Star Weekly - Melton Moorabool - 12th March 2024

Dining ‘vibe’ at risk

By Liam McNally

Upgrades to Caroline Springs Boulevard will require the removal of dining booths along the strip, and one restaurateur said businesses are fearful of the impact it will have on the area.

Temporary dining booths were installed at the front of restaurants in 2020 to help with COVID social distancing laws.

The booths were originally permitted to be there for a year after the state of emergency was declared over in December 2021, but council extended the permit to help businesses in the precinct during the warmer months.

Now, council is preparing to build a long-planned signalised pedestrian crossing out the front of the library, which will require the removal of dining booths with about 50 seats from the restaurants opposite.

Joseph Fadlallah has owned Blue Marlin Fish ‘n’ Chips for seven years, and he said the booths have been an amazing benefit to nearby restaurant.

“It has helped so much, a lot of people come, they sit where there’s a lot of room. A lot of people enjoy the good atmosphere. People care about coming,” he said.

“I find it really annoying that this is all going - they want to remove it, they want to make it all concrete,” he said.

“It’ll mean less foot traffic, less people coming through Caroline Springs. A lot of our customers come from other suburbs… they come down here because there’s a vibe… [removing dining booths] will ruin it completely.”

Mr Fadlallah said he wished council was more communicative through out the planning process for Caroline Springs Boulevard upgrades.

“They’re not the ones that are looking after it everyday, we are,” he said.

“As a business owner, I actually really want them to come and speak to us, come and see what we want.”

The issue was raised in a council meeting in October when councillor Steve Abboushi moved for council to review alternatives to the construction of the pedestrian crossing which would enable existing dining booths to remain “as a matter of urgency”.

The report has since been conducted and came back before council at a meeting in late-February. However, it found “no feasible options” to construct the signal crossing and retain the booths.

Cr Abbosuhi said he hopes council can do

something to help businesses there in the future.

“Caroline Springs Boulevard has become a destination, it’s very important for our residents. We want to draw people in, we want to make sure they spend their money in our local economy, we want to make sure they’re supporting our local business, but more importantly, we want to make sure they have a main destination in Caroline Springs that is very inviting,” he said.

“I hope that when we remove those dining booths that we put something there

Grey Matter Cafe

Where Coffee and Brilliance Meet

Indulge in more then just coffee at our cafe, it's a cozy sanctuary where every sip and bite is crafted with passion. Join us for a delightful escape from everyday hustle, where great conversations and tasty treats await.

that is going to be attractive, that is going to be inviting, because as a local resident in the eastern corridor, it doesn’t matter what season it is, there are always people frequenting the main strip. We want to draw people there and make sure they stay there.

“I hope that… we look after that main strip because it is the focal point for Caroline Springs and the eastern corridor.”

Melton council Engagement and Advocacy manager Sean McManus said critical road upgrades along Caroline Springs

Boulevard-Gourlay Road will improve traffic flow, safety, and congestion issues.

“Removal of the existing temporary dining booths along Caroline Springs Boulevard is required for the construction of a signalised pedestrian crossing,” he said.

“Designofthecrossingincludesanoutdoor dining area adjacent to traders accessible through Melton City Council’s footpath trading permit proess.

“Council officers will liaise with traders for opportunities in the newly created expanded outdoor dining space.”

Blue Marlin chef Susham Karki. (Damjan Janevski) 393667_02

Easter Bunny hops in

Hop along to exciting Easter festivities across Melton this month.

The Easter Bunny and his helpers will be making special appearances across local shopping precincts in Melton South, Melton Town Centre, Diggers Rest and Caroline Springs.

Children of all ages can enjoy photo opportunities and free giveaways.

EasterisoneofthemostimportantChristian days of significance, observing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Local businesses across the City will also be running fun activities and promotions for the whole family to enjoy.

Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik said the Easter Bunny and his helpers will be making some exciting visits to our community over the next few weeks.

“I’d encourage children and chocoholics of all ages to come along, say hi and celebrate

being together at this fun time of the year,” she said.

On March 23 the Easter Bunny can be found hopping around Melton Station Square from 10am to 11.30am, at Diggers Rest Commercial Centre from 10.30am to noon, at Norm Raven Reserve from 12.30pm to 1.30 pm, then at the Melton Town Centre Amphitheatre from 12.15pm to 3pm.

On the 24th the bunny will appear at Vescada Place in Caroline Springs from noon to1.45pm,thenattheCarolineSpringsLibrary from 2.15pm to 3.30pm.

Also on March 24, Eynesbury is hosting an enormous egg hunt, complete with kids entertainment, rides and a moving screening. Ticketsneedtobepurchasedpriortotheevent.

Details: eynesbury.com.au/whats-on/ pre-easter-funday or https://www.melton. vic.gov.au/Out-n-About/Events-Activities/ Easter-fun-2024

A photo of the Easter Bunny during its last visit to Melton. (Supplied)

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

CONTACT US

PHONE \ 03 8318 5777

LOCATION \ Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042

DISTRIBUTION \ 1300 656 678

ADVERTISING

GENERAL SALES INQUIRIES westads@starweekly.com.au

CLASSIFIEDS \ 1300 666 808

GENERAL REAL ESTATE INQUIRIES

EDITORIAL

GENERAL EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ENTRIES

More room at the shed

The Bacchus Marsh Men’s shed may soon be given room to expand following a a recent decisionbyMooraboolcouncil.

The Bacchus Marsh Men’s Shed was established in 2009, and is one of 1,200 men’s sheds across Australia that includes 50,000 membersnationally.

Bacchus Marsh’s popular shed was established at the rear of The Laurels. The group’s membership numbers have grown annually and due to the lack of space the group capped membership numbers at about 40. New members are currently only admitted when a current member does not renew their membership.

Bacchus Marsh Men’s Shed member Joe Lesko said the group fills a lot of gaps in people’slives.

“We meet socially, do work, we go on field

trips, and we build friendships through there,” hesaid.

“In the last 12 months we’ve had a lot of people we’ve had to turn away because we’re at capacity.

“The current set up is fine, but looking into thefutureandnotwantingtoturnpeopledown meansweneedbiggerandbetterfacilities.”

Better facilities may be on the horizon, with councillor Rod Ward passing moving for council to investigate options for new or increasedfacilitiesatameetingonMarch6.

“Men’s Sheds enhance the lives of many men and build better communities by fostering community spirit, cultivate social connectedness and contribute to building a moreinclusiveAustralia,”hesaid.

Mr Lesko said he was pleased to see the motionpass.

Briefs

Fatal crash

A man has died following a motorcycle crash in Bacchus Marsh on Monday. Emergency services responded to a motorcycle crash in Bacchus Marsh on March 4. It’s believed the rider lost control of the motorcycle on the Western Freeway just before 4pm. The male rider died at the scene. The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined and investigations remain ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Fatal assault

Police have charged a man following an alleged assault in Melton South last week, where a man later died. It is alleged a 56-year-old man was assaulted at a property on Richard Road about 4pm on Saturday, March 2. The man was located a short time later and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. He died in hospital on Sunday, March 3. A 56-year-old Melton South man was arrested and has been charged with manslaughter

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au

Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Date:

Bacchus Marsh Men’s Shed members meeting at The Laurels. (Supplied)

THE SOAKED BUT SO WHAT BIT

Unemployment improves slightly

Melton is experiencing its lowest level of unemployment in at least 13 years, however it has dropped in statewide rankings to the fifth worst unemployment rate in Victoria.

Data in the quarterly Small Area Labour Market (SALM) report complied by Jobs and Skills Australia showed Melton’s unemployment rate was at 5.4 per cent in September last year, above the Victorian rate of 3.5.

Chief executive of Future Connect, a charity that works with young people across Brimbank and Melton to support transitions

into employment, Deirdre Hardy said one of the main causes for Melton’s high unemployment is job infrastructure not keeping up with population growth.

“There hasn’t been the same investment by government into public transport, for example, that would keep up with the needs of the people in the area,” she said.

Ms Hardy said that the edging down of Melton’s overall unemployment rate, from 5.9 per cent in 2011 isn’t big enough to be a noticeably positive shift.

The latest statistics also show a dramatic

One of the west’s finest

Ballan’s Keeley Johnson has been named the Young Woman of the West by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.

The inaugural Western Bulldogs Community Foundation Awards celebrate the unsung heroes and inspirational champions that have improved lives from the inner west ofMelbournetothebroadexpansesofWestern Victoria. When Ms Johnson, the founder of Keeley’sCause,wasdiagnosedwithautism,she faced a lack of government funding, support from autism organisations, or assistance from NDIS. She turned this into opportunity by establishing a nationally registered charity at the age of just 13. Keeley’s Cause has become a beaconofhope,providingiPadsandsupportto individualswithadditionalneeds,empowering them to make the most of their future. Ms Johnson said her goal is to ensure inclusive education tailored to the individual needs of people with disabilities is available, drawing directly from the struggles and gaps she

encountered in her own educational journey.

“I’m deeply honoured to receive this award, whichholdsprofoundpersonalsignificancefor me,” she said.

“As a devoted member and supporter of the Western Bulldogs, I have immense joy at being acknowledged by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.

“For young individuals aspiring to make a difference but uncertain where to begin, my advice is to embrace your passion or idea, even in the face of doubt.”

Mariam Koslay was awarded Woman of the West for contributing to the empowerment of women across Melbourne’s west through creativeactionandstrength-basedstorytelling, and the Champion for Women of the West award went to Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH), a national, community-based organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of immigrant and refugee women.

difference between suburbs in Melton, which Ms Hardy said is “unusual”.

MeltonWesthadthehighestunemployment rate in the area, while neighbouring suburbs of Melton, Melton South/Weir Views, Brookfield, and Kurunjang all had zero per cent unemployment.

While according to council 5000 jobs were added to Melton between 2016 and 2021, mayor Kathy Majdlik agreed local job growth hasn’t matched population growth.

“Job creation remains a key priority, so our residents have access to diverse and quality

employment in their own communities,” she said.

“Seventy-three per cent of the city’s workforce leaves the municipality to head to work each day.

“Lack of quality jobs, diverse industries, access to public transport and commute time all contribute to reduced unemployment figures.We have a plan in place to attract investment and create more jobs. The City of Melton’s Investment Attraction Strategy aims to create 100,000 new local jobs and return $19 billion to the Victorian economy by 2051.”

Keeley Johnson. (Damjan Janevski) 392932_01

Mayor’s message

STAY INFORMED

Quickly and easily connect with us online: melton.vic.gov.au

facebook.com/cityofmelton Instagram @cityofmeltonofficial

Have your say on playground upgrades

Have your say on proposed upgrades to the Fraser Street Reserve in Melton South.

The proposed upgrades provide extra play equipment for younger children, increase shade by planting more trees and introduce low planting garden beds in the picnic area.

We want your feedback on concept plans. Public consultation closes on Sunday, 17 March. Council will provide a response to feedback from the community by 19 April.

Take the online survey and view plans: conversations.melton.vic.gov.au

Register your pet

Pet owners across the City of Melton are being urged to renew their pet registrations before they expire on 10 April 2024.

Registrations allow Council to reunite pets with their owners if they go missing and keep the community safe.

Under state law, cats and dogs older than three months must be microchipped and registered with their local council.

Update your registration: melton.vic.gov.au/petrego

Hot House Project’s grand return

The City of Melton’s popular business mentoring program the Hot House Project will make its highly anticipated return this year.

Over five weeks, participants will take part in masterclasses, including marketing, business planning and pitching.

The program gives participants access to a mentor, training, and inspiration from experienced and qualified professionals.

Learn more at an information session on 20 March, or register your interest online: melton.vic.gov.au/hothouse

Coburn Ward with Cr Sophie Ramsey

It was an honour to celebrate International Women’s Day last Friday – coming together with the community to celebrate the aspirations and achievements of women by embracing the 2024 theme, Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress Council honoured the day with a unique series of events and activities, that provided opportunities to acknowledge the outstanding contribution women make, not only within our community, but across the world.

Women are the fabric that binds our

amazing community together, helping it to flourish and thrive. Here in the City of Melton, we are blessed to be home to inspirational women from all walks of life - from community leaders and volunteers, to mothers, grandmothers and entrepreneurseach of you are leading the way.

I’d like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all women. Your inspiration, contributions and generosity of spirit can never be underestimated. Thank you for all you do.

Council is busy preparing the 2024/25 budget and I’d like to thank the community groups, businesses and

residents that sent in project submissions to be considered for the budget. Nobody knows our thriving City better than you, and your ideas have helped us better understand the community’s priorities.

Finally, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Easter. I hope everyone has a fantastic time with family, friends and neighbours and remember, please stay safe on our roads.

Don’t hesitate to contact me at sophie.ramsey@melton.vic.gov.au or on 0412 584 067. I’d love to hear your thoughts about Coburn Ward.

Cr Kathy Majdlik

City of Melton residents have a chance to help shape the way we manage our waste, and the City’s transition to a more sustainable system.

The Circular Economy and Resource Recovery Strategy will guide the City’s journey to a circular economy, where we minimise waste by reusing, recycling, repairing existing materials and promoting smarter product design.

Melton City Council’s transition aligns with the State Government’s plan to divert 80 per cent of all rubbish from landfill by 2030.

The Future of Our Waste Community Survey will inform the direction of our new strategy.

The way we manage our waste saves resources, protects the environment and public health, and helps keep our public spaces clean. That’s why we want to hear from you.

Your feedback will allow Council to investigate innovative solutions, guide contracts and service provision. Respondents go in the draw to win great prizes.

The survey is open until Monday, 25 March. Find out more: conversations.melton.vic.gov.au/ future-our-waste

I’d also encourage residents to join their neighbours in celebrating the City of Melton’s diverse community at a weeklong festival of free events. Cultural Diversity Week will run from 18-24 March and recognises the United Nations’ Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, known as Harmony Day.

Come to a film screening, see a cultural performance or try a new international cuisine. See the full roster of events: melton.vic.gov.au/cdwf

You’re welcome to contact me regarding Council matters at kathy.majdlik@melton.vic.gov.au or on 0412 584 058.

Mayor Cr Kathy Majdlik Deputy Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi

Cr Lara Carli

Cr Justine Farrugia

Cr Goran Kesic

Cr Sophie Ramsey

Cr Julie Shannon

Cr Bob Turner

Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg

Accident renews safety push

By Liam McNally

A Melton councillor is calling for road upgrades in the wake of a child being struck by a car outside Deanside Primary School.

On February 27 a child was struck by a car on their way to school at Deanside Primary. The Department of Education hasn’t released full details to protect the child’s identity, however a spokesperson has confirmed the student received appropriate medical support and is expected to make a full recovery.

Councillor Ashleigh Vandenberg said the community around the school has long been calling for upgrades to roads in the area out of fear an incident like this may occur.

Deanside Primary School opened in

2022, and currently it and a neighbouring kindergarten are serviced by a single street off Taylors Road.

“I am deeply shocked and saddened. As a registered nurse who specialised in surgical nursing I have directly been involved with the recovery and care of road trauma patients and haveaprofoundunderstandingoftheimpacts many of these avoidable incidents have,” she said.

“While many of us parents are shocked, we haveallbeencallingonthecounciltodomore for this road.”

Cr Vandenberg, who also has a child at Deanside Primary, said the school and nearby section of Taylors Road have not been able to handle traffic volumes for a number of years.

“As a parent, I am fearful that my children will be struck by a car or truck as there is still quite a lot of construction occurring,” she said.

“I see young children walking Taylors Road in dangerous conditions with no pathing, no safety barriers and no lights.

“Iwouldencourageallparentsandresidents to email, phone or contact their elected councillors and council CEO to advocate for adequate infrastructure. Children’s safety needs to be the priority.”

Council has planned works for the area including signalised intersections on Taylor’s Road at Sinclairs Road and Plumpton Road, a bridge across Kororoit Creek on Sinclairs Road, and the Hopkins Road corridor from

Balling to break down barriers

Specialist Hoops Basketball is teaming up with Victoria Police to invite the community to an open day on March 17.

Specialist Hoops is a basketball program that works to get kids and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities involved in the sport in Melton, Caroline Springs and Bacchus Marsh.

Founder Emily Attard said the open day with Victoria Police will include an education session around relationships and cyber safety, on court training stations and a talk from Special Olympian Jordan McCormick, before the day culminates in a match between Specialist Hoops and the Victorian Police

basketball team.

“We are thrilled to be able bring this event to the City of Melton,” she said.

“The event is an open day for Specialist Hoops so people are able to see what the program is about. It is also to show connectedness with local authorities and how important it is to engage with police.

“It will be a day of education, fun, games, training and meet and greets.”

Victoria Police Amateur Basketball Association’s Michael Taylor said the aim of the day is to break down the barriers between police and the disability community, through mutual love of basketball.

“The Victoria Police Basketball Club is proud to partner with Specialist Hoops to be part of an amazing day which promotes physical exercise and inclusion for our community members that have disabilities,” he said.

“With the introduction of Disability Liaison Officers to Victoria Police, this event highlights what can be achieved with our stakeholders for the benefit of our priority communities.”

The event will take place on March 17 at Cobblebank Stadium from 12pm to 3pm.

Taylors Road to Halycon Road.

Melton City Council will ensure urbanisation of the first two traffic lanes on Taylors Road, but is hoping the state government will adopt the road to undertake further duplication.

Melton council City Futures director Sam Romaszko said internal roads within the vicinity of Deanside Primary School are the responsibility of individual landowners and developers.

“Council is working with the developer and utility providers to open Conservatory Drive as soon as possible. We are in regular contact with the school to work through concerns and project updates,” she said.

Help Melton manage waste

Melton residents, businesses and schoolsareinvitedtohelpshapetheway council manages its waste now and into the future.

The Circular Economy and Resource Recovery Strategy will guide the municipality’s transition away from a traditional economic model of “take, make,useanddispose”towardacircular approachtominimisewasteandpromote a sustainable use of natural resources, throughsmarterproductdesign,reusing, repairing,sharing,andrecyclingexisting materials.

The plan aligns with the state government’s aim to divert 80 per cent of all waste from landfill by 2030.

The Future of Our Waste community survey will help inform the direction of thenewCircularEconomyandResource Recovery Strategy until 2030.

Community and business workshops will be held online on March 18 and 19.

Feedback will allow council to investigate improvements, guide new contracts and services, and as it transitions to a circular economy.

These changes will reduce waste to landfill, maximise recycling and resource recovery while also balancing costs, environmental protection, and convenience. Survey respondents go in the draw to win prizes.

The survey opened onMarch 5 and closes at 5pm on Monday, March 25.

Melton Mayor Kathy Majdlik encouragedallresidentstohavetheirsay.

“The way we manage our waste plays a key role in protecting our local environment, public health and keeping our public spaces clean for all to enjoy,” she said.

Details: conversations.melton.vic.gov. au

Truck driver ordered to stand trial over 2022 Loreto College bus crash

A truck driver will stand trial accused of ploughing into a school bus on its way to space camp, as a teacher burst into tears while reliving the experience.

Brett Russell, 61, faced a two-day hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court where witnesses, including teachers, the bus driver and medical practitioners, were called to give evidence about the September 2022 crash. He is charged with 80 offences, including dangerous driving causing serious injury and reckless conduct endangering life, after he allegedly rear-ended the Loreto College Ballarat bus.

The bus was on its way to Melbourne

Airport to take the teens on the trip of a lifetime to NASA space camp in the US.

Russell is accused of ignoring signs that his B-double truck, towing two trailers, had lost braking capacity before the crash, about 3.16am on September 21.

Theschoolbusrolleddownanembankment off the Western Highway near Pentland Hills, west of Melbourne, with the bus driver and 31 students and teachers suffering injuries.

Three passengers were ejected from the bus and the rest were trapped in their seat belts, court documents alleged.

Russell’s lawyer questioned some of the passengers’ treating physicians and

psychologists about the seriousness of their mental and physical injuries, during this week’s hearings.

Loreto College teacher Scott Antonio gave evidence remotely from Ballarat, after suffering soft tissue injuries to his neck and back, and psychological injuries.

He broke down and started crying as he described “constantly hearing voices“ of the students, after barrister John Lavery asked him to explain if his nightmares and flashbacks were related to the collision.

“Mr Antonio, Mr Antonio ... they’re not on the bus, we can’t find them all,“ he told the court, describing the voices.

“What I see is ... they’re dead.“

Magistrate Keiran Gilligan excused the teacher, as he said became too “visibly and uncontrollably upset“ due to reliving the trauma.

Russell was asked to how he pleaded to all 80 charges, to which he replied “not guilty“.

Mr Gilligan ruled there was enough evidenceforajurytoconvicthimandordered Russell to stand trial in the County Court. The truckie, who remains on bail, will next face court on April 8.

Emily Woods, AAP

Specialist Hoops founder Emily Attard with Senior Constable Chris Owen and Acting Sergeant Stephen Attard. (Damjan Janevski) 393382_04

The world is watching our Facebook fight!

An open letter to Prime MinisterAnthonyAlbanese

Dear Prime Minister, Your first response to Facebook brazenly announcing they’ll stop paying for our news that they use to make a fortune from was…perfect!

“That’s not the Australian way,” you said.

Exactly. Australians hate bullies. Australians fight for a fair go. And this battle is not just a fight for a fair go here - the whole world is watching.

Meta, the trillion dollar tech giant that owns Facebook has built an empire out of content they don’t own. They don’t produce anything. They ‘share’ the great work of others and keep the cash.

The Australian government was the first in the world to call out this scandal, and in 2021 the News Media Bargaining Code forced them to finally pay for news content. But not anymore.

Meta is betting that if they bully the Australian government, they win the world.

PM, this is a fight for the future of news and democracy. This is fight against fake news and a fight for a fair go for all journalists who hold the powerful to account, all around the world.

Let’s make sure Australia shows Facebook what a fair go is. The world is watching.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Schreyer President Country Press Australia

Council criticised over Gaza war

By Liam McNally

A Melton advocacy group has accused Melton council of hypocrisy over its response to the war in Gaza.

At a February meeting Melton council passed a motion clarifying its position on “international matters,” which said it “condemns any conflict that result in the loss of innocent lives” but “international matters is a responsibility of international leaders and the federal government”.

Themotiondidn’tmentionaspecificwarbut councillor Lara Carli said it was moved due to an “increasing volume of correspondence to councillors”.

In recent months advocacy group Melton

Council Palestinian Solidarity Group (MCPSG) has been campaigning for Melton council to make a clear statement of advocacy for Palestinian people through an SMS campaign, a rally, and attending council meetings.

Founding member Adam Duggan criticised council’s motion, and pointed out that when Ukrainewasinvadedin2022councilwasswift to send a letter of solidarity to the Consulate of Ukraine in Melbourne.

“Melton Council - we have asked you to treat humanitarian crises equally,” he said.

“You responded to the Ukraine humanitarian issue in 11 days from the war starting with no public awareness or outcry, yetfivemonthsintotheIsraeliattackonGaza,

unprecedented community outcry, and under the threat of what the International Court of Justice is viewing as an evidenced potential genocide, Melton council is deaf and mute.”

Mr Duggan said many Melton residents have lost loved ones, family members and friends in Palestine.

“The recent escalation and civilian attacks haveverymuchdisturbedthelocalPalestinian community,” he said.

“The injustice of the situation in Palestine is overwhelming, but the injustice and lack of solidarity and compassion from our council is abhorrent.

“To properly resolve this issue the council should meet with the community and engage with community leaders. By understanding

A chance to explore the night sky

Friends of Paddock Creek is inviting the community to get a taste of the vastness of space and learn about what celestial bodies are viewable from our own backyard through a series of stargazing events.

Friends of Paddock Creek’s Darren Bellingham works with the Ballarat AstronomicalSociety,VictorianAstronomical Society, and said his interest in astronomy grew from watching the moon landing when he was in primary school.

“The study of the heavens was one of the earliestwayshumanshavetriedtounderstand the world around them,” he said.

“We still spend billions of dollars every year

continuing to find out more about space and the universe and its physical processes and that means we are still discovering new and amazing things all the time.

“This makes astronomy a constantly evolving,fascinatinghobbyorprofessiontobe involved in and it’s something you can do for a few hundred dollars in your own backyard.”

The Friends of Paddock Creek is hosting a series of stargazing sessions for the community at Paddock Creek Reserve, beginning on March 16. The events involve setting up large astronomical telescopes, the groupsfirstusesthereeyesandthentelescopes to view objects such as the moon, planets,

stars and constellations, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. The group then discusses these features from scientific, cultural and mythological perspectives.

“Wehopetoeducateandinformparticipants in the shows about the night sky,” he said.

“I have done this kind of work since the mid 1990s but only for a couple of years in Gordon. Highlights have included viewing Solar and lunar eclipses, two transits of Venus and viewing planets when they are closer to Earth.”

Details: https://www.moorabool.vic.gov.

au/Events/Star-gazing-in-Paddock-CreekReserve

the situation, educating councillors on the local and international connection to Palestine, we can negotiate a motion that accurately reflects the communities position.”

Melton Mayor Kathy Majdlik said Melton council recognises its responsibility is to provide local services and good governance and that representation regarding internationalaffairsistheresponsibilityofthe federal government.

“Melton City Council’s position is aligned with statements made by Victorian Local Government Minister Melissa Horne, advising this complex global situation is best negotiated by world leaders,” she said.

Water grants now open

Applications are now open for this year’s round of the Greater Western Water (GWW) Thriving Communities grants and sponsorship program.

Thriving Communities has been running since 2022, offering funding to community-led groups and projects that are creating opportunities across our service region.

GWW general manager strategy and partnerships Kessia Thomson said groups could apply for up to $20,000 for projects that are locally led and benefit our customers and community.

“In previous rounds, GWW has funded a wide range of projects, activities and organisations and we hope this year is no different,” she said.

“Our eligibility criteria support local organisations with innovative ideas to help our communities thrive.”

“We are looking to invest in locally led initiatives for big returns on community wellbeing and care for country in the west. If you are working on something that creates opportunity, sustainability, inclusion or equity, we want to hear from you.”

An online information session is on March 13, at 7pm, where the GWW team will explain the grant guidelines, how to apply and answer any questions.

Applications are open until April 10. Successful recipients will be notified in June.

Details: www.gww.com.au/grantssponsorships

Moorabool decides to leave rate cap at 2.75%

After deferring the decision for a month, Moorabool council has elected not to apply for an exemption to the state government’s 2024-25 rate increase cap of 2.75 per cent.

The state government announced in December a 2.75 per cent rate cap that it said was based on the Essential Services Commission’s recommendation and is equal to the forecast Consumer Price Index for 2024-25.

Councils can apply for an exemption to this cap which, after lengthy debate, council decided not to do at a meeting on March 6.

Councillors Rod Ward and Tom Sullivan voted against a council officer’s

recommendation to accept the cap.

Cr Ward said he was voting against the recommendation to draw attention to his position that councils are facing increasing financial pressure.

“I don’t want to impose an additional rate increase on the ratepayers of the Moorabool Shire Council,” he said.

“I’m voting against the recommendation to not apply to simply bring to the attention the effect of rate increases that have been below CPI over the past few years.

“Cost shifting from the state and federal government to LGAs has led to declining cash reserves for councils, council costs

are increasing increasing faster than CPIs, constructioncostscontinuingtoriseandtotal borrowings have increased right across the local government sector.

“I accept that rate capping ensures accountability but councils must be permitted to match revenues to meet increased responsibilities and to meet community expectation and needs…”

Councillor Moira Berry said that while she agrees councils are struggling with financial pressure, ratepayers are also suffering.

“Our officers have told us that it can work and we have a CEO who is an expert accountant… and I trust that we are going to

make it through the neck next year,” she said.

“This is not sustainable going forward. Rate increases need to happen but I don’t think this is the right time.”

Councillor Tonia Dudzik said councillors have a responsibility to ratepayers to keep rates low and affordable.

“We’ve had many councillors make election promises to keep our rates low and we’ve got a responsibility to keep that,” she said.

“We have a responsibility to families, pensioners, retirees and businesses to keep their rates low.”

Liam McNally

Stargazers gathering at one of last year’s events. (Provided)

Aboriginals ‘at risk’ in Vic jails

An investigation into healthcare provision for Aboriginal people in Victorian prisons was tabled on March 6 based on research in three prisons including two in Ravenhall and found the lack of input by Victoria’s First Nations people into healthcare policy in prisons is having devastating effects on the health outcomes for them.

The Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass, who conducted the report, said despite commitments at every level of government to Aboriginal peoples’ self-determination and Aboriginal-led solutions, “the experiences of Aboriginal people in prison are often missing from discussions about policies that affect them”.

“Healthcare is the issue raised most often

with the Ombudsman by people in prison and their advocates. And while healthcare is an issue for all people in prison, the available evidence shows that Aboriginal people suffer worseandmorecomplexhealthoutcomesthan non-Aboriginal people in prison and in the community. I launched this investigation on that basis,” she said.

For more than three decades, various authorities have looked into the reasons for the poor health outcomes of First Nations people and deaths in custody.

Ms Glass said these reviews made multiple recommendations to improve healthcare in prisons, some repeated over the years, and various governments made multiple commitments to implement them.

Melton Plate trots on

The City of Melton Plate is trotting back into town for 2024 on Saturday, March 16, and to celebrate Melton Entertainment Park in Cobblebank is hosting a night of family fun, free kids rides and Harness Racing.

The event begins at 5pm and Melton EntertainmentParkisencouragingyoutograb some friends, bring a picnic blanket and see what the event has to offer.

On the lawn there’ll be rides, kids activities, food trucks and a Dingo Discovery Experience, along with venue dining inside and “outstanding” Harness Racing.

The event is in its 34th year and has been hosted at Melton Entertainment Park since its opening in 2009.

Melton Entertainment Park general manager Gayle Harvey said Melton Plate is a

collaboration between the local council and Harness Racing Victoria to bring together the community and industry in a family friendly night of entertainment.

“This night also celebrates Harness Racing’s metropolitan race track being housed in the City of Melton – Melton Entertainment Park,” she said.

“These events provide free entertainment for thelocalcommunityaswellasasafeandsecure place for friends and families to get together.”

Gates open at 5pm, rides and food trucks are on from 5 to 9pm. Bookings are essential for venuediningbookings.Entryfeeisagold-coin donation which will go towards supporting Dingo Discovery. Melton Entertainment Park is located at 2 Ferris Road, Melton.

Details: enquiries@mepark.com.au

“Yet little has changed, or at best, not enough,” she said. “We heard stories of people being unable to access programs to address their drug use, having their ongoing medications abruptly stopped and resorting to doing their own ‘surgery’.

“We heard about a yearning for cultural connection. About the devastating impact a lack of cultural and family connection in prison can have, and what a huge difference it makes when they do receive cultural support with their healthcare needs.”

Thereportmakesfivekeyrecommendations. Thegovernmenthasacceptedoneandaccepted four others “in principle”.

The state government spokesperson said the investigation took place before significant

healthcare reforms were implemented in prisons and doesn’t take into account the impacts of the major changes that have been made.

“We take our duty of care to all people in custody seriously - last year we introduced new healthcare providers across the system, including public health providers for our women’s prisons, and specific improvements forAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople in custody,” they said

“We continue to work closely with the Aboriginal community in reforming custodial healthcare.”

The investigation visited Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, Ravenhall Correctional Centre and Melbourne Assessment Prison.

Date:

Pippi the dingo preparing for a night of harness racing. (Stuart McCormick and M4 Photography)

United fans fight racial slur ban

When Western United takes to the pitch for their first home games at Tarneit in coming weeks, three devoted green and black supporters won’t be among them after copping 18 month bans for alleged racial abuse. Gerald Lynch spoke to the devastated fans who say their appeals to prove themselves innocent of wrongdoing at a recent game have fallen on deaf ears.

During a match between Western United and Perth Glory in the A-League Women’s competition on December 22, Football Australia officials say they were alerted to a serious incident involving alleged racial vilification directed at a Perth Glory player by spectators.

Three Werribee locals and Western United members were identified as the culprits, but they are adamant that the FA has wrongly accused and reprimanded them.

Caleb Trimble, 30, was enjoying the match at City Vista in Fraser Rise with his close friends AndrewTran,30,whohasleveltwoautism,and Jay Sutcliffe, 28, who is in the battle of his life with stage four bowel cancer, when they were approached by an FA official and questioned about racist comments.

After trying to help officials pinpoint the offender, Caleb couldn’t believe it when a letter arrived at his house, informing him that he and his friends were being accused of being the culprits.

“I was completely shocked and appalled to find out that I had been accused of racist language,” Caleb said.

“Jay, Andrew, and myself were chanting, cheeringandsupportingourteamwithpassion, but in no way, shape or form did any of us use the language that we are being accused of.

“Later on in the game we had security come up to us to ask us some questions about what had happened over there. We relayed all of the information that we had to them along with providing our details to help them out.”

The three men worked with security and FA officials who approached them, believing they were merely assisting with the investigation as they were in the vicinity of the incident, until letters arrived detailing the gravity of the situation.

Caleb claims the officials accused them of directing a racial slur at one of the Perth Glory players.

“I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the fact that the Perth Glory players were subjected to such disgusting language and

behaviour at one of our home games and I am of the firm belief that no one should have to dealwithsuchthingsatall,letaloneplayingthe sport that they love,” he said.

Facingan18monthban,JaySutcliffefearshe may have seen his last game of football.

“In April 2023, I was suddenly diagnosed with incurable and terminal stage four bowel cancer,” he said.

“This ban is actually quite terrifying for me as there is a good chance I won’t live another 18months,whichwouldmeanI’veseenmylast game of live football.

“Football is one of the highlights of my life at the moment. It helps me feel normal for 90 minutes a week and I would be absolutely devastated if I were never able to attend a game again for something I had no part in.”

Jay said he couldn’t make sense of how he came to be accused, saying the information the trio was told doesn’t match up.

“I fully deny taking part in any sort of anti-social, discriminatory or racist behaviour,” he said. “They told us our comments were audible via the broadcast of the match, and after carefully reviewing the footage from when these comments were made, between the 22nd

and 27th minute of the game, I could not hear myself, Caleb or Andrew make any comments other than supportive comments towards Hannah Keane and Chloe Logarzo regarding their shots at goal.

“As a foundation member of Western United, and as one of the people who helped start the Western Service crew active support, I understand the importance of inclusivity to help grow and support football in Australia.

“I have attended hundreds of games and become friends with supporters, club staff and players of various cultures, backgrounds and identities and I would never do anything to put them in a position where they feel vilified for simply being who they are.

“Western United and the community we are starting to build around the club mean everythingtomeandIwillalwaystryandmake anyone involved with our sport feel as welcome as possible.”

A spokesperson for the FA said a strict zero racism policy is enforced.

“As the governing body of football in Australia,weholdafirmstanceagainstanyform of racial vilification or anti-social behaviour,” the spokesperson said.

‘‘ Football is one of the highlights of my life at the moment. It helps me feel normal for 90 minutes a week and I would be absolutely devastated if I were never able to attend a game again for something I had no part in ’’ - Jay Sutcliffe

“The actions of these individuals not only breached the A-League Terms of Admission and our Spectator Code of Behaviour but fundamentally contradicted the values of respect and inclusivity that Football Australia stands for.

“In response, Football Australia issued an 18 month ban to these spectators, effective immediately. This ban encompasses all matches sanctioned by Football Australia, including National Team matches, Australia Cup matches, A-Leagues matches, National Second Tier matches, and National Premier Leaguematches.Wearecommittedtoensuring that football remains a sport that unites communities and offers a safe and respectful environment for all.”

“An official at the match identified the three persons in question at the time of the incident. The facts gathered during the investigation confirmed names and details of the incident, which led to their respective bans.”

Star Weekly understands officials from Western United and FA were set to meet this week to discuss the ban.

StarWeekly approached Western United for comment.

Jay Sutcliffe (middle left) and Caleb Trimble (middle right) cheering on Western United with the active support group.

Left: Andrew Tran enjoying supporting his team. Right: Caleb and Jay celebrating Western United’s 2022 A-League Men Grand Final win. (Pictures: Supplied)

Plans afoot for Gordon reserve

A master plan that will shape the Gordon Recreation Reserve over the next decade has been finalised, with a number of upgrades already beginning.

The Gordon Recreation Reserve is the only active sporting facility in Gordon and home to the Gordon Football Netball Club (GFNC). The reserve is predominantly owned by DEECA, which led the development of the master plan.

The master plan shows that the area currently contains an uneven oval that has a four-metre drop and drainage issues that make it unplayable at times and a 40-year-old

pavilion that’s at the “end of its life”.

The highest priorities in the plan are upgrading the oval, developing a new multi-purpose pavilion, improving roadways and parking, filling in the dam, purchasing water tanks and constructing new fencing.

The plan was brought before Moorabool council at a meeting on March 6.

Councilnotedthereportandcommittedto working with user groups to attract funding for the priority projects, but also highlighted a number of works already underway.

Upgrades to the netball court are scheduled to commence in March and

officers have provided the reserve committee of management with a letter of support to seek funding for a bore replacement.

Council also said design work for the oval reconstruction and pavilion upgrade is also about to commence and officers are preparing a Sport and Recreation Victoria grant applicationtofundtheplayspaceupgradeand improvements to the entrance of the reserve, which will be submitted in March 2024.

The master plan includes an action plan recommending 29 actions, with 15 earmarked as achievable in the next seven years.

Kororoit women celebrated on IWD

Fivewomenwholive,work,volunteerorstudy in the Kororoit Electorate were given awards at a special International Women’s Day (IWD) morning tea event hosted by MP Luba Grigorovitch.

Prior to the event on March 4, community members were asked to nominate a woman who deserved to be celebrated for her service to the community.

Attendees first enjoyed a morning tea while having important conversations about how to better the lives of women and girls in the community. They were inspired by guest speakers Tanja Kovac and Dr Maree Overall,

who have been champions for gender equity, and are co-founders of Gender Lens, an organisation which helps private, public and community sectors to embrace gender equity.

Women came from all over Kororoit, including Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik and Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic.

Wendy Moussi, Claire Mouser, Sana Zia, Noor Abba, Nikki Sharma, Rachel Bonavia, Melanie Apap, Mariam Koslay, Reena Rana, Niti Bhargva and Cecilia Gomez-Benitez were allrecognisedwithawardsaswomenwhohave made significant service to the community

and worked towards gender equity.

Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch said she was pleased to host the event and recognise community members.

“It was an honour to host a number of incredible women at my Kororoit Community International Women’s Day Morning Tea,” she said.

“These women work tirelessly for the betterment of our community.

“Iamconstantlyinspiredbytheformidable women of Kororoit, who give their time selflessly and continue to pave a better future for all in our community.”

The plan includes five actions described as potential “quick wins” achievable in the next 12 months - installation of goal post nets, lower speed limits next to the reserve, improved drainage for netball courts and landscaping works.

Councillor Rod Ward commended everyone involved in the preparation of the master plan, but said council should also look into improvements for the Gordon Hall.

“I think it gives the community a lot of directions. There’s obviously been a lot of cooperation by the various key groups,” he said.

Celebrate Diversity Week

Celebrate Melton’s diverse community at a weeklong festival of free, family friendly events.

Cultural Diversity Week will run from March 18 to 24 celebrating the 2024 theme ‘City of Melton Harmony - Two Hundred Thousand Dreams and More!’

Join neighbours of all backgrounds, identities, ages and abilities at a series of cultural performances, interactive activities, film screenings and more.

The annual festival recognises the United Nation’s Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, also known as Harmony Day, on March 21.

The main event will be on March 23 at the Fraser Rise Children’s and Community Centre.

From 11am to 3pm the venue will be packed with cultural performances, interactive kids activities, multicultural food and a chill out zone for people with additional needs and families with babies.

Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik said during Cultural Diversity Week, council celebrates the unique values, customs and skills people from diverse backgrounds bring to Melton.

“Comingtogethertolearnmoreabout each other, enjoy special traditions and celebrate what we have in common shows that community belongs to everyone, and everyone belongs here with us,” she said.

Council is holding a range of events with more information available online.

Details: melton.vic.gov.au/cdwf

Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch with IWD Morning Tea attendees. (Provided)

Local news and local jobs at risk

By Andrew Schreyer, Country Press Australiapresident

Australia’s largest organisation of newspaper publishers has attacked the announcement by Meta that it will no longer negotiate deals with publishers once current agreements expire.

Country Press Australia [CPA] represents more than 230 regional, rural and outer suburban publications across the nation.

The organisation was advised through an email from Meta on March 1 that “our company priorities have substantially shifted in the past year and, as a result, we will no longer be making Facebook news tab available in Australia”.

Meta also confirmed “This doesn’t affect our agreement with CPA which will continue in accordance with its terms and conditions until it expires”.

In a subsequent meeting, between CPA and Meta it was made clear that CPA’s agreement with Meta would not be renewed.

This is a devastating blow to our members who are party to the agreement.

Meta has been providing grants to CPA publishers which has provided vital sustainability.

There will be publishers who close the doors and won’t be able to continue supporting their communities with news in the wake of this announcement. These regional and local publishersarethemajor,andinmostcasessole, providers of local public interest journalism in their communities.

In times of trouble and in emergency situations, such as during floods and in major bushfire events, the local publisher’s Facebook pageisnevermoreimportantorappreciatedby people in our communities.

Meta’s actions undermine our democracy

in the way the company displays such disdain for the work of the news industry. It also undermines public confidence in the media sector.

The most popular Facebook pages in most regional and rural communities are those of the local news publishing company, yet Meta says people don’t go to Facebook for news or political content.

What about in times of bushfire and floods or when the chips are down and someone in the community needs help? Local experience would suggest otherwise.

If, by Meta’s own admission, Australians don’t go to Facebook for news or political content, then the federal government should

heed the advice of Meta and immediately cease advertising on Meta’s platforms.

The federal government must act to give assurance to our industry and to support the democratic infrastructure that is the newspaper industry. And it needs to move swiftly, decisively and with purpose. We need government to support the news industryandinvokethenewsmediabargaining code.

Sadly, jobs will definitely be lost as a result of Meta’s decision, but it’s hard to put a number on this.

Given the already well-documented challenges our industry faces, this announcement will force many publishers to confront the issues ahead of them and cut staff.

The reaction from our members in the aftermath of the announcement has been one of deep concern, alarm and even anger.

Facebookreapedthebenefitsofourmembers’ unique local content for many years, and has paid those local and regional publishers for only the last three years and will now not renew their agreement with CPA.

A democracy cannot function without a healthy news sector, and this is now heavily at risk in regional and local communities after Meta’s decision.

It is important that the federal government responds swiftly to this decision and considers all possible action including designating Meta under the News Media Bargaining Code and other options available to them and the ACCC.

It is vital that news media is adequately compensated for the content that Facebook has been able to build their business from over many years and ensure a strong and robust news media industrywhichisvitalforahealthydemocracy.

It is also vital that the federal government ensures strong support of the industry now more than ever before and ensures the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) is finalised urgently.

Meta move ‘blackmail’

One of our pet hates at Star Weekly is the phrase: “Yeah, I read about that on Facebook”.

Gets the hackles up every time.

Yes, the person may have read a news report while on the social media platform, but it is almost certain that information was generated elsewhere.

Facebook doesn’t employ journalists to engage with local communities and report information relevant to readers. We do.

Facebook, as a US-based tech giant, doesn’t haveaphysicalpresenceinthosecommunities. We do.

Facebook doesn’t attend the local meetings and events that matter and report on what happens. We do.

Facebookdoesn’tcampaignontheimportant social issues or infrastructure needs of local communities. We do.

Facebook doesn’t support great local causes across the west. We do.

Yes, Star Weekly and other media organisations use Facebook as one of the many platforms to disseminate the news we produce, alongwithprintproductsandvariouswebsites.

But the news people read on Facebook is produced elsewhere; by companies like ours that pay people to provide that service.

What Facebook does bring to the ‘news’ conversation are the various noticeboard sites that pop up that offer rumours and misinformation.

Police investigating the disappearance of Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy had to appeal to people to stop theorising about the case on social media sites, some of which were created specifically for that case.

This rumour and innuendo wasn’t spread by traditional media, but through the unfettered social media channels.

Facebook has for years happily hosted our more legitimate and responsible content and made trillions of dollars from the eyeballs it attracts.

A few years back industry heavyweights

lobbied hard for the Federal Government to establish a News Media Bargaining Code that compelled Facebook to start paying for this news content.

The funding that came out of that agreement allowed us to employ more journalists and invest in more resources.

Facebook has now signalled that it will be walking away from that hard-fought agreement, a move that will cost local jobs and may force some local media outlets to the wall.

The decision by Meta to stop paying for the news it allows to be shared across Facebook and Instagram will have a direct impact on our newspaper and the support we can offer our readers and communities. And it is the same for every small suburban and country newspaper across Australia.

It may not seem such a big deal that the news tabonFacebookwilldisappear,butwhatifthey decide to block all news services, like Meta has done in Canada?

Is it okay that a massive US company can holdAustraliangovernmentsandbusinessesto ransom like this?

Thisdecisionshouldbeawarningtoallsmall businessesandorganisationsthatuseFacebook or Instagram as their only digital platform. What happens if Meta next randomly decides to charge hairdressers for business pages, or block community Pride events?

Not paying fairly for news, and then threatening to block access to media on their platforms is blackmail.

This isn’t just a squabble between giants; it’s about the survival of small newspapers. It’s about the sustainability of publications that give rural and regional people a voice and record the history of the towns in this region.

This isn’t just about us; it’s about fair compensation for the news we produce. Don’t let our story end.

Stand with us, stand with your local paper.

Right: Country Press Australia president Andrew Schreyer. (Supplied)

This

Dreams go up in flames

By Liam McNally

V8 Superboat Championship dreams have potentially gone up in flames for two Melton brothers following a crash that left Nate Mullan lucky to be alive.

Nate Mullan said he had decided to “go for the win” during the top three elimination rounds in Griffith late last month, when roaring into the last corner his boat Ripshift clipped the inside bank.

The boat was launched upside down and into a tyre bank, before it burst into flames.

Nate and navigator Nic Vertocchi miraculously escaped uninjured, but were left to watch their $130,000 boat smolder as safety crew scrambled to control the blaze.

Nate said watching Ripshift burn was traumatic.

“[We were] very lucky to escape,” he said.

“If I got stuck I probably would have died.”

Nate has questioned the systems in place at the event to deal with fire.

Footage shows safety crew first coming to check on the team, before a single fire extinguisher arrives within 15 seconds of the fire erupting and struggling against the blaze for more than two minutes before more extinguishers arrive.

“People found three [more] fire extinguishers from the food tent outside of the race track,” he said.

“Safety crew tried but were not trained… I had to put out my own boat.

The Australian Formula Jet Sprint Association (AFJSA) is investigating the accident, but volunteer board member Kyle Elphinstone said the crash was dealt with appropriately.

“The ultimate goal is to preserve life, so if there’s an accident, to get to the boat as soon as possible to extract the driver,” he said.

“Twenty seconds after [the crash] there was a fire extinguisher which is, in our opinion, a quick response time compared to motor sport in general.”

“You can replace boats… but you can’t replace human life.”

Mr Elphinstone couldn’t confirm where at the track the fire extinguishers came from.

Nate and his brother Bastian both use

Ripshift and are currently placing second and first in the series. The competitors are now scrambling to have it replaced before the next race in Keith on March 23.

Nate said they’re keen to hear from sponsors that might be able to help make it happen.

“The boat was special. It has never been beaten and will be hard to replace,” he said.

Digital map of Vic women

The state government is celebrating Victorian women, including those in Melton and Moorabool, who have made the state a better place through a new digital map that will show important locations connected to the achievements of women.

Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins marked International Women’s Day by opening nominations for Finding Her – an online tool that records locations which were named in honour of Victorian women.

Finding Her is Australia’s first interactive statewide digital map spotlighting locations connected to the stories, lives and achievements of women across Victoria.

Her Place Women’s Museum will research and write the stories of an additional 15 women and add them on the Finding Her website.

Thepubliccannominateanyphysical site, including statues, monuments, murals in public spaces, buildings, street names and parks, that have been named after women.

The call for submissions will run for four weeks.

Her Place Museum has already mappedmorethan60womenwhohave shaped Victoria, linking the places and monuments that they’re connected to with videos, stories and photographs of their lives via QR codes on every site. Details: findingher.org.au.

Ripshift going up in flames. (Pure Art Creative)

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication

Bacchus Marsh Ladies Probus Club

Enjoy fun friendship and fellowship at meeting on the first Thursday of every month at Avenue Bowling Club, Main Street, Bacchus Marsh. 10am to noon.

■ bacchusmarshladiesprobus@gmail.com

Melton Bird walks

Join the Eynesbury Environment Group for bird walks to discover the interesting landscape and beautiful creatures that call Eynesbury and surrounding areas home. Bring long pants, walking shoes, water, binoculars (available to borrow), camera, hat and sunscreen.

All walks are free! All ages, bird watching abilities and interest levels are welcome.

March 16, Eynesbury:

Meet at Eynesbury Discovery Centre parking lot, 481 Eynesbury Road, Eynesbury.9am to 11.30am.

April 20, Little Blind Creek:

Meet at Melton Girl Guides. 1 Pinkerton St, Melton. 9am to 11:30am.

150th anniversary

St. Bernard’s Church, Bacchus Marsh, celebrates 150 years in June. Commemorative engraved pavers are on sale for $50 each. Up to 3 lines of writing - 16 spaces per line. See St. Bernard’s Facebook page, the Piety Stall after mass or contact the parish office for an order form. Orders close April 2.

■ bacchusmarsh@cam.org.au

Hearing Australia information session

In conjunction with Hearing Australia, Melton South Community Centre is holding a free community information session at 1pm on Wednesday, March 20. Attendees can discover how to preserve their hearing for longer and learn about new advances in hearing technology, with free initial hearing checks available to interested participants. Afternoon tea is provided. Bookings essential.

■ 9747 8576

Chatty Cafe Melton

Are you feeling lonely, isolated or just wanting to make some new friends? If so, Chatty Cafe is for you. The group meets on Friday mornings at 10am for delicious free coffee from Latin foods and wines at 10 Wallace Square, Melton.

■ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/352071857283331

Women’s Support Group

Women’s Support Group Melton is for any women who feel they would like to attend a peer support group which is relaxed, friendly and non-judgemental. The group meets weekly at 1pm on Mondays (except for public holidays) at Djerriwarrh Neighbourhood House, 239 Station Road, Melton. The group can discuss most subjects that may be of help

■ https://ow.ly/QVwJ50Q5g42

Caroline Springs Rotary

The Rotary Club of Caroline Springs is inviting new guests to join its meetings in person or via zoom. Meetings are held every Wednesday at the Western Emergency Relief Network in Ravenhall from 7pm.

■ rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com

Melton Ladies Probus

Meets from 10am on the second Wednesday of each month at Melton Country Club on Reserve Road, Melton. All visitors are welcome.

■ Dianne, 9743 7446

The Gap on Graham

The Gap provides a place for Melton youth

This week’s photographer’s choice is Tayla Dwyer and Princeton Leonard ahead of performing in the Sound of Music. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 393570_01

riding groups to cater for different abilities starting at 7.30am. The rides finish at Lazy Moe’s for a cuppa.

■ 0403 057 003

Community singing group

If you love to sing, come join the Melton Singers. The group rehearses regularly and also performs at aged care facilities. The group is very relaxed and sings songs mainly from the 1960s and 70s. It meets Tuesdays at 10am.

■ Val, 0418 667 150

Melton Trauma Teddies

Melton Trauma Teddies are seeking volunteers to assist with knitting, stuffing, or stitching teddy-bears that go to children in their time of need.

■ Jean 0412 931 498

Boomerang Bags Bacchus Marsh

Boomerang Bags Bacchus Marsh make reusable shopping bags from rescued fabric. They need people to cut, sew, iron and market our bags. The group meets on the first Sunday each month at Darley Neighbourhood House 2-5pm.

■ https://63ec55b8628d6.site123.me/

Bacchus Marsh and District Garden Club

to hang out, socialise, play games and learn new skills. The centre holds a night for girls aged 10 to 18 years at 5 Graham Street, Melton, on Wednesday evenings. There is also a drop-in night for anyone aged 12 to 25 years old.

■ Val, 0414 769 605.

Melton Men’s Group

Melton Men’s Group meets every Thursday from 5-8pm at Arnolds Creek Children’s and Community Centre, 19 Claret Ash Boulevard, Harkness. Focusing on senior men’s mental and physical wellbeing. Join the group for a cuppa and a chat, listen to guest speakers and participate in activities including carpet bowls, pool or table tennis.

■ meltonmensgroup.home.blog

Take weight off naturally

Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Weight Off Naturally) every Tuesday at 6pm at the Darlingsford Barn, Darlingsford Boulevard, Melton.

■ Catherine, 0416 612 517, or Bob, 0411 824 739

Parkinson’s support group

The Melton Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the second Thursday of the month 10.30am-12.30pm at Kurunjang Community Centre, 33-35 Mowbray Crescent, Kurunjang. New members and carers are welcome.

■ Helen, 0409 186 576

Melton Bridge Club

The Melton Bridge Club has weekly social bridge sessions at the Melton Library on Fridays from 10am-noon. Come along to play an exciting, social card game and have loads of fun. Bridge offers the suspense of poker, the cerebral qualities of chess and the excitement of athletic sports, all in a relaxed and social setting. If you like playing cards this is for you.

■ Rosemary, 0407 894 817

Melton Friendship Group. Join the Melton Friendship Group for singles 55 and older. Meet fortnightly for coffee and chat nights and organised

affordable outings and events.

? 0406 493 734

Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club

The Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 10am at Melton Country Club. New members welcome.

■ Ann 0425705150

Melton South Knit & Natter

All are welcome to join this social crafting group, running at the Melton South Community Centre each Monday from 10am-noon. Bring along any knitting or crochet projects and work on them while sharing tips, learning skills and catching up over a cuppa.

■ 9747 8576

Zonta club meets

Zonta is an international organisation bringing women together to support other women. The Zonta Club of Melton meets on the first Monday of each month at Melton Country Club, Reserve Road, Melton.

■ Suzanne, 0417 512 420

U3A Melton

U3A Melton offers among its activities a book group, Australian history and a gentle exercise class for those 55 and older who are retired or semi-retired who wish to stay mentally and physically active.

■ 0419 563 016

Melton Combined Probus Club

The Melton Probus Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Melton Dart Club, 63a Reserve Road, from 9.45am.

■ 9746 0271

Rose Carers Of Maddingley Park

The Rose Carers meet Wednesdays from 10am-noon at Maddingley Park, corner of Grant and Taverner streets, Bacchus Marsh, to maintain two beautiful rose gardens. New volunteers are always welcome – with or without experience.

■ Elaine Greenhall, 0418 171 119, or 0400 052 857

Melton Cycling Club

Melton Cycling Club meets for regular Sunday rides. There are three different

The club meets on the second Tuesday of each month except January, from 7.30pm, at The Laurels, 229 Main Street, Bacchus Marsh. Guest speakers and supper provided. Yearly membership $15. New members welcome.

■ Michelle, 0421 106 268

Community band

The Greater Western Community Band holds rehearsals on Thursdays 7.30-9.30pm at the Bridge Road

Community Centre, 260 Bridge Road, Strathtulloh. The group welcomes musicians young and old, to come along and join in with their local band. Woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The group is available to perform at events and festivals.

■ Sally Hamond 0401 474 582

Over 50s Social Group

A friendly group of people aged 50 and older who enjoy each other’s company while attending events and outings such as dinners, shows, dancing, cinemas and more. If you live in the Melton area and would like to meet new friends, in a welcoming group environment, this is for you.

■ Marlene, 0498329290

BusyFeet Hillside

BusyFeet is a dance and movement class for children with intellectual and physical disabilities. Classes create a fun and inclusive environment for kids aged six to 16 to try new things and build social skills, as well as giving a chance for parents’ respite. It’s held from 11-11.45am Saturday mornings.

■ Ross, 0411 228 311

Sunrise Social Groups

GenWest Sunrise Social Groups are currently seeking new members for their Melton, Brimbank and Wyndham programs. The free groups are organised by Genwest and provide a social space for women, gender diverse and nonbinary people, who have a disability, chronic health issues and/or mental health challenges.

■ https://genwest.org.au/what-we-do/ health-wellbeing-programs/

PUZZLES

To

a

5x5

No.

of

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Philosopher, Rene – (9)

6 Ukraine city (4)

10 Indian Ocean country, – Lanka (3)

11 Extreme conservatism or rightism in politics (11)

12 Brings to life (8)

13 Urging, – on (6)

14 Greeting (Ital) (4)

15 Forbidden by law (7)

20 Order (7)

21 Prefix meaning 1 billionth (4)

25 French male name (6)

26 Disparage (8)

28 Disenchant (11)

29 Suitable (3)

30 Directs (4)

31 Banishment (9)

DOWN

1 Send out (6)

2 Curved sword (8)

3 Antenna (6)

4 Journeyed (9)

5 Location (4)

7 Roma is its capital (6)

8 Journey (6)

9 HitchhikersGuide author, – Adams (7)

16 Fanatic (9)

17 List of employees (7)

18 Seasoned smoked beef (8)

19 Impetus (8)

22 Eight-legged animal (6)

23 Time of the year (6)

24 Austrian capital (6)

27 Car (4)

DECODER

WORDFIT

3 LETTERS AID BUN EEL EGG END ERA ERR IRE ORE POT RAT RPM SEE SKY TEA TEE TIN

9-LETTER WORD

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Today’s Aim:

15 words: Good

23 words: Very good

31 words: Excellent

No. 176

QUICK QUIZ

1 What word can refer to a famous volcano, a variety of apple or a photography company?

2 What chemical element is represented by the symbol Pt?

3 Which of the following series did JJ Abrams not produce: a) Fringe, b) Revolution or c) Continuum?

4 Danny DeVito (pictured) plays Frank in which US comedy series?

5 How many strings are there on a standard ukulele?

6 What is the heaviest lizard on Earth?

7 What is the capital of Croatia?

8 What is a female rabbit called?

9 What colour is sepia?

10 Is pinot gris a red or white wine?

No. 176

No. 176

No. 176

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which skateboarding prodigy was nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award category, joining stars like Lionel Messi?

2. At which Olympic Games did Libby Trickett win her first gold medal?

3. ‘Zombie apocalypse’ was the phrase attributed to which sporting event due to a crowd fight?

4. Matt Ebden recently accomplished which accolade at 36 years of age?

5. How many players per side are on the rink in an ice hockey match?

In the 2009 film WhipIt, which sport is at the heart of the storyline?

In 2023, the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship after how many years in the league?

What term is used to describe the four-year interval between each Olympic Games?

Ben King plays for which AFL club?

The Matildas won their match against Uzbekistan by how many goals?

And how many of those goals did Matildas player Michelle Herman score?

Which NBA team does Kevin Durant currently play for?

13. Christian Horner is the team principal of which Formula 1 racing team?

14. Super Rugby Pacific’s recent round, in which all games were played in Melbourne, was known by what name?

15. Who is the captain of Australia’s team for the Billie Jean King Cup?

16. The annual AFL fixture between Essendon and Geelong is known as the what match?

17. Which NRL team plays home games at Kayo Stadium?

18. What form of dancing will be an Olympic event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games?

19. In which year was the Australian Open last held at Kooyong Tennis Stadium?

20. Currently ranked at number five, who is Australia’s top ranked female golfer?

21. How many AFL games have been played for premiership points outside of Australia?

22. Nashville’s NFL team is known by what name?

23. Matildas star Mary Fowler has just signed a sponsorship deal with which make-up brand?

24. Rebecca Quinn is the real name of which WWE wrestler?

25. Which sport does Kat Stratford play in the film 10 ThingsIHateAboutYou?

26. How many Hughes brothers currently play in the NHL?

27. And which teams do they play for?

28. The innermost ring on an archery target is worth how many points?

29. How tall are the AFL goalposts in the MCG?

30. Which Australian cricketer captains the UP Warriorz in the WPL?

Mary Fowler

RATINGS

Looks: 7/10

Performance: 8/10

Safety: 8/10

Thirst: 8/10

Practicality: 6/10

Comfort: 7/10

Tech: 7/10

Value: 7/10

Star turns Poles apart from past

By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring

Model mid-cycle upgrades usually consist of faffing about with design features and tweaking, or adding, the odd piece of automotive technology.

Surprisingly, Polestar 2, the Swedish designed sedan, via Volvo, made in China, has really set about its two-year-old EV.

As the maker puts it, the electric car’s range, efficiency, and performance have been improved,atthesametimewithacutincarbon footprint.Puttingfigurestothat,thePolestar2, with larger batteries and new motors, can now travel up to 22 per cent further, consume up to nine per cent less energy and charge up to 34 per cent faster.

A new look is in line with Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 models and includes a switch from front to rear-wheel drive for the base variants. All versions have been boosted with longer range and active safety equipment as standard. Prices are up between $3000 and $4000 before on-road costs.

The base model Standard Range Single Motor rear-wheel drive comes to market from $67,400, plus on-road costs, the Long Range Single Motor RWD sells from $71,400, plus on-roads and the Long Range Dual Motor AWD tops off the trio at $76,400.

APerformancePack,consistingofasoftware upgrade, Performance suspension settings, with Ohlins shock absorbers, 20-inch alloy wheels, gold tyre valve caps and gold seatbelts canbehadfor$9000.OntestweretheStandard Range Single Motor RWD and flagship Long Range Dual Motor AWD, the latter with Performance Pack.

Styling

IfitlookslikeaVolvoandbehaveslikeaVolvo, then it probably is a Volvo. Likewise, with its Volvo roots, little has changed along the way on the styling front from the first Polestar 2 iteration.

Interior

Thesteeplyrakedslit-of-arearwindowpresents

tight headroom and a limited view behind for the driver, but the panoramic glass roof really opensupthecabinforoccupantswithitstinted panel keeping out the hot sunrays.

However, the absence of a retractable solid material blind in the test vehicle failed to keep the summer sun’s heat at bay. Also the climate controls are operated through the touchscreen, which can make comfort doubly difficult during a bumpy ride.

Legroomisadequateforavehicleofthissize, asisshoulderspace.ThereareacoupleofIsofix child restraint anchor points in the back and a child seat can be clipped in the middle thanks to a top tether point in the lower section of the seat.

An under-bonnet cubby can easily house the charging lead, while the rear boot can take 405 litres with nifty ‘grocery gate’, a divider that has elastic bands to prevent smaller items from tumbling around. A useable 41 litre sub floor keeps stuff hidden.

Like with other EVs, you can forget a spare wheel.

Infotainment

The dual 12.3-inch screens provide stacks of info and once mastered, over time, is quick, responsive and fairly easy to navigate.

Bluelink connected car service allows users to set a charging time, and pre-set the vehicle’s climate control to take advantage of off-peak electricity; also remotely monitor the vehicle’s distance to empty and can restart charging if required. The app allows the owner to find EV charging stations and send the address to the car’s sat nav. A tool will show on a map the driveable radius with 80 and 100 percent battery charge levels.

Wireless phone charging is standard across therange.AppleCarPlayandAndroidAutoare wired, with Google and Android functions on tap. A 600W harman/kardon audio system has 13speakersspreadaroundthecabinbutthere’s no access to AM radio.

Engines/transmissions

The single motor versions are powered by a

newly developed permanent magnet unit and silicon carbide inverter putting out up to 220 kW and 490 Nm. In the dual motors, the rear one is the primary drive source, with support fromupfrontbyanewsynchronousunit.Total power output is 310 kW and 740 Nm. The Performance software upgrade boosts power by 40 kW to 350 kW and torque to 740 Nm.

Safety

Polestar 2 carries over the five-star ANCAP safety rating from its debutant model.

Driver and passengers are ‘cushioned’ by eight airbags.

Value added across the range comes from active safety features such as blind spot warningandcrosstrafficalert,bothwithbrake support,rearcollisionwarning andmitigation, along with 360-degree surround view camera and dimming exterior mirrors.

The SmartZone also incorporates some of the vehicle’s most important active safety features, including a front-facing camera and mid-range radar.

Driving

The move to rear-wheel drive with the single motor in the MY24 Polestar 2 makes for a morepleasingdriveoverthefront-drivemodel, while the rear-wheel drive bias of the all-wheel drive model has a similar effect.

The single motor model rear-wheel drive appeared more spritely than its all-wheel drive cousin, probably due to its carrying less weight. However, in one-pedal drive mode, regenerative braking in the latter is less sharp, an intentional move, says the manufacturer, if the electric motor slows the rear wheels too quickly, it risks putting the vehicle in a spin.

The Performance Pack used its race-developed four-piston Brembo brakes to pull up the weighty (2 tonne-plus) vehicle to a halt assuredly. However, the tweaked suspensionandlowprofiletyrespickedupeven the slightest blemish in the bitumen.

As far as efficiency is concerned, the front

motor of the latter can be shut down when not needed and re-engaged when more power is required, something that came to light during testing with the need to accelerate suddenly in a roundabout filtering move that could have ended not well.

Energy consumption on tests were, for the flagship 19.6 kWh/100km and the single motor 16.5 kWh/100km, compared to the maker’s claims of 17.2 kWh/100 km and 14.8 kWh/100km, respectively.

The Standard Range Single Motor is capable of a range of 532 kilometres, says the maker, depending on how the car is driven, while the Long Range Single Motor (on test) pushes that out to 654 kilometres.

An overnight charge at home via a standard plug-in system put around 30 per cent into the battery of the single motor model, while fast charging of the dual motor did roughly the same in 30 minutes.

The MY24 Polestar 2 cars on test came up with a few surprises, some good, some not so. Reversing out of home, the autonomous emergency braking system picked up a low growing bush encroaching onto the curved driveway and instantly brought the car to a sudden halt, with an accompanying shock to the driver. A temporary tieback defeated the Triffid.

Reversing, generally, was a chore, with the distorted camera view making it difficult to judge distances.

On the more pleasant side, a family visit west had us all smiling. A battery top-up was sought in the south-east Queensland town of Warwick, which boasts a single public service point. Now, there may be only limited access to the service, but courtesy of Southern Downs Regional Council and the University of Queensland, filling up there is F-R-E-E.

Summary

The dilemma for would-be Polestar 2 buyers is whether he or she should snap up the upgraded version at present prices or wait for thesoon-to-bereleasedcompletelynewversion at what cost?

On the surface there is not much change for the upgraded Polestar 2, however, under the skin it’s a different matter. (Supplied)

Western Warriors’ winning debut

TheWesternWarriorscouldn’thaveaskedfor a much better start to the Victorian Netball League season.

Fielding teams for the first time, the Warriors came away with wins in the championship and under-23 divisions on night one.

Warriors head coach Kim Bailey was thrilled with the outcome.

“It was amazing,” she said. “What a way to start it was really pleasing for the first game.

“There were errors and things and we need to improve. For our first time on court competitively together it was amazing.

“You have practice matches but it’s not the same thing. It was awesome to watch them and think about what we can look like at the end of the season.”

Bailey said she didn’t know what to expect with the two sides when they stepped onto the court.

The championship side jumped out of the blocks against the Peninsula Waves before finishing off strongly in a 67-50 win.

Bailey said it wasn’t the smoothest game, but a good starting point. She said the next step would be having that sustained consistency across the whole game.

“The first quarter we shot 20 goals,” she said. “It is amazing.

“You have targets of 15 goals in a quarter, so 20 goals in any quarter is massive, I was really proud of them.

“It was even for the next two quarters. The amount of errors we made… We would get turnover play and then throw it away.

“At three quarter time we to take out the errors, it was unacceptable the amount of errors we had.

“The last quarter was exceptionally.

Captain Kim Borger was a standout on court, shooting 49 goals at 96 per cent accuracy.

Bailey said her connection with Julia Woolley was really good.

In a massive positive, the Warriors were able to get every player on court.

“That is a focus with rolling subs, so we can

do that in championship,” she said. “Jasmine Fraser played almost a full game at goal defence and did an outstanding job.

“Ruby Shannon her work rate was amazing. We gave her a bit of a rest, rotating with Vanessa Augustini.”

Bailey said it was about finding the right combinations early in the season.

Ella Ogier went down with an ACL injury beforetheseasonstarted,leavingtheWarriors with some questions in their defensive end.

Bailey said they would look at different options between now and their next game.

The under-23s started with a 41-35 win.

Bailey said the work rate of Tara O’Grady was massive before she went off with blisters. She said Ella Closter settled in when she came on court in her VNL debut, while Rosie Todd, Sarah Croft and Sadie Cheeseman all had strong games.

The Warriors next matches are on March 17 against the Geelong Cougars in Torquay.

Tara Murray

Panthers back on track

By Harper Sercombe

The road back to relevancy may be a long one for Melton South in the Ballarat Football Leaguebutthisoffseasonseemslikeitmayjust have got the Panthers back on track.

New coach Travis Hodgson said the club has seen a mammoth growth in numbers on the track this pre-season as a strong culture is building at the Melton Recreation Reserve.

“We’ve probably had between 35 and 50 for most of the preseason, which has been a lot more than we’ve had in recent years, so the numbers have been good,” he said.

“We went up to Wodonga on the weekend for our first practice match, we got beat pretty comprehensively,butwetook40playersupwith us, so it again just reinforces how committed the group are to getting better.

“Totake40upthatfar,youknow,athreehour road trip is a fair effort. Things are going really well, numbers wise and there’s a really, really good vibe around the place at the moment.”

Adding to the numbers at training and culture at the club is the long list of experienced players that have been added to

the Panthers list.

“That’s one thing we have probably targeted, that experienced age group,” Hodgson said.

“They’re definitely having a good impact on the younger guys at the club. Patty Vispremi has had a really solid preseason and he’s been really good with the younger guys.

“Jaden Welsh and Anthony Wilson, they’re both pretty experienced players that have got a lot of knowledge to impart on the younger guys, they’re both 30.

“We’ve added a fair few players of the right age for our needs and where we’re at.”

Wilson is one of the recruits of the BFL off season,signingatthePanthersforthenexttwo seasons.

The 31-year-old was drafted by Adelaide with pick number 44 in the 2014 AFL Rookie Draft, but he was unable to crack into the Crows’ senior team. He played two games for Port Adelaide at SANFL level last season and has played over 100 state league games for Norwood, Adelaide and the Magpies.

“He’s a very exciting player,” Hodgson said.

“He’s a genuine A-grader.

“They’re hard to get and when they are good

New protocols for community football

Children and adults who suffer a head knock while playing football will have to sit out for at least three weeks under changes to the AFL’s concussion protocols.

The new protocol will operate in all other Australian football competitions, including the Victorian Football League and VFLW, Coates Talent Leagues and all community football competitions for senior and junior players.

Under the new community guidelines, the earliest that a player can return to play after a concussion is on the 21st day after the day on which the concussion was sustained and provided that the player has safely progressed through each phase of the return-to-play program. The existing 12-day break after a concussion will remainforonlyAFLandAFLWplayers.

fellas as well and they’re prepared to work with theyoungkids,itreallyaddstowhattheybring to the group.

“He’s a very exciting player, he’s a sort of player that is great to watch. Elite speed and agility and very highly skilled.”

Despitethegoodsignsearly,Hodgsoniswell aware his side is coming from a long way back, with just three wins since the 2021 season, and none last year.

“We’ll do a fair bit of goal setting over the next month, but those goals will be more game based,” he said.

“They’ll be in-game goals. I can’t see we’ll be at a stage before the season starts to be predicting a certain number of wins. We’re coming off a 160 point average losing margin.

“Our goals will be little things like the amount of times we go inside 50 compared to the amount of inside 50s we concede, the way we move the ball, the way we defend as a team, we’ll have a lot of KPIs in those areas without putting any win loss expectations on ourselves.”

The Panthers will kick off their season against rivals Melton on April 13.

The AFL said the difference in rest periods between the AFL and AFLW compared to all other levels “reflect the differences in the level of medical resources that are generally available at the elite level of the game that generally do not exist to the same degree in other competitions. AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said the AFL takes very seriously the issue of concussion and the updated community football guidelines reflect the AFL’s ongoing commitment to the health and safety of all present, past and future players.

“The AFL’s concussion guidelines are the most stringent concussion protocols in Australian sport both at a community and elite level and we are committed to continuing to take action to protect the safety of players at all levels of the game.” he said.

“The updated community guidelines represent a significant step in the AFL’s existing record of ongoing improvements to its concussion management strategy that reflect medical research and other learnings over time.

“We play a contact sport and there is always going to be risk, however over recent years we have continued to take action to strengthen match-day protocols and amend the Laws of the Game to discourage high contact, and we will continue to do so.”

Mitch Fino. (Jacob Pattison) 331334_07

Simona Di Filippo. (Supplied)

Georgies’ rebuild is still a work in progress

Caroline Springs George Cross will keep tinkering with things as it aims to get back on the winners list in the Victorian Premier League 1 competition.

After getting points in their first three matches, the Georgies have dropped their last two matches.

On Saturday night, they lost to the Bulleen Lions, 1-0.

Georgies coach Eric Vassiliadis said it wasn’t the result that they were after.

“Each week we’ve been thrown something different,” he said. “Yesterday [Saturday] we knew we were playing a decent team and they played quite deep and they like to score on the counter.

“We couldn’t score an early goal and they scored one against the run of play.

“They then kept us out,”

Vassiliadis said he couldn’t criticise the effort, the mindset and the output of the playing group in the early part of the season. He said having bought in eight new players

this season it was always going to take some time.

“It took us two to three years to build the successful side that we had,” he said.

“We had about eight changes and making changes and going up a level is always going to be challenging.

“We’re still trying to work out what our best team looks like which is difficult in the season.

“We’ve been playing some good teams in the league.”

Vassiliadis said they were struggling with a lack of potency in the front third as well as a little bit of composure and finesse.

He said they were hoping that would come when they settle things down a bit more.

The Georgies now have two wins, a draw and two losses for the season.

After two successive promotions, Vassiliadis said they didn’t feel out of place at this level.

“We’ve been in this situation before and worked on things and been able to turn it around,” he said.

“It’s a good team and a good club and good people and all that comes to the fore. We’re learning about this level.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this level isn’t beyond us. We could have won all our games.”

The Georgies this week face Melbourne Victory on Saturday evening. Victory was promoted like the Georgies for this season.

Vassiliadis said it brings another unique challenge and playing style. He said they would likely get some players back who will strengthen the squad.

“It’ll be a really tough game and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

MeanwhileinthethirdroundoftheAustralia Cup, Westside Strikers were knocked out in a penalty shoot out against the Albion Rovers.

Melton Phoenix was also knocked out, losing 2-1 to Point Cook.

Tara Murray

St Anthony’s fall short

By Tara Murray

It wasn’t to be for St Anthony’s in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association Jensen Shield grand final on Saturday.

The Saints were the underdogs heading into the decider with Aintree, and Aintree showed why it had been the top team all season, losing just one match.

Aintree won the toss and decided to bat in hot conditions on Saturday afternoon. With contributions throughout the order, Aintree put on 7-255.

Nishan Singh top scored with 79 off 93 balls.

Jagjiwan Singh was the pick of the bowlers for the Saints, taking 3-45 but was expensive as he went at more than a run a ball.

The Saints needed everything to go their way in the run chase, but it didn’t. Most of their batters failed to get going, with just one player scoring more than 20.

The Saints in the end fell well short, bowled out for 114 in the 29th over.

Gurinder Singh Grewal top scored with 59 not out, playing a lone hand in the chase.

Saints coach Jason Orr said Aintree was just too good on the day.

“I think it’s fair to say that they were able to put the bad ball away and take the game away from us.

“All the guys were pretty tired with the heat and chasing 255 was a big ask. We thought we had the batters to do it, but we needed a bit of luck to go our way and it didn’t.”

The loss added to a bittersweet ending to the season for the Saints.

The Saints second XI were also set to play off in a grand final, but a tribunal decision following the semi final against Eynesbury ruled both sides out of the decider, giving Woodend the premiership.

Orr said it was a pretty bitter pill to swallow for a team that had made massive inroads this season.

“We had a bit of a club intra match at the start of the year,” he said. “I was really worried and hoped that we would win a few games.

“We lost the first two games and one other for the year, they continued to improve throughout the year.

“The young guys were led by a great captain and we’re looking forward to a next year.”

Orr, who was in his season coaching, said they had expected a bit more out of the first XI with it being a more experienced side. He said he was proud of both sides and what they had done this season.

Now with the on field results starting to turn, Orr wants to continue to build on that during the off season.

“We’re hoping to tap into the local community a bit more,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a few more players and sponsors

on board and we can get back to where we were a few years ago, “Hopefully we can have another team.”

Sports shorts

Bowls

Melton’s Todd Trewarne has been named in the men’s city squad for the Bowls Victoria City vs Country Series. The series is an important step in relation to state selection and will be played on the weekend of April 6. It will be the fourth edition of the series.

GDCA

Diggers Rest Bulla finished its Gisborne and District Cricket Association McIntyre Cup season with a loss. Already guaranteed to finish bottom, the Burras had a long day in the field on Saturday against Romsey. The Burras total of 222 made on day one was nowhere near enough, with the Redbacks finishing 5-462 as they sought to finish top, which they did. The Burras finished the season without a win and will be relegated. In the first week of finals, Romsey will play the Sunbury Kangaroos and Gisborne will host Sunbury United.

Baseball

The North Western Titans finished their Baseball Victoria summer league major metro 1 season with a loss on Saturday. Already guaranteed a finals spot , the Titans faced top side Footscray in the final round. It was a thriller, with Footscray getting home, 11-10 which had been the score line after five innings. The Titans finish the season in fourth spot and will again face Footscray in the first week of finals on Sunday.

Bowls

Melton’s run in the Bowls Victoria weekend pennant division 2 divisional finals is over. The Mustangs won their first final last Sunday, but fell short against Narre Warren on Saturday in the semi finals, losing 84-78. Todd Trewarne and Chris Barritt-Eyles both had rink wins for the Mustangs. Narre Warren was due to face Deer Park 2 in the final on Sunday.

Jordan Tucker (Ljubica Vrankovic)

Jagjiwan Singh (Ljubica Vrankovic)

Burnside and Caroline Springs knocked out

It was a disappointing end for both Caroline Springs and Burnside Springs United in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association semi finals.

Both teams entered their respective finals seriesinsecondposition,butthehomeground advantage meant little come the weekend.

Burnside Springs’ first VTCA Russell Pollock Shield finals series came to an agonising end,

Hosting Seabrook, Burnside sent in Seabrook and had them in trouble at 3-3 with three of the top four out for ducks.

Seabrook was further in trouble at 5-30, before the middle order set about rescuing the innings.

Seabrook managed to get to 181 before being bowled out in the 60th over.

Tim Stephens took 3-18 for Burnside to be the pick of the bowlers.

Burnside started well in the run chase putting on 53 for the first wicket. It lost three

quick wickets and was soon 5-98.

The wickets continued to fall as Burnside got closer to the total. It got to 8-167 before losing the last two wickets for one run.

Burnsidewasbowledoutfor168inthe62nd over.

Skipper Mathew Sanders top scored with 60. Seabrook will face Sunshine YCW in the grand final, after the Cougars upset minor premiers Donnybrook.

In the Roy Picone Shield, Caroline Springs’ finals campaign also ended at the first hurdle.

After finishing second, having been on top of the ladder for much of the season, the Falcons hosted Maribyrnong Park St Mary’s on Saturday and Sunday.

The Falcons were sent in and were quickly in trouble with both openers back in the sheds early on.

It was soon 3-11 when Reece Blackman was out and then a couple more wickets saw the Falcons crumble to 5-43.

The middle order set about rescuing the innings and they pushed the score push 100, then 150 and then 200.

The Falcons eventually finished 9-242 after 77 overs.

Roshan Laksiri was the star of the show for the Falcons, making 112 not out of 132 balls.

His innings included 12 fours.

The Falcons got off to the perfect start with the ball and having the Lions at 4-54 were right in the match.

Similar to the Falcons innings, the middle order fired and got the team back into the game.

TheLionseventuallygottherunswiththree overs to spare, finishing 6-243.

Damith Priyadarshana took four wickets for the Falcons.

The Lions will face Williamstown Imperials in the grand final. The Imperials got an outright win against Point Cook in the other semi final.

Storm continues run

By Tara Murray

Sydenham-Hillside’s fairy tale run in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division will continue, with the Storm into the grand final.

Initsfirstseasoninthetopgrade,theStorm was undaunted by the challenge ahead of them, sitting in the top four for most of the season.

On the weekend, the Storm produced a strong all round performance to knock last season’s premiers, Yarraville Club, out of the finals.

Storm coach Warren Hackney said they’re super excited to be in another grand final. The clubhadwonfourpremiershipsinfiveseasons heading into this season, rising from division 4 to senior division.

“It’s been an awesome run,” Hackney said. “Maybe the fairy tale is yet to be fully written.

“We come into this season hoping to be competitive and maybe see some finals action.

“We were under no illusions it’s a tough competition and what it takes to get there.

“We are really deserving of our spot there and now we want to win it.”

The Storm faced Yarraville Club in the final round of the season, winning a thriller to secure a home semi final.

Hackney said that win helped build their confidence that they could beat a time like that, having already beaten them earlier in the season too.

He said the one thing they hadn’t done was put a full game together against them, but that changed on Saturday.

The Clubbers won the toss and sent the Storm in, a decision that surprised Hackney. The Storm made the most of it, making 6-306 from its 80 overs.

Skipper Anthony Alleyne led the way with 109.

“Those conditions were hugely challenging, both physically and mentally,” Hackney said. “Wewantedtobatfirstandthebatterstookon the responsibility led by our captain Anthony.

“We were able to wear them down over the weekend which speaks volume of the group.”

The Storm’s bowlers were then able to back

Centrals fall just short

Melton Centrals fell agonisingly short of another grand final in the Cricket Victoria Women’s Community Cricket Competition on Sunday.

Centrals finished the regular Shield 2 one-day season in third place with just one win separating the top three teams.

It meant Centrals had to face second placed Melbourne University 2 on Sunday in the semi finals for a spot in the grand final.’

Centrals won the toss and decided to bowl in the hot conditions and were able to claim an early wicket.

Melbourne University’s batters then got down to work and were able to push the score to 4-155.

The middle order finished off the inningswell,withMelbourneUniversity finishing 4-225 from its 36 overs.

AnushkaMehtatopscoredwith75off 79 balls, including hitting 13 fours.

Centrals’ skipper Candace Hulett took two wickets for her side but was expensive as were most of the bowlers. Erin Keenan was the pick of the bowlers with 0-27 off her nine overs after opening the bowling.

Centrals lost two early wickets in the run chase, including that of Hulett for just 14 after she was caught and bowled by Pranavi Dhame.

up the work of the batters, bowling Yarraville Club out for 147 in the 50th over.

Hackney said they needed to get early wickets to restrict the Clubbers.

“We were on from the start,” she said. “We took wickets early and it made it difficult for them to come back.

“We’ve seen what they’ve been able to do in the two games against us this season, so we knew it was important to get those key guys.”

The Storm bowlers shared the wickets, with six players taking at least one wicket and no one with more than two.

The Storm will face Deer Park in the grand final. The Lions match with Aberfeldie finished in a draw after players went off for the heat rule, with Deer Park well on top at the time.

“We have full faith in what we can do,” he said. “Last time we were a wicket away from breaking them.

“[Keon] Harding and [Dan] Sartori both got them to a really good score and we reel like one wicket away from breaking that and turning it our way.”

It brought Liz Trakosas to the crease to join Keenan.

The two set about getting the innings back on track and managed to get them back into the game and a shot at victory.

Melbourne University though managed to bowl tight in the final few overs to restrict Centrals to 2-207.

The score was Centrals’ second highest total of the season and highest score since round two.

Trakosas made 92 off 100 balls, while Keenan was unbeaten on 60.

Melbourne University will face Parkfield in the grand final.

The minor premiers made 6-125 from their overs against Clifton Hill in the other semi final, before restricting Clifton Hill to just 49.

Mathew Sanders (Ljubica Vrankovic)

Anthony Alleyne (Jacob Pattison) 372630_01

ENROLMENTS OPEN

Book a Tour!

World Class Early Education facility opens in Melton

Local parents step up to tackle early learning quality gap

For Ricky and Bali, their latest venture is a personal one. Four years in the making, opening doors to their first childcare centre in Melton feels like a dream come true as the duo aim to provide local families with the early education experience they feel their kids missed out on.

“We knew there was a noticeable gap in quality in early education, something we experienced first-hand when we had our own children in care at various centres. We considered what we would have wanted our kids to have, and focused on opening a centre that provided the best for families,” said Ricky.

Located on Barries Road, the new centre is a franchise of the MindChamps with capacity for 106 children. MindChamps is committed to nurturing kids to be lifelong learners, and uses their breakthrough 3-Minds model of education, the Champion, Learning and Creative Mind, to ensure the children build a strong foundation of skills and habits during their most formative years.

“In our search for the right Franchisor, we approached several early childhood providers and found there were learning and educational opportunities that were missed. By and large the market did not offer the standard that we wanted to provide to local families,” said Ricky.

“MindChamps was entirely different to every other provider we explored. One of the main things that stood out to us was the attentiveness to every aspect of the child’s development, in particular, the meal plans. This was always an area that my son struggled with at each centre: while he was served food, it was generally not a nutritious meal.”

MindChamps has an industry-first MindChamps ChampionGold™ Standard Nutrition Programme, which provides meals that provide 100 per cent of children’s essential vitamins, minerals, protein, and fibre requirements rather than the industry standard of 50 per cent.

The Melton centre is a family-run business led by Ricky and Bali, with both their wives working in the centre as educators. However, every week local parents apply eagerly to join the team after seeing how happy their children are being part of the MindChamps family.

“As a family, we are excited for this new challenge and hope to provide the community with a warm and welcoming feeling while their children get to experience an enriching learning programme based on their developmental needs and interests,” said Ricky.

MindChamps are global leaders in early education, with all educators required to go through mandatory professional training of up to 200 hours in addition to their required qualifications. This is part of MindChamps’ continuing investment in their teaching skills, to be compliant with the MindChamps Champion Gold Standard globally.

“Australia’s leaders of tomorrow are our preschoolers today. MindChamps’ mission is to provide an education model for Aussie kids that nurtures a mindset for success through their Champion, Learning and Creative minds to better equip them for the unknown world of the 21st century,” said David Chiem, MindChamps Founder, Executive Chairman and Global CEO.

“This is MindChamps’ first centre in Victoria, and we are delighted to partner with local families who understand the importance of nurturing the mindset of our Champs, so that they can put their best foot forward in their journey towards success. We know that they will set a positive example of what’s possible in Melton for early education,” he said.

MindChamps Early Learning & Preschool at Melton is located 63-65 Barries Road in Melton, with more information available at www.mindchamps.org/au/ or bycalling1300646324.