Tuesday, 23 June, 2026
Casey’s award winners recognised
Boxing for better futures at River Valley
Warburton Film Festival a hit among community
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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River link By Callum Ludwig The official announcement has arrived for the Birrarung Valley Walk project that will link the Birrarung (Yarra River) from the city to deep into the Upper Yarra and Yarra Ranges. By linking over 200km of trails, a multi-day hike from the river’s estuary in Williamstown to its source in the Upper Yarra dam will be almost entirely possible via one route. In the announcement on Monday 15 June, Birrarung Valley Walk chair Bruce Parncutt AO said they are announcing a walking trail that, on the basis of the evidence they’ve gathered, is unique on this planet. “For the first time in any major city in the world, a great urban river will be walkable from its estuary to the mountain catchment that feeds it, entirely on public land,” he said. “It will be a 220-kilometre open-air institution. An ecological corridor. An environmental journey through the oldest, continuous living culture on earth. A platform for storytelling through our mobile app, for healing, for connection and for the long, patient work of caring for Country.”
At only one point will vehicle transfer be required to continue the walk, with trekkers having to drive from Mount Lofty to Lilydale to continue on their journey. In 2017, six Wurundjeri Elders entered the chamber and spoke in their traditional language in support of the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act, the first time in Victoria’s history that Traditional Custodians had been given a legally mandated voice in river management, and it also marked the first time a river in this country had been given “living entity” status. Wilip-gin Birrarung murron or ‘Keep Birrarung alive’ has gone on to influence the Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo (Yarra Strategic Plan) 2022-32. The plan laid the foundation for the exploration of the Birrarung Valley Walk, a 13-day, 220km hike which will be one way for ‘ordinary Victorians’ to experience the river, to understand how important the river is and what it provides for each of us, according to Mr Parncutt. Turn to page 6 for more
Sanctuary jobs in jeopardy By Gabriella Vukman A proposed restructure at Zoos Victoria has sparked concern among staff and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), with fears that job cuts at Healesville Sanctuary could weaken conservation efforts and place unsustainable pressure on remaining employees. The changes, which are currently under consultation and have not been finalised, form part of an internal review process required under Zoos Victoria’s enterprise agreement. Staff and unions have been invited to provide feedback and submit alternative proposals before any decisions are made. At the centre of the controversy is a proposed
overhaul of Life Science management roles. Specialist leadership positions could be replaced by broader “precinct manager” roles responsible for overseeing multiple teams across Healesville Sanctuary and Kyabram Fauna Park. The proposed changes could severely impact Healeville Sanctuary’s operations. “The proposed job cuts at Healesville Sanctuary will have devastating impacts on all programs run at the Sanctuary and the important work undertaken by the Life Science Team,” Ms Hanna said. “These Precinct Manager roles will have impossible workloads, managing multiple teams across Healesville and Kyabram Fauna Park,” she said.
Thursday’s Winter Wollies was a mane attraction for local riders (Stewart Chambers)
Winter Woollies whinny It was a pasture-perfect day at the Healesville Pony Club grounds on Thursday, 18 June, as the club’s annual Winter Woollies event returned for another round. Attended by riders, volunteers, sponsors and horse enthusiasts alike, the competition was a day of unbridled community fun and fundraising. The event was supported by Bendigo Bank, whose sponsorship helped fund important in-
frastructure improvements at the grounds. Branch Manager Keeley Mahoney said the bank works closely with local groups to strengthen the community. “We really love our town that we live in and we want to make sure it thrives in all areas and covers all ages and types of people in the town,” Ms Mahoney said. “The profit that we make we try to give back to a diverse group of clubs and groups.”
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