Ranges Trader
Knox council nominates new mayor to round up council term
Cinema pioneer of the year has been named
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Tuesday, 21 November, 2023
A Star News Group Publication
Australian track and field star visits Sherbrooke Athletics Club
Real Estate liftout inside
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PR O PE RT Y
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Climb to the top An Upwey tree climber is reaching new heights, as he has his sights set on another international title. The climber recently secured a win in the recent tree climbing state championships at Banjo Paterson Reserve in Lynbrook from 11 to 12 November. In a competitive career that has spanned 12 years, Barton Allen-Hall won the 2022 International Tree Climbing Championship in Copenhagen - taking the role as the first Australian in history to be world champion in tree climbing.
Arborist Barton Allen-Hall. 372431
Allen-Hall said he had left high school and was looking for a job when he knocked on an arborists’ door and realised he could get paid to climb trees. Competitors in tree climbing competitions are tested in their ability to professionally and safely manoeuvre in a tree while performing work-related tree care tasks in a timely manner. “The main goal for me is the next international competition,” he said. Read more about his journey on page 11
Safety at stake Selby locals are calling for added safety precautions along a treacherous stretch of road on Belgrave-Gembrook Road, with a petition tabled in parliament. Resident Alana O’Callaghan, who launched the petition on Thursday 16 November, said the problem is “twofold”. “Historically, over a very long period of time, there’s been issues with motor vehicle accidents, motor vehicles losing control on this section of road and crashing,” she said. “I’ve lived here 15 years and in the initial
years that I lived here there were regular accidents which led to a campaign about seven or eight years ago, which the Selby Primary School also were a big part of and it resulted in James Merlino who was the local MP at the time helping to get VicRoads to come and assess this patch of road - which is just near the Selby Primary School.” Ms O’Callaghan said her garage was recently “destroyed” by a vehicle that fell down the enbankment; also knocking over a tree and subsequently damaging her car.
These incidents are some of many that have occurred on the stretch of road in question, leading Selby locals to step up and take action for their community’s safety - particularly school children who trek up and down the road each day. Ms O’Callaghan’s petition, which showed 105 signatures at the time of writing has also been sponsored by Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino. The petition is calling for the Department of Transport and Planning to assess the section
of road and install further safety measures as a ‘matter of urgency, before a serious injury or fatality of a school child or other pedestrian occurs’. Some of the suggested measures included armco railing between edge of road and footpath, more prominent signage which flashes 24/7 not just at school times, speed cameras, traffic calming measures, and speed humps/ traffic islands. Read more about the ongoing situation on page 5
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