Mail - Upper Yarra Star Mail - 20th February 2024

Upper Yarra

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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Badger Creek Community Hall to get energy upgrade

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A Star News Group Publication

PR OP ER TY

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

Storm hits hard

By Dongyun Kwon and Callum Ludwig Locals suffered from fallen trees, damaged buildings and power outages after the storm smashed Yarra Valley on Tuesday 13 February.

Despite the bad conditions, people rolled with the punches, and volunteers donated their time to help in the recovery effort.

Healesville resident William Burley got out of his house with his dad to clear up fallen trees around.

The Healesville SES Unit had 20 calls in one hour and received 30 requests for assistance in 24 hours.

Although the Upper Yarra may have escaped the worst of the wild weather, the Upper Yarra SES Unit was active in responding to callouts to offer assistance for other units.

Local businesses were also busy saving their stock and Healesville’s Monroe’s Burger and Beers was devastated to find out found out that someone deliberately turned off their generator right before they tried to reopen the shop on Thursday 15 February.

The storm already impacted their Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday sales and over $3000 worth of stock was lost due to the storm and the generator issue.

Toscano’s Yarra Valley in Healesville dealt relatively well with the storm and the power outages reflecting the lessons from the 2021 storm.

Healesville High School lost power for about 48 hours and it was operated with modified programs.

St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School had to close on Wednesday 14 February as it was without power, communications and the use of their water pump.

Healesville Primary School was open for business as usual.

SEE INSIDE FOR MORE The SES Healesville Unit had over 30 requests for assistance.

Picture: SUPPLIED

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NEWS

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Storm chaos reigns

By Mikayla Van Loon Patches of the Yarra Ranges were left in darkness with thousands of homes and businesses without power after storms lashed the outer east on Tuesday afternoon.

Called “one of the largest outage events in the state’s history“ by energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio, at the peak of the outage 530,000 customers were affected across the state.

The eastern suburbs provider, Ausnet, saw more than 260,000 customers impacted on Tuesday 13 February, with that number dropping to just over 180,000 as of 11.30am on Wednesday.

“Our field crews have been working overnight to assess the damage to our network caused by the severe weather that moved across most of Victoria yesterday,” Ausnet posted to social media.

“We have over 320 resources across fault response and vegetation management responding to more than 400 different faults today, including fallen and damaged powerlines and trees.

“Due to the large volumes and complexity of the damage, restoration times will be longer than usual, and some may be without power for multiple days.”

The service provider issued an apology on Wednesday at 1.30pm to those affected, stating that “40 per cent of our customers were affected by the incident”.

The Emerald SES unit was one of the busiest in the state, receiving over 200 calls for assistance adding to the state total of over 3500 in the 24 hours to 11am on Wednesday.

Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said the suburban patch was not hit too badly with only 20 jobs for trees and powerlines down but crews were lending assistance across the region.

“A crew headed to a rescue of a person trapped in a house after a tree fell in Emerald because the SES unit from there was off doing other jobs but the crew was cancelled on the way, as the person was able to make their way out to safety,” Mr Caulfield said.

“We helped out Healesville who had a flurry

Traffic lights were not operating in places across the east caused by the power outages.

Brice Avenue and Manchester Road were Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON affected. 389247 of jobs, maybe 30 to 35 in a short period of time.

“We do come together as SES. We have a number of units assisting Knox, Emerald and a crew assisting Monash today (14 Feb) because they still have in excess of 300 outstanding tasks to clear.”

Mr Caulfield said he expected the clean up to take a couple of days, with crews out clearing roads of trees and debris.

“People who were affected by the 2021 storm might be nervous or fearful that it will be as bad as that but it’s not sounding like it will go on for anywhere near as long as the 2021 storm.”

Trains were also affected, with buses replacing services from Mooroolbark and Belgrave to Blackburn after an equipment fault near Ringwood and power outages in Upwey.

Telecommunications across the east were also down as a result of the high winds, rain

and lightning.

Telstra’s 4G, 5G and in some places 3G mobile network has been disrupted, with Cockatoo to Mount Evelyn impacted in the Hills and Coldstream, Woori Yallock and Healesville losing service in the Valley.

“We are currently working to restore services following the storms. Power outages across the state are impacting hundreds of thousands of properties, including many of our network sites (like mobile base stations).

“We’re using generators to keep as many sites online as possible while we wait for the power to come back on.

“At this stage, we’re seeing disruptions across 223 mobile sites around the state and almost 5000 landlines are disrupted.

“We have already restored 263 mobile sites, and techs will continue this work in the coming days.”

Optus services were also down from Healesville to Warburton, Mount Evelyn to Monbulk and Emerald.

Dozens of schools or early learning centres across Victoria closed on Wednesday morning because of power outages.

“Schools are making every effort to provide information to families as quickly as they can and where possible are providing supervision for students where they need it,“ an education department spokesman told AAP. Birmingham Primary School in Mount Evelyn posted to social media that “the grounds are a bit of a mess and some of our services will be compromised…but our buildings are otherwise untouched and we will be ready to see the children at school in time for 9am if it suits individual family circumstances”.

Mooroolbark East Primary School also lost power but the school opened and staff were onsite.

In Belgrave, Mater Christi College had to close on Wednesday having “also sustained damage to property” and being without power.

As some people still await the return of power and services, offers of food storage, phone charging, baby bottle warming and places of retreat have started being shared across social media and community noticeboards.

Bushland in Three Bridges burns

By Callum Ludwig A bushfire broke out in Three Bridges in the midst of the heat, wind and storms of Tuesday 13 February.

Potentially started by a dry lightning strike, nearby residents left their homes and congregated on the street, unsure of how serious the blaze was.

A CFA spokesperson said eight CFA units responded to a bushfire on St Benedicts Drive in Three Bridges at around 3.11pm on Tuesday 13 February.

“Units responded from Wesburn, Yarra

Junction, Hoddles Creek, Little Yarra, Badger Creek, Hillcrest and Gembrook,” they said.

“Forest Fire Management Victoria units and aircraft were called to the scene to assist.”

Residents tried to lead local brigades to potential avenues to access the fire which was deep in bushland but were unsuccessful.

The fire spanned about 150x150m in inaccessible terrain, so while Forest Fire Management Victoria’s crews and aircraft quelled the fire, crews implemented asset protection and there was no concerns for assets.

The incident was deemed safe at 6.41pm.

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Owners of affected vehicles can contact their nearest Chery dealership to request an inspection of the brake pipe union bolt and have the rectification if required completed, free of charge.

The fire started deep in the bush and is believed to have been caused by a dry lightning strike.

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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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The six new distracted driver cameras rolled out in Victoria have detected over 50,000 offences across the road network in just six months from 1 July 2023.

Using AI-enabled cameras to capture highresolution images of drivers with images then passed to a human verifier to further assess before an infringement notice is issued.

From 1 July to 30 December 2023 the cameras detected 53,105 offences, including 16,499 drivers and 6,375 passengers not wearing seatbelts, and 30,231 drivers using mobile phones.

Minister for Police Anthony Carbines said their message to drivers is clear.

“If you are using your phone while driving or not buckled up, these cameras will catch you,” he said.

“Too many lives have been lost because drivers have been distracted and these road safety cameras are proven to be one of the most effective ways to stop this dangerous behaviour and save lives.”

Drivers face penalties of four demerit points and a $577 fine when caught using a mobile phone while driving, and three demerit points and a $385 fine for not wearing a seatbelt correctly.

TAC CEO Tracey Slatter said enforcement is the most effective tool we have when it comes to deterring and changing dangerous driver behaviour.

“If being caught just once by these new cameras means a person will avoid the temptation to use their phone next time, or buckle up, then it’s effective in preventing road trauma,” she said.

The growing network of camera trailers regularly move around so drivers are unaware of where they will be at any given time - with the cameras monitoring motorists for around 8,000 hours each month and moving across 162 locations in rural and metropolitan areas.

Distracted driving is a major contributor to serious and fatal collisions with research showing that more than half of drivers have used a mobile phone while driving which can increase the risk of crashing up to ten times compared to an alert driver.

More than 140 drivers and passengers killed on Victorian roads in the last five years were not wearing a seatbelt - that’s just over a quarter of all vehicle occupants where seatbelt status was known.

For more information about Victoria’s road safety cameras visit vic.gov.au/cameras-savelives.

www.mckenzies.com.au Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 3

NEWS

A significant storm event struck suburbs throughout the east on Tuesday 13 February.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Four members of the Upper Yarra SES Unit made their way to Monash to assist.

Upper Yarra SES helps out

By Callum Ludwig The Upper Yarra may have escaped the worst of the wild weather on Tuesday 13 February but it certainly didn’t mean the Upper Yarra SES Unit were inactive.

While there were only a few callouts in the Upper Yarra, SES units in Healesville, Emerald and Monash were all smashed.

Upper Yarra SES Unit member Leah was one of four crew members who went to offer assistance in Monash and said they were sent out to assist with some jobs the Monash unit couldn’t get to.

“It was lots of trees down, right across roads or down in driveways, blocking access to peo-

ple’s properties,” she said.

“They had over 400 requests for assistance and more were coming through to them as they were attending them throughout the day.”

Even by the time members of the Monash SES unit finished for the day at about 1am last night, over 300 request remained for crews to clean up in the coming days.

Leah said the widespread power outages also made it harder.

“Going through intersections like Stud Road, Ferntree Gully Road with no traffic lights was pretty hairy,” she said.

Some areas of the Upper Yarra were affected by the storm, with Ausnet’s Outage Tracker (which has been temporarily replaced by a

data list due to high demand on the site) listing that over 2000 customers in towns such as Wandin North, Wandin East, Seville, Seville East, Yellingbo, Gruyere and Woori Yallock still without power the following day.

Leah said it was great to be able to help out another unit, with the Upper Yarra unit not unfamiliar with significant storm events in recent times.

“I was sitting waiting for the pager to go off all day expecting us to be called out nearby,” she said.

“It’s wonderful when other units have been able to come up and help us with stuff like that, and we had the opportunity last night to return the favour so we went on a road trip.”

Crews worked late into the night to clear fallen trees.

12633066-JC08-24

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NEWS

Fallen trees in Graceburn Road, Healesville taken by a drone 2.

Picture: ANDREW BLAIR

Traffic lights were back in Yarra Glen on Wednesday 14 February.

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

Fallen trees on Graceburn Road, Healesville taken by a drone 1.

Picture: ANDREW BLAIR

Storm devastates valley

By Dongyun Kwon Yarra Valley was severely impacted by the incredible storm which passed through on Tuesday 13 February, which reminded locals of the 2021 storm nightmare.

It was about 2.30pm when the storm hit Healesville and the surrounding areas which damaged trees and buildings, and caused power outages.

The storm event put Healesville in chaos and locals rolled up their sleeves to help in the recovery effort.

After the storm swept Healesville, resident William Burley got out of his house with his dad to clear up fallen trees around.

“All the rain and the weather hit here,“ he said.

“Even a branch had fallen on the power line after the power had gone out.

“So, we just looked around to help out because it obviously could be everywhere else too.”

William and his dad cut off a tree on Old Fernshaw Road, Healesville with a chainsaw and put the pieces on the side.

While the power outage continued in Healesville the next day, Yarra Glen recovered the power system earlier.

By 11am on Wednesday 14 February, most of the shops in Yarra Glen got the power back including traffic lights.

Bookstore Novel Nook owner Naomi Gibson said everything seemed to be almost back to normal.

“From the wind, the power went off in Yarra Glen and it was off until definitely this morning,” she said.

“Because I live in Healesville, I am not sure the exact time when the power was back but it was still out of power at 10 o’clock last night.

“It was a nice surprise having the power on today, Valentine’s Day.” In a post on Facebook, the SES Healesville Unit detailed how badly the area was affected by the storm.

“At the start, we had 20 calls in one hour,” it reads.

“From yesterday afternoon, we had three vehicles and crews out attending to incidents, only getting home around eight hours later.

“A crew out again multiple times today, fortunately, we were relatively spared compared to some other areas, only 30 requests for assistance so far [while] across the state, there have been over 3,500 requests for assistance in the last 24 hours.”

Healesville SES controller Andrew Worley said most of the callouts were for trees on roads, buildings and across driveways restricting access for residents.

“We are just finishing off one callout now [which was for] a large tree blocking a driveway,” he said.

“We did have one rescue callout yesterday [on Tuesday 13 February], but fortunately, nobody was trapped, it was a tree blocking some cars.

“We worked with the CFA and Yarra Valley Towing to clear it.” mailcommunity.com.au

The fallen tree on Old Fernshaw Road in Healesville cleared up by William Burley and his dad.

Temporary closed sign.

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

People tried to pile up extra fuel.

Ground level shot of a fallen tree on Graceburn Road, Healesville.

Picture: ANDREW BLAIR

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

By 11am on Wednesday 14 February, most of the shops in Yarra Glen got the power back.

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

The SES Healesville Unit had over 30 requests for assistance.

Picture: SUPPLIED Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 5

NEWS

Healesville schools hit

By Dongyun Kwon Schools in Healesville couldn’t avoid the attack of the recent storm.

The storm caused significant damage to Healesville High School.

Healesville High School principal Allan Rennick said the school lost power for about 48 hours.

“We lost the power from Tuesday afternoon until about three o’clock on Thursday,” he said.

“The damages that we sustained were several roof leaks in a variety of buildings and we also had some flooding in one area to school from excess groundwater.

“There were several branches and leaves of trees that fell to the ground.“ Mr Rennick said he appreciated all the support that the school got from different groups.

“There was a very large treatment of a fivemetre-high tree outside our school boundary, but it fell away from our school to a paddock on the other side of the road and completely blocked McGregor Avenue,” he said.

“The SES was really quiet, very efficient, very prompt, and they’ve got that job cleared.

“The Victorian School Building Authority is also supporting us in repairing the damage that we have had.”

Despite the storm and the power outages, Healesville High School was operated with modified programs on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 February.

“Our students and staff are really very resilient,” Mr Rennick said.

“We’ve had, as has everybody, significant issues over the past 15 years through bushfires, floods, storm events and the pandemic.

“We’re quite used to modifying our programs and continuing working through.”

Due to the lower attendance because of the

Roof leaks.

The SES Healesville Unit responded quickly to clear up a fallen tree on McGregor Avenue.

Pictures: DONGYUN KWON

Debris from the roof leaks.

storm and power outages, Healesville High School had to combine classes to continue teaching students.

“On Wednesday, we had approximately 55 per cent of students attended,“ Mr Rennick said.

“On Thursday, it was slightly less than 50 per cent.

“I fully understand that some parents choose to keep their children at home on those days, and some students have difficulties of their own at home.”

St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School was also affected by the storm, and, unfortunately, it

power was restored at 1pm on the day.

“Our parents were great. They collected the students and were home safe and sound within 15 minutes of being notified.”

Healesville Primary School principal Tracey Robertson-Smith said the school was open for business as usual.

“We had no power, internet or communication pathways until 1:30 pm this afternoon [on Thursday 15 February] when everything was restored,” she said.

“This had minimal impact at school and our students, however many of them had no power at home as well.”

had to close on Wednesday 14 February as it was out of power, communication and water pump.

St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School principal Tess Dwyer said the school was lucky that all students, staff and facilities didn’t get any damage from the storm.

“We’re certainly a bit worried when the storm hit, but no one was hurt, there was no damage and I haven’t heard of any issues from our family’s perspective,” she said.

“We just had to purchase 2 generators which got us up and running again on Thursday 15 February and we were happy when the

12645665-AP08-24

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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NEWS

A quick response from Mr Toscano enabled produce to stay fresh.

It is believed someone used the key to switch off the generator.

Generator sabotage anger

By Dongyun Kwon The recent storm affected businesses in Healesville although they were prepared for it.

Healesville’s Monroe’s Burger and Beers found the impact of the storm even harsher when they found out someone deliberately turned off their generator right before they tried to reopened the shop on Thursday 15 February.

Manager Conner Eaton said the team was frustrated and upset.

“As far as we can tell, someone either decided to be a funny joke or got annoyed at the noise or something,” he said.

“Somewhere between two o’clock in the morning and six o’clock in the morning yesterday [Thursday 15 February], someone turned it off which obviously caused all of our fridges to go well over temp causing everything in there to go off.

“We live in a fairly small town and it’s tough to think that someone from the area would do something like that to a small business,” he said.

The shop had to be closed when the storm came about 2.30pm on Tuesday 13 February and it was reopened on Friday 16 February.

“We lost Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday sales and we’ve also lost over $3000 worth of stock due to the storm and the generator issue,” Mr Eaton said.

“If that [the generator issue] didn’t happen, we would have been able to open up yesterday [Thursday] afternoon.

“We had the big job yesterday of trying to clear everything out of our fridges and trying to deal with all the stock that had gone bad.”

The Monroe’s Burger and Beers team received huge support from the community on social media.

“The support we’ve seen come through messages is quite heart-warming for us,” Mr Eaton said.

The team is asking the locals to help them to find out the offender.

Someone deliberately turned off the Monroe’s Burger and Beers’ generator.

Anyone who witnessed it is welcome to contact the Monroe’s Burger and Beers team at info@monroesburger.com Healesville police spokesperson said the incident has been reported and the investigation is ongoing.

Toscano’s Yarra Valley in Healesville relatively well dealt with the storm and the power outages reflecting the lessons from the 2021 storm.

Toscano’s Yarra Valley owner Frank Toscano said he was better prepared this time.

“We had everything pre-organised to make disruption minimal whereas in 2021 I don’t think anyone was prepared,” he said “I was here till midnight on Tuesday and I took all the stock out while it was still cold and transferred them to another fridge, that I have at the other end of the town, by a refrigerated van.

“It was a lot of work and we saved a lot of stuff.”

A generator arrived at the shop around 3pm on Wednesday 14 February, two hours later

Pictures: DONGYUN KWON than the estimated time and Mr Toscano could reopen the shop after he successfully set up the generator.

“We closed from about 2.30pm Tuesday and reopened around 4pm on Wednesday.

“I was up all night looking for a generator and we found one in Dandenong and they were able to deliver it but it was larger than we needed, so we shared it with the butcher next door [Mainstreet Quality Butchers and Smoke House].”

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MAIL 7

NEWS

Hearty meals for helpers

By Mikayla van Loon In the wake of an emergency, volunteers donate their time to respond in whatever capacity needed to provide relief, assistance and support to the affected community.

And while Victoria’s SES crews, with help from CFA members, had their boots on the ground to clear roads, make homes accessible and restore some order to suburbs after Tuesday’s storms, Rapid Relief Team (RRT) volunteers were keeping their fellow volunteers well fed.

Lilydale team labour coordinator Ken McAlpin said the Boronia team kicked off supplying meals on the night of the storms, with Lilydale taking over on Wednesday 14 February.

“Originally, we were called up to provide dinner to the first responders, so SES and also the forestry management guys as well. So we were based at SES Knox,” he said.

“We got about 10 volunteers to put on a barbecue lunch. So we had our RRT signature burgers. We did about 150 to 180 meals somewhere around there and then the same again for dinner.”

RRT local team leader Tom Garrett said the initial call out of needing 220 meals expanded to having two bases, one in Emerald and one in Knox, to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“The SES crews have been working through the night and day to respond to calls for help and clear debris caused by the devastating storm, so the least we could do is make sure they had some hearty food to keep them going,” Mr Garrett said.

As of Thursday 16 February, RRT volunteers from Boronia, Lilydale, Berwick, Melbourne and Warragul had supplied 546 meals in total, with another 525 meals to go on Friday.

Mr McAlpin said for RRT’s volunteers they like to think of cooking a meal as a “little cog in

CFA volunteers enjoy a hearty meal.

After being out on the tools, CFA members returned to have a warm, freshly cooked meal by RRT. Pictures: SUPPLIED

The production line of getting over 100 meals out at a time.

the big wheel” of ensuring the emergency responders can continue their important work.

“A hot meal and refreshments, it’s absolutely key. These guys come in and they’re pretty stuffed from the day, they’ve been on the tools most of them all day,” he said.

“We like to see ourselves putting a smile on those faces, which we manage with a hot meal and a refreshment and then a bit of encouragement. They’re doing good work for us so it’s

as the response takes.

“We take our hat off to the SES team volunteering their time. They’ve obviously got jobs too, and families and it’s good to try and put a smile on their face,” Mr McAlpin said.

“We are just glad we could provide some relief to the men and women who give up their time and effort to help others. Seeing the smiles on their faces is our reward,” Mr Garrett said.

a little bit of return we can do for them.

“We’re obviously volunteers too but we’re all happy to be there and engage in conversation. Every volunteer has got a little story and there’s all walks of life, so it’s a privilege to serve them and to keep them going, so they can get back out there.”

From bacon and egg rolls, subway sandwiches to burgers, SES crews will continue receiving home cooked meals from RRT as long

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NEWS

Telcos told to raise game

By Mikayla van Loon, with AAP Frustration is a word that has been used multiple times by residents across the outer east to describe the lack of connection they experienced in the aftermath of the storms.

Unable to send or receive calls and text messages, access weather or emergency notifications, access the internet and in some cases make SOS calls to 000, the dangers of living through another storm event and power outage have been brought to the surface.

After the most recent and lengthy power outage in 2021, which also downed telecommunications towers, the Mount Evelyn Community Forum page was lit up with questions of ‘didn’t we learn from last time?’

“My mobile phone was absolutely useless yesterday (Tues 13 Feb) upon losing power.

Couldn’t send or receive a text message, no internet, no calls. Totally ridiculous. Same as the June 2021 big storms,” Elizabeth Gibson posted to the Forum.

“You would have hoped that lessons were learnt. Obviously not. I went to public meetings where this very issue was raised time and time again,” Stan Van Leeuwen said.

“Nothing’s changed since black Saturday.

It’s disgusting,” Deborah Milton also commented.

Many people said the most concerning aspect of not having telecommunications access was feeling “isolated, uninformed and useless in a crisis”, being unable to check on friends or know what was happening locally.

“The only connection to what was happening in the world I had during the power cut was AM Radio,” Joshua Williams said.

“Considering we are in a fire risk area, there must be some redundancy built into the telecommunications infrastructure in our area, before it goes from being a temporary inconvenience to an issue that could affect lives.”

While Telstra said it was “using back-up generators while we wait for power to be restored” where it could, over 200 mobile sites were disrupted as of Wednesday 14 February.

About 230 phone towers were still offline on

With power cables destroyed across Hills communities, telecommunications infrastructure has also been called into question as people were disconnected from service after the storms.

Picture: KATHIE THOMAS Thursday as Telstra, Optus and TPG crews raced to reconnect services, AAP reported.

Premier Jacinta Allan said it was reasonable to question if telcos should have more batteries and generators around towers as backup power sources for severe weather events.

“We saw the same thing coming out of Queensland with the cyclone event before Christmas,” the premier said.

“The reality is everyone relies on their mobile phone. Very few people have a landline.

“This has really emerged strongly out of this event this week as something that needs much greater focus and attention at both levels of government, but also the telecommunications companies have to come to the table with solutions.”

In March last year, after the Yarra Ranges missed out on Improving Mobile Coverage Round funding, Federal Casey MP Aaron Violi

said it was unfathomable that in a high prone bushfire, flooding and storm region, funding was not provided to secure mobile connection in this area.

“Communication is something that has to be above politics because it can be life and death. It’s an essential service that should be treated as such,” he told Star Mail at the time.

Returning to the issue in Parliament on Wednesday 14 February, Mr Violi shared the struggles with communications minister Michelle Rowland.

“It’s a continual frustration for my community. The Dandenong Ranges, the Upper Yarra, the Yarra Valley, it’s a 40 to 50 minute drive with no traffic from the CBD but anyone that visits knows it’s not suburban,” he said.

“It’s beautiful nature, it’s farmland, it’s agriculture, it’s mountains. It’s challenging terrain and there’s a lot of beautiful trees. There’s a lot

of tall trees, hundreds of feet and the problem is when there’s a storm, the trees fall down, and we lose power and when we lose power in our community, we lose communications.

“While phones are very convenient, when there’s no internet, no phone reception, they’re the most useless thing in the world.”

Calling for bipartisan support to improve the infrastructure, Mr Violi said this was an essential service that “is one of the biggest challenges our communities face”.

“What we need to do as governments and this is not a criticism of the government. This is bipartisan because it is a challenging situation. I acknowledge the terrain, the topography.

“It’s not about politics. It’s about working in a bipartisan way to make them as safe as possible.”

Monash University associate professors Roger Dargaville and Behrooz Bahrani said as climate change continues to bring more natural emergencies, “this incident serves as a wake-up call” for “creating a robust, adaptable energy infrastructure” that can withstand these events.

“As a result of climate change we are bound to have more wild weather conditions in the future and our energy systems must learn to adapt and grapple with such situations more often,” associate prof Dargaville said.

“Building on the urgency highlighted by Victoria’s power outages, it’s clear that accelerating the adoption of renewables is not just an environmental imperative but a strategic necessity for energy security,” associate prof Bahrani said.

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Sophie Todorov said that staff were working with AusNet, telecommunications companies and the State Government to address the outages and its impacts.

“We will continue to advocate for our communities to the State Government. We know there will be a long path ahead with removing debris and fallen trees, and we’ll be working to make sure we get the best support we can,” she said.

Storm sent us spinning out of the 21st century

By Kevin Jones It took only 10 minutes or so of extraordinary storm violence to send the Dandenongs spinning from the 21st Century back to the 1900s. No internet, no phone connection and no power.

When the high-fire-danger alert of Tuesday 13 February turned to a storm alert, few were prepared for what was about to unfold.

I certainly wasn’t. As darkness descended and my internet connection failed at home, I drove to Monbulk to finish off my workfrom-home shift as editorial coordinator with Star News.

I had only just logged on again when the wildest winds imaginable whipped up for five, maybe 10 minutes, followed by torrential rain, crashing thunder and lightning. My wife phoned - that connection had yet to fail - to tell me that all power was off at home and that she needed me straight away.

After a few failed attempts, I managed to phone work to say I was out of action then drove home, my four-minute drive turning into a 20-minute one as I stopped, time and time again, to drag tree limbs off David Hill Road and Rankins Road; once with four other drivers for a particularly big one.

After firing up our portable generator to get the fridge going at least, I realised that we were probably low on fuel and that I needed an extension cord or two. Sure enough, all I could find were two mostly empty jerry cans.

I nipped back to Monbulk, this time along Emerald-Monbulk Road, which was covered with debris but manageable, to find that the Monny servo was closed and Murphy’s Mitre 10 was locked up. In fact, all of Monbulk seemed out of action, apart from Woolies, with its trusty generator.

I aimed for Emerald and its Co-op Mitre 10. The Emerald-Monbulk Road was a mess, with ominously big trees down into propermailcommunity.com.au

Large trees have been uprooted on Emerald-Monbulk Road, Emerald. 389299 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

A power pole hangs on by a thread near the side of the road.

Picture: KEVIN JONES

far as Grantulla Road before hitting a roadclosed sign. Turning up Grantulla, I drove past Hermons Saddle Reserve. I was transported back to the scenes of 9 June 2021, with fallen trees everywhere. I went the long way through Sherbrooke Forest to Belgrave and beyond. Tecoma’s servo was closed... so was Upwey’s. So, I made the decision to descend the Mad Mile to Ferntree Gully. I noticed that I hadn’t seen a traffic light so, sure enough, all the Gully’s servos were closed due to lack of power.

I then saw the Dorset Road lights were working so, encouraged, I kept on going. No luck. Before I knew it, I was beyond Mountain Gate. I gave up the search when I got as far as Knox City to find that even the big one on the corner of Stud Road was in darkness.

With no communication, and no knowledge of statewide devastation, I had driven more than 50km for nothing.

On the way home, SES workers were on their massive clean-up task. They, and resi-

dents, held stop signs, slow-down signs and diversion orders. I went up roads that I barely knew existed in 35 years of living in the Dandenongs.

I never did fill those jerry cans on the 13th but my generator managed to limp into the next day. I got fuel and solved my extension cord issue that day but, as I write, we still have no power and AusNet don’t expect us to have some for a few days yet.

For the Hills community, it is all too much to bear after the horror of the 9 June storm.

Emerald and Cockatoo have drop-in crisis centres and the memories have come flooding back for many. This storm wasn’t as damaging as the 2021 event but try telling that to people who have had their properties and vehicles damaged.

I love my hills but Mother Nature sure makes it hard to live here at times. To think we started that day on fire alert with revolting heat and high winds. The last thing we expected was a 9 June replay in torrential rain.

ties in one particularly bad stretch between Glenvista Avenue and Lakeside Drive. I didn’t get through and was diverted down small dirt roads back towards Monbulk. I at least managed to get food from a still-open chicken shop there, selling off the last of its already cooked food.

An hour or so later, I hit the road again to try to find fuel in Emerald. This time I got through. That stretch towards Lakeside Drive and the curve near the location of the old Choo-Choos restaurant looked like a war zone.

Phone and power lines were down, some draped across the bitumen, and several telegraph poles were snapped. I finally reached Emerald to find... no petrol and a township in a bit of shock. People were out, swapping stories and helping the SES workers, who were out in numbers. I tried to phone home. No signal any more. No internet on my phone either.

OK, make for Tecoma, I thought. I got as

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Roof damage in Acacia Street Emerald.

Pictures: TRACY DASLER

A truck crushed under a tree on Fernglade Drive.

Fire engines on Majestic Drive in Emerald.

Terror, then fighting spirit

By Tyler Wright The Hills were rocked by wild weather with locals unsure when power will be restored after damaging winds lashed the area on Tuesday 13 February.

Pakenham SES Unit deputy controller Shayne Honey said they responded to reports of a tree fallen on to a house on Ladd Road in Emerald with a number of occupants trapped inside, and to assist Emerald SES. Upon arrival, three people had been able to get out of the house but two people were still trapped inside, Mr Honey said.

“Concerned gas was leaking through the home, the gas was isolated and crews removed an intact window, creating a doorway and were able to remove one of the trapped residents,“ he said. “The second trapped resident was found laying in a hallway.

“After initial treatment from paramedics, SES crews used a specially designed mat and sling to extricate the male resident, some working on their knees to complete the difficult rescue.“ “Once out of the property the resident was treated again by paramedics, Mr Honey said. It is believed a person was taken to Casey Hospital.

Earlier at 4.23pm, Mr Honey said, Pakenham SES Unit crews responded to a rescue in Narre Warren East, on the intersection of Wellington Road and Dorning Road, where a tree branch had fallen through a car and impaled into the driver’s leg, resting at the footwell of the car.

“Crews removed the back doors and roof of the vehicle to gain better access to the driver,“ he said. “The branch was cut and the driver extricated from the car with the branch still impaled in his leg and transported to a Melbourne hospital via Air Ambulance.“ Emerald SES and a number of CFA brigades including Nar Nar Goon, Wandin, Monbulk and Narre Warren East also attended this event alongside Ambulance Victoria and police.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed a man in his 30s was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition with a lower body injury.

Emerald resident Tracy Dasler described streets around her as a “war zone” in one of the “scariest days living up in the hills”.

“I was driving home when those storms hit Emerald,“ she said. “There was debris flying everywhere, trees falling, powerlines coming down and pouring rain… it was so dark, I could hardly see. I just drove straight to an area that didn’t have as many trees there and put my hazards lights on and parked with two other tradies.. until it passed.. it was so scary!” she said.

“I was going to park outside a friend’s house, but decided to keep going as there were too many big trees around. Thank goodness I didn’t as they had a tree fall right where I was going to park.”

Ms Dasler said once the storm had stopped, local tradies started to chop the trees up to clear the road. In Majestic Drive alone, there were about six large trees down and a car under one of them, Ms Dasler said, with cars and a truck damaged after a fallen tree hit one of her sheds.

“A lady couldn’t get out of her house as a tree fell, but did somehow later on. Police checked on her and she was OK. Another lady’s car was trapped under a tree that had fallen also, she was OK also.

“It was so good to see the locals come together to help where ever they could to clear 10 MAIL

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Power lines down near Temple Road in Selby. the trees off the roads.”

The impacts were also felt in Selby. A tree lost its top and smashed Kathie Thomas’s pergola, with the property losing big branches.

“But, at that time, didn’t realise the damage in the street,“ Ms Thomas said. “Then the power went out. Later we found out it wasn’t just here in Selby, but all over the state people had lost power.

“It was the following day we learnt about the Power Station [Loy Yang A] and what had happened there. No access to news, phones working intermittently, and we were careful with what we had powered up.“ Using a generator since, the clean up, expected to be lengthy, has begun on her property with the effects of the storm felt in the street.

“A neighbour has lost half their roof, we heard another house had a tree go through it.

We’re all without power and not being on mains water, means if we have no power, we have no water,“ Ms Thomas said. “Not everyone has a generator or solar power so some have had to go elsewhere to stay for a couple of days, especially if they have families at home with them.

“Temple Road is blocked and maybe for a few days. Fallen trees, snapped and fallen power poles, power lines all over the road – it’s a no through road for sure now. People were trying to get their kids to Belgrave South Primary on the 14th – they had to turn around and go back.“ She said the council came to place road closure signs at both ends of Temple Road.

“So many come from Belgrave-Gembrook and use Maskells Hill and Temple Roads as shortcuts to Belgrave-Hallam in Belgrave South.

“Petrol stations were out all over the place – it was hard to find petrol for generators unless you went to Narre Warren or beyond Ferntree Gully. But then the traffic lights were out too, main roads were bedlam.“ With the team working to remove the trees, cut them up and mulch into the early hours of Thursday, AusNet staff also assessed what lines and poles need replacing, Ms Thomas said.

“They’re doing amazing work and hopefully we will have power again soon.“

Picture: KATHIE THOMAS A State Emergency Service (SES) spokesperson said the SES received approximately 4000 requests for assistance since 9am on 13 February. The Emerald area received approximately 280 requests for volunteer assistance.

“The suburb of Emerald received approx.

70 call outs, Cockatoo received approx. 30 calls, Gembrook approx. 15 and Menzies Creek approx. 10 requests,“ the spokesperson said.

“The SES has received approx. 600 calls for assistance relating to property damage across the state.“ There were still reports of damage to buildings and trees down in the Cockatoo, Emerald and Clematis area on Thursday 15 February, with 43,000 AusNet customers still without power. Even Puffing Billy’s locomotive got stuck at Emerald Lake, with passengers needing to be bussed back to Belgrave to get home.

Emerald Village Bakery and Cafe owner Natalie Granieri said her business suffered a loss of “thousands of dollars” due to the power outage, with the store flooded. Staff set up a portable van outside the shop on Tuesday to sell coffees and Valentine’s Day cookies. “[We’re] just trying to get coffees out to people; most people don’t even have money because it’s all on card, so everyone’s just going to owe the bakery next time they’re in,“ Ms Ganieri At the moment, we’re throwing out all our food into the dump masters anyway, but we can at least make coffees so we’re not throwing out milk.

“If [people] can pay or not, I think they’re just being grateful for that, and we’ve made love heart Valentine’s Day cookies for everyone today; we made them all yesterday before the power went out.“ Unsure of when the power would come back on Ms Ganieri called the outage a “nightmare“ for the business.

“All the food’s been thrown out, and most of the cooks are not here, so it’s a massive impact,“ she said. “There’s 48 staff here; we’re just down to five people here today. You lose so much trade.“ In Cockatoo at Alma Treloar Reserve, Cardinia Shire Council had set up a relief centre, with Emergency Support Team punter Andrew McLean on hand to help.

“The lack of power for everyone is the big thing and mobile signal is the killer thing,“ Mr McLean said. “But other simple things like knowing whether or not there’s a petrol station open to fill your generator up.. I went down to the Shell servo near Fountain Gate to get petrol this morning, but I understand Pakenham’s got power.

“There’s a lady here who would like to fill the generator, but she’s trapped in the house because the power lines are down. So there are people in that circumstance too, a few that were in the house for a few days, and it’s going to take so long [for power to come back on].“ Mr McLean described the storm event as “monsoonal“.

“It didn’t last long, 15 minutes, but it absolutely hammered us,“ he said. “You can see the trees blowing and branches coming down; we’re lucky and the neighbours seem to be lucky with no structural damage or anything, but a lot of branches down.“ He is worried it will be the “final straw“ for locals who have been in the area for years, depending on how insurance companies react.

“That’s going to be a big thing; you’ve got a hole in your roof and you need it fixed,If you’re in a long queue, that’s going to be a terrible existence.“ Senior Sergeant Brendan Michael from Pakenham police station was feeding information from Emerald SES to the regional control centre.

“Lots of trees down, power lines down across the road, so we’ll be pushing that back to try and get support,“ Sgt Michael said. “Unfortunately the entire state suffered in some way so that’s going to be a long time.’’

An AusNet spokesperson said field crews have restored power to 29,000 customers since 12.30pm on Thursday 15 February, with the majority of customers expected to be reconnected on Saturday February 17 .

“A small number of customers in our hardest hit areas are likely to be without power heading into next week,“ the spokesperson said.

Those in immediate danger are advised to call 000.

The SES can be contacted on 13 25 00. mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Brigades ready to protect

By Callum Ludwig Hoddles Creek Fire Brigade joined a recent training exercise to help improve its capability to support a neighbouring brigade.

Alongside the Pakenham Upper CFA and Cockatoo CFA, Hoddles Creek brigade members were given a tour of Gilwell Park in Gembrook by the Gembrook CFA and park staff.

Hoddles Creek CFA’s First Lieutenant Brett Kerford said they learnt the park is a pretty significant area for local groups and events.

“The scouts are based there, a number of the tree companies train their new hires out there, they are putting in new infrastructure like rock walls and Tough Mudder type infrastructure for people to enjoy, as well as a lot of campers and big events,” he said.

“It’s a place where a huge amount of people can be there at any one time, which is something everyone has got to be aware of if a fire or other major emergency hits the area, which we have to factor into our plans when we are protecting them and the infrastructure.”

Scout activities have been held at the campsite since 1925 and by the end of the year, the land had been gifted to the Boy Scout Association.

Mr Kerford said it’s important to protect because some of the infrastructure has been there for so many years.

“There’s a few challenges in regards to access to water, being a bushy area, so for the Gembrook brigade and Gilwell Park staff to invite us out and pass on their knowledge is vitally important,” he said.

“Having a bit of a game plan for when you go there could make a huge difference, even though of course you do have to make it up on the fly based on the challenges presented to you.”

Gilwell Park is over 160 hectares in area with over 50 buildings on site to protect.

The park is often frequented by campers and scouts and even holds an LGBTIQA+ music and arts festival each year.

CFA crews from Hoddles Creek, Cockatoo and Pakenham Upper where invited out to Gilwell Park

by Gembrook CFA and park staff.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Scouts groups have been using the park site for almost 100 years.

Mr Kerford said local knowledge, particularly in regards to a fire, is hugely important.

“Knowing where a fire might come from, which areas are safer than others, we saw with a the recent fire out past Gladysdale where the local knowledge of the Little Yarra, Yarra Junc-

bers got a lot out of it.”

The upcoming ‘Gaytimes’ music and arts festival will be held at Gilwell Park from 23 to 25 February, with thousands of attendees set to make the trip to the Dandenong Ranges destination for the event.

tion brigades and ourselves helped direct supporting brigades as to where they could provide the most help,” he said.

“We’d like to thank the Gembrook brigade and the Gilwell Park staff for inviting us along, it was very much appreciated and our mem-

12658610-KG02-24

Enjoy the Community & the Facilities

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Businesses feel the pinch

By Callum Ludwig Businesses confidence is at a low ebb throughout Australia and the Upper Yarra is also feeling the pinch.

Staff shortages, high interest rates and increased costs of operation are all having an impact.

A spokesperson for the Warburton Valley Community Economic Development Association (WVCEDA) said what has been fed back to them is that employers say it’s really difficult to recruit staff at all levels of experience within their businesses.

“They’re finding that there is a real lack of skilled and experienced applicants when they do advertise for jobs, and while there are certainly people who are willing to apply in the sense of outside of the immediate region, but what they’re then finding is travel costs or the lack of public transport is problematic,” they said.

“That’s part of their cost of living expenses they have to factor in, the travel to and from work, and our public transport doesn’t always support active moving around,” “Particularly in hospitality where you might have early starts in cafes or late finishes in pubs, that’s particularly problematic for younger staff as well, or those that don’t have their license and can’t move around easily without the support of public transport.”

In NAB’s Monthly Business Survey for January 2024, business confidence was found to have improved by one point but still ‘remains very weak’, particularly in goods industries.

The Alpine Retreat Hotel in Warburton recently announced that opening hours would be reduced, closing on Mondays and Tuesdays to ease the burden on their understaffed team.

Owner Rachael Northwood said they just cannot get enough chefs to get the coverage of seven days.

“We’re finding it exceptionally hard to recruit being a regional country pub, one of the challenges is we’re surrounded by 300 degrees of bushland, you have to go out all the way to Marysville and Woods Point, or out to Neerim South for anywhere off from our very small corridor,” she said.

“All the young people and skilled labour want to head down the line because there is more family or more nightclubs or more boy-

The Alpine Hotel in Warburton has had to close on Mondays and Tuesdays due to staff shortages. 387969 friends and girlfriends,” Ms Northwood has found it is the ‘middle tier’ of skilled labour proving hard to recruit, the Alpine has apprentices and younger staff as well as head and executive chefs but is struggling to find those that are ready to step in and help staff the kitchen all week long. Responses that have even come through to the decision to reduce hours with offers to join the team have come from individuals looking for senior roles.

Ms Northwood said the objective is to get back to seven days.

“We are offering accommodation but can only offer a single person, not for a family and in that middle layer, they are often at the stage of building relationships, starting a family and building their careers,” she said.

“I think affordable housing is an element of employment for townships like Warburton because there’s a high tourist factor and we’re finding a lot of homes are Airbnb’s and there’s not a lot of share houses around either.”

Yarra Ranges has been one of the safest regions for businesses in recent times. In October 2022, the Yarra Ranges had the lowest risk of insolvency in the country for regions with over 5000 businesses at only 4.81 per cent, according to the CreditorWatch Business Risk Index (BRI).

This has slipped in recent times, with the latest BRI in October 2023 having seen the region slip to ninth and a default rate sitting at 4.26 per cent.

The WVCEDA spokesperson said the tough conditions are being felt by industries across

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

the Upper Yarra, from hospitality to retail to production, and they will do what they can to support other local businesses.

“We’re certainly able to circulate information about job vacancies and connect businesses together when we know about what their needs are,” they said.

“We welcome people to approach us with those needs, we’re not an employment agency by any stretch of the imagination but we do have a feel of what’s going on and we’re happy to support,” “We also share advice and information about what’s worked for some of our members because there’s obviously opportunities, tips and pointers that might be relevant to other businesses in the region.”

It takes two and a village to raise multiples

By Mikayla van Loon Finding support as a parent is critical to everyone’s wellbeing but even more so for those who bring multiples into the world, being twins, triplets or more.

That’s why the Eastern Area Multiple Birth Association (EAMBA) exists, to offer guidance, friendship, support and advice to parents who have multiples or are about to have multiples in Maroondah, Yarra Ranges, Knox, Whitehorse and Manningham.

EAMBA president Sarah Lavis said when she found out she was having twins, she didn’t believe it could be any different to raising a single child.

“I’ve got two step children so I’ve raised children and I was like, it can’t be that different,” she said.

“It is a different ballgame. I found that quite quickly myself when I was trying to go to mother’s group and I was the only one with twins and the group would choose cafes that weren’t double pram friendly and didn’t understand it’s very hard for me to do things like taking my kids to swimming lessons because I can’t do it on my own.”

Looking to connect with more parents experiencing the same and finding it hard to relate to singleton parents, that’s when Ms Lavis joined EAMBA. Whether it’s providing resources, handme-down equipment, answering questions on the community forum page or joining the playgroup, EAMBA tries to assist multiple birth families in any way they can.

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children can make friends, grow together and parents get to communicate in a safe space.

“Playgroups are usually for children who are not in school because they run on a Wednesday and a Friday during the term and they’re 100 per cent volunteer led,” Ms Lavis said.

“It’s a really beautiful opportunity, you can have eight or 10 toddlers running around and a lot of mums and dads bonding over their experience, which is really, really beautiful.”

Creating a community that “normalises the experience of raising multiples”, Ms Lavis said is key to what EAMBA does.

Part of fostering that connection is the ability to put on broader events and family days so parents and children can mingle.

For the most part, EAMBA tries to use either acquired grant funding or funds it has raised to host subsidised events, like going to Chesterfield Farm or the cinemas.

But Ms Lavis said funds also go towards the running of the group’s other functionalities and to support parents in crisis, who may need prepackaged meals provided.

Gaining the support of Grill’d Croydon, every $25 meal deal purchased on Thursday 29 February between 5pm and 8pm will see $10 go to EAMBA to help fund these initiatives.

“If you had 10 people come well, that’s $100 and that’s about the cost to run one facilitated playgroup and these things start to add up. So for us, it’s how we engage with the general public and rally support for what we do,” she said.

“It’s everything from how do we keep our playgroups running? How do we support

families going through the NICU journey?

How do we keep our school aged families engaged and allow even the entire group to be able to experience things that might be quite expensive when you’ve got multiples?”

Because Ms Lavis said support for parents caters towards singletons, it can often be a hard system to navigate so by raising awareness of the challenges and the disparities of raising multiples is also essential to gaining more widespread support.

“Multiples really only equate for a small percentage (two to three per cent) of births and so the general public doesn’t necessarily understand that there are differences.

“There’s also double the sleep deprivation, it is more expensive. There are so many factors that lead to that anxiety.

“Twins are cute and they’re magical, and they’re amazing and people are just fascinated by them but behind the scenes there is a lot of anxiety. There is a lot of depression, there’s a lot of things that probably aren’t talked about.”

One of those being the equal parental leave payments that multiples and singleton parents get.

“And twins, according to Centrelink, aren’t considered a multiple birth. There’s a lot of assumptions that get made that multiple birth families are well supported but unfortunately, it’s not the case,” Ms Lavis said.

“I feel very, very blessed to have my girls but there’s so much work to be done. Not only to normalise the multiple births experience but also to have those supports in place.”

More information about EAMBA can be found at eamba.amba.org.au

Sarah Lavis found support from EAMBA after giving birth to her twin girls. Picture: SUPPLIED mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Shutdown without a plan

By Gabriella Vukman With the recent shutdown of the Victorian timber industry, complaints and inquiries have arisen as to how those in the industry are to be compensated after being left jobless.

Moreover, concern surrounding the economies of regional, rural and other Victorian towns who were dependent upon the jobs and dollars generated by the timber industry and forest management are also coming to light.

Former seed collector Brendon Clark said, “I was told I would be looked after but I just haven’t and now I’m on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Mr Clark was contracted to VicForests, with a Labor Government promise in 2019 to “phase out native timber logging by 2030,” leaving him with roughly eleven years to rewire his business, re-think his profession, work out how to let his staff go and find another job.

“The government promised us the ability to transition and we were encouraged to keep our equipment up-to-date, so I invested into the transition,” Mr Clark said.

“Now I have been left with nothing and I’m not getting any support at all.

“I have got $5000 worth of vehicle bills per month to pay off for two cars that aren’t worth their repayments because they have depreciated.”

While there are some from the timber in-

Timber industry workers left reeling after sudden shutdown.

Picture: ON FILE dustry who are being compensated for their contracts to VicForests, there are many who are yet to receive support.

General Manager at the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA), Tim Lester said, “Some timber industry providers can’t even get their loss of income recognised by the government.”

“The government uses the fact that their contracts are written in a particular way to say ‘you don’t get anything,’” Mr Lester said.

Where some contractors are able to exit the industry, terminate their VicForests contract and receive an advanced payment up until June 2024, recognition of extensions made to these contracts, limited income during the time of the industry closure and super contributions are yet to be recognised.

Mr Bassett said, “the immediate future is unknown.”

“Following the demise of the timber industry, there is some confusion for how seed will be collected and managed and where the funds would come from,” Mr Bassett said.

“Loss of our forests would impact so many values such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, National Park values to humans, water values- to name a few.”

Currently, development strategies are yet to be adapted from the scheduled closure of the timber Industry in 2030.

Mr Lester said, “the most unrecognised decision of this premature closure is that if you remove those secure timber industry jobs, people will do what they have to to survive and find work elsewhere and that means they may not be supporting the local school, cafe or doctor.”

“All of this showcases that the interest of the state is not in support of the people,” Mr Lester said.

What the $800 million that was generated by the timber industry will be replaced by now is unclear.

Upon being asked about the future of economies and workers who relied on the timber industry as well as plans for forest management, VicForests did not provide a comment.

Mr Lester said, “one of the big issues here is that these businesses themselves have a value.”

“People will won’t draw a salary or a wage or will take a lower rate than they otherwise would, because they are investing that back into the business.”

“That investment, which is often people’s superannuation now does not exist, so that in effect, is saying that people’s superannuation has gone,” Mr Lester said.”

Further, the distress for the welfare of towns and individuals also extends to encompass forest and fire management protocols that are reliant upon the timber industry.

State silviculture and native forest management consultant Owen Bassett said, “the Victorian Strategic Seedbank [previously managed by VicForests via the timber industry] is critical to the survival of many strands of Alpine Ash in Victoria.”

“There is over 100,000 ha of young forest growth ‘at risk’, should a bushfire burn these forests in the next five years.”

“At present, there is very low canopy seed storage even in mature Alpine and Mountain Ash,” Mr Bassett said.

Where previously forest management depended on the machinery and trained individuals of the timber industry such as seed collectors, critical questions circle the unknown future of forest management.

Locals can have say on OHS sentencing review

By Mikayla van Loon The way occupational health and safety offences (OHS) are sentenced in Victoria is under review, with the Yarra Ranges community able to provide input next month.

The Sentencing Advisory Council has been tasked by the State Government to undertake an inquiry into the current sentencing practices, like fines and potential reforms that could be made.

Being 20 years since the implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Act in 2004, Sentencing Advisory Council chief executive officer Dr Paul McGorrery said it’s “timely to be reviewing whether the sentencing aspects of that legislation are operating as they should”.

Engaging with the community is an important part of the review process, with the Council heading to regional and metropolitan townships to conduct consultations.

The Council will be conducting a session at the Lillydale Lake Community Room on 18 March to research whether OHS serves its purpose in keeping employers and employees safe.

“One of the things that governments ask the Council to investigate is whether the current sentencing practices align with community expectations because that’s a good gauge of whether or not you’re achieving the purposes of sentencing and maintaining public confidence in the justice system as a whole,” Dr McGorrery said.

“We’ll be asking members of the community to sentence a real life OHS case themselves and their view, and then we’ll tell them what sentence was imposed in the real case, we’ll compare the differences between the two and ask them how appropriate they thought the sentence in the real case was.

“The findings of that process are going to significantly inform the extent to which there might need to be changes.”

An initial review process of the OHS system found that over the last 10 years, the average fine was $69,000, the smallest was $600 and the largest was $1 million.

OHS fines can be up to $1.7 million for a business and $350,000 for individuals.

Reviews over the last 30 years have also found fines to not be a good enough deterrent for businesses and individuals.

“The maximum penalty for any offence in Victoria typically increases in line with inflation. So the maximum for an employer breaching their duty 20 years or so ago, was about $950,000,”Dr McGorrery. mailcommunity.com.au

An OHS community consultation will be held at the Lillydale Lake Community Room in March. 331739 “As of this year, it’s now over $1.7 million.

So it’s almost doubled over the last 20 years.

What we haven’t seen is an almost doubling in the amount of fines being imposed in these sorts of cases. In fact in some jurisdictions the median fine has actually declined.

“So the statistics at least, are very suggestive that fines have not increased in accordance with inflation.”

Needing a cross section of community feedback to inform the potential changes to the OHS sentencing, Dr McGorrery said is because cases of workplace misconduct or lack of safety occurs everywhere.

“OHS offences are evenly spread across Victoria. There’s maybe a slight over representation in the Barwon southwest region with Geelong but really, it’s not so significant

to point out. I’d say there’s quite an even spread across the state.

“The types of employment people engage in will be a significant factor. What we actually found was about 65 per cent, or two thirds of OHS cases occur in the construction and manufacturing industries.”

While fines are not the only option for sentencing, with imprisonment, community corrections orders, diversions and undertakings, Dr McGorrery said the review will also explore restorative justice and other methods to improve workplace safety.

“There’s evidence that it might be more useful to also include conditions requiring safety improvement works, either for their own organisation or the broader industry.

“Of course, it would need to be something

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

above and beyond what they should have been doing in the first place before they got prosecuted for an OHS offence.”

These methods would not replace sentencing but something that “runs concurrently alongside the criminal justice process” so businesses and individuals do not “avoid punishment”.

The Sentencing Advisory Council will be seeking community feedback until 31 May via the community consultations and written submissions online at engage.vic.gov.au/ sentencing-ohs-offences-in-victoria or emailing contact@sentencingcouncil.vic. gov.au Dr McGorrery said a report will be delivered to the Attorney General and the Minister for WorkSafe at the end of the year with potential reforms.

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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OPEN DAYS

Helping kids with maths Helping primary school children learn math at home can be a rewarding experience that lays a strong foundation for their future academic success. Parents play a crucial role in fostering a positive attitude towards math and providing the necessary support. Here are some effective strategies for parents to help their primary school children learn math at home: 1. Create a positive attitude: Parents should maintain a positive attitude towards math themselves and avoid expressing any negativity. Emphasize that math is a valuable skill that can be interesting and fun.

Avoid saying things like “I was never good at math“ to prevent your child from developing a similar mindset.

2. Incorporate math into daily kife: Integrate math into everyday activities. While cooking, involve your child in measuring ingredients, estimating quantities, and understanding fractions. When shopping, ask them to compare prices, calculate discounts, or estimate the total cost.

3. Play math games: Engage in math games and puzzles that make learning enjoyable. Board games, card games, and online math apps offer interactive ways to reinforce math concepts, improve problem-solving skills, and enhance logical thinking.

4. Establish a dedicated study space: Create a comfortable and organised study space where your child can focus on math activities. Minimise distractions and provide the necessary math tools, such as pencils, paper, rulers, and calculators.

5. Set realistic goals: Set achievable goals based on your child’s current math level. Celebrate their successes, no matter how small, to boost their confidence and motivation.

6. Use real-life examples: Show how math is relevant in the real world.

When planning a family outing, discuss distances, travel times, and routes. Calculate the tip at a restaurant or determine the change after making a purchase.

7. Be patient and supportive: Each child learns at their own pace. Be patient and provide the necessary support. Offer guid-

ance without imposing pressure, and be ready to explain concepts multiple times if needed.

8. Encourage problem-solving: Expose your child to various math problems that encourage critical thinking and problemsolving. Encourage them to approach challenges from different angles and develop their own strategies.

9. Provide practical applications: Connect math concepts to practical applications. For instance, when learning about fractions, use pizza slices to illustrate different fractions and their relationships.

10. Communicate with teachers: Stay in touch with your child’s math teacher to understand the curriculum and identify areas where your child might need additional support. This partnership ensures a coordinated effort between school and home.

11. Use online resources: Utilise reputable online resources that offer interactive math lessons, tutorials, and practice exercises. These resources can reinforce classroom learning and provide additional practice.

12. Read math-related books: Explore math-related storybooks that make math concepts more relatable and engaging.

These books can stimulate your child’s interest in math and provide different perspectives on the subject.

13. Emphasise mistakes as learning opportunities: Encourage your child to view mistakes as a natural part of learning. Discuss errors openly, identify the areas that need improvement, and work together to overcome challenges.

14. Make math a family activity: Involve the entire family in math-related activities. Play math trivia games during family gatherings, solve puzzles together, or have a maththemed movie night.

By adopting these strategies, parents can create a supportive and engaging learning environment at home, fostering their primary school children’s interest and confidence in math. Remember that your positive involvement can have a lasting impact on their academic success and overall attitude towards learning.

12628606-AA34-23

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2850 Warburton HwyWesburn, 3799 Phone: 5967 1302 | wesburn.ps@education.vic.gov.au | www.wesburnps.vic.edu.au 12670253-AV08-24

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‘Head start’ for students More students will get the skills they need and walk straight into the jobs they want, thanks to the expansion of a Victorian Government program allowing students to finish Year 12 while pursuing paid training.

Premier Jacinta Allan and education minister Ben Carroll visited Interair at Essendon Airport to announce that every student at a government secondary school can now participate in Head Start.

Head Start is a nation-leading program that gives students who are eager to enter the workforce the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship while finishing school.

“Head Start is a great option for students, allowing them to complete Year 12 while getting paid and working towards a qualification that will set them up for their future,” education minister Ben Carroll said.

Completed alongside a VCE, VCE Vocational Major or Victorian Pathways Certificate, the initiative offers students paid on-the-job training while providing employers with wellmatched and highly motivated young workers.

Interair is one of the many companies offering students apprenticeships while they finish VCE. Last year, Interair took on Sunbury Downs College graduate William Paul for two days a week, allowing him to become the first student in Victoria to undertake aircraft maintenance as a school-based apprenticeship through Head Start.

Last year, 288 schools had at least one student start a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, with the most popular choices being carpentry, hospitality and electrotechnology.

More than 3,300 students participated in Head Start in 2023, which carefully matched them with employers to deliver a successful and rewarding placement for everyone.

Head Start is a nation-leading program that gives students who are eager to enter the workforce the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship while finishing school.

Picture: UNSPLASH Head Start students get ongoing support from the Head Start team through Year 11 and 12, helping them to manage the demands of work, school and training.

Nearly 3,000 employers have hosted a Head Start school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. 96 per cent of participating employers with fewer than 20 employees say they would recommend the program.

Premier Jacinta Allan said young people shouldn’t have to choose between finishing their studies and pursuing paid training.

“Tradies are in high demand, and this means more workers for the jobs our state needs,” she said.

The program is showing great results to date, with the apprentice and trainee retention rate at 87 per cent, significantly higher than

the rate for full time apprentices and trainees of 54 per cent.

The expansion of Head Start to all government secondary schools following the successful pilot is part of the Labor Government’s $639 million investment in reforms to senior secondary pathways. To find out more about Head Start, including how to provide an employment opportunity, visit apprenticeships. vic.gov.au/head-start

St Joseph’s School Milner’s Rd, Yarra Junction

in the

St. Brigid’s Catholic Primary School HEALESVILLE

Quality education enriched by the values and traditions of the Catholic faith.

We are a Christ centred community: Learning from the past, Challenging the present, Creating the future.

Student-centred personalised curriculums with a focus on wellbeing.

Strong literacy and numeracy focus.

or to arrange a personal School Tour please contact our Principal Tess Dwyer on:

(03) 5962 4200

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For more information

• Welcoming community • Situated on 17 acres of bush • Targeted literacy and numeracy • Science Discovery Centre

• Excellent visual and performing arts programs • Japanese language program • Promoting Christian values

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Specialist classes in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Physical Education, STEM and Indonesian.

Call for a guided tour anytime

St. Brigid’s Primary School 1 - 3 High Street, Healesville, VIC, 3777 E: office@sbhealesville.catholic.edu.au

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For more information and enrolment details or to arrange a tour, contact St Joseph’s School, Milner’s Road, Yarra Junction Phone: 5967 1183 or visit our website: www.sjyarrajunction.catholic.edu.au Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 15

Onsite Out of School Hours Care

OPEN DAYS

Ideologies infiltrate Care Child idy Subs le ab Avail d

s an (Term s apply) io it n Cond

Hot breakfast every morning!

If you would like more information about the OSHC service, or would like a school tour, please contact Warburton Primary School on (03) 5966 2010 or get in touch via our website www.warbyps.vic.edu.au

New analysis by the Institute of Public Affairs reveals how new Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s text selection rules force teachers to teach texts promoting identity politics based on critical social justice theories.

Picture: UNSPLASH Western Civilisation, as well as texts that celebrate the uniqueness of Australia’s way of life.

“The agenda is obvious, one of the mandated texts propagates the myth that Indigenous Australians were historically categorised in the law under ‘a Flora and Fauna Act’, a falsehood that has no place in learning.

“Several texts promote the notion of toxic masculinity and call for students to be activists.”

The new analysis follows previous IPA research which highlights the persistent decline of Australia’s education standards and the crisis of teachers leaving the profession, this is despite record new government spending into the education system.

12670266-MP08-24

12670242-MS08-24

New analysis by the Institute of Public Affairs reveals how new Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s text selection rules force teachers to teach texts promoting identity politics based on critical social justice theories.

The analysis found the followings.

19 of the 36 texts on the reading list are woke or social justice ideology texts, grounded in critical race theory, or critical gender theory.

Teachers are required to select texts by Australian authors, but of the 17 Australianauthored texts available, thirteen promote a social justice ideology.

Just eleven texts are non-ideological, and just a further six texts are considered essential texts of the Western canon.

Complex new text selection rules mean teachers who seek to avoid woke texts are no longer able to, and must teach, at minimum, two woke texts out of a total five texts.

Institute of Public Affairs research director Morgan Begg said Victorian parents have been left in the dark about radical new Victorian government rules, which force the state’s Year 12 students into lessons on woke and divisive race and gender theories as part of their English studies.

“These complex new rules are designed to inculcate students to see life through the divisive prism of fringe critical race and gender theory, instead of opening their minds to literature that has stood the test of time,” he said.

“Students are being deprived of classic English literature and therefore the rich history of

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OPEN DAYS

Storytime events return

By Callum Ludwig Yarra Junction Library held its first Storytime event for the year recently and is welcoming families to join them at future events throughout the year.

The storytime events vary in theme and target age range, but all encourage kids and parents to socialise.

Childrens’ Services Officer at Yarra Junction Library Rachael Falls said the first storytime of the year was to promote Healthy Lunchbox Week.

“We worked with Yarra Ranges Council and Eastern Health to have some songs and books all about healthy eating to help encourage kids to eat their fruits and vegetables,” she said.

“We had some wonderful take home packs provided by staff of the council to help inform parents about what kind of healthy foods they can have available for their children to eat and they had a great time doing that,” “We also had a little craft activity where the kids could choose some pictures of fruit and vegetables and put together what kind of things they would like to have for lunch.”

Other storytime events which have and will run throughout the year include Tiny Tots storytime for kids aged up to 12 months old, Toddler storytime for kids aged one to three years old and Family storytime for kids aged up to six years old.

Ms Falls it’s really important for the kids to have a chance to socialise with other kids of a similar age in order to learn to play, share and work together.

“Tiny Tots storytime focuses getting the body parts moving and body part recognition so a lot of the songs will talk about different body parts and adults will touch their babies in that part to help them learn what is what,”

The Yarra Junction Library will hold Storytime events throughout the year. she said.

“With the toddler and the family storytimes, because the kids are usually a little bit older we can have things like ‘lift the flap’ books which they like because they can have a little guess about what’s hiding under there based on the

Picture: ON FILE

quiz in the book or talking about animals and what sounds they make,” Lately we have been reading a lot of summer books so the kids can talk about things that we see in the summer time and things that we might find at the beach and it gives them a

chance to learn a bit about what’s going on in the world around them.”

You can look at for future Storytime and other events at Yarra Junction Library and other libraries in the Outer East at events.yourlibrary.com.au/.

Upcoming Open Nights Monday May 13 - Science Night | Wednesday May 15 - Open Day Come and see our school in action

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Respect Resilience Responsibility Integrity Caring Honesty

1-1 support

Sensory play.

Interactive learning in comfort.

700 Gembrook Road, Hoddles Creek.

Phone: 5967 4282

Now accepting enrolments for 2024 and beyond.

Please feel free to call in anytime for a tour and a chat to see what we can offer you and your child.

‘LIKE’ us on FaceBook @Hoddles Creek Primary School Noticeboard

www.hcps.vic.edu.au 12670246-MS08-24

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NEWS

Sharing is caring at hall

By Dongyun Kwon Healesville Community Renewable Energy Inc (HCoRE) and the Badger Creek Community Hall (BCCH) committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for energy efficiency upgrade at Badger Creek Community Hall.

HCoRE president Karen Roberts and BCCH committee president Kevin Mason signed the MOU on behalf of each group on Tuesday 13 February.

HCoRE received a grant from Sustainability Victoria as a result of an election commitment in the 2022 Victorian State Election to build on and extend their community clean energy education work, supporting the Victorian Government’s goal to transition to net-zero emissions.

“By November 2022, we’ve been around for about five years, we’ve done a lot of work in the community, and we were known by a lot of people,” Ms Roberts said.

“In November 2022, we found out to our amazement that HCoRE is one of the three local groups in the Yarra Ranges that have been selected for this unexpected windfall.”

“We did look at many different options, what to do with the money, how to spend it, and we decided to retrofit a community building and a community hall try to make them more energy efficient, bring their power bills down, which of course brings down their emissions.”

BCCH will get some of the $60,000 grant to upgrade the energy efficiency of the hall.

BCCH committee member Adam Cole said they are going to replace the heating and cooling system of the hall with support from HCoRE. “We’ve got a couple of gas furnace heaters in the hall and they’re gonna get replaced with split cycle air conditioners, so they’ll be inverter type heater and cool,” he said.

“Our gas hot water service has been replaced by a heat pump electric hot water service.

BCCH committee secretary Kathy Cameron, Mr Mason and Ms Roberts (L-R) signed a MOU.

L-R: Leo de Jong, Karen Roberts, Kate Shaw from Sustainability Victoria, Adam Cole and Kevin Mason.

Pictures: DONGYUN KWON “We’re going to get new heavy window coverings and pelmets and we’ve got a lot of small vent holes and cracks around the building that need to be blocked up to stop the loss.”

Other than the BCCH upgrade, there are two more projects that HCoRE has been working on with the grant.

“We’re also using the money on the commitment to a private community residence that’s been purpose-built by a community housing organisation and houses three tenants who are struggling with their power bills, but it seemed like an ideal opportunity to upgrade the house,” Ms Roberts said.

HCoRE technical manager Leo de Jong said HCoRE has also trained a group of home en-

ergy efficiency advisors to go around people’s homes and assess them for energy efficiency to reduce their power bills.

“We’ve got an advisory group that goes to people’s houses if they’re interested in making the house more energy efficient, reducing their power bill and also making the house more comfortable,” he said.

“So far, we have assessed around 40 properties in the Healesville area and we hope to assess many more this year.

“It’s a valuable service that is free for our members and available to the wider community for a small one-off fee.”

Sustainability Victoria regions and community action director Paul Murfitt said it

BCCH committee president Kevin Mason explained the history of the hall to others. was wonderful to see the strong local connections of HCoRE and how these connections are facilitating broad community impact through the two energy efficiency upgrade projects they are undertaking as part of the rant.

“The partnerships HCoRE has with the Badger Creek Community Hall and with a local community house will see direct benefits for the local community in regards to reduced bills, increased health outcomes through the energy efficiency upgrades and reduced carbon emissions,” he said.

Grant means Yarra Valley Railway is set to upgrade

By Dongyun Kwon Yarra Valley Railway became one of the recipients of a new community grants program by the Victorian Government.

The applications were assessed by a VicTrack panel, and Yarra Valley Railway was successful in getting $10,000 in funding.

Yarra Valley Railway president Brett Morton said the funding would be spent to upgrade the operation of the electricity.

“We have the sights grown and the further away over time,” he said.

“We’ve had to put in a new switchboard because we’ve got a brand new level crossing down there with boom gates.

“We’ve had to take out the old one and reroute the way that the electricity is coming to the site, so basically the grant gives us enough money to run the cables underground to supply the power to the whole site from the new switch box.”

VicTrack makes underused land and buildings available to community organisations through its community leasing program.

It charges groups an affordable rent, which is significantly reduced compared to a commercial rental rate.

“We lease the land from VicTrack at a minimum cost,” Mr Morton said.

“VicTrack put out the interest of the community grants and we applied for it last year.”

Mr Morton said he is excited to get the grant.

“Railway is a big project, we were basically rebuilding it from one end to the other,” he said.

“There is 12 kilometres-track but it’s also the station, it’s the platforms, and we’re doing a total overhaul.”

Yarra Valley Railway runs events at the railway including a night market and the upgrade will help them to run more events.

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The funding would be spent to upgrade the operation of the electricity.

Public and Active Transport minister Gabrielle Williams said the funding will make a huge difference to the many groups that lease VicTrack land and buildings across the state.

“It will help them to continue to support their communities,” she said.

“I would like to thank everyone who has a community lease with VicTrack for the work they do to preserve our state’s rail history, and to manage buildings and land so they can be used to benefit local communities.”

Station work.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Overhead structure on station roof. mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Open for new members

By Callum Ludwig The Yarra Junction Girls have returned for the year and are welcoming any new members to come along and join them.

The group has been active for 21 years and operates out of the Yarra Junction Scout Hall for girls aged six to 17.

Guide Leaders Jane Sinton and Narelle Allison said Guiding offers girls a chance to experience a variety of activities with the aim of helping girls to become confident young women by encouraging the learning of new skills and taking on new challenges in a safe environment.

“Working in small groups (called patrols), girls, with the assistance of leaders where required, discover, decide, plan, implement and evaluate their activities. A wide range of activities are covered depending on the interests of girls in the unit they attend,” they said.

“Current Yarra Junction Guides are covering life skills, for 13+ girls this includes cooking, car maintenance, power tools, self-defence, first aid and other activities,” “The younger girls are following a similar program, however being more relevant to their age such as bicycle maintenance, water safety and communication.”

Girl Guides get the opportunity to go on different camps, both indoor and outdoor, with activities including riding a possum flyer, caving and rock climbing. There are also opportunities for sleepovers, school holiday programs, sailing centre activities and longer camps (called Jamborees) both in Victoria and interstate.

Ms Sinton and Ms Allison said girls can make lasting friendships with others who enjoy challenging themselves and trying their best.

“They can learn new skills, often not taught at school, including leadership, environmental awareness and how to advocate (speak out) for themselves and others,” they said.

“Guiding offers the opportunity to earn badges in their interest areas, and if the guide chooses to, with the peak award being the internationally recognised Queens Guide Award.”

Older guides can also explore the option of applying for international events run by guide groups around the world.

Ms Sinton and Ms Allison said Girl Guides continues to evolve for the modern girl, ensuring the program remains relevant for today’s girl whilst maintaining their values and teaching traditional skills.

“Guides are girl-only providing a safe space

Camps, sleepovers and outdoor activities are all part of the Guides experience.

Yarra Junction Girl Guides are welcoming new members. without needing to compete to gain opportunities in areas such as leadership,” they said.

“We are an organisation very involved in community events such as ANZAC Day, Clean

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Up Australia Day and Cancer Council. Units also do their own service, Yarra Junction has made toys for dogs in animal shelters and donated blankets etc.”

Guides will learn a variety of practical skills.

Anyone interested in joining the Yarra Junction Girl Guides can contact Ms Sinton at jane.sinton@guidesvic.org.au or Ms Allison at narelle.allison@guidesvic.org.au.

Yarra Glen Girl Guides appeals for local girls to join

By Dongyun Kwon Yarra Glen Girl Guides is appealing for local girls to join where they can experience indoor and outdoor activities that are hard to have in school.

Yarra Glen Girl Guides has a long history, growing with a family vibe.

Yarra Glen Girl Guides leader Heather Dynes said girls could learn lifelong skills while challenging themselves, taking part in a range of activities and putting their ideas into action.

“All girls are welcome to come into our guides,” she said.

“Each week, we run a really diverse plan, which will make them more aware of what they can actually achieve, even starting from the five-year-old onwards.

“We would get them to be part of a group, make friends and then start to do challenges and they take a huge range of activities to gain these skills even from a young age.”

Yarra Glen Girl Guides has programs based on four elements of Girl Guides; physical, people, practical, and self.

Girls will do a lot of activities including crafting, camping, hiking, ziplining, orienteering and canoeing along with giving service for the community on Anzac and Remembrance mailcommunity.com.au

Day as well as raising a few community funds.

Ms Dynes said the Yarra Glen Girl Guides found the declined number of new joining girls after the Covid pandemic.

“We’ve only got about 20 girls with two groups now,” she said.

“We used to have up to 50 girls with three different groups.

“I want people to know that Yarra Glen Girl Guides is out and inaction and we’re still going.”

The regular meeting is on every Wednesday at the Yarra Glen Girl Guides hall McCracken House, located at 13 Oliver Street, Yarra Glen.

The meeting is held from 4pm to 5.30pm for juniors aged five to 11 and from 6pm to 7.30pm for seniors aged up to 17.

Yarra Glen Girl Guides is planning to have an open day between 1pm and 4pm on Sunday 5 May. “Every girl from the age of five to 16 is invited,” Ms Dynes said.

“There’s no cost and we’re going to be cooking, making things and doing different activities.”

Anyone, wishing to join the Yarra Glen Girl Guides or to attend the opening day, is encouraged to contact Ms Dynes at 0409 355 304 or yarralynne@bigpond.com

Girls can learn lifelong skills as well as feel accomplished by experiencing diverse activities.

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NEWS

Riders set out from Warburton and travelled to either Seville or Mt Evelyn.

Casey MP Aaron Violi with this year’s ambassadors Ruby (left) and Ella (right).

The trademark Hawaiian shirts were out in force.

Record turnout for ride

By Callum Ludwig The ninth edition of the Eastern 80 charity bike ride was held in perfect conditions on Saturday 17 February.

In what was believed to be a record turnout, riders broke through the early morning ‘Warburton mist’ to complete any of an 80km ride, 50km ride or 8km walk in support of the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal.

Eastern 80 Founder Norm Orr said the event was absolutely fantastic and it was good to see everybody in good spirits.

“We had a fair few young ones there this year, which was good because that’s what we’re trying to do, our demographic has changed a bit since we first started,” he said.

“The younger ones that started off are having families, so they’ve got different commitments, and us older ones are getting a bit older but we’re hanging in there.”

With sights set on a $100,000 fundraising total since the event started, this year’s event put the goal well in sight for the tenth edition next year.

Mr Orr said he is confident that they will be above $90,000 raised over nine years by the time te donations are tallied up.

“We had almost $6,000 by the time people had signed up online by Friday night and we had quite a bit of money being splashed around at the event so I’m very confident we can get to the $11,000 we needed,” he said.

“Hopefully my confidence is not misplaced, but it seems like we’re heading that way because we haven’t counted donations in the bank which takes about a week and the hospital has been great this year in helping us,” “They have created a QR code for us where people can donate to the appeal. It goes straight to the appeal, but it is included in our total, and the code seemed to have been popular.”

The event was officially started by Casey MP Aaron Violi who set riders off, while it was also well supported by a number of local businesses: the Alpine Hotel had a QR code at the till to accept donations, the Carriage Cafe in Seville provided the turning point and a good spot for refreshments for the 50km riders, the Trail Cafe did the same for those travelling 80km, Mt Evelyn Butcher supplied sausages, Launch Fresh supplied bananas, Nine Mile Apples supplied apples and Healesville Aldi supplied lollies and fruit bars.

Riders gathered to set out in Warburton.

The Eastern 80 is expected to hit over $90,000 raised over nine years with the recent event.

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Pictures: SUPPLIED

The Eastern 80 raises money for the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal. mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Permaculture in focus

By Callum Ludwig The fifth edition of Permaculture Week in the Yarra Valley is coming up next month.

The event hosts different events and opportunities throughout the region to help introduce locals to the practice of permaculture, a land management practice inspired by creating natural ecosystems.

President of Permaculture Yarra Valley (PYV) Peter Veeken said the event will kick off with Yarra Valley ECOSS’ Ecotopia Festival on Friday 15 March.

“We look at permaculture as a way of life and a way we look at the world, we try to reduce waste or produce no waste, which is one of our principles,” he said.

“We fair share and people care, which is being involved with your neighbours, being inclusive, encouraging and working together because we can’t do it on our own, we have to work as a community.”

Following Ecotopia, the event list at the time of writing (subject to change) consists of: A Bushcraft and Earth Connection Workshop in Healesville at 9am on Saturday 16 March Edible Forest Tour in Dixons Creek at 11am Saturday 16 March and located at Yarra Valley Estate, 2164 Melba Highway Small Suburban Property Tour in Millgrove from 10.30am till 12pm on Sunday 17 March Large Rural Property Tour at ‘‘Tenderbreak’ in Dixons Creek from 2pm to 4.30pm on Sunday 17 March Yarra Valley ECOSS tour at 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn from 11am to 1.30pm on Tuesday 19 March Biochar Facility Tour at the Lysterfield Waste Transfer Station on Wednesday 20 March at 2pm Large Suburban Property Tour in Lilydale at 5.30pm on Wednesday 20 March ‘Ecosophia’ Film Screening at the Arts Cen-

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The ‘Tenderbreak’ property will be opened for a tour.

The Edible Forest in Dixons Creek features among the Permaculture Week locations.

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tre in Warburton on Wednesday 20 March at 8pm Edible Warburton Garden Tour from 10am to 11pm on Thursday 21 March ‘Gardens for Harvest’ Permaculture Talk at the Lilydale Library onThursday 21 March at 2pm Permaculture Seminar ‘Growing our community - one backyard at a time’ at The Memo in Healesville Thursday 21 March from 7pm to 9pm Suburban Property Tour in Healesville at 5.30pm on Friday 22 March PEACE Farm Tour at 3pm on Saturday 23 March at the Yarra Junction

Draught Horse and Yesteryear Festival returns

By Callum Ludwig The Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead will be taking visitors back in history with the return of the Draught Horse and Yesteryear Festival.

The event will be held on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February and will feature a fleet of large draught horses at work as well as displays and exhibitions of old-school machinery and skills.

Event Coordinator Lewis Carlton said as usual, the draught horses are the main attraction.

“They’ll be working in the field and doing a few displays, towing different bits of machinery around and driving the antique horse works, which is powering a water pump,” he said.

“Also, amongst the horses, there’ll be the hay baler which will be being operated and making bales of hay, driven by a vintage engine which you can look at while you talk to the owners and pat the horses.”

The event is organised annually by the Yarra Valley Machinery Preservation Society and held in the historic setting of the homestead, the event aims to keep alive the knowledge and understanding of life in times past.

Mr Carlton said it’s an insight into how things were done in days gone by before we had widespread electricity and computer-controlled equipment.

“The vintage engines, for instance, were commonplace in homes, in industry and on farms, prior to the widespread use of electricity. People had them in their homes to power washing machines and lighting and a few other things,” he said.

“The engines were used in industry for driving other forms of machinery, but once electricity became widespread, it was easier to flick a switch and turn on an electric motor than having to start up engines.”

Other attractions at the event include a leather worker making bridles and saddles, mailcommunity.com.au

Festival/Soul Dance with the Perma· Harvest culture week finale at 4pm at PEACE Farm Property Tour in Kilsyth at · Suburban 10.30am on Sunday 24 March Ridge Farm Property Tour in Healesville · Wild on Sunday 24 March from 1pm to 5pm.

Mr Veeken said the Yarra Ranges is a great place to practice permaculture because we have so much agricultural land we can harness.

“We’re well placed and we have the resources, we just need to let people know, the major objective of Permaculture Week in the Yarra Valley is to promote permaculture as a viable option for the future,” he said.

Wild Ridge Farm will open up for a tour.

“I saw a quote a little while ago, and it was ‘We don’t want 100 or 1000 people doing permaculture perfectly, we want 100,000 doing it imperfectly’ so you know even if it’s just doing a bit of it, it’s good for the environment and our health.”

Mr Veeken said this year, they’ve had interest shown in the event from other local council like Latrobe Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Cardinia and it looks set to go beyond the Yarra Valley in the future.

A map of permaculture events in Australia can be found at permacultureday.org/, including the raft of events set for Permaculture Week in the Yarra Valley.

New path provides a safety boost for residents

By Callum Ludwig

Draught horses will be hard at work.

Picture: ON FILE blacksmiths firing up the forges, wood-turners making a range of beautiful timber objects, a large display of antique hand tools, displays of lace-making and tatting, a market, an exhibition form the Monbulk Historical Society and a sowing from the Quilts for Orphans group.

President of Quilts for Orphans Annette Stone said they will have a display in the museum gallery.

“We’ll have quilts there on display, our single bed quilts and cot quilts, we will have some crafts and pre-loved books, mostly craft books for sale at good prices and people can find out a bit more about Quilts for Orphans,” she said.

“Last time we were at Mont de Lancey, we found that the table runners are particularly of interest to people, they are something that you can throw on a side bench or a table for decor, and some of them are even reversible which makes them doubly useful so they can look out for those,” “We continue to keep the craft of sowing, pattern design and working together in a community alive, which I think has a touch of yesteryear to it as well, so I think we will fit in nicely in the Mont De Lancey atmosphere for the weekend.”

There will also be a jumping castle, donkey rides and games for kids to enjoy.

Tickets are $15 for adults while kids under 15 can enter for free.

You can get tickets early at montdelancey. org.au/event/draught-horse-festival-2024/.

Residents of the Karinya Community Retirement Village in Yarra Junction are making the most of a newly-completed community project.

A newly-paved footpath can now be found alongside the freshly-graded road at the entry of the village, improving the safety and access for residents to head into town.

President of the Karinya Community Retirement Village Committee of Management Rick Houlihan said it’s all about the safety of the residents.

“We get more and more traffic on our road now with all the deliveries and carers, and it just wasn’t safe before,” he said.

“We’re getting more and more residents that don’t have licenses anymore as well and are having to walk up to Yarra Junction, and we were getting worried about them walking omn the gravel next to cars.”

Mr Houlihan and the committee approached Yarra Ranges Council at first, who were unable to assist with funding as it’s a private road, before asking the Upper Yarra Community Enterprise (UYCE), which runs the Yarra Junction and Warburton branches of the Bendigo Bank.

Mr Houlihan said they were able to secure 50 per cent of the funding for the project from the UYCE. “It’s been a long haul doing this because once we got the grant, we had to do all the earthworks first, get the site ready and then we had to then get a concreter and then get them up here which is hard at the moment because they are all tied up in Melbourne, but we got a good one and are really happy with the job,” he said.

“We did have one problem that when we dug out the path, we found the sewer pit which we didn’t know was there, but Melbourne Water were able to come up before

Chair of UYCE Rodney McKail, Karinya Committee member and Upper Yarra Rotarian Paul Coleman, Karinya President Rick Houlihan, Resident Peter Harrison, Committee Member Terina Houlihan and resident Jackie Perrymeant and her dog Zac. 389189 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS the concrete was finished, took out the old pit and put in a new one so we were able to finish the whole job,” “Finally, we really want to thank the bank franchise for coming to the party and helping us complete this.”

The Karinya Community Retirement Village is an entirely volunteer-run community providing an affordable place for elderly residents to live with easy access to the Yarra Junction township.

Chairman of UYCE Rodney McKail said it was great to be a part of the project and the Karinya residents were a great group to work with.

“We’re really pleased with the outcome, it’s improved the quality of life for the residents here, providing accessibility and the ability for residents to get local shopping and do it in a much safer way with much more freedom,” he said.

“We’re really pleased to be able to be involved in this particular project, Yarra Junction has been a relatively new venture for us, so we’re really keen to support local groups.”

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 21

OPINION

Infrastructure upgrade call Yarra Valley communities suffered significant flooding again in December and January, with inundation leading to flooding of properties, roads, and sports facilities, exposing inadequate drainage infrastructure.

It’s why in Parliament I called on the Government to urgently upgrade state-owned drain infrastructure and to work harder to influence Yarra Ranges Council to upgrade aged and inadequate drainage, especially on Council roads where drains are repeatedly blocked or inadequately sized, creating a flooding risk.

Lilydale Open Drain is just one of many concerns impacting hundreds of residents. Over a year ago I wrote to Melbourne Water requesting Lilydale Open Drain be upgraded to mitigate flooding of homes and streets in this vicinity.

Melbourne Water advised ‘it was responsible for ensuring the open drain conveys water effectively [and] maintaining the hydraulic

From my

desk Bridget Vallence Evelyn MP function of the drain and culverts’ – which is not happening.

The hydraulic functioning of the drain and culverts are compromised because the culverts are always full of weeds, rubbish, and other debris, not only making this a safety hazard but has residents living in fear of being flooded every time it rains.

Important to note, Yarra Ranges Council

A busy stage at Eltham Little Theatre delights The 1812 Theatre Mother and Son The stage adaptation of this much loved iconic Australian sitcom takes the story into a modern day setting with the use of mobile phones, skype calls to the grandchildren and other contemporary references.

Written by Geoffrey Atherden, the writer of the original TV series, with all the same wellconstructed characters, the storyline follows Arthur as he trues to plan for a special (and much deserved) vacation away with his new girlfriend. But Maggie and Arthur’s scheming brother throws all sorts of obstacles in his path.

Season opens Thursday February 22 and runs to March 15.

Bookings: 9758 3964 Eltham Little Theatre – A Review Yes Prime Minister The United Kingdom is in crisis: debts are spiralling; unemployment is on the rise and the fragile coalition cabinet led by Prime Minister Jim Hacker is at breaking point.

But salvation may exist in the form of a complex pipeline deal with the oil-rich country of Kumranistan that would entitle the government to a multi-trillion -pound loan.

A well set stage of the interior of Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country estate.

A busy stage with a lounge one side and the office on the other.

Sir Humphrey Appleby was played by Adrew McAliece, good projection and really caught the feeling of such a character.

The Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley was given positive performance by Matthew Todd.

The Prime Minister, Jim Hacker, was played by Julian Campobasso, giving, and capturing the essence of such a role.

The Prime Minister’s head of policy, Claire Sutton, was played by Joanna Karaknikolopoulos who gave a good portrayal of such a character.

The Kumranistan Ambassador was played

by Adam Lofthouse who also gave a good interpretation of the role.

There were several more characters, but space does not allow time on same.

Needless to say they added to the delight of the evening.

Overall the show was fair but whether or not it is the acoustics or the players but the actor were rather quiet and at the rear were hard to hear.

Whether or not this can be rectified is unknown at the present.

The Rocky Horror Show Tells the story of Brad and his fiancee Kanet, two squeaky clean college kids who while driving to a friend’s place have a flat tyre in a storm and walk two miles to a castle where they hope 22 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

Kemp’s curtain call to find a telephone.

Where they meet Dr Frank-N-Furter an extra-terrestrial mad scientist from the galaxy of Transylvania where people like to party.

Well, Brad and Janet will never have such an evening.

Athenaeum Theatre Melbourne is the venue for the Melbourne performance and what an evening of fun, mayhem and delight.

Jason Donovan was Dr Frank-N-Furter and what a performance.

Jason gave his all and really caught the character as envisaged A wonderful portrayal and a great welcome back to Melbourne for Jason.

Joel Creasy was the Narrator, a terrific portrayal of the character.

Joel really caught the character and with his replies to some hecklers in the audience was a sheer delight.

Joel projects well and gave a stunning performance.

Blake Bowden was Brad, the innocent young college student.

Blake caught the character with finesse giving a good interpretation of the role, he also worked well with his fiancee Janet.

Janet was played by Deirdre Khoo who captured the essence of the sweet young newly engaged young student.

Well, she was until entering Dr Frank-NFurter’s castle.

Stellar Perry played the roles of the usherette and Magenta.

As the usherette Stellar opened the program, appearing on stage as the curtains opened.

As Magenta she gave a stirling performance.

The butler, Riff Raff was played by Henry Rollo.

This performance was one of the highlights of the evening. He really caught the essence of the character giving a great performance.

The cast and the stars gave a great evening of theatre and were highly enjoyed by the audience.

A great production with smooth moving sets, good music and of course, The Time Warp, which was very popular, so much so that in the final bows the audience demanded it again.

The result was a standing ovation for a wonderful evening of theatre.

owns the Lilydale Open Drain and is responsible for maintaining the built structure of the culvert at Nelson Road Lilydale. It’s no longer fit-for-purpose despite years of advocacy on behalf of the community.

I’ll continue to call for Lilydale Open Drain to be upgraded, perhaps with a larger singlespan drain to help mitigate flooding risk, otherwise there’s no chance the drain will function effectively.

I acknowledge Lilydale Flood Watch and Coldstream Flood Watch groups who are working tirelessly in their advocacy to get drainage and flooding issues addressed for our community.

As if being hit with flooding to kick-start 2024 was not enough, our collective resilience was tested again last week with Yarra Valley communities enduring widespread power outages after the collapse of parts of the State’s

fragile transmission network.

Last year, Victoria’s energy watchdog, Energy Safe Victoria, revealed the State Labor Government failed to ensure critical maintenance works were undertaken across the energy network.

Despite being in power for nearly a decade, the Labor Government has mismanaged the grid and failed to ensure resilience of the state’s energy network.

People deserve to know why the Labor government ignored repeated warnings from its own energy watchdog about vulnerabilities in the system, and for their government to prioritise a resilient, reliable, and affordable energy network that will keep the lights and fridges on year-round.

I’ll keep working hard to hold the government to account for these infrastructure upgrades that our community needs.

Madame Web is bland, tedious and fails to ensnare Madame Web Starring Dakota Johnson, Tahar Rahim and Sydney Sweeney Rated M 2/5 Madame Web is a bland, tedious, often irritating superhero film.

Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson), a withdrawn New York paramedic, develops clairvoyant powers after an accident and must protect three teenage girls from a superpowered killer.

The fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (following the sloppy but fun Venom films and the atrocious Morbius), Madame Web is a boring superhero caper and an unappetizing teaser for future movies.

While Johnson plays her role with gusto, Cassie is a very prickly, rude protagonist, and her development consists solely of learning her past (which we already knew from the very start of the movie) and stepping up to protect the girls. Strip away the snark, and Cassie has hardly any personality.

The aforementioned girls are also thinly-developed, and Celeste O’Connor is intensely unlikeable as Mattie Franklin.

Tahar Rahim is rarely intimidating as the villain Ezekiel Sims, and his quest to kill the girls before they kill him in the future carries little weight when you don’t care much

about his targets.

Moreover, the brief glimpses of them as spider-themed superheroes just makes us want to see that movie instead.

Madame Web is slow, lurching and contrived, and full of clunky dialogue and blunt exposition.

The portrayal of Cassie’s clairvoyance early on is tense and unsettling, but the action (save for some cool moments) is flat and fleeting. The climax achieves two feats I thought were impossible: making a final battle with fireworks look washed out, and making the way Cassie saves the day look like a rubbish Deus Ex Machina despite it being established (with heavy-handed dialogue) earlier in the film.

This review allows you to foresee and avoid this unexciting, annoying superhero dud, which is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

CARTOON

mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

The ferocity of a storm

By Maria Millers The wind begun to rock the grass With threatening tunes and low, He flung a menace at the earth, A menace at the sky.

The leaves unhooked themselves from trees And started all abroad; The dust did scoop itself like hands And throw away the road.

-Emily Dickinson We had been warned that bad weather was on the way; there were explanations of how the winds would possibly impact and there was talk of catastrophic conditions for some areas.

But then weather predictions have often been way off the mark and perhaps the cool summer brought complacency that once again we would escape a major weather event.

American Poet Emily Dickinson writing in the late 19 th century captured the ferocity of a storm, similar to the one last Tuesday across Victoria, zigzagging and choosing to impact some areas whilst leaving others mildly affected as is the nature of some storms.

Its power was frightening: wind that uprooted trees, brought down powerline, horizontal rain and hail that lashed windows.

Then the noise of flying debris and prop-

WOORILLA WORDS erty damage changed everything in minutes to something that resembled a war zone.

For most of us, unaccustomed as we are to inconvenience let alone deprivation, the power failure meant that, none of what we are accustomed to have at the flick of a switch or a click, was available: supermarkets, shops, cafes, ATMs and of course the Internet.

Suddenly there was no connectivity and since cash became the only accepted payment people panicked.

In my front garden there is now a huge mound of branches severed from the magnificent old maple tree that was the reason I chose this place to live.

The gutters are hanging by a thread and additional debris from far afield is strewn every-

where, brought about by the ferocious wind.

Up and down the roads around the area there is widespread tree damage and powerlines dislodged by the falling tree limbs. Big gum trees with their shallow root systems cling precariously to steep banks.

One wonders if this is a tragedy waiting to happen.

There are so many questions we should be asking: from the obvious dereliction of duty in maintaining the infrastructure of our grid in good repair to the reluctance to properly maintain trees from impacting on powerlines, and perhaps acknowledging that certain trees should be removed, or at least maintained more stringently by arborists in areas where they could cause problems.

In this wide brown land of ours we have witnessed many times the powerful and destructive forces of nature that have captured the imagination of poets and scientists alike.

From bushfires, floods to cyclones stories of resilience are legion.

However that is not to diminish the fact that some have undoubtedly found the last week a struggle and overwhelming.

In her poem, The Fury of Rainstorms, Anne Sexton acknowledges feelings of despair and a desire for solace amid all the chaos generated by a storm.

However she decides that: Depression is boring, I think and I would do better to make some soup and light up the cave.

It may be hard to choose to ignore that the temporary inconveniences we are experiencing pale into insignificance when put up against the constant unrelenting grind of daily survival for so many millions on this planet.

And once the storm passes in the wake of its destruction hopefully comes a cycle of renewal.

The Fury of Rain Storms The rain drums down like red ants, each bouncing off my window.

The ants are in great pain and they cry out as they hit as if their little legs were only stitched on and their heads pasted.

And oh they bring to mind the grave, so humble, so willing to be beat upon with its awful lettering and the body lying underneath without an umbrella.

Depression is boring, I think and I would do better to make some soup and light up the cave.

COMMUNITY DIARY

COMMUNITY DIARY WHAT’S ON AROUND THE VALLEY

Clean-up event at Badger Creek revegetation sites Healesville Environment Watch Inc (HEWI), Badger Creek Community and Mount Toolebewong and District Landcare are inviting locals to a clean-up event at Badger Creek revegetation sites on Sunday 3 March.

Some adult gloves will be supplied but bring your own gloves for children.

Participants will be doing some easy weeding and picking up litter. Morning tea will be provided from 9.30am to 10am but bring your own cup and fold-up chair.

Meet on the reserve corner Bluegum Drive and Badger Creek Road, Badger Creek at 9.30am and it will be finished around noon.

Join a clean-up event at Badger Creek revegetation sites on Sunday 3 March.

Get Tiny Towns funding for community projects Yarra Ranges Council is encouraging community-based not-for-profits in small towns to apply for the State Government’s Tiny Towns funding. The Tiny Towns Fund provides funding for community infrastructure, facilities and capacity-building projects in communities with populations of up to 5000 in regions including the Yarra Ranges.

Local community groups and Councils can

Coldstream Post Office Cnr Killara Road and Maroondah Highway Coldstream Supermarket Cnr Killara Road and Maroondah Highway Coldstream Roadrunners Roadhouse Cafe 629 Maroondah Highway Healesville Real Estate Yarra Valley 299 Maroondah Highway Healesville BP Ultimate 66 Maroondah Highway Healesville McKenzie's Tourist Services 13 Old Lilydale Road Healesville Newsagent 195 Maroondah Highway Healesville IGA Supermarket 199 Maroondah Highway Healesville SW Hollis Butcher 209 Maroondah Highway Healesville Sanctuary House Resort Motel 326 Badger Creek Road Healesville Shell Service Station Cnr Harker Street and Maroondah Highway Healesville Coles Supermarket 251 Maroondah Highway Healesville Caltex 370 Maroondah Highway Healesville First National/Mark Gunther 189 Maroondah Highway Healesville Beechworth Bakery 316 Maroondah Highway Launching Place Charlie's Milk Bar 2 Centella Place Launching Place General Store 2200 Warburton Highway Launching Place Caltex Log Cabin Service Station 2000 Warburton Highway Lilydale Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway Lilydale United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway

Picture: ON FILE

apply for grants between $5000 and $50,000 for projects that increase liveability, local opportunities and prosperity, create better public places, build community capacity or increase visitation.

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Sophie Todorov, said the funding provided a rare opportunity for local groups to kick-start projects and initiatives locally.

“We’re lucky to have plenty of grant opportunities available in the Yarra Ranges and around Victoria, but very rarely does funding of this size appear – which means this is a great

chance for community members with great ideas to put their hands up and make it happen,” Cr Todorov said.

“We have 55 towns and suburbs in the Yarra Ranges, and a lot of them would classify as Tiny Towns for this funding.

“We also have a vibrant and dedicated network of local not-for-profits, who I’m sure have no shortage of project ideas and proposals that could flourish with this funding.

“If this sounds like something your group, or your community would be interested in, I urge you to look at the State Government’s Suburban Development website and start working on an application today.”

This round of funding closes at 5pm on Sunday, 25 February. This is the first year of funding, with three additional rounds of funding to be made available in coming years.

Only incorporated not-for-profit organisations and Councils can apply for this funding.

Fruit with a Firey Hillcrest Fire Brigade has teamed up with Launch Fresh to bring the community an opportunity to meet our members over a piece of fresh fruit and have a chat about all things fire safety. Residents can meet their local CFA members, discuss their fire safety plan, meet Captain Koala, enjoy the fun activities for the kids and support a local business.

Held on Sunday 25 February from 10am to 1pm, attendees are asked to RSVP on the ‘Fruit with a Firey’ Facebook event which can be found at fb.me/e/4S732WNfa.

Warburton Shell Service Station 3458 Warburton Highway Lilydale 7-Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway 7 Cave Hill Road Warburton Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 3371 Warburton Highway Lilydale Lilydale Village News Agents Lilydale Village Warburton Bell Real Estate 3407 Warburton Highway Lilydale Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Wesburn Local Fuel 2835 Warburton Highway Lilydale Lilydale Village Lilydale Village Woori Yallock Foodworks Woori Yellock 1/1585 Warburton Highway Lilydale Lilydale Aged Care 475 Swansea Road Woori Yallock Newsagency & Tattslotto Shop 4/ 1585 Warburton Highway Lilydale BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Hillcrest Little Store Great Food 1745 Warburton Highway Lilydale Eastern Laundries 2/4 Williams Street East Woori Yallock Shell Service Station Foodies 1700 Warburton Highway Millgrove Newsagency Shop 5/ 3043 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Australia Post LPO Shop 11 / 1585 Warburton Highway, The Centre Millgrove Millgrove Licensed Grocers 3039 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen Ritchies IGA Shop 1/38 Bell Street Millgrove Millgrove Village Bakery 4/3039 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen Caltex Petrol Station 66 Bell Street Seville Woolworths Seville 568 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen Newsagent 32 Bell Street Seville Woolworths Caltex Service Station 568 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen United Garage 6 Bell Street Seville Post Office 634-638 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Woolworths Supermarket 82-84 Warburton Highway Wandin North Fast Fuel Wandin 389-391 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Bottle O 2440 Warburton Highway Wandin North IGA X-Press Wandin North Plus Liquor 388 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Bell Real Estate 2457 Warburton Highway Wandin North Landmark Harcourts Wandin Real Estate 1/362 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Newsagency 2454 Warburton Highway Wandin North Wandin Newsagency Shop 18/2 Union Road Yarra Junction Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 2460 Warburton Highway Warburton IGA Supermarket 3465 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Yarra Junction Community Link 2442-2444 Warburton Highway Warburton K G Thomas Ply Ltd Insurance 1/3395 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Gladysdale Bakehouse 2568 Warburton Hwy Warburton The Valley Bakery Warburton 3415 Warburton Highway Yellingbo Central Store 1942 Healesville-Kooweerup Road

12527817-BL51-21

mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 23

PUZZLES No. 173

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

1

9 2

5 2 3 7 3 9 1 4

3 6 7 2 5

9 9 1 4 6

9 8 4 1 6 3 1 7 8

5

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ACROSS

No. 173

DOWN

1

Remains (5)

4

Artworks (9)

9

System of principles (5)

10

Soaked (9)

11

Not mature (6)

12

Haughty (8)

14

Unfaithful (9)

15

Pride (3)

17

Donkey (3)

19

TV advertisement (10)

23

Number comprehension (8)

24

Computer network linking newsgroups (6)

26

Items of great worth (9)

27

Seance board (5)

28

At least (coll) (9)

29

Fashion (5)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 16 18 19 20 21 22 25

Salt (7) Steamed (7) Surgeon’s instrument (7) Sit for an artist (4) Gatecrasher (10) Fears (7) A salt or ester of nitric acid (7) Insurrection (8) A thin noodle (10) Circus (8) Country in Horn of Africa (7) Dried fruit (7) Traditions (7) Yearly payment (7) Lolling (2,4) Island (4)

9 medium

8

QUICK CROSSWORD

3 6 7 5 8 5 9 5 1

DECODER

No. 173

3 4

5 7 3 1 5 4 1 9 8 7 3

hard

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9-LETTER WORD 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”.

T

Today’s Aim: 17 words: Good 26 words: Very good 35 words: Excellent

E

R

U

A

C R

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acre, acute, care, caret, carr, cart, carte, carter, carve, carver, cater, cave, crate, crater, crave, cruet, curare, curate, cure, curt, CURVATURE, curve, cute, cuter, ecru, eruct, race, racer, react, recta, recur, trace, tracer, truce, verruca

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WORDFIT

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This week’s crossword proudly sponsored by

The Heritage Family

No. 173

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7 LETTERS DRESSES ERUDITE OPERATE OVERRAN TITTERS TRASHED

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23-02-24

HERITAGE & HERITAGE FUNERALS Lilydale 9739 7799 Healesville 5962 1600 HERITAGE PIONEERS CHAPEL 1414 Healesville/Koo Wee Rup Road, Woori Yallock 5964 6500 Head Office: 733 Boronia Road, Wantirna 9800 3000 info@ heritagefunerals.com.au www.heritagefunerals.com.au 1157336-CB40-14

24 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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PROPERTY

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN YARRA VALLEY mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 25

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE GLORIOUS YARRA VALLEY LIFESTYLE WELCOME to 465 Douthie Road, a truly remarkable property in every aspect, situated on just over 17 glorious Yarra Valley acres featuring ever changing picturesque valley views. A stunning Mt Gambier limestone masterpiece that will captivate you the moment you arrive at the impressive front gates.

Step inside and be impressed even more with this luxurious residence, versatile and innovative in every way. Showcasing upscale family living at it’s finest featuring 4 large bedrooms all with built in robes plus a luxurious ensuite in the main bedroom and a king size walk-in robe.

A focus on entertaining and relaxation with the main living, family and dining areas seamlessly and effortlessly connecting and blending with the outdoors via huge sliding doors. The kitchen is exceptional with quality, premium fixtures and finishes plus a butler’s pantry and prep station.

Venture outdoors and be exhilarated and excited, a haven for the horse enthusiast with multiple paddocks, quality fencing and numerous horse shelters plus a riding arena.

A large high clearance garage and ‘garaport’ offers plenty of space for floats, trucks, trailers, heavy equipment and caravans.

Off grid living with a high end state of the art multiple solar panel system, lithium battery bank and generator back up, intelligently designed with current high end components and with long term energy efficiency in mind.

A magnificent property showcasing the picturesque and colourful scenery of the Yarra Valley at it’s finest attractive and captivating from all angles. A premium property for those wanting quality, luxury, style and grace, a dream country and rural acreage lifestyle that the whole family will enjoy with something for everyone on offer, it’s a place you will love to call home.

Inspection by private appointment Contact David Carroll direct on 0419 539 320. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 465 Douthie Road, SEVILLE EAST Description: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 6 garage Price: $2,200,000 - $2,420,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: David Carroll 0419 539 320, BELL REAL ESTATE - YARRA JUNCTION, 5967 1277 26 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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HOME FOCUS

EXQUISITE LIFESTYLE RETREAT ON 5 ACRES INDULGE in the pinnacle of opulent rural living across this sprawling 5-acre estate, seamlessly fusing modern comforts with the serene allure of the countryside. Step into a meticulously designed fully renovated 5-bedroom residence that beckons you into a sanctuary of refinement and repose.

The master bedroom, complete with an ensuite and walk-in robe, stands as a testament to both style and functionality, accompanied by four additional bedrooms featuring built-in robes. Addressing every need, the home boasts a well-appointed

main bathroom, a dedicated study, and a second living area.

At the heart of the home lies a contemporary kitchen, adorned with stone benchtops and enhanced by the convenience of a butler’s pantry, alongside the timeless elegance of floating timber floors. Electric ducted heating and cooling plus an inbuilt fireplace guarantee year-round comfort, while the practicality of a ducted vacuum system simplifies maintenance.

Descending to the lower level reveals a fully equipped salon, offering versatile

space for work, guest accommodation, or a teenage retreat. The double garage seamlessly integrates under the roofline, providing secure parking.

Step outside into an outdoor haven featuring an inviting alfresco area leading to a refreshing plunge pool. From the deck, soak in the breathtaking bay views, creating an oasis of relaxation amidst natural beauty.

Explore the rural delights of this property, complete with a generously sized chicken coop for fresh eggs, a large shed with 3 phase power also boasting a man cave,

and expansive paddocks at the rear – ideal for horses, cows, sheep, goats, or your preferred livestock.

This residence beckons you to relish the best of both worlds, where modern luxury converges with the tranquility of the countryside. Seize the opportunity to make this dream retreat your own.

Contact us today to register yourself for the open homes, please bring along photo ID to be checked at the door upon entry. ●

Artist impression

Located within an easy, short stroll to all the Town’s eateries, this level piece of land has an idyllic, mountain outlook.

Being 480sqm in size it’s ideal for those wanting to build their dream residence, yet still have privacy and the convenience of being close to Town.

With all services run to the land, planning permit already approved for a 4 bedroom family home, this is the best value for money block in Town.

Call now to find out more.

Price $395,000 Call Brett on 0407 595 164

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 193 Belgrave-Hallam Road, BELGRAVE SOUTH Price: $2,100,000 - $2,310,000 Description: 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 8 garage Inspect: By appointment Contact: Dave Reilly, 0437 347 665, BARRY PLANT EMERALD mailcommunity.com.au

12670730-MP08-24

Best Value Block Close To Town

www. bwhealesville.com.au Brett 0407 595 164 Tammy 0417 534 883 Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 27

HOME FOCUS

FIND YOUR OWN SANCTUARY: VIEWS, PRIVACY AND SPACE ON 4.35 ACRES STEP into the extraordinary and discover a home where the dreams of your growing family come to life! This older style grand two-storey house has been designed with space in mind, offering 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an office and 2 living areas your own private retreat where everyone has their own piece of privacy.

From the moment you enter, you will be struck by how spacious the downstairs area is, with its open plan lounge, dining room and billiard/rumpus area. The kitchen and servery open directly onto this space. Downstairs you will also find the main bedroom and ensuite, 3 other bedrooms, main bathroom and laundry and lots of extra storage space.

From here a staircase leads upstairs to another living area, 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom, plus large office – a perfect set up for a family requiring extra living areas.

Experience worry-free living with ducted heating and cooling system plus a wood heater in the lounge room ensuring comfort in every season. Set on an expansive 4.35 acres, this property is a true paradise with all essential services seamlessly connected.

Moreover, the property has extra water tanks, ideal for any family wishing to live more sustainably.

For those with a love for animals, the property boasts 4 paddocks, a haven for a family horse/pony to roam freely or maybe some frolicsome goats or sheep. There is a small orchard which has some established trees in it, with room to add plenty more.

There’s even space for a vegetable garden, allowing you to take that journey to selfsufficiency right from your own backyard.

The 4-car garage with a mezzanine floor provides ample space for storage, making it a haven for tradespeople and hobbyists alike. The height of the garage is just perfect for that caravan or Winnebago. Of course, on a property like this there is more shedding that can be used to suit your needs and requirements.

Location of this perfectly positioned property balances tranquillity and convenience. The lovely town of Healesville (recently voted Australia’s 6th most welcoming town) is a short drive away, while the new state -of -the -art Badger Creek Primary School and the world-renowned Healesville Sanctuary are conveniently within walking distance.

Don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to script the next enchanting chapter of your family’s story. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 111a Badger Creek Road, BADGER CREEK Description: 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 garage Price: $1,690,000 - $1,780,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Jane Nunn 0432 375 940 and jane@integrityrealestate.com.au, INTEGRITY REAL ESTATE 28 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE WITH INTEGRITY Integrity Real Estate is a family-owned real estate agency servicing the Yarra Valley, Kinglake Ranges and surrounds. Our team draws on over 70 years real estate experience to provide premium property services, with unmatched personal service that only a family company can provide.

40 Hutchinson Road, Yarra Glen

111a Badger Creek Road, Badger Creek

$1,690,000-$1,780,000

FOR SALE 6

3

$1,700,000-$1,800,000

4.35 Acres

4

2

$805,000

FOR SALE

FOR SALE 4

52 Kingswood Drive, Chirnside Park

4

5 Acres

4

3

2

747sqm

341 Kinglake-Glenburn Road, Kinglake

20 Silver Parrot Road, Flowerdale

150 Watsons Road, Pheasant Creek

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

$700,00-$750,000

3

1

2

1/2 Acre

$550,000-$570,000

2

1

2

1,826sqm

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

5

3

13

5 Acres

Shop 201C Maroondah Highway, Healesville info@integrityrealestate.com.au integrityrealestate.com.au

5962 5753 12665913-JB08-24

mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 29

HOME FOCUS

BELGRAVE BEAUTY WITH VIEWS EXPERIENCE the allure of this chic Belgrave home, boasting captivating tree-top views and convenient proximity to public transport.

Spanning 1,173m2, the residence features terraced gardens and an abundance of light. Revel in the ambiance of three luminous bedrooms including master with walk-in robes and ensuite, a family bathroom with a charming claw foot tub, rain shower, and heated towel rails and complemented by two living spaces graced with stunning leadlight feature windows and leafy vistas.

There is ample built-in cabinetry and a unique lower-level room which is accessible both externally and internally via a hatch door. The space offers room for your own small business, hobby room, gym or office space. There are also solar panels for energy efficiency.

Whether entertaining in the sundrenched private patio, cultivating vegetables in raised beds, or tinkering in the shed, the options are yours to explore.

Positioned in close proximity to Belgrave village and public transport, this distinctive home provides a wonderful opportunity to reside close to town. Don’t miss the chance to plan your inspection today and make this unique and stylish home your own. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 70 Belgrave-Hallam Road, BELGRAVE Description: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $740,000 - $810,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Sue Colic 0421 772 610 and Riley Nicholas 0488 501 218, BARRY PLANT EMERALD 30 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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6 OLD MONBULK ROAD BELGRAVE

620 BEENAK ROAD YELLINGBO

6 ZIG ZAG ROAD BELGRAVE HEIGHTS

ENCHANTING RESIDENCE, PRIME LOCATION

YOUR PERFECT LIFESTYLE AWAITS

ENDLESS POTENTIAL

3A

3A

2A

1B

1D

FOR SALE $690,000 - $750,000 OFI

By Appointment

DAVE REILLY 0437 347 665 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

1B

6D

FOR SALE $895,000 - $980,000 OFI

By Appointment

RILEY NICHOLAS 0488 501 218 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

1B

FOR SALE $560,000 - $610,000 OFI

By Appointment

JUSTIN BARROT 0438 683 781 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

45 EmErald monbulk road EMERALD

32 OLD GEMBROOK ROAD EMERALD

Lot G 1230 Pakenham Road MT BURNETT

COUNTRY LIFESTYLE ON 1.5 ACRES!

CENTRAL EMERALD WONDER

SPACE, OPPORTUNITY AND LOCATION.

4A

4A

2B

2D

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

JUSTIN BARROT 0438 683 781 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

2B

8D

FOR SALE $1,550,000 - $1,690,000 OFI

By Appointment

68.6 Acres GAYLE BARROT 0408 195 767 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

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

SUE COLIC 0421 772 610 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

5 Kitchener Parade COCKATOO

33 Beaconsfield emerald road EMERALD

70 BELGRAVE-HALLAM ROAD BELGRAVE

YOUR FAMILY HAVEN WITH VIEWS

CHARACTER FILLED HOME ON OVER 1.5AC

BELGRAVE BEAUTY WITH VIEWS

4A

5A

3A

2B

2D

FOR SALE $750,000 - $825,000 OFI By appointment

mailcommunity.com.au

SUE COLIC 0421 772 610 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

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 $740,000 - $810,000 OFI

By Appointment

SUE COLIC 0421 772 610 BARRY PLANT EMERALD 5968 4522

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 31

HOME FOCUS

FAMILY HOME WITH EXCEPTIONAL PRESENTATION BEAUTIFULLY presented inside and out this superb family home is sure to please offering 3 bedrooms all with built in robes including a semi ensuite and walk in robe in the main bedroom. Spacious lounge/living areas boast plenty of space for the growing family plus a separate meals/dining area, well appointed kitchen with plenty of bench and cupboard space.

Head outside to a gardeners paradise with sun filled front and rear yards and beautiful established gardens with an array of flowering shrubs, plants, garden beds and pathways it’s a colourful haven for the whole family to explore and enjoy.

Extras include a garden shed and bonus bungalow/studio perfect for the teenagers or extended family plus a covered entertaining area it’s the ideal spot for summertime gatherings and entertaining.

A fantastic property in a convenient location offering great mountain views and just a short walk or drive to local schools, shops, transport and the walking trail, a great place to call home. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 15 James Street, MILLGROVE Price: $595,000 - $650,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: David Carroll 0419 539 320, BELL REAL ESTATE - YARRA JUNCTION, 5967 1277 32 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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P 5966 2530

3407 Warburton Highway, Warburton

1 Barbara Grove, Woori Yallock

$595,000-$650,000

P 5967 1277

2457 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction

23 Michael Court, Woori Yallock

$695,000-$740,000

Picture Pretty Home in Ideal Location

Sensational Yarra Valley Views

Adorable and functional, this residence is situated in a delightful location. The property boasts a beautiful block with impeccable fencing, a double garage featuring dual roller doors, a convenient garden shed, solar, and all complemented by meticulously maintained low-maintenance gardens. The home stands proud with a spacious front verandah and a shady rear deck. Inside, an inviting open-plan kitchen and living room adorned with RC heating/cooling, a charming kitchen showcasing an island bench, electric cooking facilities, and a view overlooking your own backyard oasis. The three well proportioned bedrooms provide ample space, with two of them featuring triple robes. The main bathroom is a haven of natural light, complete with a soothing bath. Embrace the seamless blend of comfort, convenience, and investment potential in this property.

Sit back and admire the amazing views from this stunning property, overlooking picturesque farmland and ever changing valley views. The home is presented to perfection inside and out, offering comfortable family living boasting 3 bedrooms and a fresh main bathroom, spacious living/ lounge area and a separate meals area. The kitchen is fresh, modern, up to date and with ample bench and cupboard space. Venture outside to an entertainers dream with a huge covered entertaining area - it’s the ideal spot to sit back relax and admire the colorful and picturesque valley vista. Loads of car accommodation with a double carport, huge lock up garage and neat well established landscaped gardens complete the picture perfect property. All just a short stroll or drive to local schools, shops, public transport and the walking trail it’s the ideal place to call home.

Samantha Price M 0438 795 190 Inspection: Sat 1:00-1:30pm

4 Duke Street, Yarra Junction

3

A

1

B 2 C

$695,000 - $750,000

David Carroll M 0419 539 320 Inspection:

By Appointment

3

46 Highfield Road, Warburton

A

1

B 3 C

$740,000-$790,000

Substantial Family Space in a Quiet Setting

Character Cottage with Gorgeous Mountain Views

This exceptional property is situated on a quiet street, boasting a spacious flat block spanning over 800sqm and offering beautiful mountain views. The approx. 7x14 garage comes complete with a concrete slab, power, and two sizable roller doors. Additionally, there’s a double carport, making it a haven for car enthusiasts. The well-maintained home is move in ready, featuring a practical layout, a spacious open plan family and dining area equipped with a split system for heating and cooling, and a kitchen fitted with modern appliances. Extending the living space is a rear decking area and the low-maintenance backyard. Inside, there are a total of three bedrooms, with the master boasting a walk-in robe, and all rooms with comfortable carpets. Conveniently positioned, the property is just a short stroll from town amenities. Call now!

A true treasure of Warburton, a classic & classy home in a sunny north facing location taking in the stunning Mountain views. High ceilings, decorative cornices, sash windows, 3 gorgeously furnished bedrooms and a claw foot bath in the bathroom to complete that luxury feeling. A charming kitchen with updated appliances, and a cosy sitting area! The outdoor entertaining is a lovely extension to your living space. All set on just under half an acre, fully fenced with lush lawns, a garden to immerse yourself in, double garage with power and concrete flooring, and being tucked away from the road you can enjoy your privacy and indulge in the natural beauty that surrounds you. So many features with this property, a must to inspect if you are after a charming escape to the country within an easy stroll to the Yarra river, coffee shops and walking trail.

Rebecca Doolan M 0401 832 068 Inspection: Sat 11.00-11.30am

3

A

1

B 5 C

Rebecca Doolan M 0401 832 068 Inspection: Sat 2:00-2:30pm

3

A

1

B 2 C

bellrealestate.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 33

HOME FOCUS

“MANNABY“ - A BEAUTIFUL LIFESTYLE ARCHITECTURALLY designed and brimming with beautiful elements, this property is a unique offering within walking distance to Belgrave township, Belgrave Recreational Reserve and Birdsland Reserve. With an elevated aspect with vista views and an inground pool perfect for families, a lifetime of enjoyment is available at this elegant home.

From the commanding exterior to the clever drive-through double garage, this home is instantly impressive. The welcoming wrap-around verandah invites you to discover the interior rich with character. Ceiling roses, ornate cornicing, wood fire, and reclaimed French doors and timber floors in the formal lounge elevate the architectural integrity. At its heart, the crisp white kitchen with stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, and walk-in pantry is ideal for entertaining. The family room makes a marvellous addition to this home’s convenient layout. Bright and spacious bedrooms, including the ensuite main with WIR, enhance the comfort in this quality home.

With extras including gas ducted heating, split system heating/cooling, garden shed, chook house with run and solar heating and ionizer on the picturesque pool, every consideration has been made to create this spectacular home. Beautifully blending lifestyle and location, this property will certainly impress. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 4 Merrigum Lane, BELGRAVE Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $780,000 - $850,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Suzie Brannelly 0490 506 910, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 34 MAIL

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Real Estate you can trust!

We ’ r e h e r e t o h e l p FOR SALE

10 Reuben Street, FERNTREE GULLY

$695,000 - $750,000

CHARMING HOME CLOSE TO ENDLESS CONVENIENCES

3A1B2C

FOR SALE

468 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, OLINDA

$1,500,000 - $1,600,000 5A4B2C

HISTORIC “HATHAWAY”

With a lovely level allotment, a key location close to amenities, and a charming brick home suitable for any stage of life, it will be easy to imagine living here. A complete lifestyle and investment package near Mountain Gate Shopping Centre, Dobson Park, Ferntree Gully Station, Westfield Knox, and Eastlink, this is a smart purchase and a wonderful place to call home.

Featured in Home Beautiful magazine in 1928 and held by the same family for nearly 50 years, historic “Hathaway” is a testament to timeless architecture paired with the warmth of a family home. A joy to behold set on 6,865sqm (approx.) of lush landscape framed by Copper beech trees, this residence will capture imaginations of architectural enthusiasts searching for their forever property.

Brad Conder

Suzie Brannelly

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

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

FOR SALE

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

$660,000-$699,000 3A1B1C

FOR SALE

2A Kumbada Avenue, UPWEY

$550,000 - $590,000

NEAR-FLAT BLOCK WITH APPROVED PLANS IN PRIME LOCATION!

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.

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

Brad Conder

Brad Conder

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

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

Daniel Steen

Daniel Steen

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

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

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

Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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MAIL 35

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SPORT

Wandin cricketer tons up

By Bryce Edwards Wandin U14s vs Yarra Junction - written by David Marshall Wandin’s U14s team have been doing really well this year with many players showing great skills throughout the season, however, every now and then you get to witness something special. Taking on Yarra Junction at home, Wandin won the toss and elected to bowl first in the split innings two-day format. At the end of Yarra Junction’s 1st 25 overs they were well placed on 4 for 78. There has been massive improvement with the Yarra Junction boys since the first time Wandin played them which is a credit to the Yarra Junction coaches. A team heading in the right direction.

With Wandin’s turn to bat, facing the allotted 50 overs of the two-day split innings format, the Wandin pups all batted brilliantly finishing the innings on an incredible all-out for 396. Significant contributions were made by Jed Leckie opening the batting and making 42 runs. Tyler Seeger in the middle order made an aggressive 54 of 34 balls, and towards the end, Jack Dowthwaite finished on 62 off 41 balls.

Yarra Junction returned to bat to chase down a daunting total but with Wandin’s bowlers keeping a tight line, they were able to bowl out Yarra Junction for 116. Bowling contributions include Jack, 3 wickets for 9 runs for a great all-round game. Harry Churchill finished with 2 for 8, Lewis Vaughan, Will Johnson and Tyler all took one wicket each.

However, the moment of the day belonged to an incredible batting performance by Jye Aitken. Coming off a previous week’s highlight in the Senior’s 3rd XI, batting with his Dad (Rod Aitken) both making 50 batting together to create a special memory that won’t be forgotten by either, Jye took this confidence into this match to make an incredible 113 runs of 69 balls. Hitting the ball with incredible power his 113 runs included two sixes and 13 fours.

Even more incredible is that Jye is bottom age U14s and still has a year to go if he chooses to do so.

A wonderful performance by a fantastic kid and the Wandin Cricket Club is incredibly proud.

Wandin 1XI vs Warrandtye 3XI - written by Dave Thorne Day 2 Wandin would take to the ground in day two having posted a score of 190 last week and having Warrandyte 4/70.

With a score that’s chaseable for Warrandyte, Wandin would need to continue to bowl well to secure the win and that they did with

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his five overs, finishing with 5/35 and Hoddles creek finishing their 36 overs with the mammoth total of 9/254.

Wandin started a bit rocky with the bat as Cooper Kneebone chipped one to mid-off, but to the dismay of the Hoddles Creek fielders this bought the powerhouse of Pat Laws to the crease to play a quick-fire 50 filled with multiple 6’s and very few singles. The Wandin top order put in a huge effort with the bat to keep us in the game with Ben Warren and Matty Owens also reaching unbeaten 50s. The middle order was mixed up a bit to try and get the run rate up but unfortunately, the total was just too great in the end with Wandin finishing short on 6/212.

Wandin Womens vs Mooroolbark - written by Kirwan Peluso Wandin won the toss and elected to bat first.

B Cuddon (1) and G Burgi (2) solidly opened the batting for the first 5 overs. N Lazarus (16*) steadily batted out the 30 overs with some fine hitting and running between the wickets. She was supported by K Peluso (30), A Peet (3) and C Edwards (14). N George (2*) finished off the innings with N. Lazarus. Wandin ended up making 114 for Mooroolbark to make 115 to get the win.

Mooroolbark started well and batted consistently throughout the innings. E. Curwood (0/22) was unlucky not to get a wicket with her tight bowling early. It was N. Lowe (1/6) with her accurate bowling who got the first breakthrough. Wickets were scattered amongst the bowlers as Wandin shared the ball around - C Edwards (1/10), K Friend (1/22), A. Peet (1/17), N. George (0/14), K. Peet (0/7), A. Lazarus (0/11). Mooroolbark passed Wandin’s score in the 26th over, ending up on 4/117. Despite the result, it was a game with a lot of positives including some nimble fielding by N George and K Peet. The team look forward to playing Bayswater Park next week as they prepare for finals action in a few weeks.

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L-R: Wandin’s brilliant U14s batters Jye Aitken, Jack Dowthwaite and Tyler Seeger.

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Jarrod Dobson taking a much-deserved 7 for 51 off 22 overs with Wandin bowling Warrandyte out for 132.

Wandin 2nd XI v Wantirna South 3rd XI written by Rick Painter Week one would end with Wandin in a strong position with only 83 runs to win and all 10 wickets in hand after bowling out Wantirna South for 137. An early wicket from Ash Webb (2/72) would not worry Wandin as the in-form Bryce Edwards would carry his bat with (49*) and partner with B Galante (24)and J Galvin (20*) to cruise to victory with eight wickets in hand. The win put Wandin second on the ladder with one home and away game before finals.

Wandin 3rd XI vs Hoddles Creek at Wesburnwritten by Greg Foben After winning the toss and electing to bowl we had a great start with Sam Robinson taking a wicket on his second ball. From there both Sam and Blake bowled good tight lines with no reward as the Hoddles Creek batsman dug in and got to 100 without losing another wicket as the Wandin fielders struggled to protect the boundaries on the small ground.

The first bowling change came around and the ball was thrown to the young Jed Leckie on his senior debut to try and manufacture a wicket which is managed to do in his third over, finishing with the outstanding figures of 2/38 off 6 overs.

After drinks the Hoddles Creek batters put the foot down and the Wandin team looked to Mark Polido to step back into the bowling lineup after recovering from a shoulder injury he managed to bowl well and keep the run rate down whilst also snagging a very handy wicket.

With the last 10 overs looming and Wandin needing to limit the runs as much as possible the ball was thrown to the wicketkeeper Archie Brown in a move that could only be seen as excellent captaincy as Archie took 5 wickets in

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SPORT

Improved fortunes

By Garry Lewis An improved week of bowls for the Warburton Bowls Club saw them consolidate their positions in the finals for both the Weekend Division 2 Side and the Midweek Side. The weekend Division 4 Side went down narrowly after a determined fightback.

Warburton’s number one side accounted for visiting Croydon 2 on Saturday to ensure a finals play-off next week against Lilydale 2 away.

Two rinks had runaway wins, while the other two had a tougher fight, with one drawing and the other going down in a close contest.

In the end, an overall victory proved enough for yet another Warburton finals campaign.

Rink scores were as follows: S. Lord 15/ 18; T. Appleton 26/ 9; R. Zunneberg 30/ 11 and C. Neale 16/ 16.

Warburton 2 played away against Mooroolbark 4. In a close match, the Burras were never too far away. In the second half after the break, the home side quickly pulled away.

However, a determined effort from the Burras saw them edge closer and level the scores with only two rinks left to finish their games.

Unfortunately, the home side steadied with good numbers in the head across both rinks to pull away and win by 7 shots, 85 to 78.

Rink scores were as follows: P. Summers 20/ 21; M. Reynolds 19/ 17; G. Lewis 20/ 23 and D. McConachy 19/ 24.

Warburton’s Midweek side played Bayswater 1 away in challenging conditions. High winds and a wide drawing green provided early problems for both sides. However, all the Warburton rinks adjusted and kicked away to win comfortably 68 shots to 43. Rink scores were as follows: R. McKail 17/ 11; G. Walsh 27/ 15 and S. Lord 24/ 17.

The Burras are still holding onto second place on the ladder with the final game against Mooroolbark 3 leading into the finals series.

The Wednesday Night Barefoot Bowls Triples Competition continued last Wednesday with a Double Header. All the games were extremely close including three draws. There are now two more games before the Finals Evening.

Yarra Junction Bowling Club results.

338488 Picture: ON FILE

Yarra Junction set for finals

By Callum Ludwig

Steve Lord (left) receiving his Warburton 1 Most Valuable Player and Pennant Player of the Year Awards from Club President, Tony Van Meurs, at the Greenlow Vote Count on Saturday.

Picture: SUPPLIED One of the new players, Tarkyn Nicolandos, from the 3 Amigos Team, won the prize for being the first person to touch the jack during the evening. Well done, Tarkyn!

The Greenlow Vote Count on Saturday Night resulted in Steve Lord winning the Warburton 1 Most Valuable Player Award and the club’s Pennant Player of the Year. Runner Up

was Travis Appleton.

Warburton 2’s Most Valuable Player Award saw Garry Lewis win by one vote with Peter Summers Runner Up in a close contest.

Social Bowls continue to be played on Mondays from 12 midday with everyone including new and beginning players encouraged to attend.

Top class scores at Warburton Golf Club

By Ron Hottes Monday V.V.V’s: Due to extreme weather conditions, Vicki’s Valley Venuses only totalled six, but with more serene autumn conditions not far away, the Venus numbers should regularly swell to a dozen or more. On this hot day, Annalies Duivenvoorden’s form was just as hot. A 23-point ninehole result was easily good enough to earn her the top prize. Good shooting, Annalies, I hope Alphons is noting these results. Merilyn McDonald’s 16 points was good enough for the runner-up voucher. There were no NTPs on this day. Keep up the good work V.V.V’s.

Wednesday 14 February, Par: Ah, Valentine’s day when there is nothing but love in the air. Someone who loves his golf game just at the moment is Ken White because his +4 round was just enough to take home the top voucher( Ken has been given the moniker, ‘Mr. Consistent’ in the articles lately, and he is doing his best to live up to that tag). The daily runner-up was Ron Wilson, who posted a +2 to win that prize on a countback. The ball rundown reached square. Regarding the NTP prizes, a most unusual event happened when Andy Lockey snared not one, not two, but three of them. Andy took home NTPs for great tee-shots on the 9th, 12th and 15th holes. Very impressive, Mr. Lockey. The other two NTP prizes went to David Waterman (3rd) and ‘Mr. Consistent’ White (5th).

Twilight: Under cloudless skies, with not a zephyr of wind, this day’s winning score was always going to be top class. And posting that topclass result was the seriously talented Clinton Toohey, who won with 19 points. That helps your Shootout prospects Clint. The same can be said for the runner-up Geoff Fall, who is right in the running after posting a 17-point score. Balls went all the way down to 16 too.

38 MAIL

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Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

Yarra Junction Bowling Club results. 338488 NTP winners were as follows: Ashley Hall (1st), Dale Horrobin (3rd), James Campion (5th) and David Hatt (9th).

Saturday 17 February Two-person Ambrose: After another smooth and successful AGM for the Club, many of those in attendance went out to tackle the beautiful course, with a partner, in a Two-Person Ambrose event. FourPerson Ambrose is a lot of fun, Three-Person Ambrose is a little more challenging and TwoPerson Ambrose is cut-throat. The pair who survived that description, and thrived under

Picture: ON FILE the pressure were Gary Vollmer and Trevor Porter. Their Nett score of 56.25 easily accounted for the rest of the 46-size field. Therunner-up vouchers were taken home by The Fox boys, Peter and Danny, who returned a healthy Nett 59.0 ( Peter and Danny are one of the more experienced pairs in the Club, so this result came as no surprise). There were no ‘down-the-line’ balls, but there were five NTP winners. They were Pat O’Regan (3rd), James Campion (5th), Geoff Sharp (9th), Michael Pinkster (12th) and David Scott (15th).

Luck continues to run against the Yarra Junction Bowling Club midweek team.

With the last home game of the season a winnable one against Vermont South, the weather gods decided to throw into the mix extreme heat, strong northerly winds, and a total fire ban, to ensure the game was declared unplayable due to extreme conditions.

So only one game remains, an away match at Mooroolbark, before the curtain can be drawn on a season that did not go according to plan.

The weekend team was also at home, but the conditions were much more benign.

An overcast day that turned into a sunny afternoon saw third placed Upwey-Tecoma play second placed Yarra Junction in a game that had nothing riding on the result, but was a possible precursor to the finals.

It was an engrossing match with excellent bowling, and Junction made the most of their home ground advantage to build a strong lead, eventually running away to an emphatic win.

So the stage is set for the finals, with Yarra Glen seizing fourth spot.

Next weekend second placed Junction will travel to Mitcham to play the runaway leaders in a semi-final with the winner going through to the grand final.

The loser will host the winner of Upwey-Tecoma versus Yarra Glen on the following day in a preliminary final.

The grand final will be played at a neutral venue, which will unfortunately be on a grass green.

If the bookies were interested they would be predicting that Junction would play consecutive games against UpweyTecoma, Mitcham, Upwey-Tecoma, then Mitcham in the final.

But nothing is predictable, and it would be a fool who tried. But the Pennant is certainly there to be won, and undefeated strong favourites have fallen at the last hurdle before.

Just think of Hawthorn in 2008 running over Geelong in a highly enjoyable upset, and Australia beating the undefeated India in the recent World Cup. It can be done, and wouldn’t it be good to do it again.

Meanwhile don’t forget Barefoot Bowls on Friday evenings. Before you know it winter will be upon us and you will have missed out on a most enjoyable evening.

Good luck to Yarra Junction Bowling Club in the Pennant finals. mailcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Finals for Healesville

By Ian Milgate Tuesday’s Team 1 played Heathmont at home and they really needed to win this one to keep their finals chances alive.

The team also need Monbulk to beat Upwey-Tecoma who were above them.

As the temperature was climbing, the team were slowly climbing over the opponent and without a break at the half way mark, it became evident that Healesville was in for a good win finally beating Heathmont by 32 shots, 78/46.

Steve Graham’s most valuable player award went to windy who had that cloth really ramped up.

Steve Graham, Chris Hawting, Hilda Gurney, Gerda Otto 25/14 Steve Bulled, , Bob Brown, Damian Key, Ian Milgate 24/18 Effie Laban, Robert Ayres, Barry Parker, Judy Veermann 29/14 Tuesday’s Team 2 played Ringwood away, who were the fifth on the ladder, so to retain Healesville’s fourth spot and a chance at the finals it was a must win game.

Ringwood came out determined to win but, John Fitzpatrick, Lenny Cosson and Chook ( Glenda Graham) who was all over it like a mother hen had other ideas.

The temperature climbed to 36 degrees so play was halted for an hour but then a storm came through so the game was called off and awarded to Healesville as the required 45 ends had been played giving us an 8 shot win, 59/51.

John Fitzpatrick’s most valuable player award went to Glenda Graham, who was most impressive.

It was bought to John Fitzpatrick’s attention that someone was filling their vote card out at half time, rather than at the finish.

John is continuing his enquiries and will have an answer very shortly.

Len Cosson, Mick Featherstone, Leonie Fitzpatrick, Jodi Ward 21/15 John Fitzpatrick, Colin Jarvis, Glenda Graham, Karl Tok 22/17 Wally Mays, Mike Adams, Anne Holland, Russell Smith 16/19 Saturday’s Team 1 played Heatherdale at Heatherdale.

This was the Healesville’s last match for the season and to finish on top of the ladder and get a home final, they needed to win.

The team started off slow but by the lunch break they were 9 shots up.

After the break, Heatherdale got the bit between their teeth and were determined to beat Healesville.

Although Healesville was still holding, the last 12 ends went Heatherdale’s way and they finished up beating Healesville by 18 shots,

· · ·

· · ·

Healesville Bowling Club is ready to go finals.

86/68.

It was a disappointing result that took away the home game advantage leading into the finals next week.

To add insult to injury, Healesville planned a meal back at the club of pizza’s just to say thank you to everyone for the great year that the team has had.

Pizzas were ordered at 5.15pm for 6.30 delivery, and at 8.00pm, they were still waiting and then cancelled the order.

Steve Graham, Effie Laban, Rita Featherstone, Robert Ayres 20/21 Steve Bulled, Chris Hawting, Ian Milgate, John Howard 22/20 Mark Ward, Colin Lowe, Barry Parker, Brad

· · ·

Picture: SUPPLIED chandler 12/19

Beales, Colin Jarvis, Bob Brown, Ger· Adrian da Otto 14/26 Saturday’s Team 2 played at home against Chirnside Park.

If Healesville beat Chirnside Park, they would go into second place, and if Monbulk lost they would climb into first place on the ladder, which would give the club a home final.

The team held up our end of the bargain but Monbulk won so Healesville finished second on the ladder which is a great effort.

Healesville seriously came out to play on the day and proved it by beating Chirnside Park by 66 shots, 92/26.

There were so many great bowlers including Mick Featherstone, John Fitzpatrick, Lenny Cosson, but Fitzy’s most valuable player award went to Karl Tok who put in a great game, well done everyone.

Wally Mays, Mike Adams, Anne Holland, Sarah Gallacher 26/9 Len Cosson, Judy Veermann, Russell Smith, Ken Gallacher 30/10 John Fitzpatrick, Mick Featherstone, Jill Cookney, Karl Tok 36/7 Well done to all the players for their efforts throughout the year to get both sides into the finals.

Now the Healesville teams just have to continue their good form into the finals.

· · ·

Healesville Women’s first home game coming up

By Chris Handasyde U12-4: Healesville 6/54 defeated by Coldstream 7/80 A Wicker 11, A Simmons 6*, R Hudson 3/8, A Morcombe 2/7 U12-9: Healesville 99 defeated by Mooroolbark 6/105 W Ferguson 24*, A Turner 18, A Holmes 14, W Ferguson 1/4, A Holmes 1/11 U14-3: Healesville 82 defeated by Koonung Heights 116 R Morcombe 3/17, R Hudson 2/12, H Harding 2/18, J Howden 2/15. C Duff 29, H Duff 11 U14-7: Healesville 86 defeated by Chirnside Park 103 H Thomas 20*, M Kerst 9, T Ellis 2/4, A Simmons 2/8 U16-4: Healesville 111 defeated by Norwood 148 D Parsons 36, S Anderson 22*, L Frazzetto 15, S Drummond 3/20, D Parsons 3/27

· · ·

· ·

mailcommunity.com.au

Seniors 1st XI: Healesville 232 defeated by East Ringwood 7/234 R Webster 64, A Hamer 37, T Handasyde 33, T Nicolandos 2/33, R Woodford 2/24 Seniors 2nd XI: Healesville 5/244 defeated St Andrews 242 R Cameron 60, M Jackson 45, M Davern 40, T Dalley 4/37, R Cameron 2/26, B Damrow 2/59 Seniors 3rd XI: Healesville 7/194 defeated Bayswater Park 7/128 E Nikcevich 55, A Singh 29 Seniors 4th XI: Healesville 7/162 defeated Lusatia Park M Harding 40, B Reid 32, A Keath 26, P Coster 21, H Harding 3/15, M Schelfhout 2/10 Senior Female: Game cancelled due to weather.

This week, Healesville’s women side play their first home game - Tuesday 20February 5.30pm – Healesville v St Andrews at Queens Park

· · · ·

Healesville Cricket Club results.

Picture: ON FILE Tuesday, 20 February, 2024

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