The Weekly Advertiser – Wednesday, December 21, 2022

‘Building it back different’ is key

BY JESSICA GRIMBLE

The provocations of a paediatric researcher suggest ‘building it back different’ to improve outcomes for young people across the Wimmera and southern Mallee.

Professor Sharon Goldfeld told a forum in Horsham last week the COVID-19 pandemic had provided a ‘disruption’ that encouraged and allowed people to think differently and critically and create a community-led responsibility for better outcomes for children – both prior to, and in their early years of schooling.

Her suggestions come as 2021 Australian Early Development Census, AEDS, data shows one-in-threeWimmera and southern Mallee children start school among the 10 percent mostdevelopmentallyvulnerablechildreninAustralia.

Professor Goldfeld spoke to representatives of healthcare, early years and education, local government, community and advocacy bodies and

boards at the forum. Professor Goldfeld is a paediatrician and director of the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hos-pital, cogroup leader of policy and equity, and theme director, population health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She is an experienced policymaker, public health and paediatric researcher and a member of the Wimmera Southern Mallee By Five Early Years Initiative steering committee.

The By Five initiative hosted the forum.

Nationally, 2021 data shows about 20 percent of children start school developmentally vulnerable in one or more ‘domains’; and considering two or more ‘domains’, there is three-times the difference between the most advantaged and disadvantaged areas.

Professor Goldfeld encouraged people to consider fiveopportunities for ‘a more equitable Australia’. These included addressing financial instabil-ity through parent financial supple-ments, considering the role of schools

‘It’s overwhelming’

A competition encouraging people in the region to shop locally has brought a Horsham family a leap closer to a precious wheelchair-accessible victory.

Horsham’s Anthony Rolins pulled up at Conways bakery last week to buy a pie for lunch during what, he thought, was just another day at work.

Little did he know that bacon pie would make him and his family an ACE Radio 10K Fridays! competition winner – a radio giveaway that offered people a chance to win $10,000 if they shopped at participating businesses.

Mr Rolins and his partner Courtney’s son Seth, 11, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy – a rare disease that affects Seth’s ability to walk.

He requires a motorised wheelchair to get around – severely limiting the type of car the family can use.

Without a wheelchair-accessible car, Seth requires a specialised taxi to get to school every morning.

With a GoFundMe page online dedicated to raising money to purchase a car that can accommodate Seth’s wheelchair, Mr Rolins said the $10,000 would ‘go a long way’ towards helping the family get their hands on a custom wheelchair-specific car.

Mr Rolins said when he got the call to tell him he had won the money, he felt ‘overwhelmed’.

“I was just shocked and emotional. I have never won anything like that in my life,” he said.

“I had heard about the promotion, but I always thought it was never going to be something I could win.

“I was in the car yard this week, already looking at options, and we might have found a car that would be perfect to convert into one that can carry Seth and his wheelchair.

“That $10,000 is definitely going to help us.”

ACE Radio Horsham content director Adam Roche, who spoke with Mr Rolins live-on-air after he had won the prizemoney, said all recent winners of ACE Radio’s 10K Fridays! had been ‘worthy’, however Mr Rolins and his family’s story was particularly special.

“Anyone can enter these promotions by supporting local businesses, and with each winner, we find out about the back story of each individual and their family,” he said.

“The Rolins’ have five children and have been really struggling lately, trying to raise as much money as they can to get a wheelchair-accessible vehicle so their son Seth can get to school.”

“At this time of the year, for them to win the $10,000, it is a beautiful thing that really does warm the heart.”

to address learning gaps and wellbeing, rethinking healthcare delivery to address reduced access, focusing on prevention and early intervention for mental health, and using digital solutions to address inequitable service delivery.

She suggested 10 ‘stacked’ interventions – including antenatal care, childcare, playgroups, child and family health hubs, digital navigator, sustained nurse home visiting, parenting programs, child and family centres, financial support and green space.

“We need to sit in the complexity and recognise there are no silver bullets,” she said.

“What do kids need, what do families need and what do communities

need–allatonce–askidsaremoving through childhood?”

Professor Goldfeld said ‘working at the seams’and developing partnerships could address broad community change.

“How do you slow system change fast?” she said.

“We know that system change requires people coming along the journey and we need everybody around the table – which takes time.

“Every year, babies are born into adversity and their life trajectories are notsogreatovertime.Sohowcanwe get in there early?

“Andhowcanyouensurethatevery family is getting it; that it’s of a high qualityandthosewhoneeditareactually getting it.

“Those process issues are much hardertonail.Ineveryservice,weoften get disproportionate uptake by the familiesthatsometimesleast need it.”

Professor Goldfeld said developing waystomeasureoutcomes,additional toAEDSresults,wascriticaltounderstand and assess progress.

TheByFiveinitiativeseekstofoster equitable access to early years services, high-quality care for all families, the building of an environment to enable confident and connected families to engage and participate in early years services, and enable community environments to be supportive of all families.

The initiative’s executive officer Jo Martin said Professor Goldfeld’s presentation validated existing ac-tions and future aspirations, which are based on research evidence and local knowledge.

MrsMartinsaidtheinitiativeandits partnerswere‘initforthelonggame’.

“Traditionally, we have more devel-opmentally vulnerable children, per capita, than other areas,” she said.

“It’s reflective of a lot of things. In adverse times, such as COVID-19, vulnerable communities are hit hard-er.”

People wanting more information about the By Five initiative can go to

Mr Roche said after ‘thousands and thousands’ of competition entrants and five $10,000 giveaways, no winner was more worthy than any other. However, he said his phone call with Mr Rolins this week had ‘stuck

with him’, and he was ‘extremely happy’ the money was going towards helping Seth.

“This is why radio is a great community connector,” he said.

People can donate to the Rolins’

cause via gofundme.com/f/wheelchair-accessible-vehicle-for-seth Shoppers won vouchers worth more than $5000 throughout the ACE Radio 10K Fridays! competition.

BugROff wins ‘Australian Pest Manager of the Year’ for 2 consecutive years

–Michael Scalzo

HELP: Horsham’s Anthony Rolins, back right, was crowned an ACE Radio 10K Fridays! competition winner. Mr Rolins said the money would help buy a wheelchair-accessible car so his son Seth, front, can join the family, from left, Tohbie, Courtney, Bella and Deklyn on the road.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

“What do kids need, what do families need and what do communities need – all at once – as kids are moving through childhood?”

– Sharon Goldfeld

Police

BY JESSICA GRIMBLE

Horsham police have encouraged people to celebrate the year’s end – safely and responsibly.

Inspector Di Thomson said data showed almost 82 percent of offences statewide were associated with alcohol consumption and one-in-three serious assaults involved alcohol.

She said research also suggested people living in western Victoria consumed alcohol at a higher rate compared with the state average.

“I don’t like to think we are the anti-fun police. Everyone deserves to be celebrating and having a nice time with family and friends,” she said.

“But what we do see, as police, is some people making poor choices that don’t just ruin a day or week – they ruin lives.

“There are plenty of fantastic celebrations that go on and, of course, we’re not invited to those because they’re not disruptive and they don’t ruin anyone’s life – and that’s the way it should be. But for others, the celebrations we are called to are impregnated in people’s lives for the rest of their lives. Instead of being a festive time that should be enjoyed, people are reflecting on tragedy.”

Inspector Thomson said the Horsham and District Liquor Accord had the power to ban people from all licensed

premises across Horsham for a period of time. The Accord aims to tackle crime and violence near late-night entertainment centres and focuses on the safety of patrons exiting licensed venues, taxi availability, disorderly behaviour and public safety.

Under the Accord, for example, a person caught drinking alcohol at a licensed premises while underage will face a three-month ban, effective from when they turn 18 years-old.

Inspector Thomson said there were further, serious repercussions for people who broke the law while intoxicated.

She said police would look to apply to the Magistrate Court for an Alcohol Exclusion Order, AEO, for any person who had committed a relevant offence while intoxicated, and where the intoxication significantly contributed to the offence.

Relevant offences range from intentionally cause serious injury, recklessly cause serious injury, intentionally or recklessly cause injury, make threats to kill, conduct endangering life and assault, resist or intentionally obstruct a member of the police force to manslaughter and murder.

Offences do not need to have occurred at a licensed premises for the AEO to apply, for example, in cases of family violence in the home.

An AEO prohibits people from en-

tering into, or remaining in, any licensed premises characterised as a nightclub, bar, restaurant, cafe, reception centre or function centre; and from entering, or remaining in, the location of any major event, such as a music festival. It prohibits a person from entering into, or remaining in, the bar area of licensed premises to which the first two examples do not apply, for example a pop-up bar; and prohibits the consumption of liquor on any licensed premises.

It is in place for two years. The court might consider variations in some circumstances.

A breach of an AEO can lead to imprisonment.

“With the amount of harm that can come from alcohol-fuelled violence, I want people to be aware that every chance we can get, when an offence occurs in this schedule, we will overlay this AEO,” Inspector Thomson said.

“If people are consuming a lot of alcohol and consistently making poor decisions, this is disruption to that; to having you excluded from licenced premises for two years.

“Every time a person is checked by the police, the AEO will come up in their profile. Some people may run the

Operation to drive down road trauma

Police will be highly visible on Victorian roads to reduce road trauma this holiday season.

‘Operation Roadwise’ started on Friday and will conclude on December 27.

Police will be doing their best to drive down road trauma during the high-risk Christmas period, commencing this week.

The statewide road policing operation comes as the number of lives lost in Victoria reaches 237, already surpassing last year’s total of 220 and sitting above the five-year average of 225.

Across the Wimmera, there have been three fatalities in Northern Grampians shire, one fatality in Horsham municipality and one fatality in Ararat municipality to date this year.

Horsham police Inspector Di Thomson said increased traffic, paired with floodimpacted road conditions, meant people should exercise extreme care and caution and drive to the conditions.

She encouraged people to allow time and avoid distractions while behind the wheel.

“If you’re driving a car, just drive the car,” Inspector Thomson said.

“Don’t worry about what the kids are doing in the back seat and if you need to

worry about that, pull over. If you’re driving your car, you should not be talking on your phone – though there is an exemption if it’s hands-free and you’re doing it legally. Far too often we’re seeing people sitting and texting at traffic lights, looking down at their phone and not where they are going. Distraction is a major cause of accidents on our roads.

“We also encourage people to allow time. Break up your journey, hop out, have a coffee, go for a walk and stretch your legs – and factor it into your trip. Don’t be hopping into your car running late and frantically trying to make your deadline.”

Police intelligence showed an increased risk of impaired driving was associated with end-of-year work and social functions, with vulnerable pedestrians also deemed at risk – particularly around busy shopping centre precincts.

Police tested almost 130,000 motorists for alcohol and drugs during Operation Roadwise last year, with police anticipating the increase to a 12-day operation this year from 10 days would see even more motorists undergoing tests.

Last year, 40 percent of Operation Roadwise infringements were issued for speed-

ing. The penalty for speeding by more than 10kmh but less than 15kmh is $370 and three demerit points, with those exceeding the speed limit by more than 25kmh facing even more significant penalties and a suspended licence.

There were 536 mobile phone infringements issued to drivers during last year’s operation. The penalty for using a mobile phone while driving is $555 and four demerits.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Road Policing Justin Goldsmith said the level of road trauma Victorians experienced this year was alarming.

“We’ve already surpassed last year’s total lives lost, and concerningly there are still a few weeks remaining in the year,” he said.

“Nobody is immune from road trauma –it is something that impacts all of us, and it’s up to every road user to do their bit to keep themselves and other road users safe.

“For those who simply choose to ignore the road rules – your Christmas will be costly.

“We make no apologies for enforcing these rules – it could save someone’s life.”

– Abby Walter

gauntlet – and that’s human behaviour –but if you run the gauntlet and you get caught, the consequences will be elevated.”

Operation Martini will also involve police conducting inspections of licensed premises across the Horsham police service area to identify intoxicated or underage patrons.

People aged under-18 can only consume alcohol in a licensed premises if they are having a meal with a parent or guardian in a dining area.

“We see a lot of false IDs made. But we’ll be really vigilant about getting more than one ID from people,” Inspector Thomson said.

She encouraged people requiring police attention to phone 000.

“We’re really keen for people to let us know when they are feeling unsafe,” she said.

“Retrospectively, a lot of people will give us anecdotal stories, but we can’t intervene.

“Don’t put yourself at risk or danger –we’re not asking for that – but do make the call on behalf of whomever is being harmed or disrupted.

“Disruption, intervention and prevention are the main things we like to do as police.

“We don’t like to investigate the offence after it has happened if there was a mechanism for us to prevent it in the first place.”

BE SAFE: Horsham police Acting Senior Sergeant Adam Bronca and Inspector Di Thomson have encouraged people to celebrate Christmas and New Year safely. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Time of reflection LETTERS

As the year comes to a close, it’s natural to reflect on the highlights, the change, the challenge and opportunity of the past 12 months.

In many ways, the year has signalled a ‘recalibration’ of new beginnings; the resumption of social endeavours as the community emerges from the harsh COVID-19 restrictions of the past two years.

Is it that many of us were ‘catching-up’ and navigating calendars filled to the brim with ‘missed opportunities’ and rescheduled events; that the world seemed to be spinning a little faster now? Or, is it simply that our calendars resemble that of years gone by and we’ve somehow ‘forgotten’ what it’s like to readily make choices on our own steam? Either way, people are tired.

This week will herald a long-awaited break from responsibilities – whether that be work, school, sport and community commitments – for some, as a summer break beckons; while for others, responsibilities continue for a while yet.

As we embark on this period, may we all take

EDITORIAL

By Jessica Grimble

the time to remain kind. To be conscious of and courteous towards others – some of whom may be high on life, and others who may be experiencing more stress and grief than joy at this time of year. To allow plenty of time to travel and conduct the jobs that can often take far longer than expected as traffic and demand increases.

Our choices can reduce the load for those including our law enforcement and healthcare workers, who continue to serve communities, no matter what.

On behalf of the team at The Weekly Advertiser, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year and look forward to serving you the community newspaper you know and love into 2023 and beyond.

Election thank you

It is an absolute honour to be declared the elected Member for Lowan in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria by the Victorian Election Commission.

Thank you to the people of Lowan for putting your confidence in me to fight for our region and ensure we get our fair share of State Government funding during the next four years.

Everyone in Lowan deserves to be heard, to have a strong voice in Parliament and to have someone in their corner who is willing to fight for what’s right.

While it’s not as easy in Opposition to secure funding as we don’t have direct access to the cheque book, it is my job to hold the Labor government to account to deliver on the funding priorities and projects that local people voted for –that’s what drives me every day.

This includes ensuring our fair share of roads funding to fix our crumbling country roads and completing the duplication of the Western Highway to Stawell, upgrading our hospitals and many other fantastic projects around the electorate that will ensure our region is not just surviving, but thriving.

The Nationals will not allow Labor to forget that country Victoria exists. They have a responsibility to govern for the whole of the state.

You have my promise that I will always do my best to represent your needs, ideas and opportunities and that I will never take the trust and faith of the people of Lowan for granted.

Being a ‘good local member ’ would be impossible without an incredible support team around me. I am so fortunate to have an awesome team in my office to support our people – Carly, Wendy, Helen and Sara currently, but also a massive thank you to Suzanne, Kym, Kelsey, Christine and Angela. They have all worked so hard to deliver results and ensure you have your voice heard.

To my campaign committee, headed by Robert Letts, and to my amazing volunteers and local National Party members – thank you for all your support over the past eight years and during the campaign.

The many volunteers who so generously donated their time during pre-polling and on election day were just fantastic and I couldn’t have done it without you.

The Nationals are an amazing team of likeminded people to work with.

We are more than a political party. We are local community champions, passionate rural and regional advocates, and are as diverse as the communities we represent.

To my incredible family and friends who have been there for me through thick and thin and taught me to work hard, treat people with respect and always do my best, I cannot thank you enough. You have and continue to be such an amazing support to me.

Finally, thank you to the other candidates and their teams for their work over the campaign and for offering a choice for the people of Lowan and helping achieve local democracy.

This is a fantastic region with so much opportunity. Thank you again so much for entrusting me to serve you in Victoria’s Parliament.

Emma

Kealy, Member for Lowan

Gift of hope

On behalf of Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child, I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to the numerous individuals and organisations who were involved this year in packing a shoebox for a child in need.

Each child is special and they will receive one shoebox of gifts once in their lifetime. This gift will bring immediate joy and hope to the child and may open up further opportunities they had never dreamed of.

Samaritan’s Purse can then assess the needs of a community such as safe and clean water, education, health and other community empowerment projects and implement programs where possible.

The generosity of so many people was phenomenal. Our region sent 2000 shoeboxes to Melbourne for processing.

All of our local team would like to give a huge thank you to each person who took the time to become involved – either by packing a shoebox physically, or online, or by donating goods or money.

Thank you also to the many people who made beautiful handmade items for the boxes. Whatever you did will be so much appreciated by an excited child. We look forward to working with you all again next year.

Ann Rohde, area co-ordinator, Operation Christmas Child

Grampians

As of 14 December, our storages are holding 78.43% of water - more than 36% higher than the same time last year!

There are also several pipeline-supplied lakes across the Wimmera and Mallee that are great to enjoy.

For more information about our lakes and reservoirs, including current water levels and the recreational activities permitted at each, scan the QR code or visit gwmwater.org.au/ourreservoirs

JOYOUS: Jung Market returned at the weekend – its first since July due to a rain-soaked market space amid a disrupted 2022 calendar. The Christmas market offered a range of stallholders and food options for patrons. Sisters Eva and Elsa Drendel were among those to conduct some last-minute shopping on Saturday.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

The

Learn more at vic.gov.au/kinder

A year of significance

The ACE Radio Network is reflecting on a year of significance for its readers, listeners and staff across the Wimmera, Mallee, Grampians and Western District.

The publisher of The Weekly Advertiser and broadcaster of MIXX FM and 3WM has given away cars, holidays and adventures – all while educating, entertaining and informing its readers and listeners.

The Weekly Advertiser distributes to more than 20,000 homes and businesses every week across the region.

A ‘state of play’ survey of radio listener habits in the Wimmera, released in May, highlighted an increased stability of the region’s longstanding broadcasters. The report emphasised the popularity of 3WM and MIXX FM within the community, which have a combined reach of more than 64 percent of the Wimmera population. 96.1 3WM FM Ararat launched in August, bringing regular 3WM programming to a new frequency for listeners in Ararat and surrounding districts. The launch featured a weekend-long celebration including a special live broadcast of the Coodabeen Champions from Ararat RSL.

‘We Love’ promotions across print and radio celebrated the offerings of the region’s towns and businesses and were among the most successful to date.

On a national level, Adam Roche, with 3WM’s Adam in the Afternoons, was crowned best talk presenter; MIXX FM’s Kayla Wilson was best newcomer on-air; and Sophie Jackson, for 3WM, won best achievement in production at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards, ACRAs, in Sydney in October.

The trio were among nine award winners and 31 nominations from the ACE Radio Network – including seven nominations for the Horsham-based team.

Meanwhile, four staff members at The Weekly Advertiser received statewide in-

WorkSafe investigation

WorkSafe is investigating the death of a man at Willaura last week.

The man, 55, was using a telehandler to move a large steel door frame when the load fell and struck him about 2pm on Thursday. The death brings the state workplace fatality toll to 55 for the year – 20 fewer than at the same time last year.

dustry recognition at a Victorian Country Press Association awards night in November.

Photographer Paul Carracher won best sports photo in a 6000-plus circulation section with ‘Gotcha!’– a perfectly timed cricket action shot; while journalist Sarah Matthews won best news story in a 6000plus circulation section with ‘I love him –

Transplant hope for Bodhi’s family’.

Advertising account manager Lee Meadows and graphic designer Kelly Laird won best print advertisement in a 6000-plus circulation section.

General manager Brendan O’Loughlin paid tribute to the team’s outstanding performances – which also included creativeannouncer Kayla Wilson and advertising account manager Danica Turvey among the 30 winners in a Radio Today-run 30 under 30 Awards, announced this week.

“While we acknowledge the fantastic efforts of individuals receiving some very high-end awards, the reality is the team, in its entirety, has excelled throughout

the entire year,” he said. The Weekly Advertiser editorial director Jessica Grimble said the team recognised and honoured the responsibility of local storytelling.

“People continue to read their local news in print every Wednesday, and the radio survey results prove that more people are listening to the radio. Local media is as important as it’s ever been,” she said.

ACE Radio Horsham content director Adam Roche said the new year would signal new offerings on radio.

The changes, effective from January 16 on MIXX FM, include the Carrie and Tommy show from 3pm; Hughesy, Ed and Erin from 5pm; and Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield from 7pm, on weekdays.

“We’re saying goodbye to some programs on MIXX FM and welcoming a whole new afternoon, drive and evening line-up,” he said.

Roche said his team was paying tribute to the community’s support via videos on the MIXX FM and 3WM Facebook pages.

Changes to payments, services

Services Australia customers will experience changes to payments and services during the Christmas and New Year period.

All centres and most phone lines will be closed on Boxing Day until Wednesday, December 28 and on Monday, January 2.

Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said Centrelink, Medi-

care and Child Support customers could continue to access self-service options during this period.

Critical services for Medicare providers, such as PBS authorities and organ donation, remain available.

People wanting more information can go to www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/holidays

New group of MPs

Residents in the state’s Western Region Legislative Council district will have three first-time representatives of its Upper House seat after election results were finalised last week.

The Victorian Electoral Commission finished its preference check of Upper House results after November’s State Election and confirmed representatives for the next four years.

Labor’s Jacinta Ermacora, the Greens’ Sarah Mansfield and Liberal’s Joe McCracken all won their first representative terms, while Liberal’s Bev McArthur and Labor’s Gayle Tierney will return for their second, and sixth terms, respectively.

Ms Ermacora is a former Warrnambool mayor and deputy chair of Wannon Water Corporation. She was selected to lead the Labor ticket after the political retirement of long-time MP, Jaala Pulford.

Ms Ermacora was elected with 34.9 percent of primary votes.

Ms Mansfield, elected with 8.42 percent of the primary vote, took leave from her Greens-representative councillor position at Geelong Shire to represent the party at state level.

Mr McCracken, originally from Beaufort, was elected with 0.21 percent of the primary vote, with his Liberal colleague Bev McArthur at the top of the Liberal ticket collecting the bulk of votes.

The three new Western Region members have replaced Labor’s Jaala Pulford, Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party’s Stuart Grimely and Animal Justice Party’s Andy Meddick.

The Western Region encompasses the Lower House districts of Bellarine, Buninyong, Geelong, Lara, Lowan, Melton, Polwarth, Ripon, South Barwon, South-West Coast and Wendouree.

TEAM EFFORT: ACE Radio Horsham team members, from left, Kelly Laird, Brendan O’Loughlin, Danica Turvey, Paul Carracher, Lee Meadows, Kayla Wilson, Adam Roche and Kaycee Bould are among those recognised throughout the year for their outstanding performance.

Extended trading hour consideration

Has flirtation with extended shopping hours during the Black Friday long weekend, flowing into Christmas trade, prompted a permanent sway in shopping habits?

The chairman of West Vic Business says probably not.

Black Friday, traditionally a north American phenomenon of discounted product sales on the last Friday in November, has become something of a ‘weekend’ event in more recent years.

Australian retailers have jumped on board the campaign to capitalise and capture momentum as the weeks-long Christmas shopping season begins.

Several businesses in Horsham extended trading hours on Black Friday to attract shoppers to their sales. Many have extended, or pursued, out-of-ordinary weekend trade throughout December leading into Christmas.

West Vic Business chair Mark Clyne said he believed there were ‘intricacies’ in regional communities that made evening shopping or extended weekend trade a difficult inclusion.

He said staffing availability remained a significant barrier to extended shopping hours in the region.

“There just isn’t the staff to cover

extended shifts in some communities and in my time running a retail business, if I pushed staff to work weekends, or shuffle shifts so some staff would work weekends, they often sought to leave,” he said.

“Friday evening used to be busy in Horsham. Everyone would come into town on a Friday night and the town’s businesses would be staffed accordingly.

“These days, customers are more sporadic. I used to stay open on Friday nights and always questioned whether it was viable.”

Mr Clyne said business owners had ‘gone through turmoil’ in recent years and noted many businesses were family-run, making extended hours tough.

He said a large number of businesses on Firebrace Street were no longer retail and hospitality stores, as they once were, but were service-based businesses that were not inclined to extend their opening hours.

“Butchers and bakeries might have run out of product, and coffee shops that don’t offer evening meals close up in the afternoon, while bigger retailers have also relocated from the central business district, because of the practi-

calities of maneuvering product in and out of main street businesses,” he said.

“The mix of businesses in the main street have changed over time. There used to be a lot of furniture, appliance retailers and supermarkets, for example, but the CBD is no longer fit for purpose for a lot of those styles of retail.”

Horsham Plaza centre manager Allison Roberts said foot traffic was ‘significantly’ up during the Black Friday weekend, with several traders offering extended shifts to workers to cover the increase in customers.

“We had 17,000 people come through the plaza from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27 which, while is hard to measure against years of pandemic restrictions, was significantly up on previous years, as well as compared with previous weeks,” she said.

“Feedback from retail businesses in the plaza was very positive. Black Friday shopping momentum really kicked off the Christmas shopping season.”

Mrs Roberts agreed staff wages remained a barrier to extended shopping hours, and most people ‘just make al-

lowances’ in their shopping schedule for non-extended trading hours across the region.

Ararat Business Network president Cam Conboy said he had received mixed reports from businesses about Black Friday shopping in the municipality.

“One business said traffic had picked up online and in store across the weekend, while another said business picked up extra trade during the af-

ter-school rush in the lead up to the weekend,” he said.

“However, they all said they needed to sell extra volume to alleviate the profit-loss because of the Black Friday discounts.

“Some businesspeople said they were keen to offer a Black Friday discount on a specific ‘day’, however a weekend and its lead up campaigns were often excessive.”

BY MICHAEL SCALZO

The region’s business network ambassador has again emphasised the integral link between hospitality and retail businesses as spending in the Wimmera swells before Christmas.

West Vic Business ambassador Stacey Taig said as businesses recovered from COVID-19 restrictions and entered the busy Christmas period, being mindful of long-term opportunities to collectively capitalise on shopping trends remained important.

She said the relationship between retail and hospitality businesses in the region was key to realising ‘bigger picture’ opportunities that could ensure the region became a tourist hotspot.

She also signalled there was opportunities for businesses that could find a niche for ‘after-hours’ trade.

“People in the region still tend to shop within ‘traditional’ hours, however there are benefits for businesses eager to look outside what is normal here,” she said.

“Staff shortages and penalty rates play a factor in businesses not staying open outside their traditional opening hours, but for the region to move forward and become that hotspot, we need to service people with hospitality and retail businesses that work together,” she said.

Ms Taig said Horsham hospitality business, The Capital, was an example of a regional business that claimed a gap in the market and capitalised on a customer demand for extended service.

“The owners saw that similar businesses were closing in the afternoons or on weekends, for

multiple reasons, and identified an opportunity to stay open longer to pick up additional foot traffic. The Capital’s customer base expanded exponentially and has turned into a place people will go for breakfast, morning tea, lunch, a 6pm coffee, and dinner,” she said.

“There are opportunities out there if businesses have the capacity and are willing to take a chance.”

Ms Taig identified Dimboola as a trading community that had banded together and made the most out of the relationship between retail and hospitality.

“Dimboola businesses have been building momentum as a weekend hotspot for a while now,” she said.

“Some of their hospitality and retailers will now open on Saturday and Sunday, for example, and close Monday and Tuesday because the weekend is when visitors could come,” she said.

“A shift is important to become a tourist hot spot, but there is never an instant reaction from the business shift to seeing the customer results.

“It is about giving visitors a chance to see things are opening later, and in time the results will come.”

Ms Taig said even though the pandemic had been ‘hard’ on businesses in the region, now was the time for owners to ‘shift and change’ as well as think strategically — not just about their own business, but about their role in the wider business community.

“It is about being proactive and thinking outside the square as much as possible to appeal to trading hours that fit demands,” she said.

Getting in touch with The Weekly AdverTiser

Our office is at 2 Stawell Road, Horsham. Mail: PO Box 606, Horsham 3402. Telephone: 5382 1351. Website: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au Email: weeklyadvertiser@team.aceradio.com.au For classified advertisements: 5382 1351 – email: horsham@aceradio.com.au

Advertising: Mark Sulic: 0407 313 456, marks@team.aceradio.com.au; Lee Meadows: 0407 046 864, leem@team.aceradio.com.au;

Tristan Cameron: 0437 956 278, tcameron@aceradio.com.au; Michelle Reid: 0428 870 511, mreid@aceradio.com.au; Danica Turvey: 0488 473 562, dturvey@aceradio.com.au; Heidi Higginson: 0438 759 220, heidih@aceradio.com.au

046 864, leem@team.aceradio.com.au; Nathan Henry: 0418 657 247, nathanh@team.aceradio.com.au

Newsroom: Dean Lawson: 0448 571 811, deanl@team.aceradio.com.au; Lauren Henry: 5382 1351, laurenh@team.aceradio.com.au

Newsroom: Jessica Grimble: 0400 836 483, jgrimble@aceradio.com.au; Michael Scalzo: 0409 786 036, mscalzo@aceradio.com.au;

Abby Walter: 0483 027 536, awalter@aceradio.com.au; Georgia Bailey: 5382 1351, georgiab@team.aceradio.com.au

The publisher and general manager is Scott Grambau, C/- 2 Stawell Road, Horsham, for Ace Radio Broadcasters Pty Ltd, ACN 064 882 042. The Weekly Advertiser is a free paper printed by Newsprinters Pty Ltd, 7940 Melbourne Rd, Shepparton, and distributed by regional distributors and Australia Post.

–Michael Scalzo

DEMAND: Horsham Spotlight department manager Blake Steenhauis and Horsham Plaza manager Allison Roberts have welcomed thousands of shoppers leading into Christmas. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

YYarriambiack arriambiack

Next Council Meeting: Wednesday 25 January 2023

Mayor's Christmas Message

Christmas is a very special time for all of us. A time to reflect on a year passed and plan for the New Year ahead. I’m personally looking forward to spending some quality time relaxing and enjoy being surrounded by my family. As the festive season approaches, let's all take time to reflect on the really important aspects of our lives. Our families, friends, good health and happiness, along with our support for each other. I believe these are gifts that are invaluable.

When traveling around our municipality I am always in awe of the wonderful area that we live in. Yarriambiack, our towns, our communities and most importantly the people are strong, enthusiastic, vibrant and engaging. Yarriambiack is blessed to have such amazing, generous communities. We have much to be excited about in the achievements and progress of our Shire in the past year and many more accomplishments to look forward to in the year ahead.

The Yarriambiack community is fortunate to have so many residents willing to make a valuable contribution to the various organisations and those in need throughout the municipality. Without these willing volunteers who devote much of their time and energy to supporting others, our communities would not be the progressive and welcoming place that we all enjoy. My thanks and appreciation go to each and every one of you. Thank you for giving the most precious gift, the gift of your time.

For those working, harvesting, or traveling over the festive season please take care and drive safely. With the “silly season” just around the corner I urge you all to take time where possible for a well-deserved break and enjoy the company of loved ones while sharing and caring for each other.

Glass Recycling Collection Friday 6 January

Council's Christmas Arrangements

COUNCIL OFFICE AND LIBRARY: The Warracknabeal Shire Office and Library will be open until 10:30am Thursday 22nd and 12pm Friday 23rd December 2022. The office will reopen on Tuesday 3rd January 2023 at 8.30am.

POSITIVE AGEING: During the Christmas break please contact Lisa Inkster (Relieving Positive Ageing Coordinator) on 0428 234 161 for all service and meal cancellations. From Tuesday 3rd January onwards it will be back to normal with contacting the Shire office on 5398 0107.

There will be NO services on Sunday 25th December 2022 (Christmas Day). There will only be personal care (showering, medication check and stocking assist) services on:

Monday 26th December 2022 (Christmas Day public holiday)

Cr Kylie Zanker

On behalf of myself, my fellow Councillors, and staff of the Yarriambiack Shire Council, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and Happy New Year.

Events, Business and Community Support Officer Part Time (Shire Wide)

This newly created role will assist community groups and businesses to navigate the events management and business support processes available to effectively engage and operate their events and businesses within our Shire. Applications close on Sunday 15 January and must be submitted via Happy HR.

Early Childhood Educator

Part Time (Hopetoun)

The part time position will include 21 Hours per week (Tuesday, Thursday & Friday) and help shape the youngest residents of our shire through our kindergarten program. Applications close Monday 26 December and must be submitted via Happy HR.

Tuesday 27th December 2022 (Boxing Day public holiday)

Monday 2nd January 2023 (New Year’s Day public holiday)

All meals, domestic assistance, respite, shopping assistance services are cancelled on public holidays.

MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH: Maternal Child Health services will essentially be on leave from 26th December to 3rd of January. For emergencies during this time, please contact Michelle Schilling on 0437 762 104.

LOCAL LAWS / ANIMALS: After hours/Emergencies can contact the on-call Local Laws Officer on 0428 591 980.

OPERATIONS: A skeleton staff will be working throughout the Christmas-New Year period to clean public toilets and empty rubbish bins throughout each of the towns. For emergencies, please call the on-call Supervisor on 0427 511 550 or 03 5398 2467.

WASTE: There will be no changes to waste collection over the Christmas-New Year period. All transfer stations will be closed on Christmas Day.

https://www.yarriambiack.vic.gov.au/

More information about Council's employment opportunities, including how to apply can be found at www.yarriambiack.vic.gov.au/Engage-With-Us/Jobs.

Free Green Waste Ends 31 December

Next

Council's kerbside collection service will be completed across the Yarriambiack Shire on Friday 6 January. Residents are encouraged to put their bins out on Thursday to avoid missing collection. The next glass recycling collection service will be on Friday 20 January 2023. A list of what can be recycled in the purple bins can be found at yarriambiack.vic.gov.au/CouncilServices/Waste/Waste-Collection-Services.

Council sells building to

BY ABBY WALTER

Horsham Christian

Emergency Food Centre leaders are looking at the possibility of expanding their space as a process to transfer the building to the organisation begins.

Horsham Rural City Council gave notice that it intends to sell the land to the centre for $1.

The sale is set to take place in 2023.

Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre manager John Spehr said the centre’s volunteers raised money, applied for grants and re-ceived bequests to purchase the organisation’sbuildingon

Firebrace Street. “When the Christian Emergency Food Centre opened 25 years ago it was in the old council offices, but as demand for assistance increased, the offices weren’t fit-for-purpose anymore,” he said.

“The committee raised money for the current location, however, due to grants the building needed to be in the name of Horsham Rural City Council.

“We have found the number of people requiring our assistance is increasing and our building is functioning at capacity now.

“Therefore, we are investigating ways we can improve and expand our facility, but to be able to do that if the

opportunity arises we need to have the land in our name.”

Mr Spehr said the building was a community asset.

“No individual has ownership of the building and if something happens to the centre in the future, the building will remain for use by the community in any way it is needed,” he said.

Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre client assessment manager Bev Miatke said getting the selling process underway was exciting.

“We’re hoping to expand and we couldn’t do that without owning the building and land, so this is the first step,” she said.

“It’s wonderful that it is

being offered to us for $1.” Mr Spehr said the centre’s volunteers had packed 430 hampers for people in need this Christmas.

“These hampers have been delivered far and wide across the Wimmera to clients needing food assistance,” he said.

“Over the past few weeks, we have been quite busy assisting people with food.

“We have also been involved in the Reverse Advent Calendar run by the Horsham Sports and Community Club and that has been very successful.

“Our community has been very supportive and generous this Christmas as we have an increasing number of people in need.”

centre

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Horsham’s Sue Miller luckily survived her cardiac arrest, but she said she ‘wished’ she had had a CellAED with her.

“I had a heavy feeling across my shoulders, and within a couple of minutes I broke into a sweat. They rang an ambulance for me and when they got there, paramedics had to do CPR on me,” she said.

“This is a small compact defibrillator that is easy to use – just ‘snap’ it and stick it on. You can put it in your handbag, your car, glovebox, caravan, keep it at home or take them anywhere. You can’t put a price on someone’s life.”

Pre-order your CellAED now at kaceykochfirstaid.com.au to secure your place in the queue.

LOOKING AHEAD: Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre manager John Spehr hopes the centre will be able to expand to meet the needs of the community once a sale of the land the centre resides on goes through and the organisation officially owns the site. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

INSIGHTS: Grampians Health has taken receipt of a new lung function testing laboratory for its Alan Wolff Medical Centre in Horsham. The machine includes an airtight booth enabling various lung function tests to be performed, with results electronically delivered to Ballarat hospital. The laboratory will be instrumental in treating lung ailments such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The laboratory, worth $55,000, was purchased with the assistance of community fundraising including a $30,000 cash injection courtesy of a Horsham Sports and Community Club grant. Its grant application was deemed the winner of a public vote from four shortlisted projects to commemorate the club’s 30-year milestone. Stawell patient Scott Stevenson, left, was among the first users of the laboratory under the close eye of Dr Andre Nel and Horsham Sports and Community Club chairman Dan Smith. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

As we navigate our way through the easing of Coronavirus restrictions, it’s good to remember we’re #StrongerTogether.

Mayor’s Message

FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTIONS

Ararat Rural City Council has commenced Fire Prevention Inspections on properties across the municipality.

To help residents prepare, we are offering residents free green waste disposal at their local transfer station - up to 2 cubic metres of free green waste may be dropped off per household.

Vouchers will not be required this year, simply share proof of ID with address to staff at the Transfer Station.

COUNCIL AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS 2023: Nominations now open

As another year comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect. If I had to summarise my thoughts about 2022, I would describe them in two parts – optimism and untapped opportunity.

I dare say we have reached a point in the pandemic where, as a region, we have redefined ourselves by embracing opportunity to develop and invest in the big projects to bring about change. This ranges from implementing a revolutionary four-bin waste system, online platforms such as the Greenlight Portal and Engage Ararat, to a new Workforce Settlement program which encourages people to move here and take up employment, grow their families with us, and enjoy our rural lifestyle.

We have a clear vision in how we will serve our community and turn ideas into actuality through effort and a can-do attitude.

Our partnership with Federation University will help us explore opportunities for value-adding locally when it comes to agribusiness.

Partnering with community sporting organisations helped us identify Gordon Street as the ideal location for a multi-purpose sporting facility.

Another exciting project on our horizon is our partnership with Grampians Gas, working to build a bio-energy plant right here in Ararat Rural City.

Only by working together in partnership can we make a positive difference across these complex social and community issues.

Our businesses and farmers are showing incredible optimism and resilience with recent flood events –Council is standing by them and making sure they get the support they need so our region continues to rebuild and recover.

If you can, spend some time exploring our beautiful region and supporting local businesses and tourism operators this summer.

This Christmas, I hope you have a chance to relax and spend time with those closest to you – that’s what the season is all about. I encourage you to show kindness to those around you and reach out to people who may be doing it tough.

Thank you all who have stepped up to serve our community making Ararat Rural City a wonderful place to live.

I wish you much happiness in however you and your loved ones wish to spend this festive season.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Ararat Rural City.

Ararat Rural City Mayor, Cr Jo Armstrong

Each year Ararat Rural City Council presents awards to local citizens and community groups that have made an outstanding contribution to the community. The 2023 Australia Day Awards will be presented at the annual Australia Day celebration on 26th January 2023 at Alexandra Oval Community Centre, Waratah Avenue, Ararat.

The four awards presented will be Citizen of the Year 2022, Community Project of the Year 2022, Young Citizen of the Year 2022, and Volunteer of the Year 2022

Nomination forms must be returned by 5pm Wednesday 18 January 2023. Visit www.ararat.vic.gov.au for more information.

COUNCIL HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS

Council wishes to advise the following arrangements over the holiday period:

WASTE COLLECTION

Kerbside waste and recycling collections will continue as normal over the holiday period. Please remember to put bins out before 5am on the day of collection. For missed collections during this period, email circular@ararat.vic. gov.au or call council.

MUNICIPAL OFFICES (VINCENT STREET)

Council’s Customer Service Counter will close as of 5.15pm on 23 December and reopen 28 December. Closed on public holidays including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Open all other days as scheduled.

TRANSFER STATIONS

Closed on public holidays - Christmas Day, Boxing Day Holiday, and New Year’s Day. Open all other days as scheduled.

ARARAT LIBRARY

Ararat Library will be closed over 26 December, 27 December, and 2 January.

The Outreach service will not run between 26 December to 6 January and will resume from 9 January.

ARARAT GALLERY TAMA AND ARARAT & GRAMPIANS VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE

The Gallery and Visitor Information Centre will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

LOCAL LAWS/ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

An on call council officer will be available during public holidays for animal emergencies, please contact Council on (03) 5355 0200.

ARARAT FITNESS CENTRE

• 25 December - Closed

• 26 & 27 December - 1.00pm - 5.00pm

• 28, 29 & 30 December - 6.00am - 8.30pm

• 31 December - 8.00am - 5.00pm

• 1 & 2 January - 1.00pm - 5.00pm

ARARAT OUTDOOR POOL

• 25 December - Closed

• 26 & 27 December - 11.00-7.00pm

• 28, 29, 30 December – 6:00 – 9:00 (Lap swimming), 11.00-7.00pm

• 31 December - 11.00-7.00pm

• 1 & 2 January - 11.00-7.00pm

WILLAURA & LAKE BOLAC OUTDOOR POOLS

• 25 December - Closed

• 26 December - 2 January - 1.00 - 7.00pm

•

•

• Outstanding Customer Service - Acacia Caravan Park

• Commendation - Barneys Bar & Bistro

• Innovation & Change - Kerrie’s Kreations

• Best New Business - Grampians Adventures

• Young Person of the Year - Eve Newman (Chef, Pomonal Estate)

• Commendation - Lauren Walker (Ararat Wellness)

• People’s Choice - Barney’s Bar & Bistro

• Commendation - S.E.D.E. Cafe

• Business of the Year - Pomonal Estate

• Commendation - Grampians Insurance Brokers

Four decades of veteran support

BY MICHAEL SCALZO

Most of Dianne Bolwell’s family served in the military and its associated branches.

Her mother and father served the Second World War effort — her mother as a nurse in the infection ward at Heidelberg, Melbourne, while her father fought in Guinea.

Her brother fought and died in the Vietnam war, and her son is in the Australian Navy.

But Ms Bolwell’s own service took a unique angle.

Intrinsically connected to the lives of returned and un-returned servicepeople, she has spent the best part of four decades advocating for the compensation and wellbeing of veterans and their families across the Wimmera.

But after 17 years at Wimmera Legacy, an organisation dedicated to caring for the families of deceased and incapacitated veterans, and 19 years at Wimmera Veterans Centre, Ms Bolwell has passed on the cause to her successor and will retire from her work.

Ms Bolwell said supporting veterans was always rewarding.

She said people were often unaware Wimmera Veterans Centre existed, which presented a problem for advocates attempting to care for the social wellbeing of returned servicepeople.

“A lot of people thought I worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs,” she said.

“The veterans centre in the Wimmera looks after people from the South Australian border through to Hopetoun and Birchip and down to

Stawell. Often people in the country don’t like having to head into the city, so we do what we can to help them with their compensation, as well as their wellbeing.

“We help veterans with compensation forms, because often that becomes very difficult.

“That is one aspect of what we do. The other is wellbeing. Often veterans don’t know where to go, or what to do to get together with people who have a similar experience as them.

“Lots of people don’t know about us, but Laura, who has taken over my role, has been great at accelerating the wellbeing aspect of the centre’s work.”

Mrs Rothery said the impact of military conflicts had always played a part in Ms Bolwell’s life and her veteranscentre mentor knew ‘everything there was to know’ about veterans’ compensation.

“She has such a plethora of knowledge,” she said.

“Someone could walk in and tell her they served in ‘X’ arm of the armed forces, during ‘Y’ time, and she would know exactly the ins and outs of their military service.

“She is such a softly spoken person with incredible knowledge and I still ring her for advice about compensation.

“She blows you away with how much heart she has for this region, its veterans and their families.”

Mrs Rothery said it was a large role for one advocate given the broad nature of ‘wellbeing’.

But she said it was a crucial element of her work — especially because often, it could take years before compensation claims were returned successfully.

Ms Bolwell said the demographic of veterans in Australia had changed as servicepeople returned from more

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recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. She said often the public had a less thorough understanding of these conflicts and the effect they could have on people.

“There are less Second World War veterans alive now and Vietnam veterans have a dedicated association that services them, although the Wimmera centre does advocate for some of them. But veterans from the Middle East and Southeast Asia, as well as those from national service – and people who didn’t go overseas but sustained injuries during their service – are often still young,” she said.

“There were less well-known conflicts, for example, in Japan, East Timor and Malaysia that people know very little about.

“Often people can forget about younger veterans, who have headed overseas into a warzone, returned home, and have struggled to cope.”

Ms Bolwell said because a lot of people did not know about the centre, which hindered how its advocates could access young veterans.

“A recent focus was trying to get younger, returned service people together, because often they can be very isolated in regional Victoria,” she said.

“There is a lot we can do to get them support.”

Mrs Rothery said isolation was something she was keen to change.

“At the moment there is sometimes no reason for them to get together with each other,” she said.

“But this summer we are organising events where veterans can meet, help and learn from each other.”

Laura-Jean Rothery has worked alongside Ms Bolwell since earlier this year, and from September, took over the advocacy role at Wimmera Veterans Centre solo.

SERVICE: Dianne Bolwell, left, has ended her formal work commitments with Wimmera veterans after more than four decades of service. She retired from her advocacy role at Wimmera Veterans Centre this year, after passing on the baton to Laura-Jean Rothery, right.

To all our wonderful clients & their families, our valued service providers and referral partners, We wish you all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! from the friendly team at Home Instead Horsham

To all our wonderful clients & their families, our valued service providers and referral partners, We wish you all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! from the friendly team at Home Instead Horsham

To us, it’s personal

To us, it’s personal

Housing priority for new leader

BY MICHAEL SCALZO

The newly appointed chief executive of Northern Grampians Shire Council has specified housing shortages as a priority for regional growth.

The council has appointed Brent McAlister as its new chief executive, replacing Liana Thompson, who resigned from the role in September.

With nearly three decades of experience across local government and town planning in Australia and New Zealand, Mr McAlister was appointed to a five-year term at an unscheduled council meeting this week.

He will relocate to the region in February from Sale, in Gippsland, where he was Wellington Shire Council’s general manager of development.

Mr McAlister has also worked across multiple roles at Tamworth Regional Council at Lismore, New South Wales, where he was part of growthorientated planning organisations and regionwide council groups.

He also has extensive history across local government in New Zealand.

Mr McAlister said his new role would also bring him closer to family who live in the region.

He said his professional skillset catered to some of the key challenges and pursuits the council had prioritised, including housing affordability, staff attraction and regional promotion.

“The Northern Grampians region is in good shape, but the biggest issue it faces, something not unusual to the regions, is its housing shortage,” he said.

“There are fantastic employment opportuni-

ties across the region with strong growth potential, but if people can’t live here, then they will take their discretionary dollar elsewhere.”

Mr McAlister said it was important the council ‘rolled out the red carpet’ for business discussions, as well as remain open to businesses and developers who rated this approach ‘highly’.

“A proactive approach is the way forward for the region,” he said.

Mr McAlister said his first point of business, once he was in the role, was to embark on a ‘listening tour’.

“I want to speak to business and community leaders to understand what they see are the key issues before the region,” he said.

“I am keen to do this to build relationships and get a more thorough understanding of any obstacles they are facing.”

Northern Grampians Shire mayor Kevin Erwin said the council was ‘pleased’ to announce its new chief executive to the community.

“Brent has many years of experience working with rural and regional councils and is keen to get to work assisting us to address the key issues that our shire faces,” he said.

“On behalf of council, I would like to congratulate Brent and welcome him to Northern Grampians.”

Mr McAlister is expected start in the chief executive role on February 13.

Quilters donate major prize

Grampians community groups and businesses are backing a non-profit mental health service and training centre in Ararat.

Willaura and District Quilters, along with other groups, have made donations in support of One Red Tree Resource Centre.

The centre is a communityoriented centre and collaboration led by experienced mental health and education proatactioners, Federation University and Ararat Rural City Council. It is the brainchild of Ara-

rat women Carly Mckinnis, a clinical psychologist, and Tammie Meegan, an education leader, who recognised an opportunity to fulfill a desperate need for mental health support in the Grampians and Wimmera.

A Christmas raffle will raise money for the centre.

Willaura and District Quilters has designed and created a quilt for the raffle’s top prize.

The community group, comprising 20 district residents, come together to create one

quilt each year to donate to a cause of their choice.

Second prize is a half-day abseil for four people at Halls Gap with UC Norval; third prize is a crotchet blanket, created by local Mary Reid; and fourth prize is a hand-made necklace designed by Blue Willow Designs.

People can purchase a raffle ticket online via rafflelink.com. au/ortxmas

Prize winners are drawn on December 30.

DECK THE HALLS: The streets of Natimuk were ringing with the sound of Christmas carols on Sunday night. Natimuk Brass Band performed at the event in Natimuk’s town square. Pictured is the cornet section of the band leading a carol.

“I want to speak to business and community leaders to understand what they see are the key issues before the region”

– Brent McAlister

Health leader calls for patience

BY JESSICA GRIMBLE

AWimmera healthcare leader is calling for patience and forward-planning as appointments reduce during the Christmas and New Year period.

Horsham’s Lister House Medical Clinic chief executive Amanda Wilson said after more than two years working to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, within ever-evolving pandemic restrictions, and additional to the ‘regular’ medical ailments and

demands, staff were tired. Mrs Wilson said appointments during December and January would become restricted as some doctors and staff took longawaited annual leave.

“Everyone has had two years of the pandemic,” she said.

“Doctors will be away and appointments restricted, due to leave, during December and January.

“We will be at about half our capacity at any one time, so people will need to be patient.”

Mrs Wilson said people experiencing respiratory-related symptoms could continue to access the GP-lead Respiratory Clinic, GPRC, next door to the main clinic.

She said if people felt unwell, they

should seek medical advice to best manage the diagnosis – regardless of the illness.

She said seeking advice also meant a better understanding of how a person’s body was dealing with illness.

“The clinic is for people with symptoms and while we try to help people as much as we can, we do need their help as well,” she said.

“For scripts and other appointments, we ask that people plan ahead as we work with reduced doctors and staff

Musical collaboration a highlight for students

Horsham College music students produced their own songs with mentoring by three artists and producers.

The program, SongMakers, run by national music organisation APRA AMCOS, allowed students to meet and work with Alice Ivy, Woodes and Alice Skye.

Year-nine music student Louis Willemsen said the students used the workshops to write a song from scratch, forming lyrics and chords.

“We have Elle Graham, known as Woodes, producing it to bring it together and make it sound good,” he said.

“The song is based on when we first started year nine music. As a group we didn’t like each other that much and we didn’t know each other at all.

“We grew to hate each other after our first performance, because it wasn’t good, but we’ve finally found an equilibrium where we tolerate each other.

“So, the song is about going through the journey of us growing through that and the resolution.”

Louis said he enjoyed working on creating a song with other people the most.

“I have made songs before and I sometimes hit a bump and it’s a lot easier to avoid that when you’re in a group,” he said.

“This has given students some insight into what they need to do to become successful in the music industry.

“It will also help us as a music class because this is the first time we have recorded a song.

“We’ve performed and practised before, but never produced and perfected it fully.”

Horsham College music and humanities teacher Lauren Arnett said the workshops were a chance to learn music from a different cohort of art-

ists to the students’ music teachers.

“The students worked with real-life mentors who are successful in the industry,” she said.

“It gives them an insight that it is something achievable for them.

“It’s also a chance to ask questions and hear the stories of each of the artists.

“Some knew they wanted to be musicians and some did it as a hobby and now, it’s their main income stream and they are managers of their own label and image.

“So we’ve been able to introduce a business element of the industry to the students as well.”

Ms Arnett said the songs would be added to bell music at Horsham College and possibly the school’s YouTube channel, HCTV.

“My year-nine students in particular have become so autonomous and I’m so proud of them as musicians,” she said.

“Also, in a social and communication aspect they are now able to function as a group and are mature enough to collaboratively make music.”

SongMakers project lead Tina Broad said collaboration and connection made the global industry tick.

“Just about every great song has

been written in a team process,” she said. “Connection through music is also a powerful part of how we’ve all coped through the trials of the past couple of years.

“We’ve really enjoyed meeting these budding new writers at Horsham College and it’s been such a bonus to link up with the Always Live hometown initiative bringing Alice Skye back to her old school, with our mentors Woodes and Alice Ivy.

“We look forward to supporting these students’ terrific music teachers to keep the connections going.”

– Abby Walter

over Christmas and summer and appointments are filling up.”

Mrs Wilson stressed that people experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness and-or challenges with speech required medical advice.

She said the respiratory clinic, in Baillie Street, was open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to noon on weekends – though it would stay open if people were in attendance. People do not require an appointment to attend.

Fees waived

Ararat Rural City Council will waive outdoor dining permit fees until September next year.

Chief executive Dr Tim Harrison said the council’s decision to extend the outdoor dining permit fee waiver was its way of helping businesses in their recovery from COVID-19 lockdowns, while continuing to boost the city’s outdoor dining scene.

“Eating out and dining at a restaurant or café was the most popular activity by visitors last year,” he said.

“Coming into the summer months, our extended outdoor dining program will be incredibly useful in helping to revitalise our region — particularly as more customers are choosing to dine outdoors.

“Over the past two years, council has supported our hospitality businesses to trade outdoors for free by waiving the goods, signage and eateries permit fee. The council will continue to back local small businesses by waiving the outdoor dining and signage permits for another year.”

Dr Harrison said any businesses who had already paid the fee should contact the council on 5355 0241 to arrange a refund.

Pool reopened

St Arnaud’s outdoor swimming pool has reopened after off-peak maintenance, just in time for the start of more consistent warmer weather.

The 50-metre, seven lane, solarheated pool has new shade structures and pool covers to ready it for summer swimmers, but Northern Grampians Shire Council has notified users writing and markings on the pool floor will remain for the summer period.

Maintenance workers would have required further delays to the pool’s summer re-open schedule if the pool was to be re-painted this summer.

St Arnaud Swimming Pool opening hours will be from 6am to 8am, and 4pm to 7pm, every day.

LAWYERS

The team at OʼBrien and Smith Lawyers look forward to assisting with your legal needs.

Lauren Maree Dorothy Emblem LL.B., B.A., GDLP

Patrick Gilbert Smith LL.B. (Hons), B. Int. St., B.Ec., GDLP

“Doctors will be away and appointments restricted, due to leave, during December and January”

– Amanda Wilson

MUSIC TALENT: Horsham College music students Ray Barr, artist and mentor Alice Skye and Shay Stein, with Jameson Ritchie on saxophone and Wynter James on guitar. Picture: ABBY WALTER

Bridge works lower levels

Water levels of the Wimmera River in Horsham have lowered in recent weeks to allow for construction of the Hamilton Street pedestrian bridge to begin.

Horsham Rural City Council civil works co-ordinator Josh Hammond said Wimmera River levels were being managed to allow contractors to install footings for the bridge.

“Previously, in the weeks following the October flood, the water levels were lowered for flood mitigation reasons,” he said.

“Works on the foundations began in late November, and since then the council has been able to incrementally increase water levels in small amounts as the construction of the footings has progressed.”

Mr Hammond said by today, foundation works on the eastern side of the river were expected to be fully completed.

“From tomorrow, all of the boards will be replaced at the weir and river levels will return to normal in the days following that,” he said.

“In early February, the contractor is scheduled to undertake bridge foundation works on the Hamilton Street side of the river and the levels will need to be lowered again.

“Although owing to the concrete foundations being positioned higher on the western riverbank, water levels will not have to be lowered as

much.” Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan said lowering the water levels had other benefits to the catchment as well.

“Lowering the river allowed the council to do work on the new pedestrian bridge quicker, easier and safer,” he said.

“The other benefit was that several creeks, such as Mackenzie Creek and Burnt Creek, were able to drain.

“After the rain we had throughout spring, it was a chance for those creeks to drain and therefore allow runoff from farmland, and we started to see water move around again form the creeks into the river.

“It was important timing with harvest and farmers needing to get onto their paddocks.

“It’s a slight inconvenience for the levels to be down and the river edge very muddy, but the water levels will be up again soon.”

Service awards part of celebration

A long-time community-serving Horsham man has received a significant award for his years of Rotary service, while an associated member of the club was celebrated.

Lyall Wheaton has become Rotary Club of Horsham East’s fourth Avenues of Service award winner — an award given to Rotary members who have won recognition across all five avenues of Rotary service: Club service, vocational service, community service, international service and youth service.

Horsham’s Allison Roberts also received recognition of her contributions to Rotary in a surprise announcement at the club’s Christmas party.

Mrs Roberts, while not a member of Rotary Club of Horsham East, was

named a Paul Harris Fellow for her work as a significant contributor to the club’s fundraising efforts.

She said the award was a ‘complete surprise’ and she was ‘lost for words’.

“When I was called to the front, I was surprised to look up and see Mum and Dad, my neighbour Suzie Bysouth and her daughters Emily and Tara, as well as Friends of the Foundation team members Diana McDonald and Helen Fleming who were all there, too,” she said.

“It was so lovely to share this with these special people.”

Mrs Roberts has organised market events across several years, where she would donate profits raised to the Rotary club, and organised movie nights to raise money for polio eradication initiatives.

She has also been a part of Wimmera Health Care Group’s Friends of the Foundation money-raising group.

“I am always pleased to be able to help the Rotary club because it is important to contribute to the community in some way,” she said

Mr Wheaton became a member of the Rotary Club of Horsham East in 2003, however first joined a Rotary club in 1975, at Warracknabeal.

He became president of Rotary Club of Warracknabeal in 1981 before he became a member of Rotary Club of Darwin South — a club he served as president in 1996.

Mr Wheaton was also part of Rotary Overseas Medical Aid for Children, and was also a disability-service manager, a position he held at Warracknabeal and Horsham organisations.

the difference

Allison Roberts was presented with a Paul Harris fellowship at Rotary Club of Horsham East’s Christmas party last week during a surprise announcement. Mrs Roberts, centre, is pictured with her parents, Betty Lou and Alex Stewart.

“Works on the foundations began in late November, and since then the council has been able to incrementally increase water levels in small amounts as the construction of the footings has progressed”

– Josh Hammond

Group victim of cyber crime

BY ABBY WALTER

Warracknabeal Action Group’s townscape committee is a victim of fraud.

The group was paying an invoice to a local business of more than $10,000 when the incident occurred.

Warracknabeal Action Group, WAG, president Dianne Marchment said it was devastating for the group.

“The business’ email had been hacked by cyber criminals and they had invoiced us with an altered bank account,” she said.

“It was in the same email chain that had confirmed our purchase and people change bank accounts, so it didn’t raise any alarms at the time.

“When the committee realised we contacted Bendigo Bank and CBA fraud squad, but they don’t believe we will get the money back. It was $11,585.20.”

Ms Marchment said the money was slated for two new entrance signs for Warracknabeal.

“It’s a project the committee has been

working on for 20 years and we finally got to the end with a design and the sign writer doing it, when this happened,” she said.

“We need five or six signs, but we were starting with two big ones, which is what we were paying the invoice for.”

Ms Marchment said the incident demonstrated how easy it was to be hacked and frauded.

“Sadly, it feels like you can’t trust anything,” she said.

“It’s a terrible thing to happen and it was so quick and easy for the hackers to do what they did.

“We want other people and groups to make sure they are very careful – as banking gets easier, so does hacking.”

Ms Marchment said the fraud had put a halt to plans for the entrance signs.

“We are a not-for-profit and we raise money by fundraising, so this has been devastating,” she said.

“We are waiting until after Christmas to get back out there to fundraise.”

Warracknabeal park upgrades

Warracknabeal Caravan Park has temporarily closed to visitors as workers get underway with planned upgrades.

Electricity has reached the park’s new cabins and demolition of caravan ensuites has started, with Yarriambiack Shire Council informing residents the park should be open to visitors before the new year.

Chief executive Tammy Smith said there was a possibility the park would tempo-

rarily close again ahead of construction of a new amenities block, as well as the demolition of the old block.

She said the new cabins at the park would be available for short term stays in early 2023.

“These improvements will see Warracknabeal’s caravan park meet and exceed the expectations of visitors coming to our region,” she said.

Mrs Chamings ‘a wonderful asset’

East Grampians Health Service’s board has awarded a life governorship to dedicated Ark Toy and Activity Library Auxiliary member Kaye Chamings – the highest honour it can bestow on an individual. The board presented the award at an open access board meeting in November.

Mrs Chamings joined the Ark Toy and Activity Library Auxiliary in 2008 and became president in 2012 – a role she held until this year.

During this time, Mrs Chamings worked tirelessly and passionately to ensure the growth and success of the Toy Library.

Board chair Ken Weldin said Mrs Chamings’ warm and friendly

nature had been paramount to the Toy Library’s success.

“She was a leader in lobbying for funding for a new purpose built Toy Library and was also a strong advocate of the Maternal and Child Health Service being located at EGHS, with the key focus being early intervention and support of the mother and children,” he said.

“Kaye is very welcoming to all mums and bubs and over the years she has continued to build and foster very good relationships with families from across the region.”

During COVID-19 restrictions, when the Toy Library was unable to be run in its usual format, Mrs Chamings happily attended to the

needs of consumers one-on-one, assisting with the selection and returning of toys.

She devotes much of her own time and energy in keeping the toys updated and in excellent condition.

“Kaye’s continual active involvement and leadership of the EGHS Ark Toy and Activity Library Auxiliary has ensured volunteers remain engaged and that the Toy Library has continued to grow and provide a valuable service to parents and children,” Mr Weldin said.

“Her selflessness and dedication are a wonderful asset for our community.”

HONOURED: East Grampians Health Service Toy Library Auxiliary congratulate Kaye Chamings on her award, from left, president Bo Munro, Mary Stapleton, Denise Calvert, Robyn Sleep, Marg Graham, Kaye Chamings, Marg Cain, Di Carr and community liaison officer Jodie Holwell.

raceS

FUN AND GAMES:

This year’s MIXX FM Santa Day Races in Horsham was a family affair with activities for children and adults. Pictured enjoying the festivities are, clockwise from above: Arleeyah Trickey; Sarah Lowe with Maisie Offer and Ryker Williams; Santa delivering goodies to the crowd; Dean Hogan, Adrian Wade and Gary Jelly; and Carlo Sordello, Sam Lawson and Bernard Kennedy.

Horsham PaintRight welcomes Jordan Hemley to their team

Jordan has ten years experience in automotive and industrial painting, including cars, farm machinery and earthmoving equipment.

He is excited to share his skills with, not only the team, but you and your vehicles.

Jordan is a quality spray painter with color matching and restoration experience and can even assist with onsite color.

TO IMPRESS:

Organisers promised a sunny day for this year’s MIXX FM Santa Day Races and they did not disappoint, with the sun shining down on hundreds of people trackside on Sunday. Enjoying an afternoon at the Horsham track are, clockwise from left: Clare McInerney, Sarah Ross, Stacey McClure, Phoebe Tucker and Nicole Clark; Aisha and Airlie Wilkinson; Larnie Fischer, Abby Hallam and Brad Taylor; Josie Williams and Ellie Kerr; and Amira and Hayden Tucker.

Merry Christmas

Tom's

Six steps to a sustainable Christmas

Just as the Grinch stole Christmas, excess spending can rob us all of yuletide happiness.

Seasonal credit card splurges can create ballooning long-term debt, while unnecessary consumption inevitably leads to a blow-out in rubbish bin waste.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia estimates $11-billion is spent on presents each year, including some 20 million unwanted gifts.

At the same time, seasonal celebrations boost landfill rubbish by a massive 30 percent.

So, if you don’t want to max out the ho, ho, ho in Christmas this year, think of applying more whoa, whoa, whoa to your spending and consumption ideas.

Here are six simple tips Ebenezer Scrooge would be proud of.

Recycle ‘something’

Ninety percent of Australians claim to recycle something, sometimes.

What better way to do this than to shop for presents in one of Australia’s 2500 opportunity shops?

Forget the old days of chipped crockery and stained used clothing.

Op shops are full of trendy, mint condition items and are the perfect place to find something slightly offbeat or unusual for your loved one.

Merry e-Christmas

Save on postage and reduce needless paper usage by sending clever and original e-Christmas cards.

Head online to create your seasonal messages to email to friends and family. Many websites provide free cards, while others offer designer, animated versions that would even put a smile on Scut Farkus’ face.

DISCOVERY DAY: Horsham Holy Trinity Lutheran College students

Haranoop Singh and Charlotte Matuschka receive the Science and Engineering Challenge Discovery Day shield from Horsham East Rotary’s Tom Gallagher. The college’s yearsix cohort won the annual challenge run by the University of Newcastle. The students were up against several schools across the Wimmera, drawing on their ability to think creatively in the areas of engineering, construction, coding, mathematics and science.

During the challenge they problemsolved and demonstrated their critical thinking across a variety of challenges and through their persistent effort, won the event.

FINANCE focus

with Robert Goudie CFP GradDipFP Consortium Private Wealth

Give an experience

Instead of giving a physical gift, give an experience such as tickets to a concert or a voucher to use at a favourite restaurant.

Better still, why not gift something special of yourself by offering to cook a meal or provide free babysitting for a family member.

Giving an experience, rather than a physical gift, also means you don’t need to waste precious paper by wrapping the present or spend money on postage getting it to that special someone.

Re-usable wrapping

If you do give a physical present, think of some clever ways to wrap it, so you’re not adding to the 150,000-kilometres of wrapping paper Australians needlessly use each year.

That’s enough paper to circle the equator four times. Wrap your gift in a re-usable patterned tea towel or scarf, or better still, invest in some brightly-patterned boxes to hold your present that can be recycled from one Christmas to the next.

Stop and look

Stop for a moment and look around your home to see what you can re-use and turn into a gift.

A great place to start is the garden. Many plants can be easily divided and, in doing so, will create new plants you can pot up in a re-usable pot to give away.

Buy fresh

Take time to plan your meals this season and, wherever possible, cut down on buying heavily packaged or processed foods.

Instead, buy fresh foods that can be eaten without much cooking, re-used as leftovers, or frozen for later consumption.

It’s estimated that 90 percent of Australians discard some 25 percent of all the food they buy during December – that’s food that has been needlessly produced only to end up in landfills.

As young Kevin found in ‘Home Alone’, what really matters is remembering how blessed we are to be enjoying the festive season in whatever way we can and being with the people we care about most.

• The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

Enhancing public amenities

Residents and day-trippers can take advantage of upgraded public barbecue facilities across Ararat Rural City municipality.

Eight new electric barbecues have been installed in popular parks and picnic spots across the region, including at Ararat’s Alexandra Gardens, at Wickliffe, Elmhurst, Willaura, Emu Park, Streatham and Lake Bolac.

The upgrades were funded through the council’s community projects fund.

Mayor Jo Armstrong said the barbecues were installed with the communities needs in mind.

“Council crews have replaced out-

dated barbecue facilities with new, fixed electric barbecues as part of a wider initiative to enhance public amenities,” Cr Armstrong said.

“After the past few years, our communities have had to overcome much mental strain and as a council, we want to create more opportunities for people to connect with friends and family in the places that make our rural city great.

“The great Aussie tradition of having a barbecue in summer should be accessible to all residents, especially in our beautiful parks, reserves and along our lakes.”

END OF SCHOOL 2022

VCE high-achievers acknowledged

BY ABBY WALTER

Wimmera year-12 VCE students are looking towards 2023 and life beyond high school after receiving their ATAR results last week.

Wimmera schools have also announced their VCE dux students.

Horsham College’s dux was Ameliah Smith with a result of 98.25.

“I was shocked. I screamed when I saw my result,” Ms Smith said.

“I was in tears, I was so happy.

“I want to study biomedicine at the University of Newcastle next year.

“I have always been interested in the healthcare field and biology was one of my favourite subjects at school.

“I like learning about the human body.”

Ms Smith said year-12 had been ‘quite stressful’ – especially when exams drew nearer.

“My favourite part of the year was my study periods, when I could work on my own at my pace,” she said.

“My advice to future year-12s is to do your best and don’t leave all your study to just before assessments – do work throughout the year.”

Horsham’s Holy Trinity Lutheran College named two students dux, with both Ryan Pfitzner and Ryan BritoMutunayagan receiving an ATAR of 96.8.

Ryan Pfitzner said he was pretty excited and surprised by his result.

“I thought a lot of my study scores were better than what I expected,” he said.

“I plan to study a Bachelor of Commerce and hopefully major in finance and financial planning at Deakin University, which I hope I will start online next year.”

Mr Pfitzner said his fond memories of year-12 involved the peers he spent the year with.

“My favourite part of year-12 was the people – getting to spend time with my friends. It wasn’t all schoolwork. We had a lot of fun together, making the most of opportunities we had,” he said.

“My least favourite part was the English exam. It’s not something that comes very easily to me, but overall, the exams were all better than I thought they would be.”

Ryan Brito-Mutunayagan was also excited by his result and achieving dux.

“The night before receiving the re-

sults, I was a bit worried, but I was really happy with how I went. I didn’t expect to get that high,” he said.

“This year I enjoyed hanging with my classmates, as we were making the most of our final year together.

“We all knew we would have to work really hard – especially towards the end – but throughout the year, we had a lot of good times, including in class. We weren’t always just focussing on exams; we made sure to have fun as well. I didn’t mind the exam block that much, but the pressure that came with it as well was something I didn’t enjoy.”

Mr Brito-Mutunayagan plans to study medicine next year.

“I have done an interview at Monash University for medicine, so it will depend on how that was scored,” he said.

“My ATAR was above what was

needed, so hopefully that can get me there. I have applied for other places as well – though medicine is the main goal.”

Horsham’s St Brigid’s College’s Ebony Scott was dux of her cohort.

“It felt good to get my results. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting,” she said.

“My advice to next year’s year-12s is to use school time wisely, to do as little schoolwork at home.”

Ms Scott plans to pursue a career in graphic design, after designing a new logo for the amalgamated Wimmera parishes.

“I’ve always had an interest in graphic design and doing the logo helped me realise I could do that as a job,” she said. “Uni-wise, I’m not too sure where I want to go to study.

“I’m looking forward to doing something that is of interest to me and get-

ting out and doing new and exciting things.”

Hopetoun P-12 College’s MacKenzie Bellinger was dux with a score of 92.9

“I was really nervous waiting for my results and I didn’t know what to expect,” Ms Bellinger said.

“I had put a lot of work in, so I was relieved to see my final score. It was what I was aiming for, but I think I was still a little shocked.”

Ms Bellinger said she planned to pursue further study at Deakin University in marketing and public relations.

“I received a phone call that I was awarded a scholarship, so between that and my results I had an exciting few days,” she said.

“The best part of year-12 was knowing we were finishing up, but also it was a great time to be with my friends and the teachers were treating us more

like adults. I also enjoyed being at a small school and getting some one-onone learning.”

Goroke P-12 College dux was Ben Walter.

“I was happy with my result and it was about where I thought I would be,” Mr Walter said.

“My favourite part of year-12 was using my time well enough to hang with friends and enjoy the year. My least favourite part of year-12 was the over-exaggeration surrounding tests and the pressure behind them.”

Mr Walter will attend Longerenong College next year.

“I wanted to go to Longerenong to gain further knowledge in the agricultural field,” he said.

“My advice to future year-12s is to use your time in a way that ensures you’re still having fun and you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself.”

Stawell Secondary College 2022 dux was Grace Hopwood with an ATAR of 87.6

“I felt mixed emotions when I saw my results,” Ms Hopwood said.

“I was very surprised and pleased with my English score, which put me on the honour roll.”

Ms Hopwood plans to study physiotherapy next year and hoped to go to university in Ballarat.

“I love to learn and the connections I made and maintained with friends were important this year,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do year-12 without them.

“There was always going to be challenges in different subjects, but the good outweighed the bad this year.”

Nhill College dux was Samantha Creek with an ATAR of 85.75 and Murtoa College dux was Lachlan Weidemann with an ATAR of 77.7.

Dux of Warracknabeal Secondary College was Jed Koschitzke and Ararat College dux was Amy Clarke with a 95.15 ATAR. St Arnaud Secondary College dux was Berenice Walsh with an ATAR of 92.75. Edenhope College dux was Chloe Gherardin with an ATAR of 81.15 and Tehya Clarke was dux of Dimboola Memorial Secondary College.

Kaniva College and Balmoral K-12 Community College had not disclosed their dux when The Weekly Advertiser went to press. Lake Bolac College and Marian College Ararat could not be contacted.

LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL STUDENTS ON COMPLETING THE 2022 SCHOOL YEAR AND WISH THEM ALL THE BEST FOR 2023

Grace Hopwood

Stawell Secondary College

Samantha Creek Nhill College

Ebony Scott St Brigid’s College, Horsham

Ameliah Smith Horsham College

Ben Walter Goroke P-12 College

Jed Koschitzke Warracknabeal Secondary College

St Brigid’s College is immensely proud of all our students for their commitment to their studies, health and wellbeing during the challenging 2022 school year.

Our Year 12 students gained fantas�c results with the support from our amazing staff. We congratulate them on their gradua�on and Ebony Sco� on being awarded our VCE Dux for 2022

Benjamin Hopper was awarded our VCAL Dux for 2022 and was a high performing student in our VCAL program.

At St Brigid’s College , we are very blessed to have students who value their educa�on; teachers and staff who care for, know and support their students and their families; parents and friends who are ac�vely interested in our school. Thank

to all our families for being part of the St Brigid’s College community.

Goroke P-12 College offers small class sizes, and personalised learning with a wide variety of elective subjects and accelerated VCE options for students from Year 9. Our students consistently achieve results at or above the state mean.

We have well established hands-on and applied learning pathways with options including Agriculture, STEM, Hands-on Learning and Food Technology.

Our students are involved in local activities that build connections to community. Students are active participants in ANZAC Day, sporting groups and the local show, and often take on lead roles.

Wellbeing and excellence are key priorities for our school, and we have an established Wellbeing program across the college to complement learning. We believe in educating the whole student to become well rounded, upstanding citizens. Students also benefit from a dedicated Wellbeing Officer.

We run a modern and comfortable bus each day from Horsham through Quantong and Natimuk.

For further information contact the school on 03 5386 1024.

-Kylie Smith, Principal

END OF SCHOOL 2022 advertising feature

Early plan for testing

BY ABBY WALTER

Wimmera school leaders hope an earlier date for NAPLAN testing in 2023 will allow them to use data sooner to target learning areas for students.

NAPLAN testing will occur in term one in 2023 instead of term two.

Annual tests for students in years three, five, seven and nine cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

Horsham’s Ss Michael and John’s Primary School assistant principal Louise Chesterfield said she hoped hosting NAPLAN testing earlier would benefit teachers and students.

“We hope that with the earlier date, we will be provided with the results earlier. This will enable schools to use data more effectively,” she said.

“When the data comes to us later in the year, it doesn’t have the greatest impact to make a difference.”

Mrs Chesterfield said the school collected NAPLAN data and used it in conjunction with other results and knowledge of individual students.

“We would triangulate this set of data with others to build an understanding of individual students,” she said.

“Formalised assessments are not the only way to measure a student’s success, so we also use what we know about individual students to know what they need from us to learn.”

This year’s NAPLAN results showed Victorian students ranked first or second nationally in eight of 10 domains at a primary-school level.

At a secondary level, more than 90 percent of Victorian students achieved above the national minimum standard for reading and numeracy.

More than 90 percent of Victorian year-seven students and more than 80 percent of year-nine students achieved above the national minimum standard in writing.

Ararat College ranked second in schools with the highest improvement across a five-year average – with an 8.84-percent increase.

Principal Ellie McDougall said the school community had worked hard on students’ learning growth since 2019.

“We’ve had a really strong focus on understanding individual needs of students,” she said.

“Dedicated work from our staff has had an impact on our students’ learning and the data shows that.”

Mrs McDougall agreed an earlier date for NAPLAN testing would make the data more useful for teachers.

“As with any data set, we triangulate data, but it will be more useful to get information about the results of our students earlier, rather than later, in the year,” she said.

“NAPLAN is one assessment, from

one point in time.” Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive David de Carval said for a second year in a row, NAPLAN results defied predictions of drastic falls in performance related to COVID-19.

“This suggests the efforts being made by schools and teachers, in response to those earlier warning signs, are paying off,” he said.

“Aside from numeracy, the year-five results are pleasing, as 2022 was the first year this cohort sat their NAPLAN tests, following the cancellation of NAPLAN in 2020.

“It will be important to track whether this cohort’s lower numeracy achievement affects their results in years seven and nine.

“In the year-to-year data from 2021 to 2022, an increase in writing results for year nine Indigenous students and students from a language background other than English are welcome.

“There was also an increase in grammar and punctuation results for Indigenous students in year seven.

“While these results are just for one year, it’s hoped this signals the start of longer-term trends.”

Mr de Carvalho said participation rates were slowly falling since the start of NAPLAN testing.

“This issue is of concern, as low participation rates can impact results analysis and the ability to get a clear picture of literacy and numeracy achievement at the national level,” he said.

Agriculture camps

Wimmera

and Mallee school students can experience life at Longerenong College during camps scheduled in the next two years.

Wimmera Southern Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network and Longerenong College were allocated funding from the State Government’s Department of Education and Training to host agriculture school camps as part of the Secondary Schools Agriculture Funding round.

The ‘Come and try agriculture at Longy’ camps are designed to

increase awareness and aspirations of secondary school students to the broad range of careers in agriculture.

The program aims to immerse students in an array of ‘hands-on’ agriculture and STEM activities at the college and with industry partners.

The activities will be delivered at a series of camps lasting between one and five days.

Year nine to 12 students would get a ‘full’ Longerenong College experience by staying on site on multi-day camps.

“As with any data set, we triangulate data, but it will be more useful to get information about the results of our students earlier, rather than later, in the year”

– Ellie McDougall

EXPERIENCE: Longerenong students are excited to show how they live at the college and work with equipment, including the Geoprospectors Topsoil Mapper, through a series of camps in coming years.

END OF SCHOOL 2022

Congratulations Class of 2022

In 2022, 15% of HTLC students received an ATAR of 90 or above, placing them in the top 10% of the state. 46% of students achieved an ATAR of 70 or above.

Holy Trinity Lutheran College is incredibly proud of the efforts of all Year 12 students. The College wishes the Class of 2022 all the best as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

Trinity Drive, Horsham www.htlc.vic.edu.au

Providing a future focused Christian education from Foundation to Year 12

Ryan Brito-Mutunayagam VCE Dux (96.8 ATAR)

Ryan Pfitzner VCE Dux (96.8 ATAR)

Joshua Wundke VCE Proxime Accessit (93.15 ATAR)

Zac Dufty VCAL Dux

Year-six students recap past years

Another cohort of year-six students came to the end of their primary-school years across the region last week and teachers and friends have said their final farewells to high-school bound children.

The Weekly Advertiser caught up with graduating year-six students from Horsham Primary School Rasmussen campus and Laharum Primary School to reflect on their primaryschool days ahead of their last hours as junior-school leaders.

Rasmussen campus students Leah Leathan and Latayah Bright-Perry answered together when asked about their favourite primary-school memories.

The pair said year-six camp was ‘definitely’ their favourite experience.

“Unfortunately, we missed out on year-four and year-five camps because of COVID-19 restrictions, so this year’s camp made it even more special,” they said.

“Our favourite parts were getting to spend time with friends, meeting new people from the 298 campus and visiting amazing places such as the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, indoor trampoline centre Bounce Inc, and Scienceworks museum.”

Latayah said she expected to meet ‘heaps’ of new friends at high school next year, and she was eager to continue to work hard learning new information and skills.

Leah said she expected to get ‘lots

of work done’ in 2023, while she, too, expected to meet lots of new people and make lots of new friends.

Lataya said if she could tell her ‘prep-self’ one thing, it would be to ‘listen more’ and get more work done instead of getting distracted, while Leah said if she could do the same, she would tell herself to put herself

‘out there’ more and that she shouldn’t be afraid to meet new people and have new experiences.

Laharum Primary School year-six students Jayden Uebergang and Troy Winfield also spent last week remembering their past seven years of primary schooling before embarking on their high-school journey next year.

Jayden and Troy put their heads together to answer The Weekly Advertiser’s graduating-week questions as a pair.

They said their favourite memory from primary school was visiting Sovereign Hill in Ballarat.

“We dressed up as 1850s school kids. It was a new experience,” they

said. “We also have enjoyed the chickens and our ‘Monkey Chats’ in class on a Mondays.”

The boys said next year they expected to do ‘great things’ in different subjects, while if they could have told their ‘prep-self’ one thing, it would be to have fun at school and to not be scared to meet new people.

Dimboola Memorial Secondary College congratulates all students on a successful year in

SEND OFFS: Laharum Primary School year-six students Jayden Uebergang, left, and Troy Winfield celebrated their last days at primary school last week; while Horsham Primary School Rasmussen campus year-six students Leah Leathan and Latayah Bright-Perry look forward to high school.

END OF SCHOOL 2022

Grads find their trade

BY MICHAEL SCALZO

Teachers and employers training the next generation of western Victorian workers have noted collaboration remains crucial for vocational pathways.

As the next crop of students graduate from Horsham College’s vocational training, leading teacher of careers and vocational pathways Paul Webster says the teaching environment has ‘shifted’.

“There is a more holistic approach to prepare young people for transition – not just focusing on the curriculum,” he said. “It is a collaborative effort with the local community, employers and teachers about what these students need to succeed.

“For example, the parts of our school that resources our student’s transition have industry background, too, so it is not just the school telling employers what their apprentices and trainees need.”

Mr Webster said there was also a focus on skills that included personal organisation skills and personal safety responsibilities, as well as literacy and numeracy.

Three graduates of Horsham College’s vocational pathways in 2022 have found employment at Horsham building and trade business, CHS Group.

CHS Group human resources manager Corinne Hopper said overcoming a vocational skills shortage in the region required continued effort from schools and industry.

“There was, for a while, a heavy focus on a direct line from school to university and that has certainly changed, but the way forward is about giving students exposure to a variety of different vocational options, and providing them with opportunities to pursue them,” she said.

“At CHS we are in a good position to provide graduates with

opportunities, because we are a large company with a diversity of trades.”

Jett Hopper has joined the family CHS Group business full time.

He said he had known for a while he wanted to work in the building sector.

“VCAL helped a lot. There was a lot of hands-on learning and practical work to do,” he said.

“We learnt simple things as well on computers, that would help me here at work.

“The VCAL program was extremely handy for me.”

M e r r y C h r i s t m a s Merry Christmas Merry Christmas

Scholarships open for 2024

Median ATAR of 80 and over 50% of students have early offers to the universities of their choice.

Let the confident futures being… 11% of our cohort achieved an ATAR above 90 33% of our cohort achieved an ATAR above 85 48% of our cohort achieved an ATAR above 80 65% of our cohort achieved an ATAR above 75

Ararat

College would like to wish the school and wider Ararat community a Merry Christmas and Happy New year! We would like to thank all of our students, staff and families for their tremendous work, trust and support throughout the year.

ON THE JOB: Horsham College vocational students, from left, Jett Hopper, Chris Martin and Tyler Bolton, have started work at CHS Group.

Safety nod

The MG4 electric small hatchback – confirmed for Australian release toward the middle of 2023 – has scored a five star safety rating in the most recent round of Euro NCAP testing, raising hopes that it will arrive here with a similarly high score.

A spokesperson for MG Motor Australia acknowledged the Euro NCAP result would not necessarily be reflected here as changes to testing procedures were being implemented by ANCAP next year.

“Our customers can take great pride and comfort knowing that their MG4

features the latest technology, world class design and quality materials resulting in a top tier safety rating,” the spokesperson said.

Depending on ANCAP testing and other logistics, the MG4 will arrive Down Under mid next year.

It is already produced in right-hand drive for the UK market, where it is priced from $47,257.

The MG4’s Euro NCAP score is the safety watchdog’s first test result involving MG parent company SAIC’s new modular scalable platform, MSP, an adaptable vehicle architecture that uses a thin battery pack design and long wheelbase.

As a result, MG’s first ground-up, dedicated electric model provides generous interior head and legroom for its footprint and has been wellreceived in overseas markets since it launched earlier this year.

The rear-wheel drive MG4 has up to 450km of electric range from a single charge on the WLTP combined cycle when specified with the biggest, 64kWh, battery pack.

Standard features include a 10.25inch touchscreen with Apple CarPIay and Android Auto, mirroring, MG iSmart app connectivity, and the MG Pilot suite of active safety and driver assistance tech that helped the entire

MG4 line-up to achieve its five-star Euro NCAP rating.

After a purple patch in sales this year, MG Motor Australia is keenly anticipating the new MG4 that is similar in size and format to a Nissan Leaf but much more modern. It will likely do battle at the lower end of the EV price range alongside the MG ZS EV and BYD Atto 3.

In the UK and likely here, MG offers a ‘Trophy Long Range’ flagship variant that gains a 360-degree parking camera, native satellite navigation, heated front seats and steering wheel, and the ability to use a smartphone as the vehicle key.

New MG4 dedicated EV hatch a safe choice

The car is available in a choice of six colours, while other exterior features include the active grille system regulating airflow into the front compartment to help achieve optimal battery range, and the two-tone black roof with twin rear spoiler design.

Other cool kit includes the MG iSMART app that allows owners to control many functions including charging, checking vehicle status andfinding the nearest charging point, as well as pre-starting the climate control system before departure.

– Peter Barnwell

• Nissan says its newest small SUV has what it takes to compete alongside cheaper rivals –

Nissan has released its thirdgeneration Qashqai SUV in Australia this month, the roomier, all-new model set to reassert its position within the small SUV segment it once sat proudly atop.

With a projected return to annual sales of about 7000 units – dependent on supply – Nissan Australia managing director Adam Paterson said the Qashqai would quickly find its feet with small SUV buyers wanting a quality product equipped with the latest driveline, safety and in-vehicle technologies.

“The segment continues to grow, and the opportunity as far as people shopping the segment is different than it was previously,” he said.

“There are far more customers looking for a small segment SUV today than there were five, six or seven years ago when Qashqai was last renewed.”

Mr Paterson said the small SUV segment was expected to continue to grow during the lifecycle of the newly launched Qashqai, projecting a share of between 15 and 16 percent – or about 160,000 units annually – of the overall new car market by 2027.

“Although we’re in a very different

market today, it is encouraging to see the current Qashqai is performing so well elsewhere. In the UK, where the car has been on sale for just over a year now, it is the number one selling car in the market,” he said.

“Additionally, I think many of the competitors are quite similar. They’re not all exactly the same, but there is a lot of ‘sameness’ to the segment, so that also gives us a lot of confidence the new Qashqai is going to do great when it arrives in volumes and in dealerships.”

While Mr Paterson did not stipulate exact sales projections for the Qashqai, he said it was important the model returned to the top of charts, anticipating an improvement in supply as key to achieving sales success.

“We have the goal to get back to the sales numbers we’ve achieved previously. In Australia, our supply situation is improving drastically, but there is still more demand than there is supply,” he said.

“We’ve got visibility on volume coming from the factory and I would say it’s very encouraging, and much better than they have been in the past 18 months.

“That said, I do not believe the in-

dustry is completely out of the woods as far as supply constraints are concerned – and that’s a challenge that might prevent us from returning to the normality of 2016 or 2017.”

Mr Paterson said with new entrants offering high content levels at a competitive price – and retail pricing of the new generation Qashqai increasing significantly – it was important to focus on content and quality moving forward, while simultaneously delivering a vehicle that rides and handles well on Australian roads.

“My feeling is that a lot of what we have seen in terms of the sales results in this country during the past 12 to 18 months are probably somewhat indicative of supply availability, and I

can tell you that is the case with us,” he said.

“Our sales in the past 12 months or so are more reflective of our availability than they are demand, and I guess with price points being different now to what they were in the previous generation there is a concern that we might not be able to get back to that volume when there are less expensive competitors.

“To that, I would say we think the content and the value in this car, the drive and the way it handles on local roads, are definitely going to convince customers when they get behind the wheel.

“After spending considerable time in the new Qashqai myself, I’m even

more confident we’ll get back to the type of volumes we have enjoyed previously.

“I am extremely impressed with the ‘premiumness’ of this vehicle, and what Nissan’s engineers have achieved, and I think Nissan buyers will see that when they get to spend some time with the car.”

Year-to-date figures published by the FCAI show the 23-vehicle-strong small SUV under $40,000 market segment is dominated by the MG ZS, 19,410 unit sales, ahead of the Mazda CX-30, 12,975, Mitsubishi ASX, 11,976, Hyundai Kona, 11,082, and Kia Seltos, 8198.

– Matt Brogan

COMPETITOR: Nissan says its newest small SUV has what it takes to compete alongside cheaper rivals.

Ford’s tough truck tried and tested

In preparation for the arrival of a new F-150 ute – tipped for the second half of the year – Ford Australia has subjected the big American ‘pick-up truck’ to the rigours of Aussie driving conditions by putting it through its paces at their You Yangs vehicle testing facility near Melbourne. Keen to underline Ford Australia’s ‘Built Ford Tough’ mantra, the Blue Oval people have been working on localising the F-150 to ensure it delivers on the promise.

The process is critical as Australian conditions are extreme, coupled with owners who demand vehicles with broad capabilities, particularly ‘light’ commercials.

The F-150 has dominated in the US market for almost half a century and looks set to continue getting the job done with a range of different models and powertrains on offer including full EV, but not in Australia.

Ford says the 2023 F-150 is the toughest and most productive model ‘ever’ and will do well when it eventually arrives Down Under, gauged by the number of forward orders for the F-150 that is already common knowledge here with buyers registering their interest in the big ute as soon as it was confirmed for Australian consumption.

Ford says it is holding ‘thousands

of prospective orders’ through their dealer network. It will be available here in XLT and Lariat grades and will feature the popular 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine coupled with 10-speed automatic transmission in 4x4 crew cab

configuration. Both variants will be available in 3683mm short wheelbase, SWB, with a 1676mm load box and 3987mm long wheelbase, LWB, with a 1981mm load box configurations.

Ford Australia performance and customisation chief program engi-

neer Dave Burn said when the F-150 hit Australian showrooms, customers could rest assured it had been put through the same ‘local’ durability program as the Next-Generation Ranger and Everest, which, of course, was the same program left-hand drive

F-150 went through in the States.

Ford says durability is at the core of the new F-150 and during Australian engineering and development it had to cope with everything from -40° Celsius and +50° Celsius temperatures, trailer towing, mud, ultra-fine sand, water crossings and corrosion tests.

Total Australian durability test mileage was in excess of 135,000 kilometres, which is the equivalent of driving around Australia nine times.

Ford Australia did not hold back driving the F-150 across their torturous Silver Creek Road durability track hundreds of times.

Similarly, some of the world’s most punishing roads were replicated in the laboratory at Ford Australia’s You Yangs proving ground with F-150’s driveline, steering, wheels and suspension punished on a Kinematic and Compliance rig.

“We’ve torture tested, tuned and reworked the right-hand drive F-150 so that Aussie customers know they’re getting the full factory F-150 experience,” Mr Burn said.

“We’re doing everything to make sure the truck will be right at home here in Australia.”

The F-150 goes on sale in Australia in 2023, with pricing and final specification details to be announced closer to market release.

– Peter Barnwell

From the moment it made its way onto our shores over 50 years ago, the Hilux quickly established itself as an Australian classic. A workhorse and family mover, no adventure is complete without one. And for good reason. Combining power with on-road presence, the Hilux continues to prove itself from generation to generation. Nothing beats the unbreakable connection between you and your Hilux. Visit your local Toyota Dealer or go to toyota.com.au/HiLux

Stawell Toyota 72-76 Long eld Street, Stawell T: 03 5358 1555 403 stawelltoyota.com.au

TESTED: The F-150 goes on sale in Australia in 2023, with pricing and final specification details to be announced closer to market release.

www.consortiumpw.com.au

ARIES:

(March 21- April 20)

Lucky Colour: Red

Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 1.3.6.5.

Lotto Numbers: 1.12.16.25.24.40. There could be some surprises in your financial dealings. Winter cleaning is evident in your life and household. There is some interesting news in your family life.

1. Layers of gas in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter colours of light. What is the most predominant colour scattered by the atmosphere based on wavelength?

2. The late Merv Neagle, a star footballer, grew up in Dimboola before joining Essendon in 1977. In what year did he start playing for Sydney?

3. Match the animal with its offspring –

Alpaca Kitten

Bat Kit

Echidna Elver

Eel Puggle

Ferret Cria

Rabbit Pup

6. In what year did the AFL, then VFL, introduce an unlimited player interchange system to replace its substitution rule?

7. What three-syllable locality east of Lake Fyans starting with ‘B’ will be included with Dadswells Bridge, Pomonal, Moyston, Mokepilly, Barton, Jallukar, Illawarra and Ledcourt in the latest regional flood investigation?

8. Some Wimmera anglers have been heading south to catch blue-fin tuna. Unlike many other fish, tuna have what similar characteristic to mammals and birds that allows them to readily burn energy and travel at great speed?

9. As humans we have sweat glands all over our body. Where are the sweat glands in cats and dogs?

10. Jeparit-born Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert ‘Bob’ Menzies earned what nickname during an industrial battle with waterside workers who refused to load scrap iron being sold to Imperial Japan? Too easy? What was his other nickname?

TAURUS:

(April 21- May 20)

Lucky Colour: White

Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 4.6.5.2.

Lotto Numbers: 4.12.26.36.35.5. There is possible new romance in your life and exciting new people to meet. Finances and your work situation is about to expand and more chances to improve your present income.

GEMINI:

(May 21- June 21)

Lucky Colour: Orange

Lucky Day: Wednesday Racing Numbers: 4.6.5.2. Lotto Numbers: 4.12.26.39.8.11. Busy and interesting career moves and many new people to meet in business and work situations. Social life will also improve and some love interest could be created.

CANCER:

(June 22- July 22)

Lucky Colour: Mauve

Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 6.3.2.5. Lotto Numbers: 6.12.25.40.22.29. Busy time in your love and social life but make sure you are taken seriously when you need it. There will be contacts with some unusual people who can improve your life style.

8am-10am EVERY SATURDAY Catching up on all the local sport news Missed a Local Legend Chat? Visit 3wm.com.au Scan to listen live the Summer shirtfront Returning on January 28, 2023

LEO:

with kerrY

(July 23- August 22)

Lucky Colour: Red Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 8.9.6.2.

Lotto Numbers: 9.12.26.35.40.45.

It could be an uneventful time in your love life and you are longing for some excitement. Money matters should be improving though and some interest in your hobbies increase.

VIRGO:

(August 23- September 23)

Lucky Colour: Violet

Lucky Day: Tuesday Racing Numbers: 4.6.2.3.

Lotto Numbers: 4.12.26.35.40.22. Some changes are on their way and you might be taken by surprise in your emotional life. Travel could be very much on your mind but getting ready to go is another story.

LIBRA:

(September 24- October 23)

Lucky Colour: Cream

Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 5.6.2.3. Lotto Numbers: 1.12.15.26.35.40.

Big changes could be indicated and more time with interesting friends who could introduce you to someone special. Business is improving and more time for something you love.

SCORPIO:

(October 24- November 22)

Lucky Colour: Yellow Lucky Day: Wednesday Racing Numbers: 1.3.2.5. Lotto Numbers: 1.12.26.32.20.6.

A member of the family could be instrumental in giving joy to you and others. You could realise the worth of someone close by and more understanding will enrich your life.

kuLkenS

SAGITTARIUS:

(November 23- December 20)

Lucky Colour: Blue Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 4.6.2.3. Lotto Numbers: 1.12.15.29.30.33. Lots more social life and you could be selected to lead something unusual. You could be helping out someone special and in doing so, enrich your own life.

CAPRICORN:

(December 21- January 19)

Lucky Colour: Plum Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 4.6.9.7. Lotto Numbers: 7.8.12.26.30.36. Possibilities to change your whole life style are there – it’s up to you how to react to changes. There are big decisions to make and all situations to be taken into account.

AQUARIUS:

(January 20- February 19)

Lucky Colour: White Lucky Day: Sunday Racing Numbers: 4.9.3.2. Lotto Numbers: 4.12.25.5.11.3. Not a good time to spend too much money and if any dealings are to be made make sure you get expert advice. On the home front you could be asked to sort out some family problems.

PISCES:

    For the week December 25 - December 31

   

(February 20- March 20)

Lucky Colour: Peach Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 2.3.5.6. Lotto Numbers: 2.13.26.35.40.22. This is a very lucky period in which most of your endeavours will succeed. There could be some unusual attraction to unknown things. Travel could be stressful if not planned well.

which was undiagnosed, because it’s knee pain.

We often think as the sacrum as a solid tail bone. Well in young children it is five individual bones which don’t start to join to form one bone until they are around 13yrs of age. Each one can misalign or jam up

As a chiropractor we look at all areas of the spine and check all joints in the legs to find out what is not moving properly and the best way to correct it. Keeping teenagers moving well helps them grow straighter, stronger and assists them to perform better at their activities. We’re here to help.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

‘We’ll be doing this for a while’

BY ABBY WALTER

The sun is shining on headers in paddocks this week and Wimmera farmers have had a chance to get stuck into harvest for 2022-23.

A La Niña season saw above-average rain in November and early December, delaying the start of harvest, but it has not been all negative for growers.

Vectis farmer Tim Rethus said while harvest was tracking well, there were still challenges.

“We can’t get the area done per day that we would like to because we are knocking off early and starting late,” he said.

“Harvest is going to be more drawn out until we get finer weather.

“That’s also a good sign, because some of the crops are good and it’s adding to the time it takes to get the harvesters through because the crops are thicker.”

Mr Rethus said he had been harvesting canola and barley so far this season.

“Both have been quite good. I have heard good reports around about canola. It’s been a very good crop to grow this year,” he said.

“It will be interesting to see what happens when we get into the other crops, as I think it will be a bit of a mixed bag.

“I know a few people have had to spray lentils out because they got too wet and died and there are reports that wheat will not be as good as we hoped.

“The crops look good, but when you get in to do some head rub and get some into your hand, there are not as many seeds as you think, so it will be interesting to see what the header picks up.

“Quality and yield have been pretty

good in what we have harvested so far, although I’ve heard some barley had low test weights, which is lower quality.

“I also suspect that a lot of that is because the first barley that people started harvesting was their worst barley. Usually, the worst barley ripens first because it finishes early, when it shouldn’t, so it could improve in time.”

Mr Rethus said quantity for barley was above average and the barley was a little bit above average.

“I have heard of much better results from better barley growers than me in terms of yield, too,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone has tackled wheat around us just yet, but some are getting close.”

GrainCorp Wimmera area manager Nathan Tepper said most sites saw receivals start to come through in late November, due to a later start this year.

“The recent rain, hopefully, should not cause any issues,” he said.

“There has been some water in paddocks that obviously delayed the usual start date of the winter harvest.

“There are some areas that have been impacted by a softer growing season or rain events, but so far we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the quality coming through the gates, and pleased for the growers delivering to us.”

Mr Tepper said canola, barley and wheat were yielding well so far, with some areas of the Wimmera impacted more than others.

“The majority of receivals so far have been delivered to Murtoa and Nhill, with the broader Wimmera region having taken more than 220,000 tonnes,” he said.

“There’s still a long way to go for this year’s harvest – particularly given

the late start. I’d estimate we’re about a fifth of the way through across the region.

“Weather permitting, we’ll likely still be receiving grain at the end of January.”

Mr Rethus said he would normally only have a week’s worth of harvest work to do after Christmas.

“Everything has been delayed. This year we’ve probably done one-quarter and we’re just over halfway through December, so we have a long way to go,” he said.

“Normally we would have sprayed lentils a month ago so they were ready for harvest, but we probably won’t spray them until after Christmas.

“While the season is late, there is good news because the plants have lots of seeds on them and we’re letting them go because why wouldn’t you cash in when you can?

“Some people have been harvesting beans, but again they have been a bit of a problem this year because

of disease and I think they’re not getting a lot.

“I haven’t heard great things about beans yet, but a lot of good bean crops will be harvested later because of the season – early bean crops are the ones that fared poorly due to disease and they died early so were harvested early.”

Mr Rethus said prices were dropping away, as they did each harvest.

“I think a bit of strategic storing is going to be good. Prices are strong but looking at international prices, they’re not as strong as they should be,” he said.

“That’s largely due to logistics in getting grain out of the country.

“We can grow all this crop but we can’t get it out of the country – we’ve been growing record crops for three years in a row, you think logistics would have improved by now but they haven’t.

“I know people at GrainGrowers and VFF have been advocating about the

quality of our roads, the train network to get grain to port and the number of ships we access to get the grain out of the ports.

“We’re going to have a large amount stored at receivals and farms and we’ll see what happens, but I think there will be an opportunity to sell some now at a relatively good price and maybe hang on to a little bit to sell later on.”

Mr Rethus said while paddocks were drying out quickly now, soil moisture was still boding well for 2023.

“Most of the standing water has disappeared, but the problem is we don’t know how long ago it disappeared,” he said.

“We have table drains with water in the middle of December, which is pretty ridiculous, and the roadside grass is still green, which is amazing, so it just goes to show how much moisture is around.

“Looking at our soil probes, moisture levels in soil from the start of November to the end of November are the same, so that means they are full.

“That bodes well and gets farmers excited about next year because we know we have a bucket half-full to start with, so no matter what happens we are in line for getting something next year.”

Mr Rethus said it was important that farmers and harvest workers looked after themselves during the season.

“It’s going to be a long season and it is good to be there at the end – we’re talking two months of work yet, so it’s a long harvest,” he said.

“It’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint, so take opportunities when they come to have a break. When the weather is bad, it’s a time to recharge.

“We will be doing this for a while, but enjoy it while it’s going.”

HARVEST RETURNS: Steven Pilgrim delivers wheat to Nhill Graincorp site.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

For two years now, Aussie grain prices have been trading at a significant discount when compared with global prices.

Yes, prices are high and most farmers have enjoyed two good seasons.

But it feels like we’ve left something on the table; at the farm level we haven’t been able to fully land the price-volume quinella.

This isn’t just an issue for farmers, it’s an issue for the regional economy.

Getting good data on this is difficult, but for the purpose of the conversation let’s say 30 million tonnes of wheat, barley and canola has been sold by farmers at $50 a tonne below global parity. That’s a $1.5-billion lost opportunity.

Maximising the value of the Aussie crop is important, for everyone.

There’s plenty of conjecture as to why our prices are lower than they should be.

Is difficulty in accessing shipping capacity and port availability limiting competition? Is the main profit driver for major traders volume not price?

If so, they’re incentivised to work prices lower.

Is there an oligopoly in the grain commodity trade here, which impacts the relationship between global prices and local bids?

As I ponder these issues, I’ve realised it’s pretty easy to sit back and

From left field

complain about something, blame someone else for a situation we don’t like. So, it’s worth reminding ourselves as farmers, we have first point of control in the supply chain.

A trader can’t fill an order until we sell them some grain. If we don’t like a grain price then why do we sell?

Part of the answer to this is the need for cashflow.

Cropping is an expensive business. We invest heavily throughout the growing season and by December we’re looking for a return.

Being forced to sell for cashflow limits the ability to capture an improved return post harvest, and any extra dollars on the grain price goes straight to profit.

A 10 percent lift in the price might mean a 50 percent lift in profit.

Decoupling the marketing decision from the cashflow need would be a useful step.

Pleasingly, we’re starting to see some inventory finance products appear where farmers can get a cash advance against their stored grain. But more work needs to be done between indus-

try and financiers to make this option more readily available.

The piece that stands out the most for me though is the knowledge gap.

Farmers know their production system very well.

They seek advice from plant breeders, agronomists, nutritionists, soil scientists and research groups to inform their decisions. They monitor every step of the production cycle.

But it seems we understand very little about the next phase of the product journey, the steps from farm to customer.

When we see a USD price for grain sold to a customer in the Middle East or South East Asia, most of us can’t readily convert that back to a farm gate value. We don’t know if the local bids are a true reflection of destination price. We don’t know if our post farm gate supply chain is functioning effectively.

So, I think, as we work up the 2023 budget we’ll put an extra line in for ‘Knowledge – Markets’. It does feel like this is the next area for uplift in farm business performance.

This approach will only be effective if it’s industry wide. If we collectively lift our understanding of each component of the journey from farm to customer, we will be able to make better marketing decisions.

As someone once sang, ‘You’ve got to know when to hold ’em’.

with David Matthews

READY FOR 2023: Angus Hawkins, pictured, is one of many students enrolled in Longerenong College for 2023. The agriculture college introduced early admittance for the first time this year and students had secured their positions before receiving end of year-12 results. First term at ‘Longy’ will start in February and college general manager Avril Hogan said prospective students needed to get in quick to secure any remaining enrolment positions because they were filling up quickly.

Picture: ABBY WALTER

Growing road use concerns

BY ABBY WALTER

Authorities are urging motorists to be considerate of road conditions and other road users this harvest season.

Victoria Police Horsham Highway Patrol Sergeant Dale McIvor said road conditions were changing quickly after adverse weather and increasing heavy loads travelling on roads.

“Some roads are falling away on the sides and small potholes are growing after a wetter-than-usual spring and summer,” he said.

“We’re also seeing the gravel sides of narrow roads remaining wet, so when heavier vehicles are going off roads they are sinking and getting bogged. Drivers need to be cautious of that.

“On the Western Highway, in particular, we are seeing areas where potholes are developing and the bitumen is rising, which is creating drama for motorists.”

Sergeant McIvor encouraged motorists to be aware of large machinery and trucks on the road.

“I urge motorists to be considerate of farmers moving large harvest machinery from paddock to paddock,” he said.

“We have also seen lots of prime movers on the road carrying harvesters that are signed as heavy or

oversized loads. Motorists should also be aware of potholes becoming larger quickly, which are becoming big issues, especially with the number of heavy vehicles travelling on our roads.”

Grower representative group GrainGrowers’ chair Rhys Turton said repeated rain and floods had severely damaged road infrastructure.

“An efficient rural road network is critical for protecting Australia’s $13-billion grain industry and the broader Australian economy, but we are increasingly seeing growers unable to even access their paddocks to harvest their grain because the roads are so damaged,” he said.

“On the Western Highway, in particular, we are seeing areas where potholes are developing and the bitumen is rising, which is creating drama for motorists”

– Sergeant Dale McIvor, left

Mr Turton said immediate action was also needed to address the rapid deterioration in critical sections of the nationally-significant road network, including the Western Highway that connects grain to important domestic and international markets.

“With natural disasters and climate variability having an increasing impact on Australia’s road infrastructure, the adaptability of key freight routes needs to be a priority in the long-term funding model,” he said.

“We are now at the point where we need immediate action, followed by long-term strategic investment that delivers real returns for rural Australians.”

Municipal leaders also urged road users to remain mindful of heavy vehicles on rain-damaged highways this harvest season.

Yarriambiack Shire chief executive Tammy Smith said spring floods had damaged the shire’s road

network and a recent grain-truck rollover had prompted the council to reprioritise damaged road reporting and safe-driving reminders.

“The wet spring and flood events have further damaged our road network, which is now seeing increased activity with harvest in full swing across the region,” she said.

“Fully-loaded grain trucks are extremely heavy and have the potential to sink into the soft edges on the side of the road.

“We have already seen a grain truck roll onto its side as a result of moving off the road to give way.”

Ms Smith said the council was ‘working hard’ to repair damaged roads and shoulders across the shire and the council was prioritising flood-damaged roads and freight routes ‘as a matter of urgency’.

However, she said the council ‘could not be everywhere at once’.

“We ask residents to please be patient during this busy period,” she said.

She encouraged residents to alert the council to damaged roads via the council’s customer relation management system by calling 5398 0100.

Alternatively, she said residents could report road damage via yarriambiack.vic.gov.au/EngageWith-Us/Report-an-Issue; or via the ‘Snap, Send, Solve’ smartphone app.

Ag industry ‘still on track’

Despite flooding and high rainfall across eastern Australia, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, ABARES, predicts agriculture is still on track for an ‘outstanding’ year.

ABARES executive director Jared Greenville said the release of ABARES Agricultural Commodities and Crop Reports showed the sector setting new benchmarks in export commodities and high yields for winter crops.

“The gross value of agricultural production is forecast to be a near-record $85 billion in 2022-23, just shy of the record set the previous year,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the winter crop is forecast to be the second largest on record at more than 62 million tonnes. Livestock production is expected to hold steady, contributing $34 billion to the national total.

“Another bumper year combined with high commodity prices means Australia’s agricultural exports are forecast to break records at more than $72 billion in 2022-23.”

Dr Greenville said while spring rain had impacted production, yields and quality in some parts of the country, some states were experiencing their best winter crops on record.

“We saw a record amount of crop planted in Victoria this year,” he said.

“At the state level, high yields in the Mallee and the Wimmera will offset crop losses in central and northern border regions. However, the full picture of damage to crops from extensive waterlogging remains unknown.

“Harvest in Victoria is likely to run well into summer.”

Regional Australia deserves better

Country Today

It’s going to be a long, slow harvest for many grain growers due to the record wet spring.

Canola harvest is nearing completion and it’s been a nightmare for farmers who had bumper crops only to have them flattened by heavy rain and floods, destroying some crops entirely and making others nigh on impossible to get the header in and lift the crops off the ground to strip.

Many growers will still be harvesting cereals weeks after Christmas, so three cheers to them.

But that’s just the start of the harvest nightmare.

Many regional roads are in shocking disrepair and it’s only going to worsen with heavy grain trucks further damaging roads to grain facilities.

Many roads will remain so for the foreseeable future as councils run out of funding for such major repairs.

The state of our railway lines isn’t much better as government promises, both state and federal, to upgrade the system are made and broken again and again, with no real political will

to do what the country deserves and modernise transport systems.

ANZ Bank released several agriculture outlook reports last week.

The one that really caught my eye was titled ‘ANZ commodity update:

Strong Harvest Volumes Will Be Major Indicator For Domestic Grain Infrastructure’.

I know, it sounds boring but stay with me on this.

Interesting fact number one: The coming harvest is likely to be the 12th year in the past 15 years that production has been above the 10-year average.

ANZ head of agribusiness, Mark Bennett, told Country Today: “Even more notably, working on the latest crop forecasts, this year’s crop could

be about 39 percent higher than the 10-year average.

“This would be the sixth highest difference from the average in more than 50 years.”

What that means is, Australia’s grain infrastructure right along the chain isn’t built for these volumes and just can’t do an adequate job.

Many economies around the world are teetering on recession.

Our shining light is agriculture, and in particular, grain production.

Surely we can’t afford to let the system deteriorate further. It’s not just an economic decision, it’s a health issue.

Roads and rail are death traps.

Just look at the spectacular derailment of a freight train at Inverleigh near Geelong last month.

BOGGED: A wet year has made paddocks very muddy for farmers this harvest. Above left, a header gets bogged during a run down a paddock and, above, a truck gets bogged on its first trip with a load of grain out of a paddock this season.

Grain growers are predicted to invest in more on-farm storage to avoid the time consuming and frustrating trip to grain receival points during harvest.

“While Australia remains a world leader in handling volatile crop production volumes, it is also important that discussion continues on the best

possible grain distribution and export network going forward, which includes the balance of on-farm storage, as well as road and rail transport,” Mr Bennett said.

It’s simple. Regional Australia deserves better.

Will someone bite the bullet and do what’s needed?

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with Libby Price

BY ABBY WALTER

As harvest begins to ramp up across the Wimmera, grain prices remained steady during December despite an initial decrease on spring prices.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported Australian export prices, as at December 15, were remaining relatively steady compared with recent weeks, although they had

dropped since harvest began this year.

Grain prices are up between eight and 15 percent on last year’s prices at the same time.

Milling wheat was exported at $548 a tonne, feed wheat sold for $501 a tonne and feed barley was exported at $428 a tonne. Canola was exported at $1051 a tonne.

Milling wheat has fluctuated between $547 and $571, feed wheat between $500 and $514, barley between

$424 and $434 and canola between $995 and $1083 a tonne since the end of November.

In the Wimmera, AWB recorded bid prices for APW1 wheat last week were $366 to $373; barley at $261 to $279; and canola at $679 to $691.25 a tonne.

On Friday, GrainCorp recorded bid prices of $378 to $381.50 for APW1 wheat, $314.50 to $335 for barley and about $684 a tonne for canola.

In the livestock industry, sheep sales at Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange are seeing reasonable numbers in December.

Graham Pymer’s market report on Wednesday last week showed lamb prices were operating at an increase compared with the week prior.

Medium and heavy trade weights sold from $160 to $207, with heavier weight lambs selling from $202 to $223 per head while lightweight

lambs sold from $90 to $136 per head.

Old lambs mostly sold from $102 to $160 per head.

Buyers paid from $74 to $151 per head for shorn young lambs. They paid $100 for Merino wethers and $87 for Merino ewes.

Merino ewes sold for up to $105, Merino wethers sold for up to $145 and crossbred ewes sold for up to $119 a head.

Nutrien delivers for students

A new three-way auto draft is ready for future Longerenong College students to use when studying and working with livestock at the college’s farm. Nutrien Ag Solutions donated the machine used for drafting lambs as part of a sponsorship with the college.

Longerenong College general manager Avril Hogan said the new equipment improved the level of technology taught to students within the livestock section of the college.

“The students expect the most up-to-date technology and we

want to make sure that we’re sending them out into the field job ready – and that’s knowing how to operate equipment like this,” she said.

“We need to see improvements wherever we can in profitability and productivity and equipment like this helps us.

“This is an automatic system for weighing and drafting lambs, which reduces the labour component needed and helps in accuracy when you’re working with livestock.”

Ms Hogan said Nutrien Ag Solutions came on board with

a three-year sponsorship earlier in the year.

“The sponsorship involves a multitude of things including the donation of a three-way auto draft,” she said.

“As part of this, they also send staff to speak at different classes and offer work placement opportunities for students.

“Sponsors of the college are integral in making sure our resources are up-to-date with the current changes in agriculture technology.”

NEW EQUIPMENT: Longerenong College general manager Avril Hogan, left, with Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Glenn O’Beirne, the college’s Guillermo Sierra and John Loft, Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Jason Ward and Longerenong College’s Craig Mackley set up a new three-way auto draft for future students to use when studying livestock.

Picture: ABBY WALTER

In what month does winter start in the Northern Hemisphere?

When people have a cold, what liquid dish do they tend to eat?

Drizzle and sleet are both types of what?

In what country did Ugg boots originate?

What is it called when an animal hides away during winter?

What is soil called when it gets wet?

True or false: cricket is primarily played in winter in Australia?

In what location is snow most likely to be found?

The movie Frozen is set in which fictional kingdom?

What country did Christmas trees (pictured) originate from?

THURSDAY DECEMBER

6:00 Escape From The City 9:00 ABC News 10:00 Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat Christmas Special 11:00 The Yearly With Charlie Pickering 2022 (M) 12:00 ABC News 1:00 Belgravia (PG) 1:45 Doc Martin (PG) 2:50 Gardening Australia 3:55 Long Lost Family (PG) 4:40 Back Roads (PG) 6:10 Grand Designs New Zealand 7:00 ABC News 7:30

All Creatures Great And Small Christmas Special 8:25 Vera (M d,v) 9:55 Troppo (M l,v) 10:55 Adam Hills: The Last Leg (M) 11:40 rage (MA15+)

(M) 12:00 Fantasy Island: Dia De Los Vivos (M) 1:00 Home Shopping

1:00 Pawn Stars South Africa (PG) 1:30 Pawn Stars UK (PG) 2:00 Down East Dickering (PG) 3:00 Billy The Exterminator (PG) 3:30 Irish Pickers (PG) 4:30 Aussie Lobster Men (PG) 5:30 American Restoration (PG) 6:00 American Pickers (PG) 7:00 Pawn Stars (PG) 8:30 Movie: “Resident Evil: Afterlife” (MA15+) (’10) Stars: Milla Jovovich 10:30 The Cleveland Show (M s)

6:00 Today 9:00 Today Extra Summer 11:30 NINE’s Morning News 12:00 Movie: “Secretly Santa” (AKA ‘Falling In Love At Christmas’) (PG) (’21) Stars: Alicia Dea Josipovic 1:50 Explore 2:00 Pointless (PG) 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News 4:30 Millionaire Hot Seat 5:30 WIN News 6:00 NINE News 7:00 A

Current Affair (PG) 7:30 Great Getaways (PG) 8:30 Paramedics (PG) 9:30 Australia Behind Bars (M d,l) 10:30 Emergency Call (M) 11:20 Pure Genius (M) 12:10 Tipping Point (PG) 1:05 Explore TV 1:30 Home Shopping

6:00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (PG) 7:00 Friends (PG) 8:00 Becker (PG) 9:00 The King Of Queens (PG) 10:00 Friends (PG) 10:30 The Middle (PG) 12:00 The Big Bang Theory (PG) 1:00 Frasier (PG) 2:00 Becker (PG) 3:00 The King Of Queens (PG) 4:00 Becker (PG) 5:00 Frasier (PG) 6:00 Friends (PG) 8:00 The Big Bang Theory (PG) 9:30 Seinfeld (PG) 11:00 Frasier (PG) 12:00 Home Shopping

6:00 News Breakfast 9:00 ABC News Mornings 12:00 ABC News At Noon 2:30 Stan Grant’s One Plus One 3:00 ABC News Afternoons 4:00 ABC News Afternoons 5:00 ABC News Hour 6:00 ABC Evening News 7:00 ABC National News 7:30 7.30 8:00 ABC News Tonight 8:30 Australian Story: The Deep End - Lisa Curry 9:00 ABC Nightly News 9:30 Stan Grant’s One Plus One 10:00 ABC Late News

6:00 My Market Kitchen 6:30 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day 7:00 Entertainment Tonight (PG) 7:30 Judge Judy (PG) 8:00 10 News First 8:30 Studio 10 (PG) 12:00 Dr Phil (M) 1:00 Jamie - Together At Christmas 2:00

Entertainment Tonight 2:30 Good Chef Bad Chef 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) 3:30 Freshly Picked With Simon Toohey 4:00 Farm To Fork 4:30 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day 5:00 10 News First 6:30 The Project (PG) 7:30 Jamie’s One-Pan Christmas 8:30

8:00 Healthy Homes Australia 8:30 Australia By Design 9:00 I Fish 9:30 Reel Action 10:00 The Love Boat (PG) 11:00 Star Trek: The Next Generation (PG) 12:00 MacGyver (PG) 2:00 Diagnosis Murder (PG) 3:00 Bondi Rescue (PG) 3:30

The Love Boat (PG) 4:30 Star Trek: The Next Generation (PG) 5:30 MacGyver (PG) 7:30 NCIS: Willoughby (PG) 8:30 Bull (PG) 10:30 The Code (MA15+) 12:30 Home Shopping

2:00 Full House (PG) 3:00 The Nanny (PG) 3:30 3rd Rock From The Sun (PG) 4:00 That 70’s Show (PG) 4:30

Everybody Loves Raymond (PG) 5:30 The Nanny (PG) 6:00 3rd Rock From The Sun (PG) 6:30 That 70’s Show (PG) 7:00 Young Sheldon (PG) 7:30 Movie: “The Polar Express” (G) (’04) Stars: Tom Hanks 9:30

Movie: “Fred Claus” (PG) (’07) Stars: Vince Vaughn 11:45 Young Sheldon (PG)

6:00 Sunrise 9:00 The Morning Show 11:30 Seven Morning News 12:00 Movie: “A Christmas Switch” (PG) (’18) Stars: Jackie Seiden 2:00 House Of Wellness (PG) 3:00

The Chase UK (PG) 4:00 Seven News At 4 5:00 The Chase Australia (PG) 6:00 Seven News 7:00 Better Homes And Gardens Summer 7:30 Woolworths Carols In The Domain 2022 *Live* 10:00 2022 Schools Spectacular Creating The Magic (M) 12:30 Home Shopping

6:00 Today 9:00 Today Extra Summer 11:30 NINE’s Morning News 12:00 Movie: “Snowed In For Christmas” (PG) (’21) Stars: Kayla Wallace 1:50 Garden Gurus Moments 2:00 Pointless (PG) 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News 4:30 Millionaire Hot Seat 5:30 WIN News 6:00 NINE News 7:00 A Current Affair (PG) 7:30 Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo: Who’s Poo In The Zoo (PG) 8:30 Movie: “The Holiday” (PG) (’06) Stars: Jude Law 9:30 Council Of Dads (PG) 12:00 A Very Royal Christmas: Secrets Of Sandringham (PG) 1:00 Cross Court

And Gardens 5:30 Escape To The Country 6:30 Bargain Hunt 7:30 Border Security International (PG) 8:30 Escape To The Country 10:30 Australia’s Big Backyards (PG) 3:35 The Deep 3:55 The Fairly OddParents 4:35 Little Lunch 5:00 The Flamin’ Thongs 5:35 The Penguins Of Madagascar 6:00 Malory Towers: The Ghost of Christmas Past 6:30 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir 6:55 Movie: “Paddington” (G) (’14) Stars: Hugh Bonneville 8:35 Lost In Oz 8:53 Dodo 9:10 The Next Step 9:30 Holly Hobbie 9:55 rage (PG)

1:00 Pawn Stars South Africa (PG) 1:30 Pawn Stars UK (PG) 2:00 Down East Dickering (PG) 3:00 STIHL Timbersports (PG) 3:30 Irish Pickers (PG) 4:30 Aussie Lobster Men (PG) 5:30 American Restoration (PG) 6:00 American Pickers (PG) 7:00 Pawn Stars (PG) 7:30 Carnage (PG) 8:30 Movie: “Rambo III” (M l,v) (’88) Stars: Sylvester Stallone 10:40 Movie: “Hard To Kill” (MA15+) (’90) Stars: Bill Sadler

5:00 Odo 5:30 Ginger And The Vegesaurs 6:05 Ben And Holly’s

Little Kingdom 6:25 Nella The Princess Knight: The Knight Before Christmas 6:50 Movie: “Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas” (G) (’21) Stars: Justin Fletcher 7:30 Spicks And Specks (PG) 8:00 Hard Quiz (PG) 8:30 Movie: “Office Christmas Party” (MA15+) (’16) Stars: Jason Bateman 10:15 Doctor Who (PG)

6:00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (PG) 7:00 NBL Slam 7:30 Seinfeld (PG) 9:00 Becker (PG) 10:00 The Middle (PG) 11:30 The King Of Queens (PG) 12:30 Frasier (PG) 1:30 Seinfeld (PG) 3:00 The King Of Queens (PG) 4:00 Becker (PG) 5:00 Frasier (PG) 6:00 Friends (PG) 8:00 The Big Bang Theory (PG) 9:30 Mom (M d,s) 11:00 Frasier (PG) 12:00 Home Shopping

6:00 That Christmas 7:00 News Breakfast 9:00 ABC News Mornings 12:00 ABC News At Noon 2:30 Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One 3:00 ABC News Afternoons 4:00 Afternoon Briefing 5:00 ABC News Hour 6:00 ABC Evening News 7:00 ABC National News 7:30 Farewell To Leigh Sales - A 7.30 Special 8:00 ABC News Tonight 8:30 Australian Story 9:00 ABC Nightly News 9:30 The Business

6:00 Home Shopping 8:00 Healthy Homes Australia 8:30 Australia By Design 9:00 I Fish 9:30 Reel Action 10:00 The Love Boat (PG) 11:00 Star Trek: The Next Generation (PG) 12:00 MacGyver (PG) 2:00 Diagnosis Murder (PG) 3:00 Bondi Rescue (PG) 3:30 The Love Boat (PG) 4:30 Star Trek: The Next Generation (PG) 5:30 MacGyver (PG) 7:30 NCIS (PG) 8:30 NCIS: Los Angeles (PG) 10:20 Evil (M)

2:00 Full House (PG) 3:00 The Nanny (PG) 3:30 3rd Rock From The Sun (PG) 4:00 That 70’s Show (PG) 4:30 Everybody Loves Raymond (PG) 5:30 The Nanny (PG) 6:00 Movie: “Antz” (PG) (’98) Stars: Woody Allen 7:30 Movie: “Richie Rich” (PG) (’94) Stars: Macaulay Culkin 9:30 Movie: “Kindergarten Cop” (G) (’90) Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger 11:45 Telenovela (PG) 12:15 Queer Eye For The Straight Guy

5:00 Worldwatch 9:10 Peer To Peer 10:10 Inside Aldi At Christmas 11:00 Barkley Manor 12:00 Worldwatch 2:00 Saving Lives At Sea 3:00 Be My Brother 3:10 Luke Nguyen’s Railway Vietnam (PG) 3:40 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw 4:10 Inside Harrods At Christmas 5:05 Jeopardy! (PG) 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00 Mastermind (PG) 6:30 SBS World News 7:35 World’s

Most Scenic Railway Journeys (M) 8:30 Coastal Ireland With Adrian Dunbar (PG) 9:30 War Of The Worlds (MA15+) (In English/ French) 10:25 SBS World News

12:00 Dave Gorman: Modern Life Is Goodish (M) 1:50 Valley Of The Boom (M v) 3:40 ABC World News Tonight With David Muir 4:05 PBS Newshour 5:05 Takeshi’s Castle (PG) 5:35 The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross 6:05 Country Music (PG) 7:05 Jeopardy! 7:30 NITV News Update 7:35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M) 8:30 The Curse Of Oak Island (M) 10:10 Betraying The Badge (MA15+)

12:00 The Young And The Restless (PG) 1:00 As Time Goes By 1:40 Movie: “The Playboy Of The Western World” (PG) (’62) Stars: Gary Raymond 3:45 Movie: “Looks Like Christmas” (PG) (’16) Stars: Anne Heche 5:30 Murder, She Wrote (PG) 6:30 Antiques Roadshow 7:30 Grantchester Christmas Special (M) 9:00 Poirot (PG) 11:00 Snapped (MA15+) 12:00 House (M)

5:00 Worldwatch 9:10 Peer To Peer 10:10 Patrizio Buanne 12:00 Worldwatch 2:00

Cook Up With Adam Liaw Bitesize 2:05

Patrizio Buanne: Celebration (Part 2) 3:05

The Cook Up With Adam Liaw 3:35 Dishing

It Up Christmas Special (PG) 5:05 Jeopardy! (PG) 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00

Mastermind (PG) 6:30 SBS World News 7:35

Engineering Reborn (PG) 8:30 Inside Central

Station (PG) 9:25 Then And Now (PG) 10:20

SBS World News 10:50 Gomorrah (MA15+) (In Italian) 1:55 The Kimberley Cruise: The Full Journey 4:40 Bamay

PBS Newshour 5:05 Takeshi’s Castle (PG) 5:35 The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross 6:05 Country Music (PG) 7:05 Jeopardy! 7:30 NITV News Update 7:35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M l,s) 8:30 Hoarders (M) 9:20 The Language Of Love (M) 12:00 The Young And The Restless (PG) 1:00 As Time Goes By 1:40 Movie: “The Man Who Finally Died” (PG) (’63) Stars: Peter Cushing 3:40 Movie: “A Christmas Movie Christmas” (G) (’19) Stars: Brant Daugherty 5:30 Murder, She Wrote (PG) 6:30 Antiques Roadshow 7:30 Fawlty Towers (PG) 8:40 Movie: “Midsomer Murders” (M) (’97) Stars: John Nettles 10:40 Christmas At Highclere Castle

“A Hole In The Head” (G) (’59) Stars: Frank Sinatra 7:00 Movie: “It’s A Wonderful Life” (PG) (’46) Stars: James Stewart 9:40 Movie: “An Officer And A Gentleman” (M) (’82) Stars: Richard Gere

SUNDAY DECEMBER

12:00 ABC News 12:30 Southern Ocean Live 2:10 Way Out Ag 2:30 Movie: “Robin Hood: Men In Tights” (PG) (’93) Stars: Cary Elwes 4:10 Movie: “Paddington 2” (G) (’17) Stars: Hugh Grant 5:50 Bluey 6:00 Meet The Penguins 7:00 ABC News 7:30 HM The King’s Christmas Message 2022 7:40 The Royal Variety Performance 2022 (PG) 9:40 Movie: “Miss Fisher & The Crypt Of Tears” (M) (’20) Stars: Essie Davis

3:00 TBA 3:30 TBA 4:00

Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages 5:00 Escape To The Perfect Town 6:00 Air Crash Investigation (PG) 7:00 Border Security - Australia’s Front Line (PG) 8:30 Heathrow (PG) 9:30 Air Crash Investigations (PG) 12:30 TBA 1:30 Air Crash Investigations

2:40 Hank Zipzer’s Christmas Catastrophe (PG) 4:10 Grandpa’s Great Escape (PG) 5:20 Ratburger (PG) 6:30 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir 6:50 Wallace And Gromit 8:45 Shaun The Sheep 9:15 Operation Ouch! Goes Back In Time 9:45 Horrible Histories Special

1:00 Sealink Carols By Candlelight 3:00 Surveillance Oz: Dashcam (PG) 3:30 Beach Cops (PG) 4:00 Better Homes And Gardens 5:00 Border Security International (PG) 5:30 Sydney Weekender 6:00 Seven News 7:00

Dog Patrol (PG) 7:30 Movie: “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (M d,l) (’83) Stars: Chevy Chase 9:35 Movie: “Love Actually” (M l,n,s) (’03) Stars: Keira Knightley 12:30 Home Shopping

3:00 Mark Berg’s Fishing Addiction (PG) 4:00 Ultimate Rides (PG) 5:00 Shipping Wars (PG) 6:00 Pawn Stars (PG) 6:30 Movie: “Inside Out” (PG) (’15) Stars: Amy Poehler 8:30 Movie: “Enter The Dragon” (MA15+) (’73) Stars: Bruce Lee 10:45 The Cleveland Show (M d,v)

4:30 Rusty Saves Christmas 4:50 Stick Man 5:30 Ginger And The Vegesaurs 6:05 Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom 6:25 Aliens Love Underpants And Panta Claus 6:50 Sir Mouse 7:30 QI (PG) 8:00 TBA 8:45 The Yearly With Charlie Pickering 2022 (PG) 9:45 Christmas Cabaret

10:00 Mega Zoo (PG) 11:00 Wesley Impact

With Stu Cameron (PG) 10:30 CMA Country Christmas 11:30 Christmas With Delta 1:00

Carols By Candlelight (PG) 4:00 Movie: “Blizzard” (G) (’03) Stars: LeVar Burton 6:00

NINE News Sunday 7:00 Movie: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (PG) (’89)

Stars: Chevy Chase 9:00 Movie: “Vegas Vacation” (PG) (’97) Stars: Chevy Chase 11:00 HM The King’s Christmas Message

12:00 The Living Room 1:00

Broke (PG) 3:00 Two And A Half Men (PG) 3:30 The Big Bang Theory (PG) 4:00 Friends (PG) 6:00 The Big Bang Theory (PG) 9:00 Friends (PG) 12:00 Home Shopping 1:30 Movie: “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory” (PG) (’05)

5:00 ABC News With Auslan 5:30 The World In 2022 6:00 ABC

Evening News 6:30 Kurt Fearnley’s One Plus One 7:00 ABC News On Christmas Day 7:30

Farewell To Leigh Sales - A 7.30 Special 8:00 ABC News Tonight 8:30 2022 - The Year In Politics 9:00 ABC Nightly News

12:00 Movie: “A Baby Reindeer’s First Christmas” (PG) (’20) Stars: Dawn French 1:00 Jamie: Easy Meals At Christmas 2:00

Jamie: Together At Christmas 3:00 HM The King’s Christmas Message 3:15 Jamie:

Together At Christmas 4:15 Jamie’s One-Pan Christmas 5:00 10 News First 6:00 Bondi Rescue (PG) 6:30 Cricket: Round 12: Sydney Kings v Melbourne United *Live* 8:30 The Cheap Seats (M) 9:30 Ghosts (PG)

2:30 MacGyver (PG) 3:30

Pooches At Play 4:00 Destination Dessert 4:30 The Offroad Adventure (PG) 5:30 Reel Action 6:00 Bondi Rescue (PG) 6:30 MacGyver (M) 7:30 NCIS (M v) 9:25

NCIS: New Orleans (M) 10:20 48 Hours (M) 11:15 Star Trek: Discovery (M v)

1:45 Movie: “Madison And The Happiness Jar” (PG) (’21) Stars: James Mana 3:30 Lego Masters Bricksmas Special (PG) 7:00 Movie: “Shrek” (PG) (’01)

Stars: Mike Myers 8:45 Movie: “Beethoven” (G) (’92) Stars: Charles Grodin 10:30 Movie: “Top End Wedding” (M l) (’19)

12:00 Worldwatch 1:00 Speedweek 3:00 Figure Skating: Grand Prix Italy 4:30 The Luxury Christmas Decorators 5:30 Europe’s Greatest Train Journeys: Portugal (In English/ Italian/ Portuguese/ Spanish) 6:30 SBS World News 7:30 Dean Martin: King Of Cool (PG) 8:35 Uri Geller’s Secret Treasures (M) 10:05 Amy (MA15+) 12:25 All Is Bright 1:40

The Indian Pacific: The Full Journey 4:45 Bamay

5:00 Worldwatch - Al Jazeera News Hour 6:00 TRT World News 6:50 Indian Country Today 7:20 Fiji One News 7:50 France 24 Feature Second Edition 8:10 ABC America Nightline 8:40 CBC The National 9:30 Jeopardy! (PG) 3:00

Worldwatch - NHK World English News

3:10 Movie: “The Holly And The Ivy” (G) (’52) 4:50 Keeping Up Appearances: The Father Christmas Suit 5:30 Christmas At Warwick Castle 6:30 Bondi Vet (PG) 7:30 Movie: “White Christmas” (PG) (’54) Stars: Bing Crosby 10:00 Movie: “Overboard” (PG) (’87)

Australia

Pre Game 10:30

South Africa: Test 2: Day

Break

Africa: Test 2: Day

Australia v

Dementia Choir (PG) 10:25 The Detectives (M l)

Africa:

4:30 Barter Kings Men (PG) 5:30 American Restoration (PG) 6:00 Cricket: BBL: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars *Live* 7:00 Pawn Stars (PG) 7:30 American Pickers (PG) 8:30 Movie: “Cradle 2 The Grave” (MA15+) (’03) Stars: Anthony Anderson 10:45 The Cleveland Show (M d,v)

Adventure Show 11:00 MacGyver (M) 1:00

4:35 Fireman Sam 5:00 Odo 5:30 Ginger And The Vegesaurs 6:05 Octonauts 6:25 Kangaroo Beach Summer Special 6:50 The Monster At The End Of This Story 7:30 Dinosaurs Of The Frozen Continent 8:25 Long Lost Family (PG) 9:10 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces

(PG) 5:30

(PG) 7:00 Pawn Stars (PG) 7:30

Squad (PG) 9:30

12:00 Dr Phil (M) 1:00 The Living Room 2:00 Entertainment Tonight 2:30 Good Chef Bad 12:00 Dr Phil (M) 1:00 The Living Room 2:00 Entertainment Tonight 2:30 Good Chef Bad Chef 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) 3:30 My Market Kitchen 4:00 Farm To Fork 4:30 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day 5:00 10 News First 6:30 The Project (PG) 7:30 Movie: “Star Trek” (M v) (’09) Stars: Chris Pine 10:00 Movie: “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (M v) (’13) Stars: Jennifer Lawrence 12:45 The Project (PG) 1:45 The Late Show (PG) 4:05 PBS Newshour 5:05 Takeshi’s Castle (PG) 5:35 The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross 6:05 Country Music (PG) 7:05 Jeopardy! 7:30 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M l,s) 8:30 Billy Connolly’s Great American Trail (PG) 9:30 Forbidden History (PG) 2:15 Bondi Vet (PG) 3:15 Movie: “The Magic Box” (G) (’51) Stars: Robert Donat 5:30 Murder, She Wrote (PG) 6:30 Antiques Roadshow 7:30 New Tricks (PG) 8:40 The Closer (M) 9:40 Rizzoli & Isles (M) 10:40 New Amsterdam (M) 11:40 House (M) 12:35 Antiques Roadshow

Chef 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) 3:30 My Market Kitchen 4:00 Farm To Fork 4:30 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day 5:00 10 News First 6:30 The Project (PG) 5:00 Worldwatch 9:05 Peer To Peer 10:05 Legacy List (US) (PG) 11:05 Great Canal Journeys 12:00 Worldwatch 2:05 Saving Lives At Sea (PG) 3:10 Child Genius Australia 4:15 The Wonderful World Of Chocolate 5:05 Jeopardy! 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00 Mastermind 6:30 SBS World News 7:30 Who Do You Think You Are? (M) 8:30 Some Kind Of Heaven (PG) 10:00 The Artist’s View 10:30 SBS World News TUESDAY DECEMBER 27 2:30 Million Dollar Minute 3:30 Medical Emergency (PG) 4:00 RSPCA Animal Rescue 4:30 Better Homes And Gardens 5:30 Escape To The Country 6:30 Bargain Hunt 7:30 Heartbeat (PG) 8:45 Lewis (M v) 10:45 Born To Kill? (M l) 11:45 Cities Of The Underworld (M) 3:55 The Fairly OddParents 4:30 Little Lunch 5:10 Kuu Kuu Harajuku 5:25 Dragons: Riders Of Berk 6:00 So Awkward 6:30 Bad Nature 7:05 Horrible Histories: Mayflower Malarkey (PG) 7:30 Shaun The Sheep 8:05 The Penguins Of Madagascar 8:25 Lost In Oz 8:50 Dodo

(PG) 5:35 The 12:00 ABC News 1:00 Call The Midwife (PG) 2:30 Agatha Raisin (PG) 3:25 Gardening Australia 4:25 Long Lost Family (PG) 5:10 QI (PG) 5:40 Hard Quiz (PG) 6:10 Grand Designs New Zealand 7:00 ABC News 7:30 Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery (PG) 8:00 Hard Quiz Battle Of The Has Beens (PG) 8:40 Spicks And Specks (PG) 9:25 Utopia: The Law’s The Law (PG) 9:55 Adam Hills: The Last Leg (M) 10:35 Us (M l) 3:30 Irish Pickers (PG) 4:30 Barter Kings (PG) 5:30 American Restoration (PG) 6:00 American Pickers (PG) 7:00 Pawn Stars (PG) 7:30 Movie: “Tango And Cash” (M l,v) (’89) Stars: Sylvester Stallone 9:40 Movie: “Absolute Power” (M l,v) (’97) Stars: Clint Eastwood 4:35 Fireman Sam 5:00 Odo 5:30 Ginger And The Vegesaurs 6:05 Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom 6:25 The Gruffalo 6:55 The Gruffalo’s Child 7:30 Anh’s Brush With Fame (PG) 8:00 Brian Johnson’s A Life On The Road (M d,l,n) 8:45 TBA 9:50 Science Of Drugs With Richard Roxburgh

(PG)

Bob 6:00 Sunrise 9:30 Cricket: Pre Game 10:30 Cricket: Australia v South Africa: Test 2: Day 3 *Live* 12:30 The Lunch Break 1:10 Cricket: Australia v South Africa: Test 2: Day 3 *Live* 3:10 Tea Break 3:30 Cricket: Australia v South Africa: Test 2: Day 3 *Live* 6:00 Seven News 7:00 Cricket: BBL: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades *Live* 11:00 Crime Investigation Australia (M s) 12:30 Home Shopping 12:30 Friends (PG) 1:00 Becker (PG) 2:00 NBL Slam 2:30 The Big Bang Theory (M s) 3:00 The King Of Queens (PG) 4:00 Becker (PG) 5:00 Frasier (PG) 6:00 Friends (PG) 8:00 The Big Bang Theory (M s) 9:20 Two And A Half Men (PG) 10:10 The Big Bang Theory (M s) 5:00 ABC News Summer 6:00 ABC Evening News 7:00 ABC National News 7:30 Back Roads 8:00 ABC News Tonight 8:25 Australian Story 9:00 ABC Nightly News 9:30 Courtney Act’s One Plus One 10:00 The World 10:30 Foreign Correspondent 11:00 ABC Late News

(PG) 6:05 12:00 Movie: “Cooking Up Love” (PG) (’21) Stars: Rachel Bles 1:50 Explore 2:00 Pointless (PG) 3:00 Tipping Point (PG) 4:00 NINE’s Afternoon News 4:30 Millionaire Hot Seat 5:30 WIN News 6:00 NINE News 7:00 A Current Affair (PG) 7:30 Country Home Rescue With Shaynna Blaze (PG) 8:30 Dream Listing Byron Bay (PG) 9:30 Escape To The Chateau (PG) 10:30 Family Law (M s) 11:20 The Thing About Pam (PG) 12:00 MacGyver (PG) 2:00 Diagnosis Murder (PG) 3:00 Bondi Rescue (PG) 3:30 The Love Boat (PG) 4:30 Star Trek: The Next Generation (PG) 5:30 MacGyver (PG) 7:30 NCIS (PG) 8:30 Hawaii Five-0 (M) 11:15 Evil (M) 12:15 Home Shopping 2:15 Hawaii Five-0 (M) 4:30 Everybody Loves Raymond (PG) 5:30 The Nanny (PG) 6:00 3rd Rock From The Sun (PG) 6:30 That 70’s Show (PG) 7:00 Young Sheldon (PG) 7:30 Movie: “The Benchwarmers” (PG) (’06) Stars: David Spade 9:15 Movie: “Good Boys” (MA15+) (’19) Stars: Jacob Tremblay

Does Countdown (M l,s) 8:30 Taskmaster (PG) 9:25 Hypothetical 10:20

WWE

(PG) 7:05 Jeopardy! (PG) 7:30 12:00 Dr Phil (M) 1:00 The Living Room 2:00 Entertainment Tonight 2:30 Good Chef Bad Chef 3:00 Judge Judy (PG) 3:30 My Market Kitchen 4:00 Farm To Fork 4:30 Jamie’s Easy Meals For Every Day 5:00 10 News First 6:30 The Project (PG) 7:30 Movie: “Star Trek Into Darkness” (M v) (’13) Stars: Chris Pine 10:05 Movie: “Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1” (M v) (’14) Stars: Jennifer Lawrence 1:30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (PG) 4:05 PBS Newshour 5:05 Takeshi’s Castle (PG) 5:35 The Joy Of Painting With Bob Ross 6:05 Country Music (PG) 7:05 Jeopardy! 7:30 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (M l,s) 8:30 Movie: “Looper” (MA15+) (’12) Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt 3:15 Movie: “Where No Vultures Fly” (G) (’51) Stars: Anthony Steel 5:30 Murder, She Wrote (PG) 6:30 Antiques Roadshow 7:30 As Time Goes By (PG) 8:50 Midsomer Murders (M) 10:50 Snapped (M) 11:50 House (M) 12:50 Explore 1:00 Home Shopping 4:30 Religious Programs

Cats 12:00 Worldwatch 2:00 Saving Lives At Sea (PG) 3:00 The Reunion (PG) 3:05 The Amazing Gift Of Education 3:15 Child Genius Australia 4:15 The Wonderful World Of Chocolate 5:05 Jeopardy! 5:30 Letters And Numbers 6:00 Mastermind 6:30 SBS World News 7:35 Britain’s Beautiful Rivers (M) 8:30 Britain’s Secret Islands (PG) 9:25 Tokyo Vice: I Want It That Way (PG) (In Japanese/ English) 10:25 SBS World News WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28

Westonvic Waste has been a locally owned family business operating in Horsham for 40 years.

Daryl and Roz Hobbs have owned the business for the past 25 years.

Bins of all sizes are available from a 240litre wheelie bins, to skips bins, up to 30-cubic metre hook bins.

Depending on your waste removal needs, Westonvic will be able to provide a bin to service your needs, weather that is in a short term capacity or ongoing.

Westonvic proudly recycle all commercial building waste at their onsite Material Recovery Plant – reducing the landfill waste by up to 80%.

Mulch is also available from Westonvic Waste – as a recycled pallet mulch – perfect for that rural property garden.

Anytime is a great time to get a skip bin delivered and have a clean around your property.

For more information about our services, please call Westonvic Waste today on (03) 5381 1300 or call in to our office at 8 Turnbull Drive, Horsham.

AMATO (nee Gawith), Mary Patricia

Passed away peacefully at Arcare, Point Lonsdale on December 10, 2022 aged 84 years.

Dearly loved daughter of the late Hugh & Ivy Gawith, and sister of Elisabeth Howie, Tom Gawith, Jan Irvine & John Gawith.

Rest In Peace

AMATO (Gawith)

~ Mary Patricia ~ 31-01-1938 to 10-12-2022

Much loved sister and sister-in-law of Tom and Patti Gawith.

Wonderful Aunt to Tim and Linda; Cameron and Lisa; Hamish and Sam.

Loving Great Aunt to Hugh and Brodie; Maddie, Chloe and Lottie; Archie, Matilda and Molly.

“A rock to us all”

BLAIR, Thomas

11-8-1938 to 17-12-2022

Passed away peacefully at Ballarat Base Hospital at 6.45am.

Much loved husband and best friend of Heather.

Proud and loving father of Peter, Geoffrey, Susan and Kellie, adored father in law to Felicity and Enzo.

Loving grandfather to 11 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

Very loved fur dad to Jezza, Belly & Cocoa.

‘Rest in Peace’

Horsham & District Funerals

Amity Perovic & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149 NFDA

EXELL, Elsie Gwendoline

27-10-1935 to 14-12-2022 Passed away peacefully at Kurrajong Lodge.

Dearly loved wife of Ken (dec).

Loved mother of Lynette (dec), Janet, Graham & Dianne.

Grandmother to 5 and Great Grandmother to 6.

‘Rest in Peace’

Horsham & District Funerals

Amity Perovic & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149 NFDA

EXELL, Elsie Gwendoline

27-10-1935 to 14-12-2022

To Mum/Grandma, Reunited with Dad/Poppa Remembered always Graham, Cheryle and family.

EXELL, Elsie

Reunited with Dad Poppa Ken Exell Get ready Father. Your holiday is over. Job list coming. Now all we have are memories, And your picture in a frame. We think of you in silence, We often speak your name. Your memory is our keepsake, With which we’ll never part. God has you in his keeping, We have you in our heart. Love from daughter Janet, grandson Mitchell & Jacinta.

MACKLEY, Terence Norman

Passed away peacefully on December 13, 2022 aged 73 years.

Dearly loved husband of Kathleen (dec).

Loving father and father-inlaw of Debie & Cameron; Steven; Michael & Patricia; Russell; and Mark.

Reunited with Mum

PILMORE, Mary Patricia

Late of Dimboola and Horsham.

Passed away on December 14, 2022 aged 89 years.

Dearly loved wife of Ian.

Loving mother and motherin-law of Margaret & Alan; and Glenys.

Adored Grandma to all of her grandchildren and great grandchild.

Now At Peace

SPENCER (nee McDonald), Kylee Brooke 3-2-1975 to 12-12-2022

It is with deepest regret, we announce the passing of the beloved daughter of Daryl and Meryl McDonald, sister to Brad McDonald and dearly loved mother to Zac and Will Spencer, and families. Passed suddenly.

Forever in our hearts Rest In Peace

AMATO (nee Gawith), Mary Patricia

The Funeral of Mary Patricia Amato will leave the Murtoa Uniting Church on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 after a service commencing at 1pm for the Murtoa Cemetery.

A Memorial Service will take place at St Andrew’s Uniting Church, Fairfield on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 2pm.

Murtoa Funerals

Trevor Bysouth & Daughter Ph 5385 2833 AFDA Member

BLAIR, Thomas

The Funeral Service for Mr Thomas Blair will be held at St Andrew’s Uniting Church, Thursday, December 29 commencing at 11am A private cremation to follow.

PILMORE, Mary Patricia

The Funeral of Mary Patricia Pilmore will take place at the Graveside, Dimboola Cemetery on Friday, December 23, 2022 commencing at 11am.

Birds for sale, hand raised green cheek conures, lovely coloured aviary bred cockatiels, opaline turks, Bourkes all colours, all young birds, ring for prices Ph 0408535515

Japanese quails , 4 colours, male and female $5 each Ph 0414851313

Muscovy ducks $10, drakes $20 Ph 0429842236

Amity Perovic & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149 NFDA

EXELL, Elsie

The Funeral Service for Mrs Elsie Exell will be held at St Andrew’s Uniting Church, Thursday, December 22 commencing at 10am Interment to follow at Horsham Lawn Cemetery.

Amity Perovic & Dylan Hartwich 5382 1149 NFDA

MACKLEY, Terence Norman

The Funeral of Terence Norman Mackley will leave St John’s Anglican Church, Horsham on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 after a service commencing at 2pm for the Horsham Lawn Cemetery.

Trevor Bysouth & Daughter Ph 5381 1444 AFDA Member

Border Collie pups , black and white, vaxxed, m/chip, vet checked, petagree, socialised, cold adventurous pups who will be good workers, or pets for active families, imported United Kingdom working bloodlines, m/ chip# 956000014886831/8932/7 317/15734425, source# EE10332 $1000 Ph 0458014560

SPENCER (nee McDonald), Kylee Brooke

The Funeral Service for Kylee Brooke Spencer (nee McDonald) will be held at Geelong Memorial Park Chapel, Burvilles Road, Armstrong Creek, Thursday, December 22, 2022 at 3.30pm

To leave a message of condolence or to view the service webcast, please visit Kylee’s eTribute page at kingsfunerals.com.au

Funeral arrangements in the hands of Kings Funerals, Newcomb

Bristlenose catfish, great tank cleaners $5 each until sold out Ph 0474159010 after 6.30pm

Budgerigars, show birds at pet prices Ph 0447080439

Budgies , babies available $10each Ph 0423976711

Budgies, just out of nest, pastel colours and lace wings $10ea Ph 0419505737

Budgies, young, asstd colours $10ea Ph 0423182267

Ferretts ready to go Ph Adrian 03 5392 8225

Goats wanted Ph 0427361940

Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies are waiting for new owners and forever homes, 4 Red-White long tail male and 2 fawn / white bobtails. Puppies born on 21.8.2022 are available to loving new forever homes. They have wonderful personalities, happy adored babies raised in love and affection. All babies are very special and we will only consider full of love and responsible family. Mum and Dad are available to meet, Puppies will come with the first vaccination / vet checked / wormed every two weeks since two weeks of age / microchipped / puppy pack / pedigree paper, Interstate enquiries are welcomed and puppies can be delivered to most area of Australia at buyers cost, Welsh Pembroke Male Pups . Males ONLY Pedigree Papers . Red and White Males and Fawn and White Males . 953010005823666, 953010005 822557/7598/3710/2565/3667, photos available of parents and pups and and other info, Transport at Buyer Cost,MBDA 14545 Ph or text for info 0448024815

Pet carrier crate for cat or dog, large $50 Ph 0473870476

Thank you

Trevor Bysouth & Daughter Ph 5381 1444 AFDA Member

BUDDE ~ Max Kevin 11-6-40 to 15-11-22 Pam, Tamara, Dallas and family wish to express our sincere thanks for the many cards, flowers, food and messages of love and support on the passing of Max. Special thank you to the many family and friends who attended his farewell, not forgetting the Bowling Club ladies for the wonderful catering. Thank you

~

Golden Retriever x puppies ready for their new homes now, puppies have been raised with love and care, beautiful kind temperament. All pups come microchipped, vaccinated and wormed from 2 weeks of age. Food they had been raised on, Source no: MB204870, green: 953010006242741, Black: 953010006242809, Red: 953010006242734, Yellow: 953010006242735, Blue: 953010006242737 $2000 Ph 0401021764

Pure breed black faced Dorper ewe lambs, pic# 3HSDC083 Ph Liz 0419664345

REDUCED last Shepweiler girl puppy, dob 16/8, ready 14/10, lovely little girls vacc, chipped, wormed, vet checked, source# MB166978, m/chip# 95301000601619/614/606/626

$600 Ph Kerrie 0499853884

Dimboola

Roosters and ducks wanted Ph 0469740723

Salami pigs wanted Ph 0481864397

White Suffolk Flock Ram , located Drung, OB-Free Certified, Gudair Vac, born Sept 2021, pic# 3HSJU041 Ph Brierwood 0400792111 or 0429935382

Young pigs 2mth old, well bred, free ranged, suitable to spit or grow out, PIC# 3H5CG003 from $100 each Ph 0439834521

15’ Millard caravan , annex, registered, d/bed, kitchen, neat tidy clean van $4250 Ph 0419505737

1950 Bondwood caravan, 12’ 4 berth small, porthole window, restoration started, windows not fitted, W2 x H2.4m $2500 Ph 0400696362 Horsham

1960s Bondwood caravan 14’ white, alloy roof, 4 birth, W2.1x H2.5m, light grey and red interior, almost complete restoration, needs trim inside and out etc $4500 Ph 0400696362 Horsham

1981 Viscount caravan , 16’ pop-top, roll out awning, full annex, shower, porta loo, double bed, microwave, 240v fridge, external gas hot water, 12v tv and aerial, reg till April 23, cover included, photo on request $8500 Ph 0428146771

Antique

Grain bagging out bin, $80, Ph 0427820992

Hafco saw bench with sliding table $800 Ph 0428525970

Heavy duty workshop benches various sizes starting from $400 Ph 0428944462

Horn sewing machine cabinet on wheels, good storage space, VGC, $200 Ph 53981404

Portable

Portable Coopers shearing plant with a villiers mark 10 engine no.329X55720, not used for years, collectable item for person keen on restoring Ph 0418170153 Ararat

REDUCED BT Goulburn toughened glass panel, 1950x900x10mm $150 Ph 0427267902

REDUCED Powerfit, Cubic, Iwalk, GC $500 for all Ph 0437970588

Dining

Double

BOATS -

All advertisements for boats must include:

• Hull number or registration number of the boat

If a trailer is included with the boat, the advertisement must also include:

• Registration number or chassis number of the trailer.

1985 Viscount Aerolite, 15ft poptop, annex, d/bed, 2 bunks, fridge, stove, 6 months rego, minor interior work, $3,600, 0490364260 Dimboola

2000 Regent Cruiser , 18ft tandem poptop, rollout awning, d/ bed, solar & battery pack, fridge, stove, 6 mths rego, $14,750 0490364260 Dimboola

2003 Canterbury Signature series caravan, 17’ tandem, d/bed, elec hot water, air con, fridge, awning, reg 3/23 $16,000 Ph 0437164589 Ararat

2005 Jayco pop-top 16’, reg til 12/23, EC, island d/bed, new annex, battery, kitchen and extras $20,000ono Ph 0428854313

Mars 2019 Extremo Rear Fold

Camper Trailer, used 6 times, always kept under cover, 70L water tank, electric winch, 12 months rego, # 12,500 ONO, Ph Ken 0427047473

Mars Camper Trailer , hard floor annexe, electric winch, good condition $6000 neg Ph 0427957212

Barbers Chair , mechanically perfect $880 Ph 0499769869

Blacksmith Bellows, 1600x700, $400, Ph 0427909241

Bricks, approx 350 red blue clinkers, unused $200 Ph 0417507882 Stawell

Cabin type canvas tent, 12x15 metal poles, 3 rooms $95ono, King single bed, double decker single bed, full size tennis table with net bats and balls Ph 0429092349 will deliver local area

Carpet mat, heavy quality, GC, 1.6x2.3 $60ono Ph 53822267

Clearance of plants, some citrus 53844274

Craft generator, 5.5hp, 240v $400 Ph 0487313892

Deutz mag air seeder, motor with fan, all accessories $700ono Ph 0407911884

Husqvarna Viking sewing machine , model emerald 203/183, many features, utility and decorative stitches and Horm sewing cabinet Monarch $550 Ph 0467338820

REDUCED Southern Cross pump-jack with elec motor, going $350ono Ph 0407911884

2019

in SA and is equipped with anchor maz pot puller, marine carpets, full protection mat, always garaged, new as cond, low engine hours, genuine reason for sale, private sale, interested buyers may ring obligation free for further details, boat garaged in Robe, South Australia, VK748 $128,000 Ph 0418548726

REDUCED

Lightforce XGT driving lights with HID upgrade, good to VG cond with external ballast, covers and complete wiring looms, $350 the 3 Ph 0401504176

Makita compound saw with stand $1000 Ph 0428525970

Monarch Spa, 5 seats, 2 pumps, runs well Horsham area Ph 0427740155 to inspect

Multiple items for sale, Paslode gun with extra gas cartridges and nails, ozito miter saw plus impact driver plus multi tool plus circular saw under warranty, Feiyu Tech G5 gimbal for action camera, PS3 with 20 plus games, Epson printer, brand new Hikoki charger, Mavic Pro drone with 2 batteries and portable bag, call for prices, Ph or text 0419600049

Nelson silo, 500 bag capacity, cone bottom, located Massey $700 Ph 0427981227

New truck tyre, Triangle 265-70R 9.5, 16PR, suitable for drop deck trailer $250ono Ph 0407338811

Nordic Style Swing Walker $100 Ph 0491483336

Samsung

Scheppach Planer 1050x 300 table thicknesser 250W x 210H $1000 Ph 0428525970

Tandem Trailer 10x5 with stock crate, new, never been used, C70276 $4400 Ph 0407581291

Two church pews in EX $350 each or both for $600 Ph 0428820446

Two restored wrought iron/ timber garden benches $350 each Ph 53522691

Alicraft Boat and trailer, 4.35, Baystalker, centre consult, 40hp Yamaha reg Q0733 on 2006 trailer Mackay reg V26727 $14,000neg Ph 0419933542

Evinrude 6hp o/b motor, fresh water only, rarely used, model 6804B, VGC $650 Ph 53470200

Exercise bike, Pro form 210 CSX, like new, 6 months old with user manua, cost $599 sell $395 Ph 0427581825

Panel saw Linea Precision sliding table Panel saw model P3200, 3 phase 2004 make, cutting length is 3.10mm cutting depth is 100mm, $8800, Ph Michael 0407744076

Pea Straw, small squares in packs of 21, $6 each or $120 per pack Ph 0429833531 Riverside

Pet carrier crate for cat or dog, large $50 Ph 0473870476

Period

Set of drawers $40 Ph 0428844245

Solid timber dining suite, with extension and 6 wooden chairs, two being captain style, EC $350 matching wooden coffee table $50, inspection welcome Ph 0448624141

Steel/timber coffee table with magazine rack $400 Ph 53522691 TV

pick up Horsham $150ono Ph 0428146918

Two single beds with mattresses, EC $300 Ph 53911628

Haines Hunter, 560SL, 1989 EC, Yamaha O/B 140 hp, oil injected,160lts F/ T, cray pot winch,

Mangrove

Evolution 600 Apex Extreme, on Dunbier rull roller deluxe alloy trailer, Mercury 225hp 3.4lt V6 four stroke engine, elec power steering,fully equipped for crayfishing

Fishing boat, 12’ flat bottom, boat brooker NR389, trailer tilt reg V20371, egn mariner, 8hp, swivel seat, kit includes life jackets and all safety gear Ph 53975262

rod holders, lowrance fish finder, live bait tank, cutting table, HF marine radios, S/Gear, sanopy, boat cover, epirb, flares, life jackets, Mackay tandem axle trailer 57502, 02/2003 s/guard, boat latch $39,000 Ph Barrie 0427861004

Jack fold-up boat trailer, W90542 and custom boat loader Ph 0409583014

Speedboat, 4.8m, 202 red motor, dog clutch, reg NBO069 and trailer Q99607 $5600 Ph 0409423541

The Weekly Advertiser welcomes your advertising. We are required strictly by law to include specific information on some items when publishing your advertisement.

A snapshot of your obligations are as follows:

2 bedroom brick unit, recently renovated, in Nhill Ph 0429911201

2 bedrooms available to rent, pre-approved by real estate, plus facilities $150p/w Ph 0417092805

Drive wheelchair with comfort cushion $550 Ph 0428844245

Invacare Comet Alpine Gopher, VGC, batteries replaced recently, charger, lights, indicators $1150 Ph 0409524112

Toyota Hilux sports bar, GC $75ono Ph 0447455342

2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport Wagon, 4X4, 3.7L V6, engine# 2W154632, 216,100kms, 1TV 3JA $2,450 Ph 0429821539

Light blue Toyota carona sport, 2005, 311,000kms, TRD592 Ph 0493100329

2017 Honda Civic VTI-L Hatch, CVT Auto, pristine condition, black sports pack, apple carplay, 1.5l turbo, new tyres, 41000 country kms, Honda 7yr warranty, roadside assist, rego 1MT-2IG, reg May 2023, always garaged, genuine sale, $31,500, Ph 0408881137

2000 Holden Statesman VH auto, 6cyl, 3.8 petrol, white, 282,000kms, QIU916 $6000 Ph 0491034206

Lift and recline chair, 1yr old, EC, zero gravity feature, ideal for leg pain and swelling, suitable for smaller person, 5’2-5’6, new $2300, selling for $895 Ph 0439825388

Mobility Gopher Pathfinder 140XL as new condition with new batteries $3000 Ph 0427957212

Single remote control beds, head/back and knee adjust, includes medium support mattresses, ideal for disabled or elderly person, in near new condition was $1000ono each, genuine enquiries only Ph 53823720 or 0419136282

2009 Commodore, EC, 3 months rego, 218,000km XCU033, $6500 firm or will keep it for the kids

2009 Hyundai Tucson, auto, reliable and tidy, towbar, reg til 2/23, 250,000kms $5,500 Ph 0438532351

2012 Holden Cruze,1.8 manual, regularly serviced, recent major service with timing belt replacement, water pump and all pulleys, new tyres, bluetooth android touch screen stereo and reverse camera, in daily use, no issues, 1TY2JR $6000ono Ph 0415772074

REDUCED Suzuki DRZ400 motorbike, 2020, 12mths reg, 1800kms, 2L2KO $8000 Ph 0417050612

New genuine Toyota narrow-body bull bar, suit 2015-2017 HiLux, Ph Eddy 0428922335

Range Rover Sport MY16/17 wheels, one never used, 3 one tyre only, also fit discovery 5, immaculate, no marks, photo if requested $1200 Ph 0418501271 Ararat

2017 Hyundai Tucson Elite 63,000kms, leather seats, floor mats and cargo barrier, great car, selling due to upgrade 1LH1VH $29,000neg Ph or text 0422212369 Murtoa

REDUCED 2012 Ford Ranger

Handyman and small jobs driving to appointments, deliveries, mowing, reliable and thorough Ph 0409210594

“WANTED” Land to lease or share-farm anywhere south of Horsham, from 100 acres to 1000 acres, cropping country preferred Ph Roger Hallam at Mockinya 0418822700

music books $600 Ph 0400821702

Christian Devotion

A classic Christmas song tells us that there is another year over, even as it asks what we have done. We are invited to have fun with the hope that the new year is a good one without any fear.

As the song closes, there is a repeated phrase; “the war is over.”

We don’t have to watch the news very long to see that the war is not over.

And then there is the war inside of us. The sense that we are never good enough. Maybe that’s what we have been told. We never measure up or feel like we don’t get any recognition. Maybe we feel like we are taken for granted. We are worn out at the end of the year by what we have done, and we feel there is more to do before Christmas!

There is another song from long ago. It’s a song that isn’t dependent on what we do but on the love of a creator God who reveals himself. It is a song that celebrates a God with us despite the circumstances, a God who reveals the depth of his love for us. In-person, in the form of a baby, into poverty and with a family who is homeless and needing to run for their lives more than once. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

Simon Risson, Horsham Church of Christ

Motorcycles

Dimboola Natimuk

Lutheran Parish

Christmas Eve

Edenhope: No Service

Goroke: 7.30pm Pr Levi

Natimuk: 7.30pm LR

Vectis: 7.30pm LR

Dimboola: 7.30pm LR

Christmas Day

Vectis: 8am HC

Dimboola: 10am HC

Visitors Welcome

NORADJUHA MEMORIAL HALL Notice is given of a PUBLIC MEETING

To be held at Noradjuha Memorial Hall on 10 January 2023 at 7.30pm

The purpose of the meeting is to nominate no less than three (3) or more than nine (9) persons as the Committee of Management for the Noradjuha Memorial Hall for a term of three years. The current committee’s term will expire on 14 January 2023. All positions will be declared open and nominations will be accepted prior to or on the night. Nominations from women, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, young people and people from culturally diverse backgrounds are encouraged.

Further information, nomination forms and nominee declaration forms may be obtained by contacting your local Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning office or at the meeting. For further enquiries please contact the Secretary on 0448 871 221.

Dimboola Natimuk

Lutheran Parish

Sunday, January 1

Edenhope 9am HC Goroke 11am HC

Natimuk 10am LR Vectis 10am LR

Dimboola 9am LR

Sunday, January 8

Edenhope 10am LR Goroke 10am LR

Natimuk Join Vectis Vectis 11am HC Dimboola 9am HC

MONTHLY PAPER DRIVE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023

will be drop of ONLY to Selkirk Drive, with normal collection for February 2023.

Thanks for your wonderful support and we will see in 2023.

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

Notice of Demolition Works

Due to the age and condition of the old public toilets and football clubrooms at Lord Nelson Park, Dunstan Street St Arnaud, both buildings are scheduled to be demolished early February 2023, subject to weather conditions.

The new Lord Nelson Sports Centre has now replaced the old facilities. For any enquiries, please contact Sean Daley on 03 5358 0560.

TRENTON FITHALL

ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR TRADING HOURS:

Green Taylor Partners (GTP) are seeking new team members for the following roles:

Accountant (2+ years experience)

• Experience preparing Financial Statements, Tax Returns and Business Activity Statements.

• Prior use of MYOB, Xero and other accounting software.

• Strong communication skills.

• Genuine passion to help others

Accounting Support

• Excellent communication skills.

• Willingness to learn all aspects of taxation compliance including preparation of Financial Statements, Tax Returns and Business Activity Statements.

• A bookkeeping background, or prior experience with bookkeeping software, would be an advantage but not essential.

Green Taylor Partners is a highly regarded Horsham-based accounting firm. We specialise in business advice, tax, succession and estate planning across a diverse client base. We have a strong commitment to supporting, training and mentoring our team, and believe in rewarding our team based on their contribution to the firm.

Our vision is ‘to build relationships so that we can enrich the lives of others’

If you believe you could be the right fit for one of the roles above, please email a covering letter and your resume to careers@greentaylor.com.au

If you would like more information, please visit our website www.greentaylor.com.au or contact our Business Manager on (03) 5382 4761.

STORE ASSISTANT

Career Opportunities

STORE ASSISTANT

As the region s leading garden power equipment store, pro viding class leading products the likes of STIHL, HONDA, HUSTLER, GRAVELY, COX & GREENFIELD we re in a constant state of growth.

As the region’s leading garden power equipment store, providing class leading products the likes of STIHL, HONDA, HUSTLER, GRAVELY, COX & GREENFIELD we’re in a constant state of growth.

If you want to join the HRCC team and serve our diverse, close-knit, and engaged local community, check out the roles below!

An equal opportunity employer, we currently seek an individual to provide excellent customer service, obtain thorough product knowledge & assist with light workshop tasks such as product assembly. We pride ourselves on providing a professional & rewarding workplace that values its people above all else.

An equal opportunity employer, we currently seek an individual to prov de excellent customer service, obta in thorough product knowledge & assist with light workshop tasks such as product assembly. We pride ourselves on providing a professional & rewarding workplace that values its people above all else.

Information Technology (IT)

Systems Administrator

• Band 6 ($84,375 - $91,881pa)

• Fixed Term Full-time (until 31st March 2024)

• Flexible working arrangements available

This position offers variety in the workplace, a first-class facility & long-term stability for the right applicant So, if you’re looking for a new challenge, either entering or perhaps re-entering the workforce & have a passion for the garden/forestry sector then submit your confidential application in writing to sales@wimmeramotorcycle.com.au today.

Ph: (03) 5382 7220 (Opt. 1) to speak with Brad. 80 McPherson St, Horsham

This position offers variety in the workplace, a first-class facility & long-term stability for the right applicant. So, if you’re looking for a new challenge, either entering or perhaps re-entering the workforce & have a passion for the garden/ forestry sector then submit your confidential application in writing to sales@wimmeramotorcycle.com.au today.

Ph: (03) 5382 7220 (Opt. 1) to speak with Brad 80 McPherson St, Horsham

Nhill

Art Gallery Curator and Public Programs Officer

• Band 6 ($84,375 - $91,881pa)

• Permanent Full-time

• Flexible working arrangements available

Youth Services Planning & Engagement Officer

• Band 6 ($84,375 - $91,881pa)

• Permanent Full-time

• Flexible working arrangements available

Leading Hand Patching

• Band 4 ($65,810 - $69,464pa)

• Permanent Full-time

• 8-day working fortnight

Maternal & Child Health Nurse

• MCH Nurse ($50.58 - $53.19 per hour)

• Permanent Part-time (0.4EFT - Thurs & Fri)

Nurse Immunisers

• Casual

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Part-time, permanent position Horsham located

NDIS Support Coordinator

New position

Start your new year with a new career at Just Better Care. Join the largest and most experienced Support Coordination team in the region.

Open to candidates who hold Qualification in Human Services, Nursing or minimum 3 years’ experience working in a similar role, or

Open to candidates currently studying case management, disability or community services (or willing to undertake a traineeship in Cert IV)

Assist customers to live independently in their home, keeping them safe and connected to their community.

About us:

Just Better Care is a leading provider of in home lifestyle and social support services in Australia for the ageing or people living with a disability. For over 15 years, we have been supporting older people, and people living with disability, to live independently in their own homes and stay connected to their local community.

We offer flexible work hours to suit your lifestyle with training and career support. As a representative of the Just Better Care brand, you can be proud of being part of a strong supportive team championing the rights of our clients

The role:

We are currently looking for a Full-Time NDIS Support Coordinator who is passionate about delivering high quality services. The position is located in Horsham and will require the person to travel to other locations within the region; therefore, a current drivers licence is essential.

While qualifications and experience are important, equally as important is who you are as a person. We are looking for someone with a passion for relationship building and supporting clients. In this role you will, and not limited to:

• Research, coordinate and manage a range of supports to suit individual needs

• Coordinate access to support items in an NDIS Participant’s Plan in line with the preferences of the participant to achieve the outcomes identified in the plan

• Support participants to strengthen their ability to connect with informal, mainstream and funded supports, and to increase capacity to maintain support relationships, and resolve service delivery issues within their local communities

• Support individuals to build their capacity and networks with the aim of greater choice, control and independence in managing their personal lifestyle choices

• Ensure that service provision is informed by the participants’ individual needs and is in line with current participant protocols or individual service plans, from JBC or other services engaged through Supports Coordination

Further information about the role, including the Selection Criteria, is outlined in the NDIS Support Coordinator Position Description.

To request a copy of the Position Description, please contact Just Better Care - Western Victoria on 03 5381 1432 or email hr.wv@justbettercare.com

Consistent week

With Christmas rapidly approaching, Horsham Greyhound Racing Club takes this opportunity to thank and wish a merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year to all trainers, owners, catchers, club employees and general public who take time to attend race meetings throughout the year – even if it is only our main Horsham Cup meeting.

Last, but not least, we acknowledge the beautiful athletes that give all of us this opportunity – the greyhounds.

Without all the individual participants mentioned above, our industry would not exist, let alone thrive like it currently does, so a massive thank you to every single person involved.

Big week for Baxter

It was Heather Baxter, of Murtoa, who kicked the week off in winning style when Go Seek Harmony was victorious at Ballarat on Monday, leading all the way and winning comfortably by more than four lengths in the time of 22:68sec for the 390-metre journey.

Baxter followed that form with a victory at Horsham the following day when Special Innings flew

the lids to set up a good couple of lengths break on the challengers turning for home.

Victor Millington’s comeback kid, Neil’s Phoenix, was in hot pursuit of Special Innings and threw absolutely everything at her, but Special Innings just kept finding and held off the fast-finishing Neil’s Phoenix to win by a nose in what was a local quinella.

Baxter returned to Ballarat on Friday with Corporate Box and Go Seek Harmony and both greyhounds ran strong minor placings to finish a good week for the kennel.

Hulk salutes

Andrea Gurry, Nhill, was then successful with Gladiator Hulk at any old odds taking out the Warrack Motel Grade 5 over the 410m distance.

Given little chance by punters, Hulk saluted at the odds of $39.60.

Gurry said after the race she gave the dog no chance, but in my personal opinion you do not win 10 races with 23 minor placings

unless you have serious ability –so well done the Hulk.

He had to do it the hard way. Racing midfield early, caught up in the hustle and bustle but using great track sense, he pounced on a rails run when it presented and from there just let himself go to win by just over a length in the time of 23:44sec.

Crymelon Comet for Ian Bibby, Warracknabeal, finished strong, running into third position.

Hammerstein victory

Paul and Doug Hammerstein, Ararat, claimed another victory keeping the kennel winners ticking over on a constant basis.

Crackerjack Lach claimed his 25th victory winning over the 410m Grade 5 event, Lach was forced to work hard to hold his rail position.

Once he was within striking distance turning for home, he was always going to run over the leaders and that he did to win by half-alength in 23:65sec.

Crackerjack Lach has now raced an astonishing 148 times for the record of 25 wins and 42 placings with prizemoney of $50,000 and does not look like he will be slowing down anytime soon as he nears his fourth birthday.

Milestone parkrun for Edenhope

Edenhope volunteers were excited by the results of their first two parkrun events this month.

The inaugural Lake Wallace parkrun saw 150 participants trek five kilometres around Lake Wallace, Edenhope, on December 12. Lake Wallace is Australia’s 455th parkrun course.

Horsham’s Patrick White set Edenhope’s first parkrun record, with a time of 19 minutes and 30 seconds.

The fastest local, running his first ever parkrun course in 22 minutes 39 seconds, was Apsley’s Xavier Close.

There was also a ‘P’ dress-up theme, which saw prison escapees, the Pope, a pizza and Pocahontas among participants.

The second round saw 50 people attend on Saturday. The event will now run every Saturday at 8am.

Event co-organiser Dani Grindlay said participants from Gippsland, Ballarat, Mount Gambier, Portland, Hamilton and Horsham attended the launch.

“A launch is massive in the parkrun community – it’s a huge celebration and it was really exciting,” she said.

“This can now continue until the end of time, every single Saturday.

“We have people who have contacted us to book in as a volunteer into next year, which is great.

“For a town of less than 1000, to have 50 people at the second event was a great number. We weren’t expecting more than that.

“We just want there to be a sustainable and healthy option for people to get out and about on weekends.”

In times of EMERGENCY

FIRST TIME: Participants prepare to run or walk the course around Lake Wallace for Edenhope’s first parkrun event.

Picture: FIONA BAXTER

LAPS: Wimmera swimmers dived into swim meets this month with excitement as the weather warmed up to finish the 2022 portion of their season. Two Wimmera District 12 meets were hosted, with the first at Horsham on December 11 and the second at Warracknabeal on Saturday. Swimmers will return to the pool for competition on February 4 at St Arnaud. Pictured competing on Saturday are, clockwise from above: Eljah Keam, Warracknabeal; Joshua Fitzgerald, Warrnambool; Hannah Mackereth, Horsham; Billie Donnan, Ararat; Jorja Clode, Horsham; and Lauren Jones, Horsham. Pictures: PAUL CARRACHER

FAST

Hornets finish year on a high

BY MICHAEL SCALZO

Horsham Hornets men’s side dragged itself closer to the leaders as Country Basketball League southwest conference competitions finished up for 2022.

With four rounds of the season still to play when teams return in the new year, the Hornets men’s team continued its good form at the weekend, adding a seventh win to its column this season, and their fourth win in five games.

The Hornets got the better of Millicent Magic on Saturday, convincingly, to draw level with their round-12 opponents on wins. The win keeps the Hornets in touch with the top four with two more wins available this season.

Hornets’ Mitch Martin and Austin McKenzie contributed the bulk of their score — 27 and 25-points respectively — as they set about sealing the win in the first two quarters.

The Lady Hornets almost pulled off their best win for the season on Saturday night at Horsham stadium against Millicent Magic, the league’s outstanding side, thanks to the Hornets’ fourth-quarter swarm.

Behind by five points at quarter time, with points almost drawn during the second and third quarters, the Hornets outscored the

Magic by five points to loss by two points at the buzzer. As has been their trademark of late, the Hornets shared the points around, with Olivia Jones, 14, Caitlin Story, 19, and Ema Iredell, 13, the major contributors.

The win keeps the Lady Hornets with their noses inside the top four, with four rounds and three Hornets’ games left to play this season.

The round-14 match-up between the Hornets and their fifth-placed chasers, Portland Chargers, who only sit outside the four on percentage, looks to be the tasty match-up early next year.

Ararat Redbacks had a bye at the weekend.

South-west conference competition resumes on January 7, with Ararat Redbacks to host Colac Kookas for round 13.

Hornets teams will have another week off with a scheduled bye.

The Hornets’ men’s side returns to play with a round-14 home match against Warrnambool Seahawks, on January 14, with a road trip to Portland scheduled the following day. The Lady Hornets will follow the same course on their round-14 return to play, with a Warrnambool and Portland double-header.

Last week: Women, Millicent Magic 61 d Horsham Hornets 59; men, Horsham Hornets 94 d Millicent Magic 59; Ararat, bye.

STORY: From left, Kowalski Analysis trainer and part-owner David Lewis, driver Glen Craven, part-owner Terry Lewis, Stawell Toyota’s Adam Taylor, Stawell Harness Racing Club president Geoff Sanderson, and Harness Racing Victoria board member Adam Kilgour, with Jonty McKenzie, celebrate a cup win.

Kowalski Analysis bounces back

An amazing tale of Kowalski Analysis’ return to full health emerged on a day when the former star youngster burst through to claim the richest race of his career.

The now five-year-old gelding continued his exceptional return to racing with an all-the-way victory in the $45,000 Stawell Toyota Pacing Cup for part-owner and trainer David Lewis.

Lewis has been through a long and testing journey with the family bred son of Roll With Joe USA and Dream Away Jo since its return from a Queensland winter campaign in 2021.

Kowalski Analysis was one of the country’s most promising youngsters when trained by Mat-

thew Craven, but his career hit crossroads when illness struck after coming home.

Lewis said a subsequent antibiotics treatment caused serious stomach problems for the horse, and many ‘traditional’ methods for recovery had failed to bring him back to full fitness.

“My wife is a vet and she suggested we take the poo out of a good, healthy horse and drench it down into his stomach,” Lewis told HRV TrotsVision.

“You strain it so nothing solid goes in – it’s just water.

“We did it one day and I thought he was just a little bit better, so we did it for three days in a row and he started to come good. And about two or three weeks later,

he was fine. Amazing. I think it’s been done in America a bit – my wife’s a superstar vet. It’s basically taken six months to get him completely back to full health.”

Since Lewis took over training duties and the radical treatment, the talented pacer posted a firstup second at Geelong in October, before consecutive victories at Ballarat and Stawell.

Kowalski Analysis with Glen Craven aboard, led Sunday’s Stawell Toyota Pacing Cup from the start and bowled along at a leisurely beat before sprinting home in a slick 26.5sec final quarter to score by six metres from Imnopumpkin, Daryl Douglas.

– Tim O’Connor, Harness Racing Victoria

SUCCESS

Picture: Claire Weston Photography

Festive and fighting spirit

Kalkee is heading into Central Wimmera Tennis Association’s main break on top of the pennant ladder.

A win against St Michaels on Saturday has given Kalkee a 12 percent boost over Horsham Lawn and Central Park, who sit on second and third, with all three teams on 32 points.

Kalkee’s Jeff Friberg was back to his best during Saturday’s encounter against arch-rivals St Michaels. He won all of his sets convincingly, 8-1, 8-6 and 8-4.

St Michaels pushed the ladder leaders right to the end and will be looking to continue their form after the main break.

St Michaels’ Steffi McDonald was too strong for direct opponent Emily Polack, winning all her sets. St Michaels sits in fourth place on the ladder.

Kalkee defeated St Michaels by two sets, eight games.

In the other match, Central Park bounced back against Drung South after a tough round 10 loss to St Michaels.

In windy conditions at Central Park, Central Park’s Brendan Nitschke and Willow Sainsbury provided much-needed singles wins.

Young gun Adele Joseph, Central Park, defeated Yolanda Molineaux, 8-2 in their singles clash.

Logan Casey was consistent for Drung South, winning three sets.

Central Park eight sets, 81 games defeated Drung South four sets, 55 games.

Senior tennis will return on January 28, with five rounds remaining before finals and many opportunities for teams to shake up final standings.

Round 11 results

Seniors

Pennant: Central Park 8-81 d Drung South 4-55, Kalkee 7-71 d St Michaels 5-63.

A Special: Kalkee 7-85 drew with Telangatuk East 7-85, Homers 7-89 d Haven 7-84, Brimpaen 10-92 d Drung South 4-62, Horsham Lawn Thompson 12-107 d Central Park 2-69, Natimuk 12-105 d Horsham Lawn Dorman 2-56.

A Grade: Horsham Lawn Bardell forfeited to Haven, Central Park 9-83 d Drung South 3-50, Homers 6-70 d Horsham Lawn O’Connor 6-57.

B Special: Laharum 7-70 d St Michaels 5-71, Central Park 11-93 d Natimuk 1-64, Horsham Lawn 7-82 d Haven 5-57.

Juniors

Open: Central Park 5-35 d Natimuk Yellow 1-15, Horsham Lawn Green 3-28 d Horsham Lawn Gold 3-24, Natimuk Blue 5-32 d Homers 1-17.

Section 1 Boys: Central Park 3-28 d Natimuk 3-26, Haven 5-35 d Quantong 1-12.

Section 1 Girls: Homers 4-29 d Haven Purple 2-21, Horsham Lawn 5-30 d Haven Red 1-14.

Section 2 Boys: Horsham Lawn White 3-29 d Homers White 3-27, Central Park 5-35 d Horsham Lawn Green 1-23, Homers Red 5-32 d Haven 1-14.

Section 2 Girls: Horsham Lawn White 6-36 d Homers 0-13, Horsham Lawn Gold 3-30 d Haven 3-27, Central Park 6-36 d Horsham Lawn Green 0-9.

Section 3 Boys: Horsham Lawn Green 4-34 d Haven 2-20, Horsham Lawn White 3-28 d Horsham Lawn Gold 3-24.

Section 3 Girls: Horsham Lawn White 6-36 d Natimuk 0-5, Horsham Lawn Gold 6-36 d Haven 0-10, Horsham Lawn Green 4-28 d Homers 2-20.

Section 4 Boys: Haven 6-36 d Horsham Lawn White 0-17, Natimuk 4-29 d Horsham Lawn Red 2-24.

Section 4 Girls: Horsham Lawn Gold 4-31 d Haven Pink 2-16, Haven Orange 6-36 d Homers 0-4, Horsham Lawn Green 4-31 d Central Park 2-25.

Match Play Section 5: Horsham Lawn White 5-22 d Natimuk 1-15, Horsham Lawn Purple 3-18 d Horsham Lawn Yellow 3-15, Horsham Lawn Red 4-18 d Central Park 2-15, Haven 4-18 d Horsham Lawn Gold 2-18, Horsham Lawn Green 5-23 d Horsham Lawn Pink 1-12.

Match Play Section 6: Horsham Lawn Green 4-18 d Homers 2-11, Horsham Lawn White forfeited to Natimuk, Horsham Lawn Orange 3-18 d Haven 3-12, Central Park 3-15 drew with Horsham Lawn Gold 3-15, Horsham Lawn Blue 4-18 d Horsham Lawn Red 2-17.

ACE: Kalkee’s Jordan Friberg serves to his St Michaels opponent on Saturday in a close round of Central Wimmera pennant tennis before the association’s main break.

TOP OF THE TABLE: Kalkee’s Paula Weidermann was in the Christmas spirit for the final Central Wimmera Tennis Association round of 2022 and won one of her doubles matches against St Michaels at the weekend. Pictures: PAUL CARRACHER

Divisions created

BY ‘ONE SHORT’

Grampians

Cricket Association has reached the end of the preliminary rounds with the competition now to be split into two divisions.

The top five teams – being Swifts-Great Western 1, Pomonal, St Andrews, Chalambar and Rhymney-Moyston 1 – will play in an A Grade division and will battle it out for a finals berth and ladder positions after Christmas.

Rhymney-Moyston 1s defeat of Halls Gap 1 on Saturday means they snuck into the topfive, while Swifts-Great Western 2 was automatically dropped to B Grade as the club has two teams.

The remaining teams – being Swifts-Great Western 2, Halls Gap 1, Rhymney-Moyston 2 and Halls Gap 2 – will form B Grade. They will also battle for finals positions in remaining games.

The battle for top spot saw an easy win by nine wickets to Swifts-Great Western 1 against Pomonal.

The win also meant the Combine were Henry Gunstone Cup winners.

Teams had agreed to play the

last round for the Cup. Batting first, the Tigers scored a par of 10-144 runs.

The main scorer was Lynden Brewis with 40, followed by Matt Peel with 32 and Glen Keilar with 23.

Tom Eckel led the Combine attack with 3-23 from eight overs.

In reply, the Combine only lost opener Matt Delzotto in chasing down the score of 1-147.

Delzotto scored 30.

The not-out batsmen were Sam Cocks, 78, and Jack Cann, 35.

The win was achieved with 40-odd balls to spare.

This win puts the Combine nine points out in front on the ladder.

The Combine will compete in Warrnambool for the Sungold Cup against other leagues for $15,000 in prize money.

Halls Gap forfeited their position in the four after they fell to Rhymney-Moyston.

Batting first, the Gappers stumbled to 101 all out.

Josh Leith led the scoring with 32.

Charlie McIntosh was unable to repeat last week’s effort with only 16.

Best of the Rhymston bowlers was Michael Dean with 3-16.

Rhymston’s reply was 5-104 with Dave Padley’s 31 not-out leading the way.

The Saints showed no mercy to Halls Gap 2, realising they needed to win to retain third position.

The Gappers were dismissed for 45 after electing to bat.

Four Saints bowlers took two wickets each.

The Saints wasted no time in scoring 2-55 in just eight overs to ensure their spot in the A Grade competition.

In the remaining match, Chalambar overwhelmed RhymneyMoyston to press their claims for a spot in the four.

Batting first on Ararat’s Alexandra Oval, Chally amassed 9-204 with Sam Pilgrim, Ross Kettle, Ethan McKinnis and Will Cooper all scoring 30s.

The Chally bowlers then ran through Rhymston’s batsmen for 31, with only Wayne Gason reaching double figures.

This percentage-booster was enough to catapult Chally into the four.

The pennant committee has yet to do the draw for the remainder of the season.

Competition resumes on January 21.

Young Baker makes debut

The son of a multiple-state-title-holding Pimpinio speedway racer has joined his father on the track for the first time as limited speedway drivers hit the Western Speedway.

Seven-time Limited Sportsman state-title champion Jock Baker’s son, Tom Baker, 16, made his open-wheeled debut at Hamilton’s Western Speedway alongside his father.

Jock said his son, who finished third in the final at Hamilton, had always ‘lived’ for speedway and ‘all forms’ of motorsport.

“His car took two years to build,” he said.

“We built it together. The chassis was from

a sprint car imported from the US, that we stripped down and converted to run clockwise around speedway circuits, rather than anti-clockwise as they do in sprint cars.

“It certainly has some sentimental value now.”

Jock said Tom was scheduled to race at Horsham on January 7, ‘as long as the rain stayed away’.

“We’ve had five washouts this season already,” he said.

Jock Baker finished first at Hamilton.

– Michael Scalzo

RACING DUO: Tom Baker joined his father and speedway racer Jock Baker on the race track last week. Tom made his open-wheeled debut at Hamilton’s Western Speedway, finishing third.

Warriors overpower Bullants batters

BY MICHAEL SCALZO

Horsham Cricket Association

players will wait until midJanuary to continue with the 202223 season after play wrapped up for a Christmas break.

Across the A Grade competition, it should be a fiery return for Homers, who will face ladder-leading West Wimmera Warriors at Sunnyside, as it will be for Jung Tigers, who will restart their post-Christmas play against Rupanyup-Minyip.

The first of five, two-day cricket rounds, continued at the weekend for A and B Grade cricketers.

In A Grade, the Bullants took up the bat to start the second day against West Wimmera Warriors at Horsham City Oval, as did Homers at Horsham Sunnyside oval against Jung Tigers.

The Bullants posted a meagre 63-run total across 33 overs.

Opener Garret Liston was the side’s highest run-scorer with 17, backed up by Tobey Anson, who scored 12 from 61 balls.

West Wimmera Warriors’ Nathan Alexander was the pick of the bowlers with his four wickets for 16 runs, off 11 overs.

The game was over in a flash once the Warriors hit the crease – the Bullants 38-run lead easily swallowed up by the Warriors’ Bradley Alexander and Mitchell Dahlenburg, with some

last minute help from Jeremy Weeks at first drop.

The Warriors were able to clear the Bullants’ total at one for 39 runs to win the game outright.

The Homers versus Jung Tigers

bout resumed with the Homers at the crease, 138-runs behind, after ending the first weekend none out, for 10 runs, chasing the Homers 148. It was slow progress for the Tigers’ openers – single scores dotted the

scorecard right down the batting order. Brenton Hallam added seven runs, and Angus Adams went for six.

Connor Lawson was caught not long after that for nine, while Levi Mock’s stumps copped a beating with him on three runs.

It wasn’t until Lachlan McGinniss, batting at seven alongside Tyler Puls, did the Tigers get up to speed.

Only when the Tigers’ number nine, Martyn Knight, knocked a solid 40 while batting a long way down the order did the Tigers’ look a chance. But, it was not to be.

The Tigers fell short of first innings points by 15 runs, after 65.3 overs – Homers’ Baxter Perry the main antagoniser on Saturday with his five for 35 runs, off 18 overs.

Last week: A Grade – West Wimmera Warriors 131 (B. McQueen 30, L. Preston 30, T. Dumesny 2-3, N. Hughes 2-12, K. Lang 2-18, M. Combe 2-47 and 1-39) d Bullants 106 (G. Liston 38, X. Bone 5-32, J. Crowhurst 2-5 and 63, N. Alexander 4-16, X. Bone 3-25, B. Alexander 2-6); Homers 148 (M. Bunworth 53, S. Hopper 26, A. Adams 6-59, T. Puls 3-48) d Jung Tigers 133 (M. Knight 40, B. Perry 5-35, J. Officer 2-13, S. Hopper 2-23); Rupanyup-Minyip, bye.

B Grade – Colts 136 (D. Lawson 42, B. Millar 31, A. Laverty 3-18, D. Polack 3-22, E. Braithwaite 2-31) d

Blackheath-Dimboola 121 (S. Leith 28, D. Newell 4-26, J. Colbert 4-31, J. Miller 2-7); Horsham Saints 9-174 (A. Laffy 53, D. Carter 36, J. Mahoney 3-31) d Laharum 10-134 (S. Wouters 46, J. Mahoney 36, A. Laffy 8-39, B. Hamerston 2-35); Lubeck-Murtoa 3-164 (L. Petering 42, T. Barrand 32, J. Hedt 26, T. Khan 2-18) d Jung Tigers 47 (N. Ballagh 7-9, S. Reddie 2-17 and 18, N. Ballagh 7-8, S. Reddie 3-9); Rupanyup-Minyip v Bullants, no game.

C Grade – Lubeck-Murtoa 3-179 (C. Newell 50, P. Yew 49, M. Downer 37) d Natimuk 9-171 (J. Schmidt 45, T. Coutts 40, Z. Smith 38, M. Downer 4-22, R. Gerbert 2-19); West Wimmera Warriors 3-75 (J. Dickinson 30, D. Paech 2-3) d Blackheath-Dimboola 71 (N. Schorback 46, J. Gurry 6-13, B. Merrett 2-16); Jung Tigers 188 (L. Sonego 64, L. Kiran Voora 44, J. Crooks 3-23, M. Roll 2-37) d Colts 183 (J. Crooks 89, J. McNeil 37, A. Davie 3-24, L. Kiran Voora 2-37); Horsham Saints 4-172 (R. Kirkwood 52, T. McGrath 26, J. Shevlin 2-19) d Laharum 158 (J. Shevlin 51, J. Borlase 39, R. Kirkwood 3-18, C. Keddie 3-23); Homers 5-189 (H. Dougherty 53, M. Wynne 49, C. Garwood 31, T. Brand 2-15) d Quantong 8-151 (J. Vague 56, T. Brand 52, J. Officer 4-15, B. Hopper 2-14).

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GLOVEMAN: Warriors’ keeper Mitch Dahlenburg takes a catch behind the stumps at Horsham City Oval at the weekend against the Bullants. Dahlenburg ended the day with four caught behinds and a fast 17-run knock, in chase of the Bullants’ 38-run lead. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Juniors a priority

The region’s two most-prominent football leagues will make low junior footballer participation and competitiveness a priority in 2023 after several clubs were unable to field an under-17s team this season.

The Wimmera Football Netball League has set up a junior football working group, under the leadership of league treasurer Peter Hamilton, to engage with club delegates about structural obstacles to increased junior football participation rates and league-wide competitiveness.

The group, comprising a delegate from each Wimmera league club, first met in early December to discuss the issues.

Two Wimmera league clubs, Southern Mallee Giants and Nhill, did not have enough junior players to field an under-17s team in 2022, despite several clubs in the region’s major centres often having an excess of junior players at their clubs.

Often several under-17 players across the league’s larger clubs would miss out on playing a game each week, while several players were also often ‘loaned’ to rival clubs with low junior numbers during rostered bye weeks.

Under-17s participation rates across the Horsham District league also suffered this season, with Edenhope-Apsley, Taylors Lake and Laharum clubs unable to field under-17s sides in 2022.

Mr Hamilton said it was ‘no secret’ there were long-standing issues that surrounded the levels of competitiveness across the league’s junior football competitions.

“A committee has been set up really just to identify the key issues and concerns, and consider if there are any obvious steps that can be taken, with the aim of improving the levels of competitiveness of the competitions, and by extension hopefully the levels of development and enjoyment for the players,” he said.

“The clubs obviously have the best understanding of all the key issues relating to juniors, so they have each nominated a representative to sit on the committee, along with three league board members, and Angela Ballinger from AFL Wimmera Mallee.

“The first step is simply about seeking detailed feedback from each of the clubs on various items, then in the new year the committee will meet to consider the feedback, and ultimately decide what action, if any, to implement for next season.”

Horsham District Football Netball League

chair Rosemary Langley said the league hoped to create a similar consultative process during 2023.

However, she said Laharum, Edenhope-Apsley and Taylors Lake had informed her that each club would return to the under-17s competition for the 2023 season.

She said the league had intentions of collaborating with the Wimmera league about junior participation rate obstacles ‘at some stage’, however she considered it important to come together first as a league, to discover what clubs wanted.

“We are more than happy to work closely with the Wimmera league and new AFL Wimmera Mallee regional manager Angela Ballinger,” she said.

Laharum senior football coach Glenn Doyle said the 2023 return of its under-17s squad to the league was a club priority for the 2023 season.

He said the club considered the loss of its under-17s team in 2022 a ‘huge setback’, and club leadership had been committed to ensuring it was only missing from the junior competition for a single year.

“We have appointed Tim Nagorcka as head coach for the under-17s team in 2023 and have set about constructing a great connection between the existing junior players and the senior team this year so that it would generate stability moving forward,” he said.

“We have three senior players, Jarrod Kemp, Ambrose Launder and Michael Scalzo assisting Tim with the under-17s program now.

“These are senior players who will become an integral part of the junior team’s success, while our fitness and conditioning coach Ravi Araujo has already started preparing several of our junior players for next season.”

Mr Doyle said he was unsure how a football club could remain confident of its future if it had no clear developmental pathway for junior players.

“There needs to be a strong cultural and football connection between a club’s junior program and its senior team to ensure the junior teams become a feeder for its senior program.

“I consider myself head coach of the football club, not just coach of the senior team, and it remains hugely important to me that our under-17s team next year become the plank of the club’s rebirth and its centenary celebrations in 2023.”

Veteran golfers wind down for year

Wimmera District Veteran Golfers Association players concluded the year with a Stableford golf competition at Stawell on Monday, with 49 members from across the Wimmera competing.

A Grade winner was Bob Hayes with 36 points and runner-up was Des Pickford, also on 36.

Trevor Yole was B Grade winner with 35 points and John Barbetti runner-up on 34.

The C Grade winner was Ralph Chequer with 38 points from Robert Norton, also on 38 points.

The next association game will be at Warracknabeal Golf Club on February 6; 8.30am registration for a 9am start.

TEAM RETURN: Laharum Football Netball Club will have an under-17s football team again in 2023 after a season on the sidelines. Newly appointed under-17s coach Tim Nagorcka, second from left, will head up the junior coaching team, alongside assistant coaches Ambrose Launder, left, and Jarrod Kemp, right. Senior football coach Glenn Doyle, second from right, said the return of an under-17s squad was a ‘club priority’.

In the swim

Horsham Swimming Club’s Tom Urquhart has claimed the Warracknabeal RSL Perpetual Trophy for men’s open 100-metre freestyle and a strong performance in backstroke, pictured, during the weekend’s Wimmera District 12 swim meet at Warracknabeal. Urquhart’s teammates also performed well at the meet against swimmers from Ararat, St Arnaud, Warracknabeal, Bendigo, Warrnambool, Kerang and Kangaroo Flat. Horsham took home the Neil Ross Shield for the team with the highest aggregate points. About 85 swimmers ranging seven to 54 years-old competed. District 12 swim meets resume in February. More pictures, page 73.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER