Mural brightens up neighbourhood
Birds are no myna issue
By Oscar Parry
A Hume councillor is waging war on the Common Myna bird in an effort to erdicate the “pests”.
Councillor Jack Medcraft said addressing the Common Myna bird and its impacts has been a goal of his for about 20 years.
“When I see these damn birds … they’ve got the yellow beaks and those spooky eyes,” Cr Medcraft said. “These birds are absolute terrors in the air.”
He said the species’ behaviour posed a threat to native birds.
“What they do is that they’ll invade a nest and they will either kick the eggs out and take over or they’ll attack the young and kill them
and then use it for their own,” he said.
“They sit on your fence and they watch you – and if anything happens to one of their mates, they really do get defensive, they’ll attack anything. So, I really want to get these declared as a pest.”
During a recent Hume council meeting, CrMedcrafturgedhiscolleaguestosupporthis push for a statewide approach in eradicating Common Myna birds and the development a Common Myna community action group.
He asked council to write to Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos to advocate for statewide management of the species.
Cr Medcraft admitted he has also taken mattersintohisownhandsonsomeoccasions.
“I … took it upon myself to grab some traps,
and I went out and caught these birds and –see you later alligator – you were gone,” Cr Medcraft said.
Cr Jarrod Bell said he supported the motion and Cr Medcraft’s “war on the mynas” has been going on for as long as he could remember.
“Ithasbeenalifelonggoalofminetosecond aCrMedcraft…CommonMynabirdmotion, and I’m glad that tonight I get to tick this off my bingo card,” Cr Bell said.
Cr Jodi Jackson said while on a personal level she did not object to the idea of a statewide approach to managing the species, she noted the Common Myna is not listed as a noxious species under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.
Cr Jackson also raised concerns about the cost to ratepayers and how the community action group would operate, saying she would prefer to invest in increasing the council’s biodiversity programs.
Similar views are expressed in a website article by the RSPCA, where the organisation said it encourages increasing the quality of gardens to promote bird diversity and believes that trapping and killing Common Myna birds should only be carried out as part of a government-supervised program with clear guidelines on humane procedures.
When put to a vote, all councillors present were in favour of the motion except Cr Trevor Dance and Cr Jackson.
An underwater seascape has been painted on the side of Lalor Neighbourhood House, helping to brighten up the area. Artist Bushra Hasan paint the mural, which is one of a number of new murals created by Hasan and fellow artists Amanda Rodgers, Ildiko Kormanos, Alex Kerr and Halime Alpogut. The murals were created as part of a neighbourhood house rejuvenation project, which also included the establishment of community gardens and a pergola.
(Damjan Janevski)
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Hume set to mark Australia Day
Hume council has bucked a growing trend of councils cancelling Australia Day, opting instead to host an Australia Day party in the park on January 26.
Councils across Melbourne, including neighbouring Whittlesea and Brimbank councils, have stepped away from hosting celebrations on Australia Day in recent years. But at a council meeting late last month, Hume councillors voted to mark the day with an event in Sunbury and a citizenship ceremony.
Councillor Trevor Dance was behind the push for an Australia Day event in the municipality.
The council held an Australia Day awards event until 2022.
“AustraliaDayhadbeenslowlydisappearing from Hume council’s acknowledgement of the day,” Cr Dance said.
“It brings the community together and we need to be proud of our national day and not bury it away.
“It is not an illegal day, we celebrate
Easter, the AFL grand final, King’s birthday, Christmas and even car park openings are celebrated, so why not celebrate our nation’s most important day, Australia day?”
Cr Chris Hollow said Australia Day was about uniting the community.
“We need to recognise that this city is a multicultural city. whilst we also understand the pain and the hurt that is felt by our Indigenous community, we also need to understand there are other groups and people out there who will respect Australia Day for
Reception an issue in Donnybrook
Mobile phone reception issues are plaguing residents living in the Peppercorn, Olivine and Katalia estates in Donnybrook.
Olivine community group secretary Helen Franks said the issue has been going on for far too long.
“This has been an issue since the estate was opened, that would be seven years,” she said.
“Most people in the estate experience poor or no reception, they have to be in a certain spot in their house or down the street to get reception.
“The internet can be fickle as well, at
night when there are a lot of people using it, streaming is affected, even free-to-air TV is affected.”
Ms Franks and the community group have been receiving stories from concerned residents which shows just how large the impact is on the community.
“I called emergency services for an ambulance for a gentleman who had come off his motorbike in Katalia estate. The operator couldn’t hear me and the call continuously dropped out,” one resident said.
“I had my neighbour knock on my door all
distressed because her toddler son shut the garage door and it locked and she had her baby inside and could not get phone reception to call her husband and then to call triple-0 for the fire brigade,” another resident said. Optus, Telstra and Vodafone all said they were planning for new mobile sites in the area to boost reception.
An Optus spokesperson added that the increase in new estates in the area and a surge in population meant the current tower in Kalkallo has reached its capacity. Max Westwood
what it is,” he said.
“I don’t want to go down the path of what date Australia Day should be, however, while it remains January 26, let’s come together and unite as a community and enjoy cultures irrespective of our ancestral history.” “Australia Day should be about uniting and not dividing.”
A report to council said the party in the park would be held in Sunbury and could comprise of music performances, face painting and a sausage sizzle.
Intersection nears completion
A key Greenvale intersection that was shut for upgrade works remains closed three years on.
Fleetwood Drive was closed at Somerton Road to enable the construction of a new intersection in mid-2021.
The drawn-out closure has frustrated residents and prompted Hume councillor Joseph Haweil to raise the issue at a recent council meeting.
“Each passing day without the intersection open and operational means greater frustration, wasted time and enhanced congestion elsewhere in Greenvale for residents,“ Cr Haweil said.
According to Cr Haweil, the works arealmostcomplete,withelectrification works by the final component.
He urged council to write to the Department of Transport and Planning and Jemena seeking advice on the anticipated completion and reopening of the intersection.
Cr Chris Hollow said he was told the upgrade was meant to take 40 weeks.
He called for representatives from the department and Jemena to attend a Greenvale Residents Association meeting to explain the ongoing issues.
Cr Sam Misho said he found it extremely disappointing that there needs to be a lot of expression of frustration before anything gets done.
“I just find it outstanding that a particular government body gets it wrong. Through all their resources, to actually get a budget blown out by $10million,” he said.
“People actually don’t have trust in the system anymore.”
The Department of Transport and Planning and Jemena said the project was being manned by a third party contractor.
The third party, Millar Milligan, was contacted for comment.
Safety upgrade mooted for roads in Broadmeadows north
Roundabouts, raised safety platform and pedestrian crossings will be installed in streets across Broadmeadows north as part of a new Hume council traffic management plan for the area.
Council will spend more than $2 million on 11 road safety projects in Broadmeadows north in an effort to address traffic, parking, pedestrian measures, cycling and accessibility concerns in the area.
The works will include the installation of a raised safety platform at the Meadowlink path,
upgrades to three set of road cushion humps along Railway Crescent, roundabout upgrades onBlairStreetatCuthbuertStreetandWanaga Crescent,, the installation of a roundabout at Rigall Street, a raised priority pedestrian crossing at Broadmeadows train station and the creation of a 40km/h zone along Railway Crescent between Camp Road and Kitchener Streets.
Council will also install speed humps in Stanhope Street – a project that was championed by councillor Chris Hollow.
“I have personally lived in this street and I have been to this street many times as of late and have witnessed speeding drivers whilst standing there in the residence,” he said.
“Last time I was there a car crash had just taken place where the alleged vehicle took out three parked cars and finished up in the front lawn of a house, narrowly missing the house wall.”
A report to council said the traffic managementplanwascreatedafterconsidering community feedback on the issues in the area.
The report said a brochure seeking details of traffic issues experienced by residents in the area was distributed to residential properties, schools, businesses and community facilities in July 2023, with feedback used to create the traffic management plan.
Cr Hollow said Broadmeadows north residents can look forward to their roads becoming safer.
“It’sextremelyimportantthatwecontinueto listen to our residents as they live and breath the issues day in and day out,” he said.
Helen Franks, and couple Lisa and Darcy Doherty of Olivine community group. (Damjan Janevski) 419468_01
Donations needed for children
By Tara Murray
A local charity group is putting out a call for donated items having seen an 11 per cent increase in people needing help.
BigGroupHug,whichhasthreewarehouses including in Tarneit and Thomastown, helped 6705 families in the past 12 months.
On average they help more than 550 children a month.
Fundraising and communications manager Maria Quigley said the main reason they were seeing people as they were going through financial hardship.
She said underemployment and
unemployment, family violence, refugees and single parents were the other main groups of people they see.
“Two-thirds of people only need help once,” she said. “Their car might have blown up or they have an unexpected financial trigger which means they need help.
“They are then diverting funds off essentials.”
Ms Quigley said toiletries for both babies, children and adults were things they were constantly seeking donations of.
“Shampoo, conditioner and roll on deodorant are the real main things for adults,” she said.
“We need sanitary items, especially tampons.
“For children, it’s things like baby wash three in one, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
“Nappy cream is a big one, we never have enough of that. We’re often preparing nappy bags with no cream in them.
“We’re hearing anecdotal evidence of parents trying to ration nappy cream which can cause more health issues.”
Ms Quigley said other things they were looking for were items for babies such as prams and capsules.
She said bedding was another big one.
Funds for Kolbe Catholic College
Students and staff from Kolbe Catholic College have reason to celebrate, with the school receiving $6 million from the state government to expand its facilities.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister
Ben Carroll and Greenvale MP Iwan Walters announced the grant at the school’s Greenvale campus on July 24.
The funding, along with a co-contribution of more than $25 million from the school, will enable Kolbe Catholic College to complete stage two of the
Mickleham campus and introduce a year seven to 12 school to help meet growing enrolment demands.
The new facilities will be in The Woods estate and will open its doors for year seven students in 2026 and expand to year 12 in subsequent years until 2031.
Stage two of the Mickleham campus will consist of the construction of 16 classrooms, a performing arts centre, five classrooms that include music, drama, and multi-purpose rooms, four relocatable modular classrooms,
Police raid Wildwood property
A police homicide raid on a rural property has landed a man in court on weapons, drug and theft charges, but nothing linking him to the missing man at the heart of the search.
Joshua Gangelhoff was arrested on July 23 after investigators combed a rural property in Wildwood, discovering almost 100 cannabis plants, six stolen vehicles, ammunition and a rifle with the serial number filed off. The search was over a series of burglaries and the disappearance of Adrian Romeo, 43, who hasn’t been seen in five months.
Gangelhoff, 34, faced Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on July 24, supported by family and friends. Gangelhoff was on bail for alleged firearm offences.
Thepolicesearchuncoveredtwomotorcycles, an SS Commodore, a van and two trucks, all believed to be stolen. Police said the accused
appeared to be living in a motorhome on the property, where they discovered a samurai sword, several zip-lock bags containing powders and prescription medications and two bottles containing liquid believed to be 1,4-Butanediol, a precursor to the drug GHB.
Searchers found cannabis, stolen vehicles, ammunition and a rifle but no sign of Adrian Romeo. Gangelhoff was arrested carrying a shotgun cartridge, Senior Constable McAuley said, but the more-than 100-strong search team did not find a shotgun on the property. Senior Constable McAuley argued Gangelhoff should not be eligible for bail.
“The accused has been difficult to be located by police in the past, your honour, where he’s been subject to 10 name whereabouts and 10 outstanding warrants for his arrest,“ he said. Adrian Black, AAP
“Blankets and bed linen for cots and bassinets,” she said. “Single size sheets and blankets.
“Lots of families are in cold houses with inadequate bedding or just have one set and it can’t be washed as it doesn’t dry.”
People looking to donate can donate items to any of the three warehouses, while there are volunteers who accept items outside of hours.
Money can also be donated to help buy items,
Ms Quigley said they were always in need of volunteers across the three locations, especially Tarneit.
Details: https://biggrouphug.org/
No sign of missing man
A man charged with murder over the disappearance of Adrian Romeo, whose body is yet to be found, will remain behind bars after facing court.
Mr Romeo, 43, vanished five months ago, on February 10, after telling his parents he was going to visit some associates in Greenvale.
His phone and bank cards have not been used since then and police are yet to find the 2004 gold Toyota Camry he was driving, nor his body, following an extensive search.
Robert Mantini was arrested on Thursday, July 25 and charged with murder over Mr Romeo’s disappearance.
He is charged with killing Mr Romeo in Greenvale, court documents stated.
The 58-year-old appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 26.
Mantini appeared in the court dock and, as no application for bail can be made in the lower court, he will be held in custody until his next court appearance on December 13.
an outdoor performance stage and landscaping projects.
“This new building project at Kolbe Catholic College will be well-received by local families, who can look forward to updated learning spaces and more modern facilities,”
Mr Walters said.
Carroll outlined how Victoria is the education state and how they are committed to holding up that moniker by providing every child in the state with the best possible education facilities
Bail applications must be made through the Supreme Court due to the nature of the charge.
It follows a search of a Greenvale property involving the dog squad, major crime scene investigators, the State Emergency Service, Australian Federal Police’s specialist forensic search team and the NSW Police Force cadaver dogs.
Deputy premier Ben Carroll with year 12 students Christina, Reeta and Anchalpreet. (Damjan Janevski) 421227_03
Inquiry tackles the stigma around menopause
More needs to be done to reduce the stigma aroundmenopause,asenateinquiryintoissues relating to menopause and perimenopause has heard.
The Senate Community Affairs References Committee is conducting the inquiry which is examining the economic consequences of menopause and perimenopause, their physical health impacts, the mental and emotional wellbeing of people experiencing menopause and perimenopause and the impact on caregiving responsibilities.
The inquiry is also considering medical professionals’ awareness of menopause and perimenopause symptoms and treatments and cultural and societal factors influencing perceptions and attitudes.
DuringaninquiryhearinginMelbournelast month, Women’s Health in the North sexual and reproductive health co-ordinator Tilly Mahoney said perimenopause and menopause are often not talked about within society, due in part to the pervasive stigma and taboo that surrounds reproductive health issues.
“Ongoing stigma can lead to isolation, ignorance, delays in seeking help for physical and mental health impacts, reduced workforce participation and discrimination,” she said.
“Normalising menopause and emphasising the positive or neutral aspects of this life stage can combat that narrative of loss or decline, which is tied to the intersection of sexism and ageism.”
Ms Mahoney said that while there has been
plenty of work done to explore the relationship between the experiences of menopause and workforce participation, there is little research on the impact of menopause on participation in arenas other than employment.
She said key contributors to good mental health include social independence, feeling valued, physical activity, good nutrition and having faith and belief, adding that further understanding of whether these areas are impacted by menopausal symptoms could inform approaches to holistic, clinical and social support and the prevention of mental ill healthamongpeopleexperiencingmenopause.
“While physical symptoms may contribute in part to this mental ill health for women and gender-diverse people who experience
menopause, we also need to consider the social determinants of mental ill health: social connectedness; freedom from discrimination and violence; and economic participation, which are all influenced by the broader context of gender inequality.
“Attributing mental ill health solely to the biology of the menopausal transition renders this social context irrelevant and risks further entrenchingtheviewsofwomen’sunsuitability for the workforce or lack of resilience due to ‘biological needs’. Interventions focused on improving the mental health of persons experiencing perimenopause and menopause need to be coupled with investment in broader strategies to address gender inequality.
The final report is due on September 17.
Raising awareness of stillbirth
By Casey Neill
Jacki O’Farrell had a cardiac arrest during her first birth and was unable to sit up for her first two weeks of motherhood. Her second baby was stillborn.
The Sunshine mum of three says there’s no silver lining to what she’s been through, but she’s determined to use her experience to support others.
Jacki fell pregnant with her daughter Charlie in2020.Afterfinallybeingadmittedtohospital after three days in labour, monitors meant to be clocking Charlie’s heart rate kept slipping off her tight tummy.
Medical staff broke her waters, placed a monitoring clip on Charlie’s head, and told her Charlie’s heart rate had dropped.
An anaesthetist performed an epidural and Jacki settled in to get some rest, armed with a button to press every 15 minutes for drug delivery. The second time she pressed the button, her body felt drunk, but not her mind.
Jacki had suffered a dural puncture and was being inundated with drugs.
“My hand started going a bit numb. My mouth and tongue started to feel a bit similar,” she said. “The last thing I remember hearing was ‘she’s turning blue’.”
Medical staff performed CPR on Jacki for 12 minutes. “While that was happening I had an episiotomy and Charlie was forcepped out.
“Luke watched them do CPR for about a minuteonher.Thenheheardhercrying,sohis attention focused back on me.
“He was picturing a life without me. He was playing his life out, doing it by himself.”
Jacki woke up with “the worst headache”. “It felt like someone was crushing my skull,”
she said. “My optic nerve was impacted. Everything was really blurry. I thought I was blind.”
Jacki was in ICU while a healthy Charlie was in NICU for monitoring. Jacki was moved to high care and was finally able to hold Charlie –for about 10 minutes, laying horizontally.
“I was leaking spinal fluid from the epidural needle hole every time I sat up,” she said.
“The first two weeks of motherhood were spent laying flat on my back.
“I’m quite maternal. Not being able to care for your baby was a massive hurdle.”
About six months later she was diagnosed with PTSD and medicated.
JackifellpregnantwithOakleywhenCharlie was about 10 months old.
“I was excited but then also terrified at the exact same time,” she said. “I couldn’t have anythingcatastrophichappenagain.Iwouldn’t
Have your say on
Star Weekly is aiming to bring the healthcare issues facing women in Melbourne’s west and north into the spotlight with its new health survey.
The online survey is part of the 12-month Women’s Health Matters campaign, which addresses the systemic obstacles and barriers women must overcome when managing their health.
Topics reported by Star Weekly include access to specialised and preventative healthcare, availability of culturally appropriate healthcare, and adequacy of mental health services.
Thesurvey,whichiscompletelyconfidential, has 16 questions and takes less than five minutes to fill out.
have been able to mentally deal with it.”
But at 31 weeks, she noticed a change in Oakley’s movements.
“Wecalledhimthehurricanebaby,”shesaid. “Itwasreallyeasyformetoidentifywhenthe movements had reduced.”
Doctors confirmed there was no heartbeat.
“We just sat in the room wailing,” Jacki said.
“We couldn’t cry hard enough.
“It hit me like a shovel to the face, ‘I have to give birth, I still have to have the baby’.
“I was just screaming ‘I don’t want to do it’.
“I never thought that would happen to us, especially after what happened with Charlie.”
They had a night at home and returned for induction the following day, with wonderful support from the hospital.
A postmortem was inconclusive.
“He moved around so much, the cord was around his neck when he was born, and there
was a knot in the cord,” Jacki said. “It’s nothing that anyone could have prevented or changed.”
Their families met and held Charlie, and then they went home.
“Thatwasoneofthemostchallengingthings to experience. Saying goodbye,” Jacki said. “You never want to leave your child anywhere alone.
“I left my baby by himself.”
Having to show up for 18-month-old Charlie every day helped Jacki through her grief.
An urn containing Oakley’s ashes and a photo of their lost son are on display at home. They bought a baby oak tree to mark the first anniversary of his birth.
Four months after losing Oakley, she fell pregnant again.
“His due date was four days after Oakley’s first anniversary,” she said. “I just didn’t want tobepregnantonorafterOakley’sanniversary. I wanted them separate.”
She was booked for an induction the week before and was in active labour for three hours before welcoming Conor.
“Icouldnotbelievethedifferenceinrecovery from Charlie,” she said.
Jacki now dedicates her spare time to raising awareness and money for Stillbirth Foundation Australia and Still Aware through her small business BHOOMI Babe. She sells breastfeeding blankets and burp cloths and donates $5 from each purchase to the charities.
“You look for the silver lining and there is no silver lining, so what’s the next best thing I can do?”shesaid.“It’snotgoingtochangeanything for us, but it might help someone else.”
To others who’ve lost a baby, Jacki says “it’s more common than people realise” and “it’s OK to feel what you’re feeling”.
To their friends and family, Jacki says to avoid minimising their experience.
“We did have friends who just came and sat on our kitchen floor and said ‘what happened, howareyoudoing?’andjustbeingcomfortable sitting there watching us cry,” she said.
“Just asking ‘are you happy to talk about it?’ is a good place to start.”
women’s health issues in the north-west
Participants will be asked about what theirtophealthconcernis,iftheyhavetravelled outside their suburb to access healthcare, and if they were happy with the care they have received, among other questions.
Star Weekly news editor Laura Michell said the opportunity to cover these issues was of significant importance to the paper.
“Star Weekly is proud to be able to champion women’s health in the western and northern suburbs over the next 12 months,” she said.
“It is our hope that the Women’s Health Matters campaign will raise awareness of the critical health issues affecting women and advocate for change.”
MrsMichellsaidhearingfromindividualsin
the region about their healthcare experiences would help enrich the reporting of these matters and increase their recognition.
“Results from the survey will better inform our campaign coverage,” she said.
“Star Weekly has created this women’s health survey to help us better understand the healthcare issues affecting women living in Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs.”
“We want to hear about your stories of success and resilience to help motivate and empower other women to seek help and support when needed,” she said.
“Women too often pay too little attention to their healthcare needs.”
Scan the QR code right to take the confidential survey.
Jacki and Luke with Conor, Charlie and a photo of baby Oakley. (Supplied)
Breastfeeding support for all
By Oscar Parry
World Breastfeeding Week is a global campaign aiming to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding and the benefits it provides to mothers, children, and public health.
Running from August 1–7, this year’s theme is ‘breastfeeding for all’ – a vision for increased inclusivity and further efforts in addressing barriers to accessing breastfeeding support.
Macedon-based lactation consultant Samantha Turner-Dunne is passionate about breastfeeding and its broad benefits.
“If you had to introduce one public health program to benefit the health and the wellbeing of your community the most and decreasematernalandinfantmorbidity–and even mortality – the most successful thing you could do is teach, educate, and promote breastfeeding, because the long-term effects on the health and wellbeing for babies and for people is profound,” Ms Turner-Dunne said.
She said language barriers are just one of the challenges many face in accessing breastfeeding support.
She said in many cases, women may avoid seeking support from resources such as lactation consultants because of several other issues that require time and attention.
“They’vebecomerefugees,orthey’resobusy focussing on trauma that [breastfeeding] is just another challenge that they’ve got to put further down the food chain, [and] because they’ve got other really important things that they’re trying to deal with, they are less likely to get … support,” she said.
Ms Turner-Dunne said lactation consultants sometimes have access to interpreters and interpretive services to help with their consultations, but if these are not
available,consultantswillstilldotheirbestto help through other forms of communication and performing assessments.
“Part of the way that … women learn to breastfeed, there’s some intuitive basis to it. There are also demonstrative [ways] you can learn things … and there can be no speech. So there’s a lot of demonstrative work that can be done that … is helpful if English is a second language.”
Ms Turner-Dunne said breastfeeding also
has important protective effects on babies.
“The mothers have less chance of breast cancers and … [It also] helps immunise and vaccinate the babies because it hands over all the immunoglobulins,” she said.
“They’ve realised that there [are] stem cells and white blood cells and enzymes … in breast milk and all the different roles that they play … it’s profound.”
Ms Turner-Dunne said that her job is rewarding, and that she enjoys making a positiveimpactonfamiliesandpublichealth.
“I love my job – lactation consultants are really passionate about breastfeeding, and that’s why we go and study and make a specialised career out of it. We try [to] create safe spaces … we just want good emotional attachment between mothers and babies and the best health outcomes for all,” she said.
She said it is important to have widely accessible support, and that while breastfeeding is not an option for many women, lactation consultants will try to help where they can.
“When breastfeeding is successful, it’s one of the most enjoyable bonding experiences of their life … for 30 per cent of women, it is a challenge and they do need support … and we’re here for them. Sometimes it doesn’t work because it can’t.”
On the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s (ABA) website, it reports that many mothers feel a deep sense of loss, grief, and remorse when they are unable to breastfeed, and that families, friends, and counselling could be forms of support.
Ms Turner-Dunne said other resources providedbytheABAthatcouldassistmothers include online multi-language information flyers and a network of volunteers who can provide peer-to-peer support.
Making a difference every day
Aged Care Employee Day on Wednesday, 7 August 2024.
We pay tribute to the 4,300 people who don Uniting AgeWell’s iconic purple uniform and go about their day, making a difference in the lives of older people by supporting them to live and age well.
Whether in people’s own homes, in community settings or in residential aged care, our team have over 200 diverse and rewarding roles – from hotel services and administration, to nursing, allied health, lifestyle, chaplaincy and direct care.
We thank them for caring today and every day.
Lactation consultant Samantha Turner-Dunne. (Damjan Janevski) 411622_02
‘‘ Homelessness can be much closer than you might think ... all it could take is one unfortunate circumstance ... to fall on tough time ’’ - Nic Marchesi
Homelessness hardships
Amid a cost-of-living crisis, homelessness and poverty is picking up in prevalence, and support services are feeling the demand pinch as much as ever, Gerald Lynch discovers.
It’s closer than you think. That’s the message this National Homeless Week, which runs August 5 to 11.
As Australians struggle to afford basic needs, defer crucial healthcare and work extra hours to keep afloat, homelessness support services are reporting a surge in demand for their services.
Recently released research by free mobile laundry and shower service, Orange Sky, revealed that 57 per cent of Australians struggle to make ends meet annually, with 27 per cent struggling as often as monthly.
The new research came as government data indicates household inflation rates have skyrocketed by 3.6 per cent over the past 12 months, with housing, food and health costs climbing by over 3 per cent in the same period of time.
The research reveals three in five (59 per cent) Australians have had to moderately or significantly adjust their lifestyle due to the rising cost-of-living.
Orange Sky St Albans team leader Ben Campbell originally joined the organisation during covid as a way to get out of the house, but four years later he couldn’t imagine not being involved.
“When everyone was locked down, I was like OK, I need to get out of the house, and one of the loopholes essentially, to do that was volunteering,” he said.
“It really helped open my eyes to appreciate what I had, because of course through the pandemic, we all thought it was an extremely tough time but then on the other side of it, people were living on the streets not having a place to live or living in potentially dangerous situations who were having it a lot worse than I was.
“So it gave me this fresh perspective. It gave me a greater appreciation for what I have and what others have and just trying to help them
make it through the weeks.”
Mr Campbell is mainly involved with the OrangeSky’slaundryservice,amobileservice that washes people’s clothes and also provides meals.
He said while the service is used less in the winter, just as many people come down to have a chat and a smile, a service that is intangible yet invaluable.
“Not all the attendees use our service but it doesn’t really matter, they … just come for a conversation where they can feel heard,” he said.
“Mostofthetimethehomelessfeelinvisible, feel like they’re ignored by society and not really appreciated in any way shape or form. So we’re just there to kind of give them that support.
“To give them an ear and just listen to them and just make them feel a bit more normal, because they are normal.”
He said there are misconceptions about homelesspeoplethatmakethemfeelunworthy of interacting with other people sometimes, and he hopes to see further education and change in public perception.
“There’s the whole idea of homelessness, I imagine for the general public, that they’ve put themselves in this situation and they can’tbringthemselvesoutofit,”MrCampbell said.
“The reality is there are so many factors that can contribute (to a person becoming homeless), there is often trauma, domestic violence, mental illnesses and all sorts that can really contribute to people getting into the situation.”
Orange Sky co-founder Nic Marchesi said growing costs and expenses are placing unsustainable pressure on everyday Australians, who are having to make tough sacrifices just to keep up.
“No one deserves to go without essentials,
clean clothes, a hot shower and a safe place to sleep,” he said. “However, rising costs are increasingly forcing everyday Australians to choose between living essentials, bills and rent, and people who may have never thought they would be struggling financially are turning to us for help.
“We have seen a 21 per cent increase in demand for our services since last financial year, and this increase is coming from families, retirees, students and middle-aged women and men. Even people with current employment are coming to us for help.
“To support the growing number of Aussies experiencing homelessness and hardship, in the last financial year, we launched services in five new locations. In addition to the brand-new services, we launched 36 new shifts in already existing services.
“Concerningly, escalating costs are seeing Aussies not only struggling to afford the essentials, but also to find safety and security, with the research revealing more than one in 10 have had to forego a meal due to a lack of
funds, while over one in six have borrowed money, sold something or taken out a loan just to pay rent or bills.
“Amid a national housing crisis which has seen mortgage prices hit an all-time high in June of this year, weekly rent prices rising by 8 per cent in the past 12 months, and rental vacancyratessittingatthelowestthey’vebeen in a decade, it’s no surprise there’s an increase of Australians heading into tough times.
“Homelessnesscanbemuchcloserthanyou might think it is. These statistics are people, people that we see each and every day, and people who need our support. Homelessness can impact anyone, and as we see financial hardship escalate, all it could take is one unfortunate circumstance for you or someone you know to fall on tough time.”
Orange Sky receives government funding, but with more and more people being forced to live on the streets, help from those who can afford it is being encouraged this Homelessness week.
Donate at orangesky.org.au
Main: Orange Sky founders Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett.
Above: St Albans volunteers Simon and Ben with a local at a laundry session. Left: Volunteers and users of the service enjoying a chat.
(Pictures: Supplied)
A top Hume performer
A Hume Anglican Grammar student has received a Premier’s VCE Award.
Year 12 student and school captain, Meron Nona received the award after achieving a perfect score of 50 in biology while studying units three and four in year 11.
He was one of 310 students to receive a Premier’s VCE Award during a ceremony earlier this month.
Meronsaidhewasproudofhisachievement.
“I remember the shock and amazement I felt seeing my score for the first time. It was amazing to attend the ceremony and seeing all that [the Victorian Curriculum
What’s on
Mill Park Place Framework
Have your say on the future of Mill Park.
Developed with input from a dedicated community reference group, the draft Mill Park Place Framework outlines a plan to improve roads, waterway corridors and town centres.
It also includes six key short-term projects including safer streets, enhanced community hubs, revitalising key destinations, reimagining transmission easements, upgrading parks, and increasing walkability through future development.
To have your say visit engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/mill-park-place-framework
and Assessment Authority] does to acknowledge the hard work and efforts of students,” he said.
“I loved biology last year, so it was awesome to have achieved such a great score in it.“
Meron acknowledged the support of his teachers, especially his biology teacher, Ms Mathew, who provided valuable assistance andmotivationaswellasexpressinggratitude to his family for their unwavering support throughout his academic journey.
He hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
Max Westwood
Briefs
Grant boost
Marymede Catholic College will receive $6 millions from the state government to expand its Doreen campus. The funding is part of the government’s building fund for non-government schools, which has provided to $243 million to 65 Catholic schools across the state. The government said Marymede would use the money to build eight general learning areas at the Doreen campus, a learning centre, information technology centre, a careers and pathways centre and student wellbeing and counselling centre.
Growing Hume
Hume residents will soon be able to take part in a series of gardening workshops aimed at helping them to grow their own food. The workshops are part of Let’s Grow Hume, one of 12 VicHealth local government initiatives to recently share in $600,000 from the state government. Six edible gardening workshops will be held in September and October, with another nine planned for 2025.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT
Web: starweekly.com.au
Northern Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Walking Thomastown is back for 2024
Take a magical nighttime journey through the culture and history of Thomastown and experience one of our oldest suburbs in a new light.
Grab your torch and join us on a nighttime walk exploring Thomastown’s rich and unique history from Main Street Recreation Reserve, along Edgars Creek, through Ziebell’s Farm and the pioneer precinct at Westgarthtown.
When: 6pm to 9pm, Saturday 31 August
Where: Main Street Recreation Reserve, 54-76 Main Street, Thomastown
For more information, visit www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/events
Hume Anglican Grammar year 12 student and school captain Meron Nona. (Supplied)
MY PLACE
Whittlesea local Carolyn Thorn tells Max Westwood about her journey and how it landed in her in Whittlesea.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do? Iworkedfor23yearsforaninsurancecompany in the city of Melbourne and I also worked as a telephonist for a Telstra office in Preston and in Abbotsford for a number of years. I am now retired from the workforce and I am enjoying playingtennisandhopingtogobush-walking.
I also enjoy playing cards and I love being out in the garden. I have recently planted quite a few native plants in my backyard to attract the birds, bees and butterflies.
What’s your connection to Whittlesea?
I moved to Whittlesea in 2010 with my son. He attended the Whittlesea Secondary College and now has a job locally. We have friends in Whittlesea that we have known for many years and was the main reason for moving here. We’re very happy living within the Whittlesea township.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
I would like to see the pedestrian crossings in Church Street moved to a safer location, away from the round-a-bout and intersections. I’d also like to see the train-line extended to Whittlesea.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
We have some great cafes in town and I often frequent Olivia’s (next to the post office) and Cafe 59. Great food and coffee.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you?
From 1987 to 1992 I participated in four Great Victorian Bike Rides, one Great New Zealand BikeRideandoneGreatTasmanianBikeRide. It was good exercise and I got to see a lot of the countryside. It was a fabulous experience.
What is your favourite memory about living in Whittlesea?
The ice-creamery shop at the end of Church Street (where the IGA store is located now). It
was a very popular place to hang out in the warmer months. Sadly, it was demolished!
Tell us about joining The Combined Probus Club of Whittlesea?
I heard about the Probus club through a
Growing connections
neighbour and have thoroughly enjoyed attending the meetings and getting to know the locals. The meetings are very well run and they have interesting guest speakers. I’m looking forward to going on trips and getting to know everyone.
Mernda residents keen to learn more about horticulture have been taking part in a weekly class at Mernda Neighbourhood House. Run by Whittlesea Community Connections horticulture teacher Kathleen Tants, the class is a chance for residents to work in the garden while meeting new people.
StarWeekly photographer Damjan Janevski stopped by the class to capture these pictures.
Kylie Hastwell, Harisimran Kaur, Lisa Crennan, Kathleen Tants, James Cornelious and Rosann Adoeno. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski)
Teacher of the horticulture class, Kathleen Tants.
(Damjan Janevski) 420825_02
La Trobe action mars open day
Members of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) staged a protest at La Trobe University’sopendayonAugust4,inresponse to fears that the university plans to cut jobs.
The union is concerned between 28 and 55 positions across academic and professional staff could be eliminated affecting a plethora of courses including, chemical sciences, urban and regional planning, international development, manufacturing and visual arts.
The job cuts are also expected to affect several other academic areas, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, biochemistry and cell biology, and environment and genetics, as well as languages, linguistics, health sciences and public health.
Union members used the open day as a platform to inform prospective and current students about the potential impacts of the proposed cuts.
President of the NTEU La Trobe University branch, Dr Martin Clark, said he was frustrated over the lack of justification for these changes.
“Staff are extremely upset and confused about management’s plans to cut the courses they love to teach,” he said.
“Management has not provided any rationaleforwhythesecutsarenecessary.They are only giving staff two weeks to respond to a massive restructure that will almost certainly dismantle La Trobe’s Arts degree, which has
Sign up as a volunteer
The Uncle Bob’s Club is calling for volunteers to join its state committee.
The term is a 12-month position, beginning in October of each year and consists of monthly meetings that can be attended remotely. Committe members also participate in strategic planning and committee work and occasionally represent UBC at events throughout the year.
Since its founding in 1942, UBC has raised vital funds for children’s hospitals and medical equipment across Victoria with the mission of ensuring no child in Victoria goes without the medical equipment they need.
UBCraisesmoneythroughhostingeventssuch as garage sales, morning teas and sausage sizzles, while aiming to keep the funds in the area they were raised.
Being a grassroots charity with only one paid
staff member and no government funding, UBC relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers to continue its mission.
Fundraising and volunteer manager Stacey Ramadge described the ideal volunteer as being anyone passionate about raising funds to help the children of Victoria.
“Everything that we fundraise goes directly to children’s health, either through local hospitals or the Good Friday Appeal,” she said. Despite the abundanceofdonationsthatpourin,theshortage of manpower limits the work UBC is able to do.
UBC recently started a new group in the western suburbs, with ambitions to launch two more in the northern and eastern suburbs.
More details: https://ubcvic.org.au/get-involved/ volunteer-2/
Jaidyn Kennedy
seen significant growth in recent years.”
In a statement to Star Weekly, La Trobe management confirmed a change proposal had been shared with staff and a number of courses and subjects for which there has been consistently low or no student demand are proposed to be cut. However management said feedback would be reviewed before any decisions are finalised.
Dr Clark also criticised the proposed abolition of the student services unit.
“Despite La Trobe being a national leader in students with disabilities completing degrees, management wants to abolish the entire student services unit which makes that
possible,” he said. Dr Clark saod the restructure was also expected to replace senior professor roles with junior, teaching-heavy positions.
“This rushed restructure would slash full professors and replace them with junior teaching-heavy roles, with enormous workloads.
“Thatisanothermassiveblowtobest-practice research-led teaching, which sees academics share cutting-edge research with students.”
La Trobe management denied any cuts are planned to student services and said that if any protest action is identified as unprotected industrial action, the university will consider its response.
Paulm Etherington and Stacey Ramadge with her daughter Sadie, 3. (Damjan Janevski) 420649
Principal motivated by warm relationships and innovation
“I often share with families my desire to be certain that educational environments ‘graduate’ from the school I attended over 40 years ago. I’ve got great memories of my high school, but the education challenge is so different these days’, says Timothy Cottrell, principal at Lalor North Secondary College.
After two years as principal, Tim says that high-impact learning calls for quality relationshipsandastrongsenseofpartnership between students, families and educators.
“This is how we build community trust and belief. Families must know that we inquire into and invest in the individuality of every child – and, most importantly, that we walk our talk everyday.”
If a meteoric rise in demand for places at the college, and in data that analyses student views and feelings about belonging, safety, opportunity and quality of teaching, is any indication - the vision of the college is bearing fruit.
“It’s this simple, to make a difference, we need to be different.”
Tim cites the Elite Sports Program that sees up to 120 boys and girls training at 7.30am twice per week and three days per week after school -”You get better at what you practice” - the inclusive and wide-ranging leadership programs based upon doing good for others (particularly those less fortunate) comprising of over 35 per cent whole student enrolment (students contribute to the community throughlocalprimaryschools,nursinghomes and elsewhere), the inquiry-based Dynamic Learning Program at year 9 that prepares students for their senior years, or the Global LearningDomain’ languageprogramthathas seen students study up to 15 languages over the last 18 months, as examples of innovation.
On language studies, Tim comments “The thought that in such a culturally diverse community that is Melbourne’s northern
suburbs, we might offer two or three language studies is incomprehensible to me. I want to ask the student what language they wish to study, not tell them what they may study”.
Creativity and artistic pursuits remain a steadfast pillar of the learning program.
“Our Big Night Out has become a fully-fledged music festival in the north, involving 15 primary schools, and attracting 1500 people over two nights to the college. We have a responsibility to be a pillar of learning and higher things,” Tim says.
“Withrapidlyincreasingdemandforplaces, our grounds looking especially beautiful, and the great endeavour of our students everywhere evident –we can’t help but feel excited for the future of our college and its ‘family’ of young people.
“Our dedicated staff continue to work hard every day to bring every possible opportunity to our students to enjoy success. We thank them, and we celebrate the continuous learning of our students.”
Tim encourages anybody who is interested in learning more about the college to take a personaltourwithhimwhichcanbearranged by calling reception on 9401 3888.
Lalor North Secondary College principal Timothy Cottrell has a passion for education.
Cubs are the mane attraction
Who said growing up isn’t fun? Werribee Open Range Zoo’s lion cubs are taking their first steps into adulthood as they begin to form their striking iconic manes.
After melting the hearts of Australians as newborns last year, now one-year-old male Jango [pronounced: Jan-go] and Mwezi [pronounced: M-weh-zee] are starting to sprout an adorable short fuzzy fur collar around their necks, shoulders and ears.
Werribee Open Range Zoo African river trail keeper Laura Hickleton said the cubs’ manes are starting to darken in complexion and provide a contrast to their yellow-golden coat.
“The growth of their manes marks the cubs’ transition into sub-adults, which is
comparable to humans reaching their early teenage years,” Ms Hickleton said.
“They’realsolookingalittlelankyinstature and their manes are quite patchy and different colours. So, they are definitely in their awkward ‘teenage’ phase.”
But Ms Hickleton said the cubs still have a few more development years before they reach the thick, luxurious and pristine look of their seven-year-old father Sheru [pronounced: Sher-oo].
“Their manes will fully develop anywhere between four-to-five years of age. So, they still have quite a bit of growing to do,” Ms Hickleton said.
Jango and Mwezi were born weighing 1.5-kilogramsandnowweigh85-90-kilograms
each – still just half the size of Sheru who weighs 180-kilograms.
A mane has many important physiological functions. It is a visual indicator of a lion’s dominance – males with larger, darker and more impressive manes can be perceived as moreformidableandauthoritativeleadersand are more likely to win disputes over territory, food and competitions for females.
Manes also provide a thick layer of protection during physical encounters with rival lions as the hair can absorb the impact of bites and blows. Manes are also used to obtain the attention of lionesses during displays of courtship.
Mane growth can vary between lions and is believed to be influenced by a combination
of genetics, nutrition, environmental and hormonal factors.
African lions are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, with their population declining to around only 39,000 in the wild in sub-Saharan Africa. The species is facing threats including human-wildlife conflict, poaching and habitat destruction.
The lion pride of six lions at Werribee Open Range Zoo is part of the Australasian zoo breeding and conservation program. Breeding and reproduction have significant long-term health and behavioural benefits for female lions, while raising cubs also provides opportunities for lifelong learning for the pride.
It will be a few more years before the cubs’ manes are as the thick, luxurious and pristine as that of their seven-year-old father Sheru (pictured).
The cubs are starting to sprout an adorable short fuzzy fur collar. Their manes are beginning to darken in complexion and provide a contrast to their yellow-golden coat. (Pictures: Supplied)
Nominations open for Victorian Senior of the Year Award
Victorians are being encouraged to recognise the contributions of senior Victorians by submitting nominations for the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt said the 2024 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards will celebrate senior Victorians who share their skills, experience, time and energy with the community.
Therearesixcategoriesofawards,including Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year for outstanding contribution to local community and Victoria; Promotion of Multiculturalism Award for promoting the benefits of cultural diversity; Healthy and Active Living Award for helping create active and healthy communities; Veteran Community Award for exceptional contributions to the veteran community; Ageing Well Award for combatting ageism and promoting ageing well initiatives; Council on the Ageing Victorian Senior Achiever Award for significant contribution to local communities and Victoria.
TheawardceremonywillbeheldinOctober, coinciding with the annual Victorian Seniors Festival.
All nominees will receive certificates acknowledging their contributions.
“I encourage Victorians to identify the inspiring older people in their lives and put them forward for well-deserved recognition,“ Ms Stitt said.
“The vast majority of older people give back to their community without asking for any accolades – but this is their time to shine.
“Older Victorians make meaningful contributions to their communities, contributing to social cohesion and helping to create healthy and connected communities.”
This year, the nomination process is more accessible than ever before. Nominations can be submitted digitally through a new online platformuntilAugust11,makingiteveneasier
Learn about retirement living with us
There’s a lot to get your head around when it comes to retirement living. Not least of which is understanding what you’re buying into. At our information event, ‘This is Retirement Living’, our experts put you in the know about financials, contracts and downsizing. Giving you the knowledge to make more informed decisions about your future. Enjoy refreshments and experience Callisto Place for yourself, a place with connection at its heart.
to nominate a deserving senior. Nominees must be aged 60 years or over, and 50 years or over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians.
To make a nomination, visit Seniors Online and complete a nomination form at seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/awards.
This is Retirement Living
15 August, 11am 35 Galileo Gateway, Bundoora
Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt with 2023 Premier’s Award for Senior of the Year winner Andrew Suggett and Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner. (Supplied)
Elizabeth thrives after retiring in lovely Moonee Ponds
For Elizabeth, the decision to embrace retirement living wasn’t impulsive. Years of varied work, from kitchens to textiles, had built a rich life.
Her journey began in wartime Britain, shaping her resilience through the tough post-war years. Seeking stability, she arrived in Australia in the 1950s, finding work and eventually a small haven in West Brunswick.
Elizabeth’s life was built on hard work, often physical. Independence, a value instilled young, was paramount. Marriage, after initial hesitation, brought companionship with a man she met at a friend’s party.
“We had a little house in West Brunswick,“ Elizabeth reminisces.
“Not much, but it was home.“
Sadly, her husband’s passing left her facing her later years alone.
Then with age came health concerns. Unstable on her feet, a change was needed.
Wise words from a friend guided Elizabeth.
“Think about it,“ the friend advised, “make the decision yourself, not someone else.“
This resonated, ensuring Elizabeth’s move on her own terms.
Another factor: her beloved, ageing cat.
“I couldn’t move without him,“ Elizabeth explained.
“He was old, but I needed him by my side.“
Doutta Galla Retirement Living, with its secure two-bedroom apartments in Moonee Ponds, offered peace of mind. Stepping outside, Elizabeth is greeted by the serene beauty of Queens Park.
“It’s beautifully green here,“
Elizabeth smiles, “even the streets! It’s a lovely area.“
The key for Elizabeth is the balance. Independence is preserved while support is readily available. Affordability was crucial, and Doutta Galla ticked all the boxes.
“Everything’s within walking distance,“
she shares, referring to the convenient location near shops and her frequently visited Clocktower Theatre.
Elizabeth’s move wasn’t just practical; it was about embracing a new chapter with dignity and grace, surrounded by a
supportive community and the beauty of Moonee Ponds.
“I’m so glad I made this decision,“ Elizabeth concludes.
“It’s a lovely place to live.“
Don’t miss your opportunity to experience
affordable, high-quality retirement living in the heart of Moonee Ponds! Call us on 0407 367 118 or email admissions@dgas.org.au to book a tour today.
Doutta Galla Retirement Living, 2-8 Hutcheson Street, Moonee Ponds.
Doutta Galla offers permanent residential and respite care across seven convenient locations in Melbourne’s West, with comfortable retirement living in Moonee Ponds.
If you’re looking for quality, affordable aged care close to home, call us on 9680 3300 or visit us at www.dgas.org.au
Elizabeth loves her home at Doutta Galla Retirement Living.
Tips to keep warm and heating costs low during winter
Saving on heating bills during the winter is important for both your wallet and the environment, especially for those on a pension. Here are several effective strategies to reduce heating costs while keeping your home warm and comfortable:
Optimise Thermostat Settings:
■ Lower the Temperature: Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting when you’re home. The best temperature setting is 20°C during the day and lower while you sleep or are away.
■ Programmable Thermostat: Invest in a programmable thermostat to automatically lowerthetemperaturewhenyou’renothome or asleep. Smart thermostats can learn your schedule and adjust settings for maximum efficiency.
Seal and Insulate:
■ Seal Drafts: Check for drafts around windows, doors, and other openings. Use weatherstripping,caulking,ordraftstoppers to seal gaps and prevent heat loss.
■ Insulate:Ensureyourhomeiswell-insulated, particularly the attic, walls, and floors. Proper insulation helps retain heat and reduces the need for constant heating.
Use Curtains and Blinds Wisely:
■ Open Curtains During the Day. Take advantage of natural sunlight by opening curtains and blinds during the day to let in warmth.
■ Close Curtains at Night. Close curtains and blinds at night to provide an extra layer of insulation and reduce heat loss through windows.
Maintain Your Heating System:
■ Regular Maintenance: Schedule regular maintenance for your heating system to ensure it runs efficiently. Clean or replace filters regularly to maintain optimal airflow.
Use Space Heaters Wisely:
not blocking heating vents, radiators, or baseboard heaters to allow heat to circulate freely.
Wear Warm Clothing:
■ Layer Up: Wear warm clothing indoors, such as sweaters, socks, and slippers. This allows you to stay comfortable at a lower thermostat setting.
■ Use Blankets: Keep blankets handy in living areas and bedrooms for extra warmth without having to increase the heating. Cook and Bake More:
■ Use the Oven: Cooking and baking can help warm up your home. After using the oven, leave the door open to let the residual heat warm your kitchen.
Close Unused Rooms:
■ Room Isolation: Close the doors to unused rooms and vents to focus heating on the areas where you spend the most time. This prevents wasted energy heating empty spaces.
Implement Energy-Efficient Practices:
■ LEDLights:Replaceincandescentbulbswith energy-efficient LED bulbs, which produce less heat and consume less energy.
■ Energy-Efficient Appliances: Use energy-efficient appliances and unplug devices when not in use to reduce overall energy consumption.
Use Rugs and Carpets:
■ Insulate Floors: Place rugs and carpets on bare floors to provide additional insulation and keep rooms warmer.
Humidify Your Home:
■ Zone Heating: Use space heaters to heat only the rooms you’re using, rather than heating the entire house. This can be more energy-efficient, especially in larger homes.
■ Safety First: Ensure space heaters are used
UpgradeYourSystem:Ifyourheatingsystem is old and inefficient, consider upgrading to a more energy-efficient model. Modern systems can significantly reduce heating costs.
safely, following manufacturer instructions, and never leave them unattended.
Maximise Heat Distribution:
■ Ceiling Fans: Use ceiling fans on a low setting to distribute warm air more evenly throughout the room. Set the fan to rotate clockwise to push warm air down.
■ Furniture Placement: Ensure furniture is
Enrichinglivesthroughcare
■ Humidifiers: Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air, which can make your home feel warmer and more comfortable at lower temperatures. By implementing these strategies, you can significantly reduce your heating bills while maintaining a cosy and comfortable home during the winter months.
Scooting Superman tallks about living the ‘good life’
Bob is one of those multi-talented people who are both Jack - and master - of all trades. He and Ellen ran their own catering business for nearly30years. Healsoworkedasanengineer, a fitter and turner, a welder, a lathe operator and a salesman for a real estate publication.
“I’m Superman – but from the waist up,” jokes Bob.
He and Ellen were childhood sweethearts and nearly 66 years of marriage later, have four children, 25 grandchildren and “lots and lots of great-grandchildren“.
“It’s been a good life,” says Bob.
“We certainly weren’t ever bored!”
At the age of 86, Robert (Bob) Darby needs a little help in getting around each day to care for his wife, Ellen. They live comfortably in their own unit, and Bob uses his mobility scooter to zip down to the shops.
Ellen has challenges with her memory and hearing.
Bob does all the cooking and comes up with some pretty interesting recipes, like his pumpkin and rhubarb jelly which he says is absolutely delicious. He’s also bought a number of fruit trees for the garden in their complex, and is looking forward to making jams and relishes.
Bob receives help around the house and garden and transport assistance to medical appointments as part of his government-funded home care package through Uniting AgeWell. He has also used his home care package to buy the mobility scooter and modify their bathroom to make it safer.
Now Uniting AgeWell Care advisor Frances Trinci is helping Bob with the application to get Ellen a home care package. Frances says this will afford Ellen support and care that will also give Bob a much needed break.
“All carers need a bit of time out to recharge
their batteries,” says Frances.
“They need to look after themselves to be able to look after a loved one.”
Bob is happy to have Uniting AgeWell in
his corner.
“Frances helps me, she gives me a lot of sound advice, which I really appreciate. Their services are also really good too.”
To find out more about the home care services available through Uniting AgeWell, go to unitingagewell.org or call 1300 783 435.
Bob Darby zips off to the shops on the mobility scooter he bought through his home care package.
Glasses are cool at Mount Ridley
Prep to year three students at Mount Ridley P-12 college in Craigieburn will soon see the benefitsoftheexpansionoftheGlassesforKids program.
State Schools’ Relief, in partnership with the state government, has announced the initiative is expanding over the next three years, with the aim of conducting eye tests at 770 schools, screening 64,000 students, conducting 27,000 comprehensive eye tests, and distributing over 16,000 pairs of glasses at no cost.
Glasses for Kids program manager Luke
Owen said the program worked a lot with families from low socioeconomic backgrounds who may not have the financial means to pay for a pair of glasses.
“Quite often, parents in those communities canbequitetimepoor,sotheymaynotactually have a lot of time to take students or to take their children to a clinic,“ he said.
Mr Owen said that the program allows students to go through school without an additional obstacle in their way.
“The impetus for the program can be seen
in that early intervention with that educational aspect of getting in early and making sure that those barriers don’t become concreted in that child’s life as they they move through school.”
State Schools’ Relief chief executive Sue Karzis said the initiative ensures every child can participate in education with the same opportunities as others, regardless of their personal circumstances.
According to an Optometry Australia vision index report conducted in 2022, one in five Australian children have an undetected vision
New lights help boost participation
The lights have been upgraded at the HR Uren Recreation Reserve in Thomastown in hopes it will help boost local soccer participation rates.
The works began in February, with the old lights demolished and replaced with four 25-metre-high light poles containing 100 lux lights.
The new lights were funded through a $300,000 grant from sport and recreation Victoria.
Whittlesea chief executive Craig Lloyd joined Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny on July 18 to acknowledge the project’s completion.
Mr Lloyd said the council was working with the state government to ensure residents had the facilities they needed to take part in sporting activities.
“Providing quality community sporting facilities is an important part of lifting participation rates and encouraging people to live active, healthy lifestyles,” he said.
“We are delighted to have partnered with sport and recreation Victoria to install these lights so people have the chance to play the sport they love at a time that’s convenient for them.”
Lalor United uses the ground.Club liaison officer Emil Atanasov said the upgraded lighting had given the club greater flexibility with its scheduling of matches and training.
He said the new lights would help to attract and retain players whose participation was dependent on being able to plan around other commitments.
“A lot of people, particularly masters [45 years and older] and female players, want to play at night due to work and family commitments and these lights will allow that,” he said.
problem. Mr Owen said glasses are becoming cool in school.
“(The tests) sort of promote the culture as wellinschools,wherewearingglassesisseenas being something cool,” he said.
“So we actually find that students who may already wear glasses are actually more encouraged to use their glasses regularly because all of a sudden other classmates have also got glasses as well.”
Initial vision screenings are taking place from August 12 to August 15.
Upgrades set to finish early
The first stage of the Mickleham Road upgrade is expected to be completed in January 2025 – six months ahead of schedule. Once complete, the upgrade willprovideextralanesineachdirection between Somerton Road and Dellamore Boulevard, new traffic lights at Aitken College, upgraded intersections at Hillview Road and Dellamore Boulevard, and a new intersection at Somerton Road.
The state government said that in the first half of this year, the intersections at Greenvale Gardens Boulevard and Aitken College have been upgraded, while traffic has moved nto new northbound lanes between Somerton Road and Dellamore Boulevard, and construction of the southbound lanes has started.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said locals will enjoy more reliable journeys, improved travel times and reduced congestion.
Finishing works, including landscaping, will get under way after major works are completed and new lanes are opened in traffic.
Greenvale MP Iwan Walters thanked that community for its patience during the works.
Jaidyn Kennedy
Greenvale MMP Iwan Walters and Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson
Lalor United Sloga Football Club players
Ruby Jovanovski, 5, and Ashraf El Ach, 5, are among the soccer players set to benefit from the lighting upgrade at HR Uren Recreation
ACROSS
1 Quandary (7)
5 Dead body (7)
9 Demolition (11)
10 Bolt or pin (3)
11 Beachgoer’s two-piece (6)
12 Apotheosis (7)
14 Island of Hawaii (4)
15 Personal items (10)
17 Dwarf (10)
19 Occurring before (abbr) (4)
20 Sink (coll) (7)
22 New Delhi native (6)
25 The Peacock Network (1,1,1)
26 Reciprocal (11)
28 Died (7)
29 Potentially guilty party (7)
DOWN
1 Prank (US coll) (4)
2 Languor (9)
3 Festival, – Gras (5)
4 Group of islands (11)
5 Digitally generated imagery (1,1,1)
6 Jogging (7)
7 White person (5)
8 Disruptive (10)
12 Efficiency increasers (11)
13 Significance (10)
16 Account of events (9)
18 Princess Diana’s maiden name (7)
21 Summary (5)
23 Ties (5)
24 Flesh (4)
27 Dowel (3)
must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.
1 Where was Queen Noor of Jordan born?
2 Who directed the 1994 film Muriel'sWedding? 3 Kendo is a Japanese style of:
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
TAC L2P Program
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) L2P Program is a community-based program developed to assist eligible young Victorian learner drivers between the ages of 16 and 21 who do not have access to a supervising driver, or an appropriate vehicle to gain driving experience required for a probationary licence. Volunteer mentors are an integral part of the program. Enquiries and applications welcome
■ Cynthia Petridis, 0435 653 371
Adult education
Banksia Gardens Community Services is running adult education courses including an introduction to computers and brushing up on English skills.
■ 9309 8531
Senior citizens meet
The Gladstone Park Senior Citizens Club regularly meets for games of bingo, carpet bowls and a chat over a cuppa, at the coroner of Carrick and Elmhurst drives, Gladstone Park.
■ Beulah, 0411 422 398
Homestead Walking Group
Enjoy some fresh air, beautiful gardens and meet other locals. Volunteer leaders will meet at the Homestead Community and Learning Centre at 9.30am on Wednesdays for a 30–45 minute walk.
■ https://tinyurl.com/2wbet35x
Phone connect program
This is a free community service for older people and people with disability, living on their own in the Hume and Whittlesea regions. Through the Community Connect Program, you will receive regular phone calls from a volunteer to check that you are safe, secure and well.
■ 8301 8863
Broadmeadows Senior Citizens Club
The club meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and first Sunday of the month. It also has indoor carpet bowls, bingo, and snooker and on the third Saturday, and a dance from 7-11 pm. All are welcome.
■ Liz Munro, 0409 712 613, or lizmunro7@gmail.com
Creative arts and fitness
Banksia Gardens Community Services is running yoga and jewellery making classes every Tuesday.
■ 9309 8531
Craft and Conversation
Craigieburn library is hosting a Wednesday weekly craft group, from 1-3pm, and everyone is welcome. Join the craft and conversation group and share your love of all things crafty. Bring your current project and make new friends
■ humelibraries.vic.gov.au
Community lunch in Roxburgh Park
Join the Homestead Team, along with members of the community for a free lunch and make some new friends whilst you’re at it. Lunch will be prepared by the Turkish Women’s Association. The lunch will be held every Wednesday, from 11.30am-1pm, at Homestead Community and Learning Centre, 30 Whiltshire Road, Roxburgh Park
■ https://tinyurl.com/2wbet35x
Craigieburn Toastmasters
Craigieburn Toastmasters supports community members in developing and practising their public speaking, leadership, and communication skills. They meet the first and third Thursday, from 7-9pm, at the Craigieburn Guide Hall, 33 Hamilton Street, Craigieburn.
This week’s photographer’s choice is of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School West Sunshine wellbeing dog Tilly, who was celebrating her 1st birthday. (Damjan Janevski) 421792_01
Qi gong for health
Qigong has both psychological and physical components and involves the regulation of the mind, breath, and body movements and posture. Mondays for intermediate at 10-11am, Mondays for beginners at 11.15-12.15pm, Thursdays at 10-11am
■ https://tinyurl.com/2wbet35x
Education and community centre
Do you or someone you know need help learning English or understanding technology? Craigieburn Education and Community Centre is offering free beginner English and computer classes to eligible residents. Small, relaxed and friendly classes, drop in and say hello at 20 Selwyn Avenue, Craigieburn
■ 9308 1477 or https://www.craigieburn. org.au
Whittlesea Historical Society
The Whittlesea Historical Society meets
on the third Sunday of each month at Whittlesea Bowls Club at 2pm. Visitors are most welcome to attend.
■ 0414 740 778 or www.whittleseahistoricalsociety.org.au
Indigenous Community Gardens
Westmeadows Indigenous Community Garden members are hosting a monthly open day on the first Saturday of each month, 11am-noon, to showcase the gardens at the corner Toora Drive and Redan Court. All are welcome.
■ Eva Mazzei, emmmazzei@gmail.com
Craigieburn Residents Association
Do you live in Craigieburn and wonder what’s happening re-roads and facilities, or have a concern you’d like to raise so it can be addressed? Go along to the Craigieburn Residents Association and tell them about it. The association liaises with Hume council, as well as state and federal government organisations to get
the job done. They also give annual donations to a local charity each year. They meet on the last Wednesday of the month at Selwyn House, Selwyn Avenue, Craigiebur, 7.30pm
■ craigieburnresidents@gmail,com, or 0401 369 311
Menergise men’s walk and talk Every Thursday from 7pm, starting at the Mernda Neighbourhood House, a nightly walk for men to get some exercise and shoot the breeze in the breeze
■ 0475 454 133
Community Cooking Class
Are you interested in learning new ways to cook Indian dishes and other multicultural foods? Join Creds Farm’s community cooking class, which happens twice a month on Thursdays from 11am - 1pm. All is welcomed.
■ https://creedsfarm.org.au/event/ community-cooking-class-creeds-farm/
Bands to unite for music festival
By Tara Murray
Musicians from across Melbourne’s west will have the chance to shine at the first Western Bands Festival.
ThebrainchildoftheWesternConcertBand, the festival will give concert and brass bands the opportunity to perform locally.
Western Concert Band musical director and conductorHarryMerrifieldsaidhewasexcited for the festival and hoped it could become an annual event.
“It’s been inspired by a previous festival that hadhappenedbutitwasonlyforconcertbands only,” he said.
“Thistimewehaveexpandedtheprogramto include concert and brass bands.”
Five bands will be part of the first festival.
The Western Concert Band will be joined by Suzanne Cory High School, Western Brass, Sunshine Community Brass and Westgate Concert Band.
The bands will all perform individually before taking the stage for two combined performances at the end of the festival.
Merrifield said a lot of concert and brass bands don’t get the opportunity to perform at concerts.
“It’s a great opportunity for bands to get critical feedback from a clinical professional and network without being in a competitive environment,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for each of the bands to showoffwhattheycando.Wecannetworkand there could be opportunities to work together
in the future.”
YamahaeducationoutreachclinicianDrRob McWilliams and Haileybury College head of bands Dr Joanne Heaton will assess the bands and provide them with feedback.
Health and wellness at the winery
People in Melbourne’s west who want to take control of their wellbeing are being invited to immersethemselvesintranquillityatStAnne’s Winery.
The Myrniong winery has teamed up with UrbanMarketstoruntheHealthandHarmony Expo on Sunday, August 18. The event will run from 10am to 4pm at 64 Garrards Lane. Iftheexposeemsfamiliar,that’sbecausethis is not the first time St Anne’s has collaborated with Urban Markets to run a wellness event.
Jake Currey, who does a “bit of everything” at St Anne’s, said it was exciting to be “making a comeback after a few years of hiatus”.
Mr Currey said while they were hoping to attract the same crowd, there would be plenty of different things on offer this time around.
“We are trying to make it more of an expo rather than a market where you wander around, there are a few little fun activities for people … to make it more interactive rather than just selling products,’’ he said.
“We’re trying to get a bit of everything – the usual candle and wellness related stalls as well as some tarot card readings.”
Urban Markets owner Felicity Ashman said yoga, meditation, exercise, and natural foods were all on the table for the expo.
“We are looking to promote local businesses that support a balanced lifestyle… and any type of health and wellness,” Ms Ashman said.
MsAshmansaidthecombinationofoutdoor and indoor settings at the winery made it a prime spot for the expo.
“Itisparticularlyexcitingtobebackworking with St Anne’s – it’s such a lovely atmosphere out there and a perfect location to have something like this.”
Details:https://stanneswinery.com.au/event/ health-harmony-expo-myrniong/
Eddie Russell
Thomastown walks away from winter
The Walking Thomastown event is back for anotheryeartocelebratethelastdayofwinter.
With the celebration occurring on August 31 from 6pm to 9pm, the free event has something for everyone.
Enjoy live music from local artists, cultural performances celebrating Thomastown’s diverse heritage, a creative lantern-making activity and more.
Therewillalsobeaglowingspaceofvibrant lightsthatnotonlycelebratestheendofwinter in style but also celebrates Thomastown’s hidden gems.
The journey begins at dusk at the Main Street recreation reserve and continues along Edgars Creek, winding through the historic pioneerprecinctatWestgarthtowntoZiebell’s
farmhouse museum and heritage garden.
This year’s theme is hope, which was decided in consultation with the Thomastown community.
City of Whittlesea chair administrator Lydia Wilson, expressed her excitement at the upcoming event.
“Walking Thomastown is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together, celebrate our unique history, and look forward to the future with hope. We are thrilled to see this event grow each year and are excited to showcase Thomastown in such a vibrant light,” she said.
“We are expecting this year’s Walking Thomastown to be the most successful yet.”
Details:whittlesea.vic.gov.au/events.
A Maltese tradition
The Brimbank community will come together for a weekend of festivities to mark the 41st year of the Festa Santa Marija Assunta in Deer Park.
The traditional procession is a part of the Festa Santa Marija Assunta, celebrated on August 15 each year and marks the ascent into heaven by the Virgin Mary.
It will take place on Thursday, August 15, from 6.15pm, and the service in Maltese and English will include a presentation of flowers to Santa Marija and the carrying of the statue, with a celebratory mass accompanied by the M.W.F. Philippine Choir.
Following the service, The MMG Concert Band of Victoria will be playing Marian Hymnal Marches. This will be held at the St Peter Chanel, 800 Ballarat Road, Deer Park.
ThenonSaturday,August17,theLuxor function centre on Sydenham Road will play host to the annual Santa Marija Assunta dinner dance from 6.30pm. MusicwillbeplayedbyDJDominicand traditional Maltese band Philharmonic Society inc.
On Sunday, August 18, the festivities will return to the St Peter Chanel, for a Festa Day service at 2pm, and a procession parade from 3.30pm. Organiser Frank Galea said the celebrations pay tribute to the Maltese culturesomanylocalsfeelgreatnostalgia, with a strong Maltese community in the area.
Forticketstothedinnerdance,contact Frank: galeafrank@ymail.com
Gerald Lynch
Thomastown will light up for the enjoyment of young and old. (Supplied)
The festival is on August 10, from 9am-2pm, at the Suzanne Cory High School auditorium, 225 Hoppers Lane, Werribee. Entry is via gold coin donation.
The Western Concert Band will perform at the Western Bands Festival. (Supplied)
Jake Currey. (Damjan Janevski) 422618_01
A previous celebration in Deer Park. (Supplied)
Get crafty for Children’s Book Week
Each month, Stephanie Martinez will share an exciting craft project designed to inspire and spark creativity.
Stephanie starred in the first season MakingIt on Network 10, where she discovered and ignited her passion for crafting. Join Stephanie as she explores the endless possibilities of crafting and turn everyday materials into something extraordinary.
This month, Stephanie is creating monster bookmarks in honour of Children’s BookWeek(August17-23).
Happy crafting!
Monster bookmarks
Materials:
Googly eye
Marker
Coloured cardboard
Coloured yarn 30cm x four pieces
Equipment: Template
Glue stick
Scissors
Hole puncher
1/ Can the QR right to download and print the template for the monster bookmark and nose.
2/ Use the template to cut out the monster and the nose.
3/ Create a hole at the top of the monster. Fold the pieces of yarn in half, thread through the hole and tie a lark’s head knot.
4/ Glue googly eye in place. Fold the top of the nose and glue the folded part to the monster.
5/ Glue some colourful strips at the bottom of the monster.
6/ Draw an eyebrow and a mouth for the monster. Cut out a tooth and glue it in place.
7/ Give the monster some spots by hole punching some cardboard and randomly gluing them.
Get ready for Children’s Book Week by creating your own monster bookmark. (Supplied)
Instagram: Steph It Up with Stephanie Tik Tok: Steph It Up with Stephanie
Is this Honda’s best ever Accord?
By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring
Few vehicles can match the Honda Accord for longevity.
On the road in Australia since 1977, the award-winning sedan, now in its 11th generation, shows no sign of going away anytime soon.
Surprisingly, despite it being one of the maker’s most important nameplates, the latest Accord, a petrol-electric hybrid, stands alone in its bid to keep the opposition at bay. In doing so the Accord e:HEV RS – touted as the best Honda Accord ever – claims to deliver an unbeatable combination of style, efficiency, performance and connectivity.
But does it?
Hondahasturnedtotweetypeofphilosophy to describe the essence of the new Accord, saying the development team wanted to create a vehicle that allowed the ‘passionate achiever’ to express their status and help them change their mindset as they headed to their next destination.
However, when it comes to choice of models and pricing the sedan comes down to brass tacks: a single model with an eyewatering sticker price of $64,990, far above most of the opposition. The Accord e:HEV RS is covered by Honda’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty with eight years for the battery.
Styling
Honda is at it again, opining that a ‘creative black tie’ concept combines individuality with thebasicsofformalwearatahighlevel,making the driver appear accomplished and appealing. Sorry, Honda, the look is just bland.
Today’sAccordissoyesterdayinappearance, evenwithits‘long,cleanbodylinesandastrong powerfulfrontend,blackedoutheadlights,and wide upright grille flanked by air curtain inlets routing cooling air through the bumper and around the front wheels’.
Longerthanitspredecessor,afactemphasised by a ‘sharp upper character line’ and swoopy roof culminating in a fastback rear with distinctive LED flush tail lamps highlighting a wide stance. Machined matte black 18-inch wheels aim for a sporty appearance but fail to elevate it to the ‘black tie’ level.
The most modern feature up front is out of sight. The active shutter system behind the upper grille, commonplace on EVs these days, opens and shuts to control the amount of air flowing through the engine radiator and air-con condenser. Keeping shutters closed cuts aerodynamic drag, hence energy consumption.
Interior
While reasons for the Accord’s exterior is obscure, the cabin, happily, comes down to reality with up-to-date design using premium materials, highlighted by a honeycomb metal mesh strip across the dashboard separating audio and information displays and climate controls, while concealing the air vents.
Front seats are designed to stabilise the body, especially in spirited driving, enhance comfort and reduce fatigue on long journeys. Bigger exterior dimensions than before ensure more rear leg room and make space for 570 litres of luggage with the single rear seatback (no 60:40 split) up.
However, head room is limited by the sunroof and steeply sloping rear, and because of the hybrid set-up, there’s only room out back for a tyre repair kit.
Infotainment
The driver is the focus of the 10.2-inch instrument display with a new interface, which includes an energy flow meter in place of the tacho.TheupdatedHondaSensingisoneofthe user-selectable features.
A 12.3-inch touchscreen gives access to a revamped range of menus including audio and air-con. Honda says fewer embedded menus are easier to access. There’s still room for improvement here.
One nice touch, however, is the ‘Experience Selection Dial’, which has a circular display
defaulting to a digital clock, providing quick controlsofair-conditioninganddriverprofiles.
The new Accord features Honda’s first application of Google built-in, which includes Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play, plus satellite navigation and live traffic updates at the spoken request ‘Hey, Google’.
New-generation Honda Connect features a refreshed app interface, improved response time and other new features. Over The Air software updates are a feature of the audio/ connectivity ECU.
An 11.5-inch windscreen head-up display incorporates speedo, navigation and driver assist features. A dial under the screen allows the driver to call up pre-selected mood profiles while driving.
Quality sound comes from the standard Bose 12-speaker audio system developed by engineers working closely with Honda from early in the design process, while Dynamic Speed Compensation automatically adjusts volume and tone based on vehicle speed.
Engines/transmissions
A fourth-generation dual-motor hybrid system is made up of a refined two-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine developing 108kW of power mated with a pair of more powerful electric motors mounted side by side. The E-CVT traction motor puts out 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque, while the generatormotorchargesthebatterypack.Total power output is 152kW. The E-CVT features
high and low speed lock-up for direct drive, a help on steep inclines.
Fuel consumption is claimed by the maker to be 4.3 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined urban/highway cycle. The test car recorded five litres per 100 kilometres in city and suburbs and 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres on the motorway. With a 48 litre fuel tank this adds up to around 1000 kilometres range, depending on driving style.
Safety
The Accord features the latest iteration of Honda’s ACE body structure through the use of high-strength steel and structure designed to dissipate crash energy efficiently around the cabin.
Honda Sensing safety and driver assistance has been made possible by updated front camera and radar. Four-wheel disc brakes incorporate a four-channel anti-lock system, electronic brake distribution and brake assist.
Eight airbags include driver and front seat passenger, driver and front passenger knee airbag, front side airbag and side curtain airbags.Anouterlapbeltpretensionerisusedon front seats, with a load limiter to prevent chest injuries.Intherear,outboardpretensionersare used, along with load limiters.
Driving
The hybrid system features a shift control which apes the gear shifting on a conventional drivetrainwhentheacceleratorisfullypressed.
Half a dozen levels of slowing are available through the shift paddles on the steering column.
Thevehicleautomaticallyswitchesseamlessly between EV, Hybrid and Engine drive modes optimising performance and efficiency. An ‘e’ button has the driver switching between Auto from to EV mode for pure electric driving and Charge mode which keeps the engine running longer to keep the battery fully charged.
New drive modes include Normal for balanced fuel efficiency and performance; Econ, which shifts to lower fuel consumption; Sport, for sharper throttle response with additionalsportysound;andIndividual,driver choosing the settings.
The new petrol-electric hybrid system has pushed the Accord top speed up to 200km/h. There’s no doubt much work has been done on the suspension and steering, combining a more engaging, yet comfortably smooth and quiet drive, while NVH is complemented by a quietened exhaust note. New soundproofing and active noise control keep out intrusive cabin noise and construct ideal surroundings for the audio and passenger conversation.
Summary
There’s no denying the new Accord has a laundrylistofthelatestautomotivetechnology, driver aids and safety systems but do they add up to the $65K asking price? I’ll leave the potential buyer to make that decision.
Accord e:HEV RS is touted as the best Honda Accord ever, but it will cost you. (Pictures: Supplied)
Local results at Olympics so far
Here’s how the locals went at the Olympics during the last week.
Archery
After shooting the highest individual ranking round by an Australian since the current 72 arrow ranking, Laura Paeglis was drawn to face Caroline Lopez in the round of 32 elimination round. Paeglis led early with four points from the first two sets, but it was all Lopez after that taking the win 6-4.
Athletics
LongjumperChrisMitrevskicouldn’treplicate his form of the Australian championships at hisfirstOlympics.Havingjumpedajumpthat would have medalled in every Olympics since 1992, Mitrevski could only jump 7.79 metres in the qualifying rounds to miss the final. Amy Cashin was also in action in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She finished ninth in her heat, which included two runners breaking national records and another two getting personal bests.
Basketball
Both the Boomers and Opals are through to finals of the basketball competition. The Boomers had to rely on other results for them to qualify after losing to Greece in their final pool match.
In that match against Greece, Josh Giddey had nine points and Dante Exum had six. The Aussies now face Serbia in the quarter finals. The Opals had to win their final match with France to play finals, which they did 79-72. Tess Madgen led the way with 18 points, while Ezi Magbegor has 14 points.
Beach Volleyball
Thomas Hodges and his partner Zachery Schubert made it through to the lucky loser round of the men’s volleyball before losing to Americans Miles Evans and Chase Budinger 2-0 on Sunday, Australian time.
SPORTS QUIZ
1. How many Australians have won Formula 1 grand prix races?
2. Australian NBA player Josh Green was recently traded to which team?
3. How many points did New South Wales beat Queensland by in Game 3 of the 2024 State of Origin series?
Boxing Marissa Williamson was knocked out in the round of 16 in the women’s 66 kilogram competition. Anna Luca Hamori won 5-0.
Cycling
Road cyclist Lucas Plapp withdrew from the road race on medical grounds after undergoing abdominal surgery for injuries he sustained in the individual time trial. In the women’s road race, Lauretta Hanson was the best of the Australian’s finishing in 22nd. Judo
4. Which Australian boxer recently announced his next fight would be held in September 2024?
5. What is the only sport to have ever been played on the moon?
6. Who topped the medal tally at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games?
Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar hails from which country?
Mitch Creek recently announced he would be leaving which NBL team?
How many medals did swimmer Cody Simpson win at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games?
Australian runner Jessica Hull recently recorded a world record in which distance race?
UAE Team Emirates won which major recent event in the team classification category?
Aussie McLaren F1 driver Oscar Piastri won his maiden Grand Prix in Hungary at what age?
Aoife Coughlan won her round of 32 match with a golden score before taking on Germany’s Miriam Butkereit in the round of 16. It came down to a golden score again, with Butkereit scoring an Ippon, the highest score in judo, to claim the final and move through to the quarter finals. Katherina Haecker was knocked out of the judo women’s 63 kilogram event in the opening round. Haecker faced Great Britain’s Lucy Renshall losing 11-1.
Shooting
James Willett made the final of the trap men’s
13. Which US pop star has been announced as part of the pre-game entertainment for the AFL Grand Final?
14. Which three-time Grand Slam tennis champion will retire from singles tournaments after the Paris Olympics?
15. Which Aussie batsman scored five consecutive half-centuries for Washington Freedom in the Major League Cricket T20 competition?
16. Jess Fox and Eddie Ockenden performed what duty at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony?
17. Which Australian city is the favourite to enter the NRL as the league’s 18th team in 2027?
18. Which former cyclist is the chef de mission for Australia’s Olympic team at Paris 2024?
19. Which African country qualified for the Men’s Olympic Basketball for the first time at the Paris Olympic Games?
final but couldn’t match it with the medal winners. Willett finished sixth in the six personfinalwith19pointsandwaseliminated on the second stage of the final. Great Britain’s Nathan Hales’ won with 48 points.
Swimming Johann Stickland finished in 66th spot in the men’s 100 metres freestyle heats. The Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre staff member was competing for Samoa. He finished eighth in his heat with a time of 52.94.
20. The Nurburgring motor racing circuit is located in which European country?
21. Which nation did the Matildas defeat 6-5 at the Paris Olympic Games?
22. Isaac Heeney plays for which AFL team?
23. In which year did Roger Bannister break the four-minute mile?
24. Which English bowler recently retired after a 21-year career and 704 Test wickets?
25. Which singer performed on the Eiffel Tower for the 2024 Olympic Opening ceremony?
26. The coaches of which women’s national football team recently received a ban because of a drone spying scandal?
27. Which nation has the second biggest team at the Paris Olympic Games behind the US?
28. Which US city was announced as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics?
29. Emily Bates will captain which AFL Women’s team in 2024?
30. Mitch Creek recently announced he would be leaving which NBL team?
Jessica Hull
Cody Simpson
Tess Madgen. (Basketball Australia)
Bears bow out but Lions have a second chance
Thomastown’s first season is over, while South Morang will need to make the most of its second chance in the Northern Football League women’s competitions.
The Bears, who fielded a women’s side for the first time this season, made the finals of the division 2 competition.
It was the battle of the Bears in the elimination final with Thomastown taking on Lower Plenty on Sunday.
Lower Plenty jumped out of the blocks in thefirstquarterandsetthetoneforthematch.
It was able to build the lead in every quarter on the way to a 16.9 (105)-2.4 (16) win.
Brooke Gibson and Sierra Te’o kicked the goals for Thomastown.
Julia Milevski, Sierra Te’o and Tianah Te’o were named Thomastown’s best.
Before the final, Bears coach David Hatzis said the season had been beyond their wildest dreams.
“I said to the girls to enjoy the ride,” he said. “Whatever happens from here is a bonus.
“This year was a foundation year and set things in place.”
Lower Plenty will now face Fitzroy Stars in a knockout semi final, while Ivanhoe will face West Preston-Lakeside in the other semi final for a spot in the grand final .
In division 3, South Morang fell short against Panton Hill in the qualifying final.
For South Morang it was a welcome return to finals after not having a women’s side the past few years.
The Lions had the better of it early and led by seven points at quarter time.
Panton Hill then started to get itself into the game and kicked three goals to none in the second quarter to open up a 12 point lead at the main break.
Neither team could seem to find a way to score in the second half, as they kicked just
Flavel excited for future
By Tara Murray
Westmeadows coach Ash Flavel is excited for the future after committing to the Essendon District Football League division 2 club for next season.
Having coached the side the past two seasons, Flavel had no hesitation on putting pen to paper for another year.
“They said they would speak to me over the bye weekend and they seemed pretty happy with where things are at.
“I know about the coaching merry go round and one day you’ve got a job and the next you’re an outsider.
“We’ve had a pretty good year and are looking to play finals in the next few weeks. It would be good to give it a shake and I’m excited for next year.
“I’m invested in the club and I love the club.”
The Tigers sit in third spot after 16 rounds and have shown when they play their football, they can beat the top sides.
Whenthey’reoff,theTigershavebeengiven a couple of lessons.
“We always knew that we were going to be okay, but not knowing the competition we didn’t know how we would gel together,” Flavel said.
“We’re happy with the group and how they’ve gelled, it’s pretty pleasing. To just make finals would be a pass mark for us.
“How far we can go, I don’t know.
Many of the Tigers’ struggles have come in the wet, which Flavel says they are trying to change.
He said they were hoping that the weather gods might be on their side.
Flavel said for the playing group they were excited about the possibility of playing finals this year.
“A lot haven’t played senior finals footy, bar a couple,” he said. “We don’t have anything to lose.
“We are pretty much the underdog against Taylors Lakes and Burnside Heights or whoever we come up against.”
After a bye, the Tigers were back in action on Saturday against Taylors Lakes.
Speaking before the game, Flavel said they were keen to redeem themselves from the last time they played each other.
“Theygaveusatouchuplasttimeanditwas a bad week for the club,” he said. “Everyone was sick.
“We’re pretty much at full tilt and we want to see how we go.”
The Tigers showed a much improved performance against the Lions with the match finishing in a draw.
The Lions led at the three breaks including by six points at the final change.
Six goals to five in the final quarter levelled the scores at 14.11 (95)-14.11 (95).
Shaun O’Grady kicked three goals while
Shaun O’Grady. (Ljubica Vrankovic)_422890_22
four points between them.
The second quarter would prove the difference with Panton Hill winning, 4.3 (27)-2.3 (15).
Hailey Cordova and Jorja Hayden were the goal kickers for the Bears, while Hailey Cordova, Abbey Quirk and Chloe Thompson were named their best.
The Bears now face Hurstbridge in a knockoutsemifinalthisweekend.Hurstbridge beat North Heidelberg in a thriller in the elimination final by five points.
Panton Hill will play Heidelberg West for a spot in the grand final.
Division1women’sfinalswillgetunderway this week with Montmorency and Heidelberg playing in an elimination final and St Mary’s and Diamond Creek women’s will play in a qualifying final.
Locals picked for combines
Three Northern Knights and two Calder Cannons players have been invited to the AFL draft combine, while several others and a couple of Western Jets have been invited to the state combine.
The AFL has selected 65 draft prospects to attend the three-day testing in Melbourne in early October.
The selections were based on nominations from AFL recruiters, with each clubs nominating players they would like to see do the draft testing. Those with fewer nominations are likely to be invited to respective state draft combines, with the first 25 of that group also notified.
There were 18 players from Vic Metro selected for the national combine.
That includes the Knights’ Jesse Dattoli, Thomas Sims, Gabriel Stumpf and the Cannons’ Isaac Kako and Harry O’Farrell.
Kako, who was one of the standouts for Vic Metro at the under-18 championships, is aligned with Essendon through the Next Generation Academy.
BacchusMarsh’sSamLalor,whoplays for Greater Western Victoria Rebels and Vic Country, was also invited to the national combine. He has been spoken about as a top 10 pick despite having an injury riddled year.
The Victorian state combine will be held on October 6, the same day the national combine finishes.
Jets pair Lucca Grego and Lucas Impey,CannonscaptainDamonHollow and teammates Nash king and Jayden Nguyen, and Northern Knights’ Zak Johnson are among the state combine invitees so far.
Gabriel Stumpf. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 410527_19
Thomastown women’s side (Supplied)
Aaron Evans, Rex Hickman and Korey Flavel-Wood kicked two apiece. Luke Smith, Michael Mayne and Jordan Kosteas were named the Tigers best.
The result means the Tigers will finish in third no matter what happens in the final two rounds.
The Tigers face Coburg Districts this Saturday.
Scarafilo comes home with silver
Winning a silver medal at the under-16 girls National Basketball Championship has made Jayda Scarafilo even hungrier to succeed on the court.
The Westmeadows resident just missed out on being selected last season as a bottom under-16 player, but made the most of her second chance.
“I was extremely proud of myself as it showed all my hard work at practice, in the gym off the court paid off,” she said. “I worked extremely hard to be selected and my hard work was rewarded.
“The experience was amazing in fact it was everything plus more, the laughs, the stories that were shared, the friends that were made. It has made me hungrier to get there for under-18s. “Yes, there were days that were tough but with the coaches’ support it allowed me to exceed expectations.”
Scarafilo said she was so proud of her team. TheylostthegrandfinaltoQueenslandSouth, 83-62 to finish with a silver medal.
“Our team did an incredible job,” she said. “You wouldn’t believe it but we were hit with injuries and health issues throughout the campaign and we faced so many challenges just to get the team to nationals, to walk away withasilvermedalaroundmyneckjustshows we rose above it. We banded together and got the job done.”
Scarafilo, who plays for Keilor Thunder, tried many sports growing up.
She didn’t always love basketball.
“Originally with basketball I would run up and down the court crying but it was the one sport I always went back to,” she said. “It became a loved hobby of mine very quickly and I was keen to get better.’
Whilebasketballremainsherfirstlove,she’s also fallen in love with football. She started playing with Strathmore in the under-16s last season.
“I tagged along with my friend to a training session and loved it,” she said. ”I started off not knowing how to kick the ball or how to
bounce it to playing in a winning grand final and taking home the BOG [best on ground] medal.
“They are two different sports in my eyes and they both make me smile. Footy makes me feel free and it allows me to challenge myself but the team spirit is just awesome so different to basketball.
“Basketball has been a huge part of my life and will continue to do so, I love them both and hopefully can be a dual athlete as I get older as it will be too hard to choose.”
Scarafilo said she has so many goals that she still wants to achieve in her sporting career.
“I want to make state teams for both footy and basketball, play NBL1, WNBL or even look at a college pathway.
“So many decisions but just get back to working hard, stay grounded and see where my journey takes me.”
Hume City takes control
A second half demolition job against Darwin Hearts has seen Hume City continue its incredible run in the Australia Cup.
Hume has tasted a lot of success when it has made it through to the national stage of the competition and is on track again.
Scores were locked at 0-0 at half time before Hume dominated the second half to come away with a 6-0 win.
Coach David Chick said it was a pleasing win in the end after a difficult start.
“We got the job done,” he said. “The first half was a little bit disappointing but we were able to get a few goals in the net and that is the main thing.
“We needed to be a bit more clinical. We had some good chances and didn’t hit the target.
“We had some good opportunities to put them away and it would have made things a lot easier.”
Chick said the message at half time was to
keep the pressure on.
He said the tempo had been quite high in the first half and they were hoping that it had taken it out of the Hearts.
Hume got on the board in the 59th minute and the goals then started to flow from there.
“They slowed down after the pressure in the first half and we were able to take advantage of that.
“We got a couple of goals and that made it easier. It was good for everyone involved to do that on the national stage.
“It’s great for the players and the coaches.”
Josh Gulevski scored two for Hume, while Mickel Platt, Aamir Abdallah Yunis, Fletcher McFarlane and Karl Imanzi were the other goal scorers.
Hume is now one of just 16 teams left in the competition.
“We would like a fortunate draw, but you could draw an A-League team, a full time team.
Pacers need to rebound
Whittlesea Pacers received a wake up call in its quest to claim the Big V men’s division 1 title.
Having finished second on the ladder, the Pacers hosted Gippsland United, with a double chance up their sleeve.
The match proved to be a high scoring one with both teams passing the 100 point total.
United managed to do enough despite the Pacers coming hard late to win, 116-109.
Pacers coach Des Radoslovic said they took a lot out of that game with some areas to work on.
“It was a good game with both teams’ offences having strong games,” he said.
“You definitely know you’re going to give up points but there were a lot of things we could control, but we didn’t take control of..
“We knew it was going to be a high scoring game, but gave up more on the defensive end than we would haveliked.”
Jason Dirkx top scored with 29 points while Meekness Payne scored 28.
Radoslovic said they would tinker with a few things during the week, but said they wouldn’t make too many changes from what has been working.
“Wehaveearnedadoublechancewith finishing second,” he said. “We are in the same position we would have been had we won, playing a final this week.
“We learn from losses and we still back ourselves to win three more games to get the championship.”
“We are keen for whatever.”
Hume had the weekend off due to the Dockerty Cup, with only catch up rounds across the competitions.
Chick said they would have preferred to have been playing in the Dockerty Cup final, but after the difficult travel schedule they’ve had, it’s a good chance for the group to rest and freshen up.
Hume is then set for a big end to the season with a top two spot heading into finals on the line.
“We have picked up more points so far than we ever have and we have a couple of games to go,” Chick said.
“It will be a record high finish as well. We want to try and take advantage of that.
“We want to finish as high as we can.”
Hume City faces Altona Magic on Saturday night in the second last round.
Tara Murray
Standing in the Pacers this week of preliminary final, is a familiar foe in the Altona Gators.
The two sides have faced each other six times in the past two years, with five matches decided by five points or less.
One of those was the division 2 grand final win to the Gators last year.
Radoslovicsaidthere’sabitofarivalry between the two teams.
“We’ve had some close ones,” he said. “It’s one of those things and yes there’s a bit of a rivalry.
“We had a wake up call on the weekend about finals level intensity. We don’t need any extra momentum to get up this week. We’re looking forward to the match up.”
Tara Murray
Jayda Scarafilo. (Supplied)
Aamir Abdallah Yunis. (Ljubica Vrankovic)
Magpies continue momentum into prelim final
ThemomentumisgrowingforRoxburghPark asitisthroughtoanEssendonDistrictFootball
League women’s division 2 preliminary final.
After a slow start in their return to the EDFL women’s competition, the Magpies entered the finals as one of the form teams in the competition.
Playing their first ever final on Saturday, the Magpies were able to keep their season alive while ending the Sunbury Kangaroos.
The Magpies took control of the game early before going on to win, 7.12 (54)-5.3 (33).
Magpies coach Kevin Allan said his group of players continue to inspire him every week.
“It’sbeyondexplanation,”hesaid.“Everyone has come together and it’s been really good.
“Because of momentum all of sudden everything is happening.
“It’s amazing and I can’t put into words how hard work has made these dreams and hopes come to fruition.”
Allan, who has coached since he was 18, said he has never been more nervous before a game in his life.
Some inaccurate kicking in the first quarter kept the Kangaroos in the game before the Magpies kicked away.
“ItwasoneofthosegamesIthoughtwewere well in control,” Allan said. “Had we kicked straight in the first quarter it could have been a really one sided game.
“We had come to play. We have had some good starts the last few weeks and it came to fruition.”
Natalie Tull-Boyle and Summa Blackburn kicked three goals each for the Magpies. Tull-Boyle could have had a bagful had she kicked straight early on.
Blackburn, McLeod and Megan Allan were named the Magpies best.
Allan said the experience that many of the group had in playing in a division 1 grand finallastyearintheNorthernFootballLeague had really helped.
He said the biggest thing this season had been the growth of the players towards the bottom of their list who have developed and
Greenvale into decider
By Tara Murray
Greenvale is hoping its a case of third time lucky in the Essendon District Football League women’s division 1 competition.
The Jets became the first team through to the division 1 grand final on Saturday, beating Burnside Heights in a physical match up.
The Bears entered the match as favourites with only one loss for the season, but it was the Jets that set the tone after the first five minutes.
The Jets let at every break, but the Bears didn’t let them get away, with the margin back to a goal in the third quarter.
It was the Jets that found another level to come away with a 7.11 (53)-6.3 (39) win and makeitthroughtoathirdstraightgrandfinal.
Jets coach Troy Newton said they were pretty happy to be back in the final game of the season.
“Hopefully it’s third time lucky,” he said. “We played really well.
“It was pretty tough contested footy and
we were able to stick it out. They did have momentum for large chunks and there were periods when we were on top. We were able to stay in the game and get over the line.”
Newton said the most pleasing thing for him out of the performance was the way the group responded when they were challenged.
The biggest of those occasions was when the Bears kicked the first three goals of the third quarter.
“They challenged us a few times and we fought back and that was what I was most happy about,” Newton said.
“I was happy that we played some good footy, but more happy that every time they challenged us we were able to respond and wrestle momentum back and stay in the game.”
Alisa Magri was the only multiple goal kicker for the Jets with two goals.
Kiara Delia, Amy Hakim and Adela Luke were the Jets best.
Newton said that every player played their role and that those they gave jobs to really stuck to the task.
made the side more even.
TheMagpiesnowfacetheSunburyLionson Saturday in the preliminary final.
The Lions lost to Coburg Districts in the other semi final.
Allan said while anything they achieve in finals is a bonus, they were keen to continue their journey.
“When we beat them that was our greatest win of the season,” Allan said about the Lions.
“They were undefeated and it set us going.
“We are pretty much at full strength and we are excited. We’ve been making small steps and we’re in the big step class now.
“I’m full of confidence that our side is bringing our best. Momentum is a hard thing to stop and we have the momentum at the moment.”
Tara Murray
Sports Shorts
Northern FL
Bundoora fell agonisingly short against West Preston-Lakeside in the Northern Football League division 1 on Saturday. The Roosters were able to open up a three goal lead in the middle two quarters before the Bulls came home hard. The comeback would fall just short with the Roosters winning, 10.8 (68)-10.6 (66). Jackson Davies and Peter McEvoy were the Bulls best. The Bulls sit second last with three wins for the season.
Laurimar has moved out of the Northern Football League division 2 season with its third win in a row. Facing Panton Hill, the Power kicked two goals to none in the final quarter to win, 12.9 (81)-10.5 (65). The win moves Laurimar above Watsonia on the ladder. The Power announced during the week that Jimmy Atkins had been reappointed for next season. In other matches, Thomastown kept its finals hopes alive, while Whittlesea beat South Morang.
EDFL
Greenvale’s hold on a finals spot in the Essendon District Football League premier division has loosened. After two straight poor performances, the Jets again struggled on Saturday, losing to Airport West, 15.15 (105)-7.11 (53). The Jets remain in fifth spot, but are now only two points ahead of Airport West. The Jets face East Keilor this week.
He said while their stars did what they came toexpectofthem,itwasthenexttierofplayers that were the key to the win.
The Jets are hoping this season will be the one they break through and get that premiership after being so close the last two years.
Newton said it was a massive effort to get back there again.
“Thisyearwelostourbestandfairestwinner in Zoe Hardiman and Chantel Caruso, who finished third.
“Indi McNeil-Wren only played two games and we lost our full back early in the season and our captain Paige [Caparello] didn’t play.
“Youlosethosefiveandit’sabitofadifferent side.”
The Jets now have a week off before the grand final. The Bears will face Airport West in the preliminary final for a spot in the grand final.
Newton said they were looking at how they would prepare for the grand final and what had and hadn’t worked in the past.
The Essendon District Football League division 1 top five is set. Oak Park’s win against Tullamarine sealed fifth spot and ended the Demons chances. Craigieburn all but sealed its spot in division 1, with a 15.10 (100)-11.8 (74) win against Rupertswood. The win was the Eagles fifth of the season having lost their last eight games heading into the match with Rupertswood. Roxburgh Park had the bye.
Caitlyn McLeod. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 422902_20
Kiara Delia. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 422916_12
Weekend finals action kicks off
Finals action hit several football and basketball competitions at the weekend. Star Weeklyphotographer Ljubica Vrankovic shot some finals action and a couple of key matches in the lead up to finals.
Woodend-Hesket’s Mariam Habib. 422913_17 Greenvale’s Haylea Cooke. 422916_08
Roxburgh Park’s Dakotta Liddy takes down Aislinn-jayd Taiaroa. 422902_21 Sunbury Lions’ Taylah Brady. 422897_13
Sunbury Kangaroos’ Kelsie Gill. 422902_01
Taylors Lakes and Westmeadows fly for the mark. 422890_01
Burnside Heights. 422916_33
Taylors Lakes’ Lachlan Rayner. 422890_09 Melton’s Chelsea Lapsley. 422913_01
Some supporters enjoying Coburg Districts and Sunbury Lions. 422897_03
