Wangaratta Chronicle 190623

A MARKED rise in opportunistic theft offending is of major concern to local police, with Wangaratta’s crime rate remaining above the state average for the ninth time in the last decade.

It reflects a statewide increase in vehicle thefts and burglaries, despite overall offence rates remaining below pre-COVID levels.

Crime Statistics Agency data released last week for the year ending in

March detailed a 7.4 per cent increase in offending locally, as thefts and burglaries rose alongside a significant spike in sexual offending and family violence order breaches.

Some 2542 offences were

recorded throughout the Rural City of Wangaratta, translating to an offence of 8435 per 100,000 population, a figure which dwarfed the state average of 7349.

In the 12 months to March, some 54 offences of motor vehicle theft were recorded locally, a decadehigh which represented a rise of 31 compared to 2022 figures (23).

Some 103 offences of theft

from motor vehicles (60), as well as 90 thefts from retail stores (56) represented significant increases, while instances of ‘other theft’ rose from 158 to 188.

Wangaratta crime prevention officer Leading Senior Constable Helen Parfett said while police had worked hard to raise awareness around the importance of locking homes and vehicles when

not in use, more needed to be done to curtail the offending.

“A lot of our ‘thefts-from’ recently, the cars have been locked but (the thieves) have been smashing the window because they’re looking and seeing a handbag on the seat or a wallet in the console,” she said.

“People are locking their cars but they’re not removing their valuables or

putting them out of sight.

“We need to get that messaging saying ‘you’re halfway there’.

“(The thefts) are all over the place – we look to see if there’s a particular area, and that sometimes assists us with offenders who might be in that area, but it seems they’re all over the place, there’s no set pattern to it –it’s just wherever.

■ Continued page 2

Homelessness rates on the rise

OVENS Valley has recorded the 26th-highest percentage increase in homelessness rates across the state, according to new data released by the Council to Homeless Persons. Assessing census data from 2016 to 2021, the analysis saw the Ovens Valley electorate record a 42 per cent increase in homelessness, with figures rising from 153 people to 218 over the five year period. The data means Ovens Valley currently ranks 18th among regional electorates, two spots behind Benambra (235) and well behind thirdranked Shepparton (435).

BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au

Homelessness rates in South Barwon rose by 435 per cent between censuses, while six other electorates saw homelessness more than double.

Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) chief executive officer, Deborah Di Natale, said the report into statewide homelessness highlighted the need for investment in social supports throughout Victoria.

She called on the government to build at least 60,000 social housing properties over the next decade.

“This report underscores the urgent need for targeted, substantial investment in social housing and homelessness supports across Victoria,” she said.

“We are witnessing a clear and alarming escalation in homelessness in Victoria, highlighting a picture of stark inequality across both metropolitan and regional areas.

“This investment is not just necessary, it’s critical to stemming the tide of homelessness

– we can’t stand by and watch as this crisis continues to unfold – it’s time to act decisively and make a commitment that will lead to real, lasting change.”

Northern Victoria MP Wendy Lovell said more needed to be done to provide homes for people given priority status, such as those escaping family violence, those who are homeless or those living with a disability.

She said the March quarter Social Housing List reported 504 Wangaratta LGA families listed as priorities, with a total of 962 on the so-

cial housing waiting list.

“Premier Daniel Andrews and Labor are leaving some of Victoria’s most vulnerable residents languishing on an evergrowing waiting list with little prospect of gaining a house any time soon,” she said.

“The State Government likes to brag about its big housing build, but last week the minister admitted in the budget estimates hearings that the Housing Big Build will only add around 8000 additional social housing homes, which could leave almost 60,000 families languishing on Labor’s ever-growing waiting list.”

Students’ creative talents to go on show

WEATHER

TEMPERATURES:

Monday Max 10 Min 3 Showers

Tuesday Max 10 Min 0 Frost then sunny Wednesday Max 10 Min 0 Frost then sunny Thursday Max 10 Min 3 Heavy showers

RAINFALL: Last 72 hours Last 7 days

LUCKY NUMBERS Tattslotto - Draw 4373 27, 39, 36, 8, 41, 24 (22, 26)

Winning numbers are subject to verification by ticket holders.

BY CHLOE JAENICKE cjaenicke@ nemedia.com.au

STUDENTS will be amazed by the official launch of ‘Wild Gold’ and ‘Parallel Wilds’ at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre this Friday from 11am to 1pm.

The 3D creative writing platforms feature a range of creative writing, digital photography and videography, cosplay and modelling, drone imagery and sound composition created by students from Carraragarmungee and Milawa primary schools.

‘Wild Gold’ explores a creative history of gold in Eldorado as told by years three to six students from Carraragarmungee Primary School and was funded by Creative Victoria as a Creative Learning Partnership.

who were the key drivers in bringing them to life.

“Students engaged with a 3D camera and virtual technology as well as creative writing and mind mapping for both projects,” he said.

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‘Parallel Wilds’ explores years five to six from Carraragarmungee Primary School and years four to six from Milawa Primary School creating speculative universes on the future of wilderness of their region in 2050, which was funded by Regional Arts Victoria and Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal.

“This project allows students to express powerful self-identity in their natural world, and embrace the wilderness of their environment,” creative director Craig Dent said.

Mr Dent said it was a fantastic experience working with the students on each project,

“The ideas of the young people are inspiring and very powerful talking about both history and the future.”

Mr Dent said everyone is welcome to attend the event and no tickets or bookings are required.

There will also be a ‘Parallel Wilds’ Victorian Schools Tour running in term three and any schools that are interested can visit www.parallelwilds.com.

Opportunistic theft offending concerns local police

■ From page 1

“They could go from Yarrunga side straight over to the West End and back the other way and it just seems to be wherever, which may indicate there might be more than one offender who’s out there doing it.

“That’s our biggest concern at the moment.”

Non-residential nonaggravated burglaries rose from 19 to 47 in the 12 months to March, while residential non-aggravated burglaries also increased from 48 to 61.

Notable declines were

observed in serious assault outside of a family violence context (60 to 29), criminal damage (235 to 207) and breaches of bail conditions (141 to 68).

Drug trafficking offences (36 to 16) fell to a decade-low, while instances of offensive conduct (46 to 16) also reached its lowest figure in more than 10 years.

Elsewhere, offending within the Alpine Shire fell by 19 per cent, to a rate per 100,000 people of 3353, while offending climbed by 8.6 per cent in Indigo Shire, however,

remained well below the state average.

Offence rates in Wodonga and Benalla LGAs also remained well above the state average, with Benalla (9862 per 100,000 population) the highest in the North East outside of Greater Shepparton (13,099).

Deputy Commissioner regional operations Rick Nugent said while crime rates across the state remained nine per cent below pre-COVID levels, they were continuing to rise.

“Every single night, we have significant numbers of local

police working alongside the Air Wing, Dog Squad and Public Order Response Team until dawn to prevent burglaries and car thefts from occurring,” he said.

“As part of this Melbournewide operation, over the past three months we have arrested more than 200 burglars and car thieves during the night alone.

“Our intelligence is telling us there has been a decrease in burglaries and associated car thefts since the operation commenced, however, we will not let up.”

• Northern Victoria MP Wendy Lovell

CREATIVE CONCEPTS: Students listened to wilderness presentations at the Ovens River to help inform their projects.

INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE: Milawa students (from left) Ava Mullane, Taylah Papworth and Bonni Dalton working on their concepts with Justin Dallinger.

St Pat’s $3.4m works nearing end

WORKS which will see St Patrick’s Primary School become Wangaratta’s first double-storey primary school are now expected to be completed in August.

Supply issues and wet weather have delayed the finishing date for the Ovens Street school’s $3.4 million project from May last year to a now-anticipated completion in the middle of

BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au

term three.

Principal Gabrielle Downie said the school community was looking forward to the changes that would take place on completion of the building works, for which it received a

$10k thief avoids conviction, able to study criminology

A WOMAN linked to the theft of more than $10,000 in cash and jewellery from her grandmother while visiting the Alpine Shire has avoided a conviction, with her desire to pursue a career in criminology a key consideration in sentencing.

The Templestowe woman was charged in late 2021, after $10,000 in cash, gold chains and a wedding band belonging to her deceased grandfather went missing from her grandmother’s Smoko home.

The accused woman, in her 20s, had visited the home in the company of her mother on August 1, and was later found in possession of $5000 and $5700 in denominations at her Melbourne address.

Facing Shepparton Magistrates Court via WebeX on Thursday, the accused - who pleaded guilty to the theft - told of her addiction to methylamphetamine in late-2021, which included an incident on August 10 when she was found heavily drugaffected in Thornbury.

She was said to have been carrying a small green pocket knife, at least two small bags of methylamphetamine, and towing two bags of luggage, which were filled with $840 cash and the allegedly stolen jewellery, which was later identified by her grandmother.

The accused, who suffers from a number of medical issues, had been introduced to methylamphetamine by a woman in 2021, becoming a regular user for at least

three months.

She said the drug made her feel “alive,” however, she had subsequently cut ties with the group after noticing the effect the drug was having on others, and had since been clean for at least eight months.

“I don’t know if they’re dead or alive to this day,” she told Magistrate David Faram of her contacts.

Defence counsel Nancy Battiato said her client had no criminal priors, and noted her grandmother had not sought restitution for the stolen cash, maintaining a strong relationship with the accused despite the offending.

She said the accused was expected to begin a Bachelor of Criminology and Justice later this year.

“The concern is having a conviction may cause her some difficulty in securing a job further down the track,” she said.

Magistrate David Faram did not convict the accused, instead placing her on a good behaviour bond for two years, in order for her to commence her studies.

“It is my ardent wish that you continue with your studies and you’re successful in that regard,” he said.

“Concentrate really hard on your studies and do everything necessary to succeed in that regard.”

The drugs and the pocket knife, which the accused said had been a gift from her grandfather when she was 10-years-old, were forfeited to police.

$2 million State Government grant.

“It will open up more of our facilities, to enable us to have dedicated science and art rooms, and a library learning space,” Mrs Downie said.

The school’s library is temporarily located in a wide corridor while the works are being undertaken.

It is set to move to a refurbished space currently being

used as a classroom.

The new double-storey building replaces a structure built in 1958, which was demolished last year to make way for the redevelopment set to cater for years three to six, which includes eight classrooms, four breakout spaces, a kitchen and an additional gathering space.

Mrs Downie said the balcony included in the building

was as large as a classroom, and would create an exciting new outdoor learning space for students and staff

The building’s completion will also mean the school’s hall, currently being used for classrooms, can again operate as a music room and assembly space.

Mrs Downie said a spare classroom would allow the school to grow beyond its cur-

rent enrolment of 260.

The school is also looking forward to landscaping works being undertaken on its campus, beginning with rejuvenation of the oval. It is hoped some areas will incorporate local Indigenous culture.

“Once the works are finished, we will have more play space than we began with, which will be wonderful,” Mrs Downie said.

RESCUE RESPONSE: An elderly male driver was trapped in his vehicle after it was driven forward into a wall in the Wangaratta Big W carpark on Thursday afternoon. Paramedics, FRV, SES and Police attended the scene at about 5pm, as the driver side door was blocked by a pole and the vehicle needed to be moved to free the occupant. The man was taken to Northeast Health Wangaratta for observation and was in a stable condition.

Amanda brings a youth focus

Monday, June 17,2013

By PETER DOUGLAS

YOUNG leader Amanda Roberts said she was humbled and shocked after being named Wangaratta Relay for Life ambassador for this year.

At Saturday’s event launch at King George Gardens, the Wangaratta High School student was announced to the role, where she vowed to help promote further participation in the event.

Ms Roberts has been an active member within the community, fulfilling roles in the Wangaratta Youth Council, the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal.

Ms Roberts said, in her role as an ambassador, she wanted to inspire others to become involved.

“The message I want to get across is that it’s not just about raising money, it’s about showing support to those touched by cancer,” she said.

“Cancer is so prevalent in

our society and sometimes, myself included, we don’t appreciate how big this issue is.

“It takes so many lives each year and touches many families.”

This year, Ms Roberts will join a team of Wangaratta High School students who will raise money and later in the year participate in the relay.

RSPCA in need of dog blankets

BY CHLOE JAENICKE cjaenicke@ nemedia.com.au

THE Wangaratta RSPCA shelter is in need of extra blankets and towels to keep animals warm throughout winter.

Shelter customer care officer Megan Chapman said all animals need the blankets, but particularly dogs.

“The dogs need large blankets because their pens are more vulnerable to lower temperatures than any of the other animals,” she said.

As ambassador, Ms Roberts said her main aim would be to motivate others to participate.

“I’d love to see more young people involved, just to understand what it’s all about,” she said.

“Some may get put off by all the fundraising, but they can give so much.”

Ms Roberts also said it was important not to forget there was a fun side to the relay.

“We haven’t decided on what to dress up as for the relay, but I’m sure we’ll give it our best,” she said.

NOW HIRING Apprentice Refrigeration Mechanic

Not only is the shelter in need of the blankets, it is also accepting donations of wet food for cats and dogs.

“Cats and dogs are both in need of wet food, it is largely used for enrichment purposes to keep them entertained while in the shelter,” Ms Chapman said.

Donations can be dropped off at the Wangaratta RSPCA shelter in Connell Street anytime during opening hours of 10am to 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am to 5pm on Thursdays and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.

While there are a lot of items the RSPCA does accept as donations, some it can’t such as opened food or treats, bedding with feather filling, kennels, wooden hutches, electrical items,

very large or very small bird cages, bottles and pillows. For more information on what the RSPCA accepts as donations visit https:// rspcavic.org/donations-foranimals/.

PHOTO: Luke Plummer

STAYING WARM: Animal attendant and RSPCA volunteer Keish Martin is urging people to donate blankets to keep dogs like Princess warm.

RSL funding backs Open Door’s community support for locals

BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au

A $6000 community grant from the Wangaratta RSL Sub-Branch will enable Open Door Neighbourhood House to continue its muchneeded assistance for vulnerable locals.

Executive officer Loretta Waters said through its work in the carer space over the last few years, the neighbourhood house had become aware of a significant gap in people being able to access the support they required.

“We experience at ODNH and hear from other organisations that vulnerable people need to be able to complete their forms and navigate the system on their own, with government systems ‘streamlined’ and digitised,” she said.

“The issue of government funding and support provided to assist this process is either limited, or not available at all.

“Often, the burden of this process is placed on the individual or their carer, who are expressing fatigue,

burnout and overwhelm, leaving them without the supports they require.

“Through our Food Pantry and other projects, we have worked with organisations to build collaborations and broaden our collective knowledge.

“Working together to address the extensive issues has been a significant focus.

“Our network has identified needs including increased wait lists and delay in service delivery.

“This project will take a multi-pronged approach to address these significant disadvantages, increasing access to support, health and wellbeing opportunities, reducing barriers to social and economic participation, and increasing people’s social supports and social capital.”

Ms Waters said the Wangaratta RSL community grant would provide 15 hours of free community health checks, and 90 hours of individual service support and delivery for individuals through the project.

It will see ODNH collaborate with 10 to 15 different service providers locally, including Upper Murray Family Care, Rural City of Wangaratta, Department of Families Fairness and Housing, Carers Gateway,

Uniting, Neighbourhood Houses Victoria, Carers Vic, Gateway Health, Wangarat-

ta District Specialist School and Northeast Health Wangaratta, to ensure people

receive tailored advocacy and assistance such as application support, referral and health checks.

Chayce Castles, who accesses classes and services at Open Door Neighbourhood House, applauded the project which will be enabled by the community grant.

“They are really helpful here, and a great link to the services available,” she said.

Wangaratta RSL treasurer Ron Sneddon said this project was the second time the local sub-branch had worked with Open Door Neighbourhood House, after previously supporting its Food Pantry initiative.

“We’ve been very pleased to provide support again, as Open Door continues to support people in need,” he said.

This round of RSL community grants has also supported Wangaratta’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program, Centre Against Violence and the Madge Brown Charitable Trust.

Mr Sneddon said the sub-branch would again seek applicants for the next round of community grants later this year.

HELP IN PERSON: Chayce Castles cradles Josanna McDermott (2) as she chats to Tanya Grant at Open Door Neighbourhood House.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Take the steps to guard your valuables

TODAY’S front page story shows that theft of motor vehicle and theft from vehicle have increased in the 12 months until March.

Some 54 offences of motor vehicle theft were recorded locally and 103 offences of theft from motor vehicles, well up on the previous year.

Car owners have been locking their vehicles locally, however, items of interest are being left in plain site for thieves who have been gaining forced entry.

The Victoria Police website has some handy tips for people to be more savvy around the risks of theft of, or from, a motor vehicle.

Do not leave any valuables in your vehicles and if you must leave valuables in your car, secure them out of sight in the boot or a locked glove box.

Remove GPS and dash cam units and wipe the suction mark off the window.

Do not leave documents in your car –your address may be used to locate your home and break into your car or home later. Documents might be used to steal your identity.

Do not leave house keys or garage door openers in your car – they may be used in home burglaries.

Install anti-theft screws on number plates.

Lock all doors and close all windows

Install a car alarm.

Lock your car, even when parking at home or leaving your car for a moment.

Close all windows, including the sunroof.

Lock external toolboxes and equipment, if they can’t be removed.

Park in a well-lit and secure area and off the street.

A locked garage is best or a driveway.

The Quiz No. 40

1. Which Australian environmental group uses the acronym, TWS?

2. Who plays the role of Wade Vogel in the 2015 post-apocalyptic drama movie, Maggie?

3. Which two countries border French Guiana?

4. Who wrote the 1982 children’s book, The BFG?

5. Which team were the minor premiers for the 2015 WAFL season?

6. associated with which snack food?

7. What was Kylie Minogue’s original character name on Neighbours?

8. The mountain called Chomolungma is better known by what name?

9. How many small squares are on an original Rubik’s Cube?

10. Which alcoholic beverage is used in a Bloody Caesar?

11. What is the nickname of the Australian men’s national water polo team?

12. Australian state?

13. In which decade of the 20th century did Albert Hawke serve as Premier of Western Australia?

14. Stuart MacLeod, Joel Quartermain and Kavyen Temperley are the main members of which band?

15. The Dardanelles is a narrow strait in the northwest of which country?

16. Who did Muhammad Ali defeat in the 1974 bout known as The Rumble in the Jungle?

17. In 2014, who became the Australian Minister for Sport?

18. The critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat is now only found in the wild in which Australian state or territory?

19. Who wrote the comic opera, The Marriage of Figaro?

20. Which sport comes in the varieties, Roller, Street, Ice and Field?

FACEBOOK users this week commented on a proposed 7-Eleven convenience store and 8-pump fuel station on the corner of Ryley and Perry streets.

• Prue Porter: Really!!! That is totally ridiculous as if we need another servo on the main road though town. What about one out the Yarrawonga side of town.

• Luke Cazaly: Matt Ryan isn’t the ice skating rink out tone rd?

• Matt Ryan: Luke Cazaly

I think it for sold to a place that sells stuffed bears or something before it even had a chance to open

• Brad Murray: On the cusp of an EV explosion, makes sense. Maybe they should build a Blockbuster and Brashs next door.

• Jono TheJono Kaiser: I had heard that every time a Petrol Station is proposed for the Yarrawonga Rd / Waldara end of town near the newer housing estates that local residents have had these pro-

Ryley Street petrol plan a potential peril

WE are a group of neighbours who live in the quiet heritage neighbourhood behind the site of the proposed 24-hour 7-Eleven service station at 22-28 Ryley Street (old Beaurepaires site).

We think the proposed application would be a disaster.

We encourage all residents of Wangaratta to view the application (“PlnApp23/010” on the council website) and form your own opinions.

The application predicts additional peak customer traffic of 144 vehicles per hour.

We believe this will create an even bigger nightmare on Ryley Street and Perry Street, with customers and supply trucks causing unsafe congestion and needing to do U-turns.

We believe it would also cause additional traffic, pollution and crime along Perry Street, Meldrum Street, Harper Street, Moore Street, and the connecting roads.

Our neighbourhood (like many in Wangaratta) includes residents with small children, a nearby childcare centre, and residents with mobility devices including wheelchairs and white canes.

Petrol stations should not be directly adjacent to residential homes with pedestrian traffic.

We think it’s an inappropriate place for yet another petrol station and encourage all concerned residents to object to council.

Why do we need this petrol station when we still don’t have one down Yarrawonga Road?

Wangaratta residents rejected Woolworths’ proposal to build another 24-hour petrol station along this same section of Ryley Street back in 2012.

We hope history is going to repeat itself.

Jenni & Peter Wilkinson, Wangaratta

Alan Sands & Jill Cullen, Wangaratta

Jeremy & Mannie Kraybill, Wangaratta

Indigenous MPs have power to make change

I REFER to a letter by Celine Forster in the Wangaratta Chronicle (Monday, June 12) in which she states,”The Indigenous politicians in our Parliament are not there to fix that trauma, nor do they represent the many diverse nations within the Indigenous community.

“They are there to represent their constituencies, not to advise on policies

NOTE: Comments as they appear online, without corrections.

posals blocked, which stops the planning permit stage, but as I said only what I’ve heard

• Tracey Louise: Why on earth would you exit into Perry St only to be forced to turn left away from the main road because if the island, and not turn back into Ryley at? Stupid plans!

• Fiona Sheridan: Tracey Louise & once they are on perry st, the only way back to the main Rd is a lap back to Moore St or doing a dangerous U turn somewhere

down Perry... or cut through coles carpark... or take a longer route if they have the patience.

• Mark Sanders: Tracey Louise They probably don’t have a choice. Put the exit onto Ryley St would be a traffic nightmare, putting it on Meldrum St would cause issues because of extra traffic trying to turn right into Perry St to get back on the highway, plus I’m sure those living on Meldrum St would love that too

Like the Wangaratta Chronicle Facebook page to have your say.

Our follower total is

14,200

Would you welcome more service stations in Wangaratta if it reduced the price of fuel?

HOMEMADE FARE: Thursday’s chilly, wet conditions created the perfect environment for locals to purchase some delicious home baking to enjoy with a hot cuppa - and Wangaratta Royal Children’s Hospital Ladies Auxiliary members Colleen O’Brien and Pat Griffin were on hand to provide just that. The auxiliary held its winter street stall in the council kiosk in Reid Street, offering cakes, preserves, fresh lamingtons, as well as a beautiful array of hand-knitted baby and children’s wear.

outside of their jurisdiction”.

What a load of “Political Jargon”.

You apparently do not understand how democracy works; once an item referred to as a Bill is put forward, every elected member can research it, speak to it before finally voting on it.

You are downplaying the ability that some of these elected Indigenous members have; just like when Senator Jacinta Price arranged for 20 odd Indigenous people from Central Australia to come to Canberra, and both the Minister and assistant Minister for Indigenous Affairs refused to meet with them; apparently it didn’t fit their narrative.

I, as a white Australian male, am very proud of Senator Jacinta Price and challenge anyone who is critical of her, to stand for Parliament and prove they can do better.

Keiran

Klemm, Londrigan

Schools tax directly hurts local families

LABOR’S new payroll tax on independent schools announced in the state budget is a tax on families.

Independent schools have historically been exempt from payroll tax.

The increased cost of this tax on independent schools will flow through to families who are already struggling with rising living costs.

I have contacted independent schools, who were devastated by the news and concerned about the financial impacts of the new payroll tax.

The Nationals and Liberals oppose the tax and will repeal it if elected to government in 2026.

Gaelle Broad, Northern Victoria MP

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

1. The Wilderness Society 2. Arnold Schwarzenegger 3. Brazil, Suriname 4. Roald Dahl 5. Subiaco Lions 6. Smith’s Potato Crisps

Charlene Mitchell 8. Mount Everest 9. 54 10. Vodka 11. Sharks

Tasmania

1950s 14. Eskimo Joe 15. Turkey 16. George

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Creative clocks intrigue at the Benalla Ar t Gallery

ACROSS

THEA SELECTION of functional clocks created by artist Lee Gilmour are on display at the Benalla Art Gallery this month.

Gilmour describes himself as “a maker of clocks, lamps and other curious things”, drawing inspiration from objects scavenged from his surroundings and exploring ways they fit together and can be reused.

In a world where disposable products, fast fashion, and single use items play only a fleeting period in our lives, the exhibition Time Honoured State of the Art, being held in the gallery shop, seeks to slow time so we may ponder on the item and its past.

“Each piece is made up from now defunct equipment that was once at the forefront of technology, part of what made it new and exciting,” said Gilmour.

“These are married with a common theme of horology.

“The earliest adapted chronographs on display are old Nixie Valves updated on Arduino circuits.

“These 1950s relics now

glow with 21st century technology — handcrafted valves energised by mass produced circuitry.

“Now mostly obsolete, these once proud items have been discarded or merely used for ornamental purposes.”

Gilmour said it is as part of every community that we have somewhere to dispose of our unwanted items — colloquially referred to as the

‘tip’ or ‘dump’ - but rather than being waste, these items destined for landfill can be given a second chance of life.

“The exhibition will hopefully stimulate the mind to reassess what we are about to trash and allow another to find as a treasure,” he says.

Currently based in the Mallee, Gilmour has spent the last decade or so in a range of

improvised studios in different locations, amassing and assembling a collection of found materials into unique sculptural time pieces.

Recently described as a ‘contraptionist’, his artistic aim is to give new meaning to something that has been discarded.

See Time Honoured State of the Art at the Benalla Art Gallery until the end of June.

WHAT’S UP WITH THE WEATHER?

By Peter Nelson, Peter Retired CSIRO climatologist

Hotter winter than our average so far

THE first fortnight of June was noteworthy weatherwise because maximum temperatures have averaged three degrees or more above normal for June across about three quarters of the nation.

At Wangaratta, Benalla and Rutherglen maximum mean temperatures were only one to two degrees above the June normal.

Wangaratta’s mean maximum of 15.4 degrees so far this month was above its 34 year average of 13.9 degrees.

The city’s mean minimum temperature of 6.5 degrees is well above the normal mean minimum of 2.9 degrees for June and is the highest for the first fortnight in June since 1991.

So too are the mean minimum temperatures at Benalla and Rutherglen of 7.1 and 6.6 degrees respectively.

These higher than normal minimums are due mainly to days of overcast skies and above average rainfall.

Up until June 14 Wangaratta had 58mmwith six days of rainfall above 1mm (nine days monthly average) - and looks set to surpass the June average of 64.9mm

In outback Queensland maximum temperatures for the first fortnight of June were five degrees above normal at quite a few places.

At Longreach the mean maximum temperature of 28.6 degrees was the highest on record going back to 1897.

At Charleville the mean maximum of 25.2 degrees was the highest since 25.6 degrees in 1919.

Both Blackall and Barcaldine recorded their warmest ever first fortnight of June.

Previous record highs were in 1919, 1957 and 1991. at both these places.

Alice Springs has recorded it’s fourth warmest first fortnight of June in 143 years of records - the warmer ones were 1919, 1953 and 1957.

Local support available for MND sufferers and carers

COMMUNITY members are being encouraged to learn more about Motor Neurone Disease during MND Awareness Week which kicks off today.

Neale Daniher’s personal battle with this progressive neurological disease affecting nerve cells that control muscles used in movement, speech, swallowing and breathing, has done much to rally awareness and support, punctuated by this month’s ninth Big Freeze at the MCG, raising more than $2m to fight the beast.

In Australia, on average, two people die each day from MND and two people are diagnosed.

Closer to home, care providers in the Hume region are at any one time providing support for up to a dozen people with MND.

Sarah Newton is the MND shared care worker in the Hume region and provides support to health professionals and community care providers through education.

“As MND progresses, care needs can change quite quickly and we help care providers

navigate this and plan care options accordingly,” she said.

“MND affects people in very different ways and the presentation of symptoms and requirements for support can vary between patients.

“We liaise closely with the MND Victoria Advisor and support to provide up-to-date advice, which can be particularly helpful for staff who have limited or mixed experiences caring for people with MND.”

Ms Newton said that supporting care providers across

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the region helped people with MND to have the care they need at home with the support of district nursing and personal care assistants.

The shared care service also provides education to hospice volunteers and palliative care teams.

“Our goal is to help people live the life they want by supporting the care providers around them,” Ms Newton said. For more information about Motor Neuron Disease, people are encouraged to contact MND Victoria or their GP.

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INSPIRED INVENTIONS: See the handcrafted clocks in Lee Gilmour, Time Honoured State of the Art, on display at Benalla Art Gallery, 2023.

FIGHTING MND: Hume MND shared cared worker, Sarah Newton, and Jackie Creek from Northeast Health Wangaratta CNC Palliative Care are raising awareness for MND.

State to fund local leadership program to year’s end

STATE Government support for the local Alpine Valleys Community Leadership (AVCL) initiative will ensure its 2023 program can be completed.

Minister for Regional Development Harriet Shing this month announced the additional $700,000 for Victoria’s Regional Community Leadership program, which takes in nine programs

BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au

across the state including AVCL.

She said the funding was designed to assist the program team to plan its transition to alternative funding arrangements, with

the support of Regional Development Victoria.

“Participants in the 2023 intake of the community leadership program will be supported to complete their 2023 program and to take their valuable skills, experience and networks into a range of industries, sectors and regions,” Ms Shing said.

AVCL welcomed the State

Government’s support to deliver the 2023 program as planned.

“This is a welcome announcement that ensures all Regional Community Leadership Programs across the state can complete their 2023 program,” chair Judy Charlton said.

While there is no further State Government funding for a 2024 program, AVCL

has been preparing for this possibility, including recently attaining endorsement as a deductible gift recipient (DGR) and public benevolent institution (PBI).

“Now, more than ever, grass roots community leadership is needed to support our communities through significant challenges,” Ms Charlton said.

“To continue deliver-

ing a community leadership program in 2024 and beyond, AVCL will need to do so without government funding and rely totally on corporate, philanthropic and community support.

“AVCL is developing a strategy to this end.

“We look forward to engaging with our valued stakeholders to help shape this offering for our region.”

Nurse jet-setting across world to help improve health service

THE work of Northeast Health Wangaratta’s (NHW) intensive care clinical nurse consultant, Paul Jones, who is also an endorsed nurse practitioner, will make its way to the world stage in October with an invitation to present at the World Nursing Education Conference in Spain.

Mr Jones recently attended the World Congress of Vascular Access in Canada as part of the NHW Board of Directors’ Scholarship program.

NHW board chair Alison Maclean commended Mr Jones’ passion to advance patient care.

“Paul has used his NHW Board Scholarship to drive improvement within our health service and we were very proud to support his attendance at the World Congress,” Ms Maclean said.

Vascular access refers to any insertion into a patient’s vein or artery for the receipt of medication and fluids, removal of blood during procedures such as dialysis, and monitoring of blood pressure and heart activity for the critically ill patient.

Some catheters are placed in major bloods so that certain mediation can be given closer to the main circulatory system, one of these known as mid-line catheter insertion.

Having previously published a journal article regarding insertion of midline catheters by nurses, Mr Jones presented this information at the international conference and was awarded third place for his poster presentation.

“Attending the World Congress of Vascular Access was a great experience,” Mr Jones said.

“Some of the speakers are world leaders in their fields and it showed with their level of passion and commitment.

“I was grateful to meet Prof Amanda Ullman from Australia, who was presenting on paediatric best-practice and

it was terrific to chat with her afterward.

“Those kinds of connections are so beneficial, I can reach out to them in the future regarding our work.

“The conference covered all forms of vascular access practice, from simple drips and intravenous (IV) cannulas to central venous catheters that are placed into larger veins for longer term access and treatments.

“There was discussion on complications, how to manage and treat them, and importantly, how to avoid them in the first place.

“I returned with lots of ideas and it is going to be a busy few months ahead while we update some of our practices here, including techniques and products we use to bring us up to gold standard care.”

Mr Jones’ paper has been reprinted in the British Journal of Nursing, elevating the profile of his research and leading to his invitation to present in Spain in October.

“It was a bit of a snowball effect, which I probably underestimated,” he said.

“I’ve had a few further requests to publish from other journals and was really surprised and excited to be invited to the World Nursing Education Conference as one of the speakers.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase a little of Northeast Health Wangaratta on this world stage.

“I was very fortunate to have this initial opportunity to travel to Canada as part of the NHW Board Scholarship.

“My first priority is to get the ball rolling on a few of these projects with my colleagues and go back to the board for a chat on what we’ve learned and what we can implement at NHW.

“Then I’ll prepare for Spain and we’ll go from there.”

“I “ retetur r ne ned w wiitth h lotots s of o id i e eaas s a annd it t is s goioing ng to o be b a bususy y feew m moont n hs ah a eaad d wh w i ile w we upddatate e s some m of f our r p praccticeces h herree, i innccluudinng t teecchhnniquues s a and p prrododucts we w use e to b brinng us up to g gold staandndarrd d caare r .” . ”

- Pa Paul u Jon o es

FLYING HIGH: Wangaratta nurse consultant Paul Jones with representative from the Canadian Vascular Access Association, Janny Proba, at the recent World Congress in Canada.

Tradies’ day out on the tools

TRADIES flocked to North East Fasteners last Thursday for their annual tool sale where bargains were up for grabs and people gathered to discuss all things trade.

AROUND THE ARTS

Artist residency and workshop at the Wangaratta Art Gallery

ACCLAIMED artist Mary Elizabeth Barron will be part of a residency and workshops being held at the Wangaratta Art Gallery from June 24 until July 1.

It’s part of a series of events and programs accompanying the 2023 Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award (WCTA), which opened last weekend.

Mary’s residency and workshops in Gallery 2 will provide a unique opportunity for participants to explore the art of bobbin lacemaking and create contemporary pieces using recycled materials.

Known for her passion for craft, innovative use of materials and large-scale lace works, Mary’s artistic practice primarily revolves around sewing, papermaking, basketry and bobbin lacemaking, with a particular focus on utilising waste materials and addressing themes of family, women’s work, memory and environmental concerns.

During her residency, Mary will lead work-

Get filming and enter Benalla Shorts

TIME is running out to get an entry in to the 2023 Benalla Short Film Festival.

Entries are now open for this special local event which celebrates short story-telling using the medium of film.

While films have already been entered this year from across the world, local filmmakers within a 100 kilometre radius of Benalla are being encouraged to get involved and win a cash prize.

documentary, drama and comedy.

The duration of submitted films must not be longer than 15 minutes (including the title and credit sequence).

shops introducing participants to the art of bobbin lacemaking, a weaving technique dating back to the late 1400s.

Workshops are free and will run on Sunday, June 25 from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

Bookings are essential with places limited - register now by calling 5722 0865.

Last year, filmmakers Tim Brown (from Shepparton) and Michael Portway took our major prizes, with their film “The Sanctuary” winning both Best Documentary and Best Local Film.

Best Short Film went to Aaron McJames for “Cocky”; a film is about a pet cockatoo that hatches a plan to end

AWARD WINNER: Aaron McJames took about Best Short Film for his film “Cocky”, at last year’s Benalla Shorts.

mundane conversations.

All short films must be original works, produced within the last five years and suitable for screening up to a MA15+ classification, but they can be in wide variety of genres including animation,

Judges include well-known Australian actors Tony Bonner AM and Krista Vendy, who will announce the winners in person during a gala screening later this year.

Prizes will be awarded in categories including Best Australian and Best International Films, along with a Local Encouragement Award, People’s Choice, Student Award and Best Documentary.

To find out more or to enter see Benalla Shorts on Facebook or go to https:// filmfreeway.com/BenallaShorts with entries closing on June 30.

MAN CAVE: Ryan Hennessy and David James pull out the big guns in the must have.

PRICE REDUCTION: Mick Seymour shows Dave Harrap and Lauren Stone the best buys.

COOKING UP A STORM: Neil Campbell, Graham Whitehead and Ken Chamberlan served up a storm.

Matt Lidgerwood worked up an appetite for an egg and bacon roll.

READY TO SELL: Ian Finlayson, Shane Mason and Wil Sully have a lineup of quality compressors.

ON THE HUNT: Chis Woodward and Brendan Tanner at the sale.

BARGAIN: Mick Seymour shows Ian Montgomery what’s on offer.

PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling.

Crime author launches latest book in Wangaratta

By CORAL COOKSLEY

LOCAL award-winning author and playwright Margaret Hickey launched her third crime novel ‘Broken Bay’ at the Wangaratta Library in front of an audience of about 40 people on Thursday evening.

Edgars Books & News team up with the library to host the launch.

Marg said the writing process had been largely the same for her two previous books ‘Cutters End’ and ‘Stone Town.’

“I sit down, read the last paragraph that I write, and then I write the next one and don’t plan it,” she said.

“I always choose the landscape first and then the story comes from there, and I have a character, and then I write it.

“I start panicking at around 60,000 words when I don’t know who the killer is, but then it comes to me.

“That process may change in the future, but it certainly worked for this trilogy.”

Marg said although the book is part of a trilogy, it could be read as a standalone but does feature the

same characters. A five-book contract with Penguin Books means the author is underway writing her fourth book, due in December with publication expected around

June next year.

Now on tour around the state and Australia, the author visited Wangaratta library on Wednesday night to talk about her latest novel.

‘Black Gold’ made from our compost

By OLIVER NICOLL and ZOE THOMPSON

St Patrick’s PS grade 4

YEAR 3/4 students from St Patrick’s Primary School were lucky enough to visit Wangaratta’s newly built landfill hole at Bowser landfill facility as well as the Organics Recycling Facility as part of our science unit this term.

Sally Hughes and Brian Bowman showed us around and how the organics bin gets made into compost.

They also showed us that there is a lot of contamination found in the green bins.

The strangest thing that Brian has found is a microwave.

Brian’s crew actually has to deal with all of this contamination, sometimes by hand.

Sally taught us that you should never ever put batteries in any bin.

You should take them to the transfer station or collection boxes found in many places around town.

Things you can put in the green bin includes: fruit and vegetable scraps; food scraps; plants and leaves; grass clippings; tea bags and coffee grounds; and small branches.

Sally’s acronym for what goes in the green bin is FOGO which is Food Organics + Garden Organics.

No rocks or building rubble.

Brian also taught us the process of creating ‘black gold’ at the organics recycling facility.

The process of creating

‘black gold’ is :

1. Garbage truck delivery of green bins.

2. Shredding it into 10cm pieces.

3. Shredded material is then put in bays that have vents to help aerate and cook the compost.

4. Partially broken down compost is moved into piles to continue the composting process.

5. Once it is completely broken down they sieve the final product to remove any contamination like plastic.

In science we have been learning about Super Soils and Ms Pallot has taught us an acronym which tells us what soil is made from: WAMO.

This stands for Water, Air, Minerals and Organic Matter.

WAMO is an easy way to remember what makes up soil.

Organic matter or ‘black gold’ is an important part of healthy soil.

We were able to see, do and learn a lot about where our green bin and red bin go.

On behalf of St Patrick’s Primary School, we strongly believe that you should visit Bowser Landfill and the Compost Facility today.

A big thankyou to Sally Hughes, Brian Bowman and Ms Pallot.

Sally Hughes is the Waste Education Officer at Rural City of Wangaratta.

Brian Bowman is the team leader of Waste Operations at the Rural City of Wangaratta.

Will Hernan digging into the “Black Gold”.

GOOD READ: Dr Marg Hickey and her husband Bernie Dowsley.

LAUNCHED: Liz Long, Lucy Mitchell-Long and (far right) Bernie Long from Edgars Books & News with Dr Marg Hickey and her husband Bernie Dowsley. PHOTOS: Belinda Harrison

HOT STUFF: Ayla Kelly feeling the vents in the composting bays.

HIDDEN RICHES: Will Hernan digging into the ‘black gold’ at the compost facility.

EYE-OPENER: Sr Patrick’s Primary School students at the rural city’s compost facility.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Name an ancient Chinese martial art (4,2)

8 Which WWI Russian general was known as the Grand Duke (8)

9 What are central parts of things (6)

10 Which nobleman is next below an earl (8)

11 Name a popular card game (6)

13 To be cowardly, is to be what (8)

16 Which horse won the 2001 Melbourne Cup (8)

19 What is a female monster (6)

22 Which person stirs up others (8)

24 Who used wings made of wax and feathers and flew too close to the sun which melted his wings and he drowned in the Aegean (6)

25 Which sideline sports officials assist the referees (8)

26 To regard highly, is to do what (6)

DOWN

2 Ayers Rock was the former name of which NT monolith (5)

3 What is a deep, narrow ravine (US) (5)

4 Name another term for the cosmos (8)

5 Name the fifth book of the New Testament, The ... (4)

6 Which dog is the prairie wolf (6)

7 What is a powerful automatic gun for firing explosive shells (6)

12 Name an Australian Wimbledon singles champion 1987, Pat ... (4)

14 Name a greenish-yellow gaseous element, symbol Cl (8)

15 Who was the fourth wife of Henry VIII, ... of Cleves (4)

Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

SUDOKU

17 Which river flows from SE Turkey and empties into the Persian Gulf (6)

18 Name a dish served at dinner before the main course (6)

20 To respond to a stimulus in a particular manner, is to do what (5)

21 To pan fry, is to do what (5)

23 What is a ponderous volume (4)

QUICK THINK

Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

WHICH WORDS

1 FUSTIAN

(a) Bombastic

(b) Wanting in freshness

(c) Brown

2 LIMBO

(a) The forepart of a gun carriage

(b) Botulism in birds

(c) An uncertain or intermediate state

BIYWORD

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

CLUES:

Desire strongly (5)

Elicit (5)

Extracts venom (5)

Florentine iris (5)

Gulp down (7)

Horse-racing distance (7)

Indebted (3)

Sm. Printers’ measures (3)

State-owned enterprise (3)

With (latin) (3)

SOLUTIONS

Cattle industry in a ditch, but shift looms

BY KURT HICKLING khickling@ nemedia.com.au

THE cattle market in recent months has taken a downward turn with Australian herd levels reaching the highest since 2014 at 28.8 million that has levelled out the market with below average prices according to Corcoran Parker livestock agent Reiley Murtagh.

He said favourable conditions for production in a vast majority in Australia from 2020 to 2022 has drastically increased the number of cattle retained and the volume produced.

“From August 2022, restocking steers and heifers have seen a dramatic price change with Angus cattle 300-350kg selling for $6-$6.50c/kg compared to current prices of the June store sale of $3-$3.50/kg,” Mr Murtagh said.

The market has recently seen a tough correction with the current circulation of live export and future prospects for export meat sales on an international level.

Mr Murtagh believes there are a number of reasons why the industry has slowed down

but he has confidence there will be a shift

“Market prices have held steady over the last few months but remain lower than previous years,” Mr Murtagh said.

“There is mixed reaction among cattle producers with cattle being sold too soon to cut their losses and buy back in the market with better stock.

“Other producers are hanging onto their cattle to build cattle weight to around 650kg

to make a bigger profit which has a potential of fewer cattle available at a sale if multiple producers do this.”

Recent rainfall has put optimism into local producers, adding a boost to farmland and paddocks.

“Rainfall has been widespread with totals varying in our region,” Mr Murtagh said.

“Recent rains will boost winter growing conditions which is a bonus.

“We haven’t had too much rain at all with excess falls

GMW takes pricing submission on the road with drop-in sessions

GOULBURN-Murray

Water (GMW) is hitting the road to speak to customers about its proposed 2024-28 Pricing Submission.

GMW is required to develop a pricing submission every four years.

The submission outlines the proposed prices and service levels customers can expect for the next regulatory period.

on our proposed pricing submission,” she said.

“We will be holding face-to-face drop-in sessions across our region and several online as well.

“Customers also have the option of calling GMW to organise a one-onone appointment with a customer relationship coordinator to be taken through the proposals and surveys relevant to them.

showing no impact on property.”

Australia being the in the meat industry continues to raise the bar of it’s high quality meat and many local producers see a positive outlook for the industry.

The future for meat export including live export puts a strong balance in the market and will reflect in the months to come with stronger prices at the cattle sales seeing the market shift by spring, according to Mr Murtagh.

Throughout June, July and August, GMW will be holding drop-in sessions and workshops across the region to provide all customers with the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions on GMW’s proposed prices and services. There will also be various topic-specific workshops held, allowing more in-depth discussions with GMW staff

GMW customers and stakeholders general manager Kate Biglin encouraged customers to have their say.

“From June to August, we want to ensure that every GMW customer has the opportunity to provide their feedback

“The development of our pricing submission every four years is an important milestone. It outlines the prices we propose to apply for that regulatory period and sets out the service levels and values that customers can expect to receive.”

A drop-in session will be held on Thursday, July 6 from 10am – 2pm at the Wangaratta council offices and there will be a host of online sessions from Monday, June 19.

A full list of drop-in sessions and workshops including locations can be found at yoursay.gmwater. com.au.

GMW will submit its Pricing Submission to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in September 2023.

Be biosecurity aware on school holidays

BE biosecurity aware these school holidays, Agriculture Victoria is asking school holidaymakers to help keep the state’s $17.5 billion agriculture industry safe from biosecurity threats including pests and diseases.

Executive director Biosecurity Victoria Katherine Clift said there were many ways the community can be biosecurity aware, including complying with state regulations while travelling.

“Victorians travelling interstate should be aware of border quarantine restrictions around moving plants, fruit and vegetables or risk hefty fines,” Dr Clift said.

“Biosecurity measures such as not bringing fruit and vegetables into the state will help protect Victoria’s

valuable horticulture industry from exotic pests including Mediterranean fruit fly.

“If you are planning to visit our excellent wineries, don’t wander into the vineyards in case you get phylloxera on your footwear and spread it elsewhere, this tiny insect can destroy grapevines and significantly impact our $170 million wine industry.”

Beachgoers can minimise the risk of pests and diseases by following the steps of Check, Clean and Dry –check all vessels, fishing, diving and surfing equipment and remove anything including water, sand and seaweed. Also, remember to check your catch for signs of disease.

“Clean boats at home or at a commercial carwash, wash wetsuits, fishing and diving

equipment with fresh, soapy water,” Dr Clift said.

“Dry all boating, fishing and diving equipment completely before heading out into the water again.

“For those making trips to farms, it’s essential to comply with Biosecurity Management Plans and follow biosecurity signage requirements to help prevent spreading pests and disease.

“When you’re planning to visit a farming property, call ahead to see if there are any specific biosecurity requirements or potential issues.

“When you arrive, sign the visitor record book, wash and disinfect your footwear and arrange to meet your hosts at their house or on a sealed or gravel area away from livestock.

HOPE HOVERS: Cattle prices remain lower than they were in 2020-2022 but there are signs of a bounce back.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

RAISING AWARENESS: Biosecurity makes a stamp on Victoria school holidays.

INPERSONBYPHONESELLING ACAR BUY ONLINE

37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677 5723 0101 classifieds@ nemedia.com.au

WHENTO BOOK BYEMAIL

Employment: northeastjobs.com.au Real Estate: northeastproperty.com.au

WANGARATTA’S MARKET PLACE WITH OVER 40,000 READERS EACH WEEK IN PRINT AND ONLINE

Healthy Eating

Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking

Come and learn how to cook delicious vegetarian and vegan meals.

These will add a refreshing variety to your diet.

When: Tuesday Evenings May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15 Time: 7 - 8:30pm

Where: Seventh-day Adventist Church Hall 10-12 Phillipson Street, Wangaratta. Recipes will be provided and you will be able to sample the dishes.

FINANCE OFFICER

About us: Brown Family Wine Group is one of Australia’s most loved and respected wine companies built on over 130 years’ experience in quality winemaking, market leading innovation and family values that are at the heart of everything we do as a business.

Our portfolio has grown over time to now include market leading wine brands such as: Devil’s Corner from the East Coast of Tasmania, Tamar Ridge and Pirie from Tamar Valley Tasmania, Innocent Bystander from the Yarra Valley and of course Brown Brothers from Milawa Victoria the spiritual home of our business.

We are extremely proud to produce a brand portfolio of wines that boasts Australia’s #1 White Wine, Australia’s #1 Premium Prosecco and Australia’s #1 Pinot Noir together with numerous award-winning wines across several varietals that consumers continue to love.

At Brown Family Wine Group, we are passionate about both our quality wines and our amazing people, and we remain committed to the core family values of our company being: Wellbeing, Respect, Innovation and Pride in What We Achieve Together. We are proud that our business has recently been certified as “A Great Place to Work” and remain committed to honouring this recognition throughout all aspects of the business.

What’s involved: This predominantly Accounts Receivable role involves providing financial, administrative and clerical support for the Financial Accountant and Team as part of the day to day running of the Brown Family Wine Group Finance Department. Some of your responsibilities will include:

Customer Service Officer

An exciting opportunity now exists for a casual Customer Service Officer to join our Customer Service team based in Milawa, Victoria.

What’s on Offer:

products

may be obtained by emailing careers@brownfwg.com.au or

Scan to apply

in The Chronicle, Ask us about 5723 0101 37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta or email

Credit Card &Eftpos facilities

Why not charge your advertisement to Mastercard or Visa?

*Conditions apply

CONCRETING - Big or small jobs. Paths, driveways,

debtors and resolving any discrepancies. worthiness.

restaurants.

About you: We’re looking for the following skills and experience:

OVENS MURRAY

We are hiring a Widening Participation Coordinator!

What’s on offer: For the successful candidate we offer a great work culture, a competitive salary and generous product discounts.

More Information: Further information and a position description may be obtained by emailing careers@brownfwg.com.au or by calling

Allyce on (03) 5720 5500.

If this sounds of interest to you and you believe you have the skills and experience to be successful in this role, then we would love to hear from you!

Applications close 30 June 2023. Scan to Apply

east

With a broader readership, placing your employment ad in NorthEast Jobs makes sense.

To book your ad, call 5723 0101

Wangaratta Chronicle Cadet Journalist Career Opportunity

Full time 38 hours per week

North East Media, publisher of the award winning Wangaratta Chronicle, is currently seeking expressions of interest from motivated candidates to join the team in Wangaratta as a cadet journalist.

The cadetship is ideally suited for a Year 12 graduate.

It is for three years, including course study by correspondence from Deakin University.

The successful candidate will learn how to write clear, concise and interesting news, sport and feature stories for our newspaper and associated digital and social media platforms.

We are searching for a budding writer who has the skills, passion and determination to be a journalist of the future.

EMPLOYMENT

Candidates must have excellent verbal and written English, sound computer skills, solid general knowledge, a genuine interest in the local community, and an ability to build rapport and networks quickly.

You will need to be well organised, able to work to deadlines, and have strong attention to detail.

Candidates must hold a valid driver’s licence, be available to work flexible hours, and photography and social media skills are desirable.

North East Media is a leading independent family-owned media group with a commitment to community journalism.

Applications, including covering letter and resume, should be emailed to Group Editor Jeff Zeuschner at jzeuschner@nemedia.com.au

Advertising Account Manager (Full-Time)

Wangaratta Chronicle is looking for a driven and committed individual to join the advertising team at our office in Wangaratta.

If you can always see an opportunity and enjoy the idea of helping businesses grow, then we want to talk to you. To be successful in this role you will be able to demonstrate

• Excellent work ethic, organisational skills & attention to detail with a drive to achieve results.

• An ability to communicate with a wide range of people across various industries.

• Create innovative business proposals, develop collaborative partnerships and provide excellent customer service both internally and externally.

Taking over an established client list, you will be selling advertising and digital marketing opportunities to existing clients while looking to drive new business opportunities.

An ability to develop and maintaining business relationships will be the key to your success in this role.

An attractive remuneration package is offered including a base salary, commission and employer superannuation contributions.

North East Media is an independent media group publishing award winning publications in print and online across North East Victoria and beyond.

Please forward your application and covering letter to Ian Pople Sales Manager at the Wangaratta Chronicle, ipople@nemedia.com.au

HOUSE sitter wanted, 3 weeks over August/ September. Rural outlook, small cottage, 1 cat. Ph 0419 200 998.

PLANTATION and bulk supply of Radiator Pine. Ph 0448 933 999.

SPEAKERS, Teac, 35cm H x 20cm W, good condition, $20. Sanyo, 50cm H x 27cm W, $30. Ph 0423 957 779.

MALE to male seeking entertainment and friendship, weekdays after 5pm, weekends after 2pm. Ph 0436 425 412.

McCULLOUGH (Auld), Joyce Lynette. 8/2/1928 – 9/6/2023

Passed away peacefully at home. Aged 95 years. Dearly loved wife of Ralph (dec) and partner to Ted Walters (dec). Loved mother and mother-in-law of Janet and Steve, Susan, Maree (dec) and Ron, Linda (dec) and Mita (dec). Loved Nan of Belinda, Paula, Melissa, Darren, Luke, Lisa, Katrina, Nigel (dec) and Derek. Beloved great Nan and Old Nan of 16.

“We have so many fond memories of farming, fishing, horses, netball and family gatherings.”

Thanks to all that have supported our family.

KIRKMAN

The funeral of the late Mr Rodney Kirkman will be held at the chapel of Yarrawonga Mulwala Funeral Services on Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2pm.

FUNERAL NOTICES

2017 Holden Astra

R Hatch Auto, REG (1JB6VS), 39,000kms, with RWC, deceased estate, $19,500 ONO.

Ph 0408 269 229.

McCULLOUGH (Auld)

2016 Nissan Navara

RX D23 4WD Twin Cab, steel tray, bull bar, 124,600kms, RWC, REG (1UW9XF) to Feb 2024, $35,000.

Phone Tav 0438 217 468.

KIRKMAN, Rodney “Rod”. Passed away 15/6/2023.

Dearly loved husband of Jeanette. Loved father to Deanne, Steven and Sharee. Pop of Cameron, Ashley and Morgan. Rest in peace. Free from pain.

The celebration of life for the late Joyce McCullough will be held at The Chapel, Conway Funeral Home, 20 South Street, Wodonga at 10.30am on Friday, June 23, 2023.

At the conclusion of the service the cortege will depart for Wodonga Cemetery, Sangsters Road, Wodonga.

2017 Ford Ranger XLT, 121,000km, (1LP5RD), ARB bullbar, winch, driving lights and canopy, suspension done, RWC, $49,950.

Ph 0400 601 451.

REDUCED!

WM Statesman (1OJ9OS), immaculate condition, 229,000km, new timing chains, plugs, tyres, battery, Rego till April 2024, RWC, $11,000 ONO.

Ph 0438 217 103.

MCDONALD, Carole

Members of the Moyhu Rural Fire Brigade offer their sincere condolences to Craig, Emma and Shane on the passing of your mother Carole, and esteemed and much respected member of our brigade. Carole was the communications officer for the Moyhu Group for more than 30 years and was the familiar voice we all became accustomed to on Sunday Morning radio checks.

Thank you Carole. Rest in peace.

GRETA picked up a handy win at Moyhu on Saturday, the Blues triumphant 15.16 (106) to the Hoppers’ 5.8 (38).

Despite a scoreless second quarter, the Blues were in control for the majority of the game, with a 45-point final quarter assuring a boost for Greta’s percentage.

Greta’s Frazer Judd was on song up forward, finishing with seven goals for the match, while James McClounan, Paul Fruzynski and Zac Northey all turned in dominant performances.

SPORT

11

CLEARANCE: George Hearn thumps the ball out of the Hoppers’ defensive 50.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

OVENS AND KING SENIORS LADDER

BENALLA

MILAWA

SCOREBOARD RESERVES RESULTS

Benalla All Blacks .......7.8.50 Milawa ......................5.6.36

3.4 9.7 14.9 16.13.109

4.1

12.3

NETBALL SCORES

A GRADE:

Benalla All Blacks 31 def by Milawa 73

Goorambat 44 def Bright 21

Moyhu 31 def by Greta 52

B GRADE:

Benalla All Blacks 40 def by Milawa 42

Goorambat 42 def Bright 31

B RESERVE:

Benalla All Blacks 37 def by Milawa 40

Goorambat 16 def by Bright 74, Moyhu 37 def by Greta 44

C GRADE:

Benalla All Blacks 27 def Milawa 23

Goorambat 28 def by Bright 38

Moyhu 22 def by Greta 61

UNDER 15:

Benalla All Blacks 22 def Milawa 20

Moyhu 16 def by Greta 37

*Other results not available at time of print from Ovens and King website.

ROUND 12

SATURDAY, JUNE 24

BRIGHT vs BONNIE DOON

GRETA vs MILAWA

TARRAWINGEE vs GOORAMBAT

NORTH WANGARATTA vs BENALLA ALL BLACKS

MOYHU vs WHOROULY

KING VALLEY - BYE

GOORAMBAT

0.1 2.1 2.2 3.5.23

BRIGHT 3.6 5.10 9.13 11.17.83

GOALS: GOORAMBAT: Benjamin Reaburn 2, Dylan Beavis 1. BRIGHT: Cooper Thomason 4, Riley O’Shea 2, Tyler Thomason 2, Tex McIntosh 1, Max Rampling 1, Darcy Sholl 1. BEST: GOORAMBAT: Darcy Edgar, Jamie Dunne, Rick Walker, Charles Hunter, Ryan Burns, Jim Taylor. BRIGHT: Darcy Sholl, Alexander Dalbosco, Cooper Thomason, Tex McIntosh, Chad Martin, Kieren Jamieson.

MOYHU 1.2 2.6 3.7 2.8.38

GRETA 5.6 5.6 8.13 15.16.106

GOALS: MOYHU: Charlie West 3, Harrison Bell 1. GRETA: Frazer Judd 7, Lachie Kennett 3, Tyler Arrowsmith 1, Joshua Bell 1, Brodie Pearson 1, Ned Rohrt 1. BEST: MOYHU: Charlie West, Matthew Thrum, Liam Cook, George Hearn, Harrison Grant, Xavier Wales. GRETA: James McClounan, Frazer Judd, Paul Fruzynski, Bradley Whinray, Zac Northey, Thomas Rosser.

NORTH WANGARATTA 5.3 6.5 8.12 9.13.67

WHOROULY 0.0 5.3 6.5 9.6.60

BEST: BENALLA ALL BLACKS: Karl Mullins, Joshua Kotvas, Eoin Fitzgerald, Tomás Ó Suilleabháin, Ahren McNab, Jack Melrose. MILAWA: Michael Box, John Jones, Daniel Freeman, Hamish Falla, Dylan C Savage, James Peck. King Valley .............17.8.110 Tarrawingee ..............5.4.34

BEST: KING VALLEY: Bradley McPoyle, Alex Tatulaschwili, Brett Sessions, Shane Lindsay, Joel Burchall, Tomas Newton. TARRAWINGEE: Tyler Heywood, Cameron Kennedy, Ethan Ryan, Spencer Jones, Thomas Deans, Declan Espejo. Goorambat .................0.1.1 Bright ..................25.26.176

BEST: GOORAMBAT: Todd Haslam, Daniel Hooper, Aiden Phillips, Nathan Delaney, Declan Lawford, Jack Williams. BRIGHT: Guy Campbell, Thomas Mullane-Grant, Brodie Brain, Jed Pryor, Adam Whelann, Conner Forde. Moyhu ......................6.4.40 Greta ...................18.11.119

BEST: MOYHU: Thomas Clough, Logan Reynolds, Ryan Hargreaves, Anthony Welsh, Jonathan Hyde, kiangkai Douangphosay.

GRETA: Stewart McLeod, Jason Humphries, Trent Whitecross, James Sutton, Ben Monaghan, Chris Dube. North Wangaratta .....14.8.92

Whorouly ..................7.6.48

BEST: NORTH WANGARATTA: Luke Brown, Jamie Berry, Fraser White, Joshua Ismale, Chase Jackson, Hayden Gray.

WHOROULY: Jack Ruffordsharpe, Matthew Harris, Adam Harris, Corey Boyd, Kane Fitzpatrick, Peter Sang.

CAUGHT: Moyhu’s Jared Lea gets pinned with a great tackle.

ENTRY: Thomas Rosser lowers his eyes going forward.

TEAMWORK: Greta’s Paul Fruzynski and Cam Green keep the Hoppers off the ball. PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling

Greta Blues belt Moyhu Hoppers in percentage boosting game

Hawks hold on over Whorouly

NORTH Wangaratta managed to resist a charging Whorouly outfit to take the points 9.13 (67) to the Lions’ 9.6 (60) in a fiery hit-out at the windy North Wangaratta Recreation Reserve.

The Hawks set the tone for the match in the first term, keeping Whorouly scoreless while booting five majors of their own.

Clicking into gear, the visitors took control of the game, closing the gap to just eight points by halftime.

The physicality increased through the second half as both sides struggled for control of the flow of play, with the Hawks keeping Whorouly in the contest through sup-par execution in their forward line – North Wangaratta kicked 2.7 through the third term, with the margin at 19 points heading into the final quarter.

The Lions roared as the clock ticked down, as every goal brought the match closer and closer, but it was not enough to overcome the Hawks.

Six Hawks found their way onto the scoreboard, with Cooper Gracie, Tyler Nanson and Tyler Schulze all finishing with two goals, while Whorouly’s Riley Calvene and Josh Newton booted three each.

North Wangaratta coach Steve Manning said his squad stood up well against a challenging opponent in difficult conditions.

“With us having the breeze in that first quarter, we made the most of it, putting the score on the board and keeping Whorouly scoreless,” he said.

“It helped us set up the match,

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

but I thought it was pretty even.

“At times, we seemed to move the footy well from one end to the other and score, and our midfield had a good day as well.”

With the wind swirling the ball around, Manning said his side took a defensive approach to mitigate some of the unpredictability at play.

“It really was a mindset, defending the score we had in the second quarter,” he said.

“You go out there thinking you’ve got the wind against you so you play differently without doing it deliberately, you go on the back foot, you set up a little bit deeper and the way you play just changes a little bit.

“Whorouly were able to get on the front foot in that term and get themselves back in the contest, based pu rely on the conditions and the way we had to play.

“Tyler Schulze was excellent in the middle in the second and last quarter, he laid five excellent tackles that got him free kicks.

“Adam Enever in the backline took mark after mark, as did Pat Kelly.

“Our defence stood tall and our midfield went to work, and we were able to win or halve contests.

“It was a tough win, we were really pleased.”

The Hawks also picked up a win in the reserves match, home 14.8 (92) to 7.6 (48).

Tarrawingee on the up after downing King Valley Roos

By NATHAN DE VRIES

TARRAWINGEE’S senior squad celebrated their second win of the season with a three-point thriller over King Valley, 18.4 (112) to 16.13 (109).

A four goal to three first term showed just how close the match would be, with the Roos unable to capitalise on early chances to trail the Dogs by three points at the first break.

Tarrawingee turned up the heat in the second term, breaking out to a 14-point half-time lead off the back of an eightgoal quarter.

The Roos used the slight breeze at the Whitfield ground to hit back hard, evening the scores at the final break, setting the stage for a nail-biting final stanza.

Four behinds from King Valley proved the difference, as the Dogs kicked straight and true to take the victory in stunning fashion.

Ethan Roach ended with a bag of five goals, while tall timber Jarrod Everitt and the always-impressive Hugh Amery were among the best on ground for Tarrawingee.

For the Roos, co-coach Tony Ciancio booted three goals, along with Charlie Davies and Trey Vincent.

Tarrawingee co-coach Danyon

Hearne said his side’s resilience helped them get over the line.

“We got done by 20 goals against them first time around, and we were really disappointed with that effort round one,” he said.

“I thought everyone played their role really well, everyone had their moment in the match which helped us get that win.

“King Valley has a lot of firepower down forward, and they were able to hit the scoreboard as well, but we had the back six set all day and they worked tirelessly and got the job done.

“We’ve been on the receiving end of a couple of big losses this year - in these matches where we’re right in it, the boys aren’t taking it for granted.

“It really is a reward for all the hard work they’ve been putting in and the resilience they’ve shown.”

Hearne said his forwards and mids collaborated well to keep in the contest.

“The forward line with David Thayer, ‘Roachy’ (Ethan Roach), Matt Seymour, I thought they worked well together,” he said.

“They gave each other plenty of space and they were able to hit the scoreboard which was pleasing.

“Credit to the midfielders too, Jarrod Everitt, ‘Hughy’ (Hugh Amery), Seth Coonan – when they went in the middle they were getting clean entries which meant we were having decent shots on goal and not having to try and kick it from the boundary which always helps.

“Everyone put their head down and really dug deep which was nice.”

The win lifts Tarrawingee from the wooden spoon spot, while the Roos will sit outside the top six for another week.

In other round 11 matches, Milawa dispatched Benalla All Blacks 19.16 (130) to 1.5 (11), Bright belted Goorambat by 10 goals, Greta took down Moyhu 15.16 (106) to 5.8 (38), and North Wangaratta took the win over Whorouly by seven points.

BUILDING MOMENTUM: Matt Seymour and the Bulldogs are starting to string some strong form together.

PHOTO: Nathan de Vries

CAMEO: Josh Newton was impressive for Whorouly through the midfield and on the scoreboard.

GONE: David Killen gets run down by Luke Zanin.

QUICK STEP: Damien Bradley charges through the corridor in North Wangaratta’s seven-point win over Whorouly. PHOTOS: Nathan de Vries

Victorian sporting clubs rewarded for their road safety commitment

THE Transport Accident Commission will give thousands of football and netball clubs across Victoria an opportunity to share in $600,000 for kicking road safety goals this season.

The TAC‘s Head of Road Safety Samantha Cockfield joined with AFL Victoria and members of the Rumbalara Football Netball Club in Shepparton to launch this year‘s TAC Club Rewards Program.

The program is a key feature of the TAC‘s 32–year partnership with AFL Victoria, and rewards grassroots football and netball clubs with up to $10,000 for their efforts to promote road safety in their clubs and local communities.

In its fourth year, the TAC Club Rewards Program has provided more than $2.3 million to hundreds of Victorian football and netball clubs, which has helped with a range of initiatives, including facility improvements, the purchase of new equipment, training for members and offering safe transport from club events.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said the TAC‘s partnership with AFL Victoria provided an invaluable connection with thousands of communities that travel hundreds of kilometres to games and training every year.

“Victoria‘s grassroots football and netball clubs have strong community connections and a culture of looking out for their teammates,” Ms Horne said.

“This partnership allows us to reward clubs that proactively promote road safety throughout the season, injecting much–needed

support for club initiatives, while they help to keep our roads safe.”

Ms Cockfield said this year‘s TAC Club Rewards Program would encourage clubs to start conversations about the dangers of distracted driving, and the importance of remaining focused on the road.

Driving while distracted, particularly looking at a mobile phone, is one of the leading causes of trauma on Victoria‘s roads, and research shows a driver‘s risk of crashing doubles when they take their eyes off the road for just two seconds.

“Too many people have died on our roads this year, and we know that distracted driving is a key and prevalent issue among young to middle–aged drivers, thousands of whom spend many hours at local sporting clubs every week,” Ms Cockfield said.

“Victoria‘s football and netball clubs are often at the heart of their communities and prioritising road safety within local clubs could be the reason someone gets home safely, instead of a tragic alternative.”

Rumbalara Football Netball Club received $10,000 through last year‘s program; the club provides a driver mentor program to help members gain their licence and offers road safety education to junior members.

Last year, 150 clubs from across Victoria received a share of $500,000 through the program by showing initiative in promoting road safety in their clubs and communities.

The TAC‘s AFL Victoria Club Rewards Program will be open for applications until August and more information is available at www.aflvic.com.au/TACClubRewards.

Wangaratta FNC speaks on breach that led to loss of flag

■ From back page

The player was paid weekly over a 52 week period for his work in the marketing role after a figure was set and the club never revised that number which turned out to be too much and subsequently put the club over the cap.

“We want to stress that if we had found this error out two weeks into the season it would’ve been rectified,” Henry said.

“The weekly payment wasn’t too far off the correct amount but over a 52 week period that obviously adds up.

“We take full responsibility for the mistake and acknowledge that we need to be more on top of these things.”

The AFLNEB Disciplinary Board then handed down their punishments which the Wangaratta FNC accepted despite that they were rocked by the amount of the fine.

The club was told that if they to appeal the three sanctions they would risk further punishment if the decision wasn’t to go their way.

The club recognised their

options but decided to accept AFLNEB’s sanctions as they were under the impression that it was to be the final penalties.

Wangaratta was then told by the O&M that it was going to be a ‘rocky road ahead’ so an informal meeting was organised to discuss AFLNEB’s sanctions but there was no talk of the league stripping Wangaratta of the premiership.

Only a few days after the meeting the O&M decided that they thought it was necessary to strip the club of the premiership on top of AFLNEB’s sanctions, which caught the Magpies off guard.

Wangaratta decided to appeal the O&M’s decision as it thought it was too harsh, which was the start of a lengthy appeal process.

The club was given 48 hours to acknowledge that they were seeking to appeal the O&M’s decision via AFL Victoria and an appeal was granted six weeks after the initial acknowledgement.

The club and the O&M then were given a week to prepare their submissions for disciplinary board of which the O&M

were given an extension.

AFL Victoria give four reasons for appeal and Wangaratta seeked grounds for appeal through believing that the O&M’s decision was inconsistent with its own bylaws, in particular bylaw one which states “these bylaws must be read in conjunction with the rules and regulations of the AFL Victoria Country (the AFL VC Rules)”.

“In the event of any inconsistency between these bylaws and the AFL VC rules, the provisions of the AFL VC rules will prevail.”

They also believe that the decision was unreasonable and that the impact of the three sanctions handed down by AFLNEB, on top of the stripping of the flag by the O&M, were excessive compared to other salary breaches in other leagues and that a double penalty was unnecessary.

All three reasons that Wangaratta submitted were ruled against, leaving the 2022 season without a premiership, after a decision was made last Thursday.

Despite the disappointing outcome, Wangaratta is ready to move forward as a

club with both their senior football side and A grade netball side in contention to push deep in finals once again.

“We’ve built our club off the back of putting a lot of work into the development of local players,” Henry said.

“We supplement that with high quality players such as Ben Reid and Callum Moore to compete in the O&M competition.

“Our motivation comes from our local base, we had 17 one-pointers in our grand final side.

“We’ve put a lot of work into local players in both footy and netball through good coaching and good mentoring and that doesn’t change because of what’s happened over the past few months.

“We can’t be thankful enough of our supporters, sponsors and the footy community as a whole.”

At the halfway point of the season Wangaratta’s senior football side sits third on the ladder despite not being eligible for premiership points until round three, while the A grade netball team is second.

DECISION MADE: The Wangaratta Football Netball Club is disappointed with the decision to strip the club of the 2022 premiership that they won over Yarrawonga last year (pictured).

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY: Rumbalara FNC Club president Josh Atkinson with TAC head of road safety Samantha Cockfield at the launch of the TAC‘s Club Rewards Program.

Magpies break silence

Wangaratta FNC have spoken on the events that led to the stripping of 2022 premiership gpppgpp

WANGARATTA Football

Netball Club has broken its silence and want to move forward.

The Magpies learned their fate last Thursday after the AFL North East Border Region Appeal Committee handed down its decision regarding the appeal of the 2022 stripped

BY WILLSON MACK wmack@ nemedia.com.au

premiership and it was decided that the club would lose it off the back of a salary cap breach.

And understandably, the

club is disappointed with the outcome after already receiving a $28,000 fine, two less player points for the whole 2023 season, while they also couldn’t play for premiership points until round three by the AFLNEB Disciplinary Board.

Wangaratta Football Netball Club vice-president

Jon Henry said the club is disappointed with the outcome.

“We are deeply dissatisfied with the fact that two different governing bodies have issued rulings on the same offense,” Henry said.

“The unprecedented secondary punishment

imposed was manifestly excessive when compared to other clubs’ experiences under similar circumstances.”

Wangaratta self-reported a breach after it was discovered that a payment was set too high and had therefore gone over the cap.

A Wangaratta player was

given a marketing job at the club where a portion of his payment was based on his work in that role, as well as his work on field.

AFLNEB ticked the job off but a portion of the payment was to be included in the club’s salary cap for the 2022 season.

■ Continued page 19

GRETA’S Jarrod Morham tries to get away from the tackle of Ethan Rooney in his side’s 68-point smashing of Moyhu at Moyhu Recreation Reserve.

Story and photos: Page 17

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling