Thursday, 11 June, 2026
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Ready for a splash The Bayles Regional Primary School community came together in spectacular fashion for this year’s Fight MND Big Freeze event, raising vital funds and awareness in support of those affected by Motor Neurone Disease (MND). STORY PAGE 14
School staff ready for the slide! (Supplied)
Youth crime fury “As to why they do it, I don’t know. Obviously a lot of dangers come from that so we obviously respond to that as quickly.” Concerns over youth driving were highlighted following a recent incident in Pakenham that was difficult to revisit. It involved a 16-year-old driver charged over a fatal crash, with his 16-year-old friend (in the front passenger) airlifted to hospital and later dying from his injuries. Another concern was the rising use of electric bikes and scooters, with both youth and adults seen riding them illegally. E-bikes and e-scooters were contributing to road trauma, but “thankfully” not to the same extent as motorcycles or larger vehicles. Sgt Hannie said one of the biggest issues with the current laws was that many devices were legal to own and use on private property, but became illegal when ridden on public roads or outside
permitted rules. During the forum, one mother said e-bike laws were also complex for parents to navigate, with confusion over what was legal and illegal. “As a parent of a 13-year-old boy who desperately wants one, I just keep saying they’re illegal, you can’t have it,” she said. “It’s really difficult for parents to even manage, let alone police.” Casey mayor Cr Stefan Koomen previously acknowledged recent initiatives in New South Wales and Queensland and believes these are “timely and worth assessing for potential application” in Victoria. Sgt Hannie reassured that police are actively engaging with distributors and sellers on changing their approach to business, but acknowledged “it is a challenge.” Victoria Police websites, Facebook Eyewatch pages and crime forums are other tools used to
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Frustrated parents are raising alarm over youth joyriding in stolen vehicles and illegal e-bikes. Speaking at the crime forum in Beaconshills College, Cardinia Highway Patrol Sergeant (Stg) Mike Hanni said their core focus is reducing road trauma through prevention and response. When Highway Patrol is not responding to collisions, it focuses on enforcement operations targeting the major causes of road trauma, including speeding, impaired driving, distraction, fatigue and seatbelt offences. Sgt Hannie said the cases he had seen involved young drivers allegedly stealing vehicles themselves or the stolen vehicle being passed around between groups. “It stands out when someone who looks 13-14 is behind a steering wheel and a car load of their mates,” he said.
educate parents, young people and the wider community. “With the wider use of technology, young people are now connected via social media and such apps,” divisional commander Superintendent Shane Cashman said. “A lot of the messaging has gone to that. We’re going towards that generation that don’t watch TV.” However, parents were not fully convinced police were successfully communicating with teenagers, arguing that the social media ban and a shift away from TV and newspapers were creating barriers. On a personal level, Commander Cashman said he understands the challenges parents face communicating to their own children. “Having children of that age, they do not like (you) to jump into where they want to jump into,” he said.
Low Dose CT, Digital X-ray, Comprehensive Ultrasound Dental X-ray, Dexa or Bone Densitometry, Echocardiogram
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By Afraa Kori