Tuesday, 30 June, 2026
Cat advocates question animal surrender fee
Hills schools score maintenance funding
Author Chris Hammer set to open Literary Fest
Real estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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Upwey rocks! By Tanya Steele The local community got together and rocked on over the weekend for the first-ever Upwey Sounds, a free winter music and more event across multiple locations that brought local talent to the fore. Across four venues from the Upwey-Belgrave RSL to the Fat Goat, performers played into the night on Saturday 27 June. A special youth-led stage saw local not-for-profit The Forge Institute host a musical stage for teens across the region, with Nina Rose, Who’s Rosie, the Melody Band and IHA entertaining crowds. President of Upwey Township group Jaqui Buckland said the event was a great success with a good turnout despite the cold. “There were plenty of people across all the venues,” she said. The main stage, dubbed the Blue Hills stage in the Skate Park, saw DJ Digging, DJJo, Miss Skatonic 3, DJ B, Neesy and Stewart, DJ Tre Bien, Tony J King, DJ Jack, Conqueror Root, DJ Conquest, Katy Kapow and Deep Steve entertain crowds untill 10pm. From burlesque to vinyl spinning, the community came out to listen to local talent and had a great time. FOR HIGHLIGHTS, TURN TO PAGE 10 FOR MORE
Deep Steve take the stage. (42 Studios - Julia Broad)
Calling Albanese By Shamsiya Hussainpoor A Mater Christi College Year 7 student has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for stronger action to reduce crime and improve public safety, saying young people are being deeply affected by incidents in their communities. The 13-year-old Cleo Mackenzie said she was inspired to write the letter after a teacher shared her own experience of contacting the Prime Min-
ister about issues she cared about. In her letter, Cleo said more needs to be done to make Australia safer, pointing to regular news reports of people being harmed or robbed, which she said have shaped her sense of safety from a young age. She also described a distressing incident outside her home that changed how she feels about safety in her own environment and affected her younger brothers. “Most people believe home is a safe haven. I
can’t feel safe in my own house when I feel like someone can come in at any moment,” the letter reads. Cleo said the experience reinforced the lasting impact of crime on children, saying “once something happens to you or near you, you can’t really unsee that”. Central to her message is what she calls a “ripple effect” - the idea that one positive action can drive broader change. “If you drop a pebble in a river, ripples will
come from that and spread,” she wrote, saying the concept could apply to individuals, communities and countries working towards safer societies. She suggested measures including improved lighting in streets and shopping centres, compulsory CCTV in busy public areas, and more neighbourhood watch groups. Cleo said she hopes policymakers recognise crime also affects young people, adding children should not be dismissed when raising concerns. READ THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 6
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