Tuesday, 8 April, 2025
Federal candidates roll up for Casey
Belgrave South cafe owner shows stunning clout
Six generation family celebrates in Kallista
Real estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
PR OP ER TY
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Angliss gets boost By Tanya Steele The Gully Market made a generous donation of $5000 to the Upper Ferntree Gully Angliss Hospital this April, supporting their busy Emergency Department. The market, run by a dedicated group of community volunteers, operates every weekend from the Upper Gully Station car park and is always striving to give back to their Outer East Melbourne community. Thursday 3 April, Gully Market President Ian Rice and other volunteers were invited to visit the local hospital to celebrate the donation and see firsthand how a previous one was making a difference. An Eastern Health spokesperson said that Eastern Health sincerely appreciates the fundraising efforts of the Gully Market. “It is a privilege to serve our community, and we are deeply grateful for this generous contribution,” they said.
From Left: Gully Market members Marian, Karen and Deb, with President Ian Rice, Treasurer/Secretary Tracy with Angliss Staff Dr Marty Koolstra and ED Acting Nurse Manager Deb Hunter with Registered Nurse Emily acting as ‘patient’. (Stewart Chambers: 469567)
Builder suspended VCAT has upheld the suspension against a local builder after considering serious concerns about public safety, which it found outweighed the local man’s financial and personal struggles. Emerald builder Andrew Donald Little has had a request to lift a suspension imposed by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) denied by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on 25 February, leaving him unable to return to work.
Mr Little is a registered builder working in Emerald who had his registration suspended by the VBA due to allegations that he had failed to meet necessary safety standards on construction projects - these included serious concerns over fire safety and electrical hazards that could affect the safety of future occupants, contractors, and others involved in the projects he was overseeing. Mr Little argued that his suspension had severely impacted his ability to earn a living. He said the financial strain caused by being un-
able to work had taken a toll on his mental health and that he should be allowed to resume his work as a builder while the review process continued. However, despite these claims, tribunal member, Mr Cook ruled that lifting the suspension would pose too great a risk to public safety. “Any decision to reinstate the applicant’s registration before a final review must be carefully weighed against the public interest in upholding safety standards within the building industry,” he said.
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The applicant’s legal team contended that the suspension was causing irreparable harm to Mr Little’s career and that a stay should be granted to allow him to continue working. The VBA, as the regulatory body for the building industry, pointed to the seriousness of the allegations against the Emerald man and for now, the suspension stands, and his fate will be decided later in the year - once all the evidence has been heard. Read more on page 3
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