SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
All fur a good cause Furry friends will take over Strathtulloh this weekend, with the Paws in the Park event descending on the Bridge Road Children’s and Community Centre. The free family day will give pooches the chance to meet, mix and mingle. Special dog activities will include an agility obstacle course, dog food truck, two kilometre dog walk (entry by gold coin donation), dog fashion parade, dog groomer, and vet consultations. The day is a joint effort from Melton council and LendLease, with the gold coin donations going towards the work of the Young Diggers, who train canine companions and assistance dogs for ex-defence force members dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Carole Doyle from the Young Diggers said it was great to have such strong support from the community. “We don’t get any government support, so everything we do from rescue dogs, to vet check-ups, training, it all comes from donations, so these events are really important to us.” The event will be held at the rear of the community centre, from 1-3pm on September 15. Ewen McRae
Abbey with Buddy (at front), Carole Doyle with Dusty and Joseph Catania with Maggie. (Marco De Luca)
Summersault falls flat By Ewen McRae The annual Summersault festival is no more. Melton council last week pulled the plug on the family event because of dwindling attendances. Held at Caroline Springs Recreation Reserve each February since 2013, the festival has been billed as a celebration of summer. But Melton mayor Bob Turner last week said it was time for something new to reinvigorate the area.
“We’ve had some great times at Summersault, and now it’s time for a change,” he said. “Summersault has been a key feature of council’s events calendar but, after careful consideration, council has decided it’s no longer meeting community expectations. “Tens of thousands of residents have enjoyed Summersault over the years but lower attendance by families, and community feedback in more recent years, prompted council to reassess the event.” The festival’s budget in recent years was
about $200,000. The 2019 festival featured live bands Kingswood and Saskwatch, as well as food stalls, rides and family entertainment. The festival made national headlines in 2017 when a gang of about 40 youths tore through the event, assaulting festival-goers and stealing a number of phones and wallets. The council admitted this played a part in its decision to end the event. “Community safety is paramount at our events and we work closely with Victoria Police to ensure our events are safe and secure,” Cr
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Turner said. “We took into account the reduced attendance by local families and anti-social behaviour at the event. “We continually review our events to ensure they are meeting the needs of our community and fulfilling their objectives. “Attendees told us they wanted different entertainment and food options, improved market stalls, changes to the ride offerings and even an earlier start time.” The council said it is planning a new event to fill the space on the calendar for 2020.