News - Cranbourne Star News - 23rd March 2023

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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Paralympian inspires youngsters

Building well-rounded children

Demons do it again

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SPORT

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Rents continue to rise

Breaking barriers

By Emily Chapman Laing

Come and DISCOVER our Cranbourne and Clyde North Campus at our March 21st & 23rd Discovery Evenings

Visit our website www.stpeters.vic.edu.au or Contact College Registrar Ms Wendy Height Ph 5990 7777 12587767-MS06-23

ing outside, they never entered the school.

“We started with how to introduce yourself and say good morning, how to put that into a sentence.”

Mrs Murtezai said nowadays the parents are more comfortable entering the school and engaging in small conversations.

The classes are composed almost solely of mothers.

Fathers who also face the language barrier are “busy working”.

For the mums, these classes are a step towards their independence and a way to feel comfortable “stepping out into the real world”.

“Ten minutes of shopping can take more than an hour because they don’t know how to ask [where something is],” said Mrs Murtezai.

Picture: EMILY CHAPMAN LAING

This year the MEAs are planning more excursions to give their pupils a hands-on experience.

Participant Zahra Hussain said the classes have given her motivation to leave the house.

“I learnt a lot,” she said.

The computer classes were ideal as they learnt the basics of how to operate a device.

“I can’t wait to learn more.”

The MEAs said it is important to remember that these barriers don’t equate with the women being unskilled.

“They can cook, they are amazing cooks, they do knitting, they can do all sorts of things,” says Mrs Murtezai.

“But it’s the language [problem] where they

can’t even sell themselves in the field that they are skilled in.”

Word has quickly spread about the school’s passion for cultural support.

The MEAs are regularly contacted, with parents wishing to participate.

Many refugee and migrant families face travel restrictions.

Parents are usually referred to the Dandenong English language programs, though these can be too hard for families to get to.

“It’s very hard for them to travel, because they don’t have a licence,” said Mrs Zafari.

For Razia Bahrami, it’s having the classes close to home that makes them attractive.

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Mothers in Cranbourne are struggling with basic English communication.

This is due to a lack of language education infrastructure for refugee and migrant families.

Some local mums are struggling with simple tasks that others take for granted, such as being unable to call their child’s school if the student is sick or ask for assistance at the supermarket.

Yet parents at Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School (CCPS) are breaking down these language barriers, with the help of dedicated multicultural education aides (MEA) Aliya Murtezai and Fizza Zafari.

“We asked [the mothers] why they want to learn English, and the first thing they said was to be able to do day-to-day activities,” said Mrs Murtezai.

“They want to step out of the house and find a job.

“They want to feel like they are part of the community.”

Cranbourne Carlisle principal Sally Webb gave Mrs Murtezai and Mrs Zafari the opportunity in 2022 to run a two-hour class each week from the school.

The class allows mums who have little or no previous knowledge of the English language to find their footing and confidence as part of their new communities.

“We wanted the community to get involved a lot with the school,” Mrs Murtezai said.

“But they were hesitant because of the language barrier.”

Twenty-five per cent of the student body at CCPS comes from Afghanistan.

These numbers indicated to the MEAs a dire need for English language classes not just for the students, but for their parents too.

“We started with greetings,” added Mrs Murtezai.

“We noticed [the mothers] were only stand-

Council Meetings Members of the community are welcome to attend the upcoming Council Meetings which are held in the Bunjil Place Function Room, 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren.

Council Meetings start at 4.00 pm and are also live streamed through our Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more information on Council Meetings, or meeting minutes and agendas, please visit our website.

Upcoming Council Meetings: • • • • • •

Tuesday 18 April Tuesday 16 May Tuesday 20 June Tuesday 18 July Tuesday 15 August Tuesday 19 September

BUSINESS INSIGHTS SURVEY

Are you interested in building your leadership skills and passionate about supporting your community?

Open to Casey residents aged 18 and over, the program will run from May to September 2023. There will be online and face-to-face workshops, with three

sessions on Saturdays and seven sessions on Tuesday evenings.

Expressions of interest are now open until 5.00 pm on Thursday 13 April. For more information and to apply, please visit our community consultation website Casey Conversations.

For application support, please email caseyclp@casey.vic.gov.au or call 9705 5722.

Take your taste buds on a delicious journey at our fifth annual Food and Wine Festival.

Don’t miss this fantastic day out on Saturday 1 April at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick.

To be held from 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm, there will be gourmet food and cheeses, drinks from wineries, breweries and cider houses and live music. Bookings are essential and tickets are available via our website or by scanning this QR code.

Book in for your free immunisation Council runs a number of free public immunisation sessions each month, delivering Government-funded vaccines at community centres across Casey.

While many of the vaccines are for infants and young children, eligible residents up to 25 years can also access the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, which helps to protect against the types of HPV that cause most HPV-related cancers and disease in men and women. To find out which vaccines are available, check your eligibility for certain vaccines or to book into a session, please visit our website.

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

Share your opinion for a chance to win a prize pack All Casey businesses are invited to share their experiences and perspectives through our Business Insights Survey to help us better understand the needs and challenges of local businesses.

Your input is crucial in identifying areas where additional support may be needed and refining the services Council currently offers. By completing the survey, you will go in the draw to win a business development prize pack, which includes a $500 eftpos voucher. To complete the survey, visit our community consultation website Casey Conversations by Friday 31 March.

Report an issue Abandoned trolleys, damaged or broken play equipment or fallen trees. If you notice that something is broken, missing or in need of Council’s attention, you can let us know by taking a quick photo of the issue and sending the photo to us via the Snap Send Solve app.

This will allow you to report incidents quickly and easily for us to investigate and resolve the issue as soon as possible. The free app is available on Apple and Google app store.

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Our Community Leadership Program is back for its third year, providing free training in leadership, community engagement and the role of local government to help build Casey’s future leaders and strengthen partnerships between residents and local government.

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Rental crisis hitting home

By Emily Chapman Laing An increasing number of Victorians are being hit by the rental crisis, with new analysis revealing asking weekly rents have increased by more than $100 in some areas since interest rates started rising.

South East Melbourne has seen a 10 per cent hike in rental rates, with property averages rising $44 from $442 per week to $486 per week.

This comes as no surprise to the tenants of the region, 76.5 per cent of whom are steeped in financial housing stress.

Cranbourne property prices have risen steadily over the past five years, from a median price of $350 per week in March 2018, to a new median of $400 per week, according to property data from realestate.com.au.

In Clyde, properties have risen from a median price of $380 per week in 2018 to $475 per week in 2023.

Berwick, Officer and Pakenham have seen an approximately $70 increase over the past five years.

Communities further from the city are feeling the pinch too, as Pearcedale properties have risen over $100 over the past five years.

In Botanic Ridge, residents are seeing the same prices today as they experienced in 2018, with a median of $500 per week.

However, rental prices in this area have grown 19 per cent over the past 12 months, following a 2020 drop in housing costs that saw rentals with a median price of $370 per week.

Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) Victoria has analysed Victoria’s top 10 hotspots for rental increases since the RBA started lifting interest rates in May last year.

Inner East Melbourne tops the list with tenants paying $111 extra in rent per week since May - a 22.3 per cent increase.

CHIA Victoria acting chief executive officer Jason Perdriau said higher interest rates are softening the demand for new housing construction.

Regional Victoria is also feeling the pinch, with renters in North East Victoria paying an extra $36 a week.

Vacancy rates across Victoria remain well below two per cent, making it even harder for renters to find a home, much less one they can afford.

The analysis comes as CHIA Victoria launches its budget submission to the Victorian Government, which includes a call for $6 billion for a Social Housing Investment Fund to provide a long-term funding pipeline for social housing growth.

CHIA Victoria acting chief executive officer Jason Perdriau said as a matter of urgency, the Victorian Government must significantly top

up its investments in social housing.

“A lack of affordable housing supply is a primary driver for soaring rents in Victoria,” he said.

“But the rise in interest rates isn’t helping right now.

“Landlords can pass on their financial pain to tenants.

“On top of this, higher interest rates are softening the demand for new housing construction.

“The most effective solution to create more housing supply for Victorians who need it most is by increasing the number of social and affordable houses.

“Now’s the perfect opportunity for the Vic-

torian Government to commit to a $6 billion Social Housing Investment Fund as its historic Big Housing Build winds down, and more Victorians experience housing stress.

“Victoria has the lowest proportion of social housing in the country.

“Meanwhile, three areas within Melbourne are among Australia’s top 10 regions with the highest number of households facing unmet need.

“An investment of $6 billion will deliver 20,000 social homes over the next decade - a third of what’s required to hit Infrastructure Victoria’s recommended target.

“This boost would make a huge difference to many Victorians who are doing it tough.”

Police crack down on youth gangs as ‘top 20’ on notice

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

Play boost

By Emily Chapman Laing After consulting with locals, City of Casey will soon open a new playground on the Blind Bight Foreshore Reserve, and it’s pirate themed.

The new timber playground design will cater for both junior and senior users, incorporating a similar footprint.

“Comprising of a timber pirate ship theme with a double slide, interconnecting rope climbing activities, track glider, standard swings with the inclusion of a basket swing, trampoline, and many interactive lower deck activities,” the council wrote in a Casey Conversations article.

“Natural rocks have been selected to form part of the playground edging offering nature-based play opportunities.” The playground will be “refurbished” over the course of the 2022-2023 financial year. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Police are targeting youth gang members in the South East. with (other police units). Victoria Police has got a particular focus on aggravated burglaries.”

In the South East, police have compiled a list of 96 young gang members who are ‘persons of interest’.

“Our relationship with them depends on the person we’re managing. We try to build rapport with them.

“Some are at the stage where they don’t want to engage with us, so we take a more hard line.”

Young gang crime is being partly fueled by social media, according to Snr Sgt Milligan.

“We’ve seen a rise in the use of social media where the gangs are gloating about their crimes. And it’s happening across Australia.”

Other factors leading young people astray are stresses at home, as well as detaching from work, studies and support services.

Most pleasing for Snr Sgt Milligan are the success stories. Several gang members have dropped out of the ‘top 20’ and are no longer ‘managed’ due to better behaviour.

“It’s extremely challenging but at the same time, very rewarding to be working with families. It’s great when you see some change.”

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A dedicated Victoria Police team has listed and targeted a ‘Top 20’ of youth gang members in the South East.

The specialist team was formed six months ago in response to a sharp rise in youth crime in the region, says the team’s Senior Sergeant Joshua Milligan.

In 2022, offenders aged 10-17 had soared an alarming 43 per cent in Casey, 39 per cent in Cardinia Shire and 7 per cent in Greater Dandenong, according to the latest official crime stats.

Snr Sgt Milligan says the team has made inroads, arresting 158 serious and violent young offenders in gangs.

Many were involved in a spate of high-end cars stolen from home break-ins. As well, there have been violent street robberies and assaults.

“We’re hitting it hard, working together

The list’s 20 ‘top-tier’ offenders are “managed” by the specialist team, with nine of them in custody.

The rest of the 20 are closely monitored.

“We undertake home visits and interviews with persons of interest. We get to know their brothers, sisters and family to understand what’s going on,” Snr Sgt Milligan says.

“And we work with other government agencies like Families, Fairness and Housing, and Youth Justice to put programs in place to stop them offending.

“If they’re engaging in school and work, they won’t be offending. That’s the biggest challenge to keep them on track.”

The team makes compliance checks if gang members are on parole, bail, probation or correction orders. They intercept their vehicles, and do foot-patrols in their public domains.

“They know they’re being managed,” Snr Sgt Milligan says.

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STAR NEWS 3

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

with Balla Balla Community Centre’s program coordinator Lauren McCarthy

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

I have been a volunteer Laughter Group leader - Ho Ho Ho, Ha, Ha, Ha, Hee, Hee, Hee. What do you love the most?

Walking on the beach, it soothes my soul.

What are you most passionate about?

Being involved and belonging in my community.

THREE … facts about Ramadan

1

Moon Ramadan begins during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, when the new crescent moon can first be seen. This year’s first day of Ramadan is estimated to be on 23 March and end on 22 April.

2

Fasting During Ramadan, Muslims worldwide fast every day from sunrise to sunset. Young children, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or on their periods, the elderly, and people with health problems, aren’t expected to fast.

3

Well-wishes You can express well-wishes for Ramadan by saying “Ramadan Kareem” (“Have a generous Ramadan”) or “Ramadan Mubarak” (which can translate as “Happy Ramadan”). After the last day of Ramadan, on Eid-al-fitr, the greeting changes to “Eid Mubarak”.

What would your last meal be?

Summer barbecue with loads of salads.

What was your most memorable moment?

Becoming a mum – almost 27 years ago!

What was your favourite subject in school?

English, history, and politics.

What event, past or present, would you like to witness?

The Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2000 in Sydney, I think I’m the only Australian who didn’t see it as I had a sick baby.

Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

Tim Winton, Stephen King, Julia Gillard, Philippa Gregory, Dawn Fraser and Neil Armstrong.

What are you currently listening to/watching or reading?

I’m reading Scrublands by Christopher Hammer and watching Peaky Blinders (better late than never).

How would you describe your fashion sense?

Non-sense – I don’t follow fashion trends but

Lauren is passionate about her community. wear clothes I like and that I hope, suit me. I love rummaging in op shops for both clothes and books.

Have you ever had a pet that has made an impact on your life?

Leo, our larger than life cat adopted us and won our hearts with his amazing personality. I

Picture: SUPPLIED look forward to again meeting him and DJ, my childhood dog at the Rainbow Bridge.

If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?

I wouldn’t pass the first round - I’d be better off as a taste tester and dishwasher!

NEWS

Paralympian inspires Cranbourne’s young sports stars

By Emily Chapman Laing Cranbourne Little Athletics Centre (CLAC) welcomed a very exciting guest over the weekend. Paralympian and medallist Jaryd Clifford joined the kids to celebrate Championship Day on Saturday 18 March.

Cranbourne excelled in the championships, taking home an impressive 11 gold, eight silver and 18 bronze medals. The league has surpassed state level with three athletes now running high in nationals.

This includes athlete Cayden Bell from the highly regarded multi-class group. The multiclass program was established almost a decade ago.

According to the CLAC website, the class “provides athletes with a disability a space to

Jaryd Clifford, Cayden Bell, Holger Philipp and Picture: SEAN FLYNN Lachlan Bell. 324834 compete [and] join and have fun”.

The multi-class athletes are “soaring in skill level and attainment”, participating in numerous events at the centre.

Jaryd is sponsored by supermarket giant Coles.

The partnership allows him to visit a variety of athletic hubs and offer inspiration to the members. This is especially important for children who, like Jaryd, have obstacles to overcome.

The group certainly seemed enthralled by Jaryd’s presence as they gathered around him to have a chat.

“It’s pretty awesome to come back and get involved. When I started little athletics, there wasn’t this opportunity for para-athletes.

“So [CLAC] is one of the centres that’s actually paving the way and pioneering that, and that’s really important, I think, for sport, but I think also for how society sees disability and actually prioritising its inclusion.”

Jaryd took his time chatting to the multiclass children.

He said his goal is to show them that their athletic dreams can become a reality.

“I think it’s good for kids with disabilities to have other people with disabilities come and talk to them and show them that we are succeeding, because often our success isn’t publicised that well.

“It’s hard to have heroes if you can’t see them.”

Jaryd made his debut in 2016 at the Rio Paralympic games. He was only 17-years-old.

Jaryd suffers from a congenital vision impairment.

He was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration at age three.

The athlete has gone on to set world records for his time in the 2019 World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai, where he won gold.

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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NEWS

Plea for gambling reform

By Eleanor Wilson and Sahar Foladi The City of Casey and other councils grappling with the worst pokies losses in the state have united in an urgent plea for gambling reforms.

The council has signed a joint letter to Premier Daniel Andrews along with six other municipalities - Hume, Monash, Whittlesea, Darebin, Greater Dandenong and Wyndham - to demand mandatory cashless precommitment cards and tough laws to reduce the billions of dollars lost each year.

The letter urged the State Government to follow the paths of NSW and Tasmania - who have both recently announced similar reforms.

Data from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission shows Casey spends $314,148 on pokies every day, representing the second highest pokies expenditure in Victoria.

More than $114 million was lost to 912 pokies machines at 13 venues in Casey in 2021-‘22, with the average Casey adult splashing $403 on pokies throughout the year.

City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff said the 2022/23 financial year has seen a “post-COVID resurgence” in electronic gaming machine (EGM) expenditure in the municipality, putting the area on track for its greatest total EGM spend on record.

Consequently, she said the council is committed to “practical and impactful measures that will curb the problem of gambling harm”, including the development of a Gambling Harm Minimisation Policy as part of its Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021-‘25.

“We recently signed a joint letter to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expressing our concerns and called on the Victorian Government to seize upon the national momentum for progressive gambling reform to protect our communities. This includes the introduction of mandatory cashless pre-commitment cards.”

Residents in Casey spend almost $115 million on pokies per year, the second highest in the state.

Picture: UNSPLASH The council takes a public health approach to the issue, Ms Duff said, focusing on primary prevention, education, and support for those most vulnerable to its impacts.

“As part of our policy development, we will continue to identify measures that will minimise gambling harm in our local context.

“There is growing recognition of the harm gambling causes to many, as well as significant national momentum for reform.

“Council will continue to work to identify opportunities to minimise harm and welcomes State reform that will support this effort.”

In a statement, a Victorian Government spokesperson said it has noted the various motions moved by respective councils in the letter.

“We will continue to monitor the arrangements for hotels and clubs across the state to ensure we have the appropriate regulatory settings and reserve the right to make further changes,” the spokesperson said.

In 2015, the State Government introduced the YourPlay pre-commitment initiative to help players gamble responsibly by setting time and spend limits on a personal gaming card prior to playing.

“Victoria was the first state to provide people the power to track and limit their betting on any electronic gaming machine through the state-wide pre-commitment system, YourPlay,” a Victorian Government spokesperson said.

“We have accepted all recommendations from the YourPlay evaluation report to strengthen the YourPlay scheme, with all recommendations actively underway or delivered.”

The YourPlay pre-commitment tool is voluntary and free for players to use and is available at every gambling venue in Victoria.

In addition to YourPlay, the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) is currently funding a number of councils, including City of Casey, to implement the Libraries After Dark program, which focuses on reaching at-risk communities and those most vulnerable to social isolation, a known risk factor for gambling harm.

According to Australian Institute of Family Services (AIFS), culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) participate in gambling less than the overall population of Australia.

However, if they do gamble, they’ll be at a higher risk of developing problems due to different beliefs about luck and chance, factors related to migration and issues around stigma and shame.

To combat the issue in Casey, in 2021-22, VRGF’s Prevention Partnerships Program funded the Cambodian Association Victoria for their project, ‘Engaging Cambodian Buddhist Temples in Gambling Prevention Partnerships’.

The project involved delivering training and community events to build the capacity of Cambodian community leaders and community members in Melbourne’s south-east to raise awareness of gambling harm.

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Rex name shame

By Mitchell Clarke Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.

Former Springfield Ward councillor Rex Flannery, who resigned as deputy mayor just days before the State Government sensationally sacked the entire council in February 2020, says the events of the past 12 months are still “eating” him up.

He has now officially requested that his name is removed from both a councillor honour board in the customer service centre and a wall plaque in Bunjil Place.

“I have never had any involvement into this alleged corruption scandal and therefore I do not wish to have my name associated with past or former councillors who may have brought our City of Casey into disrepute,” he told Star News.

“People look at your name and they see that you’re from Casey Council and immediately they put you in that same mould, which couldn’t be further than the truth.

“It’s just horrible to have been a councillor in that term. It gives you a sickening feeling in your gut and now I have to live with that.“ Mr Flannery argues his name should never have been placed on the plaque celebrating the $126 million Bunjil development because at the time he didn’t support the project.

“I guess I’ve eaten a little bit of humble pie with Bunjil Place. I’ve been able to see the value that place brings to the community but at the time I was against the development and I wasn’t once consulted (about having my name included),” he said.

He also claims former ex-ward partner, Sam Aziz, stated to him that he “wished he never had my name added to the plaque”.

“That was the only time I agreed with him,” Mr Flannery said.

While Mr Flannery hasn’t accused any former councillor of committing wrongdoing, he said anyone found guilty from the IBAC hearing should immediately have their honours stripped.

“They need to have their plaques removed

Rex name shame Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.

Final Stage

Rex Flannery, pictured in late 2015, wants his name stripped from council. 148005 from anywhere within the City of Casey ... whether it’s a plaque in the botanical gardens or in Bunjil Place, I want them removed so they have absolutely no recognition anymore,” he said.

“They’ve disgraced themselves and they’ve disgraced the council. They’ve taken something away from me that I totally enjoyed. I loved serving the Casey community. I just want some clarity as to what way it’s going to go.”

Since his resignation, Mr Flannery has been working in an operating theatre at a local hospital. He said he has every intention to run for council again in 2024.

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Bunjil Place. associated with the 2016-20 term.”

Casey’s governance manager Rhys Matulis said: “Given the IBAC investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment on that matter. Council has received and will consider Mr Flannery’s request in due course.”

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“I want to get back into serving the community again. I want to run again and I want to get my name back on the honour board for the right reasons. At the moment it’s a dishonour board,” he said.

Star News understands Mr Flannery has put forward his request to be heard by the administrators at the next council meeting, slated for Tuesday 2 February.“It’s up to them now but a year later, this is still eating at me. I need closure and this is one way that I can get it,“ he said.

“I played no part in any downturn or sacking of the council and I feel it’s my duty to say that I don’t want to be a part of or in any way

148 High Street, Cranbourne 3977

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By Mitchell Clarke

To have your say scan the QR code or visit engage.vic.gov.au/thompsonsberwickcranbourne and complete an online survey or drop a pin on our interactive map by 26 March 2023.

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NEWS

OPINION

Charges after thefts

LENSCAPE

A Hampton Park local has been arrested and charged following a search by VIPER Taskforce officers on Monday 20 March.

VIPER Taskforce charged a man overnight after locating drugs, a stolen car, ammunition and stolen licences, bank cards and mail in a Hampton Park house during a Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance search.

Members of the taskforce had been at the property executing the FPO search on a 32-year-old Hampton Park man on Monday morning. During the search, police located a suspected stolen Subaru Forester wagon, almost 40 allegedly stolen bank and ID cards, quantities of what appear to be methylamphetamine and cannabis and a round of ammunition, among others.

A 32-year-old Hampton Park man faced multiple charges including possess identification information belonging to another, possess drug of dependence, theft from motor vehicle and possess ammunition when subject to FPO. He was remanded overnight to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21 March.

On the loo Clyde has ranked number one in portaloo rentals, with new data from AIM Hire and Building materials giant Bowens showing Clyde tradies log the most hours on site.

Clyde alone was responsible for six per cent (441) of AIM Hire’s 7000 portaloo rentals over the past year.

The “portaloo index” reveals which areas are flush with facilities.

Officer and Pakenham tradies rented 148 loos, and Berwick tradies weren’t far behind, wiping the floor with 116 rentals.

“We utilise the insights gained across the business to stay ahead of demand, ensuring we continue to respond quickly to the demands of all builders,” Mr Bowen said.

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Phillip Lowe has been urged to pay attention to where the loos are too, with AIM Hire managing director Elise Kelsey noting they’re the first thing on a building site and almost the last to go, which could help inform the strength of the economy. “I do think the RBA should be looking at the portaloos going out,” Ms Kelsey said.

“It’s a good indicator, when our deliveries slow down they aren’t building as many houses.”

Describing the firm as Victoria’s “number one” for portaloos, she said they currently have 7782 and were actively trying to get more as blowouts in build times due to labour shortages in the construction sector meant they were spending six months or more on a build site instead of the usual three or four months on the job.

Building industry hire groups are concerned they could soon be backed up with portaloos sitting idle, and believe it’s an issue the Reserve Bank of Australia needs to consider.

But while the city’s new housing estate suburbs are flush today, the people behind the portaloos have concerns the RBA’s cash rate hikes will soon put the industry in the toilet.

“From what we are hearing from our builders is everyone’s sales are down, and that’s from interest rate hikes.”

Man shot in Tooradin A young man has suffered a suspected gunshot wound, following an alleged shooting in Tooradin.

The incident took place at a residence on Bayview Road, just before 5am on Friday 17 March.

Emergency services were called and the 19-year-old was airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

No arrests have been made as police continue to investigate the circumstances around the incident.

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

A green hand gives a wave at the Lynbrook Festival of Colours. 324338

Earth Hour poem I experienced many a power cut, In the country I grew up in.

When I think about the many we had, Gosh! They did make me angry and mad!

Some of us called it ‘load shedding’, While others called it ‘power failure’, It still continues to this day,

In many countries across the equator.

I try and look at ‘power cuts’ very differently today, I try not to swear or lose my cool, Cause if I do, I know I cannot help save our ‘Planet’, This beautiful world I inhabit!

Shutting off the power during ‘Earth Hour’,

Picture: ROB CAREW

Will only go to show we care, For our families and our neighbours, Our planet and for nature!

Let us make the conscious effort, By switching off the power, Let us show Mother Nature, That we respect Earth Hour.

Marlene Laporte, Lynbrook

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Thumbs up

Thumbs up

Thumbs up

To everyone who has volunteered at local cricket games this season.

It couldn’t have happened without you!

To everyone who picked up rubbish.

To our community spirit. How we rally around people in need and help families in our community.

Thumbs up To the Warneet General Store who organised the Clean Up Australia for our coastal village and went the extra, providing a barbecue, drinks and ice-creams for participants.

Thumbs up On 9 March, I was waiting for service at Simply Fresh at Cranbourne Park, I noticed the lady next to me was looking at me all the time. When it was time to pay the lady behind the counter said to me the lady next to me had paid for my meal.

Thanks again.

Thumbs up In February 2023 I was taken to Casey hospital with a swelling to my left hand, I can’t speak highly enough of the care the paramedics Sophie and George gave me.

Thumbs up Thumbs up To the Holland Festival, the Berwick Rotary Club and Dutch people!

Thumbs up Love the Community Centre, love Suburban Grind and the fantastic friendly staff (great coffee)!

To all the Allied Health workers.

Thumbs up To the Warneet Community ‘Meet and Greet’ last Sunday at the Warneet Boat Hire with free coffee and bickies which included a delightful Art Show in Warneet Yacht Club Public Hall, all sponsored by the Warneet Association Inc, was a great success measured the very many happy smiles.

Thumbs up Loved seeing all the colourful happy faces at the ‘The Festival of Colours’ Lynbrook - was great to see so much happiness and joy from both kids and adults. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Casey sees crime spike

By Eleanor Wilson A rise in theft, assault and criminal damage culminated in a 5.4 per cent spike in criminal offences in Casey last year, according to fresh data released by the Crime Statistics Agency.

The jump follows a 14.7 per cent reduction in crime in the municipality in 2021, but overall offences in Casey were at the second lowest rate since 2013.

Breaching a family violence order, theft, stealing from a motor vehicle and criminal damage topped the municipality for types of offences last year.

Reported offences rose more than 22 per cent in Narre Warren, 11 per cent in Hampton Park and more than 26 per cent in Clyde North.

Cranbourne, which has the highest offence rate in Casey, recorded 42 more offences in 2022 compared to the previous year, representing a one per ncent increase.

Concerningly, cases of assault, stalking and harrassment were at the highest rate in at least 10 years, with recorded assaults growing nine per cent since last year.

There were 188 more cases of property damage compared with 2021, while theft increased by six per cent.

Family violence offences in Casey were 1.6 per cent higher than 2021 figures, but sat slightly under the Victorian average.

The most common victims of family violence in Casey were women aged between 25 and 34.

But overall, Casey’s offence rate per 100,000 of the population was over 30 per cent lower than the statewide average and remained significantly lower than the average for Southern Metropolitan Melbourne.

Sexual offences in Casey were at the lowest rate since 2016, dropping seven per cent on 2021 figures.

Drug offences also took a dip, sitting at the lowest rate since 2013 with reductions in dealing, trafficking, use and possession, although drug cultivation and manufacturing

were up 31 per cent.

Dangerous driving in Casey was down 17 per cent - an anomaly for the state - which saw a 20 per cent increase since 2021.

Police say the increase comes down to a “proactive focus on road safety”, such as the anti-hoon Operation Achilles.

Since 2021, the police operation had charged more than 360 hoon drivers with almost 3000 offences and impounded 375 vehicles.

It’s led to a 75 per cent drop in organised hoon meets, according to police intelligence.

Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said crime across the state has “not dramatically ‘snapped back’ to pre-Covid levels”.

“While criminal offending increased slightly from 2021, it is very pleasing that overall crime is still almost 10 per cent below prepandemic levels,” he said.

“There’s been some really encouraging results, with fewer robberies, family violence serious assaults, sexual offences against children, and thefts from motor vehicles in 2022 than in the previous year.”

But there remains “a few key areas of concern” for police, including offenders sneaking into homes to steal car keys and overall youth offending.

“The community can rest assured we are investing significant energy and resources towards preventing and responding to this offending, with dedicated operations in place that have led to thousands of arrests over the past year.

“While we’re doing everything, we can to keep Victoria safe, we also encourage the community to ensure their homes and vehicles are locked to help prevent opportunistic offending.

“Over the coming year, police will continue to focus on proactive prevention and enforcement to ensure that the community is not only safe, but also feels safe in their homes, in public and on the roads.”

ACT NOW! Stage 2 almost sold.

Everyone’s busy worrying about the cost of living their best life at Aviva!

Our homeowners have more money in their back pocket thanks to our “land lease” ownership style.

So they’re busy living rather than worrying about the cost of it.

& new homes from just

$490,000!

Shabnam Safa, centre, receives the Bakhtar Woman of the Year award from Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson and Bakhtar Community Association chief executive Bassir Qadiri.

Refugee leader recognised A committed advocate for refugees and migrants was crowned Bakhtar Woman of the Year at a gala dinner on 18 March.

In front of 250 guests at Palmyra Hall, Shabnam Safa was presented the Bakhtar Community Association’s award by Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson and Bakhtar Community Association chief executive Bassir Qadiri.

Ms Safa has led several initiatives for positive social change and for meaningful participation for refugees.

She has represented Australia at the United Nations, and serves on government advisory boards to solve challenges faced by migrant and refugee communities.

Growing up as an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, Ms Safa founded Action for Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, and has supported numerous evacuees arriving in Australia.

Other finalists included Hampton Park Community House worker Zohra Hasib, who supports families and children transitioning to early start kindergarten.

Tahera Nassrat, who formed a diverse group of Afghan women working towards community harmony and empowerment, was also nominated.

As was prodigious volunteer Mahjabeen Azim, who has translated, interpreted and educated mothers and children at Wellsprings for Women and in classrooms.

Federal opposition multicultural affairs spokesperson Jason Wood, Greater Dandenong mayor Eden Foster and Victoria Police assistant commissioner Therese Fitzgerald were among the special guests.

The evening entertainment included poetry recitals by Liesel Kippan and Shakila Nasir Bahana, and live music from Rabi Pardes.

Stage 2 is nearly sold out, so act now to secure your new “best life” in Victoria’s most popular over 55’s lifestyle village.

Call Simon on 0455-245-438, go online at avivacommunities.com.au or come and see us at 34 McMullen Road, Officer.

follow us: avivacommunitiesofficer

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STAR NEWS 7

NEWS

Eleven cows have been stolen, including Napoleon, Buttercup, Alfie and Cookie, among others.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Cuddles has been offered a “new life”.

Search for stolen animals

By Emily Chapman Laing Eleven animals have been stolen from an animal sanctuary in Cranbourne.

Strong Hearts Farm Sanctuary (SHFS), a not-for-profit charity, is offering a massive $20,000 reward for the safe return of their bovine family members.

“We just want them home safe, if you have them and come forward you will not get into trouble,” the SHFS team wrote in a Facebook post.

Among those stolen are Buttercup, a 17-year-old fawn jersey with “white socks”, Sofia, a four-year-old Ayrshire cow with “half of one horn missing”, and Napoleon, a 14-yearold steer with an “uneven gait”.

The cows were stolen from an agistment property between 27 February and 4 March.

“We will do anything to get them back and we will never stop until we find them,” SHFS wrote.

“They are loved members of our family that have been with us for eight years and we are absolutely beside ourselves with worry for them.

“We have been in the middle of moving cows from agistment they have been at for

eight years to our new sanctuary, they’re a mixed herd and very friendly so should stand out.

“They’re NLIS tagged and registered, and most are microchipped.”

Fears of where the herd may end up is causing grief for the sanctuary team and the local community members who support them, who have flooded the Facebook post with comments condemning the thieves and praying for the cows’ safe return.

“So far both us and the police have contacted every slaughterhouse, livestock agent and sale yard we can and have been in contact with DPI and NLIS,” SHFS wrote.

“Currently we are trying to make them too hot to handle.

“We will not press charges against whoever has them, we just want them back safely.”

The team has called on the community to assist in the safe return of their bovine darlings, asking supporters to share photos of the cows and keep an eye out for them.

The weight of their missing family members is enormous, as Strong Hearts continues to save lives amidst the grief and anxiety.

“Amidst the reality of 11 of our cows stolen

and still missing, we are still operating as a rescue,” they wrote.

“That means long days, late nights and vet fees alongside the stress of members of our Strong Hearts family unaccounted for in a cruel world.

“We have seen the vet many times in the last two weeks for animals we all know and love for surgeries, check ups and sadly, euthanasia.

“As it stands, our vet account is now sitting at $7687.90.”

The team visited saleyards on Monday 20 March.

While searching for their own rescues, they saved another life.

A cow named Cuddles will soon see her new farm instead of a slaughterhouse.

“Today we were at the saleyards searching for our missing cows,” SHFS wrote in a Facebook post.

“It feels like we live in a dystopian world while we would do anything to bring our missing family home, the wider community are farming cows for profit.

“Profit means that productivity comes before anything, even somebody cared for,

somebody named Cuddles.”

The team sat with Cuddles at the saleyards and said they were haunted by the idea of a dollar value being placed on their loved ones.

“Our hearts constricted with the thought of sending them somewhere we have been having daily nightmares about for two weeks today.

“Thinking of someone we love having their life taken in the worst way, in fear and pain, watching their friends and family ahead of them experiencing the same.”

Cuddles was to be sold for $2.50 per kilo “for her flesh and bone, heart and mind and her life”.

While the team anxiously awaits the fate of their beloved cows, Cuddles is set for a blood test and veterinary examination.

“The animals never go without, they are the reason we get up every day and the reason we keep going. If you believe in our work, please help us once more. The gratitude we have for your support could never be put into words, but you will be directly supporting an animal in need.” Please please call Michayla 0434 910 599, Jess 0434 115 336 or Steph 0417 668 945 with any information.

NEW YEAR. NEW SCHOOL? DISCOVER WHAT ST. PETER’S COLLEGE HAS TO OFFER YR 7 2025 IT’S A BIG DECISION Join us for our College Open Discovery Evenings Meet our Principal, Teachers and have a Student-led Tour of our classrooms in action, where your child can join in some learning activities.

Have all of your questions about what St. Peter’s College can offer towards your child’s Secondary education answered by our Staff & Students.

CLYDE NORTH CAMPUS: Thursday 23rd March CRANBOURNE CAMPUS: Tuesday 21st March 6.45 registration 7.00 pm to 8.00pm each evening All Year Level Vacancies Come to our Discovery Evenings or campus tours which are held on Friday’s at 9.30am. Bookings required at www.stpeters.vic.edu.au BOOK NOW! On-line on our home page icon Book A Tour at www.stpeters.vic.edu.au To register your interest for future Enrolment intakes please use our Enrolment Enquiry Form on our website or contact our College Office staff by phone 5990 7777.

All of your Enrolment Application requirements can be completed online.

Visit our website www.stpeters.vic.edu.au or Contact College Registrar Ms Wendy Height Ph 5990 7777 12587794-JC10-23

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cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Odour issue still lingering

By Emily Chapman Laing The plight of locals dealing with the the odour from SBI landfill continues - eight months after it began.

Residents in the areas surrounding the landfill have described a “putrid” smell as the back and forth between the EPA and SBI drags on.

“Nobody who is affected is happy about it,” one local man said.

“It has made for a very unpleasant summer and we have all suffered enough.”

“The actual smell wakes me up in the middle of the night,” said another resident.

“It is so strong it enters the house and lingers for several hours after it is gone from outside.”

Local man Trevor, who did not wish to share his surname, moved to Cranbourne in 2015.

“Prior to moving to Cranbourne, I’d never once had any type of breathing problems, now I’m a bad asthmatic.

“The worst day l had, I had to get driven to my doctors, l suffered from disorientation, headache, chest pain, stinging eyes, rasping throat and nausea.

“Other days I’ve got in my car and driven to Frankston.”

SBI landfill and environmental manager Hemla Reddy said SBI will continue to consult with “industry and academia experts locally and abroad” about the extraction and management of gases at the landfill.

“Engagement with EPA is ongoing, with SBI encouraged by the support and open lines of communication EPA have made available to us,” Mrs Reddy said.

“SBI continue to thank the community for their feedback by way of reports to EPA – this information adds to the dataset allowing further understanding.”

SBI was asked about the breathing issues reported by Trevor but was unable to comment.

A formal hearing is scheduled for April, where residents are hoping to finally have a concrete solution. 289985 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS “SBI are not in a position to comment out of context as we are not invited to EPA online forums on the grounds that it gives the community access to the EPA and their legislative processes,” Mrs Reddy said.

Residents have said the problems with permanently installing flares is the biggest issue they have with SBI. “Our weekly website updates aim to inform the community on the progression of works – one of which has addressed the flare being frequently impacted by onsite climatic conditions,” Mrs Reddy said.

“SBI have invested and continue to do so – in sampling, analysis, monitoring instruments and expert advice, to better understand and inform our next steps.”

Many affected residents were weary giving comment, wishing to remain anonymous as they told Star News they believed their local Facebook community group regarding the landfill was being monitored by SBI. Mrs Reddy was asked about SBI’s involvement in the Facebook group but was unable to comment.

The latest update from SBI, given on Friday 3 March, labels “wind stripping” as the unremit-

ting cause of the detectable odour.

“SBI continue to tweak various flare and gas field parameters to get the best result possible given the setup currently in place,” SBI said.

“SBI are juggling immediate, short, medium and long term options to reduce the migration of odour beyond our premises boundary and acknowledge and appreciate the reports from the community that provide detailed descriptions of detections.”

The EPA hosted an information session regarding the landfill on Thursday 9 March, allowing affected residents to ask questions about the ongoing issue.

Hosted by EPA senior environment protection officer Viranga Abeywickrema, the hourlong meeting provided much-needed updates for locals, though no definitive answer to the issue has been given.

Residents present for the session had many queries, including concerns about respirable crystalline silica, which is known to cause silicosis, a disabling or even fatal condition.

“It’s highly unlikely,” said one EPA scientist.

“We’ve done studies at similar landfills before, we didn’t get any types of respirable silica.

“But SBI should have personnel monitoring for those sorts of substances to meet their WorkSafe obligations.

“The assumption is, if the staff aren’t being exposed to it, then the community won’t be.”

The scientist’s response did little to quell the silica dust concerns of locals, who pushed their unease, with the EPA taking note of the issue for follow up.

Residents have been encouraged to report any sightings of dust coming from the landfill alongside their odour reports.

“The latest environmental audit was submitted by SBI in December,” Mr Abeywickrema said. “EPA officers found that the auditor made 42 recommendations, many of those requiring immediate action.

Open

“The recommendations covered a whole suite of non-compliances across multiple aspects of landfill management. The EPA has responded to that in a really strong manner by requiring SBI to provide an action plan by close of business [Wednesday 8 March].

“We are currently undertaking a review of that action plan to ensure that SBI is proposing resolution to each of those recommendations in the most expedient manner.”

With thousands of pages of information received from SBI, EPA officers have their work cut out for them.

“We were provided with about 2000 pages of documents. Once we’re done assessing, we can assess whether compliance with the notice was actually met.”

The EPA suspended SBI’s operating licence on 3 October 2022, however this decision was undone by VCAT who stayed the suspension until a full hearing could be held.

The formal hearing is scheduled for 17 April 2023, where residents are hoping to finally have a concrete solution to what will be a nearly year-long issue.

Research collated by air scientists at the EPA gave welcome data, with findings aligning with local resident’s reports.

“Our observations of odour overlap,” said an EPA air and odour scientist.

“We’re actually picking up the odour, the same odour that [residents] are picking up which is really encouraging.

“Our data matches, which validates what [residents] are saying.”

The EPA has, however, run into some problems in monitoring air quality as part of their research. The EPA monitoring station was vandalised, with solar panels stolen, which has left the station unusable since 3 March.

Residents of Brookland Greens and surrounds hold their breath as they await the formal hearing in April.

Day

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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STAR NEWS 9

NEWS

Taking time out for nature

By Emily Chapman Laing Earth Hour is returning for its 16th consecutive year.

The world will “switch off” and take #TimeOutForNature on Saturday 25 March.

Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens director and chief executive Tim Entwisle believes we can inspire change by committing one hour of our time to nature.

“Earth Hour is great way of reminding us that every minute of the day we are using energy and we’re having an impact on the environment,” he said.

“So I think for one hour, to just stop and think about that impact is perfect.

“Little things add up and I think if each of us make small gestures, not only do we actually save energy and perhaps reduce the loss of trees, but we also send an important message to our children and the rest of the community that we want change.”

Earth Hour is the world’s biggest movement to protect our planet.

This year it will be taking place on Saturday 25 March from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

“For 60 minutes people in more than 7000 cities in over 190 countries switch off their lights as a symbolic gesture of solidarity to show they care about our planet and its future,” the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) organisation wrote.

“Earth Hour isn’t just about switching off your lights.

“Our aim is to spark global conversations on the impacts of climate change and inspire positive action to protect our natural world.

“By working together, we can help shape a bright future for us all.”

The environment continues to degrade at an alarming pace and deforestation is becoming an increasingly alarming issue.

Eastern Australia is among the 24 global

Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens director and chief executive Tim Entwisle. deforestation fronts and Australia is the only developed nation on this list.

“Nearly 50 per cent of Australia’s forest cover has been cleared in the last two centuries, making it one of the worst developed countries for deforestation,” wrote The Wilderness Society (TWS).

An estimated 200,000 trees are bulldozed in Australia every day.

That’s 8000 trees every hour.

The Wilderness Society noted that the land equivalent of the MCG is destroyed every 86 seconds in Australia.

“Australia has lost 27 per cent of its rainforest, 19 per cent of open forest, 11 per cent of woodland forest, and 28 per cent of mallee forest since 1750,” TWS wrote.

Even more alarmingly, Australia holds the record for the highest number of mammal extinctions on the planet.

“To date, 55 wildlife species and 37 plant species have gone extinct in Australia.”

Trees are the lungs of our planet and we need them to help reverse the impacts of climate change.

“Even if we’re not living near a forest or you don’t feel that we’re the people destroying or removing forests, we still have the ability to plant trees,” Mr Entwisle said.

“We still have the ability to encourage our local council and government to plant more trees.

“In the Botanic Gardens, we’re really keen that every visitor who comes into the gardens goes away wanting not only to look after the plants they have in their garden, but also to think about planting more.

“Every tree makes the air better, every tree helps to soak up carbon from the atmosphere.

“Every small thing you do helps.”

Founded in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment.

It is known for inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 190 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade.

Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently Earth Hour is striving to bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore.

The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature.

The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change.

According to the Pachamama Alliance (PA), “the loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil

erosion, fewer crops, flooding [and] increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere”.

Deforestation occurs for a number of reasons.

“The most common reason is agriculture, with 80 per cent of deforestation resulting from extensive cattle ranching, and logging for materials and development,” PA wrote.

According to Christina Nunez of National Geograhic, there is “imminent danger of disease caused by deforestation”.

“An estimated 60 per cent of emerging infectious diseases come from animals, and a major cause of viruses’ jump from wildlife to humans is habitat loss, often through deforestation,” Christina said.

Trees also help to control the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the water cycle.

In deforested areas, there is less water in the air to be returned to the soil.

This causes drier soil and the inability to grow crops.

“The numbers are grim, but many conservationists see reasons for hope,” Christina said.

“A movement is under way to preserve existing forest ecosystems and restore lost tree cover by first reforesting (replanting trees) and ultimately rewilding (a more comprehensive mission to restore entire ecosystems).

“For consumers, it makes sense to examine the products and meats you buy, looking for sustainably produced sources when you can.”

Founder of The Little Big Bamboo, Lynbrook local Neesh, says that simple replacements can create change.

“Bamboo, as an example, is a sustainable source for loo rolls,” Neesh said.

“Bamboo [helps to] stop deforestation and save 27,000 trees per day that are used to make toilet paper and recycled toilet paper.”

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NEWS

Building youth resilience Resilient and confident children become more successful adults.

A new workshop being offered to the Botanic Ridge community will focus on building well-rounded children.

Property group Sandhurst Retail & Logistics (SRL) is supporting The Reach Foundation (Reach), a national charity delivering transformative experiences to young people, as part of its commitment to support and enrich growing communities and invest in the mental health of local families and young people.

The support will see The Reach Foundation deliver valuable workshops at SRL’s Botanic Ridge Village over four years, providing longterm support to the wellbeing of the communities, and connecting parents and young people to themselves and others.

The Botanic Ridge community will also have access to a series of resources provided

by Reach, to help parents better engage and understand their young people.

SRL managing director and CEO, Vivek Subramanian says this support is a critical part of SRL’s mission to provide impactful visitation purposes beyond essential shopping.

“We are focused on contributing to the health and wellbeing of the communities in which we operate,” he said.

“Our hope is that our support for The Reach Foundation will add a lot of value to families in these growing communities, both now and for future generations.

“Collaborating with The Reach Foundation to host these workshops will also provide opportunities for meaningful community connection, as well as access to services that may not typically be available in new neighbourhoods.”

In addition, The Reach Foundation will run four school workshops a year in the Cranbourne area with the support of SRL. The workshops launch this month, com-

Natalie Greening, Sarah Blackmore, Fergus Watts, Jana Christodoulou, Vivek Subramanian and Alishia Francis. mencing with a free Youth Resilience Workshop at Botanic Ridge Village’s Town Square on Wednesday 29 March, to equip parents with the tools to navigate the teenage years, facilitated by The Reach Foundation’s CEO, Fergus

Watts, and crew facilitator, Josh Robinson.

“The Reach Foundation is proud to be partnering with SRL to reach growing communities via their retail hubs,” Mr Watts said.

“Navigating adolescence and raising teen-

Picture: SUPPLIED

agers can be a very tough time for parents and young people.

“SRL is investing in the long-term wellbeing of Botanic Ridge and with Reach we can make a lasting positive impact.”

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STAR NEWS 11

BUSINESS PROFILE

Explore St Peter’s College WHY ATTEND A SCHOOL OPEN EVENT? March is often the month when many secondary schools roll out the welcome mat for prospective students and their parents. Open or Discovery Events are essentially just as the name suggests - days when schools open their doors, where you can discover a great deal more about the school, when the school principal is available for questions, when teachers get to showcase their classrooms, when students act as guides.

There’s no doubt that these days are incredibly valuable resources in that they give you and your child an opportunity to discover what their potential ‘second home’ looks and feels like. They also provide information beyond what is available in school documentation and on websites. Open or Discovery Events are opportunities for parents to ask specifics about educational opportunities, extracurricular programs, pastoral care and community spirit.

‘Developing the skills today to thrive in tomorrow’s world’ The 21st Century learner will need a skill-set of: critical thinking, effective communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively & creativity. St. Peter’s College strives to provide opportunities for our students to engage and excel in all of these areas.

IT’S A BIG DECISION When selecting a secondary school for your child, you need to feel confident in not only what that school can deliver in Year 7, but how the school can provide a stimulating learning environment across the six years. It’s a big decision.

Our desire is for students to run excitedly through St. Peter’s College gates to commence their secondary schooling as a Year 7 student, and walk out at the end of Year 12, with confidence, a sense of purpose, and a feeling of positivity about their future lives.

We are a proudly Catholic community with a focus on Christ at the centre of our learning

Act now for all year level enrolment opportunities at St Peter’s College. with a strong focus on the development of the whole person, academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.

St. Peter’s College opens up for two evenings in March for parents and their child/ ren to experience our classrooms in action, to

meet and talk to our students and staff, even joining in some classroom activities.

St. Peter’s College Discovery Evening on Thursday 23 March at our Clyde North Campus. Register at 6.45pm for a 7pm start.

Come and join us to discover St. Peter’s Col-

lege Secondary educational opportunities for your child/ren. Book online at stpeters.vic. edu.au/enrolments or phone 5990 7777.

Act now for all year level enrolment opportunities. Year 7, 2025 applications are now open and close in August 2023.

Healthcare where you need it most...

Our dedicated doctors work with a shared purpose and common goal to inspire and support our patients in becoming healthier across all aspects of life. We diligently implement procedures that improve the quality and efficiency of the care we provide to ensure all patients receive the most personalised and compassionate care during their clinic visits.

We endeavour to improve our patients’ quality of life by sustaining first-class healthcare delivery and treating everyone with respect, kindness and dignity during their greatest times of need.

We offer a wide range of services, please see below, and call us if you have any queries or to make an appointment...

Health Checks

Immunisations and Vaccinations

Occupational Health

Men and Women’s Health

Pathology

Acute and Chronic Disease Management

Allied Health

Travel Health

Antenatal Care & Paediatric Health

(03) 5902 8223 Botanic Ridge Village Tenancy 17 & 18, 10 Hummingbird Dr, Botanic Ridge VIC 3977 botanicridgedoctors.com.au

info@botanicridgedoctors.com.au

Minor Skin Procedures and Skin Checks

(03) 7017 5932

SCAN TO BOOK NOW

Dr Anand Peddireddy Cranbourne West Shopping Centre, Shop S15, Dr Lakshmi Mudunuri 19Venkata Strathlea Dr Rama Drive, Ravula Cranbourne West, VIC, 3977 Dr Sudhir Mudunuri cranbournewestmc.com.au info@cranbournewestmc.com.au 12595005-SM12-23

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Casey’s champions Breaking down barriers

By Emily Chapman Laing Aliya Murtezai and Fizza Zafari were crowned Casey Community Champions in 2022.

The duo received the Victorian Multicultural Commission Health Award for their work on an anti-racism project.

The project was run by Victoria University and the City of Casey.

“We had to talk about racism in our languages which was in Dari and Urdu,” Mrs Murtezai said.

“We got families involved, what they faced and then did recording in different languages.”

They brought their passion for anti-racism initatives to their women’s education class, where mothers participated in anti-racism training.

Many of the women in the session had experiences with racist behaviour that went unacknowledged in the past.

“They were saying, ‘Oh, this all happened to us but we didn’t do anything because we didn’t know what to do or who to report it to’,” said Mrs Zafari.

Empowering diverse cultures who live in the community is the chief concern of Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School.

The school believes education and celebration are the pathways to minimising racism.

Each year, different cultures present in the school are given their own day where the culture is celebrated and learned about.

“We celebrate Afghan Day, African Day, Pacifica Day, all different cultures,” Mrs Zafari said.

A group of mums come together for their English language class.

The student body at Cranbourne Carlisle is extremely diverse.

Seventy-seven per cent of students come from broad backgrounds, including students from Afghanistan, India, New Zealand, Samoa, Pakistan, Cook Islands, Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, Fiji and Sri Lanka.

The cultural celebration days allow parents to participate in the day and feel involved with their children’s education.

This is especially important for those facing language barriers.

“The parents come here and they make the

Picture: SUPPLIED

food, they come here and they celebrate,” Mrs Zafari said.

“We do a picnic outside where they can come and the whole day is about that community. “We do lunchtime activities, so we look into what art and craft that particular culture [is known for],” said Mrs Murtezai.

The MEAs also run lunchtime studies outside.

Mrs Murtezai says these studies allow children to learn about other cultures and develop an awareness of how to respect them.

“Everyone should know about each other.”

School parents reach out for assistance

By Emily Chapman Laing Migrant and refugee parents are often unable to read or understand important notices sent home from the school.

Language barriers facing children and parents in education have widespread effects, according to Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School’s multicultural education aides.

“The whole day, my school phone rings,” said Mrs Zafari.

“To read a message, [some parents] struggle with that as well. How can they contribute to their child’s education?”

The school trialled sending written notices home in the parents’ primary language.

“Many of the parents can’t read or write in their own language, so we had to change the whole thing around,” said Mrs Murtezai.

“Instead of sending notices, I record them and I send it to them because it’s easier for them to understand verbally,” said Mrs Zafari.

“Eighty per cent of Afghan women who are in Afghanistan, they are uneducated.”

Cranbourne Carlisle’s African liaison of-

ficer Frazer Bekele sees similar issues in his experiences with African students.

African students comprise 6 per cent of the student body.

“In some cases there is no written language, no way to translate the sounds [into written word],” he said.

Verbal communication is paramount to getting attendance up when it comes to student activities like camps.

“We had zero African kids coming [to the last camp], and then I started making phone calls,” said Mr Bekele.

“A big barrier was the finances, because [the parents] didn’t understand how they could access funding.”

Mr Bekele’s perseverance with the parents and his dedication to educating them about different services available led to the attendance numbers for African students at the camp rising.

While the cohort is not very large, he says they did see “more representation”.

Cultural and religious beliefs and prac-

tices can seem incompatible with the camp programs.

“Because of cultural and religious reasons, [parents] don’t send their kid to camp,” said Mrs Murtezai.

“They don’t know how the camps look, so the parents think they are going to - and live in - tents and that boys and girls will be put together,” Mrs Zafari said.

Phone calls made by Mrs Zafari led to attendance in the Afghan community jumping from 25 to 80.

“They need that satisfaction,” said Mrs Zafari.

“They don’t know what [camp] is, they need to know their children will be safe.”

Mrs Murtezai also ensures children are given appropriate time for prayers during the camp and food is halal.

“We want the parents to feel good,” said Mrs Zafari.

“Having us as a front person who they can trust lets them know their child is safe,” added Mrs Murtezai.

From page 1 “The English language classes are great as it’s near our house and we can walk,” she said.

“The other classes are far away and we can’t attend as we don’t drive.

“I’m enjoying learning English and it has boosted my confidence.”

Mrs Zafari said the mothers are “very passionate about education” and that despite the immense struggle of learning a new language at an older age, they are committed to the process.

The class has had guest speakers, including Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards and City of Casey social and cultural equity officer Sadia Ali. “The terrific English Language Group classes at Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School are a lifeline for women starting their new lives in a foreign country,” Ms Richards said.

“Not only do these classes provide essential language skills, but they also offer a sense of community, belonging, and support that can make all the difference in overcoming the challenges of adapting to a new culture.

“They contribute to the southeast being altruistic, optimistic and ambitious.

“Spending time with these women is a highlight of my role as a Member of Parliament, and I am so very pleased they have chosen to make Cranbourne their home.”

The classes are currently running from the staff room of the school as no classrooms are available.

“The numbers kept increasing,” said Mrs Murtezai.

“We had mums who wanted to learn, but we had to cut it off because of the space.”

The teaching duo was forced to focus on a small sub-section of Afghan families in the area.

They said they would love to be able to expand into other groups in the future.

The MEAs also hope for a new portable on campus dedicated to English language learning and wellbeing.

“We want a room where a lot of different things [can happen], where they can have a women’s group and they can teach and learn from each other, where they can teach other women their skills.

“We can’t do that in the staff room.”

Celebrating an ancient holiday as autumn equinox arrives

By Emily Chapman Laing A group of witches gathered over the weekend to celebrate an ancient holiday.

The autumn equinox is a sacred day for many.

The holiday is also known as Mabon and celebrates the time where light and dark shine equally upon the earth.

“I’ve been a witch my whole life so I’ve always celebrated the change of seasons with my elders in NT or with my Mum growing up off grid,” said event organiser Raquael.

Raquael said celebrating seasonal holidays allows people to prepare for the changing seasons, “emotionally and physically”.

“We know in summer there are many events and it’s all about celebrating outdoors,” she said.

“As autumn and winter come in it’s all about going inwards and preparing for the cold.”

Around 20 people participated in the celebration.

“As a smaller group, it was intimate and at times a personal journey,” Raquael said. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

The witches celebrated Mabon with a feast.

Picture: SUPPLIED “We made magic sticks to weave in what we wanted to bring in.”

Despite the negative connotations around the word “witch”, Raquael believes a reunion with the title has benefits for women.

“Lisa Luster said, ‘I didn’t decide to become a witch, I remembered I was one’.

“I think since the world and how we work and feel changed in a big way a couple years ago, women have had a chance to quieten themselves and go within.

“And they find there has been a longing in themselves to connect more with the Earth and others.”

Magic doesn’t have to be complex either.

Raquael said something as simple as using herbs in cooking “like our grandmothers” is witchcraft.

“Being a witch is about connecting with the Earth and self.”

The equinoxes represent unique moments in the Earth’s orbit. Our Earth spins on a tilted axis as the planet orbits the sun.

Twice a year the Earth is not tilted towards or away from the sun.

This happens at the autumn and spring equinoxes.

Mabon is one of the eight Wiccan “sabbats” or holidays and is celebrated on the autumnal equinox.

Mabon occurs on 21 March in the Southern Hemisphere.

The day often involves festivals, rituals and feasts that centre around the season of autumn.

Symbolically, Mabon is a time of balance, harmony and unity.

It is a time to give thanks for the bounty of summer and to settle into the coming cold of winter.

Symbols used in this celebration include corn dollies, pinecones, warm colours like red, orange, yellow and brown, apples, pumpkins, marigolds, owls, stags and amber.

The equinox has been revered for centuries.

Ancient Greeks believed this to be the time when Persephone would leave her mother Demeter and return to the underworld to rejoin Hades.

The Earth begins to tilt away from the sun after the equinox. This causes the days to shorten and nights to become longer.

At the spring equinox, this is reversed.

The autumnal equinox represented the end of summer in ancient pagan societies.

The spring equinox symbolised the end of winter.

Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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STAR NEWS 13

Are you Prepared?

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Funerals imbued with dignity and compassion At Lang Lang and District Funeral Services, we are a dedicated team of compassionate death care professionals.

Our team has over 45 years of combined experience in the funeral industry.

We take care of your deceased loved one from pick up to preparation and to their final resting place. Our service is personalised to respect and take care at every step of the journey.

Celebrate the life of your loved one the way you want. Make it personal at home, a park, the beach or another special place.

Create a send-off to remember.

Mission and Vision Our mission is to provide your loved one with the respect, love and dignity they deserve following their passing, treating them as if they were our own family member ensuring remaining family and friends are able to celebrate and remember their loved one free from stress and worry.

Our vision is to celebrate life as it was, remembering the good times and providing a tailored farewell for your loved ones.

Contact Michelle Brown 0449 220 652, visit lldfs.com.au 1 Westernport Road, Lang Lang.

Mulgrave Country Club provides conference and seminar facilitie s in a range of room formations specific to your requirements.

Caring staff At Mulgrave Country Club, we understand the difficulty experienced when losing a loved one.

Our professional team of dedicated staff can assist you in organising your special event in a personal and intimate setting, celebrating the memories of a loved one.

To ensure a seamless, professional interaction for your friends, family members and loved one, Mulgrave Country Club provides facilities in a range of room formations specific to your requirements.

There are three function rooms at our Wheelers Hill property: Mulgrave Room, Panorama Room and Heritage Room.

Lang Lang and District Funeral Services.

The rooms are comfortable and modern.

In addition, they have views over the surrounding area or of the club’s grounds, hence the rooms have a wonderful atmosphere.

Catering is available, and all rooms have an inbuilt audio system, data projectors and screens, block out blinds and bar facilities.

We can cater for large or small groups from 20 to 250. Whether you are looking at a once off hire or regular room hire, we have the capacity and expertise to efficiently fulfil your brief. Call us now on 9582 4600 or visit mulgravecc.com.au

We offer dignified, quality funeral services undertaken with genuine compassion and sincerity

• We are locally owned and operated • 24/7 Service • We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week • Respect, Dignity and Compassion • We have many years of experience helping people deal with grief and loss

CELEBRATION OF LIFE AT MULGRAVE COUNTRY CLUB

Lang Lang District Funeral Service Contact us on 0449 220 652 michelle@lldfs.com www.lldfs.com.au

14 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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Phone 9582 4600 Mulgrave Country Club Cnr Wellington & Jells Road Wheelers Hill cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Are you Prepared?

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Burial options Upright Burials provides Australians with a proven alternative in burials that is simple, natural, and economical.

Our burial approach is distinctive in a number of ways. It is environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable. The body is placed in a vertical position in a biodegradable body bag.

The burial method uses a far simpler and safer approach that removes the OH&S issues and labour costs associated with traditional horizontal burial.

The burial service includes pick up, administration, burial preparation, and burial for a single, one-time fee of $3750 (including GST) - for Melbourne metropolitan area. There is an additional per kilometre charge for all other areas. Please contact us for further details. If you intend to pre-plan and use our service for an upright burial, please register your details.

Each site is secure forever As Kurweeton Road Cemetery is kept in a natural state, there are no individual headstones or grave markers. Details of the deceased are recorded on a memorial wall at the cemetery’s entrance. Family and friends are provided with the exact location of the grave and are welcome to visit at any time.

Traditional funeral services For those who wish to have a traditional funeral service but still want an eco-friendly and economical burial, we can work with your nominated Funeral Director to fit in with the service that they provide and still have the burial at the Kurweeton Road Cemetery using Upright Burials method.

Service No-fuss basic service that can be personalised.

Caring for the community Thomas Collins, Melissa Collins, Tony Collins and Louise Mather.

Caring for the community – Each individual site is secure for· Secure ever, with no additional fees payable. friendly and ecologically · Environmentally sustainable, non-energy intensive, the pro-

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cess leaves the lightest carbon footprint possible.

Tree planting – Energy used in the collection, storage, and delivery of the deceased to the cemetery is partially offset via the planting of a tree at Mt. Elephant, the location has become a habitat for native marsupials and birds.

Green power – Where possible, Upright Burials minimises the use of unnecessary resources.

Landscaping – surrounding land is used for grazing sheep.

Economic – the simplified burial process minimises costs.

David W. Bull Funeral Directors, Pakenham office and chapel was opened in 1981 in Bald Hill Road, Pakenham. They relocated to the current office and chapel at 190 Princes Highway, Pakenham in 1995. The proud family owned business have been caring for the community for over 43 years The location of the Pakenham Funeral Home offers a central meeting place for metropolitan and country family and friends attending.

A large spacious modern chapel Seating for 130, room for over 220 in doors Large car port with external speakers.

Air-conditioned Catering available afterwards 50 plus car spaces and off-street car parking

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· Disabled access · DVD presentations available in Chapel · Foyer At David W. Bull Funeral Directors they also abide by a strict code of ethics, ensuring accredited quality premises, facilities and highly committed staff, providing family and friends a respectful service, combined with support and understanding.

You will find the team - Melissa, Tony, Louise, Jamie, Thomas, Katie, Cameron, Violet, Tilly, Wayne and Liam at the Pakenham Office between the hours of 9.00am 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

For immediate attention or After Hours call on 5941 4888. Situated at 190 Princes Highway, Pakenham, 59414888

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Cranbourne 6 Brunt Street Ph: 5996 6822

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Call for a FREE Brochure 1300 466 860 www.uprightburials.com.au

Assuring personal attention and care at all times for our local community.

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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STAR NEWS 15

BUSINESS PROFILE

Protecting your tech gear In an age where most people have smartphones, tablets or other technology, accidents happen and breakages occur.

Smartronic can help prevent these accidents and remedy any damage.

Offering phone, tablet and smart watch cases, screen protectors and screen repairs, the family-run Smartronic is the place to visit if you need to deck your tech out with the latest protective gear.

Also available at Smartronic are USB charging cables and power blocks, portable speakers, headphones and earbuds, portable power banks, TV adapters, car phone holders and Bluetooth hands-free kits, smart watches and accessories, smart TV boxes, wireless chargers and high speed wall and car adapters.

With knowledgeable, friendly staff to help you, Smartronic provides honest service and the best parts and accessories available.

The team loves the joy that people feel when their phone gets a new accessory or when a broken item is returned shiny and repaired.

Smartronic is also looking for a new staff member to join the team, providing helpful and sound advice to valued customers across a range of areas.

Smartronic has stores at Lynbrook Village Shopping Centre, 75 Lynbrook Boulevard, Lynbrook and Hampton Park Shopping Centre at 55 Hallam Road, Hampton Park and also Toorak, 459 Toorak Road, Toorak.

All stores are open seven days a week.

For more information, phone 0466 664 251, email gbpaustraliaelectronics@gmail.com or search Smartronic Phone Repairs and Accessories on Facebook.

Ellen and Tim from Smartronic Phone Accessories and Repair.

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

Pick up a printed copy of Casey Cardinia Kids Today Magazine from outlets everywhere.

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

Scan the QR CODE

OR VISIT: caseycardiniakids.com.au/digital-editions 16 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

12594114-MS12-23

Read it now

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

WHAT’S ON Selandra Rise Community Twilight Market

Annual Twilight Car Boot Sale The Warneet-Blind Bight Fire Brigade is hosting its annual car boot sale.

There will be a food and coffee van, live music, raffles, kids activities, a CFA Mobile Engagement Unit and more.

Warneet Reserve, Gilgandra Street, Warneet on Saturday 25 March 3pm-7pm.

Selandra Rise residents and other talented stallholders will showcase a range of individually designed products and original craft creations.

Food trucks, coffee van and music will be there on the night.

5 Harmony Chase, Clyde North on Friday 24 March, 4.30pm-7.30pm.

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Roller Disco at Sk8house Back by popular demand - it’s the crowd favourite Retro Roller Disco Night at Sk8house!

There will be fun games and awesome prizes for best dressed too, so dig out your best retro inspired outfit and get ready to have a “wheelie” great night!

Join Sk8house for all of the biggest and best music from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

3/2 Amayla Crescent, Carrum Downs on Saturday 25 March 6pm-10pm.

Lynbrook Neighbour Day The event is designed to help you and your family get to know your community.

Enjoy free pizza and chocolate while watching The Incredibles 2.

Neighbour Day encourages everyone to reach out and make meaningful connections with the people around them - every day.

Lynbrook Community Centre, 2 Harris Street, Lynbrook on Friday 31 March, 5pm-8pm.

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Cockatoo Country Market

Youth Resilience Workshops Build resilient and confident children with this local workshop.

Fergus Watts, CEO of The Reach Foundation, will be visiting Botanic Ridge Village to provide a free keynote session for the community, providing parents the tips and insight to navigate the teenage years alongside their children.

The Reach Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation directly helping young people across Australia build the skills and confidence to navigate the future.

Botanic Ridge Village Town Square, 10 Hummingbird Drive, Botanic Ridge on Wednesday 29 March, 6pm – 7pm.

Narre Warren Fire Brigade Open Day The Narre Warren Fire Station is opening its doors on Sunday 26 March for a day of fun. An easter egg hunt, colouring competition, fire truck jumping castle, ice cream van, Ash Wednesday display, fire truck races and virtual reality training will all be on offer. Public parking at Trinity Catholic Primary School with a free shuttle bus.

26 March, 10am to 3pm, 292 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South.

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Harry Potter Outdoor Cinema Littlefoot & Company is hosting an outdoor cinema funraiser showing a crowd favourite, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Funds raised will allow Littlefoot to continue providing free art therapy and spoken word spaces throughout the year.

There will be pre-movie entertainment and food trucks and with tickets for the low price of $10 it’s a family fun event not to be missed.

Wilson Botanic Park, 668 Princes Highway, Berwick on Saturday 25 March, 6.30pm (movie to start at 8pm).

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Balla Balla Open Day Celebrate Balla Balla Community Centre’s Open Day at the new location.

There will be a lot of fun activities for adults and children, including free food, live music, reptile encounters, face painting, Butterfly Stilt walkers, community art project, free kids rides and more.

This is a great opportunity to get to know your centre with free ‘Come & Try’ activities.

7 – 9 Selandra Blvd, Clyde North on Saturday 25 March 12pm–3pm.

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Berwick Boutique Craft & Food Market Step back in time and browse the wonderful and unique crafts and design from local makers and unwind from the week. Spend your Saturday at the historic Old Cheese Factory in Berwick, which offers beautifully manicured gardens, a large children’s playground and barbecue/picnic facilities along with plenty of parking.

34 Homestead Road, Berwick on Saturday 25 March, 9am-2pm.

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Support local, stock up your pantry and catch up with friends and neighbours.

Treat yourself to a yummy morning tea or barbecue lunch.

There’s so many different stalls at Cockatoo Country market.

Support local stallholders while finding perfect items for personal joy or to give as gifts.

77 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo on Saturday 1 April, 8.30am-1.30pm.

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Cranbourne U3A Make the most of your retirement!

Tutors are available to teach art using various mediums.

A variety of crafts including knitting, patchwork and sewing, card making, and calligraphy.

Chess, line dancing, Italian language, table tennis and cycling groups welcome you.

Would you like to play the ukulele, or just singalong for fun?

Cranbourne U3A can help.

Our rooms are in the Cranbourne Library building, through the Casey Radio entrance.

Expand your social life and get active for a healthy third age in your retirement.

For more information visit u3acranbourne.org. au or call Helen 0423 623 337.

·

Become a foster carer

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Play a part

Play a part today. Call 1800 013 088 fosteringconnections.com.au cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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STAR NEWS 17

LOCAL NEWS EVERY WEEK

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Botanic Ridge Coles Botanic Ridge Village - 10 Hummingbird Drive Cannons Creek Five Ways General Store 2040 South Gippsland Hwy Clyde Coles Express Service Station Corner Grices Road and Cranbourne-Berwick Road Clyde Clyde Village Store 18 Railway Road (Cnr of Oroya Grove) Clyde North Selandra Rise Retirement Village 5 Harmony Chase Clyde North Selandra Community Hub 7-9 Selandra Boulevard Clyde North Selandra Rise Shopping Centre Selandra Boulevard & Linsell Boulevard Clyde North Lifestyle Berwick Waters 10 Skylark Boulevard Cranbourne Cranbourne Library 65 Berwick Cranbourne Road Cranbourne Cranbourne Basketball and Sports Centre 65 Berwick - Cranbourne Road Cranbourne Life Be In It 65 Berwick - Cranbourne Road Cranbourne Coles Express 1120 Cnr Sladen Street & Cemetery Roads Cranbourne Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club 1 Codrington Street CRANBOURNE

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Cranbourne BP Service Station 1025-1045 Frankston Cranbourne Road Cranbourne Cranbourne Bowls Club 5 Grant Street Cranbourne Cranbourne Newsagency 105 High Street Cranbourne Coles Cranbourne High Street (Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre) Cranbourne United Service Station 183/187 Sladen Street Cranbourne Cranbourne RSL 1475 South Gippsland Highway Cranbourne City of Casey Shop 156 South Gippsland Highway (Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre) Cranbourne Coles Springhill Springhill Drive (Springhill Shopping Centre) Cranbourne Cranbourne Community House 49-51 Valepark Crescent Cranbourne East Balla Ball Community Centre 65 BerwickCranbourne Road Cranbourne East Shopping On Clyde 280 Berwick-Cranbourne Road Cranbourne East Blue Hills Rise 200-240 BerwickCranbourne Road Cranbourne East Hunt Club Shopping Centre 1 Linsell Boulevard Cranbourne North The Avenue Shopping Centre Cnr William Thwaites Boulevard & Thompsons Road

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Cranbourne North Merinda Park Learning & Community Centre 141-147 Endeavour drive Cranbourne North Apco Cranbourne North 315 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Road Cranbourne North BP North Cranbourne 399 Narre Warren Cranbourne Road Cranbourne North Woolworths Cranbourne North South Gippsland Hwy & Thompsons Road Cranbourne North Thompson Parkway Newsagency South Gippsland Hwy & Thompsons Road Cranbourne North IGA Supermarket - Eve Estate Shop 1/2-10 William Thwaites Boulevard Cranbourne West Apco Service Station 810 DandenongHastings Road Cranbourne West Coles Cranbourne West Duff Street (Sandhurst Centre) Cranbourne West Green Plaza News and Lotto Duff Street (Sandhurst Centre) Cranbourne West IGA Clarinda Park 85 Everlasting Boulevard Cranbourne West BP Service Station 910 Thompsons Road Hampton Park Shopping Centre 55 Hallam Road Hampton Park Lynbrook Lynbrook Community Centre 2 Lynbrook Boulevard & Harris Street

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ANTENNA MAN

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453 Princes Highway NARRE WARREN VIC 3805 453A Princes Highway NARRE WARREN VIC 3805 Lot 1 PS 710969P, Lot 2 PS 710969P

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Mr Cini, who started his dog training ness after noticing the need for specialisedbusiservices for his dog Sasha, said he had personally offered to provide free training for dog owners to prevent dog attacks in the municipality, but

PA22-0939 - (Joyce Li)

PAGE 7

PAGE ties Daniel Osborne said the matter remains

not contained to their property, which can lead to instances of dog attacks.

“Keeping your dogs securely confined to your property, and ensuring they are always under effective control when out, are key measures to keep your pets and the community

He said pet registration fees help council provide a number of services, including reuniting lost pets with owners, investigating dog attacks, puppy farms, and prosecuting of-

But Mr Cini said he remained sceptical about council’s investment in education for dog owners.

“A lot of people are misinformed about the reasons their dog might have social issues,” he said.

“We have to have proper education programs...why not give [owners] a quick online test or a copy of the legal requirement of owning a dog when they register their pets?”

In 2020/21, there was a total of 237 reported dog attacks in the City of Casey, 151 of the attacks on dogs and 51 attacks on humans.

GP Run cancelled Mr Osborne added that registrations

fees

BABY SEAT FITTING

on the fivethe same period in 2021, and seven year average.

Speaking on those events, Superintendent John Road Policing Operations & Investigation as a “worryFitzpatrick described the increase of the vulnering trend” and issued a reminder abilities of motorcycle riders. some of the “These figures are alarming and coming is that AUTOBARN anecdotal evidence that we see to sitting out of Covid-19, people aren’t used NARRE WARREN and they’re Cnr Narre Warren in traffic for long periods of time Cranbourne Nth & maybe alHigh Street shopping precinct in choosing a mode of transport that Lauderdale Rds Gippsland Tuesday, 9 August, 2022 Fitzpatrick before proceeding down the South lows them to (avoid) that,” Supt race.

Highway for the big said on Saturday 23 July.

Patteron motorCity of Casey chief executive Glenn “We’re seeing many more people a number of son said the council attributed bikes than we’ve seen ever before. was not made a bike, it’s riding factors to their decision, which and motorcar a “Driving lightly. a shared responsibility about understanding the signifiwhat’s around “Council has taken into account where you are on the road and the disruption about cant costs of running the event, you. We ask people to please be sensible moaware of the they ride to local traffic and we are also the way they drive and the way of Cranfrustration experienced by a number torbikes.” disof bourne businesses, who face considerable President of the Cranbourne Chamber to seeing ruption due to the road closure, without Dart said the decision Jeremy Commerce said. given the an increase in patronage,” Mr Patterson cancel the event was “short-sighted”, dandenong.starcommun budget and to take ity.com.au “We will be retaining this event missed opportunity for local traders /DandenongJournal com@StarJournal_SE of the increased patronage. are investigating options for another advantage 40¢ Inc. GST area that offeedback munity event in the Cranbourne While the Chamber has received benefits to aligning with fers greater enjoyment and more from some retailers in the region to be anto the residents and ratepayers, with details 199533 Casey’s hypothesis that the disruption The last Cranbourne GP Run in 2019. problematic, nounced at a future date.” roads and their businesses was 60 per options relationship between riders and The City of Casey said approximately and they’ll be spend- ness of the he was disappointed that alternative was required will be at Phillip Island, vehicles. approved. cent of the $93,000 event budget money down there instead.” to see how had not been to the of the PAGE “We need to encourage people 2 South Gippsland ing their to manage the closure “It does bring significant numbers that4Casey would have PAGE He said he hoped a valid form of transport. arePAGE Highway for the event. the specific precinct,” Mr Dart said. too late, allowing the two-wheelers 9 road-user region and Motorcycle a “re-think” before it’s SPORT would “We’re the most vulnerable John Eacott from the Victorian two-year absence.

“To allow a different model to exist “extremely event to proceed after a protected with pathoption. There are plenty of Victo- group. Pedestrians are Council (VMC) said the council was have bike lanes. be a much better decision.

“It’s not just locals and people within Peo- ways and crossings; cyclist the back (of High Street) that disappointed” with the City of Casey’s attend - it’s a nation-wide thing. of the traffic but facilities out who ria middle the still. in constantly there festival a out working of have We’re still South Wales, “The VMC had years would allow them to road congestion).” ple come from Queensland, New said. it would get-to- we are such a solution (to with the City of Casey,” Mr Eacott “Had there been some foresight, in re South Australia. The GP is an annual The issue has come into sharp focus

CALL TO BOOK:

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Documents can also be viewed on Council’s website:

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

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were seized by Casey Council of-

PAGE 2

If you object, the Responsible Authority will advise you of its decision.

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education for dog owners.

underwent a six-hour operation Exciting 240150 for injuries he dog rushes occur when “I want to be able to walk down Gracious dogs are not contained were also the street sustained in the attack.

Successful used for education programs on Eagles to their property,” he said. reOlympian and not have a fear of dogs rushing us or ownThe school girl and her parents Grigson sponsible pet ownership, including are underroad shows “Dogs that have not been adequately crackdown stood to be mentally shaken by add pace so- and events, the Maternal and Child the attack, but inspires Tooradin backcialised with It comes after a series of dog attacks gives Health other animals are also more likely Centre’s in the are grateful their dog and daughter We Are Family program and education on hoons are alive. to demonstrate aggression if they students Two dogs City of Casey manager of safer find them- in schools on safety around animals.

SPORT communi10 selves

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“We all know people who bought dogs during Covid who couldn’t be socialised due to restrictions, yet our council properly does noth-

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The application reference number is:

Any person who may be affected by the granting of the permit may object or make other submissions to the Responsible Authority.

An objection must: • be made to the Responsible Authority in writing to, Manager Planning, P.O. Box 1000, Narre Warren 3805 or emailed to caseycc@casey.vic.gov.au • include the application number and site address • include the reasons for the objection, and • state how the objector would be affected.

CALL 1300 666 808

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STORY PAGE 5

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“They provide no education whatsoever, yet they have thousands of dollars in pet reg-

The Responsible Authority must make a copy of every objection available at its office for any person to inspect during office hours free of charge until the end of the period during which an application may be made for review of a decision on the application.

www.escortsrus.com.au

buyers it’s quite appealing.” increase, With interest rates continuing to to borrow as first home buyers won’t be able much as they would have previously.

@StarNews_SE /Cranbournestarnews “Most people see a wagging tail munity.com.au and they Power Pooches’ Jake Cini and Sasha, cranbournenews.starcom think of a happy dog, but that who are advocating for increased

The Planning Professionals

Star News Group is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future.

SPORT

ham,” Mr Staindl said. closer to “You can travel into Berwick or as much but the city and you’re paying twice here in Pakenham, you can get four-bedroom for around houses under 10 years of age of first home $600,000 to $650,000, so for a lot

A Berwick dog trainer is calling for increased education and training for dog owners and their pooches following a series of recent dog our attacks in the City of Casey.

We come to you or can help through Frame & Lenses Jake Cini, who owns dog training + business contactless pick-up and remote services.

Pair Power F R E E Second Pooches, said preventing dog attacks from occurring “has to start with education”.

He said the wave of ‘pandemic pets’ (03) 9113 4616 who had not been socialised as puppies was contact@synergyitservices.com.au an issue that www.synergyitservices.com.au couldn’t be ignored by owners or council.

“I can’t believe there has been no mention

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Domain’s June rounding suburbs, according to Quarterly House Price Report. said Ray White Pakenham’s Gavin Staindl in Pakengrowth had declined marginally ham. in Paken“We’re in a very affordable area

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PAGE 5

er to Melbourne’s CBD. unit price The annual pace of house and and surgrowth is easing across Melbourne

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PAGE 3

area Pakenham is proving to be an appealing prices remain for first home buyers as house suburbs closrelatively low when compared to

WINTER “It’s a big deal. They really love it,” she says.

2022 “Everyone needs to be acknowledged at least one day a year.”

Her husband and principal Kevin says it goes to how much the school’s team cares.

Next term, the couple will face their own special day – their last day at the school that they have served for such an extraordinary time.

Mr and Ms Mackay have been there for 39 years and 36 years, respectively.

All up, their teaching careers have spanned 60 years and 45 years.

On 4 October, they will mark their retirement with a massive ‘general assembly’ at Dandenong High School hall.

Kevin and Jenny Mackay have served Mr Mackay OAM said it would Dandenong North Primary School be the first as principal and assistant principal assembly since the Covid pandemic’s for nearly four decades. 292591 start.

“It’s been an enormous part, where Picture: GARY SISSONS I get to food parcels or writing to government teach all the kids for half an hour. agen- follow each other to Dandenong We’ve missed cies on their behalf.

North Pri- the best teachers I’ve that, so it will be good to have a met. mary School. last one.

“And that kids know that you like “As the school became more complex “It’s going to be hard to avoid tears.” them. You Alarm bells rang for over have staff here that care about them – they’ll principal Mr Mackay the newly-appointed many years, Jenny’s experience has helped In their time, the school has built adwhen his wife was ap- dress an envi- ask the kids to ‘tell me more’. They go that the complexities. able reputation to bringing out the extra pointed to join the school. mile. best in from more than 50 diverse backgrounds. kids “From the synergies of effort you Mr Mackay worried about how get more “I think all the Dandenong schools to handle bang for your buck do a ter- the potential conflicts Its cutting-edge programs have than just two people. We’re of interest and staff dis- more been docu- rific job at that.” like two-and-a-half.” mented in award-winning films. harmony.

While deputy principal at Clayton Meanwhile, Ms Mackay describes Primary What makes the school special “We made it work,” he said. “And thank God the prinSchool in the 1980’s, Mr Mackay cipal as an “incredibly creative met a first- she was appointed “warmth”, Ms Mackay says. The school is its and lateral here. ensures year teacher Jenny. thinker” who will always look for the families get what they need a better way “My job is to get the best teachers – whether it’s They of course later married, and I possibly of doing things. were to can to work with the children. Jenny is one of Continued page 10

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You may look at the application and any documents that support the application at the office of the Responsible Authority.

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Community rallies around bookshop

Avery and Brooklyn colouring-in. 291782

has reAn adjustment to policing methods number of sulted in a dramatic drop in the South East, hooning events in Melbourne’s charges laid. and large numbers of arrests and Police From January to July 2021, Victoria events reported 40 to 50 large-scale hooning region, inin industrial areas within the SD3 Areas of corporating the Local Government Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia. @StarNews_SE 40¢ Inc. were just GST In the same period in 2022, there events. reported two STORY PAGE 7

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BERWICK

St Clare’s Primary School Officer Foundation students and teachers of are celebrating reaching 100 days learning in the classroom. as Students enjoyed dressing up 100 year olds, with props of pearls, sushair rollers, walking sticks and penders donned for the special day. a The students celebrated with singshindig that involved dancing, berwicknews.starcommu 100. nity.com.au ing, colouring-in and counting to STORY PAGE 18

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art galIn late June, plans to build a $50 million art - alongside lery - with $500 million worth of in the semia restaurant and function centre approved by rural suburb of Harkaway were the State Government. opposed But local residents, who have long say they the development of Rosemaur Gallery, the decision. are “surprised and saddened” by resThe approved plans for the gallery, cater for a taurant and function centre will with up to maximum of 300 patrons at a time, quarterly 580 patrons permitted during large events.

STORY PAGE 3

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• After your advertisement has run for 13 weeks you must call us each fortnight to renew it for a further 2 week period AND reduce the price of your item by a minimum 5% for items in the “For Sale” section or 3% for items in the “Motoring” section. This process may continue until you have sold your item. If we do not hear from you we will assume you have sold your item and your advertisement will not appear.

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SPORT

Fairytale finish for Doofy

By David Nagel Redemption is complete.

Kooweerup captain Michael Giles sunk to his knees after Cody Miller gleefully accepted a skied-ball at deep point to give the Demons their eighth top-flight premiership in 14 years on Sunday.

And the emotions spilled out.

Giles, Doofy to his mates, had just orchestrated a perfect record as captain-coach in his three completed seasons at the helm – 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2022/23.

But it’s the uncompleted season of 2015/16 that made Sunday’s moment so special.

Giles was heading for the holy grail as captain-coach at Kooweerup - three premierships on the trot - until a late-night incident on Saturday 30 January, 2016, propelled his world into a spin.

The club believed he had compromised club standards and he was asked to step down.

“It was the toughest part of my life, it really was,” an emotional Giles said, with a fifth premiership medal glistening around his neck.

“I hadn’t really gone through anything drastic in my life, like deaths, things like that, so to have something that you’ve loved and grew up with all your life - taken away - and the way it went down, it was heartbreaking.

“But time heals all wounds as they say, and it did, it really did, it healed and we end up here today.

“After this all I can say is never hold a grudge in life, you have to move on and move forward with your life.”

Giles and the Kooweerup Cricket Club reunited this season, with Doofy taking over the reins from one of his closest mates in Chris Bright – who had as much to lose as anyone upon Giles’ return.

“He rang me and said he was thinking about coming back, and I said ‘mate, do it’, and then I got a call from Matty Davey (President) saying they were going with Doofy, taking over captain and coaching, I rang Doofy straight away and we were both in tears,” Bright said.

“He’s one of the best captains I’ve ever played under, he knows cricket, he’s a thinker; he just writes stuff on the whiteboard that won’t make a lot of sense to others, but the players just buy into it.

“I love the bloke like a brother.”

It was symbolic that the man who picked Giles up after he had sunk to his knees on Sunday was Bright who, along with his brother

Brothers in arms. Chris Bright lifts his captain Michael Giles from his haunches after Kooweerup’s premiership win on Sunday. Matt Bright moves in Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS to join them. 324917 Matt, had no doubt lifted him up during his six years away from the club.

“I’ve grown up with those blokes as a young kid in Kooweerup myself, the Bright boys’ old man, Pommy (Ron Bright), he was like a second dad for me when I was a kid,” Giles explained.

“We played junior football together, Pommy would pick me up, and we were just like brothers.

“Then to have the five brothers (Chris, John, Matt, Paul and Ron) come to the cricket club and play, I think that’s what makes it so special.

“I guess I am the sixth brother (laughs).”

The cricket IQ of Giles is elite, he knows it but won’t spruik it to anyone, and was one of the main reasons why he returned to the club for one season.

The blazing left-hand opener, who destroyed attacks for fun…was definitely a thing of the past.

“Showing more leadership on the field, in crunch moments, that was the main thing I suppose,” Giles said of his return.

“I thought we really gelled towards the end of the year, with our messaging and things like that, and it all helps to get you over the line

in the end.

“The mindset was just a bit different.

“I’m definitely not the player I used to be, but just the coaching before the game, during the week, I really enjoyed that this year and hopefully it made a difference.”

It certainly made a difference to Bright, who played the most patient innings of his career to turn the plan of Giles into reality in a Man of the Match performance.

“Our plan was to bat 80 overs, and Wombat (Bright) put his normal batting aside to stick to the plan and make sure that happened,” Giles said.

“I’ve been harsh on Wombat and Luke (McMaster) all the way through the year, they’re our two best batters, but they play across the line at times and get themselves out.

“But it didn’t happen yesterday.

“Wombat put the onus on himself and delivered…if he went out, we wouldn’t have won that game.

“That’s the best innings I’ve ever seen him play.

“He had a great finals series.

“He won us the game against Tooradin, and won us the grand final against Cardy.”

Jess Mathers and Gamini Kumara look on as Chris Bright and Michael Giles get the party started. 324390 Giles was already reflective…less than an hour after the game.

“I never thought it would happen again, after what happened at the club…but fairytales do come true….and they did come true for me today,” he said.

“I never thought I would play another game with these guys, Mushy (Matt Bright) and Wombat in particular, so to get the job done means everything and it feels amazing.

“This will be the best premiership ever because it will be my last one…I’m just going to savour it for a long time to come.”

Redemption is complete!

Dominance of Demons shows no signs of slowing down

By David Nagel The culture of the Kooweerup Cricket Club has once again shined bright with the Demons claiming a stunning eighth premiership in 14 years against Cardinia in the CCCA Premier Division grand final at Denhams Road.

The Demons gave club legend and skipper Michael ‘Doofy’ Giles a fairytale and emotional finish to his top-flight career with an 83-run triumph in front of a boisterous home crowd.

After winning the toss and batting first – in hot and windy conditions – the Demons made 212 on Saturday, courtesy of patient half centuries from opener Luke McMaster (60 off 137) and number-five Chris Bright (66 off 141).

McMaster held the Demons top-order together before handing over to Bright after the pair shared a 26-run stand either side of the tea break.

McMaster skied a ‘jumper’ from off-spinner Travis Wheller just five overs after tea, with Bright tucking away his naturally aggressive game to guide the Demons through to the last over of the day.

Wheller (3/48 off 24) and Lachlan Volpe (4/77 off 29) were brilliant for the Bulls on day one, with the pair bowling unchanged for the last 20 overs of the innings, taking a combined 6/61 to keep a dangerous situation under control.

But the Bulls had no answer to a rampaging Demons’ pace attack on Sunday, with Adam McMaster (4/32 off 12.5), Jess Mathers (4/54 off 18) and Luke McMaster (2/42 off cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

The dominance continues. The Kooweerup premiership team, back from left; Cody Miller, Adam McMaster, Gamini Kumara, Rob Maskiell, Matt Bright, Brannon Harrison (12th man), Steven Dillon and Jess Mathers. Middle: Chris Bright. Front row: Luke McMaster, Barry ‘Bo’ Robertson, Michael Giles and Mitch Davey. (Mascot: Ollie Mathers). 324390 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS 13) bowling the home side to victory after restricting the Bulls to 129.

Alex Nooy (23) top scored for the Bulls, who had six players work their way into the teens but not get through to 20.

Bright was named Man of the Match after his patient vigil on Saturday, which was played in complete contrast to the thoughts he had as he headed to the crease.

“How far can I hit the ball, that’s what I was thinking to be honest,” he said.

“But, in the back of my mind, I knew Doofy (Giles) was retiring, I knew my brother (Matt) was thinking about retiring, and I wanted to

do it for a couple of others as well.

“Mitch Davey, the son a great in Matt Davey, he hadn’t won a flag, Luke McMaster, he only had the Covid flag, they’re a couple of blokes that have really put the work in over a few years and I wanted to do it for them as well.

“That’s not how I normally bat, I’ve never blocked so many balls in my life, but to dig in and do it for the team was really important and very satisfying.

“I just tried to bat as deep as I could and get us to a competitive total…it’s probably the first time I’ve ever really dug in for the

team and not thought about blasting.

“I’m proud of myself how I dug in, and to hear a few of the older guys at the club – Johnno (Steve Johnson), Matty (Davey) and Tubsy (Chris O’Hara) – say, ‘we’re proud of you mate, well batted’ that really means a lot to me.”

Giles had a falling out with the club after leading the Demons to back-to-back flags against the Bulls between 2013 and ’15…before returning this season for one last crack at the title.

“I guess fairytales do come true,” an emotional Giles said after the match.

“We weren’t the best team all season, but I had enormous confidence in this group that it could get the job done.

“To come back to Kooweerup and for it to end like this…it’s unbelievable really.

“To play in a premiership again with two of my best mates in Wombat (Chris Bright) and Mushy (Matt Bright), it’s something I’ve dreamed of but never thought would happen in 100 years.”

The Bright brothers have now played together in all eight premiership wins since that 2009/10 triumph.

This was the third consecutive grand final appearance for Cardinia under captain Jake Prosser, who led the Bulls to their first premiership in 12 years in 2021.

Prosser will return to his home-club Langwarrin next season after a three-year stint with the Bulls.

Thursday, 23 March, 2023

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STAR NEWS 21

SPORT

Whitford’s winning ways

By Marcus Uhe Saturday’s flag-unfurling ceremony at Casey Fields won’t be an unfamiliar scene for new Casey Demons senior coach Taylor Whitford, as his side begins the fresh season with a celebration of its 2022 achievements.

Stepping into the hot seat after two years as their senior assistant, Whitford’s time in football - and coaches boxes - has been intrinsically linked with premiership success in the last decade.

Before joining Casey, Whitford coached North Launceston in the Tasmanian State League to two premiership wins in 2018 and 2019, having captained the same side to glory in 2015 and 2017.

While it would be unique to many, taking over as a senior coach after winning a premiership rather than facing a rebuild, Whitford knows exactly what it will take to go back-toback.

“I get to lean on (previous experiences) a little bit, but it’s just about building that dynamic in the group again,” Whitford said.

“From my point of view it’s about remembering 2022 as a successful season for the club, but we’ve moved on now, and first day of preseason was all around building the right habits in order to build that sustained success at Casey.

“We’ve been lucky enough over the last three or four years, even though it’s been Covid-19 interrupted, that we’ve had successful seasons down at Casey and we’re hoping to continue that.”

Having the pre-established chemistry and camaraderie with the playing group, the transition has been “smooth” for Whitford, supported by the established senior group of players in premiership captain Mitch White, James Munro, Matt Buntine and George Grey.

In the fortunate position of having witnessed plenty of success during his time in the game, Whitford believes familiarity within the squad is a key element of strong clubs and the ability

to achieve the ultimate.

“I think each different team that I’ve been involved in has had their own little intricacies in how they go about it, but one consistency has been the connected-ness of the group and the willingness to play a role for the team,” he said.

“That’s a little bit around my coaching as well, and how we can connect together, implement the things we want to implement both on and off field, but also understanding what’s required in certain situations for certain players.

“We’ll be looking to build on those couple of things and hopefully it produces a couple of really good things this year.”

Supporting their endeavours to win it all again are former Dandenong Stingrays Finn Emmell-Brennan and Ziggy Toledo Glasman, along with Nar Nar Goon’s Patrick Cross, who played for the Gippsland Power last season.

With the first bounce merely days away after a long summer on the track, Whitford is excited to see what 2023 can bring, and won’t put a ceiling on what they can achieve.

“Pre-season’s been great but there’s nothing like the in-season mode of games week-toweek, whether we win or lose, we’re all about getting better and turning up next week,” he said.

“I’m super excited for the year that’s for sure.

“We’re coming into the year confident.

“We understand that our best footy is up there, but as I said previously, each year is a different year and we’ve just got to understand that, and not come in expecting things to role on.

“Definitely we’re prepared to start again, hopefully put in a good few weeks and assess our season from there, hopefully keep building and put ourselves in the top four or top six now.”

Saturday’s game against Footscray begins at 2.05pm, with the flag unfurling to take place beforehand.

James Munro will be another key contributor for the Casey Demons in the VFL this season. 296136 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Grey ‘AFL ready’ in the eyes of his coach

By Marcus Uhe Casey Demons coach Taylor Whitford has nominated Cranbourne premiership hero George Grey as an AFL Mid-Season draft contender ahead of the 2023 VFL season.

Grey, who played in Casey’s 2022 premiership last season, has played 22 games for the Demons and was crucial in their finals series, kicking goals and providing energy around the contest in critical performances during the qualifying and preliminary finals.

Whitford, who was a senior assistant with the Demons last season, described Grey as “definitely AFL ready”.

“His speed, his ability around contest to get

in-and-out of traffic, his agility,” Whitford said of his appealing characteristics for recruiters.

“He’s got really good goal-sense and he’s a good finisher, so he does have some traits at AFL level, it’s just about putting it on show consistently.

“He’s worked really hard with that, both on-field and off-field to be able to do that this year and he’s in a really good spot, to be able to show, not only to our group and our side week-to-week, but also that interest from other clubs.”

Introduced in 2019, the midseason draft has provided more opportunities for players in the state-league system to breakthrough to the AFL ranks, with players such as Hawthorn’s Jai

Newcombe, Western Bulldogs’ Ryan Gardner and Essendon’s Sam Duhram all chosen from VFL squads in 2021 to become important contributors in their respective sides.

Whitford believes the Demons will have a handful vying for selection again in 2023, including Roan Steel, Jack Bell, Ryan Valentine and Miles Shepherd.

“We do have options, it’s just about giving them the opportunity to put their strengths on-show at VFL level and if you do that consistently enough, clubs have shown that the willingness to take a mature-age player is more prevalent than ever at the moment.

“Hopefully they get the opportunity to put their strengths on show throughout the year.”

Tiger Abbey Dibben kicked two for the Stingrays. 324895 Picture: JAZZ BENNETT MEDIA

Rays stung

By Jonty Ralphsmith

Cranbourne’s George Grey is an AFL Mid-Season draft contender in the eyes of Taylor Whitford. 293981 22 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 23 March, 2023

Picture: ROB CAREW

The Dandenong Stingrays girls season has started with a gritty 6.7 43 to 5.2 32 loss in hot conditions at Hastings against a well-drilled Sydney Swans Academy side.

The ‘Rays led by just 12 points at quarter time despite controlling the game and having a heavy breeze advantage, the Swans able to dictate from the middle thereafter despite Dandenong’s outside run. One who stood out from the Dandenong engine room was Meg Robertson.

The club sees her as a player who could push into Vic Country and she was bullocking on her own in tough conditions, against the tide, all day.

Abbie Tregalis kicked one goal and provided energy inside 50 for her team, while Kaya Dalgleish and Beaconsfield’s Abbey Dibben finished with two each.

Vic Country representative Sophie Butterworth’s preseason also bore fruit.

Having played most of her footy up forward as a junior, she was swung into defence when Sydney had the wind advantage, taking several intercept marks and using her left foot to good effect. The ‘Rays will be looking to bounce back next week at Deakin University against Geelong Falcons, which got a first-up win. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Coach Cleef the star act

By Marcus Uhe Four wickets and a half century to playingcoach Chris Cleef helped Devon Meadows secure a 78-run win over Upper Beaconsfield in the CCCA District grand final.

The Panthers were dismissed for 225 in oppressive conditions at Glover Rec Reserve batting first on Saturday thanks to a six-wicket haul to Andrew McDonald, before rolling the Maroons for 147 in a cooler climate on Sunday afternoon to secure promotion to Premier Division next season.

Coming in when his side was wobbling at 3/58, with Lucas Ligt, Steven Robinson and Trent Delaney all having departed for scores of 10 or less, Cleef set to work resurrecting the stumble with wicketkeeper Will Halton, as Chad McDonald and Daniel Brennan charged in with their tails up.

The two only added 15 for the fourth wicket before Halton had to go for 39, but Cleef remained steadfast, putting on 61 with Nathan Worsteling to restore some calm to the line-up.

61 from 101 with eight fours from Cleef topscored for the Panthers, followed by 53 from captain Lucas Carroll.

Upper Beaconsfield would have felt optimistic about its chances of chasing 226, having kept danger-man Ligt to just 10.

But their chase could hardly have begun worse, with Corey Joyce run-out for a duck, having only faced one delivery.

Ligt whipped the bails off from a sharp Nathan Worsteling throw to the non-strikers end, sending the Panthers into a frenzy.

When Ligt had Brennan and Wellwood dismissed by the 19th over, Upper Beaconsfield had crawled to 3/31, and the Panthers were right on-top.

Imesh Jayasekara shaped as the big wicket, and he looked a class-above his teammates, hitting seven fours on his way to 43.

A brilliant return catch from Lucas Carroll jumping to his left to remove Taylor Joyce at the end of the 34th over increased their ascen-

CCCA District Division premiers, Devon Meadows. 325080 dancy even further, and from there the batting fell-away.

The final seven wickets fell for 68 runs, with the Maroons made to pay for some reckless batting that provided catching practice for Devon Meadows fielders.

Nathan Worsteling held-on to a juggling catch at cover to dismiss William Haines, and appropriately it was Cleef, who had bowled unchanged for the duration of the innings,

Picture: MARCUS UHE

who bowled Jayden Joyce for the final wicket to secure the grand final victory.

Carroll said it was an unbelievable feeling to win the District premiership, having suffered heartbreak with the same squad in previous years.

“It feels as good as it can feel,” he said.

“We lost a grand final a couple of years ago and then lost to them in the semi last year, so to get it done this year and be back up with the

big boys next year, it’s bloody fantastic.

“At the start of the day, (we were) probably not (happy with 220), but when we were six for not much, to eek-out 220, we were pretty happy with.

“Runs on the board are always hard to chase, I think on our ground you want at least 250/260 but it’s always hard to chase on the second day of a grand final.”

Devon Meadows and Upper Beaconsfield had been the benchmarks all season, jostling for first and second position on the ladder and only losing twice each.

In the case of Upper Beaconsfield, those two losses came against the Panthers, who were out to make-amends after the Maroons booted them the finals series in 2021/22.

Ligt would finish with a remarkable 916 runs at an average of 91, nearly doubling his next-best teammate, while Cleef’s 38 wickets set the benchmark among the league’s best bowlers.

It was the culture and the tight-knit bond between the squad that made the premiership extra special, according to Carroll.

“Going through the grand final loss a couple of years ago, hurts,” he said.

“People can either pull-apart or they can come closer, and we became closer.

“We’re a really tight group and if you’re close, you want other people to succeed with you.

“You don’t care if you make a duck, if someone else makes the runs, you’re happier for them than you are yourself.

“Even through the lower grades, it’s always been pretty close-knit this club. Once you come here, people don’t tend to leave.”

Securing promotion to Premier Division, Carroll said he’s excited about what lies ahead.

“I got to play (in Premier) a few years ago for a couple of years and it’s where you want to play; you don’t want to be in the second division, you want to be up with the big boys and competing with them.

“We’ll see how we go.”

Bloods thirsty for more after back-to-back premierships

By Marcus Uhe Springvale South are premiers of DDCA Turf 1 for the second-consecutive season after defeating rivals Buckley Ridges by six wickets in Saturday’s grand final at Arch Brown Reserve.

The bowling group, led by Blade Baxter and Jarryd Straker, kept Buckley to 147, before Baxter and Cam Forysth added 60 for the final wicket to complete the chase in the 37th over.

Hot and windy conditions confronted both sides on Saturday morning, with Buckley captain Ben Wright choosing to bat first as the temperature quickly reached the mid30s.

Yoshan Kumara got his side off to an excellent start with the ball, removing Daniel Watson in the second over LBW for just one.

Much like in the semi-final contest between these two combatants, it was Jake Cronin and Jayson Hobbs who mounted a charge for the Bucks.

Cronin, who has taken to Turf 1 cricket with aplomb late in the campaign, looked to up the tempo, hitting Kumara for two boundaries with lofted off drives in the sixth over and clipping balls straying to his leg side exquisitely off his pads.

A wayward over from Matt Wetering allowed Hobbs to find his feet as he makes his return from injury, hitting three boundaries with some lofted on-drives as the two looked to settle-in for a long stint in the middle.

But as he has time and time again for the Bloods, it was Jarryd Straker who provided the crucial breakthrough that set things in motion for his side.

Cronin was stumped by Paul Hill on 42, off Straker’s bowling, and soon after, Hobbs departed for 35, as Jackson Sketcher combined with Straker to put the clamps on in the middle overs.

1/82 with two set batters at the wicket had become 3/98 with two players starting their cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

perb piece of work from Aust, standing-up to the stumps for Jayaratne and removing the bails while off-balance having reached to the leg side, and when Sketcher’s brief innings came to a close on 10, things were beginning to look a touch shaky for the defending premiers.

But with their deep batting line-up and a small total to chase, the calm heads of Baxter and Forsyth ensured there was never any danger, with a Forsyth sweep into the boundary enough to send his teammates and supporters in the W.J Williamson pavilion into raptures.

DDCA

DANDENONG DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION

TURF 1 REVIEW - GRAND FINAL

DDCA TURF 1 GRAND FINAL

Back-to-back DDCA Turf 1 Premiers, Springvale South. 324303 innings in a short period of time, as the experienced pair of Mahela Udawatte and Ben Wright looked to restart the innings.

Their 27-run stand was brought to a close by a superb Mitch Forsyth catch on the square leg boundary, running to his right and taking the ball over his head in front of Buckley Ridges supporters off a well-struck slog sweep from Wright.

The batting innings never recovered, with the final seven wickets falling for just 22 as Buckley limped to 147.

Straker (3/34) and Baxter (3/26) did the major damage for the Bloods, with Sketcher chipping-in with two of his own.

Picture: ROB CAREW

Jordan Mackenzie and Mitch Forysth made a composed start to the chase, happy to get their eyes-in and see off the new ball.

Forsyth fell victim to an incredible catch from Troy Aust, diving to his left down the leg side to grasp the ball one-handed off Jayaratne, and it was nearly two in two balls, with Jordan Wyatt dropped at slip by Matthew Goodwright off his first delivery.

Goodwright looked to make-amends by snaring another one-handed catch to remove Wyatt, but the nonchalant celebration suggested that he knew the damage had been done.

Mackenzie was stumped on 41 by a su-

BUCKLEY RIDGES V SPRINGVALE SOUTH ARCH BROWN RESERVE TOSS: BUCKLEY RIDGES 1ST INNINGS - BUCKLEY RIDGES D Watson lbw b Y Kumara.............................................................. 1 J Cronin st P Hill b J Straker ......................................................... 42 J Hobbs lbw b J Sketcher ............................................................. 35 M Udawatte b J Straker ................................................................ 34 B Wright c M Forsyth b J Straker .................................................. 11 H Jayaratne run out (J Dowling, P Hill) ........................................... 3 T Aust c C Forsyth b J Sketcher ...................................................... 6 M Davies c & b B Baxter ................................................................ 1 M Goodwright not out .................................................................... 1 H Ali lbw b B Baxter ....................................................................... 1 S Dinesh lbw b B Baxter................................................................. 0 Extras (nb 3, w 3, b 0, lb 6).......................................................... 12 Total (40 overs) .......................................................................... 147 Fall of wicket: 6 (D Watson), 82 (J Cronin), 98 (J Hobbs),125 (B Wright),136 (M Udawatte),137 (H Jayaratne),141 (M Davies),145 (T Aust), 146 (H Ali), 147 (S Dinesh).

Bowling: J Dowling 4-0-0-16, Y Kumara 4-0-1-19, M Wetering ........

3-0-0-20, B Baxter 10-1-3-26, J Straker 12-2-3-34, J Sketcher 7-0-2-26.

1ST INNINGS - SPRINGVALE SOUTH M Forsyth c T Aust b H Jayaratne.................................................... 5 J Mackenzie st T Aust b D Watson ................................................ 41 J Wyatt c M Goodwright b S Dinesh ............................................. 24 C Forsyth not out .......................................................................... 37 J Sketcher c T Aust b H Jayaratne................................................. 10 B Baxter not out ........................................................................... 18 Extras (nb 5, w 4, b 3, lb 2).......................................................... 14 Total (36.1 overs)...................................................................4/149 Fall of wicket: 15 (M Forsyth), 61 (J Wyatt), 76 (J Mackenzie), 89 (J Sketcher).

Bowling : H Jayaratne 9-1-2-28, H Ali 4-0-0-19, M Davies 6-00-35, S Dinesh 7-2-1-23, D Watson 6-1-1-22, M Goodwright 4.1-0-0-17.

SPRINGVALE SOUTH - PREMIERS

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