Tuesday, 17 June, 2025
Landslides marked as ‘imminent’
Budget adopted despite opposition
Offering hope on Thai-Burma border
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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Milie’s art brings hope Milie Woods, an artist through and through, has always been a creative soul, drawn to the freedom colour and a paintbrush provided. When diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in December last year, art remained a comfort and motivator to get up and live every day. Now, she is using her passion to contribute to the cause by showcasing her works at Lilydale’s Round Bird Art Space and raising much needed funds for MND Victoria. And even without fundraising, Milie said creating awareness about this debilitating disease is crucial to making change and eventually finding a cure. To read Milie’s story, turn to page 16
Milie Woods with her artwork titled ‘Northern Storm’ at the Round Bird Art Space. (Stewart Chambers: 483734)
Services saved By Tanya Steele Eastern Health Maroondah Hospital was the subject of leaked information to the media and a number of reports from The Age last week, bringing swift rebuttals by the State Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas. A major public hospital’s service provision has been brought into the limelight, with medical staff raising concerns that changes would compromise care. On June 10, The Age reported that from November this year, there would be no paediatri-
HT W G I L E K MA
cians working at the Maroondah Hospital and stated that staff at Maroondah Hospital were recently told that speciality paediatric services were being relocated to another Eastern Health Hospital, Box Hill. Following the report exposing the cost-cutting plan, the state government intervened on Wednesday, stalling Eastern Health’s leaked proposal to move paediatric staff from Maroondah Hospital to Box Hill. Minister Thomas told ABC Radio on Wednesday 11 June, that her department hadn’t been told of Maroondah Hospital’s plans to move paediat-
rics admissions to the Box Hill hospital. “I have not received a formal proposal from Eastern Health regarding any of these changes, but I can be very clear with you and your listeners that I will not support any plans that would remove paediatricians from one of Melbourne’s biggest public hospitals in their servicing our eastern suburbs,” said Minister Thomas to Raf Epstein. A Victorian Government spokesperson told Star Mail on Friday 13 June, that the state department will not support any plans that would remove paediatricians from one of the biggest
public hospitals in Melbourne’s east. “We’ve just delivered the biggest investment ever in frontline care to ensure Victorians get the care they need, when and where they need it,” they said. A spokesperson from Eastern Health has stated that they are currently working with the Minister’s Office and the Department of Health. “We have no further comment at this time,” they said. Read more on page 2
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