Mail - Ferntree Gully Star Mail - 6th February 2024

Ferntree Gully Belgrave

New food pantry opens doors in FTG

Tecoma plans for 100th birthday

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

Mail Ron’s 1000 steps and counting

See real estate liftout inside

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A Star News Group Publication

PR OP ER TY

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

Preppies descend for 2024

By Tanya Steele February is already well under way and across Victoria thousands of tiny feet have begun marching to school for very the first time.

Prep aged kids began school for last week and there were smiles and tears from adults and kids alike as school began for 2024.

Ferntree Gully North Primary School kindly sent the Star Mail just some of the smiling faces from their schools new Preppie’s first foray into school.

Max, Isla, Hannah and Archer posed for some pictures with pizzazz that featured balloons, backdrops and picture frames to commemorate the special day.

Classrooms are full once more as teachers begin their vital work and children commence their learning journey.

Ferntree Gully North Primary School Preppies pose as school term starts.

Starting school is an exciting time for all.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Successful police operations in busy week around hills mean....

Crime disrupted In a set of police operations last week, people from across the east ended up in custody for offences relating to illicit firearms, drugs, weapon possession and family violence.

It began with a firearm and drug trafficking ring being disrupted in a joint police operation, with nine people arrested and charged

after raids on Tuesday 30 January.

The alleged organised crime syndicate stretched from Lilydale to Boronia.

Ammunition, drugs and cash were also found in the searches of the properties.

Transit Police also headed to Boronia Train Station on Thursday 1 February where five

people were arrested for both the possession of weapons and drugs, as well as outstanding charges.

Acting Sergeant Jo Kavanagh said the operation was about detecting and deterring public transport users from anti-social behaviour, as well as enhancing community safety.

“We want to stamp it out and then also reassure the public that we’re actually doing things about the things they’re reporting,” she said.

Multiple units were involved in the railway operation.

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NEWS

IN BRIEF Misfunctioning siren

Operation Accomplish? Mission accomplished....

Belgrave South CFA remain diligent as regular monthly checks have revealed that the unit siren is not working at the moment. The unit posted to social media that their regular siren check did ‘exactly the thing that we test for...It didn’t work’. The CFA stated that they haven’t had many calls recently, and the few they have had have been during the “silent siren” hours, so they not aware that the siren wasn’t working.

The unit stated via the post that this also means that the Community Alert Siren is possibly not working either.

In the meantime, community can: Download the VicEmergency App Check the CFA website for any incidents in the area.

If it seems that something might be going on, tune your radio to 774ABC Melbourne The paging system is still working so fire fighters will be notified if you need us.

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Several arrests were made on the day.

Pictures: TANYA STEELE

Traffic along Burwood Highway in Tecoma was delayed by retaining wall works along the roadside on Friday 2 February School based and rush-hour traffic was reduced to single-lane traffic as work on the pathway and retaining wall at Tecoma Primary School continues. Traffic was back up to two lanes for the afternoon commute, but works are not yet complete.

Five are arrested

By Tanya Steele

Queensland Fruit Fly in the Yarra Ranges The first spotting of Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) in the Yarra Ranges has led to the urging of residents to be on the lookout to help prevent and eradicate the known pest. Lilydale experienced the first detection for the region in mid-January.

Containment and eradication treatments were then put in place by private landowners, and Yarra Ranges Council has been working with Agribusiness Yarra Valley to notify nearby owners when QFF is detected and work on containment measures. QFF has been detected in the Yarra Valley several times since February 2018.

The QFF is active in fruiting season, though populations increase in spring when temperatures rise above 16 degrees. They can remain active in autumn and winter in warmer weather.

Council and Agribusiness Yarra Valley will work with the landowners to contain and eradicate any QFF.

Speeding drivers top list Operation Accomplish saw a heightened police presence working with specialised units. different units to work together for one goal,” she said.

“It’s good for us. It’s good for the public, and it deals with the crime.”

Transit police regularly conduct public safety operations at major public transport hubs to detect and deter anti-social behaviour on the network and Acting Sgt Kavanagh said that overall the police had a very successful operation.

“A message was sent to the community that anti-social behaviour - including carrying drugs, weapons and graffiti - will not be tolerated and the focus was to make sure people feel safe wherever and whenever they use public transport,” she said.

“We will continue to run these operations and be out in force to make sure people are doing the right thing,” she said.

Units patrolled through the railway and bus terminal at Boronia.

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Speeding drivers made up almost half of offences detected by police during a four-day statewide road policing operation over the Australia day long weekend.

Police detected 2,261 speeding offences, with three quarters of those detections for speeding between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.

A total of 5,206 traffic offences were detected during Operation Amity, including: 301 disqualified, suspended and unlicensed drivers 154 drink driving offences from 77,058 preliminary breath tests 121 drug driving offences from 2,142 roadside drug tests 221 disobey signs/signals 211 mobile phone offences 79 seatbelt offences 77 vehicle impoundments 447 unregistered vehicles

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Transit police have arrested five people during an operation targeting drug and weapon offences and anti-social behaviour at a major public transport hub in Melbourne’s east.

Boronia railway station and Dorset Square were a hive of activity last week as police units came together to patrol the areas as part of Operation Accomplish.

The operation took place on Thursday 1 February and Transit Safety Division Acting Sergeant Jo Kavanagh said the operation was conducted at the Boronia railway station site to detect and deter offenders and enhance public safety.

“We’re focusing on the train station as well as the shopping centres and that’s due to antisocial behaviour that’s been recorded along with drug and weapons crimes,” she said.

Some of the arrests included a 22-yearold Kilsyth man for possession of a weapon, a 46-year-old Boronia man for possession of cannabis and a 30-year-old Wantirna South man for a family violence offence and possession of a weapon.

Acting Sgt Kavanagh said the operation had been planned due to increases in activity in the area.

“We want to stamp it out and then also reassure the public that we’re actually doing things about the things they’re reporting,” she said.

“It is one for reassurance and two to deter, the offenders that do appear here, we’re trying to deter them and if there are drugs present or weapons – we will act,” she said.

Transit police officers, with support from the dog squad, mounted branch and local divisional resources patrolled and engaged with commuters in and around Boronia railway station and the Dorset Square shopping precinct to enhance public safety, police also worked with authorised officers to detect fare evaders.

Units from Boronia, Knox and Croydon were present for the operation and Acting Sgt Kavanagh said the police don’t often get the chance to work together in such a concentrated way.

“It’s really good to have the support of the

Traffic delays in Tecoma

The Star Mail is published by Paul Thomas for Star News Group Pty Ltd ABN 98 238 557 339. All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible. Distribution numbers, areas and coverage are estimates only. For terms and conditions please visit www.mailcommunity.com.au Print Post Number PP33445700014.

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NEWS

Sports codes look to enact new concussion protocols

By Mikayla van Loon Newly released concussion guidelines may change how community and youth sporting clubs across the outer east approach head knocks and prevent injury at a grassroots level.

Peak sporting body, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), in collaboration with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), announced the revolutionary guidelines on Thursday 1 February to align with the return to school and sport.

Although not enforceable, the guidelines will act as an information and reference point for community clubs and associations to better understand concussion and its management, with an option to enact the principles outlined in the report.

A key framework element is the focus on the timeline of returning to exercise and contact sports.

The AIS suggests a protocol of 24-48 hours before an athlete returns to light exercise, with a minimum of 14 days symptom free before returning to contact training.

A minimum period of 21 days is recommended before an athlete then returns to competitive sport.

“It’s important to manage all instances of concussion with an abundance of caution and make it clear that a conservative management approach is needed for people aged under 19 who have growing brains and are at risk of prolonged recovery times, as well as for community sport where advanced health care support is often not available,” AIS Chief

The Ringwood and District Cricket Association will be discussing the guidelines at its next monthly meeting.

Picture: UNSPLASH Medical Officer Dr David Hughes AM said.

“The AIS wants everyone involved in sport to remember, when considering an athlete with possible concussion, ‘if in doubt, sit them out’.”

The flow on effects of the report have started hitting local clubs, leagues and organisations, with decisions to be made across the eastern districts on if and how these guidelines will be implemented.

Ringwood and District Cricket Association (RDCA) president Michael Finn said concussion and the safety of its players is something the Association takes incredibly seriously.

“The RDCA is committed to exploring the concussion protocols with the view of forming a policy for the safety of all players,” he said.

Mr Finn said the board will discuss and be evaluating the information at the next monthly meeting to ensure the appropriate process is taken because “something like this affects all our players - juniors, seniors and veterans”.

The guidelines would bring Australia inline with the UK and New Zealand’s approach to concussion.

ASC chief executive officer Kieren Perkins OAM said these peak bodies share the concern in preventing harm and concussion in young people.

“I am proud that Australia, along with the UK and New Zealand, is leading the world in concussion guidelines for youth and community sport, ensuring sport remains a safe and welcoming environment for all,” he said.

As an extension of the AIS Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement, the guidelines provide a snippet of what coaches, parents and players should watch out for when it comes to symptoms and protocol suggestions for people with multiple suspected concussions.

More information can be found at concussioninsport.gov.au

Paramedic response boost Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics are reaching patients nearly two minutes faster than a year ago despite another record-breaking quarter for emergency ambulance demand.

In the Yarra Ranges, just over half of the call outs are reached within 15 minutes, an improvement on last year.

Executive Director Clinical Operations Anthony Carlyon said the average response time to Code 1 “lights and sirens” cases was now under 15 minutes for the first time in more than two years.

“While there is more work ahead of us, it is encouraging our response to Code 1 emergencies improved a full minute and 46 seconds compared to a year ago,” Mr Carlyon said.

“The Productivity Commission’s recent Report on Government Services shows Victoria has Australia’s most trusted paramedics and leads the nation in cardiac arrest survival and pain management.

“Our dedicated paramedics and first responders are to be commended for the outstanding care they deliver to communities across the state.”

The last quarter of 2023 was the busiest in AV’s history with 154,267 emergency cases.

This includes 99,833 Code 1 cases – the second most on record – and 54,434 Code 2 cases.

Between October and December 2023, paramedics across Victoria responded to 67.3 per cent of Code 1 cases within the statewide target of 15 minutes – up from 66 per cent for the previous three months and 7.1 percentage points better than 60.2 per cent a year ago.

As a result, the state-wide average response time to Code 1 emergencies dropped from 16 minutes and 44 seconds to 14 minutes and 58 seconds.

In the last three months of 2023, paramedics responded to 3,239 more Code 1 cases than the previous quarter and only 405 fewer than a year ago when Code 1 demand exceeded 100,000 cases for the first time.

Performance against the 15-minute target for Code 1 cases improved in 74 of Victoria’s 79 Local Government Areas (LGAs) compared to a year ago, with the biggest improvements in Melbourne’s growing outer suburbs.

In the outer east: 73.6 per cent of the 2160 callouts in Knox were responded to within 15 minutes, down 0.2 per cent but the average response time improved by 20 seconds to 13 minutes and

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Ambulance Victoria responses times have improved despite the most calls out recorded in a quarter in history.

34 seconds.

per cent of Maroondah’s 1567 callouts · 71.3 were responded to within 15 minutes, down

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1.7 per cent while the average response time improved by 6 seconds to 13 minutes and 49 seconds.

51.4 per cent of callouts in 1759 Cardinia were responded to within 15 minutes, up from 50.8 per cent and the average response time worsened by 31 seconds to 17 minutes and 51 seconds.

55.5 per cent of the 2190 Yarra Ranges callouts were responded to within 15 minutes, improved from 53.7 per cent with the average response time also improving by 19 seconds to 16 minutes and 52 seconds.

Mr Carlyon said improved performance followed increased use of alternative and virtual care services for people in the community who did not require an ambulance.

“From October to December 2023, 38,695 people who did not need an emergency ambulance were instead connected to more appropriate care by paramedics and nurses in AV’s Secondary Triage team,” Mr Carlyon said.

“There are now so many options for people in the community to get timely, non-urgent health advice and save Triple Zero (000) for emergencies.

“For non-life-threatening matters, you can connect directly with emergency doctors and nurses at the Victorian Virtual Emergency De-

Picture: ON FILE

partment (VVED) from anywhere in Victoria, at any time.

“Since October 2021, paramedics have referred more than 56,000 patients to the VVED, while a further 5,400 have been referred to the VVED following assessment by our Secondary Triage team.

“Other options also include your local Priority Primary Care Centre, your GP or pharmacist, or Nurse-On-Call on 1300 60 60 24.

“While we continue to work with hospitals to improve transfer times, avoiding unnecessary ambulance attendances and trips to hospital relieves pressure in the health system and means paramedics are more available for emergencies in the community.” mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Firearms seized in raids A string of warrants across the outer east has resulted in the arrests and charging of nine people alleged to be connected to an organised crime syndicate.

People from across Lilydale, Boronia, Kilsyth South, Ringwood North, Burwood East, Vermont South, The Basin and Scarsdale were detained after the early morning raid on Tuesday 30 January.

Detectives from the Illicit Firearms Squad with help from VIPER Taskforce, Armed Crime Squad, Vehicle Crime Squad, Croydon Divisional Response Unit and the Yarra Ranges, Ballarat and Maroondah Crime Investigation Units conducted the operation.

Officers from the Special Operations Group arrested a 41-year-old Lilydale man without incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning at his Lilydale home.

A further eight people were also arrested, including a Burwood East man, 42, two Boronia men, 23 and 24, a Kilsyth South man, 23, a Ringwood North man, 53, and a Scarsdale man, 39.

A Vermont South woman, 29, and man, 50, were also arrested in relation to separate Incidents.

Charges included drug and firearm trafficking, possessing illicit drugs and other drug offences, as well as theft.

Police said six firearms, ammunition, various quantities of cannabis and cash were located at the searched premises.

Illicit Firearms Squad Detective Inspector Julie Macdonald said anyone in possession of an illicit firearm should use the permanent firearms amnesty to surrender weapons without consequences.

“The job of the illicit Firearms Squad is to make the community safer through targeted operations regarding offending such as firearms trafficking and manufacture,” Inspector Macdonald said.

A 23-year-old Kilsyth South man was arrested on Tuesday 30 January.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to prevent access to and the use of illicit firearms, particularly by groups and criminals involved

in serious and organised crime.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information about illicit fire-

Picture: VICTORIA POLICE arms is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au

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NEWS

Salvation Army church volunteers from left to right: Mareta Williams, Fran Mandergeddes and Dameon Ford with Corps Officer Rosemary Massey inside the new food pantry at the Salvation Army Ferntree Gully Corps Church in Ferntree Gully.

The church’s trailer, used to transport food donations, was recently stolen from its shed.

Pictures: TYLER WRIGHT

Food pantry opens doors

By Tyler Wright Despite a recent blow to the Salvation Army Corps Church in Ferntree Gully, the organisation is still giving back to the community after launching an emergency relief food pantry on Wednesday 31 January.

The food pantry will stock canned goods, drinks and snacks as well as non-perishable items like milk and yoghurt in a fridge located on site, with the service accessible to those in need.

Salvation Army Corps Officer for Ferntree Gully, Rosemary Massey, said the idea for a permanent pantry came about after demand soared for an after hours pantry outside the church building which began in May 2023.

“In the past we were able to provide emergency relief to members of our community here on a Wednesday through what was known as our mini market,” Rosemary said.

“The mini market was a wonderful concept that helped people to get some food, much like food hackers on a weekly basis. However, it wasn’t really a great variety and we were seeing the same people every single week and felt

that we really needed to [meet their needs] as much as we could. “[The external food pantry is] accessible 24/7, and we have noticed since May that it’s getting continually used and even more so since these last two months, so much so that we’re now having to stock it twice a day and we’re having four to six people come each day to access that pantry.”

Looking to change the way the church provided emergency relief, and with donated funds from the Red Shield Appeal as well as donated food items from church members, FoodBank and Rotary Club of Ferntree Gully, a new permanent pantry will open at the church on Wednesday 7 February.

Between 9.30am and 11.30am on Wednesdays, visitors will be able to access free food and perishable items, alongside cleaning and personal items.

“Given the way that things are in this day and age, we all know the cost of living is not going down anytime soon,” Rosemary said.

“We’re hoping to be able to provide the best support that we can to make it fair for everyone; we’ve seen people that are not just on

Centrelink; we’ve seen people that are also, they’ve got a mortgage and two jobs, they’re just not making ends meet.”

Rosemary said those who visit the church will be given an interview do determine their needs.

“We also have the capacity to hand out vouchers,” she said.

“We can decide whether they need to come weekly or whether they’re actually able to come fortnightly or hopefully monthly, depending on their circumstances.”

It comes as the church is battling extra costs of its own, with its shed broken into mere days before the launch of the pantry and thieves stealing the church’s valuable trailer; used to pick up donations from FoodBank.

During the break in between 6pm on 22 January and 8.30am on 23 January, offenders are also believed to have stolen gardening tools, and a TV owned by a community member stored in the shed.

Rosemary said it was “quite a shock” receiving a call from a local church member alerting her they had been robbed.

“I came down and of course our trailer

which is vital for our work was gone,” Rosemary said.

“They tried to take the ride on mower and they couldn’t get it.

“They took two jerry cans of fuel too; and that was very disheartening because we’re here to try and support the community and we rely on these things to maintain our property, keep it looking nice but also the trailer for example where we collect donations and not having had that that was upsetting.”

Unsure of when the trailer will be replaced, the sliding doors to the garage have also been damaged; creating an extra cost. “[It’s] very discouraging when we see that we’re trying to do the best that we can for our community,” Rosemary said.

Despite the adversity, the church will continue servicing its community “no questions asked”.

“I just want to say a very big thank you to the community for their support in helping us to do what we do,” Rosemary said.

The Salvation Army Ferntree Gully Corps Church is located at 37 Wattletree Road in Ferntree Gully.

Funds see flags flying high at Dandenong Ranges RSL

By Tyler Wright The Dandenong Ranges RSL has become more visible to the community in Sassafras thanks to a funding injection from the Federal Government’s Saluting Their Service (STS) Commemorative Grants Program.

RSL president Bob Richard said the RSL was successful in receiving $2,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ grant program last year to go towards erecting three flagpoles at the front of the property in Sassafras.

“Being off the road a little bit, it looks like a bit like a residence, so we wanted to make it more obvious that this was an RSL and that everyone in Sassafras and the local area were very welcome to come,” Mr Richards said.

“We put these three flags up to make it a bit more prominent, and we probably wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of the Federal Government, which is great.

“We probably might not have been able to allocate that amount of money to the project without their support; we’re a little RSL and we’re a traditional RSL without pokies, so any help we can get from the Federal Government or the State Government, and indeed the council, is very welcome.”

On Tuesday 30 January, Casey MP Aaron Violi visited the RSL to present members with 6 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

Bob Richards, Di Gray, Aaron Violi, Tom Fitton, Rachael McCallum, Steve Gray and Virginia Porter at the Dandenong Ranges RSL.

Dandenong Ranges RSL president Bob Richards and Casey MP hoisting the Australian national flag at the back of the RSL. Pictures: TYLER WRIGHT

an Australian national flag, which was hung on a pole out the back of the venue.

“It’s really important that we can support the RSL,” Mr Violi said.

“They do amazing work in the community with veterans, but also in the wider community, playing important roles; so to be able to support their grants application to get the new flags is crucial.

“It’s a crucial part of my job and to see and

Day on Thursday 25 April at 6.30am at the Avenue of Honour Memorial on the corner Mt Dandenong Road and Sherbrooke Road in Ferny Creek.

It will be followed by a gunfire breakfast at the Ferny Creek Scout Hall, and a march followed by a commemorative Service at the Sassafras Village Green at 10.30am.

The RSL, located at 1773 Mountain Highway in Sassafras, will host refreshments afterwards.

hear from Bob about how it’s already helping give the RSL more prominence in the community is great to see.”

Mr Violi said to have the flagpole at the back of the premises where people can come to sit quietly, remember and reflect is a “wonderful use of this community asset”.

“I’m glad I can play a small part in helping the RSL continue to grow,” he said.

The RSL will hold a dawn service on Anzac

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ADVERTORIAL

Bank Local - Emerald Information Night February 2024 Dandenong Ranges Community Finance Limited’s Community Bank Upwey, Belgrave, and Cockatoo-Gembrook branches, along with the Emerald Agency operated by Emerald Mitre10 Co-operative, are pleased to announce an upcoming community engagement event.

Purpose: Dandenong Ranges Community Finance Limited, the parent company of multiple local branches, is committed to understanding the needs of our community. To facilitate open communication, our Business Development Manager, Andrew Gardner, and the Dandenong Ranges Community Bank team will be hosting a friendly Q&A session at the Emerald Hub. Agenda: The session aims to gather feedback from local residents and business operators while addressing frequently asked questions such as: • What types of products and services does Bendigo Bank provide?

• How much of a deposit do I need to save for a house?

• How is a community bank different from ‘traditional’ banks?

• What services does the Emerald Agency offer in terms of banking?

• How safe is my money?

• How does a community bank reinvest in the local community?

• What are the benefits of banking with a local community bank?

• Can I become a shareholder in my local community bank?

The Djirri Djirri Dance Crew performed traditional dances at the 2016 Belgrave Survival Day. Picture: ON FILE

Survival Day set to return

By Tanya Steele Belgrave Survival Day has announced its annual community event for Sunday 3 March this year.

The annual event celebrates Australian Indigenous People’s survival, culture and heritage and was begun by a small group of hills residents in 2008.

Belgrave Survival Day committee member Andrew Pawley said the theme for this year’s event will take on the theme “Always”.

“It invites everyone to focus on what this means for us all past, present and future,” he said.

2024 is the second year in which the event will take place later in the year and not land on 26 January.

Mr Pawley said the event has moved for a number of reasons based around practicality, suitability and self determination.

“Many First Nations people are on physical, emotional and spiritual overload around January 26,” he said.

“Whilst Sunday 3 March is not a historical date, it is a date in which First Nations and Non-First Nation people can come together to celebrate the continuing importance of First Nations culture.”

The event itself will be open to all and include a traditional smoking ceremony, food and performances throughout the day.

Mr Pawley said that planning for the event is ongoing and that the event has evolved over the years.

“We’ve been through changes with Covid, we’ve had to morph quite a bit in Covid time.

We did an online event where we had a cutdown event with speakers and music,” he said.

“One year we ran a film night event at the Cameo.”

Mr Pawley initially engaged with Belgrave Survival Day as a community member then went on to both volunteer and become part of the committee.

“We get a great many people who are return visitors, it’s the type of event that local people have been able to attend,” he said.

Businesses in the Yarra Ranges have continued to come out this year in support of changing the date by staying open on Australia Day. Burrinja Chief Executive Officer Gareth mailcommunity.com.au

Hart said that in 2023 Burrinja made an active decision to remain open to the public on 26 January.

“We understand that this is a very complex day for many people in the community - particularly with conversations escalating around ‘change the date’ and ‘not a date to celebrate’,” they said.

“In solidarity with our First Nations communities, and after deep consideration, the Burrinja executive team have decided to open the Centre on January 26 moving forward.

“We hope this provides a moment to reflect upon the meaning of this day for the whole community. As always, Burrinja is honoured to open its doors, the centre which resides on Wurundjeri country. We are humbled by the leadership of all First Nations communities.”

Ren Cuttriss, local radio 3MDR’s Engagement Coordinator said 3MDR supports First Nations Peoples in their fight to change the date and acknowledges that 26 January is not a date to celebrate.

“We see ourselves as community allies and are led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and actions in respect to all conversations and events surrounding January 26. As such, 3MDR was open as usual on January 26 and will be attending Belgrave Survival Day on Sunday March 3,” she said.

The Belgrave Survival Day group recently stated via its Facebook group that “Belgrave Survival Day is over 15 years old, which is an amazing achievement in this space, with the conversations being had, the changes being made, the communities being created but still so much work to be done.”

“As Allies, this Community and Event have stood proud, strong, respectfully and with determination - side by side with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community,” the post read.

“The 2024 Committee has many new and energetic people to take the event, the conversation and the commitment to walking in allyship - side by side - with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people forward and be louder, prouder advocates for positive change.”

Belgrave Survival Day will be held on Sunday 3 March at Borthwick Park at 39 Benson Street, Belgrave 3160.

Community Impact: Dandenong Ranges Community Finance Limited is proud to have reinvested $6.6 million into the local area. This includes vital contributions to the Hills Hub building, sponsorships for numerous sporting clubs, support for arts groups like Gemco Players and Emerald Art Society, and assistance to local RSL, Rotary, Emerald SES, and emergency service organizations in Emerald, Clematis, Cockatoo, and Gembrook.

Join Us: Residents and business operators are encouraged to attend this informative session, providing an opportunity to learn more about our banking services, and actively contribute to the betterment of our community.

Dandenong Ranges Community Finance Limited is dedicated to making a positive impact by fostering local connections and addressing the unique needs of our community. We invite you to come along and help us to help you.

Event Details: • Date: 28th February 2024 • Time: 6.00 p.m.

• Location: Hills Hub, 402 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Emerald About Dandenong Ranges Community Finance Limited: Dandenong Ranges Community Finance Limited is a Franchise of Bendigo Bank and operates Community Bank branches in Upwey, Belgrave, and Cockatoo-Gembrook, as well as being the parent branch for the Emerald Agency operated by Emerald Mitre10 Co-operative. The organisation is committed to supporting and reinvesting in the local community.

RSVP - Emerald Information Night Andrew Gardner Business Development Manager mob: 0492 851 417 email: andrewgardner@bendigoadelaide.com.au

Email to RSVP

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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NEWS

Tecoma to hit its 100th

By Tanya Steele 2024 will be the year for a celebration in Tecoma as residents begin to plan centennial events for the township that got its name when the local train station opened.

Celebrating the little pocket of homes between Upwey and Belgrave, a new community group has formed to celebrate the centenary of European residence in the town.

So far dubbed the “Tecoma Centenary Committee” secretary Kim Cinel said the group has begun work to plan several events throughout the year and is keen for more people to join the team.

“It’s about getting the community together, celebrating the centenary and reviving the suburb of Tecoma itself,” she said.

There will be a meeting held this week at Tecoma Uniting Church at 1566 Burwood Hwy, Tecoma on Friday 9 February at 11.30.

All from Tecoma and beyond are welcome to come along.

Kim herself moved to the area five years ago with her family and joined the group recently.

Long time Tecoma resident Barbara along with a fellow friend Anne began the group in August of 2023.

“We wanted to focus on the centenary celebration and get the community together,” she said.

The group want to celebrate the centenary milestone from when the train station was named on December 4 this year and has several other events in mind, including participating in the yearly Belgrave Lantern Festival with a Tecoma themed lantern and a spring event based around the famous ‘floral carpet’.

They are also working closely with the Sherbrooke Foothills Historical Society, Tecoma Primary School and other community groups

Tecoma has a busy strip of highway to contend with in modern times, the centenary group are looking forward to celebrating the town’s milestones.

Picture: TANYA STEELE to celebrate throughout the year.

Yarra Ranges Councillor Johanna Skelton said that council are so excited to see this initiative for events to mark the centenary of the opening of Tecoma’s train station and the Tecoma name being chosen for the town come from committed and passionate community members in the township.

“It is so wonderful that people from the Historical Society, Primary school, Township group, Library, Church and local residents are involved,” she said.

“It is obvious that the spirit of Tecoma is alive and thriving today in this wonderful township.”

Tecoma was thought to originally have been named after a flowering shrub when the railway station opened in December 1924, previously the area was known as Lower Belgrave.

Robert Jungwirth from the Sherbrooke Foothills Historical Society said at the time a local competition was run to name the station.

“The district quickly assumed the name,” he said.

“Tecoma came from the name of a pretty native climbing plant, the Wonga Wonga vine – there was a suggestion that the plant was common in Tecoma but I am not so sure about that.”

The centenary committee group said it would love to extend the invitation to Tecoma residents and the community beyond the township to help with events throughout the year.

“People can come and help with particular events that interest them, then they can optin to what they like and the volunteering itself can be more flexible,” Barbara said.

If people can’t make the meeting the community can also email the committee at tecoma100years@gmail.com or follow along at the group’s “Tecoma Celebrating 100 years” Facebook page at : www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=61556269495298

Knox Fest regenerated and ready for its FTG return An epic program is planned for this year’s Knox Fest, returning to Ferntree Gully in March.

The much-loved free community festival started more than 40 years ago and is the biggest event on the Knox calendar.

Highlights include two stages of music and performances, rides and inflatables, makers markets, a foodie hub, roller skating rink, vintage car show, free kids’ workshops, activities and face painting, roving performers, nighttime projection art and a fireworks finale.

This year’s festival features The Good Food Hub, a market of local foodies with free cooking classes and tastings on offer.

Celebrity chef Lillie Giang aka The Food Affectionist will host cooking demonstrations from 11am-7pm and help kick-start the festival with the Prosperity Toss.

Knox Fest welcomes never-before seen attractions in 2024.

Picture: SUPPLIED “Traditionally in South East Asia, they do it once a year during the New Year festival to unite everybody,” she says.

“It’s this humongous platter of salad and we invite the audience to hold on to their chopsticks and come and toss this beautiful salad to invigorate peace, unity, happiness — all the good wishes under the sun.”

Lillie says she loves appearing at Knox Fest because it’s a free event for everybody where the community can get together and have fun.

For the first time, there will be cooking classes hosted with NDIS participants for people of all abilities.

“Food is the essence of life,” Lillie says.

“It warms people’s bellies, it touches people’s hearts and I think when we’re serving food in such a big open space the aromas, the vibrancy, the happiness draws people in.”

A free roller skating rink with a DJ and giant jukebox will operate throughout the day

and evening.

Roller-in-Chief Tamsin Young says the rink caters for people of all ages.

“I really encourage people to come and give it a go, whether they’re trying it for the first time or they did it 30 years ago,” she says.

“It’s something that people love to do, especially after the past few years where we haven’t had an opportunity to do all of the things we love.

Roller skating has had a resurgence in popularity and people are rediscovering it, to go skating with their kids and have it be a really intergenerational activity.

“There is a delight in the variety of humans that show up for the Knox Festival, it really is a fun festival for everyone.”

A fireworks show, starting about 10pm, will see out the festival for another year.

Enjoy Library Lovers Day

By Gabriella Vukman This February 14, Boronia library is hosting its annual ‘Library Lovers’ event for those in need of some company, whether it is sourced from books or social interaction.

Team Leader at the Boronia library Jess Brown said, “Library lovers day is a day where people can celebrate what they love about the library.”

“For us at the Boronia library, we usually do a display, a bit like ‘fall in love with a book’, it’s not a romantic day between people it’s more between a person and a book.”

“So we’ve got our books that we think people would like to cheer them up and make them feel happy.”

Running all day, everyone is welcome to rock up at any time from 9 -when the library opens, to 5:30pm when the library closes.

Jess said, “I think what the community is getting out of it is the social connection.”

“We get some people who are massive readers who turn up but we also get a lot of people craving social interaction at these events.”

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“With the various needs we meet as a library from study to all kinds of support, I think libraries have definitely gone beyond the book,” Jess said.

There will be a display service set up and open at the library for the day.

“Usually we’ll find that groups of people just come in or individuals come in and a lot will come into the chat but we also like to chat with them as well,” Jess said.

“It becomes more than just a place to borrow a book or to even come to an event -it becomes quite a social workplace.”

“When people do really highlight what they like about the library it does make you feel really good,” Jess said.

Jess’ favourite thing about the library is its affordability, diversity and “when elderly people come and volunteer.”

Jess said, “we’ve got people in their 80s who will come in and do some art with us off their own bat.”

“I love how the library is open to everyone and it is interesting and wonderful that everyone feels comfortable here,” Jess said.

Everyone is welcome to pop on down to Boronia Library for Library Lovers day on Feb 14.

Picture: SUPPLIED mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

ADVERTORIAL

WOMAN IN THE WORKPLACE

Darren Griggs, Alan Bennett, Tom Connolly, John Ruigrok, Roy Whiting, Mark Gearon, Peter Bos, Stuart Allen and Russell Jolley from the Emerald Men’s Shed with members of U3A Emerald.

Picture: SUPPLIED

All welcome Since the closure of the Hills She Shed, the Emerald Men’s Shed Incorporated (EMS) has had several enquiries from women asking what woodworking options are available for them.

To this end the EMS is opening a community group which will meet on Wednesdays between 9am and 4pm. Other sessions may follow at a later date as the need arises.

The community group is available to all people over the age of 18 years. It is designed as a self-paced learn-as-you-go group and not a structured learning activity.

Participants can learn to safely use hand and power tools and woodworking machinery, with other skills introduced as required.

Attendees can also learn to undertake basic maintenance around the home, including jobs such as changing a tap washer and fix a sticking door or window. It is also possible to make projects of your own design using

your own materials.

Some current members of the men’s shed are expected to attend the community group day and will be willing to assist when needed.

To cover legalities/insurance, members of the community group will become part of the Emerald Men’s Shed, at a membership cost of $50 per year. This cost does not include any materials used by any members wanting to make their own projects.

Enrolments open on Wednesday 7 February. As numbers are limited, with a limit of six spots in each session, people are encouraged to enrol early. The group is expected to start on Wednesday 28 February 2024. For further information, contact the Emerald Men’s Shed on 0490 851 835 or email mensshedemerald@ gmail.com. You can also visit the Hills Community Hub at 402A Belgrave-Gembrook Road in Emerald to see the men’s shed in person.

Rope team to the rescue Every callout is different for Monbulk Fire Brigade’s steep angle rope team.

Called District 13 Rope Rescue Team – which also includes members from Wandin brigade – these highly-trained volunteers at times travel up to 150 kilometres away to rescue people from cars, mountains, disused mines and even internal staircases.

“If there’s a hill you can drive off or fall off, we’ve probably been there at some point over the past 20 years,” Monbulk Fire Brigade Captain Simon Schroder said.

“We often get called out to a job described as a high-angle rescue, but it might not be what we expect when we arrive. People vary considerably in their ability to judge distances and slopes.

“A rescue needs a team of about eight or nine people, so we rely on Wandin and partner agencies to put a team together. We work and train closely with Alexandra and Marysville SES units.”

Monbulk brigade’s specialists have been operating since around 2003 and there are currently three high-angle operators and 11 steep-angle rope operators. So, what’s the difference? “A steep-angle rescue is anything up to 60 degrees of slope, and a highangle rescue is between 60 and 90 degrees,” Simon explained.

Maintaining and improving rescue skills is obviously crucial for Simon and his team.

“We train in rope rescue about every six weeks while also maintaining skills in our other areas of response – road rescue, wildfire and structures fires. We also take part in inter-agency training. For example, Wandin brigade recently sent two members to train with Marysville SES on steep-angle rope scenarios on Lake Mountain in the snowcovered toboggan runs.”

Also, three Monbulk brigade members recently qualified as high-angle operators in a joint training course with VICSES. “The past 12 months have been busy and it’s definitely getting busier,” Simon said. “We usually average about 25 to 30 calls per year, but we recently carried out seven rescues with ropes in just one month.

“As we’re a road accident rescue team, you may think we mostly rescue people from cars, but the majority of our jobs don’t involve cars. We help many hikers in Cathe-

District 13’s specialist rope rescue team.

Picture: MONBULK FIRE BRIGADE dral Range State Park near Buxton, where there are a lot of vertical rock faces. Rescues here are generally prolonged affairs, a long hike in and out carrying the heavy packs of gear. Many of these jobs can be 10 to 12 hours. Occasionally, paramedics have had to camp for the night with patients we’ve rescued and get airlifted in the morning because of low visibility and night settling in.”

Given the terrain, it’s virtually impossible to get people out, so the rope rescue team gets them to the top of the cliff or a suitable clearing and a helicopter then takes them to hospital. “In the past year we’ve also rescued people in various locations around District 13 including Healesville, Yarra Glen, Gembrook and closer to home at Menzies Creek. We’ve rescued people and dogs who have fallen at quarries and disused mine shafts. We even rescued a man who fell off a tall ladder inside a house.

The stairway was very narrow, so we had to carry out a rope rescue.”

Being a road accident and steep-angle rescue brigade, they see a lot of trauma that can impact the members. “We have good access to peer support and most calls also have a roadside debrief where we discuss the issues. It’s an opportunity to talk about the incident and how we can do better. Major incidents, which often involve multiple agencies, can have an after-action review.”

Agpower – the agricultural machinery specialist of the Yarra Valley is proud and excited to extend our workforce with the addition of Joni Grundy to our service department.

Joni has relocated from Echuca to Lilydale to continue her apprenticeship to become a qualified Agricultural Diesel Technician. Currently in her last year of a four-year apprenticeship of which she has already won “apprentice of the year” in her first year of schooling, Joni leaves behind 2 sisters and a brother while she pursues her ambition in the mechanical trade.

Enjoying 4WD and camping along with making new friends in the big smoke, we welcome Joni as part of the Agpower family.

administrator, field service coordinator and receptionist along with support in our service & spare parts department.

Sharon Keeling is our accounts manager. Another long serving (13 years) valued employee, Sharon brings a wealth of experience to our team and keeps us all on our toes.

Many of our customers have had the pleasure of dealing with Sharon and know how accommodating she is and no problem is too big.

Our showroom receptionist/ administrator is Vivien Anthony. Vivien joined our team way back in 2012 and along with all the other ladies make it a pleasure to come to work and be exposed to caring and thoughtful

Wendy Oldham from our spare parts department is now enjoying her fifth year as a spare parts interpreter.

Originally from a New Holland dealer in Warracknabeal from the Wimmera region, Wendy is very accomplished and knowledgeable as she continues to serve our customers with the friendly and smiling face they have come to know.

employees like herself.

The mother & daughter duo of our Agpower staff is Anita Tonkin (5 years’ service) and Rachel Tonkin.

Anita a fully qualified technician is responsible for the administration/ reception of our service department along with supporting our accounts department. Rachel who returned to Agpower after a short stint in the tree management sector is our warranty

mechanical workshop environment

Last but not least is Dakota Floberg, Dakota spent several weeks with us last year in our service department and is returning in 2024 to commence a schoolbased apprenticeship as a Diesel technician. We look forward to Dakota strengthening our “woman in the workplace” level, especially in the which has been lacking for female presence for a long time.

Please support all of our female employees when dealing with Agpower and be as proud as us for all of their achievements.

Brendan O’Donnell General Manager.

465 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale

9739 5006 www.agpower.com.au 12666118-AV07-24

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NEWS

‘Never too late to dream’

By Tyler Wright Two local aged care residents are living life to the fullest in 2024, with a first-time tattoo and a 100th birthday on the roster for the pair.

It was Emerald Glades resident Gillian Murphy’s love of hedgehogs that inspired her first ever tattoo at at 83 years of age.

“I’m English and we used to have hedgehogs in the back garden coming up for a source of milk, and I’ve always liked hedgehogs,” Gillian said.

“I’ve collected them as I travel around...and I don’t know why I decided to have a tattoo of one; it just happened.”

Social Support Coordinator at Lifeview Emerald Glades, Marc Zywaczewski, took Gillian to a local parlour for the experience as part of the Lifeview Aged Care’s Magic Moments program; which ticks off bucket list items for residents.

“Gill just had a quick thought, ‘I’d like a tattoo,’ and I’m like ‘great, let’s do it,’” Marc said.

“I started googling pictures on the spot and then within a couple of days we found one that we liked, and then I just googled ‘Emerald tattooist’ to see what was around and happened to find one in Emerald.”

Gillian said the process was surprisingly “very painless”.

“I thought it would be painful, but I didn’t feel a thing,” she said.

“I’m very glad I did it. It’s not interfering with my life at all, except for interviews like this.”

She may even take the opportunity to get more ink; next time a Union Jack to represent her country of origin.

“The tattoo itself is very, very nice, very small, very neat, and I give her a kiss every day.”

Marc said it is “never too late to dream”.

“It’s really cool for me to be able to fulfil excitement and purpose and meaning in their lives,” he said.

“It’s something that we should never ever lose no matter how old we are or where we find ourselves in life.

“I love being able to create the extraordinary for them; that it’s never too late to create the extraordinary.”

Celebrating another milestone just doors down from Gillian in the same complex is centenarian Shirley Finnott; who turned 100 years old on Friday 2 February.

“I was actually born in South Yarra, I grew up in Carnegie,” Shirley said. “[I] went to Carnegie primary school, and then I was brought up by the repatriation because I lost my father when I was five and we didn’t go to the ordinary state schools; we went to what they call the repatriation class.

“I went through the school there and then they advised you to take the trade, so I took dressmaking.”

Shirley’s job as a dressmaker at Mutual Store on Flinders Street, helping dress who she called “the ladies of Melbourne”.

“They’d come in and stand in front of the mirror, and they’d have to show me what they wanted done, and I’d pin it, and then take it away to the workshop, and we’d do whatever they wanted,” Shirley said.

“In those days, the sales girls had long black frocks on.”

Falling ill, Shirley would leave her favourite job as a dressmaker, but would continue working throughout her life; eventually adopting two girls with her husband.

“I got married and we lived in East Bentleigh, my husband suffered with dementia and I nursed him for 15 years, then I got cancer of the bladder and I had to finish up in hospital,” she said.

“My husband kept saying to the girls at home, ‘where’s the woman that looked after me?’ [they said] ‘the woman that looked after

you was your wife, she’s in hospital at the moment, but she’ll be coming back,’ which I did eventually get back.

“I haemorrhaged on the theatre table...and then they had to make up their minds with they’re going to go in again to the op or give me radiotherapy; I had radiotherapy.”

Sick due to the after effects of treatment, Shirley’s husband passed away with her finding herself on her own in a big home.

It was three years ago Shirley made the move to Emerald, where one of her daughters lives, and has been here ever since.

It has become a mission of hers to turn 100, with celebrations at her residence and a visit from Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino to mark the occasion.

“It came quickly, and I just kept saying ‘I hope I can make it,” Shirley said.

She will also have a celebration with family and friends at the Emerald RSL on Saturday 3 February.

“We were brought up differently to what they’re brought up today... we sat down, we had our three meals a day, and we went to our school, or we went to our work,” she said.

“We bussed or we walked it, or we trained it, and I never got a car until I was 41, [I got a] license when I was 41.”

Shirley’s advice to the younger generation is quite simple.

“Work hard, eat their food properly, and eat enough,” he said.

“Just be good and caring, and try and live at home with mum and dad as long as you can.”

For Shirley, the secret to living such a long life is “in the genes”.

“Everyone along the way, when I was about in my 90s, went into hospital, they’d say ‘what’s the secret?’ I’d say ‘there’s no secret, it’s in my genes,’” she said.

Shirley Finnott celebrating her 100th birthday.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Social Support Coordinator at Lifeview Emerald Glades, Marc Zywaczewski (left) said it’s “never too late to dream”.

We’re building big near you and there will be transport disruptions As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings, with 74 already gone. We’re also easing congestion by building better roads and bridges across our suburbs.

Road disruptions: Closed roads and lanes At the level crossing

Until Apr

On sections of the line

Bedford Road, Ringwood

Until Apr

Belgrave Line

Until spring 2024

Croydon Station closed

Burwood Highway, Ferntree Gully

Until mid-Feb

Lilydale Line

Lanes closed at times between Lightwood Drive and Burke Road Clyde Street, McMahons Road and Burke Road closed at times

MTIA10341

Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions and station closed

Check before you travel at bigbuild.vic.gov.au Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne 12666137-JC06-24

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NEWS

Australia-wide charity ride will give people flying start

By Tyler Wright An English cyclist is set to kick off a long trek from Mount Dandenong this month as he raises money to help support disadvantaged young people across the world.

John Reed, a baggage handler for British Airways, will set off on Saturday 17 February on a solo, unsupported long bicycle ride around Australia, beginning and ending at SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, to raise funds for the Flying Start Charity.

“I’ll be covering all the extremities of mainland Australia, and they’ll be heading at the east coast towards Sydney, and I’ll be calling in at Cape Byron, then heading past Canberra to Cape York north tip, which is the top end of Australia, and I’ll be going largely around the Gulf of Carpentaria to Darwin,” Mr Reed said.

“I’m going to try to call in at Kalumburu; that’s the northernmost tip of WA, and then I’ll be heading down past Carnarvon to Steep Point, which [is the] westernmost tip of Australia, and then I’ll be heading down to Perth.

“I’ll be going along the Munda Biddi Trail, which is a cycling trail from Mundaring just west of Perth down to Albany. It’s a traffic free cycling route...then I’ll be heading down from Albany, I’ll be heading along the Nullarbor towards Adelaide, and through Melbourne, back to SkyHigh.”

It is not the first time Mr Reed has ridden for charity; cycling from John o’Groats in Scotland to Nice in France via Land’s End, London, Paris and Geneva, to raise funds for charity A21 in support of fighting human trafficking.

“I work for British Airways, and Flying Start is British Airways’ charity to help disadvantaged children around the world to all the places where they fly out,” Mr Reed said.

“So far, they’ve raised over £20 million for disadvantaged children around the world.”

A planned ride across France in 2019 for Flying Start - a partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief tackling poverty - was cut short for Mr Reed due to the pan-

Englishman John Reed is set to cycle around Australia to raise funds for British Airways’ Flying Start Charity. demic and theft.

Brexit also meant he did not venture back to France; choosing Australia as his destination of choice instead.

“I’ve been saving, working a ton of overtime, and saving a ton of money to be able to afford the ride,” he said.

“I went to Perth and Melbourne in February, and stayed for two weeks at both places...

I fell in love with the place instantly.”

To prepare for the ride that will take him almost nine months, and span about 19,000 kilometres, Mr Reed is ensuring he has relevant spares to take on the ride, including a tyre, tubes, spokes, a puncture repair kit and first aid kit.

“I’m both excited and nervous, and apprehensive,” he said.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Picture: SUPPLIED

“I’m getting my distances to between 80 to 100 kilometres a day, so I can enjoy the ride and meet people and just chat. I really want to taste the coffee and smell the roses, as it were.”

To support Mr Reed on his journey, and donate to Flying Start, visit bacommunityfund.co.uk/p/johnreedsbikeridearoundaustralia

Stepping up to challenges

By Gabriella Vukman Ron Tiesler, 81, still walks the thousand steps and Covid, ageing and weather patterns aren’t going to stop him.

Residing in the Ranges area, Ron’s thousand steps journey began with an unusual start when he was in his early 50s.

“I used to work for the federal government for the department of employment and youth affairs and at one stage I was actually manager of the employment service in Boronia,” Ron said.

“Eventually I decided to leave the public service after 30 years sitting behind a desk and at my little afternoon sendoff, one of the young employees of mine walked up to me and said: ‘Ron, now you’re retiring, you should do something you’ve always wanted to do’.”

“For whatever unknown reason I just flunked out something ridiculous and said: ‘Yeah, I should go to Mount Everest.’”

Little did Ron know, but this spur of the moment statement was to change his life.

“That very Christmas, I bought myself a pair of boots, a pack and a jacket and I started training on the thousand steps,” Ron said.

“Fifteen months later I was at Mt Everest base camp at 57 years of age, after 30 years behind a desk.”

Not only did Ron hike to Everest Base camp but he also continued the extra thousand feet to the top of the Kala Patthar peak where, on average only 50 per cent of people make it to the summit.

Ron describes Everest base camp as “beautiful” with the “snowy peaks towering up into the sky”, making for “ absolutely amazing scenery.”

“While sunny during the day, it got down to minus 20 degrees in the tent overnight.”

While Ron did not experience any fallmailcommunity.com.au

Local 81-year-old Ron Tiesler still summits the thousand steps. ing outs with abominable snowmen, he does claim to have “almost been trampled by some marauding yaks.”

“The milestone I am most proud of is my second hike up to Everest Base camp in 1999, aged 57,” he said.

“I encountered only one other person over 50 on my journey to Everest base camp.

Utilising the thousand steps as his training ground for Everest base camp, though originally a short term goal, has become a essential part of Ron’s life.

“I actually went back again to Everest base camp when I was 59 and the thousand steps was a very important part of that for me to get fit and stay fit,” Ron said.

“I even used to go up to the thousand steps in the middle of the night.

“I’d come home from work, grab my boots

and a little headlight and head off at nine o’clock that night in the dark and do the thousand steps up and back and I would do it two or three times a week and had some interesting adventures along the way.”

Walking the thousand steps multiple times per week entailed chats with others, who were later to summit Everest as well as nighttime encounters with a savage Powerful Owl, drunken youths and an unlucky mountain biker who crashed and broke his collarbone.

Ron’s fitness journey hasn’t stopped with him either.

“I introduced my grandchildren to the thousand steps and they’re now fitness and health enthusiasts and it’s been quite a journey,” Ron said.

Living adjacent to the Dandenongs is a highlight for Ron. “Living in the Ranges area is wonderful. It’s

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS peaceful and there is a friendly community and helpful neighbours,” Ron said.

Since his Everest endeavours, Ron has trekked the New Zealand Alps three times and frequented the Tasmanian trekking scene more times than he can count.

“I also worked on the Snowy Mountains Scheme which included some seriously long steep bush-bashing and route finding from Upper Geehi Valley to the flanks of Kosciuszko,” Ron said.

All it took was one nonchalant remark for Ron to go from 37 years behind a desk to hiking to the Everest base camp and scaling surrounding peaks, changing his life forever.

For Ron, the key to staying fit and healthy at his age is walking.

“Walking is the best medicine in the world,” Ron said.

Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Key to connection: Expect to hear tinkling in Ranges

By Mikayla van Loon When walking down parts of some of the Yarra Ranges main streets, the sound of a piano may ring out in a musical tune.

Launched on Saturday 3 February in Healesville, the Community Keys Project has placed six pianos in the heart of townships across the shire, inviting passersby to test out their skills.

Placed in Healesville, Yarra Glen, Mooroolbark, Monbulk, Lilydale and Belgrave, the pianos were salvaged by ABC Piano Removals and donated to project organiser Beth Williams.

Having grown up around music and instruments, as well as now being a music therapist, Ms Williams wanted to bring some of the same joy she had as a child to the streets of Yarra Ranges.

“I just wanted to make really lovely old acoustic instruments available in public spaces, to see if it generates people’s interest in playing and getting together to build community around those instruments because it’s something they’ve been used for in the past,” she said.

“Sharing those little moments and even playing or singing together, it’s just a lovely way of making connections with people that you wouldn’t normally have.”

The pianos will be installed from February to May for people to play as they please, as well as being included in special events and festivals, providing an opportunity for musicians to showcase their talent.

“In some of the sites, we’re hoping to create Saturday market busking rosters, so people

The Community Keys Project launch happened at the Healesville location outside The Memo on Saturday 3 February.

Picture: SUPPLED can opt in to play the piano at different time slots,” Ms Williams said.

“Say in Monbulk, there’s a market between 10am and 1pm on a Saturday morning, we’re hoping to build a really secure relationship with performing people in that town.”

Increasing performance opportunities, particularly for young people, was a key element of the project design.

“As broader aspirations for the project, we’re really hoping to create new performance opportunities and new performance connections between people. “[But] we’re hoping to encourage people who’ve never touched instruments before, to have that opportunity of having a go and realising it’s not so inaccessible and I guess, accessibility for all kinds of people from different walks of life and with different abilities.”

Through the creation of the project it became apparent to Ms Williams that not many state schools offer piano lessons or even have a piano teacher, something she said was an “absolute tragedy”.

Ms Williams said music therapy was also something she wanted to embed in the project, knowing the benefits for mental health.

“From a music therapy perspective, research shows that having agency and playing something, or being interactive with things gives people positive self identity and agency and control over their environment, even if they don’t have control in all aspects of their life,” she said.

“So it’s really quite good for your health, to have those opportunities and also, connecting with other people is also really good for mental health. It’s really a good positive

mental health project.”

Research from a survey will help Ms Williams better understand how this project may have benefited people or the interaction they had with the piano.

Although knowing the potential negatives that comes with placing an object in a public place, Ms Williams said she hopes the communities will respect and treat the pianos with care.

Volunteers will also frequent the locations to undertake risk assessments, any damage and provide a paper survey to people who may be unable to use the digital version.

“We’ve tried to choose streetscapes with as high as possible foot traffic. But also, we’ve tried to choose sites that aren’t necessarily art based sites to engage and create new arts engagement opportunities.

“So we haven’t put them at the museums and the gallery so much as in really public places that will engage the broadest range of community members.”

While funding from Yarra Ranges Council has only enabled the project to be established in the current town, Ms Williams said should she be able to gain funding from other streams, she’s interested in broadening the project to other townships in the Yarra Ranges.

“Also, each location that’s had a piano installed is eligible to apply to have the piano more long term, if we can find a sustainable model of maintenance for pianos.”

But for now, play, listen and connect and use the hashtag community_keys to post to social media to grow a network of musicians.

Look what Cat dragged in

By Tyler Wright Growing up in a creative household allowed Yarra Ranges based illustrator Cat MacInnes to foster her love and interest in art.

“I was lucky in that way that I was brought up in a really creative household where I was actually encouraged to focus on art,” MacInnes said.

“My dad was an artist and mum was a ceramics teacher, so we were just surrounded by art books and mum and dad encouraging me to draw and everything.”

Wanting to be a fine artist, MacInnes went on to study graphic design at university in hopes it would provide her with more business opportunity, but said graphics did not “come naturally”.

“Doing typography and layout and things like that, I always just went back to drawing and painting,” she said.

“I was awarded a study grant at uni at Swinburne, you need to go and study in South Korea at the Fine Art College and that’s where I got into, that’s where I got into my internship, and that’s where I realised I just wanted to focus on illustration rather than graphics and logo design.”

Since arriving back in Australia and graduating in 2004 with a focus on illustrating and painting, MacInnes has been painting works for companies including job search engine Seek.

Recently, her work was featured on a series of greeting cards launched by Australia Post, among seven other ‘home-grown’ artists and inspired by Australian landscapes and botanicals.

MacInnes drew the eastern quoll, the honey eater and a turtle to highlight endangered native animals, as well as floral works set to be developed into a wrapping paper design.

More than 450 post offices nationwide are set to stock the cards.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to do some work with Australia Post, so that was really exciting” she said. “[I] went into Australia Post and saw them all there with all the other designers’ cards; It was a real thrill. for me, It was definitely a major career highlight for me.”

Another milestone in MacInnes’s career is her role in the Australian Centre for the Mov12 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

Ferntree Gully based Cat MacInnes was part of the ACMI Goddess exhibition. 386368 ing Image (ACMI)’s Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion exhibition; with her drawings of pioneering women including Marilyn Monroe, Geena Davis and Michelle Yeoh in an exclusive collection of prints and postcards for the exhibition which celebrated the women and gender-transcending figures who made an impact on and off screens.

“It felt really cathartic and empowering working on the Goddess range. Since I was a child, I’ve been aware of the double standards for men and women and the fight that women have to make for equality or just to be heard.

And to celebrate these women for what they stand for and what they’ve fought for, not only their creative achievements, felt really good.

“It’s hard to pick a favourite of the portraits, but I think my portrait of Mae West is definitely a favourite. I didn’t labour over it too much, and I think I captured her pretty well.

She was a pioneer for women who dared to be sexy and sassy and own it, with no shame around it.”

“When I shared the job on Instagram, Geena Davis ‘loved’ and shared my portrait on her page, which was a major thrill!” MacInnes said.

“I brought my mum and my two daughters to see the show and it was really exciting for the kids to see my work up there and in my name on it.

“I still get a real thrill whenever I see a printed book or my work up in a gallery or in the mural or out in the wild; it’s really exciting, and a friend might see a card or they’ll buy a poster at ACMI and they’ll send me a photo; I love that, it makes me really happy.”

MacInnes said a “huge dream” of hers would be to one day design a stamp for Australia Post. “I love the idea of a tiny work of art

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS being sent around the country (or world) on a little adventure!” she saod Closer to home, it is her surrounds in her home town of Ferntree Gully that also help inspire her work.

“Sometimes when I’m walking the dog or walking up in the mountains just behind our house I actually stop and take photos of plants and little flowers and creatures that I see just to get the urge to draw,” she said.

“I am really inspired just living in the hills and being surrounded by nature.”

To keep updated on MacInnes’s projects and works, you can visit her Instagram at the handle catmacinnes.

Her prints from Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion can be viewed and purchased at shop.acmi.net.au/collections/cat-macinnesx-acmi mailcommunity.com.au

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Call out for your dramas

By Gabriella Vukman In preparation for their July season, applications for the 1812 community theatre’s ‘Board Shorts’ segment are now open.

‘Board Shorts’, is a show consisting of a series of short works written by members of the local community.

These short works are selected from a range of applications and anyone is welcome to submit their work.

“Board Shorts is an opportunity for adult writers from the Ferntree Gully community to write their own short plays and then have them produced and see them on stage,” Head of Centre Stage Youth Theatre, Danielle said.

“Every year we put out a call for plays. They have to be about 10 minutes long and can be about anything as long as they are family friendly and have appropriate language.

“We usually ask that they not have too complicated a set or tech or costuming requirements and the reason for that is that we get all the kids to organise that themselves so that they get some insight into how all of that runs.”

As part of a slightly newer establishment, a spin off show for youth playwrights titled ‘Short Shorts’ successfully took place last week.

“I run the youth theatre at 1812 and we love the idea of people being able to write their own plays,” Danielle said.

“We produce the ‘Short Shorts’ show every year for younger actors between 14 and 25.

Tickets for the Short Shorts show sold quickly, rendering it a success.

Danielle said on behalf of the youth team, “we’re so incredibly proud of the cast and crew for the show that they have created.”

“Whilst we feel like we are able to teach

Application’s for 1812 Community Theatre’s ‘Short Shorts’ show are now open.

Picture: DANIELLE PAYET these youth a lot about acting from our main season, we like the idea of giving them the opportunity to write, direct and do the backstage, tech as well as the other things that come along with theatre.

“We want to broaden the offering we are

bringing to the youth theatre community so we organised something really similar to board shorts which is short shorts,” Danielle said.

Applications for the Board Shorts segment close 19 April.

“We usually get a few submissions, we’ll

read through them and we’ll select between six and eight plays and we offer the writers first choice of directing if they would like to.

“If writers don’t want to direct their own works, we then put out an expression of interest for directors and select a director based on who is interested,” Danielle said.

“We say to our writers that once they’ve handed over their play to a director, that is now the director’s creative vision.”

The 1812 Theatre is also happy to receive and read through drafts or unfinished works and provide feedback.

Damielle said, “a lot of our applicants have never written anything before.”

“People can write about anything that inspires them.”

Providing an opportunity for playwrights to submit their work generates different avenues for those who start with the community theatre company as actors.

“The Board Shorts and Short Shorts segments offer an opportunity to direct on the main stage later on,” Danielle said.

“The programs also foster a bit of cross communication between the youth theatre and older theatre.”

All are welcome to come and watch the shows and be involved.

“We would love to have more people writing for us and our submissions are open all year,” Danielle said.

“We have an email address where people can submit whenever they want to so if inspiration strikes randomly throughout the year it’s open and it would be great to see some new faces.”

To apply, visit the 1812 website at: 1812theatre.com.au/event/boardshorts_submissions2024/

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MAIL 13

SENIORS LIVING

Reducing dementia risk Computer use, crosswords and games like chess are more strongly associated with older people avoiding dementia than knitting, painting or socialising, a Monash University study has found.

Published in JAMA Network Open in 2023, the findings - some of the most robust on this topic to date - may help older individuals and aged care professionals plan more targeted approaches to reducing dementia risk.

Researchers drew data from 10,318 Australians aged 70 and older participating in the ASPREE* project and the ALSOP (ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons) sub-study.

They found that participants who routinely engaged in adult literacy and mental acuity tasks such as education classes, keeping journals, and doing crosswords were 9-11 per cent less likely to develop dementia than their peers.

Creative hobbies like crafting, knitting and painting, and more passive activities like reading reduced the risk by 7 per cent. In contrast, the size of someone’s social network and the frequency of external outings to the cinema or restaurant were not associated with dementia risk reduction.

The results remained statistically significant even when adjusted for earlier education level, and socioeconomic status. No significant variations were found between men and women.

In 2022, 55 million people globally lived with dementia, with 10 million new cases each year.

Senior author Associate Professor Joanne Ryan, from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said identifying strategies to prevent or delay dementia was a huge global priority.

“We had a unique opportunity to close a gap in knowledge by investigating a broad range of lifestyle enrichment activities that older adults

Picture: ALEXANDRA LOWENTHAL ON UNSPLASH often undertake, and assess which of those were most strongly aligned with avoiding dementia,” Associate Professor Ryan said.

“I think what our results tell us is that active manipulation of previously stored knowledge may play a greater role in dementia risk reduction than more passive recreational activities.

Keeping the mind active and challenged may be particularly important.”

The leisure activities assessed encompassed: Adult literacy activities such as adult educa-

·

· · · · ·

tion classes, using computers, keeping a journal Mental acuity tasks like completing quizzes and crosswords, playing cards/chess Creative hobbies like woodworking, knitting or painting More passive activities like keeping up with the news, reading or listening to music Social network activities like meeting and interacting with friends Planned excursions such as going to a restau-

rant, museum or the cinema.

Associate Professor Ryan said the results did not rule out that those naturally drawn to the types of leisure activities linked to cognitive health also had specific personality traits that were otherwise beneficial, or they may generally have had better health behaviours.

“While engaging in literacy and mental acuity activities may not be a magic pill to avoid dementia, if that was your goal and you had to choose, our research certainly suggests these are the activities most likely to support prolonged good cognitive health,” she said.

Associate Professor Ryan said social connection may also still be quite important to cognitive health and mental wellbeing, even though it did not show a clear link with dementia risk in the study.

“The participants were cognitively healthy, and were likely already leading socially active lives, such that the cognitive benefits of strong social networks may be less obvious in this group compared to the general public,” she said.

About ASPREE* ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) is a two-phase research project conducted in Australia and the USA, comprising a completed clinical aspirin trial and an ongoing follow-up longitudinal study, ASPREE-XT. ASPREE participants were mostly aged over 70 and without dementia, severe physical disability or known cardiovascular disease at enrolment into the trial. ALSOP is an ASPREE substudy consisting of a series of questionnaires about aspects of social and medical health.

Participants in this analysis reported leisure activities in ALSOP within 12 months of enrolment into the ASPREE trial, and underwent standardised cognitive measures over a 10year period.

lifestyle meridian 12663846-AA06-24

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SENIORS LIVING

Living is the priority for Lifestyle Communities.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Celebrate freedom with Lifestyle Communities.

Celebrate life unlimited At Lifestyle Communities we believe in life without restrictions. One with the freedom to do the things you love, and the confidence to be whoever you want to be. Where every new day is a fresh opportunity.

It’s a philosophy that rings true, in our best-in-class homes and clubhouses. Whether you’re working, semi-retired or retired, come and join a community where Life is Unlimited.

Join in on pickleball, croquet, yoga, arts and crafts, woodworking, bowls and swimming.

There are also happy hours, guest speakers, musical entertainment and much more.

Plus, you’ll have loads of new friends to enjoy all of this with and a beautiful home to live in. The community is thoughtfully planned and designed making it easy to get around and enjoy.

Lifestyle Communities promotes a lifestyle that emphasizes freedom. The choice to do your thing, your way.

Live independently whilst also enjoying a vibrant social life and a variety of recreational activities.

Buying a home at Lifestyle Communities means embracing a life where your horizons are boundless. With a host of activities and an

abundance of new friendships waiting for you, your days will be filled with excitement and companionship.

Here, you are not just living, you are thriving, and it’s a testament to the limitless possibilities of a life unencumbered by restrictions.

Come and experience the freedom to be you, every day, in your new home at Lifestyle Communities.

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MAIL 15

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

Meet and mingle with friends in the community centre.

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 pro-

Pictures: SUPPLIED

vides a seamless 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. In celebration of our journey and the

Enjoy some quite time with a book from the extensive library collection. joy of vibrant retirement living, we invite you to explore Lilydale Valley Views. Come and witness firsthand the beauty of terrace living, stunning views, and the warm embrace of a community that defines the essence of retirement living.

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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Enjoy the Community & the Facilities

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SENIORS LIVING

Come for a tour of Armstrong Green.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

The bowls summer series has proved popular.

RCA Village bowls action The newly completed bowling green at RCA Village’s newest retirement community in Armstrong Creek will be the venue for a social summer series bowling event, celebrating the launch of the village’s bowling club.

Armstrong Green, which is home to almost 120 active and independent retirees, is in its final stages of construction.

The bowling green sits adjacent to the luxurious clubhouse which offers an indoor lap pool, spa, cafe and bar as well as pampering room and manager’s office.

“Bowling is an important part of village life,” said Village manager, Kerry Rentsch.

“Many of our residents were already seasoned bowlers, and these folk are generally eager to share their experience and help build a thriving bowling community within the village.

“Apart from the obvious social and competitive aspects of the game, lawn bowls can help build better fitness and dexterity, so there are lots of benefits.”

During the summer series, Armstrong

Green residents, along with members of bowling clubs from the surrounding areas will get together and try their hand at winning cash and prizes while enjoying the magnificent facilities at Armstrong Green. The first of the series kicked off in December under sunny skies.

Many participants were bowling for the first time, while other more experienced bowlers were there to show them the ropes.

For those considering retirement living, Ms Rentsch recommends taking a tour of the village.

“You can meet the residents, inspect the display homes and the clubhouse and discover all that village life has to offer. RCA hosts monthly free events which are an ideal way to enjoy some hospitality and get to know the village.”

Armstrong Green is open for tours seven days (excluding public holidays) between 9am and 4pm. To book a tour or register for a free event call the friendly team on free call 1800 777 898.

Make the most of your retirement...

ON THE COAST.

12666942-JB06-24

“We followed the kids down the Surf Coast after our friends told us about Armstrong Green. To our surprise, over a quarter of the community in our beautiful new village also came from the Eastern suburbs.

So join us in 2024.”

722-742 Barwon Heads Road, Armstrong Creek mailcommunity.com.au

armstronggreen.com.au Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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Availability and pricing correct as of 31.1.2024

Call Jodie and Linda on 1800 777 898 to book a tour or scan the QR code to learn more about our $25k Cashback Offer* on the boutique Duneed Villa, already built from $660K.

MAIL 17

MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Paul and Danni. 270917

Pictures: ON FILE

Danni helping a customer. 270917

Enjoy some local expertise Mountain Gate Eyecare has been an established family-owned business for over 40 years.

As a local independent optometrist, they are proud to be a loyal healthcare provider for their local community.

Being one of four generations in the local area, the owners Danni and Paul are fully qualified Opticians and Technicians, who have dedicated their careers to the optical industry for over 30 years.

In their practice they have become familiar with each individual patient, in order to customise eye exams and treatment options, always ensuring every visit is welcomed with a vibrant, warm, positive experience.

All their frames are hand-selected from high fashion frames to a range of products to cater for all budgets.

They offer spectacles to DVA patients and also safety spectacles if required.

Mountain Gate Eyecare’s onsite lab

uniquely offers faster returns for urgent spectacles and is there to help with any on-thespot repairs.

Their practice is easily accessed straight from a carpark to their door also enabling wheelchair access.

Mountain Gate Eyecare offer Medicare bulk billing, which includes free retinal photography.

Their optometrist offers a full range of eye health services, all with personalised atten-

tion to maximise your vision and the health of your eyes.

Mountain Gate Eyecare optometrist Edward has high expertise and is therapeutically endorsed, allowing a more thorough consultation enabling him to treat and diagnose a wide range of eye conditions, such as glaucoma, dry eyes, and cataracts just to name a few.

Mountain Gate Eyecare look forward to proudly servicing your eye care needs.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD YOUR EYES CHECKED? – MEDICARE BULK BILLED EYE EXAMS – EXTENSIVE RANGE OF FRAMES FOR EVERY BUDGET – LATEST IN LENS TECHNOLOGY

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MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Fresh faces at Dr Dan’s At Dr Dan’s Medical Clinic, we strive to provide healthcare that focuses on the whole person.

Established over four years ago with a vision for innovation, community engagement, and wellbeing enhancement, our principal practitioner, Dr. Dan Jeyaseelan has been a dedicated presence in the Monbulk community since 2009.

His sincere passion for the community and for providing high quality affordable and accessible health care led him to establish his own practice. At Dr Dan’s Medical Clinic, our commitment goes beyond medical care — we’re here to empower the community and contribute to a healthier, happier patient with positive outcomes.

After a period of being unable to accept new patients, we are thrilled to now be able to welcome new patients to our clinic once again! We are excited to announce a significant expansion with the addition of two new exceptional doctors, Dr. Clare Browne, and Dr. James Caddle, to our team, as well as welcoming back Dr Kalen Winters from Maternity leave. All three doctors are now open for new patient bookings.

Meet Our New Practitioners: Dr Clare Browne: Originally from Tasmania, Clare graduated in 2018 from the University of Melbourne. With diverse experience in various medical disciplines, she started GP training in 2023 and is excited to join Dr. Dan’s Medical Clinic in Monbulk in 2024.

Clare is passionate about Aged Care, Palliative Care, and Chronic Disease Management.

She completed the Sydney Child Health Program in 2022, emphasizing her commitment to holistic, patient-centred care.

Beyond work, Clare enjoys hiking, squash, baking, and spending time with family and friends. Stay tuned for appointment availability – Clare looks forward to caring for you!

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Dr Kalen Winters has returned to the clinic after some time off.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Minor fees may apply to specific procedures.

A warm welcome back to Dr Kalen Winters: Dr Kalen is very excited to be returning to our clinic after taking some time off to spend with her new family.

Dr Kalen covers all general practice services with special interest in women’s health; completing a Certificate of Women’s Health in 2022 to further extend her knowledge base. Dr Winters also has a keen interest in sexual health and mental health, in particular children and youth mental health. She is an approachable, pleas-

ant, and highly skilled female practitioner who is happy to welcome new and existing patients.

Upon returning to the clinic, Dr Kalen is looking forward to supporting our two new registrars, Dr Clare and Dr James, and showing them the unique joys of working in general practice. We warmly welcome Dr Kalen back!

The entire team at Dr. Dan’s Medical Clinic is elated to open our doors to new faces, continuing our journey to provide exceptional and accessible healthcare to the whole community and surrounds.

Nicola and Dan Jeyaseelan of Dr Dan’s Medical Clinic.

Dr. James Caddle: Graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2017. With diverse hospital experience, he’s excited to bring his passion for general practice, especially in Paediatrics, to Dr. Dan’s Medical Clinic in 2024. Beyond work, James enjoys hiking, camping, playing guitar, and spending time with his one-year-old daughter.

To honour our commitment to providing high-quality and affordable healthcare, all practitioners will be bulk billing consultations for patients with a valid Medicare card.

Our aim is to innovate, encourage community involvement and contribute to peoples health and wellbeing physically and beyond.

Services we offer • Men’s, Women’s & Children’s Health • Minor Surgical Procedures • Skin Checks • Pathology services • Allied Health (Dietetics and Speech Pathology) • Non-Operative Fracture Management • Immunisations • Health Assessments • Care Plans • Mental Health services including Psychology and psychiatric assessments • Bus, Police, & Occupational Medical Assessments • Workcover & TAC • Emergency medical issues • Spirometry • Sleep Studies

We are a bulk billing practice with the exception of some procedures incurring an out of pocket cost.

Our staff will advise patients of any out of pocket cost prior to any service being performed, patients must have a valid Medicare Card to be eligible for bulk billing.

You can book online through healthengine.com.au

Now taking new patients.

Dr James

Dr Kalen

New Doctor

Returning Doctor

Clinic hours Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm 90 Main Road Monbulk

8680 3845

www.drdansmedicalclinic.com.au

Drdansmedicalclinic

Dr Clare New Doctor

12666171-AI06-24

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 19

OPINION

Superfoods for super kids Sending the kids back to school after the festive break is exciting and a great opportunity to supercharge their lunch choices.

This will support their energy and immunity.

Let me share with you a bunch of easy to do ideas to ensure your child’s lunchbox is a treasure trove of tasty goodness.

When children eat nutrient-dense food, their whole demeanour improves.

A good diet provides essential building blocks that will support great digestion, better immunity and excellent brain function.

Proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats and an array of macro and micro nutrients.

Excellent nutrition will support a well balanced nervous system reducing the tendency to feel anxious or have a ‘nervous tummy’.

A little mantra I use in clinic is to eat 15 different foods daily all colours of the rainbow.

This will cover a lot of bases.

Brain development is largely dependent on good quality oils such as those high in omega 3.

Using fish, quality nuts and seeds, especially chia and flax will provide your child with adequate lipids to support a healthy brain.

This is also an opportunity to remind your little ones to drink plenty of water throughout the day as a dehydrated brain is unable to process information effectively.

Concentration can be enhanced by ensuring your children have a mineral rich diet.

Utilising foods such as bone broth, green leavy veg, nuts, seeds and oats are excellent.

Mineral rich foods support bone development and can ease growing pains.

They are great for calming too and will help your child feel settled when it comes to completing focus-based tasks.

Eggs can be fantastic to include.

Healthy

living Tim Howden

Paediatric Naturopath – Healesville They are rich in choline which plays a crucial role in nervous system function and cell wall structure.

Great choices are protein such as nuts, seeds and meats, vegies and oils.

Raw veggie sticks with home made dip are excellent, as well as, snow peas, beans, carrot and celery.

The best oils to eat are coconut, olive, butter, grass-fed dripping and cold pressed Flax seed.

Avoid all other oils where possible.

Watch out for Deli meats which have many additives and preservatives.

Some local butchers make salt cured options.

Fried chip type snacks contain unstable oils that cause oxidative stress and inflammation.

Processed snacks are laced with synthetic additives, colours, preservatives and sugar.

Here are some tips Double dinner can be a way, cook twice the amount of health dinner to then use the next day, especially good are skewers, meatballs, veggie fritters, fish cakes.

Sunday night cook-up can be another way, making dips, nut butter and a paleo slice to be frozen or last the whole week.

In summer, cooling foods such as sushi and rice paper rolls are excellent.

· · ·

Nuts, seeds and grains are know superfoods great for back to school.

Picture: UNSPLASH

Just watch The Long Kiss Goodnight instead....

Argylle Starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell Rated M 3.5/5 Argylle, an entertaining but frustrating action-comedy from Matthew Vaughn, stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway, a bestselling spy author who must go on the run after her latest novel stumbles upon a real conspiracy.

Howard shifts from pathetic to plucky to badass as Elly, and her secret agent protector Aidan (Sam Rockwell) is an easygoing yet deadly figure without being too quippy. Sadly, Howard and Rockwell have little chemistry together.

The film is beautifully-shot, and the plot has some clever, well-paced reveals and plays creatively with the unexpected merging of fact and fiction in Elly’s life (although the heavy use of Macguffins, with one leading to another, is aggravating).

Like Ghosted, another spy-centric Appleproduced action-comedy, Argylle hogs the good action for the third act. Argylle’s third act has a couple of stunning sequences, including a balletic brawl evocative of Birds Film reviewer Seth Lukas Hynes rated Argylle 3.5 stars out of five. of Prey using colourful smoke bombs, but son, by the way). the action beforehand (save for a bonkers skating, there is barely a drop of blood. chase in the Greek countryside) is unmemoAt the risk of giving too much away, ArgIt’s also strange how Argylle attempts to rable and choppier than director Matthew ylle feels like a knock-off of the 1996 Geena draw nostalgia from the new Beatles song Vaughn’s usual output.

Davis thriller The Long Kiss Goodnight, but Now And Then (even building some of the The action is also distractingly bloodless; with less interesting characters and worse score from the song), when this song came even in a fun fight involving knives and ice- action (both films feature Samuel L. Jack- out less than a year ago.

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Picture: UNSPLASH Fun, charming and ending on an explosive high-note, yet an inferior echo of a better nineties action-thriller, Argylle is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes mailcommunity.com.au

OPINION

Every delay in climate action makes our future fraught

By Janet Meade On Black Saturday in the small Victorian town of Yarra Glen, I witnessed a man’s death.

The horror of it, 15 years ago today, is still burned into my brain.

My children and I had evacuated when we could see the smoke that showed the fire was headed our way. In a panic, we grabbed lastminute treasures and fled to a friend’s place.

While I helped her prepare for an ember attack, we watched her neighbours drive out evacuating, then return 10 minutes later because there was nowhere to go, the township was cut off by fire in all directions.

As smoke intensified and sirens howled, I walked to the corner of my friend’s street where I had a clear view of the hills, trying to see if the fire had reached my home.

Instead, I found myself at the back of a group of people who watched, horrified, a car on its roof, burning, a fire crew trying to stop the blaze. Then the words from another onlooker, “There’s someone in the car.”

I knew about climate change, but Black Saturday made it real for me. Real enough to kill 173 people, each one mourned, grieved, missed; friends, neighbours, daughters, sons,

fathers, mothers, colleagues - gaping rents in the fabric of my community.

Everywhere people are battling increasing extreme weather events caused by coal and gas heating our planet. The rolling tragedies of record floods that have plagued the east coast of Australia since the catastrophic 2019-2020 Black Summer fires continue.

We were told by the Bushfires Royal Commission in 2020 that climate disasters would become more frequent and intense and there have been numerous parliamentary committees and coronial inquiries. But what hope do we have, as survivors of these tragedies, for making our homes and communities safe when investigations fail to address the root cause? More fossil fuels burned equals more

intense bushfires. Every delay in action is costing lives.

Exhausted regional communities struggle to rebuild, again. And my heart weeps for them as a car burns on in my memory.

It is imperative that we support communities affected by climate disasters. The physical and psychological cost is not something an individual can easily bear alone.

But, in among talk of resilience, it is essential that we tackle the root cause of climate warming and replace coal and gas with clean, renewable energy. We have the solutions but we need to act more quickly with political will from all sides of politics to stop supporting the polluting fossil fuels that are so damaging to our communities and way of life.

Sadly, as scientists warn us of imminent tipping points for our environment, governments globally plan to produce double the fossil fuels in 2030 than the 1.5ºC warming limit allows.

One thing I have learnt from disaster is that people are strongest when they work together. Knowing this, in 2018, I joined a group of people from different parts of Australia who became Bushfire Survivors for

Climate Action. Together we seek to protect our communities and help prevent future catastrophes by supporting Australia’s move to renewable energy.

The most recent climate disaster survivors are incredibly resilient but also exhausted. It’s hard to organise and speak up when you are struggling to find shelter and food for your children. These people, mostly in regional Australia, need our help. I invite you to join a climate action group. Send a letter to your Federal MP or make an appointment to talk to your State MP about your concerns.

Vote for politicians who are committed to climate action. If you are a politician or business leader, get serious about creating a carbon neutral future. Get climate active.

The disaster of Black Saturday didn’t destroy my home entirely, but the damage required months of cleanup. Fifteen years on, there are still some days when I find myself thinking (fortunately less often as the years go by) “What’s the point? It’s all just going to burn again.”

But then I realise, when more of us act together we can be a powerful voice for healing and the changes that will make our future safer.

Berry good or berry bad?

By Maria Miller February is the month when wild blackberries are most abundant. This year’s cool wet summer has produced a bumper crop of berries.

Canadian poet Margaret Atwood was right when she wrote: Some berries occur in sun, but they are smaller.

It’s as I always told you: the best ones grow in shadow.

Deliberately introduced into NSW in the 1840s as fruit and for making hedgerows the blackberry (genus Rubus of the rose family Rosaceae) quickly escaped into the wild and adapted to its new environment.

In Victoria, Ferdinand Von Mueller of Melbourne Botanical Gardens fame deliberately scattered seeds in the bush saying that future travellers would thank him for his effort! Today blackberries are regarded as a superfood, with anti -oxidant properties, nutritious and packed with high amounts of vitamins C,K and manganese, as well as fibre. Its medicinal use stretches back to Greek and Roman times when the bark and roots were used to treat bowel problems and fever. But wild blackberries remain a vexed subject.

Declared a Weed of National Significance for its adverse impact on agriculture and native vegetation, most gardeners and farmers view it as an invasive weed to be obliterated at all cost. Farmers find blackberries cause many problems including providing easy cover for rabbits and predatory animals such as foxes.

But there are some who say that blackber-

ries in certain circumstances can help with soil erosion. And for many people there remain nostalgic memories of the blackberry season in years past In days when children walked to and from school and, horror of horrors, took short cuts through vacant lots or paddocks, they sated that after school hunger with fistfuls of jet black juicy berries that overflowed their mouths and spilled down, staining school shirts and dresses with an almost indelible purple colour. Today most likely they have tasted only the cultivated, thornless variety, neatly packaged in punnets and, as all fruit sold is today, under ripe and lacking the intense flavour of the wild berry.

Then there were also the weekend blackberry picking car trips before going to shopping malls took over as a weekend outing and before the urban sprawl put a damper on this family activity as fewer and fewer accessible foraging destinations remain. Councils work hard at eradication and its prudent to be cautious in avoiding picking berries that have been sprayed.

tion that nothing lasts forever and the berries they stored in the cowshed are ruined by what seems to be a dead rat.

We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre But when the bath was filled we found a fur A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour I always felt like crying. It wasn’t fair That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.

Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not.

In between writing this I have been making blackberry jam from fruit picked at a strawberry farm at Wandin (with the owners permission) where hedges of blackberries have been allowed to remain as wind breaks.

August Mary Oliver When the blackberries hang swollen in the woods, in the brambles nobody owns, I spend all day among the high branches, reaching my ripped arms, thinking of nothing, cramming the black honey of summer into my mouth; all day my body accepts what it is. In the dark creeks that run by there is this thick paw of my life darting among the black bells, the leaves; there is this happy tongue.

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WOORILLA WORDS

As February often delivers the hottest days of summer, picking could be challenging, particularly since the blackberry bush yields its bounty reluctantly and is armed to the teeth.

The experienced knew how to dress to protect skin from the sharp thorns that scratched and gashed the skin: long sleeves, sturdy shoes or boots and definitely long pants. To reach that tempting fruit just out of reach in the middle of a clump, a sheet of corrugated roofing was an accessory worth dragging around.

Kathryn Alexander grew up in the 50s in Ferntree Gully that was part market garden with still plenty of vacant land and she remembers picking blackberries (sometimes with a baby brother balanced on her hip) for her mother to turn ‘simultaneously’ into jam, pies and ice cream. She speaks nostalgically about the aroma of blackberries through the house.

Enterprising Hills’ teens would pick and sell their blackberries to the Monbulk Jam Factory which operated between 1909 and 1990. Ian Vaskess remembers walking from Emerald to Monbulk carrying the fruit in kerosene tins!

Strangely the blackberry is largely missing from Australian poetry. Why are there no Australian poems when there are many from the finest English speaking poets as diverse as Ireland’s Seanus Heaney, America’s Mary Oliver and Canadian Margaret Atwood? In his poem Blackberry Picking, Seamus Heaney beautifully captures the lust for picking as he sets out with milk cans, pea tins, jam – pots’ and despite being scratched and pricked and ‘palms sticky as Blue beard’s ‘perseveres till the cans are full. But the poem written from an adult point of view ends with the realisa-

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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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MAIL 21

PUZZLES No. 171

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

2 3 6 5 8 7 3 6 4 7 3 8 6 9 1 7 2 9 4 1 5 9 3 8 2 3 6 9 4 2 3 8 medium

3

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ACROSS Perjurers (5) Release (9) Heckles (7) Lever setting off a gun (7) Territory ruled by an Islamic monarch (7) Student (7) Not moving (9) Pig meat (4) Book ID (1,1,1,1) Release (9) Even now (7) Wetter in terms of weather (7) Doubter (7) Island in the North Atlantic (7) Relating to (9) Follow in order (5)

1 4 9 10 11 12 13 15 17 19 22 25 26 27 28 29

3 4 5 6 7 8 14 15 16 18 20 21 23 24

No. 171

Common name for the USA (7) Deliverance from harm (9) Reckless (9) Locations (5) Horse’s call (5) Bony; gaunt (7) Mistakes (6) Exaction (9) Prerogative (9) Resent someone’s pleasure or good fortune (8) Distribute (food) (5,2) Beasts (7) Revulsion (6) Pursuing (5) Type of agave (5)

DOWN Women’s underwear and nightwear (8)

1

DECODER

No. 171

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QUICK CROSSWORD

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9-LETTER WORD

easy

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”.

L

R

Today’s Aim: 8 words: Good 12 words: Very good

2 4 3 8 1 6 7 9 5 8 7 1 5 2 9 6 4 3 5 6 9 4 7 3 1 8 2 7 3 2 6 8 4 9 5 1 6 1 5 7 9 2 8 3 4 9 8 4 3 5 1 2 7 6 1 5 6 9 3 8 4 2 7 3 2 8 1 4 7 5 6 9 4 9 7 2 6 5 3 1 8

3 4 8 6 2 1 7 5 9 1 5 9 4 7 8 6 3 2 7 6 2 9 3 5 1 8 4 8 9 7 2 4 3 5 6 1 6 3 1 5 9 7 2 4 8 4 2 5 1 8 6 3 9 7 9 1 6 7 5 4 8 2 3 5 8 4 3 1 2 9 7 6 2 7 3 8 6 9 4 1 5

17 words: Excellent

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No. 171

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STYLE TIERS TOPIC UPPER YABBY

DENSEST EDDYING FORMULA KEENING

6 LETTERS COSIER NEEDLE REGARD STERE

8 LETTERS CLEANEST FORETELL LIKEWISE TORTURED

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SUDOKU

09-02-24

William Matthews Funerals 24 HOUR SERVICE - ALL AREAS

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

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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PROPERTY

MODERN UPDATES AND COUNTRY CHARM mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 23

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

MODERN UPDATES AND COUNTRY CHARM BEYOND the expansive circular driveway and surrounding garden, lies a turnkey property that evokes warmth and style on 1800m2 (approx). 10ft ceilings and Tasmanian Oak floorboards draw you in, leading to a sundrenched sunken lounge.

The spacious renovated kitchen and dining area integrate into the open-plan living space. Three generous bedrooms and a study line the impressive hallway, accompanied by a unique yet practical family bathroom design.

The solid double brick exterior is durable and insulating, with north-facing windows lending abundant natural light to living areas.

The garden and landscaping have been meticulously planned to offer both beauty and convenience and are fitted with an automated irrigation system and luxurious lighting.

Don’t miss the chance to make this home your own.

Contact agent for private inspection. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 128 Emerald Monbulk Road, EMERALD Description: 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 garage Price: $870,000 - $950,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Sue Colic 0421 772 610 and Dave Reilly 0437 347 665, BARRY PLANT EMERALD 24 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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HOME FOCUS

CROWNING THE RIDGE IN ALL ITS GLORY ESCAPE to your exclusive haven on a sprawling 2,000 sqm garden paradise, surrounded by breathtaking views. Enjoy expansive, level lawns and a welcoming in-ground pool for leisurely summer days.

As evening falls, elevate your entertaining experience with distant twinkling lights from the covered alfresco dining area, complete with an authentic wood-fired pizza oven.

This two-storey brick home, with four bedrooms plus a study, seamlessly integrates contemporary luxuries. The chef’s kitchen, adorned with the latest cabinetry, stone benchtops, and top-tier appliances, steals the spotlight.

Three distinct living areas include a formal lounge with a cozy gas log fire, an upstairs kids’ rumpus/TV room, and the heart of the home - the kitchen/dining space.

The intelligent floor plan places the fourth bedroom on the lower level for tranquil separation with convenient access to the second bathroom and toilet. Each bedroom is generously proportioned, featuring built-in robes, while the master suite boasts a full ensuite and walk-in robe.

The home is equipped with north-facing solar panels.

Access is effortless through a bitumen loop driveway leading to a double carport with a rear roller door, connected to a substantial 9.8m x 7m garage with a mezzanine 5.8m x 4m storage space.

The garage not only offers ample space but also enhances sustainability. The layout impressively integrates with the alfresco area, doubling as a potential party/rumpus room.

Ample parking for vehicles, trailers and more,

is certainly a rare find on this expansive flat block nestled in the Dandenong Ranges.

Key points: Renovated and upgraded split-level double brick home with an ’as new’ kitchen and bathrooms.

Asphalted circular drive with car spots, double carport and large garage.

Replaced polished floorboards to two levels.

Belling three-door dual fuel stove with matching range hood.

Two kickboard drawers for platters.

18 Solar panels.

Salt water chlorinated pool with new pool fence.

Laundry chute from upstairs bathroom.

Gas log fire and gas ducted heating.

Double glazing on back two glass doors and servery window.

Pull down stair access to garage mezzanine plus wider gate access.

Front and rear garage remote controlled roller doors.

Recently upgraded 4G security system.

Roof replaced in past 10 years.

Wood-fired pizza oven in undercover alfresco.

Firepit area with views to the Lysterfield Valley and the Bay. Vegetable garden.

Landscaped garden with colourful garden beds and sweeping lawns.

This dream location offers a short walk to the train station, schools, and the bustling Upwey town centre with its cafes and coffee shops. After years of raising their family in Upwey, the current owners are downsizing, offering you the opportunity to make 36 Belmont Avenue Upwey your home. ●

·

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 36 Belmont Avenue, UPWEY Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 5 garage Price: $1,399,000 - $1,499,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Grant Skipsey 0418 528 102, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL, 9754 6111

Upwey ¥ Belgrave ¥ Cockatoo-Gembrook ¥ Emerald

Big on products.

Big on service.

And big on local banking We deliver the products and technology you’d expect from a big bank, plus the personal service you wouldn’t.

As one of Australia’s biggest banks, our heartland remains Þrmly local. As does our focus on you and the quality banking products you need.

Feel good about who you bank with. Try Bendigo.

Find out more. Call 9754 1200 or search Bendigo Bank Upwey.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited ABN 11 068 049 178, AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 237879 A1455027 OUT_34489123, 23/01/2024 12666912-AV07-24

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 25

HOME FOCUS

CENTRAL EMERALD FAMILY FAVOURITE WELCOME to your new home in the heart of Emerald, where convenience meets comfort! This charming brick home with full length verandah, boasting four bedrooms, invites you to experience a lifestyle of luxury and practicality.

As you step into the master bedroom, you’ll be greeted by a sense of space with its full ensuite and walk-in robe. The master bedroom is strategically zoned away from the remaining bedrooms, ensuring a peaceful retreat for ultimate privacy.

The spacious living room is the heart of this home, offering ample space for the whole family to unwind. Step outside through the sliding door into the inviting brick-paved outdoor area, perfect for hosting barbecues and creating lasting memories with family and friends.

The brand-new kitchen, complete with a dishwasher, is a chef’s dream. The family/ meals area, featuring a solid fuel fire, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Gas ducted heating and an air-conditioner ensure year-round comfort, making every season enjoyable.

The 1025m2 yard is a haven for relaxation and play. Discover a private ‘hidden’ garden, a magical space for children to explore and play.

A sealed driveway leads to a double remote garage, providing secure parking and easy access. This gem of a property is conveniently located within walking distance of central Emerald, where you’ll find a variety of eateries, coffee shops, sporting facilities, arts, and medical services. Primary schools, kindergartens, and child care centres are also within reach, making it the perfect family-friendly environment.

Don’t miss the opportunity to make this centrally located, premier property your forever home. Contact us today for a private viewing and take the first step towards your dream lifestyle in Emerald. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 5 Clematis Park Road, CLEMATIS Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $820,000-$860,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Gayle Barrot 0438 683 781 and Sue Colic 0421 772 610, BARRY PLANT, EMERALD 26 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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33 Beaconsfield emerald road EMERALD

28 Sycamore avenue EMERALD

Lot 1, 220 Mount EirEnE road GEMBROOK

CHARACTER FILLED HOME ON OVER 1.5AC

PERFECTLY PRESENTED

EMBRACE NATURE’S CANVAS ON 22.4 ACRES

5A

4A

3B

4D

FOR SALE $1,480,000 - $1,570,000 OFI By appointment

JUSTIN BARROT 0438 683 781 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D

FOR SALE $950,000-$1,045,000 OFI By appointment

LAND SIZE 9.09HA LANA MAHER 0408 535 075 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

RILEY NICHOLAS 0488 501 218

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

BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

Lot G 1230 Pakenham Road MT BURNETT

4 WOODLANDS AVENUE COCKATOO

45 EmErald monbulk road EMERALD

SPACE, OPPORTUNITY AND LOCATION.

MODERN ENTERTAINER ON HALF AN ACRE

COUNTRY LIFESTYLE ON 1.5 ACRES!

4A

4A

68.6 Acres FOR SALE $1,000,000-$1,100,000 OFI By appointment

SUE COLIC 0421 772 610 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D DAVE REILLY 0437 347 665

FOR SALE $940,000-$990,000 OFI

By Appointment

BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D

FOR SALE $890,000 - $970,000 OFI by appointment

JUSTIN BARROT 0438 683 781 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

15 Clematis Park road CLEMATIS

5 Kitchener Parade COCKATOO

4 WOmbat CrEsCEnt EMERALD

CENTRAL EMERALD FAMILY FAVOURITE

YOUR FAMILY HAVEN WITH VIEWS

STORM DAMAGED HOME ON 1,783M2

4A

4A

4A

2B

2D

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

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SUE COLIC 0421 772 610 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D

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

SUE COLIC 0421 772 610 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

2D

FOR SALE $600,000 - $650,000 OFI by appointment

JUSTIN BARROT 0438 683 781 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 27

HOME FOCUS

CHARACTER, COMFORT AND PRIVACY THIS immaculate 4-bedroom family home ticks all the boxes with spacious bedrooms, 3 living areas, double carport + large shed and a stunning solar heated pool – all located on a private 3337sqm block hidden behind the foliage.

Meander along the drive through the fully fenced, landscaped gardens to find this gorgeous character home. Enter the home into the spacious lounge with Tassie Oak floors and abundance of natural light. The Master Bedroom, featuring a walk-in robe and ensuite, is located at the East end of the home, zoned away from the remaining 3 good sized bedrooms and the huge, sound proofed, rumpus room with toasty wood fire and access to the deck.

At the heart of the home is the wellappointed kitchen with stone bench tops, glass splash backs and a 900mm free standing Ilve Stove. The kitchen overlooks the dining area and family room. This bright space has soaring timber ceilings and French doors leading out to the front deck with built in BBQ space. The whole home

flows beautifully for large gatherings and to top it off the deck leads to the inviting solar heated pool with its paved surround ready for you to have a dip on the warmer days.

Add to the home gas ducted heating and evaporative cooling, ducted vacuum and new carpets.

Outside you will find landscaped gardens, a further entertaining area at the rear, flat lawns, a huge double carport providing undercover access to the home, a garden shed, tank water for the garden and a double lock up garage with workshop and concrete floor.

This property is ready for you to move in and enjoy with nothing to do – it really does have it all.

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: 23 View Hill Road, COCKATOO Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $1,050,000 - $1,150,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Samantha Scott 0438 680 032, BELL REAL ESTATE, EMERALD 28 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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P 5968 6222 311-313 Main Street Emerald

123 Emerald-Monbulk Road, Emerald

$1,050,000 - $1,150,000

25 Currawong Drive, Gembrook

$845,000 - $895,000

Beautifully Renovated Solid Family Home on over ¾ of an Acre!

Mud Brick delight soaking in 19 acres of Gembrook nature!

The extensive renovations include a wide entrance hall, a separate lounge with views over the front & rear gardens, & high-performance UPVC double-glazed doors & windows throughout, & fresh flooring. The stunning kitchen features stainless steel appliances, stone benchtops, spacious island bench, & plenty of storage space. There are 3 spacious, robed bedrooms, a freshly renovated family bathroom with a walk-in shower & free-standing bath, a study nook & a utility cupboard providing ample storage inside the home. Add to this ducted heating, a cosy wood fire, a circular drive, & DLUG with workshop, The rear yard is fully fenced, has car access, a single carport, heaps of under house storage, a large lockable shed with lean-to & a huge, flat and sunny yard. There is even a gate down back so you can go for a walk down to Menzies Creek at the rear of the property.

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

Karen Peele M 0419 430 950

3

5 Belvedere Court, Gembrook

A

1

Samantha Scott M 0438 680 032

B 2 C

$850,000 - $920,000

3

4 Vista Court, Gembrook

A

2

B 5 C

$850,000 - $920,000

Style, Comfort & Exceptional Location Await in the Heart of Gembrook!

Walk to Gembrook Mainstreet & Enjoy The Gorgeous Garden!

This character home features 4 spacious bedrooms, all with BIRs, & 2 large living areas, with great outdoor entertaining spaces. Features include high ceilings, quality light fittings, & polished floorboards throughout. This home also offers a swim spa. The Master Bedroom has a WIR & ensuite.

The formal living/dining room awaits your next dinner party. When it comes to relaxing, snuggle in by the wood fire in the loungeroom. The kitchen has white cabinetry including a rangehood, stone benchtops & features a SMEG gas cooktop & electric oven, stainless steel dishwasher, & generous walk in pantry. Outside is an undercover entertaining area & there is a great rear deck in the fully fenced rear yard. Add to all this mains gas ducted heating, & 5kW of solar. There is a large double lock up garage with work bench area and two garden sheds to enjoy.

This private & low maintenance 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home is a short stroll from the main street.

Featuring 2 separate driveway entries, there are plenty of possibilities with this home. The home has an open plan kitchen/lounge/dining room that enjoys views out to the back garden & has a split system AC. The kitchen is well equipped with a gas stove & oven & a butlers pantry. The master bedroom enjoys its own split system AC, BIRs & ensuite. There are 2 further bedrooms both with BIRs. There is a lovely family bathroom with a shower & a separate bath. There is also ducted heating throughout the home & plenty of natural light. Outside is a delight in the fully fenced backyard. The manicured garden & lawn is tranquil with an array of fruit trees. There is also a security system with alarm & cameras, & sensor lighting at the front of the home.

Bethany Day M 0438 844 968

Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451

Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451

4

A

2

B 2 C

Bethany Day M 0438 844 968

3

A

2

B 2 C

bellrealestate.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 29

HOME FOCUS

COTTAGE PLUS 2 ACRES OF TRANQUILITY OVERLOOKING a tranquil, private garden of over 2 acres that is highlighted by the trickling sounds of the Monbulk Creek and a colourful array of local birdlife, this stunning property will be your peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Pretty as a picture, the home has a character cottage appeal and boasts a versatile floorplan that includes 4 bedrooms plus a main bathroom and additional powder room. The open plan design creates a spacious flow throughout the main living area which includes lounge room, meals area and a classic country kitchen that overlooks a canopy of tree ferns from every window. Glass sliding doors lead out to a wrap around balcony and entertaining area, allowing you to take in the beauty of this exceptional location and enjoy barbecues and get togethers with family and friends.

Warmed by not only a Nectre wood heater but also split system heating/cooling, this charming home is just as delightful in the colder, winter months as it is in summer.

The land, although on a partially sloping block, is fully useable and enjoys plenty of sun throughout the day. Access to the rear of the block has been made to enjoy every aspect of the property and helps to maintain the creek. Raised veggie beds, a chicken coup and garden sheds are thoughtful additions, and you will be delighted to discover two excellent under house storage rooms that are ideal for those who need the extra space or enjoy brewing, bottling and preserving their own produce. A single garage with large workshop attached and plenty of parking complete this perfect picture and makes it ideal for tradies as well as anyone needing space to park their trailers, caravans and extra toys.

Within an easy walk to Belgrave township, Belgrave Lake Park and with a bus stop at the end of the road, this is one of the best lifestyle properties you will find so close to Belgrave. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 39 Colombo Road, BELGRAVE Description: 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Price: $890,000 - $970,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 30 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

mailcommunity.com.au

Real Estate you can trust!

We ’ r e h e r e t o h e l p FOE SALE

52 Hazel Grove, TECOMA

$1,095,000 - $1,195,000

BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED AND VERSATILE FAMILY HOME

5A2B4C

Taking pride of place between Tecoma township and Sherbrooke Forest is this magnificent family home that captures the essence of Hills living. Blending architectural eras seamlessly to create a versatile and sophisticated interior while set upon a stunning 1,045sqm (approx.) block, this property will revolutionise your family’s way of life.

FOR SALE

$630,000 - $690,000

8 Victoria Grove, FERNY CREEK

2A1B

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY IN A GREAT LOCATION

Take advantage of this unique property that offers a golden opportunity in a great location.

Situated steps from parkland on a peaceful no-through road, this home awaits astute buyers with an eye for spotting potential.

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

Brad Conder

Rachel Eastwood

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

M 0401 117 761 | E rachel@chandlerandco.com.au

FOR SALE

16 Woodlands Crescent, NARRE WARREN CUTE, CONVENIENT & CLOSE TO EVERYTHING!

$660,000 - $720,000 3A1B1C

Situated in a quiet pocket, only a short walk to Sweeney Reserve and minutes from Narre Warren Train Station, this much loved 3 bedroom brick veneer home comes complete with an open plan design, updated kitchen with island bench and stainless steel appliances and timber floorboards.

FOR SALE

85 Terrys Avenue, TECOMA

$1,100,000 - $1,200,000

ENVIABLE HOME IN EXCLUSIVE POCKET POSITION

4A2B C

Held by the same family for decades and now refreshed for new owners to enjoy, this enviable home’s legacy is all about family. With plenty of space for everyone and outdoor areas that will inspire gatherings, this 1,354sqm (approx.) property captures the essence of the Dandenong Ranges lifestyle.

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

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

Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 31

networkclassifieds.com.au Trades & Services V Deadline

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PETER’S FENCING and GATES

Phone: 1300 666 808

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No job too small MIKE FERNLEY | Mob: 0488 158 556 12451591-NG25-20

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A.G & E. WILLIAMS

0418 327 737

• RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL DRIVEWAY WASHED OUT? REPLACE IT WITH ASPHALT! IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN!

Daniel Brown Mobile: 0409 395 635 Email: daniel@topcatdriveways.com.au Visit our website at: www.topcatdriveways.com.au

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ADVERTISE 32 MAIL

Richard - 0419 502 949 Simon - 0417 399 750

J.L. Hutt Electrical

0458 798 445

section of Network Classifieds.

$55 OFF

CALL JACKSON

CARPENTER

5968 8493 melbourne.asphalt@bigpond.com C1039154-JM27-12

EST. 1987 All work guaranteed

• Senior Discounts • Upfront Pricing • All Electrical Work

• Excavator 5 Tonne and 15 Tonne • Bobcat Hire • Tip Truck Hire • All Types of Excavation Work • Holes Augered • Site Cuts • Driveways • Blocks Levelled and Shaped • Retaining Walls • Trenching • Free Quotes • No Jobs Too Big or Too Small

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Paul 0418 570 231

12402861-RA44-18

• Driveways • Car Parks • Pathways, Tennis Courts, Draining, School Yards, Machine or Hand Laid Asphalt Repairs • Commercial & Domestic • Free Quotes • Timber & Brick Edging

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Call Chris on 0414 677 095 ckscott79@icloud.com

Local, Honest and Reliable

12382862-RA13-18

0488 816 557

DB-U 66256 CB-L 66257

Plumbing & Gas Fitting, Excavator Hire, Water Renewals, Metal Roof & Gutters, Hot Water Unit Repair & Replacement, All Sanitary & Stormwater Drainage, Septic, Sewer & Treatment Plants, Pumps & Rain Water Tanks.

paulnobes@live.com.au

Lic. 25035

12570815-AV40-22

FAST FRIENDLY EFFICIENT Phone 7am-8pm | installmyantenna.com.au

Builder with 24 years experience 12619623-ET28-23

• 40 Years Family FR Owned & Operated QUO EE TES • 25 Year Warranty • Senior/Pensioner Discount #1 in FERNTREE GULLY

FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS.

HILLS ELECTRICIAN 12622964-FC30-23

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Mob 0418 176 159

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12438941-CG04-20

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1003429-PJ6-12

www.fairbairns.com.au

Lic No. 29938 General Plumbing Gas Fitting Hot & Cold Water Roof & Spouting Pumps & Tanks Farm Water 3 Ton Excavator Septics & Sand Filters Sewer Connections

12638924-JC41-23

12616494-RR27-23

9870 7059

Call 1300 666 808 12664669-KG05-24

12522612-JW47-21

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PLUMBING CONTRACTORS

Leak detection & repair Rebeding & Pointing High Pressure cleaning

Solar Skylights Skylight resealing Pensioner discount

Call Chris 0412 099 142 24 years in roofing leaks

CALL 1300 666 808 mailcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Social, inclusive soccer

By Tyler Wright A grassroots sports initiative is set to kick off in the Dandenong Ranges this young, helping very young soccer fiends get into the sport in a non-competitive way.

Upwey local Jorge Gonez is preparing to launch Grasshopper Soccer on Saturday 10 February for children aged two to 12 years old in the Ferntree Gully, Upwey, Belgrave, Lysterfield areas after noticing a lack of Grasshopper programs in the area.

“I was born in Uruguay, a soccer mad country, and played semi-professionally in three countries, Uruguay, Australia and Sweden,” Gonez, a franchisee, said.

“When we moved to the area a few years ago, I noticed that Grasshoppers were no longer running in the region and decided to kickoff the grassroots Grasshopper soccer program in the Hills, with the firm belief that there would be a need for non-competitive sports programs in the area.”

A community-based Australian soccer organisation, Gonez said Grasshopper Soccer aims to teach children the basics of playing soccer in a “fun, social and non-competitive environment,” with the social and mental aspect just as important as the physical.

“The children learn how to interact in a stress-free environment, learning how to share, take turns, listen to instructions, and work as a team; getting positive reinforcement for their achievements,” Gonez said.

“It has been documented that 30-40 per cent of a child’s waking time is spent in front of a screen, it’s more than ever important that kids get the opportunity to get outside and be active.

“Grasshopper Soccer programs are about the kids, about the community and about fun and inclusion.”

The outdoor program, which is open to all children from ages two to 12 years old, will

Upwey local Jorge Gonez (back) training with the Grasshopper Soccer program in Perth at the end of 2023. run across two locations: Ferntree Gully North Primary School on Saturday mornings from 10 February, and Fairhills Primary School on Sunday mornings from 11 February 2024.

The biggest aim for children who attend the sessions, Gonez said, is to not only have fun and develop amazing skills but to leave each session with a smile of their face.

“I experienced this first hand during my training in Perth at the end of 2023 and it gives a great feeling of accomplishment,” he said.

Kids are also not alone in their involvement in training, with parental involvement a “key element” at Grasshopper Soccer, according to Gonez.

“We encourage parents to get active with their children, especially in the programs designed for younger players,” he said.

Use his love of soccer to create positive experiences through sport and make a “lasting impact” on children’s lives gives Gonez “great pleasure”.

Trades & Services V

Tree Lopping/Surgery

V

FULLY INSURED

DIN TREE SERVICE WA•N TREES PRUNED, LOPPED, FELLED

BELGRAVE TREE SERVICES

Call Darren on 0404 040 686

12627789-RR33-23

9754 6686

CALL US ON 0458 735 250

AND REMOVED • WOODCHIPPING AND STUMPGRINDING • QUALIFIED ARBORIST FREE • PROMPT RELIABLE SERVICE QUOTES • EXCELLENT RATES

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Upholsterers

12543759-AI14-22

Specialising in Antique Restoration Recovery & Repairs to all types of furniture FREE FABRIC PROTECTION *FREE QUOTE, PICK UP & DELIVERY Luke Wilson Mob: 0402 020 554 Ph: 03 5964 2166 12378576-DJ07-18

DAWSONS

Need cash?

• LARGE TREE SPECIALISTS • HEDGE TRIMMING EXPERTS • STUMP GRINDING • MULCH AVAILABLE • CONSULTING ARBORIST • ARBORIST REPORTS • No Fuss • No Mess • No Stress

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Agistment

HORSE Agistment Kilsyth Area, 262 Liverpool Road.

3 day yards plus stables.

Call Carl 0413 173 972 carlbarone44@gmail.com

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

Find it in the

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mailcommunity.com.au

V

Pets & Services

ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE 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.

For further information, call 136 186 or visit animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

12423634-SN31-19

TREE SERVICES

12661871-JC03-24

$20 MILLION INSURANCE

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Positions Vacant

Telephone Sales Representative at

Cockatoo IGA are looking to add some amazing new people to our team!

30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE

Network Classifieds!

Are you a persuasive communicator with a passion for sales? Are you looking for a flexible, casual, or part-time role that allows you to showcase your skills and earn some extra income? Look no further!

Network Classifieds, a leading online and print classified advertising platform serving multiple mastheads across Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and NT, is seeking enthusiastic Telephone Sales Representatives to join our dynamic team.

About Network Classifieds Network Classifieds is at the forefront of connecting buyers and sellers across multiple regions in Australia.

With a strong online and print presence, we help communities find the perfect deals, services, and opportunities. As a Telephone Sales Representative, you'll play a crucial role in driving our sales efforts and expanding our network.

What You'll Do • Engage with potential customers over the phone to promote our advertising solutions.

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Join us in helping our diverse communities connect, buy, and sell through effective advertising solutions.

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12667087-MS05-24

We need various team members across our whole store, from Department Managers to casuals.

If you're interested in a role in our Deli, Bakery, Cafe, Produce, Dairy/Freezer, Cashier, Liquor or Grocery Departments, or as a Duty Manager we want to hear from you!

Some Supermarket (or similar) experience preferred but not essential.

If you are enthusiastic, self-motivated, work well in a team, love serving your community and enjoy interaction with customers, this is the place for you!

Full-time and Management team members' salaries by negotiation (above award) based on experience and skill-set. Part Time and Casual team members will be paid the GRA award rates.

Here at Cockatoo IGA, we pride ourselves on our standing in our local community, and the exceptional shopping experience we provide to our valued customers.

If you're interested in joining us, please send a cover letter and CV to comms@cockatooiga.com.au

by COB February 16th 2024.

12667191-MP07-24

Tree Lopping/Surgery

• DANGEROUS TREE • WOOD SPLITTING • LIMB REMOVAL • MULCHING FULLY INSURED ABN 40712971557

“Through sports, I am committed to helping the next generation of children gain the skills they need to be successful in soccer and in forming positive relationships,” he said.

“It is exciting to provide a fun, growth experience for the boys and girls in the Hills area.”

To learn more about how to get involved in the Grasshopper Soccer program, visit grasshoppersoccer.com.au/ferntree-gully-north-ps or grasshoppersoccer.com.au/fairhills-ps Programs run each school term.

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12499475-CG25-21

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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.

Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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MAIL 33

SPORT

Tigers sweep the Cougars

By Sean Talbot On Sunday afternoon, the Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers swept the Berwick Cougars at both Kings Park and Cyril Molyneux Reserve, with runs 38-3 to post four wins against a club that was simply outplayed, outmanned and outgunned on a weekend they will be keen to move on from.

Premier League 1sts, Jarrod Turner was at his mercurial best despite conditions, going 8 strong innings whilst scattering 7 hits, 1 walk, 1 earned run and striking out 9. Tigers sent out a lineup that was missing Ratcliffe, Rice and Hendricks however were still up to the challenge.

Left handed starter Matthew West, Tigers scored a one-out walk to Wade McConnon but were unable to capitalize, Jordan Elliott struck out and Donavon Hendricks grounded out to strand McConnon at 2nd base. Turner made quick work of the home side - looking firmly in control of his arsenal and the Berwick hitters.

McConnon again drew a one-out walk after Pete Schroeders flew out before West came back and induced a rare 1-6-3 double play to quickly end the inning and snuff out any offensive possibility.

Aaron Ouwehand led off the 3rd inning to put Cougars in position to get a run on the board and Liam Madden led off the 4th inning with a long double that Davison appeared to lose in the Berwick sun in right field.

Looking to force a pitching change whilst running up West’s pitch count, Upwey were again unable to capitalize on a free runner, as Ryder Wilson reached base after West took his time on a comeback groundball which the speedy Wilson managed to beat out.

Deciding being shut out for 6 innings was more than enough, the Tigers finally broke in the top of the 7th inning.

Taking the ball from Turner after his herculean effort, Wes de Jong went right to work to wrap up the game, getting Hunter to ground out to Hendricks, King to ground out to Rogers who made a gorgeous throw from deep in the hole at 3rd on a long hop to Hendricks before Andrew Gibbens (pinch hitting for Hillier) struck out to end the game and see the Tigers run out victors 3-1.

Rogers was the pick of the hitters for Upwey registering another two hit game, with Schroders, Elliott, Hendricks, Senn, Davison and Wilson all adding one apiece.

The win sees Upwey continue to retain their hold on 3rd place on the Premier League ladder behind Waverley (14-3) and Essendon (11-6).

The Tigers will host Berwick in a midweek game on Tuesday night at Kings Park before travelling to Billabong Park to take on Blackburn.

Looking to end their three game skid and get back on the winners list, the 2nds found themselves in a dogfight in the sun against 4th placed Berwick who looked to claim a major scalp and reduce the gap between themselves, and the 3rd placed Tigers.

Hudson Hyde used a two-pitch mix to keep the Tiger line-up off balance, surrendering only a 3rd inning double on a hanging curveball to Michael Oxworth whilst walking 3. Ryder Wilson, the Tiger fireballer was greeted with hostility as he was tagged for 5 hits and 3 walks across his 2+ innings.

In the 3rd inning, Shaun Irvine was sacrificed to 2nd, Matt Cameron and Stuart Milz were unable to add to the damage however, as they both struck out to leave the score at 1-0.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Wilson was tagged for singles but looking to avoid any further potential damage to his starter, Ratcliffe called Sean Meldrum from the bullpen to attempt a Houdini-esque escape to the inning.

Meldrum was more than up to the task, striking out Joel Anson to strand 3 Cougars on base and the score at 1-1.

J Anson took the ball in the top of the 4th inning, walking leadoff hitter Mark Jones before striking out Will Richardson and Meldrum began to settle into his appearance, ensuring a leadoff walk and two-out error did not cost the Tigers, striking out Rhys Bumpstead to leave two on and the score at 1-1 after 4 complete.

34 MAIL

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

Upwey FTG Head Coach Donavon Hendricks.

Meldrum continued to apply the screws to the Berwick hitters as he utilized his entire arsenal of off-speed pitches, racking up strikeouts and ensuring the hosts could not mount any kind of meaningful rally for the remainder of the game.

Collecting the win for the Tigers, Meldrum was outstanding as he went 4 innings, surrendering 2 hits and 2 walks whilst striking out 6 after being called on in an unenviable spot and ensuring the game did not get out of hand.

The Tigers took full advantage of their 6 walks and 1 HPB, however they registered just the one hit by Oxworth, giving them bragging rights whilst posting 2 hits on just 1 hit.

J Anson took the loss for Berwick in a tough result as he threw 3 innings, giving up 3 walks and a HPB but no hits, with the lone run coming on the Toplis/L Anson errors in proof that baseball can indeed be a very cruel game sometimes.

The win sees Upwey leapfrog back into 1st place on the Premier League Reserves ladder and The Tigers will travel to Blackburn next week to take on the 6th-placed Burners.

The 3rds were simply too much for the Cougars from the jump as they scored early, often and without remorse on their way to a 13-1 scoreline in hot and windy conditions at the Tiger Dome.

Sending Kole Halupecki to the mound, the

Picture: ADAM BATTYE visitors were kept well in check as the experienced Tiger lineup went about putting the Berwick pitchers to the sword, taking full advantage of all their opportunities.

The win sees the Tigers improve to 8-3-2 on the season and retain their stranglehold on 2nd place on the Premier League Thirds ladder, trailing only the 9-3-1 Blackburn side whom they will square off against next week in a game that is sure to be full of action as two of the leagues’ heavyweights battle for first place and momentum coming into the back end of the season.

The 4ths put the game away in the bottom of the 1st inning and then continued to pile on in every inning thereafter, beating the visiting Cougars senselessly to the tune of a 20-0.

With Oscar Monagas getting the start for Upwey, the righty sat the visitors down in order in the top of the 1st before the Tigers went about proving why they are heavy flag favorites and owners of a perfect record on the year.

The end score more reflected an NFL game than a baseball game as the divide between 1st place and 8th place on the Premier League Fourths ladder was well and truly on display.

The Tigers now look forward to their clash with the 4th placed Blackburn next week as they look to continue their golden season and maintain their undefeated record against a Burners team.

Hosted ladder leaders Waverley Red, the

Metro League East 5ths had a day to forget as they were soundly defeated by the Wildcats, being jumped at the go and eventually conceding a 13-1 defeat in a game that does not reflect on how well the Tigers have played down the stretch this season.

Surrendering the lead early, the Tigers were never really in the game as the Wildcats poured it on with authority and ensured they took the points back to Napier Park.

The Tigers will ironically travel to Waverley next week to take on Waverley Black in a game that will see 2nd v 4th and one that promises to be an absolute blinder and a potential finals preview for both squads.

Travelling to Bonbeach where vandals had unfortunately torched the clubrooms during the week, the Metro League South 6ths were not well received by the Blue Jays who proceeded to seemingly take their frustrations for the fire out on the visitors, belting them without mercy to the tune of an eventual 20-1 scoreline.

The Tigers can take to heart that while they are Upwey’s 6th side, they faced off against the Blue Jays 3rds in a game that certainly provided a mismatch of abilities, its a game the visitors will be keen to move on from.

This saw Upwey’s record on the season fall to 5-9 as they drop to 6th place on the ladder as they host 7th place Pakenham next weekend at Kings Park.

Travelling to A.W. Oliver Reserve and looking to continue their perfect season, the Lady Tigers set about immediately setting the tone for the afternoon, plating the maximum 7 runs for the inning on a leadoff error, a Jess McDonald walk with hits to Claire Williams, Sally Light, Zienna McCulloch, Victoria Chinn and a circus act of errors off the bat of Caitlin Kiel saw the score jump to 6-0 before Chelsea Mosbey hit a ground ball to plate the 7th run for the inning.

It was a less-than-ideal first inning as the home side scored 6 of their own runs as Mather struggled with her control and base hits ensuring that runners continued to cross the plate.

Lady Tigers were held in check in the top of the second inning before the Lady Panthers again took advantage of Mather’s control issues, plating a further three runs to run the score to 10-7 and see the away side trailing for one of the very few times this season.

At the bottom of the third, Mosbey surrendered a leadoff single and a walk before striking out Alice Millington in a sequence of events that saw Taylor Kain score from 3rd on an error

by Z McCulloch behind the plate.

Looking to again take the lead in the fourth inning, the Lady Tigers exploded for another seven runs as they blew the game wide open.

Mosbey worked around an error and two walks to tightrope out of danger and keep Moorabbin off the scoreboard as the Lady Panthers saw their last chance to tie the game slip right between their fingers as the premiership favorites showed just why they are the measuring stick in the league.

Not content with a seven run lead, the Lady Tigers took full advantage of a single to Chinn, who promptly stole second and advanced to third on Kiel’s base hit to centerfield. Jack was unable to advance the runners and was struck out, Mosbey walked to load the bases before Mather battled but was ultimately struck out, however Holden came through in the clutch and lifted a single to centerfield to bring home the Lady Tigers 18th and final run for the afternoon, bringing an end to the inning and the game as time was called.

Z McCulloch and Chinn were the standouts for the Lady Tigers, with the former collecting 2 hits and 5 RBI and the latter 3 hits, 3 RBI and 2 stolen bases, however, they were more than ably backed up by Light and Kiel (1 hit and 2 RBI apiece) and McDonald (3 walks), while Mosbey was again outstanding on the mound after taking over from Mather.

The win sees the Lady Tigers again retain their stranglehold on 1st place on the Women’s Metro South ladder with a still perfect 13-0 record as they continue to flatten any obstacle in their way, whilst Moorabbin fall to 6-5-1 but retain 4th place.

Upwey will play host to the Cheltenham Lady Rustlers next week. mailcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Hottest day of the season as bowls season warms up 71. The composite board was tight all day, with Warburton taking the lead early after the break. Then, in a thrilling finish, Monbulk was able to do enough to take the lead and hold on.

Monbulk is still fifth on the ladder with a mathematically possible chance of gaining a top four berth. But the last two games will be against top teams, so it will be a huge challenge.

Monbulk 2 travelled away to Ringwood Don Barnetson’s team had several level scores and lead changes in the front half. Then, after the break, Ringwood grabbed four ends in a row, including some multiples. Going into the fifteenth end, Monbulk trailed by 11 shots.

They rallied in the run home and picked up six ends in a row to reduce the margin but couldn’t quite bridge the gap. Monbulk lost the rink 16 shots to 20.

Graeme Goller’s team had one of their toughest games for the season. Not only did they lose the mat twice as many times as Ringwood, but they also dropped several big multiples in the run home and that blew out the deficit. Monbulk lost the rink 10 shots to 30.

Case Broekhof’s team followed a similar pattern, winning some early ends, then dropping seven ends in a row to trail by 10 shots.

Ringwood dominated in the back half, with some big multiples, to double the margin.

Monbulk lost the rink 11 shots to 31.

Andy Smith’s team stuck close to their opponents in the front half but dropped some big scores in the back half. The teams won a similar number of ends, so it was those clangers

By Jack Rollings Saturday pennant. The warmest day this season. Almost hot. Not a cloud in the sky. Hardly any wind. Perfect for bowling. It’s the pointy end of the season with finals just around the corner.

Monbulk 1 played at home against Warburton Eric Markham’s team won 12 of the 21 ends including five doubles and three good multiples.

Apart from one double, their losses were all singles. They led all day and won the rink comfortably 25 shots to 10.

Jim Bras’ team got the early jump and led by 6 shots going into the eighth end. Then they dropped six ends in a row to give up the lead.

With six ends to go they trailed by 7 shots.

Monbulk finished stronger but couldn’t quite make up the deficit. Monbulk lost the rink 19 shots to 22.

Tony French’s team dropped two 5s during the game, massive clangers that would normally spell a defeat. However, they also won twice as many ends as Warburton which meant the scores were often level. Monbulk was able to edge away over the last two ends to win the rink 20 shots to 18.

Brian Smith’s team stayed close early on.

Then Warburton found their range and started controlling the mat, winning twelve ends. In the race home, Monbulk was able to reduce the margin slightly but lost the rink 15 shots to 21.

Overall Monbulk won the round 79 shots to

that made all the difference. Monbulk lost the rink 16 shots to 22.

Overall Monbulk lost the round 53 shots to 103 with all rinks down. Yes, that loss rates as a thumping. However, it was only Monbulk’s third loss for the season, and they are still prominent in the top four, and they still have an eye on playing finals.

Monbulk 3 travelled away to Donvale Graeme Godkin’s team started strongly, winning the first eight ends and leading by 14 shots at the halfway mark. In the back half, the teams won similar number of ends, but Monbulk was able to finish the day with a 3 shotter and secure a comfortable win 26 shots to 9.

Chris Sullivan’s team had a close match all day, with both sides picking up some big scores to change the lead several times. With three ends to go, scores were 17 shots all. Then it was Donvale who took control for the last three ends. Monbulk lost the rink 17 shots to 21.

Mike Harris’ team dropped only six ends for the day, but Donvale was able stay in touch for most of the day with some good multiple wins.

Going into the fifteenth end Donvale trailed by just a single shot. But in the run home, Monbulk won six ends in a row, including two good 4 shotters and they took the game beyond reach. Monbulk won the rink 25 shots to 13.

Overall Monbulk won the round 68 shots to 43. A solid win on an away ground. They are well into the top four and have a reasonable expectation to play finals in three weeks’ time.

Only two more home and away rounds to go before finals.

Chris Clerici finding his aiming line.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Veterans secure top spot

By Aaron Gillard Our 1s-4ths saw the beginning of two-day matches on a very hot Saturday, while our veterans secured top spot and a finals berth on Sunday, which is awesome!

The 1s have a target of 216 to chase vs Olinda. Wickets were shared, with four bowlers taking 2 wickets each.

The 2s are in a very strong position, posting 250 and having Olinda 7/42. Standout performances from captain Brad Trinnick 68, Lucas Jurey 55, with the bat and an amazing spell of bowling from Joel Wensley 3/12 and Jake Santini 4/23 to finish off the day.

The 3s are in a battle with top of the table Upwey Tecoma, but a solid 52 from Brodie Emmett and with Matt Winzenreid and Charlie Hooper at the crease, ensures it is set up for an intriguing second week.

Our 4s have started strong, with Craig Mackay, Dan Blenkiron and Michael Adams all making 20 odd to put them in a good position.

The 5ths had a great win, defeating Knox Boronia! Christian Fraser (52) and Jayden Mauchline (75) were stars with the bat in a score of 7/185. With the ball, Ming Poynton took an extraordinary 3/1 and captain Tom Berman took 3/11.

Finally, a big Congratulations to our Vets team who won in the last over yesterday v Ferntree Gully to finish top of the Div 1 ladder at the end of the home and away season.

They now play a semi final next Sunday (11th Feb) at our home ground. Good luck to skipper Brayden Grigg and the team!

Well done to our U12’s and Fast 9’s who both had great wins on Friday night and our Junior Blasters had great fun also!

Our two Super 7’s teams had another fun week at training and at their Wednesday night match.

The u16s are in a strong position at 2/122 vs South Belgrave-Lysterfield 4/83, Will Meyer again retiring with 52*. He was well supported by captain Ethan Knight (27) and Ry Tudor (22) as they look to push for the win next weekend.

Saturday 10th February is the MCC Trivia night, and tables are filling fast in the lead up to a great night!

Finally, we have our past players/life members day on Saturday 2nd March. This will be a great opportunity for past premiership players and members to get together to reminisce! Get along earlier to watch the 1s take on South Belgrave in their final match of the season also, in mailcommunity.com.au

The Veterans secured top spot and a finals berth on Sunday. what will be a big day at the MCC. Scores: 1st XI - Monbulk vs Olinda 9/216 (K. Storey 2/34, A. Powell 2/45, C. Haworth-Hooker 2/54, D. Maher 2/49) 2nd XI – Monbulk 10/250 (B. Trinnick 68, L. Jurey 55, B. Hooker 33, K. Snyman 30) vs Olinda 7/42 (J. Santini 4/23, J. Wensley 3/12) 3rd XI – Monbulk 3/122 vs Upwey Tecoma 1/196 (D. Rowe 1/37) 4th XI – Monbulk 6/94 (C. Mackay 28, D. Blenkiron 27, M. Adams 22) vs Ferntree Gully 3/22*

· · · ·

Picture: SUPPLIED

XI – Monbulk 7/185 (J. Mauchline 75, C. · 5th Fraser 52, J. Dyer 17) def Knox Boronia 7/162 (T. Berman 3/11, M. Poynton 3/1) · - Monbulk 6/177 (M. Cutler 39*, D. · Veterans Anderson 32, B. Haack 30) def Ferntree Gully 8/176 (B. Haack 2/14, B. Grigg 2/30)

Monbulk 2/122 (W. Meyer 52*, E. · U16’s: Knight 27, R. Tudor 22) vs South Belgrave- ·

·

Lysterfield 4/83 (J. Thornton 2/6, J. Fraser 1/7, W. Blenkiron 1/5) U12’s: Monbulk 4/125 (N.Taylor 20*, A.Selby 15*, E.Toohey 12*, J.Jennings-Sykes 11) def

·

Olinda 9/95 (E.deRenzy 4/24, A.Selby 2/5, S.Czaja 1/9) Fast 9’s: Monbulk 1/93 (H.Grigg 25*, M.Demant Roddy 19*, Lily Hutton 9*, A.Arnott 9*) def Gembrook 2/24 (H.Watson 1/1, J.Mason 1/4).

Super 7s: Monbulk Gold 61 (O. Spargo 3*) vs Belgrave 140 (K. Paynter 1/15, M. Phyland 1/19, J. Stott 1/16) Super 7s: Monbulk Maroon 50 (A. Anderson 5*, M. Arnott 3*) vs Olinda 146 (M. Arnott 0/8) Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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Tuesday, 6 February, 2024

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