Baw Baw Citizen - 8 December 2017

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8 December 2017

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Green Shed graff

Baw Baw

Library stats don't tell the whole story Baw Baw library membership growth is not keeping pace with our population, accoring to data provided to the Baw Baw Citizen.

If you read the Baw Baw Shire's latest annual report you could be forgiven for thinking overall library membership is declining.

According to the report, the percentage of Baw Baw residents who are active members of any local branch fell by 2.1 per cent over the last three financial years to 18.7 per cent.

But West Gippsland Libraries CEO Leanne Williams told the Baw Baw Citizen this region's membership numbers have actually increased over the last year, albeit only a little.

"The number of members increased from 14,788 in 2015/16 to 14,857 in 2016/17," Leanne said.

(That's 69 members.)

"This represents 31.86 per cent of the Baw Baw Shire population."

You might have noticed that percentage is different to the Continue reading on Page 4

BAW BAW

CITIZEN KiriZach, and Odin Lexi,from and Julian Howling stand Husky ready Sled toDog paint Tours withmeeting professional the crowds graffiti ofartist people Dan andWenn. otherPhoto pups at and SnowFest. article: William Photo: editor.

PJ Kulich.

Baw Baw in your inbox Get free email updates from the Baw Baw Citizen bbcit.co/email

Eastern Park’s Green Shed might need a new name thanks to the artistic efforts of local kids.

WARRAGUL • A large mural of, by, and for the people has been painted on the exterior of Warragul Theatre Company's Eastern Park building.

The week-long Green Shed repaint project is scheduled to wrap up today. Led by Port Melbourne-based graffiti artist Dan Wenn and backed by the Baw Baw Shire Council, it has brought 10 local youth along for the ride

and given them the chance to learn and try out new artistic skills.

"We wanted the guys involved in the workshop to carry their skills through and be a part of the mural," Dan told the Baw Baw Citizen on Tuesday.

Eastern Park is a busy hub which several community groups call home; from the theatre company and community garden to the Warragul Colts football club.

"We were given a brief by the council to create something that was for all the user groups in the area," Dan said.

"I'm getting lots of people stopping and talking to me, the community reaction has been really positive. That has been good."

The young participants were trained on the basics of spray paint at a workshop on Saturday, during

which everyone created their own works. Having learned the ropes, they were able to contribue to the main mural during the week.

While open to people aged 14 to 25, Dan said it was mostly younger people who wanted to be involved.

"It's amazing with the young kids, first of all how easily they Continue reading on Page 7

GIVEAWAY EVENT! Search Warragul Computer Repair on Facebook for deets

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8 December 2017

About Formerly The Warragul Citizen and Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen

Edition number 41 Published quarterly, 5,000 copies Publisher & Editor William PJ Kulich

The publisher takes responsibility for political comment in this paper.

Uncredited articles and photos are by the editor.

Contact us Mail PO BOX 1111, Warragul, Victoria, 3820

Social media @BawBawCitizen

Email (story tips + advertising) admin@fpress.com.au Read online www.bbcitizen.com.au

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Baw Baw Citizen

Rubbish advice BAW BAW • We've all been there.

Standing at the bin with a weird piece of plastic,cardboard, or styrofoam, wondering whether it should go in recycling or the trash.

Solo Resource Recovery's Rebecca McKeown gets a lot of questions about what goes in which bin. In fact, it's her job as the company's waste eduction officer to answer them.

Rebecca was at last month's debut Baw Baw Sustainability Expo to explain to visitors what is and is not recyclable. It's a good thing she was, too.

Rebecca: We've had a lot of questions about soft plastic, so plastic bags and plastic film, and whether those can be recycled through the yellow-lidded bin, which they cannot be at the moment. The best place to take them is to a Coles supermarket, or if you're not able to do that then putting it in your red lidded garbage bin is the next best option.

We've also had a lot of questions about how clean things need to be, and they don't have to be perfectly clean, so you don't have to scrub and wash it, but as long as it's fairly clean that's fine.

Baw Baw Citizen: People are used to seeing the PET triangle on things, that doesn't necessarily mean you can recycle it, does it.

Polystyrene comes to mind...

Kiri Solo's andwaste Odineduction from Howling officer,Husky Rebecca Sled McKeown, Dog Tours shows meeting Sustainthe crowds ability Festival of people visitors and other whatpups can and at SnowFest. cannot goPhoto: in recycling. editor.

Rebecca: Yep, that is correct. The symbols on the plastic are actually the resin code which tells manufacturers what it's made of. So it's not actually whether you can or can't recycle it, it's just telling you what it's made of.

BBC: What other questions or surprises have people had from talking to you today?

Rebecca: We've had quite a few questions about where Baw Baw

Shire's recycling is going, and that is going to a facility called Polytrade down Dandenong way.

It was a useful morning and one a few people will no doubt be regretting missing. But don't worry, we can help!

Rebecca has agreed to answer questions from Baw Baw Citizen readers as part of a future story which will look more deeply into what can and cannot be disposed

of in each of Baw Baw's bins. This is your chance to ask someone who knows what exactly you're supposed to do with those old paint cans and odd plastics.

If you would like to ask a question of Rebecca, send an email with an explanation of what you want to dispose of correctly to admin@ fpress.com.au.

You are welcome to include photos of the item/s, and you could even send us a link to a video question!

Baw Baw Citizen - 8 December 2017

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8 December 2017

Baw Baw Citizen

Library stats don't tell whole story Continued from Page 1

council's numbers. This is likely because Baw Baw's audit looked at active members, not the raw membership count.

"Of the 14,857 members, 8,994 borrowed items from the library in the past 12 months," Leanne went on to say.

The reason it looks like library memberships have decreased is because Baw Baw's population has increased rapidly. Our estimated population rose by 1,354 in 2015/16, and while population data for the most recent financial year isn't available yet it's pretty safe to assume the growth has continued.

So, is membership a reliable indicator of of library usage and engagement? After all, you can drop in and use a space without ever holding a card.

"Membership figures are still a valuable way of measuring how our library collection is utilised," Leanne said.

"However, indicators such as visits, Wi-Fi sessions, PC sessions, game console use, and program attendance offer a broader perspective on how our community interacts with our libraries.

"It’s worth noting that in 2016/17 library visits continued to increase to 175,364 from 174,412 in 2015/16. There was also a 15 per cent increase in the number of program attendees during the past year, totaling 12,639 people (of which 10,915 were children)."

Opinion

Don't put the brakes on local biz this Christmas █ William Kulich @WillPJK

Warragul Library staff Drew Wilson, Shannon Matlock, and Lynn Seymour. Photo + story by editor

The council's data does however show a dip in Baw Baw's library collection usage to 6.2 per cent, down from last year's 6.6 per cent.

That year's result was a good one though, with collection usage in 2014/15 being 5.7 per cent.

But no matter where you look, Baw Baw's population is still rising faster than its library membership.

So we asked what was being done to start catching up.

"Our Library Plan 2017-21 has a strong focus on encouraging the community to access our services," Leanne said.

"We’re aware that many people don’t know what we have to offer, such as free Wi-Fi and hundreds of free programs throughout the

year, so we’re working to increase our profile through targeted social media, outreach sessions and community partnerships.

"We’re also planning to host a regional learning festival in mid-2018, which will highlight different aspects of our service and give the community an opportunity to participate in some great activities.

"Most recently we launched a new brand for the organisation to better reflect our future direction – being modern, vibrant, creative, welcoming and dynamic. We’ve received a great response from the community about the new logo so far, and we hope it will continue to boost our marketing efforts."

Warragul isn't a big town, but it's growing. And with growth comes some pain.

In response to increasingly limited car parking in the town's CBD, Baw Baw Shire recently upped the frequency of parking patrols across the region. This means the likelihood of drivers actually being fined for spending all day in a one-hour space is much greater.

When we ran a story about this online we had some very strong reactions from our audience.

Many responses were positive, but the most popular comment on our Facebook post about the change was "Fountain Gate, Pakenham Plaza, Moe Kmart, here we come for Christmas shopping!"

Has parking in Baw Baw really become so bad as to warrant a 45-minute drive to a place you could end up parking on the fringe of anyway?

Has our interest in local traders really degraded to the point that enforcing parking restrictions is enough to drive us away? All day spaces are an easy 10 minute or less walk from the middle of our towns and usually have spaces available.

I get it, shopping centres have stores and amenities we don't have on Baw Baw's

streets. I'm also not for a moment suggesting we make the Buy Local campaign some kind of cult. But we do have to remember we have some great, modern stores in our region which are very easily accessible.

And most importantly, our retailers need our help.

Speaking to many bricks-andmortar store owners recently actually made me concerned.

For many smaller, independent, family businesses the downturn is worsening and they're really doing it tough. Stories of transition also featured prominently at this week's Baw Baw Business Networking Function.

Of course, retailers need to be proactive in this transitioning economy. Old school business management isn't going to work, but old fashioned service will.

Demand for a new shopping experiences is clearly present in the community, and even little things like retailers not parking outside their own storefront all day could help keep money in the local economy.

Our local businesses are a great resource and keep the economy going. They put kids in jobs and support community groups. So if you plan to skip over them, maybe give them another look.

After all, they're only down the street.

Baw Baw's very own travel show!

The Baw Baw Citizen has teamed up with Visit Baw Baw to bring you a new video series covering what's on in the region!

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Head to bbcit.co/vbb to watch the first episode now.

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Baw Baw Citizen 8 December 2017

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Downtime

Comedy

Last edition, sketch comedy icon Michael Veitch told us Australian satire is pretty much dead.

There were two exceptions - Shaun Micallef, and comedy team The Chaser.

Charles Firth was a founding member of The Chaser and now edits satirical magazine The Chaser Quarterly. The South East Free Press caught up with Charles after an event in Melbourne to ask what he thought of Michael's diagnosis.

"I think that’s totally untrue," he said.

"You look at our numbers even now, 19 years after we started, [and] we have an enormous reach.

"It’s interesting. There are people making political comment of a more serious nature who are far better resourced than us – we’re still just a few f---wits in a room – who don’t get that reach.

And I think it’s partly because comedy in this country really travels.

"It also cuts across political persuasions. A lot of people who read our stuff don’t necessarily follow our politics."

You can watch the full sevenminute interview at bbcit.co/ firth17.

Dave Cann from String + Salt with Kouark Winery's Phil Gray at Warragul Farmers' Market. Image and article: editor.

Firth with the facts

Mull it over FOOD • Like snowy ornaments on a frosted Christmas tree, mulled wine is one of those European festive traditions which is a little out of place on a hot Australian December 25th.

But we're not complaining, especially not after this advice from String + Salt's Dave Cann at a winter Warragul Farmers' Market.

"Mulled wine is spices, generally a bit of sweetness, and red wine," Dave explained.

"Every region has its own take on that. Scandinavians have glugg, which might have

a little bit more of a cardamom aspect. Germans have glühwein, which will tend to have more citrus. The English have mulled wine, which tends to be a little sweeter.

"It all just comes down to the base spices.

"Generally your base spices would [include] cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and then from there what you add is really up to you.

"You can go with things like orange and orange segments and lemon peel, or you can go with cardamom and even juniper and

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Power holds off Stingrays in Round 14 clash West Gippsland Arts Centre starts reno vlog Baw Baw In 90 Seconds - 4 August 2017 Colts beat Traf for Youth Girls grand final place Baw Baw In 90 Seconds - 8 August 2017 Council to consider Warragul streetscape works feedback Donate blood at Burke Street this month Leisure Centre’s $14 million overhaul nets $1,000 prize More art coming to library with Kenneth Jack’s ‘Warragul’ Much of Baw Baw given severe weather warning Baw Baw In 90 Seconds - 10 August 2017 Marriage equality poll ‘already causing hurt and distress’ Labor rejects Blackwood’s West Gippsland Hospital claim Rawson bus on the road again Colts face Newborough Blues in 2017 Youth Girls final Baw Baw to live stream council meetings Baw Baw In 90 Seconds 15 August 2017 The Presets, Schoolboy Q, and Matt Corby among Beyond The Valley 2017 headliners Council-run sustainability festival coming to Warragul Baw Baw seeks input on events and arts EDFL: Dusties beat Poowong, plus Round 18 scores Baw Baw In Brief - 22 August 2017 VicRoads warns of 40+ minute delays following Yarragon collision Only 30 per cent of Baw Baw’s cats registered, impounds rising Baw Baw introduces digital rates notices Arts Centre upgrade reaches ‘major milestone’ Baw Baw rubbishes coffee cup campaign Hallora Hall raises $3.1k for West Gippsland Hospital cancer care Mason Street roundabout works to start next week Cats and roundabouts: Baw Baw In Brief 8 September 2017 Baw Baw Shire director quits to join Frankston City Baw Baw finally fills 12 month-vacant director position 2017 EDFL finals: Dusties v Catani in pictures EDFL final a sign of a strong league: Gwynne Yarragon street trees face chop in short notice plan Ultra Marathon for Daniel kicks off in Warragul Baw Baw’s ‘Utopia’ pound opening delayed Two airlifted after Brandy Creek Road Warragul collision Are these Warragul’s biggest Tigers fans? A Drouin gym is hosting... an art exhibition? Check out Gerard Dovey’s AFL drawings Snapped: Peter Carpenter with Barley Sugar Vandalism, rain may delay West Gippsland Arts Centre reopening Baw Baw finally closes old, cold Warragul pound Police release images in Warragul theft from vehicle investigation Baw Baw cops seize two suspected-stolen trailers Earthquake recorded west of Baw Baw Ten chosen to carry Queen’s Baton through Warragul Missing bushwalker found safe near Baw Baw National Park What’s in at the 2017 Drouin Wedding Expo Wallet containing $800 cash handed to Warragul Police ‘Suspicious’ Warragul car fire under investigation Gas leak shuts part of Warragul CBD Second Warragul car fire under investigation Seven speeding fines in 45 minutes: Trafalgar Push to make Old Drouin Butter Factory a community-owned art space Unnamed Warragul reserve given title Warragul Police clock car travelling 111km/h on Albert Road Baw Baw’s rubbish no longer going to Latrobe City Section of Walhalla track renamed after Gallipoli fighter Warragul’s renewed Civic Park playground has TRAMPOLINES! Car stolen from Drouin address, police seeking information Traf’s Twilight Christmas Market back for 2017 Yarragon venue’s liquor license application goes to councillors Maintenance grant for Neerim District Secondary Baw Baw encouraging drug addiction and support centre submissions Warragul café workers underpaid almost $9,000 Baw Baw councillors to choose mayor on Wednesday Bushfire north of Rawson in steep terrain Bushfire north west of Noojee; crews responding Warragul CFA’s 2017 open day will be HUGE McMillan says yes, but Russell Broadbent won’t support same sex marriage Erica & District Fire Brigade’s new banner STOLEN Gauci returned for third term as Baw Baw mayor Darnum: serious collision on highway prompts witness appeal Warragul car crash driveoff under investigation Police pull car from Drouin West river Warragul Farmers’ Market turns FOUR! Warragul crash, Tarago River dumping, and Korumburra highway theft RELATED? Young, in Baw Baw, and want to be on RADIO? Hit up 3BBR FM! Play equipment burned at Warragul’s Burke Street Park Warragul CFA shows off new (and very old) trucks at open day Severe thunderstorm warning for Baw Baw All Baw Baw’s seasonal POOLS OPEN next month!

Baw Baw’s FIRE DANGER PERIOD declared STUNNING weekend storms: reader photos (and video!) Look out! Baw Baw PARKING PATROLS boosted Yarragon: pedestrian struck by train Bowen Street Warragul to be partially REBUILT Weather warning sees Drouin Lights Up and other Baw Baw events POSTPONED Trafalgar crop house BUSTED

stuff like that to really give it a boost.

"But you don't want to overdo your spices.

"Once you have your spice mix sorted out, you put that into your red wine in a pot and sweeten to taste. Generally you'll go with between 40g and 60g of sugar per bottle, but it's up to you.

"Then you bring it very, very slowly up to a gentle roll. You don't want a simmer because a simmer will lose your alcohol, so you're just bringing it up so it's just gently rolling.

"Let it do its thing for 10 - 15 minutes, then you strain it, put it back in the bottle and drink it warm."

In short, it's "spices, sweetness, and red wine."

What are your favourite festive and summer recipes? We'd love to know and share them with our readers!

Send an email to admin@ fpress.com.au with your recipe and photo and we'll be in touch.

Find more local food at bbcit.co/food.

We have published over 100 stories and videos online since our last print edition.

Don’t miss out on any more.

Subscribe for FREE news update emails from the Baw Baw Citizen at bbcit.co/email You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram under the username @BawBawCitizen.

Downtime Ahoy, here be a classic!

Art in the park Dan with Georgia Bransgrove and the artwork she produced at Saturday's workshop.

What's on

Image: Supplied

It seems there's no escaping Donald Trump.

As part of the 2018 West Gippsland Arts Centre's Outside the Walls program, Gilbert & Sullivan favourite The Pirates of Penzance will make land at Neerim Junction Hall in March.

The show blurb mentions the impressive cast of just six – Philip Gould, Brian Hannan, Alison Jones, Caroline Vercoe, Chris McKenna, and Dominic Woodhead – but comes with a warning: "Beware in 2018, [PoP] will contain NUTS and Donald Trump additives!"

Don't groan. The Pirates of Penzance is the perfect show for actors to have some fun with, and the story is so often retold it's fascinating to see what new jokes and inflections are added to keep it pulling crowds.

For ticket information, visit wgac.com.au.

Baw Baw Citizen

Continued from Page 1

pick it up, but also how quickly they fall in love with it, put their head down, and commit to doing it. It's really good," he said.

One of those young people is 14-year-old Zach, who has been exploring a few different art techniques in recent years.

"It's a great opportunity to do something like this, and it's really fun," Zach told the Baw Baw Citizen.

"It is helping a lot, and I have been thinking about doing a lot of art in the future.

"I have courses on it [planned for] next year.

"I like art a lot, and this is going to come with me through my life."

We also spoke to Lexi and her brother Julian.

"I love art. My mum's an artist.

I'm really into this sort of stuff," Lexi said.

"We learned all the basic skills for this [on Saturday], and then we could help with the actual mural if we wanted to.

"It's really exciting and it's going to be cool to say that I helped with it. It's looking really good."

Her brother started out less excited.

"I went to the workshop. I didn't really want to do it but went anyway, and now I'm really enjoying it," Julian said.

"The mural's really fun to do."

Part of the reason for that

turnaround might be Dan. "He's really good," Julian said.

Dan said he'd like to see a few more of Baw Baw's plain walls coloured in, and that the community seems up to it.

"Why have a blank wall? We can have community involvement and do some really cool stuff that would suit the area.

"The workshop down here is probably one of the best responses we've had to a workshop, so there's no reason we can't do it again."

If you want to check out the new Eastern Park mural, you can find the shed near Warragul Community House, 138 Normanby Street, Warragul.

8 December 2017

7

Our picks

The no-mess water balloon replacement

Image: Tammy Logan / Gippsland Unwrapped

We're fast approaching the hot part of summer, and many people will soon be looking for fun ways to cool off at home.

A water balloon fight fits the bill, but they're often over too quickly and leave a horrendous mess. That mess isn't just bad for us to clean up; should any hungry wildlife think a spent balloon is food, they're in trouble.

That's why we loved seeing Gippsland Unwrapped's latest post. Three words: crochet water balloons.

They hold water, they're soft, they're very reuseable, and they won't be some poor bird's last meal.

You can find the instructions on how to make them on the Gippsland Unwrapped website. Here's a direct link to the article: bbcit.co/gu1712

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Baw Baw Citizen - 8 December 2017

A printer which

cares for you and the environment █ This is a sponsored story

For many people, home printers have become an annoying joke.

Buying one for the cost of the inks it comes with is one of the more confusing realities of printer ownership in 2017. A mix of cutprice printers and overpriced inks has driven many to after-market cartridges, which can damage or confuse the printers they go in.

It’s wasteful, often expensive, and thankfully soon to change according to Jon Cavell of Warragul Computer Repair.

“The affordably priced refill bottles mean problems associated with mismatching inks have been essentially eliminated.

“Air leaks due to ink cartridge changes are gone, and the cost of printing – wait for it – oh my God, it's so much cheaper!

“ “ It has been a market trend for cheaply made printers to be sold at below cost, with the money made back on subsequent ink sales at exorbitant mark-ups.

-Jon Cavell, Warragul Computer Repair

“Someone at Epson understands it makes sense from a business perspective to make a printer which lasts, and to supply inks for that printer at affordable prices.

“As such, Epson has released Australia's first home printer with a factory-fitted continuous ink system, and it has an amazing two year warranty with registration! You don’t get that from every printer, that’s for sure.”

A continuous ink printer using a system like Epson’s EcoTank does away with cartridges completely. Instead, you keep your printer topped up with ink straight from simple bottles.

That’s right - no more over-packaged cartridges good for only a few dozen prints, and no more “ink low” nonsense forcing you to throw ink away!

It's not complex. It's not technical. It's just common sense, and that has Jon excited.

“Our thoughts? Wow, amazing,” he said.

The genuine inks are as much as 30 times cheaper per copy than cartridges or toners!

“They're so reasonably priced it's pointless to use other options.

“These are printers which are clearly designed to be purchased and looked after and cared for. Yes, they are a little bit dearer than a regular printer, but in the long term they are substantially cheaper to run and own.

“Best of all, there's much less weight on your environmental conscience.”

In the unlikely event you need to use the warranty, you have a local on your side.

Warragul Computer Repair recently gained Epson Authorised Repairer status, meaning all repairs and warranties can be handled locally and in person.

Not looking for a new printer? Here are Jon's top four tips for getting the best out of any regular inkjet printer: 1) Print regularly to avoid clogs; once a month is not enough.

2) Just like a dual fuel car, never mix genuine inks with after market options. It’s fine to run one or the other, but NEVER mix.

3) To avoid paper jams, never use damp, bent, or already used paper, and make sure your printer is on a level, stable surface.

4) Using fresh A4 copy paper is best practice, but if you must use photo paper be sure to print on one or two sheets of copy paper afterwards to blot away any excess ink.

Be sure to check out Jon’s regular IT news and alerts at warragulcomputerrepair.com.au, and drop in to say hi at 6 Smith St Warragul.

Epson’s Expression ET-2610 is an excellent quality, bang-for-buck printer featuring EcoTank inks and an amazing two year warranty. Image: Epson.

See continuous ink in action!

It has been a while since a printer has excited us, but Epson's new offering is such a cool concept we will be putting it on display at Warragul Computer Repair!

Drop by between 8am and 3pm Monday to Friday to see how it all works for yourself. You have no obligation to buy, but we're sure you will be impressed!

Warragul Computer Repair can be found at 6 Smith Street, Warragul.

Repairs - Sales - Advice 6 Smith Street, Warragul PH: 56 232 777 AH: 0499 999 869 Trading 8 - 3 Monday to Friday except holidays

AUTHORISED REPAIRER