It wasn’t to be for Western United in the A-League Women’s grand final on Sunday.
While it was a fairy tale first season for United in the women’s competition, Sydney FC was keen to write their own history after three straight grand final losses.
Two goals in the first 20 minutes gave Sydney the lead and control of the game. Sydney would score twice more to secure a 4-0 win and the championship.
■ For more on the grand final, turn to page 19.
Brimbank council has “reviewed its safety protocols” as a growing number of councils are forced to deal with protests from fringe groups during council meetings.
Last week, Monash council was forced to suspend temporarily suspend its council meeting after protestors opposing an upcoming drag story time hurled abuse at councillors.
The week before, Yarra Ranges council announced it would close its public gallery after what it described as an “increasing pattern of abuse” and “intimidation” from attendees at meetings this year.
The fringe groups have also been attending
council meetings across Melbourne’s north-west. Like Brimbank, a number of councilsintheregionhavestrengthenedtheir safetyprotocolsinresponse,withsomehiring security guards.
Brimbank deputy mayor Ranka Rasic said council had reviewed its safety protocols to ensure the safety of councillors, staff and the community during council meetings.
“We will not tolerate any behaviour that threatens the safety of anyone present in the chamber during a council meeting, or which disrupts the ability for council to conduct its business on behalf of the community,” Cr Rasic said.
She said the chamber remains open for council meetings, which can also be viewed via a livestream on the council website and YouTube page.
MunicipalAssociationofVictoriapresident David Clark said he supported councils taking steps to ensure the safety of councillors, council employees and the community.
“The Municipal Association of Victoria supports …anycouncildoingwhattheyneed to, to ensure the safety of their community, employees, and councillors is their number one priority,” he said.
“This ongoing behaviour is threatening
and unpredictable and it has no place in our communities and shouldn’t be accepted at any level of government or board. Councils are right to take a zero tolerance approach, as the people most at risk are other community members who are in the gallery with the disruptive people.
“All councils now provide live streaming of council meetings, so every resident can continue to watch and see council making decisions.
“Closing galleries also does not remove the opportunity for public questions of the council, these are still available to residents, all be it in a slightly different manner.”
There’s a crisis in our country you can fix in your first budget, at no extra cost.
Dear Dr Chalmers,
With the stroke of a pen you could help secure the future of critical regional news services, using money already allocated in the budget.
All you need to do is allocate a fairer percentage of the federal government’s advertising budget to local and regional news services, rather than spending almost all of it with corporate capital city media and foreign-owned digital platforms (which don’t produce any content or employ any journalists).
This can be achieved by simply adopting the Victorian Govt policy that mandates a weekly full page government advertisement in every regional and community paper.
Local and regional newspapers connect more than 80% of the country, but they get almost 0% of the government advertising spend. In an era where false news spreads faster on social media than the truth does, trusted local news services reach more regional Australians than any other medium. And unlike other media, every government dollar spent with a local newspaper is also an investment in regional journalism jobs. This shouldn’t be controversial.
A recent parliamentary inquiry recommended that a minimum of 20% of government print advertising should be placed with regional news services. A recent study conducted by Deakin University recommended the same thing. In fact, the Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, has been advocating for more regional newspaper advertising for many years.
We know there may be bigger budget issues, but this small policy change would be a simple and fair solution to a growing problem for regional Australia. A policy that ensures weekly federal government advertising is placed in regional newspapers would be great news for the country.
And it won’t cost you a cent.
Yours sincerely,
You TonyKendall Tony Kendall President Managing Director Country Press Australia Australian Community Media
Andrew Manuel
More than 1000 children in Melton may be going to school without food, according to a recent report by council.
A report to the April 24 Melton council meeting stated that an estimated 3.2 per cent of the Melton population was experiencing food insecurity, according to 2017 data.
The report stated “it is likely that figure is now much greater” since health, educational and employment impacts of the pandemic,
rising cost of living, and economic downturn have increased hardship in Melton.
“This means that potentially more than 650 primary school students and 475 secondary school students may be experiencing food insecurity in their homes, which may result in their going to school without breakfast or lunch” the report said.
The report also noted anecdotal reports of school aged children committing food theft at major shopping centres within the municipality and that theft is more likely to
happen in the hours before school, suggesting a possible link to issues of food insecurity for these young people.
The state government’s Foodbank School Breakfast Program currently supports 24 Melton schools to deliver school breakfast programs, At the meeting, council moved to write to local state MP’s to advocate for two more schools currently on the waitlist to be provided funding for the program.
Councillor Kathy Majdlik said she feels “very strongly that no child in Australia
While Melbourne claimed the points in the AFL match against Richmond last week, it was Sunshine Kangaroos Football Club reserves coach Hamish Andrew who scored big.
Mr Andrew was involved in the on ground action during the quarter time break, as part ofaMelbourneFootballClubcompetitionwith $10,000 on the line.
Mr Andrew was chosen to take a kick after
should go to school hungry”.
“I hope that these letters can shed some light to our local MP’s that they can take that information and hopefully get some more funding for the schools that have missed out in our municipality,” she said.
Cr Sophie Ramsay said that her daughters are both school teachers “and they feed kids out of their own pockets”.
“I’m sure every teacher across the state would resort to that because their welfare is predominant.“
Brimbankcouncilhasresolvedtorenewa memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Victoria University.
TheMOUwillseethetwoorganisations continuing to collaborate in the development of the Sunshine priority precinct, research, skills development and partnering in employment creation.
The new MOU is scheduled to be signed on May 11 if both parties agree to terms and conditions.
The two parties have identified a numberofsharedvalues,includingsocial equityandinclusion,multiculturalismas a strength and educational participation
Councillor Thomas O’Reilly described the MOU as beneficiary to Brimbank youths who needs the skills and knowledge and employment opportunities being offered by VU
“The memorandum of understanding with Victoria University, working together to build the knowledge skills and Workforce capability for residents and businesses will bring prosperity to Brimbank,” he said.
his name was drawn from a raffle draw. All he had to do was kick a football into a barrel to claim the $10,000. Another Sunshine Kangaroo, Abera Afewerk also had the chance to win the prize.
Mr Andrew is the first participant to win the major prize of the competition which has been running for the past three years. Two other $100 prizes were also up for grabs.
An excited Mr Andrew said he was overwhelmed by his performance.
“Is a surreal kind of an experience as the kick was so hard,” said Mr Andrew, a former Sunshine player.
He said the club committee will decide how the money will be utilised.
Sibanengi Dube
“Collaborating with a local education institution to bring education closer to young people in vulnerable communities is something empowering and noteworthy as this increase critical pathways to employment for the people of Brimbank.”
VU has campuses located in both St Albans and Sunshine.
Australia’s longest-running and most popular all-historic motorsport event, Historic Winton, will be held on 27th and 28th May 2023 at Winton Motor Raceway, near Benalla. Spectators will see more than 40 historic car, motorcycle and sidecar races and the traditional Sunday Parade Lap of selected display vehicles.
The 46th Historic Winton invites spectators to bring their historic cars, bikes, trucks, buses, caravans and other vehicles for a massive car park display.
Organiser, Austin 7 Club President, Len Kerwood said that visitors will be amazed by the impressive array of vehicles celebrating anniversaries as old as 120 years, alongside the two-days of historic motorsport action that people travel far and wide to see.
Tickets are now available online from ticketebo.com.au/historicwinton
Brimbank Council is inviting the community to have their say on the Draft Annual Budget for 2023-2024 and the Draft Council Plan Annual Action Plan (Year 3) 2023–2024.
The Draft Annual Action Plan outlines Council’s commitment to 102 actions in the third year that contribute towards implementing the Together We are Brimbank Council Plan, and Council’s vision for a transformed Brimbank that is beautiful, thriving, healthy and connected.
The Draft Budget and the Draft Annual Action Plan have been shaped by the thoughts and ideas shared during Council’s extensive community consultation. Our total draft budget for 2023-24 is $251 million with a total operating expenditure of $244 million. Council is hosting several in-person and online information sessions to engage with the community and seek feedback on the Draft Annual Budget and Draft Annual Action Plan.
Online Session
Monday 8 May, 6-7pm
Register at yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au
In Person Sessions
Friday 5 May, 10-10.30am
Cairnlea Community Hub
59 Carmody Drive, Cairnlea
Thursday 11 May, 12-2pm
Watergardens Shopping Centre
399 Melton Highway, Taylors Lakes
Saturday 13 May, 11am-1pm
Keilor Village
Old Calder Highway, Keilor
Wednesday 17 May, 5-6.30pm
Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre
90 Taylors Road, Keilor Downs
Youth Engagement Session (for 12-25 years old)
Wednesday 10 May, 5-7pm
Sydenham Community Centre
1 Station Street, Taylors Lakes. Register by emailing bys@brimbank. vic.gov.au with the subject Youth Engagement RSVP.
For more information and to have your say visit yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au
Feedback must be provided by Thursday 18 May 2023
Detox Your Home
Detox your Home is a no-charge and convenient service for households to safely dispose of unwanted toxic chemicals.
Share your views and ideas with Council by joining Brimbank Community Voice. Brimbank Community Voice will be a group of community members and businesses who have registered to take part in Council surveys, workshops, focus groups, discussions and more. Registrations close by midnight Friday 5 May 2023
Visit yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au/ brimbank-community-voice to learn more.
National Reconciliation
Week in Brimbank
In recognition of National Reconciliation Week, we will deliver an exciting program of events from 27 May to 3 June, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture. This year’s theme is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’. To check out the events –visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/ reconciliationweek
Residents can drop off unwanted household chemicals at Brimbank’s event on Saturday 27 May 2023, from 9am–2pm. It will be held at Brimbank Council Operations Centre in Stadium Drive, Keilor Park. Visit sustainability.vic.gov.au/ accepteditems for a full list of accepted items.
Electrify everything for a healthy, safe future
Learn about the future of clean and green electricity from the experts during this online webinar on Saturday 20 May 2023, 10-11.30am
Neighbourhood and community batteries, energy sharing and trading, microgrids and solar gardens will all be explained during the webinar.
Visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/events to learn about this online webinar presented by energy experts Renew on behalf of the Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action.
Cr Victoria Borg 0429365527 CrBorg@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Sarah Branton 0407836064 CrBranton@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Thuy Dang 0437744803 CrDang@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Sam David JP 0429355239 CrDavid@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Maria Kerr 0437796630 CrKerr@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Bruce Lancashire (Mayor) 0429637689 CrLancashire@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Jasmine Nguyen 0437740042 CrNguyen@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Thomas O’Reilly 0409210431 CrOReilly@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Jae Papalia 0437838710 CrPapalia@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Ranka Rasic (Deputy Mayor) 0437861296 CrRasic@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Virginia Tachos 0428915671 CrTachos@brimbank.vic.gov.au
After months of work the upgraded Deer Park railway station and new Mt Derrimut Road rail bridge opened on Monday, April 24. There were plenty of excited passengers at the station on Monday, who were among the first to utilise the recently opened rail services.
Ronal Fernnde said the new development was a direct solution to the congestion.
“No more congestion, this renewal system is very convenient,” said Mr Fennde.
With free fares from April 24 to May 7, Mr Fennde said he would save $10 every day.
Another commuter Nishent Nkra said the new development will make his traveling to and from work much easier.
“I welcome this development as it makes my life easier by taking away the congestion I was going through on my way from and to work.”
Similar sentiments of appreciation were echoed by Connor Berry and Chloe Jewers as they waited to catch a train to travel to Melbourne to watch a football match.
“Thisisourfirsttousethetrainafterthisnew development and it looks nice and is efficient,” said Mr Berry.
Ms Jewers said she was looking forward to a congestion free experience at the new Mt Derrimut Road Rail Bridge.
“There is more space at these elevated train platformsandnointerruptionsfromcars,”said Ms Jewers.
Major work will still continue at the station the next few months, including installing lifts and ramps, fitting myki readers, creating 150 new and upgraded car parks and building the multi-bay bus interchange and pick-up-drop-off zones.
There will also be landscaping around the precinct and improved connectivity for pedestriansandcyclists,includingaconnection to both sides of the new station.
With the level crossing gone and the station open, crews will turn their attention to upgrading the road intersection, with Mt Derrimut Road to close at the level crossing from 5am Monday, May 1 to 5am Friday, June 2.
“The community will welcome seeing the back of the Mt Derrimut Road level crossing. It will make a huge difference to how people move around the area, reducing congestion and making it safer to travel,” said Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch. While works continue on the station, temporary access arrangements willbeinplace,withtheinstallationofliftsand ramps expected to be completed late this year.
Writers Victoria hosted a forum aimed at bridging the gap between mainstream arts and disability communities at Caroline Springs LibraryonThursday,April27,andiswelcoming registrations for ongoing workshops for writers with disability .
The Writability Goes Local forum welcomed writers and aspiring writers with disability, as well as other community members, arts and community development workers, disability and health service providers, teachers, local councils and library staff.
The forum explored how language, writing and telling your own stories helps transform ways of thinking about the self, disability and community.
Developed by people with disability, the forum also provides professional development on the Social Model of Disability and best practice language for organisations.
PresentersatWritabilityGoesLocalincluded writer, editor and poet Ruby Hillsmith, LGBTIQA+disabilityrightsactivist,writerand
educator Jax Brown, and queer, disabled writer and speaker Jessica Walton.
Writers Victoria Writability program manager Jessica Obersby said the forum provided a “lovely sense of community, with everybody able to be open and talk about disability, in a really safe space”.
“The audience was really engaged and there was a lot of participation, great discussion, and Ruby led some writing exercises … people were really keen to participate and share what they had written,” she said.
Writers Victoria will host a Writers Group in Melton for people with disability interested in writing and building their writing skills for creativity and enjoyment. Scheduled to run for eight monthly sessions from May 12, the program will include workshops and author talks aimed at developing an ongoing community of writers with disability.
Details: writersvictoria.org.au/ meltonwritersgroup
Liam McNally
Sydenham robbery
Police are appealing for information following an armed robbery at a service station in Sydenham in March.
Investigators have been told a man arrived at the service station on Melton Highway on a Dualtron Eagle electric scooter just after 2am on March 27. He was wearing black jacket, pants, gloves, shoes and helmet. The man was carrying a black backpack. Police said the man produced what appeared to be a handgun and demanded money. He then sped off on a scooter after stealing undisclosed amount of money and cigarettes. No one was hurt during the robbery. The man is believed to be a caucasian and is approximately between 30 to 40-years-old.
Failure to vote notices
Close to 300,000 Victorians, including Brimbank residents, who appear to have failed to vote in the November 2022 state election will have an opportunity to explain why they didn’t vote when they receive an ‘apparent failure to vote notice’ in the coming days. Acting electoral commissioner Dana Fleming said the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is urging people who receive a notice to respond with a detailed explanation, as the VEC is required to issue a fine of $92 if a person fails to respond within 28 days.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT
Web: starweekly.com.au
Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
The first sod was turned last week on a new Puntill hotel adjacent to Sunshine Station.
Scheduled to open in late 2024, the new apartment hotel will complement the redevelopment of Sunshine Station, which is undergoing major work as part of the Sunshine Precinct Masterplan. Upon completion, the project will transform the station into a transport ‘superhub’ linking Melbourne Airport with both the CBD and regional Victoria, making the decision to open the hotel there a logical one according to Veriu Group chief executive Zed Sanjana.
Mr Sanjana was joined at the sod turn by
Veriu Group co-founder Alex Thorpe, Martin Strode of SMA Projects, Laverton MP Sarah Connelly, Fraser MP Daniel Mulino and Brimbank councillors Sam David and Thomas O’Reilly.
“Strategically we’ve always sought to grow the Punthill portfolio by opening in locations supported by major sources of corporate room night demand,” Mr Sanjana said.
“While Sunshine has historically been under supplied in terms of quality extended stay accommodation, its existing transportation linkswithMelbourne’sCBD,theSuburbanRail Loopandtheregionalrailnetwork,aresettobe
strengthened even further once the Melbourne Airport Rail service is up and running.
That’s going to put Sunshine right at the epicentre of the city’s thriving western region, offering enhanced prospects for employment, investment and overall liveability. At the same time, the state government’s significant investment in infrastructure and amenities in Melbourne’s west is also expected to deliver an increase in tourism.
“Thatmeansthatthenewhotelwillbeideally positioned to fulfil the needs of both domestic and international travellers wanting quality, self-contained accommodation in what will
ultimately become one of Melbourne’s busiest precincts outside the CBD.”
While Mr Sanjana predicts the hotel’s proximity to both the CBD and the Western Business District will prove popular with corporate clientele, he also believes Punthill Sunshine will benefit from leisure travellers keen to explore Melbourne’s west, with its rich cultural diversity, natural attractions and sporting events.
Developer SMA Projects’ Martin Strode is confident Punthill Sunshine will attract further quality development into the Sunshine Precinct.
On Wednesday, April 19, Victoria University (VU) announced a new partnership with start-up Company Bugbox.
Based in Melbourne’s west, Bugbox is an innovativeroboticscompany,recentlylaunched by aeronautical engineer Dylan Nguyen.
VU has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with Bugbox to provide real-life projects for engineering students with companies that face technology gaps in their businesses.
The partnership will provide opportunities for VU Electrical and Electronic Engineering students to work on larger projects such as final-year capstone assignments, which are designed to give students real world problems tosolvetoexpandtheirprofessionalknowledge and skills.
Head of VU electrical and electronic engineering, Associate Professor Daniel Lai, said this opportunity will allow students to
engage in the field of robots and artificial intelligence .
“Thesefieldsarenowincreasinglyindemand in almost all industry sectors, from advanced manufacturing to health and sports,” he said.
“We aim to expand our engineering student
experience by collaborating with industry clients who have real industry problems, allowing our students to drive innovation in science and technology as they emerge as the next generation of engineers,” he said. Two VU students have already been given
the lucky opportunity to begin working on projects with Bugbox.
RashiniThathsaraniisworkingonadvancing the functions of one of Bugbox’s existing robots, which is used in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) outreach programs in primary schools.
The second student Rishik Tiwari, is developing a robot prototype for a plumbing business , which will help with pipe and sewer inspections.
Future opportunities for Bugbox and VU may include VU Masters or PhD students in Engineering or Business undertaking more advanced projects in the program.
While Bugbox is now based at SPARK, Wyndham’s innovation hub, the organisation is exploring opportunities to set up on a VU campus.
ThebeliefsofhundredsofMelburnianswillbe on display as part of a large-scale sound and visual installation coming to The Substation in Newport in May.
The world premiere of Belief System from Ranters Theatre will be held at The Substation on Thursday, May 4, from 6pm to 8pm, with the free installation then running until Saturday, May 13.
Ranters Theatre artistic director Adriano Cortese said the installation includes recordings from about 400 people sharing more than 5000 beliefs throughout the installation
“I wanted to make sure I knew everyone,” he said.
“I wanted to have some kind of connection.”
Created alongside Ranters Theatre’s Anna Tregloan during a number of months, each recording is treated as anonymous and arranged into thematic groupings, with each recording then travelling though the installation’s 120 speakers.
Cortese said the participants range from a four-year-old to locals 80 and above, with the
installationfeaturesarangeofbeliefscovering spiritual, social, personal and future-based beliefs.
“I didn’t have any input into what they should be,” he said.
A small weather station fixed to The Substation’s roof will trigger the direction of the recordings through the space, with wind speed, direction and barometric pressure building different rhythms and intersections.
Cortese said the experience of listening and interpreting the participants’ beliefs for the installation is “very special”.
“It was a kind of privilege,” he said.
“Hopefully, the audience will feel a little bit of that.
“It’s our differences that unite us in some weird way.”
Ranters Theatre is a group of Melbourne based artists that have been making work together since 1994.
Details: thesubstation.org.au/program/ belief-system-ranters-theatre
Matthew Sims
Centennial Living is a company that prides itself on generating a relaxed friendly atmosphere in its villages, where residents feel welcome and have a sense of belonging to a community.
The benefits of social connection and friendship, stimulating activities in a range of amenities, a safe environment and the feeling of support being there when needed has made Centennial’s villages happy places in which to live.
Centennial Living Keilor offers two levels of accommodation – independent living and serviced apartments.
Whilst maintenance and gardening is provided in the village, people who choose independent living reside in their own home and have the freedom to take care of meals, cleaning, laundry, and other household tasks how they wish.
When people may need more help, serviced apartments can be a good choice. Daily meals are served in the dining room or delivered to the apartment and weekly cleaning and heavy laundry is provided for serviced apartment residents. Other in-home care services can also be arranged to suit individual requirements.
Both styles of accommodation are fitted with emergency call systems.
While the seven Centennial villages in Victoria vary in some aspects, recreational facilities include indoor heated swimming pools, barbecue areas, a community centre and lounge, hobby garden, games room, arts and crafts, senior’s gym, bowling green, indoor bowls, men’s shed, aqua aerobics and a
hair and beauty salon. Pets are also welcome. The resort-style living is ideal for people who want to downsize from the family home and have a lifestyle that offers social connection and absolute independence.
Inez, who has asked to have her surname omitted from publication, has been living in the Keilor village for eight years. She says that she really enjoys village life, and that the activities are very popular at Keilor but with no pressure to participate.
“You’ve always got support. You’ve always got someone here,” Inez says.
“You can do as much or as little as you want. There’s so much offering at the village, you’ve just got to tap into it and most people do.”
Like all Centennial Living villages, the Keilor village is close to shops, amenities, and recreation in the wider community. It is particularly close to health care – there’s a medical consultation suite near the entrance of the village.
For more information, visit www.centennialliving.com.au.
Inez has resided at Centennial Living’s Keilor village for eight years and absolutely loves it. (Supplied)
Sharon Garrity said she was already living on just $10 a fortnight after rent and bills when her landlord increased the rent for her West Melton unit by $90 a fortnight.
Unable to pay the extra rent, Ms Garrity decided she needed to move but was unable to find any rentals she could afford on her disability pension.
“I suffer with bipolar, and there was many a night when I’d just cry myself to sleep at night wondering how the hell I’m going to get through life,” she said.
Ms Garrity’s story is not isolated. According to Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot, median weekly rents in Metropolitan Melbourne have increased $75 per week since 2019.
The report showed on March 18 there was only one rental in Victoria considered suitable for a single person on the disability pension to rent out of the 11,687 rentals listed, and the figure dropped to zero for people on Jobseeker or Youth Allowance payments.
In Melbourne’s west, CoreLogic data reveals rental prices have increased 8.6 per cent in the year to March.
CoreLogiceconomistKaytlinEzzypredicted an imbalance of supply and demand will increase rents further.
“The reacceleration of Australia’s rental market won’t be welcome news for those tenants already struggling to find affordable accommodation in our capital cities,” she said.
“There’s already a chronic undersupply of advertised rental stock in many parts of the country that’s translated into record low vacancy rates across most capitals.”
Ms Garrity said she was on the priority wait list for government housing, but was told the wait time is 20 years.
She found herself relying on private charities for help, utilising local food banks,
and eventually getting into a new rental with support from the Salvation Army.
“If it wasn’t for the Salvation Army, I don’t know where I’d be today … I’d probably be homeless now,” she said.
“The rents are just ridiculous, people can’t survive with the rents going up and up all the time.
“There’s a couple down the road sleeping in the park. There were about three different families there at one stage.”
Salvation Army western metro private rental assistance program senior case manager Jessica Grace said has noticed the effect of rent increases in the western suburbs.
“In particular, more ‘affordable’ suburbs like Werribee and Melton have seen rental prices change quite rapidly … more households are presenting to our service seeking assistance to findalternativeor’cheaper’propertieswith$50 per week increases becoming the new normal,” she said.
“Low-income earners have always struggled to make ends meet in the private market and it’s common for clients to tell me that they have skipped meals or went without medicine to pay bills or rent.
“The current economic challenges and lack of affordable housing means there has been an increased number of people on the disability and aged pensions seeking support to sustain and establish tenancies.”
From Wednesday, April 22, Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic) held a two-day conference in Melbourne to unpack the housing demand in Victoria.
Analysis by CHIA Vic shows by early next year, tenants in Melbourne could be spending an extra $64 per week, or $3800 extra in a year.
CHIA Vic acting chief executive Jason Perdriau said social and affordable housing should be central to the state government’s
planning reforms.
“It’sclearVictorianrentersarebeingletdown by the private market. Right now, Victorians have limited affordable housing options with the state having the lowest proportion of social housing in the country. This is unacceptable,” Mr Perdriau said.
A state government spokesperson said there is high demand for social and affordable housing options across Victoria and Australia and “we are using all the levers within our control to house as many people as possible as quickly as possible”.
“The Andrews Labor Government is investing record amounts to increase the supplyofsocialhousingacrossthestate–under the historic $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, we are on track to deliver more than 12,000 new social and affordable homes for Victorians to house applicants from the Victorian Housing Register,” the spokesperson said.
“Melbourne’s west is a key area for the Big Housing Build, with a combined $386 million in funding for homes across Melton, Maribyrnong, Wyndham, Brimbank, and Hobsons Bay local government areas. This will fund a total 865 new homes, of which 225 are already complete.”
Mr Perdriau said that while he is supportive of the Big Housing Build, more work is needed.
“TheBigHousingBuildhasandwillcontinue to be life changing for many Victorians but funding is drying up,” he said.
“The Victorian government can continue the momentum of this historic investment by investing $6 billion in a Social Housing Investment Fund to deliver 20,000 social homes over the next decade.”
Along with more affordable and government housing,Anglicareareadvocatingforincreases to income support payments, including for Jobseeker to be raised above the poverty line.
Federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government is assessing income payment supports before the budget, which will be made public on May 9.
“We know that people are doing it tough. Inflation has driven up costs for a range of reasons and people are feeling it at the supermarket and in their bills and services,” she said.
“We will ensure that every budget we hand down is developed in consideration of the measures we can take to support people in Australia who are doing it tough. This will include energy bill price relief that prioritises those on payments and pensions.
“IntheMaybudgetandbeyond,theAlbanese Government will continue its work to build a stronger, fairer and more inclusive society where more Australians have the chance to contribute and share in our economic success.”
With the rental market tightening across Australia, Liam McNally spoke to residents and community groups in Melbourne’s west to see how it is affecting people on the ground and what is being done to address the issue.Sharon Garrity reached out to the Salvation Army when her rent increased by 90 dollars a fortnight. (Jacob Pattison) 329706_01
‘‘ If it wasn’t for the Salvation Army, I don’t know where I’d be today … I’d probably be homeless now ’’
- Sharon GarrityCHIA Vic acting chief executive Jason Perdriau at the organisations housing conference on Wednesday, April 26. (CHIA Vic)
Hundreds of Brimbank residents gathered around Keilor’s Cenotaph on Tuesday, April 25 as part of Anzac Day commemorations organised by the Keilor Historical Society.
More than 300 people congregated for an emotional morning service, led by the KHS president, Susan Jennison.
Anzac Day is a national day to honour all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
Mrs Jennison started the service by chronicling the history of Keilor’s gallant sons and daughters who participated in different wars to advance peace.
Mrs Jennison applauded Brimbank council for honouring local war heroes by naming streets after them.
“In 2014 we took part in an Anzac commemorative World War 1 naming project for Brimbank council. I mention this to illustrate our ongoing work with history research. One example to mention is the naming of three sections of the roadway at the Calder Freeway-Kings Road duplication and three roadways required new names – we nominated two WW1 servicemen and an Australian Army nurse. The names were Grogan, Farr and Turnley,” she said.
A serving soldier and Keilor resident, Colonel Glenn Buijs, led the prayer of remembrance and minute of silence procession was led by Keilor East RSL president John Johnson.
KHS secretary Aaron Magro invited community organisations and individuals to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, including the joeys, cubs, Scouts and Venturers from 1st Keilor Village Scouts.
From 10 pm Friday 5 May - 5am Monday 5 June :
• One lane will be closed on the Princes Freeway inbound at the interchange. Please follow signs and allow extra travel time.
From 10 pm Friday 5 May5am Monday 5 J une
• During this time, we will also close the Princes Freeway citybound ramp to Geelong Road and Princes Freeway citybound ramp to the West Gate Freeway overnight. Detours will be in place. For exact dates and times, go to bigbuild.vic.gov.au/disruptions
As we continue to build new ramps and re-build lanes along the West Gate Freeway and at the M80 interchange, we need to close some ramps and lanes at the interchange to make room for ongoing works.
Asylum seekers in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay will continue to receive vital support at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) thanks to a $500,000 state government grant.
On Friday, April 21, Multicultural Affairs Minister Colin Brooks announced the one-off grant with the support of Footscray MP Katie Hall, Preston MP Nathan Lambert and Albert Park MP Nina Taylor.
ThegrantwillallowfortheASRCtocontinue its support by providing essential services including delivering food bank support, as well as funding the many roles of frontline legal services, bicultural and social workers.
Mr Brooks said he is proud of the important work being done at the ASRC.
“We know there have been some tough times financially for so many organisations making things very challenging at the moment,” he said. “We know this money will be put to such good use.”
ASRC chief executive Kon Karapanagiotidis said the ongoing support from the state government has led them through challenging times.
“We are an organisation that relies on the kindness and the goodwill of a community, we are so honoured to have a state government that continues to stand for the marginalised refugees, and who understands their role is about looking after local Victorians,” he said.
“The people that walk through these doors are not asylum seekers, they are local Victorians and future Australian citizens, and you’re setting them up for a life where they can thrive and not simply survive.”
Founded in 2001, the ASRC is Australia’s largest human rights organisation providing support to over 7000 people.
Morethan80percentofthepeoplesupported by the ASRC are living with no form of income and rely solely on the ASRC.
Mr Karapanagiotidis said without the grant, the ASRC would not be able to continue operating.
“Wewouldnotbeabletokeephousingpeople, and be their supermarket, their pharmacy and the roof over their heads,” he said.
Construction can be a frustrating business, just ask former Wyndham councillor and property developer, Intaj Khan.
“We encountered a lot of rocks and we’ve had to change the plans” Mr Khan said.
“We’ve changed our outdoor swimming plan and we’ve dropped the helipad and we’ve also reduced from 16 to 15 rooms and made one of the rooms a hair salon and wellbeing centre.”
Mr Khan isn’t talking about a luxury hotel or apartment complex.
This is his home.
Situated near the corner of Mt Derrimut Road and Doherty’s Road in Tarneit, it is set to be the largest mansion in Victoria when complete.
After years of planning delays, construction beganinMaylastyearandMrKhanestimated it’ll be May next year before it’s finished.
Two years, $10 million, 20 builders and a floor area of 311 squares; these are dizzying numbers and Mr Khan anticipates more to come.
“A mansion that is close to our design was sold for $42 million on the Gold Coast three weeks ago ” Mr Khan said of the largest price ever paid for a mansion in Australia, one he thinks his property will surpass.
“Our mansion is more modern and way bigger than that one.”
Tarneit isn’t the Gold Coast, but Mr Khan said this was why he wanted to build such a large home there.
“It will uplift the entire area’s profile and shows the west is on the move,” Mr Khan said.
“I would say (Tarneit) is a suburb where people can see how people work hard can achieve their dreams.”
Regardless of the size, the son of Indian migrants knows that in building his own home, he has certainly achieved his. “As a migrant it’s the Australian dream,” he said.
While a proud Australian, Mr Khan is also paying homage to his Indian heritage, using marble imported from the same quarry that
supplied the Taj Mahal.
But such extravagance is in stark contrast to many others whose dreams of home ownership or even affording rent, are increasingly unachievable.
Mr Khan is unrepentant and argues that quicker and more efficient planning approvals will allow more homes to be built.
Brimbank council is seeking more information on why part of the Hampshire Road overpass ramp will be closed to vehicles as part of the Sunshine station masterplan.
As reported by the StarWeekly , the masterplan includes closure of part of the Hampshire Road overpass ramp to vehicles.
The Sunshine spurline proposes the transformation of the northern traffic lane of Hampshire Road Bridge to a new route for walking and cycling, offering an additional crossing point to the accessible northern concourse of the station. A future southern concourse crossing is also proposed to ensure there are multiple crossing points of the railway line.
The remainder of the bridge would remain in place as a connection for buses and general traffic.
At the recent council meeting, councillor Thomas O’Reilly raised a notice of motion, saying the council wanted to have a better understanding why that decision was made.
“Sunshine is set to become the centre of Melbourne’s booming west, as a transport superhub,” he said.
“To build on the transformation of Sunshine station, the department of transport and planning has prepared the Sunshine station masterplan.
He also encouraged others to follow him by dreaming big and investing in the west.. “People just have to plan and work smarter and pay attention to savings and don’t be afraid to buy properties in Tarneit and the west.”
CadeBrimbank council resolved to introduce a pilot water safety program to equip parents and their children with water survival skills to avoid drowning.
At a recent council meeting, councillors resolved to write to the state government to request additional financial support to deliver a free pilot water safety program for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) pre-school children and their families in Brimbank.
Brimbank Aquatic Centre and Sunshine Leisure Centre were identified as suitable training sites.
The motion put to council was informed by the need to maximise safety at Brimbank swimming pools to minimise incidents of drowning.
Cr Virginia Tachos identified cultural diversity, language barriers and COVID-19 pandemic as possible challenges to delivering swimming lessons to residents.
“Water safety is a priority but as Brimbank, thespecificsupportwe’reaskingisthatcurrent state government-funded water awareness and swimming lesson programs mainly focus on school-aged children, where there is a specific need for state government funding and support for at-risk CALD preschool children and their families in Brimbank,” Cr Tachos said.
Cr Tachos said 160 different languages were spoken by residents of Greater Melbourne, which she said was a hindrance to learning swimming lessons.
“According to Life Saving Victoria 35 of drowning deaths are for people born overseas and the global COvid-19 pandemic impacted Brimbank significantly and led to temporary closure of leisure centres which impacted on swimming lessons for approximately two years,” she said.
Cr Maria Kerr said she noticed how parents and children lack water skills each time she takes her children for swimming.
“It’s really imperative that we offer some support for preschool children, I see it first-hand, the lack of knowledge in water safety by parents and children when I take my kids to Brimbank Aquatic Centre,” she said.
Sibanengi Dube“The purpose of this notice emotion is to understand in writing why other options were not considered such as creating a dedicated pedestrian and cycle path bridge between Hampshire Road and city place that could have closely supported and linked all the businesses on both sides of the bridge.
“In particular, we’re seeking clarification as to whether traffic studies willbeorhavebeencompletedtosupport the project.”
Thecouncilwillwritetothedepartment oftransportandplanning,requestingthe additional information and justification to convert the Hampshire Road bridge to the spurline, rather than deliver a purpose built pedestrian and cycle path across the rail line.
A petition was handed to parliament earlier this year from residents calling for the masterplan to be withdrawn, focusing on the spurline.
A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson previously told StarWeekly the masterplan focuses on improving safety and movement for everyone now and into the future.”
Emma Price is the new manager of Duke Community House and a celebrated community development worker who spent both her juvenile and adult life uplifting communities.
Tell us more about yourself and what you do?
I currently manage Duke Street Community House, but for the past 12 years I’ve worked in community development across Melbourne’s west, working with and for our community to support opportunities for community development, social justice and to support self-determination.
What is your connection to Sunshine?
Duke Street Community House is located at 27 Duke Street, Sunshine. We provide services and programs for local community members across both Brimbank and Maribyrnong.
For how long have you been involved with community projects?
Thanks to my mum, I’ve been invested in volunteering and community since a very early age. She is my role-model from the importance of giving back and being involved incommunity.Someofmyfavouritechildhood memories are from being a participant in a neighbourhood house and I’m honoured I now get to do it for a living.
What exactly do you do at Duke House?
Duke Street Community House celebrates its 50th birthday this year. For 50 years it has supportedourcommunitythroughthedelivery of adult education, childcare, community activities and support programs. Amongst other things, we currently run occasional childcare,deliver11pre-accreditedclassesfrom beginners English for newly arrived migrants through to arts and gardening programs. We provide free wi-fi, free tea and coffee and our
team assist community members to access support and information. Each week we also provide food relief to over 100 families experiencing disadvantage. All made possible through the support of great staff, amazing volunteers and fantastic partnerships.
What do you like about where you live?
The people! Our community! Its so great to be able to work with and for so many passionate community members. It is the real privilege of my work to connect with and work with community.
If you had powers to change anything in Sunshine, what would you change?
I wish that everyone accessed all the great community facilities and resources available to them, that more people knew about the great programs and activities available at their local Community Centres and Neighbourhood Houses.
Where is your favourite local place you spend time?
I love exploring this area by foot, I love our walking tracks but also the discovery of walking the suburban streets of the area. There is always a surprise and quirky things to find in the ‘hood.
What is your favourite meal?
It’s got to be a Banh Mi. Any flavour, as long as it’s got chilli.
Tell us something our readers would be surprised to know about you?
I have a slight obsession with Eurovision. My guilty pleasure is listing to Eurovision playlists. I love the over-the-top kitsch spectacle that is Eurovision and was fortunate enough to attend Lisbon in 2018.
How do you feel each time you make a positive difference to another person’s life?
I love seeing community projects come to life and hearing of community members successes and knowing I was able to play a small part in their journeys. Seeing ideas become a reality and community leadership bloom is the real reward of community development work.
Star Weekly looks back through the pages of our predecessors
35 years ago
April 27, 1988
ThestudentsatSunshineChristianSchool love going to class, especially art class in the old church building. If you ask the students what makes them smile, they say its “because there are no bullies at my school”.
25 years ago
April 28, 1998
Brimbank council has been criticised over its handling of a soccer club development in Taylor Lakes
20 years ago
April 19, 2003
A St Albans father and daughter are amongthousandsofAustralianstoreceive a Centenary Medal to mark 100 years of Federation.
10 years ago
April 30, 2013
One of Brimbank’s most dilapidated schools has missed out on a slice of emergency maintenance funding.
PRINT AND PRINT AND PRINT AND ONLINE SALES ONLINE SALES ONLINE SALES
EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE
REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED
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
Money saving workshops
Good Shepherd will show you practical tips on saving money and managing your money. Three workshops, understanding your utilities bills, debt busters and household budgets are lined up. Understanding your utilities bills workshop will held at Deer Park Library on May 8, from 1.30pm-2.30pm
Venue: 4 Neale Road, Deer Park.
■ 9249 4660
Debt busters workshop will be held at Sunshine Library on May 16, from 1.30-2.30pm
Venue: 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine.
■ 9249 4640
Household budgets workshop will be held at St Albans Library on May 24 from 11.15am to 12.12pm
Venue: 71A Alfrieda Street, St Albans.
■ 9249 4650
Join a group of 500 card players Cards games are played every Monday from 7-10pm. Venue is Sunshine RSL offices, 99 Dickson Street, Sunshine
■ Leisa, 0425 768 808
Women’s Wellbeing Program
Women’s Support Network is inviting women to join a 12 week program that will run in Sunshine. The program, Root, Moss, Blossom, Feather, includes gentle movement, short meditation and art for wellbeing activities. No art experience required. The program starts on May 4.
■ info@wsn.org.au or Ko, 0458 947 507
Vaccine hub
A new Sunday vaccine service will run at IPC Health’s Deer Park GP clinic. The clinic will be open every Sunday as a walk-in vaccination hub from 10am-2pm. No appointments are needed and clients without Medicare cards are welcome. COVID-19 booster vaccines, Novavax, Pfizer first does for children older than five and MPox for monkeypox are available.
■ 0490 745 436 or vaccinations@ipchealth.com.au
Keilor Evening View Club
The Keilor Evening View Club meets at 6.30pm on the first Tuesday of each month at The Atrium at Taylors Lakes Hotel. Come along and enjoy a meal and fun night with friendly group of ladies.
■ Robyn, 0425 387 880
Palliative volunteers needed
Mercy Palliative Care is looking for volunteers to visit palliative care patients in their homes to offer social support.
■ 9313 5700 or MPCVolunteerCoordinators@mercy.com.au
Deer Park Lions Club
Deer Park Lions Club is looking for new members. It holds dinner meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at the Deer Park Senior Citizens Club, 119 Station Road, Deer Park.
■ Michael, 0417 307 572
Sunshine Community Brass
Sunshine Community Brass is looking for trumpet and percussion players to join its vibrant band of musicians. With more than 90 years of history, the band rehearses at 45 Furlong Road, North Sunshine, on Tuesdays from 7.30pm.
■ Andrew, 0419 444 620
St Albans senior citizens
St Albans Senior Citizens group meet at the centre at the corner of Alfrieda and William streets, St Albans, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9am-1.30pm. Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry
on attendance day.
■Roma, 0435 991 064
Sunrise Social Groups
GenWest Sunrise Social Groups are currently seeking new members for their Melton, Brimbank and Wyndham programs.
The free groups are organised by Genwest and provide a social space for women, gender diverse and nonbinary people, who have a disability, chronic health issues and/ or mental health challenges.
■ https://genwest.org.au/what-we-do/ health-wellbeing-programs/
The Gap on Graham
The Gap provides a place for Melton youth to hang out, socialise, play games and learn new skills. The centre holds a night for girls aged 10 to 18 years at 5 Graham Street, Melton, on Wednesday evenings. There is also a drop-in night for anyone aged 12 to 25 years old.
■ Val, 0414 769 605
Melton Men’s Group
Melton Men’s Group meet every Thursday from 5pm to 8pm at Arnolds Creek Children’s and Community Centre, 19 Claret Ash Boulevard, Harkness. Focusing on Senior Men’s mental and physical wellbeing. Join the group for a cuppa and a chat, listen to guest speakers and participate in activities including carpet bowls, pool or table tennis.
■ meltonmensgroup.home.blog
Sunrise Social Groups
GenWest Sunrise Social Groups are currently seeking new members for their Melton, Brimbank and Wyndham programs. The free groups are organised by Genwest and provide a social space for women, gender diverse and nonbinary people, who have a disability, chronic health issues and/ or mental health challenges.
■ https://genwest.org.au/what-we-do/ health-wellbeing-programs/
U3A Melton
U3A Melton offers among its activities a book group, Australian history and a gentle exercise class for those 55 and over who are retired or semi-retired who wish to stay mentally and physically active.
■ 0419 563 016
Bacchus Marsh Market
Bacchus Marsh rejoice! There will be a monthly market at Maddingley Park. On the second Saturday of every month there will be a variety of stallholders and food trucks. Bring a picnic blanket and invite your friends and family for a lovely market day out.
Take weight off naturally
Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Weight Off Naturally) every Tuesday at 6pm at the Darlingsford Barn, Darlingsford Boulevard, Melton.
■ Catherine, 0416 612 517, or Bob, 0411 824 739
Parkinson’s support group
The Melton Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the second Thursday of the month 10.30am–12.30pm at Kurunjang Community Centre, 33-35 Mowbray Crescent, Kurunjang. New members and carers welcome.
■ Helen, 0409 186 576
Melton Friendship Group
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
Melton Ladies Probus Club
The Melton Ladies Probus Club meet at 10am on the second Wednesday of each month, at the Melton Country Club and are welcoming new members. Contact Diane.
■ 0438 611 552
Melton South Knit & Natter
All are welcome to join this social crafting group, running at the Melton South Community Centre each Monday from 10am-noon. Bring along any knitting or crochet projects and work on them while sharing tips, learning skills and catching up over a cuppa.
■ 9747 8576
Zonta club meets
Zonta is an international organisation bringing women together to support other
women. The Zonta Club of Melton meets on the first Monday of each month at Melton Country Club, Reserve Road, Melton.
■ Suzanne, 0417 512 420
Melton Bridge Club
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 playing cards this is for you.
■ Rosemary, 0407 894 817
Melton Combined Probus Club
The Melton Probus Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Melton Dart Club, 63a Reserve Road, from 9.45am.
■ 9746 0271
Rose Carers Of Maddingley Park
The Rose Carers meet Wednesdays from 10am-noon at Maddingley Park, corner of Grant and Taverner streets, Bacchus Marsh, to maintain two beautiful rose gardens. New volunteers are always welcome – with or without experience.
■ Elaine Greenhall, 0418 171 119, or 0400 052 857
Melton Cycling Club
Melton Cycling Club meets for regular Sunday rides. There are three different riding groups to cater for different abilities starting at 7.30am. The rides finish at Lazy Moe’s for a cuppa.
■ 0403 057 003
Community singing group
If you love to sing, come join the Melton Singers. The group rehearses regularly and also performs at aged care facilities. The group is very relaxed and sings songs mainly from the 60’s and 70’s. It meets Tuesdays at 10am.
■ Val, 0418 667 150
Rotary Club of Melton
The Rotary Club of Melton invites new guests to join its meetings, held on the first and third Tuesday of every month, 6pm at Tabcorp Park in Melton.
■ meltonrotary@gmail.com
SUDOKU
No. 164 32 57 84 5
1 Hand-held curved blade for reaping (6)
4 Inverted (8)
10 Dilapidation (9)
11 Seize (5)
5 Having impaired vision (arch.) (8) 6 Taking something by force (10)
42 3 76 41 514
51 6 23 93 6
easy 45 68 6519 81 65
74 3 17 72 4
749 8 64 5 65 8
59 2 73 6 4 598
medium 31 37 81
hard
P E N S E D I E I O Y O I S E R S P E E D L I V E R I V O R Y P O K I E S T E E R N
annex, aping, axing, dean, deign, dine, ding, ending, expand, EXPANDING, gain, gained, ginned, inane, index, nape, neap, nine, pain, pained, pane, pang, panned, pend, pending, pine, pined, ping, pinged, pinned
No. 131
1 Is a monteith a type of bowl, cape or curtain?
2 The tangelo is a hybrid of which two fruits?
3 Who played Susan in the 1980s film Desperately SeekingSusan?
4 In which country would you find the Hôtel de Glace?
5 What does the Latin phrase caveatemptor mean?
6 What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?
7 What is a farthingale?
8 The emblem of which Australian state or territory belongs to the same genus as cotton?
9 In which year did the Berlin Wall (pictured) fall?
10 In terms of carbon dating, what does BP stand for?
15 words: Good 22 words: Very good 30 words: Excellent Today’s Aim: 3 LETTERS ALE APT ARE DOE EGO ERA EWE FUR GIN GOT MEN MET MOP OHM ORE OWE REV RUM RYE SUE TWO USE UTE VIE 4 LETTERS BEND CAST COSY ELSE HARD HEEL MASS MESS OPAL ROMP STAR TILL USED WALL 5 LETTERS ADAGE ALIVE AMBLE ARISE AROMA AURAL BANKS BAWDY CASTS CRAMS DEEDS DOONA EDGES EERIE ERRED GATED GENUS HEART MAKES METRE MODEL OPERA OWNED OWNER PEELS ROADS ROAST RURAL SALON SANER SAWED SERVE SKEWS SLOTS SLUGS SMOKO SORES STORE STRAW THINK TORSO TRAIN TREAD TREND UNITE UNSET USAGE USURP WINDY YELLS 6 LETTERS ENEMAS PREFAB SENSOR WEEDED 7 LETTERS ANTHILL ERASURE OBEYING PEELING RIBBONS TERSEST 8 LETTERS ENLARGES SERENEST SPARKLER TOTTERED 12 345678910111213 1415 1617181920212223242526 L I D E F H J A C Q M X T R P B Z S K V W Y N G O U Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down. NOTE: more than one solution may be possible 05-05-23 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com 439567281 865472193 384716925 716824539 943158762 657289314 528931647 172693458 291345876 easy medium hard 236749518 125867349 914625783 891536274 348912657 682374195 457281936 769453821 573198462 562493187 253869714 498157236 749281365 916724853 625938471 381576942 874315629 137642598 1 14 7 20 2 15 8 21 3 16 9 22 4 17 10 23 5 18 11 24 6 19 12 25 13 26 GU ANSWERS: 1. Bowl 2. Tangerine and grapefruit or pomelo 3. Madonna 4. Canada 5. Let the buyer beware 6. Riyadh 7. A kind of hoop skirt or framework for expanding a skirt 8. Northern Territory (Gossypium sturtianum) 9. 1989 10. Before Present (‘Present’ being defined as AD 1950)
Springs Boulevard
• CAROLINE SPRINGS Professionals Caroline Springs RE Shop 16, 218-222 Caroline Springs Boulevard
• CAROLINE SPRINGS Brad Teal Real Estate Shop 4, 242-244 Caroline Springs Boulevard
• CAROLINE SPRINGS Ray White Real Estate Shop 8, 234 Caroline Springs Boulevard
• CAROLINE SPRINGS CS Square Centre
29-35 Lake Street
• DEER PARK Deer Park Club
780 Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Bells Real Estate
813a Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Biggin and Scott Real Estate
817a Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Comm Unity Plus - Community Neighbourhood Centre 822-824 Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Foodworks 803 Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Cellarbrations Liquor Store
809 Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Australia Post Office 827a Ballarat Road
• DEER PARK Deer Park IGA
8 Hatchlands Drive
• DEER PARK Brimbank Shopping Centre Cnr Neale Road & Station Road
• DEER PARK Derrimut Village Shopping Centre Foleys Road
• DEER PARK Coles Supermarket Foleys Road (Derrimut Village Shopping Centre)
• DEER PARK Deer Park Library 4 Neale Road
• DEER PARK Burnham Real Estate
93 Station Road
• DELAHEY Calder Real Estate 10/350 Taylors Road
• DELAHEY IGA Delahey 260 Taylors Road (Delahey Village Shopping Centre)
• DELAHEY Delahey Community Centre 80 Copperfield Drive
• DERRIMUT Sunshine Golf Club
475 Mt Derrimut Road
• DERRIMUT YPA Estate Agents Shop 9, 20 Mt Derrimut Road
• FOOTSCRAY Frank Trimboli Real Estate 169 Barkly Street
• FOOTSCRAY Wards Newsagency
100 Nicholson Street
• HILLSIDE Foodworks Hillside
49-69 Wattle Valley Drive
• HILLSIDE Parkwood Green Community Centre 88 Catherine Drive
• HILLSIDE Hillside Neighbourhood House
Recreation Reserve
• KEILOR Brad Teal Woodards
684 Old Calder Highway
• KEILOR Keilor Community Hub (Council Office ) 704b Old Calder Highway
• KEILOR Keilor Newsagent
700 Old Calder Highway
• KEILOR Keilor Retirement Village
868 Old Calder Highway Service Road
• KEILOR DOWNS Centro Shopping Centre
80 Taylors Road
• KEILOR PARK Star Weekly Office Unit 6/1-9 Thomson Road
• KEILOR PARK Frank’s Supermarket
• KEILOR PARK Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse Shop 32, 40 Keilor Park Drive
• KINGS PARK Westvale Community Centre
Kings Road
• MELTON Melton Shire Offices
• MELTON Harrison Hyundai
High Street
• MELTON Melton Toyota 143-147
NORTH Malaga Real Estate
3/23 Suffolk Road
• SUNSHINE WEST Morgan’s Super IGA Supermarket 475 Fitzgerald Road
• SUNSHINE WEST Bottler Sunshine West Drive in Liquor 79 Glengala Road
• SUNSHINE WEST West Sunshine Community Centre 25 Kermeen Street
• SUNSHINE WEST Coles Supermarket 136 The Avenue
• SYDENHAM Natalie Hutchins MP Shop 11, 28a Hume Drive (Aqua Gardens Convenience Store)
• SYDENHAM YPA Estate Agents Ground Floor, 15-17 Overton Lea Boulevard
• SYDENHAM O’Brien Real Estate 17b Overton Overton Lea Boulevard
• TAYLORS HILL Taylors Hill Land Sales Cnr Taylors & Gourlay Roads
• TAYLORS HILL Watervale Shopping Centre 2-14 Calder Park Drive
• TAYLORS LAKES Taylors Lakes Lotto Shop 8 3 Melton Highway
• TAYLORS LAKES Watergardens Hotel 431 Kings Road
• TAYLORS LAKES YPA Estate Agents Shop 5, 399 Melton Highway (Watergardens Shopping Centre)
• TAYLORS LAKES Watergardens Shopping Centre 399 Melton Highway
• TAYLORS LAKES Centrelink Watergardens 1/399 Melton Highway (Watergardens Town Centre)
at the offices of the Melton City Council, 232 High Street, Melton and on the Melton City Council website at www.melton.vic.gov.au
12602946-AV18-23
Brimbank Planning Scheme
Notice of Approval of Amendment C216brim
The Minister for Planning has approved Amendment C216brim to the Brimbank Planning Scheme. The Amendment came into operation on 14 April 2023 when a notice was published in the Victoria Government Gazette. The Amendment introduced the Parking Overlay (PO) and applied Schedules PO1 and PO2 to land within the Sunshine Metropolitan Activity Centre and St Albans Major Activity Centre and introduced the Sunshine Metropolitan Activity Centre Parking Plan 2021 and St Albans Major Activity Centre Parking Plan 2021 as background documents in the Brimbank Planning Scheme. A copy of the Amendment can be inspected, free of charge, at the Department of Transport and Planning website at www.planning.vic.gov.au/public-inspection or by contacting 1800 789 386 to arrange a time to view the Amendment documentation. A copy of the Amendment can also be inspected, free of charge, at the offices of the Brimbank City Council, Brimbank
Truck&dogdrivers andplantoperators required
BasedatTrentham,VIC. Variousfull-time,parttimeandcasualroles available.Ratesabove awardandnegotiable. Musthaveexperience. Emailyourresumeto office@griffithsgroup.co orcall(03)54141433or 0437900995(Sharon).
12601320-FC18-23
A luxury seven-seat family SUV, the CX-9 has been Mazda’s flagship model since it arrived here in 2007.
With seven seats standard across its range, vehicles such as the CX-9 have effectively replaced people movers especially when they come, as the CX-9 does, with the choice of front- or all-wheel drive.
The former contributes to better performance, lower fuel consumption and reducedemissions--thelatterprovidingextra tractionfortowingormildoff-roadcapability.
The current, second generation CX-9 has been around since 2016 and is due to be replaced in August by the all-new and significantly more expensive, CX-90.
Mazda Australia has indicated that the CX-9 will remain on sale until at least the end of this year. As such, we thought a final review worthwhile.
CX-9 is offered in Sport, Touring, GT, GT SP, Azami and Azami LE variants. All but the Azami LE are available with the choice of front- or all-wheel drive – LE is AWD only. Our test vehicle was the entry-level Sport FWD.
Interior
Mazda CX-9 is just over five metres in length and even third row legroom is almost okay for adultswithaccessviaawitchonthesideofthe seat cushion that tilts the seat forward.
The front seats are soft and wide, while the second row of a double bench layout has generous head and leg room.
The window line is quite high and could restrict the vision of young children.
Cargo capacity is better than many in the seven-seat class, with a reasonable 230 litres available with all seven seats in use or 810 litres with the third-row seats folded. The loading height of the floor is a comfortable 805mm.
Engines / transmissions
In contrast to the wide range of grades, there’s just the one powertrain. The Skyactiv-G2.5T turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 170kWofpeakpowerat5000rpmand420Nm of maximum torque from a low 2000 revs.
The engine is mated to Mazda’s SkyActiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission.
The powertrain features Mazda’s stop-and-go function, designed to maximise fuel efficiency. It works by cutting the motor when the vehicle comes to rest, restarting it once brake pedal pressure is relaxed.
Safety
Mazdahasneverbeenacompanytocutcorners on safety equipment and all CX-9 variants come with a wide range of driver support systems, including Mazda’s i-Activsense that usesradarsandcamerastorecognisepotential hazards. There is pre-crash safety technology to prevent or reduce the severity of impacts.
There’s also smart city forward and rear brake support, autonomous emergency braking including night time pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver inattention alert and radar cruise control with stop/go function.
Lane departure warning is also fitted, with lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, high beam headlight control, Isofix child seat anchors in the outer second-row seats, and head-up display.
The only safety features missing from the CX-9Sportarefrontparkingsensors(Touring and above) and a 360-degree camera (Azami and Azami LE).
Italmostgoeswithoutsayingthesedays,but the big Mazda cruiser has a five-star ANCAP rating.
Infotainment
The 7.0-inch screen in the Sport lookstiny inside the CX-9’s large front console. Touring steps up to a 9.0-inch screen while all from GT upwards expand the screen to 10.25 inches.
The Mazda MZD Connect system provides access to the internet, social media, email, Pandora, Stitcher and Aha as well as hands-free voice and text messaging through Bluetooth.
Although it is a touchscreen, we quickly switched over to using the traditional Mazda Command Control knob and buttons on the centre console which are much easier to reach and use.
Satellite navigation is standard across the range as is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wireless smartphone charging pad is located at the bottom of the front console in GT and higher variants.
Driving
The large dimensions of the CX-9 make for easy access. The front seats are relatively narrow but supportive and comfortable. In the entry-level Sport that we tested they lack power adjustment.
Sport does have a reversing camera, but not front parking sensors or 360-degree camera which are available in higher-spec variants.
This Mazda has good low-down torque that makes it pleasant to drive on a day-to-day basis,thoughit’sobviouslynosportsmachine. An 11.8 metre turning circle can make parking a hassle in tight spaces, particularly in underground carparks.
Out of town it’s like a luxury cruising sedan
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Sport FWD: $47,600
Touring FWD: $55,200
GT FWD: $64,700
GT SP FWD: $65,200
Azami FWD: $67,900
Sport AWD: $51,600
Touring AWD: $59,200
GT AWD: $68,700
GT SP AWD: $69,200
Azami AWD: $71,915
Azami LE AWD: $75,165
SPECIFICATIONS
Note:
with sound deadening material added as part of upgrades, meaning the cabin is lovely and quiet.
Steering is relatively light, but responsive and predicable. The ride is smooth with low levels of noise, vibration and harshness.
Sport Mode can be activated through a switch on the centre console. This increases throttle response, while moving auto transmission shift points for improved acceleration, for example when looking to overtake, or filtering on to a motorway.
Fuel consumption is listed at a combined 8.4L/100km. We were initially sceptical about what is a low number for such a large vehicle, but were pleasantly surprised when we averaged an 8.6L/100 km during our week-long test, albeit predominantly in motorway and rural conditions.
The CX-9’s spacious and comfortable cabin, refinedrideandhandlingandverycompetitive pricing combine to make for a very attractive package.It’sanexcellentlong-distancecruiser and almost falls into the luxury saloon class. But … it’s nearly seven years old and that shows mainly in the tech features that lag behind most competitors as well as its upcoming CX-90 successor which also brings new petrol and diesel engines.
We’ll be testing the CX-90 when it arrives around August and let you know whether the significant price increases (at least 25 percent) are justified.
All Mazdas come with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km.
Western United’s amazing debut A-League Women’s season didn’t get the fairy tale ending the club and its supporters had hoped for.
After exceeding all expectations and making a grand final in its first season, United’s first grand final appearance ended in tears on Sunday.
Sydney FC, a side that had suffered grand final heartache the previous three seasons, scored twice early on from set pieces to put the pressure back on United.
United then had its chances, but weren’t able to convert.
A controversial penalty in the 63rd minute was the dagger in the heart for United fans and players.
While United played out the game well, Sydney found a fourth goal in the first minute of injury time to seal a 4-0 win.
United coach Mark Torcaso said he was so proud of the group and what they had been able to do.
“I spoke to them right after and literally said this has been a remarkable season,” he said in the post game press conference.
“In our first year to be in a grand final, you should be extremely proud to be out there, your families should be proud and the whole club should be proud of them. Their spirits are quite high and they’ve said they’ll be back and back even better.
“We’ve already signed up 13 of that group which is really good. We’ll look at bringing in oneortwomoreifthere’sothergirlslookingto move onto other clubs or situations overseas.
“We’re happy and satisfied with our group of players and we’ve got a pathway and we’ve got some good players coming through in our feeder as well.”
Torcaso said going down 2-0 wasn’t ideal and meant they were always on the back foot. He said after being so good at defending set pieces, it was disappointing to let two go through in the decider.
He said the group continued to have belief in what they were doing in front of a record A-League Women’s grand final crowd.
“We actually came into half time and girls absolutely believed we could get something out of it, especially the last 20 minutes,” he said.
“The way we played in that first half, we gave a little bit of hope in the way that we approached that last little bit and the girls worked really hard.
“We showed some fight and showed some character and I guess that is what we’ve pretty much done all season, really proud of the girls, can’t fault them.”
Torcaso said the third goal via the penalty was a bit tight and in other games that
wouldn’t have been called.
He said it was the final straw for them.
Torcaso said the playing group was okay after the result, with the likes of Jess McDonald, Chloe Logarzo and Angie Beard consoling them.
McDonald, who played for United early in the season, flew out from America to watch the game.
Torcaso said not having those three out there wasn’t ideal, but said the rest of the group had stood up.
He admits Logarzo was close to getting picked.
“Chloe trained yesterday [Saturday], she has a World Cup to play for,” he said.
“Idon’t’thinkit’sfairtoputherinaposition that might jeopardise that. We had a really long discussion about that, just proud to have her part of our change room, be involved
“Yesterday and this morning I thought I was going to push her, but thought I probably shouldn’t.”
While United didn’t come away with the trophy, the group are still winners in a lot of ways this season.
Torcaso said the United program was more than just about the group of players on the pitch.
“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. “It’s been a brilliant ride, some girls up there had never been exposed to an A-League environment.
“I take a huge amount of enthusiasm going into next season, some of these girls outshone what I believed that they could do they’ve been amazing,
“It’s something quite emotional for me, I’ve had an attachment to some of these girls for many, many years, ever since some of them were 14.
“One message from the start [for us] was to set the tone for the next player that wants to play the game or wants to wear a Western United top. I think we’ve done that.
“Being located out in the west, it’s a growing area and there’s a lot of young people for us.
It’s about creating the next young girl who wants to put on a Western United shirt or a Matildas shirt and that’s the exciting part for us.”
Torcaso said he would have a break now, after he and many of the group came straight out of a National Premier League Women’s season into the A-League season.
He said some of the girls would play some NPLW in the off season and he would spend plenty of time watching that competition. Then it would be time to go again next season.
“I think they’ve got enough belief in each other to come back next year and have a really good year,” he said.
“I don’t want to be the team that comes out in the following season after having a good season and not performing. That is my expectation and my players will also feel that way, we’ll make sure we put the right belief in them to come out in the right way next year.”
Keilor Park will take its start to life back in Essendon District Football League division 1.
The Devils, who had a bye on the weekend, have won two of their first three matches, exceeding most outside expectations.
Devils coach Paul Guicas said that he can’t really complain about how things have gone so far.
“We’ve been happy after the Hillside game,” he said.
“We learned a lot from that game. After that game we were talking about the challenges that you will face during the year.
“We faced that in both games against Craigieburn and Moonee Valley, they came at us and we held strong and played really well.”
Guicas said while they didn’t add many in the off season, that the current playing group was adapting to playing at the higher level.
He said that they still have at least 10 to 15 per cent improvement in them.
“Michael Gatt [a recruit] has been good in
the middle and up forward,” he said. “We’ve got some guys that have come up from the twos and are playing really well.
“We play Rupertswood the week after this and hopefully we’ll know where we’re at.”
In recent history, two wins has been enough to ensure a team remains in division 1. The last team to win two matches and be relegated was East Keilor in 2015.
While this season will have two teams relegated, Guicas said just avoiding relegation wasn’t their focus.
“There’satopfivethisyear,andwhynotaim to make finals,” he said.
“We want to aim for the bottom part of that. We’re going to get better and better.
“There are going to be challenges and we’ll go with that. Some we won’t get over.”
The Devils side will get stronger in the coming weeks.
Skipper Daylan Kempster has missed the lasttwoweeks,whileruckScottPontinmissed
the win against Craigieburn.
Gucias said the bye came at the right time for the side and they would be back to having a full squad to pick from for the next match against Rupertswood.
“We’re playing at home,” he said. “It’s a funny place to play at home.
“Hopefully we’ll come out hard and we can get the win. I’ll go and watch them on the weekend.”
In matches that were scheduled for the weekend, St Albans was set to host Roxburgh Park and Deer Park was set to face West Coburg.
Hillside has ticked a lot of boxes in the opening three rounds of the Essendon District Football League division 1 season, but there’s still plenty of improvement to come.
TheSharks,whohadthebyeontheweekend, won their opening three matches against Keilor Park, Rupertswood and Craigieburn.
Coach Charlie Denaro said he was happy with how the start of the season had panned out.
“We are ticking a lot of boxes,” he said. “We’ve changed a few things with the way that we play. We’re not at the level we want to play later in the year, but we’ve started well.”
Denaro said for the side the biggest thing is they don’t want to be one-dimensional in the forward line and relying too much on Josh Covelli.
Last season’s division 1 leading goalkicker, has still had his chances in the first three rounds, kicking 12 goals but the Sharks have found other avenues as well.
“It’s been about our ability to share the footy,” Denaro said.
“We didn’t want to be too reliant on Josh and we’re looking to share the inside 50s. Someone of Josh’s stature is always going to get goals, but having different sources out there is important.”
Denaro said the inclusion of recruit Ryan Lojko had been important for the forward line.
While he’s yet to hit the scoreboard in a big way, he’s been doing a lot of the hard work and providing a marking target at centre half forward.
Another change to the Sharks forward line has seen Bailey Ryan move into the midfield a bit more.
He has still kicked six goals for the season. Denaro said it was nice to have the option to throw Ryan forward if they need him too.
Early signs for all the Sharks recruits have been good. Denaro said they were all fitting in.
“It has been an easy transition for them coming from other clubs they have been at for a long time,” he said.
“They’re been outstanding in the way we do things. [Anthony] Prestia has been fantastic.
“Alessio Gobbo in the ruck has been good.”
Denaro said the week off had come at a good time and it gave them the chance to review the first few weeks and see where they can improve.
They face Roxburgh Park this week, a side that just missed finals last year. After a couple of close battles last season, Denaro said it would be a good test.
It will be one of a number of tests coming up for the Sharks.
“Deer Park, Tullamarine and West Coburg
Western United stars Hillary Beall and Hannah Keane have been recognised for their outstanding seasons with selection in the Austraffic PFA A-League Women team of the season. Keane was recognised after being the league’s dominant striker this season, winning the Golden Boot with 13 goals for the campaign. At the other end, Beall emerged as one of the competition’s leading goalkeepers in her first year as a professional number one and was noted for her performances. Both players expressed their pride in being selected but heaped praise on their teammates for their overall contribution to a successful season.
VTCA
St Albans gun Geeth Alwis is on the move from the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division. Alwis, who is a six time club champion and a competition best and fairest winner, has signed with Westmeadows for next season. He captained St Albans this eason and was again one of the best players in the competition. More at www.starweekly.com.au.
Nike F.C Cup
Calder United will face Clifton Hill in the next round of the Nike F.C Cup. The defending champions will be at home in round five, as the final 16 teams fight for a spot in the final eight. There’s seven National Premier League Women’s sides left in the competition, headlined by Calder. Meanwhile Calder United was in action on Saturday against Heidelberg United in the NPLW, after deadline.
VAFA
The Victorian Amateur Football Association has announced its men’s and women’s interleague coaches. Greg Hutchison will lead the men’s side, having coached Old Brighton for eight years including to a premiership in 2017 and an A-grade grand final last season. Western Bulldogs’ AFLW premiership coach Paul Groves will coach the women’s side. FOR
are still the benchmarks of the competition,” Denaro said.
“We’ll take the early wins and hopefully we’ll get some more wins under the belt.”
Some much needed reinforcements have arrived for the Keilor Thunder in the National Basketball League 1 South competition.
The Thunder has lacked depth and height in the opening few rounds, winning just one of their first four matches.
Thunder coach Trevor Burnette said having that extra height in the side would make things a lot easier for everyone.
“We had one arrive last week, she showed up on Thursday night,” he said. “She played on Saturday.
“Another one came in yesterday [Tuesday] morning, one of the big girls. We’re finally getting size.
“We get one more on the sixth and one more to come after that.”
Eva Kristjansdottir scored four points in her debut for the Thunder, while Juna Umezawa had her first training session on Tuesday night.
“Theyaretwogreatgirls,”Burnettesaid.“We had our first training session all together.
“It was a sigh of relief to have some more size.”
Burnette said a lack of size and imports in the first few rounds had impacted their results.
He said the younger girls had to step up and take on some big loads.
“We’ve had some ups and downs and had some really hard results,” he said.
“Sometimes they were playing the way we wanted them to, but they’re still kids so don’t always compare as hard to what they are meant to, it’s a learning curve.
“We’re asking these girls to play 30 minutes a game, but they can’t play 30 minutes a game at this level yet.
“We are getting better, that’s for sure.”
The star so far for the Thunder has been captain Lana Hollingsworth. Burnette said
despite all the pressure being put on her to stop her, she was leading the league in three-point shooting,shooting55percentfrombeyondthe arc.
Grace Graham has also had an impact after missing the first couple of games with injury.
“All the young ones have cupped in.”
The Thunder was back in action on Saturday against Diamond Valley and then Eltham on Sunday, both after deadline.
Speaking before those games, Burnette said theywerehopingtoseethemarginsreduceand get a few more wins on the board.
“It might take some time to blend together,” he said. “The games should be a lot closer.”
Themen’sside,whichenteredtheround,2-2, were also set to face Diamond Valley Eagles and Eltham Wildcats on the weekend.
City West Falcons enjoyed the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd in the Victorian Netball League on Wednesday night.
Instead of making the trek to the State Netball and Hockey Centre, the Falcons played their first of three games this season at Altona.
Falcons coach Marg Lind said it was nice to see a big crowd to watch them, including the next generation from Melbourne’s west.
“We’re all involved in the 11s, 13s and 15s rep sides at Altona,” she said.
“There was a great turnout of the kids that are the future and looking to come through the pathways.
“Ideally we would have preferred the school holidays, but nationals were on.
“It’s a good start and we’re got another two there and hopefully we can build on it.”
On court, the Falcons continued on their winning ways with three wins across the board against the Ariels.
In championship division, the Falcons had no trouble at all in the 82-35 win.
Lind said it was a good solid win.
“We rolled the team around a bit and we were able to see a few different combinations,” she said.
“We were way more solid than Ariels. They weren’t as experienced and that showed.”
Jane Cook shot 26 goals for the Falcons, while Maddy Gray scored 20.
Kim Borger made her debut for the Falcons scoring 16 goals.
Lind said they had signed Borger as a replacement player for Uneeq Palavi who is set tomissgameslaterintheseasonwiththeworld cup.
“Kim came in and played, which is always a challenge when someone has never played before comes in.
“When we signed her as cover for championship, we didn’t see her being picked up by the Melbourne Vixens.
“It means she hasn’t trained with us and never met some of the girls. She showed something different to what we have, with both Jane and Maddy.”
Lind said they were happy with the performance across the board.
“I’mpleasedwiththeworkSienna[Allen]has done and her willingness to improve,” she said.
“She was a sign on with SSN [Suncorp Super Netball] last year and the year before that. She had a lot of injuries, but her progress is really pleasing and the hard work is showing off.
“Maggie [Lind] and Montana [Holmes] were good. The whole attack end was good. Scoring 82 is not easy.
Molly Kennedy, a scholarship player, played for a second straight week which was another positive.
Lind said Kennedy is another option later in the season, when they could have three players at the world cup.
North Sunshine Eagles are through to the next round of the Australia Cup, while Westgate’s run came to an end on Wednesday night.
The two matches were among the first matches of the fifth round which kicked off last week, with 40 teams remaining in the Victorian stage of the competition.
The Eagles faced state league 2 south-east side Brandon Park in their fifth round match.
ItwasthelowerrankedBrandonPark that opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the match.
The Eagles levelled the scores in the 31st minute through Diellon Memishi, before Masee Namdar scored his second to give Brandon Park the lead back heading into half time.
The second half was all the Eagles with Lewis Shannon capitalising on his side’s good work.
He scored his first in the 59th to level thescores,beforegivinghissidethelead four minutes later.
Shannon capped off the match with his third in the 80th minute to give the Eagles a 4-2 win.
ItwasamuchhardertaskforWestgate against National Premier League side Bentleigh Greens at Ardeer Reserve.
The Greens hit the scoreboard early throughChristosTheodorakopoulos in the 13th minute.
Neither side had any clear chances for the rest of the half, with the Greens taking a 1-0 into the sheds.
After half time, the Greens’ strength started to show through.
Theodorakopoulos doubled the lead in the 50th minute , before Mawien Nielo made it 3-0 in the 70th minute after coming on at half time.
TheGreenswereabletoscoreanother three goals in a 10 minute period to come away with a 6-0 win.
Eastern Lions are the other team already through to the fifth round.
A number of teams are hoping to join them this week.
St Albans Saints are on the road against Whittlesea United, while Westvale Olympic will host Northcote City, both on Tuesday night.
The Falcons sit on top the ladder after three rounds, one of three teams with a 3-1 record.
The Falcons under-19s are also on top and undefeated,whilethedivision1sidehasmoved into the top four.
Lind said they were now getting a better idea of where everyone sits in the competition.
The Falcons this week face Melbourne University.
Lind said they were looking forward to the challenge. “It will be tough. I think MU and Casey are teams that are on the rise. We’ve got some hard tests the next three weeks.
“We are due for a hard test.”
Brimbank Stallions play Altona Magic on Wednesday night, while the following week Keilor Wolves have the taskoffacingHumeCityandMelbourne Knights play Box Hill United.
Western United skipper Alessandro Diamanti’s professional career will come to an end at the end of the A-League Men’s season.
The mercurial attacking midfielder will call time on a decorated career spanning four countries, 23 years and more than 550 professional matches for club and country.
Diamant paid tribute to his fans, teammates and coaches over the years in the announcement.
“I am a happy man,” he said. “I have always tried to be a footballer of the people, for the people. I have always followed the true values of football.
“I haven’t been a 100 trophy player, but I have been a player who felt loved, by my loved ones first and by all the thousands of people who have been following me for more than 20 years. The love that you fans have constantly always given me has been and is my greatest victory.”
DiamantiarrivedatWesternUnitedin2019,
becoming the club’s inaugural captain and immediately endearing himself to Australian football.
His magical displays earned him a clean sweep of individual awards in the club’s inauguralseason,winningtheJohnnyWarren Medal, the Alex Tobin Medal and the Western United player of the season.
He was nominated for the Johnny Warren Medal again in season two before his third season was cruelly ended early due to a knee injury.
Diamanti’s leadership and influence remained pivotal, though, as Western United went on to win its first ever A-League Men championship, with the captain raising the trophy aloft alongside Josh Risdon.
In total, Diamanti has played 81 times for Western United, scoring 11 goals and registering 18 assists over that time.
Western United football general manager
Mal Impiombato hailed the impact Diamanti had on the Club and celebrated the Italian’s remarkable career.
“Alessandro has had an incredible career as a footballer and will be deserving of all the applause and recognition that he receives,” he said. “For us as a football club, Dia has been the catalyst for so much of our growth both on and off the pitch and has contributed to each of our most special memories.
“As the inaugural captain of our club, Dia helped create the successful foundations here and will go down as a Western United legend and one of the greatest players to grace the A-Leagues.”
Diamanti was a fan favourite just about everywhere he went, particularly endearing himself to the West Ham United faithful after one spectacular season in the English Premier League.
Albion held its nerve late to come away with the points in a thriller against Newport in the Western Region Football League division 2 competition on Saturday.
There wasn’t much between the two teams all day, with scores level heading into the last quarter.
TheCatswereabletofindanotherlevelinthe last 10 minutes to keep the ball in their half.
Darcy McPherson was able to get on the end of a ruck tap with about a minute to go to give his side back the lead.
They were able to hold on, winning 10.13 (73)-10.11 (71).
Cats coach Blake Richards said the match showed some of the development the group had made from last season.
“We were lucky enough to get the win,” he said. “It was big for the boys, as last year they lost a lot of close games after being around the mark at three quarter time.
“They were overrun a few times. They were really disciplined and structured and were able to get the win in the end.”
Richards said it was a hard slog all day, with both sides setting really defensive game plans. He said they normally had some defensive structures with their ground being so small and Newport had a similar mindset.
“It was a really highly contested game,” he said. “There was a lot of tacking and both sides set up defensively, so it was a dog fight until the last 10 minutes.”
Christopher Tomazos kicked three goals in the win, while Rual Mabok kicked two goals.
Richards said he was really impressed with the work of Caleb and Darcy McPherson, along with Kevin Upton.
“Caleb with 10 minutes to go put in some really huge efforts,” he said.
“Darcy was tagged for most of the day. He had 14 tackles which was a massive effort. Kevin Upton was a late call up and was good down back.”
The win has the Cats sitting 2-1 after three rounds.
Richards said they were happy with how things had gone so far.
“The Sunshine game we were undisciplined and gave a lot of free kicks and that was the difference in the game,” he said.
“The Braybrook game was pretty big for us and they followed up this week. I’m rapt at the moment.”
The Cats this week face North Footscray.
Richards said it would be another good challenge, with North Footscray a team that will be around the mark.
Brimbank Stallions need to start making the most of their opportunities to capitalise on a strong start to the FV state league 1 north-west season.
The Stallions have two wins, two draws and a loss from their first five matches, but could have easily had a couple more results go their way.
Stallions coach Andrew Marth said they weren’t making the most of their opportunities so far.
“It’s missed opportunities,” he said.
“We’re dominating possession of the ball,butwe’renotputtingtheballinthe back of the net and that is what counts.
“We’re missing sitters in front at times and we do shooting practice every night, to no avail.
“Hopefully we are able to turn it around.”
Marth said they had a similar attacking line up to last season and will continue to play an attacking game.
The side suffered a setback with skipper Kym Harris suffering a hamstring injury. It gave youngster Noah Thomas-Chinnama the opportunity for some more time up front.
Marth said they had plenty of depth and had quality guys on the bench.
While keen to find their goalscoring prowess, Marth said for them the focus continues to be one week at a time.
The Stallions were set to face Sydenham Park on Saturday, after deadline.
“I rate them the best team in the league by a long way,“ Marth said.
The Stallions will then have to back it up this week, with their fifth round clash in the Australia Cup.
The Stallions will face National Premier League side Altona Magic on Wednesday night.
Marth said they were looking forward to the challenge.
“Hopefully we’ll put out a good performance,” he said. “It’s 11 versus 11 and a lot of the guys have played in the NPL.
(40).
Mathew Medcraft kicked six goals in a best on ground performance.
“It’s good for them. We’ll worry about Sydenham and then reassess for Altona.”
Tara Murray
Adelaide (GMHBA)
Gold Coast V Melbourne (HERITAGE BANK ST.) GWS V Western Bulldogs (MANUKA) Fremantle V Hawthorn (OS)
