Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Tributes flow for Frank Stephenson
Funding boost for feral deer management
Peonies bring connection in Olinda
Real estate liftout inside
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Scouts descend on Gembrook Over 3000 Cub Scouts gathered at Gilwell Park in Gembrook for the 12th Victorian Cuboree, spending five days immersed in outdoor adventures. Run by nearly 1700 dedicated volunteers, the camp featured rotating activity bases, including obstacle courses, survival cooking, and the fan-favourite mud run, along with evening entertainment. Volunteers even provided The Bubble, a dedicated wellbeing space to support overwhelmed campers. The massive event concluded as a huge success, leaving young participants with lasting life lessons, new skills, and lifelong friendships. See more on page 6
Nate and Will having fun with the bubbles at The Bubble and Well-Being Station. (Stewart Chambers: 581623)
Green light sought
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community feedback. Council has now agreed to begin working on a master plan for the proposed park. The former soccer site is intended to become the Village Green if funding can be secured. The vision includes open green space, paths, trees, barbecue areas and opportunities for children to play. Community members have also suggested features such as a splash pad. The proposed space could also host markets, Christmas carols, picnics and other community events, giving residents somewhere to gather without having to leave town.
Ms te Boekhorst said the Village Green could also help support local businesses by encouraging families to spend more time in Monbulk, rather than travelling to other communities to access parks. The project is estimated to cost around $5 million, with funding now the key barrier. MADCOW is calling on local candidates and representatives to support the project, with State Government funding seen as the pathway needed to make it possible. Read the full story on page 5
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For more than 10 years, Monbulk residents have been planning, consulting and advocating for a public green space in the heart of the township, and the community is now hopeful the longawaited Village Green will finally become a reality. The Monbulk and District Community Working Group (MADCOW) has released a video and launched a petition calling for action and funding, with 469 people currently having signed their support.
MADCOW president Aimee te Boekhorst said the push began following a community plan developed in conjunction with council in 2015. One of the key priorities identified was the need for greater connection and meeting spaces. Ms te Boekhorst said Monbulk has less than two per cent recreational green space, despite having sporting facilities, leaving families without a local park or gathering space. A structure plan followed, before work on an urban design framework began in 2018. The framework was eventually adopted by Yarra Ranges Council in November 2023 following
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By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
NEWS
New response adopted for mental health crises By Callum Ludwig New guidance for paramedics, police and mental health support personnel is set to prioritise a health-led approach when responding to mental health crises. Mental health minister Ingrid Stitt announced the new Mental Health Crisis Response Protocols on Monday 28 September. “When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, they deserve a response that puts their health and wellbeing first while keeping them and the community safe,” Ms Stitt said. “We’re making sure our paramedics, mental health workers and police are in step to deliver a health-led response that is patient centred.” The protocols affect how police, protective services officers (PSOs), mental health clinicians, paramedics and authorised health professionals respond to a mental health crisis, with the Victorian government announcing that the changes will ensure ‘better care is delivered faster and more effectively’ while also ‘freeing up police’. An Outer East paramedic, speaking anonymously, said they think it’s a very good thing that we are moving to a health-led response, especially if it means the police will be freed up. “We can’t section (take a patient for compulsory mental health treatment) someone in Victoria without police being present to do the paperwork, which is what we can do in New South Wales…you (the patient) have to be assessed by a mental health clinician and if you don’t come, then I have to call the police and take you there by force, ” they said. “For a lot of people, having the autonomy or having that option meant that they would just come into the ambulance voluntarily, still under a section, and come to hospital so it meant we weren’t using two services but it also meant that we were the ones making the decisions that whether someone could be sectioned or not. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve taken a patient into hospital that police have sectioned that I disagree with, we don’t have much more training with them, we do one mental health subject in uni, but we have a lot more exposure to mental health patients than they do.” The state health department outlines that police transport should only be considered where a person cannot be safely transported by any other means, while less restrictive alternatives to police transport could include an ambulance with an accompanying mental health practitioner or police member in the ambulance to support safe transport. The paramedic said they will still go in with police when necessary, but it should be better for patient autonomy and they are really excited for the change. “We probably get the most training and support in regard to safety within the workplace, we have the ability to walk away from a patient if
Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt announced the new protocols on Monday 28 September. (File: 376468) there is any threat and we can refuse to attend a patient until police arrive, we’re very protected in the space,” they said. “We probably need a training day on how we implement the restructure but otherwise I think we have the capability. “I may be biased considering I do have experience doing it, I have spoken to paramedics who feel nervous about it.” The protocols were signed off on by the Department of Health, Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police, however the relevant unions have publicly expressed disappointment at not being included in the discussions. The Health and Community Services Union, which represents mental health workers, issued a statement expressing their ‘emphatic’ support for a health-led response but disappointment at having been ‘left out of the conversation.’
The Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill told the ABC he only heard more about the protocols through the media and expected that the ‘vast majority’ of cases would still be co-responses with police and paramedics, especially given the potential risk to paramedics. The VAU was contacted for comment. An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said Ambulance Victoria welcomes the work led by the Department of Health to provide clear guidance and reinforce the roles of emergency agencies responding to mental health crises in the community. “The protocols reinforce the importance of a health-led response to provide patients with the care they need, while still ensuring the support of other agencies depending on each patient’s particular needs,” they said. “The agreement puts patient care and welfare
first and provides clarity to our paramedics and first responders attending mental health calls, to ensure patients are supported in the least restrictive way that is safe and reasonably practicable. “Ambulance Victoria is developing further resources to support our paramedics and first responders, which will complement existing clinical practice guidelines and other procedures.” Ambulance Victoria teams respond to more than 65,000 calls per year either through an ambulance dispatch or telehealth support with a mental health clinician via the Triage Services team. A Victoria Police spokesperson said Victoria Police recently signed a protocol which clarifies the role of police when responding to mental health crises. “This reinforces the preference for a healthled response wherever possible, with police involvement only to be requested as a last resort,” they said. “Victoria Police continues to be responsible for public safety, preserving the peace and responding to immediate risks. Police and protective services officers retain power to take a person into care and control during a mental health crisis to prevent imminent and serious harm to the person or others. “Health agencies will continue to be the primary response option where patients have absconded from mental health units or while subject to compulsory treatment orders with police providing support only in circumstances where police powers are necessary.” In 2025, Victoria Police responded to 59,014 total mental health related callouts. Mental Health Victoria (MHV) chief executive Phillipa Thomas said this is something that mental health services have been eager to have resolved because it matters a lot in terms of a person’s care, with MHV welcoming the agreement being reached. “These situations are really hard and often distressing – ambiguity amplifies that exponentially, so having this clarified is an important step forward,” she said. “When it comes to situations where you are limiting a person’s freedom any professional with a role in that process is going to feel really cautious about getting it right, so a lack of clarity in this space has been really hard for everyone. “The absence of the protocol has meant there has been an absence of that clarity… it has had an impact on the timeliness and quality of people’s care.” Ms Thomas highlighted delays in urgent treatment, distress for staff, families and carers, unhelpful tensions between frontline services and the gradual decline of the PACER (Police, Ambulance, Clinician, Early Response) as issues continuing to plague the response to mental health crises in Victoria, and the reason why MHV has called for an urgent reset of the mental health reform agenda.
Doctors strike as dispute over pay, conditions drags on By Allanah Sciberras, AAP Exhausted doctors may be close to their first “meaningful” offer for improved pay and conditions after ditching their scrubs and walking off the job. Thousands of doctors across Victoria united in solidarity on Thursday 1 October, many braving the rain and gathering on the steps of Melbourne’s Parliament House calling for improvements to their working conditions. Eastern Health confirmed with Star Mail on Tuesday that it was planning for the stop-work action and “determining staffing impacts” across its facilities. “We acknowledge and respect each employee’s right to participate in protected industrial action and are working collaboratively with medical staff to ensure safe patient care is maintained across our services,” a spokesperson said. Union members have been locked in fractured negotiations with the state government for more than a year. A deal is yet to be reached, despite Health Minister Ingrid Stitt remaining hopeful a resolution is not far off. 2 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
As well as better pay, Victorian doctors want shift limits and guarantees of days off. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)
AMA Victoria president Dr Simon Judkins speaks to media ahead of a Victorian doctors protest outside the Victorian Parliament on 1 October. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)
“My message to doctors is we are listening and absolutely committed to continuing discussions with your union to make sure that we come to a settlement,” she said. The government met with union representatives on Thursday, with hopes of the “first meaningful offer that we can take to our members”, AMA Victoria president Simon Judkins said. Chants of “shame” could be heard as the lack of a pay deal was raised. Signs reading “Keep our mum safe” and “Tired doctors = patients suffer” could be seen among the
crowd. Conditions outside were difficult, with rain pouring down, but it was clear that what doctors faced inside hospitals were even tougher. “This won’t be the last strike. Be ready,” one union speaker said. Zak Doherty, who works at a major metropolitan hospital, told AAP conditions needed to improve immediately. “Instead of having to do 14 hours straight shifts, we want to do 12 and a half hours,” he said.
He has been working as a doctor for six years and is often on call for multiple nights in a row, during which he gets only two or three hours of sleep each night. “I’m expected to care for patients Monday morning. It’s unfair for that patient that looks at me in the clinic room, and they can tell I’m exhausted,” he said. “We know how to manage fatigue, we know how to call on our colleagues to help us when we need, but we shouldn’t have to do that.” Emergency departments were exempt from the strike on Thursday and emergency surgeries also went ahead, with hospitals staffed above Saturday levels. Alongside increased pay, doctors are demanding at least three guaranteed days off every fortnight to support proper rest and recovery. Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier told reporters that, if elected in November, the coalition would enter into good faith negotiations with the union. “This government hasn’t understood the complexity of our whole system and hasn’t understood the needs of what is going on,” she said. “The system is at breaking point.”
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IN BRIEF Fatal Cockatoo crash Police are investigating a fatal crash in Cockatoo on Tuesday evening, 29 September. Emergency services responded to reports that a motorcycle had lost control and crashed into a pole on Woori Yallock Road near the intersection with Avon Road about 6.20pm. The yet-to-be formally identified motorcyclist died at the scene. The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined and will be investigated. Anyone who witnessed the crash, has CCTV/ dashcam footage or anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at www. crimestoppersvic.com.au. The latest provisional road toll now stands at 194 lives lost on the state’s roads this year.
School zone reminder
Small businesses are feeling the pressure from new card surcharge laws. (Supplied)
Cards pressure on small businesses By Claudia Mather As of Thursday, 1 October, businesses are no longer able to charge customers a surcharge for paying by card. A surcharge in the context of card payments is an extra fee charged by a merchant to a consumer for using a card to pay for a transaction. Small businesses across the outer east share growing concerns about the merchant fees now falling back onto them. Absorbing these bank fees and raising prices is not something any small business wants to do in light of the ever-evolving rising costs. Assistant venue manager at Healesville Hotel, Roxy, said the surcharge ban is an additional struggle the business will have to take on. “We have to now absorb that ourselves, which is thousands of dollars,” she said. “Now we’re having to look at price increases on our food and on our beverages, just so that it doesn’t kill us as a business.” The Healesville Hotel currently has a card surcharge of 1.3 per cent to 1.7 per cent depending on the kind of card being used. As of the start of October, this cost will fall back onto the business. Roxy said that the team at Healesville Hotel are looking into ways they can encourage people to use cash and steer away from card payments but are conscious that people are already struggling day to day as it is. “With the cost of living right now, people can’t afford anything anyway,” she explained. Roxy worries that the surcharge ban will drive a divide between customers and business owners for something that is out of their control. “It was the same when COVID happened;
businesses were having to explain themselves over and over again, explaining that it wasn’t us and that we are just doing our jobs,” she said. The surcharge shift follows findings from earlier this year in March by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). RBA’s Payment Systems Board’s Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging drove the decision to act on the no-surcharge rules. “The RBA has concluded that it is in the public interest to remove surcharging for all designated card networks from 1 October 2026,” they wrote on their website. “These changes allow the designated card networks to impose a ban on surcharging for credit, debit and prepaid card payments on their networks.” Upwey Pizza shared their concerns in a recent post on their Facebook Page. “Saying this isn’t frustrating would be a lie,” they wrote. “Across a year, those surcharges add up to tens of thousands of dollars for Upwey Pizza.” “From Thursday, that comes straight out of the bottom line, which is a significant hit for a business already absorbing rising costs on every front.” For the past few months, Upwey Pizza has been analysing how they can move forward with the new rule from October 1. “The cleanest way would be a 50c price increase across all products; that should get us pretty close to containing it,” they wrote. They insisted they do not wish to reduce the quality of the ingredients used or change their generous portions. Upwey Pizza also acknowledged that the 50c price increase across the board does not
rule out the unfairness to customers who already pay cash to avoid these fees. “We’re sorry about that.” “If we can make it through all that, then we have a good shot at surviving what can only be described as the most relentless, brutal chapter in hospitality.” Similarly to Upwey Pizza, other Outer East small businesses like Yarra Junction Hardware are taking to Facebook to update customers. “We wanted to share exactly what this means for our business and community,” they wrote. “The new law removes that fee from your view, but it doesn’t remove it from existence.” “Now for every single card transaction, the bank adds a processing fee that we are forced to pay.’ Yarra Junction Hardware estimates that these new bank fees will cost around $4,000 a month. “To put that into perspective, that is the equivalent of a full-time staff member’s wage gone every single month, straight into the bank’s pockets,” they shared. Like most small businesses, Yarra Junction Hardware emphasised the difference paying cash can make for them. “Processing cash takes just minutes of our day—nowhere near as costly or devastating as the thousands of dollars in new card fees we are now copping from the banks.” “We love our community and want to keep our doors open for a long time to come.” While this might appear as an exciting change for customers tapping their card for a morning coffee, fresh pizza, or a new tool, it presents a significant challenge for small business owners navigating an already murky cost-of-living crisis.
Police will be out enforcing speed limits in school zones following a horror month on the state’s roads. There were 40 deaths statewide in September compared with 28 for the same month last year. It means September was the deadliest month so far this year, ahead of April, which had 26 deaths. Thirty-eight pedestrians have died on Victoria’s roads this year, the latest figures show, with twice the number of pedestrian fatalities on a Monday than any other day of the week. For pedestrians aged zero to 17, there were 305 recorded collisions in the last recordable 12-month period, with most collisions between the hours of 8-9am and 3-4pm. The shocking data comes today as Victoria Police urge everyone to take extra care when travelling around school zones as children return to school this week. Children are among our most vulnerable road users. They’re less developed physically and cognitively and have less experience around traffic, and it’s up to all of us to ensure kids are protected. “We have a collective responsibility to ensure kids are protected,” Road Policing Operations and Investigations Division Supt Michael Kelly said. “Each of us needs to do all we can to make sure children are safe around roads, particularly when travelling to and from school. For motorists, this means slowing down and being more alert around schools.”
Volunteer call-out Knox SES is calling for new volunteers who are available during the day to join its operational response team. In a Facebook post, Knox SES said its volunteers respond to a range of emergencies, including storms and floods, road crashes and requests for emergency support from other agencies. The post reads that many of the unit’s volunteers work full-time during the week, making members who can respond during weekdays important to its operational capability. Daytime volunteers may respond to incidents involving fallen trees, building damage and severe weather, as well as serious road crashes where people are trapped in vehicles. People who work from home, have flexible hours, study, work shifts, are semi-retired or otherwise have availability during the day are encouraged to register their interest. Register your interest in volunteering with VICSES Knox Unit today: ses.vic.gov.au/join-us/ volunteer
State Member for Monbulk 1635 Burwood Hwy Belgrave VIC 3160 9754 5401
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Vale, Frank Stephenson By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Frank Stephenson receiving a plaque recognising his service, now displayed in the Stephenson building. (Supplied)
Former captain Terry Potter presenting Frank Stephenson with a commemorative trophy recognising his 15 years as captain. (Supplied)
Ferntree Gully Fire Brigade members mourn the passing of former captain Frank Stephenson. (Supplied) Mr Stephenson said his father’s legacy would be remembered through the work he carried out during his time with the brigade, including the processes he helped implement and the hall he pushed to have built. The building has since been named after the Stephenson family. For Mr Stephenson, one of the things he will miss most is simply being able to sit down with his father and talk. “I live on the site where they had the house.
I live at the rear of the house in a bungalow,” he said. “Just being able to go down and say g’day, have a chat, talk about the fire brigade, it was nice.” “I used to try and keep him updated with what was going on at the brigade, there was a good chat there.” Frank Stephenson’s funeral will be held on Monday, 12 October from 2pm at the Ferntree Gully Fire Station.
Frank Stephenson with his good mate and fellow former Ferntree Gully CFA captain Robert O’Toole at the 40th anniversary of Ash Wednesday at Cockatoo. (Supplied)
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Former Ferntree Gully Fire Brigade captain Frank Stephenson peacefully passed away on Friday, 25 September at an aged care facility. The 94-year-old was a beloved member of the Ferntree Gully community, he first joined the brigade in 1959 as a foreman, third in charge. In 1962, he became a lieutenant, second in charge, and nine years later, he took over as captain, a role he held for 15 years. After stepping down as captain, Mr Stephenson continued his service as a deputy group officer with the Knox group of fire brigades, a position he held for about 25 years. His eldest son, Bob Stephenson, said the brigade was “basically all his life”. “He dedicated most of his life to the fire brigade, he set out new things and had ideas,” he said. One of those ideas was the construction of a large hall at the back of the fire station, which still stands today and is used for volunteers to train, hold functions and for whatever the community needs. “He was respected by a lot of his peers,” Mr Stephenson said. He said his father always did what he believed was best for the brigade and the community. “Firefighting meant a lot to him, even up to his later days, he would say, ‘Oh, that wouldn’t happen in my day’,” he said. “But it took up most of his time. I was in the fire brigade as well and I admit, I’ve sort of followed his footsteps in a way too.” Mr Stephenson also recalled one incident during Ash Wednesday, when his father and other firefighters were at Courtneys Road in Belgrave South as the fire approached. As the fire came towards them, the crew began to retreat. Mr Stephenson said his father fell and broke or seriously injured his ankle, leaving him off work for nine weeks. “One of the other firemen had to pick him up and basically throw him on the back of the truck and get out of the way,” he said. For Mr Stephenson, his father’s commitment to the brigade remained clear even in his final days. After his health began to decline, Mr Stephenson moved into an aged care facility, where his son said he continued to talk about the brigade. “He was having all these weird stories he was telling them, but a lot of them still involved fire brigade,” he said. “He still had fire brigade in his mind. He was driving a fire truck the other day, only a couple of days before he passed.” The Ferntree Gully Fire Brigade also paid tribute to its former captain, describing Mr Stephenson’s passion for the brigade and community as “unquestionable”. “In his day Frank was a leader of the Ferntree Gully Fire Brigade and Knox Group. Having significant impact on many members, who, with passion and commitment, he supported and developed into outstanding fire fighters,” the post reads. “Frank will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues.”
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Heroic action at Upper Ferntree Gully saves a life By Shamsiya Hussainpoor A quick response from staff at Upper Ferntree Gully Station may have saved the life of a passenger who suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday, 27 September. The station master Zachary Campbell saw the incident and quickly attached the station’s defibrillator before performing CPR. Ambulance Victoria responded to reports of an incident in Upper Ferntree Gully at about 10.30am, with Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics attending the scene. An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said a man in his 70s was transported by road ambu-
lance to the Alfred Hospital in a critical condition. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) also attended at about 10.40am. Metro Trains chief executive officer (CEO) Raymond O’Flaherty praised the station team for their swift response. “I’m so proud of our amazing team at Upper Ferntree Gully Station. Their quick actions may have saved the life of our passenger,” Mr O’Flaherty said. “Our teams care deeply about the safety and wellbeing of our passengers. We are thankful that Greg got the help he needed at the right time.” Mr O’Flaherty also thanked the station mas-
ter, Mr Campbell and the wider team for their actions. “I want to thank the station master, Zachary and the team at Upper Ferntree Gully Station for their quick action,” he said. “Every day our teams come to work ready to provide a top quality train service, but more importantly they come to work ready to help. From helping passengers plan their journey or saving a life, this is what they do.” “We wish Greg all the best for a speedy recovery, and we’re looking forward to seeing him again at Upper Ferntree Gully Station.” The Alfred Hospital was contacted for an update.
Quick action after passenger suffered a cardiac arrest at Upper Ferntree Gully Station. (On file)
Monbulk seeks Green light By Shamsiya Hussainpoor It’s been more than 10 years since Monbulk residents began planning, consulting and advocating for a ‘Village Green’, and they are now hopeful their long-awaited vision will become a reality. The Monbulk and District Community Working Group (MADCOW) has released a video and launched a petition calling for action on the proposed green space, and currently 469 people have signed it. MADCOW president Aimee te Boekhorst said the push began following a community plan developed in conjunction with council in 2015, which identified a strong desire for greater connection and meeting spaces. “In 2015, we did a community plan in conjunction with the council,” she said. “One of the biggest things that came out of that was the community wanting connection and meeting spaces, and so we were advocating with the council then about getting parkland for Monbulk because we’ve got less than two per cent recreational green space within our town. “We’ve got fantastic sporting facilities up here, but we’ve got no parks, no playing space, no gathering centres.” A structure plan followed, before work on an urban design framework began in 2018. That framework was eventually adopted by Yarra Ranges Council in November 2023, after a process that involved community feedback. Ms te Boekhorst said the next step was a master plan for the park, with the council having agreed to begin working on one. But despite the planning work, funding remains the key barrier. Ms te Boekhorst said the project was estimated to cost around $5 million, including removing the existing pitch and laying the foundations for the planning and work needed to develop the park. The former soccer site is now intended to become the Village Green. Ms te Boekhorst said the demolition of the old soccer building and the placement of rocks at the site were an early step towards showing what the area could become.
Monbulk’s current former soccer field could become the Village Green if funding comes through. (Shamsiya Hussainpoor: 499740) The vision includes open green space, paths, trees, barbecue areas and opportunities for children to play. Community members have also suggested features such as a splash pad, while the space could provide a location for markets, Christmas carols, picnics and other community events. Ms te Boekhorst said keeping the area open and maintaining views towards the Hills was an important part of the vision. “We’re not asking for massive,” she said. “It’s just a place, and it’d be great to run our market down there and our Christmas carols we’ve got nowhere to run events.” For Ms te Boekhorst, the need goes beyond creating somewhere for people to sit or play. She believes the Village Green could help bring people into Monbulk’s shops and support local businesses, while giving families a reason to stay within their own community. “Our families have to leave town to be able to go to a park, we’re a non-commuted town. We live and work in the area,” she said. “People really support local, but they’ve got nowhere they can gather with their families.” Monbulk families currently travel to places including Emerald and Olinda to spend time at
parks, meaning they also spend money in those communities. “If we had this in town, our families are going to stay here, our shops are going to thrive, and our businesses are going to thrive,” she said. The proposed green space could also help connect parts of the township that Ms te Boekhorst described as “currently disconnected”. She said the parkland could help link the main street with the pavilion and other parts of the community. “It actually will bring all of that Main Street in,” she said. The push comes as MADCOW looks to the upcoming state election for a potential funding commitment. Ms te Boekhorst said a $4.5 million pledge was made by the Liberal state candidate at the last state election, but the candidate and the Liberal Party did not get into government, and there was no pledge from the Labor side. With the proposed Village Green sitting on the council land, she said State Government funding was seen as the pathway needed to make the project possible and they’re now calling on local candidates and representatives to recognise the importance of the project and provide funding. Ms te Boekhorst said she’s “hopeful”.
“We’ve done some really strong advocating in this space, and hopefully they’ve heard how important this is to our little community,” she said. The petition is also intended to demonstrate the strength of community support, with Ms te Boekhorst saying the whole community was behind the project. MADCOW has 25 members representing different groups within the community and describes itself as a not-for-profit, member-based organisation focused on projects, events and practical activities that support and promote community development. For Ms te Boekhorst, the Village Green represents something the community has been asking for throughout years of planning and advocacy. “I genuinely feel like it’ll be the biggest change for Monbulk in such a positive way,” she said. “It’s the one thing that we’re missing. It really is.” MADCOW is encouraging residents to sign the petition and contact local candidates to express their support for funding the Village Green. The petition can be signed here: shorturl.at/ KfOm7 Link for the Village Green video: monbulkvillagegreen.my.canva.site/
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1st Casey Scout Group and 1st Narre Warren North Scout Group after the mud run (Stewart Chambers: 581623)
Scouts gather in Gembrook By Claudia Mather Imagine the biggest campsite you’ve ever seen and multiply it by 10; that is what Cuboree at Gilwell Park in Gembrook looked like this past week. From Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October, over 3000 Cub Scouts, aged eight to 11, packed their bags and jumped on a bus to spend five days and four nights at Scouts Australia’s biggest campsite. This year marks the 12th Victorian Cuboree, held every three years, welcoming young people since 1926. Volunteers planned and ran the Cuboree entirely. This included 1,446 adult leaders and 243 older youth members aged 15 to 25 from the Venturer and Rover sections. Most of the volunteers dedicated their time by using annual leave from work to care for the Cubs. Rover and Bubble Team member Brittany joined Scouts as an adult and is grateful for the opportunities and endless support the experience has given her. She has enjoyed passing the same on to the younger Cubs.
“Being able to be a part of making sure the kids get that same experience is a really nice way to give back,” she said. The Bubble, where Brittany was stationed, was set up on site at Cuboree as a short-term wellbeing space for Cub Scouts to visit when they were feeling overwhelmed and needed a break from activities. “It’s been fantastic from the moment I got here on Sunday for set up; we’ve just been having a really fun time,” she smiled. “It’s a big adventure for the Cubs; they get to have a taste of being out in the world and having a go at things, learning something new.” Brittany’s experience as part of the Bubble Team meant she was able to support Cubs when they needed it most. For many of the thousands of Cubs attending Cuboree, this is the longest time they’ve spent away from their homes. “Just to be able to get those kids to a point where they feel like they’ve got it in themselves to make it through is massive,” Brittany said. From Tuesday to Thursday at Cuboree, the kids rotated through numerous activity bases, completing two each day.
Each base catered to 500 to 600 Cubs at a time. Activities ranged from obstacle courses to survival cooking and stagecraft skills, and the Cuboree-famous mud run. The consensus across the large number of Cubs was that the mud run was a highlight. “The mud run was pretty fun,” Sharna from 1st Narre Warrn North Scout group said, covered head to toe in mud. “I’m still drenched,” she laughed. “Where we are, the kids walk past us on the way back from the mud run,” Brittany explained from the Bubble site. “Seeing them walk back to their camp, covered in mud with the biggest smile on their faces, is really fun.” At Cuboree, campsites were divided into each Scout Group. Each unit became a small village of its own with up to 36 Cubs in six different patrols. Colourful, imaginative arch gateways welcomed Cubs to their temporary home bases, adding a touch of magic to each unit. These campsites are where the Cubs slept, ate, and spent time together when they weren’t
participating in Cuboree activities. Each night, after the sun went down, the fun continued with a different show, including comedy and live music performances from an array of local artists. Wednesday night was the Cubs Got Talent show where Cubs with a hidden talent could step on stage and perform. “Some of it was pretty funny,” Sharna said. Cubs could choose to perform through singing, dancing, magic, comedy, and storytelling. The sheer scale of Cuboree meant every tiny detail had to be planned for the week to be a success, and volunteers spent the last two years planning and coordinating Cuboree. Across the five days, up to 70,000 meals were served, and the campers celebrated 68 birthdays. From two years of meticulous planning to smiling muddy faces, the success of Cuboree stands as a testament to the dedication of its volunteers and everyone involved. The thousands of young Cubs returned home in need of a warm shower and an abundance of newly learnt life lessons, skills, and friendships that will be carried for life.
Members of Carrum Downs and Ballam Park Scout Group with Emerald as a dragon. (Stewart Chambers: 581623)
Manny from Warrandyte Scout Group on the rock climbing wall. (Stewart Chambers: 581623)
Nate and Will having fun with the bubbles at The Bubble and Well-Being Station. (Stewart Chambers: 581623)
Emmett (First Aid) and Brittany (Well-being Team) (Stewart Chambers: 581623)
6 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
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NEWS
ADVERTORIAL
A funding announcement of $1.7 million by the Victorian Government will target high-priority regions like the Yarra Ranges to control feral deer populations. (Supplied)
$1.7m for feral deer control The Victorian government has allocated an additional $1.7 million to tackle the state’s expanding feral deer population, focusing on vulnerable habitats, farmlands, and outer-suburban communities. The new funding targets high-priority regions where invasive deer cause significant damage to native vegetation, agricultural land, and local ecosystems. Of the total package, $1 million is earmarked for Melbourne’s eastern fringe, including the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Yarra Ranges, Knox, and Cardinia, to prevent deer from encroaching on urban neighbourhoods and private land. A further $500,000 will go toward sambar and hog deer management at Wilsons Promontory, complementing an ongoing project to construct a pest-exclusion fence. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes emphasised the practical focus of the expanded operations. “Deer damage forests, farms and native habitat – we’re stepping up control where they’re doing the most harm,” Ms Symes said. “Whether it’s controlling deer at Wilsons Prom, protecting the Dandenong Ranges or getting better data on where they are – we’re taking practical action to reduce their impact across the state.” The control measures will be managed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Parks Victoria, local councils, and private landholders, prioritising public safety alongside environmental recovery. Additionally, $200,000 has been granted to the Arthur Rylah Institute to update Victoria’s official deer population estimates to better direct future culling efforts. Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino highlighted the regional relief the funds aim to bring to affected communities. “This funding is a welcome recognition of the unique challenges we face in the hills and will help tackle a problem that affects our environment, growers, road users and the broader community,” Ms De Martino said. While the Invasive Species Council welcomed the funding boost, the conservation group warned that a short-term financial injection is insufficient given the massive scale of the infestation across Victoria. “This new funding is a welcome investment, but it needs to be the start of sustained action on Victoria’s growing feral deer prob-
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lem - not just a plan for the election,” Invasive Species Council Advocacy Director Reece Pianta said. “But $1.7 million is still tiny compared with the scale of Victoria’s feral deer problem. Victoria needs a much bigger and longer-term commitment to bring deer numbers under control.” Under current Victorian regulations, landholders are permitted to manage pest deer on private property without prior authorisation, except for protected hog deer. However, the Invasive Species Council argues that regulatory hurdles and lack of long-term support continue to hinder effective regional management. “Communities and land managers have been calling for stronger action on feral deer for years. It’s good to see the Victorian government responding to those concerns,” Mr Pianta said. “Feral deer don’t disappear after election day. Victoria needs ongoing funding that gives communities and land managers certainty that control will continue year after year.” Mr Pianta urged the government to reinstate dedicated support roles and focus on prevention in areas where deer populations remain small. “The government should restore community deer coordinator roles to help land managers coordinate control and navigate the complexities created by Victoria continuing to protect feral deer as game,” he said. “We also need renewed investment in eradication in western Victoria, where deer numbers are still relatively low and eradication remains achievable. This is our chance to stop deer becoming the enormous problem in the west that they already are in eastern Victoria. Waiting until deer are widespread across western Victoria will make the problem far more difficult and expensive to deal with, while allowing more damage to native vegetation, waterways and wildlife habitat.” The $1.7 million package builds on $4.4 million in existing annual funding under the Victorian Deer Control Strategy. Conservation groups maintain that transforming this strategy into a permanent, statewide eradication program remains vital. “This announcement is a good step. Now we need to turn it into lasting action - ongoing investment, restored community coordinators, regulatory reform and eradication in western Victoria,” Mr Pianta said.
Sell out crowd for Bonegilla Cameo performance. “Bonegilla-The migrants’ journey” has sold out the 309seat Cameo Cinema twice and is headed for a third full house on Sunday 11th October at 1.30pm. Many people in Melbourne, immigrated to Australia because of World War 2 and its crippling effect on the European economy, infrastructure devastation and fear of repeated violence. Leaving behind their relatives and history going back many decades, these migrants made the tough decision to board ships to Australia; a country they knew nothing about. Many that took this life changing plunge, came through the Bonegilla migrant camp, near Albury / Wodonga as “New Australians”. Using interviews Simon Reich has recorded with for-
mer migrants from European countries, this performance gives voice to the hardships but life affirming stories these immigrants share, giving them a chance for the often-untold stories to be finally heard. The show uses the cinema’s large screen; with interviews and also photos and home movies. This is then embellished with a live music soundtrack played by piano and a violin. It will be performed at the Cameo Cinemas 1628 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave on Sunday 11th October at 1.30pm. Here is link to secure your seats. https://www.cameocinemas.com.au/movies/bonegilla-the-migrants-journey
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Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 7
HEALTH & WELLNESS 12882428-AD28-26
L-R: Bridie and Hannah are continuing care at Belgrave Eye Care’s new home. (Stewart Chambers: 573981)
Visit Belgrave Eye Care for all your optometry needs. (573981)
Familiar faces, new home Since opening the doors of Belgrave Eye Care, optometrists and co-owners Hannah Skehan and Bridie Homfray have been delighted to re-
connect with familiar faces and welcome many new patients from across the Dandenong Ranges.
PROVIDING ALL GENERAL DENTAL & EMERGENCY SERVICES
Having cared for local families throughout the Hills community for many years, they have developed a deep appreciation for the important role vision plays at every stage of life. Over their years in practice, Hannah and Bridie have noticed that many people only think about their eyes when something changes. Reading may become more difficult, road signs may appear less clear, tired eyes or headaches may become more frequent. While vision is often the reason people book an appointment, regular comprehensive eye examinations can provide valuable information about much more than whether a person needs glasses. Many eye conditions develop gradually and without obvious symptoms. Conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration can often be detected during routine eye examinations, sometimes before a patient notices any change in their vision. Eye examinations may also reveal signs associated with broader health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. For Hannah and Bridie, this highlights the value of regular preventive eye care. “One of the most rewarding parts of our work is detecting changes early, before they have had a major impact on a person’s vision or quality of life,” they said. “Early detection often provides more oppor-
tunities for effective management.” Children’s eye care is another area Hannah and Bridie are passionate about. Good vision is closely linked to learning, confidence and development, yet some visual problems can be difficult for parents and teachers to recognise. A child may not realise their vision differs from others, making regular eye examinations an important part of supporting their education and development. Adults face their own visual challenges, particularly as screen use becomes an increasingly common part of everyday life. Long hours spent on computers, tablets and smartphones can contribute to symptoms such as eye strain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes. Eye examinations provide an opportunity to address these concerns and discuss strategies to improve visual comfort. Older Australians face their own unique eye health considerations. Some age-related conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and dry eye become increasingly common over time, often developing gradually. Regular eye examinations allow these conditions to be monitored and managed appropriately, helping people maintain their independence, continue driving safely and stay connected to the activities they enjoy.
Your Local Dentist in Lilydale.
Check up, Clean, 2 X-rays Dr Hannah Skehan & Dr Bridie Homfray
$227.00
Your local Hills optometrists, from Monbulk to Belgrave
How we can care for you:
Please call for appointment
9737 6453
• VicRoads vision assessments
• Children’s vision checks • Emergency eye care • Wide selection of spectacle and sunglass frames
• Diabetic eye exams • Contact lenses and Ortho-K • Dry eye diagnosis and management
OPEN NOW
Shop 43 Lilydale Market Place Hutchison Street Lilydale “Next Door to Lowes”
1 Bayview Road Belgrave www.belgraveeyecare.com.au 9801 3455 12823812-MS48-25
8 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
• Comprehensive eye exam
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HEALTH & WELLNESS 12882428-AD28-26
Come see the team at Valley Dental. (Supplied)
Get the best care and treatment at Valley Dental. (Stewart Chambers: 471210)
All-female dental clinic Valley Dental Family Clinic is an all-female clinic based in Lilydale. The clinic is owned by Dr Rupali Prabhu and Dr Sonali Prabhu. Rupali graduated from dental school in 1999. She has worked in private and public community clinics both in, and around Melbourne. She has also lived out of the city, spending a period of time in Benalla in rural Victoria. Rupali is passionate about providing high quality dental care and takes pleasure in sharing a story and a laugh with her patients. She enjoys all aspects of dentistry and always strives to provide dental treatment in a relaxing and comfort-
able environment. Rupali believes her practice and approach to dentistry creates an experience that will change your notion of what a trip to the dentist is. Outside of work she loves to spend time with family and her young children, sharing her passion for reading and travelling with them at every opportunity. Sonali graduated from dental school in 2003. She has worked as a dentist in both community and private practices. She has also worked various roles within the dental industry. Sonali believes that your mouth is the gateway to better wellbeing, and that a great healthy smile
will leave a great lasting impression on people. Sonali loves interacting with patients and ensuring they are comfortable and at-ease. She enjoys all aspects of dentistry. She particularly loves working with older clients. In her spare time, she loves cooking delicious Indian dishes and enjoying time with her family and friends. The third dentist joined the Valley Dental team two years ago and has been an integral part of the team ever since. With over 10 years of experience, Merhaz believes that world-class dentistry should be delivered to each and every patient. Mehraz has a keen interest in aesthetic dentistry and is studying a cer-
tificate of Cosmetic Dentistry to introduce lip and cheek fillers to the clinic for Valley Dental patients. Rupali said being an all-female team, patients were treated with care and compassion. “Staff are very approachable and compassionate making everyone feel at ease coming to the dentist,“ she said. The clinic offers a wide range of dental services, including general dentistry, fillings, crowns, bridges and veneers. Take advantage of current specials, including a check-up, clean and three X-rays for just $227, and in-chair whitening $500. For an appointment phone 9737 6453
SPECIAL OFFER MENTION THIS ADVERT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OFFER WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD YOUR EYES CHECKED? – MEDICARE BULK BILLED EYE EXAMS – EXTENSIVE RANGE OF FRAMES FOR EVERY BUDGET – LATEST IN LENS TECHNOLOGY – FULLY INDEPENDENT, LOCALLY OWNED – ONSITE LAB
$100 OFF complete glasses*
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT CALL 9758 8574 OR ONLINE VIA www.mountaingateeyecare.com.au
12889578-EA32-26
Shop 44, Mountain Gate Shopping Centre
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1880 Ferntree Gully Rd • Ferntree Gully VIC 3156 * Conditions apply. See in store for details. 12906076-MS41-26
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 9
NEWS
3MDR eyes $30k target By Mikayla van Loon 3MDR wrapped up its four-week-long Radiothon, but not without a final push for subscribers and donations to support the ongoing prosperity of the community station. The target of raising $30,000 has been “slow”, according to station manager Michelle Gearon, but with the upcoming Radioactive Fundraiser on 9 October and giving themselves until the end of the month to raise the rest, there’s hope it can be done. “It’s just been really tricky. We’re a community organisation, and we’re here to support the community,” she said. “We don’t have any kind of commercial sponsors, nor do we necessarily want to go down that road. But at the same time, our costs are also going up.” The power of community radio stations is connecting communities with local musicians and talent who bring varied perspectives and sounds to their ears. So not only is the subscription drive essential to 3MDR’s financial position but also to providing a platform for voices to be heard. “We have a community radio station that is focused on providing a platform for local voices and underrepresented voices, and it’s really amazing and I just want to get some more people to know about it,” Ms Gearon said. 3MDR has almost 60 different programs, with 100 volunteers both on air and behind the scenes. It broadcasts in eight languages, has youth-focussed programs and ones produced and presented by people living with disabilities. “There’s just such amazing, interesting content that you don’t hear anywhere else.” Ms Gearon said one of the greatest parts of community radio stations, particularly 3MDR, is the connections and sense of community it creates among diverse groups of people. It’s also knowing that “we’re for the community and by the community”. “In the world of streaming and AI, we’re a very connected world, but it’s also really isolating. The difference with community radio is we’re not isolating. “We really are trying to bring people together and tell different stories and connect with our audience, and provide a platform for people to talk about issues or just share music, promote local events, and being a touchpoint for all the amazing things that are happening in the community.” The fundraiser on Friday 9 October, hosted generously by Sooki Lounge, will see three stages showcasing local and Naarm-based talent across all age brackets and genres. The lineup is a mash-up of punk, metal, jazz, ska, Celtic doom and more. Brother and sister teen duo from the Hills, Fire Opal, will open the night with their rock and met-
Olinda Ferny Creek Football Netball Club is among 41 community organisations to receive a Volunteer Grant. (On file)
Presenter of You Never Can Tell, Tina, during the 2024 Radiothon. (Supplied)
3MDR loves providing young people with a space to perform, like Monbulk College’s FIGURE 8, who performed at 3MDR ahead of the Hilltop Festival. (Stewart Chambers: 577971) al sound. “We’ve been working really hard at youth engagement and providing opportunities for young musicians to come and play, both at events and on the station. I was really excited to get Fire Opal on,” Ms Gearon said. Joining them throughout the night are local favourite Lost Canoe, feminist post-punk band Plaster of Paris, Hills-based experimental punk four-piece Primary High, traditional Indonesian jazz funk fusion band The Jawa Pitu, dark and stompy blues punk band Trash and the Treasures, feminist scar punk band Roarcuss and Celtic doom metal band Banzjig, who will be playing their first Sooki show. The downstairs stage will also feature soul funk and dub DJs, providing a wide variety and a festival-like setup for people to roam or just enjoy what suits their music taste. In other exciting news, 3MDR’s 40th Anniversary podcast has been nominated in the Excellence in Community Engagement category for
the 2026 CBAA Community Broadcasting Awards. Ms Gearon said that, as a small station, “we really do punch above our weight” and that all credit had to be given to previous station manager Nat Grant for their dedication to the project. The 24-episode podcast tells the story of 3MDR through interviews, from the early days of broadcasting from a fitted-out bus to the people still on air today. “It’s just a really amazing piece of work that (Nat) spent hours and hours and hours working on…and so worthy of an award. “I don’t know how Nat managed to do this job and also produce this podcast and pull together all these amazing interviews and really capture the history of the station. “We haven’t always been great at telling our story and where we come from and what we represent, and it’s just so wonderful that Nat was able to do that for us.” The CBAA awards will be presented at the end of October. From the fundraiser showcasing local talent to the podcast award nomination, it’s a look at how community radio stations support community and, in return, need community support. “We provide such a unique platform and opportunity for our local community to share ideas, come together, share music, but we need support to remain independent,” Ms Gearon said. “An independent media organisation is pretty rare, and to remain that way, we do need support from the wider community. If everyone pitches in a little bit, we can continue to operate and continue to provide this really unique and special platform for community connection, to bring everyone together.” Learn more about the fundraiser here: 3 m d r. c o m / 3 m d r- r a d i o a c t i v e - f u n d r a i s er-at-sooki-lounge-9th-october/
Volunteer grant for Monbulk Rangers By Shamsiya Hussainpoor Monbulk Ranges Soccer Club is among 41 community organisations across the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Upper Yarra and Outer East to receive funding through the 2025-26 Volunteer Grants Round. The club has received $1300 and it will go towards setting up Wi-Fi in the clubroom and canteen, as well as connect the grounds to the NBN. This is the club’s second Volunteer Grant, following its first in 2023-24. Monbulk Ranges Soccer Club sponsorship coordinator Kate Hannan said the funding would make things easier for the club’s volunteers, particularly those working in the uniform shop, canteen and bar. Before receiving the grant, volunteers had to rely on hotspot connections when several areas of the club were being used at once. “Prior to us getting that money, it was more difficult to be working in the uniform shop. If there was someone working in the canteen, and then someone working in the bar, we’d be hot spotting - it was just messy,” Ms Hannan said. The new connection is expected to allow volunteers to use the club’s different tools and systems more smoothly. Ms Hannan said making volunteering easier was important to retaining the people who gave their time to the club. “There’s so much work to do, and only a limited amount of funds to do it with, and also a limited amount of helpers,” she said. 10 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Monbulk Rangers has received a Volunteer Grant to set up Wi-Fi in its clubroom. (On file) “So the more that we can make the job easier for our volunteers, the more likely we are...to have them happily come back and assist us in future.” The club’s volunteers include mainly parent helpers, as well as players and younger members who assist when they can. Ms Hannan said the support helped create a positive club culture and made volunteering a more manageable experience. Monbulk Ranges Soccer Club is one of 12 organisations from the Dandenong Ranges and hills region named as recipients in the grant round. The other recipients are Belgrave South Red Devils Basketball Club, Olinda Ferny Creek Football Netball Club, Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club, Belgrave Fire Brigade CFA, CFA Kalorama-Mt Dandenong Fire Brigade, Sassafras Ferny Creek
Fire Brigade, Selby Fire Brigade, St John Ambulance Victoria - Yarra Ranges Unit, Upwey Fire Brigade, Christmas Hills Landcare Group and Scouts Victoria - Upwey Scout Group. Each community group has received between $1000 and $5000 to support the efforts of its volunteers. Federal Member for Casey Aaron Violi said supporting volunteer-run organisations was a privilege. “Our region is made up of many incredible volunteer-run community groups who give their time generously – whether it is keeping us safe in times of emergency, keeping our local sporting clubs running or providing places for support and connection,” Mr Violi said. Ms Hannan said the club was grateful for the assistance and wanted to see local sporting organisations remain active and thriving in the hills. “We’re really passionate about keeping our club, particularly soccer, active, alive, and thriving in the Hills,” she said. She said support from council and government was important because community organisations gave back through the work carried out by their volunteers. “I believe they’re a large part of what makes a community healthy and happy,” Ms Hannan said. “And so much of the work that’s done running these clubs is voluntary and is community-led and based.”
Olinda club secures $1000 boost By Shamsiya Hussainpoor Olinda Ferny Creek Football Netball Club is among 41 community organisations across the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Upper Yarra and Outer East to receive funding through the 2025-26 Volunteer Grants round. The club has received $1000, which will go towards purchasing an iPad or laptop for scorers and timekeepers working in the score box on game days. The club’s secretary, Carey Williams, said the club currently relies on an old iPad that has been causing problems during games. “We were fortunate enough to receive $1000 grant, which we applied for an iPad or laptop, whichever suits the purpose better for our scorers and timekeepers in the score box,” she said. “It’s all electronic now, and we have a very old iPad at the moment, which keeps dropping out.” Ms Williams said the funding would hopefully allow the club to replace the ageing device ahead of next season. She said having equipment that made volunteering easier was important at a time when finding volunteers was becoming increasingly difficult. “Having equipment and facilities that can make it a bit easier for a volunteer to fill their job requirement certainly is a plus,” Ms Williams said. The grant comes as sporting clubs face a range of costs associated with putting teams on the field, including equipment, uniforms and insurance. Ms Williams said smaller items, such as an iPad for the score bench, could be difficult for clubs to fund without grants. “Prices go up, the costs of putting teams on field and their equipment and their uniforms and the insurances, everything that’s part of playing the sport takes a lot of money,” she said. “And having those incidentals, such as an iPad for the score bench, it is very difficult without having funding available and grants available.” The Olinda Ferny Creek Football Netball Club is one of 41 organisations to receive between $1000 and $5000 to support their volunteers. Other recipients include sporting clubs, CFA brigades, men’s sheds, community groups, Scouts Victoria groups and organisations providing support within the community. Federal Member for Casey Aaron Violi said the grants recognised the contribution of volunteer-run organisations across the region. “It is a privilege to be able to give back to our local volunteer-run organisations,” Mr Violi said. “Our region is made up of many incredible volunteer-run community groups who give their time generously – whether it is keeping us safe in times of emergency, keeping our local sporting clubs running or providing places for support and connection.” Ms Williams said the club appreciated the support from the council and government. “We certainly do appreciate all that the local council and government do for our club,” she said.
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12882429-JO28-26
Come see if Lilydale Valley Views is the place for you or your loved ones. (Supplied)
Lilydale Valley Views has built a strong sense of community over 15 years.
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. 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 9735 5944
Be part of a vibrant Community and enjoy the Facilities Monthly calendar of events 24 Hour Emergency Assistance Fully equipped gym Heated indoor pool
Hairdresser, Massage & Podiatry services 4-rink Bowling Green Entertainment Lounge Library and Computer Room
12880015-JD27-26
Close to all amenities - health professionals, Supermarkets, public transport Village volunteers can assists you around the house
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12882429-JO28-26
Forest Hills is the perfect combination of comfort and practicality.
Enjoy the freedom that comes with a simpler, more connected lifestyle.
Find it all at Forest Hills For Jane and her partner, moving into a retirement village was about creating more time for the things they enjoy. They were looking for a low-maintenance lifestyle that would support their independence while providing opportunities to stay connected. After exploring several local communities, one Keyton village immediately stood out. “When I first walked in, I felt it was bright and it was alive,” Jane said. “The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and there was a genuine sense of community. That feeling only strengthened when they toured their future home. “The first one the sales manager showed us was exactly what we wanted,” Jane said. Spacious and easy to maintain, it offered the ideal balance of comfort and practicality with plenty of room to host loved ones. Beyond the home itself, the lifestyle benefits quickly became clear. Modern amenities were just moments away, making it easier to stay active in village life. “It’s an enormous bonus,” Jane said. “It’s very lively here.” For Jane, the defining moment came after a weekend away when she realised how much she was looking forward to returning. “I’m coming home,” she said. Her advice for others considering retirement living? “Do it sooner rather than later,” she said. “Embrace the opportunities that are available to you.” At Forest Hills in Nunawading, residents enjoy the freedom that comes with a simpler, more connected lifestyle. Surrounded by established gardens and a welcoming community, it’s a place where you can spend less time maintaining your home and more time enjoying life.
Find a home at Keyton’s Forest Hills village. (Supplied)
12 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
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I Choose Forest Hills
See why it’s greener on our side. More confidence in what’s ahead than waiting for the perfect moment. At Forest Hills, you’ll find a welcoming community, beautifully appointed homes and a connected lifestyle in the heart of Melbourne’s east. With shopping, parks and everyday conveniences close by, everything is in place to help you enjoy more of what matters. Discover what retirement could look like sooner.
18217 09/26
keyton.com.au | 1800 550 550
12878617-LD41-26
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Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 13
12882429-JO28-26
See inside Olinda Lodge, the Hamlet Lilydale Clubhouse.
Hamlet’s sauna and spa will be the perfect way to end your day.
Olinda Lodge: Made to order Hamlet is building the clubhouse alongside its first homes, so there’s a sundowner on the terrace awaiting every new homeowner. When co-founders Cecelia Hund and James Kelly first started sketching out Hamlet Lilydale, they kept coming back to the same thought: a community is so much more than the house you live in. It’s the neighbour you wave to on a morning walk, the friend who drops by with lemons from their tree, the place to go for company, and the place to come back to for solitude. At Hamlet, community is as important to the idea of home as the houses are. And that means the Lodge. Olinda Lodge is the clubhouse at the heart of Hamlet Lilydale, a boutique over 50s community at 375 Swansea Road. The founders have never thought of it as a showpiece for sales, but as an extended living room for their homeowners. Why it’s called Olinda Lodge The name comes from Olinda Creek, which the Lodge overlooks. And “lodge” because that’s exactly how the team hopes it feels - like a ski lodge homeowners can pop in and out of all day long. Cecelia and James picture a morning coffee at the kitchen bar, the paper spread out on the bench. A Pilates class, or a workout in the cardio room. A seat in a tucked-away corner of the lounge to get some work done or get lost in a book. Then, as the afternoon wears on, friends drifting in to catch up over a glass of Giant Steps Pinot Noir. No one ever needs a reason to be there. Made for Lilydale Working closely with their architects and interior designers, the founders chose every amenity in the Lodge and the community around it with the people of the Yarra Ranges in mind. They didn’t want a checklist of features that could be found anywhere in Victoria, that look great in a brochure but never get used. They wanted a place that belongs here, made for the people who call this part of the world home. That’s why there’s a pickleball court, not a lawn bowls green - Hamlet would much rather see its homeowners bowling at Lilydale Bowls Club just up the road. It’s why there are Hamlet e-bikes for the lake trails, and a nature play space for when the grandkids visit, not a golf simulator. And it’s why there’s a chicken coop, vegetable gardens and a dog run, not a cinema. The thinking is simple: create a neighbourhood where people who already love this part of the world feel instantly at home. Built alongside the first homes Too often, the clubhouse comes last. People move in, and the heart of the place is still a fenced-off promise months down the track. Hamlet didn’t want that for its homeowners. Olinda Lodge is being built at the same time as the first homes. The people who move in first - the pioneers, as the Hamlet team has come to know them - will be able to enjoy it first. They’re the ones who’ll set the tone for everyone who follows, and they deserve somewhere to gather from
14 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Residents are ready to enjoy Olinda Lodge at Hamlet Lilydale. (Supplied) the beginning. Warming by the fire If there’s one thing the team is most excited about, it’s the fireplace. It’s the real heart of the Lodge. On a cool Yarra Valley evening, it’s easy to picture people pulling their chairs a little closer, warming their hands and letting the conversation run over dinner. Long summer days When the weather warms up, life spills out onto the terrace. There’s a BBQ and a firepit, and plenty of room for the long lunches, sunset drinks and birthday gatherings that make summer feel like summer. Homeowners can bring the kids, the grandkids and their oldest friends. It’s their place
to host, just as they would at home. Evenings to unwind And at the end of the day, there’s the sauna and spa, tucked into a secluded walled garden. It’s a small indulgence just a few steps from home, and Cecelia suspects it’ll become a ritual for many. Surrounded by gardens The Lodge sits within beautiful gardens that flow out into the wider community, where more than 65% of the site is kept as open, green space, including a 2 hectare creekside habitat. There’s a shared vegetable garden and a chicken coop for anyone who’d like to get their hands dirty, or simply enjoy what’s growing. And Bellbird Park and Lillydale Lake are right next door.
Shaping a community, together Hamlet isn’t just delivering homes, it’s shaping a community - alongside the people who choose to live here. “We’re excited about our new home, but it’s the Lodge we can’t stop talking about,” said Paul and Kaye, who will be among the first to move in. “We can picture Sunday afternoons by the fire and the family visiting us on the terrace in summer. Plus great neighbours to share it with - what could be better?” That’s exactly what the founders hoped for. Olinda Lodge belongs to the people who live here, and the Hamlet team can’t wait to see them make it their own.
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Live among friends, not a crowd A boutique over 50s community in Lilydale. Just 10 homes left at Pioneer pricing, from $845,000.
We chose the name Hamlet because it reflects something special: a small, close-knit community where neighbours become friends. With just 50 homes, Hamlet Lilydale offers a genuine sense of belonging. Olinda Lodge, our thoughtfully designed clubhouse, is the heart of our community. A welcoming place to meet friends over coffee, enjoy a workout, or simply unwind with a good book. It’s a space you’ll naturally return to, day after day.
Book your personal consultation today with Marion. Visit hamletliving.com.au or call 0482 672 325.
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Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 15
NEWS
Bayswater’s KADS turns 40 By Shamsiya Hussainpoor What started with seven students in 1987 has grown into a dance school with more than 400 students as Bayswater’s Kim Annette Dance Studios (KADS) marked its 40th anniversary. KADS celebrated its 40th anniversary and opened its new studio on Saturday 3 October. The school was founded by Kim Annette on 3 October, 1987. It began after she met two young girls dancing at a local event, their dance school had closed, prompting Ms Annette to open her own. “They would be the first two students signed up,” she said. One of the school’s first students has remained connected to KADS, and now her own daughters attend the school. Ms Annette had danced since she was seven and had already begun teaching when she decided to open the school. KADS initially offered jazz and tap before it expanded to include ballet, hip hop, contemporary, acrobatics and musical theatre. By 1999, enrolments had reached 160, prompting Ms Annette to lease a factory and create a dedicated studio. The school had previously operated from a community centre, church hall and scout hall. “We just kept coming in, and there were things hanging from the ceiling. We couldn’t dance, and it was just traumatic,” Ms Annette said. KADS eventually remained in its factory premises for 26 years before being forced to move when the building was put up for sale. That move has brought another milestone, with the school opening a new six-studio facility at 1/383 Dorset Road, Bayswater. For Ms Annette, reaching 40 years was “never” part of the original plan. “Absolutely not, although I guess when we got to 20 years, I thought, yeah, this is my life now,” Ms Annette said. “It was such a huge passion, and you get so involved in their lives and become so close to your students. Watching them achieve their goals and milestones was just huge.” But the school became about much more than dance. “You’re not just a dance teacher, you’re a counsellor, a nurse, a mentor, a friend,” Ms Annette said.
Pre-tiny - ballet. (Supplied) Sub-inter - Jazz. (Supplied) Her four children all grew up at KADS, with three going on to careers in dance and performance. Her eldest daughter, Amber Orchard, took over the school in 2013 after Ms Annette left Australia to work in entertainment on a cruise ship. Ms Orchard said growing up at KADS meant dance was “simply part of everyday life”. “My closest friends still to this day are my dancing friends,” she said. While performing had been her focus when she was younger, Ms Orchard eventually returned to the family business. “I’d learnt how to do it all from mum because she’d done it for so many years,” she said. Since taking over, Ms Orchard has continued to expand KADS, including taking over a dance school in Sassafras in 2021 and opening another studio space and a dedicated children’s party venue in 2022. Today, the school is supported by 16 teachers, student teachers and administration staff. For Ms Orchard, however, the school’s growth is not what matters most. She said seeing former students return with their own children, or former students become teachers, showed the strength of the community built around KADS. “It’s not only that it’s a dance school, it’s more
than that,” she said. Ms Orchard said KADS focused on creating a family and community environment alongside professional dance training. “I’m really big on making community stuff kind of more our focus as opposed to competition,” she said. The school also faced the challenge of keeping its community connected during Covid-19, when it could not use its studio for about 10 months. More recently, Ms Orchard faced the challenge of establishing the new Bayswater premises. “We were at the point where we’re just kind of like, okay, we’re happy here. Let’s just stay where we are,” she said. When the buildings were put up for sale, however, the family decided to take the leap. The 40th anniversary celebration marked the opening of the new studio, with memorabilia from KADS’ history, a video featuring moments from across the years, activities for children, food trucks, speeches and a 40th anniversary cake. Ms Annette said the celebration was about recognising everyone who had contributed to the school’s journey. “It’s about sort of celebrating with them, not just celebrating us, but celebrating that we’re all living that legacy together as a community,” she said.
Senior lyrical dancers. (Supplied)
Mother and daughter Kim Annette and Amber Orchard. (Stewart Chambers: 581809)
Connecting through peonies in Olinda By Claudia Mather A fleeting celebration of peonies is currently being held by The Diggers Club and local grower Marie Jordan at Cloudehill in Olinda. The floral celebration will run from 30 September to 4 November and will feature over 120 different varieties of peonies. At the heart of the celebration will be specialist grower Marie Jordan, who has grown and sold peonies for the last 30 years. “It was my dream to have a garden show, and this is just perfect,” she smiled. Ms Jordan approached The Digger’s Club with the idea of having a Peony celebration at Cloudehill and using it as a space to educate visitors who wish to grow their own peonies. “When I saw that people were buying plants incorrectly, I wanted to help them,” she said. “The correct time to plant a peony is in March or April, and they get sold in winter, which is completely wrong.” The miseducation around when you should plant a peony and a wider range of plants in general is what drives Ms Jordan to share her wisdom with visitors. “Every plant, regardless of whether it’s a peony or a daffodil, has got a clock inside.” Chief executive of The Diggers Club and Foundation, Fiona Forbes, shared her excitement about the peony celebration with Ms Jordan. “I think it is a beautiful connection for us, because we are all about educating gardeners,” she said. “It was a beautiful synergy when we met Marie; we all fell in love with her.” Ms Jordan agreed she felt very comfortable when she met Ms Forbes and The Diggers Club and felt aligned with their mission in educating gardeners. “I just have a lovely rapport with people that 16 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Peonies are typically in bloom for only 7-10 days (Stewart Chambers: 581663)
Marie Jordan’s peonie’s at Cloudehill ready for celebration (Stewart Chambers: 581663) want to teach people,” Ms Jordan smiled. The celebration will also bring together fresh-cut and potted peonies, rare varieties, floral installations, workshops and garden tours. Peonies are native to China, known as the King of Flowers, and loved for their extravagant blooms, lush petals, and rich fragrance. The flower has a long cultural history and is often associated with beauty and romance. They have a relatively short flowering season, making this spring celebration at Cloudehill fleeting. Ms Forbes emphasised that growers like Ms Jordan reflect The Diggers Club’s commitment to
Peony grower Marie Jordan and Diggers Club CEO Fiona Forbes are ready to celebrate the gorgeous flowers. (Stewart Chambers: 581663) supporting specialist horticulture and connecting gardeners directly with the people preserving and cultivating remarkable plants. “Everything we do in our business is for purpose, to continue to grow the educational part of our organisation,” she said. Founded in 1978, The Diggers Club is Australia’s leading gardening community with over 85,000 members. For The Diggers Club, the peony celebration is an opportunity to bring growers and gardeners together to showcase the depth of horticultural knowledge within the Yarra Ranges gardening com-
munity. Ms Jordan can be found amongst the peonies at Cloudehill for the next 35 days, sharing her knowledge. “I will be there, and I’m looking forward to it.” For Ms Jordan, the celebration is a dream come true, for the flowers she has grown with love and a touch of magic. With the peonies at the peak of their bloom, visitors have a limited window over the next month to step into a Cloudehill and experience the colour and expertise on offer before the celebration wraps up on 4 November.
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Public urged to share their knowledge and perspective Yarra Ranges Council is encouraging residents with diverse lived experience to join one of four advisory committees currently seeking members. Expressions of Interest are now open for the council’s Disability Advisory Committee, Health and Wellbeing Advisory Committee, Positive Ageing Advisory Committee and Sustainable Environment Advisory Committee, with places available for between two and four years. Yarra Ranges Deputy Mayor Gareth Ward reinforced the important role its advisory committees play and the value the council places on hearing the perspectives of people with different lived experiences. “Joining an advisory committee gives you the opportunity to provide feedback on a range of Council plans, programs and policies before they’re released to the public. It’s an important and valuable part of our process, and helps to shape the work we do for the community,” Cr Ward said. “We have countless projects that have benefitted from advice from our DAC and other committees, from our drinking fountains through to the road crossings on the Warburton Trail.
“For example, we received feedback from a Disability Advisory Committee member that the chicane road barriers on the Warburton Trail were too narrow for someone using a hand-cycle, making it inaccessible for many people with disabilities. As a result, we redesigned every road crossing on the trail to ensure people of all abilities could navigate the entire 40km stretch. “This is a great, and rare, opportunity to get involved. All you need is time to participate in the meetings, your own unique views, and a willingness to provide us with honest feedback based on your own lived experience.” Applying is easy, and while the council can’t guarantee a place for every applicant, it’s a great opportunity to flag that you’re interested in getting involved. “There may be a place on another committee that’s also relevant to your situation, and we may also be able to connect you with interesting volunteering opportunities.” Committees meet regularly, for up to two hours. Meeting frequency and lengths vary for each committee and can be found on the Shaping Yarra Ranges page.
The Yarra Ranges Disability Advisory Committee. (Supplied)
Human cost of Silvan Dam By Shamsiya Hussainpoor As we say goodbye to a dry, cold winter and head into summer, let’s turn our attention to the city’s falling water storages and the history behind it - and one part of that history is the Silvan Dam, built between 1926 and 1932 following the state’s severe drought of 1914-15. Melbourne’s water storages are now at 75.1 per cent, down from 86 per cent at the same time last year, with storages holding about 239 billion litres less than they did a year ago. Nearly a century earlier, Silvan was selected for its role in Melbourne’s expanding water network. Construction ran from 1926 to 1932, with an aerial ropeway stretching about five-kilometres from Mt Evelyn railway station to the reservoir site, carrying sand and cement in buckets to the dam wall. For Mt Evelyn, the project brought a dramatic inrush of workers and their families. Research by the Mt Evelyn History Group described Mt Evelyn as growing from an area focused on woodcutting and small fruit farms into “a base for the Sylvan Dam labour force and a bush holiday destination for many”. Mt Evelyn History Group president, Paula Herlihy said the 1920s marked a lively period in the town’s history. “Many of the local businesses were sustained by the population influx from Silvan Dam workers and the weekend holiday makers,” she said. The influx also helped boost the local school population and changed the character of the town entirely. The workforce itself was diverse. A February 1930 feature in The Argus described an “astonishingly cosmopolitan population”, including Australians, English, Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, Italians and Yugoslavs. Most workers received free accommodation in huts. At night, workers played cards, wrote letters home, played accordions and strummed banjos. But the work was dangerous, according to The Eastern Melbournian, at least seven workers died during construction. In September 1927, 20-year-old Italian migrant Angelo Condello was thrown from a pony into a tree and suffered fatal skull and neck injuries. A year later, 40-year-old Luigi Longo died after an earth collapse, while 28-year-old Salvatore Migliorino was killed by falling timber six months later. In April 1929, 70-year-old Henry Glen died in a tunnel collapse about 86 feet below the surface. Then, in June 1930, three men died in what became known as the “Silvan tunnel tragedy”. Walter Crosby, 35, Patrick Walsh, 33, and Frederick Scales, 40, were reported to have been trapped by an “almost impenetrable wall of sodden clay”. Two others escaped. For Ms Herlihy, the deaths have been over-
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Silvan Dam, pictured today. (On file) shadowed by the importance of the dam itself. “Without a doubt, you can almost not find any information about these people,” she said. “As far as I know, there’s no memorial to them, and their names aren’t mentioned. You might expect some acknowledgement that we remember them with sadness, but you don’t see that in the records. So, I’m assuming it wasn’t considered important enough.” Historical researchers Karen Leadbeater Phillips and Dr Janice Newton said much remains unknown about the men who came to work on the dam, including what motivated them to migrate. Ms Leadbeater Phillips said the Silvan State School history recorded that many workers found jobs on farms after the dam was completed and later bought land of their own - suggesting that Australia became a land of opportunity for some, although whether they had that motivation before migrating was difficult to establish. For Mt Evelyn, however, their arrival left a lasting mark. Workers and holidaymakers brought new peo-
ple into the town, businesses benefited from the influx and the school population grew. Ms Herlihy said their group’s research also records women buying holiday land and becoming involved in local organisations like the CFA, guides, and scouts. She said the legacy of the Silvan Dam “cannot” be separated from the people who built it. “I don’t think I can balance a building with a life because each life has so many people around it, and the influences not just them, but the children and grandchildren,” Ms Herlihy said. “And when they’re told their grandfather died in X and Y, you can’t help. And many boys, I think, suffer if they don’t have a male role model.” According to Melbourne Water, inflows to Melbourne’s storages from July 2024 to June 2025 were 36 per cent below the 30-year average, including the lowest January-to-June inflows on record. Hotter and drier weather also pushed daily household use to 169 litres per person, up from 163 litres the previous year, while almost 38,000
new households joined the city’s water network. Despite the decline, water restrictions are not planned for this summer, with a 50-billion-litre desalinated water order supplementing supplies and slowing the fall in storages. Melbourne’s Annual Water Outlook is prepared jointly by Greater Western Water, Melbourne Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water, in partnership with the State Government. Today, Melbourne’s water system is again under pressure. According to Melbourne Water, the western region is facing increased pressure from population growth and dry conditions and Melbournians are being urged to follow Victoria’s permanent water saving rules and reduce household consumption, with a target of no more than 150 litres per person per day. That includes keeping showers to four minutes, turning off the tap while brushing teeth, running full loads in washing machines, choosing drought-tolerant native plants and mulching gardens.
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 17
NEWS
Wellington and Napoleon Road intersection in Lysterfield. (Knox City Council)
Roads and transport upgrade plea
David Kitchen is the Liberal candidate for Bayswater. (Supplied)
David set to throw the Kitchen sink By Callum Ludwig Bayswater resident David Kitchen has put his hand up in the district named after his town, representing the Liberals. The former Royal Australian Air Force officer and public servant hopes to use his experience to get things done for residents in the district and across Victoria. Mr Kitchen said his key focus has always been working to protect and improve the lives of Victorians. “As an extension of my past service, I want to contribute in the best possible way to our community and I believe that the Jess Wilson led Liberal team has a real plan to give Victoria the Fresh Start it deserves,” he said. “Over the past year, I have been out across Bayswater, Boronia, The Basin, Ferntree Gully, Knox, Wantirna, and Wantirna South, listening to residents, visiting local businesses and community groups.
“These conversations with people from all walks of life shape the approach I want to bring to representing Bayswater, what I hear every day is that people want to be represented by someone who is local, and by someone who can deliver a government that works.” Mr Kitchen has been a community advocate for the district since bought his first home in Bayswater thirteen years ago,. Mr Kitchen said when he’s out doorknocking in the community, people are constantly telling him that their costs are going up and that their commute to work each day keeps getting longer. “They no longer feel safe walking to the shops at night and they have lost faith in a tired state Labor government that has stopped listening to them,” he said. “Crime is the issue people raise with me most, I will fight to reopen Boronia Police Station to the public seven days a week. “We will also put 3000 more police on the beat and bring in Break Bail, Face Jail and real Adult
Crime, Adult Time laws.” Bayswater voters can keep up with Mr Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram under ‘DavidKitchenBayswater’. Mr Kitchen said lowering costs for Victorians is another key issue for him. “We will scrap the emergency services tax and Labor’s GP and schools taxes, lower land tax and deliver more affordable and reliable energy,” she said. “We will also lower the cost of your commute with our pledge to cap toll fees at $50 a week. “To restore the dream of home ownership, we will abolish stamp duty for first home buyers purchasing a home worth up to $1 million, so young families in Bayswater can buy where they grew up.” If anyone in our community is experiencing an issue affecting them, their family or their community, Mr Kitchen urges them to please not hesitate to reach out directly via email: david.kitchen@vic.liberal.org.au.
One Nation candidate Hansford withdraws By Callum Ludwig One Nation’s Eastern Victoria candidate Greg Hansford has left the running for Victoria’s upper house. The retired school teacher and small business owner from the Latrobe Valley has pulled out of being top of One Nation’s ticket in the region due to a serious health concern. A One Nation spokesperson said it is with great sadness that One Nation Victoria announces the withdrawal of Greg Hansford from the state election contest. “Greg has a serious health matter that requires ongoing treatment,” they said. “One Nation’s primary priority is Greg’s health and wellbeing, and we ask that you respect his privacy at this time. “We continue to support Greg and his family in any way we can and are deeply saddened by this news.” 18 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
One Nation’s Greg Hansford has withdrawn from the Eastern Victoria race due to a serious health concern. (File) Neil Davison is also listed as a One Nation candidate for Eastern Victoria. One Nation did not clarify if he will assume the top spot on their ticket for Eastern Victoria.
The One Nation spokesperson said Greg has always fought for Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, and his work for the betterment of the region is unrivalled. “We have big shoes to fill, and we ask everyone to remain patient and respectful as we select a candidate for our first position in Eastern Victoria in the Legislative Council,” they said. “As Greg wishes, we remain focused on the election at hand. “For the sake of Greg and his family, we will not be taking any questions on this matter.” In a profile article for the Star Mail in August, Mr Hansford identified supporting local industries in the region, boosting apprenticeship training, restoring police numbers and locations, the state debt and fulfilling promises like an upgrade for the Warragul hospital as key priorities. One Nation has been contacted for a profile article on Mr Davison or whoever assumes the top seat on the Eastern Victoria once it is announced.
Knox Council is calling for greater investment in roads and public transport ahead of the November state election, with the Dorset Road extension and upgrades to Napoleon and Wellington roads among its priorities. The council is seeking a three-kilometre extension of Dorset Road between Burwood Highway and Lysterfield Road. It is also calling for an upgrade of Napoleon Road between Lysterfield Road and Kelletts Road, including 2.7 kilometres of road duplication and bus priority infrastructure, as well as an upgrade of Wellington Road from Napoleon Road to Berwick Road. Knox Mayor Cr Kennett said the Dorset Road extension was needed to accommodate population growth in the area. “Rapid population growth in Casey and Cardinia and a lack of connectivity has resulted in increased congestion in Knox’s south,” she said. “Traffic is diverting onto residential streets and this has resulted in a higher rate of crashes compared with Greater Melbourne.” Cr Kennett said $80 million previously committed to the Dorset Road project was withdrawn following a 2022 evaluation that she said only considered population growth in Knox. “The $80 million previously committed to this project was withdrawn based on a 2022 evaluation that only looked at the 20 per cent population growth in Knox and failed to consider the population growth of 48 per cent in Casey and 30 per cent in Cardinia where motorists are coming from,” she said. She said the evaluation acknowledged more detailed modelling had not been completed because of Covid lockdowns and warned the crash risk along the corridor would increase if the issue was not addressed. Knox council is also calling for upgrades to Napoleon and Wellington roads, with Cr Kennett saying residents had reported damage to their vehicles from potholes. “These roads have been the subject of many complaints from our community, with large potholes causing damage to vehicles and potentially causing collisions in recent years,” she said. “This is especially dangerous on high-speed arterial roads, with a heightened risk of collisions from drivers swerving to avoid potholes or losing control after impact.” Public transport is also among the council’s priorities, including improved and increased local bus services, extending Route 75 to connect with the rail line at Upper Ferntree Gully and Bayswater, and a trackless tram between Caulfield and Rowville. Cr Kennett said the trackless tram, also known as Trackless Rapid Transit, would use dedicated lanes and technology to control traffic lights. She said it would have an average speed of 3359km/h, compared with 16km/h for a traditional tram. “For many years, Knox has been leading the eastern region councils in advocating for this to happen as a priority,” Cr Kennett said. According to Cr Kennett, the trackless tram would have capacity to move 1800 people an hour, with a travel time of 11 minutes between Rowville and Monash University and 26 minutes to Chadstone Shopping Centre. She said limited public transport between Knox and Monash was contributing to congestion on freeways and major roads, with residents relying on cars due to limited alternatives. “Improving roads and public transport is critical for supporting population and housing growth,” Cr Kennett said. “Knox could have 43,000 new homes by 2051 under housing targets set by the state government, putting even more pressure on our roads and transport network. We need to act now to ease congestion in Melbourne’s outer east.”
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Off-leash area now open Dog owners and their four-legged friends now have an upgraded space to socialise and play, with Cardinia Shire Council and the Victorian Government officially opening the upgraded Alma Treloar dog off-leash area on Tuesday, 29 September. This project was shaped by extensive community feedback in 2025, where the community highlighted a need for additional path connections and improved facilities for dogs and their owners. The upgraded area now features: ■ Enhanced off-leash areas for active and quiet dogs. ■ Improved entry points. ■ New quiet dog zone with recycled tyre agility tunnel. ■ Concrete walking paths. ■ Two new shelters. ■ Two new picnic benches. ■ Three bench seats. ■ New landscaping and signage. ■ Drainage improvements. ■ New drinking fountain. A dedicated quiet dog area has also been created, providing a welcoming space for small or quiet dogs and their owners to socialise comfortably. More than 1500 shrubs have been planted throughout the park as well as mature trees that will provide natural shade as they establish and grow. Hard stand pathways have also been installed around the active dog area, making the space easier to navigate and ensuring a more inclusive experience for all visitors. Cardinia Shire Mayor Councillor Brett Owen said the improvements have created a more enjoyable and accessible space for the community and their pets. “We’re pleased to partner with the Victorian Government to deliver these upgrades to a much-loved community asset in Cockatoo,” Mayor Owen said. “The upgrades reflect the feedback we
The Alma Treloar dog off-leash area officially opened on Tuesday, 29 September. (Supplied)
Opening day ribbon-cutting (L-R): Cardinia Shire Council acting CEO, Wayne Mack, Ranges Ward Councillor David Nickell, Daniela De Martino MP and director infrastructure and environment, Mick Barrett. (Supplied)
Happy fur-bud enjoying the new park. (Supplied)
heard from residents and provide a welcoming space where people and their pets can stay active and enjoy the outdoors together.” This was echoed by Ranges Ward Councillor David Nickell, who said the project responds to strong community demand for safe, high-quality spaces where dogs can exercise and socialise off-leash. “This upgraded dog park provides a great place for people to connect, keep active and spend time outdoors with their pets and I’m so pleased we could deliver improvements that reflect what the community told us they wanted.” Cr Nickell said.
The dog off-leash area in Cockatoo is now open to the public. (Supplied)
“We thank the Victorian Government for partnering with Council to bring this project to life for our community.” This project has been supported by the Victorian Government’s New and Upgraded Dog Park program and Cardinia Shire Council. Dog owners are reminded to always maintain control of their dogs. All dog owners must be able to recall their dog promptly and place it back on a leash if required. For more information on the dog parks in the shire, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/leashdog-areas
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Many of us are feeling under cost-of-living pressure, so what’s causing the inflation the RBA acknowledges is making Australians “furious”? Households have been dealing with years of higher prices. Consumer confidence is weak, house prices have fallen and the economy is slowing. Yet inflation remains stubbornly above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2% to 3% target range. RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser acknowledged the frustration in a recent interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program. “People want inflation down. People are furious about inflation. I understand why. It’s unfair. It hits people on low incomes. It damages price signals. It makes the job of companies difficult. What they want us to do is our job and bring inflation down,” Hauser said. The latest ABS inflation figures show annual inflation rose to 4.0% in August from 3.5% in July. Trimmed mean inflation, which strips out some of the more volatile price movements to give a better sense of the underlying trend, remained at 3.6% for the third consecutive month. The first thing to understand is that inflation doesn’t measure how much we’re buying. It measures how much prices are changing. It also doesn’t tell you how high prices have already become. Imagine something that cost $100 rises to $110 one year and then $113 the next. The rate of inflation has slowed considerably, but you’re still paying $13 more than you were before. So where is the inflation actually coming from? The short answer is: from several places at once. Some of it is coming from prices Australians can’t easily avoid. Housing was the biggest
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contributor to inflation in August, rising 5.7% over the year. Some of the pressure is also coming from overseas. Higher oil, diesel, fertiliser and other costs linked to the Middle East conflict don’t always reach consumers immediately. Businesses can absorb those costs for a while before eventually putting up their own prices and passing them through to customers. Then there’s a more structural problem: how much the Australian economy can produce. The RBA’s August Statement on Monetary Policy says the economy is still operating with capacity constraints. In other words, demand for some workers, goods and services remains stronger than the economy can comfortably supply without pushing up prices. So inflation can keep running even while parts of the economy are clearly slowing. CommBank Household Spending Insights data showed spending among Australians aged 65 and over was 10.1% higher in June than a year earlier. Spending growth among 25 to 34year-olds was just 4.2%, while 35 to 44 and 45 to 54-year-olds recorded growth of 4.5%. “Household consumption patterns diverge by age. Shifts in interest rates, inflation and wealth affect age cohorts differently, which can lead to varying rates of spending growth,” CommBank Head of Australian Economics Belinda Allen said. One obvious reason is housing debt. “These groups are more likely to have a mortgage, making them more sensitive to higher interest rates,” Allen said of the younger and middleaged groups. Higher rates can’t build more houses, lift productivity overnight or bring down the global oil price. What they can do is cool demand.
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If everyone’s feeling the squeeze, where’s all this inflation coming from?
Australians cutting back and inflation remaining too high aren’t contradictory. The squeeze
What matters most now is whether those pressures fade as the economy slows, or whether
is landing very differently across households, and many of the prices still rising are for
inflation remains persistent enough for the RBA to decide that more rate rises are needed.
things people can’t easily avoid.
Find out more at CommBank Newsroom
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 19
NEWS
Australia’s coffee love affair
By Maria Millers Last week we learnt that Australian businesses could no longer add a surcharge when you pay with eftpos, Mastercard or Visa card, though weekend and holiday surcharges, booking and service fees would still remain. This has led to a feeling that traders would inevitably be increasing their prices. Therefore, not surprisingly, the following day on morning radio the consuming topic was the price of a cup of coffee, as coffee drinkers from across the city were calling in to voice concern about the possible impact on their daily ritual and shared with listeners what they were presently paying for their daily hit. If I remember correctly, a cup of soya latte in Daylesford had cost an eye-watering nine dollars something. For many, coffee is what kick starts their day, for some, it’s a way of catching up with friends over brunch. There’s no doubt that we now have a distinctive coffee culture. Walk down any street, shopping mall or strip and you’re bound to smell the seductive aroma of freshly brewed coffee. For this writer, that seductive aroma never seems to be matched by the taste. The reason I’m told why coffee can smell sweeter than it tastes is because many of its sweet-suggesting aromas don’t actually contain sugar. Your brain interprets certain aromatic molecules as vanilla, caramel, or chocolate-like even though the coffee itself may have very little sweetness. That’s why adding a little sugar or milk can make coffee taste much closer to what it smells like: you’re changing the actual taste, not just the aroma. Perhaps that is why the coffees we enjoy most are milk-based. Expectation also plays a role. The smell of freshly brewed coffee signals pleasant things, your brain may anticipate a richer flavour than your tongue actually receives. In the poem Happiness, Raymond Carver stands at his window early in the morning, coffee in hand as he watches two young newspaper boys doing their rounds and feels a sense of happiness to see the young boys so amicable and happy with what they’re doing: So early it’s still almost dark out. I’m near the window with coffee,
Will the cost of living make Australians forego their morning coffee? and the usual early morning stuff that passes for thought. When I see the boy and his friend walking up the road to deliver the newspaper. They wear caps and sweaters, and one boy has a bag over his shoulder. They are so happy Judging from the number of callers it’s obvious there has been a shift from when tea was culturally dominant to now when in Melbourne every nook and cranny in our streets and laneways, every suburban shopping centre and strip offers good quality coffee. Unlike the US, these are not chains but independent cafes who often offer house roasted beans and the expertise of trained baristas. But we were not always a coffee drinking nation. Australia’s British connections meant that tea had been an everyday household drink and also a drink of choice in social situations. Coffee on the other hand had a more intermittent history, was more often something that marked a particular setting or social identity. A shopping trip into the city would include visiting tea rooms of the big department stores like Myers and Georges, the Hopetoun Tea Rooms in the Block Arcade or the Coles Cafeteria where a pot of freshly brewed tea, sandwiches and cake was almost a ritual. Our literature talks more about tea than of coffee. Coffee occurred in Australian literature but simply didn’t have that same repertoire of meanings. Coffee signals sophistication, European influence, urban life, middle-class tastes. Think about how tea used to be part of our social vocabulary: Someone puts the kettle on for a cuppa, afternoon tea rituals features strongly in Australian novels and of course tea is anticipated in the words of our national song:
Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong Under the shade of a Coolabah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled “Who’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?” Before World War II, Australia’s everyday coffee was largely instant or very basic, captured by Ron Padgett in Morning Coffee: The morning coffee. I’m not sure why I drink it. Maybe it’s the ritual of the cup, the spoon, the hot water, the milk, and the little heap of brown grit, the way they come together to form a nail I can hang the day on. It’s something to do between being asleep and being awake. Surely there’s something better to do, though, than to drink a cup of instant coffee So when did the change start to happen? In 1958/59 Lipton introduced tea bags, a crime in my opinion, against the enjoyment of a freshly brewed pot of leaf tea. Today, go into any supermarket and see how the space allocated to tea has shrunk in comparison to coffee and how loose leaf tea choices have been supplanted by packets of tea bags. Australia’s shift from tea to coffee happened from the 1950s–1990s, intricately tied to our migration history and the surge of migrants from Italy, Greece and other European countries. It was also the time when espresso technology was a major turning point in coffee culture and advertising began recasting coffee as modern and glamorous The first coffee cafes were in inner-city areas such as Carlton, Lygon Street and surrounds. By the 1970s and 1980s, Espresso culture developed in both Sydney and Melbourne, and Sydney had some very early and influential cafes.
In Sydney, the city of my childhood, Ivan Repin’s Sydney coffee shops brought a degree of sophistication to a city that was predominantly tea-drinking; his shops eventually becoming precursors of the Italian espresso bars. I also recall a place in the then, as now, affluent Double Bay to where people travelled from all over the city for a cappuccino From 2000 onwards, the rise of independent cafes, better beans and burgeoning barista culture turned coffee into a daily ritual—and Australia developed an unusually sophisticated coffee culture. Tea never disappeared, but coffee shifted from being an immigrant specialty to an everyday Australian habit. The coffees that we liked to drink were cappuccino, cafe latte and eventually the flat white. These drinks were approachable for people accustomed to drinking tea with milk. Today, many variations are on offer, based not just around taste but dietary needs and preferences. Once your local shopping strip had a cafe, coffee became part of everyday suburban life rather than something you went into the city to experience. Some people may be confused by reading about the Coffee Palaces, which were built in Melbourne during its boom time years in the 1880s. These were built specifically as part of the Temperance Movement. The Windsor Hotel is the big survivor. Altogether, there were over 50 such palaces in Melbourne. But these were not merely for coffee drinking but provided food, entertainment and a variety of beverages. In both Melbourne and Sydney, cafes evolved into places that served food as well as coffee and created unique social spaces. The culture of coffee began to resemble wine culture as cafes became increasingly interested in bean origin, roasting, extraction, latte art, and alternative brewing. Australian baristas and cafe operators also became influential internationally. In short: Europeans brought the tradition, Australian cities turned it into a daily social ritual, and the specialty-coffee movement turned that ritual into a highly competitive craft. Today, with migrants from the Middle East and Africa, a new type of coffee is on offer, though mostly in cafes that serve those communities. But perhaps we will soon see the Arabic, Turkish or African coffee often flavoured with saffron, cardamom, cloves and other spices added to the coffee types we enjoy today. At a time of cost of living pressures, it will be interesting to see if coffee prices rise and whether this will result in people foregoing their daily coffee ritual. Somehow I think not. The Woorilla Poetry Prize for 2026 has now closed. Mark November 22 in your diaries for the Awards – afternoon of great entertainment.
Volunteers keep Knox seniors moving and connected By Sally Dusting-Laird For almost five years, Knox volunteers have helped older residents stay active and connected through free Come and Try sessions at three local parks with unique equipment designed in Finland. Gentle movement, time in nature, mindfulness and social connection all contribute to a greater sense of wellbeing as we age. The sessions provide an opportunity for people to get out of the house and be active at their own pace. Volunteers welcome participants, demonstrate the equipment and provide encouragement, creating a supportive environment where people can exercise at their own pace, meet others and try something new. It’s all about ageing well not ageing poorly. Volunteer Carol Simpson, 71, a Knoxfield resident has supported the program for approximately five years. “It’s something I can fill my time with but more importantly it’s something I can contribute back to the community that’s of value and helps people to continue living a fairly normal life in their own home,” she said. 20 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Volunteers Anne and Carol. (Supplied) “The connection that goes along with it is so important because as we started coming out of Covid the social (bonds) formed were incredibly important to a lot of people. “It’s personally helped me physically recover from some major surgery. “It’s definitely the social connections and the fitness and health side has major benefits for everybody no matter what their age.” Tea and coffee give participants a chance to sit, relax and chat after Since Knox’s first Seniors Exercise Park opened in 2022, the program has helped make the city’s three dedicated parks
welcoming community spaces where the benefits extend beyond physical activity. Knox Council is the only local government authority in Melbourne’s Eastern Metropolitan Region to offer three dedicated Seniors Exercise Parks while also delivering a program that supports attendees to use the outdoor exercise equipment safely and effectively. The program’s success, however, is driven by the volunteers who continue to show up for the community. Gentle movement, time outdoors, mindfulness and social connection all support par-
ticipants’ wellbeing. Sessions also provide an opportunity to relax over a cuppa, share experiences and build friendships. Magda from Wantirna South is 82 and has been a participant for two years. “I started coming because I know you have to exercise, move it or you lose it,” she said. “I’m living on my own and I have to support myself as long as possible and the exercise parks are a very good design from Finland. “Every part of your body is exercised with the equipment. For example this exercise for your fingers is so good. I’m from the Czech Republic and I’ve never seen it anywhere before. If you want to do some sewing at my age you have to exercise your fingers. “I had a bad knee and needed an operation but I said No and continue to exercise to build strength. The sessions are currently held at Marie Wallace Park in Bayswater (every Monday 10am - 11.00am) Carrington Park Knoxfield (every Tuesday 10am – 11,00am) Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully (every Wednesday 10am11,00am). For more information contact Knox Council Healthy Ageing Specialist Jia Xu on 9298 8377.
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Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 21
OPINION
Digger: So very frustrating Digger Starring Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed and John Goodman MA15+ 3.75/5 Digger, a political dark comedy directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is the most frustrating film I’ve seen this year so far, and follows tycoon Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) as he faces the cataclysmic consequences of a disaster at his Greenland oil rig. Digger’s hilarious first act had me rapt with its earth-shaking egos and ruthless political spin, as it satirises the chummy but self-serving relationship between government and big business.
Cruise is clearly having fun playing a repulsive anti-hero, Riz Ahmed is riveting as a climate scientist who Digger respects for telling the brutal,
insulting truth, and John Goodman is a loud, bug-eyed caricature in the best way as President Compson. Digger distinguishes itself with arresting imagery, lavish set design and phenomenal monologues. I love how the washed-out colour palette makes Rockwell and his ghoulish entourage look like corpses. Digger’s best scene is a nightmarish circus-like UN hearing full of contorted faces and bellowed recriminations, as a swaggering Rockwell confesses to his company’s crimes but brands his audience hypocrites for preaching progressive action while reluctant to give up their oily comforts. Where Digger nearly lost me is the reveal that Rockwell’s whole story is a play called Fos-
CARTOON
sil Fools, with Cruise playing actor Curtis Markson. You know me – I usually hate when films do this, but I could (mostly) forgive this immersionshattering reveal on the style and strength of Rockwell’s narrative. Still, these backstage interludes with Markson are uninteresting diversions that hurt the flow and closure of Rockwell’s story and say very little (save for a moving speech from Jesse Plemons about the value of absurd satire), and Digger would be much better if they were removed. Digger is a witty, visually lush oil-black comedy that loses focus and breaks the fourth wall to its near-fatal detriment. - Seth Lukas Hynes
Remarkable PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN
Extraordinary Frozen a fan favourite at The Round Karralyka Theatre You’re My World – The Cilia Black Story Cilla Black was one of the most authentic popculture personalities in contemporary history. With 11 top hits throughout the Sixties and Seventies and several hits on the revision. Cilla carved a name for herself as an impressive singer with relatable personality and a wicked sense of humour. And now Cilla Black is back. This hugely successful show is full of the powerhouse vocals and self-deprecatinghumour that made Cillia Black one of the UK’s most beloved stars. Season: Tuesday 13 October at 10.30 am and 1.30pm. The 1812 Theatre Switzerland – A Review A young man travels from New York to Switzerland to try to persuade acclaimed thriller writer Patricia Highsmith to write one final instalment of her Tom Ripley series, with his efforts gradually turning more sinister. The 1812 held the play in The Bakery at 1812 as it is a two-hander. The players were Patricia Highsmith as Audrey-Maeve Barker, her agent from America was Edward Ridgway, played by Mark Channing. The set was well done with a two-seater couch and matching chair centre stage, on audience right there was a desk where Patricia did her writing, on the audience’s left there was a bookshelf on which she kept books and souvenirs of guns used in her stories. Centre rear was an opening to
22 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Kemp’s curtain call a movie of snails, as the writer was a keen viewer of snails; then it changed to a view of the Swiss Alps, but as the show grew darker, the window view grew smaller. Audrey-Maeve Barker gave a good acting performance, but her voice was not clear, and the audience missed some of the fine nuances which contributed to the plot. Mark Channing was also a good actor but again was not too clear voicewise and instead of facing the audience when he spoke, he spoke away from the audience. There was a surprising twist at the end. Overall, not a bad production, but the two actors had quiet voices, which left the audience wondering what was happening. The Round Frozen Produced by Babirra Musical Theatre An extraordinary production from Babirra. The settings were magnificent, the lighting was amazing, the costumes were absolutely wonderful, and the puppetry was excellent. All in all, a show not to be missed. Designed primarily for the
younger generation, adults would have trouble enjoying such a production. The production opened with the chorus and then it moved to the young princesses playing together. Elsa, the older of the two was given an amazing performance by Marina Martin, an excellent performance of the young queen who brought winter to everything. On opening night, a young girl played Elsa who did a good performance. The older Anna, Lisa’s sister, was played by Lisa Capon, a remarkable performance, and Lisa was on stage practically the whole evening. Her younger self on opening night did a terrific performance and did a terrific performance in her role and has a great future on the stage. There was a stag with fully mounted horns and a very good costume. He did a wonderful job of acting in the character. His master gave a great performance and a good acting role added to by a great singing voice. Elise Stevens was the girl’s mother, Queen Uduna, and Jack Lear was the girl’s father, King Agnaar. Both played their roles expertly which added to the high standard of the evening. Olaf the snowman was a puppet about kneehigh and was manipulated by Darcy Harris, a remarkable voice and great manipulation of the puppet. The balance of the cast kept the very high standard set by the main cast and it was an evening to be remembered.
Our readers may member Penguin the Magpie, who became a global social media sensation after her adventures with her human family were shared online. Boasting 176,000 followers on Instagram, Penguin’s story began in 2013, when the abandoned, injured chick was found by the Bloom family. Cameron and Sam and their three young sons nursed her back to health, and she became one of their own. But there’s far more to Penguin’s story than meets the eye. The book Penguin Bloom: The odd little bird who saved a family is more about Sam, a fan of sports and outdoor activities who became paraplegic after a near-fatal injury. Sam’s recovery was long, frustrating and deeply depressing. “Every day presented her with a battle she couldn’t win. No longer able to follow her heart or commit her restless energy to immediate purpose. She sat at the edge of family life, watching, wishing. Sam quietly mourned the loss of her former self; she would cry herself to sleep and cry herself awake,” Cameron writes. “I saw the light in her eyes grow dim. I knew she was withdrawing from the world. That such a fiercely free and passionate spirit could now be anchored beyond our love by pain and a steel chair was too much for us to bear.” Like many other true stories celebrating human strength and resilience, Penguin Bloom is remarkable and inspiring. We cheer for Sam who survived her injuries and went on to become a four-time World Para Surf Champion while advocating for mental health and adapting to change. But the book feels even more heart-warming as it presents a perfect parallel between human and nature, how they bond with and support each other through adversity and pain, until both can triumph over tragedy and trauma. Sam and Penguin show us that, however lost and/or damaged we feel, there will always be compassion, friendship and better days ahead. Particularly worth reading is Sam’s personal message in the book, where she gives “brutally honest” advice to those who have suffered a serious spinal cord injury and been paralysed, and to those whose loved ones have endured a similar fate. To all of us, really, she has this to say: “It’s up to you to choose how you will face the challenges and hard times ahead, and how you will seize the opportunities for creativity, productivity and happiness.” Penguin Bloom has a film adaptation. One of the scriptwriters, Shaun Grant, will discuss writing for TV and film for the “From Page to Screen” panel at the forthcoming 2026 Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival. Fellow panelists include Kelly Lefever and Tadji Ulrich, and a screening of Penguin Bloom is keenly expected. More details: dandyrangeslitfest.net.
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RURAL LIFESTYLE EQUINE FACILITIES WITH MASSIVE SHEDDING ON 18 ACRES mailcommunity.com.au
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE 23
PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
RURAL LIFESTYLE - EQUINE FACILITIES WITH MASSIVE SHEDDING ON 18 ACRES AS the remote entrance gates open, they reveal a private sweeping driveway leading to a true country style homestead. All crowning the ridge and combines RARE usable acreage with tranquil rural views. Step inside to reveal vaulted timber ceilings, steep gabled roof lines and lots of natural light through cute pyramid windows. Open plan kitchen/dining/family room is the hub of the home overlooking alfresco entertaining area and in ground pool. There are three living rooms for everyone to have their own space to spread out. Four spacious bedrooms, including a huge master bedroom, walk-in robe and a truly stunning ensuite bathroom. Need to work from home? There is even a large study, just for that. Yearround comfort is provided with ducted gas heating, cosy wood fire Coonara heater plus split and evaporative cooling. Stepping outside the land is divided into 7 paddocks, 2 shelters and concrete water troughs. A dressage arena of 60mx20m stables, tack room and wash facilities. A large 4 bay garage/work room is well fitted out and a massive 7 bay work shed for the car enthusiast or contractor plus hard stand parking. Indoor and outdoor spaces combine here for absolute lifestyle pleasure. Offering options for even a few sheep or some cows (or whatever takes your fancy!) This is a rare opportunity to secure a substantial acreage holding in a tightly held location. So, is it now time for your family’s ‘Tree Change?’ ●
HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 25 Chapman Road, SILVAN Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 11 garage Price: $1,950,000 - $2,145,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Grant Skipsey 0418 528 102, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL REAL ESTATE, 9754 6111
24 MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
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HOME FOCUS
CHARACTER, SPACE AND INCREDIBLE OUTDOOR LIVING SET on a generous 981sqm allotment, 290 Glenfern Road, Upwey is a home packed with personality, space and unmistakable Hills character. Rich timber finishes, striking stonework, slate flooring and soaring ceilings combine to create something genuinely unique, while multiple living zones and an enormous outdoor entertaining area make this a fantastic option for growing families. One of the property’s biggest highlights is undoubtedly the outdoor entertaining. An expansive elevated deck stretches across the rear of the home, providing an incredible amount of space for outdoor dining, entertaining and relaxing while taking in the
beautiful treetop outlook beyond. A further lower deck and entertaining area adds even more versatility, creating multiple spaces to enjoy the outdoors throughout the seasons. Stepping inside, the home immediately makes an impression with its extensive use of natural materials and warm timber detailing. At the heart of the home is the spacious kitchen and dining area, finished with quality appliances, blue tiled splashbacks, a dishwasher, soft-close cabinetry and a natural timber island bench which doubles as a breakfast bar provides a practical setting for everyday family life.
High timber-lined ceilings and exposed beams continue the character of the home, while the adjoining family area offers another comfortable place to relax. Living space is certainly not in short supply. A study/living room provides flexibility for those working from home or simply needing an additional retreat, while downstairs a generous lounge room complete with a wood heater creates a completely separate living zone ideal for hosting guests, movie nights or families wanting room to spread out. Accommodation comprises four bedrooms across the two levels, complemented by two bathrooms (main bedroom with ensuite). The
bedrooms continue the home’s combination of timber, stone and slate, giving each room its own individual character, while split-system heating and cooling throughout selected areas adds everyday comfort. Completing the package is a double garage, additional off-street parking, established gardens and plenty of outdoor space across the 981sqm block. Distinctive, spacious and wonderfully suited to its Upwey surrounds, 290 Glenfern Road offers a home with genuine character, flexible family living and an outdoor entertaining area that needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. ●
HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 290 Glenfern Road, UPWEY Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $940,000 - $1,030,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Daniel Steen 0434 979 142, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE, 9754 6888
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Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE 25
HOME FOCUS
PRIVATE FAMILY LIVING WITH SWEEPING VIEWS PRIVATELY positioned below the road on a beautiful 2,311sqm, this inviting threebedroom, two-bathroom home offers space, privacy and a flexible floorplan ideal for family living. Inside, timber floors add warmth and character throughout the main living areas. The open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge create a welcoming central hub, with the kitchen featuring a gas cooktop, wall oven, dishwasher and plenty of storage. A woodfire adds warmth and ambience, while large windows allow natural light to fill the home and frame impressive views across the surrounding landscape. Split systems throughout provide year-round comfort. The thoughtful floorplan provides excellent separation between the bedrooms. One bedroom is positioned near the front of the home, while the master suite features a walk-in robe and private ensuite. The third bedroom is located at the opposite end of the home, with two of the three bedrooms offering excellent robe storage. A highlight of the home is the generous rear deck, perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the beautiful outlook. With sweeping views stretching into the distance, this is an inviting space for summer entertaining, weekend barbecues or simply relaxing at the end of the day and taking in the peaceful surrounds. Downstairs adds another dimension to the home, featuring a spacious second living or rumpus room with a split system and direct access outside. A separate study provides an ideal work-from-home space, while the generous laundry offers excellent functionality with dual ovens, adding further versatility to this level. The rear garden is fully fenced, providing a secure space for children and pets to enjoy, with convenient gated access from the front of the property. Completing the property is an impressive 11kW solar system, sealed driveway and double carport, bringing together privacy, flexibility and plenty of space in a picturesque setting. Call to arrange a private inspection today. Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●
HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 26 Nobelius Street, EMERALD Description: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $980,000 - $1,078,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Brennan Mileto 0422 996 451 or Aaron Day 0407 365 994, BELL REAL ESTATE - EMERALD
26 MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
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P 5968 6222 311-313 Main Street Emerald
12 Innes Road Gembrook
$730,000 - $800,000
380 Jameson Road Hoddles Creek
$1,375,000 - $1,475,000
Spacious Family Living Just Moments from Gembrook.
37 Acres of Opportunity with Two Fully Self-Contained Homes.
Set on 853sqm & within walking distance of Gembrook’s main street, this inviting 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home offers space, natural light & everyday convenience. The open-plan kitchen, living & dining area features large windows overlooking the back garden, while the kitchen includes electric cooking, dishwasher, generous bench space & ample storage. A split system & gas ducted heating ensure year-round comfort. Down the hallway, all 4 bedrooms create a dedicated accommodation zone. 3 bedrooms include built-in robes & share the central family bathroom, while the master features built-in robes, ensuite & direct access to a private deck. Outside, the spacious semi-fenced backyard offers plenty of room for children & pets. A laundry with additional storage, under-house storage & single garage complete this Gembrook property.
Set across approximately 37 acres of predominantly cleared land, this exceptional property offers two separate homes, outstanding infrastructure & endless lifestyle possibilities. Perfect for multigenerational living, guest accommodation or additional income. The main residence features 12ft ceilings, timber floors, three bedrooms, two bathrooms & an inviting lounge with woodfire. A countrystyle kitchen & beautifully appointed bathroom with clawfoot bath & underfloor heating. Privately positioned, the freshly painted second home offers open-plan living, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, split systems & a welcoming front verandah overlooking the rural surrounds. Completing the property are six fenced paddocks, two dams, an ornamental vineyard, chook house, double garage with workshop & games room, 4.5kW solar system & approximately 95,000 litres of water storage.
Aaron Day M 0407 365 994
Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451
4
751 Woori Yallock Road Nangana
Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451
Aaron Day M 0407 365 994
A
2
B 1 C
$2,100,000 - $2,300,000
5
53 Second Avenue Cockatoo
A
4
B 2 C
$940,000-$1,030,000
A Landmark Lifestyle Estate of Grand Scale & Prestige on 11 Acres!
Space, Character & Lifestyle on a Beautiful Block.
Set across an exceptional 11-acre estate with creek frontage, this magnificent American Ranchinspired residence delivers luxury, privacy & outstanding family living. Behind grand stone & wrought iron gates, a circular driveway winds through beautifully landscaped gardens to the impressive home. Inside, the gourmet granite kitchen with walk-in pantry flows to formal & informal dining, while a theatre room, open-plan living with soaring timber-beamed ceilings, stone fireplace, bar & wine cellar create an outstanding entertaining environment. Upstairs, 4 oversized bedrooms include a luxurious main suite with walk-in robe & ensuite. Premium finishes include polished hardwood floors, double glazing, hydronic heating, split systems & ducted vacuum. Outside, a 25m x 10m shed with high bay access, barn, fenced paddocks & dam with bridge & rotunda.
Set on 3,035sqm in Cockatoo, this 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home offers generous family living surrounded by established gardens. A welcoming front verandah leads to a carpeted lounge with vaulted ceilings, flowing through to the open-plan kitchen, dining & living zone. The kitchen features slate flooring, stone benchtops, a timber-topped island, SMEG oven with gas cooktop, dishwasher & excellent storage. Large windows fill the living area with natural light, while a woodfire, split system & gas ducted heating provide year-round comfort. Three bedrooms with built-in robes, a central bathroom with leadlight window & European laundry complete the lower level. Upstairs, the master retreat features vaulted ceilings, his-&-hers walk-in robes & ensuite. Outside, enjoy undercover entertaining, a fire pit, vegetable garden, water tank, double garage with powered workshop.
Samantha Scott M 0438 680 032
Aaron Day M 0407 365 994
5
A
2
B 10 C
Brennan Mileto M 0422 996 451
4
A
2
B 2 C
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Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE 27
HOME FOCUS
SPACIOUS RANCH-STYLE LIVING WITH SUSTAINABLE CREDENTIALS, MINUTES TO TOWN THIS appealing ranch-style four-bedroom home offers generous space, excellent indooroutdoor living and a strong focus on comfort and sustainable living. The private main suite provides a peaceful retreat, complete with walk-in robe and full ensuite, while the remaining bedrooms are serviced by a spacious family bathroom. Multiple large living areas provide plenty of room for the whole family, with one featuring a cosy wood fire for relaxed evenings. At the heart of the home, the wellappointed central kitchen offers abundant cupboard and bench space, making everyday living and entertaining a breeze. A separate laundry adds further practicality. Full-length verandahs wrap around the home, creating an effortless connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The covered pergola provides the perfect setting for year-round outdoor entertaining, overlooking the established gardens and productive vegetable beds. Designed with sustainable living in mind, the property features several vegetable gardens, water tanks, 12kW solar panels and a 13.5kW Tesla Powerwall battery. Double glazing with Magnetite, split systems x 4, further contribute to year-round comfort and energy efficiency. Outside, the fully fenced 2828 m2 allotment provides a secure environment for the family, while dual access, ample parking, a double garage and carport provide plenty of space for vehicles, trailers and guests. Offering generous accommodation, wonderful outdoor spaces and an impressive range of energy-efficient features, this is a home designed for comfortable family living with room to enjoy the lifestyle. You are minutes to Cockatoo Township, walks through Wright Forest, 15 mins to rail connections in Pakenham, bus nearby and a wonderful community to be part of. Offers Closing Tuesday October 13 at 4pm, unless sold prior. ●
HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 31 Bailey Road, COCKATOO Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 6 garage Price: $975,000 - $1,072,500. Offers Closing Tuesday October 13 at 4pm, unless sold prior Inspect: By appointment Contact: Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 and Caiti Ellis 0493 136 937, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL REAL ESTATE, 9754 6111 mailcommunity.com.au 28 MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
Ranges CONVENIENT & PRIVATE LOCATION
SUSTAINABLE CREDENTIALS
SELbY 5 JOHNS ROAD
$745,000 - $815,000
HOME SWEET HOME
3A 2B C
‘Mirra Brae’- Discover a unique earthy home with a warm ambience and a relaxed Hills lifestyle in this convenient and private location only moments from all desirable amenities. you’ll find a multi-level design featuring treed views, unique kitchen with a butler’s pantry, dining area with a cosy wood heater, deluxe ensuite to the master, timber features, massive picture windows, multi point central split system heating, a spacious undercover decking, 1/4 acre with dual street access with ample off-street parking.
Grant Skipsey 0418 528 102
SET IN A QUIET COMMUNITY
9754 6111
rangesfn.com.au mailcommunity.com.au
$975,000 - $1,072,500
SPACIOUS RANCH-STYLE LIVING
4A 2B 6C
****Offers Closing Tuesday October 13th at 4pm, unless sold prior**** This appealing home offers generous space, excellent indoor-outdoor living & a strong focus on sustainable living. Features a private master retreat, multiple large living, wood fire, full-length wrap around verandahs, covered pergola, established gardens, vegetable beds, water tanks, 12kW solar panels & a 13.5kW Tesla Powerwall battery, double glazing, S/Systems x 4, dual access and ample parking on a fully fenced 2828 m2 allotment.
Caiti Ellis 0493 136 937
PERFECT FIRST HOME
$495,000 - $530,000 2A 1B 1C
This over-55s unit sits on a manageable 179m² allotment and delivers an easy, lowmaintenance lifestyle in a quiet setting. The layout has been designed with practicality in mind, offering a centrally positioned bathroom with ensuite effect to master bedroom, open plan living, kitchen with plenty of storage, second toilet and separate laundry. The courtyard provides a private spot to enjoy some fresh air, a single garage with remote access and direct entry into the home adds convenience. Includes visitor parking.
Erin Davies 0494 175 410
COCkATOO 31 BAILEy ROAD
Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522
SHORT WALK INTO TOWN
GEMbROOk 6/13 VISTA COURT
We put you first
Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522
AVONSLEIGH 475 BELgRAVE-gEMBROOK RD CHARMING COTTAGE LIVING
$650,000 - $715,000 2A 1B 1C
Full of character and warmth, this charming cottage is the perfect place to begin your homeownership journey. Set on a generous 791sqm (approx.) block, it offers a relaxed, easy lifestyle with just the right mix of original charm and thoughtful updates. Featuring warm timber floorboards throughout, renovated bathroom with double vanities, cosy light-filled living space and bedrooms. All of this in a convenient location, just a short drive to both Emerald and Cockatoo shops, cafés, and local amenities.
Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522
‘We Put You First’
Caiti Ellis 0493 136 937
1660 Burwood Highway, Belgrave Shop 2/24 McBride St, Cockatoo Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE 29
HOME FOCUS
LARGE FAMILY HOME IN JUST THE RIGHT LOCATION SIMPLY stunning from start to finish, this meticulously cared for family home offers extensive living options, a versatile floorplan and a wonderfully convenient position within a welcoming community. Situated on a no-through road and only 450 metres (approx.) from Belgrave South Primary School, local shops and public transport, the home is perfectly placed for everyday convenience and easy family life. Built in 2004 and spanning over two levels, the home offers five generous bedrooms along with flexible living options ideal for growing families, older children, guests or those needing a dedicated work-from-home space. The main level features a sun filled, spacious open-plan living zone with soaring cathedral ceilings over 16ft high, four well sized bedrooms, kitchen and dining area while downstairs an oversized rumpus room, fifth bedroom / home office and bathroom provides the perfect second living area or extended accommodation option. At the heart of the home, the impressive kitchen combines style and practicality with a large island bench, breakfast bar, stone benchtops, walk-in pantry, stainless steel Fisher & Paykel cooktop and oven, plus an LG dishwasher. Thoughtful finishes throughout include striking hardwood timber floors and highlight clerestory windows, adding touches of character and practicality. Ducted heating and split system heating/cooling provide yearround comfort. Outside, the large rear decking offers a beautiful place to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner while taking in the colourful, tiered gardens and surrounding treetops. A sealed driveway leads to a double carport, with additional space available for trailers or extra vehicles and there is excellent workshop space and storage under the house with internal access. A true testament to quality and craftsmanship, 11 Lyndall Road won't be beaten on design or desire. ●
HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 11 Lyndall Road, BELGRAVE SOUTH Description: 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $1,300,000 - $1,395,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442 and Jonathan Arad 0490 393 328, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE, 9754 6888
30 MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
mailcommunity.com.au
Real Estate you can trust! We’re here to help.
62oldWarburtonroad,Sevilleeast
128Belgrave-Gembrookrd,Selby
1GlenHarrowHeightsrd,Belgrave
2 Bed | 1 Bath | 2 Car | 1126m2
2 Bed | 1 Bath | 2 Car | 1449m2
5 Bed | 2 Bath | 2096m2
For Sale $650,000 - $710,000
For Sale $690,000 - $745,000
For Sale $780,000 - $830,000
Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442
Jonathan Arad 0490 393 328
290Glenfernroad,Upwey
Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442
Jonathan Arad 0490 393 328
131MtMortonrd,BelgraveHeights
Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442
Jonathan Arad 0490 393 328
11lyndallroad,BelgraveSouth
4 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 981m2
4 Bed | 2 Bath | 3 Car | 7.6 Acres
5 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 1003m2
For Sale $940,000 - $1,030,000
For Sale $1,250,000 - $1,375,000
For Sale $1,300,000 - $1,395,000
Daniel Steen 0434 979 142
Brad Conder 0422 639 115
Jerlyn Arradaza 0434 688 554
Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442
Jonathan Arad 0490 393 328
03 9754 6888 office@chandlerandco.com.au 1689 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave Vic 3160 mailcommunity.com.au
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE 31
PUZZLES 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.
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS
easy
6 2 5 7 1 4 1 5 5 8 1 2 6 5 4 1 7 6 4 9 1 9 3 2 5 6 4 7 6 3 9 1 medium
4 5 9 3
2
5 1 2 3 1 2
6 7
5
1 4
7 2
13 14 15 18 20 21 23 26 27 28 29
6 6 4 7 3 2 6
15
25
R
10
2
9
1 5 4 5 7
9 3 3
2
9
Pontiff (4) Disputed Spanish region (9) Ancient Roman aristocrat (9) Bygone (5) Feudal Japanese warrior (7) Boredom (5) Preceding day (9) Individual from Belgrade, say (4) Written declaration under oath (9) Father, as head of family (9) Travelling (2,7) Latter part of the day (7) Rundown (5) Musical drama (5) Data (coll) (4) Shortened form of boulevard (4)
1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 14 16 17 19 22 23 24 25
12
7 3
21
12
2
15
3
22
13
23
26
22
1
19
R
24
3
N
R
13
12
19
4
4
2
4
14
26
N
12
12 16
12
22
2
10
23
26
N
25
R
12
18
22 2
26
N
25
R
15
4 23
22
1
R
2 4
22
25
26
2
R
26 15
8
N
12
N
17
4
21
22
6
6
22
24
4
25
4
1
1
9
18
6
22
15
4
13
5
20
25
22
11
4
12
3
5
24
25
18
26
9
N
4
N
3
4
4
16
4 24
No. 342
10
4
4
15
10
4
5
15
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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21
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26
R
R N
W S K Q U B J F A O Y R N 15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
D G C E M L Z V X T P I H 9
10
11
12
13
9-LETTER WORD Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in 's'.
R
Today’s Aim: 14 words: Good 21 words: Very good 28 words: Excellent
G
I
P
E
N L
I
F
elfin, feign, fern, filing, fine, finer, finger, firing, fling, fringe, genii, glen, grin, infer, lien, line, liner, linger, PILFERING, piling, pine, ping, reign, rein, rifling, riling, ring, ripen
3 6 2 5 7 1 8 4 9 9 7 1 8 2 4 3 5 6 5 8 4 3 9 6 1 2 7 1 2 7 6 5 8 4 9 3 4 9 5 1 3 7 2 6 8 8 3 6 2 4 9 5 7 1 6 1 9 4 8 5 7 3 2 7 5 3 9 1 2 6 8 4 2 4 8 7 6 3 9 1 5
8 7 2 3 4 9 5 1 6 1 5 9 8 6 2 3 4 7 3 4 6 5 7 1 9 8 2 4 6 1 2 5 3 7 9 8 9 8 3 7 1 4 6 2 5 5 2 7 9 8 6 4 3 1 6 9 8 4 2 7 1 5 3 7 3 5 1 9 8 2 6 4 2 1 4 6 3 5 8 7 9
2 7 5 9 4 8 3 1 6 3 6 9 2 7 1 5 4 8 8 1 4 3 6 5 2 7 9 5 9 7 4 1 3 6 8 2 4 8 3 6 2 7 9 5 1 6 2 1 5 8 9 4 3 7 7 4 2 1 3 6 8 9 5 9 3 8 7 5 2 1 6 4 1 5 6 8 9 4 7 2 3 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com
8
hard
7
medium
6
easy
5
3
4
4
3
1
2
6
3
4
5
6
7
10
8
11
12
13
14
15
18
16
17
19
21
22
20
23
24 25 27
26
28
29
WORDFIT 3 LETTERS ACT AGE AIL ALL ASK ASS EAR EAT EBB EEL FLU IFS INS ION KEG LAD LEE LET NEE OHS ONE PEA TAG TEE
1
4 1 3 8 5
14
4 6
13
26
25
2 1
22
12
10
hard
15
5
4
15
3
22
12 10
9
6
2 9
DECODER 15
1
DOWN
Strike with the beak (4) Furniture covering (10) Long-suffering (7) Requirements (7) Ancient Roman lower classman (8) Elevate (5) Adolescent skin problem (4) Made easy (10) Brotherhood (10) Abide (4) Mournful song (5) Fresh (8) Inocculation (7) Turndown (7) Study of surface features (10) Ladies’ man (4)
1 3 10 11 12
No. 310
4 LETTERS ADDS ARMS ASKS FLUX GENE GIGS MASS NOTE ODDS SCAB SETS SIPS SKIS THEE 5 LETTERS ABLER AIRED AMBER AMUSE
No. 310
T H E E
ANNEX ARENA CAROL CHIPS EDGES ELDER ELUDE ERASE FIRST GLEAM HARSH HERDS IDLER IMAGE INLET LOATH MATTE NEEDS NESTS NOISE PALED PAPAS PEACE
PIANO RAILS RATIO REIGN RENEW ROMPS SAUNA SECTS SHIES SLANT SLEWS SLING SOARS STAMP STARS STATE STEAK STEMS STINT TENET THESE TRITE UNTIE
6 LETTERS HIKERS MISSES ORDEAL SERIAL
8 LETTERS ESTIMATE RECOURSE STRADDLE TONNAGES
7 LETTERS ALARMED BLUNDER CREATES HAPPIER HASSLES RANSOMS
P A P A S S O A R S M A T T E I N L E T A I R E D I M A G E A B L E R P E A C E S L I N G N E E I F S R O M P S T E E O R D E A L A M U S E S E T S B L U N D E R A C T S C A B O D D S H A R S H S K I S E S T I M A T E E A R C R E A T E S H A P P I E R T O N N A G E S G I G S L A D T H E E A S K S S L A N T E E L R A N S O M S F L U X E R A S E H I K E R S I O N N E E D S A S S L E T I D L E R S A U N A R A T I O S T I N T G L E A M E L D E R N E S T S S L E W S T H E S E
No. 310
P E C K U P H O L S T E R Y A S A L A N E O D E M A N D S P A T I E N T A R R E U U T E P L E B E I A N R A I S E O C A R S I M P L I F I E D A C N E I A A N A F F R A T E R N I T Y S T A Y V R R I D I R G E O R I G I N A L A E N P A N N B V A C C I N E R E F U S A L A N R C O I V I S T U D T O P O G R A P H Y
SUDOKU
09-10-26
Robbie, Gavan and Janet
www.heritagefunerals.com.au • Wantirna, Lilydale, Woori Yallock • 9800 3000 32 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
12711905-KG37-24
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SPORT
Hawks do well at awards • D Grade - Caitlin Lowndes (Seville) • Under 17s - Marli Coller (Alexandra) • Champion Club Award - Mt. Evelyn Best Conducted • Premier Division - Olinda-Ferny Creek Division 1 - Yea • Women’s - Olinda-Ferny Creek & Healesville Men’s Football Goal Of The Year • Senior Tristan Van Driel (Healesville) Men’s Football Mark Of The Year - Joel • Senior Wensley (Monbulk) Women’s Goal Of The Year - Crystal Nor• Senior ris (Seville)
By Armin Richter The 2026 Outer East Gala Awards Night took place on Saturday as the League bestowed medals to the winners of Best & Fairest awards, goal kicking and shooting along with plaques to players who made the various teams of the year. The night started with the Under 15 Netball and Monbulk added to the great season that they already when claiming the premiership two weeks ago. Ruby Irwin tied for the Best & Fairest, polling 21 votes, becoming the second Hawk to claim the award in three years after Isabelle Cross had done likewise in 2024. Monbulk Gold filled three of the top six places with Amelia Magarry finishing runner-up with 18 votes and Eden Murphy in sixth. Eden also won back to back league goal shooting awards. The Hawks polled well in the Under 17s with Isla Stubbs coming third. Monbulk also placed well in the senior grade voting, with Jamie Sands finishing fourth in D Grade along with Dayna Walsham and Catherine Braniska tying for fifth in B Grade. A Grade captain, Peri Reid, was runner up in the league goal shooting for the season and was selected in the Premier Division Team Of The Year. Monbulk won another Best & Fairest in the Veterans. Playing Coach Dean White tied for the award. Dean becomes the third Monbulk player to win a Veterans League Best & Fairest after Danny Koelewyn and Steve Caddaye, who tied in the 1995 count. The Hawks had another win when the human highlight reel Joel Wensley took out Mark Of The Year. Joel had two nominations in the final and threatens to take mark of the day on a weekly basis. His effort against Mt. Evelyn in Round 15 was adjudged the best of the year in the Outer East. Joel was also selected in the Premier Division Team Of The Year at full foward, with team mate Lochie Beecroft named on the half forward flank. Abel Teese had a good year in the Reserves and finished fifth in the voting there while Tom Hill did the same in the Under 18s.
Eden Murphy in action in the Under 15s Grand Final. Eden won the Under 15s goal shooting with 392 for the year. (Armin Richter)
A typical Joel Wensley mark during 2026. He won Mark Of The Year for another effort against Mt. Evelyn. (Anthea Heagney) Other League award winners were: Football Premier Division Seniors - Samuel Raru (Upwey-Tecoma) Reserves - tied Matthew Brierley & Ryan Fooks (both Mt. Evelyn) Under 18s - Lucas Frazzetto (Healesville) Veterans - Grant Newing (Wandin) & Dean White (Monbulk) Womens (Div 1) - tied Belle Watson (Healesville), Emerson Woods (Warburton-Millgrove) & Courtney Stephens (Pakenham)
• • • • •
Division 1 Seniors - Austin Smith (Yarra Glen) Reserves - Matthew Vaiano (Pakenham) Womens (Div 2) - Jessica Kennedy (Yea) Netball Premier Division A Grade - Ally Langdon (Warburton-Millgrove) B Grade - Jaymee Tough (Woori Yallock) C Grade - Chloe Biggs (Mt. Evelyn) D Grade - Brooke Fennessy (Wandin) Under 17s - Maggie Rowe (Woori Yallock) Under 15s - tied Fetuliaina Falo (Pakenham) & Ruby Irwin (Monbulk) Division 1 A Grade - Cleo Minney (Seville) B Grade - Ella Morse (Seville) C Grade - Sophie Morgan (Seville)
• • •
• • • • • • • • •
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Leading Goalkickers Premier Division Seniors - 60 Joel Garner (Wandin) Reserves - 58 Marcus Baxter (Woori Yallock) Under 18s - 70 Darcy English (Healesville) Women’s Div 1 - 33 Scarlett Henderson (Warburton-Millgrove) Women’s Div 2 - 32 Crystal Norris (Seville) Division 1 Seniors - 79 Matthew Ryan (Pakenham) Reserves - 67 Zakery De Bono (Pakenham) Veterans - 32 Richard Gurney (Yarra Glen) Leading Goal Shooters Premier Division A Grade - 834 Rory Barr (Mt. Evelyn) B Grade - 887 Jaymee Tough (Woori Yallock) C Grade - 461 Jessica Ford (Woori Yallock) D Grade - 335 Brooke Fennessy (Wandin) Under 17s - 714 Lily Hutson (Woori Yallock) Under 15s - 392 Eden Murphy (Monbulk) Division 1 A Grade - 742 Olivia Ray (Seville) B Grade - 809 Hayley Melsen (Pakenham) C Grade - 377 Sophie Morgan (Seville) D Grade - 358 Hannah Ray (Seville) Under 17s - 389 Stella Dunstan (Seville)
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SPORT
FTG trio takes challenge Three players from Ferntree Gully Tennis Club enjoyed a rewarding day of competition at the Special Olympics Interclub tournament at Willison Park in Camberwell. Representing Special Olympics Melbourne Eastern Ranges, Agastya, Scott and Bonnie joined players with intellectual disabilities from across Melbourne for a day of great tennis in beautiful weather. Agastya made a terrific tournament debut, finishing fourth in the Division 5 skills competition. Scott placed fourth in Division 4, while Bonnie finished fourth in Division 2. All three can be proud of their efforts. The tournament provided opportunities to develop tennis skills, build confidence and make friendships through friendly competition. Supportive family members and friends cheered from the sidelines, enjoying the activities and match play throughout the day. Ferntree Gully Tennis Club congratulates its players and thanks coaches Nicole Vallos and Maria Vallos for coordinating a smooth and successful tournament. Their efforts helped create a welcoming and encouraging experience for everyone involved.
Scott competes in Division 4. (Supplied)
L-R: Bonnie, Agastya and Scott.
Rangers Day kicks off 2027 and celebrates 2026 Rangers Day returned to Monbulk Rangers Soccer Club on Sunday, 20 September with a huge celebration of football, families and community spirit. Players, families, friends and supporters gathered at the club to celebrate the 2026 season and kick off 2027 with a fabulous day in the sunshine. The annual event once again brought the club to life, with a big crowd enjoying plenty of football, food, activities and entertainment throughout the day. The atmosphere around the grounds was buzzing from start to finish, with the sunshine adding to the perfect setting for a fantastic day at the club. A major highlight of Rangers Day was the annual Dutchies vs Pommies clash, which once again provided plenty of action and friendly rivalry on the pitch. This year’s football began with the inaugural Juniors Dutchies vs Pommies match, giving the club’s younger players the opportunity to take part in a much-loved tradition. The Juniors match delivered plenty of excitement, with the
Junior Pommies claiming the first win. The attention then turned to the senior clash, with players taking to the pitch in front of the Rangers Day crowd. After plenty of competitive football and entertainment, it was the Dutchies who came out on top yet again, securing another win and ensuring the rivalry remains alive for another year. Away from the football, families and supporters enjoyed inflatable activities, food and plenty of opportunities to catch up with friends and fellow members of the community, reflecting the community that continues to make Monbulk Rangers Soccer Club such a special place. Registrations are now open for 2027. Whether you are looking to get back on the pitch, introduce the kids to football or become part of a great local community, Monbulk Rangers Soccer Club has something for everyone. Join the Rangers family and be part of what comes next. Sign up now at monbulkrangers. org.au/season-2027
Dutchies vs Pommies at Rangers Day. (Supplied)
Rangers Day kept everyone entertained with a range of activities.
Kids enjoyed the jumping castle.
A sausage sizzle was enjoyed at Rangers Day.
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A spectator watching the Dutchies vs Pommies clash.
Monbulk member Daniela De Martino also attended Rangers Day.
Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 | MAIL 35
Unwavering commitment to delivering excellence! Welcome to Clovelly Cottage. Nestled in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges but still within close proximity to the Boronia Junction shopping precinct and amenities, it is a place our residents are proud to call home. Featuring abundant indoor and outdoor spaces with a choice of private sanctuaries and communal living, we are dedicated to delivering excellence in care and services that enable residents to live well and celebrate the autumn years of their life.
Why Clovelly Cottage?
A comprehensive leisure and lifestyle program designed to engage and entertain with ample opportunity to socialise and connect with others.
Delicious and highly nutritious meals meticulously planned by an executive chef, and all prepared fresh on site in a modern commercial kitchen.
A dedicated nursing team on site to provide round-the-clock care ensuring residents receive the highest quality of clinical care at all times.
The culture of care and genuine regard for residents is exemplary. - Gwen (daughter of resident)
Contact us today on 1300 428 886 to discuss your care needs!
Book in a Tour
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Clovelly Cottage
1300 428 886
autumnagedcare.com.au
16 Stewart St, Boronia 12662059-SM07-24
36 MAIL | Tuesday, 6 October, 2026
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