Petition swerve
By Georgia Tacey
SpeedlimitchangesarecomingtoGisborne South, but not on the road residents were hopingfor.
Twenty Cabbage Tree Lane residents put a petition to Macedon Ranges council last month, requesting to reduce the 80km/h speedlimitontheroad.
AttheJuly23councilmeeting,councillors adoptedspeedlimitchangesinresponseto thepetition–butnottoCabbageTreeLane.
Council will instead seek approval from the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to reinstate the speed limit along McGeorge Road, Gisborne, betweePn Couangal Road and Brooking Road to 80km/hfrom60km/h.
Council will also request approval from DTPtoreducethespeedlimitalongWeigall Road,Gisborne,to80km/hfrom100km/h.
In the petition, residents raised concerns over increased traffic volumes, road geometry near Olive Lock Bridge, and the growing presence of heavy vehicles and constructiononCabbageTreeLane.
Cabbage Tree Lane connects from Couangalt Road via Weigall Road to McGeorge Road, which was reduced to 60km/h in 2022 due to increased traffic fromthefilmingofTheBlock.
Council said traffic data collected by council officers suggests traffic from
CouangaltRoadispreferringtotravelalong Cabbage Tree Lane and Weigall Road to accessMcGeorgeRoadinsteadoftravelling directly along McGeorge Road due to the 60km/hlimit.
Cabbage Tree Lane is also classified as a rural road, to which usually a 100km/h speed limit would apply. Council considers the80km/hlimitasareductionalready.
Traffic along Cabbage Tree Lane is expected to reduce with the changes, with drivers deterred from using the road as a bypass for the 60km/h speed limit on McGeorgeRoad.
Council said there is very little compliance with the 60km/h speed limit onMcGeorgeRoad.
Cr Andrew Scanlon said council should stillkeepaneyeonCabbageTreeLane.
“I think we still need to be mindful why that petition went forward in the first place because there’s obviously some safety issues with people coming into their driveways,”hesaid.
Cr Scanlon also said council officers shouldmonitorvisualconditionsandsafety issues surrounding Olive Lock Bridge on CabbageTreeLane.
Cr Jennifer Anderson said council is happy to hear feedback from residents on theresults.
As part of the motion, council will notify residentsofthespeedlimitchanges.
Lions freshen up the town
The Riddells Creek Lions Club has been busy keeping the town in tip top shape.
Armed with funding provided via grants and the generosity of the local community, club volunteers have been making improvements to the town.
Members recently refurbished the town’s entry signs with a fresh coat of paint, making sure all visitors receive a warm welcome.
The club has also built a new community shelter at the Memorial Lions Park and carried out a full refurbishment of the Memorial Gates on
President Alan Fraser said it’s all made possible with generous support from the Riddells Creek community and beyond.
Mr Fraser said the Lions are happy to deliver improvements to Riddells Creek.
“These small touches make a big difference to the appearance and pride of our town,” Mr Fraser said.
Information on the club, including meeting times, is available on the Riddells Creek Lions Club Facebook page.
Main Road.
Riddells Creek Lions Club members John Hudson, Narelle McGellin-Williams, Susie Lawrie, Melanie Kinsey and Robin MIller at the recently refurbished town sign. (Damjan Janevski) 490949_02
Hangar lease costs may rise
By Georgia Tacey
A new leasing agreement may be implemented for hangar sites at Kyneton Airfield, increasing costs for tenants.
Debated at the July 23 Macedon Ranges council meeting, councillors passed a recommendation to seek feedback on the proposal to standardise leasing agreements at the airfield, with a proposed term of 10 years with a 10 year add-on option.
Currently, the airfield includes 34 privately-owned hangars and houses about 60 aircraft.
The ground leases are for the council-owned land component only, with the tenant responsible for the construction or installation of buildings and any maintenance.
Historically, the lease documents have varied depending on the commencement date, with the rental amounts inconsistent, according to council.
The new agreement would include a standardised lease, including like terms and the same rental rate on a dollar per square metres, regardless of previous arrangements, however not all councillors were convinced this was the right ap-
proach.
Cr Alison Joseph attempted to put forward an alternative motion that included council seeking further legal advice and looking into if the proposed rental increase was appropriate.
However, no councillor would second her motion.
Cr Janet Pearce said council had already sought legal advice on the lease.
Cr Joseph opposed the motion, highlighting the higher costs associated with the new agreement.
History takes a full loop for Peter Bishop
A Woodend man who worked on the original City Loop has got a sneak peek of the new loop during a tour of the new Parkville Station.
Peter Bishop, along with a group of former City Loop colleagues, recently took a tour of the new station that will open later this year.
Mr Bishop, 83, was the supervising engineer for construction of the loop tunnels when the city’s first underground railway was built back in the 1970s. He said the group was impressed by the design and architecture of the station.
“Having seen a few other metros in various other parts of the world … I was
pleased to see it’s got all the facilities and technology that’s equal to anything else I’ve seen around the world,” Mr Bishop said.
“It’s also a nice station (with) lots of natural light and open space and the width of the platforms have been designed for peak loading in the future.”
Mr Bishop, along with other engineers and architects, compared the challenges of building the station and chatted about the advancements in technology.
He said the construction of the projects, while separated by decades, had similarities.
“The improvements in technolo-
Artist call out for performers with
Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health is on the hunt for performers with disability and carers of someone with a disability with a passion for performing arts to be part of an exciting project.
Artists can be a part of a new initiative which aims to improve the knowledge and skills of NDIS staff and participants around disability rights.
Using theatrical performance, ‘My Story’ will be co-designed and told by people with disability and will be presented around regional Victoria in 2026.
a
Working alongside local inclusive theatre company, BoilOver Performance Ensemble, artists will get the opportunity to create a wide-reaching educational resource that will challenge stereotypes around disability.
Creative producer Carmen Maddison said the team is looking for artists from all backgrounds and abilities.
“We are looking for people with skills in acting, dance, movement, physical theatre, circus arts, as well as spoken word and poetry,” she said.
gy for doing work … there’s been big improvements in both materials and equipment, which, in theory, make it easier,” he said.
“Nevertheless, you’ve still got the people issues to deal with, in other words the labour force, and equipment.
“It’s really not a lot different but you’re able to do trickier things because of the improvements in materials and technology.”
Parkville Station will open later this year alongside the opening of the new Metro Tunnel.
disability to join new project
“The performers will be paid for their time and we welcome those with professional or community experience in the arts. The key thing we are looking for is a passion for storytelling an advocacy.”
Rehearsals will be held weekly and begin in late August, with the premiere of My Story taking place on December 3.
Details: sunburycobaw.org.au/ my-story, or contact Carmen on 0491 781 673 or carmen.maddison@scchc.org.au. Applications close on August 2.
“I really think we have to consider if what we’re doing is fair to the hangar owners,” she said.
The community can have its say on the proposal online at yoursay.mrsc.vic.gov. au/ until August 21.
If required, a submitters delegated committee hearing will be held online on September 3 for councillors to hear submissions.Ifthehearingisn’trequired,the lease agreement will be implemented.
She also highlighted the proposed rental increase is benchmarked by other airfields who have Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASR 1998) certification, which Kyneton Airfield is not required to have.
First stage completed at Old Kyneton Primary site
Only one stage has been completed on the redevelopment works at the Old Kyneton Primary School site.
After the March Macedon Ranges council meeting, councillors resolved to write to Creative Victoria to gain an update on the status of the works at the site.
In 2021, the state government committed $12 million for the redevelopment of the site, to turn it into mixed-use creative and community precinct.
Stage one of the works meant set to be completed in March 2024.
Council acting chief executive Rebecca Stockfeld wrote to Creative Victoria in April as councillors were concerned with the lengthy delay and lack of public information provided.
Council sought a confirmation of completed works, a timeline for opening completed areas, schedule and plans for outstanding works, and identification of the managing organisation.
Council received a response from Creative Victoria chief executive Claire Febey in June, with an excerpt published on council’s website.
In the letter, Ms Febey said phase one construction of the new gallery and events space is complete, and an operational model and approach to completing the phase two works is being finalised on the 1980s building.
“Given the site’s historic nature and the significant deterioration of the buildings, the works were complex,” she said.
Sofar,the$12millionhasdeliveredthe transformation of the bluestone building into a multi-purpose gallery and events space; the old library space has been made suitable for a range of community and creative uses; a new central entrance building to welcome visitors and connect the site’s buildings; landscaping across the site, including planting over 3000 new plants; and minor works to make the rest of the 1980s buildings more stable and secure.
“Creative Victoria is working to finalise the arrangements for operation and opening of these spaces. This has included meeting with several stakeholders, including council staff, Working Heritage, Regional Arts Victoria and several interested community members,” Ms Febey said.
“Details regarding opening of the bluestone building and surrounding outdoor areas, as well as phase two next steps will be shared with council and the community as soon as possible.”
Council said after receiving the letter, it met with Creative Victoria representatives and received further confidential updates about the site.
Peter Bishop, David Simpson, Ken Davis, Peter McIntyre, Richard Cameron and Alan Chapell on the concourse level at Parkville Station. (Supplied)
Tight leash for pet owners
By Georgia Tacey
Off-leash dog areas could be reduced and a 24-hour cat curfew could be enforced in the Macedon Ranges, under plans being considered by council.
During the July 23 council meeting, Macedon Ranges councillors adopted a draft domestic animal management plan and proposed changes to council’s dog and cat order.
Both plans could result in sweeping changes for pet owners across the shire.
The draft animal plan was formed with initial community consultation from April this year which sought feedback on the current plan, and programs and initiatives residents would like to see for dogs and cats.
Council also sought feedback on the introduction of a 24-hour cat curfew, and the potential requirement for all cats in the shire to be desexed, both of which gained community support, according to council.
The changes to the dog and cat order for community consultation were formed from feedback received in 2024 and will result
Tennis clubs hits a winner
Sunbury Lawn Tennis Club players are benefitting from a recent grant.
As part of the latest round of funding through the Sporting Club Grants program, over 800 sports clubs across the state are gaining extra support.
The funding can go towards equipment and uniforms, as well as support volunteers and officials to learn new skills.
Sunbury Lawn Tennis Club received $1000 in the latest round of funding for new uniforms for their junior players.
Junior committee coordinator Richard Wallner said the grant will help more people access the sport, with the club very thankful to receive it.
“Tennis can sometimes be a higher cost sport to get entry into when you buy rackets and tennis shoes so this grant just goes a bit of the way to reducing the costs
to the family to get kids playing tennis,” he said.
The money will almost get all 50 kids a matching shirt to play in for competitions, with the club committed to funding the rest.
The club takes players from all ages and skill levels, and is always welcome to new players.
“The club is really open and welcoming so if anybody wants to they can come down and have a hit and see if they like tennis or not,” Mr Wallner said.
The Sports Club Grants program is backed by the Regional Community Sport Development Fund which is delivering infrastructure upgrades and other programs including the Regional Community Sport Infrastructure Fund to help more regional Victorians to get active and be a part of their local sporting clubs.
in an overall reduction of off-leash areas across the shire.
In Gisborne, I.R Roberton Reserve and the New Gisborne Sports Precinct will be removed as off-leash areas, while in Woodend, Racecourse Reserve Pony Club will be removed from the list, Campaspe Park will be restricted, and the off-leash area north of Five Mile Creek removed.
In Kyneton, the Campaspe River Walk will be adjusted and Rollinson Reserve will be restricted to the west raceway sections only when events are not in progress.
The changes will also result in14 new waterways added to the list of prohibited areas for pets.
Cr Jennifer Anderson encouraged the community to have their say on the plans.
“We have different thoughts on how our dogs and cats should be managed in the shire … but it’s really important people look at it and if they disagree, they provide feedback,” she said.
Both the draft plan and changes will be available for community consultation from August 1.
Enjoy our café, salon
Sunbury Lawn Tennis Club members Dongwood Kang, Vera Kovac Collis, Tom Lain, Jo Durbin and Kim Morris. (Damjan Janevski). 491673_01
Long road ahead for drivers
By Georgia Tacey
A recent visit to Sunbury from the state opposition leader has renewed talks about one long-awaited road connection.
Victorian Liberals leader Brad Battin recently made a trip to Jackson’s Hill in Sunbury to query why the road connecting the estate to the Calder Freeway still wasn’t built.
Yirragan Road will connect Jackson’s Hill residents with the new Rosenthal estate and Sunbury South Shopping Centre, as well as the Calder Freeway.
The $28 million road will be located between Yirrgan Road in Jacksons Hill and Watsons Road in Sunbury South.
The connection has been promised for twodecades,andasreportedbyStarWeekly inMay2024,residentswillneedtowaituntil at least 2029 for the road to be built after a Hume council decision.
Sunbury MP Josh Bull said the state government committed $3.5 million to council for the delivery of this road, with council responsible for the delivery of the project.
“I am advised that as it stands Hume City Council have identified a number of issues
in relation to planning of this road and indicated that these issues are actively being worked through,” Mr Bull said.
Council assets and infrastructure director Adam McSwain said the proposed road remains a priority, however issues have been preventing progress.
“Field work identified that the proposed site is located within an area of significant Aboriginal cultural heritage,” he said.
“In accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, council must obtain an approvedCulturalHeritageManagementPlan (CHMP)beforeanyconstructioncanbegin.
Riddells Creek nets key sporting grants
Riddells Creek Netball Association has netted multiple grants in the latest round of the state government’s Sports Grants funding.
The club received $1000 for new uniforms and training tops, and a further $2919 for first-aid training parent volunteers as well as a strapping course for key trainers.
Grants officer Narelle McGellin said the club was thrilled to receive the grants, with the benefits to be felt throughout the club.
Ms McGellin said the first-aid training
and refresher courses will be available for parent volunteers.
“By offering this to parents, it gives them essential skills that prepare them to be able to respond in the event of a health emergency, whether it be at home or around the courts,” she said.
The strapping course will be delivered to key volunteer trainers to equip them with the skills to provide immediate, temporary care for children with minor sports or activity-related injuries.
“If there’s an injury at training during the week or match days on a Saturday,
the volunteer trainers can step in and do this strapping which keeps the injury tight and safe until they get medical advice,” Ms McGellin said.
The uniforms will help create team unity and strengthen the club’s identity.
“It helps alleviate families having to buy sporting uniforms and training tops … It’s a great incentive for families that may not be able to afford joining our netball club,” Ms McGellin said.
Details: facebook.com/RiddellsCreekNetballAssociation
Councillor Kurt Canberra travel expense bid knocked back
A request for Hume council to cover the travel expenses for a councillor to attend the maiden speech of Maribyrnong MP Jo Briskey at Parliament House has been knocked back.
Ms Briskey invited deputy mayor Naim Kurt to attend her first speech in Canberra on July 23. She was elected to the federal parliament inMayandherelectorateincludesTullamarine and Gladstone Park, which are represented by Cr Kurt in the Tullamarine Ward. During council’s July 14 meeting, coun-
cillors were asked to consider covering Cr Kurt’s travel expenses for the trip.
A report to the council meeting stated that the trip would involve same-day travel by economy flights to and from Canberra and was estimated to cost about $500.
The report stated that Cr Kurt’s attendance in support of Ms Briskey provided an opportunity to further relationships with federalcounterpartsinsupportoffutureadvocacy.
Cr Steve Gagen moved that council approved the request.
“Council is continuing to work with the Registered Aboriginal Party to determine the extent of archaeological work that will be required.
“Yirrangan Road remains part of council’s capital works program, however delivery timing is unknown at this stage as it is dependent on securing an approved CHMP.”
Currently, it can take Jackson’s Hill residents over 15 minutes to access the Freeway driving through town, with the road connection expected to slash travel times for drivers.
Homelessness Week event in the Ranges
Macedon Ranges council and Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health are hosting a community event to mark Homelessness Week.
The event will raise awareness of the issue, with a networking and service expo where the community can meet local services and find out what support is available in the Macedon Ranges.
Macedon Ranges mayor Dom Bonanno noted that in some of the latest available data, being the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ March 2023 Estimating Homelessness report, homelessness in the Macedon Ranges had increased by 31.4 per cent between the 2016 and 2021 Census.
“Homelessness is a complex issue that touches more lives than many people realise. Events like this bring our community together, help reduce stigma, and connect people with the services and information they need,” Cr Bonanno said.
“By working together and raising awareness, we can take meaningful steps towards ending homelessness in the Macedon Ranges.”
Cr Bonanno said that amid the state government’s recent housing targets, an essential aspect of meeting the future housing needs of the Macedon Ranges was to ensure the availability of local, affordable housing.
“A minimum $30 million investment has been allocated to the Macedon Ranges through the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build; however, to date, only $12.5 million has been allocated to our region,” he said.
“We have requested confirmation from the Victorian Government as to the availability of the remaining $17.5 million and how it will be allocated, and we welcome future partnership opportunities to provide more local affordable housing.”
Homelessness Week is a national campaign that encourages community support and government action to end homelessness.
It’s also a time to learn more about how the issue affects people in the region.
Homelessness Week runs from Monday, August 4 until Sunday, August 10.
“I think it is really important that the council is represented on this occasion,” he said.
Crs Karen Sherry and John Haddad also supported the request, but it was ultimately knocked back, with Crs Ally Watson, Carly Moore, Daniel English and Jim Overend voting against it.
CrKateHamleyappearedtoabstainfrom voting, while Cr Kurt declared a conflict of interest in the motion.
Mayor Jarrod Bell and Cr Sam Misho were absent from the council meeting
The Macedon Ranges event will be held on Tuesday, August 5 at the Kyneton Mechanics Institute, with doors opening at 10.30am for an 11am start.
The networking expo will begin at 11.45am and include a morning tea.
The event is free and open to everyone, with no registration needed.
Riddell Raven’s netball coach Stuart Elder will gain new skills from the grant. (Damjan Janevski). 491732_04
West’s invasive weed war
Serrated tussock is a drought-tolerant weed of national significance, and as reported by Star Weekly, the Victorian drought is exacerbating the issue of its spread in some areas including Moorabool – adding to the challenges faced by local landholders and farmers. Oscar Parry spoke with members of the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP) about the wide-reaching impacts of the weed.
Amass of slender, grassy leaves with flowerheads that produce a purple colour towards late spring –serrated tussock might sound appealing, but the many challenges it poses to local landholders, its damage to native grasslands, and its bushfire risks are devastating.
Inareasofhighconcentration,including Moorabool and surrounds, many landowners and farmers are dealing with highnumbersoftheweedasitsstronghold increasesduetorecentdroughtconditions.
Listedasaweedofnationalsignificance, thishighlyinvasiveplantcoversmorethan amillionhectaresacrossNewSouthWales, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.
According to the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP) – a community-managed organisation that aims to reduce the harm of the weed –serrated tussock has been described as causing a greater reduction of pasture and grazing carrying capacity than any other weed in Australia and is estimated to have cost more than $40 million per year in control and lost production – with $5 million per year spent for its control in Victoria alone.
The organisation states that the biodiversity of native grasslands are threatened by its spread, concentrations of the weed can be a significant risk in bushfires due to the flammable nature of theplantanditsseedheads,andonfarms,it can drastically affect pastures for livestock and cause death if eaten, attach itself to machinery and vehicles, and require large amounts of time and money to address.
Native to countries in South America –including Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Peru – and it is thought to have first been introduced to Australia in the early 1900s.
According to the VSTWP, a patch of about10acreswasfirstrecordedinVictoria in 1954 in Broadmeadows.
VSTWP extension officer Ivan Carter has conducted extension projects in Clarkefield, Riddells Creek, Sunbury, Gisborne and Bullengarook and provided one-to-one extension to over 1000 land owners for serrated tussock infestations.
He said the core area of infestation of serrated tussocks in Victoria includes the areabetweenBacchusMarshandGeelong, Melton, and most of Moorabool.
“That’s close to where the first serrated tussock was found in Victoria, which was in Rowsley Valley … just over the back of Maddingley – and the reason for that is thatitprefersaslightlydrierclimatewhere there’s less competition in the grasslands or the pastures,” Mr Carter said.
“Onceyougetoutfurtherwestandnorth of Moorabool – closer towards Ballarat – it actually doesn’t compete well with good ground cover … further towards Ballan even … the most dense areas are definitely around Wyndham Vale, Bacchus Marsh, Rockbank, and Werribee.”
Mr Carter said there can be storms of airborne serrated tussock seeds, created whentheweednumbersbuildup,theydry out,andahotwind–usuallyaroundmidto latespring–causesalloftheseedstoflyoff and rain down on other areas.
“I would be predicting one [this year] for sure – it’s just been a super dry 12 months, and it … means that a lot of farmers have gone into winter without much cover because there wasn’t rain early enough, so the pastures are a bit behind what people would normally prefer – so, of course, what pops up first? The weeds,” he said.
That’s when we see people on the verge of just giving up – because they don’t have any community support around them
- Ivan Carter
As the weeds can harbour up to 100,000 seeds per year, Mr Carter said local governments have begun to encourage landowners to de-seed their plants when they cannot control numbers.
He said that as the seeds can spread through the wind, and then remain in soil forsevenyears,landownerscanbeaffected by the properties around them – even if they are effectively managing serrated tussock on their own properties.
“There’s just so many priorities for landowners and primary producers that theyhavetodealwith,andIthinkforsome people, serrated tussock can be the straw that breaks the camels back – particularly when their neighbours aren’t managing their tussock,” Mr Carter said.
“That’s when we see people on the verge of just giving up – because they don’t have any community support around them.
“That’s the most common question we have…howtoidentifyit…thesecondmost common thing is ‘what do I do about my neighbours that aren’t doing anything?’”
MrCartersaidhefeelsthemainchallenge with dealing with serrated tussock is that it’s not identified early enough most of the time, where it builds up in numbers – and by that stage, it usually becomes expensive and time consuming to manage.
Inanexampleofitsfinancialimpacts,he
said a landowner in the Rowsley Valley at onestagehadapileofreceiptsthattotalled over $200,000 in just treatments alone.
“That was just in buying herbicide and controlling tussock, not even the time it took, but just the financial costs,” he said.
Mr Carter said the VSTWP can help landowners to identify serrated tussock, encouraging those who are unsure to contact the organisation
“Once you know what it is, you’ve sort of taken the first step to doing something about it,” he said.
Pentland Hills Landcare Group and VSTWP community representative Joe Lesko said the damage caused by invasive weeds like serrated tussock can have wide-reaching effects on landowners.
“Personally, we’ve had our farm for 40 years,and…itbecomes,basically,apartof you,” Mr Lesko said.
“Maintaining and having it well managed is like an extended indicator of your own health, physically and mentally, so it’s important to your health that you can manage and be on top of it.
“If our neighbours in close proximity aren’t doing the same, we face continued re-emergence of the seed … flying in from other people’s properties. That’s why … a total approach is the only thing that can ever [succeed].”
Mr Lesko said under a community of practice model, landowners and all government departments play a role in combatting the weed.
“For start, compliance is actually like a fallback position basically under the communityofpracticemodel–landowners areencouragedtofulfiltheirresponsibility willingly, but for various reasons, there’s almost a certain percentage of people who … do nothing even though they are
responsible for control of … tussocks on their land,” Mr Lesko said.
“Non-compliance to the land act threatens the good work done by all those who have fulfilled their responsibilities … so compliance basically is … the last resort to getting action.
“We can only encourage people to take it seriously and get the work done – so it’s basically up to the state government who [has] the major compliance … responsibilities … in some areas they do follow it too, but other areas they don’t.”
Mr Lesko said he would like to see more government recognition of the importance of managing the issue, and more of a budget allocated to it.
“It means federal, state government, and local government. The three levels of government can have roles to play if they all work it out,” he said.
“BacchusMarsh30or40ofagohadthree orfourofficerswhoserolewastogooutand encourage people … and those positions don’t exist any more in Bacchus Marsh.”
He said he believes Landcare is a key element for success, and the VSTWP hopes to link and combine with the Landcare movementtocontinueaddressingtheissue under the community of practice model.
Melton director of city futures Sam Romaszko said the council takes biosecurity and the management of invasive weeds seriously and is committed to sustainable environmental practices across the municipality.
“We proactively engage with the [state government], who is responsible for enforcement, and we also provide support to landowners to assist with managing serrated tussock,“ Ms Romaszko said.
The state government was contacted for comment.
Pentland Hills Landcare group member Peter Shilton and Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party community representative and Pentland Hills Landcare group member Joe Lesko. (Damjan Janevski) 484728_05
Waste, dog attacks top list
By Laura Michell
Illegal dumping, dog attack legislation and wildlife road strikes will be top of Hume council’s agenda at the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) state council meeting later this year.
Hume council will raise five motions at the October 10 state council to advocate for issues it considers to be of importance to the Hume community.
Cr Karen Sherry, who is Hume’s MAV delegate, said the motions proposed by council were important for its advocacy work and affected the other outer subur-
ban municipalities in the northern suburbs.
Council will ask the MAV to call on the state government to review the penalty amounts assigned to littering and dumpingoffencesundertheEnvironmentalProtection Act and to establish a mechanism to allow council to set penalty amounts which reflect the community’s local circumstances.
It will also ask the state council to back the establishment of a taskforce to address illegal dumping in growth areas.
As reported by Star Weekly, council’s clean-up costs for illegal dumping and lit-
tering is about $5 million annually.
TheMAVwillalsobeaskedtocallonthe state government to amend the Domestic Animals Act to provide council authorised officers with a clear power of entry onto residential land where there is a reasonable belief that a dog involved in a serious attack is being kept at that location.
Thismotionisinresponsetodogattacks in Sunbury in August 2024, in which three dogs escaped a property and attacked multiple victims on consecutive days.
As reported by Star Weekly, a council review of the incidents found that council officers acted appropriately in their man-
Damage causes meetings to be cancelled
Vandalism at the Sunbury BMX Tracks will mean meets are cancelled for weeks.
On Sunday, July 13, the Sunbury BMX Club was made aware that the BMX start gate was vandalised, with lane three torn open.
Club member Damon Hocking was upset to see the damage affecting riders.
“We think someone was up here over night time … and dropped something they didn’t want to drop and went to the extent of damaging our gate,” he said.
“Now lane three isn’t useable until we can resolve it and fix it and get the part from where the gate’s manufactured from, in France.”
Club members have patched the extensive hole with a plank of wood, but the gate won’t be rideable for some time.
The club’s events won’t be able to run while the gate is still damaged.
“We have gate nights on a Tuesday night, and there’s 30 to 50 riders
possibly on those nights, and races we get up to 150 riders,” Mr Hocking said.
“Essentially, we can’t use this gate because we can’t operate all eight lanes until that hole is fixed.”
The start gate is also having electrical problems unrelated to the vandalism, which is also affecting the use of the gate.
The club expects the gate to be fixed within the next month.
agement of the attacks. However, their ability to respond to the emergency was constrained by the limited powers of entry available to these officers under the Domestic Animals Act, and the need to rely on police assistance in urgent situations.
Council will also advocate for the development of a kangaroo management strategy to address wildlife road strikes, with Hume a hotspot for collisions between vehicles and kangaroos.
The state council will also be asked to support a bid for greater protections for property purchasers in transactions and a reduction in WorkCover premiums.
Art prize entries are open now
Entries are open for the 2025 Kyneton Daffodil Art Prize.
The art prize, held during the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival, welcomes artists from across Australia to showcase their creativity in this nationally recognised exhibition.
This year’s competition features a $1000 Grand Prize for the best artwork incorporating a daffodil.
Each category winner will also receive a $250 cash prize.
The categories this year include the Esther Rose Memorial Watercolour Prize as well as prizes for oil painting, acrylic painting, works on paper, photography, and other medium and sculpture.
While the overall prize requires a daffodil to be featured in the artwork, all entries – daffodil or not –remain eligible for their respective category awards.
The competition is open to all Australian artists aged 16 and over, with a maximum of four entries per person. Both 2D and 3D artworks are accepted.
Entries will close on Friday, August 29. Artwork can be dropped off between August 11 and 29, between 10am to 4pm daily at The Old Auction House.
Opening night and the awards presentation will be held at The Old Auction House on Friday, September 5 at 7.30pm, with the exhibition open from September 5 until September 15, 10am to 4pm daily.
Sunbury BMX Club member Damon Hocking with the damaged gate. (Damjan Janevski). 490053_03
Road reopens in Diggers Rest
A new road connection in Diggers Rest has opened a week ahead of schedule.
Following a month-long set of works, the upgraded section of road linking Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road to Old Calder Highway reopened to traffic on Monday, July 14, a full week ahead of the scheduled opening date of Monday, July 21.
The works were to remove the Old Calder Highway level crossing and the Golden Way road bridge opening.
During the works, crews worked to realign the road connection west of the rail line, completing drainage, asphalting andlandscapingworks,andinstallingnew kerbs, footpaths and lighting.
About 30 car parking spaces in the station’s western car park that were temporarily closed to enable the works havebeenreinstated,andthe483busroute has resumed its regular route, with stops
on Welcome Road now reopened.
Pedestrians can now also cross Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road to access the station, using the zebra crossing.
With traffic now flowing safely through thearea,crewswillbuildanewlandscaped forecourt east of Diggers Rest Station and complete drainage works on Old Calder Highway.
Works are also continuing to build the newWatsonsRoadbridgeovertherailline, set to open to traffic later this year.
More than 8000 vehicles used the Watson Road and Old Calder Highway level crossings every day, facing delays of up to 36 minutes when 27 trains travelled throughthecrossingsinthemorningpeak.
The removal of the Old Calder Highway level crossing marked the 86th level crossing removal across Melbourne, boosting safety and easing congestion.
Briefs
Record cars impounded Hume had the highest number of vehicles impounded by police across the state in 2024. Recently released data by Victoria Police shows there were 528 vehicles impounded in Hume in 2024. The offence that resulted in the most impounds was driving while disqualified or suspended with 243 vehicles impounded. This was followed by excessive speed over 45km/h with 115 impounds, unlicensed driving with 61 impounds, learner driver without supervisor with 45 impounds and drink driving with alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more with 28 impounds.
Trentham tourism triumph
Trentham has taken home a Victorian tourism destination award and will now face off against towns across the country for a national award. Announced on Thursday, July 24, Trentham won the ‘Top Tiny Tourism Town Award’ In this year’s Victoria’s Top Tourism Town Awards, hosted by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC). This category recognises towns with a population of fewer than 1500 people. From here, Trentham will face off against other towns across Australia in this category, with a chance of winning an Australia’s Top Tourism Town award in September.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT
Web: starweekly.com.au
Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Cornish Street, Sunbury Tuesday, 5 August (10-11am) Get a sneak peek of the lifestyle you could enjoy at our free Open Home event. Explore our community, inspect our display home, discover our social activities, chat with our friendly team and find out if retirement living will suit you.
Grange
Works have wrapped early to upgrade the road connection west of the rail line in Diggers Rest.
Richard toasts retirement
By Georgia Tacey
OneofMacedonRanges’localwinemakers hashunguptheboots,withhisequipment all up for sale.
Richard Checinski held many hats over theyears,accordingtohisdaughterSusan Johnson, before taking up wine making in the Macedon Ranges later in life.
“He was the first in his family to go to university, and studied physics at RMIT,” she said.
“He did a stint at Macquarie Island with the Antarctic Division as a research assistant.
“He was then conscripted into national service for the Vietnam War.”
Whileheneverhadtoserve,MsJohnson said the disruptions to her father’s career
prompted him to return to university to study a computer science course, becoming a database administrator.
“Eventually he decided it was time for a tree change,” Ms Johnson said.
“He was growing hazelnuts (in the Macedon Ranges) for a while and then went and studied wine making.”
The family planted a vineyard in Pastoria East when Richard was about 55, andforthenext20years,hespenthisdays in the vineyard working on his craft.
“He made wine from about 2001, and it’s mostly small, boutique sort of wine,” Ms Johnson said.
“He always loved science so being able to apply that into a different field was great.”
His wines, both reds and whites, were sold in local restaurants across the Macedon Ranges, winning awards and were also featured in Budburst, a local
festival featuring Macedon Ranges’ best winemakers.
Ms Johnson remembers the process being a real community effort, with other localwinemakershelpingwithequipment before Mr Checinski purchased his own.
Recently Mr Checinski and his wife Josephine retired the vineyard life, moving into a retirement village. The PastoriaEasthomeandvineyardhasbeen sold, and now the family is in the final stages of preparing to give the home to the newowners,bysellingtheequipmentthat helped craft the wine.
An online auction will be held on August 2, featuring the wine making equipment, as well as some bottles of his award winning wine.
Details: tinyurl.com/4b96khp4
Community rallies behind Sunbury’s Wednesday Kitchen
TheSunburycommunitylovestogiveback wherever it can.
Localbusinessesandcommunitygroups continue to show their support for local initiative Give Until It Hurts, which helps support those at risk in the community through its Wednesday Kitchen.
Running on Wednesday nights from 6pm to 7.30pm at the Sunbury Community Centre, the service offers a free meal to anyone who needs it, run entirely through volunteers and support from the community.
Give Until It Hurts president Garnet Jacob said everyone that helps continues to help make a difference in people’s lives.
“Volunteers are the backbone of our Wednesday Kitchen – without them it would not exist,” he said.
“Everyone can spare something, even if it’s old blankets, beanies, warm clothes, or excess pantry items that they know they’ll never use. Such donations can make a real difference to someone’s life and budget that week.”
Mr Jacob said GUIH receives a lot of support from businesses and organisations, who have cooked food, donatedingredients,orsupportthekitchen through venue hire.
“Our major sponsors at the moment are Bakers Delight in Sunbury Square,
IN FOCUS
Family Day Care educators needed
Early childhood educators in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges are encouraged to consider family day care as a way to combine their passion for childcare with a flexible, financially rewarding and professional home-based career.
Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s, Our Village Family Childcare, is looking for educators locally to support the growing number of families looking for home-based childcare. As a family day care educator, you can set your own schedule and hours and design your own childcare programs. Caring for children six weeks to 12 years, you have the opportunity to care for your own children and earn an income whilst caring for others.
Educators receive support from the Our Village coordination team with things such as marketing, the collection of fees andtheinitialsetupofyourbusiness. Our Village can also organise an assessment of your home for its suitability for family
day care. Educators and children get the opportunitytomeetwithotherOurVillage groups for facilitated playgroup sessions as well as attend community outings.
Family day care offers care in a small group setting and educators can provide all-day or part-day care, evening and overnight care, casual care, respite care, before and after school care and school holiday care.
To help with the costs of becoming a family day care educator, Family Day Care Australia in partnership with the Commonwealth government is currently offeringfundingforeligibleneweducators in selected regional areas, including Sunbury, Kyneton, Wooded, Romsey, Gisborne and Riddells Creek, through the Family Day Care Capability Trial.
To find out more, call Amanda Urban on 9744 9252, email amanda.urban@scchc. org.au or go to www.sunburycobaw.org. au/seeking-family-day-care-educators.
SunburyCharcoalChickeninEvansStreet, and CareWorks (Foodbank) Sunbury,” he said.
“Wealsohavesupportfromorganisations such as Goonawarra Neighbourhood House, Hume City Council, John & Mario’s Pizza, OzKebabs, and Conveniently Sunbury.
“We would be delighted to speak with anyfoodbusinessesthatmaywishtohelp.”
HealsothankedtheSunburycommunity for its continued support.
“Sunbury is a great community, where some people who have a lot, are happy to spare something for those who may not,” he said.
Jeff Saitovski, owner of Sunbury Charcoal Chicken helps support the Wednesday Kitchen. (Damjan Janevski) 486051
Richard and his wife Josephine.
Murder case pushed back
By Tara Cosoleto, AAP
An accused murderer’s case has been pushed back after police successfully sought more time to scour through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage.
Brandon Watts, 27, only spoke during Thursday’s brief Melbourne Magistrates Court hearing to confirm he understood the delays.
HewaschargedinJunewiththemurder of Joshua Bishop after police found the 23-year-old’s body at a Westmeadows home.
Police allege Watts killed Mr Bishop in Westmeadows between May 27 and 28.
The 23-year-old was last seen by a housemate in Sunbury about 9.30pm on May 27 and his mother reported him missing two days later.
The Erinbank Crescent townhouse where his body was discovered was close to where his phone last pinged around Broadmeadows Valley Park.
Detective Acting Sergeant Charles Thompson on Thursday told the court policeneededanextra10weekstocompile the brief of evidence against Watts.
There was more than 300 hours of CCTV footage to review and 13 seized mobile phones that needed to be analysed, he said.
A statement from Watts’ mother would also be in the brief of evidence, asserting he was the only one using the Westmeadows garage where Mr Bishop’s body was found, the detective said.
Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz granted the application for extension, giving police until October 6 to serve evidence to the defence.
She said it was clearly in Watts’ best interests to have all of the material disclosed before his next court appearance. Watts, who was due to face court in September, will return to Melbourne Magistrates Court in November for a committal mention hearing. He was remanded in custody to his next court date.
Missing persons detectives have previously stated Mr Bishop had no criminal links and his connection to Watts has not been revealed in court.
Two schools unite for a joint magical musical journey
REAL ESTATE
Two schools are reuniting once again for their school production.
Following the success of 2024’s The Addams Family, Gisborne Secondary College and Kyneton High School are joining forces this August to present Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s acclaimed musical, Into the Woods.
This production intertwines beloved fairy tales like Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel into the story of a baker and his wife who must break a witch’s curse by collecting magical items.
As wishes are granted, the characters soon discover that every dream comes with a price.
Over 70 students from years 7 to 12 are involved in every aspect of the production – from lead roles and ensemble singing to backstage crew, lighting and sound, prop and set construction, and front-of-house operations.
This collaboration showcases not only artistic talent but also teamwork, friendship and creativity.
Into the Woods will be showing from August 8 to 17 at the Barcham Theatre, Gisborne Secondary College.
Tickets: trybooking.com/DAUCG
Quality, comfort and style in a sought-after pocket
Set in a peaceful court surrounded by quality homes, within walking distance to the popular Spavin Lake Reserve, is this impressive home at 15 Twin Creek Court, Sunbury.
From the moment you step through the white entry door with beautiful lead-light glass features, this home exudes quality, style and relaxed family living.
This spacious, modern residence boasts four generously sized bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas and a dedicated study (with built-in robes), a perfect work-from-home space or 5th bedroom.
Crafted for optimal living, the open plan kitchen/meals/living area with expansive island bench, flows effortlessly to the outdoor alfresco space with timber decking, a cosy wood heater and drop-down blinds for the winter evenings, perfect for entertaining or unwinding.
The theatre room/second living is ideal for spending quality family time together watching your favourite movies whilst summertime invites you to relax and keep coolintheinground,salt-chlorinatedpool.
The spacious master bedroom features a very generous walk-in robe and ensuite with sleek walk-in shower, whilst the remaining bedrooms all include built-in robes.
Additional features:
• Beautiful, polished timber floorboards in entry
• 9’ ceilings and high-quality skirting boards, consistent with the homes’ quality finish
• Double-glazed windows and insulated throughout
• Granitebenchtopsandqualityappliances
• Three phase cooling and 6-star ducted heating
• 15KW solar system
• Double garage with rear roller door. This exceptional home truly caters to the needs of the modern, growing family or the executive looking for space with low maintenance exterior. Only 45km to Melbourne’s CBD, 20km to Tullamarine
Airport and around 4km to the renowned Salesian College and Sunbury’s CBD. Be sure to schedule a viewing today to experience this remarkable home firsthand.
Contact: Julie Ryan 0438 060 382 at Anthony Stevens Real Esate.
Vance and Christian (above), Wil and Amya (top right), and Gussie and Ash (right) at a recent dress rehearsal. (Pictures: Supplied)
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Krystine Hocking leads by example at Holy Trinity
Principal
Krystine Hocking of Holy Trinity Catholic School, Sunbury
In the heart of a thriving educational community stands a leader whose dedication, vision and kindness have shaped Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School into the dynamic and nurturing placeitistoday.PrincipalKrystineHocking, apassionateeducatorwithover30yearsof experience,isacommittedlifelonglearner herself and is an unwavering advocate for the growth of every child, teacher, and familyunderhercare.
Krystine began her journey at Holy Trinity in 2018, with the school opening its doors in 2019 to just 47 students. From those humble beginnings, her passion for Catholic education, innovative thinking, and deep care for her community have helped the school grow to 19 classes with more than 400 students in 2025 now enrolled.
With a warm and approachable style, Krystine is widely known for her kind heart and tireless commitment to building strong, trusting relationships. She believes in learning that is joyful, creative, meaningful, and this philosophy isembeddedineverycorneroftheschool.
One of Krystine’s most transformative achievements has been her leadership in designing and overseeing the construction of new learning and play spaces. From vibrant classrooms to purpose-built outdoor areas, each space has been thoughtfully created to support collaboration,imagination,andwellbeing. Her vision has resulted in a Catholic primary school environment that is both beautiful and functional — a place where childrenareinspiredtogrow,explore,and belong.
Krystine Hocking’s legacy is one of innovation, compassion, and steadfast dedication. As Holy Trinity continues to
grow and flourish, it does so on the strong foundations she has helped build — not justinbricksandmortar,butinthehearts andmindsofthecommunitysheserves.
HappyPrincipal’sDaytoKrystineandto alltheotherwonderfulprincipalswehave working in our education settings across Australia!
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary Scool is the zoned Catholic school for Sunbury and Diggers Rest; boasting new sporting and educational facilities to inspire and empower all.
Principal Krystine Hocking. (Supplied)
Honouring the unconventional leaders behind GVL
Principal’s Week is an opportunity to recognise educational leadership across the country and at Global Village Learning (GVL), we do things a little differently.
At GVL, you won’t find bells ringing, principals behind desks, or classrooms in the traditional sense. Instead, you’ll meet Peter and Pip, two visionary leaders who have co-created an environment where young people are empowered to lead their learning, explore their passions, and contribute meaningfully to their community.
Peter and Pip don’t see themselves as traditional principals — they are custodians of a learner-led, guide-supported, future-focused learning village. Rather than managing from above, they walk alongside learners and guides, helping to shape a community that nurtures creativity, connection, and real-world impact.
Since its founding, GVL has grown into a vibrant educational community with campuses in New Gisborne and soon, at the Old Castlemaine Gaol. The learning model is Montessori-inspired and centred around Developmental Learning Hubs, replacing rigid year levels with natural stages of growth: Foundations & Play (ages 4–8), Exploration & Discovery (7–12), Entrepreneurship & Social Impact (11–16), and Pathways & Futures (15–20). UnderPipandPeter’sleadership,GVLhas become a place where young people of all abilities—many of them neurodivergent— can thrive. The approach is deeply personalised, with a focus on mastery, agency, and meaningful community contribution. From building social enterprisestoexploringsustainability,over 200 learners are engaged in EDventurous
Projects that matter. Ratherthanstrivingtomeetconventional standards, Pip and Peter are reimagining what education can be—and their impact is already being felt. Families, educators,
and communities across the region are watching closely as GVL becomes a model for learner-led education in Australia.
This Principal’s Week, we celebrate two individuals who remind us that leadership
doesn’talwayswearasuitorsitinanoffice. Sometimes, it looks like shared meals, muddy boots, thoughtful conversations, and a deep belief in the capacity of young people to change the world.
Pip Cleaves and Peter Hutton.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Farmers and Makers Market
Locals and people from afar get along to the wonderful Malmsbury Farmers and Makers Market. Always the third Sunday of the month….fresh produce, wine, hot food, coffee, plants, artisan foods and crafts that are special. Musical entertainment whilst you shop and catch up with friends. Located at the picturesque Malmsbury Cricket Ground from 9am to 1pm.
Amy, 0423 726 695
Sunbury Men’s Probus Club
Join the Probus Club of Sunbury on the first Wednesday of the month at the Sunbury Bowling club at 10am. It’s a friendly men’s group open to visitors and new members, with a number of great events held each month.
Lindsay Brown, 0405 177 478
Ladies Probus Club
The Woodlands Ladies Probus Club of Sunbury meets on the 4th Monday of the month at the Sunbury Bowling Club (Club Sunbury). Meetings now start at 10.30am for 2 hours. We have guest speakers each month, also outings, and theatre regularly. New Members and visitors welcomed.
Jessie, 0458 190 254
Messy Play in Sunbury
Join in the Messy Play fun with this toddler-focused program, including messy and sensory child-led play. The program will run from 10–11.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays.
www.sunburyhouse.com.au or 9740 6978
Young Voices of Macedon
A community choir for children of the Macedon Ranges and beyond, Young Voices of Macedon rehearses at the House of the Rock, 247 Station Road, New Gisborne. The choir has separate programs for young children aged five to eight and older children. Rehearsals assist children in developing vocal technique, part singing skills, and general musicianship, across popular, classical, folk and music theatre styles. Rehearsals run on Thursdays, from 4.15pm, with afternoon tea and play time.
yvmacedon.org.au
Hume Men’s Shed
The Hume Men’s Shed (Sunbury) is a non for profit organisation, meeting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 158 Evans Street, Sunbury. The group caters for men be it carpentry, welding, metal work, gardening or just to chat.
sunburymensshed.com, or 0438 677 425
Macedon Ranges Photographic Society
Are you into photography, just starting out, or a fully fledged professional? The Macedon Ranges Photographic Society is your local camera club for friendship, photographic outings, workshops, guest presenters, competitions and more. Come along to a meeting on the first and second Monday of the month. Doors open at 7pm and the meeting starts at 7.30pm at Jubilee Hall, 52 Smith Street, Macedon.
www.macedon-ranges-photography. org.au, or info@macedon-rangesphotography.org.au
Toastmasters
Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Toastmasters helps its members develop their public speaking, communication and leadership skills. The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 7.20–9.30pm, at the Sunbury Community Centre, 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury.
vpm-4185@toastmastersclubs.org
Insync Entertainment
Insync Entertainment is an all-female community choir, providing the opportunity to meet others who enjoy singing. The group is seeking new members to join the friendly choir. No auditions required. They rehearse at the Sunbury Baptist Church Hall every Monday from 7.15–9.30pm.
insyncentertainment@gmail.com
Sunbury Seniors
Sunbury Seniors (55 or older) meet on Mondays and Fridays from 10am–3pm. The club is temporarily located at 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury while construction on a new venue is underway. A variety of activities are offered – indoor bowls, cards, snooker, guest speakers, day excursions, subsidised lunches or just a cup of coffee and a chat.
0434 400 754
One Voice Sunbury
The WOV Sunbury community choir is changing the world one voice at a time by providing an opportunity for people to meet and experience the joy of singing, often making friends through the shared experiences of singing and performing; although performing is not required.
One Voice Sunbury community choir rehearses each Tuesday, from 6.30pm, at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House. A fun
and welcoming choir, new members are welcome – just join in on the fun.
sunbury@withonevoice.org.au
North Western District Pipe Band
The newly formed North Western District Pipe Band meets every Wednesday at 7.30pm at the Diggers Rest Bowls Club. It is seeking experienced pipers and drummers to join the band and is also offering tuition for learners of all ages.
Hank, 0412 160 576, nwd.pipeband@ gmail.com, or www.facebook.com/North WesternDistrictPipeBand?mibextid=ZbW KwL
Pernaperna Women’s Group
The group is currently knitting and crocheting blankets for First Nations peoples in palliative care across Australia. Pernaperna is a friendly group who meet fortnightly at Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury, on a Thursday, from 1-3pm. It has established a bush tucker garden at Sunbury Neighbourhood House. New members warmly welcomed. If you don’t knit or garden but would just like to drop in for a chat, the group would love to meet you.
Joan, 0418 302 676
Jacksons Creek Combined Probus Jackson’s Creek Combined Probus Club meets the second Monday of the
month at Club Sunbury, Riddell Road, Sunbury. Meetings commence at 10:30 am. New members are welcome to join our friendly group of men and women. We have monthly speakers, outings and twice yearly trips away staying in cabins or caravans.
Doug, 5428 3317, or Teresa, 0417 373 006
Craft and conversation
Head down to the Sunbury Library on Mondays at noon for the craft and conversation group. The program is free and open to people aged 15 years and older.
bit.ly/39BIu2O
Chill Out Sunbury
Chill Out Sunbury is a free event for 12 and 18 years old to participate in activities such as trivia, games, and more. Happening every Wednesday, 3.30-5.30pm, at the Sunbury Youth Centre, 51-53 Evans Street.
bit.ly/3lmVgVhv
CWA Woodend Eves
The CWA Woodend Eves Branch is part of the Central Highlands group and meets every third Tuesday at 7pm at the Woodend Golf Club. All women are welcome.
cwawoodendeves@gmail.com
This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Tala Clarete, who spent her 18th birthday hosting a tree planting session. (Damjan Janevski) 491011_01
Show offers another vision
By Georgia Tacey
Sunbury artist Michael Howes is unveiling his latest exhibition in the Macedon Ranges.
His exhibition, ‘Another Vision’, showcaseshisjourneyfromayoungloveof photography before discovering his knack for painting later in life.
Howes’ exhibition will feature a mix of his photography alongside his paintings, all with an abstract theme.
Howes, a natural photographer, fell in love with photography at 10 years old when he received his first camera, a
Kodak Brownie Starlet.
“I used to go around taking photographs of all sorts of things, some landscapes, (some objects) a lot closer up,” he said.
This passion followed him into the digital age, where he now focuses his lens on the details of objects, and uses extreme cropping to create abstracted images.
“I suppose Another Vision is another way of seeing everyday things, objects, particularly for photography,” Howes said.
In 2020, Howes found himself ready to branch out into a new creative challenge. He became drawn to art, using acrylics before testing out a cold wax medium.
“I tried to do some cold wax, which is a mixture of oil paints with a cold wax medium which is a medium of beeswax and a bit of alkyd resin,” he said.
He said those pieces take a long time to cure, due to the thicker nature of the medium.
“This new work is things I haven’t done before,” Howes said.
Another Vision will be showcased at The Gallery, Mt Macedon in the Focus Room from Monday, August 4 until Sunday, August 31.
Howes will also be available to meet at the opening on Sunday, August 10 at 2pm.
Poetry through painting on show in Ballan
An outdoor exhibition in Ballan will present “poetry through images,” with colourful artworks inspired by daily observations.
Presented at Moorabool’s outdoor galleryspaceMAPPUpinLightsinBallan,
‘The Poetry of Life’ by artist Min Chiang will present works that depict interactions between people, animals, nature, and even with oneself.
Chiang said the exhibition was inspired by her daily observations.
“Iwantedtoturnordinarymomentsinto poetic visual stories … these scenes may look simple, but they hold deep emotional connections,” Chiang said.
“I use bold blocks of colour to create atmosphere, and layered lines to express emotions and the feeling of being intertwined – just like how we naturally show different emotions when we’re with different people.
“For me, it’s like writing poetry through images. Each of us is creating our own life poem through relationships with others and with nature.”
Chiang enjoys exploring a wide range of materials and techniques and has worked with oil, watercolour, acrylic, ink, cotton, linen, wood, stone, paper, ceramics, printmaking, and more.
“Each material brings its own energy, and I love discovering how different forms can shape the way an idea is expressed,” Chiang said.
“For me, the most important part of making art is keeping an open mind. The medium is simply a tool – what matters is using it to communicate something authentic.
“What I enjoy most about art is the freedom it gives me. Since English isn’t my first language, expressing complex ideas throughwordscansometimesbelimiting. But with art, I can connect with people across languages and cultures.”
ToChiangartisanaturalwaytorespond to life and express thoughts and emotions.
“When I started this series, I really wanted to explore the small but meaningful interactions we have with the world around us.”
Chiang’s works will be exhibited at MAPP Up in Lights Ballan at AA McLean Reserve,FiskenStreet,Ballan,fromJuly31 until August 31.
Monthly music and puppet nights in Footscray
Snuff Puppets are opening a new music and arts bar, Snuff Salooon, at the historic Footscray Drill Hall.
The first Snuff Salooon headlines electro-dub band High Pass Filter, known for their unconventional instruments, including looped tape machines, conch shells, telephone receivers, air tubes, and toys.
Drummer, composer, and producer Maria Moles will perform a solo improvisation on drum kit.
Six Snuff Puppets puppeteers, with over 100 years combined performance experience, will create unique acts on stage and in the crowd.
Drag artist Jetstir showcases their character, Rodney Rattus, connoisseur of
chaos,businessratwithaloveforredwine. GuestartistSausageWomanwillperforma human-sized Mother puppet.
Live drawing by Chris Ferric will be projected above the dancefloor.
Future monthly Snuff Salooons will present different themes, including The Body, End of the World, Circus, and culminating in a wild Snuff Party in December.
Nick Wilson, Snuff Puppets co-artistic director, said “We can’t wait to open our salooon and share our love of music and art with hundreds of people”
The inaugural Snuff Salooon will be held at 7pm on Saturday August 2 at Footscray Drill Hall, 395 Barkly Street, Footscray. Tickets: $20-$35 - snuffpuppets.com
Telling First Nations’ stories
An exhibition highlighting the often forgotten stories and histories of First Nations people in Melbourne’s west is currently showing as part of a collaboration with Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West (MLMW) andCreativeBrimbank.
MLMW Aboriginal cultural officer, and Aboriginal cultural leader and storyteller Uncle Larry Walsh wrote the story for ‘Still Here — a brief history of Aboriginal people in Melbourne’s west,’ which is told from aKoorieperspective.
Uncle Larry also researched, directed the exhibition’s design, and provided the majority of the content forthepanels.
He worked closely with MLMW committee member and artist Dr Kerrie Poliness over two years to create the exhibition, which was first exhibitedin1996.
Dr Poliness said the exhibition is about giving voice to First Nations people’s stories and histories that mightusuallybeleftout.
“At that point in time [in 1996], there was a perception that there were no Aboriginal people living in Melbourne’s west. The history was invisible. So the exhibition title is addressingthatperception,”shesaid.
Dr Poliness organised the overall design and production of the exhibition as well as the catalogue andpresentation.
“[Back then] there was no kind of graphic design, desktop publishing, photoshop…The photographs are physical photographs that were printed and glued to the panels… it was really important to include the [copied] physical documents,” said DrPoliness.
The exhibition is made up of 14 panels, which tell stories covering a range of subjects through displays of historical document copies and photographs.
“[The panels] could fit in the back of the car and be taken to different events, set up outside, set up anywhere,”saidDrPoliness.
“It was the first exhibition in Australia to use the word ‘invasion’ andcallitaninvasion.
“Itwasanamazingexperience,and anenormouslearningcurveformeas a non-indigenous person to find out stories about what had happened to people,“saidDrPoliness.
‘Still Here — a brief history of Aboriginal people in Melbourne’s west’ is a free exhibition showing at the Bowery Theatre in St Albans until Saturday,August16.
Artist Min Chiang will present ‘The Poetry of Life’ at MAPP Up in Lights Ballan from July 31 to August 31. (Supplied).
Snuff Puppets lyrebird. (Cameron Grant)
Michael Howes has an exhibition coming up in Mt Macedon. (Damjan Janevski). 490972_01
YOUR NEW CAREER ... starts here
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The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme.
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SPORTS QUIZ
1. Who did Iga Swiatek defeat 6–0, 6–0 in the 2025 Wimbledon women’s singles final?
2. And what bread-related nickname does this scoreline bear?
3. True or false: Tiger Woods has never competed at the Olympic Games?
4. In which city will the 2026 Tour de France begin?
5. Which prestigious sports award is named after Herbert Henry Messenger?
6. Cross-code athlete Sheridan Gallagher plays in which two Australian sports leagues?
7. Which current AFL coach was named in the 2004 Greek Team of the Century?
Championship was held in which US state?
And which US state has hosted the most PGA Championships, including the first iteration in 1916?
Which team won the 2024 AFLW Grand
How many consecutive VFL grand finals did Hawthorn contest in the 1980s?
Norwegian Olympic bronze medallist Audun Grønvold recently died after being struck by what natural force?
13. In chess, how many types of pieces can be moved diagonally?
14. Which Sauber F1 driver scored a podium finish at the British GP, his first in 239 career races?
15. What score were the West Indies dismissed for in their second innings of the third Test against Australia?
16. And which popular Australian fast bowler took a hat-trick in the process?
17. After his Wimbledon victory, how many grand slam titles has Jannik Sinner now won in total?
18. Courtside is a new retail and recreation business in Melbourne founded by which two current NBA players?
19. Which thoroughbred horseracing and breeding operation sold over $2 million worth of readyto-race horses in July?
20. Actor Adam Driver portrayed which legendary motor racing icon in a 2023 biopic?
21. How many golfing major championships has Scottie Scheffler won?
22. The Australian Opals defeated which nation in the final of the recent FIBA Women’s Asia Cup?
23. What stadium is hosting the 2025 Super Netball Grand Final?
24. What sport does the athlete awarded the largest sporting contract of all time play?
25. The sport of dragon boating originated in which country?
26. In which year will Papua New Guinea join the NRL competition?
27. The British & Irish Lions recently played in which Australian city for the first time since 1888?
30.
not
or false:
to compete at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896?
28. Who captained the First Nations and Pasifika XV in their recent match against the British and Irish Lions?
29. Rum’un is the mascot of which future Australian sporting team?
True
women were
allowed
Iga Swiatek
To
nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
ACROSS
1 Common carbohydrate (6)
4 One to whom money is owed (8)
9 Andrew Lloyd Webber
musical (5)
10 Water fowl (9)
11 Electronic read (1-4)
12 Yellowish-green colour (4,5)
13 Astonishment (8)
15 Roma is its capital (6)
16 Equestrians (6)
18 Ovine insecticide (5,3)
23 Infectious disease (9)
24 Body organ (5)
26 Comparisons based on similarities (9)
27 Might (5)
28 Hated intensely (8)
29 Varied mixure (6) DOWN
1 Equal; even – (7)
2 Type of acid (5)
3 Savoury biscuit (7)
5 Seldom (6)
6 Dry spell (7)
7 Journeyed (9)
8 Domed building (7)
10 Components of a dollar (5)
14 Superfluous (9)
16 First given name of Ringo Starr (7)
17 Bases (7)
19 Tips (5)
20 Overshadow (7)
21 Depict (7)
22 Separate into parts (6)
25 Sound pronounced with an open vocal tract (5)
What colour is Postman Pat's
Which city had the world's first subway?
By what stage name was actor Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland better known?
4 Which character narrates How I Met Your Mother?
5 As of 2025, how many studio albums has pop singer Lily Allen (pictured) released?
6 Dhaka is the capital of which Asian country?
7 What does a garbologist study?
8 Is an ibex a type of a) goat,
9
Jaecoo J7 – China’s best yet?
By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring
Another name to grapple with as the surge in Chinese imports gathers strength and they not only come with quantity but also quality.
This time we’re looking at Jaecoo, which joins Omoda and Tiggo as sub-brands within the giant Chery group, the fourth-largest of China’s plethora of manufacturers and, along with SAIC, one of its largest exporters.
Although Chery did make a brief and unsuccessful attempt to enter the Australian market about 10 years ago, it hasonlyjustre-launchedhereandremains largely unknown. Which is a blessing in disguise because these early models were awful and bear no comparison to the quality vehicles that are coming here now.
First out of the blocks for Jaecoo is the J7, a mid-sized five-seat SUV. It shares much of its components and dimensions with its Omoda 5 and Tiggo 4 stablemates, but is aimed at more upmarket buyers.
There are four Jaecoo J7 variants: Core, Track and Ridge. All are powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The Summit SHS is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that combines a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with a 18.3 kWh battery.
Driveaway prices range from $34,990 for theCorethroughto$47,990fortheSummit SHS.
WereviewedtheSummithybridrecently so will concentrate on the three petrol models this time around.
Styling
It’s hard for any vehicle in the highly-competitive and congested small/ midsize SUV market to stand out from the crowd but, in our eyes at least, the J7 just does that.
The front is the standout feature of the J7’s design dominated by what Chery describes as a Waterfall Grille with 20 vertical chrome and piano black bars and the Jaecoo name in the centre.
The grille is flanked by twin stacked LED headlights below slimline LED daytime running lights.
Core and Ridge run on 18-inch machine finished alloy wheels. Ridge steps up to 19-inch multi-spoke alloys.
J7 Ridge adds red brake calipers, panoramic sunroof, privacy glass and puddle lights.
There are five exterior colour options, three with optional carbon black roofs.
Interior
The quality and premier feel of the Jaecoo J7 extends into the cabin.
The synthetic leatherette-trimmed seats are large and supportive. All front occupants get powered seats while the driver in the Ridge adds a memory function, powered lumbar support and seat perforation and ventilation.
Also standard across the range are a premium steering wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustment.
Headandlegroomareaboveaverageand a panoramic sunroof with tilt-and-slide function, really opens up the area, letting in light and, with blind closed, keeping out much of the sun’s heat.
There are plenty of storage spaces with cup holders and phone charger in the centre console, a deep cubby with cooling and a convenient slot for the keyfob. Beneath the floating centre console is a large area to store phones, handbags, wallets, etc out of sight.
Maximum boot capacity in the Core and Track models is 424 litres up to the cargo cover and 584 litres to the roof. With the
rearseatbacksfoldedthatincreasesto1349 litres but down to 340/1265 litres in the Ridge.
Core and Track have a space-saver spare wheel. Ridge gets a full-size spare.
Engines/transmissions
All three petrol Jaecoo J7 models are powered by a fifth-generation 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, putting out 137kW at 5500 rpm and 275Nm from 2000 to 4000 revs.
Transmission is through a seven-speed dual clutch unit sent to the front wheels in the Core and Track and all four wheels in the Ridge.
Safety
Jaecoo J7 was tested by ANCAP in May 2025 and received the maximum five-star rating.
Standard features include eight airbags, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, various lane keeping alerts and corrections, adaptive cruise control, driver monitoring system, traffic jam assist, integrated cruise assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert and braking.
Variants above Core add a driver’s knee airbag, front parking sensors and 360-degree around view monitor. Disappointingly, only Ridge comes with a head-up display.
Infotainment
Unlike most other current vehicles which use a landscape-orientated display screen,Jaecoohasoptedforportraitmode, 13.2 inches in the Core and Track and 14.8-inch in the Ridge. The portrait screen, unlike the swivelling one in BYD, makes a lot of sense because it comes closer to the driver.
Tabletuserswillhavenotroubleadapting to the screen.
There’s also a 10.25-inch digital
instrument cluster in front of the driver. Both screens are crisp, clear and easy to access. There’s inbuilt satellite navigation that can be displayed on both screens.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wireless.
There are USB-A and -C in both the front andrearwhiletheTrackandRidgevariants each have a 50w wireless smartphone charger.
Core has a six-speaker sound system, Track and Ridge get an eight-speaker Sony system with both having controls on the steering wheel as well as voice control.
Driving
There are retractable handles on all four doors that open automatically when the key fob comes in range. Unlike most other vehicles with such door handles that can be awkward to open, those in the J7 open fully square for easy opening.
One safety feature that impressed us was that the car will not move unless the driver’sseatbeltisfastened.Greatidea,let’s hope that others follow the lead.
Not such a good idea, but something that’s becoming increasingly prevalent is that almost all vehicle functions are accessed through the touchscreen rather than using physical controls.
Then there are the various alerts including lane deviation warnings, speed limitanddriverinattentionwarning.While theseareamongthemanyimportantsafety features in the vehicle, and no doubt many drivers will appreciate them, they can be quite intrusive and frequently require the driver to look at the touchscreen instead of the road ahead.
They can be turned off although with most vehicles they then default back on when the engine is stopped. Fortunately, with the Jaecoo that’s not the case and, apartfromthedriverdistractionalert,they remain off until turned on again.
There’s nothing special about the Jaecoo’s drive experience, but that can be
RATINGS
Looks: 9/10
Performance: 7/10
Safety: 7.5/10
Thirst: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Comfort: 7.5/10
Tech: 7/10
Value: 8/10
said about most vehicles in the medium SUV field. Having said that it does what the typical family owner wants and does it well. It provides a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride both around town and on the motorway.
Steering is light and responsive.
The dual-clutch automatic takes a bit of getting used to. It’s a bit slow to respond, especially when shifting through lower gears.
Core and Track have three drive modes, Normal, Eco and Sport. The AWD Ridge adds Snow, Mud, Sand and Offroad modes and a full-size spare wheel.
Summary
Chery, somewhat ambitiously, describes Jaecoo as its luxury premium sub-brand but after spending a week behind the wheel,thetagisn’tasfaroffthemarkasyou would think.
Obviously, it doesn’t have the badge prestige of European vehicles of similar size but, with prices starting from $35k driveaway it offers incredible value for money.
It fits perfectly within the mid-sized family SUV category that’s proving so popular at the moment.
Chery’s designers have done an amazing job to craft together a look that’s simple but elegant and one that proved to be a real head-turner wherever we drove. Often followed up by the need to explain that Jaecoo was the upmarket version of the Chinese carmaker Chery.
Jaecoo offers a comprehensive warranty package of eight years/unlimited kilometres, plus capped price servicing and up to eight years roadside assist. The J7 certainly gets our nod as one of the best offerings yet from China, certainly the best SUV. The combination of its understated but stylish looks, excellentinteriorspaceandcomfort,safety equipment and pricing make it well worth checking out.
Jaecoo fits perfectly within the mid-sized family SUV category that’s proving so popular at the moment. (Pictures: Supplied)
There was rain, wind and chilling temperatures on Saturday as the local sporting competitions took to the fields and grounds. Star Weekly photographer LJUBICA VRANKOVIC was braving the cold to shoot some of the action.
Battling the weather gods
Altona’s Colby Redpath tackles Grant Williams. 492302_30
Altona’s James Callaway gets a handball away. 492302_09
Altona’s Samuel Tipper and Spotswood’s Grant Williams. 492302_07
Footscray Rangers. 492154_02
It was the battle between the new teams in Footscray Rangers and Newport Storm. 492154_21
Laverton’s Ben Mccann. 492301_02
Newport Storm’s Rashidi Edward. 492154_10 Laverton’s Brandon Devlin. 492301_26
Sunbury Kangaroos’ Mia Briggs and Carly Blythe tackle Courtney McCormack. 492156_19
Sunshine Heights’ Arian Sarandis tries to get away from Rohan Crawley. 492301_17
Taylors Lakes’ Sarah Sullivan is tackled by Sunbury Kangaroos’ Carly Blythe. 492156_04
Taylors Lakes’ Rebecca Foggie. 492156_30
Jets keen for strong finish after an interrupted season
TheSunburyJetsarehopingtoshapefinals havingbowedoutofcontentionintheBigV women’s championship competition.
TheJetsfinalshopeshavecometoanend afteraninterruptedbackendtotheseason, leaving them just short of a top five spot.
Jets coach Monique Caparello said it had been a really interrupted season.
“We have [Chloe] Angove move to Queensland,” Caparello said.
“We’re happy for her to go, but she’s a big part of the team and carried a lot of the team culture.
“Jelly [Jelena Savic] has gone off to college. She’s always had aspirations to go to college. It’s earlier than we had been hoping for.
“We’ve had diminishing numbers.”
While it has been a struggle, Caparello said it had opened doors for others to step up and take on bigger roles.
She said it would only make them better in the future.
“It’s given the likes of add Emily [Achter], Addy Cameron and Ally
Stewart more opportunity in the senior program,” she said.
“Ally has really stepped up and has been disruptive in defence.
“Shehasflourishedandprovidedquality minutes of production off the bench. She had 20 points last week.
“Hopefully give her confidence. She’s had a really impact.
Withstrugglingnumbers,Caparellosaid they had looked to bring up Cara Beattie andEmmieMorinfromyouthleaguewhen theycanbutdidn’twanttoimpactthatside too much.
The Jets youth league team finished on top of the division 2 ladder, earning a bye in the first week of finals.
Caparello said there would be a couple of games they would look back and think what might have been with playing finals.
She said the Sherbrooke game where it went down to the wire or the Pakenham game where they were with one of the top teams until late in the game.
“Those two stop finals being in our own
hands even if we win everything for the rest of the year.
“We still want to be competitive in the last three games and dispute some of the teams in the top five.”
Speaking before the weekend’s games against the Hume City Broncos and the Bulleen Boomers, Caparello said they had some plans for the Boomers after making adjustments after their last game against them.
The Jets were able to get the win against the Broncos on Saturday night, winning 71-58.
Victoria Ikenasio top scored with 17 points off the bench.
On Sunday, the Jets lost to the Boomers, 67-61. Tresai McCarver top scored with 22 points.
Tara Murray
Tigers bounce back
By Tara Murray
Itwasn’tprettyanditwasn’teasyconditions as Kyneton got its Riddell District Football League season back on track.
After a couple of tough weeks, the Tigers were at home against the Gisborne Giants as they fight for a finals spot.
It wasn’t easy as the weather turned, but the Tigers still had plenty of opportunities tocomeawaywitha15.21(111)-7.7(49)win.
Tigers coach Ethan Foreman said they were pretty tough conditions and it was a win that they enjoyed on Saturday night
“The match was crucial for our season and was like a final,” he said. “It’s getting to the pointy end of the season, we’ve been able to get back on track after a couple of losses in the last month or so.
“They were some of the worst conditions I have played in. One end of the ground is shot, it was wet, windy and cold, the whole works.”
Scores were level at quarter time before
the Tigers had 10 scoring shots in the second quarter to lead by 44 points at the final break.
Gisborne Giants showed some fight in the third quarter with four goals but could only take four points off the margin.
The Tigers missed a number of shots in the final quarter but it didn’t stop them from coming away with the big win.
Foreman said to have 36 scoring shots in those conditions was massive and showed that their game plan could work in tough situations.
He said he didn’t know how their ground would pull up for the rest of the season.
Harry Ryan kicked seven goals in a best on ground performance for the Tigers.
Foreman said credit to him to be able to have a day like that in those conditions.
James Sullivan and Danny Grmusa did some heavy lifting in the midfield for the Tigers.
Cameron Freake, Joshua Lee and Caden Simpson were named the Giants best.
Cannons girls fire
The Calder Cannons girls side produced one of their best performances of the Coates Talent League season on Sunday.
Calder was at home against the Bendigo Pioneers and were able to putastrongfourquarterperformance together.
The Cannons had all seven scoring shots in the first quarter to lead by 22 points at quarter time.
They kicked the only goal of the second quarter to extend the lead out to 29 points at half time.
There was just one goal kicked in the third quarter as the Cannons extended their lead even further.
The Pioneers finally hit the scoreboard in the final quarter but the damage had been done with the Cannons winning, 7.9 (51)-1.3 (9).
It was all single goalkickers for the Cannons.
Jasmina Curtis, Chloe Bullen and Felicity Mahoney were named the Cannons best in the win.
It was the Cannons third win of the season.
The Cannons boys also got over the line against the Pioneers on Sunday in the later game.
Calder jumped out of the blocks in the first quarter and led by 23 points at quarter time.
Itwasreducedbyonepointheading into half time.
With the wind in the third quarter, the Cannons extended the lead to 34 points at the last break.
ThewinhastheTigersinfourthspot,but there is just four points between them and seventh placed Melton South.
Melton South is the only one of the four teamslookingtolockinthelastthreefinals spots to have two byes.
The Tigers finish their season with a clash with Melton South, which could decide finals spots.
“Wehavetocontinuewinning,”Foreman said. We want to shore up finals and see how we go.”
“We will treat that game [against Melton South] like a final”
The Tigers have a bye this week, which Foreman said comes at a perfect time.
He said they would have some players back after the bye and would cause a few selection headaches.
In other matches, Diggers Rest beat Woodend-Hesket, Romsey was too strong for Lancefield in tough conditions, Wallan beat Macedon and Riddell got the points against Melton Centrals.
The Pioneers threw everything at the Cannons in the final quarter, but fell just short as they lost, 11.6 (72)-9.13 (67).
NathanielJenkinskickedfourgoals for the Cannons, while Ben Taylor kicked three goals.
Nathaniel Jenkins, Nicholas Staropoli and Brooklyn Crook were named the Cannons best.
The Cannons sit in sixth spot.
Madison Spring-Brown. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 471374_12
Tresai McCarver. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 458917_24
Isaac Barassi. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 466908_12
Lancefield a step closer to securing a final spot
Lancefield took another step forward in sealing a Riddell District Netball League finals spot.
After a strong start to the season, the Tigershavecomebacktothepackinrecent weeks without their full squad.
On Saturday against Romsey, they were stillwithouttheirbestside,butwereableto get the job done, 58-33.
Tigers coach Ciara Stewart said they were just happy to come away with the win with players unable to feel their arms at times with the cold weather.
She said they had looked at footage of what Romsey had done in previous weeks and they weren’t able to replicate that on Saturday.
“It was atrocious weather,” she said. “We spoke to Romsey afterwards that how they played in the B-grade came was how we played in the A-grade game.
“It was whatever team that could catch
the ball and not drop it and get it to the tall player to keep having a crack at the ring.”
Stewart said both teams struggled to get any fast ball movement going and had to focus on just getting the ball down the other end.
Shanae Brundell shot 50 goals for the Tigers, with Darcee Ellard shooting the other eight goals.
Stewart said having Karlee Bruno, who is pregnant, taking on a coaching role with their midcourters really helped them get the win as well.
ThewinhasthefifthplacedTigerssitting six points clear of Romsey, which sits in seventh spot.
Stewart said they are still a work in progress.
“We’ve haven’t had our full team for six weeks,” she said. “Shaid Sasalu is out injured.
“It was nice only having one fill in.
“We were stoked to get that win having not played well the last few weeks.”
A finals spot would be a massive achievement for the Tigers, who won just two games last season.
Stewart said they were hoping that they could finish strongly to ensure they make that top six.
TheyplayladderleadersWoodend-Hesket thisSaturdaybeforefinishingofftheseason againstthebottomtwoteams,DiggersRest and Melton South.
“We can’t get complacent,” she said. “We were very complacent against Diggers Rest last time.
“We have been delighted with this year and have exceeded our expectations.
“The team we had at the start of the season,itwouldhavebeennicetoseewhat we are capable of.
“You can’t plan for everything, as life happens.”
Riddell eyeing a top three finish
By Tara Murray
Things are starting to come together for Riddell in the Riddell District Netball League season.
TheBombershaveagainproventobeone oftheteamstobeat,withjusttwolossesfor the season so far.
Bombers coach Emily Ktona said they were super happy with how they were going along.
“It’slookinggoodheadingintofinalsthat wewillfinishinthetopthreeandfinishing in the top three is the best place to finish,” she said.
“We’ve had a couple of injuries and VNL [Victorian Netball League] interruptions.
“What is good for us we have players that have been able to fill those roles.
“With the group we have, [player] points have never been an issue.
“Fingers crossed looking like everyone will be back, but we’ve made sure we have other players up our sleeve come finals time.”
Ktona said things had started to click for
the side the last few weeks. She said they wanted to continue to build as the season continues.
“The same thing happened last year as well,” she said. “We had an interesting middle part of the season and the second half of the season we clicked.
“We’ve had a big focus on the mid court and really showing how we can get some big score lines. “That space is helped by having Bec [Colwell] there.
“Thereweregameslastyearthatwedrew or probably should have won, so we are looking to put our foot down and score a lot.
“We want to play the full 60 minutes of the game trying to compete every week.”
Ktona said it didn’t matter what the margin was in games, they wanted to make sure they kept that same mentality throughout.
The Bombers have three games remaining and have a bye in the round before finals.
Ktona said she wasn’t sure whether the byewasagoodorbadthingbutsaiditwould
200 up for Fev
Brendan Fevola turned out for his 200th local game but his side East Sunbury wasn’t able to come away withthepoints.
Fevola,whohashadasolidseason for the Thunder this season, said on his radio show last week that he didn’tknowofanyotherplayerswho had played 200 AFL games and 200 localseniormatches.
Facing Rupertswood for the first time this season, the Thunder were abletostickwiththelikelyfinalsside formostofthematch.
The Thunder led by one point at quarter time, before trailing by 16 pointsathalftime.
That extended to 19 points at the finalbreakwiththeSharkskickingto the end where most of the goals had beenkicked.
TheSharkswereabletofinishitoff tocomeawaywitha6.6(42)-10.11(71) win.
help them come into finals refreshed.
The Bombers faced Melton Centrals on Saturday, winning 42-41 in tough windy conditions at Arnolds Creek Recreation Reserve.
Centrals led by 10 goals at half time before the Bombers hit back in the second half.
Colwell shot 38 goals for the Bombers. Colwell, Madison Brown and Georgia Shattock were named their best.
Pleasing for the Bombers, they are set to have several sides again playing finals.
“Everyone is sitting one or two except for D-gradeside,”shesaid.“Hopefullytheyget a couple more wins and make finals.
“We’re pleased with this season. We had a lot of movement with retirements after last year.
“We have a young under-19s group and some junior players are playing up.
“We’re proud of what we have been able to achieve and want to go deep into finals.”
Other winners on Saturday were Lancefield, Woodend-Hesket, Wallan and Gisborne Giants.
James Strauss kicked two goals for theThunder,withFevolagettingone. For the Sharks, Clayton Bonello, Matt McDonald and Jackson Pranauskaskickedtwogoalseach.
McDonald and Thomas Phillips werenamedtheSharksbest.
The Sharks sit in third spot, with EastSunburysittingbottom.
Sunbury Kangaroos small finals hopesstillremainalivedespitealoss toWestmeadows.
Scores were level at half time, before the Tigers kicked seven goals to one to come away with 10.11 (71)-4.10(34)win.
Stephen Treweek and William DireenwerethetheKangaroos.
The Kangaroos are six points outsidethetopfivewiththreerounds remaining.
In the women’s division 2 competition, the Sunbury Lions upset Roxburgh Park, the Sunbury Kangaroos lost to Taylors Lakes for the first time and Gisborne-Kyneton UnitedbeatEastSunbury.
Georgia Shattock. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 427091_09
Other winners on Saturday were Riddell, Woodend-Hesket,WallanandtheGisborne Giants.
Tara Murray
Shanae Brundell. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 481365_09
Brendan Fevola. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 466902_03
Lions bounce back after slow start against Ballarat
TheSunburyLionsgotthewintheyneeded after a few tough weeks in the Ballarat Football League.
Having dropped three of their past four games, the Lions were back at home on Saturday against Ballarat.
It wasn’t great signs early for the Lions buttheywereabletoturnitaroundtocome away with a 10.8 (68)-8.11 (59) win.
Lions coach Matt White was happy to come away with the points.
“We had a bad start and before we were good in the second quarter and we were happy to get the win in the end.
“There was some good ball movement in there but it was a really grinding game and we got away in the end.”
White said the group got a wake up call at quarter time after finding themselves down, 26-0.
He said the conditions weren’t too bad considering some others across the region and the competition.
“Their contested possession was really good and they scored on us in the first quarter,” he said.
“Wewereabletorectifythatafterquarter time and according to our stats we were able to win the contested possession in the end.
“Wewereabletogetaleadandthenwere able to maintain it.”
JakeSuttonkickedfivegoalsfortheLions including one after running down the wing.
White said he did Jake Sutton things as he was among their best.
Murphy Boyd, who moved from defence to the forward line, was really strong as well with two goals, while White said Zachary Stevens played his best senior game.
White said the defence led by Tyson Lever was strong while a lot of the young players showed some encouraging signs.
White said the win would give the group a bit more confidence heading into the back end of the season.
“It’s good to get some belief in a close game like that,” he said. “Ballarat is a good side, but not getting the wins.
“Theyareascoringthreatespeciallyafter us in the last 12 to 18 months. It was nice to grind in a win after two losses.”
The Lions remain in fourth spot.
The Lions this week face Sebastopol.
“They had a slow start to the year with a lot of injuries but have now got their game up and going.
“It’s another trip up the highway for the fourth time in six weeks. We’ll round out our Ballarat trips.”
In the A-grade netball, the Lions had an 87-45 win against Ballarat.
Rebecca Hicks shot all but one goal for the Lions in the win.
Bulldogs too strong
By Tara Murray
Gisborne again showed its premiership credentials as it knocked off Sandhurst for the second time in the Bendigo Football League.
The ladder leading Dragons had just one loss for the season coming into the top of the table clash with the Bulldogs.
That loss came in the first match up between the sides earlier this season.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs again proved too strong for Sandhurst to move equal on points at the top of the ladder.
Bulldogs skipper Jack Reaper said while it was nice to get another win against the Dragons, he wasn’t sure how much they would take out of it.
“We can’t read too much into yesterday [Saturday] in conditions that weren’t conducive to what we will likely see in finals in the QEO,” he said.
“It was nice for that psychological thing and having the edge over them so far with two wins against them and being the only team they have lost to.”
Reaper said the conditions weren’t as bad at Gardiner Reserve as he thought
they would be.
It was one of the better grounds in the competition, with several low scoring games in the Bendigo based games.
Just one other team across the competition kicked six or more goals on Saturday.
He said it wasn’t a great game to watch but the ground wasn’t too bad.
TheDragonsledbyninepointsatquarter time before the Dragons started to get going.
They were able to win each of the next three quarters to come away with an 11.10 (76)-5.9 (39) win.
“It was probably a two goal wind going tothatscoringend,”hesaid.“Wewereable to keep them to just two goals and kick one ourselves in the first quarter which set us up.
“Our backline unit were really strong conceding five goals for the match and our forwards getting on the end in a few.”
Reaper said their endeavour and intensitywereeliteandtheyhadabitmore patience with the ball going forward than Sandhurst.
He said they rushed it at times against
GDCA
Rupertswood welcomes Kyle Corcoran back to the club for the Gisborne and District Cricket Association McIntyre Cup season. An accomplished seamer, Corcoran comes back to Rupo after a short stint at Sunbury, bringing heaps of on-field experience to the club. In his last year at Rupo, Corcoran was included in the 2023-24 McIntyre team of the Year, taking 23 wickets at an average of 14.52 including a game winning 6-35 against Diggers Rest.
GDCA Riddell has appointed Hayden Castle as coach for the Gisborne and District Cricket Association season. The Bombers said they were excited for Castle to take on the roles after returning to the club last season. “With a history at our small but mighty club, we are excited to see where his skills, extensive knowledge and leadership can take you all in his return to Riddell Cricket Club. Let’s make history this season.”
Big V
Castlemaine in the previous week and it was something that they wanted to adjust going forward.
“We took our time,” Reaper said. “We knew there would be a lot of longs down the line.
“We waited until we had numbers and talls and made good decisions.
“The stats come out before and I think theyshowSandhursthadmoreofthefooty, but we were smarter with the ball use in those conditions.”
Pat McKenna was the key target on the ground,kickingfourgoalsfortheBulldogs.
Reaper was named best along with Zachary Vescovi and James Gray.
The win moves the Bulldogs to only percentage behind Sandhurst. The two teams still have to play each other again.
The win almost seals up a double chance, which Reaper said they thought maybeearlierintheyearthattheywouldn’t get it.
He said they have three really tough games to finish off the season and will set them up heading into finals.
In the A-grade netball, Gisborne lost to Sandhurst, 44-39.
The Sunbury Basketball Association advises that Josh Yorke-Frazer’s Big V playing contract has been formally concluded, effective immediately. The announced that Yorke-Frazer was departing the club before the second last round of the season. “Josh has been a valued part of our senior men’s program over the past two seasons, contributing to many memorable moments on court and connecting with a number of our members and fans,” the club said. “We thank Josh for his commitment and contribution during his time with the Sunbury Jets and wish him all the best for the future.”
FV
Sunbury United’s push for a top two spot and promotion continues with a big win against Sebastopol Vikings on Saturday in the FV state league 3 north-west competition. Sunbury let the Vikings 3-0 at half time before a second goal to Damian Rastocic made it a 4-0 result. Sunbury remains in third spot seven points off top and three points off second.
Tara Murray Zachary Stevens had his best senior game. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 481368_27
Jed Denahy. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 484133_23
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