Mail - Mt Evelyn Star Mail - 13th January 2026

Tuesday, 13 January, 2026

CFMEU fined for ‘improper’ conduct on sites

AFL, local clubs remember Phoenix Spicer

Water storage levels dip to 75 per cent

See Real Estate liftout inside

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A Star News Group Publication

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Smoke and shells in the Yarra Valley Some of the finest competition shooters descended on Yering last week after the Melbourne Gun Club stepped in to ensure a major event could go ahead. Initially scheduled to take place in Echuca, the heat would have cancelled the competition. Instead, the Commonwealth Championship and the Australian Clay Target National for Trap could go ahead, seeing Olympic shooters from across Australia and the world head to the Yarra Valley. It was an incredible display of talent in challenging conditions, from heat and wind. Star Mail photographer Rob Carew was able to capture some of the action on Thursday 8 January. See more on page 29

Olympian Penny Smith with her mum, Kim, and the trophy Penny won at the event. (Rob Carew: 527441)

Fires inched close Everyone in the Yarra Ranges held their breath last week as out-of-control fires blazed just 50 minutes north of the area. Catastrophic conditions sparked and fuelled many major fires across the state, with the Longwood fire tearing through 350,000 hectares of land, including more than 300 structures, and killing one person at the time of publication. An illegally modified e-motorbike caused a scare in Warburton when it burst into flames, igniting a fire that took all night to contain.

Local responses varied, with some choosing early evacuation for their family and pets, while others stayed to safeguard livestock, emphasising the need to keep roads clear for those in immediate danger. The community banded together to support those affected by the fires in multiple ways, in what was a testament to the altruism and benevolence of the region in times of crisis. Many CFA brigades from the Yarra Ranges joined strike teams to assist the firefighting effort,

with CFA tankers from Little Yarra, Hillcrest, to Mt Evelyn, Lilydale, Chirnside Park and Coldstream, and from across the Hills, heading up north. Lilydale opened a relief centre, seeing evacuees make use of the space as they wait to learn the fates of their properties and townships. Cars, some towing trailers of items, vans, people and their animals were continuing to flow into the Lilydale High School stadium car park at 6.40pm on Friday 9 January. The centre provided basic relief with tea and

coffee facilities, beds, a kids’ area and animal housing. Smokey skies left the entire valley awash with an eerie orange haze and air quality deteriorated. The smell of smoke caused some false alarms to the CFA, the anxiety of a bushfire hanging in the air just like the smoke was. The temperatures dropped late into Friday evening and the heat left the air like a sigh of relief. Read more on pages 4 to 6

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