Mail - Ranges Trader Star Mail - 23rd May 2023

Death of a hero

Community members gathered at the Monbulk RSL sub-branch on Friday 19 May to remember long-standing president William (Bill) Ford after his sudden passing earlier this month. Bill, aged 72, died unexpectedly overnight on Saturday 6 May, leaving behind his three sons Jeffrey, Michael and Steven, as well as a lasting legacy of service to the town he loved. At his father’s funeral, Jeffrey said the family would hold a barbeque following Anzac Day services on 25 April each year where his dad would remark how impressed he was at the turnout.

“Today, I think he’d be there, he’d say ‘good turnout, son. Good turnout,’ Jeffrey said.

“I was having a chat with Michael and Steven during the week, and we decided that it was lucky dad did pass away after Anzac Day,“ Jeffrey said.

“He took pride in selling the badges and being part of the RSL. I think he also enjoyed on Sundays having a chat...that was more of the fun.“

Monbulk RSL sub-branch secretary Craig Vandenberg said Mr Ford enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 18 June 1969, in the first recruit training battalion.

“On the 26 August 1969 he was forwarded to the School of Army Health. 16 February 1970, he was forwarded to the headquarters area,” Craig said.

“From there, Bill moved on to the Second Military Hospital as an assistant medical instructor. He stayed there until he was discharged on 17th June 1975, where he held the rank of corporal.

“He was awarded the Australian Service Medal“

Turn to page 4 for full story Bill

Ford leading the march through Monbulk ahead of Anzac Day.

Picture:

Alpacas killed in attack

By Tyler Wright and Tanya Steele

Two alpacas at a Belgrave Heights stud have been mauled in an attack by an unknown animal.

Auravale Alpacas owner Lynda Holdsworth said some of her stock were attacked and killed by the animal between 6am and 8am on Saturday 13 May.

“It had small medium reddish brown hair, it was a heeler-type dog,” she said.

Ms Holdsworth said it became apparent an animal had been on other parts of the property as well.

“We had three young alpacas with two adults, it killed one and badly injured another, which later died that day,” she said.

Ms Holdsworth said that they could see marks on the grass where something had come in and left the property.

“It was one of our smaller and younger ones that died and it had been disembowelled,” she said.

Ms Holdsworth said that one had been caught and had a massive wound and the young alpaca unfortunately died later that day while it was being stitched up by the vet.

Ms Holdsworth said she reported the incident to Yarra Ranges Council and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA),

“It’s significant emotionally, we were quite upset about the loss of two defenceless animals,” Ms Holdsworth said.

A Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action spokesperson said wild dog control staff routinely respond to wild dog activity in the Dandenong Ranges.

“Senior Wild Dog Controllers are aware of the incident at the Auravale Alpaca farm and have spoken with the landowners,” the spokesperson said.

“Photos taken by a neighbour show an unknown dog in the area, it is not known if this was the dog that was involved in this instance or if it is wild or domestic.”

The primary aim of the Victorian Wild Dog Management Program is to minimise the killing and maiming of livestock caused by wild dog attacks.

“Senior staff will be conducting surveillance activities to determine the dog’s presence, pathways and see if there are indications it is a wild or domestic dog,” the spokesperson said.

Yarra Ranges Council Director of Communities Jane Price said the most commonlyreported places based on investigating officer experience are in public parks and neighbourhood streets and that a large portion of attacks occur as a result of a dog being at large, meaning the dog has escaped from its property.

Ms Holdsworth is now spending money trying to secure their 20-acre property fencing and make it more animal-proof as advised by the wild dog controller and said there is ongoing worry about that animal or other animals coming back.

“He’s suggested they don’t jump, rather they go through or under the fence,” she said.

Ms Holdsworth said she urges dog owners to keep their dogs contained and is concerned that wild dogs will cause potentially more issues in the future.

Two alpacas on a farm in Belgrave Heights were mauled in an animal attack on Saturday 13 May. Picture: SUPPLIED

Sealing to limp on

By Corey Everitt

Cardinia Shire Council is determined to seal what it can of the roads in the hills despite the abrupt departure of federal funding.

The council has earmarked $14 million for the so-called Sealing the Hills program in its draft 2023-24 draft budget that will go towards paving some of the dirt roads in Gembrook, Emerald, Cockatoo and surrounds.

The Sealing the Hills program was created in 2019 following joint advocacy from Cardinia Shire Council andYarra Ranges Council, where the Federal Government, respective councils and residents would all put up cash to seal roads in the Dandenong Ranges.

But it was confirmed in January this year that the Federal Government’s omission of the program in the budget was a cut to the program.

A total of $150m was promised to Cardinia Shire Council - only $41m was received, making a funding cut of $109m.

Despite this, the council is still committed to sealing what roads they can with the money they received.

“Unfortunately, it is now not possible for council to seal and deliver over 130 roads in the Dandenong Ranges and surrounding townships with the current funding sources,” a spokesperson for Cardinia Shire Council said.

“A total of 38 roads across four townships will now be sealed under the revised Sealing the Hills program.”

In the council’s draft budget for 2023-24, $14m is allocated for Sealing the Hills - with an additional $2.3 million in carry over - while another $14m is projected for 2024-25. There are nine current projects, some covering multiple roads, either in construction or set to begin construction, with four of them being in Cockatoo, two in Gembrook, two in Emerald and one in Upper Beaconsfield:

· Caroline Avenue catchment, First Grenville catchment, Station-Baker-Glen catchment, Naughton catchment are set for the Cockatoo area.

· Innes Rd and Russell-Blackwood catchment for Gembrook.

· Christians Avenue package and Old Gembrook package in Emerald.

· Stoney Creek package in Upper Beaconsfield.

These are the projects confirmed to be in the works, more may come.

The council is delivering this without al-

tering the funding guidelines set in the original project, with resident contributions still capped at $7000.

While advocating for the funding that was promised by the Federal Government is still a priority.

“The council is continuing to prioritise improving our road network, building better local roads, and advocating for future funding to seal these roads within the hills,” the council spokesperson said.

For more information, visit cardinia.vic.gov. au/sealingthehills

Emerald Lake $12m upgrade endorsed

By Corey Everitt

A masterplan for new upgrades to Emerald Lake Park has been endorsed by the Cardinia Shire Council.

The plan includes changes to play areas, event spaces, hospitality, parking and maintenance with a total cost estimate of $12.13m.

To better manage the total cost, the council will split the plan into stages where top priorities are addressed first.

Priorities were managed through community consultation conducted through July and August 2022.

The community presented 3074 views to the council and 428 contributions online.

Cr Brett Owen, who moved the motion, was grateful for the feedback.

“I wanna thank everyone who provided

feedback to this process, particularly I wanna acknowledge the Friends of Emerald Lake Park and also the committee for Emerald Museum and Nobelius Park,” he said.

“This is one of the jewels in the crown of Cardinia Shire, it has many international tourists, as well as our own Cardinia community attend this great asset of a park and precinct.”

Through consultation, stage one of the plan will include an upgrade to existing play spaces, more car parking, new shelter, picnic area and exercise hub.

For construction, the existing Emerald Lake Park Cafe will be removed with a new waterside cafe to be sought.

Cr Graeme Moore, who seconded the motion, spoke in support of the plan.

“It’s one of our gems in Cardinia Shire, it’s the park where Puffing Billy finishes, the

big event up there is the Puffing Billy race - a fantastic event,” he said.

“There is a lot to be done to bring it up to the wonderful standard that it once used to be.”

The cost for stage one is approximately $5.3m.

The plan will need to be also endorsed in the council budget in June for the council to be able to source funding.

Cr Colin Ross explained the thought behind the masterplan.

“What we’ve done is set about looking at the priorities that would need to be done, we’re looking at stage one,” he said.

“As money would become available either through council budget, or through grants or government intervention, we will look at other stages being done.”

The motion was passed unanimously.

IN BRIEF

Business fined after worker accident

A Bayswater North-based aluminium window and door manufacturer has been fined $70,000 after a worker lost four fingers while operating a saw at its factory.

Accent Management Services was sentenced last Thursday after pleading guilty to the single charge of failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment.

In November 2020, the worker was using an electric mitre saw to cut aluminium by hand. After making a cut, the worker began lifting the saw with his other hand, resulting in the retractable guard moving fully back over the rotating blade.

The worker reached underneath the saw with his hand, making contact with the rotating blade and amputating four fingers. He was taken to the hospital, where all but one of his amputated fingers were reattached.

The company was fined $70,000, without conviction, and ordered to pay $4,236 in costs.

AWorkSafeinvestigationfoundthatalthough the saw was fitted with a pneumatic clamping system, to hold aluminium sheets and reduce the chances of bodily contact with the blade, it was common practice for workers to not use the clamps when making 90-degree cuts.

Boronia assault

Police are continuing to investigate an assault that occurred in Boronia in 2022, and have released the images of two men who may be able to assist them with their inquiries.

Police said it is alleged that four men approached a man at a licensed venue on Boronia at around 10pm on 16 September 2022, where an altercation occurred between the men and the 20-year-old man who was struck in the head with a chair.

The man suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. A 20-yearold Boronia man and a 21-year-old Wantirna South man were interviewed earlier in May and released “pending further enquiries.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Failure to vote notices sent

People who missed heading to the polls at the 2022 state election will soon be asked to explain their absence, and risk being fined if their answer isn’t justified.

288,511 Victorians have received an Apparent Failure To Vote Notice (AFTVN) from the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), including 2,455 in the Monbulk electorate and 2,675 in Bayswater.

The VEC will not fine people who failed to vote because they were not inVictoria on election day, were enrolled as a person with no fixed address or overseas voter, applied for a postal vote but their application was received late or rejected or had a valid and sufficient excuse for not voting.

Valid excuses include that the voter was ill, disabled or infirm and therefore unable to vote, was unable to vote for religious reasons, the voter was over the age of 70 at the time of the election, the voter was affected by flooding in Victoria during the election period, had caring responsibilities, suffered an unexpected event, had a lack of secure housing, or the voter was bereaved, incarcerated or suffering from family violence. The VEC encourages people to provide evidence when submitting their detailed explanations.

The Cardinia Shire Council and Yarra Ranges Council are set to receive only a fraction of the $300m that was originally promised by the former Coalition government.

Monbulk RSL mourns ‘Bill’

By Tyler Wright

Community members gathered at the Monbulk RSL sub-branch on Friday 19 May to remember long-standing president William (Bill) Ford after his sudden passing early this month.

Bill, aged 72, died unexpectedly overnight on Saturday 6 May, leaving behind his three sons Jeffrey, Michael and Steven, as well as a lasting legacy of service to the town he loved.

At his father’s funeral, Jeffrey said the family would hold a barbecue following Anzac Day services on 25 April each year where his dad would remark how impressed he was at the turn out.

“Today, I think he’d be there, he’d say ‘good turnout, son. Good turnout,’ Jeffrey said.

“I was having a chat with Michael and Steven during the week, and we decided that it was lucky Dad did pass away after Anzac Day,” Jeffrey said.

“He took pride in selling the badges and being part of the RSL. I think he also enjoyed on Sundays having a chat...that was more of the fun.”

Monbulk RSL sub-branch secretary Craig Vandenberg said Mr Ford enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 18 June 1969, in the first recruit training battalion.

“On the 26 August 1969 he was forwarded to the School of Army Health. 16 February 1970, he was forwarded to the headquarters area,” Craig said.

“From there, Bill moved on to the Second Military Hospital as an assistant medical instructor. He stayed there until he was discharged on 17th June 1975, where he held the rank of corporal.

“He was awarded the Australian Service Medal”

In 1972, while serving in New South Wales at the Repatriation hospital, Bill was married

to married wife Sue at the Monbulk RSL subbranch, before the couple began their married life in New South Wales.

The pair then moved back to Monbulk, raising their three sons on Moores Road.

“After leaving the service, Bill continued his career in the medical field, working as a theatre nurse until about 1980,” Craig said.

“Bill then took position with a company called Sansons, which later became Phoenixm and was working in sales with medical.

“Before long, he moved on to Wiss Medical Equipment where he stayed until his retirement.”

Craig said during the 1980s and ‘90s, Bill was involved in Apex Medical.

“Jeff recalled yesterday spending time with his dad on weekends... helping with chores, cleaning up and fixing up around the

place,” he said,

“There was also a period when Bill was running blue light discos for teenagers.”

“Over time Bill grew into his community and became active in the RSL helping with renovations here and taking on the role of president in 2014.”

It was also at this time that Bill’s wife, Sue, became ill, and the decision came for Bill to retire from full time work.

“When Sue passed in 2017 it took a big toll on Bill. But [with] the support of his boys and the RSL community, Bill was able to move forward,” Craig said.

“Bill immersed himself into the RSL and most of you recall his dedication to selling Anzac tokens outside Woolworths and Aldi, also going all the way out to Seville to service the Yarra Valley.

“Bill was here to assist community following the 2021 storms; helping people, keeping people safe, warm and fed with other members from Monbulk Emergency Management Group. Bill also was a regular at the open door pantry in Monbulk and he helped locals to understand and how to manage their dietary requirements and other health conditions.”

Both Jeffrey and Michael said their father was like an ‘old-school YouTube,’ with knowledge readily on hand to share.

“I was always amazed by how strong my dad was and would happily claim he was the strongest dad in the world to any kid who dared to say their dad was,” Michael said.

“From watching him hoist injuries out of cars to building the house, sending him home covered in soot, from fighting the AshWednesday bushfires or saving the life of a wonderful neighbour,or simply pulling bikes out of a raging river after certain children had tried to unsuccessfully cross to the river.”

“We certainly didn’t expect to be standing here sharing about his life so soon.”

Family, serving men and women were invited to demonstrate their love and devotion for Bill by laying a poppy at the service.

Tarra Bulga National Park Gippsland Cape Woolamai Phillip Island

William ‘Bill’ Ford (right),assumed the role of Monbulk RSL sub-branch president in 2014.

Picture: MONBULK RSL SUB-BRANCH,FACEBOOK

Bill and wife Sue had an “unbreakable” and “unconditional” love,son Michael said.

Picture: TYLER WRIGHT

Minor magnitude earthquake gives us all a shake

By Tanya Steele

A 2.5 magnitude minor earthquake occurred in East Melbourne on Tuesday 16 May at 11.15 am with an epicentre near Croydon.

Jonathan Griffin, a senior seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the majority of reports were received from Croydon, Ferntree Gully up into the Dandenong Ranges and a few other nearby suburbs.

“It was a relatively shallow quake, with a depth of about 4 km, which probably contributed to quite a number of people feeling it,” he said.

By 1pm on 17 May over 140 people had reported the quake with a ‘felt report’ lodged with Geoscience Australia felt report system.

Dr Griffin said earthquakes of this magnitude are compared to the larger rumbling of a truck by people who experience them.

“You might get that little shake going through your house, that is what you feel,” he said.

Dr Griffin said that oftentimes people will also hear a thunder like sound or rumble for shallow earthquakes,

“As the ground shaking travels through the ground and along the surface of the ground, that shaking gets transferred into the air and

becomes sound waves,” he said.

In the event of a quake, Dr Griffin recommends people drop, cover and hold.

“Get down and if you can get under something like a table, if you can’t get under anything cover your head with your hands and hold onto something if you can to give you stability during the shaking,”

Victoria SES stated via social media they did not receive any requests for assistance post the quake and they also had many people commenting on their posts about the earthquake and responses were varied as to who felt it and who didn’t.

Geoscience Australia has a network of seismic monitors they maintain across the country and Dr Griffin said the organisation took some time to look at the quake and review that it was actually an earthquake.

“As we reviewed that we were able to see the felt reports coming in and it was nice to get that community input as well,” he said.

Rock gets the WOW factor

By Tyler Wright

Emerald’s SES Unit celebrated Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW) on Wednesday 17 May with a special artwork popping up in the area.

Volunteers spent two days painting Elephant Rock, near Dewhurst, with the help of Emerald Arts Society member Wendy Lindrea, to create an artwork displaying the SES logo and the colour orange for locals to enjoy.

Emerald SES Unit Controller Ben Owen said WOW Day is an opportunity for the community to thank the volunteers who respond to flooding and motor vehicle accidents in their area.

“I made a point at our training session this week to thank everybody and to remind each other that we all do it for nothing, so to speak… we give up our time away from family, and sometimes work, to do what we need to do for the community,” Mr Owen said.

“Sometimes you go about business as usual, but you don’t stop and pause and be grateful for the time and commitment everyone gives when they can.”

During major flooding in October 2022, Emerald SES crews attended around 200 calls for assistance in VICSES’ busiest calendar month on record.

“We left our own area into our neighbouring areas to assist with floods in Upper Yarra and in Lilydale and Mooroolbark, but we then also got floods in our own area; in Upwey and Belgrave,” Mr Owen said.

“We certainly know that the communities and the people that we responded to then to assist them were ever more grateful for the time then, on top of the regular hundreds, if not thousands of calls a year for trees that fall down and the type of work that we do day in, day out.”

The past three years have been three of the busiest inVICSES’ history, following three consecutive La Nina seasons impacting severe storms and major flooding in the state.

SES volunteers are well known for their response during flood and storm emergencies, but also respond to over 1600 ‘Assist Police’ jobs every year – helping at searches for miss-

ing people, searches for evidence at crime scenes as well as scene preservation and assistance with lighting towers and marquees.

VICSES CEO Stephen Griffin said he continues to admire the “remarkable and relentless efforts” of volunteers.

“Thank you for your time and dedication, many of you go over and beyond and it is truly

inspiring,” Mr Griffin said.

“In the face of adversity, our people are capable of extraordinary things. Whether it’s a one in one-hundred year flood event, or deployment to another part of the country to help local communities,VICSES volunteers are here for our communities.”

“Wear OrangeWednesday is an opportunity for the public to say thank you, to all the volunteers who sacrifice their time away from their family, friends and loved ones, to help the community rain, hail or shine.”

WOW Day coincides with National Volunteer Week.

To share a message of thanks to SES volunteers thisWOW Day, you can post on Facebook or Twitter and use the hashtag #ThankYouSES.

To discover what landmarks are lighting up in your area, visit, www.ses.vic.gov.au/newsand-media/campaigns/wear-orange-wednesday If you want to be a part of the action, learn new skills and serve your community, visit ses. vic.gov.au/volunteer.

Reports on who felt the quake were varied.

Picture: VICTORIA SES

Emerald SES crews have painted Elephant Rock near Dewhurst in celebration of Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW) Day, with help from local Emerald Arts Society member Wendy Lindrea. Pictures: SUPPLIED

Elephant Rock is used by the community to commemorate special occasions.

Playtime helps lift RSL

By Parker McKenzie

Upwey-Belgrave RSL’s new playground was a hit on Anzac Day, as the sub-branch took another step in the effort to attract young veterans.

The playground was funded through a state government Living Local Fund grant, and Upwey-Belgrave RSL President Anthony Stewart said the playground is now open for use.

“All RSLs are crying that they can’t attract young veterans, we looked at and thought what younger veterans have that older veterans don’t?” he said.

“It opened on Anzac Day at 10 minutes past 6pm, and it was packed with kids from then.”

Mr Stewart said it was “quite a hefty amount” of money the sub-branch received from the government for the playground.

“When we found out that we received the grant, we sort of started looking into it more seriously and we realised that a lot of the playgrounds were being purchased from Finland and shipped across,” he said.

“It’s on the water for four months, and we

thought hang on if it is Living Local, why aren’t we shopping local?”

The playground was purchased from and installed by Activity Playgrounds, a Wandin North business.

In a statement, Minister for Suburban Development Ros Spence said the government is creating more enjoyable and connected suburbs across Melbourne by investing in local projects that help communities thrive.

“More than ever, being part of an inclusive and supported community is something all Victorians deserve,” she said.

Grants of up to $200,000 are available for infrastructure projects by local councils and community organisations and grants of up to $20,000 are available for purchasing equipment, minor upgrades and facility maintenance.

Mr Stewart said the playground was something the sub-branch had planned for a while.

“When the grant became available we thought we might qualify for it,” he said.

“We’ve delivered the playground 13 months ahead of schedule.”

Upwey-Belgrave RSL President Anthony Stewart with the new playground.

Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Hills Hub access criticised

The Hills Photographic Society is calling on Cardinia Shire Council to improve accessibility to the Hills Hub in Emerald, with the association calling for new staffing measures and longer opening hours.

In a recent letter to the council, the HPS executive committee said since becoming a client and founding participant of the Hills Hub since its opening, support received from council staff has “diminished considerably”.

“Recently we had a situation where the entire club’s access to the hub was suspended as our president had his access terminated without prior notice,” the letter read.

The letter also claims rules and access to the facilities change from “one year to another”.

“Forexample,lastyearHPSwasencouraged to exhibit photographic displays throughout the premises, and this resulted in displays in several rooms, and an impressive display leading up the stairs,” the letter read.

“We were also granted access to storage space which was gratefully utilised to facilitate ‘bump in’.

“This year, we were denied access to anything but the ‘art space’, denied permission to relocate a table we considered to be more appropriate for exhibition usage, denied access to storage facilities, and had to justify why we were seeking access to the Hub ‘out of hours’ when the obvious answer was ‘because we are holding an exhibition’ and community members want to view it.’”

The HPS committee also recommended a placemaker be employed to coordinate the day-to-day operations and stakeholders of the Hills Hub facility., as per a role advertised in April 2021.

The placemaker would also implement proactive and productive relationships with the stakeholders and develop and support the delivery of a range of programs and

events with stakeholders

“We have experienced a number of problems while organising, and during, our most recent exhibition and also throughout the past year issues that could have been avoided had a fully prepared, motivated, and engaged ‘Placemaker’ taken ownership of events and community usage of the Hub.”

A Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson said

the council “appreciates the feedback provided by Hills Hub users and broader community,” and it will “review any concerns raised by the community and assist to resolve them wherever possible”.

“After lengthy consultation it was determined that public opening hours of the Hills Hub building are between 10am – 1pm weekdays. During this time, the public are welcome to use the lounge spaces in the Hub, enjoying tea, coffee or taking a quiet break from their busy days,” the spokesperson said.

“During these hours, the reception desk is attended by volunteers from groups using the facility. The volunteers contribute significantly to making the Hub a welcoming and inclusive space.”

The spokesperson said the hub has “large, versatile rooms downstairs” along with a “meeting room, training room, consult suite and gallery space upstairs”.

“The gallery space hosts music residencies, arts events and exhibitions. Those who hire spaces at Hills Hub can access the building in line with their booking times, in addition to the public opening hours,” the spokesperson said.

“Hills Hub is home to Emerald University of the Third Age (U3A), Emerald Men’s Shed and the Emerald Village Association. Other regular bookings include ‘Hub Play and Connect Playgroup’, first time parents groups, toy library, dance classes, STEM classes for 5-12 year olds, youth program and employment service.”

Yarra Ranges primary producers eligible for storm help

By Callum Ludwig

Primary producers in the Yarra Ranges Local Government Area (LGA) may be eligible for concessional loans of up to $250,000 to support them if they were affected by a hailstorm on 23 March this year.

The October floods were also kept in mind, with the hailstorm possibly the second blow for local agribusinesses.

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson confirmed showers and thunderstorms, some severe, impacted much of Victoria on 23 March, with reports of flash flooding, large hail, and some tree damage across parts of the state.

“The Bureau reported an intense thunderstorm at Mooroopna at 1.30pm on 23 March with large hail.The storm brought trees down and resulted in power outages,” they said.

“Depending on the time of year, hail can damage foliage, flowers, stems, branches and fruit. Fruit had set late this year, due to cool weather, with fruit such as Granny Smith and Pink Lady Apples still on the trees.”

Climate change has been pointed to as a factor of the severe hailstorms seen recently, noted in The Bureau’s State of the Climate 2022 Report.

The Bureau spokesperson said heavy rain-

fall – and any associated hail – is projected to become more intense under climate change.

“For the agricultural sector, netting is the main mitigation technique used to protect crops from hail damage. Portable netting should be moved to cover crops which are at higher risk of damage,” they said.

“Infrastructure and equipment, where possible, should be covered or

Winterfest

moved undercover.”

In the hardest-hit hailstorm areas such as Shepparton, hail even managed to rip through some netting.

Victorian Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney MP said she was pleased to announce this financial support for hard-hit horticultural growers who have felt the full impact of storms since November.

“This financial support recognises the significant impact that the recent storms and floods have had on many in the horticultural sector,” she said.

“This additional provision of a concessional loan of up to $250,000 to eligible growers recognises the impacts sustained by many in this sector in the past six months and acknowledges the need to support our fruit and vegetable growers.”

Delivered by the Victorian Government, the initiative is jointly funded by the state and federal governments through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said significant infrastructure damage was sustained, including orchard netting and poles.

“Unfortunately for this event, hail netting

offered limited protection given the size of the hail and the direction of the storm,” he said.

“As well as help for farmers, there are also other forms of disaster assistance available for this event, including debris-removal help for residents, and assistance for local councils to fix up roads and public assets.”

The loans are intended to support businesses to bounce back into operation, restore or replace assets that were damaged by the weather event or cover costs of capital expenses that may have been affected by a loss of income.

Reports on the hailstorm at the time detailed the impact of hail particularly in the Goulburn Valley. Primary producers in the Yarra Ranges must be able to provide evidence of damage to be eligible for the loan.

“Impacts to community infrastructure in the area were reported and as a result, theYarra Ranges LGA is eligible for funding under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements,” an AgricultureVictoria spokesperson said.

For more information on the new concessional loans and the range of financial support measures available for the October 2022 to 13 January 2023 floods and storms visit Rural Finance at www.ruralfinance.com.au or call 1800 260 425.

Hills Photographic Society president Allan Pan (centre front) surrounded by other concerned users of the Hills Hub. Picture: SUPPLIED

Hail netting was unable to catch it all in the 23 March storm.

Picture: SHANE SALI - MAYOR FOR GREATER SHEPPARTON CITY COUNCIL

Join pop-up conversation

By Callum Ludwig

It can be easy not to feel heard sometimes and it is understated how much can be achieved with a face-to-face conversation or discussion.

Yarra Ranges Council’s ongoing Community Engagement Roadshow is providing an opportunity for local residents to give feedback, receive information or ask questions at different pop-ups and events.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child said that by joining the conversation, residents could play their part in shaping the future of their neighbourhood and council area by providing valuable feedback that informs Council decisions.

“The idea of the roadshow is to meet people where they are at and to engage people who may not necessarily seek out information on Council’s projects,” he said.

“By going out to different communities we gain valuable insight into the experience of living in a particular area or township and the usage of various services and amenities available there, which helps inform Council decisions.”

Upcoming features on the roadshow include appearances at Seville and Yarra JunctionWoolworths on 18 and 26 May.

“Yarra Ranges covers approximately 2,500km and for some going down to the Lilydale offices is not always convenient, so visiting residents in their township it makes it easy and accessible for them to interact with us,” said Cr Child.

“We try and make each Pop-up Conversation as visually appealing and interactive as

possible. It might be something like voting on a topic by using sticky dots or writing down ideas on post-it notes or postcards.”

Recent engagements have been held at Elizabeth Bridge Reserve in Kilsyth on 12 April, the Olinda Play Space on Thursday 20 April and at the Coldstream Pump Track on Friday 21 April.

Recent discussions have revolved around topics such as the Aquatic Strategy, Lilydale Precinct Design Framework, and rollout of the waste changes and FOGO recycling service.

Cr Child said he hopes the pop-ups help people interact with Council.

“Community engagement provides an opportunity for the community to shape the plans and decisions that affect their current and future needs,” he said.

“The feedback we receive helps inform Council’s vision, strategic direction, planning, and decision making, while also providing Council with a better understanding of community priorities.

At any time residents can submit an address, location or event they think would make a good opportunity for an engagement appearance provided it is free and accessible to all.

Anyone wanting to find out more about the Community Engagement Roadshow, submit a potential location or check on the interactive map which opportunities are coming to an area near them soon can do so at: www. shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/communityengagement-roadshow.

FTG CFA completes its Memorial Garden

By Parker McKenzie Ferntree Gully CFA recently completed work on its Memorial Garden outside the brigade’s headquarters on The Avenue, honouring past life members and their contributions.

Brigade Captain Seamus Smith said the idea behind the garden is for the public and family members of life members to have a place to pay their respects to those who have contributed to the success of the brigade.

“We had a couple of Brigade life members and ex-captains pass pretty close in time to each other and the Brigade started talking about it,” he said.

“I thought a lot last year about how we’re going to remember and respectfully remember the legacies and service of those members and other important members of the Brigade for the future.”

Ferntree Gully CFA was founded in 1942 — albeit with a history of firefighting in the township dating back to 1926 — and has been led by 17 different Captains.

Mr Smith said the feedback from families of the life members has been extremely positive.

“The reality is that the Brigade wouldn’t be what it is without that service. Life members of the brigade have committed more than 20 years of service to the Ferntree Gully community,” he said.

“We are also recognising current serving members if we happen to have any who unfortunately die in active service, hopefully we don’t have to lay any of those plaques in memory.”

The garden also includes other features including a historic bell first purchased and installed in 1926 by the Fern Tree Gully Bush Fire Brigade for six pounds after devastating bushfires inVictoria.

Mr Smith said he’d like to thank Nigel from Form Boss, who has donated the materials needed for not only the Memorial Garden but other features outside the Brigade’s building too.

“It’s an extension of the Bushfire Prone Area fire-safe guard with the special rocks and the plaques,” he said.

“They previously donated stuff to us as well, so they’ve come to the party again and donated.”

The garden also includes other features including a historic bell first purchased and installed in 1926 by the Fern Tree Gully Bush Fire Brigade for six pounds after devastating bushfires in Victoria.

Ferntree Gully CFA Fire Station is located at 5/7 The Avenue, Ferntree Gully.

The newly finished Memorial Garden at Ferntree Gully CFA. Picture: PARKER MCKENZIE

A recent engagement opportunity at the Small Business Expo.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Sale serves dual purpose

Yarra View Bushland Nursery’s Car Park Sale event is more than just a chance to grab a great bargain for your garden.

The nursery is a social enterprise run by Knoxbrooke, a Victorian disability service provider based in Melbourne’s outer east, and every dollar spent will go towards employment opportunities for people living with a disability.

YarraView commercial sales manager Chris Defina said the not-for-profit organisation was one of the largest and most successful social enterprises in Australia.

“We employ around 85 adults living with disability across three sites. Our three sites equate to around 33 acres and produce around 3 million plants per year,” he said.

“We’ve got three locations, here at York Road, Mt Evelyn, on Clegg Road in Mt Evelyn and another site in Wandin North.”

The car park sale, running from 26 May until 3 June, will see the nursery open from 8.30am to 4.30pm each day, including on Sunday, when it isn’t usually accessible to the public.

Mr Defina said “everything we do at Knoxbrooke and Yarra View is about giving people more employment opportunities.

“The more plants we sell and grow, the more jobs we can offer to people living with disability in our own community,” he said.

“The idea of our sale is to draw as many people into our car park sale and offer some huge savings to the public while creating new experiences for our employees.”

Knoxbrooke has been offering services for people with disabilities throughout the community for over 50 years.

Mr Defina said expert advice would be available from a team of horticulturalists, and

the car park sale would create a new environment for employees to work in while having fun and doing something a little different to the normal work day.

“The car park sale is not something that we have done before and we are looking at making it into an annual event,“ he said.

Some of the plants available in the sale include trees, grasses, shrubs and Aussie natives.

He hopes the community will come out and support the sale, enjoy the experience and support the organisation.

“It wasn’t that long ago that a huge portion of the population living with a disability did not have a regular place of employment, and it did not come easy for them,“ he said.

“If you haven’t been before, it’s an opportunity to visit us and understand what we do and enjoy some great savings.”

For more information on Yarra View, visit yvbn.com.au

Yarra View Bushland Nursery’s Car Park Sale event is more than just a chance to grab a great bargain for your garden. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Some of the plants available in the sale include trees, grasses, shrubs and Aussie natives. Picture: SUPPLIED

Green notion is planted

By Tyler Wright

Monbulk College is on its way to creating a more sustainable environment for students after creating vegetable and plant gardens at a recent working bee.

With the help of local sustainability warrior Joost Bakker, volunteers from the school community created a large concrete space between the school bus road and new buildings with recycled tubs filled with donated heritage variety winter vegetables, bush tucker plants and fruit

trees from local nurseries.

Monbulk College assistant principal Fiona McNair said it is important to build connections with skilled people who can bring new ideas and inspire students.

“From that there’s been lots of conversations about the next project, or what we could do within the school community and the local community because our oval is a community oval, so our local Monbulk football and cricket club use that as well,” Ms McNair said.

“We’re hoping that the flow on effect of this

will go wider than just the school community.”

Students will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the gardens, with lessons planned in sustainability, biodiversity, healthy eating and supporting pollinators.

Year 9 student and middle school college captain Jasper Francis said being an forested area surrounded by local nurseries, a sense of sustainability and caring for the environment is “very important” for students.

“Concrete is quite harsh... but now we have these big barrels, dressing up the place and

giving it more of a cosy feel,” he said.

Kale, broccoli, rocket, radishes, vast range of lettuces, beetroot, carrot and asparagus are among the vegetables now planted in the garden beds.

Valley Hedge and Vegetation and Renaissance Herbs have supported the project, with Mr Bakker donating recycled materials to help bring the project to life.

Mr Bakker previously used the barrels in his recent Future Foods project at Federation Square.

Book created by young hills students now distributed

By Tyler Wright

A book created by young students in areas affected by the June 2021 storm event has been released for the public to experience.

‘Wildings Playground’ was published by Kid’s Own Publishing in 2022 as the final result of a project led by Yarra Ranges Council in partnership with Sassafras Primary School for children aged eight to 12.

The student’s illustrations are inspired by the environment of the Dandenong Ranges, featuring Kangaroos meeting in the front yard, an echidna wandering down the street and wildlife enjoying the playground.

Yarra Ranges Council community recovery officer Michael Colling said the project was focused on reconnecting children with the space they live in after the traumatic storm event that damaged 177 properties across the Yarra Ranges 23 months ago.

“Parents and families didn’t want any mention of the storm at all…this was about celebrating space and the community that these children live in,” Mr Colling said.

Every primary and pre school in storm affected areas in the Hills - including neighbouring towns Mount Evelyn and Montrose - have received copies of the book, as well as local maternal child health centres.

The 13 eastern regional library centres also have two copies each, available for any-

one to access within their local community. Mr Colling said the community has been “blown away“ by the level of detail the children have put into the book.

“This is all about taking that fear away from the trauma that they went through, making them feel safe and making them love the place that they live in again...and that

shines in this book,“ Mr Colling said.

“Kids love looking at the pictures and hearing the story about all the animals and what they get up to.“

Mr Colling was living in Montrose during the 2021 storm.

“We lost power for 10 days. We had a huge gum tree come down and crash through the back fence,“ he said.

“All our neighbours were displaced for 10 days. The kids were with their grandparents.“

Mr Colling said his family read ’Wildings Playground’ knowing how important it was for his children to celebrate their environment.

He said bringing children along in the recovery journey is “critically important“.

“We know that there are still many on that recovery journey after the Black Saturday fires from 2009.

“It’s an ongoing process, which is why council is committed through its recovery team and through working side by side with the community...working with the existing community groups that are on the ground, existing support services, seeing how we can work and walk with them side by side to build community resilience and build community strength.“

‘Wildings Playground’ was also supported by the state government.

Students Cami, Lylah, Ava and Jasper (back) and Mia and Ginger (front) with one garden drums from sustainability Joost Bakker’s Future Foods project. 335640 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS Ava with lemon myrtle in the newly-created sustainability area. 335640

Upwey local, four-year-old Thomas Hampton, Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child and Youth Service Librarian Christine Nugent at a reading session for ‘Wildings Playground’ at Belgrave Library on Tuesday 16 May.

Picture: TYLER WRIGHT

Case of trust

Guardian Injury Law, based in Emerald and servicing the Yarra Valley and surrounds, is a local firm you can trust.

They are experts in assisting people who have suffered injury or illness in the workplace, in a motor vehicle accident, in a public place or a Covid-19 vaccine injury. They also assist people who have suffered childhood abuse.

Along with these types of claims, the team at Guardian Injury Law makes sure you have claimed every entitlement available to you including superannuation income protection and total permanent disability benefits

from super funds.

Tanya Neilson, the Principal of Guardian Injury Law, and her down-to-earth team will take the time to get to know you so that they can get the best result for you. Approachable and accessible, Guardian Injury Law provides clear legal advice in plain English every step of the way. All work is undertaken on a no-win, no-fee or expense basis, meaning that you only pay for the work undertaken on your case if you have a successful outcome.

Contact Guardian Injury Law today on 8799 3711 for a free initial appointment.

Guardian Injury Law Emerald.

L-R Jenelle Collins,Tanya Neilson and Stevie Spaulding.

Picture: GARRY SISSONS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Touring band feels at home

By Parker Mckenzie

The Smith Street Band will be playing Sooki Lounge when they embark on a regional tour later this year, and front-man Wil Wagner caught up with the Star Mail to talk touring in the Covid-19 era, what’s next for the Melbourne-based rockers and how performing in Belgrave feels like a hometown show.

After releasing their sixth album Life After Football in November 2022, the band went on a national tour of major cities and is now launching a regional tour including a gig at Sooki Lounge on Friday 7 June.

Mr Wagner said the band is visiting places they didn’t get to play during the major tour across the New Year.

“It’s fun getting to places where people are sort of bands go less and people are less likely to get to see music,” he said.

“I feel like crowds are always really appreciative and there’s sort of a bit of a different vibe than playing in Melbourne, where there are ten shows on a week.”

He said Belgrave feels “like it’s in the middle” of a regional and city show.

“Our guitar player lives in The Basin and we all grew up kind of out that way, so it feels like a hometown show for us more than a regional show,” Mr Wagner said.

“It’s always good to play at Sooki, and we might have even played it when it was Rubies. We definitely went there as teenagers.”

The Smith Street Band was formed in 2010, and the Melbourne-based rockers have become a fixture on the national music scene.

Mr Wagner said he sometimes wishes he could go back to the “16-year-old version of me who just wrote ten songs a day and none of them were very good.”

“We just covered an Alanis Morriset song for Like aVersion on Triple J and it was one she wrote as a teenager. I went back and listened to that album and listened to a few people’s first albums and there’s something so beautiful about that unpolished and unsculpted music” he said.

“The more you write and record and the more time you spend as a band, you practice

more and get better at what you do, but when you’re just a kid writing whatever comes to your mind and you’re not worried about appeasing an audience or jaded.”

He said touring now feels as normal as it is going to after a few years disrupted by the pandemic.

“for so long, it was like great we’ve got 30 gigs coming up that we’ll probably do over the next year because we’ll have to postpone half of them because I keep getting Covid by jumping into the crowd,” he said.

“I’m fully vaccinated, but I’ve had Covid five times and I keep thinking how did I get it? Then I’ll see pictures of me with someone pouring their beer into my mouth at a gig and that’s probably how I got it.”

The band is now playing an east coast regional tour, including Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay two weeks after the Sooki Lounge gig.

Mr Wagner said he is looking forward to

being up close and personal with fans of the band’s music, something that isn’t possible at larger venues.

“It’s nostalgic in a way that you can feed off the crowd a lot more when they’re right there, there’s not a barrier or a gap between you and the people… you’re within Covid-catching distance of everyone in the crowd,” he laughs.

“So many of the best nights I’ve had, either playing or attending gigs, are little packed rooms where the walls are sweating and it’s sort of intense experience, but they’re always fun to me.”

Alongside the band’s six studio albums, including 2020s Aria number one Don’t Waste Your Anger, the Smith Street Band has also released three live albums.

Mr Wagner said after a busy few months of touring, he will start to write the band’s next album and get back to the studio for as long as possible before putting the instruments down for a break.

“I’m having a kid at the end of October, so that’ll take a bit of time off from the band but it’s very exciting,” he said.

“I think I’ll try to get as much done until then and go on paternity leave for a few months.”

He said one thing he is looking forward to ahead of the gig at Sooki Lounge is finding “a nice spot where I can talk to people who want to come and get a selfie, say good day or whatever after the show.”

“That’s a bit harder at those bigger shows, so that’s always a nice thing for the smaller ones. I get so inspired and excited by playing music and talking to people,” he said.

“When you meet people and they have lovely stories of seeing us when they were kids, we’ve been in a band for a while now, you get people saying ‘Oh, I met my now wife or my now husband at your show five years ago.”

For more information on the tour, visit thesmithstreetband.com

Bird Child Spirit extends through the Yarra Ranges

By Callum Ludwig

A sound art installation has expanded in the Yarra Ranges and can now be heard on the Lilydale toWarburton Rail Trail near The Trail Cafe in Mt Evelyn.

Artist Peter Mcilwain’s Bird Child Spirit project was first installed near the Selby Community House in 2022 and is also set to be installed at Yering Station in spring and Yarra Valley ECOSS in the summer.

Mr Mcilwain said Bird Child Spirit was started by the call out forYarra Ranges Council’s Art Attack grants.

“I install a lot of small speakers, in this case, seven, at a site and then the sound interacts with the bushland, the sound is dispersed and distributed by the vegetation, the trees and the landscape,” he said.

“Bird Child Spirit focuses on working with local young children and their families to record the children making bird sounds. It’s not just give me an owl or do a kookaburra, sometimes the instructions to the children are to imagine you’re a unique bird and unique and are speaking to one another in bird language.”

The Mt Evelyn installation was underway on 6 May and can be heard until June 4 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.

Mr Mcilwain said we can experience and enjoy an acoustic space just as much as we can a visual space, we just need opportunities to tune in.

“We’re fortunate enough to live in many areas across the Yarra Ranges where we can encounter large open spaces, and people generally talk about that in visual terms, but of course, there are some amazing acoustic spaces that people can enjoy,” he said.

“I’m trying to promote creative listening, to promote a bit of questioning about what you listen to, what it is you’re actually hearing and your associations with what you’re hearing are and encourage residents to pay a bit more attention to the sounds around them,”

“The sounds made by the children are beautiful and I encourage everyone when they walk in to just enjoy them just simply because they’re gorgeous and funny, beautiful and quietly inspiring.”

Special thanks were given to Tuff Coat Powder Coating for powering the Mt Evelyn exhibition as well as local community groups and families who assisted the project.

Look out for this sign on the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail in Mt Evelyn to hear Bird Child Spirit.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Peter Mcilwain with the Bird Child Spirit installation when it was installed in Selby.

Picture: ON FILE

’It feels like a hometown show’: The Smith Street Band heads to Sooki Lounge during regional tour

Odd title but good movie

Linoleum

Starring Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn and Katelyn Nacon

Rated M 4/5

Written and directed by Colin West, Linoleum is a quirky but deeply moving comedy-drama with fascinating layers.

Cameron (Jim Gaffigan) is a middle-aged man in Ohio who hosts an unsuccessful science TV show. When a rocket crashes in his backyard, Cameron decides to finally pursue his astronaut dreams.

Linoleum is an absorbing, subtly surreal slice-of-life drama. The plot has an almost cozy slowness, immersing us in the lives of the main characters as they weather disappointments and stifling expectations. “Rational” is used as a putdown, and “it’s not that simple” becomes a mantra that Cameron must overcome to succeed and be happy.

The suburban American setting of an ambiguous decade, with strange and sometimes sinister elements, has shades of Blue Velvet. The plot seeds clever details, explores the theme of memory through Cameron reconnecting with his senile father, and strikes a healthy balance between chasing your dreams and accepting what you cannot change.

The dialogue is witty but realistic, Gaffigan delivers schlubby charm as Cameron (and brings a wonderful enthusiasm to his science show), and Cameron’s daughter Nora (Katelyn Nacon) forms a touching friendship with Marc (Gabriel Rush), the new boy at school.

The ending may lose you: some will view it as a beautiful conclusion that wraps everything up brilliantly (which is my take-away), while others will view it as a contrived cop-out not far removed from the ‘it was all a dream’ trope.

There’s just one mystery remaining: I have no idea why the film is called Linoleum.

Slow-moving but heart-warming, Linoleum is available to rent or buy on iTunes.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

Waiting for God on stage

The 1812 Theatre

Waiting for God

Set in a retirement home where Tom Ballard has just arrived. Opposite his room is the feisty DianaTrent, a retired journalist who specialised in war coverage news. A lady always moaning.

Sarah Chase, her niece, loved her aunt and no matter how much Diana complained she still visited and put up with her aunt’s complaints.

Then we have Jane, the tireless worker who puts up with the likes of Diana and is always cheerful, and madly in love with the chief executive officer, Harvey.

An amusing story originally was a TV series and now a play. Diana Tent, the feisty resident was given a wonderful and authentic performance by Annie Laurenson. Her newcomer Tom Ballard was played by Chris Hodson, a great performance and Chris and Annie had a great rapport which was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.

Diana’s niece Sarah was given a good interpretation by Rosa Leonardi. Her scenes were great and one outstanding moment when she was having a baby, on stage and very realistic. This was felt by some comments by members of the audience.

Harvey was given a great interpretation by Lindsay Fletcher, who stuck to the rules and did not realise that the housekeeper, Jane, was hopelessly in love with him. A good perfor-

Kemp’s curtain call

mance by a man sticking to the rules and not really understanding what was going on around him.

Tom’s son Geoffrey was played by Colin Morley, an enthusiastic young man who burst in and out even if it was not convenient. Morley caught the character as envisaged and kept up the standard of the evening. |

Dawn Ridsdale was Jane, the housekeeper, always cheerful and madly in love with Harvey. Ridsdale caught the essence of such a character giving an excellent performance and added to the enjoyment of the evening. Two roles were handled by Christopher Newport, that of a doctor and the forgetful Reverend Dennis. A funny performance, especially the Reverend. Newport certainly has a great sense of comique and gave a good portrayal of the characters.

1812 Theatre again gave its audience a high class, hilarious and terrific evening of theatre. One to enjoy.

Undefeated against all odds PASSION FOR PROSE

Undefeated, published by Professional Migrant Women (PMW), is a collection of 118 stories from 90 migrant women who overcame the challenges and barriers of living and working in Australia.

Launched in October 2012, the book is dedicated to “all the women who are forces of nature, forging their own path through the thicket”.

Although Undefeated is a celebration of the journey and the power of migrant women, it can be seen as a reminder of the invaluable contributions that all past and present migrants have made to multicultural Australia.

Each of the stories collected in this book opens a window to a migrant’s inner world, offering a rare glimpse to their decision and determination to build a new life in a foreign land, the difficulties and disasters they endured, the doubts and disappointments they felt, the opportunities and triumphs they encountered, and the support and guidance they received.

As observed by Fabiola Campbell, founder of PMW: “Migrant women have felt invisible for a long time, and the time has come for them to step up and be seen and heard. As many other women in our society are stepping up to demand equality and claim their space, we, too, raise our voices, because we have things to say. All we need is a space to speak up and be heard.”

Established in 2019, PMW is an organisation aiming to reduce the gap between migration and professional employment for women and to maximise the potential and contribution of migrant women through meaningful employment.

CARTOON

WITH CHRISTINE SUN

To achieve this goal, PMW focuses on “increasing visibility, representation and recognition of the value of diverse women in Australia”. Its mentoring programs help women of over 50 countries, languages and cultures from all over the world “develop employability skills, build competencies, and rebuild the confidence one needs to take on the Australian job market”.

Particularly compelling are these words from PMW:“We offer a platform for migrant women to have opportunities for social participation, career progression, and access to leadership development.We strongly believe that increasing women’s participation leads to benefits for individuals, families, and the community.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many authors in this book identify themselves as “communicators” and “change advocates” who are passionate about equality, representation, inclusion, education and environment. Having experienced the unbearable pain of uprooting and the fruitful satisfaction of having new roots planted, these migrant women are now ready to utilise their insights to connect and contribute.

PUZZLES

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

ACROSS

1 Husks of corn (5)

4 Workers

9 Support (7)

10 Of sufficient quality (2,2,3)

11 Those sharing a house (9)

12 Edgar – Poe (5)

13 Exclamation of surprise (3)

14 Body of water to the East of Italy (8,3)

16 Not belonging to a time period (11)

19 Male sheep or goat (3)

20 Follow as consequence (5)

22 Speed of pulse (9)

25 Avoiding contact with others (7)

26 Print process

27 Complementary item (9)

28 Mystics (5)

DOWN

1 Understandable (5)

QUICK CROSSWORD DECODER

2 Closest galaxy (9)

3 Public assembly (5)

4 Voter (7)

5 Former German state (7)

6 Social exclusion (9)

7 Discharge in disgrace (5)

WORDFIT

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

disgust, DISGUSTED, disuse, disused, duet, dust, dusted, dusts, etui, guess, guest, guide, guided, guides, guise, guises, gusset, gust, gusted, gusts, guts, issue, issued, situs, stud, studied, studies, studs, sued, sues, suet, suit, suite, suited, suits, tissue, tugs, used, uses

No. 134

No. 134

No. 134

CLASSIC CHARACTER WITH MOUNTAIN VIEWS

SITTING privately on almost 2 acres, surrounded by a combination of green lawns, colourful garden beds, native scrub and a stunning assortment of mature trees, this classic 1950’s family home is the quintessential, hills lifestyle dream.

Staring out to a mesmerising view that takes in the distant Warburton Ranges, the beautiful weatherboard home boasts not only three spacious bedrooms, study nook and two bathrooms but also two separate living zones. The formal, cosy lounge room is highlighted by an exposed brick fireplace that takes centre stage whilst oversized windows and a stunning high pitched ceiling wrap around the relaxed family room and allows you to take in the rear yard and all of its colourful glory.

Hardwood floorboards add character and warmth throughout the main living and dining area and run smoothly through the large kitchen. Heating the home is quick and convenient with gas ducted heating throughout and also a wood fire and split system.

A double carport and extra parking bay allow extra storage for your cars and trailers

HOME ESSENTIALS

and with the walking trails of Sherbrooke Forest right on your doorstep, you will enjoy all that this location has to offer. Enjoy the space and serenity of this well maintained garden where wallaby’s and wombats wander by and Eagles soar above. Only a short drive (or lovely morning walk) to the Kallista Village and minutes from Belgrave train station and Burwood Highway, this mesmerising Hills property is an opportunity of a lifetime. ●

Address: 43 Grantulla Road, KALLISTA Description: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2

Contact: Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE

GRAND FAMILY HOME WITH POOL

THIS home is searching for it’s next family to enjoy this spacious home. With 4 bedrooms, 2 dining rooms, a study, rumpus and expansive lounge room with built in bar, there will be space for everyone.

The circular bitumen driveway leads up to a double carport for easy access to the home. There is also a double lock-up garage with direct access to the home.

Inside, you are greeted by a fantastic sunken entertaining loungeroom. This room is enormous, and has a built in bar and open fire place, before flowing through to a large rumpus room, currently being used as a billards room complete with open fire place.

The master bedroom with large walk through robe and ensuite, is cleverly situated at the end of the home giving privacy. With the other three bedrooms all offering built in wardrobes and tranquil views.

Whilst the centre of the home is set up for entertaining, with both a casual meals area, and formal dining room with dual butler doors into the kitchen. There is a study located off the formal dining room with a lovely open fire place. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, a gas stove top, and electric oven, and enjoys a view out to the entertaining area and swimming pool.

Year round comfort is assured with split system air conditioning in the meals area and ducted heating throughout, as well as the three open fire places.

This fantastic home is located on approx. 2/3 of an acre and also offers wood storage, and a fully fenced backyard.

This property has it all so don’t miss outCall to arrange a private inspection today.

Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●

18VistaCourt,Gembrook$750,000-$820,000

Perfecthomeforwalktotownconvenienceandlowmaintenanceliving!

Thisgorgeous3bedroom,2bathroomhomeismoveinready.Withabitumendriveway&DLUGwith entrydoortothehome,thefrontyardislandscaped&lowmaintenance.Themasterbedroomhasa ceilingfan,&WIRaswellasanensuite.ThefurthertwobedroomsbothhaveBIRs.Thekitchenisfully equippedwithalargeislandbench,electricoven,gasstovetop,&stainless-steeldishwasher.Being openplanwiththeloungeroomforseamlessentertaining,&therearetwoslidingdoorsfromthe loungeouttotherearentertainingareaordirectlytothebackyard.Relax&unwindinthelounge roomasyouenjoythewood fireplace,orusethesplitsystemairconditionerorductedgasheating that’spresentthroughoutthehome.Thereisalsoastudyforyourworkfromhomeconvenience.This propertyisashortstrolltoalltheamenitiesofGembrookmainstreet.

6AzaleaCrescent,Emerald$895,000-$950,000

EnjoyPrivacy,ViewsandDirectAccesstoWrightsForest!

Thisfantastic4/5bedroomfamilyhomesituatedonapprox.¾ofanacre,enjoysuninterruptedviews intotheWrightsForest.Abitumendrivewayleadstothehome,whereyoucanrelax&unwindon thefrontverandah,beforeenteringthesingle-storeyhome.Themasterbedroomislocatedatone endofthehomewithaBIR&ensuite.Thenthelivingisopenplaninthecentreofthehomewith kitchen,diningroom&twolivingareas.Thekitchenoffersstainlesssteeldishwasher,gasstovetop& electricoven,rangehood&asplitsystemairconditionerinthediningarea.Attheotherendofthe lovelyhomeareafurther3bedroomsallwithBIRs,alaundry,familybathroom,&aseparatetoilet. Externally,thereisareardeck&ahomeoffice/hobbyroom.Thereisalsoagreatdoubleshedwith concrete floorandpower,plusworkshoparea.

WalkToEmeraldfromthis4BedroomFamilyHomewithGorgeousViews!

With4spaciousbedrooms,2bathrooms,anopenplankitchen/diningwithstainlesssteelappliances, agenerouslounge&anelevated,northfacingdeck.Thegenerousloungeroomwithtoastywood fire,&thereisasplitsystemACinthehallwaynearthefamilybathroomtokeepthe3sunnyupstairs, robedbedroomscoolinsummer,&thehomehasductedheating&ACthroughoutfortheultimate incomfortandconvenience.Downstairsisafurtherbigbedroom,orlivingarea,withitsownexternal accesstoalargeunder-coverentertainingarealeadingintothebackyard.Thereisalsoa2nd bathroom/ensuitewithawalk-inshower&toiletandgoodunderhousestorageinthisprivatelower storey.Withafullyfencedbackyard,established,irrigatedgardenscompletewithfruittrees,a doublecarport,afurthersingleOSPspace&alljustashortwalktotown.

DelightfulfamilyhomeintheheartofAvonsleighonover1/4ofanacre!

Thisoutstanding3bedroom,2bathroomfamilyhomeislocatedintheheartofAvonsleigh!Asyou enterthehome,enjoythecathedralceilingfrontroomwithitsstylishcustommadebarndoor.Year aroundcomfortisassuredwithsplitsystemairconditioningandalargewood fireintheloungeroom. Thishomeoffersalovelymasterbedroomwithensuiteandwalkinrobe,andafurthertwogenerous sizedbedroomsbothwithbuilt-in-robes.Enjoytheopenplanliving,dining,kitchenareaasyou entertain,orspilloutontothegreatentertainingdecktosoakinthesunshine.Thepropertyispartly fencedandpetfriendlywithacatrunattachedtothebackofthehouse.ThishomealsohasNBN connection,andageneratorinletplug.Thereisadditionalstorageavailableunderthehome,aswell asasinglecargarage.

SamanthaScott M 0438680032

34PinnocksRoad,Emerald

$900,000-$990,000

SamanthaScott M 0438680032

CHARACTER HOME WITH HUGE BARN

SET amongst old growth trees the residence has the most beautiful outlook over the near 5-acre land holding. Rest a while and look out from the covered veranda and take it all in – your home.

In a convenient location you are merely minutes to Wellington Road making Eastlink, Emerald Township, Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, a variety of schools and sporting clubs easily accessible. A short walk takes you to the Paradise Hotel, perfect for a Parma and a pot in front of the fireplace on a dreary winters’ day.

The Residence:

Featuring throughout the home are many character references, high ceilings, strapping, timber floors, French doors, porcelain sink and sash windows.

The 3 bedrooms are very generous in size, the main with veranda access, a walk-in robe and ensuite. The family bathroom has a tub to soak in, separate shower, vanity, and WC. There are two living spaces, one lounge/dining warmed by the fireplace, the other light and airy, French doors opening into the sunny courtyard. The well-appointed kitchen has fabulous storage, Caesar stone bench tops, Butlers sink to tempt all avid chefs.

Infrastructure:

Excellent solar 12kw battery and 15 kw panels, 3 phase power to garage, water tank

Just under 5 acres, paddocks and some bushland, a dam, chicken run and shedding. A huge 4+ car barn with laundry, a studio/ office area and workshop.

The gardens a well-established with pretty colours, camellias, lavender, citrus trees, large old growth trees, maple, oak and more. There is a fenced section for dogs, plenty of parking and much more to discover upon inspection.

6 Glenbrook Road in Clematis could be the property you have been searching for, manageable land holding, fabulous location, gorgeous home, and amazing barn. ●

BELgrAvE 42BENSONSTREET

SUNNY,USABLE1438SQMBLOCK

3 A 1 BC 1 E

Thisoriginal‘Hills’cottageisNorthfacingandissetwell backfromthemainroadona stunning1438sqmblock,aneasystrollintothevibranttownshipofBelgrave,aswellasthe train,busterminals,primaryandsecondaryschools.Thehomeconsistsof3bedroomsplus astudy,loungeroom,kitchenanddiningareawithhighceilingsandgorgeoustimber floorboardsbeingastandoutfeature.Thehomeiswellplacedontheblockandbathed innaturalsunlight,perfectforarenovationoranextension(STCA).

JanBrewster 0409558805

USEABLE¼ACREALLOTMENT

LIVETHEGOODLIFEON10ACRES

4BEDrOOMSPLUSASTUDY

This homefeaturesafabulousrenovated ensuiteand a greatstudy(homeoffice/ playroom)Theliving spaceconsistsofanupdated whiteand timberkitchenwith 900mm oven/gas hotplatesand a dishwasher,adjoiningdining areaand aloungeroomwith awoodfire.Theproperty hasacircular driveway,with carportaccess,afencedflat backyard and arear deck.Thereare3splitsystems& ductedheating.Onlyminutesto Emerald Township,schoolsand walk intotownonthetrailand exploreWrightForest.

MickDolphin 0429684522

TayTing 0417302112

PErFECTFOrACONTrACTOr/TrADiE!

Largeramblingnorth-facingBVhomesteadon4.04habacking ontoMonbulkCreek, needingalotofworkbutthePOTENTIALishuge!Extraordinaryfeaturesincludevarious BARN-sizedshedding-16mx8m&16mx8mloft,14mx9mwithtimber floor,underhome MASSIVE20mx12mhigh-spangaragingwithtriplerollerdoorswithamechanicspit& apotbellystove,twodouble+carports,loopdriveway,huge lounge,open fireplace, countrykitchenwithaclassicwood-firedstove,office/study,wrap-aroundverandahs.

grantSkipsey 0418528102

SUPERSIZEME!

SPACiOUSFAMiLYhOMEONNEArLY½ACrE

Spacious,lowmaintenancebrickveneerhomewithadoublegarageona1843sqm useableallotment.Featuringlargebedrooms,ensuite&WIR tomain,openplanliving/ dining/lounge,roomykitchenwithwalk-inpantry&excellentbenchspace,modern bathroom,separateWC,asealeddriveway,plentyofOSP,hugeoversizeddouble garagewithrearaccess,pavedentertainingarea,7mx6mshed&establishedeasyto maintaingardens.ExcellentwalkingtracksthroughthebackfencetoWrightsForest.

TayTing 0417302112

4 A 2 B 20 C 1 E

SELBY 189BELGRAVE-GEMBROOkROAD $1,150,000-$1,265,000

5 A 2 B 4 C

COCKATOO 22SECONDAVENUE $770,000-$840,000

MickDolphin 0429684522

MOVE-IN READY HOME

THIS delightful ¼ acre property encapsulates what Dandenong Ranges living is all about. With a refreshed residence tucked within a leafy landscape moments from shopping, schools, cafes, and transport, this enticing property is a space for rest and relaxation in lush natural surrounds.

The interior of this stylish home makes it easy to imagine living here. The modern kitchen boasts timeless shaker cabinets, stainless steel gas cooker and dishwasher, and polished timber floors. The lounge with large windows enjoys gorgeous greenery outlooks. With 3 bright bedrooms, a modern bathroom with walk-in shower, and an exceptional outdoor entertaining area with large deck and paved patio, this property offers the perfect balance of indoor and outdoor spaces to enjoy.

Additional highlights include an inviting deck entry, gas ducted heating, and expansive under-house storage.

A wonderful home in a welcoming and peaceful neighbourhood, this property is an outstanding investment. Plan your viewing today to discover all that is on offer.

· 1,284 sqm (approx.) property within walking distance of Monbulk village amenities

· Recently refreshed interior with refurbished timber floors and modern carpet

· Stylish kitchen with shaker cabinets and stainless steel appliances

· Lounge with lovely, leafy outlooks and modern bedrooms and bathrooms

· Expansive under-house storage ●

nestledonlystepsfromBelgraveSouthPrimarySchoolandtheheartofBelgraveSouth villageshops.OfferinganoutstandingDandenongRangeslifestyleaneasystrollfromthe localpreschool,cafes,shops,publictransport,andmedicalfacilities,thisistheperfect positionforthisforeverfamilyhome.

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au DanielSteen

M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

Perfectlypositionedwithinastone’sthrowfromUpwey’sthrivingmainstreet,trainstation andschools,thisfourbedroomcharacterhomeisburstingwithoriginalfeaturesandis readyforitsnextfamilytofillitsroomswithlaughterandlove.Sittingproudlyonanearflat, 1340m2cornerblockthathasacolourfulassortmentofmaturetreesandprettygarden beds,thereisnothingyouwon’tloveaboutthishome.

SharynChandler M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

Original,timelessandfilledwithanabundanceofageoldcharacter,thisspacioushome hasseenmanyyearsofloveandlaughterandisnowreadyforitsnewfamilytostepinside andcreatetheirforeverhome.

Positionedwithinastone’sthrow(literally!)fromUpwey’smainstreetandjustaquickwalk tothelocaltrainstationandschools,locationisabigplusforthisproperty.

SharynChandler

M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

4 A 2 B 2 C

Ifyouimagineyourselfatanacreagemerelyminutesfromtheconvenienceofbus transportandBelgravetownship,thispropertyistheperfectfind.Animmaculately presentedall-originalhomeonaterraced4,271sqm(approx.)allotmentwith2single carports,rainwatertanks,veggiebeds,andpathwaysthroughlushlandscape,thereare infiniteoptionsofhowthispropertywillworkforyou.

SuzieBrannelly M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

Small Job Specialist

The Re-Roof Man

The Cardinia Foundation Ltd Community Grants Program 2023

Applications open 1st May 2023

Applications close 5.00pm 31st May 2023

The Cardinia Foundation Ltd is a philanthropic community foundation, raising funds for local community groups throughout the Cardinia Shire, with funds dispersed through an annual grants program. Established in 2003, the foundation aims to support the social, community and physical development of the Cardinia Shire.

Community groups, charities and not-for-profit organisations are invited to apply for a grant in this year’s program. The Community Grants Program aims to support projects for Community health, seniors, Disability, Disadvantage, Youth, Arts and Men's Health across the Cardinia Shire region.

How to apply:

1. The ‘Grant Guidelines’ MUST be read before completing the application.

2. Application forms MUST be submitted on a Grant Application.Available by downloading on website under grants or by request from admin@cardiniafoundation.org

3. Late applications will not be accepted; applications MUST be submitted and received by email on or before 5:00 pm 31st May 2023.

4. Shortlisted applicants will be notified and may be requested to provide additional documentation such as; annual reports, financial statements, letters of support, information brochures, evidence of DGR endorsement etc.

Announcement of successful applicants will be made during June 2023.

Please refer to our website www.cardiniafoundation.org and proceed to the Grants section for an Application Guide and Application form.

Applications will close at 5.00pm on 31st May 2023

Please direct any queries to the Executive Officer on email admin@cardiniafoundation.org

Fox controlDandenong Ranges National Park

Parks Victoria’s conservation management to restore and protect park habitat includes the control of introduced plant and animal species. As part of an ongoing strategy, notice is hereby given that Parks Victoria will be laying buried baits containing Sodium Monofluoroacetate (1080) and Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) on public land for the control of foxes.

Baits containing 1080 poison and PAPP poison will be laid from 29 May 2023 until 24 November 2023

Baits will be laid at strategic sites and other known areas of fox habitat within the Dandenong Ranges National Park 1080 and PAPP poison signs will be posted throughout the baited area and members of the public who are living, visiting or working in the Dandenong Ranges National Park are advised to take particular care not to disturb or interfere with bait stations. Domestic dogs and cats are at risk from exposure to both poisons. Under the National Parks Act (1975) dogs and cats cannot be taken into or be allowed to remain within the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

More information

Phone 13 1963 parks.vic.gov.au

makes it unlawful

to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception under the Act. As Network Classifieds could be legally liable if an unlawful advertisement is printed, Network

“What have you done today to make you feel proud?”

SPORT

Honour in Bloods’ defeat

Olinda Senior Women

An understrength Olinda Women’s team battled tough conditions and even tougher opponents, eventually going down to nemesis Healesville by 30 points at home Saturday night.

The game, in horrible conditions, was played 95 per cent in Healesville’s half of the ground, and was a dour struggle for territory. The ball went into Olinda’s forward line less than a handful of times, Olinda scoring a solitary point for the game. The fight Olinda showed to limit Healesville to only four goals should be applauded under the massive weight of Healesville attacks.

Olinda weather is notorious for being cold and wet, but Saturday night delivered the extra layer of a blustery wind, creating an environment only for the strong of heart.

Enter Olinda’s band of young bloods. Olinda went into the game with a record 13 of their 21 players under the age of 18, having lost four of their strongest and most experienced players to injury and other commitments during the week.

The game was played with a brutal intensity from the first bounce, not only were the younger fleet undeterred, they excelled.

15-year-old Jacqui Ring has been a regular nomination for the junior club’s Club Values Award over the years. Twp pillars of this award is character and commitment, and Jacqui has this in spades. Jacqui was given the unenviable task pre-game of standing reigning ruck of the year Paula Pavic from Healesville. Jacqui was shown video of Pavic crashing into other rucks with her knees, or bursting through packs with her strength and size. Jacqui was understandably nervous, but true to character she took the job head on and completely nullified the star ruck, winning plenty of her own ball in the process. Jacqui’s body looked like a Joan Kirner dress after the game, so many individual bruises she received during the contest, but took it all in her stride and should rightfully feel content that she gave everything possible for her team.

Chloe (the smiling assassin) Kanally is one of the friendliest people you are likely to meet off the field. On the field she is a fierce demon, and hunts the ball and her opponents with a manic aggression that is frightening.

Chloe thrived in the poor conditions, and threw herself into every contest (and opponent!), regularly repelling Healesville’s forays forward and clearing the ball out of the danger zone.

Tobi Monkhorst had the ball on a string early and was regularly being rewarded for putting her head over the ball. Tobi’s desperate

effort to stop a Healesville player running into an open goal in the last quarter was a highlight.

Accomplished young guns Grace Belloni and Georgia Stubs were influential all night, with Grace’s pinpoint handball and Georgia’s long kicking a standout.

Anna Hughson is a rock in defence, her tackling and ball skills a standout. Anna had a great game regularly harassing and stymying Healesville’s forwards.

Another young star Kyah Barry started the game deep in defence, but flourished when rejoining regular mosquito fleet members Lily(Laser)Carlin, Captain Courageous Clare Hyett and Lucy Hilton. The four battled bravely and strongly all game, and were included in Olinda’s best.

Ruby(Barb)Gilson is a smart, skillful footballer, and had some moments that made the horrific conditions look like dry weather football.

Other young bloods (DJ)Ness Curnow(nee Bateman), Paige Robinson, Kaesha Christie, Olive Kelly and Celia Clarke all contributed, fought hard all game, and will be regular fixtures in the team for years to come.

Ness and other forward rocket Olivia (The Weapon) Edwards came down from a collective eight goals last week, and almost suffered frost bite Saturday night, the scarcity of opportunities they had forward of centre. The willingness of both to get up the ground and get into the thick of the action to get the ball going Olinda’s way is commendable.

Special mention often goes to Backline General Casey Seymour, and Saturday night was no exception. If there was a Coleman medal for goals stopped, Casey would be leading by a street.

Juniors U9s

Wesburn greeted the 9’s with the only weather we have ever experienced when playing on

their home deck….. sideways rain. Mt Evelyn were our first opponent and provided the ‘Bloods’ with an almighty contest. There were highlights aplenty from both camps and gave a sneak peek of what the end of year carnival will look like… spectacular football. Wesburn were our next opponents and gave another stern test for the 9’s. But…. In true ‘Bloods’ fashion …. The wetter , The colder, The muddier ……THE BETTER!!! Another great week ‘Young Bloods’.

U11s v Monbulk

Rain overnight and early morning on Sunday meant Olinda oval looked more like a lake than a footy oval, but it didn’t deter our young bloods in the local derby against Monbulk.

A blistering start saw our boys kick five unanswered goals in the first quarter and 7seven for the first half in tough conditions.

The coaching staff decided to throw the magnets around a little in the second half, and test the depth of the stacked Olinda team. The boys continued the solid play, kicking another four unanswered goals for the half, with some great defensive play and finishing around goal.

Final Score

· Olinda 11.8.74 - Monbulk 0.0.0

U12 Girls v Monbulk

The constant overnight rain had drenched the Olinda main oval and as 9.45 rolled around, the clouds parted leaving the ground heavy and muddy. But that did not deter either team, in fact, I think they enjoyed the experience. Olinda started a little slow as they had just experienced a bye last weekend and there had been a few on school camp during the week. Monbulk started strong and scored first but it wasn’t too long before Olinda followed with a couple of goals that had us up at halftime.

The teams really had to fight to the end with lactic acid in the legs due to the heavy ground. This caused some fatigue during the fourth

quarter with Monbulk coming within four points, however, Olinda applied that signature pressure in the final quarter to hold on for the win. This equates to the second win for the season with the team developing a good set of skills and impressive team synergy resulting in the desired outcomes.

U13 Whites v Belgrave

The Whites boys have had a tough run in recent weeks against some quality opposition full of Top Age players. This week, we were to line up against one of the top sides in the division, Belgrave, but we had more Reds players come across to lend a hand where we’ve had more Under 11s playing a second game in recent weeks. Having the bigger players that we train with and know, meant that we were much more competitive around the ground. It meant we could structure up and support some of our players learning key positions. The scoreline didn’t reflect how much better we performed as a group and our ability to run out the game against quality opposition. The team looks like we’ll continue to develop as we come up agains the other “bottom age” teams in coming weeks.

U13 Reds v Monbulk

Monbulk got the early jump on Olinda kicking the first goal however our lads responded well in the second quarter with improved “accountability” lead by Al Deering. In tough conditions both teams were struggling to be clean with the footy. The game was predominately being played in our forward half thanks to Fletcher Brown, Jarrah Bellemo and Ned Monkhorst who were strong across half back. Fortunately the boys were able to convert some opportunities to apply some much needed scoreboard pressure and held on in the last quarter to secure another impressive victory.

· Final scores Olinda 5.9.39 def Monbulk 4.1.25

U14 Girls v Mt Evelyn

Olinda dished up perfect mountain weather for our off-mountain opponents on Sunday, but unfortunately 4 outs saw us a little undersized against a determined Mt Ev outfit determined to open their account in the win column this year. The girls are improving each week with great pressure around the ground and some excellent passages of running, linking play, even in tough conditions. In the end, the physical differences in the team mean that Mt Ev were stronger around more contests and gave themselves more opportunities to score.

The end of both the second and third quarters saw us surging the ball forward to a scoring position before the siren rudely interrupted their progress. Really proud of the way the girls fought out the game!

Mixed results for Monbulk players across the codes

Under 19s

Overnight rain cleared just in time for the early 9am start of the match as both sides had full teams and were evenly matched. Monbulk made better progress into the forward line in the opening quarter and held a handy 15 point lead in the slippery but firm conditions. The predicted showers returned for the second quarter and it became a hard slog as both sides had plenty of numbers around the ball. For the next two terms Monbulk managed just five behinds and Seville a solitary point as the margin slowly crept to 19 points. Monbulk failed to score a goal after quarter time as Seville led numerous attacks in the final quarter and kicked two goals to draw within a kick but the Hawks held on to grab a nail biting win by four points.

Seville 3.5.23 def by Monbulk 3.9.27

Best: Ben Smith, Riley Finlay, Nick Taylor, Hamish Strathairn, Noah Rutherford, Mackenzie Rouget

Goals: Charlie Barge 1, Lochie Smith 1, Josh Wentworth 1

Women

The Monbulk girls travelled to Berwick Springs to play the Titans for the second time this season. They were again short on numbers and four late ins were cancelled by four

players pulling out. While scoring has been minimal this year, they have still applied pressure right through their matches. By half time they were only 15 points down but that was also helped by Berwick being a little inaccurate with 1.10 on the board. In the second half the Titans managed to add another five goals and this saw the margin blow out to 47 points by the final siren.

Berwick Springs 6.12.48 def Monbulk 0.1.1

Best: Genna Seamer, Maddie Caarels, Molly Licciardi, Jade McCormick, Hannah Joy, Lisa Boyle

NETBALL

A Grade

The Monbulk netballers had their first ever encounter with Berwick at Edwin Flack Reserve. Berwick are a stand alone club in the Outer East competition after their footballers joined the Eastern League. Berwick were a game ahead of the Hawks on the ladder but you wouldn’t have known that in the first quarter as Monbulk put on a scintillating start to lead 17-7 in what looked like a clinic. This was on the back of Tiana Mancarella, Paige Whitworth and Georgia Himmelreich making about 10 intercepts for the opening term. Berwick clawed their way back into the match in the second term as the Hawks

missed numerous passes which caused turnovers. Monbulk steadied in the last quarter as they regained their radar and Peri Reid was a dominant focal point in her second game for the club while Jen Dewhurst ran amok in the mid court.

Berwick 39 def by Monbulk 51

Best: Georgia Himmelreich, Jen Dewhurst, Tiana Mancarella

Goals: Peri Reid 48, Sophie Stubbs 3

B Grade

The B Grade game had similarities to A Grade. The Hawks had a strong 12-eight opening quarter after conceding a couple of early goals. Berwick then hit the front by half time and were controlling general play to hold a 5 goal lead, and all the momentum, by the final change. The Hawks then put in one of their best quarters for the year to wipe out the five goal deficit in just a few minutes. An arm wrestle then ensued and it was goal for goal for about 7-8 minutes before Paige and Dayna nailed a series of long shots while the defence completely shut down their opponents.

Berwick 44 def by Monbulk 48

Best: Rihanna Kelly, Chloe Schmidtke, Georgia Wilson

Goals: Paige Rondinella 31, Dayna Walsham

17

C Grade

Berwick is in the Top four in C Grade and were just a little more consistent across the game than the Hawks, who put up a good show but weren’t able to capitalise on the opportunities.

Berwick 46 def Monbulk 34

Best: Sammi Kelly, Jamie Sands, Jess Whitworth

Goals: Jamie Sands 20, Sammi Kelly 8, Abbey Hardwick 6

D Grade

The scoreline might have shown a one-sided result but the effort shown throughout the match never diminished. Hannah Dickason’s play was a highlight as she threw herself at everything, while standing a much bigger opponent, and then ran to create play around the court. Often it was just a height advantage or a bit of experience that proved the difference and the Hawks were punished by the turnovers.

Berwick 48 def Monbulk 7

Best: Bronte Passingham, Hannah Dickason, Kate Smith

Goals: Kate Smith 5, Eireann Lawson 2

There were lots of milestones celebrated on Sunday up at Olinda. Picture: TARA TONKIN

Lillydale Lake tests athletes with rain and muddy feet

By Jamie Strudley

This week’s Saturday morning cross country was wet!

The rain fell, and the ground was wet and muddy but it didn’t stop the runners (and their hardy parents) from turning up to tackle the Lillydale Lake courses for the second time this season.

It was the first chance to try and earn the coveted PB choccy frog or mintie.

Despite the conditions, we saw 34 athletes run faster than in Round 1, a wonderful achievement in tough conditions.

Most of these have shown commitment to turning up every Saturday morning, and it is clear their fitness is improving.

Special mention to Ryder (U13) who ran as ‘hare’ for 2 races, then stepped up for his own PB performance in the 3000m.

Some of the photos revealed that extra washing was going to be needed this week!

A massive thanks to those who filled our duties this week, particularly the marshals on

the course and our set-up team, who didn’t have any easy way to stay dry!

Next week we return to Margaret Lewis Reserve in Coldstream for another crack at the choccy frog PB reward.

Our senior AV team will venture to St Annes Winery in Bendigo for round 3 of the XCR series.

Training continues for all club members onTuesday from 5.30pm at Morrison Reserve and Thursday evenings from 5.30pm at Victoria Road Primary School gym with an emphasis on preparing for cross country. Yarra Ranges Athletics welcomes and encourages all athletes of any age or ability.

If you, or someone you know, want to join in the fun of cross country email info@yarrarangesathletics.org.au for information about events and registration.

For information on training, how to join or trial, photos, results and updated news, visit the website at yarrarangesathletics.org. au or check us out on Facebook. Run, Jump, Throw…too easy!

Monbulk senses wins soon

The weekend started off on Friday night cold and wet and today although we had patches of sunshine, it was still quite fresh for most of the teams who ventured up the hill to play Olinda. While the Monbulk juniors didn’t have any wins this weekend, the teams are all progressing very well and it won’t be long before the club see some wins.

Next weekend is a home game and Monbulk is having a meals night, kicking off at 5pm at the club. All awards will be held over to be read out Sunday night 28 May.

Under 9’s

It was a very cold and wet Friday night. The kids played Gembrook Green/White, and it poured the whole time. The kids were all very brave to go out and have a go. Very proud of them all.

No Scores

· Edward, Jasper K, Chase M, Oscar W, Archie Arnott, Elliott

Under 11’s

Playing one of the top sides in poor conditions. Monbulk’s first quarter the team went back into old habits. The second and third were much better and the team put in a great effort. Keep on working team a wind is not too far away.

Monbulk 0.0.0 V Olinda 11.8.74

· Jasper Koelewyn, Archer Selby, Jack Mauger, Ned Taylor, Luke English, Benji Fasan

Under 12 Girls

Another great job by the girls today. Out scored the opposition in the second half but didn’t quite get over the line. Another hard-fought effort.

Monbulk 2.3.15 V 3.1.19

· Ava, Holly, Milli, Page, Shaylah, Charley

Under 13’s

Coming out as both undefeated teams and top of the ladder, Monbulk knew it was in for their hardest game yet! Being a wet conditions game,

the ball spent a lot of time on the ground and both teams just kept trying to keep the ball pushing forward. Olinda just came out the stronger side but Monbulk definitely gave them a good run. Proof of the team Monbulk has, and now gives them a good idea of what they need to do pushing forward.Well done team!

Monbulk 5.9.39 V 4.1.25

· Eamon Dawson, Callan Mitchell, Harry Arnott, Mitch Fraser, Tyson Cross, McKinley Norris

Under 15’s

Great match up today. The group worked heard and gave themselves good opportunities. Olinda’s on ball brigade worked hard and were tough to stop. The team have been good at training and are focused on improving. Keep up the good work.

Monbulk 4.4.28 V Olinda 5.14.44

· Ethan Knight, Brock Downey, Myles Koelewyn, Danial Lamonica, Will Heap,

Mitch Clark

Under 16 Girls

Monbulk’s girls continue to improve each week and their intensity today was formidable. They were unrelenting in their tackling and the pressure they put on Yarra Glen. Unfortunately, the final score doesn’t reflect how well we played and how much possession we had. We love your fighting spirit girls – keep up the hard work.

Monbulk 2.7.19 V Yarra Glen 9.6.60

· Ava Gelastopoulos, Naomi Edmeades, Nikayla O’Connell, Zoe Duke, Ell Flynn, Hayley Donald Under 17’s

So close and not very far away. The boys matched the effort and intensity from last week. You are progressing beautifully lads!

Monbulk 8.5.53 V Olinda 8.13.61

· E. Dawson, Tahi, Monty, L.Smith, Ethan Knight, R.Kay

Isla enjoying the course at Lillydale Lake.

Ryder on route to a 3km course PB.

Bethany & Kahlia found some mud on the course.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

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Concrete tanks built correctly will last a lifetime!

Terry Miller from Terry Miller Concrete Tanks has been in the concrete tank building business for nearly 30 years. Being from country Victoria himself, Terry realises the importance of good water storage systems.

Concrete water tanks built correctly will last a lifetime. They keep your water cool, clean and algae free. This is because our tanks have 130mm walls and a 300mm base, and are poured with 40-mpa strength concrete not 25 or 30 mpa. We also use plasticiser to keep up the strength in the tanks instead of water. And after 28 days of curing the strength of the concrete will be between 48 and 52 mpa. And each tank is poured individually on site. These tanks come out white, which is a sign of the strength in the tanks. The MPA is a measure of how much concrete there is as parts per 1000. The walls of the tank are vibrated all around to ensure that there are no air bubbles and that the concrete is compacted down. Terry generally builds tanks in three sizes, 50,000, 105,000 and 120,000 either with a silo (metal) roof, concrete top or open top tanks.

The tanks will not blow away or fall apart, and this is particularly important in areas where there is high wind, or in fire prone districts. In the event of a fire, a large tank (120,000 litres) can supply water back up to the main house. By setting up a petrol powered generator and pumping water up onto the house directly, via a reverse water sprinkler system, you will keep your home cool and wet. Or if need be, you can jump into the tank to keep cool and be protected from flames and radiant heat. Water is our most important resource, and we cannot have too much of it! So for all your water storage needs when you are thinking of installing your next tank, please call Terry for a quote on 0419 462 814 or 02 6026 7021 or check out our website, www.terrymillerconcretetanks.com.au.

Nearly four years ago, we suffered our own fire here, in Barnawartha, and we were lucky. But it made me realise how important good water storage is. We are in for a long, hot, dry summer, and fire restrictions are in. Having an ample supply of safely stored water is imperative. So why not contact Terry now about your water supply needs, BEFORE, the heat builds up and water scarce. There is nothing more refreshing than your own cool, clear, clean water!