Tuesday, 18 November, 2025
Phone: (03) 5945 0666 Trades & Classifieds: 1300 666 808
starcommunity.com.au FREE
Historic mayor election
SECL’s national award
Remembering our fallen
Stingray draft hopeful
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
PAGE 16
SPORT
Festival for the ages Dandenong West has never seen a festival like this. Hidden Gem Festival and Market promises to be a two-day celebration of community this weekend, says its director Jessica Robinnet, pictured. It brings an inner-city style of event to the suburbs - lots of live blues, funk, soul, rock-and-roll and Afro-fusion, a vinyl record fair, crafts market, local brews and food trucks. More on the story, turn to page 10
(Gary Sissons: 516060)
Deadly waters The spotlight fell on Dandenong Creek’s deadly waters after a beloved mother and seven-year-old son drowned in the waterway while visiting a park in Doveton. 33-year-old Fariba Hussainzada took chase after Farzad, the eldest of Fariba’s three children, sprinted out the car as his mother opened the door, a family member told Star News. “She told her mother to look after her other two children and she will go after Farzad,” cousin Saleha Hussainzada said. Fariba’s mother lost sight of the pair behind
bushes near Dandenong Creek, oblivious to them later falling in. Victoria Police believe that the woman had “went to the aid of the child and also got into difficulty”. Ms Saleha says her cousin, an extremely caring and loving mother, sacrificed herself for her son. The mother and son were pulled unconscious from the swift-flowing water at Allan Street Bridge, Dandenong, more than a kilometre downstream. Police officers performed CPR at the scene,
but the pair could not be revived. Ms Saleha says this tragic incident “shouldn’t have happened.” “It’s got nothing to do about not knowing how to swim. I know a lot of people in our Afghan community lack swimming knowledge as is the case in other CALD communities but this is a wider safety issue.” She says the Doveton park, without any fences to the creek, should be reviewed by Casey Council. “The area (near the creek) is very steep so
even without rain, anyone can easily slip and fall.” A further three people have drowned at Dandenong Creek in the past 18 years, including a three-year-old boy at Dandenong Park in 2014 and a 12-year-old boy in 2008. The latest incident has renewed calls for more fencing and signage near parks and playgrounds lining Dandenong Creek. Greater Dandenong SES unit controller Daniel Pastean urged people not to go near the water’s edge or steep levee banks. More on the story, turn to page 3
Book a Tour lyndale.vic.edu.au Lyndale Seconday College | 14 Halton Rd, Dandenong North VIC 3175 | (03) 9795 2366 12817325-JV46-25