Thursday, 15 January, 2026
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Funding fight heats up
Students experience Big Build
Factory goes up in flames
Blazing Bulls down Dees
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CFA alongside a Sikh volunteer.
Cardinia steps up While firefighters battle catastrophic blazes across Victoria’s north, another frontline has been quietly at work — locals and community groups who have not rested since the fires began. Day after day, food vans have rolled into relief centres, volunteers have driven hours before dawn and late into the night, and community networks have mobilised without pause, bridging the gap between emergency response and human need. Sikh Volunteers Australia has been on the ground for 10 consecutive days, serving freshly cooked meals to families, evacuees, and emergency workers. Travelling more than four hours from the southeast, their vans have reached fire-affected towns including Seymour, Mansfield, Yea, Benalla, and Wodonga. Each day brought a new location, a new menu, and the same commitment to serve anyone in need. Supporting these efforts, the Country Women’s Association of Victoria’s Berwick Branch and Officer’s Indian Grocer donated food and sup-
plies to keep the vans running. Well-known Community Pete also launched a statewide fundraiser, collecting essentials such as food, water, sunscreen, toiletries, and generators to deliver where they were needed most. The response went beyond organised groups. In Kooweerup, resident Barry Owen opened his property overnight to shelter five displaced horses. Many local firefighters also formed strike teams or joined others to help combat the fires. Members of Pakenham Fire Brigade are currently deployed to Central Victoria. One member, Shymma Harris, recently returned from deployment to Yea and surrounds. Two others left on Wednesday evening, where they were briefed at Alexandra. The brigades of Cardinia are now on a rotation, where they are on call to assist with firefighting efforts, typically for three days before returning home. Pakenham Captain Nathan Thorpe said he was proud of the efforts of his brigade and others. READ THE FULL STORIES ON PAGE 3
Lakhbir Singh and Sukhraj Singh with a volunteer from Berwick. (Supplied) 51 James Street Pakenham VIC 3810 renee.heath@ parliament.vic.gov.au
Final homes Now selling from $530,000
reneeheathmp Renee’s message to Pakenham residents
Renee HEATH MP 12805175-MS46-25
12831900-JV02-26
MEMBER FOR EASTERN VICTORIA
12784747-JO29-25
It makes sense to feel frustrated