Mail - Mt Evelyn Star Mail - 5th April 2022

Mount Evelyn

Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

Mail

Commuters concerned about bus changes

A full Federal Budget break down

Mooroolbark Miniature Railway opens to the public

What’s on this Easter in the Valley

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PAGES 5-7

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INSIDE

A Star News Group Publication

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

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Legacy for Lucy

By Mikayla van Loon When eight year old Lucy McAleer was diagnosed with one of the rarest forms of brain cancer in July last year, the hope of her survival could not have been stronger from family and friends.

But just months after her diagnosis and weeks of treatment and hospital visits, little Lucy lost her battle with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) on the morning of Saturday 12 March.

In Lucy’s memory and to help children and families in the future who may be told of a DIPG diagnosis, Lucy’s parents Brian and Nicole McAleer have set up a fundraiser for vital research.

“DIPG is so rare and it’s the deadliest, it’s the worst of the worst,” Nicole said.

“Unfortunately, there was nothing more we could do and the hospital could do to treat Lucy so we’re now focused on the future and wanting to help get some breakthroughs in the research happening, even if to begin with that’s just extending the [life] for patients from weeks or months to months to years,” Brian said.

Called Lucy’s Legacy, the Lilydale family launched the fundraiser on social media and within 90 minutes they had reached their 30 day target of $5000.

“We expected that we would get the generous donations but not that fast, that really surprised us,” Brian said.

Within three days, the fundraiser reached a total of $12,700 for the dedicated charity RUN DIPG, an amount they hope only increases.

Continued page 3

Wine time Years 10, 11 and 12 students from Mount Lilydale Mercy College were busy working away on Friday 1 April picking grapes for this year’s vintage harvest.

As part of the schools agriculture studies that engages students at all year levels, the harvesting of the grapes is just a small part of the process students get to be involved in.

Winemaking is just one of the programs MLMC offers, alongside sheep shearing, fence building, grafting and orchard pruning, skills believed to benefit not only those who take part but the industry particularly in the Yarra Ranges who look to employ experienced workers.

To read more turn to page 10

Olivia Vandenberg and Ella McNair enjoyed the process of picking the grapes on the morning of Friday 1 April.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

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Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

ED kids extension

By Mikayla van Loon Maroondah Hospital will undergo some changes to better cater for children upon arrival to the emergency department.

As part of a contribution of $102.4 million towards five of Victoria’s busiest hospitals from the State government, Maroondah Hospital will see the addition of a new emergency department paediatric zone.

“The new emergency department paediatric zones are designed to provide children with a private, calm and compassionate environment while receiving care and reduce wait times and delays to treatment and recovery,” Eastern Victoria MP Harriet Shing said.

“Planning for this important project is continuing and we look forward to sharing more information with the local community in the coming months.”

The upgrades were announced as part of the State Budget in May 2021 but local MPs have signalled more information will be shared with the community soon.

As the major and closest hospital for the outer east, the Yarra Ranges could greatly benefit from the upgrades.

In addition to the paediatric zone, another $5.7 million will fund planning and business cases for new adult emergency departments at a further five hospitals including Maroondah.

Upgrades flagged in the State budget may be closer to being undertaken at Maroondah Hospital.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Little Lucy’s lasting legacy for rare DIPG From page 1 “Donations go towards the children, the families and the communities dealing with DIPG. So it’s about supporting bigger and better scientific and medical research projects over the long term,” Brian said.

“So I guess it’s just more funding for what they’re already doing and then probably helping them identify new medical trials that they can try because it’s quite limited at the moment in terms of the medical treatment out there.”

Lucy’s parents described her as a bit of a jokester and entrepreneur, with ideas always floating around her head, the last of which was a joke book.

“She was a little writer and I sat down with her and we made this little book of dad jokes, they’re pretty cheesy. We made these little pictures to go with them but there are six or seven jokes in this book,” Brian said.

At Lucy’s funeral, Brian and Nicole set out to keep their daughters entrepreneurial skills going by asking for donations in exchange for the book - over $800 was made in just that day.

More copies of the joke book will be made available, with someone already purchasing one in America and profits will be donated to the fundraiser.

Brian and Nicole said although her life was short lived, the impact their beautiful, strong and bright little girl made on people was evident in the close to 400 people present at her funeral and now with people from outside Australia donating to the RUN DIPG cause.

While for the most part Lucy was well and active after her five week intensive treatment period, Nicole said her decline happened rapidly at the beginning of January.

“So she was doing really, really well and about the fifth of January I noticed her speech was, if I wasn’t looking for it I wouldn’t have known, it was very slightly slurred and her balance was slightly off,” she said.

At her next MRI appointment, the doctors

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Lucy spent her last few weeks in hospital before the tumour overpowered her body.

Lucy McAleer was a bright, happy eight year old who loved animals, writing and her family.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Throughout her treatment and time in hospital, Nicole and Brian said Lucy was still in high spirits, always laughing.

indicated that the tumour had grown a miniscule amount but that it was causing these symptoms.

“We were due to go on our Make a Wish holiday the following Sunday and just in that week she went from being able to walk and talk quite well to by the end of the week we needed to organise a wheelchair while we were on holiday,” Nicole said.

From there the decline moved quickly to the point where Lucy could no longer eat, speak, drink or walk.

“She still had a really good spirit but she just went downhill and she was trapped in her body that wasn’t working,” Nicole said.

“The reason why so many people don’t know about it is because it is rare but it’s fa-

tal in practically 100 per cent of cases,” Brian said.

“We never knew about it beforehand and like anyone else, we never thought something like this would happen to one of our children and most people probably feel that way.

“There is research happening out there, but more research, more funding, more awareness needs to happen because on the list of cancers and illnesses that are most common, it’s not up there.”

To donate, find Lucy’s Legacy fundraiser on Facebook here https://www.facebook. com/lucyslegacypage/?ref=page_internal or visit the rundipg.org website to donate to the cause directly.

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At about 10.20pm on Sunday 3 April, a 26-yearold male driver was detected speeding at 84 km/h in a 70 km/h zone on Canterbury Road, Bayswater North.

Initially failing to stop, the male was quickly apprehended after he drove into a dead-end street and attempted to flee on foot.

The man was found to be a suspended learner permit holder and returned a positive result for illicit drugs.

His vehicle was immediately impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1,555.

He will face Court charged with multiple offences including failing to stop on police direction, learner unaccompanied, driving whilst suspended, breaching an alcohol interlock condition, speeding and drug-driving.

Almost all of the offences involved are applicable impound offences including, since March 2022, being an unaccompanied learner driver.

He faces a long stretch off the road if convicted.

From March 2022, the Road Safety Act legislation has been amended to allow for the impoundment of vehicles driven by unaccompanied learner permit holders – this was previously a penalty notice offence.

Toddler hit in Yarra Glen A toddler was struck by a vehicle in Yarra Glen early in the morning of Saturday 2 April.

Emergency services were called to the scene in the front driveway of an Armstrong Grove property at 7.25am Paramedics attended the scene and assessed the infant for an arm injury. The young child was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a stable condition.

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Victoria Police officially launched its Neighbourhood Policing initiative on Friday 1 April as a back-to-basics way to re-engage with the community after the pandemic.

Statewide, this will see police engage with the local community to strengthen relationships, share intelligence and find out what issues people care about most.

These are recorded in a community issues register with officers tasked to specifically address concerns and report back to residents on what’s been done.

These initiatives could already be seen coming into practice across the Yarra Ranges, with Lilydale’s station commander Mel Woods and emergency management coordinator Mark Knight drawing a focus to this type of policing when the Star Mail spoke to them in January.

“Our expectations will be that members actually can do foot patrols and speak to local traders. We are an intelligence led policing organisation now and our best intelligence comes from members of the public,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

“I really love the idea about getting police back in schools [for talks]. That’s one of my big things having come from a small station. You know your principals, you know the students, you know the staff, you have a great working relationship,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

“It will all flow in with the neighborhood policing. There’s schools within those areas that the sergeants will have, so that’ll be a big part of their responsibilities as well.”

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NEWS

Bus cuts cause concern

By Renee Wood Commuters are urging the State Government to review proposed changes for the Yarra Valley Bus Network, saying they are taking away a service which is vital to many.

The changes include making Route 684 start and finish at Chirnside Park Shopping Centre rather than continuing on to Southern Cross – meaning passengers will need to take a train from Lilydale station to get into the CBD. It’s a service Healesville commuter Naomi Simpson Wynd uses regularly.

“You’re saying improvement, but you’re cutting services,” Ms Simpson Wynd said.

Ms Simpson Wynd said the service allows her to have her independence and is of benefit to many elderly and disabled residents.

“A lot of people suffering anxiety problems, they have a lot of trouble getting on public transport. This one is a safe, secure transport for them to Melbourne.

“For anyone elderly, anyone with disabilities, it is so much to get this bus to Melbourne.

“It’s clean, it’s comfortable, it’s direct, which means when I go down to the city for any particular reason, or if I need to get to specialists or hospitals, I have direct access.”

Ms Simpson Wynd believes the transport changes from bus to train to trams will be a big disadvantage if the coach is lost.

“I feel safe, I feel secure, it’s less hazardous lugging cases onto station, standing there in the cold not feeling all that safe. Then getting to the city on a train and then having to get on a tram to go to a specialist or doctor. It’s all just a little bit too much to have to deal with.”

Ms Simpson Wynd was told by the bus driver of the proposed shortening of the route and instantly started sharing the service cuts to others and believes the State Government’s advertising stating ‘improvements’ is ambiguous.

Department of Transport representatives will be at Healesville Coles on Tuesday 5 March for an information session. 275115

Commuters are upset of proposed changes for the Yarra Valley bus network. 275115 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS “It’s a little bit deceptive in the advertising and two weeks is not enough for people to get informed and then take action.

“It was necessary 95 years ago, why is it less necessary now when there’s more people up there now than there was in the past?”

The service is also of high importance to tourism as it travels straight from Southern Cross to Eildon.

Other proposed changes to the network include removing Route 687 from Healesville to Chum Creek, consolidating Route 685 and 686 which will see some bus stops removed.

An information session was held at Healesville Coles on Thursday 31 March and some commuters are in support of the changes including Seth Lukas Hynes who uses the Route 686.

“I think these proposed changes to the local bus routes are overall very positive. Con-

solidating the bus routes (combining 686 with 685) and removing the almost vestigial Route 687 should make planning your bus route a lot simpler,” he said.

“I hope to see far more frequent bus times in Badger Creek once 686 and 685 are combined.”

Although Mr Hynes sympathizes with commuters on 684.

“Route 684 is a convenient and comfortable way for people who cannot drive but are uncomfortable with trains to reach the city, and while the train service is generally very clean and safe, trains pose a greater risk of disease transmission than buses.”

Eildon MP Cindy McLeish is also against the shakeup of the network.

“This is a major shakeup for the community. No longer can people catch a bus from Healesville directly to Eastland, St Vincent’s

hospital and Southern Cross Station. This means the trip into the city is all the more difficult with people expected to change to a train at Lilydale,” Ms McLeish said.

“Locals have told me they are nervous of using trains because of aggressive passenger behaviour and limited safety monitoring.”

Easter Member for Victoria Harriet Shing said she has raised this issue with the government.

“Having received this feedback from the community about the need for more time to be involved in consultations, I’ve raised this issue and will continue to advocate for changes to enable more opportunities to be provided for the local community,” Ms Shing said.

“These proposed changes will provide additional services, more efficient journeys and better coordination with trains.”

Further information sessions will be held at the Healesville Coles on Tuesday 5 April.

“I would encourage people to have their say via our online survey, by contacting PTV customer service team on 1800 800 007, or by attending the two information sessions on the 5th,” Ms Shing said.

For more information on the changes visit ptv.vic.gov.au/yarravalley Commuters can also call 1800 800 007 to provide feedback. Feedback submissions close Friday 8 April.

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BUDGET BREAK DOWN

Election budget revealed

By Parker McKenzie The focus of the 2022 federal budget was a preelection bid to combat the rising cost of living for Australians, with residents in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley set to see tax breaks, direct payments for welfare recipients and a reduction in the cost of fuel.

During his 2022 budget speech on 29 March, Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced a $420 “cost of living tax offset” for people earning less than $126,000 when they submit their tax returns later in the year, while pensioners and welfare recipients will receive $250 dollars to help soften the rising costs of living.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said more people are at work and fewer people are on welfare compared to a year ago.

“Individuals already receiving the low and middle-income tax offset will now receive up to $1,500 and couples up to $3,000 from the first of July this year,” he said.

“This measure comes on top of the $40 billion in tax relief already provided by our government since the start of the pandemic.”

People currently eligible for the low and middle income offset receive between $255 and $1080 dollars when they file their taxes, however, with the announced changes they will receive between $475 and $1500.

Mr Frydenberg said the $250 payment to pensioners and welfare recipients would be received within weeks.

“Six million Australians, pensioners, carers, veterans, job seekers eligible self-funded retirees and concession cardholders will benefit together within existing indexation arrangements,” he said.

“This will see a single pensioner receive more than $500 in additional support over the next six months just when they needed it most.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced the Federal Government’s pre-election budget.

Picture: ABC NEWS The tax offset and payments are a part of the Federal Government’s “cost of living” package to reduce the impact of inflation and rising prices, which also included efforts to reduce the cost of fuel, with Mr Frydenberg also announcing a cut to the fuel excise by 22c a litre.

The fuel excise tax has been cut in half from 44c to 22c for six months, as a temporary measure to reduce the impact of rising petrol prices.

Mr Fydenberg said events abroad — like the Russian invasion of Ukraine — have pushed the price of petrol up.

“A family with two cars who fill up once a week could save $30 a week or around $700 Over the next six months,” he said.

“Whether you’re dropping the kids at school driving to and from work, visiting family and

friends, it will cost less.”

Mr Frydenberg said the cut in fuel excise will take effect from 12am Wednesday 30 March.

“This cutting fuel excise which takes effect from midnight tonight will flow through to the bowser over the next two weeks,” he said.

“The competition watchdog will monitor retailers to make sure that the site savings are passed on in full.”

Also within the budget, $12 billion was also allocated in the budget towards road funding projects.

Tax deductions for small businesses that train new staff and invest in new digital economy were also included, with every $100 spent on these initiatives receiving a $120 tax deduction.

Wage subsidies for apprentices changed within the budget, with the previous Boosting Apprenticeship commencement scheme ending on 30 June.

New apprentices in “priority” occupations can receive up to $5000 and have up to $15,000 in wages subsidised. $9.9 billion has been invested in Australia’s cyber security capabilities and $6 billion has been allocated for a range of measures to aid flood-affected communities. $1.3 billion was allocated within the budget to end violence against women and children.

The Home Guarantee Scheme will be extended to 50,000 places per year, with $2 billion allocated to the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation in a bid to address rising house prices throughout the country.

The Federal Government also allocated $80 million in support for businesses to re-establish their export markets after they were heavily affected by the pandemic.

Those hoping for subsidies to encourage

the uptake of electric vehicles and renewable energy will be left disappointed, however, with yearly expenditure on climate change measures expected to drop by 35 per cent by 2026.

There has also been a reduction in funding for the arts, with regional arts funding falling from $18 million to $7.5 million and support for film and television falling by $45 million Labor budget reply: Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s budget reply focused on nursing in aged care, jobs through renewable energy, infrastructure and revitalising Australian manufacturing.

Mr Albanese said under a Labor government every aged care facility will be required to have a registered and qualified nurse on site every hour of every day.

“This will save thousands of stressful, expensive and ultimately unnecessary trips to hospital Emergency Departments, for issues a nurse could solve on the spot,” he said.

“Because every Australian living in aged care should get the medical attention they need, the moment they need it, day or night.”

He also outlined plans for ensuring residents in aged care facilities receive 215 minutes of care a day, backing a pay rise for aged care workers, better food for residents and giving the aged care Safety Commissioner more powers.

Mr Albanese said Labor will drive investment in cheap renewable energy and diversify the Australian economy.

“We’ll create 604,000 new jobs by 2030, with five out of every six in the regions, and lower power bills for households and businesses alike,” he said.

“Using our National Reconstruction Fund, we will work with business to help turn good ideas into good, secure jobs and new homegrown industries.”.

Labor Deputy Premier calls 2022 budget a “disgrace”

By Parker McKenzie Both federal and state Labor leadership have criticised the 2022 budget, with a lack of infrastructure funding for Victorian projects rasing the ire of the Deputy Premier.

“The Budget papers show that Victoria will get less than 6 per cent of new infrastructure spending and nothing at all from the new $7.1 billion regional investment fund, and that’s a disgrace.”

“On infrastructure, that’s $208 million versus $1.1 billion for Western Australia, $1.3 billion for New South Wales and $446 million for Queensland.”

The Suburban Rail Loop is a proposed 90km rail line linking Melbourne’s suburbs with each other due to commence this year, projected to cost between $50 and $100 bil-

Deputy Premier and Monbulk MP James Merlino called the funding allocation a “disgrace.”

Picture: ON FILE lion. The first portion of the loop proposed to be built runs between Southland station on the Frankston line and Box Hill station on the Lilydale line, which will take at least 25 years to complete.

The State Government requested $11.5 billion over the next decade for the project, which was rejected by the Federal Government.

The Victorian Parliament’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee report into Commonwealth Funding for Victoria, released earlier this month, noted in 2020-21 the state received 18.3 per cent of Commonwealth Infrastructure payments despite making up 25.9 per cent of the population.

In the 2022 budget, Victoria was allocated a 20.4 per cent of infrastructure funding over the next five years.

Federal Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the budget doesn’t make up for a decade of attacks on wages, job security and Medicare that have hurt communities like Casey.

“It’s a ploy for an election, not the plan for a better future Casey needs and deserve,” he said.

“The Budget confirms pay still won’t keep up with prices, and almost nothing to show for a trillion dollars in debt.”

Mr Chalmers said after the challenges and sacrifices made during the pandemic and natural disaster, Australians needed a better budget for a better future.

“Even these billions of dollars sprayed around on the eve of an election won’t go near topping up the $3,600 local families are already out of pocket last year because of skyrocketing costs of living,” he said.

“Scott Morrison is only pretending to care about the costs of living because he has to call an election in the next fortnight, and he’s running out of time.”

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MAIL 5

BUDGET BREAK DOWN

Family violence support

By Mikayla van Loon The prevention and intervention of family violence has been recognised as one of the key pillars in the federal budget for 2022-23.

Under the proposed new National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, the government has committed a total of $1.3 billion.

Four levels have been identified under the proposal, being prevention, early intervention, response and recovery and have each been allocated separate funding.

The breakdown includes $203.6 million for prevention measures like awareness-raising and education on consent, with $328.2 million for early intervention “including training for community frontline workers, health professionals and the justice sector”.

Extending the Escaping Violence Payment, $480.1 million has been proposed for the program to help victim-survivors recover from violence, while $290.9 million has been put towards what the budget papers call “a range of health and justice measures”.

The government has also allocated a sum of

$19 million for data collection and research for the next National Plan.

Program Manager of Inner and Outer East Family Violence at Anglicare Victoria and The Orange Door Erin Foot said one of the biggest issues surrounding family violence is the lack of education, so any work to improve that in the outer east would benefit the sector.

“A lot of people struggle to identify red flags and early indicators of violence in a relationship – slowly isolating someone from their friends and family, or controlling how they spend their money for example.

“Often victims are only provided with assistance once the violence becomes physical, despite them trying to get support well before it reaches that point. “Education, in the community as well as the service sector, is vital to help identify family violence in its early stages.”

Ms Foot said the sector is glad to receive whatever funding it can to go towards helping people identify violent situations, helping them leave and supporting them afterwards.

“Any funding that is directed to supporting women and children who have been impacted by family violence is very much welcomed.”

Climate hit

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By Tyler Wright

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Local climate action advocates are left bewildered at the Federal Government’s lack of funding for renewable energy in this year’s budget.

Australia’s Climate Council said 0.3 per cent of total expenditure for 2021-2024 has been dedicated to climate change initiatives, which will fall to 0.2 per cent in 2024-2026. Mandela Russell, 17 year old Dandenong Ranges local and member of the Mount Dandenong ‘School Strike 4 Climate’ movement, attended the Naarm or Melbourne march last Friday alongside other group members.

“Coming up to the election, we wanted to make the politicians aware about the decisions they have been making,” she said.

The march led into a weekend of multiple action events in conjunction with groups such as Extinction Rebellion, including a workshop on Saturday.

The Year 12 student said ahead of the federal election, the Federal Government needs to “face the issues” impacting all Australians, including First Nations Australians and children of this generation.

Dr Kathy Edwards is a Senior Lecturer in the Youth Work Program within the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University.

“I think young people will be very, very aware that the budget has done very little to actually realise the government’s 2050 emission target,” she said.

Dr Edwards said voters will be “quite angry” coming to election time because the Government is not taking into account the “reasoned arguments” made by young people; such as the impact of climate change.

She said investing in “environmental projects that are about creating renewable energy sources” would create jobs more effectively rather than the “sugar payments” proposed in the budget.

President of Healesville Community Renewable Energy Inc (Healesville CoRE) Jeff Barlow, said he would like to see two things from the Federal Government coming up to the election.

“One is a program for shutting down the coal fired power stations as quickly as possible and the gas fired power stations and phasing out coal mining as quickly as possible,” he said.

“And the second would have been implementing the bill that Dr. Helen Haines, the Independent MP for Indi introduced to the Parliament last year on Community Energy hubs throughout Australia.”

Mr Barlow said the impacts of climate change can be seen right across Australia, and locals have been expressing through conversation their frustration at a lack of action.

“We’re seeing changes in weather patterns, including storms that we had in the Dandenong Ranges last year, that created a lot of damage and brought down a lot of trees, create a lot of hardship for people.

And the increasing heat is drying out the bush and also creating worse conditions for fire storms,” he said. mailcommunity.com.au

BUDGET BREAK DOWN

Small biz set to benefit

By Parker McKenzie The Federal Government announced several new initiatives to support small businesses in the 2022 Federal Budget, including tax deductions for training employees and digital economy technology investments.

In his budget speech on Tuesday 29 March, Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced small businesses would be eligible to receive up to $100,000 in support from the schemes.

“Starting tonight for every $100 a small business spends on training their employees, they will get a $120 tax deduction, helping

them become more productive and competitive,” he said.

“We’re also backing small businesses that are embracing the digital revolution. From tonight, every $100 these small businesses spend on digital economy technologies like cloud computing, E-invoicing, cyber security and web design, they all get a $120 tax deduction.”

The treasurer spruiked the Liberal-National Coalition Government’s $13 billion investment in skills and training for apprentices during the speech and laid out their plans for future wage subsidies.

“A record 220,000 Australians now in a trade apprenticeship, the highest level since records

began back in 1963,” he said.

“Tonight we go further, with a $2.8 billion investment to increase the take up and completion rate for apprentices providing $5,000 payments to new apprentices and up to $15,000 in wage subsidies for employers who take them on.”

The new incentive scheme will replace the Boosting Apprenticeship commencement scheme, which ends on 30 June and offered employers a 50 per cent subsidy for apprentice wages up to $28,000 a year.

The new scheme offers lower-wage subsidies and is restricted in the occupations it is available for.

A smaller payment of $3,500 is available for occupations deemed “non-priority”, however, the list of priority and non-priority occupations has yet to be released.

925 residents from Belgrave, Selby, Emerald, Cockatoo, Ferntree Gully, Monbulk, Silvan, Mount Dandenong, Upwey, Tecoma, Boronia and Olinda commenced new apprenticeships from January until September in 2021, more than double the 435 who commenced apprenticeships in the same time period throughout 2020.

680 apprentices commenced employment in the same time period in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mixed response to proposed Afghanistan refugee relief

By Callum Ludwig The announcement of a bonus intake of 16,500 refugees from Afghanistan in the 2022/23 Federal Budget has left advocates for refugees feeling conflicted.

While the decision answers the calls for assistance for Afghan refugees after the Taliban gained control, the four-year span of the intake means only 4125 more people will be allowed into Australia each year.

Member of the Casey Grandmothers for Refugees Prue Licht said any improvement in refugee numbers from Afghanistan is great, but their pressing situation leaves them vulnerable.

“People who are currently waiting in Afghanistan are in danger all the time. By the time they can be helped, they may have been arrested or have been forced to flee somewhere else,” she said.

The Casey Grandmothers for Refugees protesting outside Tony Smith’s office on International Human Rights Day 2021.

Picture: ON FILE “As much as the government tried in August, it’s been too little and much too late.

While it’s fantastic that we’ve got 16,500, it should have been immediately.”

There was also no increase in the total

global intake of refugees in Australia per year, with the Federal Government choosing not to increase the 13,750 person cap they have adopted, not including the increase in Afghan refugees. This is down from the target of 18,750 places in 2019-2020.

Ms Licht said she hopes the cap will be removed.

“We need to be responsive to the situation around the world as things happen. The job will be almost insurmountable, but there needs to an agreement between governments about how the problem is managed,” she said.

“There are still thousands of people from Syria in camps in Jordan and Turkey. 13,000 people in Indonesia, as well as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, all over the Middle East, Africa, Iran and Iraq - now Ukraine as well.”

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre was critical of the missed opportunity to help

refugees, citing the exclusion of refugees on temporary visas from emergency support, the continued historically low refugee intake and the immigration detention regime as policy failures that will hurt the most vulnerable.

Last year, Australia only accepted 5,947 from across its humanitarian programs, well under the 13,750 cap and the lowest intake in nearly half a century.

Ms Licht said she hopes the Australian attitude and policy toward refugees changes.

“We should immediately end mandatory detention and offshore processing and change the fairly complex system of visas and citizenship here,” she said.

“Maybe we need to allow people who want to come here to do so in an ordered way with some practical help for them. We are short of workers here, particularly agricultural workers. There are people who will willingly work with skills that could readily be used.”

Covid relief funding winds up, causing dip in arts spend cally as an engagement hub and profiles the rich local talent. Ms Baker would like to see funding that could help create more employment within organisations like YAVA, especially for young creatives.

“If we were fully funded by Federal Government we would be able to offer more employment opportunities for locals to develop skills.”

Many young people are having to travel out of the area for work opportunities, something YAVA has knowledge in through its mentorship program. The program provided education to several mentees but Ms Baker said they are still travelling into the city in order to boost their careers and gain an income.

“If I could take on eight people a year then they could be part of the mentorship running a community arts organisation, providing transferable skills and it means they could learn here.”

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Regional Arts also saw a drop in funds from over $18 million to $7.5 million although Regional Arts Victoria said it is pleased the Regional Arts Fund will again be supported.

“This support is at pre-Covid levels, with provision for indexation, noting that over the past two years, we have received additional one-off funding packages for Covid-19 response and recovery programs delivered through the RAF,” a spokesperson said.

“RAA will receive close to $3.7 million for the Regional Arts Fund in 2022-3, as part of a $22.5 million grant over the six years 2022-2027.”

The spokesperson for the not-for-profit advocacy group said it has received up to $15 million dollars from the Recovery Boost program and the Cultural Tourism Accelorator Program in 2020 and 2021 financial years.

The Federal Arts Minister was contacted for comment.

12543485-SN14-22

The Federal Budget has seen a dip in arts and entertainment funding which has hit the hearts of community organisations who feel neglected.

After a tough time for the sector it was hoped more support would be provided to improve the outcomes for many creatives and build community resilience. Arts and cultural development went from $159,134,000 last year to $20,348,000 due to the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) winding up, arts training dipped by $236,000, while film and television and Screen Australia also saw deduction in funding from last year’s budget.

Yarra Valley Arts CEO Kate Baker said a lack of funding opportunities for community based arts organisations shows there is ‘little value’ for arts as a whole.

“We have so many creative people living

and creating, and it’s as if that’s not acknowledged as a valuable contribution to society,” Ms Baker said.

YAVA hasn’t received any federal funding in the past and receives philanthropic support and small portions of council and state funding opportunities. Ms Baker said if the Federal Government supported more grass roots groups it would help to shape a strong path forward – especially coming out of the pandemic.

“If we had state or federal funding that supports community arts organisations like ours then we would be able to provide an environment where the community could gather and share in the arts.

“There are so many side line benefits that benefit the overall health and wellbeing of society and economically.”

YAVA has limited paid staff and volunteers, with 230 members and it provides support lo-

12541412-HC12-22

By Renee Wood

The Star Mail is published by Paul Thomas for Star News Group Pty Ltd ABN 98 238 557 339. All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible. Distribution numbers, areas and coverage are estimates only. For terms and conditions please visit www.mailcommunity.com.au Print Post Number PP33445700014.

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Rejoice for rail return

By Mikayla van Loon

The Mooroolbark Miniature Railway made a return to the tracks on Sunday 27 March.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

The Mooroolbark Miniature Railway held its first public open day in two years last weekend bringing hundreds of people out to enjoy the circuit.

Although restricting the number of attendees to 300 per group and making it a free ticketed event across two sessions, club president Paul Hopwood said it was nice to see people

AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMIC PLAN Employment’s up, so we’re taking the next step.

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13.3 million

+260 , 000 More people in work

out and riding again.

“It’s nice to see the public having fun and enjoying [themselves]. There was a lot of up and down. Roughly, Sunday (27 March) was the first run in two full years of nothing,” he said.

While the shutdown period meant the public weren’t able to experience the downscaled trains, Mr Hopwood said it gave members a chance to repair and relay track.

“You see a track on the top of the ground.

We know what’s under the ground and the history that’s under the ground because the club’s been here for over 40 years,” he said.

“So there’s all sorts of incarnations from 40 years ago, 30 years ago, from 20 years ago and in bits of concrete. So you get to a point where there’s one, two, three generations of concrete that all come together and now we’ve put another generation over the top.”

Mr Hopwood said while some parts of the 840 metre track still run smoothly, works to replace 300 metres of mainline track were able to be undertaken during the Covid-19 period.

“It kept the public out and allowed us to do the job as a job would normally be done. You start at the beginning and just keep progressing through until you get to the end.

“We haven’t quite got to the end, this is all part of finishing off, so we’re not doing too badly.”

The upgrades meant Sunday’s opening day had less derailments and issues on the track because curves, dips and unsteady ground was fixed.

Once the track has been repaired, Mr Hopwood said the next task will be to improve and upgrade the signalling systems but it’s a long way away.

Getting back to a normal schedule of operating 11 months of the year on every fourth Sunday of the month is on the cards, although the limitations on numbers will remain.

With a drop in memberships, Mr Hopwood said groups of 300 patrons is as much as the members can handle for the next little while.

“The side effect of Covid and I’ve noticed this for all sorts of activity groups, memberships have dropped off and that has been the case here.

“We’ve only got 46 or 47 members as opposed to 55. So it makes it harder to actually run, especially when you’ve got to do seat cleaning and you’ve got to put a Covid marshal at the gate and all this.

“So there’s additional jobs that we never had to deal with in days gone by with a reduced number.”

Hoping to adjust as needed over the year to allow as many people to enjoy the railway, Mr Hopwood said more members would help get back to pre-Covid levels.

With mentoring on offer and no prior skills needed, the Mooroolbark Miniature Railway would be happy to welcome anyone with an interest in learning locomotives.

“We would like more members. There’s plenty of varied activities. The engineering subjects are catered for.”

than before COVID 13 million

March 2020 - January 2022 Data: ABS Labour Force, Australia

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

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NEWS

McDonald’s well lived life In a lifetime that has spanned 90 years, GEORGE MCDONALD has helped build the community of Mooroolbark in his 55 years living in the suburb. Recently celebrating his birthday, MR MCDONALD has reflected on his achievements and what it took to get to a point of creating a home for his family.

By Mikayla van Loon With a spring in his step and a mind as sharp as anything, the only signs of age for George McDonald is the almost pure white hair and the wrinkles that show a life well lived.

Born on 27 March 1932 and raised in Scotland, Mr McDonald said as a young lad of 15 years, he left school to do a five year course at trade college, where his savvy personality gave him the ability to get the most out of life and learning.

“What they did is gave you five trades and then after one year you had to pick two,” he said.

“So I discovered during my first year that if you became a coach builder, you were building chassis on vehicles, you were welding, you were putting wiring in the system for the lights on the buses that weren’t even built. So that’s the one I chose.”

By the time he was 21 years old, Mr McDonald decided to follow in his younger brother’s footsteps when completing his two year national service by getting a position in the Royal Air Force.

Determined to achieve a higher ranking than that of his brother as a senior aircraftman, Mr McDonald set out to find a way to do so.

Being a good badminton player, Mr McDonald challenged his officer to a game to inquire about the 10 month long atomic and gas warfare courses which were not normally open to national servicemen.

“I was determined to do it because if you

did that, you became a corporal. So I spent my 10 months doing the course and became a corporal,” he said.

“So that showed me in life if you really want something and you go after it, you can probably get it.”

Once his two years were up, Mr McDonald was ready to explore his options outside the RAF and having grown up in an agricultural area of Scotland, he decided to become a salesman of farming goods.

Although his first job wasn’t too successful, he was able to learn as much as he could from local farmers, a skill Mr McDonald would take with him when he applied for a position with an American company Rohm and Haas.

In May 1967 Mr McDonald’s new life abroad began to develop, although he hadn’t yet worked out where it would take him.

Never shying away from an opportunity, Mr McDonald was asked by the American director to travel to Philadelphia to help with the expansion of the company overseas.

For three weeks Mr McDonald met with colleges, veterinary clinics, suppliers and farmers across America. “[When I returned to Philadelphia, the directors] said ‘McDonald you’ve got this top job in Australia’ and I said ‘but you’ve never interviewed me’. They said everybody I spoke to in the last few weeks submitted reports about me.”

Coming to Australia six months later with his wife and two children, Mr McDonald began living in a hotel in Melbourne but on a day trip to Healesville and travelling back through Mooroolbark, he said he knew that’s where he wanted to live.

Star Mail will continue Mr McDonald’s story next week.

George McDonald has lived in Mooroolbark for 55 years and celebrated his 90th birthday on 27 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS March. 275034

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PROPERTY GUIDE Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

PROPERTY GUIDE Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

Back to school!

12477081-JW03-21

A Star News Group Publication

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School students across Victoria made their return to school following summer holidays, while 2021’s preps got their first taste of primary school life. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy conducted a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony for Badger Creek Primary School students and staff.

See page 7 for more back to school excitment.

Back to school!

TEST DRIVE NOW

School students across Victoria made their return to school following summer holidays, while 2021’s preps got their first taste of primary school life. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy

Centre in the lead up to Christmas. Many locals far and wide were able to keep up their Christmas tradition in getting a family photo with ‘The Real Santa’ who they had grown to love.

The unlikely tandem tallied upwards of $30,000 from their family Christmas photos and then selected four charities to each receive

$8400 to help make the lives of children better.

The four recipients of the funds included: Backpacks 4 Vic Kids, A Better Life For Foster Kids, HeartKids and Chum Creek’s Good Life Farm. The organisations shared how the funds had already been put to good use.

Backpacks 4 Vic Kids CEO and founder Sally Beard told Star Mail the donation came as a “delightful surprise”.

“We’re very, very grateful on behalf of the children, whose lives that it will impact,” she said. “We have absolutely put that money to good use.”

Ms Beard shared that the $8400 donation from Branded is aiding 112 children in need with care packs filled with toiletries, spare changes of clothes, a toy and more.

Continued page 2 12477022-SN06-21

It’s February, but Santa Claus’ gifts keep on coming for several charity organisations who benefited from a partnership between Saint Nick and Seville’s Branded Burger Bar. The burger bar came to the rescue when they partnered with Santa, who had seen his role replaced at Chirnside Park Shopping

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LILYDALE MITSUBISHI 56-70 Main Street Lilydale T 9735 5800

12525325-JW49-21

By Jed Lanyon

12481673-SN07-21

A worthy brand

www.lilydalemitsubishi.com.au Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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MAIL 9

NEWS

The schools vineyard is located on top of the hill.

Students methodically went through row of the vineyard to ensure every last grape was collected.

Olivia Symons was very careful in cutting the grapes off the vine.

Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Grape-ing good vintage

By Mikayla van Loon

It was a good harvest this year, with many buckets being filled with grapes.

Collecting the grapes was a joint effort from students in Years 10, 11 and 12.

12541893-DL14-22

Mount Lilydale Mercy College students were busy working away harvesting its crop of grapes ready to press down into wine last week.

Agriculture students from Years 10, 11 and 12 spent the morning on Friday 1 April picking grapes off the vines to put into a crusher and destemmer.

Farm manager and agriculture and horticulture teacher Tim Thompson said this was one of the most exciting stages of the wine making process for the students having started in winter last year.

“We prune really carefully so we maintain a consistent vintage every year and that’s one of the things the kids do in winter,” he said.

“Then in January, February we put on the nets and seal them down and then the kids start doing ripeness analysis of the fruit and pluck off the leaves around the bunches to make sure that they’ve got good access to sunlight to mature well, and then they pick.”

The harvested grapes will stay in the pot for a week, where they will be pushed down twice a day everyday before the next fun and dirty pressing day.

“It will be put into this tank to settle for a couple of weeks so that all the leaves and the dead skins fall out, then next term the kids will syphon or rack the juice off into a barrel and then it’ll stay in a barrel for 12 months before the kids bottle it as well,” Mr Thompson said.

While Mr Thompson said this part of the agriculture course is about teaching students the wine making process, there are a number of other skills required and taught in

“From this process, it ties into VCE chemistry, it ties into VCE maths and it ties into VCE biology but much more importantly, it ties into real world knowledge of skills that can make kids very employable.”

The success of the agriculture program at MLMC has seen past students go onto a varied field of work including professional winemakers, doctors in soil science, cattle stud owners and even bull riders.

“That’s an absolute thrill to think that a little tiny program in a school like this can achieve such great results for students.

“It’s really important that schools actually see where the need is in the community and actually see where the interest is in their students in delivering learning.”

Mr Thompson said the cohort of students who take part in agriculture studies at all year levels is about 50/50 in terms of students who come from agriculture backgrounds and those who have grown up in a suburban environment.

“The school is a conduit [in this peri-urban area], so our kids end up everywhere but the cool thing is we get students every year who are the first in their family to go to university and they go on to do agriculture. Why? Because it was relevant to them.”

Although Mr Thompson said winemaking is probably one of the more “glamorous” programs at the school, students have the ability to learn a wide variety of skills like shearing sheep, pruning in the orchard and vineyard, wire lifting and grafting roses in the nursery.

“So it’s not just for the academics, it’s for all kids.”

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OPINION

Engage in volunteering Volunteering has always been a strong fabric of the Yarra Ranges with so many great community groups and individuals working together to improve the area. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many volunteers had to stop their important work due to restrictions. Their absence was certainly felt across the community and in organisations. Volunteering Victoria estimated during the pandemic, 72 per cent of organisations’ volunteer programs were either only partially operational or non-operational, with 21 per cent of smaller volunteer organisations non-operational. Volunteering Victoria found that only 56 per cent of those who stopped volunteering due to Covid-19 had returned to their commitments in 2021.

It has been challenging for some volunteers to return to their programs after such a shake

Brighter note

The state of

affairs Cindy McLeish MP Member for Eildon up in the world. Some people remain cautious or have developed new routines and interests away from volunteering. It is important now to rebuild our strong volunteer base within the community. Volunteers keep our communities active, provide support and care for the elderly and they look after our beautiful natural envi-

ronment through Landcare groups. They are responsible for running our local junior and senior sporting clubs and at the times when the community is at its most vulnerable, our emergency services volunteers in the CFA and SES are there to protect us. It’s hard to think of any sector in the community that isn’t touched by volunteering. Without volunteers, communities across Victoria, especially in outer suburban and regional areas, would not function.

I believe one of the best things we can all do is to roll up our sleeves and get involved.

It is inspiring to see Landcare groups organising working bees again to improve local gardens and parks, community groups planning events and sporting clubs returning to the field.

Many of our local junior and senior sporting clubs, although training and competing again,

CARTOON

do not have the volunteer numbers they did pre-Covid. Sporting clubs rely heavily on the hard-work and dedication from volunteers to umpire, coach, run the canteen, keep score, organise events and fundraise. We saw what a negative impact the ban of local sports had on players and the community’s wellbeing during Covid-19 lockdown. It was a loss of activity and socialisation. I’m sure none of us want to see it happen again. We know sporting clubs play a crucial role in the community, encouraging children and adults to be active, work as a team, meet new people, and increase our mental health. If you can, I encourage you to get down to your local sporting club, community group, Landcare group, Youth Hub or wherever spikes your interest to roll up your sleeves and be a part of the important community fabric.

Former doc lifeblood of Morbius

By Giselle Leonard The flames danced, eagerly devouring the smoking wood. Faint cracks and pops fill the crisp night air. Brilliant shades of red and orange leap into the sky and thin trails of smoke curl their way into the star-strewn atmosphere.

Sparks flutter from the inferno like elegant moths and perch on the moist ground where their heat is instantly quelled. Coals smoulder brilliantly, full of mystery and intrigue they ripple into everchanging colours, bright against the solid black of the fire drum. The fire slowly burned through freezing air bringing warmth and hope.

Morbius Starring Jared Leto, Matt Smith and Adria Arjona Rated M Giselle Leonard writes for the Star Mail, bringing stories of her life to the rest of the community.

Engaging, entertaining, informative

By Christine Yunn-Yu Sun A review of Costa’s World by Costa Georgiadis Do you know the Eastern Regional Libraries have a Seed Library available at eight of its branch libraries?

In ERL’s words, it is “a free borrowing service aiming to cultivate a thriving community of gardeners and seed savers, while building and sharing knowledge, and fostering community resilience, self-reliance, and a culture of sharing”.

As we donate, borrow, sow and grow the seeds from our local libraries – and as the prices of fresh vegetables and fruit are likely to remain high for months – now is a good time to dig into Costa’s World by Costa Georgiadis, host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia.

Those expecting an easy-peasy read about growing flowers, herbs and vegetables will be pleasantly surprised, as the book reflects Costa’s philosophy and expertise in sustainability to such an extent that it can be seen as a great piece of popular science writing.

And it is much more than gardening. From biodiversity to biosecurity, from foraging to

farmers’ markets, from kids to communities, and from beneficial insects to chickens – it is all about living sustainably, regeneratively and harmoniously, with nature and with each other.

In his writing, Costa often mentions how his grandparents as first-generation migrants fostered his early interest in gardening and sharing, and how his parents built upon that foundation to infuse community in him.

“It was expected that we would participate in conversations and learn from everyone, no matter who they were, what they did, how old they were or what culture they came from... I see community gardens and the growing and sharing of food resonate with the same notes of inclusion and communal ethic that echoed throughout my youth.”

That resonance is prominent throughout the book, as Costa takes a holistic approach to inspiring innovation, connection and collaboration, as well as mutual understanding and respect. It applies not only to our friends and neighbours, but also to our environment and natural resources.

Costa also refers to numerous community

and school projects, as well as experts and industry professionals, whose visions, insights, achievements and hard-earned knowledge and skills have helped to make our world a better place. Readers are invited to “dig deeper”, learning from these role models and applying the principles to their own gardens.

The chapter on permaculture is one of the most explicit and accessible writings that anyone would ever see.

Also enjoyable are the chapters on various garden friends, as Costa’s love and passion for these creatures is so contagious, it brings a smile to your face.

Most importantly, there is an everlasting “infectious enthusiasm” in Costa that makes his writing engaging, entertaining and informative. In his own words, it is a “capacity to tell a story and create a narrative that shifts perspective and opens up new ways of thinking. looking and acting in the world”. It is every storyteller’s dream – to captivate, stimulate and excite.

As the book’s subtitle suggests, Costa’s World is all about “gardening for the soil, the soul and the suburbs”. Highly recommended.

A marvelous performance at the Bakery

By Peter Kemp The Bakery@1812 theatre in Ferntree Gully presented ‘Mr Bailey’s Minder’ as its first production for 2022.

A story about Leo Bailey, one of Australia’s greatest artists but now an alcoholic and a wreck of his former self. His daughter Margo finds a live-in minder to look after him.

The stage was set as Leo’s home, a complete wreck of a house with paintings all over the walls and floorboards all loose. A well done set. mailcommunity.com.au

Chris Hodson played Leo, a magnificent performance. I have reviewed Hodson many times over the years and I consider his portrayal as Leo is his best performance I have seen.

The balance of the cast kept up to the standard set by Hodson. The minder Therese was played by Danielle Payet. A good portrayal of a young lady desperate for a job. A moving performance and violent at times plus the language used in the production can be embarrassing though essential to the play.

Margo, Leo’s daughter, was given a good

performance by Jenny Lutz. A dominating person who did love her father but was stern when visiting. Caleb Hilbig played Gavin/ Karl. This is the first time Hilbig has played outside the Youth Theatre. Hilbig gave a fair performance and has the makings of a good career on stage.

An exhausting lay. Both for the players and the audience. It covered all aspects expected of theatre and Bakery@1812 put on a wonderful evening of theatre and is one not to be missed.

Morbius is a severely unfocused vampire action film carried by its antagonist.

Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a genius doctor with a debilitating blood disease, becomes a vampire in his quest for a cure.

The star attraction of Morbius is Michael’s brother Milo/Lucien (Matt Smith), who has the same blood disorder. The performances are solid yet very low-key, but Smith brings brash, swaggering life to the proceedings as a man who embraces his own vampirism and the monstrous freedom it gives him (and the Doctor Who references are amusing). The plot is driven by a decent sibling rivalry, with an effective twist in the second act.

Beyond the engaging clash between brothers, Morbius is slow, distracted and smothered in contrivance.

Michael and Milo’s characterisation feels reversed early on: Milo lashes out at a bully in an impulsive but understandable manner as a boy, but Michael is the one acting illegally and recklessly as an adult.

The film establishes the diminishing effect of artificial blood in keeping Michael’s vampirism stable, but this conflict lacks urgency later in the film. Michael’s romantic connection to Dr Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona) is superfluous, the film has a pointless subplot with two gormless investigators, and Jared Harris is wasted as Michael and Milo’s rarelyseen father.

A vampire action movie that shows barely any blood is a serious missed opportunity. The action scenes are short, hard-to-follow fogs of motion, and the climax is an absolute mess, with a Deus Ex Machina (resolution that comes out of nowhere) involving bats.

The trailers made Morbius look much worse than it really is, but it’s still an anaemic vampire movie made watchable by its villain, and is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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WELCOME TO SQUITCHY LANE CELLAR

Explore Squitchy Lane It’s autumn in the Yarra Valley, a picturesque time of year and a perfect time to visit and taste at the Valley’s finest wineries - if you are planning a trip to some of the more well-known wineries, be sure to also check out the smaller, family-owned independent cellar doors too.

One such vineyard, Squitchy Lane Wines (owned by Mike Fitzpatrick of Carlton Football Club fame), is off the well-worn path in the heart of Gruyere and as the 2022 vintage ends in the vineyard, the hard work is just getting underway for the winemakers.

Squitchy’s sales and marketing manager Michael Smith tells us that “although the crops were smaller than normal due to poor weather conditions in spring, the quality of the fruit is exceptional.“ “Our whites are in oak already and our red ferments are ticking along. The pinot is looking particularly fine so far.“ What happens next in the vineyard?

Well, for vineyard manager Steve Sadlier,

Check out all that Squitchy Lane has to offer.

work has already begun on a staged replanting program.

Industry trends, resilient rootstocks and shifting local conditions drive the program - so far, they’ve removed a small block of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc which has allowed new plantings of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

Malbec, a new varietal for this winery will be planted later in the year.

Visiting Squitchy is a real treat. Its intimate cellar door sits atop a hill with views over their vineyards, a quiet spot to enjoy a guided tasting and cheeseboard, featuring locally made Stone & Crow Cheese.

Looking to the future, Mr Smith mentioned there are plans to develop a private event space and premium accommodation offering.

Squitchy Lane Wines is open Friday to Sunday 11am -5pm and is located at 9 Medhurst Road, Gruyere, 5964 9114, squitchylane.com.au

Get off the beaten track and visit Squitchy Lane Vineyard.

9 MEDHURST ROAD, GRUYERE squitchylane.com.au Tastings | Friday - Sunday | 11am - 5pm

12541136-JC14-22

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GET BACK

TO THE FOOTY The Empowered Women in Trades two week course saw 11 women step outside their comfort zone to learn four different trades as well as confidence in themselves.

Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Tickets to selected games

Taste tester for trades

BUT HURRY!

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Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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By Mikayla van Loon Empowering women to take the leap into a career in the trades industry is what Empowered Women in Trades CEO Hacia Atherton set out to do with a two week pilot program.

While she was hopeful the program would be a success, the results exceeded expectations when celebrating the last day with a networking breakfast for the 11 participants on Friday 1 April at Lilydale’s Box Hill Institute.

“This is our first inaugural program, the Experience Trades Program and we had some incredibly courageous and brave women step completely outside of their comfort zone,” Ms Atherton said.

Seeing the skill shortage in trade based industries, as well as female financial hardship, Ms Atherton said she could see a gap that needed to be filled.

“The incredible thing about women and we’ve seen this through these programs, when they come together as a community, amazing things happen,” she said.

Yarra Ranges Council mayor Jim Child reflected these sentiments and said as some who began a trade himself in 1966 with 500 other men, seeing women take on trades now is such a parallel but a good one.

“To see this now empowering women to enter trades is just so wonderful,” he said.

“As far as Yarra Ranges is concerned, we welcome that. We’re looking at an industry which is our second biggest industry. It’s huge and we’re crying out for people to be joining trades and why shouldn’t a woman join a trade?”

For people like 28-year-old Audrey McKeon, having studied chemistry at university and entering a career in her chosen field, she began to find it “boring”.

“It was just repetitive and I’m a really handson person. I like to be doing something, I like to be challenged and it just wasn’t really that so I said, ‘Ok, I need to find something else’,” she said.

Originally from Ireland, Ms McKeon had been travelling around Australia where the construction industry had always intrigued her, although she felt there was a gap in how to get started as a woman.

“It just seemed totally out of reach for me because people would say ‘just go and do it’ and I was like but ‘how do I go and do it?,” she said.

Women like Tasha Komene who is in her forties and Lizzie Price in her thirties, had both made careers in residential support and nursing but always had a curiosity about trades.

“As much as I love nursing, I love hands-on stuff… I would never have done this on my own back by going ‘oh, I’m gonna just ring up a TAFE and find out what apprenticeships there are’ because I’ve got no idea but this has really opened up options,” Ms Price said.

“I’ve always thought that I want to do things

Tasha Komene was able to discuss her options with industry representatives like Sandra Marinacci-Orbach from Eric Jones Stair Building. myself, I don’t want to pay a tradie, so I teach myself through YouTube how to build things and how to renovate things. I’ve always wanted to go into the trades but I didn’t know how to get into it,” Ms Komene said.

All three women said initially they had no idea of the pathways and options available through the different trades they learnt about, being plumbing, automotive, carpentry and electrical but now the doors have really opened up to them and they are considering the various jobs.

“I personally would love to and they’ve shown us different areas if you didn’t particularly want to go and do an apprenticeship or work on the tools, they’ve given us so much information of other ways you could work in the industry but not being a tradesperson,” Ms McKeon said.

Ms Komene, Ms McKeon and Ms Price each said they had planned on potentially pursuing a career in carpentry but since learning about the other trades it has expanded their view of work in the trades.

“I’m a bit undecided on which direction I want to take because it’s opened up a whole lot of possibilities,” Ms Komene said.

Eric Jones Stair Building’s HR manager Sandra Marinacci-Orbach said it was a challenging time to find apprentices but she had seen interest from women spike, something very positive in the joinery industry.

“In the last 12 months I’ve been approached by a lot of females who are actually applying for apprenticeships, which is really good,” she said.

“So out of 16 apprentices we now have five women and that’s from the age of 19 to 22.”

The two week program run by EWIT was not only focused on the trades but on confidence and human skills, something Ms McKeon encouraged other women to try out.

“Whatever it is you’re interested in, just give it a shot because you’ve got nothing to lose by going and trying it. If you decide it’s not for you, then you’ve at least learned something, you can rule that out but you don’t know until you try.” mailcommunity.com.au

HAPPY EASTER

Firey tin rattle tradition CFA’s Knox Group of brigades, including Montrose CFA, has a long tradition of raising money for the Good Friday Appeal and this year will be no different.

Over the years the Group has just come short of their ultimate goal of reaching $40,000, so this year they are determined to reach that figure.

Knox Group consists of eight fire brigades covering Bayswater, Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Montrose, Rowville, Scoresby, The Basin and Upper Ferntree Gully.

Montrose CFA volunteer Eddie Tichelaar said they have local elderly residents walk up to them every year to donate money that they have saved throughout the year.

“Many no longer drive and enjoy just coming up and thanking CFA which is very generous,” he said.

Royal Children’s Hospital also has a special place in Eddie’s heart, with his daughter Danielle diagnosed with a congenital heart block 4 months before she was born.

Brigades in the Knox region will be out collecting donations for the Good Friday Appeal.

Picture: CFA “For the next 18 years the RCH was a second home for our family,” he said.

Knox Group CFA Secretary Darryl Cardona said he’s conducted a meeting with the group of brigades, and the target has been set, and

Volleyball teams from both local clubs and all over the state came dressed up and ready to compete in the 2021 Good Friday Appeal tournament.

Pictures: MAROONDAH VOLLEYBALL

they’re all on board.

Montrose Brigade will be rattling tins and collecting donations on Canterbury Rd and Mountain Hwy. Boronia CFA volunteer Bill Ireland has been raising money for the Good Friday Appeal for the last 50 years and said this year he will again be collecting money outside the Boronia Hotel on the corner of Boronia and Dorset Roads, as he does every year.

“Collecting money for the Good Friday Appeal gives me a great feeling. My son was a patient at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and he endured many operations, so it’s my pleasure to help the hospital and the children out”, he said.

And it’s not just the adults raising money this year, with the Boronia Juniors actively involved.

This year they will undertake a car wash at Fast Fuel Wantirna between 8am and 2pm, with hopes of raising $2,000 on the day.

Boronia Brigade Captain Ramon Relph said they have been doing this car washing event

for the past 6 years.

“We feel it gives our juniors a sense of achievement and involvement when they collect for the RCH”, he said.

“As the Captain it makes me proud to see the juniors give up their public holiday to help others. I have been in the CFA for over 20 years and look forward to Good Friday every year.”

Scoresby Fire Brigade will also be collecting money at BP Eastlink on the Thursday outbound, when half of Melbourne go to the Mornington Peninsula and again on Good Friday.

The Basin Brigade will collect at Burwood Hwy and Dawson St and just shy of the popular 1,000 steps at Upper Ferntree Gully.

CFA members have supported the Good Friday Appeal since 1951 (71 years), volunteering their time and raising funds for the hospital and have raised more than $35 million.

The 2022 Good Friday Appeal will be held on Friday 15 April.

Easter themed baked goods were also for sale.

Local craft stores set up stalls where goodies could be bought, all funds going to the fundraiser.

Spiking the volleyball for the Good Friday Appeal just stopping in, Ms Gordon said there would be heaps happening.

Building on the $8690 raised last year, the committee at Maroondah Volleyball wanted to increase the number of teams taking part in the three round tournament to 24.

“We wanted to grow a little bit on it this year. So as we’re a not-for-profit association one of our big things is to give back to the community wherever we can,” Ms Gordon said.

Because it was so popular last year, the committee has even expanded the number of Easter egg hunts that will happen throughout the day to four, so that more children can get involved.

Ms Gordon said the association has done other fundraising events for causes like breast cancer awareness but the Good Friday

By Mikayla van Loon Having held a successful fundraising day for the Good Friday Appeal last year, Maroondah Volleyball has brought back its charitable tournament for another year.

Hoping to reach a total of $10,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital, association secretary Catherine Gordon said there would be lots of gold coin donation activities for everyone, as well as some competitive volleyball.

“From team entries and sales on the day absolutely everything we raise goes back to the Good Friday Appeal,” she said.

With local craft stores setting up stalls, sausage sizzles, cake stands, Easter egg hunts and mini volleyball courts ready for children to learn some skills, whether coming to support a family member in the tournament or

Appeal seems to touch many people.

“There’s quite a few families that have been touched by the Good Friday Appeal in one way or another so they want to give back to the charity.”

As the only volleyball association in the eastern suburbs, teams come from all over Maroondah and the Yarra Ranges but the Good Friday Appeal fundraiser has drawn people from Geelong, Gippsland and Melbourne.

“It’s not just our pocket of people that play within our local association, it’s people that have come from outside the community.”

Using the Royal Children’s Hospital herself and with a number of coaches and players who have also used the facilities, Ms Gordon said she would love for the event to

become a yearly thing.

“We’ve got lots of people that it is obviously a place close to their hearts so it would be great if it was something that was just on everyone’s calendar and they knew that every year we were running this tournament.”

With still a few spots left to fill to make it to 24 teams, Ms Gordon said anyone interested in signing up a team would be welcome, as well as anyone who would like to volunteer on the day.

“If people want to get involved or want to volunteer, then there’s always opportunities for that. We are a community organisation and we are run by volunteers so the more help the better.”

The Good Friday Appeal Volleyball Tournament will be held on Friday 15 April from 9am to 4pm.

Residents invited to join churches for Easter services The celebration of Easter is not but two weeks away and local churches and parishes are preparing for the traditional masses.

Star Mail has put together a list of services being conducted in the area across the Easter weekend.

St John The Baptist Anglican Church corner of Jones and Castella Streets Lilydale Palm Sunday: 10 April 9am and 10.45am with the Procession of the Palms Maundy Thursday: 14 April at 7pm Good Friday: 15 April at 9.30am followed by Hot Cross Buns on the Lawn Easter Sunday: 17 April at 10am followed by an Easter egg hunt and egg and spoon race

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Outer Eastern Lutheran Church North Road Lilydale Good Friday: 15 April at 9.30am for Stations of the Cross and worship Easter Sunday: 17 April at 9.30am for worship and Holy Communion with guest preacher Phil Haar Discovery Church - Monbulk Road Mount Evelyn Thursday 14 April, 7.30pm - special online experience Good Friday: 15 April at 10am service onsite and online Saturday 16 April, 7.30pm - special online experience Easter Sunday: 17 April at 10am onsite and

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online service, 5pm service onsite Mount Evelyn Presbyterian Church Birmingham Road Mount Evelyn Good Friday: 15 April at 10am Easter Sunday: 17 April at 10am Life Ministry Church - Old Melbourne Road Chirnside Park Regular Sunday services at 10am and 6pm on Easter Sunday Mooroolbark Salvation Army Corps Manchester Road Chirnside Park Sunday worship 10am Mooroolbark Uniting Church St Margaret’s Hull Road Mooroolbark Good Friday: 15 April at 10am Easter Sunday: 17 April at 10am

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St Peter Julian Eymard Church Hull Road Mooroolbark Holy Thursday: 14 April at 7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed by night prayer Good Friday: 15 April Stations of the Cross at 10am followed by the Lord’s Passion at 3pm Holy Saturday: 16 April Easter Vigil at 7pm Easter Sunday: 17 April services at 9am and 11am Montrose Uniting Church corner of Gratten Road Montrose Good Friday: 15 April at 9.30am Easter Sunday: 17 April at 9.30am Kilsyth South Baptist Church Liverpool Road Kilsyth South Regular Sunday services at 10am and 6.30pm

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HAPPY EASTER

It’s all about Easter fun The Blue Lotus Water Garden have teamed up with Mad Hatter Theatrics and the Easter Bunny to provide a magical experience for children this coming Easter.

Eggcellent egg hunts will take place with the Easter Bunny and his storybook friends in the Flower Fairy Garden on Saturday 16th, Sunday 17 and Monday 18, April between 11am-1pm each day.

The Easter Bunny along with Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and other characters will be in the gardens to entertain the children. Once the egg hunts finish, the children will be invited to take part in a wonderful roving pantomime featuring everyone’s favourite storybook friends. To keep the kids occupied for the rest of their visit, we also offer Garden Spotto activity which encourages them to find many interesting things around the gardens including our new Cascadia Falls, Kids Play Castle and the garden’s friendly Dragons.

The Blue Lotus Water Garden offers a fantastic destination for families over April with over 14 acres of stunning lakes, waterfalls and amazing plant exhibits to explore. Thousands of autumn flowers including sunflowers, impatiens, petunias, begonias, salvias and many others provide colourful vistas as visitors wander the grounds. Special garden exhibits not to miss include the Kakadu Lagoon with its display of rare native Australia waterlilies and of course the amazing Giant Amazon Waterlily with its huge lily pads.

If you’re looking for a great place to go with the family these holidays, then the Blue Lotus Water Garden is a must. Its facilities are outstanding with dozens of Bali style picnic huts, numerous BBQs, the Lily Pond Cafe and Ice Cream Shop plus a great retail plant nursery and two gift shops.

Easter Ticket Prices: Adults $20, Senior/Pensioner $17.50, Egg Hunt + Child (0-15) $6, Child (0-3 excluding egg hunt) free For more information about the gardens, their Easter activities or to book tickets, please visit their website www.bluelotus.com.au or call 5967 2061.

* Egg Hunt Easter Saturday: 11am -1pm * Egg Hunt Easter Sunday: 11am -1pm * Egg Hunt Easter Monday: 11am -1pm

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HAPPY EASTER

Buns are a seasonal treat Easter in Australia is a time of chocolate eggs, cooler mornings and, of course, the smell of toasted hot cross buns.

Quick question before you bite into your fruity festive snack though: did you know it was once illegal to sell hot cross buns outside of Christmas and Good Friday?

These days hot cross buns seems to be available almost all year round. “ We believe it’s really special that we have certain foods at certain times of the year only, that can be celebrated for a short period of time,“ said Kylie Bray, the manager at Beech-

worth Bakery Healesville.

“When it comes to Hot cross buns, we are traditionalist, so they are absolutely only a seasonal thing for us.”

The first records of a spiced and crossed bun are from the 14th century in St Albans, England, where a monk distributed what he called a “St Albans bun“ to the poor on Good Friday.

The bun initially recognised Eostre, the Saxon goddess of spring, with each of the quadrants of the bun symbolising a different season: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The process of making and baking hot cross buns is meticulously planned at Beechworth Bakery.

“We take time and care to make our hot cross buns, because we know the longer the process the better the result,” Ms Bray said.

Beechworth Bakery is proud of their traditional recipe, which has been in use there for more than 36 years, and their customers passionately agree.

But the bakery is not afraid to branch out if their customers demand it.

“We like the classics and we have a lot of re-

spect for them,” Ms Bray said.

“When we do something, we want to do the best that we can and that, of course, also includes any new additions to our range.“ Following feedback from their customers, this year Beechworth Bakery have introduced chocolate hot cross buns.

“Our customers really love them, especially the ones that don’t like fruit in their buns,” Ms Bray said.

“And you know what? Because it’s Eastertime, it’s also okay to have chocolate for breakfast!”

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Beechworth Bakery Healesville | 316 Maroondah Hwy

Open 7am - 5pm every day (even over Easter) mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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MAIL 17

HAPPY EASTER

Berrylicious Easter eggs

By Renee Wood

Eggs will be hidden through the rows of berries on the 17 acre farm for the festival.

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John and Jola Stewart produce organically at the Wandin North farm.

The Easter Bunny will also make an appearance. 274900

U-pick sessions will also be part of the Easter Festival.

Jay Berries is hosting a special Easter affair once more at the farm, encouraging families to come and enjoy egg hunts, tractor rides, u-pick sessions and much more on Easter Sunday and Monday.

Tickets are open for the Easter Festival and events manager Justine Stewart said it’s something everyone looks forward to.

“We are a really family friendly farm and we want people to come and have a relaxing day and enjoy their time,” Ms Stewart said.

Easter egg hunts will be held for two to 16 year olds through the rows of strawberries, while a smaller version for the under twos will also be on offer.

Tractor tours are also available for anyone who’s interested in learning about the 17 acre farm and its history, something that’s regularly offered by owner John Stewart to share knowledge on their food production.

“We’re not classified organic but we run organically, we biologically control pests and use all organic fertilisers,” she said.

“Not a lot of farms are organic like we are and the most important thing for us is to produce natural healthy fresh produce that you can’t get in the stores.

“We were in the commercial industry for roughly 20 years and all the sprays that were on the fruit, we realised that’s not we want to eat so why give it to others, so we came out of the commercial business to go organic.”

U-pick sessions will be part of the ticket, with strawberries and raspberries to be ripe for the picking.

“For strawberries, we’ve got a decent crop now and in the next couple of weeks it’s only going to increase, so we will have a good to fantastic supply.

“Raspberries are a bit more reliant on the weather, so it depends on that over the next couple of weeks. We hope to have a light to medium supply of raspberries for Easter as well.”

The event will run Easter Sunday 17 April and Easter Monday 18 April from 8.30am to 4.30pm at 140 Wandin Creek Rd, Wandin East VIC 3139.

For more information visit https://jayberries.com.au/easter-festivities-2022/

Families hunting for eggs at last year’s Easter Festival at Jay Berry Farm.

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Victoria Road Primary School are hosting an Easter egg hunt on Saturday 16 April to raise funds for landscaping works.

Picture: UNSPLASH

We’re going egg hunting

By Mikayla van Loon After two years of being unable to do proper events for both the school and broader community, Victoria Road Primary School in Lilydale is eager to be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt on the Easter long weekend.

Although not something the school has ever done before, assistant principal Jane Searle said the parent fundraising committee saw it as a great opportunity to raise funds for the school and bring everyone together.

“Anything that’s been able to bring our community together has been cancelled or rescheduled or reorganised to online really since 2019. So it will be a nice opportunity to bring the community together as well,” she said.

Having been on the cards for a while, Ms Searle said the fundraiser will go towards improvements of the school’s grounds and particular outdoor learning areas.

“We’re raising the money for landscaping the top part of our school. All the funds will go towards that. It’s pretty drab at the moment. So we’re looking to have a complete overhaul really in that area, including all sorts of learning spaces and outside play spaces.”

Wanting to work with the children in outdoor spaces in creative ways, the school already has a small permaculture garden and greenhouse for its herbology gardening program, a reference to the Harry Potter name for plant studies.

Inspiring the children to learn outdoors, be creative and understand the gardening process, Ms Searle said the school community and parents hope to expand the develop-

Landscaping works will overhaul the school grounds and outdoor learning spaces for the students. ment into other areas.

“Long term, what we’d like to be able to do is continue to fundraise money and shift what is currently an unused block in the school into a kitchen space so that we can grow our own produce and sell it at the canteen and see the plant to plate type thing playing out.”

On Saturday 16 April the school will be hosting three Easter egg hunt sessions to be booked by families with the times being 10.30am, 11.15am and 12pm.

A sausage sizzle, ice cream and coffee van, as well as arts, crafts and other activities will be set up for people to enjoy before and after the egg hunt on the oval.

Ms Searle said the day is open to everyone, not just the school community and she hopes people take advantage of the event.

Tickets are $10 and bookings need to be made for each egg hunt time slot.

The benefits of craft in an uncertain world

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that life is to be celebrated and it’s the simple things that matter the most,” says craft expert Shannon Wong-Nizic, from Oh Creative Day. Picture: SUPPLIED 18 MAIL

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Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

There’s no doubt about it, the last two years have been a rollercoaster ride of change, fear and uncertainty. However, one thing that many of us have relied on is the security of home and the everyday joy found in simple pleasures.

School teacher and craft expert Shannon Wong-Nizic says that this is particularly true when it comes to children, who benefit enormously from home-based ‘back to basics’ activities such as crafting, needlework and baking.

“Creative pursuits help children feel grounded and calm - it requires them to busy their hands, put down their screens, still their minds and be present in the moment,” Shannon says.

“These are such important self-care skills for little ones to learn growing up in today’s fast-paced, news-driven world.”

Shannon says that Easter is the perfect time for parents to connect with their children through craft.

“Holiday periods like Easter provide us with a beautiful opportunity to create calming family traditions, particularly after so many of us have had a turbulent school term dealing with issues surrounding COVID,” she says.

To help create a ‘calming craft bubble’ in your home this Easter, Shannon has put together some inspirational Easter craft activities – a cute Easter Bilby hat, perfect for the Easter Hat Parade and an ‘Eggscellent Spoon-

ville’ activity whereby you can decorate wooden spoons to look like Easter Eggs and plant them around your neighbourhood.

To download Shannon’s Easter craft templates and how-to’s, visit: visit: www.pilotpen. com.au.

“Spoonville is a wonderful way to connect with friends and neighbours through sharing the joy of craft - what better time than Easter to take the time to have some fun!” says Shannon.

Shannon Wong-Nizic is a teacher, mum of three and avid crafter. She runs a popular blog and online parenting resource dedicated to all things creative, www.ohcreativeday.com/. mailcommunity.com.au

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Comedy in Croydon

By Mikayla van Loon The wildly outrageous and best bits of the Adelaide Fringe Festival will be arriving on the eastern suburbs’ doorstep next week as Gluttony on Tour sets up at Croydon Park.

With acts of singing, dancing, acrobatics, circus and more, there’s truly something for everyone to experience each night.

Kicking off on Wednesday 6 April, performers like Stewart Reeve, Prinnie Stevens and Minnie Andrews will take to the stage in their respective shows Rebel, Ladies Night and Shake It, each different in their own right but guaranteed to entertain.

Celebrate women’s empowerment as Prinnie joins the stage with Paulini and Faskia to sing some of the classics from Destiny’s Child and Donna Summer just to name a few.

“It’s everything you love about women and women empowerment. It’s all up tempo, so it’s all party stuff and is set up for girls to come out and have a great time,” Prinnie said.

“This show is going through the ages of girl groups and female empowerment songs and celebrating all three of us as individuals, and then just celebrating everyone in the audience and all the stages of where they’re at.”

Rebel, Stewart said, is a “glam rock circus tribute show to David Bowie” that aims to amaze with all the weird, wonderful and unique aspects piled into the performance.

“The people in the band, who play the live music, are also doing all of the acts on stage so we have this really unique crossover,” he said.

“We’ve got aerial acts, we’ve got bottle walking, there’s hula hoops, there’s all sorts of crazy stuff going on all this time while I’m just signing.”

Showing off her singing voice in Shake It is Minnie where she is joined by acrobats, clowns

Greig Fraser has been awarded best cinematography for his work on ‘Dune’ at the Academy Awards.

Picture: ARRI

The best of the Adelaide Fringe Festival will be lining up on stage at Croydon Park ready to give performances like no other.

Picture: UNSPLASH and burlesque dancers in an hour long performance.

While getting back on any stage after two years of no performances is a relief for these three artists, they all said it was even more incredible to be bringing the festival to the suburbs rather than the city.

“Both Paulini and myself, we’re both Islanders, she’s Fijian, and I’m Tongan and so we make it our business to get out to the communities and do that stuff. That’s where we grew up. So for us it’s like going home,” Prinnie said.

“To me, especially in the pandemic everybody has continued to want to stay local and I think not everybody travels to the city anymore for shows.”

For Stewart who said he has probably squeezed two years worth of work into a couple of months, he has really noticed the regional or more suburban areas embracing theatre and festivals like Gluttony on Tour.

But getting to perform in Croydon is even

more special for Minnie having grown up in The Basin.

“I lived there for 20 years or something like that and I’m so excited to be doing something so close to my hometown because I’ve done shows all over Australia but I’ve never done anything this close to home before,” she said.

“My older sister, she’s bringing all her friends who I grew up with, all of my friends are coming so it’s super exciting to me in that sense.”

Minnie said coming to see any of the shows won’t disappoint, as all of the performers are world class, with Steve adding that it caters to everyone’s tastes, from children to adults it’s very inclusive.

“We just want everyone to have a good time.

We’ve had the worst couple years, all of us. So this is the best time to come and let your hair down and laugh at us and that’s what we want.

We just want you to forget all your troubles for an hour and sit with us and just have the best time,” Minnie said.

Oscar win for local From a boy who attended high school in Croydon to a now Oscar Award winning cinematographer, Greig Fraser has represented his local community on one of the biggest world stages.

The Luther College alumni has brought home Australia’s next Academy Award for his work on the blockbuster film ‘Dune’.

Although now based in Los Angeles, in an interview with the ABC Fraser said he was proud to bring home the award to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

“I was doing it specifically for the eastern suburbs, for the Lilydale line,” he said in the interview.

Fraser’s resume also includes work on the films ‘The Batman’, ‘Lion’ and ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’. He also won an Emmy Award for the television series ‘The Mandalorian’ in 2020.

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MAIL 19

MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Lilydale Medical Clinic. 274300

Clinics for the community Lilydale and Chirnside Park Medical Clinics are family-run practices that are driven to provide a caring approach in a modern and comfortable environment.

Open for a combined 10 years, the two clinic locations help foster a strong connection to the community, where local residents are of the utmost importance.

Clinic GPs have interests varying from family and paediatric medicine to men’s and women’s health, as well as chronic disease management. Several of the clinics’ doctors are also

expertly trained in wound care, and all GPs take a keen interest in mental health matters.

The clinics are open seven days as well as weekends and public holidays, so both regular and new patients have access to medical services whenever they need it.

Driven by a desire to help the local community to be as healthy as possible, both the Lilydale and Chirnside Park clinics offer state of the art technologies, including onsite pathology collection.

The Lilydale clinic has mole mapping

technology that is operated by a skin cancer accredited doctor, and a cosmetic physician provides services at the newly renovated Chirnside Park clinic, offering everything from facials to PRP for skin rejuvenation and hair loss.

With a proudly diverse team of staff, both clinics are able to offer consultations in at least five languages other than English.

The friendly reception team can help patients to book appointments with a doctor that suits everyone’s personalised cultural

and language needs.

Bulk billing services are also offered for the convenience of patients and carers.

Chirnside Park Medical Centre is located at Shop 710, 239-241 Maroondah Highway, Chirnside Park.

Lilydale Medical Clinic is located at Shop 3, 33 Hutchinson Street, Lilydale.

For more information, opening hours or to make an appointment, visit www.chirnsidemedical.com or www.lilydalemedical.com.

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MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Dr Anthony Brown, Dr Khai Mark and Dr Farhat Zia are part of the expert medical team at Mandala Clinic.

Picture: SUPPLIED

New GPs join Mandala

By Elle Cecil Established in 1980 by its principal, Dr Khai Mark, Mandala Clinic has developed a reputation of delivering personalised care plans to effectively treat patients’ medical conditions and maintain wellbeing in a professional, friendly and comfortable environment. It has earned the reputation of providing supportive, compassionate and highly competent care to residents of the region for over 40 years.

In 2021, Mandala Clinic in Emerald wel-

comed a new general practitioner, Dr Farhat Zia. With 15 years of experience treating patients, Dr Zia has a special interest in adult, child and adolescent mental health, men’s and women’s health, and implanon insertion and removal. Dr Zia enjoys all aspects of general practice family medicine and chronic disease management.

In 2022, Dr Anthony Brown became Mandala Clinic’s newest full-time male GP. With more than 15 years of general medicine experience, Dr Brown is passionate about holis-

THE FAMILY FRIENDLY MEDICAL CLINIC

tic medicine, especially around lifestyle and promoting healthier habits to improve patients’ health and wellbeing. Dr Brown’s areas of particular interest include lifestyle medicine, mental health and family medicine of all ages, general practice procedures and skin cancer including skin checks and skin cancer removal.

Mandala Clinic provides high-quality medical care to residents of Emerald and surrounding areas, including mental health treatmentplans, chronic disease care plans,

THE FAMILY FRIENDLY MEDICAL CLINIC

It is our great pleasure to welcome our new GP Dr Anthony Brown, who is now consulting at Mandala Clinic.

It is our great pleasure to welcome our new GP, Dr Farhat Zia, is now consulting at Mandala Clinic.

Dr Brown enjoys all aspects of general practice family medicine and chronic disease management.

Dr Brown has special interest in lifestyle medicine, family medicine all ages, mental health and skin cancer checks. He can also perform general practice procedures and skin cancer removal.

Dr Zia enjoys all aspects of general practice family medicine and chronic disease management.

Dr Zia has special interest in Adult, child & adolescence mental health, men’s & women’s health and skin cancer check. Dr Zia can perform some procedures such as removal of skin lesions, implanon insertion and removal.

Please call our clinic to book an appointment with Dr Brown or book online via healthengine.com.au or our website.

Doctors: Dr Khai Mark, MBBS Dr Anthony Brown, MBBS, FRACGP Dr Farhat Zia, MBBS, FRACGP 12540109-HC14-22

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heart healthassessments and annual health assessments(ages 45-49 and 75+), while offering bulk-billing to patients aged 16 years and under. Newpatients are welcome at Mandala Clinic.

Mandala Clinic is located at 360 Belgrave Gembrook Road, Emerald. Inquiries: phone(03) 5968 3733 or email reception@emeraldsuperclinic.com Opening hours are Mon-Fri:9am-5pm, Sat: 9am-12pm.

Please call our clinic to book an appointment with Dr Zia or book online via healthengine.com.au or our website.

We offer Care Plan Assessments and new patients are welcome.

We offer Care Plan Assessments and new patients are welcome.

Mental Health Treatment Plan, Chronic Disease Care Plans and Children under 16 years are eligible for bulk billing.

Mental Health Treatment Plan, Chronic Disease Care Plans and Children under 16 years are eligible for bulk billing.

Mandala Clinic 360 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Emerald Phone: 5968 3733 Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm | Sat: 9am-12pm Closed on Sunday and Pubic Holidays

www.mandalaclinic.com.au

Doctors: Dr Khai Mark, MBBS Dr Anthony Brown MBBS, FRACGP

Mandala Clinic 360 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Emerald Phone: 5968 3733 Opening Hours:

Dr Farhat Zia, MBBS,

Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm | Sat: 9am-12pm Closed on Sunday and Pubic Holidays

FRACGP

www.mandalaclinic.com.au

12540110-CG14-22

Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

|

MAIL 21

ACROSS THE VALLEY

Messages of kindness have been decorated by the students and have been placed around the gateway shops. 275237

Coldstream Primary School students took part in the launch event for the Coldstream Culture Pictures: YRC Walk. 275237

Kofi African drumming was part of the celebration. 275237

The culture walk along Maroondah Highway in Coldstream highlights local history and culture.

Coldy’s path for culture Coldstream Culture Walk has opened to the public acknowledging the local history, culture and connection to country along the path that spans through the town.

Art installations, snippets of history, a yarning circle and decorations by Coldstream Primary School students have been set up along the way, sharing the stories of Coldstream - a project that first started in 2014 through Coldstream Voice.

The launch event was held on Friday 25 March gathering the community and students, with Cr Fiona McAllister opening the walk.

“The finished cultural walk will now run from the primary school and preschool precinct, through Margaret Lewis Reserve and the Gateway, then along the highway to connect

all of Coldstream,” Cr McAllister said.

“Along the way you’ll be able to read about parts of Coldstream’s history – such as the Model T allegedly buried below the Coldstream Oval, the hall that burned down twice and the memorial for Val Sheehan, a cornerstone of the community.”

The messages of kindness and pom poms now hanging from the trees along the walk at the north gateway shops were created by Coldstream students during lockdown.

Principal Phillippa Adgemis said the students wanted to create something as a sign of comfort for others.

“A couple of the older children were a bit concerned about the amount of anxiety in the community and the stress and unhappiness,

and they were talking about what they could do to brighten up Coldstream,” Ms Adgemis said.

The path is also important to help the local younger generation connect with the region and community, while learning about its history. “I really think it’s important that children have input into their community because it’s that sense of place that you really need and the more globalized we become, and the easier it is to move around, the more you need to know who you are and where you’ve come from and what your origins and roots are.”

Cr McAllister paid tribute at the launch to the community members who made this project a reality through Coldstream Voice.

“The need for a path connecting the town was identified during the community planning Council

ran in Coldstream in 2014,” she said.

“Coldstream Voice then developed this idea further, gathering stories from community members through their Coldstream Stories project and formed a sub-committee, all of which has made this cultural walk a reality.

“This is a wonderful example of a project that meets the needs of the community, shaped by the people in that community, and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by people for many years to come.”

The Futures Past art installation on the path near Coombe on the cultural walk depicts a structure that would have existed in Coldstream’s early years. Made of two large glass panels, the artwork changes when viewed from different spots on the path. Boral Quarries funded the project alongside Council.

The Autumn Edition of your favourite family magazine is out now...

Pick up a printed copy of Yarra Ranges Kids Today Magazine from outlets everywhere.

12540256-SG12-22

Or, read the full digital edition as it appears in print now!

Read it now Scan the QR CODE

OR VISIT: yarrarangeskids.com.au/digital-editions 22 MAIL

|

Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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Local tree tops poll

By Renee Wood The Eucalyptus regnans, the Mountain Ash, has been dubbed the Eucalypt of the Year for 2022 following a national poll by Eucalypt Australia.

The competition has been running for five years and the votes quadrupled from last year, with the most going towards the Mountain Ash which is one of the principal forest trees in the Yarra Ranges area.

Eucalypt Australia Linda Baird said it’s unique in Australia and internationally.

“It’s the tallest flowering tree or plant of any description in the world, we actually hold that, that is our native tree,” Ms Baird said.

One of the tallest Eucalyptus regnans in the Black Spur stands at 86 metres tall and the tallest known is in Tasmania at 100.5 metres.

“The interesting thing is that the tallest isn’t necessarily the oldest – they gain girth.”

“So they grow up really tall and straight, and then they just get wider and wider and wider.”

The tree is also vital to local biodiversity, home to threatened species through hollows including the Leadbeater’s Possum and Greater Glider.

They also face growing issues when fire events sweep through their habitat.

“They are obligate seeders – when the regnans get fire on fire on fire it’s really difficult for them because their seeds will only be viable once they become mature and they take around 20 years to become mature.

“If you’re getting back to back fire events, that gets really really difficult.”

The poll aims to engage with the public to promote the diversity of Eucalypts, with 988 species, and to grow a greater understanding of what’s in your urban environment.

A hotly contested second place went to

The Ada Tree near Powelltown is a popular Mountain Ash. Picture: ON FILE the Red Flowering Gum, Corymbia ficifolia and the Sydney Red Gum, Angophora costata, came in third.

Ms Baird said the poll delivered a healthy competition on social media as those in the West rallied to back the Red Flowering Gum, with a sense of pride growing among voters about what’s in their backyard.

For those wishing to see a Mountain Ash, they can be spotted in many areas across the Yarra Ranges including in the Upper Yarra and the Dandenong Ranges.

The Ada Tree is also a popular Victorian mountain ash in Powelltown, which stands at around 76 metres tall and is estimated to be over 300 years old.

Walking tracks to see the giant Eucalyptus can be accessed by the Ada Tree Picnic Area and car park on Ada River Road, Powelltown.

Wombat mange spotting

By Tyler Wright Mange Management is urging locals to report wildlife who appear to be affected by mange, after a hills resident recently spotted a wombat suffering from the condition at Emerald Lake.

The skin infection caused by a parasitic mite can infect both mammals and humans with signs of the disease including intense itching, thickening of the skin, lethargy and lack of awareness, according to Wildlife Health Australia.

Katja Gutwein, secretary and founding member of Mange Management, the cooler temperament in from Autumn through to early Spring leads to an increase in reports of mange in wildlife, and increased community awareness is vital.

“Some people think it’s mud on the wombat, or just a skin rash. They don’t realise they’re going to perish if they don’t get treated,” Mrs Gutwein said.

“One thing we’d like to see is that a population survey is being done, coordinated by the State Government, because we need to have a baseline on how many wombats we’ve got in total, and how many of them have mange,” she said.

Emerald local Katrina Chart posted an image on a local Facebook page taken by her daughter of a wombat with severe skin dryness and suspected mange.

“It broke my heart to see the poor Wombat looking like this. I was thinking how it must be in so much pain, I just wanted to get it some help,” Miss Chart told Star Mail.

The wombat was spotted on Sunday at the back of Emerald Lake and Miss Chart said it is the first she has seen in the area.

Mrs Gutwein said while not enough remailcommunity.com.au

Suspected mange infected wombat spotted at the back of Emerald Lake.

Picture: SUPPLIED search has been done into how these parasitic mites are surviving, the climate around areas like Gembrook and Emerald could explain increased sightings of infected wildlife.

Mange Management provides education and advice on the condition across the state, while gathering data and resources to help affected animals and reduce the spread.

It also offers free direct application Cydectin treatment kit for landowners to treat affected wombats on their property, with a ‘burrow flap’ also available to avoid unnecessary stress for the animal.

Mrs Gutwein said the best thing for locals to do is contact Mange Management and fill out a report form if they spot an infected wombat.

Submitting images of the wombat is also important to assess the mange.

“We are concerned that wombat numbers are going to decrease, between all the threats they face.

“If a population survey had been done 10-20 years ago, everyone would be shocked at how many wombats we’ve lost in that time.”

CHIRNSIDE PARK Meadowgate Milk Bar 3 Meadowgate Drive CHIRNSIDE PARK Coles Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway CHIRNSIDE PARK Woolworths Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway CHIRNSIDE PARK 7 - Eleven 242 Maroondah Highway CROYDON NORTH Croydon Hills Milk Bar 158 Nangathan Way CROYDON NORTH Eastfield Milk Bar 11 The Mall KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Churinga SC, Russo Place KILSYTH Kilsyth News & Lotto 520 - 528 Mt Dandenong Road KILSYTH Kilsyth Laundrette87 Colchester Road KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Canterbury Road Kilsyth KILSYTH TSG Tobacco Churinga Shopping Centre Mt Dandenong Road LILYDALE Lilydale Marketplace SC 33-45 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE Lilydale Village SC 51-59 Anderson Street LILYDALE Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Castella Street & Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Lilydale Community Centre 7 Hardy Street LILYDALE Eastern Laundries. 2/4 Williams Street East LILYDALE Lilydale Lakeside Conference and Events Centre 1 Jarlo Drive LILYDALE United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Caltex Lilydale 346 Main Street LILYDALE Caltex Woolworths 31 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway LILYDALE Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE 7 - Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway & Cave Hill Road LILYDALE Coles Express 469 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Hutch & Co Cafe 251 Main Street LILYDALE Round Bird Can’t Fly 170 Main Street LILYDALE The Lilydale General 110 Beresford Road LILYDALE Yarra Valley Smokery 96 Main Street LILYDALE Bee Seen Cafe 178 Main Street LILYDALE Blue Turtle Cafe 222 Main Street LILYDALE Gracious Grace Castella Street LILYDALE Melba Coffee House 33-45 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE Lilydale Munchies 7/75 Cave Hill Road LILYDALE The Mustard Tree Cafe 3/28 John Street LILYDALE Freda’s Cafe 2 Clarke Street LILYDALE Ray White Real Estate 164 Main Street LILYDALE Stockdale & Leggo Real Estate 281 Main Street LILYDALE Professionals Real Estate 111-113 Main Street LILYDALE Grubs Up 1 Industrial Park Drive LILYDALE Olinda Creek Hotel Maroondah Hwy LILYDALE Crown Hotel Maroondah Hwy LILYDALE Yarra Ranges Council 61 - 65 Anderson Street MONTROSE Montrose Authorised Newsagency 912 Mt Dandenong Road MONTROSE Bell Real Estate 896 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road MONTROSE IGA Supermarket 916 Mt Dandenong Road MOUNT EVELYN Fast Fuel 1 Hereford Road MOUNT EVELYN IGA Supermarket 38- 40 York Road MOUNT EVELYN Post Office 12 Station Street MOUNT EVELYN Authorised Newsagency 1A Wray Crescent MOUNT EVELYN Red Robin Milk Bar 35 Hereford Road MOUNT EVELYN Library 50 Wray Cresent MOUNT EVELYN Milkbar 28 Birmingham Road MOUNT EVELYN York on Lilydale 138 York Road MOOROOLBARK Coles Supermarket 15 Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK Corner Milk Bar 38 Bellara Dive MOOROOLBARK Fang & Yaoxin Mini Mart 108 Hayrick Lane MOOROOLBARK BP Mooroolbark 103 Cardigan Road MOOROOLBARK Coles Express 2 Cambridge Road MOOROOLBARK Mooroolbark Coin Laundrette28 Manchester Road MOOROOLBARK Professionals Real Estate Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK L J Hooker Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK Fletchers Real Estate 1/14 Manchester Road MOOROOLBARK 7-Eleven Manchester Road

Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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12539754-AV11-22

ACROSS THE VALLEY

MAIL 23

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 075

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

easy

2 2

5

6 7 1 8 2 2 1 7 6 8 8 9 2 4 5 1

7 3

9 1

4

8 3 2 4 3

9

9

7 6 4 9 1 3 7

Swiss currency (5) Clergyman (9) Breastbone (7) Pottery (7) African country (7) News (7) Made dapper (7,2) Over (4) Enthusiastic supporters of an actor, sport, etc (4) Funeral or burial rites (9) Sprinting (7) Of, or relating to, China (7) Dutch technology company (7) Scoundrels (7) Mental disorder (9) Terminated (5)

19 22 25 26

3 4 5 6 7 8 14 15 16 18 20 21 23

24

DOWN Place protected by natural features (8)

1

8 3

5

2

ACROSS 1 4 9 10 11 12 13 15 17

27 28 29

medium

1

QUICK CROSSWORD

1

No. 075

One who evens the score (7) Binding agreements (9) Appear sporadically (4,3,2) Whole (5) Solved (5) Souvenir (7) Most pleasant (6) Messages sent on holiday (9) Accept reluctantly (9) Levied (8) Yearly payment (7) Island in the North Atlantic (7) Support (4,2) Being from 20down (5) Strong wind blasts (5)

DECODER

No. 075

2 5

3 2 1 8 1 4 6 9 4

5

hard

9 7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

K N GU A P Y VMC D I QKN 17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

9-LETTER WORD Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

H

Today’s Aim: 16 words: Good 24 words: Very good

7 1 5 3 2 9 8 4 6

4 5 8 2 6 3 7 9 1

1 2 7 8 9 5 4 3 6

33 words: Excellent

N

I

E

I

8 3 4 9 7 6 5 1 2

2 6 9 1 5 4 3 7 8

5 7 1 3 8 2 6 4 9

9 4 5 6 3 1 8 2 7

6 8 3 7 2 9 1 5 4

7 1 2 5 4 8 9 6 3

4 2 8 7 5 6 1 3 9

3 9 6 8 1 4 7 5 2

5 3 7 2 4 8 9 6 1

6 4 1 9 7 5 2 8 3

2 8 9 1 6 3 4 7 5

9 5 4 6 8 2 3 1 7

1 6 2 4 3 7 5 9 8

8 7 3 5 9 1 6 2 4

6 3 2 5 9 1 8 4 7

5 8 1 6 7 4 9 2 3

7 9 4 8 3 2 5 6 1

1 2 5 3 4 6 7 9 8

8 6 9 1 2 7 3 5 4

4 7 3 9 5 8 6 1 2

3 5 8 4 1 9 2 7 6

2 4 6 7 8 5 1 3 9

9 1 7 2 6 3 4 8 5

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

N

R D

G

4 LETTERS ATOP BASS BUNK CHAN ELSE ERIN FAST MEMO MINS PORT SAFE SILK TEST WAVE

5 LETTERS ADAGE ADDER ADEPT ALLOW AMONG AORTA ARGOT ARIAN ARISE ATONE BERYL BOARD CLARA CODES COMMA DINGO DROOP EDDIE EYING FILMS

No. 075

HOPED ICONS INDIA INTER INTRO LLAMA MAINE MINES MOTIF MPEGS NADIR NERVE OPENS OUGHT REEDY RESET RETRO SAINT SEATS SEETO SLATE

SNAIL SPARE SPREE STATS SWEDE TENSE TERSE VERDE WAFER 6 LETTERS AGREES EGOISM LENDER SEEKER

7 LETTERS APROPOS BANSHEE FORCEPS ORATION PARENTS RANGING 8 LETTERS DEBONAIR DOCTRINE ENDORSED RETURNED

diner, dingier, dinner, dire, dirge, engird, gird, grid, grin, grind, grinned, heir, herd, herding, hinder, HINDERING, hire, hired, hiring, inhering, inner, reign, rein, reining, rend, rending, ride, ridge, riding, rigid, rind, ring, ringed

3 9 6 4 1 7 2 8 5

hard

16

medium

15

easy

14

4 8 5

3 LETTERS ATE CAM DOE DYE ELK ERA GEE HAW HEN ILL ISA KEN KIM LOO MID NAP NEO NIP ODE PER PRO TVS TWO UPS

O T RWH B J X S L E F Z

6 5 3 2 6 5 2 4 8 1 4 5 7 9 8 2 6 5 1 7 9

WORDFIT

08-04-22

William Matthews Funerals FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED

24 HOUR SERVICE ALL AREAS

9739 6868 45 Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale www.williammatthewsfunerals.com.au 24 MAIL

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Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

12410397-ACM06-19

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Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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MAIL 25

General Classifieds V Massage Therapists

V Public Notices and Event

TERMINATION TERMINATION Fire Restrictions

Fire Restrictions

A reminder that CFA and Forest Fire Management Vic fire restrictions (Fire Danger Period and Prohibited Period, respectively) are scheduled to cease.

A reminder that CFA and Forest Fire Management Vic fire restrictions (Fire Danger Period and Prohibited Period, respectively) are scheduled to cease.

The Fire Restriction Period will terminate at 0100 hours on the dates shown.

The Fire Restriction Period will terminate at 0100 hours on the dates shown.

Municipality Date of Commencement Yarra Ranges 04/04/2022 Council Knox City Council 04/04/2022 Manningham 04/04/2022 Council Maroondah 04/04/2022 Council (areas not within FRV Fire Districts)

Municipality Mitchell Shire Council

ADVERTISERS in this section are qualified practitioners and offer nonsexual services.

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V Pets & Services

V Positions Vacant

ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE Anyone advertising a puppy, dog, kitten or cat in Victoria for sale or re-homing will need a source number from the Pet Exchange Register and a microchip identification number.

It is now an offence to advertise unless the source number and microchip identification number is included in the advertisement or notice.

For further information, call 136 186 or visit animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

Employment

Date of Commencement 28/03/2022

V Medical/Nursing

Murrindindi Shire Council

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Certain restrictions on the lighting of fires are in force during the Fire Restriction Period. Information about fire restrictions within the Country Area of Victoria can be obtained from www.cfa.vic.gov.au,

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Coordinator Community Engagement Japara Neighbourhood House Inc Based in Kilsyth Part Time

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Japara has a part time position (25 hours per week) ($60 - $63K plus superannuation). There is the potential to expand the role over time.

In accordance with section 114(2) of the Local Government Act 2020, Yarra Ranges Council gives notice of its intention to sell four (4) Council owned land parcels located at: • 182-184 Cambridge Road, Kilsyth • 9A Wannan Court, Kilsyth • 16 Ellis Court, Mooroolbark • Part (2600m2) of 9A Tinarra Court, Kilsyth Council proposes to sell the land separately by public auction or a public expression of interest process, for a price not less than the market valuation held by Council.

If Council decides to sell, it would then seek to remove the reserve status from the land under section 24A of the Subdivision Act. Further information about the land parcels is available on our website at shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au Before we make a decision on whether to sell the various land parcels, we want to know what you think. We invite you to make a written submission about this proposal – including whether you want to talk to your submission at an in-person meeting. Your submission can be as long or as short as you like, and we encourage everyone in the community to have their views heard.

Once you’ve made a submission, we’ll let you know when a meeting will be held, to discuss the feedback we’ve received.

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You can make a written submission by visiting our website at shaping. yarraranges.vic.gov.au, by emailing mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au, or posting it to: Public Submission, The Chief Executive Officer PO Box 105, Lilydale, Vic, 3140

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VISCOUNT Regency ultra lite caravan. Unregistered, good condition. Ringwood area. $8000. PH: 0427 598 182

WINDSOR CARAVAN 8th Rego, Front Kitchen, 3 Way Fridge, Electric Brakes, Awning and full annex. $8,900. Phone 0414 613 430

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Tuesday, 5 April, 2022

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SPORT

VolleyAll program opens

By Mikayla van Loon As the only volleyball association representing Maroondah and the Yarra Ranges, Maroondah Volleyball had wanted to be an inclusive sport offering for the region for many years.

Now with the introduction of its VolleyAll program, the association has been able to offer all children a place to learn a single sport.

“We already have our Spikezone program, which is our primary school age program and our Academy program for our senior high school kids,” association secretary Catherine Gordon said.

“There was just a gap of all these other kids that we had to turn away and that’s not fair and there was nowhere else that was providing this for them.”

The program is open to all young people between the year levels of Prep and Year 9 during the school terms.

Ms Gordon said as an all abilities program, children with mild autism to children with physical disabilities can attend the program to learn skills in a safe environment.

“We’ve had a great response. We did a pilot program and on our first day, we had eight kids by word of mouth that walked through the door,” she said.

“So we had neurotypical children there but they had physical disabilities and we’ve had mental disabilities as well. So we’ve had a combination of different levels of and categories of disability.”

With height adjustable volleyball nets, Ms Gordon said participants take part in fun circuits before playing friendly games to get that competitive aspect.

“They’ll do a 45 minute program, so that it’s not too taxing on them and we do everything to focus on muscle memory, hand-eye coordination, and then teaching them skills.

“The whole thing about the program is that they’re not isolated away from their peers, so their program runs alongside the neurotypical program.”

Parents, carers and siblings are welcome to join in the program as well to support their child should they wish to.

“We’ve got one neurotypical girl in the program and her brother is in the program as well.

She hasn’t got a disability as such but because it’s all abilities there isn’t any reason she has to be in the neurotypical program because she can be with her brother and he is quite responsive to having her around.”

Ms Gordon said after only a few sessions already she has started to see huge improvements in skill and ability.

“When they achieve something new just the smiles on their faces, when they actually achieve it or they feel that change in themselves, the look on their faces that they know they’ve made that change or they’ve achieved that new thing makes it all worth it.”

The VolleyAll program will return after the school holidays. Ms Gordon said the program would be looking to expand in the new term.

The VolleyAll program is open to children between Prep and Year 9 until more coaches can be added to cater for older age groups.

Coaches at Maroondah Volleyball welcomed the addition of the VolleyAll program to be as inclusive as it could.

Pictures: MAROONDAH VOLLEYBALL

At the opening session, participants went through drills and circuits focusing on coordination and movement.

Mooroolbark Barkers knocked off top spot by Knox

By Peter Stephenson State 2 South-East’s match of the day saw two of the four men’s soccer sides on maximum points face off.

A drizzly Egan Lee Reserve saw Knox City (third) host Barkers (first), but who would have local bragging rights at the end of the day? Last week, Knox had beaten Monbulk Rangers 2-0, while Barkers had battered Brandon Park 7-1. This was going to be interesting.

Knox looked the sharper of the two sides and on four minutes, the tricky Daniel Aye wriggled away from his man in the left corner and crossed for Sean Brimmer, who hit a long shot well over. Barkers didn’t heed the warning, and a minute later, ex-Barker Jozsef Ferencz crossed from the right. The ball eluded the Barkers defence and found an unmarked Ray Markley, who calmly hit a low shot into the corner of the net for 1-0 Knox.

On 11 minutes a long shot from Brimmer had Barkers keeper Mark Naumowicz beaten but also beat the post, then two minutes later they actually hit the post. Barkers replied with Maxim Solovyev turning his man under pressure, then finding Sean Perrin on the left, in the clear, but Perrin screwed his shot wide.

Knox continued to pepper the Barkers’ goal to no avail. Then a bit of respite on 23 minutes as Barkers’ Arash Sadeghi went on a mailcommunity.com.au

jinking run down the right. He was eventually brought down for a free kick, but Liam Seaye’s looping effort was too high. Knox then almost made it 2-0 when Damien Phillips took a header on the run which went over. Just on the half hour, a Knox free kick on the edge of the box was driven into the Barkers wall by Aye as Knox stayed well on top.

A rare Barkers attack on 33 minutes saw Solovyev cross from the left wing to the far post. The ball was cleared to Steve Nittoli, but his shot was well over. Knox responded through that man Aye on the left wing. He played a neat ball in to find Phillips in space, and his shot fizzed narrowly past the far post.

Six minutes before the break, Barkers’ defender Brett Tronconi, who was already on a yellow card, was lucky to escape an early bath when a wayward challenge on Phillips went unpunished. After all this pressure, Barkers would have been grateful for the half time whistle. Ironic, then, that three minutes into stoppage time, Geordie Scott got to the right byline and hit a dangerous, low cross to the far post, where Perrin was on hand to hit home from close range for an unlikely equaliser. Half time: Knox City 1-1 Mooroolbark.

Knox began the second half with most of the territory once more. Five minutes in, Kyle Crawford shot narrowly over. Then three minutes later, Aye turned his marker

inside out on the left before shooting and hitting the far post. The rebound was hit into the net, but fortunately for Barkers, the scorer was ruled offside. Was Barkers’ luck beginning to change? Not enough, as it turned out.

On 56 minutes, Scott attacked for Barkers down the right and crossed for Solovyev, but he couldn’t get enough on his header to trouble Mustafa Zahir in the Knox goal. Knox came close again on the hour. First, Brimmer hit a long-range drive which Naumowicz gathered at the second attempt, then Chun Leung had a golden chance from close range, but a Barker defender put him off just enough to send the shot over the bar.

Barkers now had a good little period. First Sadeghi beat his man well on the right and crossed for Seaye. His first shot was blocked and his second attempt went over. Then Scott managed to round keeper Zahir, but his shot at an open goal was cleared by a defender rushing back. Next, a pass out to Solovyev on the left enabled him to cross for Seaye, but Zahir cut the ball out before it reached the attacker.

Eventually, Barkers’ luck ran out. On 72 minutes, Knox had a throw-in from the left.

The ball reached Aye, whose shot looked like it would have been saved by Naumowicz. However, it took a wicked deflection off the back of a defender, giving the keeper no chance, and spinning into the net to restore

Knox’s lead at 2-1.

Barkers still didn’t roll over though. With 10 minutes left, a gorgeous ball to Solovyev on the left gave him room to shoot, but the shot seemed rushed and it went over. Then Seaye and Sadeghi combined well on the right and had two or three chances at getting the ball into the box, but they came to nothing.

In the dying minutes, Barkers conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position just outside the box, and up stepped Brimmer to hit a thunderous shot into the net. There was still time for Nittoli and Scott to set up a shot for Sadeghi, but his shot was blocked. Full-time: Knox City 3-1 Mooroolbark.

Barkers tried hard in this frantic local derby but had no answer to the trickery of Aye or the aggression of Markley. Knox deserved the win and move to the top, while Barkers drop to third. Next Saturday sees the Yarra Ranges derby, as Barkers host eleventh-placed Monbulk Rangers.

Earlier in the day, Barkers’ reserves fought out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Knox and are still looking for their first win of the season. A fine hat-trick from Sam Klepac, returning to action following injury, wasn’t enough as Knox found a late equaliser with a fortuitous own goal.

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