A WANGARATTA pilot was lucky to walk away with only minor injuries a er his light plane clipped a powerline, flipped and crashed, while coming in to land near Boorhaman on Monday a ernoon. Police and FRV investigators are pictured assessing the plane and crash site at the private property. FULL STORY PAGE 3
Who’s who at Wangaratta Bearings and Industrial Supplies: Danni Barber, Greg Oates, Brendon French, Dylan Fishcher, Greg Baker, Tony Gigliotti, Chris McInnes – Manager, Craig Fruend, Donna McInnes, Richard Nunn, Jodie Edwards.
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re Outlook for spring released last week by the Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, forecast a warmer than average season with an average rainfall outlook for the region.
“Large areas of the North East remain dry following lower than average rainfall for most of the year and concerningly, we have seen res throughout winter which were predominantly due to the unseasonal dry grass,” he said.
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■ Continued page 3
Wangaratta-based CFA District 23 acting assistant chief re o cer, Steve Contessa, said the signi cant wind events over recent weeks have seen an fuel load presents additional risk and will intensify res a ecting these areas.
PHOTO: Steve Kelly
Prison avoided over assaults
A WANGARATTA man has avoided a stint behind bars following extended assaults of “vulnerable” members of the community.
Appearing at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Monday the 21-year-old was sentenced to serve an 18-month community corrections order for his o ending in 2022.
The court previously heard the defendant, aged 19 at the time, violently assaulted a 57-year-old victim for around 45 minutes in his Wangaratta home in June 2022.
Defendant to serve 18-month community corrections order
Friends at the time, the pair were sharing drinks before the victim was le bloodied and bruised following an assault, with two fractured ribs and a fractured eye socket.
The victim ed the home but was intercepted at the Maxwell Street intersection by the defendant, where the assault continued.
The o ending occurred while the defendant was on bail for a separate assault of his neighbour in January of that year.
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The court heard the defendant, who was agitated with the defendant, broke into the victim’s house in January 2022 and changed the wi- password, and would only change it back if he was given $50 and cigarettes.
Days later the defendant confronted the victim at is house, punching him in the le eye, and then chased him.
The victim was punched and stomped on multiple times, causing “the worst
pain” he had ever felt.
The defendant told the victim he would “kill him” if he told the police of the incident.
When asked to recall the incident, the victim said he couldn’t remember anything and was e ectively “blacked out” as the assault occurred.
Pre-sentence reports submitted to the court on Monday highlighted issues around emotional regulation of the defendant which a term
of imprisonment would further exacerbate.
Defence counsel Geo Clancy said a delay of more than two years since the most recent incident and lack of further o ending in that time called for a prison-free sentence.
Prosecutor Marcel White said the violent nature of the o ending warranted a form of deterrence which included a 20-day sentence behind bars served following the defendant’s June 2022 assault.
“It’s his sel sh regard for wanting to obtain alcohol or cigarettes which may be overlay of his mental health concerns,” he said.
Magistrate Megan Casey said the 20-day prison sentence would not be declared, ordering the defendant to take part in treatment and rehabilitation for his mental health, drug and alcohol use and behaviour during his community corrections order. The matter will return on November 1 for judicial monitoring.
Seeking passionate young music fans
By SIMONE KERWIN
YOUNG people who are passionate about music and live events are being encouraged to join the team to help make the Push All-Ages Tour date in Wangaratta a success.
Roles in seven di erent areas are available, and applications are required by this Friday, September 13 at 4pm.
Paci c Avenue and Teenage Joans will headline this year’s gig at The Vine Hotel on Sunday, November 24, in one of four shows being held across regional Victoria with the support of Always Live Victoria and triple J Unearthed.
The event will also feature a local support act, as well as this year’s triple J Unearthed winner.
With a local FReeZA All-Ages events team of young people set to help put the show together, those aged 16 and over are encouraged to apply to join the volunteer team and gain invaluable hands-on experience.
Roles available are as stage manager, artist liaison/backstage manager, photographer, marketing and social media managers, MC, vibes managers/ ticketing and sales, and audio tech trainee, and training sessions with Push sta will be held in the lead-up to the all-ages gig.
By CHLOE JAENICKE
R U Okay Day is a yearly reminder to check in with each other and show it is okay to not be okay.
The day takes place on September 12 and Gateway Health chief executive o cer, Trent Dean, said speaking out, asking for help or helping a friend is the brave thing to do.
9261 1930.
The rst training session will be in-person at The Vine on September 16, and the others will be held online fortnightly on Thursdays from October 10 to December 5.
Those taking part must also be available for the event on November 24.
Anyone aged 16 and over who is keen to take part is encour-
“On the day, and any day, the best thing to do is to ask a mate, a colleague, a stranger, if they are okay and really take the time to listen and connect when they respond,” he said.
“We all play a vital part in supporting our communities.”
According to Mr Dean, regional communities o en face more challenges with the mental health stigma and people feeling safe for reach out in times of need.
“We know that when we talk openly about mental health and challenging times, we support people to know they are not alone and help is available,” he said.
“The more we talk, the more we do our share to reduce stigma and the healthi-
aged to email b.cashman@wangaratta.vic.gov.au or youth@ wangaratta.vic.gov.au
Paci c Avenue, whose debut album ‘Flowers’ is out now, will be fresh from an August/September tour of the UK and Europe when they arrive in Wangaratta in November. Their support, Teenage Joans,
er our communities.”
Other ways Mr Dean said people can improve their mental health is through movement, spending time outdoors and connecting with others.
He said for those struggling there are also many mental health support services they can reach out to.
“Popping in or calling local services like Gateway Health and headspace is an easy way to access support for your mental health,” he said.
“These services are local, con dential and safe, and will know how to support you or point you in the right direction.
“You can also have a chat with your GP and let them know you’re having a tough time, or if you just need someone to listen, you can call or text services like Lifeline, eheadspace, Yarnsafe and Qlife.”
were 2021 triple J Unearthed winners and warmed the stage for Foo Fighters on their tour late last year. Tickets for the Wangaratta show, which will be held at The Vine from 1pm on Sunday, November 24, are just $30 plus booking fee, and are now available at https://thepush.au/aat24wangaratta
Wodonga woman
A DAY after being bailed for a number of alleged offences, a Wodonga woman found herself back in custody following an alleged assault.
Appearing in custody at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the court heard the defendant had been bailed by Magistrate Megan Casey on September 3 at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court.
Defence counsel Jessie Knights said she was formally released on Thursday afternoon, September 5, following a week in custody and appeared before Magistrate Casey at Wodonga on Friday.
Following her court appearance, the court heard at around 12pm, the defendant allegedly assaulted a person at a picnic table.
The person was allegedly punched in the head and jaw and sustained bruising, which was allegedly seen by multiple witnesses. The defendant was allegedly at the place of employment of the victim just 10 minutes before the incident and was arrested by police later that day.
Magistrate Casey remanded the defendant in custody until the matter returns on September 17 at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court.
Est. 1884, Incorporating Wangaratta Despatch, Est. 1861
SOMETHING GOOD ON THE WAY: Pacific Avenue will headline the Wangaratta Push All-Ages Tour on November 24, which will be arranged with the help of a volunteer FReeZA team of local young people; those aged 16 and over who are keen to help out are encouraged to apply by this Friday a ernoon. PHOTO: Charlie Hardy
Matree Imrie, encourage people to check in with each other this R U Okay Day.
Plane flips prior to landing after clipping a powerline
Pilot visiting mate for coffee ies into trouble after changing usual approach
BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au
A 78-year-old pilot who was ying over to a mate’s place for co ee found himself doing a 360 ip a er clipping a powerline on landing approach in Boorhaman on Monday.
The Warby Range resident had own the ve-minute journey to his friend’s house o Borland Road many times, but this time he decided to change his approach prior to landing on the private runway.
Unfortunately he wasn’t aware of a powerline and when a wheel on his single engine, light aircra clipped the line, his plane ipped a full rotation, bringing it abruptly to the ground, seeing the aircra break in half.
Sergeant Phil Pelgrim of Wangaratta police said “he was basically visiting for co ee and he ew this trip regularly”.
“The pilot had to approach from the opposite direction he was used to due to an unusual wind direction,” Sgt Pelgrim said.
SURPRISE VISIT: The 78-year-old pilot was just flying over to his mate’s place for a co ee, a five-minute journey he has made many times before.
“He clipped a powerline about 50-100 metres short of the runway a er it caught the front wheel.
“This ipped the plane and it fell to the ground right side up.”
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said paramedics were called to reports of an incident in Boorhaman at around 1.25pm.
“One person was trans-
ported by road ambulance to Northeast Health Wangaratta in a stable condition with minor injuries,” a spokesperson said.
Sgt Pilgrim said the only injuries the pilot su ered were super cial cuts to his lip and he had some precautionary checks at hospital that were cleared.
“There was damage to the powerline and as a result
CFA warns of a challenging fire season this summer
■ From page 1
“As we approach the warmer months, res will occur and will become more difcult to bring under control, particularly on windy days.
“For me the biggest consideration to what we’re approaching now is the unseasonal dry grass.
“We really didn’t see any greening of the grass or pastures until the last couple of weeks so there is a signi cant amount of dryness in the landscape that in a very short amount of time is going to be a problem for us with re.
“I can’t think of a year where we have seen res like we have in the middle of winter.
“We saw grass res that would normally be in the warmer months with acres of grass burning.
“The concern for me is most of those grasses are still available for burning...we’re going into a warmer, drier summer o the back of a re-
ally warm and dry winter.
“It’s creating the right recipe for an extremely busy re season for us this coming summer.”
Mr Contessa said the local focus is more on grass res than bush res this season.
“We are expecting the fuel in the bush to slowly dry out over the next couple of years but at the moment the risk is signi cantly higher in the grasslands,” he said.
Local District 23 CFA brigades have been preparing ahead of the season, conducting preseason brie ngs, annual upskilling and skills maintenance for volunteer re ghters.
“Our local re danger period is still undetermined, it’s likely to be around November but warmer days like last Friday (27 degrees in Wangaratta) could impact it,” Mr Contessa said.
“I encourage all residents and landowners to ensure
their home re plans are ready and their properties are prepared ahead of what looks to be the most challenging summer we have had for a number of years.
“We are looking strong for our volunteer numbers, we remain strong and capable of maintaining our operational response requirements.
“I would encourage anyone interested in being a member of CFA to approach their local brigade and start the process of becoming a volunteer.”
If you are planning on burning o to remove green waste, ensure that this activity complies with your local municipal by laws and CFA regulations.
Register your burn-o online at Fire Permits Victoria at www. repermits.vic.gov.au. Visit the CFA website to learn how you can prepare ahead of this bush re season at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/prepare.
No damage reported from Sunday’s tremor
By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN
A MINOR 3.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded at Strathbogie late Sunday night.
According to Geoscience Australia, the tremor was felt at around 11:56pm September 8 at a shallow depth
of 5km below the surface with the epicentre around two kilometres from the Strathbogie township.
There were 215 felt reports submitted to Geoscience Australia from Melbourne, Seymour to Strathbogie and one felt report submit-
ted from Wangaratta.
Victoria SES had no reports of damages to buildings or infrastructure as of Monday morning.
The tremor follows a 4.1 magnitude earthquake at Woods Point which was felt across the North East region in the early hours of August 7.
there were 39 locals who were a ected and Ausnet did attend the scene,” Sgt Pilgrim said.
“All occurred on private property.”
Sgt Pilgrim said the pilot wasn’t familiar approaching from that direction and wasn’t aware that there was a powerline at that location.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)
spokesperson said it was noti ed of the accident, which involved an aircra on the recreational register.
“In line with its remit, the ATSB does not investigate accidents and incidents involving most recreational, ultralight and sports aviation aircra ,” he said.
Multiple units from AV, FRV, CFA and SES attended the scene.
contact Wangaratta Highway Patrol on (03) 5723 0888 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Creating visibility for Indigenous students
By CHLOE JAENICKE
WANGARATTA High School’s yarning circle unveiled their new mural last Friday.
The mural was designed to celebrate diversity and increase visibility for Indigenous students within the school featuring designs of the meeting of the Ovens and Murray rivers, a rainbow serpent, the Warby Range and an emu constellation.
No more badly rundown court:
Attorney- General opens $2.7m upgrade
Wednesday, September 10, 2014. By SHARNA
MORGAN
THE Wangaratta Courthouse of a year ago was badly rundown and even leaking in some sections, but that has all changed thanks to a $2.7 million redevelopment.
Yesterday was a time for celebration as AttorneyGeneral Robert Clark visited Wangaratta to officially open the courthouse redevelopment that has revitalised the 76 year old, art deco building.
Hume region senior registrar, Pat Cummins, admitted the main courtroom was “leaking like a sieve”, the holding cells were “archaic and unsafe” and the western wing was “unfit for human habitation”.
“What we now have is a safe, comfortable and user-friendly facility,” he said.
Wangaratta Courthouse registrar, Paula Griffiths, told the Wangaratta Chronicle that new offices have been put to good use over the past couple of months for Children’s Court conferences and family law dispute resolution meetings, plus the jury pool room can now comfortably fit the 60 to 80 people needed for a trial.
artist Ronan Holdsworth, and teacher Andrea Belci.
The project stemmed from student ideas, wishing to have more of an Indigenous standing at the school, for their fellow Indigenous peers and the wider school community.
It was created by 22 students, with the help of local
Tyler Martin was among the students who worked on the project from its conception to nish.
He said he was proud to work on the project and even came up with the idea of the rainbow belly black snake.
“The snake represents a
cross between the Indigenous peoples, re ected by the rainbow serpent, and Wangaratta area, re ected in the red belly black element,” he said.
The unveiling was initiated by Bangerang elder Uncle Kevin Atkinson, who performed a spirit dance and smoke ceremony while reecting on the importance of
passing cultural information on to the younger people.
“The mural will be important for the current and future generations to come,” he said.
Independent Indi MP Helen Haines was also in attendance at the unveiling alongside the school’s executive principal Dave Armstrong and school council president Helen Collins.
Chief Magistrate, Peter Lauritsen, said the ability to conduct dispute resolution conferences can be vital to the court coming to the right outcome.
“It is gratifying to see downstairs a mediation room with ample space,” he said.
Mr Lauritsen has been coming to the Wangaratta Courthouse since the early 1990s, saying the dilapidated west wing was a “no-go zone” even back then.
When the courtrooms and holding cells became unfit to use a few years ago, all County Court sittings were moved away from Wangaratta until the first stage of the redevelopment was completed.
“It’s important for you to be able to conduct your own jury trials,” Mr Lauritsen said.
“To transfer jury trials to Wodonga or somewhere else is the worst thing they could do,” he told the Chronicle.
Mr Clark congratulated everyone involved for completing the development in line with the art deco architecture and without impacting Magistrates’ Court cases.
“These significant works will broaden the range of court services available and improve accessibility for people with disabilities,” he said.
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Large, Helen Haines MP, Lillian Oats-Mason, Lillian Stewart, Skelly Manning, Bailey Stewart, Riley McKay and Shay-Lee celebrated the unveiling of the new mural.
WASP’s new website goes live on World Suicide Prevention Day
By CHLOE JAENICKE
THE Wangaratta Area Suicide Prevention group (WASP) o cially launched its new community website yesterday to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, ahead of R U Okay Day on Thursday, September 12.
The new website WASP Wangaratta o ers an upto-date directory of 230+ local services, community resources, helplines, organisations and support groups that o er crisis support, counselling, information and research about mental health and suicide prevention.
Some 5000 beer coasters have been printed with a QR link to the website and the small community group has distributed them to 22 local hotels and sporting groups around the Wangaratta area.
Venues have been asked to place the coasters in their public places to make them visible to customers this week.
Hospitality venues and sporting organisations act as vital social community hubs and are o en the places where family, friends and community members come together to talk when they are struggling.
The group hopes that people in crisis, or parents,
family members, friends or individuals within the community looking to support someone who is at risk or that has previously attempted suicide, or is dealing with suicide loss, might take a coaster home, discretely or otherwise, and utilise the resources and helplines within the website directory.
WASP committee member Kylie Barton said Wangaratta and its surrounding local communities experience some of the highest psychological distress levels across Victoria.
“While there are hundreds of organisations, helplines and online services out there to help support
The ultimate guide for tourists and locals
better mental wellbeing and suicide prevention, nding the appropriate resources and helplines quickly and without the distractions and challenges of social media platforms and the millions of pages of content online takes time and, in many instances, can be overwhelming,” she said.
“For this reason, one of our major WASP projects for 2024 was to create a dedicated website that pulled all of this information into a single directory.
“The large pool of more than 230 diverse resources is well linked, easy to access and can be ltered for tailored help-seeking content;
including speci c helplines and resources.
“The website has realtime accuracy and contains clear, relevant and safe messaging.
“It is user friendly, easy to access and simple to navigate.”
Ms Barton said the group believes there are less than ve such websites across the country that house this number of resources, in a single portal.
The website was funded by a $2850 grant from Ski For Life, a South Australian charity that assists communities, groups and individuals to use conversations and community engagement to raise awareness of strategies that support good mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention.
WASP also received a donation of $5000 from Transmotto and their dirt bike riding community at their enduro race held in Wangaratta in 2023.
The website was designed by Kody Deretic | The Child In Me in conjunction with WASP and took months of research and 100s of hours of development.
To view the website, visit https://www.waspwangaratta.com.au/.
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NEW WEBSITE: WASP chair Trevor Jenvey and committee member Kylie Barton, with (right) Wangaratta RSL general manager Chris Simsen and Casey Jasseup celebrated the launch of the WASP website. PHOTO: Chloe Jaenicke
Reminder to get ready for fire season
AS we exit the cool clouds of winter, it’s never too early to start checking in on your fire preparedness as the state comes out of a notably dry autumn and winter period.
The spring outlook for the region shows forecasts for average rainfall, and a warmer than average spring, which is likely to lead to drier than normal conditions.
The fire risk potential is assessed to be normal, noting that there is a chance that the bushfire season may also begin earlier in areas dominated by drier forests, woodlands and grasslands.
Local CFA have flagged unseasonably dry grass as an area of concern in anticipation for a busy fire season coming this summer.
CFA continues to urge the community to understand that fire safety is a shared responsibility between fire services and the community and to take simple actions to prepare their family and property as the weather begins to warm.
Revisiting and making sure you’re confident in your home’s fire plan, as well as making sure you’re across the Australia-wide fire danger rating system introduced last year, are key considerations households should be making over the next month or so.
Emergency services remain well prepared for emerging risks associated with the potential for an earlier start to the fire season in an effort to keep us safe, as they always do.
The least we can do is stay on top of our plans in times of potential bushfire chaos, which can help save your life and the lives of others.
Keep up to date with the Fire Danger Ratings on the VicEmergency app and VicEmergency website.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
The Australian Quiz
1
The scandal known as the Mungana Affair involved a premier of which Australian state?
(a) Victoria (b) New South Wales
(c) Western Australia
(d) Queensland
2 A furlong is what fraction of a mile?
(a) One eighth
(b) One quarter
(c) One sixteenth (d) One hundredth
3 Who claimed pole position for the 2022 Canadian Formula One Grand Prix?
(a) Fernando Alonso
(b) Max Verstappen
(c) Lewis Hamilton
(d) Carlos Sainz Jr.
4
Professor Rupert Marmalade IV is one of the main characters in which 2022 movie?
(a) Interceptor
(b) The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
(c) The Bad Guys (d) Hustle
5 One of the best-known sculptures by Henry Moore is titled, ‘Hill’ what?
(a) Crests
(b) Arches (c) Tops
Steptoe and Son 8 (a) Physics 9 (d) Peru
Looking forward to Norton St activity
I WISH to congratulate the management and sta of Garry Nash real estate Wangaratta for sourcing a purchaser for the owner of the now unused furniture store in Norton Street.
I look forward with interest to watching the development of the site whatever it may be.
Hopefully the new occupant will be able to apply su cient pressure to our council to remove the unproductive street furniture and planting that are detrimental to commercial activity in the central business district of Wangaratta.
We need as many customer friendly, easy to use angle carparking spaces as possible.
Cars bring people and people shop and shops employ people.
Brian Fox, Wangaratta
Cash available for football, netball clubs
I AM encouraging local football and netball clubs to apply for funding through the latest round of the Country Football and Netball Program.
Grants of up to $250,000 are available to support upgrades to regional sporting facilities.
We know how integral our local footy and netball clubs are to the community.
It is important that we continue to invest in our regional sporting facilities, and encourage greater talent to come to, or stay, in the region.
As always, I am happy to provide a letter of support to clubs with proposals that will deliver a positive impact to users, and the whole community.
Examples of projects eligible for funding include:
- developing new, or redeveloping existing change rooms and pavilions to increase capacity, inclusion and safety;
- developing new, or redeveloping existing sports ovals and courts to increase capacity, inclusion and safety;
- sports lighting that improves capacity, inclusion and safety;
- projects that result in energy or water efciency, with a direct impact on participation, such as warm-season grass conversions; and
- projects that bene t multi-use outcomes where football or netball is the primary bene ciary.
(d) Peaks
6 As at January 2022, what was the approximate population of Iceland?
(a) 376,000
(b) 1.2 million
(c) 17.5 million
(d) 33.9 million
7
Which TV series was primarily set at the fictitious address, 24 Oil Drum Lane?
(a) The IT Crowd
(b) Steptoe and Son
(c) Absolutely Fabulous
(d) Black Books
8
Klaus Hasselmann was a co-recipient of the 2021
Nobel Prize in which category?
(a) Physics
(b) Chemistry
(c) Physiology or Medicine
(d) Literature
9 Chile shares its shortest land border with which country?
(a) Paraguay
(b) Bolivia
(c) Argentina
(d) Peru
10 Which team won the 2022 NBA Finals?
(a) Boston Celtics
(b) Miami Heat
(c) Golden State Warriors
(d) Dallas Mavericks
SPOOKY TRIVIA: Wangaratta High School are inviting the community to embrace Friday the 13th with their Freaky Friday Trivia Night. Kylie Fountain, Bronwyn Knox and Cate West were part of the committee that put together the spooky 18+ event. Alongside the trivia there will be plenty of other games and raffles with many prizes up for grabs. The trivia night will take place on September 13 from 6.30pm at the school’s performing arts centre. To book tickets, visit the school’s front office or visit https://www.whs.vic.edu.au/trivia-night-fundraiser/.
Applications close on Monday, September 30.
For more information on the program and to apply, visit https://sport.vic.gov.au/funding/ country-football-and-netball-program.
Tim McCurdy, Nationals MP for Ovens Valley
Census needs inclusion for everyone
THE Federal Government’s announcement that questions on sexuality and gender identity will be included in the 2026 Census is incredibly important.
Collecting this data will support better service provision and improve outcomes for members of our communities whose existence has historically been under-recognised and underrepresented.
Questions for the 2026 Census however, do not include intersex people.
People with innate variations in sex characteristics are part of our LGBTIQA+ communities and always have been, but all too o en their existence and needs are overlooked and misunderstood.
They also deserve to be counted, and Victoria will continue to advocate for their recognition and protection.
Chloe Jaenicke
By gathering baseline Census data about people with innate variations in sex characteristics, we can ensure that all of our LGBTIQA+ communities have evidence-based opportunities to access the dignity, safety and fairness that we all deserve.
I look forward to further collaboration with the Federal Government on this matter, and to the inclusion of additional questions in the future that enable the Census to better inform the ways in which we can all do more, and do better.
Harriet Shing, Victorian Minister for Equality
WE welcome your letters to the Editor. Priority is given to typed/emailed letters under 250 words. Every letter must have your full name, address and a daytime phone contact number supplied for verification purposes. Any letter may be edited for reasons of space, content or legibility.
Email edit.chronicle@nemedia.com.au
Post Letters to the Editor, 37 Rowan St, Wangaratta 3677
PHOTO:
Winters, Maxwell first to nominate for council election
By STEVE KELLY
TWO candidates have
o cially nominated for the Rural City of Wangaratta Council election to be held by postal vote from October 7.
According to the Victorian Electoral Commis-
sion website (as of 3.30pm Tuesday), Allison Winters has nominated for Yarrunga Ward and Tania Maxwell has nominated for Appin Ward.
Under a ward restructure there are seven single-councillor wards and enrolled voters who live in each of
the wards will vote for their chosen candidate to represent the corresponding ward for the next four years.
The ve other wards in the rural city are Bullawah, King River, Ovens, Warby, and Wareena.
Nominations opened on Monday and will close at 12
noon on Tuesday, September 17.
A ballot draw, to determine the order candidates are listed on the ballot papers, will be conducted on September 18.
Ballot packs will be posted to all enrolled voters from October 7, containing
a ballot paper, together with their statements.
Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne said councils should re ect the communities they represent.
“I encourage local leaders to consider nominating in the upcoming local government elections,” she said. “Our reforms will create a uniform code of conduct across all councillors and introduce mandatory training, supporting good governance at councils and ensuring they focus on the needs of the communities they represent.”
Battlefield drawn at city’s GeekCon on this Saturday Bunnings shoplifter walks out wearing stolen boots
BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au
A DISPLAY by local live action role play group Warcry Wangaratta will be part of the action at GeekCon, to be held at the Wangaratta Library this Saturday, September 14.
The group, which meets regularly at the Wangaratta Showgrounds, engages in interactive storytelling where participants physically act out their characters’ actions and dialogue in a ctional world.
Live action role play, or LARP, can be described as a combination of improvisational theatre and tabletop role-playing games, where people create their own characters and interact with others in a shared narrative.
Jacob Selwood from Warcry Wangaratta said the GeekCon event, where members would be conducting a display on the lawn to the right of the library building, was a great chance for people to nd out more about the group.
“It’s a great opportunity for community outreach, and it’s very cathartic,” he said.
“It’s one of my favourite pastimes, and the community involved is really good.”
Warcry Wangaratta members will also be on hand during the a ernoon to teach GeekCon patrons aged 15 and over how to use the weapons on display, and how to ght in a LARP battle.
A
SHOWCASE: Warcry Wangaratta members Luke Taylor (Gus) and Jacob Selwood (Iblith) are among those who will be at the Wangaratta Library this Saturday, September 14 as part of GeekCon, to enable people to learn more about their live action role play group.
GeekCon will run from 2pm to 5.30pm on September 14 at the Wangaratta Library in Docker Street, with guest speakers including author Lili Wilkinson and cosplayer Eleanore Boniface (also known as ‘Captain Eleanore Cosplay’).
While the event is part of Victoria’s Youth Fest activities, it is designed for all ages and abilities, and will
feature a range of stalls, competitions and activities.
It aims to bring the excitement of comics, cosplay, gaming and more to regional residents who may not be able to attend larger events held in capital cities.
A cosplay competition will be among the activities on the day, and Eleanore will speak about her experience in this area (cosplay
Sherlock Holmes mystery with a laugh out loud twist
WANGARATTA Players are excited to announce their next production will be Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery!
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery is a comedic version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original The Hound of the Baskervilles. It is a wild romp that brings energy and humour as it marches quickly from one scene to the next with sets and characters transforming, o en before your eyes.
Ken Ludwig displays a tremendous amount of respect for the original work in his translation. This will be a challenging and fun production with 37 acting roles that are shared amongst the adult cast. There are many opportunities for actors and crew of all levels of experience who want to be part of the team to bring this witty and fun show to life. Information sessions and group readings will be
held on Friday, September 20 at 5.30pm, Saturday, September 21 at 10am and 3pm.
If you are unable to attend any of these times or would like more information (including the dialogue for the readthrough) please contact wangplayerssecretary@ gmail.com.
Whether you’re looking to be on stage or behind the scenes, this is your chance to be part of something special.
is the practice of dressing up as a character from a film, book, or video game).
The other guest speaker for the event, Lili Wilkinson, is the author of 20 books for young people, including ‘The Erasure Initiative’ and ‘A Hunger of Thorns’.
She has a PhD from the University of Melbourne, and is a passionate advocate for young adult fiction
and those who read it.
Lili’s latest books are ‘Deep is the Fen’, which is aimed at teenagers, and ‘Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria’, geared towards middle to upper primary school readers.
She will share details of her writing journey during her time at GeekCon. Entry to GeekCon is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.
A WANGARATTA man had no excuses at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Monday for thefts at Bunnings Warehouse earlier this year.
The court heard on April 24 this year the defendant was trying on various work boots at Bunnings Warehouse Wangaratta.
Once he found a suitable pair, he kept them on and placed his old shoes in the shoebox and put them away. He then took $12 worth of items to the counter and left without paying for the $200 boots.
In May he returned to Bunnings and took a $350 jack hammer, concealed in a trolley and took it to his ute.
A month later police searched his home and located the items with the assistance of the offender.
Representing himself at court, the defendant said he had no excuses for his offending, and he couldn’t understand why Bunnings hadn’t banned him from the store following his first offence.
“I really didn’t need them,” he said.
“I’m not going back to Bunnings.”
Magistrate Megan Casey imposed a 12-month good behaviour bond and urged the retiree to stay out of trouble.
“I’m getting too old for trouble,” the defendant said, as he left the courtroom.
PHOTO: Chloe Jaenicke
KING VALLEY NEWS
Covering Moyhu, Edi, Myrrhee, Whitfield, Cheshunt and Whitlands areas
Tree replaced, and service honours Cheshunt nurses
BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au
FAMILY, friends and community members gathered at the Cheshunt Hall in August for the replacement of one of the memorial trees originally planted in 1959 in memory of World War II nurses Sister Caroline Ennis and Sister Dorothy Gwendolyn ‘Bud’ Elmes.
Both nurses, who came from Cheshunt, were among the last 65 Australian nurses to evacuate from Singapore on February 12 in 1942 aboard the Vyner Brooke, which was later bombed by the Japanese near Banka Island, Indonesia.
Sister Ennis was one of 12 nurses who were lost at sea, while Sister Elmes was one of 21 massacred on the beach at Banka Island.
Margaret West, Caroline Ennis’s niece, had been very keen to arrange the original tree’s replacement a er it had begun to perish in recent years.
Michelle West said the replanting of the tree for her great “Aunty Carrie” was a very special occasion and she thanked those who had contributed to it, including Cheshunt Hall president, Lyn Lewis.
She said the Rural City of Wangaratta kindly provided the tree and prepared the hole for planting.
“Lyn organised the whole day including the speakers, and the Cheshunt Hall committee provided the use of the hall along with a magni cent morning tea,” she said.
“Gaye Newton gave a very moving tribute to both Caroline
WANGARATTA Prostate Cancer Support Group will hold its next meeting at the North Eastern Hotel in Spearing Street today from 7pm to 8pm.
LASTING TRIBUTE: A fundraising e ort is now underway to have statues made to honour the service and sacrifice made by Sister Caroline Ennis (le ) and Sister Dorothy Gwendolyn ‘Bud’ Elmes (right).
Ennis and Dorothy Elmes, from their younger years, through their nursing training and army service, to their eventual, tragic deaths.”
The tree was blessed by Cheshunt CFA member Pieter Zomerdijk, planted by Caroline Ennis’s nieces, Cheryl Ellis and Margaret West, with Michelle West - Caroline’s great niecereciting the nurse’s ode from WWII.
Flowers were laid on the plaques of both nurses by two community members, and following the service - attended by
Members and prospective members are welcome to come along earlier at 6pm for dinner prior to the meeting. Partners most welcome. For more information, phone Bill on 0408 552 768, Neil on 0427 214 856 or Frank on 0448 313 506.
WANGARATTA Senior Citizens Club will host bingo today from 1.30pm at its clubrooms in Tara Court, off Ford Street.
The club will also host indoor carpet bowls tomorrow (Thursday) from 12 noon, cards (500) on Friday from 1.30pm, indoor carpet bowls on Monday from 12 noon, and cards (500) and hoy on Tuesday from 1.30pm, all in the clubrooms or in the adjoining St Patrick’s supper room.
Social gathering next Wednesday, September 18 is lunch at the Wangaratta Club from 12 noon.
WANGARATTA Seniors Old Time Dancing is held every Tuesday from 7pm to 10pm at the CWA Hall in Templeton Street.
Live music supplied by J&M, admission $10, please bring a plate of supper to share.
For more information, phone 0407 357 226 or 0408 032 451.
King River fishing club event
KING River and District Fishing Club members and friends will fish the Ovens River at Pioneer Bridges on Sunday, September 15.
There will be a barbecue at 12.30pm with all welcome and more information available on their Facebook page.
Sustainable King Valley AGM
SUSTAINABLE King Valley invites the community to its annual general meeting on Monday, September 16 at 6.30pm at the Whitfield Community Childcare building (next to the garage).
OXLEY Garden Group’s next gathering will be held at Lesley and Jeff Nye’s home at 2 Casino Court, Wangaratta from 10am on Thursday, September 12. BYO cup, chair and a plate to share. All welcome.
SPRINGHURST Old Time Dance will be held on Sunday, September 15.
about 40 people - everyone enjoyed morning tea in the hall.
A fundraising drive is currently being held by a group of dedicated locals to raise $27,000 to have two statues (busts) made in memory of Sister Caroline Ennis and Sister Dorothy Gwendolyn ‘Bud’ Elmes which will be placed at the cenotaph in Oxley.
Oxley was chosen as the site because at the time of WWII, Cheshunt was part of the Oxley Shire, and the women are named on the cenotaph in Oxley.
Among the members of the group driving the fundraising
e ort are former schoolteacher and Whit eld and Cheshunt resident Jan Vincent, author of ‘Back to Bangka’ Georgina Banks (the great niece of Sister Elmes), and Belinda Harrison from Edgars Books and News.
On Remembrance Day this year, Ms Banks will speak at the service at the Oxley cenotaph, and a book launch and fundraising event will be held the next day on Tuesday, November 12 at Wangaratta Library at 10.30am.
Between now and the end of November, Edgars is donating 20 per cent from sales of Georgina’s book Back to Bangka to the cause, while donations to the project can also be made by making a deposit to the Bendigo Bank account named Honouring Our Oxley Shire WWII Nurses (BSB 633 000, Account 219384294, Reference donor’s name).
For more information on the project or to hold a fundraising event, contact Jan Vincent via email to jan.vincent1@bigpond.com.
SOCIAL CALENDAR
from 7pm at the Oxley Hall.
The dance will run from 1.30pm to 5pm at the Springhurst Hall. Music will be provided by Rustic Ramblers, entry is $12 per person, and those attending are asked to bring a plate of afternoon tea to share.
For more information, phone 5726 5241.
CAKE Decorators Association of Victoria Wangaratta branch will hold its next event at the Galen Catholic College food tech room on Saturday, September 21 from 10am to 3pm.
Cost is $15 members and $25 non-members. For more information, phone Lee on 0419 513 735.
WANGARATTA table tennis weekly social competition is held on Tuesdays from 10am to 12 noon at the Wangaratta Showgrounds table tennis pavilion.
All ages and abilities welcome, bats and balls provided, $2 entry. Contact Maxine Miller on 0403 209 857.
OXLEY table tennis weekly social competition is held on Mondays
Adults and secondary school students of all ages and abilities are welcome to join in. Bring your own bat, $2 entry fee, and small plate to share. Contact June Uebergang on 0497 860 785 (text only).
WANGARATTA Sing Australia Group holds its weekly meetings each Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9pm at Purbrick Hall, next to Holy Trinity Cathedral.
All welcome. For details, call Keith Fleet on 0491 114 480 or Cheryl Hoysted on 0419 005 062.
WANG Ukes meets on Tuesdays from 7pm to 8.30pm at the Masonic Lodge in Appin Street.
All abilities welcome, phone 0407 311 899 for more information.
WANGARATTA Artists Society Inc provides a supportive environment for local artists to work on their projects, welcoming beginners to experienced individuals.
It hosts workshops led by experienced artists in various mediums throughout the year, and the studio is equipped to cater to artists and their artistic endeavours.
For more information, contact Robyn on 0412 291 066.
WANGARATTA Orchid Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 6.30pm in St Patrick’s supper room, off Ford Street. Meetings include flower shows and talks, and everyone is welcome. Phone Hans on 0428 119 737.
OSTINATO Wangaratta and District
Community Choir meets each Tuesday from 7pm to 9.30pm at the Log Cabin, corner Faithfull and Chisholm Streets, Wangaratta.
New members welcome. Contact Helen on 0457 269278.
WANGARATTA Woodworkers Inc meet at the Wangaratta Showgrounds each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9am to 12 noon (closing earlier if no-one is present).
The rooms are open on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 5pm to 7pm, and Sundays from 10am to 1pm. All welcome. Contact Bevan on 0437 196 118.
WANGARATTA Keenagers Table Tennis Club plays on Mondays and Thursdays at the table tennis centre at the Wangaratta Showgrounds. Play begins at 8am. New players welcome. Morning tea provided –
Come along if you’d like to get involved or hear more about what’s going on, with new members warmly welcomed. All committee positions will be declared open, with nominations welcomed, and reports of 2024 from the president, treasurer and the food hub will be presented.
Edi Upper school’s 150th anniversary
PAST students, teachers and friends of the Edi Upper Primary School are invited to celebrate its 150th anniversary when a morning tea is held on Friday, September 20 from 10.30am to 11.30am.
All are welcome to the celebration which will include a presentation on the school’s history, with RSVP for catering purposes to edi.upper.ps@education.vic. gov.au or call 5729 3560.
Moyhu Lions country market
THE Moyhu Lions country market returns to the Moyhu Lions Park for spring on Saturday, September 21 from 8am to 12pm.
There will be all the usual market stalls along with an antiques and collectables display at this month’s market.
Bookings are open and interested stallholders are invited to contact Donna on 5729 7563.
please bring your own cup. Contact Nick Youings on 0408 240 554.
SATURDAY Quilters meet on the first Saturday of each month from 9.30am in the Wangaratta Small Bore Rifle Club rooms off the river end of College Street. Beginner and experienced members welcome. Contact Frances on 0417 158 220.
COME and play mahjong at the Wangaratta RSL on Thursdays from 11am. Beginners welcome. Contact Jan on 0429 166 016.
WANGARATTA Family History Society opens each Thursday from 10am to 3pm in the local history room at the Wangaratta Library. Outside of these hours, assistance is available by appointment only by emailing wangfamhs@gmail.com or phoning 0474 443 626.
COME and try croquet at the Wangaratta Croquet Club, 46 Ryan Avenue. Equipment and instruction provided. Phone Susan Fischer on 0417 217 009.
WANGARATTA Symphony Orchestra meets each Tuesday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Wangaratta Baptist Church, 1 Sisely Avenue. Email wangsymphonyorchestra@gmail.com or call Wendie 0408 495 065.
MEMORIAL EVENT: About 40 people gathered at the Cheshunt Hall for the replanting of a memorial tree and a service to honour World War II nurses Sister Caroline Ennis and Sister Dorothy Gwendolyn ‘Bud’ Elmes.
Enjoy an evening of Mendelssohn and Beethoven with MSO
THE Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform the music of child prodigy Felix Mendelssohn - alongside that of the legend he looked up to, the great Ludwig van Beethoven - when it visits the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on the night of Wednesday, October 23.
The program brings together Melbourne Chamber Orchestra’s artistic director Sophie Rowell (on violin) and QSO chief conductor, Umberto Clerici, presenting Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.3 Scottish.
The terrifying tale of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is the manifestation of many a musician’s nightmares.
If the fact it was written in just a few rushed weeks wasn’t bad enough, the violinist engaged for the premiere was so
Steinway on Stage with Tim Wong
fervescent display of the violin’s capabilities, Beethoven’s only work for violin and orchestra survived its origin story and is now considered one of the best in the repertoire. Inspired by the ruins of
LOCAL pianist Tim Wong will perform a recital as part of Steinway on Stage, a series of intimate twilight concerts which feature Wangaratta’s magnificent Steinway grand piano, at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Wednesday, September 18 at 6pm. With the audience gathered around the piano, Tim - who also play clarinet with the Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra and the Wangaratta Concert Band - will play works by Mozart, Scriabin, Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin. Steinway on Stage is presented in partnership with Wangaratta Arts Council and the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre and tickets are available at wpacc.com.au.
war, betrayal, and murder.
Bursting with intrigue, this symphony paints a sonic picture of pale Scottish light casting shadows on centuries-old, moss-covered stone.
As part of its visit to Wanga-
Free Seniors Festival concert in October
THE Rural City of Wangaratta and Victorian State Government are holding a free Seniors Festival Country Concert in the Memorial Hall at Wangaratta Performing Art & Convention Centre on October 9 at 2pm.
The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly Tribute Show will take the audience on a journey back to the 50s and 60s when rock’n’roll was king.
Starring Rick Gauci and Steven Burns who lovingly recreate the perfect harmonies of the Everly Brothers, and the brilliance of Buddy Holly, the show features an endless array of Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly classics such as Bye Bye Love, That’ll Be the Day, Wake Up Little Susie, Peggy Sue and many more.
Booking is essential and free seniors tickets are available now at wpacc.com.au.
Author to visit to Wangaratta Library
AUTHOR Fiona McArthur will visit the Wangaratta Library on Thursday, September 12 at 6.30pm to discuss her romantic novel, Back to Birdsville, which is set in the vibrant world of the Birdsville races. Discover how the award-winning author weaves captivating narratives and creates compelling fictional worlds, blending heartfelt storytelling with the intrigue of medical drama.
The event is free but bookings are essential via Humanitix, or contact the library on 5721 2366 or library@wangaratta. vic.gov.au.
Freaky Friday school trivia night
WANGARATTA High School is holding a spooky trivia night with a Freaky Friday theme on Friday, September 13.
It is an 18 plus event filled with games and prizes, with proceeds going towards the beautification of the school.
Guests are encouraged to dress up in spooky costumes to match the theme and tickets are available at the school’s office or online at https://www.whs.vic.edu.au/ trivia-night-fundraiser.
ratta, the MSO and presenter/ educator Karen Kyriakou invite primary-age children to take part in a whirlwind, musical adventure exploring Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.3 at the performing arts centre on Thursday, October 24 at 10am and 11.30am.
Participants will join the MSO during an interactive performance which is full of mystery and intrigue, inspired by the evocative story of the Scottish
The MSO for Kids sessions run for 45 minutes each and are suitable for children aged six years plus (and their grown-ups) with limited tickets remaining, available by visiting wpacc.com.au.
An Evening with the MSO will be held on Wednesday, October 23 with the performance to start at 7.30pm and tickets are available at wpacc.com.au.
Dallas Frasca concert in Moyhu
LOCAL musician, Dallas Frasca, will be play at the Moyhu Hotel as part of her national tour, on Friday, September 20 from 7pm to 11pm.
Dallas Frasca will be performing music from her new album, Force of Nature, supported by local acts, Jo Jo Smith and Butterfly Bolo Tie, and tickets are available at dallasfrasca.com.
Eclectic Set at the Plough Inn at Tarrawingee
LOCAL group Eclectic Set makes its return to the ‘Plough Town’ stage on Saturday, October 5 from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Book a table for lunch and music in the beer garden at the Plough Inn, located on the Beechworth-Wangaratta Road in Tarrawingee.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This might surprise you, but you’re not always right about everything. A troubled loved one needs you to be less demanding and more understanding. Kindness encourages openness.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your Bovine instinct guides you well this week. A change of heart might be the wisest course to take. A trusted friend offers good advice, so listen closely.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be more sensible where money is concerned. An urge to splurge needs to be put aside for now. Later, you’ll be able to indulge yourself with the things you want.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A past health problem recurs and needs attention. It might not be serious, but your family and friends deserve reassurance. Meanwhile, you get news about a job opening.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) A romantic encounter with a loving Libra could make the Lion a happily purring Feline this week. Be open to Cupid’s encouraging signals. In addition, a workplace change is coming.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) This is a good week for mending fences with family and friends. Put those minor irritations behind you and rebuild those once-precious relationships.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) An investment opportunity needs closer scrutiny. You’re not getting all the information you need. On another note, a personal relationship bodes far more positive potential.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Someone might try to get you to reveal a secret that you vowed to keep sacred. Stick with your commitment to your promise and reject all attempts to get you to give it up.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) This is a good time to change some longstanding routines. Let yourself be more flexible in adapting to new situations. You’ll appreciate what happens next.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A chance to travel opens up. Consider asking someone who has recently become very special in your life to go with you. Good things are always better when shared.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A neighbor is revealed as the source of some upsetting events, but you need to be wary of a confrontation until you have absolute proof. Other neighbors can help.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20)
A business decision needs to be made. Be aware that what you decide will affect a close associate. Talk it over with them before making your move.
CLASSIC CONCERT: The MSO will perform Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.3 Scottish and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto at
37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677
PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT WANGARATTA SOUTH INCLUDING 5G
Optus plans to upgrade the telecommunications facilities at the below mentioned address with the addition of new 5G equipment:
Lot 1 Plan TP318999 Taminick Gap Road, Wangaratta South VIC 3678 (RFNSA: 3675002)
The proposed 5G upgrade will consists of:
• Replacement of three (3) existing panel antennas with three (3) new panel antennas (each not more than 2.8m in length);
• Replacement of one (1) existing Ø600mm parabolic (dish shaped) antenna and ODUs with one (1) new Ø600mm parabolic (dish shaped) antenna and ODUs;
• Replacement of one (1) existing Ø1200mm parabolic (dish shaped) antenna and ODUs with one (1) new Ø1200mm parabolic (dish shaped) antenna and ODUs;
• Removal of two (2) existing omni antennas;
• Replacement of nine (9) existing Remote Radio Units (RRUs) with six (6) new RRUs;
• Installation, relocation and removal of ancillary equipment, including a GPS antenna, mounts, feeders, cabling, combiners, and other associated equipment; and
• Internal works within existing equipment shelter.
Optus regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”), the based on the description above. The proposed infrastructure will comply with ACMA EME regulatory arrangements.
In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code 2020, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or comments should be directed to: Vanessa Wan at Service Stream Limited, 0447 240 015, Optus.Submissions@ servicestream.com.au or Zenith Tower B, Level 3, 821 Pacific Hwy, Chatswood NSW 2067 by 5pm, Thursday 26 September 2024
If you would like to know more about the site, further information can be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/3675002
IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICE
VAN HESSEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
GUILTY OF LICENCE BREACH OFFENCE UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT 2017.
On 5 December 2023, VAN HESSEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD (ACN: 006 312 616) entered a guilty plea at the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court to a charge laid by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria, in relation to a breach of a licence condition under section 63(1) of the Environment Protection Act 2017.
VAN HESSEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD was found guilty without conviction, ordered to pay $30,000 to the Court Fund, publish this notice, pay $75,000 towards the 'South Wangaratta Restorative Project', and was ordered to pay the Environment Protection Authority’s costs of $15,061,00.
The Environment Protection Act 2017 provides powers to the EPA with respect to licencing and permissions, and breaching permission conditions is an offence that may result in prosecution.
This Adverse Publicity Notice was published and paid for by VAN HESSEN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD pursuant to an order of the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.
ADVANCE NOTICE OF 2024
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Wangaratta Turf Club Inc. will be held in the Oaks Wangaratta Corporate Suite, Level 3 at Wangaratta Turf Club, 20-32 Racecourse Road, Wangaratta on Thursday 24th October at 6:00pm.
Directors William Carlile, Glenn Canny and Michael Holmes retire in accordance with the Rules but are eligible and offer themselves for re-election.
Members who wish to nominate for a position on the Board must satisfy the requirements for a valid nomination as set out in Rule 22 of the Club’s Model Rules.
Director nomination forms and copies of Rule 22 can be obtained from the Wangaratta Turf Club office.
Should more than one nomination be received for each of the positions on the Board a postal ballot will be conducted. Board nominations will close at 5:00pm on Wednesday 25th September 2024.
A copy of the Wangaratta Turf Club Incorporated Model Rules are posted on the Club website.
Members are invited to submit any business for consideration at the meeting by 5:00pm on Wednesday 25th September 2024. By order of the Board.
CONCRETING, big or small jobs, paths, driveways, shed slabs, verandahs, 15 years experience. For a free quote phone Trev Anderson on 0422 200 761.
MARK’S Mowing, reasonable prices, ride on mowing, edging, clean up, spraying and any waste removal. Ph 0472 603 156.
PAINTER, old school, for all your painting needs, commercial, industrial renovations. Phone Juliano 0412 597 482.
PLASTERER, no job too small. Ph 0424 911 161.
WHEELER Earthworks, available for all your earthworks needsyard clean ups, stump removals, driveways, material supply and spreading, rural work and more. Call Marcus on 0491 094 545.
2005 Toyota Corolla Ascent Hatchback (TIZ667) May 15. 126,000km,
Graphic Designer
(Print and Digital)
JOIN OUR TEAM
LACEY, Arthur Geoffrey ‘Geoff’.
7/3/1933 - 25/8/2024
An opportunity has arisen for a graphic designer to join one of Victoria’s and NSW leading independent news and media groups, based at our Wangaratta office working on newspapers, magazines and digital properties.
North East Media and its related group companies are seeking a graphic designer. You must be able to multitask, have strong organisational skills and be able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines. You must also be a team player who shows initiative and be able to work with minimal supervision.
Your experience will include sound skills developing artwork using Adobe InDesign. Experience designing artwork for multiple digital channels, including websites, social media, email marketing would be an advantage.
If you are looking for a new challenge in an energetic and stimulating environment, we would encourage you to apply.
Applications should be forwarded to:
Kelly Lovell
Creative Services Manager
North East Media
klovell@nemedia.com.au www.nemedia.com.au
The family of Arthur Geoffrey ‘Geoff’ Lacey is saddened to announce his passing on Sunday, August 25, 2024. Aged 91 years. Passed away peacefully. A private funeral service was held for Geoff on Monday, September 9, 2024. The family would like to request privacy at this sad time.
‘Always in our hearts’.
In my heart Geoff you will always stay, loved and remembered every day. To me you were someone special, someone good and true, You’ll never be forgotten, as I thought the world of you.
Your loving wife, Bet.
Geoff, You may be gone from our sight but never from our hearts.
Fond brother-in-law of Barry and Margaret.
A gentle nature, a heart of gold, One of the best this world could hold. It’s been a privilege.
Applications close September 17, 2024
SAMSUNG 84cm TV, as new,
CHECK OUT OUR NORTH EAST JOBS in today's Regional Extra for more employment opportunities. Published every Wednesday in your Wangaratta Chronicle, Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Myrtleford Times and Alpine Observer
Much loved uncle of Janine, Kris, Paige and Layla.
Gone but not forgotten. Peacefully sleeping.
Loved uncle of Matthew, Amy, Toby, Liam, Harry, Allanah and Georgia.
Mason Park Funerals 5721 5060 masonpark.com.au
A funeral service to honour the life of Patrick Hurley
Saints, Bright and Imps claim junior flag glory
SUNDAY’s WDJFL grand nal day at the Wangaratta Showgrounds was electric, with three intensely hardfought matches to determine the premiers in the under 12, under 14, and under 17 divisions.
The under 12s kicked o the day’s proceedings, with Myrtleford up against Benalla Red.
The Saints triumphed in a low-scoring a air, claiming the ag 3.3 (21) to Benalla’s 1.4 (10).
Benalla’s Jack Hart was named best on ground, while Myrtleford’s Nash Durling and Billy McMahon were exceptional.
The incredible matches continued with the under 14s decider, as Bright over-
powered Kangaroos 8.14 (62) to 3.6 (24).
Bright’s Noah White was deservedly awarded the best-on-ground medal for his heroics in the season decider, with two goals from the mid eld and deadly le boot helping his team to victory.
Oscar Edwards was the only multiple goal kicker for the Roos, booting a pair, while Archie Symons, Maddox Coleman and Hudson Wallace were strong.
The nal match of the day was the under 17s showdown between an undefeated Imperials out t and their Mans eld opposition.
The match had it all, with swings of momentum, clutch goals and intense de-
fensive work, but as the nal siren sounded, the Imperials were ahead 11.3 (69) to 9.10 (64).
Imperials coach Gene Marek said it was a stunning match to be a part of.
“It was the tightest game of football I’ve been involved in a long time, if not ever, especially knowing what was on the line at the end,” he said.
“Mans eld were all over us all day and didn’t allow us to play our way - they were rst to the ball and ooded back heavily to restrict our scoring.
“To our boys’ credit, we just kept in touch and knew that the tide would turn at some point.
“We made the most of our
limited opportunities inside forward 50 and the backs did an almighty job defending repeat inside 50s, led by Dec O’Sullivan.
“Finally our mids were able to start controlling the stoppages in the nal term and were able to set up behind the ball once we hit the front.
“The boys were so bold and showed we were up for the ght, with that neversay-die attitude.
“The curse of the undefeated team almost showed its head again in sport.
“I’m so proud that when things weren’t going our way, we still found a way to have little wins - spirit, determination and belief goes a long way in sport.”
GOALS:
White,
Buckland,
Tanaskovic,
Banks, O. Lewis. KANGAROOS:
Symons, M. Coleman, H. Wallace, I. Chilcott, U. Holt.
NOAH WHITE
BENJAMIN MCLEAN
DECLAN O’SULLIVAN
Bombers stun Dees to book maiden grand final berth
By NATHAN DE VRIES
BONNIE Doon is through to their rst O&K A grade grand nal a er blasting Milawa o the court in Saturday’s preliminary nal showdown.
The Bombers were at their electrifying best, producing four complete quarters of netball to advance to the decider 65-33.
The rst half set the game up for the black and red, leveraging a sevengoal quarter time margin into a 17-goal advantage by the major break.
Milawa’s defence had no answer for the Bombers’ shooting duo of Amy Starzer and Portia Keatch,
‘Pies bow out
■ From back page
Wangaratta’s B and C grade teams are still in the premiership hunt with the B grade set to face Wodonga in Sunday’s preliminary nal, while C grade has advanced straight to the grand nal.
“It’s really exciting to still have our B and C grade sides in the hunt,” Cunningham said.
“The C grade girls played great and are now in the grand nal and the B grade girls played a ripper game but went down in extra time.”
With Yarrawonga already in the A grade nal, Corowa-Rutherglen and Wodonga Raiders will now face o for a ticket to the big dance.
“If the Roos played like they did against us on the weekend I reckon they’ll beat Raiders,” Cunningham said.
“Especially if Lou Madden plays well.”
who ran rampant under the post.
Bonnie Doon coach Michelle Tanner said it was a whole-team e ort to send them into the grand nal.
“I knew we could match it with Milawa as long as every player did their job on court, and the rst half de nitely set us up for the win,” she said.
“Possession and patience is key across all our grades and they have had that drummed in all year.
“They were very patient and waited for the right option to go to and everyone worked hard to make sure we had more than one.
“All players were exceptional - you can’t win by
that margin if everyone isn’t ring.”
Milawa coach Kerrie Gray said the Bombers were deserving winners.
“It was a tough day at the o ce on Saturday - taking illness and injury into the match we knew the odds were up against us and to Bonnie Doon’s credit they played well and have set up an exciting grand nal this Saturday,” she said.
“We were lucky to run an extended bench with some of our B grade girls stepping up to help out and doing a fantastic job, but we just really struggled to have an impact on a very up and about Bonnie Doon team.
ROUND RESULTS:
NORTH East Bushrangers Basketball (NEBB) is a collaboration between local North East basketball associations with the commitment of “Creating Realistic Pathways for all North East Athletes”
Ten NEBB junior teams compete in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) - the highest level junior competition in Victoria.
Our Club offers specialist Basketball Clinics, as well as pathways through Senior Big V Competitions.
One NEBB Youth League Men’s (YLM) team competes in the semi-professional Big V competition.
Big V & VJBL consist of teams from both metropolitan and regional Victoria.
U14 Girls 1 - Qualifying Final 33 def by Korumburra
(Top Scorers: E. Napier 16, E. Mercieca 12, E. Chapman 6)
6, M. Watson 4)
“They moved the ball very well and I reckon I could count on one hand their unforced errors.
“They played a great game and are very deserving of their place in the grand nal.”
The Bombers will take on Greta in the A grade grand nal this Saturday at W.J. Findlay Oval.
In other preliminary nal results from the weekend, Greta proved too strong for North Wangaratta in the under 15s, King Valley’s C grade lost to Greta by 14 goals, Milawa defeated Whorouly in B reserve, and the Bombers downed Tarrawingee in B grade.
SOLID SHOOTING: Amy Starzer was impressive under the post for the Bombers. PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling
TEXTBOOK: Brooke Thorp in action.
RISING STAR: Youngster Rose Henry was
PINPOINT: Leah Jenvey dishes a pass o in Wangaratta’s loss to Corowa-Rutherglen.
PHOTOS: Melissa Beattie
Wilson named as O&M grand final ambassador
THE SS&A Ovens and Murray Football Netball League are excited to announce this year’s Grand Final ambassadors and compere for the OMFNL Grand Final Day to be held on Sunday, September 22 at the Lavington Sportsground.
Football ambassador will be Wangaratta’s own Darcy Wilson (St. Kilda FC), while the netball ambassador will be Ruby Barkmeyer (Melbourne Vixens), with Craig Willis the ground compere.
Former Wangaratta Rover and Murray Bushranger Darcy Wilson returns home after a very successful first season in AFL ranks.
Darcy played every senior match, earning a Rising Star nomination to show he has adapted very quickly to the highest level.
Ruby Barkmeyer also has fam-
ily connections to the region and will be a key part of all netball activities across the day.
Known as a sharpshooter who is cool under pressure, Ruby will be keen to pass on her knowledge to the league’s young netballers aspiring to one day emulate her achievements at Suncorp Super Netball level.
Commonly known as “the voice of the AFL”, Craig Willis will perform football cup and medal presentation duties across the day, along with announcing pre-game ceremonies prior to the senior match.
Craig’s CV speaks for itself, with experience over several decades as announcer for the AFL Grand Final, Australian Open Tennis and coverage of several Olympic Games events.
O&M chair David Sinclair was stoked to announce the trio.
“We are excited to welcome Darcy home after a superb first season in the AFL and will be a real family affair for the Wilsons,” Sinclair said.
“Darcy’s father Mick, and his great uncle Mick Nolan were this year inducted into the O&M Hall of Fame and will be duly celebrated on Grand Final Day also.
“We are also very excited to secure Ruby’s services as netball ambassador to share her experiences from the highest level of professional netball in the country.
“Finally, the inclusion of Craig Willis is a massive coup for the O&M.
“It would be hard to find a better credentialled ground announcer for a sporting event in the country, and we look forward to Craig elevating proceedings across the day.”
FUTURE STAR: Darcy Wilson has been named as the O&M’s grand final ambassador.
Tightly fought semifinals in Wangaratta Table Tennis
WANGARATTA Table Tennis Association
Results: Semi-finals, Wednesday September 4.
A Grade:
Boralma Berkshire (Markus Angehrn, Mark Comensoli, Corey Dagoli)) def. Nathan Vincent Contracting (Nathan Vincent, Ken Parker, Kim Brown) final rubber score 6/4.
Matches won: Singles: M Angehrn 2, M Comensoli 3, N Vincent 2, K Brown 1.
Doubles: K Parker/N Vincent 1, M Comensoli/C Dagoli 1.
Plum Digital (Andrew Lindner, Austin Lindner, Evan Kibble) def. N.E. Ag. & Industrial (Steve Picken, Pat Sehgal, Tom Brown) final rubber score 6/5.
Matches won: Singles: Andrew Lindner 3, Austin Lindner 1, E Kibble 2, T Brown 2, P Sehgal 1.
Doubles: T Brown/P Sehgal 1, T Brown/S Picken 1.
A brave and thoughtful win in the final match of the night by Evan Kibble over Pat Sehgal from two games down secured the teams success for Plum Digital.
RESERVES DERBY: Riley Allan’s Wangaratta Rovers will meet Wangaratta in Sunday’s preliminary final.
Beattie
Derby preliminary final ahead in reserves
By WILLSON MACK
IN the O&M reserves it will be a derby preliminary final on Sunday at Birallee Park.
After finishing on top of the ladder Wangaratta fell to a redhot Albury in Saturday’s second semi-final but luckily earnt themselves a second chance and will now face the Hawks.
Rovers finished second on the ladder at the conclusion of the home and away season and lost to the Tigers in their first qualifying final but backed that loss up with a 25-point win over Lavington in Sunday’s first semifinal.
With Albury now in the big dance, it leaves the Magpies and Rovers facing off in a derby
grand final qualifier.
For Rovers, they’ll have a full list to choose from with their senior side also playing on Sunday but for Wangaratta, they’ll only be able to choose qualified reserves players after their senior side were bundled out of the finals in straight sets.
The O&M’s law states “A player who has played more
than half the scheduled home and away matches at Senior Grade will be ineligible to play in final series matches in a Reserve Grade team. e.g. in an 18 week season a player is eligible to play finals in the lower grade team if he has only played 9 matches in the higher grade, but is ineligible if he has played 10 matches.”
One had to smile at Evan’s jubilation with the result.
Plum Digital head straight to the grand final now and N.E. Ag & Ind. play off with Boralma Berkshire in next week’s preliminary final.
B Grade:
Boralma Berkshire (Klaus Kazenwadel, Rod Gerrett) def. N.V.C. (Seth Knox, David Hudson) final rubber score 3/2.
Matches won: Singles: D Hudson 2, K Kazenwadel 1, R Gerrett 1. Doubles: K Kazenwadel/R Gerrett 1. It was a two man side play off here this week.
A close encounter between Klaus and David went David’s way but Klaus and Rod’s deciding doubles win kept Boralma in the finals.
N.E. Ag & Industrial (Ron Divinagracia, Ted Tatulaschwili, Phil Fitzgerald) def. Somerset Comms. (John Bajada, Andrew Holmes [sub], Mick Gervasoni [sub]) final rubber score 6/1.
Matches won: Singles: R Divinagracia 2, T Tatulaschwili 2, P Fitzgerald 1, J Bajada 1. Doubles: R Divinagracia/P Fitzgerald 1. N.E. Ag. & Industrial achieved the winning result here with no need to play the last four rubbers, safely passing through to the grand final.
Somerset Comms play off against Boralma Berkshire next week.
Matches won: Singles: J Lindner 2, J Ngiam 1, M Poulos 1. Doubles: (dead rubber) S Alger/ M Poulos.
This was a tightly contested final. Each long match was hard fought but Boralma managed to win three out of the four singles matches to progress to the grand final.
Auto 8 (Reggie Kanaskar, Matt Curran) def. Blue Raven (Renee McCarthy, Paul Hughes) final rubber score 3/2.
Matches won: Singles: R Kanaskar 1, M Curran 1, R McCarthy 1, P Hughes 1. Doubles: R Kanaskar/M Curran 1. Paul played a great match against Reggie winning in six, keeping Auto 8 in the contest, tied at two rubbers each.
The game scores were close in the deciding doubles rubber but Matt and Reggie got the win and they play off against N.E. Ag. & Industrial in next weeks preliminary final.
The Table Tennis centre at the Wangaratta Showgrounds is open Wednesdays at 6pm during school terms for juniors and for player warm-up.
New players most welcome.
The senior competition commences at 7pm. Enquiries Tom Brown (club president) 0429 809 927. Email wangarattatabletennis@gmail.com.
PHOTO: Melissa
PHOTO: AFL Photos
Devils players named in State of Origin sides
By NATHAN DE VRIES
WANGARATTA City Football Club players have been recognised for their exceptional talent throughout the year and have been handpicked to participate in the Albury Wodonga Football Association’s inaugural State of Origin charity matches this Saturday.
Hosted at Kelly Park, the State of Origin games will pit the best and most talented players from the league’s Victorian-based and New South Wales clubs against each other in what’s sure to be a display of high-level soccer.
The two matches are to raise money for the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund Inc, with the league hoping to exceed
their $10,000 goal.
Wangaratta goalkeeper Jamie Walker made the 14-strong men’s squad, while Georgia Mahoney was selected in the women’s side.
Mahoney said she was excited to play alongside, and against, some of the best
players in the league.
“The whole process organising the State of Origin has been really exciting,” she said.
“I’ve been able to meet new faces who I will call my teammates this weekend, and will also have faces that I have played against for
years, so hopefully will be an awesome event.
“The Victoria team has been attending three sessions together, and there has been an instant gel with the girls - I think it’s really important from the get-go.
“Coming up against the NSW team is going to be
tough, having the AWFA Star Player for this year named in their team as well as many from this year’s premiership team participating.
“I think what’s really important as Team Victoria is we have to back each other, especially when playing these particular players,
and to stay focused and consistent throughout the 90 minutes.
“Besides the game in particular I’m really excited to be involved in the State of Origin game and to be representing Wangaratta City FC.”
The day will have it all, with a car display, jumping castle, MiniRoo matches, half-time competitions and ra es.
There will be food and drink aplenty, with 50 per cent of canteen pro ts going straight to the Trust Fund.
The AWFA State of Origin matches will be played on Saturday, September 14 at Kelly Park in Wodonga, with the women’s game from 5pm and the men to play from 7pm. To donate, visit https:// give.awcancertrust.org. au/s/2973/4163.
Lady Devils downed in U14 girls decider
By NATHAN DE VRIES
WANGARATTA City’s under 14 girls side gave it everything they had in Saturday’s grand nal, but it wasn’t enough to secure the cup, downed 0-3 by Albury Hotspurs.
The Lady Devils fought hard for the full 90 minutes, and defended exceptionally well against the quality Hotspurs.
While they were exceptional in the rst half and in open play, Hotspurs were able to strike from set pieces and long-range free kicks.
Wangaratta co-coach Ludo Costa said the 0-3 losing margin didn’t accurately re ect just how good the game was.
“It was probably our best game of the season in terms of intensity,” he said.
“We lost on free kicks, re-
ally – we didn’t concede any goals in open play, it was just on set pieces.
“We had a plan, it worked perfectly well, the girls played to the plan very well, but unfortunately free kicks are something a bit out of your control, that’s basically where we lost the game.
“They’re a very strong side, an extremely strong side, but they didn’t have any chances to score or to
get close to our goals in open play, so that was a positive.
“We lost, but at that age group, the score is one thing, but the way we play is more important, especially for the future - they’ll learn from it.”
While no silverware will be coming back to Wangaratta, Costa said the future was exceptionally bright for the girls, many of whom were inexperienced
in high-pressure finals.
“For a lot of our players, it was their rst experience in a grand nal, so there was probably a bit more stress in some players, but they gave 200 per cent,” he said.
“The other side, they’ve won the last three years in under 12 and under 14 last year, so they’re very experienced players despite being young.
“I’m proud of them, it was
Do you want to belong, develop new friends and connections to others?
a great season, they played awesomely in the grandnal.
“Sometimes you win and you’ve played horrible, and sometimes you lose and you play well.
“They can be proud of what they’ve achieved this season, we had a lot of new players and I think they can look forward to a bright future and a great season next year.”
NOW RECRUITING: OPENS, UNDER 17'S (CAN TURN 17 IN 2025) & UNDER 14'S (CAN TURN 14 IN 2025). Supporters memberships available. Become a Wangaratta Rovers Female Football Member today! Contact us on Facebook for more information!
We are looking forward to seeing the Rovers guys and gals hit the field and court in 2022! We also urge you to support country footy by supporting us again in 2022.
QUICK FEET: Jessica Campbell weaves her way through tra ic.
PHOTOS: Kat De Naps Photography
LOCKED IN: Wangaratta goalkeeper Jamie Walker made the men’s State of Origin side. PHOTOS: Kat De Naps Photography
REPRESENT: Georgia Mahoney will represent Victoria in this weekend’s AWFA State of Origin charity matches.
U14 girls go down in under 14s nal Page 15
PREMIERS
IMPERIALS’ under 17 side claimed a five-point win over Mansfield in Saturday’s WDJFL grand final at Norm MInns Oval. ■ Junior
‘Pies bow out
Wangaratta netballers knocked out of nals in straight sets, fall to Corowa-Rutherglen by 11 goals
WANGARATTA A grade netballers have been bundled out of the nals in straight sets.
A er nishing second and earning the double chance, they had a tough nals series where they went down to the in-form Yarrawonga and now Corowa-Rutherglen.
BY WILLSON MACK wmack@ nemedia.com.au
The Magpies led by two goals at the rst change but the Roos fought back to lead at every change and eventually claim a 35-46 win.
Wangaratta coach Shea Cunningham said it was a disappointing end to the season.
“It was a disappointing end but we can’t be too disappointed in making a
semi- nal,” Cunningham said.
“We had a brilliant home and away season but just copped a few unfortunate injuries going into nals which made it challenging.
“I’m super proud of our e ort throughout the whole season though.”
Playing without star goaler Georgia Clark, Amanda Umanski has been the key gure under the
post and Corowa-Rutherglen gun Sophie Hanrahan was able to limit Umanski’s impact as she nished with 18 goals at 69 per cent.
The ‘Pies have also been without Issy Newton for the past month a er she injured her knee in round 16.
“Sophie (Hanrahan) made it really hard to get clean ball into Amanda (Umanski), there were arms and legs everywhere it
seemed,” Cunningham said.
“To Sophie’s credit she made it really challenging for us and that’s her job, she’s such a good player.
“We’ll learn from the game and come back bigger and stronger.”
In the absence of Wangaratta’s senior girls, youngster Rose Henry converted 11 from 14 shots.
“We had some younger girls come in over the past
few weeks which has been great for their development,” Cunningham said.
“For them to play a couple of A grade nals and see how fast and physical it is will be massive for their development.
“You just have to be some much more focused and switched on and to see them embrace that was awesome.”
