Tuesday, 19 May, 2026
New medication inches closer to Australia
RSL members’ journey to Ambon
Celebrating our vital volunteers
See Real Estate liftout inside
PAGE 4
PAGE 10
PAGES 16-19
PAGE 21
A Star News Group Publication
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Festival fun By Tanya Steele and April Stevens If you happened to be travelling through Yarra Glen over the weekend, you may have tripped into another world as the first-ever Melbourne Renfair descended on the region. From historically accurate figures of the Renaissance to a myriad of mythological creatures from another realm, the Yarra Valley was a hive of activity on 16 and 17 May. Dressed as an adventuring pirate elf, Tanika from Healesville said attending over the weekend was liberating, simply because the fair creates a space where you don’t have to be yourself. “You can commit as a character as much or as little as you want,” she said. With upwards of 14,000 people and volunteers dressed in their finest attire, the Melbourne Renfair was attended well on both days, with rain not dampening the enthusiasm as people travelled from all over Australia to be a part of the festival. Read more on page 12
Archie the jester entertains the crowds at the Renfair. (April Stevens: 554053)
Locals lose trust By Gabriella Vukman Yarra Ranges locals are voicing concerns surrounding free healthcare services in public schools. For Launching Place mother Steph Hawker, leaving her 6-year-old son Mason at school for the day has become an exercise in anxiety. After Mason received another child’s treatment without her permission, Ms Hawker said she felt “gut-wrenched.” “My whole mother instinct was to go and grab my son and bring him home,” she said.
“I hadn’t given any permission for Mason to be treated at all.” Ms Hawker maintained that due to privacy protocols preventing the school staff from being aware which students the dental staff were permitted to treat, the incident was not the fault of her son’s school. “The school did everything they possibly and legally could to protect my son,” she said. “We drop our kids off at nine and pick them up at 3:30 pm, thinking the school has the power to protect our kids, the same way that we would as parents, but in actual fact, because of privacy
laws, they can’t do anything.” Yarra Ranges mother Caroline Langan-Minca has lost all faith in all government-provided free in-school healthcare services after her son Jack was falsely diagnosed with five fillings and recommended stainless steel caps for treatment in 2025. After receiving the X-rays, which Ms LanganMinca’s dentist described as ‘unneeded’, from the in-school health provider, Ms Langan-Minca took her son to their family dentist for another opinion. “Our dentist looked at my son’s teeth and said
he had one cavity that is not worth doing anything about,” Ms Langan-Minca said. “The dentist said even if he did have five cavities, you would never do stainless steel caps on a five-year-old, because his teeth were going to fall out anyway.” Ms Langan-Minca is concerned about health providers charging by item number. “There was no reason for my son to have an X-ray,” she said. “I feel like they just do anything to any kid just to get paid. I don’t trust it at all now.”
- *0 ) *0)/ ) 12854325-EA13-26
ˆ˘˟˟˜ˡ˚ ˢ˥ ʵ˨ˬ˜ˡ˚ʲ ˀ˔˞˘ ˬˢ˨˥ ˠˢ˩˘ ˪˜˧˛ ˌ˔˥˥˔ ˉ˔˟˟˘ˬ ˘˫ˣ˘˥˧˦ʡ ˨˥ ˠˢ˩˘ ˪˜˧˛ ˛ ˌ ˌ˔˥˥˔ ˉ˔˟˟˘ ˌ˔ ˘ˬ ˘˫ˣ˘ ˘ ˘˥˧˦ʡ ˃˥ˢ˙˘˦˦˜ˢˡ˔˟˦ ˌ˔˥˥˔ ˉ˔˟˟˘ˬ ˌ˔˥˥˔ ʽ˨ˡ˖˧˜ˢˡ ʽ˨ˡ˖˧ ˖˧˜ˢˡ ʣʦ ʨʬʩ ˊ˔˥˕˨˥˧ˢˡ ˊ˔˥ ˔˥˕˨˥˥˧ˢˡ ʣʦ ʨʬʩʩ ʥʫʣʣ ʣʦ ʨʬʩʪ ʤʫʣʣ ʩʪ ʪ ʤʫʣʣ ˊ˔ ʣʦ ʦ ʨʬʩʩ ʥʫʣʣ ʦ ʨʬ ˃˥ˢ˙˘˦˦˜ˢˡ˔˟˦ ˌ˔˥˥˔ ˉ˔˟˟˘ˬ ˌ˔˥˥˔ ʽ˨ˡ˖˧˜ˢˡ
ʣʦ ʨʬʩʪ ʤʫʣʣ ˊ˔˥˕˨˥˧ˢˡ
ʣʦ ʨʬʩʩ ʥʫʣʣ
We buy copper, brass, aluminium, etc . . . We Buy Steel Clancy Road, Mt Evelyn | www.evelynrecycling.com.au
Tel: 9736 2853 12835018-MS03-26