OCTOBER 25, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
(Luke Hemer)
Night of the zombies Kids, get ready for the Zombie Apocalypse. Dozens of young zombies will be dragging their rotten limbs across the Public Hall on Saturday. So, are you ready to face the walking dead? FReeZA youth committee, Marsh Monster Mash and Moorabool council have teamed up to organise Zombie Walk. ‘Little spooks’ (children under 12) will take over the Bacchus Marsh Public Hall from 4-6pm on Saturday and the ‘spooks’ (children over 12) from 7-10pm. Social and organisational development manager Danny Colgan says it will be a “fantastic” event. “The young people from FReeZA have put a lot of effort into making it a spectacular, scary and fun-filled evening,” Mr Colgan said. There will be special-effects lighting and sound, and would-be zombies can get a hand from professional makeup artists. Mr Colgan adds that people dressed in scary clown costumes won’t be admitted. Entry is $10. Sumeyya Ilanbey
NAOMI, 17, JASMIN, 17, AND WILLAM, 16
$10.6m hospital pledge By Sumeyya Ilanbey Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital has been given more than $10 million to overhaul its health services. Health Minister Jill Hennessy pledged the funds last Friday, saying the state government is committed to, and confident in, the hospital. Two new operating theatres will be built, old theatres will be refurbished, and maternity units expanded, including four extra post-delivery beds and a new, three-bay nursery. Ms Hennessy said she had “absolute confidence and optimism” in the future of maternity services at the hospital. “We wouldn’t be investing this money if
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As a health service, we’ve gone through enormous - John Ballard change
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we didn’t have the confidence in this health service, and I’ve got every confidence,” she said. “I know each and every single day, the staff come into work full of care and clinical expertise. And they want the best outcomes for their local community.” Meanwhile, John Ballard has been reappointed administrator of Djerriwarrh Health Services, which manages the Bacchus
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Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital, for another 12 months. Dr Ballard was appointed administrator last year after the hospital’s board was sacked amid controversy over baby deaths. Two new community advisory committees will be set up at Melton and Bacchus Marsh to ensure local voices are heard. The committees will be chaired by Melton MP Don Nardella. Dr Ballard said the $10.6 million boost was an “emphatic” sign that rumours about Bacchus Marsh hospital closing down were incorrect “We need to emphasise to the community, we’re providing a safe service – they’re really good services and they’re services that are staying,” Dr Ballard said.
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“There were these unfortunate tragic, adverse events and they happened, but they happened in the past … that doesn’t diminish them in anyway whatsoever, but as a health service, we’ve gone through enormous change.” Dr Ballard said the state government’s commitment to overhauling hospital services was “uplifting” for staff, who have worked “unrelentingly” to provide excellent professional care for patients. Djerriwarrh Health Services chief executive Andrew Freeman said the funding was a “vote of confidence” in staff for local residents. Construction works on the operating theatres and the maternity unit are expected to start mid next year.