Wishing ever yone a Year happy New www.thestar.com.au WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015 - $1.40
Beach rescues By Brad Lester
LIFE savers are urging swimmers to stay out of rips after a spate of rescues from the surf at Venus Bay since Christmas Day. Eight people were rescued from rips by members of the Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club on Friday, Sunday and Monday. Surf club president Craig Watson is calling for swimmers to take precautions to avoid a catastrophe. “The current surf conditions at Venus Bay Beach are some of the most dangerous in recent memory,” he said. Despite the prevalence of rips at Venus Bay, Mr Watson said the club was unable to shut down areas of the beach where rips were present because Venus Bay was a public beach. Continued on page 3.
Summer sizzler Feeling festive: Koonwarra’s Hugh Debenham (centre) gave his friends Loiz Bergfield (left) and Simon Kirsch from Germany a taste of a true Aussie Christmas with a paddle at Inverloch during the hot weather on Christmas Eve. See The Star’s beach pictorial on page 25.
FATALITY SHATTERS HOLIDAYS
On watch: from left, Bass Coast Highway Patrol’s Senior Constable Paul Malouf and Leading Senior Constable Greg Worcester will be out ensuring everyone stays safe on South Gippsland roads this holiday season.
Police call for caution this long weekend By Tayla Kershaw A FATAL crash in Koonwarra on Christmas Eve (Thursday) has police appealing for drivers to stay safe on South
Gippsland roads this New Year and summer holiday periods. Police said a 20 year old Korumburra woman was killed on the South Gippsland Highway in a single ve-
hicle collision after the driver – a 24 year old man from Foster – lost control of the car at 5.15am. Police believe the woman was thrown from the car and she died at the scene. Continued on page 4.
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PAGE 2 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 3
Fire sparks rumours By Tayla Kershaw POLICE quashed rumours about an arrest being made following a house fire in Cape Paterson on Monday.
The Wheeler Road house was still standing when the fire was extinguished, but was completely gutted by the flames. CFA units were called from Wonthaggi and Inverloch at 5pm, but the house could not be saved. However, firefighters were able to protect neighbouring properties from any damage and no one was injured. “On arrival, our immediate action was to protect the neighbours,” Wonthaggi CFA captain Kim O’Connor said. “We also had to be careful of the asbestos issue. The house was fully clad with asbestos, including the roof, so we had to take particular caution.”
The fire was extinguished within 45 minutes and an investigation was underway. Though it was treated as suspicious, Mr O’Connor does not believe there was any link to the string of arsons in Wonthaggi. Bass Coast detectives enlisted the assistance of specialist arson investigators to determine the cause of the fire, but nothing has been determined and no arrests have been made. “There has been much public conjecture that a person was arrested regarding this fire. This is incorrect. Detectives have spoken to many witnesses and will continue to canvas others in order to complete their investigation,” Wonthaggi’s Senior Sergeant Steve Gibson said. “There is considerable rumouring in the community that many of the public are aware of who has been starting the large number of deliberately lit
fires in the South Wonthaggi region. “If any person has information to this effect, I would implore them to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Wonthaggi Police Station for the Bass Coast Crime Investigation Unit. “The lighting of a fire takes only seconds and destroys much of the evidence. It is only with concerted public assistance that these crimes can be solved.” Senior Sergeant Gibson said at this time of year – with dry fuel loads and weather conditions – everyone was at risk of fire and should be cautious. “I am appealing to the general community to assess the risks of any activity which has the capacity to generate fire, particularly on extreme fire danger days,” he said. “As recently as Christmas Day, a small fire started in Wimbledon Heights
to use grinding, welding or cutting equipment on extreme day or in areas a spark might cause a fire. He also warned against
driving vehicles on to dry vegetation, as a hot motor can ignite a fire in hot conditions.
LEONGATHA CHEMIST ON DUTY Friday Jan 1, 10am to 1pm Saturday, Jan 2, 8.30am to 12.30pm Sunday, Jan 3, 10am to 1pm
Nagel’s Pharmacy Up in flames: a house on Cape Paterson’s Wheeler Road was gutted by fire on Monday afternoon. Photo: Facebook. through the use of a kettle barbecue. Luckily no serious damage was caused. Yesterday, a carelessly discarded cigarette butt from a vehicle ignited a roadside fire at Ryanston. Again, no property damage was caused.
“It is only through public assistance, both in coming forward with information and being careful and vigilant, that we can get through this fire season without catastrophe.” Senior Sergeant Gibson urged the public not
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Cherished pool back in action FRIENDS of the Mirboo North Outdoor Pool were disappointed the pool was forced to close in the lead up to the peak holiday period last week. A pipe was damaged over the weekend of December 19 and 20, and needed urgent repair. “The timing was disastrous. A lot of people are now off school and work, and the forecast is looking pretty good,” Friends of the Mirboo North Outdoor Pool president Liz Radcliffe said. “It was a challenge for us.” However, some fast work from South Gippsland Shire Council contractors allowed the pool to reopen at 12pm yesterday (Tuesday). “It’s fantastic news and the pool will continue to operate throughout the season as
per normal. The community was delighted,” Friends of the Mirboo North Outdoor Pool vice president Fred Couper said. “This has been disappointing but council has had a proactive response and we are pleased with the rate they worked. It’s excellent to have the pool reopened just before the hot weather over New Years.” Damage was caused to the pool floor following an influx of patrons and extreme heat on December 19 and 20. A Santa pool party was held on December 20, with around 500 children visiting. “The high usage put the pool under pressure. Staff noticed the damage when they saw sand on the bottom. We had to close immediately,” Ms Radcliffe said. A pipe that returned filtered water had broken under the pool, causing sections of the expansion joint to separate from the pool floor. Mr Couper said the damage was a wakeup call for the community to realise the pool is
getting old and in need of redevelopment. “We could lose the pool. This served as a reminder to the community of what we have and what we have to do now to keep it,” he said. The pool was drained to allow repairs to start immediately. The damaged section of pipe was repaired and the pool was pressure tested on Wednesday afternoon. From this, it appeared there was no further damage of the pipe, as it was holding water. The exposed section of repaired pipe was concreted and is curing. Council’s contractors started work to fix the broken grates in the dive ditch area, seal a new concrete slab to the existing structure and feather the sharp edges, and clean the pool while the concrete cured on Thursday night. All scheduled events will go on as planned, including the Hawaiian Luau on January 10 and Mirboo North Idol on February 20.
Rip warning as swimmers rescued Those rescued were boys aged nine and 15, and a man in his mid fifties. Those incidents followed the rescue of four swimmers by club member David Cumming on December 4. Mr Watson said the risk posed by rips could continue over the holiday period. “We are hoping for calmer conditions over the next week, but we have a big swell and strong rips currently,” he said.
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Keeping watch: members of the Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club are calling for public donations to help them rescue swimmers from the surf. Christmas Day. While the beach was unpatrolled, four surf club members were on the beach and responded to the four swimmers in distress. One was returned to the beach. On Sunday, a 21 year old man was sucked out by a rip to the left of the red and yellow life saving flags that life savers advise
beach-goers to swim between. He was rescued by life savers in an inflatable surf boat and given oxygen on the beach as he recovered. Another three swimmers were rescued from a rip on Monday; two via life savers with rescue boards and one by life savers in the inflatable boat.
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he said. “All users of the beach are encouraged to swim only between the flags. If we can’t see you, we can’t save you. “If anyone is in any doubt at all, please seek out a lifesaver or guard and ask questions.” A group of swimmers were caught in a rip on
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Continued from page 1. “We have no authority to tell people where and when they can swim. We can only advise,” Mr Watson said. “There are many rips and they are constantly moving due to the sand base of the beach. “We have to move the flags multiple times a day to ensure they are in the most appropriate position.” Mr Watson was just pleased no lives were lost over the Christmas weekend. “A combination of high temperatures, high beach usage and strong rips has really pushed our resources,” he said. Mr Watson said beach users gravitate to the areas of the beach that seem the most calm. “Unfortunately, this is where the majority of the danger lies. Basically calm water equals deeper water and that’s a rip. You will find strong currents and undertow in these areas,”
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PAGE 4 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Jo Fennell farewells pharmacy
THE New Year will ring in the changes for Jo Fennell of Nagel’s Pharmacy. After working at the Leongatha pharmacy for
a total of 30 years, Jo is about to call it a day. Her last day at the pharmacy will be New Year’s Eve, this Thursday, December 31.
For the last 17 years, Mrs Fennell has been the face behind the Estee Lauder counter but her job description has extended far beyond that. She started back in 1967 where she did a 10 year stint under then own-
er, the late Lindsay Smith. “I started with Lindsay Smith when I finished school. Back then I used to run the mail to the post office, wash the windows and lino floors as well as be a sales assistant,” Mrs Fennell recalled.
The job has been varied and at different times Mrs Fennell could be selling a knee brace, nose drops, a tube of toothpaste or helping at the dispensary. In the early 1970s, Mrs Fennell was appointed store manager before tak-
ing a break to have children from 1977. In 1995 she returned and worked for a few years under owners Brian Smith and Brett Nagel until Mr Nagel purchased the remainder of the business. In 1998 Mrs Fennell
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Recognising service: Jo Fennell is wished all the best in retirement by Nagel’s Pharmacy owner, Brett Nagel.
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Horror scene: a 20 year Korumburra woman was killed on Christmas Eve following a single car collision in Koonwarra.
Continued from page 1. The driver was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital and has since been released. Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. The driver has not yet been interviewed, and is expected to assist police with their enquiries in the first week of January. This was the fourth fatal crash in South Gippsland for 2015 and police will be out in full force to ensure it ends there. Victoria Police entered in a new campaign with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) called
the Towards Zero mission ahead of festive season, which aims to ensure all motorists get home safely after every trip. “A central message of Towards Zero is that we’re all in this together and we all have a part to play in preventing death and serious injuries on the roads,” TAC senior road safety manager Samantha Cocksfield said. With end of year celebrations still in full swing, the Bass Coast Highway Patrol will continue to monitor all roads in South Gippsland to minimise local road trauma. “There will be a lot of
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became the counter manager for Estee Lauder. One of her favourite jobs was to apply make-up. In fact, one of the last jobs she will undertake on Thursday will be to do the make-up for three people for a New Year’s Eve wedding. In her time at the pharmacy she has met “so many beautiful people”. “It is a lovely place to work in and Brett is a great boss,” Mrs Fennell said. There will be plenty of pursuits for Mrs Fennell as she heads into retirement. For a start there are the seven grandchildren, helping out her daughter (Krisha) and son-in-law (Michael) at the Rusty Windmill Cafe, the odd game of golf at Woorayl, plus her work as a civil celebrant. Husband Greg is timing his retirement after 42 years as a bricklayer to coincide with his wife’s, which will mean more time to spend together. “I have been lucky in that I’ve enjoyed going to work each and every day and that’s the reason I have been there all this time,” Mrs Fennell said.
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people out on the road over the next few weeks so if you’re tired, make sure you pull over and have a rest,” highway patrol Senior Constable Paul Malouf said. Around 20 extra officers from the State Highway Patrol will be coming to South Gippsland to help address dangerous driving. Operation Road Safety started before Christmas and will continue to operate right through to New Year. Officers will be targeting speed, mobile phone use, seatbelts and drug and alcohol use. All officers in the highway patrol are now qualified to undertake drug tests to improve road safety. “This is something we didn’t have last year. It was brought in around midyear and we’ve had a high strike rate since then,” S/C Malouf said. Acting Sergeant Will Watson said, “We will be stepping it up over the holiday period so if you’re driving on drugs, you can expect a much higher chance of getting caught. “We will also be paying close attention to speed and there will be police out and about constantly. Make sure you wipe your speed.” Penalties for speeding may include heavy fines, car impoundment and loss of licence.
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“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 5
Rates sting hurts Councils feel bite of 2.5 per cent cap By Brad Lester BASS Coast Shire Council will consider reducing services or maintenance of assets to cope with the financial pressures of rate capping. The State Government last week revealed rates would be limited at 2.5 per cent – more than half of council’s forecast rate increase for 2016-17 of 4.7 per cent. Council will consult the community from late January about how it would like council to adapt to the income drop. South Gippsland Shire Council is also concerned about the 2.5 per cent limit, but CEO Tim Tamlin expects council will be able to cope for up to three years, given council has budgeted for a rate increase of three per cent next financial year. Bass Coast CEO Paul Buckley said, “If we work on 2.5 per cent, there will be a significant impact on services and expenditure. “Under 4.7 per cent, we will have the capacity to invest in future capital
works.” Bass Coast has flagged the prospect of asking the Essential Services Commission for an exemption from 2.5 per cent but even if council does, the commission is unlikely to respond until April or May. Council will therefore prepare two budgets: one based on a rate rise of 2.5 per cent and the other on 4.7 per cent. “Do you cut services and/or reduce the level of services to enable investment in capital and do you restrict your capital, but most likely it will be a combination of these things,” Mr Buckley said. “The real concern is over our ability to maintain assets at existing levels.” Mr Tamlin expects council to lose $90 million in rates income over the next 15 years as a result of rate capping. “We will be right in the next three to five years because we have done work to keep our costs down and work efficiently,” he said. “After that time it is going to start to bite. After that we will have to look at efficiencies. Our financial capacity will be soaked up
over that period. “We may need to borrow money or trim our infrastructure or reduce our services.” Mr Tamlin disputed claims by Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins that council rate rises has been uncontrollable. “I did not know of any council that puts forward a budget to its community that has been uncontrolled,” he said. Mr Tamlin said rates had risen largely due to cost shifting by State and Federal governments, citing library funding as an example. The State Government previously funded 80 per cent and councils 20 per cent of library costs but those proportions had been reversed. “Our costs have not gone up because we are putting on more staff. Our costs are going up because we’re putting on more services,” Mr Tamlin said. He said councils in New South Wales had operated under rate capping and assets had been run down. He expects that if rate caps were lifted, councils would increase rates by
high levels – possibly double digits – to recover lost funding in a bid to improve assets and pay down debt they could accumulate due to rate capping. “Surely local councils should be able to set their
rates for the people that voted them into power and not have some third party make a decision on top of this,” Mr Tamlin said. Ms Hutchins said the government’s Fair Go Rates system would protect ratepayers from
uncontrolled rate rises. She set the cap based on Melbourne’s Consumer Price Index for the next financial year, as forecast by the Victorian Treasury. “The Fair Go Rates cap doesn’t stop councils taking on new projects. Instead
it ensures councils are listening to local residents and responding to their needs,” she said. “The Fair Go Rates cap will increase the transparency and accountability of councils across the state.”
Fun loving sisters: from left, Anabelle Friswell, 5, and Ruby Friswell, 3, of Inverloch enjoy the tranquil waters of Anderson Inlet at the Anderson Inlet Angling Club beach, a popular destination for families. More fun holiday pictures on page 25.
PAGE 6 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Sisters top the class By Tayla Kershaw ALLAMBEE South sisters Jess and Riona Beyer were thrilled when they were both announced dux of their year at Mirboo North Secondary College. Jess, 18, finished Year 12 with an amazing Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 91.2, while Riona, 17, finished Year 11 with the highest grade average in her year level. The girls learned of their success at the school’s presentation ceremony held on December 16. “Jess already knew about her score because VCE results came out on December 14 but I didn’t know I’d gotten dux until the ceremony,” Riona said. “We were pretty happy and excited about both getting dux. Our parents were pretty ecstatic and very proud.” Though the school year was tough, the girls were able to lean on each other for support.
Riona studied several subjects similar to Jess including math methods, biology, chemistry and English. They even shared a Year 12 class together this year – history revolutions. “We’d study together and bounce ideas off one another. Riona chose many of the subjects I studied in Year 11 so I was able to help her work to the standard that was expected,” Jess said. “It was good to run through practice exams together and get a good discussion going.” The girls were careful to ensure they studied for several hours a week. However, when they weren’t studying, they had plenty of outlets to keep them balanced. “We love scrapbooking and making collages together. Other than that we like to read, help out on the farm, and I play guitar which is pretty relaxing,” Jess said. The girls maintained their chores on the family’s beef farm during the school year, which included feeding out hay, tractor work
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and rounding up cattle. After completing Year 12, Jess had a few handy tips she would now pass on to Riona and other students entering their last school year. “I made a rule for myself that I’d work hard so I’d always have Friday night off unless it was an emergency,” she said. “Don’t sleep in too
much because it is much easier to get things done in the morning than trying to pick up a pen in the afternoon, and don’t leave things to the last minute. Try to get it done as soon as it is set so you don’t give yourself extra stress.” Both girls also agreed diaries were an important part of keeping school tasks in order.
“I stopped using my diary halfway through the year and I found I started to forget things. I will definitely be keeping a diary next year,” Riona said. A study timetable also helped the girls distinguish when it was time to do homework and when it was time to revise. “The study timetable helped me because I felt
prepared and I didn’t find my Year 12 exam so bad,” Riona said. “Our school tries to operate all exams along the same guidelines so I feel confident for next year.” Riona and Jess were delighted for each other. “I’m really happy and proud of Jess. We know how much we’ve worked this year and we feel we
deserved the scores we achieved,” Riona said. Jess plans to go straight to university in 2016 and study a Bachelor of Science and Biomedicine at Monash Clayton. University offers will be revealed on January 18. “Never lose faith in your abilities and try to find a good school and life balance,” Jess said.
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Sisters achieve: from left, Jess and Riona Beyer found time for study and scrapbooking during their busy year of studies, which allowed them to each achieve dux of their year level at Mirboo North Secondary College. CATA LOGU
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Officers will be conducting patrols in uniform and undercover to ensure the many pipi collectors who harvest the popular shellfish from Venus Bay’s surf beaches obey catch limits and carry recreational fishing licences. Senior fisheries officer Chris Angwin said most
pipi collectors obeyed rules and concern in the community about the pipi season typically emanated from many people on the beach. “We have the odd offence that is at the higher level. There is a lot of outcry from the general public about the number of people on the beach and
access to the beach,” he said. Venus Bay will be covered from the fisheries officer from Yarram, with extra staff from Cowes, Traralgon and other areas. Fisheries officers will be undertaking patrols this New Year’s long weekend and throughout January. A person is permitted
to collect two litres of pipis per day and must carry a recreational fishing licence. Failure to carry a licence can result in a fine of $150 and exceeding catch limits results in a $450 fine. Fisheries officers will also monitor collection of abalone.
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 7
Beach rubbish tip Inverloch eyesore a tourism disgrace
By Brad Lester BASS Coast Shire Council will finally clean up an eyesore along Inverloch’s foreshore after lobbying by agitated residents.
Concrete rubble, include slabs with steel reinforcing protruding and broken pipes, are now sitting on the beach below the boat ramp overflow carpark. The ugly sight has infuriated residents who believe the mess is a blight on the town’s reputation as a holiday destination and spoiling Inverloch’s inlet beach. Rubble has even been washed further down the beach and visitors have even cut their feet on the sharp rock. Council will finally act to clean up the mess, despite some residents
calling for action for a long time. Resident Henry Sedelies was furious. “I’m aware this is called the new Inverloch tip which is exactly what it is,” he said. “They used to dump bricks and rubbish there four years ago. It should be cleaned up.” Another resident, Kathleen Roberts, was also incensed. “If I did this (dumped rubbish) I would be fined severely,” she said. “It’s worse than ugly now because it will break down and ruin the beach.” Her husband David Roberts said, “They have to put bluestone in there like they used to.” Council’s manager of sustainable environment Deirdre Griepsma said, “Council acknowledges the area looks unsightly and requires attention. “Council has been seeking funds for some
Disgusting sight: Bass Coast Shire Council will remove concrete rubble from Inverloch’s foreshore early next year, following complaints from frustrated residents such as, from left, Margaret Pope, David Roberts, Kathleen Roberts, Anna Sedelies and Henry Sedelies. Mr Roberts holds fragments of rubble that have washed down the beach while the rubble dump is in the background. time to improve revetment walls in the area, and has had ongoing discussions
with Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)
By Tayla Kershaw POLICE have warned New Year’s Eve revellers against lighting illegal fireworks tomorrow evening (Thursday).
Every year police are baffled by people igniting illegal fireworks in their backyards. “It is illegal to purchase, possess or detonate fireworks,” Senior Sergeant Steve Gibson said. “While it’s fun to have them at parties, fireworks startle pets, can annoy the elderly and have the potential to be dangerous.” Senior Sergeant Gibson said he was not aware of any injuries in recent years but had seen some cases of severe burns due to the illegal
lice can take action against people who illegally let off fireworks. “This means that a person must not, without a permit, light or cause or allow to be lit any fireworks on any land in the municipal district.” The penalty for letting off fireworks may reach $2000. South Gippsland Shire Council can impose a maximum penalty of $750 upon conviction in court, but there has rarely been cause for enforcement. Both councils and police encourage people to attend scheduled displays to enjoy fireworks. While South Gippsland Shire Council does not have any displays this year, fireworks displays can viewed at 9.30pm at Inverloch, Cowes and Coronet Bay.
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bid to control erosion. The rubble had been exposed by recent erosion after being buried under the sand. Mr Sedelies said the community had waited too long for action. “We pay $4500 in rates and you look and this is what you see. I’m embarrassed when visitors come here and they see this,” he said. Fellow resident Margaret Pope said the rubble had hindered beach access, preventing people from walking along the beach. “You have to wear shoes in the water because of the rubble,” she said.
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regarding funding to undertake works. “Council has allocated
Fireworks warning use of fireworks. Most commonly, police and councils are busy looking for pets that run away after being spooked by fireworks. “Fireworks can be spectacular entertainment. However, the noise of fireworks is particularly terrifying to dogs and livestock, which can be driven to escape onto public roads. Firework remnants may also land long distances from their origin and can easily start fires, especially in summer,” Bass Coast Shire Council’s manager community health and wellbeing Claire Smith said. “To protect the safety of the public and community amenity, council’s local law No. 1 controls the use of fireworks within the municipal district. State Government legislation also controls the use of fireworks and po-
funds to construct a rock revetment wall at the site which has been subject to wave erosion. Council is currently designing this wall and will then seek necessary approvals, including consent from the DELWP.” Council expects construction works will start in early 2016 after the holiday period. “This will include removal of unsightly rubble, placement of rock to prevent further erosion and replacement of the storm water pipe,” Ms Griepsma said. Council said the old concrete fragments were placed in the area by a former land manager in a
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St Joseph’s students wow audience STUDENTS from Korumburra’s St Joseph’s Primary School lit up the stage with their school production recently. Performing at Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College, they gave a whole school production of The Samaritan Within
with a modern twist. “We stayed true to the original parable but each class performed their own dance,” director Laura Muranty said. “The parable cast was of 18 students from grades 3 to 6, with the school choir also performing.” The message of the production was to show
faith and love in God, and for people to be heroes in their own right. Committing to a semester of practicing and work, the students enjoyed having the opportunity to perform in front of parents and friends on the stage to see the school year out.
Colourful wings: from left, Milla, Claudia, Lucy, Brooke, Heidi and Carter dressed up as butterflies for the St Joseph’s Primary School production.
Council rift boils over CSG By Brad Lester COUNCILLORS Don Hill and Andrew McEwen rejected claims they were serving their own interests by conducting a survey of the community’s views towards coal seam gas (CSG), just months after South Gippsland Shire Council reiterated its stance on the issue.
Cr Hill submitted a notice of motion at the December council meeting calling for council to include the survey results in a report council should send to the Victorian Government’s parliament inquiry into unconventional gas. That was despite submissions having since closed and the inquiry releasing its final report the week before the council meeting. Cr Hill’s notice of motion also called for council to “reflect on how council might achieve a more favourable
response from the community on the next occasion that the community requests council hears and represents the community’s views”. Cr Hill said the response sent a clear message the community wanted CSG banned, not just a moratorium, as council again voted for at the August council meeting. “I think this council needs to be more insisting that we need a ban for this region,” he said. Cr McEwen added, “We need to stand up for the community to seek an exemption in our community, like Margaret River and others have done.” Cr Jim Fawcett told council the notice of motion tabled by Cr Hill was “almost an abuse” of council process and “self serving”. “We voted on how council would respond (to the inquiry) in August. I do not deny there are a number of people in our shire who are deeply concerned about coal seam gas,” Cr Fawcett said. “We have asked for a moratorium on mining until it is proven to be safe.” Cr Mohya Davies said the notice of motion was
Super students: from left, Jack, Cam and Max proved they would make excellent heroes during St Joseph’s Primary School’s whole school production.
POLICE BRIEFS Drunk behind the wheel
• Cr Don Hill
• Cr Andrew McEwen
simply trying to change a council decision made in August. She said the survey had leading questions and was unbalanced. “I believe this survey is politically motivated to raise the profiles of councillors,” she said. Council elections are in October 2016. Cr Hill rejected the accusations he was abusing the process. He said he tried to raise the survey via a council report but was told to raise it as a notice of motion. “The people are speaking when they’ve answered these questions. We can continue to ignore them or take on board their responses,” he said. Cr Fawcett said the sur-
vey sample of 186 people was small. But Cr Kieran Kennedy supported councillors Hill and McEwen, and said the 186 respondents had “lost faith” in council as it had supported a moratorium when other councils had called for a permanent ban. “People feel that inside the council chamber not many people are listening,” Cr Kennedy said. “It is our role to advocate. “There is no one that cannot deny that CSG is incredibly dangerous to our aquifers.” Cr Nigel HutchinsonBrooks said Cr Hill’s motion implied that if councillors did not support it, they supported CSG. He said he opposed CSG and said council had taken a strong enough stance. “I contacted three members of the parliamentary inquiry and they all agreed a ban was meaningless because the next government could lift the ban,” Cr Hutchinson-Brooks said. “Council is doing something about it in a measured way that will carry weight with the government. An emotional petition will not.” Cr Hill’s motion was lost, five votes four. Crs Kennedy, Harding, McEwen and Hill supported it. Crs Fawcett, Brunt, mayor Bob Newton, Davies and HutchinsonBrooks opposed it.
Gas low-down
Results of coal seam gas survey by South Gippsland Shire councillors Don Hill and Andrew McEwen.
Q: Should council request an exemption and permanent ban from the Victorian Government for CSG activities within South Gippsland Shire? A: Yes: 97.3 %. No: 1.1 %. Undecided: 1.6% Q: Should council have voted to use council's online Oursay platform to gather community ratepayer responses to the CSG issues rather than vote the proposal down in the August council meeting? A: Yes: 96.7%. No: 1.08 %. Undecided: 2.2% Q: Council has to date not made any submission to the Victorian Government inquiry on CSG despite being requested to do so at the parliamentary inquiry in Sale in June. Do you think council should have made a submission by now? A: Yes: 98.3%. No: 1.7%. Q: How do you rate the council with regard to representing your views on the issue? A: Very poor: 70.3%. Poor: 23.6%. Neutral: 4.9%. Good: 0.5%. Very Good: O.5%.
LEONGATHA Police were appalled by road behaviour on Sunday morning. At 1.40am, a 49 year old Jumbunna man was found to be extremely drunk after he ran his Ford Transit van off the road in Jumbunna and collided with a drain embankment. Emergency services were called by a passerby when the man was found unresponsive in the van. Leongatha Police, ambulance and around 20 volunteer CFA personnel from Loch Road Rescue and Kongwak brigades attended, and found the man intoxicated but uninjured. He was breathtested and blew over three times the legal limit. His licence was immediately suspended and he will be summonsed to appear at Korumburra Magistrates Court early next year for drink driving and careless driving.
Crighton’s Hill collision TWO men escaped injury after a collision on Crighton’s Hill at Leongatha on Boxing Day. The collision occurred on the Strzelecki Highway bends at midday. Police said a 23 year old Leongatha man lost control of his Commodore sedan on a right hand bend and spun into the oncoming lane and crashed into a Ford ute, driven by a 75 year old Leongatha man. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Investigations into the cause of the driver’s loss of control are continuing.
Lucky driver A KORUMBURRA woman was lucky to walk away without serious injury after she lost control of her Holden Commodore sedan on Wednesday night. The 32 year old was travelling on the South Gippsland Highway in Korumburra (near Hardwicks Road) when she ran off the road on a left hand bend, colliding into
an embankment. The driver was conveyed to the Korumburra Hospital for minor head injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of the collision.
Water balloon smashes windscreen A MAN was left shaken after a water balloon was thrown through his car’s windscreen on Christmas Eve. He was travelling along the InverlochVenus Bay Road at Inverloch at 4.30pm when his windscreen was smashed by the water balloon. Police believe the balloon was thrown by the occupant of a car travelling in the opposite direction. The victim was showered in glass but was uninjured. Police said this type of imbecilic behaviour has also occurred on Phillip Island in recent days. If anyone has any information, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestoppersvic.com. au.
Fire contained, investigation ongoing POLICE and CFA attended a grass fire in Wonthaggi in the early hours of Boxing Day. The fire was small and contained to about 20 square metres in Reed Crescent. No structural damage was caused and there were no injuries. Residents had largely extinguished the blaze before the CFA arrived. Bass Coast detectives are investigating the fire, along with ongoing and broader investigations into other fires in the area earlier in the year. While the fire is deemed suspicious, at this point police do not believe there is direct evidence to link it to the other fires.
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 9
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PAGE 10 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Column 7 LISA Matser, Jo Halliday and Amanda Dargie are planning on walking 60km in April in the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers. Proceeds from the event go towards Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. To be able to walk, the women must raise $2000 each and so far they have held a market night that raised $1600 and a barbecue outside Korumburra IGA supermarket on December 19. Another market will be held in March. To donate, head online to http://endcancer.org.au/ and search ‘Gippy Girls’. THE Rotary Club of Korumburra has just opened a new exhibition of award winning paintings from its collection. The 36 paintings are hanging in the Federation Art Gallery in Korumburra, and many have not been on display for many years. Entry is free, through the Korumburra Library on Mondays through Thursdays, from 10am to 4pm. The exhibition will run up until the Rotary Club’s Annual Art Show
Local Snippets
which starts on February 12. GRADE 6 students at Bass Valley Primary School at Corinella graduated at the Bass Recreation Reserve recently. Students enjoyed a meal and celebrated their last time together as classmates. THE popular Serenade at Sunset concert at Grantville will not be held in 2016. The committee is seeking better staging at the recreation reserve but needs to raise more funds. With regret, the committee has decided not to stage the event next year. The next concert is set for 2017.
Many years: Lyn Stein (left) and Julie Osmond retired after 62 years of service between them, educating Korumburra district children. Left, Farewell Ebony: Bronwyn Beach (left), president of the board of Karmai Community Children’s Centre, thanks Ebony Knox for her service to the centre.
Karmai community celebrates THE Korumburra community came together for a special Christmas celebration at Coleman Park, Korumburra recently. More than 130 children, their families and educators converged on the park to celebrate a wonderful year. The occasion was also attended by a special visitor in red, arriving on the fire truck and handing out goodies and Christmas wishes to the children. After Santa’s departure Bron-
LOST DLH ginger and white male found in foster No Microchip #293
Email: col7@thestar.com.au Post: PO Box 84 Leongatha 3953 Fax: 03 5662 4350
wyn Beach, president of the board of Karmai Community Children’s Centre, gave a wonderful acknowledgement to more than 70 years of service by three inspiring educators. Bronwyn first spoke of both Lyn Stein and Julie Osmond, who gave 41 years service and 21 years respectively, educating the children of Korumburra. What an amazing impact they have had on the children and families of the town. Lyn has even taught three generations of some families - an ex-
ceptional feat for anyone. Lyn and Julie’s partnership has been one of synergy and Julie shared how, over the years, they have become so in tune they often finish each other’s sentences. They are retiring to spend time with their families and explore the next adventures in their lives. Bronwyn also thanked Ebony Knox, who has been working at Karmai for 10 years. Ebony has also been an integral part of the Karmai family and is taking on a new adventure in the city for 2016.
Looking the part: is he really Santa? Simon Ford and his granddaughter Jessie from Sandsford Antiques in Inverloch were recently seen getting into the Christmas spirit.
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Christmas bonus: winner of Gippsland Southern Health Service’s raffle, Sue Wright, receives her hamper from CEO Mark Johnson.
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Show respect: a frustrated Leongatha resident was disappointed with this mess created in Leongatha’s Horticultural Park recently. A person with little to do pulled dog poo bags from a dispenser, creating an ugly sight in a popular part of town.
GIPPSLAND Southern Health Service (GSHS) encouraged everyone to provide feedback on its annual Quality of Care report this year. As an incentive, everyone who provided feedback went into a draw to win a Christmas hamper. All responses received are collated and help GSHS develop future reports that will incorporate suggestions for improvement.
Last year the health service only received three completed feedback forms and this year received 68. The Quality of Care report is designed to increase community awareness about GSHS, and the approach it takes toward providing high quality care for patients, clients, carers, residents and their families. The report demonstrates GSHS’s commitment to the delivery of safe care and includes commentary on the key quality improvement proj-
ects it has undertaken, along with stories from patients, consumers and staff to highlight some of the quality improvement efforts made during the year. Whilst the competition has closed, GSHS is still welcoming feedback on the report which can be obtained at both the Korumburra and Leongatha hospitals. The report may also be viewed, and the feedback form completed, online at www.gshs.com.au.
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 11
Speak out on autism THE accessibility of services across health, education, disability, housing, sport and employment available to people living with autism will be examined by a parliamentary inquiry, The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region Melina Bath announced recently. Ms Bath said the inquiry would enable local families, teachers and community groups to have their say on important issues that affected the lives of those living with autism spectrum disorders. “The Parliament’s Family and Community Development Committee will consider the adequacy of existing services as well as those that will be provided through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS),” Ms Bath
said. “The committee also wants to find out the projected demand for services across a range of areas.” Ms Bath said once the committee has completed the inquiry, its report would provide the parliament with up to date information in a range of areas, including: • prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in Victoria; • the availability and adequacy of services provided by the commonwealth, state and local governments across health, education, disability, housing, sport and employment services; • the adequacy of services to be provided under the National Disability Insurance Scheme; • evidence of the social and economic cost of failing to provide adequate services; and
• the projected demand for services in Victoria. The Nationals’ Gippsland South MLA Danny O’Brien urged Gippslanders to take part and make submissions to the inquiry. “It’s important the committee hears a wide range of views through public hearings and submissions, to gain an in-depth understanding of the issues and how services could be improved,” he said. “The committee will hold public hearings in Melbourne and across regional Victoria, with a schedule to be finalised shortly.” Mr O’Brien said all submissions would be treated as public documents unless confidentiality was requested and granted, and could be made up until March 18, 2016, online via http:// www.parliament.vic.gov. au/fcdc/article/2846.
Significant issue: Eastern Victoria Region MLC Melina Bath (front, left) discusses educational needs of students with autism with members of the South Gippsland Autism Action Group. Back row, from left, Lindsay Wearne, Tona O’Connor, Michelle Hackett and Kris Vallay, with Jacinta Cooke, front right.
Roads funding stoush THE Nationals and Labor are at loggerheads over funding for Gippsland roads. The Nationals Eastern Victoria Region MLC Melina Bath said her Labor counterpart Harriet Shing opposed a recommendation in a parliamentary committee inquiry to reinstate the former Coalition Government’s successful $160 million Country Roads and Bridges program. In debating committee recommendations in the State Government’s rate capping inquiry, La-
bor members including Ms Shing voted against reinstating the program. “The state of our roads is going backwards under Labor given the government’s 10 per cent cut to the roads maintenance budget and its cutting of the Country Roads and Bridges Program,” Ms Bath said. The Nationals Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien said Labor had poor form on country roads. “Not only did they cut the budget this year, they promised to spend $1 billion on country roads
over eight years, but it is nowhere to be seen in the budget,” Mr O’Brien said. “It is vital that roads are maintained at a much better standard for our local residents, industry and business and the tourism industry but Labor has gone missing on this issue.” Ms Shing however said the government had actually committed to a much larger program of funding for the construction, maintenance, resurfacing and repair of regional roads than the funding previously available under the Country Roads and Bridg-
es Program. “This includes $135.6 million over the next 12 months to repair unsafe and deteriorating roads around Victoria, with $80 million to replace road surfaces across the state,” she said. “The Andrews Government has also allocated $42.8 million to upgrade and strengthen 52 bridges along key freight routes, which will improve efficiency and delivery of agricultural and other goods to market from regional locations.”
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PAGE 12 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
OPINIONS
Duck death mystery
LATE on Saturday afternoon, I drove into Inverloch but stopped in horror at the end of Pearsalls Road. Strewn over both sides of the road were slaughtered young wild ducks; 12 in all. Was it a ‘thrill kill’, a kill by someone who hates ducks, or had they been killed to eat? I doubt the latter, as there would not have been much meat on the birds. Perhaps the ducks were discarded because the killers were worried about being caught. Perhaps they just had no further use for them. The duck season, this year, was from March 21 until June 8, so this kill is way outside the season. I find it difficult to understand why anyone would want to kill ducks at any time, although I know many people enjoy doing this.
Letters to the Editor forms overcomes hate and evil. We may hear it said during this special season that, ‘love came down at Christmas’. That is what we are celebrating in the birth of Jesus. God’s love has come to us in all of its fullness. It is with sadness that we say goodbye to three much loved clergy of Leongatha in captains Martyn and Heather Scrimshaw of the Salvation Army and Father Peter Kooloos of the Catholic Church. It is very unusual for somebody to serve in the same location twice, but Martyn and Heather and Peter have done so, and therefore will be sorely missed as they have served the area with distinction and are much loved, and like Jesus, proclaimed and showed us something of God’s love in all of its fullness. We pray for them in their new endeavours and seek God’s blessing on those who replace them. Rev. Paul Bauer, chair, Leongatha Ministers Fellowship.
What is completely incomprehensible to me, and I assume, to many licensed duck hunters who stick to the rules, is this completely senseless carnage. Bron Dahlstrom, Inverloch.
A time for love ON behalf of the Leongatha Ministers Fellowship I would like to pass on our very best wishes to everybody for the Christmas season and for 2016. At this time of year our focus is on the babe born in Bethlehem, “Emmanuel”, meaning ‘God is with us’. That is something of the wonder and beauty of Christmas, that in Jesus, God was on earth in human form. In God coming to us in this way, we therefore have faith and trust in a God of extravagant love,
E D I T O R I A L Road safety must be everyone’s responsibility THE traffic accident at Koonwarra on Christmas Eve that claimed the life of a 20 year old Korumburra woman was horrific.
The risk of a crash occurring is higher during the holidays, with more people travelling on our roads and often traversing long distances. Sometimes drivers are under the influence of alcohol and fatigue as they go from one celebration to the next. The fact the Koonwarra fatality occurred early in the morning on the day before holidays officially began would have had emergency services concerned about what was yet to come. While police are investigating the cause of the Koonwarra crash, every year police reinforce safety precautions motorists should take. Such messages include not driving while tired or when one would usually sleep, obeying speed limits, taking care on unfamiliar roads, driving to the conditions, not being distracted by mobile phones, and not driving while affected by alcohol. Still, year after year these messages are ignored, sometimes by people making a careless, simple mistake, and at other times by people who continue to flout the law and safe driving practices, only to finally come unstuck. Often it’s innocent parties that suffer; sometimes a family travelling in the opposite direction with nowhere to go as a wayward driver comes their way. Road accidents will always be a fact of life and will most likely be more so given the growing population and more traffic this brings. But accidents can be avoided by applying common sense and treating the safety messages constantly issued with the respect they deserve. The Herald Sun newspaper yesterday (Tuesday) reported police could call for double demerit penalties for drivers who break the law in a bid to reduce the rising road toll. Police should be able to do whatever it takes to make our roads safer, as an accident takes just seconds to occur but the impact can last a lifetime: a lifetime of trauma for survivors, and a lifetime of emotional agony for the family and friends of people killed.
Letters guidelines ALL letters should be kept to 400 words or less. The Star reserves the right to edit all letters for length and style. Writer’s details, including full name, address and phone number (not for publication), must be included.
Shameful sight: some of the ducks killed and disposed of at the end of Pearsalls Road, Inverloch. of all people. Recently we were all shaken by the terrorist attacks in Paris. We know there are many atrocities happening all the time, but these attacks in particular shook us all, and possibly more so for Christians as we know that these acts of terror were conducted by people proclaiming a religious faith. There are two things that we would want to assert here; firstly, an opposition to any kind of religious extremism and fundamentalism, whatever one’s beliefs and faith tradition, and secondly, that at its core, Christianity is a religion of love. Ultimately love in all of its
Answers please SOUTH Gippsland Shire Council was forced to pay an extra $4.6 million to cover a shortfall in the Defined Benefits Fund, one of two superannuation funds in place by the council; the other being the much bigger and much more modern Defined Contribution Fund. This payment could have been avoided if council had simply transferred from this outdated and extremely risky fund to the much more preferable and risk free, to the ratepayer, Defined Contribution Fund. In my letter to the editor dated September 23, 2015, I outlined significant details and requested full disclosure by council, and also requested the urgent termination of this outdated and risky fund which has proved to be seriously
The new visitor experience is located at the Nobbies Centre and complements the range of visitor experiences at Phillip Island Nature Parks, including the nearby world famous Penguin Parade. The exhibition tells a powerful story of the magnificent landscapes and wildlife along the journey from Phillip Island to Antarctica via the Southern Ocean, providing guests with a rare opportunity to experience up close one of the
detrimental to the interests of every ratepayer. To date this council has remained silent, refuses to publicly acknowledge this whole sordid affair and refuses to consolidate all superannuation in the one Defined Contribution Fund. In the Annual Report 2014-15, The Notes to the Financial Statements, Note 10 (b) Superannuation is extremely minimalistic and explains virtually nothing. This I find totally useless and very disappointing, in particular after the constant assurances of transparency. This issue is far too important to continue to be ignored and I hereby again request full disclosure and in particular answers to the following questions: • Despite the fact this Defined Benefits Fund presents a great disadvantage to the ratepayer, has already cost the amount of $4.6 million in the 2013 financial year and is at grave risk of extremely high costs in the near future, why is this fund still in operation? • Are all nine councillors and the 24 senior management employees members of the Defined Benefits Fund? If not all, how many of them are. In addition, how many in each category of staff are members of the Defined Benefits Fund? • If the remuneration in the final year of employment is doubled, does that significantly enhance the superannuation benefits of the Defined Benefits Fund upon retirement over and beyond the impact of the 9.5 per cent superannuation levy? I think it is outrageous ratepayers have been penalised to pay $4.6 million into this Defined Benefits Fund and as a ratepayer I am entitled to a full explanation why and how my money is spent. Continuation of this very high risk Defined Benefits Superan-
nuation Fund is detrimental to the interest of every taxpayer, is unacceptable and must be rectified immediately. I and many interested ratepayers look forward to a comprehensive response and confirmation that this bad situation has been rectified. Waffle and spin are not welcome. Gus Blaauw, Venus Bay.
Park campaign continues SOUTH Gippsland Shire councillors are elected to represent the ratepayers to the best of their ability. I now advise the shire council has approved of 299 signed petitions from the residents of Foster and other people concerned with the proposed sale of PJ Wilson Park, including many ratepayers who are disgruntled and disappointed relating to this intention. I have requested advice from the chief executive officer as to the approximate number of ratepayers in Foster but have not received a reply as at December 21. I initially considered the issue was confined to Foster but subsequently it has received significant interest and publicity in other parts of the shire. Interest in the position has also resulted in Toora people requesting petitions for signature and they are now available. A letter drafted December 3 has been received by me from the Minister of Local Government requesting information relating to the situation. I have written to the CEO requesting a truce until the February meeting of the shire council but have not received a reply as at December 21. Jim Wilson, Foster.
VOXPOP! VOX
What is your New Year’s resolution?
“To kiss a girl within the year.” Oakley Kerr, Mirboo North.
“I just finished Year 12 so I want to get into the uni course I want and move to Melbourne.” Beau Linforth, Mirboo North.
Discover Antarctica at Phillip Island IN AN Australian-first, WWF-Australia and Phillip Island Nature Parks launched a fully-immersive ‘Antarctic Journey’ attraction at Phillip Island last Wednesday, December 23.
Email: letters@thestar.com.au Post: PO Box 84 Leongatha 3953 Fax: 03 5662 4350
world’s last untouched wildernesses. Large, breathtaking images and video footage of key iconic wildlife including whales, penguins, albatross and seals guide visitors through the interactive exhibit. A highlight of the experience is the worldclass ‘Augmented Reality’ area, where technology allows visitors to stand on the ice in a virtual reality Antarctic environment. They can then ‘interact’ with key wildlife species and be amazed by their size and beauty. The ‘Antarctic Journey’ is a permanent exhibition and is open seven days a week. More info at www.penguins.org.au Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Anthony Carbines said, “I hope the exhibit
will inspire guests to learn more about the aweinspiring wilderness of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. “Antarctica is under serious threat from climate change. Experiencing the Antarctic landscape through the new exhibit will undoubtedly highlight to visitors why we must take action to protect this unique natural landscape for future generations.” “I’m excited by the partnership between WWF and Phillip Island Nature Parks, and it is this type of collaborative approach to conservation that is making a positive difference to our natural environment.”
Grand unveiling: from left, Phillip Island Nature Parks chair Jeff Floyd, Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Anthony Carbines and Dermot O’Gorman, CEO of WWF-Australia, launch the Antarctic Journey at Phillip Island.
“To umpire a Mid Gippsland footy grand final.” Darcy Linforth, Mirboo North.
“To finish my uni course and go overseas twice.” Jacqui Snooks, Korumburra.
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 13
The Good Life
Your LOCAL guide to Art and Entertainment
Work of windmill art By Lucy Johnson GRANT Flather has taken something ordinary and turned it into a piece of extraordinary art. Mr Flather came across a tilted windmill on a South Gippsland property and chose to resurrect it into a piece of art. “To me, it looked like the windmill was looking at something on the ground near its base. It got me thinking what if these old machines were actually alive?” he said. Mr Flather went on to construct A Meeting of Minds, a sculpture that depicts the windmill leaning over a young child who is holding a miniature fairground windmill. The child is constructed with pieces of old ma-
chinery and represents a youth from the future with an appreciation for traditional farm mechanics like windmills. “People would be surprised to hear at one stage there were over 90 windmills in Yanakie alone. Farmers relied solely on the windmills to transfer water from underground or from dams across their farms,” he said. “A single windmill could draw water from 200 feet underground and push the water over a kilometre along pipes. It’s a shame the windmills are disappearing. I think they are quite beautiful,” Mr Flather said. “It is quite a subtle piece really. The idea came very early on. I sketched it very quickly.”
Creative thinker: Grant Flather and wife Helen at the opening of the exhibition where his work A Meeting of Minds is displayed (main photo).
Moo’s marriage photos: Marty Thomas stands outside Moo’s at Meeniyan where the I Do Support Marriage Equality in Gippsland installation is currently on display.
Meeniyan shows art with a message EARLIER this year, Meeniyan residents participated in the I Do Support Marriage Equality in Gippsland and now the project is on display for all to see. Pasted up outside Moo’s at Meeniyan, the installation features a massive collage of all images taken across Gippsland throughout the campaign. Moo’s at Meeniyan owner and member of the South Gippsland Gay and Lesbian Social Network, Marty Thomas said the installation was a fantastic example of Meeniyan’s community spirit and inclusiveness. “Everybody in the town came by to get their photo taken for the cause which was a true testament to the accepting community
Meeniyan is,” he said. “I think people can choose to believe in marriage and that is their personal choice. But I want to know that one day if I want to marry a person, I will be free to do that.” Sale photographer Pollyannar spent months travelling around Gippsland taking photos of people to advocate for marriage equality. With support from a Pozible campaign, Pollyannar managed to publish a book compiling all images taken throughout the campaign, now on sale inside Moo’s at Meeniyan and in libraries across Wellington Shire. Pollyannar will continue her big picture projects, with a new cause in 2016 titled Stop the Forced Closure of Aboriginal Communities in Australia.
Sounds of summer at the
INLETHOTEL NEW YEARS EVE 3 piece band
GARY YOUNG & (Scarecrow) vocalist ANNIE Pre-selling NYE tickets now
Live music every Saturday night in January Jan. 2 Jan. 9 Jan. 16 Jan. 23 Jan. 30
GARY YOUNG DAN LUNN BEN GEITZ GARY YOUNG Former local
SHANNON CLARK returns from Port Douglas
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PAGE 14 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
s w e n e h Making t ...in 2015 The Star celebrated 125 Years January SOUTH Gippsland was thrown into chaos last Thursday, as homes and businesses were left without essential services. Storms shutdown electricity connections across South Gippsland. COUNCILS are cracking down on illegal rubbish dumping in the wake of a spike in incidents over the Christmas-New Year period. FEES have skyrocketed at the Long Jetty and Yanakie caravan parks since South Gippsland Shire Council took over the management of the parks. Annual permit holders have told The Star the increase was around 30 per cent or close to $1000 annually.
In the spotlight: Bella Kent, who played baby June in Leongatha Lyric Theatre Company’s Gypsy.
February DANNY O’Brien could be closer to
becoming the new member for Gippsland South in the wake of the resignation of longstanding incumbent Peter Ryan. STONY Creek Racing Club has been dealt a double blow. Funding cuts threaten the future of the club’s training facility and the club has lost a race meeting.
March THE Korumburra community has been shaken by two violent attacks on three volunteers of the South Gippsland Tourist Railway on Saturday night, February 28. CROWDS of people flocked to Foster Showgrounds on Saturday for the annual Foster and District Agricultural Show. INVERLOCH was too strong for Nerrena and won the Leongatha and District Cricket Association A Grade, Division 1 grand final, 208 to 164, on Saturday, March 21.
April VICROADS and South Gippsland Shire Council recently revealed the final design for the Leongatha heavy vehicle alternate route that will deviate trucks away from Bair Street, and down Roughead and Long streets to Koonwarra Road. LEONGATHA Secondary College Year 11 student Ash McDonald of Meeniyan is one of 88 students from Victoria who will travel to Gallipoli to witness history on Anzac Day, April 25 and mark the centenary of the Anzac landing. SOUTH Gippsland Shire Council has been accused of setting outdoor pools up to fail. Cr Don Hill said communities must be allowed to manage their pools without the responsibility of owning them. KORUMBURRA dairy factory Burra Foods is under investigation by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria
Racing at Woolamai: back row from left, Michael Glasser and Daniel Briggs. Front row from left, Hannah Harper, Eleanour Geilings, Jacquie Stanley and Adam Copolov, all of Melbourne, Hitting the beach: from left, the Inverloch surf beach was a sea of colour in January, as life were one of many colourful groups contributing to the atmosphere at Woolamai Racing Club savers nippers Jade Hilford, Freya Kitney, instructors Sarah Seddon and Bec Nielsen, Gabriella on Saturday, November 28 for the first racing meeting for the season. Butera and Georgie Bryant enjoyed some beach play.
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 15
October
(EPA) following more community reports of odour in the town.
SOUTH Gippsland could boom on the back of a new agribusiness precinct proposed for Koonwarra that will service the region’s $400 million a year farming industry. The development of three stages over 10 years is valued at upwards of $12 million.
May
s
ONE of Gippsland’s favourite fossils celebrated its 115,000,025 year birthday at San Remo recently. The lower jaws of the amphibian Koolasuchus cleelandi were discovered 25 years ago on a beach east of San Remo. MURRAY Goulburn (MG) is a step closer to raising $500 million to fund capital investments, after shareholders voted in favour of the new capital structure on Friday.
November LEONGATHA Lyric Theatre’s 2015 musical Gypsy has won a swag of Music Theatre Guild of Victoria nominations from some 58 productions judged statewide. Gypsy was directed by multiaward winning director, set and costume designer Colin Mitchell. AN eight year old male Persian cat named ‘Shadow’ came to the rescue of a family of four and saved their lives, after fire almost engulfed their home in Leongatha’s Worthy Street early on Sunday morning.
June TWO South Gippslanders received Order of Australia Medals in the General Division in Monday’s Queen Birthday honours list: Kathy Whelan of Agnes and Greg Mead of Ventnor, in recognition of their decades of service to their communities. THE Foster community has renewed the call to the South Gippsland Shire Council to keep the town’s pool open. EIGHT people now have a better quality of life thanks to a decision Glenn Joy made before his unexpected death. The Fish Creek man, 40, died after crashing his bike on the Foster-Boolarra Road at Foster North. He was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital and later died. Mr Joy had registered to donate his organs should he die. His family has found solace in the fact eight others now have a better guarantee of living fulfilling lives.
July WHILE builders, landscapers, numerous other tradespeople and removalists were frantically putting the finishing touches to Newhaven College’s $3.8 million administration and library last week, planning has already started on the new $8 million senior campus, due to start in 2016. LEONGATHA is pushing for a statue to be erected to commemorate the amazing journey of Leongatha legend Lennie Gwyther, in Bair Street
December Aussie pride: Eliza Mettes and Scarlett Hilliard wore their patriotism, well everywhere, on at the Australia Day ceremony in Inverloch. who at only nine years of age rode his horse 1000 kilometres to Sydney to witness the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. LET Me Entertain You, one of the hit songs in Leongatha Lyric Theatre’s latest, sensational musical offerings Gypsy did just that and a whole lot more on opening night at Leongatha’s Mesley Hall on Friday, July 3. THE Kernot community has delivered an overwhelming rejection of a Chinese proposal to build a dairy factory in the district, with 2000 people objecting to the plan.
August THE Leongatha South community has vowed to battle a proposal for a $10 million landfill that will be a dumping ground for Melbourne’s
waste. FORMER Leongatha netballer and coach, Lisa Alexander coached Australia’s netball side to its 11th world title, with a
victory in the Netball World Cup, defeating New Zealand 58-55 in Sydney on Sunday, August 16. LEONGATHA’S Eleanor Patterson begins her assault on the women’s high jump World Championship in Beijing from 11.35am on Thursday, August 27.
September A FATHER has urged parents to watch their children around wild animals after his son was attacked by a kangaroo at Inverloch recently. THE State Government is investing $4.16 million to improve safety on a nine kilometre section of the Strzelecki Highway, between Mount Vernon Road and Leongatha, with works to start later this year.
Top coach: Leongatha seniors football coach Beau Vernon (centre) with players from left Rhett Kelly, Matt Borschman, Nick Nagel and Aaron Hillberg celebrating the win against Maffra that saw the Parrots in the 2015 Gippsland grand final.
Fourth flag: former Leongatha footballer and Hawthorn star Jarryd Roughead holds aloft the 2015 AFL premiership cup. He has played in four premiership winning Hawks teams.
A PETITION signed by close to 1400 people opposed to a landfill at Leongatha South that would be filled with rubbish from Melbourne was tabled in State Parliament last week. A STROKE of luck saved four swimmers from drowning at the Venus Bay first surf beach on Friday afternoon. THE return of dog restrictions on Inverloch’s beaches has residents out for blood. THE community of Korumburra has been left reeling after a fire destroyed two properties on Mine Road early Sunday morning.
PAGE 16 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
HOME MAKE OVER &
BEAT THE HEAT
Keep cool without expense CONCERN about an expensive electricity bill can deter people from switching on their air conditioner this summer. But according to Sustainability Victoria, stopping the sun from passing through your windows can keep the heat out and re-
duce the need for internal cooling. Windows let a lot of heat into a home, especially if they are large unshaded west, east or north-facing windows. It’s better to stop the sun’s heat from hitting the glass than deal with heat that has already entered the home. The best way to shade
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windows depends on which way they face, because as the sun moves through the sky, its height and angle changes. Fixed horizontal shading devices, such as eaves and pergolas, are ideal for shading north-facing windows as they can stop the high summer sun from hitting the glass. Some pergolas have louvres that can be adjusted to provide complete shading in summer. Adjustable external shading, such as blinds, awnings, roller-shutters and conventional shutters, are also suitable for shading north-facing windows in summer. The thicker and more opaque the material, the better the shading will be. During summer, eastfacing windows can be a major source of heat gain in the morning, while westfacing windows can be a major source of heat gain in the afternoon. Adjustable external shading devices, such as blinds, awnings, louvres or shutters, or angled metal slats, provide the flexibility to block the low-angled morning and afternoon sun. While eaves, pergolas and even verandas provide some benefit, they are not effective at shading east
and west windows as they do not block out the lowerangled early morning and late afternoon sun in summer. Adjustable shading devices allow greater flexibility to make adjustments in response to changing weather conditions and comfort levels. If you have a veranda it may be possible to install blinds on the perimeter to shade the windows, walls and veranda itself, making the whole area more comfortable in summer. Windows that face north-east and north-west are also best shaded by adjustable vertical shading devices such as awnings or blinds. South-facing windows receive almost no direct sunlight, so don’t require shading in summer. Just remember cooling breezes in summer usually come from the south so they are useful for cross ventilation. If you need to cool your home, choose the best system for your needs. Fans, whether in the ceiling, wall-mounted or portable electric, are a cheap and effective way to stay comfortable on warm, humid summer nights. Evaporative cooling
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temperature determined by a thermostat. Try to choose systems that use minimal electricity. * Information courtesy of Sustainability Victoria.
Taking a dip: from left, Celeste Marquis, Matthew Andrew and Toni Marquis were visiting family in Foster recently and decided to take advantage of the Foster Pool’s cool water.
Ready for a swim: Steven and Rachal Armstrong from Foster were keen to cool down in the Foster Pool.
Be fire safe this summer HOLIDAY-MAKERS are being urged to put fire safety first this summer to help ensure everyone enjoys a safe holiday season.
The Country Fire Authority declared a Fire Danger Period (FDP) for South Gippsland at the end of November, which is in force until May 1, 2016 or when otherwise advised. The FDP is when the CFA restricts the use of fire in the community. This is to help prevent fires from starting. On days of extreme temperatures, the CFA may declare a day of Total Fire Ban (TFB). This means no fires are to be lit in the open air unless you have a special permit or comply with certain requirements. If you don’t obtain a permit, you could be breaking the law and may be prosecuted. Once a TFB has been declared, fire restrictions come into force. A TFB is not the same as a FDP. Given the predicted extreme weather conditions in South Gippsland over the Christmas period, where fires are expected to spread rapidly and be difficult to control, a TFB may be enforced. Holiday-makers and residents are encouraged to keep up to date with restrictions by using the EmergencyAus or Fire Ready apps that are available on iPhones and Androids. Council’s coordinator grants/emergency management Penni Ellicott said it was important for people to follow safety precautions during this period. “Council wants to ensure everyone living and visiting Gippsland this summer re-
mains safe,” she said. “Remember, just a few glowing embers can start a bushfire, which can devastate lives and property in the upcoming hot summer months.” It is an offence to leave a fire unattended or to fail to extinguish a fire before leaving it. It is also important for people to test gas cylinders and barbecue hoses and valves before use. “When firing up the barbeque over the summer break, we’re asking people to remember they are working with gas and fire, which are potentially hazardous and dangerous,” Mrs Ellicott said. Holiday-makers need to be aware of the high bushfire risk townships in South Gippsland. Townships and surrounding areas that have been assessed as vulnerable by the CFA as having high or extreme fire risk are: Koonwarra, Nyora (proximity near Cherry Tree Road and McDonalds Track, Walkerville, Waratah Bay, Venus Bay, Sandy Point, and Mirboo North, including Darlimurla Estate and surrounds. The CFA has a valuable resource available for people to find out what they can and can’t do on days of Total Fire Ban and during the Fire Danger Period. View the Can I or Can’t I? brochure at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/ can You can also apply for a permit and check fire restrictions in other municipalities to help with your travel plans. You can also access the latest emergency news and warnings at the Emergency Management Victoria website at www.emv.vic.gov.au
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 17
HOME MAKE OVER &
BEAT THE HEAT
Look good in orange THE sight of volunteers in orange is a welcome relief to those in need. Now you could be one of them. The Leongatha State Emergency Service is seeking new members to respond to storms, floods, searches and car rescues in South Gippsland. Wearing their iconic orange overalls, SES members are the volunteers who can patch a roof after a fierce wind, look for lost bushwalkers or free car accident victims from wreckages. They are there to serve and help, and enjoy a raft of training opportunities that will set them up in their volunteer service and working lives. The SES is a recognised training organisation and such qualifica-
tions as chainsaw operation, roof top safety and vertical rope work can be transferred to other fields. Unit controller Tony Lindhard has long been a passionate SES member and is seeking likeminded community people to join the ranks. “All voluntary services are suffering from the change in society where people are not volunteering as much. A couple of us are getting a little bit older and we would like younger people to come through and take over,” he said. “We are looking for between five and eight new members, as long as people are fit and willing enough to help their community.” The unit trains on Wednesdays at its base in Leongatha, and there are also occasional weekend and
weekday training opportunities for members to obtain more involved qualifications. “There is nothing like helping your society when it is in a time of need,” Mr Lindhard said. “It may be as simple as a little branch over a driveway people cannot move themselves or in the other case, where people have to be freed from a car accident.” Roles can be tailored to members’ interests and abilities, and they will be made to feel like they are among family. “If you a part of a team you can conquer mountains,” Mr Lindhard said. To find out more, phone Mr Lindhard on 0429 343 199 or see www. ses.vic.gov.au.
Marriotts has it all
CLEAN up and protect yourself this summer with help from the friendly staff with expert knowledge at Marriotts Motorcycles and Power Equipment in Leongatha.
Tim Marriott and the team can help you clean up with a great range of Stihl brushcutters or take care of some serious situations with Deuscher and Greenfield walk behind slashers. Look after yourself with their fantastic range of firefighting equipment including fire pumps, trailers and firefighting units, with many brands available in store including: Silvan, TTI, Honda, Subaru, Yanmar, and Briggs and Stratton. Marriotts MPE also stocks tree watering equipment, so get on in and don’t get caught short this summer.
First response: Tim Marriott of Marriotts MPE with some of the fantastic products available instore now for your firefighting requirements. He can offer the best in reliable firefighting pumps and knapsacks from a great range of brands.
Ready to serve: from left, Leongatha State Emergency Service’s Virginia Hall, Denise Trani, Eileen Cook and Rose Burns are among the volunteers serving South Gippsland.
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PAGE 18 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
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“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 19
Phone to get some of the action The Star's A to Z of business & trade services in Leongatha & District TREE SERVICES
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PAGE 20 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Sea’s the day
Boating & Fishing
Think safety on the water Grand plan: the Toora Recreation Reserve’s Shane Corrie (left) and Andrew Pattie received $10,000 from Cr Jeanette Harding to build a new machinery shed.
Volunteers rewarded by council COMMUNITY groups across the region received $142,180 from South Gippsland Shire Council at the presentation of Community Grants recently.
The program supports community initiatives that enhance the quality of life, heritage, recreation and cultural opportunities in the shire. Groups wishing to apply for funding under round two of the Community Grants have until March 31, 2016 to apply through council’s website. The recent presentation was held in the Leongatha council chamber.
THE arrival of summer and the holiday season means many hours of boating pleasure on Gippsland’s waterways for thousands of boating enthusiasts.
As locals and visitors take to the water for cruising, fishing and water sports, Gippsland Ports is encouraging boaters to take extra care for their safety and the enjoyment of all waterway users. Gippsland Ports CEO Nick Murray said recent boating incidents in Victorian waters had highlighted the need for recreational boaters to exercise care, caution and courtesy on the water at all times. “Everyone has their part to play in staying safe on the water and most boating accidents could have been avoided with more attention to some basic safety rules,” he said.
Simple measure: be sure to wear a lifejacket when exploring waterways by kayak and other boats this summer. This summer, Marine Safety Victoria has launched a boating safety campaign, focusing on wearing your life jacket. Director maritime safety Peter Corcoran said, “Always wear a lifejacket and carry communication so you can raise the alarm. “Our statistics show
Boating tips KEEP your boat and motor in well-maintained condition.
In harmony: Lionel Wood of the South Gippsland Singers is looking forward to spending $1200 from Cr Andrew McEwen on a new keyboard.
Bright sparks: the Kongwak Hall will undertake an electrical upgrade with $7500 presented by Cr Lorraine Brunt. The hall committee’s Irene Halloway and Roger Perrett received the funding.
• Check battery and electrical systems, avoid fuel and oil leaks. Check remaining fuel onboard and top up prior to departure. Do not re-fuel your vessel on the water other than at re-fueling facilities. • Regularly check safety gear. Check life jackets including self-inflate components, flares, waterproof and buoyant torch with charged batteries, fire extinguisher, radio, first aid kit, anchor chain and line, spare water, food and any necessary personal medications. • Familiarise yourself and your passengers with the safety equipment on board and how and when to use it. • Check the weather before you leave. Avoid
the open water during times of strong and gale force wind warnings. • Familiarise yourself with channels and navigation aids and safe bar crossing. For boaters intending to cross the ocean bar, “if in doubt, don’t go out”. • Respect other waterway users. Observe five knot speed limits in designated areas, or within 50 metres of a person in the water, jetties, slipways, boat ramps and other vessels. • Watch your wake. Even at the five knot speed limit, boat wake can cause damage or inconvenience to other waterway users. Adjust your speed to minimise your wake in confined waterways or when passing smaller vessel Information supplied by Gippsland Ports.
that, 10 years after compulsory lifejackets were introduced in 2005, the initial decline in fatalities is reversing and lifejacket wear rates are dropping.” Six boating fatalities occurred on Victorian waterways since July 1 - equal to the annual average. “We know lifejackets are the biggest single factor in surviving a boating accident and in making a rescue more likely to succeed,” Mr Corcoran said. “We want every boater
or paddler on the water to come home safely so I am calling on boaters to wear a lifejacket even when the law does not require it.” More information about safe boating on Gippsland’s waterways, including on-line boating guides and other safety information, can be found at the Gippsland Ports website. For important information about wearing a life jacket, go to the ‘Wear a Life Jacket’ web site.
Personal service
SPI8240001
KAYAK & BIKE HIRE FISHING & CAMPING GEAR OUTDOOR CLOTHING KAY2110002
GUIDED TOURS Taking shape: Daryl Smith (left) and Brett Hume of the Nyora Recreation Reserve received $7000 from Cr Lorraine Brunt to revise the reserve’s master plan.
Overnight at The Prom
Play for the Day
Catch & Cook
FOSTER KAYAK & OUTDOOR 50 Main Street FOSTER
0475 473 211
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 21
Sea’s the day
Boating & Fishing
Summer fun on the water SOUTH Gippsland’s waterways offer fun aplenty this summer.
From fishing to water skiing and jetskiing, to boating and picnicking, there is an activity for you to enjoy. Anglers know fishing is largely a game of luck but with some planning, holidaymakers can lift their chances of catching a feed for tea in South Gippsland this summer. Knowing a few proven spots is half the battle, but with so much coastline around South Gippsland, chances are you will be able to land a fish. Often the best fishing is from a boat and there are plenty of launching opportunities around the shores of Western Port Bay, in Anderson, Shallow and Corner inlets, and also at Port Albert. Learn where the deep holes or channels are by picking up a marine map from a fishing tackle shop or service station, and asking for local knowledge about the best tides for the location you have in mind. Those without access to a boat will not be dis-
appointed, as there are ample beaches and also the banks of the Bass, Powlett, Tarwin, Franklin and Albert rivers from which to cast. Some of these rivers have fishing platforms and others sandy or grassy banks from which you can settle in for a session. Bream, mullet, salmon and estuary perch are among the river species often caught and all are prime table fish. Anderson Inlet is a popular location, with Pensioner Point at the end of Venus Street one of the busiest spots. The beach frequently changes here and try to avoid the rocky platforms, as there are plenty of snags just out from them. Instead, try for the sandy banks on the boat ramp side of the point. East of Inverloch, Mahers Landing is a popular spot, particularly opposite the A frame house at low tide. Just watch the mud as it’s easy for one to become stuck here. A long rod will help anglers reach the channel further ashore and perhaps return home with whiting.
Boaters considering their options offshore of Anderson Inlet are advised to find out about the latest warnings concerning the entrance, which is prone to shoaling. Gippsland Ports will be able to help or look for notices at the boat ramp. Shallow Inlet is a pleasant fishing spot for land or boat based anglers. There are flathead, whiting, garfish, mullet, trevally, gummy sharks, snapper and salmon to catch, depending on the season. If launching a boat, be sure to park your vehicle high on the beach as the incoming tide rushes in and can wash over your vehicle and trailer. If crossing into Waratah Bay, either from Shallow Inlet or from Walkerville, expect to be rewarded with whiting, snapper, flathead and barracouta. Corner Inlet typically has some nice snapper, whiting and trevally, and is popular with game fishermen as the inlet has the safest ocean entrance around. There is also a boat
Here’s hoping: Lance Davis of Bangholme tries his luck at fishing in the Tarwin River from the platform at Tarwin Lower. ramp suitable for smaller boats at Yanakie beach and a ramp at Toora, but consider the tides as access to this ramp is tidal. Boaters with a passion for water skiing have a selection of waterways to choose from.
Anderson Inlet is a popular location, with deeper water near Point Smythe an ideal spot, but just steer away from the shore as the bank is riddled with fallen tree branches. The Tarwin River is a
safe, sheltered spot and the winding bends make for a thrill. More jetskiers are discovering the excitement of travelling fast on the water and Anderson Inlet at Inverloch is the perfect location.
There is ample open water, much to explore and plenty of banks and shoreline to pull up and rest. For the latest marine conditions, see Gippsland Ports’ website: www. gippslandports.vic.gov.au
Need a better boat?
Run in for our run out sale! Extreme 700 Game King THIS EXTREME IS IN STOCK NOW READY FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY, MATCHED WITH A YAMAHA 225HP, WIPER, TOILET, DECK WASH/ PLUMBED LIVE BAIT TANK & ANCHOR WINCH THE LIST GOES ON.
POA
D L SO 2010 Noosa Cat 2300 YAMAHA 150HP 4/STROKE'S WITH 220HRS. SITTING ON A EASYTOW TRI AXLE TRAILER INCLUDING SPARE WHEEL & BOATCATCH AUTO LATCH IT'S READY FOR BIG TRIPS ALONG THE COAST.
$129,000
Extreme 610 Game King POWERED WITH A 150HP YAMAHA AND INCLUDING RAY MARINE ELECTRONICS, THIS GAME KING IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF AN OFFSHORE FISHING MACHINE.
POA
2007 Haines 680 Patriot COUNTER ROTATING PAIR OF 150HP EVINRUDE E-TECS WITH 330HRS, SEA STAR HYDRAULIC STEERING & POLISHED S/STEEL PROPS, TAILER TANDEM MACKAY MULTI LINK WITH ELECTRIC OVER HYDRAULIC BRAKES, SPARE WHEEL.
$79,900
2008 Sailfish 2400 Gamefisher 135HP HONDA'S WITH 380HRS & HYDRIVE BULL HORN HYDRAULIC STEERING, FACTORY TANDEM ALLOY TRAILER.ELECTRONICS FITTED ARE A FURUNO GP 7000 COLOUR GPS & FCV 585 COLOUR SOUNDER.
$119,000 THIS BOAT TICKS ALL YOUR BOXES
2010 Stacer 479 Sun Master 60HP MERCURY 4/STROKE WITH 80HRS. ALLOY TRAILER INC BRAKES AND SPARE WHEEL.
$24,900
2009 Quintrex 490 Escape 75HP E-TEC WITH 106HRS. ALLOY BRAKED TRAILER INCLUDING SPARE WHEEL AND L.E.D LIGHTS.
Cruise Carft Resort 600 IDEAL FISH/SKI/WAKE BOAT THIS CRUISE CRAFT RESORT 600 IS POWERED WITH A 150HP YAMAHA OUTBOARD, SITTING ON A "BRAND NEW" DUNBIER SUPA-ROLLA TRAILER.
$26,900
$26,900
WE ALSO TRADE CARS, BIKES, CARAVAN, CAMPERS AND ALIKE
2 THE ESPLANADE INVERLOCH
FINANCE & INSURANCE AVAILABLE T.A.P
www.inverlochmarine.com.au Contact Shane 0427 046 955 or Tim 0417 592 162
PAGE 22 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
BAG A BARGAIN in The Star! FREE CLASSIFIED ADS
TOTAL VALUE OF ITEMS PER ADVERT MUST NOT EXCEED $50 COT. Wooden. Good condition. Mattress included. $50. Ph. 0427 357 867. Mirboo North. COT. Wooden. Good condition. Height adjustable. $50. Ph. 0427 357 867. Mirboo North ROLLER SKATES. Crazy brand. Size junior 13. Brand new. Still in box. $25. ph. 0409 641 300 TYRES. Four. With rims & hubcaps. Will suit Honda Jazz. 50% tread. $40. ph. 0427 444 601. DOWNLIGHTS. Five. 90mm flush mount. screw in globes. $10. ph. 0427 444 601. POOL CANOPY. Kiddisafe. For toddler pool. 240x240x160. $25. Ph. 0487 670 385. DINING ROOM CABINET. 5’x2’. 2 glass doors. 2 wooden doors.$50. Ph. 5672 2032. DOLL HOUSE. with accessories. $50. Ph. 0427 928 585. FOWLER BOTTLES. 2 dozen. with stainless steel lids. $50 the lot. No 31. Ph. 0427 103 496. GLORY BOX. 1940s style. Glass doors have frosted pattern. Good condition. $50. Ph. 0408 344 470. LADIES BIKE. Pink. Malvern star. Very good condition. $30. Ph. 5662 2212. MOTORCROSS BOOTS. Maverick. Size 11. hardly used. $50 Ph. 5662 4507. CURTAIN RODS. 3x dark wooden. 66 rings, brackets & clips. Included. Excellent condition. $45. Ph. 0419 624 199. GIRLS QUALITY CLOTHING. Excellent condition. Sizes 3-11. More than 50 pieces. $45. Ph. 0400 512 364. WASHING MACHINE. Top load Simpson Genesis 505. In working order. $50. Ph. 0418 995 931. FILING CABINET. 3 drawers. Grey. Good condition. $30. Ph. 0418 995 931. WOODEN DOLLS HOUSE. With some furniture. Excellent condition. $50. Ph. 0400 512 364. SEWING CABINET. With cupboards and drawers. W 105cm x D 450. $40. Ph. 5662 5141. DESK & CHAIR. White and metal drawer set. $40. ph. 5662 5141. DRAUGHTSMAN’S TABLE. 790x1050. Adjustable to any angle. Includes Tsquare. $35. ph. 0437 811 201. LADIES SHOES. New. Hush Puppies & Homy Ped. 9½ - 41. $50. Ph. 5668 1695. PATIO BLINDS. New in box. 1.5m wide. $50. Ph. 0427 506 446. CHILDREN’S CHAIRS & TABLES. Timber. $30. Ph. 5663 2327.
MICROWAVE. Sharp. 1000W. Good condition. $50. Ph. 0408 344 470. GOLD HEART LOCKET. 9ct Gold. new in presentation box. Rose design. Cost $199. Selling $50. Ph. 0429 176 946. TABLE. Glass top. Grey metal frame. Attractive. Good condition. 120x40.5x69. $45. ph. 0429 176 946. GUITAR. Steel 6 string. new hard case. $50. Ph. 0412 755 627. SKI TUBE. In good condition. $50. Ph. 0412 755 627. OPALS. Small collection of solid opals. $50 the lot. Ph. 5672 2663. SOFA LOUNGE. 3 seater. As new. tapestry material. $50. Ph. 5662 3278. WATCHES. A collection of battery watches and magnetic jewellery in excellent condition. $50 the lot. Ph. 5672 2663. BAR FRIDGE. National N.R72P. $50. Ph. 5662 2518. TENT. Apolla. New. 3 person dome tent. $20. Ph. 5662 2518. RACHET TIE DOWN STRAPS. 2500kg rating. As new. $30 for two. Leongatha. Ph. 0401 713 566. WHEELIE BIN. 240litres. Good condition. $30. Leongatha. Ph. 0401 713 566. CAMPING TOILET. Very Clean. with chemicals. $30. Ph. 0407 825 488. CORDLESS PHONE. Digital. Base station and 2 hand pieces. $50. Ph. 0407 825 488. BEDSIDE TABLES. Two. White pipe with 2 glass shelves on each one. Excellent condition. $25 each. Ph. 5668 8160. EXERCISE BIKE. $40. Ph. 0439 931 996. NEST TABLES. Three. Top long, two fit underneath. Excellent condition. $45. Ph. 5662 2851. UNIVERSAL ROOF RACK. With brackets. $50. ph. 0427 878 572. EXERCISE AB LOUNGE 2. $50. Ph. 0427 878 572. WALL CANDLE HOLDER. two. Medium. Black coated. Love heart shape metal. Great condition. $10. Ph. 0487 238 907. Leongatha CLUB CHAIRS. Leather look. Brown. As new. One with foot stool. $50 the lot. Ph. 0407 444 051. BASKETBALL RING. Full size. On stand to be dyna bolted to concrete floor. $25. Ph. 5668 8180. TABLE/BEDSIDE LAMPS. Two. Cut glass/brass base. cream shades. 64cm high. good condition. $30 for pair. Ph. 0418 727 616.
Advertisements must be received at The Star by Friday 12 noon *The Star reserves the right to refuse any advertisement PRIVATE ADVERTISEMENTS ONLY - NO BUSINESSES Max. 2 advs. per week - Single phone number for contact NOTE: No advertisements for animals, birds or fish accepted
MAXIMUM 15 WORDS STAR OFFICE - 36 McCARTIN STREET, LEONGATHA EMAIL : bagabargain@thestar.com.au
OR PHONE :
5662 5555
public notices
public notices
NOTICE TO MARINERS GIPPSLAND PORTS The following navigation warning is published for general information
AUSTRALIA - VICTORIA No. 255 of 2015
PORT OF ANDERSON INLET ANDERSON INLET BAR WARNING TO VESSEL OPERATORS WHO INTEND TO RISK BAR CROSSINGS AT ANDERSON INLET OCEAN ENTRANCE DATE: DETAILS:
public notices
FIREWORKS DISPLAY
MARINE LICENCE COURSE
NOTICE TO ALL ANIMAL OWNERS IN INVERLOCH
A fireworks display will be held on DECEMBER 31, 2015 at the RACV Resort in Inverloch Approx. 12 midnight Further info contact 0430 021 100
Vic. Boat Licence with Jetski endorsement
INVERLOCH Wednesday, January 6 1pm - 5pm BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL Phone Bob: 0417 524 005 Approved TSV course www.abcboating.com ABN 43080057923
17 December 2015 - Effective immediately A recent Marine Incident that occurred on the Anderson Inlet ocean entrance (refer NtoM No 250(T) of 2015) has highlighted the risks involved for vessel operators attempting to make passage across the Anderson Inlet Bar. Mariners are reminded that the ocean entrance to Andersons Inlet is dynamic and continuously changes in position and depth and can do so over a very short period of time. Bar Crossings are regarded as extremely dangerous and can cause serious personal injury or death when unfavorable environmental conditions exist, including: • Poor weather conditions with strong winds making the bar entrance hard to distinguish • Large swells created by recent weather events that close off the bar entrance with breaking surf. • The run of the ebb tide which lifts and shortens sea conditions on the bar increasing risk of swamping or capsize. • Poor visibility, which may include the position of the sun relative to the vessels position when attempting to cross the bar • Changes in sea and swell conditions from the time of departure to the time of arrival and on a day to day basis. Sea conditions can change from long distance weather events centered in the Southern Ocean or Bass Strait. • The presence of other vessel operators. Passage through the entrance and bar should only be attempted by experienced persons with sound local knowledge and only at times of fair weather, smooth sea conditions at higher water with no influence from the ebb tide. Operating vessels through the entrance and bar at times of heightened risk should be avoided at all times. Bar crossing advice and safety equipment requirements can be found in the Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook. Vessel operators should take extra care during vessel equipment checks and conduct a safety briefing to passengers. There are no aids to navigation to guide vessel operators through the Anderson Inlet entrance or across the bar and the best available water may be different from one day to the next. Vessel operators are advised to take extra precaution before and during any decision to attempt a bar crossing taking into account the advice previously described. “If in doubt, don’t go out”. Further information about Anderson Inlet can be found on the Gippsland Ports website at www.gippslandports.vic.gov.au. Aus. 802
CHARTS AFFECTED: PUBLICATIONS Sailing Directions NP14, Victorian AFFECTED: Recreational Boating Safety Handbook FURTHER NOTICE:
public notices
Gippsland Ports Boating Guide (electronic version) No further notice will be issued.
CAPT. BEVIS HAYWARD HARBOUR MASTER
‘SUNSHINE & SHADOWS’ The magnificent art of Di & John Koenders Wildlife & Landscapes
Friday JANUARY 1 to Tuesday JANUARY 26, 2016 (including ALL PUBLIC HOLIDAYS)
Fairbank Rd, Arawata
Phone: 0428 598 262 Open Daily: 11am to 5pm Fully Air-conditioned for your comfort www.mayfieldgallery.com.au | info@mayfieldgallery.com.au
Classified advertising closes 12 noon Mondays
situations vacant
situations vacant
DAIRY FARM MANAGER Caldermeade Farm and Cafe, Lang Lang
350 cow dairy herd with 50 unit computerised rotary. Suitable for couple or single. Applicant must be experienced or willing to learn: • Milking and staff supervision • Heat Detection & Artificial Breeding • Herd Health • Calving down cows • Calf Rearing • Pasture production and irrigation • Knowledge in tractors and machinery Applicant must be positive, self-motivated, business oriented, reliable and have a love of dairy farming. A high level of support will be offered with professional development opportunities. 3 BR house is supplied with package. Close to schools. Only 1 hour south east of Melbourne. Attractive salary, negotiable on experience. Referees essential. Expressions of interest close 15th January 2016 For position description contact: Tim Jelbart 0418 314 312 or tim.jelbart@jelbartdairy.com www.caldermeadecafe.com.au
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 23
situations vacant DAIRY FARM WORKER Full time, experienced, for milking, tractor work and maintenance, in Leongatha area. Must be available for alternate weekends dairypos@mail.com
finance
situations vacant
LIVESTOCK DRIVER CASUAL 2-3 days per week Truck and trailer PHONE 0418 555 833
livestock
NEED CASH? *Cash Loans $500 to $2000
For 6, 8 or 12 months Our clients include: * Wage earners * Centrelink clients Poor Credit History considered CALL
0439 463 962 today ACTION CASH LOANS GIPPSLAND
The friendly local alternative. We come to you! Australian Credit Licence 428415. ABN 30 187 881 857 Responsible lending conditions apply
South Gippsland Shire Council
Children’s Crossing Supervisor
for rent CHEAP CENTRAL WONTHAGGI SHOP or office. Ph: 0408-981819.
• Morning & Afternoon shift - Monday to Friday • Located at Korumburra
Affordable cars at drive away prices
HOUSE in exchange for 3 milkings per week. Yanakie area. Contact 0458389297.
• $24.39 per hour plus super Enquiries Bruce Gardiner, Local Laws Coordinator on (03)5662-9200 Applications close Wednesday 6 January 2016 at 5pm.
for sale
Please refer to our website www.southgippsland.vic.gov.au for a position description and further information on how to apply.
CARAVAN STORAGE Secure undercover, Korumburra. Don: 0427625158.
www.southgippsland.vic.gov.au
COUCH - black leather, good condition, $175. Ph: 0419-370264. FIREWOOD, redgum & local wood, Ph 0408-980711, A/H 5662-5175.
Sub Contract Carpenters
HAY - This season’s, Mirboo North area, P.O.A. Contact Joe 0428-585954.
ArchiBlox combines the very best of sustainable modular design with sophisticated pre-fabrication. We create inspiring prefabricated homes and buildings offering flexible design solutions for any dwelling need.
NEW HEN HOUSES - suit 6 to 7 hens, $400. 56642443.
Due to a high demand for our award winning product, we are currently looking for sub contract carpenters to join our energetic team at our Wonthaggi facility. If you have a passion for innovative architect designed building and want to be part of our construction team, we are looking for you. To apply for this position please send your resumé to Facility Manager Kim O’Connor via email kim@archiblox.com.au. All applications will be treated in confidence.
All areas - 5672 3123 jenny_milkins@hotmail.com
ZO531114
marriage celebrant
Jenny Milkins
Jo Fennell 0437 465 399
johanne4@bigpond.com
deaths
MOTORCYCLES & POWER EQUIPMENT
Ph: 5662 2028
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
Maternity relief position
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged to apply • For further information and copies of each position description visit our careers page www.lchs.com.au/careers • Applicants must address the Selection Criteria and lodge their application online. • No late or hard copy applications will be accepted.
wanted to rent
COLEMAN - Elizabeth Frances. Late of Leongatha and Crediton Devon, England. Elizabeth passed away on Thursday, December 24, 2015 after a short illness. Daughter of the late Frank and Mary Coleman, dear sister of John and Cynthia, Sheila and Bob, and aunt of their children and grandchildren. Our intrepid traveller comes home. Dear friend of Lyn, Rob, Andrew, Sarah, Madison and Olivia Skillern, others would not have known you as we did. We shared the good times and the bad times; we learned and laughed together. Liz, you loved your adopted Leongatha: you were one of its strongest advocates. We will miss you. Thank you to the doctors and nurses who cared for her in her last weeks, and the friends who gave so much support.
MOWERS
This position would be suitable for someone with a relevant tertiary qualification in a health related field, who possesses strong leadership qualities, extensive experience in project work including working with GP’s and other primary and tertiary care services. An understanding of and commitment to a harm reduction framework in the context of substance use will be highly valued.
wanted to buy ANY OLD farm four wheelers, good or bad, 4WDs or trucks. Will pay cash. Phone Matt 0401194601.
NEW SEASON HAY
We are currently offering the following career opportunity:
The Coordinator will continue to develop close linkages between pharmacotherapy clients, General Practitioners (GP’s), dispensing pharmacies and other primary care services, while ensuring effective and efficient systems and processes to support high quality service delivery.
NOTE: drive away means no more to pay. All on road costs paid.
LOOKING for room/ bungalow in Leongatha. Contact 0432-246798.
0408 856 479
We are offering an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated, experienced professional to cover a maternity leave position to lead our newly funded Area Based Pharmacotherapy Network (PABN) located in Gippsland.
LMCT 10804
Phone Judy or Geoff 0428 920 095 for full range of vehicles Or visit: www.sgcheapestcars.com
TIMBER Kiln dried blackwood, silver wattle, cypress, celery top pine, most sizes for furniture and craft, also slabs and structural pine. Ph: 56812261.
For a delivered price PHONE LUKE
Regional Pharmacotherapy Network Coordinator (20172)
Geary Road Leongatha
DATSUN SKYLINE wanted, 1973-1985, 240km, C210, MR30, any condition. Pay cash. 0422-076298.
Large quantities VETCH CEREAL
Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) is one of the largest community health providers in Victoria. We provide professional and career development, salary packaging, an employee assistance program, work life balance and much more.
SG CHEAPEST CARS
SLEEPERS, treated pine, 200x50x2.4 $12.10 each, 200x75x2.4 $16.75 each, 200x75x3.0 $ 20.90 each. Free delivery for pack lots. Phone Joe 0417-530662.
FOR SALE
Applications will close Friday 8 January 2016.
thanks SINCERE “thanks” from Peter and Debbie for all the cards and congratulations on our engagement. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Peter McIndoe and Debbie Gray.
used vehicles
• Ongoing part time
For more information please contact Elizabeth Plunkett or Alison Skeldon on 1800 242 696.
BULLS for hire or for sale. Friesian, Angus, Hereford, Limo or Jersey. All sound young bulls. Hire or sale. Phone 0447-331762.
We stock the largest range of New push and ride-on mowers in South Gippsland, including - Honda,Victa, Greenfield, Deutscher, Cub Cadet, MTD, Masport, Toro, Yard Machines & Rover from $149. Professional repairs and service for ALL mower makes and models. Also stocking a large range of parts and accessories. We also have a large range of secondhand mowers available.
Cnr Allison & South Gippsland Hwy, Leongatha. L.M.C.T. 2714 www.marriottsmpe.com.au
deaths
deaths
HUTTON - Ronald George (Ron). 17.11.1947 - 25.12.2015 Passed away peacefully at Korumburra Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Dearly loved husband of Suzanne for 44 years and soulmate for 48 years. Loved and cherished father of Geoffrey and Jennifer. Loving father-in-law of Leanne and Arthur. Adored and cherished ‘Pa’ to Evan and Jessica. A beautiful, kind, hardworking, loving man taken way too soon. Sleep peacefully my love. Forever in my heart. Love Suzi.
LE PAGE - Muriel Winifred. 30.8.1917 - 24.12.2015 Passed away peacefully at Koorooman House, Leongatha, late of Meeniyan. Dearly loved wife of Perc (dec). Much loved mother and mother-in-law of Grace and Don, Charlie and Faye, and John. Proud and loving Grandma of Mark and Kelly, Paul and Kate, Joanne and Glenn, Stephanie and Greg, Cameron and Jess. Loving great Grandma of Aimee, Chloe, Hayley, Jakob and Aiden. Reunited with Dad after 36 years.
Dad thanks for the fun times fishing, your support and advice, I will miss you every day. Love always your son Blue (Geoffrey).
LE PAGE - Muriel Winifred. Passed peacefully December 24. 98 wonderful years. Lots of loving memories from a wonderful lady. Thankful for our time together. Happy you’re reunited with grandpa. Love always Mark, Kelly, Aimee, Chloe and Jakob.
To a wonderful father-inlaw who will be missed so much. I will miss our chats about the footy and your sense of humour, so many memories that will stay with me forever. Love always Shorty (Leanne). Pa you were a courageous man, loved you always, will miss your smile and sense of humour. Forever in my heart, Pinky (Jessie). My beautiful Daddy, you were my life, my mentor and my rock. You fought the inevitable fight until the end, you didn’t want to leave us but you were tired and enough was enough. I loved you with all my heart, but I know you are now at peace and in no more pain. Sleep peacefully Dad, your forever loving daughter Spud (Jennifer). Ron, what a great father-inlaw, I’ll miss you dearly, a great mate taken too soon. Love Arty. Pa you were everything to me, you influenced me in many ways. I will miss you every day, love you forever, your Boof (Evan). Treasured son-in-law of Norma, thank you for always being there when I mostly needed you. I will miss all of the beautiful vegies. “There is a place we will all meet one day, that place is where we will never have to say goodbye.” Son of George and Jean Hutton (both dec). Brother of Robert and John (both dec), Bruce and Peter (dec). Brother-in-law to Jeanette (dec) and Susan. HUTTON - Ronald George. Loved son of Jean and George (both dec). Loved brother of Robert (dec), John (dec), Bruce and Peter (dec). Our kind hearted brother Ron. You lost a wonderful man Sue and family. Bruce, Sue and family. Rest peacefully Ron.
message of hope ACT 1:8 You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Jesus did many awesome feats in the power of the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, so can you.
SHEA (nee Hagan) - Roma Marjorie Joan. 01.04.1919 - 23.12.2015 Passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her devoted family. Loved wife of Bill (dec). Much loved mother of Hagan, Amanda, Kerwin, Damian and Majella (dec). Mother-in-law of Laddie and Jen. Adored ‘Rowie’ of Belinda and Brendan, Andre, Emily, Jessica, Rachel and Cooper. In God’s care. Rest peacefully. STEWART Kingsley James. 07.08.1955 - 28.12.2015 You fought to the end surrounded by your loving family. Loving husband of Diane. Dearly loved dad of Bradley, Natalie, Kathryn, James, Brenda, Jessica, Steven, and their partners. Loiving Poppy to Kobi, Mason, Heidi and Ava. Always in our hearts. Rest peacefully.
in memoriam FARRAR - Jack. 26.12.1923 - 7.7.2009 You are always in my thoughts every day. I still miss you very much. God bless. Your loving wife Lily and family.
deaths
funerals HUTTON - A Memorial Service to celebrate the life of the late Mr Ronald George (Ron) Hutton will be held at the Leongatha RSL, corner of Smith Street and Michael Place, Leongatha on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 2.30pm. A private family interment will precede the above service. All ex-Service personnel are respectfully invited to attend.
LE PAGE - A Graveside Funeral Service for Mrs Muriel Winifred Le Page will be held at the Meeniyan Lawn Cemetery on Thursday, December 31, 2015 commencing at 1.30pm.
SHEA - The Funeral Mass for the repose of the soul of the late Mrs Roma Marjorie Joan Shea will be offered at St Laurence’s Catholic Church, Ogilvy Street, Leongatha on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 10.30am. At the conclusion of Mass the funeral will leave for the Leongatha Cemetery. Rosary will be recited in the above church on Tuesday evening, December 29, 2015 commencing at 7.30pm.
STEWART - The Funeral Service to celebrate the life of the late Mr Kingsley James Stewart will be held at the Salvation Army Hall, 2 Long Street, Leongatha on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 10.30am. The funeral will leave at the conclusion of the service for a private family interment.
Email your adverts to The Star ads@thestar.com.au
deaths
Paul & Margaret Beck proprietors Caring for our Community, personal dignified service to all areas 5662 2717 Pre-need Funeral Plans available Office and Chapel: 24 Anderson Street, Leongatha hfs1@vic.australis.com.au MEMBER OF AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
PAGE 24 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Farming Insight
Great product: Gordon Thompson from Fish Creek said Bass Coast Waterproofing stopped this water tank from leaking water, despite large cracks in the concrete.
Coating saves more than water BASS Coast Waterproofing can waterproof virtually anything using a spray-on protective coating that provides a flexible bond to metals, wood, concrete and fibreglass.
The product has been successfully applied to walkways, factory floors, driveways, shed and garage floors, dairies, stock yards, metal roofing, decks, water tanks and much more. The protective coating is perfect for water tanks and troughs. It can fix concrete leaks and improve water quality by applying a coating to the inside of the tank or trough. Gordon Thompson from Fish Creek has had three water troughs and three water tanks renovated by Bass Coast Waterproofing. “The troughs were leaking, which meant the pressure pump
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Pork producers: Amelia, Dan and baby Hazel Bright with some of the pigs they raise on their Fish Creek property, Amber Creek Farm.
Proof is in the pork By Sarah Vella DANIEL and Amelia Bright raise pigs on their 67 hectare Fish Creek property Amber Creek Farm, working with the environment to produce the best quality pork.
They have restored around half the property with native vegetation and have planted around 17,000 trees since purchasing the block. Amelia said anything too steep to be safely farmed, as well as waterways and gullies, have been fenced off and planted out. “We have also tried to connect disconnected pieces of bush with corridors and preserve any remnant bushland,” she said. The couple have participated in certified land management training, funded by the South Gippsland Landcare Network and delivered by the Australian Land Management Group. Dan said the training was a good way to quantify what they are doing now on their farm and also helped them to set achievable goals for the future. “It has helped us to develop more efficient systems with the pigs. Over the last six months, we have really changed how we do things in the paddock,” he said. “Those changes are starting to be reflected in the quality of the pasture and the pork.” Dan said since the training, they now have procedures in place for things like weed management, vermin and pest control and fire preparedness. “We have formalised the way we think about those sorts of procedures and improved our time manage-
ment,” he said. “It is also good way to show authorities what we have been doing and what we plan to do in the future. It shows we are serious, not just about the farming, but about the environment, our waterways and soil health.” Dan and Amelia started farming pigs around three years ago after detecting a gap in the market for high quality, free range pasture fed pork. They have around 70 pigs, which are kept in groups of between six to 14 animals on around five hectares of the property. They keep several different breeds, including large whites and Wessex saddlebacks. They are kept on a home pad and petal system, which Dan and Amelia perfected during the certified land management training. The home pad is made up mainly of woodchips and sawdust, waste products from the Brights’ sawmill. The pigs will stay on a home pad for about six months, between weaning and leaving the farm to be slaughtered at around eight months. Using portable electric fencing, the pigs are given access to a section of pasture off the home pad, the petal, meaning the pigs always have access to fresh pasture. Dan said the aim was to make the pasture around the home pad last for the lifetime of a group of growers. “We have pasture here year round, however this will be our first summer using the home pad and petal system, so it will be interesting to see how it goes,” he said. “We aim to have a really diverse pasture which includes wheat, barley, four to five grasses, plantain and chicory, as well as a few things most farmers classify
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as weeds, such as dandelion and capeweed. “The vast majority of the nutrition the pigs get is from the pasture.” Dan and Amelia are focussed on being self reliant. “The feed we do bring to the farm is what would normally be considered waste products by other businesses,” Dan said. “Other than that, they are not fed anything we can’t grow here.” Over the six months the pigs are on the home pad, food, manure and the woodchips combine to create a nutrient rich soil. “We are creating soil instead of depleting it,” Dan said. Once the pigs are taken off the home pad, the area is left to rest for 45 to 90 days, depending on the time of year. Since implementing the new grazing system, Dan said there had been a marked improvement in the quality of the pork their pigs are producing. “The marbling we are getting is awesome,” he said. “The pigs are pretty happy and always have fresh pasture to go on to, which makes a big difference to the way the pork tastes. “We are pretty confident now we have some of the best pork out there.” The pigs are killed at an abattoir at Sale at around eight months old. Small goods are produced at a butcher in Rosedale, while the fresh meat is packaged at Prom Meats in Foster. “We distribute the meat through the Foster and Traralgon farmers’ markets and this summer we will be doing the Mossvale Markets and Foster Craft Market,” she said. “We also do bulk orders of quarter, half and whole pigs dressed to requirements.” Dan said they turn over around 100 pigs per year, which is more than enough to provide a sustainable income. “It is not just a hobby, it is our business. It is too much work to be a hobby,” he said. “We are just interested in producing the best quality pork we can.” Amber Creek Farm can be found on Facebook and on the web at www.ambercreekfarm.com.au.
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 25
Summer fun at Inverloch
d Peta Reid s Jayde Gray an h’ oc rl ve In , ft ers: from le hristmas Eve. Happy swimm Invverloch on C at n ea oc e th took a dip in
Above, Junior sailors: from left, Isabelle, Xavie r and Olivia Holmes from Cheltenham made a splash in their boat at Inverloch on Christmas Eve.
an and Above, Picnic fun: from left, Meg rence, Lau Lily and Jay , king Haw son Law a and Jenn and Jackie and Isabella Kent rug to ic picn the out Savannah Trewin got rloch Inve at sun mer sum the in enjoy lunch on Christmas Eve.
Day out: Nick Amy of D Mardan chose a ter t rific day to chase fish from Inverloch’s jet j ty on Christmas Eve.
Right, Nice and relaxed: from left, Chrissie, Tess and Emily Matthews travelled from Ringwood to enjoy a leisurely afternoon on Inverloch’s beach on Christmas Eve.
Yum: from left into their ic , Harry, Thomas and G eo e Christmas in creams at Inverloch on rge Coombs of Heathmo n Korumburra B with their fa oxing Day. The boys t tucked celebrated mily.
shing hristmas Eve fi
,G om left, Maree Family trip: fr . jetty on Inverloch’s
spent C ard from Eltham eoff and Erin W
PAGE 26 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
SPORT | CRICKET
thestar.com.au
Race day win
Junior champs: from left, Fleur Timmins from Meeniyan Pony Club, Elli Clavarino from Corner Inlet Pony Club, Sianan Price from Phillip Island Pony Club, Sianan’s horse Willowcroft Melody, Imogen Price from Phillip Island Pony Club and Georgia Filippi from Bass Valley Pony Club participated in the Speed to Safety program, which allowed young riders to gain track experience. It was put together by Racing Victoria’s workforce development officer Lisa Coffey (far right). Pony love: from left, Foster’s Isabelle and Isla Mildren loved meeting Noni the Pony at the Stony Creek races on Boxing Day. Right Thank you: from left, Tarwin Vet Group’s Phil Poulton, pony club volunteer Sue Johnson and Meeniyan Pony Club’s Fleur Timmins are appreciated for their work at the Stony Creek races.
Lots of fun: from left, Ned Kerr, Alex Priestley, Isabella Kerr, Harriette Kerr, Charlotte Kerr and Lucy Kerr had plenty of fun getting their faces painted and enjoying the activities at the Stony Creek races on Boxing Day.
Alberton sets up for 2016 EASTER is early in 2016 with Good Friday falling on March 25. Lovely ladies: from left, Korumburra’s Jacqui Snooks and Bec Wylie dressed up to spend the day at the Stony Creek races on Saturday.
TIDES Here is an easy guide to tides in your area. To determine tides for a particular area, add or subtract periods of times as shown below. Earlier Minutes Apollo Bay ...........................25 King Island (Grassy) ...........10 King Island (Surprise Bay)....40 King Island (Franklin) ...........40 Lakes Entrance .................... 170 Lorne ...................................... 20 Mallacoota Inlet.................... 158 Rip Bank ................................ 15 Snowy River Entrance ......... 170 _______________________ Cape Schanck, Flinders, Mornington Ocean Beaches, Seal Rocks, Venus Bay, Waratah Bay, Woolamai ....... nil _________________________ Later Minutes Altona ................................... 195 Barwon Heads Bridge ........... 15 Carrum ................................. 195 Corinella ................................. 68 Cowes Pier............................. 50 Dromana .............................. 195 Frankston ............................. 195 Geelong ............................... 210 Hastings ................................. 66 Hovell Pile ............................ 195 Inverloch Pier ......................... 15 Melbourne ............................ 200 Mornington ........................... 195 Newhaven Jetty ..................... 30 No. 1 West Channel (Annulus)........................... 50 No. 2 South Channel Light .... 70 No. 8 South Channel Light .. 150 Port Albert Pier ...................... 90 Portarlington Pier ................. 190 Portsea Pier ........................... 80 Port Welshpool (Rabbit Island .................... 10 Queenscliffe Pier ................... 30 Rhyll ....................................... 60 Rosebud............................... 195 Rye Pier ............................... 170 St. Leonards Pier ................. 190 Sandringham ....................... 195 Sorrento Pier........................ 130 Stony Point ............................. 40 South Channel Pile Light ..... 190 Swan Island Dock ................ 120 Tooradin ............................... 105 Warneet.................................. 84 Williamstown ........................ 200 Welshpool Pier....................... 90
At Point Lonsdale
DEC / JAN Time
height (metres)
Add one hour for daylight saving
30 WED
31 THUR
1 FRI
2 SAT
3 SUN
4 MON
5 TUE
0421 1000 1611 2204
1.67 0.48 1.42 0.26
0458 1041 1655 2244
1.63 0.45 1.40 0.33
0531 1120 1737 2320
1.59 0.44 1.37 0.40
0603 1159 1819 2357
1.54 0.43 1.33 0.48
0635 1235 1905
1.48 0.43 1.29
0035 0709 1314 1957
0.56 1.43 0.43 1.26
0115 0746 1354 2055
0.65 1.37 0.44 1.25
All times shown in 24 hour clock 0001 - 1200..................AM 1201 - 2400..................PM
Easter will bring more than a proliferation of rabbits in South Gippsland; it also marks the opening round of matches in the Alberton Football Netball League. With the grand final replay between 2015 premiers Dalyston and Fish Creek played in Round Three, the match of the opening round is the game between the two teams which fin-
ished the 2015 home-and-away season second and third on the ladder, Phillip Island and Stony Creek. The draw for the season also features three night games under lights including the opening round match between Foster and Fish Creek. Avoiding the milder pre-winter weather the other night matches are both in Round Five, Korumburra-Bena versus MDU and Foster versus Toora.
Alberton Football Netball League draw Round 1: March 26-27 Easter Phillip Island v Stony Creek Dalyston v Kilcunda-Bass Foster v Fish Creek (Night) Tarwin v MDU DWWWW v Toora I-K v Kor-Bena Round 2: April 2 Stony Creek v Dalyston Fish Creek v Phillip Island MDU v I-K Toora v Tarwin Kor-Bena v DWWWW Kilcunda-Bass v Foster Round 3: April 9 Dalyston v Fish Creek Phillip Island v MDU I-K v Toora Foster v Stony Creek DWWWW v Kilcunda-Bass Tarwin v Kor-Bena Round 4: April 16 Kilcunda-Bass v Tarwin Kor-Bena v Phillip Island Stony Creek v I-K MDU v Foster Fish Creek v DWWWW Toora v Dalyston Round 5: April 23-24 Phillip Island v Dalyston Kor-Bena v MDU (Night) Foster v Toora (Night) I-K v Fish Creek DWWWW v Tarwin Stony Creek v Kilcunda-Bass Round 6: April 30 Kilcunda-Bass v Phillip Island MDU v DWWWW Toora v Stony Creek Fish Creek v Kor-Bena Tarwin v I-K Dalyston v Foster Round 7: May 7 I-K v Dalyston
Foster v Tarwin DWWWW v Phillip Island Stony Creek v MDU Kor-Bena v Kilcunda-Bass Toora v Fish Creek Round 8: May 14 Dalyston v Kor-Bena Kilcunda-Bass v I-K Tarwin v Stony Creek MDU v Fish Creek Phillip Island v Toora Foster v DWWWW INTERLEAGUE: May 21 Round 9: May 28 DWWWW v Dalyston Fish Creek v Kilcunda-Bass Phillip Island v Tarwin Kor-Bena v Stony Creek Toora v MDU I-K v Foster Round 10: June 4 Dalyston v Tarwin Kor-Bena v Toora MDU v Kilcunda-Bass Stony Creek v Fish Creek Foster v Phillip Island DWWWW v I-K Round 11: June 11 MDU v Stony Creek Kilcunda-Bass v Kor-Bena Tarwin v DWWWW Phillip Island v I-K Dalyston v Toora Fish Creek v Foster Round 12: June 18 Stony Creek v DWWWW Fish Creek v Dalyston Phillip Island v Kilcunda-Bass I-K v MDU Toora v Foster Kor-Bena v Tarwin Round 13: June 25 Dalyston v MDU DWWWW v Fish Creek Tarwin v Phillip Island
I-K v Stony Creek Foster v Kor-Bena Kilcunda-Bass v Toora
Players not involved in the Interleague Championships on the weekend of May 21/22 will have respite from normal competition. A bye has been inserted into the season on the weekend of July 9/10 in what the league president Barry Stride describes as a progressive measure. Mr Stride says it will allow the clubs to replenish their lists and take to the last four weeks of home-and-away competition with fresh legs.
Player point system gains support
Round 14: July 2 Kilcunda-Bass v Dalyston Stony Creek v Phillip Island Fish Creek v Tarwin MDU v Toora Kor-Bena v I-K DWWWW v Foster
REGION commissions and metropolitan leagues are well advanced with the implementation of the player points system for community football in preparation for the 2016 season.
BYE: July 9
Released to leagues earlier this year, the player points system is an integral component of AFL Victoria’s community club sustainability program which aims to address the equalisation concerns and escalating player payments in community football. AFL Victoria community football and engagement manager, Brett Connell thanked all stakeholders for their support of the program to date. “The work carried out by metropolitan leagues and region commissions has been a terrific endorsement of the program, with the total team points for their competitions now determined and local committees established to reassess players and clubs point allocations where appropriate. The player points system allocates players with a certain number of points, based upon their playing history and achievements in the three seasons prior to joining their current club, with deductions then applying based on service to their current club. To date only one league in the state, the Picola and District Football League, has confirmed it will not adopt the policy. As such, any player recruited from the Picola and District Football League for the 2016 season, regardless of their playing history and achievements will be valued at one point, consistent with the policy. In addition to the player points system, a salary cap continues to be developed and is anticipated to be released by June 30, 2016 to allow leagues sufficient time to educate and implement the policy in readiness for the 2017 season.
Round 15: July 16 Foster v MDU Dalyston v Stony Creek Phillip Island v Fish Creek I-K v DWWWW Tarwin v Kilcunda-Bass Toora v Kor-Bena Round 16: July 23 Kor-Bena v Foster MDU v Dalyston Tarwin v Fish Creek I-K v Phillip Island Stony Creek v Toora Kilcunda-Bass v DWWWW Round 17: July 30 DWWWW v Kor-Bena Dalyston v Phillip Island Fish Creek v I-K Stony Creek v Foster MDU v Tarwin Toora v Kilcunda-Bass Round 18: August 6 Tarwin v Dalyston Fish Creek v Stony Creek Phillip Island v Kor-Bena Kilcunda-Bass v MDU Foster v I-K Toora v DWWWW ELIMINATION FINAL 3v6 ELIMINATION FINAL 4v5 2nd SEMI FINAL 1v2 1st SEMI FINAL PRELIMINARY FINAL GRAND FINAL
August 13 August 14 August 20 August 21 August 27 Sept 3
“THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015 - PAGE 27
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thestar.com.au
Leongatha golf FIFTY three golfers took part in last Tuesday’s Stableford competition with Dave Vorwerg (15) leading the way in A Grade with 36 points.
B Grade was taken out by Kevin Scott (32) with 40 points. NTP: seventh Ed Poole, 14th Geoff McDonald and on the 16th David Forbes. DTL: balls went down to 32 points in a countback and were awarded to Mick Oliver, John Eabry, Bruce Cathie, Geoff McDonald, David Forbes, Andrew Westaway, Doug Clemann, Ted Bruinewood, Keith Finney, Will Norden, Peter Waters, Frank Smedley and Dennis Wallace. On Thursday Leroy Sharrock (7) had an excellent round of 40 points to win A Grade. B Grade was won by Neale Gillin with 39 points. NTP: fourth Chris Leaver, seventh Rod Hopcraft, 14th Peter Waters and on the 16th Ian Murchie. DTL: balls went down to 35 points on countback and were awarded to Bryan Sword, Rod Hopcraft, Walter Taberner, Ian Barlow, Bruce Hutton, Geoff Tyson, Brian Fennessy, Doug Clemann and Peter Hobson. On Saturday a very small field contested a Stableford competition with Ken Wardle doing best with 36 points. NTP: fourth Darrell Prior, 14th Nathan Wardle and on the 16th Dianne Betts. Peter Jaspers, Bryan Sword and Andrew Macfarlane were awarded balls.
A Stableford competition was held on the holiday Monday of this week in which Andrew Macfarlane took out A Grade with 39 points. B Grade was won by Matt Hunter also with 39 points and Rita de Bondt won the ladies’ section with a very good 40 points. NTP: fourth Peter Omond, 14th Phillipe du Plessis and Luke Gardner
Giving all: Robyn Henn of Mirboo North Bowls Club was steady ahead of making her move at Leongatha’s monthly triples game last Wednesday.
Where to bowl: Leongatha bowler Mary Jepson considers her play during her club’s monthly triples match last Wednesday.
• Leongatha bowls Game day: from left, Trevor Rickard, Steve Fisher and Andrew McFarland were out on the Leongatha golf course enjoying their Boxing Day on Saturday morning.
Prepping: from left, Nathan Wardle, Ken Wardle and Darrell Prior get ready to head out for a day on the green at the Leongatha golf course.
Foster golf THE condition of the entire golf course is now very dry, allowing for lots of run. The winner of Tuesday, December 22 Men’s Stableford was Athol McGrath with 42 points. DTL: Kevin Flett 39, Graeme Watkins 36 and Robert Fulton 34. NTP: Garry Buckland. The winner of the Women’s Stableford on Wednesday, December 23 was Viv Reid with 38pts. DTL: Gayle Tyers 36, Deb Williams 36. NTP: Mary Ellis. Thursday, December 24 was a Men’s Stableford and Fred Tyers was the winner with 36 points, pipping Josh Toner on countback. DTL: Josh Toner 36 and John Mathers 35. NTP: Fred Tyers and Peter Dight. The stableford nine hole chook run this week was won by Jake Chaseling with 19 points. DTL: Shaun Chaseling and Phil Schofield with 17 points apiece. The Boxing Day Stableford was won by Shaun Chaseling with 42 points. DTL: Col Pulham 41, Fred Tyers 39 and Greg Paine 36. NTP: 6th Col Pulham,
on the 16th. DTL: balls went to Bryan McCorkell, Marcus Fleming, Andy Bassett, John Fraser, Beau Peters, Peter Stivic, Bill Howson, Fred Debono, Bryan Sword, Simon Duff, Peter Buttinger and Ian Murchie. DTL: balls for the Women went to Di Williams, Helen Fraser, Bec Wilson and Helen Mihalic.
th
Mirboo North th
13 Fred Tyers, 15 Nick Connellan and on the 17th Cam Downing. The Friday night members’ draw was won by an absentee and now jackpots to $900 this week. Saturday evening members’ draw was also jackpotted - to $30. Tonight, Wednesday, December 30 is a summer competition stableford. Thursday, December 31 stableford. January 1 is a stableford Friday friendly nine hole chook run with a members’ draw at 7pm with a $900 Jackpot It is monthly medal stroke on Saturday, January 2. And the members draw begins at 5.30pm. Saturday, January 2 members’ draw 5.30pm.
THURSDAY’S Stableford competition results. The day winner was Jim Kidd (13) with 40 points. The B Grade winner was Josh Robbins (21) with 39 points on countback. DTL: Ian Evison 39, John Blunsden 39 and Col James (Woorayl) 38. NTP: 16th John McFarlane. Saturday’s Stableford competition winner was Richie Taylor (35) with 39 points. DTL: Scott Blencowe 38, Keith Clerks 38 and Terry Bradshaw 37. Second shot NTP on the first hole was Terry Donnison. NTP: fourth Joe Kus, sixth Brandon Bradshaw, 13th Terry Bradshaw and on the 16th Ian Blencowe.
Korumburra golf THERE was a small field in the Stableford competition last Wednesday. Marg Harper (35) had a great score of 41 points followed closely by runner-up Lyn McIvor (20) with a very nice 40 points. NTP: first Lee Clements for a coffee and cake voucher and on the 13th Judy Webb. There was no Women’s competition on Saturday.
Congratulations to Heather Grist who was the lucky winner of the sleigh and all its contents. Bingo and counter teas resume on New Year’s Day, January 1 and the twilight competition will resume on Thursday evening, January 7. The club extends sincere condolences to Janice Follett on the passing of her husband, Ian. Our thoughts are with Janice and her family.
Triple the monthly cheer POST Christmas and it is almost like mid winter at the local bowling clubs when the mass exodus to warmer places north of the border leaves numbers on the lean side. This hardly seems an appropriate expression for the post Christmas recess, however, with most people still feeling the results of the largesse of the festive season. At Leongatha Bowling Club last Wednesday bowlers were taking a break from Christmas preparations at the monthly triples event.
Friendly rivals: Fish Creek skipper Andy Kerr (left) shares a joke with Leongatha skipper Peter Shaw at the monthly triples game at Leongatha last Wednesday.
Inverloch bowls COMPETITION bowls is in recess over the Christmas / New Year break but Inverloch Bowling Club is catering to the needs of holidaymakers with a Summer Bowling Program, opening the greens to barefoot bowlers, many of whom have never set foot on a bowling green before. Barefoot bowling is available to any visitor over 12 years of age, or any local new to the game, on Sundays and Mondays throughout the month of January between 4pm and 7pm. The maximum cost is $10 per three hour game, bowls and coaching included. Drinks and snacks are available for purchase from the bar at club prices. Season and family tickets are available for those who wish to play on a number of days. All are welcome and
the opening days, Sunday and Monday of this week, showed a high level of participation by holiday makers who have already learned the rudiments of bowling and enjoyed the experience. The Inverloch Bowling Club conducted its annual lobster and seafood raffle at the farmers’ market on Sunday. The seafood prize was won by Lyn Jones from Traralgon. Lyn is a Farmers’ Market stall holder and she was congratulated by IBC bowler Janis Parks. Social bowls resumes on Wednesday, January 6 as a mixed mufti to allow any holidaying bowler to join in. Game time is 12.30pm with names due by 11.30am please. Our Friday night members’ draw is back on January 8. As the jackpot was won last draw before Christmas, the prize pool starts again with $50. The ever popular Friday meal will be returning
on January 15. With lots of holiday makers in town be sure to get your name in early to reserve your place. Now that the festivities are over, it is time to take that deserving break. The president’s garden party will be held on Sunday, January 17 from 1.30pm.
Finger food is included in the ticket price and there will be raffles and cake stalls to tempt. Tickets are available from Gail Burge and must be purchased prior to the event to help with catering. Why not organise a group of friends to attend? It is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon.
Summer’s afoot: Terry Seaward and Brian Humphris were at the Lions Club community farmers’ market on Sunday distributing flyers and providing information about Inverloch’s summer bowls program.
PAGE 28 - “THE STAR”, Wednesday, December 30, 2015
FESTIVE BOWLING
PAGE 27
sport@thestar.com.au
Race day win THE opening of Stony Creek’s 2015/16 race season proved to be a success on Boxing Day (Saturday).
Though the weather forecast gave a threatening prediction, a large crowd dressed in anticipation of chilly weather and still turned out to watch the starting six races and meet local author Alison Lester with her character Noni the Pony. “We are thrilled; the turn out to the first meeting looked good. We had a great response,” race club president Paul O’Sullivan said. “We are fortunate the rain went away and we had such excellent sponsorship from Alison Lester.”
Ms Lester was keen to be involved with the first race meeting and Mr O’Sullivan said the outcome was fantastic. “She (Ms Lester) created plenty of interest with the Noni paddock set up and the opportunity for fans of her work to get autographs. It was an excellent novelty,” he said. Ms Lester offered plenty of activities to keep the children entertained with a reading tree, hat making, story time and colouring books. There were also lots of children’s activities outside the Noni paddock, including backyard sports, face painting and a jumping castle. Mr O’Sullivan said the racing season was off to
Over the line: Lake Como ridden by 16 year old jockey Brandon Stockdale won the first race of the day at the Stony Creek Racecourse on Boxing Day.
Special guest: John Cooper and local author Alison Lester brought Noni the Pony along to the Stony Creek races on Boxing Day to help entertain the children.
an excellent start with the track in perfect condition thanks to Cindy Logan and the CEO Sarah Wolfe. “We were excited for this first meeting and now we will be looking forward to the Ladies Day on January 8 and Cup Day during the long weekend in March,” he said. Junior riders from local pony clubs were also given a chance to ride around the track on Saturday as part of the Speed to Safety program. “Speed to Safety helps young riders learn to ride at a given pace. It’s an opportunity to gain good skills and creates a pathway to racing,” Jenny O’Sullivan said. The Racing Victoria initiative finished on Saturday, with five finalists completing a time trial in between the main races throughout the day. The finalists were Georgia Filippi from Bass Valley Pony Club riding Mondo Blue and Smokey, Sianan Price from Phillip Island Pony Club riding Willowcroft Melody, Elli Clavarino from Corner Inlet Pony Club riding Money Muncher and Imogen Price from Phillip Island Pony Club riding Olowan Macauley. “I like the Speed to Safety program because it gives the horse new things to do and riding on a race track is really fun,” Sianan said. More photographs on page 26.
Fun day out: back from left, Leongatha lads Alex Castagna, Blake Van Rooy, Ben Chalmers, Jai Van Dyk, Anthony Taranto, front from left, Dave Fromberg and Ryan Frith spent their Boxing Day at the Stony Creek races.
Big things ahead: from left, life member and committee member of 50 years Tony Livingston, past president, life member and committee member of 25 years Paul Boag, and current president Paul O’Sullivan anticipate success at Stony Creek during the 2015/16 racing season.
Congratulations: from left, past Stony Creek Racing Club president Paul Boag presented the Victorian State Government maiden plate trophies to Chris and daughter Georgia Hyland (who accepted on behalf of trainer Pat Hyland), and jockey Brandon Stockdale.