Mail - Ferntree Gully Star Mail - 25th July 2023

Getting to know Baba Desi ....

For those brave enough to embrace the colourful clothes, and wizardlike appearance, Baba Desi can be the most interesting of sorts. The mysterious figure frequents local haunts around the Dandenong Ranges, causing curious passers-by to do a double take. One of those curious locals was long time Upwey resident Pauline Klemm, who was

intrigued by the man, wanting to know more about him and hear his stories. After meeting him just a few years ago, Ms Klemm now shares photos and stories on the Facebook page ’The Baba Desi story’, which has now amassed over 4000 followers.

Read about her interaction with Baba Desi on page 11

Scam stings club

By Tyler Wright

The Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club has fallen victim to a vicious scam, costing them more than $100,000 in the process of rebuilding their facilities lost to damage during flooding in late 2022.

A flash flooding event on Tuesday 25 October last year demolished the club’s front green and damaged around 40 per cent of its back lawn.

Covered by insurance, the green was replaced in April 2023, with Berry Bowling Systems Pty Ltd contracted to complete the works.

And while payments of $20,000 for the back

green and an additional deposit of $50,000 to repair the front green had been processed, 14 days after the final payment of $118,000, secretary Les Lane received a call from the contractors.

“They contacted me and said ‘we haven’t been paid’ and I said ‘yes, you have. We paid you the day after you completed the work’. They said ‘we haven’t received the money,’” Mr Lane said.

“We thought that these were the invoices from Berry’s and the treasurer duly organised payment.”

Commissioning IT forensic specialists, it was discovered the club had been targeted by a business email compromise scam; where hackers had been tracking the club’s email history.

The original invoice was quickly deleted from the club’s inbox after it was sent and replaced with an identical copy, with the only difference in the doctored document being the BSB and account number.

“The email arrived from Berry’s with the invoices on it and they deleted that email from my account. That was taken to Uganda, where they altered the bank details, the bank name and the BSB number and then resent the invoices,” Mr Lane said.

“We recalled the money, and obviously within 14 days, the baddies had already taken the money away and we were $120,000 down the tube.”

Continued page 3

Baba Desi and his friend Pauline Klemm. 346950

Kay Kimmitt, Jeff Blastock, Les Lane, Jim Pearce, Jackie Bramwell and Mick Kimmitt from the Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club. 348284

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Scam stings club

From page 1

Mr Lane said being“spoofed” of this amount of money has left the club“devastated”.

“Being a little club with 100 members, it’s very difficult to get funding from the federal or state government or from anywhere else,” he said.

“We were saving up to replace the back green, which has to be replaced in about 12 years time, but now we’re behind the eight ball.

“Normally the biggest amount we’d ever pay out would be $5,000 for our insurance premiums, but we would never, ever consider being spoofed, and we never had insurance to cover that, so we’re on our own.”

The club has also sought legal advice.

Berry Bowling Systems’ General Manager David Aarons said the organisation “immediately” employed an IT forensic auditor to track and trace the situation and met with the bank after discovering it had not received the funds from the Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club.

“This type of scam is now one of the largest methods for scammers to steal money from organisations,” Mr Aarons said.

The club created an online fundraiser on 8 July, with people donating a total of $1,810 to the club so far.

“We appreciate that because every penny helps, and we’re hoping that we can recover some monies back from that and go from there,” Mr Lane said.

Bowls Australia reported a similar incident

Boronia fire suspicious

By Tanya Faulkner

Police and emergency services responded to a shop fire on Dorset Road, Boronia on 17 July.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at Souvlaki GR on Dorset Rd just after 7am Monday

There was no one inside the premises at the time of the incident.

The fire caused significant damage to the propertywhenitcaughtalightjustafter7am.

Members of the community shared on Facebook they heard sirens at 6:50 this morning as emergency services made their way to the scene, with some comments of overhead helicopters at the time of the incident.

Dorset Rd, between Chandler Rd and Boronia Rd, was shut to traffic about 7.30am Monday after the fire erupted inside the shop.

At this stage, the fire is being treated as suspicious and an investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV/dashcam or any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Police

Senator Linda White

in December 2020, where another club lost $20,000 to a business email compromise scam.

Mr Lane warned other clubs and those susceptible.

“If the amount is in excess of $2,000, you should ring the creditor and check the bank and make sure that you’ve got the right bank details before you make any payments; that’s the advice I’d give anybody if you’re in doubt or if it’s a large amount,” Mr Lane said.

“Check before you pay.”

To donate to the bowls club, visit https:// www.gofundme.com/f/help-upweytecoma-bowls-club-recover-fromfloods?utm_campaign=p_cp+sharesheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_ source=customer

IN BRIEF

Melbourne Airport measles

Anyone who travelled from Melbourne Airport on the morning of Monday 3 July is asked to watch for symptoms of measles.

The case transited through Melbourne Airport’s international terminal (T2) and Qantas domestic terminal (T1) at Tullamarine on Monday 3 July between 6.20am and 9.50am while travelling to Queensland.

People who were at Melbourne Airport during this time should monitor for symptoms until 21 July 2023.

Returned travellers who attended one of the Queensland exposure sites should monitor for symptoms for 18 days after exposure.

People who attended the exposure sites are urged to seek medical care if they develop symptoms, and to wear a mask and call ahead to ensure they can be isolated from others.

The illness usually begins with fever, runny nose, cough and conjunctivitis, followed by a rash.

Car collision in Emerald

Emergency services responded to reports of a two-vehicle collision in Emerald on Friday, 21 July.

Paramedics, four CFA units from Emerald, Clematis and Menzies Creek, SES and police were called to Emerald-Monbulk Road around 9:50am.

Police said It’s understood that a red Toyota Corolla collided with a silver Ford SUV.

The driver and passenger in the Toyota was uninjured.

The driver and soul occupant of the Ford was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has dashcam/CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report online at www. crimestoppersvic.com.au

Operation ‘brew’ targets high-risk drivers

State Highway Patrol has detected dozens of drug and alcohol affected drivers in Mel-

YOUR VOICE IN THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE

As a Labor Senator, my office is available to assist you with any Federal Government issues.

bourne’s eastern suburbs.

Operation Brew was conducted from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 July, with a focus on targeting driving behaviour that contributes to road trauma.

The operation saw 12 motorists caught drink driving from 157 preliminary breath tests, with eight detected for exceeding 0.05 BAC and four detected exceeding 0.00 BAC.

Road Policing Operations and Investigations Division Superintendent, John Fitzpatrick was concerned that police saw such high drink and drug driving detection rates over one weekend in a fairly condensed part of the state.

A further 12 motorists were detected for drug driving offences, with police conducting 112 roadside drug tests.

Other offences detected during the operation included six speeding offences, three mobile phone offences, three unauthorised driving offences, and two vehicle impoundments.

Bayswater hit-run

Detectives have arrested a 28-year-old man following an alleged serious hit-run collision in Bayswater early this week.

Police received reports of a damaged vehicle with a man sleeping inside parked on JacobusWalk in Ferntree Gully shortly after 8am. The Bayswater man was arrested and is assisting investigators with their enquiries.

Detectives would like to speak to anyone who saw a blue XR6 sedan travelling in the area prior to the collision.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam/CCTV footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Have you lost a ring recently “My Precious”?

Found on the 13th of July at a bus stop at the corner of Mount Dandenong Tourist Road & Burwood Highway, Upper Ferntree Gully. Contact Belgrave Police Station 9754 6677. Acting SergeantWarr

At least 10 crews were spotted at the blaze on Dorset Street this morning.

are now treating the fire as suspicious, and ask those with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

Emergency services attended the incident at 7am this morning.

Pictures: LYNETTE HAYHURST

Secretary Les Lane said losing $118,000 has left the club ‘devastated’.

Knife killer Kennedy jailed

By Tanya Faulkner

A man has been jailed by the Victorian Supreme Court for the manslaughter of a Melbourne father with a fishing knife.

Darryl Kennedy was sentenced to nine and a half years for the stabbing of his roommate, Chris Taylor. Mr Taylor was 45 years old, and was killed at the same Bayswater address where he and Kennedy had once resided together.

Kennedy allegedly arrived at the home unannounced, and stabbed him three times with a fish knife over a supposedly unpaid debt on September 12, 2021.

He was charged with murder that day.

Kennedy later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Supreme Court and was sentenced on 10 July.

In sentencing, Justice Michael Croucher noted that Kennedy’s first offer to plead guilty to manslaughter was rejected by prosecutors, but was later accepted in April.

In the events leading up to the incident on 12 September, 2021, it is said that Kennedy had been kicked out of a Bentleigh residence due to an unpaid loan of $500, and made his way back to Bayswater via public transport and the help of his father.

That morning, he confronted Mr Taylor at his Mason Court home, and stabbed Mr Taylor in the back and face before running off. Mr Taylor ran from the house to the backyard, screaming “I’ve been stabbed”, which was heard by his neighbour.

Despite being warned by Kennedy that it was “none of his business” and “not to get involved”, the neighbour rushed to Mr Taylor’s aid while another called an ambulance.

Kennedy approached the two men, still holding the knife, saying the house owner “owes me $400”.

“Let this be a lesson to him. I’m going to jail for murder.”

Kennedy was said to have wandered down Bayswater Road to the McDonalds near Canterbury Road, and discarded the knife in their rubbish bin.

He was arrested soon after discarding the knife, near the McDonalds, with Mr Taylor’s blood on him.

Mr Taylor was pronounced dead by emer-

gency services at 7.19am that day from severe internal bleeding.

Justice Croucher said his sentencing reflected Kennedy’s chances of reform while in prison.

He was known to have an extensive criminal history, including driving charges, dishonesty, drugs and other minor offences.

Kennedy led a life of heavy illicit drug use from his teenage years into adulthood, and was subject to abuse as a child.

He also had a “limited” formal education, and left school at 14, the judge noted.

Kennedy will be eligible for parole in six and a half years, including the 667 days spent in pre-sentence custody.

As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings, with 70 already gone. We’re also upgrading roads to reduce congestion and improve travel times.

Chris Taylor was 45 when he was stabbed by Darryl Kennedy at his Bayswater address.

Wildlife trauma is severe

By Tyler Wright

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT AND IMAGES ARE FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE

A local wildlife rescuer is calling for more community and government body awareness after recent animal casualties along Wellington Road.

On Wednesday 12 July, Emerald-Monbulk Wildlife Shelter volunteer Leanne Sultana said she conducted three pouch checks on animals that had been left on the side of the road on her way from Emerald through Rowville to her work at Monash University.

“The stretch of road is a horrible road for wildlife getting killed,” Ms Sultana said.

After finding a large kangaroo in the middle of the road near the Cardinia Reservoir, followed by pouch-checking a “badly mangled” wombat in Clematis, it was coming across a dead wallaby joey before the Lysterfield BP that left Ms Sultana “heartbroken”.

“I had her body in the palms of my hand, she was just tiny,” she said.

“I noticed that she had some blood in her ear so she probably would have had some kind of head trauma. But the fact that she had just passed away by the time I had gotten to her was the thing that absolutely devastated me.”

The joey’s mother had already been dead for what Ms Sultana estimated was a couple of hours prior, and was lying on a nearby roadside barrier nearby.

“Her joey was basically left on the road to die.”

Wildlife Victoria has received an average of nine calls per month from members of the public reporting wildlife hit by vehicles on Wellington Road between Rowville and Emerald/Clematis, a spokesperson from the organisation said.

“71 per cent of the wildlife hit by vehicles on that stretch of road in the past six months were kangaroos. Other wildlife species impacted on Wellington Road are wallabies, wombats and echidnas,” the spokesperson said.

“Wildlife Victoria receives approximately 110,000 calls each year from members of the public reporting sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife.

“Unfortunately, the greatest cause of injury to wildlife is road-related accidents with thousands of native animals killed or injured on Victoria’s roads each year.”

The spokesperson said between 2019 and 2020 on Wellington Road, there was a “48 per cent decrease” in wildlife road-related incidents.

“This trend over the Covid lockdown period shows how prevalent wildlife road trauma is.

“Wildlife Victoria engages with local councils regularly to provide advice and share insight into how they can reduce the wildlife road toll. We are seeing more and more councils acknowledge the importance of wildlife and biodiversity within their municipality, with many taking action to ensure the protection of wildlife for future generations.”

Ms Sultana said more awareness needs to be put out to communities, councils and government bodies.

“I’ve had enough of doing this, because I do this every single time I drive to work,” she said.

“There is hardly a day that I don’t stop to do a pouch check or to check on an animal to see if they’re alive, or dragging an animal off the road.

“It’s gone to the point where this is winterwe shouldn’t be seeing so many road deaths on the road - so once spring [comes]...we’re going to be seeing more and more fatalities on the road.”

Ms Sultana said reducing speed limits along Wellington Road may help reduce the impact of wildlife vehicle trauma, but acknowledged that it would be a “hard pitch” for the community.

“80 kilometres is still too fast because all the animals are getting hit in the 80 zones,” she said.

“If that was supposed to go down to 60, and the hundreds to 80, it will actually add on seven minutes to everyone’s commute...in a way, we’re saying ‘well, are people really willing to drive the extra seven minutes to save the fatalities or to reduce the fatalities of an animal?”

Ms Sultana said she has tried to contact the Department of Transport and Planning and councils to advocate for fencing to be installed along the 21-kilometre stretch of road, but has not had a response.

“It’s been a cause of frustration.

“It’s not even an animal problem, it’s a human problem because this is incredibly dangerous for motorists...people who try to swerve to not hit an animal, it’s dangerous all in all,” she said.

A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said preventing collisions with animals is an ongoing challenge as wildlife can be “unpredictable,” and enter roads at “any time regardless of roadside conditions”.

“We encourage all motorists to travel at safe speeds, leave plenty of space between them and the car in front and take extra care when animals may be on the move, particularly at dawn and dusk,” the spokesperson said.

Cardinia Shire Council’s manager of community infrastructure, David Fice, said the body is committed to the “preservation of our widlife through actively advocating for underroad culverts and wildlife barrier fencing”.

“We are also trialling bandicoot crossings and wildlife sensitive lighting on some of our roads,” Mr Fice said.

“For more information go to www.cardinia. vic.gov.au/sustainableroads.”

If a motorist does hit wildlife, they are advised to pull over when safe to do so and call Wildlife Victoria’s Emergency Response Service on 03 8400 7300.

“The phone line is staffed by trained wildlife emergency operators 24/7 who can provide expert advice,” theWildlifeVictoria spokesperson said.

“If the animal is a marsupial, and its deceased, they may direct the member of the public to check its pouch for young.

“In-pouch joeys can survive up to two weeks in their mother’s pouch after she has passed so it’s vitally important pouches are checked. It might just save a life.”

needed

71 per cent of the wildlife hit by vehicles on the stretch of Wellington Road between Emerald and Rowville in the past six months were kangaroos, a Wildlife Victoria spokesperson said.

Picture: ON FILE WARNING: DISTRESSING IMAGES TO FOLLOW

Ms Sultana found the joey’s mother’s dead body nearby.

Wildlife rescuer Leanne Sultana found a wallaby joey in the middle of Wellington Road near Lysterfield BP on Wednesday 12 July.

Picture: SUPPLIED

‘Tragic accident’: Coroner

By Tyler Wright

The Coroners Court of Victoria has described the death of a man at a reserve in Belgrave nearly three years ago as a “tragic accident,” after an investigation into the condition of a fallen tree that left Christoper Wrigglesworth with multiple injuries.

Christopher, 59, was leaving the carpark behind the local Woolworths on 27 August 2020 in his partner’s 2015 white Hyundai i30 when a tree from a nearby reserve fell on the vehicle, pinning him inside.

While nobody saw the tree fall, a witness coming out of the supermarket noted a massive gust of wind and then ‘a big boom,’ according to Coroner Leveasque Peterson’s report released on Thursday 13 July 2023.

The witness turned to the direction of the sound, saw the tree on the car, and attended to Christopher, providing reassurance and holding his hand until police arrived.

Another witness saw the tree resting on the car and ran across the road to the Belgrave Police Station to ask for help, while other witnesses started using small chainsaws to try and cut some branches off the fallen tree.

“When officers from Belgrave Police Station attended, they noted that the police radio was very busy at the time with multiple calls related to the significant weather—one street nearby had over ten trees fall around the same time with resulting property damage,” Ms Peterson’s report read.

“Officers struggled to give updates over the radio throughout the evening because it was so busy.”

Ambulance Victoria paramedics, members from the Country Fire Authority (CFA), and members from State Emergency Services (SES) attended the scene shortly afterwards, with Christopher trapped for approximately one hour and 30 minutes before CFA and SES members were able to extricate him from the vehicle.

Paramedics were unable to access Christopher below his abdomen due to the degree of entrapment, and assessed his injuries as severe and life threatening.

While he was conscious and able to respond to emergency service workers, Christopher was confused and repeating himself.

Given the extent of the injuries, the plan was for Christopher to be transferred to hospital via the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), when he was conveyed by ambulance to a nearby reserve where the helicopter had landed.

Christopher deteriorated further and became unresponsive as he was being loaded into the helicopter.

Despite significant resuscitative efforts from paramedics including administration of CPR, Christopher died at the scene and could not be revived.

On 28 August 2020 Christoper was visually identified by his brother, Ian Wrigglesworth.

Ian said his brother was “outgoing” and made friends with everyone.

“He’d lived over in the land area [near Ballarat] for probably the last 20 years or so...we grew up in Blackburn South,” Ian said.

“He’d only been [in Tecoma] about six months, but the number of neighbours and the outpouring of grief from neighbours after he passed away was quite amazing, considering he’d only been in there a short time and it was Covid, so it’s not like there was a lot of interaction.”

“They had a couple of chairs out the front of the house, and he and Christina would sit there and people would pass and he’d have a chat and pat their dogs... he had an infectious personality that drew people to him.”

Ian said the pair grew up fairly close, and he was looking forward to having his brother living near him once again.

“I remember something from our childhood when we were about eight or 10, we went somewhere riding billy carts down a hill, and you could see the TV towers of the Dandenongs, and I’ve always tried to work out where that was.

“I’ve always thought ‘I should ask Chris, see if he remembers that.’ I can’t do that now.’”

Both Ian and Christopher were Collingwood supporters, regularly attending football matches together.

“Last year was the first game I went to since before he passed away, because I didn’t have quite the same interest level, even though I followed it fairly closely,” he said.

“You find that you do things and had the edge taken off because ‘I can’t show Chris, I can’t share it with Chris.’”

Ian said Christopher worked as a shift manager for logistics company DP World; organising trucks on and off wharves.

“He’d been in that industry for 30 odd years. They were all in shock as well.

“He had a couple of sheep at one stage and pig and chickens, he loved that life as well.

“He was always a doer...he put his hand to anything and he’d help anyone.”

Christopher is survived by his partner Christina, his three children Alex, Tash and Harry, and two step-children.

“[He’s] very sorely missed by us all,” Ian said.

As part of the investigation into the circumstances of Christopher’s death, the Coroner’s Investigator requested Yarra Ranges Council provide a statement addressing the subject tree failure which was provided by the coordinator of the tree management team.

The report identified the subject tree as Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, known commonly

Mountain Grey Gum; a common species indigenous to the Yarra Ranges.

The reserve where the incident occurred is classified as a moderate risk zone; meaning the area, including each tree, is inspected by arborists every two years.

At last review on 30 December 2019, the arborist recommended no action for any of the trees in the reserve.

In addition to Christopher’s death, the Coroner’s Court investigated two other deaths from tree failure which occurred on the same night from the same weather event.

The local councils responsible for those trees each engaged an independent arborist to identify the cause of tree failure as part of their investigation.

This is not the practice of Yarra Ranges Shire Council.

Ms Peterson found Christopher’s death was the result of a “tragic accident” caused by tree failure from significant winds.

“However, without any report from an independent arborist, there is insufficient evidence to determine if there were any further contributing factors about the tree itself that could have made it more susceptible to failure in such conditions,” Ms Peterson said.

“I find that Yarra Ranges Shire Council had

in place appropriate processes for regular tree inspection under its Tree Assessment Framework, and that noting the outcome of the most recent inspection, the tree failure could not have been foreseen.”

Ms Peterson said the occurrence of any fatal incident should give rise to a further assessment of risk, which could be achieved by commissioning an additional, independent arborist report.

“Such inspections may reveal issues or problems with trees which are not appreciable on visual tree assessment alone, and thereby enable better identification of preventable causal factors and future prevention opportunities,” she said.

“On 3 July 2023, Yarra Ranges Shire Council indicated that it agreed with the proposed recommendation and intended to incorporate the recommendation into its Tree Policy when it is reviewed over the coming year. I commend the Council on its commitment to improve its processes in this way.”

Christopher left home alone that day to buy some champagne for his sister’s birthday, according to the report.

“I convey my sincere condolences to Christopher’s family for their loss,” Ms Peterson said.

Christopher Wrigglesworth (left), pictured with brother Ian (right) at Ian’s wedding in 2010, died after a tree fell on the vehicle he was driving out of a Belgrave carpark on 27 August 2020. Pictures: SUPPLIED

“[He’s] very sorely missed by us all,” Ian said of his late brother. Ian said his brother would often sit at the front of his property in Tecoma greeting passers-by and patting dogs.

Facing truth of our crisis

By Tanya Faulkner

Knox municipality is feeling the pressure as the housing crisis intensifies in the current cost of living situation.

Several families have been made homeless, or are struggling to make ends meet as prices keep rising across the country.

Not only is it the prices but the lack of rental properties that are forcing people to find alternative accommodation.

Ray White Ferntree Gully head of property management Jenny Bolch said on average, they receive around 11 applications per rental property listed through them.

“In the last quarter we received just over 1700 rental applications, and leased 163 properties,” she said.

Renee Feehan, a local to Knox, recently endured her 35th birthday on the same day she became functionally homeless, with her lease ending before she was able to find a new home for her family.

Ms Feehan told Herald Sun that her partner and their two daughters are now living in a friend’s home while they try to find their next place to live, despite relentlessly applying for a new rental for the past 60 days after receiving notice to vacate in May.

The family have submitted more than 60 applications to rentals in the area, all of which were rejected.

Her family are still looking for a three-bedroom home in the Ferntree Gully or Boronia area with a budget of $550 per week.

Ms Feehan is one of several locals who have been hit with the increased cost of living and current housing crisis.

Single dad Max Zaid caught wind earlier this year that his landlord was planning to significantly raise the rent at his Ferntree Gully home at the end of his lease.

Thinking he was getting on the front foot by looking for other options, Mr Zaid made hundreds of unsuccessful applications, some he said were declined in “almost minutes” mostly due to his single dad status.

He came across at least 40 others in the Knox municipality all looking for new homes in the Ferntree Gully area.

Mr Zaid was finally successful, finding a property in Bendigo for him and his teenage son.

Ms Bolch said her best advice to locals seeking a rental property is to be sure to physically view the property in person and submit their completed application and additional documents as soon as possible, to reduce delays.

“Landlords are given their choice of applications with the numbers we’re receiving at the moment,” she said.

“They’re mainly prioritising the positive check boxes when choosing tenants - making sure they have stable employment, stable rental history and payments were made on time,” she said.

Ms Bolch sympathised with those looking for rentals at the moment, saying rent prices have increased at a rate we haven’t seen in

some time, making affordability much more difficult, especially with the added costs of living increasing.

Her advice is to be quick, consistent, and thorough with applications.

“It’s best to be consistent, get to inspections and submit applications with as much as they can, with all of the required information and cover letters at the time of application,” she said.

It’s not just availability of properties that renters must overcome in today’s market.

New quarterly data released by CoreLogic and Domain show rental prices are continuing to increase across the country.

Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said there’s only so much people can stretch their budgets.

“No matter what data you look at, rents are climbing across Australia and remain stubbornly high.

“More and more renters are hurting and reaching an affordability cliff,” she said.

Many locals are having to cut back on meals and groceries, medicines and healthcare, and heating, or turning on lights are becoming terrifying realities for many tenants as they try to keep up with eye watering rents.

Ms Azize said this is becoming the worst housing crisis in living memory, and is stopping people from pursuing their life dreams like starting a family.

“We can’t accept more people making unhealthy sacrifices to make the rent, and we can’t accept escalating rents becoming the norm.

“Each time a quarterly snapshot or report is published, it’s expected that we’ll see rents go up.

“National rents are more than 27 per cent higher since the onset of Covid-19,” she said.

Since the announcement that the Com-

monwealth Games will not be going ahead in 2026, the Andrews Labour government has promised more social housing for those regions

The Community Housing Industry Association Victoria said the government’s $1 billion Regional Housing Fund will provide a much needed boost to social and affordable housing in the regions, and improve the lives of thousands of Victorians.

The government is also making strides in its $63 million Big Housing Build, one of the biggest projects in Victoria’s history bringing more social and affordable homes to those who need it most.

While this mostly benefits the wider Victorian regional areas outside of Knox, the new homes are expected to free up rentals across the state and help relieve the current crisis being experienced by our Hills community.

FindingarentalinthesuburbofFerntreeGullyandacrossKnoxisappearingmoreandmoredifficult.

Picture:UNSPLASH

Another Lake Knox push

By Tanya Faulkner

Things are escalating in the Knox community, as locals are standing their ground against the proposed social housing development designated for Knoxfield.

Development Victoria will now have to face the Victoria Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on their proposed plans for the space, and take on the pressure from the community not to go ahead.

Ray Pearce, a historian with the Knox Historical Association, said there’s a lot more history to the Knoxfield site than most locals realise, with parts of the lake itself dating back to the 1870s.

“The original lake area is still there and goes back 150 years, which remains part of ‘Lake Knox’ as we know it today,” he said.

He said the lake, as it now stands, was excavated at a slightly different level to the original part that still remains from the late 1800s.

Mr Pearce said the lake and surrounding land has a rich history in the Knox community, and should be left as it is.

“I had a friend who worked on the horticultural station in the 1970s and 80s, who said they dumped nasty chemicals in the lake,” he said.

In the past half-century, the area surrounding Knoxfield has seen increased developments erected, with locals now wanting to hold onto this piece of history and greenery.

Mr Pearce said they have had a lot of information that has arisen in the previous months about the Knoxfield site, including the revival of documents and development plans from over the years, detailing the lifeline of the lake.

He said that developing that site is not only destroying a piece of valuable wetland, it’s also destroying a piece of rich local history.

“We need housing, there’s no doubt about that, but we also need open space and trees.

“You can’t have both, only one without the other,” he said,

He said the Knox municipality has lost significant amounts of its original arboreal coverage, and the community desperately needs to keep all of the greenery it can.

His comments were mimicked by Knox Environmental Society’s (KES) Anthony Bigelow who said the lake holds many qualities for the community alongside its rich history.

“The lake is home to a number of endangered birds, plants and wildlife, and is known as an “animal refuge”.

“We have the blue-billed duck, and black swans, to name a couple of species who reside at the lake and need our help,” he said.

Due to the land currently being fenced off and clear from development, several species reside in Knoxfield lake as a safe-haven away from animals, people and potential threats.

At the time of visiting the lake, Mr Bigelow said there were black swans currently nesting in the lake, and hoped to see cygnets in the near future.

“Currently there is no access to the lake, making it safer for birds to find peace and make a home in the lake.

“The site is also a well-known flood plain, so when it rains the land is subject to flooding,

and not ideal for housing developments.

“If the site were to be developed on, it may take years for wildlife to return to the area, and it’s hard to say where they can go,” he said.

The water of the lake, which Mr Bigelow described as“clean” from toxins and chemicals that come with developments, is home to around 90 different animal species, and 60 bird species.

“What people don’t always see is the ecosystem working to support the wildlife in that area.

“The lake is home to micro vertebrates and invertebrates, and other plants and wildlife that support the overall environment of the area,” he said.

The proposed development for Knoxfield by Development Victoria is being argued it will create a ‘vibrant new neighbourhood in Knoxfield’ with ‘diverse housing and open recreational spaces for the community to enjoy, as well as thriving new wetlands’.

However, City of Knox mayor Cr Marcia Timmers-Leitch said in December last year, Council refused to grant permits for their proposed 105-lot residential subdivision and construction of wetlands at the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Road.

This included the removal of a dam, often referred to as Lake Knox, after the new

wetlands were established.

Council received more than 1170 objections in total to the proposals.

“Council’s grounds for refusal included the impact of the proposal on a site of biological significance, including impacts on the vulnerable Blue-billed Duck.

“Other grounds included the proposed extensive removal of native vegetation, failing to provide an appropriate interface to Scoresby Road and the extent of the residential subdivision encroaching into a designated Mixed Use area,” said Cr Timmers-Leitch.

Development Victoria is now appealing Council’s refusal to grant two planning permits for their proposed development in Knoxfield, which is scheduled to be heard by theVictorian Civil AdministrativeTribunal (VCAT) later next month.

Mr Bigelow said KES desperately needs the help of the community to protect the land from development, as they go up against Development Victoria and the Victorian Premier, David Andrews, at VCAT.

A report by Professor Paul Boon, a wetland ecologist brought in to investigate the values of Knoxfield lake, shared his concerns with the site becoming a development, and the risk of livelihood for species like the endangered Blue-billed Duck.

“I have serious concerns with the likelihood with which suitable high-quality replacement habitat can be replicated in the new lake/ wetland complex,” he said.

Mr Bigelow said this report, among others, will be presented at VCAT.

“Government just hasn’t been listening to our concerns, and we need to stand against the development together,” he said.

KES has seen over 27,000 signatures on their petition “Save Lake Knox” and have also started fundraising to pay for legal fees as they approach the start of the VCAT hearing.

“We need to raise $120,000 by September to cover legal fees, expert reports, and other documents to help our case in keeping Lake Knox.

“It’s a big fight that needs to be fought, because no one else is fighting it,” he said.

Development Victoria were approached for comment on the matter, however were unable to make comments at the time of contact, while the case is with VCAT.

The hearing at VCAT will begin on Monday 28, August, and is expected to run for 11 days.

Locals wishing to get behind the cause can sign the petition on change.org or make a donation on chuffed.org/project/ helpsavelakeknox

Knoxfield Lake site is at risk of property development.

Picture: KNOX ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY

Lake Knox 346386

Ray Peace with the Lake Knox display and a spanner from Fawcett Dinsdale who owned the property in 1870 . 346386

Black Swans are now nesting at Knoxfield Lake. Picture: TANYA FAULKNER

Firefighters are honoured

More than one hundred Dandenong and Knox volunteer firefighters and CFA staff members have been honoured with National Emergency Medals for their efforts in the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire crisis.

The National Emergency Medal is part of Australia’s Honours and Awards system and recognises significant or sustained service to others in a nationally significant Australian Emergency.

At ceremonies held on Wednesday, 12 July and Sunday, 16 July at Mater Christi College in Belgrave, 158 firefighters from across CFA’s District 13 became the latest of more than 5,500 CFA members to receive the honour for

the 2019-2020 fires.

Knox Group Officer, master of ceremonies and recipient on Sunday, Peter Carew, said it was an honour to be formally recognised.

“Volunteer fireys don’t do the job for praise or awards, we do it to help our fellow Australians in need. We come home, dust ourselves off and get ready for the next one.

“However, this honour goes a long way in recognising the significant efforts members went to, to protect the communities and their assets under threat, in what was such a challenging event,” said Mr Carew.

CFA board member Peter Shaw, who pre-

sented the medals, said they were an important recognition of the valiant efforts of CFA members.

“The National Emergency Medal is a formal recognition that Australia appreciates the efforts and contributions of CFA members during the 2019-2020 bushfire crisis.

“It is a great honour to receive this medal and I hope it goes a small way to thanking our members for their service,” said Mr Shaw.

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said he was proud of the CFA members’ efforts.

“The 2019/2020 fires devastated East Gippsland and the North East of Victoria.

“But from that crisis arose the most remarkable human spirit of generosity and ‘lending a hand’.

“Our medal recipients have exemplified that spirit, and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them,” said Mr Hefferman. He said whether they joined a firefighting strike team, worked in an Incident Control Centre or provided other assistance to affected communities, every contribution made a real difference.

A further 106 volunteers from Maroondah and Yarra Valley will receive a National Emergency medal on Sunday, 23 July at Yarra Valley Lodge in Chirnside Park.

Kellalea’s deception and lies earn more prison time

By Tanya Faulkner

After deceptive behaviour at the Victorian County Court, a Healesville local has received an extended prison sentence.

Monica Kellalea was sentenced by County Court judge Frank Gucciardo to a further 18 months in prison on the charge of perverting the course of justice.

Kellalea now has a total prison sentence of seven and a half years, with a new non-parole period of four years and eight months.

This is Kellalea’s third conviction, after being given a community corrections order for drug trafficking in 2020 and culpable driving causing the death of a Belgrave woman in 2022 which landed her in jail.

In April 2020, Victoria Police officers executed a search warrant at a Healesville property where Kellalea was residing with her partner, uncovering large amounts of drugs

including cannabis and methamphetamine, among others.

She pleaded guilty, and appeared in the Shepparton County Court before Judge Smallwood in December, 2021.

Kellalea had submitted to the court two character reference documents, supposedly from her long-term friends, Ms Hodgson and Ms Myles.

Judge Smallwood said, at the time of sentencing, that her chances for reform were “very, very promising”.

When providing his formal reasons for sentence at Kellalea’s plea hearing, Judge Smallwood took the references into consideration when deciding the sentence.

He placed Kellalea in a community correction order, with conviction, for four years.

This sentence also included 300 hours of community service, treatment and rehabilitation for drugs, metal health assessment and

treatment, and supervision.

“I have read the character references that have been tendered on your behalf and they speak very well of you in terms of your own character and your situation as a mother,” said Judge Smallwood.

However, Ms Hodgson became aware of the supposed character references when she heard about Kallelea’s culpable driving causing death charge, in which she discovered the character references were written documents.

Ms Hodgson contacted Ms Myles, who also had no idea about the references, and the pair went to the police.

It was later discovered by police that neither of the character references were authored or signed for by Ms Hodgson or Ms Myles.

Judge Gucciardo, who presided over this most recent sentencing, quoted a statement from Ms Myles during the sentencing hearing, which stated she “would not have written

such things” in the reference letters.

Kellalea pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year, which was accepted by the Judge on account of remorse for her actions.

He said during the sentencing hearing that her plea, accompanied with remorse for her actions, will help to reduce her sentence.

Kellalea was said to have submitted a letter to the court prior to sentencing that she felt “ashamed and embarrassed” by her actions.

Judge Gucciardo said that while charges of perverting the course of justice are rare, they are very serious crimes as it “strikes at the heart of the court system” and can cause harm to the public trust and safety within the system.

He said due to the nature of the crime being “premeditated”, this sentence should reflect the denervation and deterrence of justice, adding an additional 18 months to her existing sentence.

More than 150 CFA members were awarded the National Emergency Medal for their efforts in the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire crisis.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

The National Emergency Medal is recognition of big efforts made by many CFA members.

Battle of Tecoma

In 2013, thousands of protesters gathered to fight against McDonald’s opening up a fast food store in Tecoma.

While the store was eventually opened in early 2014, protestors still appear at the front of the store regularly to make their opinions known.

10 years on, the Star Mail has collated a list of key events in the saga.

October 2011:

Yarra Ranges Council denies a building permit application from McDonald’s to build on Burwood Highway in Tecoma.

Some 1,300 objections to the development are lodged with Yarra Ranges Council at the time, based mainly on traffic and neighbourhood character concerns.

March 2012 to October 2012:

McDonald’s disputes Yarra Ranges Council’s decision to refuse its planning application, with a practice hearing held at VCAT on Friday 30 March.

On 10 October, VCAT announces its decision to overturn Yarra Ranges Council’s decision and grant permission for McDonald’s to build on the site.

“As no planning permission is required to use the site for a convenience restaurant, it submits that many of the objectors’ concerns are not relevant to the planning permission sought,” the VCAT decision read.

“They submit the building is well designed, would fit well into the streetscape, and would be highly consistent with the present development on the land. The proposed landscaping would rejuvenate a site that is tired and ready for renewal. The proposal would meet relevant standards in respect of access, car parking, disability parking and loading.”

VCAT receives more than 300 objections.

About 500 locals take to the site on 1529 Burwood Highway at the time to voice their objection and “reclaim” Tecoma from McDonald’s through the planting of a garden.

Objectors boast “No Maccas” shirts and placards and wield gardening tools.

March 2013:

More than 3000 people march from Belgrave to Tecoma in protest against the building on 2 March 2013.

Event organiser Garry Muratore told the

Mail at the time the crowd was well behaved and the weekend’s rally and march was part of ongoing rolling protests to the construction of the McDonald’s restaurant in the town.

The march began at the car park beside Belgrave’s Cameo cinema and finished in the car park of Tecoma Primary School.

“It was a carnival like atmosphere. We had speeches from people involved in the community and the CD launch, too,” Mr Muratore said.

“We had some standout speeches, including James Merlino and Dr Dennis Gration.”

Mr Muratore said the rolling protests were calling on McDonald’s to pull out of the development.

“Yes they have been given the permits, but they have pulled out of areas in the same circumstances in the past,” he said.

“It happened in the Blue Mountains, and even in Belgrave years ago.”

April 2013:

The story ofTecoma’s fight against McDonald’s is aired on international news channel CNN.

It was the micro-blog site Twitter that causes the Tecoma story to go viral with well known social activist Priest Father Bob Maguire tweeting the CNN story to his 19,000 followers on Good Friday.

This in turn is re-tweeted by others including film director Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and former Tecoma resident Christine As-

sange (mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange).

“We could not believe theTwitter reaction it was re-tweeted by journalists, teachers, actors, chefs, bands, and general Twitter users, by late Easter Monday we estimated at had reached over 10 million followers on the site” Mr Muratore said at the time.

July 2013

Members of the ‘Tecoma Eight’ are named in documents filed by McDonald’s for an injunction against them for creating a community garden on the building site in protest.

Protesters are banned from campaigning on the Tecoma property for two weeks following an injuction issued by the Supreme Court.

More than 100 people marched from Belgrave to Tecoma on 28 July to support the ‘Tecoma Eight,’ who faced civil action from McDonald’s.

An Upwey woman is arrested on Sunday 28 July and charged with wilful trespassing.

August 2013:

The demolition of the old the old Hazelvale Dairy building begins.

Protests continue, with people crying out “shame” to workers.

September 2013:

Five members of the No Maccas in Tecoma protest group arrive in Chicago, Illinios, to hand deliver a 7000 page petition to McDonald’s head office pleading with the fast food giant to call off its plans to build in Tecoma.

April 2014:

McDonald’s opens its Tecoma store on 7 April 2014, with crowds of protesters and supporters for the new restaurant gathering since around 6am on the day.

Around 50 protestors picket the store.

Present:

Protests continue, with objectors to the store drawing chalk on the footpath at the front of the store, and protesting in person with placards.

“It’s very hard to get a permit for a drive through type restaurant anywhere in the Dandenong Ranges now, because it’s got to fit in with the local overlay, and the people that lobbied for that were from our campaign, so that was a big plus,” Mr Muratore said in September 2022.

Level of toxicity was sky-high

By Melissa Meehan

The Tecoma McDonald’s debate has to be one of the biggest stories during my time at the Mail.

It was not only one of the biggest stories, but it was the story that divided the community.

And while I understood there were two very different camps, I was gobsmacked by how toxic the debate became.

I remember writing an editorial shining a light on the grubby threats of rape and being burnt alive.

People from both sides had been threatened by, often faceless, keyboard warriors with some of the most horrible things imaginable.

Staff at the Mail weren’t immune to it either but we continued to cover the story evenly and unbiased.

Casey Neill, Emma Sun, Rebecca Bills and Jesse Graham covered the story with the poise and respect that was needed from a community newspaper.

There were some great people, from both sides of the argument, we met along the way, too.

And the story of the tiny town on the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges soon made national and international news.

It put Tecoma on the map. And while Maccas opened, those against it were able to ensure the Golden Arches didn’t completely take over their town.

There’s no giant M seen from miles around, and the building, while still obviously a fast food giant, doesn’t stand out too much.

But the good news, it was only bricks and mortar and didn’t bring down the community that held and continues to hold up the town.

Cockatoo mum’s massive feat for premature babies

By Tyler Wright

Cockatoo mum-of-two Ashley Woodrow has completed a 46-kilometre marathon in order to raise funds for a charity supporting premature babies.

In 2021, Ashley’s twins Ollie and Russell were born at 31 weeks and six days gestation after a difficult pregnancy.

It was discovered Russell had an un-diagnosed case of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) – a condition in which twins share unequal amounts of the placenta’s blood supply, thereby growing at different rates.

The twins spent time in the NICU at the Mercy Hospital for Women while receiving specialist care, with Ashley doing her bit to say ‘thank-you’ by running in the 2023 Cairns Marathon on Sunday 16 July with her sister Holly; all the while supporting the Running for Premature Babies Foundation.

“The marathon was really hard,” Ashley said.

“Cramps, and blisters and aches were some of the physical assaults we pushed through, but! Push through we did!”

Ashley smashed the run in five and half hours, with Holly taking the marathon home in six hours.

Ashley said she hopes the feat emphasises the “huge effort” it was to take the marathon on and finish.

“We were never going to quit or stop. We had way too much motivating us.

“Especially getting to see Ollie and Russell a few times as we lapped the spot they were cheering us on from.

“The boys also met us at the finish line which was really special. We are also super grateful to their grandparents for coming to

support us and our partners.”

As of Friday 21 July, the sisters raised $6,407 for the charity as team ‘Mission Twinpossible’; smashing their original goal of $3,000.

“I cried only a little bit because it was pretty overwhelming running for over five hours and knowing this was it and so many months of

training had been working towards this goal was finally complete,” Ashley said.

“I obviously saw every donation or word of encouragement as a personal showing of support too as we went through our own NICU journey which I am still processing in terms of what happened and what could have hap-

pened if we didn’t have specialist support or equipment.

“Seeing all the donations from friends, family and even some people who we don’t know personally is really what got me over the finish line.”

For Ashley, the marathon holds significance deeper than just a personal achievement.

“It’s an opportunity to set an example for Russell and Ollie and inspire them to embrace their own dreams and aspirations,” she said.

“Deciding to take on a marathon journey was ambitious to say the least. I wanted to challenge my physical and mental limits, prove to myself that I am capable of achieving bucket list goals, and demonstrate to my kids the power of setting ambitious goals...even if they don’t fully realise this until they’re much older.

“The fact that the boys now recognise when I’m out running by saying “Mummy running” - I’ll take that for now and work on the word marathon in years to come.”

A few days before the marathon, Ashley said Running for Premature Babies founder Sophie Smith told herself and Holly the pair had raised enough to fund a specialist neonatal ventilator for the NICU at the Monash Children’s Hospital.

“I cried when I read that email because it made everything so much more tangible,” she said.

“[Sophie’s] just incredible.”

Founded in 2006, the Running for Premature Babies Foundation has so far raised over $5 million for life saving neonatal equipment and funded research to solve the mysteries of prematurity and advance the care of premature babies for the future.

Protestor Richard Pearson. 134429

Cockatoo mum-of-two, Ashley Woodrow (left) and sister Holly (right) both ran 46 kilometres on Sunday 16 July in the 2023 Cairns Marathon to support the Running for Premature Babies Foundation.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Capturing the hills’ wizard

By Tyler Wright

Over several decades, the ‘Belgrave Wizard’ has grown to be a popular, albeit mysterious figure in the Dandenong Ranges.

Known for his soft-hanging, colourful clothes, and his plethora of staffs, 93-year-old Desmond Patrick Bergin, AKA Baba Desi, frequents local haunts in Belgrave, Tecoma and Upwey; an intriguing sight for passers-by and those willing to have a chat.

One of those curious locals was long time Upwey resident Pauline Klemm.

“Everyone’s attracted to him when they see him because he’s very enigmatic, unique,“ Pauline said.

“I’ve lived up here for about 27 years now. I remember the first time I saw him, I was driving up Burwood Highway towards Belgrave, I drove past him and I just went, ‘what?’ My head did a swivel in the car. And I thought,’far out, who’s that?’”

Pauline’s first meeting with Desmond was in November 2020, after seeing him once again near Upwey Station, and finally plucking up the courage to ask him to meet for a coffee.

“I just wanted some shots for my portfolio, and I had thought that many times when I saw him and I hadn’t taken any action, and I was in a motivated mood that day. I thought ‘stop just thinking, go and take some action,’” Pauline said.

“I did a U-turn, parked my car, went into the station, asked him. Of course he said yes and I took my nurse’s ID with me for a bit of cred with him and met him for a cup of coffee.“

Three hours later, Pauline said she walked out of the cafe and thought ’there’s so much to this man than just a few photos.’

“I said to him ‘I’d like to document your life.’“

Pauline said Desmond had “so many stories“ from times in South Melbourne; including running an op shop that would give its proceeds to Father Bob Maguire’s social causes.

“Very active, very well known in South Melbourne. He was the minder for a South Melbourne mayor at the time...and he actually ran for the Senate whilst he was living there and also ran for Mayor in the South Melbourne Council.“

“He wore different clothing then... he used to wear a lot of black and he was a very tall man and well built and he’s got a very deep timber to his voice.“

Desmond was born in Wangaratta before his family moved to Richmond, followed by a move to Sandringham and then resting in Warrnambool, where he attended the local Christian Brother’s College.

“It was towards the mid to late ‘80s he started to wear colour and morphed into what we know as Baba Desi now,“ Pauline said.

“It’s shrouded in a bit of mystery how he got that name. He always dressed very distinc-

tively and during that time, also, he was doing a lot of acting in B-grade movies for quite a few talent agencies, he was given a stage nameVon Bergin.“

It was also in the ’80s that Desmond became politically active, Pauline said, protesting in the anti-uranium movement among other social movements.

“He was a target for the cops, so there’s a lot of stories about being arrested and getting off and he used to wear a lot of black leather then. He said he used to put oil all over the leather so when the cops tried to grab him they couldn’t get a good grip on him.

“I’ve had so many people say to me, especially if they’ve grown up here, they have memories of him from their childhood, and these are people who are 30, 40 years old now, and they’re still amazed that he’s still alive.

“There might be people dressing similar to him but it’s also his staff that’s a big part of his identity. He’s got about 250 of them, so they’re all unique. So it’s the whole thing. It’s his clothing, his staff, his rings, his jewellery, his bags, plus just his great age.“

In 2021, Pauline was successful in receiving a $10,000 grant from Yarra Ranges Council to

create a multimedia exhibition documenting Desmond’s story, but plans fell short.

But current photos are being posted on Facebook page ’The Baba Desi story’, run by Pauline, which has now amassed over 4,000 followers.

“Iwillreadoutcommentstohimsohehears everything that goes on there and quite often I’ll put a reply from Des to someone that’s put a comment I’ll say ‘this is Des,’” Pauline said.

“The page has been great because everyone knew him, but the page has let people into his life whereas they weren’t privy to that before.

“They just saw the man, the legend walking the roads of the hills rain, hail or shine with his staff and through the forest too which he doesn’t do anymore because it’s too dangerous for him. But it’s opened up a world to them that they didn’t have before.”

Formerly a property investor, it was the tragic death of Pauline’s brother, who was a professional photographer, in 2017 that sparked her own passion for photography.

After visiting India with her four sisters to bring their brother’s belongings home, Pauline went to a shop to sell his beloved camera - but was disappointed with the cash amount

the store offered, and decided to take it home herself.

“From the minute I start using his camera, I was just taken with it, just infatuated with the image,” she said.

“It’s a really beautiful thing that through the death of someone, I’ve met Des and I’ve gone down this path in my life and Des has come down this path with me.

“I will do a photo book at some stage which will be a mixture of my photos and my journey with him; anecdote stories, my feelings about it, what it’s like hanging out with a wizard... that’s my end goal at the moment.”

Desmond said the reason he is so popular is still a “mystery“ to him.

“I’m so old, I’m ancient,“ he said.

“I’ve been fighting the corporations since I was in my 40s.

“What I want to see is in every suburb, every country town, every city, all the people get up and stand up and say, ’we’ve had enough’.“

Desmond also said seeing families and children smiling at the recent Belgrave Lantern Festival in June was “beautiful to see“.

“That’s what I’d like to see right through Australia, everybody happy,“ he said.

Pauline Klemm (right) has been capturing the story of Belgrave’s wizard,or Baba Desi (left), for over two years. 346950 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Baba Desi has been apart of the Hills community for decades. 346950

Pauline’s image of Baba Desi reading the newspaper.

Picture: PAULINE KLEMM

Showcasing opportunity

By Mikayla van Loon

In the current job market with high rates of employment, attracting young people into the workforce has become somewhat of a task for employers.

But the mix and mingling of employers and employees at events like the Yarra Ranges Youth Career Expo on Tuesday 18 July still prove to have overwhelming benefits for those on both sides of the market.

Outer Eastern Local Learning Employment Network (OELLEN) partnership manager Brooke Young said traditionally it was always more challenging to engage exhibitors for such events.

“We’ve run these events over the last couple of years and have seen very strong changes in demand from employers to participate in events,” she said.

“A few years ago we might have struggled to get an employer to dedicate an evening, particularly when they’ve had a full busy day of work to come along and promote both their industry and their business.”

Although recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures showed an historically low 3.7 per cent unemployment rate in the state, with 123,600 Victorians finding work over the last year, Brooke said “it’s very much an employee market”.

“It’s been a struggle for employers to get stuff across sectors and so we get a lot more contact from local employers, a lot more engagement from them wanting to come along because they are struggling to recruit in that area,” she said.

“Whereas last year, we might have seen a lot of engagement from young people wanting to get into work that has softened a little bit.What we’re hearing anecdotally is there’s quite a few disengaged young people still staying at home, still not really getting out there post school.”

Brooke said the impact of the pandemic, particularly on teens who may have missed out on completing work experience, apprenticeship training or placement, may have left a lasting delay in their understanding of what they might want to do as a career.

OELLEN is also now seeing a trend of parents attending events or inquiring on behalf of their children to gather options and information.

The Expo is more than just a display of employers, Brooke said with training organisations and experts in resume writing, it’s also about giving young people the confidence to

Lucky local hits jackpot

One lucky Ferntree Gully local has hit the jackpot after a recent makeover purchase.

Ms Cherie Giurini has no clue that her simple purchase of a couple of Revlon lipsticks, would score her a cash prize of $10,000 with Chemist Discount Centre (CDC).

Ms Giurini is a regular, and a club member, at the Chemist Discount Centre in Ferntree Gully, where the winning purchase was made.

When making the purchase, she didn’t think anything of the campaign.

“They [the staff] just said you bought something from the catalogue, and asked if I wanted to go into to draw, and didn’t think anything of it,” she said.

Ms Giurini said when Alyssa called to say she’d won, she didn’t believe her.

“I thought it was just a hamper or something like that, but when Alyssa told me what the prize was, I thought it was a scam,” she said.

After receiving the surprise call, she then rang her son to see what he thought, who also said it was probably a scam, before phoning the chemist who confirmed that it was a real prize.

Ms Giurini has already got big plans for the prize money, although she still struggles to believe it happened.

“I kept the novelty cheque at home because I still can’t believe it.

“I wanted to be able to show my friends when they came over,” she said.

Ms Giurini plans to split the winnings with her children, and is hoping to book a getaway for herself as well.

“I’ve got a son getting married soon, my daughter turning 18, and she is going on a Christian Mission toThailand later this year to visit underprivileged kids, so I’d like to help them with that.

“I’ve also got a girlfriend up in Port Douglas, so that sounds like the place to go,” she said.

Ms Giurini expressed her thanks to the

Ferntree Gully CDC team, who she said were all very lovely to her.

The Ferntree Gully winner was one of three winners, as announced by the Platform Alliance Group, who participated in the recent Chemist Discount Centre (CDC) member’s loyalty campaign; the Save &Win Club Card promotion.

Other winners who were also surprised with a $10,000 cash prize bought products from the Warragul branch, and also in their Morley store in Perth, WA.

The Save and Win Club Card promotion has been a huge drawcard for CDC customers.

It offers them a chance to win valuable prizes by simply purchasing eligible products featured in the catalogue and scanning their CDC Club Card in-store.

The promotion rewards loyal customers whilst simultaneously ensuring access to affordable healthcare and wellness products, which echoes the CDC promise of expert advice at lower prices.

apply for their desired pathway.

While the Expo did have the broader attendance from Workforce Australia, Department of Education and training providers, Brooke said a large representation in the 22 stall holders was the local tourism industry and nurseries.

“[They were] trying to really showcase that it’s not just a job, it’s a career, there’s a whole pathway.

“Particularly, focused on the Yarra Ranges, it’s a striving, world class industry in that region that a lot of young people still don’t realise is on their doorstep.”

Despite registrations for the event being

lower than previous years, Brooke and her team were happily surprised by the turnout.

“By the time we got through the day, we had well over 100 registrations from families and then really strong attendance throughout the night and lots of fantastic engagement with our exhibitors.”

If young people missed the Yarra Ranges Expo, OELLEN are still to host the Knox event on 24 August and the Maroondah event on 7 September, with an apprenticeship and traineeship night being held in October as well.

For more information or to register for an upcoming event, go to www.oellen.org.au/ events

Plant a tree, save future

By Tanya Faulkner

As spoken in Chinese proverbs, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.

A local community group are taking this action in their stride, with a big tree planting day planned for the community at the end of the month. In celebration of NationalTree Day, the Belgrave Food Garden are taking the first steps in an ambitious garden project for the wider Belgrave area.

National Tree Day was started in 1996 by Planet Ark, which has since grown into the largest community tree planting and nature care event across the country, encouraging locals to get their hands dirty and give back to the community. Belgrave Food Garden president Ellie McSheedy said the group are expanding outside of the garden beds to revitalise the wasteland around their garden area, and take steps to strengthen the biodiversity around their gardens.

“We saw there was around an acre of unutilised land around our current garden beds, and we wanted to revitalise that space for the community,” she said.

The space set aside for the group’s upcoming tree planting sits between their community garden and the rail trail footpath in Belgrave. Ms McSheedy said this space had been overrun with weeds like blackberry and ivy, which are a common weed issue in the Dandenongs, and actually reduces the overall biodiversity in the community.

“After seeing this space, we came up with the idea to plant a food forest and make the most of the space,” she said.

She said food forests are highly resilient in the environment around them, and against climate change, and allow the opportunity to introduce more renewable and usable plants for locals to enjoy. “The idea of a food forest is to mimic a real forest, using renewable and edible plants like pumpkin plants, fruit and nut trees, and indigenous or native plants, to build a fully self-sustainable space,” she said.

TheYarra Regional Council bushland teams have helped the Food Garden with some of the weed clearing in the space already, with more work to come over the coming months. Ms McSheedy said the group also received an

NTPD grant, and had 600 seedlings provided from the Southern Dandenong Community Nursery at Birdsland Reserve.

“They stock plants specific to the Hills area that can’t be found at other garden places, and their volunteers will be at our planting day to help with the event and provide advice for the seedlings,” she said. The whole ethos of a food forest is really varied planting to mimic a forest.

“It helps to improve pollination, gives vertebrates and invertebrates, birds and other wildlife a place to make a home, and can further benefit gardens in the wider community with more wildlife activity. Plus, once it is fully self sustainable once it’s properly established,” she said.

Ms McSheedy said anyone that is interested in supporting the community, our biodiversity or to learn about gardening and indigenous plants are welcome to come along and plant some trees, and network with other plant lovers in the community.

“We have a full family friendly day planned with chances for the little ones right up to the elderly and everyone in between to get amongst it and plant a few trees,” she said.

The official planting day will be from 10am to 1pm on Sunday 30 July, at the Belgrave Food Garden location. More information can be found on facebook.com/BelgraveFoodGarden

Cherie Giurini was the lucky winner from Upper Ferntree Gully. Picture: SUPPLIED

Matt and the Rustic Cafe crew spoilt volunteers with delicious cakes after a day of weeding.

Picture: ELLIE MCSHEEDY

The Yarra Ranges Youth Career Expo hosted by OELLEN was well attended by many young people. Pictures: OELLEN Stall holders were there to guide young people on what opportunities are available like early childhood education.

Champions made in ring

By Tanya Faulkner

From a small-town gym in Ferntree Gully, to a world stage, is the upcoming journey of one local athlete.

Scarlett Mahoney, who trains muay thai out ofWorld Fitness Cartel (WFC) in Ferntree Gully, has been selected to represent Australia in an upcoming tournament in Germany.

She will be competing at the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) tournament for muay thai and kickboxing, which she said has been very spur of the moment and exciting.

Ms Mahoney has been training atWFC gym in Ferntree Gully for several years, only taking it seriously earlier this year, and taking on fights across Victoria.

Coach, and owner of WFC Ferntree Gully, Dwayne Harris said her selection is a great opportunity for her fighting career.

“Scarlett is currently sitting at the top of her weight category against other girls around Victoria, and ticked all of the boxes to get se-

lected,” he said.

Ms Mahoney said she was surprised to have been selected for the tournament.

“I didn’t believe Dwayne at first, I thought he was joking.

“It’s crazy to think that Dwayne would even consider me in the first place, let alone someone else selecting me,” she said.

Ms Mahoney said, after taking up muay thai a few years ago “on a whim” she never thought she would have stuck at it this long, let alone be going international in her career.

“It’s crazy how quickly it can flip your life around both mentally and physically,” she said. Leading into the tournament, Ms Mahoney faces weeks of grueling training to build up her cardio, and technique, before heading to Germany for an elimination-style tournament, where the winners of each fight will compete for the top placings.

Ms Mahoney said she feels like she owes it to the gym to go into the tournament in her best form.

“I just want to give it my best shot.

I’ve been given this amazing opportunity so I want to just go in and give it my all,” she said.

Fellow WFC athlete Rhys Kirk said she is the “best of all evils” when it comes to her skill in the ring, and a good representation of the sport.

“We’ve partnered and sparred together; she’s quite fast moving, and whenever you go up against her you know you’re going to work, and can’t afford to slack off.

“She has really good technique and she’s a workhorse, which is very scary to be up against, and she helps to bring the female fight standard even higher in Victoria,” he said.

ISKA Victoria director Daniel den Braber said after seeing Ms Mahoney train and compete over her career, it was an easy decision to bring her onto the Australia team heading to Germany later this year.

“She has excellent style, mindset and toughness, and was exactly what we were looking for to compete at ISKA and represent Australia.

“She brings a really good package for the

sport, and we’re glad to have her on the Australian team heading to Germany in October,” he said.

Ms Mahoney was one of five girls selected to compete from across Victoria.

ISKA is a world wide sanction that hosts championships each year, with athletes competing from all around the world.

“This year we expect between 7,500 and 8,000 athletes across several weight classes in muay thai and kickboxing to be attending the tournament in Germany,” he said.

He said Victoria especially has come a long way in the fighting scene, particularly in style and at the amateur level, preparing athletes for semi-pro or professional careers.

Mr Harris said last year, a girl from World Fitness Cartel in Chirnside was the winner of last years’ ISKA tournament.

He said the rest of the team have several fights coming up, including their club-famous Cartel Wars and the muay thai nationals later this year.

Barbenheimer – the movie event of the year is here

It’s finally here – Barbenheimer.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie is a fun, endearing film with surprising depth for what is essentially a feature-length commercial.

Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives a perfect existence in the realm of Barbieland with all the other Barbies and Kens, but when small imperfections enter her life, she must venture into the real world to find out who or what she really is.

Barbie’s brightly-coloured first act is hilarious and cleverly renders the plastic pink playsets and make-believe physics of kids playing with their dolls into a real place. As Barbie explores Los Angeles to find her human playmate, the film offers commentary on her brand’s legacy, confronting the patriarchy and how respect and opportunities for women still fall short of Barbie’s empowered image without being preachy.

Robbie looks the part as the quintessential Barbie – blonde, chipper, model-pretty – but delivers a moving performance that literally humanises her doll character, as Barbie comes to accept her imperfections and learn the value of sad emotions.

Robbie is the definitive live-action Bar-

bie, but Ryan Gosling steals the show as Ken. Gosling plays a cheerful, gormless hunk who later becomes an unlikely dudebro villain, leading a ludicrous macho revolution in a funny inversion of Barbieland’s girl-power status quo. Will Ferrell, on the other hand, is wasted in a redundant subplot as the eccentric CEO of Mattel.

While more feminist and satirical, to me Barbie occupies a similar headspace as the Super Mario Bros Movie: bright, silly, breezy and the dramatic conflict is lightweight. Barbie carries an important moral about girls sticking together and helping each other realise their worth, but most viewers will enjoy Barbie’s vibrant production, humour,

solid cast and the emotional maturity under the quirkiness.

Oppenheimer, which follows the turbulent life and career of “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), is an outstanding work of cinema.

Murphy is enthralling as Oppenheimer, portraying both a driven scientist with a world-changing responsibility and a flawed ordinary man enduring life’s challenges. The cast is a prestigious who’s-who, both of talented actors and the real historical figures they play. The cinematography, score and period atmosphere are impeccable.

The plot is consistently absorbing despite the three-hour run-time, and the time-jumping narrative makes frequent use of parallels. The film juxtaposes Oppenheimer’s friction with the US government during the Manhattan Project with his McCarthy-era trial after the war, and Oppenheimer’s race to complete the atomic bomb with his post-war efforts to limit its use.

Writer-director Christopher Nolan is often considered a dry, impersonal filmmaker (Tenet is a prime example), but Oppenheimer is Nolan’s most humane, intimate film yet. The dialogue is portentous without

going overboard (unlike Interstellar), and motifs such as marbles, flowers and certain phrases run through Oppenheimer’s poignant, complicated relationships.

The intrigue in Oppenheimer’s trial, which forms the film’s framing device, can get a little murky, and the black-and-white segments, intended to show an objective perspective outside of Oppenheimer’s, are sparse and slightly distracting.

Barbie is a fun feminist popcorn flick, and Oppenheimer is a masterful character study.

Why has the Internet had such a blast connecting these dramatically different films?

They share the same July 20 release date, but there are some other parallels.

Both are by Oscar-nominated directors. Both have gendered vibes: Barbie has feminist themes and pink aesthetics, and Oppenheimer’s cast and mid-twentieth-century setting are dominated by men.

Barbie asks “Have you guys ever thought about dying?”, and in a 1965 interview, Oppenheimer cites the Sanskrit quote: “Now I am become Death, the Destroyer ofWorlds.”

- Seth Lukas Hynes

Scarlett Mahoney is set to represent Australia at the ISKA tournament in Germany later this year.

Pictures: DWAYNE HARRIS

Lots happening here

The state of Jackson

affairs

Taylor Bayswater MP

Free Dental in Public Schools is BACK!

The Smile Squads (dental vans), which started in Knox in 2023, are delivering free oral health promotion, dental check-ups, and treatment to Victorian government school students at school.The landmark free dental care program is driving down big dental costs for families, with bills expected to be slashed by $400 each year for each kid. It will also free up more than 100,000 places for adults in the public dental system each year, reducing wait times.

Priority Primary Care Centre

Bayswater Priority Care Clinic is open at the Mountain High Centre in Bayswater. We’ve opened 27 free primary care clinics so Victorians can get the care they need, when they need it. They’ll support you if you need urgent care but not with the lights and sirens. These GP-led centres can treat patients suffering from mild cuts, burns and infections. And they’re staffed by trained GPs - operating seven days a week, 16 hours a day. Not only do you get the care you need, but it also frees up valuable resources in

our emergency departments. It’ll mean that our EDs can focus on the most urgent care to the people who need it most – and people with less serious conditions get care faster.

Backing in Local Schools

Here’s the latest on some big projects which are quickly taking shape: Boronia West Primary, (over $4 million), the frames are up on the new central learning hub – due for completion later this year. Fairhills High, (over $8 million), major works have started on the new science and tech facilities – due for completion later this year. Bayswater Secondary College (over $12 million) the frames are up on the new middle and senior school buildings – due for completion later this year. Wantirna College, (over $11 million) architect released concept images of what the new double court compe-

tition grade gym and performing arts space could look like – I’ll update you on timeline once works start. Templeton Primary, (over $9 million) construction is well underway on the new senior school buildings – due for completion 2024. I’ll keep you updated on these and other projects over the course of the journey. Supporting our Local Environment Construction on the first stages of the Blind Creek reimagining between Scoresby Road and Lewis Park is now well underway with works spanning three suburbs. And excitingly - lots of waterways have already been naturalised with water flowing on the surface for the first time in decades. We’re also giving the Liverpool Road Retarding Basin a new lease on life. We’re delivering: 11,700 new native plants will be planted, new signage at the site with some around picking up after the doggo’s and about the site’s values, enhanced Swamp Skink habitat, controlling weeds and new infrastructure to improve conservation zones. Works on this revegetation project began recently and we’ll see signs installed soon, with all the plants to be out by the end of 2023 planting season.

Local Shout-Out

A shout out this edition goes to pet owners locally! Our pets are our best mates and I thought you’d like to know that Victoria is holding Australia’s very first pet census to help shape the future of animal welfare in Victoria. To fill out the pet census go here - https://agriculture.vic. gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfarevictoria/animal-welfare/victorian-pet-census

A memoir with bite PASSION FOR PROSE

A review of Raised by Wolves by Jess Ho The subtitle of Jess Ho’s Raised byWolves is “a memoir with bite”. Whoever chose the phrase is a genius, as it perfectly reflects the author’s writing style – honest, forthright, occasionally cynical, very funny, highly empathetic, and absolutely fierce.

To feel the impact of the sassy writing full-on, it is best to read it without any pre-research of the author’s background. Neither should you be alienated by the blurb on the back cover, which begins with “growing up Cantonese in the racist outer suburbs”. Truth be told, the book is nothing like your stereotypical “diverse” writing.

Ho has been working in hospitality since the age of 15, and is presently “one of the most influential voices in Australia’s bar and restaurant scene”. We soon learn the “scene” in Melbourne is far from what is promoted as our “food culture”, epitomised by popular cooking shows and glamorous chefs and restaurateurs.

Instead, Ho shows us the hospitality industry is full of greed, ego, sexual harassment, exploitation, and a never-ending fetishisation of anything and everything “exotic”, including foods, fashions and females. Many of our diners and drinkers are abusive and predatory, as they believe those paying are entitled to treating others like slaves.

Worse, our food culture is characterised by idolising trendy brands and big names, diluting other cuisines by “elevating” and “reinventing” them to suit our poorly informed palates, turning “authenticity” into “appropriation” while assuming“experience” means“entertainment”, and priding ourselves on “censoring parts of someone else’s culture and selling the easily digestible bits to a rich, white audience”.

In Ho’s words: “I should have known. My parents didn’t teach me much, but they taught me how to eat. The numberone rule of going to a restaurant serving ethnic food is that the majority of people eating in the restaurant have to be from the cuisine’s cultural background.” Indeed, if you want authentic and quality food, just observe whether your fellow eaters truly appreciate the cooking and serving staff.

A season of special performances

The 1812 Theatre

Picnic at Hanging Rock

In Tom Wright’s chilling adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s classic novel, five performers struggle to solve the mystery of the missing girls and their teacher.

Euphoria and terror reverberate throughout the community, as the potential for history to repeat itself becomes nightmarishly real. Season: 3 – 26 August. Bookings: 9758 3964.

Burrinja Theatre

Anh Do – The Happiest Refugee Live!

Comedian Anh Do brings his best-selling memoir The Happiest Refugee. To life in a ground-breaking stand-up show.

This moving, inspirational and unforgettable theatre experience combines humour, real life stories, photos and filmed pieces to retell Do’s amazing story.

Anh Do travelled to Australia in 1980 on an eight metre fishing boat with 47 other Vietnamese refugees. Sick with dehydration and one person already dead, the journey was the first or many struggles for a young Do, who

Kemp’s curtain call

overcame all manner of difficulties throughout his idea to become a lawyer and, in 2008, Australia’s Comedian of the year.

So struggles as a young refugee – his difficulties with English, divorcing parents, being bullied and broke, are brought to life in this hilarious but moving stage show, garnering this happy refugee standing ovations across the country.

Season: Wednesday 3 August at 7.30pm.

The Rolling Stones 1973 Kooyong Concert 50th Anniversary Show.

Featuring the Monkey Men and special guest Madder Lake.

People will be amazed as the all-star local act, The Money Men, takes the stage, delivering a track-for-track live tribute of the 1970 concert.

Featuring the extraordinary talents of Tim Rogers on lead vocals, Andre Warhurst and Savey Lane on guitars, Stephen Hacley on bass, Matthew Cotter on drums, Bruce Haynes and Ben Marsland on horns, and Eliza and Talei Wolfgeamm on backing vocals, this stellar lineup is sue to bring the house down.

In a truly matched collaboration, Burrinja Theatre is delighted to announce that Madder Lake will be returning as the support act. They had the privilege of opening for The Rolling Stones at Kooyong back in 1973.

A Reminder:

· CPP Community Theatre’s production of The Cat’s Meow, A 1920s Murder Mystery Party

· Saturday 29 July at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

· Bookings: fundraising@croydonparishplayers.com

All this is conveyed through charm and humour, as first-hand insight from someone who has done the hard work inside and out, every step of the way. Each cautionary tale is built upon shared triumph and frustration among frontand back-of-the-house workers. Behind each smile and display of sophisticated knowledge and skills is an accumulation of years of trial and error through tears and sweat.

And the public prestige is interwoven with private pain, as Ho details how family can make or break you, how the loss of a beloved friend can shatter your heart, and how the right food prepared and presented in the right way can make you feel right at home. In the author’s words:

“I don’t need flashy service in architectural rooms, a view, or carefully curated playlists. I don’t need perfectly temperature-controlled spaces, open kitchens, or toilets with designer soaps. I don’t need a reinvention, reinterpretation, refining or deconstruction of a dish that is perfect enough as it is. I just want some really f*cking good food.”

Jackson Taylor visiting a new Priority Primary Care Centre in his electorate.

Picture: SUPPLIED

PUZZLES

SUDOKU

No. 16 9 75 2 746

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Of the finest type or standard (7)

5 Destructive insects (7)

DOWN

1 Throw (4)

2 Nation continent (9)

3 Graduated measure (5)

4 Following each other (11)

936 65 7 53 2

9 Able to be maintained consistently (11)

10 Hair product (3)

11 Country (6)

12 My friend (Fr) (3,4)

14 Regulation (4)

15 Timber tree (10)

17 Extremely greedy (10)

19 Poke (4)

20 Inhabitant of Malta (7)

22 Forces out (6)

25 Harass (3)

26 Unfortunate (11)

28 Drink made with wine, fruit and brandy (7)

29 Dressage movement (7)

5 Room for scientific experiments (abb) (3)

6 Neatly (7)

7 Happiness in Hindi (5)

8 Round of beef (10)

12 Dimension (11)

13 Medications given to a patient (10)

plate supporting

easy 849 6 613729 1 249

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hard

medium 592 38 5381 14 692

95 148 37

DECODER WORDFIT

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easy medium hard

O U Good 18 words: Very good 25 words: Excellent

words: 3 LETTERS AGE AMP APE APT BAN EAT EEL GEL IMP MOW NOT NUT OUR OVA PEG PEP ROB RYE SEC SEE SHY TNT TOE WHO 4 LETTERS ARCH ARTS DRIP DYES ECHO INTO KEEN PASS SACS SEES SLED SUMS TREE TWOS

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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”. I L

aloud, annul, annuli, audio, auld, dual, dung, dunlin, gluon, guano, guild, languid, laud, lauding, lingua, loud, lung, noun, ulan, ulna, undo, undoing, union, unload, UNLOADING

5 LETTERS ADOBE AGILE ALONE APTER ATONE AWAIT BITES CHINA COAST COOKS CREPT CROON ERODE HONEY HONKS HOVER IDEAL IMAGE MANIA MARTS

NANAS NERVE OBESE OGLES PACTS PASTA POUCH PRAYS PROBE ROGUE RUDER SASSY SEDAN SEEDY SENSE SHINE SITES SLATE SMASH SONGS STOOD

STORE THANK TREAD TREND TRUED TWICE UNITE WAITS WASN’T 6 LETTERS APPEND CREEPY PENDED WASTED

7 LETTERS CERTAIN COASTED COMPILE EARLIER EVASION TORPEDO 8 LETTERS ALLERGIC ROMANTIC THROWING THWARTED

P 28-07-23 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

13 26 HP William Matthews Funerals 24 HOUR SERVICE - ALLAREAS 9739 6868 45 Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale www.williammatthewsfunerals.com.au 12567433-SN37-22

No. 143

No.

No. 143

UPDATED HOME IN PRIME LOCATION

THIS fantastic 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom home will delight! This home has been lovingly renovated, with the interior professionally painted, and a brand-new kitchen meticulously installed with new appliances. The home features new flooring in the living areas to offer you a home that is entirely move in ready.

Stroll home from the delights of Gembrook Mainstreet, with its amenities, restaurants, playgrounds, puffing billy station and primary school to unwind with your leafy outlook.

The loungeroom has fresh flooring and a light bright colour palette, an open fireplace and new split system air conditioner to ensure year-round comfort. There is also gas ducted heating present throughout the home to keep you cosy in winter. The home flows through the open plan dining room into the kitchen with tiled splashback, stainlesssteel dishwasher, electric oven and induction stove top.

There is a handy new powder room

located off the loungeroom, and then the two roomy bedrooms with extensive builtin-cupboards enjoy the large and updated family bathroom. The bathroom offers both a bath and a walk-in shower with stylish dual vanities.

Towards the rear of the home is a handy mud room and fully updated laundry to that leads out to the landscaped backyard with flat grassed area and covered entertaining area.

There is also a single lock up garage and a spacious front yard set behind a hedge. This property also features a new hot water heat pump.

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. ●

ENDLESS POTENTIAL, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE

DISCOVER the perfect family home that ticks all the boxes. Located just under 5 minutes away from the charming Emerald township, this solid and well-located residence offers an array of conveniences at your doorstep. From shops and renowned restaurants to excellent public transport connections, everything you need is within easy reach.

Inside the home features multiple living areas, the well-appointed kitchen boasts excellent cupboard and bench space, dishwasher, breakfast bar and adjacent dining area whilst the spacious light filled family lounge room is complete with split system and offers the perfect place to kick back and relax. There are three spacious bedrooms, all equipped with built-in robes. The master bedroom boasts its own ensuite for added convenience and privacy whilst the secondary bedrooms are serviced by the family bathroom. Indoor comfort is assured with ducted heating throughout.

Outside entertainers will delight in the fabulous undercover paved area, an ideal spot for family barbecues, no matter the weather. Enjoy your own private oasis on a generous quarter-acre land, featuring sunfilled established gardens. The sunny rear yard boasts lush trees and shrubs.

Storage and parking are never an issue! The property offers various shedding options, including a garden shed and a storage shed. For car owners, the home provides ample space with a lock-up garage, a double carport, and an oversized carport.

This property has it all - space, convenience, and a fantastic location, it won’t stay on the market for long. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity, inspect with absolute confidence.

The home is currently rented until 11/08/2023. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS

Address: 2002 Wellington Road, CLEMATIS

MenziesCreek 31SelbyAuraRoad

Cleverlydesigned,thepropertyoffersafamilyfriendlyfloorplanboastingtwo spaciouslivingareasthatensureeveryonehastheirownspace.Locatedintheheart ofthehometheopenplanlivingspacefeaturestheimpressiveupdatedtimber kitchen,completewithdishwasher,excellentcupboardandbenchspace,thekitchen overseestheadjacentexpansivediningandlivingarea,completewithawoodfireto sitbackandenjoyonthosecoolerevenings.Thesecondlivingspaceistheperfect parentsretreatorformalsittingareawithaccesstothefrontveranda.Sittingona stunningelevatedsettingthehometakesfulladvantageofthewonderfulvalleyvista viewsthatyoucanseethroughoutthehouse.Therearefourbedroomsintotal,the mastersuiteiscompletewithalargeensuitebathroom,builtinrobesanddirect accesstothefrontveranda.Thesecondarybedroomsallhavebuiltinrobesandare servicedbytheoversizedfamilybathroom.Aseparatestoragespaceinbedroom fourcouldbeeasilyconvertedintoawalk-inwardrobe.Specialfeaturesinclude ductedheating,largelaundryandplentyofstoragethroughout.

FORSALE

PRICEGUIDE $830,000-$860,000

CONTACT

JustinBarrot0438683781

BrittanyBarry0412861094

BarryPlantEmerald59684522

PEACE,PRIVACYANDPERFECTVIEWS

LocatedinahighlydesirablepocketofEmerald,relishincompleteluxuryandprivacy atthisspectacularresidence.Immediatelyuponarrivalthesophisticateddesign elementswillcaptureyourattention;thegrandfoyerentrywithimpressivecurved staircasetakesyoutothesecondstoreylivingwherefloortoceilingdoubleglazed windowsfloodthehomewithnaturallightandonacoldwintermorning,capture theviewsofthespectacularWarburtonranges.Entertainwithease,theopenplan kitchenwithCaesarstonebenchtops,soft-closecabinetry,andbarseatingoversees thediningandlivingspacewithdirectaccessthroughbi-folddoorstothesandstone balcony.Alsounderrooflinethedoublegaragefeaturesapowderroom,workshop spaceandinternalaccess.Specialadditionsincludegasductedheating,evaporative cooling,timberflooringandabrightneutralcolourschemethroughout.

FORSALE

PRICEGUIDE $1,450,000-$1,595,000

CONTACT JustinBarrot0438683781

BrittanyBarry0412861094

BarryPlantEmerald59684522

NUMBER1RULE-ALWAYSBUYINAGREATLOCATION!!!

Justashortstrollfromthisspacious3bedroomhomeandyouareliterallyinthe heartoftown!Nestledinaquietstreetyouwillenjoytheconvenienceofhaving publictransport,shops,school,eateries&manylocalwalkingtrailsrightatyour fingertips.Thebedroomsareagreatsizeplusthe2separatelivingareasofferspace toworkfromhomeorplentyofroomtoentertainfamily&friends.Thediningroom adjoinstheoutdoorcoveredlivingspacecompletewithwoodfire&gardenviews. Thelargeloungeofferscosywoodfire&directaccesstothewraparoundverandas, whichoffersadelightfulspacetositinsolitude.Thedoublegarageoffersanother woodfireplus2ndtoilet&openstothedoublecarportagainofferingplentyofspace tospreadout&enjoy.Alowmaintenanceblockmeansyoucanspendtimeenjoying walksthroughEmeraldLakeorreadingabookbythefire!Bequicktoinspectthis one–itsperfectforthoselookingforanexcellentlocation,investorsorfirsthome buyers! FORSALE

PRICEGUIDE $740,000-$795,000

CONTACT

LanaMaher0408535075

BarryPlantEmerald59684522

Emerald 24ElmCrescent

Thiscontemporaryfamilyhomesitsproudlyonthe2,022m2allotment,boasting everythingyouneedtoenjoythelifestyleyouhavebeendreamingof.Thehome offersplentyofroomforthewholefamily,therearethreelivingspacesincludingthe well-appointedkitchenwithgranitebenchtops,stainlesssteelappliances,excellent cupboardspaceandspaciousadjoiningmealsareawithvaultedceilings,accessto thebalconyandlovelylocalviews.Theexpansivefamilylivingspaceistheperfect placeforthefamilytokickbackandrelaxcomfortablywiththeaddedbonusofthe versatilerumpusroomdownstairstoo!Therearefourbedroomsintotal,themaster suiteiscompletewithwalkinwardrobeandfullensuitebathroomthatboasts doublevanityandspabath.Thesecondarybedroomsareallcompletewithbuiltin robes,bedroomstwoandthreeareservicedbytheupstairsfamilybathroomwhilst bedroomfourisservicedbythethirdbathroomdownstairs.Thehomeofficeand laundrycompletetheresidence.Alsounderrooflinethereisadoublegaragewith additionalstorageorworkshopspace.Specialfeaturesincludehighceilings,gas ductedheating,evaporativecooling,woodfire,timberfloorboardsandalarmsystem.

FORSALE

PRICEGUIDE $1,150,000-$1,250,000

CONTACT

JustinBarrot0438683781

BrittanyBarry0412861094

BarryPlantEmerald59684522

Nestledonasprawlingnear2-acreparcel,thispropertyboastsaserenesetting envelopedbyagullyoflushferns,establishedtreesandthesoothingembraceofthe surroundingnaturereserveandflowingcreek.Withitsstunningtimberfeaturesand uniquestylishupgrades,thishomeoffersaharmoniousblendofnatureandmodern comforts.

ThepropertyiscurrentlybeingoperatedasasuccessfulAirbnbwithover1005star reviews&ahealthyincometomatch.Ifyourlong-termplanistoslowlymigrateto thehills,orwouldlikeanimmediateincome,thenthisisthepropertyforyou!

Featuring3charmingbedroomsand2beautifullyrenovatedbathrooms,this residenceisanoasisofcomfortandstyle.Thebathroomshavebeenthoughtfully designedtocreatealuxuriousambiance,ensuringyourdailyroutinesareelevatedto anewlevelofrelaxation.

FORSALE PRICEGUIDE $1,100,000-$1,200,000

CONTACT

RileyNicholas0488501218

BarryPlantEmerald59684522

Cockatoo 39LisheenRoad

inAugustforyourchancetowinbig!

2RedwoodRoad,Gembrook$590,000-$640,000

Absolutelygorgeous,updatedhomeinprimelocation!

Thisfantastic2bedroom,1.5bathroomhomewilldelight&isashortstrollfromGembrookmain street!Thishomehasbeenlovinglyrenovated,theinteriorprofessionallypainted,anewkitchen meticulouslyinstalledwithnewappliances&newflooringinthelivingareas&newhotwaterpump. Theloungeroomhasanopenfireplace&newsplitsystemAC.Thereisalsogasductedheating.The openplandiningroomflowsintothekitchenwithtiledsplashback,SSdishwasher,electricoven& inductionstovetop.Thereisapowderroomlocatedofftheloungeroom,&then2roomybedrooms withextensiveBIRsthatenjoythelarge&updatedfamilybathroom.Thebathroomhasabath& showerwithdualvanities.Thereisalsoamudroom&fullyupdatedlaundrythatleadsouttothe landscapedbackyardwithflatgrassedarea&coveredentertainingarea.ThereisalsoaSLUG.

ThisIsTheOne-YourFullyRenovatedFamilyHome,FirstHomeorInvestment OpportunityAwaits!

With3bedrooms,&2bathrooms,thisisamusttosee.ThekitchenboastsaSSdishwasher,electric ovenwithgascooktop&canopyrangehoodalongsideaEuropeanlaundry.Ontheupperlevel thereare2bedrooms(1withBIRs)&anupdatedfamilybathroomwithabath.Downthestairsto thespaciousloungeroomwithprivateviewsofthereardeck&distanthills,andthenthroughtothe masterbedroom,withensuite,largerobe&asunnyoutlookovertherearyard.Thishomeisflooded withnaturallight,hasgasductedheating&splitsystemAC.Relaxonthereardeckofthefully fencedbackyard,orentertainonthepavedarea.Thereisalsoagrassedarea,agardenshed&a CubbyHouse!Ideallylocatedonly2minsdrivefromtownoraneasystrollintoWooriYallockshops.

6LiegeStreet,Selby$800,000-$880,000

Comfy,RenovatedHomeonAlmost½anAcreofPeace&Privacy!

Situatedonnearly1/2anacreisthisrenovated3bedroom/2bathroomfamilyhomewithvaulted ceilings,DLUG,carport,sealeddrive&allprivatelylocatedoverlookingSherbrookeNationalForest. Thekitchenhasanewfreestanding900mmstove,adishwasher&plentyofstorage.Theseparate diningareaoverlooksthelightfilledloungeroomwhichflowsouttothegenerous,northfacing entertainingdeck.Therearethreerobedbedrooms-theMasterwithsemi-ensuiteandtreetop views,and2bedroomswhicharelocatedadjacenttothefamilybathroomand2ndtoilet.The homehas3splitsystems,awoodheaterinthelounge&brandnewmainsgasductedheating throughout.Externallyisadoublecarport&aDLUGwithconcretefloor&power.Thereisalsoa chickencoop,2watertanks,raisedgardenbeds,fruittrees&alargeunderhousestoragearea.

Beautifullyrenovatedhomewithgorgeoustreedoutlook,andsocloseto town!

Thisfantasticfamilyhomehas3bedrooms,allwithBIRs,&2lovelybathrooms.Thefreshlypainted homewithopenplankitchen/dining/lounge&plushcarpetinallbedroomsistheepitomeofmove inready!ThekitchenisequippedwithInductionelectricstove&oven,stonebenchtops&agreat Laundry/butlerspantry.Thishomewillbecosy&comfortableyearround,withzoneablereverse systemductedheating&RefrigeratedCoolingthroughout&efficientHeatPumpforhotwater.Enjoy theviewsacrosstotheCockatootrees,&theconvenienceofbeingonlymomentsfromCockatoo mainstreet.Extensivelandscapinghasbeencompletedoutside,withplentyofoffstreetparking available.Thegardenbedsarefreshlyplanted,&thereisagardenshed.Thisblockhasdualaccess.

SamanthaScott M 0438680032

SamanthaScott

131MoxhamsRoad,Monbulk$1,250,000-$1,350,000

LovelyEquestrianHomeWithGreatWorkFromHomeFacilities!

This3bedroom(allwithBIRs),2bathroomhomeonnearly8.5acreshasapprox.5clearedacres sectionedinto4paddocks,includinganew20m*40msanddressagearena.Thehomehashard woodfloors,awoodfire&splitsystemintheopenplankitchen/dining/loungearea.Thekitchenhas lovelyprivateviews,SSdishwasher,gasstovetop&electricoven.Thesecondbedroomhasaceiling fan.ThemasterbedroomhassplitsystemAC,anadditionalretreat/secondloungeroom&updated bathroom.Externallyisextensivedecking,&2excellentofficespaceswithNBNconnection.There areproductivefruittrees,&ahighdoublecarport,furthersheddingwithpower&aconcretefloor. Thispropertyhasmainselectricity,bottlegas,&8.8kWsolarwitha10Kwhoursbattery,mainswater connection,&awatertank.Aseptictankiscurrentlyusedhoweversewerconnectionavailable.

AaronDay M 0407365994

3 A

LuxuryFeatures,PrivateSettingandOver5acrestoImmerseYourselfIn!

Theentertainingdeckfeaturesaspa,ceilingfans&abuiltinbar.Insidethehomediscoveramodern openplankitchen/dining/loungeroomwithawoodfire&splitsystemAC.Thekitchenhasalarge islandbench,electricoven&stovetop,&dishwasher.Themasterbedroomoffers2spaciousWIRs, splitsystemAC,&ensuitewithdualvanities&dualshower,&atoilet.Thesecondloungeroomhasa woodfire,baywindows&aceilingfan.Thefurther3bedroomshaveBIRs&splitsystemACs.There isalargefencedyard,2fencedpaddocks,adam,3*22,000Watertanks,2hotwaterservices, anexternalgeneratorplug,an8kWSolarSystem&sprinklersystem,anddoubleglazedwindows throughout.Thereisalargeshedapprox.16m*8mwithconcretefloor,power&lights.Therearealso smallersheds,achickencoop,&achildrensplaygroundarea.

5BelvedereCourt,Gembrook$900,000-$990,000

TheUltimateFamilyHomeintheHeartofGembrook!

Thisstylishcharacterhomefeatures4bedrooms,2largelivingareas&greatoutdoorentertaining spaces.Withhighceilings,qualitylightfittings,&polishedfloorboardsthroughout.TheMaster BedroomhasWIR&ensuitewithdoublevanity.Theformalliving/diningroom,allowsyoutoentertain guestswhilstthekidshangoutintheopenplanfamilyroom/kitchen/mealsspace.Orenjoyacosy nightbythewoodfireinthelivingroom.Thekitchenhaswhitecabinetry,arangehood,stone benchtops,SMEGgascooktop&oven,SSdishwasher,&walkinpantry.Thereisapitchedceiling overthekitchen&themealsarea,creatingabright,airyfeelingofspace.Outside,isareardeckin thefullyfencedrearyard&aswimspa.Withmainsgasductedheating,5kWofsolar,alargeDLUG withworkbencharea&bothrearyardaccess&internalaccess.Thereare2gardensheds.

BethanyDay

M 0438844968

AaronDay

M 0407365994

121MattersRoad,PakenhamUpper$1,070,000-$1,180,000

Inspiringandbeautifularchitecturalhomeinprivateyetconvenientsetting! Thisstunninghomeonapproximately20acres,offersauniquedesign.With3generousbedrooms, allwithBIRs&2bathrooms,closetobothEmerald,Cockatoo&Pakenham.Bothbathroomsare updatedwithlovelywalkinshowers.Theopenplankitchen,living,diningroomisamusttosee!With highvaultedceilings,&exposedtimbersupports.Thefloortoceilingglassgivesanunobstructed viewouttoyourownnaturalbush.Relaxbythewoodfire,sitoutonthebalcony&watchthewildlife meanderthroughyourblock,orvisityourveryowncreek!Thishomeisverywellinsulatedkeeping youwarminwinter&coolinsummer.Externallythereisadoublecarportnexttothehome,&thena largedoublegaragewithconcretefloor&power,workshoparea&aleantoooffthegarage.

BrennanMileto M 0422996451

LOVELY EQUESTRIAN HOME

THIS fantastic 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home is bursting with opportunities! From the moment you arrive on this nearly 8.5 acre property, you feel immersed in the peace and quiet of the area. Soak in the beautiful views across the property that comprises approximately 5 cleared acres sectioned into 4 paddocks (also accessible through separate road entrances on two sides of the property), including a brand new 20m*40m sand dressage arena. Then enjoy the abundant wildlife in the bush area that offers the Sassafras creek trail as the boundary.

Enter the home as the cosy wood fire welcomes you inside, or enjoy the convenience of the split system in the open plan kitchen/dining/lounge area.

The kitchen has lovely private views across the valley and offers plenty of counter top space, a stainless steel dishwasher, gas stove top and electric oven. The home flows with hard wood flooring through to three great sized bedrooms, all with large built in robes. The second bedroom has a ceiling fan, and the master bedroom has a further split system air conditioner, and an additional parents retreat/second lounge room and updated bathroom with walk in shower, bath and separate toilet.

The master suite also has it’s own glass sliding door access to the rear verandah. Externally is extensive decking, perfect for entertaining on a warm evening overlooking the bush bursting with bird life. There are also two excellent office spaces adjoined to the rear decking which could make a fantastic teenagers retreat or continued to be utilised for work from home purposes –NBN connection is present.

For the horticultural enthusiast, this property is set in rich fertile soil and boasts six apple trees, a fruitful avocado tree, a nashi pear tree, Jerusalem artichokes, a lemon balm tree, and two generous lemon trees.

Externally there is also a high double carport – great for caravan parking/float

HOME ESSENTIALS

parking, and further shedding with power and concrete floor that would make a lovely work shop or tackroom/feed room.

This property enjoys mains electricity and also has a solar (8.8Kilowatts) set up complete with battery (10 Kilowatt hours), mains water connection and a water tank, septic tank currently used however sewer

connection available, and utilises bottled gas.

The property is located a very convenient 2 minute-drive from Monbulk Main Street although you feel like you are tucked in your own private sanctuary of peaceful nature. You can be in Melbourne CBD within the hour.

This property has it all so don’t miss out - call 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. ●

HOME AND NURSERY INFRASTRUCTURE

IT is clear to see why this wonderful versatile property with flower nursery infrastructure has been held by the same family for generations. Featuring a charming single-level home upon a generous 3,668sqm (approx.) allotment with prominent street frontage within proximity of shopping, transport, schools, and cafes, this property is a lovely lifestyle package.

This level block with loads of off-street parking, growing houses, expansive shed with 3-phase power and working coolroom, and a versatile 3-room workshop/studio, ensures everything is here for your next endeavour. Dual street access, mains water with sprinkler system, security cameras, and a dog-friendly fence system provide all the elements required for a successful working property.

For residents, this beautiful brick home is filled with quality and character. The lounge introduces the rich timber flooring that flows throughout and is accentuated by a gas log fire, original ornate cornice, and an adjoining open plan study/sitting room that can be set to suit your lifestyle. A charming brick archway leads through to the dining area and

HOME ESSENTIALS

modern galley kitchen with stylish subway tiles, Bosch dishwasher, and freestanding gas range for those who love to cook. Along the corridor, homeowners will find immense comfort in 4 spacious bedrooms and a meticulously modernised bathroom with soaking tub and relaxing rain shower. The updated laundry offers ample storage and access to the covered patio and rear yard.

This property is an integral part of the local Monbulk community that will provide new owners with a perfectly balanced lifestyle. Join us for a tour today.

· 3,668sqm (approx.) level landscape with flower farm infrastructure

· Single-storey home with rich timber floors, high ceilings, and large windows

· Modern kitchen with Bosch dishwasher, gas range, and stylish subway tiles

· Bright lounge with original cornice and a cosy gas log fire

· 4 generous bedrooms, an open plan study/sitting room, and modern bathroom

· Large shed with coolroom, 3-room workshop/studio, mains water and sprinkler system, dual street access ●

CHANDLER & CO. About

Having built a reputation of honesty, reliability and hard work over 20 years in the industry, the team at Chandler & Co lead by example combining today's technology, marketing strategies & negotiation techniques with good old fashioned customer service, professionalism & team work.

Understanding the local market & having over 80 years collective experience, Chandler & Co offer authentic people, with a genuine interest in Real Estate to help you through what can sometimes be the most stressful transition in your life.

There is so much more to consider than just a commission on a sale price. There is the decision of working alongside the right Agent who will guide you, give the best possible advice & help you through this life changing experience.

Chloe Jaeger

Brad Conder M 0422 639 115

Maya Giampa M 0456 026 450

Tamara Euinton

Sharyn Chandler M 0439 882 442

Tammie Fleming M 0416 264 497

Rachel Eastwood M 0401 117 761

Suzie Brannelly M 0490 506 910

Glenn Chandler M 0418 410 689

Daniel Steen M 0434 979 142

ThisfabulousfamilyhomesitsnestledbetweenthepracticalitiesofUpweytownshipand thepicturesqueparklandstheDandenongRangesarefamousfor.Boastingabeautiful 1,009sqm(approx.)allotmentwithalonglistoffeaturescertaintoimpresshomeownersand tradespeople,thisistheperfectplacetomakeyourselfathome.

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

DanielSteen M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

FORSALE

4 A 2 B 4 C

Apictureofperfectionawaitsat‘Greenwood’,amuchloved,FederationHarkaway home,builtandengineeredtoanoutstandinglevelofdetailandofferingatraditional, periodstylehomethatboastseleganceoneverylevel.Spaciousandsolid,therehas beennocompromiseonquality,offering4bedrooms,homeoffice(or5thbedroom),dual bathroomsandaversatilefloorplantomeetanyfamily’srequirements.

SharynChandler

M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

37BayviewRoad,BELGRAVE $1,100,000-$1,160,000

BEAUTIFULHOMEWITHACCOMMODATIONZONING 5 A 2 B 4 C

WithpicturewindowviewsofSherbrookeForestandonly300metrestometrotrainstation, busconnections,shops,cafes,bars,livemusic,andcinema,thisbeautifulcharacter-filled circa1919homegivesyouthebestofbothworlds–superconvenienceandagenuine, privateHillsretreatamongstthetreesandbirds.

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

SPORT Inspiring new generation

By Tanya Faulkner

A new football tournament is being welcomed by some of the youngest of local footy lovers.

This year the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) introduced a brand new tournament for local under 8-year-old girls to inspire our youngest football players to stay in the game.

EFNL junior football manager Paul Giannopolous said they needed something to bridge the gap between the younger females in the sport, through to Aus Kick and the under 10s league.

“We needed something to keep young girls in football, and give them new pathways to progress up the different levels.

“Before this tournament we only had the Under 8s and 9s mixed tournament, but we found that the girls just wanted to play with girls,” he said.

Mr Giannopolous said his daughter was in the particular age bracket at hand, so he could see the issue first hand.

The EFNL needed at least 4 teams to get started on the tournament, which will run inhouse with the help of AFL Victoria, for the foreseeable future while it builds in popularity.

“We got some funding for new jerseys for the girls and to help with the running costs of the tournament in-house, so we can focus on building numbers in that age group,” said Mr Giannopolous.

He said the club’s goal is to turn into a fully fledged season in the future.

“Whether its’ a shorter season to get started or a bit longer, we want to give the girls new opportunities in football and keep them interested,” he said.

They are hoping to hold for 6-8 weeks in future, with bigger goals at achieving a full tournament.

Since being launched this year, the EFNL

Trades & Services

has had 4 teams with around 35 girls a side, coming along to Kings Park in Upper Ferntree Gully for a kick of the ball.

“We got all of the girls new jumpers with cute little nicknames on them, and they also got a wate bottle and a footy each to take home,” said Mr Giannopolous.

The club introduced modified rules for the girls, which included no tackling, playing on a smaller ground, no kicking off the ground

and no scoring.

“Basically, we want it to be very simple for the girls, making sure everyone has a touch of the ball and gets some play on the field each week,” said Mr Giannopolous.

He said overall the club has received great feedback from the community who have got involved so far, and it’s rewarding to see excited parents coming down and watching their kids getting involved in footy.

“The feedback is that girls tend to do a bit of Aus Kick then drop out because they’re not ready to play mixed football with the boys.

“This tournament will keep the girls playing at a younger age, with just girls, and help build up the overall footy season with new pathways in our community,” said Mr Giannopolous.

He said it’s been a good start to what the football club wants to achieve with the tournament in future.

EFNL’s under 8s football tournament has been a hit since launching earlier this month.

SPORT Hawks fail to break run

Seniors

Monbulk travelled to the Clegg Road reserve in Wandin North to face the second placed Bulldogs. The Hawks had not won at this venue since 2010 but were not deterred by their recent track record there and played a determined and attacking game style.

Wandin were more measured and composed on the small ground, and regularly found avenues via short passes and switching sides to find free teammates. Although Monbulk fell behind late in the first quarter by a couple goals, they kept pace through the second term when scoring a few goals just before half time which had the team believing in themselves. The Bulldogs again established a break before the Hawks clawed their way back from five goals down to get within 13 points early in the last term. Wandin then steadied to run out 29 point winners in an entertaining contest.

Wandin 21.12.138 def Monbulk 17.7.109

· Best: Lachlan Sheppard, Lochlan Beecroft, Lewis Oliver, Mackay Bateson, Glenn Strachan, Jayden Spencer

· Goals: Lewis Oliver 4, Lochlan Beecroft 3, Mackay Bateson 2, Glenn Strachan 2, Ben Grimes 2, Josh Wentworth 1, Bailey Rutherford 1, Brodie Emmett 1, Max Thornton 1

Reserves

The fifth placed Monbulk Reserves were keen to atone for their disappointing result last week when coming up against fourth placed Wandin. The Hawks took control of the game early and then gradually kept extending their lead throughout the match until they emerged victorious by 62 points. Monbulk remain in fifth place as they head into the bye next week.

Wandin 4.5.29 def by Monbulk 13.13.91

· Best: Steve Oates, TobyVersteegen, Cameron Griffiths, Brandon Shambrooke, Matthew James, Josh Rak

· Goals: ShaneWilliams 3, Cam Griffiths 2, Michael Langworthy 2, Kallee Sas 1, Shaun Wiering 1, DeanWhite 1, Brandon Shambrooke 1, Aaron Smith 1, Benjamin Magnay 1

Under 19s

The Hawks were sitting fourth on the ladder but had only won one of their last six matches and needed to make a statement in this game. Monbulk got off to a good start in the first quarter but were then unable to take control of the match as they squandered scoring opportunities. By three quarter time they still led by just 22 points despite having 22 to 10 scoring shots. In the final quarter the Hawks were able to finally convert their control of the game into scoreboard results as they ran out comfortable 43 point winners.

Wandin 7.5.47 def by Monbulk 12.18.90

· Best: Nick Taylor, Jai Farmer, Zeke Charlton, Graison Embleton, Nicholas Heron, Charlie Barge

· Goals: Jai Farmer 5, Graison Embleton 2, Lachlan Smith 2, Charlie Barge 1, Noah Rutherford 1, Nicholas Heron 1

Women’s Monbulk’s women’s team played their match

at 7pm on the Friday evening at home against Upwey-Tecoma. In the previous two matches against Upwey this year, the Hawks had scored just a combined three points. As the side continues to improve, they were able to burst out of the blocks and were leading by seven points to nil inside four minutes. Unfortunately they were not able to continue in that vein and were gradually overrun by the Ti-

gers, although they fought out the game with their usual spirit and enthusiasm. They will play their final match of the season next week against Berwick Springs.

Monbulk 1.3.9 def by Upwey-Tecoma 9.8.62

· Best: Maddison Dodd, Kathryn Gow, Genna Seamer, Laura Gillard, Shaye McLean, Ayla Short

· Goal: Jennifer Pauw 1

Wandin ‘too good’ for Monbulk netballers, all grades

A Grade

Wandin’s A Grade team proved to be too good for Monbulk and took greater advantage of their forward entries. The Hawks fought out the game to the end but were never able to fight their way back into the match as the margin increased every quarter.

Wandin 68 def Monbulk 43

· Best: Jen Dewhurst, Nicole Macdowell, Tiana Mancarella

· Goals: Peri Reid 33, Sophie Stubbs 4, Jen Dewhurst 3

B Grade

Monbulk started the day half a game behind Wandin and the match began evenly with the Hawks getting an early 7-6 lead before consecutive turnovers allowed the Bulldogs to edge ahead 12-10 at the first change. After that Wandin displayed a fairly flawless game plan and ended up running away with the game by 30 goals.

Wandin 65 def Monbulk 35

· Best: Dayna Walsham, Elizabeth Cutting, Chloe Schmidtke

· Goals: Paige Rondinella 17, Dayna Walsh-

am 10, Chloe Schmidtke 8

C Grade

Wandin are one of the leading teams in C Grade, sitting in second place with just the

three losses so far, while Monbulk find themselves in ninth with just three wins. The Hawks battled well throughout the match but the Bulldogs’ strong defence continually

repelled many of the forward forays and won easily as a result.

Wandin 46 def Monbulk 18

· Best: Simone Beattie, Courtney Witt, Sammi Kelly

· Goals: Jamie Sands 10, Sammi Kelly 6, Laura Del Biondo 2

D Grade

Monbulk’s D Grade team played one of their best matches for the season so far. The last placed Hawks came up against the second placed Wandin. Earlier this year they had lost the corresponding fixture at home 536. This young team is rapidly progressing and showed marked improvement in their game. Wandin got the jump in this match and established a 16 goal lead by half time but Monbulk were not to be denied and won the second half 14-13. This was a very creditable performance against a finals bound team.

Wandin 34 def Monbulk 19

· Best: Kate Smith, Leah Hansby, Brooke

O’Loughlin

· Goals: Kate Smith 17, Eireann Lawson 2

AGradenetballwiththeirbluebandsforTACround.

Picture:SUPPLIED

MonbulkSeniors’pre-gamehuddle.

Pictures:ARMINRICHTER

Wandin’sTysonSmith(25)fliesoverJustinWoodcockofMonbulkintheReserves.Monbulk’sThijsKoelewynandJackDownardPengillyinamarkingcontestintheUnder19s.

Olinda women dominate

It was a classic eight-point game at Olinda as the home team lined up against round 12 conquerors Berwick Springs, both teams looking to kick the other out of finals contention, while cementing a spot themselves.

Berwick Springs had overrun their opponents in round 12, kicking 7-0 in the last 21 minutes of the match to steal the win.

The Olinda girls were determined to atone for this disappointing loss but were understandably nervous.

It was clear in the first 31.9 seconds of the opening quarter that Olinda would not suffer from any such nerves. Besties (DJ) Ness Curnow (nee Bateman) and Ruby (Barb) Gilson , or Heckle & Jeckle as they’re affectionately known, swapped the positions they’d played for the majority of the season, Ness going to the forward flank and Ruby to full forward.

At the opening bounce, ruck supremo Chelsea (Big Kahuna) Wilson got the ball down to Captain Courageous Claire Hyett who was already running at pace. Claire sprinted clear to the edge of the square and launched a laceout rocket right onto the chest of Olivia (The Weapon!) Edwards, just on the edge of her range. Liv went back and drove the ball goalward, the pill dropping just short of the line in the goal square. Luckily Heckle (Ruby) was there jostling with her opponent, and she was able to tap the ball sideways to the lurking Jeckle (Ness) who effortlessly slotted the goal. 31.9 seconds on the clock and Berwick Springs knew they would be in for a tough night. It was Olinda’s most impressive passage of play for the season, but it would only hold that title for another 8 minutes.

At the 3.30 minute mark The Big Kahuna laid a crunching tackle at half forward and received the free kick. Chelsea’s pin point pass to TheWeapon in the forward pocket was superb, and Liv calmly went back and drilled the shot from the angle.

A great piece of play but better was about to come.

At the eight-minute mark a Berwick Springs player received a free kick at Olinda’s half forward on the Southern side of the ground. The ball was booted to Berwick’s half forward line

where Kyah (The Missile) Barry swooped on the ball, burst clear and blasted a left foot pass across the ground to The Weapon, who fired a long pass onto the chest of a leading Tobi (Killer) Monkhorst. Tobes quickly went back and kicked a long ball across to the SouthEastern pocket or “Swamp Pocket” as it has recently become known. Adelaide Oval has the Eddie Betts pocket. The South Eastern pocket at Olinda will hereafter be called the “Ruby Gilson Pocket”. Rubes led four Berwick Springs players to the ball as it headed to the boundary, picked it up and cleverly handballed in front of herself as she brushed off the contact. She then scooped the ball up, skirted the boundary, sold the candy to a descending opponent before slipping past her and threading a beautiful drop punt goal from the most difficult of angles. Ruby turned 18 just a week ago, so a new car for “Goal Of The Year” will be timely!

At the 11th and a half minute of the quarter Captain Courageous Claire earned a free kick deep in the North Eastern Pocket on an angle, and her worm-burning shot for a goal over the outstretched hands of the defenders was a joy for all to watch.

A snap by Berwick Springs late in the quarter that may have been touched off the boot halted the momentum a little, but Olinda still

went into quarter time 17 points in front.

The second quarter was a tight tussle with both sides only scoring a goal each. Olinda’s goal, a running snap from The Weapon on her left, was a massive highlight.

The third, and premiership quarter saw Olinda stamp their dominance on the contest, out-scoring Berwick Springs 20-1 for the term. (DJ) Ness’ second and third goals were highlights as was the classy mark and third goal to The Weapon.

A couple of goal stops to reigning Full Back of The Year Casey(The Vault) Seymour were equally telling, the best being a 30-metre run down of her opponent running alone towards goal, culminating in a devastating shirtfront.

Olinda went into the three quarter time huddle 35 points ahead, but previous experience had them knowing that Berwick Springs would be finishing hard. The coaches observed a rallying, passionate speech from Berwick Springs’ Coach, and the stage was set for a tense finish.

True to script, Berwick Springs exploded from the first bounce and had scored two goals within the first four minutes. Unlike the previous meeting though, Olinda refused to bow their heads, and fought desperately to

protect their lead.

Kyah Barry battled ferociously all quarter in defence, her contested mark deep against much taller opponents a brilliant moment.

Amalija (Marsupial) Kostich Angerson plays her best at night, and her steadying goal midway through the quarter effectively ended the contest.

Olinda held Berwick Springs goalless for the rest of the quarter, finishing the game 28 points ahead.

Olivia (The Weapon) Edwards was a clear best on ground. Aside from her three goals, she had a hand in most of the others, and her work-rate, decision making and creativity is outstanding.

Olinda’s famed mosquito fleet Claire Hyett, Kyah Barry, Lily Carlin, and Lucy Hilton all finished amongst Olinda’s best, and were hugely influential in the win.

The Big Kahuna ( ChelseaWilson ) did what she does best all night, winning most taps and balls in the air or on the ground.

Heckle & Jeckle (Ness Bateman and Ruby Gilson) shone in their new roles, hugely contributing to the victory.

Amalija (Mars) Kostich Angerson had another pleasing game at centre half forward, bringing every ball to ground and locking it into Olinda’s forward line.

Casey ( TheVault ) Seymour was back to her very best, letting nothing through her tight defence.

Cult hero Anja (Onions) Hulston continues to fly under the radar, completely blanketing Berwick Springs’ best player.

Special mention must go to The Florist (makes her own arrangements) Kaesha Christie, who has battled injury all season and was battered against Berwick Springs in round 12. Kaesha’s bravery in playing combined with her great game should be applauded.

The match was an excellent spectacle and both teams should be commended for playing an entertaining brand of football.

Olinda now sits in third place on the ladder but faces top placed and undefeated Healesville at Olinda next week.

Finals focus for Bloods as season rolls towards end

U9 v Upwey

Upwey played host to the hottest ticket in town this week.

With the season nearing its finale, it was another entertaining night with the Olinda young bloods putting on a show.

In what has been an incredibly impressive season…. the team is now fully focused on another successful carnival campaign.

It will be a huge week on the track with an open training session/captains run scheduled for later in the week.

U11s v Mt Evelyn

A short roll down the hill to Mount Evelyn for Olinda’s second last game in the regular season, against the second placed team on the ladder, who had suffered their only loss for the season the previous week.

Playing on the back oval, it was always going to be a tough muddy slog for the troops.

A hard fought seesawing first half saw the scores level at 1.1.7 a piece at half time, and our boys adding a single goal in the third giving Olinda a one-goal lead heading into the final term.

The final quarter was a heart stopper, with Mount Evelyn kicking the first goal and levelling up the scoreboard half way through the final term.

With parents and coaches biting finger nails, the young bloods rallied in the dying stages, adding a behind, then kicking the sealer in the final minute.

A great win in tough conditions. The perfect preparation heading towards the finals.

Final Scores

Olinda 3.2.20 def Mount Evelyn 2.1.13

U12 Girls v Mt Evelyn

The Olinda girls came to play today. With finals chances at stake, the team was focused from the warmup. Their strength and tenac-

ity did not disappoint from the first bounce and when the ball moved into our forward line early, a quick goal had the players up and players up and about.

The signature Olinda pressure was on display with Olinda winning a large portion of the contested ball in the mid, and the forward line fighting for every goal they could snap. The defense was tight with a solid structure that turned the play over when our opposition got chances to score, a real testament to those players challenging every contest.

It was a great fight by both teams but Olinda’s pressure was just too much for Mt Evelyn, adding to Olinda’s chances to play finals.

U13 Boys White v Belgrave

Belgrave were always going to be tough competition in trying conditions. One of the teams in the division without a top division side, their best players were always going to challenge us. The boys fought really hard all day and were competitive throughout.

They were rewarded late in the game with two goals and should be really proud of their efforts.

U13 Boys Red v Mt Evelyn

The top of the table Under 13 clash did not disappoint as Olinda headed out to take on

Mt Evelyn for the third time this season.

With one win each so far, the Olinda boys were set for a big game with a primary focus of getting off to a good start. However, as they have done on the previous two occasions, Mt Evelyn jumped out of the gates strongly kicking the first two goals of the game.

Much to their credit, the boys stabilised kicking two goals of their own to even the ledger at quarter time.

It what was a really good contest, both teams were applying excellent pressure making clean ball handling and scoring difficult. Olinda’s backline was tremendous as they defended relentlessly.

The side knew it would take a full four quarter effort to get the chocolates, and other than a slight concentration lapse at the start, the Olinda lads were excellent as they continued to work on winning the “one on one” contests.

The rewards eventually came on the scoreboard as we recorded an impressive 22-point victory.

A nice confidence booster with the knowledge that we still have plenty of improvement opportunities as we head into the pointy end of the season.

Final Scores

Olinda 6.6.42 def Mt Evelyn 3.2.20

U14 Girls v Belgrave

In the last game for the season (next week is a bye), Olinda’s girls headed over to Belgrave to take on the ladder leaders.

It was always going to be a tough outing but the development and improvement shown over the course of the season was on full display. Whilst Belgrave set up better in the forward half, creating quick opportunities to score, Olinda’s pressure at the contest around the ground was excellent and their ball movement created opportunities to

move the ball forward.

In the end Belgrave were more consistent around the ground, with strong tackling pressure and better forward structure and showed why they are top of the table.

U15 Boys v Mt Evelyn

Round 13 saw Olinda travel to Mt Evelyn on an overcast and drizzly afternoon.

The first quarter was hard fought with Olinda’s only goal coming through Lenny Barry, after Ry Tudor showed great vision to hit him up 35 metres in front of goal.

The second quarter was a dour affair, full of contested ball and stoppage work with the half time scores level at 2.2 apiece.

However, the third quarter opened up and was a lopsided affair with the home side rattling off five straight goals to Olinda’s two points, off the back of hard run and spread.

The fourth quarter was once again a relatively even affair but, by the final siren, Mt Evelyn had run out comfortable winners.

For Olinda, Will Meyer was unbeatable at Full back, ably supported by Liam Jennings, Mitch Hirst and Flynn Lewis who never stopped trying.

Up forward,River Bellemo was a strong presence while Khevin Chumber and James Dixon worked hard all day.

Final scores

Mt Evelyn 8.5.53 def Olinda 2.5.17.

U17

Boys v Upwey

Undermanned and under lights, Olinda headed to Upwey for a Friday night clash. With no players on the bench, the boys rolled up their sleeves and dug deep to play some of the best footy they have for the year. Although Olinda were overrun in the end, to go down by four goals, the boys can be extremely proud of their effort and the never give in attitude that they showed.

The Mighty Young Bloods cheer on the U17s at Upwey on a massive Friday night of footy.

Picture: PHILIPPA SODERBLOM

The game was merely 11 seconds old before Liv, The Weapon, Edwards marked inside 50 after a Captain Courageous Claire Hyett clearance.

Picture: ZAC SEAL