Star Weekly - Hobsons Bay Maribyrnong - 5th July 2023

Painting a grim future

By Jennifer Pittorino

Noise, chemicals, odours and health risks are someoftheissuesaWestFootscrayfamilysays it will have to deal with if a hazardous waste processing facility is approved 30 metres from its home.

A Paintback facility, which will involve the crushing of paint cans and the release of post-processed fumes into the surrounding area, is proposed for Graingers, Road West Footscray.

Resident Ashley Norris said the facility poses a threat to public health and safety and will impact residents.

“The proposed use is unequivocally an inappropriate use of this part of the property and will cause significant adverse impact to the amenity of the neighbourhood,” he said.

“Everyday we see people walking down the street with prams, dogs, children to and from school, it’s not good for the area.”

Mr Norris and his family resides on a street with five other homes which is deemed as industrial-zoned land.

According to Environment Protection Authority (EPA) guidelines, an ink, paint mixing, or processing plant should not be within 500 meters of residential land.

“However the noise limits for a residential zone land are different to an industrial zone land, which display high levels of expected noise in the planning documents,” Mr Norris said.

Paintback chief executive Karen Gomez said the company was set up by the paint industry to recycle unwanted paint that would otherwise end up in landfill.

“Paintback is committed to the highest environmental standards and to meeting all EPA and council requirements and to being a good neighbour,” she said.

“The site is totally appropriate as it is an existing paint manufacturing facility and we are intending to re-use an existing building rather than build a new one, consistent with our recycling philosophy.

“All along the process we have followed EPA andcouncilguidelinesandgonebeyondwhere we can to ensure a state of the art recycling plant. This is about a circular economy where the products we use are reused and do not end up in land fill, facilities like these are hugely important in a modern society.

“Noise and odour will be kept within the very strict EPA rules. Truck movements have been kept to a minimum and will not use residential streets.”

Mr Norris is most concerned about the fact he felt there was no community consultation about the facility.

“The initial shock came from seeing the public notice by chance walking past the facility,” he said.

“Once we found out what it was going to be, we were astonished that there wasn’t any notification to the surroundings at all.

“Something like that really should’ve been broadcast and made to have community consultation.”

In a statement the EPA said the application wasadvertisedforcommunityfeedbackin Star

Weeklyand on the Engage Victoria website on Wednesday, May 3, with submissions closing Thursday, May 25.

“EPA also informed the Brooklyn Community Representative Group, who published the link to the Engage Vic website on their Facebook page on Friday, May 12,” the statement said,

“The applicant subsequently conducted a doorknock/letterboxing in the area on Tuesday, June 6, although this was not a requirement of the EPA consultation process.

“EPA can accept late submissions on proposed development licences, particularly if they raise significant issues or are from individuals that are potentially going to be directly impacted by the proposal.

“The decision to accept late submissions

is considered on a case-by-case basis, and the process is designed to be fair to both the applicant and anyone wishing to make a submission.”

Footscray MP Katie Hall requested that residents have the opportunity to put in their objections.

“Residents should have every opportunity to participate in these processes and I was pleased to advocate on their behalf for late submissions to be accepted,”she said.

Mr Norris and other community members have submitted objections to the facility and have been in contact with Maribyrnong council, the mayor and other local parliamentary members.

Details: permissioning.engagement@epa. vic.gov.au

Ashley Norriss and Tania Quinlan live within metres of a proposed paint waste processing facility. (Damjan Janevski) 342556_02

Citynews

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Community Grants are a way we, as a Council, can support and empower local groups and volunteers to deliver a significant and positive impact within our community.

Our program, which offers $255,000 in grant funding to support community projects and activities, opens for applications on 11 July and is an incredible opportunity for individuals with project ideas that can benefit our community to seek financial support.

We are particularly keen to receive applications for First Nationsled projects, collaborations with CALD communities, initiatives involving LGBTIQA+ individuals, young and older people, and individuals with disabilities. For more information, visit: maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/communitygrants

I am pleased to also share news that our Sons of the West and Daughters of the West programs have been recognised with a Parks and Leisure Award in the Community Based Initiative of the Year category for 2023. These programs, in partnership with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, provide opportunities for men and women across Maribyrnong to prioritise both their mental and physical health.

Registrations are currently open for the 2023 Daughters of the West Program, which begins this month. I highly recommend taking advantage of this program and embarking on a journey towards improved well-being To register, visit: maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Daughters-of-the-West

Lastly, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to seven members of our community recognised in the Kings Birthday Honours List. Christine Anne Howard-Bobenko, Margaret Haggart, Colin Osbourne Harrison, Robyn Ann Batten, Kelly Rogers, Bartholomew Edwin Willoughby, and Fairlie Elizabeth Maclaine have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for their exceptional contributions in the performing arts, community, music, health, and agedcare sectors. Their efforts serve as an inspiration to us all, encouraging others to make a positive impact in their own communities.

Together, let us embrace the opportunities presented by the Community Grants program, honour the achievements of extraordinary individuals, and work towards building a stronger, more inclusive community that we can all be proud of.

Mayor Cr Sarah Carter

JULY COUNCIL MEETINGS

Tue 18 – 6.30pm Council

Tue 25 – 6.30pm City Development Delegated Committee

These meetings will be held at the Braybrook Community Hub and livestreamed via Council’s YouTube channel. Community members can submit questions for public question time online on the day of the meeting. Visit: maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/meetings or phone 9688 0200 for more information.

Maribyrnong City Council

Postal Address: PO Box 58, West Footscray, VIC 3012

OUT AND ABOUT

City of Maribyrnong Councillors have been busy.

1. Mayor Cr Sarah Carter and CEO, Celia Haddock visited Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon Ged Kearney MP during the ALGA National General Assembly in Canberra

2. Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam, and Cr Michael Clarke joined Katie Hall MP and Lola Anderson from Friends of Cruickshank Park, for the official opening of the recently upgraded McNish Reserve Playground, fondly known as Mimi the Dinosaur Park.

3. Mayor Cr Sarah Carter and Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam represented the City of Maribyrnong at a

MY VIEW

LeadWest advocacy event held at Parliament House in Melbourne

4. Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter, welcomes the first of a multimillion dollar project of major road upgrades, which began in June

5. Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam with participants of the DIY for Women workshop hosted by Braybrook Men’s Shed

6. Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter, celebrating International Yoga Day at Parliament House with representatives from Vasudeva Kriya Yoga, Jason Wood MP, Senator James Paterson and Peter Khalil MP

On Saturday 1 July, we celebrated the official opening of the recently upgraded McNish Reserve Playground, fondly known as Mimi the Dinosaur Park, with Friends of Cruickshank Park and the community.

With the support of the State Government, and in collaboration with Friends of Cruickshank Park – a local community group involved in keeping Cruickshank Park beautiful – Council expanded the dinosaur-play at the Park, welcoming new play equipment for Maribyrnong’s littlest residents.

Upgrades include a new climbing rope wall, a safari themed Jeep rocker, an inclusive carousel built at ground level and a footpath that provides safe access to the playground. New stormwater treatment wetlands have also been built, improving the quality of water entering Stony Creek.

The opening event was enjoyed by many, both young and old, foreshadowing many more years of fun and enjoyment for locals for years to come.

I am pleased to also acknowledge former Citizens of the Year Lola and Peter Anderson, former Footscray Mayor and Citizen of the Year Fred Madden, and the Friends of Cruickshank Park for their contribution to both the creation of Cruickshank Park and amazing work they do to preserve the natural environment along Stony Creek on behalf of our community.

Cr Michael Clarke Yarraville Ward

NRS: 133 677 or 1300 555 727 www.relayservice.com.au

P: (03) 9688 0200

F: (03) 9687 7793

email@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

TIS: 131 450

Industrial development denied

By Jennifer Pittorino

Lisa Stevens has lived in Newport for 20 years. She knew what she signed up for when she moved to an industrial area, but recent development plans have pushed her too far.

The proposed industrial development at Akuna Drive in Williamstown has not only bothered Ms Stevens, but left many locals fed up with the plans.

“I work as an occupational health and safety consultant so I am bringing my own concerns as both a local and one of OHS consultant,” she said.

“Themajorconcernswillbehavingmultiple warehouses backing onto residential housing.

Ms Stevens said the plans showcase that the area will be transformed into an industrial area.

“They are predicting 4400 vehicle movements including small-to-medium-sized trucks a day,” she said.

“The only access in and out of Akuna Drive shows all traffic will be coming from Champion Road.

“This becomes a problem because the government has identified Champion Road as a crossing to be closed which adds to the problem.”

A Hobsons Bay council spokesperson said it refused the application for several reasons.

“The proposed development was

inconsistent with the objectives and strategies of the Hobsons Bay planning scheme; it would have had an adverse impact on the safety and amenity of adjacent, more sensitive uses; and did not comply with car parking standards and did not provide safe and integrated transport network for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

“It also did not protect neighbouring residential development from the impacts of flooding and stormwater management.”

Over 100 residents submitted objections to the development which council said impacted its decision.

“All submissions were taken into consideration as part of council’s assessment

Williamstown lifesavers triumph

Williamstown has emerged victorious following weeks of lifesaving competitions.

Five junior nippers from Williamstown Surf Life Saving Club competed at Junior Life Saving Pool State Championships at the Geelong Grammar pool.

Leanne Chapple from WSLSC said the day was full of excitement for everyone involved.

“The bay kids are performing really well in comparison to ocean kids,” she said.

“They always dominate when they participate which is great because they come off the beach and into the pool.”

There were several different categories on thedayandMsChapplesaidobstaclesseemed to be the group’s favourite.

“In this category they learn endurance and the skill which makes them excited to be able to build their resilience and strength,” she said.

“They competed in all of the categories and they really love it because it’s very technical as we are teaching them all the lifesaving skills.”

Adults from the WS&LSC were crowned the overall masters state champions for 2023 after a dominant performance.”

Lorne SLSC was transformed into a waterway race track as Life Saving Victoria hosted the TRE Motorsport Victorian IRB Championships 2023.

Williamstown joined 17 other clubs from acrossthestatefortwodaysoffastandfurious

Fine for metal recycler

Tottenham metal recycler Manhari International Pty Ltd has been fined $16,000 and ordered to pay Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s (EPA) $14,000 costs by the Sunshine Magistrates Court. EPA laid the charges after the company failed to comply with the conditions of a Pollution Abatement Notice, which is a legally enforceable instrument.

Director Pooja Chaudhary and business development manager Madhur Gupta pled guilty to three charges of non-compliance. The non-compliance concerned failure to install (and report on) engineering controls across an area used for stockpiling and processing waste materials so as to contain any spills or leaks of liquid waste from such activities and prevent them from gaining

accesstoland,failuretoinstall(andreporton) controls or modifications across an area used forstockpilingandprocessingwastematerials that prevented liquid waste from entering the storm water network, and failure to modify the configuration of a stockpile of scrap metal containing CRWM stored outdoors.

They also failed to comply with an EPA Clean Up Notice in that they did not provide a Sampling Analytical and Quality Plan as required nor did they complete a site Investigation as required.

The magistrate took into account the guilty pleas and imposed a 12-month good behaviour bond.

competition, which saw the Hobsons Bay club also finish in third place in the open division.

LSV sport participation general manager RyanO’Connorcongratulatedcompetitorson their efforts in challenging conditions.

“Our IRB racing teams put on an absolute show of skills and perseverance in our state championships events in woolly winter conditions,” he said.

“Lifesavers on patrol never know what kind of conditions they will be faced with, and they took it in their stride to adapt and rise to the challenge.“

Jennifer Pitorrino

of the application.

“All planning applications are assessed in accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the Hobsons Bay planning scheme.

“This application has also been through an extensive public notification process in accordance with the requirements of the act.”

The developer has lodged an application with Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and an online hearing will take place in August.

The major case hearing will begin in November.

Explore open house venues

Six Maribyrnong venues will open their doors to the public next month as part of Open House Melbourne.

Open House Melbourne is an independent organisation that fosters public appreciation for architecture and public engagement in conversations about the future of participating cities. This year, the open house events will be held on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30.

The weekend hopes to empower people with knowledge around the impact of good design decisions in the built environment.

The chosen theme for this year’s event is Collective City, the theme hopes to encourage a citywide discussion by asking the question, How will we reinvent, re-purpose and adapt our city to live better together.

The program explores collective, adaptive and responsive design approaches focused on creating a more inclusive city.

Maribyrnonglocalshavetheoptionto explore six venues including Yarraville’s The Sun Theatre, Jack’s Magazine, The Cotton Mills, Heavenly Queen Temple, Ercildoune, and the ongoing West Gate Tunnel Project.

Footscray-centric walks will also be running as part of this year’s event, including Footscray Historical Wander and Footscray Market Foodie Tour and Tastings. As the Footscray Town Hall continues to undergo development, Maribyrnong council is encouraging people to explore the Town Hall virtually which can be accessed online.

Details:https://openhousemelbourne.

Council is preparing a Neighbourhood Plan to guide future use and development in Seddon.

Based on feedback received from the Seddon community in August 2022, Council has prepared an Issues and Opportunities Paper. We want to see if we heard you right, if there is anything we have missed, and to get your help to prioritise future opportunities. This information will help inform the draft Seddon Neighbourhood Plan.

Chat with us in person:

• Thursday 13 July, 3:30-6pm at Casa di Tutti (160 Victoria Street, Seddon)

• Saturday 22 July, 10-12:30pm at Seddon Uniting Church Hall, (Corner Gamon and Mackay Street, Yarraville)

• Saturday 29 July, 2:30-5pm at EST 1906 (81 Charles Street, Seddon)

Alternatively, you can submit feedback at: www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/seddon

Feedback closes Monday 7 August 2023.

Contact us at SeddonNP@maribyrnong.voc.gov.au or call 9688 0200.

Hugo (11), Airlie (9), Zara (9), Ivy (10) and Emily (10) all took home medals. (Damjan Janevski) 342923_01

Transport chaos plagues west

By Jennifer Pittorino

Hobsons Bay residents are being forced to triple their morning and night commute times to and from work due to the train line shutdowns.

As a result of West Gate Tunnel works which require the partial closure of the Werribee, Williamstown and Sunbury train lines to enable a bridge over rail lines at Dynon Road to be widened and strengthened to join a new exit ramp from the tunnel, buses are replacing trains from Newport and

Williamstown stations until the last train on July 9.

Anastasia from Newport took the replacement bus for the first time on Monday, June 26. Her experience was exacerbated by an early morning crash which closed two inbound lanes on the West Gate Freeway.

“It was very slow, there was a lot of traffic and the accident on the western side [of the bridge] made it worse,” she said.

“It took me two hours to get to work yesterday and normally it takes me 18 minutes.

A sketchy new comedy

Australian comedian Ross Daniels is bringing his most popular characters from stage and online together in an exciting new show.

Daniels has been living in West Footscray for 20 years where he developed his unique collection of comic personas online during lockdown.

“I have had some recent success online on various online apps, so I will be performing a handful of characters that have been featured online,” he said.

“The four main characters are all based on real people to some extent. One is a homeless guy based on one man I saw in Townsville as a kid, another is a neighbour based on my neighbour who seems to know everything before anyone else does.

“They all have different views and different energies, they all reference the real different things going on in life.”

Daniels first solo show in four years is a character/sketch comedy with a playful

Applications now open

connecting narrative.

“Audiences can expect a little bit of music, comedy and lots of jokes, it will be a packed hour of characters and satire” he said.

Daniels is a seasoned performer who has worked on the Australian stage and television for over 30 years.

Along with his long list of comedy credits, he is an acclaimed Green Room-nominated dramatic actor.

“My online work is more recent but I have some background in film and TV which has allowed me to apply those skills to sketches,” he said.

RossDaniels–Offline opens Monday, July 10, and runs until Saturday, July 15 for six shows only at The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne.

Details: https://thebutterflyclub.com/show/ ross-daniels-offline

Jennifer Pittorino

Have your community project funded

West Gate Neighbourhood Fund was established by the Victorian Government to support communities in the Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong Council areas during the construction of the West Gate Tunnel project.

The $10 million fund seeks to build capacity and connection within these communities. Funding is now available for Partnerships projects over $50,000 that will deliver a lasting benefit to the community. For the first time, Active Community Grants of up to $100,000 are also available for local sport groups, scout clubs and girl guide groups. If you have an idea that bring people together, we want to hear from you.

Apply now

Applications close 3pm, 1 August 2023

For more information and/or to apply, visit westgatetunnelproject.vic.gov.au/neighbourhoodfund

“ …I can’t complain, I have been in the area for 12 years and this is the first time I have ever had to take buses to get to work so it is what it is.”

For the next two weeks more than 30,000 passengers will need to catch the replacement buses.

Alana from Newport said her new route has added an extra hour commute time to get to her government job in the CBD.

“I normally just catch the train from Newport to Parliament but now I have to catch the bus to Flagstaff and walk an extra

20 minutes on top of that,” she said.

“All up it’s taking me an extra hour on top of my normal trip.”

Priscilla from Laverton said her 30-minute commute by train has been extended to one and a half hours.

“It’s tough getting to work but we have to do it, we have no choice,” she said.

Chris is a maths comp whiz

Year 12 student Christopher Tran is representing Australia at the International Science Olympiads, specialising in mathematics, this week.

MrTranhasbeenpreparingforthismoment since his first mathematics competition in primary school.

“In primary school I would often borrow maths books from my local Hobsons Bay library as well as the one in my school,” he said.

“My year 5 teacher enrolled me in a program where students compete in maths competitions.

“That first competition was exciting and that’s where my interest first began.”

Mr Tran entered his first competition with The Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO) in year 8, he has been working on it ever since.

“I have the chance to go again and represent Australia in a very different way than usual.

“As a kid you think about representing your country in a sport so this is great to show academics you can use their strengths in their own ways.”

MrTranwillbejoinedbysixotherstudents, all who compete individually.

“There are two maths camps twice a year we haveattended,wealsoworktogetherpreparing each other for the competition,” he said.

In addition to the latest training exams, Mr Tran has been mentally preparing for years.

“We knew the 2023 maths competition would be held in Japan as the countries were released years in advance,” he said.

“In some way working towards making it to Japan was always the end goal.”

Mr Tran intends to study mathematics in University and see where it can take him.

“With technology the world is constantly changing so I feel you need to be prepared for anything and maths definitely does that.”

Jennifer Pittorino

Christopher will be representing Australia at the International Olympiads for maths. (Damjan Janevski) 342913_02

Westie Ross Daniels’ new show will feature an hour of laughs, music and sketches. (Damjan Janevski) 343734_02

Level crossing road survey open

Commuters can have their say on how they use Maddox and Champion roads as part of a new Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) survey.

The survey will inform LXRP about how locals use the road network.

Community consultation and further investigations will inform design improvements to the local traffic network to maintain connectivity between Newport and Williamstown.

A closure is the preferred solution for the

removal of the level crossing at Champion Road.

The Maddox Road crossing in Newport will be removed in 2026, with an elevated rail bridge replacing the boom gates.

The level crossing works are said to ease congestion, improve safety and deliver a brand-new station on track to be delivered two years ahead of schedule on the Werribee Line.

Alongside community consultation, LXRP will shortly be undertaking site investigations

Give a sock this winter

Foodbank Victoria has partnered with Underworks to help vulnerable people doing it tough this winter by setting up the I Give A Sock campaign.

The I Give A Sock campaign works through shared posts, anyone in Australia can ‘give a sock’ to those in need by simply sharing a post on their own Instagram.

In exchange for every post shared on Instagram in July, either via a user’s feed or story, the retailer will donate a pair of socks or an essential clothing item to those in need.

Underworks has gathered 20,000 pairs of socks ready to donate, along with many other essential clothing items, including underwear and thermal under layers.

The socks will be distributed through Underworks’ charity partners like Foodbank Yarraville and others including The Salvation Army, Lighthouse Foundation and Thread Together.

The campaign runs every year in July, with over 30,000 pairs of socks donated in the past

12 months alone.

According to Thread Together, more than 3.5 million people do not have access to essential clothing, which equates to around one in eight adults and one in six children.

Chief Executive of Foodbank Victoria Matt Tilleysaidforthosealreadystruggling,winter is the hardest time.

“Given we are officially in the worst cost-of-living crisis on record, it’s doubly so right now,” he said.

“We’re in the business of making sure every single Aussie has access to the basics, socks and jocks aren’t just for Father’s Day, they’re literally our clothing basics.

“So partnering with #IGiveASock makes perfect sense. With 1.3 million kids already living in homes where there’s not enough to go around, #IGiveASock couldn’t have come at a better time for so many families.”

Jennifer Pitorrino

to help shape the project.

The team will be carrying out detailed site investigations and traffic and engineering assessments to help inform the final designs.

The survey will remain open for one month , locals can either fill out the survey online or in person.

At Hudsons Road in Spotswood, a rail bridge will be built over the road and a new elevated Spotswood Station will open in 2028.

The new station will include modern

amenities, and more accessible facilities for commuters.

The Maidstone Street level crossing in Altona will be removed, with a road bridge to be built at this location. Details: engage.vic.gov.au

Foodbank volunteers Ray Farrugia, Rob Bradley and Leh-Anne Engel with socks collected as part of a campaign with Underworks. (Damjan Janevski) 44619_01

A week of cultural excellence

NAIDOC Week, running from July 2- July 9, is a time for celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Jennifer Pittorino finds out how the week will be marked in the west.

NAIDOC (National Aboriginals and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Weekisatimeofreflection,celebration, history, culture and excellence.

This annual celebration acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Kirrip elder Peter Webster said it is uniting for the community.

“It’sforourpeople,sowecancometogether and celebrate our history and our culture and who we are,” he said.

“... It celebrates where we have come from and recognises the fantastic things those who came before us, our ancestors have achieved for us.”

Peter is referred to as Uncle Peter by his community, as a sign of respect for who he is given his position in the work he does as chief executive of Kirrip, an organisation he joined in 2016.

Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation began in 2007 as a safe place for community to connect socially and culturally, to celebrate culture, and to promote self-determination and healing.

“Wehaveahousingworker,ajusticeworker, a food bank, we run elders, men’s, women’s programs , homework clubs, a playgroup and more,” Peter said.

“In my role here I sit as an elder to advise and support , I personally don’t consider myself an elder but my community do.

“I consider myself a community leader because of the position I am in, an elder is someone who has been given this position by their community to hold knowledge.

“Elders share their knowledge, they are

someone the community can go to to confide in and be someone they trust, which is what NAIDOC week is all about.”

Peter said he has had many previous jobs, but nothing has made him as happy as what he does now.

“My wife says I forget to come home at times, she needs to send me a text sometimes to remind me where I live,” he said.

“For me it’s about giving back to the community. If someone told me 10 years ago that I would be doing what I am, I would’ve laughed at them, but I love what I do.

“I am Stolen Generation so I didn’t grow up culturally or with my community. I look at this as my way of paying back those people who have supported me and given me the connection to my community and culture that I didn’t previously have.”

NAIDOC week comes at a time when Peter feels there is still great racism.

“We still see racism towards people who have come from other cultures, we still see it far too much,” he said.

“People forget we are a multicultural country, we will always have our own cultures but we can become one Australia.

“NAIDOCisaboutallofuscomingtogether, regardless of whether you are on traditional country; all of us standing together and being one people.”

Kirrip will mark NAIDOC Week with the ’Western NAIDOC ball’ for its elders.

“These events are about passing on cultural knowledgeandgivingouryouththechanceto see we are not a forgotten culture, we are still here,” Peter said.

“We are the oldest surviving culture on earth and we are very proud of it, NAIDOC is the time for us to stand up proud and let everyone know we are still here and not going anywhere.”

Peter Webster from Kirrip Aboriginal Centre. (Jacob Pattison) 342893_01

Youth Support and Advocacy Service’s (YSAS) Scott Krakouer said its upcoming NAIDOC week celebration will bring together the large Aboriginal community in the west.

“The western suburbs Aboriginal community have been crying out for a big event like this for years,” he said.

YSAS works with 10-17 year olds across the west who are having contact with police to try and steer them away from the justice system.

‘Mob Run This’ is a running festival expected to bring together 700-800 people from all over Victoria, to get the community moving. It will be held at Presidents Park, Wyndham Vale, on Sunday, July 9 at 10am.

“I know from when I was young, connection to sport and connection to health and wellbeing are two things that helped me keep out of trouble, that’s why we are doing a fun run,” Scott said.

Scott said the last 230 years of colonisation have left the community disconnected from their culture.

“The events at NAIDOC week like the welcome to country, smoking ceremonies and traditional activities will help the healing and help connect them to the culture that might be disconnected from,” he said.

“There is a myth that the majority of Aboriginal people in Melbourne live in the northern suburbs but there is a huge growth of Aboriginal people in the west, in particular in Wyndham and Melton.”

“NAIDOC week allows us to bring them all into one spot and get all the services that work with Aboriginal people in the west together.”

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Scott Krakouer from YSAS. (Damjan Janevski) 342723_01

‘‘ When I was young, connection to sport and connection to health and wellbeing are two things that helped me keep out of trouble ’’ - Scott Krakouer

Councillors are there to listen

By Councillor Cuc Lam

One of the most important things we, as councillors,candotosupportourcommunity is to listen.

The recent decision by council not to proceed with new heritage planning controls for over 900 properties in West Footscray and surrounding areas (technically referred to as Amendment C172) is a tangible example that we are doing just that.

Residents told us very clearly, that while valuing heritage, this was something they did not support – mainly because of concerns aroundanowner’sabilitytomodifytheirhome and potential impact on property values.

Having heard community feedback, council felt the financial burdens outweighed any benefits and we will now be requesting the Minister for Planning remove the interim Heritage Overlay.

The decision does not mean council does not consider heritage is important. Far from it.

Council has much to be proud of in this space.Inthepasttwodecadeswehavebeenable to breathe new life into historic places such as Footscray Wharf, safeguard the ‘village vibe’ of Yarraville, recognise and protect valuable natural assets, and implement a strategy to help tell our stories through art, among other things.

As one of the many custodians of our city’s history, council has a responsibility to manage and protect heritage assets for future generations to enjoy – and we do not take this responsibility lightly.

This is why we are currently reviewing our

Briefs

Man arrested in Footscray

Detectives from the Gang Crime Squad have arrested a man in West Footscray as part of an investigation into fraud and drug matters. The 25-year-old was arrested at a residential property just after 7.40am on Thursday, June 29, in relation to seven outstanding warrants. The arrest follows a public appeal for information earlier this month.

Police operation

heritage strategy, which will look at ways to balance heritage protection with population growth and development. Your comments over two phases of engagement will inform the development of a draft document which we will share with you for feedback later this year. We look forward to hearing your comments.

On another matter, I recently had the privilege of attending the inaugural Do It Yourself workshop for women at the Braybrook Community Hub run by the Braybrook Men’s Shed who announced in late 2022 it would expand its program to welcome women and diverse groups. The experience left me feeling inspired and optimistic for the future and I look forward to the emergence of more initiatives like this that promote inclusivity and diversity within our community.

Hobsons Bay police teamed up with the Sheriff’s Office and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to conduct a compliance operation in Williamstown North, on Tuesday, June 20. The operation aimed to enforce road safety by using a highly visible, multi-agency approach to reinforce positive driving behaviours, vehicle safety and lessen the escalating road trauma figures. Over 300 vehicles were checked with police issuing eight fines for unregistered vehicles, with one driver to receive a summons to attend court for unlicenced driving. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator inspected 18 vehicles, issuing three defect notices, two infringement notices, three warnings and one formal direction. The Sheriff’s Office dealt with 27 people, executing 438 warrants totalling more than $190,000. The wheels of three cars were clamped at the scene.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT

Web: starweekly.com.au

Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Councillor Cuc Lam.

Downsize to your dream lifestyle today

For 20 years, Lifestyle Communities has lived and breathed the wants and needs of the downsizer homeowner.

LifestyleCommunitiesconsistentlyrefinesits approach, communities and homes to not only meet your needs – but exceed them! And with twodecadesofexperience,thefocusatLifestyle Communities is on giving homeowners what they want and what homeowners need has never been sharper.

Lifestyle builds beautiful, downsizer-centric homes across Melbourne, Geelong, the Bellarine and Mornington peninsulas and

regional Victoria, complemented by stunning amenities that engender connectivity and wellbeing.

You can choose to live where the holiday never ends. At Lifestyle Communities, you can spend your days soaking up the serene surroundings or spruce up your daily grind with access to stunning amenities a short stroll from your front door.

Located at the heart of each community, the clubhouse is architecturally designed with plenty of space for you to relax, recharge or re-energise.

Across all communities, the Lifestyle team has designed, installed and delivered a range of resort style amenities and surrounds for homeowners to call their own.

Ifthere’sonethingLifestylehasalwaysstayed committed to in two decades of business, it’s helping homeowners upsize their lifestyles when they downsize to a Lifestyle Community.

The world class amenities give ‘staycation’ a whole new meaning. Call

team to discuss your downsizing dream today 1300 50 55 60

An extension of your own home, you’ll have a host of lifestyle-enhancing facilities* at your fingertips, including:

•฀Barbeque฀area

•฀Billiards

•฀Business฀Centre

•฀Electric฀car

•฀Cinema

•฀Community฀Shuttle

•฀Croquet฀Court

•฀Dog฀Wash

•฀Electric฀Bikes

•฀Fishing฀boat

•฀Gym

•฀Indoor฀Pool

•฀Library

•฀Makers฀Studio

•฀Micro฀Brewery

•฀Orchard

•฀Outdoor฀Pool

•฀Pickleball฀Court

•฀Spa

•฀Tennis฀Court

*Facilities may vary depending on the community location

Above: The clubhouse is the heart of the community. Right: Amenities are second to none.

How do you know if you need a hearing aid fitted?

In a world filled with captivating sounds, it’s disheartening when our ability to hear begins to fade.

If you find yourself frequently asking others to repeat themselves or struggling to engage in conversations, it might be time to explore the possibility of hearing aids.

Recognising the signs

Marina Opacak is an experienced audiologist from Active Audiology and reports: “Hearing loss often develops gradually, making it challenging to notice the changes. However, there are signs that can alert you to a potential hearing impairment.

“If you frequently find yourself turning up the volume on the television or radio, experiencing difficulty understanding conversations, or feeling isolated in social settings due to communication challenges, these could be indicators of hearing loss. Other signs include ringing or buzzing sounds in your ears (tinnitus) and struggling to hear high-pitched sounds like birdsong or the ring of a telephone.”

The impact of untreated hearing loss Ignoring hearing loss can have significant consequences. Communication difficulties can strain relationships, leading to feelings of isolation and frustration.

Studies have also linked untreated hearing loss to cognitive decline and an increased risk of developing conditions, such as dementia. Additionally, diminished hearing can impact your overall wellbeing, hindering your ability to fully engage in activities and enjoy the world around you.

Recognising and addressing hearing loss is essential for maintaining your quality of life and emotional wellbeing. Audiologist

Cris Ivanidis reports that clients are often embarrassed and ashamed to ask others to

repeat themselves.

“Many of my clients attend professional meetings. After a second time, they will stop asking someone to repeat themselves because it’s simply embarrassing.“

Benefits of hearing aids

Hearing aids are remarkable devices that can transform your auditory experience. They are designed to amplify sounds, improve clarity, and enhance your ability to communicate effectively.

With advanced technology, modern hearing

aids are discreet, comfortable to wear, and offer customisable features to suit your specific needs.

Crisrecallsaclientwhowasoverwhelmingly happy when he was able to hear music again. “He realised just how much he had been missing – the individual differences between theviolinandtheviola.Hewasamazedathow aids had enriched his life by enabling him to hear the subtle differences in music.”

Taking the next step

If you suspect that you may need hearing aids,

the first step is to schedule a comprehensive hearing assessment with a trusted hearing care professional. Select an independent clinic, someone who is unbiased in their technology recommendations. They will evaluate your hearing abilities, discuss your concerns and lifestyle requirements, and recommend the most suitable hearing aid options for you.

Active Audiology is at 17 Harrington Square, Altona. Contact: 9391 3331 or activeaudiology.com.au

Hearing aids can transform your auditory experience. (Supplied)

Glenice and Ian are future-proofing their ageing needs

Some things are just meant to be.Glenice Henderson says one of the best decisions she and her husband Ian, ever made was to move into Uniting AgeWell’s Amarco Apartments in Melbourne’s inner west a couple of years ago.

They’d been looking for a place that had an aged care facility paired with independent living apartments to cater for Ian’s decreasing mobility. Their wish list also included ground floor access and a large courtyard – and Uniting AgeWell’s Kingsville Community and Amarco Apartments fitted the bill.

It proved to be a fortuitous decision. The couple sold their Torquay home and had only been in their spacious apartment for five months when Ian needed more specialised care, and moved into Kingsville Community.

Glenice, 80, visits Ian every day, and he often spends time in the apartment watching football and having lunch with her. They’ve been married for nearly 60 years and still haven’t run out of things to talk about!

Glenice, who has osteoarthritis, uses her mobility scooter to visit him.

“It takes me five minutes to get there,” she says. “How handy is that!”

Their children visit Ian, 82, as often as they can, and because the apartment has two bedrooms, their Wangaratta-based daughter is able to stay over.

Glenice, who does her own cooking and shopping, also loves to read. She’s thoroughly enjoying all the friends she’s made at Amarco. “We always stop and chat – they’re all so warm and friendly.”

She also has peace of mind that Ian, a retired university lecturer, is getting the best possible care.

“The staff at Kingsville are so capable and kind,” she says.

Aside from offering residential care

and retirement living options, Uniting AgeWell supports older people as their needs change through a range of in-home

Experimental holiday activities

Scienceworks in Spotswood is hosting a jam-packed school holiday schedule to keep kids and families entertained over this winter break.

Scienceworks said kids should prepare for laughter and learning as they embark on an epic odyssey from food to poo, plus enjoy a range of exclusive new screenings at IMAX.

All events will finish up with the very last day of the break on Sunday, July 9, like the Colour Combo Show, which is described as a

colourful demonstration free 20-minute live show held at the amphitheatre.

Planetarium shows are also running, the program will show, Tycho Goes to Mars, Solar System Odyssey, Starlight and Ticket to the Universe.

Scienceworks is also working with Deakin University on a science project to research connections between how people move, engage in physical activity and cognitive function.

Hot seat cash for Peter

Dedication, practise and passion have paid off for Peter Morton who won big on Millionaire HotSeat

On Tuesday, June 27, 70-year-old Mr Morton, from Altona, won $20,000 in an exciting finish.

Mr Morton who has lived in Altona for five years, said this is the first time he has had the chance to appear on a game show.

“This was the first game show I have participated in but I have been to a taping before,” he said.

“I went along as a spare to a previous taping of the show which prepares you for when you’re on the real thing.”

Mr Morton said it feels great to have won after all of his years of preparation

“I am feeling pretty good right now, to prepare I usually tape the show and watch it everyday,” he said.

“I watch and listen to all the questions and answers to get a good idea of the show, I have been a fan of the show for quite some time, 10 years or so.

“I have also done the same thing with other game shows on other channels like The Chaser on channel 7.”

Mr Morton plans on sharing his winnings with his wife, who was in the audience cheering him along.

The pair had plans to travel to England for family commitments but said plans have changed.

“She is feeling very happy, we are going to leave it in the bank and spend it slowly,“ Mr Morton said.

The program will also feature a 30-minute live science show, called Illuminate: How Science Comes to Light.

FlushBack is a new AR adventure which brings to life the rich history of the heritage-listed Spotswood Pumping Station, recommended for aged eight-plus.

Pumping Station is another program related to the Spotswood Pumping Station, where kids can hear some of the smelly stories from the pumping station straining well

and explore the engine room to discover the engineering feat that helped overcome the stench of 19th century Melbourne in the daily Pumping Station tours.

Collection Store Tours will let kids go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Scienceworks Collection Store to see some of the 40,000 collection items stored at Scienceworks and listen to the stories of these rare and unique objects.

The big moment Altona man Peter Morton won

YOUR

NEWCAREER ...startshere

PRINT AND PRINT AND PRINT AND ONLINE SALES ONLINE SALES ONLINE SALES EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic sales executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms. Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future. The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business. Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance. The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme. Send your application letter and resume to: Advertising Sales Manager, Mandy Clark salescareers@starnewsgroup.com.au 12570945-JC40-22

$20,000. (Supplied)

Seagulls Dry Cleaners

Seagulls Dry Cleaners’ toxic free process is the most advanced alternative to traditional chemical dry cleaning, while still producing outstanding results. Environmentally friendly, with no toxic chemicals or harmful solutions, it is tough on stains and your garments look brighter, smell fresher and feel softer. This processwasdevelopedandperfectedinEurope over a ten year period.

As well as toxic free dry cleaning, Seagulls also offer a wash and fold service, ironing and do repairs and alterations. The business is your one-stop laundry shop and staff aim to make customers’ lives easier!

Seagulls Dry Cleaners cover the western suburbswithafreepick-upanddropoffservice. Just book online at www.seagullslaundromat. com.au. There are stores in Williamstown and Altona North (next to Bunnings), if customers refer to drop off their garments.

The Greenery Cafe/Siagon Green

Situated in the heart of Williamstown, The Greenery Café serves traditional as well as fusion international dishes.

Open for breakfast and lunch, the cafe has partnered with CISCO coffee. The friendly team will start your day positively.

Try the Greenery Cafe’s favourite dishes including:

• The Stack • Breakfast Burger • chilli omelete • corn fritters • avo bacon and eggs on sourdough • Vietnamese pancake • pho and BBH • grilled chicken salad.

Sister Restaurant, Siagon Green, serves a full range of top Vietnamese favourites including: • crispy ginger fish • salt ’n’ pepper calamari • special seasonal seafoods cooked in different ways • pepper beef • satay chicken.

Bailey Nelson Williamstown

Bailey Nelson is an Australian optical retailer. Its Williamstown store has been operating on Ferguson Street since August 2022.

BaileyNelson’s missionisto’bringthejoyto eyecare’ by keeping quality high and prices low so customers can turn their prescription into a celebration.

The business offers a range of frames, all of which are designed in-house in Sydney, and made from cotton acetate sourced from Italy. Staff offer services for contacts, prescription sunglasses, multifocals and standard reading and distance glasses too.

■ Go online to book or call 86570690 to make an appointment.

TreeHaus

TreeHaus is a Medical and Allied Holistic Health Clinic providing specialised therapies for mind, body and movement to children, adolescents, adults and families.

Focused Psychological Strategies are delivered at TreeHaus by the team of psychologistsandmentalhealthsocialworkers. In addition, the practice offers psychotherapy, family therapy and couples counselling.

TreeHaus offers formal psychological assessments, including ASD - consultations with our Paediatrician, Speech Pathologist and

Occupational Therapists.

With such a varied and multi-disciplinary team, TreeHaus offers an increased range of services across two sites in Williamstownadult and paediatric services, nutrition and group therapy in the Lucia Studio including Yoga and Pilates.

■ Please www.treehauswilliamstown.com.au or call 9397 4499.

Thirty 16 Williamstown

Thirty16 Williamstown is a young vibrant business set up with the desire to deliver the perfect gift. Whether you are treating yourself orsomeonespecial,thestorehsgiftsforher,for him, for the home or for the baby.

Staff are committed to offering high quality and beautiful products at affordable prices. A lot of care is taken in ensuring that stock is stylish and meets customers’ needs. Retaining and growing the range of customer favourites whilstalwayslookingtoaddexcitingnewideas and options. Stock is sourced from all across Australia as well as overseas.

The business is particularly proud of its connection to the community and the relationship with its customers. Continuously working at ensuring exceptional customer service and extending our circle of loyal and satisfied customers.

Staff warmly welcome you to the store and hope that you have a wonderful experience.

Williamstown Specialist Centre

Williamstown Specialist Centre is located in the lovely seaside suburb of Williamstown, which is approximately 10 kilometres south west of the Melbourne CBD. The centre is surrounded by free parking spaces both on the main and adjoining streets. All-day parking spots can sometimes be found on Lyon Street or Electra Streets.

Specialists include - Ear Nose and Throat, Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, General Paediatrician, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Respiratory Physician, Sleep Physician, Vascular Specialist and Endovascular Specialist, Urologist and Musculoskeletal Sports Podiatrist.

If you are considering renting one of the centre’sspaciousspaces,roomsareavailableon a sessional basis.

Taking Shape

Taking Shape is your destination for new season style with top to toe outfits, ready to take you from the office to the weekend, to exciting getaways and everything in between.

The outfit options are endless with so many layering pieces ready to be paired back with all the basics that form the building blocks of your wardrobe. From cosy coats to snug knits, new shoes, a range of accessories, fresh denim looksandsomuchmore.Whatevernewseason style you’re after, we’ll help you find it at Taking Shape.

Not sure what suits you? Book a free one-on-one personal styling experience and discover your style.

■ Taking Shape is at 4-18 Ferguson Street.

Williamstown beach is popular with locals and tourists alike.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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

Book sale

Friends of Altona Library hold a monthly book sale on the first Tuesday, Friday and Saturday of each month at the rear of Altona Library, 123 Queen Street, Altona, access via Coles carpark, from 10am to 1pm.

■ https://libraries.hobsonsbay.

Yarraville Mouth Organ Band.

Practice is held on Fridays at 8.10pm in the band hall at 203 Williamstown Road, Yarraville. The band plays a wide range of songs from waltzes to lively tangos or polkas. Beginners or experienced players are welcome.

■ Heather, 9399 2190, or ymob1933@yahoo.com.au

Altona Girl Guides

Altona Girl Guides currently have vacancies for girls aged 5-plus who would like to learn new skills, gain confidence,and expand their friendship circle while having fun.

■ hobsonsbay@guidesvic.org.au

Computers, crafts, conversation

Whatever your learning interests and needs, Outlets Newport Community Education Centre has hands-on, face-to-face classes for you or a friend. Contact the centre today to find something for you!

■ 9391 8504, or outlets@outletsco-op.com.au

Carers’ walk and talk

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. 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

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 the Friends’ Room – entrance from deck on Ferguson Street. Cash only sales.

■ libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

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.

■ Ian Watson, 0411 566 862 or www. hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/ Whats-On/Altona-Meadows-and-NewportHeart-Foundation-Walking-Groups

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

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

Art workshops

The Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre presents MonArt. Workshops for people of all abilities facilitated by community art specialist Amanda Neville, Mondays 10am-11.30am. Cost: $5 casual fee each week.

■ admin@ljac.com.au, or 9398 2511

West Footscray Rotary

The Rotary Club of West Footscray meets at the Medway Golf Club in Maidstone for lunch, fellowship and guest speakers each Wednesday, from 12.30pm until 2pm.

■ David, 0416 497 398

Cherry Lake Market

Set between Millers Road and the stunning Cherry Lake in Altona, this market has something for everyone. The market hosts more than 60 stalls selling plants, bric-a-brac, handcrafts, hot jam donuts, tools, clothing and much more. There is live music every month from the Cherry Lake Cultural Series, showcasing local musicians from across Hobsons Bay. From 9am- 1pm on the first Sunday of every month.

■ www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/

Whats-On/Altona Lions Club Cherry Lake Market or cherrylakemarket@gmail.com

Musicians welcome

Do you play trumpet, flute or lower brass instruments? The Hobsons Bay City Band is seeking musicians to join its community band. Rehearsals are held Mondays from 7.30pm at the Newport Lakes Primary School, Elizabeth Street, Newport.

■ Roger Lewis, hbcityband@gmail.com, or www.hbcb.org.au

Point Gellibrand Rotary Club

Rotary Club of Point Gellibrand meets at Customs House Hotel, 161 Nelson Place, Williamstown, on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 6pm for a 6.30pm dinner meeting. The club has some great speakers and needs new, energetic, enthusiastic members who want to make a difference in their community.

■ www.rotarypointgellibrand.com.au, Pam, 0418 347 691, or rotarypointgellibrand@gmail.com

Altona Day View Club

The Altona Day View Club meets on the third Wednesday each Month at 11am , at the Altona RSL 31 Sargood Street, Altona. Funds raised for Learning for Life program. New members welcome.

■ Marion, 9394 6557

Woodcarving workshop

The woodcarving workshop meets on Tuesdays at 9:30-noon at Hobsons Bay Men’s Shed, 280 Queens Street, Altona. All levels of ability in this ancient, international craft are welcome, women included, starter tools and timber available.

■ jah2802rot@gmail.com

Basic home maintenance course

Basic home maintenance meets at 7.15pm – 9.15pm at the Louis Joel Art & Community Centre, 5 Sargood Street, Altona for a four-week hands on basic home maintenance course. Book through: https://www.trybooking.com/CJIDP

■ info@imstilllearning.org or 0451 717 401

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Keilor Downs College students of Ongegu (front), Lilly, Sachi, Kayla, Brianna, Mikki and Ruby, who are staring in Chicago the Musical. (Damjan Janevski) 343357_01

PUZZLES

No. 140

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Ancient Mexican (5)

4 One of the two major US political parties (9)

9 Indigenous language (NZ) (5)

10 Citrus preserve (9)

11 Playground equipment (6)

12 Document for travel (8)

14 Dictatorial (10)

15 The solver (3)

17 Ovum (3)

19 City in South Carolina, US (10)

23 Fearless (8)

24 Indian deity (6)

26 Ancient Greek goddess (9)

27 River in Russia (5)

28 Trite (9)

29 Sierra – (5)

DOWN

1 Nearly (6)

2 US writer (1817-62), Henry David – (7)

3 US city known as ‘The Windy City’ (7)

4 Titled woman (4)

5 Related to money and trade (10)

6 Of the finest type or standard (7)

7 Body-structure science (7)

8 Scale of colour (8)

13 Imaginative quality (10)

16 Leave by will to another (8)

18 Vivid (7)

19 Simple humorous drawing (7)

20 Wither (7)

21 Shakespeare character (7)

22 Leave empty (6)

25 Fast-growing plant (4)

DECODER WORDFIT

1 14

2 15

3 16

4 17

5 18

6 19

7 20

8 21

9 22

10 23

11 24

12 25

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I S

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9-LETTER WORD

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T M F R A O 19 words: Good 29 words: Very good 39 words: Excellent BUTTE CADET DARES DRABS DRUMS EERIE ERASE ETHER EVOKE FILET FORTE FRONT IRATE MANIA MARIA MEDAL METED MINES MOWED NEEDS

anoint, anti, atom, faint, fiat, font, forint, format, fort, front, infant, INFORMANT, into, intra, iota, mart, martin, matron, mint, moat, mort, motif, nation, nota, omit, raft, rant, ratio, ration, rift, riot, rota, tarn, taro, torn, train, tram, trim, trio

Y 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

No. 140

P A S A I I L O L N M S Y P E A L S R A T I O I G L O O S L A N T M E S S Y

QUICK QUIZ

OCEAN OPENS OUTED PAPER PASTA PEAKS ROARS ROBES SEATS SEEDS SHAMS SMEAR SMOKE SPADE SPATE SPITS STAGE TESTS TIARA TOKEN

UNSET WEIGH 6 LETTERS CARNAL CAUSES ORIENT PAPYRI STAGES UTTERS 7 LETTERS BREWERY CONSORT GONDOLA

INHABIT ONESELF WORSENS 8 LETTERS OVATIONS PATRIOTS RETREATS RETURNED 10 LETTERS EASTERLIES PERMISSION

07-07-23 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

6 How many squares are there on a Scrabble board?

7 What is the only word in the English language that ends in ‘mt’?

2 Who was dubbed the 'Mother of the modern-day civil rights movement' by the US Congress?

3 What drink’s secret ingredient is code-named ‘7X’?

4 In 2004, Angelina Jolie (pictured) had an image of which animal tattooed onto her lower back?

5 Who played the nefarious J.R. Ewing in the television series Dallas?

8 Do cars travel on the left or right side of the road in Japan?

9 Diverticulitis is a disease that affects which part of the body?

10 What is the highest point in Portugal?

13 26 LY ANSWERS: 1. Daffy Duck 2. Rosa Parks 3. Coca Cola 4. A Bengal tiger 5. Larry Hagman 6. 225 7. Dreamt 8. Left 9. Large intestine 10. Mount Pico

No. 140

No. 140

No. 140

Grabacopyof your localnewspaper...

Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre Altona

Kooringal Golf Club Altona

Convenience Store Altona

City of Hobsons Bay Altona

Chemcare Wellness Pharmacy Altona

Altona West Newsagency Altona

Borgs Cakes Altona

Bendigo Bank Altona

Altona IGA plus Liquor Altona

Altona Newsagency Altona

Chemist Discount Centre Altona

Central Lotto Altona Meadows

Benetas St George's Altona Meadows

Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre

Altona Meadows

Westgate Health and Fitness Club Altona

North

Altona Fresh Altona North

The Circle Pharmacy Altona North

Borrack Square News & Lotto Altona North

Altona North Community Library Altona North

Altona Gate Shopping Centre Altona North

Altona North Community Centre Altona North

Gifts & Lotto Altona North

Jolly Miller Cafe & Patisserie Altona North

Woolworths - Miller Junction Altona North

Altona East Newsagency Altona North

Coles - Avondale Heights Avondale Heights

Central West Plaza Braybrook

Braybrook Hotel Braybrook

Braybrook Library Braybrook

Deer Park Newsagency Deer Park

French Baguette Cafe Footscray

Footscray Community Arts Centre Footscray

Pheonix Youth Centre Footscray

Jim Wong's Restaurant Footscray

Footscray Hospital Footscray

Caltex Petrol Station Footscray

Maribyrnong City Council Footscray

Tatts Lotto Footscray

Wards Newsagency Footscray

Footscray Mechanics Institute Library

Footscray

Health Works Footscray

Footscray Library Footscray

Paisley Clinic Pharmacy Footscray

Coles Footscray Footscray

IGA West Footscray Footscray West

Neighbourhood House Footscray West

Kingsville Newsagency Footscray West

BP Petrol Kingsville

Laverton Newsagency Laverton

Bendigo Bank Laverton

Laverton Community Hub Laverton

MJs Café Maidstone

Fix at Mick's Motors Petrol Station Maidstone

Maidstone Milk Bar Maidstone

Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre Maribyrnong

Maribyrnong Community Centre

Maribyrnong

Supanews Lotto Maribyrnong

Gloria Jeans Maribyrnong

Plush Think Sofas Maribyrnong

Forty Winks Maribyrnong

Focus On Furniture Maribyrnong

Adriatic Furniture Maribyrnong

Snooze Maribyrnong

Suave Furniture Maribyrnong

Spotlight Maribyrnong

Alex's Furniture Maribyrnong

Koala Living Maribyrnong

Bev Marks Maribyrnong

Bedshed Maribyrnong

James Lane Maribyrnong

Pet Barn Maribyrnong

Barbecues Galore Maribyrnong

Beds N Dreams Maribyrnong

Carpet Call Maribyrnong

Newport Newsagency Newport

The Substation Newport

Newport Library Newport

Seagulls Nest Club Newport

IGA Newport Plus Liquor Newport

Cellarbrations Newport

Newport Newsagency Newport

Newport General Store Newport

Seddon Newsagency Seddon

ALFA Café Seddon

The Happy Apple Supermarket Seddon

The Vin Wine & Spirits Seddon

South Kingsville Community Centre South

Kingsville

Westgate Golf Club Spotswood

Spotswood Newsagency Spotswood

Spotswood Kingsville RSL Spotswood

Scouns Pharmacy Spotswood

Milk Bar Tottenham

Tottenham Central LPO and Newsagency

Tottenham

Steam Packet Hotel Williamstown

Newsagency Riffle Range S/Centre

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Rifle Club Hotel Williamstown

Smooth Curves Williamstown

Coles Supermarket Williamstown

Williamstown News and Lotto Williamstown

Freechoice Williamstown Tobacco

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Get the News Williamstown

Hobsons Bay Visitors Centre Williamstown

Woolworths Yarraville Metro Yarraville

IGA Yarraville

Yarraville Newsagency Yarraville

Coracle Cafe Restaurant Yarraville

Pizza d'Asporto Yarraville

Yarraville Community Centre Yarraville

Coles Supermarket Yarraville

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SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which team has already qualified to play in the 2023 Super Netball Grand Final?

2. Which Australian cricketer made a century in the first Test innings of the 2023 Ashes series?

3. Edgbaston Cricket

4. Which 1992 film features baseball teams including the Rockford Peaches, Racine Belles and Kenosha Comets?

5. Which Australian cricketer made an unbeaten century in the first Test innings of the 2023 Women’s Ashes series?

11. Former Olympians Sally Pearson and James Magnussen are competing in the 20th Australian season of which show?

12. Which former wrestler stars in the Jumanji franchise?

13. How many laps is the Indy 500?

14. In which city is the cricket stadium Old Trafford located?

The Thrilla In Manila contest between which two heavyweight boxers? Gavin Wanganeen played for which two AFL teams?

selected by the Lakers in the 2023 NBA draft, before being traded to which team?

True or false: former AFL player Marcus Ashcroft’s son plays for the Brisbane

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HolyMarymotherofGod, Queenofheavenand earth,Ihumblybeseech youfromthebottomof myhearttosuccourmein mynecessity.Thereare nonethatcanwithstand yourpower.Oshowme hereyouarenowmother. OMaryconceivedwithout sinprayforuswhohave recoursetothee(3times). Thankyouforyourmercy towardsmeandmine.

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15. In which year did tennis return to the Summer Olympics?

16. Which English women’s cricketer recently became the first to hit a double-century in international cricket?

17. What is the highest possible score for one team in a single end of curling?

18. Which year was the first NRL State of Origin series?

19. Which VFL/AFL player kicked at least one goal in 114 consecutive games where he played?

20. Marny Kennedy and Alex Williams star in a TV show based on which late Australian cricketer?

21. French basketballer Victor Wembanyama was recently drafted by which NBA team?

22. Who did the West Coast Fever defeat in their recent Super Netball minor semifinal?

23. In what year did the famous Winter Olympic’s ‘Miracle on Ice’ occur?

24. Which famous Australian landmark was shut down recently for a 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup launch event?

25. In which year did Adam Simpson become coach of the West Coast Eagles?

26. Which Aussie cricketer scored 99 in the recent one-off Women’s Ashes Test?

27. Which Collingwood AFL player wears distinctive eyewear during matches?

28. How many premierships were Melbourne Storm stripped of due to the 2010 salary cap scandal?

29. Which upcoming tennis tournament will trial the use of AI commentators?

30. Which F1 team competed in only one season in 2009, and won both the constructors’ and drivers’ titles?

DEAR heart of Jesus, in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask you, this very special one (mentioned favour). Take it, the dear heart of Jesus, and place it with your own broken heart, where your father sees it. Then in his merciful eyes, it will become your favour,notmine.Amen.Say for three days, promise publication, and your favourwillbegranted.

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Giulia is designed to turn heads

By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring

Alfa Romeo Giulia is a stylish Italian sports sedan built on a rear-drive platform and designedtotacklethemarketsegmentcurrently dominated by the premium European brands.

Although the name Giulia (pronounced Julia)wasaroundinthe1960sandearly1970sit didn’tre-emergeuntil2015when,tothedelight of Alfistis everywhere, the company broke away from using the bland numeric names 156 and 159 and returned to such a distinctively Italian one.

There are five models in the Giulia range: Ti, Veloce, Quadrifoglio, GTA and GTAm.

There’s a huge difference in price, starting fromaround$70,000fortheTiandVeloce,then doubling once to the $143,000 Quadrifoglio anddoublingagaintothetrack-readyGTAand GTAm.

Our test car was the Quadrifoglio, which is Italian for four-leaf clover and has been the symbol for Alfa racing cars for close to 100 years. In modern times Quadrifoglio, often abbreviated to QV, indicates high-performance road cars.

Styling

Giulia Quadrifoglio is a real stunner. It’s very svelte and Italian in its shape and drew plenty of attention wherever we went due in no small partbytherichMontrealGreenversionthatwe tested.

Indeed, one Irish colleague was so smitten by the combination of the colour and the shamrock/clover badges (there is a difference apparently) on the sides that only my mention of the price tag stopped him from rushing off to buy one.

The exterior is highlighted by the traditional triangular shield grille flanked by two lower-mountedgrillesintheapron.Thebonnet has two cooling outlets for the engine bay

There’s a carbon-fibre splitter and large air intakes for the intercoolers as well as the brakes. The side skirts also feature carbon-fibre inserts and there are gill-style outlets either side at the front to allow air to escape from the wheel housings.

The “angry-eyes” headlights, narrow on the inside and swept-back over the front fenders, add to its striking appearance.

Unlike some of its competitors, there is no wagon variant for the Giulia although the recently-released Stelvio SUV Quadrifoglio is there if a more functional interior is needed.

Interior

Giuliaisbuiltclosetothegroundmakingentry and exit difficult for less supple occupants. Consequently, the driving position is lower than we normally like but Giulia is a sports sedan so that’s to be expected.

The dashboard tilts slightly towards the driver.

Our test QV came with optional black leather with Alcantara inserts and green/ white stitching. The front seats have tall rigid bolsters which will challenge ample-buttocked occupants but do provide excellent support.

Cabin storage is adequate, with dual cup holdersandasizeablesmartphone-sizedalcove at the base of the dashboard and an adjacent USB socket. There are two more USB ports in a smallcentreconsolestorageboxwithawireless phone charging pad next to them.

There’s also a useful small slot in the centre console to fit the keyfob.

The rear does have three seatbelts but the centre seat is not only narrow but it sits on top of a very high transmission tunnel that makes seating, even for children, all but impossible. Perhaps a child seat might just be squeezed in but not much else. Otherwise the fold down armrest, with twin cupholders, will be in place all the time.

On the plus-side the two useable rear seats are large and supportive as well as heated. As with the front seats they are finished in leather and Alcantara. Head and legroom are reasonable and there are twin air vents and a pair of USB ports.

Boot size is a decent 480 litres although access through the narrow opening can be a squeeze. The latest upgrade added a powered tailgate.

Engines / transmissions

Both the Ti and Veloce are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with outputs of 206 kW and 400 Nm at 2250 rpm.

The 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 in the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) is something special with its Ferrari-inspired 500 horsepower (375 kW) twin-turbocharged engine. That peak power comes in at 6500 rpm with the redline set at 7000 revs. There’s an impressive 600 Nm all the way from 2500 to 5500 rpm.

All engines are mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox with large aluminium manual gearshift paddles.

Safety

Although the Quadrifoglio hasn’t been tested by ANCAP the lower spec Veloce achieved a five-star rating including an adult occupation protection rating of 98 per cent.

Standard safety features in the Giulia QV include six airbags, active cruise control, rear cross traffic alert, intelligent speed control, driverinattentionalert,trafficsignrecognition, automatic high beam system, lane departure warning and lane keep assist and, forward collision warning.

There’s also active blind spot assist, autonomous emergency braking, tyre pressure monitoring, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and rear-view mirror auto-dimming, and Isofix child seat anchors in the outer rear seats.

Infotainment

Displayisthroughasmall8.8-inchtouchscreen embedded in the top centre of the dashboard that can, and should be, operated by a new rotary dial on the centre console.

Traditionalists will be happy with the two large analogue instrument dials for the driver with a digital speedometer in between.

As is the norm nowadays there’s a lot of learning needed to operate what is quite a complex infotainment system including a triplesplitscreen.Asalways,giventhatweonly have most vehicles for a week, we try to avoid being too critical of features that owners will

quickly adapt to.

There’s built-in satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay but wired Android Auto as well as an impressive 14-speaker Harman/Kardon system called Sound Theatre.

Driving

As good as the Giulia Quadrifoglio looks it’s also a brilliant car to drive. It’s a true sports model, with an all-new rear-wheel drive

architecturegivingit50:50weightdistribution. It’s the first Alfa sedan to be driven by its rear wheels since the early 1990s. Weight is kept down through the use of lightweight steel and composite materials such as carbon fibre.

Like an increasing number of new vehicles Giulia comes with a start/stop button, many of which are annoyingly tucked away out of sight behind the steering wheel. Determined to be different, the Alfa designers have cleverly positioned the button at the bottom of the steering wheel itself. At least it’s at the bottom oncethedrivergetsintothehabitofparking,as weallshould,withthewheelspointingstraight ahead.

Once pressed the fun starts with the 2.9-litre twin-turbo engine sending out a lovely V6 burble through the four tailpipes.

Around town the Giulia QV is a little awkward with ground clearance of just 100mm needing a fair bit of caution and angled approach around driveways and the like.

The Alfa DNA Driving Mode Selector offers four main drive modes: Advanced Efficiency (for poor traction conditions), Normal, Dynamic and Race. Each of these changes the settings for the dampers, torque limiter, steering, gear shifts, all-wheel drive system, exhaust valve, throttle sensitivity and torque vectoring.

Most drivers, as we did, will spend most of thetimeinDynamicratherthanNormalmode as it provided everything we required.

Extra-large piece aluminium paddle shifters are fixed to the steering column encouraging their use – just for the fun of it.

Fuel consumption is listed at 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres kept down by the combination of auto engine stop-start and cylinder deactivation which shutting down three of the six cylinders when not required. We averaged a touch over 10 L/100km during our test, still pretty good for such a sporty car.

Summing up

Alfa Romeo Giulia QV is a car with the character that you expect from Italy in that combines stunning looks with outstanding performance.

Anyone who is in the market for a mid-sized sports sedan should forget all their pre-conceptions about Alfa and at least take it for a test drive before rushing in and buying one of its mostly German competitors.

The beautiful lines together with the stunning green body is a real head-turner. (Pictures: Supplied)

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 2.9-litre four-door sports sedan Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Alfa Romeo dealer for drive-away prices.

Gators find their shooting range and start to fire

In a dangerous sign for opposition sides, the AltonaGatorshavefoundtheirshootingrange in the Big V men’s division 2 competition. The Gators have lost just two games for the season, but it has only been the last month that the shots have started to fall.

Coach Josh Turton said they had been happy with how they have played throughout the season, but knew they had more to come.

“I’m a big believer that everything happens forareason,”hesaid.“Wedidn’tshoottheball well for a couple of months.

“Everyone was sluggish and thinking we should have been winning by more. I was still really happy, we were playing the right way and still finding ways to win.

“In June, they started dropping and it was a domino effect. I’m really happy with where we are at.”

The Gators had the bye at the weekend. Their last match before that, they inflicted the Whittlesea Pacers first loss of the season, winning by one point.

Turtonmissedthematchashewasoverseas, but made sure that he was keeping up to date

with what was happening.

“I was in Hawaii in an Australian sports bar,” he said. “I was on my phone watching the stats, it felt like I was still there.

“They did a really good job, I’m over the moon.”

Turton said they used the bye weekend to get together as a group and help the side gel. He said it was about getting together and having some fun.

“The group is really good,” he said. “We had a couple of guys leave, mutually parted ways.

“It wasn’t right for our system and group and it has given us some more freedom.”

Turton said they would look to return to the court this week and get back into finals mode.

He said the biggest focus for them was making sure that they finish in the top two come the season end.

“We’ll finish where we are meant to be,” he said. “I’m not too concerned about first.

“You get the week off and I’m a big hater of that. I want to play the first game and if

you’re going to lose your second chance, you can work out the issues earlier.

“Second spot it best for us, we don’t want to travel to Mildura in that first week.”

The Gators this week face the Surf Coast, one of only two teams to beat them this year. He said the chance to face them again had come at a perfect time.

“We want to conquer our demons,” he said. Meanwhile, the Gators women’s side celebrated Pink Round, defeating Melbourne University, 88-56. The Gators sit sixth on the ladder.

Tara Murray

Seagulls finals bound

By Tara Murray

NothingchangesforWilliamstownasitenters its first Victorian Football League Women’s finals series.

Having built across the season, the Seagulls season was on the line against Geelong in the final round of the season.

A win meant the side would play finals for the first time, a loss meant they were relying on other results and ultimately would have resulted in them missing out.

Coach Liam Cavanagh couldn’t be happier with what the group has done this season. He said they had exceeded expectations in making finals.

“It is good, a bit of relief,” he said. “We’ve pretty much played five, six elimination finals and it’s nice to know have to worry about it any more.

“In the pre-season we talked a lot about outcomes and being a team. Premiership standards and talking about what we wanted to achieve.

“Since round one we haven’t spoken about outcomes,it’sbeenabouttheprocessesandit’s set a foundation of belief in the group.

“We’re pragmatic that you’re not going to get every result, but the first step was putting success as something that is achievable.”

On Saturday, Williamstown faced Geelong in the first game of the round. A win for the Cats would have meant they played finals instead.

Cavanagh said it was nice to get the match out of the way early and have their fate in their own hands.

The Seagulls started the game the better of the two sides and led at the first two breaks. They set up the win in the third quarter, leading by 27 points at the last break.

The Cats came home hard, but the Seagulls were able to steady with two final quarter goals to seal the 8.3 (51)-5.7 (37) win.

Cavanagh said while it wasn’t their best performance, they were able to find what they needed to late to get the win.

“We did a lot of work early to control the tempo of the game,” he said.

“The first half we didn’t play our best football, we were a bit nervous. The third quarter was fantastic and we were able to put Geelong away.

“They threw everything at us in the last

quarter, we got a couple of goals to steady. They didn’t die wondering. We take a few lessons out of there.”

Cavanagh said Sarah Cameron was their best player, kicking three goals in the win.

The goals were enough to seal the leading goal kicker award.

“She was fantastic and it’s good to see her get the reward,” Cavanagh said. “To stand up and kick three goals for us split across the day and in really clutch moments.”

He said Jasmine Kawa and Emily Eaves also stood out in the midfield, while acting captain Eliza Stafford was good in her return to the side.

The Seagulls will face Carlton in the first weekoffinals.TheSeagullshavehadtwogood wins against them so far this season.

For Cavanagh nothing changes this week.

“We will go into this week not expecting anything to be different,” he said.

“For us we want to keep it as normal as possible. It’s another game and there’s the same amount of pressure on the result

“Carlton are a really strong opposition and we won’t come in expecting an easy game.”

Sports shorts

NPL

Altona Magic had a night out against Dandenong Thunder in the National Premier League on Saturday night. The Magic scored twice late in the first half through Jonas Markovski to set the match up, before Markovski, the league’s leading scorer, scored his and his side’s third in the dying minutes of the game to seal a 3-0 win. The Magic remain in seventh spot, a point outside the top six. The Magic this week face Heidelberg United.

VAFA

Williamstown CYMS pushed ladder leaders St Bernards all the way in the Victorian Amatuer Football Association premier B competition on Saturday. Coming into the match on the back of some good form, the CYs were in touching distance throughout before losing 13.17 (95)-13.4 (82). Tane Roordink kicked three goals for the CYs, while Damon Tucker was named their best. The CYs sit in eighth spot.

WRFL

Yarraville Seddon Eagles proved no match for Caroline Springs in the Western Region Football League division 1 competition on Saturday. Facing each other for the second time in as many weeks, the result ended the same. The Lakers coming away with the win, 3.7 (25)-0.2 (2). Chloe Lazzaro was named the Eagles best. The Eagles sit in fifth after nine rounds.

WRFL

Altona easily accounted for Hoppers Crossing in the Western Region Football League division 1 on Saturday. After trailing at quarter time, the Vikings managed to build a lead through the rest of the game on the way to a, 17.9 (111)-8.11 (59) win. Joel Menadue kicked five goals for the Vikings. The Vikings remain in third spot. Spotswood, Point Cook and Werribee Districts were the other winners.

FOR

Hobsons Bay Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Samson Rocker (Basketball Victoria)

Sarah Cameron sealed the league’s goal kicking award. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 344640_14

Phoenix pulls off crucial win in Altona battle

Altona East Phoenix came away with the points in the Altona derby in the FV state league 2 north-west.

Facing Altona North, the match was crucial for the Phoenix which is aiming for a top two spot and promotion.

Scoreswerelockedat0-0athalftime,before Sam O’Halleron put the Phoenix in front in the 70th minute.

The goal would ultimately be the winner, with the Phoenix winning 1-0.

The Phoenix sit in third spot goal difference behind second placed Western Suburbs.

Altona North sits in 10th spot, just one point clear of the relegation zone.

The Phoenix this week face Lalor United on Friday night, while Altona North is on the road to the Geelong Rangers.

In state league 1 north-west, ladder leaders Altona City had a 2-2 draw with Whittlesea Ranges. The Ranges scored in the opening minute before City hit back with two quick goals to take the lead.

The Ranges levelled scores in the second

half, with neither team able to find a winner.

City sits three points clear at the top of the table, but has played one less match than second placed Sydenham Park.

YarravilleGloryhada2-0losstoStrathmore which scored twice in the first half.

Yarraville sits in ninth spot, three points

clear of the relegation zone.

Altona City and Yarraville Glory face each other this week.

In state league 3 north-west, Williamstown had a day out against Moreland United, winning 10-0.

Williamstown led 3-0 at half time before

Chloe misses World Cup

By Tara Murray

Western United star Chloe Logarzo’s World Cup dream is all but over after missing out on being named in the Matildas squad.

A 23-player squad was announced on Monday for the cup which is being hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Logarzo had been hoping to make the side after an injury riddled couple of years, which included an ACL injury and then a foot injury this season while playing for United. Logaro’s last game was back in January.

The injuries and lack of play proved too much with Logarzo missing out on being named having been named in the initial 29 player squad.

Logarzo has played 49 games for Australia having made her debut in 2013, scoring eight goals.

CoachTonyGustavssonsaidthattheplayers from the initial squad that missed out were naturally disappointed not to be selected.

He said he wished there were more spots to select other players in the squad.

“[I want to give] acknowledgement to the

ones not selected,” he said. “They are still with us and still preparing, in the background in case something happens.

“They are always a part of the Matildas family.”

Gustavsson said that those not selected had to stay ready with the possibility of changes being made to the squad up to 24 hours before the first game.

He said the team is looking forward to sharing the world cup experience with the nation.

“Today is the end of a two-and-a-half-year process and the wonderful start of a thrilling new journey for the team,” Gustavsson said.

“Selecting this World Cup squad has been the toughest challenge so far, but the whole coaching and support staff are all completely overjoyedforthe23playerswhowillrepresent the nation during this tournament.”

“These 23 players not only exemplify what it means to be a part of the tradition of the CommBank Matildas, but also what it means to represent the 25 million Australians we know are fully behind us.

“They have the heart, desire and the passion

for the crest, and I can’t wait to see the next part of their story.”

Gustavsson said the group of players would represent every player that has pulled on the Matildas jersey.

“I’ve said from day one it takes 23 players, it takes much more than that,” he said. “The 224 Matildas who have represented this journey and wore this jersey, they are all part of that.

“When we step out on the field in that opening game against Ireland, the 23 players on the game roster, is represented by 224 players, every single tackle every goal celebration, very potential adversary that we face out there, team of 224 players.”

The Australian team for the World Cup is, Mackenzie Arnold, Teagan Micah, Lydia Williams, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Charlotte Grant, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Aivi Luik, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne, Alex Chidiac, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Emily van Egmond, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Sam Kerr (C), Hayley Raso, Kyah Simon and Cortnee Vine.

piling on the goals in the second half.

Branden Petrevski and Ethan Babic scored four goals each for Williamstown.

Williamstown sits fourth on the ladder, seven points off top and seven points clear of the relegation zone.

In state league 4 west, Laverton remains on top after a 4-0 win against Truganina.

Laverton scored once in the first half before a goal right after the restart. Two more goals iced the result.

Laverton sits six points clear of Moonee Valley.

Melbourne City had a 4-3 loss to Keilor WolvesonFridaynight,whileBarnstoneworth United lost to Bell Park 3-1.

Melbourne City sits in fifth spot, while Barnstoneworth United in ninth spot.

In state league 5 west, Balmoral had a 5-1 win against Wyndham on Friday night, to maintain its spot at the top of the table.

Balmoral sits five points clear at the top of the table.

Tara Murray

Diversity game

Talented young footballers from Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds featured in a Victorian DiversityAll-StarsgameonWednesday.

The Victorian Diversity All-Stars matches involved boys and girls footballers from Indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds who either feature on Coates Talent League lists or have been involved in talent pathways programs.

Players are considered to be from a multicultural background if they have a parent born outside of Australia.

The games showcased Vic Metro against Vic Country in a double header, with the girls starting the action before the boys afterwards.

Werribee Centrals’ Giselle Lambley, Maribyrnong Park’s Jade Cilla and Caroline Springs Mira Diab represented the Western Jets in the girls match.

Sam Esokni (Altona) Alex Tsia (Hillside), Noah Eldebs (Keilor), Edwin Nyembo (Werribee Centrals), Isaac Abbay (Hillside) were the boys Jets representatives.

Calder Cannons’ Lara Churchill, Jasmina Curtis, Alannah David, Michaela Chalboub were part of the girls squad, while Shane Clough, Adam Sweid,HussienElAchkar,TristanLeeds and Divjot Singh were part of the boys Vic metro squad.

Northern Knights’ Emma Pyle, Chloe Kodagoda, Tahlia Pyle, Stephanie Rozario, Teresia Koliavu, Isobella and Avaa Hishongwa-Gibb, Seth Hudson-Joseph, Daen Brown, Degfie Romari, Milun Fernando were part of the metro squads.

Victorian talent manager – country, Lee Fraser said the Victorian Diversity All-Stars matches have been introduced to provide another opportunity for emerging young footballers from diverse backgrounds to put their talent on display.

“The program not only provides a platform for players to showcase their skill and test themselves against talented peers, but to also support the development of participants as footballers and people,” he said.

“Players can take the learnings from the Diversity All-Stars match and put them into practice at their respective Coates Talent League programs and community clubs.”

Juan Portillo (Ljubica Vrankovic) 344655_18

Chloe Logazo (Supplied)

City West Falcons building nicely

The City West Falcons built nicely to come away with another win in the Victorian Netball League championship division.

Having played on Sunday, the Falcons had a shortturnaroundtoWednesdaynight’smatch against the North East Blaze.

The short break didn’t do anything to hold the Falcons momentum, winning 71-54.

Falcons coach Marg Lind walked away pretty happy with the win against the fourth placed Blaze, which has a couple of teams in hot pursuit.

“We built across the course of the game,” she said.” We had a few errors here and there and gave them the opportunity to stay in the game longer.

“It as a pretty good performance over all.”

Lind said the short break meant they didn’t have the opportunity to work on anything that they wanted to in between games.”

The Falcons looked to use their options again with all 10 players getting on court.

Jane Cook was again the star in goals

with 47 goals.

The match up of the night was the battle between sisters, Sienna and Nyah Allen.

Lind said they weren’t anticipating that match up.

“I think Sienna would have got on top, it was a really good game by her,” she said.

“We didn’t expect that we thought they would go with their other goaling option or Nyah in goal attack, we were a bit worried and didn’t think it was ideal.

“It was played in such good spirit and Sienna was awesome and had the upper hand as the older sister.”

Lind said the pleasing thing it was another strong cross court performance from the group, which has had just one loss for the season.

She said they again tried to get plenty of court time into Soli Ropati in her return from injury as they make sure she is qualified for finals.

“Soli fits like a glove,” she said. “The

defensive end really consolidated while the offensive end is high scoring and are working really hard on the centre pass and overall linking up really nicely.”

Lind said now with a full week between gamestheywouldlooktoworkonmorethings to have more tricks up their bags for finals.

She said they would also be working hard to make sure Ropati and Kim Borger in championship division and Olivia Cameron, in division 1, got qualified for finals.

The Falcons division 1 team suffered a two goal loss to the Blaze after a poor shooting performance, which will harm the side’s chance of a top two spot.

The under-19s won by the same margin and are now in the box seat for a top two spot.

The Falcons this week face Melbourne University, with the club’s championships side coming off four straight wins.

Lind said it would be a challenging game.

Bulldogs name leaders

Ellie Blackburn will again lead the Western Bulldogs in the AFLW, named captain for the fifth season.

The three-time All Australian and four-time club champion was first appointed skipper in 2020, after serving as co-captain in 2019 and stand-in skipper for the team’s 2018 flag.

Blackburn will be supported by elevated joint vice-captains Kirsty Lamb and Bailey Hunt, who have both been part of the leadership group for the past five and three seasons respectively, and newly-inducted members Deanna Berry and Gabby Newton.

“To have not only a player, but a person like Ellie, continue as captain for a fifth season shows just how much the program values and respects her,” coach Nathan Burke said.

“Sheepitomisesthevaluesofourclub, drives our standards and always puts the team first whether that’s on or off the field.

Roosters enjoy big win

By Tara Murray

West Footscray did its finals hopes no harm with a solid win against Tarneit in the Western Region Football League division 3 on Saturday.

Sitting fourth and fifth entering the game, the win gives the Roosters a two game gap on the Titans as they enter the back part of the season.

The Roosters managed to open up a lead in the first quarter and that would be the difference throughout the day.

TheRoostersgotthewin,14.4(88)-6.12(48).

Rooster coach Troy Beamond walked away from the game reasonably happy.

“It was great to win, it was one that we needed,”hesaid.“Wearenowtwogamesclear in fourth spot.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game of footy, but we did what we needed to.”

Beamondsaidthelast10minutesofthefirst quarter when they kicked five goals set up the win was the difference in the game.

He said the lead became crucial later on in the game.

“We had a couple of injuries on the day,” he said. “We pretty much spent the second half two down on the bench.

“We were 26 or 28 points up at quarter time and we sat on that all day.”

Matthew Turcinovich kicked three goals for the Roosters.

Nicholas Howard and Henry Lovell were named their best.

Lovell was one of two under-18s who played in the match. It was his first game for the season.

The other was Jack Gerardi, a bottom age under-18 player, who kicked two goals before hurting his shoulder in his senior debut.

Beamond said while they were happy to be sitting in the top four and in the finals conversation, they knew that they still had plenty of work ahead of them.

“We are still learning how to play with each other,” he said.

“We’ve had 21 senior debutants at the club thisseason,whichisamassivenumber.You’ve got new guys and a new coach and we’re still figuring out how we want to play.

“We’re nine games in at the moment and have been hit hard by injuries. Finals are still the main aim, but we want to consistently get the best team we can on the park.”

The Roosters now face the biggest test this week, playing the ladder leading Suns.

The Suns have lost just one game for the season.

Beamond said they were disappointed the first time the two teams met and were keen to take it up to the big boys as they face second placed Albanvale the following week.

In other results, the Suns beat Albanvale and Sunshine Heights beat North Sunshine.

In division 2, Newport beat Braybrook, 18.15 (123)-5.8 (38).

Parkside remains undefeated after beating Wyndhamvale, 11.11 (77)-8.11 (59) and North Footscray lost to Albion 13.15 (93)-9.10 (64).

“It’s also really pleasing to see Lamby andBaileyformallyrecognisedasco-vice captains - the way they have gone about their AFLW careers to date sets a great example for our playing group.

“De and Gabby have grown with confidence as leaders over the past few seasons, so being able to formally induct them into the group is great reward for them both too.”

The Bulldogs have also introduced an inaugural emerging leaders group comprising of Jess Fitzgerald, Issy Grant and Issy Pritchard, to acknowledge and foster the team’s young and developing leaders.

Burke said they had decided to implement an emerging leaders group based on how close the voting was this season, and also to help these young leaders develop their qualities and skills even further.

“We’re in a pretty fortunate position, where we have so many players with great leadership abilities,” he said.

“Having a formal leadership title can be seen as an added responsibility for these eight players, but I have no doubts they will all flourish. The group is a great mix of experience and knowledge, which we believe will bring the best out of our team this season.”

James Blackwell (Ljubica Vrankovic) 344654_01

Tara Murray Sienna Allen gets the rebound. (Robbab Photography)

Peace Newport RSL