News - Berwick Star News - 5th February 2026

Effortless transition

Clyde Grammar School welcomed students back to campus last week, marking the start of the fresh 2026 academic year filled with learning and opportunity.

The school grounds were busy as students across all year levels returned to classrooms, reconnecting with peers and teachers after the summer holiday break.

Many took their first steps into the world of schooling whilst others are completing their final year of primary education.

Foundation students began an important milestone as they settled into school life, while returning students approached the year ahead with confidence and familiarity.

Teachers and staff were on hand to ensure a smooth transition, supporting students as routines were slowly reintroduced and learning curriculums commenced.

Principal Leanne Evans said that the first day of school was a “special milestone” for both students and families.

The return to school has brought renewed energy to the Clyde Grammar community, with classrooms once again active and playgrounds full of much chatter, learning and conversations.

For more on this story, go to page 23

Tunnel trouble

The first week of Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel timetable has drawn strong criticism from commuters on the Cranbourne and East Pakenham lines, with concerns about longer journeys, added complexity and reliability coming into sharp focus.

The changes have sparked heated discussion in local community forums, with some passengers reporting their daily trips are now 20 to 40 minutes longer, particularly for travel to Richmond, Flinders Street and Southern Cross.

Cranbourne Residents and Ratepayers Asso-

Many south east commuters say the new service pattern has removed their one-seat ride into the City Loop and key inner-city stations, forcing extra interchanges, longer walks and tighter connections.

ciation president Anthony Tassone said feedback showed “clear winners and losers”, with south east commuters bearing the brunt of the transition, though others have reported benefits for trips to new Metro Tunnel stations and Parkville’s health and education precincts.

Commuter frustration intensified when an afternoon-peak disruption left many passengers stranded on trains for up to two and a half hours

without air conditioning due to an overhead power fault near Armadale Station. The incident, which was not related to the tunnel itself, occurred on just the second working day of the new timetable. Shadow Public Transport Minister MatthewGuydescribedtheincidentasa“bigfailure” and a “disgrace”, as commuters continue to adjust to the largest network change in decades.

For more on the story, turn to page 22

Violent attack on couple

By Violet Li

A Clyde North local whose home was violently invaded and whose personal safety was threatened has warned crime is getting “really bad” in the suburb, saying the area’s new police station should be open to the public.

Annie-Maureen moved to Clyde North with her husband Rod about six years ago, and in the early morning of Friday 23 January, their house was violently broken into by two unknown men, who later assaulted Rod and threatened both at gunpoint for a car key.

Rod was struck and knocked unconscious, suffering head and face injuries and bleeding heavily.

The intruders made off with a wallet and garage fob but were unable to steal the victim’s vehicle as it was fitted with a club lock. They were last seen fleeing the scene in what was believed to be a maroon-coloured sedan, towards Patterson Road.

The police believed that the offenders had been casing an estate in Clyde, and it was “completely optimistic” that they had targeted this particular address.

“It’s (crime) getting really bad (in Clyde North),” Annie-Maureen said.

“And what annoys me is we’ve got a police station out there. That’s just been built. And it can’t be totally manned.

“Like, people can’t go in there, because they’re short-staffed.”

When asked if making the police station open would make the suburb a bit safer, the 59-yearold said: “It has to be.”

After years of waiting, Clyde North Police Station was completed late last year, and it is not open to the public, with members instead urged to use nearby Cranbourne Police Station for front-counter services.

The issue was raised by Berwick MP and Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections, Brad Battin, in an adjournment debate in Parliament in December.

“If you want them (the police) to get there (Clyde and Clyde North) at the moment, you are still calling them from Cranbourne or Narre Warren. But let us be honest, Narre Warren is partly shut at the moment as well and not open

to the public because of the renovations going on there,” he said.

“If you need to get a police car down there, the coppers in the area know what all the community know: you are going to get stuck on Clyde Road. You cannot get down Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.

“One of the most common emails I get from people out in Clyde and Clyde North is about the amount of crime that has been happening in the local community – the aggravated burglaries, the car thefts, the continuous ongoing crimes that people have seen every single day.

“At one stage, I know that one in 19 houses had been burgled through the area; I am sure that stat has changed since then.”

A week ago, in the same suburb, a truck driver was assaulted in the early morning in front of his house, left with a fractured skull and a broken nose.

The victim’s sister later told the media that the offenders were there “basically just to kill him”.

Multiple similar isolated incidents in the area were covered by major outlets last year.

In October last year, a family in Clyde were left “shattered and scared” after masked offenders repeatedly attempted to break into their home.

According to the latest figures for the year ending September 2025 from the Crime Statistics

Agency Victoria, burglaries and break-and-enter offences in postcode 3978, which includes Clyde and Clyde North, rose by almost 25 per cent over the past year, increasing from 351 to 438 incidents.

Within that category, residential aggravated burglaries recorded the sharpest rise, jumping by 60 per cent.

Theft offences also increased significantly, climbing 34 per cent from 1,093 to 1,466 incidents.

Longer-term data show the crime growth is even more stark. When Annie-Maureen moved to the area six years ago, around 2019, there were about 214 burglaries and break-and-enter offences recorded. By 2025, that figure had nearly doubled.

Theft offences have risen even more sharply over the same period, increasing from 434 incidents in 2019 to 1,466 in 2025.

The surge has coincided with rapid population growth in Clyde and Clyde North, which have been among Melbourne’s fastest-growing suburbs over the past decade, adding thousands of new residents each year.

The 2021 Census recorded more than 31,000 residents in Clyde North, and the suburb’s population is projected to more than double to more than 68,000 by 2026.

The growth has also made Clyde North one of the most culturally diverse suburbs in the state, with residents from dozens of backgrounds settling in the area over the past decade.

In the 2021 Census, about 18 per cent of Clyde North’s population came from an Indian background.

Asked what she believed was driving the rise in crime beyond population growth, Annie-Maureen said the suburb’s rapid growth meant many residents were still new to the country, which she believed offenders exploited by targeting people they perceived as more vulnerable.

When asked if policing in the area kept pace with population growth and when the Clyde North police station would be open to the public, Casey Local Area Commander Insp Stu Richards said Victoria Police acknowledges overall crime is higher than police and the community would like across the state, and Clyde and Clyde North are not immune.

“There aren’t many things more terrifying than having an intruder in your home, and Victoria Police understands the ongoing impact this has on victims,” the commander said.

“Clyde North reception counter is not currently open; however, police work from the station and continue to patrol the local community 24/7. The best place for highly skilled police officers is out in the community, preventing crime and keeping people safe, not sitting behind a desk.

“Cranbourne is open 24/7 and is approximately 8.5km away. In an emergency, the community is always directed to call Triple Zero (000) or, for non-urgent reports, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.

“Operation Trinity members are out every night targeting burglars and car thieves who sneak into homes to steal car keys, including in Clyde North. Last year, this led to the arrest of 612 burglars and car thieves a combined 1,436 times. That equates to almost four burglars and car thieves arrested every single day.

“While confrontation rates during aggravated home burglaries occur in less than 5 per cent of cases, any incident where residents are injured –like the one in Clyde North – is one too many.”

The State Government was contacted for comment.

Local op-shop recognised for charitable services

By Jensy Callimootoo

Cherished and long time charity shop, Berwick Opportunity Shop, has been recognised for its community service, receiving an Australia Day Award for its contribution to the region by Member for La Trobe, Jason Wood.

The La Trobe Australia Day Award was in acknowledgement of the shop’s dedicated charitable services, which provides vital support to the local community.

Long-serving local volunteer of more than a decade and president of the shop, Margaret Ruse, said the recognition came as a “lovely surprise”.

Ms Ruse, who has volunteered at the community-run op shop since 2010 and served as

its president since 2014, said she was notified just days before the award ceremony, when representatives from local MP Jason Wood’s office invited her to attend a presentation at the Officer Community Hall.

“We were very honoured to be nominated,” Ms Ruse said.

“It was a lovely surprise, and it’s just great to be recognised and appreciated for our work in the community.”

The op shop, located on the busy Clyde Road in Berwick, operates entirely with volunteers and has a long history in the area, having been established in the mid-1960s and operating from its current site since 1989 said Ms Ruse.

Over that time, the shop has donated an es-

timated of more than $7 million to community organisations and charities.

Ms Ruse said the shop currently supports 48 organisations, including more than 20 CFA brigades, several SES units, hospitals such as Casey, Monash and St John of God, as well as soup kitchens, wildlife shelters, victims of crime support services, disability programs and medical research institutes.

“We rely heavily on the generosity of people who donate goods and the customers who buy them,” she said.

“But most importantly, it’s our volunteers. It’s hard work in a small shop, and everyone is here purely because they want to support the community.”

Since Ms Ruse began volunteering, the

number of organisations supported by the shop has steadily increased, reflecting both growing demand and strong local backing.

She said the shop’s focus on community impact was a key reason it continues to attract support.

The award was also warmly received by the shop’s volunteer team, many of whom were equally surprised by the recognition.

Ms Ruse said the response from the public, particularly on social media, had been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’re local, we’re community-based, and we work hard,” she said.

“I think people realise that and it’s been wonderful to see that appreciation.”

6-year jail sentence

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

An evicted tenant who inflicted a series of firebombing attacks against her ex-housemates and landlord has been jailed for at least four years.

Tsai-Wei Hung, 33, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to four counts of arson and a string of other offences including reckless conduct endangering serious injury, burglary and property damage.

After being evicted in March 2024, Hung embarked on a “terrifying vendetta” over three months, judge Carolene Gwynn said in sentencing on 4 February.

It started with throwing eggs and used her car to ram her former home’s garage door in Clyde North in March 2024.

She also drove her car dangerously at her former landlord and a tenant, while she crashed through bollards and chased them across a lawn. She later told police that she “wanted to scare them”.

Three months later, she set alight plastic bottles of fuel at the front door of her former home in Clyde North and later at her landlord’s home in Berwick.

In between those attacks, she demanded $30,000 from the landlord – her extortion attached to threats to him and his family.

She also destroyed two of her ex-housemates’ cars parked in the street, by pouring accelerant over the cars and lighting “match after match until you managed to set fire to each car”.

“You clearly aimed to cause maximum damage and you did so,” Judge Gwynn said, also laternoting the unpredictability and inherent dangerousness of fire.

At 4.30am in the morning, Hung arrived at the landlord’s house and threw a bottle of petrol at the front door. There were seven occupants in “harm’s way” including his wife, children, mother-in-law and sheltering victims of the Clyde North arson.

The landlord opened the door, smelt petrol and quickly closed the door as Hung tried to light a match.

“Go to hell,” she yelled in Mandarin as she started the fire – which quickly went out by itself on the concrete.

“It’s more by good fortune rather than good management by you that not more harm was caused,” Judge Gwynn said.

Hung fled the scene in a rental car – which she later sold for $8900 on Facebook Marketplace.

Her “sheer anger” and “overtly destructive behaviour” was cause for concern, as was the targeted, persistent and escalation of the vendetta and

its risk to others, Judge Gwynn said.

During her ongoing animosity to her victims, her “wrath” seemed to “bubble and fester”. Even being interviewed by police didn’t seem to give Hung pause, Judge Gwynn said.

Nor did the personal safety intervention orders that were issued to protect the victims from her.

Hung claimed that she had been abused and assaulted by her victims prior to her eviction. Judge Gwynn did not make a factual finding on this claim.

Nine victims tendered victim impact statements, many of whom were seeking mental health support due to the trauma.

Hung was sentenced as a serious arson offender due to her multiple arson offences.

The Taiwanese national who was in Australia on a working visa had no prior criminal history, was diagnosed with PTSD and persistent depression stemming from childhood.

She had been reportedly assaulted and bullied in remand.

Hung was jailed for up to six years and two months, with a non-parole period of four years.

Her term included 600 days in pre-sentence remand.

Ex-mayor Aziz unable to appear in court

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

Casey three-time ex-mayor Sam Aziz, who is facing five charges laid by the state’s anti corruption body, has been unable to appear in court due to serious medical issues, a court has heard.

That day, Aziz, 53, was undergoing dialysis which was “critical to keep him alive”, a defence lawyer told a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing on 2 February.

Backed by letters from a GP and Melbourne hospital, Aziz was said to be receiving the treatment three times a week, the court heard.

He and property developer John Charles Woodman, 73, are facing charges laid by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission, which investigated the pair as part of Operation Sandon.

Aziz, who is a mayor emeritus at Casey, was charged with one count of receiving secret commissions from Woodman between 10 May 2017 and 31 October 2019.

This was allegedly in order to show favour to the developer, as well as Woodman’s company Watsons Pty Ltd and Watson’s associates in their dealings with Casey Council, according to charge sheets.

Aziz has also been charged with two counts each of wilful misconduct in public office and misuse of position.

This includes Aziz allegedly failing to declare his financial dealings with Woodman and failing to declare a conflict of interest during council votes on The Pavilion housing estate in Clyde and an intersection at Hall Road, Cranbourne West. Woodman, who appeared at court in person, has been charged with giving secret commissions

to Aziz between 10 May 2017 and 31 October 2019.

Aziz and Woodman were represented by separate lawyers in court.

A magistrate granted an adjournment to defence lawyers due to the immense size of the prosecution’s brief-of-evidence, said to include about 1000 exhibits.

The co-accused were scheduled to appear at a committal mention at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 23 April.

Aziz was given leave to appear by remote vid-

link due to the serious medical issues he faces, the magistrate said.

IBAC has stated the charges arise from its Operation Sandon inquiry into planning and property development decisions at City of Casey.

It followed a five-year investigation of property developers, Casey councillors and state MPs, which spanned 40 days of public hearings and seven private examinations.

In the midst of the early public hearings, thenLocal Government Minister Adem Somyurek sacked Casey’s councillors and installed a panel of administrators to oversee the council in 2020.

Kids charged over spree

Three boys from Greater Dandenong are facing charges over an alleged stealing spree across the South East.

The trio were arrested by police on Princes Highway, Noble Park on Wednesday afternoon (28 January) about 5.20pm.

Police received reports of males acting suspiciously and possibly involved with several thefts from a nearby gym, police say.

Greater Dandenong CIU detectives charged a 17-year-old boy with multiple counts of burglary, theft and car theft from a gymnasium in Noble Park on 21 January and 26 January as well as from a Springvale gymnasium on 21 January.

The teen was also expected to be charged on summons in relation to four counts of attempted aggravated burglary and one count of car theft at Huntingdale on 17 January as well as burglary and car theft at a Clayton gymnasium.

He was also charged with theft of petrol in Berwick on 22 January, car theft in Narre Warren on 24 January and handling stolen goods.

A 15-year-old boy was charged on summons for four attempted aggravated burglaries and car theft in Huntingdale on 17 January.

He was also expected to be charged on summons for car theft in Narre Warren on 24 January.

A 12-year-old boy has been interviewed and is expected to be charged on summons for car theft on 24 January at Narre Warren as well as handling stolen goods.

As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives arrested a 13-year-old Bayside girl at a Pakenham address on 29 January.

She was charged with burglary and car theft from a gymnasium in Springvale on 27 January.

She was bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

Police are investigating whether those charged were also involved in an incident where a stolen car crashed into another vehicle on the Monash Freeway during the previous weekend.

The occupants from the stolen car fled the scene.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Reform calls backed

City of Casey has backed calls for urgent national packaging reform, warning that plastic packaging made up a significant share of what local residents were putting in their bins.

The push followed the release of a new national report, Securing Australia’s Plastic Recycling Future, which found Australia uses more than 1.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year, with more than one million tonnes ending up in landfill or as litter.

The report argues Australia’s recycling system is struggling not because of a lack of infrastructure, but because recycled plastic is often more expensive than imported virgin material. Manufacturers have little incentive to buy recycled material, leaving recycling facilities underused and financially vulnerable.

ALGA president Mayor Matt Burnett said in a media release that although recyclers can process plastics, low demand for recycled material threatens facility closures, leading to more waste, increased imports, and job losses.

To address this, the peak body has called for a mandatory national product stewardship scheme that would require packaging producers to take responsibility for the disposal and recycling of the packaging they put on the market, rather than those costs being absorbed by councils and households.

Mr Burnett pointed out that councils were “overwhelmed by rising volumes of packaging and plastics”, with landfill capacity nearing its limits.

“Investments in domestic recycling were made in anticipation of a mandatory national scheme, a promise yet to be fulfilled. Regulatory uncertainty now threatens the entire system, with some recyclers considering withdrawal from services, which could increase landfill and restart stockpiling,” he said.

“Councils and ratepayers already carry a significant cost burden. They can’t afford to bear the additional cost of doing nothing.”

Mr Watt pointed out that environmental costs

from plastic waste are projected to exceed $5 billion by 2050, and councils will be left to shoulder the burden.

The proposed reform features a mandatory national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging, which would require companies that place plastic packaging on the market to fund its collection, recycling and end-of-life management.

Under the model outlined in the report, fees would be linked to the amount and type of packaging used, with lower costs for packaging that is recyclable or contains recycled content.

Revenue raised would be ring-fenced to support recycling, waste collection and domestic markets for recycled plastics, addressing what the report describes as a market failure that currently leaves councils and households paying for packaging waste through rates and waste charges.

In Casey, waste costs have continued to rise in recent years, with households paying a flat waste charge through their annual rates to cover kerb-

side collection, recycling, green waste and landfill disposal.

In the 2025-26 Casey Council Budget, the waste service charge has seen an increase of 12 per cent, a “significant” jump from the previous year’s 5.5 per cent.

One of the contributing factors is that the State Government Landfill Levy will increase from $132.8 to $167.9 next financial year, which affects Domestic and Hard Waste costs.

City of Casey Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said plastic packaging contributes a significant proportion of the material that is disposed of by residents, with the last audit of the municipality’s recycling bins showing around 30 per cent of material was plastic.

“The City of Casy welcomes initiatives to reduce the amount of plastic waste being generated and supports the call for reforms in plastic packaging, including mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility,” he said.

“We know this can work, as demonstrated

through the Container Deposit Scheme for bottles and cans.

“Across Australia, it is estimated that less than 13 per cent of plastic is recycled. To truly move to a circular economy, we must implement solutions that consider design, production and reuse.

“Making companies responsible for the cost of disposal or recovery of their products and packaging would encourage more transparent practices and innovations to help reduce waste in the first place.”

Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said the Albanese Government was progressing work on packaging reform as part of its broader circular economy agenda.

“Reducing and responsibly managing Australia’s plastic waste, including mandating better design and the uptake of recycled content, is a key part of our circular economy commitment,” he said.

He pointed to more than $200 million invested through the Recycling Modernisation Fund, which he said had increased national recycling capacity by more than 1.4 million tonnes a year.

“We want to see all businesses take responsibility for the environmental impacts of their packaging as we transition to a circular economy,” Mr Watt said.

“Taking action now to increase the recyclability of packaging, reducing unnecessary and problematic packaging, and using recycled content will ensure businesses are well-placed for any future regulations.”

The State Government also reiterated its support for national action, saying it continued to advocate for packaging reform while investing $65.9 million across more than 100 plastic recycling projects statewide.

“We are making sure major infrastructure projects across the state use recycled material, including plastics, from noise reduction walls along the Mordialloc Freeway to the new Elephant enclosure at Werribee Zoo, to create a circular economy,” a spokesperson said.

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La Trobe celebrates heroes

By Afraa Kori

Australia Day celebrations in La Trobe shone a spotlight on local community heroes, recognising individuals and organisations who have made a real differenceacrosstheregion.

Many loved ones flocked to Officer Public Hall on January 26, where Hon Jason Wood MP hosted the awards ceremony.

Mr Wood said the ceremony was his way of thanking recipients for their contributions, emphasizing that Australia Day celebrates outstanding local efforts as well as national achievements.

“Congratulations to all recipients, and thank you for your incredible service,” he said.

“It was a privilege to present the La Trobe AustraliaDayAwards,celebratingtheremarkablecontributions of individuals and organisations across our community. This year’s recipients included emergencyserviceworkers,volunteers,advocates, and community groups who make a real difference every day.”

Award Recipients include:

- Norliah Syer-Peterson as the La Trobe Citizen of the Year. Norliah turned unimaginable personal loss into powerful advocacy after her son Levi tragically passed away from meningococcal B at just 16.

- Cr Jack Kowarzik: for outstanding service to the Cardinia community as Mayor, championing local initiatives and community wellbeing.

- Patrick Brennan: for long-standing volunteer service with the CFA.

- John McGreal (John McFoundation): for community service through charity fundraising and local support.

- Sishi Lai: for service to early childhood education through mentoring, inclusion and family support

- Akila Hettiarachchi: for community service advancing disability mentoring and inclusion

- Rev Kovida Koholankala: for community ser-

vice through pastoral care and local support

- Bronwyn McCormick: for outstanding volunteer service to Beaconsfield community sport and events

- Matt Powell: for dedicated service to education and student development.

- Lani Mannays: for service to community netball through club development and participation programs.

- Ben Mailo: for dedicated volunteer service with SES Pakenham and emergency response for local families

- Hayden Colvin: for compassionate volunteer service supporting people in crisis

- Ken O’Keefe: for volunteer service supporting community connection through Akoonah Park Men’s Shed.

- Gary Elliot: for decades of volunteer service supporting veterans and welfare programs

-SayedSamiullahTahiri:fordedicatedcommunity service

- Jacqueline Cruickshank: For community service supporting people experiencing homelessness

- Danielle Edwards: For long-standing service to Scouts and youth development.

- Berwick Opportunity Shop: For dedicated charitable service providing vital support to the local community

- Kate from Euro Cafe 38: for generous community spirit, providing Christmas gifts and support for local families

- Arkulali Vetrikkumaran: For community servicesupportingAustralianTamilculturalandcommunity programs

- Niroshan Raiakulendran: For service to the Australian Tamil community

- Kumaravel Nadarajah: For ongoing service to Australian Tamil Sangam inc

- Ainkaran Kanthaiyapillai: For community service supporting Australian Tamil Sangam Inc and local cultural programs

Empowering migrant water safety across region

By Jensy Callimootoo

Dr Harpreet Singh Kandra often recalls the story of his nearly fatal drowning when he was a boy.

The community volunteer and professor at Federation University, remembers the moment he lost his footing in a sacred body of water in India, he remembers battling the depth of the water as he tried his best to stay up before a stranger saved him.

Likewise, when he began to learn to swim as an adult in Australia, the image of this traumatic experience relayed in his mind.

“It actually left a very scary impression on my mind,” said the professor.

“Even now, when I do basic swimming skills and I get into water, that scene comes into my mind again.”

Dr Kandra’s experience, however, is not unique.

For many migrants living in Australia, basic swimming skills and water safety awareness is often overlooked.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLS) 2025 national drowning report, highlighted that from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, 357 fatal drownings were reported — a third of which were individu-

als born overseas.

The numbers reported were confronting, with a 27 per cent increase in a 10 year average.

Those born overseas accounted for 37 per cent of all drownings in the last decade and are 5 times more likely to drown, according to Life Saving Victoria (LSV).

The report also found that those who were most disadvantaged, such as those who come from low-socioeconomic locations are twice more likely to drown.

While those over 65 are also most at risk.

Both RLS and LSV asserts these numbers are compounded by multiple existing barriers, from accessible language limitations, to differing cultural, religious, social and financial barriers.

It also outlined that while exposure to water is evolving, swimming skills are in rapid decline.

David Holland, LSV’s strategic advisor and D&I community outreach, told Star News that this can be attributed to low participation in aquatics activities both in country of origins as well as upon arrival in Australia.

Many born overseas don’t see basic swimming skills as priority.

Mr Holland said that while these barriers are still evident, targeted programs and resources

have sought to address them.

“LSV, over the last four years of regular engagement with seniors within CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) and non-CALD communities, has seen an enthusiastic and positive response to participation in water safety activities once seniors are actually approached and invited to do so,” he said.

“LSV has engaged over 4,600 seniors through 172 water safety focussed, beach, pool and classroom activities since 2022.”

After his fearful encounter with the water, Dr Kandra began a fresh journey as an adult and through his own success, has since been able to encourage and inspire hundreds from the Casey’s multicultural community to take up adult learning.

Dr Kandra was also heavily impacted by drowning fatalities within his own community, including four individuals from Casey who were travelling from India.

Mr Holland says that when tragedies occur in the water, it can often bring awareness.

“Drowning tragedies over recent years appear to have further raised community awareness and rightful concern on the issue of adults from CALD communities having low water safety knowledge and aquatic ability swimming,” he said.

Beginning in July 2024, Dr Kandra and his colleagues from the Officer Sikh Temple initiated a ‘safely engaging with water’ program which was officially launched on World Drowning Prevention Day.

“The key focus of this program is not to reach water safety, but rather, to connect people with water so that people can understand what good swimming can do to our lifestyles and to our well being,” said the professor.

Since the program began 18 months ago, Dr Kandra said that over 300 adults have graduated with lifesaving aquatic skills.

The program also leverages on the social and lifestyle aspects of swimming, ensuring that non-swimmers who are born overseas understand that being knowledgeable on key swimming skills is also an essential part of being around large bodies of water.

Dr Kandra, likens it to learning how to drive.

“When a new person relocates to Australia, whether they’re a student or a first generation migrant, they know in the first week to start understanding the driving rules in Australia and they take a few driving lessons and they start taking some tests and then they get a license,”

he said.

“They do understand that driving is very important for them to survive in Australia in the same way they look at other things. But when it comes to swimming, it’s not on their lists of priorities.

It’s not that they don’t want to learn swimming but also because swimming has never been in the curriculum of the education that is imparted in some countries.

“We have to tell the multicultural communities that water is fun.

“If you get into the water with your family, you can have quality time and you can also do things like water sports and swimming. It’s good for your health.

“If you go on a holiday and if you know swimming, you can enjoy the beaches.

“So rather than just taking selfies of the beaches, you actually enjoy the beach and you enjoy the waters there.

“And once you enjoy the good quality of water in the Australian beaches, you understand the significance of environment and sustainability.

“So these are the things that have not been told, that have not been used as a motivator for migrants.”

Both Dr Kandra and RLS have equally emphasised the importance of instilling change in the mindsets and attitudes surrounding swimming, with many migrants “fearing” or holding an entrenched phobia of the water — a fear that can transfer to younger generations.

“Often, when our kids go to schools, the school asks for a consent that their child should be allowed to go to swim centers, and learn swimming,” said Dr Kandra.

“A lot of parents do not provide that consent.

“In certain cases, parents do not provide the consent and as a result, their kids do not engage with swimming for several reasons.

“This is where the parents have to ensure that they build swimming skills in their children.

“It is a vital lifesaving skill and multicultural parents should not ignore this, they should encourage it.

“Because every life that is saved in the water, is an Olympic gold in itself.”

“Or much bigger than an Olympic gold.”

The adult swimming program has since partnered with multiple local swimming pools, from Casey, Cardinia and Dandenong and welcomes further keen participation from the community.

Homelessness crisis grows

By Jensy Callimootoo

Newly released figures have revealed that more Victorians are being turned away from homelessness services as social housing spending is cut by 9 per cent.

New data from the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services, ranks Victoria well below the national average of 4.04 per cent for the social housing proportion.

With the amount of public housing owned by government and non-profits, at only 2.95 per cent of Victoria’s households, it places Victoria last across the nation for the amount of social housing it provides to those in need.

Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), the peak body that works to represent and advocate for homelessness in Victoria, said that these numbers were concerning and worked to further broaden the gap to solving the homelessness crisis in Victoria.

With the main drivers of homelessness being cost of living, family violence incidents and a housing crisis.

In line with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s annual report, in the period of 2024-25, Victoria had the highest number of affordability-stressed clients, accounting for 34 per cent of affordability-stressed clients nationwide.

It was only late last year that CHP held an event in Casey’s Bunjil Place, raising awareness on the growing homelessness crisis, specifically among women, and calling for greater funding as well as security for social housing.

According to 2025 data from The Salvation Army, in Casey, 76.2 per cent of people identified housing affordability and homelessness as an issue in the community while, 34.3 per cent identified it as an issue for themselves.

CHP’s CEO Deborah Di Natale, said that the government cutting spending during the “worst housing crisis in living memory is utterly staggering.”

“Victoria is dead last of every state and territory for spending on social housing per person,” she said.

“This is despite Victoria having the highest number of people seeking support from a stretched specialist homelessness sector.

“One third of people seeking homelessness assistance in Australia are in Victoria, yet we have the lowest proportion of social housing in the country at just 2.88 per cent.

In the 2024-2025 period, the Victorian Government spent approximately $2.16 billion on

social housing, in comparison to the 2023-24 period of $2.35 billion – marking a 9 per cent reduction.

The Victorian Housing Register (VHR) which is the official social housing listing in Victoria, currently has a public housing waiting period of over a year.

The first category outlines priority access for those who are unhoused, victims of family violence and those living with disabilities.

The second category are those who register their interest for social housing, pertaining to people who do not meet the criteria for priority housing but are seeking to live in social housing.

Currently, according to Homes Victoria, more than 56,000 people are currently waiting for social housing accommodation.

30,899 of those meet the priority accessibility criteria while 25,335 have registered their interest in living in public housing.

Ms Di Natale said this is a result of a stark reduction in social housing investments.

“People who desperately need public housing are spending years on the waiting list with devastating consequences. A quarter of households in greatest need waited 38 months or longer for public housing,” she said.

“The reduction in social housing investment is a government policy failure, pure and simple.

“Victoria has the resources to fix this crisis.

“What we need is the political will to build the homes Victorians desperately need.”

Paul McDonald, chief executive at Anglicare, a leading provider of out-of-home care services for young people and children with sites in Pakenham and Dandenong, said that the state needs to do more in ensuring young people who are unhoused are well taken care of.

“While we welcome the Victorian Government’s $8 billion Big Housing Build investment, we must be smarter about how we allocate social housing if we are serious about addressing youth homelessness,” said Mr McDonald.

“Young people make up almost one quarter of Australia’s homelessness population, but only three per cent of social housing is allocated to them.

“Among this group, more than half have recently left foster care and other forms of out-ofhome care.

“Young care leavers must be prioritised in any social housing, the state has a clear role to play in their ongoing care, just as any good parent does.”

In the last 10 years the net increase of public housing in Victoria has been only 36.

Edrington Park Retirement Living is a thriving community set on prestigious gardens and home to a heritage-listed community centre.

Enjoy easy access to shops and public transport, and sought after facilities, including gym and hair salon as well as an active social calendar.

Don’t miss out on low-maintenance retirement living, enjoying spacious, modern villas with private courtyard gardens and 24/7 emergency call systems.

FOCUS ON … SENIORS Planning for your loved ones

Planning for aged care is rarely an easy conversation, but it can be one of the most meaningful gifts families give their loved ones. If you are concerned about an ageing parent or your elderly loved one’s deteriorating health, taking an informed approach to planning and supporting their care needs is a great start to the new year.

The first step is understanding care needs. Ageing can bring gradual changes, or sudden shifts after illness or injury. An honest assessment of physical health, mobility, cognitive changes, and emotional wellbeing helps families determine what level of support is required. Residential aged care may be appropriate when daily tasks, medical needs or safety concerns can no longer be managed at home. Involving your loved one in these discussions ensures their voice, preferences and values remain central.

Equally important is understanding how aged care is funded. Government subsidies play a significant role, but individual contributions may also apply depending on income, assets and chosen accommodation. By seeking the right financial advice, learning about accommodation payments, and daily fees can remove uncertainty and reduce stress. Starting this process early allows you and your loved ones to plan ahead, minimising rushed decisions during a crisis.

At Belvedere Aged Care, we can help you navigate the residential aged care experience with clear and compassionate conversations. Belvedere’s approach focuses on respect, transparency and tailored care, offering accommodation options and clinical and lifestyle services designed around your individual needs. Families are also supported to understand care pathways and options, helping them make confident, informed choices.

Starting the conversation about residential aged care can feel daunting, but it is ultimately

Amongst Friends

At

Shaping Parkinson’s care

People living with Parkinson’s and their families and carers can help shape future medical and allied health care through a national survey.

Organisers are keen to ensure Australia-wide participation in the survey – to include the voices of regional, rural, culturally diverse, and First Nations communities are all heard.

The confidential “Your Voice, Your Needs National Survey to Strengthen Parkinson’s Education for Health Professionals” survey, conducted by Parkinson’s Australia, the Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) and Client Focused Evaluation Program (CFEP) Surveys, is open until 10 February.

Insights from the survey will help guide the Parkinson’s Disease Education Exchange (PDEX), which aims to build an education program for health professionals shaped directly by lived experience.

Olivia Nassaris, Parkinson’s Australia, CEO, says anyone living with Parkinson’s or supporting someone with Parkinson’s is invited to make their voice heard.

“We want to ensure our education program reflects the full range of experiences across Australia,” Ms Nassaris says.

“Responses will influence the training that health professionals use for years to come.

“The more people who take part, the stronger and more representative our education program will be of the needs of people with lived experience.

“Many health professionals report low confidence in recognising early signs of Parkinson’s.

“Early symptoms are often non-motor, such as constipation, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, fatigue and changes in smell.

“These symptoms appear in many other health conditions and are often missed in routine care.

“They can appear years before movement changes, making early diagnosis more complex.

“We’re aiming to close these gaps by strengthening the understanding of Parkinson’s, which

diagnosis, management of symptoms, access to therapies, communication with care teams and the pressures placed on caregivers.”

$14m Clubhouse now open

Discover over-55s resort-style living in the heart of Clyde.

Join us for a day of celebration at Halcyon Evergreen’s Open Day. Discover the brand‑new $14 million Clubhouse, explore resort‑style living for over‑55s, and enjoy an exciting line‑up of entertainment and activities for all ages.

Expect a fun‑filled day with live entertainment, activities, and complimentary food and drinks. Bring your family and friends and experience the Halcyon difference for yourself.

Stockland Halcyon’s Wellbeing Advisor, Dr Darren Morton, will be joining us at the open day. A leading lifestyle medicine expert and author of Live More Happy, Dr Morton will share inspiring insights on how to live well and feel great.

Stockland Halcyon Evergreen Saturday, 7th February, 10.30am–1.30pm 20S Follett Boulevard, Clyde

Celebrate in style for Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, couples are invited to indulge in an elegant dining experience at Archie’s Farm Restaurant & Bar, located within Hyatt Place Melbourne Caribbean Park, Scoresby. Renowned for its refined atmosphere and exceptional cuisine, the restaurant has proudly been named Restaurant of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, making it the perfect setting for a memorable celebration of love.

On Saturday, February 14, Archie’s Farm will host a special four-course Valentine’s Day din-

ner, thoughtfully curated to delight the senses. Guests can choose from two sittings at 5.30pm or 8.00pm, with the experience priced at $95 per person. To elevate the evening further, optional cocktail and wine pairings will be available on the day, perfectly complementing each course and adding an extra touch of indulgence

Set within the contemporary surrounds of Hyatt Place Melbourne Caribbean Park, the restaurant offers a stylish and intimate backdrop for couples. For those wishing to extend the celebra-

tion, a special discounted Valentine’s Day accommodation package is also available for the weekend, exclusively bookable via the hotel’s website — ideal for couples looking to turn dinner into a romantic overnight escape Bookings are essential and places are limited. For reservations, contact 0423 786 685, email caribbeanpark.archies@hyatt.com, or visit hyattplacecaribbeanpark.com for dining and accommodation details

Love, set in stone at Berwick Village Jewellers

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love in all its forms — the grand gestures, the quiet promises, and the moments that sparkle long after February 14 has passed. For those searching for a meaningful gift this year, Berwick Village Jewellers is helping locals turn heartfelt feelings into something beautifully lasting.

A long-standing part of the Berwick community, this trusted jewellery store is known for its personalised service and carefully curated collection of timeless pieces. Whether you’re planning to pop the question, mark a milestone, or simply surprise someone special, the team at Berwick Village Jewellers understands that every love story is unique and your gift should be too.

From classic diamond pendants and elegant gold bracelets to modern statement pieces and delicate gemstone rings, there’s something to suit every style and budget. Looking to add an extra touch of romance? Engraving services allow you to include a date, initials or a short message,

transforming a beautiful piece into a treasured keepsake.

Valentine’s Day proposals are also popular, and Berwick Village Jewellers offers a stunning selection of engagement rings, along with the expertise to guide couples through choosing or designing the perfect ring. Their custom design service means you can create something truly one-of-a-kind, a piece that captures your partner’s personality and your shared journey.

What truly sets Berwick Village Jewellers apart is the warm, knowledgeable approach that keeps generations of local families coming back. It’s not just about selling jewellery; it’s about helping customers celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.

This Valentine’s Day, skip the predictable and give a gift that lasts forever. Visit Berwick Village Jewellers and discover how a little sparkle can say so much.

Love is in the air this year

As Valentine’s Day approaches on Saturday February 14, it’s important to remember that while its true origins are not completely understood, it is now celebrated as a time to show those close to you that you love them, whether it be in a familial, platonic or romantic way. Hollywood stars and characters are famous for their passionate words, so read on to be inspired to love this February 14.

Romanticrelationships

Whether you go all out for your romantic partner or make a small but meaningful gesture, they are sure to appreciate your efforts in showing your affection. Be it a candlelit restaurant date, romantic adventure outdoors or cosy night on the couch with takeaway food, it’s not how you spend your Valentine’s Day, but with whom you spend it.

Familyandfriends

Sending friends and family a message to let them know you’re thinking of them on Valentine’s Day will make them feel special, in a time where many people might be struggling. A simple message along the lines of “Happy Valentine’s Day, lots of love,” with some cute emojis will go a long way to brightening your loved ones’ days.

FOCUS ON … EDUCATION

Exceptional care on offer

Every family deserves a village, a place where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by people who genuinely care.

At Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten, that is what we create every day.

We are not just an early learning provider, we are a community built on connection. From the moment you walk through our doors, you will feel it, the warmth of educators who know every child by name, the joy that fills each classroom, and the calm assurance that your child is safe, supported, and thriving.

A day at Aspire is filled with discovery. Morning play brings giggles in the garden and new friendships forming over sandcastles. Indoors, children paint, build, and explore ideas that spark imagination and confidence. Storytime becomes a moment of calm connection, while cooking, music, and movement turn learning into laughter. Every experience is guided by educators who see the potential in every child and nurture it with care and encouragement.

Our philosophy is simple. Children learn best when they feel loved, valued, and inspired. That is why everything we do is centred around our four pillars.

Exceptional Care, Every Day – nurturing spaces where every child feels seen and celebrated.

Joy in Every Moment – discovering the magic of childhood through play, laughter, and belonging.

Learning That Sparks Curiosity – turning everyday moments into meaningful learning experiences.

Together, We Grow – families and educators united to build strong, confident, and capable children.

Because these early years matter most, and at Aspire, we make them extraordinary.

Exceptional care, every day– enrolments now open for 2026.

We go above and beyond to empower young minds with curiosity, confidence, and compassion that lasts a lifetime. With 2026 enrolments now open, there has never been a better time to begin your Aspire journey. Come and see the difference genuine

We encourage every student to pursue excellence in all endeavours and aim to ensure every student achieves their best potential so they are ready - not just for the completion of their final exams but for life!

To find out more, book a tour and apply please visit our website or use the QR Code.

ON … EDUCATION

Parents guide to change

Missed their ATAR? A parent’s guide to VTAC Change of Preference

The end of Year 12 brings a whole array of mixed feelings for you as a parent. You’re excited as your teen celebrates with friends, relieved the exam pressure is over, proud of everything they’ve accomplished, and perhaps a little sentimental as you think back to their first day of school. Yet in the middle of these celebrations, ATAR results can bring uncertainty and worry. Even if their ATAR wasn’t what they hoped for, their future is still full of possibility, and you don’t have to guide them alone.

With a Federation pathway course, your child can keep what they want to do in focus while unlocking exciting new experiences (hello new friends, a confidence boost, and exploring new

career options). And, with personalised support, small class sizes and Co-op placements, they’ll ease into uni life feeling supported every step of the way.

With Federation Access Studies (FAST), your teenager will get to know our systems and develop the study skills to thrive at uni. Completing this six-month course will give your teenager guaranteed entry into a broad range of Federation Uni undergraduate degrees as early as mid-year 2026.

If your child is keen on a future in Business, Engineering or, IT, completing a one-year specialised higher education diploma could be a suitable pathway to undergraduate studies. They’ll elevate their study skills, build solid foundational knowledge in their interest area, and see themselves advancing into the second year of one

of Federation’s linked degrees.

For future educators, Federation also offers two accessible entry degrees: Bachelor of Education Studies and the Bachelor of Sport, Physical and Outdoor Education. Both courses offer a second-year entry pathway into an undergraduate teaching degree, or they can complete their pathway course and embark on a Master of Teaching upon completion.

Whichever Federation pathway course they choose, they may actually see it as the best move they’ve made. They’ll transition into their degree with confidence, stronger study skills, and a sense of belonging that comes from already feeling settled into their new university campus.

Once you’ve explored Federation pathway op-

tions, the next step is to help your teen navigate VTAC change of preferences, and that’s where we come in. VTAC offer rounds give your teen windows of opportunity to reorder, add, or remove course preferences to align with their new pathway to uni.

If you’re preparing to help them through the next offer round, Federation’s support team is on hand to offer personalised advice.

Learn how a Federation pathway course can be a powerful stepping stone, giving your teen time to grow, explore, and build confidence as they work toward their degree.

Explore Federation pathways · https://www.federation.edu.au/campaigns/ change-of-preference

ON … EDUCATION

New principal is ready

St Francis Xavier College is delighted to announce and welcome Ms Julie Banda as its new Principal, officially commencing her role on 27 January 2026. Ms Banda brings with her a wealth of educational experience, a passion for student wellbeing, and a commitment to the values and vision that underpin Catholic education.

Prior to her appointment at St Francis Xavier College, Ms Banda served as the Deputy Principal and Head of Campus at St Peter’s College in Clyde North. Her leadership journey in Catholic schools has been characterised by a dedication to nurturing inclusive learning environments, driving excellence in teaching, and fostering strong community connections.

Ms Banda’s arrival marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the College community. As Principal, she will oversee the spiritual, academic, wellbeing and extracurricular life of the College, which serves families across Berwick, Officer, and Beaconsfield. The College staff, parents, and students have welcomed her with warmth and enthusiasm, expressing confidence in her ability to lead the school community into a thriving future.

“I am deeply honoured to join the St Francis Xavier College family,” said Ms Banda. “I look forward to building on the legacy of excellence and faith that distinguishes this school, and to working in partnership with staff, students, parents, and parish communities. Together, we will continue to create a place where young people are empowered, supported, and inspired to become leaders in their learning and lives.”

Mrs Banda’s educational philosophy is grounded in the belief that every student possesses unique gifts and the potential to flourish. She is recognised for her collaborative leadership style, with a strong focus on student voice, staff development, and meaningful partnerships with families. Her integrity, wisdom, and consis-

tent support of both students and staff are widely respected.

Staff at St Francis Xavier College have already notedMrsBanda’sapproachablemannerandher willingness to listen and engage with the school community. Parents have welcomed her commitment to clear and effective communication,

as well as her strong focus on the wellbeing and growth of every student.

As Principal of St Francis Xavier College, Mrs Banda leads through a ministry of presence, ensuring that every student is seen, known, and valued. Committed to servant leadership, she is accessible to students, staff, parents, and

the wider community, working alongside them to foster a strong, faith-filled learning environment. Guided by Christian values, she listens with compassion and purpose, supporting the hopes and aspirations of young people and strengthening a community centred on faith, learning, and service.

FOCUS ON … EDUCATION

It’s all about teamwork

In today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world, teamwork has become an essential skill that children need to learn from an early age. Teaching children about teamwork fosters a collaborative spirit, enhances social skills, promotes effective communication, and prepares them for success in both their personal and professional lives. The following explores the significance of instilling teamwork values in children and the benefits it brings to their overall development.

Collaboration and shared responsibility: Teaching children about teamwork instils in them the value of collaboration and shared responsibility. In a team, individuals learn to work together towards a common goal, pooling their strengths, skills, and ideas. By encouraging children to participate in team activities, they learn the importance of cooperating, compromising, and supporting one another. This helps them develop a sense of belonging, build stronger relationships, and understand that success is achieved collectively.

Enhanced social skills: Teamwork provides an ideal platform for children to enhance their social skills. It exposes them to diverse perspectives, enabling them to understand and appreciate different viewpoints. When working with others, children learn to respect and value their teammates’ opinions, practice empathy, and resolve conflicts constructively. These interpersonal skills are vital for building positive relationships throughout their lives, both personally and professionally.

Effective communication: Teamwork facilitates the development of effective communication skills in children. They learn to articulate their thoughts, listen actively to others, and express their ideas clearly and respectfully. By engaging in team discussions and collaborating on projects, children become proficient in communicating their viewpoints, leading to better understanding and cooperation within the team. Effective communication skills are essential for success in all aspects of life, from personal relationships to future careers.

Problem-solving and critical thinking: Teamwork exposes children to various problem-solving situations,encouragingthemtothinkcriticallyand find innovative solutions. Through brainstorming sessions and collaborative decision-making processes, children learn to evaluate multiple options, analyse different perspectives, and arrive at wellinformed conclusions. This nurtures their ability to think critically, adapt to different situations, and solve complex problems collectively, skills that are vital in a rapidly evolving world.

Preparation for future success: Teaching children about teamwork prepares them for success in their future endeavours. In today’s professional landscape, the ability to work effectively in teams is highly valued. Employers seek individuals who can collaborate, communicate, and cooperate with others to achieve organisational goals. By learning teamwork skills at an early age, children develop a competitive edge and a strong foundation for their future careers.

Teaching children about teamwork is of para-

mount importance. It equips them with vital skills such as collaboration, enhanced social skills, effective communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities. These skills not only contribute to their personal development but also lay the groundwork for their future success in variousaspectsoflife.Byfosteringateam-oriented mindset from a young age, we empower children to become responsible, empathetic, and effective contributors to their communities and the world at large.

Milestone Year for Founding Principal

Six years ago, Principal Leanne Evans stood at the school gate, welcoming Clyde Grammar’s first Foundation students. This year, those students are now the inaugural Year 6 class, having grown alongside their school, each flourishing under Mrs Evans’ steady guidance.

As Clyde Grammar prepares to open its next major facility in preparation for their Senior School launch, Mrs Evans reflects on a journey marked by vision, heart, and a thriving school community.

“This is such a special year,” says Mrs Evans. “We are celebrating our first Year 6 cohort while being just months away from opening our Collaborative Learning Centre. These milestones are a testament to the strong community we’ve built together.”

The new centre will include classrooms, and a fully equipped gymnasium providing two full-sized courts, and a large assembly space. It’s a key piece of infrastructure supporting the school’s evolution, with planning for more state-of-the-art facilities currently underway.

Through this growth, Mrs Evans stays closely connected to students. Each fortnight, one student from the top scoring House has their name drawn at random and is invited to share lunch, a chat, and a card game with her.

“It’s a small but meaningful way to celebrate their efforts,” she says. “I love taking the time to chat to them, and learn what they are passionate about.”

With a strong focus on building resilience, Mrs Evans and her team encourage students to try new things, and to see mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. “That’s where the real growth happens,” she says.

As the school continues to evolve, she remains committed to nurturing learners who are confident, capable, and ready for life beyond the classroom.

110 Smiths Lane, Clyde North 3978

Reception: 03 8903 4500

enrolments@clydegrammar.vic.edu.au

Park named after icon

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

After a united community push, a huge-hearted local legend has been immortalised at a Doveton park.

The previously untitled reserve at Autumn Place is now officially named Agnes O’Brien Park,

Geographic Names Victoria approved the name after Casey Council made a submission for the change. It is officially gazetted, with new signage on the way.

For decades, the late Agnes O’Brien was widely admired for embodying the spirit of Doveton.

Many kids called her ‘Nanna’, some ‘Aggie’ and others ‘Saint Agnes’.

The single mother-of-four was credited for putting countless kids on the right path, bringing them off the streets and into her home and sport clubs.

Some say she saved numerous lives.

The Autumn Place park and playground was regarded as a “good fit”, being a place where Agnes would often reach out to a distressed or new kids.

The recognition also rights a historical wrong – in that none of Doveton’s parks and reserves were named after Doveton residents. And just as starkly, none were named after women.

Casey mayor Stefan Koomen as the thenchair of Doveton-Eumemmerring Township Association was one of many backers of the campaign that began in 2023.

“It’s important to recognise people who have made really significant contributions but are not always ‘big names’ or formally-elected representatives.

“Agnes was in Doveton so having her name recognised in the suburb is also important.”

In an overwhelming response, more than 40 submissions to Casey favoured the name, Cr Koomen said. Just one suggested instead a different Doveton identity.

The idea to re-name Doveton’s central park came from Doveton Boxing Club’s Ryan Wilson – one of many inspired by her to help young people.

Among the many supporters of the new name were members of Doveton Boxing Club, Bruce MP Julian Hill, Victoria Police and Agnes’s children.

Born in Portafairy just outside Belfast in

Ireland, Agnes was one of 11 children. In her teens, she already showed her immense care for people and trained as a nurse.

At 18, she and her sister took a boat out to Australia for a new life.

After an arduous three-month journey, her sister decided to return home as soon as they reached Sydney’s docks.

But Agnes stayed, married, later left her husband with her four kids and settled in a commission house in Doveton in 1976.

Agnes ran the region’s first Vic Kick Australian Rules juniors program, volunteering tirelessly at Doveton’s football clubs.

While on a single mum’s pension, she would often look after up to six other kids

while their parents worked.

During the footy season, she’d ask her son to pick a friend who was struggling. And she’d take the two of them to a VFL game.

Agnes was a big believer in sport to keep kids out of trouble. Any kids up to no good would be encouraged to play.

At the footy club, she did it all and often gave up her weekends. Team manager, canteen worker, Vic Kick organizer, vice-president.

Cr Koomen said Agnes helped a lot of young people who were new to the community and hadn’t made strong connections.

“She was a really important person in their lives.”

Gestational diabetes hotspots expand

By Violet Li

Gestational diabetes hotspots have expanded across the City of Casey and into Greater Dandenong over successive reporting periods, according to Monash University research.

New data shows high-rate areas moving north within Casey and emerging across parts of Greater Dandenong.

The study, published in BMJ Open and led by PhD candidate Wubet Worku Takele and Associate Professor Jacqueline Boyle from the Eastern Health Clinical School, examined data from more than 1.7 million women who gave birth over six years from 2016 to 2021 across Australia.

The finding reported persistent high-rate areas in Melbourne’s south east, and identified the area’s new hotspots that emerged after 2018, including those in the City of Casey and Greater Dandenong.

Analysis of suburb-level data from 2016–17, 2018–19 and 2020–21 shows that areas once concentrated in Casey South, including Cranbourne, Cranbourne East and Hampton Park–Lynbrook, have broadened into Casey North and later into parts of Greater Dandenong.

In 2016–17, elevated rates were largely confined to Casey South.

By 2018–19, suburbs including Doveton, Hallam, Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren in northern Casey recorded higher rates alongside emerging high-rate areas in Dandenong and Springvale. By 2020–21, hotspots were evident across most of Casey and Greater Dandenong, with Cranbourne recording 38.7 incidents per 100 women who gave birth, and Dandenong North reaching 33.9, among the highest in the region.

Correspondingly, the number of gestational diabetes hotspots across Casey and Greater Dandenong increased markedly over successive reporting periods.

In 2016–17, just eight suburbs, all within Casey,

were identified as hotspots.

That figure rose to 21 by 2018–19 as high-rate areas expanded into Casey North and emerged in Greater Dandenong, before climbing further to 25 suburbs by 2020–21.

In contrast, inner south east Melbourne was among the cold spot areas with lower rates of the disease.

Mr Takele said there are likely many reasons behind the hotspots, ranging from individual to environmental risk factors.

“In most cases, clustering of gestational diabetes overlaps with socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and areas with high segregation of non-European migrant women, known to have an increased risk of diabetes because of genetic, cultural and structural factors,” he said.

He added that other environmental factors, such as limited access to healthy food outlets and high air pollution exposure, may contribute to an increased risk of gestational diabetes, especially in underserved communities.

“Other reasons may relate to a lack of culturally responsive health promotion resources and health services for diverse populations,” he said.

City of Casey and Greater Dandenong are among Melbourne’s fastest-growing and most culturally diverse municipalities, with higher-than-average socioeconomic disadvantage in some suburbs and large populations born overseas, particularly from South and South East Asia.

According to the study, many hotspot areas across Australia had a higher proportion of women born overseas, particularly from South Asia, South-East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

These groups are known to have a higher biological risk of gestational diabetes, influenced by genetics, metabolic responses, family history and the impact of dietary and lifestyle changes after migration.

In some Melbourne hotspot regions, up to 80

More than 280,000 women give birth in Australia each year, and gestational diabetes, or diabetes that arises during pregnancy, affects nearly one in five pregnancies.

According to Associate Professor Boyle, the diagnosis and treatment of gestational diabetes is important to reduce the risk of complications such as macrosomia (larger than average foetus), labour induction, and birth asphyxia that can lead to complications requiring caesarean delivery.

“Women with gestational diabetes also have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and gestational diabetes in the subsequent pregnancy,” she said.

per cent of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes were born overseas.

Another major contributor identified was higher rates of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age in hotspot areas.

The study points to national data showing that many persistent hotspot regions, including parts of south east Melbourne, also had very high proportions of adult women with obesity, with some areas recording rates of around 70 per cent.

The study also suggests that local environments may also play a role.

Researchers point to evidence from other countries showing that neighbourhood features such as walkability, access to recreation facilities, and healthy food outlets can influence gestational diabetes risk, independent of income or education.

But they note that some areas classified as socioeconomically advantaged still recorded persistent hotspots, suggesting unmeasured environmental factors may also be contributing.

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy, where blood glucose levels become higher than normal.

While it has been known that gestational diabetes is increasing in Australia (in 2021-22, 19.3 per cent of pregnant women were diagnosed with the condition, up from 15.1 per cent in 2016-17), the Monash study is the first one to identify those small areas in Australia where the condition is disproportionately higher than others.

According to Associate Professor Boyle, newborns of women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome later in their lives, setting up intergenerational metabolic disorders such as type 1 diabetes.

Co-author Dr Lachlan Dalli from the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health said that while further investigation is needed on the interplay between individual-level and environmental-level risk factors for gestational diabetes, the evidence from this study suggests geographically targeted interventions may be required.

“The findings from this study highlight areas where enhanced access to postpartum screening may be needed to mitigate associated complications and downstream chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” he said. To read the study: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/41161827/

Christmas on the Rhine

By Lee Mccarthy

With many families breaking away from traditional Christmas celebrations and exploring ways to connect so the whole family can relax, the idea of taking a family holiday away from home is becoming more appealing to Aussies.

Due to the vastness of Australia and the many financial and time considerations of travel from state-to-state, couples are now discovering other options including hiring a holiday home together or taking a cruise.

But, for those wanting a really special treat with family or friends where the accommodation and food are nearly outdone by the remarkable scenery, this might be the one to look at.

Celebrating ‘Christmas on the Rhine’ with Viking is the kind of Christmas always remembered and reflected upon each time the festive season is mentioned.

This is the opportunity to journey through storybook villages, sample tasty yuletide treats and regional delicacies, browse colourful stalls for handcrafted ornaments and unique gifts.

With December the middle of summer for Australians it is the chance to enjoy the festive season in scarfs and jumpers drinking mulled wine, eating hot savoury and sweet delicacies by the fire in comfort with all the work done and just time to enjoy each other.

Here guests can experience the twinkling lights of Cologne and revel in the merry atmosphereoftheRhineValley,asstorefrontdisplays, wine cellars and markets embrace the holiday

season. This eight-day Viking ‘Christmas on the Rhine’ voyage is a joyful celebration of festive cheer.

Enjoy eight days, eight guided tours across four countries sailing from Amsterdam to Basel through Cologne, Koblenz, Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach and on to Basel on the Swiss border and take advantage of the fly free on selected 2026 to 2028 voyages saving up to $5000 per couple (contact Viking for dates, prices and valid dates).

All travelers need for this wonderful adventure of a lifetime is included with no surprises or hidden fees including complimentary shore excursion in every port of call, free Wi-Fi, all onboard meals featuring specialties and classics, beer, wine and soft drinks with onboard lunch and dinner, 24-hour specialty coffee, tea

and bottled water, enrichment lectures and of course much more.

An added addition and one of the best parts of the Viking cruises is guests can book pre and post cruise extensions on selected cruises meaning additional days to explore the embarkation or disembarkation city or visit a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.

More days means more to discover and with extension packages the team onboard and at each port are there to help with booking accommodations and tours in the selected cities.

One option is to extend this cruise with two-night stay in Amsterdam and think of all the fun to be had in this stunning city, especially in winter.

Enjoy the picturesque canals while discovering the city’s cultural and architectural treasures. Witness the legacy of the Dutch Golden Age that lives on in the city’s gilded manses and stroll through the Jordaan district, passing historic sites such as Wester Church and the Anne Frank House.

Another extension on the Christmas cruise is three nights in Brussels with time to explore the intriguing Belgian cities of Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp. View iconic landmarks and stroll through historic UNESCO World Heritage Sites then celebrate the season immersed in the festive atmosphere of traditional Christmas markets.

Take a ‘Viking Longship 360-degree tour’ of the longship used for river cruising right now to see what the cruise will look like by visiting the Viking website showing the ship layout and including narrated tours.

The small, modern Viking Longships are elegantly designed for discovery and comfort. Each longship is identical and features all outside staterooms, serene Scandinavian spaces and light-filled public areas.

All guests must be 18 years old to cruise with Viking on the longships, there are no casino’s, no theme nights and during the day, dress is casual, slacks or jeans and the recommended evening dress is ‘elegant casual’.

Have a look at the wonderful Christmas cruises available with Viking including the Christmas on the Rhine tour by visiting viking. com or by phoning 138 747

Murray River & Kangaroo Island Tour

Dec 2026 - Mar 2027

Your unforgettable holiday includes:

Iconic Experiences, Expertly Escorted

Full day Barossa Valley tour with lunch and wine tastings including: Saltram wine estate, lunch and wine tasting at Lambert Estate, visit to Barossa Valley Chocolate Company, photo stop at Menglers Hill Lookout, vineyard tour & wine tasting at Jacob’s Creek visitor centre, stop at Beerenberg Farm, and free time in Hahndorf to explore the historic German settlement

2 day Kangaroo Island tour including: Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, Clifford’s Honey Farm, In-Flight Birds of Prey Display at Raptor Domain, Seal Bay Conservation Park guided beach walk, lunch at Emu Bay Lavender Farm, Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, and Flinders Chase National Park

Full-Board River Elegance

3 night Murray River cruise on board PS Murray Princess with all meals and sightseeing

Tour of Murray River Bridge and historic Roundhouse

Guided nature walk of Salt Bush Flat

Taste Riverland food and wine

Dragon-Fly flat-bottomed boat wildlife tour

Hand-Picked Hotel Stays

3 nights four-star hotel stay in Adelaide with breakfast

1 night four-star hotel stay in Kangaroo Island with breakfast, lunch and dinner

All Flights, Taxes & Transfers

FRANCE’S FINEST

Standard Stateroom From $13,495pp in Veranda Stateroom

LYON & PROVENCE

Lyon to Avignon or vice versa

8 DAYS • 1 COUNTRY • 7 GUIDED TOURS SET SAIL • MAY-NOV 2026; MAY-NOV 2027; 2028

From $5,895pp in Veranda Stateroom

From $7,795pp in Penthouse Veranda

PARIS & THE HEART OF NORMANDY

8 DAYS • 1 COUNTRY • 6 GUIDED TOURS SET SAIL • JUN-NOV 2026; 2027; 2028

From $6,495pp in Veranda Stateroom

From $8,295pp in Penthouse Veranda

Young players chase dream

By Afraa Kori

A group of local young basketball players is set to take their skills international, with a life-changing educational trip to the United States planned for April 2026.

The Pakenham Basketball Development Academy Under-16 boys squad, made up of ten committed local athletes aged 14–15, has been offered the chance to travel to Phoenix, Arizona, for a week-long basketball and educational experience.

The tour includes a five-game tournament, participation in an elite basketball training camp, and an educational visit to an American college or university to better understand the pathways between education and sport in the United States.

The players who come from Pakenham, Officer, and Narre Warren, include Jaron Payet, Samuel Martin, Mackenzie Tucker, Max Staley, Noah Agok, Lachlan Teague, Subahn Khan, Krish Kumar and Tom Haas.

This opportunity is particularly meaningful as the boys are committed, mid-tier development athletes.

“Experiences of this nature are typically only available to elite players, making this tour a rare and powerful opportunity to broaden their horizons, expose them to high-performance environments, and reinforce the importance of balancing education with sporting aspirations,” the GoFundMe page reads.

Coach Jamie Payet said the focus of this experience is not only for the boys to compete overseas, but also to learn at the highest level.

“While this trip is not affiliated with the Pakenham Warriors Basketball Club, the opportunity for these boys to travel to the United States has been made possible through connections established by our Academy, which is relatively new to the local area,” he said.

The academy, which has a strong focus on building confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging, is seeking community support to make the tour accessible for all families.

Families and coaches of the players have launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for travel, accommodation, and tournament costs.

The parents say this investment in local

youth goes beyond basketball, promoting education, health, and community wellbeing.

For those interested in supporting the squad, donations and sponsorship are wel-

comed as planning for the trip moves forward. Gofundme details: https://gofund. me/2e53a9458

Lofty hopes for market

By Sahar Foladi

As the holy month of Ramadan is fast approaching, so is the buzz and excitement for Dandenong’s already-famous Ramadan Night Market - which is set to expand into Casey.

An estimated 1 million people is expected at the Thomas Street and Harmony Square precinct transformed with live kebabs, snacks, desserts, culture and community stalls all while respecting the holy month.

Since its inauguration last year by the Bright Community Organisation, the event is set to be bigger and better kicking off from every Thursday to Sunday 19 February until Sunday 15 March, 7pm to 12am.

It will also expand into Casey for two nights on 24-25 February.

“I think the biggest thing to expect will definitely be the scale of the event, the number of stallholders, the amount of details that we’ll out into the event, it’ll be more of a controlled environment,” Bright Community Organisation executive member Ibrahim Hassan says.

“It’ll be respectful, and I think the atmosphere will definitely feel a lot greater than it was.”

A total of 145 stallholders have so far registered, compared to 85 vendors last year while hundreds of expression of interests is registered with the organisation.

Balha’s Pastry, one of the biggest distributors of Balkava Lebanese sweets Australia wide has also confirmed their spot as a stallholder.

The market will stretch over 430 metres this year, more than doubling last year’s 180-metre expanse.

Executive member Ali Ibrahimi says the team of four has worked hard with stakeholders to improve the event, smooth out details “to better cater the wider community.”

The team of four, which includes founder and president, Ahmad Ghowsi, executive directors, Hassan Maqsoodi, Ibrahim Hassan and Ali Ibrahimi, are said to have gone from monthly meetings to weekly and now daily meetings ahead of

the event.

President and founder of the event, Mr Ghowsi confirms that the team received requests to move the event to other city councils like City of Monash and City of Melbourne, but he says Greater Dandenong Council had gone to great lengths in support of the night market, with Cr Jim Memeti as the “great driving force”.

“They were quite keen to continue to support this event to ensure this event stays.

“It has been born in City of Greater Dandenong, it should stay here and the heart of this event should be Thomas Street and Harmony Square.

“Also, due to the large amount of work required, the commitment and responsibility, we decided not to compromise the quality of this great event and rather focus on the main event here in Greater Dandenong before thinking to expand elsewhere.”

He says they are “reluctant to commit” to anything else as approached by other government agencies and stakeholders interested to partner with Bright Community Organisation.

Executive member, Ali Ibrahimi says while Ramadan is observed by people of the Islamic faith, the event’s purpose is to bring people from every faith, every corner and state within the country.

Councillor Jim Memeti attended last year as the mayor of the city, boasting about the municipality’s social cohesion.

“What I’m looking forward to this year is how they will expand the event from Walker Street all the way to Clow Street.

“I’m looking forward to encouraging more people to attend and share the month of Ramadan and Muslim hospitality.”

Organisers say neighbouring City of Casey will host the market for two nights, Tuesday and Wednesday 24-25 February just outside Bunjil Place.

There is a likelihood of expanding the market’s duration in Casey next year.

Crowds of 350,000 were estimated in the nineday run in Dandenong last year, leading to the

Federal Government quickly announcing funding of $225,000.

City of Greater Dandenong Council has also chipped in $97,200 in support while Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams is said to be working hard

to secure state funding for the event.

The success of the event had Greater Dandenong trending on social media as a few influencers also attended.

Metro Tunnel trips harder

By Violet Li

Casey commuters say the new Metro Tunnel service on the Cranbourne and East Pakenham lines has made travelling to the city more time-consuming, less convenient, and stressful.

The changes have sparked heated discussion in local Facebook community groups, where Cranbourne and East Pakenham line commuters have been sharing experiences and concerns about the new travel patterns.

Many locals have reported longer commute times to the city, extra steps, mobility issues, the loss of direct access to key city stations, and further mental stress.

Casey Residents & Ratepayers Association (CRRA) president Anthony Tassone said resident feedback on the Metro Tunnel ‘Big Switch’ is clear: there are winners and losers.

“Right now, the pain is falling most heavily on south-east commuters who’ve lost their one-seat ride into the City Loop and key inner-city stations,” he said.

The city’s mega-project, the $13.5 billion Metro Tunnel, was fully launched on Sunday 1 February. Hailed as the biggest network change since the City Loop 40 years ago, the Metro Tunnel links the Cranbourne and East Pakenham lines in the south east with the Sunbury line in the north west.

Under the new arrangements, Cranbourne and East Pakenham lines now run directly through new CBD stations at Town Hall, State Library, Anzac, Parkville, and Arden, bypassing the City Loop, South Yarra, and Richmond.

Transport planners have said the new routing is intended to reduce congestion in the City Loop and free up capacity at Flinders Street and Southern Cross, while creating a high-frequency rail spine through the CBD.

Nicole Edgar from Narre Warren South, who has a highly relevant degree in public trans-

portation, was one of the many who were disappointed that the Cranbourne and East Pakenham lines bypassed major interchange and destination stations such as Richmond, where the major sports precincts stand, Flinders Street, Southern Cross, and the City Loop.

She recalled that she and her husband travelled into the city on the first day of full Metro Tunnel service (Sunday timetable), using the East Pakenham line, expecting a straightforward journey.

The local acknowledged that they were impressed by the modern design of the new underground stations, but she said the overall experience was stressful, confusing and significantly less convenient than before.

“We were required to disembark at Caulfield Station, on one platform, sprint through the gates, travel through the underpass, and return up to another platform to make our supposed ‘connecting’ City Loop train,” she recalled.

“With very short connection times, this was extremely difficult, and on our return journey, we were required to wait a further 20 minutes in cold weather for the next ‘connecting’ service.

“It’s not ideal for people with mobility issues. Connecting trains aren’t even on the same platforms, where you can just walk across from one side to the other.

“This additional complexity adds time, congestion, and frustration to what is already a long commute, particularly during weekday peak periods.”

Nicole’s experience was echoed by other local readers, many of whom shared similar accounts of longer journeys, forced interchanges and confusion around new transfer points following the service changes.

One reader told Star News that her husband’s trip from Cranbourne to Richmond on Sunday 1Febuary took close to 1 hour and 15 minutes after changing at Malvern, compared with

about 53 minutes before the service changes.

She said the required interchange and longer waits added at least 10 to 15 minutes to journeys into the CBD.

“Given the trip into the city from the outer south eastern suburbs is already over an hour, the increased journey times and inconvenience to passengers is outrageous and unacceptable,” she said.

“The whole arrangement needs a major rethink.”

Mr Tassone said some commuters are reporting it’s adding 20 to 40 minutes a day and creating crowding pressure at interchange points.

“It’s especially challenging for people with mobility issues, prams, luggage, or those travelling to Southern Cross for onward connections,” he said.

At the same time, Mr Tassone said the feedback was not universally negative.

“Commuters travelling to the new Metro Tunnel stations in the city, and to Parkville’s health and education precincts, are seeing real benefits, with trips that can be more direct and reliable,” he said.

“Some commuters are reporting noticeable time savings and fewer bottlenecks compared with the old travel pattern.

“The government is also pointing to increased service levels on the corridor, with more weekly services overall and very frequent peak running, so there is genuine potential for improved capacity and reliability where trips align with the new stations.”

Other commuters pushed back against some of the criticism, arguing that the changes were being overstated.

One reader told Star News that the new Metro Tunnel stations effectively replace former City Loop access, with Town Hall located close to Melbourne Central, and that changing earli-

er for Richmond added only marginal time to most trips.

They said commuters need to learn to be organised and get used to the idea of extra steps.

Nicole said that consideration be given to operating a mixed service pattern, whereby two out of every three Cranbourne and East Pakenham Line trains continue through the City Loop and to Flinders Street, with the remaining service using the Metro Tunnel route as currently configured.

“This would allow passengers greater choice and flexibility, while still maximising the benefits of the new infrastructure,” she said.

“From a commuter’s perspective, the previous system was largely effective, aside from the need for more frequent services to meet growing demand.

“Removing direct access to the main CBD stations that the vast majority of passengers rely upon has, unfortunately, reduced the overall convenience of the service.”

A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said:“The Metro Tunnel is transforming the way Victorians move around our city and will free up capacity in the City Loop to run more trains across more lines.”

”Passengers using Cranbourne and Pakenham lines can consider travelling to Town Hall Station to change for City Loop and Richmond services from Flinders Street Station.”

The Department informed that Metro Trains runs hundreds of special event services every year to support passengers getting to our city’s vibrant entertainment precincts, including more trains during the footy season.

The average number of commuters with the origin of their journey at the Cranbourne station and the destination of their journey at one of the five City Loop Stations on a normal working day in Financial Year 2024/2025 was approximately 1,400.

New MCH room opens at Orana Community Place

A new Maternal and Child Health (MCH) consult room has opened at Orana Community Place in Clyde North, expanding access to early-years health services for local families amid rapid population growth in the area.

The consult room was officially opened on Tuesday 3 February and will operate three days a week, with an MCH nurse providing services on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

City of Casey Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen and Deputy Mayor Cr Michelle Crowther joined General Manager Balcon Developers, Jason Shaw, to celebrate the opening. MCH Nurse Kimberley, and local resident Shannon and son Bobbie, were also in attendance.

The facility has been established through a partnership between the City of Casey and Balcon Developers, which provided the space on an interim basis to help meet growing demand for MCH services in Clyde North.

Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said the new consult room would help relieve pressure on nearby MCH centres, including Ramlegh, Manna Gum and Smiths Lane, which are experiencing increased demand.

“The addition of this new space will help address these challenges and provide families in the Orana and surrounding catchment area with a much-needed MCH service close to home,” he said.

“As the area grows, providing essential services like Maternal and Child Health, and making sure they are convenient, accessible, and fit-for-purpose, is fundamental to supporting the wellbeing of our youngest residents and their families.”

Mr Shaw said the temporary facility was designed to address delays in permanent community infrastructure while still delivering essential services to residents.

“Balcon identified the delay in permanent community infrastructure as a key challenge in the establishment of a strong and connected communityatOrana.OranaCommunityPlaceis a novel way of providing a temporary facility that still meets the essential needs of the community,

as well as providing a focal point where people canmeet,haveacoffeeatHumbleMerchantand enjoy the beautiful Orana Park,” he said. The consult room is located at Orana Community Place on Playwright Street and will also host first-time parent groups, offering a dedicated space for families to connect and access support services. Appointments at the Orana Community Place MCH consult room can be booked online through the City of Casey website or by calling 9705 5590, Monday to Friday during business hours.

For more information about the range of MCHServicesofferedbyCouncil,visittheCityof Caseywebsiteand search ‘Maternal and Child Health Services’.

Foundation students make a fresh start

Foundation students have returned to classrooms at Clyde Grammar, with the school reporting a smooth start to the 2026 school year following its first day back last week.

The school said new Foundation students arrived confidently after completing three transition sessions in 2025, which were designed to familiarise them with the school environment and routines.

“The first day of school is a special milestone for Foundation students and their families,” principal Leanne Evans said.

“It was wonderful to see such a calm, positive start to the year. Our transition program helps students feel safe and familiar with their new surroundings, and that confidence sets them up beautifully for learning.”

ing, Foundation students will attend reduced hours at the start of the term before moving to full weeks later in the term.

“For some students, the first day comes with a little shyness, and that’s completely normal,” Mrs Evans said.

“Our Foundation team is skilled at supporting students to name those feelings, feel reassured, and take small, confident steps. We’re already seeing friendships forming and students finding their place in the class.”

The return to school also marked the first day back for students in Years 1 to 6.

Tireless volunteer keeps going

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

Long serving volunteer Selliah Nalliah has been recognised as a Medallist of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to Tamil and Hindu communities in the South East.

Nalliah was formerly a customs officer specialising in Sri Lanka’s lucrative gemstone and diamond industries for 26 years. After fleeing civil war in 1985, Nalliah’s skills were less in demand in Australia. He retrained as an accountant, and worked for the Australian Taxation Office until retiring in 2012.

In keeping true to a motto of “service to Man, service to God”, the Wheelers Hill resident has applied himself ever more deeply into community volunteering. While retired, all of his spare time is vested in leadership and administration at an array of groups.

Such as being an executive member at Tamil Senior Citizens Fellowship (Victoria) for more than a decade.

The group provides friendship, connection and activities for 500 senior citizens.

“People are lonely and solitary out there so we help them to things like medical appointments. Generally we’re there to be helpful.”

Nalliah has also been a loyal volunteer and leader at the 2000-member Hindu Society of Victoria, including as an administrative sub-committee member at the massive Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs.

Students were also introduced to key areas of the school through guided tours and discussions about daily routines, while classroom activities encouraged independence and participation.

To support the transition into full-time school-

Foundation teachers Deanne Williams and Tess Giles focused on establishing routines and building connections on the first day, with students taking part in introductory activities aimed at learning classmates’ names and forming early friendships.

This year’s Year 6 cohort is the school’s first, with students beginning their final year of junior schooling.

“It has been a wonderful start to the school year,” Mrs Evans said.

“All students have settled in quickly, and we are looking forward to the learning and memorable experiences ahead.”

Residents surveyed on health and wellbeing in Casey

By Jensy Callimootoo

Some Casey locals might get their chance at providing critical feedback and insights and in turn, help the council shape the future of health and wellbeing in their area.

Over the next month, the City of Casey will be rolling out their 2026 Household Health and Wellbeing Survey — but only to a selected number of Casey households.

According to Casey, the surveys will go out to approximately 12,000 households across the region with aims of an even distribution across all suburbs to ensure balanced representation in the municipality.

The survey endeavours to play an essential role in helping the council understand the diverse health and wellbeing needs of Casey’s community.

Casey intends to utilise the feedback gathered from the community to shape their future decision-making, strategic priorities as well as planning programs and services.

Houses who are randomly selected across

all twelve wards will receive the survey via email or post.

Participants can expect to answer questions relating to emergency preparedness, community connection, sports, hobbies and volunteering, health care services and exercise.

All aim to draw on aspects of the Social Determinants of Health model including non-medical factors such as housing, work environment, education, neighbourhood and built environment and a wide range of factors that may influence wellbeing.

Similarly, in previous years, results and outcomes from Casey’s 2024 survey were utilised to shape and outline the council’s plan surrounding factors related to food insecurity, mental wellbeing, education and much more.

Stefan Koomen, Casey’s mayor, said the lived-experience of those in Casey is a vital factor in shaping the health and wellbeing of the community.

“The experience of our residents shared through this survey helps shape the future of

health and wellbeing in Casey,” he said.

“We want to know about your health and wellbeing, connection to community and what services and activities you participate in so we can better plan for the needs of our community.

“If you’re invited to take part, please do, it’s your chance to help shape a healthier more connected Casey.”

He also said that the purpose and value of this year’s survey goes beyond statistics.

“It helps us understand the real experiences of people across every part of our community,” he said.

“When households take the time to complete it, they’re directly influencing how councils prioritise services and plan for things like health, wellbeing and community connection.

“The more responses we get, the clearer the picture we have of community needs, allowing us to make decisions that genuinely reflect those needs.”

Residents will have until Monday 9 March to complete the anonymous survey.

Filling in a void of Hindu priests, he has also delivered rites at more than 400 Hindu funerals for Tamil Senior Citizens Saiva Funeral Services Association.

He was also a member of Victorian Tamil Cultural Association, where he continues to help advocate for, house, clothe and feed Tamil asylum-seekers in the South East.

There he assists VTCA founder Wicki Wickiramasingham, a former neighbour in Sri Lanka and friend for 50 years. Now they live two suburbs apart in Australia.

They also both volunteer at Southern Migrant and Refugee Council in Dandenong, with Nalliah on the financial audit-and-risk committee.

“(Wicki) was one of the first I contacted when I arrived in Australia. I get his advice sometimes.

“If he wants to get something done, he will contact me. It’s very cordial.”

Wickiramasingham pays tribute to his friend’s trustworthiness and generosity to asylum seekers.

“Not only do the multicultural community love him, the broader community likes him as well.”

Nalliah was recognised on the Victorian Multicultural Commission Honours Roll in 2025, Bruce Volunteer Recognition Award and the Tamil Senior Citizens Fellowship’s community service award for his funeral services.

He was also appointed in Monash Council’s positive ageing reference group in 2023.

Rock in the outdoors

Two powerhouses of Australian rock Kutcha and Cash Savage & The Last Drinks in a unique collaboration. Supported by Canisha. Part of a free sixweek outdoor series Open Space at Bunjil Place.

• Saturday 7 February 6pm at Bunjil Place plaza; free event. Details: bunjilplace.com.au

Bumble Bee Market

New, handmade and pre-loved baby and childrens goods for sale, coffee van, playground and kids activities. Indoor event.

• Sunday 8 February 9am-12pm at Berwick Fields Primary School, 35 Gwendoline Drive, Berwick; adults $2/children free. Free onsite parking. Details: 0410 043 549 or info@thebumblebees. com.au

CaseyGirlsCan Tennis at Hampton Park

Free, coached beginner tennis sessions for Casey women, no prior skills or knowledge of tennis required. Follows the Cardio Tennis format. Part of City of Casey’s Summer of Tennis.

• Thursdays until 12 February, 6pm-7pm at Hampton Park Tennis Club, 101 Somerville Road (Robert Booth Reserve); free event. Bookings: trybooking.com/DHXWA

Dads and Kids Tennis

Casey dads, grandads or father figures and their kids are invited to join us for free, coached tennis sessions. No prior skills or knowledge of tennis required. All equipment included but if you have your own racquet, please bring it with you. Spaces are limited to one adult and one child per booking.

• Tuesdays until 10 February, 6pm-7pm at Hampton Park Tennis Club, 101 Somerville Road (Robert Booth Reserve); free event. Bookings: trybooking.com/DIBPB

CaseyGirlsCan Tennis at Doveton Free, coached beginner tennis sessions for Casey women, no prior skills or knowledge of tennis required. Follows the Cardio Tennis format. Part of City of Casey’s Summer of Tennis. ll equipment included but if you have your own racquet, please bring it with you.

• Mondays until 23 February 10am-11am at Doveton Tennis Club, Oak Avenue (Robinson Reserve). Bookings: trybooking.com/DIFFV Wiser Driver Program

Free four-week Wiser Driver Education Program for seniors 55-plus. Would you like to refresh your knowledge of the Road Rules and discuss Road Safety issues with other experienced drivers? This course aims to improve your confidence, independence and road safety skills. Participants must attend over all four days.

• Mondays 9 February-2 March 12.30pm2.30pm at Timbarra Community Centre, 27 Parkhill Dr, Berwick; free event. Bookings essential at trybooking.com/DFOUT

Coastal Villages dads group:

Footy Day

For all dads, grandfathers, father figures and their children. Bring your children and have a kick with them, learning footy skills with a coach. The Coastal Villages Dads’ Group is led by local fathers for local fathers.

• Saturday 14 February 9am-11am at Warneet Recreation Reserve; free event.

Berwick Farmers Market

Farm fresh fruit and veggies, open range ethical eggs, honey, baked goods, artisan breads, vegetable seedlings, ethically raised meats, jams and preserves, dairy, wine, nuts, ready to eat goods. Produce only, no crafts.

• 2nd Saturday of month (next 14 February) 8am-12pm at Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick.

Valentines Day in the Park

Grab your picnic rug and join us for an evening filled with live music from Berwick and District Folk Club (BadFolk), sausage sizzle, dessert truck or BYO picnic.

• Saturday 14 February 5pm-9 pm at Lakeside Lawn, Wilson Botanic Park, Berwick; free event

Horror classic

High-octane ukulele ensemble The Uke Death Squad with a special outdoor screening of cult classic 1955 sci-fi horror film Tarantula! Part of the six-week outdoor event series Open Space at Bunjil Place.

• Saturday 14 February 6pm-9pm at Bunjil Place plaza, Narre Warren; free event. Details: bunjilplace.com.au/events/open-space-tarantula Gardening Together

For kids, dads and granddads. A morning of digging, planting, playing and getting dirty. Grow veg-

etables to eat, learn about insects, and have fun in the kids’ play garden. BYO hats, sunscreen and water bottles. Gardening tools and resources provided.

• Saturday 21 February 10am-11.30am at Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick; free activity. Bookings: trybooking.com/events/ landing/1525942

Elysian Blues + Yeo

We’re celebrating the Year of the Horse with an evening of music, food, art and fun. Featuring Elysian Blues, DJ tunes by Yeo and the amazing Hung Hing Lion Dance performers. Part of the Open Space outdoor event series.

• Saturday 21 February 6pm-9pm at Bunjil Place plaza, Narre Warren; free event. Details: bunjilplace.com.au/events/open-space-elysian-bluesyeo

Spiders of Paradise

Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise exhibition highlights the natural beauty and wonder of the Australian Maratus spider.

• until 22 February at Bunjil Place; free event. Open Space: Pseudo Echo

Legendary Australian new-wave pioneers of 1980s synth-pop and dance-rock hits Pseudo Echo are taking you to Funky Town. Supported by Lupa J and Alkira Synth Collective.

• Saturday 28 February 6pm-9.30pm at Bunjil Place plaza, Narre Warren; free event. Details: bunjilplace.com.au/events/open-space-pseudoecho

U3A Cranbourne

Three new classes for 2026 mosaics with talented artist Tony Shannon (Tuesdays 12pm), beginner Italian with tutor Jan (Wednesdays 10am12pm) and Italian study group with tutor Jan (Thursdays 12.30pm-2.30pm). New members over 50 welcome. Our membership fee is $55 per annum and you can join in as many classes as you wish.

• Details: u3acranbourne.org.au Free Pickleball

All equipment supplied.

• Mondays 5.30pm-6.30pm and Wednesdays 10am-11am at Olive Road sporting complex, Eumemmerring; free event. Bookings via trybooking.com

Casual pickleball

Just turn up early to secure your place. All equipment supplied.

• Fridays 10am-11.30am and Sundays 9am10am at Olive Road sporting complex, Eumemmerring. All equipment supplied, $5.40 per session.

Weekly badminton

Adults welcome (Mondays 7pm-9pm) and ladies and retired (Wednesdays 12pm-2.30pm).

• Hallam Badminton Club, Frawley Road Recreation Reserve; $5.

Meditation and positive thinking

Learn how to make your mind your best friend through open-eyed meditation. Led by Bhavani Padmanabhan, these free sessions are open to all. Presented by Bakhtar Community Organisation and The Brahma Kumaris Organisation.

• Saturdays 2pm at 23-47 Gunns Road, Hallam. Registrations: 9703 2555 or 0403 551 596. DnD at Orana

Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) is an inclusive tabletop, fantasy, role-playing game.

• Second Saturday of each month, 1pm-9pm at Orana Community Place, 16/18 Playwright St, Clyde North. Details: Jonathan Whelan, thestoryweaver.dnd@gmail.com

Chair dancing

Would you enjoy exercising from the comfort of your chair? Includes fun and uplifting songs and different styles and eras of music

• Wednesdays 10.45am-11.30am on Wednesdays at Timbarra Community Centre; $8 per session. Details: admin@berwicknc.com.au or 9704 1863.

Craft classes

Join Berwick Activities Group’s Elizabeth to discover the world of papercraft and have a chat with like-minded people.

• Tuesdays 10am-noon at Timbarra Community Centre; $5 per class, all materials supplied. Details: admin@berwicknc.com.au or 9704 1863.

BADFolk Club

Berwick and District Folk Club meets on the third Friday of each month.

• Doors open at 6.30pm, with the music running from 7pm to 10pm with entry $15. Details: badfolkclub.org or Edward, 0418 535 264.

Happy Hawks T20 triumph

By Blair Burns

Sunday’s Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) T20 grand final was a replay of Saturday’s clash between Narre South and Hallam Kalora Park - only this time the Hawks got the job done at Hallam Recreation Reserve.

After winning through against Buckley Ridges earlier in the day, Hallam Kalora Park made the most of its opportunity to win the grand final by 26 runs and make history.

It was the first time that the Hawks have tasted the ultimate success in the T20 competition which has been running for 20 years, despite being semi-finalists multiple times, including last year.

While Narre South fell short, they had come through the semi-finals with a super-over victory against Berwick.

The Hawks won the toss in the decider and batted first, opening with the in-form Jawid Khan and the dangerous Damith Perera.

Cal Tout got Narre South off to the perfect start, bowling three dot balls to Khan, before a single meant he finally got a ball at Perera. Perera tried to aggressively take the ball to leg side and got nothing on it, popping it to Vineth Jayasuriya at mid-on and departing for a golden duck.

Khan kept losing partners at the other end and the Hawks were in a spot of bother at 3/28 before he hit his straps.

He began to dominate all of the bowlers and dispatch boundary after boundary with ease, scoring a rapid 95 off 51 deliveries (seven fours and seven sixes).

He was out in the 13th over much to the delight of the Lions bowlers as he was caught on the fence just short of his century, but much of the damage was done.

Khan was the only Hawks player to score more than 10 and single-handedly got his side to a total of 147 off 18.5 overs.

It was Hallam Kalora Park’s lowest score of the entire T20 series, but there is no doubt that the familiar home ground advantage helped, after getting to play all three finals at Hallam.

Tout took a couple of early wickets, before Jawed Hussaini ripped the innings apart late with 4/21 off 2.5 overs, with Kyle Hardy also taking two.

In reply, six Lions players scored between 10 and 20, with none of them able to turn a start into a big score, which could’ve been the difference.

Jayasuriya and Hardy (both 19) were the top scorers as the team posted 121 off its allotted 20

overs, falling comfortably short by 26 runs.

Jordan Hammond continued his dominance with the ball, taking 4/26 off four overs, while all of the other bowlers took one wicket.

Khan was the man of the match with his ex-

ceptional knock of 95, and his figures of 1/24 off four overs.

He also finished the DDCA T20 campaign as the highest run scorer with 272 at an average of 54.4 – more than 100 runs better than second place.

Calm and clutch Khan leads Hallam Kalora Park to glory

By Blair Burns

Hallam Kalora Park star Jawid Khan blasted 95 off just 51 deliveries in the Dandenong District Cricket (DDCA) T20 grand final to lead the Hawks to victory against Narre South on Sunday. His man of the match performance included seven fours and seven sixes, as he took apart the Lions’ bowlers and single-handedly carried his side to a respectable total of 147, before restricting the Lions to 121.

It would’ve been one of easiest decisions that the umpires had to make all day giving Khan the medal after his innings of 95, with 19 being the next highest score in the match from both sides.

The former Dandenong Premier Cricketer said it was a great day to be part of.

“I don’t believe Hallam had won a T20 flag before, so it was good to get on the board and win the grand final,” he said.

“It was a great day for the club and a good day for me personally, there was a big crowd and lots of opposition teams came down to watch.

“It was good to put on a bit of a show and really enjoy the moment.”

With both Damith Perera (duck) and Shanogeeth Shanmuganathan (2) out inside the first 18 balls and the scoreboard reading 2/15, Khan needed to deliver once again.

“It wasn’t the ideal start losing two of our main batters, but we were thinking if we can get to 140-150, it would probably be enough,” he said.

“To get almost 150 on a pitch which was sort of deteriorating a bit was really good.”

Khan barely had time to think about being close to his first century of the season, because he was scoring too quickly.

Such was his rapid scoring rate that there were still seven overs remaining in the innings

when he was dismissed for 95, the team adding a further 26.

It was Khan’s third half century throughout the T20 campaign, topping the competition with 272 runs at an average of 54.4 – more than 100 runs better than second place.

His consistency was exceptional, scoring 12, 60, 45, 60 and 95 across the five matches.

“I have probably played more than 100 games of T20 cricket in the last three years, because I play during winter and comps around the state,” he said.

“I just hadn’t played enough T20 cricket, but now I sort of have a pretty good feel of how to play a T20 innings and how to go about it.”

Khan said getting over Buckley Ridges in a tight semi-final gave the side great momentum and confidence heading into the decider – the opener also scored 60 off 47 in that match.

“They were the main team we were thinking about, due to them having so many good players,” he said.

“Getting over them definitely made things a bit easier for us in the grand final, we knew if we beat them, then we would be a really good chance to go on and win the final.”

Despite no other Hallam Kalora Park player scoring more than 10 in the grand final, Khan and youngster Austin Fardell combined for an important 79-run partnership, Fardell scoring 9.

“For him to come in and rotate the strike

and get me down there was great, he did exactly what we needed,” he said.

“He was really good, he is a young lad and is very fit, so we could run 2s and 3s – it was good knowing he would have my back out there.”

Khan spent last season playing for Dandenong in the Victorian Premier Cricket competition, before making the move to the Hawks.

But he is no stranger to the DDCA competition, having played for North Dandenong back in 2023/24, scoring three centuries and finishing runner-up in the Wookey Medal count. With 270 runs and 19 wickets, there is no doubt that he will be amongst the votes once again this season.

Lions stave off the Hawks

By Blair Burns

Narre South won its second game of the season in the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 1 competition, holding off Hallam Kalora Park by three runs in a thrilling finish.

The Hawks came into the clash in red-hot form, having won five matches in a row, but the Lions roared to take the six points.

Narre South won the toss on day one of the clash at Strathaird Recreation Reserve and elected to bat in the searing heat, posting a huge total of 331.

Vineth Jayasuriya (130) and Oshadha Ariyadasa (125) both scored centuries, complementing each other perfectly at the crease.

Only two other players made double figures, with Jawed Hussaini (23) and captain Cal Tout (31 not out) seeing the side to an impressive total.

Jordan Hammond led from the front for the Hawks on what was a tough day in the field, taking 5/59 off 21 overs, taking his season tally to 22 wickets across Turf 1 and the T20 competition.

On day two, the task was set for the Hawks and they were going to need to bat very well to give themselves a shot at a sixth consecutive win.

Jagveer Hayer and Benjamin Hillard strolled to the crease but the pair didn’t last long together, with Hayer (2) snicking off in the fourth over.

Jawid Khan (12) was the next man to go as he got a tickle on a cut shot to the keeper and at 2/35, Hallam Kalora Park desperately needed a partnership.

Hillard and Damith Perera gave the Hawks exactly that, stealing back momentum for their side and putting on a 134-run partnership.

Both reached half centuries and the match looked strongly in favour of the Hawks, with wickets in hand and two set batters at the crease.

It wasn’t until Kyle Hardy came on to bowl as the eighth bowler that Narre South got their men, dismissing Hillard (74) and then Perera (73), changing the game.

Leigh Booth and Jordan Hammond (both 35) helped Hallam Kalora Park near closer to the target, getting them to 6/257 with about 15 overs remaining.

It came down to the final over, skipper Tout taking the ball for the Lions, with the Hawks needing 11 runs to win.

Ryan Hillard and Lee Brown were the batters in the middle, and the pair had already put on more than 50 runs together … Hillard was the guy who was going to get them home.

Hillard hit hard on leg side with the first ball, pushing for two and despite looking like he was gone for all money at the bowler’s end, Brown was saved by a fumble from Tout and they scurried back for two.

The next ball was dug out straight back to Tout and Brown was run out at the non-strikers after backing up way too far.

Hillard hit another two, then a single, which perhaps he wouldn’t take given his time again.

Shaveen Ranawaka got off strike with a bye to give Hillard a look at Tout’s final delivery – four needed to draw, six to win.

He hit it to leg side where there was protection only managed a single, and despite finishing on 44 not out, it wasn’t enough.

Hillard chucked his bat on the ground as he trudged off, giving it a little kick as the Narre South players ran to celebrate with their skipper. In other games, Dandenong West made light

work of Beaconsfield defending its total of 326 with ease thanks to another Shaun Weir ton on day one.

The Bulls won by 213 runs on first innings, as they bowled the Tigers out for 113, with only Jack Steel (34) troubling the scorers.

Dandenong West’s Joel Zietsman (5/30) was on fire with the new ball to take his first five-wicket haul of the season, to go along with his 57 from the first innings with the bat – Jayden Camilleri (3/45) was also impressive.

The Bulls sent Beaconsfield back in chasing the outright victory, but the Tigers fared a bit better in the second dig, with skipper Andrey Fernando (50) and Abaseen Taniwal (32 not out) keeping the bowlers at bay and getting the final score to 2/103.

Springvale South’s total of 269 was too much for a fighting Berwick side to overcome, as the Bloods won by 66 runs and cemented their position in second spot on the ladder.

Half centuries to Dasun Opanayaka (71) and Mitch Forsyth (50) on the first week helped the side to a very competitive total of 269.

An even contribution with the ball meant that Springvale South had Berwick on the back foot from the outset, bowling the Bears out for 203 after 71.5 overs.

Captain Michael Wallace (42) was the standout performer at the top of the order, while a classy half century from Jordan Cleland kept the Bears in the hunt.

If some teammates could’ve hung around longer for him and Berwick had batted out the overs, Cleland’s 72 not out could’ve turned into a victo-

ry-yielding century.

Nick Boland, Blade Baxter, Opanayaka and Chathuranga De Silva all took two wickets, while Josh Dowling took one.

Buckley Ridges registered an outright victory over Parkmore on the weekend after almost winning the match on first day, finishing with 3/91 chasing 125.

The Bucks pushed on from that point and with big scores from Ben Wright (81) and Ishan Jayarathna (74), the visitors declared on 233.

The Pirates were sent back in and were bowled out for 150 in the second innings, with Lochana Premarathna (57 not out) the only player to deliver once again, after making 48 in the first innings. Buckley Ridges needed just 44 runs for an outright victory, and despite losing both openers Dale Tormey and Ayush Patel for ducks, they made light work of the task.

Josh Holden (21 not out) and Triyan De

(24) saw the side home eight overs into the fourth