News - Berwick Star News - 30th November 2023

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Thursday, 30 November, 2023

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On the right track

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Christmas under the elms

Students honoured Harkaway Primary School students have been honoured with a national award, recognising their research in bushfire education.

Their focus on student-led learning has paved the way for schools across the country, inspiring teachers, fire agencies and field experts to rethink the way they deliver fire education to children.

Story page 4

Ruth, Caleb, Ava, Liam and Natasha with their National Resilient Australia Award. 376107 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Boundary debate Residents are warning that Casey’s southern towns will be under-represented compared to northern suburbs, as part of proposed council electoral reforms.

Casey Council’s electoral structure is currently under review by the State-appointed Electoral Representation Advisory Panel (ERAP), which held a public hearing on Tuesday 28 November.

The Local Government Act 2020 stipulates all metropolitan city councils must have single-councillor ward electoral structures. It also requires each ward must have an approxi-

mately equal number of voters per councillor.

Casey Council – which has been governed by administrators rather than councillors since 2020 – currently sits on six wards with a total of 11 councillors. The next councillor elections are scheduled for 2024.

In ERAP’s preliminary report, three models have been proposed for the number of councillors and wards.

Model One adopts an 11-ward structure, using major roads as boundaries.

Model Two also uses an 11 single-councillor structure, but it employs suburb boundaries to delineate wards.

Model Three has 12 single-councillor wards and applies mainly road and rail infrastructure as the dividing borders.

More than 30 residents and groups made public submissions, which have now closed.

More than 20 similar public submissions opted for Model Two, arguing that it would “best reflect communities of interest”. Many of them were nearly identical and submitted from the Greater Dandenong area.

In Model Two, the northern part of Berwick is in a ward with the semi-rural suburbs Narre Warren North and Harkaway, while the southern part has its own ward.

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The submissions put emphasis on keeping Berwick intact, supporting the split of the suburb between the ‘old’ parts in the north and the newer estates in the south. They opposed the other two models where Berwick was divided into three wards.

Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association (CRRA) backed up Model Two, arguing an even number of councillors could result in deadlocks and internal fighting.

Most submissions for Model Three stated there was a need to distribute more councillors in Casey’s south.

Continued page 4

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By Violet Li

Have your say and help shape Casey’s future Provide feedback on a number of consultations currently open on our community engagement platform, Casey Conversations.

The Melbourne Stars Family Day returns to Casey Fields on Sunday 10 December.

You’ll be treated to a day filled with fun, free activities for all ages, including a meet and greet with the Melbourne Stars playing squad, signing and selfie sessions, open trainings, food trucks and more!

The entertainment will be on from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. For more information, visit the ‘Events’ page on our website.

• Kindergarten and Early Years Survey • Ashford Close playground concept design • Planning Scheme Amendment C284case (Review of the planning framework for the City of Casey) • Planning Scheme Amendment C286case (Collison Estate, Cranbourne East) • Notice of intention to lease property at Mick Morland Reserve Head to the Casey Conversations website to find out more or scan the QR code.

Join the festive fun at Bunjil Place!

The ever-popular Twilight Christmas Makers Market and Lighting of the Tree event is back this Saturday 2 December from 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm at Bunjil Place.

The market will have a variety of market stalls, food trucks, entertainment, children’s activities, local choirs, live music and free art workshops.

Our Christmas tree, which has been designed by students from Fountain Gate Primary School, will also be lit at 8.00 pm. To find out more, visit the Bunjil Place website.

Casual facility hire in 2024 Looking to hire a space on a casual basis in 2024? We offer a range of facility hire options from large halls to meeting rooms for your celebration, community group or organisation.

To see what facilities are open for casual hire in 2024 and to submit an application, please visit our website.

For more information, please contact Council’s Community Facilities team on 9709 9288 or email facilitybookings@casey.vic.gov.au.

Park and Ride shuttle service It’s no secret that our award-winning Wilson Botanic Park Berwick gets very busy on the weekends, so we are running a free Park and Ride shuttle service from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm every Saturday and Sunday until Sunday 31 March.

Visitors can park at Federation University, 100 Clyde Road, Berwick and the shuttle bus will drive you to Wilson Botanic Park Berwick and then back to your car when you’re done. For more information, visit our website.

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Thursday, 30 November, 2023

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NEWS

Safety plea after death

By Cam Lucadou-Wells A state coroner has implored adults to closely watch young children around water after investigating a four-year-old’s tragic drowning at Lysterfield Lake in January 2021.

On a hot afternoon, the Doveton girl had been playing with a bucket and spade about a metre away from her family’s picnic rug when her mother noticed she was missing.

Five minutes later, a man carried the motionless girl out of waist-high water just two metres from the shore.

An off-duty paramedic and two other bystanders performed CPR, followed by ambulance paramedics. But the girl died at Royal Children’s Hospital the next day.

The girl, who had not learnt to swim, had died due to “misadventure” during a “momentary lapse of supervision”, Coroner Audrey Jamieson found on 21 November. “(The girl’s) tragic drowning highlights the inherent risks of water and the need for close supervision of children around water.”

It also showed the importance of “water familiarisation” among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities – something that water safety bodies were “acutely aware”.

The girl and her family moved from Afghanistan in 2019. She had not learnt how to swim, with her mother believing she was “too young to understand”.

According to her mum, the well-behaved girl had previously obeyed a direction not to go into the water alone but only with her sisters who had learnt to swim.

About 35 per cent of drowning deaths in Victoria between 2011-’21 were people from CALD communities.

Adequate supervision, inability to swim, lack of water safety knowledge and perception of risks were relevant factors, the coroner

A state coroner has pleaded for adults to closely watch young children around water after a four-year-old’s tragic drowning at Lysterfield Lake. 225477 Picture: GARY SISSONS noted.

Jamieson said it was “not at all uncommon” that the girl had gone in the water during a “brief period” while she wasn’t watched.

“It is a fact of life that distractions happen, and that even the most well behaved of children may act unexpectedly, as (the girl) did

when she entered the water.

“However, I absolutely implore all adults supervising children around water to remain vigilant, to always be aware of their whereabouts and to be ready to act at any moment.”

Jamieson commended the bravery and selflessness of bystanders who tried to rescue and

resuscitate the girl.

In nearly five years up to November 2021, there were 17 unintentional drownings of children aged 0-4 in Victoria.

Inadequate supervision was a factor in 16 of the 17 deaths. Three of them were at a creek or lake.

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STAR NEWS 3

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Students leading the way

By Emma Xerri Students at Harkaway Primary School have been honoured with the National Resilient Australia Award for schools, after student-led research into bushfire education has highlighted the importance of students playing active roles in steering their own education.

Finding that many children displayed low levels of bushfire knowledge, awareness, planning and preparedness, the members of the school’s Bushfire Safety Committee have been hard at work identifying the ways in which their school community and Australia’s broader national community at large can better the way they deliver bushfire education.

Through a manifesto titled ‘Bushfire Education for Kids,’ which features brilliant hand drawn artwork by the children, the children have shared their research and their passion with the public, urging for their student-led bushfire education to be taken seriously.

“We want to make decisions about our own

Harkaway Primary students Liam, Caleb, Ruth, Ava and Natasha. 376107 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS learning and action,” Harkaway Primary students said in a statement.

“If we can make decisions about our own learning and action, we can solve real problems that matter to us.”

However, the research conducted by these

students has not only been important to shaping their own education, but the education of others, as the students hope to share the information that they have learnt with those beyond their school community.

“We want to help educate everybody - our

families, our teachers, and the other kids at our school. We also want to educate kids from other schools.”

This plan involves videos, posters and books they hope to share with the community, as well as presentations and workshops that will focus on teaching people how to use online tools and apps, to help provide improved access to bushfire information for those who need it.

This hard work of the Bushfire Safety Committee has allowed for these students to rewrite the teachers manual, educate university students, present at conferences, and collaborate with fire agencies, educators and experts to help design and develop new approaches to Child Centred Disaster Risk Reduction (CCDRR).

With these tremendous achievements, the students at Harkaway Primary have well and truly proved they are “experts in [their] own lives and…experts in [their] own learning.”

“We just need the adults there to guide us, put us on the right track and help us if we get stuck. We can do the rest.”

Boundary debate heats up

The level crossing at Narre Warren Station.

Buses replacing trains at Narre Warren due to blitz

By Emma Xerri As works continue to unfold across the Pakenham Line, regular users of the Narre Warren Station are the latest of the line’s passengers to be interrupted by the upgrades.

Buses are now replacing trains across sections of the Pakenham line until the last service on Sunday, 10 December to allow for this work to be completed safely.

While Pakenham Line trains will resume on Monday 11 December, trains will continue to run express through Narre Warren Station over the new rail bridge, as the station officially closes from Monday, 11 December to allow for the current site to be demolished.

A shuttle bus service will transport passengers from Narre Warren Station to Hallam and Berwick stations until the station reopens, at which point passengers will hopefully be able to enjoy the station’s improved and modern facilities, landscaped forecourt, and the much-needed elevated rail bridge in place of Webb Street’s level crossing.

With the station’s closure, PTV has also announced the station’s Eastern Car Park will be closed until Early 2025, and the Austin Avenue temporary commuter car park closed until early December.

Bus stops on Webb Street will also be closed until 6pm on Tuesday, 28 November.

For more information about service changes, please visit the PTV website.

From page 1 Unlike Model One and Two that band the southern region together into one coastal ward, Model Three divides the southern region into two wards either side of South Gippsland Highway.

In support of Model Three, Pearcedale resident Graeme Phipps submitted the coastal area comprised nearly 40 per cent of Casey with different characteristics between the east and the west.

He stated that the east ward ‘Cranbourne Gardens’ would have more planned housing and industrial developments, which required careful attention to incorporate them into the natural landscape, while the west ward ‘Tooradin’ had significant environmental values.

“We do need two councillors and two wards down here [south]. This is the differentiating part,” he said during the submission hearing.

Former Casey councillor Steve Beardon submitted that Model Three represented the southern Casey better than Model One and Two. He said it was very difficult down south because the wards were quite large and southern suburbs had already missed out on crucial investment like infrastructure and education.

“Casey is too big, and unless as a councillor you live down south, and experience the lack of facilities every day. How is it you are going to care?” he said.

“If we split down south into two, at least there is some chance of being able to stay in touch with people and understand what the issues are.

“The more councillors down south, the stronger the voice is, the more cooperation.”

Mr Beardon went further to stress the need to split Casey into two councils as most of the councillors were distributed in the north under the current and proposed models.

He said there should be four or five councillors at least representing the south.

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“The northern suburbs are well established, and they are skilled in lobbying,” he said.

“A Cranbourne stand-alone council would be better positioned to address the problems and needs in the area.”

The need for two separate councils - which was the case before Cranbourne and Berwick councils were merged to form Casey - has been highlighted in other submissions.

Narre Warren resident Stephan Matulec submitted that there were too many people for 11 councillors to represent them.

“Some of the proposed wards in proposed Model One and Two have almost 25,000 electors per councillor, which is more than half the elections of a state district in state elections,” he said.

“I do believe that Casey needs to be split into two separate councils ideally so that the council population will be more in line with other councils.” Other submissions pointed out that the new electoral structure needed to take into account the growing population, tied vote issues, and community interests.

Mr Beardon believed Model Two would place the new council wards fully within the state electorate of Berwick, currently held by the Liberals.

“When you run for council or any election, it doesn’t matter where the suburb boundaries are. An issue doesn’t stop at a boundary,” he said.

“Berwick as a suburb would be disadvantaged by a single ward and one councillor only covering the entire suburb.

“Three wards covering Berwick would give more varied representation and stronger representation.”

Casey Council has supported Model Three but requested the ERAP consider the alternative names for the proposed wards.

A final report detailing the recommendation will be submitted to the Minister for Local Government on Wednesday 24 January 2024.

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STAR NEWS 5

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Men fronting new campaign

By Emma Xerri Wellsprings for Women has launched its 16 Days of Activism Campaign, joining organisations globally who are frontlining the fight against gendered violence.

The women-only service in Melbourne’s south-east, which works to empower women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, has shaped this campaign to be purpose-fit for the south-eastern suburbs, where multiculturalism continues to grow, unveiling a unique take on the 16 Days initiative that aims to shed light on the crucial role migrant and refugee men play in the fight against family violence.

“Gender-based violence in this country is rife,” Wellsprings for Women’s CEO, Dalal Smiley, said.

“This year alone, more than fifty Australian women have lost their lives due to violence.

That’s more than one a week.

“The statistics are shocking and yet they don’t even paint the full picture. We need culturally responsive solutions to this violence – solutions that address racism and discrimination. We need migrant and refugee men involved in prevention efforts.”

Launched by Public Transport Minister and Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams, the Wellsprings campaign has achieved exactly this, presenting a refreshing take where men are portrayed as the focus of the issue.

Through a series of posters, videos, busbacks, and billboards, the campaign sheds light on what it means to be a man, drawing from the perspectives of male role models across the community to influence men throughout the south-east.

It featured several men from the South East as role-models - Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas, Afghan anti-violence advocate Ali Tausif, academic, author and poet Guido Melo, Shakti Mental Health founder Jagesh Panchal, social justice advocate Pradeep Peteti and mental health consultant Vinay Nair.

“It is important for men and for future generations of men to understand that it is us who need to be displaying positive behaviours and making that change happen,” Mr Peteti said.

Donna Elkins, middle, posing with a goat and fellow breeders.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Pygmy training ground Wellsprings for Women launches the campaign with a bus poster featuring Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas.

Mr Maas said: “This campaign has flipped the issue. It’s put the focus on men but in a positive way that doesn’t attack them.

“It’s migrant men, who are community leaders, pitching their message and putting it out there.

“There’s so many stereotypes that men can fall into; so many gendered roles that we take on unconsciously. But there’s also the bigger picture stereotypes that prevent men from being vulnerable or crying. But that’s ultimately the way we express ourselves, so if you don’t have that expression and you’re not taught that from an early age, that expression can come out in really unpredictable and damaging ways.

“As someone who experienced the grunt of living in a household where it existed, it does have those effects on you as you go through life, so if there’s anything I can do to end the cycle, I’ll be doing all that I can, not only in my day to day living but in the community.

“It’s something that all of us need to be engaged with and something that all of us need to be a part of in order to ensure that we end it.

“We all need to be active, we all need to be aware and, more importantly, we all need to listen.”

By Ethan Benedicto A Berwick training camp for pygmy goat handlers was recently graced by the teachings of Donna Elkins, an American judge with over 30 years of experience.

Formed in 2018, the National Pygmy Goat Association of Australia sponsored Mrs Elkins to pass on her knowledge to local owners on taking further steps in their breeding programs.

Paul Hamilton, the current president of the association said that Mrs Elkins’ knowledge was a boon for the members.

“Donna assisted members in assessing their stock for functional type and handling procedures for competition and display,” Mr Hamilton said.

Ms Elkins, who hails from the state of Colorado, USA, spent three weeks travelling from the east to the west coast of Australia where she eventually landed in Berwick for one of the classes.

Breeders from across Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland were present during the class, where according to Mr Hamilton, Donna confirmed that the NPGAA is on the right track.

“She pointed out that the evolution of the pygmy breed in Australia has a healthy base of local and imported genetics,” he said.

Pygmy goats are originally an American

OPINION

breed, smaller in stature compared to regular goats and are both compact and stocky.

They are mainly bred as companion animals and need similar management to sheep and cattle according to Mr Hamilton.

“They need acreage to live healthily and unfortunately cannot be kept in house yards,” Mr Hamilton said.

The NPGAA have upcoming local agricultural shows at Pakenham and Warragul, with hopes to host further events at both the Berwick show and Bunyip show in 2024.

“There are also plans to incorporate some of the local schools in the shows who have students that have a keen interest for this beautiful animal,” Mr Hamilton said.

As for Mrs Elkins and her husband, they commended their time down under and have returned back to the USA, but also said that she will do all she can to assist the development of the pygmy breed in Australia.

The NPGAA is affiliated with the American parent company called the National Pygmy Goat Association, and continues to assist the Australia subsidiary online.

For schools who are interested in hosting the association and their goats, they can be contacted through their website at npgaa. com.au/contact Or they can be emailed directly at nationalpgaa@gmail.com

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Thumbs up

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Thumbs down How long the road works in Cranbourne’s taking. Cranbourne feels like a construction hotspot, not a suburb anymore.

Thumbs down Bus replacement from Westall to Pakenham on Monday morning peak. Took me two hours to get to work because it stopped at all stations.Where was the promised Express? It was morning and it was Monday, the most unwanting time for an Express disappearance!

Thumbs up Storm brewing before the start of play at Tooradin Rec Reserve. 376548 6 STAR NEWS

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STAR NEWS 7

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Festivities under the elms

By Violet Li Christmas is the right season to talk about trees.

Christmas Under the Elms, an ingenious celebration on Tulliallan Boulevard in Clyde North, combined the tree conservation and festive mood to the utmost on Sunday 26 November.

Run by the non-profit organisation Friends of the Tulliallan Elms, the festivities were held against the backdrop of a lush English elm avenue with 51 trees down each side that have been standing still in the time since 1900.

Several speakers talked about the significance of those elms, including Friends of the Tulliallan Elms president Raavenan Jayaraman, Kooweerup Swamp Historical Society president Heather Arnold, Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas, admin for local community Facebook group Bec Hyland, and Alkira Secondary College principal John Shaw.

The event consisted of 18 vocal performances, four multicultural dances, and two band performances from various schools around the neighbourhood.

There was a best-dressed dog competition and five Christmas raffles throughout the day.

Food stalls and art stalls were set up for the pleasure of the community.

Mr Jayaraman said the celebration went very smoothly and everyone was very happy.

“The most important thing is it didn’t rain.

There was a 50 per cent chance of rain in the

morning and early afternoon. But, it just drizzled slightly. Other than that, everything was fine,” he said.

Speaking of the messages the event aimed to convey, Mr Jayaraman pointed out there were more than 100 elm trees in the neighbourhood and not many residents knew about these trees.

“Every day people just walk along these trees. They cycle. They bring their pets and dogs. But they don’t know how special these trees are,” he said.

“They are endangered species.”

Tulliallan Elm Avenue was listed by the Heritage Council of Victoria for its historical and aesthetic significance to the City of Casey.

First introduced to the country in the early 19th century, Australia’s English elms survived the Dutch elm disease that killed many elms throughout Europe and North America in the 1970s, due to its geographical isolation.

“What we have today in Tulliallan is one of the last remaining elm avenues in the world,” Mr Jayaraman said.

He explained the land was previously used for private farming and since it went public, there was a need for people to recognise how important those trees were.

“We want to create awareness among the community about the trees. And we also want to bring the community under the trees to enjoy the space,” he said.

Mr Jayaraman thanked everyone who was involved in making the day a success.

Santa and local residents Aarav (left), Sangeetha, Santa, Aditi and Aditi, plus Leo the caboodle are celebrating the festival under the elms.

Pictures: GARY SISSONS

One of the dogs in the best dressed dog competition. 375386

Alkira Secondary College rock band under the elms: Ash (left), Meily, Georgianna and Elizabeth. 375386

Best dressed dog competition participant Aarav with his caboodle Leo. 375386

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Bhangra Groove is dancing at the event. 375386

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FOCUS ON … DISABILITY

Growing your potential Grow 2 Be is a disability support day service making a difference.

Participants at the Pakenham-based service are offered a range of hands-on activities like art lessons, woodwork classes, and outings into the community on any given day.

They also have an opportunity to volunteer at a bunny refuge, a native-wildlife shelter and equine therapy, and are offered courses including a Certificate II in Animal Care, CPR, first aid, and everyday life skills courses.

“We offer days out, where we encourage our participants to choose and research places they want to go,” director Heidi Faber said.

“We are different in that we cater every part of our program to what our participants want to do, and what their specific interests are.

“They are in control of what happens, and we are teaching them life skills in the process.”

Among the highlights of Grow 2 Be’s achievements, are some participants gaining employment through organised work placements.

“We love seeing our participants having the opportunity to live their best lives and achieve their goals,” Heidi says.

“We want to support them to have fun while learning and enriching their lives.

“Seeing our participants so excited and thriving drives us to continue our work. The smiles on their faces and the positive feedback from participants and their parents demonstrate how important our work is.”

Joshua is the youngest member of Melbourne Youth Chorale’s “Flying Free” choir.

Joshua’s flying free The main goal for Grow 2 Be is to set up participants for a “bright and independent future”.

The main goal for Grow 2 Be is to set up participants for a “bright and independent future”.

“This speaks to the heart of everything we do.” Grow 2 Be is open 9am-3pm at 50 Lakeside Blvd, Pakenham. Contact Us: heidi@ grow2be.com.au

Meet Joshua. Joshua is the youngest member of Melbourne Youth Chorale’s “Flying Free’’ choir for primary-aged children with additional needs. Over the last two years, Joshua has grown from a child shy about participating into an active contributor to the Flying Free classes. Of late, Joshua has particularly enjoyed exploring different percussion instruments under the leadership of MYC’s Music Therapist, Joey.

Joshua joined the other Flying Free choristers in their first ever performance at MYC’s Showcase Concert in September, and they will perform again at MYC’s upcoming Christmas concert.

Joshua’s mother Nicole said, “Flying Free is really well suited to children with a diverse range of additional needs. I love the way my children have developed in their listening skills and their confidence through this choir. This accessible group gives the children the skills they need to improve communication and self-expression to achieve their best. And at MYC, it’s not just about the singing – it’s friendships, learning new skills and most importantly being yourself.”

For information about MYC’s Flying Free choir, contact Kerry at manager.myc@ gmail.com or 1800 65 88 62.

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We will tailor-make a variety of programs (group and individual), focusing on capacity building, that takes into consideration each participant’s NDIS goals, interests and emerging skills. We equip our participants with the skills required to gain the confidence to live an independent and fulfilled life.

heidi@grow2be.com.au 0407 544 755 www.grow2be.com.au 12612333-HC25-23

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 30 November, 2023

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STAR NEWS 9

NEWS

Tiler told to repay $92k A Doveton tiler has been ordered to repay more than $90,000 for fraudulently obtaining workers comp payments.

Rahmatullah Jafari, 28, had injured his back while working for his brother-in-law’s company but continued to receive WorkCover payments when he returned to work, a court was told.

Jafari made his workers comp claim in September 2019 and continued receiving payments until the fraud was uncovered in February 2022.

WorkSafe investigators found that Jafari undertook tiling work for his Narre Warren employer Excellent Tiling and Waterproofing Pty Ltd as well as for his own tiling company while receiving workers compensation.

On his certificates of capacity, Jafari declared he had not worked, WorkSafe submitted.

Jafari was convicted in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 16 November after pleading guilty to one charge of fraudulently obtaining payments.

He was ordered to repay $92,774 in workers comp payments.

He was also placed on a two-year community corrections order including 240 hours of unpaid community work.

Excellent Tiling and Waterproofing pleaded guilty for failing to notify that a worker who had been receiving weekly payments had returned to work. The business was fined $1,000 without conviction WorkSafe insurance executive director Roger Arnold said this kind of dishonesty undermined the integrity of the WorkCover system.

“Weekly workers compensation payments are there to help Victorian workers who genuinely need help to recover from an injury and get back to work,” Mr Arnold said.

“If you are caught cheating the system the consequences will be serious, including having to pay back any payments you were not entitled to.”

Two-year-old battler, Rory, and his supporters at the walk.

Rahmatullah Jafari, 28, was convicted in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 16 November after pleading guilty to one charge of fraudulently obtaining payments.

A group of Walk 4 Brain Cancer participants.

Walk helps bring new clinical trial to Australia

By Emma Xerri Families and brain cancer fighters have once again come together to raise much-needed funds and awareness for clinical trials, taking steps in the right direction in an ongoing effort to combat rare brain cancer GBM4.

Raising over $15,000 this year alone, the Berwick Walk 4 Brain Cancer has played a tremendous role in bringing clinical trial GBM AGILE to Australia, providing a greater sense of hope for those battling GBM4, and their loved ones.

For walk organiser Magda D’Abaco, who has personally raised $40,000 for the cause, the expansion of the trial into Australia is

something she hopes will help those battling rare brain cancers - like two-year-old Rory who attended the walk with his loved ones and a trial she had hoped would be available for her mother, who sadly passed away only six weeks ago after a challenging 18-month battle.

“The Walk 4 Brain Cancer was trying for over 10 years to raise money to bring this trial to Australia, and we finally have,” Ms D’Abaco said.

“They say that GBM4, the type of brain cancer we’re walking for, is one of the rarest cancers, and yet all of a sudden, just within our local community here in Berwick, we

are hearing of so many people who are diagnosed.

“But once you’ve been diagnosed, there’s not much more that doctors and hospitals can do, which is where patients have to seek different clinical trials. When my Mum was going through this, a lot of the clinical trials hadn’t even come to Australia yet, and a lot of these patients can’t travel because they’re so sick.”

But from Ms D’Abaco’s experience and the experience of many others who continue to take part in the Walk 4 Brain Cancer year after year, it is clear that the impacts of these walks stem beyond fundraising and awareness, also

providing patients and loved ones with an invaluable sense of community.

“I’ve met so many people and so many families through these walks,” Ms D’Abaco added.

“A lot of the time we don’t realise that the families of those going through brain cancer also need support, so for someone to turn around and say ‘I understand’ is so important.

“It’s almost like we form a little pact. Even though our warriors may have passed and they can’t be there anymore, it doesn’t mean we stop.”

For more information and to donate, walk4braincancer.com.au/walks/berwick

Now enrolling for Year 7 2025 St Francis Xavier College is a comprehensive, co-educational senior Catholic College that offers a broad range of curriculum from Year 7 to 12.

www.sfx.vic.edu.au

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10 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 30 November, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

IN BRIEF Drink-driver blows 0.21

Probe into suicide

A Narre-Warren South drink-driver has been allegedly been caught more than four times the legal limit.

The 34-year-old man blew 0.210 after being intercepted by police in Langwarrin about 12am on Wednesday 29 November.

Casey Highway Patrol officers had initially observed the man’s white Toyota Landcruiser with a faulty headlight on CranbourneFrankston Road.

The driver’s licence was suspended on-thespot for 12 months and his car impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1042.

He is expected to be charged on summons for traffic offences including drink driving.

By Cam Lucadou-Wells A state coroner has released findings over the suicide of a 33-year-old armed man during a police siege in Blind Bight in September 2018.

The Clyde North father who had that day threatened to kill two former partners was cordoned by police on a rural property.

He was armed with a stolen sawn-off shotgun.

At the time, he was on a community corrections order for making threats to kill and possessing ice a month earlier.

He was also subject to intervention orders to protect the two ex-partners.

According to an ex-partner, his mental health had gone into decline due to relationship breakdowns, a child-custody battle and financial stress.

The six-hour operation involved 120 police members including the Critical Incident Response Team, Special Operations Group, Canine (K9) team and Airwing.

It started as a job to locate an armed, potentially suicidal man who might be a risk to his “in laws”. Later, there were details that suggested his ex-partners’ safety were under threat.

Earlier that morning, he’d allegedly broken into a home in Endeavour Hills and allegedly stole a diary thought to contain an ex-partner’s home address.

Police received separate reports from the man’s father and two ex-partners that suggested he had a gun, was in poor mental health and a safety risk to himself, his ‘in laws’ and ex-partners.

After 8am, the man’s mobile signals were located in Cannons Creek and appeared to be headed to a former partner’s address.

She was initially advised by police to stay inside and later to bring herself and her children to Narre Warren police station.

Info day welcomes everyone

The six-hour operation involved 120 police members including the Critical Incident Response Team, Special Operations Group, Canine (K9) team and Airwing.

Picture: FILE Police found the man’s apparently empty vehicle in a no-through road in Blind Bight.

About 10.25am, a ‘hot agg burg’ was reported nearby in which a resident barricaded himself in the bathroom.

As CIRT police cordoned off the rural property, the man posted on Facebook that police were “close by” and there may be a “live shootout”.

As a result, Special Operations Group police were deployed and safely rescued the victimresident from his house.

About 11am, Airwing located the wanted man. He was armed and lying in shrubs about 40 metres from the house.

With an inner and outer cordon of police, CIRT negotiators tried to call the man’s phone but it was switched off. Police called out to him on a public address system but no response.

About 1.05pm, police deployed specialist

surveillance equipment to deliver a mobile phone. The man damaged the surveillance equipment and then killed himself at the scene.

On 27 November, Coroner Leveasque Peterson found the man took his own life.

Peterson found the police command structure was “not as robust as it might have been” during the operation.

At times, operational directions were made by several senior officers rather than a single commander, including two contradictory directions.

“While I am satisfied that the operation to apprehend (the man) was not materially or adversely affected by this situation, it is easy to imagine operational situations that might be adversely affected by an insufficiently robust command structure.”

Lifeline 13 11 14

·

Prospective students will have the chance to indulge themselves with the opportunities Federation University has to offer at next month’s open day.

To be held on Tuesday 12 December, from 1pm-5pm, the day will feature campus tours and presentation sessions, where visitors can gain valuable knowledge from academics, current students, admissions support and industry guests.

Professor Duncan Bailey, the university’s vice-chancellor and president said that the day allows future students to take a glance at future courses that they might be interested in.

This is also a good opportunity for those who did not receive the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) that they were hoping for to explore a wide range of options.

Non-school-leavers also have the chance to enquire about studying in 2024, and learn about flexible study options and pathways from TAFE to university.

The info day will be held at the campuses of Berwick, Mt Helen, Gippsland and Camp Street.

To register and for more information visit federation.edu.au/infoday

206-210 King Road Harkaway On a Gorgeous 33 Acres (13.22 Ha) Approximately in the Coveted Harkaway Welcome to the epitome of country living! This sprawling 5-bedroom double-storey weatherboard home, nestled in the highly sought-after Harkaway location, seamlessly blends country charm with modern comfort on approximately 33 acres (13.22 Ha) of undulating terrain.

The residence features timber flooring throughout, an open-plan kitchen with stone benchtops. A servery connects to the formal dining room/reading room, while the bright meals area offers gorgeous views.

The massive family room has vaulted ceilings, a cozy wood heater, and opens onto a large, decked patio with a paved inground pool. An enormous fully glassed enclosed sunroom provides stunning views, and there’s a kids’ family room adjoining two double bedrooms with robes.

An additional 5th bedroom/study is off the entry. On the upper level, two generous master bedrooms with pitch roof ceilings and ensuites await.

Outside, impressive facilities include a double garage, double carport, a large barn with 2 stables, 4 expansive paddocks, a dam, and an approximate 50m x 25m arena. Unobstructed views provide a constant reminder of the natural beauty surrounding you. Opportunities like this are rare; experience the ultimate in privacy as you embrace the wildlife, birdlife, and the relaxed lifestyle of this exceptional property.

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Auction Date: Saturday 9th December at 3:30 pm Open for inspection Saturday 3.00pm Contact Agent for details L.J. Hooker Casey 03 5996 4777 Darren Saxon 0418 341 722

All information contained herein is gathered from sources we consider to be reliable. However, we cannot guarantee or give any warranty about the information provided. Interested parties must solely rely on their own enquiries.

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berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

12652389-AA48-23

Thursday, 30 November, 2023

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STAR NEWS 11

FOCUS ON … CHRISTMAS CHEER

Feed your pets the best Feed your pets with the best, healthy and fresh foods at Raw Pet Meats in Hallam.

Since 2012, Raw Pet Meats has provided premium grain-free pet food products with no added colouring or flavouring.

“We meet this commitment by controlling the whole process, from preparing all our meat at our own processing plants through to packaging at our own warehouse,” company spokesperson Ramy El-Sukkari said.

The whole product range is available in 800 gram packs or bulk at its public outlet

store in Hallam.

Until฀the฀end฀of฀2023,฀there’s฀10฀per฀cent฀off฀ storewide at the outlet.

The 800 gram products are also sold nationally at independent supermarket chains such as IGA and FoodWorks, as well as various butchers and independent pet stores.

Raw Pet Meats is an 100 per cent Australianowned business.

It is open at Factory 2, 2-6 Melverton Drive Hallam, Monday-Friday 8am-4.30pm and Saturday 9am-1pm. Phone: 1300 559 871.

A message from Santa and a lesson in life.

Talk to the jolly man Grandchildren nationwide can now connect directly to the North Pole with Telstra’s Free Calls to Santa until December 24, by dialling # HO HO HO (#464646) for free from any of Telstra’s 14,500 payphones around Australia to speak directly with Santa.

Telstra’s Free Calls to Santa hotline is an interactive activity that allows children to enjoy the magical experience of speaking directly with Santa about anything they want, from asking about the weather in the North Pole, to what the reindeer like to snack on before their big Christmas Eve adventure, and even share this year’s wish list.

For those looking to avoid shopping centre crowds with their grandchildren, dialling Santa from any payphone across the country offers an easy and cost-free alternative.

Plus, taking kids to a payphone to call Santa is a great way to teach them how to use and locate their nearest payphone in case of an emergency.

As Christmas cheer fills the air, it’s a great time to enjoy Telstra’s Free Calls to Santa, with Aussie families urged to make

Raw Pet Meats in Hallam offers fresh, healthy foods for your pets.

the most of it this year.

Here are some handy payphone tips this holiday season For kids, calling Santa also provides a fun and easy way to learn how to use and locate their nearest payphone in case of an emergency. Some handy tips: •฀ Use฀ Free฀ Calls฀ to฀ Santa฀ to฀ show฀ kids฀ how a payphone works and remind them that they can use one when it’s needed.

•฀Fun฀fact:฀Every฀payphone฀has฀a฀unique฀ number you can dial from your mobile.

This is a great way to show kids what an oldfashioned phone sound like!

How to call Santa 1. Head to any Telstra payphone around the country from November 15 – December 24.

2. To find your nearest payphone, hit search on Google Maps – for examplePayphones Sydney CBD and Surrounds Google My Maps 3. Dial #HO HO HO (#464646) 4. Make sure you’re ready with a few questions฀for฀Santa,฀and฀to฀tell฀him฀what’s฀ at the top of your wish list!

Christmas Gifts are made for a life time at Berwick Village Jewellers • Designers & Makers of handmade Fine Jewellery • Jewellery Repairs • Specializing in Swiss Watch Repairs By Qualified Watchmaker on premises • All Watch and Jewellery repairs completed on premises

12 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 30 November, 2023

2 Blackburne Square, Berwick VIC 3806 03 9707 2647 www.berwickvillagejewellers.com.au

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berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

FOCUS ON … CHRISTMAS CHEER

Bang for your festive buck It’s one of the most beloved Christmas traditions: pulling a cracker with a loved one and seeing who ends up with the funny hat. But Christmas crackers are often the last thing on the shopping list and after buying the presents, trimmings and food, pockets feel a little less than flush.

Why not try making your own? It’s easy and economical, using everyday items you probably have at home already. Best of all, you can fill them with trinkets that mean something to your guests, rather than plastic titbits that are likely to go in the bin at the end of the meal.

Now that’s ‘bang’ for your buck!

Here’s how to put them together: First, purchase some cracker snaps from your local craft store, like Spotlight. That will give you the authentic bon bon bang!

Next, place a cracker snap in a cardboard tube, say a toilet roll tube or a paper towel tube cut in half. If you don’t have any tubes handy, you can find these at craft shops, or cut pieces of flexible cardboard into rectangles and roll into cylinders. Secure the snap with a piece of tape or glue.

Then, choose your paper wrapping! You can wrap your bon bons in colourful tissue paper to match your table setting, Christmas wrapping paper, or even light fabric that can be washed and reused again next year. Cut it to fit the tube, with enough overhang to cover the ends of the snap. Roll around the tube and stick down with tape. Pinch one end and tie it down with a ribbon of your choice.

Fill the other end of the tube with your trinkets and fillings (see below for some ideas on what fillings to use!) then tie the last end shut.

For a personal touch, add a name tag and use each bon bon as a place setting for the table!

You can customise your crackers to suit your Christmas table settings.

Here are some ideas for entertaining cracker fillings: If your guests have a bit of a sweet tooth, buy a box of chocolates and divvy them up amongst the crackers. For the adults in the room, you can purchase liqueur-flavoured chocolates to match guests’ favourite tipples - or perhaps even mini bottles of their favou-

·

rite spirits.

of the cheesy jokes we’ve all heard a · Instead thousand times before, write some positive

·

affirmations or messages for the New Year and slip those inside. People love to know they are cared for!

Are you a romantic at heart? If your beloved loves Christmas as much as you do, a crack-

er might be the place to hide the ring. Just make sure they get the right bon bon to pull or things could get awkward.

· For the kids, include something they’ll actually use. Colourful hair ties or clips, badges, marbles or spinning tops make cute gifts for the little ones.

You choose your OWN

Christmas Tree!

For more than 60 years, Dandenong Christmas Tree Farm has been delighting customers with that most precious of festive traditions: a real, live Christmas tree.

Customers are invited to visit the farm and take a wander amongst the rows of green until they find their perfect tree. There is a tree for every family, in different heights to fit any house.

Staff will cut the tree and can net it for easy transportation for a small fee.

They’re easy to take care of too; just keep them watered and your tree will last the whole Christmas season.

Magnificent trees

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berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 30 November, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 13

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

with Star News journalist Emma Xerri

What do you love about working as a journalist?

I love talking to people about their stories, and getting a feel for what makes an issue so important from someone who has experienced it first hand. I think hearing from people and learning about their experiences can breathe life into any story.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

I’m not proud of it, but probably a cat. I really enjoy lying down and I think I have the right amount of sass to really pull it off.

What would your last meal be?

I have actually given this a lot of thought recently and I think it would be some really authentic falafel, followed by either tiramisu or apple pie.

What has been your most memorable moment so far?

There have been a few really special moments in my life so far, but one that sticks out was hearing Lorde play her song ‘Green Light’ live at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with my sisters.

What was your favourite subject in school?

That’s probably a tie between English Literature and Media. And although I wasn’t very good at it, I also really loved Drama.

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

Queen’s performance at Live Aid. No question.

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

This is an almost impossible question to answer, but as of right now it would be Heath Ledger and Jenny Slate (because I adore them), Daniel Day Lewis (to convince him to come out of retirement), Billy Joel (to serenade me on piano) and, of course, my grandma.

What are you currently listening to/watching or reading?

Currently listening to a lot of Talking Heads,

Star News journalist Emma Xerri. especially their song ‘Crosseyed and Painless’.

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

The only thing I can cook - scrambled tofu.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

New York City to see all the Broadway shows.

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

Grandma at heart.

What would you do on your perfect ‘day off’?

Catch up on all the new releases I’ve missed in cinema.

THREE … ways to save on Christmas

1

Shop early Take advantage of early retail promotions to tick off Christmas shopping lists.

2

DIY decorations You don’t have to buy decorations and you could save money with a DIY Christmas by making your own wreath, baubles or door ornaments. You could even try a homemade Christmas tree!

3

Find free ways to entertain yourself Keeping your families entertained during the Christmas holidays can get expensive. However, free or low-cost activities are always on the horizon if you are willing to visit a local gallery, go on a city walk, or wander through local markets.

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Thursday, 30 November, 2023

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Keeping finances on track The Casey North Community Information and Support Services (CNCISS) received a grant from South East Water as part of their annual community grants program.

The grant has provided community members in Casey, Cardinia, Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula access to free help through CNCISS’ financial literacy program ‘Stay on Track’.

CNICSS executive officer Helen Small said the program has met the growing needs of community members who are seeking the right tools and education in order to manage their finances.

“We’re seeing an increasing number of community members presenting to us under financial stress, putting pressure on their health and relationships,” she said.

The ‘Stay on Track’ program works side by side with the organisation’s one-to-one financial counselling service, offering precise and accurate data.

“Our process helps make informed financial choices, including advice on budgeting, bill payments, loans, using credit, avoiding financial scams and stopping the cycle of debt,” Ms Small said.

South East Water’s customer affordability manager Nerida Casey said they were proud to help CNCISS support the community, especially with the current cost of living pressures.

“Community groups like CNCISS offer vital front-line support for community members who may be struggling to pay their bills and meet their financial commitments,” she said.

“We’re excited to see this important project come to life with the support of our Community Grants program.”

South East Water’s annual community grants program funds local projects that support vulnerable community members.

Its goal is to make the environment healthier, help people be more active and connected,

CNCISS members Lauren Booth, Lisa Hansen, and Helen Small joined with SE Water members Anita McKenzie and Nerida Casey. and to build knowledge about water and how to use it in the best way possible.

The organisation is currently offering financial support to 13,000 customers, with

tailored care programs, relief and hardship grants, incentive schemes, hardship plumbing assistance and family violence support.

For more information regarding CNCISS,

Picture: SUPPLIED

visit caseynorthciss.com.au Further details on the Community Grants Program for 2024 can be found at southeastwater.com.au/grants

ELECTRICAL SAFETY RECALL Affected batteries are at risk of overheating and fire, potentially resulting in property damage, injury or death. Incidents have occurred and caused damage to property.

If you believe that you have an LG home battery please contact one of our experts at 1300 677 273.

1300 677 273 productrecall@lgensol.com.au

RESU 3.3, 6.5, 10, 13

RESU 7H, 10H

www.lghomebattery.com.au/isyourbatterysafe

If you have a SolaX or Opal Storage solar + battery system please call us at 1300 476 529.

1300 476 529 service@solaxpower.com

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12651589-JC47-23

berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 30 November, 2023

|

STAR NEWS 15

NEWS

Queen Robyn crowned

By Violet Li Queen Robyn Wright’s coronation took place at Berwick Neighbourhood Centre on Sunday 26 November Dressed in an elegant red dress, she was walked up to the royal throne by vice queens.

A formal oath was made to uphold the spirit of Red Hat Society, concluding with a promise to misbehave and take the silliness seriously.

Then she was handed over an orb and a scepter, officially crowned, and cloaked in purple regalia. Everyone in the society came up, curtsied, sent congratulations, and pledged their service to the young queen.

The special ritual was heralded as a celebration of a new beginning for the women in this new society in Casey.

Robyn, a Berwick local, established the Casey Chapter of the Red Hat Society called Ladies with HATitude in October and now there are 20 members.

The Red Hat Society is known as a worldwide social club for women, especially those over the age of 50. Members are easily identifiable in their conspicuous red and purple outfits. They also take on whimsical royal titles like Countess Chocolate, Princess Munchkin, or Empress Jin. “It is basically just about having fun. We don’t raise money. We don’t raise awareness or anything,” Robyn said.

“We will just go out for dinner. We will gather together to play silly games.”

Finding it hard to make new friends as an adult, Robyn started her own Red Hat branch after some research and consultation.

“I found that I, after a marriage breakdown, sort of had to start again, friendship-wise,” she said.

Berwick resident Robyn Wright (left two) is being crowned as the Queen for Ladies with HATitude, the Casey Chapter of the Red Hat Society. (L-R Alison Sacks, Robyn Wright, Kerry Eustace and Picture: GARY SISSONS Rosemarie Hughes) 375256 “I knew that there was a need for older women to form friendships.”

She put a comment on one of the local Facebook group pages, saying she was launching a social group for women over 40 and about 100 women responded saying they were also looking to make new friends.

Stunned by the amount of the response she received, Robyn was determined to go further and make her Chapter a vibrant space for women.

“I think at different ages, you have different needs. And by the time you’re 40, the kids are grown up, and a lot of us missed out on being silly because we’ve been busy raising children and doing the mum thing and working and everything,” she said.

“Now we’ve got some time on our hands, and we can go back to being silly and having some fun.

“It’s like playgroup for adults.”

Robyn said wearing bright red and purple enabled them to be not caring and just silly.

“We’ll go out everywhere wearing red and purple. We don’t care anyone who thinks red and purple don’t match,” she said.

Clyde North resident Kerry Eustace, who preferred her Red Hat title as Princess Munchkin, was one of the members of the Casey Chapter.

Being Queen twice in other Chapters, she crowned Robyn at the coronation.

Still highly active in the field, Kerry found the society personally more than a social group.

“It is a supportive group for women who are lonely,” she said.

She recounted that in her previous Chapter, there was one girl from the bush coming down to Melbourne with her husband and not knowing anybody.

“She was very shy. But she soon became very outgoing and much happier with her life because she had all these friends in the group,” she remembered.

“When we get older, we tend to be invisible and get overlooked.

“We want to be more visible, and now we are visible in the purple and red.”

Kerry recalled years ago, her old group went on the train into the city dressed as fairies.

“We’ve been into the Queen Victoria market and a lot of Chinese people said we would be lucky ladies because of the colours we were wearing,” she said.

One of the best compliments Kerry thought she had was when her group had dinner in a hotel in Ferntree Gully.

“This 17-year-old young man came up and said you ladies rock. He said his mother would love this, so we gave him a card,” she recalled.

“We stand up, and we make people smile.”

Kerry was confident that Robin had the enthusiasm and the energy to make a good group.

Now as a crowned queen, Robyn said she did have more responsibilities.

“My job is to make sure everyone’s having fun,” she said.

“I will make sure everyone’s included. And it doesn’t get too serious.”

To join the group, email: ladieswithhatitude@mail.com

Four key considerations when starting a new business Gallup surveys have been pretty consistent over the years showing that around 70 per cent of staff are “disengaged”, i.e. they go to work, do what they have to (not usually much more) and go home. For some of that 70 per cent, the allure of starting their own business can be very appealing along with the belief that they would have more time and more income. However, the reality is that the vast majority of new business owners usually have less of both for at least the first couple of years, so this big decision needs to be carefully thought through. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 93 per cent of businesses have a turnover of less than $2M so small businesses make up a very significant proportion of companies in Australia. If you are thinking of starting your own business, here are four key things that should be considered: What is my product or service offering?

People start a business for many reasons: have a new idea for a product or service, see a gap in the market, believe they can offer similar products/services either more cheaply or with greater customer service, but none of these

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH on their own is enough. The key question to answer is: ‘what customer problem am I solving or what difference will this make?’ Back in 2022 I published my own book entitled ‘From Passion to Profit’ since I witnessed far too many small business owners with great business ideas fail to capitalise on their offering by not knowing how to properly start a business.

Before going to the expense of setting this up, first road test your idea with people who will give you honest feedback and find out if they would buy, and if so at what price?

Who is my target audience?

Allied to the above is the need to know specifically who would buy what you offer. Despite never winning any awards for being the best

burger, McDonalds’ Big Mac is consistently the best-selling burger in the world. This implies that success is not necessarily a function of the the product or service quality, but has much more to do with the way it is marketed and sold. For this reason, knowing who to target and how best to get the message across is essential for success.

How much do I need to set the business up?

This is one of the questions where the answer will always start with ‘it depends….’, but one thing is for sure, you need to have some idea of what the new venture will cost you over the course of a year or so to see whether you can afford it! In addition to making some rough estimates on sales numbers and hence revenue, you need to calculate all the associated expenses you can think of over the first year including paying yourself. If you are borrowing money to start the business, make sure you factor in the loan repayment costs, appropriate insurance and your tax obligations. A good accountant should be able to provide a wealth of advice in this area.

What is the plan for my business?

As Winston Churchill once said: “Fail to plan,

plan to fail”. These days ‘Business Plans’ are not that commonly written and usually the only people interested in these are the loan providers (banks, venture capitalists, etc).

However, taking the time to write down what needs to be done and by when, establishing a company budget (in line with 3. above), identifying necessary resources, identifying risks (and associated mitigation strategies), documenting your unique value proposition and formulating a high-level marketing plan (e.g. website construction and other materials to promote your business (item 2. above)) will all go a long way to getting clarity for yourself and identifying potential pitfalls before too much time, effort and cash is invested.

The above items are not an exhaustive list of what to do when preparing to start your own business and there is plenty of good advice on the internet so do your research before starting anything.

Ian Ash ACC, AInstIB Managing director OrgMent Business Solutions www.ombs.com.au

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Laughing all the way home

By Ethan Benedicto Tom Gleeson will be bringing his comedic talents to Narre Warren for a first-time performance at Bunjil Place on Thursday 7 December.

His new tour, titled Gear, is what Gleeson described as a breath of fresh air from his television endeavours, and was excited to bring new content to Bunjil where he’s keen for some challenges.

“Well, I’m an obnoxious performer so I find that my crowd can be pretty obnoxious too.

“People pay good money to come and try to take me down, and I haven’t had anyone do it but maybe that’s just because I haven’t met the right heckler yet,” Gleeson said.

The tour, which began in early November, is a six-month-long endeavour that spans the whole country and is what Gleeson described to be a great taster for comedy festival goers.

In order to avoid spoiling the performance, he said that bringing audiences on stage would be a big part of the tour.

“I do this at all my shows, but I always invite the audience to tell me what they did or didn’t believe was true at the end of the show.

“I’ve got a bigger bank for my ideas and I’ve been wanting to get these on stage, it’s a thrill to be back out there and doing new material,” he said.

Gleeson is a decorated comedy veteran, and throughout 25 years has performed multiple times across the country at events such as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Perth Fringe, where his stand-up shows Joy and Lighten Up won the best comedy award in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

He has also performed internationally, in cities like New York, Los Angeles and London.

Recently, he was also the winner of the 2019

Gold Logie award for the most popular personality on television, delivering a memorable speech on stage.

However, in roughly two decades of experience, his comedic style took a leap 15 years ago, where Gleeson said he “decided to stop caring what people think”.

“I decided to stop performing in a way that was obviously trying to get the audience to like me,” he said.

That realisation changed everything, and the pieces of his puzzle fell into place.

“A lot of comedians are self-deprecating and always trying to say to the audience ‘hey I’m just like you, please like me’, whereas I’ve just discarded the whole act,” Gleeson said.

His cadence became more assertive, and is what eventually formed his performative style that many are familiar with today.

“I mean that’s not an act, that’s just who I am.

“I think I used to pretend to be polite but then I just thought, I’m going to stop doing that and just be who I really am and that’s when things took off for me,” Gleeson said.

In 2016 Gleeson began hosting Hard Quiz, which he continues to do so today.

He is also the main host of Taskmaster, which aired its first episode on February this year.

When asked if heckling him was something audiences could look forward to during the show, he agreed.

“Yeah, maybe someone’s going to end my career in Narre Warren,” Gleeson said.

The show will be held at Bunjil Place Theatre on Thursday 7 December, 7.30pm. Tickets: bunjilplace.com.au/events Tom Gleeson is challenging Narre Warren hecklers to “bring me down”. Picture: SUPPLIED

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Rex name shame

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“They need to have their plaques removed

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

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

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

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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STAR NEWS 17

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Shining a light on violence

By Matthew Sims Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward has shown her support for the work conducted by Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV) and the Catholic Diocese of Sale in helping to educate, inform and equip parish communities to address domestic and family violence.

Together with Bishop Greg Bennet of the Diocese of Sale, she launched the report, Shining a Light: A collaborative project working to build capacity for a whole-of-Church response to domestic and family violence, on Friday 17 November in Warragul.

The report outlined the findings of a pilot program, Shining a Light, which took place between March and July last year in the Catholic Diocese of Sale, in partnership with Catholic Social Services Victoria, the peak body for Catholic social and community service organisations across the state, and Sr Nicole Rotaru, a Mercy Sister, social worker and counsellor with many years’ experience of working with victims and survivors of family and domestic violence, including children.

A total of 127 people (89 women and 38 men) participated in the pilot program, which assisted participants to recognise the signs of domestic and family violence and the impacts on women and children; to be more confident in starting a careful conversation; and to know some domestic and family violence resources in the local community and beyond.

Participants included church clergy, parish staff, members of religious congregations, Diocesan safeguarding staff and other organisation volunteers and staff, including those from across local social service agencies, schools, and healthcare.

In addressing the report, Minister Ward said she welcomed the report’s message that “the prevention of domestic and family violence is contingent on strong, local communities”.

Diocese of Sale Bishop Greg Bennet spoke during the launch.

“This is a conversation that has to happen across communities and the work that you have done, with your 127 participants and conversations is really important, because those conversations will ripple out and will lead to other conversations,” she said.

“We know that up to 50 per cent of people

Picture: SUPPLIED

in Victoria, and nationwide, still think that it happens ‘somewhere else’, that it ‘doesn’t happen’ in their community, in their street, or in their schools, or in their churches.

“To continue to have those conversations, to plant those seeds of openness is really important.”

Bishop Greg Bennet said he was committed to “sharing those efforts to address the terror of domestic and family violence and violence of any kind”.

“We are constantly reminded of the turmoil, violence, injury, and deaths of those victims of such terror, darkness, and silence,” he said.

“The evaluation report highlights that no community is free from domestic family violence.

“It is a matter of pastoral care that we create within our parish communities, pools of safety, where people will find the courage to speak to clergy and pastoral leaders, and that our parishes will be well equipped and available to know what resources are available to support, accompany, and ensure people are safe.”

The report outlined six recommendations which aim to enhance the Catholic community’s role in responding to and preventing domestic and family violence in light of the learnings from this pilot program, including an emphasis on the importance of providing ongoing support for the workshop participants, and a need to secure resources for further work.

Workshop facilitator and CSSV council and CSSV Domestic Violence Working Group member Sr Nicole Rotaru RSM said the participants of the pilot program provided insightful feedback.

“Implementing these recommendations is vital for the Catholic community to proactively contribute to preventing and addressing domestic and family violence in Victoria and beyond,” she said.

“While violence against women is a problem of epidemic proportions in Australia and children suffer the consequences intensely, it is not inevitable.

“The silence must be broken, so that children, women and men can be safe.”

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STAR NEWS 19

NEWS

Trucking firm fined $2m

By Duncan Murray, AAP The boss of a Lyndhurst trucking company branch involved in the tragic roadside deaths of four Victorian police officers knew about workplace safety breaches, but thought they had been resolved, a court has heard.

Connect Logistics and Corey Matthews pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges brought by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, relating to failures to properly monitor driver fatigue and drug and alcohol use.

Mohinder Singh was high on methamphetamine and lacking sleep when his semi-trailer ploughed into officers who’d stopped a speeding Porsche driven by Richard Pusey on the Eastern Freeway in Kew in April 2020.

The semi-trailer ploughed into four officers conducting a traffic stop of a speeding Porsche.

Singh is serving more than 18 years behind bars for his role in the crash.

In Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, Matthews was personally fined $22,500 while the now defunct Connect Logistics was ordered to pay a total of $2,310,000.

Both penalties are less than half of what could have been imposed by the court.

As head of the Sydney-based company, Matthews admitted having failed to exercise due diligence in ensuring the compliance of his drivers.

At the time of the accident, Connect held a lucrative contract with poultry supplier Inghams delivering chickens to KFCs and super-

Cranbourne truck driver Mohinder Bajwa Singh was high on methamphetamine and lacking sleep when his semi-trailer ploughed into police officers on the Eastern Freeway in April 2020.

Picture: FACEBOOK markets across metro Melbourne, as well as shuttling slaughtered animals to processing plants.

NHVR prosecutor Jennifer Single told the court in the months before the crash, Inghams had raised concerns about the hours drivers were working, believing them to exceed the legal limit of 12 hours a day.

Four months before the crash, Inghams filed a formal issue relating to Melbourne supervisor

and driver Simiona Tuteru, whose time sheets showed on multiple occasions worked between 18 and 20 hours a day.

Matthews was made aware of the issue and sent national executives Cris Large and Shane Chalmers to Victoria to deal with it, the court was told.

Following the intervention Tuteru continued to work longer hours but instead of putting run sheets in his own name, began putting them in the names of other drivers, the court was told.

Lawyer for Connect and Matthews, Trish McDonald, said while Large and Chalmers allegedly knew of the falsified time sheets, Matthews did not and believed the issue had been solved.

Mohinder Singh is serving more than 18 years behind bars over the crash.

“He should have gone back and double checked that everything was alright,” Ms McDonald told the court.

“He failed to exercise the due diligence to ensure the company complied with its obligations.”

Magistrate John Arms questioned how much not knowing about the breaches worked in Matthews’ favour, given he was ultimately responsible.

“Are you suggesting to me every managing director puts his hands over his ears and his eyes and he has no responsibility?” he asked.

“He knew there was a problem, he accepted the word of someone that was in the problem, and didn’t do anything further.”

The officers killed in the 2020 crash were leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney.

Mother of Const Prestney, Belinda who travelled from Victoria for the hearing, told the court police officers like her son put themselves in dangerous situations to protect others.

“No one should have to worry that they or their loved one will not come home from work,” Ms Prestney said.

“Nothing is more important or valuable than human life. Once it is gone there’s no getting it back.”

After the sentencing, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) director of prosecutions Belinda Hughes said this was the first time a local court had issued a fine of this magnitude, reflecting the severity of the breach.

“This is the highest fine we’ve ever seen under the HVNL,” Ms Hughes said.

“This outcome, along with the record $22,000 fine and supervisory order handed to the company’s managing director, sends a strong message to those taking the deadly risk of breaching their primary duty.

“Executives need to ensure they have effective systems in place to support fatigue management across their business and to empower all levels of their organisation to take fatigue management seriously.

“As we heard in court ‘no one should have to worry that they or their loved one will not come home from work’.”

All-inclusive jobs boost

By Sahar Foladi Community organisations are striving to create Melbourne’s first all-inclusive workplace facility in Dandenong.

The project partnering Afri-Aus Care and Ability Works could create a $34 million economic benefit, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The benefit includes secure employment for Afri-Aus Care ‘mamas’ who face many barriers.

Founder and chief executive officer of the organisations, Selba Gondoza-Luka said this facility would be a great pathway for employment.

“I’ve been looking for a facility like this. This will be fabulous.

“It’ll be closer to the mamas, they don’t have to travel far.

“The South-East is a growth corridor for marginalised people no matter where they come from.”

Ability Works is an organisation which supports people with disabilities into employment.

Its chief executive Sue Boyce said many factors contributed to the decision for an all-inclusive workplace especially in Dandenong.

“We wanted to move into more inclusive and diverse environment from just disability because the community attitudes are changing.

“Segregated workplaces for people with disability was okay in the past but the community are now giving messages that this is not okay,” she said.

“A more diverse workplace is more appropriate.”

As a result, the local social enterprise underwent an overhaul to meet its goal of being culturally appropriate.

If secured, the all-inclusive workplace facility will be open to employ anyone from marginalised communities from any background, language and race.

PwC conducted a cost-benefit analysis and found such a facility would create around 100 new jobs and lead to a whopping $34 million benefit over 15 years, far outweighing the $10 million it would cost to build it.

Ability Works is urgently seeking funds to carry this ground-breaking project.

Ms Gondoza-Luka is also hopeful that City of Greater Dandenong will support this project.

“The City of Greater Dandenong Council is a very great city council.

“No matter if the mayor and councillors change, they have the community at heart.

“I know if we get this facility the council will be in full support.”

Rita Padang, one of the mamas at Afri-Aus Care, is a Dandenong resident and a single 20 STAR NEWS

|

CEO Ability Works Sue Boyce with Selba Gondoza-Luka founder of Afri-Aus Care. mother of seven who migrated to Australia 20 years ago.

Confronting a lack of employment pathways and barriers such as not speaking English, Ms Padang is one example out of many who struggle to find employment despite trying their best to “fit-in.”

“It’s hard for me as a single mother of seven children.

“I struggled to maintain my life.

“In 2006 I worked as teacher aide. I’ve been trying my best to fit in but it’s hard with the children.”

With a seven-month-old baby in her arm when she first arrived from a refugee camp in Kenya to Australia, she pushed herself to English classes and has done well.

She worked as a teacher in her country but sadly could not continue her career here.

She has completed her Diploma in Children’s Services and a Certificate IV in Ageing support through the help of organisations like Afri-Aus Care.

“I’m very supported because now we work with Selba, she gives us a lot of opportunities and short courses,” Ms Padang said.

“It’s good for us to unite as a community in our centre as a multicultural organisation. We have Australians, Vietnamese, Afghans, Somalian, Sudanese and much more.”

Ms Padang now works at Ability Works, parttime on call.

The partnership came about when Ability Works invited the Mamas to work at its manufacturing facility in Kew. Despite the distance, the mamas found it a great experience. It also allowed Ability Works to work closely with Afri-Aus Care and better understand the CALD communities in Greater Dandenong.

A research paper launched last year in partnership with RMIT looked at the ways that the social enterprise could breakdown barriers to employment in the highly multicultural area.

Thursday, 30 November, 2023

Robotics Australia Group chief executive Nicci Rossouw and South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance chief exeuctive Honi Walker.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Boon for manufacturing South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance’s (SEMMA) collaborative partnership with Robotics Australia Group (RAG) presents a big leap forward for manufacturing advocacy in the South East.

SEMMA chief executive officer Honi Walker said the partnership is beneficial for both parties.

“This is the first time the two associations have come together to establish a Working Agreement, this partnership will bring great benefits to all our members,” she said.

The partnership aims to foster innovation and growth within the manufacturing industry.

With both organisations sharing a common vision, there is an expectation for new opportunities for knowledge exchange and resource-sharing.

RAG chief executive Nicci Rossouw said she is excited about the partnership.

“We are thrilled to make this declaration and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial association,” she said.

With a drive for manufacturing excellence in the region, SEMMA has a long history of supporting and connecting manufacturers to foster innovation, collaboration and growth.

RAG, by the same token, is a leading in-

Nicci Rossouw and Honi Walker signing the partnership papers. dustry association who are dedicated to promoting the use of robotics across different fields, with a focus on driving the growth and success of the industry across the country.

This collaboration is an example of the commitment from both organisations, with the expectation of creating a platform for dialogue, idea exchange and strategic partnerships with the ultimate goal of making the southeast a hub for pioneering manufacturing practices. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

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STAR NEWS 21

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From fantasy to reality

By Violet Li It’s been five years since Clyde North author Violeta M. Bagia last talked to the paper. The interval has nurtured a leap from YA fantasy novels to literary fiction, with a new title scheduled for April 2025.

Set in Melbourne in the early 2000s, her new coming-of-age novel captures a notorious overachiever’s final year in high school, a year of dreams, trauma, self-realisation, and reconciliation.

The story weaves through tough themes of sexual assault, bullying, immigrant integration, and tough family life, where the main character tried to resolve what had happened and struggle through the tragedies great and small.

As a long-time master of fantasy and science fiction, Violeta admitted it was a completely new challenge for her to write in a literary style.

“I’ve never done that before. The biggest challenge was you can’t resolve things with something magical happened to this character, and all their problems have gone away,” she said.

“You have to live with the problems, seek therapy, talk to parents and reach out to their friends.

“You have to be your own hero. You don’t really get any magic pills or magic potions. You have to actually live through the problems and the issues and try and survive a normal human would.”

Escaping from the paranormal world was a decision made after the birth of her child, Vio-

Clyde North author Violeta M. Bagia has a surprise for the community with her new title scheduled Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS for April 2025. 375252 leta said.

“Having a child really shifted my perspective in life. It’s great to get lost in fantasy world and read a lot of fiction. But I also want her to have a book where she can look to for answers and help and guidance from other relatable people, people who have gone through real things.

“I grew up reading incredible books like Looking for Alibrandi that dealt with a young woman who was in in school and having to deal with bullying because she was an immigrant and didn’t really fit in either.

“I guess I wanted to write my own version of that.”

Writers always write what they know to

some degree and there are also some elements that touch on her own life, according to Violeta.

Starting out in Australia and learning how to speak English as an immigrant around the age of seven was an isolating experience.

“I did encounter a lot of bullying. So, I want to have somewhere I could read and see how people endured and survived that,” she said.

“I didn’t really have any friends, so my learning was diving into books and reading and practising writing, and I found that I really enjoyed writing.

“I reached out to my teachers in primary school and high school and told them that it’s something that I dreamt of doing, if I was good enough someday to be a writer.

“And turns out it was something that I was good at, which is great.”

One thing about Violeta’s creation is it will never shift no matter where she forages ahead.

“In all of my stories, whether they’re set in completely fictional worlds or fantastical elements, every single character goes through something life-altering or changing or difficult, but they always have a way of coming out on top,” she said.

“I want to provide that hope to people reading it.

“It doesn’t matter how difficult something maybe in your life, everything can be overcome if you stick your mind to it.”

Violeta’s new novel will be published by Dragonfly publishing in April 2025.

She is the author of the Hart of Darkness series and The Reaper’s Descent.

Unique, rare beast set to go under the hammer

By Cam Lucadou-Wells With slick lines and in a bright nautical yellow, a rare racing gem has been sitting idle in a Dandenong garage for nearly 30 years.

Its owner Bob Gill, 80, has never even been able to squeeze behind the wheel of his truly unique 1982 Lola 610 HU2 – one of just two built.

In an online auction this coming weekend, Gill is emptying his factory of the Lola and all of its other treasures, equipment, tools, components and parts.

Some stunning cars are listed like a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro Nascar with a 850 horsepower engine and a 1969 Ford Mustang Cobra coupe left-hand drive. There’s wonderful old bikes, a vintage motorcycle and a 1963 EJ Holden.

“I can’t take it with me. They don’t fit in the box,” Gill jokes of his 60-year collection.

“Have you ever seen a Hearse with a tow bar?”

Now gathering dust on a hoist, the luminous Lola is part of an iconic UK racing brand and collecting worldwide interest.

It raced in the Le Mans 24-hour event in 1982, 1983 and 1984 - the only car to do so three years in a row.

The car’s last race was in the World Sports Car Championship at Sandown in 1984 when its English driver John Bartlett offered to sell it to Gill.

“He put his arm around me … and said: ‘You could own this.’”

“I said: ‘All right, what do you want for it?’”

At the time, Gill had no idea how rare the car was. He was building a Mustang racing sedan and needed some of the Lola’s parts.

But when he went to collect it, he found the driver had flown home with the leased Cosworth engine.

The Lola was piled in pieces in a corner, with Customs taxes and duties to be paid.

Gill reassembled it, put a dummy Ford engine under the bonnet, and thought “Gee it looks good”.

The Lola owes him a small fortune, but has no regrets that he’s never driven the prize.

“I’m six foot one and they’re built for dwarfs,” he says. “I never thought about it.

The cabin is too small for me – I would get claustrophobia.”

22 STAR NEWS

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Racing car driver, plumber, mayor and footballer Bob Gill has amassed a unique collection. 375031

Bob Gill with his Lola T610 HU2, which goes under the hammer this weekend. 375031 Picture: GARY SISSONS Gill has tried his hand at a lot of things.

He played half-a-dozen VFL senior games for Richmond in the 1960s just before Tom Hafey assembled a dynastic four-premiership side.

Won the Victorian Sports Car Sedan championships in 1964, 1965 and 1966, as well as drove a safety car to attend crashes at Sandown.

The former plumber became an accidental councillor and then mayor for City of Prahran.

He stood for election on the urging of locals whose homes and factories were set to be demolished by the council.

“I said I don’t care – I’ll shift somewhere

Thursday, 30 November, 2023

else. They said you should get on council and tell them not to do it. We’ll support you and shoved a nomination form in front of me.

“I had no idea. I was in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”

Well-known as a Prahran footballer and tradie, Gill “romped it in”. He doubled everyone else’s vote but the straight-talker soon found himself ostracized in the council chamber.

“When I’m there in my overalls, I’m thinking what am I doing here?”

Though councillors tried to get rid of him, he was installed as mayor in 1993-’94. He doesn’t miss the 3am phone calls from con-

A front view of the Lola on a hoist in Gill’s garage in Dandenong. 375031 stituents to “get rid of a dead dog in a back lane”.

When it was done, he’d ring them back at 3am the next day.

“It was five minutes later then when you rang me,” he told them.

His massive 60-year collection is ready in lots for online sale by Martin Evan Auctions.

Gill is keeping little. Just a forklift in order to pack off the Lola as well as a Mustang for his partner Rebecca to race.

“Will I be sad when it all goes?

“I’ll be happy if it goes to a good home.” berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

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STAR NEWS 23

WHAT’S ON Day, short and long trips away via coach and flights, a weekly morning coffee club, monthly Saturday country pub lunches, monthly evening dineouts, weekly table tennis club, walking groups, seasonal daytime musical theatre outings and more.

The club is also hosting a formal Christmas lunch on Tuesday 5 December at Dandenong Club. Come along and get to know us by visiting us on a Thursday at 2pm at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House or join us on a Wednesday at 10 am for a Coffee at Little Sparrow Fountain Gate. For more information, contact enquiry officer Gloria on 0468 363 616.

Celebrating Communities At Oakgrove Community Centre we believe that a strong community is built on connections and share experiences.

Join us on 3 December at 12pm to 3pm, as we open doors to celebrate the vibrant tapestry of our neighbourhood. Pony rides, face painting, photo booth and DJ, jumping castle, hot food for purchase, kids games, stall and performance.

Friends of Cardinia Creek Sanctuary walk

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A casual walk with Judy Smith around Cardinia Creek.

Friends of Cardinia Creek Sanctuary was formed in 1998 by Judy Smith and her late husband Ralph, they spent many weeks with friends and other volunteers cleaning up sections along Cardinia Creek at Akoonah Park and surrounds.

Friends of Cardinia Creek is a group of volunteers working towards improving and beautifying sections of the Cardinia Creek with frontages to Berwick and Beaconsfield.

Sunday 10 December, 10am to 11am, Akoonah Park, meet at the carpark at the end of Cardinia Street.

Marina Prior and David Hobson’s encore tour of The 2 Of Us After four back-to-back years of selling out 180plus shows around the country and over 85,000 tickets sold, Marina and David will embark on their biggest tour to-date with over 60 shows around the country for their 2023 encore tour of their hit production, ‘The 2 Of Us’ in up close and personal mode.

The 2 Of Us will come to Bunjil Place Narre Warren on 8 December 2023.

·

Gethsemane’s Annual Clyde Carols

By Candlelight Presented by Gethsemane Church and Charity for the seventh consecutive year.

The event is back live and on-site and online as the television presentations and radio broadcasts continue.

Hosted by Pastor Kerrigan La-Brooy, the event will include festive cheer, a carnival atmosphere, gifts, giveways, prizes, live performances, television appearances, food vendors, a hydration station, children’s rides, amusements and a special visit from Santa Claus.

The event is launching Gethsemane’s ‘Christmas Miracle’ with gifts for every registered child present at the event’s registration desk.

For more information, email kerriganlabrooy@ bigpond.com or contact 0404 875 647 or register your interest at facebook.com/ events/1817253545397267 Saturday 16 December, 5pm to 9pm, Hillcrest Christian College Oval, 500 Soldiers Road, Clyde North.

and Learning Pakenham from noon to 2pm on Thursday 14 December.

Vegan and halal food options available.

Each year the cake is a ‘tour de force’ featuring an artwork drawn by Rana Sadeghian and made

by Pam Archibald.

There is a giant raffle that will enable the Women’s Friendship Cafe to continue into its seventh year.

To RSVP, contact Living and Learning Pakenham at 5941 2389 before Monday 11 December.

The luncheon is on Thursday 14 December.

Pakenham/Berwick Women’s Friendship Cafe luncheon The Pakenham/Berwick Women’s Friendship Cafe end of year luncheon will be held at Living

Hard Quiz Overlord, Master of Tasks and Gold Logie Winner Tom Gleeson has taken the Brass

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berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Hugs for Hancock hundred

By Marcus Uhe Jake Hancock produced a roar of satisfaction after clipping the ball through the leg side to reach his first DDCA hundred for Berwick on Saturday.

But no one appeared more elated than his teammate, Matthew Hague.

As Hancock turned back for his second run after punching North Dandenong’s Zarak Azeel back down the ground with a straight drive to move to 85, he suffered the dreaded prang of a hamstring strain and stumbled to the safety of the batting crease under duress.

With Hancock determined to bat-on for his side and maximise the platform that he and the top-order had laid after being sent in to bat, Hague stepped up for his teammate with the tricky responsibility of being Hancock’s runner for the remainder of the innings.

When the former domestic cricketer cracked the three figures, his batting partner Mitch Shirt completed the single and embraced Hancock with a bear-hug.

It was Hague who stole the show, however, removing his helmet and raising his bat to his teammates in the stands as if it was a century of his own.

“I had to explain that passage of play to my girlfriend about six times because she could not figure out what was going on, where ‘Haguey’ had come from, where he was standing,” Hancock said of the milestone moment, with his partner watching the match on FrogBox. “‘Haguey’ is a funny man, he was saying that he was thinking about how he was going to celebrate that moment from the moment he walked onto the ground.

“It (the hamstring strain) happened when I was on around 80, and fortunately he put the pads on and was able to help me out.

“I think he walked out there and said ‘You’re probably the worst person to run for, because I know you’re just not going to get out and you’ll be out there for the rest of the day’.

“It was good fun and put a smile on my face.”

The celebration personified the affinity permeating through the Berwick side at present, a club eager to return to the competition’s elite in its 160th year after missing the finals in 2022/23.

Players have raved about the energy at the club following the return of a number of senior players with an ambition born in the off-season to restore a sense of pride and enjoyment to the Bear cave.

Alongside Hague’s jubilance, Hancock

Jake Hancock hit a delightful hundred for Berwick on Saturday against North Dandenong. 374101 found support in the form of Jordan Cleland and skipper Jarrod Goodes, who both offered their leadership and words of wisdom following the injury when they batted with the centurion.

“I had about 15 runs left (when I suffered the hamstring strain) but the whole time I was saying to myself, ‘I want to hit a boundary and try to get there in two/three hits,’” Hancock recounted.

“I had ‘Jordy’ (Cleland) at the other end saying ‘take whatever time you need, do it in 15 singles if you have to, you deserve to get there’, and that goes back to that whole ’team camaraderie’ thing of, it wasn’t just me doing it by myself.

“I think (camaraderie) is probably the most crucial thing: you spend a lot of time together training, you’re in group chats, you talk and you’re around these people so much and the vibe amongst the team has been fantastic, from the very first training session and around preseason.

“We’re all mates and we enjoy playing together and I think we’re building a really positive direction.”

Hancock finished the day unbeaten on 141, confirming Hague’s trepidation, as the Bears

Picture: ROB CAREW

set a total of 7/365, comprehensively their best batting performance of the season.

Hancock added 126 in his partnership with Matthew Robertson (74) who benefited from an attacking start from Hague and Jarryd Wills.

The openers put the North Dandenong bowlers immediately on the back foot and both struck above 80, allowing the Bears to reach 2/216 at tea at nearly five runs per over.

The white picket fences of Arch Brown Reserve picked up a number of new red cherries as Hancock and Robertson found the boundary with ease; square of the wicket on either side of the ground proving to be the hot scoring zones.

Cleland, Shirt and Goodes each made smaller contributions towards the end of the day as the Bears posted the highest Turf 1 team score of the season to date, an impressive display without a calamitous collapse that has dogged the side in previous weeks.

Hancock was undoubtedly the star of the day, and hopes the performance will kick-start his campaign as he seeks attainment of the lofty standards he places on his shoulders.

“When you come to a new club you really want to prove yourself and play well,” he said, now in his second season at Berwick.

“There’s no one that puts more pressure on me than me, and you come to a new club and you want to make a good impression.

“I felt like I had a good season statistically last year but didn’t feel like I performed to a level or standard that I was capable of.

“We only played one day cricket last year and with only 45 overs, I struggled to adapt to that style of game play.

“I was happy with how I did last year and I think the guys knew what type of player I was, but I knew that I had more to give and the weekend was, hopefully, the tip of the iceberg.”

Each of the North Dandenong bowlers received punishment from the Berwick batters, frequent bowling changes from Clayton McCartney seeing seven of his teammates roll their arms over in sweltering humidity.

Only spin-bowler Imran Laghmani’s economy finished below four runs per over; opening pair Khan (5.42) and Sushant Gupta (6.2) particularly expensive.

Jurgen Andersen took 4/75 as the Maroons’ leading bowler for the afternoon.

Hancock’s injury is on the minor side of the severity spectrum but he may be forced to sitout a game or two before the Christmas break.

Mindset shift begins to work wonders for Lions’ skipper

By Marcus Uhe It was a long time coming for Narre South (301) captain Kyle Hardy (102).

A gritty century under pressure from not only himself, but from the fierce and experienced bowling attack of Hallam Kalora Park, has put his side in an excellent position with a day to play against the Hawks at Hallam Recreational Reserve.

Hardy finished in the top five for runs scored in 2021/22, when he averaged 31 with three fifties in a consistent season that yielded 407 runs.

But 2022/23 was a vastly different campaign, his average falling to just 14 with a total of 168, without raising the bat for a single milestone.

Just 42 runs from four hits to start the current season threatened to yield more of the same for a man shouldering plenty of responsibility in a young side with aspirational ambitions.

But Saturday was different; a switch in his mentality saw him park his “lean trot” and return to the Kyle Hardy that made him the batter that has earned him such a respected reputation over the years.

“A weight off the shoulders is a good way berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

Kyle Hardy’s breakthrough hundred has his side in an excellent position against Hallam Kalora Picture: ROB CAREW Park. 321196 to put it,” he said of his breakthrough century.

“Last year I just wasn’t feeling great at all.

“I think it was a confidence thing; I was being timid, I wasn’t being aggressive, I’m not the most aggressive batter but I didn’t have that intent when I went out to bat, I was more trying to not get out.

“Whereas this year I’ve switched my mindset and thought, I’ve done the work, so I

may as well try and bat the way I know that I can bat, and it paid off, which was good.

“It was pretty special, especially because we were playing against one of the better bowling line ups.”

His 102 from 201 deliveries massaged ebbs and flows throughout the innings, from losing his opening partner Vineth Jayasuriya on the first ball of the day after winning the toss and choosing to bat, to forming partnerships with Callum Nicholls and Brad Parker after a mid-

dle order stumble on the Lions’ way to posting 301, a total he felt was “above par”.

With Nicholls, the pair added 93 for the second wicket before Hawks seamer William Whyte (21-3-84-7) returned to the crease with the wickets of Nicholls for 54, and Jeevan Mendis for three, in quick succession, to wrestle momentum back to the home side’s favour in hot and steamy conditions.

Things could have unravelled for the Lions in the face of adversity, but Hardy’s steady head and vital contributions from Brad Parker (29), Adam Snelling (43) and Alex Cruickshank (33) later in the innings has the game at an intriguing stage ahead of the second day.

Whyte finished the day with brilliant figures as the Hawks’ standout bowler, having claimed the top four Narre South batters and then ending the counter attacks from Snelling and Cruickshank later on.

In the remaining games this week, Beaconsfield (189) will defend a modest total against Springvale South after Mark Cooper (62) and Jesse Busacca (47) pushed the total towards 200, while the game between Buckley Ridges and St Mary’s was washed out after a sudden downpour made conditions unplayable at Park Oval.

The Bucks and Saints will play a one-dayer this Saturday.

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Clear theme for Doveton

By Jonty Ralphsmith Replacing experience with experience.

That’s the formula for Southern Football Netball League Division 2 club Doveton, which has brought in two 200-gamers and an Eastern Football Netball League goalkicker for 2024.

Left-footed defender Ben O’Loughlin will bring key leadership skills from Officer to the Doves, while Matt Rogers adds to the midfield mix.

Hard-running midfielder James Canty has also joined from Western Australian Club Northbeach alongside the versatile Joel Pritchett from VAFA club Mazenod.

The well-regarded Matt Clarke crosses from Noble Park and also has experience at Officer as a focal point inside 50.

Following a season where Doveton lacked a key forward, his presence will be crucial to help the Doves kick winning scores.

“We really believe in the list we have at the moment and that comes with re-signing the majority of them and making sure they’re really clear on what their roles will be,” said coach Matt Stapleton.

“We’ve made no secret that we want to be a really exciting team and play a more attacking style of footy.

“Adding someone like ‘Clarkey’ into our forward mix and some other positional switches will help us average that 12-14 goals per game which will give us a better shot against the top

teams at the end of the day.”

Those inclusions come after the retirements of Dan Zajac and Stapleton, and former coach Michael Cardamone luring the seasoned Aaron Johns to The Basin.

It means the typically rugged and hardy Doveton midfield will have a new look in 2024 as the Doves pursue attacking punch, with Ricky Johnson another name who could run through the middle after a breakthrough 2023.

“It’s just about getting him to play more of a specific role,” Stapleton said.

“He really attracts the ball, so we want to get him in really good positions so then he can utilise his skills; so anticipate that he will push up the ground a little bit more.”

Stapleton also highlighted classy midfielder Will Smith as a player to keep an eye on next season.

“We anticipate he will get back to his 2019 league best and fairest winning form,” Stapleton said.

“The upside in someone like Will is we only saw glimpses of his best in 2023 but never saw him in full flight so it will be really exciting to get him again.

“He’s really applied himself in the off-season.

“I can see that passion for his footy and teammates in preseason already, so we’re re really excited with what he will bring running out games.”

Matt Clarke will hope to take many more ‘speccies’ at Robinson Reserve like this one in 2024.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

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Eye on 2024: 10 exciting future prospects to watch for

By Jonty Ralphsmith With the 2023 AFL Draft now in the rear-view mirror, Star News Group journalist Jonty Ralphsmith casts his eye over the best boys of the 2024 crop.

Harvey Langford (Stingrays/Mt Martha): An AFL Academy member who can win a contested ball, Langford captained Dandenong in a one-off game this year and his consistency saw him take second place in the Stingrays best and fairest. Can also hit the scoreboard, kicking 10.7 in his 14 Coates League games, while averaging 22 disposals.

Cooper Hynes (Stingrays/Bonbeach): Another consistent Stingrays bottom-ager, Hynes kicked 18 goals in 13 games this year playing as a midfielder-forward. The 188 centimetre prospect is a bigger, stronger type who uses his size well and is hard to take down. Was a late addition to the Vic Country squad, playing the final game, underlining his reputation.

Harry Doughton (Stingrays/Mt Eliza): A pressure forward who brings energy and intent inside 50, Doughton was a surprise pocket rocket in the front half for Dandenong in 2023. His rise throughout 2023 culminated in selection at an under-17 trial match for Vic Country. Consistently hit the scoreboard in 2023 and averaged a team-high 5.2 tackles per game and will look to take his fundamentals to the next level in his top-aged campaign.

Noah Mraz (Stingrays/Narre Nth Foxes): Was one of only four players in the Vic Country squad this year as a bottom-ager, emphasising the potential that those in the industry see in the developing Narre North tall. Looks

Noah Mraz has good skills at ground level given his height. 376333 most comfortable in a key defensive post where he uses his size and skills to good effect.

Xavier Lindsay (Gippsland/Leongatha): The region’s most promising 2024 prospect, Lindsay proved throughout 2023 that he is more than the outside player where he has shown so much flair as a junior representative foot-

Picture: JAZZ BENNETT

baller. Adapted well to the physicality of the midfield and won the footy well, with his decision making and efficiency continuing to stand out. Covers the ground excellently and will catch plenty of eyes next year.

Ricky Mentha (Gippsland/Warragul): An excitement machine, the Northern Territory small forward will represent NT Thunder at

the start of the Talent League season before linking up with the Power, having made the move to Gippsland. Has blistering speed, innate goal sense and good agility to make him a nightmare match up. Is part of the AFL Academy.

Jehi Esler (Gippsland/Tooradin-Dalmore): A developing key defender who came on in leaps and bounds in 2023, Esler is expected to remain on Gippsland’s list next year to pursue mid-season draft selection. The agile light-bodied shutdown player also played seven senior games for Tooradin-Dalmore in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition.

Tom Hanily (Gippsland/Leongatha): Like Esler, 2023 was Hanily’s top-aged campaign but it was heavily interrupted by injury so he will remain firmly on recruiters’ radars next year. When he did play, though, he proved he has AFL-attributes, averaging 22 disposals and five tackles in his seven games this year.

Is a smaller midfielder who has strong stoppage craft, wins his own footy, has strong endurance and makes sound decisions.

Max Donohue (Gippsland/Leongatha): His aerobic capacity and smarts help him burn direct opponents and get himself into ballwinning positions. Averaged more than 15 touches in his 15 games for Gippsland in 2023 and was selected in an under-17 trial match late in the year, demonstrating he’s on the radar.

Julian Callahan (Gippsland/Leongatha): A quick outside player with neat ball use to complement his athleticism, he played 12 games for the Power in 2023 and, like Donohue, was selected in that under-17 trial game.

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SPORT

Andi runs to record books

By Marcus Uhe The community of Lynbrook and the Marriott Waters Park Run Club believe they bore witness to a world record last week from one of the club’s youngest participants.

11-year-old Andi Mole has turned heads in the world of Cross Country and in the Lynbrook community, finishing second in the School Sports Australia 11-year-old girls competition at the Australian Cross Country Championships back in August.

With her 11th birthday approaching in late November and her times falling for the fivekilometre circuit at Marriott Waters, former Triathlete and Park Run participant Nathan Buschkuehl began taking note of her exploits and offered to cast an expert eye over Mole’s talents.

So amazed by her speeds, having set a personal best time of 17.32 for the course in recent weeks, Buschkuehl and the organising committee began researching if there was a precedent for someone of her age.

“We couldn’t find official world records but there’s some age ratings online, and it has the 10-year-old best at 18.04 across 60 countries,” Buschkuehl said.

“I got talking to some of the park run organisers at Marriott Waters and said ‘I’m happy to pace her and see what she can do.’

“I was watching her run a couple of weeks prior and she went out too hard and blew up a little bit on the second lap.

“She still ran an incredible time but, being a runner myself, I thought that, if I could pace her, it would be really interesting to see what she could do.”

On Saturday 18 November, days ahead of her 11th birthday, Buschkuehl ran side-by-side with Andi as the required accompanying adult, given her age.

That was, until, Andi left him behind.

While the official world record time is difficult to quantify, the fastest time that they

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Andi Mole may have set a new world record for a five kilometre run last weekend. 357640 could find was 17 minutes 28 seconds.

“I had a plan to pace her for around 17.15 and we were definitely on track after the first lap,” Buschkuehl said.

“On the second lap I was genuinely struggling to keep up with her.

“It didn’t really become me pacing her, it became her competitiveness and wanting to get this unofficial time.

“She was genuinely giving it a red hot crack for that.

“The second lap or last 2.5 kilometres that

we did, I wasn’t actually pacing her, I was trying to keep up.”

The end result? Andi crossed the finish line with the clock reading 17 minutes eight seconds.

That’s a kilometre every three minutes 25 seconds, an absurd speed for anyone, let alone a primary school student.

For context, the women’s World Record for the 5000m is 14 minutes, set by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay at age 26.

Given her lack of coaching and athletics

background, Buschkuehl, who grew up in the athletics world, described Andi as a “genuine talent”.

“When I was running with her, she was a really hard worker,“ he said.

“She crossed the line and recovered really quickly.

“She definitely has that competitiveness in her and that drive to have a crack and get the best out of her.

“I think, no matter what sport she chooses to take, I’m sure she can go a long way.”

Pumped up Panthers pave a way to the top Saints star

NARRE WARREN BOWLS In an outstanding start to the season Narre Warren’s top Saturday side has recorded six wins from six outings to sit two games clear at the top of the ladder.

On Saturday it was the top team playing the second placed team and once again the Panthers delivered the goods against Keysborough with a convincing away win, 88-60.

Narre Warren’s only two losing sides both played away and one of these teams only lost by three shots on the difficult Cranbourne greens.

Once again, there is good news to report about the Development Squad who is continuing to defeat much stronger and more experienced opponents.

A huge victory of 107-46 for this team sees them currently sitting in second place on the ladder. Both rinks of the week came from this team with Mitchell McCauley, Glenn McCauley, Gary Farrington and replacement skip Craig Moore (who was making a return after major surgery) winning by 22 shots.

Special mention also needs to be made of the rink of Pauline Blake, David Entwistle, Paul Stevenson and skip Peter Wills who won by 21 shots. Despite a couple of losses, the six Saturday teams are still well placed on the various ladders, with Team-1 in first place, well ahead of the second-placed team.

Team-2 is in fifth place, and Team-3 - the Development Squad - is sitting in second place.

Team-4 is also sitting in second place, despite a narrow away loss, and Team 5 is currently finds itself in fifth place.

Team-6 is sitting in third place despite an away loss.

These are fantastic results as Narre Warren approaches the midway point of the season.

Our mid-week teams are also putting in very strong performances with three sides out of four posting strong wins and one away loss.

The standout side in mid-week teams is that of Ana Mateos, Dianne McLeod, Gary Farrington and Scott Butterworth.

They won by 19 shots in a winning margin of 87-37. berwicknews.starcommunity.com.au

From left, Gary Farrington, Dianne McLeod, Scott Butterworth and Ana Mateos had a 19-shot win Picture: SUPPLIED in mid-week pennant bowls. 376651 Butterworth has made the transition from an outstanding lead to a very competent skip, and he is very ably assisted by his team.

Look Out The Panthers Are Coming For You! SATURDAY PENNANT – ROUND 6 Side 1: (Away) defeated Keysborough 88-60 Points: 16. Ladder: 1st Best rink: Chris Stubbings; Geoff Bailey; Colin Groom and Cameron Bell: +18 Side 2: (Home) defeated Beaumaris 77-72 Points: 14. Ladder: 5th Best rink: Michael Black; Fernando Mateos; David Wood and Wilma Stevenson: +5 Side 3: (Home) defeated Carrum 107-46 Points: 18. Ladder: 2nd Best rink: Mitch McCauley; Glenn McCauley; Gary Farrington and Craig Moore: +22 Special mention: Pauline Blake; David Entwistle; Paul Stevenson and Peter Wills: +21 Side 4: (Away) lost to Cranbourne 66-69 Points: 2. Ladder: 2nd Best rink: Joe Selfridge; Joe McGuire; Lorraine Marsden and Eric Marsden: +9 Side 5: (Home) defeated Pakenham 82-72 Points: 16. Ladder: 5th Best rink: Gerry Van Eerden; Graham Saunders; Dean George and Gary Wilson: +15

Side 6: (Away) lost to Pakenham 68-82 Points: 2. Ladder: 3rd Best rink: Kery Cadman; Wendy Henkel; Marcus Thorn and Andy Tobler: +11 RINK OF THE ROUND Side 1: Skip Craig Moore +22 (Div 4 Sect 7) MIDWEEK PENNANT – ROUND 5 Side 1: (HOME) DEFEATED BRIGHTON 87-37 Points: 16. Ladder: 1st Best rink: Ana Mateos; Dianne McLeod; Gary Farrington and Scott Butterworth: +19 Side 2: (Away) lost to Parkdale 41-61 Points: 0. Ladder: 8th Best rink: Judith Naughton; Les Clement; Lorraine Marsden and Wilma Stevenson: -4 Side 3: (Away) defeated Churchill Waverley Golf 67-52 Points: 14. Ladder: 4th Best rink: Kery Cadman; Denise Cole; Tom O’Loughlin and Wally Finlayson: +10 Side 4: (Home) defeated Pakenham 69-60 Points: 14. Ladder: 2nd Best rink: Len O’Brien; David Inifer; Peter Anderton and Gary Wilson: +17 RINK OF THE ROUND Side 1: Skip S. Butterworth: +19 (Div 2 Sec 7) -Eric Sydenham-

Action at the diamond this week was headlined by a top-of-the-table clash between Doveton and GEMSA Saints in the Casey Softball Association.

A home-run to catcher Melissa Spender put Doveton on the front foot early, but a resilient GEMSA fought back to take out a thrilling 6-4 victory.

In social women, Penguins’ Ros Cook gave her team momentum with a homerun, but opponents MVP were ultimately able to pull away for a 7-3 win.

After a slow start to the season Chickasaw have found their mojo, with a convincing 14-6 win over Cobras.

Geronimo had a great day with the bat, with first-base Merre-Lee Mackey leading the way, cruising to a comfortable 19-8 win.

A 12-run innings to Goldstars in women’s B-Grade saw them overcome an 8-3 deficit to win 15-11 over MVP. Cobras, meanwhile, were too good for Penguins, winning 7-2.

The two men’s games were one-sided with Kane Bell helping Apache defeat Cobras Black 12-4 and the scoreline was the same in Cobras Maroon’s win over Cobras Grey as the victors burst out to a 6-0 lead.

In the juniors, Casey’s under-16s jumped to an early lead and held on for a 15-9 win, while in the under-18s, Glen Waverley routed Cobras 18-0.

There was plenty of action at the diamond Picture: SUPPLIED this week. 370563

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