Tuesday, 10 February, 2026
Monbulk resident urges road action
Damage closes Selby Community House
Upwey High drives fire safety
REAL ESTATE BEGINS ON
PAGE 6
PAGE 7
PAGE 9
PAGE 23
A Star News Group Publication
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Legend visits By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Paralympian swimmer, Col Pearse visited Monbulk Aquatic Centre on Wednesday, 4 February. (Shamsiya Hussainpoor: 533069)
Monbulk Aquatic Centre welcomed Australian Paralympic swimmer, Col Pearse on Wednesday, 4 February, for a free community event celebrating participation, inclusion, and the future of swimming. From 4pm to 7pm, local children met Mr Pearse, asked questions, took photos, and watched him race alongside Monbulk Marlins Swim Club members. Mr Pearse, born in regional Victoria, had his right foot amputated below the ankle at age two, yet he has reached the highest levels of international swimming. “It means a lot because I grew up in a small community with very few people swimming,” Mr Pearse said. “It’s about more than performance - it’s building the next generation of athletes.” Monbulk Aquatic Centre venue manager Rachel Scott said the visit highlighted the centre’s role as a welcoming community hub and reinforced the importance of accessible swimming programs for all, including young people with disability. TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, TURN TO PAGE 14
Closure confusion Ferntree Gully
Category 0 is classed as having the highest bushfire risk profile and in the Yarra Ranges some schools, like Chum Creek Primary and their OSCH have had to relocate partner school Healesville Primary on high-risk days because their BARR rating currently sits at a zero. While the State policy is created with extensive consultation with emergency management groups and the CSIRO, this years BARR ratings have created a headache for many families across the region. READ MORE ON PAGE 4
S/TMAXX
STTPRO
A/T3
Heavy Duty All-Terrain 50% ROAD & SAND 80% DIRT & MUD
Super Traction Tyre 20% ROAD & SAND 80% DIRT & MUD
All-Terrain 70% ROAD & SAND 30% DIRT & MUD
PICK UP 4WD
Your Local Service Specialist
MILEAGE WARRANTY UP TO 80,000KM
PICK UP
4WD
THE LATEST GENERATION MOST ADVANCED MUD TYRE
SUV PICK UP 4WD
MILEAGE WARRANTY UP TO 90,000KM
Widetread are Authorised Dealer for...
12790591-FR38-25
We’ve got the services you need with no hidden costs Brakes - Mechanical Repairs - Log Book Servicing 870 Burwood Hwy Ferntree Gully Ph 9758 5140
twice daily at 5.30am and at 4pm, which determines what actions schools on the Bushfire AtRisk Register (BARR) take.” The local LGA fire danger ratings are not public information and don’t always match district forecasts that are for larger areas and released by BOM. All schools across Victoria are ranked annually on the BARR register, and under the Department of Education’s policy, all category two services are required to close or relocate when the LGA fire danger rating reaches extreme.
12330988-RC46-16
Sudden school closures in Cardinia and Yarra Ranges on February 3 and 4 left local families confused and frustrated last week. Due to the statewide Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) policy that applies across all schools, the policy triggers closures LGA fire danger ratings for certain schools depending on their ranking on the register. Schools like Emerald Secondary College and others across Cardinia Shire were closed because of an increased local fire danger, but the system’s
seemed inconsistent to locals as others schools in the region stayed open. A Department of Education spokesperson said that Emerald Secondary College’s local government areas’ fire danger rating for Tuesday 3 February had increased to extreme. “All relevant Bushfire At-Risk Register schools were contacted immediately to communicate the need to close or relocate in line with their preapproved plan,” they said. “The local fire danger rating for the following day is released by the Bureau of Meteorology
FERNTREE GULLY 9758 9288 1158 Burwood Hwy (towards Belgrave)
12823815-JV48-25
By Tanya Steele