JUNE 14, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Fast starts are gold
(Luke Hemer)
Improved starts could be the thing that puts young Riddells Creek sprinter Jessie Andrew in the selection conversation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Already known for her powerful running through the middle of races, the 16-year-old is fine-tuning her routine ahead of the Oceania Melanesian regional championships in Fiji from July 7-9. Jessie, who spends close to two hours a day travelling by train between Riddells Creek and the Maribyrnong Sports Academy, says she’s confident that work with coach Darren Clark will pay dividends. She will compete in the 200 metres and possibly the 4 x 100 metres relay in Suva. “It’s a big opportunity for me,” the year 10 student says. “This is a great chance to prove myself against some really good international opposition.” Jessie has bounced back from a tibia stress fracture that sidelined her last year. But it’s her work to achieve more momentum out of the blocks that’s poised to take her to another level. Clark says Jessie is among the top runners in her age group. ‘‘If we can iron out her starts, it will put her right at the pointy end of things,’’ he says. Matt Crossman
$2m learning hub pledge By Matt Crossman Federal Liberal candidate Chris Jermyn is being urged to match Labor’s $2 million commitment to a global lifelong learning centre at Sunbury. As reported by Star Weekly online, plans for the hi-tech education hub have been given a major lift, with deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek and McEwen MP Rob Mitchell pledging their support last Wednesday. Hume mayor Helen Patsikatheodorou, who has previously said the centre would be hard to build without federal money, called on the Liberal Party to match the commitment. ‘‘Council is prepared to work with any government … we need to get the best we can
for this community,’’ she said, adding the hub would help generations of Sunbury residents. “This is a place that will symbolise an exciting future for Sunbury and it will prepare many people for great careers and enable them to shape the lives they desire,’’ she said. Ms Plibersek, the second senior Labor MP to visit Sunbury in recent weeks, chatted with users at the town’s ageing library in Macedon Street. She inspected the library’s 3D printer, robotic equipment and traditional services before announcing Labor’s support for the new centre. She said the learning hub, to be built on a 4083-square-metre site next to the library, was
bought by the council for $1.885 million in February. The proposed global learning centre [GLC] will include a state-of-the-art library, high-tech resources and function areas for seminars and community groups, and will help push the boundaries of digital learning, giving young people a head start and offering older workers the chance to retrain. ‘‘I think the council is taking the right approach here,’’ Ms Plibersek said. ‘‘They’ve got a real focus on digital learning and opportunities, not just for young people but for people right through their working lives. ‘‘We know that lifelong learning is an important part of economic development for
any region. Jobs change, industries change … people want to be able to take on new learning opportunities,’’ Ms Plibersek applauded the council’s focus on building partnerships with higher-education providers, and said the GLC would be central to the community’s continued growth. Mr Mitchell said Hume’s existing global learning centres showed how important they were. ‘‘Labor talks about putting people first, and this is a great example,’’ he said. ‘‘We know that if we can get people in a good environment where they can get educated, they will go on and give an economic benefit to our community, and go on to have better lives.’’ Mr Jermyn did not respond by deadline.