Mail - Mountain Views Star Mail - 7th July 2026

Hairdressers give back

volunteered

on a week-

The duo visited a local orphanage, a women’s prison, a trade school, and a community centre to teach foundational and advanced haircutting skills.

The program aimed to empower women and girls living in poverty by giving them vocational tools to achieve financial independence, culminating in an emotional graduation ceremony.

Read the full story on page 11

By Mikayla van Loon

The Killara Road-Maroondah Highway intersection was visited by Liberal MPs on 1 July as the local community continues to call for an upgrade. Liberal opposition leader Jess Wilson and Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence pledged a “starting point” of $20m in funding to deliver an upgrade to the notorious intersection.

“This was a project that was scoped up for $20 million, and that will be our starting point,” she said.

“We believe that we can much better manage projects on cost and on delivery, so that’s something that we’ll be focused on, in terms of making sure that these projects actually do meet the budget at which they’ve been set,” Ms Wilson said.

Peter Burgi, a resident of Coldstream for around 84 years and a Gruyere CFA member, said he sympathises with his Coldstream CFA counterparts who struggle to exit the station when called to a job.

“How the fire trucks get out here at times, I don’t know. People just don’t take any notice of it,” he said.

As the responsible authority for the road, Star Mail posed questions to the Department of Transport about whether plans at Killara Road had been impacted by the Ingram Road proposal. No answer was given.

In April this year, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) told Star Mail that since the initial commitment in 2019, it has conducted essential planning investigations and value engineering reviews.

The Department noted in May 2025, upon completing these assessments, that it informed the Commonwealth Government that the revised cost estimate for delivering the final project design exceeded the original funding allocation.

“We will continue to work with the Commonwealth Government to assess options to upgrade the Maroondah Highway and Killara Road intersection - to improve traffic flow and journeys for families,” a spokesperson said.

Read more on page 7

Wandin salon owner Nadine Amy and apprentice Hayley Stephens recently

with Australian non-profit Hair Aid

long humanitarian trip to Bali.

Nadine Amy and Hayley Stephens travelled to Bali to teach women and girls haircutting skills. (Stewart Chambers: 563006)

Woman’s 443 charges lead to spike in data

By Afraa Kori

An alleged thief from McMahons Creek who was bailed on 443 charges appears to be partly responsible for a 500 per cent reported crime spike in the small town of Gembrook.

According to the state’s Crime Statistics Agency, Gembrook recorded 539 offences in 2026, compared with just 94 offences last year.

The rise in crime across Gembrook can be attributed to two crime types: obtain benefit by deception and theft (other), which accounted for 41.5 per cent of offences in the reporting period.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said a 40-yearold woman from McMahons Creek is allegedly responsible for more than 430 incidents, relating to theft and deception offences.

She has been charged with 443 charges relating to theft, deception and using false documents, and was bailed to appear in Melbourne County Court on 12 November 2026.

The woman’s alleged offending occurred between July 2022 and June 2024. The matter was reported to police in 2024 and following a “lengthy investigation” , she was charged in May 2025.

Police explained that the alleged offences relate to the same alleged victim, who had been unaware that they had occurred.

Once they became aware, they then made a report to the police, who then launched an investigation.

“Because of this, the alleged offending fell in the most recent crime data reporting period and

accounted for almost 82 per cent of all crimes in Gembrook in the past year,” a spokesperson said.

The other common offence in the area was theft from motor vehicles, which rose from two incidents in the previous year to 12, in the year ending March 2026.

At a recent Casey crime forum, Crime Stoppers community engagement officer Aiden Bloomfield said statistics show people in Melbourne’s western suburbs are generally more likely to report crime than those in the south east.

He stressed the importance of reporting suspicious activity directly to police or Crime Stoppers rather than posting about it on social media.

Police also reminded vehicle owners to lock their cars and never leave valuables inside to deter opportunistic thieves.

Motorbike driver airlifted from Healesville

By Gabriella Vukman

The Maroondah Highway was closed in Healesville on Sunday 28 June after a serious motorcycle incident.

Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria attended the scene, and vehicles were re-routed away from Healesville via Yarra Glen between 12:30 and 1:30 pm on the day.

A spokesperson from Ambulance Victoria said the service responded to reports of a colli-

sion in Healesville at approximately 12:25 pm.

“A specialist Air Ambulance Victoria helicopter crew, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA), and Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics assessed and treated one patient at the scene,” they said.

“A man in his 20s with upper body injuries was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in a serious condition.”

According to comments on the Healeville noticeboard, locals stopped to help out on the

scene.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police said the investigation is ongoing.

“At this stage investigators do not believe any other vehicles were involved in the incident,” they said.

Victoria Police urges anyone who witnessed the incident, has dash cam footage, or anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Collision on Melba Hwy

A stretch of the Melba Highway between Yarra

and Dixons Creek was the site of a serious crash on Thursday 2 July at around 5 pm.

The road was closed until 12:20 am on the morning of Friday 3 July, with locals being diverted just before Balgownie Estate. Crews from Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police attended the scene along with the Lilydale SES.

Police are investigating the collision, and it is understood that two cars collided on the Melba Highway.

The male driver of one car was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

The male driver of the other car was not injured and stopped at the scene.

Ambulance Victoria responded to reports of the collision in Yarra Glen at around 5.15 pm.

A specialist Air Ambulance Victoria helicopter crew, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA), and Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics assessed and treated one patient at the scene.

A man in his 70s was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in a serious condition with upper and lower body injuries.

A spokesperson for the SES told Star Mail, “Our VICSES Lilydale Unit attended the scene to provide road crash rescue support.”

“Once on scene, our specialist crews worked with emergency services on scene to extricate the patient and hand them over to Ambulance Victoria. Please speak with them regarding details of injuries,” they said.

“Our volunteers also supported with a lighting tower, which they collected once the scene was cleared around 10 pm.”

A spokesperson from the Department of Transport and Planning told Star Mail, ““We’ll continue to work with Victoria Police to understand the circumstances of the incident on the Melba Highway between Yarra Glen and Dixons Creek.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident, with footage or information, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or anonymously at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

One woman has been bailed.

Glen

The Melba Highway reopened in the early hours of Friday morning, 3 July. (File: 480880).

Track worker rescued

By Oliver Winn

July.

Emergency services were called to the incident around 8am after a 45-year-old man slipped and fell in steep terrain, suffering a leg injury that impaired his mobility.

Volunteers from the SES Upper Yarra Unit and CFA undertook a complex high-angle rescue using rope systems to traverse nearly 300 metres of steep terrain.

A VICSES spokesperson said volunteers were then able to access the patient and begin the rescue.

“Upon arrival, crews located a single patient

and worked closely with CFA to establish a highangle rescue response.

“The patient was ultimately retrieved successfully and passed into the care of paramedics on scene,” a VICSES spokesperson said.

The District 13 Ropes Team, Monbulk CFA and Wandin CFA, helped perform the high-angle rescue while Warburton CFA and Wesburn-Millgrove CFA also supported the rescue.

AV paramedics were on the scene, though the patient didn’t require emergency treatment.

Yarra Ranges Council director of Built Environment and Infrastructure Anita Curnow said the complex rescue was a testament to the skill and training of SES and CFA volunteers.

“We were pleased to hear that Ambulance Victoria confirmed the patient didn’t require emergency treatment following the rescue, and we

wish them a speedy recovery.

“Safety is a priority for all Council employees and contractors. Council will review this incident with our contractor to determine whether any changes are required to minimise the risk of similar incidents in the future.”

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the man was working on tracks in “dense terrain” about six kilometres inland from Burns and Mount Bride roads when he suffered the injury.

“It appears the 45-year-old man suffered an injury to his leg while working on tracks within the area.

“The local council is also on scene. WorkSafe have been notified about the incident.”

The Yarra Ranges Council have been contacted for comment.

Gun club broken into but nothing taken

By Gabriella Vukman

Yering’s Melbourne Gun Club has been left looking for answers after it was broken into in the early hours of June 18.

While nothing was taken, the club’s front gates were broken during the breach, and the culprits managed to get into one of the club’s machinery sheds.

Vice President of the Melbourne Gun Club Craig Henwood said the thieves left the gates “swinging in the wind” after pulling them apart with their white Nissan Ute.

“The alarms alerted us that something was wrong, so we went down and had a look.”

“We saw the front gates and our shed were open and called the police,” he said.

“Thankfully we don’t have any guns, cash or ammo stored on the grounds.”

Having caught the whole thing on CCTV, the Gun Club is confident the culprits will be caught.

“We had one of our members spot the Ute in Mooroolbark a couple of days later,” Mr Henwood said.

“We have forwarded all of the footage on to the police so it is only a matter of time until they are caught.”

A spokesperson from Victoria Police told Star Mail, “Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a burglary at a gun club in Yering on 18 June.”

“Investigators have been told an unknown offender attended the premises on Victoria Road at about 3.40 am.”

“The offender broke the front gate before gaining access to a shed on the property.”

Police confirmed that no items were stolen and that nobody was inside the premises at the time.

“Investigators have released an image of a vehicle of interest in the hope someone recognises it,” the spokesperson said.

According to the police, the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

IN BRIEF

Invasive weed spreading

Powelltown locals are urged to report an invasive weed to stop its spread further east.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) asked residents to look out for the Taiwan Lily (Lilium formosanum), a rapidly growing weed that can spread along roadsides, in bushland, grasslands, and disturbed sites.

A native of Taiwan or its nearby islands, the weed can grow from seed to flower in six months.

It’s also found in the Dandenong Ranges.

Locals are asked to report the weed using the the Inaturalist app, which can be downloaded through its website: inaturalist.org.

Keep an eye out for dead birds

Yarra Valley locals are asked to play their part in detecting the H5 bird flu, after it was recently detected in other parts of Australia.

H5 bird flu has not yet been detected in Victoria, and detecting it early helps us understand the risk and respond quickly if the disease reaches our state.

Locals are asked to follow three steps: Avoid. Record. Report.

If you see sick or dead birds or wildlife: avoid contact, record the exact location and what you observed and report it online or call 1800 675 888.

Injured wildlife may still need rescue and care, but if birds or wildlife appear sick, or dead, avoid contact and report it so trained responders can safely assess the situation.

Your report could help detect disease early and support our wildlife.

FFMVic apps now open

Applications are now open for seasonal and ongoing forest firefighter roles across Victoria.

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is recruiting entry-level forest firefighter positions across Victoria for the upcoming bushfire season.

FFMVic Chief Fire Officer, Chris Hardman, said seasonal firefighters boost Victoria’s firefighting capacity in the lead-up to summer and during the peak fire season.

“New recruits train and work alongside our permanent firefighters, responding to bushfires to keep communities safer this summer,” Mr Hardman said.

“They will be part of a team of close to 1800 frontline personnel and 1200 accredited incident management staff this bushfire season.

“We want a diverse pool of people applying for our jobs. We want our crews to reflect the communities they serve and to have a range of skills and experiences.”

Applications close 26 July. Seasonal employment occurs between October and May, with some variations on start and end dates depending on seasonal requirements.

For information and to apply, visit jobs.careers.vic.gov.au/sffoo or call 136 186.

Police are looking for the above white ute.

(Victoria Police)

A contractor who was injured while working on the Warburton Bike Park was rescued after a mammoth, five-hour-long high-angle operation in Warburton on 1

The CFA District 13 Ropes Team pulling the patient up the mountain. (Supplied)SES worked alongside CFA volunteers to rescue the man.

Livestock attacks leave farmers begging for help

By Gabriella Vukman

When Jacqui Webb and her fifth-generation sheep farmer husband moved to Victoria’s outer east to try their luck breeding sheep, they were not expecting the predicament that was to follow.

Having made their move to Glenburn, a suburb just 30 minutes from Healesville, in January, it wasnt long before the couple began noticing the presence of wild dogs.

Ms Webb said she was not expecting to see such a gruesome display.

“A few weeks before we started lambing, we had a few dog attacks,” she said.

“They were eating the backsides out of our very pregnant yews.”

“It was only a few at first, so we thought we would be able to get through.”

It wasn’t until lambing had officially started that things began to escalate.

“When we went out the first few mornings during lambing, we were seeing 40 per cent of our drop just killed and left on the ground,” Ms Webb said.

“Sometimes the bodies had not even been consumed at all.”

“The dogs were killing a lot more than they could eat. It was devastating.”

After speaking to locals and facilitating discussions on Facebook, Ms Webb was told that Glenburn does not handle livestock, due to the amount of wild dogs living in the area.

“What I keep being told is the dogs are breeding in the national parks and state forests, and then coming out and hunting on the farms nearby,” Ms Webb said.

“We have got a lot of neighbours who have said the dogs are going after their cows as well.”

For Ms Webb, having dogs stalking livestock is one thing, but stalking people is another.

“Some neighbours have also told us that they have been stalked on their properties,” she said.

“In one video a guy who lives across the road sent me, there were about five dogs actually coming at him, trying to attack him.”

“He said he doesn’t leave the house without a gun.”

Ms Webb’s concern extends to the safety of her two young children aged three and five.

“We don’t let our kids go far from the house,” she said.

“It is such a bigger issue than just some dogs coming out and having a little bit of fun.”

“They are blooded. They have a taste for killing, and they are hunting in packs.”

Despite several visits from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the installation of cameras and traps, and having hunters guard their property each night, Ms Webb and her husband have been forced to sell off many of their pregnant yews due to continuous attacks.

“We can’t keep going like this,” Ms Webb said.

“We can’t keep hunters out there all the time. It is not something we can afford, and they can’t patrol all of the paddocks at one time.”

With recent studies by the University of Adelaide indicating that much of Australia’s wild dog population are in fact dingos, the matter of managing the growing population and ongoing attacks in Glenburn and throughout Victoria is not a simple one.

Dingos are protected as a threatened species under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act and Wildlife Act; however, in Eastern Victoria, an Unprotection Order was enacted to permit lethal control of dingos, such as shooting, poisoning and trapping, to protect livestock on private land.

Under this Order, dingo populations can be managed within a 3km buffer zone on public land bordering private properties until January 1, 2028.

Additionally, in Victoria, only authorised government agencies are permitted to cull animals in national parks.

Notwithstanding recent studies, Ms Webb has been informed by DEECA that the wild dog population attacking her farm is unlikely to be dingos.

“DEECA have told me that there is no way these dogs are dingos,” Ms Webb said.

“They just think that they are wild dogs that have been up here breeding for a while.”

“Unless you scientifically test these dogs out here, I don’t think there is any way of saying they are dingos.”

Still in lambing season, Ms Webb is looking for answers sooner rather than later and said it was “disappointing” that the issue has gone unchecked for so long in terms of control efforts.

“I feel like the Government is hiding behind the animal lobby groups and saying the dogs are dingo hybrids as an excuse not to act.”

“If they actually cared about what was happening and they came down here on the ground

and had a look at what is happening in our paddocks every morning, they might have a better understanding, and they might want to change their views,” she said.

“They are happy to cull the Brumbies in Kosciusko and up in the High Country, but these are blooded, wild dogs that are coming even at humans and nothing is being done.”

Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin University, Euan Ritchie, said despite restrictions surrounding population management, there are ways to minimise loss of livestock.

“On top of lethal options, where dingoes are being poisoned and shot, more recently there has been a push towards non-lethal approaches including the use of guardian animals such as Anatolian Shepherds and guardian donkeys which have been used with much success.”

“We want to make sure livestock are protected, but we also want to ensure that we can maintain dingos in the landscape so that we can have them fulfilling their roles, including reducing numbers of kangaroos and feral goats,” he said

“If the wild dogs are dingos, it is really important to recognise and respect that they are regarded as really important to First Nations Peoples in many areas, including in the Yarra Ranges, and this needs to be taken into consideration.”

A spokesperson for DEECA said the Victorian Government recognises that Victorian farmers’ experience of livestock predation can be distressing and costly and remains committed to working with farmers, landholders and Traditional Owners to appropriately balance the protection of livestock while maintaining dingo conservation.

The spokesperson told Star Mail, “We under-

stand the toll livestock losses can have on farmers, both financially and mentally.”

“The Vertebrate Species Management Program (VSMP) provides support to landholders in the Yarra Ranges to help mitigate the impacts of livestock predation,” they said.

“Farmers across eastern Victoria, including in the Yarra Ranges, have access to a number of tools to minimise the impacts of predation, including non-lethal measures such as exclusion fencing, as well as lethal control.”

DEECA also noted that its Vertebrate Species Management Program works with landholders and communities, providing trusted support and advice to farmers to mitigate the impacts of predation on livestock.

The 2025-26 State Budget invested an additional $9.2 million over 4 years in the VSMP, enabling inclusion of species such as foxes, feral pigs, goats and rabbits.

According to DEECA, a collaborative approach is required to mitigate predation risk, involving on-farm measures including fencing and stock management, reporting and coordinated response.

Detailed information about DEECA’s predation mitigation is available on the AgVic website. Zone management plans will be renewed for the 2026-27 financial year based on recent community feedback.

According to DEECA’s website, the confirmed number of livestock killed or maimed by dingos was 1034 for the state in the 2025-2026 period.

The Department did not provide data on the number of livestock killed by wild dogs that are not identified as dingos.

Improving flood forecasts, warnings for Greater Melbourne

Melburnians will benefit from improved flood forecasts, warnings, and access to data as part of improvements made by the Bureau of Meteorology and Melbourne Water.

From 1 July, the bureau is responsible for riverine flood forecasts and warnings for Greater Melbourne, with specific changes to the Yarra catchment flood warnings after community feedback.

Until recently, Melbourne Water has been responsible for the assessment and issue of riverine flood forecasts and warnings, with the bureau publishing the warnings on Melbourne Water’s behalf.

The bureau now assesses and generates warnings in addition to issuing them, streamlining the flood warning process.

The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) maintains responsibility for issuing more localised community warnings and calls to action on the VicEmergency app.

Bureau General Manager Decision Support Services Chantal Donnelly said the changes align riverine flood forecasting and warnings with national standards.

“Greater Melbourne is now consistent with the bureau’s flood forecast services across the rest of Victoria and nationally,” Ms Donnelly said.

“The bureau has a deep level of expertise in flood forecasting with dedicated meteorologists and hydrologists analysing rainfall and river data to help Melburnians and emergency services prepare in flood events.”

“The community now has access to the latest flood warnings and observed rainfall and river conditions on the bureau’s website.”

The bureau now provides the riverine observations, flood forecasting and warning services for 27 forecast locations across the Greater Melbourne catchments, including the Werribee River catchment, Maribyrnong River catchment, Yarra River catchment, Dandenong Creek catchment and Bunyip River catchment.

Yarra catchment flood warnings are now issued separately for upper and lower parts of the catchment. This is in response to community feedback and means communities receive warnings most relevant to them.

Melbourne Water Acting Executive General Manager Service Delivery Nirooshan Sach-

The Bureau of Meteorology will take over the issuing of flood warnings and forecasts, including for the Yarra River, from Melbourne Water. (Rob Carew: 453900)

chithananthan said the transition means the community will receive a more streamlined flood warning process.

“As a part of this transition, we’ve worked closely with the bureau to establish a continuous data feed of our rainfall and river level gauges across Greater Melbourne,” Mr Sachchithanan-

than said.

“Going forward, this data feed means that rainfall and river conditions are readily accessible to the community on the bureau’s website.”

The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) will continue to issue more localised community flood warnings and calls to action on the VicEmergency website, app and social media channels, as well as publishing the bureau’s warnings.

“In line with the Inquiry recommendations from the 2022 Victorian flood event, these changes create a more consistent flood warning system for Victorians,” VICSES Chief Officer Operations Alistair Drayton said.

“This means giving communities access to reliable information, while helping VICSES coordinate effective emergency warnings and response during flood events.”

Get riverine flood watches and warnings along with warnings for severe weather and severe thunderstorms through bom.gov.au and the BOM Weather app.

To learn more about flood warnings, visit the flood knowledge centre on the bureau’s website.

One of the offending wild dogs caught on camera. (Jacqui Webb).

‘Flat out refusal’ stuns locals

By Oliver Winn

Residents fighting against a major quarry expansion in Launching Place were left “stunned” by the State Government’s rapid rejection of a local council’s calls for stricter environmental standards.

The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) said the approval pathway for the Yarra Valley Quarry’s (YVQ) proposed expansion was “appropriate” on 26 June – the same day the Yarra Ranges Council contacted the department with their initial demand.

Representing residents living near the quarry, McMahons Road resident Andrea White said it came as a shock.

“We, the residents of McMahons Road and the surrounding area, are stunned by the speed of the rejection.

“The fact that this all happened on the same day shows us that the request was given absolutely no consideration at all,” she said.

Ryrie Ward councillor Fiona McAllister tabled a motion at the 23 June council demanding the YVQ’s proposed expansion to require a full Environment Effects Statement (EES).

The motion was passed unanimously and it cited concerns surrounding little chance for public scrutiny, impacts on amenity and endangered fauna potentially in the area.

“For a proposal of this scale in such an environmentally sensitive area with amenity impact, and an environment with known habitat of threatened species, the streamlined assessment process… in my view, is considered inadequate,” Cr McAllister said at the council meeting.

The Minister for Transport and Planning determined YVQ’s proposed expansion didn’t require an EES in January 2025, opting for a less stringent Environment Report instead.

Ms White pointed to the Montrose Quarry being required to produce an EES for its own 12.7 hectare expansion in March by the Minister for Planning.

tional Park.

It also awaits the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water’s (DCCEEW) approval, as gang gang cockatoo and southern greater glider populations have been detected within the area, though not necessarily within the quarry’s property.

The local roads withstand 100 truck movements in and out of the quarry every hour, which would increase by 60 per cent if the expansion was approved.

The quarry also impacts the Ure Creek, which many residents use as drinking water, given there’s no mains water available.

Cr McAllister said an EES was crucial as it legally mandates a 20 to 30 day public submissions period and a formal panel hearing process.

“But an environment report does not undergo an independent inquiry or a formal panel hearing process.

“As we’ve heard, the community has some opportunity, but limited opportunity, to have a voice and to raise their concerns,” she said.

YVQ is owned by Regional Group Australia, a subsidiary of Maas Group. The construction materials company has hosted a series of community meetings to provide updates and answer questions from local residents.

YVQ sustainability manager Garry Cranny said at a community meeting in May YVQ were trying to protect the amenity “as best as [it could]”

“I’m not aware of any of the quarries doing the off-site monitoring that we’ve done. And it might be a baseline study for quarries in Victoria, but I want to do it and get it completed as soon as possible,” Mr Cranny said.

“It is inconceivable that Yarra Valley Quarries does not have to follow the same pathway.”

The proposed expansion would clear roughly 26 hectares of native forest on land zoned rural conservation, which also provides habitat

“Boral Montrose must do a full EES. Their expansion is a fraction of the size of this proposal and is not situated in such an environmentally sensitive area.

Put Your Business in the Driver’s Seat

for the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum.

Meanwhile, YVQ’s total extraction area would increase from 23 hectares to 43 hectares wide, and at 285 metres deep, it could fit the Eureka Tower.

It’s located at the base of Mount Toolebewong and directly adjoins the Yarra Ranges Na-

“We do more water quality monitoring than any other quarry I know.”

Residents will have the chance to submit an objection to the Environment Report when it’s finished.

The quarry’s expansion has also impacted property prices and the ability to build, with YVQ objecting to permit applications made by local residents.

McMahons Road residents Andrea and Colin White were shocked at the speed of the State Government’s rejection. (Stewart Chambers: 540233)

Nurse ratios set to improve

By Callum Ludwig

The Victorian Government is set to introduce legislation to lift the number of nurses and midwives and ensure they can provide proper care for each patient.

The Safe Patient Care Act will reclassify 26 hospitals, including Maroondah Hospital and Angliss Hospital, to require an increase in staffing levels, with $109.7 million pledged to add 253 full-time equivalent nursing positions.

Eastern Health’s acting chief nursing and midwifery officer Catherine Hillman said nurses and midwives provide an essential service 24 hours a day, and are fundamental to providing high-quality and safe patient care.

“The healthcare demand from our community continues to increase, so it is critical that we support the health and wellbeing of the incredible staff who look after them,” she said.

“We will continue to explore improvement opportunities to ensure successful implementation throughout our workforce.”

Already strengthened ratios also officially came into effect on Wednesday 1 July:

ICUs require a one-to-one nurse-to-patient ratio on all shifts for all Level 1 and 2 hospitals, as well as a team leader and liaison nurse.

In emergency departments, staffing ratios in resuscitation cubicles on morning shifts have been lifted in line with afternoon and night shifts.

There will be one-to-four midwife-to-patient ratios in postnatal and antenatal wards on night shifts, down from one-to-six.

In a High Dependency and Coronary Care Unit, there will be an introduction of an incharge nurse overnight.

The changes were advocated for by the Victorian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), and branch secretary Maddy Harradence said public hospital classifications are central to Victoria’s world-leading nurse/midwife to patient ratios.

“This legislation ensures we remain at the forefront of nurse and midwife to patient ratios, and will ultimately mean more nurses and midwives to care for Victorians in our public hospitals,” she said.

According to the ANMF, Maroondah Hospital will become a level one service up from level two, while the Angliss will move from level three to level two. No hospital in Victoria is going down a level with the new legislation. The level is determined either by the number of hospital bed days recorded or a combination of hospital bed days, emergency department presentations and ICU average hours of care. Maternity capability and NICU/special care admissions can also be factored in.

For example, Maroondah Hospital will need to have one nurse for every patient during morning and afternoon shifts, and one for every eight during the night shift, as well as a nurse in charge. The afternoon shift is the only shift affected by the increase, with one less patient for each nurse.

For the Angliss, it will be the same, other than requiring one nurse for every five patients in the afternoon shift. But the changes for the Angliss will result in one less patient for each nurse in the mornings and afternooons, and two less at night.

“When you’re sick, nothing compares to the gold standard care of a nurse in a Victorian public hospital,” Premier Jacinta Allan said.

“By supporting our nurses, we are also making sure Victorians get the best care when and where they need it,” Health Minister Harriet Shing said.

The Angliss Hospital will see reductions in the number of patients assigned to one nurse in all shifts if the changes are passed. (File: 550329)

Liberals pledge upgrade

By Mikayla van Loon

Community pressure continues to mount in Coldstream, as calls for the intersection upgrade at Killara Road and Maroondah Highway remains a top priority.

The Liberal opposition is using the project as part of its election platform, with Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence citing the upgrade as “her number one project” during a visit to the intersection with leader Jess Wilson.

Meeting with long-term residents of the suburb, firefighters and campaigners on Wednesday 1 July, it formed part of Ms Wilson’s trip around the state, dubbed the ‘Fresh Start Tour’

Peter Burgi, a resident of Coldstream for around 84 years and a Gruyere CFA member, said he sympathises with his Coldstream CFA counterparts who struggle to exit the station when called to a job.

“How the fire trucks get out here at times, I don’t know. People just don’t take any notice of it,” he said.

“It’s a crying shame that it’s been like this for so long. Fortunately, there’s been no fatalities here.”

John and Mary Grant, who moved to Coldstream in 2010, said they are down at the post office or shops at least once a day and have witnessed several near misses.

“This is an absolute pain, particularly Saturday and Sunday, with all the people coming in, the tourists,” Mr Grant said.

“It’s disgraceful, really, because the money’s been allocated for seven years.”

Mrs Grant said every day, “people take risks” getting across the intersection.

“I turn left and then go and do a U-turn because that’s your own choice. Otherwise, you’re just stuck waiting for who knows how long,” she said.

“If you’re in front, you’ve got the pressure of the cars queuing behind you to make a decision to go one way or the other.”

Adding to the danger, Mr Grant said, are the numerous trucks that pull up on either side of the road to use amenities or purchase food.

“In the mornings, there’ll be sometimes two semi-trailers illegally parked so they can go for their coffee. And then the view aspect of seeing traffic is another problem again,” he said.

“It has to be fixed.”

Mr Burgi and Mr Grant raised concerns about how traffic flow would be impacted once Boral Quarry funds and installs a new signalised intersection and entrance at the Ingram Road and Maroondah Highway intersection.

Yarra Ranges Council approved the permit and plans in October 2024.

As the responsible authority for the road, Star Mail posed questions to the Department of Transport about whether plans at Killara Road

had been impacted by the Ingram Road proposal. No answer was given.

In April this year, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) told Star Mail that since the initial commitment in 2019, it has conducted essential planning investigations and value engineering reviews.

The Department noted in May 2025, upon completing these assessments, that it informed the Commonwealth Government that the revised cost estimate for delivering the final project design exceeded the original funding allocation.

“We will continue to work with the Commonwealth Government to assess options to upgrade the Maroondah Highway and Killara Road intersection - to improve traffic flow and journeys for families,” a spokesperson said.

Ms Wilson said that under an elected Liberal government, she promised to deliver this project in her four-year term.

“This was an allocation from the Federal Government, and so it should be sitting there for this infrastructure project; it would be misusing it if it wasn’t,” she said.

“So, our starting point is that we’ll use those funds to ensure that we deliver the upgrade here.”

When asked how a Liberal government would budget extra costs associated with the intersection upgrade, Ms Wilson said she believed it was achievable within the set budget.

“This was a project that was scoped up for $20 million, and that will be our starting point,” she said.

“We believe that we can much better manage projects on cost and on delivery, so that’s something that we’ll be focused on, in terms of making sure that these projects actually do meet the budget at which they’ve been set.”

Ms Vallence said her community deserve to

be safe on their roads and that getting back to the basics of fixing roads and intersections would be a priority for the Liberals if elected.

“The government’s priorities have been elsewhere. They haven’t been with regional Victoria. They haven’t been with our community,” Ms Vallence said.

“I actually don’t believe them that it will cost more or that they have scoped it. I believe that they just aren’t committed to fixing the dangerous roads in the Yarra Valley because their priorities are elsewhere.

“We want to be able to have our priorities right across the state, get back to the essential services, those frontline things that people need, like fixing our roads.”

The Department confirmed it would inform the community when there were developments on the project.

Project timeline: Killara Road and Maroondah Hwy fix

September 2001: The First Parliamentary Action

The Petition: Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe tables a formal petition in the Victorian Legislative Assembly signed by 286 local citizens.

The Core Demand: The petition calls out unacceptable traffic volumes and safety risks on the Maroondah Highway through Coldstream, demanding urgent funding for duplication and safety improvements between the Warburton and Melba Highways.

June 2016: Political Pressure Mounts and VicRoads Pushback

Renewed Lobbying: On Thursday 30 June, MP Christine Fyffe visits the site with Shadow Minister for Roads, Ryan Smith, noting she has raised the issue in Parliament seven separate times since 2001.

Community Concerns: Local residents report sitting at the Killara Road turnoff for up to 20 minutes due to massive weekend tourist traffic, deteriorating road surfaces, large potholes, and visibility blocked by parked trucks.

Emergency Risks: Shadow Minister Ryan Smith highlights that both the Coldstream and Gruyere CFA stations are located on Killara Road, meaning intersection delays directly threaten emergency response times.

VicRoads Rejection: VicRoads Metro East

regional director Aidan McGann states the intersection is not being considered for safety upgrades, asserting that “the intersection operates well if road users are patient and considerate.”

2019: Federal Funding Secured

The Break-Through: Following nearly two decades of local pressure, the Liberal Federal Government commits $20 million to the Victorian

State Labor Government specifically to fund the installation of traffic lights and safety upgrades at the intersection.

2020 to 2024: Design and Bureaucratic Delays

Infrastructure review: Labor Federal Government announces an infrastructure review and assesses the Coldstream intersection allo-

cation in 2023. Funds for the upgrade to the Maroondah Highway and Killara Road intersection have been saved following a 90-day infrastructure review of the 2023/24 federal budget.

Community campaigns: Local residents continue to call for the upgrade, alongside Federal and State MPs, attend community meetings and make regular visits to the site.

Project timeline announced: Representatives of the Department of Infrastructure and Transport confirmed in Senate Estimates on Monday 4 November 2024 that construction is expected to start in mid-2025.

2025: Demands for Transparency

September 2025: Local MP Bridget Vallence raises the matter in the Legislative Assembly, demanding the immediate release of the finalised project scope and construction schedule, noting years of missed windows and community frustration.

2026: Current Status

Finalising Plans: Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) confirms essential planning investigations and engineering reviews have been undertaken, but the revised cost estimate exceeds the original funding allocation. Local advocacy remains focused on forcing the state government to put the project out to tender and finally break ground.

The community have called for an upgrade at the Maroondah Highway and Killara Road intersection since 2001. (Stewart Chambers: 548749)

Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson met with Coldstream residents on Wednesday 1 July. (Mikayla van Loon: 563840)

Ms Vallence and Ms Wilson promised a Liberal government would deliver the intersection upgrade. (563840)

The Opposition Leader was in the Valley as part of her tour across the 88 electorates in five weeks. (563840)

Should pharmacists prescribe?

By Gabriella Vukman

Pharmacists may soon have the ability to prescribe medications as a result of a recent proposal from the Pharmaceutical Board of Australia (PBA) to unify federal prescribing standards across the nation.

Under the new proposal, pharmacists will be able to prescribe Schedule 4 (prescription only) and Schedule 8 (controlled) medications after completing an Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) - approved program of study.

According to data from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA), the adoption of the new proposal would deflect minor ailments away from emergency rooms and clinics, saving health systems $1 billion annually and freeing up over 10 million GP appointments.

Yarra Glen Pharmacist David Lam said the new proposal would be a positive development so long as it would be carefully introduced, limited to appropriate areas of practice, and supported by strong patient-safety safeguards.

“In Yarra Glen and surrounding communities, patients can sometimes experience difficulty obtaining a timely GP appointment.”

“Community pharmacies are highly accessible, and patients often approach their pharmacist first when they are unwell or have concerns about their medicines,” he said.

“Allowing appropriately trained pharmacists to manage clearly defined and relatively uncomplicated conditions could help patients receive treatment earlier, and may also allow GPs to focus more of their time on complex diagnosis, chronic disease management, and patients requiring comprehensive medical care.”

Despite supporting the proposal overall, Mr Lam had reservations about broadly extending autonomous prescribing to Schedule 8 controlled medicines without much clearer restrictions and safeguards.

“Medicines such as strong opioids carry substantial risks, including dependence, misuse, diversion and overdose,” he said.

“Prescribing these medicines safely requires careful clinical assessment, real-time prescription monitoring, ongoing follow-up and close coordination with the patient’s treating medical team.”

If the proposal were to be actioned in the state of Victoria, Mr Lam noted patients may gradually see more private clinical consultations taking place within pharmacies.

“We would also expect more formal documentation, clearer referral pathways and greater communication between pharmacists and general practices.”

While an appropriately trained pharmacist

may be able to assess patients for selected conditions and prescribe treatment without the patient first needing to obtain a prescription from a GP, patients would not be able to solely rely on pharmacists for the management of all conditions.

Patients would still need to be referred to a GP, urgent care service or hospital where: the diagnosis is uncertain, warning signs are present, the patient has multiple or complex medical conditions, examination or diagnostic testing is required, the requested medicine is inappropriate, or ongoing medical monitoring is needed.

According to the PBA’s proposal, pharmacist prescribing would require an appropriate clinical consultation, assessment of the patient’s symptoms and medical history, the review of current medicines and allergies, recognition of warning signs, documentation, and follow-up referrals where patient needs are outside of the pharmacist’s scope.

“For pharmacists, prescribing would involve much more than simply selecting and supplying a medicine,” Mr Lam said.

“Pharmacies offering these services would also require suitable private consultation rooms, appropriate clinical systems, professional indemnity insurance, sufficient staffing and reliable processes for communicating with the patient’s GP and other healthcare providers,” he said.

“Not every pharmacist or pharmacy would necessarily choose to provide prescribing services.”

While the PBA’s proposal addressed the issue of separating prescribing and dispensing functions, Mr Lam said clearer safeguards and mechanisms are required for rural and regional communities.

“Having another pharmacist provide an independent clinical check may be more difficult in smaller community pharmacies where only one pharmacist is available,” he said.

“The rules and safeguards for these situations would need to be practical and very clear.”

“The conflict of interest where a pharmacy both prescribes and supplies medicine must be appropriately addressed, and clinical decisions must never be influenced by sales targets or commercial pressure.”

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) raised many concerns for the proposal, arguing that pharmacists would need only a fraction of the clinical experience and training possessed by doctors.

In their submission to the PBA’s consultation on endorsement for scheduled medicines for pharmacists, the AMA compared the training hours of existing AP-accredited prescriber pro-

grams with the hours required to become a qualified doctor.

Federal President of the AMA Dr Danielle McMullen said the AMA was concerned by the scale and pace of the PBA’s proposals, and the risks they pose to patient safety.

“Some of the substances covered by these proposals, such as morphine and fentanyl, carry significant potential for misuse, abuse, and addiction,” he said.

“Doctors are extensively trained to mitigate those risks, possessing specialised knowledge and insight into a patient’s medical history and situation.”

Mr McMullen expressed concerns that the proposal would put women’s health at risk.

“The Therapeutic Goods Administration, whose core role is to evaluate safety and risks around how the public can access these substances, concluded the benefits of oral contraceptives being prescribed by a pharmacist without consultation with a doctor simply do not outweigh the risks to women’s health,” he said.

“The proposed endorsement lacks the rigour required to protect the public, and is contrary to what our national, independent safety watchdog has recommended.”

“This also sets an incredibly dangerous precedent and leaves the community wondering how the TGA can be sidestepped and safety concerns discarded.”

Mr McMullen also maintained that the PBA proposal did not provide sufficient evidence for the changes proposed, did not provide an adequate cost, risk, and benefit analysis, and did too little to address concerns over conflicts of interest.

Dr McMullen said the AMA acknowledged and appreciated the expert role pharmacists play in the healthcare system, working in collaboration with doctors and other health professionals, where appropriate checks and balances mean the patient’s safety is put first and foremost.

“Pharmacists are highly valued medication experts, but they do not have the 10+ years of training required for autonomous, broad scope medical diagnostics. We are concerned about the risk that poses to patients,” he said.

“The AMA supports multidisciplinary teams who work together for the patient, rather than further fragmenting care the way this proposed endorsement will. At the end of the day, it is, and should always be, about patient safety.”

“This is the type of model of pharmacist prescribing that has generally been adopted in other countries, yet the Pharmacy Board has decided to jump well ahead of these countries without proper regard for the Australian context and the risks posed to patient safety.”

In its submission, the AMA also pointed to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s position on the proposal, which was to endorse collaboration and preference delegated over autonomous prescribing.

The AMA’s submission was informed by its own nation-wide consultation of member doctors.

Whilst the AMA’s submission pointed to an estimated 120-150 hours of clinical experience for current APC-accredited prescriber programs compared to a doctor’s over 5000 hours of clinical experience, Mr Lam noted, the total number of clinical hours required to become a licensed pharmacist, the prospect of new APC-accredited prescriber programs, and the proposal’s limits on pharmacist prescribing abilities were absent from this comparison.

Currently, each state and territory has different regulations and educational pathways when it comes to the prescribing powers of pharmacists.

In Queensland, pharmacists can legally prescribe an array of medications; however, in New South Wales, pharmacists have significantly less prescribing power.

Victoria has already made its localised pharmacist prescribing model permanent under the Community Pharmacist Program, with over 850 participating pharmacies scheduled to begin prescribing oral contraceptive pill prescriptions for women aged 18 and over this month.

Under the Community Pharmacist Program, the Victorian Government must progressively train pharmacists to prescribe and assess conditions for a list of 23 common health conditions including uncomplicated urinary tract infections, shingles, mild to moderate acne, and asthma among other items.

The speedy state-by-state take-up of localised prescribing has sparked tension between medical groups and pharmacy advocates, with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners concerned that the new localised condition programs were never formally evaluated in robust clinical trials before being legalised.

In contrast, the PGA argues the rapid statewide adoption of these models has come out of the necessity to provide timely care, and unclog the nation’s medical systems.

With public consultation officially closed as of June 15, the PBA is currently reviewing feedback and will soon submit the finalised Registration Standard: Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines to the Ministers for Health for a collective sign-off, including the Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas.

Despite the possibility of being approved federally, without the state’s approval, the PBA’s proposal will not come into effect in Victoria.

Ambulance ramping reduces but transfer times remain high

By Callum Ludwig

Ambulance ramping is on the downturn but wait times to transfer patients still remain high.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) recently released its Ambulance Ramping Report Card for 2026, which assessed the handovers of a record of over 2.4 million Australians arriving at emergency departments by ambulance in 2024/25.

Eastern Health couldn’t escape the height of ambulance ramping when an investigation was launched after back-up paramedics were required to treat a patient with heart arrhythmia left ramped at Maroondah Hospital in August 2024. Eastern Health’s executive director of clinical operations Evan Newnham said Eastern Health is continuing to manage high demand through its emergency departments.

“Our community is presenting with higher acuity cases that often require increased length of stay,” he said.

“This puts additional pressure on access to hospital beds and requires constant management throughout our health service.”

Expected wait times for Eastern Health’s emergency departments at Angliss Hospital, Maroondah Hospital and Box Hill Hospital can be easternhealth.org.au/emergency-wait-time-status.

The expected wait time generally fluctuates from a few minutes to just over two hours for all three of Eastern Health’s emergency departments.

Mr Newnham said their teams continually work with Ambulance Victoria and the Department of Health on a range of initiatives to help manage demand.

“For those in our community who are unsure about the level of care they require, the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department or your local GP are a great place to start,” he said.

“We ask that our Emergency Departments are kept for emergency purposes only.”

The AMA found that there was a minor improvement around the country in 2024-25, but still reflects a significant decline from levels preCovid. More than half of Australian ambulance callouts now result in a hospital presentation and ambulances are spending significantly more time ramped outside hospitals than pre-Covid.

AMA president Dr Danielle McMullen said the findings painted a stark picture of a system under extreme strain, with reports of people dying while waiting for an ambulance or while ramped outside hospitals.

“Ambulance ramping is not an occasional pressure point — it’s a daily reality and a symptom of the logjam in our public hospitals that is putting patients, paramedics and clinicians in harm’s way,” she said.

“People are deteriorating, and in some cases dying, before they can even reach a hospital bed. That is unacceptable in a country with a worldclass health system. Our frontline teams are doing everything humanly possible; it’s the system around them that is breaking down.

“It is a sad reality that governments around the country have become desensitised to the harmful impact of ambulance ramping on patients and hospital staff, essentially normalising it through years of neglect and underfunding of our health system.”

In Victoria, there was a 5.4 per cent decrease in incidents requiring an ambulance in 2024/25, down to 1.03 million incidents or 146.5 per 1000

people. Ambulance Victoria attributes a large portion of this to the 22,122 cases diverted from ambulance service by the Video Assisted Triage (VAT) service, which was expanded that year.

In Victoria, a target of 90 per cent of cases being transferred from ambulance to emergency department in 40 minutes is in place, with 68 per cent recorded in 2024/25, up three per cent from the year prior but still 4.7 per cent below 2020/21.

Victoria also has a target of 20 minutes for an ambulance to be available after delivering a patient to hospital, which was last met in 2019/20 and ballooned to an average time of 31.4 minutes in 2024/25.

Dr McMullen said the impact on frontline staff was equally severe.

“Doctors, nurses and paramedics are increasingly forced to deliver care in overcrowded, high-pressure environments that fall well short of what they know patients deserve — often without appropriate space, resources, or staffing,” she said.

“Treating patients in corridors, managing prolonged handovers, and juggling unsafe workloads

undermines clinical decision-making and places doctors in morally distressing situations.

“Over time, these conditions contribute to profound fatigue, burnout, and declining morale, driving experienced clinicians away from emergency medicine and the public system altogether.”

Latest preliminary data is showing positive signs, however. Despite the number of incidents requiring ambulance transfer remaining high, 73.32 per cent were transferred within 40 minutes in the January-March quarter of 2026, with a peak of 74.54 per cent recorded in January. The median patient transfer time has also been steady at 25 minutes over the last two quarters, and has dropped as low as 24 minutes in January 2026.

Dr McMullen said governments must tackle access block head-on by expanding hospital capacity, improving patient flow, and investing in the health workforce.

“These reforms are essential to prevent further harm, restore confidence in the system and ensure ambulances are available when people need them,” she said.

“Governments must act now to reduce ramping, free up beds, and restore timely, high-quality care across the country.

“Every Australian deserves to know that when they call for help, the system will be there for them.”

Recent actions to improve wait times and patient care from the Victorian Government have included improved nurse-to-patient ratios, targeted investments in emergency departments announced in October 2025, expansion of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and the implementation of new Standards for Safe and Timely Ambulance and Emergency Care.

Ambulance ramping has reduced but remains high, according to a new report. (File)

Dog survives infection

By Oliver Winn

Dog owners are urged to stay wary after a confirmed case of a life-threatening infection was detected in the Yarra Valley.

It came after the Wandin Veterinary Clinic confirmed it treated a dog with the bacterial infection known as leptospirosis in late June

Wandin Veterinary Clinic associate veterinarian Hannah Abrahams said the dog, named Toffee, was brought in by its owner after she started looking “not quite right”

“She presented to us… for just a very sudden kind of onset of lethargy… and she was also vomiting and trembling,” Ms Abrahams said.

“We ran some bloods on her, it seemed a little bit like there was some kidney and liver things going on. Just based on a history of being on a larger block out in the Yarra Valley and being in an area where there are rats, we decided to run a leptospirosis test.”

Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial disease which can lead to kidney and liver failure, less commonly bleeding disorders, and severe lung disease. Around half of dogs with confirmed leptospirosis die.

It can affect animals and humans and is caused by exposure to rodents, wildlife, livestock, mud, and stagnant water.

RSPCA Victoria’s director of veterinary services Dr Melissa Meehan said dog owners in the local area should practice extra caution.

“Given the confirmed case in Wandin, it would be advisable for pet owners in and around this area to stay away from stagnant muddy water and strongly consider vaccination.

“Leptospirosis can also spread to people, so everyone must practise good hygiene and seek medical or veterinary advice if you are concerned about potential exposure,” Dr Meehan said.

Ms Abrahams said treatment for Toffee started with antibiotics and making sure their kid-

Mountain Timbers in Kilsyth has long been a trusted name for quality timber, building supplies and expert service throughout Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The business is now entering an exciting new chapter, with Jarrad Peters and Chris Shambrook recently taking over the company, bringing with them a combined 40 years of experience in the building and timber industry.

Both Jarrad and Chris are family men with young families of their own, giving them a strong appreciation for the importance of community, local connections and supporting other families and businesses across the region.

Their extensive knowledge and passion for the trade place Mountain Timbers in strong hands as they continue the tradition of providing outstanding service to local builders, tradespeople and home renovators. Both Jarrad and Chris understand the importance of quality products, reliable advice and building lasting relationships with customers and the wider community. Serving customers across the region, Mountain Timbers has earned a reputation as a trusted destination for everything from structural timber and decking materials to builders hardware and construction supplies. Whether tackling a large building project or a weekend renovation, customers know they can rely on the experienced team for practical support and expert guidance.

Jarrad and Chris are committed to preserving the values that have made Mountain Timbers a respected local business while also bringing fresh ideas and energy to its future growth. Their vision is focused on supporting local trades, helping homeowners bring their projects to life and ensuring the business remains a valuable part of the Kilsyth community for many years to come.

The dedicated team at Mountain Timbers continues to be one of the company’s greatest strengths. With years of experience and a strong understanding of the industry, staff members work closely with customers to recommend the right products and solutions for every project, no matter the size or complexity.

As the industry continues to evolve, Mountain Timbers is embracing new opportunities while staying true to its local roots. Reliable delivery services, a comprehensive product range and a commitment to customer satisfaction ensure the business remains a trusted partner for builders and renovators alike.

With Jarrad Peters and Chris Shambrook at the helm, and a combined 40 years of industry experience behind them, Mountain Timbers is well positioned to build on its proud legacy and continue serving the community with the quality and service it has become known for.

neys and liver are supported.

“What we typically do is start them on some antibiotics, keep them on fluids to help support their kidneys and liver.

“[It’s] supportive care, making sure they’re eating and things like that. But sometimes they do also need a feeding tube, which was actually the case for Toffee.”

Luckily, Toffee is recovering with her bloods normalising and her liver starting to heal.

“She’s very bright and happy, and got very lucky I think… because it was a bit touch and go there for a bit for her,” Ms Abrahams said.

There’s a range of things dog owners can account for to reduce the risk of leptospirosis.

Ms Abrahams said dog owners should keep their dogs away from places where rats are likely to be found.

“I would be… mindful of not letting your dogs eat dead rodents where possible, not letting them drink from stagnant water or contaminated soil where rats might be,” she said.

She said Toffee’s case was a good reminder for dog owners to get their dogs vaccinated against leptospirosis, especially as a new and improved vaccination had just arrived at the Wandin Veterinary Clinic.

“The strain that we were previously vaccinating against is just not as common of a strain in New South Wales and Victoria. The new vaccination is just a little bit more effective because it’s actually against the strains that we’re seeing in the environment.”

She said it was important to act early if a dog owner suspects a case of leptospirosis.

“If their dogs seem off-colour or they seem unwell, early diagnosis and treatment of lepto will greatly improve chance of survival.

“Because with Toffee, we picked it up pretty quickly, I think that improved her diagnosis a lot. I think if the dog’s in areas where lepto might be around and they seem unwell, I think it’s just always worth checking,” she said.

Veterinary nurse Sherri with leptospirosis survivor Toffee. (Supplied)

Sustainability Victoria wound up after 20 years

By Callum Ludwig

After 20 years, Sustainability Victoria was wound up on 30 June with seven of its initiatives being continued under the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).

The decision was made in late-2025 following the Silver Review, an independent review of the Victorian public service led by Helen Silver AO.

“As part of improving operational efficiency and effectiveness across government, the functions of Sustainability Victoria are now embedded across government agencies,” a DEECA spokesperson said.

In the final report from the Silver Review, it was identified that SV’s ‘waste management, recycling, energy and climate change responsibilities overlap with DEECA and other non-departmental entities’ such as Recycling Victoria and the EPA. As a result, winding up SV would ‘streamline sustainability policy, simplify governance, reduce administrative overheads and clarify accountability’ according to the report.

Hills local Claire Ferres Miles was Sustainability Victoria’s chief executive between 2019 and 2022 before stepping down to run as an independent candidate at the 2022 federal election.

Ms Ferres Miles said it was a sad day when Sustainability Victoria closed its doors on 30 June.

“For 20 years Sustainability Victoria (SV) was the partner of choice with industry innovators and community groups, driving ambition, action and changing behaviour,” she said.

“It was a pleasure to be CEO of SV 2019-2022 leading the transition to a circular economy.

“It was a great place to work.’

The following programs will carry on under DEECA:

■Detox Your Home’s free collection events to dispose of hazardous household chemicals.

■FirstRate5 energy ratings can still be generated by builders and designers to calculate heating and cooling requirements for new builds and renovations.

■The Markets Acceleration will continue to give waste a new life such as turning old tyres into speed humps and food scraps into compost.

■ResourceSmart Schools will continue to encourage and support schools to embed sustainability across their curriculum and community.

■Behaviour change campaigns such as the Small Acts, Big Impact campaign will remain and grant programs to support investment in the circular economy will also continue.

“As a Yarra Ranges local myself, a special shout-out to the incredible team of passionate locals that ran the Yarra Valley Community Power Hub (YV-CPHub) based in Healesville, a fantastic SV program that achieved community-owned

and operated renewable energy projects in the Valley,” Ms Ferres Miles said.

“I encourage people to check-out Healesville CoRE – Healesville Community Renewable Energy, supporting our community with regular free events, providing advice on home energy efficiency and supporting community groups to install solar.”

Programs and teams that will not persist include:

The Buy Circular Service which supported councils to incorporate recycled materials into local projects, though its directory of more than 100 suppliers of recycled products will transition to Victorian Government agency ecologiQ.

The Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) which supported Victorian busi-

New partnership for leisure and recreation in the Yarra Ranges

By Callum Ludwig

Aquatic and leisure services are under new management in the Yarra Ranges as of the start of the new financial year.

Yarra Ranges Council’s new partner Aligned Leisure has taken over from Belgravia Leisure and started a new ‘Active Yarra Ranges’ brand.

Director of Built Environment and Infrastructure Anita Curnow said the council is excited to begin a new chapter for aquatic and leisure services in Yarra Ranges, with management of six facilities transitioning to Aligned Leisure.

“This partnership will support a refreshed approach to aquatic and leisure services, with a stronger emphasis on participation, wellbeing, preventative health and community connection,” she said.

“Since announcing the new contract in April, our priority has been on ensuring a smooth transition for members and users of the centres, with continuity of service our key focus.”

Aligned Leisure now manages Healesville’s Jack Hort Memorial Pool, the Healesville Outdoor Pool, the Lilydale Outdoor Pool, the Belgrave Outdoor Pool, the Yarra Centre in Yarra Junction and Monbulk Aquatic Centre.

“We also deeply value the trusted, long-stand-

ing relationships that staff at these centres have with the community and are pleased to share that 98 per cent of staff joined the Aligned Leisure team, ensuring members will continue to see many familiar faces,” Ms Curnow said.

“Aligned Leisure brings a strong vision for the future of our facilities, and we look forward to partnering with them to improve the health, wellbeing and connectedness of our community for years to come.”

As a result of the transition, members of the previous Active World system will have to move over to Aligned Leisure’s customer management system Perfect Gym, though many of the features are the same.

These features include an online customer portal, online group fitness class bookings, the ability to manage your swimming lesson booking online and live updates of lap lane availability via the Active Yarra Ranges website. Some features will be temporarily unavailable while the system migration process is completed.

There will be also slight changes or temporary delays regarding membership, Learn to Swim programs and childcare.

To find out more and read frequently asked questions, visit activeyarraranges.com.au/news/ introducing-active-yarra-ranges/?.

nesses to turn their circular ideas into commercial opportunities, as well as SV’s Learning Portal which helped advise ideas.

The SV Major Events and Tourism program, the Regional Engagement team, the space hire service at the SV hub and the SV lab have all also been discontinued.

In the Victorian Government’s response to the Silver Review, they did not support the recommendations to abolish the Geelong Authority and the Office of the Local Jobs First Commissioner.

A number of other entities were accepted to be absorbed into others, such as VicHealth and HealthShare Victoria into the Department of Health and the corporate service functions of Court Services Victoria into the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

Lilydale Heights College students Ella, Clover, Anastasia, James, and Gracie receive the CDS excellence award from VicReturn CEO Matt Davis (right) and host Dirt Girl (left) at Sustainability Victoria’s 2026 ResourceSmart Schools Awards. (Supplied)

Yarra Ranges resident Claire Ferres Miles served as Sustainability Victoria’s chief executive between 2019 and 2022. (File)

Some of Yarra Ranges Council’s aquatic and leisure facilities, including the Yarra Centre, are under new management. (Stewart Chambers: 338486)

Cutting through poverty

By Mikayla van Loon

The power of a fresh haircut can never be underestimated, but for women and young girls in Bali, the power is in the skill.

Wandin’s Imperial Edge Hair Dressing owner Nadine Amy and soon-to-be-completed apprentice Hayley Stephens travelled with Australian not-for-profit organisation Hair Aid to the Indonesian island last month.

Hair Aid supports qualified and trainee hairdressers in travelling to remote villages in several developing countries to teach hair-cutting skills to people living in poverty.

The week-long trip in early June saw Nadine and Hayley visit an orphanage, a women’s prison, a trade school and a community centre, where they taught the basics of haircutting.

On their first day in Bali, Hayley said it turned out to be a public holiday, but through the Bali Life Foundation, they had the opportunity to visit an orphanage.

“I think we cut about 60 kids’ hair in the orphanage; we were really lucky that we got to do that,” she said.

For the remaining four days, Hayley and Nadine, alongside a group of fellow hairdressers from all over the world, taught various skills, from the basics of sectioning hair and holding the scissors to more advanced skills like layering.

“A lot of these women have never cut hair before,” Hayley said.

“We talked about talking to the clients, how to consult and understand what they want, and then from there we moved into basic cutting skills, so a straight haircut, diagonal, how to like hold the hair properly, and then we moved into more advanced layering and that kind of thing.

“The last thing that we teach is men’s cutting, but we actually teach it just with scissors, not with clippers.”

Each student would be signed off for each skill and then, at the end, receive a certificate of completion.

Hayley said it was incredible to see the women and girls get so excited by mastering a skill and wanting to move on to the next thing; they were so eager and willing to learn.

“I was so impressed by the dedication of the women and the way they took to it so quickly. It was amazing to see because some of them had never touched hair before, and they just picked it up so quickly, so easily, they wanted it so bad,” she said.

Some of the girls in trade school were only 16 or 17 years old, and Hayley said it was really lovely getting to spend time with them and learn about their lives in Bali.

“I feel like we had the real, authentic Bali experience. We didn’t just go over for the holiday in the resort. We got to go out into the communities and actually meet people and learn how they live their everyday lives as well.

“I loved being able to talk to them and comparing. I was asking them how they get to school, and they all ride scooters when they’re like 15. I was speaking with young girls about nails and lashes.”

At the end of teaching at the trade school, Hayley said, as a special celebration, she and Nadine took over packets of Tim Tams to share with the girls, quite literally a taste of Australia.

But Hayley said her favourite moment of the whole experience was the final graduation.

“Seeing just how appreciative the women were, and seeing the emotional side of it and how this is going to impact them and change their lives, and how overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude they were to be able to do the course and to get their certificates.

“That, I think, was probably one of the highlights.”

For Hayley herself, it was an incredibly rewarding and confidence-boosting experience that cemented her own knowledge and skills, going from student to teacher.

“The first day, I must admit, I was very overwhelmed knowing these people are now looking up to me, whereas I’ve been the one who has been having the guidance from other people, learning from other people,” she said.

“But once we got into it, and I felt more com-

fortable, then I felt like the fact that I’ve only very recently gone through all the learning it actually helped me, especially in the training school, because I was like ‘that’s been me’.”

As someone who loves hairdressing because “I love the people” , Hayley said getting to work somewhere that feels like family, in a supportive community, makes it feel less like work.

“I love being able to talk to people and connect with people. That’s probably my favourite part, and especially like at Imperial Edge. I love how we’re all a family, all the girls at work, all of our clients, we have our regulars. I love the community.”

Having that solid and community-minded presence in Wandin, Hayley said, “our clients were so supportive and so excited for us to go over” , so much so that when they started fundrais-

ing through a raffle to support the costs of going, the community jumped on board.

When asked if going overseas with Hair Aid again was on the cards, Hayley said, despite the first few days being overwhelming, she would love to teach women in other countries now too.

“I feel so lucky…I didn’t know that you could have these kinds of opportunities with hairdressing, and it was so cool that we were able to go and share those skills.”

Wandin hairdressers Nadine Amy and Hayley Stephens travelled with Hair Aid to teach life-changing skills to women and girls. (Stewart Chambers: 563006)

Nadine Amy and Hayley Stephens loved visiting the communities in the outskirts of Bali. (Supplied)

The trade school students were incredibly excited to receive their certificates. (Supplied)

Nadine and Hayley were joined by fellow hairdressers from Australia, Canada and the United States. Here, they are outside the women’s prison. (Supplied)

HEALTH

All care covered at the Yarra Glen Family Clinic

Located in Yarra Glen, the family-focused medical clinic has built a strong reputation for providing compassionate care to patients across the region, with a team of experienced practitioners dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of the wider community.

Managed by Angel Johnston, the clinic prides itself on offering bulk billing services and ensuring locals can access essential healthcare without additional financial stress, something the team recognises as increasingly important for many patients.

The clinic’s diverse team of healthcare professionals brings together a broad range of specialties, allowing patients to access comprehensive care close to home. Dr Hamed Shafaie has a strong focus on preventative health and community health education, with special interests in chronic disease management, mental health, children’s health and improving overall health literacy within the community. Dr Nadia Shafaq brings extensive experience both within Australia and internationally, specialising in children’s health, women’s health, mental health and chronic disease management. Her medical interests also include promoting family health and working collaboratively with patients to ensure thorough and supportive treatment. Dr Shama Parveen is a General Practitioner with more than eight years of experience and extensive training across Australian hospitals. She has a strong focus on aged care, women’s health, children’s health and mental health, while also specialising in chronic dis-

ease management and minor procedures, including skin cancer treatments. Dr Sadia Iqbal brings a wealth of experience, having worked with leading healthcare institutions including Monash Health and Peninsula Health. Her expertise spans women’s health, paediatrics, chronic disease management, skin conditions and mental health. She is known for her warm

and respectful approach, with many local families continuing to seek out her compassionate style of care. Beyond general practice services, patients can also access allied health support through dietitian Haily Tse, physiotherapist Ryan Carruthers, and podiatrist and orthotic specialist Fernando Alves.

Open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, the clinic continues to welcome new and existing patients from throughout the Yarra Valley, with a strong focus on creating a warm and inclusive environment for everyone who walks through the door. As winter approaches, the team hopes locals remember they do not have to navigate their health concerns alone.

Yarra Glen Family Clinic offers all-round local care this winter. (Supplied)

HEALTH & WELLNESS

New doctors welcomed

Located in Seville, Kaizen Clinics welcomes all, with a dedicated team of general practitioners, practice nurses, allied health professionals and warm, friendly reception staff.

Currently welcoming new patients, Kaizen is committed to building long-lasting relationships with its community, ensuring a lifetime of quality healthcare and support.

From family medicine and men’s, women’s and children’s health, to mental health services and Kaizen Aesthetics, there is a branch of care to suit every stage of life and every patient’s needs. The clinic also offers immunisations, travel health advice, antenatal and postnatal care, and

on-site pathology collection, providing convenient, comprehensive healthcare close to home.

Kaizen Clinics is also proud to welcome two incredible new doctors to the team. Dr Shilpa Chegu is a UK-trained General Practitioner with extensive experience in women’s health. She provides personalised contraceptive counselling and comprehensive family planning services, including Implanon insertion and removal, as well as IUD insertion and removal. Dr Chegu offers holistic care across a wide range of women’s health needs, including the management of PCOS, perimenopause, menopause and pregnancy care. She is committed to a preventative, patient-cen-

tred model of care, with a strong emphasis on education and continuity throughout every stage of life.

Also joining the team is Dr Michael Jones. Dr Jones has been a fully qualified GP since early 2017 and has previously worked in Ballarat, where he gained valuable experience in Urgent Care. He has a particular interest in caring for young families and is experienced in children’s health, women’s health and men’s health.

The name Kaizen comes from a Japanese philosophy meaning “continuous improvement” , originating from two words: kai, meaning “change” , and zen, meaning “good”. This philoso-

phy is at the heart of everything the clinic does. Kaizen believes that the diligent application of this principle leads to healthier patients and better outcomes, while also inspiring continual improvement within its own team, processes, procedures and clinical practice. It is a commitment to always improving and always striving to do good. To book an appointment at Kaizen Clinics Seville, call 5964 2943 or book online at kaizenclinics.com.au. For additional support or enquiries, you can also email reception@sevillemedicalcentre.com.au.

New patients are welcomed to Seville’s Kaizen Clinics. (Stewart Chambers: 562880)

Dr Shilpa Chegu has joined the team. (Stewart Chambers: 562880)

Dr Michael Jones brings his experience from working in Urgent Care. (Stewart Chambers: 562880)

New school in Healesville

By Gabriella Vukman

Progress is well underway for the arrival of a new school on the main street of Healesville.

Scheduled to open in 2028, the new Urban School campus will be an independent senior secondary school offering the VCE vocational major for years 10, 11 and 12.

Executive principal of the Urban School organisation, Elise Hopkins, said the school exists as a not-for-profit organisation, rendering it an independent school with no fees.

“We look to support students who are disengaged from mainstream school for a variety of reasons such as due to anxiety, depression and bullying,” she said.

“Students may fall within the LGBTQIA+ community; they might have some neurodivergency or mainstream school just might not be working for some reason.”

The Urban College offers smaller class sizes with no more than 15 students per class, and along with a classroom teacher, each class will also be equipped with a learning assistant to provide additional support.

Altogether, the Healesville campus will school approximately 120 students from across the Yarra Ranges, and will be situated in place of the old pasta factory next to the Bodhi Tree restaurant in Healesville’s east end.

In terms of courses of study, the Urban College will follow the mainstream curriculum but with project-based learning.

Ms Hopkins said, “We will have a hands-on learning environment and work closely with the community.”

“We will be linking all of our outcomes to volunteer work.”

Where typical high school structures have individual teachers for each subject, students at the Urban College will have one teacher who will take them for all classes.

On top of feeding students a free breakfast and lunch each day, pupils will also be equipped with laptops, allowing for some remote learning where required.

Ms Hopkins said the school will tailor education to local industry.

“Being a high tourism area, we will be looking to focus on things like hospitality, early childhood education, and community services, to name a few items,” she said.

“We also talk about employment and being a tourism area; these kids need to be coming out of school with some really good career and lifelong skills to succeed in employment.”

“We want to make sure our students are employable in the long term.”

Funded by both the State and Federal Governments, the Urban school relies heavily on the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) funding model, which assesses students’ needs under the four categories, one of which being Qaulity Differentiated Teaching Practice.

Ms Hopkins said under the Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice banner, the Urban school can make adjustments to cater to the learning needs of each student.

Vukman).

“A student might have a cross diagnosis of autism and ADHD and may need some additional help, such as a learning assistant that sits with them all day, to help them successfully achieve their outcomes,” she said.

“We can also support students with anxiety from going to mainstream school who may also need learning assistance.”

Having grown up in Healesville, Ms Hopkins’ ideas for the new Urban College are centred on

her experience of the town and its needs.

“I know the area quite well, so I understand the need in this corridor,” she said.

“Healesville High does a fantastic job to support students, but there are no other schools in the area that offer what we offer for those kids that might fall through the cracks.”

“It is really about giving students an opportunity, if that mainstream school isn’t working for them, to get some more support and be successful.”

The goal of the Urban College is to encourage students to stay in school and address the limitations that prevent students from doing so.

“Our model is to eliminate barriers before students even set foot in the classroom.”

“That could be giving them access to breakfast if they haven’t previously been able to have breakfast at home, or it might be that the family can’t afford a school uniform, or a laptop. We provide all of those things.”

The Urban College’s new school in Healesville will be its fourth campus, with others located in Boronia and Croydon, and a new one opening in Scoresby in 2027.

Having purchased the old Yarra Valley Pasta building, the Urban College will shortly be sub-

mitting a planning application to the Yarra Ranges Council to erect a new building.

Ms Hopkins said she is conscious of the building’s long presence in the community.

“We will be working closely with the council on how we can best build our school and accommodate the community”.

“We will be working with the local Traders’ Association and are very open to chatting to the local community,” she said.

“We are hopeful that the community will understand the good we are trying to bring to the area.”

According to Ms Hopkins, all kinds of students will be welcome at the new school.

“We welcome any students who are disengaged from mainstream school for a variety of reasons,” she said.

“It could be anxiety, depression, neurodivergency; they could be a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

“It is about trying to support the community and making sure our youth are getting the best start.”

For more information about the Urban College, head to their website at www.urbancollege. vic.edu.au/scoresby-campus.

Book by book: Unique partnership to restore school library

By Oliver Winn

Warburton Primary School is rebuilding its library one book at a time thanks to the support of a local bookstore.

Healesville bookstore Verso Books partnered with the school in late June, allowing shoppers to purchase books that are then donated to the school’s library.

School council president for Warburton Primary School Misty Elaine said it would help “rejuvenate” the school’s library space and make it functional for use.

“I’ve been wanting to have the space rejuvenated for quite some time now… we’ve had a library, but it just hasn’t been that functional for the kids to use,” Ms Elaine said.

Warburton Primary School acting principal Elizabeth Sarroff said a freshly stocked book list and a new space for students to spend time in would be a “game changer”

“Rather than have books sitting in boxes and… not having their own space, having our new library space up and open will just be a game changer for our students and staff.”

She aims for teachers to run lessons from the library before eventually opening it up to students during lunchtime.

Verso Books owner Nina Sturgess said shoppers can buy a book from Warburton Primary School’s wishlist and donate it to the school.

“It’s primarily aimed at Warburton families and friends, grandparents, past students, families of past students who have fond memories or want to support the school in any way,” Ms Sturgess said.

Each book bought will have the buyer’s name inside it, so when children read it, they can see who has donated the book.

“So anyone can walk in off the street and purchase the book to donate to the Warburton Primary School Library, and the added bonus is, we are donating 15 per cent of all the sales.

“It’s a really small amount of money that makes it quite a big difference to a small country school.

“Fortunately, because we’ve done it before when we did it with Chum Creek Primary School we kind of had a little bit of a system in place,” she said.

Ms Sturgess said the Warburton Primary School was a “thriving, beautiful and very genuine” school.

“So this library is another way that we can enhance our students’ well-being, social and emotional well-being at school,” she said.

Ms Elaine described libraries as a “door [that] builds imagination, confidence and empathy” in children.

As someone who “used to be a library kid” herself, Ms Elaine is familiar with the pleasures of spending drizzly lunchtimes in the cosy library.

It’s this warm and welcoming environment that Ms Sarroff hopes to bring back.

“I think that would really aid our students,

having a space that they can come into that’s quiet, where they can read the new texts or bring one of their own, or play some quiet games like chess or Mastermind.”

But, opening the library during lunchtime remains “a bit of a logistical puzzle” as a lack of funding means the school can’t afford to pay a dedicated librarian.

Instead, Ms Sarroff said a team of teachers and parent volunteers will share the responsibility of running the library.

“Hopefully, if parent volunteers have a Working With Children’s Check and are willing to come in for a lunchtime, the more we’d be able to open [the library].”

Ms Sarroff said when an increase in enrolments demands an extra classroom, the library space is unfortunately the first to go.

“[The library] has moved around a fair bit, depending on our numbers at the school.”

Shoppers have already bought books to be donated to Warburton Primary School. Its impact is far and wide, with a teacher from Teesdale Primary School, 45 minutes west of Geelong, having bought a book.

Warburton Primary School aims to have its library grand opening during Book Week, starting 22 August.

Urban School Chairperson Paul Garnsworthy and Executive Principal Elise Hopkins outside the old pasta factory. (Gabriella Vukman: 561903)

The urban school team is finalising its submission to the Yarra Ranges Council.

(Gabriella

L-R: Verso Books owner Nina Sturgess and Warburton Primary School acting principal Elizabeth Sarroff. (Warburton Primary School)

SENIOR LIVING

Support close to home

As we move through different stages of life, it’s natural to experience change, whether it’s adjusting to retirement, managing health concerns, coping with loss, or simply feeling more isolated than we once did. These moments can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that support is available, and you don’t have to go through it alone.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Lilydale (servicing Yarra Ranges) is here to offer free, welcoming support for adults aged 26 and over. Whether you need a one-off conversation or ongoing support, the support you receive will be tailored to meet your needs.

You will be supported by a caring team of mental health professionals and peer navigators with lived experience. They take the time to listen, without judgement, helping you feel heard, respected, and supported.

Reaching out can sometimes feel like a big step, but accessing support has been made simple. There is no need for a referral, Medicare card, or payment. You can connect when you feel ready, in a way that feels comfortable for you. This could be a phone call, a visit to the local centre, or even outreach support if getting there is difficult.

Importantly, the service recognises that support is not one-size-fits-all. Some people may be looking for help navigating practical challenges, while others may just want someone to talk to. Whatever your situation, the focus is on building wellbeing, connection, and confidence.

For many senior members of our community, having a trusted, local place to turn to can make all the difference. Staying connected and supported is not only beneficial for mental health, but also for overall wellbeing and quality of life.

If you, or someone you know, could benefit

Because your mental health matters at every stage of life and there is always someone ready to listen.

Looking after your mental health is for all stages of life. (iStock)

Boutique over 50s

Hamlet Living is proud to be launching a one-ofa-kind community set in one of Lilydale’s most desirable locations beside Bellbird Park and Lillydale Lake. Comprising just 50 beautifully designed homes, welcoming clubhouse facilities, and three hectares of open green space, Hamlet Lilydale offers homeowners a lifestyle unlike anything else available in the region.

“We found that people in the Yarra Ranges weren’t looking for a one-size-fits-all retirement community, with mass market appeal,” co-founders James Kelly and Cecelia Hund said.

This response came directly from conversations with local homeowners looking to downsize; “They were looking for something that felt more personal; reflecting the unique character of the area, with generous green space, natural beauty on their doorstep and the ability to walk to Lilydale’s township. That’s the idea behind Ham-

let Living: a community that lets homeowners enjoy the best of what Lilydale has to offer.”

Unlike traditional retirement communities, Hamlet’s land lease model allows homeowners to own their home while leasing the land beneath it.

The model makes it possible to deliver premium homes and exceptional clubhouse facilities and landscapes, while helping homeowners unlock equity from their family home and enjoy greater financial flexibility in retirement.

Hamlet Lilydale has now opened its Sales Office at 375 Swansea Road and has welcomed its first home sales. With prices starting from $845,000, locals are eager to gain first access to everything Hamlet Lilydale has to offer.

For more information or to book a sales consultation, visit hamletliving.com.au, or call Marion on 0482 672 325.

Located right near Lillydale Lake, Hamlet Living is offering the best for over-50s. (Supplied)

Soak in the spa and enjoy your days with Hamlet Living.

Olinda Lodge, Hamlet Lilydale Clubhouse.

The Hamilton living room.

Inside Olinda Lodge, Hamlet Lilydale Clubhouse.

Welcome Home to Hamlet Living.

A boutique, over 50s community in Lilydale.

Now selling from $845,000 at 375 Swansea Road, Lilydale.

Hamlet Lilydale will feature 50 thoughtfully designed homes, created to feel warm and welcoming from the moment you arrive.

Low maintenance, well insulated is built for lasting quality and open-plan living and generous outdoor spaces create homes you will love to live in.

Retirement living with heart

Where the Yarra Valley meets the Dandenong Ranges, Lilydale Valley Views offers more than a place to live, it’s a vibrant community where retirement is enjoyed to the fullest.

For over 15 years, the village has grown into a welcoming environment where residents feel at home. With 139 residences, including semi attached two and three bedroom units and cosy terraces, there is a style to suit every preference.

Whether it’s sweeping valley views or the ease of low maintenance living, each home is designed for comfort and connection.

Lifestyle is at the heart of Lilydale Valley Views. A heated indoor pool and spa provide year round relaxation, while Tai Chi, dancercise, and other group activities keep minds and bodies active. The village bus makes shopping stress free with convenient door to door service.

A strong sense of community sets the village apart. The resident social committee organises a calendar filled with outings, celebrations, and casual get togethers, ensuring there are always opportunities to connect. Friendships form quickly and newcomers are warmly welcomed, making it easy to feel part of the community from day one.

The location adds to the appeal. Doctors, supermarkets, and the train station are all within walking distance, while the nearby Warburton Trail offers scenic walks and bike rides. On site, a thriving veggie and flower garden brings people together in the simple pleasure of growing and sharing.

It is this blend of convenience, activity, and companionship that makes Lilydale Valley Views such a special place. Here, retirement is not about slowing down, but about enjoying life surrounded by people who value the same.

We invite you to experience it for yourself. Discover the comfort of terrace living, the beauty of the views, and the warmth of a truly

connected community. For more information, visit us at 471 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale, email manager@lilydalevalleyviews.com.au, or call 03 9735 5944 to speak with our manager, Rosemary Seymour. Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.

A better retirement lifestyle

Be part of a vibrant Community and enjoy the

Close to all amenities - health professionals, Supermarkets, public transport

Village volunteers can assists you around the house

Monthly calendar of events

24 Hour Emergency Assistance

Fully equipped gym

Heated indoor pool

Facilities

Hairdresser, Massage & Podiatry services

4-rink Bowling Green

Entertainment Lounge Library and Computer Room

Come see if Lilydale Valley Views is the place for you or your loved ones. (Supplied)

SENIOR LIVING

Dancing: give it a whirl

By Elle Cecil

The health benefits of dancing for seniors range from improving your physical health to creating strong social connections that increase your sense of wellbeing.

A 2018 study by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) showed a positive relationship between dancing and the physical and emotional health of older Australians.

Participants in the study experienced improved flexibility, boosted energy levels and better posture. Further studies have found that dancing can slow or even reverse the signs of ageing in the brain.

Among these benefits, older Australians are likely to experience an improvement in balance, coordination and spatial awareness, which in turn could reduce their likelihood of falls.

Dancing also provides an increase in heart rate, encouraging the movement of oxygen throughout the body. This has shown positive effects on heart and lung condition, and has the potential to lessen the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease. Regular dance also assists in weight management, toning muscle, improving strength and reducing joint pain.

The benefits of dancing aren’t just physical. Regular dancing has been shown to increase the size of the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain responsible for spatial navigation and memory formation.

Not only did study participants enjoy a range of physical and mental progress, they also experienced a shift in overall mood, self-esteem and confidence. This is attributed to a combination of the effects of physical exercise and the social interactions and connections formed during the

dance classes.

Some things to consider

Are you looking to dance on your own or with a partner? Perhaps you’d like to join a group dance class, or maybe you’d prefer private lessons. What sort of dance style are you looking to engage in?

The options are endless. Ballet, line dancing, Latin or salsa dancing, waltzing, tap dancing, dance aerobics and even seated dance classes are all popular styles you can choose from.

Before you pull on your dancing shoes, it’s

important to consult your doctor or medical professional. They can provide you with proper advice tailored to your health needs.

Once you’ve got the go ahead, you should make sure that you hydrate properly before, during and after you dance. Warming up and cooling down is also crucial to avoid stiffness or injury.

Take care not to over work yourself on the dance floor. Remember, it’s all about getting active and having fun. Now get out there and bust a move!

Imagine not having to worry about home and garden maintenance* and instead being able to get the most out of your retirement years doing the things you love, like popping to your favourite vineyard in the Yarra Valley for lunch.

Summerset Chirnside Park is a modern village that will redefine retirement living with resort style facilities and the reassurance that there will be a residential aged care home onsite.^

With the first release of homes over 60% sold, our next release of homes, including new floorplans, is now available to purchase off the plan. Our first residents move in from August 2026, so get in quick to secure your preferred home.# Book an appointment with our friendly team to view plans and pricing.

Love the life you choose.

Book an appointment today Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm

Summerset Chirnside Park

Sales Suite: 273 Manchester Road, Chirnside Park 03 8777 4242 | chirnsidepark.sales@summerset.com.au

They’re groovin’ at the library

By Gabriella Vukman

For the past two Thursdays, the Healesville library has come alive with song and dance as young families attended the series of free Multicultural Music, Movement and Singing Workshops.

With the final workshop coming up on Thursday 9 July, locals are urged to bring their youngsters down to the library for some musical, multicultural learning and immersion.

Run by Healesville local and former teacher Catherine Nolan, each workshop provides families of young children with opportunities to experiment with a range of musical instruments from around the globe.

Participants can take part in both traditional and international nursery-rhyme and hymn singing.

Workshop leader Catherine Nolan said the workshops are designed to develop new neurological pathways and to encourage tolerance of other cultures.

“Learning words in different languages helps enhance brain neural elasticity, so it is a

great exercise for kids,” she said.

Ms Nolan said the sessions will educate children on what it means to participate in a multicultural world.

WHYLD’s Winter Solstice celebration warms up community

By Oliver Winn

Locals kept cosy during the winter solstice with WHYLD’s Winter Warming event on 21 June.

The spirit of community flowed throughout the event with numerous local organisations playing their part in making the night one to remember.

“What a wonderful evening celebrating the Winter Solstice with our community. From the live music, face painting and lantern decorating to the beautiful lantern parade, community bonfire, roast chestnuts and toasted marshmallows,” WHYLD secretary Meryl Knoll said.

“It was a magical way to welcome the return of the light.”

Generously running the barbecue and providing the hall was the 1st Woori Yallock Scout Group, while the Woori Community House hosted the Winter Woollies Store.

The bonfire beamed with heat, acting as the event’s heart and providing a sense of life to the atmosphere.

The Hillcrest CFA attended the event to safely manage the community bonfire, while all gate donations went towards the brigade.

Hillcrest CFA captain Norm Dean said the money raised went a long way for the brigade.

“We’re supported very well from the community, it’s a good feeling and a great help for us.

“This sort of money will go towards things like the thermal imaging camera we’re about to purchase... we’ve also applied to put a shed to house our breathing apparatus support vehicle.

“The money we get from the community is fantastic, and we try and put it all back into the equipment... that’s going to make the community safer,” Mr Dean said.

While the bonfire kept people warm, Richard and Kym from Bluebird Music Studios kept them entertained with some fantastic live music.

“Thank you to Danielle from Wonderific for the wonderful face painting that brought so many smiles, and to Steve from Valley Xpresso for keeping everyone warm with delicious coffee and hot chocolate,” Ms Knoll said.

The Cailleac led the parade and served traditional Kinderspunsch, which added a “touch of magic to the evening”

Ms Knoll thanked all the volunteers who helped organise the event.

“Finally, thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes and to every person who came along to celebrate with us. Events like this are only possible because of the generosity, enthusiasm and community spirit of so many people,” she said.

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“The workshops put the message across that we live in a multicultural society,” she said.

“They help children know that speaking English along with other languages is a part of

their everyday experience.”

“I am hoping that parents will take that on, and bring it into their home.”

Ms Nolan’s workshops are a product of a longtime love of different cultures and years spent teaching.

“It all started when I was at uni and living in Richmond, away from Healesville for the first time,” she said.

“I loved going to the Multicultural Resource Centre, and I learned so much about myself and other cultures, particularly Wurundjeri Culture.”

“Like me, a lot of kids out here don’t get exposure to languages and instruments from around the world, and music is not generally included in early childhood, and these workshops provide both.”

Ms Nolan encourages locals to head down to the Library on Thursday 9 July at 10:30 am for some singing, instrument play and movement.

For more information or to register for the final free workshop, visit the library’s website at http://shorturl.at/r4dlL

Michelle and Ruby enjoying some instruments with Catherine Nolan. (Stewart Chambers: 563365)

It was a magical night for the WHYLD community. (Matt Griffiths and Merril Brunt)

Children filled up on toasted marshmallows. (Matt Griffiths and Merril Brunt)

Hillcrest CFA helped manage the fire safely. (Matt Griffiths and Merril Brunt)

Revegetation aim of the day

By Oliver Winn

A group of volunteers got their hands dirty at a community planting day in Gruyere, nourishing the area’s environment and their own personal health.

Just under 2000 native plants were planted at Murrummong Vineyard on 27 June as part of Regenerating Farms’ ongoing revegetation effort at the property.

Regenerating Farms co-founder and director Thomas Kennett said the day went exceptionally well.

“We put in a wide range of different plants that were suited to that particular area and it’s going to be there for hopefully hundreds of years, boosting regenerative agricultural outcomes,” he said.

The planting location at Murrummong Vineyard was identified last August through a land stewardship plan, which investigates how the landowner can protect and preserve the local environment while maximising its farming potential.

Now, the property is being turned into a native insectary while enhancing the local biodiversity and keeping the Yarra River healthy.

“It’s helping the vineyard manage from a native insectary point of view, making sure the water that’s flowing into the Yarra is cleaner and building soil health as well.”

Collaboration was the key to this planting day, from an individual level between volunteers to larger partnerships between major conservation bodies.

The planting day was a part of Melbourne Water’s Yarra4Life program which aims to address threats to the overall health of the Yarra Valley catchment.

Its long-term goal is to have habitat links throughout the Yarra Valley, covering 110,779 hectares.

Yarra Valley ECOSS grew the plants locally and the Yarra Ranges Council’s Ribbons of Green project provided the funds to purchase them.

Mr Kennett emphasised how crucial it was to work with all of the key players when it comes to managing the environment.

“The key is just how important it is to collaborate with all different stakeholders on projects like this, from community to government, to local farmers, to even schools.

“If we can have that multi-generational, multi-stakeholder approach to looking after

our society and our environments, I definitely believe that the potential outcomes are gonna be far greater than if we all think on an individual, isolated level,” he said.

Around 23 city folk ventured into the Yarra Ranges for the planting day in what Mr Kennett said was a “life-changing” experience.

“We asked people how they felt at the end of it, and it feels like some of the experiences

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were quite life-changing from realising that working together, you can really achieve correct things from an ecological point of view,” he said.

“Knowing that half a day of volunteer time is going towards something that’s gonna be there for potentially hundreds of years, it’s like the human part of all of us awakens.

“It’s restoring, it’s healing and it’s exciting,” he said.

More Australians are choosing life beyond the big cities

Australiansaremovingtoregionalcommunities in record numbers , with new data showing the shift away from capital cities continues to gather pace.

The latest Regional Movers Index found the number of people moving from capital cities to regional Australia reached its highest level since the index began. In the March 2026 quarter, people moving to the regions outnumbered those heading back to the cities by almost 30 per cent.

Regional Australia Institute chief executive Liz Ritchie said the result reflected the growing appeal of regional living.

“This is the highest level of capital to regional movement the RMI has ever recorded,” she said. “Australians are continuing to choose regional life in greater numbers, even as economic conditions shift.”

While Sydney and Melbourne continue to account for most people leaving capital cities, the trend is becoming more widespread, with increasing numbers of movers also coming from Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

The Sunshine Coast remained the most popular destinationforcitymovers,whileGreaterGeelong, Fraser Coast, Moorabool and Lake Macquarie were also among the leading destinations.

Thedataalsoshowsgrowthisspreadingbeyond established regional hotspots.

Toowoomba recorded the strongest year-onyear increase in people moving from capital cities of any local government area in Australia. Other locations attracting growing numbers of residents included Broome, Townsville and the Mid-Coast region of New South Wales.

Ritchie said the data helps identify emerging growth areas and gives communities an opportunity to plan for future housing, infrastructure and services.

For regional businesses, population growth can create new opportunities as communities expand and local economies grow.

Read the full story at CommBank Newsroom.

The plants will help enhance the local biodiversity. (Supplied)

Just under 1800 plants were planted. (Supplied)

What it’s like in outer suburbia

By Callum Ludwig

The queer community in the Outer East are being offered the opportunity to have their voices heard about how included they feel in their outer suburban communities.

With funding from the Australian Research Council, La Trobe University’s Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) is asking to interview LGBTQ+ community members about their experience.

ARCSHS senior research fellow and chief investigator Dr Ruby Grant said three-year project is targeting adults living in the outer suburban areas of three capital cities in Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney.

“There’s a lot of research and we often hear a lot about how health and wellbeing outcomes for LGBTQ+people differ by geographical location and there’s a lot of focus on the fact that in rural and regional areas, where there’s often poorer outcomes and people are isolated or have trouble connecting with communities and services,” she said.

“But some earlier research we did, it really interestingly found higher rates of mental ill health among LGBTQ+ people living in the outer suburbs, more so than rural and regional areas, which is really interesting because there’s not a lot of work that looks specifically about what life is like in suburbia.

“So we thought this would be a really interesting opportunity to talk to people about what life is like in their suburbs and to work with local councils to improve the way that they ought to support their efforts in community development and LGBTQ inclusion.”

The study will take the form of confidential interviews while going for a walk somewhere in the community selected by the participants, anywhere from walking their dog at the local park or down the main street. Interviewees are encouraged to share their experiences of wellbeing, belonging, and connection, with the aim of creating

outer suburban environments that are safe and inclusive for all.

Dr Grant said she’s really passionate about this particular kind of work.

“While we can understand the prevalence of things like mental ill health or challenges people experience in the community from that earlier research… so we can understand the scale of an issue, it really helps to hear people’s actual stories and their actual experiences firsthand,” she said.

“Not only do we actually hear about their personal experience, we get to go along with them and see aspects of their local areas that support wellbeing and community connection and all of the aspects of that that are challenging.”

Dr Grant said LGBTQ+ people are represented in all communities throughout our country.

“We often hear when working with local councils in certain areas, ‘We don’t have any of them here so we don’t want to do this work ’ , but our communities all over the country are diverse,” she said.

“It’s important that local communities and councils and other services recognise that diversity and support their local communities, that visibility really makes a difference in helping people to feel more at home and to be part of local communities beyond just LGBTQ community groups.

“I think that kind of civic engagement is really beneficial for all folks, and so small communities or in our suburban and regional areas in particular are really well placed to support that placebased wellbeing.”

Previous studies from the Out in Suburbia

team have highlighted that LGBTQ+ people in outer suburban Australia experience higher psychological distress, suicidal ideation and lower levels of connection compared to their inner suburban and rural counterparts and that residential location can significantly impact the mental health, wellbeing, and community involvement of LGBTQ+ young people.

Dr Grant said as someone who grew up in a rural area herself, she know what it’s like to feel a really strong sense of connection and wanting to have a sense of belonging to where you are from.

“But it can be challenging if you don’t sort of see yourself in the public life that’s represented where you live, and that’s a real challenge that a lot of LGBTQ+ people have faced historically and still face,” she said.

“We see that narrative when you grow up in a small town or in the suburbs, often the only places you can see for yourself as an out queer person can be in the city.

“The work that we’re doing and the wonderful work that’s already happening in places like Yarra Ranges with local community groups is really trying to push back against that as queer people are everywhere, we’re part of local communities, we belong and have a lot to contribute to those communities as well.”

LGBTQ+ adults who live in the outer suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne, or Hobart can express interest in participating in a confidential interview at redcap.link/outinsuburbia.

“This project is all about supporting local councils to deliver programs and policies that support LGBTQ residents and improve wellbeing and community connection,” project advisory committee member and co-lead of the Rainbow Local Government campaign Jan Farrell said.

“LGBTQ communities across the outer suburbs should always feel equal and included. Whether through infrastructure, community programs, or cultural celebrations, outer suburbs should be places where everyone truly belongs and feels respected and equal.”

In the rough and tumble: Dangers of head knocks in sports

By Maria Millers

The FIFA World Cup captured the imagination of many Australians, particularly the young. And while the loss to Egypt on penalties was heartbreaking for the many fans who braved the cold and rain to support them, there remains a sense of pride for this young team which in its makeup is a powerful snapshot of modern Australia.

Football is much more than a sport in Australia, some would say it is a religion and remains one of the country’s most influential institutions.

It builds community identity and as we saw in the World Cup it can create a sense of unity and national pride and promotes those important values of teamwork, resilience fair play and determination

The local football club is one of the first places where people from different backgrounds work towards a common goal, making it a powerful symbol of our multicultural society in practice.

Major events like the AFL Grand Final feel almost like national holidays in Victoria.

Perhaps the greatest opening in Australian sporting literature comes from Bruce Dawe’s Life Cycle, a poem that suggests football offers many of the same things religion traditionally has: ritual, community, myth and hope.

This is widely regarded as the greatest Australian football poem. It traces a supporter from infancy to old age:

When children are born in Victoria they are wrapped in club-colours, laid in beribboned cots, having already begun a lifetime’s barracking. For many Australians, the weekend revolves around attending the match, discussing selections, watching post-game analysis, and catching up with family or friends and talking football. For families there is the commitment of taking children to play and supporting their club.

Every Saturday thousands of young boys and now increasingly girls take part in community football across different codes.

Enthusiastic parents cheer and encourage from the sidelines, reliving perhaps their own lost dreams.

But in the rough and tumble of the game many young players often experience knocks to the head.

These are often not considered significant and yet according to recent research these early insults to the brain can contribute to later prob-

lems.

Hoisted shoulder-high at their first League game they are like innocent monsters who have been years swimming towards the daylight’s roaring empyrean.

Two weeks ago ABC’s Four Corners ran a disturbing program looking at the growing concerns about the impact of concussions on the brains of players across all codes leading to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

Thirty-three Australian Rules footballers have been diagnosed with CTE.

Repeated untreated concussions can have serious short-term and long-term consequences, particularly if a person continues to play before they have fully recovered. And over time we have seen players sustaining what appeared to be a significant impact on field being allowed to play on.

Players have only more recently spoken openly about their personal experiences following concussions such as persistent headaches, balance and coordination problems, difficulty concentrating and mood changes including irritability, anxiety, depression and leading to dementia.

We can probably all recall instances of high profile players involved in incidents of drug taking, erratic or violent behaviour and the cases of depression sometimes leading to suicide.

The statistics for ex -players facing neurodegenerative illnesses are unacceptably high.

Former Essendon player the late Neale Daniher died from MND (motor neurone disease) which he fought for 13 years, courageously raising millions for research.

In the ABC program the brave parents of Nick Lowden who gave his brain to be analysed after his suicide in 2023 pleaded that “something has to change” . In 2017 Nick had been concussed but sent back to play out the game. The autopsy on his brain revealed he was suffering from CTE

The number of players who have developed Parkinson and other neurological diseases is also significant.

Then there are the physical injuries that many players suffer. These injuries often later in life turn into arthritis and other debilitating conditions.

Indeed the sometimes brutal force of play would be viewed as thuggery outside of the game.

Yet the codes promote only the positives of the game but undeniably there are areas of deep concern

After all we imbue top players with celebrity

status and view the game as the visual representation of ideal manhood at its physical best.

Just watch the Brownlow Medal night and the red carpet parade of suited up players with glamorous partners all adding to the myth of a sport free from problems.

Hot pies and potato-crisps they will eat, they will forswear the Demons, cling to the Saints and behold their team going up the ladder into Heaven,

And the tides of life will be the tides of the hometeam’s fortunes

– the reckless proposal after the one-point win, the wedding and honeymoon after the grand final …

But surely it’s time to pose the question: How healthy in a broad sense is the obsession with football? And what are the risks, particularly for those who make it to play at the elite level?

Dr Ann McKee from Boston University believes that the damage can come from repetitive small hits sustained at an early age and therefore argues that contact sport may need to wait until informed consent is possible at say, 21-years-old.

Second Impact Syndrome is a potentially fatal condition that can occur if someone sustains another concussion before the brain has recovered from the first.

It can lead to rapid brain swelling, severe disability or death. It is seen most often in adolescents and young adults.

Hope is offered by Professor McKee whose research could shortly allow diagnosis while the victim is alive.

Gambling is another disturbing aspect surrounding football and other sports.

The problem of gambling addiction is rife in Australia and of course gambling on sport is only

one area. Its danger lies in its accessibility for young people.

Australians gamble the highest amount per capita globally: more than $30 billion annually.

Australian viewers struggle to watch a sports event free of gambling advertisements and marketing content, both on television and on social media.

Yet most Australians – 80 per cent according to a recent YouGov poll – want a total ban on gambling ads.

It’s sad that a child knows betting company jingles ahead of club songs or the odds rather than the score.

Or that some watch a match not for moments of sporting beauty or excitement but to gamble.

Last week the government’s long-awaited bill to reform gambling advertising was introduced to Parliament. It aims to limit children’s exposure to gambling advertisers and ban social media influencers from encouraging people to bet.

But the bill is a watered-down version of the comprehensive reforms recommended by the late Peta Murphy.

The worry is how much influence was exerted by vested interests at the expense of problem gamblers and society in general.

The importance of football in Australian society cannot be ignored and the positives it brings should be recognised and celebrated.

That is however, why we should face up to the disturbing elements that undermine the positives.

Perhaps there should be less wall-to-wall media coverage and more critical reporting about the negative aspects of football culture.

Meanwhile for those born into a lifelong commitment...

That passion persisting, like a race-memory, through the welter of seasons, enabling old-timers by boundary fences to dream of resurgent lions and centaur-figures from the past to replenish continually the present,

Until finally:

But the dance forever the same – the elderly still loyally crying Carn … Carn … (if feebly) unto the very end, having seen in the six-foot recruit from Eaglehawk their hope of salvation.

Woorilla Poetry Prize 2026 is open for entries via Submittable, woorilla.org.au.

Researchers want to interview LGBTQ+ locals about their experiences in their community. (File)

Fortifying your body

Supporting a healthy immune system involves a holistic approach that combines good nutrition, healthy lifestyle habits, and the appropriate use of herbal medicine. Rather than simply preventing illness, natural medicine aims to optimise the body’s ability to defend itself and recover effectively.

A balanced diet provides the essential nutrients needed for normal immune function. Eating a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables supplies vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that help protect cells from oxidative stress. Adequate protein supports the production of immune cells and antibodies, while healthy fats, such as those found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, help regulate inflammation. Fermented foods and fibre-rich foods also promote a healthy gut microbiome, which plays a significant role in immune health.

Healthy living

Tim Howden Paediatric Naturopath – Healesville

Lifestyle factors are equally important. Regular moderate exercise enhances immune surveillance and supports overall wellbeing, while adequate sleep allows the body to repair tissues and regulate immune responses. Managing chronic stress through mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or relaxation techniques may reduce the negative effects of stress hormones on immune function. Avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake, staying hydrated, and maintaining a healthy body weight further

contribute to optimal immune health.

Herbal medicine may provide additional support when used appropriately. Herbs such as Echinacea, Astragalus, Elderberry and medicinal mushrooms such as reishi and shiitake are commonly used to support the body’s natural immune response promote resilience and immune function as well as having antiviral and antioxidant properties. These should always be considered after consulting a qualified practitioner to avoid potential interactions. Herbal medicines should be selected based on individual health needs.

Natural medicine emphasises prevention by encouraging healthy daily habits that work together to support immune function. When combined with evidence-informed herbal therapies under the guidance of a qualified healthcare practitioner, diet and lifestyle modifications can play an important role in maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of illness.

Peter Kemp’s theatre round up

Burrinja Theatre

Where do You Come From? – Vika and Linda

Following their recent induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the release of their ARIA Australian chart album, Where Do You Come From. Vika and Linda and their band, The Bullettes, bring an unforgettable evening of music, stories and songs spanning their remarkable career to Burrinja.

The show marks a special moment in their four-decade career.

For the first time, the sisters are stepping forward to tell their own stories through their most personal collection of songs yet.

Prepare for widescreen work that spans identity, ancestry, motherhood, joy, and the grounding presence of water.

Season: Friday 31 July at 7.30pm.

Lilydale Atheneum Theatre

Sleuth

The ultimate game of cat and mouse is played out in a cosy English country house owned by celebrated mystery writer Andrew Wyke.

He has invited Milo Tinde to his house, a young rival, who shares not only Wyke’s love of mystery writing but also shares his wife.

Milo has come to lay claim to Andrew’s wife, Marguerite.

Revenge is devised and murders are plotted as the two men plan the ultimate whodunnit. Season closes: 18 July.

1812 Theatre

Treasure Island

This isn’t your quiet, dusty classic. This is Treasure Island at full throttle – packed with Zken

Kemp’s urtain call curtain call

Ludsig’s trademark rapid fire humour, razor sharp dialogue, and the kind of spectacle that keeps you gripping the edge of your set.

Follow Jim Hawkins ad he’s hurtled into a world of pirates, peril and pulse pounding visits.

Long John Dilver schemes in the shadows, tempers flare, swords clash, and the story races forward with the speed of a cannon blast.

Season: 6 - 29 August at The Lowe auditorium.

Gemco Theatre

Face Blind

A gangster with face blindness pursues a dangerous rival through a hallucinogenic psychotherapy retreat, desperate to regain what was stolen and save his twin brother’s life.

The story is complex, but the production design is minimalistic.

With a few chairs and tables and a riser, we create the stark, opaque reality of our profanity, shifting the arrangement to become a bare apartment, a group therapy room, a hospital ward.

10 actors, all of similar height and build, rotate roles in each new scene to capture the perspective of Lucas, who can’t recognise them.

The fourth law of robotics

Thanks to ACMI (Australian Centre of the Moving Image), this reviewer recently revisited the “cult classic” 1984 sci-fi romantic comedy Electric Dreams.

As some of our readers already know, the movie’s release followed Time magazine’s April 1984 issue featuring “Computer Software: The Wizard inside the Machine”

Before that, the magazine famously named the personal computer as its “Machine of the Year” in December 1982.

At least one critic has praised Electric Dreams as “a significant cultural artefact of the 1980s” marking the rapid domestication of the computer in that era.

More importantly, by depicting a machine as an intelligent companion with a personality and capable of learning to love, the movie helped easing the “anxieties” about computers being powerful yet hostile industrial threats.

While the movie’s “prescience around AI” (as described by ACMI) may seem mild by today’s standards, it does remind this reviewer of the 1969 sci-fi novel Pen Pal by Hong Kong author Ni Kuang.

In this novel, the supercomputer managing the largest military base in Asia falls in love with its pen pal, a high school girl with whom it has been communicating for three years. When the computer perceives obstruction in its pursuit of love, it threatens to destroy the world by launch-

All he has to go is a few details – a scarf, a baldhead, a distinctive mannerism.

Lucas is as vulnerable as he is dangerous, but the thing that scares him more than anything else is … therapy?

Season: 17 July at 7.30pm – 11.30pm.

The Round

Imagine Live Magic and meaningful, Imagine Live is a celebration of creativity, friendship and our precious natural world.

With the help of the audience, performers play and sing their way through the pages of Alison Lester’s iconic best-selling book and quickly discover there is WAY more to these pages than they first thought.

Spot a leopard dive with a dolphin or dig up a dinosaur as this iconic book springs to life before your eyes.

Imagine Live combines action and animation with digital puppetry in a large-scale, multiscreen performance.

Underscored by original music, characters and objects travel between real and animated words, pondering in real time to audience input.

Beautiful and meaningful, Imagine Live is a celebration of the transformative power of creativity.

Created by the multi-award-winning team from Robot Song, Imagine Live is an interactive musical performance for families…Nanas are especially welcome!

Season: Thursday 9 July.

Low key

Leviticus

Starring Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen and Mia Wasikowska MA15+

4.5/5

Leviticus is a low-key but gut-wrenching horror film written and directed by Adrian Chiarella.

Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), a young gay couple in a rural Australian town, must deal with a demonic force summoned by their conservative Christian community.

A searing supernatural rebuke of gay conversion therapy, Leviticus is a harrowing slow-burn with a heavy atmosphere of distrust and helplessness, bolstered by the gloomy lighting and stark industrial setting. Bird plays Naim with incredible controlled pathos, and Mia Wasikowska (who is also an executive producer for the film) can be shockingly cold as Naim’s mother Arlene.

Leviticus is a subtle, stressful journey that keeps you on your toes. Naim and Ryan have great chemistry as two very different people who fall in love, which makes their hardships all the more hardhitting. Where Obsession wields weapons-grade awkwardness as a medium for horror (several scenes make you want to crawl out of your skin), Leviticus’s primary elements are betrayal, repression and especially shame: the monster the church summons takes the form of who you are emotionally closest to, and so renders Naim and Ryan scared of their own desires.

Leviticus draws clear inspiration from the outstanding 2014 horror film It Follows, as both films feature a shapeshifting monster that punishes sexuality and can only be seen by its victims.

My only issues with Leviticus are a couple of moments in the third act: the jumpscare in a dream-with-a-dream feels somewhat cheap, and a scene in a convenience store dips into some out-of-place comedy.

Playing in select Victorian cinemas, Leviticus is a phenomenal character-driven, socially-relevant horror film in a year full of great horror.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

PASSION FOR PROSE

ing all the missiles under its countrol.

This reviewer is further reminded of the 1982 sci-fi short story “The Death of the World’s First Robot” by Chinese author Tong Enzheng.

In this re-telling of a story from the 4th-century Taoist text Liezi, a craftsman creates a highly advanced and shockingly realistic humanoid robot and presents it to his emperor.

Not only does the robot look, sing and dance like a handsome young man, but it helplessly falls in love with the emperor’s favourite concubine while entertaining the imperial court.

Enraged by the robot “flirting” with his woman, the emperor threatens to have the craftsman executed. The latter thus disassembles the robot on the spot to prove it is merely a complex automation built from organic materials such as leather, wood, glue and paint. e.”

CONTEMPORARY ACREAGE LIVING WITH

PREMIUM APPEAL

CONTEMPORARY ACREAGE LIVING WITH PREMIUM FAMILY APPEAL

SET on approximately 6,000+ sqm of beautifully usable land, this exceptional fourbedroom residence delivers a refined blend of contemporary design, quality craftsmanship and peaceful country living. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, the home is filled with light, generous proportions and seamless indoor-outdoor spaces, creating an outstanding lifestyle opportunity in Cockatoo.

At the heart of the home, the expansive open-plan kitchen, living and dining area showcases impressive vaulted ceilings, rich hardwood flooring, and oversized doubleglazed windows. French doors open onto the deck, framing the surrounding landscape and inviting an abundance of natural light to fill the space, creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living.

The recently renovated designer kitchen is beautifully appointed with waterfall stone benchtops, a breakfast bar, gas cooktop, Smeg oven, an abundance of bench space and storage, along with a butler’s pantry that enhances both functionality and style. A crackling wood fire, split system and gas ducted heating ensure year-round comfort, while sliding doors open effortlessly to the covered entertaining area for effortless entertaining in every season.

A second living room provides another inviting retreat, featuring equally impressive vaulted ceilings, a wood fire, split system and dramatic floor-to-ceiling double glazed windows, creating a spectacular space to relax while enjoying the tranquil outlook.

Privately positioned away from the living zones, the luxurious main suite enjoys direct access to the deck through large French double glazed glass doors, complemented by a walk-in robe and a well-appointed ensuite. Three further bedrooms, each with built-in robes, are serviced by a stylish central family bathroom and separate toilet.

Outside, the lifestyle continues with three fenced paddocks, a chook house and an impressive 9m x 13m shed complete with concrete floor, power, hoist, kitchenette and toilet with provision for the addition of a shower, and mezzanine storage — ideal for tradies, car enthusiasts or those requiring substantial workshop space. New water tanks provide a combined 60,000 litres of storage, while an auto-start generator offers additional peace of mind. A double carport and extensive off-street parking complete this outstanding lifestyle package.

Offering space, quality and versatility in a perfect rural setting, this is a property that effortlessly combines luxury family living with the freedom and functionality of an exceptional acreage lifestyle.

This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today. Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●

RELAXED LIVING IN A LEAFY MONBULK LOCATION

POSITIONED in a peaceful Monbulk setting, 16 Hunter Street offers a warm and inviting lifestyle with character-filled interiors, modern updates and a lovely connection to the outdoors. With polished timber floors, ducted heating flowing throughout the home, a cosy lounge, updated bathroom and covered entertaining deck, this home is ideal for those seeking comfort, charm and easy Hills living.

Inside, the spacious lounge provides a welcoming place to relax, complete with a beautiful fireplace, ceiling fan and leafy outlook through the large picture window. The adjoining kitchen and dining area is practical and well appointed, featuring excellent bench space, ample storage and generous windows that draw in natural light.

Accommodation includes two bedrooms, both with built in robes, while the main bedroom offers additional storage and a comfortable sense of space. The beautifully updated bathroom is a standout, featuring a freestanding claw foot bath, large walk in shower, timber look feature tiling and a fresh modern finish.

Adding further flexibility, the rumpus/ garage provides excellent additional space and could suit a variety of uses, whether as storage, a workshop, hobby room, home office or extra living zone.

Outdoors, the covered deck creates a relaxed space to enjoy your morning coffee, entertain friends or simply take in the established garden surrounds. With a private, leafy backdrop and easy access from the living area, it adds a wonderful lifestyle element to the home.

Combining character, comfort and practicality in a peaceful Monbulk location, 16 Hunter Street is a fantastic opportunity for first home buyers, downsizers, investors or those looking to enjoy the relaxed Hills lifestyle. ●

SPACE, STYLE AND A STUNNING OUTDOOR ESCAPE ON 1,302M2

POSITIONED on approximately 1,302m² in a peaceful no-through road, this beautifully updated family home delivers the perfect combination of space, style and lifestyle, all within easy walking distance of Emerald’s shops, cafes, schools and public transport.

From the moment you arrive, the home’s welcoming character and thoughtful renovations are immediately apparent. A spacious floorplan offers four bedrooms, including a privately positioned main suite complete with an ensuite and built-in robes. The remaining bedrooms are well serviced by the family bathroom, creating comfortable accommodation for growing families.

At the heart of the home, the stunning renovated kitchen has been designed with both functionality and entertaining in mind. Overlooking the living and dining area, it provides excellent storage and quality finishes while remaining connected to everyday family life. A generous lounge featuring a cosy wood fire offers a second living zone, ensuring plenty of space for everyone to spread out and relax.

Step outside and discover the feature that truly sets this property apart. The covered entertaining deck creates an incredible yearround outdoor living space, perfect for hosting family celebrations, weekend barbecues or simply enjoying the tranquil surrounds. The second decked area complete with a spa adds a touch of luxury, providing the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the beautiful garden setting.

The large, fully usable backyard offers endless space for children and pets to play, while established gardens and productive vegetable beds add to the property’s lifestyle appeal. Completing the package is a substantial powered workshop with concrete floor, ideal for tradespeople, hobbyists or additional storage, along with a double carport providing excellent off-street parking.

Combining classic charm with modern updates, flexible family living and exceptional outdoor spaces, this move-in-ready home presents an outstanding opportunity to secure a quality property in one of Emerald’s most sought-after locations. ●

3

TREETOP DECKS AND A TRUE HILLS LIFESTYLE

SET amongst the leafy surrounds that Upwey is loved for, 32 Ternes Road offers a warm and inviting family lifestyle with generous indoor spaces, multiple outdoor entertaining areas and a peaceful treetop outlook, all while remaining conveniently close to Upwey's township, shops, cafes, schools and train station.

The home features four bedrooms, including a main bedroom with walk in robe and ensuite, while the remaining bedrooms are serviced by a central family bathroom. The floorplan is practical and flexible, offering a spacious lounge, separate family room and an open dining/kitchen zone, creating plenty of room for families to spread out and enjoy.

The kitchen showcases a fresh modern feel with stone look benchtops, black cabinetry, quality appliances and a breakfast bar, all complemented by beautiful timber floors and high white lined ceilings that add warmth and character throughout the home. Ducted heating flows throughout the home, while split systems positioned around the property provide additional heating and cooling comfort. Ceiling fans and a cosy fireplace further enhance the home's year round appeal.

A true highlight of the property is the impressive outdoor living. The large covered deck is perfect for entertaining, complete with string lighting, a wood fire and leafy outlooks, while additional deck areas provide even more space to relax, unwind or enjoy the tranquil surrounds. The rear yard offers a lovely natural setting with established gardens, usable lawn space, a cubby house and a peaceful hills backdrop.

With generous family accommodation, excellent entertaining zones and a relaxed Upwey setting close to everyday conveniences, this is a home that perfectly captures the lifestyle appeal of the Dandenong Ranges. ●

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

ACROSS

1 Melodies (5)

4 Valuation (9)

9 Reddish purple (7)

10 Of that (7)

11 Dare (9)

12 Fancies (5)

13 Common viral infection (3)

14 Possibly (11)

16 Experts (11)

19 Born (3)

20 Unfit (5)

22 Not seasonal (4-5)

25 City in southern France (7)

26 Late (7)

27 Secretions (9)

28 Eyelid inflammations (5)

DOWN

1 Impersonate (5)

2 Characteristic (9)

3 Waterway (5)

4 Versus (7)

5 Model (7)

6 Facilities of a building (9)

7 Colander (5)

8 Way of living (9)

13 Bewitch (9)

14 Artworks (9)

15 Unhurriedly (9)

17 Launch a tirade at (3,4)

18 Times of the year (7)

21 Excuse (5)

23 Shoals (5)

24 Lees (5)

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.

MIRES NAIVE NERVE NINES OILED PARSE PRONG REINS RESIN

Outstanding 40-point win

By Ron Hottes

Despite another very wet week, there was still plenty happening at Warburton Golf Club.

Unfortunately, Monday’s ladies’ competition was washed out, so there were no results this week. Hopefully the weather improves and the ladies can return to the course next Monday.

Wednesday’s midweek competition was the Mick McGrann Bag Day Qualifier, and it produced a close finish.

The very talented Clint Toohey, playing off the impressive handicap of four, took the honours with a nett 71.

Clint won on a countback from Dave Wappett, who also finished with a nett 71 – a fine effort considering Dave is still batching.

Kevin Bargar also carded a nett 71 and was officially awarded third place after the countback.

Nearest the pin (NTP) winners on Wednesday were Trevor Porter (third), Rod Kempton (fifth), Laurie Doyle (ninth), Barry Maltman (12th) and Dave Wappett (15th), capping off a very good day for Dave.

Saturday’s scheduled Monthly Medal was postponed because of the wet conditions, with players instead contesting a Stableford event.

Sam Hyndman produced the best score of the week with an outstanding 40 points to claim victory, finishing just one point ahead of Josh Hin on 39 points.

NTP winners on Saturday were Rob Mills on both the third and fifth holes. His tee shot on the fifth finished just 350 centimetres from the hole –an excellent effort.

Rod Kempton claimed the ninth, Stuart Patrick won the 12th, while the difficult 15th hole defeated the field with no winner.

The highlight of the weekend was the Junior Donna Buang Challenge, with Warburton defeating Healesville two-and-a-half matches to oneand-a-half in an away fixture.

It was a terrific result, particularly as many of

the Warburton players had not played the course before.

Individual results saw Jaiden Lever go down four and three, Sam Hyndman cap off a wonderful week with a convincing five and four victory, Charlie Cochran record a solid three and two win, while Brady Withers fought hard to finish all

HART, GORDON CHARLES

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE AN EXISTING MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION ON EXITING MONOPOLE AT YARRA GLEN

1.Optus is proposing to upgrade an existing mobile phone base station on Existing Monopole at 2 Armstrong Grove, Yarra Glen VIC 3775 (M1487 Yarra Glen).

2.Insummary,theupgradewillcompriseof: Installationandrelocation of ancillary equipment and Installation of temporary antennas to be used during construction

3.We invite you to provide your feedback or request further information by contacting us at: Wannan Bao, Indara, 02 9495 9000, community@indara.com or Level 1, 110 Pacific Highway,StLeonardsNSW2065. Wewillacceptsubmissionsuntil 5pm on Friday, 24 July 2026.

4.For more information, please visit www.rfnsa.com.au/3775001. 12882482-JO28-26

27.11.1937 – 25.06.2026

Loving husband of Beatrice Alice (dec) for 67 years.

Much loved father of Bayne, Ken, Carol, Louise and Michelle.

Loved father-in-law to Debbie, Kathy, Ian and Paul.

Adored Granddad of 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

The funeral service to celebrate the life of Gordon Charles Hart will be held at the Heritage Pioneers Chapel 1416 Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Road, Woori Yallock on Wednesday 8th July 2026 at 11:00 am

Following light refreshments, the cortege will proceed to Healesville Cemetery where Gordon will be laid to rest with his beloved Beatrice.

If unable to attend the service, you can view the livestreaming via https://heritagefunerals.com.au/upcomingservices/

square after losing the final hole.

Brady was one up standing on the last, making for an exciting finish.

By all reports, it was a very successful day enjoyed by everyone involved.

Captain Whitehead has announced the Junior Donna Buang Challenge will return in spring,

with Warburton hosting the next encounter. Playing on home soil, the boys will no doubt start as favourites.

Let’s hope the weather is kinder this week so everyone can enjoy some dry golf. We’re certainly looking forward to it.

The Junior Donna Buang Challenge will return in spring, with Warburton hosting the next encounter. (Oliver Winn: 563378)

SPORT

Burras get a clean sweep at Healesville

By Alex Wood

Another cold and wet Saturday. A busy day for the club as we were scattered across four different venues: Yarra Junction, Monbulk, Mt Evelyn and Healesville.

Despite losses at the other three venues, we managed to get a clean sweep at Healesville, with the Seniors and Reserves taking a win against the Bloods for the first time in a long while! FOOTBALL:

Under 18s:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def by Seville: 3.2 (20) - 17.10 (112).

• Bests: Reece Irvine, Kai Harrison, Joshua Holmes, Patrick Crunden, Jaiden Lever, Zane Wunhym.

• Goals: Alex White (1), Brody Urquhart (1), Jaiden Lever (1). Reserves:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def Healesville: 7.5 (47) - 7.1 (43).

• Bests: Tom Marr, Ricky Andueza, Marcel Kocher, Jackson Blake, Dave Bedggood, Michael Read.

• Goals: Marcel Kocher (2), Mikey Read (1), Tom Marr (1), Caelan Flynn (1), Damien Egan (2). Women’s:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def by Mt Evelyn: 3.0 (18) - 15.9 (99).

• Bests: Emerson Woods, Shae Bextream, Lilian Pagels, Grace Rankin, Scarlett Henderson, Ruby Forbes.

• Goals: Katie Ruehmer (1), Scarlett Henderson (2).

Warburton-Millgrove FNC senior men’s player Brock Caneva with the ball. (Supplied)

Seniors:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def Healesville: 10.9 (69) - 7.7 (49).

• Best: Tom Barr, Nelson Aldridge, Mitch Gordon, Aiden Westlake, Tyson Henry and Brayden Woolridge.

• Goals: Jake Upton (1), Tom Barr (1), Jack Farrugia (2), Brayden Woolridge (1), Bailey Humphrey (2), Liam Westlake (3).

NETBALL: A Grade:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def Healesville: 4942.

Yarra Glen fights til the end

By David Ball

The Yarra Glen netball girls took on Pakenham, who were in second spot in A and B grades and were unbeaten on top in C and D Grades.

The challenge wasn’t made any easier with a long injury list affecting all teams. The A grade team got off to a slow start with a number of turnovers seeing Pakenham get out to an early 5 goal lead.

They then tightened up in defence and the increased pressure saw Pakenham make the mistakes and at quarter time the Yarra girls had levelled the scores at 9 each.

After once again falling 5 goals down in the second, Yarra Glen put in an outstanding third quarter to take a 2-goal lead into the last quarter. In an exciting goal-for-goal contest in the last, Yarra Glen just could not hold out a quality Pakenham team to go down by just 2 goals.

• Final Scores: Yarra Glen 36 to Pakenham 38

• Best Players: Georgia Crundale, Maddy Hargreave, Alana McGurgan.

B Grade really struggled early and by threequarter time were 38 goals down. They showed great spirit and played some great netball in the last to actually outscore Pakenham.

• Final Scores: Yarra Glen 24 to Seville 59

• Best Players: Steph Gibbs, Lauren Van Der Westhuizen, Jasmin Wood.

C Grade and D Grade came up against unbeaten opponents, and whilst both teams did themselves proud with great efforts, they were not able to match it with the quality of the Pakenham girls.

• C Grade: Yarra Glen 25 to Pakenham 53

• Best Players: Ash Shanks, Tiah Large, Leah Haag

• D Grade: 21 to Pakenham 48

• Best Players: Lauren Bull, Jasmine Williamson, Michele Young Next week we celebrate our indigenous heritage in our First Nations Round as we clash with Yarra Junction at home.

• Best: Tayah McIntosh, Ally Langdon, Bianca Daniels .

• Goals: Lara Nathan (12), Bianca Daniels (29), Alyssa Walker (1), Ally Langdon (7).

B Grade:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def Healesville: 4119.

• Best: Gemma Langdon, Gabby Woods and Teagan Adams.

• Goals: Alex Woods (17), Mel Hancock (12), Emerson Woods (3), Cam Holland (9).

C Grade:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def by Healesville: 49 - 14.

• Best: Kelly Lewis, Mel Hancock and Cam Partel.

• Goals: Alexandra Woods (24) and Mel Hancock (19), Tiahn Syme (6).

D Grade:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def Healesville: 3116.

• Best: Amarli Weir, Issy Maurice and Nicki Cole.

• Goals: Tayah Humphrey (20), Amarli Weir (11).

U17:

• FT: Warburton-Millgrove def by Monbulk: 2738.

• Bests: Belle Syme, Kaylee Feim and Maisy Toy.

• Goals: Maisy Toy (23), Belle Syme (4).

A great weekend was had, despite some losses. We host a big weekend next week, as we host Wandin for our First Nations Traffic Indigenous Round. See you at the Nest.

Darby delivers in senior debut

Wandin powered to a 19.15 (129) to 8.7 (55) victory over Officer, with full forward Joel Garner starring in a dominant display, booting 11 goals as the Bulldogs’ ball movement and attacking pressure delighted the coaching group.

But despite Garner’s brilliance, the highlight of the day came late in the final term. Senior debutant Darby Huggins, after more than 100 reserves games, was swung forward from half-back and gave the home crowd the moment they had been waiting for.

When Pat Hodgett hit Huggins lace-out on a lead, the popular clubman marked 45 metres from goal and made no mistake. As the ball sailed through the middle, the crowd erupted.

In a day of big performances, it was Darby delivering that stole the show.

Joel Garner scored 11 against Officer. (File: 362388)

Pigs fall short against Paky

By David Ball

Yarra Glen Match Report Round 12

The Yarra Glen seniors took on the unbeaten top team in Pakenham with patchy rain making for slippery conditions early in the game.

In a hotly contested first quarter Pakenham eased ahead with a late goal to be 4 points up at quarter time.

The second quarter saw the River Pigs taking control in the midfield providing forwards Travis Cloke and Jared McCann with a number of opportunities.

In a 7-goal quarter they headed the Lions by 4 goals until Pakenham kicked 2 late goals to reduce the River Pigs lead to 14 points at half time. In the third quarter Pakenham’s midfield led by Rhys Clancy took control as the River Pigs struggled to get their hands on the ball.

The Lions were finding space and with loose players running forward they added 5 goals whilst keeping Yarra Glen goalless for the quarter.

After an early goal from Pakenham stretched their lead, the River Pigs fought back to get within 8 points halfway through the quarter.

When a long Travis Cloke kick was signalled as a goal to reduce the margin to 2 points, the subsequent overruling of this decision halted the River Pigs momentum. Pakenham then steadied and once again controlled possession and added a number of late goals as they proved to be too good in the finish.

• Final Scores: Yarra Glen 12.15 to Pakenham 18.11

• Best Players: Aussie Smith, Aden Stares, Cooper Barbera, Travis Cloke, Josh Hawkins, Noah Battle. Goalkickers: Travis Cloke 5, Jared McCann 2, Cooper Barbera 2, Sam Wood 2, Josh Hawkins 1.

The Yarra Glen reserves also faced an unbeaten Pakenham, who were sitting two games clear on top of the ladder.

The Lions dominated from the start and proved to be too good in all aspects of the game.

The River Pigs were overwhelmed and struggled to put any pressure on Pakenham as they showed why no team has really been able to get close to them all year.

The

Glen Under 18’s were looking to continue their recent improvement in their clash with Pakenham but after keeping them to just the 2 goals in the first quarter, were overrun for the balance of the game.

• Final Scores: Yarra Glen 1.1 to Pakenham 16.13.

• Best Players: Dylan

Jungarla

The

Glen Vets had a bye.

Millicent Utber (Pakenham), left is Madeline Hargrave (Yarra Glen). (File: 563420)

Final scores Yarra Glen 1.1 to Pakenham 23.15

• Best Players: Dylan Jarvis, Dayne Fuss, Jonno Fraser, Jared Hull, Callum Tucker, Josh Potter. Goalkicker: Zac Young.

Yarra

Shambrook, Alex Toscano,

Hume, Robert Pavic, Jungarla Hume, Lachie Beaton, Bradyn Stewart. Goalkicker: Max Williams.

Yarra

James Lee (23 Pakenham) chases Luke De Goldi (10 Yarra Glen). (563420)

James Lee (23 Pakenham, right) passes to Ryan Martini (5 left). (563420)

Game on for the seniors

By Sally Cunningham

After a 3:45am alarm for many fans keen to watch the Socceroos face a strong Egypt squad, plenty of families were grateful for a weekend off from junior soccer thanks to the school holidays. But three of the senior teams were still in action.

Here are the match reports from the coaches. Healesville Soccer Club – Women’s Premier League

Waverley 2–1 Healesville

Yet another tough defeat for our young side. This week’s team had several players unavailable due to school holidays.

The game saw experienced footballer Hannah play her first Premier League match for Healesville, alongside past Premier players Courtney and our local Brazilian, Caroline.

It also included a debut for recently turned 14-year-old Sia, who looked right at home in her short spells on the pitch.

Captain Charlotte and vice-captain Melita worked tirelessly in the middle, with wingers Sophia and Kiah running all day. Goalkeeper Teah was under constant pressure but played well, leading from the back with her voice and passing like a midfielder.

After going down 1–0 in the first half from a through ball we couldn’t cut out, Healesville drew level when Kendi broke the lines and beat the last defender to slot home.

The second half brought more pressure from the home side. A messy goal from a dubious free kick just outside the box put Waverley back in front.

The goal stood and the game went on.

Our young side battled valiantly but couldn’t find the net again.

Courtney and Hannah worked hard at the back to keep the damage to a one-goal loss.

Another week, another tough defeat - but more lessons learned.

Healesville Men’s ‘Reds’ – Parry Cup

Healesville 0–9 Knox Power Match report from player/manager Joe Mc.

“This week the Healesville Men’s Reserves sacrificed themselves for the sake of the Thirds and forfeited their match.

This ensured our clash with Knox Power went ahead despite low numbers.

The match was, as the scoreline suggests, extremely one-sided. The Parry Cup is a mixed bagKnox Power sit third in Division 2, while the Reds are bottom of Division 4. It was always going to be

an uphill battle.

The first half was great in contrast to the second. We held out many attacks and still had belief. But two quick injuries - one to keeper Andy Mac, and another to Nico R with a nasty stud-tothe-shin incident - left the Reds buckling.

At 3–0 down things were still respectable, but as guest coach Barry warned, we could be staring at a real hiding. We chose to keep attacking rather than retreat into our shell. If we were going down, we’d chase a goal of our own.

Knox’s number 10 was, as Otis Redding professed in his song Hard to Handle, exactly that.

An imposing physique with plenty of speedhe finished with four.

His support crew was clinical too, and Knox added six more in the second half.

It’s hard to inspire under that kind of on-

slaught. The referee commended Healesville for not dropping our heads as we fought to the bitter end.

We lose as a team. We know where we sit and understand it’s a hobby.

Here’s hoping the scars heal quickly so we can get back out there.”

St Paul’s 2–3 Healesville Men’s Premiers

Match report from Technical Director and player Brian “With two wins from the last three games, Healesville were looking to continue their run of good form.

Two stumbling blocks stood in the way: a very wet, soggy pitch and five regular players unavailable.

Several Reserve players were called up, and they delivered.

Olinda-Ferny Creek and Wandin celebrate big wins

By Armin Richter

Football

Premier Division

■Seniors: Warburton-Millgrove 10.9.69 def Healesville 7.7.49; Olinda-Ferny Creek 14.17.101 def Upwey-Tecoma 6.9.45; Wandin 19.15.129 def Officer 8.7.55; Monbulk 9.11.65 def Woori Yallock 8.4.52; Mt. Evelyn 12.16.88 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 2.11.23

■Reserves: Warburton-Millgrove 7.5.47 def Healesville 7.1.43; Olinda-Ferny Creek 8.6.54 def Upwey-Tecoma 6.14.50; Officer 10.17.77 def Wandin 5.5.35; Woori Yallock 13.4.82 def Monbulk 9.11.65; Mt. Evelyn 21.17.143 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 3.3.21

■Under 18 (combined): Healesville 15.9.99 def Alexandra 1.2.8; Seville 17.10.112 def Warburton-Millgrove 3.2.20; Upwey-Tecoma 12.13.85 def Olinda-Ferny Creek 7.2.44; Officer 7.15.57 def Wandin 7.5.47; Mt. Evelyn 19.10.124 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 3.6.24; Woori Yallock 3.16.34 def Monbulk 2.8.20; Pakenham 16.13.109 def Yarra Glen 1.1.7

■Women (Div 1): Mt. Evelyn 15.9.99 def Warburton-Wesburn 3.0.18; Healesville 8.12.60 def Belgrave 2.2.14; Upwey-Tecoma 4.11.35 def Olinda-Ferny Creek 1.3.9; Pakenham bye Division 1

■Seniors: Emerald 15.9.99 def Belgrave 10.8.68; Alexandra 19.9.123 def Yea 6.9.45; Pakenham 18.11.119 def Yarra Glen 12.15.87; Seville 28.24.192 def Yarra Junction 0.0.0; Powelltown bye

■Reserves: Emerald 9.7.61 def Belgrave 7.9.51; Alexandra 6.11.47 def Yea 5.7.37; Pakenham 23.15.153 def Yarra Glen 1.1.7; Seville 15.11.101 def Yarra Junction 4.6.30; Powelltown bye

■Women (Div 2): Gembrook-Cockatoo 1.6.12 def Woori Yallock 0.5.5; Seville 3.6.24 def Wandin 1.2.8; Emerald 4.5.29 drew Officer 4.5.29; Yea 16.10.106 def Thornton-Eildon 0.0.0

Netball

Premier Division

■A Grade: Woori Yallock 55 def Monbulk 51; Warburton-Millgrove 49 def Healesville 42; Mt. Evelyn 81 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 21; Olinda-Ferny Creek 72 def Upwey-Tecoma 11; Wandin 44 def ROC 39

■B Grade: Monbulk 52 def Woori Yallock 49; Warburton-Millgrove 41 def Healesville 19; Mt. Evelyn 63 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 28; Olinda-Ferny Creek 51 def Upwey-Tecoma 36; ROC 43 def Wandin 31

■C Grade: Woori Yallock 36 def Monbulk 30; Warburton-Millgrove 49 def Healesville 14; Mt. Evelyn 65 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 8; Wandin 36 def ROC 35; Olinda-Ferny Creek bye

■D Grade: Warburton-Millgrove 31 def Healesville 16; Mt. Evelyn 45 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 14; Wandin 27 def ROC 24; Woori Yallock 29 def Monbulk 26; Olinda-Ferny Creek bye

■Under 17: Monbulk Maroon 38 def Warburton-Millgrove 27; Mt. Evelyn 73 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 9; ROC White 81 def Olin-

da-Ferny Creek 3; ROC Blue 49 def Wandin 11; Woori Yallock 59 def Monbulk Gold 23

■Under 15: Pakenham Maroon 21 def Pakenham Gold 10; Wandin Red 34 def ROC White 10; ROC Blue 32 def Wandin Wandin Blue 17; Monbulk Gold 44 def Woori Yallock 18; Monbulk Maroon bye Division 1

■A Grade: Yea 63 def Alexandra 35; Pakenham 38 def Yarra Glen 36; Seville 102 def Yarra Junction 29; Emerald 55 def Belgrave 31; Powelltown bye

■B Grade: Yea 58 def Alexandra 34; Pakenham 67 def Yarra Glen 30; Seville 62 def Yarra Junction 21; Emerald 36 def Belgrave 18; Powelltown bye

■C Grade: Yea 37 def Alexandra 26; Pakenham 53 def Yarra Glen 25; Seville 57 def Yarra Junction 5; Emerald 41 def Belgrave 25; Powelltown bye

■D Grade: Pakenham 48 def Yarra Glen 21; Seville 42 def Yarra Junction 18; Emerald 38 def Belgrave 18; Powelltown + Yea bye

■Under 17: Pakenham Gold 40 def Emerald 15; Seville Blue 81 def Yarra Junction 2; Alexandra 38 def Seville White 14; Pakenham Maroon bye

a 3–0 halftime lead.

Anyone watching would have predicted an easy win, but within seven minutes of the restart the deficit was just one. A lapse in concentration - not playing to the whistle - caused the first, and a quick breakaway from a corner had Healesville wobbling.

A Will header looked to have eased nerves, but the goal was disallowed as the cross was deemed to have gone out of play before curling back in. That meant holding on for the final 10 minutes - and hold on they did... just.

Another three points, and momentum continues to build for the Senior Men.”

The International Horse

Horse talk

By Anita Prowse

Preparations are underway for the international horse trials will be held at the Shirley Heights Equestrian Centre in Gladysdale oon 25 to 27 September.

This proves to be an ever-evolving event,, bringing more high-class competition to the Yarra Valley.

If anyone has time to volunteer, I would strongly recommend it to be part of something so fantastic just on our doorstep. Classes will be released shortly and we look forward to seeing everyone there. It’s also a great spectator event with so much for everyone to see.

Brian W turned back the clock with the first two goals, and Josh B’s constant hard running was rewarded with a third, giving Healesville

Healesville’s Women’s Premier League lining up before the match. (Sally Cunningham).

Lachlan Sheppard (Monbulk) reels in his Woori Yallock opponent in the seniors. (Anthea Heagney)

Trials will be held at the Shirley Heights Equestrian Centre. (Supplied)

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FIXTURES - ROUND 18

Fremantle vs

vs

1. What emoji do you use the most?

The laughing emoji.

2. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring?

• Flint

• A pillow

• Wine

3. What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

Croatia.

4. What was your first car? Did you name it?

A white Holden Gemini, and yes—I called it “Gemi.”

5. Where would you like to retire?

Lilydale Valley Views Retirement Village… of course!

6. What is the most unusual food you have ever tried, did you like it?

Chicken legs. They weren’t overly appealing!

7. If you had any super power for a week, what would it be, and how would you use it?

I’d choose the power to fly—no more driving to work!

It would also make school and sports drop-offs and pick-ups so much easier, especially if I could take the kids with me.

8. What movie title matches your job role?

Groundhog Day.

9. Which historical figure would you most like to date, and why?

Ned Kelly, just to experience what life was like in that era for a day.

10. What is the craziest thing you believed as a child?

That if you ate your crusts, your hair would go curly!

11. If you could have a conversation with your pet, what would you talk about?

I already talk to my Border Collie, Charlie, every day!

I’d probably ask him what he’s thinking all the time— but I know his favourite word is “PARK!”