News - Pakenham Officer Star News - 19th December 2024

Thursday, 19 December, 2024

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Merry Christmas!

Officer Community Market (OCM) held its final market for the year on Saturday 14 December, with a festive Christmas theme that was magical.

Held at Officer Public Hall, the day featured a visit from Santa himself, who delighted children and adults alike with gifts, photo opportunities, and holiday cheer.

Story, pictures page 2

Christmas Elf (Olivia) and Santa (Nathan) with Fernando, Helena, Madeline and Kristian. (Stewart Chambers: 449825)

Florist’s farewell

By Corey Everitt Main Street’s Pakenham Florist is set to close after more than 20 years of providing flowers loved and shared by locals.

Their last day will be on Tuesday 24 December - Christmas Eve - after owner Allie Grant and

her mother Lorraine Grant were told the property had been sold and received the settlement date.

“It would be nice for us to have a chance to say goodbye to everyone, all the lovely customers we’ve had and all the friendships we’ve made for 20-plus years,” Allie said.

“I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported us in that time.”

A lineage of florists, Lorraine has spent more than 70 years delivering bouquets for ever-important occasions such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

The Pakenham Florist was purchased by Allie over 20 years ago.

Lorraine would join the venture, continuing her passion as a florist that started in 1953 when she was 15 years old.

Story page 3

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Magical market in Officer

By Afraa Kori Officer Community Market (OCM) held its final market for the year, with a festive Christmasthemed that was magical.

OCM took place on 14 December at the historic Officer Public Hall, in Tivendale Road, Officer.

The day featured a visit from Santa himself, who delighted children and adults alike with gifts, photo opportunities, and holiday cheer.

The market also offers a family-friendly experience featuring handmade products, delicious treats, face painting, stalls, food and coffee vans.

The Officer Community Market (OCM) has quickly become a beloved fixture for residents and visitors, bringing a vibrant atmosphere and a showcase of local talent.

Launched in October, the market was created to fill a gap in the community as there wasn’t a local market to call their own.

Officer resident, founder and host of OCM, Gillian Hare is pleased the market has become a shining example of what can happen when a community comes together.

“It is a vibrant new market that has quickly become a local favourite,” she said.

“In just three months, it has brought together a wide array of products and services created by talented members of the community, which we now have a waitlist for stallholders wanting to attend.”

Held on the second Saturday of each month, the market hosts lucky dips and raffles, with stallholders generously donating handcrafted items as prizes.

The funds raised go to supporting various charities, reflecting the market’s commitment to giving back to the community.

With 2024 ending on such a high note, residents are already looking forward to the next Officer Community Market in 2025.

Sarah Nally from Gembrook with her relish and jams. (Stewart Chambers: 449825)

Kane and Elysia at the Light Spirit Energy jewellery stall. (449825)

Claudia and Gillian with the raffle prize this month supporting Mission Australia. (449825)

Jun from Officer at his Say Chocolate stall.

(449825)

Michelle (right) from Officer purchased a Waratah from Edith at her stall Ediez Native Plants and Flowers. (449825)

Michael and Ben from Pakenham at their Green Gum Leaf stall. (449825)

Christmas Elf (Olivia) hands out candy canes. (449825)

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End of an era for florist

By Corey Everitt Main Street’s beloved Pakenham Florist is set to close after decades of ensuring the spread of love and affection between locals.

Recently, owner Allie Grant and her mother Lorraine Grant were told the property had been sold and received the settlement date set towards the end of the year.

“It’s all sorted now, the hard decision has been made,” Allie said.

“It’s just sad, I would have liked to, rather than seeing it sold, keep going.

“The Pakenham Florist, it’s been here a long time, even before me.”

Their last day will be on Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24 December, where many locals will come by to pick up there flowers for the family gathering.

“It would be nice for us to have a chance to say goodbye to everyone, all the lovely customers we’ve had and all the friendships we’ve made for 20-plus years,” Allie said.

“It’s hard to tell everyone, it’s happened quickly in the end.

“I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported us in that time.”

A lineage of florists, Lorraine has spent more than 70 years delivering bouquets for ever-important occasions such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. The Pakenham Florist was purchased by Allie over 20 years ago after she followed her mother’s footsteps.

Lorraine would join the venture, continuing her passion as a florist that started in 1953 when she was 15 years old.

She would start at a shop on Glenferrie Road, Malvern run by the sister-in-law of Sir Robert Menzies.

Lorraine would then branch out to a store in Balaclava and then her own shop in Glen Waver-

Lorraine Grant from Pakenham Florist (File: 330685) ley for many years before moving to Pakenham as her daughter begun the Main Street shop.

“The customers are like family friends a lot of them, we are going to miss them,” Lorraine said.

“It’s going to be strange, it’s very sad, but still you never know what’s round the corner.”

The silverlining to the development is that they may now experience special occasions together on their own time.

“We’re going to have a Mother’s Day together, we’re going to go out to lunch somewhere and it’s going to be lovely,” Allie said.

Lorraine added with a laugh, “we haven’t had one yet”.

Lorraine is in her late 80s now, still working as usual around the shop in its last week.

Allie thinks it probably would be good for mum to take a break.

“You stay on your feet,” Lorraine said.

“My father’s old saying was: better to wear out, than rust out.”

Before Allie bought the florist, the shop existed around Pakenham for a few decades.

There is a heritage overlay for the building

within the Cardinia Shire Planning Scheme.

The brick house towards the back was built in the interwar period and the shop front was built in the 1950s.

It is one of the original buildings from the early commercial development of modern Pakenham.

Pakenham Florist is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays, 9.30am to 3.30pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

With the last day on Tuesday Christmas Eve, all are welcome to acquire their flowers for Christmas and to say goodbye.

Nar Nar Goon grass fire quickly contained after spreading CFA responded to a grass fire in Nar Nar Goon on Oakview Lane about 10.59am on 18 December.

Crews arrived to find the fire spreading and worked quickly to contain it.

CFA had 14 vehicles on scene. Victoria Police were also on scene.

The incident was declared under control at 11.20am and safe at 12.11pm.

Nar Nar Goon fire aftermath.

That’s a wrap from us for 2024!

Nar Nar Goon fire aftermath.

Damage assessed. (Afraa Kori)

Thursday, 12 December, 2024

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The Cranbourne, Berwick and Pakenham-Officer break over the Christmas and New Year period.

Brave fire fighters save the day.

Make this festive season extra special by shopping locally for all your gifts, foods and entertainment. Dive into our 12-page Christmas Cheer Wrap for plenty of ideas to cater for the entire family this year.

Pictured: Dale, Amelia, Santa, Harvey and Kimberley from Cockatoo.

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We’re building the Metro Tunnel and there will be disruptions

Anzac Station Anzac Station

As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re building the Metro Tunnel. Work is underway with the fit out of five new underground stations at Anzac, Town Hall, State Library, Parkville and Arden. We’re now testing trains through the tunnel and fitting out the station interiors, making sure they operate smoothly, safely and they’re accessible to all.

While we work, disruptions could affect your travel Train disruptions: Cranbourne and Pakenham lines

1.30am 2 Jan to 3am 12 Jan

Passengers change at Caulfield Station for Frankston Line trains to and from the city

Healesville Koo-Wee Rup Road, Pakenham

7pm to 5am each night, 16 to 18 Dec

Princes Freeway-bound between Bald Hill Road and Peet Street

Clyde Road, Berwick

6.30pm 18 Dec to 5am 19 Dec

Warragul-bound entry ramp to Princes Freeway

McGregor Road, Pakenham

14 Jan to early Mar

Citybound entry ramp to Princes Freeway

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Road disruptions: Closed road and ramps

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

4 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

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

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NEWS

Officer District Park opens This state-of-the-art Officer District Park is now open and is set to become a vibrant community hub.

Located on Lansell Avenue in Officer, the park will offer a range of exciting features and amenities for residents and visitors alike.

Cardinia Shire Mayor Councillor Jack Kowarzik officially opened the park on Tuesday 17 December along with the Minister for Planning and Minister for Suburbs, Sonya Kilkenny, Federal Member for Higgins, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, Cardinia Shire councillors and Cardinia Shire Council CEO Carol Jeffs.

“We are delighted to see this incredible park opening just in time for the summer holidays, providing a perfect destination for families and friends to enjoy the outdoors,” Mayor Kowarzik said.

“With plenty of options for adventure, fitness, relaxation and the enjoyment of nature, there certainly is something for everyone.

“Offering breathtaking views and state-of-theart facilities, this regional park provides incredible opportunities for recreation, community connection and leisure activities, and will no doubt attract visitors from far and wide.”

Stage 1 highlights include: Adventure playground: a large, modern playground designed for children of all ages, featuring climbing structures, slides, swings, and interactive play equipment.

Parkour zone: incorporating a mixture of obstacles of different heights, angles and shapes.

This space allows visitors of all ages and abilities to create their own moves and motion through the space.

Fitness facilities: including fitness stairs for running and exercise, a 1-kilometre loop track and exercise equipment stations.

Scenic lookout: offering breathtaking views over the southern part of the shire and out to Western Port, and providing a perfect spot for

· · · ·

relaxation and appreciation of the natural surroundings.

Dog off-leash area: providing space for dogs to run freely and for pet owners and their pets to enjoy social interaction and outdoor activities together.

Picnic areas: multiple shaded picnic spots equipped with tables and barbecue facilities, perfect for family gatherings and social events.

Walking paths: scenic trails that wind through the park, providing a safe and enjoyable environment for walking and jogging.

Wetland area: adding to the park’s natural beauty, the wetland area will catch and treat water runoff using Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles as well as enhance the park’s biodiversity.

“This park is a testament to what can be achieved when the community and government work together through extensive and inclusive community engagement,” Mayor Kowarzik said.

“We thank the Victorian Government for their invaluable contributions through the ‘Growing Suburbs Fund’ and ‘New and Upgraded Dog Parks Program’ and the Australian Government for their much-appreciated contribution through the ‘Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program’.”

Toomuc Ward Councillor Casey Thomsen said he was delighted Officer District Park was now open to the community.

The council acknowledges that the area has experienced increased traffic and disruptions and is likely to continue to do so for some time.

The project has progressed through several stages, with construction beginning in early 2023 and Stage 1 now complete.

The council reminds all visitors to please be patient, drive safely and comply with parking signage throughout the area, especially during school times and around residential areas.

For more information, visit cardinia.vic.gov. au/officer-park

· · · ·

From left: Cr Roberts, Deputy Mayor Pomeroy, Mayor Kowarzik, State Minister for Suburbs Sonya Kilkenny, Federal Higgins MP Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah, State Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, Cr Thomsen, Cr Potter and Cr Owen.(Corey Everitt: 450866)

Officer District Park opened on Tuesday 17 December.

Construction started in early 2023.

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Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 5

NEWS

Storm is heading to Casey

By Ethan Benedicto Being a sport-dominant state has seen a lot of active people in Victoria, much so for the City of Casey being the largest LGA, making it difficult not to find talent in the swathes of aspiring rugby stars.

Rugby powerhouse Melbourne Storm, after reaching an agreement with the city back in 2023, is looking to run its third leg of trial and practice matches in early 2025, clashing with the North Queensland Cowboys at Casey Fields.

Storm’s CEO, Justin Rodski said that he and the players are excited to be back in the city after their July 2024 session in Cranbourne East was cancelled due to weather conditions.

“That will be our final trail game ahead of the regular season, so we’ll have a full-strength team and honestly, we’re looking forward to the team playing in the suburbs of Melbourne,” he said.

“The southeast is a really important corri-

dor for us when it comes to our fans, our members, and we’ve established one of our pathways through here, through Casey, we know that we’ve got a lot of support throughout the region.”

Set to be held on Sunday 23 February at 4pm, the day will also feature a Festival of Rugby League, where before the kick-off, three curtain raisers of Storm’s under 17s, under 19s, and the Storm Female Development Squad get the chance to get their boots dirty and showcase their talent.

Casey Warriors Rugby League Club vice president, Arana Taepa, said that these initiatives and events are “great for grassroots football”.

“It’s massive for our community because the majority of the time, the only chance people get to see them is either at AAMI Park or on the TV. “So to be able to walk out to their own doorstep and to be able to mingle with these top-line athletes, it’s amazing for the community as a whole,” he said.

Back in February 2023, Casey’s CEO Glenn Patterson and Rodski both announced the partnership at AAMI Park, with the partnership set to be in place until October 2027.

Rodski said the same back then, and at that stage, two juniors from the Casey Warriors Club, Sheldon Diaz and Jared Nauma, remain examples of the reach and growth of the sport.

The said growth has been everything exciting and in between, with the potential for expansion in a predominantly AFL-centred state becoming more evident.

“We’re proud of the number of Victorians that are now playing the sport and participation’s growing every year, so there’s the potential of expansion and it’s important for us to develop our talent here in our own backyard,” Rodski said.

“There are a lot of young kids out there playing rugby and are in the league, so we want to be able to give them an opportunity and the pathway through to the elite.

“It’s on days like these, like the Festival of Rugby League at Casey Fields, that enables us to showcase that to the community and for the people in their region to come and watch, it brings people together and for us, that’s really exciting.”

Taepa said that the excitement continues to grow, not just for the club’s players who are part of the developmental team at Storm, but also for the local community to experience elite performance just a stone’s throw away.

“It’s Melbourne Storm given back to the rugby league community, taking their training and their games out to local places,” Taepa said.

“It’s massive, massive for Casey, massive for Casey Warriors and massive for the community as a whole.”

This event will be the final practice match before Round 1 of the NRL season, and will also be the only pre-season match in Victoria.

For tickets and more information on the event, visit www.ticketmaster.com.au/artist/1157378

Get involved: Summer echidna spotting but for science

By Tanya Steele The summer months bring special moments to those living in the Yarra Ranges as the shortbeaked echidna goes about its day and can often be spotted clambering through backyards and trying to cross roads.

Citizen science can come into play with these special moments and a group of echidna researchers in South Australia have been collecting images, recordings, scat and more from people all over Australia.

Journalist Tanya Steele is an unabashed monotreme enthusiast and spoke with Professor Frank Grützner from the Echidna Conversation Science initiative (Echidna CSI) and Healesville Sanctuary Mammal Keeper Craig McQueen about the importance behind these incidental sightings.

Echidnas are very hard to find in the wild when you are deliberately looking for them and from his research office in South Australia, Professor Grützner said this makes it really hard to do any research on them.

“If you actually want to find one, you know, you’d be wandering around. It’s really hard to predict,” he said.

Professor Grützner is part of a team of researchers dedicated to echidna research in South Australia and the team of researchers have developed an app to connect with the general community to learn more about the unique creatures, which launched in August of 2017.

So far thousands of Australians have sent the team photos of echidnas through their Echidna CSI app, even collecting echidna poo for the University of Adelaide researchers to use for molecular analysis.

“We want to understand more about echidnas so they can be protected,” Professor Grützner said.

Healesville Sanctuary mammal keeper Craig McQueen said by late October and early No-

The echidnas at Healesville Sanctuary are always on the go and Keeper McQueen said they provide them with plenty of enrichment opportunities to use all their natural behaviours.

(Zoos Victoria) vember, the weather conditions are often perfect for echidnas (not too hot, not too cold), which is why you will likely start seeing them become more active.

Professor Grützner said the best-studied population of echidnas is at his doorstep on Kangaroo Island.

The Kangaroo Island population of echidnas has been classed as endangered, while the rest of Australia class the short-beaked echidna population as stable with a status of ‘least concern.’

The localised research has shown how the rate of echidnas being killed by feral cats and cars is more than the numbers being born and so echidnas across Australia are likely under more threat than is currently recognised.

“For the rest of Australia, we still lack a lot of that information and we need to gather more,” Professor Grützner said.

The Kangaroo Island bushfires in the summer months of 2019 and 2020 meant the local echidna population dealt with a huge challenge to their environment.

Specialising in genetics Professor Grützner said the Echidna CSI project has delivered thousands of sightings and over 800 scat samples so far. “It’s a huge resource that has been built over seven years,” he said.

The researchers have also studied the differences in gut bacteria between echidnas living in the wild versus in captivity as well as regional differences. “We found a very high diversity of gut bacteria but also a dramatic difference between echidnas that are captive and those that are wild,” Professor Grützner said.

“Prior to this, there was no genetic analysis of echidna scat and their gut bacteria.”

Professor Grützner said the scat itself is not disgusting as it isn’t smelly, and looks sort of a cylindrical and is around the the thickness of a finger. “It’s probably a bit thicker than you’d expect and it’s basically compacted soil,” he said.

“Generally because of their sticky tongues, echidnas absorb enormous amounts of soil, which is interesting to think about – of course, they have insects and invertebrates sticking on there as well.”

The all-important echidna scat can sometimes give a glittery effect due to the presence of the bugs, securing their place as a fun fact animal if there ever was one.

Their back feet face backwards, they have no teeth and their tongues are roughly 18cm long.

Echidnas blow snot bubbles to keep cool and they are great swimmers and use their beaks as a snorkel.

“It can be very difficult to tell male echidnas from females,” keeper Mr McQueen said.

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“Males grow slightly larger than females, but they otherwise look pretty much identical.”

“They can vary in size but can grow upwards of seven kilograms – which is a very big echidna.”

The echidnas at Healesville Sanctuary are always on the go and Mr McQueen said they provide them with plenty of enrichment opportunities to use all their natural behaviours.

“During the cooler months, echidnas go into an inactive state called torpor,” he said.

“This helps them to conserve energy in low temperatures, and they can go for days or even weeks at a time without needing to feed.”

Australia is also nearing the time of year when puggles (baby echidnas) from this year’s breeding season start emerging from their burrows.

“Like much of our native wildlife echidnas have been affected by human development including roads in their natural habitat,” Mr McQueen said.

As they are moving from place to place, echidnas will inevitably need to cross roads and unfortunately, they don’t have the best road sense.

“They rarely look to be in a hurry to avoid cars,“ Mr McQueen said.

“It is extra important to slow down if you see an echidna crossing the road, as they may need extra time to cross safely compared to many other animals.

“Avoid trying to physically move them on, as they are more likely to bunker down if they feel threatened.”

Professor Grützner said if people keep an eye out for echidnas and get recordings of them, Australia-wide it will help researchers to record the distribution and patterns of movements of the echidnas.

“People can take a photo and then it has a GPS location on it,” he said.

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN Thumbs up To all those doing it tough, and still keeping the Christmas spirit. Beautiful people, caring and kindness to all. Tis the season to be jolly. Merry Christmas everyone.

Thumbs up To all those who have decorated their houses with Christmas lights and ornaments. Gives such pleasure to all.

REAL ESTATE Email seren@starnewsgroup.com.au

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To the organisers of the Pakenham Carols by Candlelight event. Thoroughly enjoyed it as an event again.

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Thumbs up Christmas earing at Garfield Picture Theatre. (Stewart Chambers: 450188)

To Christmas Together 2024 and all of the charitable initiatives like Pakenham Toy Run. We have an amazing, generous community.

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NEWS

Clyde Road works kick off

By Ethan Benedicto Construction for the long-awaited Clyde Road upgrades has begun, after an official announcement on the morning of Friday 13 December.

The intersection, offramps, and bridge over the Princes Freeways were attended to by Bruce MP Julian Hill and Major Road Project Victoria representatives for the declaration.

Hill said for those who live or “move around the area regularly, this intersection has been a growing nightmare for a very long time”.

“It’s the north-south chokepoint, the congestion point that limits people’s movements for kilometres either way.

This project comes after the City of Casey welcomed the outcome of the Federal Government’s 90-day review in 2023 of the Infrastructure Investment Program which recommended $250 million for the construction.

As an overview, the bridge over the freeway will be widened to include two additional main road lanes - with longer turning lanes - additional offramp lanes, and upgrades to the walking and cycling paths in the area.

“This is one hundred per cent a Federallyfunded project, a really complex project that is going to take two or three years but it’s going to make an enormous difference then for decades to come,” Hill said.

The infrastructure, regional development and local government minister, Catherine King, said that these upgrades “will relieve bottlenecks, improve traffic flow, and make journeys easier, safer and more reliable”.

“The upgrade will provide more reliable travel times along Clyde Road in the Berwick area, improve traffic flow and access to local facilities and streets, and reduce the risk of crashes,” she said.

The intersection at Kangan Drive will also be upgraded, with new street lights, road signage, drainage and landscaping.

With the population down the south from Cranbourne to Clyde growing by the day, the need for infrastructural upgrades has intensified, as machines work on the other end of the hill to widen the bridge. (449741)

Bruce MP Julian Hill was on the Clyde Road bridge over Princes Freeway, speaking to Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Brendan Pauwels. (Stewart Chambers: 449741)

The early stages of the construction have been finalised on the surrounding hills. (449741)

Clyde Road itself serves as a vital link between the northern suburb of Berwick, with its two hospitals, university, schools and train station, to its southern neighbours of Clyde, Clyde North, Cranbourne, Cranbourne North and Cranbourne East.

Over the last few years, these latter suburbs have seen exponential growth, which in turn has led to higher vehicle ownership and presence on local roads, therefore creating a greater demand on the transport network.

“This is particularly important considering

In the meantime, this area will be experiencing some disruptions.

There will also be lane and pedestrian crossing closures at Clyde Road until mid-2025.

As it stands, the project has a completion timeline of 2027, with Hill adding that the allocated $250 million would be sufficient funding to get the job done.

“The project managers are telling us that they’re on time and they’re on budget at this point, so that is our expectation that will continue to be the case,” he said.

the projected growth at Federation University, Chisholm TAFE, St John of God Hospital and all the other major community facilities,” Hill said.

MRPV Program Director Brendan Pauwels was also present during the announcement and took Minister Hill through the key project areas.

“With site establishment and early works wrapping up, we’re well placed to get stuck into major works on the Clyde Road Upgrade in early 2025,” Pauwels said.

NO ONE’S UNSINKABLE To all those Unsinkable Guys out there – You might think it’s safe to have a few drinks around water, skip the life jacket when you’re out on the boat or go for a swim without checking the conditions.

But statistics prove that 4 out of 5 drownings are men.

Just remember that no one’s unsinkable.

UNSINKABLE GUY

RETHINK TAKING RISKS AROUND WATER 12722400-FR51-24

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Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 7

NEWS

Plea to listen to concerns As part of its ongoing engagement with the community, the City of Casey has written to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on behalf of the community requesting the regulatory body ensure that local concerns are heard and addressed on the proposed Hampton Park waste transfer station.

In a written submission to the EPA’s community consultation, mayor Cr Stefan Koomen stated how crucial it was for the EPA to ensure their community consultation regarding the Development Licence was genuine and responded to emerging issues identified by the local community.

“Council strongly believes that Veolia must engage directly with the local community to address any community concerns related to this site. This

is crucial for the wellbeing of the local community,” Cr Koomen said.

“As a new Council group, we will do everything we can to support the voices of local people. The decision now lies with the EPA on a Development Licence, and we are asking them to carefully consider the impacts of this proposed facility.”

River Gum Ward Cr Lynette Pereira said: “This is about listening to the community, hearing their concerns and being serious about addressing this.

“We will do everything we can to ensure that the local community is protected as much as possible from the impacts of the landfill and proposed waste transfer station.” In 2018, the Victorian Government identified the Hallam Road Landfill site as a Hub of State Significance in the Statewide

Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan 2018 (SWWRIP).

The SWWRIP identifies the hub as having the capacity for enhanced resource recovery activities, reflecting the broader strategic planning goals for the region. In a letter addressed to the EPA, Council requested that the regulator ensure Veolia as the operator of the existing landfill and the applicant of the proposed future waste transfer station, directly engaged with concerned residents and responded to their emerging issues about the facility.

“Council acknowledges the civil action currently being taken by the EPA in relation to Veolia’s management of the Hallam Road Landfill,” Cr Koomen said.

“While we recognise that these proceedings are

separate from the EPA’s consideration of the Development Licence for the waste transfer station, we urge the EPA to closely monitor Veolia’s compliance with any conditions attached to the Development Licence, especially given the level of concern expressed by the community over both the waste transfer station and the landfill.” In a separate letter addressed to the EPA, Council has requested an extension to the community consultation period to 31 January 2025 to allow for as many residents to have their say as possible.

“The City of Casey will continue to advocate on behalf of the community to ensure that local voices are heard and that any developments on this site are undertaken with the utmost consideration for the surrounding residents and their concerns,” Cr Koomen said.

All smiles as kids graduate from kindergarten program Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre had its first kindergarten program graduation on Thursday 12 December.

A spokesperson for the centre said it was a very special day in the centre’s community garden.

“Lucy the Kinder teacher and Kirsty the Children’s Services Coordinator presented the very proud graduates with their certificates and sashes while their delighted families looked on,” they said.

“Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre wishes to thank all the parents and families who have chosen Merinda Park kindergarten, and of course to the staff and educators who have worked so hard this year to give the children a great start to their education. The educators and staff at Merinda Park are looking forward to next year and getting to know all the new children and families in the 2025 kindergarten program.”

Graduation group shot: front Sarah, Lalah, back Ezekiel, Eden, Jayson and Lucy. (Supplied)

Staff Nermina, Lucy, Back Kimmy, Bec, Kirsty.

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8 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

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Education through food

By Ethan Benedicto With cream of vegetable soup, salads from coleslaw, beetroot carpaccio, herb focaccia and carrot and zucchini fritters, it didn’t take long for the aroma of a hearty and nutritious meal to fill the kitchen at Hallam Primary.

On the morning of Monday 16 December, children from as young as seven took the mantle of chefs, guided not just by elder students, but by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and VicHealth, who announced a $2.7 million partnership.

With the funds set to be invested throughout the next three years, the partnership aims to give children at more than 500 Victorian schools, such as Hallam Primary, the learning foundations of fresh and healthy food.

Stephanie Alexander, the founder of the notfor-profit was present during the event, and while 20-plus years into the path, remained filled with love and purpose as she guided the younger cooks.

“Well we think it’s absolutely central to living a good life,” she said.

“What we are showing is that even very young children are capable of enjoying these tasks, developing real skills, but also finding out all sorts of things that they’ve not experienced before and they love it!

“I mean, it’s pleasurable, the fact that it’s hands-on, that they enjoy it and so they want to keep doing it, it’s creating a habit of life really.”

The Kitchen Gardening Program will see the $2.7 million spread out to 60 grants - 30 per year - allocated to schools between 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 financial years.

Focusing on schools in communities that need it the most, this grant will help cover the costs of a small-scale kitchen and garden equipment and or infrastructure, as well as membership for the program.

Ms Lee, one of the many helper chefs, with Hazheer and Poli as they make the dough. (Stewart Chambers: 449743) VicHealth CEO, Sandro Demaio, said that these kinds of partnerships are essential, echoing Alexander’s goals of educating through the act of cooking, and nurturing love for it through a form of creation through the children’s own hands.

“I’m incredibly proud, for more than 20 years Stephanie and her team have been doing amazing work and a program that is now national and internationally recognised has come out of Victoria,” he said.

“It’s that partnership with VicHealth and this program, to continue to provide this connection

to food and growing it, enjoying food and for kids across more than 400 schools participating, it’s a huge privilege.

“It’s important to know that the earlier you connect kids with food and cooking, understanding where it comes from, understanding how to prepare it, to share it and enjoy it, they’re going to get health benefits right across their lives.”

The foundation’s CEO, Cathy Wilkinson said that really, “It’s about connecting heads, hearts and hands so that children have those practical skills for life”.

“It’s the joy of watching someone grow in the garden, the understanding of how you prepare it in the kitchen and then being able to bring that together in an incredible dish that they share.

“This partnership for us is significant, we’re aligned in values such as that focus on preventative health, the focus on protecting children from commercial detriments of health, and improving the resilience of our food systems,” she said.

Hallam Primary’s learning specialist, Louisa Carey has overlooked the program in the school for over 10 years, and during that time the way the children move around the kitchen and create their masterpieces never ceases to amaze her.

“It’s an amazing program, it really provides a lot of hands-on and authentic learning opportunities for the kids and what they’re doing in class,” she said.

“They come into the kitchen, they’re learning about procedural text, reading and writing recipes, learning about weighing and measuring.

“Then in the garden, they’re learning about plants’ life cycles, but they also make the connection of how food is actually grown, it’s not just in the shop,” she said.

For both Cathy and Stephanie, it’s about nurturing that understanding of food, sustainability and health at a young age, but they can’t help but fall in love with the work that they do and the smiles they see on the children’s faces.

“I feel very proud and I am still amazed at how competent these little kids are and how much enjoyment they have and the focus they have on what they’re doing,” Stephanie said.

For Cathy, these events just “fill your heart and soul”.

“Seeing kids engage in such positive activities, it’s really very special, very meaningful,” she said.

College DUX

VCE VM DUX

James Prinzi

Claire Kain

CONGRATULATIONS To the Class of 2024 on the following achievements:

• 1 student with a Study Score of 50 • 18 Students achieved ATARS 90+ • 77 Students acheived ATARS 80+ • 120 Students acheived ATARS 70+

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pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 9

THE LOWDOWN Tell us about yourself and what you did before getting elected into the council.

I am a proud resident of the City of Casey and am deeply connected to this community. I am a dedicated wife, a proud mum of three, a HR professional, and someone who has spent over 20 years giving back through community work and volunteering. I have devoted much of my time to grassroots initiatives, particularly mentoring and coaching players in local sporting clubs.

I have also been actively involved in organising youth tournaments and leading fundraising events, and I have rolled up my sleeves to work in the kitchen to support the community. These experiences provide meaningful and lasting connections with the people of Casey, fostering a shared commitment to creating opportunities and nurturing a true sense of belonging for everyone.

What has been your most memorable moment during your first month on the council?

Being elected deputy mayor. This milestone marked a significant step in our collective commitment to serving the City of Casey with dedication. As Deputy Mayor, I am committed to growing in this role and working closely with the community to ensure their voices are represented and their needs are prioritised.

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

I’d be a tiger. Tigers are strong, courageous, and protective - qualities I bring to supporting and advocating for my community.

What were you like as a kid?

As a kid, I was curious, determined, and always eager to help others. As the oldest, I naturally embraced responsibility, often caring for my younger siblings and setting an example for them. I enjoyed being outdoors, playing sports, and spending time with friends and family. My love for family and community has always been at the heart of who I am.

with Casey deputy mayor Melinda Ambros

Casey deputy mayor Melinda Ambros. (Stewart Chambers: 442141) What event, past or present, would you like to witness?

It would be the FIFA World Cup hosted in Australia, with Croatia lifting the trophy. Seeing the

world’s best players compete on home soil would be an unforgettable celebration of unity, passion, and pride, bringing people together through the world’s game.

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

I’d choose my family. There’s nothing more meaningful than spending time with loved ones, sharing stories, laughter, and creating lasting memories together. They inspire and support me every day and having them all together for a special dinner would be priceless – something I’m truly blessed to experience daily.

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

Dedicated, supportive, and hard-working.

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

Spending time with my family and exploring the world together. Whether it’s trying new activities, discovering new places, or just enjoying each other’s company, it would be all about creating special memories with my loved ones.

Where is your happy place?

Wherever my family is. Being with them brings me peace, comfort, support, and happiness, they offer a sense of love and belonging that makes everything feel complete.

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

It would be traditional meals close to my heart: chicken soup, Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls), and homemade bread, all of which I learned to make from my grandmother. I love cooking because it gives me a sense of purpose, and these dishes bring comfort, cultural richness, and warmth.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

Croatia is a place close to my heart. There, I can connect with my heritage, explore its beautiful landscapes, and spend time with family. The rich culture, history, and traditions make it a perfect place to relax, reflect, and create new memories.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

ways to get festive Christmas is right around the corner, so if you haven’t already, it’s time to get into the festive spirit.

1

Celebrate with the community at a local Christmas event. From carols to markets and other events, there’s plenty to keep you going.

2

If there’s something particular you hope to find under your tree this year, take a trip to the post office and contact the big man himself via their Santa Letters.

3

It’s not too late to decorate your house if you haven’t already with a tree, some lights and stockings and don’t forget the outside. Have a friendly competition with your neighbours this year to see who can have the most festive house.

Non-Selective | Non-Denominational Small Classes | Co-Educational ELC and Junior School Dedicated Senior Girls and Boys Schools

And congratulations to our Dux of the school Vera Zhang in Senior Girls with an ATAR of 99.30; and Rohan Malhotra in Senior Boys with an ATAR of 96.40.

10 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

THREE …

StMargarets.vic.edu.au

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Q&A

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NEWS

From left, Susan, Instructor Renee and Bobo, cool down after a huge morning of Zumba. (449830)

Elegant movement. (449830)

Locals in their element. (449830)

Getting fit at a fundraiser

By Afraa Kori Pakenham resident and founder of Tranzform with Dance, Renee Kendall hosted a Christmasthemed Zumba fundraiser on 14 December at the Pakenham Library Public Hall.

The event also featured a raffle with three prizes and they raised $651.70 to support local charity, Have Hope Inc. The event brought together people of all ages to dance the afternoon away to popular Christmas tunes, including a special appearance from Have Hope Inc founder, Bobo.

“Participants left not just feeling great from having a fun dance workout but with a sense of community spirit and knowing it will help those local in our community. I loved seeing all the colour and xmas spirit in the class, as everyone took the time to get dressed up for it,” Renee said.

“I hope for next year to be bigger as I will continue to do this event every year. I look forward to adding more fundraiser events to the calendar for 2025.”

Instructor Renee, in the middle, leads the group. (449830)

From left, Pete, Micky, Andrew, rest after a full morning of dance. (449830)

PAKENHAM SECONDARY COLLEGE CLASS OF 2024 SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS OF SUCCESS & ACHIEVEMENT 100% Pass Rate for VCE & VCE VM Several of our students have an ATAR over 80 Our students achieved Study Scores above 40 in subjects such as Data Analytics, Art Making and Exhibiting and General Mathematics Increase in average Study Scores in General Mathematics Congratulations to Jelyzza Flores and Alana Kirwin on their remarkable achievements as our College Duxes, along with their outstanding results across all subjects in 2024

Instructor Renee made sure the Christmas theme was very strong. (Rob Carew: 449830)

Christmas themed Zumba dancing. (449830)

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

Zumba in the dark. Christmas lights are all that was needed. (449830)

Alana Kirwin 2024 VCE VM Dux

Pakenham Secondary College 1020 Princes Highway Pakenham VIC 3810 Phone (03) 5945 1433 Website pakenhamsc.vic.edu.au /pakenhamsc @pakenhamsecondarycollege Connect with us

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Jelyzza Flores 2024 VCE Dux

Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 11

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12 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

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NEWS

The sun shone on the large crowd.

The Sola Rimoni Sisters, from left, Viola, Pule, Ula, and Lupe. They sang on stage a number of songs.

Casey councillor Michelle Crowther with Sophie amid the tinsel.

Bringing joy to the world

By Violet Li Local church and charity Gethsemane presented its annual Clyde Carols by Candlelight at Hillcrest Oval on Saturday 14 December.

Gethsemane Church founder Kerrigan LaBrooy said the annual event attracted more than 2000 people this year.

“It was a perfect day. For some reason, everybody loved it. They loved the music. The vibe was so good,” he said.

The day featured food vendors, craft stalls, family activities, raffles, and more.

The special guests included Holt MP Cassandra Fernando, Casey deputy mayor Melinda Ambros, and Cranbourne Gardens Ward councillor Michelle Crowther.

“We had people from all walks of life performing,” Kerrigan said.

“We had the choir. We were doing all the songs that the audience could sing along to. And the rest of the songs were special items like duets, rock and roll, country music, Christmas music, of course.”

Kerrigan said the special thing on the day was the Christmas Miracle.

“We call a Christmas Miracle every year. All the children there write their names, genders, and ages down. The families write their names down as well. Now we are wrapping about 100 presents for these children.

“We are hoping to get it done by this coming Friday. And then, we’ll have this big giveaway where the kids come and get a treat for them.

Then they get their lovely gift.

“It makes me quite emotional. That’s very special to us to be able to give these kids something meaningful for Christmas.”

A television version of the carol will be on Channel 31 at 8pm on Wednesday 18 December.

Spectacular performers Yasmin and Yolanda live on stage.

Event MC Damien Rosario with Casey deputy mayor Cr Melinda Ambros and Kerrigan La-Brooy.

Tanjil Adams and Sierra Adams from Rivercrest Christian College performed on stage. (Rob Carew: 449678)

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

Pastor Eddie James from Narre Warren Home Fellowship.

Liam with best friend Luna the Dog. Both are dressed with Christmas spirit.

Samantha Kavanagh sings.

Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 13

NEWS

Top honour for volunteer

By Violet Li Cranbourne Rotary Club’s ex-president Garry Luxford has been recognised for his volunteer contributions in the past 60 years on a national stage.

After winning the Victorian Rotary Emergency Services Community Award (RESCA) Volunteer Category in August of this year, Garry was awarded the National RESCA Officer of the Year in the Volunteer Category in Canberra in December.

He was commended for his 58 years of volunteer service at the Tooradin Country Fire Authority (CFA). He first started volunteering when he was 18. He held roles including captain of the Warneet Fire Brigade for a decade and group officer of the Cranbourne Fire Brigade Group for another ten years.

“His commitment extended to rebuilding

Grant Hocking, chairperson of Victoria RESCA, Kate Luxford, Garry Luxford, and Greg Leach chief executive officer of Country Fire Authority.

(Supplied) communities post-disaster, notably after the Bunyip and Garfield fires, where he assisted with debris clearance and reconstruction effort,” the

award statement says.

“Beyond firefighting, Garry’s impact spans diverse community roles. He is a Justice of the Peace, overseeing the Cranbourne Signing Centre, and has been a devoted Rotarian for 26 years, serving as club president twice. His initiatives include innovative fundraising projects like a scrap metal program benefiting local causes.

“Garry’s contributions have garnered numerous accolades, including life memberships and national medals from the CFA, highlighting his selfless service ethos.

“A compassionate listener and mentor, Garry remains a steadfast pillar, offering ongoing support to those in need, exemplifying his motto of Serving above Self.”

Looking back, Garry believed that volunteering was a family thing.

“My family used to volunteer in Springvale. I think it’s just a family thing. It was to give back to the community,” he said.

“And my personal feeling about volunteering is that everyone should volunteer in some way.

“Everyone should volunteer. If people didn’t volunteer, we couldn’t afford it.

“I think, you also feel better in yourself that you can give back.”

To Garry, volunteering means continuous giving and he hasn’t stopped.

He said he would continue to give back.

Vic RESCA celebrates the outstanding dedication of paid and volunteer emergency service workers in Victoria who go above and beyond the call of duty.

Nominations for the 2025 Vic RESCA Awards open on 1 March 2025 and close on 30 April 2025.

Work underway on improving Narre Warren police station The Narre Warren police station is currently undergoing upgrades as part of the State Government’s $78 million investment in Melbourne’s southeast corridor.

Announced on Wednesday 11 December, the refurbished station will include better publicfacing areas, safer prisoner processing areas, interview rooms and upgraded cells.

Police workspaces will also be modernised with new energy-efficient amenities, technology and security infrastructure.

The Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines said that they are “delivering new and upgraded police stations across the state to ensure that police have the facilities they need to keep the community safe”.

Carbines also added that Arete Australia will be the head contractor of the Coventry Street site,

The Narre Warren Police Station is undergoing some upgrades as part of a $78 million investment to the southeast region by the State Government. (Supplied) a company that was also responsible for the 2018 fit-out of the East Melbourne Police Station.

Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson ap-

plauded the investment, adding that it’s more than a welcome boon for the local community.

“We are now one step closer to having a state-

of-the-art police facility that will meet the needs of our growing community and I look forward to seeing the construction progress,” she said.

In the meantime, the Narre Warren Police Station counter will be closed to the public while the works are being completed.

Local police will still provide a 24/7 response to the community, with residents still well-serviced by neighbouring stations at Endeavour Hills, Dandenong and Cranbourne.

Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas said that “this is a major investment for our local police and the community will benefit greatly”.

This project is part of the State Government’s record investment of $4.5 billion to hire more than 3600 new sworn police officers, having state-of-the-art intelligence systems and better infrastructure and new technology.

Enjoy our Summer Edition family magazine Pick up a printed copy of Casey Cardinia Kids Magazine from outlets everywhere.

Or, read the full digital edition as it appears in print now!

Read it now Scan the QR CODE OR VISIT: caseycardiniakids.com.au/digital-editions 12734449-MP50-24

14 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

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NEWS

The historic Dandenong New Gallery building (pictured left) abuts the soonto-be-demolished Precinct Energy Plant (pictured right). (449565)

Perimeter fencing surrounds the Precinct Energy Plant building, left, and the future Dandenong New Art gallery, right. (449565)

The Precinct Energy Plant, right, closely abuts the historic Dandenong New Art Gallery, left. Greater Dandenong Council is confident that the DNA site will be undamaged during the PEP’s demolition.

(449565)

Future hub to be levelled

By Cam Lucadou-Wells In the latest blow to Dandenong’s arts precinct, the intended home of a future community arts space will instead be demolished.

Greater Dandenong Council chief executive Jacqui Weatherill didn’t rule out seeking compensation after recent engineering reports found the Precinct Energy Plant (PEP) building had “structural deficiencies”.

The building may not withstand a significant earthquake and was not suitable for public use, she said.

Demolition is expected to start within three months. The future use of the site is not yet decided, Weatherill said.

“We’re procuring the demolition now. It’s not appropriate to discuss the cost during procurement.”

The site at Settlers Square was intended to house a Creative Industry Space (CIS) with artist studios, rehearsal and performance spaces and meeting areas.

Next door, the future Dandenong New Art (DNA) regional gallery – a project that has been mired in delays and cost blowouts – is now again on hold until the PEP is demolished.

According to the council, the demolition won’t cause “adverse impacts” to the closely abutting, historic DNA building.

The CIS and DNA were intended to replace the council’s Walker Street Gallery.

That replacement plan hasn’t been impacted, with the council still committed to the CIS’s “codesign and community engagement objectives” as well as the DNA “priority project”, Weatherill said.

In 2020, the council acquired the 13-year-old PEP building in a land swap with Development Victoria. Its structural flaws dated back to its construction, Weatherill said.

“Due diligence at that time (of the land swap) reported the building would be suitable to be repurposed for public use.

“However, recent engineering reports revealed that the building is not suitable for public use and it may not withstand a significant earthquake.

“While the likelihood of a significant earthquake is extremely low, in the interest of the surrounds and public safety, we have taken the decision to demolish the building.”

Weatherill said there was no other cost-effec-

The Precinct Energy Plant building is fenced off, pending demolition due to structural faults. (Gary Sissons: 449565) tive way to remediate the building to make it suitable for public use.

“We assure the community that the building is sturdy and has remained in good condition for the 13 years since it was built.”

The PEP formerly provided energy to surrounding buildings with electricity and heating thermal energy. It was decommissioned prior to its handover to the council in 2020.

Under the land swap, the council paid $125,000 to Development Victoria for the PEP, a

former Masonic Lodge which is now the DNA site as well as public open space at Harmony Square.

Development Victoria gained the council’s 34-space car park at 2 Mason Street – now part of the Capital Alliance redevelopment.

Weatherill didn’t rule out seeking compensation over the defective PEP. “While Council may consider actions against other parties in due course, that is not our priority right now.

“Our current focus is on a timely, safe demoli-

tion with the least amount of disruption possible for the surrounding businesses and people who work, study and visit the area.”

The DNA contemporary art gallery at 5 Mason Street was originally due to open as a “state-of-the art” attraction in mid-2021.

Last year, after a protracted dispute with builders, it is now expected to be completed by late-2026 and cost an extra $6.24 million.

It means the DNA project will effectively double in price to an estimated $12-13 million.

Keeping up to date with your local news has never been so easy...

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Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 15

NEWS

A view of the underpass from Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street, Dandenong.

(State Government)

Webster Street level crossing will be closed to road traffic, as part of the final design. (State Government)

The final design of the rail bridge at Webster Street, left, and the new road underpass, right, on either side of Dandenong Creek. (State Government)

Project ahead of schedule A Dandenong level crossing removal project will be brought forward two years ahead of schedule, with final designs revealed.

The Webster Street boom gates will be removed in late 2025, replaced with a new rail bridge and a nearby road underpass connecting Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street to Cheltenham and Hammond roads.

As part of the design, traffic will be diverted from the Dandenong CBD and heavy vehicles off Webster Street.

Works will soon start on the underpass, which will tunnel through the Mamara supermarket site on the corner of Thomas and Lonsdale streets.

After engineering assessments, the new rail bridge structure will be built before excavating the underpass, the State Government announced.

This means the road was now slated to open in 2026 – two years ahead of schedule.

An alliance of John Holland Group, Kellogg Brown and Root, Metro Trains Melbourne and the Level Crossing Removal Project will build the new underpass and remove the level crossing.

The project also includes a new pedestrian and cycling underpass beneath the existing Dandenong Creek rail bridge connecting to the Dandenong Creek Trail.

A signalised intersection will be built at Princes Highway-Lonsdale Street.

According to the Government, the Webster Street level crossing is one of the most dangerous in Melbourne, with 22 near misses recorded since 2012.

Boom gates are down for 62 minutes during the morning peak, causing traffic congestion in central Dandenong.

Removing eight level crossings in the Greater Dandenong area will save around six hours of boom gate down time each morning, the Government states.

It will also coincide with the opening of the Metro Tunnel project, allowing more services to run on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson said the Government was removing every level crossing on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, improving traffic flows and safety on South East roads.

“The Webster Street level crossings will be the last to go on the Pakenham Line, and this project, together with the Metro Tunnel, will change the way people live, work and travel,” Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams said the new east-west road connection would help to take trucks out of the Dandenong CBD.

An illustrated view of eastbound traffic on the underpass. (Supplied: State Government)

Webster Street level crossing will be closed to road traffic, as part of the final design. (State Government)

The new road’s intersection with Cheltenham Road, Dandenong. (State Government)

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An illustration of a new cycle-pedestrian pathway connecting to Dandenong Creek trail. (State Government)

A design for the new road link onto Cheltenham Road. (State Government)

16 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

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Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 17

NEWS

Ian Ash’s curtain call TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS IAN ASH Well, this is it, the last of my business articles for the Star Newspaper Group. After five and half years and well over 200 articles, I have decided that the time has come to stop. My passion is, and always was, seeing SMEs and the associated business owners and leaders succeed and so I decided to write these weekly articles in the hope that they provided some useful insights and advice on how to improve their own businesses. While I have certainly enjoyed sharing what I hope has been useful information, I really have no idea as to how widely read these have been and whether these articles have been valuable or not. It’s a little like the chef who loves cooking but rarely gets to experience their customers enjoy the fruits of their labours and feedback is rare since if people haven’t enjoyed the meal, 95 per cent of customers never say, they simply don’t come back.

Since I started writing there have been many changes that have impacted on the business community. Probably the most significant was the Covid pandemic as it forced businesses to “pivot” (still dislike that word) and consider other ways to maintain income levels such as diversify the product or service offering or even flip the business completely. Covid made working from home become a necessity for some and this has completely changed our perspective on remote working today. Prior to Covid, many companies

It’s an end of an era for Ian Ash, as he retires from writing his weekly business column. struggled to support this due to concerns surrounding cyber security, provision of a suitable work environment and quite simply, trust, i.e. how could you be sure that staff really were working from home and not watching Netflix from the couch? However, one way or another, these issues were overcome and have resulted in a whole generation of employees now expecting some level of remote working as part of their remuneration package.

More recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of many professional services businesses and looks set to be used increasingly more widely in other industries. While I tend to feel that its “learning” capabilities have been somewhat overhyped, there is no doubt that used properly, AI can provide tremendous time savings and be a valuable source of wellstructured information. As with all technological advances, there is the ever-present fear that in-

running at Meadowvale Retirement Village from 10.30am to 11.15am on Mondays and Pakenham Senior Citizens Centre from 10.30am to 11.15am on Thursdays.

For additional information contact bernadette. lilley56@gmail.com or 0411 098 519.

in the Berwick Springs Hotel function room from 11.15am, where members enjoy a lunch and then host a guest speaker.

Throughout the year, the club has a couple of special fundraisers, as well as casual morning tea and lunch for interested ladies.

The club is always looking for new members in all age groups.

For more information, contact Shirley on 0438 191 759 or email berwicksprings.viewclub@ gmail.com

creased technological capability will result in job losses as more aspects of business become automated but this has not turned out to be the case in the past and I don’t see that being the case with AI either. In fact, as business capabilities grow and improve with greater use of this great time saver, so will there be more job opportunities, not less so let’s embrace it; there is no turning back the tide now.

Probably the third major change we are seeing is a change in the Industrial Relations laws particularly around the use of temporary and casual staff. There is not the space and time to go into this in detail here, but suffice to say that if you are a ‘small’ business (currently defined as 15 employees or less but eight independent MPs are pushing for this to be raised to 25 – the government won’t look at this until mid-2025 at the earliest), you need to be across the changes here since they may well have a material impact on your business. If you are not sure, reach out to people knowledgeable in this space.

So, back to the chef. Given that this is my last article, I would love to get some feedback on what you have enjoyed or learnt, what you felt could have been done better and if any of the articles had an impact on your business or the way you conduct it. Please feel free to reach out to my email address: ianash@ombs.com.au and let me know. Finally, it just remains for me to wish you all success in your business, a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

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

WHAT’S ON Santa’s Spectacular Book a ticket online and get your back side track side for a big night of racing starting at 4.30pm on 21 December at Nyora Recreation Reserve, Nyora.

Christmas Eve Dinner The Independent Gembrook presents Christmas Eve Dinner on 24 December, 5.30-11pm at 79 Main Street, Gembrook.

Holiday Craft Table at Pakenham Library!

Drop in and enjoy making some Christmas and holiday season crafts or just make some time for general crafting at Pakenham Library! The craft table will be available from 12 noon on Monday, 9 Dec until 2pm on Thursday, 19 Dec.

2025 Leongatha Art and Photography Show The highly anticipated 2025 Leongatha Art and Photography Show, hosted by the Rotary Club of Leongatha, will open to the public at Leongatha Memorial Hall on Saturday 18 January and will run until Saturday 8 February.

Celebrating over 48 illustrious years, the event has evolved into a cornerstone of artistic expression within the Gippsland community.

For more information, visit www.leonartshow. com.au or contact rotaryleongatha.artshow@ gmail.com

•

Officer Probus Club The new Officer Probus Club meets on the first Friday of the month from 10am at the Officer Sports Club on the corner of Princes Highway and Sterling Road in Officer Be part of a social club to meet new friends, hear from guest speakers and enjoy activities and outings.

For more information, contact Helen Kusters on 0412 170 300 or officerprobussecretary@ gmail.com

•

Pakenham Arthritis Self-Help Group Are you living with arthritis and looking for a supportive community?

Join the Pakenham Arthritis Self Help Group (PASH) and discover the benefits of water and chair aerobics.

The group offers a safe and welcoming space to connect with others who understand your challenges.

Together, the group learns strategies to manage pain, improve mobility, and enhance overall quality of life.

Warm water exercises are held at Cardinia Life from 8.15am to 9.15 am and 2.30pm to 3.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with chair exercises

18 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

•

Cranbourne Senior Citizens Not a member? Doesn’t matter, come along and join the fun.

Weekly activities include line dancing from 10am to noon on Mondays, new vogue and old time dancing from 1pm to 3.30pm on Tuesdays, carpet bowls from 11.30am to 2.30pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and bingo from 11am to 2pm on Thursdays.

For all enquiries or bookings, contact Marilyn on 0432 107 590.

•

Line dancing The Berwick Senior Citizens Centre is hosting line dancing sessions from 10am to noon every Tuesday at 112 High Street in Berwick.

First session is free, with a small fee for future classes.

Morning tea or coffee included.

• •Probus Club of Casey Combined

The Probus Club of Casey Combined is welcoming any new members to meet at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick from 9.45am to noon on the second Tuesday of each month.

After morning tea, the club hosts an interesting guest speaker, with members often meeting up for lunch at a local cafe after the meeting.

For more information, contact Margaret Luxford on 0409 861 207 or Magda Michael on 0406 468 265.

•

Inner Wheel Club of Berwick The Inner Wheel Club (IW) Berwick is a ladies international friendship club which raises funds to support local charities and other worthwhile causes.

They have a dinner meeting on the first Monday of the month and enjoy a range of activities including guest speakers, morning teas, book club and craft afternoons.

For more information, visit their Facebook page or contact iiw.au.berwick@gmail.com

•

Berwick Springs VIEW Club Affiliated with The Smith Family, the Berwick Springs VIEW Club is a not-for-profit organisation, with the aim to fundraise to support Learning for Life students.

The club currently supports 10 students of varying ages with their education expenses.

The club meets on the first Monday of each month

•

Probus Club of Pakenham East The Probus Club of East Pakenham is encouraging new members to join the Club.

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cardinia Club, 71 Racecourse Road, Pakenham, commencing at 10.30am.

A short meeting is followed by morning tea and the opportunity to get to know members prior to the introduction of the guest speaker.

Various activities are held throughout the month.

For more information, phone president Gary on 0428 255 178 or contact secretary Dorothy on probuspakenhameast@gmail.com

•

U3A Casey Did you know that U3A Casey now has 471 members and operates out of multiple venues across the Casey area?

It offers 65 different classes, ranging from exercise/movement/dance groups to literature, crafts, music, discussion groups and more.

Membership from July to December is $30 with no further costs.

If you want to keep both your mind and body active after retirement, then visit u3acasey. org.au

•

Yoga and meditation Run by Heartfulness Yoga and Meditation, the sessions are conducted in a community environment to promote wellness.

Heartfulness is a simple and subtle practice of meditation which aims to connect all participants with the light and love in their hearts.

All are welcome to come and experience yoga and meditation on Sundays at Bunjil Place starting from 8.30am.

No previous experience is required.

Bring your own yoga mat.

Gold coin donation welcome.

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club Are you new newly retired, or new to the area, or just wanting to enjoy your freedom as a senior or expand your social life?

Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club can offer you

stimulating activities and friendship.

The club hosts weekly social activities with dance to low-key in-line dancing if you want to tap your feet, great music, a chat, then afternoon tea.

Day, short and long trips away via coach, a weekly morning coffee club, monthly Saturday country pub lunches, monthly Tuesday dine-outs, a weekly walking group, a weekly table tennis group, seasonal daytime musical theatre outings, entertainment function days and more.

Anyone interested can visit on Thursdays at 2pm for socialising and low-key dancing at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House at 21A Bemersyde Drive or join the club for a coffee and a chat every Wednesday from 10am at the new François cafe in front of Myer in Fountain Gate.

For more information, contact enquiry officer Gloria on 0468 363 616.

•

Cardinia Diabetic Awareness Group The group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Pakenham Uniting Church meeting room at 10am.

The group would love to see people who have diabetes or live with someone who has diabetes attend or join.

The meeting consists of a short meeting and then a guest speaker dealing with diabetes.

For more information, contact Lyn on 0149 116 972 or lestep12@people.net.au

•

BADFolk Club Berwick and District Folk Club has been meeting at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick for the past 22 years.

The club meets on the third Friday of each month and every month features a different genre of music.

The club also welcomes spot acts.

Doors now open from 6.30pm and the music runs from 7pm to 10pm, no bookings required, entry $15.

The kitchen sells sweet and savoury snack food and a variety of drinks – tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks.

For more information, visit badfolkclub.org or contact Edward on 0418 535 264.

•

Scrabble Club Berwick Activities Club is hosting a Scrabble Club every Friday from 1pm to 3.30pm. It will be both competitive and social on a one-to-one basis.

Come along to learn how to play or improve your game.

Word lists and more will be available to increase your skills.

Contact David on 0433 566 456.

•

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Donor saved child’s life A Botanic Ridge heart transplant recipient and her family are issuing a plea to Victorians to give the gift of hope this holiday season by registering as organ and tissue donors.

Milly Johnston went into heart failure, without warning, at the age of only two. Diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, Milly’s parents Ebony Mallinson and Kyle Johnston were told Milly’s only chance of survival would be a heart transplant.

It was an unexpected and terrifying time for the Victorian family.

Desperately ill, Milly was placed on the waitlist for a heart transplant. It wasn’t until the following year that Ebony and Kyle received the call they had anxiously been waiting for: a donor heart was available for Milly.

“We are so very grateful to Milly’s donor and their family for their selfless decision at their saddest time,” Ebony said.

“Their incredible gift saved Milly’s life.”

While Milly is now thriving, her younger brother Eli, 6, has also been diagnosed with the same condition and may need a heart transplant in the future.

“We don’t know what the future holds, however during this season of giving, everyone can help by registering to be an organ and tissue donor and telling their family,” Ebony said.

“This simple act will give hope to those who are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.”

Milly, now 11, thanks her “angel heart” for her second chance at life, which she says is spent enjoying time with her loving family and friends, reading books, and listening to her favourite Taylor Swift music.

According to DonateLife Victoria, there are currently 1,800 Australians on the waiting list for an organ transplant, with a further 14,000 undergoing dialysis who could benefit from a kidney transplant.

One organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people and help many more through eye

Kyle, Milly and Eli Johnston and Ebony Mallinson. (Supplied) and tissue donation.

Anyone over the age of 16 can register as an organ and tissue donor regardless of their medical history, lifestyle, religion, or age.

DonateLife Victoria’s state medical director Dr Rohit D’Costa said: “It only takes one minute to

register online, and with many of us seeing family over the holidays, it’s an ideal time to let them know you support organ and tissue donation.

“It’s important to tell your family, as they will always be asked to support your decision before organ donation goes ahead. They are much more likely to agree if they know you want to be a donor.

“As the year draws to a close, I would like to acknowledge and thank all the donors and their families who have made donations possible.

Their generous decisions have changed the lives of many people.”

If you wish to help, register as an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au.

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Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 19

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SPORT

Premiership joy for Warriors

By Jonty Ralphsmith The curse has been lifted.

Plagued by grand final misery across different competitions in recent years, an inspired comeback gave Pakenham a 102-99 victory in the Gippsland Country Basketball League (CBL) decider.

Facing Warragul at a typically well-populated Cardinia Life, the hosts trailed by as much as 19 points late in the second quarter before turning the tide and overrunning Warragul in a pulsating second half.

Having beaten an understrength Warragul in round 1 before a 9-1 season and comfortable semi final win, Matt Berkec and MVP Jarred Small lifted the home side from the doldrums.

With just under two minutes to go, a Aaron Small driving layup gave Pakenham the lead for the first time since the very early stages of the first quarter.

Riley Morehu and Aaron Small, who led their respective teams for threes made throughout the CBL season, both knocked down clutch shots from the perimeter which gave Pakenham a one-point lead with under a minute remaining.

Pakenham then denied the visitors an open shot with 12 seconds to go, with Jarred Small sent to the freethrow line and slotting both his shots to lift the home side’s lead to three points.

The hosts’ ability to draw fouls late and capitalise on those free points was a key feature of the 27-14 last stanza.

With just 12 seconds to set up their play, Warragul was forced to shoot a low percentage shot from deep, which went wide cuing fever pitch celebrations at Cardinia Life.

Four of Pakenham’s starting five for Saturday night’s game were part of the club’s Youth League 2 side which went undefeated throughout 2024 until falling agonisingly short in a thrilling grand final at the same venue.

Haunted by heartbreak, Pakenham appeared set to add another chapter of agony after an underwhelming first half, trailing 50-37 at halftime - the most points Pakenham has conceded in a first half all season.

Pakenham’s defence broke down as they gave up open shots on the perimeter which Warragul capitalised on, taking its chances before pressuring the hosts at the other end.

Pakenham struggled to land its shots, as Warragul’s energy swelled with every shot made.

Matt Berkec’s reach, aggression and strength kept Pakenham in the game, combining repeated defensive rebounds with blocks and steals, stymieing Warragul’s inside game.

Just as the lead started to approach unassailable territory late in the second quarter, Jarred Small landed a pair of freethrows which kickstarted Pakenham.

Aaron Small, Luke Rawiri and Berkec all scored in the dying stages of the second quarter to neutralise Warragul’s stranglehold on proceedings.

Pakenham carried that momentum into the third quarter, putting pace on the ball and tightening up its defence.

With Pakenham finding its radar and putting trust into their bench throughout the match, it was able to punish a fatiguing opposition lineup which made fewer rotations.

After clumsy ball handling troubled Pakenham in the first half, Jarred Small came to life after the main break and was at the forefront at the attacking end as Pakenham found another gear.

The open shots which were wayward earlier in the game begun to drop and the crowd sensed that momentum was starting to shift.

For all of the inroads it felt Pakenham made in the third quarter, though, the margin still sat at 11 at the last break.

Following his fine third quarter, Jarred Small opened the fourth quarter scoring with a three, which brother Aaron followed up with two plus

Jarred Small changed the game for Pakenham in the third quarter. (Stewart Chambers: 418881). a freethrow.

The Warriors went shot-for-shot midway through the fourth, with Pakenham’s accuracy from the freethrow line in the last quarter significant in a game where there were plenty of opportunities.

The win carried multifaceted significance.

For the Youth Leaguers, it was a relieving confidence-booster ahead of must-win matches in February’s Big V play-in series.

Teenagers Linden Moon, Jack Dawson and Francis Farrell would have gained plenty from playing senior basketball.

The Small brothers and Rawiri enjoyed the opportunity to play alongside future championship men teammates.

Berkec and Rawiri both played key leadership roles.

All relished the sweet taste of success; the monkey is officially off the back.

Proud coach marvels at premiership spirit

By Jonty Ralphsmith Pakenham Country Basketball League (CBL) coach Braden Venning has poured praise on his premiership-winning squad after overcoming a 19-point second quarter deficit to win 102-99.

Playing host to Warragul, Pakenham broke down defensively and its shooting radar was off.

Another night of finals despair looked inevitable but the belief didn’t waiver.

Pakenham made some tweaks at the half but was doing a lot right; the hosts were just being punished

by Warragul’s sharp accuracy from a surplus of open shots and their own inability to execute offensively.

“They broke us down to get open shots - we know Riley (Morehu) and Jordy (Gooiker) can shoot and Xavier (Adams) started three from four from deep,” Venning said.

“We didn’t want to leave (Riley and Jordy) open but Warragul found wways to get them open.

“On the contrary to what teams usually do when opponents are doing well, we stuck to our process and went into a zone to make them uncomfortable and try and make them find shots in different spots.”

“Then we were able to create defensive stop and deflections and put heat on the rim.”

Jarred Small, who finished with a team-high 29 points, led Pakenham’s turnaround.

Late in the second quarter, he sunk two freethrows at a time when his team was bereft.

That sparked a mini resurgence just before halftime, and then his ball handling and attacking run allowed Pakenham to play the game on its terms in the third quarter.

He then knocked down three points to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and fittingly scored the last points of the match, rewarded MVP for a sterling display.

“The pace he brought and put on the ball was outstanding,” Venning said of Small.

“He put them under immediate pressure and was able to attack the rim.”

While Small’s excellence, alongside brother Aaron, will long be recalled, it would not have been possible without the consistency throughout the game of Matt Berkec.

Finishing with a double-double, the big man’s defensive hustle and strength impeded Waragul from building a match-winning first half lead.

pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au

Picnic racing returns to Woolamai on consecutive Saturdays, 21 and 28 December. (Holly Bann: 447396)

Christmas picnic racing at Woolamai Pakenham’s depth is enviable. (Stewart Chambers: 410429).

“Matt’s a focal point for us - his leadership is invaluable,” Venning said.

“We look to him in key moments and he delivered big time for us and for him to stay out of foul trouble allowed me to keep him on for the entire second half.

“He changes and sets so many shots with his presence under the rim.”

Venning’s willingness to trust his whole squad and give everyone minutes was another decisive factor, as it gave the home side fresher legs down the stretch against a side reliant on a smaller core throughout the game.

That showed as Pakenham was repeatedly sent to the freethrow line in the fourth quarter by a fatiguing defence.

Underlining the spread, none of Pakenham’s

players won league awards despite the successful season and none finished in the top 10 points scorers in the competition.

“We know our depth is one of our strong points,” Venning said.

“Being able to put 15-year-olds on court and having confidence in them to play meaningful minutes is something I’m proud of and as a program, it’s something we cherish because the point of (CBL) is to give young guys a taste of senior basketball.

“To be able to claw back from the hole we dug ourselves was pretty amazing so I was stoked with that.

“I have relief and immense pride because they’re a whole heap of good kids who deserve that sort of success.”

Picnic racing resumes with two meetings a week apart at Woolamai over Christmas.

This coming Saturday 21 December will see a six-race program with a mixture of sprint and staying events on the card.

The picnic circuit returns again on Saturday 28 December for one of the season highlights, the ‘Woolamai Whirlwind’ over 888-metres; Victoria’s shortest thoroughbred race.

The anticipated clash in the sprint between two last start winners, Bunyip trainer Paul Kramer’s Chanting Rhythm and the redoubtable Robbie Laing’s Bluebilie will have punters scratching their heads trying to separate them pre-post.

The picnic jockeys premiership is at a very competitive stage with Grant Seccombe one ahead of Shaun Cooper and two ahead of Leigh Taylor.

The latter two will be hoping to capitalise on Seccombe having to miss this week; with recent form suggesting they are knocking on the door.

Patrons can roll up on the day or book tickets or group packages via the club website: woolamairaces.com.au Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 21

SPORT

Callum O’Hare scored an efficient 50 before a late day dismissal. (Stewart Chambers: 442534).

Seagulls great leads CCCA in Country Week

By David Nagel

Kane Avard set Clyde’s chase up well. (Stewart Chambers: 449646).

Top two flex muscles

By Jonty Ralphsmith Pakenham and Tooradin have opened up a buffer in the top two of the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association Premier competition, while Clyde and Devon Meadows continued their strong form in round seven.

The Lions proved that Kooweerup is beatable at home, comfortably defending 6/367 in a 117run win.

Opening bowler Tom Tyrell broke through early before the hosts threw their best punch with a 119-run partnership between the always dangerous Chris Bright and in-form Ayden Mills, coming off a maiden First XI century.

Pakenham rotated their bowlers but no-one looked like breaking through, as Bright took it up to the Pakenham attack in typically bullocking fashion while Mills hunkered down and the pair looked set to take the game deep.

But a brilliant Jordan Seers spell on the cusp of tea changed the match, with the breakthrough of Bright soon followed by the wickets of Shiran Rathnayake for a rare low score and Luke McMaster.

Seers bowled nine overs before the break, with spinner Jason Williams supporting him expertly.

The durable veteran picked up three wickets including Mills just as he was looking to shift through the gears of his innings.

In his opening First XI game of the season, Chris O’Hara batted at six in a sign of the Demons’ batting depth.

Pakenham skipper Jack Anning spoke of his danger for the Lions prior to day two and he looked

Chris O’Hara made a nice return to First XI cricket. (Stewart Chambers: 450202) confident in a well-constructed 42 but saw five wickets fall at the other end which didn’t allow him to settle.

The victory lifts Pakenham into first spot on the ladder as the only remaining undefeated side and they look the most stable, with superstar opener Chris Smith still short on runs despite his team’s ominous form.

At Gunton Oval, Cardinia bowled tight lines to start the day but didn’t have enough runs to work with, defending just 100.

Josh Lownds didn’t bat with his usual fluency but was poised to anchor the run chase and spent more valuable time in the middle to continue a trusty season with the stick.

Lownds finished with 35 off 175, the fifth time in seven innings he has past 30.

Travis Wheller and Yohan Arumadura, in par-

ticular, will take some confidence from their frugal spells of bowling for Cardinia.

It was a similar story for Upper Beaconsfield, with the Maroons bowling lineup building pressure but not having enough runs to work with at Devon Meadows.

The visitors put just 178 runs on the board before being bowled out inside 53 overs - they’re still yet to pass 200 this season - which allowed Devon Meadows to take a measured approach after losing two wickets before stumps on day one.

Having scored two 40s without a half-century this season, Nathan Kleinig was in no rush, prioritising survival and remaining unbeaten on 55 off a mammoth 238 balls when the Panthers passed the target after 84 overs.

Zach Bates was similarly sedate, occupying the crease and putting a high price on his wicket in an innings of 59 off 152, before a contrastingly efficient 32 to the unbeaten Nathan Worsteling.

Clyde was untroubled in chasing down 251, keeping Merinda Park winless and moving itself to within a win of the top four.

Trevor Bauer and Kane Avard saw off the new ball, allowing Praveen Perera to bat with his usual flamboyancy.

The Cobras’ lack of bowling depth was again exposed, with opening bowler Tyson Bertrand a clear standout bowling a workmanlike 21 overs but didn’t get sustained support.

Perera hit three of his first nine balls to the rope and capitalised on the too-frequent looseners from the Merinda Park attack, finishing with an unbeaten 107 off 104 in a five-wicket Cougars win.

Impacts of climate change costly for clubs The financial cost of cancelling sporting events due to extreme heat is just one of the outcomes of climate change community sports managers need to prepare for, according to new research from La Trobe University.

La Trobe researchers mapped the impacts of climate change on sport with help from 19 community sport managers across four Australian climate zones to provide a framework for further research and action in the area.

Researchers collected data from cricket, tennis, triathlon and soccer organisations.

They found costs were increasing due to delays and cancellations but also repairs from more serious storms.

Participants also noted decreased social benefits of sport when events were disrupted.

La Trobe Senior Lecturer Sport Management Dr Greg Dingle said the research offered a snapshot into how climate change is affecting sport at the community-level.

“This research sheds new light on the impacts of climate change on sport that is grounded in the lived experience of managers of community-level sport or-

22 STAR NEWS | Thursday, 19 December, 2024

Researchers say climate change is having a far greater impact than just calling off games of local sport. (Stewart Chambers: 447944) ganisations and their manager counterparts in local government,” Dr Dingle said.

Senior Research Fellow Dr Alex Donaldson said the research showed that communities needed to design interventions to address how climate change affects sport, with the help of managers at the community level.

“The results of this research show climate hazards are already impacting community sport in multiple

regions of Australia in many ways,” Dr Donaldson said.

The study grouped the perspectives into five clusters of climate impacts: management and planning impacts; financial and infrastructure impacts; changes to events; emotional and social impacts; and health and safety impacts.

“Examples of these impacts include costs of repairing and rebuilding sport infrastructure after storms, sport competitions delayed or rescheduled due to extreme heat, and infrastructure costs increasing as summers get hotter,” Dr Dingle said.

“Together, these impacts tend to result in added costs for sport organisations and local governments.

“Our participants also highlighted the emotional and social impacts of such disruptions.

“One manager said that social connectedness that is experienced through sport is affected when events are cancelled or rescheduled.

“The five impact areas shed new light on managing climate change issues for community sport.

“The perspectives of frontline community sport managers in these areas can help sport organisations design ways to reduce disruption to sport participation related to climate change.”

Tooradin star Cal O’Hare will lead the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association (CCCA) into battle when the Crusaders take on the best of the best at Melbourne Country Week in 2025.

The Crusaders have been promoted to the elite Provincial Division this season after a successful return to Country Week in February this year; finishing runners up to Bairnsdale in the Division Two grand final at The Albert.

CCCA selectors Matt Davey, Tom Hussey and O’Hare have collated a wish list of 31 players from 10 clubs across the Premier and District Divisions; although the squad will organically reduce with several players turning down selection due to family and work commitments.

Pakenham superstar Chris Smith is one such player, with several others non-committed at this stage.

Nine players from last year’s campaign have been selected in the squad this year, with Travis Wheller (Cardinia), Lucas Ligt (Devon Meadows), Chris Bright and Luke McMaster (Kooweerup), Cooper Pursell (Officer), Jason Williams (Pakenham) and Josh Lownds, Ben Parrott and Dylan Sutton (Tooradin) all keen to build on last season’s success.

The selectors have rewarded high-performing players in the second tier District Division, with Pursell and Chathura Imbulagoda having great starts to the season for ladder-leading Officer.

Jarrod Armitage, Kasun Balasuriya and Adam Hassan have all made the squad from Carlisle Park, while several new and returning players to the CCCA are also in contention to make the final cut of 14 players.

Yohan Arumadura, Trishane De Silva (Cardinia), Shiran Rathnayake (Kooweerup) and Tobias Van Den Heever (Merinda Park) are the big name recruits to make the squad, while Cardinia captain Mark Cooper returns to the fray after being a key member of the most recent Country Week premiership in 2017.

Selectors have also cast an eye to the future, with Tooradin all-rounder Tyler Evans and Pakenham leg-spinner Jordan Seers among the young guns selected in the squad.

CCCA 2024/25 COUNTRY WEEK SQUAD CARDINIA Yohan Arumadura, Mark Cooper, Trishane De Silva, Matt Welsh, Travis Wheller.

CARLISLE PARK Jarrod Armitage, Kasun Balasuriya, Adam Hassan.

CLYDE Trevor Bauer, Ankush Rana.

DEVON MEADOWS Chris Cleef, Lucas Ligt, Jakeb McVicar.

KOOWEERUP Chris Bright, Luke McMaster, Shiran Rathnayake.

MERINDA PARK Tobias Van Den Heever.

OFFICER Chathura Imbulagoda, Cooper Pursell.

PAKENHAM Zac Chaplin, Jordan Seers, Chris Smith, Jason Williams.

TOORADIN Tyler Evans, Josh Lownds, Cal O’Hare (Captain), Ben Parrott, Dylan Sutton.

UPPER BEACONSFIELD Will Haines, Chad McDonald, Nick Pastras.

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SPORT

Local derby for Pakenham It was a huge day at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday with both Pakenham Pumas women’s teams battling it out in the local derby. Here’s how the game panned out.

WOMEN It was the game the women have been waiting for all season, the battle for the Puma Pride…

White taking on Black! Pumas Black jumped out to the lead in the bottom of the first inning after Jo Blackler, Jade Taylor, Olivia Garcia, Jessica Harrop and Carni Dowsett all singled scoring one run and then Katherine Walton hit an inside-the-park home run, scoring two runs. Pakenham Black then added to their early lead in the bottom of the third inning after a dropped third strike and Gayleen Williams grounded into a fielder’s choice, each scoring one run. Pakenham Black scored seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. Olivia Garcia singled, Emily Williams doubled, Jessica Harrop doubled, Gayleen Williams singled, Jade Taylor walked, and Katherine Walton singled. Jessica Moulding stepped on the bump first for Pakenham White striking out three and walking eight. Olivia Garcia led things off on the bump for Pakenham Black striking out five and walking two. Christine Sculley and Sofia were a force together in the lineup, as they each collected two hits for Pakenham White. Danni Wilson, Jessica Moulding, and Kamila Szy each drove in one run for Pakenham White. Christine Sculley and Sofia each stole multiple bases for Pakenham White. Pakenham White tallied seven stolen bases for the game. Pakenham Black piled up 15 hits in the game. Katherine Walton went four-for-four at the plate to lead Pakenham Black in hits. Olivia Garcia and Katherine Walton each drove in three runs for Pakenham Black. Johanna Blackler and Jessica Harrop each collected multiple hits for Pakenham Black. Carni Dowsett paced Pakenham Pumas Women’s Black with three walks. Sophie Corrigan, Carni Dowsett, Olivia Garcia, Katherine Walton, Gayleen Williams, and Jessica Harrop each stole multiple bases for Pakenham Black. Pakenham Black ran wild on the base paths, accumulating 22 stolen bases for the game. Pakenham Black were sure-handed and didn’t commit a single error. Carni Dowsett made the most plays with seven. Pakenham Black defeated Pakenham White 16-3.

SENIORS PREMIER FIRSTS Pakenham Pumas could not keep pace with Port Melbourne Mariners losing 6-1 on Thursday at Pakenham. Port Melbourne was the first to get on the board before Caleb Poole hammered to centrefield to tie the game at the bottom of the first.

Max Hunter stepped on the hill first and the starting pitcher gave up seven hits and three runs over four innings, striking out two and walking two.

Poole led the Pumas with one run batted in. The three-hole hitter went one-for-three on the day.

Darren Reeves, Pakenham’s number nine hitter, led the team with two hits in two at-bats.

Poole drove in four runs on three hits to lead Pakenham past Preston 16-4 on Saturday at home. He doubled in the first scoring one, singled in the third scoring one, and singled in the fifth scoring one. Pakenham were the first to get on the board in the first when Caleb, again doubled, scoring one run. Pakenham took the lead in the bottom of the second when Kyler Rinehart hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one run to give Pakenham the advantage, 2-1. The Pumas added to their early lead in the bottom of the third inning after Caleb singled to centrefield, Max Vetter singled to centrefield, Preston committed an error, and Tim Bellerby was struck by a pitch, each scoring one run. Bellerby earned the win for Pakenham Pumas. The pitcher surrendered seven hits and three runs over six innings, striking out eight and walking three. Jesse Hunter appeared in relief for Pakenham. The Pumas collected 15 hits in the game. Danny Cannizaro and Caleb Poole each collected three hits and Jesse Hunter, Joel Stubbs, and Max Vetter each collected multiple hits for Pakenham. Jesse Hunter and Max Hunter each stole multiple bases with the team getting a total of eight stolen bases in the game. Pakenham turned two double plays in the game. We were sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Kyler Rinehart had the most chances in the field with eight. Next up for Pakenham Pumas is a game against Port Melbourne on Thursday.

STATE 4 Pakenham Pumas State 4 played Springvale away on Sunday. Pakenham got on the board in the top of the first inning scoring five runs on a couple of walks, two errors and a double from Shaun Fahy.

After a scoreless bottom of the first inning, the Pumas continued their offensive pressure in the sec-

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Pakenham White and Pakenham Black mingle as one ahead of the highly-anticipated women’s local derby. (Supplied: 450740) ond, scoring six more runs on more walks, errors and two hits from Jay Mazurek and Shaun Fahy again. Four more Pakenham runs in the third inning and two more run in the fifth inning saw the game end in a 17-0 mercy rule victory for Pakenham. Shaun Fahy earned the win for Pakenham.

The starter surrendered three hits and zero runs over three innings, striking out five and walking one. Andrew Hemmes tossed two innings of shutout ball for Pakenham in relief giving up just one hit while striking out three and walking none.

Pakenham collected nine hits in the game. Shaun Fahy led Pakenham with three runs batted in from the number eight spot in the lineup. Wayne Porter and Shaun Fahy each collected two hits for Pakenham. Overall, the team had patience at the plate, amassing six walks for the game. The Pumas also ran wild on the base paths, tallying six stolen bases for the game. Pakenham was sure handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error.

REGIONAL WHITE Pakenham faced the Southeast Warriors in their final game before the Christmas break. Despite a spirited performance, Pakenham fell short, losing 7-11. Pakenham displayed aggressive base running with nine stolen bases, but they struggled to capitalise on opportunities, leaving several runners stranded. The team totalled seven hits for the game. Lance set the tone early, both on the mound and at the plate, leading off with a hit and delivering a solid pitching performance. Tyler had a standout game with two hits and three stolen bases, keeping the pressure on the Warriors’ defence. David O’Halloran reached base in all three plate appearances, including one hit.

William O’Halloran and Archer O’Halloran each added a hit to the tally. Malachite O’Halloran, smashed his first home run of the season during his first at-bat of the game. Despite the loss, the team demonstrated determination and energy, showing promise for the second half of the season after the holiday break.

REGIONAL BLACK Pumas Regional Black fell to Moorabbin Regional East in a 10-1 loss on Sunday. Pumas got on the board early in the first inning after a passed ball scored one run. However, Moorabbin responded immediately, taking the lead in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double to make it 2-1.

Moorabbin extended their lead steadily throughout the game, adding one run in the second and erupting for five runs in the third inning on a mix of hits and fielder’s choices. Brad Jones started on the mound for Pakenham and pitched three innings, giving up eight hits and eight runs (six earned) while striking out three. Luis Mayo led Pakenham at the plate, going one-for-two. Despite the loss, Pakenham showcased their aggression on the base paths, stealing nine bases, with Brad Jones, Felicity Clissold, and Billy Marks each

Jo Blackler scored early for the Pumas Black women’s team in the local derby on Saturday. (Stewart Chambers: 440004) swiping multiple bags. While a win would have cemented Pakenham’s place in the top four, the two teams currently occupying third and fourth spots on the ladder also suffered losses. With games scheduled against both those teams after the Christmas break, Pakenham’s fate for making finals still rests firmly in their hands. Pakenham will look to rebound when the season resumes in January, knowing their speed and teamwork will continue to be key assets in the critical games ahead.

PREMIER RESERVES: 12-8 win. No Report. STATE 3: 12-4 loss. No report.

JUNIORS This week our T-Ball group was invited to a Christmas tournament held by the Cheltenham baseball club. Leo, Brooklyn, Bodie and Harper all came along for a great afternoon where they

all played a game against one of Cheltenham’s teams. Each of the kids played fantastic with each of them hitting a double through the cones and making some fantastic plays in the field. The day was enjoyed by all, and it finished with Santa attending. All the kids are looking forward to what 2025 brings.

SL90 Pumas couldn’t keep up with Essendon/Williamstown U16 and fell 13-1 on Sunday. Harvey led the team with one run batted in and Tyler and Harvey each stole multiple bases. Pumas were sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Brock had the most chances in the field with three.

SL70 had a bye. Big League: 16-2 loss (No report) - Jessica Moulding Thursday, 19 December, 2024 | STAR NEWS 23

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