Tuesday, 14 October, 2025
Rise in rough sleepers sparks concern
New paint, new life for Wandin Yallock Primary School
Farewell for beloved Star Mail reporter Andrew Kwon
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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MND drives in By Callum Ludwig and Mikayla van Loon The 2025 Daniher’s Drive passed through the Yarra Valley Friday 10 October, etching the east Victorian region into the effort to raise awareness for motor neurone disease (MND). Daniher’s Drive, founded by AFL legend and motor neurone disease (MND) advocate Neale Daniher AO, is an Australia-wide campaign which raised money and awareness for the incurable disease this year.Neale has spearheaded the drive this year once again alongside numerous others and his daughter Bec said his support is only growing. Read more on page 6
Powelltown FC Former President Graham Wynn, Warburton FC Vice President Steve Noonan, Casey MP Aaron Violi and Lachie Pitman at Warburton Bowls Club. (Fiona Hamilton)
Fight for Lachlan By Shamsiya Hussainpoor Bloodied, bruised and virtually unrecognisable. This is what a Seville East family’s 18-year-old son looked like when he came home from a Dandenong Ranges school. The now 19-year-old, Lachlan, who is non-verbal and has an autism diagnosis, was described by his father as looking “like he’d just come out of a boxing match with Mike Tyson” after an incident at school left him injured. His parents said the school failed to notify them of their son’s escalating behaviour, and they
were never provided with an up-to-date behaviour support plan, despite clear warning signs. “It was just so heart-breaking,” Lachlan’s father, Daryl, said. According to Daryl, the school never called an ambulance, and the family wasn’t informed of the incident until after Lachlan came home visibly injured. “We weren’t even told and you’ve got to understand, this is a kid who can’t tell us what happened,” he said. “He can’t say, ‘This person did this’ or ‘This is
why I was upset.’ We rely entirely on the people around him to be transparent, and we got nothing.” When asked for a behaviour support plan, Daryl claimed the school sent through one that was two years old which failed to outline how the school planned to prevent such behaviours. The family is now pursuing legal action through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), arguing their son’s treatment was not only unacceptable but part of a broader systemic failure. The Department of Education issued the fol-
lowing statement: “The safety and wellbeing of all our students is the highest priority in Victorian schools.” “As this matter is now before VCAT, it is inappropriate for the Department to comment further.” The emotional toll on the family has been immense. When asked what outcome he hopes for from the legal process, Daryl had one word: “Accountability.” Read more on page 7
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