Ferntree Gully Belgrave
Violi ejected from question time
Donors flock to Upwey to give blood
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Tuesday, 27 February, 2024
Mail Tributes to two female trailblazers
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
PR OP ER TY
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Improving connectivity Wanting to improve accessibility and safety through the Dandenong Ranges has led to calls from the Olinda Bike Trail Committee for a feasibility study into the plan. The trail would join Lilydale Station to Olinda with an added three-kilometre section linking up the entire track and making it wider for safety. Meeting for a ride from Mount Evelyn to Olinda on Thursday 22 February, the group announced the proposal it would put forward to Yarra Ranges Council, Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water. To read more, go to page 5 Mark Dodemond, Ron Thomas, Irene Moser and Michael Slattery have put forward a proposal for the Olinda Creek Trail to be made bike-friendly. 385240 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Clean-up continues across region as Hills face another fire-day ordeal...
Ravaged, resilient for 72 hours after the storm hit. Now as the efforts of emergency services to restore order to the communities most impacted carry on, residents look to recovering funds and lost goods. Locally, places like the Dandenong Ranges Emergency Relief Service have opened up the offer for free food and fuel vouchers to those not eligible for state grants. However, Prolonged Power Outage Payments have been extended to cater for the two storm events that occurred in quick succes-
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And while recovery is front of mind for many in the east, another predicted extreme fire day is expected for Wednesday 28 February with the Bureau of Meteorology expecting many areas will be upgraded to a catastrophic rating. It comes as many firefighters from the outer east joined the response in the state’s west to battle a blaze, that on Monday, was not yet under control.
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sion on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 22 February. The grants have been expanded to households that have been without power for seven days cumulatively, with payments $1,920 per week, for up to three weeks. Victorian Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio said that the storms caused significant damage to residential properties and private electricity infrastructure across parts of Victoria. “We’re making sure those impacted twice have access to the support they need,” she said.
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The clean up continues across the Dandenong Ranges two weeks on from the ravaging storms that wiped out power and uprooted trees. Emerald SES unit controller Ben Owen said the unit had received over 500 calls on the day of the storm mostly for trees down, people trapped in their homes and rescues. Over in Knox, deputy controller of training Trudi Prat said while it was quickly established the storm had caused major damage, with calls not filtering through until the following days, the impact was not fully comprehensible