutes to ensure fresh water is in the machine.”

Coliban water lifted the boil water advice on Sunday afternoon. Water is now safe to drink.

Sunbury’s One Voice choir meets on Tuesday nights at the Goonawarra Neighbourhood House. (Supplied)

Council blocks planning change

By Zoe Moffatt

Macedon Ranges Council has said no to an amendment process for the Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan, heeding a 1231 signature petition from the community.

In a meeting on Wednesday, April 12, councillors unanimously decided not to support requesting the Minister for Planning to authorise the preparation of planning scheme amendment.

TherequestsoughtchangestotheMacedon Ranges Planning Scheme to allow a 1300 dwelling housing development to proceed.

Better Futures Macedon Ranges

spokesperson Hal Pritchard said it was a fantastic outcome for Riddells Creek.

“I think it’s a win for the councillors,” Mr Pritchard said.

“It’s amazing they stood up and listened to the community. Macedon Ranges is an area of distinctive landscape and heritage…Our rural identity is not for sale.

“We don’t mind growing, we understand there’s growth pressures in Melbourne… and we don’t mind taking some of that population growth, but it needs to be done on our terms.”

Mayor Annette Death said the decision to not support the amendment was

about appropriate development not anti-development.

“It’s great to see the community engagement and involvement,” Cr Death said. “Supporting this motion this evening is not about anti-development, it’s about appropriate development.”

East Ward Councillor Geoff Neil agreed with Cr Death and said he was looking for different development plans to keep the status of a district town.

“Let’s look at the big picture. Riddells Creek is a country town in a rural shire, there are six to nine years of land currently available for housing,” Cr Neil said.

To stop turning Riddells Creek into a large district town, Cr Neil said he would prefer developments with larger lot sizes, no further subdivision and no unit development. He said the Amess Road Plan design to subdivide into 1300 or more lots would result in a population increase of at least 3250 people, with an average of 2.5 persons per lot.

“[This increase is] virtually doubling today’s population,” he said.

“The community of Riddells Creek are quite concerned about this… [with an] excess of one quarter of current township population [having] made a submission to us… voicing concerns.”

Rewriting the rules on sustainable publishing

A Macedon Ranges resident has won the 2023 Institute of Professional Editors Student Prize for her essay on sustainability challenges and solutions.

Lauren Connell, who studies writing and editing at RMIT, wrote her essay about Australia’s trade publishing industry and titled the piece; “Can Australia’s trade publishing industry go green?”

Ms Connell said she was at home when she received the news and screamed in a mixture of excitement, surprise and disbelief.

“I was at home with my dad who was out the back taking the new puppy for a walk when he heard screaming from inside the house,” Ms Connell said.

“Initially he thought I had set the house on fire or something, so he was relieved when he found me at the desk beaming at my laptop instead.

“I submitted my report for the prize after some encouragement from my tutor… but I never dreamed it would actually win.”

Ms Connell’s essay draws on reports and interviews from industry experts to address how to implement a sustainable publishing practice.

While the essay acknowledges the initiatives that have already been put in place by many major Australian presses, Ms Connell’s said her work focuses on the small and independent sector.

Ms Connell said Michael Mann’s book The New Climate War and her upbringing in the Macedon Ranges has fuelled her interest in the environment.

“I believe we’re all responsible – every individual, industry, government and corporation,” she said. “That’s what compelled me to research sustainability in

the sector I hope to work in.”

“Writing this report has shown me how much the industry does care about this issue and that progress is finally starting to happen.”

The annual IPEd Student Prize acknowledges Australian or New Zealand tertiary students’ excellent work in editing or publishing.

Zoe Moffatt

Lauren Connell won the 2023 Institute of Professional Editors Student Prize for her essay on Australia’s trade publishing industry (Damjan Janevski). 327996_01

Hume decides on waste model

By Hannah Hammoud

Hume council decided on a Capital Improved Value (CIV) model for waste charge services on non-residential properties, at its meeting on April 11.

In the meeting last Tuesday night, it was decided a CIV methodology would be used when the waste services charge commence on July 1, 2023. The decision comes after months of deliberation from councillors on how to proceed with the proposed waste charge system.

At the last meeting, council moved forward with a flat-fee payment model for residential properties.

The decision solidifies the methodology for the 2023/24 financial year which will charge a flat-fee public waste service charge for residential properties and a CIV based service rate for non-residential properties.

Cr Carly Moore said that the CIV model will ensure that owners of non-residential properties pay their fair share when it comes to the public waste charge service.

“For me, the fairest system is that everybody

Romsey resident event

Romsey Resident Event is making its return on Sunday April 30, to showcase all the town has to offer with entertainment, food and a range of stalls.

The event will be held at the Romsey Neighbourhood House from 11am to 3pm, with event organisers expecting over 20 stalls.

Romsey Neighbourhood House Manager Michelle Balthazar said this is the first year back after COVID-19 lockdowns.

“[We] ran about three resident events over the last few years, but had to stop because of covid [lockdowns], and this is the first one back since then,” Ms Balthazar said.

“We’ve got a fabulous range of different community groups, clubs and organisations that will be showing what’s available [in Romsey]… and ways to get involved.”

Ms Balthazar said it is important for residents to feel involved in the community, especially if they have recently moved to

the area.

“Particularly with Romsey’s big growth in population, we want to make sure residents feel connected,” she said.

“Sometimes it can be hard to connect and that’s one of the things we do at the neighbourhood house.”

“[Theeventis]agreatopportunityforthose groups to get new members and volunteers.”

With entertainment for kids and food available, Ms Balthazar said they are hoping to meet the previous attendance numbers of more than 200 people.

“We’ve consistently had over 200 [people] attend each year and we’re hoping the number will be up again.”

If you are interested in registering a stall for the event Ms Balthazar said to contact the neighbourhood house.

Details: https://bit.ly/3o7RJ1Q

Zoe Moffatt

pays the same because everybody is receiving the same service for residential properties,” she said. “Obviously that’s not the case for our commercial and industrial properties. That’s why I’m supportive of them being based on CIV.”

Currently, all costs associated with waste services are covered through the general rate revenue. As a part of rates, this is calculated based on the value of the property through a CIV model, which is revalued regularly.

Cr Karen Sherry reiterated that the waste services charge only achieves cost recovery

and it does not generate a surplus or profit for council.

“I just want to reassure the public that introducing a waste service charge the current proportion of your rates currently used to fund the applicable waste services that you’re receiving would be removed from the general rates,” she said.

“Then the cost of delivering these waste services would then be added back into the rates notice in the form of a waste services charge based on the methodology selected by council.”

Romsey Neighbourhood House Manager Michelle Balthazar, and the team John Spring, Tracey Trindall, Dominic Graham, Stacy Zawila, Wendy Carella and Meisze Law. (Damjan Janevski) 328370_03

Food bank cash boost

The Gisborne community food bank has received $2000 in donations from Sunbury Autobarn, which will cover the expenses of perishable items for about one month.

The Sunbury store decided to donate to the foodbank following its 30th birthday celebrations on April 8.

Food bank volunteer manager Lynne Margret, said the money raised will go towards perishable items for families in need.

“It’s the perishable items, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese and dairy products, those high protein items that really help families to stay healthy,” Ms Margret said.

“We’re a volunteer organisation [and] every cent that people donate goes to the food bank.”

Ms Margret said the food bank helps feed about 350 to 400 families a month and they have experienced increased demand in the last few months.

“Our numbers have increased and consequently our need for food has increased,” she said.

“Speaking with the other food banks in the area, they are saying their numbers have increased in the last few months as well, especially since Christmas.”

Sunbury Autobarn chief executive Adam Mizzi said they chose to donate to the food bank because it supports families doing it tough.

“[With] interest rate rises and how tough it is, I just wanted to do something special on our special day,” Mr Mizzi said.

“The suppliers sent us gifts for making it to 30 years and whatever we made, as a team, we made the decision to double it [and donate the proceeds to the food bank].”

Ms Margret said people and businesses donating to the food bank helps them help the community.

“We are really thankful to… Adam and his business for [the donation],” she said.

Details: https://bit.ly/3mrHpkF

Briefs

Neighbours card

Macedon Ranges council has launched the neighbours connect card to help residents get to know each other and stay safe. The cards, which were made possible through the Emergency Recovery Victoria Community Led Resilience Grant, are available at local neighbourhood houses and at council customer service centres.

Pause on sports precinct work

Macedon Ranges council announced on April 6 that work on the regional sports precinct has been paused, following the Lloyd Group going into voluntary administration. Council’s chief executive Bernie O’Sullivan said there will be a security presence at the precinct and council is committed to finding a solution so works can continue. No other council projects have been affected and Mr O’Sullivan said council’s thoughts are with the Lloyd Group staff and contractors.

Hume community grants

Applications for round one of Hume council’s 2024 Community Grants Program will be open from May 15 to June 30, 2023, with just under $500,000 available. Council has introduced a new one-off category called the Specialist Partnership Grant which will provide up to $10,000 for one year to support organisations.

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HELP SUPPORT THE MOST VULNERABLE PATIENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Your donation to The Greatest Need fund will help support vulnerable patients facing severe financial hardship by providing the basic necessities they need to leave hospital and move forward with their lives.

Find out more and donate today at https://greatestneed.wh.org.au

Zoe Moffatt

Adam Mizzi presenting the cheque to the Gisborne community food bank representatives. (supplied).

New Kyneton group provides the tools for living well

A new group has started up in Kyneton which aims to support people dealing with anxiety, depression,panicattacks,stressoranyfeelings of sadness, despair or being overwhelmed with life.

‘Tools 4 Living Well’ is facilitated by one of Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s counsellors and the sessions draw on the experience of members of the group as they share their stories and their strategies on

managing their mental health.

The free sessions also include practical skills such as mindfulness and breathing exercises.

“Tools 4 Living Well allows people to connect with others who are going through similar life experiences,” says Gina Alvarez from Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health.

“We provide a calm, supportive and

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inclusive space where people will have the opportunity to learn from each other, reflect and develop the skills to improve their wellbeing.”

Group members can also be referred to individual counselling if they feel that this would work for them either in addition to the peer support group or instead of.

Light refreshments are available and a supervised space for children with activities

will be provided if group members need to bring their pre-school aged children along. The group meets every Tuesday between 9.30am and 11.30am at Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s building at 1 Caroline Chisholm Drive Kyneton.

To register your interest contact Gina Alvarez on 03 5421 1617 or email gina.alvarez@scchc.org.au.

‘Tools 4 Living Well’ is facilitated by one of Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s counsellors.

‘‘ We provide a calm, supportive and inclusive space ’’ - Gina Alvarez

Pay your respects on Anzac Day

By Zoe Moffatt

SunburyRSLSub-branchandtheBullaGarden

Club will hold Anzac day services on April 25, and they invite the community to attend.

The dawn service in Sunbury will begin at 6am, while the morning service and wreath laying ceremony will begin at approximately 10.30am, at the Monument at Memorial Hall.

The Bulla service will commence at 8.30am at the cenotaph on the corner of Green Street and Bulla road.

Sunbury RSL secretary Harry Beckwith said they will have a holding ceremony around the cenotaph from 6pm Anzac eve until 6am ANZAC morning.

“At 9.50am [there will be] a march from the post office to the cenotaph, led by a uniform

police,” Mr Beckwith said. “Six to seven old classiccarswithservicepersonnel[willfollow].”

Mr Beckwith said they are expecting it to be a busy day, with thousands of people set to attend.

“In [the] past it could be up to anything like 5000 [people] for both services,” he said.

The Sunbury RSL will also be selling Anzac Day pins across town until April 24, ranging from $2 to $50.

The Bulla Garden Club will be running a smaller service and said they expect about 80 to 100 people to attend.

Garden club Secretary Heather McKenzie said “it’s only a short service, it probably goes for 20 to 25 minutes.”

“Then [everyone] can have a cup of tea and light refreshments, and we get to mingle and

get to know people from Bulla and the areas around Bulla.”

Ms McKenzie said she will have flowers for peopletolaydownandlooksforwardtogetting the community together.

“I usually make a piece of rosemary and a couple of flowers so anyone who wants to put somethingdownbutdoesn’thaveanythingcan put it down,” she said.

“We first started with about 20 people and every year it grows and grows… It was just one of those things that we thought would be a good idea [to] get people from Bulla together.”

“We don’t mind where they come from… It’s just lovely to meet up with different people.”

Details: https://bit.ly/43oNNtG and https:// bit.ly/2ZeYpu8

Services to remember the fallen

Mount Macedon Memorial Cross will host another Anzac Day dawn service this year, with three Woodend residents set to be commemorated.

The service will be held at the memorial cross on April 25, at 6 am and will run for about an hour, with more than 3000 attendees expected.

The service committee said the event honours the sacrifice of veterans, salutes their serviceandseekstolearnfromtheexperiences of servicemen and servicewomen.

Stories from Woodend residents, 101 year-old veteran Jack Bullen and a father and son duo who all served in World War II will be shared at the service.

Chair of the dawn service committee

Bruce Mildenhall said Bullen’s story will be introduced by one of his great grandchildren.

“Jack saw service in some of the toughest World War II settings - El Elamein and the jungles of New Guinea,” Mr Mildenhall said.

“It is a great privilege for our service to not only honour Jack and his story, and to have that story introduced by one of his great grandchildren, who is a student at Braemar College.”

The story of the father and son duo Allan Cameron Andison Senior and junior will also be shared at the service.

Gary Andison who is the son of Allan Cameron Andison Junior and the long serving bugler, will be playing the Last Post at the service.

The service committee said community members and anyone interested in the service is welcome to attend, however private vehicles are not permitted to travel up the mountain. There will be a free bus service to provide access from Gisborne, Woodend, Sunbury, Kyneton, Riddells Creek, Lancefield and Romsey with continuous shuttle buses from Macedon’s Tony Clarke Reserve from 4.15 am.

Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring a water bottle, torch and cash to purchase a snack or drink on the day, with any donations appreciated.

Details: https://bit.ly/2ZeYpu8

Zoe Moffatt

Sunbury RSL Secretary Harry Beckwith, and Graeme Williams selling badges for Anzac Day. (Damjan Janevski) 327999_01

Kyneton development concern

By Zoe Moffatt

Macedon Ranges council has received community objections to a proposed development on Harpers Lane at Kyneton South.

Located on the eastern side of Harpers Lane, the development proposes to subdivide the land into 65 lots, and remove native vegetation and easements.

This latest plan follows the rejection of a previous development proposal for Harpers Lane which sought to subdivide the land into 87 lots.

Council received 15 objections to the

proposal at its April 12 meeting. Concerns raised included increased traffic, pedestrian safety, loss of vegetation, street lighting, lot sizes, insufficient interface, flooding and drainage, and lack of consultation by the developer.

One resident said the town is not opposed to development, but it should reflect the character and vision of the surrounding area.

“[This plan] is the reincarnation of the previously rejected plan,” the resident said.

“Development is inevitable, there is no opposition to development, the objection… is that the development should respond appropriately to the character context and

CWA talent on display

The best regional talent will be on show in Lancefield with the Country Women’s AssociationCentralHighlandsGroupholding its creative art exhibition on April 29 and 30. The exhibition will include entries from 11 branches, which ranges from Craigieburn to Heathcote, and Gisborne to Romsey.

Creative Arts Convenor from the Sunbury StarsBranchBevGoodmansaidtheexhibition will be held at the Mechanic’s Institute in Lancefield and they are expecting it to be the best exhibition yet.

“We welcome members, friends, family and all of the communities in and around the Macedon Ranges to visit us,” Ms Goodman said. “Our skills and competitive spirit [will be] on show across 222 entry categories.”

Ms Goodman said over 50 women have entered the exhibition, with many submitting multiple entries.

“We have 54 [women] entered so far, nine of these entries are under 16 years old,” she said.

“One member from the CWA Kyneton Twilighters branch has put in 44 entries, [which are] all preserves, jams and jellies.”

Along with the exhibition, the branches will be cooking up a storm with home-style catering available, craft demonstrations, and a raffle on the day.

Entry to the exhibition is $5, with children under 16 free, and the presentation for the winners will take place at 1.30pm on Sunday, April 30.

strategic vision of the surrounding area.”

Another resident voiced concern about the stormwatermanagementplansandtheimpacts of climate change in the future.

“When I read the stormwater management plan I was struck by the words… and I quote, ‘unless otherwise stated, the information provided in this report does not take into consideration the very nature of climate change and its consequences on our current engineering practices,” the resident said.

“Now this shocked me… how is it possible… for a stormwater plan to be written that does not address climate change.”

An applicant representative also spoke

at the meeting and said the applicant made a number of changes in response to VCAT recommendations, including number of lots, lot size and a vegetation buffer.

“Even though VCAT said we didn’t have to, we’ve offered to widen and seal Harpers Lane to the north of our site, including the provision of footpaths,” the representative said.

“We’ve [also] offered a voluntary developer contribution for the intersection at Harpers Lane on a without prejudice basis subject to a number of conditions.”

The development plan will be up for consideration at the next planning delegated committee meeting on May 10.

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Zoe Moffatt

The 2021 CWA exhibition in Kyneton. (Supplied).

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

WANT

Youth Initiative

Romsey Neighbourhood House is supporting youth to discover their talents, interests, passions with activities including yoga, pilates, sewing, welding and barista training.

■ https://bit.ly/3zSOVrR

Macedon Ranges Masonic Lodge

MRML meets monthly on the 1st Thursday of the month at 7.30pm 72 Main Street Romsey. New members welcome.

■ Wayne, 0404 034 737 or Ian, 0438 240 402

Tuning in to Kids

Learn how to connect with your preschool child, help manage their emotions and improve their social interactions. Mondays, 9.30am to 11.30am, from 1 May at Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, 49 Forest Street, Woodend.

Wondrous rock art of Arnhem Land Romsey and Lancefield Historical Society are hosting a talk on Sunday April 23 with esteemed photographer John Golling.

■ https://bit.ly/3KqYt2i

Bulla Anzac Day Service

The Bulla Anzac Day Service will be held on Tuesday, April 25 from 8.30am at the cenotaph, Cnr Green St and Bulla Rd, Bulla. Light refreshments will be offered after the short service

■ Heather, 0417 510 558

Mothers Day Melodies

The Mothers Days Melodies concert will be taking place in Sunbury on Saturday, May 13 at 1pm. The 70 minute show will be followed by a sumptuous afternoon tea, for $15 a ticket.

■ https://bit.ly/3G9LSPt

Sunbury Art Society

The Sunbury Art Society meets each Friday and Saturday from 10am to 3pm at the Boilerhouse, Jackson’s Hill, to paint or draw over a cuppa with other like minded people.

■ Ken, 0407 062 568 or Robyn, 0438 383 639

Lego Club

Drop in sessions for primary school age children, Wednesdays 3.30pm-5pm during school term. Children must have a caregiver with them at all times. Lego, tea and coffee are provided. Gold coin appreciated. Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Ellizabeth Drive Sunbury.

■ www.sunburyhouse.com.au

Repair Café Sunbury

Head along for a cuppa and some skill sharing on how to repair broken household items, preventing landfill and promoting kindness. Runs every third Saturday of the month, 10am to 12.30pm at the Sunbury Neighbourhood House. 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury.

Music and Singalong

Bring your instrument or your voice to a social group for adults, all skill sets welcome. Wednesdays 9am-noon, at Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Elizabeth Drive Sunbury.

■ www.sunburyhouse.com.au

Local camera club

The Macedon Ranges Photographic Society is your local camera club for friendship, photographic outings, workshops, guest presenters, competitions and more. Meetings on the first Tuesday of the month, followed by the next Monday. Doors open at 7pm, meeting starts at 7.30pm. Dromkeen 1012 Kilmore Rd, Riddells Creek. ■ https://bit.ly/41j5BEw

Breast cancer support group

On the first and third Tuesday of the month breast cancer survivors are invited to head along to the Gisborne Golf Club at 10.30am to take part in a breast cancer support group.

■ Lesley, 0484 691 226

Village connect

Enjoy free coffee and cake while connecting with fellow Macedon Ranges residents over 55 years old. Happening on Tuesdays and Thursday at cafes across the municipality.

■ https://bit.ly/3AMUrxm, or 5422 0262

Arts and games night

Get creative at the Sunbury Youth Centre each Wednesday from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. The free program is for people aged 12 to 18 years old, at 51-53 Evans Street, Sunbury.

Carer connect chat

Connect with other carers in your local area, share a light lunch, have a chat at noon on the first Wednesday of the month. Head to Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, 1 Caroline Chisholm Drive, Kyneton.

■ 0491 174 550, or email rebecca.lees@scchc.org.au

HarmoniX Vocal Company

All-male singing group happening on Thursday, 7- 9.30pm in Sunbury, with a mixed choir, DynamiX Vocal Company, rehearsing Tuesday. 7-9.30pm. Rehearse at Dulap Wilim Hub, 11 Leichardt Street, Sunbury. No auditions required.

■ harmonixvcinc@gmail.com

Jacksons Creek Combined Probus

Visit or join the club which gathers on the second Monday of each month at the Sunbury Football Club at 10am. Enjoy outings, meetings and trips away.

■ Doug, 5428 3317, or Teresa, 9746 3402

Craft and conversation

Head down to the Sunbury Library

on Mondays at noon for the craft and conversation group. The program is free and open to people aged 15 years and older.

■ https://bit.ly/39BIu2O

Chill Out Sunbury

Chill Out Sunbury is a free event for 12 and 18 years old to participate in activities such as trivia, games, and more. Happening every Wednesday, 3.30-5.30pm at the Sunbury Youth Centre, 51-53 Evans Street.

■ https://bit.ly/3lmVgVhv

Sunbury Ladies Badminton Club

Social games are on Mondays, 9.30am to noon, and team competitions are on Thursdays, 9.30am-12.30pm at Eric Boardman Stadium, Wilsons Lane.

■ sunburylbc@gmail.com

Come have a chat

Delve into deeper topics and enjoy intriguing conversations by joining the Table 8 Discussion Group. Chats on every Tuesday from 10.30-11.30am at Macedon Lounge, 40 Victoria Street, Macedon.

■ Carol, 0431 186 575

Family History and Heritage Society

If you’ve got a hankering to learn more about Sunbury and your own family history, come along to meetings at 1.30pm on the third Thursday of each month at the Sunbury Senior Citizens Centre, 8 O’Shanassy Street, Sunbury.

■ https://bit.ly/3jvM6oJ

Rotary club

The Sunbury Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at the Ball Court Hotel, 60 Macedon St, Sunbury from 7pm.

■ sunburyrotary@gmail.com

Ladies probus

The Woodlands Ladies Probus Club of Sunbury meets on the fourth Monday of each month at the Sunbury Bowling Club at 9.45 am.

■ Leonie, 0401 764 182

Sunbury Ladies Probus Club

The Sunbury Ladies Probus Club meets at 9.30am on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Sunbury Football Social Club rooms.

■ Pat, 0433 789 754, or Sylvia, 0417 170 142

Sunbury Combined Probus Club

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

■ Carmel, 0416 477 271

Toastmasters

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

■ vpm-4185@toastmastersclubs.org

Sunbury Seniors

Sunbury Seniors (55 or older) meet on Mondays and Fridays at 8 O’Shanassy Street, Sunbury, from 10am-3pm. A variety of activities are offered – indoor bowls, cards, snooker, guest speakers, day excursions, subsidised lunches or just a cup of coffee and a chat.

■ 0434 400 754

Probus Club Of Sunbury

Join the Probus Club of Sunbury on the first Wednesday of the month at the Sunbury Football club at 9.30am. It’s a friendly men’s group open visitors and new members, with a number of great events held each month.

■ Greg, 0417 593 035

CWA Woodend Eves

The CWA Woodend Eves Branch is part of the Central Highlands group and meets every 3rd Tuesday at 7pm at the Woodend Neighbourhood house. All women are welcome.

■ cwawoodendeves@gmail.com.

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

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Bill Marshall as ‘Captain Fish’, who is a producer of a surrealist festival. (Damjan Janevski) 328234_01

PUZZLES

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

ACROSS

1 Drafted Russian cavalry soldier (7)

5 Windfall (7)

9 Inherited from one’s family (9)

10 Exactitude (5)

11 Pick (6)

12 Going in (8)

14 Greek oracle (6)

15 Nasty (4)

19 Paradise (4)

20 Type of brandy (6)

24 Relating to cultivated land (8)

25 Maximum (6)

27 River flowing from Tibet to the Arabian Sea (5)

28 Incapable of being seen (9)

29 Vote in again (2-5)

30 Gnawing animals (7) DOWN

1 Opportunity (6)

2 Aid (6)

129

3 Appraised (8)

4 Grunge musician Cobain (4)

5 Personal items (10)

6 Medical professionals (6)

7 Nightwear (8)

8 Haughty (8)

13 Expert (10)

16 The way one acts (8)

17 Resent someone’s pleasure or good fortune (8)

18 Being admitted to a church (8)

21 Fictional castaway (6)

22 Spindle for thread (6)

23 City of the 2004 Olympic Games (6)

26 Declare (4)

DECODER WORDFIT

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”. T

coned, conic, decent, denote, dent, dine, dint, docent, done, donee, encode, entice, enticed, icon, into, need, nice, niece, node, note, noted, notice, noticed, occident, once, tend, tine, tone, toned, tonic

cent, codeine, coin, coined, concede, conceit, CONCEITED, cone,

No. 129

QUICK QUIZ

1 An acre is how many square metres: 4047, 4247 or 4447?

2 Video game storefront Steam is owned by what company?

3 The ‘evil Santa’ Krampus has the horns of what animal?

4 What is the title of Susanna Clarke’s 2020 fantasy novel?

5 What is the heaviest organ in the human body?

6 The world’s oldest tree, a bristlecone pine, is located in which US state?

7 The condor is the common name for which two species of bird?

8 Which of the following authors does not have a Nobel Prize: Alice Munro, Peter Carey, Albert Camus or Gabriel García Márquez?

9 Justice Smith and Herizen F. Guardiola (pictured) starred in which musical drama Netflix series?

10 Which former Hawthorn player has the most AFL Premierships?

No.

No. 129

No. 129

Fungi Town holiday fun

Children across the Macedon Ranges had a visitfromtheFungiTownCaravanthisschool holiday as part of the creative kids program.

Artist Kathy Holowko and her art installation on wheels held workshops on April 12 and April 13 at the Kyneton Town Hall and Romsey Community Hub.

Ms Holowko said she is interested in the power of art and the effects of urban life.

“Ibelieveinthepowerofarttohelplearn,to think, to meditate,” she said. “It is my way to mirror cultural environmental ideologies in the hope of building positive future visions.”

“I am interested in the effects that urban life has upon our understanding of ecology.”

During the workshops, the children were introduced to environmental education and learnt about the fascinating life of fungi by creating sculptures out of paper, tape and oil pastel.

The fungi town workshops are part of the caravan’s events for 2023, following its construction after the June 2021 storms.

Zoe Moffatt

Levi, 6.

Above: Kathy Holowko holding the Fungi Town school holiday workshop in Kyneton. Left: Max, 5, Olivia, 11, Thomas, 7, Beatrix, 9, Aria, 10, and Elora, 10, learnt about the fascinating life of fungi. Below: The children outside the Fungi Town Caravan. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 328126

Puma Service Station Gisborne 23

Robertson Street

• Gisborne Caltex Service Station - Gisborne 4

Station Street

• Kyneton Kuppers Fuel Stop - Kyneton 199

Burton Avenue

Valentine’s at Hanging Rock

‘‘ Let’s not let false lies spread as being facts. It’s dangerous ’’ -RobMitchell

• Kyneton RT Edgar Real Estate - Kyneton 10 High Street

• Kyneton Kyneton Newsagency 95 Mollison Street

• Kyneton Kyneton Shire Offices 129 Mollison Street

• Lancefield Lancefield Newsagency 18 High Street

• Macedon United Service Station - Macedon 313 Black Forest Drive

• Macedon IGA Supermarket - Macedon 20 Victoria Street

• Macedon Macedon Newsagency 25 Victoria Street

• Malmsbury General Store 75 Mollison Street

• Monegeeta Newsagency 2076 Melbourne -Lancefield Road

• Mount Macedon Mt Macedon Post Office 341 Mt Macedon Road

• Riddells Creek Riddells Creek Nursery 675 Kilmore Road

• Riddells Creek Riddells Creek Post Office 80 Main Road

• Riddells Creek Foodies - Riddells Creek 86-88 Main Road

• Riddells Creek Riddells Creek Supermarket 2

Station Street

• Romsey Chess Property - Romsey 102

Main Street

• Romsey IGA Supermarket - Romsey 107

Main Street

• Sunbury Leeburn and Co Real Estate

- Sunbury 6 Brook Street

• Sunbury Sunbury Newsagency 14 Brook Street

• Sunbury The Jolly Miller cafe Shop 2/2 Brook Street

• Sunbury The Jolly Miller cafe Shop 2/2 Brook Street

• Sunbury The Local Sunbury Bottleshop Shop 2b/15-17 Dornoch Drive

• Sunbury Goonawarra General Store 23-25

Dornoch Drive

• Sunbury Sunbury Neighbourhood House 531

Elizabeth Drive

• Sunbury Brad Teal Real Estate Sunbury 54

Evans Street

• Sunbury Reliant Real Estate 11/114-126

Evans Street

• Sunbury Muffin Break Shop 2/24 Evans Street

• Sunbury Sunbury Square Shopping Centre Shop 2-28 Evans Street

• Sunbury Terry White Chemist 83-85

Evans Street

• Sunbury Gap Road Medical Centre 46

Gap Road

• Sunbury United Fuel Sunbury 47 Gap Road

• Sunbury 7-Eleven Sunbury 128 Gap Road

• Sunbury Asia Finest Shop 4&5, 106-126

Gap Road

• Sunbury Puma Service Station Sunbury 96

Horne Street

• Sunbury Woolworths Supermarket 25-47

Horne Street

• Sunbury Big W - Sunbury 25-47 Horne Street

• Sunbury BP Service Station 53-55

Horne Street

• Sunbury Sunbury Day Hospital 7

Macedon Street

• Sunbury Hume Council Offices - Sunbury 40

Macedon Street

• Sunbury Sunbury Information Centre 43

Macedon Street

• Sunbury Sunbury Library 44 Macedon Street

• Sunbury Community Health Centre Unit 12-28

Macedon Street

• Sunbury McKwen Drive Milk Bar Shop 1-3

McEwen Drive

• Sunbury Foodworks Bottlemart on Melba 16

Melba Avenue

• Sunbury Foodworks on Melba 16-18

Melba Avenue

• Sunbury Melba Cafe 22 Melba Avenue

• Sunbury Mitchells Lane Milk Bar 192

Mitchells Lane

wouldn’t be so callous and stupid to make a statement like ‘most people have riskofdyingofCOVID-19’. “This from a country where tragically morethan440,000deathshavebeenrecorded.” Mr Mitchell said more work needed to

be done to combat potentially “deadly misinformation”. He said people should consult a doctor or medical professional when it came to vaccinationsandmedicaltreatment. “We don’t know who these people are andthatiswhywehavemedicalexperts,”hesaid. to“Theyhavedecadesintrainingandlearning understandthesethings.Theyarethepeopletotalkto. “Let’s not let false lies spread as being facts. It’sdangerous. “What we have achieved in Victoria is an amazing job and the last thing we need is peoplespreadingtheories.”

• Sunbury Just Planet 37 O’Shannesy Street

• Sunbury An Apple a Day Natural Health Store 49 O’Shannesy Street

• Sunbury The Spotted Owl 93 O’Shannesy Street

• Sunbury Cafe Circe 109 O’Shannesy Street

• Sunbury IGA Supermarket - Sunbury 98-122 O’Shannesy Street

• Sunbury Killara Family Store - Sunbury 57 Phillip Drive

• Sunbury Strathearn Glen Corner Store 10 Strathearn Drive

• Sunbury Sacco & Saba Cafe 2/20-30 Sussex Street

• Sunbury Rosenthal Shopping Centre 90 Vineyard Road

• Tylden Tylden Store 36 Trentham Road

• Woodend Keatings Real Estate - Woodend 83 Calder Highway

• Woodend Coles Supermarket - Woodend 61 High Street

• Woodend II cafe 66 High Street

• Woodend Andrews Cafe 77 High Street

• Woodend Fox in the Chamber 90 High Street

• Woodend Jellis Craig Real Estate - Woodend 91 High Street

• Woodend Maison Maloa Licensed Cafe & Gifts 95 High Street

• Woodend Woodend Newsagency 101 High Street

• Woodend Paysanne Cafe 112 High Street

• Woodend Bourkies Bake House 115 High Street

• Woodend RT Edgar Real Estate - Woodend 124 High Street

• Woodend BP Service Station - Woodend 130 High Street

• Woodend Woodend Community Centre High Street & Forest Street

Trades

ADVERTISERS

PLEASE NOTE

Kitchen Hand Doxa Youth Foundation

• Permanent part time or casual

• Doxa Malmsbury Camp

•Salary - $48,000 to $50,000 pro rata for the role plus superannuation and PBI benefits

• .6 EFT weekdays with limited evening work

ABOUT US

The Doxa Youth Foundation is a community-based organisation that was established in 1972. We offer a range of programmes to extend opportunities for children and young people from less advantaged backgrounds. We have a particular focus on providing camps and assisting young people to succeed in their studies and the workforce.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Sell it local

We are seeking a kitchen hand to assist our chef to prepare and serve meals and snacks at our Malmsbury Camp. Our main focus is providing camps for schools during term time, which cater for between 35 to 60 guests. We also have a kitchen garden project where children harvest and cook fresh ingredients to encourage healthy food choices.

ABOUT YOU

Ideally you will have:

• A proven track record in assisting in kitchens.

•An understanding of the food safety requirements in Victoria.

•Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team.

•An ability to relate well to a broad range of people including children, teachers and camp staff.

APPLICATIONS

Please send your written application with a covering letter and resume to hr@doxa.org.au by 12 midnight on April 30. For a copy of the job description, visit careers on our website, doxa.org.au. For further information ring Julie Harrison on

Support Worker, Client Advisor and Office Administrator (Rostering and Scheduling)

Benetas are looking to fill multiple roles in Homecare due to the expansion of our services in the Macedon Ranges. If you are interested in supporting people to maintain their independence and remain living at home, please view the roles below.

Our local office is in Gisborne. Support Worker works one on one assisting clients to stay in their home longer. This includes duties such as Domestic Assistance and Personal Care.

This role can be permanent part-time or casual.

Client Advisor manages Home Care Packages for recipients by coordinating services in accordance with the funding guidelines. The role will be responsible in creating a positive client experience in collaboration with the client services coordinator. This roll is full-time, part-time will be considered for the right candidate

Officer Administrator (Rostering and Scheduling), internally referred to as a Workforce Coordinator, performs timely scheduling of direct care services and rostering of staff to support those services. This role is permanent part-time.

At Benetas we are all about genuinely caring and developing meaningful connections with others to maximise wellbeing.

Contact Sophie Wallace on 03 5428 0368 or chspmacedonranges@benetas.com.au

Apply

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which netball team remains unbeaten in the Suncorp Super Netball competition?

2. The Central Coast Rhinos are a team in which Australian league?

3. How many goals did Jeremy Cameron kick for the Geelong Football Club in Round 4?

4. Which Minnesota Timberwolves player has been suspended for one match after throwing a punch at a teammate?

5. In what year did Roger Federer last win the French Open?

6. How many Australian men’s cricket players are currently playing in the IPL?

7. Which AFL club does Lloyd Meek play for? Archery was added to the Olympic Games in

Who directed the Air, about Michael Jordan's partnership with Nike?

True or false: Norwood Oval will be part of the AFL’s Gather Round?

What milestone did St Kilda football club celebrate in Round 4 against Essendon?

What are the team colours of the Washington Wizards NBA team?

How old was US golfing legend Tiger Woods when he won his first masters title?

14. Which former cricket star faced backlash online after he posted an ‘awkward’ video to social media?

15. To date, how many games has Port Adelaide won in the 2023 season?

16. What did F1 racer Fernando Alonso place at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix?

17. And which team did he race for?

18. Which tennis star, known widely as ‘The King of Clay', will miss out on the court at Monte Carlo Masters due to injury?

19. Which AFLW team does netballer Ashley Brazil play for?

20. The Netflix film The Swimmers tells the true story of which Syrian sisters in their journey to the Olympics?

21. Which six-team women’s rugby union competition includes the Fijiana Drua?

22. Former Brisbane Lions footballer Jack Crisp last played for which AFL club?

23. Which college basketball team did the Connecticut Huskies defeat to win the 2023 NCAA Division I men's championship?

24. The parent company of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Chmpionship) recently announced a merger with which professional wrestling company?

25. Play was suspended during the 2023 Masters after heavy winds brought down several trees near which hole?

26. Which top US professional league features teams including Houston Dash, Orlando Pride and Portland Thorns?

27. Actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson played college football for which university?

28. NBA player Kyrie Irving has played for how many NBA teams?

29. Which Nigeria-born, New Zealand-residing professional mixed martial artist defeated Alex Pereira at UFC 287?

30. Which Spanish professional golfer won the 2023 Masters?

ADVERTISE IN THE CLASSIFIEDS UNTIL YOUR ITEM SELLS*

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• All advertisements must be pre-paid. For $29.00 you get a 4 line, ONE ITEM ONLY advertisement, restricted to “For Sale” or “Motoring” items only for private advertisers, run initially for 13 weeks or until sold. Additional lines will be charged at $3 per line per publication.

• After your advertisement has run for 13 weeks you must call us each fortnight to renew it for a further 2 week period AND reduce the price of your item by a minimum 5% for items in the “For Sale” section or 3% for items in the “Motoring” section. This process may continue until you have sold your item. If we do not hear from you we will assume you have sold your item and your advertisement will not appear.

• The sale price must be included in the advertisement and the only alterations you may make are to the PRICE of your item.

• Business advertisements, rental hire, pets & livestock and real estate are not included in the offer.

• The publisher reserves the right to decline any booking for the purpose of ongoing gain.

BMW X1 is sporty, self-assured

By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring

TheBMWX1xDrive2.0iisanimpressivepiece of machinery from the upmarket German company that has been at the forefront of automotive engineering for many decades. TheX1isthesmallestmodelinBMW’sSUV range with five larger models on offer. Some of these are what we would call SUV bodies, others are coupe-like in their shape. It’s quite large, indeed being it’s almost the size of the BMW X3 of a few generations back.

Styling

It’sanattractivevehicle,withaverylargefront grille that’s split vertically down the centre to follow the design theme that has been used for many BMW generations. On either side of this grille are headlights that run well back beside the bonnet, gradually increasing height as they get closer to the windscreen.

The roof is almost flat from the top of the windscreen to the rear of the X1 and the rear window is close to being vertical, hence our placing it into the SUV class rather than the coupe class.

Below the upper grille is a large black lower section that’s a little wider than the upper grille. Outside of this lower area the colour of the rest of the body is used. It all ties in very nicely.

Interior

Styling inside the X1 is excellent, with a standout dash area that extends almost two thirds of the way across the front. This looks great and was praised by all who rode with us during our test week.

The front seats have side supports designed to provide hold the driver and front passenger nicely when the X1’s taken for spirted driving in twisty roads. Okay so it’s not a sports machine, but it comes pretty close so these seats make a lot of sense.

There is seating for five, with the rear seats in a 40:20:40 setup. Seating for three average sized adults in the rear is fine, but if there are five largish people back there it’s a bit tight.

The backrests of the three rear seats can be folded down individually to give a choice

of passenger / luggage space. They backrests don’t fold completely flat, which would rule it out for us because we have dog and he could not lie on a flat floor.

Infotainment

Display is through what BMW calls its Live Cockpit Professional using a combination of a 10.25-inch instrument display in front of the driver and a 10.7-inch high-resolution curved touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard.

Satellite navigation is standard and can be set either through the touchscreen or via the My BMW app.

There are four USB-C ports, two in the front centre console and two in the rear centre console.

There’s a smartphone wireless charging pad in the front console while both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless.

Engines / transmissions

The BMW X1 xDrive20i is powered by a four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine generating 150 kW and 300 Nm.

The X1 sDrive18i has a three-cylinder 1.5-litre engine with outputs of 115 kW and 230 Nm. We’re booked into a road test of the

18i shortly and will provide a full report at that time.

Transmission in the 20i is through a seven-speed double clutch automatic with power being is sent to all four wheels via BMW’s intelligent all-wheel-drive xDrive system.

Safety

Active protection features include front, side and head airbags, inner-vented front and rear disc brakes with brake-wear sensors, central locking with electronic immobiliser and crash sensor, dynamic braking lights, braking assistant, cornering brake control and dynamic traction control.

Driver assistant safety features add active cruise control with Stop&Go function, head-up display. Driving Assistant Plus adds blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane change warning, front collision warningwithbrakeintervention,rearcrossing traffic warning and rear collision prevention.

There’s also parking assistant with front and rear active park distance control, reversing assistant and surround view camera.

The BMW Drive Recorder system films the vehicle’s surrounding for up to 40 seconds to

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

document dangerous driving situations in road traffic

Driving Ahh, It’s a BMW and I’ve always enjoyed driving them. The engine is good, though a slightly faster response would have been nice at times. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been driving a lot of electric or hybrid vehicles lately and have become accustomed to the instant response they provide when you push that pedal on the right.

On the other hand, I’ve been driving a lot of non-BMW vehicles and their handling is simply not in the same class as that of the BMW.

The BMW X1 xDrive 2.0i is a smallish SUV rather than a sports sedan but has handling that’s delightful. It answers virtually instantly to movements of the steering wheel and sends feedback through the wheel to immediately let you know what’s happening.

It holds the road at speeds well above the speeds most drivers would attempt and simply carries on around the bends almost as though they weren’t there.

Ride comfort is very good, which is something you seldom get in cars with the sporty handling it provides.

Summary

The BMW X1 xDrive 2.0i is an exceptional vehicle with the sort of features that appeal to those who love driving but at the same time need the convenience of practicality that suits them.

The very large front grille is split vertically down the centre and looks great. (Pictures: Supplied)

Young Bulldogs fight it out against the Storm

It was a different looking Gisborne side from the side that won last year’s Bendigo Football LeaguepremiershipinroundoneonSaturday.

With seven players departing in the off season and another three out injured, more than half the premiership team was missing against Strathfieldsaye.

The Bulldogs started the better of the two sides, before the Storm hit the lead in the second quarter.

The Storm got the lead up to five goals early in the last quarter, before the Bulldogs kicked some late goals to reduce the margin.

The Storm held on to win, 11.13 (79)-9.12 (67).

New Bulldogs coach Brad Fox said it was exciting to see a number of young guys get their opportunity.

“We were very young and inexperienced players,” he said. “The average age of the side is 21, which is young for any team anywhere.

“The guys are keen and keen to have more impact. We will improve and improve quickly.”

Fox said the difference in the match was a

couple of lapses in both the second and third quarters that proved to be the difference.

He said they also struggled to find clean ball inside 50 with a lot of goals from free play.

One thing that impressed Fox was the way that they finished the game.

“It got to five goals in the last quarter,” he said.

“The first game of the season is always the hardest. After the 20 minute mark we were able to put the pressure on and you could tell by the reaction of Strathfieldsaye they weren’t taking it easy.

“We were able to run out the game and take risks.”

Zac Denhay and Harry Luxmoore kicked

three goals each for the Bulldogs. Luxmoore made his senior debut in the match, having won last season’s under-18 league goal kicking award.

Fox said Jack Reaper, Liam Spear, Luke Ellings and continued on from last year. Despite the number of changes in the off season, Fox said they still had high expectations for this season.

Josh Kemp, Jaidyn Owen, Nicholas Doolan, Matt Panuccio, Ethan Minns, Scott Walsh and Ethan Foreman have all departed in the off season.

Premiership winning skipper Pat McKenna was one of those on the side lines injured. Fox, who replaces Rob Waters, said it had been like coming home in a coaching sense. It was a tough start for Kyneton, which had a big loss to Golden Square, 12.17 (89)-3.7 (25). Golden Square did most of the damage in the first quarter, leading by 41 points at the first break.

Lions off to a good start

By Tara Murray

The Sunbury Lions showed their growth and maturity to come away with an opening round win against North Ballarat in the Ballarat Football League. Traditional slow starters, the Lions were able to find a way in the second half to come away with the 10.15 (75)-9.10 (64) win.

Lions coach Travis Hodgson said they were happy to get the win on their home deck.

“It was especially with us being slow starters and doing it against a good opponent,” he said.

“It was a good game and it would have been good to watch the game as a spectator.”

Hodgsonsaiditwasanevenfirsthalf,despite the Lions trailing by 20 points at the half. He said they felt they were really in the game, with 10 more inside 50s but had failed to convert with the two sides having the same amount of scoring shots.

“We were the better side in the middle of the ground, through the arcs,” he said.

“In the first half they were better at both

ends. Stewart Crameri and Josh Chatfield were both looking dangerous.

“They had Harry Loader in defence who was taking a lot of intercept marks. As the game went on we were able to keep control of the midfield and find a way to score.”

Five unanswered goals in the third quarter turned the game in the favour of the Lions. They then finished off with 10 scoring shots in the final term, but were again wasteful.

Hodgson said their forward line took a little bit of time for the forward line to settle.

“Five unanswered goals in the third quarter was pretty good,” he said. “North Ballarat is one of those sides you don’t get a hold of.

“Five in a quarter unanswered is a really good thing.”

Leigh Brennan in his 300th career game and Harrison Minton-Connell kicked two goals each. Hodgson said that Mitch Lewis and Josh Guthrie were the two standouts on the ground, saying they wouldn’t have won without them.

The two were among the key signings in the

off season, coming to the club full time from Victorian Football League commitments.

Hodgson said Tyson Lever was hard to get past in the backline, while Harry Power was starting to get to the stage of playing consistent football at this level.

Joel Muir was the other key player, helping curb the influence of Brendan McCallum.

Hodgsonsaidbesidesgettingthefourpoints, the most pleasing thing was the way that they won the match.

“Our season last year was defined by close losses, so to win one in these circumstances. We knew we had improved a little and we’re probably more mature as well.”

The Lions have one injury concern out of the game, with Corey Mobilio hyper-extending his knee. Outside of that, the Lions are only a couple of players short of being at full strength. The Lions now face reigning premiers Melton this Saturday. Hodgson said it would be an acid test for them and they believe they’re in a good position to have a crack at them.”

Under-16 girls teams named

The next generation of female footballers will be on show during the AFL under-16 National Development Championships. The championships, which started last week involve 10 teams from across the country, each playing two games each. The sides have been split into two different pools, and the teams who finish atop their pool’s ladder will be named title winners.

Both Victoria Metro and Victoria CountrywereinpoolAalongwithSouth Australia and Western Australia.

Western Jets coach Hayley Gossow is the coach the Victoria Metro team.

Two of her Jets players Jazmine Dalli and Caitlyn Volpe have been named in the squad as well. Chloe Baker-West, Lara Churchill, Taylah Gilchrist and Jade McLay from the Calder Cannons have been named in the team, with Matt O’Connor part of the coaching team.

Five Northern Knights players have also been named in the squad.

Marlo Graham, Phoebe Hargreaves, Olivia Jesser, Scarlett Johnson and Teresia Koliavu are part of the squad.

The teams meet at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve on Thursday, with the first bounce scheduled for 12:00pm. The two Victorian teams were set to face on Thursday, after deadline. They will each play their second match at Arden Street Oval on Sunday, April 23, with Victoria Country to take on Western Australia at 10.45am, before Victoria Metro plays South Australia at 12.45pm. For the first time, the championsships is being played as an interstate carnival, with matches scheduled across four states.

Sunbury Lions’ key off season signings. (Jacob Pattison) 325117

Three of the Calder Cannons girls in the under-16 squad and Matt O’Connor. (Supplied)

Tara Murray

Gisborne’s Matthew Merrett (Joe Mastroianni). 285811

Hawks fly high to win grand final rematch

Woodend-HesketturnedthetablesonDiggers

Rest in the Riddell District Netball League grand final rematch on Saturday.

Both sides had different looking sides to last season’s decider, when the Burras claimed their first A-grade premiership.

WhiletheBurrasunveiledtheirpremiership flag, they weren’t able to repeat the grand final score line.

The Hawks, who had a few more familiar faces in their line up, jumped out of the blocks and led 11-3 at quarter time at Bloomdale Reserve.

The margin increased to 14 at half time, with the Hawks stepping it up in the second half, winning 56-23.

Matilda Lethlean in her debut for the Hawks, shot 31 goals, while Rebecca Carland shot 25 goals.

Lethlean previously played for Wallan and Melton Centrals.

The last two Ryan Medallists Tayissa Coppinger and Meg Grbac were named the Hawks best.

For the Burras, Leona Hristovska shot 21

goals. Michelle Cliffe was named the Burras best along with Anica Scherer.

Elsewhere, Macedon opened its account against Riddell.

The Cats were playing their first match of the season, while the Bombers had beaten Woodend-Hesket on Good Friday.

The Cats took a narrow lead after the first quarter, before extending it to five goals at the main break.

A 13-7 third quarter broke the game open in the favour of the Cats. While the Bombers won the final quarter, the Cats had already done enough, winning 40-31.

Henrietta Donoghue shot 27 goals in her Cats debut, while Chloe Wilson shot seven goals.

Hayley Birch was the Cats best player in the win, while fellow midcourters Karlee Bruno and Chelsea Kemp also had good games.

For the Bombers, Shelby Holter shot 19 goals. Madison Brown was their best along with Tepaea Hobson.

In the other game played on Saturday,

Wallan snuck home against Romsey.

ItwastheRedbacksthatstartedthebetterof the two sides, leading by five goals at quarter time.

The lead was reduced to three goals at half time, with the Redbacks still leading at the last break.

The Magpies found something else in the last quarter, with 12 goals to six, to win the game 34-30.

MadisonHeadshot20goalsfortheMagpies.

For the Redbacks, Emma Grech shot 18 goals.

The other match on the round was played on April 1, with Melton Centrals upsetting the Western Rams.

Lancefield had the bye.

- Tara Murray

Burras step up for win

By Tara Murray

It took a half for Diggers Rest to blow out the cobwebs, but it didn’t stop the Burras getting a first up win in the Riddell District Football League.

Facing an up and about Woodend-Hesket side which was coming off its first win against Riddell in 17 years, the Burras took their time to get into the game.

After leading by nine points at half time, the Burras were able to kick nine goals to four in the second half to get the 14.12 (96)-8.8 (56) win.

Burras coach Jamie Lobb said they were happy to get the win after a slow start.

“We were a little bit rusty and were getting used to each other,” he said.

“We were very aware that Woodend would be feeling confident after last week, but they played in tough conditions.

“We were confident that we could build and run over them in the second half, which we did.”

Tigers focus on growth

Growth is the continued focus for Lancefield in the Riddell District Netball League.

Havingfocusedonhomegrowntalent the last few years, the Tigers continue to show they are heading in the right direction.

For Tigers coach Michelle Rix, nothing changes this season.

“It’s been really positive,” she said.

“We have a young group of girls and most of the girls are Lancefield girls. We’ve got under-19s pushing through the grades and challenging to play A-grade.

“Hopefully we can continue the knowledge from the last couple of years.”

Rix said their A-grade list was similar to what they had last season. Larissa Rix returns from injury and joins the side.

Stephanie Hammond and Elke Henson, have both been promoted from the under-19s.

Brianna De Haas is the one out of the side.

Rix said they believed that they had the midcourt depth to cover the loss of De Haas, who has returned to Riddell.

“We had a practice match last week and we’ve got a really exciting fast midcourt,” she said

Lobb said the biggest difference from the first to the second half was just being used to playing with each other.

He said while they had played practice and intra club matches, regular season footy goes up a level.

“This 22 had not played together before,” he said. “They were getting used to each other and the running movements.

“We had five new players in the ones and a couple in the twos, who played well and will be pushing for spots,

“We were rotation heavy and were able to keep fresh legs.”

Mitchell Day, Mitchell Jensen and Joshua WallacekickedthreegoalseachfortheBurras. Tayte Pears and Ben Toman kicked two each for the Hawks.

Lobb said they had a really even spread of contributors in the win.

“Ryan Mullen was good,” he said. “Chris Lawtondownback,theHickeybrothers.There was a really even spread across the board and we are really flexible in most lines.”

The Burras now have a nine day break

before their second round match. The Burras face Macedon in what is now an annual Anzac Day clash.

They then have a short turn around and face Lancefield, before a bye the week after.

Lobb said Anzac Day was a pretty big day for the club.

“When Rupertswood left the competition, we were quick to put our hand up to be part of that game,” he said.

“As a club we go to the dawn service. We’ll then give them a break and then run away. It’s a big day for us.”

In other results, Riddell was too strong for Macedon in the PUKA Up Cup.

After an even first half, the Bombers ran away with it, winning 12.8 (80)-5.4 (34).

Darcy McGrath kicked three goals in the win, while Bradley Cooke kicked three goals for the Cats.

DylanTarczonandJackKernanwerenamed the Bombers and Cats’ best respectively.

Wallan was the other winner on Saturday, beating Romsey 11.8 (74)-6.5 (41).

“We didn’t get many wins last year, but we stuck with some of the top teams. We lost by a goal to Wallan and sat with Macedon for most of the game before being blown out.

“It’s a really young team with the oldest being 23. We are learning so much every week and we are growing each week.”

Across the board, Rix said they were hoping to build on last season’s results. The Tigers B-grade and C-grade sides both made finals last season.

Rix said they were confident those sides would be better again this year.

The under-19s started their season on Friday night.

The rest of the teams start their season on Saturday against WoodendHesket.

Rix said the club was used to having a bye in the first round of the season and were using it as an opportunity to have a look at some of the other teams.

Rebecca Carland puts up a shot. (Jacob Pattison)329138_08

Joshua Wallace (Jacob Pattison) 329132_14

Calder boys on fire against the NT

The Calder Cannons had a day out against the Northern Territory in the Coates Talent League boys competition on Sunday.

Playing at home, the Cannons set the result up in the first quarter. The Cannons led 64-1 at the first break and the margin was nearly 100 points at half time.

The Cannons had plenty of opportunities in the third quarter and while they extended the lead, they didn’t make the most of their opportunities.

The Cannons finished the game how they started, with 10 goals for the quarter, to win 30.18 (198)-4.1 (25).

Isaac Kako and Amin Naim kicked seven goalsapiecefortheCannonsinthewin.Jordan Croft chipped in with five goals himself.

Mahmoud Taha, who had 36 disposals and seven inside 50s, Kako and Naim were named

the side’s best.

Afterfourrounds,theCannonssitinsecond spot with three wins and a loss.

They have a bye this weekend, with only one game being played for the round.

The Cannons girls sides also got a good win on the weekend, beating the Western Jets in tough conditions on Saturday afternoon.

The Cannons won the game in the first half, with eight scoring shots to one, to lead by 22 points at half time.

The Cannons were able to hold on in the second half, winning 4.8 (32)-2.3 (15).

Kayley Kavanagh had 30 disposals for the Cannons, while Kyla Forbes had 26, her best this season.

Forbes was the only multiple goal kicker on the ground, kicking two goals.

Kavanagh and Forbes were named the

Cannons best, along with Maddison Ford.

The result leaves the Cannons undefeated after three rounds, with the side sitting on top of the table.

The Cannons this week face the Oakleigh Chargers.

The Cannons under-16 boys were also in action last week, beating the Western Jets in the second round of that competition.

The Jets led at quarter time, before being held goalless in the next two quarters.

The Cannons were able to open up a 32 point lead heading into the final quarter.

The Cannons won the last quarter to cap off the 11.8 (74)-5.9 (39) win.

Adam Sweid, Cameron Pascoe and Hamish Bird were the Cannons best.

The match was the last for that age group.

Tara Murray

Sports shorts

Lions looking to build

By Tara Murray

The Sunbury Lions are hoping their new brand of footy will help close the gap to the top sides in the Essendon District Football League women’s division 1 competition.

The Lions were competitive in patches last season and with a new coaching set up and the core group of players returning, are hoping to build on that.

Co-coach Matt Tremellen said things were shaping up really well for the season.

“Things are looking pretty good actually,” he said.

“We are in good shape going into round one and had a couple of practice matches and there were a lot of good signs.

“We’ve got some good numbers, but we would also like some more players. The EDFL has changed the numbers on the field to 16, which makes it easier for everyone.”

Tremellen said they had picked up three or four players this season, but at the same time lost that number of players.

Amy Starzer and Ash McGregor have both gone to Gisborne, which will hurt the side.

Tremellen said they were confident in the group they had put together.

“We’ve got some new recruits, but the majority of the core group is the same,” he said.

“We’ve added some new girls in and we’ve got some players back that didn’t play last season like our vice-captain Renee Whelan.

“Kirsty Baker is a pretty experienced campaigner. Olivia Cornish is another addition.”

While the Lions have added some experience, some of the club’s young guns will step up into the side.

The club had tried to get under-18s up, but didn’t get the numbers needed.

Tremellen said he was looking forward to seeing what the younger girls can do.

“They add a lot more depth to the side,” he said.

“Grace Azzopardi and Eden Grant are at theCannons.We’relookingforwardtohaving them come play for us.

“Stella Hoy and Alison Wigney are also playing up.”

The Lions started their season on Saturday

against Pascoe Vale. The Panthers had to withdraw their team midway through last season, due to lack of numbers.

The Lions controlled the game throughout on the way to a 5.9 (39)-0.3 (3) win. Teah Bell kicked four of the Lions five goals.

Tremellen said the focus for the group this season was to build on what they did last season.

“We have been training a new brand of footy and contested footy being able to match the contest around the footy.

“We will do our own thing and hopefully close the gaps on to the stronger sides in division 1.”

Gisborne also opened the season with a win, beating the Sunbury Kangaroos.

The Bulldogs put in a strong all round performance on the way to a 12.22 (94)-0.0 (0) win.

Ash McGregor kicked three goals.

Loree Ravelo was named their best.

In the men’s competition, Rupertswood suffered a 15 point loss to Hillside in division 1, while the Sunbury Kangaroos and East Sunbury both suffered losses in division 2.

FV

Sunbury suffered a disappointing loss to Point Cook in the FV state league 3 north-west on Saturday. The Jets opened the scoring in the 11th minute but it was quickly cancelled out when Habib Fleifel scored for United four minutes later. The Jets regained the lead in the 28th minute and were able to hold on, winning 1-0. The loss was Sunbury’s first loss of the season. In state league 4 west, Barwon beat Gisborne 1-0. The Sky Blues are without a win after four rounds.

Ballarat NL

The Sunbury Lions pushed last year’s Ballarat Netball League premiers in their return to the A-grade competition. The Lions, who were missing several players due to national titles, lost 53-47. Lani Fauokuna in her Lions debut shot 32 goals, while Tara O’Grady shot 15 goals. Redan, Darley, Melton South and Sebastopol were the other winners. The Lions this week face Melton, which lost to Melton South in its return to the A-grade competition.

Bendigo NL

Gisborne started the Bendigo Netball League season on a winning note, beating Strathfieldsaye on Saturday. The Bulldogs proved way too strong for the Storm, winning 49-24. Kyneton also started the season with a win, beating Golden Square 54-23. Sandhurst, South Bendigo and Castlemaine were the other winners. Gisborne faces Castlemaine this week, while the Tigers face Sandhurst.

Big V

The Sunbury Jets continued their solid form in the Big V men’s state championship division with a win against the Keysborough Cougars on Sunday. The Jets came away with the win 92-81, with Ish Sanders top scoring with 33 points. In a huge plus for the Jets, Gerald Blackshear played his first game for the season after his visa was finally approved.

Big V

The Sunbury Jets women’s Big V state championship side is still without a win. The Jets faced the Camberwell Dragons on Saturday night, with the match even for most of the night. A 19-13 final quarter was enough for the Dragons to win, 69-60. Both Jets imports took to the court for the first time this season, with Dimitra Gkizani top scoring with 13 points.

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Sunbury United’s Joel Grech 326659 (Jacob Pattison)

Sunbury Lions on Saturday. (Supplied)

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