DECEMBER 6, 2016 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + PROPERTY GUIDE
Stamp of approval Sunbury’s Kevin Andrews was among those honoured at this year’s AFL Premiership Players Club stamp launch. Each year the club committee selects 20 premiership players, coaches and umpires to feature on Australian postage stamps. This year’s group included some of the biggest names in the game, with the late great Norm Smith and John Coleman among them. Andrews was honoured for his role as a goal umpire, specifically in the 1985 and 1986 grand finals. He umpired 114 VFL-AFL games in all. And while Andrews made his name in football for his work between the posts, in 1959 the then 16-year-old penned what would become Essendon Football Club’s theme song. At the time, Andrews was living with the parents of former Bomber Jeff Gamble. “Every Friday night, there was a variety [television] show on called Sunnyside Up,” Andrews said. “Jeff came over to visit his mum and dad one Saturday morning singing this [theme] song … instead of singing the first line of the song, he changed the words to ‘see the Bombers fly up, up’. “I asked … for a writing pad [and] started to pen the words to what is now known as the Bombers’ theme song.” Tara Murray
Kevin Andrews, his stamp is bottom left. (Joe Mastroianni)
Sunbury NBN switched on By Esther Lauaki Super fast internet has finally arrived in Sunbury but there are concerns about whether the town’s ageing infrastructure will hold up. Thousands of homes and businesses will now be able to connect to the National Broadband Network using fibre-to-node technology. Last week’s connection will be welcome news for McEwen voters, who vented their frustration with the stalled rollout of the NBN at a forum hosted by MP Rob Mitchell earlier this year. The NBN rollout first started in Sunbury in 2013 and was due to be completed by June last year.
But the rollout was put on hold after the incoming Liberal government revised the NBN schedule and capacity. Residents in newer areas of Sunbury, including Jacksons Hill, were unable to access even basic ADSL, and say their study and work lives have been disrupted by the delays. Sunbury web designer Hannah Hargraves welcomed the connection and said it would boost the productivity of her small business. “This is definitely a good thing for Sunbury,” Ms Hargraves said. “We were constantly having trouble with the Internet and sometimes I would just give up and take a break until we had a decent Internet
connection. I do a lot of graphic design so there’s a lot of large file transfer involved and that would take so long. “I’m a small-time self-employed business owner and [connection to the NBN] will boost my productivity. I can imagine it would make an even greater impact of bigger businesses in Sunbury.” However Mr Mitchell was concerned the towns infrastructure was not compatible with the new technology. He said he had received countless complaints from residents in other towns where the NBN has been switched on, about poor internet speeds and drop-outs.
“I have concerns for the connection of areas of Sunbury to the Liberal government’s fibre-to-node NBN. Fibre to the node means the Liberal government is only building three-quarters of the NBN, and the quality of connection to your home will rely on the old copper wire telephone line they are using.” Telstra area general manager Steve Tinker said the launch of the NBN at Sunbury would give locals the opportunity to use a variety of new and emerging technologies. About 2700 additional premises are also set to switch on this month in Romsey. Towns such as Riddells Creek, Gisborne and Lancefield, are waiting to be connected.