Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen 10 July 2015 edition

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Warragul & Baw Baw

Citizen

TWICE MONTHLY // FRIDAY 10 JULY 2015

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Historic park

Drouin's revamped Memorial Park was officially opened last week by members of the community, the Baw Baw Shire and the state government.

Pictured: Kurnai elders Cheryl Drayton and Sandra Mullett with Drouin ward councillor Tricia Jones during the smoking ceremony. Full story on Page 4 01011

Baw Baw can't get no satisfaction Community approval of restructuring council slides INSIDE

BAW Baw has slipped in several categories of the an­ nual council Community Satisfaction Survey, includ­ ing in the key area of "Overall performance."

Baw Baw scored a 54 per cent approval for its overall perform­ ance in the state government­ mandated survey, down from last year's score of 57 and below the state average of 60.

The average for large rural shires this year was 56 ­ one point down from last year's 57.

Asked by the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen if the result may have partially been due to bad press over the council staff restructure given that topic dominated during the survey period of February/March, mayor Debbie Brown said "I'm beginning to think that the word 'r' (sic) is just out of the dictionary."

"I think it's people’s understanding, wh­ Storycontinues on Page 5

Coaching coaches P6 SBMRGing old music P8

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ARRAGULCITIZEN

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2 · COMMENT ·

Town pride a load of rubbish MANY people are proud to be Gippslanders. The region is known for its crisp, natural scenery and clean living.

But anyone getting off a train from Melbourne or further east will wonder if we have any pride at all when they are greeted by rubbish.

Granted, bins have been removed from stations in response to the terror threat level being hiked up, but even after a visitor has left the platform and ventured into one of our towns they will be followed by litter.

Bins at the Warragul station car park are overflowing, takeaway packaging patrols the footpaths (I even saw a Red Rooster cutlery pack kicking around William Square last week ­ the closest chain is in Morwell!) and collections of wrappers and bottles start colonies in leaf litter and unused spaces.

WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN · 10 JULY 2015

By William PJ Kulich Keening_Product

L

In Warragul, the empty space between EB Games, the rest of the post office complex and the public toilets acts like a fish trap for waste.

Wind blows junk in, watched over by milkshake cups which have been shoved into wire infrastructure cages.

I was discussing the situation with one local at that site last month and, while we talked, one man entered the defacto courtyard, lit a smoke, and after a few puffs dropped it on the ground and left.

"Who'd blame him, the place is already a mess," the local said.

"People have no pride in where they live."

That may well be true, and with modern attitudes to rubbish being remarkably similar to Homer

Simpson's "Can't Someone Else Do It?" sanitation commissioner slogan, the thankless task of keeping our towns tidy is left to our already financially stretched council. (Yes, your rates do pay for cleaning up litter.)

Empty shops may be an eyesore, but a run down town does not help those shops that are left. When a shopping centre an hour away offers a cleaner, more uplifting atmosphere, it's understandable that some might prefer to shop at one.

Information on the effectiveness of town pride in boosting the local economy is difficult to find, but Land Policy Institute Director at Michigan State University in the United States Soji Adelaja has argued the modern economy makes place exceptionally important.

According to Adelaja, summarised by Project for Public Spaces, "keeping and attracting people is the most important strategy in this new economic landscape." This includes effective service provision and quality of life.

So finding a bin to put your bottle in or picking up the newspaper you can see blowing around may well save you money on your rates and boost the economy.

The worst it can do is make the place look nicer.

"The Garbage Man can," and so can you.

TWEETS, EMAILS, COMMENTS AND LETTERS Flight of fancy Regarding "Issues identified at PTV forum" (WBBC 26 June 2015, Page 5), my main PTV gripe is that I cannot make an 8am or earlier flight from Melbourne Airport using PTV from #Gippsland.

@WestGippslandWaffle, Warragul ~ via Twitter

All too much My rates are too much as it is. I have no sewer, no storm water infrastructure, no footpaths, no street lights.

Baw Baw Shire Council had better spend my money wisely.

'Geoff' ~ via warragulcitizen.com

Let them eat Met Regarding state Liberal leader Matthew Guy's promise to let Pakenham­City commuters back on V/Line if elected: He obviously does not travel on the already congested peak V/Line service. Let Pakenham commuters use the Met.

'Janette' ~ via warragulcitizen.com

Fair fare I don’t mind if Pakenham commuters use V/Line as long as they pay V/Line prices. Until they do they have no right to be on the train.

Roger Marks ~ via warragulcitizen.com

Charm offensive no winner Regarding the approved demolition of houses on Mason Street, Warragul, to make way for a new development: While the existing residential buildings may have charm to some in their present run down state, a far greater number of people will be served by the proposed new retail/residential development.

Hopefully that eyesore, the old butter factory, will follow next, or is that considered to be 'heritage' too?

(Editor's note: yes, it is.)

'Ian.F' ~ via warragulcitizen.com

Logging old growth forests the lazy, expensive option Regarding "Possum friend's logging fears" (WBBC 26 June 2015, Page

6): I'm currently volunteering with The Wilderness Society to save Victoria's forests, and researching the leadbeater's possum issue has been a real eye opener.

Our government keeps saying it needs to cut funding to public health and education, but spends millions of taxpayers' dollars subsidising native forest logging.

When viable alternatives exist in recycled fibre and plantation wood, this is just plain wasteful.

It's also destructive. Taxpayers' money is being used to damage forests, which is bad for taxpayers.

Logging the forests damages Victoria's tourism industry and the plantation industry. Forests also absorb CO2, reducing harmful effects of climate change such as droughts and extreme bushfires, as well as acting as giant natural filters for water catchments.

Damaged forests = poor water quality, and less of it.

Logging Victoria's native forests is an injustice to Victorians. But the good news is there are things people can do to stop it. Check out TWS' Ethical Paper pledge online at www.ethicalpaper.com.au.

TWS is campaigning the largest purchaser of logged Victorian forests, Australian Paper (makers of Reflex Paper) to switch to ethical sources.

Also, check for the FSC certification on paper/wood products ­ this will let you know that what you are purchasing is ethically sourced.

I've explored many of Victoria's forests, and they are so beautiful and of such value to society. They are definitely worth protecting.

I'd be really interested to know where the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen sources its printing paper. I couldn't find out on the website, but if its printed on ethical paper that'd be really cool.

(Editor's note: we don't know the source of our paper, but will move to recycled stock as soon as possible.)

Kate Wattchow, Trafalgar

~ via Facebook

Have your own comment?

Send letters with your full name and town to admin@warragulcitizen.com or PO BOX 1111, Warragul, Vic, 3820.

Caught in the web Who said what and which local social media accounts you should follow

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Gary Blackwood @GaryBlackwoodMP Both @SouthwickMP & @TimBullMP will brave Kokoda Track with me for the next two weeks #9thTrek http://bit.ly/1KoAKfN #Gippsnews #Springst (Liberal MP for Narracan) 28 June 2015

f

Cr Mikaela Power, Baw Baw Shire /mikaelapowerforBawBaw Aunty Sandra Mullet presenting at the Early Childhood Cultural Awareness Project at Good Start in Warragul yesterday. The kids were very interested in the story about Tiddalik the frog, Boorun the penguin and how White Rock near Wilson's Prom was made.

(Warragul ward councillor) 1 July 2015

10 JULY 2015 · WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN

Resettling Trafalgar roads WORKS to reconstruct Settle­ ment Road and Middle Road in Trafalgar are now unde­ rway.

The works, enabled by $344,000 in funding from the state govren­ ment's Road to Recovery Program, will involve the rebuilding and widening of the road between 50 Settlement Road and 39 Middle Road.

Baw Baw mayor Debbie Brown said in a media release traffic increases due to expanding comme­ rcial and industrial developments in the area meant the road needed upgrading.

"Many businesses and property owners that regularly use this road will benefit from the safer, wider and fully sealed road surface, which will no doubt make travelling along the road easier and more enjoyable, especially in poor weather," Cr Brown said.

"Funding from the Roads to Recovery Program has assisted the council to invest in repairing and improving essential infrastructure and assets that are balanced against the growing needs of the commu­ nity."

It is expected the project will be completed by August, so long as weather conditions do not interrupt progress.

Local traffic is presently allowed on the road and a short detour is in place along Saleyards Road and Contour Road.

Read more online: warragulcitizen.com

· LOCAL NEWS & FEATURES · 3

Broadbent denies Mafia ties McMILLAN's Liberal MP Rus­ sell Broadbent has said claims made by Fairfax and the ABC that he arranged meetings bet­ ween Mafia figures and federal ministers are incorrect.

Fairfax papers last week reported "loopholes" in Australia's political donations system could lead to corruption of politicians, highlig­ hting Mr Broadbent's alleged intr­ oduction of Calabrian Mafia boss Tony Madafferi to senior Liberal MPs at a party fundraising event.

Fairfax reported a decision to overturn orders to deport Mafia figure Frank Madafferi was made after the alleged introduction and a donation to Liberal party funding body the Millennium Forum.

You can find more of the Fairfax/ABC investigation at theage.com.au and abc.net.au.

Mr Broadbent did not respond to questions on the allegations from the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen or any other newspaper, including Fairfax titles. WBBC had asked Mr Broadbent if the reports were correct and if he had been aware of the situation.

His office instead responded with a transcript of an interview with Mr Broadbent conducted by ABC Gipp­ sland earlier this week.

In that interview Mr Broadbent said the allegations were incorrect.

"The program's wrong!" he said.

"That’s exactly what I said to them nearly nine years ago, and that’s exactly what I said to the Federal Police when they interv­ iewed me.

"The Federal Police said 'well clearly Mr Broadbent you have no

case to answer to.' And there's not another thing heard about it."

Mr Broadbent was asked why he had lobbied then­immigration min­ ister Amanda Vanstone to overturn the deportation decision made by former minister Philip Ruddock.

"I'm glad you asked that, because the question is that I intervened, lobbied, or made representations," he said.

"We are a process office in my office ­ we have a way of doing things. So the truth of the matter is this: I was approached by represe­ ntatives of Francis Madafferi. We made enquiries. We always estab­ lish what the status of the person is in immigration matters. We establ­ ished from the department that this man was in detention to be deported.

"So next thing you do is you go to the DLO – Departmental Liaison Officer. And you say 'we have been told by the department that this man is in detention and is to be deported.' So then you check with anybody else for the politics around the matter. And that’s exactly what we did, and I went back to the person that made the enquires. We went back to them and we said, 'your mate’s going to be deported.

The person you've asked about is in detention and is going to be deported.'

"I’ll say it for the third time. This is exactly what I said to him, 'You are going, he is going, to be depor­ ted ­ that’s it.'

"Therefore, no intervention on my part. No lobbying on my part.

No making representations on my part. No approach to the minister or

conversation on my part."

He was later asked if he had met Frank or Tony Madafferi: "As far as Frank Madafferi goes and Tony Madafferi goes, I have met them," Mr Broadbent said.

"I would say this to you: in regard to Tony Madafferi, in regard to Tony Madafferi, I would say that if he has transgressed the law, he should face the full force of the law and be charged.

"But outside of that, I would say to yourself and the rest of the com­ munity, we have the rule of law in this country. It attends to every­ body.

"Everybody comes under the rule of law of this country. And If you have transgressed the law, you should be charged and face the full consequences of the law. Simple as that."

Asked if he thought parties accepting donations through fundraising bodies was dangerous, Mr Broadbent deflected the ques­ tion, saying it was an issue for the party and he had no involvement in fundraising.

"Candidates and members do not handle money. They don’t handle money. The parties do. And that particular fundraiser that you (ABC Gippsland journalist Jonathon Kendall) referred to which I atten­ ded, that money was split between New South Wales and Victoria and South Australia.

Using a similar line to one freq­ uently used by former prime mini­ ster John Howard, Mr Broadbent said the appropriateness of the political donations system was "for people to judge," not him.

WBBC on social media Facebook search 'The Warragul Citizen' Twitter, Instagram and Minds @WarragulCitizen Snapchat warragulcitizen

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WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN · 10 JULY 2015

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TRAFFIC lights at the intersec­ tion of Albert St­ reet and Victoria Street in Warr­ agul have been upgraded to LED globes.

Contractors com­ pleting work for VicRoads on Mon­ day used a crane to replace the lights.

The process invol­ ved completely remo­ ving the light units ­ black casing and all ­ and replacing them with entirely new units.

The new units are substanitally lighter

than the old ones, which had been attached tightly enough to, in at least one instance, require the use of a grinder to take down.

Once the new lights were secured, the new wires were tied to the old ones, which had been left in the light frame, and pulled through to be connected.

In the case of the overhead lights, the wires were roughly 15 metres long.

The intersection's lights remai­ ned in action during the entire operation.

LED lights are substanitally less power hungry than the old quartz halogen globes, which were in turn more efficient than the incand­ escent lights they replaced many years ago. ^ They also last longer ­ without

01013

A contractor installing new LED lights on Monday. Photos: William PJ Kulich

faults elsewhere in the system, an LED traffic light should last for around 10 years. Each colour light is made up of several small bulbs, quite a few of which can expire before the whole light is written off.

Quartz halogen lights are very sensitive to contact with a range of

substances and and often do not last as long when installed in overhead units.

Monday's upgrade means all traffic lights in Warragul are now LED except the pedestrian lights on Victoria Street and on Queen Street near the rail underpass and Rotary Park.

Renewed Drouin park acknowledges history DROUIN'S refurbished Memo­ rial Park was officially opened at a ceremony last week.

New entrances, pathways, lands­ caping, artwork and assembly spaces have been created at the park, which dominates the heart of the town's CBD. The existing war memorial, already central to the park, has been given even more prominence in the revamp, which had largely been finished before Anzac Day earlier this year.

Members of the Kurnai comm­ unity, the Baw Baw Shire and the state government attended the opening, as well as other people from the community and around 10 members of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club.

Proceedings began with a smoking ceremony conducted by Kurnai elders, followed by traditional dancing and speeches.

Representing police minister Wade Noonan, parliamentary secre­ tary for justice Ben Carroll spoke at the opening event.

"This is a place in the middle of Drouin that means a lot to everyone," he told the strong crowd which had turned out for the opening.

"I am glad to see all the different communities come together ­ Kurnai [and] war veterans ­ combining the indigenous history with the digger."

Mr Carroll went on to congratulate the council on its planning documents, including the Baw Baw 2050 project.

Memorial Park's facelift was funded by both the state gover­ nment and local government. $250,000 came from the state, while Baw Baw contributed over $81,000.

One of the key reasons for the changes was safety. In a media release, Mr Carroll said the changes made the site more usable.

"Drouin Memorial Park is now a more inviting and vibrant space," he said.

"The new lighting, upgraded paths and community art display opens up the park and will encourage more people to use the park, deterring potential crime.

"Drouin residents can now feel safer in their own park.’"

Several reports from council staff and councillors suggest the improv­ ements have already had a positive effect ­ people are now seen eating lunch and gathering around the newly paved area of the site.

One of the most frequent positive comments was the changes had opened up the park a lot more, making the space seem safer at all times of day and better connecting the park to the town.

The new artwork at the park, designed by the Kurnai elders and executed by Drouin­based artist Craig Fison, includes two free­ standing images of fairy wrens and a larger depiction of the clans attached to the front of the toilet block.

Elder Sandra Mullett explained the significance of the imagery to the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen.

"They are male and female [wrens]," Ms Mullett said.

"Yeerung is the male, which is the bright fairy wren, and the other one is the female, Djeetgung.

"Why they're so significant is that before they go through initiation to become a teenager, they have to go through that ceremony. Then they get a totem, and it's a different totem altogether.

"The reason why is the wrens, when you see a whole group of wrens together, well they protect each other very much like a tribe, and that's why we symbolise with them.

"Females and males all look after each other.

"Up the back is our five clans, and the shields represent each clan."

Mr Fison said the works had been a "collective effort" and "it was really lovely working with [the elders.]"

Members of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club after the official reopening of the park. Photos: William PJ Kulich 01015

Traditional dancing during the opening ceremony. 01016

10 JULY 2015 · WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN

Baw Baw satisfaction From Page 1

­ether it's restructure, whether it's refurbishment (of the council's Drouin office ahead of some staff being moved there from Warragul later this year) and all of those, it's the public's understanding of what we're trying to do," Cr Brown said.

"I look at the positive side of it and at the [outcome], and Memorial Park in Drouin is a classic. I have to say I was one of [the doubters] – I drove through the first day they dug everything up (see why on Page 4) and I sat there thinking 'oh, that's not what we thought,' but the end result was a fantastic outcome.

"Sometimes it's shock horror. It's a bit like the refurbishment of the offices in Drouin – you have to look at the final outcome. [It will be] an absolutely fantastic outcome for this community."

The council improved by one point in the "Lobbying on behalf of the community" section, matching the rural shires average of 53, and by two points to 53 in the area of "Decisions made in the interest of the community."

But its customer service rating dropped three points to 64, commu­ nity consultation and engagement fell by one to 52, and satisfaction in overall direction dropped by two to 50.

The Warragul & Baw Baw

By William Kulich Keening_Product

L

Citizen

asked Cr Brown if she was disappointed that satisfaction in sealed local roads only rose by one point on last year's survey to 36 given her council's focus on roads.

"It's [my] ward that is affected by this – North Ward, largest ward in the shire, has a lot of roads," she said.

"The council has 2,000km of roads, just under 1,000 of those are unsealed roads that have to be maintained.

"It comes down to, once again, when you ring someone up (for a survey), if they've been on a road that's full of corrugations, full of pot holes, it's what you get on the day.

"It's not to say that we are not working on those roads. We have a huge infrastructure spend – over $11 million this year."

The score of 36 is nine points below the large rural shires average of 45, and 19 behind the state average.

"When we look at our roads I can understand why people are saying 'we're not happy.' We have a process in place now that we know the conditions of all our roads... we know where our roads are, we know what we need to do to bring them up to a standard," Cr Brown said.

"It's not going to happen overnight."

· LOCAL NEWS & FEATURES · 5

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categories, including age and gend­ er demographics," Cr Brown said.

"Using the 'Have Your Say' data provides an opportunity to assess community interest in particular projects and initiatives throughout the year.

"Collecting age and gender data enables 'Have Your Say' feedback to be aligned with the overall Commu­ nity Satisfaction Survey results."

Mr Lyons also asked: "in a community with a diverse range of gender identities, why does Baw Baw Shire collect gender data as just male or female?"

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Council gender data collection questioned COLLECTION of gender infor­ mation in the Baw Baw Shire's 'Have Your Say' program has been questioned by a resident.

David Lyons of Yarragon asked the council "why does it matter if a respondent is male or female when looking at parking issues in Drouin?"

Mayor Debbie Brown responded to the question during community participation time at Wednesday's council meeting, linking the pro­ gram to the council's annual community satisfaction survey.

"The [survey] findings each year are broken down into a number of

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to review this in future iterations," Cr Brown replied.

Mr Lyons pressed further, asking "has Baw Baw Shire looked at ways to be more inclusive of the comm­ unity around collection of gender data and has it reviewed [whether] on all the occasions it currently collects gender data, it is useful and important data to collect and not being collected unnecessarily?"

The council skated aroud the question, replying with: "as menti­ oned above, this data is collected to provide ongoing review against the annual community satisfaction survey results."

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One year back in print TOMORROW will be the one year anniversary of the War­ ragul & Baw Baw Citizen returning to print.

The paper published its first edition, under the title of The Warragul Citizen, in June 2011.

Back then the paper was A4­sized, black and white and published quarterly. It became online only in 2013.

On 11 July 2014 WBBC returned to print as a monthly full colour tabloid. Since then frequency has doubled to twice monthly, print run has increased significantly and the audience has grown.

You can relive the last year's worth of editions in full online. Just visit issuu.com/warragulcitizen to flick through a digital copy of each edition.

Remember to sign the better buses petition Read why Baw Baw needs better bus services and sign the petition online at http://goo.gl/8FrCep

GIPPSLAND & STATE Latrobe City marriage equality motion stumbles A MOTION by Latrobe City coucil­ lor Kellie O'Callaghan calling on the council to support marriage equality failed after only three councillors voted.

Two councillors voted for the motion and one against. Another two councillors were not present at the meeting whiles.

Speaking on social media after the vote, Cr O'Callaghan said the journey to the vote had been significant.

"There were heartfelt personal journeys shared at tonight's meet­ ing and I thank those members of the community who contributed to a constructive and respectful conv­ ersation," she said.

"To those who attended the meeting, whether supportive of the motion or not, the manner in which you encouraged the discussion and shared your views is greatly appreciated.

"I have walked away from tonight's meeting feeling more empowered to offer my individual support to Marriage Equality and to the members of our local comm­ unity who seek it.

"To ensure that those who have a

personal experience, story or journey to share, [please] continue to be... respectful and safe [in] forums.

"Especially when it is clear that some still believe it is appropriate to be unnecessarily aggressive, and feel compelled to personally direct comments when putting their case.

"It isn't necessary and I refuse to be intimidated by your approach.

"I am proud of those community members who in the face of possible negativity and judgement, stepped into the Council Chamber and asked for support.

"Whilst it was not afforded on this occasion, I do believe that the majority of our community supp­ orts Marriage Equality and that we will see this support continue to grow.

"I'm sure that more community leaders will speak openly of their support and will encourage others to do the same.

"For those who say I had no right to bring this to the council I offer you this: I respect your right to hold a different view. I will always listen respectfully and consider your perspective, but I will continue to listen to my community. I believe it is the right thing to do for this community.

E R O M N E V E !

E N I ONL

Discover past articles, comments, breaking news, extended photo galleries and discussion on the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen's mobile­friendly website!

Simply head to warragulcitizen.com

6 · LOCAL SPORT ·

WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN · 10 JULY 2015

Coaching the coaches FORMER St Kilda coach and able to do that first. The person may North Melbourne premiership come in, have fantastic qualificat­ AFL player Stan Alves spoke to ions, but walk into an environment a meeting of the Gippsland where he's (sic) never coached Football Coaches Association before and if you're not sure of what in Warragul last week. you're looking for, it can muck the He spoke after a presentation on whole system up. the role of a coaching coordinator ­ I think that that's the critical a position some clubs have and component – to have a club that has which AFL Gippsland has encou­ done its homework, just like [the raged clubs to consider. coaching coordinator role,] so The Warragul & Baw Baw everyone understands their roles so Citizen spoke to Alves just before he when we look to the coach that addressed the coaches. person is given a clear mandate.

WBBC: You're here to talk about Also important is that [the coach] your experience as a coach? starts a succession plan, so if he's Alves: More about the importa­ (sic) coaching the Under 14s, when nce of coaching juniors. Understan­ he's finished them and they go on to ding the importance of the role the next group, that coach is to make sure that you get then able to do that sort of the right person to stuff. coach, and then more So much of junior r o aj importantly to make footy is you go in with e The m h t sure you've got peo­ a passion, you love s not thing ni ing and ple to actually look the game, but so e win but... th after that person in many people do it g n t i coaching. because they might s n e o l m WBBC: What ma­ be the parent of a kid evelop d kes the right person? who's doing it."

Alves: It depends on WBBC: How hard is the age group, it depends on it to find a good coach? who you're coaching.

Alves: I think there's a lot of I think, first and foremost, is you great people out there doing it, but identify who you're coaching, what as I said I think the first thing is to are the aims with the group, have a job description of what because you can be coaching Under you're looking for, because so often 10s, you can be coaching Under 17s, finding the right coach is knowing Under 19s, and even senior football. what you're looking for.

Within a club, for the club to If you're taking a group of kids actually identify 'what do we want on, and the aims within their club is from that coach,' they've got to be to teach them certain skill levels,

“

”

Stan Alves speaking in Warragul last week. Photo: William PJ Kulich 01014

and the major thing is not the winning and losing but is actually the development, they become better individually and collectively within a team.

But if you come and you don't [think like that] you might fall in the trap of 'I've got to win,' so all of a sudden everything is based on the winning.

With juniors, you don't always win, so what do you do to make it better?

But more importantly, from my point of view, you have to give them the good experience to want to stay in the game and come back week after week and next year.

It's no different to, look, Carlton is looking for a coach. They have to identify... what they want from their playing group and do we want a

development coach or do we want a coach who is going to win a premiership in two years?"

WBBC: You played for years before coaching St Kilda...

Alves: The first time I coached in my own right was an Under 14s team, before I coached St Kilda, and... I was totally unprepared.

I was totally ignorant of what was required. I had no direction. 'Oh, you will be fantastic because you've played footy at that top level,' but I wasn't, and the club had no program.

WBBC: What are your thoughts on the coaching coordinator role?

Alves: Coaching is a difficult scenario, and when you get someone in make sure you have somebody to help them. So many things are required from a coach

but you can't do them all. You might think you can, but even at a junior level [it's too much]. What you need is a coaching coordinator, some­ body there who is able to provide a support network for that person at all levels."

WBBC: You mentioned before keeping interest is important. Wha­ t's kept you interested?

Alves: Just watching people develop. I think for me now, coming out of it, when you see people develop individually and collecti­ vely, but also then create relations­ hips that stay with you outside the game. Because for me, there are people I coached in Under 14 games who I still catch up with and there are kids I coached at St Kilda who I catch up with, and we talk not only about footy, but their life.

10 JULY 2015 · WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN

Nature Note with 'Gouldiae'

· ENVIRONMENT · 7

A nod to winter I encountered my first greenhood orchid for the season recently, the familiar Nodding Greenhood. This is the time of year for many of our terrestrial orchids to flower, but you need to keep your eyes peeled.

Once you get to see the first one or two, you begin to tune in to what is happening at ground level, often in the understorey.

Most of our greenhoods start with a flat­on­the­ground rosette of small green leaves, and these are often the first indication of their presence. Many lose their basal leaves once flowering begins. Some greenhoods will grow in small to large colonies, while others occur singly. Green coloured flowers are rare but Greenhood Orchids are special for more reasons than their colour.

Greenhoods can be found from the Alps to the coast. Some species

thrive in wet and swampy terrain, others will grow in gravel or sand and every soil type in between. A few species are seriously threatened and some are subject to extensive recovery programs. All greenhoods are protected species and cannot be gathered from the wild.

All terrestrial orchids have a symbiotic relationship with particular fungi mycorrhiza. It is thought that the orchid needs the fungus in order to extract nutrients from its environment. It is not clear if the fungi gain very much from this association but are certainly not harmed in any way.

All greenhoods are deciduous and die back after seed dispersal.

They continue to survive as tubers under the surface. Like all flowering plants, greenhoods require pollination and they employ some trickery to achieve this. The

Trim Greenhood at Moe. A common species often found in large colonies.

Mountain Greenhood on Mt Erica.

Can be found right down to the coast.

greenhood is able to emit a pheromone that attracts a specific insect, generally one of the fungus gnats. Once inside the hood of the orchid the insect must crawl around to escape, inadvertently collecting and spreading pollen grains and so becoming an unwitting pollen distributor.

Victoria has about 60 species of greenhood orchids, some of which are yet to be described. Also, as often is the case in botanical circles, there can be considerable debate over their classification.

Greenhoods ­ small and hard to see sometimes, charming, strange in appearance but ever so clever.

Words and photos by 'Gouldaie'.

For more, vist gouldiaesblog.blogspot.com

Swamp Greenhood at Morwell. Rare species with recovery programs underway.

Cobra Greenhood at Trafalgar.

A spectacular species in decline.

Nodding Greenhood at Jindivick.

Small step left for footsteps of giants project A FUNDRAISER will be held on Thursday 23 July for the Presence of Giants public scul­ pture project.

The sculpture, to be located in Warragul's Civic Park, will take the form of a recessed footprint of a mountain ash tree, inspired by the giants that once towered over the region.

James Geurt, the artist behind the project, said it was the story of the tree cut down in Thorpdale to measure its height ­ 114.3 metres.

Geurt yesterday used a 3D scanner to image a large Mountain Ash tree in Powell, which will inform the shape of the sculpture.

When finished the 50cm deep excavation will be lit with solar powered LED lights.

"It will be like a fossil excava­ tion," Geurt told the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen.

"It will feel like it has just disappeared.

"It's about the body of the tree, not the height."

A digital image depicting what the sculpture will look like. Supplied.

In many ways the project is just like an archaeological dig ­ it is intended to show the history of the region's forests and the people who cut them down.

The Sandy Point­based artist said that before settling on using the 3D scanner he had unsuccessfully tried to create a latex mould.

The state government's Creative Victoria Sculpture Fund has already put $84,000 toward the project, but there is a shortfall of between

Tall Greenhood at Corinella.

Widespread species that flowers from May to November.

$10,000 and $20,000.

The fundraiser will contribute to covering that gap. A limited set of artworks associated with the project

by Geurts will be available for purchase on the night.

Works by Gary Miles valued at $10,000 and Kerrie Warren valued at $5,000, both local artists, have also been contributed.

The fundraising event will start at 18:00 in the Parkview Room of the West Gippsland Arts Centre.

ARTS & RECREATION Fishy business in Yarragon The Baw Baw Sustainability Network will be holding an Aquaponics information session at REstore in Yarragon tomorrow.

Guest presenter Jay Birchall will explain how fish and vegetables can work together to grow and get great results in the garden.

The aquaponics process involves using fish waste to feed microbes and worms that in turn produce fertiliser for plants.

The plants filter the water which is then returned to the fish.

While the cycle is simple, the process of making it work requires explanation.

Regular readers of the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen may remember Jay from the 12 December 2014 edition ­ he taught Year 9 students at Warragul Regional College how to create their own aquaponics systems.

Aquaponic structures are now set up in Warragul and Yarragon community gardens.

Participants are advised to wear weather­appropriate clothing.

AQUAPONICS INFORMATION SESSION REstore 79 Princes Highway, Yarragon Cost: $5 per person, $20 per

family Time: 10:00 ­ 11:30 Get reading with the Yarragon CFA The annual charity book fair will be held in Yarragon again this weekend.

Many good quality books are for sale at the event.

Paper back books all cost $1, hard covers $2.50, and a box of kids' books or cooking books costs $5.

YARRAGON BOOK FAIR Yarragon Public Hall Campbell Street, Yarragon Opening 09:00 Saturday 11 July, closing 16:00 Sunday 12 July Talking ink An exhibition looking at the ink, pen and brush.

This exhibition has examples of these early writing styles and poses the questions: Is hand writing relevant today or is it now an art form?

Has graffiti evolved from the physical need of expressive writing?

Has the computer killed the physical joy of writing?

INK TALKS EXHIBITION West Gippsland Arts Centre Tuesday 14 July until 14 August

8 · ARTS & RECREATION ·

WARRAGUL & BAW BAW CITIZEN · 10 JULY 2015

ADVERTISEMENT

Tiny PC with tiny price boots in 10 seconds IT BOOTS in an incredible 10 sec­ onds and comes with Windows, antivirus and cutting­edge storage for just $699; this tiny computer is rewriting what the people of Baw Baw should expect from their devices.

ITaffinity, located at 2 Smith Street Warragul, is now stocking Lenovo's Intel­powered pocket rocket ­ the ThinkCentre M53. The M53 is so small it has the nickname "Tiny".

This 1.3kg PC packs a lot in a tiny case ­ a quad core processor, a super­fast SSD custom fitted by ITaffinity, built­in wireless and bluet­ ooth, USB 3 and HD graphics.

The benefit of an SSD over an old fashioned hard disk drive is it has no moving parts, meaning it operates much faster and produ­ ces less heat. It also consumes less power than usual drives, complimenting the Tiny's highly efficient power supply.

Even Jon Cavell, the experien­ ced tech behind ITaffinity, was wowed by the system.

"The Tiny is the perfect low­ cost, lightning fast solution for

most computer users," he said.

Jon has had extensive experie­ nce in protecting computers from malware, and each Tiny he sells comes with Quck Heal antivirus pre­installed.

Windows 8.1 also comes pre­ installed, and Windows 10 will be a free upgrade when it is released later this month.

If you want to check out the Tiny, Jon has one set up in his shop. Just drop into ITaffinity at 2 Smith Street Warragul to experi­ ence its power yourself. But be warned ­ once you've seen how fast this computer is your old one will seem awfully slow.

SBMRGing the past

Left: Cooper Dodge. Photo: Benjamin Justin Murphy, via the Peruw Facebook page

levels.

"The Preuw track 'She Wants' has a much more developed sound than [the first Peruw release,] 'Moons' (also deleted), which I also can't find anymore."

Cooper has recently been work­ ing as a DJ in Melbourne under the Peruw name, and just recently also played Sydney.

"I wouldn’t say that it's 'increa­ sing success,' but I’m definitely getting a lot more interest for gigs at the minute, especially after relea­ sing 'She Wants.'

"I’ve been really enjoying playing DJs recently, so I guess all is well."

A lot of new music releases are on the horizon for Cooper, who has debuted some new tracks at his recent DJ gigs.

"I've been writing very consist­ ently since the release of 'She Wants,' so the coming months will definitely bring new originals, maybe a remix or rework and more gigs, including some interstate dates."

So what can you do if you liked the SBMRGE sound? Well, there is some good news for you.

"To be honest, I’ve been writing a lot of stuff similar to the vibe of SBMRGE recently," Cooper said.

"As I mentioned before, I've been sending SBMRGE music out to people who contact me for it."

You can find Peruw on Facebook at facebook.com/peruwmusic.

More to read online www.warragulcitizen.com

♪

Listen online You can listen to Preuw on SoundCloud soundcloud.com/peruwtunes

FANS of Drouin synth music man Cooper Dodge's SBMRGE project might be finding it hard to find his music ­ he deleted his SoundCloud music page and most of his Facebook presence.

Earlier this year Cooper started work on a new project, Peruw, which took his music into the house and techno genres.

He told the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen in February that "SBMRGE will stay a project ­ I'm sitting on a few unreleased tracks," but priorities have changed.

"I suppose, ultimately, [deleting SBMRGE] was all just a part of moving onto the Peruw project," Cooper told WBBC late last month.

"I just wanted to completely start over, fresh.

"I’ve been sending a few unrelea­ sed and older SBMRGE songs to people who have been reaching out since deleting the pages."

Asked how he was settling into the new genre, Cooper highlighted the progress he had made.

"Yes, it is a much more developed sound," he said.

"But it is also a project that I [have worked hard] to be happy with.

"Sometimes it can take a lot to give a song the last 10 per cent that it needs and with all my new material I am learning to push myself and my workflow to new