Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 12th November 2024
The annual Pencils Project school stationery drive is fast approaching, and organisers are drawing on community support.
A grassroots not-for-profit based in Melbourne’s north west, the Pencils Project collaborates with schools, businesses, and community organisations to repurpose surplus stationery, ensuring it reaches students and schools that need it most.
On Saturday, December 14, at the rear hall of the Brimbank Church of Christ in Keilor East, volunteers are needed to assist with various tasks to prepare donations for distribution.
People of all ages are encouraged to participate. Registrations are appreciated in advance.
To sign up visit: shorturl.at/Z30k0
Boxes are lost in the mail Drawing on local support
By Gerald Lynch
In a heavily digitised world, many Brimbank residents are scratching their heads and asking the same question: where have all the post boxes gone?
In Brimbank, residents have reported a number of red Australia Post boxes being removed without notice.
With the recent local council elections being held exclusively through postal voting, and the festive season fast approaching, residents have felt left in the lurch trying to deliver their letters.
Sunshine resident Christine Finco said she has seen lots of boxes being removed.
“We lost our post box on Fairbairn Road, the one on Talintyre Road, and Wright Street, it’s annoyingbutIhaveacarsoIcantotoGlengala
post office and post letters, but I feel sorry for the people who don’t drive,” she said.
“Australia Post could have left one on the main road.”
Another local, Philip Kocovski uses mail services as part of his work, and the sudden removal of nearby boxes has added hurdles for him to complete his duties.
“I run a small document translation business in the area that requires sending letters and translated documents to clients,” he said.
“Inconveniently I now need to drive to Sunshine two to three times a week to do so. There was one about five minutes walk from my place previously.”
Other boxes reported missing by residents include on Dinnell Street, Hertford Road, Maxweld Street, Mount Derrimut Road, Wright Street, Duke Street, Fitzgerald Road,
and Warwick Road.
Council on the Ageing (COTA) chief executive Ben Rogers said the removal of post boxesandlackofcommunicationisconcerning for older residents.
“Australia Post is closing post offices and post boxes across Victoria – often with little consultation, fanfare, or consideration of older people in the area. Australia Post needs to engage with communities to ensure its proposals support them, and not just its own back pocket,” he said.
He said postal services still play a vital role in the lives of older Victorians, including paying bills and sending correspondence.
“Reducing access to these services forces those with mobility challenges to travel farther to complete essential daily tasks, directly affecting their ability to age comfortably in
their own communities,” he continued.
An Australia Post spokesperson said the organisation makes decisions on removal based on multiple factors, including usage.
“As we continue to see mail decline, we remove some Street Posting Boxes that are not frequently used, subject to vandalism or in areas where we have significant overlap,” the spokesperson said.
“AustraliaPostregularlyreviewsthelocation of its Street Posting Boxes to ensure it can run an efficient postal network and has over 14,000 Street Posting Boxes nationally, which is well above the 10,000 required under the regulations.
“Customerscanfindmoreinformationabout post boxes in their area on the Australia Post website at auspost.com.au/locate or by calling 13 POST (13 76 78).”
The Pencil Project’s Jacqui Vassallo and Vanessa Di Valentino. (Damjan Janevski) 442134_04
Plastic bag patches up fire truck
By Cade Lucas
Firefighters at Brooklyn Fire Station were forced to use a plastic bag and duct tape to cover a faulty window on one of their trucks last month, the latest incident in what the United Firefighters Union (UFU) claims is a crisis in Victoria’s fire truck fleet.
The incident occurred at Fire Station 45 –Brooklyn on Monday, October 28, when the rear window on one of the station’s trucks wouldn’t close due to an electrical fault.
With no back-up vehicles available due to other faults, crews were forced to tape a plastic bag over the rear window in order to keep it on the road, a situation Fire Rescue Victoria firefighter and UFU western district health and safety representative Kat Dunell said was completely unacceptable.
“This 17-year-old truck shouldn’t still be on
the road anyway – it’s more than two years past its use-by date,” said Ms Dunell, adding that the same truck had had a persistent air leakforoverayearandemittedlargeamounts of smoke when idling, affecting its capability.
“When it is called out crew have to wait about 45 seconds to get enough air pressure in the appliance.”
The UFU claimed almost half of FRV’s truck fleet is out of date and that its members have reported more than 400 truck faults in the past 12 months.
It said the problem is especially acute in the western suburbs, where a growing population and a large amount of heavy industry is spreading firefighting resources dangerously thin.
“The same firefighters are being repeatedly forced to use out of date trucks to contain some of the toxic and intense fires in the
state,” said Ms Dunnell, adding that aerial appliances had to be brought in from the northern suburbs to fight a factory fire in Laverton North last week
A spokesperson for FRV said the safety of both firefighters and the community was paramount.
“At all times, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) ensures that appropriate equipment is deployedtoemergenciestoprotectfirefighters and the community,” the spokesperson said.
“There is no single point of dependency. We continually utilise our full fleet across the state to ensure a high level of availability for emergency response.”
FRV confirmed that the truck at Brooklyn had been repaired and that its fleet was in the process of being updated with 28 new vehicles on the way, including the state’s fire electric fire truck due to enter service next year.
Feeding local families every Friday
Struggling families in Sunshine are being offered free meals by the local Salvation Army corps, to ensure no one goes hungry.
Every Friday from 3pm until 6.30pm, in partnership with Alex Makes Meals, OzHarvest,andFairShare,theSalvationArmy on Devonshire Road provides more than 300 ready made meals to families, as well as food hampers, fruit and vegetables, and other non perishable items.
Sunshine Salvos captain Colin Reynolds said the service has faced increasing demand as the community deals with the cost of living crisis.
“The demand for our service for people accessing assistance with food has risen exponentially,” he said.
MrReynoldssaidpriortothisyear,theteam relied solely on Alex Makes Meals services to cater for the community, but it was no longer enough with the influx of demand.
“That’s just human food… we give out a lot of dog and cat food as well,” he continued.
Comingintothefestiveseason,MrReynolds said demand is expected to further skyrocket and he urged anybody who can chip in with donated items or time to do so.
“We find the demand for food and that bit
extrathatpeopleliketohave…foodthat’sabit more special for Christmas, that’s going to be real for us this next couple of months,” he said.
“People are encouraged to donate food to us, non perishable type foods… pasta, rice, long life milk, tinned foods.
“We also have a huge Christmas Day lunch for the community where we put on a free sit down meal, and we can always use more volunteers for that.”
The Salvation Army Sunshine Corps are located at 42 Devonshire Road.
Gerald Lynch
Have a say on new dog park
Brimbank council is inviting residents to have their say on future works at Sydenham Basin Reserve dog off-leash area.
The draft concept plan aims to create a safe and welcoming environment for dogs and their owners, whilst also enhancing the natural landscape and biodiversity within the park.
The proposed dog park may feature partial fencing to support safety, a circuit path around the site with sensory sniff stops for dogs, a shelter for shade and comfort, active and calm zones with a variety of plants, seating for owners to relax and watch their dogs play, and a drinking water fountain.
Council believes these ideas will make a great space for dogs and their owners. However, as this site is a retarding basin the proposed works are subject to Melbourne Water approval and may change.
Residents can provide feedback by attending the listening post event at the park on Saturday, November 15 from 10am to 12pm at Sydenham Basin Reserve. Alternatively, residents can have their say online at www.yoursay. brimbank.vic.gov.au
Consultation closes Friday, November 29.
Council would like to hear from children too, and encourage parents and carers to help them submit their feedback.
A plastic bag covers the rear window of a fire truck at Fire Station 45 Brooklyn last week. (Supplied)
Sunshine Salvos captains Colin Reynolds and Phuong Reynolds, and volunteer Dorothy Campbell. (Damjan Janevski) 441447_01
The Deere of Derrimut
A former apprentice aircraft mechanic, Andrew Moat, has now well and truly found his feet working on John Deere Construction & Forestry equipment in Derrimut.
Andrew won the Australian Construction & Forestry Service Technician category award at the 2024 John Deere Technician of the Year Awards, a result which came as a shock to the 35-year-old.
After completing an apprenticeship as an aircraft mechanic, Mr Moat switched gears to undertake a diesel mechanic apprenticeship and work on heavy machinery.
“I really didn’t think I was going to win, so I couldn’t quite believe it when my name was read out,” he said.
“I was surprised but also dreading getting up to make a speech in front of 200 people!
“The best part of my job is going onto site when a customer’s machine isn’t working and when you leave it is. Really, I just love
getting people going again.”
One person not surprised by Andrew’s success was one of his customers, Scott Oldfield from Roadstone Recycling.
“’Moaty’ has been a breath of fresh air in helping us through servicing and maintaining our equipment, particularly in the difficult environments we work in,” Mr Oldfield said.
“He is super responsive, and the way he interacts with our team is awesome. He is proactive in reminding us of upcoming services or any possible issues with our gear.
“Trust is not a word I throw around a lot, but I trust Andrew to get the job done and get it done right, and if there is a hold up, I trust that he is doing his best to get us going.
“I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this award. Andrew embodies what service is all about.”
Gerald Lynch
Briefs
Fatal house fire
A body was discovered after fire destroyed a weatherboard house in St Albans in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal house fire on Power Street, to which firefighters were alerted at 2.48am. A three-storey apartment building was also threatened by the fire, however firefighters ensured that damage was minimal. The building was heavily impacted by smoke with three of the townhouses sustaining minor fire damage. The occupant of the weatherboard house was found deceased inside once the fire was extinguished.
This Girl Can
VicHealth is encouraging women across the state to come together and get active at one of the events happening as part of This Girl Can Week. Running from November 10–17, This Girl Can Week involves sporting groups and clubs, local councils, and gyms, as they host a range of fun, safe and welcoming activities for women of all abilities, ages and cultural backgrounds. From cultural dance and basketball, to stand-up paddleboarding and active playgroups, there is a wide range of activities.
Details: thisgirlcan.com.au/events
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Over 50? Discover downsizing in the North-West
Bringing together our vibrant North West communities, our open day will showcase the very best of Lifestyle Communities®
Enjoy complimentary coffee and food trucks while you explore our stunning display homes and take a guided tour of our state-of-the-art clubhouses. Our friendly homeowners and Lifestyle team will be on hand to answer any questions and share what makes these communities truly special. Lifestyle Deanside | 85 Mushu Street, Deanside Lifestyle Woodlea | 17 Tranquil Road, Aintree
Andrew Moat was awarded the Australian Construction & Forestry Service Technician category award. (Supplied)
Dogs deliver workplace danger
By Gerald Lynch
Caroline Springs is a posties’ nightmare, according to new data listing the suburb as having the most dog-related incidents in Victoria.
Australia Post is calling on local councils to adopt stricter measures in response to the alarming number of dog-related incidents involving posties.
New data has revealed more than 49 posties a week across the nation have fallen victim to dog-related incidents in the past six months - an average of ten per day – with fears these numbers will continue to rise in the lead up to
holiday season.
In the past six months, 1277 dog-related incidents have occurred nationwide, with one in three dog-related incidents occuring at the customer’s front door during parcel deliveries, increasing the risk to posties ahead of the upcoming Black Friday sales and Christmas season.
To help mitigate continued threats, all posties are equipped with a hazard device to log aggressive dog behaviour, with councils alerted to more serious cases.
Australia Post general manager of safety and wellbeing Rod Maule stressed the importance of councils implementing stronger measures
Konah’s fight to be best
Tarneit’s Konah Idris is on a quest to be the king of the Australian sporting world and he wants to bring his community and country with him on his climb to the top.
The 20-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter began training in September 2022 after findinghimselfdrawntothesport’srawenergy and being impressed by the talent coming out of Australia and New Zealand.
YouTube channels such as Mitchell Tinley’s, the pundits are starting to take notice.
Westside MMA in Ravenhall is like a second home to the fighter, a place where his coaches and peers spur him on and support him in equal measure.
“They’ll keep on motivating me to get that last punch in”, Idris said.
“When you feel broken down, they’re always
to prevent dog attacks, including increased monitoring and enforcement of animal management laws.
“Asweheadintoourpeakseasonanddelivery volumes increase, there is a serious concern for the physical and mental wellbeing of our posties, particularly around dogs,” he said. “Aggressive or dangerous dogs are reported to councilandlocalrangers,howevertoooftenwe see risks are not properly mitigated. This often leads to multiple instances of the same dog repeating aggressive behaviour.
“As the holiday season approaches, dog owners need to be mindful that all visitors, includingposties,shouldhavesafeaccesstothe
frontdoorwithoutbeingstoppedbyadog.Dog ownership comes with responsibilities, and we need council support to effectively enforce laws and regulations to ensure the safety of our people.”
A Melton council spokesperson said council investigates all dog related issues that are reported and enforces any offences.
“WearecommittedtoworkingwithAustralia Post to identify any concerns they have with particular properties within the City of Melton to reduce these types of incidents occurring,“ the spokesperson said. “We encourage dog owners to be proactive in addressing any issues to help protect community safety.”
Senior years you can enjoy
You don’t have to be stressed in year 11 and 12. Introducing the Pathways and Futures Hub at Global Village Learning. Our senior program is underpinned by the VCE Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) but also offers so much more - internships, entrepreneurial training and a qualification.
Global Village Learning is a learner-led, Montessori-inspired community focused on fostering creativity, diversity, and social impact to help young people shape a better world. GVL supports learners from ages 4 to 20 to thrive, without traditional year levels.
In his father’s footsteps
Mawien Ariik is striving to follow in his father’s selfless footsteps. His father was killed in the war in Sudan and he was separated from his widowed mother, living in refugee camps before arriving in Australia. Now the Deer Park resident is working to improve healthcare in his family’s village, as Afraa Kori reports.
Deer Park’s Mawien Ariik is one of many war orphans alive today thanks to his father’s selfless sacrifice.
Born in war-torn Sudan and raised by his widowed mother, Mr Ariik was eventually separated from his family and spent many years in refugee camps in Uganda and Kenya before arriving in Australia in 2005.
“Ever since my father was killed in the war, I took it positively and didn’t cry at that time. He fought for my freedom, now I’m free, safe, and living in a great country,“ he said.
“Given the opportunities I have in Australia, hissacrificeinspiresmetogivebacktothosehe fought for and make a difference in his honour. I’m also inspired to pass forward the help that I received from people who helped me during my disruptive childhood and helped me come to Australia as a young refugee boy. I want to leave a legacy as someone who was helped and continues to help others.”
When Mr Ariik returned to his home village asanadult,hewasdevastatedtoseepeoplestill suffering after his father had fought and died for them to be free.
“I went back to Sudan in 2017 and saw that nothing has changed since I left as a little kid,” he said. “When the war was happening, it stopped people from providing basic health care services, and I thought after Sudan’s independence, these services would be delivered to people. There’s still nothing in the village where I was born and where my family lives, even in the capital city [Juba] people are sick on the floor when they go to a public hospital.
“The health conditions affected my family members and I lost one of my nephews because
‘‘ If you see something wrong and you don’t say or do anything, then you are the same or equal to the person committing those atrocities ... it’s a collective responsibility, if we join hands that will make a difference ’’ - Mawien Ariik
oftheoutbreakofdiseaseinthevillage.Mysick grandfather was hand-carried by 10 villagers for over 10-hours to get him to medical care. Young girls are also missing a lot of days of school due to having no access to menstrual products.”
After noticing the need for sustainable healthcare initiatives and health education programmes, Mr Ariik and his friends launched South Sudanese Health Matters Incorporated (SSHMI), a non-government and non-profit organisation to improve the health and life chances of people living in Sudan.
Over the course of 12 months, SSHMI supplied over 1000 sanitary hygiene kits to girls and women in Lou-Ariik village, as well as employing and training community health workers to educate the community about hygiene practices.
“Before my father passed, he said he’s a chief of the orphans and the needy and that’s exactly what he did for 55 years in his village,” Mr Ariik said. “So we put a memorial clinic in his honour and hopefully expand this vision to other villages. I might not be able to impact the whole village but I’ve got to start somewhere and there might be other people later on in that impact journey that will join me.”
For the Dhour Ariik memorial clinic, SSHMI raised $25,756 with the support of diverse communities at its first fundraiser in Braybrook.
It featured diverse speakers, including Western Health junior medical doctor Anei Ochan-Thou, Melbourne University postdoctoral research fellow, Dr Mark Deng, Shepparton registered nurse Akuot Wundit and Geelong author Kgshak Akec.
“The fundraiser’s theme was resilience and we carefully selected a young group of panellists, to discuss their experiences and their journeys, whether it’s schooling, work or life. So we were raising funds for the good cause and at the same time, motivating and mobilising the community,” Mr Ariik said.
“The goal was to leverage this to champion and advocate for basic services like healthcare, schools and menstrual products for the people in the village. If you see something wrong and you don’t say or do anything, then you are the same or equal to the person committing those atrocities or denying basic health services to the people. It’s a collective responsibility, if we join hands that will make a difference.“
Melton resident and SUDD foundation founder Ambrose Mareng is another South
Sudanese who recently visited his country of birth. He said many Sudanese-Australians will depend on SSHMI as a lifeline to bring health careservicestotheirextendedfamilyinSudan.
“South Sudanese Australians are directly affected, as they have family in South Sudan. The dire situation there – a maternal mortality rate of 1 in 10, for example – weighs heavily on them,” he said.
“To my knowledge, Mawien is the first member of the South Sudanese diaspora in Australia to initiate building a hospital back in South Sudan ... Sudanese Australians want to helpbutmaynotknowhow.Theyneedsystems in place, motivation, and encouragement. Seeing progress like this would spur them on.
“Existing healthcare facilities are primitive and far from the neediest areas. The area where the proposed hospital would be built is 200 miles from town and conditions deteriorate every rainy season. Heavy rains and flooding cut people off from towns; makeshift roads wash away. In emergencies, people die because there’s no way to transport patients to hospitals, even the hospitals themselves are poorly equipped.
“If the Australian community, both Sudanese and otherwise, support this effort, it could make a massive difference in the Tonj NorthAreaofWarrapState.WhiteAustralians visiting or contributing to South Sudan would make a profound impact, changing lives with their skills, knowledge, and resources. By building the hospital, we send a message that Australians care about South Sudan and want to improve their lives there.”
Details: https://southsudanesehealth.org/ donate/
Mawien
Ariik. (Damjan
Janevski) 431600_02
Gears shift on cannabis
Victorians prescribed medicinal cannabis will soonbeabletodrivewithoutfearofmandatory loss of licence if unimpaired behind the wheel.
On October 31, Legalise Cannabis Victoria secured an amendment in the Upper House to allow magistrates to exercise sentencing discretion for drivers who test positive for the cannabinoid chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), if they hold a valid prescription for medicinal cannabis and are unimpaired while driving.
Legalise Cannabis and Western Metro MP David Ettershank said the change, which comes into effect on March 1, 2025, is a fantastic result.
“Roadside saliva tests can detect tiny traces of THC more than a week after consumption, but these miniscule remnants have negligible impact on driving ability,” he said.
“Under the old law the mere presence of this remnant chemical meant a compulsory loss of licence for six months and a steep fine, but the driver had only taken their medicine as directed by their doctor.
“This change means a current prescription holder, who is unimpaired and has taken their medication as directed, can appear before a magistrate, explain their circumstance and the magistratecanallowthemtokeeptheirlicence.
“The presence of THC in the system remains an offence, the only change is that magistrates will be given this discretionary power.”
Alice Davy from Melton is a single mother with stage-four endometriosis and Multiple Sclerosis who uses medicinal cannabis.
She has also welcomed the change.
“Thank you for listening to patients. Changing these outdated laws and providing magistrates with discretionary powers will mean patients who are too afraid to take their prescribed cannabis, can now do so,” she said.
Ms Davey had tried an array of medication,
but found medicinal cannabis offered her the most relief.
“I was very sick, cannabis saved my life. I now maintain a healthy weight, I’m calmer for mykidsandtheseveretremorinmyrighthand
is gone,” she said.
Alice never drives when she is impaired.
“I follow my doctor’s directions -a doctor is the expert to tell you how to take a medication and its safe usage.”
Festive Giving Tree is back
Brimbank council is collaborating with a number of local charities and organisations to deliver its Giving Tree program this festive season.
Running until Friday, December 20, donations of non-perishable food and household necessities are being urged, to support members of the community who are struggling to make ends meet.
Suggested items to donate include tinned beans, rice, dry beans, vegetable oil, peanut butter, rolled oats and cereals, canned fruit and vegetables, soups, canned tuna, tea and coffee, dishwashing liquid, and washing powder.
A range of locations are accepting donations on behalf of the program, including The Salvation Army on 42 Devonshire Road, Sunshine, from Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 3pm.
Helping Hands on 85-89 Hampshire Road, Sunshine, from Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 4.30pm, Westvale Community Centre from Monday to Wednesday, noon 12pm to 4.30pm, Kororoit Creek Neighbourhood House, from 9.15am to 3pm, during the week, the Tin Shed Community Youth Club, from Monday to Wednesday, 9.30am to 2.30pm.
More locations will open up from December 1, there will be a donation box in the foyer of the Watergardens Shopping Centre centre management office, Bunnings in Taylors Lakes, the Levande Lakes Retirement Village, the KeilorRetirementVillage,andSydenham MP Natalie Hutchins’ office will all have donation boxes in their foyers.
Western Metro MP David Ettershank. (Supplied)
Seniors hit the court
To close out this year’s Seniors Festival in Brimbank, Walking Basketball was made free and enjoyed by many locals.
The program is an inclusive and fun-filled activity suitable for all abilities and ages.
Thisadaptedversionofbasketballisdesigned to be slower-paced and less competitive, making it perfect for seniors and those looking for a gentler form of exercise.
Every Thursday from 11.30am to 12.30pm, skills are practised and participants enjoy a friendly match.
Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevski was at the Keilor Basketball Stadium to capture the action.
OTR C Coffee is barista-made and perfectly
Jill and Manfred Kriechbaum, Peter Sidley and Sue all took part. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 440896
Boost for Vic maternity services
care as close to home as possible.
The taskforce will identify opportunities and address known complex challenges that can have an effect on the service delivery of Victoria’sworld-classmaternitycare,including workforce recruitment and retention.
A taskforce will be set up to help improve maternity services across Victoria.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said thetaskforcewouldfocusonensuringhospitals have the best workforce and models of care in place – so families have access to safe, reliable
It will be made up of nursing and midwifery experts–includingtheAustralianNursingand Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Vic Branch and representatives from regional and rural health services.
A targeted expression of interest process to join the taskforce is underway, with work to review Victoria’s maternity system to identify
strategies for improvement commencing shortly.
The taskforce will work with health services, community and experts to consider models of care that support women to have choice in their pregnancy and birth experiences, while strengthening rural and regional maternity workforces.
“Victoria has some of the world’s best and safest maternity and newborn services in the world – this taskforce is an opportunity to continue improving these services, so women receive the best support during pregnancy and birth,“ Ms Thomas said.
“It’s so important to ensure all of our maternity health service providers whether they are in the city or the most remote areas of Victoria – the taskforce experts will help to implement the changes we need to see.”
ANMF (Victorian branch) assistant secretary Madeleine Harradence said the ANMF was looking forward to contributing to the taskforce’s work.
“Weknowtherearemultiplewaysofworking that result in sustainable and professionally satisfying workforce outcomes and enable womentoaccessmaternitycareclosetohome,“ she said.
Supportive abortion care at Northern Health
For the past six years, the abortion service at BroadmeadowsHospitalhasbeenprovidingan essential service to the community.
The service offers both early medication and surgical abortion in a pro-choice, safe, and supportive environment. Operating on Thursdays and Fridays, the clinic is staffed by a multidisciplinary team including clinical midwives, doctors, a counsellor-social worker, and a research midwife. Together they ensure that patients receive the highest level of care and support throughout their journey.
NorthernHealthclinicalmidwifeconsultant and clinic co-ordination Kate Chaouki said the abortion service at Broadmeadows Hospital is an integral part of Northern Health’s ongoing efforts to provide accessible reproductive healthcare services for women in the region.
“Access to safe abortion is an essential part of reproductive health care. We are proud to offer this service at Northern Health and enjoy
working collaboratively with primary health care providers and other major health services to ensure ongoing provision of high-quality abortion care to our community,” she said.
Counsellor- social worker Sarah
Wotherspoon joined the abortion service in June 2023. The addition of social work has broadened the scope of the clinic and allows access to non-directive pregnancy counselling, family violence support and other vital
assistance to patients who need it.
“We knew that social work was important in thisspace,buthadnotquiteanticipatedthehigh level of demand for Sarah’s skills in the clinic. We recently celebrated Sarah’s 200th referral for abortion counselling-social work and could not provide this level of comprehensive care without her,” Ms Chaouki said.
Ms Wotherspoon said she enjoyed working in this space and consistently receives positive feedback from patients whose experience of abortion care is enhanced by her support.
“I am proud to work with this highly skilled, supportive and kind team, providing an essential health service to our patients,” she said.
Those who are pregnant and seeking pregnancy options counselling can contact 1800 My Options which is available Monday to Friday, 9 am-5 pm, via www.1800myoptions. org.au or 1800 696 784.
Midwife Kylie Johnston, counsellor-social worker Sarah Wotherspoon, Dr Eliza Robinson, clinical midwife consultant Kate Chaouki and research midwife Eleanor Johnson. (Supplied)
Secure trading sites expanded to police stations
Special zones where buyers and sellers can exchange items purchased online have been established outside 35 24-hour police stations across Victoria, including in the west.
Buyers and sellers can now meet at special zones established at Altona, Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Melton, Werribee and Bacchus Marsh.
The exchange sites provide people transacting items listed on online marketplaces with a safer alternative than meeting unknown people at locations such as their homes, parks, or carparks.
The new locations join Safer Exchange
Sites at Mernda and Mill Park which were established during the scheme’s trial in mid-2022.
During the trial’s six-month evaluation period, thefts and robberies in the area stemming from online sales decreased, while police officers at these stations also observed people exchanging items on a regular basis.
Each Safer Exchange Site has clear signage outside the 24-hour police station, as well as CCTV coverage and lighting.
According to Victoria Police Commander Tim Tully the concept was originally developed following an increase in robberies,
thefts and assaults linked to online trading, which peaked in 2020 before COVID lockdowns. He said smartphones are the most common high value item stolen in these incidents.
“While the overall number of assaults, thefts and robberies connected to online exchanges is low, we don’t want to see any occur,” Commander Tully said.
“With the popularity of buying and selling items via online marketplaces continuing to grow, this initiative is all about police getting on the front foot to ensure an emerging crime theme doesn’t become an embedded trend.
A safe haven in the west
Members of Sunshine West’s Eritrean community have marked 30 years of brutal religiouspersecutionintheirhomeland–with no end in sight for their fellow worshippers at home.
According to Jehovah’s Witness regional spokesman Joshua Wilson, on October 25, 1994, a presidential decree revoked the citizenship of Eritrean-born Jehovah’s Witnesses, leaving them suddenly stateless and without the right to own property, complete schooling, run a business or find employment.
Sunshine West residents and Eritrean refugees Biniam Tseggai and his wife Yosan were two such “non-citizens”.
In the mid to late 90s, Biniam, a marine biologist, was arrested multiple times for exercising his faith.
HesayshelaterlosthisjobattheMinistryof Fisheries because of his religious convictions. Four months later he was apprehended by the military police and taken to a camp.
“After being tortured on the first night, I ran away and trekked for three days to Sudan where I sought asylum. I stayed for over six years working as an interpreter and clerk for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR),” he said.
From Sudan, Biniam and Yosan were part of a group of 100 Jehovah’s Witnesses assisted by the Australian Government to escape persecution, landing in Australia in 2007.
The majority of that group now reside in Melbourne’s west.
For many Jehovah’s Witnesses living in Eritrea, Biniam’s experiences are far from unusual.
Being stripped of their citizenship prevents Jehovah’s Witnesses from leading normal lives, and this loss of basic civil rights is further compounded by the ongoing arrests and imprisonments where many are detained indefinitely without being charged.
According to Mr Wilson, in the last 30 years at least 250 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been imprisoned - men, women, elderly, and even
children. He said at present there are 34 men and 29 women imprisoned for their faith.
Biniam’s brother-in-law was imprisoned for 26 years in appalling conditions after being abducted by soldiers when he was just 21 years old.
“Religiousfreedomandallhumanrightsare very important,” Mr Tseggai said. “We should all have the same rights. Our experience is a reminder to not take anything for granted.”
Now parents of four children, Biniam and
Yosan are grateful to practise their religion in peace and raise their children in the safety of Melbourne’s suburbs.
“The sense of community is the best part about living here, we enjoy the time we spend with others in the Eritrean community,” he continued.
“We all know each other and have each experienced persecution in one way or another. Many are sympathetic to how Jehovah’s Witnesses are treated in Eritrea.”
“While these sites are a safer alternative than meeting someone at your home or in a dimly lit area with no CCTV, we still encourage people to consider the risks of meeting a person they’ve never met before.
“Police suggest meeting during daylight hours if possible and bringing someone with you to the exchange.”
Exchange zones have been popular in the United States as online marketplaces continue to gain in popularity, with feedback indicating people feel safer meeting in designated sites with good lighting and CCTV.
Firm fined for illegal waste
The Environmental Protection Authority has fined a company nearly $40,000 for transporting hazardous waste without permission to a number of sites across Melbourne, including in Brooklyn and Wollert.
Veolia Recycling and Recovery and Veolia Environmental Services was fined by the EPA for transporting waste classed as reportable priority waste, without gaining permission to do so.
Reportable priority waste can be extremelyhazardoustohumanhealthand the environment, and is only allowed in a vehicle with appropriate EPA permission.
Veolia transported the hazardous waste to sites in Brooklyn, Wollert and Dandenong during October without permission.
“It’s disappointing to see a large company like Veolia fail to obtain the appropriate permission before transporting reportable priority waste,” said EPA compliance programs manager Zac Dornom of the offences.
Veolia is one of the largest waste management companies in the world, with the French multinational having more than 200,000 employees worldwide and more than 6000 in Australia.
Under Victorian law, the operator has the right to have the infringement notice reviewed by a court.
Along with transporting it in a permitted vehicle, those managing reportable priority waste need to provide information regarding the waste to the next person in the supply chain, report to theEPAeachtimethewasteisexchanged, take reasonable steps to contain the waste to prevent escape or contamination and isolate the waste to enable resource recovery to occur.
Biniam and Yosan Tseggai with their four children. (Supplied)
Family violence work recognised
By Tara Murray
Senior Sergeant Stephen Phillips wasn’t sure it was the right move for him when it was mentioned that he join Victoria Police’s Family Violence Investigation Unit.
While he was hesitant early on, Senior Sergeant Phillips found his passion and nearly a decade later is a key member of the unit.
A member of the Broadmeadows Family Violence Investigation Unit, Senior Sergeant Phillips was recently announced as one of the winners of the Glenn Paton Family Violence, Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Practitioner of the Year Awards.
The awards – which are run by Victoria Police’sFamilyViolenceCommand–recognise employees who have gone above and beyond while working in family violence, sexual offences and child abuse.
The awards are named in honour of the late Senior Constable Glenn Paton to recognise the positiveimpacthehadonavictimexperiencing family violence.
Senior Sergeant Phillips said it was a surprise to receive the family violence practitioner of the year award
“The organisation has come a long way in developing the way we respond,” he said. “There are a lot of great practitioners. It’s nice to be recognised.”
SeniorSergeantPhillipswonhisawardforhis experience managing family violence matters, working as the family violence training officer and for regularly engaging family violence support agencies to ensure victim survivors are supported.
Senior Sergeant Phillips was based at Sunshine when a back injury relegated him to desk duties.
Now-Assistant Commissioner Chris Gilbert was in charge at the time and was looking at ways to employ Senior Sergeant Phillips.
“He suggested that I do rostering and I was useless as roasting,” he recalls.
“I said I’ll do anything else you want me to do.
“He came back a couple of days later and said I want you to be a full time officer in the family violence office.”
Senior Sergeant Phillips said while he was initially not sure of the role, it ended up being the first time in his career that he felt he was helping improve people’s lives.
After spending most of his career in Brimbank and Melton, he moved across to Broadmeadows where he is now a trainer and gets to help the next generation of police
develop the same passion that he has. “I want to help people in saving lives by removing women and kids from family violence.”
African nations football cup set to kick off again
For African football fans and athletes, the return of African Nations Cup is good news.
Hosted by Football Empowerment, the action kicks off from noon-7pm at Keilor Park Reserve, on November 23 to December 8.
Football Empowerment founder and executive director Tom Yabio said marginalised youth should have wider exposure to sports.
“The African Nations Cup Victoria was inspired by our journey as young aspiring footballers, facing financial and systemic barriers that made pursuing our passion challenging. Our mission is to create a space where young African Australians can celebrate their heritage through football while showcasing their talents. We strive to foster unity and provide opportunities for young players, similar to the ones we wished for in our early football days,” he said.
The African Nations Cup Victoria has been running for seven years, evolving from a small community gathering into a significant cultural and sporting event.
This year’s tournament draws participants and spectators across Victoria, including regional areas like Albury Wodonga County. With teams from all corners of the state, the competition level is expected to be high. Many talented players will be competing, making this year’s event a fantastic showcase of football skills and community spirit.
African Nations Cup creates a platform where local players can catch the attention of scouts and clubs.
“It has opened doors for young players to be scouted by professional teams, with several going on to play in the A-League,” Mr Yabio
said. “A memorable story involves a young player who participated in our tournament, caught the eye of scouts, and eventually signed with an A-League club. Witnessing players progress from our community tournaments to signing professional contracts has been a proud moment for us, showing the importance of providing the right opportunities for young talent.
“This year, we’re excited to introduce grand final performances and kids’ matches during halftime of the final games. These additions will create a lively atmosphere, engage spectators, and give young players a
chance to experience the thrill of playing on a big stage. It’s a way to celebrate the talent within our community while providing an entertaining experience for everyone.”
Meanwhile the tournament has strengthened connections between the African community and the wider Victorian society.
“Football has always been a way for people to connect, and it was our way of finding belonging when we moved to Australia. The African Nations Cup Victoria uses football as a bridge to unite communities, providing a space where people can come together,
Police officer struck by car in Diggers Rest
A Fraser Rise man has been charged after allegedly striking a police officer with a stolen vehicle in Diggers Rest on Wednesday, November 6.
Police said stolen Toyota RAV4 was seen in Diggers Rest about 1.30pm, with officer deployingstopsticksonAviationDriveinabid to halt the vehicle.
The driver, a 33-year-old Fraser Rise man and his passenger, a 27-year-old man from Mernda, sped off in the car, which allegedly struck a police officer.
The male senior constable was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening
injuries.
Police said the Toyota was then dumped on Plumpton Road near the Melton Highway and the occupants jumped into the tray of a Ute, which was allegedly driven by a female.
The Ute was then dumped at the carpark of Watergardens Shopping Centre in Taylors Lakes.
The two men were arrested inside the shopping centre.
Police said the female fled the scene and investigators are making inquiries into her whereabouts.
The Fraser Rise man was charged with
multiple offences including aggravated intentional exposure of police officer to risk by driving (motor vehicle stolen), dangerous driving causing serious injury, reckless conduct endangering life, dangerous driving while being pursued by police, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a prohibited weapon without exemption or approval and possession of a drug of dependence.
The Mernda man was released pending further inquiries.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 33 000 or at www. crimestoppersvic.com.au
support each other, and celebrate their identity,” Mr Yabio said.
ItcelebratesAfricanculturethroughmusic, dance, food, and the pride of representing different African nations on the field. It’s a time when families and friends come together to celebrate their heritage, fostering a strong sense of community and unity.
“We work closely with community leaders from various African backgrounds to ensure the event reflects the diversity of the African diaspora. Each team represents a different African nation, bringing together a rich variety of cultural expressions that celebrate the breadth of African heritage,” Mr Yabio said.
“We have established strong partnerships with local councils, including Brimbank City Council, as well as with Football Victoria, the Victorian Police, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), and community organizations like the African Youth Initiative. These collaborations are crucial for expanding our reach and ensuring the success of the African Nations Cup Victoria. They help us create more opportunities for young players across the state, providing pathways to professional development and fostering a safe, inclusive environment.”
Football fans representing their country. (Supplied)
Acting Deputy Commissioner Cindy Millen, Senior Sergeant Stephen Phillips and Glenn Paton’s daughter, Molly Paton. (Supplied)
A child’s view of family violence
By Afraa Kori
A new documentary from western suburbs husband and wife team, Vincent Lamberti and Lisa Albert, is striving to shed light on the impact of family violence on children.
Revealed: KillJoy, now streaming on Stan, was directed by Lamberti and produced by Albert. It tells the story of a mother’s death, a community’s silence and a child’s journey to understand how the law allowed them to live with their father who killed their mother.
Lamberti said KillJoy offered the unique view of family violence from the perspective of a child.
“It privileges the point of view of the child in the story and that doesn’t get enough attention,” he said.
“It’s understood by organisations like Our Watch for example now, that the next big push in understanding family violence is to understanditfromthechild’sperspective.The child[KathrynJoy]inthiscaseisnowanadult of almost 40 years old, but Killjoy tells their story from the earliest age of consciousness that they had and how the story of their mother’s killing changed over time as they became older and understood more. There was so much that was kept from them and as they gleaned more and more information, that story grew, morphed and developed.”
The film also challenges the stereotypes and misconceptions society has about family violence.
“There’s a sense, even today amongst a significant section of the community that feel like ‘his crime in killing her was not as great because she was having an affair’ and I think Killjoy challenges that,” Lamberti said.
“It also challenges the blind belief we tend to have that the law will be uniform. The notion that the best thing to do for children is to protect them by not talking about it, I think the film really really challenges that.
“When we see people are suffering from family violence or any trauma, we don’t all
know how to deal with it. But we can offer a space where people are able to talk about it and feel acknowledged. You don’t have to fix it, that’s what therapists and social workers are for.”
Lamberti said Killjoy offers men a powerful learning tool to understand the unique challenges women face.
“I learned a lot about gender issues through making the documentary and that’s something that I’m thankful for,” he said.
“There are things I don’t fully understand because I haven’t obviously experienced it, but I came to understand how women and girls can feel more insecurity and sense of danger in the world, than men.
“There are things men take for granted, like walking down a street at night. While I’ll be aware of any dangers but generally I don’t have to feel like that is a dangerous thing to do. I think a lot of women and girls do and that’s unacceptable.”
Lamberti said Killjoy has also resonated with many women, directly or indirectly affected by family violence.
“You rarely see older women getting an opportunity to speak. There’s been a number of people who said I just couldn’t believe what I was watching and it took me a day or two before I could message you or email you about it because it was just so emotionally affecting.
“I don’t think many people get through without crying. I wanted to give as much as I possibly could as a film can manage of Kathryn’s experience viscerally, to actually feel it emotionally and physically because it’s through emotional engagement that we change, that our brains and minds change.
“While it’s important to raise awareness on family violence, we want to inspire action. There’s a whole impact campaign that is being built on the back of this film. Kathryn is really passionate about establishing a peer group support network for people like themselves
‘‘ The film shows how trauma can ripple through an individual and a community and continue to be felt for many years. But it is also a film about hope and recovery and coming to terms with one’s past ’’
- Tristram Williams
who have been bereaved by domestic homicide.”
After watching Killjoy, Yarraville’s Tristram Williams said it changed the narrative that trauma is not the event but its distortion.
“In reflecting on my own life, it made me think of how fortunate I am! I think KillJoy’s power is in its beauty; the story is obviously one of tremendous pain and grief, but it is told in such a way that you are always drawn in. And its focus is always on the human, on Kathryn’s journey. The story is somehow universal despite its specific horror: the story of trauma and recovery,” he said.
“The film shows how trauma can ripple through an individual and a community and continue to be felt for many years. But it is also a film about hope and recovery and coming to terms with one’s past.”
To view the documentary go to https:// www.stan.com.au/watch/revealed-killjoy2024
Some of those involved in the documentary: Vincent Lamberti, Jill Brodie, Lisa Albert and Anna McGirr. (Anna McGirr)
Left: Stills from the filming of Revealing: Killjoy. Right: Vincent Lamberti with Kathryn Joy. (Tim O’Keefe)
Local timber miller branches out
By Jaidyn Kennedy
Julia’s Onsite Timber is trailblazing in the world of timber through portable milling and thesustainablerepurposingofdiscardedwood.
Located in the aptly named suburb of Attwood, the newly established mill’s team of arborists and woodsmiths has been utilising a portable mill to transform wood they source into timber products.
The venture’s roots can be traced back to when founder and owner Paul McKay purchased a mill over 10 years ago.
Initially starting as a fun project to save as many urban trees as possible, it soon sprouted into an obsession.
After completing training in mill operation, he mustered up the courage to post an ad on Facebook offering milling services.
The ambition of milling in an urban setting was not without its critics and detractors.
“I was saying that surely we can mill in an urban area and they’re all telling me why you can’t,“ Mr McKay said.
Gaining traction and a permit from Hume council, the small operation expanded and his crew grew.
Putting one of his staff through a certificate III in arboriculture, planted a new idea in his mind – becoming qualified as a climbing arborist.
MrMcKay,whoactuallyhasafearofheights, said that “I persisted and persisted, and it’s almost fun these days”.
With jobs ranging from clearing up sites for government infrastructure projects to just freeing people of their unwanted firewood, no two days are the same for Mr McKay and his team.
“It could be climbing trees and taking them down, it could be milling on site, it could be going away for a few days milling farmer’s logs
they just want cleared from paddocks,” Mr McKay said. “There’s a wide variety of tasks and skills that we need too.”
Sourcing trees from all across Melbourne, Mr McKay and his team often find themselves out in the west.
“The trees out in the western suburbs are dryland trees, which generally means that they are durable,” he said. “We’ve milled a lot out there and there’s some beautiful trees.”
According to Mr McKay, disasters – such as the storms that lashed the Macedon Ranges three years ago, leave no shortage of
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lingering trees, a phenomenon he referred to as “horizontal forests.”
“Those storms that happened three years ago – we’re still going to sites where people have just got logs and trees everywhere,” Mr McKay said.
Another important aspect of the operation is forecasting potential hazards and disasters –often identifying trees that could pose a risk up to a 100 years into the future.
“We never chop a tree down for timber, it’s always for some other reason and then we turn the rubbish into something,” Mr McKay said.
Thestoriesofwhattheseformertreesbecome are just as diverse as the reasons they were milled, with furniture, playground equipment and entire house framings being among the creations.
The sustainable model allows it to cater to a market for rarer woods that would otherwise be unattainable for other businesses.
When asked about what he enjoys most about the operation, Mr McKay pointed to its novelty.
“No one has really done this before- It’s a big experiment for us.”
11 MOURELL STREET SUNSHINE WEST
RENOVATE OR DETONATE!
Auction Saturday 30th November at 12 noon 10% deposit balance 30 days
• This three bedroom brick veneer home in need of major repair.
• Renovate with a little care and imagination, build your dream home or potential development site (STCA), the choice is yours.
• Offering huge potential and numerous possibilities.
• Large allotment measuring approx. 554m2.
• Situated close to Norm Talintyre Reserve (approx. 800 meters), The Avenue Shopping Centre (approx. 1 kms), Talintyre Road Shops (approx. 800 metres), numerous schools & public transport.
Also excellent access to the Western Ring Road (approx. 2.5 kms)
Paul McKay, owner of Julia’s Onsite Timber milling, and inset, with one of his milling machines. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 438897
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
National seniors meeting
On the first Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm, the Metro west branch of national seniors meets at The Club in Caroline Springs, with meals available to purchase. They also hold lunches on different Fridays each month, as well as activities such as theatre visits, bus trips and more.
0425 713 004 or
lesley1.collins@outlook.com
Learn to Relax Group
IPC Health’s Living Well team is running a free Learn to Relax Group at IPC Health Deer Park, 106 Station Road, every Tuesday at 11am. This group is for people over 18 years who are interested in learning how to relax and finding ways to effectively manage their stress. Registration is required to attend this group.
livingwell@ipchealth.com.au or 1300 472 432
Women’s only conversation English
Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to make friends, learn new skills and practice English in this fun and free women’s social group. Tuesdays during school terms, 9.30am-noon, at Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine.
9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au
Crafternoons
Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to a free adult social opportunity to get together and be creative. Learn a new craft or bring along your own craft projects. Tuesdays during school terms, 12.30-2.30pm, at the Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine.
9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au
Musicians Wanted
Westgate Concert Band is seeking new members. Do you play Woodwind, Brass or Percussion and are looking for a welcoming place to play enjoyable and challenging music? Rehearsals held Saturday mornings during school terms, 9am to noon, at Braybrook College.
westgateconcertband@gmail.com
Sunshine Heights Junior Soccer Club
The club is on the lookout for more girls to join its junior soccer teams from ages under-8s through to under-14. If you are keen to join, training is held every Tuesday and Thursday at Castley Reserve from 5.30pm – except for under 14 girls who train from 6.30pm.
theclub@sunshineheightsjsc.com.au
Girl Guides
Brimbank District Girl Guides is inviting locals to come and try guides before committing to join. Girls aged 5-18 and adults are invited to enjoy the fun and friendship of guiding.
Carolyn, 0418 536 084
Sunshine Repair Cafe
Do you enjoy fixing things or have skills in mending clothing and textiles? Kororoit Neighbourhood House is looking for volunteer repairers for the newly launched Repair Café in Brimbank. Events happen once a month and are an opportunity to meet others in the community and share your skills while helping fix broken household items.
sunshinerepaircafe@kcnh.org.au, or 0413 434 082
Al-Anon Family Groups
Al-Anon Family Groups is offering help and hope to anyone living in an unhappy home because a loved one drinks too much. There are no contracts to sign, just
a voluntary donation to cover room rental. Confidentiality is protected. Confidential meetings held at the Sydenham Neighbourhood Centre (rear of library) every Wednesday, from 1-2.30pm. New members welcome. No appointment necessary.
Kealba Car Meet
A typical first Sunday of each month in Kealba is a coffee and a car meet.
The event has a strict no hooning policy, with car lovers of all ages encouraged to come down and enjoy the spectacle. Held in the car park of the Kealba Milkbar Convenience and Cafe, 29 Driscolls Road, from noon to 2pm, with the next meeting on Sunday, December 1.
Card games
Love playing the card game 500? Card games are played every Monday, from 7-10pm, at the Sunshine RSL offices, 99 Dickson Street, Sunshine.
Leisa, 0425 768 808
Keilor Day View Club
The Keilor Day View Club meets at 11am on the first Thursday of each month at Green Gully Soccer Club, Green Gully Reserve, Club House Place, Keilor Downs. The club is inviting locals to come along and enjoy a meal and fun with a friendly group of ladies.
Robyn, 0425 387 880
Sunshine Community Brass
Sunshine Community Brass is looking for trumpet and percussion players to join its vibrant band of musicians. With more than 90 years of history, the band rehearses at 45 Furlong Road, North Sunshine, on
Tuesdays, from 7.30pm.
Andrew, 0419 444 620
Palliative volunteers needed Mercy Palliative Care is looking for volunteers to visit palliative care patients in their homes to offer social support.
9313 5700 or MPCVolunteerCoordinators@mercy.com.au
Deer Park Lions Club
Deer Park Lions Club is looking for new members. It holds dinner meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at the Deer Park Senior Citizens Club, 119 Station Road, Deer Park.
Michael, 0417 307 572
St Albans senior citizens
St Albans Senior Citizens group meet at the centre at the corner of Alfrieda and William streets, St Albans, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9am-2pm.
Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry on attendance day.
Roma, 0435 991 064
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
Zonta club
Zonta is an international organisation bringing women together to support other women. The Zonta Club of Melton meets on the first Monday of each month at Melton
Country Club, Reserve Road, Melton. Meetings include guest speakers.
Janet, 0421 080 923, or info@zontaclubofmelton.org.au
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
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
Melton Valley Ladies Probus Meets from 10am on the second Tuesday of each month at Melton Country Club on Reserve Road, Melton. All visitors are welcome.
Ann, 0425 705 150
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.
This week’s photographer’s choice is of Amedeo Gallicchio and his Halloween display. (Damjan Janevski) 441340_01
Get creative with ‘Lady Mohawk’
Local legend Sally ‘Lady Mohawk’ Walshe is heading to Brimbank to develop and inspire budding artists of any skill or experience level with three art courses.
The sessions are free and open to all community members of all abilities, providing a fun way for individuals, families and groups to work for a common purpose.
Starting at the Sunshine library on Monday, November18,MsWalshewillrunalinoprinting workshop from 10.30am to 1.30pm. She has been printmaking for more than 15 years and will teach people to make their own linoprints.
This three-hour course covers design techniques,transferringandcarvingdesignsas well as inking and printing original art pieces.
Participants will walk away with their own carved linocut.
This class is great for individuals, friends and couples as well as a team building activity.
Later in the week, Ms Walshe will head to the St Albans Community Centre, offering a chance for day time workers to join in, on Wednesday, November 20 from 4.30pm to 7.30pm for a repurposing art workshop.
Participants will use recycled materials to create works of art, encouraging sustainability and creativity, whilst teaching people how to make art resourcefully. All art will be crafted entirely from reusable and recycled material.
Finally, she will be out at Sydenham Library on Saturday, November 23 from 11am to 2pm
for another linoprinting session.
Ms Walshe said the classes are a great blend of creativity and sustainability.
“I love to be environmental in my art classes and artwork. For the linoprinting classes, I use sustainable inks, paper and linocut and for the repurpose workshops everything is made entirely from recycled or disused materials,” she said.
“These are great ways to explore creativity as afamily,withafriend,orjustbyyourself,whilst also being considerate of the environment.”
Although classes are free, registrations are essential: creativebrimbank.com.au/whats-on
Revolution, rock and rubber gloves
“It’s a funny, feisty cabaret,” is how Newport performer Donna Jackson described her new show premiering at Kindered Bandroom in Yarraville on Friday, November 15. With a name like ‘Art Accidents and Underpants’ it seems a pretty apt description and even more so given the content.
“It’s me telling a story about all girl bands in the 1980’s and it’s about an incident where I got caught driving around with lots of girls in a car and got taken to the police station and wouldn’t tell them my name so there was a strip search involving rubber gloves,” said Jackson of the show which fortunately focuses
less on all rubber gloves and more on all girl bands.
“If we don’t tell our stories how will the next generation know there was a time in the 1980’s when women picked up guitars and set up dance parties all over Melbourne and across Australia,” she said of her motivation for writing the show.
Jackson’s band, Nice Girls Don’t Spit, were so popular at the time they were able to fly around Australia performing to huge crowds of dancing women.
However, rather than a nostalgia trip, Jackson said the show was a celebration of
a feminist movement which she recalled as ‘trying to change the world’ while dancing, singing and driving fast at the same time.
EachsceneofArtAccidentsandUnderpants covers one of these themes in what Jackosn described as a “fast moving storytelling musical slam.”
After three performances in Yarraville on November 15, 23 and 30, Jackson hopes to go back to her rock band roots and take the show around Australia.
Bookings: kinderedbanroom.com.au
Cade Lucas
Carols by Candlelight will light up mansion
Wyndham Carols by Candlelight is returning to the great lawn of Werribee Mansion on Saturday, December 7, in what is poised to be a magical celebration of the holiday spirit.
The event, which has grown into Victoria’s largest Christmas celebration outside of Melbourne’s Christmas Eve concert over its more than 30 years of running, sold out last year with over 5000 attendees.
Renowned Australian soprano Silvie Paladino will headline the occasion, sharing the stage with Salvation Army Melbourne Staff Band who will be conducted by Ken Waterworth as his 30 plus year tenure as bandleader comes to a close.
Gates will open earlier this year at 5pm, givingfamiliesmoretimetoenjoythepre-show fanfare that includes an expanded food truck
selectionandextendedkid’sactivities,aheadof the 7pm start time. The Nativity Procession, a unique mainstay of Wyndham Carols, will be on full display down the middle of the great lawn during the evening, with real camels and a donkey to
Games for the young at heart
Whittlesea’s senior residents will be taking centre stage over the next month for the municipality’s Seniors’ Festival. The festivities will be launched on Tuesday, November 12 with the Young at Heart Games at Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre (PRACC), 35 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang. The games for over-55s will begin with a community torch walk and opening ceremonyfrom9am,withthecompetition starting at 11am.
Epping’s The Y Leisure City will host seniors’ tennis sessions on November 14 and walking football on November 21. Whittlesea’s first Silver Rainbows Café will be held at Laurimar Community Activity Centre on November 19, while Oz Ten Pin Bowling in Epping will host the festival on November 22.
Piano accordionist Phil Carroll will entertainthecrowdatKirripCommunity Centre in Wollert on November 26.
Thomastown Recreation and Aquatic Centre will hold a carpet bowls session on November28andtherewillbeacity-wide bus tour on November 29.
Seniors can give pickleball a try at Mill Park Basketball Stadium on December 4 or social golf at the Growling Frog Golf Course in Donnybrook on December 10. Whittlesea council said the seniors’ festival recognises and celebrates the contributions of seniors in the community.
There is something for everyone, including tennis, walking football, 10-pin bowling,carpetbowls,golf,pickleballand more.
Mernda resident, Bob Rampling, 76. is a golf enthusiast and is excited to be participating in the torch walk and golf competition.
accompany the show.
Those interested in contributing more to the festivities beyond the attendance are encouraged to reach out to Wyndham Carols via their website, while updates can be found at facebook.com/wyndhamcarols and @ wyndhamcarols on Instagram.
The Wyndham Carols by Candlelight is a non-profit event organised by the Wyndham Ministers Network that represents 17 local churches in Wyndham with support of Wyndham City Council.
All money raised will go back into maintaining the event for years to come.
Children under 12 can attend for free, while adult tickets are $18.90 and concession $13.
Tickets and information: https:// wyndhamcarols.org.au/
“The games bring people from all walks of life together, and it’s great to see everyone enjoying themselves. They provide an opportunity to try out new and different things,” he said. “It’s always good fun, good exercise, and a chance to getoutinthefreshair,talkingandmixing with like-minded people.”
Bookings are needed and spectators are welcome at all events.
Donna Jackson’s new cabaret show premiering in Yarraville on November 15. (Damjan Janevski) 441277_01
Werribee Park Mansion lights up for Wyndham Carols by Candlelight. (Supplied)
Bob Rampling is excited to be participating in the Young at Heart Games. (Supplied)
Gerald Lynch Sally Walshe at Sunshine Library, where she will lead a linoprint class. (Damjan Janevski) 442011_06
General Notices
PROPOSED DISCONTINUANCE AND TRANSFER TO COUNCIL OF ROAD AT 137235 SINCLAIRS ROAD DEANSIDE VICTORIA PUBLIC NOTICE INVITING SUBMISSIONS UNDER SECTION 223
Melton City Council (“Council”), gives notice under section 206 and clause 3 of Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 1989 (“the Act”) that Council proposes to discontinue and transfer to itself part of the road at 137-235 Sinclairs Road, Deanside Victoria, and being part of the land in certificate of title volume 11208 folio 537 and along with part of the hiatus land adjoining its eastern boundary shown enclosed by continuous thick lines and hatched on the plan below.
Further information regarding the proposal can be obtained from Sian Rainford, on 9747 5764.
Any person may make a submission on the proposal. Any person wishing to make a submission must do so in writing by 25 November 2024.
Submissions should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, and can be hand delivered to Council’s Office at 232 High Street, Melton Victoria 3337 or posted to the following address:
The Chief Executive Officer City of Melton PO Box 21 Melton Victoria 3337
All submissions will be considered in accordance with section 223 of the Act. No further community consultation process will be undertaken.
Any person making a submission is entitled to request in the submission that the person wishes to appear in person, or to be represented by a person specified in the submission, at a meeting to be heard in support of that submission.
Any person requesting to appear in person or to be represented by a person specified in his or her submission will be notified of the day, time and place of the meeting of the Council or of a committee determined by the Council to hear submissions.
Following consideration of submissions, Council may resolve not to discontinue the road or to discontinue the road and either sell the land from that road or retain the land.
ROSLYN
WAI Chief Executive Officer
12727801-FR45-24
PROPOSED ROAD DISCONTINUANCE ROAD AT 40-66 RESERVE ROAD, MELTON VICTORIA PUBLIC NOTICE INVITING SUBMISSIONS UNDER SECTION 223
Melton City Council (“Council”), gives notice under section 206 and clause 3 of Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 1989 (“the Act”) that as the appointed Committee of Management, Council proposes to discontinue the road between Reserve Road and 40-66 Reserve Road, Melton shown enclosed highlighted on the below map.
Further information regarding the proposal can be obtained from Sian Rainford, on 9747 5764 or by email at SianR@melton.vic.gov.au.
Any person may make a submission on the proposal.
Any person wishing to make a submission must do so in writing by 26 November 2024.
Submissions should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, and can be hand delivered to Council’s Office at 232 High Street, Melton Victoria 3337 or posted to the following address: The Chief Executive Officer City of Melton PO Box 21 Melton Victoria 3337
All submissions will be considered in accordance with section 223 of the Act. No further community consultation process will be undertaken.
Any person making a submission is entitled to request in the submission that the person wishes to appear in person, or to be represented by a person specified in the submission, at a meeting to be heard in support of that submission.
Any person requesting to appear in person or to be represented by a person specified in his or her submission will be notified of the day, time and place of the meeting of the Council or of a committee determined by the Council to hear submissions.
Following consideration of submissions, Council may resolve not to discontinue the road or to discontinue the road.
Roslyn Wai Chief Executive Officer
UNDER SECTION 223
Melton City Council (“Council”), pursuant to section 204(1) of the Local Government Act 1989 (“Act”) proposes to declare part of the road at 137-235 Sinclairs Road, Deanside Victoria and being part of the land contained in certificate of title volume 11208 folio 537 and part of the hiatus land adjoining its eastern boundary shown enclosed by continuous thick lines and hatched on the plan below, being a road in Council’s municipal district, to be a public highway for the purposes of the Act (“the proposal”).
Further information regarding the proposal can be obtained from Sian Rainford, on 9747 5764.
Any person may make a submission on the proposal. Any person wishing to make a submission must do so in writing by 25 November 2024.
Any person making a submission is entitled to request in the submission that the person wishes to appear in person, or to be represented by a person specified in the submission, at a meeting to be heard in support of that submission.
All submissions will be considered in accordance with section 223 of the Act.
Submissions should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, and can be hand delivered to Council’s Office at 232 High Street, Melton Victoria 3337 or posted to the following address: The Chief Executive Officer City of Melton PO Box 21
Melton Victoria 3337
Any person requesting to appear in person or to be represented by a person specified in his or her submission will be notified of the day, time and place of the meeting of the Council or of a committee determined by the Council to hear submissions.
Following consideration of submissions, Council may resolve to declare the road to be a public highway or not to declare the road to be a public highway.
Call our helpful classified team between 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri for FREE advice!
12729474-KG46-24
PUBLIC NOTICES AND EVENT
PUBLIC NOTICES AND EVENT
SPORTS QUIZ
1. Which 25-year-old North Melbourne Kangaroos forward shockingly announced his retirement in October?
2. Name the NRL team that wears blue and gold.
3. Which Spaniard won the 2024 Ballon d’Or?
4. Which Spaniard won the 2024 Ballon d'Or
5. In 2019, former Yankee Mariano Rivera became the only man to achieve what post-career feat?
6. Giants, thunderbirds and crows are some of the sports teams of which Australian city?
7. Which regional Victorian city has a team debuting in the WNBL this season?
What do the Olympic rings represent?
Which three US horse races make up the Triple Crown?
What is the maximum number of greyhounds competing in any one
Which Australian wicketkeeper-batsman has officially announced his retirement from international cricket?
The AFL has launched an investigation into which coach’s prominent new role with a finance firm?
Legendary horse trainer Bart Cummings won how many Melbourne Cups?
14. In the closely-fought F1 championship, which team finished first in the Mexican Grand Prix?
15. The Constellation Cup is a Test series fought between rivals Australia and New Zealand in which sport?
16. Which famous Premier League soccer club has had its worst start to a season in 35 years?
17. The top-ranked horse in the world, Via Sistina, won which major race in October?
18. Which cricket team handed India a rare home defeat in a recent Test series?
19. And which Kiwi spinner unexpectedly took 13 wickets in the second match?
20. In which year did Michelle Payne win the Melbourne Cup on Prince of Penzance?
21. How many meetings was jockey Jamie Kah banned for due to careless riding on 2024's Derby Day?
22. Which AFL team won the 2024 McClelland Trophy for the best combined record across the AFL and AFLW seasons?
23. Which Australian city was the most recent to become part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors series?
24. Josh Addo-Carr was recently sacked by which NRL club?
25. Which Australian track and field athlete was recently inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame?
26. Which nation is ranked second on the Men’s FIBA Basketball World Rankings, behind the US?
27. And at what spot is the Australian men’s basketball team currently ranked?
28. Australia played which team in the 2024 Pacific Championships Men’s Bowl Final?
29. How many metres is the Melbourne Cup run over?
30. And which outsider was the Cup winner this year?
Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic Full or Part Time sales executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms.
Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future.
The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business.
Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance.
The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme.
Send your application letter and resume to: Advertising Sales Manager, Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every
from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
ACROSS
1 Sweet sauce made with milk and eggs (7)
5 Tableland (7)
9 Gloomy (9)
10 Distort (5)
11 SleepingBeauty protagonist (6)
12 Elegant (8)
14 Mother or father (6)
15 Fur (4)
19 Web auction site (4)
20 To present (6)
24 Small blade (8)
25 Marketplace (6)
27 Town famed for witchcraft trials (5)
28 Largeness (9)
29 Ocean creature (3,4)
30 Region (7)
DOWN
1 Occasional (6)
2 A planet (6)
3 Relating to cultivated land (8)
4 Speaker’s platform (4)
5 Showing something to a group (10)
6 Movement (6)
7 Main action of a play (8)
8 Inverted (8)
13 Horrific (10)
16 Fierce storms (8)
17 Flowering shrub (8)
18 Initial service fee (8)
21 Cloisonné (6)
22 Female Arabic name meaning captivating (6)
23 Stick of wax used for writing (6)
26 Neglect (4)
Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.
1 TheDictionaryofLostWords and TheBookbinderof Jericho are novels by which Australian author?
2 Avatar, ClashoftheTitans and HacksawRidge are all movies starring which actor?
3 What is the name of Australia’s famous portraiture art prize?
4 From which language are ballet terms derived?
5 Calcium carbonate is more commonly known as what? 6 Sauerkraut primarily consists of what?
7 What ocean lies to the west of Australia?
8 Campari, Gin and Red vermouth make up what popular cocktail?
9 What does an anemometer measure?
10 Musician Nick Cave (pictured) most often performs as part of which band?
A perfect day for a hit of cricket
Saturday was the perfect day for cricket and many teams made the most of it and were able to get some wins on the board. Star Weekly’s Ljubica Vrankovic was there to capture some of the action.
Spotswood’s Jackson Wadden. (442424_03)
Left: The Deer Park cheer squad. (442420_01) Above: Sunbury in the field. (442427_01)
Craigieburn’s Joshua Rasu. (442420_20) Right: Williamstown Imperials’ Will Metcalfe. (442427_07)
Left: Melton’s Stephen Shields. (442424_26) Centre: Keilor’s Robert Clements. (442422_04) Right: Kyle Lampery, Liam Hemkel, Todd Hughes, Akash Cheema and Dushantha Ranatunga cheer on their Epping teammates. (442418_09)
Above: Lachlan Fitzgerald celebrates a wicket. (442420_11) Below left: Westmeadows’ Rhys Gleisner. (442422_01) Below right: Epping’s Shanyn Kearney. (442418_02)
EDFL and WFNL form new football partnership
The Essendon District Football League and Western Football Netball League have announced a co-operation agreement to strengthencommunityfootball,whichincludes the pausing of transfer of clubs between the leagues.
The two leagues said the strategic agreement, which was announced last week, aimed at fostering the growth and development of community football across both leagues.
This collaboration is set to bring increased stability and opportunity to member clubs, with a focus on enhancing the experience and success of players, coaches and supporters alike.
The agreement outlines key measures designed to strengthen the structure and sustainability of the competitions.
The agreement is set to provide stability and a stable framework regarding the composition of their major men’s competitions, helping clubs,players,andfansenjoygreatercontinuity
in their local football experience.
As part of the agreement, applications from clubs to join either league will be temporarily paused.
Deer Park and St Albans both made the switch across from the Western league to the EDFL in 2023, while there had been rumors about other clubs seeking to move.
“This will allow both leagues to monitor and assess the ongoing changes to competition structures and better support the evolution of local football,” said a joint release from the leagues.
“Post this initial two-year period, the leagues have committed to continued upfront dialogue about potential club movement applications.“
Women’s football development is also a key part of the agreement.
The leagues will collaborate on initiatives focused on increasing participation, improving facilities, and providing pathways for female players to advance in the sport.
“By pooling resources and expertise, both leagues aim to create robust infrastructure that will sustain the long-term growth of women’s football across affiliated clubs,” the leagues said.
EDFL chair Bernie Shinners said the agreement reflects the league’s commitment to supporting the long-term stability of the EDFL competition.
New midfielder settles in
By Tara Murray
The move to Melbourne has paid off for new Western United midfielder Emily Roach as she relishes another opportunity in the A-League women’s competition.
Having played seven games with Canberra and Newcastle, Roach missed out on a contract for last season.
Having graduated, she made the move to Melbourne and joined South Melbourne in the National Premier League women’s competition where she had a really strong season.
From there it led to a phone call from Western coach Kat Smith.
“Kat reached out and I come here,” she said. “I was hoping to get back into the A-League.
“It was something that I had been working towards and I’m happy at Western United.”
Roach, who grew up on the Sunshine Coast, said Melbourne had become her second home.
Theloveofsportandthelevelofsoccerdown here were two things that attracted her to make the move.
Roach said having been in A-League environments before had helped her transition into Western United.
She previously played with vice-captain Grace Maher which had also helped.
Roach said the environment at Western United was different from anything she had experienced before.
“I’ve been getting to know the girls and get back into intensive training, it’s a step up from the NPLW,“ she said.
“There’s a real sense of togetherness with the club and the support in the team has been amazing.
“You don’t get that at other clubs and there’s a lot of quality girls.“
Roach started in the opening game of the season, where Western beat Wellington Phoenix 4-2.
She said it was an unbelievable experience.
“It was unreal and it was very exciting,” she said. “That atmosphere was unreal.
“I’d heard a little bit about it through the girls but experiencing it was really cool.
“The facilities and field were unreal.”
Roach said that she had wanted to try and get a start early on and thought she had a good pre-season.
She said getting the start was one thing that she could tick off.
“It’s a long season and I just want to be available whenever.”
Like the rest of the group,there’s plenty of high expectations after two straight finals series.
Maher said they felt like they were trending in the right trajectory.
Personally, she has a couple that she would like to tick off.
“I would like to score soon,” she said. “I wanted to break into the team and get as many minutes as possible and grow as a player.” Western was in action on Friday night in round two against the Central Coast Mariners, after deadline.
Roach said she was expecting a tough challenge and that the Mariners came in with some good form after beating Sydney.
“By working closely with the WFNL, we’re ensuring that the clubs and communities involved can continue to grow, thrive, and experienceahighstandardoffootball,”hesaid.
WFNL president Meredith Angwin said this wouldbenefittheleagueinafewdifferentways.
“This allows the WFNL to strengthen our competition structure in the new 12-and-12 team competition format, providing a solid foundation for future development,” she said.
“Working with the EDFL to grow female football participation is a positive step for our competitions.”
AFL Victoria supports the agreement.
AFL Victoria head Greg Madigan this would enable continued growth of community football in Melbourne’s north-west.
“The leagues are to be congratulated on taking this step to enhance interleague co-operation, for the betterment of local footy.”
Tara Murray
Sports shorts
Western FL
Sunshine Heights has signed Anthony Franzone and John Whitehouse for next year’s Western Football League division 2 season. Franzone comes back to the club after playing one year at Keilor Park. He is a versatile key position player mainly playing in defence. Whitehouse joins the club from Anakie, where he played senior footy for the past two seasons. His attacking and defensive mindset with his experience and professionalism is expected to be an asset for the club according to the club’s announcement.
Western FL
Sunshine has announced the signings for Luke Barnard and Diesel-Thanh Lim for next year’s Western Football League division 1 season. Barnard joins Sunshine after most recently playing at St Bernards and joins his brother Kurtis Barnard at the club. He was part of Essendon’s James Hird Academy for a number of years. Lim was the under-18 captain at West Footscray in 2024 and is keen on becoming a division 1 footballer.
EDFL
St Albans has added some more experience with its latest signing in the Essendon District Football League division 1. Thomas Eckel joins the club from Stawell, where he was the senior coach the past five seasons. He is a seven time senior club best and fairest winner and won the Wimmera Football League’s Toohey Medal. The signing comes with the club having already locked in goalkicker Nathan Carroll.
FV
Western Suburbs has been busy early in the off season, signing a number of players for next year’s FV state league 1 north-west season. The club has announced the signings of Philip Theodorakopoulos, along with Giannis Govinas, who signed from Greek second division side AO Trikala. Dimi Hatzimouratis and Peter Koufidis have also re-signed for the club. The club finished middle of the table this year.
The EDFL and WFNL have signed an agreement. (Ljubica Vrankovic)_432959_05
Emily Roach. (Supplied)
Grand United finds early momentum
It has been a positive start for Grand United under new coach Andrew Warrick in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Steve McNamara Shield.
Coming off a grand final last season, the Gorillashaveanew-looksidethisseasonwhich has been a breath of fresh air.
Warrick said it had been really fun so far and they were off to a good start.
He said for him it was a bit of a blank canvas with a number of new players.
“I wasn’t sure what I would get,” he said. “I’m getting to know the boys and see what their strengths are.
“The team has changed a little bit from last year.
“We’vebeenhappywithwhatwe’vegotsofar and how things have been going.”
On Saturday, Grand United started its two-day match with the Greenvale Kangaroos. After winning the toss, the Gorillas made
9-338 from their 80 overs.
Warrick said they put the innings together well.
“We set a platform in the first half of the innings and that set it up,” he said. “Like last week, by tea we had about 100 runs on the board and only a couple of wickets down.
“It went a bit different this week and we lost a few wickets early after tea.
“The new guys who have come in are happy to be there and hoping in and providing that counter attack.
“They’re creating that belief in the guys that were already there.”
HashanJamestopscoredwith104ashemade his first top grade century for the Gorillas.
Leo Turnbull-Grant, who came in at number 10, made 58 not out.
Warrick said he was enjoying getting to know James and that he was an ultra talented player in all facets of the game and deserved a
performance like that.
A strong bowling performance this Saturday would give the Gorillas their second win of the season with their other two games washed out.
Warrick said getting a good start to the season was important.
“I think getting early wins on the board is key,” he said. “You don’t know what will happen with two-day cricket and if you lose a day here or there.
“We want to try and win this week and that would be awesome if we could.”
In the Roy Picone Shield, Sunshine Heights has a fight on its hands against Pascoe Vale Hadfield.
Heights made 167 as it was bowled out in the 52nd over. The Panthers will resume at 2-39.
Caroline Springs is 0-46 in reply to Kingsville’s 167.
Tara Murray
Falcons’ bowlers fire up
By Tara Murray
Caroline Springs is already putting lessons learned from the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Roy Picone Shield into place. After a disappointing result in round three with their bats failing to fire, the Falcons find themselves in a good spot after day one against Kingsville.
After sending in Kingsville, the Falcons bowled them out for 167 within 62 overs on Saturday.
The Falcons will resume at 0-46.
Coach Ian Shattock said it was a pretty good performance on day one
“We had a strong bowling performance,” he said. “We had some tough patches throughout the day, but we kept pressing to bowl them out for 167.
“It was a really good bowling performance and we had a run out and we had a really good one-handed catch.
Braedon Mulheran and Roshan Laksiri took three wickets each for the Falcons.
The total is the same as the previous round against Gellibrand which they failed
to chase down.
Shattock said they chatted after the Gellibrand game about how they needed to bat out that period.
“It was a little disappointing against Gellibrand as I thought we had bowled well,” he said. “We lost wickets early on day one.
“We couldn’t get a partnership going with Rukshan [Fernando], who was batting really well for us.
“We had a little bit of a chat about some things that we could do differently and the hard week that we needed to do.”
“This week was a lot better and we finished 0-46.”
Shattock said one of the most pleasing things out of Saturday’s performance was the spread of wicket takers they had after Jermaine Levy took five wickets the round before.
He said they were confident of getting the job done this Saturday with several good bats still in the shed
After a strong season last season, the Falcons have kept their core group together while adding some new faces. Shattock has
Lions suffer
loss
Taylors Lakes suffered its first loss of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association south-west season on Saturday.
Facing Brighton in an early top of the table clash, it was Brighton that claimed thepointstoremaintheonlyundefeated team in the competition.
The Lions won the toss and decided to bat on Brighton’s home deck. It was an innings of lots of starts and small partnerships, without anyone reallystickingitoutforadecentinnings. In the end the Lions were bowled out for 156 with one ball remaining.
Nilan Fernando top scored with 32 as seven players scored double figures for the Lions without going on with it.
Nicholas Huttley took two wickets for Brighton, as all six bowlers took a wicket.
Brighton got off to a perfect start with the bat and put on 54 for the first wicket.
Another solid partnership had the side approaching 100 before three quick Lions wickets gave them some hope.
The hope was short lived with Brighton finishing 5-157 and making the runs with plenty of overs to spare.
The Lions tried their options with the ball as eight players had a turn with the ball.
Dhanushka Lahiru Kumara was the only multiple wicket taker, taking two wickets.
also taken over as coach.
“Farrukh Shahzad has come across from Pascoe Vale and is a quality bat,” Shattock said.
“Rukshan [Fernando] has crossed from Maribyrnong Park, while we’ve got Jermaine Levy. They’re all fitting in well and they’re really good people.”
Shattock said the aim this season was to make finals again and build from there.
“That is the plan,” he said. “I think we have a good team and we want to get as many wins as we can especially early in the season and put ourselves in a good position.“
Meanwhile in senior division, all the matches are eventually poised.
Sydenham-Hillside is 2-56 in reply to St Albans 167.
Sunshine United was bowled out for 204 against Yarraville Club. The Clubbers are 0-36 in reply.
Keilor was the only side to bat out the day, making 8-221 against Westmeadows.
Deer Park is on to against Craigieburn.
The Lions declared at 9-299 before having the Eagles’ 3-21 at stumps.
The loss sees the Lions slip to fourth on the ladder as one of five teams with a 3-1 record.
The Lions are back at home the next two weekends, in a two-dayer against Elsternwick.
It play goes ahead, it will be the first completed two-dayer of the season.
Hashan James after his first top grade century for Grand United. (Supplied)
Rukshan Fernando. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 0440866_02
Nilan Fernando. (Ljubica Vrankovic)
Cameron keen to resurrect Brookers women side
New Braybrook women’s coach Harley Cameron is excited to help get the club’s women’s side back up and going.
The club previously had a women’s side but madethedecisiontopulltheteamoutthisyear due to a lack of numbers.
With interest at the club, the Brookers are workinghardtobepartoftheWesternFootball League women’s competition again.
Cameron, who plays for the men’s side, said he was excited to take on the challenge.
“I thought I would try and do something a bit different then just play footy,” he said. “My mum used to play and my missus plays.
“I got into women’s footy last year as an assistantcoachandIgottheitchtohelpdevelop women’s football.”
Cameron was an assistant coach at Keilor Park in the Essendon District Football League this year as it re-established its women’s program.
The side made finals in division 1.
Cameron said he knows stepping into the senior coaching role will be a lot more challenging, something that he is up for.
“The first thing is to get the team together,” he said. “We roughly have 15 girls and there were a lot of girls interested last year when we didn’t have a team.
“We’ve got a few of them and we’ll try and add some more players as well. It’s about getting a team on the park, so there’s a team in the years to come.”
Cameron will continue to play next year.
He said it would be easier coaching and playing at the same club, instead of having to go between clubs as he did this year.
Cameron said the club and his teammates were getting behind him and the women’s side.
“One player has said they would be an
assistant coach and the backline coach and had another say they would be the forward coach,“ he said.
“It’s not just me wanting to buy in.
“The club is backing these girls. A lot of clubs put women’s footy on the backseat, we want to push it to the front seat”
Cameron said they were hoping to attract a few more players in the new few weeks, with anyone over the age of 16 welcome to come down,
He said they would like to build with some youth to help the club going forward.
Cameron said they would have a meet the coach day soon before pre-season starts when they are likely to train the same night as the men’s teams.
Details: braybrooksportsclub@hotmail.com
Lions add depth for ‘25
By Tara Murray
Deer Park had made a number of signings, including a former AFL player, as it aims to break into Essendon District Football League premier division finals.
Having consolidated their spot in the top flight in their first year, the Lions have set their sights high heading into year two.
With the majority of this year’s squad sticking around, the Lions have been one of the busier sides on the recruiting front early on.
Coach Jamie Madigan said they were really happy with what they had been able to do in terms of bringing in players.
“We’ve been pretty active in the off-season,” he said. “We’ve maintained pretty much everyone except for Scott Greenhough.
“We’vereallyaddedtoourdepth.Wefeltlike last season, we lacked a little bit of depth, with these guys coming in and maintaining our list and only losing Greenhough, I think we are going to be in a really good position.”
The signing of Lin Jong is the biggest one for the Lions.
The former Western Bulldogs player played 65 AFL games between 2012 and 2021.
Madigan said he would add some grunt into the midfield.
“Lin Jong will be fantastic for us,” he said. “He played at Mulgrave last year and won their best and fairest.
“He’s mates with a few of the players down at Deer Park, he’ll give us an inside mid with the clearance and stoppage work.”
Josh Chatfield, who played three games for the Lions this year, has committed full time for next year in another big boost.
Madigan said having him full time would be unbelievable with his numbers in the three games he played was elite.
ZenChristofi,whowonEastKeilor’sbestand fairest this year, is expected to give the Lions some more run and youth along with Massimo Raso and Lachlan Fitzgerald, who both return to the club where they played a lot of juniors.
Dion Hill, another crossing from East Keilor, willbeabitofaswingman,HaydenGillisatall forward that is on Carlton’s list while Mitchell Antonello has been signed to take on the ruck role.
Nick Ebinger, who is on Williamstown’s Victorian Football League list, has signed with the club but they’re not expecting to see much of him.
Madigan said they were talking with some former players about coming back to the club, including some premiership players.
With the additions, Madigan said they have set their targets high for next season.
“Definitely making finals,” he said. “We
think with our additions that it is what we can do. Without getting ahead of ourselves, we are thinking the top three is an opportunity.
“We know we need to make improvements andwethinkwelearnedalotfromlastyearjust
New signings for Thunder
The pieces are starting to come together for Keilor Thunder for next year’s National Basketball League 1 South men’s season.
The Thunder has announced it has locked away one of its rising stars from this year, while also announcing its first new signing.
The new look Thunder side will be coachedbyAshArnottasitaimstomake finalsforthefirsttimeintheNBL1South competition.
Dynamic scorer Daniel Poelsma is the first re-signing announced by the Thunder.
Afteranimpressivefirstyear,averaging 12 points per game and shooting 41.9 per cent from the three-point line, Poelsma was named a finalist for the NBL1 South youth player of the year award.
The Thunder describe him as a scoring threat from anywhere on the court.
His standout performance in 2024 was in round 11 when he scored 41 points, including hitting nine threes.
Max Barkeley has made the move across to the Thunder for 2025.
The Canadian sharpshooter is known for his consistent three-point accuracy and he brings a wealth of experience.
Barkeley brings a wealth of experience from his successful seasons in the Big V championship division, including with the Camberwell Dragons and Sunbury Jets in recent seasons.
In the 2024 season, Barkeley averaged nearly 13 points a game and led the Dragons with assists, averaging four a game.
The Thunder said his skill, dedication, and veteran presence will be a fantastic addition to their team.
the style of footy they play in the EDFL.
“Besides three games… every other game we were in the game right until the last quarter.
“We didn’t get blown out of the water, we were lacking that depth to get over the line.”
