Aged carehome Wattleglen, formerly Royal Freemasons Sale, have celebrated its new name with a$2500 charitable donation. Resident Linda Wilkins (fourth from left) won the naming competition by suggesting Wattleglen, and nominated MarleyStreet Community Hub as her charity of choice. STORY-PAGE3
Thenew studyhubs areexpected to be available to students withinthe next year.
THE Mallaco ota Gippsland East Higher Education (GEHE) Study Hub will be expanded, and four new centres established in Heyfield,Yarram, Orbost and Omeo under government funding.
The expansion is part of a$16 million announcement madeonMonday, March 25 regarding 10 new regional university study hubs across Australia.
The fundingispart of the Regional University Study Hubs grant program (formerly the Regional University Centr es pro gram), whic hwor ks to improve access to tertiary education for regional and remote students.
Aregional university study hub is a facility students can use to study tertiary courses in their local area, delivered by distance from any Australian institution.
Additionally, VCE students can utilise resourceslike learningskills advisers who are available to improve students’ research skills and essaywriting by appointment.
Heyfield Community Resource Centre Manager,Caroline Trevorrow welcomed the news of astudy hubthat can provide new opportunities.
“This is excitingnews for the Heyfield community, especially for students whose only option is to study online,” she said.
“TheHubs will ensure thatfurther education becomes more accessible and attractive to people in Heyfield, which has abeneficialflow-oneffectfor the entire community.
“It’s also atimelyannouncement as our Timber Transition project has identified the need for greater education options within our immediate area.”
Wellington Shire students who are enrolled at any Australian university or TAFE and students in their final year of VCE are encouraged to access thefacilities and services available at the GEHE Study Hub, whether they’re
obtaining aCertificate IorPhD and all studies in between.
Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare, said regional study hubs were bringinguniversities closer to people that might otherwise decide not to attend.
“I want moreyoung people to get a crack at going to university and we know thatpostcodeisamassive barrier for young people getting that chance,” Mr Clare said.
“The evidenceisthat where University Study Hubs are, university participation goes up, that’s why we’re announcing 10 new Regional University StudyHubs and there’s more to come.”
The re are cur ren tly 34 exi sti ng regional university study hubs across the country, including four in Victoria.
The government says it intends to double the number of study hubs. As such, afurther $66.9 million will be invested to establish 20 additional Regional University Study Hubs. The former Coalition government had established theexisting regionalstudy hubs.They
support 3400 students, studying more than 1000 different courses, through more than 200 tertiary education providers.
In July 2023, Mr Clare announced $66.9 million will go towards establishing 20 new regional university study hubs, and up to 14 suburban university studyhubs. This is part of the government’s response to the Priority Actions listedinthe Australian Universities
Accord Panel’s Interim Report.
The report listedextending study hubs was an immediate prioritythatcould “improve participation, retentionand completion (of university) for students in outer metropolitan and peri-urban areas, especially those from low SES (socio-economic status) backgrounds”. Opposition frontbencher and Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester welcomed the announcements, saying it would benefit school leavers, along with people returning to study at amature age.
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“SADLY, Gippsland has one of the lowest tertiary education levels in Victoria and partofthe problem is access to courses for people who don’t have the flexibility or the resourcestomove awayfrom home, for arange of reasons,” Mr Chester said.
“(Last week’s) announcement for amulti-site study hub to be delivered acrossMallacoota, Orbost, Omeo, Heyfield and Yarram means students will no longer have to travel to Bairnsdale, Churchill or even Melbourne to complete their studies.”
Mr Chester said students who trained in regional communities tended to remain in those areas and deliverlong-term benefits.
“We haveaskills shortage across arange of areas and it’s well understood that students who retain aclose link with their own communities are more likely to stay there,” he said.
“In areaslikehealthand education, it’s important we train our own professionals because they are essential to the future of Gippsland.”
“Expanding to seven locations with the support of the Regional University Study Hubs grant will ensure that more students in the Gippsland region can achieve their goals,” she said.
Currently, the GEHEStudyHub hascampuses in Sale and Bairnsdale.
“The GEHE Study Hub provides the resources and facilities to help students study locally. Wherever you are in life -VCE,TAFE or university -wewelcome you,” Ms D’Souza said.
In 2018, GELLEN -under the leadership of then executive officer Pam Waters -joined Federation University, EastGippsland Shireand TAFE Gippsland to apply for Commonwealth funding under the Regional University Centres program. Their aim was to establish auniversity hub for the use of students across the region.
The GEHE Study Hub offers quiet or group study spaces,high-speed internet, video conferencing and podcasting.
Students can sit external exams and access course and career guidance as well as disability, financial and scholarship information.
The GEHE Study Hub is working together with FederationUniversity, TAFE Gippsland, East Gippsland Shire Council, Beyond Bank and Wellington Shire Council along with community partners including the Omeo Community Hub Committee, the Orbost Education Centre, the Yarram Chamber of Commerce, Yarram Timber Industry Group andthe HeyfieldCommunity Resource Centre to support students and improve education outcomes in the Gippsland region.
Amy Espeseth, who is the GEHE Study Manager, said: “The GEHE Study Hub will help you get from where you are to where you want to go.”
NeetaD’Souza, who is the executive officerofthe Gippsland East Local Learning and Employment Network (GELLEN), said the GEHEStudy Hub provides students in TAFE, VCEoruniversity with resources and facilities to get the most out of theirstudies.
The GEHE StudyHub opened its doors to Bairnsdale students in late September 2019, officially opening in November 2020. With the support of Beyond Bank, Wellington Shire Council, Federation University and TAFE Gippsland, the GEHE Study Hub increased its reach in July 2022 when it launched asatellite site in Sale.
In July 2023,GELLENpartnered with the Wilderness Collectivetodevelop athird pilotsatellite site, Study Hub -Mallacoota.
Federal Senator for Victoria, Raff Ciccone said: “The new Regional University Study Hub is a fantastic outcome for the Gippsland towns of Mallacoota, Orbost, Omeo, Heyfield and Yarram.”
Anyone interested in registeringshould go to gestudyhub.orgfor information about the GEHEs free services.
Stefan Bradley
RESPECT and Wattleglen last Thursday celebrated local resident Linda Wilkins as the winner of its recent name-change competition, after she provided the inspiration for the Sale aged care home’s well-received new name.
Las tm ont h, Wa ttle gl en (fo rme rl yR oya l Freemasons Sale) celebrated its official merger with nationalaged care provider Respect by announcing its new name, following apublic vote. This was the resultofextensivecommunity consultation, which included aspecial prize to the first individual to suggest the name eventually chosen by the community as the winning nomination.
As part of the competition,Respectcommitted to awarding the winner with a$2500 cash prize as well as a$2500 donation to alocal charity of their choice.
Wattleglen resident Linda Wilkins was over the moon to be recognised as the winner and thanked Respect for the prize as well as “the chance to just be involved in the process”.
Aresident of the home for more than six years, Linda said ‘Wattleglen’ initially came to mind when she was thinking of “names that had agood ring to them”,but it was only when she spoke with othersinthe community that further connections became clear.
“I found out that the surrounding area of our home used to be called ‘Glenhaven Estate’. Then, when Iwas talkingwith someone in the café about local flowers,they mentionedSaleused to be a great place for wattle to grow, with heaps of it historically found around the region,” she said.
“So glen and wattle just seemed to fit after all!”
When ‘Wattleglen’ was shared back to the community via apublicsurveyfeaturing several other options, it proved apopular choiceand collected the most votes -leading it to be installed as the home’s new name. Importantly, this also included the nod of approval from more than 40 per cent of the home’s current residents.
“It’sbeen so fantastictohear the good feedback,” Linda said.
“I’ve heard so many people in our community say that they love the name… not even knowing that Inominated it!
“I love it here at Wattleglen. Our whole community of staff and residentsislike one big family I’m veryproud Icould play apart in helping shape the future of our home. It’s areally lovely feeling.
MR Bruce Ellen,the managing director of the Latrobe Valley Express and Gippsland Times, passed away last week after along battle with cancer. He diedlastWednesday shortly afterbeing admitted to Maryvale Private Hospital in Morwell.
He was 65.
Aprominent Latrobe Valley businessman, he was the driving force behind the Valley’s Big Blokes BBQ, held annually for the past 13 years raise awareness about prostate cancer and the need for men to be regularly tested. Mr Ellenwas also amajor figur ei nc ountry and
regional newspapers, having been made alife member of Country Press Australia (CPA) two years ago in recognitionofhis commitment and contribution to CPAand the newspaper industry over the best part of four decades.
Before his death,MrEllen was the longest-serving current board member of the VictorianCountry Press Association, havingbegun with the VCPA as an Executive Councillor in 1988.
He served as the last President of the VCPA last century and the first President this century -1998-2000.
In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, he was instrumental in liaisingwith the Victorianstate government to organise information and advertising support across all VCPA member newspapers.
More recently, Mr Ellen served as President of Country Press Australia from 2019 to 2021 after joining the board in 2016. He lead CPA during the
organisation’s most significant period, working day, night and over weekends to help navigate CPA through the most recent pandemic and organise advertising from the federal government.
He also negotiated acollective bargaining agreement through the ACCC and negotiated personally with both Google and Facebook to ensure great financial and practical outcomes for members.
At the same time as his relentless activity advocatingfor the industry,MrEllenwas involved in establishing arangeofnewspapers in South Australia and Queensland and aprint site in Rockhampton.
He was adirector of anumberofregional newspaper companies in Queensland and in Mount Gambier.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Aservice will be held this Friday(April 5) at 1.30pm in Morwell to celebrate his life.
“I would like to thank Respect for making afun competition that we could enter.”
Linda nominated Marley Street Community Hub as her charity of choice, and Respect said they were proud to recognise the organisation’s vital work in the community with adonation on behalf of residents and staff.
Marley Street Community Hubsupports local families across the Wellington Shire by addressing social isolation, hardship, inequity, and disadvantage by providingemergency relief, increasing community participation and providingsupport services.
Peter Witton, President at Marley St Community Hub, thanked Respectand Linda for the “wonderful show of generosity”, which he said will have adirect impact on local families.
“Marley St CommunityHub supports over 2000 food bank recipients every year,” Mr Witton said.
“This donation means that the Hub can continue to meet the ever-increasing demand as the community struggles with highcost of living. There are many people accessing foodbank who have never needed to before.
Mr Witton said thatmaking ends meetisgettingmuchharder, which is why the Marley St Community Hub provides free services to anyone in the community who needs help.
“We are anot-for-profit charity,soit’svaluable donations like these that allow us to keep supporting the community, even as food security requirements increase,” he said.
“The entire local community will now be beneficiariesofLinda’s nomination and Respect’s generous donation. Thank you all so much.”
Mr Witton said the fundswill also go towards learning experiences, including cooking and sewing classes that run at the Community Hub.
Jason Binder, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Respect,thanked everyone across Sale who participated in Wattleglen’s name change process, and celebratedresident Linda’scontribution to the home’s ongoing legacy.
“At its core, the wholename-changeprocess was about connecting with the community and putting them at the forefront of leading any change,” Mr Binder said.
“So how great to haveone of ourbeloved residents in Linda providingthe inspiration behind what was voted by the community as our home’s new name?
“As an organisation, we are proud to recognise her for this contribution,includingsharing our support with the Marley Street CommunityHub. They provide such important services to local families currently doing it tough in Sale, so it’s apleasure to donate to their work.”
Mr Binder says that despite Wattleglen’s new name, Respect appreciates what the home representsfor residents and staff, and its ongoing commitment to the community.
“Above all, we’re committed to continuing Wattleglen’s culture of care and respect, and we look forward to ensuring our home remains a wonderful place for our residents to live.”
RENOWNEDphysicianDrHoward Connor will exchangehospital wards for the garden as he bids farewell to CentralGippsland Health (CGH), where he has served the Wellington community for 37 years.
An outpouring of praise and well-wishes flooded Central Gippsland Health’s Facebook page following the official announcement of Dr Connor’s retirement last week.
“What an absolute privilege to work with you, Howard. Ican remember manytimes you have been there,always approachable, and up for achat or alaugh. Your willingness to teachisbeyond amazing” -Alison Hudson.
“You were thebest resource, always willing to give advice or talk througha problem” -Cathy Rodwell.
“As one of your medical students circa 2007, I
will always remember your kindness, humour, gentle approach to patients and willingness to be vulnerable” -Maree Rose.
“Your commitment to rural health and medical education has been inspiring” -Casey Stubbs.
CGH Chief Executive, Mark Dykgraaf highlighted Dr Connors’ contribution to education, teaching and training.
“He has beenaninspiration to ayounger generation of leaders, demonstrating his commitment to ruraland regional healthcare development,” Mr Dykgraaf said.
Throughouthis timeatCGH,DrConnor has significantly contributed to developing clinical training programs with Monash Rural Clinical School, where he served as asenior lecturer between 2004 and 2017 and as the Clinical Dean of Monash Eastand South GippslandRural Clinical Schools.
“Theideabehinditwas thatifwe’re able to trainstudentsrurally,more of them may consider returning to practise in rural areas,” Dr Connor said
“That has been the hope and the outcome. Certainly, we have had anumberofstudentsreturn and work in the Gippsland area.
“I think it’s been beneficial for the (Sale) Hospital, in that if you have an educational system in place, that helps keep the teachers up to date as well as the students as part of the overall learning process -it’sa two-wayprocess with benefits in both directions.”
Alongside now retired physician Dr Rob Ziffer, whom Dr Connor praised for his contributions to CGH, the pairgained accreditation from the College of Physicianstohave abasic traineephysician registrar in 1995.
Over the years,fivetrainees fromStVincent’s Hospital have been posted to Sale for afew months at atime, culminating in about 300 having been trained overall.
“A basic physician traineeissomeonethat’s passedtheir first couple of postgraduate years and decided to go into aphysician training programme as aspecialist,” Dr Connor explained.
“We’ve also acquired accreditation for advanced trainees this year. Hopefully they’ll be able to fill the posts and that will be another rural education availability for people undertaking amedical specialist pathway.”
Through this very same pathway -from rural medical rotation to undertaking specialisttraining -DrConnor joined the Sale Hospitalranks in 1988 after receiving his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in General Medicine, Infectious diseases and Respiratory Medicine in 1987.
“I had toyed with the idea of being aGPin arural area even though Igrew up in the city -that always seemed attractive to me,” Dr Connor recalled.
In 1978, whilst astudent of medicineat Melbourne University, Dr Connorwas posted to Sale on afour-week run of general practise. He returned to St Vincent’s Hospitalin 1979 as asurgical intern, but his country experiencehad left asignificant impression.
Aftercompleting his medicalstudi and specialist physician training, Connor faced apivotal decision: pursue asubspecialistpathwayinMelbourneo follow his visiontoserve aruralcommunity. Ultimately, he chose to trade the hustle and bustleofcitylife for the countryside.
More than being connected to Wellington through his many roles at CGH which elevated him into various leadership positions including Director of Medical Services, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Emergency and Critical Care, Dr
Connor, having raised his family in Sale, has also used the services as apatient.
“Four of our five grandchildren were born in the Sale Hospital, so we’ve certainly used it as patients from our family’s point of view. One of our three children was born here,” he said.
“I’ve actually been an inpatient in the hospital myself, and Ifound that it was apositive experience in the sense of feeling looked after.”
With praise for all the CGH staff he has worked with from Critical Care Unit and Emergency Department nurse to other general hospital staff, Dr Connor has found the CGH team welcoming and hardworking.
“It’s good working in the place where not only do you know your medical colleagues’ names, but youknowthe names of most of the other people working in the hospital as well,” he said.
Dr Connortoldthe Gippsland Times the most fulfillingaspectofthe job is providing patient care.
“The most rewarding times when someone comes in unwell and you’reablet workout what’s wrong with them and provide atreatment pathway that gets them over it and they’re able to go back and lead anormal life afterwards.
“That’s the most rewar ding asp ect of the career,” he declared.
“Beingaphysician is abit like being a detective: You start with the evidence in front of you -whatthe patient’s history is and what their examination findings are and what the test results are if you have any -and you start trying put that all together for patientsothatyou canc with aworking and hope correct diagnosis and set them on atreatment pathwa yt hat’ s goi ng to be helpful.”
Extending his passion beyonddirect patient care, Dr Connor also helped establish the Gippsland Inaugural Lung Function Laboratory (which has sincedisestablished) in 1990 with respiratory scientist, Michael Keating.
“At thattime, it was aservice that didn’t exist this side of Dandenong, and we thought it would be avaluablefacility for Gippslandtohave,” Dr Connor said.
“Subsequently other respiratory function labs haveopened and broadenedthe servicesavailable.”
In recent years, he has worked as an Acute Care Physician and reported on ECGs,ambulatory monitors, and stress tests in the cardiology department.
Since 2017, Dr Connor has beenreducing his workload as he has slowly prepared to hang up his stethoscope for good.
Transitioning from student to doctor, then to specialist and educator, Dr Connor has tedhis career to hardwork.Now, embracing the opportunity to slow down and savour the things he holds dear.
He looks forward to spending time with his family and getting away into the rural Australian environment he and his wife love.
“CHG and the wider Wellington community has beenprivileged to havesuch ahighlyskilled and experienceGeneral Physician,” Mr Dykgraaf said.
“Dr Connor will be known for his exceptional medical expertise and compassionate patient care.”
Dr HowardConnor retired at the end of March afteralmost 40 years of service to the Wellington community
GIPPSLAND veterinarian and consultant, Alison Gunn, has become the first female to have been awarded the prestigiousJakob Malmo 2024 Bovine practitioner by Australian Cattle Veterinarians (ACV)
The nationalaward was recently renamedin memory of the legendary Maffra cattle vet, Jakob Malmo, who died ayear ago, and is bestowedon someone who has contributedtothe profession, industry and community.
"It'sreally amazing, it's such abig deal," Ms Gunn said.
When she was notified of her award, Ms Gunn said she felt "overwhelmed,totally".
The award means alot to Ms Gunn as she undertook her Master of Veterinary Studies, Dairy Cattle Medicine and Production, with Dr Malmo as her supervisor and mentor.
"There are so many other vets out there who are doing interesting and innovative things," Ms Gunn said.
"I didn't actually know about it but apparently Iwas nominated by younger females." She said she was thrilled and honoured to be the firstfemale to be awarded.
However, aquick glance over Ms Gunn'sCV shows being the first female to do something is not anew thing for her.
Ms Gunn was the first female president of the Australian Cattle Vetsin2002/03, the firstfemale president of the cattle chapter of the Australian and New Zealand CollegeofVeterinary Scientists in 2012/13, and the first femalewith aqualification to test milking machines through the AustralianMilking Machine Testers Association in 1995.
Ms Gunn grew up working on asheep farm in the United Kingdom and managed intensive lambing for seven years during high schooland university.
She graduated from the University of Bristol in England in 1988.
"When Igraduated thereweren't many females, we had 13 out of 39 which was unusual for then," she said
GIPPSLAND Grammar is giving locals thechance to visit the independentschool to see students and teachers in action during anormal school day.
Called the ‘Tour and Tea’, there is one planned for each of the school’sthree campuses during Term 2and they are open to everyone, from those interested in the threeand four year-old kindergarten program to thoseabout to transition into secondary school or embark on VCE.
On Tuesday, April 16, Garnsey Campus in Sale, catering forYears 7to12(and boarding students) willbeopen from 9am to 10.30am,while theother events for the junior campuses will be held next month -May 13 for St Anne’s Campus, Sale, and May 14 for Bairnsdale Campus.
Principal, Michele Wakeham, said the midweek ‘Tourand Tea’had proved popular over the years.
“The Tour and Tea events are amore casual and personalised approachfor localstofurther explore the school’s facilities and see our amazing students and teachers in action,” she explained.
“It’s auniquefirst-hand perspective on student lifeatGippsland Grammar- anormalschool dayso you willwitness teaching and learning at its best, and then over acup of tea or coffee, you can ask any member of ourleadership team any question you might stillhave.”
Mrs Wakeham pointed out that April 16 was the firstweek back for Term 2, and said it was also the week of Gippsland Grammar’s musical production Catch Me If You Can at Garnsey Campus.
“This event is open to the wider community and tickets can be purchased -another great opportunity to see ourstudentsinaction,” she said. Performanceswillbeheld on Thursday, April18 at 7pm,Friday, April 19 at 7pm and on Saturday,
"Now the graduatesare 90 percent female.
"Large animal practice wasn't afemale domain, som eo ft he pract ice sIw orked at early on wouldn't even take me out in the car."
After starting out in adairy practice, Ms Gunn came out to Australia two years after graduation, working at apractice at Barraba, NSW, where shedid alot of work with large beef cattle studs. Herwork nowencompasses clinical farm and production animal veterinary consultancy with an emphasisondiseaseprevention, nutrition and improvingfarmproductivity
She also coordinatesfour Better BeefNetwork dis cuss ion group si nG ipps land ,a sw ell as managingthe Meat and Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site project, 'Perennial Pastures in aVariable Climate'for the Gippsland Agr icultur al Grou p, and the Toms Cree k Landcare African Lovegrassproject.
Bef ore sta rtin gh er ow nb usi ness ,H er d Solutions in 2015, Ms Gunn was most recently employed as aSenior LecturerinRuminant Health at the University of Sydney. HerdSolutions now provides veterinary services to the Bairnsdale and Stratford areas.
In May 2023, Alison employed fellow large animal vet, Chelsea Hair, with the aid of aMLA Livestockconsulting internship,who graduated five years ago and is in Ms Gunn's words a"really competent cattle vet”.
Chelsea also worked with Dr Malmo, taking leavefromuniversityduringher third year of veterinarysciencet owork for ayear on his large-scaledairy farm at Tinamba.
Ms Gunn married apilot, Frank Waller, at Lakes Entrance in 2000, and they now they have two childrenaged17and 19. They farm at Walpa where they trade and breed beef cattle.
ST Vincent de Paul’s monthly Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, April 6atthe Jack Kelly store, 28 Laura Street, Maffra from 9am until 10.30am. All welcome.
ROTARY Club of Maffra Community Market will be held on Sunday, April 7at the Island Reserve, McMahon Drive, Maffra (at the back of Woolworths car park), from 9am until 12.30pm. Everyone welcome.
April 20, with amatinée at 2pm followed by an evening showing at 7pm. Reserve your tickets at trybooking.com/COATP
To register for the 'Tour and Tea' events at any campus, visit gippslandgrammar.au
MAFFRA Garden Club’s next meeting is at 12pm on Monday, April 8atMaria and Shaun Beasley’s home, Princes Highway, Lindenow South. Bring your own chair, cupand lunch. The competition is Autumn bloom. New members welcome.
Phone Jeanette on 0438 456 491 for more information.
WELLINGTON Shire Council is reinforcing batteries cannot be disposedofinkerbsidebins under any circumstance, after anationwide increaseinbattery-related fires in waste collectionvehicles, landfills and recycling sorting facilities.
Fast becoming the most significant issue in the waste management sector, incorrectly disposing of batteries causes significant risk to human life, as well as damage to recycling sorting machinery, landfill faces, garbage trucks and the environment.
Batteries’ tendency to combust and release toxicsubstances when disposedofincorrectly puts council’s staff, contractors and facilities at risk.
Wellington Shire CouncilMayor Ian Bye pleaded with residents to do the right thing and takeused batteries to adrop-off point for recycling.
“By disposing of batteries correctly, you’re giving them asecond life and recycling precious materials, while keeping our truck drivers and waste workers safe,” Cr Bye said. Regular ‘AA’ and other sized standard batteries, button batteries, rechargeable batteries, phone batteries, lithium batteries and easily removable batteriescan be dropped at dedicated recycling points at most local supermarkets and hardware stores, as well as at anyWellington Shire transfer station, the Port of Sale and Yarram Hub.
In general, any item with aplug, battery or power cord that is no longer working is considered e-waste (electronic waste). E-waste cannot go in any household bin. Items containing embedded batteries should be disposed of at e-waste recycling facilities.E-waste is accepted for free at any Wellington Shire transferstation. Car batteries and golf buggy batteries are accepted for free at any transfer station.
In Victoria, e-waste was banned from landfill in 2019 because of the toxic chemicals it can leach intothe environment, however the federal government estimatesastaggering 90 per centofused handheld batteries still end up in landfill or are disposed of incorrectly.
WELLINGTON Shire Council will commemorate National Volunteer Week with aweek-long celebration to thank and celebrate the hardworking volunteers whodedicate their timeand skills to helping local communities thrive.
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and this year will be held between May 20 to 26.The theme, ‘Something for Everyone’, plays afittingtribute to thediverse passions and talents that everyone brings to the act of volunteering.
Following the success of last year’s National Volunteer Week community events, councillors will again host aseries of thank you events, including avolunteering expo, across the municipality. Each event will recognise the valuablecontribution volunteers provide to their local communities, all while encouraging new people to give volunteering agowithin Wellington Shire.
Anyone interestedinvolunteering willhave plenty of opportunities available to them to discuss the different roles available withinWellington Shire and to find aposition that suits their lifestyle and availability.
It will also be an opportunity for councillors to join in conversations with current and future volunteers, to better understand how council can supportcommunity groups, sporting clubs and organisations to grow their volunteer database, and build ateam of skilled, engaged, and passionate volunteers to support community development.
To pay tribute to volunteers who work hard to support their local communities, councillors will host thank you events in Heyfield,Sale and Golden Beach starting Monday, May 20. Events will be held at:
Heyfield on Monday, May 20 between 2pm and 4pm at the Heyfield Memorial Hall (Macfarlane Street, Heyfield).
Sale (including volunteering expo) on Wednesday, May 20 between 4pm and 6pm at The Wedge (100 Foster Street, Sale).
Golden Beach on Thursday, May 23 between 11am and 1pm at Veronica Maybury Memorial Reserve (89 Surf Edge Drive, Golden Beach).
Eachevent is freetoattendand willinclude
catering, guest speakers, door prizes, networking opportunities, and an acknowledgement and thank you from WellingtonShire Council Mayor, Ian Bye.
New to this year’s lineup will be the inclusion of a volunteering expo, to be held in Sale on Wednesday, May 22. The foyer at The Wedge Performing Arts Centre will be transformed into avolunteering hub and will feature arange of volunteering exhibitors from across the Shire. The goal is to inspire and help people get involved in volunteering in their communities. The expowill connect attendees with not-for-profit organisations and community groups,offering resources and opportunities to learn practicalskills and gain real hands-on experience in community volunteering.
Groups like Wellington Shire Youth Counciland GippSport will be in attendance to chat to potential volunteers thatare seeking an easy pathway to get involved.
Cr Ian Bye said that Wellington Shire is agreat place to volunteer, and we are always looking for more people to help out in the community.
“Peoplethink volunteering means taking on big
Wellington Shire Councillors withvolunteer guest speaker PatWeatherley at last year’s National Volunteer Week event in Maffra.
Photo:Contributed
roles or going to lots of meetings, but that’s not true. You can help out in manydifferentways. Our communities need peopletodoall sorts of things, from cookingbarbeques, to supporting grant applications, managing social media and organising events. The roles are endless.
“I have been avolunteer for most of my life, and I’ve seen how rewarding it is for both myself and the community. It feels great to belongand to feel more connected to the community Ilove,” Cr Bye said.
“Whether you volunteer or know someone who does, come and join us to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2024. We would love to see you there”.
To learn abouthow you can get involved in National Volunteer Week, visit Council’s website at wellington.vic.gov.au/nvw24 or contact Council’s Wellington Centre Support Officer on 5142 3178 or email enquiries@wellington.vic.gov.au
Attendees are encouraged to registertheir attendance via TryBooking by visitingCouncil’s website at the link provided.
ANEW grant aimed at reducing emissions in Australia’s commercial fishing sector by 30 per centhas beenannouncedbythe Department of Industry,Science and Resources (DISR) in collaboration with the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).
Start-ups and smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are eligible to applyfor acompetitive grant of up to $100,000 and projects that demonstrate feasibility, may further apply for agrant of up to $1 million to develop aproof of concept.
The initiative, known as the Business Research and InnovationInitiative (BRII), will foster innovative solutions to enhance the energy efficiency of Australia’s commercial fishing sector. This will be achieved through the adoption of renewable energy
sources andlow-emission technologies, which have the potential to revolutioniseAustralia’s fishing fleets andrelated services.
By adopting energy-efficient technologies, the fishing sector can reduce carbon emissions, benefit from cost savings and position itself to capitalise on the growing market for sustainably sourced seafood.
The FRDC managing director,DrPatrick Hone, said there was agrowing market for sustainably sourced seafood and the BRII would help deliver better outcomes for all.
“The cost of doing bus ines si si ncreas ing Innovations to help reduce our carbon emissions, reduce costs and improve our energy and productionefficiency will benefit the environment and
make Australia’s seafood sector world-leading economically,” Dr Hone said.
Successful applicants will receive funding from DISR and be connected to industry experts and stakeholders by FRDC, to accelerate the implementation of their solutions.
To date, BRII has awarded 115 grants totaling over$37 million, fosteringinnovationacross various industries.
To find out more, including how to apply, visit www.business.gov.au/BRII. Applications close 5pm AEST, April 18, 2024.
This program aligns withthe federal government’s Net Zero commitment and the National Reconstruction Fund’s focusonrenewables and low emission technologies.
EACH year the Royal Australian Navy run an exerciseinBassStraitcalled Submarine Command Course (SMCC),with the purposeofqualifying new Commanding Officers for the Collins Class Submarines. Thesubmarinesare given aseries of objectives to achieve over multipleweeks, while Anti-Submarine Warfare(ASW) assets such as the MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter, P8 ‘Poseidon’, and surface ships allwork together to hinder their efforts.
On Friday, March 15,the FleetAir Arm were given ashort notice tasking to send three Romeo Helicopters from HMAS Albatross, which is located in Nowra,toRAAFBaseEastSale on Monday, April 18 to provide agreater footprint during the exercise.
The three Aircraft and personnel from Number
808 Squadron and Number 816 Squadron spent 12 days in Sale.
The Navy personnel flew everyday whilstat RAAF Base East Sale, the three aircraft flew over 180 hours. The longest single flight completed by one of the crews was 10 hours.
Both Squadrons had amemorable and enjoyable experience in Sale, and would liketothank 30SQN, the supportservicesatRAAFBase East Sale, plus all of the local community for welcoming them and enablingthe detachmentatsuchshortnotice
DUTSON Training Area will be active during the periods listed below for Field Training Exercises. Some of these activities may involve demolition practices and, as such, explosions may be heard betweenthe hours of 9amand 4pm each day. Public recreational usage of Lake Wellington will not be affected by these exercises:
April 8-30-Militarytrainingincludingblank ammunition
WhileRAAF personnel strive to inform the public of all activitiesconducted at Dutson Training Area, explosionsmay be heard outsideofthe dateslisted above if dictated by operational requirements.
IN the interestofpublic safety, notification is hereby given that access to Dutson Training Area is PROHIBITED.
Dutson Training Area is still an active weapons range, and presents asignificant hazard to all persons within the range boundaries.
The hazard not only exists during range activation for weapons exercises, but also during times of inactivity. This is due to the very high levels of Unexploded Explosive Ordnanceonthis range, some dating back to World War 2, much of which is in an unstable condition.
Unmarked silted in bomb craters present another significant hazard.
You are reminded that it is an offence, under Section 89 and 89A of the Commonwealth Crimes Act to trespass on Defence land, and to discharge firearms on or over Commonwealth land. The Dutson RangeBoundariesare depicted on the map to the right. For further information, phone Sergeant Nick Young on 0429 402 049.
IF you are interested in learning more about the role of RAAF Base East Sale, flyingoperations and flying areas, you can visit: www.defence.gov. au/aircraftnoise/EastSale. This includes alinkthe RAAF East Sale Noise ManagementPlan.The Defence approach to noise mitigation and Air Force
fly neighbourly policy can also be found through the‘Understanding Noise’ site.
ANY enquiries relating to activities at RAAF Base, East Sale, should be directed to the Air Base Command Post on 5169 9892, or via email to esl. abcp@defence.gov.au
MAFFRA took home two senior premierships in theSale-Maffra Cricket Association this season.
The Eagles completed strong seasons in the seconds and fourths, winning their respectivetitles across the weekend of March 23-24.
Even better, Maffra had the added thrill of winningboth premierships at their home ground of Cameron Sporting Complex.
The Second XI successfully chased 165 against Bundalaguah on Cameron Oval 1.
In agamethat featured manyfirst grade quality
players, the Eaglesworked their way througheach wicket to eventually get off the park in 72.4 overs.
Familiar names in the middle order made the runs for Bundalaguah, as they had for most of the season in second grade. Aaron Lynch made 56, Toby O’Reilly 40 and Gayashan Munasinghe 28.
Jim Beaumont and JakePendricktookthree wickets each for Maffra, while Alex Kuizenga nabbed two.
The Eagles took aslowand steady approach in reply, and it ended up paying dividends.
Maffra was never really troubled, and completed victory in 67.5overs, still with seven wickets in the shed.
STRATFORD won the Division 2Fourth Grade flag, beating Sale by six wickets.
The Redbacks fourths chose to do the same as their First XI counterparts in the Grand Final, electing to have abowl at the toss.
Stratfordfourths however endedupwith a better result than their firsts, chasing the 120 set at Pine Lodge.
Taylor Reid and Chris Hudson were the only players to make double-figures for Sale. The former retired on 50 and the latter made 27. Max Shaw led the way with the ball for
Stratford,taking 3/27, while Tristan Russell secured 2/35.
The Redbacks passed the total with relative ease, thanks mainly to Jason Devisser and Oliver Shaw putting on 85 for the first wicket.
Shaw top-s cored with 46, and Devisser knocked them around in his 98-ball 43.
Acouple of run outs kept things interesting, but Stratford was able to put its name on the trophy in the 32nd over.
Will Fry took 2/17 for Sale.
Veterans Nathan Magnuson and Heath Shingles guided the innings for the most part.
Magnuson top-scored with 75 and Shingles 54.
Magnuson, Shingles and Beaumont all played predominately first grade in their younger years, but have made the transition down in recent seasons in order to help the club blood afew players in the firsts.
That the trio were among the Eagles’ best players in asecond grade Grand Final perhaps demonstrates justhow muchfirst grade experience counts for, especially considering Magnuson and Shinglespredominatelybatted down the order when they played First XI.
Munasinghe took 2/28 for Bundalaguah.
The Eagles easily won Fourth Grade.
Maffra defeated Bundalaguah Bulls by nine wickets, chasing the 72 needed inside 20 overs at Cameron No 2.
Adominant bowling display from Will Osborn set the tone for what ended up being awalk in the park victory.
Osborn torethrough theBulls’ middle and lower order, taking 5/27, leading on from opener Zac Parker (2/8), and working in tandem with Vaishnu Vb (2/11).
Ricky Whelan and Josef Pataki then made sure of the result, making 38 and 25 not out respectively.
LONGFO RD Thir ds sal uted in the Sale -Maffr aC ric ket Association Grand Final.
What ended up being acomprehensive victory lookedalongway off afterthe Lizardswerebowled out for 112 in their first innings against Nambrok.
Facing the Hawks on their home deck provedintimidating in more ways than one, as Longford put together ahorrific batting card.
Three runouts,a stumping, and the first four batsmen all goingout either bowled or lbw was hardly the tonic for an eventual premiership.
But then again, never judge a game of cricket until both teams havebatted -especially lower grade bush cricket.
The Lizards were able to post ‘something’ of atotal through the solo effort of Ash Vogt.
The usually attacking Vogt was forced to reign himself in (to an extent), and ended up making 38 off 75 balls.
That 24 of his38runscame in boundaries highlightedhow
many dot balls he absorbed in the process.
Longford’s inningswas derailed by Aaron Wellins, who took 5/27 off15.5overs.
However, the Hawks’batting was even more horrendous than Longford’s, as batsmen cameand went in quick succession.
Nambroktrudged their way to 3/18, and things only got worse from there. With ClintonOsborne running amok, the Hawks were soon 5/28. There was no let-off for the home side, who failed to get any lower order partnerships going.
Longford was unrelenting, and completed the demolition in the 46th over, bowling Nambrok out for 58.
Osborne sent down 17 overs and took 4/24, while Ben Russ (3/2) and Dean Michie (2/11) joined in on the act. While there was still plenty of overs left, with the Hawks having been knocked over for 58, and considering the lead was 54, it was decided there was no other alternative than to declare the premiership was heading back to Stephenson Park.
MEER LIEU lost the Bair nsd ale Cri cke t Association first grade Grand Final.
The Tussocks went down by four wickets on first inningstoWestBairnsdale across the weekend March 23-24.
Taking to OrbostRecreationReserve for the decider, Meerlieuremainedinthe hunt for a premiership, but ultimately, apoor first innings batting display was to blame for their defeat.
The Tussocks only compiled 113 after electing to batfirst -60ofwhich was made by Frank Mostert.
Mostert, who wascrownedBCA Player of the Year for 2023/24,single-handedlygot Meerlieu into triple figures. While most others struggled to hit off the square, Mostert smashed eight fours and one six during his 63-ball stay.
He eventually fell to Chris Hammond, who ended with figures of 4/25, backing up the work of skipper RyanHalford, who nabbed 3/36. WestBairnsdale bowled well as aunit, withall five bowlers taking wickets.
Meerlieu was bowled out in 58 overs, meaning West Bairnsdale had to bat for atricky 20-over period before stumps on Day 1.
Theminor premier started promisingly, getting to 28 before Mostert changed momentum -this time with the ball.
Thequickextracted the first two wickets within tworunsofeach other, before his fellow opening partner Nick Adendorff followed by taking three of the next four.
In amongthis was arun out, which left West Bairnsdale precariously placed at 4/50.
Halford took the score to 81, before he became Adendorff’s secondscalp. There wasashudder in the West Bairnsdalecamp as the scoreboard read 6/90.
Needing to go in for the kill,Meerlieutried in vain to expose the tail, however, they were denied by adefiant Jake Anderson.
Anderson batted for atimewith Atley Williams, who ensured West Bairnsdale established afirst innings lead.
Theyachieved this,but when Williamswas dismissed for36, WestBairnsdale only had a lead of 24, meaning the game was far from over. Anderson however could not be removed, and he sawout critical time to deliverthe premiership for West Bairnsdale.
Anderson ended on 27 not out from 75 balls, getting West Bairnsdale to 7/163, and more importantly, the 49 over mark.
At that time, Meerlieu was forced to concede defeat, as there was no plausible way they could run down a50-rundeficit and set atotal of their own to try and win reverse-outright.
Adendorff finished with figures of 3/46 and Mostert 2/37.
The win co mple ted the double for West Bairnsdale,who also took out the one day flag in February.
West Bairnsdale wasthe standout team in what was one of the most evenly-contested BCAseasons in living memory.
West Bairnsdale finished the regular season clear on top of the ladder by one game, however, places afterwards had mathematicians spinning. Meerlieu finished third, but won more games than St Mary’s Nagle who finished second.
Wy Yung claimed the wooden spoon, but were only two wins off fifth-placed Lakes Entrance, who missed finals by two points.
Elsewhere,cricket premiersacrossGippsland were also crowned in the last fortnight.
Ex Students won the inaugural Cricket Latrobe Valley flag.The winmade it seven flags from 12 consecutive Grand Finalsfor the Sharks, following on from their domination of the Traralgon District Cricket Association, which merged with Latrobe Valley Districttoform Cricket Latrobe Valley this season.
Just getting to the Grand Final was astory in itself, as Ex Students blocked out for adraw in the semi-final against Moe.
Chasing 173, the Sharks quickly realised their chances of winning were slim whenthey slumped to 8/64
Under league rules however, the highest ranked team progressed to the Grand Final in the event of adraw, so the Sharks shut up shop for 40 overs and ended on 8/89.
While the rule is used in Victorian Premier Cricket, and is designed to stop the side bowling second just spreading the field, it is understood a number of questionshave been raised surrounding its practicality at local level.
In other leagues, premiers for season 2023/24 were Western Park (Warragul District)and Phillip Island (Leongatha District).
THE Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien,has criticised the state government’s decision to push aside current AusNet plans for anew transmission line to connect offshore wind farms, arguing it has created more uncertainty for the local community.
In amedia release, Mr O’Brien said he supported the efforts of the state governmentagency VicGrid to coordinate transmission lines for new proposed offshore wind farms to avoid creating aspaghetti effect of multiple new lines.
However, he said the decision to scrap all the work previously done by AusNet on anew line put theprocess back andcreated more uncertainty.
“This is going to be adifficultissue no matter how it is planned, but I’m disappointed that the government is persisting with an overhead transmission line and will not consider going underground,” he said.
“The decision to utilise astudy area along the existing Basslink corridor is probably sensible in that it has impacts on fewer private landholders. However, this also reignites abattle that people in the region fought 25 yearsago against Basslink
andraisesmore uncertainty.”
Mr O’Brien said he was also concerned whether the state government could be trusted to “properly consult the community after its recent decision to scrap VCAT appeal and planning panel rights for residents subject to renewable energy projects”.
He said the government and VicGrid needed to answer anumber of questions:
Why is the government policy going to force Star of the South to abandon its proposed underground transmission line?
Did the government consider an offshore connection point for all windfarms with one HVDC underground cable then connecting to the grid at Loy Yang or Hazelwood?
How will the government address concerns about close proximity between the proposed new line and the existing Basslink cables?
Will the government be upfront about the fact that this transmission line will only cater for 2GW of offshore wind when up to 9GW is planned?
How many more transmission lines can we expect will be needed?
Mr O’Brien said because previous work done by AusNet had now been thrown out the window also
raised questions aboutthe timelinefor theproject
“Effectively going back to the drawing board and starting again more than two years after VicGrid was established doesraise questionsastowhether a transmissionlinecan be in place in time for offshore wind developers,” he said.
“Nonetheless,I encourage all affected landholders to engage directly with VicGrid and Iwill be fighting hard to ensure that thecommunity gets its say.”
The study area starts about six kilometres from thecoast near Giffard and travels north-west past Stradbroke West, to Willung, across to Flynns Creek and on to the Loy Yang power station.
It does not include the preferred transmission routeidentified by the private operatorAusNet Services,which runs the electricity transmission and distributionnetworks. AusNet had undertaken three years’ of negotiations, studies and environmental and cultural heritage assessments.
AusNet said in astatement that following VicGrid’s announcedstudyareafor new transmission infrastructure in Gippsland, “AusNet will work to understand in further detail what this means for the G-REZ (Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone) project”.
VicGrid’s chief executive, Alistair Parker, said
the VicGrid study area and the associated connection hub area had been informed by feedback from local landowners, communities and regional stakeholders as well as by technical work carried out last year.
The proposed transmission technology is adouble circuit 330 kV or 500 kV overheadtransmission line, with further detailed analysis required to determine which is the best operating voltage.
Multiple combinations of technologies were investigated, including putting the transmission line fully underground. But, after careful analysis, fully undergroundwas ruled outasanoption dueto challengesincluding cost, engineeringcomplexity, procurement and timing.
VicGrid’sanalysisfoundanoverheadlineis estimated to cost between $700 million and $1.5 billion, while undergrounding is estimated to cost between$2billion and$4.5billion.
The higher cost of going underground was largely due to the additional above-ground infrastructure required and alongerand more complex construction process. VicGrid received feedback that some local communitieswould preferunderground lines, but it also received feedbackthat the impact on bills was an important consideration for many.
HAVING ahigh profile should not provide anyone afree pass to speak disrespectfully and unfairly about others.
Forestry Australia is appalledbythe misinformation about forest scientists and professionals that has been perpetuated by lobbyists and anti-forestry campaigners in recent media articles.
It is hardnot to think that such narratives have been constructed to suitcertain agendas. Statements made are not universally supported by forest scientists, and do not recognise theknowledge, expertise and credibility of Australia’s worldleading forest scientists. It is also disappointing
that recent coverage has not included these other voices.
Forestry Australia is anot-for-profit, independent professional association with 1200 members. Our members are individuals who havehigh levels of scientific expertise and extensive operational experience. They operate across all aspects of forest, fire and land management, farm forestry and tree growing throughoutAustralia.Some of our members are current or past employees of State Forestagencies responsiblefor timber harvesting. These forest scientistsand professionals are amongthe most dedicated and passionateindividuals,who make significant and under-acknowledged contributions to forest management, forest conservation and provision of renewable, sustainable
and responsibly-sourced timber for the Australian public.
This contribution furthers our understanding of forest ecology and forest fire management. It also includes operational expertise in active and adaptive management optionsthat are crucial for buildingclimate resilience and mitigating wildfires.
These forest scientists make significant contributions to managing and conserving our forestsfor the benefit of society. They provide elite and specialised firefighting capacity to all major wildfire events, collect and apply seed to revegetate forests severely degraded by bushfires, and are at the forefront of technological advancement such as drones and sophisticated apps to record and monitor forest values.
In addition, they conduct the most comprehensive
threatened species monitoring programs that exist in this country, and oversee comprehensive managementplansthat provide high quality, sustainable local hardwood timbers.
It is time to moveonfrom these tiresome, divisive and outmoded forest wars. Australia needs forest management decisionstobeinformedbypragmatic, open minded, evidence-based and credible voices who engaged in positive dialogue regarding future forest management.
In doing so, it is only right that we recognise the immense positive contributions of the forest scientistsand forestry professionals who have dedicated their careers to evidence-based care for our forests.
Dr Michelle Freeman is President of Forestry Australia
WELLINGTON SHIRE experienced14declared emergencyevents between March 2021 and February 2024, including floods, wind and thunderstorms, bushfires and an earthquake. Fiveof these events alone occurred between October 2023 and February 2024.
The combined emergencies have resulted in an estimated $12 million in damagetoWellington Shire Council’s assets, such as roads, drains and bridges, andmorethan 230 road closures. Closures are resource-heavy procedures, with staff travelling to far corners of the Shiretoclose offimpacted roads at any hour of the day, revisit post-emergency for inspection, fix the damage and then reopen.
Some of the projects over the past year include:
Repairing major landslip damage on Jamieson -Licola Rd, Woorarra Rd and Dargo High Plains Rd;
Repairing other landslip damage on many roads, including Wonnangatta Rd and Yarram -Morwell Rd;
Planning for multiple further landslip repairs on Buttners Saddle Rd (near Carrajung), Woorarra Rd, Yarram -Morwell Rd, Upper Dargo Rd, Talbotville Rd, Hedley Range Rd
(north of Welshpool) and Albert River Rd (near Hiawatha), and;
Repairing abutment washouts and removing debris for numerous bridges across our municipality such as Greenaways Bridge on the Yarram-Morwell Rd.
Fixingthese roads is crucialfor the communities that depend on them for safe access, as well as the economic flow-on benefits of industry and tourism. One emergency event can producea monthofwork for minor damage, to years of work for complex rebuilds that require detailed assessments, engineering reports, approvals and tender processes.
Continual emergencies also have impacts beyond infrastructure.They can fatigue council’s roads staff, who often sacrifice family time to respond after hours andonweekendswith minimal notice, workingaround the clock to makesure the road network stayssafefor road users -sometimes while they are impacted by the emergency themselves. Often, external contractors and consultants are hired to assist with call outs and provideextra capacity.
Recurring emergency events mean council’s resources are being diverted to recovery works. Unfortunately,keeping the roadnetwork
operationalcan take priorityover regular roads maintenance programming, such as grading, and delivering on strategic projects.
With an expectation these events will increase in frequency as climate change progresses, council will prioritise emergency impactswhenitcomes to budget and resource allocation.
Council’s draft budget will be released for public review in April. In the proposedbudget, council plans to focus on maintaining important services,
Photos:Contributed
proposing further actiontoprepare,protect and recover from the impacts of climate change. As the third largest municipality in Victoria for land size, this year’s budget needs to prioritise repairs and recovery to keep all corners of Wellington Shire connected.
Council say it is committed to ensuring residents, businesses and communities are resilient and continue to thrive, no matter the disruptionsassociated with emergency events and climate change.
THE terrible floods and storms causing great traumafor parts of the country in recent months should be ared alert for small business to be preparedfor natural disasters, warns the Australian SmallBusiness and FamilyEnterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson.
Mr Billson said the overwhelmingmajorityof smalland family businesses do not have acurrent disaster preparation plan for their business.
“An inquiry by my office found only one in four small businesses have acurrent businesscontinuity plan,” the Ombudsman said.
“Natural disasters can be devastating for small and family businesses -either their business is directly damagedorwiped-out, or they are an indirect victim who has survived the disaster only to have no customersbecause of the impactontheir town or region.
“Taking simple steps to be better prepared, sensible risk mitigation action and bolstering resilience can help small and family businesses to get back on their feet quicker.”
Mr Billson said in some cases when adisaster was imminent, small business owners were often the first to volunteertolead and contribute to local emergencyresponseand business support groups, and to help make preparations for the community such as laying sandbags and moving stockand people to higher and safer ground.
“Just like the businesses they run, they are the lifeblood of our communities,” he said.
“But Iurgesmall and family businesses to be as prepared as possible, and to be bestplaced to respond and recover. This can be as simple as ensuring your record keeping is up to date and
that critical information is at hand and, where possible, digitised so you can retrieve it if your business is destroyed.”
Mr Billson said small businesses could take the following steps:
Do you have the contact details for your customers, suppliers, staff, accountant and other important people in asafeplace?
Do youhave copies of relevant accounts, passwords and backups of important operational data?
Would it be feasible to continue operating from another location?
Are your payments to relevant bodies such as insurers, lenders and the Tax Office up to date?
The Ombudsman’s SmallBusiness Natural Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Inquiry recommended the creation of an opt-in ‘My Business Record’ to allow asmall business to digitally store all relevant government-held and other vital information it might need after adisaster.
“Itisclearfrom ourwork thatpreparation is key to smalland family businesses building resilience and coming through natural disasters in the best possible shape,” Mr Billson said.
“It is equally clear the small business community cannot do this on their own and when anatural disaster strikes,certainty of responseand certainty of support must be provided.
“By this we mean small business owners should automatically be engagedinlocal place-based planning andsupportservices and be elevated and ‘front of mind’ in disaster response, recovery and fundingarrangements.This must include indirectly affected businesses.
“We believe abusinesshub should be established to provide asinglepoint from which to seek help from government and non-government agencies. And we strongly recommend a'tell-us-once' triage system should be adopted to save small business owners the traumaand time associated with repeating their story.”
Mr Billson said ongoing supportshould also continue in the aftermath of adisaster.
“When asmall business receives an Australian government grant,anadditional amount should be made available six to nine months later for a ‘business health check’,” he said.
“We also need an integrated response to disaster risk management for identifieddisaster prone
areas that incorporates priority access to mitigation expenditure, co-ordinated planning across levels of government, infrastructure hardening, interestfree loans for asset and activity protection and relocation schemes, and possible use of adedicated reinsurance vehicle.”
Mr Billson saidanongoing problem was that many small businesses were unable to secure appropriate insurance at an affordable price. “If they can get insurance, it can come with excesses that would preclude any claim ever being made,” he said.
AUSNET hasrecentlyestablished a$10 millionfund to support local recoveryefforts after February’s storm event.
Some of the first beneficiaries of funding from AusNet’s Energy Resilience Community Fund includetheGippslandEmergencyReliefFundand local food security charity Sale Food Support Inc. AusNet has donated $100,000 to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund (GERF), which has been supporting the region after natural disasters for more than four decades.
AusNet willalsoprovidefunding for the purchase of arefrigerated food transport van to help Sale Food Support Inc supply fresh food to more WellingtonShirefamiliesandindividualsinneed. This will allow the safe transport of perishable food such as meat and dairy products to families in Sale and surrounding areas.
In addition to theCommunity Fund,AusNet recently announced financial hardship grants are available to individuals and businesses that were without power for more than 72 hours and are not eligible for aProlonged Power Outage payment. Over 800 residential customers have applied for the hardship grant since it was launched two weeks ago, Thesegrants are to primarily cover losses from spoiled refrigerated goods after the storms. Further information, including eligibility criteria and howtoapply,is availableon AusNet’s website Energy Resilience Community Fund (ausnetservices.com.au).
AusNet Chief Executive, David Smales, said the donations in Gippsland are part of AusNet’s commitment to supporting the localcommunities in which it operates in away that is tailoredto theirspecific needs.
“GERF has been assisting the Gippsland community over many years during some of its most challenging times and we’re pleased to be able to support it in continuing this important work,” Mr Smales said.
"We know through our on-the-ground engagement in Gippsland that food security is akey challenge facing parts of the region, in particular the transportoffresh andperishable food to some of the most vulnerable in the community.
“SupportingSaleFoodSupportIncinpurchasing arefrigerated van will allow them to reach more people with more food and will make alasting difference.”
GERFPresident AndyTegartwelcomed AusNet’s support.
“AusNet worked tirelessly to get thousands of individuals and families reconnected over a number of days,” Mr Tegart said.
“This donation isverymuchwelcomedbyGERF and will be put to good use in supporting some of those that have been hardest hit by February’s stormevent.”
Sale Food Support Inc Vice President Terry Fieldalsowelcomed AusNet’s investment saying it would make arealdifferencetothe local community.
“We know there’s plenty of people out there in the local community in Sale and surrounding areas facingchallengesright now,” Mr Field said.
“A refrigerated van will makeiteasierfor us to provide more food options to people and reach some of our most at-risk community members thathaven’tpreviouslybeen able to travel into Sale to access our services.”
ONE POINTERS
1. How many colours areinthe Australian flag?
2. What is an actor’sstand-in known as?
3. TomBrady wasaprofessional in which sport?
4. What do you call the writing system used for blind people?
TWO POINTERS
5. What is the addictive chemical in cigarettes?
6. Wherewill you find the Crown Jewels of England?
7. In what year did the first man set foot on the moon?
8. Who did Lady Gaga collaborate with for her song ‘Telephone’?
THREE POINTERS
9. What is the infamous nickname given to the pirate Edward Teach?
10. What is the name of the family group that David Cassidy sang with in the 1970’s?
11. What highly flammable gas was the Hindenburgairship filled with?
12. Who was the male lead that starred alongside Meg Ryan in the movie ‘When Harry Met Sally’?
FOUR POINTERS
13. Which country is known for the ancient city of Petra?
14. Hush Puppies areshoes advertised by which breed of dog?
FIVE POINTER
15. I’ll give you the names of five capital cities from around the world and you give me their country? One point for each correct answer 1.
HOW DID YOU FARE?
37: Topofthe class; 30-36: Outstanding; 23-29: Well done; 15-22: Solid effort; 9-14: Room for improvement; 0-8: Hit the books.
GODZILLA xKong: The New Empire, directed by Adam Wingard, is the latest entry in the MonsterVerse franchise. It follows up the explosive showdownofGodzilla vs. Kong (2021) with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against acolossal undiscovered threathidden within our world, challenging their very existence -and our own. Now showinginSale Cinemas.
The fifth filminthe MonsterVerse series has arguablythe best monster action in the entire series, but it’s ashame you have to slog through that first hour to get there. It’s very disappointing, because it had the potential to be great.
The previous film, Godzilla vs Kong is amuch more compelling overall package thanks to its simple concept. The American Godzilla films and Kong: Skull Island built up to this epic clash of the 20th century titans where one would prevail
as the ultimate winner, and there were hashtags for #TeamKong and #TeamGodzilla.
This new movie only appears to exist because of itspredecessor’sunexpected success. The premise this time is the two big bad beaststeam up to fight alargerthreat, but theyessentially already did that too.
Theyalsobrought back afew of the human characters from the last movie too, but why?
Rebecca Hall’s character, Dr Ilene Andrews (you probably won’t remember any of their names) has to be the leastcompelling human protagonist in this series to date -why on Hollow Earth did they bring her back?
BrianTyree Henry’s conspiracy podcast shtick had already run its course, and alongside Dan Stevens, is only here for comic relief. Kaylee Hottie returnsasthe young girl Jia, and she’s the only onewith an actual compelling emotional arc, but her ending is about as clichéasitpossiblygets Unfortunately, catching up with these small fries takes up aton of screen time, and they often say so much, yet interest so little. Their main purpose is to provide exposition when it’s most convenient.
The film finallymakes its mark when Kong encounters arival tribe. There’s no dialogue -just giantanimals makingnoises,grunts, fighting and gesturing to each other, but it’s very well done. Themainvillainisa giant primate called Skar King andIfound him surprisingly threatening as they determine who is the top dog. But the one issue with these scenes is thatthey don’t appearas big without the humans present -and the appeal of these films are the unfathomable size of these creatures.
You might wonder where Godzilla fits into this -turns out he’s mostly asidecharacter.But once he does show up, the fun finally starts. The final fightinparticularreminded me of the Godzilla fighting video game Iplayed in the early 2000s as akid, where you could battle as the kaiju monsters in the city as buildings collapsed around you. This is what the MonsterVerse is all about!
Idon’t want to compare this film to the recent Japanese hit, Godzilla: Minus One,which has found
acclaim worldwidethanks to its well-crafted human characters dealing withtrauma fromWW2. Asilly and expensive action franchise like the American MonsterVerse can coexist, but they can’t make us sit through boring human storylines just to get to the action. Other kaiju movies, including Minus One, Pacific Rim and other Godzilla and King Kong movies have presented far more interestinghuman characters, so whycan’t thisfranchise figure it out?
Would Iwatch this again? Sure -onstreaming,
and after Iskip the first hour or so. Of course, a film like this certainly benefits from the big screen treatment,soifyou’rewilling to put up with an underwhelming first hour, the final fights are the absolute joyride you were hoping for.
Rather than bring Godzilla and Kong back together for athird time, Ithink they should try something new -maybe give RodanorMothra their own movie.
THE Sale Film Society's movie for the month of April is named after the month of November.
Described as 'one of the mostcompelling films you'll
see this year' by the Sydney MorningHerald,who rated it 4.5 starsout of 5, November is aFrench thriller that follows the French anti-terrorism services for five days during the hunt for suspects after the attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.
Sale Film Society presidentRob Ziffer said the film was "especially poignant, given the recent attack by ISIS in Moscow".
"But the rapid arrest there seems abit incongruent when youget an insight into howdifficult the investigation process is -asNovember shows," he said.
The screening is tomorrow (Wednesday, April 3), starting at 7.30pm at The Wedge. Members of the committeehave entry included, and guests can pay asmall fee of $10 to watch one film on the night.
At the conclusion of each screening, you willbe asked to rate the filminthe foyer.Attendees seemed to love last month's film, 2023's Oscar-nominated Past Lives,which they scored 4.7 stars out of 5!
Shirley's Café &Bar will be open for drinks before all screenings. The boys will open for dinner if 15 or more bookings are made, so grab some pals and enjoy dinner before the show.
Phone0413271 227 to make areservation. Founded in 2017, theSale Film Society aims to showcase independent, arthouse andclassic
movies to cinephiles in theWellington Shire
More information on the Society andits schedule is availableatsalefilmsociety.wordpress.com
Sale Film Society 2024 Schedule
April 3: November (2022, Thriller, France)
May 8: Armageddon Time (2022, Drama, USA)
June 5: Breaker Morant (1980, Drama, Australia)
July 4: On the Waterfront (1954, Drama, USA)
July 31: Brides (2004, Drama, Greece/USA)
September 4: The New Boy (2023, Drama, Australia)
October 9: My Old School (2022, Documentary, UK)
December 4: Mrs. HendersonPresents (2005, Comedy, UK)
DAMON Guy reckonscontracted heavy plant is an unsung hero of bushfire suppression.
Mr Guy is aForest Fire OperationsOfficer Technical Lead at the Department of Energy, Env iron ment and Cl imate Act ion (DEE CA) Heyfield office and as aPlant Operations Manager responsible for organising and deploying bulldozers, timberharvestersand othermachinesduring emergencies.
He has first-hand understanding of the difference they can make on the fire line.
"In first attack, heavyplant like dozers and (tree) harvesters play akey role in fire suppression, just as they do in fireprevention workwith maintaining fire breaks and tracks," Mr Guy said.
"They can hitthe fire head-on, constructing mineral earth trails along the flanks of the fire and on spur-lines to try and contain the fire as quickly and safely as possible. And they can build tracks to safely get our specialist firefighting vehicles closer to the fire.
"We also use them for fallback lines, for when we can't direct attack. That's where we construct fire control linesand do backburningtotry and control the fire as it approaches.
"Frontline plant does alot of the heavy lifting and makes it easier for ground crews to get in and do their work."
In his emergency role, Mr Guy works with contractors, making sure they get their machines to the right place at the right time. It becomes a complex job during major bushfire incidents, with hundreds of individual pieces of plant being used at any given time.
"In 2019 /20, for instance, there were over 300 items of plant being managed by Incident Management Teams in East Gippsland -and the plant manager has to coordinate that whole fleet. It gets to be apretty big job," he said.
"In Heyfield alone, we had machines coming from Bendigo, Cann River and Melbourne to support
local resources. If they are available anywhere in the state, we have the capacity to call them in if needed.
"Externally contractedplant providessurge capacity we need during fires, complementing plant we have available within FFMVic. Contractors we useare experiencedand make ahugecontribution to the work we do. There are around 400 contractors we can access on our panel,withwell over 4000 items of plant registered."
Withbig machines likebulldozersdesigned to move large amounts of earth and vegetation, protecting valuable sites of biodiversity and cultural heritage adds another layer of complexity to Mr Guy's work.
"There's alot of work done by the fire planning teams around biodiversity and cultural heritage values. For us,
NTRODUCING this brand-new home, just completed, offering the epitome of modern family living without the hassle of building. Situated on alarge 774sqm block, this home boasts so much space.
Upon entering, agents say prospective buyers will be greeted by awide entry hall adorned with high ceilings, setting the tone for the rest of the home. To the front, there's aformal living area, ideal for entertaining. Additionally,there's a versatile rumpus room, perfect as akids' play area or ahomeoffice/study space, catering to the diverse needs of future owners.
The heart of the home lies in its open-plan kitchen, family,and dining area, flooded with natural light, creating a
Brie fd et ails
Property: Four-bedrooms, two-bathrooms, two-car spaces.
Address: 22 Frith Street, Wurruk.
Price: $630,000.
Contact: Julian McIvor, 0428 084 622, Wellington Real Estate.
warm and inviting ambiance. The modern kitchen features sleek stone benchtops, ample storage space including alarge walk-in-pantry,and quality appliances.
Retreat to the master suite, offering an escape with its expansive ensuite boasting adouble vanity,large shower, and separate bath, as well as agenerously sized walk-in-robe. Three additional bedrooms, all with built-in-robes, provide ample accommodation for guests.
Agents say convenience is keywitha central family bathroom equipped with a vanity,large shower,and bath, along with aseparate powder room.
Outside, agents say the undercover alfresco area is perfect for year-round entertaining, overlooking asecure backyard enclosed with new Colourbond fencing. The low-maintenance yard provides the perfect canvas for prospective buyers, with plenty of room to adda shed
There is also an additional double garage with convenient entry into both the home and backyard, ensuring ease of access for extra cars, aboat or acaravan.
WELCOME to this charming and well-maintained modern home located in Stratford, offering a blend of comfort, convenience, and style, according to agents. This property is alocationwithin walking distance to playgrounds, schools, shops, and services, as well as the scenic Avon River and Knob Reserve.
Upon entering, potential buyers are greeted by ahallway that leads into the open-plan kitchen, family,and dining areas, flooded with natural light. The modern kitchen is equipped featuring quality appliances,
and alarge size walk-in-pantry provides ample storage space. Astudy nook provides another space for asmall home office setup or somewhere for kids to do their homework, agents say
The master suite, situated at the rear of the home, provides aprivate retreat with a walk-in-robe and ensuite. Twoadditional bedrooms with built-in-robes are serviced by acentral family bathroom equipped with a vanity,shower,and bath.
This home is designed for year-round comfort with asplit system.
The property also boasts a5kW solar system with 20 panels, contributing to energy efficiency and cost savings.
Additional features include aformal lounge for more intimate gatherings, aseparate laundry with plenty of storage, and an adjacent walk-in-linen press providing plenty of organizational space.
Step outside to discover an undercover entertaining area with apull-down outdoor blind, which agents say is perfect for enjoying any weather.The secure rear yard is lowmaintenance with established gardens and lawn, the property includes agarden shed and double-gated access to the yard, providing room for acaravan or boat.
The property also has a double garage with internal house access, adding to the overall convenience and functionality of the property
Property: three-bedroom, two-bathrooms, two-car spaces.
Address: 107Hobson Street,Stratford.
Price: $519,000.
Contact: Christine Haylock, 0417 007 336, Wellington Real Estate.
BOASTING one of Victoria’smost outstanding views according to agents, thisaward-winning property is set on 31 acres of absolute waterfrontto beautiful Lake Glenmaggie at thefootofthe Victorian Alps.
The architect-designed,passive-solar home, offers sophisticated, open-plan living, withextensiveviews to both the lake,mountains, and Macalister valley
Evoking Europeanliving,the bespoke construction of extensivetimber, ironand stoneblendswiththe local environment.
The four-bedroom residence, or three plus astudy,centres around alargelivingdining roomwithfully fitted kitchen and Miele appliances, leading outtoa further extensive sunroom,with unparalleled views of thelakeand offeringmultiple living and entertainingspaces.
Acommanding wrap around deck completes theindoor/outdoorliving with
substantialdining andseating areaswhere agentssay potentialbuyers can capture the viewand enjoy summerliving.
Themaster bedroom has viewsthatwrap around, ‘his andhers’walk-in-robes and a twin ensuitebathroom
Twofurtherdouble bedroomswitha gardenoutlook anda large study/bedroom overlooking the lake completethe picture Included is alarge familybathroom with separate toiletand asubstantiallaundry/ mudroom.
Naturallythe home offers ducted reverse cycle airconditioning,large open fire in the living room forwinternights, aseparate combustionfire,and additional split systemfor thesunroom.
Adouble car port andsubstantialshed provide ample room for cars, boatsand machinery,with a4.8kw solarsystem. Twin tanks provideamplehouse and garden water.
Agents saythe property hasendless
opportunities to enjoy water sports,sailing, and fishing,orjustdiscover thedistrict’s burgeoningfood and wine offering, including an award-winning hotel restaurantand leading wineries
Future owners can opttodevelop the property’sviticulture andhorticulture
Briefdetails
ESCAPE to aprivate retreat nestled backfrom theroad,envelopedby trees and established gardens on asprawling6887m2block.Agents say thisproperty offers aserene atmosphere whilebeing conveniently close to townamenities, with aprimary school just acrossthe road andSaleCBD amere tenminutes away
Thisbrick veneer homeand its original features provide the perfect canvasfor personal touches, accordingtoagents. There is alargeamount of room both indoors andout,the spacious loungeboasts exposed brickwalls,highvaulted ceilings, andlargewindows overlooking thefront gardens creatinganambianceenhanced by thewoodheater for those chillywinter evenings. Theadjacentformal dining area provides asettingfor hosting gatheringsor intimatemeals
The heart of thehomeboasts alarge kitchenand dining area, featuring an original timber kitchenwith ample storage and an in-builtbreakfast bar. Themaster suite,complete with alargeensuitefeatures avanity,shower,and bath.Three additional sizable bedroomswith built-in-robes offercomfortableaccommodation forthe prospective buyer
Acentral family bathroom completes the interiorlayout, offering convenienceand functionality
Outside, the property offers abundant
space for outdoor living andentertaining Agentssay prospective owners canenjoy al fresco dining in the pavedcourtyard area or gather aroundthe fire pitfor evenings
include two 10,000-gallon water tanks, catering to both householdand garden needs, as well as astock and domestic bore.
Brie fd et ails
Property: Four-bedroom, two-bathroom, Two-carspace.
Address: 6351South GippslandHighway, Longford. Price:
BETTER than expected summer rain across key winter crop growing areas has set up afavourable window for 2024 winter crop planting.
But, with the latest Bureau of Meteorology three-month outlook pointing to adrier autumn, there’sariskthatcrop establishment could be compromised if traditional seed placed fertiliser strategies are followed.
Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) technical agronomist Clint Sheather explains, while the last thing growers want to do when applying fertiliser at planting is delay or reduce plant emergence, there is potential for seed damage when fertiliser is placed with the seed.
“Damage to seeds can be caused when ammonia is released from fertilisergranules placed with the seed at planting. There is also the potential osmotic effect where the fertiliser competes with the seed for soil moisture,” Mr Sheather said.
“Crops vary in their tolerance to fertilisers, with oats, barley and wheat more tolerant than lupins and chickpeas. Canola is highly susceptible to fertiliser toxicity.
“While placing fertiliser with the seed is an efficient and convenient way to apply the nutrient early in the season, the potentialfor seed damageis alwayspresent anditisworth considering whether alternative application strategies can improve establishment and maintain yields.”
IPF trials at Young and Cowra in Central West NSW in 2021 and 2022looked at different placementoptions for phosphorous (P) in canola, demonstrating how asplit Papplication can help maintain yield and increase flexibility for growers
Multiplerates of Pwere applied (0,5,10, 20, 30 &40P/ha)asMAP and SuPerfect using four different placement methods, including acontrol with no fertiliser; seed placed; surface broadcast priortoseeding; and asplit application including
broadcast pre-planting and seed placement. MAP was used as the Psourcewith all seedplaced fertiliser applications.
“Seeding conditions were ideal, and therewas little difference in plant establishment between the treatments, highlighting the importance of adequate soil moisture when seed placing fertilisers,” Mr Sheather said.
Where soil Colwell Plevels are above optimum, starter Prates as low as 5kgP/ha could be placed withthe seedatplantingtoensure rootgrowth and early seasonvigour.Whenusing arateofPless than cropremoval rates,soil testing is important to
ensure soil Plevels do not drop below established optimums.
“Seed placed Pproved to be an efficient application method maintaining yield. Split applications improved yield and provided more flexibility, and broadcasting Pimproved yield compared to the control.”
Routine soil testing is also key to determining fertiliser strategies and mitigating establishment risks.Existing nutrient levels will inform whether asplit StarterPstrategy couldprovide the best return on investment.
“Starter Psupplies small rates of Pat5kg P/ha
to ensure root growth and early season vigour, with additionalreserves supplied from the soil,” Mr Sheather said.
“Where capital applications are required, asplit applicationstrategy could minimise toxicity risk by combining seed placedstarter Ptomaintain yields with apre-plant broadcast to make up the balance of required inputs.”
Fertiliser type and seeding equipment are other key considerations for growers planning to place fertiliser with the seed.
“MAPisamore suitable choice for susceptible crops like canola. DAP has ahigher osmotic potential than MAP, and higher potential to cause ammonia toxicity,” Mr Sheather said.
“Seeding equipment can also have abearing on establishment, and the safest application equipment allowsthe fertiliser and seed to be applied in separatebands.
“Placement below and to the side of the plant line with aminimum of 50mm of separation is the most effective method of avoiding seed or root contact.”
Any change in application equipment should be considered for its potential to increase or decrease seed safety, even changes to row spacing.
“Thereismore than one growerout there who has learnt the hard waythat increasing the rowspacing and keeping fertiliserrates thesamecan result in reduced plant population,” Mr Sheather said.
“The safest way to manage fertiliser application with the seed is to calculate the Seed Bed Utilisation percentage (SBU).
“SBU percentage factors in the width of the seed row and row spacing, and is arisk analysis tool used to determine the potentialfor emergence damage.”
Safe rates tables are the best way to determine safe application rates based on fertiliser type, crop type, soilmoisture and soil type. They can be viewed on the Nutrient Advantage website.
FARM World is ahaven for the farming community and those who enjoy the great outdoors.
People camefrom all over Gippsland, Victoria, and some even crossed borders to get down to Lardner Park for one of the biggest farm expos in Australia last month.
Eachyear, Farm World attractstens of thousands of people to check out many exhibits on many different aspects of the farming world. There really was something for everyone.
Patrons were
with experts in certain fields of work, where they could be taughtsimple lessons or possibly purchase something straight from the provider.
With more than 100 acres of exhibits available, there was everything from machinery to equipment, clothing to technology, and aplethora of different vehicles for both road and water.
For entertainment, the EquestrianExpo provided anumberofattractions over the three-day event.
The Farm World Rodeo returnedbiggerand better on the Saturday (March 23) evening, and Freestyle Kings Motocrossthrilled audiences across the entire weekend.
DIFFERENT wintering options for New Zealand dairy farmers in aworld of tightening environment regulations due to waterquality and climate policy, was the subject of discussion at aGippsDairy Muster at Trafalgar last month.
More than 200 dairy industry members gathering on-farm. The theme of the day was ‘Pasture, Pathways and Performance’, and it showcasedthe latest trends, technologies, and practices in dairy farming. Emceed by Trish Hammond, adairy farm ownerfrom WestGippsland, attendees heard from industry experts and Gippsland farmers on ways to optimise pastures, business succession plans, andoverall performance.
Farm hosts Graeme andLouisePaul,Belinda Egan, and Simon Reid shared their dairying stories and highlighted their current farm system as share farmers.Among theattendeeswas a group of eight agriculture students from Foster Secondary College, who networked with local dairy employers and members of the Gippsland Young DairyNetwork,and joined the career pathways andprogression breakout session.
The guest speaker, aSenior Scientist at DairyNZ, Dawn Dalley, said the NZ dairy industry had been working to deliver to national and environmental regulations for many years.
“There is national and regional policy for water qualityand in more recent years, NZ has committedtoreduce greenhouse emissions as amember of the Paris Agreement. We nowhave greenhouse gas commitments that we need to work towards,” she said.
“Also, dairy farmers are required to operate within the Dairy Cattle Code of Practice. That is being updated at the moment; some of the changes being suggested could have implications on how farmers farm.”
In this context, Dr Dalley, whospent eight years working in Gippsland at the Ellinbank research centre earlier in her career,discussed the key management considerations and some environmental benefits of the different wintering options that NZ farmers had adopted.
These included pasture and supplement-based wintering options, and winter forage crops that are used quiteextensively in the SouthIsland, where winter pasturegrowth is low due to cold temperatures.
“It’s hardtohavecows on pasture in winter,” she said, hence the use of kale and swedes, or fodder beet.
Dr Dalley said these three main feed types created areal advantage; they were of high quality and grew alot of kilograms of dry matter. Fodder
beet also offered an opportunity to reduce nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions.
“Farmers can grow them through the summer and autumn and break-feed as astanding crop with supplements through the wintertime,” she said.
“That means they can minimise the area need for wintering; that area goes back into grass the following spring. Whilewidely used by farmers, this wintering practice has come under some scrutiny in NZ because the animals graze off the crop completely. It’s not agrass paddockwhere there is still material left behind; they pretty much eat all the crop, so it looks like the cows are standing in amuddy paddock.Despite how the paddock looks, the cows do very well on winter crop diets.”
Public perceptions have changed how farmers winter on crop in recent years.
“That is the challenge we have in the age of smart phones. We are instantly connected to the rest of the world. It’s very easy to take aphotograph out of context, which can have anegative impact on how farming is perceived,” she said.
Dr Dalley said NZ research centred on the environmental and animal welfare benefits of forage crop wintering.Other wintering systems were based on pasture with conserved feed, (silage or baleage) and more recently, more regenerative approach, “using hay and pasture”.
Anothersystem was the ‘off-paddockinfrastructure’ -barns and other housing options.
“Thedisadvantage of theseisthe capital cost. There is also abelief that having animals improves the animal welfare outcome, but it takes different skills to manage animals indoors; it doesnot necessarily lead to better welfare outcomes,” she said.
Dr Dalley said conditions on NZ’s South Island and Gippsland were not that different (apart from annoying, pesky flies).
“Both have strong southerly squalls that come through, although Gippsland is less likely to get snow. Ilived here for eight years; there were southerlies, frostsand lots of rain, so it was not much different, except it gets hotter here in the summer,” she said.
Dr Dalley said NZ was doing research into nitrate leaching to meet regional regulations.
“NZ farmers have acap; they can’t put on more than 190kg of fertiliser nitrogen per hectare onto their pasture areas. Because it is difficult to measure nitrate leaching, there has been alot of research on how to reduce nitrogen surplus -that is, how much nitrogen is coming into the farm in fertiliser feed and clover fixation versus how much is going out of the farm -through milk, meat and supplementaryfeed -anything that’s soldoff,” she said.
“In the main Fonterra report on the end of the season, farmers get their nitrogen surplus number as an indicator of Nleaching riskfor the farm. There is alot of pressure to improve water quality in rivers and lakes. Farmers are looking for opportunities to reduce Nlosses from their farms.”
Dr Dalley saidtherewas alot of farm system researchtoidentifyfuture systems thatreduce nitrateleaching and allow farms to still be profitable.
“Some have been more successful thanothers. We knowwe’vegot mitigationoptions to reduce nitrogen loss -but canwemaintain the profitability of our current system?” she said.
“Recently, we have changed how we talk about environmental risk, and future systems to focus on delivering profitable systems with reduced environmental footprint rather than maintaining profitability, which impliesnoloss in profit but which might not be achievable in some regions.”
Dr Dalley said that for most farmers, profit was stillassessed on a$/per kilogram milk solid basis, “but as we move to meet environmental targets, metrics couldinclude $/kg of nitrate leached, or $/kg greenhouse gas emitted”.
“Resilient businesses in the future are likely to be assessed on arange of metrics, not just dollars in the bank,” she said.
Dr Dalley said another option to help deliver better environmental outcomes was including the herb plantain into the pastures. Plantain has beenshown to reduce urinary Nconcentration and therefore the risk of nitrate leaching into ground water.
“NZismore regulatedthanAustralia around environmentalemissions from agriculture. Nitrate leaching risk is probably not as big an issue in Gippsland as there is not the same concentration of dairy farms in the landscape compared to NZ. In some regions of NZ, there is dairy farm after dairyfarm,” she said.
“However, the Maffra irrigation district is a possible exception. Nitrate leaching losses could be an issue there due to ahigher concentration of farms andthe irrigationpractices used.”
Dr Dalley said for both the NZ and Australian dairyindustries, customer (eg Nestle) expectations were going to drive changes to the way we farm in the future.
“Farmers can either sit backand waituntil regulation dictates how they farm or they can take the opportunitynow to makechangestodrive their own destiny,” she said.
Tu esday’s paper
before9 :3 0a mMon day
Fr iday’s paper
before9 :30am Thur sda y
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ROYAL Flair Enhance, as new condition, genuine reason for sale, lots of extras, ideal for around Aust., $38,000 o.n.o. Ph Peter 0428 827 877.
TOYOTA Coaster Motorhome, 12ht turbo diesel, auto, 198,500kms, toilet, 2 s/beds, original, v.g. body, excellen tm ec hanically $40,000. 0400 274 866.
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KYNE. Ronald Edward Tracy "Ron" 5/11/40 -25/3/24
Of Stratford, formerly of Munro.
Son of Allan and Ruby Kyne (both dec.). Brother of Rita and Don, Kathleen and Jack, Allan and Lynne (both dec.).
Cherished husband of May. Much loved father of Jeffrey, Narell ea nd Jennifer. Adored grandfather of Jordyn, Melissa, Caleb, Shane and Greg.
Treasured great grandfather of Tyler, Dawson and Ellie.
BROOME (Hill). Requiem mass for the repose of the soul of Mrs Beverley Lesley "Bev" Broome of Nicholson, will be offered at St Mary's Catho lic Chur ch, Bairnsdale on Wednesday (Apri l3 ,2 02 4) at 10.30am.
The funeral will leave the church at the conclusion of pra ye rs at t he Bumberrah Cemetery.
Stephen Baggs
Funeral Directors Bairnsdale 5153 2150
KYNE. The funeral service for Mr Ronald Edward Tracy "Ron" Kyne will be held at Holy TrinityAnglican Church, McFarlane Street, Stratford at 1pm TOMORROW Wednesday (April 3, 2024) followed by burial at the Stratford Lawn Cemetery.
Please see our website for livestream details
Birthdays •
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
Deaths •
BROOME (Hill). Beverley Lesley "Bev", of Nicholson. Passed away peacefully on March 25, 2024, aged 86. Dearly loved wife of Kevin, loving mother of Peter and Julie, Mark and Di, Karen and Andrew, Paul and Katrina and Jillian and Scott.
Beloved Nanna of 14 grandchildren and 2great grandchildren.
Aquiet generous lady who gave to all.
Passed
Much
Ron was the love of my life, sharing nearly 63 years together. Astrong and loving supporter of his family; also of those Magpies and very proud of the family link to Phonse Kyne. He was aperson who followed the rules and very much enjoyed being an umpire, whether it be football ,b owls or polocrosse. Sadly the last few years were tough for him as his health deteriorated. Alife well lived and loved who is now at peace. Safe in the arms of Jesus.
Love May.
None of us could quantify what you have taught, helped, guided us over the years, sadly missed. Jeffrey and Gena.
You will always be in our hearts. We love you forever, Pop. We feel so lucky that Tyler and Ellie got to know their "G-Pop".
Love Melissa and Luke.
Dad, thank you for always being there for me. Loving me is the most I could ever have wanted, but Igot so much more. You will be greatly missed. Narelle and Robert.
Our Pop, We are forever grateful we got to spend our lives making memories with you. The bond you shared with Dawson was heartwarming. We will miss you dearly; rest easy now.
Jordyn May and Your Boy Dawson.
Pop, Thanks for teaching me so much. Iwill remember how you first taught Jordyn and I how to play cards and the funny looks we would get if we lead the wrong suit. Iwill remember us working on cars together and Iwill always be grateful for the time we got together. Love Caleb.
Dad/Pop, We rejoice as you carry on to your next adventure, with your soul family. You will continue to walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard but always near and in our hearts. Until we meet again.
Jen and Grant, Shane and Jemma, Greg and Alana.
In Memoriam •
Ithought of you today, but that is nothing new. Ithought of you yesterday and will tomorrow too. Ithink of you in silence and make no outward show. For what it meant to lose you, only those who love you know.
Remembering you is easy, Idoiteveryday. It's the heartache of losing you, that will never go away. Ilove and miss you. Forever in my heart. Yours always Lisa (Skip) xxx
MCKENZIE, Ted 2012 -2024 In loving mememory of our lives together, loved and remembered always. Bet, Kerryn, Robyn, Russell and Marian.
Funeral Directors •
JAKE Best wasn't wrong when he said Traralgon were "young and exciting".
That was how he described the Maroons' list upon departing the coaching job last year.
While the young component was clearly evident as soon as Traralgon took to Bairnsdale City Oval for theirown versionofOpening Round in the Gippsland League last Saturday, the exciting part played out as the game wore on.
Having lost no shortage of experience with the departures of playerssuch as Mark Collison, Brett Eddy, Tom Schneider and Best himself in the offseason, the now youthful Maroons provided an early glimpseinto whatthey might be about in season 2024, defeating the Redlegs 16.11 (107) to 10.12 (72).
Both clubs agreed to play astandalonematch on Easter Saturday, providing theEastGippsland region with an early footy fix.
Bairnsdalewent into the clash carryingadegree of interest, as aheavy recruiting driveinthe offseason saw them land ahost of players from Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) club Old Scotch.
After the weekend's performance, it is clear the team will need afew weeks to gel -and for the VAFA recruits accustomed to playing on sardinesized grounds to adjudge playing on the huge paddocks of Gippsland.
As expected,firstgame rustwas on display in the openingterm. Cries of "sorry" followed by a quick hand raise from players missing targets were heard from the boundary, as the ball was constantly turned over between the arcs.
Traralgon however was able to find greater efficiency inside 50, and made the most of their opportunities, thanks mainly to Dylan Loprese.
The key forward kicked two set shots from acute angles in the opening term, setting up what turned out to be abig day for the ex-skipper turned assistant coach -and one of the select few Traralgon players over the age of 30.
The Maroons went into the first break 11 points up, and were able to further their ascendancy in the second, kicking four goals to two.
Traralgon had adream start to the second half, when Liam Willaton (who had crossed to the club from neighbouring Traralgon TyersUnited this season) goaled in the first 30 seconds to extend the lead.
Bairnsdale's Lachlan Byrne-Jones (brother of Port Adelaide's Darcy) responded with amuch-needed goal at the five-minute mark, which set in motion asmall momentum swing for the home side.
The Redlegs were granted another goal ashort time later from a50-metre penalty, before an extraordinaryhappening brought the gametolife. Goal of the Year might have been decided in Round 0, after Tyran Rees kicked an insane right foot dribble kick off the outside of his boot tucked up in the pocket in front of the changerooms.
That the ball went through was miraculous enough, let alonethat it bounced past ahandful of Traralgondefenders on the way.
Withthe margin suddenly just 11 points, the Maroons wereabletofindasteadier, again through Willaton. Yet the Redlegs refused to go away, and it was that manReesagain who cutthe margin back. Rees'secondgoalatthe 17-minute mark wasn't as freakish as his first, but it was no less classy, as he snapped the ball through off one step amid congestion from some distance.
Red time proved acriticaljuncture in more ways than one, and Traralgon had two telling moments as the game neared three quarter time.
The Maroons were able to goal through Loprese after two Bairnsdale players went for the same ball on centre wing, which was quicklysent forward. As muchasthattransition would have been pleasing forthe Traralgon coaching staff, what happened at the other end of the ground ashort time later personified the very meaningofacaptain leading by example.
Byrne-Jones found himself with the ball andgoalsideatthe 27-minute mark. Looking allbut certain to score, he ran to the goal-line, only to be denied by adesperate, lunging tackle fromTraralgon captain Tye Hourigan. The tackle forced the kick to go straight up in the air toward the boundary, where it was met by Jesse Bills, who in turn was caught holding the ball by Joel Scholtes,giving theball back to Traralgon.
Unfortunately, the very next play saw the ball returned to Bairnsdale after another holding the ball decision, which was goaled by Cooper Harvey to make it a12-point ballgame. This however was considered beside the point, as the Traralgon defence had stopped acertain goal and made the next scoring opportunity far more difficult.
Things got slightly heated on the eve of three quartertime, withasmall scrap unfoldingafter Traralgon's Tom Hamilton wastackled by Matt Corbett. Hamilton ended up on top of Corbett, and was then dragged off by Rees, who in turn was dragged off by Scholtes. It was perhaps fitting Scholtes was wearing the Number 10 previously worn by Collison -two men who could always be relied upon to fly the flag.
Traralgon coach, Troy Hamilton cut acomposed figure at the last change, telling his players to embrace the first challenge of the season.
Hamilton assured his troops they had the fitness to go the distance, and as it turned out, he was absolutely spot on.
The Maroons looked full of running in the final term, while conversely, their opponents appeared out on their feet.
Such apredicament was perhaps hard to comprehend for Bairnsdale, especially given it was the first gameand players were fresh off preseason, although in fairness, the Redlegs were down to 19 fit men by that stage.
Bairnsdale was dealt ahugeblowinthe third term when playing-coach and best player Logan Austindid his hamstring, whichwas compounded
furtherwhenRicky Tatnell and Rees hobbled off as well.
The Austin absence at centre half forward freed up Hourigan, who took intercept marks for fun in the last quarter.
Harvey Neocleous extended the Traralgon lead to 20 points at the seven-minute mark, and then Loprese all but sealed the deal when he goaled three-and-a-half minutes later.
Bairnsdale had one final opportunity to make a late run at the 16-minute mark. With the margin back to 20 points,and with Austin calling to his players to "go quick", they were able to take the ball from one end of the ground to the other, only for Reesto(ironically)misshis easiest shot of thegame.
Another goal to Neocleous gave him his third, before aJordan Cunico goal on the run from the very next centre clearance put the game beyond doubt.
Traralgon capped off the game in the best possible fashion, with Loprese slotting his seventh from a set shot in the pocket next to the entrance from 40 metres out.
AMaroons favourite, Loprese was named beston-ground, followed by Tom Hamilton, Cunico, Hourigan, Willaton and Neocleous.
Hourigan showed his proficiency in switching codes quickly,havingonly just finishedcricket the week before. In abizarresubplot, Hourigan ran the risk of missing thisgame, as his cricket Grand Final looked likeitwas going to runinto Easter at onestage.
Willaton, who won the North Gippsland FootballNetball League Best and Fairest last year as a jockey-sized mid, perhapsdispelledsome commentary surrounding how someone of his size would go at the next level. His thirdtermalone would be enough to suggest he won't be out of his depth in the Gippsland League,grantedtherewill be harder opponents to come. As simple as it sounds, the adage that 'good players are good at any level' might ring true in this instance.
Walking away fromamatch six-goalwinners with ateam of kids against asidetipped to be a finalscontender,coach Hamilton saiditwas an auspicious performance.
"We just came here to get the points, we were a bit unsure of them and they were probably abit unsure of us. Round 1(first game) you just want the win and we got the win away up here, in front of agood crowd," he said.
"Both teams brought alot of high pressure and bothteams made alot of mistakes. It was aweight of numbers in the end, Ithink we maybe just got more numbers to the contest."
When asked if he felt like he was coachinga senior team or aGippsland Power team, Hamilton said there was afew points to take into account.
"It's abit different because Icoacheda lot of them in the fourths and thirds for Traralgon, so I've coached afair few over the time," he said.
"There is alittle bit of amix of experience with Loprese, (Connor) Ambler, (Tate) Marsh, we have alittle bit of amix. Players like Tye Hourigan and Louis D'Angelo are pretty experienced, even though they are only 22, they've been around for awhile
"As acoach Ithinkyou want to downplayittothe public and lowerexpectations, but internally we have expectations on ourselves, we believe we've assembled areallyelite group of talent.Weare alittle bitonthe younger side but thatcan be a bonus, it looks to me the league maybea little bit open, butwe'll wait and see."
Hamiltonhas highly respected Traralgon figures in Dan McKenna, Matt Northe and Paul 'Jumbo' McCullochashis assistant coaches, along with Loprese and Jackson McMahonason-field assistants.
Hamilton confirmed McKenna hasdefinitely retired, despite some suggestion he might play this year, while Northe is sitting out this season having had ACL surgery last December.
The Maroonshowever are hopeful of having Tristen Waack at some stagethisseason,pending VFLcommitments with Northern Bullants.
While it remains to be seen how manygames Waack plays for Traralgon, one assumes they will try and get him the four needed to qualifyfor finals.
"They (Northern) are astandalone team so he might get more opportunity than aDoultree (Traralgon playerChance Doultree) with Footscray, but we'll see, anytime we have him it will be a bonus," Hamilton said of the new recruit.
Rees, Tom Blenheim, Cooper Harvey, Byron Vickery, Josh Lando and Hugh Longbottom were prominent for Bairnsdale.
TWO of the modern day greats of the Gippsland League will be missing from their respective clubs this season.
Season 2024 is looming as acompletely new era for the league, as names people are so familiar seeing in the best on aweekly basis have moved on.
Of the departedplayers, perhaps thetwo biggest standouts are James Blaser and Kane Martin.
The pair plied their tradefor Moe and Sale respectively over the last 15 years, picking up no shortage of accolades along the way.
Martin will stillbeplaying football in Gippsland this season, making the move to Sale City in the North Gippsland Football-Netball League.
Blaser meanwhile has moved to Queensland.
Whilehehasn'tofficially been listed as an out, it appears Blaser will only be making cameo appearances if he does in fact decide to play.
To his credit, Lions playing-coach Declan Keilty told those in attendance at the Gippsland League seasonlaunch last Wednesday he wouldn'tbe granting Blaser any special treatment.
ThatBlaser is on 195senior games with Moe
might play some part in any comeback, as well as the fact his brother-in-law, Bryce Collings is back playing for the Lions.
Comparing Blaser and Martin offers an excruciating exercise if one is trying to award gold.
Both have won aleague best-and-fairest (Trood Award and Rodda Medal), and been named in the league's Team of the Year on the same number of occasions (five).
At club level, the best-and-fairest countisthe same at four apiece.
Ironically, Blaser was named coach of the Team of the Year the same year Martin was named captain (2017). That they shared the league medal in the same season perhaps showed that even the Gippsland League and the umpires couldn't split them.
During their peak years in the mid-2010s, both played as midfielders able to break clear from stoppage and hit the scoreboard.
Midfielders who can kick goals are worth their weight in gold, and Martin and Blaser both kicked more than 200.
Martin's goal tally is much higher, but keep in mind he played in avery good Sale side for most of his career.Martinplayed in as many Grand Finals
as Blaser played in finals series (five).
Withthat considered, the question of premierships makingsomeone abetter player is again up for debate.
Would Martin havegot the possessions he did if he wasn't playing in the same midfield as Luke Collins, Chris Laverty, Adrian Cox, or even ayoung Josh Dunkley?
Equally, just how good would Blaser have been in that same midfield?
Voss and Buckley stuff had the latter stayed at Brisbane.
Blaser was perhaps avictim of unfortunate timing, as his peak years coincided with some of Moe's worst. He played in two wooden spoon teams, and a further two season period when the win-loss record was 8-28.That he was able to perform so well when the teamwas performing so poorly hastocount for something.
Adding to this,healsoplayed with the burden of being aplaying-coach for threeseasons, something Martin never did.
AdrianBurgiel, who leftMaffra to coach Moe from 2014-15, said he never realised how good Blaser was when he played againsthim -itwas only until he started coaching him.
The course of history may have changed in 2015 had Martin himself pulled on the maroon and blue jumper.
The Lions 'sort of butdidn't' have afoot in the door to securing his services thanks to awork connection. Martindid trainatMoe during preseason once and only once, and that was the closest the Gippsland League ever got to seeing Blaser/Martin combined (except for interleague).
Can you split them?
Martin maybe by anosebecause he is left footed.
NicoleWhite
STRATFORD Bowls Club player Leonie
Flynn has been selected by Bowls Victoria to represent Vic Country in the upcoming City vs Country Series to be held over two days in Bendigo on April 6and 7.
TheCity vs CountrySerieswas conceived by BowlsVictoria to support the selection of the Victorian Thunder (male) and Lightning (female) state sides to play at the Nationals
Theseries format providesahigher standard for playersvying for positions in the state sides, and creates amore meaningful format for all players as they are tested in atruly competitive environment.
Flynn will be joining the best city and country players in the state as they all go head-to-head for bragging rights.
Men and women teams consist of 16 players per side,playingthree21-end games across the two-day series.
Ahistorical record of all players chosen to represent both the city and the country teams is made, with players presented with anumbered cap in recognition of their selection.
Flynn’s selection is recognition of her excellent results in the past year on the green, including winning the 2023 Victorian Open Mixed Pairs with partner Phil Crowder, where she skipped against some male Victorian representatives; qualifying for the 2023 Australian Indoor Championship to represent VictoriaatTweed Heads, New South Wales; being re-selected in the Gippsland Regions representative team in Ballarat; winning the 2023/24 Stratford Club Singles; winningthe 2023/24 Stratford Club Ladies Pairs with friend Kirstie White;winning the Gippsland Regions 2023/24 Ladies Triples with Paynesville’s Jo Martin and Lakes Entrance player Julie Simpson.
Flynn said she was humble db yh er selection and the opportunity to represent her club, the Gippsland Bowls Region and Victoria Country.
THE GippyChamps baseball tournamentwas held in Sale at the weekend.
Teams from Sale, Traralgon, Moe-Newborough, Morwell and Churchill Baseball Clubs came for the event, and welcomed Pakenham, Dingley and Mornington as invited guest teams.
Gippy Champsisanannual traditionfor the Latrobe Valley Baseball Association, held before thestart of the regular LVBAseason.
Aminutesilence wasobserved before the start of the first game to acknowledge the death of LVBA great and Morwell Baseball Club Life Member, Ron Hateley.
Sale defeated Traralgon in Round 1games, while DingleybeatMorwell (13-3) and Churchillbeat Moe-Newborough 12-4.
Moe-Newborough scored anarrow 9-8 victory over Packenham in Round 2, and Traralgon defeated Morwell 8-2. Mornington was victorious over Churchill (11-8). Round 3saw alow-scoring match between
Pakenham and Churchill, with Pakenham winning 2-1.
Dingley were on fire with amassive victory over Sale (23-6). Mornington defeated Moe-Newborough 8-4.
The final games for the day saw Dingley defeat Traralgon 13-7 and Pakenham took victory from Mornington 6-2. Sale beat Morwell 8-4.
Dingley Baseball Club were the clear winners overthe weekend, beating Pakenhaminthe Grand Final.
LaurieWilliamsand Allan Roberts
THE big three of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, Fortuna, Falcons and Moe all had big wins in Round 2action (played Sunday, March 24).
Churchill broke through for their first win of the
season, and Monash scored their biggest ever win over East Gippsland.
SaleUnited were no matchfor Fortuna, while Moe United survived an early scareagainst Newborough/Yallourn.
There was no LVSL last weekend for the Easter break.
SALE’S game against Fortuna proved to be a game of two halves. The first half wasa pretty scrappy affairbetween the two sides. Home side Sale came out in the first half with clear intent to make it aphysical game, in an attempttoslowFortuna’spossession and passing style.
The ball movementfrom the Lionswasn’tas crisp or slick as the week before, with the visitors beginning to fall into Sale’s game plan and playing reactionary football.
In the eighth minute, Fortunaplayedawide ball from out of their defensive third to Joel Palermo, who put in ablistering run down the right side of the pitch.
Palermo whippedthe ball into thefeet of Damon Scott, whocalmly slotted it past Sale’s keeper to give the Lions a1-nil lead against the run of play.
The game would then see-saw for the next25 minutes,and it was again the Lions forward talisman in Scott who received theballand took on the Sale keeper to score his second for the game in the 33rd minute.
Unfortunately for the home team, the second half turned into a‘Nightmare on Raglan Street’, with the Swansconcedingsix goals as theLions dominated the rest of the game.
Fortuna ran our 8-nil winners to continue their
Photos:Lotje McDonald
strong starttodefending their 2023 League Championship.
The Sale United Women on the other hand, had better fortune, defeating Fortuna 3-1. Zoe Askew, Anouk Meereboerand Madelaine Breakspear were the Swans goalscorers.
Photos:Contributed
Thursday,
Friday,
Saturday,
Western
Richmond
Sunday,March
Monday,
ErikaAllen
IN somerespects, the MaffraTennis Club’s annual Easter TournamentisGippsland’s own Wimbledon.
It has history: an honour board of champions etched in gold dating back to the firstMaffra Eastertournament hosted in 1922 on fourasphalt courts at St Mary’s Primary School.
Between 1937 and 1948, the tournament briefly transitioned to grass courts at the recreation reserve before the club established its own, in 1949.
Today, Maffraboaststhe only lawn tennis club east of Melbourne.
It has prestige: the fiercely competitive Gentleman’s and Ladies’ President’s Cup singles
event has long been amagnetfor players vying to claimthe covetedMLTC green jacket. The finals, always characterised by passionand high-quality performances,stand out as ahighlight for players and spectators.
It has tradition: in adisplay of etiquette, only match winners return the balls to the tournament box.
Although there’s no strict “all-white dress code,”players pay homagetotraditional grass court attire by sporting classic Dunlop Volleys. Meanwhile, the occasional doubles pairing don matching outfits.
It has asignature dessert: Wimbledon has strawberries and cream, and the Maffra Easter Tournament has jelly slice. Courtesy of Kath Pleydell, the tournament’s official dessert is a
highly sought-after postand evenpre-match snack.
It has camaraderie: More than 330 players participated in the 97th Easter Tournament this year, using each change of ends to catch up on each other’s lives. Some were returning to their childhood tennis grassroots, while others travelledfromSouth Gippsland, Mt Eliza, and Fitzroy, makingthis tournament apermanent date to mark on their calendars.
In other respects, the Maffra EasterTournament is nothing like Wimbledon.
You won’t find acaravan or tent pitched on Wimbledon’scentre court; however, at MLTC’s EasterTournament, Court 1-also known as ‘The Chook Pen’- doubled as acamping ground over the long weekend.
As matches unfold, spectators often stake out chairs on the club room’s refurbished deck for an optimal viewing spot. However, acamp chair, car boot, picnic rug, or towel on any available patch of grass around the courts offersanequally enjoyable experience to soak in the tennis action.
This year’s sheer number of entries had the club’s volunteershard at work. More than 200 matcheswereplayed on thefirst day of the tournament lastFriday (March 29), with sets extending long after sunset to accommodate the increased match load.Well over 600 matches were played over the weekend, delightingspectators andplayers with great matches.
Afullreportofyesterday’s(Monday)final results will be in Friday’s issue.
Gippsland League:
Saturday,April 6
North Gippsland:
Saturday,April 13
East Gippsland:
Saturday,April 13
Female Football Gippsland: TBA
Sale District Junior FL: TBA
Traralgon District Junior FL:
Sunday,April 21
(this Saturday, venuefirst listed team)
Maffra vs Sale
Bairnsdale vs Drouin
Warragul vs Wonthaggi
Moe vs Morwell
Leongatha vs Traralgon
TomHayes
SALE’S ScottPendlebury and Yarram’s Josh Dunkley went head-to-head at the Gabba last Thursdaynight to get the Easter weekend of football underway with the GrandFinal rematch.
Surprisingly, both sides -Collingwood and Brisbane -who featured in last year’s Grand Final, went into the Round 3clash without a win next to their name.
Heading into the game,Brisbane lost itsopening two gamestoCarlton,atthe Gabba, and Fremantle at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
On the other side of the coin wasCollingwood, who lost its opening threegames and was staring down the barrel of an 0-4 start.
The Magpies came into the game with apoint to prove,and perhaps more to loseasthe reigning premier.
They looked like the premiership-winning Magpies they were from the very beginning, unleashing unrelenting pressure on Brisbane all over the field, not giving them an inch when it mattered.
The first stages of the opening stanza were quite contested, and Brisbane kept themselves in it at stages, but alateflurry at the end of the first quarter saw the Magpies kick away to afour-goal lead.
But,there appeared to be what looked ascoring end, as the Magpies found the next 30 minutes quite difficult.
In fact, so difficult that they didn’t register a single score in the second term. It was the first time under coach Craig McRae that the Magpies went scoreless in aquarter of football.
In the meantime, Brisbane used their home ground to advantage.
The Lions registerednine scoring shots for 4.5 (29) to pinchthe leadathalftime, going into the break with theirtails wagging.
Once again,another momentum swingfound
From Page32
DESPITE finishing last in 2023, the Hawks lost a handful of games by single digit margins, and ended with apercentage close to 70 -hardly astatistic associated with astruggling side.
Drouin won plenty of admirers lastseasonfor their willingness to play bold. Common feedback from otherteams wasthatthe only waytobeat them was to keep scoring yourself -because there was no way to stop them scoring.
Speaking to returning Hawks coach,Brent Clinnick at the season launch last week, he simply said the emphasis on offence was "about enjoying your footy".
Drouin will however need to find another avenue to goal, as Hugo Birks (surely the greatest name in Gippsland League history) has departed, although gun midfielder Ed Morris has returned.
LEONGATHA will likely do Leongatha things this season.
Even from this far out, most league pundits are predicting it will be acase of Leongatha finishing on top as they chaseathird successiveflag,but from there, it is wide open.
This assumption is predicated on the fact there has been alot of absolutetop-linersdepart the
scene. Names such as Jack Hutchinson and Ryan Sparkes at Wonthaggi,and Aaron Heppell and Josh Hopkins at Leongatha.
With this in mind, while it is reasonably assumed the overall standard of the Gippsland League might drop, the competition itself should be alot tighter.
MOE and Morwell will renew hostilities this weekend.
The Lions have hosting rights for the first encounter,and will look to starttheir campaign off on the right foot.
Ple asin gly for the rest of the leag ue ,T ed Summerton Reserveisinimmaculate condition, and there should be no fear of grass burn as there was toward the end of last season.
Much like the rest of the league, it is looming as anew era for Moe, who have said farewell to club legends James Blaser, Tom Longand Ben Morrow (sorry, Ihave something in my eye after writing that).
Moe has also been able to nab Max Woodall out of Mirboo North, and will hope to have him available when notonGippsland Power duty.
Morwell, sporting anew-look Tiger logo, might also have some new-look plans in mind for 2024.
WhileMorwell continues to invest in local youth, they have added some recruits from down
Collingwood’s favour, and the Magpies were putting themselves in the box seat to win.
Collingwood kicked five goals to one in the third term to set up a20-pointbuffergoinginto the final quarter.
Assuming the consistent swings, it was fair to say that Brisbane were still in the game by all means.But the resilienceofCollingwood that they displayed throughout 2023 shonelarge at the Gabba.
In ahigh-scoring final quarter, both sideskicked 4.2 (26), which evidently didn’t help out the Lions on the scoreboard, as Collingwood grabbed their firstwin of the season, defeating Brisbane 14.8 (92) to 10.12 (72).
On the winningsidewas Pendlebury, the smooth operator collected 21 disposals in game number 387, along with five tackles -astatlinemany
Collingwood players impressed in.
Dunkleywas admirable in the Lions’defeat, amassing 26 touches, taking fivemarks,laying sixtackles andhaving four clearances.
Brisbanenow starts the year with a0-3 record, and will hopetoavoid going0-4 when they face North MelbourneinGather Round.
Collingwood should use theirformtotheir advantage in Adelaide next weekwhenthey take on Hawthorn.
Pendlebury escaped suspension when he was questioned on an open-hand hit to Brisbane's Lachie Neale in the third quarter.
The strike was graded as intentional, low impact, bodyimpact,drawinga$3750 fine ($2500 with an earlyplea), keeping his recordclean.
MAFFRA’S Sam Berry was dropped from the Adelaide Crows’ sidefor their clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
The Crows lost, starting the season without a win after three games.
He may be achancetocome back into the side and add some tackling flair, when Adelaide host Melbourne to begin Gather Round on Thursday, April 4.
Mornington way to assist in their resurgence.
Boyd Bailey is backfor his second seasonas playing-coach, and is eyeing off another finals tilt. His diplomatic decision to play cricket for Yinnar Raiders during summer meant he was able to get Harri McColl across, and the league will watch on with interest to see how the key position player goes this season.
TheTigershave had aless thanidealrun into the firstgame off the field,losing VFL-listed player Tristen Waack at the last minute.
Compounding the issue is the fact Waack is now aligned to Morwell's greatest enemy -Traralgon.
As if the rivalry wasn't fierce enough, the Maroons secured Waack seemingly out-of-the-blue.
Waack wentonajourneyman VFL trip over summer, leaving Box Hill, then moving to Williamstown, before abruptlyleavingthe seaside clubreportedly because it was 'too cliquey', to finally land at the Northern Bullants.
It is understood Morwell denied Waack's clearance at least once, but he now finds himself in the maroon and white.
It must be time for Round 1- Ihad adream last week Jarryd Blair kicked me out of the Wonthaggi huddle while Iwas trying to take photos.
Target Time No.0204 daft ,daftest ,deaf,deafest , defeat ,DEFEATIST, deft ,fade, fast ,fasted, fate, fated,
Sale’s Mia Goold played in the prestigious President ’s Cup at Maffra L awn Tennis Club over the long weekend. The club’s annual Easter Tournament saw more than 300 players and 600 matches take place at the time-honoured event .
MORE - PAGE 30
WE’RE back baby.
The Gippsland League ‘officially’ gets underway this weekend, followingthe season opener (‘Round 0’) between Traralgonand Bairnsdale last Saturday.
There is no rest for the Maroons or Redlegs, who will take on Leongatha and Drouin respectively. There is still aweek to go until the North Gippsland, East Gippsland and Mid Gippsland competitions start, so be on the lookout for some sneaky selections.
BATTLE of the Birds takes place in Maffra.
Sale has already had awin overMaffrathis year, withSale seniorcoach, Jack Johnstone beating Maffra captain, Daniel Bedggood in an exhibition boxing bout two weeks ago.
Fortunately for both clubs, neitherplayer suffered concussion (which would have put them out for 21 days),and theynow turntheirattention
to winning the game at hand on the football field.
Sale will be aiming to get back into the top three this seasonafterbombingout in the first final last year, and on paper at least, look to have avery strong top eight-10 players.
Shannen Lange, Will Leslie, Jack Leslie, Hudson Holmes, Johnstone, CodyHenness and ace recruit Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (ex-Richmond) have all played VFL or higher, while Jack McLaren is coming off abreakout season.
Magpies key forwardBrad Dessent hasalso reportedly bulked up significantly,and looksin good shape to return another 50-plus season.
As they say though, you are only as good as your bottom six, and just howfar the dropisfor Sale could be reflected once the days get colder and the nights get icier.
Meanwhile, Maffra presents an interesting case study.
Afew Eagles officials weren’t overly impressed this writer put them last on his predicted ladder,
so they may feel they have apoint to prove.
Luke Dyer has joined the club afterastellar career in East Gippsland circles, where he won a swag of league best and fairest awards atLindenow.
Dyer will inject some neededexperience to a young Maffra outfit, although one does query just how much difference someone approachingthe age of 40 will have at Gippsland League level.
Traditionally, Maffra arealways quietly confident in their football programs, and with premierships in both the thirds and fourths last year, might be prepared to play the long game.
Maffra heart-and-soul,Bill Pleming is another eyebrow-raising out, continuing atrend across the league of players you would never expect to depart their club doing so.
Yes, it is looking like it will be very much adifferent Gippsland League in 2024.
BAIRNSDALE are home for the second week in arow, and will hope having agame under their belt helps.
The Redlegscould however have some earlyinjury concerns, and playing-coach Logan Austin looks the most noticeable omission with ahamstring.
The Redl egs broke down comp le telyw hen Austin was off the field in the last quarter against Traralgon,and even after one game there could be fearsitisthe same Bairnsdale narrative as last year: ‘They need two Logan Austin’s -one at centre half forward and one at centre half back’.
There is some reprieve however, with goal-sneak Brayden McCarrey expected to come back in this weekend.
Austin might havea greater insistenceon handball this weekend, as watching Bairnsdale last week, it seemed they tried to kick their way through every problem, even in close.
Drouin hasabig trip ahead of them, but come into theseason carrying expectations of climbing the ladder.
Continued -Page31