Mount Evelyn
Tuesday, 12 March, 2024
Truckie heads to trial for school bus crash
Female pilots see international success
Rotary thanks community for generosity
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
PR OP ER TY
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Hola amigo, it’s cultural visit time Mount Evelyn’s Birmingham Primary School welcomed some international guests to its school grounds last week, with 11 students from Mexico on exchange for most of March. Getting to experience culture, the environment, some typical Australian adventures and icons of the bush, the students also brought with them a taste of Mexico to share with the school community on Thursday 7 March. The cross-cultural relationships were blooming as host students learnt about Mexico and vice versa. To read more turn to page 13
Sebastian and Camila are just two of the students on the trip on a life time, exploring Australia on exchange. 393506 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Legal funds plea By Mikayla van Loon For nearly a decade, Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) has gone without a funding increase from the Federal government. Now the collective body for community legal centres is calling for this to be adjusted in the upcoming May budget review. ECLC chief executive officer Michael Smith said for essential legal support to be provided to residents in the outer east at either low cost or free, funding needs to double.
“We’d hope they would double the money for our core work. It wouldn’t be a lot of money for them but it’ll be a huge change for us,” he said. The funding shortfall, while Mr Smith said ECLC will always do what they can to provide the best outcome for clients, has meant the team has had to turn people away or refer them on to other resources because the staff capacity just isn’t available. “It’s stressful for the team and it’s stressful for the clients who we really want to
help,” he said. With majority of ECLC’s workload revolving around family violence, and with it an ever increasing demand on community legal services, Mr Smith said funding must reflect that growing rate of inquiry. “This is really, really urgent, and we need to make the community aware of how important this is,” he said. With the National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) also under review, Mr Smith said he is hopeful that final report
will guide the Federal Government on what funding is required now and long term to ensure vulnerable people can continue accessing essential support as soon as possible. “With things like family violence, if people don’t get help early on, it creates huge issues later on, and the problems just grow and the stress builds and affects their mental health and their family situation,” Mr Smith said. To read more, turn to page 5
Tel:97362853•ClancyRoad,MtEvelyn3796
www.evelynrecycling.com.au
A family run studio offering yoga and pilates classes. 6B Union Road Wandin essenceyogayv.com e essence yoga
12668122-AP07-24
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A boutique studio located between the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley.