Mail - Ranges Trader Star Mail - 9th January 2024

Ranges Trader

Tree of Souls arrives in Tecoma for mourners

The best news stories of 2023

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A Star News Group Publication

Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

Mail The best sport stories of 2023

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Good deeds balance out the bad news in the hills in 2023....

The year that was The year of 2023 has been one of giving from the community during crisis - whether that is two young members of the Seville Pony Club donating $500 to the Macclesfield Pony & Adult Riding Club after the group’s club rooms were burnt down in an arson attack, or local organisation Treasuring Our Trees creating learning and play spaces for local primary schools in the long-term recovery after the devastating storms in June 2021.

Buildings have been set alight and local clubs have suffered at the hands of scams.

But there has also been local success in sport, including Olinda Cricket Club’s women’s side winning its first grand final in the Ferntree Gully & District Cricket Association’s Women’s League against South Belgrave, and local footballer players making it to the AFL. Professor Arnold Dix also wowed the Monbulk community when he rescued 41 workers trapped in an Indian tunnel in the Himilayas in November, rounding out the year with a positive news story spread across Melbourne and India; reminding people of the good deeds done by local people that can sometimes go unnoticed.

Take a look in this week’s edition for a wrap up of the year that was.

The start of a happy ending. Members of Seville Pony Club donate $500 to the stricken Macclesfield Pony & Adult Riding Club following the arson attack.

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

Final submissions made in Lake saga

By Mikayla van Loon

Rain hits the east Floods hit much of the state over Sunday 7 January and Monday 8 January, with rescue crews responding to hundreds of call outs. There were some 26 flood rescues in Victoria, including two by Lilydale SES, in the 24 hours to 6am on Monday, bringing the state’s total flood rescue count to 46 since 1 January. There were 699 calls for assistance to VICSES over the same period for flooding, trees down and building damage. Residents in Mount Evelyn recorded upwards of 60mm of rain over 24 hours to Monday morning, with some gauges catching 110mm. A severe weather warning was still issued at 9am on Monday for Northern Country, North Central, Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and East Gippsland districts, which included parts of the Yarra Ranges.

New Knox Library on the way The VCAT hearing into the subdivision of the ‘Lake Knox’ land has received its final submissions.

Picture: ON FILE Knox City Council’s submission to the tribunal supported the definition of the waterbody being a waterway based on “the land is regularly covered by water from a waterway”.

In the group’s submission, KES said it was “irrelevant that the water is collected in a constructed vessel (the dam)” in determining whether Lake Knox fell under the Water Act’s definition.

“Lake Knox is a natural collection of water.

The evidence is that the water collects naturally,” the submission said.

“There is no suggestion or evidence that any other water other than rain/stormwater/ Blind Creek water enters the Lake.”

Further submissions from Friends of the Glenfern Green Wedge, Richard Faragher, Sarah Dutton and Mattilde Hecker supported the submission from KES. Melbourne Water however, said as the referral authority, it never “considered the waterbody to be a waterway”.

“The waterbody does not fall within that definition as it is not a ‘natural collection of water’ given the significant degree of the civil works which have been undertaken to create what is, in places, a 4m deep storage of water,” Melbourne Water’s submission said.

“The land has been excavated to allow for the collection and storage of water, and there exists a constructed embankment / barrier

and spillway between the waterbody and Blind Creek.”

Development Victoria made similar arguments, stating “the method by which the water is collected at a point is not natural, water collects in the dam because the excavation and banks comprising the dam cause water to be collected”.

The submission from Development Victoria also outlined that because it owns the dam as a public statutory body, it cannot be considered a private dam.

Making the final decision, members Bilston-McGillen and Bennett found that Lake Knox did not fit any of the definitions of a waterway in the Water Act and said there was “no dispute that the waterbody meets the definition of a ‘dam’”.

“We do not consider the water delivery mechanism nor the water holding mechanism ‘natural’, therefore we find that the waterbody is not a natural collection of water,” they said.

“We also agree with Development Victoria and Melbourne Water that the consequences of not giving ‘natural’ its ordinary meaning are significant and problematic.”

The tribunal did not accept that there was a significant enough flow of water to constitute a current, that water collects regularly at the site, nor that the site is ‘regularly covered’ by water.

The VCAT hearing into the subdivision was still being heard in early December.

Hard waste and branch collection Yarra Ranges residents are being encouraged to make the most of their annual hard waste and bundled branch collection, by disposing of old appliances, bulky items and branches.

Between January and March, every household will have a collection of hard waste, metals and whitegoods and bundled branches.

Bundled branches, mattresses, metals, whitegoods, electronic waste – e.g. computers, televisions, monitors, all other battery and power-operated items and items with an electrical cord will be collected and sent for recycling. All other items will be disposed of in landfill.

To find out your property’s collection week, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/WasteDates

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Scheduled to open in March 2024, construction of the new Knox Library is making progress.

The new library’s key design features include: A garden room, computer area, meeting rooms, study booths, lounges, designated areas for yo uth and children and The Youth Hive managed by Knox City Council’s Youth Services. The Youth Hive is also scheduled to open in March 2024.

In partnership with the Victorian Government who are contributing $450,000 through the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, the Knox Library Upgrade will also be financed by the council.

Knox City Council is contributing $4.9 million for the works.

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A Ferntree Gully man has died following an alleged hit-run collision in Knoxfield in December according to police.

The man died in hospital following the collision on Ferntree Gully Road at about 7.20am on on 14 December 2023. It is alleged a white SUV struck a motorbike before the driver left the scene, according to police.

The motorbike rider, a 65-year-old Ferntree Gully man was taken to hospital at the time with serious injuries. Police said a 28-yearold Narre Warren man was arrested following the incident and was charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, fail to stop and render assistance as well as unlicensed driving. Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives will now consider whether charges will be upgraded following the death of the man. For the current provisional lives lost tally please see police.vic.gov.au/road-safety

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The Lake Knox Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing has been closed out, with the final submissions being completed in early December.

Now the involved groups await the final decision, after the tribunal postponed the subdivision hearing temporarily to determine a question of the law.

A decision by VCAT was handed down in September, determining Lake Knox does not fit the criteria of a waterway under the Knox planning scheme.

The question about whether the body of water was considered a waterway or dam under Melbourne Water’s characterisation was put forward by the Knox Environmental Society (KES) on day one of the VCAT hearing on 28 August.

Presiding member Tracey Bilston-McGillen and member Claire Bennett made the decision that Lake Knox could not be recognised as a waterway.

The rest of the VCAT hearing into the subdivision of the land by Development Victoria at 607-621 Burwood Highway Ferntree Gully could not continue until a determination was made by the tribunal.

“Having considered the submissions and evidence of the parties on the question of law, the Tribunal has determined that the waterbody on the subject land, referred to as the ‘dam’ or ‘Lake Knox’, is not a ‘waterway’ as defined under section 3(1) of the Water Act 1989 (Vic) (‘Water Act’) and therefore not a ‘waterway’ for the purposes of the Scheme,” the report read.

The which sits wedged between Burwood Highway, Scoresby Road and Blind Creek was referred to in the Habitat Creation and Management Plan as “the man-made dam”. “[Where] the low point of the site connects to the adjacent waterway corridor being Blind Creek. The dam was built for water supply requirements relating to the previous land use being agricultural purposes.

“The dam currently provides a water storage function, with limited treatment of inflows.

In addition to the subject site and overland flows, the dam captures significant stormwater runoff from a surrounding catchment of 28 hectares.”

The dam currently has a “storage capacity of approximately 31 ML” with overflows running into Blind Creek via the spillway pipes.

Under the Water Act, a waterway is defined by being a river, creek, stream or watercourse; a natural channel where water regularly flows; a lake, lagoon, swamp or marsh where there is a natural collection of water.

A dam “means anything in which by means of an excavation, a bank, a barrier or other works water is collected, stored or concentrated”.

Man dies after Knoxfield collision

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The Yarra Ranges ranked the highest for reports of horse-related cruelty.

Pictures: RSPCA

The most common reports relate to husbandry issues, including lameness, lack of farrier attention and overgrown hooves.

Cruelty reports on rise

By Mikayla van Loon Reports of horse-related cruelty in the Yarra Ranges topped the rankings across the state last financial year, something RSPCA Victoria would like to see improve at the turn of 2024.

Noting the sheer size of the local government area and an increase in financial difficulty across the state, an RSPCA Victoria spokesperson said despite this, it was unacceptable for animals to be mistreated, intentionally or otherwise.

“Regardless of someone’s individual circumstance the RSPCA Inspectorate encourages people to educate themselves on what care may be necessary for their horse/s based on their location,” the spokesperson said. “[This includes] focusing on the husbandry needs of their animal and nutritional requirements, and to seek assistance if they are struggling to provide for their animals in their care, rather than allow poor welfare.

“All owners have a responsibility to ensure that their animal’s welfare needs are met.”

In total, 73 reports relating to a horse’s welfare were made in the Yarra Ranges, followed

by Cardinia Shire Council with 66 reports and Greater Bendigo with 56.

Animal welfare and cruelty reports have been making a steady increase throughout the shire since the 2019/20 financial year according to RSPCA’s interactive animal cruelty map.

In that first year of recorded data, 290 reports were made in the Yarra Ranges, a number that has increased to 310 this financial year, placing the LGA in the top 10 of reports.

It is the role of RSPCA inspectors to investigate and substantiate any and all reports made regarding animal welfare.

“RSPCA Inspectors will attend a premise and conduct an investigation in order to determine if there are any welfare issues and potential breaches of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1986),” the spokesperson said.

“In some cases, an Inspector may determine the animal is totally fine and no action is required. Where there are welfare issues our Inspectors may work with the animal’s owner to educate and help them understand what needs to be done to help their animal; this can be informal, or it can be formal with legal no-

tices to comply being issued.

“In some cases, if the animal is at immediate risk and an owner is not able to resolve the matter, our Inspectors may need to seize the animal to ensure it receives the required treatment to ensure its welfare.”

With the Yarra Ranges spanning close to 2500 square kilometres, with much of it being semi-rural, the RSPCA spokesperson said it has “a lot of horse properties including agistment and is a real equine hub”.

“Its size, and being an equine hub, in combination with the number of visitors to the Yarra Valley who may report animal welfare concerns to the RSPCA means it’s no surprise it received a high number of cruelty complaints,” they said.

The most common reports relate to husbandry issues, including lameness, lack of farrier attention and overgrown hooves.

Second to that, reports of insufficient food, treatment of a sick or injured animal, shelter, and/or water rounded out common reports.

An increase in reporting of these issues statewide, the spokesperson said, could be

related to the challenging financial situation many people find themselves in.

“In general RSPCA Inspectors have noticed an increase in issues of owners having financial difficulties across the state, this often results in an inability to provide the appropriate care to their animals.

“So far there has been an increase in poor living conditions and hoarding of excess animals across the state.

“This has been a consistent trend since the pandemic with RSPCA Inspectors continuing to observe financial and mental health issues as a contributing factor on people’s capacity to provide appropriate care to their animals.”

Encouraging the community to work towards better outcomes for animals and end cruelty, RSPCA Victoria said every report makes a difference to improving welfare.

Anyone with concerns for the welfare of an animal such as horses, including underweight or sick/injured animals not being provided with appropriate care, is encouraged to contact RSPCA Victoria on 03 9224 2222 or submit a report at rspcavic.org/cruelty-report/

Loved ones remembered forever, never forgotten

By Tyler Wright An Upwey local united bereaved parents this Christmas with a tribute to their children who have passed away.

On the Tree of Souls at the FLAME Community Garden in Tecoma, hundreds of images of children of all ages who have died sat in the shape of baubles as a way for people to gather to celebrate and mourn their loved one during the holiday season.

The Tree of Souls began last year as Rineke Leigh approached what would be her second Christmas without her son Chris, who passed away in a skateboarding incident in 2021.

Parents have since been able to post their photos via threads on the Tree of Souls Facebook page or through messenger.

“It really has helped, and I think it allows people to come together and know that they’re not alone,” Rineke said.

“It is a very lonely journey when when you lose a child; although all of us on the tree are in that same position, the circumstances by which we got there are still very individual.

“It does provide that place to be able to connect and say ‘ I hear you,’ and it’s very important for people to know that their child exists in the world and is remembered.”

The initiative has grown from its origins a year ago, with an additional 150 baubles created and placed on the tree from photos submitted by parents who are grieving.

“After last year, because it was in my front mailcommunity.com.au

Carl and Debbie Dillon with their grandson Eli, Rineke Leigh and her son Chris and Christine Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Pedley with her son Jono. 380839 garden, I felt for all the people that asked me if they could come, there were probably other people that didn’t feel comfortable coming because it was in a private property,” Rineke said.

“It was my vision from then to see if we could move it into a more public space.

“I did make an attempt at Burrinja [Cultural Centre in Upwey], but there were some limitations there, but they actually were the ones that suggested I approach the community garden, and they, and as well as the Tecoma Uniting Church, have been so open and supportive of the project being there.”

This year, Art of Hope and the 1000 Hearts project donated felt hearts for visitors to take

home as a keepsake after their time at the tree.

Rineke said it has allowed people to come together and realise they are not alone.

“There’s so much gratitude on the [Tree of Souls Facebook] page for what we’re doing,” she said.

“It still sparks from like a selfish need within me to do something for Chris, but it really has taken off.

“It’s definitely bittersweet but given that everyone on there is having to navigate a grief that’s so out of sequence to how we thought life would be helps us all feel less isolated and alone.”

The Tree of Souls is set to expand overseas

in 2024, with a woman in California wanting to set up her own tree and inviting both Rineke’s son Chris and the children on the existing tree to join her overseas.

“There are people on this tree that are interstate within Australia, so my vision for next year is to get some volunteers in different states here and see if we can get all the states represented by a volunteer to set up a tree in their area so it’s also more accessible for people to visit,” Rineke said.

The Tree of Souls will be up in the FLAME Community Garden until 10 January 2024, with people able to visit at any time.

“It highlights the need to make this subject not so scary for people, and to understand that death does happen at any age and although we don’t want to really talk about it, it’s important that we do,” Rineke said.

“There’s no need to try and make it better, to placate, to fix - that’s each of our individual journey - but to acknowledge the sadness and speak their name is one of the most healing things others can do.”

The FLAME Community Garden is located at 1566 Burwood Highway in Tecoma.

You can find more information on the Tree of Souls by visiting the Facebook page of the same name.

If you are in need of support, you can contact Griefline on 1300 845 745 or The Compassionate Friends Victoria 24 hour grief support line on 1300 064 068.

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Police vow to cut road toll Victoria Police is more determined than ever to drive down road trauma in 2024 following a horror 12 months which saw the state record its highest number of lives lost in 15 years.

There were 296 lives lost in 2023 compared with 241 in 2022.

The last time so many lives were lost was in 2008 when 303 people were killed.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said as we embark on a new year, he urges everyone to take this opportunity to stop and reset their behaviour on the roads.

“It’s been a horror year on Victoria’s roads – the severity of collisions has been especially tragic. Simple and avoidable mistakes have resulted in catastrophic outcomes,” he said.

“The sheer number of lives lost has been devastating, but we must never forget that these are not numbers but people whose family and friends will mourn their loss for years to come.”

Police have identified single acts of noncompliance, or people making basic driving errors, contributed to more than half of fatalities in 2023.

These are behaviours such as low-range speeding, lower-level drink driving, failing to obey road signs, and distraction, like using a mobile phone while driving.

At least 10 per cent of fatal collisions had one or more vehicle occupants failing to wear a seatbelt.

Extreme behaviours such as driving without a licence, travelling at extreme speeds, high-range drink driving, illicit drug driving or often a combination of these behaviours contributed to approximately a quarter of fatal collisions in 2023.

Multiple fatality collisions contributed significantly to the increase in lives lost with 14 double fatalities, four quadruple fatalities and two quintuple fatalities.

Statewide driver fatalities increased from 99

296 people died on the roads in 2023. in 2022 to 130 in 2023, and passenger fatalities rose from 23 in 2022 to 56 in 2023.

There were 124 lives lost on metropolitan roads, up from 104 in 2022, and 172 lives lost on regional roads, up from 130 in 2022.

November was the worst month on Victorian roads, with 35 lives lost during the month.

Ass Commr Weir said all road users should

Picture: ON FILE remember they have a responsibility to keep everyone safe.

“This means sticking to the speed limit, not driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, avoiding distractions like mobile phones and ensuring everyone is wearing a properly fitted seatbelt,” he said.

“In 2024, we’ll continue to work with our

road safety partners to make the roads a safer place for everybody. For police the focus will be on conducting intelligence-led enforcement that aims to deter offending,” “Ultimately, we want all road users to take responsibility for their actions and make better choices that will keep themselves, their passengers and all road users safe.”

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Dix is dux in school of life

By Tyler Wright For the Ranges Trader Star Mail’s Person of the Year for 2023 - Arnold Dix - being able to wander around his home town of Monbulk without being recognised for his profession is becoming increasingly more difficult after rescuing 41 trapped workers from a collapsed tunnel in India in November.

The reason Arnold has been chosen as the paper’s standout person of the year is his philanthropic efforts and love of his community in the Dandenong Ranges.

“It’s harder for me just to go up to Woolies and get the half price specials and be a bit anonymous... people did know me, but people didn’t know what I did,” Arnold said.

“They just thought I was the worst farmer in town, so it’s sort of more commonly known that I’m actually a barrister and I’m actually a professor of engineering; I head up the United Nations peak advisory body on the underground, I’m the president, I’m based in Geneva.”

Following a request from the Indian Prime Minister’s department, Arnold was flown by helicopter to the Himalayas, where workers had been trapped in the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel trying to connect sacred sites for easier access for pilgrims.

Miraculously, after multiple failed attempts, the rescue team managed to extract the men from the tunnel safely - and entirely unharmed.

“2023 was a huge year for me; not just with the Indian rescue,” Arnold said.

“I’ve been in Africa, down some of the most dangerous mines on the planet.

“I’ve been in South America, I’ve been in North America, Canada, I’ve been in Poland checking out what’s going on there with infrastructure and Ukraine and in Russia and the middle east. I’ve been in Western Europe, Asia and of course India.”

Arnold has also refused offers of exclusive production of his story and for money to reproduce the tale.

“I’ve been very focused on not trying to commercialise what happened in India,” Arnold said.

“It was a voluntary - I’ve come back and there has been interest in me selling the story and I’ve made what I think is the correct decision that this is a story of good people doing great things and it’s not the story to be sold because that’s not cool, and that’s not what nice people do.

“It’s a story that I tell to everybody, which is probably why I’m so busy and probably why I’m so poor; I just think that’s the right thing to do and that’s what nice people do, they tell stories because they should be told not to make money.”

He said the highly publicised rescue mission in India prompted locals to remember his local contributions to the community, which he otherwise would not have made public.

“For example, there was a lady on one of the Facebook groups, she said that there was someone with a terminal illness in their family, and they had to bring their wedding forward for them, have it like immediately, and they couldn’t find a venue or anybody who had somewhere they could come for their wedding photos, so I directly messaged them and said ‘you can come to my house, of course,’ so they came and they did their wedding photos.

“When McDonald’s was planned for where the police station is down in Belgrave, it was me who was behind the engineering rejection because of the troubles with traffic movements there.

“I helped [at William Ricketts Sanctuary] when William Ricketts was alive; I assisted him and the family to get better conditions for him to live in at the sanctuary.”

More recently, Arnold helped people who caught the train on the Belgrave line by organising a private charter bus to travel into the city for work.

“They’re just just little quiet community things I do,” he said.

“Up at the high school in 2023, I was really worried about student safety because they’ve got no pedestrian crossing from the high school to get across to the Monbulk side, so I’ve been involved in trying to assist the school mailcommunity.com.au

Professor Arnold Dix is the Ranges Trader Star Mail’s Person of the Year for 2023.

Professor Arnold Dix with the Uttarakhand Emergency Rescue team shortly before the rescue in Silkyara.

Professor Arnold Dix with master of tunnel engineering students at MIT, Pune, in India. to get that risk organised, but the school didn’t know why I’m so interested in safety.”

“I’m the independent engineering verifier auditor to allow Puffing Billy to safely operate with legs outside of the carriages, that’s me, that’s how Puffing Billy got operating again.”

The big thing that struck Arnold in 2023, he said, was the “increasing divide” between

countries which are willing and able to deliver utilities like water, sewage and transport.

“The majority of countries on the planet for one reason or another either through breakdown of government or war or those sorts of things, or just don’t have the resources and haven’t been able to respond,” he said.

“I learnt that there’s more than one way

Picture: SUPPLIED to problem solve. And I really enjoyed being a part of the Indian style of problem solving.

And it was as unique as the Indian dance, Bollywood and culture. And it involved everybody being listened to and coming to a collective opinion.

“It’s made me rethink how we make important decisions fast and how we listen to everybody and take everyone’s opinions into consideration and then take an action that might not necessarily everyone agrees, but we take action and deliver it because the success of what happened up there in the mountains was because we were able to not only very rapidly assess very dangerous and rapidly changing situations, but we were also able to make decisive decisions and then get on with it and do stuff.”

At the local level in the Yarra Ranges, Arnold said he is “disappointed” there has not been an initiative to encourage and facilitate fire bunkers for the safety of residents during a disaster.

“The mechanism is for putting in private refuges in your homes, which is something that is important for the shire given climate change will increase the likelihood and severity of storm events in the future.

“Something a little bit more user -friendly for people than having to go through the normal procedures as if you’re putting on a second -story extension on your house.”

On the horizon for 2024 is a new program Arnold has revealed called Koala Ready, which is set to reestablish or manage remnant bush by planting endemic species suited to koalas and other local fauna including the Helmeted Honeyeater.

“The idea is that in the event of a bushfire or some other catastrophic event, our bushland can be used as a source of food for koalas, say for example, Healesville Sanctuary, because they say ‘hey, can you get us some foliage because our koalas need a snack.’

“In time, if there needs to be establishment of new koala populations, we would have, over a period of say a decade, established koala corridors, so they’re ready for the introduction of koalas.”

Before his next overseas venture, you will find Arnold on his farm with his chickens, and maybe an attempt to grow some more sunflowers.

“Up here [Monbulk] is probably one of the most fantastic places on the planet to live; and I know because I work all around the world and in the end I choose to live here because I think it’s awesome,” he said.

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BEST STORIES OF 2023

The stories that mattered 2023 brought with it many news stories from the Dandenong Ranges and the foothills.

The Star Mail has collated the most notable of the year.

Ash Wednesday firefighters honoured Firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice protecting their communities during the horrific events of the Ash Wednesday bushfires 40 years ago were honoured in an anniversary commemoration in Cockatoo.

Hundreds of past and present firefighters, and community members, gathered on Sunday 12 February at the Ash Wednesday Bushfire Education Centre, to share in grief and appreciation for the 47 people who lost their lives in the fires on 16 February 1983, which is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Victoria’s history.

Tears were shed and wreaths laid in memory of the 14 of those people who were CFA firefighters.

John Minett was the captain of the Narre Warren Fire Brigade when the truck he was on was engulfed in flames, killing everyone on board.

His son Brian held his Dad’s spare helmet while reflecting on his sacrifice.

“At the time, being Upper Beaconsfield and Narre Warren being small communities, it sits very well that Dad saved lives before he perished,” he said.

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said the state-wide memorial was a day to quietly reflect.

“This date is permanently etched into the minds of several generations of Victorians. For many, it still haunts them,” he said.

The sombre and special day was an opportunity to reflect but never forget and learn the lessons of the past, Mr Heffernan said.

The Macclesfield Pony Club building was burnt down on Saturday 17 June.

Picture: TRISTAN MERRITT

Brian Minnet with his father John’s spare firefighting helmet at an anniversary commemoration in Cockatoo for the firefighters who lost their lives in the Ash Wednesday bushfires. 315275 Picture: GARY SISSONS

The Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club was scammed out of $118,000 in early 2023. Pictured areKay Kimmitt, Jeff Blastock, Les Lane, Jim Pearce, Jackie Bramwell and Mick Kimmitt.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBES 348284

“As we can see, the Ash Wednesday fires had a lasting effect on all firefighters, emergency service personnel and community workers in the community and it’s important, particularly for the 14 firefighters that perished on that day, that we have learnt and made improvements across the sector as a result,” Mr Heffernan said.

Emerald SES volunteers paint in orange for recognition Emerald’s SES Unit celebrated Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW) on Wednesday 17 May by painting Elephant Rock near Dewhurst.

With the help of Emerald Arts Society member Wendy Lindrea, the artwork displayed the SES logo and the colour orange for locals to

Hard lessons were learnt about how to combat fires, and improvements in the following years include command and control arrangements, training, latest technologies in firetrucks to ensure firefighters are responding are the safest they can be, the PPE that they wear and the other technologies like radio communication.

We’re removing level crossings on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions

Road disruptions: Closed roads

Lilydale Line

From 8.30pm 30 Jan to 2 Feb

Blackburn to Lilydale

Cave Hill Road, Lilydale

From 24 Jan

Belgrave Line

From 8.30pm 30 Jan to Apr

On sections of the line

Closed permanently at the level crossing and intersection with Melba Avenue

Bedford Road, Ringwood

30 Jan to Apr

At the level crossing

MTIA10341

As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings, with 74 already gone.

Check before you travel at bigbuild.vic.gov.au Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne 12660402-HC02-24

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BEST STORIES OF 2023

The Chelsea Australia Garden opened in Olinda in June.

Picture: CLAIRE TAKACS

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

Picture: SUPPLIED enjoy.

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

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

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

Macclesfield Pony Club suffers arson attack The Macclesfield Pony Club’s building was burnt down on Saturday 17 June, with the fire treated as suspicious.

Macclesfield Adult Riding Club secretary Delvene Henderson said the pony club grounds service both the Macclesfield Pony Club and Macclesfield Adult Riding Club, with the blaze a “real shock” for volunteers.

“It was very sad to see...It’s a bit of an icon, the pony club grounds and the club rooms... and we had a lot of memories in that building,” Ms Henderson said.

“A lot of memorabilia, a lot of photos.

We’ve been getting contacted by people that were members there 40, 50 years ago, saying how upset they are that this has happened.

“For two not for profit clubs, it’s a real blow.”

Yarra Ranges Council has issued a statement on Tuesday 4 July.

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Jim Child said rebuilding after an emergency can be a lengthy process and is dependent on finances.

“Staff met with the club members last week to talk through the impact of the loss of their building. Often rebuilding takes much longer than people anticipate to rebuild – usually two or more years,” Cr Child said.

“Council buildings must follow the planning controls and overlays for the ‘zone’ of the area where the building is located. The National Construction Code of Australia must be followed, and this can dictate the type of materials needed, accessibility and energy efficiency requirements.”

In a show of support, two Seville Pony Club members Emily and Jorja raised $500 for the Macclesfield Pony and Adult Riding Club to assist with the rebuild.

Internationally acclaimed garden opens in Olinda The Chelsea Australia Garden in Olinda officially opened to the public in June, with both locals and visitors to the Dandenong Ranges able to enjoy the award-winning build.

Designer Phillip Johnson’s original ‘Australian Garden’ exhibit, created by Horticulturalist Wes Fleming and the Trailfinders Team, was the first Australian entry to win Gold and Best in Show at the London Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in 2013.

On Friday 30 June, a replica over 20 times the size of the original display was unveiled at mailcommunity.com.au

the Olinda Golf Course to around 20 visitors including representatives from both Parks Victoria and the People and Parks Foundation.

Phillip Johnson Landscapes general manager Vaughn Greenhill said the opening was a “relief,” with the build being “incredibly difficult” due to the amount of rain over the past 12 months.

“Getting to the opening, seeing people in here just makes me proud of the whole team,” Mr Greenhill said.

“It’s an incredible feeling to know that there’s a permanent generational garden here representing our work, our beliefs and will be here connecting 1000s of people back to nature each year.”

The ‘Australian Garden’ features a billabong and waterfall operated by solar/battery power, alongside native flora.

Some 15,000 plants from over 400 different species find their home in the garden; approximately 100 of which are rare and endangered.

Burnham Beeches construction given green light In June, the Trenerry Consortium received the go-ahead for its proposed $120m landmark redevelopment of Sherbrooke’s historic Burnham Beeches.

The Consortium has received a Heritage Victoria permit for the entire proposed master plan and the green light for the initial stage component from Yarra Ranges Council, with a further application to be lodged with the council for the remainder of the master plan to bring the council permit into line with Heritage Victoria’s permit. These permits will enable the development team to undertake crucial conservation works to the existing buildings, alongside commencing construction of new buildings and upgrades to building and site services.

Notably, it will allow urgent repair works to begin on one of Australia’s most significant and unique art deco buildings - the Alfred Nicholas mansion.

The mansion has sat vacant for 36 years and is in need of urgent rtestoration and care.

The permits will also see works commence on the development of new buildings and landscaping, bringing the holistic restoration of Burnham Beeches – to be operated by Six Senses - another step closer to opening its doors and welcoming visitors once again.

The Trenerry Consortium, represented by The Victor Smorgon Group, The Kanat Group and Trenerry Property, has brought together the same team that delivered The Continental in Sorrento to Burnham Beeches, with expert Australian builders Hamilton Marino managing the build and restoration process, and global architecture firm Woods Bagot appointed as lead architects and designers.

Supreme Court rules in council’s favour July saw the conclusion of the ongoing disruptions at Yarra Ranges Council, with the council taken to the Supreme Court on 4 July and announcing the return of an in-person gallery at council meetings on 11 July.

Yarra Ranges Council had announced the gallery would be shut out in April after two

The Burnham Beeches estate. 365583

meetings were adjourned early in the year due to an ‘increasing pattern of verbal abuse, intimidation and anti-social behaviour.

Yarra Ranges Mayor at the time Jim Child said he was looking forward to welcoming community members into the public gallery once again.

“While it was disappointing to have to make the decision to close the gallery, it was a necessary decision to ensure we could maintain a safe workplace for our staff, councillors and community members, and ensure our meetings could be run in an orderly manner,” he said.

Plaintiff Darren Dickson sought an injunction from the Supreme Court to prevent the council from implementing its Draft Monbulk Urban Design Framework which sets out principles for the future development of the area as well as to challenge the decision to close meetings to the public.

Adjourned to August, the case was unsuccessful.

Locals say ‘enough’ to safety issues on Strawberry Corner The local community of Cockatoo took a stand in the name of animal welfare after reports of livestock and wandering animals made over the last decade, at all hours of the day and night, due to poor fencing.

In some instances, cows have been seen falling from the embankment and dying as drivers have watched helplessly, or have died due to neglect or illness.

Dogs have also been spotted on this corner, with little evidence of any change, or hope for these animals seen by the community.

A deceased calf was found along the fence line in August.

An online petition was created to support the proper investigation and removal of livestock and other animals from this property, believing the owners of the farm are constantly committing offences under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.

A GoFundMe page was launched to raise funds for a calf that had been found on the corner in poor condition, which has raised over $1,000 for the calf’s recovery.

Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club hit by vicious email scam The Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club was scammed of $118,000 after being targeted by a business email compromise scam; where hackers track email history.

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

The money was sent to pay for works rebuilding the front green and back lawn which were damaged during flooding in October 2022.

Boronia development concerns The Victorian government’s lack of consultation and disregard of Knox City Council’s planning schemes has led the council - and locals alike - raising alarms over plans to develop 145 houses on a former school site in

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Boronia.

In May 2023, Knox City Council was notified that development plans for the former Boronia Heights College site, also previously known as Boronia Technical School and Boronia Heights Secondary College, were approved by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Deputy Mayor Jude Dwight, whose Chandler Ward contained Boronia Heights College, said that when the development plan was presented to the council last year (2022), it was given a short period in which to make a response and there was no opportunity for public consultation.

“Knox City Council has a housing strategy in place that does try to encourage the density of housing appropriate to the infrastructure and services in the area around to support it,” she said.

“Our housing strategy would indicate probably about 25 dwellings across the site and a significant amount of open space, which potentially could have even included the oval that exists there because we are seeing a lot of pressure on sporting reserves across Knox.”

Community member Roger Davey is one of those concerned about the sites’ potential future, and is banding together with other locals to stand against the decision.

He said the site is a nice piece of greenery among the surrounding residential developments, and has provided him and his dog Snowy a great place to go for walks and enjoy the greenery.

“Tearing down the park and building houses on it would mean there is no more ‘green’ in the area. There are kids enjoying the bike tracks they’ve built, and a football field that is needed in the community,” he said.

Paradise Hotel arson attack Detectives from Cardinia Crime Investigation Unit arrested a suspect in September after an arson attack on Paradise Valley Hotel.

The 41 year old male suspect, from Clematis, allegedly set fire to the hotel at approximately 3am on the 30th July, and it is believed the man lit the fire due to grievances relating to noise and drunk patrons at the venue.

Building materials being used in renovations were set alight in the storage area, which caught on to parts of the premise.

Damage caused by the fire is estimated at $100,000 and was heartbreaking for the owners who were in the process of renovating the premises.

Bayswater vet clinic under scrutiny Bayswater North vet clinic, Pets Haven, came under investigation by the RSPCA and Maroondah Council, following accusations of cruelty to animals who have been taken to the clinic for a variety of treatments.

In harrowing videos shared with Star Mail, they show large groups of puppies in cages with no food, faeces and urine all around the cage, some stuck in cages with their own blood, cats in crates being stacked on top of each other for transport – sometimes being bundled in with bags of trash from the clinic.

Continued page 10 Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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BEST STORIES OF 2023

The stories that mattered From Page 9 Previous staff have also shared their experiences at Pets Haven under the new owners before their departure, with allegations of micro management, being regularly worked overtime, texts and messages on rostered days off, even accusations of bullying and belittlement within the workplace when on shifts.

It was the second investigation into the clinic within 18 months.

The clinic was raided seven times in February 2022, with fears that many cats and dogs in its care were close to death in their care.

It is understood that no charges were laid by the RSPCA following the investigations last year, however warnings were issued.

RSPCA Victoria Chief Inspector, Michael Stagg said the investigations have come in response to a report received on Friday 15 September 2023.

“RSPCA Victoria Inspectors attended a premises in Bayswater North that afternoon, and were again in attendance at the premises on Monday 18 September,” Mr Stagg said.

“The RSPCA Inspector secured the surrender of five sick puppies, who were transported to RSPCA Victoria’s facility at Burwood East.”

As investigations were still underway for any possible offences under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986, no further comments were able to be provided.

A Pets Haven representative said following the initial media reports and RSPCA issues that coincided with their takeover in early 2022, the store has done a comprehensive review and redesign of all operations, procedures and policies.

They say some of their ex-staff and volunteers, who are no longer with the information, are guiding the campaign of ‘misinformation’ that has been seen in recent media articles and

Ferntree Gully local Craig Dean had his 2021 GD-500 KR Mustang returned to him in November after the rare vehicle was stolen from his car yard on Wednesday 11 October.

Picture: TANYA FAULKNER on social media.

The representative said they are working to “align the culture of the organisation with the vision of best practice” and are calling on the community to get behind them as they battle through the current investigations and media attention.

According to the representative, as part of clinic improvements, they have changed the operating model to reduce the number of seriously ill animals in care, and say they are doing their best to take care of animals in their clinic.

“Many animals come to our clinic to be rehomed and it is a disappointing truth that many of these animals have not enjoyed a healthy or rewarding life prior to arriving at Pets Haven.

“We regularly receive animals that are malnourished, injured, sick or mistreated in some way.

“They are often scared, timid and in unfamiliar surroundings.

“All of the animals we receive are provided prompt veterinary treatment, with some animals requiring urgent and significant veterinary intervention.

“Pets Haven has qualified veterinary practitioners on staff who are either on site or available on call,” they said.

Rare mustang returned home Ferntree Gully local Craig Dean was breathing a sight of relief in November after he had his $400K 2021 GD-500 KR Mustang returned by Victoria Police after it was stolen from his car yard on Wednesday 11 October.

The car had been repainted in black and the spoiler was removed.

“I didn’t personally see the car for quite some time as I had been down the coast,” Mr

Dean said at the time.

“The badges had been taken off and it had been painted black.

“The boys looked at it and they were able to peel the paint off, thanks to a sealant we use on our cars, and there was no major damage.”

Two men were captured on CCTV entering Mustang Motorsport in Ferntree Gully, pinching the 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR and driving off.

After receiving a tip-off, detectives searched a home in Carrum Downs where the Mustang was recovered.

A 37-year-old Narre Warren man was arrested and charged with theft of motor vehicle, driving while disqualified and possessing a drug of dependence.

A 32-year-old Carrum Downs man was also interviewed and released without charge.

The $400,000 car is the only one of its kind in Australia and one of 24 across the globe. “[I’m] relieved, more than anything,” Mr Dean said.

Lake Knox fight continues Knox locals are standing their ground against the proposed social housing development designated for Knoxfield.

The Lake Knox Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing has been closed out, with the final submissions being completed in early December.

Now the involved groups await the final decision, after the tribunal postponed the subdivision hearing temporarily to determine a question of the law.

A decision by VCAT was handed down in September, determining Lake Knox does not fit the criteria of a waterway under the Knox planning scheme.

The VCAT hearing into the subdivision was still being heard in early December.

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SENIORS LIVING

Vibrant retirement living In the heart of Lilydale, where the lush Yarra Valley meets the Dandenong Ranges, stands Lilydale Valley Views – not just a retirement village, but a thriving community where residents relish every moment of their golden years. For the past 15 years, we have meticulously crafted an environment that goes beyond providing accommodation; it’s a place where the essence of retirement living is fully embraced.

Our village boasts an array of accommodation options, from stunning homes with valley views to cosy terrace living. With 139 homes, including semi-attached 2/3 bedroom units, each designed to ensure a family-like atmosphere, we prioritise creating a space that fits the unique preferences of every resident. What sets Lilydale Valley Views apart is the commitment to offering a comprehensive retirement experience. Picture a heated indoor swimming pool and spa, providing residents with an oasis for relaxation and exercise. Imagine weekly Tai Chi and dancersize sessions, tailored to keep both the body and mind active and engaged. Our village bus takes the hassle out of shopping, offering a convenient door-to-door service, freeing residents from the need to drive and park.

One of the key pillars of our community is the vibrant social committee. This dedicated group organises a plethora of indoor and outdoor activities, ensuring residents always have opportunities for connection and enjoyment.

From outings to social events, our calendar is brimming with activities that cater to diverse interests, creating an enriching experience for everyone. Yet, the true magic lies in the residents themselves. A wonderful group of people with a wide range of interests, they form the beating heart of our community. The warmth and genuine sense of camaraderie that have flourished over the years are truly heartwarming. Newcomers quickly find themselves embraced by the community, invited to various

Enjoy some quite time with a book from the extensive library collection.

Breathtaking views await residents at Lilydale Valley Views. activities and social occasions, allowing them to tailor their level of engagement. At Lilydale Valley Views, we recognise the importance of social connections for overall health and wellbeing as we age. Our environment is curated to facilitate an active and connected lifestyle, fostering a sense of community that extends beyond the physical boundaries of the village.

Centrally located near essential amenities, including medical practitioners, supermarkets, and the train station – all within walking distance – Lilydale Valley Views provides a seam-

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Meet and mingle with friends in the community centre.

less blend of convenience and tranquillity. The nearby Warburton Trail offers residents the opportunity for scenic walks or bike rides, while a thriving veggie/flower garden on-site adds to the communal spirit. As a testament to our commitment to excellence, we are proud to have built a retirement village that has evolved into a close-knit community. Lilydale Valley Views is not merely a place to live; it’s a place where people flourish, creating a tapestry of shared experiences and cherished moments.

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For more information, contact Lilydale Valley Views at 471 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale, email manager@lilydalevalleyviews.com.au, or call 03 9735 5944 to speak with Rosemary Seymour our manager. Our doors are open from 9am to 4.30pm, welcoming you to a new chapter of vibrant retirement living.

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MAIL 11

BEST OF THE VOICE

A time of heated debate The referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was a hotly debated topic locally and throughout the country in the lead-up to voting day.

Here’s what the Casey electorate had to say on The Voice.

The referendum proposed added subsections for the Australian Constitution to include formal recognition of First Nations peoples as the traditional inhabitants of Australia and the establishment of a new constitutional power called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Two other subsections outlined the ‘representation-making’ function of The Voice and navigated the parliament’s ability to make laws in accordance with and in relation to The Voice entity respectively.

Speaking to the Star Mail ahead of the vote, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Melbourne Cheryl Saunders said what The Voice would have looked like would have been a matter for legislation and the legislation ‘wouldn’t be set in concrete’.

“The power of The Voice will be there for the parliament to use and while legally the government is not forced to use that power, politically it has to enforce it and will.”

A National Reconciliation Week event in June at The Memo in Healesville hosted two keynote speakers, — Rueben Berg and Aunty Jill Gallagher — provided an opportunity for them to share their views on The Voice with the community.

Gunditjmara man and representative for the metropolitan region First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Rueben Berg said said that the aspirations of First Nations People are leading us as a nation towards the realization of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Victoria is already kicking goals in that area and we have made some really significant progress along the lines of voice, treaty and truth,” he said.

“Here in Victoria, we already have a Voice in the First Peoples Assembly.”

Gunditjmara woman Aunty Jill Gallagher helped design and develop the First People’s Assembly and is a former treaty commissioner.

Ms Gallagher said she was often asked whether having an Aboriginal Voice in parliament will be divisive and her response is that there is already division in this country.

“We have to look at recent times, Stan Grant had no choice but to resign due to that division, when one of Australia’s most distinguished and revered journalists decides to walk away from their profession, as a direct result of racism, it is clear that something is still very wrong in our society,” she said.

Casey MP Aaron Violi weighed in on the referendum process multiple times throughout the year.

In January, Mr Violi said he wanted to understand the details of whether local, regional and national bodies will exist within the framework and how they will interact.

“The reality is that the challenges that Indigenous Australians in Casey face are completely different to the challenges for Indigenous Australians in Central Australia,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced the Opposition would be formally supporting the No campaign on Wednesday 5 April.

Following this, Mr Violi said he hadn’t yet reached a final position on a personal level, which was his “right as a Liberal backbencher.”

“I’m continuing to engage with the community here in Casey, and that involves working with an organisation called DemocracyCo, with forums and public dialogue because I’ve received a range of views,” he said.

Unlike shadow-cabinet members, Mr Violi was not bound to support the Liberal Party’s position.

On a visit to the Yarra Ranges in May, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told the Star Mail that even if the referendum was successful, the party’s position wouldn’t effect the reelection chances of MPs in marginal seats.

“If you sit on the fence in politics you end up believing in nothing and you end up, I think frankly, being a burden to your own community.”

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

The panel discussion at the conclusion of the Voice for Generations event at The Memo featuring Aunty Lea Jones, Dr Andrew Peters, Aunty Jill Gallagher and Rueben Berg.

Picture: YARRA RANGES COUNCIL

No vote campaigner Joanne van Wageningen at pre-polling in Healesville.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Indigenous studies professor Dr Andrew Peters voted yes because of the ‘bipartisan support’ a Voice to Parliament would have given First Nations people.

Picture: ON FILE

Yes vote campaigner Dr Bob Rich at pre-polling in Healesville.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

By the time he spoke to the Star Mail in September, Mr Violi confirmed he would be voting no.

“The moment my concerns were crystallised was when I was speaking to an Indigenous leader in our community in Casey and he expressed the same concerns I had, that he hadn’t been consulted in the process.”

Community consultation in Casey conducted by Mr Violi’s office returned a result of 39.8 per cent voting yes and 45.75 per cent voting no with 14.5 per cent yet to decide, with a community forum of 50 people returning equal results of those voting yes and no.

Labor Senator for Victoria Linda White was in communication with the over 170 volunteers of the Casey for Yes group and was a member of the initial Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum. She voted Yes alongside her fellow party members.

Before the referendum, Ms White said the most significant reason for her decision was the length of time The Voice has been called for.

“The Uluru Statement from the Heart was the culmination of probably 20 years of requests to have constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians,” she said.

“Having Indigenous bodies in legislation, which can be easily abolished, has just not worked because the bodies themselves might have but were just taken out by successive governments. That points to me that you need something strong so it can continue.”

The Committee, made up of seven Labor, three Liberal and one Nationals, Greens and Independent representatives, passed the alteration that formed The Voice referendum unamended, forming the view that the Bill is ‘constitutionally sound’ and met the requests of the Uluru Statement From the Heart.

A Casey for Yes group was formed and held in-person and online discussions in the leadup to the referendum.

Group founder and former independent

candidate for Casey Claire Ferres Miles said the group had been started specifically for The Voice and educating the community and was feeling positive when she spoke to the Star Mail in September.

“We can only comment on our recent visit to Upwey, however, we estimated around 40 per cent of people were very supportive of the yes vote, 40 per cent seemed to be undecided and looking for more information, and 20 per cent either didn’t want to engage or were supporting the no vote,” she said.

Healesville Indigenous educator Thane Garvey, a descendent of celebrated Wurundjeri leader William Barak, said Australia was well behind when it comes to recognising First Peoples, with neighbours New Zealand having ‘a long way to go over there too but they’re still way ahead of us’.

“If you look at New Zealand or if you look at other places around the planet, they’re normally known somewhat because of their Indigenous people, their Traditional Owners, whereas Australia really doesn’t want to have that identity, that relationship with Traditional Owners for some reason,” he said.

Following the referendum result, Thane said it was heartbreaking but we’ve just got to forget about The Voice for now and moving forward, we’ve just got to focus on treaty.

“As Indigenous Australians, we need to start branching out to our brothers and sisters over in New Zealand and all these other countries all over the planet, all these different places that managed to get treaty across the line,” he said.

Wurundjeri man, Indigenous studies professor and son of Aunty Dot Peters, Dr Andrew Peters, voted yes because of the ‘bipartisan support’ a Voice to Parliament would have given First Nations people.

Andrew said The Voice would’ve been a “permanent way for governments to listen to Aboriginal representative groups” especially when it comes to the expression of culture.

“Over the years, where things have been set

up to help Aboriginal people, generally speaking, they were set up by the Labor government and disbanded by Liberal governments.

It might not always be the case but generally, that’s what’s happened,” he said.

No vote campaigner Joanne van Wageningen and Yes vote campaigner Dr Bob Rich were among many across the state to give their time to assist at pre-polling, both braving pouring rain in Healesville on Tuesday 3 October.

Ms van Wageningen said she did the reading and research while also listening to what people had to say.

“My initial gut feeling was no, but then I had to do the research and actually follow that up with proof of what was right,” she said.

Dr Rich said he was involved because he is for decency.

“I want justice and redress for all the past times for our First Nations people, they have asked for in the Uluru statement for three things; Voice, Treaty and truth,” he said.

61 per cent of Australians ended up voting No in the referendum held on 14 October.

Across the Casey electorate, the No’s only just held the majority, with only 58 per cent of locals making up the majority, and a close 42 per cent voting yes.

Breaking the results down, Boronia and Rowville were the only locations in Knox that turned a ‘No’ majority.

Boronia had the biggest turnout of voters in the municipality, with the results favouring the no’s 1997 to the yes’s 1846 votes.

In the Yarra Ranges, Tecoma had the greatest count in favour of The Voice, with 1,154 votes for The Voice versus only 639 against.

The No’s held a strong majority over the Yes vote in Healesville – 2,854 to 2,256 respectively.

The polls in Menzies Creek, Mount Dandenong, and Warburton were the only other communities in the Yarra Ranges to show a Yes majority.

Lilydale provided the greatest polling numbers, with 4,350 yes votes trampled by the 9,750 who voted against. mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

A real Christmas stocking Anglers across Victoria are set for more fishing luck, with more than 720,000 Australian bass and estuary perch stocked into 32 lakes and rivers for recreational fishers to enjoy.

Yarra Ranges residents can head to the Ferntree Gully Quarry for some fishing over the summer - the site has been stocked with 5,000 Bass.

Outdoor recreation minister Steve Dimopoulos announced the stocking of these native species on 18 December and the 10 million fish this year will bolster native fish populations in waters across the state.

“We’re giving more anglers the chance to catch our native fish this holiday season, with families set to enjoy Victoria’s beautiful waters this summer,” Mr Dimopoulos said.

This has been made possible by the reinvestment of fishing license fees and the Government’s $96 million investment to support fishing and boating in Victoria over the next four years.

Mr Dimopoulos said the super stocking is boosting fishing for every Victorian.

“The investment in fishing and boating will help to build better facilities, stronger fishing clubs, and expanded fish hatcheries for everyone to enjoy,” he said.

Australian bass and estuary perch live in coastal flowing catchments and are highly prized by recreational anglers as iconic native sportfish which are capable of living for over 40 years.

Both species are stocked annually by the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA), which has released around five million bass and perch over the last decade.

Lots of these fish have reached catchable size and are now delivering outstanding fishing for Victorian anglers who, for bass, previously had to travel interstate for great lake fishing.

Waters that share in the 460,000 bass re-

The Ferntree Gully Quarry has been stocked for summer. cently stocked include Lake Glenmaggie, which now enjoys 50,000 newly stocked fish, while 52,000 fish were stocked at Blue Rock Lake. Traralgon Creek now enjoys 10,000 extra bass and rivers such as the Mitchell have been stocked with 100,000 fish for recreational fishers to enjoy.

The population of bass have been boosted in the Snowy, Cann, Timbarra, Macalister, Latrobe, Avon, Tambo and Thomson rivers.

Picture: ON FILE

In Victoria’s south-west, Bullen Merri and Elingamite lakes both now enjoy 10,000 bass each.

Anglers are also set to snag one of more than 260,000 estuary perch that have been stocked in waters across Victoria.

Gippsland Lakes has been stocked with a super 98,000 perch, while Lake Tyers, Genoa River, Bemm, Snowy and Little Rivers now all have 10,000 perch each.

Lakers Cutting near Point Lonsdale has been boosted by 15,000 estuary perch and fishers at the Barwon can catch one of the 45,000 stocked fish, while 20,000 perch are stocked at Werribee. Upper Stony Creek Reservoir has been stocked with 24,000 estuary perch and Devilbend Reservoir on the Mornington Peninsula, which now has 9,000 fingerlings.

To see the full list of all 32 stocked waterways, visit vfa.vic.gov.au/bassandperch2023.

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MAIL 13

BEST OF 2023 IN PICTURES

Emerald Secondary College Year 12 student Hollie Kee taking part in the World’s Greatest Shave in March, with the school raising $4500 for Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS blood cancer research. 324504

Bailey from Belgrave South Primary School at a ceremony commemorating the lives lost in the Kokoda Battle in August at One Tree Hill in Tremont. 352517 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Belgrave’s Blacksmiths Way was turned into a haven for art lovers, with the laneway filled with street art for locals and visitors alike, including Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS this platypus mural. 337350

Year’s finest, behind lens Community members and groups alike achieved a lot in 2023, and the Star Mail was lucky enough to capture some special moments shared in the Dandenong Ranges and the foothills.

Cockatoo mum-of-two, Ashley Woodrow (left) completed a 46-kilometre marathon in order to raise funds for a charity supporting premature babies with sister Holly (right), after her own twins Ollie and Russell were born early in 2021.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Harper, Grace, Barnaby and Eddie students from Kallista Primary School at the Kallista Revival festival in October. 361948 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Bailey from Belgrave South Primary School at a ceremony commemorating the lives lost in the Kokoda Battle in August at One Tree Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Hill in Tremont. 352517

Boronia resident Dr Prabodh Malhotra preparing to embark on his second ‘long walk’, making the journey from the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on foot, to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.

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Magda, Doris and Ann celebrated 33 years of the Emerald Opp Shop.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

338656

Wattleview Primary School students Roy and Jake helped local resident, Esma O’Neil, on Halloween after the 82-year-old Ferntree Gully grandmother fell in her home. 82371353 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Community members celebrating the beginning of Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme at Emerald SES in November.

From left to right: Rear - Marcus Adams (Rotary Emerald and District), Russell Marnock (Rotary Emerald & District & Dandenong Ranges Renewable Energy Association), Graeme Legge (Dandenong Ranges Renewable Energy Association), Mitchell Edwards (Emerald SES), Olinka Edwards (Emerald SES), Peter Maloney (Emerald Village Association), Graeme Eadie (DRREA) and Mary Farrow (Emerald Community House). Left to right: Front - Peter Cook and Marion Cook (Boomerang Alliance). 370595 Picture: GARY SISSONS mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

The poetry of resolutions WOORILLA WORDS

By Maria Millers It’s less than two weeks since you’ve made your New Year resolutions and, most probably, like so many, you have already broken some, if not all of them. You are not alone. According to a You Guv survey of 2022 only 28 per cent managed to stay with all their resolutions and 53 per cent managed to carry out only some of them.

Mark Twain had no illusions about human nature and its inconsistencies when in his inimitable acerbic way he thundered: ‘New Year’s Day: now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.’

So what then motivates people to indulge in what has been dismissed as a legacy tradition?

This tradition can be traced back thousands of years to Babylon where it involved the practice of returning borrowed goods and paying outstanding debts. In Roman times it came to be celebrated as the feast of Janus, the two faced god the month of January was named after Over time, the tradition evolved, and today many people around the world make resolutions at the beginning of each new year as a way to set goals and make positive changes in their lives. This could be as basic as cutting back on coffee or alcohol to committing time to volunteer in any of the areas that are crying out for help.

There are others who of course see the possibility of personal growth and improvement.

Perhaps one should ask oneself : Why do I want to achieve this? Is it purely for vanity and other self - aggrandizing reasons or is it for the improvement of my physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual wellbeing?

One reason New Year’s resolutions work for some people is that resolutions are a prime example of a psychological phenomenon known as the fresh start effect — a date on the calendar that gives people a sense of a new beginning and motivates them to make a positive change, according to Katy Milkman, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book, ‘How to Change.’

Yet for many of us these are promises made in the heat of a moment and as Mark Twain said jettisoned as quickly.

Leaders often use the occasion to reflect on past achievements and offer messages of hope and unity. Today these messages range from the political, economic to social and environmental. Of course, they are often self – serving. It is easy to mouth platitudes for peace in the world but at the same time turn your eyes

away from the daily reality of conflict, poverty and injustices that fill our screens nightly.

The promise of a fresh start after hardship and loss can bring benefits and comfort, the sense of possibility and potential that comes with new beginnings: the transformative power of new beginnings. Many poets have taken up this theme of new beginnings. Among them is Rudyard Kipling’s seven stanza self – indulgent and humorous New Year Resolutions which begins with: I am resolved—throughout the year To lay my vices on the shelf; A godly, sober course to steer And love my neighbours as myself— Excepting always two or three Whom I detest as they hate me.

Throughout the poem Kipling lists the areas in which he should change his habits: gambling, flirting with young women, horse racing and giving up cigarettes for a pipe. There is a sense of ambivalence in his offered list and it doesn’t come as a surprise when he concludes how hard it is to keep such promises, and decides to tackle only one a year and chooses gambling In Ring Out Wild Bells, Lord Alfred Tennyson writing in grief on the sudden death of his close friend Arthur Henry Hallam in 1833 has Tennyson using the dying days of the year to

Picture: UNSPLASH

overcoming his grief when hearing the church bells ringing Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.

He wants the bells to not only ring out his grief but also to end the many wrongs he sees in his society: A repetition of what to ring in and what to ring out is an inventory of the ills of the society he was living in. But this could just as well be the New Year wish list of someone writing today and that is unsettling. And although the poem has a religious underpinning its content is all about social justice.

So, whatever New Year Resolutions you have made you can rest assured that those who have gone before you have made the similar promises, and undergone the same struggles to keep them. Let’s hope that at least some of your resolutions will survive through 2024.

PS And if you have borrowed any books from me here in the spirit of the Babylonian tradition is the chance to return them!

Ring Out Wild Bells Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Where to pick up a FREE printed copy of your...

ed

Publish

New Year resolutions have been the topic of poems for many famous writers.

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Tuesda

Mail

AVONSLEIGH Avonsleigh News & General Store 445 Belgrave Gembrook Road BELGRAVE Belgrave Newsagency 1704 Burwood Highway BELGRAVE Woolworths Supermarket 1629 Burwood Highway

EMERALD Bell Real Estate 313 Main Street FERNTREE GULLY Upper Ferntree Gully Newsagents, 1202 Burwood Highway FERNTREE GULLY Glenfern Road Milk Bar , 83 Glenfern Road

MONBULK Monbulk Newsagency & Officesmart 76 Main Street OLINDA Monbulk Bowling Club, 11 Moores Road OLINDA Olinda Cellars Shop 7/540 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road

BELGRAVE IGA 151 Belgrave-Hallam Road BELGRAVE Chandler & Co Real Estate 1689 Burwood Hwy

FERNTREE GULLY Coles Supermarket Mountain Gate SC Ferntree Gully Road FERNTREE GULLY Woolworths Supermarket Mountain Gate SC

OLINDA Ranges at Olinda 5 Old Main Road OLINDA IGA Supermarket 1526 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road

BELGRAVE First National Real Estate 1660 Burwood Highway Belgrave BELGRAVE SOUTH Belgrave South Motors 138 Belgrave-Hallam Rd BORONIA Boronia Mall Newsagent Corner Floriston Road & Chandler Road

Ferntree Gully Road FERNTREE GULLY Mountain Gate Newsagency & Lotto Mountain Gate SC 9b Ferntree Gully Road FERNTREE GULLY IGA Ferntree Gully, 107 Station Street

OLINDA Bell Real Estate 11 Main Road SASSAFRAS Sassafras General Store 391 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road SILVAN Shell Princi Motors, 275 - 277 Monbulk Road

COCKATOO Ranges First National Shop 2, 24 McBride Street COCKATOO IGA Cockatoo 34 McBride Street

TECOMA BP Service Station 1524 Burwood Highway TECOMA Bon Ton General Store 1537 Burwood Highway

EMERALD Kaye Charles RE 12a Kilvington Drive EMERALD Ritchies SUPA IGA 342 Belgrave-Gembrook Road EMERALD Emerald Village Newsagency 4 Kilvington Drive

FERNTREE GULLY Shell Service Station 1140 Burwood Highway FERNY CREEK Ferny Creek & Post Office 195 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road GEMBROOK Gembrook Post Office& Newsagent 72 Main Street GEMBROOK IGA Supermarket 83/85 Main Street

EMERALD Woolworths Supermarket Belgrave Gembrook Road EMERALD Auto Plus More Petrol Station 365 Main Street

KALORAMA Post Office 1209 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road MONBULK Best Repairs & Accessories Monbulk - 26 Main Road

TREMONT Caltex Service Station 100 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road UPWEY Newsagent 18 Main Street

EMERALD Shell Service Station 336 Main Street EMERALD Barry Plant Real Estate 1/ 321 Main Street

MONBULK Food Express 128 Main Road MONBULK Woolworths Supermarket Main Road & Moores Road

UPWEY IGA Supermarket 62-64 Main Street UPWEY Yarra Ranges Shire Council 40 Main Street

12652353-AA48-23

TECOMA O’Brien Real Estate 1567 Burwood Highway TECOMA McDonald’s Restaurant 1529 Burwood Highway THE PATCH The Patch Store and Post office 16 The Patch Road

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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MAIL 15

OPINION

Preparing for a busy 2024 Happy New Year everyone, I hope you’re all well and enjoying the holiday period, and that 2024 has some amazing things in store for you!

Summer in the Yarra Ranges can throw up a range of emotions, so I’d like to take this time to talk about the importance of preparing your property, and yourselves, for the hotter months ahead.

Clearing up anything that could be a fire hazard around your property is critical, as things like fallen tree debris, grass, twigs and excess vegetation can dry out and become very flammable in the event of a fire.

The CFA have plenty of great resources and tips available on their website about how to best prepare your property, as well as how to create a fire plan in case of emergencies.

From my

desk Sophie Todorov Mayor of Yarra Ranges This time of year is also when our annual hard waste collection begins.

Between January-March, every household in the Yarra Ranges will have a scheduled collection week where they can place unwanted

old appliances, bulky items and branches out for collection.

The hard waste items that you place out are recycled as much as possible, but before putting them out, consider whether they are items that could be sold, given away or donated. You know what they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!

You can find out everything you need to know about your hard waste collection, including what you can and can’t put out and when your collection is, by visiting yarraranges.vic.gov.au/hardwaste or by giving us a call on 1300 368 333.

Lastly, I wanted to highlight that later this year, we’ll be developing our next Council Plan.

Can’t make you care about cars

2023... BEST CARTOONS

Calling all actors and audiences Eltham Little Theatre Audition Notice Play: The Peppercorn Tree Sunday 4 February and Monday 5 February – 7.00pm – 10.15pm This is a moving Australian drama set in Melbourne in 1993.

Auditions will be by individual appointment, at 15 minute intervals.

Audition candidates will be asked to read specific sections of the script against other actors. There is no need to memorise these for the audition.

Please arrive 10 minutes early so that you can fill out an audition form.

Rehearsals will be held Monday and Wednesday 7.30 to 9.30pm and Sunday 2.30 to 5pm.

Successful candidates will be required to become members of the Eltham Little Theatre.

Please contact the director with inquiries, to request a script and a list of audition pieces.

Director’s email is Audition@elthamlittle16 MAIL

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

The Council Plan is our key planning document for the next four years, that describes the goals and objectives we want to deliver for the community over the next electoral term.

It also describes what we as a Council stand for and explains how our performance will be measured and reported back to the community.

It is therefore vital that we get your feedback on what your priorities are for the Yarra Ranges, so please keep an eye out this year for a range of opportunities to get involved in arguably our most important document that we put together. We can’t do it without you!

Thank you for reading and I wish you all the very best for the year ahead!

Kemp’s curtain call theatre.org.au Gemco Theatre – a History In the town of Emerald in Kilvington Drive one finds The Gemco Players Community Theatre.

Back in 1980 a recent arrival from England, David Greenaway was interested in forming a theatre group, so he called a meeting of likeminded people and Theatre was born that night. The name comes from the towns in the area, Gembrook, Emerald, Menzies Creek and Cockatoo.

Like many other theatres the rehearsals were held in private homes and small halls in Emerald and Clematis. Of course, this meant

carrying all that was needed to take to the halls in the area for the actual performances.

In the years since 1980, it has performed to over 45,000 people certainly showing that the hills were bereft of entertainment.

A small hall, initially the Tecoma Uniting Church, was made into a permanent home.

Again like many other community theatres, the members volunteered to bring the old hall into a theatre. This space proved so efficient that it saw an expansion of youth groups, so much so that the company outgrew their theatre.

So David and his cohorts set to and built the theatre that is today.

Today Gemco has had over 1899 young people involved in its youth and children programs and Gemco has raised over $29,000 for groups within the community and beyond.

REMEMBER: The 1812 Theatre Mother & Son. Season: February 22 – March 16. Bookings: 9758 3964.

The Basin theatre Hatched Matched and Dispatched Season: Friday February 23 – Sunday March 3. Bookings: 1300 784 668

Ferrari Starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley Rated MA15+ 3.75/5 A biopic about Italian racer and car tycoon Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), Ferrari is, ironically, less interesting when it focuses on the race-cars.

Director Michael Mann (Manhunter, Heat, Collateral) excels with anti-heroes and morally-grey narratives, and Ferrari is full of poignant, powerful performances. Driver plays Enzo with softspoken intensity, playing a demanding, hyperfocused figure, while Penelope Cruz is a harried force of will as Enzo’s wife Laura. Shailene Woodley is the weak link as Enzo’s mistress Lina, If only for her slipping accent. The film features sumptuous cinematography and some clever cuts and uses of juxtaposition, and the racing sequences are dynamic and perilous (although the final Mille Miglia race is slightly hard to follow due to the identity-obscuring helmets and goggles and racers on both teams driving red cars).

Ferrari’s one major flaw is a poor balance of internal and external conflict.

Enzo’s personal struggles, including his complicated relationship with his illegitimate son Piero, are quietly heartbreaking, and the plot has that slow, deliberate, immersive pacing that I enjoy. The broader dramatic goal, on the other hand – Ferrari must win the Mille Miglia or go bankrupt – is less engaging.

It would be easy to say I have no interest in cars, but a conflict can still engage if it holds clear, pressing importance for the characters; if they care, you care.

Win the race or go broke are unconvincing stakes due to Enzo’s unflappable attitude and affluence, and even after a shocking crash in the climax, nothing sticks in terms of consequence.

An unbalanced character drama about a car tycoon in which the cars counterintuitively get in the way of the drama, Ferrari is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes mailcommunity.com.au

RENAMING CELEBRATION

An exciting transformation Exciting news: Open Door Community Church unveils the transformation of Monbulk Care Network’s Op Shop!

We are thrilled to share a momentous development at Open Door Community Church as we reveal the evolution of our outreach program, the Op Shop. For the past 29 years, the Monbulk Care Network has played a pivotal role in the Monbulk Community, extending its compassionate services to those in need. Over the past 18 months, we have been diligently working behind the scenes to usher in a new era by renaming it Open Door Community Care.

This change aims to forge a more potent connection between the Op Shop and our local church, enabling a more cohesive and streamlined approach in serving the Monbulk community. The roots of Monbulk Care Network trace back to 1995, initiated by The Patch Church of Christ as a response to the needs of struggling individuals in the community. Originally housed in a modest building, the Op Shop has grown to become an integral part of Monbulk’s fabric, symbolising our commitment to community welfare.

In 2006, as The Patch Church of Christ merged with the Monbulk Uniting Church, it became evident that the existing Op Shop facility was insufficient for the expanding outreach efforts. Subsequently, the original buildings were replaced, leading to the establishment of the current facility, which includes the beloved Laneway Nursery.

Behind the success of the Op Shop stands an extraordinary team of volunteers, dedicating their time each week to sorting donated goods, pricing items, and serving a diverse array of customers. Their efforts have been instrumental in shaping the Op Shop into the warm and welcoming space that draws visitors from far and wide.

The funds generated by the Op Shop contribute significantly to the betterment of the local community. Through donations to schools, support for community groups, provision of

Monbulk Care Network has been transformed, welcome to Open Door Community Care.

Picture: SUPPLIED Christmas hampers, and assistance to the Food Pantry located in the house next to the Open Door Church on David Hill Rd, we continue to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us.

As we prepare for the grand reopening of the Op Shop on January 15 under its new name, Open Door Community Care, we extend a warm invitation for everyone to drop by and explore the treasures for your home or discover unique plants for your garden at the Laneway Nursery.

Additionally, we are always on the lookout for new volunteers to join our dedicated team at the Op Shop and the Food Pantry. If you have a few hours to spare each week, we encourage you to visit the shop and fill in an application form. It is not just a volunteer opportunity; it’s a chance to be part of a friendly and fun community, contributing to the creation of a caring and supportive environment in Monbulk.

Join us in celebrating this exciting chapter as Open Door Community Care ushers in a renewed spirit of community service

and compassion.

We are thrilled to share a momentous development at Open Door Community Church as we reveal the evolution of our outreach program, the Op Shop. For the past 29 years, the Monbulk Care Network has played a pivotal role in the Monbulk Community, extending its compassionate services to those in need. Over the past 18 months, we have been diligently working behind the scenes to usher in a new era by renaming it Open Door Community Care.

This change aims to forge a more potent connection between the Op Shop and our local church, enabling a more cohesive and streamlined approach in serving the Monbulk community. The roots of Monbulk Care Network trace back to 1995, initiated by The Patch Church of Christ as a response to the needs of struggling individuals in the community. Originally housed in a modest building, the Op Shop has grown to become an integral part of Monbulk’s fabric, symbolising our commitment to community welfare.

In 2006, as The Patch Church of Christ

merged with the Monbulk Uniting Church, it became evident that the existing Op Shop facility was insufficient for the expanding outreach efforts. Subsequently, the original buildings were replaced, leading to the establishment of the current facility, which includes the beloved Laneway Nursery.

Behind the success of the Op Shop stands an extraordinary team of volunteers, dedicating their time each week to sorting donated goods, pricing items, and serving a diverse array of customers. Their efforts have been instrumental in shaping the Op Shop into the warm and welcoming space that draws visitors from far and wide.

The funds generated by the Op Shop contribute significantly to the betterment of the local community. Through donations to schools, support for community groups, provision of Christmas hampers, and assistance to the Food Pantry located in the house next to the Open Door Church on David Hill Rd, we continue to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us.

As we prepare for the grand reopening of the Op Shop on January 15 under its new name, Open Door Community Care, we extend a warm invitation for everyone to drop by and explore the treasures for your home or discover unique plants for your garden at the Laneway Nursery.

Additionally, we are always on the lookout for new volunteers to join our dedicated team at the Op Shop and the Food Pantry. If you have a few hours to spare each week, we encourage you to visit the shop and fill in an application form. It is not just a volunteer opportunity; it’s a chance to be part of a friendly and fun community, contributing to the creation of a caring and supportive environment in Monbulk.

Join us in celebrating this exciting chapter as Open Door Community Care ushers in a renewed spirit of community service and compassion.

You’re Invited..

Please join us for the Celebration of the renaming of the Monbulk Care Network to

Open Door Community Care Monday 15 January 2024 • 11am - Followed by Morning Tea RSVP: via email: care.net@bigpond.com 61-63 Main Rd Monbulk 3793

12650347-ET03-24

mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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MAIL 17

PUZZLES No. 167

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

easy

9

3 7 8 9

8 4 3

5 4 5 1

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DOWN

Mother (3) Deportation (11) Family name (7) Deliver commentary (7) Abstained from (8) Positive aspect (6) Earth (prefix) (3) Members (11) Punishment (10) State of agitation (3) Body (6) Shoeless (8) Exude (7) Arabic derivative of Abraham (7) Series of events (11) Sprinted (3)

1 3 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 21 24 25 26 27

No. 167

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 15 16 18 19 20 22 23

Courier (9) North African country (7) Delete (5) Approximately (10) Blemishes (4) Sudden violent invasion (9) Fantasise (7) Sibling’s daughter (5) Process of turning on (10) Specify (9) Athlete (9) Cyclone (7) An addition (7) Crawl (5) EU currency units (5) Historical alcoholic drink (4)

9 medium

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QUICK CROSSWORD

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No. 167

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9-LETTER WORD

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medium

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

I

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Today’s Aim: 12 words: Good 18 words: Very good

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24 words: Excellent

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No. 167

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SUDOKU

12-01-24

William Matthews Funerals 24 HOUR SERVICE - ALL AREAS

9739 6868 45 Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale www.williammatthewsfunerals.com.au 12567433-SN37-22

18 MAIL

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

mailcommunity.com.au

PROPERTY

CHARMING COUNTRY LIVING WITH VIEWS

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

CHARMING COUNTRY LIVING WITH VIEWS SITUATED in a picturesque pocket of Gembrook, experience the charm of country living with all the modern amenities at your fingertips conveniently located just a few minutes from the Gembrook township.

The spacious family home is set on a sprawling 3,589m2 allotment and offers everything you have been searching for and so much more. Inside, discover a characterfilled home with that has been designed for those who love to entertain in style.

Multiple spacious indoor and outdoor entertaining areas have been cleverly designed for year-round enjoyment.

A sunken lounge room boasts an ambient wood fire ideal for cooler evenings and split system heating and cooling for your comfort.

The adjoining kitchen and dining area features a striking cathedral ceiling and local valley views. For the chef of the family, the stylish kitchen offers an electric wall oven, gas cooktop, stone benchtops, dishwasher and ample storage space throughout. The kitchen and dining area accesses the front verandah making entertaining a breeze. The master suite is complete with a walk-through wardrobe and spacious ensuite bathroom, with views across the rolling valleys this is the ideal parents retreat where you can kick back and relax.

Bedrooms two and three are equipped with ceiling fans and built-in robes, and they share a family bathroom with a shower and corner spa. The home office is currently set up as bedroom four.

The home has had a fresh coat of paint and brand-new carpets throughout. The light and bright colour scheme is complemented by the picture windows that flood the home with natural light.

Also under roofline, the ultimate rumpus room serves as a versatile space, perfect for a teenager’s retreat, theatre room or whatever your heart desires.

Outside the embellishments continue, for those who love to entertain multiple outdoor entertaining areas make the most of the private setting. The front verandah overlooks the landscaped gardens across to panoramic views of the rolling hills of Gembrook. Whether you are enjoying your morning coffee watching the sunrise, or appreciating a glass of your favourite drink of an evening, this is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy the serenity.

A second covered entertaining area at the rear of the home looks over the back yard, entertain all your friends and family whilst the kids and four-legged family members run and play through the garden and expansive

lawned areas.

For the aspiring green thumb, there are vegetable gardens ready and waiting for next seasons seeds.

The kids will forever be outside playing in the gardens, hiding in the cubby house or collecting eggs from the chicken coup.

Toy and tool accommodation is assured

with a variety of shedding including a 10m x 9m lock-up garage with work shop space, concrete floor and power, 6m x 3m shed and a 3m x 3m shed. There is ample secure off-street parking with the added bonus of a sealed drive way and side access.

The backyard is fully fenced for added privacy and security. Located just minutes

from the thriving Gembrook township, renowned restaurants, cafes, public transport, and the ever popular Puffing Billy Railway are all on your door step.

Don’t miss the opportunity to own this delightful property that seamlessly combines country living with modern conveniences. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 23 Maisey Road, GEMBROOK Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 5 garage Price: $980,000 - $1,075,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Brittany Barry 0412 861 094 and Justin Barrot 0438 683 781, BARRY PLANT, EMERALD 20 MAIL

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

mailcommunity.com.au

HOME FOCUS

HOME WITH EQUINE INFRASTRUCTURE WHAT an exceptional move-in ready opportunity for any equine enthusiast.

Featuring a sand arena, day yards, electric fenced paddocks, hot wash, tack room, float storage, hay shed, a 3-bay barn, cross-country course, mains water and the added bonus of a comfortable 4-bedroom, 2 bathroom, ‘Hamptons’ style home with amazing views and all perfectly located in the heart of Macclesfield – where there are more horses than people.

The winding driveway leads past the stock yards with loading ramps to the wellmaintained paddocks, day yards, a variety of sheds currently utilised as tack room, feed shed, hot wash bay, hay storage and machinery storage, past the 40 x 20m sand arena to the privately situated home surrounded by blossoming delights.

The home is ideally laid out for family living and ideal for entertaining with zoned bedrooms and 2 spacious living areas. On entering the home there is a formal sitting room with ambient open fire and a separate dining space. The master bedroom is at the front of the home and features a walkthrough robe, ceiling fan and renovated ensuite.

The home then opens up to an open plan kitchen/dining/living area with a wood fire and the home has zoned, reverse cycle ducted heating and refrigerated cooling throughout for the ultimate in comfort and convenience. The kitchen features a 900mm gas stove, electric oven, and allows you to take in great views across the paddocks whilst cooking up a feast for the family. A lovely addition for winter is the laundry/

mud room with heaps of cupboards and a drying cupboard – the perfect addition to any Victorian home.

There are three further bedrooms all with built in wardrobes, big windows and private views which are serviced by the renovated

family bathroom and a study niche , perfect to work from home. Outside amongst the colourful established gardens there is a decked entertaining area with direct access from the family room that offers magnificent views where you can soak in the summer

sun and keep an eye on your ponies whilst you relax or entertain.

In fact, the gardens were planted specifically to attract lots of birds (blue wrens are frequent visitors), and the property regularly has native visitors including wombats, kookaburras, echidnas, kangaroos and wallabies and you will be in awe watching the Wedge Tailed Eagles flying above with their babies.

Add to all this, mains water, 5 fenced paddocks with water, a permanent creek, a Spring fed dam, a chicken run, safe fencing throughout, an all-weather gravel driveway, lock up garage, plenty of room to ride onsite, safe roadside riding trails and plenty of like-minded neighbours to ride with. If you do not have use for all the paddocks all year round the larger of the paddocks annually returns between 250 - 400 high quality bales per year, so you can stock up for the winter or generate a side income.

The property also lends itself to an agistment income with easy access to all facilities located away from the home.

Such well-maintained and comprehensive equine/lifestyle properties are rare, so act now, as this is your chance to secure the dream.

Call to arrange a private inspection today.

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

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 52 Patons Road, MACCLESFIELD Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 8 garage Price: $1,750,000 - $1,900,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Samantha Scott 0438 680 032, BELL REAL ESTATE, EMERALD

12659810-JB02-24

mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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MAIL 21

HOME FOCUS

MODERN AND STYLISH EQUINE PROPERTY WHAT a fantastic opportunity. Rarely do you find a home of this quality paired with a usable nearly 5 acres of land carefully designed to maximize grazing potential and ease of care for your horses or four legged friends.

The home is located less than 5 minutes to Gembrook township, and is surrounded by farming properties offering beautiful vistas.

The expansive 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom family home is wrapped with a welcoming front verandah and has a grand entry.

There is a formal loungeroom and a master bedroom with a large walk in wardrobe and ensuite. Conveniently located near the master bedroom is a further bedroom with ceiling fan and built in robes. The home with its high ceilings, double glazed large windows, and reverse cycle air conditioning is a delight to explore.

Flow through to the central open plan kitchen/dining/lounge area to discover the hub of the home that is flooded with natural light, and offers a wood fire heater, and kitchen with a large walk in pantry.

The kitchen also has a 900mm gas stove/ oven, stainless steel appliances including dishwasher and Caesar stone benchtops.

At the other end of the home, there is a lovely laundry with it’s own external access, a study/office area, and then three further bedrooms, all with ceiling fans and built-in wardrobes. These bedrooms are serviced by the family bathroom complete with bath and shower. There is also a handy separate toilet.

Externally the acreage is divided into 5 fully fenced paddocks, fenced with either electric fencing or mesh fencing. These paddocks are connected through a central laneway which allows for ease of care by having one central hay station & water station. The main gateways are reinforced with Geohex. There is plenty of parking available making it easy to store you float for short trips out to the nearby riding trails or to the local horse riding clubs such as Gembrook Adult Riding Club and Cockatoo Pony Club.

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

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

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 100 Gembrook Tonimbuk Road, GEMBROOK Description: 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Price: $1,400,000 - $1,520,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Aaron Day 0407 365 994 or Bethany Day 0438 844 968, BELL REAL ESTATE EMERALD 22 MAIL

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

mailcommunity.com.au

P 5968 6222 311-313 Main Street Emerald

100 Gembrook-Tonimbuk Road, Gembrook

$1,250,000 - $1,350,000

52 Patons Road, Macclesfield

$1,750,000 - $1,900,000

Stylish Equine Property on approx. 5 acres!

Stylishly Renovated Home with Equine Infrastructure on Nearly 20 acres!

The expansive 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom home has a formal loungeroom & a master bedroom with a large WIR & ensuite. Near the master bedroom is a further bedroom with ceiling fan & BIRs. The home has high ceilings, double glazed large windows, & reverse cycle AC. The central open plan kitchen/ dining/lounge area is flooded with natural light, & offers a wood fire heater, & kitchen with a large walk in pantry. The kitchen has a 900mm gas stove/oven, & SS appliances including dishwasher & Caesar stone benchtops. There is a laundry with it’s own external access, a study/office area, & then 3 further bedrooms, all with ceiling fans & BIRs. These bedrooms are serviced by the family bathroom & separate toilet. Externally the acreage is divided into 5 fully fenced paddocks. This home utilizes gas bottles, tank water, has 4kW solar with 18 solar panels, & mains electricity.

Featuring a 40m*20m sand menage, day yards, electric fenced paddocks, hot wash, tack room, float storage, hay shed, a 3-bay barn, cross-country course, mains water & a comfortable 4-bedroom, 2 bathroom, ‘Hamptons’ style home with views & zoned heating & cooling. The home has 2 lounge areas, a dining area & entertaining deck. The master bedroom has a walk-through robe, ceiling fan & ensuite. The open plan kitchen/dining/living area has a wood fire & a 900mm gas stove & an electric oven, & the laundry has a drying cupboard. There are 3 further bedrooms with BIRs & a family bathroom. The stock yards have loading ramps, there are 5 paddocks with water, day yards, tack room, feed shed, hot wash bay, hay storage & machinery storage. There is a permanent creek, a Spring fed dam, a chicken run, an all-weather gravel driveway, & lock up garage.

Aaron Day M 0407 365 994

Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451

Samantha Scott M 0438 680 032

5

25 Currawong Drive, Gembrook

A

2

B

C

$845,000 - $895,000

Mud Brick delight soaking in 19 acres of Gembrook nature!

This picturesque mud brick home features a cathedral ceiling lounge room with large wood fire & master bedroom in the loft! Downstairs there is a second master bedroom with a large WIR, & office/ second lounge area with a bathroom with bath & shower & separate toilet. The kitchen has a gas oven & wood fired stove. There is a fully fenced paddock perfect for a pony/goat. There is a double carport & a separate teenagers retreat/office building with toilet, shower, kitchenette, lounge area, laundry area, bedroom, two storage rooms & fenced yard. There is also a free standing room perfect as a craft room/office space. Featuring a 3 car lockable barn/workshop with power & concreted floors. This home is totally off grid, with a 9kW solar system & battery set up, supported by a generator.

There is approximately 55000L of tank water stored in three large water tanks, & a septic system.

Samantha Scott M 0438 680 032

4

49 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo

A

2

B 5 C

2

B 8 C

$730,000 - $770,000

Beautifully renovated home with gorgeous treed outlook, and so close to town!

This fantastic family home has 3 bedrooms, all with BIRs, & 2 lovely bathrooms. The freshly painted home with open plan kitchen/dining/lounge & plush carpet in all bedrooms is the epitome of move in ready! The kitchen is equipped with Induction electric stove & oven, stone benchtops & a great Laundry/ butlers pantry. This home will be cosy & comfortable year round, with zoneable reverse system ducted heating & Refrigerated Cooling throughout & efficient Heat Pump for hot water. Enjoy the views across to the Cockatoo trees, & the convenience of being only moments from Cockatoo main street. Extensive landscaping has been completed outside, with plenty of off street parking available. The garden beds are freshly planted, & there is a garden shed. This block has dual access.

Aaron Day M 0407 365 994

3

A

Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451

3

A

2

B

C

bellrealestate.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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MAIL 23

HOME FOCUS

EXPANSIVE FAMILY HOME WITH VIEWS THIS peaceful property within easy reach of Belgrave township is packed with style, space, and versatility. Ideal for large families and those who love to entertain, this 1,846sqm (approx.) property offers a lifestyle second-to-none.

The elevated aspect of this home affords beautiful treetop views and a unique opportunity on the lower level. Neighbouring the extra-height single carport is a generous blank canvas space with plumbing this area could be connected to the upper level or kept as a desirable self-contained space.

Upstairs extends on each side with expansive decking while the rear yard is terraced to capitalise on the backyard. With one step inside, the sheer scale of this split-level residence makes an immediate impression that you are in a welcoming family home. The lower lounge with warm wood fire features vaulted timber ceilings, ceiling fans, and lush leafy outlooks. A few steps up, the sprawling dining area and kitchen with large clerestory windows is adorned with a gas cooktop, dual wall ovens, and inviting peninsula seating for family and friends.

Further reflecting the generous proportions of this home are the 4 spacious bedrooms on offer. Each are equipped with ample storage and the main bedroom boasts a walk-in robe and ensuite with floor to ceiling tiles. The family bathroom features a stylish barn door entry, sunny skylight, luxurious walk-in rain shower, floating vanity, and heated towel rails. A bonus guest powder room and family-size laundry complete this ultra-comfortable home. With an exceptional list of extras including storage in the floor space, offstreet parking and a stellar location, this property will impress in every way. Join us for a tour today.

1,846sqm (approx.) property with enticing outdoor entertaining areas including a firepit area and 2 expansive decks with treetop views Large family home with versatile lower level and extra-height single carport Split-level interior with lower level lounge with vaulted ceilings and a wood fire Large upper level kitchen/dining 4 generous bedrooms including main with ensuite and walk-in robe ●

· · · · ·

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 10 Banool Road, SELBY Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 garage Price: $880,000 - $950,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Brad Conder 0422 639 115 or Daniel Steen 0434 979 142, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 24 MAIL

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

mailcommunity.com.au

Real Estate you can trust!

We ’ r e h e r e t o h e l p FOR SALE

2A Kumbada Avenue, UPWEY

$550,000 - $590,000

FOR SALE

57 The Crescent, BELGRAVE HEIGHTS

$980,000 - $1,070,000

NEAR-FLAT BLOCK WITH APPROVED PLANS IN PRIME LOCATION!

FAMILY HOME WITH GARAGE, WORKSHOP, AND SHED

So rarely found in Upwey, with approved plans this flat front block (500m2 approx) located on a quiet street walking distance to Upwey Main Street provides one lucky purchaser the chance to build their brand new dream home (Subject To Council Approval).

This idyllic family home on a generous 1,435sqm (approx.) allotment offers a wonderful way into this premier position. Designed for a lifestyle of abundance within an easy stroll of Belgrave Heights Christian College and picturesque Birdsland Reserve, this is a forever family home.

4A2B4C

Brad Conder M 0422 639 115 | E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

Daniel Steen

Suzie Brannelly

M 0434 979 142 | E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

M 0490 506 910 | E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

FOR SALE

1A Black Hill Road, MENZIES CREEK

$1,200,000 - $1,320,000

20 ACRES - A PEACEFUL, PRIVATE & PICTURE PERFECT LIFESTYLE Privately positioned on 20 glorious acres and boasting a beautiful mix of gently forested areas and cleared, useable land, this quality property is ready and waiting for its next owners to build (STCA) and enjoy the peaceful lifestyle that awaits.

Sharyn Chandler M 0439 882 442 | E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

9754 6888 1689 Burwood Highway, Belgrave VIC 3160 www.chandlerandco.com.au of fice@chandlerandco.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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MAIL 25

HOME FOCUS

FAMILY HOME, DUAL ACCOMMODATION WITH B&B OR SUBDIVISION THIS property offers enormous potential for the growing family, multi-generational living, or the investor & all within walking distance to the heart of Cockatoo.

The solid brick family home, built on a concrete slab with a recently replaced thatched roof, features 4 robed bedrooms, the spacious master with ensuite being privately located on the top level with an abundance of windows welcoming a stream of natural light. On the middle level there are a further 3, good sized robed bedrooms adjacent to the family bathroom & just down the hall from the open plan living space. The large L shaped lounge features an ambient open fire and a separate dining space, both with warm, polished floorboards and large colonial windows. Then walk through to the well-appointed timber kitchen with electric wall oven, 900mm gas cooktop and room for a kitchen table if required. Downstairs you will find the laundry, undercover access from the carport and a spacious rumpus room which could easily be purposed as a teenage retreat, guest accommodation, theatre room or maybe you want to run your business from home or potentially need another selfcontained area or B&B option?

The separate self-contained, one bedroom, 2 Storey cottage has its own driveway and separate electricity meter and is the perfect spot for guests, the in-laws, a young adult requiring some independence or a rental opportunity providing additional income stream. Featuring a kitchenette, separate lounge, split system, and an upstairs bedroom and ensuite, this dwelling has been beautifully renovated and maintained and is completely independent of the main dwelling.

Such versatile opportunities, in such a great location do not come along often don’t let this one slip away.

Call to arrange a private inspection.

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

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 2 Belgrave Avenue, COCKATOO Description: 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 garage Inspect: By appointment Auction: Saturday, 3 February, 2024 1pm Contact: Samantha Scott 0438 680 032, BELL REAL ESTATE, EMERALD 26 MAIL

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Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

mailcommunity.com.au

37 AVON ROAD AVONSLEIGH

128 EMERALD MONBULK ROAD EMERALD

15 Clematis Park road CLEMATIS

INCREDIBLE LIFESYTLE PROPERTY

MODERN UPDATES AND COUNTRY CHARM

CENTRAL EMERALD FAMILY FAVOURITE

5A

4A

4A

3B

3D

FOR SALE $1,395,000 - $1,450,000 OFI

By Appointment

GAYLE BARROT 0408 195 767 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

1D SUE COLIC 0421 772 610

FOR SALE $870,000-$950,000 OFI

By Appointment

BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D SUE COLIC 0421 772 610

FOR SALE $860,000-$890,000 OFI By appointment

BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

34 Pakenham Road COCKATOO

Lot 1, 220 Mount EirEnE road GEMBROOK

5 Kitchener Parade COCKATOO

SOUGHT AFTER COCKATOO OPPORTUNITY

EMBRACE NATURE’S CANVAS ON 22.4 ACRES

YOUR FAMILY HAVEN WITH VIEWS

3A

1B

2D

FOR SALE $620,000 - $670,000 OFI By appointment

4A

LAND SIZE 9.09HA JUSTIN BARROT 0438 683 781 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

FOR SALE $700,000 - $770,000 OFI By appointment

RILEY NICHOLAS 0488 501 218 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D SUE COLIC 0421 772 610

FOR SALE $820,000 - $860,000 OFI By appointment

BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

Lot 2, 230 Mount EirEnE road GEMBROOK

4 Woodlands avenue COCKATOO

23 MAISEY ROAD GEMBROOK

DISCOVER YOUR SLICE OF PARADISE

MODERN ENTERTAINER ON HALF AN ACRE

CHARMING COUNTRY LIVING

4A

4A

LAND SIZE 5.19HA FOR SALE $800,000-$880,000 OFI By appointment

mailcommunity.com.au

RILEY NICHOLAS 0488 501 218 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D

FOR SALE $970,000-$1,040,000 OFI By appointment

DAVE REILLY 0437 347 665 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D

FOR SALE $980,000 - $1,075,000 OFI

By Appointment

BRITTANY BARRY 0412861094 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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MAIL 27

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• Senior Discounts • Upfront Pricing • All Electrical Work

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Reserve for Native Flora and Fauna PUBLIC MEETING @ Emerald Community House Hall on Saturday 27th Jan at 2pm To nominate and elect a new Committee of Management All interested in the park welcome For further information contact Lance Walker Mobile: 0425 737 681

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SPORT

Footy, netball fixtures set The Outer East Football Netball League has announced the 2024 fixtures for the Senior Men’s football and Open netball competitions.

Once the league has a clearer understanding of which teams are competing in the Women’s football, Junior Netball, U19/U18 football, Veteran’s and all Junior football competitions, they will begin fixturing these competitions post the 1 March team entry, cut-off date.

Premier Division fixture highlights Round one kicks off with two traditional rival matches which will be played a week earlier than the remaining games: Narre Warren will host Pakenham on Saturday 6 April and Wandin host Mt Evelyn on Sunday 7 April.

Emerald will unveil their Senior footy and A grade Netball flags in Round Two vs Narre Warren.

Three traditional rival matches will be played on Anzac Round: Upwey Tecoma vs Olinda Ferny Creek Gembrook Cockatoo vs Emerald Pakenham vs Officer The 2023 Grand Final replay for both Senior Football & A Grade Netball will be playing on Anzac Round as well, with the premiers of both – Wandin taking on Narre Warren at Narre Warren.

Officer will host Monbulk in a special Sockit2MND clash in Round Nine.

The 2023 Division One football Grand final replay will take place in this round as well, with premier Emerald taking on Berwick Springs at Mick Moreland Reserve.

Emerald celebrates the club’s 1000th match (since the YV and MD competitions combined) with a home match Vs Olinda Ferny Creek in Round 12.

Division One fixture highlights Starts with Yarra Junction hosting local rivals and 2023 Premiers, Powelltown on Saturday

· · · · ·

The Outer East Senior Men’s football and Open netball 2024 fixtures have been announced.

13 April.

Seville aims to unveil their new level playing surface in Round One vs Warburton Millgrove. This will be the clubs’ first time meeting each other since 2006.

Yea’s comeback into the competition after a couple of tough years will be complete by taking on Alexandra at Rebel Park.

Powelltown aims to celebrate the opening of their new facilities and unveil their 2023 Premiership flag in Round 2 vs Healesville. This

Celebrations section of Network Classifieds.

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DISCRIMINATION IN ADVERTISING IS UNLAWFUL The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception under the Act. As Network Classifieds could be legally liable if an unlawful advertisement is printed, Network Classifieds will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisers or the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Positions Vacant

2 Tonne Owner Driver Role Located in the Dandenong Ranges Permanent work Monday-Friday Working for local distributor

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Anyone advertising a puppy, dog, kitten or cat in Victoria for sale or re-homing will need a source number from the Pet Exchange Register and a microchip identification number.

It is now an offence to advertise unless the source number and microchip identification number is included in the advertisement or notice.

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Mount Evelyn

Tuesday, 25 July, 2023

Monica Kellalea’s sentence increased d PAGE 2 A Star News Group Publication

Ma

Dangerous roads named around Yarra Ranges

Social play pilot program grants for Anchor

Emergency medals handed out to CFA

PAGE 5

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rades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808 A Star News Group Publication

the man, wanting to e about him and hear . After meeting him just a few years ago, Ms Klemm now es photos and stories on the acebook page ’The Baba Desi , which has now amassed over wers. ead about her interaction with Baba Desi on page 11

Scam stings club -

y’s with the indeleted that email from taken to Uganda, where details, the bank name and then resent the in,” Mr Lane said. e recalled the money, and obviously 14 days, the baddies had already taken away and we were $120,000 down .”

Continued page 3

y.

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

For a no-obligation valuation on your home Call Luciano Marcuzzi on 0423 181 161 luciano@atrealty.com.au I www.lucianorealty.com.au 12610836-KO26-23

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Approved Dealer for

F E R N T R E E G U L LY 9758 9288 1158 Burwood Highway (towards Belgrave)

MEDIA SALES POSITION About us Star News Group publishes 20 weekly news media titles, specialty publications, websites and social media.

We are seeking an advertising sales executive to service existing clients and to sell to new clients based in Healesville.

We need an individual that has: • Experience in media or a previous sales role is preferred but not essential; • Confidence in your communication skills, oral and written; • Comfortable with computers, email, data entry, new software; • Desire to succeed and eager to learn; • Seeking out and meeting new clients; • Working with local business to meet their goals; • Understand relationship management and customer service; • Able to interact with people face to face and on the phone; • Full training provided if required; • Have a Current Driver’s license and reliable vehicle.

This position involves advertising sales, across print and digital, servicing the needs of local businesses, working closely with your clients to achieve and exceed customer expectations, maintaining and developing an extensive client base while seeking out new business opportunities.

Your current life and work skills will enable you to adapt, learn quickly and succeed in this busy and satisfying career.

We offer you an encouraging team environment with a company that will help you to be at your best.

To apply please send resume and cover letter to paul.thomas@starnewsgroup.com.au 12661870-JC03-24

Find your special occasion needs in our

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1. Telstra Limited (A.C.N 051 775 556) are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra propose the installation of LTE700 (4G) and NR850 (5G) technologies at the Upwey service area.

2. The proposed facility upgrade include the removal of three (3) existing panel antennas, the installation of three (3) new panel antennas (each no more than 2.8m long), and the installation of associated ancillary equipment. All internal equipment will be housed within the existing equipment shelter located at the base of the facility.

3. Telstra regard the proposed installation as a Low-Impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 based on the above description.

4. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about this proposal. Further information and/or written submissions should be directed to Matilde Tobon, Aurecon Australasia Pty Ltd (A.B.N 54 005 139 873) via email to: Matilde.TobonMaya@aurecongroup.com or via post to: Matilde Tobon, Aurecon Australasia, PO Box 23061, Docklands, VIC, 8012 by 5pm on 23/01/2024.

ADVERTISERS in this section are qualified practitioners and offer nonsexual services.

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Telstra plan to upgrade the existing telecommunications facility comprising a 42m VicTrack lattice tower at Main Street, Upwey VIC 3158 (Lot 2 on TP933982) www.rfnsa.com.au/3158003

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PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT UPWEY

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Employment

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Public Notices and Event

General Classifieds

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Cup match which will be held during the Pride round in season 2024 during Round 6.

Warburton Millgrove celebrates the club’s 1000th match (since the YV and MD competitions combined) with a home match Vs Yarra Glen in Round 8.

Multiple matches will celebrate the competition’s First Nations round in Round 12. Yarra Glen will host Yarra Junction, Warburton Millgrove plays Healesville and Powelltown are at home to Alexandra.

will be the first time the two clubs have played each other since 2013. Warburton Millgrove’s A grade team will also unveil their 2023 Premiership flag at home vs Alexandra in Round 2.

Anzac Day will see Seville take on Belgrave and Healesville hosting Warburton Millgrove.

To cap off the round Alexandra host Powelltown in a Grand Final replay and the battle of the Yarra’s will take place as Yarra Junction hosts Yarra Glen.

Yarra Glen will host Healesville for the Pride

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General Notices

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Real Estate section of Network Classifieds.

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SPORT

AFLW scoops up Pisano It was an exciting end to 2023 for six Eastern Ranges AFLW hopefuls as they were drafted to the country’s highest football league for the 2024 season.

Melbourne picked up three of the six players, with the remaining heading to North Melbourne, GWS Giants and the Western Bulldogs to begin their careers.

At pick number five, Alyssia Pisano was drafted to the Dees as a small forward, someone who is set to bring a lot of energy as the “162cm pocket rocket packing a powerful punch in front of goals”.

“Alyssia is exactly what we were looking for, when we referenced getting elite through the door,” the club’s AFLW List Manager Todd Patterson told Melbourne Media.

“Electric around goal, Alyssia can win you a game very quickly with her dynamite left foot.

“She has dominated at U18 level since she was 15 and we think she compliments an already dangerous forward group.”

Pisano, 18, managed to kick 38 goals from 11 games during the Talent League Girls season, impressing many and making her a sought after draft, with the Dees looking to snap her up early. The leading goal kicker will be joined by Jacinta Hose who was selected at pick 24 as a ruck.

Plagued by injury over the last 18 months, having torn both ACL’s, Hose was not expecting her name to be included in the ballot, attending as a guest of another draftee.

“Prior and in between these injuries we viewed her as the leading ruck prospect in the available draft pool with a good jumping technique and great touch,” Patterson told Melbourne Media.

“Whilst we understand Jacinta won’t be available next season, we view tall prospects

Alyssia Pisano was selected at pick number five from the Eastern Ranges to head to Melbourne Football Club.

Picture: MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB in this area of the ground as extremely hard to get access to and believe she is a great investment for us longer term.” At 185cm tall, the Demons saw an incredible amount of athleticism in Hose, an attractive attribute to add to her ability to play up forward something the club put down to her “dangerous aerial presence”.

Hailing from Montrose Football Netball Club and joining Melbourne’s list is Delany Madigan, who at pick 55 will bring “elite physicality, a strong kick and impressive decision-making”.

“Delany is a key defender who had a strong end to the year, which was capped off by an impressive grand final performance,” Patterson said.

“Her aerial presence is a real strength, as is

her decision-making, and she has great depth to her kick of the footy.

“We are excited by what Delany can add, as we bring together a different looking backline group to take us forward.”

At pick number 30, fellow Montrose player Georgia Stubs will be putting on the blue and white as she heads to North Melbourne as the Roo’s second selection in this year’s draft.

Playing at the top age for Eastern Ranges, Stubs initially played off half-back before joining as a key part of the midfield.

Finding her calling, she recorded doubledigit disposals in all but two of her 14 games and also averaged 15 across her three games for

Vic Metro.

“With great speed and strength, Stubs has the ability to explode away from stoppages and create separation on her opposition,” the club said.

As the only player from the east to head interstate, Mount Evelyn Football Netball Club player Indigo Linde was chosen by the GWS Giants as a midfielder. Impressed by Linde’s athleticism as a former high level swimmer and athlete, GWS saw great potential despite Linde missing the first half of the Ranges’ 2023 season due to stress fractures.

Capping off her attractiveness to the club was her versatility as a winger come midfielder, where she was able to finish out the season strong, averaging 17 disposals, three tackles, and three inside 50s per game to place herself on the radar of AFLW clubs.

“Her coach Ash Close moved her from the wing to play more inside as the year went on where she really showed her ability to drive her legs out of congestion and use her size around the ball,” Giants AFLW list manager Tyson Bourke said.

“Indi’s weapon is her running power and we look forward to adding that to our midfield group.”

Wrapping up the Eastern Ranges’ success in the AFLW draft was Jorja Borg, 25, who was first selected on Essendon’s inaugural list but due to injury she could not debut. Returning to draft selection, having been playing in the Bulldogs’ VFLW program, Borg is now part of the AFLW squad and will don the red, white and blue. The 181cm ruck averaged 30.4 hitouts, 10 disposals and three tackles from her 14 VFLW matches and was named in the VFLW Team of the Year for her efforts. The AFLW season will get underway later this year.

Beau’s walking tall after gold medal in New Zealand

By Jamie Strudley Yarra Ranges Athletics’ Beau McKinnon was selected as part of a 36 person team to represent Little Athletics Victoria at the annual Colgate Games in Auckland. The event runs over three days and brings together athletes aged eight to 14 from all over NZ as well as some international athletes. This was the first time Victoria has sent a team to the event.

Beau enjoyed the team aspect, staying at AUT Millennium, a high performance training centre on the North Shore. He performed well in his best event, taking the Gold Medal in the 1600m walk. He also picked up a couple of PBs in other events over the weekend.

Just prior to the Christmas break Yarra Ranges athletes competed in round 2 of the Vic Milers series. Zoe Clarke was the standout performance storming to a win in her 800m race. Results are: Women 800m: Zoe Clarke 2:21.72; Mia Strudley 2:34.26; 1500m: Brigitte Rice 4:47.97; Olivia Twining 4:51.42; Men 800m: Mitchell Pointon 2:16.02; Craig Hewitson 2:40.74; A busy last week or so has seen many YRA athletes in action. Shani Bullard and Ash Almond competed in the Victorian open Multi Event Championships held over two days at Lakeside Stadium. Shani, competing in the women’s Heptathlon, worked through the seven events to finish in seventh place with a new club record of 2197 points.

Ash finished with a silver medal in the men’s decathlon breaking an 8 year old club record recording 3659 points for the gruelling 10 discipline event. Results are: Female Open Heptathlon: Shani Bullard 2197pts: 800m: 3:36.79 (100pts); Long Jump: 4.02m (-0.1) (312pts); 100m Hurdles: 19.80 (0.9) (319pts); Shot Put: 7.14m (344pts); High Jump: 1.38m (491pts); 200m: 31.22 (1.6) (400pts); Javelin: 16.87m (231pts);

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Ash Almond in his Decathlon 400m.

Beau in action at the Colgate Games in NZ where he walked away with gold. Pictures: SUPPLIED Male Open Decathlon: Ash Almond 3659pts: Long Jump: 4.74m (2.2) (333pts); High Jump: 1.54m (419pts); Javelin: 49.66m (584pts); 400m: 62.81 (323pts); 1500m: 5:24.32 (428pts); 110m Hurdles: 23.61 (3.1) (120pts); Shot Put: 9.09m (431pts); Discus: 27.57m (417pts); 100m: 13.16 (0.4) (441pts); Pole Vault: 2.12m (163pts) Some of our sprint team were in action at Lakeside at round 2 of the High Velocity Club (HVC) series. Results are: 200m Ashleigh Rooke 27.29 (0.6); Taryn Bourke 30.00 (-0.7);

400m: Ashleigh Rooke 68.18; Liam Russell 54.23 Geelong hosted the Surf Coast Track Meet with 5000m and 10000m events held. Seamus Dwyer showed a return to form running the 5000 in 16.30.68 while Matt Morrison continued is return to racing with a solid 10,000m track race, running 40.09.9 Our little athletics competition resumes this coming weekend with action starting from 8.30am. We look forward to seeing all the smiling faces back at the track ready to chase some more PB’s.

Training for our six-12yo continues on

Tuesdays from 4pm. Seniors training (13yo plus) is on Tuesday and Thursday from 5.30pm at Morrison Reserve. Check the socials and website for more details and sessions available with our throws and jumps coaches. Yarra Ranges Athletics welcomes and encourages all athletes of any age or ability.

If you, or someone you know, wants to join in the fun of track and field registration is now open. Go to www.lavic.com.au or www. athsvic.org.au or email info@yarrarangesathletics.org.au for information about events and registration.

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

SPORT IN 2023

Supreme sport successes 2023 was a massive year in sport for the Yarra Ranges and it’s time to reflect on some highlights!

Back to back premiership wins for Upper Ferntree Gully Baseball Club For a second consecutive season, Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club won the Division 1 first, bringing home the Victorian Club Championships in the process.

First-team coach Donovan Hendricks said the premiership win and Club Championships were a phenomenal achievement for the playing group across the entire club.

“Our club has now won five premierships and the first set was a threepeat and now we’ve gone back to back,” he said.

At the time the Club president Dwain Richardson said his message to his players ahead of next season was for the moment to enjoy being a part of something special and to try and continue building on what they’ve already achieved.

“We’ve got a great community of people that just love each other, love coming down and playing for each other; if you can get that right, you’ll get success on the field,” he said.

“Extraordinary” premiership win for Olinda’s female cricketers Olinda Cricket Club’s women’s side won its first grand final in the Ferntree Gully & District Cricket Association’s Women’s League on Sunday 12 March, playing off against South Belgrave.

Women’s coordinator and co-captain of the First XI women’s team at Olinda Cricket Club, Nikki Burgess, said it was a “very close match” at the opponent’s home ground.

“It was really quite an even playing field, and great to have the result we did; there was a lot of celebrating amongst the girls and the wider club and the wider community, in general, have been very supportive,” Burgess said.

Despite the win, Burgess said it has been difficult getting women into the club since the team formed in 2020.

“When we first started, there hadn’t been women’s teams for 109 years,” she said.

“We would love to see the Olinda Cricket Club become a destination club for women’s cricket for multiple senior women’s teams.”

Local baseballer stealing bases on the word stage Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club’s Jack Ratcliffe was one of a small pool of highly talented Australian baseball players named in the Under 18 team going to Japan for the Baseball World Cup. When Star Mail last spoke to Jack, he was preparing to go to New Zealand for the World Cup Qualifiers against Guam and New Zealand, in which he helped to secure Australia’s place in the upcoming tournament.

Now the young 17-year-old has been selected to play for the team, after what his father described as a ‘gruelling’ selection camp.

Simon Ratcliffe, who also has a strong history of baseball with the Upwey Ferntree Gully club, said the boys were put to the test to be selected for the team.

“It’s always special when your son is coming up and he’s good enough to succeed and use these opportunities in his career,” he said.

Windsor lands AFL dream Wingman Caleb Windsor from Lysterfield Junior FC was snapped up as pick seven by the Melbourne Football Club in the draft on Monday 20 November.

The speedy winger has joined the Dees from the Eastern Ranges Football Club and Vic Metro, coming from the Lysterfield Junior Football Club and playing a standout game for South Belgrave Football Club in the middle of the year against the Mitcham Tigers.

“I was happy I played in that match, especially obviously now knowing that that would be my last game of local footy for a while,“ 18-year-old Windsor told the Star Mail.

Going into the draft, Windsor said he felt “a bit nervous, but mostly excited”.

“It was probably one of the best moments in my life, the best feeling I’ve ever felt,” he said.

Former South Belgrave head coach, Luke Galliot said having an AFL player come from the Hills community is “huge“ for the club.

“We’ll be excited as soon as [Caleb] gets to it; he’s got all the attributes to be a really good senior player at the highest level,” he said. mailcommunity.com.au

Outer East Football Netball League Division One premiers for 2023.

Picture: ROB CAREW

Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club celebrated winning back-to-back premierships on Sunday 19 March.

Picture: COREY EVERITT

Olinda-Ferny Creek’s Senior Women’s side defeated Pakenham in a convincing 43-point win on Sunday 13 August.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Olinda Cricket Club’s women’s side took home the grand final against South Belgrave despite finishing fourth on the ladder at the end of the season.

Picture: SUPPLIED

competition’s grand final.

The Bombers kicked the opening five goals of the contest in a dominant, disciplined and brutal display of football while defending tenaciously at the other end in the 14.16 100 to 5.11 41 result, in what Sein Clearihan described as the side’s best performance of the season.

Clearihan, basking in the glory of his first premiership as senior coach, described the achievement as “surreal”, beaming with pride over the resilience his team displayed.

“You’ve got to live for the minute,” he said.

The Bombers could have been forgiven for wearing mental scars from the heartbreaking extra time loss two weeks earlier, or the cluster of ACLs that ruined four players’ years before they began, or the loss of Clearihan’s father late in the season.

But pressure makes gemstones, and in this case, or in this case, Emeralds.

“They’ve been the dominant side all year and today they just went about it. You couldn’t write it,” he said.

Olinda-Ferny Creek Senior Women cement themselves in history after 2023 Grand Final win In August the Olinda-Ferny Creek’s Senior Women’s team cemented their place in history after a jubilant 43-point victory over Pakenham in front of a packed house at Healesville on Sunday 13 August.

All elements added up to what was a fairytale victory and the culmination of three years of toil and effort by a host of people past and present, on and off the field.

Half the mountain was at the game and celebrated with the girls well into the morning and the game itself was an enjoyable spectacle in front of a vocal, energetic crowd.

Olinda-Ferny Creek took home the premiership with a score of 60 points from nine goals and six points, to Pakenham’s 17 points from two goals and five points.

Congratulations to the team, coach Simon Gilson and his support group, and the OFCFNC as a whole.

Local V8 supercar driver looking to career ahead Antonio Molluso, from Silvan, debuted in a V8 car in Phillip Island in May where he placed third, followed by a second-place get at Sandown Raceway in August.

“We raced previously in Hyundai Excel; an entry level two car racing, [with] low powered front wheel drive, so not fast compared to a V8 Supercar,” the 21-year-old said.

He said he is working closely with V8 Supercar team Erebus Motorsport who are leading the championship at the moment.

“They’ve welcomed me along and have a good interest in me, but they want to see the results on track as well.”

Antonio’s racing journey can be seen on Instagram via the mollusomotorsports handle.

Emerald shines brightest Emerald had a thumping 59-point win over Berwick Springs at Healesville in the 2023 Outer East’s Division One football

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