Local People. Thu., Oct. 7, 2021

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

Local News Mansfield permits

■ Mansfield Shire property owners who live in metropolitan Melbourne will be able from today (Thu., Oct. 7) to apply for a travel exemption to prepare their properties for the fire season. Travel to Mansfield Shire can begin from Monday (Oct. 11).

Property owners can apply for up to three days to complete fire preparation works, however vacant land will only be eligible for a single day permit. Additional permits may be applied for, but not for consecutive days.

Mansfield Mayor Cr Mark Holcombe said that Council was happy to support nonresident community members to prepare their properties for fire season.

“Allowing people to prepare their properties for fire season is ultimately a safety measure that creates protections for our community and minimises our risk of bushfire,” said Cr Holcombe.

“We trust our community, including those who live in metro Melbourne, to keep our Shire safe by doing the right thing and minimising movement while in the Shire.”

When travelling, any person must comply with the restrictions in the place of their primary residence.

In some cases this means the owner or the nominated representative will not be able to visit local businesses to purchase supplies.

They should travel with the tools and equipment they need. The use of local contractors is strongly encouraged.

Go to mshire.co/firetravel to apply for a travel exemption to prepare your property for the fire season. Allow a minimum of three business days before the requested travel date.

- Mansfield Shire Council

Feasibility study

■ Strathbogie Shire Council will conduct a feasibility study into the introduction of a resale shop at one or more of its Resource Recovery Centres.

The Council received a $10,000 Recycling Victoria Councils Fund grant from the Victorian Government through Sustainability Victoria to conduct the study.

JustWaste Consulting have been appointed by the Council to conduct the feasibility study and there will be opportunities for the community to engage in this process.

The project was one of 26 successful projects in the first round of the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund.

Strathbogie Shire Council Mayor Cr Chris Raeburn said the introduction of a resale shop would further Council’s goal to sustainably manage its natural and built environment, through further diversion of waste from landfill.

“Resale shops can also create local employment opportunities or income for community groups, and access to pre-loved goods at affordable rates for members of our community and those who visit,” Cr Raeburn said.

The study will provide Council with an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities of introducing the best value-formoney approach to installing a resale shop.

“There will be further opportunities for community members to provide their feedback on this project moving forward,” Cr Raeburn said.

Cr Raeburn said Council was proud to encourage the re-use, repair, sharing and correct recycling of everyday items.

This project is supported by the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund, delivered by Sustainability Victoria.

- Strathbogie Shire Council

WHITTLESEA SITES SURGE

Local News Fighting cancer

■ Yea Community Cancer Charity has received a $6500 donation from an anonymous benefactor.

This is the third year running that the person has donated to the charity.

“With COVID being very challenging to arrange fundraising events, it’s donations like this that keep our charity going,” said one of the organisers, Simone Sier.

“We have sent numerous cheques out to patients during these tough times. We look forward to hopefully having a fundraiser in the new year to give lots of locals something to look forward to.”

- Simone Sier

Parcel pick-up

● Costco Epping has been named as a public exposure site.

Photo: Retail World magazine ■ McDonald’s at Epping Plaza is one of the latest exposure sites in the City of Whittlesea.

So too is the Costco outlet in Epping. The reports that some of the other sites ■ 7 cases in Nillumbik in the Whittlesea municipality are: ■ 14 cases in Yarra Ranges Northern Hospital Epping Emergency DeLatest local public exposure sites include: partment (55 cases), Crusader Caravans ■ Bundoora. Australia Post Bundoora LPO Epping (23 cases), Wallaby Childcare Wollert Bundoora Square Shopping Centre. 39 Plenty (11 cases), Northern Hospital Epping (8 cases), Rd. Tier 1.

Mill Park Police Station (7 cases), Coles Au- ■ Eltham. Thrive Bulk Wholefoods. Shop 2 rora Village Epping (6 cases), Gumboots Early Midway Arcade, 972-974 Main Rd. Tier 2.

Learning Centre South Morang (5 cases) and ■ Epping. Story House Early Learning Epping Mernda YMCA Early Learning Centre Mernda 329A Harvest Home Rd. Tier 1.

(5 cases).

■ South Morang. My Chemist - Westfield Some 180 new cases in the City of Whittlesea Plenty Valley. 415 McDonalds Rd. Tier 2. were announced yesterday.

■ Thomastown. Comfort Sleep Bedding Co., Of the 1763 cases reported yesterday, some 204 Holt Pde. Tier1. of the following Local Government Areas in Opposition Leader Matthew Guy (Bulleen) metropolitan Melbourne recorded more than yesterday (Wed.) said that the manager of Royal one newly diagnosed case: Melbourne Hospital’s intensive care unit had ■ 29 cases in Banyule confirmed that additional intensive care staff ■ 50 cases in Darebin are now being trained in four days rather than ■ 309 cases in Hume the normal 12 months.

■ 25 cases in Manningham - Department of Health ■ 14 cases in Maroondah and local health practitioners

180 NEW CASES

● McDonalds Epping Plaza has also been named as a public exposure site.

Photo: Retail World magazine

■ Today (Thu.) is the final day for parcel pick-up arrangements at the green shed beside the Yea Post Office, says Jennifer Callander.

“Due to the unavailability of our Australia Post managers, Thursday (Oct. 7) is the last day for collection of parcels from the green shed beside the Post Office,” Ms Callander said in a Facebook post.

“The time had been extended 8am11.30am to cover this. We are very grateful to our AP managers for going above and beyond to serve our community.

“Hopefully we will be able to reopen Monday (Oct. 11) depending on when we get our results.”

The Callander family were innocent victims of the COVID-19 after they attended the Yea Medical Centre around the same time as a positive case.

- Jenn Callander

Pop-up clinics

■ Nexus Primary Health and Alexandra District Health will run a vaccine clinic for the community to access the Astra Zeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

A session will be held from 10am-4pm this Saturday (Oct. 9) at Eildon Community Centre, 2 Centre Ave, Eildon.

Another session will be held from 10am4pm on Sunday (Oct. 10) at the Marysville Community Centre, 31 Falls Rd, Marysville.

- Murrindindi Shire Council

Bye to social media

■ Northern MLC Fiona Patten is pushing ‘pause’ on social media.

“I and my office are taking a break from social media. It might be for a few weeks. It might be for longer. It might be permanent.

We will be evaluating how best to communicate with the broader community,” Ms Patten said.

“I am calling this pause because of the appalling abuse, most of it from anonymous cowards, polluting what could and should be one of humanity’s triumphs, the ability for the majority of people to follow and participate in the most important market there is – the free market for ideas.

“The term `social media’ is misleading.

Perhaps a better description is ‘open media’.

“All who post – and those who incite and host them - are subject to defamation and other laws against malice and harm. With the right to freedom of expression come legal and moral responsibilities.

“Open Media can be a wonderful crucible of creativity and civilisation, of genuine progress. But it can also be a cesspit of bastardry, where people for some reason write things they would never say to someone’s face.”

- Fiona Patten

Page 2 - The Local Paper - Thursday, October 7, 2021

Local Briefs Problems galore

■ Eildon MLA Cindy McLeish spoke yesterday (Wed.) about problems being faced by local businesses in relation to State Government grants: “A local accountant who works with many, many small business owners spoke about the issues with the business costs assistance program,” Ms McLeish told State Parliament.

“They have been helping people claim these, and they had until September 10. Originally it was $10K, it went to $14K and then finally $20K, but you had to have a 70 per cent drop in sales over a two-week period.

“They have had so many issues, because only a few of these have been processed.

Those that received the first grants have received the top-ups, but the ones that they did in that week ending September 10 have received nothing.

“Now, September 10—we are weeks away. They had advice only a couple of days ago that they had still not been processed.

“They are distressed. They are working around the clock to try and help their clients, but for some of these people that they are helping it has been over 18 months that they have been trying to get support, and it is just not happening.

“They have been under pressure to get them in by a certain deadline, but these businesses have no money. It is not good enough.

This government has failed them,” Ms McLeish said.

Tutors available

■ Monbulk MLA James Merlino, in his role as Education Minister, has spoken in State Parliament this week about an ongoing tutor program.

“I am delighted to inform the house of the work the Andrews Government is doing to ensure that no student is left behind in the wake of the pandemic, by continuing our tutor program for the whole of the 2022 school year: $230.4 million to extend the single biggest boost to individual learning support in the state’s history,” Mr Merlino said.

“In 2022 not only are all schools getting the same amount as they did this year, the very small schools will in fact get an increase, from $15 000 to $25 000, allowing them to hire more staff to provide greater support.

“There was huge interest from pre-service teachers, teachers on leave, retired teachers, casual relief teachers and existing teachers.

“As part of this initiative, 6400 wonderful people answered the call, and I thank all of them for their efforts during periods of remote and flexible learning, where they have conducted their sessions remotely.

“These tutors have had a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of students, with Victoria earlier this year recording nationleading NAPLAN results and an independent evaluation by Deloitte concluding the initiative improved attendance, improved achievement, improved engagement and improved the self-confidence of the students that participated.

“We heard from primary school teacher Sue Anderson, who runs the tutoring program at Langwarrin Park Primary School, who stated: ‘… we’ve had some children make growth of 12 months in term one this year, some have made 18 months’ growth …”

“And Sue said the program has been so beneficial that this cohort of students now no longer needed that extra support.

“Finally, I wish all 85,000 students doing the general achievement test today all the very best,” Mr Merlino said on Tuesday (Oct. 5).

“I thank them for their perseverance, their resilience, their grit, their hard work, I also thank their parents and carers for their critical support of their kids during remote and flexible learning and finally I thank our wonderful profession,” Mr Merlino said.

- James Merlino ● Go to the ‘Subscribe’ section at www.LocalPaper.com.au to have this paper emailed directly to you.

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Local People: 2

Local jobs at risk: McLeish ■ Eildon MLA Cindy McLeish has warned in State Parliament that local jobs are at risk because of timber industry legislation being pushed by the State Labor Government.

“Timber is exceptionally important in my electorate,” Mx McLeish told the Legislative Assembly yesterday (Wed.).

“The timber industry is an important part of the electorate and there are very many, many jobs.

“One of the things that I hear consistently at the moment is about the supply of timber or the lack of supply of timber.

“Now, the Government through the closure of the timber industry with what they are doing has guaranteed a certain level of supply, and this bill may well impact on the government’s own ability to meet that supply agreement that they have.

“This bill will serve only to impose unfair and onerous requirements on the timber industry, and this will undoubtedly impact the supply as a consequence of the uncertainty and increased regulatory burden on the industry.

“The bill fails to get the balance right in making sure that timber workers, contractors and VicForests, who are liable for contraventions,

● Cindy McLeish, Eildon MLA

including the increased penalties that are part of the enforcement and compliance and as a result of these changes, have the ability to properly defend themselves.

“Through the bill briefing that we had and I know through our dealings with the timber industry and VicForests, they are extremely concerned about the workers if there is tampering with the edge of a coupe, which has happened.

“The markers have been moved and the timber harvester the next day has come in—and to their best knowledge acted in accord with what the requirements are—to find out that they have actually harvested an extra metre along a certain boundary because of this.

“The consequences for the timber industry through this whole bill are really quite massive, and it is something that I am very pleased to be opposing,” Ms McLeish said.

Ms McLeish said the industry had waited two years for the legislation to be introduced, for it then to be discussed at short notice.

“The timber workers out there have been sitting on edge waiting for that, wondering what that is going to look like, and understood that this bill had been parked to be dealt with after the code of practice for production was released.”

- Cindy McLeish

Glenn missing from Shepp.

Wanted on warrants

■ Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing man Glenn.

The 61-year-old was last seen in Shepparton about 11am yesterday (Wed.).

Police and family have concerns for Glenn as he has a medical condition.

He is described as Caucasian, about 178cm tall with a slim build and shoulder length grey hair and a grey beard.

He was last seen wearing a blue hospital gown and hiking boots.

Glenn is known to frequent the Shepparton area.

Police have released an image of Glenn and urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact Shepparton Police Station on 5820 5777.

- Victoria Police

● ‘Glenn’

● Kristian Willetts ■ Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate Kristian Willetts.

The 26-year-old has an outstanding warrant for drug offences.

He is known to frequent the Craigieburn or Broadmeadows areas.

Investigators have released an image of Willetts in the hope someone may have information on his current whereabouts.

Anyone who sights Willetts or has information about his current whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au - Victoria Police

● Michelle Lim

chologist Dr Michelle Lim. It highlights the growing issue of widespread loneliness in Australia and explores its impact on individuals, communities and society at large.

Dr Lim said loneliness is the next public health crisis facing Australia.

“Loneliness, when persistent or severe, hurts our health, communities, and society. We need to work together as a community to combat loneliness,” Dr Lim said.

“If you feel lonely, it is important to understand that your feelings are normal. Take small feasible steps towards managing your loneliness.

“You don’t always have to make more friends to be feel less lonely – look within your current network and consider how you can improve the quality of those relationships.”

Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said while it was a significant societal issue beforehand, more than a quarter (27 per cent) of Australians experienced loneliness for the first time during COVID. “We know the pandemic has had a huge impact on mental health but now we also know how it has accelerated the widespread issue of loneliness,” said Mr Penn.

- Yasmin Armes

Rural loneliness recognised

■ Four in 10 Australians regularly feel lonely according to a new eport The ‘Talking Loneliness’ report is part of the Telstra Connection Day being marked today (Thu., Oct. 7).

The report revealed 44 per cent of Australians regularly eel lonely, and nine in 10 have experienced loneliness with half (48 per cent) too embarrassed to admit it.

The Talking Loneliness report also found: ■ More than half (54 per cent) of Australians say they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ lack companionship ■ A quarter (24 per cent) of Australians don’t feel they have anyone to talk to, , with Gen Z (32 per cent) and Millennials (26 per cent) the most likely age groups to feel this way ■ Over one-third (35 per cent) of Australians admit they rarely or never feel like they are part of a group of friends • Almost two in five (38 per cent) Australians say they have never felt lonelier than they have felt in lockdown The research was conducted for Telstra by YouGov in September 2021 in consultation with leading loneliness researcher and clinical psy-

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The Local Paper - Thursday, October 7, 2021 - Page 3

Local People: 3

Attack on timber industry

■ Evelyn MLA Bridget Vallence has hit out at what she calls an “astonishing attck” on the Victorian timber industry.

Speaking in State Parliament yesterday (Wed.), Ms Vallence addressed a new Forest Legislation bill.

“It is just an astonishing attack. What this bill does is it has one department, DELWP, being able to prosecute another department, VicForests, and their workers,” Ms Vallence said.

“I just feel for the workers. We have huge concerns because if this amendment gets up, it means that this bill gets through, and that is the problem that we have.

“You know, these workers are facing the prospect of fines of $21,000 individually and over $100 000 at the company level. That is astonishing.

“The mere fact that, if this amendment gets up, these workers could completely innocently, without any knowledge that they are making a mistake, go in and fell trees illegally.

“It might be because perhaps an activist has gone and tampered with that coupe. But the next day they go and do their job—they think they are just doing their job, they want to put food on the table—yet if there is any complaint, the onus

● Bridget Vallence, Evelyn MLA

and liability is on them to prove themselves innocent. Is there a provision in this bill for them to be able to protect themselves? No, there is not.

“They have to use common law to protect themselves. That is not good enough, and that just shows how sneaky this government has been with this bill. It is just a massive attack on these timber workers.

“The Leader of the House said it is straightforward; no, it is not. I was surprised to hear as well the Minister for Agriculture get up and say that this should be rushed through, because workers in a department that she is responsible for— VicForests—were not even consulted.

“The CFMEU manufacturing division’s Michael O’Connor has been clear on behalf of his workers. He has fought very hard for his workers over years and years and years. To not even be consulted, to see this amendment being rushed through, is astonishing.

“The Victorian Forest Products Association are against this. So too are the timber towns. Let us not forget that the biggest impact this will have is on country communities at the worst possible time.”

- Bridget Vallence

● Steph Ryan, Euroa MLA

Ms Ryan said the Andrews Government needed to urgently explain what additional capacity had been put in place across the region’s major hospitals.

“Shepparton has eight ICU beds while Wangaratta and Albury have six each,” Ms Ryan said.

“Additional beds need to be put in place at major regional hospitals like Shepparton, Bendigo and Wangaratta to ensure the region has the capacity to cope an increase in serious cases.

“The community has borne the brunt of lockdown after lockdown, ostensibly to give the state government time to increase the capacity of the health system.

“The government has betrayed the community by failing to increase the capacity of intensive care as it promised.

“It isn’t just leaving us exposed, but it is also keeping us locked down for longer,” Ms Ryan said.

Ms Mikako said: "So this package will pay for the biggest expansion of Victoria's intensive care capacity in Victoria's history. We currently have about 450, about 500 intensive care beds in Victoria and now we are going to fund another 4000 intensive care beds taking us to a total of 4500.”

- Steph Ryan

● James Merlino

“Then progressively, over the course of October, we will have students back to face-toface learning.

“When prep and grades 1 and 2 students return to school in Melbourne on October 18 to face-to-face learning in a staggered way prior to returning full time once we are past the Melbourne Cup, they will be returning to schools with their teachers, in fact all adults on site at school, having been required to get at least their first dose of vaccine.

“As we speak, there are trucks delivering high-efficiency particulate absorbing filters firstly to our hotspot local government areas but through the weeks and months of this term to schools right across the state of Victoria.

“We will have our students back to face-toface learning. As I have always said, we want to get students back to face-to-face learning as quickly as possible, always based on public health advice, not undermining public health advice and not denying, as the member for Croydon has, that transmission does occur in schools. It does occur in schools, and that is why we have made it a requirement for staff to be vaccinated.”

- James Merlino

Can local hospitals cope?

■ Serious questions have been raised about the capacity of the region’s hospitals to deal with an anticipated increase in COVID cases.

EuroaMLA Steph Ryan says the 4000 additional ICU beds promised by the Andrews Government 18 months ago have not materialised.

“I am gravely concerned that the Andrews Government has left our region underprepared for an increase in COVID cases,” Ms Ryan said.

“In April 2020, the then Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the government would spend $1.3 billion to deliver 4000 intensive care beds, to bring the state’s total to 4500.

“When we questioned the government as to the status of those extra beds in Parliament last sitting week, Martin Foley admitted ICU beds were “up and running now at the 400 mark” – nowhere near the 4000 promised by the Premier 18 months ago.

“According to figures released by the Federal Government last week Victoria has just 437 ICU beds.

“The 4000 intensive care beds promised by the Andrews Government have not been delivered and no one has explained what has happened to the $1.3 billion earmarked to deliver them.”

MP guarantees school return

■ Mobulk MLA James Merlino, in his role as Education Minister, has been asked in State Parliament if he will “guarantee” that that all students will be back at school full-time on November 5, as the government’s road map promises?

The question was posed by Croydon MLA David Hodgett.

Mr Merlino replied: “: Let me be crystal clear. Students will be back to face-to-face learning as per the back-to-school plan for metropolitan Melbourne and for rural and regional Victoria.

“In Melbourne that means all students will be back full time from November 5.”

Mr Merlino, in the Legislative Assembly, said: “So this is the first week of term 4 for 2021, and it is wonderful to see over the course of the weeks of October we will have students returning to face-to-face learning.

“So in rural and regional schools we have got prep, grade 1, grade 2 and year 12 students back face to face.

“In Melbourne we have got year 12 students undertaking the general achievement test, then they are back to face-to-face learning.

Local News Rail opportunities

■ Indi MHR Helen Haines has urged the communities of Euroa and Benalla to make their voices heard in the latest round of consultation by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, to ensure each town gets the best outcome in the inland rail station upgrades.

Dr Haines said the latest draft designs for the two towns showed the advocacy and lobbying was already making an impact, and engaging in the next stage of consultation would make it impossible to ignore the views of the communities on the options proposed for the towns.

The ARTC last month released two proposed designs for replacing the Anderson St Bridge in Euroa: the ARTC’s original proposal for an oversized bridge and the community-backed proposal for a vehicle underpass that has long been called for by residents.

The designs for Euroa followed the release of designs for Benalla that included a re-alignment of the tracks that community had been advocating for.

“The inclusion of the underpass in the designs proposed for Euroa is a sign the ARTC is listening to the people of Euroa, who have had concerns for a long time that an oversized bridge over the line would further divide the town”, Dr Haines said.

“I have been working closely with the town of Euroa every step of the way on this journey, advocating for transparency and a proper commitment to community consultation and the best outcome.”

The North East leg of the federal government’s $15.4 billion Inland Rail project requires major infrastructure works to for allow taller and heavier double-stacked trains to run on the North East line.

There has been deep concern in towns in Indi along the rail line about what the works would mean for their towns, with strong opposition to large new overpasses to accommodate the double-stacked trains.

Dr Haines says she has been working with the people of Euroa for years through consultation with the ARTC. “When I first started meeting with the ARTC two years ago, they told me their overpass proposals were a done deal, and the community proposals would be too expensive and could never happen. But together we got a community proposal on the table,” Dr Haines said.

“We have gotten to this point by speaking loudly as a community, so once again we must have our say to ensure the ARTC delivers us the station we want.”

Dr Haines said she was cautiously optimistic about the next stage of consultation.

“The ARTC seems to have turned a corner in the way it is listening and responding to the needs of towns like Euroa. But this is not the end of the line – your responses now will make all the difference.”

“Just this week I met with the ARTC to scrutinise this consultation process and they confirmed to me that in both Euroa and Benalla, both options are genuinely on the table – they are both budgeted, they are both technically feasible. It will come down to which one the community supports”.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack visited towns in Indi affected by inland rail at the invitation of Dr Haines and it was only last month Dr Haines wrote to new Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce inviting him to Indi to ensure he properly understood the needs of towns along the rail line.

Communities along the rail line are energised to keep consulting with the ARTC on what inland rail means for their towns.

“I know people in towns affected by inland rail have already been through many stages of consultation, but they must not give up now,” Dr Haines said.

“I will continue to work with the town of Euroa to ensure the ARTC listens to locals, and to make sure the best option is reached for all the towns in Indi affected by the inland rail project.”

- Sally Whyte

Page 4 - The Local Paper - Thursday, October 7, 2021

COVID update

■ Of the COVID-19 cases in hospital announced yesterday, 5 per cent were fully vaccinated.

There are currently around 38,000 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.

At 12 Noon yesterday (Wed.), there were 520 published exposure sites in Victoria.

- Department of Health and local health professionals

Thanks to these local contributors

Local contributors include: ■ Ann Argent, Central Bowls Division.

■ Stephen Baker, Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.

■ Julie Blyth, Y Water Discovery Centre.

■ Liz Bower, Nanna’s Makers Market.

■ Laura Caine, Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

■ Beth Caldow, Shepparton Festival.

■ Meagan Callander, Middle Kinglake Primary School.

■ Bonnie Cavanagh, Broadford Football Netball Club.

■ Viv Cavanagh, Yea Bowls Club.

■ Gayle Cole, Kinglake Friends of the Forest.

■ Stuart Dale, Albert Edward Lodge, Alexandra Masonic Centre.

■ Paul Denham, Buxton CFA. ■ Holly Ditchfield, Eltham Jazz Festival.

■ Andrew Embling, Alexandra Truck Show.

■ Chrissy Eustace, Rotary Club of Kinglake Ranges.

■ Patrick Evans, Yea Football Netball Club.

■ Hannah Graham, Green Wedge.

■ Sam Hicks, Fawcett Hall, Alexandra Indoor Pool.

■ Ryan Hurst, Kinglake Football Netball Club.

■ Alison Huth, YAPPERS, and Yea Arts.

■ Bev Johns, Kinglake.

■ Ross Malcolm, sports photographs.

■ Rhyll McCormack, Mountain Cattlemen.

■ Kelly McLeish, Yea CFA. ■ Shannon Mittrow, Alexandra SES. ■ Sara Murray, Alexandra Show.

■ Eden Elizabeth Nicholls, St Luke’s Anglican Church, Yea and Molesworth.

■ Alan Pell, Yea Golf Club.

■ Pam Petersen, Alexandra Christmas Tree Festival.

■ Brian Phillips, Yea Football Netball Club.

■ David Purcell, Healesville Amateur Race Club.

■ Peter Rice, UGFM - Radio Murrindindi.

■ Clinton Robinson, Kinglake Football Netball Club.

■ Sacred Heart Primary School, Yea. ■ Michaela Sargeant, Goulburn Valley Water.

■ Denis Smith, Yea St Pats Race Club.

■ Megan Smithwick, Whittlesea activities.

■ Ian Staff, Whittlesea Table Tennis, agricultural items.

■ Steels Creek Grapevine, newsletter.

■ Sarah Stevenson, Thornton Eildon District Football Netball Club.

■ Ray Steyger, Alexandra Football Netball Club.

■ Jeffrey Swain, Yea-Kinglake RSL, Alexandra-Mansfield-Yea Legacy.

■ Cat Thomas, Upper Goulburn Landcare Network.

■ Heidi Twining, Victoria Police.

■ Nikki Vanderwerf, Alexandra District Health.

■ Iris Vrzovski, Bollygum Community Market.

■ Ash Walsh, Yea Football Netball Club.

■ Caroline Weeks, Murrindindi Beanie and Fibre Festival.

■ Peter Weeks, Alexandra SES. ■ Glenda Woods, Rotary Club of Yea.

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Local People: 4

‘On the bones of their arse’ ■ Eildon MLA Cindy McLeish told Parliament yesterday (Wed.) that some local businesses were “on the bones of their arse”.

“We have had small businesses left absolutely floundering. Those that are lucky enough to have received grants are thankful that they have got the grants, but it is really not helping them particularly.

“We have sole traders who time and time again fall through the cracks and miss out. I know that there are people in that field who have small B & Bs, who are cleaners, who say that they are on the ‘bones of their arse’, which is a direct quote from one of them.

“That is a not great place to be, because they are struggling. I had one cleaner tell me that the bank asked her when applying for hardship whether or not she could work from home.

“She is a cleaner, and that just made her feel undervalued. The work that she does is stuff that we all value.

“So many local businesses have contacted me—I have had the Terminus Hotel in Healesville. They had applied for the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund. Ten weeks had passed. The owners were at breaking point.

They were haemorrhaging money, dipping into

‘We have had small businesses left absolutely floundering. Those that are lucky enough to have received grants are thankful that they have got the grants, but it is really not helping them particularly.’

their life savings—which is just so distressing— and selling assets just to keep the business afloat and their staff employed, because these business owners care about their staff. They had so many issues with the application processes.

“They finally got through to the department and were advised, ‘It was a glitch in the software. Keep trying’.

“Ten attempts later, the owners received an email saying someone would actually contact them. That is just not good enough. Since that time the owner has contacted the department at least a dozen times, sometimes waiting for 40

or 50 minutes only to be cut off and forced to try again. This is what real people are experiencing—small business owners. This is not what should happen.

“Not only that, but Bustle & Bows is a business in Warrandyte, a very small business but a niche market. They applied for funding under the business costs assistance program on June 4 through their accountant. This is a business that has been around for 30 years.

“Thirteen weeks later they have not received any financial support. And what do they feel?

Of course, increased anxiety with their financial position. This is distressing. They are deep in overdraft but continuing to pay rent and other outgoings with no income coming in. This is just not good enough,” Ms McLeish said.

- Cindy McLeish

● Lily D’Ambosio List of Recycling Victoria Research and Development Fund recipients ■ Monash University, Institute of Railway Technology – $300,000 – Partnered with Yarra Trams, Integrated Recycling, and Advanced Circular Polymer to develop modular parts for tram stop platforms made of reinforced recycled plastic.

■ RMIT University – $91,168 – Partnered with Intrax Consulting Engineers and Citywide to investigate using recycled cardboard in trusses for residential housing.

■ Swinburne University of Technology – $300,000 – Partnered with GT Recycling and Robovoid to explore ways to use recycled plas-

tics in bedding, including frames and mattresses ■ RMIT University – $200,000 – Partnered with Sustainable Structural Products Australia and Bendigo City Council to create items for use in construction from recycled plastics, tyre and timber.

■ RMIT University – $200,000 – Partnered with Enviromesh (Fibrecon) and Citywide to develop low-carbon concrete that uses pre-treated cardboard waste for use in constructing walls for multi-unit residential and commercial buildings.

■ Swinburne University of Technology – $200,000 – Partnered with Polyfoam and Frubber to develop a new process for recycling polystyrene by using tyre crumbs to manufacture waffle pod spacers and reinforced residential housing slabs.

■ ARRB Group Ltd – $81,000 – Partnered with Omni Grip to investigate using an aggregate blend that includes recycled glass.

■ CSIRO – $300,000 – Partnered with Think Fencing Pty Ltd, Vinyl Council of Australia, and National Waste Recycling Industry Council working with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounders and manufacturers.

■ Deakin University – $255,000 – Partnered with Gale Pacific Limited, GT Recycling, and Lyondell Basell to maximise the amount of recycled polypropylene (PP) that can be added to Gale Pacific’s polyfabric product, Landmark ■ Victoria University – $220,000 – Partnered with Ground Science Pty Ltd and City West Water to investigate using blends of recycled glass, plastic, tyre, as well as construction and demolition wastes, as backfill material for sewer infrastructure to help minimise the potential for subsidence.

- Lily D.Ambrosio

Recycling boost: Mill Park MP

■ Mill Park MLA Lily D’Ambrosio, in her role as Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, has announced initiatives in reducing waste by the design and development of new ways to use recycled materials in everyday products.

Ms D’Ambrosio this week announced more than $2.1 million in grants for projects that develop new uses for recycled materials.

Ten research institutes will share $2.1 million in funding from Recycling Victoria Research and Development Fund to create new products that can use recycled materials including plastic, paper, glass, cardboard and tyres.

Collectively the projects will fund nine new dedicated research roles and partially fund six existing positions, enabling industry to work with researchers to develop new ways to use recycled materials in products and infrastructure such as roads and residential housing.

Monash University’s Institute of Railway Technology was awarded $300,000 to develop ways to turn recycled plastic into components for the construction of tram stops, in partnership with Yarra Trams, Integrated Recycling and Advanced Circular Polymer.

Swinburne University of Technology and industry partners Polyfoam and Frubber have been awarded $200,000 to develop a new process to use recycled expanded polystyrene and tyres in residential housing construction.

Ms D’Ambrosio also announced $750,000 is now available through the Recycling Victoria Innovation Fund to support projects that will minimise waste in the production process, with grants of up to $250,000 available.

Grants will support projects that design out waste in the production, distribution and use phase of a resource’s lifecycle, for example by re-designing a product to be more durable, repairable and recyclable.

These investments are part of the Government’s $515 million investment to transform the waste and recycling sector and create jobs while building a more sustainable economy. or more information on projects funded and grants available visit sustainability.vic.gov.au/ grants-funding-and-investment/grants-andfunding “We’re proud to support new research and development that helps Victoria lead the way in cutting waste and reducing our impact on the environment.,” Ms D’Amrosio said.

“The projects funded by these grants will reduce waste through design innovation and create more value from our resources, supporting a more sustainable future for Victoria.”

“Facilitating innovation projects like these will help build our circular economy and reach Victoria’s goal of reducing 80 per cent of waste sent to landfill by 2030.”

Mental health for kids

■ Wendy Lovell, MLC, has called on the Andrews Labor Government to invest funding to improve mental health services for children and adolescents throughout North-East Victoria.

Ms Lovell raised the issue in State Parliament this week during the adjournment debate, seeking a commitment from the Minister for Mental Health James Merlino to increase funding for services throughout the region and establish a dedicated child and adolescent inpatient mental health facility at Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.

Ms Lovell told the real-life story of a local family whose son has been unable to access the help he needs to treat his illness.

The boy was forced to wait months to get an appointment locally and could only obtain impatient care at Box Hill Hospital.

Box Hill, an inpatient service of just 12 beds, is the sole facility of its kind available for children and adolescents from North-East Victoria and the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Ms Lovell said the reality is that the family’s daily lives revolve around the welfare of their son, brother, and grandson and young people and their families in the North-East deserve more support and better facilities to properly treat mental illness.

- Jason Kelly