News - Pakenham Officer Star News - 18th January 2024

PAKENHAM OFFICER

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

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SPORT

Fun in the water The sun beat out recent wet weather at the Pakenham Outdoor Pool pool party on Wednesday 10 January, with games, prizes and music part of the fun.

As part of Cardinia Outdoor Pools events, youngsters also had fun at the Garfield event on Friday 12 January and the Emerald event on Wednesday 17 January.

Kooweerup locals are encouraged to don their trunks and togs for a pool party on Friday 19 January from 11.30am to 1.30pm.

Eight-year-old Grace having fun in the main pool at Pakenham.

382399 Picture: GARY SISSONS

Finish line nears · · · ·

Works on the Deep Creek bridge – including piling and deck works – have been part of the major works needed to upgrade Healesville-Kooweerup Road and have enabled the recent traffic switch onto the new lanes.

The project’s major 2023 milestones also included: Completion of utility relocation.

Deep Creek bridge construction including the creation of the concrete supports and the bridge deck.

Livestock Way widening works at intersection with Healesville-Kooweerup Road.

Traffic switch and dual lanes in operation between Manks Road and Southeast Boulevard.

Upgraded Greenhills Road intersection upgrade and installed the new traffic lights

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Road and Ballarto Road, which when opened will become the northbound lanes of the new road.

Open the whole alignment (10km) to two lanes in each direction.

Complete landscaping, fauna crossings and culverts.

Open the shared use path including rest areas.

Aim for project completion in mid-2024.

Several major construction milestones were reached in 2023 as crews worked to create safer, less-congested roundabouts and start opening the new lanes to traffic on sections of the upgrade.

Roundabouts at Ballarto Road and Hall Road were opened and construction started on the Deep Creek roundabout.

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ahead of them being turned on in January.

User Path construction and rest ar· Shared eas throughout the upgrade as well upgrading fauna crossings and frog ponds.

Pakenham Roads Upgrade Work is well underway to demolish the existing roundabout and raise the ground level on Healesville-Koowerup Road above the Princes Freeway to prepare the area for construction of the new traffic light intersection, followed by a five-week construction blitz on McGregor Road from late January to early March to upgrade the roundabout between the Princes Freeway and Henry Road/Webster Way, widen the exit ramp and prepare the McGregor Road/ Henry Road/Webster Way intersection for the next stage of construction works.

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Renee

Heath mp Member for

Eastern Victoria Region YOUR VOICE FOR EASTERN VICTORIA CONTACT RENEE: 51 James Street, Pakenham 3810 5941 1112 ReneeHeathMP ReneeHeath.com.au Renee.Heath@parliament.vic.gov.au Authorised by Renee Heath MP, 51 James St, Pakenham

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Pakenham is in store for major road upgrades this year, with the Healesville-Koowerup Road Upgrade - consisting of an extra lane each way between Princes Freeway and Manks Road, among other upgrades - set to be completed mid-2024.

The Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road Upgrade heads into 2024 as its final year under works, with the team set to reopen Island Road, rebuild the existing road between Manks and Ballarto roads ahead of project completion.

Major milestones the HealesvilleKooweerup Road Upgrade will reach in 2024 include: Reopen Island Road to Healesville-Kooweerup Road.

Rebuild the existing road between Manks

NEWS

$10k on offer for events Cardinia event organisers and not-for-profit groups are encouraged to apply for Cardinia Council’s Festival and Event Grants Program and the Wellbeing and Support Grants Program for 2024-25.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available to not-for-profit groups to help meet some of the running costs of community, arts, agricultural and cultural festivals and events, including art exhibitions, agricultural shows, Australia Day and ANZAC Day services, and festivals and events such as Christmas and Diwali.

Grants ranging from $1000 to $5000 are also available to support community health and wellbeing, volunteering and other community programs, including seeding grants to support the cost of starting a new organisation, group, club, program, project or service; volunteering

grants to help create volunteering programs, train volunteers or promote volunteering opportunities; and small change grants to assist with a range of ad hoc costs which cannot be met through other funding sources, such as buying small items of equipment, website redevelopment, Christmas decorations and more.

Applications for both grant programs close at 5pm on Friday 29 March.

For more information, including project and applicant eligibility or to apply for the programs, visit cardinia.vic.gov.au/grants Cardinia mayor Jack Kowarzik and Pakenham Hills Residents’ Group at a Halloween event supported by a council festival and event grant.

Picture: SUPPLIED

New treatment trial for familial MND a Victorian first

By Violet Li A potentially life-changing treatment for familial motor neurone disease (MND) is being trialled down the road in Berwick, offering renewed hope for those with the disease.

Monash Health has been trialling a new treatment for a form of familial MND which has the potential to reduce nerve damage and slow disease progression.

Tofersen gained accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2023, making it the first approved treatment for a genetic cause of MND. It has not been approved in Australia yet.

MND is also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In collaboration with Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, Monash Health is the first hospital in Victoria to offer access to medication as part of an Early Access Program in Dandenong and Casey.

Dr Yennie Lie, a neurologist leading the program that started in November 2023 said MND was a relentlessly progressive and fatal degenerative disease that caused the loss of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that were responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement.

“People with MND experience progressive muscle weakness and wasting, causing them to lose independence as they steadily lose the ability to move, speak, eat, and eventually breathe,” she said.

“Survival is only around two to five years from the onset of symptoms.”

Around 1500 people in Australia are living with MND. There is no cure for the disease and nearly 400 Australians die of it annually.

Current treatments aim to control symptoms, prevent complications, and improve quality of life.

Riluzole, an oral antiglutamate medication approved in Australia for MND, prolongs average survival by two to three months.

An infusion therapy called Edaravone (RADICAVA) may slow functional decline in people with MND by about 30 per cent. While it was approved in February 2023 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), it is currently still unavailable in Australia.

One in 10 patients diagnosed with MND have what is known as familial MND, a condition in which there is more than one affected person in a family.

Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene mutations are among the inherited causes of MND. It causes the body to create a toxic

form of the SOD1 protein, which causes protein misfolding and aggregation within motor neurons and astrocytes, contributing to the progression of the disease. Patients with familial MND may have neurodegeneration and muscle weakness as a result of cellular dysfunction brought on by an accumulation of mutant SOD1 proteins.

The new medication Tofersen from Biogen, an American multinational biotechnology company, is designed to reduce the toxic SOD1 protein in the body.

It is given as an injection into the spinal fluid through lumbar puncture in three doses, once every two weeks, and then every month thereafter.

Dr Lie said Tofersen would bring a critical treatment option for families facing SOD1 MND, with the potential benefit of slowing disease progression, which might be associated with reduced symptoms and improved quality of life.

Tofersen belongs to antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), synthetic nucleic acids that have been identified as a novel therapy option for treating neurological diseases.

ASOs are currently in development for spinal muscular atrophy, familial ALS, Huntington’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr Lie said one ASO, Nusinersen, was shown to improve symptoms in spinal muscular atrophy rather than just slowing the progression of the disease.

“Nusinersen is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for use in children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy,” she said.

“The success of Nusinersen for spinal muscular atrophy, a leading cause of death in infants and toddlers, gives us hope for the use of antisense therapies, like Tofersen, to target and treat MND.” Tofersen has completed three phases of clinical trials in America and showed reduced neurofilament, a marker of nerve cell damage, and small trends of reduced decline in clinical function, muscle strength, breathing function, and quality of life.

Though it was approved in America, ongoing trials have still been investigating its clinical benefits as an accelerated approval process, different from the official FDA approval, does not conclusively prove a drug’s clinical benefits.

In Australia, the trial has been ongoing with Monash Health and Calvary Health Care Bethlehem to verify Tofersen’s clinical benefits.

Finish line nears: Major road projects on track From page 1 Major milestones the Pakenham Roads Upgrade will reach in 2024 include: Open the new McGregor Road inbound exit ramp in January.

Lift the bridge beams into place for the new Healesville-Kooweerup bridge over the Princes Freeway in late January and open the new bridge later in the year.

Install new traffic lights to upgrade the existing intersection of McGregor Road, Webster

· · ·

Way and Henry Road.

the Healesville-Kooweerup Road · Upgrade freeway roundabouts to traffic light intersections in late 2024.

the top layer of asphalt (wearing course) · Lay for Healesville-Kooweerup Road in early-tomid 2024.

MRPV has been hard at work since February last year to build the new bridge over the Princes Freeway, create additional freeway lanes between Healesville-Kooweerup and McGregor roads, and open the first of two

new freeway ramps at McGregor Road. The upgrade is split into three stages, with Stage 2 and 3 working on McGregor and Racecourse Roads, respectively. The later two stages were approved for funding by the Federal Government late last year and MRPV begun them in earnest.

The project’s major 2023 milestones also included: Started major works on the Princes Freeway Interchanges Upgrade (Stage 1).

Started early works on the McGregor Road

· ·

Upgrade (Stage 2).

over 90,000 tonnes of recycled dirt, · Imported rock and clay to build embankments for the

· ·

new Healesville-Kooweerup Road bridge over the Princes Freeway.

Built and tied-in the new McGregor Road inbound exit ramp to the McGregor Road freeway interchange.

-Laid new asphalt on the Princes Freeway between McGregor and Healesville-Kooweerup Roads to prepare for the new freeway lanes.

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NEWS

Donating to the Pakenham Community Pantry.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

The Pakenham team donating blood.

Workers happily give back While the Level Crossing Removal Authority were busy removing three level crossings and building stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham, the team has worked to give back to locals by forming a great relationship with Living & Learning Centre.

They have donated food, tree logs and most recently Christmas toys to the group, to help

locals doing it tough.

Another initiative has seen 39 team members make a combined total of 70 blood donations, resulting in an estimated 210 lives saved – an amazing outcome.

The head of the Pakenham project’s ‘lifesaving department’, senior project engineer Dinesh Martyn, was proud of how the team

has given freely of their time and their blood.

“When my wife gave birth to our oldest child 11 years ago, the nurses hooked her up to a blood bag and I remember wondering who donated it and where it came from. I never acted on it, but at Pakenham I got a notification that a donation centre was nearby, and I thought it would be good to try and get our

team involved in something for the community,” he said.

If you wish to donate blood, you can at the pop-up centre at Pakenham Library which is currently running from 15 to 26 January. It will open Monday to Thursday 12pm to 8pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 3pm.

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STAR NEWS 3

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

with Australian Filipino Community Services service worker Emmanuel

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

There hasn’t been a day in 2024 that I haven’t had a Red Bull energy drink.

THREE … ways to kick off a new year

What do you love most about your job?

I love all the Filipino seniors and how they’re so welcoming, warm, funny and respectful.

1

Grab a notebook and write down New Year’s resolutions. It is not about ticking off. Attitude matters. Focus on personal growth and well-being rather than checkboxes.

2

Review. Reflect. Restart. Take the time to review the past year, acknowledge the achievements and learn from the challenges.

3

Meet your friends and families in the backyard, or anywhere. The most important people in life are free, who help create the best memories.

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

An eagle.

What was your most memorable moment?

Getting my first paycheck when I was 14 and working.

What were you like as a kid?

I was very active, always enjoying everyone’s company and full of fun.

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

I would love to attend multiple music festivals in Europe.

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

Emmanuel (on the right) with 101-year-old Rosalina Manantan.

My partner and my family.

Ride my motorbike.

Three words to describe yourself!

Where is your happy place?

Quite, ambitious and organised.

Being with my partner.

What would you do on your perfect day off?

Picture: ETHAN BENEDICTO

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

Fried rice and fish.

What is your dream holiday destination?

Europe.

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

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We’re building big road projects near you and there will be disruptions

As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re easing congestion by building better roads in Melbourne’s south east. While we work this summer, road disruptions may affect your travel.

What we’ve done Built new lanes and upgraded intersections on Narre Warren North Road Built a second connection to South Gippsland Highway as part of the Pound Road West Upgrade Built new lanes, new traffic signals and a new bridge over Peninsula Link to improve traffic flow and travel times on Lathams Road

Works in progress Over summer, we’re finishing new lanes on Hall Road.

In Cranbourne, we’re working to build new lanes and upgrade key intersections along Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road. Works are continuing at the intersection of Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Sladen and Cameron streets and South Gippsland Highway.

We’re starting the first stage of works to build the new Princes Freeway interchanges on Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road. We’re also upgrading McGregor Road.

There are ongoing works in Beaconsfield as part of the Station Street Level Crossing Removal Project.

While we work, disruptions could affect your travel McCormicks Road and Hall Road, Skye

Until 19 Jan

Closed at the intersection

Hall, Evans and Cranbourne-Frankston roads, Cranbourne West

Until 22 Jan

Closed at the intersection

Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, Pakenham

Until 25 Jan

Road closed between Southeast Boulevard and northern Princes Freeway roundabout

Princes Freeway, Pakenham

Until 25 Jan

Closed inbound entry and exit ramps at Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road

Cameron Street, Cranbourne

Until Closed south of Berwickearly 2024 Cranbourne Road

McGregor Road, Pakenham

29 Jan to Mar

Closed between Webster Way/ Henry Road and southern Princes Freeway roundabout

Princes Freeway, Pakenham

29 Jan to Mar

Closed outbound exit ramp at McGregor Road

Kenilworth Avenue, Beaconsfield

Until early Feb

Westbound detour between Station Street and Soldiers Road

Until Mar

Access to and from Brunt Road closed. Detour via Just Joey Drive or Wattle Crescent

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

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Check before you travel at bigbuild.vic.gov.au

STAR NEWS 5

NEWS

Festival brings colours From superheroes to insects, Berwick’s skies were filled with a wide range of unusual sights, thanks to this year’s Kite Festival.

Organised by The Bright Events, the event was the fifth running of the festival, with between 3000 and 4000 people flocking to Berwick’s Federation University campus to launch colourful kites into the air, with kites and threads available to purchase on the day.

The event also featured an all-day live DJ, jumping castles, a variety of food and all-day entertainment.

Event organiser Manthan Parikh said despite overcast weather, the atmosphere in the crowd was a positive one.

“It was a good experience,” he said.

“Getting into the fifth year is very exciting and we are growing every year.”

Star News photographer GARY SISSONS was on the ground to capture the fun throughout the afternoon.

Five-year-old Sanav with his Spider-Man kite. 383149

Manish attempting to fly a kite with Kiran’s help. 383149

Eight-year-old Rudraunsh and five-year-old Ritisha enjoying the high-flying fun. 383149

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN

OPINION

Thumbs up

Pictures: GARY SISSONS

Kiran Patel and Aksh Patel from Pakenham trying to get their kite flying in the poor conditions. 383149

Kite enthusiasts Akashay, Saroj, Kiran, Tejal and Manish. 383149

LENSCAPE

For being able to return safely from our Japan holidays. Japan had a natural disaster, a plane crash landing and a stabbing at a station.

Thumbs up For Camms Road Fish and Chips’ opening for the first time in the year 2024!

Thumbs down To Bogan Coles (Cranbourne West) for not having any public toilets!

Thumbs up To Amstel Club’s 13 amazing individuals who live with disability yet contribute greatly to the community.

Thumbs down To Casey Council not mowing the parks.

Thumbs down To the proposal to build a huge Waste Transfer Station at the Hallam Road Landfill, when we are seeing many waste facility fires affecting people.

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

Lang Lang’s One at a Time Pet Rescue helps care for abandoned, rescued or rehomed animals who find comfort and love from their foster families while they wait for their forever homes, with these kittens lounging away the day.

Picture: LJUBICA VRANKOVIC

My three angels I went shopping on 14 December 2023.

I was waiting at the register when a woman behind me came up and said, ‘Do you mind if I pay for your groceries?’, which she did and I thanked her twice.

I went shopping on my mobility scooter.

On the way home, the scooter was stopping and starting all the time.

I was travelling along the South Gippsland Highway when it stopped again.

A woman pedestrian came up and asked if I needed help. I told her the trouble I was having with the scooter.

She opened her purse and gave me $50 which I did not expect.

A bit further up the highway it stopped again. A few minutes later a four-wheeldrive pulled up alongside me. The driver asked if I was alright; I explained

the problem. She rang for a taxi which never came, so she asked two teenagers skateboarding along if they would help to put the scooter in the boot, which they did, and she drove to my residence. I offered her money which she refused.

They were my three angels.

Peter Heywood, Cranbourne pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

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STAR NEWS 7

NEWS

Puffing Billy passengers getting ready for the trip. 383960

Puffing Billy blowing off some steam!. 383960

Emerald Lake place to be From taking a splash in the wading pool to hiring a paddleboat or hanging your legs out of Puffing Billy, Emerald Lake was the place to be on Tuesday 16 January.

With the mercury rising above 30 degrees, Star News photographer LJUBICA VRANKOVIC was out and about capturing all of the action, from keen fisherman casting a line into Lake Treganowan to visitors enjoying a simple stroll.

For more information about what to do in Emerald, visit cardinia.vic.gov.au/elp

Tiger Lily, 6, enjoying the cool water at the Emerald Lake Wading Pool. 383960

Jack, 6, and Luke, 3, keeping cool in the pool. 383960

Father-and-son Dhiraj and Atharv, 5, Goel on a paddleboat. 383960

French backpackers Agnes Vergas and Kevin Beslim enjoyed a walk through Emerald Lake Park. 383960 8 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

Pictures: LJUBICA VRANKOVIC

Nicole Nielsen and Felicia, 10 took a ride on a paddleboat.

Paul Anderson and Jackson, 13 had a line in hoping for a bite or two. 383960

Emerald was a popular place to be. 383960 pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

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STAR NEWS 9

NEWS

Waste plans cause a stink

By Violet Li Furious Casey communities are objecting to a planning application that would see a waste transfer station next to the controversial Hallam Road Landfill, and have voiced accompanying concerns about fire risks, midnight noise, and increased traffic, dust, and odour.

In July 2023, Casey Council endorsed a new Hampton Park Hill Development Plan that would facilitate future waste and resource recovery activities in the area, including the development of a waste transfer station.

The Draft Development Plan attracted more than 1000 objections in 2022 and residents were vocally against the potential waste transfer station proposed at the site of Hallam Road Landfill by its operator Veolia Australia.

Veolia officially lodged a planning permit application to Casey Council on 29 December 2023 to build a $27m commercial waste transfer station.

In its submitted proposal, the proposed infrastructure is to ‘support waste management needed in the region due to the impending closure of the Hallam Road Landfill’.

Located approximately 250m from the nearest residential dwelling, the new facility would accept about 550,000 tonnes of municipal residual waste, construction and demolition waste, and commercial and industrial waste from Melbourne’s Southeast.

It would recover and recycle some waste streams and transfer residual waste to energy recovery facilities.

Despite a webpage established by Veolia to address community concerns, residents have not been convinced that the neighbourhood would be free from negative environmental impacts by the new facility.

Hampton Park resident Tony O’Hara said his biggest worry was the potential fire risks the station might incur.

According to Veolia, waste will be visually inspected on the tipping floor, consolidated, packed into containers, and loaded into trucks.

The potential fire ‘should be able to be contained within individual containers which help with fire management’.

Mr O’Hara said incorrect disposal of batteries in rubbish bins could easily be responsible for huge fires and it was too hard to put the fire out inside a closed vehicle.

“They [Veolia] get the waste. They compact it, and they put it in a squashed format inside the bigger trucks. It’s a squashing process, which is the biggest danger,” he said.

“You break open batteries, and you can cause sparks and cause violence.

“Now if it’s a normal fire of materials, it may not be so bad, but when batteries are involved, they seem to be able to generate still fire even with very minimal oxygen.”

Mr O’Hara did not believe Veolia’s visual inspection of waste would be sufficient to pick out all the batteries.

“If someone shows a laptop in there, they will see a laptop. They may see a phone, but they won’t necessarily see all the batteries,” he said.

The location of the proposed new waste transfer station. Source: Background Report Hampton Park Hill Development Plan by Veolia “It would cause big damage for the community if there was a big fire.”

Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) issued a paper on the battery crisis last year, stating that fires caused by batteries were widespread across material recycling facilities, in trucks, and depots, which echoed Mr O’Hara’s concern.

“Over the past year, there were over 1000 battery-related fire incidents reported in the waste and recycling sectors nationwide, amounting to over three a day,” ACOR chief executive officer Suzanne Toumbourou said.

“The cost of these incidents is being borne by the community through rising rates, by councils through truck fires and service disruption, and by the recycling industry in the loss of critical infrastructure and future risk.”

A Facebook post by Hampton Park Fire Brigade revealed ‘way too many fires due to the incorrect disposal of Lithium batteries over the past couple of months’, which added to the community’s concern.

Mr O’Hara also pointed out the noise issues as the station was set to operate from midnight until 6pm Monday to Friday, and midnight until 4pm on Saturday.

“While there won’t be a lot of trucks in the night, there will still be trucks. And that means that people along Hallam Road and in Lynbrook will hear these trucks all the time overnight,” he said.

Resident Troy Van Gorp, who lives 200m away from the current landfill, found Veolia’s writing in the proposal contradictory regarding the traffic, odour, and dust impacts.

Veolia stated that the proposed transfer station was anticipated to ‘generate similar levels of traffic movements to the existing landfill operation with approximately 500 movements in and out of the facility’.

This will involve approximately 200-230 trucks per day delivering waste to the facility.

For every six trucks delivering waste to the facility, a single A-double truck will transport the waste from the facility.

Mr Van Gorp said the number game did not add up.

“A garbage truck is about 10 meters long.

An A-double truck is like three times the size

of the garbage truck,” he said.

“They’re saying there won’t be an increase in the volume of trucks, but the size of them will be significantly larger. That would definitely add to an increase.”

In response to Veolia’s odour mitigation, Mr Van Gorp said he could not believe what he was reading.

Veolia said that the facility would have a best-practice air extraction system to minimise odour.

Fans will ‘extract air from the building at a rate of 14 times the building volume per hour’.

That will ‘significantly dilute the air that is then extracted through a high stack to maximise dispersal, while not impacting the amenity of the area’.

“We’ve lived for years with the smell from the landfill. It was supposed to stop because the landfill was supposed to be closed, so we were supposed to get open green space,” Mr Van Gorp said.

“The current rules are they need to contain the odour on their landfill site.

“But this is a license to just blow it wherever you want. They’re going to blow it up in the air.”

Mr Van Gorp said the ignorance of physics was obvious.

“We know that what goes up must come down. Where’s this going to come down?

Where’s the wind going to blow? Where’s it going to land? What’s it going to land on?” he said.

Mr Van Gorp also challenged Veolia’s claim that they would wash the truck’s wheels to prevent waste material from being transported out of the facility.

He did not foresee wheel washing coming.

“They just want to address everything and whitewash everyone’s concerns,” he said.

“Many other locations are much more suitable for this type of waste management.

“I support waste transfer station. I support sustainability, and I support recycling. I don’t support this type of facility being allowed to be built so close to people’s homes.”

When asked about the community’s concerns, a Veolia spokesperson said the company had drawn on its experience successfully managing transfer stations across Australia to develop a proposal that mitigated potential impacts on the community and provided a state-of-the-art facility to help manage the area’s waste into the future.

“We know the proposed facility is of interest to many and will continue to listen to and consult the community, including a meeting with the community reference group in December 2023, as we work through the planning process over the coming months,” they said.

“The site is identified in the Victorian Government’s Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan (SWRRIP 2018), which recognises the necessity of strategically positioned waste management infrastructure to cater to the needs of a growing city.

“We are committed to following the highest standard of safety and environmental

practices to ensure the health of the community, our workers, and the environment.”

Lynbrook Residents Association (LRA) spokesperson Viv Paine said on behalf of the residents of all five suburbs surrounding the landfill, LRA took the firm stand that any new waste transfer station in a densely populated urban area was completely inappropriate on many grounds.

“We owe that to those who live beside the landfill and beyond who have had to endure escaping putrid odour day and night for at least 10 years, not to mention concerns for their children’s long-term health from what those escaping gases might contain,” he said.

He said the community was shocked and disappointed when out of the blue in mid2022, the council announced a Development Plan that would see a huge new waste transfer station installed.

“Over the years Casey Council promised that once full, the landfill would revert to public open space,” he said.

“Although Veolia’s current permit expires in 2040, the community is entitled to suspect this development would see the life of the landfill extended indefinitely.”

City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff PSM said as a responsible authority, it was the role of the council to consider and decide on a Development Plan in accordance with State Government policy and the provisions of the Casey Planning Scheme.

“Prior to its endorsement, the Hampton Park Hill Development Plan underwent extensive community consultation and was modified to respond to the relevant land use planning matters raised within public submissions,” she said.

“We thank our community for their active role throughout this consultation. It is well understood that members of our community have concerns relating to the existing operations of the landfill.

“While this matter is beyond the scope of the Development Plan, council officers are in regular contact with the EPA regarding local issues including the Hampton Park landfill site with council representatives also attending the community consultative committee for the site to communicate our community’s concerns.”

Casey Council also noted submissions relating to a future waste transfer facility were also beyond the scope of the Development Plan.

An application for a future commercial waste transfer station on-site or land near the landfill operations requires separate planning, building, and EPA assessment, independent of the Development Plan.

Casey’s statutory planning team will take at least 60 days to consider the application.

Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria will assess a Development Licence application by Veolia.

EPA is not presently assessing the licence application and it will seek community feedback about an application via the Engage Victoria website.

Race to the finish line From Yoshi to Donkey Kong, visitors to Bunjil Place battled it out in the ultimate championship earlier this week: Mario Kart.

As part of Connected Libraries school holiday program, the Mario Kart championship pitted the young competitors against each

other as they raced to the finish line.

Gazette photographer LJUBICA VRANKOVIC visited Bunjil Place Library to capture all of the fun.

For more information about future events, visit events.connectedlibraries.org.au

The children enjoyed competing against each other in Mario Kart. 383399

Claire, 8, Christopher, 7, Hardy, 6, and Ollie, 7. 383399

10 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

Eight-year-old Claire was among the Mario Kart racers. 383399

Pictures: LJUBICA VRANKOVIC

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

The power of compounding When I was a young boy, my granddad used to say to me “look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”. It was a phrase that stayed with me ever since and is a simple reminder that great results can be achieved through incremental improvements and there is probably no better example of this than compound interest.

Let’s start by defining the different two types of interest rates: ‘Simple Interest’ and ‘Compound Interest’. In the case of simple interest, a fixed percentage is added to the original (principal) amount each year. So, if I invested $5000 invested for 1 year at 10 per cent simple interest, then at the end of the first year I would end up with: $5000 + $5000 x 10 per cent = $5,500 If I invested $5000 invested for 10 years at 10 percent simple interest, then after 2 years I would have: $5000 + 2 x $5000 x 10 per cent = $6,000 And at the end of 10 years, I would end up with: $5000 + 10 x $5000 x 10 per cent = $10,000 The beauty of compound interest is that the interest rate applies to the principal as well as the accumulated interest. So, if I invested $5000 invested for 1 year at 10 percent compound interest, assuming that the interest is only applied at the end of the term, the amount at the end of the first year would still be $5,500, but the second year’s interest would include the first year’s interest as well.

Hence at the end of the second year I would end up with: $5,500 + $5,500 x 10 per cent = $6,050 This doesn’t look like much of a difference but over a period of 10 years I would end up with $12,969, almost $3,000 more than the simple interest example.

· · ·

·

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH The actual formula used to calculate the final amount achieved using compound interest is: P (1 + i)n Where P = the principal amount at the start i = the annual interest rate n = number of compounding periods Of course compounding does not only apply to financials and its power has multiple applications as Albert Einstein understood when he said: “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it… he who doesn’t… pays it.”

In his book ‘Atomic Habits’, James Clear also uses the power of compounding to illustrate how massive results can be achieved through small and regular incremental improvements. Specifically he cites the example that if you could make a 1 per cent improvement to something every day, then by the end of the year you would have made an overall improvement of 37 times the original performance.

Conversely, if your performance decreased by 1 per cent every day, you would only be at just 0.03 times the original performance by the end of the year. Time to make those small incremental changes.

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

Compounding interest can turn a small amount into a huge return over time.

FOCUS ON … DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA

Dancing fun for all ages at Dance Legacy, Pakenham Dance Legacy is a dance studio based in Pakenham offering expert tuition by experienced teachers for students aged 18 months to adult.

It offers classes for not only the serious dancer but also those who purely want enjoyment and recreation.

The team at Dance Legacy prides itself on having an experienced faculty that promises to provide excellent training coupled with fun, fitness and endless laughter.

Dance Legacy offers a wide variety of classes for ages 18 months through to adults in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acro and stretch/conditioning.

Studio owners and teachers Miss Danielle and Miss Loren have a combined 30-plus years dance teaching experience. Over the

years they have not only produced award-winning choreography but have fostered a love of dance in hundreds of students and have celebrated many achievements, no matter how big or small.

Dance Legacy is moving into its fourth year in 2024 and has already grown to almost 200 students, growing every week. They have welcomed many new faces through the door and seen students skip for the first time, seen students wing for the first time, and seen students achieve personal goals they have set for themselves.

The faculty have lots of exciting opportunities planned for the students in 2024, including the Moomba Parade in March as well as two whole school performances throughout

the year where every student gets their time to shine on the stage and perform for their friends and family. Students will also prepare for their Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet examinations and Australian Teachers of Dancing (ATOD) tap and jazz examinations, as well as taking their company students to represent Dance Legacy at local performances and competitions.

They have had a 100 per cent success rate in their examinations and have seen students achieve top marks 100 per cent Honours with Distinction.

But what Miss Loren and Miss Danielle love to see the most and are the proudest of is students gaining or re-discovering a love and true enjoyment of dance. Everybody that walks

through the doors of Dance Legacy mention the awesome energy and vibe that the studio exudes and always walk out of class with a smile on their face.

The school owns three purpose-built studio spaces for over 60 classes throughout each week. Dance Legacy promises to provide an inclusive and safe environment to help develop the person as well as the dancer. The team pledges to nurture and further a dance legacy for every student that dances through the studio door.

Enrolments for Season 2024 are open! Love to dance? So does the Dance Legacy team. Call 0422 774 665 or email admin@dancelegacy. com.au to book a free trial.

Rock n Roll Classes Beginners & Advanced Classes held at Cranbourne & Pakenham CRANBOURNE TUESDAY NIGHTS Starting 6th February at 7pm 12655901-MP02-24

PAKENHAM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Starting 7th February at 7pm $10 per night - No Partner required The team at Dance Legacy prides itself on having an experienced faculty that promises to provide excellent training coupled with fun, fitness and endless laughter.

Contact Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670 12655909-MP02-24

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 18 January, 2024

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STAR NEWS 11

WHAT’S ON Exchange Drive, Pakenham, Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4pm and Saturday 8am to 2.30pm.

Residents must present photo ID as proof of residence within Cardinia Shire to access the free service.

Waste will only be accepted from residential vehicles and trailers; commercial business operators cannot use this service.

For more information about council’s green waste drop-off events, visit cardinia.vic.gov. au/dropoff

Tooradin Tractor Pull and Truck Show The Tooradin Tractor Pull and Truck Show has been an annual event since 1998 and has grown into a family day packed with lots of fun things to see and do.

It is a non-profit event run by a committee of local community people putting all proceeds back into local clubs, schools and various charities.

Full catering, kids amusements and helicopter rides.

For tickets, visit www.ticketebo.com.au/ tooradin-tractor-pull-truck-show/tooradin-tractorpull-truck-show-2024 Saturday 20 January, 10am to 10pm, Rutter Park Reserve.

·

Housing Support and Advice Are you experiencing homelessness? At risk of having no safe place to live? Living in low-cost accommodation with no support?

Visit the Pakenham Library and have a chat with a support worker to discuss available options and resources.

Every Wednesday between 2pm to 4pm.

Bookings are not required. If you require more information, please phone Pakenham Library on 5940 6200.

·

Berwick Show Art, alpacas, cattle, carnival rides, cooking, craft, dogs, face painting, fireworks, food, goats, horses, horticulture, motorbikes, photography, pony rides, showbags, stage entertainment and trade stalls and much more.

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February, Akoonah Park. For more information, visit www.berwickshow.org.au

·

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Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club

2024 Parklea Pakenham Show Wheels on the Farm Free entry to the show featuring rural excellence, marvellous art and craft displays, iconic events and competitions, multi-cultural demonstrations along with new and returning attractions for people of all ages.

Saturday 16 March, PB Ronald Reserve. For more information or to enquire about a trade stand, email pakenhamshow1@bigpond.com.

·

Lakeside Market Pakenham Meet, Talk, Spend and Eat at this family friendly street food truck and handmade makers market with over 80 stalls.

Set by the side of the stunning Lakeside Lake and in the front of the Cardinia Cultural Centre, the Market features a choice selection of gourmet food and drink trucks, live music and quality local makers stalls including fashion, homewares, art, pet products, natural skincare, baked goods, plants and lots more. The market is also dog friendly.

The market is next on this Sunday 21 January.

·

Lang Lang Agricultural Show Held over the weekend of Saturday 20 January and Sunday 21 January at the Lang Lang Showgrounds Reserve, the free show will feature a range of competitions, including a two-day dog show, cattle, sheep, fruit and

Green waste drop-off Cardinia Council’s free green waste drop-off events are back in Pakenham and Lysterfield next year.

The green waste drop-off events are accepting residential amounts of green waste including garden prunings, tree branches and trunks (up to 30 centimetres wide and one metre long), weeds, grass clippings, leaves, and flowers.

Lysterfield – Monday 5 February to Saturday 10

vegetables, poultry, craft, photography and horticultural exhibits.

·

For more information, visit langlang.org. au/lang-lang-pastoral-agricultural-and-horticultural-show.

February 2024 , Cleanaway Resource Recovery Centre, 840 Wellington Rd, Lysterfield , Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm and Saturday 8am to noon.

Pakenham – Monday 8 April to Saturday 13 April 2024 , Future Recycling Transfer Station, 30-32 Exchange Drive, Pakenham, Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4pm and Saturday 8am to 2.30pm.

Pakenham – Monday 3 June to Saturday 8 June, Future Recycling Transfer Station, 30-32

Are you newly retired, or new to the area, or just wanting to enjoy your freedom, or expand your social life?

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club can offer you stimulating activities such as weekly social/chat activities with low key in line dancing if you want to tap your feet and great afternoon teas, day/ short and long trips away via (coach/flights), Weekly Morning Coffee Club, Monthly Saturday Country Pub Lunches, Monthly Evening Dineouts, Weekly Table Tennis Club, Walking Groups, Seasonal Daytime Musical Theatre Outings, and more! We welcome all you gentlemen out there with time on your hands! Ladies, come along, this is your time to meet like minded people and make those new friends.

Come along and get to know the club by visiting on a Thursday at 2pm at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House or join us on a Wednesday at 10am for a Coffee at Little Sparrow Fountain Gate.

For more information, contact Enquiry Officer Gloria 0468 363 616.

·

Silvers Circus is coming to Pakenham from 9 Feb - 3 Mar, 2024 and Star News has 4 family tickets (5 tickets) to experience this spectacular show!

The show has the cherished and timeless Globe of Death and Wonder Dogs, but this year the audacious Wheel of Steel has returned.

PAKENHAM silverscircus.com.au

Scan the QR CODE OR VISIT: starcommunity.com.au/competitions

12663100-AI03-24

12 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

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SPORT

Campbell clicks for Cobras

By David Nagel A last-ball boundary from captain Mat Campbell has secured Merinda Park (7/155) a place in the CCCA T20 Kookaburra Cup Premier Division grand final after a thrilling victory over Pakenham (6/152).

The Cobras will face CCCA powerhouse Kooweerup in the competition decider at Devon Meadows on Sunday 4 February after Campbell’s last-ball Tuesday night heroics.

Merinda Park’s victory was set up by its marquee-player Luke Shelton, with the Casey South-Melbourne captain crunching an unbeaten 66 off just 46 balls.

Shelton smashed five boundaries and two sixes in his match-winning knock after walking to the crease with the Cobras in trouble at 3/24.

He shared important partnerships with Rumesh Ranasinghe (9), Liam Bertrand (25), Tyson Bertrand (6) and Raveen Kadirahettiarachchi (7), but found himself at the bowlers end when Campbell walked to the crease with just four balls remaining in the match.

Needing four runs to win, Campbell was kept scoreless by Pakenham ace Chris Smith (3/19) in his first two balls, before hitting two off the penultimate ball of the contest.

Needing one run off the last ball to tie, Campbell found the ropes to begin joyous celebrations.

Smith and James Close (2/30) were best with the ball for the Lions, who failed to build on a very good start to their innings.

A huge total looked possible after Smith (47 off 30), Bobby Wilson (30), Dale Tormey (20) and Stuart Johnson (20) set the top-order alight, before Ranasinghe (3/25 off 4) reined the Lions batters back in.

Ranasinghe continued his amazing form in the Kookaburra Cup, having now claimed three-wicket hauls in all four games the Cobras have competed in.

Campbell (2/21 off 4) was also instrumental in containing the Lions; a precursor to his late heroics.

Merinda Park skipper Mathew Campbell was a hero with both bat and ball in the Cobras semi-final victory over Pakenham in the T20 Kookaburra Cup on Tuesday night. 311881 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS In the other Premier Division semi-final, Kooweerup (5/200) was far too good for Devon Meadows (9/145) at Denhams Road.

Adam McMaster (45 not out off 22) and Gamini Kumara (43 not out off 24) finished off the Demons’ innings in impression fashion after Sahan Perera (37), Mitch Davey (36) and Luke McMaster (28) set up the innings nicely.

Panthers’ skipper Lucas Ligt (51 off 32) threatened Kooweerup early in the run-chase, but multiple wickets to Steve Dillon (3/22) and Cody Miller (2/12) ensured the Demons stamped their ticket to the big dance.

In District Division, Cranbourne Meadows will defend its crown against NNG/Maryknoll after low-scoring semi-final contests.

Cranbourne Meadows (3/130) took 15 overs to hunt down Officer’s modest total of 9/128 at Starling Road, while the Marygoons defended brilliantly after making just 9/111 against Lang Lang.

Cranbourne Meadows were well served by Parminder Singh (53 not out off 35) and Rohit Sharma (41 off 37) in the successful hunt for victory, while Nathan Phillips (3/23) and Will Taylor (2/19) were the heroes for the Goon, keeping

the Swamp Tigers to just 7/100 in reply.

The District Division grand final will also take place at Devon Meadows on Sunday 4 February in a blockbuster double-header finish to the T20 Kookaburra Cup competition.

CCCA Kookaburra Grand Finals Sunday 4 February Glover Reserve: Devon Meadows PREMIER Merinda Park v Kooweerup DISTRICT Cranbourne Meadows v Lang Lang

· · · ·

Tennis stars set for Bunyip Fast finish can’t save Vets

By Jonty Ralphsmith Bunyip Tennis Club is set to host the inaugural Ace Classic from 26-28 January.

Professional Australian players Joshua Charlton and Corey Gaal headline the field, with that pair among 24 who will battle it out in the open field.

The matches will see players compete in a best-of-three set match, with the third set to be a 10-point tiebreaker.

Club secretary Vanessa Kent said hosting the event is significant for the club.

“We’re a relatively small club in little Bunyip so we’ve hardly done anything like this before,” she said.

“It would be great to get it off the ground and make it an annual thing.

“We want it to be all about the players.

“We want to give them the opportunity to come out and bring a tournament with

decent prize money to the suburbs.

“It’s also good for the local community to have high quality tennis on their doorstep.”

Weather pending, the final will be a standalone fixture on Sunday, with the earlier rounds to take place across Friday and Saturday.

Across the tournament, there will be a barbecue, games for kids and the Australian Open televised on the big screens at the club.

Kent was also complimentary of the local community for getting behind the event, offering sponsorship and services for players.

Gaal, aged 25, is currently ranked 22nd in the ITF rankings and has been as high as 10th, with a 29-26 win-loss record across his ITF career.

The 24-year-old Charlton is on the doorstep of his career-high ITF ranking at 413.

Bunyip is excited to be hosting the Ace Classic! 383768 14 STAR NEWS

|

Thursday, 18 January, 2024

Picture: VANESSA KENT

PAKENHAM VETERANS Pakenham Over 60s were thrilled to be playing for the first time this year when they hosted Ringwood on a glorious and sunny day at Toomuc Reserve.

Ringwood won the toss and decided to bat first on Sunday.

The openers, Wayne Hartley 31 (30) and Gary Paget 15 (30) had both retired before Pakenham took its first wicket in the 14th over with the score on 58.

Alan Reitman caught Brian L’ Anson off the bowling of Carl Muscat to take the first wicket of the day. But it was another 22 overs and 96 runs later before Pakenham claimed its next wicket.

Ian Jones 8 (23) was caught by Gerard Healy off the bowling of Greg Johnstone.

The following batters had already retired; Gerry Barnett 15 (30), Kevin Dunn 12 (27), Peter Clark 28 (26), Raymond Hartley 17 (25) and Andrew Mill 21 (23).

Ringwood had reached 168 by the last over which was bowled by Greg Johnstone, who took two wickets in two balls, both bowled…Robin Court 7 (9) and Trevor Barsenbach 0 (1).

Barry Jacquier 9 (12) was not out and after 40 overs Ringwood finished on 4 for 171.

Pakenham Bowling: Greg Johnstone 5-3/25, Carl Muscat 6-1/20, Les Jones 8-0/37, Phil Brook 5-0/18, Peter Ross 5-0/19, Alan Ross 4-0/20, Dallas Wyatt 2-0/14, Jim Gregory 5-0/17.

Needing just over four runs an over, Pakenham got off to a slow start losing Phil Brook 7 (11) caught by Andrew Mill off the bowling of Trevor Barsenbach in the 7th over when the score was 19.

Carl Muscat 12 (30) retired before Greg Johnstone 7 (18) was LBW to Robin Court.

The run rate had reached three an over by the 13th over when Pakenham lost their captain Peter Ross 3 (7) stumped by Wayne Hartley off the bowling of Peter Clark.

Dallas Wyatt 14 (30) then retired.

The run rate was still three, in the 22nd over,

Greg Johnstone was Pakenham’s only multiple wicket-taker claiming 3/25 from five overs against Ringwood. Johnstone took two wickets in two balls and unluckily missed a hat-trick.

383518 Picture: SUPPLIED when the fourth wicket fell, with Gerard Healy 18 (29) bowled by Brian L’ Anson.

Alan Ross and Les Jones added 30 runs in seven overs before Jones 16 (22) was run out and Ross 17 (30) retired.

The score was 5 for 98 in 30th over.

In the remaining 10 overs, Alan Reitman 25 (26) and Guya Suriarchi 12 (29) took the score to 143 and were both not out.

Jim Gregory and John Moore were not required to bat.

Ringwood bowling: Trevor Barsenbach 5-1/10, Brian L’ Anson 7-1/17, Robin Court 7-1/17, Peter Clark 5-1/21, Barry Jacquier 5-0/18, Ian Jones 5-0/26, Gary Paget 3-0/13, Ray Hartley 3-0/13.

Although defeated by a stronger team, Pakenham at least had a game of cricket this week.

This week Pakenham plays South Gippsland at Outtrim.

-John Moore pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Bright flourish for Demons

By David Nagel Even by his own lofty standards…the first four balls of the top-of-the-table clash between Kooweerup (4/266) and Tooradin (194) were quite extraordinary for champion opening batter Chris Bright (58 off 39 balls) on Saturday.

The battle between Bright and Tooradin opening bowler Brad Butler (1-0-21-1) had the potential to be one of the most explosive contests of the season, with the most aggressive opening bat in CCCA cricket taking on the quickest bowler in the comp; with an equally destructive mindset.

Within four balls; Bright had prevailed by a TKO decision!

Six, four, six, four; the Demons were well and truly on the front foot after Bright pounded his flag in the ground early.

Hitting square of the wicket is the ‘modus operandi’ for the Kooweerup top-order, who sweat on anything short or slightly wide as they look to capitalise on the key scoring areas at Denhams Road.

Butler, and his captain Mick Sweeney, knew the risks, but a short ball on the hip - the first ball of the match - was despatched over the square-leg boundary for six.

A similar delivery then followed, hit in the same direction for four, before Bright produced his opening over ‘piece de resistance’… cracking a short wide delivery over the point boundary for a maximum!

A flick over gully for four, off the following Butler thunderbolt, had the Demons off to flyer…0/20 off four balls!

Bright continued the carnage, bringing up his fifty with just the 31st ball of his innings.

Fortunately for the Seagulls, there would be only one more significant blow from the blade of Bright, who pulled Shane Somers (8-0-57-1) for four before ‘chopping on’ off the next delivery.

But the Demons were 1/82 off exactly 10 overs and well on their way to an impressive total.

Demons’s skipper Luke McMaster (65 off 61) then took control of the ‘second quarter’ of the innings, cracking seven boundaries and one six on his way to a mighty-fine half century…backing up his 145 not out against Cardinia before Christmas.

With McMaster steering the ship the Demons scored 0/62 off the second block of 10, but his demise, holing out to Brad Butler off the bowling of Josh Lownds (8-0-26-2), gave the Seagulls a foot in the door.

Overs 21 to 30 were reined in by the Seagulls, who took 2/27 during that period of play.

Lownds and Dylan Sutton (8-0-34-0) bowled wonderfully well in tandem to restrict the scoring rate.

Gamini Kumara (50 not out off 53) and Steven Dillon (47 off 53) then upped the ante heading towards the dinner break.

Considering the fast start, the Gulls would have been content with a score of 3/202 off 35 overs…with Russell Lehman (4-0-47-0) returning after going for 30 off three overs in the early onslaught.

Lehman has been one of the most economical bowlers in the last 15 years of WGCA/ CCCA cricket and the decision to bring him back certainly appeared a wise call.

But even the champions have an off day, with Lehman going for 17 off his fourth and final over as Kumara and Dillon launched a savage last-five-over attack.

The Demons would score 64 from the last five, with overs of 17, 11, 10, 13 and 13 giving them all sorts of momentum heading into tea.

Cal O’Hare (47 off 35) threatened the Demons early with back-to-back sixes off Adam McMaster (7.2-1-46-2) from the third over of the innings, but the loss of regular wickets inevitably stalled that momentum.

Tom Hussey (33 off 44), Evans (32 off 51) and Somers (20 off 16) all made valuable contributions, but the Gulls were always in deficit when it came to the required run-rate.

Dillon (8-1-36-3) capped off a fine game for the Demons with three wickets, while Matt Bright (8-0-36-1) took the wicket of O’Hare to effectively end the game as a contest.

Corks were popping at Ramlegh Reserve on Saturday after Clyde (7/247) scored its first victory of the season - and kept its Premier Division hopes alive - with a 26-run triumph over pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

Chris Bright was at his belligerent best against Tooradin on Saturday, hitting 20 runs from the first four balls of the match. 324384 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Merinda Park (221).

The Cougars got off to a rock-solid start with Trevor Bauer (67 off 81) and Michael Vandort (26 off 38) scoring 35 runs after 10 overs, with Vandort the first to go with the score on 47.

Bauer and Teddy Fonseka (69 off 72) then set sail with an 83-run stand for the second wicket before Bauer became the second wicket for Raveen Kadirahettiarachchi (7-0-37-2).

The partnership between Bauer and Fonseka included 19 runs from the 26th over of the innings…with eight of those coming off one ball.

A tickle to fine leg resulted in three runs, with Cobras’ keeper Adam Fisher forced to chase the ball to the boundary.

Fisher’s return throw was off target, hitting his own resting helmet and resulting in a fiverun penalty.

Fonseka and Brett Reid (43 off 33) then lifted the tempo with a 74-run partnership for the third wicket, before Nick Miles (20 off 13) put the late icing on a beautifully-baked cake.

Merinda Park was quickly two-down in reply.

Ankush Rana (7.5-0-38-2) had Rumesh Ranasinghe (1) trapped in front before Max Adams (8-2-40-3) had Kadirahettiarachchi (8) caught by Bauer to claim the first of his three poles.

Daniel McCalman (86) and Cambell Bryan (89) then shared a 167-run stand for the third wicket to bring the Cougars back into the contest.

But Fisher (24) was the only other player in double figures as Rana, Adams and Daniel Lever (8-0-33-2) bowled their team to victory.

Skipper Zac Davis was delighted to finally taste victory; one that extricated his team from the bottom of the CCCA Premier Division table.

“We are hell-bent on not going down (being relegated), we don’t want to go down to District, we want to be up with the big boys in Premier and challenging the best sides,” Davis said.

“We had a big heart-to-heart after the last game before Christmas, after a bad loss to Pakenham, and a few of the boys told a few home truths.

“It wasn’t anything personal; we just had a good chat amongst each other and decided we need to be better.

“The new mindset and attitude obviously worked on the weekend.”

Bigger and broader questions are about to be asked of Pakenham (3/176) - but Dale Tormey and his Lions simply did what they had

His signature shot! Pakenham’s Chris Smith plays a beautiful flick off his pads against Carlisle Picture: GARY SISSONS Park on Saturday. 383154 to do against Carlisle Park (148) at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.

Ben Perry sent the Lions into bat, with Jack Anning (28 off 45) and Chris Smith (37 off 54) seeing off the new ball and looking comfortable at the crease.

Rob Elston (34), Dom Paynter (24) and Stuart Johnson (22 not out) then ensured the Lions had a decent total to defend in the Vikings’ 32-over reply.

The Vikings were never really in the hunt, with Ethan Davies (29), Duke Miller (24) and Dean Lyddy (20) the only players to work their way into the twenties.

Tom Tyrrell (7-1-29-1), Marcus Martini (60-37-2) and Tormey (7-1-30-2) ensured the Lions would secure the 12 points, before youngleggie Jordan Seers (2.4-0-11-4) cashed in late with a four-wicket haul from 16 balls as the Vikings swung hard and often.

And Cardinia (5/224) has continued its journey on the roller-coaster of success after the Bulls rolled Devon Meadows (7/195) in a crucial clash for both clubs at Gunton Oval on Saturday.

After nine rounds the Bulls are yet to win or lose two consecutive games, with Saturday’s triumph seeing Dean Henwood’s outfit leapfrog the Panthers into fourth place on the ladder.

Henwood called correctly and elected to bat first, a decision that backfired in the early stages of the contest.

Morteza Ali (6), Alex Nooy (13) and Bradey

Welsh (14) were all back in the sheds with the score on 45, before Travis Wheller (57 off 75) put his new-found maturity to the test.

Wheller initially matched motors with Jacobus Hynes (19 off 22) in a well-balanced partnership that delivered 34 runs.

But with Hynes departing with the score at 4/79…Wheller still required an ally.

And he certainly found one in Matt Welsh (87 not out off 77 balls).

He cracked 10 fours and one towering six, taking the pressure off Wheller as each ball sailed to the boundary.

Their 88-run stand was just what the doctor ordered, at precisely the right time, with the Panthers chipping their way towards the Bulls’ mid-to-lower order.

Dan Salvato (16 not out) joined Welsh, taking a back seat in an unbroken 57-run partnership in six overs to finish off the innings.

The Panthers required 225 to win.

Openers Will Halton (50 off 89) and Lucas Ligt (50 off 47) got the Panthers off to the perfect start, sharing a 94-run union before Ligt fell LBW to Ali (8-1-28-1) in the 18th over.

The Panthers required six runs per over from that point forward in the match.

The fact that Ligt was the only player in the top-six to score at better than a run-a-ball gives an indication of what happened next.

Tidy spells from Ali, Josh Browne (8-2-271), Wheller (8-1-32-1) and Henwood (8-0-41-2) steered the Bulls to an important victory.

Thursday, 18 January, 2024

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Thursday, 18 January, 2024

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au