Mail - Ferntree Gully Star Mail - 6th December 2022

Ferntree Gully Belgrave

Labour hire company fined highest penalty on record

Upper House results released

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

Mail Cruelty reports rise in Yarra Ranges

Concerns for powerful owls breeding

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A Star News Group Publication

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Trees treasured

By Parker McKenzie

canvas of salvaged material.

Mr Ferrier said the launch was “really a celebration.”

“It was quite emotional for a lot of people,” he said.

Continued page 3

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schools, a performance by didgeridoo player Ash Dargan and Emma Jennings’ painting of Kalorama CFA captain Bill Robinson atop a

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

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David Ferrier inside a hollow shining gum, salvaged from a fire-prone area in Gippsland.

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When 25,000 trees fell during the June 2021 storm event, arborist David Ferrier was dismayed to see many of them leaving the hills.

18 months later, Mr Ferrier has worked to save and repurpose salvaged materials into community projects, school playspaces and works of art.

“Welcome to the new home of Treasuring Our Trees. We spent approximately 12 months trying to find our factory showroom and also a processing storage site,” Mr Ferrier told the Star Mail on Thursday 29 November.

“Where we are today is the factory showroom that we’re setting up as an education hub in Lilydale.”

The industrial site —a gym in a former life — now holds gigantic logs of significant ecological and cultural value, including part of an English oak tree that once stood at the centre of Olinda, a mountain ash tree used as a messaging board during the storms in Kalorama and a shining gum log from a bushfire zone in Gippsland, alongside works of art of salvaged materials and works in progress for community projects.

Mr Ferrier said he has worked tirelessly to build relationships with government and community partners to develop Treasuring our Trees into what it is today.

“What we wanted to do is bring a little bit of the outside in and connection to nature, that’s what the program is all about,” he said.

“It’s about respecting, connecting, showcasing and spreading awareness about sustainability.”

At the Treasuring Our Trees official program launch on Saturday 3 December, the public saw cabinets made from trees felled in the storm event which will be donated to local

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The Eagle Christmas Festival runs from December 1st until December 24th and provides a unique setting for visitors to enjoy the festive season, with activities, events, and visits from Santa.

The premier event of the Eagle Christmas Festival, is the magical Twilight Christmas, held at the Eagle on 20th December. This community event, filled with musical performances, entertainers,

activities and delicious food, will support MSFIN, a local community charity supporting families in need.

The Eagle will be offering heavily discounted $50 Family Tickets during the Twilight Christmas event, with all profits from the Twilight Event being donated to the charity. The Eagle has always been a community minded business and supporting the work of this grassroots charity is something that they are very proud to be able to do.

The Eagle Christmas Festival runs the whole season long with

sack-loads of Christmassy cheer for the whole family!

Santa will be visiting the Base Station photo booth every Sunday in the lead up to Christmas, offering a unique spin on the traditional Santa photo.

Board one of the new Christmas Gondolas, festively decked in Red or Green, and soar to the highest point on the Mornington Peninsula, enjoying breathtaking views over the glorious Arthurs Seat State Park.

At the Summit, the Eagle Kids Corner will be hosting festive crafting sessions and activities during the week, while the

Eagle café’s festive sweets and treats will get even the grouchiest Grinch into the spirit of the season!

Interested in exploring other local attractions in the area? You’ll have a chance to find a golden ticket to open the Eagle Advent Calendar and win - each daily prize is a family pass to wonderful regional experience!

The Eagle will be closed on Christmas Day, before reopening for a jam-packed Summer Festival from December 26th until January 26th.

For more details visit aseagle.com.au To donate to MSFIN visit msfin.org.au

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

Hire company fined A Victorian company and its director have been fined a total of $483,428.40 – the highest combined penalty in Australian history for contraventions of labour hire law – following a successful prosecution by the Labour Hire Authority (LHA).

Labour hire companies require a licence to operate in Victoria, and their directors and other key people involved in managing the business must be fit and proper, as a means of protecting workers and improving the integrity of the industry.

Ung Services Pty Ltd, which supplied horticulture workers in the Yarra Valley, failed to disclose that its new director Nico Keat had criminal convictions for offences including drug trafficking and theft.

Mr Keat had previously applied for a licence as director of a different company. After LHA denied this application, he became a director of Ung Services, without notifying LHA. Under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic), licence holders must notify LHA if their

directors or other key people change, or if any key people cease to be fit and proper under the Act. LHA cancelled Ung Services’ licence and pursued legal action, to further hold the company to account for dishonestly attempting to circumvent labour hire licensing requirements.

The Supreme Court of Victoria issued fines of $386,742.72 to Ung Services, and $96,685.68 to Mr Keat, stating in its judgement: “The knowing nature of the contraventions

by UNG and Keat and their potential to undermine the Authority’s discharge of its protective and regulatory function, place them at the serious end of the behavioural spectrum.”

“The Act was enacted in the light of ‘significant evidence of exploitation of workers in the labour hire industry,’” “… the contraventions strike at the heart of the protective purpose of the Act.” LHA investigations had confirmed Mr Keat had been found guilty of 12 offences relating

to drug trafficking, theft, failure to answer bail, and suspected proceeds of crime and stolen goods.

Victorian businesses have legal obligations to ensure any labour hire provider they use is licensed. Businesses can check providers’ licence status via LHA’s Register of Licensed Labour Hire Providers, and can subscribe to be notified of any licence changes via LHA’s Follow my provider tool.

Labour Hire Commissioner, Steve Dargavel said ensuring fit and proper people run labour hire companies is an important way to protect workers and improve integrity.

“If you meet your obligations and do the right thing by Victorian workers, you have nothing to worry about – if not, you should expect to face the consequences,” he said.

“Today’s judgement sends a strong message to labour hire companies – if your business model involves attempting to dodge laws that protect vulnerable workers, get a new line of business.”

Showroom highlights place of healing From page 3 “Our program was part of the healing process. I unashamedly shed a few tears myself.”

Mr Ferrier is proud of the long list of relationships he has developed over the last 18 months, many of which were also on display at the event. Yarra Ranges and Cardinia Council, Rotary Clubs throughout the hills, Level Crossing Removal Project, Melbourne Water and local schools that were affected by the storms are a few of the organisations that have contributed to Treasuring Our Trees in different ways, ranging from monetary contributions, community support or just offering a home to the projects it is developing.

When Treasuring Our Trees became a registered charity, it also needed a secretary for its board. One of those relationships yielded one.

Alan Lunghusen said he connected with Mr Ferrier when he was a part of the Rotary clubs which raised over $100,000 to give to organisations in the Dandenong Ranges that were affected by the storms.

“I got volunteered to be the project manager and when we got the money together and had to find people to donate it to, we gave money to various groups like the CFA, the primary school in Kallista, Habitat for Humanity and Treasuring Our Trees of course,” Mr Lunghusen said.

“That’s how I got to know Treasuring Our Trees and a few weeks after we handed the money over, they asked me to come onto the board and I ended up as secretary.”

Mr Ferrier said he is “collaborating with a lot of good folk.”

“My main role is actually in building part-

$250 has been handed into the Emerald Police Station.

It was found by a good Samaritan who found the cash at Woolworths in Monbulk on 18 October 2022.

If this might be you or someone you know please contact the Property Office at Emerald PS on Ph: 59540200

Planned burn at Cardinia Resevoir Residents in Emerald and surrounding areas may have seen or smelt smoke on Friday 2 December as the CFA undertook planned burns at Cardinia Resevoir.

Brigades from CFA’s District 13 participated in the successful planned burn in partnership with Melbourne Water.

It was a fuel reduction burn technique known as ‘candling’, where bark is burnt from trees to reduce the amount of embers and chance of spotting, should the area be impacted by bushfire in the future.

Pets in cars When left in a car, it can take just six minutes for an animal to suffer severe heat exhaustion and die, with dogs particularly at risk as they cool themselves by panting.

If the air around them is too hot – particularly if they don’t have access to water – dogs are physically unable to regulate their body temperature.

Pets can overheat even when the windows are down or the car is in the shade.

Animals should also not be left on the back of a utility without adequate shade, shelter and water.

It is illegal to transport a dog if it is not appropriately tethered or caged on back of ute or trailer.

In addition, it is illegal to secure a dog on the metal tray of a ute or trailer when outside temperatures are at or above 28 degrees Celsius without the dog having access to an area of insulating material protecting the dog from contact with the metal surface.

If you find a distressed dog left in a car, call 000 immediately. Police will be quickly dispatched from nearby stations.

Free RAT tests Emma Jenning’s artwork of Kalorama CFA Captain Bill Robinson.

Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

David Ferrier with part of the oak tree from Olinda. nerships to try to find the right people for the right projects, whether it be a school project or community project,” he said.

“The vision was always this big, if not bigger. The plan was always to try to build 20 primary school projects and at least 20 community projects.”

Other projects are on the horizon, but for the moment Mr Ferrier can stop to appreciate 18 months of hard work.

“When we start on Saturday, we’re going

to have some of the designs of our first three primary school projects,” he said.

Future projects will include more exhibitions at the showroom, sustainable gardens, indoor furniture for local schools, sports equipment, imaginative play spaces, adventure trails, bush cubby houses, outdoor teaching circles, erosion control and more.

“We are really excited to be at this point,” Mr Ferrier said.

“But we feel like we’ve run a marathon just to get to the starting line.”

The Treasuring Our Trees showroom is located at 16 Brock Drive, Lilydale. Find out more about future projects at treasuringourtrees.org.

Free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are now available for priority and high-risk community members to collect at Community Links in Monbulk and Upwey.

You are eligible to collect RATs if you are 70 years or older, a Concession Card holder or person with a disability, immunocompromised or their carer.

Please show your concession, seniors or disability card to staff to collect your free RATs or let them know you are 70 years or older or immunocompromised.

Twenty tests (4 kits) are available each visit for people with a disability and carers collecting the tests on behalf of people with a disability.

These include NDIS participants, disability support pensioners and people with a disability who receive a Transport Accident Commission benefit.

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AVONSLEIGH Avonsleigh News & General Store 445 Belgrave Gembrook Road BELGRAVE Belgrave Newsagency 1704 Burwood Highway BELGRAVE Woolworths Supermarket 1629 Burwood Highway

EMERALD Bell Real Estate 313 Main Street FERNTREE GULLY Upper Ferntree Gully Newsagents, 1202 Burwood Highway FERNTREE GULLY Glenfern Road Milk Bar , 83 Glenfern Road

MONBULK Monbulk Newsagency & Officesmart 76 Main Street OLINDA Monbulk Bowling Club, 11 Moores Road OLINDA Olinda Cellars Shop 7/540 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road

BELGRAVE IGA 151 Belgrave-Hallam Road BELGRAVE Chandler & Co Real Estate 1689 Burwood Hwy

FERNTREE GULLY Coles Supermarket Mountain Gate SC Ferntree Gully Road FERNTREE GULLY Woolworths Supermarket Mountain Gate SC

OLINDA Ranges at Olinda 5 Old Main Road OLINDA IGA Supermarket 1526 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road

BELGRAVE First National Real Estate 1 Bayview Road BELGRAVE SOUTH Belgrave South Motors 138 Belgrave-Hallam Rd BORONIA Boronia Mall Newsagent Corner Floriston Road & Chandler Road

Ferntree Gully Road FERNTREE GULLY Mountain Gate Newsagency & Lotto Mountain Gate SC 9b Ferntree Gully Road FERNTREE GULLY Ferntree Gully Authorized Newsagency Shp 2/69 Station Street

OLINDA Bell Real Estate 11 Main Road SASSAFRAS Sassafras General Store 391 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road SILVAN Shell Princi Motors, 275 - 277 Monbulk Road TECOMA BP Service Station 1524 Burwood Highway TECOMA Bon Ton General Store 1537 Burwood Highway

EMERALD Kaye Charles RE 12a Kilvington Drive EMERALD Ritchies SUPA IGA 342 Belgrave-Gembrook Road EMERALD Emerald Village Newsagency 4 Kilvington Drive

FERNTREE GULLY Shell Service Station 1140 Burwood Highway FERNY CREEK Ferny Creek & Post Office 195 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road GEMBROOK Gembrook Post Office& Newsagent 72 Main Street GEMBROOK IGA Supermarket 83/85 Main Street

EMERALD Woolworths Supermarket Belgrave Gembrook Road EMERALD Auto Plus More Petrol Station 365 Main Street

KALORAMA Post Office 1209 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road MONBULK Best Repairs & Accessories Monbulk - 26 Main Road

TREMONT Caltex Service Station 100 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road UPWEY Newsagent 18 Main Street

EMERALD Shell Service Station 336 Main Street EMERALD Barry Plant Real Estate 1/ 321 Main Street

MONBULK Food Express 128 Main Road MONBULK Woolworths Supermarket Main Road & Moores Road

UPWEY IGA Supermarket 62-64 Main Street UPWEY Yarra Ranges Shire Council 40 Main Street

TECOMA O’Brien Real Estate 1567 Burwood Highway TECOMA McDonald’s Restaurant 1529 Burwood Highway THE PATCH The Patch Store and Post office 16 The Patch Road

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COCKATOO Ranges First National Shop 2, 24 McBride Street COCKATOO IGA Cockatoo 34 McBride Street

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Gift to Anchor helps many

By Mikayla van Loon With Christmas fast approaching, family services organisation Anchor is asking for donations to help provide some of the most basic essentials to those who need it most.

The not-for-profit is aiming to raise $50,000 to support people like Rebecca, a Sudanese refugee and mother of 10 living in the outer eastern suburbs who couldn’t afford to buy enough shoes for her children.

“With Rebecca, we were able to buy shoes for most of the family. Before that they were sharing eight pairs of shoes between eleven of them,” Anchor CEO Heidi Tucker said.

“Some of the kids couldn’t go to school some days and some kids were using much bigger shoes than appropriate. So I dug into some of our reserve funds and just said, ‘please buy all the children shoes’.”

As an organisation that relies on donations and sponsorships, Ms Tucker said fundraisers like this Christmas campaign allows the team to have access to untied funds for emergency purposes or circumstances like Rebecca’s.

Having been born in Sudan just prior to the civil war, Rebecca grew up in a time dominated by violence, sexual abuse and sadness.

Now living safely in a suburb of Melbourne, she still has a lot of trauma to work through but with Anchor’s support she has been able to provide a home for her children and start on a path to healing.

“I have had a lot of bad things happen to me…if I didn’t have my children, I would not be alive…good people like you are holding my heart so that I can survive,” Rebecca said.

For case workers and for Ms Tucker, Rebecca’s story is just one of many and with the recent cost of living increases, it’s expected to get worse.

“My fear is we’ll see many more of these families who are struggling…and already we’re

Through excess funds, Anchor was able to provide bunk beds for Rebecca’s 10 children and help set them up in her new home.

Rebecca was supported by Anchor after coming to Australia and struggling to provide for her family. This photo shows the joy of moving into her forever home.

Pictures: ANCHOR hearing of families who are skipping meals and things like that because they can’t afford it.

“In January we expect a bit of a rush of families coming through trying to prepare for the new school year, maybe not having enough for uniforms or books and struggling a bit to pay rent as well as other expenses.”

Having the flexibility to be able to pay for a school uniform or buy a family a fresh meal to celebrate Christmas Ms Tucker said means the world to people going through a hard financial, emotional or social time.

“Sometimes it can be as little as $20, sometimes it can be as much as a couple of $1,000.

So it can be really varied and we feel if we can raise $50,000 we’ll be able to spread that money across many families, probably many more than 50 families.”

Ms Tucker said for the families who may receive food or money or the purchasing of essential items, it makes them feel like someone cares.

“What it does is it verifies for them that people care because a lot of people who are disadvantaged feel very invisible and no one really cares,” she said.

As a recipient of this care and support from the community, Rebecca now encourages her

children to give back in the future.

“I tell my kids to be social workers, be doctors, work in aged care — I want them to support the community, the way the community has supported us.”

Continuing to support Rebecca through the next stages of her life and healing, Ms Tucker said it shows how a little bit of love, kindness, understanding and guidance can change someone’s life.

“The thing with Rebecca is that our work also gives the kids hope and gives all of those children much more stability and like many other migrants to Australia, you just give them a chance, and they will give back to Australia.

“It’s just that little opening, that little bit of help that can mean all the difference for people and all the difference for their future lives.

That’s the other thing I’m very rewarded and proud of is the difference we’ve also made to the whole family’s trajectory.”

To help support Anchor in supporting others, donate via give.anchor.org.au or buy a chocolate hamper for someone else.

Grassfires move so quickly, it’s impossible to outrun them.

This summer, significant pasture growth in paddocks and roadsides means that fast-moving grassfires will be a serious risk across Victoria. Rural grassfires can be just as dangerous as bushfires, and can actually spread even faster, travelling at speeds of up to 25km/h. If you live close to open paddocks or grasslands, you could be at risk and need to be prepared. On Extreme or Catastrophic Fire Danger Rated days, the safest option is to leave early.

Plan. Act. Survive. Go to vic.gov.au/knowfire

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne 12580843-DL49-22

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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NEWS

State cabinet

Picture: ON FILE

Upper House seats

By Parker McKenzie As the counting of votes continues, it has become clear that no Dandenong Ranges locals will be elected to the Upper House, with a surprising minor party set to be the big winners in the Legislative Council.

According to current voting counts and analysis by ABC’s political commentator Antony Green, in Eastern Victoria, which covers Evelyn and Monbulk districts, The Liberal Party’s Renee Heath, Labor’s Tom McIntosh and Harriet Shing, Melinda Bath from the Nationals and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers’ Jeff Bourman have been elected.

Former Eastern Victoria Liberal MP and Yarra Ranges Councillor Cathrine BurnettWake controversially lost the number one spot during pre-selection on the Liberal Party’s senate ticket to Ms Heath before the election, and Ms Heath has rejected suggestions her links to a conservative church in Gippsland could influence her decisions in parliament.

In the North Eastern Metropolitan Region, which covers the Bayswater electorate, Labor’s

Shaun Leane and Sonja Terpstra each won a seat in the Upper House and will be joined

by Matthew Bach from the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party’s Nick McGowan and the Greens’ candidate Aiv Puglielli are likely to join them to represent the region.

Statewide, the Labor Party is set to lose three seats in the Legislative Council, holding 15 of the 40 seats available based on current counting. If the result holds, the Labor Party must negotiate with the minor parties or the Liberal opposition to pass its legislative agenda.

The Liberal opposition is on track to gain at least two seats, while the Greens look likely to gain either one or two seats.

The Legalise Cannabis Victoria Party can safely call itself the success story of the 2022 state election if it can win any seats in the Upper House, after previously holding zero and potentially winning as many as three once votes are finalised.

The party built off a strong showing during the federal election, where it narrowly missed out on winning a seat in both Victoria and Queensland.

After the May 21 federal election, Legalise Cannabis Australia senate candidate for Victoria Elissa Smith, who ran during the state election in the seat of Pakenham, told the Star Mail on 25 May that the party was planning to strongly contest the state election after the positive result.

“We’re so excited about the response that we’ve got, but we need to follow that on and we need to build on that for the state campaign,” she said.

“We will be doing events in the lead-up to get people to understand what our policies are and why we want these changes to come through to the state election as well.”

The Liberal Democrats, Animal Justice Party, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, Labour DLP, Transport Matters and One Nation each have one seat in the Upper House according to Mr Green.

With a recheck of votes continuing and preferences to be counted, the makeup of the Upper House could still change.

Independents look ahead to the future

By Parker McKenzie A community political action group launched before the 2022 federal election is in it for the long run, having since incorporated with the aim of continuing to build towards electing a community independent candidate in the Casey electorate.

Voices for Casey — formerly known as Voices of Casey —hosted an engagement and participation in democracy forum on Saturday 3 December from Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden in Kalorama.

Inaugural President Dr Ani Wierenga, a Doctor of Philosophy and an academic coordinator at Melbourne University, said she became involved in the community organisation during the 2021 federal election.

“My partner and I had got together but realised we voted in the opposite direction.

With the federal election coming up we were likely going to cancel each other’s votes out, which was a fairly unsatisfactory situation,” she said.

“We came to voices through the election and getting involved quite heavily with a group of highly committed, highly entertaining and beautiful people who had some very similar values. We cared about the community and the kind of futures we were building for and with all our generations.”

Voices groups helped propel several independent candidates to federal parliament, including Monique Ryan in Kooyong.

Voices for Casey held its inaugural AGM on Wednesday 16 November, where it elected its first board, including Dr Wierenga, for mailcommunity.com.au

Voices for Casey — formerly known as Voices of Casey —hosted an engagement and participation in democracy forum on Saturday 3 December at Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden.

Picture: SUPPLIED the next 12 months.

Former independent candidate for Casey Claire Ferres Miles, who was endorsed by Voices of Casey during the 2021 federal election and has joined the organisation as a regular member, said she learned there was a huge appetite within the community for a positive conversation about democracy.

“How do people more actively engage with their representatives at local state and federal level to express what’s important to them and the issues that they’d like to get solved?” she said.

“The Voices for Casey group is committed to community engagement and listening.”

Voices of Casey launched in January 2022 ahead of the May 21 federal election, hoping

to emulate the successful campaign to elect independents in the federal seat of Indi. Ms Ferres Miles would go on to win 8.34 per cent of the first preference vote.

Ms Ferres Miles said the model is to empower more people in the community.

“The power sits with them, their vote is incredibly important and the community can make decisions about who they’d like to represent them, and that can be more actively involved,” she said.

“The quality of our democracy and the quality of our representation at all levels of government is directly related to the interests, appetite and engagement of the individual community members. The more we get involved, the more the quality will increase.”

Dr Wierenga said she has become increasingly concerned about the public “finding themselves in echo chambers.”

“When we listen to the media we like, we listen to the social media we like and we connect with the people who are a little like us, what we might lose in that space is our capacity to speak across those divides,” she said.

“It is actually about recognizing the humanity in each other and bringing kindness and curiosity to our conversations about politics, which may not be afforded so easily in other spaces.”

Voices for Casey will host an Ideas Workshop on the first Sunday in March, with a venue to be announced, with a focus on “listening to better understand the concerns of the community, then working together on issues people care about,” and learning more about the democratic process.

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No Dandenong Ranges or Yarra Valley locals were elected to sit in the Upper House of Parliament.

The new Victorian cabinet was sworn in on Monday 5 December.

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allen remains Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop and Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery.

Alongside her role as Minister for Outdoor Recreation, Sonya Kilkenny replaces Lizzie Blandthorn as Minister for Planning.

Ms Blandthorn will be Deputy Leader in the Legislative Council and Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Child Protection and Family Services.

Tim Pallas remains Victoria’s treasurer, a position he has held since 2014, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Trade.

His assistant treasurer remains Danny Person, who will also be minister for the new Department of Government Services, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC and Minister for Consumer Affairs.

Lily D’Ambrosio holds the Ministries for State Electricity Commission, Climate Action and Energy and Resources, leading the Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action.

Ingrid Sitt will replace Ms D’Ambrosio as Minister for Environment alongside her previous role as Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep.

Mary-Anne Thomas continues as Minister for Health as well as the role of Leader of the House. She also added Health Infrastructure and Medical Research to her portfolios.

The new minister for Ambulance Services is Gabriella Willaims, alongside the Ministry of Mental Health and for Treaty and First Peoples.

Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll has added Manufacturing Sovereignty and Employment alongside being the Minister for Public Transport.

Gayle Tierney retained her role as the Minister for Training and Skills, Higher Education, and Agriculture.

Melissa Horne becomes the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, alongside her role as Minister for Ports and Freight, Local Government, and Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation.

Natalie Hutchins remains Minster for Education, and Women and will lead the Department of Education.

Anthony Carbines continues as Minster for Police, Crime Preventing and Racing.

Steve Dimopoulos also continues as Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, and Creative Industries.

There are a few new faces too, with Enver Erdogan entering the Labor ministry with the portfolios of Corrections, Youth Justice and Victim Support, and Natalie Suleyman becoming the Minister for Youth, Small Business, and Veterans.

Ros Spence continues as Minister for Community support as well as the new role as Minister for Suburban Development.

Harriet Shing remains Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Equality and has added the portfolio of Commonwealth Games if she retains her seat in the Senate.

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.

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 5

NEWS

Libs battle for top spot

By Eleanor Wilson and Cam Lucadou-Wells

Festive Busking Series brings the sounds of the season to our townships Council is delighted to be supporting our local townships with the Festive Busking Series, supporting our creative community, businesses and our residents to get into the holiday spirit.

Buskers, singers and performers will be matched with a seasonal event or retail activation in the lead up to Christmas.

The project has been positively received by local community and trader groups.

“We're very excited about the Council bringing buskers to the Valley & Mooroolbark!

Mooroolbark Traders' and Community Group are running Christmas promotions throughout December including photos with Santa, a VIP shopping night and Santa’s Mailbox,” said Ashleigh from Mooroolbark Traders.

“Merry Monbulk saw the town’s main street come alive with a Christmas market, free kids activities, Santa and festive fun for all!” said Lucy from Monbulk Traders Group. “It was wonderful that the Festive Busking series added to the atmosphere. And there’s more to come this month with the produce market, and plenty of unique retailers to find all your gifts!”

“What a wonderful initiative,” said Jeremy from Belgrave Traders Association. “Belgrave is the perfect spot for all your Christmas shopping needs, we’re thrilled to have the main street host buskers in the days leading up to Christmas.”

These events, Christmas markets, carols and many more seasonal experiences can be found on the Enjoy Local Calendar. Community groups and businesses can add their events to the calendar for free.

Performers interested in this paid opportunity can fill out an expression of interest here. Local community or businesses groups interested in being part of the program can get in touch with business@yarraranges.vic.gov.au

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When visiting these events, be sure to check out the Christmas window displays bringing even more festive cheer to our communities. You can nominate and vote for your favourite display, and go into the running for prize hamper full of locally sourced goodies.

Former Gembrook MP and newly elected Berwick MP Brad Battin said he is “strongly considering” running for the Liberal leadership position.

Mr Battin received 48 per cent of first preference votes and claimed victory with 56.3 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, based on counted votes as of Monday 28 November.

Mr Battin said he has the support of his family and is currently in the process of calling his fellow party members to gauge the level of support he would have, should he choose to contest the leadership.

“It will depend on what is in the best interest of the party…The party is not about a person, we need to make sure we’ll be united as a party and around the community and hopefully give it a better shot in 2026,” he said on Monday 28 November.

It comes after Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy announced in a statement he would step down from the position following a second failed election campaign.

Other MPs who were set to make their claim for the leadership of the party include Warrandyte MP Ryan Smith and Polwarth representative Richard Riordan, however, Mr Smith dropped out to support Mr Battin.

Former shadow attorney-general John Pesutto will also launch a bid if he beats teal independent Melissa Lowe to reclaim his seat of Hawthorn. He currently leads the count by about 500 votes.

Former leader Michael O’Brien and opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier will not put themselves forward, according to The Age. In 2021, Mr Battin initiated an unsuccessful leadership challenge against then-leader Michael O’Brien. Mr Guy reclaimed the leadership later that year.

Mr Battin, who was elected to the seat of Berwick over the weekend with 56.3 per cent of the two party preferred vote, said the Liberal Party’s defeat was “disappointing”.

“The overall result was disappointing and now we have a fair bit to do, particularly in the

Newly elected Berwick MP Brad Battin said he is strongly considering running for the Liberal Party top spot.

Picture: SUPPLIED South-East, to make some changes,” he said.

“There’s a bit of a mixed bag out here...that could come down to messaging, what we’re messaging, how we’re engaging with the community… there’s lessons for us to learn.”

He said was pleased with his local campaign and intends to campaign to the Andrews Government to follow through with some of his election promises.

“Locally it was a good result, I have to say it was a bit of a relief to know on the night I was going to get across the line,” he said.

His ALP opponent Malik Zaveer called him to concede, Mr Battin said.

“The one thing [Zaveer] and I agree on is that it was a clean campaign. We didn’t have the issues we’ve heard about across the state, we respected each other’s campaigns and that’s the way things should be.”

Code red enforced as ambo demands spike Ambulance Victoria (AV) experienced an extremely high demand for ambulances in the metropolitan region on Saturday 3 December.

An AV spokesperson said they have a detailed Emergency Response Plan and escalation procedures to effectively manage a surge in workload and demand.

“At approximately 11.59pm, a red escalation response was activated in the metropolitan region with normal operations returning at 3.00am. Staffing challenges due to Covid-19 and increasing workload resulted in limited availability of ambulances with some ‘lights and sirens’ emergency calls being delayed,” they said.

“All measures we take during a red escalation are aimed at getting to the sickest patients as quickly as possible, which is always our priority. These measures quickly reduced the impact on our services and freed up ambulances for patients in the community.”

“As part of a whole health system, paramedics are not immune to the current spread of Covid-19 in the community. Ambulance Victoria currently has around 140 staff furloughed due to Covid-19, which has increased from around 30 at the start of October and presents significant resourcing challenges.”

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A code red escalation took place over the weekend.

Picture: ON FILE Upon activation of a red escalation, immediate actions are taken including: Messaging to alert community of extreme ambulance demand Additional staff being recalled Managers returning to duty to manage hospital transfers Rapid offloading of patients at hospital Lower acuity patients being referred to other services Non-emergency ambulances responding to emergencies In times of high demand, the community is asked to please call NURSE-ON-CALL (1300 60 60 24) or visit their local GP if their illness is not an emergency.

Ambulance Victoria’s priority is to provide care to Victorians who require life-saving assistance.

· · · · · ·

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NEWS

Cruelty reports increase

By Renee Wood Yarra Ranges LGA has been ranked the seventh highest in the state for animal cruelty reports in the past year, seeing 311 received by RSPCA in 2021-2022 financial year.

Reports have increased with Yarra Ranges ranked 11th for 288 reports in the previous year.

Greater Geelong City Council remains the hotspot out of the 79 LGAs for animal cruelty with 552 reports this year and 640 the previous year.

Yarra Ranges Council Director Communities, Jane Price, said RSPCA in consultation with Yarra Ranges Council Community Safety Officers manage animal welfare and cruelty reports. “ While the majority of people who own or interact with animals treat them humanely and comply with agreed animal welfare standards, unfortunately there are instances where this is not the case and an investigation is needed to identify whether a breach of the legislation has occurred,” Ms Price said.

The data released by RSPCA has shown that neglect is the most common type of report received across the state and dogs, cats and horses are the most commonly reported animals.

Neglect reports have come from community members having knowledge of animals with a lack of food, water, shelter, vet care.

Ms Price encourages all residents to report any welfare concerns for local animals.

“If you witness cruelty or suspect that cruelty to an animal has occurred, a report can be made to the RSPCA either online or by phoning 03 9224 2222,” she said.

“If residents are struggling to care for their animals they can also reach out for help, speak to their vet about options or contact RSPCA Victoria.”

RSPCA released the data while also launching a brand new online, interactive map to allow the community to track rates of animal cruelty in their own area and across Victoria.

RSPCA Victoria Chief Inspector Michael Stagg said that by raising awareness of the most prevalent types of animal cruelty, the community can work together to do better for

Yarra Ranges LGA has the seventh most highest reports of animal cruelty.

Victoria’s animals.

“For many, the perception of animal cruelty relates to deliberate acts such as beating or wounding, and while this does occur, the data consistently shows the most common form of cruelty is neglect,” Chief Inspector Stagg said.

“There are many responsible pet ownership resources available, and we encourage anyone who is the owner or person in charge of animals to be aware of their responsibilities to provide care, or alternatively to seek help from their local council, a veterinarian or animal welfare organisation.”

Recently Council endorsed its the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-2026 and Ms Price said this highlights council’s commitment to reminding residents of their pet ownership responsibilities.

“It also outlines in detail, our own responsibilities in setting and enforcing rules around

Picture: UNSPLASH

pets and creating ways for pets and their owners to have fulfilling lives here in the Yarra Ranges,” she said.

“Council, along with local vet clinics, provide information to animal owners about the importance of responsible pet ownership and our officers also work with Animal Aid to reunite lost animals with their owners while promoting responsible pet ownership.”

The RSPCA has provided these three steps in how Victorians can help end animal cruelty STEP 1 - If you have pets or are in charge of animals, make sure they provide them with: Sufficient food Access to clean water all the time Adequate shelter Clean, secure living space Regular veterinary checks and prompt vet care if unwell or injured Regular grooming (e.g. some breeds of dog

· · · · · ·

and cat), dental checks and farrier visits for horses.

STEP 2 - If you are struggling to care for your animals don’t ignore the problem – reach out for help: Speak with your vet about your options Contact your local animal shelter or RSPCA Victoria Consider surrendering your pet to an animal shelter so it can receive proper care and be rehomed.

STEP 3 - If you are concerned about animal cruelty: Report it to RSPCA Victoria by phoning (03) 9224 2222 – line is open 24/7 Visit www.rspcavic.org and make an online report If you would like to visit the interactive map, follow https://rspcavic.org/interactivecruelty-data-map/

· · · · ·

Keeping the mental health of men in your life in mind

By Callum Ludwig A number of local community groups have supported the Movember fundraising effort, with members of the Warburton-Millgrove Football Club, Wesburn-Millgrove CFA, Wandin North Primary School and Lilydale Football Club all participating, among other local residents around the Yarra Ranges.

The campain has now come to an end but it’s important to keep men’s mental health in mind, as revealed by new data from surveys done by Movember.

Founder of local men’s mental health service in Mooroolbark Build a Brotherhood, Peta Bobbine, said there aren’t enough safe places men can go to for support that are face to face.

“Movember isn’t enough. 75 per cent of suicides are men. Mental health needs to be in our schools and education around our mental health, teaching young men how to reach out, look for the signs of not doing well and how to communicate this to those around them,” she said.

Movember’s survey has indicated that 39 per cent of young Aussie men feel they have no one they can really count on, 38 per cent have not reached out for help or support when struggling with their mental health, 54 per cent of young Australian men feel pressure around being a man, and two-thirds (66 per cent) feel society doesn’t understand young men.

Ms Bobbine said a lot of men have said they feel that if they celebrate being a man they will be called things like a misogynist among other things.

“Everyone else is celebrated and appreciated whereas things like international Men’s Day is not spoken about or advertised anywhere. Men have said when they talk about mailcommunity.com.au

A Build a Brotherhood meeting. the way they feel people dismiss what they’re saying or tell them to ‘man up,” she said “Misandry is being normalised whereas misogyny is not. People are fighting for equality yet they’re doing this by putting men down.”

The survey also found four in five (81 per cent) young Aussie men feel that the current media focus on the impact of masculinity on men’s wellbeing was an important one.

Movember’s Director of Mental Health Training Dr Zac Seidler said it is heartbreaking to see that so many young men don’t feel like they have anyone they can count on and that they feel pressured about being a man.

“While Movember has achieved a lot in

Pictures: SUPPLIED our 19 years, we know there’s more work to be done to help change the face of men’s health.

The findings highlight that as a society, we need to think differently about men and make them part of the conversation,” he said.

“The passive attitude that this is ‘just how it is’ and that ‘this is all there is’ needs to change. Policymakers, the media, and health professionals need to ask more questions to the next generation of men on what they need and how they feel, in order to make young men feel valued and understood, to ultimately help save lives.”

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ cause of death records, suicide is the leading cause of death in men aged 15-54 in

The Lilydale Football Club’s Luke Hogg sporting a stache for his Movember efforts.

Australia and men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, with over six men dying by suicide every day.

Movember’s APAC Country Director Rachel Carr said although the month has ended, donations are still welcomed to continue helping our brothers, sons and fathers all year round.

“As we know suicide is the leading cause of death for young men in Australia, losing on average six men a day. It’s unnerving to see so many young men struggling, and feeling pressure about where to turn for help,” she said.

Donations can be made at www.movember.com or via the Movember app.

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 7

NEWS

Successful pilot extended

By Parker McKenzie Knox City Council has voted to extend the pilot program at Millers Homestead until 2027 in partnership with Eastern Region Libraries.

A report on the yearlong collective use Arts and History Centre pilot program at the historic homestead recommended that the council notes the success of the pilot, extend Eastern Region Libraries license agreement be extended until 2027 and disband the Homestead’s community reference group.

At a council meeting on Monday 28 November, Deputy Mayor Jude Dwight moved the motion at the officer’s recommendation.

“The only negative comment that I’m hearing is I wish it were open late and on weekends, and the only concern that I’m hearing is what happens down the track; what protections are in place to ensure Miller’s remains the great community asset that it is?” she said.

“Council now has an extensive story of our roles, support and obligations to Miller’s homestead which have never existed before.

We are creating a new legacy that will continue to serve the community well into the future.”

Since the pilot program was launched in late 2021, Millers Homestead has hosted a variety of events from art exhibitions, book launches, author talks, family story time events, poetry readings and group singing lessons.

Cr Yvonne Allred seconded the motion and said Millers Homestead has seen fantastic management and programming over the past 12 months.

“I too have had nothing but positive feedback from residents, attendees and directly from the community reference group,” she said.

“I fully support the license agreement terms to extend the agreement for a further four years until January 2027. I look forward to the

The Eastern Region Libraries pilot program at Millers Homestead has been extended until 2027. sensitive, creative space that ERL dream up.”

Millers Homestead was first built in 1888 and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Knox LGA. Cr Soronia Grasso said she had the privilege of attending multiple events this year at

Picture: ON FILE

Miller’s Homestead.

“I mentioned before I that happened to be an English teacher, I’m also a history teacher, so having history and literacy and books and the library come together: what a fantastic combination,” she said.

“I’m very excited about the extension of the pilot program and the success of it.”

Multiple councillors thanked the Miller’s Homestead Community Reference Group which will be disbanded on 7 December.

The motion was unanimously passed.

Council Budget

Help shape the Council Budget 2023/24

Draft 2023/24

Provide feedback and help council develop its draft budget.

Tell us your priorities around: • Roads, drains, bridges and footpaths • Rubbish and recycling • Buildings and facilities • Sport, recreation, parks and reserves • Supporting local businesses • Children and family services

• Disability support • Aged services • Multicultural community support • Libraries • Arts and culture • Youth services • Compliance services • Planning services

• Environment and climate change • Emergency management • Customer service • Community consultation and communications

Online activities www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Path chalk art rolled out

By Parker McKenzie Ahead of Christmas, the pavements of local shopping areas have been lit up through works of local artists, who were commissioned

by Eastern Dandenong Ranges Business and Tourism to create festive pavement art promoting shopping local.

EDRA membership manager Lynne Trenksy said small local businesses form an invaluable network in our local communities.

“We thought it’s so tough in retail at the moment, that’s the way it is, and this is an opportunity to provide more interest for the local community in particular,” she said.

“You look at the artwork at the same time for a few minutes while you shop local, that’s the message we’re trying to send out.”

Artists have been commissioned to create art across busy shopping strips in Emerald, Gembrook and Cockatoo.

Artist Tracey Roberts, who has a studio in The Patch, said creating her work was a challenge because she hasn’t worked in chalk before in a professional capacity.

“I figured I could still do the research and talk to a professional chalk or pavement artist and get some tips, so that’s what I did,” she said.

“It’s really lovely to have people wander past your artwork and it puts a smile on their face and the kids love it. It’s bright, colorful, and attractive and is promoting the local businesses.”

Nine pieces of art have been commissioned — six in Emerald, one in Cockatoo and two in Gembrook — which will be promoted as a trail on EDRA’s website.

Ms Roberts said she would like to thank EDRA for commissioning the artists for an important community project.

“We’ve got a beautiful place in which we live and it’s important to shop local,” she said.

“This helps support artists and community events so that everybody is having a satisfying experience.”

For more information on the art trail, visit easterndandenongranges.com.au

Tracey Roberts’ chalk art.

Pedro’s chalk art in Emerald.

Emily Lowe’s chalk art.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Harry Clements’ — the youngest commissioned artist — chalk art.

Artists collaborate with school kids for public exhibit

By Parker McKenzie Along Horologist Lane in Ferntree Gully, the first in a series of public art exhibitions currently light the wall.

Commissioned by Knox City Council, the works involve the collaboration of two artists and local school children to create depictions of local flora and fauna.

Joanne Mott said she was invited by the arts and culture team at Knox City Council to create art within five light boxes within Ferntree Gully Village.

“I am an artist who is very passionate about environment and place,” she said.

“I was thinking about what are the qualities of that place, which is the Ferntree Gully area where I spent time while I was growing up in the eastern suburbs.”

Ms Mott engaged with local children to assist with pressing local plants, in an effort to engage them with the native flora.

She said pressing is a traditional and scientific technique used by botanists historically.

“You would collect the sample and you place it in between sheets of paper and put weights on it,” she said.

“In doing that you actually preserve them, mailcommunity.com.au

The public art exhibition was created using pressed flowers, formed into a collage of animals.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS and you can preserve them for hundreds of years.”

Ms Mott worked with the children in school holiday workshops and used indigenous plants and flowers before the school children created collages of native animals.

“We had echidnas, kangaroos, wallabies,

snakes and of course lyrebirds, which are very well known in the area and a muchloved icon,” she said.

“After the workshops, the children made their collages of an animal and my collaborating partner John Powell took the children’s work and created a backdrop for all

the beautiful animals.”

The Ferntree Gully Creative Placemaking Project will host a rotation of local exhibitions within the light boxes, with Ms Mott’s collaborative art the first installation in the series.

After developing the Ferntree Gully Placemaking Plan earlier in the year, Knox City Council said consultation with community members “told us they want to see the return of the once-vibrant historic township and the village become a strong tourism destination as a gateway to the Dandenong Ranges.”

Ms Mott said local councils are increasingly getting behind artists and supporting them to create public art and engage with the community.

“As an artist, I make my own work but I also feel like it’s valuable to create opportunities for people in the community that might not have access to be invited to contribute,” she said.

“They’ll feel a lot of pride I hope and a greater sense of belonging when they see their artwork out in the world.”

More public artwork will be created in the light boxes and around key areas in Ferntree Gully Village in the coming weeks and months.

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 9

NEWS

Super Selby youth rider

By Parker McKenzie 10-year-old Josh Christmass has been motorbiking since he was old enough to walk. Over the weekend, he competed during the Fox Supercross Championship in Newcastle in front of 20,000 people.

Hailing from Selby, Josh has been competing in competitions all across Victoria when he applied for one of 20 spots in the YZ65 Cup at the Supercross Championship.

He said the competition was going well before he fell off his bike and had “a stack.”

“I had a huge wheelie and I hit something on a turn and fell over the bars,” he said.

“The practice was going great, in the first round I think he came 16th out of 20 kids,” his mother Renee said.

“The second round he was doing so well, he was up there but he had his crash and ended up coming 18th for the day.”

The YZ65 Cup is run by Yamaha Motor Australia in collaboration with Motorcycling Australia and is designed for nine to 12-year-olds.

Renee said Josh’s dad, who has also competed in Motorcross in the past, applied for him to have a place in the tournament.

“200 kids applied and of the 20 kids who competed, apparently 10 were repeat competitors, she said.

“I was petrified; there were a lot of very illlooking mums.”

Josh said what he enjoys most about riding is meeting new people and making new friends.

“There aren’t any tracks in Selby, so we have

Josh has been riding since he was “two or three”. to drive quite a bit,” he said.

“We go to Tralagon, Korumburra and Wonthaggi a lot.”

Josh is competing in another two-day competition in Wonthaggi over the weekend and said it is his dream to be a professional rider.

He said he prefers motocross to supercross but will be doing more of both in the future.

“Supercross is like you come out a corner and it’s just jump, jump, jump, jump, corner,” he said.

“In motocross, it’s like a straight and then we’ll go over a jump, and then there’ll be another straight.”

10-year-old Josh Christmass competed in the YZ65 Cup at the Supercross Championship.

Picture: SUPPLIED

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NEWS

Station opens its doors Ferntree Gully CFA estimated over 1000 people visited the station during its recent Open Day on Saturday 26 November.

Community groups including Knox SES, The Hut Art Society, Friends of Koolunga Native Reserve, Rotary Club of Fern Tree Gully, Knox Historical Society and Ferntree Gully Girl Guides were also on the scene showing off what they do for the local community.

Mountain District Learning Centre and FTG Uniting Church held an artisan market and an art show nearby as a part of the open day.

It was the first Open Day since 2019.

The Ferntree Gully CFA open day saw an estimated 1200-1500 people come through the station.

The local community got to meet their local emergency volunteers. mailcommunity.com.au

Pictures: SUPPLIED

SES and CFA vehicles alongside each other.

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 11

OPINION

Sealing fund fury From my

desk Unsealed road in Seville.

Federal Member for Casey Unsealed roads make up a substantial portion of the road network in the Casey electorate.

That’s why the previous Coalition government delivered $300 million to be shared between Yarra Ranges and Cardinia Shire Councils for road sealing programs.

The funding was to be used to seal 187 kms of road throughout the Yarra Ranges and 110 km in Cardinia as part of the Sealing the Hills and Roads for Community programs.

Before I continue, it’s important to paint a picture of the political landscape when this bipartisan commitment was made.

Labor was trying to win the 2019 election, led by Bill Shorten. Anthony Albanese was the

then Shadow Minister for Infrastructure.

Albanese’s office put out a joint media release with the 2019 Labor candidates for Casey and La Trobe, signalling Labor’s support to match the Liberals commitment of $300 million to seal roads across Casey.

Fast forward to October 2022, Labor has abandoned the Yarra Valley and the Dandenongs. They’ve cut millions from these same road sealing projects and other local initiatives.

Anyone that lives in Casey knows how vital road sealing is for our communities, especially coming into bushfire season. Our roads are our main escape route, and the only way in and out for emergency services. It is crucial they are as safe as possible.

Yarra Ranges Council currently has more

than 60kms of planned road upgrades that are in the construction, tender or design phase now stuck in limbo. After the June 2021 storm and recent flooding, road upgrades have never been more crucial.

It is an absolute disgrace that Labor have abandoned this project and broken their 2019 election promise, but the pain for Casey doesn’t end there.

They’ve also scrapped the $110 million we committed for the Wellington Road duplication and failed to fund the Lilydale Youth Hub. The hub is an incredible facility for young people in the Yarra Ranges, having delivered 3,651 support sessions last financial year. The Coalition funded this important service for three years, and during my campaign I committed a further $3.5 million which would have allowed the hub to keep its doors open.

With Labor forming government, they are yet to fund the future of the Youth Hub despite advocacy from myself and council.

As a lifelong local, I understand the importance of safe local roads and access to mental health services close to home. I will continue to hold the government to account for abandoning the residents of Casey.

An exquisite tale of ancient Britain A review of Sistersong by Lucy Holland Sistersong, by Devon-based author Lucy Holland, is recommended to our readers by Ms Anna Cohn Orchard, Executive Director of Exeter UNESCO City of Literature.

Published in 2021, the book was a finalist to both the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel and the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award in 2022.

Holland describes herself as living “in south-west England on the red shores of the Jurassic Coast... a beautiful, mysterious part of the country, steeped in myth and folklore”.

This has helped propelling the author to prominence in genres of history and fantasy, with Sistersong being a representative work.

The book is a lyrical reimagining of the folk ballad “The Twa Sisters”. Dating as far back as the mid-17th century, the song recounts the tale of a girl drowned by her sister. When the murdered girl’s body is found, it is made into a musical instrument, using her bone as a frame and her “golden hair” for strings.

While this may sound macabre, Sistersong is a captivating story set in ancient Devon, of the Britons and their traditional beliefs coming under threat of Christianity and the invading Saxons. Narrated from the perspectives of three sisters, the story combines his-

CARTOON

PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN torical fiction and fantasy and tells of a land of magic.

Riva is King Cador’s first born, a healer who can cure others but is unable to mend her own scars. Keyne, the next, is agile and ambitious; desperate to be seen as the king’s son. And Sinne, the youngest, is naïve but proud, longing for love and adventure, The three sisters are witnesses to a tumultuous time when people’s traditional lifestyles and worldviews are denounced by Gildas, a Christian priest with considerable influence over the royal court. As the king’s sacred bond with the land gradually diminishes, the kingdom can no longer relyon magic for protection and prosperity.

The struggles between pagan and Chris-

tian beliefs fill some of the most memorable pages of the book, with Myrdhin the magician playing an impressive role as the guardian of the land. The magical and fantastical elements of the story are vividly presented, often reminding this reviewer of the visually spectacular film Avatar.

The complex relationships between the three sisters and the mysterious stranger Tristan form the story’s backbone. All three women rebel against the strict societal expectations placed on them, but Keyne is a particularly outstanding character in her relentless fight against the structures of the patriarchy.

Interestingly, as British historian Owen Davies famously argues, the use of “paganism” as a derogatory term was created by the early Christian Church. “It was a label that Christians applied to others, one of the antitheses that were central to process of Christian self-definition.”

But King Cador’s reasoning also makes sense. A people heavily relying on its old beliefs and ways of life cannot grow or change, as there will be neither new ideas nor new inventions. In this sense, Sistersong is a thought-provoking tale of changing times and values, both individual and societal.

Highly recommended.

Art enjoyed Kemp’s curtain call A review of The Basin Theatre’s ‘Art’ For the final production The Basin theatre chose comedy, Yasmina Reza’s Art. A story of three friends of whom one has just spent 200000 Francs. His two friends are divided about this painting.

One is happy that his friend is pleased, the other is disgusted that he spent so much on such a painting.

The stage was set in black and white, the furniture was also in black and white with the exception of a painting on the wall that was changed as the night moved on.

The buyer of the painting, Serge, was played by Aaron Baker. Baker gave a wonderful portrayal of the character working well with the other two actors and adding to the high standard of the evening.

His supporter, Yvan, was played by Nathan Linton. Linton also did a terrific portrayal giving a great performance in his role as friend but as the evening progressed changes and attitudes fomented.

The sceptic Marc was well performed

by Rowan Thompson. Thompson caught the character as envisaged giving a great performance in such a role.

There were strong performances from each actor who changed from friendship to disagreement and back again. Scenes were very skilfully done and the dialogue was extremely well done.

A show worth seeing, and one hopes that Basin Theatre will put it on again.

Our thanks to the director, Graham Fly for the overall production, cast and a good evening of theatre.

Grover Theatre Company in association with The Basin Theatre presents ‘Hamlet’ Co-directed by Patrick Banfield and Sos Gill, this rendition of Hamlet promises to be thought provoking.

Prince Hamlet is grieving her father’s death, as the royal court celebrates her mother’s marriage to the king’s brother, Claudius.

When Hamlet’s father’s ghost appears pronouncing he was murdered by Claudius, he prompts his daughter to revenge.

Season: 15-17 December.

Atmosphere not enough Crimes of the Future Starring Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart Rated MA15+ 3/5 A work of brooding but insubstantial horror, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future has little to offer beyond macabre tone and visceral imagery.

In a future rife with pollution and mutation, Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) is a performance artist who grows new organs in his body and removes them for live audiences.

Crimes of the Future has many compelling parts but lacks dramatic connective tissue.

The tone is dry but not sedate, which throws the subversive themes into sharper relief. Surgery and mutilation become mediums of art and sexuality in several squirmingly-unpleasant sequences, but it is also grimly amusing to watch the main characters casually discuss bureaucracy or artistic theory in the context of such a provocative, drastic warping of the human form. Mortensen is strangely endearing as Saul, playing a sickly man with a go-with-theflow attitude and a sardonic sense of humour.

The setting is grimy and intriguingly anachronistic, with biomechanical devices existing alongside CRT televisions and Super-8 cameras.

It is an ignorant cliche to say “nothing hap-

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pens” in arthouse films, but this is regrettably accurate for Crimes of the Future. Saul is a passive protagonist, and the plot progresses with little urgency and too much spoken exposition.

Above all else, Crimes of the Future is light on conflict: the plot-points of an activist group with unique mutations and the conspiracy to suppress their mutations feel slack, underdeveloped and almost incidental. Cronenberg’s filmography is full of better body horror, including his outstanding 1986 The Fly remake, and I also heartily recommend Antiviral and Possessor (the latter being my 2020 film of the year), both directed by Cronenberg’s son Brandon.

Proof that atmosphere alone is not enough, Crimes of the Future is available to rent or buy on iTunes, and is also screening at Cinema Nova in Carlton.

- Seth Lukas Hynes mailcommunity.com.au

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 13

NEWS

Karwarra’s garden paths navigate around large gum trees.

Artist Ian Wallace’s Banksia collection can be viewed all summer in the Karwarra gallery space.

Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Pops of colour are bee attracting flowers and give the garden a lovely brightness.

Wander off beaten track

By Mikayla van Loon Hidden off the beaten track in Kalorama and tucked away among the trees, with a casual view out over the valley, is an exploration of native Australian beauty.

The Karwarra Native Plant Garden, Nursery and Gallery, located within the Kalorama Memorial Reserve, is the perfect pit stop to appreciate native flora.

Over summer, as the blooms begin to come out, wander through the self guided garden and discover the Banksia artworks of Ian Wallace in the gallery space. “[The Banksias are] from all over Australia and he started with one and then just did all the species. So some are from Eastern Australia, some Western Australia and they’re really detailed. We’re lucky to have them,” Karwarra gardener Shelley Graham said.

Mr Wallace began drawing in the 1960s with just pencil and paper, first beginning with plants like bulrushes, he moved onto camelias, rhododendrons and petunias before eventually moving onto his modality of watercolours.

“I bought a few tubes of watercolours and quickly found the green I squeezed from the tube was nothing like the leaf colour I needed, so I started mixing colours and learning,” the exhibition brochure reads.

“I never had any lessons in art, so after nearly 20 years, I am still doing just that.”

This is one of the first exhibitions to return to Karwarra after the pandemic lockdowns and Ms Graham said she hopes it garners some interest from the community and visitors, being purely an Australian flora and fauna gallery.

“There’s plenty of galleries you can go see and gardens too where you can see exotic plants and galleries where you can see all sorts of paintings but just to have it relating to the garden we think is good,” she said.

Stepping back outside, Ms Graham said when the sun shows itself, which was sparse over spring, the butterflies really come to life particularly the dainty swallowtails and macleay’s swallowtail.

Because these butterflies are so territorial it gives people an opportunity to snap a photo should they be standing near their chosen patch of habitat.

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Purples and blues are a popular feature throughout Karwarra.

With spring being quite delayed this year, Ms Graham said the late flowering plants like kangaroo paw and strawflowers have been even later in reaching their full bloom, which means they should be marvelling in the warmer months.

Among the colours of the kangaroo paw and strawflowers, the Veronica species provide elements of blues and purples all throughout.

Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden can be found within the Kalorama Memorial Reserve.

Of the six acre property half of it is garden beds, making it quite the experience to learn about native plants and hopefully inspire some garden designs elsewhere.

“It’s nice to be able to see Australian plants in a garden setting. So you could do lots of little garden beds that you could then get ideas for yourself,” Ms Graham said.

“For people from overseas just to be able

to see what an Australian garden can look like.

Not just wandering through the bush but actually seeing what a native garden could look like.”

The Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden is open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 4pm. It can be found at 1190-1196 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Kalorama. mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Limited owlets a concern

By Mikayla van Loon Powerful owls form an important part of the ecosystem on the east coast of Australia and particularly in the Mount Evelyn area but without consecutive breeding they become more endangered.

Mount Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association (MEEPPA) president Clare Worsnop said the local powerful owl population is in a dire situation, having seen very minimal breeding this last season.

“This year has been a particularly bad year for the owls. Out of five pairs of owls who are in and near to Mount Evelyn, we have two baby owls. One from the Quinn Reserve pair and one from the Beryl Phillips Reserve pair,” she said.

“We should have 10 baby owls. In an optimal year we would have 10 baby owls. Because each bird will lay two eggs and can raise two young. The two pairs in Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve have no babies.”

Ms Worsnop said this is the first time she’s ever known the Recreation Reserve pair to not raise young which shows a serious decline in the powerful owl population.

“It’s only a 20 per cent success rate for our owls and that’s not sustainable. At that rate, we will lose our owls. So this is why we’re so deeply concerned,” she said.

As the largest nocturnal bird of prey, Ms Worsnop said the survival of the owl population is dependent on the availability of large tree hollows and enough food to sustain them.

“There’s probably only 500 breeding pairs left in the world, which means they’re very vulnerable to fires, floods and the storms we’ve been having with all the trees coming down, especially the big old trees, which have been hollow bearing trees.”

As infrastructure for housing, roads and shopping strips encroach on essential habitat for not only the powerful owls but their food sources like gliders, possums and small birds, alongside a changing climate, MEEPPA has grave concerns for the future of this ecosystem.

Ms Worsnop said even things like street lights, noises from nearby football ovals and traffic can disturb the natural feeding times for nocturnal animals.

There were only two powerful owls born this breeding season.

Powerful owls are in a critical state in Mount Evelyn after very minimal breeding from the five pairs.

Pictures: ON FILE “The birds come out of their homes just on dusk and the first two hours after dusk are the most important time for the birds.

“When you yourself wake up, you’re hungry, you go have breakfast. Well, they wake up, they’re hungry, they might have young to feed, they’ve got to go and hunt for food.

“If you take out the first couple of hours after dusk, from noise or whatever the reason for it, you’re limiting the bird’s ability to hunt and feed.”

The powerful owl breeding season runs from May to the end of September or start of October and once the owlets fledge, they stay with their parents until February.

A resident of Mount Evelyn for 38 years, Ms Worsnop said every year for 30 years each pair of owls fledged two owlets in the Mount Evelyn area but the last eight have been very up and down.

Over the pandemic lockdowns, however, with people travelling less, sport facilities inactive and noise reduced, the owls returned to their regular breeding patterns.

“The first year since everything’s gone back to normal we’ve got no baby owls in the reserve, and unless we can change that trend and there are things we could do to do it, which won’t inconvenience anybody particularly it just means giving a bit so that the

wildlife has a chance.

“It’s very important that we do look at ways of mitigating the issues that are causing the owls not to breed. But unless we do that, we will lose them.”

Being the apex nocturnal species in the area, powerful owls sit at the top of the food chain and Ms Worsnop said if they were to become extinct, glider and possum populations would grow significantly, overrunning the environment, destroying trees and eventually killing themselves off.

Limiting light and sound exposure during key feeding times, working to replace hollows with artificial ones until trees regrow and planting habitat for both large and small critters will help turn the future powerful owl projection around.

“Without a healthy environment, we’re not going to have a healthy community. To have a healthy community, we have to have a healthy environment.

“We’re trying to do the best we can to make sure that we actually do something positive.

We need our whole community and our whole government and everybody to start thinking about it.”

To find out more about MEEPPA or how to get involved, go to www.meeppa.org.au

Generous grant to fund internal fit out of pavilion

By Mikayla van Loon Mount Evelyn’s sporting clubs and community will be the grateful recipients of the largest Bendigo Community Bank Mount Evelyn grant ever made.

Community Bank chairman John Stroud made the announcement on Thursday 1 December that the new pavilion build will receive $250,000 towards the internal fit out.

Mount Evelyn Sports and Community Hub (MESCH) acting president Mal Darke said this grant would do wonders for the collective to achieve the desired outcome for not only the four clubs but the community too.

“This amazing, very generous grant, it’s very much appreciated…It will really enable us to appoint the club rooms to a really high standard, which is what we wanted to do,” he said.

“It also gives us money to fit out the community room as well. So the money is not only going to the clubs but also to the community which is really important.”

The grant will ensure there are usable facilities like a kitchen, change rooms and event or meeting space for both the use of the community and the clubs themselves.

“We’re already very privileged to be building these fantastic rooms that when completed will have the capacity to cater to both male and female participation at the same time with four change rooms,” Mr Darke said.

“Which is really one of the first pavilions in the valley to have that capacity and it really recognises the participation and the diversity of participation that we’ve fostered down here at Mount Evelyn over the last probably 10 years. So it’s absolutely fantastic.” mailcommunity.com.au

MESCH committee members were overwhelmed and overjoyed to be gifted such a generous donation.

Everyone from Mount Evelyn’s sporting clubs and Bendigo Bank were excited to hear the news on Thursday 1 December.

Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON Providing the largest grant the bank has ever given, Mr Stroud said himself and the board of directors are proud to be part of this next chapter for the recreational reserve.

“The reserve here in Mount Evelyn has a big impact on the community. It covers a whole lot of users, sport and recreation,” he said.

“Our mantra is to give back to the community…so this fits really well with what we’re doing and we wanted to be part of the build because it’s significant…we want it to be part of our history and we want to be part of the legacy of the build.”

With over a century’s worth of history, the Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve has seen a fair few changes from a picnic ground with the onset of football in the 1930s, then cricket and eventually juniors and women’s sport.

“The reserve has a very rich history that goes back over 100 years…they used to come up in the old days in the horse and buggies.

Then the football club started in 1931, followed by the cricket club followed by the junior footy club,” Mr Stroud said.

“So that was all a fairly long time ago but in the last 10 to 15 years this reserve has really exploded in terms of recreational users.”

The reserve has now entered its next phase with state of the art, modern infrastructure which both Mr Darke and Mr Stroud said will be a great addition to Mount Evelyn.

“There really are no other modern facilities the community in Mount Evelyn have access to so it’s going to be really good to see the community get down here and use it at times when the clubs aren’t using it,” Mr Darke said.

“It’s the biggest bit of public building we’ve had in a long time in Mount Evelyn and surrounding areas, so we wanted to be part of that. We look forward to seeing it finished and seeing all the people using it,” Mr Stroud said.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child said it was wonderful to see this project nearing the final stages after many years working on getting it to this point.

“How it is there today is amazing because you’ve got to think about how we got there.

You’ve got three levels of government funding and with today’s announcement, we’re going to see how the community is behind it as well with this funding from the community bank,” Mayor Child said.

“To look across there and see what this building is going to provide not only for the football club, the cricket club but as a community hub as well is just amazing.”

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 15

MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Seeking disability carers You may have noticed a lot of activity around what was known as the old, abandoned police station in Yarra Junction, reflecting the changing landscape of the Yarra Valley - where new businesses open and old ones change hands.

Recovery Options (across the road from Cunningham’s Pub) is one such business.

Since converting the old police station into its headquarters and opening its doors in 2018, this boutique enterprise has become the premier NDIS Provider in the Yarra Valley/Ranges and surrounds.

Starting off with one client and one staff member, Recovery Options has grown to servicing over 200 clients with disabilities in the local area and now provides employment to over 100 professional staff who previously had to make the long commute to Melbourne for work.

“Many successful NDIS Providers tend to expand state-wide or grow nationally which takes away from the personal aspect of quality and care. What is the point of being based in the Yarra Valley/Ranges and providing services to clients in Mildura, Sydney, or Perth,” said Managing Director Russell Bosnjakovic who monitors industry trends closely.

“Recovery Options has no intention to franchise or expand in areas other than its own and is working towards developing world class systems and becoming a leading-edge provider of disability services based right here in the Yarra Valley/Ranges and surrounds.

“For this reason, Recovery Options is becoming first choice by families and support coordinators when seeking reliable quality service and care.”

Recovery Options has diligent recruitment processes and is currently on a recruitment drive seeking all qualified disability support workers/mental health qualified, PCA, aged care workers and students in training to

join our team.

They are looking for long term lifelong partnerships and strive to achieve 100 per cent customer satisfaction.

If you think you have what it takes and want to join their team for secure local employment, please send your resume to support@recoveryoptions.com.au

If you are a participant looking for a support worker or a support coordinator, please make a referral from our web site on www.recoveryoptions.com.au

Registered NDIS Provider

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Recovery Options acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands of this country, and pays respect to their Elders – past, present and emerging.

Servicing the Yarra Ranges

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

Social Worker

NDIS

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2421 Warburton Hwy, Yarra Junction 3797

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MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Guard eyes from glare Summer is on its way and protecting your eyes from glare has so many reasons why it is important for the health of your eyes.

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Whilst standard sunglasses do provide UV protection, polarised sunglasses in addition to UV protection are specifically designed to reduce glare from light reflecting surfaces such as water, metal, glass and snow.

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This Xtractive new generation lens blocks 100 per cent UVA and UVB rays. This is the only photochromatic lens to achieve the required darkness in high temperatures and even in the car.

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Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 17

SNIPPETS Hills Rotary Club meeting

MAIL SNIPPETS WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE HILLS

Christmas Lolly Run with Gembrook CFA Locals can once again be able to see the Gembrook Fire Brigade escorting Santa around town this Christmas, with a Christmas Lolly Run on Wednesday 21 December.

Beginning at Gembrook Skate Park at 5pm and continuing to JAC Russell Park at 5.30pm, attendees will be able to meet Santa and check out the fire brigade truck as part of their Christmas festivities.

Gembrook Skate Park is located on 4 Gembrook Road in Gembrook.

Carols in Emerald A spectacular evening of picnicking and carolling is awaiting Emerald residents and those in surrounding suburbs, with Emerald Carols returning to Emerald Lake on Friday 16 December.

With the 60 piece Cardinia Civic Concert Band leading the music element, Selby locals OBG Productions are putting together the sound production and primary school students from a number of local schools will be performing prior to the formal carols.

There’ll also be a visit from the man in the big red suit.

Donations on the day will be collected for the volunteer services of the Emerald CFA and SES. The community picnic will be held from 6pm to 7.30pm and the carols from 8pm to 9.30pm.

Get festive with late-night trading and Christimas festivities in Upwey on Wednesday 14 December.

309537 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Twilight Christmas shopping in Olinda

Santa run and carols in Monbulk

A one-night-only Christmas trading event will be held from 5pm to 8pm in Olinda on Friday 16 December with shops in Sassafras, Olinda, Mt Dandenong and Kallista taking part.

Organized by The Villages of Mount Dandenong, the event will also see door raffles, children’s activities and more on the night.

Participating shops and areas will be advertised on the Villages of Mount Dandenong Ranges website and social media.

On Christmas Eve, Monbulk CFA will hold its decades old Santa Ru, where brigade members will head out from the CFA station at 2pm and drive the streets and hand out sweets to passers by.

The station’s tanker will also be decorated for the holiday season.

To find updates heading into this year’s Santa Run, visit the Monbulk Fire & Rescue Facebook page.

Christmas carols will also be held on Friday 16 December at the Open Door Community Church car park in Monbulk, with a sausage sizzle from 5,30pm and carol singing from 7pm.

The carol signing will feature the Steve Pinzone Trio, with visitors encouraged to bring chairs and blankets.

The Open Door Community Church car park is located on the corner of David Hill and Moxhams Roads.

This is an alcohol free event.

Shop ‘till you drop in Upwey this Christmas On Wednesday 14 December, dress ups, crafts and carols will all be part of Christmas festivities in Upwey.

Between 5pm and 8pm, most shops are also expected to be open for late night trading in an initiative by the Upwey Traders Association, with shop owners also decorating their businesses for the occasion.

Mount Dandenong Hotel will be opening its doors on Wednesday 7th December for folks to drop in at 11am for Morning Coffee, 2pm for Afternoon Tea and 6pm for those who want to come along after work, with the opportunities to find our about the efforts to start up a special environmentally focused Rotary Club in the Hills. This initiative is supported by the ‘Hills Creative Alliance’ team, who are also inviting speakers involved in the recovery to share their stories during at Zoom session on Monday evenings at 7pm.

The Hills Creative Alliance recently received funding from the Hills Community Recovery Committee to encourage and engage local folks to step forward to take up volunteering opportunities to help the communities along the Tourist Road, as well as Sherbrooke and Kallista. ‘Volunteering Victoria’ is backing this initiative, as are local Rotary Clubs.

The Country Women’s Association has also taken a keen interest is establishing a group that meets once a month at Karwarra Garden, and at the first two sessions there were opportunities to find out about local birds, as well as hearing from Shelley Graham, one of the gardeners who works to maintain this wonderful garden to the highest standard.

For more information or to share your ideas, please contact Secretary of the Hills Creative Alliance, Liz Millman on 0412 970 050 or email lizmillman@yahoo.co.uk

Top 50 Green Emotions by George Akl at the Burrinja Cultural Centre Saturday 3 December 2022 until Saturday 11 February 2023 in the aerie gallery Top 50 Green Emotions provides an opportunity to reflect on the multidimensional complexities of climate change.

The viewer is able to go on an adventure using their own political aesthetics by exploring the cacophony of voices, images, theories, propaganda, geo-politics and personal interests that have been captured in the work.

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Need local staff?

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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PREMIER FAMILY RESIDENCE A FLAWLESS fusion of space, style, and superb outdoor entertaining areas, this centrally situated residence in a prime Glenfern Road location is ready to impress.

Focused on providing premier family comfort in a prized lifestyle location only moments from public transport, schools, shopping, and restaurants, this is a top lifestyle property with all the trimmings.

The landscaped gardens that frame this double-storey home comprise an exposed aggregate circular drive, lush lawn areas, and splendid swimming pool in spectacular natural surrounds. Uniformly unique and impressive is the grand interior with multiple living zones providing plenty of space for growing families and picturesque garden outlooks at every turn.

From the large foyer French doors flow into the formal living area with floor to ceiling windows and quality carpet. On the split lower level, the modern kitchen with gas cooktop, dishwasher, and peninsula seating overlooks the dining area, sitting room, and sprawling deck and patio with gorgeous outlook. On the lower level, the inclusion of a bonus rumpus room with separate entry can be set to suit your family’s needs.

Furthermore, there are 5 fabulous bedrooms on offer that are smartly situated away from the hub of the home. A contemporary family bathroom with floating vanity and frameless shower is a welcome

consideration. With 2 ensuite bedrooms, including the exquisite parents’ retreat with dressing room and designer bathroom with curved soaker tub, this home ensures it is effortless to imagine living here.

With additional highlights including a double garage with in-house access, ducted heating, evaporative cooling, solar power, water tanks and generous under-house storage, this exceptional residence is move-in ready for fortunate new owners. Inspection will impress.

Centrally situated family residence with

·

· · · ·

sparkling pool and large deck in landscaped gardens Spacious living area with floor to ceiling windows and lower level rumpus room with separate entry Beautiful kitchen with stainless steel appliances and inviting peninsula seating 2 ensuite bedrooms, including an exquisite parents’ retreat with dressing room and soaker tub ensuite Contemporary family bathroom, double garage with in-house access, circular drive, and cost-saving solar power ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 352 Glenfern Road, UPWEY Description: 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 6 garage Price: $1.3m - $1.43m. Offers Close 20 December Unless Sold Prior Inspect: By appointment Contact: Sam Adamson 0421 023 760 and Daniel Steen 0434 979 142, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE

SUBURBAN, COUNTRY & LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES ACROSS THE REGION mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 19

HOME FOCUS

‘OMORFO PLACE’ ON 15 ACRES WELCOME to your 15-acre, private estate on a quiet no through road.

It has everything you could ever wish for in a beautiful rural setting.

Blessed with a north facing aspect, the current owners chose this position to set the scene for a custom designed residence built in 2003 that affords the most glorious views to Port Phillip Bay, Cardinia Reservoir and beyond.

Mornings are special here, with the chatter of bird song, wildlife heading home after an evening foraging, misty valley views, beautiful sunrises, an idyllic start to any day.

Just as awe inspiring are the sunsets, pink and orange hues across the sky - dinner on the deck perfection.

On one level and easily accessible for those requiring wheelchair access the home features a versatile and flexible floorplan, currently 4 bedrooms and a study.

A home of grand proportions you will enjoy the elegance, the height of 10 ft ceilings throughout, open, and airy living spaces, both formal and informal.

A dedicated games and theatre room (potential 5th bedroom). Central timber and granite kitchen with plentiful bench space and storage, walk-in pantry, servery window, Falcon stainless steel Professional twin ovens and dishwasher. Opening onto the expansive covered deck overlooking the secure rear yard and picturesque views beyond.

This home has quality spotted gum flooring, tiles to all wet areas, wool carpet, beautiful drapery and remote e-screen blinds. A French Cheminees Philippe fireplace warms the formal lounge and dining space, Rinnai heating and refrigerated cooling, two Rinnai Infinity gas hot water units, ducted vacuum and excellent storage.

The infastructure is fabulous, gated access then via a sealed driveway, 4 car remote garage with adjoining 2 car carport, alarm and CCTV. Ideal for several animal pursuits with separate access to the paddocks from the road with cattle ramp and holding area, 4 paddocks, machinery/tack shed with separate entrance, undercover wood, and hay storage. German solar powered 4.7KW on 5.3 kw inverter, 66 cent buy back ending, 1/11/24, extensive outdoor lighting, merbau deck, outdoor alfresco blinds, mains water and gas cylinder tank. Electric fencing around perimeter and paddocks. Established garden setting including fruit trees.

This estate is a 1.1km drive to Belgrave South Township, schools, shops, and sporting clubs. A short drive to Belgrave Rail, easy connections to Wellington Road, Eastlink and M1. Walking distance to the pony club, horse trail rides from the property.

Estates of this calibre and position are difficult to find. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 17 Bellany Road, BELGRAVE SOUTH Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 6 garage Price: $2,750,000 - $2,950,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 and Jane Mortimer 0457 620 542, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL, 9754 6111 20 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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HOME FOCUS

YOUR COUNTRY ESCAPE ON SIX ACRES SUPERBLY positioned for privacy and a peaceful existence this amazing 6.4 acres is certainly one to walk over. It has a mix of old-growth trees, grassed sections, tiers and filtered distant mountain views. The picturesque setting is perfect for your dream home, or the perfect place to park your tiny home (both subject to council approval).

On the property is a permitted agricultural building with large viewing deck and 10,000 water storage. Electricity available at top of property. There is a rock driveway all the way to the rear of the property.

The location is idyllic, Gembrook Township is nearby for convenience with its shops, cafes, schools, and bus transport, yet you are far enough away to be immersed in the country atmosphere. Gembrook is located approximately 1 hours’ drive from Melbourne and 20 minutes to Pakenham at the end of the Puffing Billy Steam railway line.

We look forward to helping you achieve your dream and the next stage of your exciting life here in Morbey Road, Gembrook.

Call Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 for more details. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 28 Morbey Road, GEMBROOK Price: $650,000 - $700,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 and Janet Hawkins 0409 117 432, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL, 9754 6111

Time for a home loan health check!

With interest rates on the rise, there’s never been a better time to review your home loan.

We’ll look at your rate, term, repayments, and equity, giving your loan a full check-up to make sure it’s still right for you and your current needs.

Enquire online at bendigobank.com.au/healthcheck or call your nearest branch on 03 9754 1200.

Community Bank ¥ Upwey 9754 1200 ¥ Belgrave 9752 6606 ¥ Cockatoo-Gembrook 5968 8831

*Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, March 2022. All loans are subject to the bank’s normal lending criteria. Fees, charges, terms and conditions apply. Please consider your situation and read the Terms and Conditions, available online at www.bendigobank.com.au or upon request from any Bendigo Bank branch, before making a decision. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited ABN 11 068 049 178 AFSL 237879 (1676698-1734981) (05/22) OUT_26409233, 25/10/2022 12580802-MS49-22

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 21

HOME FOCUS

STUNNING FAMILY HOME WITH VIEWS TRANSFORM your lifestyle to one of complete tranquility at this spectacular property in the lush hillsides of Emerald.

Boasting over ¾ acre with its own stunning aquafer, rich birdlife, and charming wildlife including wombats and wallabies near your door, this is what Dandenong Ranges living is all about.

This beautiful family residence with double-glazed windows and doors rests upon a circular drive that leads to an inviting covered verandah. From one step inside, it is apparent you have arrived someplace special with a 2-storey foyer with floating staircase with steel balustrade.

At the heart this impressive home, open plan living leading to the deck with water views is a glorious space for gathering.

Comprising the gourmet kitchen with glass splashback, gas cooktop, walk-in pantry, and stone waterfall peninsula overlooking the dining area and expansive lounge with vaulted ceilings and cosy wood fire, every element is carefully crafted for optimal family comfort.

Furthermore, there are 4 unique bedrooms on offer and a versatile home office suited to a potential 5th bedroom or second living area. Beautiful bathrooms on both levels are enriched with soaking tubs with splendid views and the main bedroom is equipped with a generous walk-in robe.

With additional highlights including gas ducted heating, under-house storage, a family-size laundry, and serene no-through road location, this is an unparalleled lifestyle property. Inspection will impress.

Beautiful 3,354sqm (approx.) landscape with circular drive, stunning aquafer, rich native wildlife, and children’s jungle gym Spectacular open plan living with sweeping vaulted ceilings, warm wood fire, and access to the deck with water views Gourmet kitchen with waterfall stone benchtop seating, gas cooktop, Blanco oven, and walk-in pantry Versatile home office suited to a 5th bedroom or second living area Ground floor bedroom with garden views and upper level bedrooms with vaulted ceilings and ample storage Modern bathrooms with soaker tubs on both levels ●

· · · · · ·

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 29 Fern Glade Drive, EMERALD Description: 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 garage Price: $850,000 - $910,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Suzie Brannelly 0490 506 910 and Daniel Steen 0434 979 142, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 22 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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Real Estate you can trust!

We ’ r e h e r e t o h e l p FOR SALE

34 Nation Road, SELBY WONDERFUL, WHIMSICAL PLACE TO CALL HOME

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$610,000 - $670,000

35 Glen Road, BELGRAVE

1A1B

SWEET STARTER HOME IN SPECTACULAR LIFESTYLE LOCALE

With all the charm one could wish for in a Hills home and a picturesque ¼ acre landscape to match, this delightful property is something special. Set between Minak Reserve and Dandenong Ranges National Park near local schools, public transport, Selby Community House, Puffing Billy trestle bridge, and a forest walk through to Grants Picnic Ground, this home offers a balanced lifestyle in beautiful surrounds.

This sweet starter home situated near beautiful Birdsland Reserve is calling astute investors that can spot immense potential. With several updates already complete and a sunlit interior that overlooks the generous ½ acre allotment backing onto Monbulk Creek, this is an outstanding opportunity to enter the market in this exceptional lifestyle locale.

Suzie Brannelly

Brad Conder

M 0490 506 910 | E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

M 0422 639 115 | E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

FOR SALE

2/40 Bergins Road, ROWVILLE CUTE, CONVENIENT & CLOSE TO EVERYTHING!

$640,000 - $699,000 3A 1B 1C

Located in a convenient location within easy reach of all local arterial roads and freeways, Stud Park and Wellington Village and the beautiful walking tracks of Tirhatuan Reserve, this 3 bedroom unit is well maintained and close to many local schools.

With only 2 properties on the site, unit 2 is privately positioned at the rear of the block which further enhances the privacy of this lovely home.

FOR SALE

$750,000 - $810,000

32 Lomond Avenue, KILSYTH METICULOUS HOME ON COVETED CORNER BLOCK

3A2B2C

This meticulously maintained home on a coveted corner allotment opens endless options for astute investors. Capturing prime position only 750m from Churinga Shopping Centre, this property is perfect for first homebuyers, discerning downsizers, or developers determined to capitalise on subdivision potential (Subject To Council Approval).

Brad Conder M 0422 639 115 | E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

Sharyn Chandler

Sam Adamson

M 0439 882 442 | E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

M 0421 023 760 | E sam@chandlerandco.com.au

9754 6888 1689 Burwood Highway, Belgrave VIC 3160 www.chandlerandco.com.au of fice@chandlerandco.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 23

HOME FOCUS

‘THE LAURELS’ GORGEOUS VICTORIAN ‘THE LAURELS’ Gorgeous Victorian Cottage on 2899sqm subdividable (STCA) is situated on a sunny and flat block!

This nearly 100-year-old elegant 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home with 2 living areas and stunning gardens is located on the largest block in the area has been extensively and sympathetically renovated and is near completion. This is your opportunity to finish the renovations and invest your personal taste in this stylish property.

Located on the popular Station Road in Gembrook, enjoy the sights of Puffing Billy going past and the walking/bike riding track at your front door – you can either keep the gorgeous Laurel Hedge for privacy or remove it and take in the amazing Gembrook Valley views when you wake or when relaxing on the front verandah with your morning cuppa.

Alternatively, it is just a few hundred meters to the Gembrook Village for brunch, dinner and all your shopping needs.

Outside there is a great undercover entertaining area that is accessed from the French doors in the family room, waiting to be completed and host your next gathering as you enjoy the private and sunny, fully fenced backyard. There is a veggie patch, established flowering trees, a large shed/ workshop with concrete floor and power, a double carport for your convenience and a further single lock up garage that was built at the same time as the home.

This property has it all so don’t miss out! l

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 13 Station Road, GEMBROOK Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 garage Price: $950,000 - $1,020,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Samantha Scott, 0438 680 032, BELL REAL ESTATE, EMERALD 24 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

mailcommunity.com.au

P 5968 6222 311-313 Main Street Emerald

3 Luke Place, Guys Hill

$745,000 - $785,000

25 Currawong Drive, Gembrook

$850,000 - $935,000

Private & well positioned with a lovely view! 5 Mins to Berwick!

Mud Brick delight soaking in 19 acres of Gembrook nature!

Beautifully and lovingly renovated 2 bedroom, 1 Bathroom home. Nestled opposite the golf course, with a gorgeous park like view, you will notice the welcoming entertaining deck and landscaped front garden. With slate floors and character filled exposed beams, a wood heater, two split system air conditioners, and bi-fold front window that opens up onto the front entertaining deck. There is a modern and stylish kitchen, and also barn-door features leading to each of the two generous bedrooms. This home contains a European laundry, is rendered, and has a landscaped and low maintenance secure rear yard. With a great flat area for children or pets to enjoy, there is also a handy garden shed, as well as having a separate rear access to the property.

This picturesque mud brick home features a cathedral ceiling lounge room with large wood fire & master bedroom in the loft! Downstairs there is a second master bedroom with a large WIR, & office/ second lounge area with a bathroom with bath & shower & separate toilet. The kitchen has a gas oven & wood fired stove. There is a fully fenced paddock perfect for a pony/goat. There is a double carport & a separate teenagers retreat/office building with toilet, shower, kitchenette, lounge area, laundry area, bedroom, two storage rooms & fenced yard. There is also a free standing room perfect as a craft room/office space. Featuring a 3 car lockable barn/workshop with power & concreted floors. This home is totally off grid, with a 9kW solar system & battery set up, supported by a generator.

There is approximately 55000L of tank water stored in three large water tanks, & a septic system.

Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451

Aaron Day M 0407 365 994

Richard Birtchnell M 0438 747 357

2

4 Lisheen Road, Cockatoo

A

1

B

2

C

$880,000 - $940,000

What an opportunity! Expansive 6 bedroom family home, with huge shed on 1/2 an acre!

25 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo

Aaron Day M 0407 365 994

A

3

B

4

2

B

5

C

$670,000 - $ 730,000

This lovingly updated & character filled, 3 bedroom home is designed over two levels, and enjoys year round comfort with a wood fire, ducted heating and split system.

The bedrooms all contain BIRs, and the master bedroom is serviced by a lovely ensuite. The kitchen is a delight, containing a gas cook top and an electric oven. There is also an updated and highly functional European laundry, and plentiful storage with the large attic. Step outside onto a spacious deck and take in the amazing view of surrounding forest, and enjoy the well tendered garden.

This property offers a delightful garden workshop, dual carport and has all mains available, and is currently connected to mains gas and water and utilises a septic system.

Aaron Day M 0407 365 994

6

A

Fantastic opportunity in the heart of Cockatoo!

This is an amazing family home. With 6 bedrooms & 3 bathrooms, offering the possibility of sharing a multi-generational home/dual occupancy. All bedrooms have BIRs & carpet. Master bedroom has an ensuite. The further two bathrooms contain both a toilet & shower. The larger bathroom offers a corner spa bath. The kitchen has a 900mm electric oven & gas stove, & overlooks the lounge area & rumpus room. This home features high ceilings, ducted heating, ducted vacuum, wood fire, air conditioners & a rear deck that is 9m*12 m & fully covered to facilitate all year around entertaining.

The garden has fruit trees, a dedicated dog area, chicken yard, & a paved area. There is under house storage and a brand new massive 8m * 11m, 4 car shed with concrete floor & 4m high walls.

Bethany Day M 0438 844 968

3

C

Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451

3

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bellrealestate.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 25

Ranges

We put you first

AWESOME SHED!

STunnInG ½ ACrE GArDEn PArDISE

COCkATOO 3 SAlISbury AvEnuE $475,000 - $520,000 FANTASTIC NEAR ½ ACRE WITH ORIGINAL COTTAGE 2A 1B 4C

SHERBROOkE 33 SHErbrOOKE lODGE rOAD DRESS CIRCLE LOCATION

In a quiet and convenient location near to Cockatoo Township this property has plenty of potential, maybe a tradie looking to renovate and extend the 2-bedroom existing dwelling or those searching for that elusive block of land to build their dream home (STCA). There is a 9mx7m (approx.) shed with a concrete floor already here, a smaller storage shed and the property is fully fenced. Opportunities at this price range rarely come along, are ready to make your dream a realisation?

Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522

Jane Mortimer 0457 620 542

WAlK TO bElGrAvE TOWnSHIP!

BELGRAvE 44 bElGrAvE-GEMbrOOK rOAD ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY YET CONNECTED TO CBD!

9754 6111 rangesfn.com.au 26 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

4A 2B 3C 1E

Wonder through amazing lEvEl established gardens & enjoy feeding the local birdlife.

The original 1930’s Wb cottage has been substantially extended to approx 31 squares being a two-storey chalet style home that creates real country charm. Situated in a quiet cul-de-sac opposite the national Park and features a study/home office, three living areas, 4 oven Aga & belling cookers, combustion wood heater, DGH, spa/hot tub room, cubby house, double garage & single carport and a huge workshop plus storeroom.

Grant Skipsey 0418 528 102

PrICED TO SEll!

$815,000-$870,000 3A 2B 1E

Set on a corner block in a parklike setting with two driveway entrances and offers plenty of off-street parking. This gorgeous light-filled, extensively renovated character home offers an open plan lounge & dining, a study, bathrooms boasting beautiful French tapware, a hostess kitchen with a fireplace and Caesarstone bench tops. Additional features include GDH, reverse cycle A/C, leadlight features, timber floorboards, cedar blinds, OFP, huge attic storage and extensive landscaped front and back yards.

Jan Brewster 0409 558 805

$1,045,000-$1,145,000

COCkATOO 48 PAKEnHAM rOAD GENEROUS 2/3 ACRE, CLOSE TO TOWN

$630,000-$690,000 4A 2B

Cosy & comfortable home showcasing several living spaces, separate dining, sunroom & verandah. The garden is low maintenance with the backyard featuring a mixture of flowering trees with meandering pathways. Centrally located only a short walk to the main street shops & schools with a bus at your doorstep. Also includes 5kw premium solar, double-glazed front windows, sealed driveway, storage shed, GDH, wood heater, S/S A/C, plenty of off-street parking, fully fenced back yard. Potential of subdivision (STCA)

Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522

“We Put You First”

Jane Mortimer 0457 620 542

1 Bayview Rd, Belgrave Shop 2, 24 McBride Street, Cockatoo mailcommunity.com.au

PUZZLES

DOWN Aid (6) Tableland (7) Myths (7) Formerly Persia (4)

7

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10 11 12 13

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

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1 4

T X NW J U A R K I C E Q 4

5

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13

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”.

S

Today’s Aim: 14 words: Good 21 words: Very good

1 5 4 8 9 2 7 6 3

5 2 4 9 8 6 7 1 3

1 7 9 3 2 4 8 5 6

3 8 6 7 1 5 2 4 9

28 words: Excellent

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Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

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medium

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No. 110

, 1 & 8 5

hard

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& 2 $ 6 7

No. 110

( $ & + * / 2 2 2 , 1 6 % ( ( + , 6 6 ( ( $ 6 7 / / ( 5 6 , ' ( 9 $ 1 6 ( 1 ' + < 6 ( 5 $ / ( 2 7 ( 6 ' , & 7 ( 1 7 6

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: + $ 2 1 * 6 7

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

Part of flower’s calyx (5) Largeness (9) Metallic noise (5) Angel of high rank (9) Loads (6) Type of sail (8) Following (10) Annoy (3) Elongated fish (3) Significant (10) Decorative structure (8) Language (6) Contribute (9) Lowest point (5) Area (9) Eyelid inflammations (5)

$ 3 5 ( ( 7 , $ 7 * ( ( 2 2 % 3 ( ( 6 1 ( 6 = * ( ( 6 ( 7

easy

5

ACROSS 1 4 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 23 24 26 27 28 29

No. 110

3 ( 1 & (

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.

QUICK CROSSWORD

8 6 8 $ /

No. 110

3 8 / 3 6

SUDOKU

09-12-22

William Matthews Funerals 24 HOUR SERVICE - ALL AREAS

9739 6868 45 Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale www.williammatthewsfunerals.com.au 12567433-SN37-22

mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 27

networkclassifieds.com.au Trades & Services V Deadline

V Trades Business Profile

V Excavators

• Excavator 5 Tonne and 15 Tonne • Bobcat Hire • Tip Truck Hire • All Types of Excavation Work • Holes Augered • Site Cuts • Driveways • Blocks Levelled and Shaped • Retaining Walls • Trenching • Free Quotes • No Jobs Too Big or Too Small

Phone: 1300 666 808

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V Air Conditioning

lectrical E t t u H .

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JJ SERVICE 24 HOUR

Be cool this summer

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• Brivis Evaporative Cooling • Daikin & Rinnai Splits • Pensioner discounts • Evap & Split Service Specials REC 17042 PIC 38148 AU 06212

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Speak to our classified team and find out how easy it is to advertise. Start building your brand today and be seen every week in Network Classifieds Trades and Services.

12438941-C

12493755-SN19-21

Deadline for all classifications is 4pm Friday.

EARTHWORKS

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“Since advertising in the local Mail papers our enquiries have increased immensely and we continue to get great results” ă 'DPLDQ

Free Quotes

0408 901 088 Need your gutters cleaned?

Call today to

* Safety Trained & Fully Insured organise a FREE * Wet/Dry VACUUM cleaning no-obligation * Professional & Friendly Service quote.

guttervac.com.au

V Bathroom & Kitchens

Find work locally in the

V Carpenters

Daniel Brown Mobile: 0409 395 635

0418 327 737 5968 8493 melbourne.asphalt@bigpond.com

12518757-DL44-21

Email: daniel@topcatdriveways.com.au Visit our website at: www.topcatdriveways.com.au • Driveways • Car Parks • Pathways, Tennis Courts, Draining, School Yards, Machine or Hand Laid Asphalt Repairs • Commercial & Domestic • Free Quotes • Timber & Brick Edging

V Bobcat/Earthmoving

EXCAVATIONS CONCRETE * LANDSCAPING * PLANT HIRE

section of Network Classifieds.

Call Joseph - 0420 422 263

V Electricians

All types earthworks * Driveways *Site Cuts * Drainage & Retaining Walls Demolition & Rubbish Removal * Blocks Cleared & trees Felled * Firebreaks All types Rock & Concrete Drives, Slabs & Pathways Licensed Operators * Fully Insured * Free Quotes * All Areas www.klplant.com.au A/H 9754 8424 Call Ken

0412 593 503

Employment

CARPENTER 12562316-SN32-22

Excavators 3 to 20 ton * Bobcats & Tippers * Mini Digger * Augers * Compactors

REPLACE IT WITH ASPHALT! IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN!

EST. 1987 All work guaranteed

0400 877 774 1300 654 253

12453512-RC29-20

C762441-KK7-10

C1039154-JM27-12

• RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL DRIVEWAY WASHED OUT?

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V Guttering

Phone Mike 0419 887 499 www.mjbathroomrenovations.com.au

V Asphalting

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PETER’S FENCING and GATES

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COMPLETE OR PARTIAL BATHROOM RENOVATIONS 20 Years’ Experience in all facets of the building trade RELIABLE TRADESMAN

section of Network Classifieds.

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All types of fencing – rural, timber or colorbond Gates and Retaining Walls Expert Work at Mates Rates No job too small

J.L. Hutt Electrical ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

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24 HOUR SERVICE ฀ ฀

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V Handy Persons

J&G HANDYMAN SERVICES

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Jason 1300 644 698

12438941-CG04-20

General Notices

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V Fencing & Gates

98 00 644 6 Jason 13

12415450-FA15-19

12522612-JW47-21

9870 7059

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CALL GREG 0438 683 141 OR REGAN 0439 208 693.

CALL AFTER HOURS 5968 3140

Call 1300 666 808 www.fairbairns.com.au

฀ ฀

12436017-SN51-19

VISA/MASTERCARD/EFTPOS/BANK TRANSFER

Phone Steve Ph: 5968 2508 Mobile: 0417 723 745

1178985-CG14-15

We accept payment by:

12550881-AI21-22

(include your name, address and phone number)

Small Jobs Specialist • Painting • Plastering • Carpentry

• Small gardening • Cleanup

12576928-SN45-22

Email: sales@networkclassifieds.com.au

1003429-PJ6-12

S&V RELIABLE EARTHWORKS

Placing your classified advert is so easy...

Phone 0493 439 590 V Painters/Decorators

BRUSH STROKES PAINTING SERVICE

No job too small MIKE FERNLEY | Mob: 0488 158 556 12451591-NG25-20

12454729-SG29-20

28 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

mailcommunity.com.au

Trades & Services

General Classifieds V Adult Services

V Tree Lopping/Surgery

DAWSONS

PLUMBING CONTRACTORS 1170652-HM05-15

Lic No. 29938 General Plumbing Gas Fitting Hot & Cold Water Roof & Spouting Pumps & Tanks Farm Water Boring & Trenching Sewerage Connections Septics & Sand Filters

Alan 5968 5191 Mob 0418 176 159 FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS.

C1024520-KG18-12

Plumbing & Gas Fitting, Excavator Hire, Water Renewals, Metal Roof & Gutters, Hot Water Unit Repair & Replacement, All Sanitary & Stormwater Drainage, Septic, Sewer & Treatment Plants, Pumps & Rain Water Tanks.

Richard - 0419 502 949 Simon - 0417 399 750

$20 MILLION INSURANCE

TREE SERVICES

• LARGE TREE SPECIALISTS • HEDGE TRIMMING EXPERTS • STUMP GRINDING • MULCH AVAILABLE • CONSULTING ARBORIST

12496966-LB23-21

A.G & E. WILLIAMS

• No Fuss • No Mess • No Stress

☎

30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE

฀ ฀

Lic 106275

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0473 326 333 C683684-SJ2-9

5968 3334 or 0408 335 077 IAN WOODHOUSE Plumbing Contractor Reg No. 15348

• Domestic • Commercial • Installation & Maintenance • Sewerage Connections • Septic Tanks & Stormwater Drains • Drain Blockages • Burst Pipes • LPG to Natural Gas Conversions • Hot Water Service Repairs & Renewals • Spouting, Roofing Repairs & Installation

5 SHERIFF ROAD, EMERALD

Call the team today 0421 574 444

V Roofing

12570815-AV40-22

Leak detection & repair Rebeding & Pointing High Pressure cleaning

Solar Skylights Skylight resealing Pensioner discount

www.transformedtreeservices.com.au

V Upholsterers

Call Chris 0412 099 142 24 years in roofing leaks

Specialising in Antique Restoration Recovery & Repairs to all types of furniture

12382862-RA13-18

Specialist in Gutter Cleaning / i`ÊÀ vÊÀi«> ÀÃÊEÊ i> ÃÊUÊ,i i`ÊEÊ* ÌÊ vÊ, và 25 Yrs Experience Call Matt for a free quote

FREE FABRIC PROTECTION *FREE QUOTE, PICK UP & DELIVERY Luke Wilson Mob: 0402 020 554 Ph: 03 5964 2166 12378576-DJ07-18

9735 3700

Mobile 0419 131 958 SERVICING ALL AREAS BOB WALLACE AND SONS

9754 6686 ฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

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Call Darren on 0404 040 686

12395220-HM32-18

TREE SERVICES ฀

I,Hong Shen, applied to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation on 27th November 2022 for the adding of Good Friday and Christmas Day trading hours to a Packaged Liquor Licence at Monbulk Food Express, 128 Main Road, Monbulk VIC 3793.

All objections are treated as public documents.

Objections must be made in writing to: Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation GPO Box 1988 Melbourne Vic 3001 Objections must be made no later than 30 days after the date of this notice.

CALL US ON 0458 735 250 12543759-AI14-22

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V Positions Vacant

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Prompt Sheet Metal

Buy & Sell in our

Motoring section of Network Classifieds.

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An objection must state the reasons for the objection.

BELGRAVE ฀

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Buy, Rent & Sell in our

Any person may object to the grant of this application on the grounds that • It would detract from, or be detrimental to, the amenity of the area in which the premises are situated, and/or • It would be conducive to or encourage the misuse or abuse of alcohol.

V Tree Lopping/Surgery

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PACKAGED LIQUOR LICENCE APPLICATION

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Call

12580442-JC49-22

5962 4841

C936869-KK25-11

• Septic Tanks • Treatment Plants • Grease Traps • EPA Licence • Portable Toilets

ESCORT LINDA

CALL 1300 666 808

URGENTLY require Sheet metal workers 1st or 2nd class for switch board manufacture as well as Factory hands.

Full time hours with overtime available.

Please email accounts@promptsheetmetal.com.au today if you have experience in this field

V Public Notices and Event

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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MAIL 29

SPORT

Hawks on a roll The Monbulk Hawks managed to secure 7 out of 11 wins over the weekend weekend, with the 2nds and 3rds cementing their spots in the top 4 in the seniors.

The Vets also had a great win on Sunday 4 December, with the U16’s back on the winners list and the U14s continuing their winning ways with another terrific team win and a spot on top of the ladder.

Firstly to three players: Ava Dawson a new player to our Super 7’s team who has also been filling in for the U12’s where she made 13 on Friday 2 December. She has batted 5 times for 46 runs.

Two Graces - Hourigan and Emmett - were also a big part of matches over the weekend.

Grace Hourigan is in her 5th season of junior cricket at Monbulk and last season played in the U14 premiership.

This season in the U16’s, she has taken 1/10 the last two weeks. She also plays senior women’s cricket at South Belgrave. Grace Emmett played in Monbulk’s 5th XI on Sunday 4 December and plays in the Olinda women’s team.

Scores: 1st XI - Monbulk 10/113 (S.Suranga 23, K.Snyman 19) def by Footballers 7/115 (A.Powell 2/7, J.Wilkinson 2/18, S.Cosstick 2/29) 2nd XI – Monbulk 5/131 (B.Trinnick 54, A.Gillard 36*) def Footballers 10/128 (C.Broekhof 4/30, K.Storey 2/9, J.Santini 2/22, C.Haworth-Hooker 2/29) 3rd XI – Monbulk 3/78 (J.Simmonds 41, G.Calcagno 20*) def Footballers 10/76 (T.Rickard 3/10, M.Adams 2/6, D.Cleary 2/15, C.Heppell 2/24) 4th XI – Monbulk 5/128 (M.Winzenried 42, D.Blenkiron 29) def by Knox Boronia 5/131 (S.Blenkiron 1/16) 5th XI - Monbulk 10/146 (B.Brockwell 72, K.Beecroft 24*) def by Johnson Park 10/253 (G.Ryan 4/45, T.Badgery 3/28, K.Beecroft 2/30) Vets – Monbulk 10/145 (T.Selby 34, P.Scrimizzi 29, D.Anderson 23) def Lysterfield 10/117 (M.Cutler 3/9, D.Hammond 3/30, L.Taylor 2/12) U16’s – Monbulk 4/122 (C.Hooper 45, E.Knight 25*) def Knox Gardens / Scorseby 8/78 (E.Knight 3/5, W.Meyer 3/5, S.Blenkiron 2/5, G.Hourigan 1/10) U14 Monbulk 4/130 (E.Dawson 34, A.Sutton

Bombers pick Hayes

By Parker McKenzie Upwey local Lewis Hayes has been drafted by the bombers for the 2023 season, during the AFL’s draft on Tuesday 29 November.

Hayes was drafted as the number 25 pick by Essendon Football Club, following in the footsteps of his older brother and Port Adelaide ruckman Sam Hayes.

He told the Star Mail playing against his brother would be a “super special” moment.

“Even going up against him or something like that would be unreal,” Hayes said.

“He’s got his own career as well, but having something to do with Sam in the AFL would be pretty cool.”

The backman played his junior career at Upwey-Tecoma Football Club and Lysterfield Football Club, playing six grand finals in a row at the later.

“It was a pretty successful junior team I was in, I grew up playing my footy there and I really enjoy it,” he said.

Hayes has also played for Eastern Ranges and for Vic Metro at the National Championships earlier in 2022.

The 199cm 18-year-old was a highlyrated defender heading into the draft, but Hayes said nothing was a certainty.

“Having my older brother and watching him go through it gave me a bit of confidence,” he said.

“I want to be at the highest level with him so to finally get my name called out was a massive relief. I’m super honoured to represent Essendon and get into it.”

He said he would be heading into his first training session with the bombers tomorrow — on Friday 2 December — after his first day at the club on Thursday 1 December.

“We’ll be training for two weeks and then have a Christmas break of about three weeks and then straight back into the preseason,” he said.

“Then after that, it’s getting into the full swing of things and into the season.”

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Monbulk Cricket Club’s 2nd XI beat the Footballers on Saturday 3 December.

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23, M.Peacock 17*) def Sth Belgrave 5/88 (J.Brooke 1/5, R.Tudor 1/8, W.Blenkiron 1/8, L/Pritchard 1/11, L.Ploeg 1/10) U12 Monbulk 8/82 (A.Dawson 13, T.Phyland 13*) def by Knoxfield / UFTG 6/156 (C.Doyle 2/12, Q.Kelly 2/19, H. Arnott 1/13, Q.Doyle 1/5) Fast 9’s Monbulk 7/121 (J.Jennings-Sykes 48*, J.Chudasko 29, N.Taylor 21) def Rowville 0/120 Super 7’s Monbulk 3/89 (H.Grigg 10*, A.Dawson 13*, O.White 9*) def Belgrave 4/63 (Q.Doyle 1/3, M.Demant Roddy 1/3, A.Arnott 1/6)

Pictures: SUPPLIED

New Super 7’s player Ava Dawson.

Upwey-Tecoma Tigers continue to hunt down their wins A weekend of glorious weather saw plenty of cricket on offer for the Upwey-Tecoma Tigers.

The 1st XI travelled to Knox Gardens Reserve, looking to string together two wins after an inconsistent start to their season. After losing the coin toss, the Tigers were asked to field first on a very fast outfield.

Knox Gardens got off to a flying start, going at more than 6 an over for the first 20 overs. A double break-through from veteran seamer Jay Colee (2/28) gave the Tigers an opening, before English import Jules Whetstone turned the screws with an excellent spell of fast bowling.

The Tigers ended up restricting the Falcons to a below-par 221 off their 40 overs with Whetstone claiming 4/28 off his 8 overs.

The run chase started in disastrous fashion, with Hunter Greener dismissed for a duck to give the Falcons hope. Captain Jacskon Waters and Andrew Evans steadied the ship combining for an 80 run stand before a run out saw Waters dismissed for 30.

When Evans holed out for a well-made 56, the Tigers were wobbling at 3/111. As he did with the ball, Whetstone took control of proceedings with the bat. He blasted 75 not out, combining with Jordan Tailby (41) to guide the side to a comfortable victory.

The Women’s XI faced off against Knox Gardens in a top-of-the-table clash at Upwey Reserve.

The Falcons batted first, compiling 2/147 off their 20 overs. Best of the Tiger bowlers was Nic Hurst with 1/22 off her 4 overs.

It was a spirited run chase, with an excellent 30 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

1/321 off their 40 overs. Opener Chris Jewell and first drop Liam Dunning plundered the Falcon attack all over the park, with Jewell finishing on 156 not out and Dunning unbeaten on 121.

The Falcons were never really in the hunt, limping to 3-159, with Jewell and Dunning claiming a wicket each to cap off a memorable day for them both.

The 3rd XI scored their first win for the season, routing Eilden Park for 80 before passing the score for the loss of 6 wickets. Alex Moore was best with the ball claiming 4/21 while Oskar Taylor’s 28 not out helped to seal a Tiger win.

The 4th XI defeated Scoresby on the back of a brilliant 52 not out by Harry Burrows and some quality leg spin from Archer Greenberg (4-21).

The 5th XI scored a win over Eildon Park via a forfeit.

NR Shield: Upwey-Tecoma 4/223 (Whetstone 75*, Evans 56, Tailby 41) def Knox Gardens 8-221 (Whetstone 4/28, Colee 2/28) Women’s League: Upwey-Tecoma 3-127 (Roleff 52*, Wachter 20*) def by Knox Gardens 2-147 Div 3: Upwey-Tecoma 1-321 (Jewell 156*, Dunning 121*) def Knox Gardens 3-156 Div 5: Upwey-Tecoma 6-83 (Taylor 28*) def Eildon Park 80 (A. Moore 4/21) Div 7: Upwey-Tecoma 6-148 (Burrows 52*) def Scor esby 8-139 (A. Greenberg 4-121) Div 8: Upwey-Tecoma def Eildon Park (forfeit)

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Upwey-Tecoma cricketer Kaitlyn Roleff after her maiden half century.

Kaitlyn Roleff half century keeping the Tigers in hunt, ably supported by keeper-batter Nic Wachter (20 not out). The innings finished on

Picture: SUPPLIED

3-127, 20 runs short of the target.

The 2nd XI hosted Knox Gardens at Upwey Reserve, amassing a huge total batting first -

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mailcommunity.com.au

SPORT

7th round

Emerald Cricket Club’s Dale Street in the battle against Kooweerup’s D Grade on Saturday 3 December. 311008

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Emerald bats first Emerald Cricket Club scored 8/237 in their first innings against Kooweerup in the seventh round of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association D Grade competvition.

70 overs saw Emerald’s Anthony Cobban score 88 runs, with a ball bowled by Kooweerup’s Cooper Davey caught by team mate

Adam Wilkinson.

Closely following Cobban’s total runs was fellow batsman Ian Crosher who secured 69 runs before Kooweerup’s Campbell Wood’s ball was caught by fielder Sonny Giles.

The match was held at Koo Wee Rup Secondary College, with Emerald Cricket Club’s D

Grade facing off against Officer at Worrell Reserve on Saturday 17 December.

Emerald Cricket Club’s District team also played against their Nar Nar Goon - Maryknoll Cricket Club opponents on Saturday 3 December at James Bathe Reserve in Pakenham, securing a total of 271 runs in 72.9 overs.

Monbulk bowlers remain top of the pack Saturday pennant Round 7 brought a warm to hot day with a light breeze.

The occasional cloud cover gave some welcome cool relief; summer has arrived.

Monbulk 1 played away against Mooroolbark 2. Their grass green is still recovering from the water damage and has an obvious moss problem, but it was rolling fairly well with only a few boggy patches that grabbed the bowls and altered their lines.

Karen Rice’s team dropped four ends early on in the game, including a 3 shot clanger.

But after that, they turned things around and concentrated mainly on short ends when they won the mat. They won the next six ends in a row including four 3s. After the break, they only gave away four ends, all for minor scores and their wins included a 3 and a big 5. They won the rink 31 shots to 11.

Eric Markham’s team won eight ends for the day, but with minor scores. The losses included two 3s, two 4s, and a 5. Mooroolbark led by 10 shots at the break, then they doubled that in the back half. Monbulk lost the rink 9 shots to 30.

Jim Bras’ team also won eight ends. They dropped a 3 and a couple of 4s early on, to trail by 8 shots around halfway. Then Monbulk picked up a mighty 7 shotter, to get within a single shot of the lead. Mooroolbark reacted by playing with more accuracy and in the back half Monbulk gave up a 3, a 5, a 6, and a 7.

Monbulk lost the rink 17 shots to 39.

Brian Smith’s team had a close first third of the match and then they settled into the conditions. They dropped only seven ends for the day and also picked up a 3 and a 4. They did drop a 4 on the last end, when, trying for big numbers for the big board, they went for the low percentage shots that didn’t quite come off. But Monbulk won this rink strongly 23 shots to 15.

Overall Monbulk lost 80 shots to 95, with 4 points for the two rinks up. We are still on top of the ladder, but with only a 6 point margin over second place. Next week we play away against Donvale 2 who have won only one match this season. If we can manage to adapt quickly to their green, we could grab the points.

Monbulk 2 played at home against Vermont mailcommunity.com.au

Bowler Alan Hamilton’s team had a big win on Saturday 3 December.

Picture: SUPPLIED South 5 Graeme Goller’s team had level scores at the halfway mark. Then, early in the back half, they dropped a 7 shot clanger that changed the game. Gradually they clawed back the shots and managed to level again going into the eighteenth end. It was then an exciting race to the finish with scores level on the nineteenth end, then Vermont South ahead by a single shot, and then a great finish by Monbulk to pick up a double on the last end and take the win 21 shots to 20.

Don Barnetson’s team had a close match all day. Monbulk was up by 7 shots with just four ends to play, but Vermont South grabbed those

final ends including three doubles and a 3. We lost the rink 19 shots to 21.

Alan Hamilton’s team had a blinder of a day.

They dropped only six ends for the day, all for minor scores, and the wins included a 3, a 4, a 5, and two 6s. By halfway they were 13 shots up, and in the back half they just ran away with it. Monbulk won the rink 40 shots to 8.

Peter Lee’s team led all day. They dropped only seven ends with a couple of clangers, but the wins included four 3s and a 4, and several doubles. They comfortably won the rink 28 shots to 14.

Overall Monbulk won 108 shots to 63, with three rinks up. They are now third on the ladder with almost a whole game ahead of fourth place and only four ladder points behind second. Next week they play at home against Willow Lodge who are sitting around the middle of the ladder.

Cockatoo/Monbulk played at Monbulk against Yarra Glen 3.

Allan Brooke’s team led all day, picking up some big scores and limiting the losses to minor scores. They led by 10 shots halfway and doubled that in the back half. They won the rink 35 shots to 11.

Case Broekhof’s team struck some strong competitors. No end scored more than a 2, either for or against. Scores were level at the halfway mark and continued to be close in the back half. Going into the last end, Yarra Glen trailed by a single shot. But Case’s team managed to grab a double and win the rink 16 shots to 13.

Anthony Young’s team kept in the lead but let the opposition back in the game on several occasions. His team led by just one shot at the halfway mark. In the back half they gave away only three ends and built up a strong margin to take the rink 21 shots 13.

Mark Coulter’s team dropped only five ends for the day. It was a strong showing, with the wins including a 4, two 5s and a 7. They won the rink 35 shots to 8.

Overall Cockatoo/Monbulk won 107 shots to 45, with all four rinks up. That puts the side in fifth place on the ladder. Next week they play against Mooroolbark 6 who are on top. It is a home match to be played at Cockatoo.

The midweek pennant’s seventh round was blowy as jackets and hoodies mostly stayed on, with just a few toughies in their shirt sleeves and overnight rain dampening the greens.

Monbulk 1 faced Warburton 1 in top of the table clash. Eric Markham’s team was convincingly beaten in the front half, dropping six ends, and being down on the scorecard 4 shots to 12 going into the tenth end. The back half was a completely different story. They only dropped two ends and picked up several doubles and some even better multiples.

They took the lead with a 5 shotter on the thirteenth end, grabbed a 4 on the next, and then it was pretty much clear sailing to the finish. Monbulk won the rink 27 shots to 15.

Brian Smith’s team had built a good lead of 8 shots by the lunch break, but then gave themselves a scare by dropping a 5 shot clanger early in the back half. After that they focused and won twice as many ends as Warburton, finishing with the 8 shot lead restored.

Monbulk won 22 shots to 14.

Jim Bras’ team had a close game for most of the front half, then around lunchtime, they grabbed a 5 and a 2, to lead with an 8 shot margin. After lunch there was a big turnaround, Warburton put the foot down and Monbulk dropped a couple of clangers to trail by 6 shots. The final two ends were pressure moments where Monbulk managed to salvage some of the margin, but lost the rink 21 shots to 23.

Overall Monbulk won 70 shots to 52 with two rinks up. They are now fourth on the ladder and will host Upwey-Tecoma next round. Monbulk 2 played away against Hampton Park 1.

Peter Koomen’s team struggled in the front half, taking only two ends and heading into the eleventh end 10 shots down. Then they won three ends in a row to get within 3 shots. Hampton Park won the next three ends, but Monbulk kept on coming back. They won the last two ends but the finish came too soon and Monbulk lost the rink 17 to 19. Graeme Goller’s team won thirteen ends, including a couple of 3s. And twice they won five ends in a row. They were 12 shots up with two ends to go and that’s when they dropped a 2 and a 3. But they still managed to hold onto a crucial margin, winning 21 shots to 14.

Peter Lee’s team had a close battle.

They didn’t get on the scorecard until the fifth end and trailed by 6 shots. After lunch they staged a big comeback and levelled by the sixteenth end and took the lead by the seventeenth end. With two ends to go, they were up by 2 shots.

Then they dropped a 2, so that meant they went into the final end on 15 shots all. Unfortunately, Monbulk dropped another 2 and lost the rink 15 shots to 17.

Overall, Monbulk won 53 shots to 50 with one rink up. It just proves what a team game pennant is, with each rink contributing to the overall win. They are now third on the ladder. Next week they play Narre Warren. Monbulk 3 played at home against Eastwood Golf 2.

Bruce Cockerill’s team led strongly all day. They did drop a 4 shot clanger around the two-thirds mark, which let Eastwood into double figures, but they also picked up a 3, a 4 and a big 6. Monbulk won the rink 24 shots to 15.

Graeme Seymour’s team, like several Monbulk players, struggled on the freshly-cleaned Monbulk carpet. It just wasn’t behaving like the Monbulk green normally behaves. They dropped a couple of 3 shot clangers and couldn’t get hold of the mat enough to pressure Eastwood.

Monbulk lost the rink 10 shots to 21.

Mike Harris’ team had a close game.

Scores were level four times then, with just six ends to go and the scores on 12 shots all, Eastwood made a move. Monbulk could only win one more mat and Eastwood took the lead and grew the margin. Monbulk lost the rink 13 shots to 19. Overall Monbulk lost 47 shots to 55 with one rink up. They are now fourth on the ladder. Next week they play away against Boronia.

Tuesday, 6 December, 2022

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