Upper Yarra
Tuesday, 23 July, 2024
Tougher laws to punish vandals
250th game for Yarra Glen netballer Michele Young
Yarning Circle for two local schools
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
PR OP ER TY
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Students push limits By Dongyun Kwon Students across Victoria participated in the cross-country race at the Yarra Valley Racing Club on Thursday 18 July. School Sport Victoria (SSV) hosted the 2024 State Cross Country Championships for the third time in Yarra Glen. SSV chief executive officer Jamie Parsons said he appreciated support from the Yarra Valley Racing Club. “We really love having this event here, the venue is fantastic as we have the grandstand and we’re also able to have the athletes use the racetrack to run the races,” he said. “The people we work with at Yarra Valley Racing are wonderful.“ Primary school students had to get through the district, division and region levels while secondary school students started from the division level. The top 12 performers in the region qualified to advance to the state championships. Turn to page 10 for more
Finally arriving at the final line. (Stewart Chambers: 420226)
Two-pronged blitz By Callum Ludwig The Conservation Regulator and Parks Victoria have launched an operation to crackdown on the illegal harvesting of firewood in Victoria’s national parks and state forests. Taskforce Ironbark is two-pronged, targeting firewood thieves while also aiming to empower firewood consumers to avoiding
purchasing stolen wood supplied by illegal operators. “We have seen a rapid rise in firewood-related damage on public land, and native trees are being stolen from Victoria’s forests and parks faster than they can be replaced, leaving our native birds, reptiles, and small mammals without crucial habitat,” Conservation Regulator’s Taskforce Ironbark Manager Brady Childs
said. “We formed Taskforce Ironbark to disrupt illegal commercial firewood operators and remind all Victorians they play an important role in preserving our forests and parks, protecting wildlife habitats, and reducing the harm associated with firewood theft.” In 2023 alone, firewood thieves are estimat-
ed to have destroyed or damaged 9200 native trees and cleared roughly 462 hectares of forest. Senior Manager of Enforcement at Parks Victoria Mark Breguet said illegal firewood theft is devastating local parks, forests, wildlife, and cultural heritage. Continued page 5
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