Tuesday, 8 April, 2025
Arson attacks still under investigation
Star Mail election survey: what the people said
CFA celebrates 80 years
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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Election pitches By Chelsea Szabo Upgrading urban recreation reserves continues to be the focus for the Liberals with a second sporting pavilion being pledged funding should a Coalition government be successful in the May election. A $5 million commitment to the Lilydale Recreation Reserve was announced by incumbent Casey MP Aaron Violi at the end of March but fellow candidates have described this as both “nothing short of pork barrelling (sic)” and only “around 50 per cent of the capital required”. But the pledge was welcomed by the two clubs who utilise the facility, with both presidents saying they were tired of Lilydale’s upgrade being pushed down the list, as well as the “empty promises”.
Unable to field either a women’s cricket or football team because of a lack of suitable facilities, cricket club president Steve Oxley said it inevitably hurts the growth of the cricket club when they are faced with “all our local competitors getting new club rooms”. In response to the pledge, candidates for Labor, the Greens and Independents acknowledged the importance of infrastructure upgrades across the Casey electorate but indicated that the project would have to be well-considered, as well as finding better solutions to advocate for project funding in the long-term to sustain local governments and its infrastructure priorities. This announcement comes after Mr Violi pledged money for the upgrade of the Mooroolbark Heights Reserve in December. Turn to page 5 for more
Readers have their say Roses brought joy and smiles to the residents of Donwood Community Aged Care. (Sigrid Petersen Photography)
Roses dazzle residents A simple act of kindness bloomed into a global sensation when TikTok influencer Samuel Weidenhofer surprised Montrose’s Little Flower Shoppe florist Chloe with a request for
1000 roses. Intended for local nursing home residents, Chloe offered them at cost, deeply touching Samuel. Read the full story on page 10
Healthcare and access to emergency services remains a top priority for residents in the Yarra Ranges as noted by a resounding number of respondents to the Star Mail federal election survey. The Yarra Valley and Upper Yarra led this discussion, calling for closer-to-home access to urgent or emergency care, urging candidates and any future government to consider Healesville as the most viable option for such a service. This comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a re-elected Labor Govern-
ment would fund a further 50 urgent care clinics, including 12 in Victoria, and flagged the potential for one to be located in Lilydale. “I’m sure the people in Lilydale would have been happy to hear that, but it ignored the fact that the vast proportion of people in the rural areas of the Yarra Ranges Council have much less access to health services than the people in Lilydale,“ Services for Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) chairperson Jane Judd said. Turn to pages 4 and 6 for more
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