Latrobe Valley Express Wednesday 7 January 2026

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SUMMER SCORCHER PAGE 8

SEC BACKS DELBURN

By AIDAN KNIGHT and LIAM DURKIN

POLICE spent the days between Christmas and New Year in hot pursuit, after a manhunt unfolded across the Latrobe Valley.

A string of incidents saw a 34-year-old male evade offi ficers i for a number of days, following aggra ravated burglaries and carjacking’ss.

The chase began in Hazelwood South on Sunday, December 28, and ended when the man crashed into the front fence of a Trafalgar property on the last day of the year (pictured right).

Along the way, terrifi fied i locals had their cars stolen, while the trail of destruction saw debris flung fll from parked cars, road sign gns n upended and a police offi ficer i injured.

The manhunt became the most talked about event at local New Year's Eve parties, providing an unforgettable-for-all-the-wrong reasons end to 2025.

It all started when the man, who has been identifi fied i as a Mr Darren Reid, approached a woman on Firmins Lane in Hazelwood South on Sunday, December 28, demanding the keys to her vehicle, which he then promptly stole. This occurred at 11.10am on the Sunday morning, before the same vehicle was located at a Princes Highway serv rvice v station in Traralgon East two days later (Tuesday, December 30).

Police made an attempt to intercept around 4.15am that morning, but the offender allegedly rammed a police car before making an escape in the stolen vehicle, which was later found dumped in Glengarry at 5am, on Castleknock Drive.

From there, Reid broke into the nearby home of Melissa Frances and Ashley Spowart, using an axe to force entry by shattering a glass sliding door by their eight year-old daughter's bedroom (pictured left).

Extensive coverage: Pages 24-25

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VIXENS VISIT VALLEY SPORT

DOWN OF TODAY’S PAPER

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Most heinous child sex offender taught at Latrobe Valley schools

By AIDAN KNIGHT

WARNING: The content of this story is extremely distressing.

Support is available by phoning 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or the Victims of Crime Helpline on 1800 819 817.

A FORMER physical education teacher from the Latrobe Valley has been revealed to be the identity of Australia's worst child sex offender in history.

For a decade, a suppression order prevented media from publishing anything identifying the individual, who is currently serving the lengthiest jail sentence ever delivered for child sex crimes in the country.

William Gilfillan's criminal record dates back to 1984, when the Victorian Education Department investigated three reports of abuse from female students at Traralgon High School, where he taught until the subsequent controversy saw him moved to Presentation College, Moe - an all-girls school.

All three of these students reported to both school captains and the principal at the time that Gilfillan had graphically violated them in acts that involved the use of caliper measuring instruments, which were used by PE teachers at the time to 'measure body fat'. The details of the crimes are not fit for publishing, such is their disturbing nature.

Gilfillan (68), who preferred to go by Rob (an abbreviation of his middle name, Robert), was then accused of penetrating a fourth female student at his new position shortly after his transfer.

Neither time was he fired, nor were Victorian Police contacted by the education department, who only ever opted to conduct their own independent investigations.

This is alarmingly similar to the case of Peter Farmer and his victims (as reported in the Express, November 5, 2025), which also occurred at a school in Moe. Instead, the offender left the country and found refuge in Nauru for some time. When he eventually did return to Australia, he did not set foot in Victoria, instead choosing to teach at girls schools in New South Wales and Queensland, and also juggled a research project for Southern Cross University at the same time.

In 2011, police were finally involved when even more victims brought forward further allegations - again the same as those recorded in the 1980's.

Gilfillan absconded a second time, and lived in Papua New Guinea for two years before he was extracted by the PNG government, on extradition of charges laid back home in Australia.

These were, of course, offences of sexual acts towards and against children, totalling a staggering 126 charges. To date, only 82 of those have been processed, upon which the legality of his public identity was hinged. Of those charges, 78 have been found guilty.

More than 70 of the total took place outside

Monster: William ‘Rob’ Gilfillan photographed in Traralgon High School’s magazine, ‘Running Waters’, circa 1984.

Photograph supplied Victoria, and one of the charges related to his abuse of a five-year-old girl - highlighting the range of predatory behaviour Gilfillan engaged in.

Every single charge was denied by the accused, who claims that students were driven by "infatuation turned to jealousy" to "plot to take him down", as described by his defence of the allegations of 1984. He also claimed under oath that one of the alleged victims contacted him to confess such a ploy, over the phone. He claimed she said "she was struggling with her studies and it was an opportunity to get to do her dream and go to university".

Gilfillan told the jury deciding the case he had a witness to this phone call - who turned out to also be an already convicted child sex offender, The Express was able to connect Gilfillan as the (previously anonymous) offending father reported in the true crime podcast Shadow of a Doubt, which was investigated and produced by The Australian in 2023.

The specifics of the podcast, released while the suppression orders on Gilfillan's identity were still in place, saw dismissed appeals by the NSW justice system by two parents - referred to in the judgment as WG and KG - who had been convicted of extensive historical child sexual offences committed against their own daughter. Court documents regarding this appeal are dated September 2019.

It is likely that more information will come to light

Non-reporting of wrongdoing is a criminal offence AT the time of the Latrobe Valley allegations, there was no legal obligation for the Victorian Education Department to report suspected child sexual abuse to police, nor a central teacher registration authority with the power to suspend or terminate the license of those teaching who had been alleged of wrongdoing.

This hole-ridden system failed to protect numerous vulnerable children in the Gippsland region alone, many of whom undoubtedly haven't come forward.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013-2017) later confirmed that these issues were not limited to Victoria alone, finding that every Australian state and territory's education authority routinely handled child sexual abuse complaints internally for much of the 20th century.

The Victorian body introduced mandatory reporting in 1993, but was still treated as 'employment matters' into the early 2000's.

While every complaint had to be reported, this still remained internal until 2014, when failure to disclose to the police was made an offence.

During this nine-year period, enforcement of reporting was lax and inconsistent, doing little to protect the majority of those abused, as reporting came into existence, but a change in culture did not.

In 2006, the Crimes Act was updated to add clearer definition of what child sexual abuse

was, before the Victorian Institute of Teaching was established six years later, adding clarity in a new body with power to suspend and terminate licences following misconduct.

It still took a further two years, during the Royal Commission, for the process to stop ending at the internal report, ensuring everything was looked into by Victoria Police.

From there, Child Safe Standards were expanded in 2017, the year the Royal Commission culminated, requiring schools to actively pursue, respond and formally report any and all allegations - through several pathways, leaving little or no room for investigation to be done internally.

These were strengthened in 2022 in an attempt to further combat culture, and review the compliance of mandatory compliance, and who was accountable.

Failure to disclose (2014) Makes it a criminal offence for any adult not to report suspected child sexual abuse to police when they reasonably believe it has occurred.

Failure to protect (2017) Makes people in positions of authority criminally liable if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent child sexual abuse by someone under their control.

Page 2 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

as further charges are processed, allowing a greater understanding of the horrific events perpetrated and how they were able to continue for so long.

This connection was also confirmed to the Express by a former Traralgon High School student who thankfully, was not made a target of predatory behaviour during their shared time at the school in the 80's. The source, who shall remain anonymous, was not privy to any explicit wrongdoing, but further corroborated Gilfillan's persona of being "a great guy", which was evidently used to mask his depravity.

"I suspect other teachers must have known something - he was thick as thieves with one other male teacher in particular (I am not alleging any wrongdoing on the part of the other teacher, but others MUST have suspected)", the former student told the Express.

Once confirmed as the father detailed by The Australian, the Express can now confirm some of his guilty charges relate directly to the 14 year abuse of his daughter, which members of the jury described as the worst case of child abuse they had ever been made aware of.

The 12-week trial at Sydney Downing Centre District Court, with details again much too distressing to print, involved the imprisonment of Gilfillan's daughter in a shed and chicken coop, where she would lay tied up for

days at a time without food, absent from school.

This occurred from the age of five, and progressed to acts involving barbed wire and being locked inside a sporting goods trunk as she grew older.

These days in the shed began to be used as a form of punishment, especially if she was not found to be excelling in sporting competitions.

The mother, only known to the public as KG, was complicit in these acts, and even offered their daughter 'tips' on how to better please her father, and once told her (according to the court) "Dad has his reasons why he does these things."

Years later, Gilfillan abused her as a direct punishment for telling a counsellor about his abuse.

This led to her approaching police in 2011, where charges were not only laid but also an AVO was placed against both parents to protect her from her parents in the interim, following stalking and public abuse in carparks.

When the pair were arrested, police raided their Sydney home, finding a year's-old evidence, and the pair were sentenced in late 2016.

Survivors of Gilfillan’s abuse were legally barred from speaking publicly about their experiences while his remaining charges were before the courts.

One woman, identified only as 'Jaye' for this publication, described the effect of these suppression laws as “dehumanising,” saying being unable to tell her story made her feel “invisible and powerless again.” She has since become a lawyer and argued Victorian evidence laws should better balance fair trial protections with survivors’ rights to tell their own stories once prosecutions are complete.

Gilfillan is serving a current sentence of 48 years, with additional time handed down in Victorian courts in April, as the sentencing for his unheard-of amount of atrocities continues. This current sentence carries a non-parole period of 36 years for his offences, which spanned decades and jurisdictions.

Findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2014-2017) confirmed that education departments across Australia routinely dealt with abuse complaints as internal employment matters, often opting to transfer staff rather than dismiss or report them. The commission found this practice prioritised institutional reputation over child safety and allowed known or suspected offenders to continue working with children, sometimes across multiple jurisdictions.

In Gilfillan’s case, that lack of mandatory reporting and external oversight meant he was able to leave Victoria and continue teaching interstate, a failure of systems that would only be addressed decades later through reforms to reporting laws, child safety standards and teacher registration powers.

The reforms that now compel reporting, empower regulators and criminalise silence were born from cases like Gilfillan’s, but for his victims, they arrived decades too late.

Antisemitic graffiti spotted in Traralgon

By AIDAN KNIGHT

LATROBE residents were disturbed last week when a variety of antisemitic symbols materialised in Traralgon.

Graffiti appeared on Monday, December 29 along the footbath outside the entrance to Reading Cinema and the Butter Factory, on the corner of Franklin and Grey streets, and was first noticed at 3.30pm.

Latrobe City Council was informed by an abundance of concerned people in the community, one of whom approached the Express to make an anonymous comment.

"There are Jewish (people) all the way from St Kilda and Balaclava through to Maffra, so we really are everywhere, and to see this in Traralgon, where I live, is quite harmful and confronting," they said on the day of the offensive vandalism.

Latrobe City Council was unable to provide comment, while councillors are away on leave at this time.

Under Victorian law, the display of Nazi symbols and hate symbols is a criminal offence.

Since October 2023, it has been illegal to publicly display or graffiti Nazi symbols, including swastikas, unless for a genuine academic, religious or educational purpose. Offenders can face up to 12 month's imprisonment, fines exceeding $23,000, or both.

The use of symbols or graffiti intended to vilify or

threaten people on the basis of race or religion may also constitute a hate crime, carrying additional penalties.

Victoria Police have previously urged the public to report hate-motivated vandalism immediately, noting that such acts cause significant harm and fear within targeted communities.

Following the tragic events at Bondi last month, the NSW state government became the second state to enforce such laws.

Proposed NSW reforms - if passed - could bring penalties closer to or exceeding Victoria’s in certain cases (especially near targeted sites), but as of now, Victoria’s framework is typically seen as harsher and more comprehensive. This has been projected to go so far as to ban badges attached to Holden SS model vehicles from factory. Standing in this case for 'Sports Series', the badge and its design is similar to that of the Nazi SS unit from World War 2, and as such, are considered widely offensive.

This has been a topical debate within automotive circles since 2013, and has remained a concern of Jewish communities since.

While no arrests have been announced, the appearance of antisemitic graffiti in a busy Latrobe public area has reignited concerns about the visibility of hate symbols in everyday spaces.

Sporting stars demand action - Page 38

New year upon us

WELCOME to 2026.

To our returning readers, I hope we can again be your trusted news source, likewise to those who have just moved to the area.

Whatever your story, I hope you enjoy the stories contained in these pages.

A pre-emptive thank you to all who will be contributing letters, community, historical and general interest pieces throughout the year. These are and will always make-up the fabric of what a local paper is all about.

To borrow from a now-retired local editor, who

Time will tell: Will we have a new Premier this year? While Jacinta Allan (pictured talking in Mirboo North after the 2024 storm) is favoured to win the state election, there could be an appetite for change following more than a decade of Labor rule.

accurately said: “You can get national news on the telly or in the dailies. We concentrate on our little area.”

Every year in news is busy, but none more so than when a state election is due.

While Victorians won't go to the polls until late November, the race to Spring Street has well and truly already started.

In my view, a state election is the one that has the biggest impact on local residents (even more so than council and even federal) as major decisions made by the Premier's team usually directly affect many industries critical to Gippsland's prosperity.

As it was with last year’s federal election, I again wish to make it absolutely clear there is a difference between editorial and paid advertising.

If candidates wish to heighten their campaigns further, they are permitted to do so out of their own pocket.

Any advertising containing editorial will be clearly marked as such, and not provided by Express journalists.

Letters to the Editor will continue as normal, however I will be using my discretion to eliminate any I feel crossover as attempts to undermine or derail the campaigns of parties involved.

There was issues regarding letters being sent in from fake names last year, which will again be carefully policed.

I am not oblivious either to the groundswell of opposition many Gippslanders currently have towards Labor, nor frustrations from people feeling as though the Liberals are a weak opposition given the never-ending changes to leadership.

Elections are exhausting for parties and media alike, and the cycle means there is one just about every year. Last year it was federal, the year before it was council.

This year was also meant to be the year the Commonwealth Games came to town. There will undoubtedly be moments of private reflection when the Games begin in Glasgow this July.

Our editorial team this year remains largely the same, save for a couple of rearrangements.

Katrina Brandon, Blake Metcalf-Holt and Aidan Knight will again be familiar by-lines, while we welcome Peace Ijiyera as our new cadet.

Peace is a Trafalgar local going into her final year of university.

Senior reporter Philip Hopkins has officially retired, but as any true journalist will tell you, the

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Numbers game: Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron will be aiming to retain his seat for the File photograph Nationals. desire to tell stories never really leaves you, so Phil will still be contributing pieces from time to time.

Support from our sister paper, the Sale-based Gippsland Times, will again see David Braithwaite leading the charge as editor, along with the experienced duo of Stefan Bradley and Erika Allen.

As editor, I thank everyone for their continued support, and also thank those who have provided a challenge, which is often equally important in the process of continued improvement.

Whether an avid reader or someone who just flicks through, I hope you enjoy the issues to come in 2026.

It is an exciting time for the Express, as we will soon be working out of a new refurbished office building.

The address will stay the same, and we trust the quality of our news delivery will as well.

LIAM DURKIN Latrobe Valley Express Editor

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The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 3

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Morwell union office building unsafe

Trashed: The scene at Lignite Court, Morwell.

By AIDAN KNIGHT

THE Mining and Energy Union’s (MEU) Morwell office says escalating crime and antisocial behaviour in its industrial complex has created an increasingly unsafe workplace.

Staff are reporting drug use, vandalism and threatening incidents occurring in and around neighbouring vacant buildings.

Located on Lignite Court, the union occupies the sole active premises in a five-building complex.

MEU president Andy Smith said problems had been simmering for two years but had sharply intensified in the past six months, despite repeated police callouts and the union installing extensive security measures.

“We just don’t know where to go with it now.

We’ve had to put a lot of security measures in place.

The police have been here on numerous occasions,” Mr Smith told the Express. In correspondence sent to the complex’s owners corporation earlier this year, the union described the surrounding buildings as abandoned, unsafe and a health risk to employees, visitors and contractors.

The letter warned that the condition of the vacant properties had deteriorated significantly and was attracting ongoing squatting and drug-related activity.

The correspondence detailed an incident in which a contractor working on site had a knife pulled on him, prompting police attendance.

Police searches of nearby vacant buildings allegedly uncovered makeshift squats containing bedding, cooking equipment, drug paraphernalia, weapons and other material deemed unsafe for human habitation.

Despite their best efforts, the surrounding vacancies have made it harder to deter illicit activity that

Photographs supplied

seems to be drawn to the area, and according to Mr Smith, the landlord will not get involved to help resolve the unsafe environment thriving on his property. The union said police advised staff not to enter surrounding buildings due to safety concerns.

The union also claims the vacant properties remain unsecured. The surrounding vacancies have made it difficult to deter illicit activity, with the union argues that the ongoing condition of the site places workers and visitors at unacceptable risk.

"We've tried to resolve it amicably with the owner of the buildings around us, but it just hasn't gone anywhere," Mr Smith said.

In response to concerns raised through the owners corporation, the owner of the vacant buildings acknowledged the severity of the situation and said they had also been affected by repeated break-ins and vandalism. In written correspondence, the owner said security systems had been damaged multiple times, fencing breached and cameras disabled, despite repeated repairs.

Mr Smith described the length to which the union has had to go in terms of security measures as an extent "you shouldn't have to when you're trying to run a business". He also detailed other examples of neglect from the landlord, such as mould growing in one of the buildings due to unmaintained water pipes. Smith says these are leaking 26,000 litres of wasted water a day, highlighting the level of disrepair these buildings are allowed to fall into under the body corporate's watch.

Up to 16 workers are impacted by this challenging environment, not just MEU staff but that of the Forestry Union as well, and any union members and visitors attending the premises.

The MEU says the measures have yet to meaningfully improve safety conditions on site.

Horrendous: Reports of drug use and threatening behaviour have also surfaced.

Running out of ideas: The Mining and Energy Union has installed cameras at the premises, seemingly to no avail.

Vandalism: The Mining and Energy Union’s Morwell office has been the target of attacks.

Fishing and game management to merge

By STEFAN BRADLEY

THE state government will merge its fisheries and game management authorities to create a single entity to oversee outdoor recreation in Victoria.

Outdoor Recreation Minister Steve Dimopoulos announced the Victorian Fisheries Authority and Game Management Authority will come together to form Outdoor Recreation Victoria (ORV).

The government claims there will be no job losses and all staff members from the VFA and GMA will join ORV when it is established.

But the VFA earlier this year cut 35 jobs, reducing staff from 192 to 157, including 15 fisheries officer positions, and two stations closed in Melbourne.

ORV will initially focus on getting more Victorians out fishing, game hunting, boating, four-wheel driving and off grid camping, before expanding to support other activities. It will work across government to create a single point of information for bush users through a digital hub.

Incorporating feedback from Victorians, ORV will also establish a Land Access Panel to help more people use public land and waterways, and enjoy Victoria’s incredible offerings. This panel will comprise of both stakeholders and government.

Sale Field and Game spokesman Gary Howard cautiously welcomed news of the merger.

“Hunting and fishing are one and the same. It’s

common sense to amalgamate the two … under the same umbrella,” he said.

“Our concern is that we’ve not seen the detail.

It’s very hard to make a comment about it without seeing what the structure will be.”

Mr Howard noted the reduction in the VFA’s frontline enforcement team, but said enforcement with both teams under the one roof would be good for both hunting and fishing.

“But the detail of how it would run remains to be seen,” he said.

“We gotta deal with regulations and changing rules. And as hunters we want to see how the land is managed.”

VRFish (Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body Ltd), a body that represents recreational fishing in the state, welcomed the formation of ORV. VRFish chairman Rob Loats said the creation of ORV was set to provide greater support to Victorians who enjoyed getting outdoors.

“The establishment of Outdoor Recreation Victoria will make it easier for more Victorians to enjoy our great outdoors, provides a single point of information for bush users and demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting active outdoor recreation," he said.

“We look forward to working with the expanded Outdoor Recreation Victoria to continue making fishing better for Victorians and achieve better

Page 4 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

access to public land for all outdoor enthusiasts.”

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA Victoria) welcomed the amalgamation.

“While the VFA has long enjoyed a clear, legislated mandate to promote recreational fishing, the GMA has been expressly prohibited from promoting hunting. This constraint has limited the state’s ability to unlock the full social and economic benefits of regulated, ethical game hunting,” SSAA Victoria said in a statement.

“If Outdoor Recreation Victoria is to genuinely advance the interests of outdoor recreation, then hunting promotion must form part of its functions. The potential benefits for regional Victoria, in particular, are extraordinary - but they can only be realised if the new authority is empowered to support growth, education and participation.”

The government said it will consult with stakeholders and introduce legislation into Parliament to establish ORV from July 1, 2026.

“The excellent work of the VFA and GMA will be expanded to support even more outdoor enthusiasts through Outdoor Recreation Victoria - creating better experiences for Victorians, visitors, and businesses,” Minister Dimopoulos said.

“We know how important outdoor recreation is to Victorians, that’s why we support you and will continue to support you.

"Outdoor Recreation Victoria will unlock

opportunities for more Victorians to access the great outdoors - while ensuring all jobs are retained.” The creation of ORV was one of the recommendations of the review into the state's public service.

Shadow Outdoor Recreation Minister and Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath said the merger may have merit on paper, but claimed the government’s track record gave little confidence that it would be properly supported.

“There must be a strong focus on training and education so compliance can be managed efficiently and effectively to protect the longterm sustainability of our fisheries and game resources,” she said.

“A single compliance authority has worked in other jurisdictions, including New Zealand, where fish and game operate together successfully. However, the key difference is that it has been properly supported and resourced by government.

“The proof is yet to be seen in Victoria. Only months ago, the Allan Labor government slashed the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s budget by 44 per cent. That decision gutted frontline fisheries officers and significantly weakened enforcement capability.

"It is exactly this kind of under-investment that now casts serious doubt over this merger.”

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Drawing up post-coal creations Paint a picture: One of a series of artist’s impressions of possible future land use scenarios for mine voids.

Photograph supplied

ENHANCED biodiversity, new energy generation, affordable housing, spaces for recreation, food production and culture and arts spaces are among the community’s preferred uses for land around the Latrobe Valley’s post-coal mine sites, new research has found.

The Collaborative Planning for Post-Mine Land Use in the Latrobe Valley project has delivered its final report after two-and-a-half years of research, including consultation with more than 100 participants across the Latrobe Valley featuring young people, Traditional Owners and the broader community.

The project is a partnership between Federation University Australia and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, made possible through support from the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME). Mine operators and relevant government departments also provided support.

The community’s vision for the future uses of the land surrounding the Latrobe Valley’s coal mines is also set in the report.

Almost 10,000ha of land adjacent to major towns with transportation infrastructure and rich biodiversity areas could be redeveloped in 20 to 50 years - through a combination of private and public means. In principle, rehabilitation and redevelopment of unmined areas of these sites could occur sooner.

The long-term vision has been prepared to help inform current landowners, mine operators, investors and government, to complement the mine closure planning processes and inform future development, acknowledging the many steps needed for it to be realised.

Researchers conducted an independent and comparable consultation processes with each group of participants, catering the approach to their needs.

Participants identified green spaces for naturebased recreation and healing Country, mixed density housing with community gardens, growing hemp on current grazing land, and sustainable food production like vertical farming among their preferred land uses. An advanced manufacturing hub and renewable energy developments were also identified.

Accessing the sites as soon as possible for recreation activities was supported by all participants, with Indigenous participants highlighting the need to regain access and connection to Country.

The expansion of biking tracks and the inclusion of space for ‘noisy’ activities like motocross or outdoor live music venues were all supported.

Cultural heritage was considered essential by all cohorts, while ideas for remembering the

importance of the region’s long industrial past were also supported.

The most strongly supported new energy source by the study’s community and youth cohorts was a geothermal loop, building on the existing infrastructure of the Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre, to provide a gas replacement for heating and low temperature manufacturing, while acknowledging this was not a replacement for all electricity supply.

The scope for the research project was formed by a steering committee of the mine operators, relevant government departments, Traditional Owners and community organisations to ensure that the preferred land uses were feasible.

The broad range of project partners and steering committee members included: AGL, EnergyAustralia, Engie, the Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority, Loy Yang B Power Station, Latrobe City Council, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the Latrobe Valley Authority, Regional Development Victoria, the Latrobe Health Assembly and the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council.

Project researchers Associate Professor Jess Reeves from Federation University and Dr Tira Foran from CSIRO were recently presented with the ‘New Way Forward’ award at the 2025 CRC TiME Annual Forum, for setting a new benchmark in post-mining futures research by involving youth, community and Indigenous panels in their work.

The Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies is supported by the federal government's Department of Industry, Science and Resources Cooperative Research Centre Program. As part of its remit, CRC TiME works with industry, regional development, community, government and other partners across Australia.

This project is one in a portfolio of activities underway by CRC TiME to unlock post-mine transformations, including to understand postmine land, asset and infrastructure use.

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Three trains for one journey home

By AIDAN KNIGHT

COMMUTERS counted themselves lucky for the free weekend public transport across the Christmas period, as the Gippsland Line saw disruptions on the night of Sunday, December 28.

Multiple scheduled services were disrupted, with trains held, short-terminated at key stations such as Caulfield, or not running between Southern Cross and Westall due to a signal failure near Richmond.

This saw Gippsland commuters seeking their usual single V/Line train journey back provided instead with two metro services and one V/Line.

"We arrived at Dandenong the same time I would have gotten back home to Drouin," one commuter told the Express, after one reporter boarded the disrupted 7.54pm service. Twelve services in total (counting both directions) were impacted as a result. This went on for several hours into the evening.

Those travelling on Christmas Eve were also met with festive frustrations, as trains were replaced by coaches between Traralgon and Warragul after a track fault near Yarragon, while another disruption later in the week saw services replaced between Moe and Warragul when a truck blocked the tracks near Trafalgar on Monday, December 29.

PTV has been under mounting pressure this summer, with the opening of the Metro Tunnel and its newly established stations, and also the 'Big Switch' slated for February 1 - when the entire system and timetabling is overhauled across the state simultaneously.

Over New Year’s Eve, commuters had free travel across metropolitan trains, trams and buses, as well as free V/Line services within Victoria for trips arriving in Melbourne after

6pm on December 31 and departing on January 1.

More than 750 additional metropolitan train services ran overnight, with major city stations remaining open to support crowds estimated at more than 600,000 people in the CBD. The contrast has sharpened debate around regional service delivery.

However, PTV's failure to extend V/Line services saw many Gippslanders unable to attend Melbourne Docklands fireworks, with no services past the 12.50am Traralgon coach (running off the usual Saturday timetable).

The bloated experience has been described by social media as "trains were packed to the brim like a 7am rush hour commuter service in the Tokyo metro".

Another posted said "the problem with V/Line is they really don't have the scope to add more services ... just not enough trains to service everyone who needs it."

While V/Line and Metro Trains Melbourne maintain that incidents such as vehicles fouling tracks are outside operational control, passenger advocates argue that the true test lies in how quickly services recover and how clearly disruptions are communicated.

For Gippsland commuters, the late December disruptions, and lack of additional holiday services, have again highlighted the vulnerability of regional rail travel, where alternatives are limited and delays can have significant knock-on effects.

As the new year begins, attention is now turning to whether promised investment in regional rail can deliver not just major event services, but consistent day-to-day reliability for passengers.

Call for more bus services - Page 12

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The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 5

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Conversations on women’s health

By KATRINA BRANDON

GIPPSLAND Women’s Health (GWH) has released its 2025 Healthy Women, Healthy Gippsland report.

The report highlights the continued devastation on individuals, families and communities wrought by gendered and family violence in Gippsland detailing the costs, statistics and lived experiences.

Hosting about 100 people at the Morwell Innovation Centre, GWH shared its findings alongside state Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas.

GWH chief executive, Kate Graham emceed the event, and welcomed focus group participant Siobhan Kinman, Ms Thomas, and GWH lead researcher Kate Johnston-Ataata to speak.

Going through the report, Ms Graham thanked

Making medicine more affordable

By AIDAN KNIGHT

MEDICINES will be more affordable for non-concession citizens across the nation going forward, as the new year ushered in an extensive reduction to prices under the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme.

The Scheme, or PBS as it's often referred to, saw the maximum price for included medicines to $25 for Australians without a concession, from January 1, 2026.

This is not only the cheapest PBS-covered prescriptions have been since 2004, but is only the second time the price of medicine has dropped, rather than increased, in the country's history.

It is estimated that the new change will benefit more than 400,000 prescriptions weekly, and save patients an average of $6.60 per script (according to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia).

Professor Trent Twomey, National President of the Guild, spoke for the reform and it's ability to drastically better accessibility to medicine, especially those considered essential, and provide some relief to those facing cost-of-living pressures while requiring daily medicines.

“It makes medicine the most affordable it’s ever been," Professor Twomey said.

Research cited by the Guild shows more than one in five Australians without a concession card have skipped filling a prescription in the past three years because of cost - rising to one-in-three people in regional areas.

Professor Twomey said community pharmacists regularly see patients forced to choose between medicine and everyday essentials such as food, rent and utilities.

“Patients often decide to reduce doses or skip their medicine altogether,” he said.

“This reform will encourage proper medicine use, help prevent complications and reduce pressure on GPs and emergency departments.”

Without the government’s intervention, the cost of a PBS prescription for non-concession card holders would have reached $50, the Guild said. The price cut follows a sustained advocacy campaign led by the Pharmacy Guild and supported by more than 20 health and community organisations, including patient advocacy, food relief and health professional groups.

The decision was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who often cited the Medicare system as Labor's greatest achievement to date, at the Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference in March 2025.

The National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill was introduced to Parliament in July and received Royal Assent in September.

Community pharmacies - numbering more than 6000 nationwide - are among Australia’s most accessible primary healthcare services, often operating extended hours compared with other health providers.

The reform is expected to make essential medicines more affordable for millions of Australians and strengthen access to primary healthcare, particularly in regional and rural communities.

the participants who helped bring it together, telling the group that hearing the stories “has been humbling”.

“Women have experienced hundreds of years of adversity, cycles of crisis and violence, and yet remain highly capable, resilient and courageous,” she said.

“They carry the knowledge and stories of matriarchal lives that retract over millennia, and their culture and identity are fundamental to a Gippsland that is healthy and safe for all.

“This report will serve as a foundational tool to guide our work across the region, providing the evidence base to support Gippsland leaders in ensuring women, girls and gender diverse people are healthy, safe and able to equitably participate across their lifespan.”

The report highlights the consequences of the burden of caregiving and the occupation of gender segregation and gender discrimination despite higher educational attainment for women in Gippsland.

Ms Graham said that women across Gippsland continue to face lower labour force participation and lower earnings, and that the report provides a “clear roadmap” for stakeholders across all levels of government, health services and regional organisations to work collaboratively toward a more equitable, inclusive and healthy Gippsland.

In 2023, the GWH released its first report card, highlighting women’s mental health, wellbeing, and safety, and was “pivotal” in driving conversations and collaborations among organisations and partners across the region.

Looking within Gippsland, Ms Graham said that it was encouraging to see increased access to medical abortion in local government areas where the state government funded sexual reproductive health hubs established in Gippsland.

Despite the support, data presented indicated that many women seeking abortion still need to travel outside of their local area to access services.

The new data presented showed that it has “catastrophic consequences” for Gippsland women in terms of some forms of cancer, including higher than state average and higher mortality rates compared to other Victorian women.

Stepping in to congratulate GWH on the report, Ms Thomas highlighted its importance and that for many years, women's health has often been overlooked when it comes to research, as women are considered “too unreliable to be medical research subjects". “(It’s) absolutely critical that we work to understand how gender impacts both our diagnoses but also our experience of care,” she said.

Statistics: Gippsland Women’s Health lead researcher Dr Kate Johnston-Ataata.

“One of the shocking statistics and something we didn't understand is that a disproportionately high number of women who have never smoked are being diagnosed with lung cancer. We don't know the answer to that question. The reason that we don’t know the answer is because while we have a huge body of knowledge on healthcare, it largely has been the male body.”

Looking at regional health bias, Ms Thomas helped set up the Women’s Health Clinic, thinking it would meet the needs of women and girls, but she has found that mostly older women have been accessing it. She said that the experience often brings them the ability to talk about issues and topics that frequently feel forbidden or unsafe to discuss.

While seeing an increase in older patients, Ms Thomas said she had heard a story about the clinic where a young girl in regional Victoria was hiding under her doona, on the phone, saying she was pregnant. Being scared and not knowing what to do, she highlighted that the clinic is one of the ways that women, such as that young girl, can receive the service and support they need.

Looking for support, Ms Kinman, an electrician, shared her experience with doctors and how, like for most women, she was brushed off for how she was feeling.

“After living in Gippsland for about 12 years, it’s

Turnout: The Gippsland Women’s Health forum provided a critical eye to many healthcare issues affecting regional women.

On the ground: Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas speaking in Morwell.

Photographs: Katrina Brandon

quite sad to know that I’ve already experienced this,” she told the crowd.

“One of my experiences is I went to the GP feeling tired, lethargic, irritable, and I was not sleeping very well. I was quickly dismissed and told I wasn't eating very well. ‘You need to change your diet. You need to exercise more,’ - this GP just completely dismissed me.

“I exercised more and changed my lifestyle, but I just felt worse.”

After conversing with her partner, she asked for a blood test, only to be dismissed again. After visiting another doctor (who happened to be female), she had a blood test that showed she was deficient in vitamin D. Another example that Ms Kinman used was when she had to explain to the GP that she needed the contraceptive pill for other health reasons, not just because she was in a same sex relationship.

“Being in a same sex relationship, you don't need the pill because there's no chance of you getting pregnant. That's not what I'm using it for, not using it for contraception,” she said.

Looking at the focus group details, Dr JohnstonAtaata broke down the data.

Dr Johnston-Ataata told the group that, for a few weeks, they ran a survey with a series of eight participants: five from the general community and three with First Nations backgrounds, also including migrants, refugees, and women with disabilities.

During the project, 14 key findings were identified.

“They're grouped into four topic areas, women's health and access to healthcare was by far the largest piece of the funding,” Dr Johnston-Ataata explained.

“We have six findings from that four intended violence, and our first key finding was around something that will be a close price for anyone, but just access is a persistent challenge for trying to access healthcare. It was in almost every focus group.”

Going into the details, Dr Johnston-Ataata provided further details on the research recorded, mentioning topics such as regional breakdowns in medicinal treatment, geographic and economic challenges.

To read the full report, go to: https://gwhealth. asn.au/hwhg2025/

Endometriosis clinic opens in Morwell

FOR a lot of women, periods are often painful, leaving some days with a lack of energy to get up and do everyday things, making them feel lifeless.

And for some, it is a link to a painful condition called endometriosis.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing symptoms such as chronic abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, bloating, fatigue, infertility, and associated mental health challenges including anxiety and depression.

An estimated 14 per cent of Australian females are affected, with an average diagnostic delay of 6.5 years.

Recently, Gippsland PHN welcomed an announcement made by the federal government of a new Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic (EPPC) to be established in Morwell, significantly expanding access to specialist health services for women and gender diverse people across the region.

In response to the growing demand in the region, the federal government is investing $19.6 million over three years (2025/26 to 2027/28) to establish 11 new EPPCs, expanding the national network from 22 to 33 clinics.

The clinic - funded by the federal government's Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - will be delivered by Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS).

Gippsland PHN facilitated the commissioning process on behalf of the department through a

Page 6 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

targeted Expression of Interest in July 2025, resulting in the federal government selection of a provider with expertise in a GP-led multidisciplinary model, geographic reach and ability to scale the general practice to meet demand.

Gippsland PHN Chief Executive Amanda Proposch said this investment marks a major step forward for regional healthcare.

“This funding is a huge step forward for the health of women and gender diverse people not just in Gippsland, but across the country. It will help provide the right training, equipment, patient resources, and referral pathways so patients can get the care they need,” Ms Proposch said.

“Once this clinic opens, Gippsland women and gender diverse people experiencing endometriosis, pelvic pain, or perimenopause and menopause symptoms will be able to access coordinated, supportive care close to home. This service will complement the important work already undertaken by general practice across Gippsland in women’s health and pain management, by offering additional specialised support locally. It’s a vital step towards making healthcare more accessible and responsive to the needs of our community.”

The new clinic will strengthen specialist health services for women and gender diverse people in Gippsland by providing:  Improved access to diagnostic, treatment, and referral services for endometriosis and pelvic pain;

 Care and symptom management for perimenopause and menopause;  Increased access to allied health and support services;  Inclusive and culturally safe care for all patients, and;  Strengthened workforce expertise in women’s health.

The multidisciplinary model includes experienced GPs - including those with postgraduate obstetrics and gynaecology qualifications - alongside services spanning sexual health, transgender health, and support for culturally diverse communities.

Latrobe Community Health Service Chief Executive, Paul Ostrowski, highlighted the importance of the new clinic for Gippsland communities.

“Latrobe Community Health Service welcomes the Australian government’s investment into better care for endometriosis and pelvic pain," he said.

"Having a dedicated clinic right here in Gippsland means people will have access to the specialist support they need, closer to home.

"This clinic will make a real difference in improving health outcomes for women and gender diverse people and we’re excited to play our part in delivering it.”

Gippsland PHN will work with Latrobe Community Health Service to progress service establishment.

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Widespread support for smoke and vape-free areas in Gippsland

A COMMUNITY survey led by the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit (GRPHU) has revealed overwhelming support for expanding smoke and vape-free zones across the region.

According to the Breathe Easy Gippsland Survey, 91 per cent of respondents back stronger local action to reduce tobacco and e-cigarette-related harm.

GRPHU population health manager Andi Connell said it was clear that Gippslanders were ready for action to reduce smoking and vaping harms in the community.

“We led this survey to understand what Gippsland residents’ attitudes were around creating more smoke and vape-free zones across public spaces,” Ms Connell said.

“And the data overwhelmingly tells us that locals want to see more action to protect their health in spaces where they work, live and play.”

As a result, the GRPHU has distributed more than 200 'No Smoking or Vaping' signs to sporting clubs in partnership with GippSport, and local councils for use in public recreational facilities.

It is exploring options to expand smoke and vapefree areas in Gippsland, in a similar approach to the City of Melbourne’s Smoke-free Melbourne Policy.

A signage audit also aims to strengthen visibility and compliance in smoke-free zones.

The survey was coordinated by GRPHU in partnership with Gippsland's six local councils.

More than 660 Gippsland residents participated in the survey at community events held across the region and via an online platform.

Key results include:  91 per cent of respondents said smoke and vape-free zones are a good idea;  97 per cent support in Latrobe City, the highest in the region, and;  Strong youth and community support for protecting future generations from smoking and vaping harms.

Gippsland’s daily smoking and vaping rates remain above the state average, with Wellington recording the highest daily smoking rate at more than 16 per cent.

Pregnancy-related smoking rates in Latrobe City are at 22 per cent and among the highest in Victoria.

“We are now seeing more young people vaping,” Ms Connell said.

“We know that teenagers who vape are five times

more likely to start smoking tobacco products, and 12-year-olds who vape are 29 times more likely to start smoking, which is very concerning.”

Reducing tobacco and vaping harm is a regional priority outlined in the Gippsland Population Health Strategy.

Clear message: No smoking and no vaping signs are becoming common across Gippsland.

Photograph supplied

Unnecessary ultrasounds reported WOMEN seeking early non-surgical abortions are undergoing unnecessary ultrasounds, research from Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) has found.

“Ultrasounds are typically used in early medical abortion care to confirm the pregnancy’s gestational age and rule out ectopic pregnancy, before prescribing the abortion medication MS2Step,” LCHS Sexual Health Nurse, Catherine Bateman, said.

However, an audit of 143 LCHS patient files found that using an ultrasound before prescribing this medication did not result in higher safety or effectiveness for patients.

In all cases, the complication rates among those who had no ultrasound were the same or better than those who did.

These findings align with current guidelines from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RANZCOG) and The Royal Women’s Hospital, which do not require or recommend confirming pregnancy via ultrasound except

when gestational age cannot be determined by clinicians or when there are higher risk factors for ectopic pregnancy.

“The research tells us that prescribing MS2Step without an ultrasound is both safe and effective, and yet women continue to be referred for these tests at what is already a medically challenging time,” Ms Bateman said.

“There’s enough evidence to say that a ‘no touch abortion’ is worth investigating as a standard model of care for early medical abortions,” she added.

Ms Bateman said this would create more accessible and timely abortion care, which is particularly important in regional areas; 27 out of the top 30 LGAs for medical abortion rates of women aged 12-54 were from rural areas.

“Women deserve abortion care that is safe, timely, easy to access, and without added burden of unnecessary medical tests,” Ms Bateman said.

“It’s time to rethink the current standard of care for early medical abortions.”

New ED hub for mental health

LATROBE Regional Health has opened a new addition to its emergency department for people experiencing challenges with mental health, alcohol or other drugs (MHAOD).

The six-bed Mitchell Unit, annexed to the ED, provides a quieter, lower-stimulation area where people can stay for up to 72-hours. It offers a reprieve from the bright lights and often stressful environment in the main ED. A person presenting to the ED with mental illness or challenges with substance use will be assessed to determine if Mitchell Unit is the right place for their care.

In the unit, they will be seen by a multi-disciplinary team including lived experience workers, ED nurses and mental health doctors, and then linked-in with specialised community services before discharge.

The unit was designed in conjunction with mental health experts to create a calm, supportive environment for people in crisis or distress.

There is soft lighting and comfy furniture for a more peaceful atmosphere that promotes safety and wellbeing.

Mitchell Unit Lived Experience Worker, Catherine Theodore brings her own understanding of navigating the system while caring for a family member with mental health challenges.

She said it was often confusing trying to find the correct information or right services when caring for a loved one experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

“I have actually gone through this myself. It means I can listen to people and their family, carers or supporters as I know what they are talking about and where they are coming from,” Catherine said.

“I can give them hope at a time when they feel there is no hope.

“Mental health is never a quick fix, so we are taking the time to ask the right questions, and develop a better discharge plan and set up the patient with proper supports so they can avoid being readmitted.”

Catherine’s role complements the clinicians in the unit and aims to ensure carers’ needs are being met, whether that be emotional or practical support.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 7

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Valley residents bracing for heatwave

By KATRINA BRANDON

SCORCHING temperatures are set for this week, with today (Wednesday, January 7) expected to reach a top of 41 degrees.

Similar temperatures are to follow on Friday (January 9), also scraping 40 degrees, but unlike today, is predicted to have partial cloud coverage and the chance of a shower, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

Looking back to previous weather observations, similar temperatures were presented this time last year.

With dry and hot weather conditions, authorities are warning people to be "weather smart" and to ensure they keep hydrated, don't walk pets when the temperature breaches 25 degrees and above, ensure they have shade, and to keep an eye on travel conditions (public transport and car travel).

On days above 36 degrees, V/Line reiterated that the "steel tracks can expand in the heat, which is why trains may run at slower speeds, or are replaced by coaches" and that passengers should double-check the hot weather timetable for the

smoothest of travel plans. Local fire crews also warn that with a scorcher on the way, people must ensure they have a fire safety plan and to check their district's fire danger warning.

With temperature reaching 41, Victoria is under a High Total Fire Ban warning.

This warning states that unless you have a permit issued by the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) or a municipal fire prevention officer, you cannot light a fire in the open air to burn off grass, stubble, weeds, scrubs or other vegetation.

A barbecue must have a three metre area around it to ensure it is clear of burning anything.

CFA suggests carrying fire suppression equipment when working with green vegetation, and to avoid using farm machinery unless the machine is free from faults and mechanical defects.

Absolute scorcher: Temperatures are expected to tip 40 degrees over the next few days.

Photograph: iStock

FFMVic urges locals to prepare for bushfires

By CHRIS HARDMAN

HAPPY new year, Victoria.

I hope your 2026 is one full of hope, happiness and good health.

Personally? I am thrilled by a summer that has not yet delivered the harsh conditions we might have anticipated; that we have remained largely unscathed by the threat of bushfires; and that our people have had some chance for downtime as we reset for another busy year.

But I am also cautious about what might lie ahead and want to urge caution and continued vigilance in these ‘lazy, hazy, crazy’ days - these latter months of summer.

How you can prepare

BUSHFIRE management is a shared responsibility.

It is one we (FFMVic) share with other agencies (such as CFA), but it is also one we share with you.

There are some simple steps you can take to help reduce your risk from bushfire: 1. Visit the CFA website to help you get started on a Bushfire Plan so you know what you will do in case of fire; 2. Download and get to know the VicEmergency app - then set up ‘watch zones’ and turn on notifications to be kept up to date wherever you are; 3. Get to know the Australian Fire Danger Ratings System - and work out what fire danger rating will trigger your Bushfire Plan; 4. Plan your travel - head to Explore Outdoors

Charlotte, Noah top baby names VICTORIAN parents have chosen two new top baby names for 2025, with Charlotte and Noah the most common baby names registered in the last year.

State government Services Minister Danny Pearson announced the top 20 baby names for last year, with Charlotte returning to the top spot for baby girls for the first time since 2022, ahead of Amelia, Hazel, Mia and 2024-leader Isla.

For boys, Noah ends Oliver’s 11-year winning streak for the top spot, while Henry, Leo and Theodore rounded out the top five.

Both Charlotte and Noah have been popular for more than a decade, with Charlotte placing within the top three names for baby girls since 2012, and Noah within the top-five for baby boys since 2015.

While Charlotte has placed first five times in the past decade, this is the first year Noah has been the most popular name for baby boys in Victoria.

Further down the list, Lucy, Violet and Zoe moved up to score a spot in the top 20 names, while Mila, Sophie and Chloe fell out, finishing at 21, 22 and 28.

For boys, Isaac and Max jumped significantly in popularity to move into the top 20, while

James and Xavier decreased in popularity, landing at 27 and 33 respectively.

There was 11 new names in the top 100 for girls, with Lainey placing the highest of the new entries at 69, while the boys' list saw eight new names in the top 100, with Rory the highest, placing at 77.

More than 80,000 births were registered in Victoria in 2025, including more than 350 Charlottes and more than 500 Noahs.

Parents are encouraged to register their baby’s name within the first 60 days after birth, and can do so online with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

“Congratulations to our littlest Victorians who made the most popular name list for 2025, particularly the new Noahs and Charlottes across the state,” Minister Pearson said.

“Deciding on a baby’s name is an important and memorable step for parents, and not one that is always straightforward.

“We’re making it easier for parents to register the names of their babies through the online Births, Deaths and Marriages platform, so they can focus on spending more time with the newest member of their family.”

For the full list of popular baby names, visit: bdm.vic.gov.au/names

Top baby names 2025 GIRLS

1. Charlotte (359) - up from 2nd in 2024 2. Amelia (336) - up from 3rd 3. Hazel (324) - up from 5th 4. Mia (320) - same 5. Isla (308) - down from 1st 6. Olivia (287) - same 7. Lily (259) - up from 10th 8. Sienna (255) - up from 16 9. Matilda (246) - down from 7th 10. Ava (230) - up from 12th 11. Evelyn (221) - up from 17th =12. Grace (216) - down from 8th =12. Harper (216) - down from 11th =12. Lucy (216) - up from 24th 15. Violet (212) - up from 27 16. Ella (209) - down from 9th 17. Zoe (206) - up from 21 18. Ivy (204) - down from 13th 19. Ruby (200) - down from 14th 20. Isabella (198) - down from 19th

BOYS

1. Noah (507) - up from 2nd in 2024 2. Oliver (459) - down from 1st 3. Henry (394) - same 4. Leo (378) - same 5.Theodore (348) - down from =4th 6. Charlie (323) - up from 7th 7. Luca (309) - down from 6th 8. Jack (302) - same 9. Levi (289) - up from 10th 10. William (284) - up from 12th 11. Oscar (281) - up from 13th =12. Elijah (268) - up from 16th =12.Thomas (268) - up from 14 14. Archie (261) - down from 9th 15. Harvey (256) - same 16. Lucas (248) - up from 17th 17. Hudson (234) - down from 11th 18. Muhammad (229) - same 19 Isaac (220) - up from 27th 20. Max (215) - up from 32nd

Page 8 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

to help you stay safe when visiting state forests; 5. Never leave a campfire unattended - if they are cool to touch, they are safe to leave. And always put your campfires out with water, not soil, and; 6. Understand our Essential Water Replacement policy. In a bushfire, FFMVic and CFA may take water from private land to help us fight fires. You can request any essential water be replaced. Check out the Public Land Recovery page on the FFMVic website to see our policy and download the form if you need it.

How we are prepared

OF course, I want you to know we are prepared too; that FFMVic works year-round to ensure we are well positioned to protect communities, assets and the environment from the threat of bushfire.

We have more than 1800 personnel on the frontline, including year-round and seasonal firefighters, fire lookout observers and support officers, together with hundreds of emergency and incident management staff, firefighting equipment (including hundreds of ultralight and heavy tankers, and more than 1000 additional plant and trucks, including dozers, tractors, graders, loaders, forklifts and excavators); as well as support from the state’s aerial firefighting fleet, comprising a mix of firebombing aircraft, air supervision and information-gathering aircraft.

Our program of bushfire risk reduction includes planned burns, mowing, mulching, slashing and spraying - ‘fuel management’. Fuel management reduces the amount of vegetation (e.g. grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and small fallen branches) available to ‘fuel’ a fire, thereby reducing the likely speed or intensity of a bushfire. These qualities can help fire crews to respond to and put out fires while they are still small - before they can impact on communities, assets, infrastructure and the environment.

But fuel management is not our whole program to reduce risk. We work closely with our emergency sector partners to reduce risk in many ways. From preventing new ignitions through fire bans and campfire controls, early detection of bushfires from

Twice in two days

STATE Highway Patrol members intercepted a 28-year-old Willow Grove man on Saturday, December 27, after he was detected travelling at 118km/h in a 100km/h zone.

Police allege the man was driving on a suspended licence. His partner was permitted to drive the vehicle from the scene.

The following day, the same driver was intercepted again by the same officers after being detected travelling at 95km/h in an 80km/h zone at Yallourn.

On this occasion, the vehicle was impounded.

Aggravated burglary

POLICE are investigating an aggravated burglary at a Hyde Park Road property in Traralgon earlier this month.

It is alleged an unknown offender entered the residence about 6.35am while the occupants were asleep. Police believe the offender used keys to access a locked shed on the property, stealing a gold necklace valued at $1400 along with other personal items.

Police further allege the same offender returned to the address on Saturday, December 27, this time armed with a machete, and again used the stolen keys to access the shed. A set of bolt cutters was allegedly stolen before the offender fled.

Leader: Forest Fire Management Chief Fire Officer, Chris Hardman.

Photograph: Marcia Riederer

fire towers and aircraft, to aggressive first attack using aircraft and ground crews and emergency warning and information systems.

If you are curious about more of this work, the Office of Bushfire Risk Management published Victoria’s Bushfire Management Snapshot.

The snapshot reports on the broad range of activities our sector undertakes to help reduce bushfire risk. You can find it online at: vic.gov.au/ victorias-bushfire-management-snapshot Whatever this season holds, I wish you all the best for it and thank you for your continued support.

Chris Hardman is Chief Fire Officer of Forest Fire Management Victoria.

Police Beat with Aidan Knight

Investigators have released an image of a man they believe may be able to assist with enquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at: www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Driver airlifted

EMERGENCY services were called to a singlevehicle crash on the Boolarra-Mirboo North Road on Monday, December 29.

Leongatha Police, with support from local CFA and Ambulance Victoria crews from Mirboo North, attended the scene after a vehicle left the roadway while negotiating a bend.

Police allege the male driver, aged in his 40s, was travelling at excessive speed when the vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road, lost control and rolled before coming to rest on its wheels.

The man was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with suspected spinal injuries.

Police have reminded motorists of the importance of adhering to posted speed limits and driving to conditions, warning that excessive

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They can’t stop the music AN Australian Hip Hop household name is trying to save a venue in Morwell.

Launceston's Greeley (born Andrew Greeley), previously the figurehead for the Tasmanian Hip Hop Collective, as well as the Australian battle-rap scene, relocated to Loch Sport a number of years ago, and is determined to foster an urban music scene here in Gippsland.

Last year, Greeley helped organise a fundraiser for a local girl battling cancer, drawing the support of community leaders like John Hubbard of Epic Solutions and raising thousands for a worthy cause.

However, the local music scene faces a more existential threat: the Jam Club in Morwell, a cornerstone venue for live hip-hop and creative workshops, is on the brink of closure due to outdated marketing and financial woes.

"The venue has so much potential, but it needs to move with the times,” Greeley shared.

“It’s not just about music, it’s about giving young people a place to belong and dream. With help from people like John Hubbard, who recently lent the club funds to keep the doors open, and interest from institutions like TAFE, there’s real hope we can breathe new life into the space.”

To raise money to allow the Swan Road venue to stay open, Greeley threw together a fundraiser event, in the space of a week, showcasing a plethora of local Gippsland urban artists and aspiring rappers.

Included in the line-up was Sale's DJ Kilo, a key figure in the initial wave of Australian hip hop acts through the group Art Of War, in the early 2000s. Greeley himself also performed, headlining the night. Local artists, many of whom had never performed to a crowd of that size, or at all, went by the named Lewie Junior, Miss Hood, Target, Vanek, Scoot, and Illmanic.

Greeley and the owners of Jam Club also have a vision for it involving TAFE Gippsland, proposing it be put to use as a music certificate location, housing workshops and student-run events.

Up for it: Local hip-hop artist Greeley is fighting to keep Morwell’s Jam Club open.

Photograph: Aidan Knight

Save The Jam Club saw a crowd of 200 in attendance, successfully raising enough money to cover rent for the space. It was an alcohol and drug-free event and featured food vans on the night. The venue can hold around 2000 punters.

Greeley’s journey is as inspiring as it is unconventional.

Born in America, he honed his skills in Texas before becoming a prominent figure in Tasmania, using hip hop not only as a musical outlet but as a way of healing generational trauma and building community.

His experience spans organising legendary battle events, mentoring young rappers from Gippsland

and beyond, and overcoming his own challenges - including a stint in jail that renewed his focus on making positive change.

Greeley is vocal about his time as a convict, using it as a story of growth and personal development, which he uses to inform and work with misled youth to try and combat societal crime, with a constant emphasis on community.

“When I was a teenager and all my mates were getting into more serious crime. I was like, 'well, I got this gig coming up, I'm not going to jeopardise that'," he shared, on how important an outlet like music is to the prevention of youth crime, especially in rural areas.

"Gippsland is like the Tasmania of Australia in a lot of ways, but there's a lot of the same culture here among young people about pursuing something like music. Tall poppy syndrome stops people from giving anything a go, but to develop a strong scene here would be really beneficial for a lot of the problems of the area," he continued, citing similarities in attitudes among young people in both states (regionally).

He is also proud to be an artist operating within the rap space who breaks the cycle of glorifying violence and substance abuse, themes that he sees have no benefit being promoted via music.

“After serving time in Tassie, I did heaps of trauma-informed work, and the issues happening across the board - I get it, I really get it,” he explained, adding that his outreach with young men is centred on “breaking the mould and being someone in Australian hip hop that's not just encouraging negative behaviour, but showing positive ways forward.”

"I just want to keep encouraging young fellas in negative environments to make positive decisions, show people it can be done," he said.

With the Jam Club’s future still uncertain, Greeley says he’ll keep fighting to give Gippsland’s young artists the space he never had growing up.

For him, saving the venue isn’t just about keeping a stage alive, it’s about keeping a pathway open.

Hysteria over fake fight

By AIDAN KNIGHT

A BIZARRE jest turned into a community event, after a comedic 'public notice' poster made waves on Facebook last year.

More than 500 people responded to a Facebook event titled ‘Darren V Paul: The Battle Of The Toothbrush’ after sightings of the same event poster were seen plastered on power poles around Moe. The public boxing match, allegedly to be held at Moe Botanical Gardens, was scheduled for 3pm on Thursday, August 14, between the ex-husband (Paul) and new boyfriend (Darren) of a woman named Meg. The poster alleged that Paul had left his toothbrush in Meg’s house after their recent breakup, and “this man has already moved into our family home and is using my toothbrush each night”.

The public match was to determine which of the two would keep the toothbrush, with the support and witnessing of the community.

Locals online were enthralled and fascinated by this strange poster, to the point where Sportsbet odds were being discussed in the comment section, only for it to be revealed that a local joker was behind these posters - and many others, within the area.

Molly-Rose Wilson is a Moe resident who “regularly creates stupid posters like this to prank the locals and lift my own spirits”.

Her work can be found regularly on the noticeboard between the Coffee Pod and Aussie Disposals in Moore Street.

Locals speculated that the Express had seemingly published one of Wilson’s fake ads in our Classified section, which she circulated an image of on her social media. After further speculation, our publication can confirm this image is a doctored one, and no such ad has run in the Express - thanks to our stringent classies officers.

The self-declared ‘poster menace’ owned up to the Battle of the Toothbrush via the Facebook event page on August 1, which had been created by someone else after seeing copies of the poster around Morwell CBD. “This one blew up way more than I anticipated," she said in her post.

“Sorry to let you down, but maybe we can all hang out (at the event time) anyway?”

Steve Riley, the local who created the page, jumped at this.

While Ms Wilson received a mixed response of laughter and frustration from those following the page, even leading to ABC radio interviews, which exposed that news of the event had reached Melbourne prior to Wilson revealing herself.

Mr Riley proposed to the 500-odd people who responded to the event that while “Paul and Darren” were fictional characters, it would become a community event, which he would run with his

! #" ! !

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Truthbrush: The poster that started it all, was Photograph supplied revealed to be a fraud. background as a youth boxing coach and DJ, and would even supply a sausage sizzle himself.

“When I saw how many people thought it was real, I knew I had to make it a real event," he declared online.

“Every participant gets a trophy, crowd favourite gets a golden toothbrush."

As for Meg, she remains fictional - but if she were real, we can only hope she’s finally bought a new toothbrush.

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By AIDAN KNIGHT

MA MAR ARKE RKETS E

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 9

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Take a Break

Jooftkhee week

Proudly bought to you by the participating LOCAL businesses below...

BRAIN STRAIN EL WITH CATWEASEL

ONE POINTERS 1. In the phonetic alphabet, what word represents the letter C? 2. What sport uses the term ‘love’ to represent a score of zero?

3. What number did legendary race car driver Peter Brock display on his car?

4. What do we call a baby frog?

TWO POINTERS 5. Who was Australia’s first female Prime Minister?

6. In Cockney rhyming slang, if someone called you their China plate what are they calling you?

7. The ‘Three Sisters’ are a famous landmark llocated in which national park?

8. True or false. Eating lots of carrots can turn your skin an orange or yellowish colour?

THREE POINTER 9. What part of the atom has no electric charge?

10. What was the name of the crime boss who was head of the feared Chicago Outfit?

11. What year did Elvis Presley die?

12. What team did Richmond beat to win the 1980 flag?

FOUR POINTER 13. What type of cured fish is a kipper?

14. Who wrote the songs for the musical Matilda?

FIVE POINTER 15. What animals are associated with these collective nouns?

1. Murder 2. parliament 3. crash 4. tower 5. clowder One point for each correct answer.

HOW DID YOU FARE? 37: Top of the class; 30-36: Outstanding; 21-29: Well done; 15-20: Solid effort; 9-14: Room for improvement; 0-8: Hit the books.

Why are ghosts such bad liars?

Because they are easy to see through..

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Crossword Puzzle No. 8671 ACROSS 3 Earlier 8 Devise 10 Melody 11 Made suitable 14 Heron 17 Relating to bees 18 Increase 20 Of the ear 21 Egyptian goddess 23 Commence 25 Serpents 27 Kitchen utensil 29 Drug-yielding plant 30 Dissolves 32 Distort 34 Beverages 35 Decapitate 38 Chemical compound 40 Fibre 41 Treachery 44 Female sheep 45 Reaffirm 46 Return to former habit Solution page 36

DOWN 1 Performed 2 Trap 3 Rope-splicing pin 4 Egg-shaped 5 Corded cloth 6 Fundamental 7 Hard rock 9 Scolds 12 Makes lace 13 Tombstone inscriptions 15 Farm birds 16 Epistle writer 19 Pinch 22 Tool 24 Kingly 25 Electrical units 26 Large dish 28 Seize 31 Dry and withered 33 Checks 36 Anaesthetic 37 Amounts owing 39 Consumer 42 Land measure 43 Cereal

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Using the 9 letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list?

The centre letter must be included and each letter may be used only once. No colloquial or foreign words.

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Solution page 36

Target: Average - 6, Good -9 Excellent -12+

Answers: 1: Charlie; 2: Tennis; 3: 05; 4: Tadpole; 5: Julia Gillard; 6: Mate; 7: Blue Mountains National Park; 8: True; 9: Neutron; 10: Al Capone; 11: 1977; 12: Collingwood; 13: Herring; 14: Tim Minchin; 15: -1. Crows, -2. owls, -3. rhinoceroses, -4. giraffes and -5.cats.

Take some

time out over the holidays... try some

puzzles!

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Page 10 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Gun laws nothing but blind checking

I FOUND the article 'Gun laws not the problem'

by Katrina Brandon interesting (Latrobe Valley Express, 30/12/25).

I have never owned a gun. The laws seem quite simple: if you are a law-abiding citizen, your license is granted.

The fact that the perpetrators of the Bondi massacre were being watched by the NSW Police Commissioner and also ASIO, I think they need to go to Spec Savers. That kind of observation is not acceptable for our safety.

Albo is adamant there will be no Royal or government commission. Could he be afraid of what may be revealed? Albo talks of safety, but I do not feel safe in Victoria, and now in Australia.

As for expert advice regarding a Commission - do we have to wait for another attack for the so-called experts to admit they got it wrong?

Patricia Correa Traralgon

Slow now, later fast.

First now, later last

AND I, in turn, am inspired by Joseph Lis, ('Inspired

by Liam Durkin's piece', LVE Opinion, 30/12), and Bob Dylan.

I call it John and Bob's ode to Joseph.

"Come gather round people wherever you roam, And admit that the waters around you have grown, And accept that soon you'll be drenched to the bone, If your time to you is worth savin', Then you'd better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin'." (Dylan).

"Future readers, pause and wonder, Over the dust of 'Opinion' letters past, How so many voracious egos Seemed easily sated by taking so many to task.

"All that you are now once was I", Says the prolific Joseph Lis,

As puzzled future generations are left to ponder, Surely he was taking the piss?

It's said hindsight is wonderful, And time an exemplary teacher, But closed minds and clinging to the past Just reveals us as deluded creatures.

"The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast, The slow one now will later be fast, As the present now will later be past, The order is rapidly fadin', And the first one now will later be last, For the times they are a-changin'." (Dylan).

Bob Dylan stood tall, Way back in '64, But, my God, have we learned nothing at all?

John Duck Trafalgar

System failure

I AM writing as a totally blind Traralgon resident and advocate for people with disabilities to sound the alarm on a massive security failure by Safe Transport Victoria.

I have reached them directly about this issue but my concerns have been met with total indifference.

The Multi-Purpose Taxi Program (MPTP) is a lifeline for our most vulnerable citizens, yet Victoria is the only state in Australia still using an anonymous 'Smart Card' without photo identification.

Every other corner of this country - New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory - has moved to secure systems that include photo ID or digital verification. Why is Victoria the only state lagging behind?

The lack of a photo on these cards isn't just a technicality; it’s an open invitation for fraud.

Currently, there is nothing stopping a family member or a friend from 'borrowing' a card. Even more concerning is that it leaves the door open for support workers to misuse a client’s card. If a driver is new to the area or doesn't personally know the member, they have no way to verify that the

person sitting in the taxi is the rightful owner of that subsidy.

Worse still, if a card is lost or stolen, it can be used by anyone who finds it until it is reported. Taxi drivers are not required to ask for any other form of identification, meaning the system relies entirely on an 'honour system' that is clearly being abused.

When I raised this with Safe Transport Victoria, the lack of urgency was staggering. They seem perfectly comfortable letting taxpayer dollars be drained by fraud while other states have already fixed the problem. It is time the state government stepped up, stopped the excuses, and brought Victorian taxi cards into the 21st century with mandatory photo ID. We deserve a system that actually protects its members.

Phillip Chalker Traralgon

Cautious optimism

YOUR correspondent Adrian Cosgriff ('The end of traditional baseload electricity', LVE Opinion, 17/12/25) correctly lauds the upsurge in renewables.

I however believe his optimistic forecast of 'soon' for the timed demise of coal-fired baseload generation is flawed and unrealistic.

The closure of current operating power stations may not happen, as had been advertised to occur on certain future dates. It may well require years, a drawn-out prolonged shutdown process.

Given that Victoria occasionally suffers extreme weather conditions, night time heating and cooling will be needed during such cold spells and during heat-wave episodes.

While solar panel installation in Victoria has been abundant, the slower intake of costly storage batteries for night time energy backup in domestic premises will be sorely felt.

Supplementing energy sources like gas-fired peaking stations and capacitator-based energy banks now exist, but may still be in short supply and of limited load capacity across the state in the short term.

When the lights 'go out' frequently at night, this effect will heed a public outcry. State government will then be pressured to negotiate with power station owners to extend the life of their generating plant until system reliability can be achieved.

Lawrie Waddington Morwell

Have your say

THE Latrobe Valley Express welcomes letters to the editor.

Preference will be given to brief, concise letters which address local issues.

The editor Liam Durkin, reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space and clarity, and may refuse to publish any letter without explanation.

The Express does not publish letters from anonymous contributors.

Letters must include a phone number, email address and the author's hometown for purposes of substantiating authenticity.

Readers are entitled to a right of reply to a letter directed at them.

While healthy debate is encouraged, the editor will stamp out any that cross the line to defamation.

The views expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Latrobe Valley Express management or staff.

Readers should be equally aware that facts presented in letters are selected to support a person's point of view.

As such, statistics can quite often be fabricated depending on the pool of data used or people involved in surveys.

The letters section is designed to allow people to have their say, and not be hijacked for political agendas.

Letters regarding religion will not be published.

Email letters to news@lvexpress.com.au and include 'Letter to the Editor' in the subject line.

Deadline for letters is Thursday 3pm.

The need for more big batteries and pumped hydro COMMENT

BY DAN CAFFREY

ACCORDING to the Open Electricity website which reports on the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) data, renewables provided 49.9 per cent of the electricity in the National Electricity Market (NEM) for the month of October 2025. The NEM covers all states except WA and the NT. Fossil fuels supplied 49.1 per cent and big batteries supplied the remaining one per cent.

The proportion of renewables will increase henceforth on a yearly basis as more electricity will be generated from new wind and solar developments.

However, this proportion for renewables could be much higher even now, if there was enough storage in the form of big batteries and more pumped hydro or other means of storing energy.

According to the Hepburn Community Wind Farm AGM report, in 2024/25, the output from their two wind turbines were curtailed for 23 per cent of the time, compared to just three per cent in 2022/23.

Curtailment means that they have to shut off supply to the NEM or else suffer financial penalty if they keep supplying.

This is because of the huge increase in rooftop

solar that floods onto the grid each day for the sunniest eight months of the year. If unchecked, it would damage grid infrastructure.

If this were the case across the NEM, then we are wasting around one-fifth of the potential electricity supply from renewables.

We need more big batteries and pumped hydro to prevent wasteful curtailment.

Curtailment is occurring in the pink section of the graph from about 6.30am to about 4.30pm, and this is where the spot price turns negative to force generators to reduce supply. It is why you will see wind turbines not spinning in the middle of a windy day.

The federal government is forcing electricity retailers in NSW and QLD and possibly other states eventually, to provide electricity to consumers in the middle three hours of the day for free.

This is one initiative that they are trying in order to reduce wastage by tempting consumers to use more power when solar is at its highest level and prices are negative.

The other initiative that the Feds are doing is subsiding home batteries to store power for the evening. This is proving to be a very popular action.

The message here is that we should be encouraging

the installation of big batteries along our existing high voltage transmission lines to prevent this wastage of electricity. By doing so we get cheaper wholesale prices for electricity, because it reduces the need for building more generation capacity and hopefully results in cheaper retail prices to consumers.

The other positive to note is that lithium prices are continuing to fall, as more supply hits the market and this has resulted in battery prices falling 21 per cent from 2021 levels to the present (International Energy Agency, IEA) and are expected to keep falling over the next few years.

Just like with solar and wind farms, hosting a big battery can bring community benefit payments and even reduced electricity bills for neighbouring land-holders.

If one is inclined to reject a prospective big battery near them, then they are doing the whole neighbourhood and wider community a disservice.

A subtle message to some farmers near Shady Creek, needless to say.

Dan Caffrey is president of Latrobe Valley Sustainability Group.

Political spin will never replace spinning turbines COMMENT

BY JOSEPH LIS

"BEHIND the veil of Oz, there is nothing but bluff,"Christopher Hitchens.

The English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744) once wrote: "A little learning is a dangerous thing," and after three-and-two-third years of listening to the energy-illiterate Australian Energy Minister, the reality-proof Chris Bowen, I have to agree with Pope.

To be fair, I realise it is very difficult to fully grasp established engineering principles if one does not have an engineering background as Bowen obviously does not.

So, to simplify a very complex subject, and for people like Bowen who like to pontificate their halfbaked half-truths about the so-called 'transition' in public, it is necessary at this point to provide a little background context.

In the late 19th-century, a heated competition, famously dubbed "the war of currents", arose between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Edison championed direct current electricity (DC), emphasising its safety and reliability for consumers, while Tesla, with the support of George Westinghouse, advocated for alternating current electricity (AC) due to its ability to efficiently change voltage levels with transformers, making it ideal for long-distance transmission.

AC eventually became the standard for power distribution in the early 20th-century due to the technical limitations that restricted DC's practicality. The chief limitation of DC power was that power stations had to be located near consumers to support DC systems, therefore making them impractical for widespread application. In stark contrast, AC's efficiency in transmitting electricity over long distances secured its dominance and shaped the modern electrical grid that remains in place today where electricity flows through the grid at a "constant frequency" which in Australia is a precise 50-hertz cycle established by spinning turbines. These are called synchronous generators.

The big turbines inside them, spinning at 300 revolutions per minute, don't just produce power - they also 'stabilise' the system. They keep the rhythm steady and thus prevent the grid from crashing. Renewables (wind, solar, and batteries) cannot provide this stability as they are intrinsically 'non-synchronous' energy sources that are entirely weather-dependent.

In a seminal 2021 engineering paper by University of Queensland researchers Nicholas Maurer, Stephen Wilson and Archie Chapman, they warned that the renewables-only-plus-batteries electricity system Australia is building is doomed to failure.

They found that when power systems over-rely

on inverter-based (DC) electricity generation like wind and solar and batteries, the grid becomes dangerously vulnerable to sudden blackouts.

Reinforcing this finding, in December 2024 the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) issued a press release which said this: "The stability of the country's grid is provided by the big heavy generators spinning at the same frequency as the grid, acting like a pacemaker for the grid to make sure the heartbeat remained stable."

Adding kindling to the fire, in January 2025, AEMO said this: "In the event of hot days, all solar panels could be switched off by the operator in order to stabilise the grid."

These disturbing admissions of failure come at a time when the mask is slipping for the entire energy transition and sound a flashing warning light for the electricity system we are building.

Towards the end of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the main character, Dorothy, ends up feeling deeply disappointed when the man behind the curtain (the Wizard) is revealed to be pot-bellied Francis Wupperman.

In other words, we are putting wishful thinking before the engineering reality of power generation.

It is clueless and dangerous and naive.

The public deserves facts, not ideological spin.

Joseph Lis is a Morwell resident

State election this year BETTER lay out the ground rules from the start.

This year being a state election year, this paper will obviously be inundated with letters as November 28 draws closer.

As it was with last year’s federal election, I again wish to make it absolutely clear there is a difference between editorial and paid advertising.

If candidates wish to heighten their campaigns further, they are permitted to do so out of their own pocket.

Any advertising containing editorial will be clearly marked as such, and not provided

by Express journalists.

Letters to the Editor will continue as normal, however I will be using my discretion to eliminate any I feel crossover as attempts to undermine or derail the campaigns of parties involved.

There was issues regarding letters being sent in from fake names last year, which will again be carefully policed.

I am not oblivious either to the groundswell of opposition many Gippslanders currently have towards Labor, nor frustrations from people feeling as though the Liberals are a weak opposition given the never-ending changes to leadership.

Every year in news is busy, but none more so than when a state election is due.

In my view, a state election is the one that has the biggest impact on local residents (even more so than council and even federal) as major decisions made by the Premier's team usually directly affect many industries critical to Gippsland's prosperity.

Rational debate is critical in the election process.

Let's remember the rational part.

Liam DURKIN LVE Editor

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 11

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ADF careers have much to offer

By AIDAN KNIGHT

THE Australian Defence Force’s Mobile ADF Careers Centre (MACC) rolled into Traralgon as part of a two-week recruitment tour across Gippsland, offering locals a chance to explore military careers without travelling to Melbourne.

The bright yellow careers bus set up outside Traralgon RSL on Grey Street from 9am to 5pm, where ADF career specialists spoke with walk-ins and online bookings about opportunities across the Navy, Army and Air Force.

Representatives said interest was steady throughout the day, with many people seeking information on trade roles, technical pathways and subsidised training programs.

Career specialists told the Express that the tour aims to break down barriers for regional recruits by bringing information sessions directly into local communities.

Navy Lieutenant Jonty Paterson said the ADF has too many career possibilities to list, stating, “We want to break down barriers for regional communities by taking information directly to them.

There are over 300 different job positions within the Australian Defence Force, from chefs to engineers, doctors to administration."

Lt Paterson described how his own journey started after university, leading to a rewarding Navy engineering career.

“I completed an engineering degree and, with no luck on the job market, applied to the ADF. The process took about seven months, but it opened doors to a career that matches my skills and interests - including leadership, technical work, and a sense of purpose," he said.

The Australian Defence Force offers several pathways for students to combine higher education with military service, providing both financial support and practical experience.

One prominent option is the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra, where students undertake undergraduate degrees through a partnership with UNSW. While studying at ADFA, students are considered full members of the ADF, which means the Defence

At ease: Lieutenant Jonty Paterson graduated with an engineering degree from university, before embarking on an “accidental” engineering career in the navy, which he says will sustain his employment for the rest of his working life.

Photograph: Aidan Knight

Force covers tuition fees and provides a salary throughout the duration of their studies.

In addition to academic learning, students participate in military training and leadership development, setting them up for rewarding careers upon graduation.

Alternatively, the ADF Defence Undergraduate Scheme allows students to study at the university of their choice while being sponsored by the ADF. This sponsorship not only pays for university tuition but also provides students with a wage while they complete their degree.

As shared by LT Paterson, this opportunity isn’t

limited to just engineering or technical fields, it also applies to many other roles, including health, trades, and administrative careers. Students accepted into the scheme benefit from financial stability, practical placement opportunities, and a guaranteed job upon completing their studies and military requirements. Whether through ADFA or university sponsorship, these programs are designed to remove financial barriers to education, support students with a steady income, and ensure graduates are prepared for diverse and meaningful careers within the Defence Force.

Representatives reported a steady stream of

interest throughout the day. Many visitors were keen to hear about apprenticeships, trade roles, engineering careers and technical pathways, as well as subsidised training and sponsorship programs.

Specialists also reassured visitors and their families about the thorough screening that recruits undergo, including interviews, medical and psychological assessments, and the emphasis on physical fitness and personal development.

“Joining the Australian Defence Force is a commitment, but it’s also a chance to grow professionally and personally, and to serve something bigger than yourself,” they added.

More buses under recommendation 13 (thirteeeeeen)

By STEFAN BRADLEY

INFRASTRUCTURE Victoria (IV) has called on the state government to add more regional bus and coach services, including in Gippsland, for better access to jobs and services.

IV, an independent advisory body, released a 250-page report last November titled Victoria’s Infrastructure Strategy 2025-2055, which included 45 recommendations and eight future options on many infrastructure sectors.

Recommendation 13 urges the state government to run more coach and bus services to better connect small towns to regional centres. They recommend starting with routes that improve access to healthcare, education and jobs.

IV recommends more bus services in Bairnsdale, Warragul, Drouin, Shepparton, Wodonga, Mildura, Wangaratta and Horsham.

“If people use public transport more, they can save money and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But our modelling confirms that many regional Victorians struggle to access services by public transport,” IV's report stated.

“Many transport services do not reach the places people need, including TAFEs, universities, employment centres, hospitals and health facilities.”

The report said around 90 per cent of young people living in rural and regional Victoria could not access TAFE or university by public transport, and when they could, often had to leave class early or experience a long wait on the way home.

There are many benefits to having better public transport for regional Victorians, especially for low-income households, older people and First Peoples who may have limited access to transport.

“Better public transport can improve access to education and help young people stay in regional areas. It can connect people to jobs and help fill labour shortages,” IV said.

“It can help older people stay independent and mobile. It also improves road safety. When people choose public transport over driving, it reduces the total number of car crashes.”

Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) regional spokesperson Paul Westcott told the Express the organisation “fully agrees” with sentiments expressed in Recommendation 13.

PTUA advocates for public transport users in Victoria.

“We have long noted that bus services designed to connect regional centres are glaringly inadequate. As Infrastructure Victoria notes, they run far too infrequently and some are notably indirect,” Mr Westcott said.

Assistance: The state government’s 2025/26 budget has allocated additional coach services for Photograph supplied Yarram.

"The other problem is that they are a mixture of services contracted as V/Line ones, and services contracted by the (Department of Transport and Planning), which are ‘non-V/Line’.

“The designated V/Line bus (‘coach’) services tend to run between the more significant regional centres, whereas the ones contracted by the DTP are usually in the remoter parts of regional Victoria. Not only should they run more frequently and directly, it would be advantageous to have all regional inter-urban bus service designated as V/Line ones, with all relevant buses sporting the V/Line livery.

“The advantage of that is that V/Line is an established brand and having a common V/Line

Page 12 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

livery will help to make the services more ‘visible’.

The DTP-contracted services are run by buses just featuring the individual companies' livery and so are ‘anonymous’.”

IV said the government should consult with communities, councils and bus operators in regional centres to confirm transport needs and then add services to meet them.

“It should coordinate local bus services with train timetables to connect people to more transport options and reduce waiting times,” IV said.

“Our analysis of possible service improvements shows that running daytime bus services every 30 minutes in larger cites (sic) will add up to 250 new services each day. Running buses every 60

minutes in smaller cities and towns will add around 30 new services a day.”

More ticket readers added to V/Line coach and bus services would make it easier for travellers to switch between connecting services.

The Express asked the state government if it intended to act on any of the ideas or recommendations in the report, in particular about regional buses.

"Passengers are already enjoying more bus and train services, better reliability and upgraded stations thanks to the Gippsland Line Upgrade," a government spokesperson said.

"This year, we added more than 1100 extra bus services across 13 routes in Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Drouin and Warragul, providing better transfers between the new services added as part of switching on the Gippsland Line Upgrade.

“We recognise the important role that buses play in our regional communities which is why we’re reviewing a number of regional networks to understand local usage and inform future upgrades.”

The government said the 2025/26 State Budget invested in reviewing high priority regional networks to inform future bus network plans.

A staged approach will be taken to these reviews over the next few years, with the immediate focus on the Ballarat, Bendigo and the Geelong and Bellarine bus networks. Timing for other priority network reviews will be determined as reviews progress further.

Around 24,000 additional bus services have been added since 2014, including 500 additional weekly bus services in Armstrong Creek, Charlemont and Torquay, 320 additional weekly bus services in Ballarat this year and 1100 in and around Gippsland following the completion of the Gippsland Line Upgrade last year.

The budget funded more frequent coach services for Leongatha and Yarram. Engagement on this expansion of services has just finished, with more than 1200 responses received, with the new services to be introduced in 2026.

The budget also included funding for the continuation of the Anderson to Cowes Friday evening service, two Bass Coast and South Gippsland TAFE services, and Wonthaggi to Leongatha (via Inverloch) intertown service.

IV estimated the entirety of Recommendation 13 to cost $100 million to $150 million over five years, funded by general government recommendations. More bus and coach services in regional Victoria would cost about $25-45 million each year to operate, which includes buying and maintaining bus fleet and depot upgrades.

news

www.lvexpress.com.au

Hemp, hemp, hooray

By KATRINA BRANDON

OPENING the door to a new industry, iHemp Victoria held the annual Global Hemp Summit (GHS) last month.

Over three days, hundreds of people travelled to Lardner Park to learn about the multiple opportunities hemp can bring, including agriculture, construction, and skincare/textiles in Gippsland.

Day 1 was a practical session with iHemp Victoria President Darren Christie, who brought along soil microbiologist Norman Olsen and farmer Andrew Cavill.

Attendees had ample opportunity to walk through rows of hemp, which sparked questions and conversations about how it could become a leading industry.

After walking through the field, they stopped for a discussion and introduction to the topic and trials. They covered the failed trials, the successful trials, their product roadmap, and plans.

Knowledge: NSW Industrial Hemp Association Inc President James Vosper and Australian Hemp Group Of Companies Chief Executive, Darren Christie at the Global Hemp Summit, held at Lardner Park.

A constructive discussion was held with providers and industry representatives, during which Mr Christie and Mr Olsen addressed concerns about hemp and provided background information on all aspects of the product.

During the session, the discussion highlighted agronomy, soil intelligence, genetics, uniformity, harvesting innovations, fibre processing capacity, construction applications (hempcrete, block systems, cavity walls), fire and building standards, and skincare/textiles.

On the second day, the summit moved indoors, where speakers were ready to share their perspectives on the industry.

Speakers on the second and third days of the summit ranged from experts at the forefront of their fields to those just beginning their journeys, all discussing industries that could be impacted by hemp.

Leading the day, Mr Christie was joined by former Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan, now chair of Regional Development Victoria, and James Vosper, president of the NSW Industrial Hemp Association Inc. Ms O’Callaghan expressed her excitement about the potential industrial impacts on Gippsland.

Most speakers on Day 2 focused on key topics, including the construction industry, hemp research, and the benefits of hemp-based materials.

Key construction benefits highlighted during the day included hemp providing insulation in homes, as well as fire, moisture, and pest-resistance.

Other key aspects of the day included Anthony Karalaris stepping in to discuss the historical elements of hemp across countries, helping the idea resonate with conference attendees.

From the other side of the world, additional speakers presented examples from France and India, discussing potential international connections and partnerships to ensure hemp is used as productively and beneficially as possible, and how it could be done locally.

On the final day of the summit, the final notes on hemp covered the current state and future potential of the hemp industry in Gippsland and across Australia, highlighting collaborative efforts, industry challenges, and opportunities in both agriculture and sustainable construction.

Education on hemp was also highlighted, talking about getting local farmers involved from Orbost all the way to South Gippsland areas, whether

Opportunities: Hemp carries with it misconceptions, which were quickly put to rest at the Global Photographs: Katrina Brandon Hemp Summit.

Industrial: Hemp construction blocks were provided to showcase one of the many uses of hemp. they are dairy, meat or crop farmers, to take the opportunity to hear how it could benefit farms, and take part in transforming the timber industry.

The Summit wasn’t just about hemp; it was about collaboration among people and clusters.

Gippsland professor Mirijana Prica and Dr Nicola Watts highlighted the importance of connections, creating a shared space to spread knowledge and

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invest in people, which, in the broader context, drives societal growth.

Others, such as Western Sydney University’s Maggie Davidson, broke down the science behind the products, with Dr Davidson highlighting potential risks and examining the ramifications of hemp in construction, using silica as an example.

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The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 13

School News

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Trafalgar High School presentations

THE school year ended at Trafalgar High School, with more than 200 students and 400 family members gathering in the school's sports centre to present a range of awards.

The awards celebrated all parts of school life, from leadership and sports, to community service and academic excellence.

In each year level, students can be awarded Academic Excellence awards for receiving academic results above 80 per cent in a class each semester, and Endeavour awards awarded by teachers to students who have shown consistent effort and a level of commitment to their learning over each semester.

The school also presents a community service award named after Dorothy Hoare OAM, a past member of the school council who is also an established community leader. Dorothy is a past member of the Trafalgar

Lioness Club and a volunteer with the Trafalgar Youth Resource Centre, and its mentoring program for young people in our community.

The 2025 Dorothy Hoare OAM Community Service Shield was awarded to Rory and Mackenzie Palmer.

In presenting the award, Trafalgar High School Principal Brett Pedlow said, “There are many words to describe Rory and Mackenzie Palmer; driven, leaders, creative, passionate, reliable, kind and team players. From their first year at Trafalgar High School, both students have been art captains and have planned, curated and implemented annually the art and music festivals at the end of the year, and in 2025, they were part of the team that created the 2025 Helm, our school yearbook."

On the night, Mackenzie and Rory also received awards for 13 academic

Congratulations: Year 11 student Joshua Handasyde was the recipient of the Mining Energy Union’s VCE Support Scholarship.

Speech: Trafalgar High School Principal Brett Pedlow addresses the auditorium at the school’s awards night.

Photographs supplied

awards at Year 9.Sponsored by Aussie Broadband, the Dux of Year 7 was Skyla Embleton, and from the select entry accelerated learning program Dux was jointly held by Hannah Kolody and Param Siddharth Hemanth.

Year 8 Dux is sponsored by Warragul Buslines, with Paisley Gerraty the recipient, and Joseph Handasyde the select entry accelerated learning program Dux. Ruby Vickery took home the Year 9 Dux sponsored by Cental Agri Group, and Evelyn Murfett was the select entry accelerated learning program Dux at Year 9. The Rotary Club of Trafalgar sponsored the Dux of Year 10. Club president Len Makin presented the award to Alexander Wheatland. Reen Roy and Mala Potts jointly held the select entry accelerated learning program Dux. GippsTAFE sponsored the Year 11 dux, won by Xavier Mether, and the Lions Club of Trafalgar sponsored the Dux of Year 12, received by Lucas Murphy for his ATAR of 97.30.

Seth Brown received the 2025 vocational Education Training award in the Vocational Major VCE stream for his pathway of studies starting with Certificate II in Active Volunteering in Year 11, where he participated in conservation events at Old Gippstown and Golden Beach. This year, Seth began the Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystems Management, having placements with Traralgon Library, Growmaster Nursery and Gippsland Water. In the VCE steam, the 2025 vocational Education Training award went to Chloe Gringhuis, who has successfully completed her Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance including placements at Latrobe Valley Village and the West Gippsland Healthcare Group.As well as the Rotary Club of Trafalgar Music Scholarship, the school presented a music scholarship to Tayla O’Neill, awarded Outstanding Contribution in Music to Bella Di Sisto and Xander Hornby. The Women in music award went to Charlize Ikin and the Kunze Family Music Scholarship to Alyssa Perks.

The Mining and Energy Union members presented an award to a Joshua Handasyde of Year 11 as he embodies the values of dedication, hard work, and a commitment to making the world around him better. Joshua had the highest results in Unit 3/4 (Year 12) Art Making and Exhibiting for 2026 and seven Year 11 Endeavour Awards.

Tessa Mainus of Year 11 received the Max Gibson Memorial Senior History Award and Sian Radic of Year 9 the Junior Award. Max Gibson was the inaugural president of the Trafalgar and District Historical Society.

Great work: Year 7 student Michael Zelley with Trafalgar Lions Club’s David Koschade after receiving the 2025 Lions Club of Trafalgar encouragement award.

Honour: Trafalgar High School Year 11 student Tessa Mainus, pictured with Glenys Ralls of the Trafalgar District Historical Society. Tessa received the Max Gibson Memorial Senior History Award.

Tunes: Year 9 student Emily Coster received a music scholarship from Rotary Club of Trafalgar. She is pictured with Rotary president, Len Makin.

Page 14 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Right note: Ash Pugsley (Year 10) receives a music scholarship from Len Makin, President of Rotary Club of Trafalgar.

news

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One and one and one is three

MORWELL Central Primary School students were introduced to the lives and songs of The Beatles last year.

Students had a fabulous time celebrating this learning with an end-of-the-year ‘Beatles Day’.

On the day, staff and students came dressed up as The Beatles or as someone mentioned in one of their songs and participated in a parade in the school’s gym.

This was followed by five different activities in multi-age groups.

Activities included making a sun (Here Comes the Sun), creating an octopus (Octopus’ Garden) and learning to draw a submarine (Yellow Submarine).

The day ended with a singalong of the students’ favourite Beatles songs and watching the movie Yellow Submarine.

Latrobe Valley musician Hanz Zwart performed on the same stage as The Beatles during their only Australian tour in 1964.

Mop-tops: Education Support staff, Kade, Flynn, Ryan and Jai, adopting The Beatles look.

Securing local water supply

Turn to Page 16 for his story.

We all live: Lochlan as the Yellow Submarine for Beatles day at Morwell Central Primary School.

Trio: Hudson as a strawberry (Strawberry Fields Forever), Ava as the Queen who presented medals to The Beatles and Irfan in his car (Drive my Car).

Clever: Levi dressed as an octopus (Octopus’ Garden) and Djungalah as a worker (Hard Day’s Night).

Delicious dress: Zeita dressed as a cake (Birthday).

Titular activities: Alexis with the ‘Make an Octopus’ and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ activities.

Lyrics: Morwell Central Primary School students dressed as characters from Beatles songs. Pictured is Raziel (When I’m 64), Heidi (Blackbird) and Ariana (Strawberry Fields Forever).

TUESDAY 6 JANUARY Ava Michaelides turns 11 Isabella Sanderson turns 11 Eliza Reid turns 9

WEDNESDAY 7 JANUARY Kailee Reynolds turns 11

WORKS and planning on key water infrastructure projects in regional Victoria are now underway thanks to $23.8 million in funding from the federal and Victorian government to safeguard town water supplies and boost regional water security.

Three projects in regional Victoria have received a combined $10.1 million through the Australian government’s National Water Grid Fund and $13.7 million from the Victorian government via Gippsland Water, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water and Central Highlands Water, who are delivering the projects.

Gippsland Water’s $9.57 million Traralgon-Tyers Interconnect project involves constructing a pipeline from the Tyers water supply system to Traralgon - a larger, more reliable and resilient system.

The project will significantly increase water security and quality for the towns of Glengarry, Toongabbie, Cowwarr, Willung and Rosedale, while making the region more resilient to climate change. The secure supply will also ensure the region has capacity to accommodate a growing population.

This facilities will improve reliability and provide safer water supply to rural and urban areas which are vulnerable to blue-green algae blooms and blackwater events.

Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt welcomed the announcement, “No matter where you live across Australia you deserve access to clean drinking water, these projects will ensure new high-quality drinking water supplies for our regional Victorian communities," he said.

“The Albanese Labor government is pleased to partner with the Allan Labor government to deliver these crucial projects to safeguard our water resources for the communities, industries and environments that rely on them.”

Victorian Minister for Water, Gayle Tierney added her praise.

“The Allan Labor government knows how vital it is (that) we continue to fund projects that enable us to build on the water security in our regional communities as well as supporting our farmers," she said.

“I’m pleased to be able to partner with the Albanese Labor government to deliver these projects that not only improve water quality in our regions but prepare us for population growth and the challenges of living with a drying climate.”

FRIDAY 9 JANUARY Maddison Tayllor turns 11 Harlow Geisler turns 12

SATURDAY 10 JANUARY Xavier Reid turns 11

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The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 15

Interview

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ONE ON ONE

Music memories from and

El Damos The Esquires

By AIDAN KNIGHT THE 1960s saw a plethora of local bands popping up around the Latrobe Valley, but none were quite like the El Damos.

Formed by Yallourn local Hanz Zwart, a building apprentice with a knack for the bass and drums, he helped assemble the five-piece that would go onto to play at 5000 capacity venues.

They became the most successful pub band in Gippsland, and even had a brief encounter with The Beatles during the band’s famous performance at Melbourne’s Festival Hall.

Hanz, now into his early 80s, sat down with Express muso Aidan Knight to talk about an extraordinary career.

AK: How old were you when you began playing music?

Hanz: I would would have been 16 or 17. I was self-taught.

What led to me getting good at music was using it as an outlet during a difficult period after my father died in an accident. I’d say it saved me.

I started with a drum kit, before moving to the bass. There was a shortage of bass players at the time - they weren’t really a thing so you couldn’t buy a reasonably priced one anywhere. I improvised using a toy one, and at one point even a one-string bass.

There was a bit of music going around in my family, my brother played trumpet and a bit of clarinet, so I was initially interested mostly in jazz.

The turning point came when rock and roll became popular. I realised that people weren’t connecting with jazz, but they loved rock and roll. This motivated me to form the first band, the El Damos, initially practicing and performing in the garage. I would create flyers and distribute them in letterboxes to attract an audience in the 60s.

Eventually, my second band, The Esquires, for which we’re most well-known in the Valley, became the resident band in the Morwell Top Pub for six years straight. People had to book 12 months ahead at one stage.

The El Damos were booked out every Saturday, Sunday, and most Fridays for a number of years. That got me out of a deep hole.

AK: What were the career highlights?

Hanz: We had a manager when we were young boys, and I never learnt his first name for some reason, but he was the father of our lead guitarist, called Mr Bickle.

It never occurred to us how good he was at the job at the time; it was just like, like yeah, yeah old mates mate’s

Rubbing shoulders with fam The band shared a stage with e: The Eldamos on their way to NSW in 1963.

The Beatles during their only next year. tour to Australia the

Photographs: supplied (unless specified)

ad,, but he had strong da g connections,, one being g a promoter called Ken Brociak. He was the reason The Beatles came to Australia the first time, and there were so many bands around at the time.

Mr Bickle arranged with Brociack for us to play in a sort of showcase event called Liverpool Sound, which had all the local bands that played a similar sound to what The Beatles would come to be known for, like Gerry and the Pacemakers. We were the only band in the Latrobe Valley to be asked, which felt big at the time because there were so many bands around.

Mr Bickle knew Brociak from England. The Beatles were also on the same billing on Liverpool Sound, but this was before they blew up, and by the time they got to Australia, they were starting to get big and were asking openers to play for free.

We had several bandmembers to pay and came all the way from the Valley so we said no way, and never thought anything of it.

We ended up still playing at the venue (Festival Hall) on the Sunday afternoon, and one of our blokes put on a plastic Beatles wig and ran on stage and everyone started screaming and thought it was one of them for a minute.

Apart from that we went on New Faces, when that program was on Channel 9 in 1964.

AK: What were the biggest/wildest venues you’ve played?

Hanz: Festival Hall was up there, but the biggest would have been the Civic Hall in Bega. A lot of bands played there, Skyhooks and the sort. We didn’t realise how big the venue was until we got there, and it was a bit of a headspin. headspin

Nobodyy was there at 9pm, p , when we started playing, and 10 was closing time at all the pubs back then, so after that, everyone filled out the room.

That was about the same time we made a recording in Hawthorn, and Olivia NewtonJohn turned up with her mum, watched us record, and said “you boys are gonna go a long way”. We had no idea who she was then, either, a year after The Beatles debacle.

Not long after that, I joined The Esquires, and we lasted 52 years with the original members, as the premier wedding band in the Valley.

We went overseas with that band, on the icebreaker ship RSV Aurora Australis, and then later toured in Germany. We did shows at the US NATO bases, which were big fans of rock and roll, entertaining the troops.

Then we were offered a contract on the Greek Line (Australis cruise route), and to go around the world on this ship for 12 months, but one of the band members’ marriages fell apart, and we didn’t take it as a result.

We were excited at the time because we were to be paid three miles from the coast, in international waters, so there was no tax involved.

AK: Any crazy stories from on the road?

Hanz: One particular night at the Top Pub stuck in my mind.

A bloke

came up to me midset and asked if we took requests, I told him we do anything we know that fits into our repertoire.

He asked us to play The Green, Green Grass of Home, by Tom Jones. I hate that number.

Bloody 15 minutes later he approached me midsong and said “hey mate you haven’t done that song”, so I told him he had to wait, but he kept on pestering me.

At about half-past nine we stopped for a light supper. I’m sitting with a plate of party parties around the guys at the table, minding my business. Next minute - I have a pocket knife pressed into my neck, and a voice says, “you didn’t listen to me, you didn’t do that number”.

He kept pushing the little knife into my artery and I thought, I’ve got to control this.

Everyone around the table had frozen, because he was a obviously a nutcase, but the security bloke at the door across the room saw what was going on and crawled slowly across the floor and grabbed this bloke’s legs and yanked them from under him.

That wasn’t the only time security saved me.

One night I was heading out after a gig, carrying my guitar case down to the car. Suddenly, a bloke pointed a gun at me and demanded my guitar and wallet. I stayed calm and told him, “mate, if you want it, it’s okay, we can talk about it”. He never expected that, and it gave security just enough time to slip in and grab him. But I never pressed charges, because if you did, you’d be a sitting duck next time if his mates turned up.

AK: How has the music scene changed since you started?

Hanz: Back in the 60s and 70s you’d get three or four hundred at a cabaret night - now, a good crowds maybe 50. And there used to be dances every week, bands were like family, and the community followed you everywhere.

Those days aren’t coming back, but I feel lucky to have lived them.

AK: What are you most proud of from your years playing?

Hanz: Longevity! Playing three nights a week for decades, holding bands together that long, playing overseas and on TV and still catching up with old bandmates.

If you stick together and remember why you play, you’ll always have somewhere you belong.

Music man: Hanz Zwart has kept countless locals entertained during his career on stage. He is pictured holding a photo with his band, the El Damos playing at Traralgon.

Photograph: Aidan Knight

Latrobe Valley, biggest bands in the the of e on re we s ire Sound: The Esqu weddings and the Top Pub Morwell. frequently playing at

Page 16 — Th The L Latrobe t b V Valley ll E Express, W Wednesday, d d 7J January, 2026

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The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 17

HOROSCOPES Visit from sister city news

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by Joanne Madeline Moore January 5 - January 11, 2026 May 20 May 26, 2024

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19) Restless, impatient Rams… are you being too slapdash?

With the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars visiting Capricorn (in your career zone) success is on your mind. But it won’t be rushed. And it certainly won’t arrive without a lot of hard work, dogged persistence and patience on your part.

So, avoid approaching people, projects and situations in a hasty and half-baked fashion. Slow down, Aries! Do your homework and make sure you are thoroughly prepared.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20) Stubborn Bulls prefer things to stay the same but (with Uranus still in your sign) there’s no escaping change at the moment! A cherished goal or an ambitious aspiration may seem to be lost in the distance (like a long-forgotten dream) but it is still within reach. Plough on with passion and purpose, desire and determination. Your motto for the week is from music icon (and birthday great) David Bowie: “Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming.”

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) This week the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars shine a bright spotlight on lust and loot, so an intimate relationship could soar spectacularly or crash and burn. The key to stability is trust. When it comes to money, the less you spend, the more will come your way. But if you are rash with cash and careless with credit, then you’ll just waste time worrying about your financial future. If you are disciplined and well-informed, then it will pay off further down the track.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) With the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars in your partnership zone, there’s no escaping relationships at the moment!

If you’re attached, avoid being a clingy and co-dependent Crab. Strive to nurture your spouse in positive, passionate and productive ways. If you’re swimming in the dating pool, give superficial suitors the flick. Pluto is transiting through your intimacy-and-trust zone, so set your sights on someone whho is emotiionallly mature andd readdy to commit.

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are visiting Capricorn (in your work and wellbeing zones), so roll your sleeves up, put your head down and complete an ambitious project with fiery flourish! If you want to survive and thrive in 2026, you need to keep one step ahead of the professional pack. It’s also a good week to start a healthy new diet, reboot your exercise program and introduce meditation, yoga or some other form of relaxation into your daily routine.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22) Relationships are highlighted, as you link up with a partner (of the romantic or business variety) from home or far away. You’re in the mood to help a loved one through a rough patch or cheer up a work colleague who is down in the dumps. Time for diplomatic Virgos to listen closely, communicate clearly and consult often. If you’re holidaying with family members or partying with friends, pace yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be exhausted by the end of the week!

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22) The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are in your domestic zone, so it’s time to hone your multi-tasking skills as you cook, clean, craft, garden, decorate, renovate or entertain.

Many Librans will combine work and family in creative ways in 2026. Some will join the family firm, while others start a home-based business. Be inspired by birthday Duchess, Kate Middleton: “I’ve been working hard for the family business. I think everyone can see I am pulling my weight”.

Firm friends: Latrobe City councillors Sharon Gibson and Dale Harriman plant a native Japanese tree along Breed Street, Traralgon with representatives from council’s sister city, Takasago, Japan.

LATROBE City Council hosted a Delegation from its sister city Takasago, Japan last year.

The visit included Takasago Mayor, Tatsuyoshi Tokura, four official delegates and students.

Delegates were greeted with a welcome reception at council headquarters, which included students meeting their homestay hosts. This was the first time delegates have returned since 2018.

This visit was an opportunity to showcase Latrobe City’s sporting talent, world-class venues, and educational institutions.

Council hosted eight students aged 12 to 17-yearsold. During their visit, students learned to play pickleball and lawn bowls, visited the Lowanna College Sport Academy and experienced GippsTech sports science courses.

Students also visited Old Gippstown in Moe, the Latrobe Regional Airport and the Latrobe Regional Gallery, where they viewed the Japanese wood block print collection.

Students also had the chance to meet with the Latrobe City Youth Council, which was a wonderful opportunity to foster collaboration, build cultural understanding and inspire each other.

The Takasago International Association asked students to develop a presentation for delivery to council and school representatives, which included Japanese Martial Arts, food culture and pop culture.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Money is on your mind as five planets move through your financial zones. Beware of dubious deals, shonky salespeople, spontaneous spending sprees, extravagant impulse buys and signing contracts for long-term services based on short-term whims. Separating your wants from your needs is a must as smart Sagittarians get thrifty, cut excess consumption and adjust to getting by on less. Loving yourself – warts and all – is also a big lesson to learn in 2026.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Money is on your mind as five planets move through your financial zones. Beware of dubious deals, shonky salespeople, spontaneous spending sprees, extravagant impulse buys and signing contracts for long-term services based on short-term whims. Separating your wants from your needs is a must as smart Sagittarians get thrifty, cut excess consumption and adjust to getting by on less. Loving yourself – warts and all – is also a big lesson to learn in 2026.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

Latrobe City Council then-Mayor (now deputy), Dale Harriman, met with Takasago Mayor, Tatsuyoshi Tokura and other delegates to further enhance the important sister city relationship and share updates on the region, nurturing an important business connection.

“We discussed the Future Goodwill Ambassador exchange program, teacher exchange, communitybased sports club management and exchanged formal gifts,” Cr Harriman said.

“I’m grateful to our Takasago delegates for their visit, it was a great learning experience for all involved. I hope to welcome delegates back again soon and extend my sincerest thanks to our guests for visiting Latrobe City.”

The sister city relationship was solidified through a monumental tree planting.

Together with the Takasago Mayor, a Prunus Mt Fuji - Japanese flowering cherry tree was planted.

The tree was planted on Breed Street, Traralgon.

The Latrobe-Takasago relationship was born out of the friendship formed through economic projects in the 1980’s, and then formalised as a sister city partnership in 2000 and reaffirmed in 2023.

The aim is to foster mutual understanding and cooperation across key areas of education, culture, trade, tourism, and sport.

This week the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are all visiting your sign, which provides a welcome morale boost and increases your Capricorn drive and boosts your charisma. You’re feeling positive and proactive as you initiate a personal project, set long-term goals, update your physical appearance and/or travel, study, listen and learn. You could also receive some good news, or a lucky opporttuniity comes your way. So makke the mostt off Laddy Luck and enjoy!

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) It’s a good week to relax, meditate and contemplate. Four planets (the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars) are visiting your intrigue and solitude zones, so mystery abounds and you may not fully understand the complex undercurrents that are at play. Keep the conversation light and steer clear of controversial topics. Your motto is from birthday great, music icon David Bowie: “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

Leap: Latrobe City councillors Dale Harriman and Sharon Gibson and visiting Japanese Mayor Tatsuyoshi Tokura.

Photographs supplied

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) It’s all about friendships, group dynamics and networking this week. You’re keen to catch up with old mates, correspond with international contacts, or share special activities within your peer group. Make it a priority to surround yourself with positive people who encourage your dreams. But don’t be too hasty in your evaluation of a person, situation or future aspiration. There is more going on than meets the eye, so take the time to look closer and dig deeper.

COPYRIGHT Joanne Madeline Moore 2025 G

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Community Corner Community Corner is back for 2026 IF you are a community group and have any news items you need publicised, feel free to email us at: news@lvexpress.com.au

You can address correspondence to the editor, Liam Durkin.

Please write 'Community Corner' in the subject line and nothing else.

Deadline is Friday 9am to appear in the following Wednesday issue.

This week my stars are telling me thatt I’m goiing to purchase a fan ntastic barg gain

YOU BEAUTY!

To advertise your bargains, products or services in this column or for information, simply phone Jenny Mann on 5135 4412 today.

Page 18 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Leaders: Moe Rotary Club Community Service Director, Ross Maxfield and St Vincent de Paul Moe Conference President, Sandra Demagistris helped deliver hampers during Christmas.

Photograph: Liam Durkin

The Guide PICK OF THE WEEK

MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN ABC Family, Friday, 8.30pm

MUSTER DOGS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW ABC TV, Sunday, 7.30pm

Lois Lane and Clark Kent entertain a new generation of fans in this anime-influenced, family-friendly take on the iconic DC Comics superhero that’s worlds away from recent grim portrayals of the Man of Steel. The wholesome animation follows Clark (voice of Jack Quaid, The Boys) as he works at The Daily Planet alongside star reporter Lois (Alice Lee, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) and photographer Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid) and builds his reputation as Superman while exploring his mysterious origins. In this instalment, when Lois wants to interview the hero, Clark must figure out a way to help her while keeping his hidden identity – and major crush on her – a secret.

They grow up so fast. Just a year after winning the Muster Dogs season three title, champion kelpie Banjo has become a dad – to a litter of 12, no less. But now, the time has come for some of Banjo and Chilli’s puppies to fly the nest, finding their forever homes with the next generation of graziers. Host Lisa Millar (pictured) heads to Tooborac, Victoria, where 12-year-old farmer Eric is set to begin his working dog journey with pup Diesel and mentor Kim by his side. Meanwhile, in Ethel Creek, Western Australia, trainer Blythe and Banksi (Banjo’s sister) are showing 16-year-old Cameron and young Bindi the ropes.

HUMAN ABC TV, Tuesday, 8.30pm

THE 83RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES 10, Monday, 7.30pm

Follow the 300,000-year journey off Homo sapiens as they outlast other human species and spread across the globe in this cinematic five-part docuseries.

Host Ella Al-Shamahi, who is curiously both a paleoanthropologist and stand-up comedian, travels around the world to o talk to experts and explore archaeological dig sites in her bid to simply exxplain our epic evolution. The knowledgeable narrrator is the perfect guidee for a topic that could be as engaging as a cavem man’s conversation. Tuesday’s illuminating episode “Into the Unknown” follows our resilient ancestors as they leave Africa to exploree the wider world. It’s th he ultimate origin story.

od’s award Setting the stage for Hollywoo season, this glittering affair celebrates achievements in cinema, TV – and for the first time in 2026 – podcassting.

Comedian Nikki Glaser, who won praise for her sharp wit and hilarious Adam Sandler impressions in 2025, returns to host this year’s event. The black comedy One Battle After Another leads the field with nine nominations, while Australian actor Jacob Elordi (pictured) has doubled his chances of winning with outstanding performances in both Frankenstein and The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Other Aussies in contention include Rose Byrne, Nick Cave, Joel Edgerton and two-time winner Sarah Snook.

Wednesday, January 7 ABC TV (2)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Australia’s Best Competition Competition. (Ml, R) 11.10 All Creatures Great And Small. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Miniseries: The Cry. (Mal, R) 1.55 Restoration Australia. (PG, R) 2.55 Would I Lie To You? (PG, R) 3.25 Simply Nigella. (R) 3.55 Grand Designs: The Streets. (R) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

SBS (3)

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 The Eco Show. (PGa, R) 10.00 Europe’s Waterways.

(PGa, R) 10.50 Off The Beaten Track With Kate Humble. (PG, R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Britain’s Most Expensive Houses. (Mas, R) 2.55 Going Places. (R) 3.25 Plat Du Tour. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Motor Racing.

Dakar Rally. Stage 3. Highlights.

SEVEN (7, 6)

NINE (9, 8)

6.00 Today.

9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 10.30 Tennis. United Cup. Day 6.

Group Stage. Poland v Netherlands.

First quarter-final.

4.30 9News Afternoon.

[VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia.

(PG, R) Hosted by Todd Woodbridge.

5.30 [VIC] WIN News.

6.00 Entertainment Tonight. 6.30 Good Chef Bad Chef. (R) 7.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield. (R) 7.30 Farm To Fork.

(R) 8.00 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG, R) 8.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 9.00 Lingo. (R) 10.00 Matlock. (PGav, R) 12.00 Farm To Fork.

12.30 Family Feud. (PG, R) 1.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PGls, R) 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 2.30 The Finish Line. 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 5.00 10 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 7.30.

8.00 Hard Quiz. (Return, PG) Presented by Tom Gleeson.

8.30 Utopia. (PG, R) A security consultant creates stress.

9.25 Changing Ends. (Return, PG) Alan enters a new era as a fully fledged teenager.

10.10 You Can’t Ask That: Lesbians. (MA15+, R) 10.45 The Jetty. (Mdl, R) 11.40 Chopsticks Or Fork? (R) 12.00 Grand Designs: The Streets. (R) 12.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.30 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.00 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (PG, R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 Michael Palin: Into Iraq. (PG, R) 8.30 The Jury: Murder Trial UK. (Return) The real-life trial of a young mother begins.

9.25 Crime. (MA15+) The case continues to evade Lennox.

10.25 Great British Railway Journeys. (R) 11.00 Face To Face. (Premiere, Ma) 11.50 Darkness: Those Who Kill. (Premiere, Malv) 1.40 The Eco Show. (R) 2.35 Off The Beaten Track With Kate Humble. (PG, R) 4.20 My Unique B&B. (R) 4.55 Destination Flavour Scandinavia Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 26.

Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades.

10.30 Big Bash League PostMatch. Post-match coverage of the game between the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades.

11.00 Air Crash Investigations: Deadly Exchange. (PGa, R) Explores the crash of Flight 5966.

12.00 MOVIE: Party From Hell.

(2021, Mav, R) A party planner plots against her employer. Jackie Moore, April Martucci.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Great Getaways. (PG) The team visits paradise in the Pacific.

8.30 Paramedics. (Mam, R) Paramedics find a driver who has had a seizure and crashed. A mother who is having a stroke is treated.

9.30 Beyond The Build. Jimmy and Tam settle into life on the Sunshine Coast.

10.30 American Crime Story. (Madlsv) 12.10 World’s Greatest Natural Icons. (R) 1.05 Hello SA. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

(R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 Home Shopping. 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.

(R) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.

6.00 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.

7.30 Airport 24/7. (PGadl, R) The night shift contends with problem passengers.

8.30 Elsbeth. (Mv, R) Sparks fly between Elsbeth and a Scottish musician after he witnesses a murder through a video art installation linking Manhattan with his tiny seaside town.

10.30 10 News+. (R) Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

11.00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) Hosted by Stephen Colbert.

12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children’s

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am

WorldWatch. 8.40 CBC The National. 9.30 BBC News At Six. 10.00 Mastermind Aust. Noon DW The Day. 12.30 Stone Cold Takes On America. 1.25 If You Are The One. 3.35 BBC News At Ten. 4.05 France 24. 4.35 PBS News. 5.35 Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 Genius Game. 9.40 The UnXplained Mysteries Of The Universe. 10.30 The Handmaid’s Tale. 11.20 MOVIE: Michael Collins. (1996, MA15+) 1.50am Tales From The Territories. 2.40 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera Newshour.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Home In WA. 6.30 Escape To The Country. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Million Dollar Minute. 9.00 Medical Emergency.

9.30 NBC Today. Noon Better Homes And Gardens.

1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 Home In WA. 2.30 The Master. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes And Gardens. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Heartbeat. 8.45 Inspector George Gently. 10.45 The Age Of Elizabeth. 11.45 Bargain Hunt. 12.45am Room For Improvement. 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. 2.00 Harry’s Practice.

2.30 Medical Emergency. 3.00 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Gideon’s Way. 7.00 Creflo Dollar Ministries. 7.30 Thunderbirds. 8.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. 10.30 World’s Greatest Transportation Marvels. 11.30 My Favorite Martian.

Noon Explore. 12.10 MOVIE: The Rebel. (1961) 2.20 MOVIE: The Siege Of Pinchgut. (1959, PG) 4.30 Tennis. United Cup. Day 6. Group Stage.

Poland v Netherlands. First quarter-final. 7.00 Antiques Roadshow. 8.00 Tennis. United Cup. Day 6. Second quarter-final. 2am Harry Wild. 3.00 New Tricks. 4.00 Gideon’s Way. 5.00 Yorkshire Auction House.

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am GCBC.

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs. 10.50

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am Hook, Line And

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Beyblade X. 6.30 Lego

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

8.00 Escape Fishing With ET. (R) 9.00 The Living Room. (PG, R) 10.00 JAG. (PGl, R) 12.00 Days Of Our Lives. (PGalv) 12.45 The Young And The Restless. (PGasv) 1.30 The Dog House. (PGa, R) 2.30 JAG. (PGl, R) 4.30 The Living Room. (PG, R) 5.30 JAG. (PGv, R) 7.30 NCIS. (Ma, R) 10.20 Matlock. (PGals, R) 11.15 The Ex-Wife. 12.15am Shopping.

Programs. 4.30pm Mojo Swoptops. 4.40 Vida The Vet. 4.55 Bluey. 5.00 Peppa Pig. 5.10 Big Lizard.

5.20 Millie Magnificent. 5.30 Fireman Sam. 5.40 Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato.

7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Deadly 60. 8.30 Steven Universe. 8.50 Adventure Time. 9.15 Teen Titans Go! 9.40 We Bare Bears. 9.50 Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia. 10.15 My Adventures With Superman. 10.35 Late Programs.

NITV News: Summer Yarns. 11.00 Karla Grant Presents. Noon Piri’s Tiki Tour. 12.30 Unleash The Beast. 1.30 Off Country. 2.00 Tradition On A Plate.

2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Spartakus. 3.25 Cities Of Gold. 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Unstaged: Midsumma. 5.30 Going Places. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Wild, Smart And Deadly. 7.30 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. 8.00 Lurujarri Dreaming. 8.35 MOVIE: Set It Off. (1996, M) 10.25 Nothing Compares: Sinead O’Connor.

12.10am Late Programs.

6am Kiki’s Delivery Service. (1989) 8.05 The Movie Show. 8.40 My Neighbour Totoro. (1988, PG) 10.25 Speed Kills. (2018, Mlv) 12.20pm The Hummingbird. (2022, Mal, French, Italian) 2.45 The Movie Show. 3.20 Discovering Film. 4.20 Limelight.

(1952, PGas) 6.50 My Neighbour Totoro. (1988, PG) 8.30 Pig. (2021) 10.15 Traffic. (2000, MA15+adsv, R) 1am Shadow In The Cloud. (2020, MA15+av) 2.30 Alma & Oskar. (2022, MA15+lsv) 4.10 The Broken Land. (2021, Madv, Italian, Spanish) 5.50 Limelight.

(1952, PGas)

6am Morning Programs. 10.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Fifth Test. Australia v England. Day 4.

Morning session. (Please note: alternative schedule may be shown due to changes to cricket coverage). 12.30 The Ashes: The Lunch Break. 1.10 Cricket. The Ashes. Fifth Test. Australia v England. Day 4. Afternoon session. 3.10 The Ashes: Tea Break. 3.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Fifth Test. Australia v England. Day 4. Evening session.

Sinker. 7.00 My Fishing Place. 7.30 Creek To Coast.

8.00 A Football Life. 9.00 America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions. 10.00 Aussie Adventure Bike Show. 10.30 American Restoration. 11.00 Storage Wars. 11.30 American Pickers. 12.30pm Pawn Stars. 1.30 Outback Truckers. 3.30 Billy The Exterminator. 4.30 American Restoration. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Highway Patrol. 8.30 The Force: Behind The Line. 9.30 Caught On Dashcam. 10.30 World’s Wildest Police Videos. 11.30 Live PD Presents: PD Cam. Midnight Late Programs.

Dreamzzz. 7.00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures.

7.30 The Actually Really Very Difficult Show. 8.00 Cards And Collectables Australia. 8.30 Nanny. 9.30 Addams Family. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 Jeannie.

11.00 The West Wing. Noon Tennis. Brisbane International. 6.00 Tennis. Brisbane International.

11.00 MOVIE: The Courier. (2020, Malv, R) 1.10 The Vampire Diaries. (MA15+hv) 3.05 Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. 4.00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures. 4.30 Hop. 4.50 Booba. 5.10 LEGO City Adventures. 5.30 Bubble’s Hotel.

TEN (10, 5)

6.30 Everyday Gourmet. 7.00 Ridiculousness.

8.00 Taskmaster Australia. 9.00 My Market Kitchen. 9.30 Bold. 10.00 Family Feud. 10.30 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. Noon Taskmaster Australia. 1.00 Ridiculousness. 2.00 Stephen Colbert. 3.00 Becker. 3.30 Frasier. 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier. 5.00 Becker. 5.30 Frasier. 6.30 Friends.

8.00 The Big Bang Theory. (PGs, R) 10.00 Becker. 10.30 Frasier. 11.30 Ridiculousness.

12.30am Shopping. 2.30 Bold. 3.30 Stephen Colbert. 4.30 Shopping.

CONSUMER ADVICE (P) Pre-school (C) Children (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (a) Adult themes (d) Drug references (h) Horror (s) Sex references (l) Language (m) Medical procedures (n) Nudity (v) Violence.

MEL/VIC

The Latrobe Valley Express, TV Guide Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 19

Thursday, January 8 ABC (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7, 6)

6am Morning Programs. 12.30 The Ashes: The Lunch Break. 1.10 Cricket.

The Ashes. Fifth Test. Australia v England. Day 5. Afternoon session. 3.10 The Ashes: Tea Break. 3.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Fifth Test. Australia v England.

Day 5. Evening session.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer.

(PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 Space Invaders. (PG, R) 1.00 Jeopardy!

Australia. 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 [VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.30 [VIC] WIN News.

6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Farm To Fork. (R) 8.00 Bold. (PG, R) 8.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 9.00 Lingo. (R) 10.00 Matlock. (PGlv, R) 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG, R) 1.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PGls, R) 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 2.30 The Finish Line. 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 7.30. Presented

by Michael Rowland.

8.00 Grand Designs Transformations: Mitcham White And Fitzroy Funhouse.

(Return, PG) Two Melbourne couples transform their homes.

9.00 Amanda & Alan s Italian Job. (Return, PG) Alan Carr and Amanda Holden transform an old house.

9.30 Goolagong. (Ma, R) Charts the story of Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

10.20 Chopsticks Or Fork? (R) 10.30 Grand Designs: The Streets. (PGl, R) 11.25 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 12.15 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.00 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (PG, R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Toronto Airport Uncovered.

(Premiere) Looks at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

8.20 Robson Green: World s Most Amazing Walks. (Premiere) Robson Green walks the Hadrian s Wall path.

9.15 In Flight. attendant s son is accused of murder.

10.10 Great British Railway Journeys: (PGa, R) 10.45 Vienna Blood. (MA15+av) 11.40 Outlander. (Msv, R) 2.05 The Eco Show. (R) 3.30 Off The Beaten Track With Kate Humble. (PG, R) 4.05 My Unique B&B. (R) 4.40 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League.

Match 27. Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers.

10.30 Seven s Cricket: The Spin.

An expert panel examines all the big news and issues with a deep dive into the world of cricket.

11.15 Boyzone: Life, Death And Boybands: Love Me For A Reason.

(Mal, R) Charts the rise of Boyzone.

12.15 Life. (Malsv, R) Crews searches for a missing Reese.

1.15 Travel Oz. (PG, R) Hosted

by Greg Grainger.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Tennis. United Cup. Day 7.

6.00 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.

7.30 The Graham Norton Show. (Mns) Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, Bryan Cranston and Rachel Zegler join Graham Norton on the couch.

8.40 MOVIE: Rocketman.

(2019, Madls, R) Follows the life of Elton John, from his years as a prodigy to his musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden.

11.10 10 News+. (R) Hosted

by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

11.40 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 12.30 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children s Programs. 6.05pm PJ Masks Power Heroes.

6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato.

7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Deadly 60. 8.30 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.10 Secret Life Of The Wombat. 10.00 The Wonderful World Of Puppies. 10.40 Late Programs.

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 Mastermind Aust.

Noon WorldWatch. 12.30 Fashionista.

12.40 Bowled Over: Untold Australia. 1.45 Devoured. 2.40 Insight. 3.40 WorldWatch.

5.40 Shaun Micallef s Origin Odyssey.

6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats.

8.30 Genius Game. 9.30 The UnXplained Mysteries. 10.20 Late Programs.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. 1pm Escape To The Country. 2.00 Home In WA. 2.30 The Age Of Elizabeth.

3.30 Harry s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Father Brown. 8.30 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. 10.30 Murdoch Mysteries. 11.30 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Morning Programs. 1pm MOVIE: Second Fiddle.

(1957) 2.30 MOVIE: Josephine And Men. (1955) 4.30 Yorkshire Auction House. 5.30 7.30 Clarkson s Farm. 8.30 MOVIE: Hot Shots! (1991, M) 10.10 MOVIE: The Pink Panther Strikes Again. (1976, PG) 12.20am Late Programs.

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am Morning Programs. 9.30 Bold. 10.00 Family Feud.

10.30 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. Noon Taskmaster Australia. 1.00 Ridiculousness. 2.00 Stephen Colbert. 3.00 Becker. 3.30 Frasier. 4.00 Farm To Fork.

4.30 Frasier. 5.00 Becker. 5.30 Frasier. 6.30 Friends. 8.00 Big Bang. 9.30 Becker. 10.00 Frasier. 11.00 Late Programs.

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs.

2.00pm Tradition On A Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters.

5.25 Unstaged: Sorbaes. 5.30 Going Places.

6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Wild, Smart And Deadly. 7.29 NITV Weather. 7.30 Going Places. 8.30 Reservation Dogs. 9.30 MOVIE: Timecop.

(1994) 11.15 Late Programs.

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am Morning Programs. 11.30 American Pickers. 12.30pm Pawn Stars. 1.30 Highway Patrol. 2.30 The Force: BTL. 3.30 Billy The Exterminator.

4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars.

5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars.

7.30 American Pickers. 8.30 MOVIE: Ghostbusters: Afterlife. (2021, PG) 11.00 Late Programs.

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Morning Programs.

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Classic Countdown Extras. (R) 11.10 Changing Ends. (PG, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Miss Austen. (R) 2.00 Restoration Aust.

(PG, R) 2.55 Would I Lie To You? (PG, R) 3.25 Nigella At My Table. (R) 3.55 Grand Designs: Streets. (PG, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24.

1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Britain s Most Expensive Houses. (PG, R) 2.55 Going Places. (R) 3.25 Plat Du Tour. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Motor Racing. Dakar Rally. Stage 4. Highlights.

6am Limelight. (1952, PGas) 8.20 My Neighbour Totoro. (1988, PG) 10.00 Iris And The Men. (2023, French) 11.55 Bergman Island. (2021, Malnsv) 2pm Hajjan. (2023, PGav, Arabic) 4.20 Mia And The White Lion.

(2018, PGal) 6.10 Spirited Away. (2001) 8.30 Priscilla. (2023, Madl) 10.40 May December.

(2023, MA15+as) 12.45am Late Programs.

Australia s Lightest ON 2.5 1 Scooter

NINE (9, 8)

Rosewall Arena, Sydney.

11.30 Chicago Med. (Ma) Maggie and Sharon s friendship is tested during contract negotiations for the nurses.

12.30 A Remarkable Place To Die. (MA15+lv, R) A detective returns to her home town.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) Home shopping.

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) Jerry s girlfriend gets in trouble.

4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. A look at the latest news, sport and weather.

5.30 Today. The latest in news and current affairs.

10.30 Jeannie. 11.00 The West Wing. Noon Tennis. Brisbane International. 6.00 Tennis.

Brisbane International. 11.00 MOVIE: Man On A Ledge. (2012, M) 1am The Vampire Diaries. 3.00 Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. 4.00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures. 4.30 Hop. 4.50 Booba. 5.10 LEGO City Adventures. 5.30 Bubble s Hotel.

TEN (10, 5)

8.00 Escape Fishing. 9.00 Living Room.

10.00 JAG. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 Dog House. 2.30 JAG. 4.30 Living Room.

5.30 JAG. (PGlv, R) 7.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) 10.20 Matlock. (PGal, R) 11.15 The Ex-Wife. 12.15am Shopping.

Mobility And More Moe 32 George Street, Moe

Phone: 51 272099

Friday, January 9 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7, 6)

6.00 Sunrise.

9.00 The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 MOVIE: Love Knots. (2021, PGa) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies: Celebrity Specials.

3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer.

(PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 Space Invaders. (PG, R) 1.00 Jeopardy!

Australia. 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 [VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.30 [VIC] WIN News.

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 Lingo.

(R) 10.00 Location, Location, Location Australia. (PGl, R) 11.00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PGa, R) 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG, R) 1.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PGls, R) 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 2.30 The Finish Line. 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold.

(PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.

7.30 All Creatures Great And Small.

It s baby Jimmy s Christening day.

8.15 Art Detectives. (Ma) The detectives look into the discovery of a gold Viking hoard stolen from a prehistoric burial chamber.

9.05 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) Presenter Tom Gleeson grills four self-declared experts in a comedic quiz show.

9.35 A Life In Ten Pictures: Freddie Mercury. (Mln, R) A look at Freddie Mercury s life.

10.25 Silent Witness. (Malv, R) 12.10 Rage New Music.

(MA15+adhlnsv) 5.00 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 The Great House Revival: Post House. (Return) A local man and his

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Better Homes And Gardens Summer. Johanna Griggs heads to the Hunter Valley.

8.30 MOVIE: The Green Mile.

(1999, MA15+av, R) Death row guards

6.00 9News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Tennis. United Cup. Day 8.

6.00 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.

7.30 Selling Houses Australia.

(R) Michelle and Garry wanted to invest in a property.

8.40 Love It Or List It Australia. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children s

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs.

1.40pm Stompem Ground 2022: Karajarri Dancers. 2.00 Tradition On A Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Unstaged: Spinifex Gum. 5.30 Living Black. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Wild, Smart And Deadly. 7.29 NITV Weather. 7.30 MOVIE: Hook. (1991) 10.05 First Nations Bedtime Stories. 10.15 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 10.00 The Exhibitionists. (Mns, R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now. (PG, R) 1.45 Goolagong. (Ma, R) 2.50 Would I Lie To You? (R) 3.20 Nigella At My Table. (R) 3.55 Grand Designs: Streets.

(R) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

Programs. 6.40pm Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Do Not Watch This Show. 7.40 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.05 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? 8.30 My Adventures With Superman. 8.50 Robot Wars. 9.50 TKO: Total Knock Out. 10.30 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.05 Wild Beauty Of Germany s Islands. 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24.

1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Britain s Most Expensive Houses. (R) 2.55 Going Places. (R) 3.25 Plat Du Tour. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Motor Racing. Dakar Rally. Highlights. Stage 5.

NINE (9, 8)

TEN (10, 5)

themselves facing a moral dilemma when they discover one of their prisoners, a convicted murderer, apparently possesses miraculous powers. Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse.

12.15 MOVIE: Student Seduction.

(2022, Mav, R) Cameron Cipolla.

2.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 5.00 NBC Today.

Rosewall Arena, Sydney.

11.30 Law & Order: Organized Crime. (MA15+av, R) DNA from an SVU rape investigation connects to an unsolved murder.

12.30 A Remarkable Place To Die. (Mlv, R) A body is found in a gold-mining tunnel.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.

(R) Mark invites a girl out.

4.30 Global Shop. (R) Home shopping.

5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) (PGl, R)

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 Mastermind Aust.

11.30 Vegan Vigilantes. 11.45 WorldWatch.

12.15pm Dark Side Of Comedy. 1.10 WWE Legends. 3.00 Bamay. 3.35 SBS50. 3.40 WorldWatch. 5.40 If You Are The One. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 A Very British Space Launch. 9.30 Sex Tape Germany. 10.25 Late Programs.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. 1pm Escape To The Country. 2.00 Home In WA. 2.30 Room For Improvement.

3.00 The Great Australian Doorstep. 3.30 Harry s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency.

4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Wildlife ER. 8.30 Escape To The Country. 11.30 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Pointless. 12.30pm My Favorite Martian. 1.00 MOVIE: Dangerous Voyage. (1954, PG) 2.30 MOVIE: The House In Nightmare Park. (1973, PG) 4.30 Yorkshire Auction House. 5.30 Tennis. United Cup. 7.30 New Tricks. 8.40 MOVIE: 10.40 Late Programs.

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am Morning

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm American Pickers. 2.30 Billy The Exterminator. 3.00 Timbersports.

Australian Championship Pt 1. 3.30 Billy The Exterminator. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Road Wars. 8.30 MOVIE: The Patriot. (2000, MA15+) 11.45 Late Programs.

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Morning Programs.

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

9.30 Isle Of Wight: Jewel Of The South. (PGaw, R) Narrator Alan Titchmarsh documents the lives of the residents of the Isle of Wight.

10.25 Great British Railway Journeys: Bradford To Hebden Bridge. (PGa, R) 11.00 Sisi. (Masv, R) 12.05 Babylon Berlin. (MA15+ansv, R) 1.55 Silent Road. (Ma, R) 3.55 Designing Paradise With Bill Bensley. (R) 4.25 My Unique B&B. (PG, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6am Mia And The White Lion. (2018, PGal) 6.40 Hajjan. (2023, PGav, Arabic) 9.00 Spirited Away. (2001) 11.20 Only The Brave.

(2017, Mals) 1.45pm Limelight. (1952, PGas) 4.15 The Orator. (2011, PGa, Samoan) 6.20 Howl s Moving Castle. (2004, PG) 8.30 Paint.

(2023) 10.20 Man Up. (2015, Mls) 11.55 Late Programs.

Page 20 — The Latrobe Valley Express, TV Guide Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Noon Tennis. Brisbane International.

6.00 Tennis. Brisbane 11.00 MOVIE: Safe Haven. (2013, M) 1.20am The Vampire Diaries. 3.05 Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. 4.00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures. 4.30 Hop. 4.50 Booba. 5.10 LEGO City Adventures. 5.30 Bubble s Hotel.

together is in the desirable bayside Melbourne suburb of Brighton.

9.40 The Graham Norton Show. (Mls, R) Celebrity guests include Reese Witherspoon.

10.50 10 News+. (R) 11.20 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 12.30 Home Shopping. (R)

Programs. 10.30 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. Noon Taskmaster Australia.

1.00 Ridiculousness. 2.00 Stephen Colbert.

3.00 Becker. 3.30 Frasier. 4.00 Farm To Fork.

4.30 Frasier. 5.00 Becker. 5.30 Frasier. 6.30 Friends. 7.30 MOVIE: War Of The Worlds.

(2005, M) 9.50 Becker. 10.15 Frasier. 11.05 Late Programs.

8.00 Escape Fishing. 9.00 Living Room.

10.00 JAG. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 Dog House. 2.30 JAG. 4.30 All 4 Adventure.

5.30 JAG. 7.30 NCIS. (Mdv, R) 10.20 Matlock. 11.15 The Real CSI: Miami.

12.15am Shopping.

Saturday, January 10 ABC (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7, 6)

NINE (9, 8)

6.00 Let s Eat With George. (R) 6.30 A Current Affair. (R) 7.00 Weekend Today.

10.00 Our State On A Plate. (PG) 10.30

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 Horse Racing. Magic Millions Gold, The Lakes Race Day and VRC Standish Handicap Race Day. 5.00 Seven News At 5.

5.30 Border Security: Australia s Front Line. (PG, R)

TEN (10, 5)

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 On The Fly. (R) 9.00 4x4 Adventures. (R) 10.00 Airport 24/7. (PGad, R) 11.00 GCBC. (R) 11.30 Frugal Foodie. (R) 12.00 Surf Life Saving. Shaw And Partners Iron Series.

Day 1. Specialist Round. 2.00 4x4 Adventures. (Final) 3.00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PGal, R) 4.00 All 4 Adventure. (l) 5.00 News.

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 Rage. (PG) 10.30 Rage Vault Guest Programmer. (MA15+adhlnsv) 12.00 News. 12.30 Call The Midwife. (PGa, R) 1.30 Art Detectives. (Ma, R) 2.15 All Creatures Great And Small. (R) 3.00 Extraordinary Escapes. (PG, R) 3.50 Human. (PG, R) 5.00 Dr Karl s How Things Work. (R) 5.55 Back Roads. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 9.15 Matched.

(PG, R) 10.05 The Eco Show. (R) 11.05 Phase III Odyssey. (Mal, R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24.

1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Figure Skating.

ISU Grand Prix Final. Japan Part 2.

Highlights. 4.00 Going Places. (PG, R) 5.00 Motor Racing. Dakar Rally. Weekly Highlights.

6.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) Presented by Tom Gleeson.

7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.

7.30 Call The Midwife. (M) Trixie cares 8.30 Vera. (Ma, R) Vera investigates the apparent suicide of a well-known TV personality who has recently fallen from grace. The victim had been attending a reunion with friends, a ritual they had repeated for more than 40 years.

10.00 Goolagong. (Ma, R) Charts the story of Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

10.55 The Jetty. (Madl, R) A detective suspects a predator is targeting young girls.

11.55 Rage Vault Guest Programmer. (MA15+dhlnsv) 4.55 Rage. (MA15+dhlnsv)

6.00 Grand Tours Of Scotland s Rivers: Quietly Flows The Don. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Secrets Of Britain s Historic Houses: The Doll s House.

(Return) Beatrix Potter s Dolls House undergoes renovations.

8.40 MOVIE: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. (2011, MA15+v, R) During the Cold War, a veteran agent comes out of retirement to search for a Russian mole within MI6. Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch.

11.00 Scottish Islands With Ben Fogle. (R) 12.05 Reframed: Marilyn Monroe. (Mans, R) 3.25 Bowled Over: Untold Australia.

(Mal, R) 4.25 My Unique B&B. (R) 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Horse Racing. Magic Millions Twilight.

9.00 MOVIE: White House Down.

(2013, Mlv, R) During a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a policeman springs into action to save his child and protect the US president from a group of heavily armed mercenaries who have stormed the building. Channing Tatum, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx.

11.45 Air Crash Investigations: Missed Opportunities. (PGa, R) A look at the crash of Flight 1851.

12.45 Dr Harry s Animal Encounters.

(PG, R) Presented by Dr Harry Cooper.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 It s Academic. (R) Hosted

by Simon Reeve.

5.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R)

Rosewall Arena, Sydney.

11.30 MOVIE: The Next Three Days.

(2010, Mlv, R) A married couple s lives are turned upside down when the wife is sent to jail for murder. However, when the strain of being separated from her family becomes too much, her husband researches a way to break her out. Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Lennie James.

2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PG) Religious program.

2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 Global Shop. (R) Home shopping.

5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 Helping Hands Summer Series. (PG, R) A celebration of people and organisations.

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children s Programs. 5.55pm Octonauts. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.50 Andy And The Band. 7.05 Piripenguins. 7.20 Bluey.

7.30 Hard Quiz Kids. 8.00 Chopped Jnr. 8.40 Shaun Tan s Tales From Outer Suburbia.

9.25 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.10 Abbott Elementary. 10.30 Late Programs.

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 The Rap Game UK. Noon Mastermind Aust. 2.00 WorldWatch.

4.00 Cycling. Westbridge Funds Road Nationals C ships. Men s Under-23. Road Race. 7.30 Impossible Engineering. 8.25 Big Fat Quiz Of The Year 2025. 10.00 The Phoenix Lights Phenomenon. 10.50 Snowpiercer. 11.40 Late Programs.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Wildlife ER. 2.30 Better Homes And Gardens Summer. 4.00 Better Homes. 5.00 Horse Racing. Magic Millions Gold, The Lakes Race Day and VRC Standish Handicap Race Day. 6.00 Bondi Vet. 7.00 Dog Patrol. 7.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 8.30 Lewis. 10.30 Escape To The Country.

11.30 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Morning Programs. 11.30 MOVIE: Up The Front.

(1972, PG) 1.25pm MOVIE: Mr Forbush And The Penguins. (1971, PG) 3.30 MOVIE: The Count Of Monte-Cristo. (1975, PG) 5.30 7.00 M*A*S*H. 7.30 Death In Paradise. 8.40 MOVIE: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. (1984, M) 11.05 Late Programs.

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am GCBC.

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs.

2.05pm Wild, Smart And Deadly. 2.55 Living Black. 3.25 Soh Presents: Generations And Dynasties. 5.00 Unsettled. 6.00 The Barber. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns.

6.40 The Other Side. 7.30 Alone Australia.

8.30 MOVIE: Beowulf. (2007, MA15+) 10.10 Australian Music Vault: Kate Ceberano.

11.30 Late Programs.

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Cool Cars & Bikes. 2.00 Rides Down Under: Workshop Wars. 3.00 Motor Racing. NDRC Top Doorslammer.

Replay. 4.00 Desert Collectors. 5.00 Counting Cars. 6.00 Pawn Stars. 7.00 Storage Wars. 7.30 MOVIE: Uncharted.

(2022, M) 9.50 MOVIE: Striking Distance.

(1993, M) Midnight Late Programs.

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Morning Programs.

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

6.00 Golden Girls. 6.30 Nanny. 7.30 Tennis.

11.30 Ice Hockey. NHL. Chicago Blackhawks v Washington Capitals. 2.10am Love After Lockup. 3.40 MOVIE: Isaac s Dream. (2023, M) 5.10 Booba. 5.30 Bubble s Hotel.

9.00 I Fish. 9.30 Dog House. 10.30 JAG. 4.30pm Soccer. A-League Men. Round 12. Melbourne Victory v Western Sydney Wanderers. 7.00 Football Tonight.

7.35 Soccer. A-League Men. Round 12.

Macarthur FC v Sydney FC. 10.00 NCIS. 12.50am NCIS: Origins. 1.45 Shopping.

6am Morning Programs. 10.25 Priscilla.

(2023, Madl) 12.30pm Other People s Children. (2022, Madlns, French, Hebrew) 2.25 The Movie Show. 3.00 Paint. (2023) 4.50 Boychoir. (2014, PGav) 6.45 The Secret World Of Arrietty. (2010) 8.30 Anatomy Of A Fall. (2023, MA15+a, French, English, German) 11.20 Late Programs.

4.30 Find My Beach House Australia. (R) 5.00 9News First At Five.

5.30 Find My Country House Australia. (R) 6.00 9News Saturday.

7.00 Tennis. United Cup.

10.00 Soccer. English Premier League. Noon

6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Narrated

by Mark Coles Smith.

7.30 Love It Or List It Australia.

A couple contemplate leaving their home of 11 years. He loves it, but she feels the place is outdated.

8.40 Location, Location, Location Australia. (R) Property experts Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie search for properties in Melbourne and Canberra.

9.50 Ambulance UK. (Mad, R) It is a busy weekend night shift across Lancashire as crews attend to patients with mental health issues.

11.05 NCIS. (Mv, R) A pilot s body is found with unusual wounds.

1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.

7.00 Bold. 9.30 Deal Or No Deal. 10.00 Ridiculousness. 10.30 Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers. 11.00 Farm To Fork.

11.30 Deal Or No Deal. Noon Stephen Colbert. 2.00 Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Friends. 6.30 Big Bang. 10.00 Frasier. 11.00 Ridiculousness. Midnight Late Programs.

Sunday, January 11 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7, 6)

NINE (9, 8)

TEN (10, 5)

6.00 Grand Designs Transformations.

(PG, R) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now. (PG) 8.20 Goolagong. (M) Evonne Goolagong Cawley is driven away from tennis.

9.15 The Jetty. (MA15+l) Ember agrees to share information with a crime podcaster.

10.15 Call The Midwife. (M, R) 11.15 MOVIE: Sirens. (1994, MA15+an, R) Hugh Grant, Sam Neill, Tara Fitzgerald.

12.50 Rage Vault. (MA15+adhlnsv) 2.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 3.25 Dream Gardens. (R) 4.00 The Art Of. (PG, R) 4.30 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 5.00 Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales. (PG, R)

6.00 Grand Tours Of Scotland s Rivers. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Days That Shocked The World: Challenger.

8.25 Ken Burns The American Revolution. (Final, PG) Peace is restored.

10.40 Secrets Of Modern Archaeology. (PGa, R) 11.45 Australian Fashion Past, Present, Future. (PGn, R) 1.15 Birdsville Or Bust: Untold Australia. (Ml, R) 2.20 24 Hours In A&E. (M) 3.15 The Eco Show.

(R) 4.15 Designing Paradise With Bill Bensley. (R) 4.45 Destination Flavour Scandinavia Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 APAC Weekly.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League.

Match 32. Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers.

10.30 Big Bash League PostMatch. Post-match coverage of the game between the Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers.

11.00 7NEWS Spotlight. Looks at the biggest crypto heist in history.

12.00 MacGruber. (MA15+lsv) The plan Queeth set into motion is still alive.

1.00 Dr Harry s Animal Encounters.

(PG, R) Presented by Dr Harry Cooper.

2.30 Home Shopping. (R) 3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 4.00 NBC Today.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News Sunday.

7.00 Tennis. United Cup. Day 10. Final.

From Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney.

11.30 Wild Cards. (Mv, R) After an accountant set to testify against the mob is kidnapped, Ellis is asked to help get him back.

12.30 Tycoons Down Under: Hard Times. (PGa, R) Looks at some of Australia s biggest tycoons.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) A group of water skiers is sabotaged.

4.30 The Garden Gurus. (R) Great gardening tips and hints.

5.00 Today Early News. A look at the latest news, sport and weather.

5.30 Today. The latest in news and current affairs.

6.30 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

7.00 Selling Houses Australia. (R) Princess and Inca, who thought they were on to a winner when all the homes on their street started to sell, have had no luck.

8.00 MOVIE: Top Gun: Maverick.

(2022, Mlv, R) An aviator trains a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a mission while confronting the ghosts of his past. Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly.

10.35 10 News+. (R) Hosted

by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

11.05 FBI. (Mv, R) A rogue terrorist

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children s

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 9.30 Small Business Secrets.

10.00 Mastermind Aust. Noon WWE Rivals.

12.55 Jeopardy! 3.00 Mastermind Aust.

4.00 The Story Of. 5.00 WorldWatch. 6.00 Cycling. Westbridge Funds Road Nationals Championships. Elite Men s. Road Race.

10.00 MOVIE: Food, Inc. 2. (2023, M) 11.45 Late Programs.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. Noon Escape To The Country.

1.00 Medical Emergency. 1.30 Sean s Kitchen. 2.30 Harry s Practice. 3.00 Better Homes. 4.00 The Amazing Homemakers.

5.00 Secrets Of Beautiful Gardens. 6.00 Escape To The Country. 7.00 Vicar Of Dibley.

8.30 Vera. 10.30 Murdoch Mysteries. 11.30 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Morning Programs. 9.00 Turning Point. 9.30 TV Shop.

10.00 My Favorite Martian. 10.30 Avengers.

11.30 MOVIE: For Better, For Worse. (1954) 1.15pm MOVIE: All Creatures Great And Small. (1975) 3.10 MOVIE: Silver Bears.

(1978, PG) 5.30 Tennis. United Cup. Day 10.

Final. 7.00 M*A*S*H. 8.30 MOVIE: Ronin.

(1998, M) 11.00 Late Programs.

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am Deal Or No

Deal. 8.00 Frasier. 10.00 The Neighborhood.

11.00 Stephen Colbert. 2pm The Neighborhood. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Friends.

6.30 The Big Bang Theory. (PGs, R) 9.35 Frasier. (PGa, R) 10.30 The Neighborhood. (PGs, R) 11.30 South Park. 12.30am Shopping. 1.30 South Park. 2.30 Shopping.

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs.

2.50pm Football. West Kimberley Football League. Women s. Grand Final. 4.05 Bob Marley & The Wailers: The Capitol 73. 5.20 Australian Music Vault: Kate Ceberano.

6.40 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.50 Wild, Smart And Deadly. 7.40 Aerial Australia. 8.30 MOVIE: Luther: Never Too Much. (2024) 10.25 Late Programs.

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am Morning

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Morning Programs.

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Compass. (R) 11.30 Praise. (R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Magda s Big National Health Check. (Final, PG, R) 1.30 Gardening Aust. (R) 2.30 Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now. (PG, R) 3.40 Extraordinary Escapes. (PG, R) 4.30 Amanda & Alan s Italian Job. (PG, R) 5.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

Programs. 5.10pm Tiddler. 5.35 Super Monsters. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.30 Paddington.

6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.50 Andy And The Band.

7.05 Piripenguins. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun Tan s Tales From Outer Suburbia. 7.50 To Be Advised. 9.40 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.20 Merlin. 11.05 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.00 APAC Weekly. 12.30 PBS Washington Week.

12.55 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. (R) 1.00 Going Places. (R) 1.30 Cycling. Westbridge Funds Road Nationals Championships. Women s Elite and Under-23 Road Race. 5.00 Motor Racing. Dakar Rally. Weekly Highlights.

6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Man Up. (2015, Mls) 12.40pm Song To Song.

(2017, Malnsv) 3.00 The Movie Show. 4.00 Discovering Film. 4.50 The Emperor s Club.

(2002, PGlns) 6.50 Porco Rosso. (1992, PG) 8.30 My Sailor, My Love. (2022, PG) 10.25 Ondine. (2009, Malv) 12.25am Late Programs.

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 Surf Patrol.

(R) 12.30 Air Crash Investigations: The Accident Files. (PGal, R) 1.30 Big Bash League Pre-Game. 2.00 Cricket.

Big Bash League. Match 31. Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes. 5.30 Border Security: International. (PG, R)

Programs. 8.00 Sound FX: Best Of. 8.30 NFL. NFL Playoffs. Wild Card Round.

Continued. Noon NFL. NFL Playoffs. Wild Card Round. 3.30 Storage Wars. 4.00 Deep Water Salvage. 5.00 Counting Cars. 6.00 Border Security: Int. 7.00 Border Security.

8.30 MOVIE: The Bourne Identity. (2002, M) 11.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 7.00 Weekend Today. 10.00 Journey To Europe. (R) 11.00 Fishing Aust. 11.30 GolfBarons.

(PG, R) 12.00 Great Getaways. (PG, R) 1.00 David Attenborough s Dynasties II. (PGa, R) 2.00 Conquering Skin Cancer.

(PGmn) 4.00 Take Me Home. (PG, R) 5.00 News. 5.30 RBT. (PGdl)

2.30pm 3.00 Tennis. Brisbane International. Finals. 6.00 Tennis. Brisbane International. Finals. 10.00 MOVIE: Air. (2023, M) 12.10am Gotham. 1.10 Arrow.

3.00 Big Rigs Of Oz. 3.40 MOVIE: Barbie And Stacie To The Rescue. (2024) 4.50 Wild Manes. 5.10 Barney s World. 5.30 Bubble s Hotel.

6am Morning Programs. 10.30 10 Minute Kitchen. (R) 11.00 Well Traveller.

(PG, R) 11.30 Pooches At Play. (R) 12.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 12.30 Surf Life Saving. Shaw And Partners Iron Series. Day 2. Specialist Round. 2.30 Basketball. NBL. Round 16. Illawarra Hawks v New Zealand Breakers. 4.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 5.00 News.

12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

8.00 Tough Tested. 9.00 What s Up Down Under. 9.30 Camper Deals. 10.00 4x4 Adventures. 11.00 JAG. 4pm I Fish. 4.30 Basketball. NBL. Round 16. Sydney Kings v Melbourne United. 6.30 JAG. 7.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) 10.20 Matlock. (PGa, R) 12.15am Shopping.

The Latrobe Valley Express, TV Guide Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 21

Monday, January 12 ABC (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7, 6)

6.00 Sunrise.

9.00 The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 MOVIE: MatchMaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance. (2020, PGav) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies.

3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer.

(PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 Space Invaders. (PG, R) 1.00 Jeopardy!

Australia. 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 [VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.30 [VIC] WIN News.

6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Farm To Fork. (R) 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Ent. Tonight. 10.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PGa, R) 11.30 My Market Kitchen. (R) 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal.

(R) 2.30 The Finish Line. 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 7.30. Presented

by Michael Rowland.

8.00 To Be Advised.

9.00 Simon Schama: The Road To Auschwitz. (Premiere, MA15+a) Historian Simon Schama visits Auschwitz, travels to mass killing sites in Lithuania and to the Netherlands.

10.00 Dr Karl s How Things Work: Chips. (R) Dr Karl Kruszelnicki looks at the science of chips.

10.35 ABC Late News.

10.50 Dr Karl s How Things Work: Aussie Rules Football. (R) 11.20 Grand Designs: The Streets. (R) 12.10 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 12.55 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.00 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 Wonders Of The Sun With Dara Ó Briain. (R) Dara Ó Briain learns about the Sun. 9.20 Jimmy Carr s I Literally Just Told You. (M) Jimmy Carr hosts a comedic game show where paying attention pays off.

10.20 Great British Railway Journeys: Tilbury To Barbican.

(R) Presented by Michael Portillo.

10.55 Like Water For Chocolate. (MA15+sv) 11.45 Clean Sweep. (MA15+s, R) 1.45 Pagan Peak. (Mav, R) 3.30 Designing Paradise With Bill Bensley. (PG, R) 4.00 My Unique B&B. (R) 4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League.

Match 33. Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades.

10.30 Big Bash League Post-Match.

Post-match coverage of the game between the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades.

11.00 MOVIE: Miami Vice.

(2006, MA15+v, R) Two detectives investigate multiple murders.

Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell.

1.40 Girlfriends Guide To Divorce.

(MA15+s) Abby is ordered by her doctor to rest.

3.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Travel Guides. (PGl, R) Ordinary Australians become travel critics.

9.00 MOVIE: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. (2008, Mv, R) Indiana Jones is reunited with a woman from his past when he searches for a mysterious crystal skull. Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett.

11.25 Sight Unseen. (Mv) A colleague of Matt s is found dead.

12.10 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.05 Hello SA. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.

6.00 10 News+. Comprehensive coverage of the day s top stories, investigative reports and stories that haven t been heard.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Contestants compete in a high-stakes game where they must beat The Banker to win a cash prize.

7.30 The 83rd Annual Golden Globes. (PGals) Coverage of the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.

Hosted by Nikki Glaser.

10.30 10 s Late News. Coverage of news, sport and weather.

11.00 10 News+. (R) Hosted

by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

11.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) Hosted

by Stephen Colbert.

12.30 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children s Programs. 5.40pm Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes.

6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato.

7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Deadly 60.

8.30 TKO: Total Knock Out. 9.10 The Crystal Maze. 10.00 Merlin. 10.40 Late Programs.

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 9.30 Small Business Secrets.

10.00 Mastermind Aust. Noon WorldWatch.

12.30 Rex In Rome. 3.05 Mastermind Aust.

3.35 WorldWatch. 5.30 Freddie Flintoff s Field Of Dreams Tour. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 Genius Game. 9.40 The UnXplained Mysteries. 10.30 Late Programs.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Australia: The Story Of Us. 2.00 Weekender.

2.30 This Rugged Coast. 3.30 Harry s Practice. 4.00 Million Dollar Minute. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country.

6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Doc Martin. 8.30 Endeavour. 10.30 Air Crash Inv: Accident Files. 11.30 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Danger Man. 7.00

7.30 Thunderbirds.

8.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. 9.30 Newstyle Direct. 10.00 Adventures In Rainbow Country. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 Tennis. Adelaide International. Day 1. 6pm Tennis. Adelaide International. Night 1. 11.00 The Chelsea Detective. 1am 1.30 Harry Wild. 2.30 Late Programs.

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am Morning Programs. 9.30 Bold. 10.00 Family Feud.

10.30 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. Noon The Inspired Unemployed: The List. 1.00 Ridiculousness. 2.00 Stephen Colbert. 3.00 Becker. 3.30 Frasier. 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier. 5.00 Becker. 5.30 Frasier. 6.30 Friends. 8.00 Big Bang. 10.00 Becker. 10.30 Frasier. 11.00 Late Programs.

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs.

2.30pm The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Black As. 5.30 The 77 Percent. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Wild, Smart And Deadly. (Final) 7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? 8.30 Living Black Conversations. 9.05 Sammy By Sammy: My Tale Of The 60s.

10.05 Late Programs.

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am NFL. NFL

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Morning Programs.

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Vera. (Ma, R) 11.30 Back Roads. (PG, R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 The Kimberley. (Final, R) 2.00 Restoration Australia. (PG, R) 2.55 Would I Lie To You? (PG, R) 3.25 Nigella At My Table. (R) 3.55 Grand Designs: The Streets. (R) 4.45 Long Lost Family.

(PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 12.30 France 24. 1.00 PBS News Weekend. 1.30 Al Jazeera News Hour. 2.00 Britain s Most Expensive Houses. (R) 2.55 Going Places. (R) 3.25 Plat Du Tour. (PG, R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy!

4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Motor Racing. Dakar Rally. Stage 7.

Highlights.

6am Morning Programs. 10.00 20,000 Species Of Bees. (2023, Maln, Spanish, Basque, French) 12.20pm Moving. (1993, Ma, Japanese) 2.40 Boychoir. (2014, PGav) 4.30 Finding Altamira. (2016, PGa) 6.15 Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind. (1984, PGh) 8.30 Santosh. (2024, MA15+alv, Hindi) 10.50 Late Programs.

Playoffs. Wild Card Round. 8.30 NFL. NFL Playoffs. Wild Card Round. Noon NFL. NFL Playoffs. Wild Card Round. 3.30 NFL Tailgate. 4.30 American Restoration. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Outback Opal Hunters.

9.30 Aussie Salvage Squad. 10.30 The Mightiest. 11.30 Late Programs.

NINE (9, 8)

2pm Golden Girls. 2.30 Nanny. 3.30 Seinfeld.

4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie. 6.00 Golden Girls. 6.30 Nanny.

7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: The Hangover 2. (2011, MA15+) 10.35 Seinfeld. 11.35 The 100. 12.30am The Vampire Diaries. 2.10 Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. 3.00 Nanny. 3.30 Late Programs.

TEN (10, 5)

8.00 Reel Action. 8.30 Everyday Gourmet.

9.00 Living Room. 10.00 JAG. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 Dog House. 2.30 JAG. 4.30 Living Room. 5.30 JAG. 7.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) 8.30 FBI: Most Wanted. (Masv, R) 10.20 Matlock. 12.15am Shopping.

FACTS about Regional Newspapers: • “There is continued strong demand (and passion) for the printed product in rural and regional Australia.”

• “Audiences overwhelmingly view a printed copy of their newspaper as an essential service for their community.”

Media innovation and the civic future of Australia’s country press AN AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL LINKAGE PROJECT

32,600 copies Call 5135 4444 today!

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Tuesday, January 13 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (7, 6)

6.00 Sunrise.

9.00 The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 MOVIE: MatchMaker Mysteries: A Killer Engagement. (2019, PGav) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies.

3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer.

(PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 Space Invaders. (PG, R) 1.00 Jeopardy!

Australia. 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 [VIC] Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.30 [VIC] WIN News.

6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Farm To Fork. (R) 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Ent. Tonight. 10.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PGas, R) 11.30 My Market Kitchen. (R) 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal.

(R) 2.30 The Finish Line. 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 7.30.

8.00 Dr Karl s How Things Work: Pies.

8.30 Human: Into The Unknown.

(PG) Looks at early Homo sapiens s ancestors leaving Africa.

9.30 Grand Designs Transformations: Mitcham White And Fitzroy Funhouse. (PG, R) Two Melbourne couples transform their homes.

10.35 ABC Late News. 10.50 Australia s Open. (Final, Ml, R) 11.45 Grand Designs: The Streets. (Ml, R) 12.30 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.20 Rage.

(MA15+adhlnsv) 2.25 Close To Me. (Mals, R) 4.00 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? Patrick Brammall. (Ml, R) 8.35 Air India Crash: What Went Wrong? (Ma, R) Looks at the tragic events of Air India Flight 171.

9.30 Aerial Australia. (PGa, R) Looks at the hot, dry, extreme centre of Australia.

10.25 Great British Railway Journeys.

(R) 11.00 Exit. (MA15+adls) 11.55 Dopesick. (MA15+ad, R) 2.10 The Eco Show. (R) 3.15 Designing Paradise With Bill Bensley. (R) 4.15 My Unique B&B. (R) 4.50 Destination Flavour Scandinavia Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League.

Match 34. Melbourne Stars v Adelaide Strikers.

10.30 Big Bash League Post-Match.

Post-match coverage of the game between the Melbourne Stars and Adelaide Strikers.

11.00 Lopez Vs. Lopez. (PGal) Rosie starts dating Quinten s boss.

12.00 MOVIE: A Dangerous Defence.

(2021, Mav, R) A lawyer investigates her father s death. Anita Leeman Torres, Scott Christopher.

2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Taronga: Who s Who In The Zoo: Bongo Blood Draw. (PG) 8.30 MOVIE: Cool Runnings.

(1993, G, R) Jamaicans train to become bobsledders. John Candy, Doug E. Doug.

10.30 Volare: Valentino Guseli.

11.40 The Equalizer. (Mav) 12.30 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.30 Home Shopping. 2.30 Destination WA. (PG, R) 3.00 Home Shopping. 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News.

5.30 Today.

6.00 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.

7.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Narrated

by Mark Coles Smith.

8.30 MOVIE: Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning. (2023, PGlv, R) Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames.

11.40 10 s Late News.

12.10 10 News+. (R) 12.40 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Children s

SBS VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 Mastermind Aust.

Noon WorldWatch. 12.30 Homicide. 2.20 Fashionista. 2.30 Mastermind Aust. 3.30 WorldWatch. 5.30 Freddie Flintoff s Field Of Dreams Tour. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 Genius Game. 9.30 The UnXplained Mysteries Of The Universe.

10.20 Late Programs.

7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 Creek To Coast. 2.30 Air Crash Inv: Accident Files. 3.30 Harry s Practice. 4.00 Million Dollar Minute. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt.

7.30 Call The Midwife. 8.45 Judge John Deed. 10.45 Late Programs.

9GEM (92, 81) 6am Danger Man. 7.00

10 COMEDY (11, 52) 6am Morning

NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Black As. 5.30 Indian Country Today News.

6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Africa s Hidden Kingdoms. 7.30 Big Backyard Quiz. 8.30 Pro Bull Riding USA: Unleash The Beast. 9.30 Hunting Aotearoa. 10.00 Late Programs.

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (73, 64) 6am Morning

9GO! (93, 82) 6am Morning Programs.

10 DRAMA (12, 53) 6am Shopping.

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News.

10.00 TBA. 11.00 Penguin King. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Call The Midwife.

(M, R) 1.55 Restoration Aust. (PG, R) 2.55 Would I Lie To You? (PG, R) 3.25 Nigella At My Table. (R) 3.55 Grand Designs: The Streets. (PG, R) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

Programs. 5.40pm Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Octonauts. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes.

6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato.

7.05 Batwheels. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Deadly 60.

(Final) 8.30 Ice Age. 9.15 Planet Weird. 10.05 Merlin. 10.50 Late Programs.

6.00 DW English News.

6.30 Al Jazeera News.

7.00 BBC News At Six. 7.30 France 24 English News.

8.00 DD India News Hour.

9.00 Rediscover Victoria. (R) 10.30 Tennis. Kooyong Classic. Day 1.

5.00 Motor Racing. Dakar Rally. Stage 8. Highlights.

6am Morning Programs. 10.10 Ondine.

(2009, Malv) 12.10pm Let The River Flow.

(2023, Mal, Norwegian, Saami) 2.30 My Sailor, My Love. (2022, PG) 4.25 The Crow s Egg. (2014, PGa, Tamil) 6.10 Castle In The Sky. (1986) 8.30 Jules. (2023) 10.10 Princess Mononoke. (1997, PG, Japanese) 12.40am Late Programs.

Page 22 — The Latrobe Valley Express, TV Guide Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Programs. 10.30 American Pickers. 11.30 Sound FX: Best Of. Noon NFL. NFL Playoffs. Wild Card Round. 3.30 Billy The Exterminator. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Outback Truckers. 9.30 Railroad Australia. 10.30 Ice Road Truckers.

11.30 Late Programs.

NINE (9, 8)

7.30 Thunderbirds.

8.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. 9.30 Newstyle Direct. 10.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 Tennis.

Adelaide International. Day 2. 6pm Tennis.

Adelaide International. Night 2. 11.00 Agatha Christie s Marple. 1am 1.30 Harry Wild. 2.30 Late Programs.

2pm Golden Girls. 2.30 Nanny. 3.30 Seinfeld.

4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie. 6.00 Golden Girls. 6.30 Nanny.

7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Flight Of The Navigator. (1986) 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.30 The 100. 12.20am The Vampire Diaries. 2.00 Love After Lockup. 3.30 I Love VIP Pets.

4.00 Late Programs.

TEN (10, 5)

Programs. 9.30 Bold. 10.00 Family Feud.

10.30 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. Noon The Inspired Unemployed: The List. 1.00 Ridiculousness. 2.00 Stephen Colbert. 3.00 Becker. 3.30 Frasier. 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier. 5.00 Becker. 5.30 Frasier. 6.30 Friends. 8.00 Big Bang. 10.00 Becker. 10.30 Frasier. 11.00 Late Programs.

8.00 Escape Fishing. 9.00 Living Room.

10.00 JAG. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 Dog House. 2.30 JAG. 4.30 Living Room.

5.30 JAG. (PGv, R) 7.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) 10.20 Matlock. (PGals, R) 12.15am Shopping.

news

www.lvexpress.com.au

Hazelwood harriers of the net

By KATRINA BRANDON AND STEFAN BRADLEY

LET’S get connected!

Rural Fibre Co (RFC) brought faster speeds and celebrations to the Hazelwood North Community Hall last month.

Launching its first network location, with one of the most hyper-connected services, RFC was ecstatic to share this milestone.

Welcomed with sausages cooked by the local scout group and a display of the tools used to install the network, about 30 people attended the event, able to ask questions and to celebrate the occasion.

RFC was established in March 2025 to deliver a vision to bring broadband fibre to underserved rural and regional areas of Gippsland.

Opening the event, owner Phillip Britt, one of the founders and former managing director of Aussie Broadband, welcomed attendees and shared his vision for RFC. “I had planned to retire from Aussie Broadband, and I thought, I’m too young to retire,” he told the crowd.

"We think that Hazelwood North will have close to the fastest internet connectivity of any rural community in Australia, and will also be faster than many urban areas as well.

"It will make a significant difference to the people living and working in Hazelwood North - in fact, we've already seen that with our test customers.

"As an example, there are people who can work from home for the first time ever - thanks to their RFC connection."

Mr Britt said that while he was at Aussie Broadband, he urged NBN to deliver fibre broadband into more areas, but NBN chose to develop Fixed Wireless into areas like Hazelwood North, Glengarry and Rosedale.

Fixed Wireless uses 4G/5G technology to transmit data over radio signals from a transmission tower to an outdoor antenna installed at the customer’s premises.

This technology will slow down during the peak periods in the evenings, whereas fibre won’t have that problem.

Customers connected to the new network are seeing speeds of up to 2500 Mbps, about 25 times faster than their previous average speed available through the NBN Fixed Wireless network, and about five times faster than the theoretical top speed for both fixed wireless and Space X’s Starlink.

Customers who sign up within the first six months receive a free fibre connection to their home. Connections are through retail partners, with Splice Internet - also owned by Mr Britt - the only partner currently signed on to the network.

RFC already has 55 customers connected to the network, with another 45 orders in the system.

Mr Britt thanked the attendees, with some being customers of the service, for “their patience” as they worked on the streets to install the fibre.

Over the next four to five years, Mr Britt said that he also aims to install further fibre throughout the region.

With a small team of 31 that’s mostly doing all the work rather than subcontracting, RFC is constrained by its limited resources. While Mr Britt has already invested millions of dollars into the business, government funding would go a long way into potentially speeding up the rollout.

A RFC spokesperson told the Express that Latrobe and Wellington areas will be the first on the rollout map.

“Ideally, Phil would like to do all of Gippsland,” they said.

“In fact, we've got people from South Australia putting in expressions of interest. So there's an appetite for this right across the country, but we can only go so far at the moment.

“Our main focus areas at the moment are

House prices up, but still affordable

By STEFAN BRADLEY

Knowhow: To prepare for action, employees have received training through simulations to install Photographs: Katrina Brandon fibre in the ground.

Purpose: One of the founders and former managing director of Aussie Broadband, Phillip Britt, is aiming to see better internet speeds in Gippsland.

Latrobe Valley and Wellington. From here (Hazelwood North), next on the list is Glengarry.”

Other towns on the ‘rollout’ map include Churchill, Cowwar, Glengarry, Hazelwood South, Longford, Morwell North, Rosedale, Toongabbie, Traralgon East, Traralgon North, Traralgon West, Tyers and Yinnar.

Work is expected to begin on the Traralgon West network early this year.

Alongside the privilege of faster internet access, RFC aims to employ locally and keep most work in-house to ensure Gippslanders have ample opportunities in the industry. Mr Britt said it is making a significant difference to costs and helping to develop new skill sets for the region.

"This is really a business by Gippslanders, for Gippslanders," he said.

"We want Gippsland to be at the forefront of connectivity rather than on the back burner. This is an investment in our region and our community."

Some aspects of the job include laying ducts, laying fibre, reinstating worksites, software development, home installations and customer service.

Due to the nature of the work, the company provides training, allowing those learning to drill to practice on a simulator and become familiar with the work.

“It's been a learning experience for us,” the spokesperson said.

“We had picked up a couple of experienced staff - none of them really had experience with drills or other machinery, so they did a month-and-a-half of training to get them up to speed. From there, the machinery suppliers were very helpful with the training.”

Asked about connecting fibre to farming properties, the spokesperson said if their fibre network goes past the road outside they’ll be able to connect them. But as they are focusing on denser populations, it’s unlikely that remote properties in Gippsland can be connected.

Farmers who are able to connect to fibre can of course benefit from faster speeds and a more reliable connection to run their operations more efficiently or stream Stranger Things at home in 4K. Further information can be found at: www. ruralfibre.co NBN users on Fixed Wireless saw speed upgrades last year and increased the range of that network as part of a $750 million upgrade. It also moved a number of satellite customers onto Fixed Wireless. Despite the service boost, it’s not as reliable as full fibre connections.

There certainly is demand for faster broadband in Gippsland. According to NBN, Gippsland has seen a 9.5 per cent increase in average household downloads in the last year.

Gippslanders should enter their address at the NBN website to see which technology is available and if they're eligible for free upgrades to a full fibre connection. Satellite users who haven't been moved to Fixed Wireless will soon be moved to Amazon LEO (previously named Project Kuiper) sometime in the middle of next year, which uses similar technology to Starlink.

Speedy: Attendees at the Hazelwood North Community Hall heard that the area could potentially have the fastest internet speed of any rural locality in the country.

VICTORIAN housing is currently among the most affordable in the country, despite the state’s regional home prices reaching a new high last November.

Gippsland is following this trend, with new PropTrack data showing the region’s home prices were up by 0.4 per cent in November.

On December 1, PropTrack released its Home Price Index November 2025 report, which found that regional Victorian home prices rose 0.5 per cent to a new peak in November, lifting them 5.6 per cent higher year-on-year.

Data provided to the Express shows that all dwellings in the Latrobe - Gippsland SA4 area (which covers the whole Gippsland region) have risen by 1.20 per cent over the past quarter, with a median value of $529,000. For houses, the median value is $561,000, and $371,000 for units.

REA Group Senior Economist Eleanor Creagh told the Express that Gippsland prices are close to regional Victoria’s price uptick.

"Home prices in Latrobe-Gippsland continue to rise steadily, with values lifting 0.4 per cent in November and up 3.6 per cent over the year.

It’s not the rapid acceleration seen in some regional hotspots but still consistent growth,” Ms Creagh said.

“Over the quarter, home prices increased by around $4000 and are now almost $17,000 higher than this time last year. This is very much in line with the broader trend across Regional Victoria.”

Despite these price increases, Victoria’s housing affordability improved over the 2025 financial year and is now sitting above its previous record low, according to another report released by PropTrack, which centred on housing affordability.

The report found that a median-income Victorian household could afford 18 per cent of homes sold in the 2025 financial year, up from the 13 per cent share recorded a year ago.

Victoria was the second-most affordable state in the 2025 financial year, behind only Western Australia, as housing affordability slightly improved over the year following 2024's record low.

This improvement was driven by slower home price growth in Victoria compared to other states and increased borrowing capacities due to lower mortgage rates and income growth.

"Victoria can simultaneously be the secondmost affordable state and have regional markets hitting new price highs because affordability is a relative concept,” Ms Creagh said.

“Despite recent growth, home prices across Victoria remain low relative to incomes in comparison to other states. Even though home values in regional Victoria are reaching new price peaks, the overall level of prices remains comparatively accessible.

“Victoria’s affordability ranking doesn’t mean prices aren’t rising, it reflects relative to household incomes and other states that buyers still have more purchasing power.”

But if you take away that comparison to other states, affordability remains a challenge for Victorian households. PropTrack’s data suggests a median-income household in Victoria that earns about $120,000 annually could afford just 18 per cent of all homes sold in the past year.

An average income household in Victoria saving 20 per cent of their income would need to save for 5.6 years for a 20 per cent deposit on a median-priced home.

A Victorian household earning an average income would need to spend 32 per cent of their income on mortgage repayments to afford a median-priced home, down from 35.5 per cent in late 2023.

Regional prices nationwide climbed 0.6 per cent in November and were up 9.3 per cent year-on-year.

“Regional growth has outpaced the capitals over the past year - 9.3 per cent versus 8.5 per cent and five years - 64 per cent versus 47 per cent - supported by relative affordability and lifestyle appeal,” Ms Creagh said.

“National home prices rose 0.5 per cent in November and are now 8.7 per cent higher than a year ago, the fastest annual growth since mid2022. Momentum firmed throughout 2025, but stretched affordability means growth remains well below the 20-to-30 per cent annual gains seen in past booms.

“Lower interest rates, increased borrowing capacities, and a recovery in sentiment have underpinned this year’s (2025's) reacceleration.”

In the capital cities, unit growth is outperforming houses both quarterly and annually as buyers pivot toward more attainable options.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 23

news

High speed chase on last day of the year From Page 1

MS Frances described the couple's rush to her daughter's room after hearing her scream, only to be threatened by the axe-wielding offender. "He appeared willing to use the axe if needed," the horrified Glengarry mother said.

Mr Spowart spoke to the Express about the traumatic event, and how confronting it was to wake up to "a man in the house, holding an axe across his chest with two hands, screaming at us to get car keys."

In a moment of terror, Mr Spowart complied.

"He kept screaming at me not to be a hero and to just get the car key … at that point, we had no idea if he was alone and no idea if there were other people. Couldn't really process it all, to be honest, it happened that fast."

The man made off with the keys and fled in the family's black Subaru Impreza, only to be tracked by officers to Moe-Rawson Road in Moondarra, where the vehicle was abandoned and fled into nearby bushland.

Police Air Wing and Dog Squads provided assistance at this time to try and sniff out the man repeatedly evading arrest, which went on for the rest of the day. Police advised residents that the Moe-Rawson Rd was closed in both direction while they conducted their search, and to seek alternative routes.

The police “were there really fast, were very good", Mr Spowart said. "They stayed and looked after everything through the process".

The aftermath has been difficult, but the family has found support after only moving in little more than a month ago.

"It's been really overwhelming how many people have been contacting us, just saying anything at all they can do to help. We've been in this house for three weeks … but instantly, the community's been amazing ... offering complete stranger support, which has been fantastic."

Thankfully, none of the family was physically harmed during the confrontation.

The Subaru was later found with spiked tires, crashed into a tree.

The following day (Wednesday, December 31), the offender resurfaced in Churchill, driving a red Mitsubishi Outlander stolen from a woman in Tanjil South.

Undercover police pursued, chasing the offender through the streets of Morwell, as he successfully evaded spike strips deployed along Vary Street and Vincent Rd. From there, Reid merged onto the Princes Highway heading towards Warragul, before

spike strips were deployed yet again on School Rd, Trafalgar where the driver then barrelled through a blockade, ramming both a parked police car and a single officer. The injured officer was transported to hospital with major lower-body injuries after receiving citizen assistance from a local nurse.

The chase continued until the vehicle crashed into the front brick wall of a Trafalgar residence on the corner of Church St and Anzac Rd. Reid had been travelling at speeds close to 180kmph while pursued, at times also on the wrong side of the road.

He fled the scene into a backyard close by, where he was placed in custody.

Officers apprehended Reid around 9.38am on December 31. He was taken to hospital for evaluation for a short period before being placed in remand and subsequently charged.

The Express spoke to Ted Dorling, the owner of the house whose front fence was flattened, on the day of the incident.

"We had a lot of police in the next street," he reported.

Mr Dorling received a call informing him of the car damaging his property while at the local community garden, where he'd been since 8am that morning.

When he first arrived at the scene, he was pleased to at least see his house was untouched by the impact.

"We'll get our daughter working on it with the insurance to get the fence fixed, but it's not like it's going to affect the security of the place," he said.

Mr Dorling has lived at the residence for more than 20 years, and cares for his wife, who suffers from dementia. To have this happen on his front doorstep on the last day of the year posed yet another challenge to overcome.

Despite that, Mr Dorling remained optimistic.

"Nothing you can do about it, being a truckie (before retirement), you see it all the time."

"I was in Traralgon (yesterday) when they were chasing him. I was pulled up at a booze bus (completing a breath test), and while I was there, they got a call that they found this guy, and he was on the run at the time, so they took off.

"They (police on the scene) tell me he's pinched six cars in a week, so he's done pretty well."

Anzac Rd was reopened to the public by 2pm that day.

The car in Mr Dorling's yard belonged to 29-yearold Moe resident Amy Smith.

The mother-of-two simply described the situation as "pretty full-on".

The young family had been swimming at the Tanjil South property of Ms Smith's parents around

Charges laid VIOLENT AND SERIOUS OFFENCES • Carjacking • Aggravated burglary with an offffensive f weapon • Armed robbery • Attttempted t aggravated burglary • Reckless conduct endangering life • Aggravated exposure of a police offfficer f to risk by driving

PROPERTY AND THEFT OFFENCES • Theftftt of motor vehicle (five counts) • Burglary

DRIVING AND PURSUIT-RELATED OFFENCES • Dangerous driving • Dangerous driving while being pursued by police • Driving in a manner dangerous • Driving at a dangerous speed

LICENSING OFFENCES • Unlicensed driving Total charges: 66 Court date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Page 24 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

5pm on Tuesday, December 30 when she suddenly saw her car drive out of the driveway.

None of the family ever sighted the man, and pieced together the situation on their own.

"We thought 'okay, it has to be this guy that they've been trying to find through the bush'," Ms Smith said.

"So he'd cut through the bush and onto my parents' property, and come across their house."

Ms Smith frantically called triple zero, and informed everyone they knew in the area to keep an eye out and follow the car.

"Everyone chipped in to try and help out," she said.

The keys had been in the ignition when stolen, and there was a quarter of a tank of fuel in the vehicle.

Leaving keys in cars is common on farming properties, and given Ms Smith's parents' house is some four kilometres off the main road, there appeared to be no apparent danger.

Police believe it was a blessing in disguise the keys were in the ignition, as Reid would have likely assaulted someone on the scene to have them handed over.

After promptly posting on Facebook about the theft, Ms Smith started receiving an influx of messages from people in the community informing her red Mitsubishi had been sighted in Moe, driving on the wrong side of the road and on footpaths.

Shortly after taking the car, the offender was seen stealing food from Moe IGA, where he was filmed by CCTV. This footage was the first Ms Smith had seen of the man. She was relieved to receive a call the next day (Wednesday, December 31) saying her car had been seized by police, and Reid arrested, and while her car may be undriveable, "I'm glad he didn't hurt more people."

Before the crash at Trafalgar, Ms Smith had seen the car pass her near Morwell McDonald's when driving her husband to work in his car earlier that morning, an experience she described as "shocking".

"Hopefully he gets a decent punishment," Ms Smith said to the Express.

The final day of the pursuit allegedly began after the offender was reported for a petrol drive-off at 8.20am, according to police.

Reid, who was of no fixed arrested, was quickly charged with a rap sheet of 66 charges, before making a court appearance the following Friday (December 2), via video link.

Latrobe Valley Magistrates decided he is to be remanded in custody until April 7 for a committal mention.

news@lvexpress.com.au

Timeline Sunday, December 28, 2025

n 11.10am: Hazelwood South Aggravated carjacking on Firmins Lane.

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

n About 4.15am: Traralgon East Stolen car located at a Princes Highway service station; police attempt interception; offender allegedly rams police car and escapes. n 5am: Glengarry Vehicle found dumped on Castleknock Drive, and offender breaks into a home on Castleknock Dr using an axe, threatening occupants and stealing their black Subaru Impreza. n 9am: Moondarra area Subaru abandoned, police shut roads while conducting search. n 5pm: Tanjil South Offender steals red Mitsubishi Outlander from residential property.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 n About 8.20am: Tyers/Morwell Petrol drive-off involving the stolen Mitsubishi reported in Tyers; police spot vehicle in Morwell and initiate two short pursuits that are called off due to dangerous driving. n Around 9am:Trafalgar (Princes Highway) Mitsubishi seen travelling west at excessive speed on Princes Highway toward Trafalgar; police proceed to intercept.

Stop sticks deployed on School Road; Mitsubishi allegedly rams multiple police vehicles and collides with a police officer, who is injured and taken to hospital. n 9.38am: Trafalgar (Anzac Rd / Church St) Mitsubishi crashes into a residential fence on the corner of Anzac Rd and Church Street; offender flees on foot and is arrested in a nearby backyard.

Process: Tow trucks came in to remove one of the cars damaged along School Road, Trafalgar.

Photographs: Liam Durkin

news

www.lvexpress.com.au

Police were outstanding says car owner

By LIAM DURKIN

MOE resident Amy Smith, whose car was stolen during the frantic news year’s eve pursuit, has praised the efforts of local police.

The mother-of-two cut a remarkably calm figure when interviewed by the Express just hours after her car crashed into the front yard of a Trafalgar property.

Thankfully her children, above all else, were saved any possible further harm.

“She realises they’re alright so that’s the main thing,” Ms Smith’s grandmother, Margaret Parton said.

“The children are okay, (they) could’ve been in the car, so that’s more important. You can replace a car, but two little children's … not good.”

Ms Smith, who works as a primary school teacher, faced the added challenge of needing to keep her kids distracted during the ordeal, further highlighting her resilience.

Ms Parton lives not far from where the car crashed through a concrete wall on the corner of Anzac Road and Church Street, Trafalgar.

While she didn’t hear the crash, Ms Parton quickly figured the car would have belonged to her granddaughter, after following developments on social media and through the family phone chat.

Ms Parton said she was glad Amy didn’t see the car totalled.

“It was quite sad to see it, it was a nice car, had many rides in it,” she said.

Ms Smith now faces the long road dealing with insurance, but has found community generosity in spades from friends offering to lend her a vehicle.

She will however need new car seats for her young ones.

Torrid time: Moe’s Amy Smith hardly slept the night her car was stolen, knowing the offender also had keys to her house.

Clean-up coming: Trafalgar resident Ted Dorling next to the car that ploughed through his front fence. The retired truckie said he saw similar incidents during his working life.

Oh dear: Trafalgar’s Margaret Parton inspects the damage to her granddaughters car.

No go zone: Police blocked off Anzac Road, Trafalgar on Wednesday, December 31 while a crime scene was established.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 25

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Voicemail introductions advertisements and voice messages may only be submitted by persons 18 years and older.

When making contact with people for the first time, it is advisable to meet in a public place and let a member of your family or a trusted friend know where you will be.

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Please check your ad on the first day and bring any errors to the attention of the Classifieds Department immediately.

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Page 28 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

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Situations Vacant

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Much hardship and difficulty is caused to job seekers by misleading advertising placed in the employment columns.

Our Situations Vacant columns are reserved for advertisements which carry a specific and genuine offer of employment. Ads for `Business Opportunities' and `Training Courses' and `Employment Services' should be submitted under those headings.

Placing misleading ads is an offence against the Trades Practices Act and state/territory fair trading acts and all advertisements are subject to the publisher's approval. For further advice, contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on 1300 302 502 or your state consumer affairs agency.

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Would you like to deliver the Latrobe Valley Express newspaper to individual homes on Tuesday and/or Wednesday afternoons in Morwell, Traralgon, Moe, Newborough and Churchill? Please apply to the Circulation Manager 0456 000 541.

Please note: Children must be 11 years or over as we will need to apply for a government Child Employment Permit.

Children younger than 11 cannot or will not be accepted. Adult deliverers also welcome.

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Deaths

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EXPRESS

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Camper trailer. 4.3m (14ft).

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Personals Deaths

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HALLAM George Passed away 29/12/2025 Son of James and Marie Hallam, loved brother of Pam and Peter (dec.).

Loved uncle of Pricilla, Naomi, Liam and Adam.

SUZUKI 2004 GSX 250.

Good learners bike, only 5,800km. Ex. condition, no rego. $2,500 o.n.o.

Ph. 0409 181 823.

HOLMAN Cherry 24/7/1933 - 1/1/2026 Passed away at LRH, 1 January 2026 after a short illness aged 92.

Loved wife of Ron (dec.).

Cherished and muchloved mum of Russell, Leanne and Greg.

Loved Grandmother and Great-grandmother A very special lady that helped so many through her volunteer work.

Love you Nanna.

Forever in our hearts.

A Private family service will be held as per Cherry's wishes.

OUR MOTORING PACKAGE CAN WORK FOR YOU

5135 4455 Tenders

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LCC-906 Latrobe City Council Building Condition Assessment and Valuation

MOE-MORWELL-TRARALGON TRARALGON 5174 2258 Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

Tenders are invited from suitably qualified contractors for the above.

See www.latrobe.vic.gov.au/tenders for details Submissions are to be lodged as detailed in the documentation. Council is not bound to accept the lowest or any tender.

Situations Vacant

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DAVENPORT Chris 28/5/1940 - 21/12/2025 Reunited with Bub. Father to Lee, Kylie, Justin and Lisa Pop to Tara, Taylor, Rahni, Mitchell, Mikayla, Damon, Tahlia, Kaylea, Adam, James, Marley, Tyson, Stacy and Nathan.

Great-pop to, Jedd, Beau, Oliver, Mahlee, Parker, Aleira, Isla, Harvey, Lennon, Josh Lucas, Jamison, Ivy, Bailie, Abigail, Tate, Blake.

Past president and lifetime member of Latrobe Valley Aero Club and founding member of Churchill Soccer Club.

DZWONKOWSKI (nee Towell) Moyra 25/1/1955 - 28/11/2025 Passed away on a flight returning to Australia from an adventure overseas.

Loving wife to Paul. Loved mother of Alexandra and Christian. Loved Grandmother to Bethany, Luca and Kurtis.

A life lived with love.

5135 4455 Motorcycles

EXPRESS

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HORBOWICZ Danuta 1/1/1944 - 30/12/2025 Passed away peacefully at LRH hospital Loved and loving wife of Peter (dec.).

Loving mother and mother-in-law of Grzegorz(C4) and Susan.

Kocham ci Mamo

Deaths

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WILSON Kevin Colin 20/8/1942 - 26/12/2025 Loving husband to Cheryl.

Caring father of Jacqueline and Brian, Stuart and Eli, Robert, and Kerri.

Grandpa of Lochlin, Aleashia, Biannca, Troy, Oakley, Darcy, Riley, Chanelle, Jade, Oskar and Dylan and their partners.

Old Grandpa of Arlo, Kohen, Darby, Archie, Myah, Evie, Zara, Alby, JOHNSTON/E Sunday, Oliver, Ivy, Nyla, Allan Oswald Brian (AJ).

Winnie and Mabel.

Passed away at L/V Forever in our hearts.

Hospital, Traralgon. Vic. Sunday 21st December 2025.

22 Sept 1955 - 21 Dec 2025.

Age, 70 Yrs. Allan 5th Son of, Keith O R Johnston (Dec)/ Caroline T (HOGAN.) JOHNSTON. (Dec).

Funerals Brother to, Keith, (Dec) Arch (Dec), Bruce (Dec) Will, (Liv).

DAVENPORT Father to, Denis Anthony Christopher Brittany Lee. Service to be held at the (Chris) L.D.S Chapel Moe. Vic. 28/5/1940 - 21/12/2025 Then to rest at Moe Funeral was held at Memorial Park Cemetery. Gippsland Memorial Park Moe. Vic. At 11am on the 6/1/2025.

ALLAN, (AJ), Now Busking in, LORD HORBOWICZ thy GOD'S Choir.

The funeral service for Danuta Horbowicz will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Commercial Rd Morwell, on THURSDAY (8 January 2026) commencing at 11am.

At the conclusion of this service the funeral will proceed to the Moe CemRENNIE Robert etery Service No. 3788205 The President, Committee, Staff and Members of the Moe RSL Sub-Branch are deeply saddened by the passing of their esteemed McLAREN Service Member and A Graveside Service to friend, Robert. We offer celebrate the life of Robert our sympathy to all his Bruce McLaren will take family. place at the Korumburra LEST WE FORGET. Cemetery, WEDNESDAY (7 January 2026) ROBINSON Allan Francis commencing at 11am.

1941 - 2026.

Dearly loved husband of Beverley. Precious Father to Peter, Christine, Brett, Deanne, Garry. Poppy to his 10 Grandchildren and 11 Great-Grandchildren.

This isn't our final goodbye, just until we meet again.

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RINEHART James Edward A Memorial Service to celebrate the life of James will take place in the Rose Chapel at Gippsland SHIELDS Gwenda Elaine Memorial Park, Cemetery Dr Traralgon, Wednesday Our beautiful Mum, (14 January 2026) Mother-in-law and Nanny, commencing at 11am. passed away suddenly at Privately Cremated. home on 16 December 2025, aged 78 years.

Finally reunited with the love of her life and best-friend, Kenny.

Our hearts are breaking, you meant so much to us.

Life won't be the same without you. We will miss your smile, cheeky personality and phone ROBINSON Allan Francis calls. We will love and The Funeral Service to take care of Dotty. celebrate the life of Allan Love and miss you forever. will take place in the Rose Jody, Darren, Maggie and Chapel at Gippsland Sam. Justin, Grace and Memorial Park, Cemetery Harry. Naomi, Travis, Jesse Dr Traralgon, THURSDAY (15 January 2026) and Benji XXX commencing at 11am.

GO THE BOMBERS! STEPHENS John Leonard Passed away peacefully at Latrobe Regional Health, Traralgon on 1 January 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Aged 89 years Dearly loved husband of Grace (dec.).

Much loved father and father-in-law of Helen and Darryl, Debra and David, Philip and Merrilyn, Michale and Steve, Liz, Rodney, Robert and Melissa.

Adored grandad and great-grandad to many.

Funerals

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STEPHENS The funeral service and committal for cremation for John Leonard Stephens will be held at Latrobe Valley Funeral Services Chapel, 260 Princes Hwy Traralgon on THURSDAY (8 January 2026) commencing 2pm.

John's service will also be livestreamed. To view the livestream please visit: latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au and click on livestreaming.

MOE-MORWELL-TRARALGON TRARALGON 5174 2258 Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au

WILSON The Funeral Service to celebrate the life of Kevin Colin Wilson will take place in the Rose Chapel at Gippsland Memorial Park, Cemetery Drive, Traralgon, MONDAY (12 January 2026) commencing at 2pm.

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In Memoriam

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Serving the local community for over 40 years John 0413 332 647 Craig 0407 043 182

MURRAY Lee 13/6/1953 - 8/1/2023 My darling husband, Lee. It's been 3 years since you left. My heart still aches at your loss. A man of his word, endless generosity, strength and courage. With good humour and an insatiable hunger for travel and new experiences. I miss your smile, laughter and having you by my side on this journey of life.

Forever in my heart, Bev.

HARWOOD FUNERALS

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Share their story The Classified Department 5135 4455

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Concerns for micro-meatworks

By AIDAN KNIGHT

VICTORIA'S butchery sector is witnessing a rise in “micro-meatworks,” as small and medium-scale farmers look to slaughter and process their own livestock to cut costs, boost market access and shorten the paddock-to-plate chain.

The state government moved to support the trend in August, announcing it would lift planning requirements for purpose-built on-farm slaughter facilities.

Farmers wanting to construct a micro abattoir will no longer need a planning permit - a change designed to remove a major barrier to compliance and encourage producers to move away from makeshift or unsuitable buildings.

Supporters argue the model gives farmers greater control, keeps more profits local and strengthens regional “food sovereignty.”

Industry figures however say the practical realities make it far from simple.

Robert Radford, owner of Radford’s Meats Warragul - one of Victoria’s most decorated beef and lamb abattoirs - believes micro-meatworks face significant hurdles.

“No one wants them on their back doorstep,” he said.

“They’re going to have trouble getting meat inspectors. They’re going to have trouble with animal welfare because they’ve got to restrain the animal prior to slaughter, and carry out proper procedure with effluent and waste material, which also require EPA certification”.

Mr Radford said inspectors are unlikely to travel to farms to oversee the slaughter of only a few animals at a time, calling the economic model “unfeasible without the owner-operator becoming a hands-on slaughterman, butcher and meat inspector."

He believes the only viable alternative for small producers is direct-to-consumer online sales, where “farmers direct” meat packs are delivered to customers going through a registered meatworks or butcher shop

Knowhow: Latrobe City Councillor, Joanne Campbell grew up around the meat industry, with her family’s business Campbells Quality Meats, Traralgon.

File photograph

“If someone gets food poisoning and they trace it back to one of these micro abattoirs, the whole industry will suffer,” Mr Radford said.

One of the most notable in the race for micro meatworks, prior to the recently introduced legislation, has been Jonai Farms & Meatsmiths, who specialise in heritage breed pigs and shorthorn cattle in Eganstown, Victoria.

While not exactly a small operation, Jonai gained some notoriety in the meat industry by raising money to build a vehicle-based abattoir at $150,000.

This was driven by the vision to "feed local communities rather than banks and shareholders".

The “vehicle-based” design for Jonai Farms’ microabattoir isn’t about being a mobile butcher in the classic sense (driving from farm to farm). Instead, it’s a regulatory and practical workaround.

Mobile butchers are not an uncommon occurrence in regional areas, as pointed out to the Express by Latrobe City Jeeralang Ward Councillor, Joanne Campbell.

"What I'm worried about is the health inspectors being able to maintain proper compliance," she said.

Cr Campbell grew up within the meat industry, similar to Mr Radford, through her family's business - Campbells Quality Meats Traralgon.

It’s generally easier to ensure compliance for mobile butchers than for farmers running their own micro-meatworks, because mobile units are standardised, centrally regulated, and operate under existing licensing frameworks, whereas a farmer-run facility requires full abattoir-level compliance, infrastructure, and oversight.

Mobile slaughter units are typically licensed as a single entity, with one set of approvals covering multiple farms. This means regulators only need to audit and certify the mobile operator, not every individual farm.

Farmers must meet the same standards as commercial abattoirs - including structural design, waste disposal, water quality, and HACCP food safety systems.

Cr Campbell mirrors Mr Radford's view, and doesn't see a Victoria where inspectors and regulators happily trek to every individual farm that may theoretically become a micro meatworks, for what is (in the scheme of things), a minuscule amount of production (compared to the current abattoirs established).

Building and maintaining compliant infrastructure is expensive, often prohibitive for small–scale producers.

While Cr Campbell supports the concept of "keeping it local" that the micro concept provides a township if run successfully, she sees that mobile butchers consolidate compliance into a single, professional service that regulators can monitor efficiently.

In contrast, farmer-run micro meatworks decentralise responsibility, requiring every farm to meet complex abattoir standards individually - making oversight far more difficult and resource-intensive.

While small producers explore micro-meatworks, the opposite end of the industry is also shifting.

O’Connor’s Beef - a major Victorian exporter supplying more than 30 countries including the US, Japan, the EU, Southeast Asia and the Middle East - has been put on the market.

The family business, started in East Gippsland in 1930 and now run by brothers Tim and Matt O’Connor, is expected to fetch between $300 to $400 million.

The Australian Financial Review published details on a prospective buyer in Chestnut, an

Detail: Questions remain over how regulated micro-abattoirs will be policed. Photograph: Aidan Knight

Indonesian-owned office with investments in Australian pork product and biscuit manufacturers.

Chestnut's bid was not accepted, leaving O'Connor's with an uncertain foreseeable future.

As farmers weigh the appeal of hyper-local processing against steep regulatory demands, Victoria’s meat landscape is set for change at both the smallest and largest scales.

Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock President, Scott Young said the organisation will

be monitoring the reforms closely, stressing that any shift toward micro-meatworks must uphold the same food safety, animal welfare and traceability standards expected of traditional abattoirs.

Whether micro-meatworks can overcome the hurdles of inspection, infrastructure and safety - or remain a niche aspiration - will help determine how power and production are shared across the state’s meat industry in the years ahead.

Magnificent meats combine

New era: Robert Radford of Radford’s Meats is excited to add value to his existing business, with the recent acquisition and rebranding of Cheffields into Gippsland Choice Cuts.

Photograph: Aidan Knight

By AIDAN KNIGHT

NESTLED in the heart of West Gippsland, Radford's Meats stands as a testament to Australian family business resilience, a multigenerational enterprise that has weathered decades of industry transformation.

Founded nearly 80 years ago, the company has grown from a single-man slaughterhouse to a sophisticated meat processing operation that supplies across Victoria and beyond.

Robert Radford, who has been at the helm for nearly 50 years, represents the second generation of leadership.

His journey began with a butcher's apprenticeship, evolving to exporting to 28 different markets.

Today, Radford's is one of the most unique meat operations in the region - a multi-species plant processing both beef and lamb, a rarity among the nine meat works within a 100-kilometre radius.

What began as a small butcher shop in Warragul in 1946 has grown into one of Gippsland’s quiet manufacturing success stories.

Radford's remains family-owned and regionally based, but now operates as a major player in Australia’s meat processing and value-added food sector - proving that a country business can compete on a national scale without losing its local roots.

"My permanent staff average 13 years service," Mr Radford says proudly. "Some of them have been here over 30 years."

This stability is intentional.

"We can guarantee them five days a week, where a lot of other plants in the area are reduced to three or four because of lack of stock, availability and price," he explains, of which he has around 140 people employed.

Domestically focused, Radford's supply "independent supermarkets, food service, wholesalers and independent butchers" with 95 per cent of their business serving local markets.

"We supply Sydney and Melbourne markets, right through regional Victoria, from Bairnsdale to Healesville and Werribee."

Their achievements are substantial, winning multiple awards local, state and national. The biggest being the national Telstra Sustainability Award in 2009 - the first for any meat company in Australia.

Radford's also participates in exporting some of the best beef in the country, thanks to its Level 1 license, allowing trade to markets mainly in the Middle East.

While Mr Radford acknowledges that the exports are important, and for a country with beef as highly regarded as Australia, is an integral part of the economy, he says the company has always been locally focused, and the more regional the better.

"Exports are currently only about five per cent of our business," he said.

"We focus greatly on the domestic side of things, retail outlets, local butchers across the regions, independent supermarkets, food services and caterers - we do the lot."

Mr Radford has always maintained this vision, as most other plants in the area shifted their focus to American and Asian markets, opening it up for Radford’s to expand their reach across Gippsland and beyond to fill demand locally, something he doesn't take lightly, and is reflected in the quality of the product.

Radford's are also certified to prepare meats for a range of different religious affiliations, being Greek orthodox, traditional Chinese and Vietnamese communities, as well as Halal. In particular, being one of the biggest wholesale carcass suppliers in the Sydney and Melbourne Greek markets, and have a consistent customer base, doing a roaring trade in lamb each Christmas and Easter.

Now expanding the business in a different direction, Mr Radford has acquired Cheffields Meat Wholesale, rebranding it into Gippsland Choice Cuts.

"We will supply nursing homes, hospitals, and restaurants, institutions all across Gippsland as well as catering," he told the Express.

The business aims to have a major impact on localised bulk meat supply, which makes use of the multiple owners' reputations and connections joining forces, including Lisa Moreland (formerly Moreland Meats) and Colin Kearley (Country Style Meats, Garfield). This team brings an expert knowledge/service in different areas of the same industry, allowing each of their own businesses to elevate to a new level with this newfound local venture - building further on what was previously established in Cheffields by the founders, Andrew and Kristy Smith.

While Radford's own abattoirs provide highquality beef and lamb, the combined figures behind Gippsland Choice Cuts provide all of this, plus the finest in pork and chicken, seafood and goat. Radford's have been supplying Cheffields with meat for the service industry for 24 years, and have a strong understanding of the impact it has on local meat economy.

Cheffields has long been a well-established supplier, and Gippsland Choice Cuts plans to not only continue that, but also elevate the wholesale servicing in the local region, as the new name would suggest.

With this venture, Mr Radfore aims to “take advantage of that and value-add our products that we process here, take it down there, and take it to another level", while keeping the existing workforce of a dozen or so employees at the Warragul base in Masterson Court.

Gippsland Choice Cuts is as committed as Radford's Meats is to maintaining locality, not just in business and client base, but also in its employment and business continuity, "where the land defines the flavour".

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 31

news

Climate risks outlined

THE risk that climate change poses to Victoria’s built environment is "real and growing", according to a report tabled in state Parliament last year.

The Legislative Council (upper house) Environment and Planning Committee found increased transparency and regular progress updates on Victoria’s Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans would help build public confidence and engagement in Victoria’s climate resilience efforts.

However, the Nationals and Liberal members of the committee submitted a minority report, highlighting what they called the government's "failure to deliver practical, community-led climate adaptation across coastal Victoria".

The parliamentary committee inquired into climate resilience in the state, and drew on the evidence from more than 280 written submissions, 130 witnesses, eight days of public hearings and extensive regional engagement.

“The impact of a changing climate on Victoria’s built environment is clear,” committee chair, Labor MP Ryan Batchelor said.

“Hotter summers are leading to longer bushfire seasons, more intense rainfall is creating new flooding patterns, and coastal erosion continues apace. We are experiencing more frequent high-intensity wind and storm events.”

The report has recommended the secretary of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action be required to monitor and report on all adaption action plans and that there should be annual publication of the results of the assessment and monitoring of the plans.

The report found metropolitan Melbourne faced distinct climate change risks due to its high population density and impervious surfaces, intensifying the heat island effect.

Many witnesses to the committee raised the urban heat island effect as being a critical issue for attention.

The committee also heard evidence tree canopies played an important role in mitigating urban heat islands, and the report recommended the state’s planning system provide clear guidance on tree canopy coverage and vegetation.

According to the majority report, rural and regional communities faced increasing vulnerability to more frequent and intense natural disasters, including bushfires, floods, and storms. Coastal erosion is also a particular concern for many communities.

The report explores a range of issues, including the risk to Victoria’s built environment and infrastructure and the response required of the state’s planning system. It also explores opportunities for government, individuals, and communities to investigate in enhancing their resilience in the face of a changing climate.

Coalition MPs on the committee, Melina Bath (Member for Eastern Victoria Region), Gaelle Broad and Wendy Lovell claimed while regional Victorians battled worsening coastal erosion, unaffordable housing and stretched emergency services, the government was "bogged down in needless roadblocks, offering nothing but delays, excuses and more tax".

Overlapping environmental regulations, they claimed, were stalling housing, inflating costs, and pushing home ownership further out of reach.

The minority report highlighted that communities were facing worsening erosion with no clear action or funding from the government; uncoordinated regulations and unfunded mandates were choking housing supply; farmers were being excluded from planning decisions and no recycling plan for renewable infrastructure; councils were forced to rebuild damaged infrastructure to outdated standards, and the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund levy was "a politicised tax grab".

Ms Bath said the government was all talk and no action.

“Bass Coast, Gippsland and the Great Ocean Road urgent real solutions - protection from erosion, affordable housing, and infrastructure that can withstand future disasters - not more reports out of step with the urgency required,” she said.

“Coastal communities are watching as erosion threatens their infrastructure and public safety - government reports remain incomplete and out of step with the urgency required. We need action - not more studies."

The Nationals have called for a coordinated coastal erosion strategy, planning reform to support housing affordability, transparent disaster recovery funding, protection of landholder rights in renewable energy projects, and fuel reduction targets aligned with the Bushfire Royal Commission.

news@lvexpress.com.au

Honouring Sir John Monash in Victorian Parliament

FEDERAL Member for Monash, Mary Aldred honoured the service and legacy of General Sir John Monash at special service in the Victorian Parliament last year.

Hosted by the Spirit of Australia Foundation, which seeks to highlight the service of remarkable Australians, the 20th Annual Commemorative Service for General Sir John Monash was held in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of the Victorian Parliament, and supported by the family of Sir John Monash, serving Australian Defence Force personal, Melbourne University cadets and members of Parliament.

“Representing the electorate named after John Monash, and as someone passionate about promoting civics education in our schools, I’m committed to continuing to honour the service and legacy of John Monash,” Ms Aldred said.

The service heard from Commander of the 4th Brigade of the Australian Army, Brigadier Michelle McCormack, who spoke about John Monash’s leadership qualities and strategic brilliance on the battlefield. The service was emceed by retired Major General Professor Jeffrey Rosenfeld AC OBE - a world leading trauma surgeon.

The service heard about John Monash’s service as the inaugural chair of the State Electricity Commission, and his deep involvement in the Latrobe Valley energy sector.

Honour: Federal Member for Monash, Mary Aldred with Michael Bennett, great grandson of Sir John Monash.

Photograph supplied

Last winter was record-breaking for paramedics DATA has been released showing ambulance response times last winter.

Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics faced a record-breaking winter in 2025, with demand for critical emergency care surging as seasonal illness spread throughout the state.

AV Acting Executive Director Regional Operations, Michael Georgiou said between July and September, demand for ‘lights and sirens’ ambulances across Victoria increased by 2.8 per cent compared with the previous quarter.

“Winter consistently brings the highest emergency call volumes, and this (last) year was no exception," he said.

"This was our busiest first quarter on record with 101,632 Code 1 emergencies in just three months, and overall, it was our second busiest quarter ever.

“This was another challenging winter - the entire health system was extremely busy with seasonal illness. We are incredibly proud of our highly skilled paramedics and first responders for the exceptional care they provide their communities - all day, every day.

“Despite this record demand, we continue to lead the way in pre-hospital patient care, including the

best cardiac arrest survival rates in Australia and third best anywhere in the world.”

During the July to September quarter, AV crews responded to 64.1 per cent of Code 1 cases within the state-wide target of 15 minutes.

The state-wide average response time to Code 1 emergencies was 15 minutes and 46 seconds.

In the Gippsland Region, crews responded to 6181 Code 1 cases between July and September 2025 - which is 2.06 per cent more than three months ago (6,056).

The biggest improvements in the Gippsland Region were in the major population centres of Sale and Bairnsdale and the East Gippsland Local Government Area (LGA).

In the major population centre of Sale, paramedics attended 83.1 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes - up from 75.5 per cent three months ago - the biggest improvement in the state. As a result, Code 1 response times decreased by one minute and 19 seconds.

Gippsland Regional Director Ross Salathiel said the support of the community can also help save lives.

“Our paramedics are focused on reaching the

sickest patients first - but every day, about one in five calls to Triple Zero (000) do not need an emergency ambulance response,” Mr Salathiel said.

“Getting the right care fast can make all the difference and means more paramedics are on the road for people who need our urgent lifesaving care the most.

“There are many options people can access when they need timely medical care and health advice, at any time of the night or day - but not an emergency ambulance or calling Triple Zero (000), including the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), Urgent Care Clinics, Nurse-on-Call, GPs and pharmacists.”

Mr Georgiou said AV is working closely with hospitals, emergency services and government partners to keep patients moving through the system as quickly as possible and get ambulances back on the road sooner.

In a life-threatening emergency, always call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Mine rehab needs to be meaningful: LCC AT a council meeting last year, Latrobe City Council endorsed submissions to the Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plans (DMRPs) for the Hazelwood (ENGIE) and Yallourn W (Energy Australia) mines.

Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plans are a legislated requirement under the Mineral Resources Sustainable Development Amendment Regulations 2022 and are designed to outline the steps that a declared mine licence holder will take to rehabilitate land impacted by mining activities.

These plans are developed by mine operators and approved by the state government.

Then Latrobe City Mayor (now deputy), Dale Harriman said the rehabilitation of Latrobe City’s mines represents one of the most significant land transformations in Victoria’s history, and will shape the region for generations to come.

“Council looks forward to ongoing collaboration with mine operators ENGIE and Energy Australia to ensure the rehabilitation of the mines they own is undertaken in a manner that is responsible, safe, and environmentally sustainable - delivering long term benefits for the Latrobe City community,” he said.

“Council remains committed to working in

Page 32 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

partnership with government, industry, and the community to ensure that mine rehabilitation efforts contribute meaningfully to environmental restoration, economic diversification, and the longterm resilience of the region.”

Across the two submissions, council made a total of eight overarching recommendations which draw on council’s previously endorsed positions aligning with advocacy requirements. This includes:  Transfer land ownership to state and federal government;  Further investigate the cumulative impacts of water usage;  Apply a legacy project or initiative that will benefit the Latrobe City community;  Apply an interrelationship model between mine rehabilitation plans;  Support the government’s proposed recommendation for a bulk water entitlement fee;  Consider council’s request to maintain a portion of land for the Inter-township Trail Network project;  Support the use of the Environmental Effects Statement, and;

 Consider council’s request to maintain a portion of the mine licence land 3005 for a proposed Centre of Automotive Futures (CAAF).Council emphasised the need for strong coordination across all three Latrobe Valley mines: Hazelwood, Yallourn W and Loy Yang A - to ensure rehabilitation efforts are integrated, transparent, and deliver maximum benefit to the region.

Council is strongly advocating for the rehabilitation of Yallourn W to be referred to an Environment Effects Statement (EES) process.

While ENGIE and Energy Australia have released their DMRPs for Hazelwood and Yallourn mines respectively, AGL’s plan for the Loy Yang A mine has been deferred by the state government until 2027.

Council says it is actively contributing to the Environmental Effects Statement process for Hazelwood mine and will continue to advocate for the use of this process at the Yallourn mine site.

news

SEC to deliver Delburn

JUST in time for Christmas, the SEC announced its acquisition of the Delburn Wind Farm last month.

The move signals confidence in Gippsland’s continued role in energy generation and is hopefully the beginning of further investments to boost the region’s economic future.

Situated across Latrobe City and South Gippsland Shire Council, the wind farm will play an essential role in the diversification of Victoria’s power supply alongside anticipated closure of coal-fired power stations.

Both Latrobe City and South Gippsland Shire Council welcome the news, which will result in energy solutions and secure long-term career opportunities for the local workforce during economic change.

SEC expects the project to bring significant local economic benefits, including more than 300 local jobs during construction and over $22 million in neighbour and community benefit sharing programs over 35 years.

Latrobe City Mayor, Sharon Gibson was delighted by the announcement.

“This is incredibly exciting for Latrobe. We have powered the state for a hundred years and we’re ready to power it for a hundred more with our highly skilled workforce,” she said.

"It is a delight to see the biggest investment the state government has made since Loy Yang was built - they’re showing a significant commitment to our region.

"This is a signal that Latrobe will continue to have a role to play in the diversification of the power supply for years to come."

Equally, South Gippsland Shire Council Mayor and One Gippsland Chair, Nathan Hersey is looking forward to the opportunities the project will bring.

“The Delburn Wind Project is expected to create around 300 local jobs and deliver significant longterm benefits for our communities," he said.

"This is welcome news for the Latrobe Valley, South Gippsland and surrounding regions, representing a strong investment in Gippsland that will support local businesses, workers and the broader economy."  MINISTER for the State Electricity Commission, Lily D’Ambrosio announced the SEC will invest around $650 million to take over the Delburn Wind Farm.

“The SEC is powering Victorian government operations with 100 per cent renewable electricity - with all profits being invested back into projects that will deliver more renewable energy and lower power bills for Victorians,” she boasted.

Construction will begin this year, and the wind farm is expected to in operation in 2028.

The 33-turbine wind farm, overlooking the former Hazelwood Mine site, will generate up to 205 megawatts of renewable energy to the electricity grid, enough to power more than 130,000 homes with renewable power.

This is the first wind farm project to reach financial close in Victoria in the last 12 months, and the first time the SEC will generate power in Gippsland since it was sold off by the Jeff Kennett-led Liberal government some 30 years ago.

The Latrobe Valley has a highly skilled local workforce with decades of energy generation

www.lvexpress.com.au

Duo: SEC Chief Executive Officer Chris Miller and SEC Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio speaking at the File photograph opening of SEC’s Morwell Hub last October.

Approval: Friends of the Earth Yes2Renewables President, Wendy Farmer says the SEC backing such a huge project will have enormous benefits for the region.

expertise and an established transmission network ready to connect renewable energy to the grid.

The state government says the project will help keep wholesale energy prices low into the future, easing cost-of-living pressures for Victorians.

The project will add to the SEC’s growing portfolio, including 819 megawatts of solar and battery storage at the SEC Renewable Energy Park in Horsham and the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub near Melton - pumping more renewable energy into the grid.

This announcement follows the opening of the SEC’s new Morwell Hub - a space for the community, students and educators to learn about the opportunities the energy transition will bring and find out more about this project.

This will also add to the generation and storage assets the SEC uses to supply 100 percent renewable electricity to power Victoria’s public schools, hospitals and trains.

Member for Eastern Victoria, Tom McIntosh said the project would ensure Gippsland's energy history continues.

“This project will tap into the Latrobe Valley’s proud history as Victoria’s energy heartland and ensures the region continues to play a leading role in our renewable energy future,” he said.

“The Latrobe Valley has been the engine room of Victoria’s power system for more than a century, and we believe the region will play a critical role as Victoria transitions away from fossil fuels towards a system supplied by renewable generation, supported by storage," SEC Chief Executive Officer Chris Miller added.

"SEC has now committed more than a gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity - a quarter of our 2035 target of 4.5 GW”  FRIENDS of the Earth’s Yes2Renewables campaign also welcomed the SEC announcement.

“This milestone marks a major step toward and will deliver cheaper, cleaner energy for Victoria

Frequent letter writer to the Express on energy issues, Adrian Cosgriff also added his thoughts.

“For a century, the Latrobe Valley has powered our nation. Now we’re laying the foundations for the next century - creating long-term benefits for our community and for Australia’s future,” he said.

"This isn’t just about turbines and feasibility studies. It’s about people. It’s about ensuring that the energy powering our homes also empowers our communities. That the jobs created are local, secure, and future-facing. That the landscapes we love are respected, and the voices of residents - especially First Nations custodians - are heard and honoured."  LOCAL Nationals MP however have warned local residents to not get their hopes up.

Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien, questioned what purpose the $650 million investment by the SEC would serve.

"If this project stacks up commercially, then the private sector will fund it and if it doesn't then why is Labor risking taxpayers' money on it?

"The Labor government's SEC policy is a massive sham that promised to reduce electricity prices for all Victorians but has abjectly failed," Mr O'Brien said.

"Rather than delivering new projects to drive prices down, the government is clearly shopping around taxpayers' cash to existing projects looking for investors to try and score PR wins."

Mr O'Brien said state state government needs to explain to the local community around Yinnar, Boolarra and Delburn why it is backing the project against their wishes.

"The local community has waged a campaign against this project, raising genuine concerns about the fire risk of hosting turbines in a pine plantation, as well as noise and visual impact," he said.

"The Labor government has thumbed its nose at this community so it can be seen to be more green in the city."

Landscape: An artist’s impression of the Delburn Wind Farm. The project is expected to generate Photographs supplied unless stated more than 300 local jobs.

while ensuring that Latrobe Valley communities directly share in the benefits," Yes2Renewables Gippsland Organiser Wendy Farmer said.

“The SEC has a proud history in Victoria, once known for doing things differently - innovative, progressive, and committed to the public good.

"The privatisation of the Latrobe Valley power stations in the 1990s shifted energy from public ownership to private international control, leaving the Latrobe Valley with deep social and economic scars.

"Today’s announcement signals a new chapter: one of renewed public ownership, and renewal fairness."

Friends of the Earth say transitioning to renewable energy is essential, not only for reducing greenhouse gas emissions but to also offer a pathway to build the region’s capacity to thrive into the future.

By creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and protecting the natural landscapes that define the region, this commitment reflects a broader vision where climate action and community wellbeing go hand in hand.

“This is more than an investment in infrastructure - it is an investment in our community. It shows that the government has listened to our call to bring back the SEC," Ms Farmer said.

"It represents fairness and a future where energy serves people first. For a community that has borne the burden of privatisation, this project offers a chance to begin healing - restoring pride and opportunity while delivering affordable, sustainable power.

"We welcome this with pride, purpose, and a deep sense of responsibility. The SEC investment in Latrobe Valley’s clean energy future reflects what many in the community have long known: our region holds the potential to lead Australia’s energy transition, not just in infrastructure, but in values.”

Not convinced: State Nationals leader and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien has questioned why taxpayers must risk their money on the project.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 33

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valleysport

Fitzroy’s final season, 30 years on

FOOTBALL

By LIAM DURKIN

THIS year marks 30 years since the Fitzroy Football Club ceased to exist in the AFL. While the merger with the Brisbane Lions has given fans a club to barrack for, as well as five premierships, the story of the Roys' final days still cuts deep.

Fitzroy has a number of connections to the Latrobe Valley, most notably through champion Traralgon footballer Bernie Quinlan.

Quilan played 189 games and kicked 576 goals for the Lions, winning both the Brownlow and two Coleman medals after crossing from Footscray.

According to local legend, he once kicked a torpedo from the Traralgon Recreation Reserve oval that sailed over the railway line and bounced into Victory Park - quite fitting for the man known as 'Superboot'.

Quinlan returned home last season for a Traralgon Football-Netball Club reunion, and also opened the Traralgon Bunnings in 2012.

Other prominent Fitzroy players from the Valley included cult hero Darren 'Doc' Wheildon (Newborough), and Churchill's Paul Abbott, who finished his career with the Lions after winning flags at Hawthorn.

Quinlan also coached Fitzroy in its second-last AFL season in 1995, the same year Footscray legend Doug Hawkins donned the maroon, blue and gold for one final hurrah.

Hawkins, who last year named Quinlan's ex-Bulldogs teammate Kelvin Templeton as the greatest player he ever saw, said Quinlan should never have been sacked.

The man who pulled the trigger was Fitzroy president Dyson Hore-Lacy.

Hore-Lacy, a Melbourne barrister, perhaps epitomised the true effect of Fitzroy's final days.

According to numerous sources, he still can't bear to talk about it - quite telling given what he would have encountered during his career in the courtroom.

Much has been written about Fitzroy's demise, and while the club was always teetering on the brink due to finances, in this writer's view, there is little doubt the AFL killed off the club.

It's a view shared by Moe netball A Grade premiership coach, Peter Moody, who was recruited to Fitzroy in the days of under 19s footy.

He gets emotional when talking about Fitzroy, especially given his whole family followed the team.

"It cuts me and my family to the bone. Since they merged, there's not one member of our family that still follows the Lions," he said in a 2020 podcast with the author.

"My mum couldn't even go and watch them play the last time in Melbourne, it was so hurtful for her. She was the whole reason our whole family barracked for Fitzroy, she was the one who instilled the love of footy in me and my brothers.

"It was (a) pretty traumatic time for Fitzroy around late 80s, early 90s. They (other clubs) were taking all our players, anyone who was any good just got ripped out of the team and sent somewhere else."

When asked about the AFL having blood on its hands for what happened to Fitzroy, Moody responded with "absolutely".

"We believe the AFL let Fitzroy wither and die, let

Superboot: Traralgon legend Bernie Quinlan in action for Fitzroy. This year marks 30 years since the Roys last played in the AFL.

Photograph supplied

all the other clubs come in and just basically pick off all the decent players (so) that they were so bad in the end, they had no choice but to fold," he said.

"It's completely different today. I think after they saw how Fitzroy died and what it did to a lot of the supporters, that it was in their best interest, at the very least, to relocate clubs rather than just let them fold.

"A lot of Brisbane Lions fans will argue they didn't fold, they merged - it's not the way I see it.

A lot of Fitzroy fans, and good luck to them, they've watched them play and win premierships, but for me it was never going to be the same, it was just the Brisbane footy club with a Lions logo on it."

Moody switched to St Kilda when the Lions went north.

Former Express editor and Fitzroy supporter Gregor Mactaggart also laments what happened.

Despite adopting the Brisbane Lions as his club, he said the premierships of the early 2000s didn't feel like Fitzroy flags.

Above all, what happened to Fitzroy is largely a cautionary tale to other AFL clubs in the cutthroat business world of professional sport.

As was accurately said in the brilliant William Westerman book Merger: The Fitzroy Lions and the Tragedy of 1996, the Roys, to their detriment, never went from being anything more than a suburban football club.

Their ultimate demise was therefore not entirely surprising, but no less wretched.

Someone with an intimate knowledge of Fitzroy was Leon Wiegard.

Wiegard was club president in 1986 when things were at its craziest – a season that saw the side one game from a Grand Final, but also, seemingly dealing with a new merger partner every week.

Express reporter Liam Durkin tracked Wiegard down some years ago, and put together the following interview.

LD: It’s still painful for the Fitzroy diehards.

What is it like as an ex-president of the club?

Do you miss it? Is there a hole in your heart?

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LD: While all the on field stuff was playing out there was just as much action happening off the field as the VFL expanded to a national competition and a number of Melbourne-based clubs were put under pressure to merge or risk going out of business. That must have been a hectic period?

LW: For that reason and as the AFL director at the time I made sure I was on every subcommittee.

It took a lot of my time away from the family but it was meant to make sure that we knew what was happening.

LD: My understanding is in 1986 you called on the players to vote on whether they wanted to relocate to Brisbane and the players unanimously said yes. Is that true?

LW: My memory is that they decided that whatever the board decided that they wanted to stay together as a team. It was terrific to see such regard for each other.

LD: So why did it fall through?

LW: The offer made just did not stack up. Look at the fortune that the likes of Paul Cronin, Christopher Skase, Ruben Pelliman lost, a lot more, many times over than the AFL offered us at the time.

LD: Did a lot of clubs get into financial trouble simply because their supporters didn’t grasp the concept of the importance of buying a membership?

LW: That was part of it - but the position the Commission took (looking for a victim) and certain sections of the media did not help.

LD: It must be one of the great ironies that Fitzroy was considered too powerful to be given draft concessions in the early 1990s?

LW: Maybe address that to the AFL who had new ‘children’ on the block that apparently needed assistance.

LD: The club's last game in Melbourne ended up being something of a public death. Did you have many emotions that day as the theme song was played and people streamed onto the MCG for one last time?

LW: I do recall that and I was there. All the past players went onto the ground. I was asked but felt it was a players thing. Very sad day.

LD: Then the following week the club went to Perth to play their last ever game in what was something they were totally undeserving of. Did you make the trip over?

LW: No, I did not think it appropriate.

LD: Were you onside when the Lions eventually went north to Brisbane?

LW: To be honest I looked around but kept coming back to the Lions. I have good friends at the other clubs and go to whatever games I’m invited to but it was and is always the Lions.

LD: Do the Brisbane Lions premierships of 2001-03 carry much meaning for you?

LW: My word, I sat near Kevin Murray on each occasion and was delighted at each win, twice as much when I saw how much it meant to him.

LD: Fitzroy isn’t exactly entirely gone, as they still compete in the VAFA and play at the Brunswick St Oval. It must be great to see the maroon and blue and FFC monogram still playing on a football field in Melbourne?

LW: I live not too far away and should get down there more I guess. I have spoken there a couple of times. They do a great job with the juniors and keep the colours flying.

GOLF SCOREBOARD

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LW: While I’m a life member of Brisbane Lions it’s certainly not the same as the passion for Fitzroy.

After Fitzroy merged it’s not like barracking for your son anymore, it’s like barracking for your cousins son. I have come to the realisation that everyone did their best to stay in Melbourne, but in the end 'you can’t beat city hall’.

LD: Can you tell us a little bit about your history with the club?

LW: All four Wiegard boys supported Collingwood until we were about five, six, seven and eight when our father, a keen Fitzroy man, originally from Bendigo, told us we had Form 4s to fill out, meaning we were tied to Fitzroy – all BS of course but we fell for it - three of us finished up playing for the under 19s (under 1944 premiership player Gracie Fields then Len Smith). Older brother Keith went on to play 30 odd senior games before being injured.

Keith and I both became presidents of the club.

LD: Fitzroy always seemed to be up against it even going back as far as the 1950s. Was there a contributing factor as to why the club struggled?

LW: Fitzroy was the dominant team in the early days of the league. I don’t think the club recovered as well as some others after World War 2 but it did have some really good teams in the late 1950s and certainly in the 1980s.

LD: Despite all the off field drama things slowly started to turn around in the late 1970s and the team played finals regularly throughout the 1980s.

Was there a main reason for the turnaround?

LW: We had the duel advantages of good recruitment with Bernie Quinlan, Higgins from Geelong, Len Thompson and Max Richardson from Collingwood, Robbie Walls from the Blues etc.

And the wave of new players coming from all over the place: Garry Wilson, Ron Alexander, David McMahon, Laurie Serafini and the like. There was also the vital recruitment from Templestowe/ Doncaster area of Gary Pert, Paul Roos, Richard Osborne and Grant Laurie, possibly the best influx to the club ever. Getting Robbie Walls and then David Parkin to coach was a major reason.

LD: 1983 was probably the year when Fitzroy had its best chance to play in a Grand Final and maybe even pinch the flag?

LW: We were the best team in the comp and there were some that would say that Bernie took an unpaid mark in the goal square late in the last quarter of a final that would have won it and progressed us further. (Although I still jokingly blame Glen James, the umpire, who is a good friend of mine).

LD: There was of course that famous one point elimination final win in 1986 over Essendon. Can you tell us about that day?

LW: I was high in the stand at Waverly that wet Saturday with John Dawson, a banker and lifelong Fitzroy man who later joined the board. Leon Harris to Micky Conlan and we were in direct line as he kicked it from an angle. We were never going to win that one. It was one of the most exhilarating moments I have ever had in footy.

LD: Fitzroy did win a premiership under your leadership, it happened to be a reserve grade premiership in 1989 which featured Newborough's Doc Wheildon. To do that in front of 100,000 people must have been a highlight?

LW: When the boys went the heavy in the last quarter I thought they’d all be reported - some were! Great win under Robert Shaw.

GOLF CHURCHILL AND MONASH

Stableford - 27th December 2025 A Grade Winner: J. Langstaff 37 pts B Grade Winner: S. Caldwell 45 pts C Grade Winner: K. Del Piccolo 43 pts D.T.L: 1. Ash West 42, 2. A. Auld 38, 3. Adam West 38, 4. I. Heppleston 37, 5. R. King 37, 6. M. Brereton 36, 7. G. Barnes 36, 8. M. Hutchinson 36 N.T.P: 3rd J. Cahill, 5th D. Burridge, 12th D. Burridge (Propin), 14th J. Langstaff Birdies: 3rd S. Caldwell, 5th S. Caldwell, 12th Matt Soppe, 14 th J. Langstaff Target Hole: A. Jenkins Stableford – 30th December 2025 A Grade Winner: J. Soppe 39 pts B Grade Winner: K. Del Piccolo 37 pts c/b D.T.L: 1. R. Dent 37, M. Soppe 37, 3. R. Sands 37 N.T.P: 3rd R. Sands, 5th C. Sterrick, 12th M. Dear, 14th C. Carder Birdies: 12th R. Dent, 14th R. King MIRBOO NORTH

Tuesday 30th December, Stableford, A Grade: A Liebe, (11), 39pts B Grade: A Chessum (15) 40 pts C Grade: C Dawson (30) 43pts.

DTL: M Miller 42, I Heasley40, J Smeriglio, G Renwick, N Rutledge, 38.

NTP: 4th G Dawson, 6th N Rutledge, 16th T Bradshaw, Birdies: 16th N Rutledge.

Saturday 3rd January Stroke

A Grade: G Renwick (12) 66 nett B Grade: A Mc Carthy (20) 65 nett DTL: P Lee 69, J Smeriglio 69, P Woodall 70, D Woodall 71 c/b.

NTP: 4th (M.N. Pub voucher) P Lee, 6th P Woodall, 13th P Lee, 16th (Boolarra pub voucher) D Blackford.

Birdies: 4th R Kratzat, S Beitz, 13th P Lee, 16th P Lee, D Blackford.

Lowest Putts: S Woodall 24 c/b.

MOE

Wednesday, 24 December 2025 Twilight Stableford A Grade Winner: R. Purcell (28) 21 C/B Sunday, 28 December 2025 Open Sunday 9 Hole Stableford Grade A Winners: McGrath, Gail (22) 17 Sunday, 28 December 2025 Open Sunday Mixed Stableford Grade A Winners: Boorer, Kade (9) 40 C/B Grade B Winners: Taylor, Amy (17) 39 Grade C Winners: Randall, Damien (22) 36 Place Getters: Veenman, Laurie 40, Wilson, Ryan 36 C/B, Pickard, Andrew 36 C/B, Puddy, Jacob 36 C/B, Wilson, Graeme 36, Stansbury, Les 35, Middlemiss, Kaye 34 C/B Wednesday, 31 December 2025 WOMEN'S 9 HOLE STABLEFORD Grade A Winners: Bates, Linda (11) 20 Grade B Winners: Savige, Karyn (14) 17 Grade C Winners: Puddy, Kimberley (25) 21 Place Getters: Tate, Sandy 17 C/B Griggs, Andrea 17 C/B Nearest to Pin: 14th Karyn Savige

Page 34 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Thursday, 01 January 2026 New Year's Day Open Mixed grade A Winners: Johnson, Charles (7) 41 Grade B Winners: Radford, Craig (12) 44 Grade C Winners: Shearing, Andrew (17) 38 Grade D Winners: Beath, Ken (24) 43 Place Getters: Halkett, David 39 C/B, Devent, Anton 39, Backman, Phil 38 C/B, Gauci, Anthony 38 C/B, Azzopardi, Nato 38 C/B, Beuthin, Jan 38, Borg, Shannon 38 C/B, Carolan, Anthony 37 C/B, Lodge, Jamie 37 C/B, Beveridge, Eric 37 C/B, Waring, Craig 37 C/B, Sterrick, Christine 37 C/B, Kerr, Graham 37, Coffin, Phillip 36 C/B, Dooley, Brian 36 C/B, Bates, Linda 36 C/B, Wilson, Graeme 36 C/B Great Score: Peter Hobson (Eagle) @ 6, Andrew Pickard (Birdie) @ 4, Murray Donaldson (Birdie) @ 14, Linda Bates (Birdie) @ 14, Andrew Pickard (Birdie) @ 14, Stephen Bates (Birdie) @ 14 Nearest to Pin: 4th Anne Mead, 8th Simon Caygill, 14th Murray Donaldson Saturday, 03 January 2026 Women's Saturday Open Stableford Grade A Winners: Lang, Marj (22) 41 Grade B Winners: Wallis, Elizabeth (32) 38 Place Getters: Middlemiss, Kaye 38 C/B Saturday, 03 January 2026 MEN'S Monthly Medal Stroke Grade A Winners: Wright, David (8) 69 C/B Grade B Winners: Rothwell, Craig (13) 68 C/B Grade C Winners: Nyko, Steve (20) 68 Place Getters: Wilkinson, Wally 68, Poole, Joel 69, Stirzaker, Jason 70 C/B, Stanlake,

Peter 70 C/B, Howard, Bernard 70, Scullin, Aaron 71, Skicko, Nick 71 C/B, Babet, Alain 71 C/B, Enzinger, Michael 71 C/B, Hefford, Brad 71 C/B, Pickard, Andrew 71, Collings, Dale 72 C/B Gross Winner: Joel Poole 75 C/B, Andrew Pickard 75 Great Score: Anthony Gauci (Birdie) @ 14, Andrew Pickard (Birdie) @ 8, Graham Geisler (Birdie) @ 14, Dale Collings (Birdie) @ 14, Finn Agius-Walker (Birdie) @ 6, Alain Babet (Birdie) @ 8, Graeme Brien (Birdie) @ 14, Jeffrey Bassman (Birdie) @ 8 Nearest to Pin: 4th Joel Poole, 8th Laurie Veenman, 14th Graham Geisler Mystery Sixes Winner: Wally Wilkinson Play-off for January Monthly Medal between Craig Rothwell, Steve Nyko & Wally Wilkinson TRAFALGAR

Friday January 2nd, Open Men’s & Ladies Stableford A Grade Winner: Carl Turner 38 pts B Grade Winner: Tony Gray 37 pts C/B C Grade Winner: Andrew Shearing 40 pts D Grade Winner: Jan Jansen 43 pts DTL's: Corrine Nancarrow 38, Eris Beveridge 37, Russell Dent 37, Phil Town 37, Cliff McBride 37, George Petkovic 37, Glenn Doolan 37, Peter Griffin 36, Ray Wiseman 36, Tony Johnson 36, Mark Hiriart 36, Denis Dyke 35, Graeme Orchard 35, Jeff Hasthorpe 35, Russ Grant 35, Anthony Cunningham 34, Ricky Dyt 34 C/B Birdies: 5th: Peter McKinnon, Mark Hiriart, Eric Beveridge, Carl Turner, Tony Bickley

13th: Tony Gray, Peter Burghardt, Phil Town, William Braden, Steve Hazelman 15th: Tony Bickley, Warwick Griggs, Ross Anderson Saturday January 3rd, Monthly Medal Stroke Medal & A Grade Winner: Tony O’Reilly 66 nett C/B B Grade Winner: Rex Daly 66 nett C Grade Winner: Jeff Gray 68 nett Scratch Winner: Bill Williams 71 gross DTL’s: Russ Grant 67, Tim Cross 67, Lachlan Dart 68, Greg Evison 69, Bill Williams 69, Mick Poxon 69, Reno Borg 69, Rob Cusworth-Warner 70, Keith Owen 70, Alison Bailey 70 Birdies: 5th: Ray Williams, Peter Burghardt 11th: Dwayne Jenkins 15th: Tony O’Reilly NTP’s: 2nd: Tony Bickley 5th: Ray Williams – Maria Brien Williams 11th: Greg Evison 13th: Warwick Griggs 15th: Tony Gray Sunday January 4th, Open American Mixed Scratch Winners: Chris & Wendy Nott 77 gross A Grade Winners: Heather Savige & Mark Hiriart 64.375 nett B Grade Winners: Maria Brian Williams & Bill Williams 64.625 nett DTL’s: Charlotte Killeen & Mark Fife 70.25, Bev Keily & Anthony Gauci 70.375, Christine Payne & Peter Moss 70.875, Alison Bailey & Jack Marshall 71.375 NTP’s: 2nd: Christine Payne 5th: Chris Nott – Jenny Evison 11th: Bill williams – June Tickell 13th: Sue Klemke 15th: Steve Klemke – Di Moody

valleysport

Vixens visit with special guest

Encounter: Local youngsters Marley, Abbey, Emmy, Maddison, Lilly and Maddie had the thrill of meeting Vixens captain Kate Moloney at Monash Reserve.

NETBALL

By LIAM DURKIN

TRAIN like a Vixen.

Local netball lovers were given an early Christmas present, with the Melbourne Vixens coming to town last month.

The Suncorp Super Netball champions visited schools and conducted a meet-and-greet at Monash Reserve, Newborough.

Victoria’s typically unpredictable weather unfortunately saw conditions change in an instant, meaning a scheduled clinic was cancelled.

That did little to dampen spirits however, and kids revelled in the chance to snap a photo, have a chat, and ask questions of their favourite players.

The visit was far from a token tick-the-box exercise either, with the Vixens bringing all their big guns to the Latrobe Valley, including Australian netball royalty Sharelle McMahon.

McMahon, now the Vixens' general manager of high performance and pathways, hoped fans got a boost out of being up close and personal to the stars.

“The excitement and joy that you can see on all the kids was really great to see. Latrobe council, being able to be supported to be

able to come into this area is fantastic,” she said.

“It is great for these young netballers as they are coming through to be able to see their heroes, learn some tips and tricks from them, on the same courts they play.”

On her impression of the netball facility on offer at Newborough (used by Moe District Netball Association), McMahon believed the multi-court complex had a big say in the overall quality of netball in the region.

“It’s got a very long history of strength, the Gippsland and Latrobe area,” she said.

“We’ve had a lot of great talent coming through our pathways in different ways, some who have gone all the way to the top.

“We contract 10 athletes, so if you look at that, it takes 10,000 Netball Vic members to create one Vixen, so everyone in all the areas, there is some great strength down here, do a great job in being able to create those opportunities.”

Wonthaggi’s Zali Anderson is currently a training partner with the Vixens, while former Moe player Montana Holmes enjoyed Suncorp stints with Melbourne Mavericks and Collingwood before the Magpies folded.

There is general consensus Moe’s A Grade netball team, which has won the last three Gippsland

Goat: Sharelle McMahon, generally regarded as the greatest netballer Australia has ever produced, graced Monash Reserve with her presence.

Prize: Latrobe City Deputy Mayor, Dale Harriman holds the Suncorp Super Netball trophy, flanked

by Netball Victoria Eastern Region Manager Judi Buhagiar and Melbourne Vixens players Zara Walters, Jo Weston, Sharelle McMahon, Kate Moloney and Emily Mannix.

League premierships, would be among the strongest country teams in the state.

Virtually every Moe player has played at Victorian Netball League level (one grade below Suncorp), while Gippsland itself has a VNL team competing in the top Championship level.

Moe netballer Rachael Blackshaw also works for Netball Victoria in the role of VNL competitions coordinator.

Blackshaw was back home for the Vixens visit, as was the Suncorp Super Netball trophy, won last season after a genuine fairytale finish by the girls in navy blue and jade.

The Vixens overcame an early season slump to sneak into finals by a game, before going on to win all three finals by less than two goals.

McMahon, who won two netball World Cups and two Commonwealth Games gold medals, rated the 2025 Vixens premiership as “up there” in the highlights of her career.

“Going over to Adelaide and winning (the semifinal), heading up to Sydney and coming back from 11 goals down (in the preliminary), and then that exhibition we had at Rod Laver Arena (for the grand final), it really was an amazing atmosphere.

It was so exciting to be a part of that,” she said.

There was further local connections to the Vixens

Holy grail: The Suncorp Super Netball trophy won by the Vixens last season, on the Monash Reserve court.

On the clock: Moe netballer Rachael Blackshaw (right) works closely with the Vixens in her role with Netball Victoria.

Photographs: Liam Durkin

championship, with Moe netballer Georgia Moody among the crowd. She is best mates with Vixens wing attack Hannah Mundy.

The Vixens dropped four of their first six games last season, prompting coach Simone McKinnis to bring out the now famous line “maybe we just need to go to the pub”.

Whether parmas and beers formed part of the solution is unknown, however the Vixens won six of their next eight games.

Keeping things in perspective, McMahon said the throwaway wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously, much like most of what is spoken and written about in sport.

“That element of being a bit light-hearted and having a bit of a joke with your mates, which is what that was. To be able to have a laugh and have some fun while we’re on the journey of playing our sport (at) whatever level it is, is really important,” she said.

“You get a lot of feedback from lots of different areas. They (the players) are very resilient - you have to be.”

That resilience could see Gippsland youngsters go from training like a Vixen to one day, becoming a Vixen.

Did someone say pub: Melbourne Vixens premiership captain Kate Moloney chatting to locals in Newborough.

Great times: Morwell nine-year-olds Lily, Marley and Aubree enjoyed the chance to ‘Train Like a Vixen’.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 35

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Moe Little Aths record membership

Leap: Bridget competes in high jump at Moe Little Athletics.

Classic chess battles

CHESS

PRICE Samaseia was the leading player at Latrobe Valley Chess Club during the Christmas week, finding the best lines in most games and accepting a draw against Steve Ahern.

Other results were generally favourable for Peter Baker.

Ian Hamilton was punished for the oversights.

Ben Mayyozo joined the contests and valued support provided by both Ahern and Cliff Thornton.

Samantha Juers won the first game and appreciated the advice offered from Cliff Thornton.

For more information on local chess, phone Ian Hamilton on 0400 221 649 or Cliff Thornton (0413 330 458).

Brush with fame: Moe Little Athletes with national heptathlon champion, Taneille Crase.

SOCCER LVSL

FOOTBALL Victoria (FV) has confirmed the Latrobe Valley soccer season will begin the weekend of April 12. FV has released its first regional league structures and calendar of the new FV Regional Football Structure.

The Latrobe Valley senior men and women competitions will start on the weekend of April 12, while the Latrobe Valley junior and MiniRoos competitions will kick-off on the first weekend in May, following grading rounds.

FV confirmed the Latrobe Valley league's structure of men's senior, reserves and third division, and a women's competitions will be maintained.

Following the final round on August 23, the cup competitions will be played over four weekends until September 20.

In the juniors, there will be boys/mixed under 17, 15 (two divisions) and 13 (three divisions), and girls' under 15 and 13 competitions. MiniRoos will have mixed under 11, nine, seven, and six, and girls' under 11, nine, seven and six sections.

A catch-up round for all senior and junior grades has been scheduled for July 5. The juniors and under 11 MiniRoos also have catch-up rounds the weekends of April 26 and August 23.

The regional calendar and league structures

– Address: 21 George Street, Morwell 3840 Telephone: 03 5135 4444 Office hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

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Future: Young referees Madelyn Leak, Hannah Riess, Charlotte Leak and Hayley Loeschenkohl Photograph: Liam Durkin enjoyed learning the ropes last LVSL season. followed the announcement of the conclusion and findings of the Football Victoria Regional Football Review, which has led to seven associations, including the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, transitioning their clubs and players under FV.

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A S F O R M E R G C O N T R I V E A I R T A A D A P T E D A E G R E T L A P I A N D E E P E N O T I C I E I S I S S T A R T A S P S P A N A L O E M E L T S W A R P Y P A L E S B E H E A D E S T E R U I S T L E R T R E A S O N H B E W E R E A S S E R T S R E V E R T R S

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MOE Little Athletics Club is enjoying a great season, that has seen membership reach record levels.

Season 2025/26 started last October. A record 147 athletes signed up and arrived with full enthusiasm running, jumping and throwing with all their might.

Athletes have already amassed more than 400 personal bests. On top of some inspirational mentoring, senior athletes Lachlan Rosato, Zoe Birks and Hana Schloetel have broken centre records.

They are: Lachlan Rosato: 17 male shotput - 10.56m; 200m - 24.53; high jump - 1.70m; Zoe Birks: 17 female shot put - 9.25m; Hana Schloetel: 17 female triple jump - 9.62m.

The club has also been spoilt, with guest coaching appearances from three-time National Heptathlon champion and Commonwealth Games competitor Taneille Crase, as well as David Green, an Olympic level high jump coach whose students have included Leongatha Olympic Bronze medallist, high-jumper Eleanor Patterson.

Dates set for soccer season 2026

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Skill: Under 9 hurdlers in action at Joe Carmody Athletics Track, Newborough.

LITTLE ATHS

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Target: Average - 6, Good -9 Excellent -12+

Page 36 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Designed to strengthen support for clubs, streamline administration and build a more connected football ecosystem across Victoria, the new model will see the above competitions now operate directly under the FV banner.

Solutions Sudoku 296

valleysport

Harriers results  NOVEMBER 27 - 6KM Peter Cutler 18:52, Dempsey Podmore 19:03, Daniel Furmston 19:15, Miles Verschuur 20:24, Greg Semmler 20:44, Ian Cornthwaite 21:05, Dave Mann 22:26, Adrian Sutcliffe 22:49, Matthew Deppeler 23:04, Nelson Archibald 23:07, Clinton Jolly 23:14, Darrel Cross 24:29, Peter Sanders 24:57, Jack Warr 25:01, Trent Kooyman 25:02, Chris Van Unen 25:17, Ron Verschuur 25:58, Molly Irvine 26:00, Seth Bomers 26:24, David Barr 26:25, Karen Graham 26:35, Jim Cutler 27:25, Stephen Mcleod 27:39, Andrew Broberg 27:42, Ben Wilkinson 27:43, Nicholas Talerico 27:51, Liz Kenney 27:53, Errol Poole 28:02, Shane Wilson 28:43, Belkey Podmore 29:57, Mark Lansdown 30:16, Fiona Syme 30:40, Ree Graham 31:06, Desley Gray 31:21, Marieka Reilly 31:53, Chesney Podmore 32:17, Toby Grzmil 32:18, Ash Crawford 32:35, Ivy Crawford 32:35, Sep Marino 33:05, David Hood 33:13, Melissa Jones 33:17, Catherine Leonard 33:29, Angelo Gaudiano 33:58, Paul Smith 34:32, Phillip Mayer 35:10, Mandy Ellis 35:36, Jay McGown 38:12, Bailey Rollandin 39:22, Shay Lorenz 43:59, Samantha McGown 44:43, Lynda Jones 46:06, Barry Higgins 46:52, Chelsea Fox 50:43, Timothy Graham 55:00, Michelle Colwell 55:53, Kathy Quinn 55:53, Nick Hodson 58:40, Kylee Earl 58:40, Nicky Semmler 1:01:00, Ann Bomers NTR, Rebecca Anderson NTR, Shane Gavin NTR, Anja Norwood NTR.  NOVEMBER 20 - 5KM Peter Cutler 17:17, Miles Verschuur 18:58, John Skordakis 19:00, Daniel Furmston 19:02,Ian Cornthwaite 19:42, Sav Mavrofridis 20:21, David Barr 20:29, Andrew Greenhill 20:30, Ash Crawford 20:40, Adrian Sutcliffe 21:05, Matthew Deppeler 21:16, Clinton Jolly 21:32, Dave Mann 21:33, Peter Sanders 22:24, Trent Kooyman 22:30, Darrel Cross 23:00, Chris Van Unen 23:11, Ryan McLeod 23:14, Ron Verschuur 23:42, Daniel Wright 24:20, Chelsea Fox 24:42, Gary Fox 24:44, Paul Ellis 24:53, Andrew Broberg 25:00, Liz Kenney 25:07, Belkey Podmore 25:39, Corey Milner 25:42, Stephen Mcleod 25:58, Lucy Magaldi 26:27, Ben Wilkinson 26:59, Marieka Reilly 27:20, Jim Cutler 27:23, Fiona Syme 27:44, Michelle Sawyer 27:54, Mark Lansdown 27:59, Ree Graham 28:51, Leopold Notting 28:55, Jye Kaestner 28:56, Owen Notting 28:57, Rickie Glover 28:57, Allen Timmer-arends 30:17, Paul Smith 31:39, Lauren Peter 31:53, Ashleigh Dugan 32:00, Molly Irvine 32:00, Catherine Leonard 33:00, Shane Wilson 33:35, Rebecca Anderson 33:41, Tania Whitehead 34:18, Mandy Ellis 35:33, Lynda Jones 39:56, Desley Gray 47:31, Belinda Heafield 49:40, Barry Higgins 49:40, Darren Fielden 52:00, Nick Hodson 53:17, Kylee Earl 53:17, Ian Heafield 55:00, Toby Grzmil NTR, Yani Cornthwaite NTR  NOVEMBER 13 - 12KM Sav Mavrofridis 49:01, Pete Cutler 49:39, Daniel Furmston 55:38, Ian Cornthwaite 56:19, Ash Crawford 59:01, Andrew Greenhill 59:19, Steve Renehan 59:48, Yani Cornthwaite 1:01:21, Dave Mann 1:01:25, Adrian Sutcliffe 1:01:50, Nelson Archibald 1:02:57, Clinton Jolly 1:03:17, Pete Sanders 1:05:26, Matt Deppeler 1:06:40, Jason Odlum 1:08:12, Keith Gibson-Williamson 1:09:19, Ron Verschuur 1:10:11, Geoff Francis 1:12:21, Gary Fox 1:13:25, Belkey Podmore 1:16:45, Ben Wilkinson 1:18:28, Daniel Wright 1:20:52, Liz Kenney 1:22:13, Tobiasz Grzmil 1:25:29, Courtney Ellis DNF.  NOVEMBER 13 - 6KM Rachel O’Brien 27:39, Chris Van Unen 31:32, Shane Gavin 31:51, Rickie Glover 32:29, Scott Syme 32:40, Molly Irvine 33:19, Trent Kooyman 33:24, Paul Ellis 34:35, Nicholas Talerico 35:17, Desley Gray 35:45, Ian Twite 36:50, Fiona Syme 37:33, Lucy Magaldi 37:37, Marieka Reilly 39:00, Melissa Jones 39:12, Mark Wilkinson 39:16, Ree Graham 39:24, Jack Waddell 40:01, Phill Mayer 41:10, Tania Whitehead 45:07, Mandy Ellis 46:58, Bruce Sailsbury 49:00, Anje Norwood 50:08, Kathy Quinn 55:20, Ann Bomers 55:50, Bob Duljus 57:58, Belinda Heafield 58:38, Sam McGown 59:21, Jay McGown 59:23, Collette Hofmann 59:48, Gay Cornthwaite 1:05:30, Ian Heafield 1:08:11, Darren Fielden 1:09:00, Kylee Earl 1:20:00, Nick Hodson 1:20:00, Peter Grixti 1:40:00.  NOVEMBER 6 - 6KM Peter Cutler 22:21, Daniel Furmston 22:40, Ian Cornthwaite 24:48, Andrew Greenhill 25:16, Miles Verschuur 25:16, Dave Mann 26:23, Sav Mavrofridis 26:31, Adrian Sutcliffe 26:42, David Barr 27:11, Trent Kooyman 28:30, Jack Warr 28:50, Chris Van Unen 29:08, Karen Graham 29:10, Stephen Renehan 29:29, Ryan McLeod 29:44, Darrel Cross 29:46, Seth Bomers 30:42, Clinton Jolly 30:43, Ron Verschuur 30:54, Owen Notting 31:02, Nicholas Talerico 31:13, Gary Fox 31:21, Scott Syme 31:48, Jason Odlum 31:50, Yani Cornthwaite 32:09, Liz Kenney 32:16, Ben Wilkinson 32:53, Stephen Mcleod 33:24, Paul Ellis 34:12, Mark Lansdown 34:22, Jim Cutler 34:36, Peter Sanders 35:05, Marieka Reilly 35:18, Daniel Wright 35:50, Kay Pickard 36:01, Desley Gray 36:40, Claire= Macumber 38:06, Fiona Syme 38:12, Molly Irvine 38:12, Becky Grimwade 38:26, Toby Grzmil 39:48, Phillip Mayer 39:48, Emma Marino 41:46, Tania Whitehead 42:09, Catherine Leonard 42:33, Ivy Crawford 47:16, Ash Crawford 47:16, Anja Norwood 49:01, Des Dalton 49:12, Barry Higgins 51:15, Lynda Jones 52:13, Jay McGown 53:00, Kathy Quinn 53:02, Sep Marino 53:33, Bob Duljas 53:53, Samantha McGown 54:39, Timothy Graham 55:39, Robert Embleton 56:44, Peter Grixti 58:30, Belinda Heafield 59:40, Darren Fielden 1:00:00, Ian Heafield 1:09:39, Nicky Semmler 1:11:03, Sarah McKie 1:11:03, Angelo Gaudiano 1:15:24, Kat Kent 1:15:24, Courtney Ellis NTR, Rickie Glover NTR, Rebecca Anderson NTR, Ollie Ellis NTR, Luke Marino NTR, Jye Kaestner NTR, Matilda Lappin NTR, Ruth Duljas NTR, Kristina Creighton NTR.

Harriers busy before and during Christmas

Community: Traralgon Harriers and family members line up before touring the town on foot to enjoy the Christmas lights.

ATHLETICS TRARALGON HARRIERS

BY BARRY HIGGINS AND GARY FOX

THE Traralgon Harriers held its annual Christmas lights run on Friday, December 19.

Starting from the Agnes Brereton netball courts just on dusk, everyone was welcome to join in. The run was a leisurely jog around town, with family members and friends stopping to enjoy the many delightful Christmas decorations on the houses.

In the Christmas spirit, most wore the Harriers Xmas singlet or dressed up in a creative Christmas costume.

What began as one member’s idea for a pleasant Christmas themed activity has grown into a fun and friendly annual Christmas event.

The Harriers had a packed November leading up to the festive season.

On Thursday, November 27, the night run was a hilly six kilometre course around the plantations on Cochrane’s Road Traralgon. Conditions were excellent for the field of 65 keen runners.

First runner home was Peter Cutler in an impressive time of 18:52, followed by Dempsey Podmore (19:03) and Daniel Furmston (19:15).

First of the ladies home was Molly Irvine (26:00), followed closely by Karen Graham (26:35) and Liz Kenney (27:53).

Previous to that, several hardy Harriers competed in the Great Southern Endurance Run (GSER) at Mt Hotham.

Stephen Renehan completed the premier 100 mile event in 34hrs 59min, with pacer Jason Odlum bringing him home the last 30km. Stephen finished in an excellent 24th position outright.

Kathryn Preston completed the 50 mile event and was the sixth lady home in a time of 13:56.

In the 50km event, Sav Mavrofridis came fourth in 6:47, Jay McGowan was 33rd in 9:18 and Jack Warr finished 47th in 10:01.

In the 14km event, Bec Anderson came 12th in 1:49, while Sam McGowan and Megan Scott came 30th and 31st in 2:43. Young Mattias Preston came ninth in the men's group in 1:34.

The Harriers’ Thursday, November 20, night run was a 5km course along the Traralgon-Morwell

walking trail, starting at the Traralgon Lutheran Church.

The course is an undulating, tree-lined trail running parallel to Old Melbourne Road.

First runner home was Peter Cutler in an impressive 17:17, followed by Miles Verschuur (18:58) and John Skordakis (19:00).

First of the ladies home was Chelsea Fox in 24:42, followed closely by Liz Kenney (25:07) and Lucy Magaldi (26:27).

Two club members competed in the Athletics Victoria 5000M Championships, with Dempsey Podmore achieving an outstanding fifth place in the Male U20 classification in a sizzling time of 15:50.96, and Glenn Crawford coming home in 14th place in the mixed open classification with 19:39.10.

The Harriers’ Thursday, November 13 night run was the Carol and Barry Summersgill Cross Country Championships at Edward Hunter Reserve, Moe. This is an annual event named in honour of Carol and Barry Summersgill, who were great supporters of cross country running during their long involvement with the club.

The course was a 6km wander through the lush native forest of the reserve.

For the 61 cross country runners competing, there was hills to climb, fern lined bridges to cross and logs to jump, with an overall ascent of 150m per 6km lap. The 12km event comprised two laps.

In the 12km event, the men’s winner of the Carol and Barry Summersgill Perpetual Trophy was Sav Mavrofridis in 49:01, followed closely by Peter Cutler (49:39) and Daniel Furmston (55:38).

The ladies trophy winner was Yani Cornthwaite in 1:01:21, followed by Liz Kenney (1:22:13).

Other category place-getters included 50+ Men: Ian Cornthwaite, 50+ Women: Liz Kenney and U18 Men: Nelson Archibald.

In the 6km event – first home was new runner Rachel O’Brien in a very impressive 27:39, followed

by Chris Van Unen (31:32), Shane Gavin (31:51) and Rickie Glover (32:29).

Category place-getters for the open ladies was: Rachel O’Brien, followed by Rickie Glover and Molly Irvine.

Wonder: Junior Harriers and family members stop to marvel at some of the Christmas decorations.

For the open men’s category, first was Chris Van Unen, followed by Shane Gavin and Scott Syme.

50+ Men: Ian Twite, 50+ Women: Desley Gray and U18 Women: Lucy Magaldi.

A hardy group of 25 Harriers spent a four day weekend in Bright participating in the annual Four Peaks Trail Running challenge.

The aim of the competition is to run from the Ovens River to the summit of four of Bright’s most iconic mountains in four days, Mt Buffalo (1350m), Mt Feathertop (1922m), Mt Hotham (1861m) and Mystic Hill (784m). It’s a tough challenge with the overall distance being 53km and the elevation gain is 4800m.

The event attracted some outstanding trail runners, including internationally recognised Lucy Bartholomew, who was the ultimate winner of the W18-39 category.

The club had some great performances, including in the under 18 age group, with Dempsey Podmore finishing first in each of the three runs he competed.

Belkey Podmore finished third for two and fourth in the other. Jack Marino finished fourth (u18m) in his ascent of Mt Buffalo.

In overall results, the club had seven top 10 finishers: Courtney Ellis third (W18-39), Sav Mavrofridis fifth (M18-39), Kylie Murray second (W40-49), Clinton Jolly seventh (M50-59), Ron Verschuur eighth (M50-59), Gary Fox fourth (M60-69) and Ian Twite first (M70+).

On Thursday, November 6, the Harriers night run was held at the Traralgon Railway Reserve.

The 6km run consists of three laps of the reserve's native gardens. It is relatively flat, with a total ascent of 70 metres. There was a great turnout with a total of 75 runners in lovely spring conditions.

Great running by Peter Cutler had him first home in an impressive time of 22:21, followed by Daniel Furmston (22:40) and Ian Cornthwaite (24:48).

Solid running from Karen Graham saw her first lady home in 29:10, followed by Yani Cornthwaite (32:09) and Liz Kenney (32:16).

Marathon effort: Steven Renehen and Jason Odlum at the completion of 100 mile Great Southern Endurance Run at Mt Hotham.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 37

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valleysport

Open letter to the Prime Minister

SPORT

THE following is an open letter to Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

It has been countersigned by champion Gippsland footballer Scott Pendlebury (from Sale), along with more than 60 of the nation's biggest sporting stars.

Australian Sports Leaders Call for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism and the Events Leading Up to the Bondi Massacre ON December 14, 2025, the deadliest terrorist attack in Australia’s history took place at the iconic Bondi Beach.

As Australians who have had the honour of playing and coaching our sport at the highest level including representing our nation with pride, integrity and dignity, we extend our deepest sympathy to the families who lost 15 loved ones in this atrocity - including 10-year-old Matilda, whose smile we will never forget.

Since this horrific attack, a wide cross-section of Australian leaders - including those from law, national security, business and public service have joined with the victims families to publicly call for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism, radicalisation and the events that led to December 14.

This attack did not occur in isolation.

It followed more than two years of escalating extremism, intimidation and unchecked radicalisation within Australia.

What unfolded at Bondi was an act of terrorism driven by violent extremist ideology, and its consequences have shaken the foundations of our national safety and social cohesion.

Pen to paper: North Melbourne champion Wayne Carey, pictured at Morwell FootballNetball Club in 2023, is one of more than 60 signatories.

File photographs As sports leaders, past and present, we have witnessed first-hand the power of sport to unite Australians of every background, belief and community.

Across generations, we have stood for fairness,

Your chance to own baggy touched by Bradman CRICKET

By LIAM DURKIN

A RARE baggy green cap personally handed by Sir Donald Bradman to a fellow Test cricketer has been fully authenticated and will go under the hammer.

Bidding opens at $1 and is set to close on Australia Day, 2026.

The cap was given directly by Bradman to a fellow Test cricketer who shared the field with him late in his legendary career.

It has remained in the recipient’s family for more than 75 years, passed down through three generations, never offered for public sale and never displayed outside the family.

Baggy green caps linked to Bradman’s playing days are extraordinarily scarce.

Players in a previous era received a new cap at the beginning of each Test series, and in rare cases there was an additional cap issued.

Most known examples today are held by museums or tightly held private collections.

Artefacts with such a clear chain of ownership and personal connection to Bradman almost never appear on the open market.

Experts are tipping strong interest that could see the cap reach or even exceed $1 million.

Lloyds Auctions Chief Operations Officer, Lee Hames said the combination of rarity, and timing makes the baggy green stand out.

“This is a genuine piece of cricket history that Sir Donald Bradman personally gifted,” Mr Hames said.

“It’s uninterrupted family ownership for 75 years and its direct link to ‘The Don’ make it one of the most important Bradman-related pieces to come to auction.

"Closing on Australia Day gives it special national resonance for collectors honouring our sporting heritage.”

Sir Donald Bradman retired from Test cricket in 1948 with a career batting average of 99.94 - a record widely regarded as one of the greatest statistical achievements in world sport.

His legacy remains deeply embedded in Australia’s sporting and cultural identity, notably through stories from the bush, such as the golf ball, stump and tank wall.

The cap will be offered at public auction by Lloyds Auctions. Strong interest is expected from private collectors, museums, institutions and cricket enthusiasts in Australia and internationally.

There are many local cricket tragics who will undoubtedly be interested in this item.

One Latrobe Valley local has an extensive collection of Bradman memorabilia that would rival any museum.

While Bradman himself doesn't have any great connection to the area, the man who devised a plan to curb his influence, English

The real deal: A baggy green presented by Sir Donald Bradman is up for auction. Test players during Bradman’s era received a new cap before every tour.

Photographs supplied

captain Douglas Jardine, toured Gippsland during the Bodyline series of 1932/33.

Bradman has remained a revered yet controversial figure since his death in 2001. His own son, John, changed his surname to 'Bradsen' to escape public scrutiny and pressure.

Bradman's freakish ability combined with a reserved personality led many to view him as an outsider to the rest of the Australian team.

His clashes with teammates were also well documented in cricket circles, especially those from the Catholic church.

During the time Bradman played in the 1930s, noticeable divisions existed in Australian society between Catholics of Irish descent and Anglo-Australian Protestants.

Australian batsman Jack Fingleton, who was Catholic, constantly butted heads with Bradman - a Protestant, as did champion leg spinner Bill O'Reilly.

It was said the pair laughed so hard when Bradman scored his famous last-innings duck, that their pressbox colleague Ernest Swanton commented "I thought they were going to have a stroke".

Bradman likely held the grudge, never speaking about his feud with Fingleton or O'Reilly until after their deaths.

On field at least, O’Reilly and Bradman could tolerate each other, and while O’Reilly never concealed his personal dislike for Bradman, both men respected each other’s cricketing ability.

Until his death, O’Reilly spoke in awe of Bradman’s skill, saying that great Australian batsman like Greg Chappell and Allan Border were merely “child’s play” in comparison to The Don. Conversely, Bradman, long after he had become Sir Donald Bradman and after O’Reilly died, rated him the greatest bowler he ever saw or faced.

For further information on the Bradman baggy and to register to bid, visit: lloydsauctions.com.au

Page 38 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

respect, equality and the principle that every Australian - no matter who they are - deserves safety, dignity and the freedom to live without fear.

Today, we cannot remain silent.

This is not who we are.

This is not the Australia we represented.

As sporting leaders, we understand that leadership matters, especially when values are tested.

We call on the Prime Minister and the Australian government to show decisive national leadership by confronting extremism and terrorism in all its forms, without fear or hesitation.

We must also put an end to the unprecedented harassment, intimidation and violence that has been directed at the Australian Jewish community since October 7, 2023.

This is a national crisis, and it demands a national response.

This is bigger than politics. It is about the character of our country and the Australia we want future generations to inherit.

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games approaching, the eyes of the world will soon be upon Australia.

The safety of our citizens, the integrity of our public spaces, and the values we project as a nation have never mattered more.

We call on the Australian government to immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism, radicalisation and the events leading up to the Bondi massacre as well as take other immediate action to protect the public.

A Royal Commission is the most credible and unifying pathway to understanding what went wrong, ensuring accountability, restoring social harmony and taking Australia forward with a meaningful, practical plan of action.

As Australians who have long championed unity and national pride - on the field and beyond it - we implore our leaders to act with urgency and moral clarity.

The safety of Australians, and the future cohesion of our nation, depends on it.

Longmire, Ross Lyon, Russell Mark OAM, Susie Maroney OAM, Leigh Matthews, Cam McEvoy OAM, Robbie McEwen AM, Mike McKay OAM, Anthony Minichiello, Michelle Mitchell OAM, Jenny Morris OAM, Sam Newman, Sally Pearson OAM, Nova Peris OAM, Pat Rafter AM, Clint Robinson OAM, Rohan Robinson, Danni Roche OAM, Ken Roche AO, Steve Solomon, Renee Stubbs, Stacey Taurima, Andrew Thompson, Ian Thorpe AM, James Tomkins OAM, David Wansbrough OAM, Gai Waterhouse AO, Grant Wharrington, Greg ‘Diesel’ Williams.

 SIGNATORIES:

Scott Pendlebury, John Alexander OAM, Peter Antonie OAM, Luke Beveridge, Raelene Boyle AM, MBE, Steve Bradbury OAM, Wayne Carey, Emma Carney, Michael Clarke AO, Alistair Clarkson, Denis Cotterell, David Crawshay OAM, Rob de Castella AO, MBE, Robert Dipierdomenico, Louise Dobson OAM, Mick Doohan, Josh Eagle, John Eales AM, Chris Fagan, Mick Fanning AO, Jess Fox OAM, Dawn Fraser AC MBE, Richard Fromberg, Drew Ginn OAM, Grant Hackett OAM, Shane Heal, Gerard Healy, Greg Healy, Andrew Hoy OAM, Chris Judd, Phil Kearns AM, John Kennedy Jr, Michael Klim OAM, Anthony Koutoufides, John

View: Hawthorn legend Robert DiPierdomenico, pictured filming part of his show at PowerWorks, wants to see a Royal Commission.

Pendlebury wants a Royal Commission SPORT FOOTBALL

BY LIAM DURKIN

CHAMPION Gippsland footballer Scott Pendlebury has joined a chorus of sporting stars calling for a Commonwealth Royal Commission following the deadly attack at Bondi last month.

The Collingwood games record holder and Sale resident has countersigned an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanding action.

More than 60 athletes past and present are heaping pressure on the Prime Minister, who is yet to announce a Commonwealth Royal Commission, despite extensive public backlash.

"We will have a New South Wales Royal Commission that will look at the actions clearly of New South Wales authorities, including the police response, gun licencing issues that are the prerogative of the New South Wales government," the Prime Minister said at a press conference on January 30.

"But also, we've said very clearly that the Commonwealth government will cooperate with those processes and will provide whatever information is requested and is necessary during those processes.

"Of course, there are lessons to be learned and we, of course, will fully support New South Wales in that process. But in the meantime as well, we want to make sure that there are no gaps in the federal system."

Pendlebury was one of the main athletes featured on the front page of last Sunday's (January 4) Herald Sun, with a photo of him next to the headline 'THIS IS NOT OUR AUSTRALIA', with the word 'our' underlined in red.

Other AFL greats to sign the letter include Leigh Matthews, Chris Judd and Anthony Koutoufides.

Demanding action: Gippsland football star and Collingwood legend, Scott Pendlebury has joined some of the nation’s biggest sporting names in calling for a Royal Commission into the Bondi attack.

File photograph Emotional scenes played out on Day 1 of the SCG Ashes Test, as emergency services and community responders were given a guard of honour by both teams.

The loudest cheer was saved for Ahmed al-Ahmed, the fruit shop owner who bravely disarmed one of the gunmen.

Fighting back tears and with his left arm in a sling, he was given a standing ovation by the 50,000-strong crowd.

valleysport

Champion of champions crowned BOWLS

By MICHAEL HOLROYD

STRZELECKI Bowls Region held its Champion of Champions events over the weekend at Newborough Bowling Club.

In the Strzelecki North playing area, Steve Davy of Boolarra defeated Alan Campbell of Morwell Club in the final 25 to 19 after drawing four shots early in the match to go to a 10-2 lead.

Campbell fought back with a four to trail 16-22, and despite gaining an additional three shots on one end, was unable to bridge the gap, leaving Davy the winner.

In the morning, Davy beat Ian Hilsley 25-24 after leading 17-6 before the experienced Hilsley, a former Australian champion, fought back to lead 24-21. Davy got a two and a three to advance to the final.

Campbell defeated Danny Van Zuylen (Newborough) 25-8.The ladies provided great excitement with close games the order of the day.

In the final, Jenny Harris (Yinnar) held a 19-5 lead before losing 10 of the next 11 ends as Lyn Smith (Morwell Club) fought back to lead 24-21.

On the next end, Harris drew three shots and had the opportunity to take the match as she dropped short with the bowl which would have won her the match.

The score was now 24-all and Smith managed to draw a shot to win the final end and the match after a great comeback.

In the morning games, Harris went out to an early lead against Joelene Laukens (Boolarra), leading 16-9 before Laukens fought back to lead 24-22 yet lost three tense ends, giving Harris the win 25-24.

In the other semi-final, Smith trailed Nat Cousin (Longwarry) 11-7 after Cousin gained two fours to sneak ahead. Smith then got her rhythm going to win 25-17.

Earlier in the week, Newborough Bowling Club hosted the prelude to the Classic Singles event, which attracted 48 bowlers including last year's winner, Tasmanian Josh Walker-Davis.

On a lovely day, the greens ran well and WalkerDavis played Vin McIlwain (Traralgon) in the final.

McIlwain had won in 2023 and was beaten last year by Walker-Davis.

Revenge was sweet this year as McIlwain gained four shots in an early end, following three missed drives from the Tasmanian and a final shot which touched the jack only to roll on, giving McIlwain a well-deserved victory 10-5.

In the semi-finals, McIlwain defeated Rod Peterson (Glen Waverley) 10-5 and Walker-Davis defeated Matt Murphy (Clayton) 12-7.

The EnergyAustralia Classic Singles are underway at Newborough Bowling Club, with the final to be played tomorrow (Thursday, January 8).

Entrants include six-time winner Barrie Lester, and the past two winners in internationally ranked world champions, Gary Kelly (Northern Ireland) and Corey Wedlock (Australia).

Moe Bowling Club has its time-honoured classic pairs the week after the Newborough singles. Moe is celebrating 50 years of the event.

Siddle leading BBL wickets CRICKET BBL

BY LIAM DURKIN

Let the good times roll: Bowls is the main sport at the moment, with local clubs Newborough and Moe hosting major events.

Photograph: Liam Durkin

Local cricket resumes this weekend

CRICKET CLV

BY LIAM DURKIN

THAT sport where you fail a lot more than you succeed returns this weekend.

Local cricketers will wheel their kit bags (or washing baskets in the case of one legendary player) to park venues across the Latrobe Valley for the 2026 component of season 2025/26.

Six rounds still remain until finals, with teams fighting for either places in March, or to avoid relegation.

Ex Students head the Premier A ladder, followed by surprise-packet Imperials.

Not many probably expected Imperials to be second on the ladder at Christmas following promotion last season, and the team from Catterick Crescent will be out to prove there was no beginners luck in the first half of the season.

Finals are still some way off, yet Morwell is only two points adrift from the top two - which carries a home final as added incentive.

Churchill (also promoted) and Moe are separated by only one point, and will likely be fighting each other the rest of the regular season to see who gets the last available spot.

Perennial powerhouse Glengarry is only four points behind the Lions, but may need to snag an outright to give its finals aspirations a boost.

The Magpies were without Nat Freitag in the first half of the season, which has arguably been reflected in results.

Unfortunately, Toongabbie and Centrals could already be headed for relegation, as they are both 10 points off Glengarry.

That being said, the Rams showed plenty of ticker to avoid the same fate last season, while the Lions made finals with pretty much the same team.  CATS and Rovers are the runaway leaders in A Grade, and one of them would have to be short odds of at least making the Grand Final.

Traralgon West has however made a decider from outside the top four in recent years (it's arguable Traf are still recovering from that to be honest), while Latrobe won a semi-final at 500-1 odds last season.

Raiders can be expected to knock down the finals door the closer the post-regular season appears, and only need to make up a handful of points as it stands.

Willow Grove, Gormandale and Mirboo North remain mathematical possibilities, and could play the role of villain for any number of teams.

Back at it: Cricket Latrobe Valley returns after the three-week Christmas break this Saturday.

The fortunes of most teams could change markedly over coming weeks, as players 'start trying' or make themselves available.

While it is a nice notion to think players always give 100 per cent, the reality in local cricket is this is impossible, especially before Christmas when there are a host of Friday and Saturday night distractions.

It is common for some players to simply go through the motions before the break to save themselves for the February push to finals, when games carry much more meaning.

Champion Gippsland bowler Chris 'Tassie' Johnson would often not play until after Christmas, and still finish seasons with 30 wickets.  ROUND 9 FIXTURE (ONE DAYERS):

Toongabbie vs Centrals (at Roger Reis Oval), Morwell vs Moe (Keegan St), Imperials vs Glengarry (Catterick Crescent), Ex Students vs Churchill (Terry Hunter Oval). A Grade: Latrobe vs Willow Grove (at Moe Racecourse), CATS vs Raiders (Traralgon South), Rovers vs Traralgon West (Duncan Cameron), Gormandale vs Mirboo North (Stoddart Oval).

File photograph

"HE'S got a bright future this kid."

So quipped former Australian quick Damien Fleming on BBL commentary about fellow Victorian and Morwell's own Peter Siddle.

Fleming, known to many as the 'Bowlologist', made the tongue-in-cheek remark as Siddle, at the grand age of 41, was still hitting speeds above 140kph.

Siddle continues to defy his age, and at time of print, was the current leading wicket-taker in the BBL. His Melbourne Stars team had a testing weekend, losing both matches in the last over after getting into seemingly unlosable positions.

The Stars' reputation as BBL chokers returned, after entering the weekend as the only undefeated team in the competition.

A no-ball and subsequent free-hit off Siddle's bowling proved costly against the Heat at the Gabba last Friday (January 2), though the former Latrobe cricketer could hardly be blamed for what happened in last Sunday's (January 4) Melbourne derby.

Playing for the inaugural Melbourne Mace, Siddle took 2/39, including the key wicket of Jake Fraser-McGurk from the Renegades.

Siddle's trademark passion was on full display, roaring in celebration in front of more than 60,000 fans at the MCG. The Stars had enjoyed a good Christmas, winning three games in five fays from December 23 to December 28.

Siddle took 1/23 against the Strikers in Adelaide, and followed up with 3/23 against the Sixers and 1/22 against the Sydney Thunder in Canberra - a match that was bizarrely a Stars home game as it was expected the MCG Boxing Day Test would last longer than the two days it did.

The Stars play tomorrow (January 8) at the MCG, taking on the Sydney Sixers.

Elsewhere, the cricket world breathed a sigh of relief, after news came through that Fleming's ex-teammate, Damien Martyn had woken up from a coma.

Regarded as one of the most elegant batsmen of all time, Martyn was arguably the sweetest timer of a cricket ball world cricket has ever seen.

YouTubing 'Damien Martyn cover drives' offers a soothing experience, watching 'Dr Timing' effortlessly push the ball all the way along the carpet to the fence.

Maybe that's what Moises Henriques was really watching.

BBL leading wicket-takers (at January 5): Peter Siddle (Stars) 12, Haris Rauf 12 (Stars), Jack Edwards (Sixers) 10, Tom Curran (Stars) 10, Joel Paris (Scorchers) 10, Nathan Ellis (Hurricanes) 10, Gurinder Sandhu (Renegades) 10, Daniel Sams (Thunder) 10.

The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 — Page 39

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Page 40 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

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