Prioritising Leakes Road Burning love for Elvis
By Gladys Barreta
Melton council will seek further details on the Western Highway upgrades for works on Leakes Road in light of recent government funding commitments.
The federal government and federal opposition committed $1.1 billion to upgrade the Western Highway between Caroline Springs and Melton, which council said had raised an opportunity for it to prioritise improvement on Leakes Road.
Councillor Phillip Zada moved a motion at the March Council meeting, held on March
24, to seek clarity on the scope, timing, and prioritisation of works on the Leakes Road-Western Highway interchange.
Cr Zada also requests that councillors are prepared a briefing on the feasibility of installing a roundabout at the intersection of Westcott Parade and Leakes Road.
“While the council has consistently advocated for the installation of traffic lights at this critical intersection, recent funding commitments for upgrades to the Western Highway present an opportunity to prioritise thislong-overdueimprovement,”CrZadasaid.
MeltoncitydeliverydirectorNeilWhiteside
told StarWeeklythatcouncilwillbeengaging with the state government on works to be undertaken as part of the Western Highway upgrade, including the investment impact for the interchange.
“Council is seeking further details on the Western Highway upgrades from both the federal and state governments, including the scope of works and delivery timeframes,” Mr Whiteside said.
“Leakes Road carries approximately 14,500 vehicles per day, and traffic modelling commissioned by the council indicates that this will increase to over 22,700 vehicles per
For 25 years, Hillside’s Sean Spiteri has captivated audiences with his dedication to honouring Elvis Presley’s legacy.
Spellbound by Elvis’ 1968 comeback special at the age of just three, Spiteri said he had the spark for all things ‘The King of Rock ’n’ Roll’ from then on. At 12, he performed his first tribute act at the Copacabana International in Fitzroy.
Now, for his 25th anniversary show, he brings Pure Elvis to the stage.
Spiteri said Pure Elvis is about authenticity, passion, and respect.
His costumes, sourced from B&K enterprises in Indiana, USA – the company that worked with Elvis’s own tailors Bill Bellew and Gene Doucette –add a layer of authenticity, he said.
“Elvis’s music is just timeless. I have fallen in love with him as a performer, him as a human being … what Elvis stood for.“
Spiteri’s 25th anniversary show will take place at Deer Park Club on May 17.
Audience members will get to hear the classic hits and be immersed into Elvis’ journey with iconic dialogue from his performances.
Details: https://www.123tix.com. au/events/46528/pure-elvis-25thanniversary-celebration
Katya Ewing
day by 2031.
“With an additional 40,000 new residents expected to move into the area by 2046, the Leakes Road interchange will provide significant congestion and safety improvements.”
Leakes Road advocacy group member, DonnaSouthernsaidit’sreallyimportantthat residents are given the transparency to know what’s going on in regards to the upgrades.
“It’samatterofurgencythatsafetymeasures areappliedonLeakesRoadandwewouldlike to see a response within the next couple of months.“
Sean Spiteri is bringing his Elvis tribute act to Deer Park. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 462623_02
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Stage is set for federal election
By Prealene Khera
The stage is set for the 2025 federal election, and while Melbourne’s western and northern seats have historically played a robust supportingrolefortheincumbentgovernment, a Monash University politics expert says these strongholds could be thrust into the spotlight asshiftingallegiancesstarttobecomeapparent.
Emeritus Professor of Politics Paul Strangio believescost-of-livingpressures,housingcrisis, and high mortgage rates will drive voters’ decisions when they go to the polls on May 3.
He also believes there’s another prominent factor that will impact Labor locally.
“There’s a long-term sentiment in these areas ofneglect,votersfeellikethey’vebeentakenfor granted,” he said.
Professor Strangio said the dynamics within these traditionally safe Labor seats have been rapidly changing, as evidenced in the 2022 federal election.
“There were very large primary vote swings against Labor, especially in the western suburbs, the outer western and outer northern suburbs,” he said.
“Yet, that didn’t translate into a swing towards the Liberal party either. Instead, the fallingawayoftheLaborprimaryvotebenefited a melange of minor parties and independents.”
It’sapatternheexpectstoseeagainthisyear.
Out of the 10 seats in the west and north-west, Professor Strangio said McEwen, which includes Donnybrook, Whittlesea and Mernda, could be one to keep an eye on.
“Liberals are talking about the possibility of picking up McEwen, so they’ve got a chance there,” he said.
Broadly, Professor Strangio believes
Gender equality honour for house
Taylors Hill Youth & Community Centre taken has taken out top honours for promoting gender equity at the 2024 NHVic Awards held by Neighbourhood Houses Victoria last week.
The council-run centre won the Fiona Richardson Award for Gender Equity for its Women in Business & Entrepreneurship project (WIBE), which was delivered in partnershipwithlocalnotforprofitcommunity organisation, Multicultural Association of Community Empowerment (MACE). The project, which is aimed at empowering women in Melton, addressed gender inequality
amongst Indian women in the areas of economic empowerment, education, social connection and well-being.
More than 500 women participated in the program which included workshops, business coaching, and education and training support.
According to MACE President Deepti Alurkkar, the win was an acknowledgement that “when women support women, entire communities rise”.
“This recognition belongs to every woman who dared to dream, and to our incredible volunteers whose passion made this possible,” she said.
Melton mayor Steve Abboushi also praised the program’s efforts.
“This is testament to the valuable role community centres and neighbourhood houses play in supporting social connections and skill development at a local level,” he said.
“It’s important that we continue to challenge gender stereotypes and look at ways we can empower women and girls to achieve their best.”
Hillside Community Centre was also a finalistinthisyear’sawardsintheGoodHealth andWell-BeingcategoryforitsAgeingArtfully Art Project.
the unpopularity of the Victorian Labor government could play out adversely for its federal counterpart.
“There seems to be little doubt about that, it willbeadragonthefederalLaborparty’svote,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons the Liberals believe Victoria is the state where they can make headway in this election.”
As far as Melbourne’s western and northern seats go, Professor Strangio said he’ll be watching the electorates closely.
“If Labor loses votes again, where will those votes go?”
Health hub for women
Women and girls will now have easier access to sexual and reproductive health care thanks to a new Women’s Health Hub in Melton.
The Hub wIS one of six hubs to be established across Victoria and will deliver free or low-cost confidential care for women including contraception, medical abortion, referral for surgical abortion, and the testing, early diagnosis and treatment of STIs.
According to data from Victoria’s sexual and reproductive advice line, 1800 My Options, Melton has the highest levels of calls seeking advice for unplanned pregnancy.
The new service will help avoid long-term health issues through treatments, reduce the likelihood of incontinence and the need for ongoing treatment and possible hospitalisation.
A Melton council spokesperson said the organisation would like to see continued investment in local health services for our fast-growing community.
“The support from the new hub provided by the Victorian Government will mean women and families across the City of Melton can access much needed health support resulting in immediate and long-term positive health outcomes for our community.”
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the hub will help to close a service gap in the west and provide women in Melton the health care they need and deserve.
Engineering students exposed to world of renewables
StudentambassadorsfromEngineersAustralia have been given a tour of some of the world’s largest batteries as part of their introduction to the renewables sector.
The students from universities across Melbourne visited SEC’s Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, located in Plumpton to see the project’s444batteryunitsandmassive335-tonne transformersupclose.SECisarenewableenergy company that focuses on investing in renewable energy and storage projects.
The units students were shown form a 600-megawatt battery energy storage system aiming to enhance Victoria’s electricity network by storing excess rooftop solar energy releasing it during times of high demand.
TheHub,plannedtogoonlinelaterthisyear, willhavethecapacitytopoweraround200,000 homes during peak times.
give students a greater understanding of the wide variety of roles required in the growing renewables sector and inspire them to make a real impact on Victoria’s renewable energy transition,” Mr Miller said.
In November 2024, year 10 students from MeltonSpecialistSchoolalsotouredtheHubto learn about career opportunities in the sector.
UniversityofMelbourneengineeringstudent Selini Samaranayake said since a lot of young students, particularly female, are not exposed to experiences like this when they start out, the experience opened doors and opportunities.
“The visit was eye-opening and helped me to decide that energy is the way to go.”
Since construction began in late 2023, more than 1,106 people have worked across all aspectsoftheproject,including71apprentices, trainees and cadets.
Melissa Dumbrell and Smita Pimputkar are thrilled by the Taylors Hill Youth And Community Centre’s recent win. (Damjan Janevski) 467901_04
Student ambassadors from Engineers Australia tour the SEC’s hub. (Supplied)
The following items are not allowed in any household rubbish or recycling bins:
• chemicals and paint
• CO2 and gas canisters
• garden soil
• rubble and building materials
• batteries and e-waste, including vapes
• aerosols.
These items can’t be collected through your regular waste and recycling services because they can be dangerous to staff at sorting facilities or may harm our environment. Instead, they must be taken to specific drop-off locations so they can be processed safely.
Rehmat’s Easter gift
For the purpose of bringing smiles to the community and providing kids and their families with a joyous Easter, the Rehmat Sandhu Foundation will once again host its annual free community event.
This year promises endless activities for kids to enjoy, including an Easter egg hunt, sausage sizzle, face painting, live music, and treats like fairy floss and popcorn.
Rehmat Sandhu Foundation founder Ravinder Kaur said the event is all about giving the Melton community a holiday to enjoy, so families don’t have to worry about the costs.
“Especially in a time when there are many hardships for people, this event is designed to foster community connection and provide a sense of unity and belonging for everyone,” Ms Kaur said.
“We want to host a few events each year to celebrate the diversity and resilience of the
Melton community.”
The Rehmat Sandhu Foundation is a Melton-basedcharityformedin2015inloving memory of Ms Kaur’s son, Rehmat Sandhu, who died in December 2014.
The charity supports people living with a disability, experiencing financial hardship or facing domestic violence.
“We started this charity in 2015, and ever since,we’vebeendoingsomethingforthekids in Melton. It reminds me of Rehmat, who was such a lively person and loved everyone,” Ms Kaur said.
“When I see the kids filled with joy and having fun, I see a lot of Rehmat in them. It’s all about us giving back to the community spreading laughter and love.“
The Easter event is on Sunday, April 13, from 11am to 4pmm at Hannah Watts Park, High Street, Melton.
Gladys Barreta
Briefs
Water bill help
Greater Western Water (GWW) customers are being encouraged to attend a customer care day if they need help with their water bill. GWW said it understood some customers have experienced delays and challenges with their bills recently due to technical issues with its billing system, and as a result, call wait times have been high. GWW said the customer care days aim to resolve customers’ questions face-to-face. A session will be held at the Lederberg Library in Bacchus Marsh on Monday, April 14, from 10am-4pm, and Melton South Community Centre on Wednesday, April 16, from 10.30am-4.30pm.
Night market
The Melton Night Market is on again this Friday, April 4, from 5pm to 9pm, at the Melton Town Centre Amphitheatre, with this month’s theme being Oceania. The final one in Melton council’s night market series, this month’s market will feature Polynesian dancing including the Haka and Hula and high-energy Samoan dancing. Lei making, drumming workshops and face painting will also keep the whole family entertained. Pacific-inspired dishes, fresh street food and sweet treats will be on offer to keep the hunger at bay.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Rehmat Sandhu Foundation founder Ravinder Kaur (front) with Vishavjeet Singh and Rishik Pisati. (Damjan Janevski) 466775_01
Run or walk to help fight cancer
Australia’s most loved national fun run and walk, the Mother’s Day Classic (MDC), is primed for another record-breaking year, with organisers announcing a renewed commitment to funding research to reduce deaths and improve survival for breast and ovarian cancer.
Launching the 2025 Classic, Mother’s Day Classic Foundation (MDCF) chief executive ZaraLawlesswelcomednewprincipalpartner, AIA Australia, and an upswing in early event registrations, particularly in regional areas, whichpointstomorethan90locationshosting runs/walks nationally on Sunday, May 11.
Last Mother’s Day, more than 85,000 Australians gathered for the Classic in 75 locations nationally.
Those numbers are on track to be exceeded in 2025 with early registrations at record levels.
Ms Lawless said the 28th Mother’s Day Classic, founded by Women in Super, will build on the relationship with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), which joined longstanding beneficiary National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) as part of an extended MDC family in 2024.
“The strength of togetherness was on full display last year, as the Mother’s Day Classic celebrated the addition of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation while retaining our commitment to the National Breast Cancer Foundation – with incredible lifesaving results,” Ms Lawless said.
“Events like the Mother’s Day Classic and the public support of medical research have facilitated a significant improvement in
survivalratesformorethan21,000Australians diagnosed each year with breast cancer.
“TheMDCcommunityhasshownthatitcan and wants to strive for more, to also improve the outcomes for women with ovarian cancer, a disease for which there is still no early detection test.”
In2024,thefundraisingtotalof$3.3million represented a jump of 30 per cent on the previous year and was the biggest in a decade. Mother’s Day Classic participants were given the choice to fundraise for breast cancer research, ovarian cancer research, or both.
“We believe this marks a crucial milestone in transforming the landscape of ovarian
cancer research — driving increased funding, improving survival rates, and raising vital awareness within the community about the importance of research.’’
Every day in Australia 63 people are diagnosedwithbreastorovariancancer.Every day 12 people die from those two diseases. The MDC provides not only the hope that the day will come when no more lives will be taken, but the means to help fast-track that outcome.
The MDC is the largest donor to NBCF, having donated more than $46.1 million over the past 27 years, contributing around 20 per cent of NBCF’s total research grant funding throughout that period. In that time the
Creativity on display
Getting into the spirit of all things creative, Caroline Springs residents with a flair for art and craft got together on March 27 to meet new friends and create something memorable as part of the Creative Corner program. Melton councilisencouragingothercommunity members to give it a shot at the Caroline Springs Library and Learning Hub. Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevski went along to the session to capture some of that creativity on the lens.
death rate from breast cancer in Australia has reduced by 35 per cent.
Associate Professor Cleola Anderiesz, National Breast Cancer Foundation CEO, said “We eagerly look forward to the 2025 Mother’s Day Classic and the potential breakthroughs in breast cancer and ovarian cancer research that will be made possible through the generous funds raised from this event.”
“Together we can make our shared vision of Zero Deaths from breast cancer possible.”
Registrations are now open for the 28th Mother’s Day Classic at mothersdayclassic. com.au. Register online: https://www. mothersdayclassic.com.au/registration
Facilitator Amber Waugh (standing) with participants Saana Kelly, Mollie-Rose Chislett, Jenni and Josie Mallia.
Josie loved getting creative.
Top: Saana threaded in a good time. Above: Jenni enjoyed the session. Left: The creative corner session was bustling with creativity. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 467068
STAY INFORMED
Quickly and easily connect with us online: melton.vic.gov.au facebook.com/cityofmelton Instagram @cityofmeltonofficial
Night Market this Friday!
Don’t forget to join us this Friday 4April for our Oceania Night Market, the last one in our night market series.
Enjoy Polynesian dancing including the Haka and Hula, indulge in Pacific-inspired dishes, and browse
School holiday fun!
the market stalls with handcrafted products, jewellery, and unique gifts.
The night market will run from 5pm to 9pm at the Melton Town Centre Amphitheatre. For information, visit melton.vic.gov.au/night-markets
Council will be hosting a range of activities this April school holidays for kids and young people. Check out what’s on offer at melton.vic.gov.au/schoolholidays
Hilltop Ward with Cr John Verdon
As a first-term Councillor, I am deeply committed to community advocacy and supporting residents not only in Hilltop Ward, but all residents of the City of Melton.
It’s been inspiring to see our community grow and come together through new groups and initiatives. Connecting with the many sports, cultural and social clubs across Hilltop Ward has been a truly rewarding experience. I’m proud to be part of such a connected and engaged community.
Looking ahead, it’s crucial that Council continues to plan and deliver community assets that meet both current and future needs.
The new Diggers Rest Recreation Reserve and Pavilion has played an important role in supporting the local community as it grows. The need for a full community centre has also
been identified to help residents access the programs and services they need to thrive. Council has commenced the design phase of this project, and I’ll keep residents informed of its progress in future Ward Talks.
As a long-time resident, I have spent four years strongly advocating for the Victorian Government to upgrade of the Vineyard Road/Plumpton Road corridor and will continue to be passionate about improving road safety throughout our municipality.
I look forward to getting out and meeting more residents of Hilltop Ward to hear your concerns and ensure our community remains a great place to live and grow.
Feel free to contact me regarding Hilltop Ward or Council related issues on 0418 444 883 or email at John.Verdon@melton.vic.gov.au
Night works: Caroline Springs Boulevard
The Caroline Springs Boulevard and Rockbank Middle Road intersection will be closed between 8pm-5am from Sunday 30 March to Thursday 10 April for night works (excluding Friday and Saturday nights).
Works include final road surfacing, traffic signals and line marking. These works are weather dependent, in the event of inclement weather, works may need to be rescheduled.
For information and updates, visit melton.vic.gov.au/roadworks
Pet registrations due
A reminder to pet owners across the City of Melton to renew your pet registrations before they expire on 10April 2025.
Registrations allow Council to reunite pets with their owners if they go missing and help keep the community safe.
Under state law, cats and dogs older than three months must be microchipped and registered with their local council.
To renew your registration, visit melton.vic.gov.au/petrego
The Federal Budget 2025-26 was handed down last week and it was great to see confirmation of the $1billion commitment for the Western Highway and $325 million towards the Melton rail line upgrades, noting the State Government has also contributed $325 million to the upgrades.
We would like to see continued investment in infrastructure, in particular roads and rail, from both the Federal and State Governments, to align with the rapid housing growth we are experiencing in the City of Melton. In the lead up to the Federal election on 3 May, our key priorities now are for a firm commitment to the electrification of the Melton rail line and new train stations in Mt Atkinson and Thornhill Park, as well as upgrades to the Melton Highway, Hopkins Road, and Palmers Road Corridor.
It was wonderful to spend some time last week with young people in our community, who participated in our 2025 Youth Forum. The forum was a fantastic opportunity for young people to come together and share what matters most to them with community leaders, sparking conversations that will help shape the future of our City.
Finally, this week Muslims across the world and in the City of Melton will celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Eid marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, prayer and reflection.
Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated by coming together with family, prayer, gift giving, and feasting. It is also a time for forgiveness and helping those in need.
May this special occasion bring peace, joy and blessings to our Muslim community.
Eid Mubarak!
You’re welcome to contact me regarding Council matters at Steve.Abboushi@melton.vic.gov.au or on 0437 231 680.
Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi Deputy Mayor Cr Lara Carli
Cr Kathy Majdlik
Cr Brandi Morris Cr Sophie Ramsey Cr Julie Shannon Cr Bob Turner Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg
Cr John Verdon
Cr Dr Phillip Zada
A safe place for poets to perform
On the second Saturday afternoon of each month, spoken word echoes through the Woodend RSL as poets, musicians, and writers present their work to an keen audience in an event called Chamber Poets. Oscar Parry spoke with the convener and volunteers about the monthly event and the enduring power and importance of spoken word.
Formed in 2013 by Woodend poet Myron Lysenko, who has been an active writer since the 1980s, Chamber Poets is an event that welcomes writers and poets of all experience levels from across Melbourne to present their work to others who are enthusiastic about the power of language as an art form.
Lysenko, who has facilitated several poetry events across Victoria, said Chamber Poets was originally hosted in a cafe in the Woodend council chambers – but was put on hold during the Covid lockdowns.
It was the enthusiasm of other writers that helped bring the event back to life after this period, with a collective of volunteers now offering their time to facilitate the monthly readings.
“I was pretty tired of organising the event, andupuntilthatstage,Ibasicallyranitonmy own,” Lysenko said.
“A few of the writers from the area invited me for a coffee and they said ‘Myron, everyone’s demanding that Chamber Poets comes back’ and I said ‘well, I’m too tired for it to come back,’ and they said ‘well, we’ll help you run it’.”
‘‘ Chamber Poets feels like an enrapturing safety net. It feels like you can throw out a line and you’re just going to be caught in the safety net even if it misses ’’
- Talon Gostelow
Each event begins with a local band performing two songs, followed by an open poetry section, an interval for enjoying food and drinks together, and closing with a reading from a featured poet who then gives an award to a poet from the open section whose work they enjoyed most.
As the convener of the event, Lysenko said he enjoys organising “something for the poets and the audience to enjoy” and giving writers “a chance to speak.”
“People get up on the microphone and they can read whatever they want, and quite often in the [gloomy] and surreal world we’re living in now – sometimes poetry is an antidote to that,” he said.
He said the event is “multigenerational,” attracting younger and older people alike. Woodend poet and collective volunteer Helen McDonald said the event welcomes “allcomers,” including people “who’ve been just writing for themselves and feel that they want to finally stand up and share that with someone because it’s important to them“.
“[They] are just as welcome as are very established, marvellous featured poets who come along … everybody is welcomed as equals, so you can find in any session of Chamber Poets someone who’s speaking for the first time,” McDonald said.
“Your knees knock and your voice shakes, but everybody is incredibly supportive.”
McDonald said that as a “shortish” literary art form, poetry is a powerful medium for expression.
“I think it’s a wonderful [way] of reaching the depths of one’s thoughts [and] emotions. It’s not linear – it’s not like writing a short story where you have a beginning, a middle, and an end,” she said.
“I think poetry’s just a wonderful form of expressing what’s going on within oneself.”
She said she finds the evolution of poetry to be “exciting,” with plenty of younger writers choosing to present forms like slam poetry at events.
“To my mind, a lot of young poets are taking things by storm by creating their own language and their own way of expressing –and slam poetry has become such a popular form,” she said.
McDonald said that with the breadth of styles of poetry, you can “read a beautiful poem by W.B Yeats … and be incredibly moved and swayed by that as you can by a three-line haiku.”
She said the Macedon Ranges is “so rich in imagery and great fodder for poets,” with many of the presenters at Chamber Poets from towns like Macedon and Trentham.
Apart from the locals, the event attracts attendees from as far as Frankston and Euroa.
Macedon Ranges poet and collective volunteer Talon Gostelow said he believes poetry is “still very much alive” among younger people.
“I go into Melbourne, and I see a lot of 20-year-olds, a lot of younger people – even teenagers as well – who have a great deal of involvement in poetry … I know so many of my friends who don’t go to events but who just write poetry and … journal at home,” Gostelow said.
He feels Chamber Poets is an inclusive and welcoming event where he feels comfortable to present his work.
“Chamber Poets feels like an enrapturing safety net. It feels like you can throw out a line and you’re just going to be caught in the safety net even if it misses … you can just go up and stage, and even if you’ve written the worst poetry known to man, you’re comforted and you fall into that safety net,” he said.
“It’s … a place where I feel free to express myself, I feel included, I feel welcome … it’s just really warming … everyone is so kind … it’s really heartening to be here.”
Gostelow said that poetry as a literary form is a great way to express “unconscious associations” and “subliminal … pent up feelings.”
“If you’ve been dealing with anxiety your whole life, and you just bottle that up … and it’s been sitting there under the surface just sort of bubbling away … being able to put that into a verse, being able to write to that, to express that and then people … acknowledge that that’s a shared experience – it’s very difficult to beat that feeling. It’s very difficult to beat that sense of catharsis,” he said.
He said it “alleviates so much” and is “able to pull things from that unconscious in a really accessible way” that other media might require more time or energy for.
“Perhaps songwriting … painting, or drawing … those are things that I would say would have perhaps a higher skill floor, whereas poetry has a much more accessible skill floor [but] equally as high of a skill ceiling.”
Gostelow said that as someone who has worked with youth, he believes accessibility could be a factor at a regional level that might prevent younger Macedon Ranges residents from attending an event like Chamber Poets. Throughout April, Lysenko, who is the Victorian representative of Australian Haiku Society, will direct the Woodend Haiku Festival.
Thiswillincludeamonth-longhaikucontest with an autumn theme, pop-up haiku poetry recitals, a free haiku picnic from 10am–1pm on April 2 at the Woodend Children’s Park, and a haiku-focused Chamber Poets event from 1–4pm on April 12.
Details: facebook.com/groups/ ChamberPoets
Main: Chamber Poets convener Myron Lysenko, and collective volunteers Jenny Zimmerman, Helen McDonald, Wendy Purcell, Talon Gostelow and Linda Stuart at the Woodend RSL. (Damjan Janevski) 466737_01 Left: Poets Es Foong and Mary Stone at one of the events. Right: Chamber Poets collective volunteer Talon Gostelow reciting one of his works. (Pictures: Supplied).
Congestion frustration building
By Prealene Khera
As the daily commute for Fraser Rise residents turns into a “dangerous” bumper-to-bumper ordeal, locals are concerned the widening gap between population growth and infrastructure developmentintheareacouldcausesignificant road-safety issues.
Ongoing congestion, frustrated motorists, and near-misses are now commonplace occurrences on roads in and around Fraser Riseaccordingtoresidents,particularlyduring school drop-off and pick-up times.
For some parents, like Gigi Avati, who have children studying at local Springside West Secondary College, driving through traffic to
get to school has been extremely frustrating.
Ms Avati said she has no other alternative.
“I don’t feel safe letting my kids ride through the roundabouts near Fraser Rise on their bikes, so I need to drive them,” she said.
“I’ve seen accidents happen, especially because drivers get restless and cut people off so it can get quite dangerous.
“I would prefer to have the kids ride their bikes but I’m not confident that we’ve got the infrastructure to keep them safe.”
This “poor” up-scaling of infrastructure has meant increased pressure on existing facilities, Ms Avati said.
“There’s all these houses built on top of each other,butthestreetsaretiny–itshouldhaveall
been planned better,” Ms Avati said.
These planning concerns are shared by other residents, including Ashleigh Johnstone, who moved to Fraser Rise from Caroline Springs more than two years ago.
“Fraser Rise is a lovely suburb but there’s too much traffic so you’re going to get annoyed,” Ms Johnstone said.
“It’sbeengettinghard,wewanttopickupour house and put it in a more developed suburb.
“I know people who have moved out because of the congestion, so I hope things get better soon.”
Melton council city delivery director Neil Whiteside said the organisation was aware of the significant traffic increase in the area and is
Mt Atkinson’s longest marathon
The marathon continues for the residents of Mt Atkinson in their multi-year battle to secure their own bus route.
The second Bus ‘Marathon,’ held on Sunday, March 23, garnered even more support than its first edition, showcasing the urgency for public transport in the region.
Residents have been advocating for a public bus route for two years but remain no closer to securinganyfundingcommitmentsfromstate government and residents are determined to make their voices heard.
Mt Atkinson Advocacy Forum volunteer Parawan Kaur said residents are walking 40 to 50 minutes on gravel and unsafe roads to get
to the closest bus stop.
“We felt the need to do the second round of the Bus Marathon because Mt Atkinson is totally disconnected without these buses,” she said.
“Every day is a struggle for employees and students, parents and anyone alike and if you don’t have a car, you are limited in your transport options.
“Besides the isolation, with no scheduled bus services, people feel stuck here.
“The recent campaign was for school bus services, which was successful, but this is just the beginning.
There is a bigger battle for Mt Atkinson
residents to be able to feel connected with the rest of society.”
There are approximately 11,000 residents living in Mt Atkinson, with a predicted growth of 16,000 by the year 2030.
Withoutapublicbusthatiseasilyaccessible, residents are left dependent on their cars, which puts pressure on the cost of living.
“We want approved funding for scheduled buses. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it will take time,” Ms Kaur said.
“Wewantthistobetreatedasanurgentneed and fast-tracked, with no more bureaucracy.
Gladys Barreta
undertaking upgrades to ease congestion and improve safety. This includes the installation of traffic lights at Sinclairs Road, Gourlay Road and Westwood Drive, and the duplication of Taylors Road to four lanes between City Vista Court and Westwood Drive.
“This will see the replacement of all roundabouts between Leakes Road and Westwood Drive with traffic lights,” Mr Whiteside said. “New pedestrian crossings and anupgradeoftheactivetransportnetworkwill help create safer ways to travel for pedestrians and cyclists.”
Work has started on some of these projects withtheremainderexpectedtocommencethis year, according to the council.
Moorabool history display
An opportunity to learn more about the educational heritage of the Moorabool area is now available, thanks to a new display curated by the Bacchus Marsh and District Historical Society.
The new display, ’History of Primary Schools in Moorabool’, looks back at the educational journey of the community, showcasing primary schools that have served the Moorabool Shire and earlier government districts.
Bacchus Marsh and District Historical Society president John Spain said the exhibition is a chance to see how primary education was delivered across the area that is now the Moorabool Shire and to remember the many primary schools—many of which are now closed—that have been a part of our community.
“We hope people will enjoy taking a look and maybe recalling their primary school days,” Mr Spain said.
The display includes historical photographs and stories that offer a glimpse into the life of primary schools established in the post-colonial era. It was researched and assembled by Society member Pat Burchat and dedicated volunteers.
The History of Primary Schools in Moorabool will be displayed at the Lerderderg Library, a 215 Main Street, Bacchus Marsh.
The display is open during regular library hours and will be on show until August.
The second Bus Marathon made more noise calling on government to give Mt Atkinson its own bus routes.
Easter is a great time to share food because it is a holiday rooted in themes of renewal, togetherness, and celebration. Across cultures and traditions, food plays a central role in marking the occasion, whether through symbolic dishes, festive feasts, or communal gatherings.Herearesomedishestosharewith loved ones this Easter.
Roast Lamb
Roast lamb has been a staple of Easter feasts for centuries, with its roots in Jewish Passover traditions. The lamb represents sacrifice, referencing the lambs sacrificed in the Old TestamentandJesusbeingcalledthe“Lambof God“ in Christian theology. In many cultures, particularly in Mediterranean and European countries, roast lamb is the centerpiece of Easter Sunday meals.
The lamb is typically seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Some recipes call for marinating the meat overnight to enhance its flavor. The lamb is then roasted in the oven until tender, often accompanied by potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. Greek-style roast lamb, for instance, is commonly served with lemon-roasted potatoes and tzatziki sauce. In the U.K., a mint sauce or redcurrant jelly often complements the dish.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are small, spiced sweet rolls filled with raisins or currants and marked with a cross on top, which symbolises the crucifixion of Jesus. Traditionally eaten on GoodFriday,thesebunsdatebacktomedieval England, where they were considered a sacred food. Some legends even suggest that sharing a hot cross bun with someone ensures friendship throughout the year.
The dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, making it soft and slightly dense. The spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, add warmth and depth of flavor. The cross on top is usually made from flour and water paste or piped icing after baking. Many people enjoy these buns warm with butter or jam.
Easter Ham
Baked ham is one of the most popular Easter dishes, especially in the U.S. and parts of Europe. Unlike lamb, which has religious symbolism, ham became an Easter tradition mainly due to its practicality. In earlier times, pigs were slaughtered in the fall, and the meat
was cured over the winter. By spring, the ham was ready to eat, making it a natural choice for Easter celebrations.
Easter ham is often glazed with honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, or pineapple juice for a sweet and savory balance. Cloves may be inserted into the skin for added flavor and decoration. It is commonly served with side dishes such as scalloped potatoes, green beans, or sweet potatoes.
Paska
(Easter Bread)
Paska is a traditional Eastern European Easter bread, especially popular in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. This rich, egg-heavy bread is slightlysweetandoftendecoratedwithintricate braids or religious symbols. The name “Paska” comes from the Greek word for Easter, Pascha. The bread is made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and yeast, resulting in a soft yet sturdy loaf. Some variations include raisins, orange zest, or vanilla for extra sweetness. Paska is often blessed in church before being served at theEastertable.Itpairswellwithbutter,honey, or cheese.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a simple yet classic Easter appetizer, perfect for using up hard-boiled eggs from Easter egg hunts. The dish originated in ancientRomebutbecamepopularinAmerican cuisineinthe19thand20thcenturies.Tomake deviled eggs, hard-boiled eggs are cut in half, and the yolks are mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and paprika. The mixture is then piped back into the egg whites. Some variations include relish, bacon, or avocado for added flavor.
ThesedishesreflectEaster’sblendofreligious tradition and seasonal ingredients, making them cherished holiday staples worldwide.
Roast lamb is a staple of Easter feasts.
New Woolworths supermarket now open in Hillside
A new Woolworths supermarket opened on Thursday March 20 in Hillside, offering a brand new shopping experience for the local Banchory Grove community.
The 2,600 sqm store brings exciting new innovation for local shoppers and welcomes over 40 new members to a team of over 150.
The Woolworths Banchory Grove store is located on the corner of Melton Highway and Banchory Avenue and has opened along with 20 speciality stores, with a large, shaded car park. Inside the store, customers will be able to choose from an extensive range of fruit and vegetables, as well as 100 per cent Australian meat from Aussie farmers and a great variety of fresh, local seafood from the fish market.
A key feature of the new store is the full production bakery, offering stone baked breads made from Australian wheat flour, with sweet treats and pastries on shelves every day.
A large Macro Wholefoods market range and a dedicated offering of plant-based protein can also be found in store. To cater for the local community, customers will also find an array of gourmet and international groceries across the fresh, frozen and grocery departments in the store.
Woolworths Banchory Grove offers a convenient shopping option for customers through its Direct to Boot service, with five dedicated parking bays. Customers place their grocery orders online and have store team members pick their order and then place it directly in the customer’s boot, with no additional charge. There’s also electronic ticketing throughout the store to reduce waste and share the latest updates on pricing for shoppers.
BanchoryGroveWoolworthsstoremanager, Sureyya Soyturk, who has been part of the Woolworths team for 36 years, said “We’re
incredibly excited to open this brand new Woolworths in Banchory Grove, introducing new and exciting ways for customers to shop. We’re sure that Hillside locals will find the convenience they are looking for at our brand new store, with a number of easy shopping
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solutions and meal ideas on offer for the whole family.
“Over 40 members of our team have just joined Woolworths in recent weeks, and it was great to work with the wider team in opening the store last week. We have had a great
response from local customers since opening the doors”
Woolworths Banchory Grove is located at 1 – 15 Banchory Avenue in Hillside and is open 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week.
The team at Woolworths Banchory Grove.
PUZZLES
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
ACROSS
1 Medicinal allotment (6)
4 Propagates (8)
9 Extrinsic (5)
10 Malformed (9)
11 Spiritual (5)
12 Beatles song, –Wood (9)
13 Band member (8)
15 Buy back (6)
16 Gruff (6)
18 Region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea (8)
23 Lasting (9)
24 Dance (5)
26 Pathological self-admirer (9)
27 Ancient (5)
28 Sapling (8)
29 Land surrounded by water (6)
DOWN
1 Division into two contrasted aspects (7)
2 Issue (5)
3 Non-specific (7)
5 Haunt (6)
6 Attain (7)
7 Pleasure (9)
8 Word with same meaning (7)
10 Japanese comic (5)
14 'Back to – –' (6,3)
16 Coniferous tree (7)
17 Labour (7)
19 A native people of Central America (5)
20 Traditions (7)
21 Examined (7)
22 Gentle and kind (6)
25 The press, collectively (5)
how many words
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 Which 1986 coming-of-age film is based on Stephen King's novella TheBody (1982)?
2 Psittacines are more commonly known as what animal?
3 Of the seven chakras, which one is located at the base of the spine?
4 The characters in Teenage MutantNinjaTurtles are named after Italian Renaissance a) artists, b) musicians or c) philosophers?
5 What is the
7 When Elle Fanning (pictured) made her film debut in I Am Sam, who played the older version of her character?
8 True or false: black bears are not always black?
9 In which country was the Battle of Waterloo fought?
10 Who played the titular king in both the 1951 Broadway production and 1956 film adaptation of TheKingandI?
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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, 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
Rose carers of Maddingley Park
The group meets every Wednesday from 10am-noon at the Commemorative Rose Garden, Maddingley Park on the corner of Taverner Street and Grant Streets, Bacchus Marsh. They maintain the two rose gardens at the park. Volunteers are welcome and no experience is necessary to join .
Elaine, 0400 052 857 or Judy, 0428 463 538
Bacchus Marsh Ladies Probus Club
Meets on the first Thursday of every month from 10am to noon at the Avenue Bowling Club on 254 Main Street, Bacchus Marsh
Krystyna, bacchusmarshladiesprobus@ gmail.com
Community band
The Greater Western Community Band meets Thursdays from 7.30 – 9.30pm. Rehearsal venue is the Bridge Road Community Centre, Strathtulloh (Melton South). The band is available for events. Brass, woodwind and percussion players are always welcome.
Sally Hamond, 0401474582
Melton Valley Ladies Probus
Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets on the second Friday each month at 10am at Melton Country Club. New members
welcome.
Ann, 0425705150
Melton Concert Band Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the Bridge Road Community Centre, Bridge Road, Melton South. Musicians of any age who able to read Music are welcome to come along with their instrument (oboe, bassoon, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion). Please contact the number provided if you are intending to visit.
0401 474 582
Cancer Support Group
MelMarsh Prostate Cancer Support Group is for prostate cancer patients and their carers and meets on the first Thursday of the month, from 12.30-2pm, at Melton South Community Centre. Attendees are encouraged as members share their journeys through what could be a very traumatic time of their lives. Explanations of medical terminology used in the treatment of this cancer are given in this group.
Grenville, 0412 741 865
Chatty Cafe Melton
Are you feeling lonely, isolated or just wanting to make some new friends? If so, Chatty Cafe is for you. The group meets on Friday mornings at 10am for delicious free coffee from Latin foods and wines at 10 Wallace Square, Melton.
www.facebook.com/ groups/352071857283331
Melton Trauma Teddies
Melton Trauma Teddies are seeking volunteers to assist with knitting, stuffing, or stitching teddy-bears that go to children in their time of need.
Jean 0412 931 498
Women Working Together
A program connecting women aged 50 above in need of assistance, with mentors and mentees. Open to women across the western suburbs, including Melton. 9655 2131, or EmploymentSupport@ cotavic.org.au
This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of the Sunshine Eagles celebrating their Baseball Victoria summer league premiership. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 468176_01
Comedy show to entertain kids
Winni the Wacky Wizard is returning to the west next month and she’s bringing her friend Ditzy Dizzard along too.
Winni Wizard and the Ditzy Dizzard is the fourth edition of the Winni Wizard chronicles and the creation of comedians Lisa Gatenby and Jacob Sacher who are performing the show at Yarraville’s Kindred Studios as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF).
A comedy show aimed at kids aged four and above, the story follows Winni the Wacky Wizard (Gatenby) as she visits her friend Ditzy Dizzard (Sacher).
Through hijinx and mayhem they soon learn
that there’s more to success than being good at magic. Being true to yourself and following your dreams count just as much.
Sacher said that with he and Gatenby being friendsinreallife,thiswasthepartoftheshow that was semi-autobiographical.
“Both of us have chased success in the corporate world, but ultimately found that success comes in many forms,” said Sacher, who like Gatenby, has been doing comedy for 10 years.
However, according to Gatenby, this was their first time sharing a stage.
“We’ve worked together before but this is the first show we’re doing together.”
The pair will bring Winni Wizard and the Ditzy Dizzard to Yarraville for five shows from April 12 to 17, except Monday, April 14.
It will is the only kids comedy show to be performed in Melbourne’s west during MICF and while aimed at those of primary school age,Gatenbysaidtherewasplentyoflaughsfor older age groups too.
“We say it’s (aimed at) 4 to 400 because there’s jokes for the adults as well,” she said.
Information and tickets: https://www. comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/winniwizard-and-the-ditzy-dizzard/
Cade Lucas
Autumn on display in open gardens
Celebrating the change of seasons, four gardens in the Macedon Ranges will be open to the public as part of the 2025 Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival.
With varying open dates between April 1–30, Duneira Estate, Viewfield Garden, ForestGladeGardens,andCamelotGardenin Mount Macedon will open their gates to the public so people can appreciate the autumn colours of these impressive Macedon Ranges gardens.
With its first opening date on April 11, Camelot Garden will present ancient gum trees, a grove of giant Sequoias and over 500 species of rare and exotic plants from around the world.
Forest Glade Gardens will showcase its variety of gardens and landscaping styles, including English and Japanese-influenced areas, while Duneira Estate will present formal and woodland-style gardens along with a 500-metre Dutch Elm avenue, chestnut groves, orchards, and paddocks containing resident llamas.
Owned by Macedon Ranges residents Vicki and Les Hawken, Viewfield Garden will present several European trees and Eucalypts, breath-taking views, a children’s fairy garden, afruitforest,perennialgardens,andatranquil stream.
Viewfield gardener Eve Archbold said that her favourite part of the garden is the variety
of flora on display.
“We’re always evolving the garden with a huge spectrum of different kind of plants and planting styles … so, I think the diversity in the plants is something that I really love,” Ms Archbold said.
The site also contains a productive kitchen garden and greenhouse.
Opening dates and pricing for each of the open gardens are available on their websites, with further details about the Autumn Festival provided on the Visit Macedon Ranges website.
Details: visitmacedonranges.com/ autumn-festival/ Oscar Parry
Stories of thriving Vietnamese community
Fiftyyearsago,Vietnameserefugeesarrivedon Australian shores, bringing with them stories of resilience, determination, and hope. Today, their legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of Australia’s multicultural society.
To honour this milestone, the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association (AVWA) is hosting a memorable exhibition — Thrive 2025.
This exhibition celebrates the personal journeys,achievements,andcontributionsthat have shaped Australia over the past 50 years, according to AVWA chief executive Nicky Chung.
“Visitors will experience first-hand accounts of resilience, cultural heritage, and the remarkable impact of Vietnamese Australians across business, education, the arts, and
Australian
community leadership,” she said.
“Since their arrival, Vietnamese Australians have built new lives, contributing to a stronger,
Music
of the Anzacs set to entertain
Morning Melodies is making a marvellous and miraculous return for those whose heart yearns for music.
The‘SpiritoftheAnzacs’byPromac Productions will grace the Encore Events Centre in Hoppers Crossing on Tuesday, April 8.
Join in commemorating the gusto of the Anzacs and Vietnam veterans in the lead-up to Anzac Day, with wonderful songs, stories, and letters from the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
Across the 60-minute serenade, you’ll hear timeless tunes from The Andrew Sisters, Vera Lynn, Bob Dylan, John Denver, and Tom Jones to name just a few.
Led by star tenor Roy Best, international soprano Alison Jones and narrator/compere Christopher McKenna, with a little help from piano virtuoso William Schmidt, the act is making its way around the country.
While a few laughs are probably an inevitable side effect of a spectacular show, it is also an earnest ode to those brave people who gave their lives in service of our country.
2025 is a significant year for the tour and diggers, coinciding with the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Landings and the 80th anniversary of World War 2 ending.
Doors open at 10.30am, so come down, bring a friend and enjoy a jovial nod to Australia’s bravest men and women.
If you didn’t bring your lunchbox there is no need to stress, as the $14 tickets include a delicious morning tea.
Book your tickets: https://www. wyncc.com.au/
more diverse Australia.”
Ms Chung encouraged all residents to attend the exhibition.
“There are so many stories of Vietnamese refugees who have started their time in Australia just trying to survive but are now thriving,” she said.
“We welcome people of all backgrounds, community members, educators, students, families, and professionals, to attend, learn, and connect with these powerful stories.
“Schools, and organisations, are also encouraged to engage, share these stories, and help celebrate this milestone of resilience and contribution.”
The Thrive 2025 exhibition will be on display until May 1 at level one of the Sunshine Library.
Viewfield Open Garden owner Vicki Hawken among some of the incredible flora (Damjan Janevski) 467508_01
Chris McKenna, William Schmidt and Alison Jones are bringing you ‘Spirit of the Anzacs’. (Supplied)
Winni Wizard (Lisa Gatenby) and the Ditzy Dizzard (Jacob Sacher). (Damjan Janevski) 465765_01
Vietnamese Women’s Association chief executive Nicky Chung. (Damjan Janevski) 467452_01
SPORTS QUIZ
1. Which Melbourne United basketballer was awarded the 2025 NBL Grand Final MVP?
2. And which Illawarra Hawks basketballer did he then give this award to?
3. Name the six NRL teams not named after animals.
4. After playing 298 games for the West Coast Eagles, Jack Darling played his 300th AFL game with which club?
5. Australian basketballer Georgia Amoore most recently played for which US college?
6. Australian basketballer Alex Condon most recently played for which US college?
Chris Finch most recently coached which NBA
In which two years did Lachie Neale win the Brownlow Medal?
Which Texas city will host the final of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament?
10. Which US professional sports league is the Toronto Tempo set to join in 2026?
11. Which Florida city will host the final of the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament?
12. In Round 2, which AFL team temporarily reverted to their original name to celebrate their centenary?
13. Sydney Roosters hooker Brandon Smith has signed a contract with which NRL club for the 2026 season?
14. What three animals appear on A-League club Melbourne City’s logo?
15. Australian F1 driver Jack Doohan is the son of which motorcycling icon?
16. Which NFL team won the first ever Super Bowl?
17. What is the name of the Brisbane BBL team?
18. Which American Major League Cricket team did Pat Cummins sign to in 2024?
19. What is the newest NBL team?
20. What is WWE wrestler Seth Rollins' birth name?
21. In cricket, what is a yorker?
22. How many periods are there in a hockey game?
23. What is the name of South Sydney Rabbitohs’ costumed rabbit mascot?
24. The Buccaneers are an NFL team out of which city?
25. Which male tennis player won the US Open in 2003?
26. In which year did badminton become an Olympic sport?
27. Which state won the 2023 Sheffield Shield?
28. Which animal is in Premier League team Brentford’s logo?
29. Illyria is the name of a soccer-playing boarding school in which sports movie?
30. Before 2025, when was the last time the Illawarra Hawks won an NBL championship?
YOUR NEW CAREER
Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic Full or Part time Sales Executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms.
1238 Leakes Road Rockbank.
in
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.
•Ducted gas heating and ducted evaporative cooling. Set on a large block with alfresco and double garage. Within easy reach of railway station, primary school and Western Freeway access it is a dream home. $750,000.
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 www.starnewsgroup.com.au
Jack Doohan
Seth Rollins
S-Cross lags behind competitors
By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring
Originally known as the SX4, the current model dates back to 2021 and shares its chassis with the Vitara.
S-Cross brought a major makeover in styling, with a new front and rear-end design.
Inside, the dashboard was updated, with an instrument cluster and 4.2-inch LCD multi-info display from Vitara,
A floating 7.0-inch touchscreen became the focus of the infotainment system.
Driver assistance was also upgraded with a 360 degree camera, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Interior space remains exactly the same as the previous generation.
The SX4 S-Cross is built at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary.
All are powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine.
Styling S-Cross comes in four grades, priced from $38,990 plus on-roads.
Kicking off proceedings is this the front wheel drive S-Cross, followed by the S-Cross Plus at $41,490, then the all-wheel drive AllGrip from $40,990 and ultimately the AllGrip Prestige from $44,490 — all prices before on-roads costs.
Our test vehicle was the top of the AllGrip Prestige.
Compared to its SX4 predecessor, the compact S-Cross is a step up, both visually, along with cabin trim and equipment.
An aggressive piano black diamond lattice grille and LED headlights have the SUV standing tall, while square wheel arches wrapping polished alloy and silver highlights on the bumpers make for a more robust profile than before.
Body-coloured power folding and heated exterior mirrors, and door handles contrast with 17-inch polished alloy wheels giving the SUV ground clearance of 175mm.
Likeallpresent-daySuzukicars,theS-Cross is covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and five-year capped-price service scheme, the latter at 12 months or 10,000km intervals.
Infotainment
A new 9.0-inch tablet-style touchscreen situated on the centre dashboard provides access to satellite navigation, voice command, DAB+ digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, with Bluetooth connectivity.
Audio consists of four speakers and two tweeters, with a single USB-A port in front, along with AUX and a 12-volt outlet in the centre bin.
Driver’s Information, consisting of analogue speedo and tacho separated by a digital display, includes instant and average fuel consumption, driving range and a gear position indicator.
Safety
S-Cross is still waiting for a safety review and that’s not good enough.
Featured are seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop/start in heavy traffic; lane departure warning and mitigation, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, electronic stability program.
There’s also auto high beam, LED head lights, weaving alert, warning the driver if he or she lets the vehicle go wandering.
Also on hand are blind spot monitor; front and rear parking sensors; hill hold control on moving off on inclines; rear cross-traffic alert and dual sensor brake support.
A camera and sensor warn and brakes for pedestrians.
Front, side and curtain airbags are standard
and there are two ISOFix child seats, plus three child seat tether anchorages in the rear.
Engines/transmissions
The engine remains unchanged, with the 1.4-litreBoosterjetturbochargedfour-cylinder enginebeingmatedwithasix-speedautomatic transmission with manual mode and steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.
It produces 103kW at 5500 rpm and 220Nm of torque between 1500 and 4000 rpm.
In this model drive is to all four wheels through a conventional six-speed automatic transmission.
Driving
Quality leather appointments are not enough to detract from the firmness of the seats.
Leg room for the average-adult is good, but the back seats lack air outlets.
The dual zone climate control air-con even includes a pollen filter.
Storage consists of a deep centre console box, with padded lid doubling as an arm rest, two cup holders, front and rear and a couple of front and rear bottle slots.
The boot has room for 430 litres of cargo withtherearseatbacksupand1230litreswith seat backs folded. A space saver spare can be found under the floor.
Suzuki’s engineers reckon they have turbo lag by installing the specially developed compact turbocharger attached directly to
RATINGS
Looks: 7/10
Performance: 7.5/10
Safety: 6/10
Thirst: 7/10
Practicality: 7/10
Comfort: 5/10
Tech: 7/10
Value: 5/10
Overall: 6.4/10
the cylinder head as well as incorporating the exhaust manifold into the cylinder head casting.
Can’t disagree.
Keyless entry and start provide easy access for the driver.
The carry-over powertrain is already well sorted and provides smooth take-off.
Overseas however it’s offered with a hybrid. It took ages to get the Swift Hybrid, S-Cross will probably be the same.
S-Cross is spritely thanks to the strong torquefactorandovertakingcanbeperformed with confidence.
Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts add a further level of driver input without dialling up too much excitement.
The driver is aided by an instrument cluster, comprising two old-style analogue gauges with a digital trip computer between, which includes a speedo.
This design has been around for a decade. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?
S-Cross is rated at 1500kg, braked, and 600kg, unbraked, for towing.
AllGrip or all-wheel drive is summoned via a knob on the centre console behind the gearshift.
Auto mode switches between front-wheel and all-wheel drive when conditions demand; Sport sends more torque to the rear and improved engine response; Snow enhances traction on slippery surfaces, maximum
torque to rear wheels to get out of such as sand or snow.
A lock button delivers 50:50 front/rear distribution.
Our AllGrip Prestige exhibited good road manners on the bitumen in both wet and dry conditions.
But we wouldn’t be venturing too far off road.
Friends have an S-Cross. Before that they had the SX-4. They say voice command is useless and it is a bit noisy inside the cabin. Onceyoupairaphone,evenifyouselectradio, it often reverts to phone.
With a 47-litre tank, fuel consumption is a claimed 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres and it takes 95 premium unleaded.
We were getting 6.5L/100km.
Summing up
Like other Suzuki models, S-Cross needs to become competitive with the current crop of small SUVs, particularly those from the Chinese.
Once upon a time it was the bargain of the Japanese offerings. These days it has been eclipsedbyaswatheofcheaper,betterequipped offerings that perform the same function. Suzuki’s management has been notoriously slow to respond to changes in the industry. Someone needs to sack the lot of them and bring some new, dynamic blood aboard – it’s not rocket science.
Like other Suzuki models, S-Cross needs to become competitive with the current crop of small SUVs. (Pictures: Supplied)
Cricket season ends on a high
Cricket season came to an end on Saturday, with the last of the grand finals held. While cricket season is over, basketball and soccer seasons are starting to kick into gear. Star Weekly photographer Ljubica Vrankovic was out shooting some of the action.
Melton Phoenix’s Isaak Ekerbicer. 464931_02
Sunbury United’s James Hughes. 464929_12
Ricardo Time. 467506_19
Hume City Broncos’ Georgia Keighran. 458917_06
Gisborne’s Dane Thompson. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 464933_03
Gisborne watches on. 464929_22
Gisborne’s Spencer Jones. 464929_04
Sunbury Jets’ Tresai McCarver. 458917_01
Riley Vernon is caught behind. 464929_08
Hume City Broncos’ Zach McKenzie and Sunbury Jets Byron Gladden. 467506_13
Melton Phoenix’s Luke Buttigieg. 464931_07
Susan makes a name as she returns in style
Multiple group 1-winning mare Susan Is Her Name returned to the racetrack with a resounding victory in the Mimosa Homes Trot at Melton on Saturday night.
Having her first outing since September, Susan Is Her Name settled midfield in the running line before Kerry Manning latched onto the three-wide trail behind Dichotomy with 600 metres to travel.
Once balanced in the home straight, Susan Is Her Name let down with giant strides and scored running away by 13 metres from Dichotomy and Bitta Irish Luck in a mile rate of 1:57.9.
Manning, who was having her first drive behind the four-year-old, was suitably impressed with the win.
“She felt awesome, a lovely horse to drive,” Manning said.
“She settled well, everything went perfectly really and she just ran away at the end and did itverycomfortably.Youusuallydon’twinraces that easily.”
Manning said the winner possesses natural high speed.
“She’s a tall horse but fairly solid and goes really straight behind and she certainly gets over the ground fairly easily,” she said.
“Clayton (Tonkin) described her as having ‘pacing like’ speed and she pulled off the back of Greg (Sugars) like she had just joined in.”
ManningbelievestheEmmaStewart-trained SusanIsHerNamehasthecapacitytocompete at a high level.
“She’s certainly got all the attributes; the speed and she’s shown she can stay as well,” she said.
“Obviously the soundness is going to be the worry going forward, but she felt perfect tonight and hopefully that remains the case and there should be better things to come
Bulls claim premiership
By Tara Murray
This year was already a big year for Bacchus Marsh as it celebrated 50 years, but claiming its first Ballarat Cricket Association premiership on Sunday is the icing on the cake.
The club in just its second season in the competition, claimed the competition’s top honour as it beat Wendouree in the grand final the past two weekends.
Bulls coach Sam Crea said on Monday morning that it had been a pretty special time for the club.
He said it was one of the most successful seasons for the club.
“I had to pinch myself a couple of times,” he said. “We were in a good position after day three, needing just one wicket.
“I had some time to think about it on Saturday night. Think about what it took throughout the season and we always believed we would get the runs.
“It still feels surreal. It’s big for the Bacchus Marsh community and the supporters that come to watch.”
The Bulls led by 61 runs heading into the second weekend of play, after some strong lower order batting on the first Sunday.
Wendouree started well with the bat on Saturday and at 1-91 had set a good platform to give the Bulls a big score to chase.
Ashappenedonthefirstweekend,theBulls managed to get a role with the ball again.
Wendouree struggled to get any partnerships going and were bowled out for 209 early on the final day of play.
Crea took 6-66 for the Bulls, while Shanin Silva took three wickets.
Crea said they didn’t start the day bowling well but was happy to have kept them to that total.
“We never want away from getting back to bowling well and put the pressure back on them,” he said.
“We got some wickets and were able to restrict them. We kept bowling good balls and made them make mistakes.
It left Wendouree needing to bowl the Bulls out for less than 147 to claim the premiership.
The Bulls top order was steady and they were able to get the job done with ease,
for her.”
Manning and Stewart combined for a trotting double later in the night when Harold Smithovercamea20-metrehandicapintaking out the Aldebaran Park Trotters Handicap.
Harold Smith settled a long way off the leaders before Manning pulled out three wide to sit parked outside the leader Im Bobby with a lap to travel.
Harold Smith forged to the lead around the home turn, and although inclined to switch off in the straight, had sufficient in reserve to hold a three-metre margin on the line over Illawong Larajay.
Manning admitted the son of Andover Hall gave her a slight concern in the run to the line.
“He had a good look around and sort of switched off, and I did get the warning that he would do that, but I was ready. It was a bit of a heart-stopper there for a second,” she said.
The win completed a driving treble for Manning, who partnered Edward Grange to victory in the opening event on the eight-race program.
John Dunne
Melton Phoenix has started the FV state league 4 west season on fire with a second big win in as many weeks.
After a 5-0 win in round one, the Phoenix was at home against the Keilor Wolves on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides found the back of the net in the first half with scores locked at 1-1 at half time.
After the break, the Phoenix lifted a level as it scored three second half goals to come away with a 4-2 win.
Matthew Sesay, Alex Dimond, Cameron Stewart and Kristian Grillo were the goal scorers for the Phoenix.
The early goal scoring feast has the Phoenix on top after two rounds.
Westside Strikers are also undefeated after two rounds after beating Lara United on Saturday.
The Strikers scored twice in the first half to take a 2-0 lead and were able to keep the momentum going in the second half as they won 4-1.
Kouadio Ouattara and Musa Kamara both scored twice for the Strikers.
In state league 5 west, Spring Hills kicked off its season with a win against Truganina Hornets.
After a bye in round one, the Stallions were at home against the Hornets.
finishing 2-149.
Alex Porter finished 56 not out, while Will Lalor was 27 not out.
Crea said it’s never fun watching on the sidelines, but it was nice to see the top order get the job done.
He said it was a clinical performance which was finished off by two players who had come through the pathways at the club
The premiership comes after the Bulls women’s side claimed its first premiership a couple of weeks ago.
The men also finished runners-up in the T20 grand final.
Crea said this season exceeded all expectations. He said they just wanted to be competitive week in, week out and go from there.
Now the Bulls go from the hunter to the hunted and it’s something they are looking forward to.
“We want to be the hunted,” he said. “It’s a good thing for us.
“Rightly so at times this season we weren’t respected. They know we are the real deal now.”
Scores were locked at 1-1 at half time, before the Stallions scored twice in the secondhalftocomeawaywitha3-1win.
Chris Duncan scored twice for the Stallions, while Dylan Vella scored the other goal.
Meanwhile in the Victorian Premier League 1 competition, Caroline Springs GeorgeCrosslosttoNorthcoteCity,4-3.
After eight games the Georgies sit in sixth spot with four wins and four losses.
Bo Williamson. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 464931_05
Susan Is Her Name. (Stuart McCormick)
Bacchus Marsh’s premiership side. (Supplied)
Jaime-Lee Getson’s winning move onto the court
Melton’s Jaime-Lee Getson has spent a large part of her life in the swimming pool, but spending time on the basketball court is still new.
Getson, who represented Australia at the 2020 Paralympics, showed she was a natural on the court and earned selection as part of the Victorian side for the Ivor Burge Championships.
Victoria claimed gold in both the women’s and men’s competition, which is for athletics with an intellectual impairment.
Getson’s shone and she was named in the Australian Pearls 14-player squad. The Pearls are Australia’s national representative team for female athletes with an intellectual impairment
Getson said it came as a complete shock to have made the Australian squad.
“It’s super exciting,” she said. “It was my first season representing Victoria after four months of training.
“From being an elite swimmer to this, I was shocked.”
Getson said she stepped back from swimming for a number of reasons.
It was through the connection with Victorian Ivor Burge coach Emily Attard that she got into basketball.
She said Attard has had a massive impact on her career.
Attard runs a Specialist Hoops program in Melton and Bacchus Marsh.
“Emily suggested that I come down and try it out and the rest of history,” Getson said.
“My mum works with her.”
Getsonsaidbasketballwassodifferentfrom swimming
She said basketball was a team sport where the pressure is spread, while swimming it was all on her.
She said she’d always been athletic which is why she thinks that she was able to pick up the sport so quickly.
Jaime-Lee and her twin brother Patrick headed down to Specialist Hoops. Both were selected for nationals and won gold.
In the grand final, Getson scored 13 points.
“It was unreal,” she said. “I was super surprised with the grand final.
“Iwassohappy,itwaslikeadream.Ilooked at the stats after the game and thought wow, they are pretty decent.”
Selection for the VIRTUS World Championships to be hosted in Astana, Kazakhstan was last week at the AIS.
Before selection, Getson said she had been trainingreallyhardanditwouldbeanhonour to wear the green and gold.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to,” she said of the game. “I’m taking it one day at a time.
“I’m doing some training in Coburg and Sunbury and I’m playing in a domestic league in Sunbury.”
The Pearls are holding a fundraising campaign to help get them to Kazakhstan.
To donate type Pearls into the at comments at https://asf.org.au/projects/ basketball-australia?modalOpen=true
Burton thrives on footy
By Peter Howe
This month’s Don Deeble nominee Thomas Burton is one of the best young footballers in Australia.
From Point Cook, Burton plays with the Western Jets and is part of the AFL Academy for the best top-age draft players in the country.
LIke many young players, Burton started in Auskick aged six.
“I played tennis and basketball but didn’t love those sports like I loved AFL,” he said. “Footy is my passion.
“I was never the kid in the goal square making sandcastles or kicking the grass around, I just wanted the footy in my hands, I wanted to compete and I thrived on the opportunity to play.”
Withanattitudelikethat,itdoesn’tsurprise he had the simple mantra of hard work and discipline.
Atjust16,hemadehisseniordebutforPoint Cook in the Western Football League division 1 competition, in a grand final in 2023.
“I was in the senior training squad with a few others, sadly we had a few injuries leading into that grand final,” he said.
“Others in the group spent their time speculating, I just wanted to get in and train hard. I’m very grateful I got the nod.”
Even a cursory glance at Burton’s awards gives you an idea that he was driven to succeed.
There were best and fairest awards at Point Cookintheunder-11s,twiceinunder-12s and under-16s, with two league best and fairests thrown in as well.
He was elected in the Victorian Schoolboys under-15 team for the national carnival in 2022 and following a very consistent carnival, Burton was selected in the All-Australian schoolboy’s team.
Burton has also developed his leadership skills, captaining Point Cook’s under-16 team and being a vice-captain for the Jets under-16 team.
He said as a leader it’s important for players to know that you have their backs.
“My style includes use of voice to support but also through my actions both on field and at training,” he said.
“I feel that I must set the standards. I can see my younger teammates may be nervous or unsure, it’s my role to instill confidence in them.”
The AFL Academy opened up new
opportunities for Burton. There are camps held that focus on high level skill development and intensity.
He said with so many top players in the game, it’s the small things that make the difference.
“Sleep, nutrition, injury management all play a part,” he said. “ So too does the mental aspects of the game.
“I think when you get to this level the game is more mental than physical.
I spend a lot of time with the Western Jets wellbeing co-ordinator, Jack Rhodes.
“He taught me how to not dwell on mistakes and remain in the present.”
Burton’s football talents saw him awarded a scholarship at Caulfield Grammar in 2023 where he played the past two years.
HeplayedontheMCGongrandfinaldayin theyounggunsgamelastyearandrepresented Vic Metro at the under-18 championships as a bottom after.
For Burton, Covid is the sliding door moment in his young career. He started working with a personal trainer.
“Footy was taken away from us so where do
Sports shorts
Western FL
The Western Football League women’s competition will remain at nine teams this season. The league announced the structure last week, with Point Cook Centrals returning to the competition and replaying Laverton, which didn’t have the numbers for a team. Braybrook had been aiming to get a side up, but didn’t have the numbers. Caroline Springs and Yarraville Seddon will field reserves sides in the Essendon District Football League reserves competition.
EDFL
The Essendon District Football League women’s competition will remain at three senior divisions this season. The league announced the rest of its female structure last week, having already previously announced the make up of the premier division. There will again be six teams in division 1, while there will also be six teams in division 2. Hillside will play in premier division and Burnside Heights in division 1.
VNL
we turn, what do we do?” he said.
“We focused on strength and conditioning, makingmycorestronger. “Weworkedondiet and food.
“Withoutdoubtitelevatedmyfootyjourney and made me even more focused.”
Burton believes his strengths are his speed, his ability to break packs and make those fast-closing tackles.
What does the future hold for Burton?
“I gained a place in the bachelor of business course at Deakin University,” he said. “ I will defer that for six months as I prepare for the footy season and improve my chances to be drafted at the end of the year.
I am prepared to do what I need to, to achieve my dream of playing AFL.
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and Star Weekly Newspapers.
If you would like to nominate a monthly winner or attend a dinner contact sswrsportsclub@gmail.com or 0408 556 631.
The Western Warriors fell just short of their first win of the Victorian Netball League season. Facing the North East Blaze, the Warriors led at the first and third breaks, with two goals the biggest margin at any of the breaks. A 12-9 goal final term was the difference as the Blaze won, 47-45. Rebecca Hicks shot 26 goals for the Warriors. I
Western FL
The best of the best have been named in the Western Football League’s two senior interleague squads. The league will face the Southern Football League in senior men’s and women’s football along with under-19 men’s football and netball. The initial 39-member squad for the men’s side includes 2024 Barry Priest Medalist Alex Paech, two-time most valuable player winner Michael Selsby.
FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Melton & Moorabool
Tara Murray Jaime-Lee Getson. (Hamish Patterson/Australian Pearls)
Thomas Burton. (AFL)
