Kids across the west have been busy crafting homemade cards, shopping up a storm at the school Mother’s Day stall and putting the finishing touches to their breakfast in bed menus ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday. Among those celebrating will be Kealba’s Caterina Elzmeter (pictured), who will celebrate her first Mother’s Day with eight-month-old daughter Alara.
Maribyrnong recorded the state’s seventh highest number of heroin overdose deaths between July 2020 and June 2022, new data reveals.
The Coroners Court of Victoria data, released to the Victorian Drug and Alcohol Association, reveals there were 15 heroin overdose deaths in the city of Maribyrnong between July 2020 and June 2022.
Melbourne recorded the highest number of deaths (29), followed by Brimbank (28) and Yarra (23).
cohealth acohol and drug cluster leader
Dean Rogut said said COVID lead to increased usage, lower tolerances leading to susceptibility of overdosing and Maribyrnong is a disadvantaged area which needs support.
“We know that social disadvantage can be related to problematic substance use, which means that geographic areas with greater disadvantage may see more drug harms,” he said.
Maribyrnong mayor Sarah Carter said council works closely with cohealth at its supportclinicsinFootscrayandtheBraybrook Community Hub.
“This important public health initiative
helps prevent the spread of bloodborne viruses like HIV and Hepatitis C and reduces theharmsassociatedwithinjectingdruguse,” she said.
At these clinics clients can access a wide range of services including the supply of clean injecting equipment, health care and counselling and recovery pathways.
Visitors can also access family drug support, free Nalaxone (overdose reversal drug) and training in how to use it and help from a non-residential withdrawal nurse.
“Rather than treating people like criminals, we need to act with compassion and care and work towards reducing stigma and
discrimination,” Mr Rogut said. Cr Carter said council received a grant that will be used to build community skills to reduce harms in the area.
“We have received a $40,000 VicHealth Alcohol Harm Prevention Grant that will be used to build organisation and community skills to minimise harms associated with alcohol and other drugs,” she said.
“This includes working with schools and localbusinessestoprovidetrainingonalcohol harm prevention and upskilling Council customer service and community centre staff in responding to drug affected community members.”
The
Maribyrnong residents are furious over the proposed plans to build a new Woolworths Supermarket in the West Footscray Village.
Locals have expressed their disapproval for the proposal in its current state, following concerns surrounding the impacts it will have on the neighbourhood, its residents and its small businesses.
Footscray residents Pierre Vairo, Colleen Hartland and Nick Pit share common concerns around the proposal surrounding the supermarket giant.
“ThereisacertainamountofmoneyinWest Footscray that the residents have to spend, if
a Woolworths comes, they will be taking all the money that is now being spent at smaller shops on the strip,” Mr Vairo said.
He is also concerned with a proposed right-hand turn lane and the addition of 280 carspots,reiteratingitdirectlycontradictsthe council’s plans to improve the streetscape.
Ms Hartland said she is concerned the development will lead into increased traffic in the area.
“Council has done a lot of work with traders and residents on a neighbourhood plan, this completely undermines it, especially in regards to cycling and pedestrian safety,” she said.
Similarly, West Footscray Trader Association president Pradeep Tiwari said
the site had previously been marked as a residential development area approved by council to build 45 townhouses in the area.
“This made residents very happy because there is a need for housing in the area, if Woolworths goes ahead we will lose those large residential properties,” he said.
Maribyrnong council officers have also raised concerns with the development, particularly around the impact of traffic and parking on the West Footscray Neighbourhood Activity Centre.
Maribyrnong mayor Sarah Carter said council is disappointed Woolworths chose to lodge an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) rather than
On Wednesday, May 10, 16 students in the Stepping Forward to Independence (STFI) program at Laverton Community Education Centre will debut their immersive art exhibition.
The students worked in partnership with the Skunk Control- a creative studio in Melbourne’s West, to create ‘Light Ability’.
Nick Athanasious, director of Skunk Control, has been working with the students since October.
‘Light Ability’ is a light-based exhibition that explores light, colour and how nature (as demonstrated through flora and fauna) utilises and interacts with light to create colour and spectacle.
Skunk Control creates ephemeral and permanentcreativeworks,whileparticipating in a range of outreach programs in education and science.
Mr Athanasious said this exhibition was specifically designed as a means to get across what light is.
“Students could learn what light is through introducing hands-on activities , and then introduce light in the art pieces themselves,” he said.
“The inspiration behind the installation is based on nature. We find many people believe colour is seen only through pigmentation, but it can be created through light,” he said.
The installation was made with materials
that are inspired and mimic nature producing colour in a way that symbolises nature.
LCEC manager Bill Daly sid the installation has been made possible through a ‘Make it Happen Recovery and Reconnection Grant’ funded by Hobsons Bay Council.
“It’s been really engrossing, the students have loved it, and we are extremely happy to have received the grant so that we could engagewithNickthroughtheartsandculture people at council,” he said LightAbilitywillbeheldatWoodStreetArt Space in Laverton throughout May and June.
Jennifer Pittorinoworking with council to provide an outcome beneficial to the community.
“Council will defend its position at VCAT andwelcomescommunityparticipationinthe planning application process,” she said.
A representative from Woolworths said the supermarket lodged an appeal with VCAT because council did not meet the deadlines for deciding on the application.
“As with any development application, specific deadlines have to be met to keep the application moving. These were unfortunately not met so we took the next step of lodging with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) late last month,” the spokesperson said.
JoanKirnerHouseinWilliamstownhas startedanewprogramteachingstudents how to learn and master smartphones as well as other technology.
The class started on Tuesday, May 2, with 20 mature aged students already enrolled. Williamstown Community andEducationCentreIncorporatedchief executiveandmanagerMarkBrophysaid there is a huge demand for learning how to use computers and online programs.
“Mostofourstudentsstruggletolearn due to language barriers so they haven’t been able to keep up with technology, because of this we have invested in the latest IT technology to help them,” he said.
Joan Kirner House is affiliated with the Spotswood Community House and the Altona North Community house (ANCH) which recently received new computer facilities.
The ANCH applied for a grant in 2022 to get a new computer room filled out, which was later approved and awarded to them through the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund.
Through the fund , they were able to purchase new PC’s, TV’s and printers to begin teaching new computer classes in the room.
Across the three houses, 150 students are enrolled and taught by a small group of teachers who specialise in EAL studies as well as tech teachers.
Joan Kirner House is at 14 Thompson Road, Wiliamstown.
Phone 9397 6168 or go to www. williamstown-spotswoodcc.org.au/
IPC Health, a community health service providerinthewest,startedanewcareservice this week, to help people navigate support options available to them.
The Health Care Finder Service is designed to assist the elderly with finding services and supports that help with every day tasks.
For elderly who live in the municipalities of Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Brimbank, Wyndham or Melton, this is designed to help residents who are eligible for aged care services.
The service provider can also benefit people who might be isolated and don’t have a family or friend to help as well as those who have difficulty communicating and reading and
writing.
Those who generally find it difficult to understand information and make decisions or are reluctant to engage with aged care support or other government services can also benefit from Care Finder Service.
The Care Finders at the service can speak a range of languages , and in the instance an interpreter is needed it will be free and available.
IPC Health chief executive Jayne Nelson said IPC health is deeply embedded in western and outer western Melbourne as they continuetoassistolder,diverseandvulnerable communitiestonavigateandaccessagedcare.
“Our Care Finders can help older people
who have challenges or barriers accessing and arranging aged care services and supports, like My Aged Care and who don’t have a family member, friend or other representative who can help,” she said.
“IPC Health’s Care Finder Service is a free service and supports a range of older people, including people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those living with a disability.”
Details: 1300 895 589 or carefinders@ ipchealth.com.au.
Jennifer PittorinoIPC Health has started a new service this week , desgined to help the elderly in the Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay area with everyday tasks.
Jennifer
PittorinoAn exciting new community hub for young writers is on its way to Footscray.
100 story building is a social enterprise and a non for profit organisation that is in the process of redeveloping its creative literacy centre for students between the ages of six and 18.
Chief executive Susan Kukucka said the space is used as a programming area where 100 Story Building runs workshops, classes,
events and programs while being used by the team as a headquarters.
“The new building will allow us to house new elements that we haven’t offered before, such as a digital studio where we can work on projects with children and create digital content that we can share with people that can’t come down,” she said.
This is the only centre of its kind in Melbourne, working with a few thousand students each year, the social enterprise said.
“We do run programs that are fee based for
On Monday, May 8, the exhibition ‘A Wholesome Gang’, finished its debut showing aspartoftheTheHumanRightsArtsandFilm Festival. The creator of the exhibition Awak RechKongorisaSouthSudaneseDinkawoman and an advocate for young people within the South Sudanese community. The exhibition featured part of Ms Kongor’s documentary thatshemadein2019,followingherfamilyand friends in the St Albans community.
“Atthetimetherewasalotofnarrativegoing aroundabouttheAfricangangsituation,there was a lot of heat on young South Sudanese people, so I made the documentary to counter that,” she said.
“My community raised me to be a strong independent woman. The film follows their strugglesofgrowingupinAustralia,”shesaid.
Ms Kongor said the festival was the perfect opportunity for her to showcase her never before seen work because she works at The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival as the emerging filmmakers fund coordinator.
“It felt like a present to myself and to my community because Footscray is where I grew up,soitfeltreminiscentofthattime,”shesaid.
“My community is something I have been very protective of over the last few years, my identity is completely wrapped in my community, it’s who I am,” she said.
Ms Kongor said the exhibition was something she wanted to do for herself and it was a bonus that her community appreciated and embraced the project. “The film is a reminder of how far we have come on our own and how we did it so proudly, that’s why it resonates with everyone so well” she said.
TheexhibitionwashostedatMigrantCoffee in Footscray, a venue choice which Ms Kongor said was a no brainer.
“They represent the migrant experience, they also have a huge love of art and community so it only made sense to have it there,” she said.
Jennifer Pittorino
Mobil’s Melbourne Terminal team will be holding a drop-in session for community members. Updates will be shared about activities across both the Altona and Yarraville terminals in 2023.
The drop-in session will be held between 5.30pm to 6.30pm on Wednesday 24 May, 2023, at the Hobsons Bay City Council. Please register your interest in attending at CommunityANZ@exxonmobil.com by Wednesday 17 May, 2023.
During the event, you will have the chance to chat with members of our terminal operations, decommissioning and remediation teams. We welcome all community members interested in learning more about the terminal to attend.
schools or people who are better resourced to afford them but for low income schools or under-resourced schools and communities we try to offer our programs as subsidised or as free as possible,” Ms Kukucka said.
The organisation recently received funding from the Westgate Community Fund to redevelop its new space at 206-208 Nicholson Street, Footscray.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only get that level of support and funding but for us to re imagine a new building, it’s been
10 years since we started , we have learnt and grown so much since,” she said.
Ms Kukucka said the centre will not only service Footscray but the greater Melbourne community of kids.
“Our after school programs are prioritised for local kids who can come and enjoy free creative writing and literacy programs after school hours,”she said.
The renovations are set to begin in the next month ready for the centre to launch in August.
OnWednesday,May3,TheAltonaDayVIEW Club hosted one of four fundraising events of the year, a fashion show in Point Cook.
Day VIEW Club secretary Julie Cummings said it was a fantastic day.
“It was a great day, we saw tremendous success,” she said.
The ladies held the event at Point Cook Retirement Village clubhouse, where many of the women in the Day VIEW Club live.
One hundred and forty-two women attended the fundraising event, mostly made up of women from their own club as well as other Day VIEW Clubs around Victoria.
The models who walked the runway were Marion Parkhill, Kathy Gray, Maureen Rodway, Pamela Anderson and Robyn
Williams, wearing clothes that were given to them from Cliche Fashion.
“There was a great range of clothing which proved to be a success, the women bought a wide range of things,” she said.
The day started off with lunch and refreshments, followed by the fashion parade and finished with a raffle.
“There were 13 prizes graciously donated to us from members of the club as well as some residents of Point Cook, who worked really hard to make it all possible,” she said.
The funds raised on the day go directly to the six students they currently sponsor through the learning for life program through the Smith Family.
By Jennifer Pittorino
Both Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay municipalities have recorded quicker response times for urgent care in the last three months, according to the latest Ambulance Victoria (AV) response statistics.
The average response time for patients requiring urgent care in Maribyrnong from January to March, 2023 was 14:48 minutes.
Of the 1121 recorded responses in Maribyrnong, 68.3 per cent of them had
an average response time of less than 15 minutes.
This is an increase of just over 4 per cent of callsreceivinganambulancein15minutesor less when compared to October to December last year, showing that ambulances are still in high demand in the area.
For those seeking urgent care in Hobsons Bay, the average response time from first responders from January to March was 15:26 minutes.
Of the 1276 of the responses, 60.4 per cent
Spotswood local Shanul Sharma is performing in a one-off performance with Opera Australia at Arts Centre Melbourne.
The performance, titled Satyagraha, and written by Phillip Glass, will be performed on Saturday, May 13, featuring Sharma as Mahatma Gandhi following his life in South Africa. The opera is the first of its kind that is written in the classical Indian language of Sankrskirt which Sharma studied in school.
“Over the last two months I have been familiarising myself with the contextual information of the text as well as re-familiarising myself with Sanskrit,” he sai.,
Before Sharma fell in love with opera in 2014, making his opera debut in La Cenerentola, he previously found joy in headbanging his way through life as a heavy metalvocalist.Heheardaboutoperathrough youtube around the time the band he was in finished up and felt the stars aligned.
“Opera presented itself to me and I was
enamoured by the sound of the operatic voice. As a singer I try to explore my vocal boundaries and this seemed like the ultimate goal to achieve,”he said.
“Opera is the highest form of classical music, dealing with emotions that are of the highest level of any artform, which is what makes it so special for me.”
For Sharma this performance is significant for three deeply personal reasons.
Firstly it’s written in classical Sanskrit , secondly it has text which has been adapted from the Bhagavad Gita – one of the holy scriptures of Hinduism – and thirdly it tells the story about one of his personal heroes.
“That trifecta of reasons makes it a very unique experience for me personally, I feel incredibly blessed to be able to sing in this important work,” he said.
Shanul Sharma, pictured in Spotswood, ahead of his one-off performance at Hamer Hall.
(Damjan Janevski) 332728_05
had a response time in under 15 minutes.
Hobsons Bay recorded a larger percentage increase of calls who received an ambulance in 15 minutes or less when compared to October to December last year, with an increase of over 7 per cent.
Ambulance Victoria clinical operation acting executive director Michael Georgiou said ambulance performance improved thanks to reduced demand and fewer staff furloughed due to COVID-19.
“We thank the community for helping
us relieve pressure on our paramedics, first responders and the health system by saving triple-0 (000) for emergencies.”
AmbulanceVictoriametropolitanregional director Ian Hunt said now is not the time to be complacent given the demand for ambulances is already beginning to rise and continue to do so as we enter winter.
In metropolitan Melbourne, Hobsons Bay was named as one of the top 10 local government areas for its improved performance against the 15-minute target.
Yarraville Footscray Bowling Club is a lawn bowls club located in the Melbourne suburb of Yarraville.
The club was established in 1998 and has since been a popular venue for lawn bowling enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.
Offering superior conditions for lawn bowlers with three grassed bowling greens, a quality bistro, a Kids Zone, TAB and Keno, social and corporate barefoot bowls, a great outdoor decking area, beer garden
and marquee, and a friendly atmosphere where friends and family meet to relax.
The club’s superbly maintained bowling greens offer a range of bowling activities and events including social bowls, pennant competitions, and barefoot bowls.
The club offers barefoot bowls as a casual activity for members and visitors. It’s a great waytotryoutlawnbowlswithoutthepressure of competition, and can be a fun activity for parties, team building events, or just a casual
day out with friends. The YFBC is a hive of activityduringbowlsseasonwhichrunsfrom September through to April, culminating in a huge four-day Easter carnival.
Dedicated bowls manager Wayne Roberts is always on the lookout for new bowling members. He can be contacted by email on wayneroberts@yfbc.com.au or by calling the club on (03) 9314 4530. The club currently runs a family night on Mondays with free kids entertainment as well as a free kids meal
with any main meal.
Enjoy Mexican night on Tuesdays as well as Quiz Meisters Trivia. Parma specials on Wednesdays, Joker Poker on Friday nights and burger specials all day Sunday (conditions apply). The YFBC gives back to the community by sponsoring several local sporting groups and individuals. The team encourages the community to come in and support their local venue, while taking advantage of everything they have to offer!
Mother’s Day is the perfect time to make mums feel really special.
The team at Altona Sports Club believe that a meal in the Bayview Bistro with family and friends is the perfect way to make mum feel special.
The bistro, on the shores of Port Phillip Bay, is offering a special Mother’s Day menu on Sunday, May 14.
Lunch is available from noon to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 8pm. The bistro’s main menu will also be available.
To make the occasion really special, all mums dining in the bistro will receive a complimentary glass of sparkling or soft drink.
There will also be live music on the day. Bookings are essential.
However, the team at Altona Sports Club feel that mums deserve to be made feel special all the time.
Indeed, doesn’t everybody?
Other on-going activities and events at Altona Sports Club include free live music every Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, social dancing on Saturday and Sunday evenings with rock ‘n’ roll dancing, including lessons on Wednesday evenings. There is also free Morning Melodies once a month and free bingo every Sunday.
Other activities mum, dad and, well, everybody can enjoy are bowls, angling, cricket, pool, darts and poker.
At Altona Sports Club the team would love tohelpyoumakeyourmumfeelreallyspecial on 14 May or any other day of the year.
Australian Multicultural Community Centre (AMCC) is hosting its inaugural Eid Festival at the Melton Community Hall on Sunday, May 21 and the west community is invited.
From 11am to 5pm the free-entry event will get underway and will feature a range of activities, rides, and stalls for families to enjoy, while raising money for the Supporting Sisters Foundation.
There’ll be stalls for traditional and fashion clothing, henna, decor, manchester, gardening and art, a host of different cultural food trucks, and kids activities including dodgem cars, a kamikaze ride, face painting, and a jumping castle.
AMCC secretary MD Omor Faruq said the AMCC formed last year, and that he is excited to be putting on the organisation’s first Eid Festival.
“We formed this organisation to host community events, regardless of race and colour and religion, we want to bring the community together for any sort of events,” he said.
“After one month of fasting, Eid is all about sharing and caring with neighbours, friends, and families.”
Faruq said the event isn’t for any one particular group of people.
“The main purpose is sharing and caring with communities in west Melbourne. We want to bring the community together and share tradition through our Eid Festival.
“Here everyone is welcome and there’s lots of entertainment available. Greater Melton community, Brimbank, Hume, Wyndham, Moorabool, and all other communities please join the fest, and bring your families and kids,” he said.
AMCC is still welcoming stallholders and volunteers for the event. Information can be
Fight in Laverton North
Police are investigating an affray in Laverton North on Saturday, April 29. Investigators have been told a fight broke out between two large groups around 10pm. The groups were gone on police arrival but a number of items, believed to be items used in the fight, were seized from the industrial complex on Boundary Road. Police were able to ascertain a number of those involved had taken themselves to various hospitals across the western suburbs. A 36-year-old Williams Landing man, 28-year-old Tarneit man and a 35-year-old Tarneit man are currently in hospital with serious injuries. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have yet been made.
Women in Rescue event
Female VICSES volunteers across the Western Region came together on Sunday, April 30 at Pykes Creek Reservoir, Myrniong for a Women in Rescue (WIR) event. WIR is a targeted training event established for female volunteers, by female volunteers, designed to celebrate women in emergency operations, to get hands on with the tools and equipment, share rescue skills and have fun in a safe and supportive environment. The training exercise involved SES members from a wide range of suburbs including the SES Footscray team.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au
found on AMCC’s Facebook page. Details:https://www.facebook.com/AMCC. VICTORIA
Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Candlepines has a reputation for providing familieswithcompassionateandprofessional care during their time of need.
With over three decades of experience, Phillip and Bronwyn Aspinall and their team have developed a profound comprehension of family’s needs and desires and offer individualised services to ensure that their loved ones receive a fitting send-off.
With packaged arrangements and pre-paid funerals, a Candlepines service provides peace of mind for both the departed and their loved ones.
One thing that stands out about Candlepines is the team’s compassionate approach to serving grieving families. They understand that the loss of a loved one can be one of the most challenging experiences of a person’s life, and they go above and beyond to provide comfort, support, and guidance during this difficult time.
Phillip and Bronwyn at Candlepines, have more than 30 years of experience in the funeral industry and provide a personalised service to every family they serve.
Another notable aspect of Candlepines is their attention to detail when it comes to funeral arrangements.
The team understand that each family has unique needs and preferences, and they work closely with family members to ensure that every detail is taken care of, from the type of service to the floral arrangements and everything in between. The Candlelight Chapel provides a peaceful and comforting atmosphere for families to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Candlepines is a highly regarded funeral service provider that offers a range of services to meet the needs of grieving
families.Withtheircompassionateapproach, attention to detail, and commitment to providing personalised service, it’s no
wonder that they have earned a reputation as one of Melbourne’s most trusted funeral directors.
Hundreds gathered for the annual Melbourne Flynn’s Walk along the Williamstown Bay Trail on Sunday, April 29. Flynn’s Walk is a small and emerging Australian registered charity working to encourage meaningful conversations and spread awareness of the mental health challenges faced by veterinary professionals in their line of work.
As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re building an alternative to the West Gate Bridge. The West Gate Tunnel will create better connections across our city and take thousands of trucks off local roads. We’re also building the Metro Tunnel, taking our busiest train lines through a new tunnel under the city.
Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions
Werribee and Williamstown lines 8.30pm to last train, 25 May North Melbourne to Newport
Sunbury Line 8.30pm 25 May to 4.30am 28 May North Melbourne to Sunshine 8.30pm to last train each night, 28 May to 1 Jun
Road disruptions: Closed roads and lanes
Footscray Road, West Melbourne Until late-MayWestbound between Appleton Dock Road and Dock Link Road
Wurundjeri Way, Docklands Until OctReduced lanes in both directions between Bourke and Collins streets
Check before you travel at bigbuild.vic.gov.au
It was in January when Mohamed Semra and his family were in Sudan for a holiday, that he sensed something was wrong.
“I kept seeing a buildup of RSF forces,” Semra said of the actions of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces.
A paramilitary group that used to be part of the Sudanese military, but which is now in conflict with it, Semra saw the RSF’s behavior as concerning but not a prelude to war.
“We saw it more like a show of strength than anything else.
“No one could’ve suspected it would lead to violence.”
Sadly Semra, a 24-year-old from Maidstone who works for an education provider in Tarneit, was wrong.
The situation has lead to violence and Semra’s family are among millions caught in the crossfire.
“I came back at the end of January but the other two stayed” he said of his two older brothers,MahmoudandSenousi,who’vebeen stranded since the conflict began on April 1.”
With them is Senousi’s wife who is 9 months pregnant.
“They were in Khartoum but they left to a neighbouring city for safety,” Semra said of them having to flee the capital where the conflict is at its worst.
“Youhadstraybulletsgoingthroughpeople’s windows.
“There’s a lack of water, supermarkets are empty, hospitals were getting targeted.”
All three are now in the coastal city of Port Sudan, awaiting evacuation to Saudi Arabia.
“The hope is to go to Saudi and then to find a way back here,” said Semra who is far from alone in having relatives trapped there.
Wyndham and Brimbank are have
Melbourne’s largest Sudanese communities and Semra, who is also the vice chair of Melbourne Sudnaese Youth, said many were affected.
“Many of the Sudanese people I know, know at least one person who has passed away.”
Semra is lucky to not have more family membersinvolved,withhismothercurrentlyin Egypt, having been prevented from returning
AltonaNorthfamiliesareencouragedtoenrol their children in free kindergarten programs for three-and-four-year-olds.
HobsonsBaycouncilisencouragingparents ofallculturesandbackgroundstostartvisiting local kinders to discuss enrolment options that work best for them, given enrolment processes will begin allocating places in July.
On Monday, May 5, Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Minister Ingrid Stitt joined former AFL star Bachar Houli at the Altona North Children’s Service to promote enrolments for next year.
Beforestartingprimaryschool,familiescan choosetoenroltheirchildreninthree-year-old Kindergarten for five to 15 hours per week, followed by four-year-old Kindergarten for 15 hours per week. Ms Stitt said both parents and children can benefit from enrolling in early childhood education.
“Everyone benefits from kindergarten. Children get to experience new adventures while getting quality early education and
WEstjustice has announced the launch of its new Tenancy Stress Victoria Flood Recovery Clinic.
The clinic is now accepting appointments for renters in the west, including those in Maribyrnong and Wyndham, who were impacted by the 2022 floods and are seeking legal advice. WEstjustice is a community organisation that provides free legal help to people in Melbourne’s west.
Residents can access free lawyers and financial counsellors to help with legal issues, social work support, debt, financial hardship and social issues including residential tenancy matters.
Economic justice legal director Joseph Nunweek said the main reason for opening the new clinic was because of the lack of people reaching out.
“We were not hearing a lot of complaints from renters immediately after the floods happened as opposed to homeowners who we heard from instantaneously,” he said.
“Weknewitwouldbereallyimportant to set this up to allow for information to be easily accessed for renters who were impacted.”
families, in particular women, have more flexibility to return to work if they choose,” she said.
“What a child experiences between the ages of three and five can make a big difference to their development and wellbeing. Free Kinder supports every Victorian child to get the best start in life, no matter where they live.“
Kindergarten extends the learning that children are already doing at home while saving families up to $2500 in fees per child each year, the state government said.
Two years of kindergarten can support a child’s learning and development , with play based learning identified as a powerful learning experience, the government said.
Parents should look for a Kinder Tick, so they can be confident their child will be attending a funded kindergarten program.
To find out more about kindergarten and howtoenrol,visitvic.gov.au/kinderorcontact council.
Jennifer Pittorino
to Sudan by the out-break of violence. As difficult as the situation is, Semra said he and his compatriots were helping each other get through.
“I feel like the Sudanese community has galvanised like never before.”
“We’ve created systems in our community to support each other and those on the ground.”
Mr Nunweek said prominent issues they are expecting to see are from people who are remaining in flood affected areas, ongoing repairs that might not havebeenaddressedandthosewhoareat risk of termination through their rental provider.
There are three clinics located in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine. Appointments on 9749 7720.
On May 8, 1945, Nazi forces in Germany surrendered, ending Adolf Hitler’s reign, and sparking the end of the six-year conflict. Seventy-eight years on, May 8 or 9 marks a Time of Remembrance for those Who Lost Their Lives during the World War II. Zoe Moffatt talks to western suburbs locals about the importance of remembering those who served.
Sitting in an armchair, surrounded by family photos in his Melton South home, James Coghlan opens up about his time in the Vietnam War and growing up without his father.
“I was born five months after my father died [in World War II] in August ,1942,” Mr Coghlan said.
“[His death] shattered me, not so much as a young boy growing up, but it shattered me in later life.
“I’ve always wanted a father I could look up to and respect … but I didn’t have one.”
Mr Coghlan said his father, James Haining was born in Williamstown in 1913 and joined the navy when he was 18 years old.
Mr Haining was later posted to HMAS Canberra which sank in 1942, killing 84 men.
Looking back on his father’s story and his own experience, Mr Coghlan said it is important to have days dedicated to remembering veterans from all wars, not just the world wars.
“I have found that over the years they really haven’t accepted what we did [in Vietnam], no oneaccepteduswhenwecamehome,”hesaid.
“I remember in my first RSL … I was introduced and I heard one of the boys say in the background ‘why don’t you go back and fight a war’.
“[Those words] shattered me, I wanted to walk out of that RSL.
“A lot of us got that sort of reaction when we first came home … they didn’t recognise Vietnam as a war.”
Mr Coghlan said he feels this attitude has changed overtime and the army, and other services, are starting to understand the impacts of service life.
“We’re finding how … all services are starting to wake up to themselves. The training the younger veterans are getting is 1000 times harder than what we had.
“But they’re coming out and they can’t
accept civilian life.”
Mr Coghlan said older veterans such as himself can connect with younger veterans through organisations like RSLs, and days of remembrance are important for everyone to connect.
Woodend resident Gary Andison who comes from a service family, with his father and grandfather serving in WWII, said he
agrees that it is important to have days to remember.
“I think it’s important to keep the memory alive for those people, men and women for their achievements in helping to bring peace,” Mr Andison said.
“I used to think as a kid when I was really young, dad went to war, grandad went to war, so it would be my turn to go to war.
‘‘ They really haven’t accepted what we did ... I heard one of the boys say in the background ‘why don’t you go back and fight a war’. [Those words] shattered me ’’
- James Coghlan
“I thought that was the norm, and then as I got older and understood things and that it wasn’t going to be the case.”
Mr Andison said he was very relieved when he realised he was not going to have to fight in a war.
“I was probably very relieved … because I don’tthinkIwaslookingforwardtoit,”hesaid.
“We’re fortunate enough in the sense that [goingtowar]isn’tanautomaticcallup…now you volunteer to join the services or you join it as a career.”
Mr Andison said his father did not talk about his time spent at war, except for a story hesharedabouthistimeinPapuaNewGuinea.
“Grandad died when I was probably about five or six so I didn’t know about [his time in WWII], and dad never [really] talked about it.”
“He [did] praise the fuzzy wuzzies, he had a lot of time [for them]… and the effort and help they gave the allies during the war.”
After spending 11 months serving in Papua New Guinea, Mr Andison’s father, Allan Andison Junior was discharged from the army and returned to his home town of Woodend to work as a mechanic.
Mr Andison’s grandfather, Allan Andison Senior,hadtoreturnfromWWIIin1943tothe repatriation hospital in Heidelberg and spent the rest of the war based at Victoria Barracks Melbourne and RAAF Laverton.
could play the song live, and has now been
He said he feels a connection to his father and grandfather every year he gets up at dawn
to play the song and honour the veterans. “[I feel a connection] for all the other people that served [as well], whether it be in the older wars or the newer wars.”
Carers’ walk and talk
Pathways for Carers is running free walking events in Footscray. A collaboration between the state government, Interchange Outer East and Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL), the Pathways for Carers program is launching a monthly walk in Footscray on the third Thursday of each month. Participants are encouraged to arrive at 9.15am for a 9.30am start, with a complimentary morning tea available at Myrtle Wine Cafe in Footscray from 10.15am. The goal of each group is to provide carers with peer-based support, information, services and resources, opportunities to be active and connect with other carers, connect with nature and connect with their local community.
■ lauren.mcalpine@bsl.org.au or www.pathwaysforcarers.com.au
Choir leader needed
The Laverton Community Choir is seeking a relaxed, fun and community minded musical director volunteer to guide the choir in song. The not for profit, non-audition all-abilities choir has been singing for many years and enjoy a handful of performances a year within the local and surrounding community areas. With full support from the committee and members, the successful applicant will have sound musical experience (competent pianist, ability to read, interpret and arrange music), an inclusive and open leadership style, with a commitment to having a positive relationship with all members and a desire to work with the committee to develop and implement a long-term plan for the choir. The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm (with a 15-minute supper break at 8pm) during the school terms. The position will be effective from term 3, 2023. However, earlier involvement from June with the outgoing musical director would be encouraged.
■ samgerc@bigpond.net.au
New choir launch
A new community choir in Melbourne’s west launched on Friday, April 28. With One Voice – Hobsons Bay will meet at the Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre at 5 Sargood Street in Altona each Friday afternoon from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, followed by tea and coffee and a chat. The choir is open to people of all abilities, cultures, backgrounds, vocal ranges, ages and genders. No auditions and no sheet music.
■ www.withonevoice.org.au/choirs/ hobsonsbay/
Food relief markets
Yarraville Community Centre will be hosting a food relief market for those in need of assistance with food and essentials. The market will be held in the car park located at 59 Francis Street in Yarraville between 10am and 12.30pm on Wednesday, May 17. Visitors can select their own food including fresh fruit and vegetables as well as pantry staples, use family and individual support services, select clothing, toys and homewares from West Welcome Wagon, access health advice. Children’s activities are also on offer.
■ Bettina, 0411 954 774 or btwyman@ycc.net.au.
Flower workshops
Want to learn how to do professional flower arrangements in a fun and relaxed program? Flowers, vase and snacks included. Joan Kirner House, 14 Thompson Street, Williamstown.
■ Liza, 0416 268 959
Seeking stories
Award-winning local author Dr Dominique
Hes is writing a book on Newport Lakes, tracing its history, its impact and its contribution. The book will outline the story of its development, highlighting the role of consensus, courage, vision and working with nature to create a beautiful ecological and social place. Weaving in theories of biophilia, regenerative development and placemaking with local stories, it aims to provide inspiration for other communities looking at what they can do in their neighbourhoods. Locals are asked to come forward with any stories, photos, memories to be included in the book.
■ NPLbook22@gmail.com
Williamstown book sale
Friends of Williamstown and Newport Libraries hold a book sale every second Saturday of each month 9.30am to 12.30pm. The book sale is held in Friends’ Room – entrance from deck on Ferguson Street. Cash only sales.
■ libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Heritage walks
Enjoy a leisurely one-and-a-half hour walk around historic Williamstown and nearby suburbs with guide John. Walks start at 9.20 am each Tuesday outside the Visitor Information Centre in Nelson Place. Each week is a different week and a printed sheet with the route and points of interest provided each week. Walks are leisurely and we usually end at a cafe for a tea/coffee.
■ John, 0418 377 336
Walking group
The Altona Meadows and Newport Heart Foundation Walking Group is a local community of men and women committed to walking together, socialising together with a post-walk coffee and chat and enjoying the natural beauty and birdlife that is to be found throughout Hobsons Bay together. Anyone is welcome to join the group on Mondays 10am at Altona Beach, Wednesdays 10am at Altona Meadows (Jolly Miller Cafe) or on Fridays 10am, at Newport Lakes. The group walks for 60 minutes and enjoys the physical and psychological benefits of walking together in clean, fresh air rain, hail or shine, at its own pace and according to individual abilities. Members are required to register
with the Heart Foundation in order to join. Hobsons Bay resident Ian Watson established the walking group four years ago under the Heart Foundation’s umbrella, and, in 2021, was awarded the Heart Foundation’s Australia wide Golden Shoe Award for Courage and Commitment.
■ Ian Watson, 0411 566 862 or www. hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/ Whats-On/Altona-Meadows-and-NewportHeart-Foundation-Walking-Groups
Free walking group
Every Wednesday (during term dates) at 10.15am from Joan Kirner House, 14 Thompson St, Williamstown.
■ Tahlia, 9397 6168
Free community morning tea
Every Wednesday at 11.00am in Joan Kirner House foyer, 14 Thompson Street, Williamstown.
■ Tahlia, 9397 6168
Computer classes for beginners
A wide range of times and days, at both Altona North Community Centre, and Joan Kirner House in Williamstown.
■ Lynne, 9397 6168
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
Musicians Wanted
Established in 1979, the Westgate Concert Band is seeking new members. Do you play woodwind, brass or percussion and are looking for a welcoming place to play enjoyable and challenging music? Rehearsals are held Saturdays during school terms, 9am to noon at Braybrook College.
■ westgateconcertband@gmail.com
Free English conversation class
Is English your second language? Do you want to improve your English skills and meet new people? Practise English conversation in informal interactive group sessions. Light refreshments provided. Mondays during school terms from 1pm to
3pm at the Altona Library meeting room at Queen Street, Altona.
■ Joe Pellone, 0431 915 970, or joepellone@gmail.com, or Jill Mackenzie, 0439 994 705, or jill.mackenzie111@ gmail.com
Willin Wimmin choir
Williamstown-based women’s community choir Willin Wimmin is currently welcoming new members to take part in a free no-obligation try out session. The group meets each Wednesday evening in school terms in the Church of Christ hall at the corner of John Street and Douglas Parade in Williamstown from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. There are no auditions and you don’t need to be able to read music.
■ willin.wimmin@gmail.com
Altona North Combined Probus
The Altona North Combined Probus Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Altona Sports Club. Includes a speaker, organised trips and outings, and a friendly atmosphere.
■ Lesley, 0414 481 442
Friendship group
Altona Day Voice Interest and Education of Women [VIEW] Club meets at 11am on the third Wednesday of the month at Altona RSL. Funds raised for the Smith Family Learning for life program.
■ Janet, 9394 6522 or 0412 010 176
Diabetes support group
The Westgate Diabetes Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Altona Bowling Club at 10am.
■ Elaine, 0415 030 996
AeroSpeakers Toastmasters Club
Would you like to develop confidence in communicating, competence with language and clarity in writing? AeroSpeakers
Toastmasters Club would like to invite any and all residents to join them on the first and third Thursday of every month to help develop public speaking, communication and leadership skills. The group meets at the Laverton Community Hub, 95-105 Railway Avenue, Laverton from 7-9.30pm.
■ Vimi Gaoneadry, 0411 530 944
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 publicationThis week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Angler Ut Ngo at Williamstown. (Damjen Janevski) 278022_01
No.
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
ACROSS
1 Fraudulent schemes (5)
4 Traditional (9)
9 Reason (5)
10 Gluttony or sloth for instance (6,3)
11 Famous people (6)
12 Guests (8)
14 Brotherhood (10)
15 Savoury cracker biscuit (3)
17 French word for “me” (3)
19 Synchronous (10)
23 Asset (8)
24 A spice (6)
26 Antiquated US car manufacturer (9)
27 Confuse (5)
28 Heights (9)
29 Dollars (colloq) (5)
DOWN
1 Pick (6)
2 Sharp-cornered (7)
3 Old type of trombone (7)
4 Give way (4)
5 Extremely greedy (10)
6 Moodily (7)
7 Traditions (7)
8 Unlikely winner (4,4)
Today’s Aim:
F R S
L O E
S E
14 words: Very good
E
I I G T B
feint, fine, finite, genii, gibe, ignite, tent, tine, tinge
befit, BEFITTING, begin, being, bent, betting, binge, bite, bitten, feign,
No.
T S S S A L A D P R O S E L O O S E A S K E D T E S T S
1 Pierogi are dumplings from which country?
2 The 1850 novel TheScarletLetter was written by which American author?
3 Sterling silver is an alloy of silver and what other metal?
4 What was the first Olympics to be postponed rather than cancelled?
5 Supernatural aired its final episode in November 2020 after how many seasons?
6 The Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat are teams in which sporting league?
7 Which Chinese politician tweeted a doctored image of an Australian soldier holding a bloody knife?
8 In what year was the Australian Bureau of Meteorology first given weather recording responsibilities: 1904, 1906 or 1908?
9 Former prime minister Scott Morrison (pictured) was the inaugural director of which government agency?
10 Which of the following novels did not begin as fanfiction: City ofBones (Cassandra Clare), After (Anna Todd) or Divergent (Veronica Roth)?
LETTERS ACE ADD ARM AVO BEE DNA EBB FEE HAS HIP IRE KIN NIT PEN PRO ROD ROE ROT RUB SAP SEA SHE UTE WIT 4 LETTERS ANON BEGS EBBS KERB MEEK NOOK POST SAWS SENT SICS SNOB SNOW STEM WEAR 5 LETTERS ABODE ADOBE ALERT ALIAS APING AREAS AWARE BEGIN BOOED BRASH BRINE CHAFE CIRCA CRUSH DEMON EDGES FENCE GIMME HALON HORDE INANE INEPT MEMOS OFTEN OLIVE OUGHT OUTDO REUSE RILED ROGUE SAGAS SEEDS SENDS SENSE SHAME SLEDS SODAS SPOUT STEAL STEAM STEEL TERSE THESE THOUS TILES TRUCE TSARS USERS USUAL WINCE 6 LETTERS CRANES NESTLE REUSES SCREEN 7 LETTERS ALTERED ENDEARS EROSION GOOIEST GREATER PORTION 8 LETTERS ASSUREDS ATTAINED SAUCEPAN TOBOGGAN 12 345678910111213 1415 1617181920212223242526 O K A Q V E W U Y R B I L Z G C N T X F H D M J S P 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 12-05-23 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com 298753461 924178536 861397254 715649382 586934127 459812673 643281795 137526849 372465918 easy medium hard 617958432 831275946 269387514 582743691 926134857 175429368 493612785 754896123 348561279 761245983 415762398 597824631 384679152 629358714 148936527 952183476 873491265 236517849 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 JP ANSWERS: 1. Poland 2. Nathaniel Hawthorne 3. Copper 4. Tokyo 2020 5. 15 6. Big Bash League 7. Lijian Zhao 8. 1908 9. Tourism Australia 10. Divergent
$
•All advertisements must be pre-paid. For $29.00 you get a 4 line, ONE ITEM ONLY advertisement, restricted to “For Sale” or “Motoring” items only for private advertisers, run initially for 13 weeks or until sold. Additional lines will be charged at $3 per line per publication.
•After your advertisement has run for 13 weeks you must call us each fortnight to renew it for a further 2 week period AND reduce the price of your item by a minimum 5% for items in the “For Sale” section or 3% for items in the “Motoring” section. This process may continue until you have sold your item. If we do not hear from you we will assume you have sold your item and your advertisement will not appear.
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North Altona East Newsagency 63 The Circle
• Braybook Central West Plaza Management 65-67 Ashley Street
• Braybook West Central Properties Shop D2, 67 Ashley Street
• Braybook Braybook Hotel 353 Ballarat Road
• Braybook Braybook Library 107-139 Churchill Avenue
• Deep Park Deep Park Newsagency 823 Ballarat Road
• Footscray Trimson & Partner Real Estate 169 Barkly Street
• Footscray French Baguette Cafe 181 Barkly Street
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• Footscray Footscray Community Arts Centre 45 Moreland Street
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• Paisley Street
• Footscray Coles Supermarket Albert Street (Footscray Plaza Shopping Centre)
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• Footscray West Neighbourhood House Level 1, 539 Barkly Street
• Footscray West Compton Green Real Estate 1/240 Geelong Road
• Footscray West Kingsville Newsagency 339 Somerville Road
• Keilor Park Star Weekly Office Unit 6/1-9 Thomson Road (Cnr Keilor Park Drive)
• Kingsville BP Petrol 88 Williamstown Road
• Laverton Laverton Newsagency Shop 12-14 Aviation Road
• Laverton Bendigo Bank Shop 3/28 Aviation Road
• Laverton Ace Real Estate Shop 4/4 Neville Avenue
• Laverton Laverton Community Hub 95-105 Railway Street
• Maidstone MJs Café Unit 9/72 Hampstead Road
• Maidstone Fix at Mick’s Motors Petrol Station 95 Rosamond Road
• Maidstone Maidstone Milk Bar 154 Ballarat Road
• Maribyrnong Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre 1 Aquatic Drive
• Maribyrnong Maribyrnong Community Centre 9 Randall Street
• Maribyrnong Supanews Lotto Shop 2138/120-200 Rosamond Road (Highpoint Shopping Centre)
• Maribyrnong Gloria Jeans Shop 3/120-200
Rosamond Road (Highpoint Shopping Centre)
• Maribyrnong Plush Think Sofas Shop 3 / 179
Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Forty Winks Shop 4 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Focus On Furniture Shop 5 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Adriatic Furniture Shop 6 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Snooze Shop 7 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Suave Furniture Shop 8 / 179
Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Spotlight Shop 9-10 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Alex’s Furniture Shop 11 / 179
Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Koala Living Shop 12 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Bev Marks Shop 13 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Bedshed Shop 14 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong James Lane Shop 15 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Pet Barn Shop 16A / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Barbecues Galore Shop 16A/B / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Beds N Dreams Shop 16A/C / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Maribyrnong Carpet Call Shop 17 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre
• Newport Newport Newsagency 48 Challis Street
• Newport The Substation 1 Market Street
• Newport Newport Library 13 Mason Street
• Newport Seagulls Nest Club 1 Mason Street
• Newport IGA Newport Plus Liquor 2 Mason Street
• Newport Cellarbrations 25 Mason Street
• Newport Newport Community Centre 43 Mason Street
• Newport Newport Newsagency 6 Hall Street
• Newport Newport General Store 10 Hall Street
• Newport Barlow McEwan Tribe 344-346
Melbourne Road
• Seddon Seddon Newsagency 74 Charles Street
• Seddon ALFA Café 97 Victoria Street
• Seddon The Happy Apple Supermarket 176-178
After all these years, I still think of the Subaru Outback as a wagon rather than SUV -- the Forester too.
Unfortunately,youcan’tbuyadieselOutback anymore, but the latest turbocharged petrol version certainly addresses any perceived deficiencies in performance.
And, like a fine wine, Outback continues to get better with age.
Its one major gap in an otherwise impressive repertoire remains the fact that it seats only five.Infact,Subaruhasn’tofferedaseven-seater as part of its range since the propeller-nosed Tribeca in 2013.
Butyou’renotlikelytoreceiveanycomplaints from those five passengers in a car that really sets a benchmark for comfort and features, given its relatively modest price.
Styling
Prices for Outback start from $42,690. Two turbocharged versions are offered: Outback AWDSportXTis$52,190whileOutbackAWD Touring XT is $55,990 - $5000 more than their standard counterparts.
To distinguish turbo models, they feature dualtailpipestogowiththeextraperformance, although they are barely visible below the back bumper.
There’s also an ’XT’ badge (remember the powerhouse XT Forester) and LED fog lights that are made up of six LEDs - we’re told it’s an homage to the Subaru badge which features six stars.
Infotainment
Subaru was slow to the infotainment party, but has made up for lost time with a big, impressive system that’s dominated by a large 11.6-inch tablet-style touchscreen.
It has been redesigned to make it more user friendly, with new shortcut buttons, updated climatecontrolbuttonsandfullscreenAndroid Auto.
XT Sport features Bluetooth, voice control, AM/FM and DAB+ Digital radio, built-in satellitenavigation,pluswirelessAppleCarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with six-speaker audio. The CD player has gone to God.
Physical buttons such as the climate control panel have been integrated into the screen, with convenience and operability prioritised
through shortcut switches for some frequently used features.
Safety
Five-star safety starts with eight airbags, a rear-view camera and Autonomous emergency braking (Car to Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction Assist and Backover).
EyeSight 4.0 features roadside speed sign recognition, adjustable speed limiting, and intersection crash avoidance using new cameras with a wider field of view and a lower profile inside the cabin.
There’s also a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK) and an advanced speed assistance system (SAS).
Driving
Apart from the turbocharged engine, the other big change is the switch to the Subaru Global Platform (SGP), which is stiffer and provides the scope to use alternative powertrains -- such as hybrid or fully-electric setups.
Withmaximumtorquekickinginfromalow 2000 revs, Subaru says the turbo does the dash from 0-100km/h about 22 per cent quicker than naturally aspirated models (but they don’t reveal what that time is).
Auto Stop-Start now incorporates “Change of Mind Control“ which as its name suggests, restarts the engine within 0.2 of a second -- if
you change your mind.
Althoughdescribedassymmetricalall-wheel drive, like most systems these days it is actually a part-time system with torque transmitted to the rear wheels as required (read the fine print).
In manual mode the CVT features seven steps or simulated gears, with the addition of Intelligent and Sport modes plus two-mode X-Mode for off-road driving.
With 213mm of ground clearance, X-Mode is designed for use below 40km/h with one setting optimised for snow and dirt and the other for deep snow and mud.
Fuel consumption from the 63-litre tank is a claimed 9.0L/100km compared to 7.3L/100km for the standard model, and it takes premium 95 unleaded.CO2 emissions are 204g/km.
The suspension has been re-tuned to accommodate the new engine, with different settings for the springs and dampers, and the result is first rate.
The extra torque of the turbocharged engine has also allowed the tow capacity to be increased 400kg, up from 2000 to 2400kg.
Outback is easy to get in and out of, with a cabinthatisaniceplacetobe.Theseatsarelarge and comfy, something Subaru has always done well, and the ride is quiet and buttery smooth (in contrast to the Jeep we drove previously).
All-round vision is excellent and you can see where the front of the bonnet is when it comes to parking.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Outback 2.5: $42,690
Sport 2.5: $47,190
Touring 2.5: $50,990
Sport XT 2.4: $52,190
Touring XT 2.4: $55,990
SPECIFICATIONS
Subaru Outback XT Touring 2.4-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon
Thelargephysicalblindspotlightsthatnever fail to capture attention.
Elbow room is a bit snug however, so be sure to try it on for size.
The interior layout looks pretty much the same as the previous Outback that we drove a couple of years back, but the front seats have been redesigned with advanced shaping and support to reduce fatigue over longer distances.
Although the infotainment system looks impressive, the instrument cluster has a bit of catching up to do.
It retains old-style analogue gauges that flank a small central driver info screen with fuel consumption figures etc.
We finished on 10.1L/100km after close to 400km of mixed driving, but expect this to be higher around town.
The Subaru Outback is not perfect, but that is the word that springs to mind.
The turbocharged engine adds some punch and extra towing ability, but be prepared to pay a penalty in fuel consumption.
However, it’s the comfort and ride quality that leave a lasting impression -- one that you’ll want to take home.
The next step in the evolution of the wagon is a hybrid version, followed we assume by a fully-electric Outback sometime down the track.
Sydenham Park needs to tighten up its defence intheFVstateleague1north-westcompetition.
One of the favourites heading into the season, the Reds sit in third sport against six rounds, having been in every match.
Coach Goran Lozanovski said it had been a solidstartfortheside.Itcouldhavebeenbetter had the club not been stripped points after winning in round one.
“Technically we still haven’t lost a game,” he said. “We lost round one on a technically.
“We’ve dropped a few points in the last few weeks. To win this competition we have to beat everyone around us.”
Lozanovski said that they still had plenty of areas to work on as the season progresses. He said getting some consistency in the defence end was one of those they were really focusing on.
“We’re scoring goals, but we’ve conceded
some sloppy goals in the last couple of weeks. We need to straighten up our defence.
“When we concede a goal we need to make sure that it’s not more than one. We can definitely get better, we’re getting enough scoring chances.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement.
Lozanovski said part of the defensive improvement will come as the group starts to play more games together.
He said unavailability was part of the problem when trying to get the best out of the group.
“We had three guys out last week against Corio,” he said. “They were back on board last week, but after a week and half away, you can still be a bit in holiday mode.”
TheRedsweresettobebackinactionagainst Westgate on Saturday, after deadline.
Westgate is the early leaders of the
competition, with four wins and two draws in the first six matches.
Lozanovski said before the game that they were really looking forward to challenge against a side that had got off to a flyer.
“I think the reality for us is when everyone plays Sydenham, it’s a big game for them,” he said.
“We’re up for the fight and a good game. It’s like a grand final for us every week, there’s no easy game for us.”
In other matches that were set for the weekend, Brimbank Stallions were set to host Upfield, while Keilor Park was to play Altona City under lights at Kim Reserve.
Tara MurrayThe City West Falcons came out on top in a dangergameagainstMelbourneUniversityin the Victorian Netball League championship on Wednesday night.
The Falcons entered the game on the back of five straight wins, but the Lightning is one side that always challenges them.
It took until half time for the Falcons to take control of the game. They were able to run away with it in the second, winning 73-51.
Falcons coach Marg Lind said they were pretty happy with that result.
“It took a while to establish ourselves,” she said. “They are pretty hard on the first ball.
“They were a danger side, as they have some big names and a fair bit of experience.
“We started to get on top half way mark.”
Despite being such an important game, the Falcons were able to rest Uneeq Palavi and Lucia Fauonuku, who had returned from national duties.
Kim Borger played a second straight match for the Falcons, while Molly Kennedy got another opportunity in the defence end.
Lind said that Borger was better for the run.
“She played both in goal attack and goal shooter,” she said. “Jane had some big volume and we were reluctant to take her off as she was matching up well, so Kim and Maddy basically played a half each at goal attack.
“Credit to our girls and Kim, they were settled a bit more after a week under the belt. We have good flexibility and some good leadership that pays off under pressure.”
Lind said Cook, who shot 54 goals and Maggie Lind were really good, while their defenders were solid.
She said they had turned their attention to the attacking end the last couple of weeks.
“During the Easter break we spent three weeks on specialist defence,” she said.
“We neglected the attack end and turned to that in the last week or so and it’s already paying off.
“We thought Sienna [Allen], Sophie [Hanrahan] and Zoe [Davies] needed some focus.
“The attack end has scored 500 goals, so we have the capacity to score in a large volume.”
Lindsaidthewholeplayinggroupwasreally buying into what they were doing, with every player having individual key performance indicators that they had to meet.
The Falcons division 1 side also had a good win,toconsolidatetheirspotinthetopthree.
The under-19s suffered their first loss of the season.
“They were a little complacent,” Lind said. “We were up 16-13 and then failed to score.
“Handlingerrorsandlackofconcentration. They needed it, it happened last year too.”
The Falcons are back at Altona for the
Australia Cup
Altona Magic’s Australia Cup run is over. The Magic was upset by the Brimbank Stallions on Wednesday night. The Stallions took the lead in the 24th minute through Sota Adachi before doubling the margin just before half time through Aaron Smith. The Stallions kept the pressure on in the second half and were able to maintain their lead to win, 2-0. Meanwhile in the National Premier League competition, the Magic beat the Bentleigh Greens 2-1 on Saturday.
VTCA
Gellibrand’s Sakun Hettiyahandi has claimed the Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 4 Evans Clark Medal. Hettiyanhandi polled 41 votes to claim the medal. He was also named in the team of the year. Meanwhile, Yarraville Club premiership captain-coach Mitch Johnstone was named captain of the senior division team of the year. New Clubbers recruit Nathan Johnson was also named in the team for his season with the Druids.
Western United
Two Western United stars have been named in training squad camp for the Australian under-23 national team. All 22 members of the squad for the training camp played in the recent A-League Women’s season with nine different clubs represented from across Australia. Kahli Johnson, who has been part of the under-20 national team and Alana Cerne, have both been named in the squad for the camp.
FV
Williamstown come away with the points against Westside Strikers in the FV state league 3 north-west on Saturday. Williamstown opened the lead in the 53rd minute and were able to hold on, despite both teams having a player sent from the filed in extra time. Williamstown won 1-0. In state league 2 north-west, Altona East Phoenix and Altona City both had wins.
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Williamstown got back on the winners list in the Victorian Football League on Sunday in a hard fought slog against Collingwood.
Winter had come early at Point Gellibrand with conditions testing for both sides.
It was the Seagulls that managed to make the best of them, holding off the Magpies in the last quarter to seal a 9.14 (68)-6.8 (44) win.
Seagulls director of coaching Jeff Andrews said the group had been keen to get back out there after a long two weeks since their last match.
“It was pretty dire conditions,” he said. “It was wet and there was a strong breeze.
“It was old school, good touch contested footy.”
The Seagulls were able to kick a couple of goals against the breeze to set themselves up with a 30 point lead heading into the final quarter.
Andrews said while they had a good lead, they still had to make sure that they worked hard in the last quarter to hold on to the lead.
“It was a really good performance all round,” he said.
Matthew Walker, Darby Henderson and Nick Ebinger two goals each for the Seagulls. Ben Jolley led the way with 29 disposals, with Andrews saying Jolley had made a name for himself playing in those sorts of conditions.
Marty Hore had 25 disposals, while Oscar McDonald had 13 marks.
Andrews said those three and ruck Tom Downie were the standouts in the win.
The Seagulls now sit 4-2 with a clash against Sydney this week in Sydney.
Spotswood got a confidence boosting win against the Point Cook Centrals in the Western Region Football League division 1 on Saturday.
It had been a tough start for the Woodsmen without a win in the opening three rounds and they faced Point Cook Centrals, which was in a similar boat.
The Sharks led by 20 points at the last break as they searched for their first win at this level, but the Woodsmen found another level in the final quarter.
The Woodsmen kicked five goals to one in the final quarter, to come from behind and win 10.9 (69)-9.10 (64).
Woodsmen coach Tom German was relieved to have finally broken through for their first win of the season.
“It was good,” he said. “It was a wet day and there was a bit of a tussle throughout.
“We were down to no rotations in the last quarter and it set us back a little bit. The guys dug deep and stuck to our structures.
“To get the win was something that we really needed.”
German said after a strong pre-season the confidence had been zapped from the group after a couple of early losses.
Injuries also haven’t helped their cause.
The injury curse continued on Saturday, with five players suffering injuries.
“We had a 23rd man as well on Saturday,” German said. “About five minutes into the last quarter, we had no rotations.
“Hopefully we’ll get a few back this week.”
It was the experienced heads for the Woodsmen that stood up late when needed. Brandon Walshe kicked four goals, including three in the final quarter.
Skipper David Iaccarino also had a massive game in the middle.
At the other end of the scale, 17-year-old Isaac Moore gave them some really good ruck work.
With the injuries, it has forced the Woodsmen to blood their next generation.
German said that was something they had wanted to do.
“We’re fairly young across the board and we’re getting games into young guys,” he said.
“We had seven or eight under-21 and those guys are learning. They’re being picked on form, not just because they are young boys.
“They’ve put their hands up for selection.”
ItwasagooddayfortheWoodsmenwithall three sides getting wins on Saturday. German said they were hoping this would give them confidence and lead to a few more wins.
TheWoodsmenthisweekfacetheYarraville
Seddon Eagles, who are without a win so far.
German said they can’t take it easy against the Eagles.
“They are a good young side,” he said. “It’s a really even competition, you don’t have any easy games.”
On Saturday, the Eagles lost to Werribee
Districts, 12.11 (83)-6.12 (48).
Altona continued its winning start to the season, beating Hoppers Crossing 13.8 (86)-8.3 (51)
In the other division 1 match, Point Cook beat Caroline Springs, 13.11 (89)-6.7 (43).
Andrews said they used to bye week to review the first part of the season.
“There’s been a lot of positives out of the first five games,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of new players who are gelling well.
“There’s still a lot of improvement, but we are heading in the right direction. It’s important to keep working on things.
“We play against AFL sides that are really good in the contest and we have to be good in that area. They have up to 14-15 AFL guys who run really hard.”
Meanwhile the Seagulls women’s side snuck home against the Western Bulldogs.
The Seagulls took the early lead, before the Bulldogs kicked four goals in the second quarter to lead by one point at the break.
Three goals to nil in the third quarter gave the Seagulls a 19 point lead heading into the last quarter.
TheSeagullsmanagedtoholdoninthefinal quarter, to win 6.7 (43)-6.2 (38).
Sharnie Whiting kicked four goals for the Seagulls.
Tara MurrayAltona’s Cooper Burns form at the under-21 national championships has seen him rewarded with another Australian call-up.
Burns is part of a 17-man squad which has been named in Australia’s under-21 men’s team which will play a string of internationals in Europe.
TheBurraswillplaytwointernationals each against the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany’s under-2121 national teams in June across the same period the Kookaburras will be in Europe for a block of FIH Pro League matches.
Burras Head Coach Jay Stacy announced a 17-player team for the tour, much of selection based on what he and the selection panel observed at the Australian U21 Championships in Sydney. An additional member will be added to the squad in the coming weeks.
Burns was one of three Victorians named in the squad. Burns has been in the squad the last few years and last year shared the Hockey Victoria Premier division most valuable player award and led the goalscoring in that competition.
Stacy said competition for spots was fierce and admitted there was an obvious mix of emotions.
“Through my own playing career it happened a lot and in any team that you’re coaching, there are always selections and disappointments along the way,” he said.
“If there are guys disappointed it shows it means something to them and they’re hungry to be selected. That provides competitiveness within the group which leads to better performance individually and collectively.”
As part of the tour, the Burras will spend time with the Kookaburras squad. Stacy said they want to tap into the Kookaburras where our schedules allow us.
The European tour is an important time as Stacy works to ensure he has the best Burras team to succeed at the Junior World Cup in December.
The Burras will depart for Europe on June 7.
Tara MurrayYarraville Glory is starting to tick the boxes as it aims to be among the contenders in the FV state league 1 north-west competition.
The Glory has been competitive in all its matches so far and sit fifth on the table after seven rounds.
Coach Paul Agathouli said he was happy with how things were starting to progress.
On Friday night, the Glory beat Whittlesea United, 2-0.
“We’re doing well in the season,” he said. “We want to be pushing for promotion.
“The two games we did lose, we were leading quite comfortably, but we didn’t get the result we were looking for.
“The last two weeks have been a draw and
we had a good win on the weekend. We’ve had two clean sheets back-to-back.”
Agathouli said one thing they had worked on this season was making sure that they weren’t easy to score against.
He said they were starting to see that within games.
“If we don’t concede goals, we win games,” he said. “We have got in a French player, Aziz Gueye, and he has had a huge impact in defence.”
Agathouli said they had brought in seven players this season to freshen up the squad. He said they wanted to ensure they had a good group to build with.
“We’ve got three internationals, two from
Japan as well,” he said.
“We identified the areas that we needed players. We brought in seven new players to freshen it up.
“We handpicked who we wanted to bring in. We wanted good people and good characters and the team is close on and off the park.”
Agathouli said they had started to tick a lot of boxes they had hoped to achieve this season.
The Glory has been busy in recent weeks, with the side still alive in the knockout Australia Cup competition.
The side was set to face Skye United on Tuesday night in the fifth round after
Josh Giddey is one step closer to being part of the Australian Boomers team for this year’s World Cup after being named in an 18-man squad ahead of the event.
The former Yarraville local made his debut for the Boomers in 2021, before he was one of the last players cut from the Boomers’ Olympic team last year.
He has since further developed and played a key role in the Oklahoma City Thunder making the NBA play-in games, where he scored a career high 31 points.
He averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists a game for the Thunder this season.
Giddey, who is one of the youngest players in the squad, said he was looking forward to representing his country.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing for the Boomers and representing Australia, so to get this opportunity is really special and I’m looking forward to competing at the World Cup,” he said.
“There’s a lot of talent in this squad and I think we’ve got a good chance of matching it with every team – I’m excited for the challenge and to see what we can produce as a group on the world stage.”
Giddey is one of two players from Melbourne’s west named in the squad.
Dante Exum, who grew up in Seabrook, has also been named in the squad. Exum has had a strong season in Europe this year. Exum played both for Wyndham and the Keilor Thunder.
Giddey is one of 10 current NBA players in the squad including Patty Mills, Matisse Thybulle, Joe Ingles, Jock Landale, Josh Green, Matthew Dellavedova, Xavier Cooks, Jack White, Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey.
The extended squad will take part in a training camp in Cairns in the lead up to the World Cup, before the final roster of 12 is named ahead of the team’s opening game in Japan on August 25.
Australian Boomers coach Brian Goorjian said the extended squad marks another
milestone on the road to the World Cup and gives the coaches plenty of options. The Boomers are hoping to go better than the bronze medal they won at the Olympics.
“Pulling together this extended squad has taken time – it’s been a thorough process. The coaches and I have had many discussions about getting the mix right, but I’m really pleased with where we’ve landed with the guys we’ve selected, there’s a good balance across the court,” he said.
“The fact it’s been so tough goes to show the depth of talent we have in Australian basketball right now and this extends back to all the pathway programs, the Centre of Excellence and the dedicated coaches who have been committed to growing our game, setting the standard, and getting us to this position.
“After the draw took place around a week ago and we know who and where we’re playing, we’re excited and eager to get stuck in and prepare for what will be an extremely challenging tournament.”
deadline.
Agathouli said a win would mean it’s the furthest they’ve been in the competition.
“For a community club out west to go through to the next round is massive for the club,” he said.
“It’s a good experience, obviously some good exposure for the club.”
Things are also going well for the junior side of the club, with Agathouli saying numbers were nearly back to where they were pre-COVID.
In other state league 1 north-west matches, Altona City beat Keilor Park, 1-0 on Saturday. Tara Murray
It was a weekend of close ones for the Altona Gators, but their senior sides were on the opposite side of the ledger in the Big V competition.
The men’s division 2 won a thriller against the Wallan Panthers on Saturday night.
There was nothing between the two sides in the first half with scores level at 49 apiece at the main break.
The Gators managed to open up an eight point lead in the third quarter despite shooting at 46 per cent from the field and 33 per cent from beyond the arc.
The Gators shooting struggles continued in the final quarter, with the shooting percentage slipping even further.
The Panthers showed some fight in the final quarter, but the Gators were able to hold on to win 92-88.
Adam Anderson top scored with 26 points for the Gators, while there were plenty of contributions including off the bench.
The Gators now sit second on the ladder, with a record of 7-1, with just a loss to ladder leaders, the Whittlesea Pacers.
The Gators are on the road this week, travelling to face the Mornington Breakers on Saturday night.
In division 1 women’s competition, the Gators fell short against the Chelsea Gulls.
The Gulls led by five points at quarter time and were able to increase it slightly to seven points at half time.
The margin stayed steady in the third quarter, with the Gulls still leading by seven points at the last break.
The Gators couldn’t close the gap in thefinalquarter,withtheGullswinning 79-70. Monique Marcetic-Vaotangi top scored with 17 points for the Gators, with Jordan Wilson chipping in with 12 points.
After eight rounds, the Gators sit in eighth spot, with three wins from their six games.
The Gators are at home this weekend, hosting the Bellarine Storm on Sunday.
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