Clothes for a good cause
Fashionistas of Melton made the most of a golden opportunity to keep their wardrobe chock full of quality second hand finds.
On Tuesday, September 24, mental health service, headspace Melton, hosted a ‘clothes swap’ event as part of the Victorian Youth Fest.
The Spring Cleaning Community Drive, which took place from 11am to 1.30pm in Melton South, was designed to encourage both social inclusion and sustainable practices amongst young people in the area.
Not-for-profit organisation Orygen, which runs headspace Melton, received $2000 from the state government to put on the day.
Community awareness officer Melissa O’Neill said the day was a success.
Ms O’Neill said the event was a way for young people to “express identity” and that it was important for that to be accessible.
“We wanted it to be free for people to attend and get clothes … anyone could come along and take part.”
On arrival, visitors received three tokens to swap for clothes, with donations of clothes resulting in the rewarding of more tokens.
Shock after teen stabbed
Police have vowed to step up patrols of Woodgrove Shopping Centre after a teen was fatally stabbed there on Tuesday, September 24.
Oscar Hamilton, 16, from Harkness, died from injuries sustained during the knife attack.
Oscar was stabbed just before noon, with emergency services arriving within minutes of the incident
He was found in a critical condition in the outdoor food court, and despite efforts to revive him through CPR, he died at the scene.
On Tuesday night, police arrested a
15-year-old Melton West boy and later charged him with murder.
Appearing in court on Wednesday, September 25, the boy wiped tears from his face. He has been remanded to a committal mention in January and did not apply for bail.
His lawyer told the magistrate it was the 15-year-old’s first time in custody and he needed to be assessed by a nurse.
Superintendent Michael Cruse said the incident was “beyond devastating”.
“These incidents impact the entire community,” he said.
Mr Cruse said locals can expect to see an
increase in police in the area in addition to an ongoing operation.
“We completely understand the concern felt, especially by parents … we have boosted both foot and vehicle patrols of Woodgrove Shopping Centre and surrounds,” he said.
“These patrols are in addition to Operation Cavalcade units, which have been tasked to the Brimbank and Melton area every day since September 16.
“This highly visible presence will continue throughout the entire school holiday period.”
Woodgrove Shopping Centre manager
Kylie Robertson said the centre’s dedicated security team worked closely with police and
would remain vigilant.
“Additional security personnel have been deployed on site and are continuing work with police to support a heightened level of security across the local area,” she said.
“The centre’s incident management procedures were activated in a coordinated manner, with the scene secured and immediate first aid administered.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the victim’s family and all those impacted by [Tuesday’s] events.”
Counselling and support services will be offered to staff and retailers.
- with AAP
Jess Calleja and Phoenix Dean at the clothes swap event in Melton. (Damjan Janevski) 433603_03
Crime on the rise across Melton
Melton and Moorabool have experienced a dramatic spike in crime, according to new data released by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA).
Recorded criminal offences increased by 15.5 per cent across Melton, with 1887 more offences recorded in the 12 months to June 2024 compared to the previous 12 months, for a total of 14,069 criminal offences.
The suburbs of Melton (2117 offences recorded) and Caroline Springs (1479 offences recorded) remain the top two hot spots for crime within the municipality.
Both recorded an increase of 250 and 225 recorded offences respectively, reflecting an alarming uptake.
The only place in the top five suburbs that witnessed a decrease in crime was Melton South – at 1267, it had 107 less offences from last year.
The data revealed that other theft (1614 offences recorded) and stealing from a motor vehicle (1573 offences recorded) were the top two offences in Melton.
Stealing from a motor vehicle jumped by 521 offences.
Acting Deputy Commissioner of regional operations Chris Gilbert said the increase in car theft can in part be attributed to unlocked cars, and urged the community to be as careful as possible.
“Police continue to see far too many properties burgled and cars stolen due to unlocked doors and windows, so we urge the community to take simple measures such as checking your home and car is locked before heading to bed,” he said.
“Victoria’s four fastest growing crimes are all related to opportunistic offending -
Gypsy jazz ready for Hide and Seek
You’d be forgiven for thinking the ‘Gordon Gypsies’ were a street gang pulled straight from a Charles Dickens novel.
However, they are actually a Moorabool quartet preparing for a live performance at the upcoming Hide and Seek Festival.
Fromnoonto2pmonNovember3,theband will play at the Soup and Bowl Lunch – one of 56 events occurring across the municipality.
Thegroup,whichformedatthestartof2023, is made up of Charlie Farrell on tin whistle, Tom Hughes on guitar, Quilby Nelson on the bodhran (Irish drum) and Shafiah Nelson on violin.
Mr Farrell said they had a “big range” of music to choose from and that the genre played on the day would depend on “audience and venue.”
“We set up a setlist in advance based on what we expect from the time and location… but we can change it up based on whether people are engaging,” he said.
Despitetheirversatility,MrFarrellsaidthey already had something in mind: gypsy jazz, a technical and string instrument oriented style that originated in 1930s Paris.
The significance of the opportunity to play live music in front of a crowd is not lost on
Mr Farrell, especially when live music venues have closed down.
“It’s really fantastic – we haven’t had many gigs in the winter months… a lot of live music venues have closed down,” he said.
“[Bacchus Marsh pub] Flanagans Border Inn used to have live music every Sunday and now they don’t have enough money to pay artists, so it’s good council is stepping in.”
The family friendly festival will run from November 1 – 10 and feature music, art, and food for free or at a low cost.
Eddie Russell
theft from motor vehicles, retail theft, motor vehicle theft, and the theft of other items such as petrol.”
In Moorabool, 219 more recorded offences from June 2023 to June 2024 meant the increase was 9.2 per cent.
The top offence was breach of family violence order, which jumped by 101 recorded offences in the 12 months to June 2024.
Stealing from a motor vehicle and other theft were second and third highest for offences recorded in Moorabool, reflecting a greater trend across the west.
Elaine oval name to remain
The name of Elaine Recreation Reserve will remain unchanged.
It comes after Moorabool council concluded that the community was opposed to the renaming in a meeting on September 4.
Results from a survey, as part of a consultation process, indicated 82 per cent of community members were against the renaming of Elaine Recreation Reserve to Ron Read Recreation Reserve.
During the 30 day consultation period, 312 submissions were received. This was made up of 56 supporters and 255 objectors.
As reported by Star Weekly, council had deferred making a decision on renaming the oval in honour of the former chairperson on July 3.
Now, the matter has been put to bed for good.
Therewasfierceandvocalopposition to the proposal, which culminated in a petition to keep the original name of the oval.
The petition, led by Elaine Cricket Club secretary Shane Dunne, received more than 110 signatures.
From the community submissions, there was one objection to this petition rather than the renaming.
At the time, Mr Dunne said the sentiments were so strong that locals would protest the decision if it didn’t go their way.
“If this happens to go ahead there will be a mass protest at the opening. We are just not happy with this at all,” he said.
Roads and reserves get big funding boost
Almost $2 million has been thrown at roads and recreational infrastructure in Melton to make the municipality more liveable.
A recent round of funding from the federal government will help 11 projects across the municipality to improve transport networks, support local jobs, and unlock new social and economic opportunities.
It comes through Phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program and will be delivered in partnership with Melton council.
Among the grants is nearly $300,000 to upgrade the section of Station Road near the Exford Road intersection in Melton South. It will establish a dedicated right hand turn lane for southbound traffic turning into Richard Road to reduce traffic congestion.
Otherroadprojectsincludetheurbanisation
of Palm Springs Road in Ravenhall ($210,000), construction of raised intersection and crossing on Lancefield Drive ($300,000), and resurfacingofWatervaleBoulevard($138,243).
There are four minor park upgrades for Punjel Drive Reserve in Diggers Rest, Burrill Court in Taylors Hill, Westlake Drive Reserve in Melton West, and Cranwell Reserve in Caroline Springs. Each of these projects will receive $90,000 or $170,000 and all are expected to be complete by June next year.
More than $280,000 will be poured into the reconstruction of the tennis and netball courts inArnoldsCreekTennis,whiletheinstallation ofaspectatorshelterwillbeboostedby$90,000 from the government.
Hawke MP Sam Rae said the funding was allocated to service Melton’s booming population and keep up with demand.
“Our community is rapidly growing and we need infrastructure investment to keep up. That’s why I’m fighting to make sure we get the funding we need here in Hawke,” he said.
“The Albanese Labor Government is deliveringtheseimportantlocalinfrastructure projects to make sure locals can get home to their loved ones quicker and safer.”
Regional Development and Local Government Minister Kristy McBain said the government would continue to invest in crucial infrastructure and work alongside local councils to understand what is needed most.
“Whether it’s improving ageing roads or delivering a much-needed repair to a community hall, investing in local-led projects ensures we continue to boost liveability, regardless of your postcode,” she said.
Tom Hughes, Charlie Farrell, Quilby Nelson, and Shafiah Nelson from the Gordon Gypsies. (Supplied)
Walking Kokoda for MND
Walking the Kokoda Track is a gruelling march through 96 kilometres of jungle terrain that puts hikers through mud, sweat, and tears.
However, it still does not compare to the challenge of living with Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
According to MND Australia, two people are diagnosed and two people die from the illness every day across the country.
That’s why Melton local Sarah Lock is one of 17 people raising money for not-for-profit organisation MND Victoria to help sufferers and their families by walking the famous trail.
She recently hit the $5000 mark after a Big Freeze inspired ice bath challenge event in August, and the group are only $7000 short of their $100,000 goal.
Ms Lock said she “feels aligned” with the cause and wants to help in as many ways as possible.
“As a personal trainer, my job is to help everyone move their body – MND does the reverse of that,” she said.
“I feel compelled to encourage people to be grateful for what their bodies can do because in the blink of an eye it can be changed.”
“MND Victoria have services for both those battling the disease and the carers to make sure they are supported.”
It also provided an opportunity to achieve a life long goal of walking the infamous Kokoda trail,wheretheAnzacsfoughtJapanesetroops in a major battle during World War Two.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but it was put on the backburner because I had kids. When I saw I could do it as a fundraiser, I couldn’t unsee it – in my eyes, if I was going to do it it would be for a greater cause.”
With less than a month to go before she sets foot in the jungle, Ms Lock is ready – but you
can’t be too ready for something like this.
“I think no matter how much I train and mentallyprepare,I’mnotgoingtobeequipped for what I’m going up against. But it’s not a
race – I’ll take it all in,” she said. “It’s going to be hard but so rewarding.”
Donate: https://www.mnd.org.au/ my-fundraising/1629/sarah-lock
Money for maintenance
Melton schools in need of help for essential maintenance projects are set to receive a major financial leg-up.
Two primary schools and one high school in the area are among 59 other educational facilities across the state to share in more than $20 million in funding for 62 maintenance projects.
As part of the Planned Maintenance Program (PMP), Staughton College in Melton South, Exford Primary School, and Arnolds Creek Primary School will all get to address high-priority maintenance issues.
The program ensures government schools can undertake essential work in classrooms and other school buildings such as fixing roofs and replacing windows, painting, and resurfacing floors,aswellassomeexternalworkslike improving pathways.
Melton MP Steve McGhie said the upgrades would give kids a better environment to not only get a quality education, but grow and thrive as well.
“I’m delighted to see Melton share in funding to make sure our students have the best facilities to learn in,” he said.
Education Minister Ben Carroll said that ensuring schools were kept up-to-date was imperative.
“We are constantly evaluating our schools and making sure every single classroom is safe, engaging, and will complement the top-class education we are committed to providing.”
Sarah Lock is walking the Kokoda trail to raise money for MND. (Damjan Janevski)434027_02
Fathers leap from ‘dude to dad’
There isn’t much that can prepare you for becoming a father – anyone will tell you the lifestyle shift is monumental.
Likemost,thebirthofGabrielCarazo’schild changed things forever.
“I had a fantasy of what being a dad would look like and then reality kicked in,” he said.
Seeking advice on the “transition from dude to dad”, Mr Carazo’s search soon exposed a “huge gap” in services available at a local level.
“Itypedindadsupportandnothingcameup … there was nothing specific on what I needed.
“There were a lot of questions, like ‘how am I going to come home from work and know that I am doing the right thing by my partner and my kid before going to bed?’, but you can’t type that into the internet.”
The Macedon Ranges local figured that hearing from others’ experiences was the best way to learn about parenthood.
“After I became a dad, it was important for me to interact with people on the same journey … and hear what was working for them.”
Soon, Mr Carazo took matters into his own hands.
After “falling into a rabbit hole” on psychology and relationships five years ago, he began the RAD Dads program.
RAD – short for responsive, active, and dynamic–isafree,community-driveninitiative focused on supporting and empowering dads through education, connection, and hands-on experiences.
It aims to help explore “barriers and limitations”tofatherhoodthatalotofmenface in the modern world.
Mr Carazo said the program places a major emphasis on accessibility, which means bringing it to others rather than the other way around.
“I load up a play centre into my car and take it to others because … a lot of dads have
to work and don’t have a lot of time with work schedules, so we go to them,” he said.
“It’s set up to work around the needs of what dads want and how they can do it in terms of availability and capacity … so they can just participate and engage.”
Served by a background in community services and counselling, it didn’t “require a lot” for Mr Carazo to get this up and running, although it was unexpected.
“I never planned to do RAD Dads, I thought
Club reels in interest
Anglers in Melton and Moorabool have come together to learn more about their favourite pastime as the weather gets warmer.
On Saturday, September 24, the Didyabringyarodalong club put on a ‘fun night of fishing information’ for locals to come along and learn more about fishing.
From 5–8pm, more than 50 people attended the session to hear from Richard Abela – one of Victoria’s leading charter skippers – as well as VR Fish executive officer Ben Scullin and membersoftheVictorianFisheriesAuthorities.
President Andrew Levett said the outing was a success for the club.
“The feedback we got was that it was a very informative and worthwhile night,” he said. “Attendees learned a lot of things they didn’t know about, especially from the fisheries officers,andwepickedupsomenewmembers.”
Bacchus Marsh resident Matt Mooney was one of these new members.
He said he was inspired to sign up when reminded of his own background with the sport and family involvement at the club.
“My dad was involved in the club many years ago when I was a little tacker. I got a lot from it back then and hadn’t given it much thought since, until people asked if we wanted to come along on Saturday,” he said.
“It reminded me of family and so I thought I’d sign up so my kids can enjoy it as well.”
Mr Mooney said it was nice to “reconnect” with “like minded people” and “share knowledge.”
Mr Levett said the club was “all about being community minded and getting families involved.”
I’d be having fun with my kids,” said Mr Carazo.
However, with the three-year anniversary of RAD Dads coming up, and new sessions being added to Diggers Rest, the initiative continues to provide a crucial service to an underserved demographic.
“It has developed into a multifaceted and adaptable program – there is something there that resonates for the specific needs of each individual.”
“It can offer many different outlets for local dads to tap into support.”
InSunbury,theLittleDiggersBushPlaygroup offers outdoor activities like scavenger hunts and wildlife watching for children aged zero to three.
Sensory play sessions are run indoors, with a plan to create a hub for dads in the Melton area at the Diggers Rest Sport and Community Centre.
Details: https://www.raddads.com.au/
Your Will is your voice after you die. It reflects your wishes and distributes your assets in the event of your death. If you die without a Will, the law decides who gets your assets. It is important to review your Will regularly and update it when you have a significant event in your life, such as marriage or divorce.
Legal can draft you a Will or review your current Will and, if necessary, update it for you. We also prepare Powers of Attorney and Appointments of a Medical Decision Maker. Call our team on 5303 0250 to arrange an appointment.
Dads at the kinder gym session in Diggers Rest. (Supplied)
Top charter fisherman Richard Abela gives useful tips on fishing to the crowd. (supplied)
Level crossing design ‘dismay’
The Diggers Rest Level Crossing Removal Project was meant to ‘ensure a safer and more connected’ town, but some locals say it is inadequate.
Local advocacy group DREAM is ‘dismayed’ with what it claims is a lack of consideration for community feedback, which highlighted multiple design flaws.
This includes the placement of bus stops, whichitbelieveswillthreatenpedestriansafety and increase traffic.
DREAM claims the current configuration of theproposedstops,locatedonthenorth-bound
side of the station, will likely increase congestion and safety risks.
It means passengers must cross the tracks and face a wait of several minutes at a time.
As well as that, it will increase congestion from the constant merging of the buses on and off the road, which would be shared by trucks and cars, the group said.
The group proposed moving the bus stops to the south-bound side, meaning commuters would be dropped off on the side of the station that heads towards the city.
However, a letter from Transport
Police and SES meet
The men and women in the blue have met up with their orange cousins to build on the relationship the two have moving forward.
On Monday, September 16, police from Melton visited the local State Emergency Services(SES)headquarterstotourthefacility and check out the equipment used by the crew there.
The aim of the visit was for both organisations to swap ideas and share stories through conversation.
Melton SES section leader Karl Sass, who has been a volunteer for 14 years, said it was a nice change of pace compared to the usual environment the two groups find themselves interacting in.
“It was nice to see them in a setting that is not at a crime scene or on a search when you can be a bit more casual and share experiences,” he said.
“SES members often work with other
emergency services, including police, so it was fantastic to get them down, have a bit of a chat, and improve the way we work with each other.”
Mr Sass said one key learning that came out of the meeting for both services was each other’s respective capabilities.
“They had a look at the some of the equipment we have on some of the trucks and now they have a better understanding of what we can offer.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Graeme Dreaver said the occasion would make working with the SES more efficient in future.
“It was a pleasure to attend the Melton SES headquarters to share knowledge and gain a better understanding of how we can work together,” he said.
“The SES is an amazing volunteer community service who are always there during some of our most major disasters.”
Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson, seen by Star Weekly, disputes this, stating the bus stopsitewasdeterminedtobethe‘bestlocation to service existing routes’.
In the letter, Mr Pearson told DREAM that buses would “be unable to turn around to continue their route through Diggers Rest“.
DREAM member Paul Rodgers said the project “wasn’t really an upgrade” in some senses.
“As a pedestrian, you’ve either got to cross therailline–ahazard–ormakethe400-metre trip over the road bridge where the footpath
runs out at the roundabout [on the Old Calder Highway].”
Mr Rogers, who joined the group more than 12 months ago, said the community felt unheard and that there are “a lot of unhappy people.”
“It seems like they’ve got their idea of what they want and they are going to do that,” he said. “They try to take the public’s feedback on board but you don’t feel like anything happens after that … nothing has changed since their initial designs… despite everything that we have raised.”
Intensive care milestone
Five years ago, parents of an ill newborn baby residing in Melbourne’s west faced a nervous commute into the city.
An election will be held for Melton City Council.
Check the mail for your ballot pack
Ballot packs containing voting material will be mailed to enrolled voters from Monday 7 October.
This is a postal election only.
If you do not receive your ballot pack by Tuesday 15 October please visit vec.vic.gov.au to complete the online replacement form, or call 131 832 to arrange a replacement. Candidates
Candidates who have nominated for election are listed in the ballot packs and at vec.vic.gov.au
A photo and candidate statement will also be included if provided by candidates. Responses to a candidate questionnaire, if provided, are available at vec.vic.gov.au
How to vote correctly
You must complete your ballot paper correctly for your vote to count. Put the number 1 in the box next to the candidate you want to see elected, then number all the other boxes in order of your choice. You must number every box and only use each number once.
How to return your ballot pack
Put your completed ballot paper in the ballot paper envelope, complete the declaration, then post it ASAP using the reply-paid envelope provided, or hand deliver it during election office hours to: 16 - 18 Palmerston Street
Melton
Voting is compulsory
Voting is compulsory for all voters who were enrolled at 4 pm on Wednesday 7 August. This includes state-enrolled and councilenrolled voters.
If you don’t vote and don’t have a valid excuse, you may be fined.
Your completed ballot pack must be in the mail or hand delivered by 6 pm Friday 25 October.
State-enrolled voters can register for free VoterAlert SMS and email reminders at vec.vic.gov.au
Now, they have comprehensive care in their own backyard, as the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s at Sunshine Hospital turned five last week.
Since opening in September 2019, the NICU has looked after 1128 babies, with the longest stay by a patient being 229 days between the NICU and Western Health’s newborn services.
Newborn services nurse unit manager Michelle Ryan said the centre has provided an invaluable resource to parents and their newborns in the area.
“We have a huge range of multidisciplinary teams working in the nursery, so the baby gets 24-hour medical and nursing care, and the parents are provided with access to social workers and psychologists, mental health support, as well as spiritual or pastoral care,” she said.
Ms Ryan said babies are given world class care that will set them up for a great life once they leave the NICU.
“This includes speech pathology, occupational therapists, physios, dietitians, all depending on what the baby needs,” she said.
When it opened in 2019, there were four NICU cots, which has since increased to six, and a total of 30 beds throughout the centre, but still it can be hard to keep up with the demand.
“We are always running at 90 to 100 per cent capacity, seven days a week,” Ms Ryan said.
“Prior to us opening, all of these babies with complex conditions would have instead been birthed at metropolitan hospitals, or ones born here that needed intensive care would have beentransferredbyambulancetothosecentres, which obviously increases their chances of not surviving.
“Having this centre at Joan Kirner means that the babies are receiving the timely care
they need, significantly improving their health outcomes.”
Ms Ryan has been involved with the centre since its opening, and said the best part of the job is helping families leave the hospital without leaving anyone behind.
“We’ve had a baby that weighed only 365 grams survive … We have had nearly 1200 babies come through, and to be able to care for them close to home is really nice for them and their families.”
Members from Melton SES and police met up at SES HQ. (supplied)
Gerald Lynch
Mum Anupa Dhetwal and dad Abhishek Shiwakoti with their three-month-old baby Aagya. (Damjan Janevski) 433790_01
Safe driving mentors
For 15 years, roads across Melton and Moorabool have been made safer by one particular community-based program.
Since 2009, the L2P program – which is completely staffed by volunteers – has taught L-platers aged between 16-to-23-years-old how to drive for free.
It serves those who do not have access to a supervising driver or an appropriate vehicle to gain the necessary skills to pass a driving test and get a probationary licence.
L2P co-ordinator Tanya Pagett said the program had a huge impact on the lives of young locals and that everyone involved should be “extremely proud” of the fifteenth anniversary.
“We have had 248 learners successfully gain their licence through the program – that’s 248 lives we’ve changed,” she said.
“Every learner that gets their P-plates is something to celebrate … our mentors are proud of the program and we are equally as
The Western Renewables Link is a proposed 190km transmission line that will carry renewable energy from western Victoria to homes and businesses across the state.
proud of them.
Ms Pagett commended those who had helped the program.
“It’s a massive achievement … without the mentors, we wouldn’t have a program,” she said.
“They are invested and giving people who generously volunteer their time … to get more learners on the road who don’t have any other option.”
The longest serving mentor in the L2P program has been there for 12 of the 15 years.
It is funded by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and coordinated by Djerriwarrh Community and Education Services, currently has 28 active mentors who tutor about 40 learner drivers in three cars
However, there is more to be done to help those in need.
“We are always looking for more mentors and sponsors to keep our cars on the road –the wait list is massive,” said Ms Pagett.
Briefs
Train crash in Ingliston
A car was fully engulfed by fire after colliding with the carriage of a V-line train on Wednesday September 25 at Ingliston. The incident occurred just before 8pm and all 83 passengers were required to evacuate the train despite no injuries. Crews from local State Emergency Services (SES), Country Fire Authority (CFA), Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria units were called to the incident and worked to make the site safe. The car was extinguished by CFA crews.
Motorbike rescue
A motorbike rider who got lost in Lerderderg Gorge was rescued by police and State Emergency Service (SES) search and rescue crews after a two and a half hour search. Police Airwing located the rider in a remote location around 1:30am on Sunday September 29. After searching in 4WD vehicles and then by foot, the crews found the lost rider and escorted them out of the bush around 4am.
Field surveys and investigations
We have been conducting field surveys and investigations since 2021 to help inform the planning and design of the proposed Western Renewables Link. Read more about our field surveys in our information sheets via the QR code below.
Historical heritage locations found based on information provided by community members.
Registered Aboriginal Parties involved in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage field surveys.
Fauna species within 10km of the proposed route according to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas.
listed threatened plant species identified in initial desktop analysis.
individual public viewpoints.
Mentors from the L2P program. (supplied)
Anger at sentence reduction
By Laura Michell
The father of a Diggers Rest woman who was murdered by her partner in March 2018 said he is “gutted” to learn her killer’s sentence has been reduced by 14 months.
Katie Haley was killed by her partner, Shane Robertson, at their Diggers Rest home on March 9, 2018.
In early 2019, a Supreme Court judge sentenced Robertson to 24 years’ jail, with a non-parole period of 19 years.
InMaythisyear,Katie’sfather,BoydUnwin, was notified that Robertson had been granted 427 days off his sentence for time spent in prison during Victoria’s covid lockdowns.
Emergency management days (EMDs) have been used since the 1990s to maintain security and order in prisons during extraordinary periods. Victorian prisoners were eligible for EMDs due to stringent isolation and other measures during the pandemic.
The Gisborne resident said the email to the family contained no explanation as to why Corrections Victoria decided to reduce Robertson’s sentence by more than 400 days.
Boyd said he had heard about emergency managementdaysacoupleofyearsago,buthis research suggested that violent and high-risk prisoners would not be eligible to apply for a sentence reduction, that prisoners’ non-parole periods would not be reduced, and that the average prisoner would receive a sentence reduction of 26.3 days.
“ Four hundred and twenty-seven days is a far way off that,” he said.
“Four hundred and twenty-seven days is longer than Victoria was locked down.
“That just gutted us.”
Boyd has since launched a Parliamentary petitioncallingfortheemergencymanagement days legislation to be changed.
The petition requests that the Legislative Council call on the state government to remove the eligibility for violent and high-risk prisoners to access emergency management days and ensure that any sentence reduction due to emergency management days cannot reduce the time served to less than the minimum non-parole sentence.
Boydneedstocollect2000writtensignatures or 10,000 signatures on an e-petition within the next two weeks for the petition to be debated in state Parliament.
He said he launched the petition because he “had to make noise” about the issue.
“I couldn’t let this one stand without trying to do something, because it is totally wrong,” he said.
“I don’t believe Corrections Victoria should have the power to take so much time off a sentence that a judge has handed down.”
The e-petition has been signed by more than 3500 people so far, while Boyd estimates he has collected at least 1200 written signatures.
He said community support for the petition has been strong – and the community outrage has been even greater.
“People can’t believe this is a thing.”
A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said EMDs are no longer automatically considered due to COVID restrictions on people in custody.
“Our thoughts are with the Haley family as they continue to try and deal with the trauma of Katie’s death,” the spokesperson said.
The petition can be found at Woodend Hardware, Romsey Auto Spares, in Gisborne at Gisborne Tyres, Connect Real Estate and Gisborne Smash Repairs, and in Sunbury at Shepards Complete Car Care and Fasto Barbering.
It can also be signed online at: https:// tinyurl.com/3b9ea5wa
Indian megastar pays a visit to Deanside temple
They say nothing is sweeter than honey, and committee members from the Sri Durga temple in Deanside might agree after an Indian pop superstar popped in for a visit.
OnSeptember6,musicproducer,singer,and actor Hirdesh Singh, known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh, visited Melton.
Currently touring Australia and New Zealand with fellow artist Alfaaz – who is also his brother – Singh told his management that he wanted to pay respects to Hindu deity Shiva.
Sri Durga temple vice president Gary Verma, who helped organise the visit, said Shiva had particular significance to the singer, who is a “big, big devotee.”
“He came specifically to seek blessings from Lord Shiva, because that is who gave him a ‘second life’ when he was going through a depression,” said Mr Verma.
“He went through a [hard] phase but he gained enlightenment and is singing well now.”
Singh offered Shiv Abishek (milk and water) while at the temple and showed humility, something Mr Verma said was refreshing.
“He has not forgotten his culture or faith which is great to see … he is a big celebrity.”
Singh has 18 million monthly listeners on Spotifyand15millionfollowersonInstagram.
Mr Verma said it was not unusual for public figures to visit the temple given its status as “one of the biggest in the southern hemisphere.”
“We are more than happy to accommodate celebrities and offer them privacy and security to pray in peace.”
Yo Yo Honey Singh offers milk and water to Hindu god Shiva. (Supplied)
Boyd Unwil has started a petition after his daughter Katie’s killer had his sentence reduced because he was behind bars during covid. (Damjan Janevski) 433153_01
Why the iconic ‘chicken parma’
The chicken parmigiana, often affectionately called“chickenparma”or“parmi”inAustralia, is a beloved staple of Australian pub culture. Its widespread popularity across the country is no accident, as it has become a symbol of comfort food, deeply rooted in both social and culinary traditions. There are several reasons for the chicken parmigiana’s enduring appeal in Australia, ranging from its Italian origins to its association with Australian pub culture, as well as its versatility and flavor profile.
Italian influence on Australian cuisine
Australia has a rich history of Italian immigration, particularly after World War II, whichhasleftanindeliblemarkonthecountry’s food culture. Italian cuisine introduced a wide variety of dishes that have since become mainstays in Australian dining, such as pizza, pasta, and of course, chicken parmigiana.
Although chicken parmigiana originated as an Italian-American dish based on the traditional Italian melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant parmesan), Australians have embraced the dish with enthusiasm. The addition of chicken, instead of eggplant, caters to the Australian preference for heartier, meat-based meals. The dish blends the richness of Italian cuisine with the meat-forward preferences of many Australians, making it a natural hit.
Pub culture and social dining
One of the most significant factors behind the chicken parma’s popularity is its deep association with Australian pub culture. Australian pubs are more than just places to drink; they are community hubs where people come together to socialise, watch sports, and enjoy hearty, affordable meals. The chicken parma has become a quintessential pub meal, beloved for its generous portion size,
Aussie favourite
familiar flavors, and ability to satisfy a wide range of tastes. In pubs, the chicken parma is often served as part of a “parma night”, a weekly event where pubs offer discounted or special versions of the dish. This tradition has turned eating chicken parma into a social occasion. Families, friends,
and colleagues frequently gather over a parma and chips, making it more than just a meal but a shared experience. Pub patrons know what to expect when they order a chicken parma: a large, golden-crusted chicken schnitzel topped with rich tomato sauce, melted cheese, and served with chips and salad.
Simplicity and universal appeal
The chicken parmigiana’s simple yet indulgent flavor profile is another reason for its enduring popularity. A lightly breaded and fried chicken schnitzel provides a satisfying crunch, while the tomato sauce adds sweetness and acidity, and the melted cheese lends creaminess and richness. These elements combine to create a dish that is both comforting and satisfying. Theflavoursarefamiliar,andtheingredients— chicken, cheese, and tomato—are staples that most people enjoy.
Its simplicity means it appeals to a wide audience, from children to adults, making it a versatile menu item that works for lunch, dinner,orevenasaquickmealincasualdining settings. Furthermore, it is adaptable; different pubs and restaurants often put their unique spin on the dish, experimenting with different cheeses, sauces, or accompaniments, while still maintaining its essence.
Nostalgia and tradition
For many Australians, the chicken parma evokes a sense of nostalgia. It’s often one of the first dishes people order when they visit a pub, creating memories of social gatherings, family dinners, and special nights out. The familiarity of the dish, combined with its consistent presence on menus across the country, ensures that it remains a favorite among Aussies.
The chicken parmigiana has secured its place as an Australian favourite due to a combination of factors: its Italian roots, its role in pub culture, its simple and universally appealing flavor, and its hearty, filling nature. Whether enjoyed in a casual pub setting or at home, the chicken parma continues to be an iconic dish that brings people together across Australia.
Players elevated to new heights
By Afraa Kori
With the return of Elevate’s 24/7 tour to China, underprivileged athletes are one step closer to living out their dream of becoming a professional basketballer.
This annual tour was developed in 2019, out of a need for more junior basketball opportunities.
The China tour runs from September 22 to October 5, where underprivileged athletes will play against Taiyuan, China high school talents and semi professional teams.
Founder of Elevate 24/7, Chol Dut said the organisation and China tour paves the way for local players to explore the basketball market, beyond the traditional US tours.
“The majority of the tours from Australia usuallyheadtotheUSA,sothat’sobviouslythe milestone. But I think what makes us unique is that we’re the only program that continues to take juniors to China and our team is the only one that plays against semi-professional teams.
“Even though they’re under 18 years old, it allows us to see where the kids are at. It’s also an eye-opener for the players to see whether they can make it professionally or where their skill level is at, which motivates them once they come back into the country to see what kind of work there is and how far they have to go.“
Another unique feature is that the China tour promotes cultural exchange, not just professional gain.
“There was excitement from the kids, because the majority of them have never actually left the state or even left the country,“ Mr Dut said.
“But it’s not just about basketball, it’s about them learning about other cultures as well. And then just seeing the opportunities that
HAVE YOUR SAY:
they can gain in other countries in terms of either basketball, media or whatever revenue they want to go into. Just to kind of build those relationships while they’re young.“
Mr Dut drew 15 players from local and interstate clubs, which includes Longhorns, Pro Hoops, Book Management, Wild Beast, Players First, and Warriors.
Malek Deng and Raphael Gebremariam; and Melton’s Adier Job, Ring Magok and Mayom Magok. It also includes Coburg’s Gabriel Osman, and Zein Osman, and Wodonga’s Frank Oguche.
Guer ,16, said he was excited to play in the international court and fulfil his childhood dream.
“Being selected to play on the China Elevate Tour for the very first time is truly an honour, I’m definitely excited and will cherish this experience. Going on this trip will be a great chance for our team to showcase our skill, represent Australia and my home country South Sudan,” he said.
“Playing against top Chinese basketball teams is what I’m most excited about, competing against those who will give us a tough game to win will be a good experience. Who knows we may get there and dominate with the squad we have, definitely won’t be easy though.
Caroline Springs’ coach, Ely Tom said unprivileged athletes require more support to reach their full potential.
“I’ve always been passionate about giving back to the next generation, and this tour offers a chance to share my experiences and guide young athletes. My goal is to help them grow, not only as basketball players but as individuals, by exposing them to new opportunities and challenges,” he said.
“The players were selected from the junior programs we work and associate with. The players were also selected on their skill level, commitment, work ethic and communication,” he said.
The team final list included Caroline Springs’ Venice Roberts, Gosh Ayiik and Guer Bar;DeerPark’sAjakAjak;Braybook’sGarang Newar; Werribee’s Korbyn Chukwuemeka and Shadi Firea; Sunshine West’s Deng
“With underprivileged athletes, I focus on offeringsupportthroughprivateconversations and one-on-one sessions. I find that they’re more open and honest in a personal setting, which allows me to understand their needs better and find ways to make their lives easier. This individualised attention helps me build trust and offer the guidance they might not feel comfortable asking for in a group environment.”
The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust welcomes feedback on the proposed name for our new 128-hectare memorial park located at 239-289 Harkness Road, Harkness. We propose naming the site ‘Harkness Memorial Park’ to reflect the connection to the locality and the community’s identity and sense of place.
CURRENT NAME:
SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK
Scan the QR Code or visit: https://yoursay.gmct.com.au/harkness to find out more about the naming proposal.
Deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 29 October 2024
This new memorial park will be the largest established in Victoria in 100 years and is designed to meet the needs of our diverse community – evolving with and for you.
PROPOSED NAME:
Harkness Memorial Park
STAY UPDATED
Connect with us and ensure your voice is heard in shaping this important place for commemoration, reflection and community. Subscribe to project updates at: www.yoursay.gmct.com.au/harkness or contact harkness@gmct.com.au.
Elevate’s official team for the China tour. (Credits Louise Enad)
Welcome home: Pillow Talk brings comfort to Melton
Pillow Talk is set to unfurl a cosy new chapter in its storied history with the much-anticipated opening of its Melton store, nestled in the heart of the new Melton Homemaker Centre.
As a beloved staple in the Australian home furnishings landscape, Pillow Talk has been synonymous with comfort and style since its humble beginnings in Queensland during the 1970s. Today, it proudly unveils its 71st location, a testament to its enduring commitment to enriching homes across the nation.
The legacy of Pillow Talk is woven into the fabric of Australian home decor, thanks to founder Heath Goddard’s pioneering spirit. His introduction of the continental quilt was a revolutionary moment that redefined comfort for Australian households.
CEO Kate Spencer continues this legacy, emphasising the brand’s unwavering focus on bringing warmth and functionality into homes.
“Our journey is about more than growth; it’s about understanding and serving our communities,” she reflects.
Opening its doors on October 5, the Melton store promises to be more than just a retail space—it’s a gateway to comfort and community connection. With a wide selection of bedding, homewares, and the latest in decor trends, the store invites locals to experience shopping in a space that feels like an extension of their own home.
“We aim to create a place where everyone feels welcome, a true part of the Melton community,” shares head of retail Melissa Davies.
The grand opening is set to be a day filled with joy and family-friendly festivities. The first 100 visitors will receive a complimentary
queen-size Greta quilt cover set, a small token of appreciation from Pillow Talk for its valued customers. The day will also feature exciting exclusive offers, making it the perfect time to revamp your home with Pillow Talk’s stunning selections.
Guests can savour complimentary coffee
and sweet treats as they explore the store’s offerings, while children delight in face painting, interactive games, and engaging activities hosted by a lively radio crew. It’s a celebration designed to create cherished memories for every family member.
Pillow Talk’s Melton store is more than an
Grand Opening
You are invited to the housewarming of our brand-new Melton store at the Homemaker Centre on Melton Highway!! Join us for the opening and enjoy exclusive discounts, FREE coffee, treats and a FREE Queen Size Greta Quilt Cover Set for the first 100 customers!!
Melton Homemaker Centre, T6, Melton Highway 9am till 5pm Find us next to Fantastic Furniture For the love
expansion; it’s a celebration of community ties and the joy of crafting beautiful, comfortable spaces.
As the doors open, Melton residents are warmly welcomed to join the Pillow Talk family, embracing a legacy of comfort and inviting new possibilities into their homes.
2024 AFL PREMIERS
Survivor wants her breasts back
By Afraa Kori
After living in survival mode, Cobblebank cancer survivor Melanie Kuyl’s road to self-discovery and healing is never ending.
Thebattlebeganin2020,whenaGPdelivered her triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis over the phone while she was buying nappies. This led to chemotherapy and double mastectomy, which was a very isolating and lonely experience during lockdown.
While she’s “incredibly grateful to be here today”, she is seeking breast reconstruction surgery to restore her physical appearance and identity.
“Every time I look in the mirror, it takes me back to feeling damaged and incomplete. I see nothing but scars! It’s something that I face every single day and it’s not something that’s getting easier. It’s probably something that the longer I wait for the surgery, it’s getting harder and harder and taking more of a toll, emotionally,” she said.
“Everyonesays,‘ohmyGod,you’resostrong’. But there’s nothing else you can be when you’re put in that situation! You’ve got no choice but to be strong. You’re a mother and you’re a wife and you’ve got to keep going. You’ve got to keep being strong for your family. But at the same time, everything that makes you feel like a woman is taken away from you, especially when you have to have a double mastectomy andfacetheworldwaitingforareconstruction. So everything that makes you feel womanly and motherly and feminine is gone.
“I’velearnedaboutthestrengththatmybody has given me. It’s grown and nurtured through children and it’s gotten me this far. But at the sametime,it’sveryfragileandthere’sscarsthat I’d rather not look at when I’m looking in the
mirror. I just want to be put back together and be whole again.”
Just for Melanie to be “a whole person again” shehastoexposeherscarsinthe“literalandthe emotional sense” through a public GoFundMe appeal.
“Unfortunately, despite being a category 3 patient—whereIshouldhaveonlywaitedwithin 12months—I’vebeenlanguishingonthepublic waiting list since November 2022. I’ve been left with no other option but to seek this surgery through the private healthcare system.
“I never thought I’d be in a position where I would need to ask for financial help for a medical operation here in Australia, but this surgery is essential for me to move forward in my life after cancer.
“It’s not something that’s done out of anythingelsebutnecessitytoprotectmyfamily from the $20,000 in costs for gap fees and from what I’ve been told, even more than that with follow-up surgeries and things that need to be done.”
When cancer survivors turn to GoFundMe due to healthcare gaps, “it’s incredibly uncomfortable, daunting, and embarrassing”.
“As a taxpayer and someone who’s paid for private health insurance for 20 years and paid
over $90,000 for health insurance, I shouldn’t havetoputmyselfouttherethisvulnerablyjust to have surgery to be put back together,” she said.
“There’s been workmates, friends, followers on Instagram and even some local businesses who have shared my story and said that I shouldn’t be having to do this to access what’s necessary in Victoria. They can’t believe I have to do this, but they’re really supportive of me reaching my goal.”
However Melanie encourages women battling breast cancer and seeking financial help to never give up.
“It’s difficult being vulnerable and putting your story out there, but for the most part, the people looking at your suffering and the fact that we have to do this, they actually want us to succeed.
“Sometimes hope is all we’ve got and if you keep putting yourself out there and telling your story, then you can bring about change and inspire other people.”
Although she hasn’t reached her fundraising goal, Melanie is grateful to have a community of big-hearted Aussies.
“I just can’t believe the generosity of people andeventhemessagesthathavecomethrough.
There’s other survivors that have donated, there’s people I know and total strangers that have wished me well.”
Her journey has also been bittersweet, it has resonated with and united many women in the same boat.
“I’m really hopeful because I’m raising awareness of the bigger picture and the issue facing survivors that hopefully it’ll continue to get me to the point where I can actually reach my goal.
“Other survivors and so many breast cancer patients have reached out and said I’m so brave in sharing my story, and by doing it, I’m highlighting it for all of them and what they’re going through.
“Cancer is the gift that nobody wants to receive, but it gives you an awful lot of perspective. The community of people who are goingthroughtreatmentandwhoaresurvivors of cancer is one that is really supportive and builds each other up and helps you get through it. I follow lots of other cancer survivors and we support each other through our good days and our bad days.”
On a personal level, breast cancer taught her family that tomorrow is never promised.
“When I had a chemo infusion, I was having bone pains, nauseous and resting a lot of the time in bed. So if it wasn’t for my parents, my husband and my cousin who supported me, I wouldn’t have got through it at all. The mental tollisthatit’saveryfast-movingandaggressive cancer. I didn’t think I was going to be here to see my children grow up. I’m still not positive because until you get to five years clear of it, there’s no guarantees.
“There’s lots of challenges in life but you try to continue to push through them. Breast cancer has definitely brought my husband, my parentsandmychildrenclosertogether.Wetry to live each day as it comes and really enjoy the momentandmakememoriesasafamily.That’s what I’ll continue to do with my family.”
Fundraiser link: https://www.gofundme. com/f/help-mel-reclaim-her-life-and-breastsafter-breast-cancer
There’s no place like Homb for new mothers
Homb nurtures and empowers new mothers, striving to prevent postnatal depression and anxiety.
Founder Larissa Leone is also working to change the ubiquitous baby-first narrative and make mums the priority.
Speaking to StarWeekly , Larissa pointed to baby expos as an example.
“There’s no postpartum stands,” she said. “Everything is for the baby. Everything is still for the baby. All they want is your love and your attention. Spend your money on yourself being able to provide that wholeheartedly.
“It’s really difficult to convey that knowledge and information because (pregnant) women don’t want to know. They are focused on the fluffystuff.“Thesystemorsocietydoesn’tvalue that. What it now seems is indulgent.
“Homb has been referred to as a postpartum hotel. “For the most part, sure, that’s what it is. But it sounds so transactional. There’s so much more depth to what we offer and what we provide. This is a solution. The healthcare system has to get on board.
“The spend on the recovery and the response to postnatal depression is huge compared to the spend on preventative care. “We’ve got stats staring us in the face, on postnatal depression and anxiety. One in five.
“We seemingly have all of this help but the stats are still increasing.
“Is it that we’re talking about it more and women are coming forward more, or is it that themoneyraisedisn’tgoingtotherightareas?”
Homb was born from Larissa’s experience after welcoming her first child.
“I had a very successful business, I had all my ducks in a row, I was very in control of
everything in my life,” she said.
“I had a great pregnancy, no complications. Even my birth was great, there was nothing overly stressful or traumatic about that.
“But from that first moment, I just felt very out of control and very ‘this person now is relying on me and I don’t know if I can do this, am I going to do this well enough?’.
“There was already a lot of self-judgement.
“When it didn’t, it really catapulted me into a world of anxiety and really deep worry.
“Itjustcontinuedtospiral,themoreItriedto coverallthosefeelingsupandtriedtointegrate into society.”
She reached out to her husband for help when her daughter was about six months old.
“I was having very dark thoughts. I was thinking about self-harm,” she said.
“I thought ‘if I hurt myself enough but not too much then I can go to hospital and have a
couple of nights where I’m not with the baby and I can have some sleep and some rest’.
“I knew somewhere in me that that wasn’t normal.”
They contacted a mothercraft nurse – who cares for newborns and provides advice and training to parents – and waited four weeks to see her. “At that point it was still not help for me, it was help for the situation,” Larissa said.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I should have been straight to a psychologist.
“It’s interesting that the go-to was still not caring for me as the mother.
“I said to my husband, ‘why is there nowhere that I can go that I can be helped through this without it being a hospital?’. “I was just astounded that there was nowhere I could go that was a more homely environment.”
Larissa was retrospectively diagnosed with postpartum depression after having her son
two years later, and her desire to affect change intensified.
“I just didn’t want any other woman to experience what I had experienced,” she said.
“The health care system has pulled us away from our innate knowing of how to birth.
“Largely I think we’ve over-medicalised something that is innately natural.
“It’s just become a huge marketing thing and women don’t trust themselves anymore.
“The essence of Homb is really trying to bring back that confidence and trust within a woman to have the confidence to make those decisions for herself, with the guidance and supportofpeoplewhoareintrinsicallyinvolved in maternal health.”
Homb’s team includes registered nurses, midwives, lactation consultants, naturopaths, nutritionists, doulas, birth trauma practitioners, gentle sleep consultants, and more. “We are mother-led,” Larissa said.
“If a mother has a way she wants to do things we follow that.”
Women who need support have the opportunity to access the service at low or no cost. “Starting the charity arm was a huge part of it for me, because I understood the costs –having midwives and incredible staff doesn’t come cheaply,” Larissa said.
“I knew it was not accessible for the majority of women.”
Thefeedbackhassurpassedherexpectations.
“It’s been quite extraordinary and certainly the most fulfilling thing I will ever do in my lifetime,” she said.
“Consistently, they feel like they can breathe again.”
- Casey Neill
Melanie Kuyl receiving treatment in hospital. (Pictures: Supplied)
Joan’s life has been child’s play
Ninety year old Altona author Joan Healey is proof that age is just a number, publishing her first book on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of cubbies, Australia’s first adventure playground in Fitzroy. Afraa Kori reports.
As a former journalist, the writing skills were there and the path was paved, but Joan Healey’s journey to becoming an author was a surprise twist.
Onanoverseastraveladventureinthe1970s, Joan worked in an adventure playground in London’s East End.
After returning home to Melbourne, she agreed to run an adventure playground as part of a short term holiday program in Fitzroy.
“It started as a six-week holiday program, and for various reasons, I stayed on and it kept going,” she explained.
“So I wasn’t inspired by anything, it just happened accidentally.”
Joan’s book, ‘The Cubbies The Battle for Australia’s First Adventure Playground’, is based on her personal experiences and observations.
‘‘ Kids don’t want their parents around all the time ... you’ve got to let kids go, it’s necessary for healthy development ’’ - Joan Healey
According to Newsouth Books, Joan’s book is “the rollicking tale of Australia’s first true adventure playground when children were allowed to use a ptach of public land as their own backyard, to play in freely as they wished not as adults directed them”.
The playground comprised scavenged materials used to build cubbies, experimental gardens, boats and whatever other flights of fancy overtook chidren’s imaginations.
The book details the struggle to make the adventure playground permanently accessible to children and her concerns that today’s children are missing out on the freedoms enjoyed by past generations.
“I just wanted to write a story about the resilience of children. I was driven to publish my experiences because of society increasingly putting the lid on kids with regulations, rules and helicopter parenting, which is curtailing their opportunities to play freely and take risks,” she said.
“Kids don’t want their parents around all the time and that’s one of the difficulties now. Their parents want to hover around and make sure they’re all right. So I hope people can see that you’ve got to let kids go, it’s necessary for healthy development. They need that freedom andweshouldbesupportingthespiritofkids.”
According to the Newsouth Books, “The Cubbies is a tale of battles with local police and the Catholic Church, but also shows visionary politicians and bureaucrats on both sides supporting children, while others made
devious attempts to close the place”.
“Playground workers, struggling with on and off funding, steadfastly continued to support children in their right to play freely, while becoming entangled in defending the cubbies. After trials, tribulations and questionable adventures, it became Australia’s first true adventure playground, inspiring the creation of others in the county.”
When Joan launched The Cubbies in August at Fitzroy Library, she was overwhelmed by the support of colleagues and the community.
During the launch, Play Australia chief executive Robyn Monro Miller awarded a Lifetime Achievement award to Joan, and announced a new scholarship for those working in the adventure playground field, in her name, for playwork training.
“Joan bought adventure playgrounds to Australia, and has been a constant in the lives of so many children. I spoke to one gentleman in his sixties that attended the cubbies and he said it was life changing for him. Her lifetime achievement award is recognition not just of the impact she had on Play Australia 50 years ago,butthat50yearslatersheisstilladvocating and championing it,” Robyn said.
“Play Australia’s mission is to build healthy communities through the power of play,
and Joan’s work is a tangible example of how play not only is essential for children’s healthy development but through adventure playgrounds play a sense of belonging and builds social cohesion.”
Dr Ro Roberts, who worked with children and families at the cubbies, said not many people can publish a book like Joan, especially in the modern risk-aversion climate of bureaucracy, rules and regulations.
“Joan has been a colleague and close friend for 50 years. I supported her in finishing her book and with early editing. I and other colleagues joined with Joan and the publisher to plan the book launch. Joan is a wonderful woman–anunsungheroine.She is an inspiration as a community worker dedicated to children’s play.
“The book describes how the adventure playground puts into practice Play Australia’s goals, mission and values. This is not easy in such a risk-averse, fearful and over-regulated, over-structured culture.
“The book documents the institutional barriers to providing free play
spaces as parents, community and society grow ever-more fearful of litigation and personal responsibility. It is a very readable, straightforward and humorous account that puts the children first as the creators of the Fitzroy Adventure Playground. As Joan says: it is the children that did it and own it. They had a place where they were in charge of making their own decisions.”
Joan encourages others to be true to themselves and chase their dreams regardless of their age.
“I’vealwaysfollowedwhatIwantedtodo,I’ve wandered around the world and experienced different lives and things. I would say that you’ve got to believe in yourself and follow your passion as much as you can, particularly before you’ve turned 90 when the wheels falloffthetruck.Idoadvisethatif you’re going to do things, do them before you turn 90, as you can get physically tired by this stage. But I think the only way to keep alive is to keep moving, one way or the other.”
Joan’sbookisavailableatvarious retailersaswellasthroughAmazon for $36.99.
Joan Healey has written a book called The Cubbies, which is about the battle for Australia’s first adventure playground. (Damjan Janevski) 424275_01
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
Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden
The friends invite you to attend the Seniors Festival Guided Tour at the Melton Botanic Garden at 10am on Wednesday, October 2. You don’t need to be a senior to participate, however, for catering, please let them know if you are attending.
9743 3819
Melton South Community Centre
After a massive term three, Melton South Community Centre is now looking to the end of 2024 to offer a slimmed-down program focusing more on fun and festive courses and workshops. You’ll notice that our program has a new look, which we hope makes for clearer and easier reading as you look through our course listings. Enrolments are now open and you can reach out between 9.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday for bookings.
9747 8576, or msccentr@bigpond.net.au
Tax help
In partnership with the ATO, the Melton South Community Centre is offering free Tax Help from now until October 28. 45-minute appointments are available to individuals wanting to complete their 2023-24 tax return; eligibility criteria apply. Appointments on Monday afternoons only; Hindi-language assistance available.
9747 8576
Bacchus Marsh CWA
Friendship is the main reason to join CWA, community interaction is second. Fundraising is a part of what the group does, but it is not a constant focus. Friendship, mentoring, or helping others and doing things together is important. If you’re lonely or new to the area, they offer a wonderful and supportive group of women and possibly life-long friendships. The group craft, bake, go on day trips, and enjoy local dining as well as host guest speakers and themed morning/afternoon teas from time to time. New members are welcome and young people encouraged to join. The group can be found at Darley Community and Civic Hub, 182 Halletts Way (enter from Wittick Street). Branch Meetings are held every second Thursday of the month and Craft day is every fourth Thursday of the month at the Hub from 10am to noon for $2 per person.
June, 0412 507 465 or bacchus.cwa@gmail.com
Melton Bowling Club
Even though the AFL season is ending, the lawn bowls season is already underway with practice games and tournaments. The club has a $3600 prize money bowls triples all day tournament on Friday September 26. The Pennant competition starts the first Saturday of October.
Lyn Edwardes, 0412 406 462
Rose Carers of Maddingley Park
The group meets every Wednesday from 10am to noon at the Commemorative Rose Garden, Maddingley Park on the corner of Taverner Street and Grant Streets, Bacchus Marsh. They maintain the two rose gardens at the park. Volunteers are welcome and no experience is necessary to join.
Elaine, 0400 052 857 or Judy, 0428 463 538
Melton Ladies Probus
Meets from 10am on the second Wednesday of each month at Melton Country Club on Reserve Road, Melton. All visitors are welcome.
Dianne, 9743 7446
Flower & Garden Show
Entries will soon open for the annual Bacchus Marsh Flower & Garden Show at
the Town Hall. Flower and produce, cake decorating and photo competitions, plant sales, children’s activities and more! Save the date for a local family event on the weekend of October 26-27, 2024.
Nicki Paull, 0418 363 305
Melton Over 50s Social Group
Join a friendly group of people aged over 50 who enjoy each other’s company while attending events such as dinners, shows, dancing, cinemas and more. If you live in the Melton area and would like to meet new friends, in a welcoming group environment, this is for you.
Marlene, 0498 329 290
Bacchus Marsh Ladies Probus Club Meets on the first Thursday of every month from 10am to noon at the Avenue Bowling Club on 254 Main Street, Bacchus Marsh.
Krystyna, bacchusmarshladiesprobus@ gmail.com
Community band
The Greater Western Community Band meets Thursdays from 7.30 – 9.30pm. Rehearsal venue is the Bridge Road Community Centre, Strathtulloh (Melton South). The band is available for events. Brass, woodwind and percussion players are always welcome.
Sally Hamond, 0401 474 582
Fishing club
Didyabringyarodalong Angling Club of Melton and Bacchus Marsh is a fishing club that welcomes and encourages people of all ages, genders and fishing abilities to partake in enjoying the outdoors in a relaxing and friendly environment. The club holds monthly fishing competitions at various locations, fresh and saltwater. New members are most welcome. Upcoming events will be listed on this page.
Andrew, 0407 303 438, or Wayne, 0414 785 366
Lights of Wisdom
The Bahá’ís of Moorabool invite you to Lights of Wisdom, a tranquil space to share the insights from the great spiritual traditions of mankind. Sessions will be held at the Lerderderg Library, Bacchus Marsh, every first Friday of the month. Starting
time: 7.30pm. Entry is free.
mgilsant9@gmail.com
Seniors’ lunch
Deer Park Branch of National Seniors Australia hosts a lunch on the third Friday of each month at different venues. The group also arranges activities each month, sometimes to the theatre, morning melodies, train or bus trip. The group also holds a general meeting at The Club in Caroline Springs on the first Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm. Locals are invited to join in for lunch or just attend the meeting and make new friends.
Pamela, pcostello46@hotmail.com
Cancer Support Group
MelMarsh Prostate Cancer Support Group is for prostate cancer patients and their carers and meets on the first Thursday of the month, from 12.30-2pm, at Melton South Community Centre. Attendees are encouraged as members share their journeys through what could be a very traumatic time of their lives. Explanations of medical terminology used in the treatment of this cancer are given in this group.
Grenville, 0412 741 865
Chatty Cafe Melton
Are you feeling lonely, isolated or just wanting to make some new friends? If so, Chatty Cafe is for you. The group meets on Friday mornings at 10am for delicious free coffee from Latin foods and wines at 10 Wallace Square, Melton.
https://www.facebook.com/ groups/352071857283331
Women’s Support Group
Women’s Support Group Melton is for any women who feel they would like to attend a peer support group which is relaxed, friendly and non-judgemental. The group meets weekly at 1pm on Mondays (except for public holidays) at Djerriwarrh Neighbourhood House, 239 Station Road, Melton. The group can discuss most subjects that may be of help
https://ow.ly/QVwJ50Q5g42
Caroline Springs Rotary
The Rotary Club of Caroline Springs is inviting new guests to join its meetings in person or via Zoom. Meetings are
held every Wednesday at the Western Emergency Relief Network in Ravenhall from 7pm.
rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com
The Gap on Graham
The Gap provides a place for Melton youth to hang out, socialise, play games and learn new skills. The centre holds a night for girls aged 10 to 18 years, at 5 Graham Street, Melton, on Wednesday evenings. There is also a drop-in night for anyone aged 12 to 25 years old.
Val, 0414 769 605
Melton Men’s Group
Melton Men’s Group meets every Thursday, from 5-8pm, at Arnolds Creek Children’s and Community Centre, 19 Claret Ash Boulevard, Harkness. Focusing on senior men’s mental and physical wellbeing. Join the group for a cuppa and a chat, listen to guest speakers and participate in activities including carpet bowls, pool or table tennis. meltonmensgroup.home.blog
Take weight off naturally
Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Weight Off Naturally) every Tuesday at 6pm at the Darlingsford Barn, Darlingsford Boulevard, Melton. Catherine, 0416 612 517, or Bob, 0411 824 739
Parkinson’s support group
The Melton Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the second Thursday of the month, 10.30am-12.30pm, at Kurunjang Community Centre, 33-35 Mowbray Crescent, Kurunjang. New members and carers are welcome.
Helen, 0409 186 576
Melton Bridge Club
The Melton Bridge Club has weekly social bridge sessions at the Melton Library on Fridays from 10am-noon. Come along to play an exciting, social card game and have loads of fun. Bridge offers the suspense of poker, the cerebral qualities of chess and the excitement of athletic sports, all in a relaxed and social setting. If you like playing cards this is for you.
Rosemary, 0407 894 817
This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of comedian Damian Callinan. (Damjan Janevski) 433201_01
A body of knowledge and youth
The Bowery Theatre in St Albans is hosting one of the most unique performances of Melbourne’s Fringe Festival this week.
The Body of Knowledge meditation experience involves teenagers from different locations outside of the theatre phoning remotely from their own individual homes.
Each audience member is given a mobile phone on arrival to facilitate their conversations with the young people.
As an inter-generational conversation unfolds, the teacher and the student, the adult and the child, the performer and the audience, begin to shift and entangle.
At the direction and instigation of the young telephone callers, the audience given an immersive insight into the sights and sounds of Generation Z.
As the work progresses, the young people give instructions to the audience to re imagine the theatre space around them.
The conversation that is set in motion creates an opportunity to rethink the ways in which knowledge is produced, acquired and shared.
It delves into issues of changes to bodies, changes in attitude, and changes to life.
The production was created by Samara
Hersch, an artist and theatre director working between Europe, Australia and Asia.
Her practice investigates the encounter between contemporary performance and community engagement and her research explores intimacy as a political act, imagining different modalities that can be inhabited by non-professional performers and the public together.
The show kicks off on Saturday, October 5, and runs each night through until Thursday, October 10.
Tickets: melbournefringe.com.au/event/ body-of-knowledge/ Body of Knowledge is a unique experience, prompting curiosity. (Supplied)
Dylan debut discussion in Footscray
TheFootscrayMechanicsInstitutemightseem
an odd venue to host a talk on Bob Dylan, but that’s precisely what will happen on Friday, October 4, when his 1962 self-titled debut album will be the subject of a free discussion. But according to institute librarian Cameron Borg, the combination of venue and subject matter isn’t as unlikely as it might seem.
“Mechanics institutes had their origin in the 19th century and were basically set up as working a people’s library or club,” Mr Borg explained.
“It was basically to give working class people an education back at time when they couldn’t afford one. Public libraries only came
into being post World War II in Australia.”
By contrast, the Footscray Mechanics Institute (FMI) was established in 1856 and has been in its current location at the southern end of Nicholson Street since 1913.
Over that time the FMI library has built an extensive and eclectic collection of books, which Mr Borg said was where the idea of hosting a Dylan discussion came about.
“The thing with Dylan is we’ve got a collection here of books on his life and work,” he said.
“We’ve got his biography and others that deal with his music and songs, so this event, by focusing on a specific part of his career, will hopefully promote the books in our collection
and get people to come in who want to learn more about him.”
Mr Borg said the talk would focus on Dylan’s debut due to the fact that unlike the rest of his catalogue, it features only two original compositions.
“The rest were covers of legendary blues and folk artists, so that gives us a lot to talk about,” he said.
“There’s a lot of little rabbit holes we can go down.”
TheBobDylandiscussionbeginsat12pmon Friday, October 4 at the Footscray Mechanics Institute, 209 Nicholson Street.
Cade Lucas
Learn to recycle textiles at free workshop
Pat and Jeans Place will host a free textile recycling workshop and used clothes swap at the Eco Living Centre in Wyndham Vale on Saturday, October 19.
The workshop will run from 2-3pm, while the clothes swap will take place from 3-4pm.
Founder Sarah Girn, who opened Pat and Jeans Place in May and regularly hosts educational textile workshops, will run the events.
Centred around sustainability, the workshop will help show participants how to use things around the house to reduce the use of cling wraps and plastic bags.
“For the environment, we are better to first use what we have, then look at recycling
clothing,” she said.
Stressing the importance of recycling textiles in avoiding the negative health consequences of microplastics, Sarah invoked Dr Karl Kruszelnicki’s warning that the average 45-year-old has a microplastic volume 0.5 per cent in their brain in terms of weight.
“If we need to buy new clothing or things for the home, where possible, we should use natural fibres such as cotton, linen, wool, linen, hemp and jute,“ she advised.
While free, those who attend the workshop will have priority at the clothes swap.
Information: https://patandjeansplace. co.site/
School holidays means late nights, and what better way to spend a late night than armed with a torch in the bushland of Eynesbury?
From 7pm on October 5, locals in Melbourne’s west can go looking for wildlife on the Woodland Night Walk withtheEynesburyEnvironmentGroup.
President Chris Lunadi said attendees can expect to see everything from “spiders to stars” while strolling through the Grey Box Forest for the guided spotlight tour.
“We are looking for a variety of nocturnal animals: owls, possums, bats, and more,” he said.
“It’s a special forest… it’s not everyday you get to explore at night-time and see critters that come out after dark.
“It is a great opportunity for people to seethewildlifethatemergesafterweflick the TV on or go to bed.”
The 90 minute walk, which takes place every year, is a popular school holiday event and open for anyone to come along and enjoy a ‘relaxed’ evening.
“We’ve had everyone from little toddlerstoelderlypeople[come];families get a real kick out of the experience,” said Mr Lunadi.
Eynesbury Environment Group is made up of volunteers who come together “out of a love and desire” to raise awareness of the special and unique natural environment.
“It is a rapidly growing community now and we want to help them connect with the natural areas,” said Mr Lunadi.
“Our goal is for those on the night walk to develop an appreciation for the woodlands, because there is a whole world that goes on out there.”
The tour meets outside the Eynesbury General Store, located on 473 Eynesbury Road, and people are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing.
RSVP: eynesbury.environment. group@gmail.com
Footcray Mechanics Institute librarian Cameron Borg with some of the Bob Dylan collection. (Damjan Janevski) 428784_04
Sarah Girn is the founder of Pat and Jeans Place, and she will be running two textile workshops. (Damjan Janevski) 431596_03
SPORTS QUIZ
1. Which city will host Super Bowl LIX in 2025?
2. And which performer will headline the halftime show?
3. Which 20-year-old Gold Coast Suns swingman has signed a nine-year contract extension, reportedly worth over $12 million?
4. In which year did Tom Hawkins play his first
5. Ryan Webb will step down from his role as CEO of which NRL club in April?
6. Graham Arnold stepped down as the head coach of which national football team in 2024?
7. And who was announced as his replacement?
8. Dustin Martin has reached out to which club following his retirement from Richmond?
Which AFLW team does Jasmine Garner currently play for?
And which club did she play for when she scored the first-ever AFLW goal in the inaugural match?
The 2024 AFL finals will be the first to feature no Victorian teams since what year?
What is the only nation to beat South Africa in the 2024 Rugby championship?
13. Who recently became the first MLB player to score 50 homeruns and steal 50 bases in a single season?
14. Who was unanimously awarded 2024 WNBA rookie of the year, and 4th place in MVP voting?
15. What is the title of the annual rugby union competition between Australia and New Zealand?
16. How many regular season games will each AFLW team play this year?
17. Which current F1 driver shares an unusual first name with a Star Wars character?
18. What does NASCAR stand for?
19. What is the fastest growing sport in the US?
20. Which NRL team won the 2024 minor premiership?
21. What sport will return to the Olympics in 2028 for the first time since 1900?
22. How many Australian PGA Championship titles has Cam Smith won?
23. Which Brisbane Lions player dislocated his shoulder twice in the Preliminary Final win over Geelong?
24. Josh Addo-Carr played for which team in 2024?
25. Former Adelaide player Tony Armstrong recently announced his departure from which ABC show?
26. The fastest recorded tennis serve was by which Australian player?
27. How many seperate pieces of wood are in play at any given time in a cricket match?
28. Which former English cricketer recently withdrew a membership application for an exclusive golf club after backlash?
29. Which country has won the most (5) FIFA World Cups?
30. How many AFL teams are named after birds?
To solve a Sudoku puzzle,
ACROSS
1 Basketball league (1,1,1) 3 A permanent administrative office (11) 9 Supervisors (7) 10 Country in Horn of Africa (7)
Income streams (8)
Conventions (6)
Bad (3) 15 Possibly (11)
Curse (11) 19 Type of palm (3) 20 Board rider (6) 21 Hats, helmets, etc. (8) 24 Accepting without resistance (7)
25 US writer (1817–62), Henry David – (7)
26 Representing an abstract meaning (11) 27 Deity (3)
Not seasonal (4-5)
Sunshade (7)
Titanic sinker (7)
20 Prefix meaning above (5)
22 Amusingly odd (5)
23 Close (4)
1 What is the name of Holly Golightly’s cat in Breakfasta tTiffany’s?
2 Mageirocophobia is the fear of what?
3 Who designed the dome in St Peter’s Basilica?
4 Which Victor Hugo novel was adapted into a Disney film in 1996?
5 Name the infamous warren of streets buried beneath
7 True or false: Napoleon was known as the ‘Man of Blood and Iron’?
8 Juno Temple (pictured) stars as model Keeley Jones in which sports comedy-drama series?
9
Corolla Cross goes hybrid only
By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring
Launched here in 2022 the Toyota Corolla Cross is – as the name suggests – an SUV crossover version of the everlasting Corolla sedan/hatchback.
It’s the largest of Toyota’s three-model range of compact SUVs above the smaller Yaris Cross and the sportier C-HR.
The original Corolla Cross was available with the choice of petrol or petrol/electric hybrid powertrains but, in line with Toyota’s recent decision to discontinue petrol-only variants where a hybrid alternative is available, the petrol versions are now being phased out.
Althoughexistingstocksofthepetrolmodels willnodoubtstillbeavailable,we’llconcentrate on the hybrid models in this review.
There are five Corolla Cross variants, 2WD GX priced at $36,480, 2WD GXL ($40,230), GXL AWD ($43,230), 2WD Atmos ($47,030 and Atmos AWD ($50,030). On-road costs need to be added.
Styling
Corolla Cross sits on the same platform as the Corolla hatch and sedan but with a different body as befitting an SUV. The styling is quite conservative but that’s unlikely to deter the typical Toyota buyer who prefers function over fashion.
While it shares much with the Corolla its outer appearance is more mini-RAV4 than maxi-Corolla with a snub-nosed grille featuring the Toyota logo, with blue highlights in the centre indicating its electric component.
GXL and Atmos add front foglights, enhanced LED headlights and roof rails.
The Atmos also gets a two-piece panoramic moonroof.
GX and GXL roll on 17-inch alloy wheels, Atmos steps up to 18-inch alloys.
Interior
Anyone stepping up from the latest Corolla hatch or sedan will have no problem adapting to the dashboard layout of the Cross because, apart from the new touchscreen, they are all-but identical.
That’s not a criticism because we’ve always loved the stylish yet functional Corolla design. The SUV conversion over the Corolla with more headroom throughout and plenty of leg and footroom in the rear seats for all but the tallest of occupants.
On the downside – literally – we found the bolstering on the front seats much too high and rigidtotheextentthatweneededasoftcushion to rise above the bolsters.
Only the Atmos comes with a folding centre armrest complete with twin cupholders.
Boot space varies according to driven wheels and powertrain, ranging from 380 litres in the Atmos AWD hybrid up to 425 litres in the 2WD GX and GXL. Atmos comes with a powered rear hatch and kick opening feature.
Powertrain
Power for the Corolla Cross Hybrid 2WD comes from a 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine with outputs of 112kW and 190Nm. It’s teamed to an electric motor on the front axle for a combined maximum power output of 146 kW.
Corolla Cross is the first local model to get the 5th generation Toyota hybrid powertrain which combines a lighter lithium-ion battery with a more powerful main electric drive motor.
The GXL and Atmos Hybrids add a second electric drive motor on the rear axle.
Power is linked to either two or four wheels via a sequential ten-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Safety
CorollaCrosswastestedbyANCAPinOctober 2022 and received the maximum five-point rating.
Standard safety features include eight airbags, advanced ABS brakes, stability and traction control, blind spot monitoring, rear
RATINGS
cross traffic alert, reversing camera, hill start assist, and Isofix child seat anchors.
Also standard across the range is the latest Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 package which adds a pre-collision safety system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, emergency driving stop system, active cruise control, lane trace and departure alert with steering assist, lane change assist withdecelerationassist,intersection turn assist, road sign assist, door exit warning and automatic high beam.
Looks: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Safety: 8/10
Thirst: 9/10
Practicality: 8/10
Comfort: 6/10
Tech: 7/10
Value: 7/10
In addition, GSX and Atmos get parking support braking with vehicle and object detection and a panoramic view monitor. Atmosaddspedestriandetectiontotheparking support brake feature as well as advanced park assist.
Infotainment
Corolla Cross is the first Toyota in Australia to get the brand’s new multimedia system. The entry-level GX uses an 8.0-inch touchscreen. GXL and Atmos get a 10.5-inch touchscreen with inbuilt satellite navigation.
Screen resolution is sharp and responsive with the option of voice activation.
There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto along with a single USB-C port in the front console of the GX and two in the centre console of the GXL and Atmos.
Behind the steering wheel
there’s a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster in the GX and GXL, with a much larger (12.3-inch) display in the Atmos. Importantly, the audio and air conditioning controls are physical knobs rather than being built into the touchscreen as is becoming far too common.
Only the Atmos gets a wireless smartphone charging pad.
Corolla Cross comes with the latest version of the Toyota Connected Services communicationssystemthatusesthemyToyota Connectsmartphoneapptoallowownerstodo such things as remotely check the status of the doorsandlights,accessinformationsuchasthe vehicle’s last known location and recent trips, or start the engine or climate control.
The extra height when compared to the Corolla provides easier access although the aforementioned aggressive seat bolsters could cause discomfort to some occupants.
External vision is excellent with a higher driving position, large windscreen, side windows and mirrors together with a relatively narrow A-pillar all contributing.
On the negative side the rear window is quite narrow.
There’s a solid feel to the Corolla Cross and it’s easy to drive and park around the urban environment which is most likely to be its
home territory.
Steering which is relatively light but direct and intuitive.
Apart from the battery-only start and silent running,theGXHybridthatwetestedhadthat sharp acceleration that we enjoy in all vehicles with an electric component.
Suspension is well-balanced although we did get knocked around when manoeuvring through a badly-cratered section of our drive courtesy of some recent flooding.
Fuel consumption on the combined urban/ rural cycle is listed at 4.2 litres per 100 kilometresfromthe2WDvariantsand4.4with the AWDs. We averaged 5.1 L/100 km during our week-long test of the GX 2WD.
Summing up
Everything about the new Corolla Cross points to it being a major success for Toyota. Start with the base of Australia’s top-selling brand for the past 25 years, add a badge that’s been around here since 1967 and accumulated more than 1.5-million sales. Then bulk it up to get into the booming compact SUV market, and top it off with the latest in fuel-saving hybrid technology. All Toyotas now come with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. This can be extended to seven years on the engine and driveline, and 10 years on the hybrid battery, subject to all scheduled servicing being done at Toyota dealerships.
Everything about the new Corolla Cross points to it being a major success for Toyota. (Pictures: Supllied)
Hard work pays off for winners
Finals fever hit Melbourne’s north-west the last six weeks, with finals across a number of different sports including football, netball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis – and the list goes on. Here’s a few reader snaps of sporting achievements in the finals.
Albion under-12 girls
Albion’s under-12 girls were determined to build a great team in 2024 in the Western District Football League division 2 competition.
In their first year, 2023, they bravely turned up despite losing every game by an average of 12 goals, at times, struggling to get numbers.
Come the start of 2024, with half 2023 players, and half who had never played before, the girls worked hard in a big pre-season.
Baseball
It was a brilliant start for the Point Cook Baseball and Softball Club. Having formed a club after the development of new facilities in Point Cook, the Aviators had two sides in the winter season.
Playing in the Melbourne Winter Baseball League, the Point Cook Aviators started the season in E-grade before being promoted to D-grade after round one. They made the grand final and faced Waverley.
The Av’s, led by coach Marty Marek and the pitching of Jack Nottelmann, swapped leads with Waverley throughout the game including a late game-tying home run by Ben Loveridge.
Unfortunately, Waverley had a walk-off RBI [runs batted in] single in extra innings to win the championship, 8-7.
Coach Kane Roach, assistant Rachel Collins and a host of dedicated parents, created an inclusive and supportive culture, with the core values of try your best, be a great teammate and have fun.
Keeping their opponents to an average of just over five points a game, Albion became fierce rivals for first place with the Truganina Thunder.
Their three games were decided by less than a goal.
Showing passion and commitment to be all in,thegirlsdefeatedTruganinatowinthrough to the grand final, facing Werribee Districts. At half time, scores were level at one point apiece.
WerribeehadthrowneverythingattheCats.
Surrounded by a host of Albion supporters, including the whole Albion senior men’s team, cheering them on, the Cats showed their grit, making history, to win the first ever female premiership for Albion, 3.4 (22)- 0.2 (2).
Riddells Creek under-17 football
Riddell and Woodend had played some close ones during the season, with each team getting a win by three points. The Bombers won the semi final by that margin before winning the grand final, 12.5 (77)-9.5 (59).
The Bombers did the damage in the middle two quarters, kicking six goals to two to go from trailing by two points to leading by 29 heading into the last quarter. Ben Taylor was named the Bombers best, while Kristian Savage kicked four goals.
Athletics Western Athletics set a new record as it claimed the Athletics Victoria Tan Relays men’s event, while also claiming the Athletics Victoria premier division state title.
On September 14, the team of Will Lewis, Zayd Al Sayd, Abdillhaziz Haji Ali, Cody Shanahan, Ben Chamberlain and Liam Cashin competed in the Tan relay event. They ran a time of 1:06.54 to beat Box Hill’s record which had stood since 2012.
This cemented their position at the top of the premier men’s ladder, winning the XCR (Cross Country Roadracing) premier division state title by 21 points.
It was a hard earned feat made possible by theeffortsof16athleteswhocompetedduring the cross country roadracing season.
It showed the depth of the club to be able to share the load when injuries, work and other commitments impacted athletes.
The sixteen athletes who competed throughout the season were Al Sayd, Peter Boyle, Chamberlain, Cashin, Luca Di Conza, Callum Drake, Daniel Dunstone, Brett Ellis, Haji Ali, Matthew Hussey, Lewis, Brandon Muscat, Nathan Pearce, Cody and Kirk Shanahan and Daniel Verlado.
Riddells Creek under-11 netball
Riddells Creek had a strong Riddell District Netball League season in the under-11 division 1 competition, losing just one game for the season.
The team finished the season off with a 17-7 win against Melton South in the grand final.
Two weeks later these same girls had another grand final for the Riddell Ravens in the Macedon Ranges Netball Association winter season.
The Ravens had two players ruled out with gastro as well as their coach. The side played a player short, but still won the grand final against the Possums, a team which they hadn’t beaten all season.
Western Athletics. (Tania Shanahan)
Riddells Creek under-11, and right, Riddell Ravens. (Pictures: Supplied)
Riddell Creek’s under-17 footballers. (Supplied)
Albion’s under-11 girls. (Supplied)
Point Cook Aviators. (Niomi Loveridge)
Hutchison Medal win tops off a stunning season
Hillside’s Josh Covelli capped off a stunning Essendon District Football League division 1 season by claiming the Hutchison Medal. Covellikicked98goalsintheregularseason ashehelpedguidehissidetoatopthreefinish. He then kicked his 100th goal in the finals.
On Thursday night, he added the title of the division 1’s best player.
Covelli polled 17 votes to finish two clear of Rupertswood captain Daniel Kavanagh.
The full forward said his heart was racing as the final votes were being counted. Hillside had allowed him to invite a number of mates and his wife to the night which made it more special night.
He joked he didn’t think the umpires liked him as they didn’t pay him many free kicks.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “I thought he was going to catch me and it went down to the end.
“Absolutely awesome.”
Covelli said personally he thought it was the best season that he’d had playing football. It comes after last year when he considered giving the game away after struggling to get his body right.
“It was the first season I’ve played all 16 games in five years,” he said. “It was a big part for me.
“It was a really big accomplishment and durability to myself after the last four years. I was able to put games together.
“As much as I was playing and playing well, justbeingabletogetoutthereweekafterweek, that was really important for me.”
Speaking after he kicked his 100th goal, Covelli told StarWeekly he had proved a lot of people wrong.
When he moved to Hillside from Burnside Heights, many people didn’t think that he would be successful in division 1.
The medal further proved he could.
“There were a few people when I was reminiscing after my 100th that I felt like picking up the phone and giving them a call,” he said. “Telling them I did something more than just a div 3 [2] player.
“This is really nice.”
Covelli said he would give back the medal if it meant they had some team success instead.
The Sharks were knocked out of finals in
straight sets.
“That’s what you play for, to win the flag,” he said. “We are going to be super strong next year, so it’s exciting to see what we can do.”
Meanwhile in women’s premier division, Hillside’s Hannah Irbrahim finished equal second in the best and fairest.
She polled 13 votes, one behind winner Chiara Guarino.
Tara Murray
Hughes makes history
By Tara Murray
Burnside Heights’ captain Jordan Hughes didn’t think he’d done enough to come away with the Essendon District Football League division 2 best and fairest.
Already a winner of the medal, Hughes was in front heading into the final round from Joshua Trembearth.
Hughes didn’t play the final round, so it was a nervous watch.
He managed to do enough to hold on, winning on 20 votes, one clear of Trembearth.
“I knew I had a reasonably good first half but I was found a bit wanting in the second half of the season,” Hughes said. “Having not played the last game, I didn’t think it was going to help me.
“It’s just an honour to be here around it all with five other players from my league, just goes to show the depth and quality that we have. It’s amazing.”
The Bears captain, who was also named captain of the division 2 team of the year, thought teammate Lachie Evans would take
home the medal.
Evans finished in equal third on 16 votes with Sunbury Kangaroos captain Mitch Streiff.
“I had him pencilled in to win, probably $1.50,” Hughes said of his ruck.
“He makes my life a lot easier in the ruck-midfield combo. I can’t do what I do without him helping me out, he’s been awesome this year.”
Hughes played a slightly different role this season than what he did last year. With a couple of high quality forwards added to the team, he could spend more time in the midfield.
“Last year we didn’t have that quality and height to play that position,” he said. “Causing me to spend a bit of time down there as well.
“Definitely freed me up a bit. Still like to get down there and kick a goal, everyone loves that.
“It was good, it allowed me to spend a bit more time on the ball.”
Last time Hughes shared the award with Cooper Keogh, who has now gone on to play
in the Victorian Football League.
Hughes said it was a little bit different winning it by himself.
The win makes Hughes the first player to win two division 2 best and fairest medals.
Not bad for someone who didn’t play any football for seven years as he focused on playing basketball in the Big V.
“Basketball was always my thing,” Hughes said. “I played footy very sporadically over the years.
“I was always a basketballer, I never thought I would win a club best and fairest, to be honest, let alone a league one.
“Pleasantly surprised.”
Hughes said there was a lot of motivation in the group after a straight sets finals exit.
“Especially amongst the older guys,” he said. “Try and spread that knowledge that it’s not an easy job to get to where we got to.
“You have to hold some of that, keep some of that fire and juice going for the following year. To fall short when we did, injuries aside, it burns.
“Hopefully we can go two steps better.”
Trang enters record books
Burnside Heights’ Krissy Trang wrote herself into the record books on Thursday night, becoming the most decorated player in the Essendon District Football League women’s competition.
Trang won the division 1 best and fairest for the second time having also won the premier division best and fairest.
She’s the first women’s player to win three league best and fairests, with Westmeadows’ Gemma Wright the only other player with multiple wins.
Trang said it was an honour to be a three-time best and fairest winner.
“I’m just grateful to be here on this special night and celebrate with everyone else,” she said. “Everyone else deserved their award.”
It was a dominant season for Trang, who polled 27 votes, finishing 14 clear of teammate Holly McGregor, with another Bear Brodie Stevens finishing in third a further vote back.
Trang played 11 games of a possible 14 during the season, meaning she polled 27 of the 33 votes available.
Trang said because she missed three games she didn’t think that she would be up there in the count.
“I did a lot of work in the pre-season,” she said. “Looking back at my games, I’ve been pretty consistent.
“I missed three games this year, one was a function, the other two was as I did my ankle.
“Since I got back, I’ve been pretty consistent. Because I did miss those games I didn’t think I had a chance, but here I am with the medal around my neck.”
It’s Trang’s second medal this year, she was named best on ground in the Bears grand final loss to Greenvale.
Trang said they were hoping to go one better next season.
“I’mveryproudofthegirlsformaking it that far,” Unfortunately we couldn’t get the win, but we’ll come back next year.
“We’ll see how we go and whatever happens, happens.”
Tara Murray
Jordan Hughes. (Tara Murray)
Josh Covelli. (Tara Murray)
Stewart, Shepherd, Watts claim top honours
Three newcomers to the Riddell District Football Netball League have taken out the league’s top honours.
Theleaguerecognisedthestarsoftheseason Thursday night at its annual awards night.
Wallan ruck Chris Stewart claimed the Bowen Medal.
Stewart finished on 21 votes, to beat last year’s winner Dan Toman and Kyneton’s Caleb Fisher.
It was Stewart’s first season in the league having played at East Keilor and Deer Park previously.
Toman was awarded the most valuable player award which was voted on by the coaches.
Premiers Riddell had the most players in the team of the year with six.
Diggers Rest’s Shaun Campbell, Marcus Calvaresi, Brodie Meyers and Campbell Wearne were all named in the team.
Jake Armistead is the only representative from Melton Centrals in the team.
Macedon’s Al Meldrum was named coach of the team of the year.
In the netball, Kyneton’s Tilly Shepherd claimed the Ryan Medal as the best player in the A-grade competition.
She finished ahead of two-time winner Ty Coppinger, who was named the coach’s most valuable player.
Shepherd said it was unexpected to claim the medal.
“I still can’t really believe it myself,” she said a couple of days after the win. “It’s amazing.
“IkeptthinkingIwasgoingtobeovertaken. EveninthelastroundIthoughtitwassoclose, but Woodend had the bye in the last round, so it started to kick in.”
Wallan has the most representatives in the team of the year with three.
Diggers Rest’s Leona Hristovska was named at goal attack for her strong season with the Burras.
Macedon’s Katie Clarke was named coach of the team of the year.
In the women’s football, Macedon’s Ruby Watts claimed the best and fairest in her first season in the competition.
She finished ahead of Melton’s Tayla Debono.
Watts said she wanted to find her love of football again this season.
Watts said it was a little bit unexpected.
“It was really good,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting that many votes.
“I thought there were a lot of other girls out there that had a chance, I thought I might be up there but didn’t think I would win it.
“When they were reading out the votes, I thought damn I might be a chance here. I just looked at my friends and thought,I can’t believe it.”
Debono was named in the team of the year alongside her Bloods teammates Danielle Roczniak, Kareena Jacobson-Logan and Rhiannon Carra.
Tara Murray
Panthers coach re-signs
By Tara Murray
Melton South coach Travis Hodgson is keen for the new exciting unknown challenge in the Riddell District Football League.
The Panthers announced that Hodgson would continue on as coach next year as the club changes competitions.
The move from the Ballarat Football League to the Riddell league was officially ticked off last week.
Hodgson said he would have continued on coaching no matter which competition they were playing in, but it was clear the change of leagues was what was wanted.
“It was a big move for the club and one that I think had been considered for a few years,” he said.
“The club obviously felt the time was right. I’ve enjoyed my first 12 months there and I was going to commit to the club next year, regardless of the BFNL or RDFNL, for me personally it didn’t matter.
“The way it was supported within the club once people got their head around it, it was a fairly popular decision to go.
“I sense a lot of excitement around the club now the move is official.”
For Hodgson it will be a new challenge.
Before coaching the Panthers, he coached the Sunbury Lions and Bacchus Marsh, which were both in the Ballarat league.
While he hasn’t coached seniors in the competition, Hodgson has coached Sunbury Lions juniors in the league.
“I’ve crossed a few leagues with the juniors,” he said. “I have got a reasonable alignment with the Riddell league.
“All my kids have come through it. It’s not completely new to me and when you live in Sunbury, it’s more our area than the Ballarat league.
“It’s exciting from that point of view. All the little towns in the area… It’s very well supported the Riddell league.
“It’s where our roots are from, our juniors have stayed there. In the last 12 months there has been a real strengthening of the connection between senior and junior clubs.”
Hodgson said they had pretty much re-signed most of their list from this year.
He said they would look to add a few as
Sports shorts
Ballarat FL
Melton premiership coach Troy Scoble has signed on for another Ballarat Football League season. Scoble led the side to a premiership in his first season in charge. The club said in its announcement that even with the ultimate success in his first year as coach, Scoble is looking forward to further develop the list. “We thank Scobes for his commitment and whilst still celebrating our GF win last Saturday we also look forward to what 2025 brings,” the club said.
CBL
Bacchus Marsh Lions have re-signed two of its key players for the upcoming Country Basketball League men’s north-west season. Zak Martinez and Anthony Bowyer return. Marinze is a Bacchus Marsh junior and has been playing in the Big V competition. Bowyer has also been part of the Lions program for a number of years and played Big V. The CBL north-west season starts on Saturday with both Bacchus Marsh teams having the bye. The Melton Thoroughbreds kick off their season against the Mildura Heat on the road.
FV
well.
Hodgson said there would be a big focus on trying to get former players back to the club.
“Juniors that have left the club the last few years for different reasons,” he said. “Some of those guys probably left when we got to where we were and not competitive for certain periods.
“There’s a real focus on bringing those guys back to the club and that’s looking pretty positive at the moment.
“Withthoseguys,it’snotjustthefootballer. It’s the fact that they’ve got family ties to the club, you get back Melton South people.
“It’s the most exciting thing out of it so far.”
Hodgson said they would like to add one or two other players outside of that.
As for next season, Hodgson said goal setting will be different heading into next year.
“We know we are dropping back a level but it is hard to line it up,” he said. “We probably go in unsure how it all feels.
“Focus on being the best us. Where it slots us in year one will give us an idea where to go forward.”
Spring Hills topped off its Victorian Premier League season in the best way. Having won the league and claimed promotion, Spring Hills then beat Keilor Park in the VPLW grand final, 2-1, to take that title as well. Saki Nagai and Tiffany Najdovski were the goalscorers for Spring Hills in the final against the Eagles. Spring Hills will play in the National Premier League women’s competition next season.
VSDCA
The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association season is set to get underway on Saturday. This season it will be a south-west competition. Melton will start its season in a one-dayer at home against Caulfield. This season there will be a combination of one and two-day matches and a T20 match will be held the Saturday before the Christmas break starts.
FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Travis Hodgson, second from left) has re-signed for this season. (Supplied)
Chris Stewart. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 431490_03
Lakers’ Paech claims Priest medal
The regular long trip down to Caroline Springs paid off for Alex Paech, who was crowned the Western Football League’s Barry Priest Medallist.
Paech, who joined the Lakers this season, was a fly-in, fly-out player, with work commitments in the Alice Springs.
On Thursday night, he was awarded the Western league’s highest men’s honour.
Paech finished on 16 votes, two clear of Dillon Viojo-Rainbow, who was going for his third straight Priest Medal.
Paech, who happened to be in Melbourne for the awards night, said it was a pretty special honour.
“It’sbacktorealitynow,”hesaidonMonday.
“I start the NT [Northern Territory} season on Friday.
“It was a massive honour and you don’t play for those sorts of accolades. They brought me
in as a FIFO [fly in, fly out] player this season and to see the rewards for all those efforts is nice.”
Paech played just eight games during the regular season, the majority in the first half of the season.
He said he thought he could poll some votes early but others would overrun him, but with it being a low count he was able to hold on.
Paech said you have to have a really positive attitude to be a player that flies in for games.
“I flew in for eight games,” he said. “It’s not too bad if you have the right attitude.
“It can be tough and it can be tiring, but you have to stay positive.”
Paech played in the club’s three finals matches as well. He was named in the best in two of those three games.
He said it was disappointing not to go further in the season, but there were a lot of
positives going forward.
“I could not speak highly enough of the club and the culture,” he said. “I think it was definitely disappointing [the end].
“But we lost by 10 goals to Yarraville in round one and then we went on to make a preliminary final.
“We were disappointed to not make the grand final and push for some finals success.
“There’s a lot of young boys still two to three years off their best footy which is a positive.”
Paech will now focus on the NTFL season.
It will be a new challenge for him.
“I’m playing with a new club this season,” he said. “I’m playing for Nightcliff which made the grand final last year.
“Hopefully I came contribute in some way to them being a successful club.”
Brodie making his mark
By Peter Howe
Reikken Brodie was a frustrated kid for years watching his younger sister, Honor, train and play netball, coached by their mother Mary. He finally got his chance on court as a fill-in in under-13s.
“My first touch was a ball I punched out of bounds, my Dad, a footy convert, chipped in and suggested the umpire pay deliberate out of bounds,” he recalls.
Brodie played cricket and basketball, as well as both football and rugby league as a youngster, but sometimes struggled with the physical nature of the sport played by bigger bodies in the latter.
Only now at 190 centimetres tall he is starting to grow into his body.
Brodie’s transition through the ranks of netball has been rapid.
He started with the Tarneit Titans then onto Wyndham Netball Association boy’s representative team.
He was the Tarneit Titans under-15 best and fairest winner and made his first Victorian team in the under-17s in 2022-23.
Victoria won the national title in Perth and Brodie was named in the all-star team and was the Victorian under-17 most valuable player.
It earned him selection in the under-17 Australian team.
Brodieisalwaysupforachallengeandisnow more aware of the intricacies of netball.
“As a male, netball is a more aerial sport,” he said. “My height and arm span make me a little unique in the positions I play in the midcourt.
“Women’s netball is played more in close, they would win the ball against the males if it was played that way.
“My skills also include good hand eye coordination and the short sharp movement.”
Coupled with his rise in netball, he was also playing football with the Eynesbury Eagles in the Riddell District Football League and then Werribee Districts in the Western Football Netball League.
He made Western Jets summer squad for 2023-24.
“The skills required in both games are quite similar,”Brodiesaid. “Thefitnessrequirements are similar, my height and reach compliment both sports.
“My spatial awareness and ability to read the play certainly helps me.”
Brodie spends two nights a week training for football plus playing on Saturday. He was recently part of Werribee Districts under-18 premiership which he said had been one of his main focuses.
He then plays netball on Wednesday and
has state netball training on Sundays. He’s currently part of the under-23 squad.
“There is a growing number of men’s teams now playing in the competition at the State Netball and Hockey stadium in Parkville,” he said “Victorian men’s netball has a fantastic pathway that sets them apart from the other states, which has seen a huge growth in the sport here.
“There are now seven really good premier men’s teams in the competition, as well as 10 division one teams.”
Having played every position throughout his yearsofnetball,Brodiehasfoundahomeinthe midcourt.
His single crowning moment in his fledgling netball career occurred at the 2024 Australian Netball Awards in Brisbane following his Victorian team’s under-23 victory at the State Netball Championships.
“I was awarded the most valuable player in the under-23 division as a 17-year-old. It blew
Zimmerman ready to fire
Catherine Zimmerman is set to explode in the A-League women’s competition after signing on for her second season with Western United.
The American attacker had a season cruelly interrupted by injuries in 2023-24 but showed her star power as soon as she took to the field.
Zimmerman scored twice in five appearances in the latter stage of the season and as she heads into pre-season training fully fit, the star striker will be aiming to reach new heights.
Committed and raring to go for season 2024-25, Zimmerman is motivated to make up for lost time and help bring success to Ironbark Fields.
“I’m really excited to be back with the team. I’m looking forward to playing with the core group of girls from last season as well as the new players that have come into the squad,” she said.
“Last season was definitely not the season I wanted to have, but the constant was this group of girls who were there for me no matter what.
“When I got back to playing, I really wanted to play for them and help the team like they helped me. I think I have that same mindset this year. I want to hit the ground running with this group – have fun, play good football and win games.”
me away. I was so grateful.”
Brodie was then selected to play for the Australian under-20 team later this year.
The year 12 student at Mackillop College wasn’t giving much away in relation to which sport he loves the most.
‘I love them both, footy gives me a good fitness base which definitely helps me on the court, and netball gives me that 360 awareness in tight spaces which conditions me for the midfield on the footy ground’.
His long term goal with netball is to play at the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane if the sport qualifies.
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and Star Weekly Newspapers.
If you would like to nominate a monthly winner or attend a dinner, contact swrsportsclub@gmail.com or 0408 556 631.
Western United football general manager Mal Impiombato is boisterous about the prospect of a full season’s impact from Zimmerman in Tarneit.
“Catherine’s quality was on show at the back end of last season and we are all extremely excited to see her on the pitch from day one this year,” he said.
“Whilst working through her rehab, Zim had a fantastic impact on our group with her exemplary attitude and leadership continuing to drive our team culture.
“With her experience and physical presence, we anticipate Zim playing a big part in 2024-25 and she will no doubt have our fans on their feet at Ironbark Fields this season.”
Tara Murray Alex Paech. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 430075_11
Reikken Brodie. (Supplied)
